Although no longer an active umpire Jack is the oldest member of the Association and has held several different posts. He was born in Whitwell, Derbyshire where he played cricket for Creswell Colliery in the Bassetlaw League before the war. During the conflict Jack served in the army and was took part in the Normandy landings. He achieved the rank of Company Sergeant Major and also served in the Military Police. After the war Jack came to Hull and played cricket for BR North for over twenty five years. He and Tom Naylor were once described to the author as a fearsome opening attack. Jack worked for Associated British Ports and had a range of sporting interests as well as being a football referee.
In 1975 Jack took up umpiring and enjoyed it very much. Later he became a respected umpire trainer and Deputy Regional Councillor and Assistant Training Officer for the North East region. He was also appointed a Grade 1 Instructor with the World Wide Association of Cricket Umpires in 1990 With Ken Kendrew and Graham Hoe he taught many of us the laws of the game and just as importantly imparted a wealth of wisdom on how to manage the game.
In 1990 Jack went to Antigua where he was invited to lecture to umpires. Whilst he was there he was given a free pass to cricket matches and he met Andy Roberts the former West Indian fast bowler.
Jack finally retired from umpiring in 1999 his last game being Driffield v the Eskimos (a Hull Zingari XI). When I took up umpiring in 1999 I should have stood with Jack in my first match but sadly it was called off due to heavy rain so I never had the chance to umpire with him, though I played in plenty of games in which he officiated once earning a gently delivered rebuke for leaving the field without his permission (having informed my skipper and expecting him to tell the umpires) to attend to injured knee.
After retirement Jack spent several years reliving his experiences as an after dinner speaker and wrote a short book, called Cricketing Tales in which he recalled many amusing events he had encountered during his life in cricket. He can still be observed, occasionally in the Bar at Zingari and looks as fit and sharp as he did when he was umpiring.