Issue 68 — June, 2010
Farewell to Maggie and Ray
Maggie Barrett– Everyone who knew Maggie, who died in January aged 87, remembers her with a smile. Born in St Ebbes, she served during wartime in the Wrens at HMS Raleigh, and for the rest of her life she would still regularly wear her tiny Wren’s hat (which was placed on her coffin). She then worked at Lucy’s factory where she became a shop steward. Maggie lived with her brother Reg at 71 Cardigan Street and when, in the late 1960s, the house was demolished to make way for the school field, they moved down to number 61.
After retiring from Lucy’s, Maggie kept busy doing housekeeping work and became a firm favourite in many families whose children regularly visited her. Her birthday was 12 August, the start of the grouse shooting season which, she said, explained her formidable capacity for Famous Grouse whisky, whose bottles lined her living room. She was a familiar figure in the Baker’s Arms and later The Globe where she was a key member of the darts team. A firm royalist, Maggie acted as Jericho’s ‘queen’ during the 2002 Golden Jubilee party (pictured above). She also loved a bet, always backing the Queen’s horses, and had been part owner of a greyhound. She was also a huge fan of Arsenal, and of John Wayne whose movies she played frequently.
Famously hospitable, Maggie would welcome the neighbours every Sunday morning for drinks party and lunch, and her birthday parties went on for several days. Although she was confined in later years by a fall, nothing much would get her down. When she refused a sip of whisky during her final illness her friends knew they were saying goodbye.
Ray Titcomb – Despite being confined to a wheelchair for the final years of his life, Ray, who died, aged 71, on March 29, was one of Jericho’s most cheerful figures. Ray was born just across the canal from Jericho in Upper Fisher Row. He went to St Frideswide’s school and then worked briefly at Percivals coaches. Soon, however, he took a job as a general builder with Dingle’s, originally in Hart Street, and then worked from the yard in Binsey Lane. He had a two-year break for national service in Cyprus and on his return, at 22 years old, he married Jean who lived only a few doors away.
The couple moved to Cranham Street and lived there from then on, bringing up three children, Kevin, Debrah and David. Ray was well known in Jericho helping out at all the community events. He was a great football enthusiast, and coached the Summertown Stars boys football team. He was a fervent Liverpool supporter and ‘You’ll never walk alone’ was played at his funeral. Ray was also a keen birdwatcher fisherman and cyclist, and at 40 years old realized an ambition to cycle from Oxford to Weymouth and dip his front wheel in the sea.
At 49 years old, however, Ray was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He continue to work at Dingles, but had to retire aged 61. By then however, he had a new lease on life with the arrival of his five grandchildren, and in later years could be seen moving around Jericho in his red electric wheelchair – with a friendly word for everyone. Although in the final years, he found it steadily more difficult, he could always count on devoted care from Jean. Our sympathies to all the family.
