Cedric’s story began in the year 1930. This was the year that Amy Johnson became the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia; the first Mickey Mouse comic strip was produced; Constantinople changed its name to Istanbul; and on April 18^th 1930, the BBC world service famously reported ‘There is no news’. At the seventh Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops, artificial birth control was approved, marking a major turning point for this group of Christians. The Great Depression was starting to bite deeply, and in Britain, unemployment reached two and a half million.

1930 was a good year for birthdays. Amongst those born in 1930 were jazz trombonist Chris Barber, Carry On actress Joan Sims, Baroness Shirley Williams, local lad, Bernard Manning, the late Princess Margaret, Sean Connery, Ronnie Corbett, Grand Prix tycoon Bernie Ecclestone, and one of many childhood heroes, the professional wrestler Shirley Crabtree, better known as Big Daddy. Sadly, the famous freemason, writer, poet and doctor of medicine, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in this year, however, this was also the year that another famous freemason was born, a certain Cedric William Young.

Cedric was born on the 9^th July, the second child of Frederick William Young and Ellen Beatrice Young. His father was a steelworker, and his mother, known to her friends as ‘Nellie’ kept house for Cedric, his older brother Philip, who now lives in Washington, Tyne and Wear, and his sister June, who now lives in Basingstoke. Cedric was named after the actor Cedric Hardwicke, who is possibly best known for his portrayal of the Pharaoh Seti I in Cecil B DeMille's 1956 film The Ten Commandments. Cedric’s family came to be in Manchester after his grandfather had walked from Birmingham to Manchester to get a job in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal. Cedric’s home today is where his parents lived when they were first married.

Cedric was educated at Flixton Parochial School, now St Michael’s Church of England Primary School. He completed his studies at Flixton Senior School for Boys.He left school at 14 and his first job was a clerical position with the Co-op in Eccles, Manchester. His mother was clearly a force to be reckoned with, as she presented her pass book at the Co-op and demanded that he was given a job. At the Co-op he helped the cashier and went out to other branches with ‘divi’ cheques.Cedric remained with the Co-op until national service, which he undertook as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, based at Crookham. He was about to be posted to the Gold Coast when the Padre learned that he was a Sunday school teacher and organist, and his transfer was stopped.  

His time at Crookham was spent in the officers orderly room, where he gradually took charge of where the medical officers, all of whom held a much higher rank than him, were deployed. Over time he took control of the system, to the extent that any of the officers who crossed Cedric found themselves being despatched to some of the less salubrious locations on offer. Working in the orderly room did give him free time at weekends to play the organ, although he did sometimes have to sneak in and out as he didn’t have a pass out. He played the organ for a church at Fleet, as well as one at West Byfleet which was about a 100 mile round trip, which he made by bicycle at the time, one of the church wardens did allow him to stop overnight to save him cycling the entire round trip in a day. Cedric left the Corps with the rank of Corporal.

Cedric returned to work at the Co-op, however, things had changed and he decided to apply for a new position. He accepted a clerical post with ‘Spillers the millers’, and spent 18 years with them engaged in a variety of tasks ranging from sorting out the wages to checking the wheat. He then moved to Mather and Platt as assistant to the registrar, finishing as Company Secretary, having had a major role in establishing the pensions scheme for the company. Cedric retired at 65 and is now enjoying the fruits of his labours.