Littleport Life’s Cathy Gibb-de Swarte remembers Norman South

When Littleport’s sporting legend “Twink” Norman David South left his beloved village to move into Swaffham’s The Paddocks Care Home his presence was missed by so many of us who were used to bumping into him on a practically daily basis at the local shops! He was such a likeable and humorous man and the headlines reporting his passing on Christmas Day were a great shock and sadness for the whole of Littleport.
I had met Norman on many occasions, especially at the old sociable Littleport Leisure Centre where he played indoor bowls. He loved sharing tips on how to improve people’s game, especially in the art of turning the ball instead of hurling it onto someone else’s mat which somehow I had the regular habit of doing when I partnered him.
Then we would often meet up at the bar either after I had just completed my yearly 10k local run to enjoy sharing my free sandwiches which we were given for competing, or we would watch his beloved Littleport Cricket Team (sadly now defunct) in the summer, and Littleport Town football team during the winter months. Those memories will always stay with me because as a sports reporter, I had met and interviewed many top professional sports people over the years, but there was something about the warmth and honesty of this genuine sportsperson that I just had to find out more about his sporting life, so I was excited when I managed to book an interview with him for Littleport Life Magazine six years ago.
At that time Norman’s memory was very sketchy, so it made the interview that slightly more difficult as he tried to remember dates and facts, but we still had fun piecing the article together as he reminisced about his amazing sporting achievements, including the highest honour of all being chosen as one of the Olympic torch bearers for the London 2012 Games.
But Norman did remember that he had also picked up two Ely Standard Unsung Hero Awards in 2008 for his dedication to local well-being and sport, plus inspiring others to contribute to their community.
Supremely unselfish, Norman also regularly did his bit of fund raising, especially for the Ely Branch of the MS Society and raised over £30,000 after organising carpet bowls tournaments.
I do recall during our interview that one minute Norman would be talking about his surprise birthday party at the Leisure Centre, and then suddenly switch to speaking about his great great grandfather Tom, who at the age of only 22 was one of the five Littleport rioters who were executed.
And Norman’s feeling on the subject was summed up in just one sentence: “He was hung because of standing up for his rights of the working man as in those days aristocracy ruled the roost.”
One of Norman’s grandchildren said, “Heaven needed another angel Christmas Day. He wasn’t just my Grandad, he was a true inspiration, a hero, a true gentleman. He didn’t have a bad bone in his body and he was always there no matter who it was. I would say RIP but that’s not his style.”
And on the day of his funeral on January 19th the family put up on social media: “Today we lay our Granddad to rest. Littleport won’t ever be the same and if my sons turn out to be just half the legend he was that would make my Grandad proud,” as they laid a floral wreath in the shape of cricket bat in memory of Littleport’s never to be forgotten Sporting Legend.

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