A dashing lesson in civic spirit

May 7, 2003

GEOFFREY ROAD
(Cricket Ground Road)

THIS peaceful little street was named after a member of one of the most powerful Norfolk families who helped to build and shape Norwich of the 21st century.

And although he came from such a privileged background, Geoffrey Colman was a man of the people. His workers, his family and the people of Norwich and Norfolk all loved him.

Geoffrey Colman cuts a rakish pose.

As his biographer John Gore wrote:
“The end came on March 18, 1935. He died in peace and he smiled in the face of death. He was 43 years old.”

Geoffrey was the son of Russell Colman and was born at Bracondale Woods — where County Hall now stands — in 1892.

The family ran the nearby world-famous Colman mustard empire.

As a lad he was described as “rather heavy” and he had his own goat carriage in which he drove about in.

At the age of six he carried out his first public duty by laying the foundation stone of the Jenny Lind Infirmary for Sick Children on land given by his grandfather. He loved nature, sport — especially cricket (he later played for Norfolk) — and sailing.

His first school was at Cromer and he went on to Eton and later Oxford before travelling to America and Canada.

But his carefree days were about to come to an end.

Geoffrey returned from abroad for the First World War. He joined The Rifle Brigade and was shot in the chest during a German ambush in January 1916.

The injury turned out to be a serious one.

But he eventually recovered and after he came home he met and fell in love with Lettice. They married in 1919 and moved into Bracondale Woods and later Bixley Manor, then Framingham Chase.

Bracondale Woods, where Geoffrey was born in 1892.

At work Captain Geoffrey became a popular Carrow man. The men and women loved and respected this dashing character who became a great power in the company.

He wanted the workers to have a say in how the huge firm was run. He encouraged a works council, schools and pension schemes.

“Cricket and business were both games to him . . . and he loved a sticky wicket,” said the author John Gore.

He became a director of this newspaper and at Norwich Union and when he spoke people listened . . . and acted. He continued to raise money for the hospital and in 1934 was appointed High Sheriff of Norfolk.

The next year he was taken ill, he could no longer fight off the after-effects of that war wound, and although some of the best doctors in the country fought for his life, they lost.

He left a widow Lettice and five children — Juliet, David, Penelope, Timothy, and Russell.

David was killed in action at El Alamein and Russell lost his life in a railway accident in 1956.

Geoffrey was a man of his time.

A country gentleman who loved life and people. His widow and his children followed in his footsteps by devoting much of their lives to public service.

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