ALRESFORD octogenarian Marjorie Clarke has been awarded the MBE for service to the community in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. The Old Alresford resident found herself the centre of attention when news broke of her success during the Village Fair on Saturday. "I was overwhelmed. I never thought I would have an award like that," said Mrs Clarke who admits that despite the postman saluting her as he delivered a fist full of cards on Monday morning, the news has yet to sink in. News of the MBE has come as a real tonic. An active member of the local community, the long-time resident is still recovering from a burglary in November that had left her home ransacked and her health in tatters. Despite that Mrs Clarke continues to lead a busy life. She has just retired from the Parish Council after 25 years service, is president of the Old Alresford WI, vice-chair of the Village Hall committee, president of the Mixed Clubs Sports Club, a founder member of the TOADS amateur dramatic society and of the Alresford and District Community Care Group. On Friday nights Mrs Clarke runs a social club which attracts families from the surrounding villages to meet up for a chat and a game of Bingo at Old Alresford village hall. In addition, until it closed 18 months ago, Mrs Clarke had, for the past 34 years, been a volunteer helper at Le Court Cheshire Home at Empshott. Her involvement began after visiting a lad from the village who had been disabled by a motor cycle accident and having lost his parents had nowhere to go. Miraculously her kindness triggered something of a recovery, encouraging the boy to recover a form of speech and eventually to walk. Mrs Clarke persuaded the WI to take over the role of his family by decorating and equipping a room for him. Despite those early visits taking a whole day by bus, for Mrs Clarke it was a rewarding experience. "It gave me such a happy feeling – I felt so blessed," said the Old Alresford resident who believes it was "a sad day" when Le Court closed. "It is disgusting to think that the government couldn't find the money to keep it going," she said. But Mrs Clarke's biggest claim to fame has to be that in 1876 her great grandmother helped form the Mothers Union with Mary Sumner as a social club for ladies in the village who were left at home all day while their husbands worked in the fields. Since then the Mothers Union has spread worldwide and members from around the globe regularly visit Old Alresford to have tea in the rectory opposite the church where Mary Sumner lived, and to meet Marjorie Clarke and take her picture in the churchyard by Mary Sumner's grave. It is a way of life she has grown up with. On returning to the village with husband, Bernard, after the war, Mrs Clarke joined the Mothers Union and was chair for 24 years. Already a celebrity in her own right therefore, Marjorie Clarke still finds it hard to believe her good fortune in having been nominated by members of the local community, led by teacher Erica Sisk, for an award from The Queen. Mrs Clarke told The Herald: "To receive the MBE is a great honour but it is for the village as well as myself and my family." l Alton man, Ian Thorington, is also to receive the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to Further Education. Mr Thorington is director of 14 to 19 Schools Partnership and Recruitment based at Guildford College of Higher Education.
