Shipston in mourning for the sad loss of Micky Cornock, 1966-2021

Micky Cornock has been at the heart of the community in Shipston for so long that when he died last week people mourned the loss of ‘Mr Shipston’.

Born and brought up in the town alongside his siblings, Jackie, David, Alan and Jenny, he was a familiar figure at the Sports and Social Club as well as the rugby club.

After working at Norgren from school, after it closed, he took up the position of caretaker at Shipston Primary School in 2000, where he himself had studied.

Speaking to the Herald, his sister Jackie recalled what made Micky so well-loved and respected. “He was fun, chatty and generous. He’d help anybody at any time. He would skip meals to go help somebody. He was just a very popular person.”

Jackie added: “If they wanted sports pitches cleared of snow he’d go and do that. He would just do anything really. One of his favourite things was going to the pub to watch the football. He loved life and was a lively character and a very happy person.”

Describing her brother as “sports mad”, Jackie said: “He was a true Chelsea supporter. He loved his football and other sport, including cricket and rugby. He played in the junior teams and played football for Shipston.”

She continued: “Almost everybody in Shipston knew him. I worked in Stratford, and people knew him there too.”

Micky’s dedicated spirit was recognised with an award in 2007 from then Prime Minister Gordon Brown for his ‘outstanding contribution to the community’ for his work during the floods of that year, which included rescuing stranded people and turning the school into makeshift overnight accommodation. His award hangs proudly on the wall at home.

Having worked at the primary school for 21 years, generations of Shipston families had benefitted from his tireless work at the school, and his cheery nature.

Jackie said: “He absolutely loved his work at the school. There are parents of children there that knew him from going there themselves as children.

“He worked so hard there. If it was snowing, he’d go early and clear all the pathways for them. Then when the children arrived he’d say ‘make sure you wipe your feet’ as they came in.”

As well as his siblings, Micky leaves behind mum, Linda.

“As a family we will all remember him as this whirlwind force,” said Jackie. “He would come in and just dump his bag, with the gate left unlatched behind him and the door open. We’d laugh and say ‘I take it Michael was the last one in?’. He was always on the go, a last-minute person. We will miss him so much.”