Michael Flowerday

Kathleen Flowerday has kindly revised the notes she created for the obituary read at Michael’s funeral. These are reproduced below:-

Michael John Flowerday   7^th April 1936 – 5^th March 2019

Michael was born in Kenninghall where his father was Head of the village Primary School, and his mother a housewife until after the Second World War when she trained as a teacher and joined her husband at the school.
As the son of the Headmaster, poor Michael could be punished quite severely if he put a foot wrong even though his father was a generally fair man.  Michael and his sister used to like standing on the stairs in the school house listening when an angry parent came round all guns blazing, complaining about a punishment suffered by their offspring but went away calmed down and agreeing with Mr. Flowerday, probably determined to make sure their child behaved in the future.
During childhood Michael bred rabbits to sell and later kept a few pigs in a farmer’s building across the road.  He usually had a local buyer, but going to some auctions probably inspired him to want to be an auctioneer.  He also spent holidays with his paternal grandparents at Ingham near Stalham where his granddad was manager of a large farm.  He loved being there, helping and learning from Grandad on the farm, playing bowls in the evening or gardening.
Thetford Grammar School was not exactly his cup of tea and he did not particularly excel there.  Unlike children nowadays he had a fair bike ride to Eccles station and a walk from Thetford station to the school and vice versa on the way home.  The journey meant that he met several people who have been lifelong friends. 
On leaving school he was articled to Philip Hall at Hall and Palmers in Wymondham to learn to be an auctioneer and Estate Agent when Estate Agents really were that and did yearly valuations on large farms and estates and much more besides.  Michael loved all of it but what he enjoyed most was the sales.  Mr Hall one Friday said to him, “You want to sell don’t you.  There you go then” and Mr Hall went back to the office.  So as a young lad he was thrown in at the deep end.  All of Wymondham it seemed used to be at the Friday sale which took place then where the medical centre is behind the Congregational church.  They sold all dead stock, garden produce, plants, trees, antiques, livestock, anything really so it was a good training ground.
The firm used to have big agricultural machinery sales on Hethel airfield twice a year and a caravan was on the site as an office and somewhere for a night watchman, usually one of the boys working at Hall and Palmers.  Sometimes Michael and Kathleen would be on duty there in the evening until, usually it was Mike Norton, came to relieve them and stay the night.  During the evening a local bobby would ride up on his bicycle to call in for a chat and to check all was okay.  Those were the days. 
Michael and Kathleen were married in Banham church in 1964. They began their married life living in Bellrope Lane Wymondham. Michael and Mike Norton  fattened pigs in buildings near the old gas works in Wymondham until they were flooded out by a burst water main.  Since he and Kathleen had moved to Hill Farm in 1968, they were able to evacuate the pigs to old pens at Hill Farm where he continued to fatten pigs until he retired in 2001.  Over the years he spent ages updating the piggery that was already there and doing all the inside work in a new building.
As well as auctioneering Michael was part of the estate agency side of the firm for several years until the “Gazumping” era when he really became depressed with the way the housing market was operating and decided to leave Hall and Palmers to keep pigs and do freelance auctioneering, which for him was the perfect combination.  Over the years he was employed by various auctioneers, mainly Tyrone Roberts at Swaffham, Abels at Watton, Bury St Edmunds livestock market selling pigs, and Keys at Aylsham, with other odd sales when people wanted an auctioneer, and various charity auctions.  At this time, having had lessons and passed the test, he drove lorries, mainly cattle floats for John Peacock.
Michael was involved with the New Buckenham Young Farmers for many years, Attleborough Lions, Friends of Wayland Hospital and the Ancient Order of Foresters.  At one time he served behind the bar at Wymondham Ex-servicemen’s Club, played bowls in Kenninghall, tennis in Banham, snooker in Wymondham and Attleborough and actually played once for a Wymondham football club where, as goalie, he let so many in he was never asked again!  He was on the Deopham Parish Council for some years and was treasurer of the Rix Charities and the Gralix Hall.  
Having played the piano in his earlier years, taught by his father, when Michael retired he decided to buy a Yamaha Clavinova, after he heard one being played at the Norfolk Show.  He spent many happy hours playing, usually very loudly!
Michael loved Norfolk, the countryside, all animals and birds and where he lived for 50 years after moving out of Wymondham to Deopham.  He was hardly ever ill before the last almost two years of his life which were somewhat plagued with hospital stays, rehabilitation and deterioration but he was lucky enough to do, more or less, exactly what he wanted to do and be where he wished to be for most of his life.

A broadcast interview made by Michael in 1985 as part of Wally Webb’s “Village Voice” series can be heard here:

There is a transcript of this talk here.

Photo: G. Sankey, June 2023

Michael’s memorial at the foot of Deopham church tower.