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On Friday 22nd September 2006 Marinne Claydon died at home aged 82 years. There are many people resident in Copthorne who did not know Marinne but there are an equal number for whom the quality of life will be much poorer for her absence. Marinne did so much within Copthorne, it seemed only right that a tribute be paid to her here in the Parish Magazine. Unfortunately her net was cast wide and whilst there were people willing to speak of what she did for their particular organisation, very few were aware of the whole picture. I have put together below a taster of the sort of person she was, but apologise profusely in advance for any glaring omissions. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the assistance mostly of her grand-daughter, Dominique, who read a beautiful eulogy at her funeral but also of: Rev. Alastair Cutting, John Edwards, Mollie Emery, and especially Mavis Williamson for their recollections
Marinne and John Claydon were married for 55 years – they met whilst she was a Secretary for the Young Conservatives, a political alliance she retained for the rest of her life apparently still heckling the labour candidate at election hustings until very recently! They moved into Copthorne in the 1950s and quickly settled into village life. They had two daughters, Anne and Louise, five grand-daughters and ten great-grandchildren (“family was everything to nan …..”).
The role I knew Marinne for, which she fulfilled with a quiet, stoic dignity, was as Verger and Sacristan for St. John’s Church, a post she held for many years. She took over, and was trained by another great village character, Dora Smart (in Rev. David Couling’s time). She was the person who prepared the Church for the Wednesday and Sunday services, and also for weddings, funerals etc. She washed and maintained all the linens for the Church and was still typing (on a typewriter of course) cards for the index of graves. I am told she also ran the Sunday School for a time and had a stint as PCC Secretary – in the days when the minutes were all hand-written! Marinne also made many of the hassocks we use in Church and was an accomplished embroiderer – Alastair tells me he has many hand-made cards that she cross-stitched over the years. In the words of Marinne’s grand-daughter, Dominique – “good luck to the next Verger, my nan’s a hard act to follow”.
Another large part of Marinne’s life was the WI and at this point I hand over to Mavis Williamson for her musings: “Marinne was an enthusiastic member of the WI which she had joined when she was 15 years old. She was voted President of the Copthorne WI a number of times, and was often their delegate at group, county and national meetings, despite having to rely on public transport because she never learnt to drive. She was also a prime mover for the formation of the Afternoon WI and when it was formed in 1990 she became its first president. She remained a member of both WIs for the rest of her life”.
I am told she was a stickler for the correct procedures and played ‘Jerusalem’ on the piano before every meeting. The WI were also responsible for Marinne’s one and only trip abroad – to Holland! Mavis goes on: “Although the Church and WI were her main interests, Marinne was also involved with many other organisations in the village: the Baby Clinic, the Guides, the Mothers Union, the Community Club and, for over thirty years, the Friday Club (previously known as the ‘Darby & Joan’). In addition she also found the time to tread the boards in the local amateur dramatics society: she was one of the founders of the Copthorne Players and still a paid-up member when she died”. Her other interests included: “any excuse to go to bingo”, genealogy (she traced her family back as far as 1752), taking videos and photography (apparently the David Bailey of Copthorne!).
These great village characters who put their heart and soul into the community are sadly now few and far between. As Mavis said, “Marinne contributed greatly to village life – she really was a pillar of the community – and she will be sorely missed by many people”. The final word however rightly goes to the family but is echoed by all of us whose lives she touched whether or not we were aware of it at the time: “she will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her”. God Bless You, Marinne. |
