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K.O. NOT O.K. |
Andrew Conner, one of my fellow choristers in Shifnal Male Voice Choir came to me during the interval of one practice and said "Moses, I have a message for you from one of your very old workmates". He went on, "He says he's been reading about you having written a small booklet about Childhood Memories and he wants to know if you can recall the time when he tried his best to 'knock your head off'? Now he says he's glad he didn't succeed as a chap couldn't very well write anything with his head off, could he," Andrew continued "Do you know who he is," I tried to puzzle out who it could be. "Well" he said, "he boxed you in a hall opposite Holy Trinity Church for the fifteen year old Boxing Championship of Johd. Maddock and Co." Of course I remembered, how could I ever forget such an epic. I said "Andrew thats George Millward - Old Nip to me".
George Millward and Moses Evans both aged 15
The preliminary rounds to this event (3 rounds of two minutes, one minute interval) was arranged between the lunchtime hooter at 12.55 p.m. and 1 p.m. You faced your opponent in a ring of castings. Now you had to stand up and fight or the ring was closed in and should you fall over any of the castings you were considered the loser. Fight one had to keep, even if you lost, the respect of your workmates. My conversation with Andrew continued. "Tell George he didn't quite knock my head off, but it certainly helped to knock some sense into it. Here's another bit of news for him. One of the promoters of that fight was Eddie Freeman, a good chap and leader of the Church Lads Brigade. He died recently, his wife gave me one of his most treasured possessions - it was the photograph of George and me which we had taken at Miss Parry's, Oakengates". I met Nip for the first time after 55 years, poor chap he was nearly blind, we talked about the fight. How we laughed about it. Only a few details of that bout can I clearly remember.
George Millward and Moses Evans both aged 76
It was the last round, I was just about out and he looked the same. We stumbled into the centre of the ring, bumped into each other, George fell down on his knees resting his hands on the floor, five, six, seven, the count droned out. I was screaming inside me, I've won. The cold water was running down my face, someone was wiping me with a sponge. I've won I managed to squeak out. Slowly my mind cleared. The words of my second came to me. No Mose, you've lost. Later he explained. George was being counted out when eight was called he suddenly shot up, turned and flinging his right arm out caught you full in the mouth with the knuckle of his wrist, you fell as if you had been pole axed, and here was I thinking everything was O.K. with me when it was really a smashing K.O.