Memories of Marjorie

By Chester Chronicle on May 9, 08 02:47 PM in

Event to celebrate gymnast's life uncovers snapshots of the past

BUNBURY'S claim to gymnastic fame may not have started with Olympic champion Beth Tweddle.
Decades before, in 1949, well-known village resident Marjorie Rumsey competed for England in Sweden's Lingiad, a world gymnastics festival featuring 13,360 of the world's finest gymnasts. This is twice the number of gymnasts that had appeared at the 1948 Olympic Games in London.

She also competed, at the age of 33, in the National Festival of Youth and Sport at Wembley in 1948.
Miss Rumsey moved to Bunbury in the 1950s and lived in the village until her death last December at the age of 92.

This week her friends will gather to share stories of her and view the many artefacts she kept from throughout her life.

She kept boxes of memorabilia from the Swedish event, including tram tickets, rules for competitors, the programme and the costume she wore for the competition.

According to her nephew Graham, she had to pay for the costume herself.

Marjorie Rumsey was born on January 21, 1915 in Burton on Trent and trained to be a teacher, specialising in gymnastics, games and dance. She taught in Christleton, Nantwich and Crewe.

When she first settled in Bunbury, she lived at Ivy Cottage, close to the woods at Sadlers Wells. It was here that an interest in birds and photography flourished and Graham has discovered slides, cine film and photographs of wildlife and village life.

Miss Rumsey never married after her first love was killed in the Second World War.
She was always very active and enjoyed hockey, Scottish dancing, walking, rock-climbing and tennis.
After her retirement she joined the Bunbury Wednesday Club.

Graham is preparing to share his aunt's work with friends and neighbours at the Jubilee Playing Fields Pavilion in Bunbury on Thursday May 15.

The memorial party will take place from 2.30-4.30pm and later from 7.30-9.30pm will focus on the photographs and cine film that she took of the village and village events in the 1960s and 1970s.

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