Dingle Newton, who died on Wednesday after a long illness, was a friend to many at the Kia Oval and was made an honorary life member in 2022. Richard Spiller pays tribute…
Dingle Newton’s involvement in cricket started at a young age and lasted throughout her life.
As a child, she would attend matches at Guildford involving her father George Edwards, a crafty leg-spinner who was forging a career in design and engineering.
She would end it described by a friend as “part of the fabric of our club”.
The knowledge of backspin gained from bowling leg-spin would prove a vital component for Edwards – who became Sir George in 1957 and would later be awarded the Order of Merit – as an advisor to Sir Barnes Wallis, who designed the bouncing bomb of Dambusters fame in the Second World War.
His only child Angela, known as Dingle by him and eventually to all, offered vital support to both his career as an aeronautical designer of world stature – supervising the development of Concorde and many other projects, and leader of an industry which constantly had to do battle with government for funding – and his heavy involvement in Surrey CCC. He became president of the club in 1979, a much-cherished source of wisdom, and died in 2003.
Kindly by nature and with a steely resolve, Dingle was involved in the museum at Brooklands, the birthplace of British motorsport and aviation and which was home to Vickers, where her father did so much of his invaluable work.
She would clock up many air miles herself, watching England’s Test matches abroad, when she married her second husband Derek Newton, the former chair and president of Surrey. It was at this time that her interest in the game at county and national level really took off. There were few matches either here or abroad which they missed, acting as fine ambassadors for both club and country.
They were married at St Martha-on-the-Hill, a lovely church in the Surrey Hills where Dingle was treasurer for many years as well as being a loyal member of the congregation. The reception was at Brooklands, with Concorde much in evidence. Derek died in 2021.
She relished bringing her grandchildren to The Oval for T20 matches, believing the game which had given her so much enjoyment could do so for future generations.
Dingle suffered a long illness which was bravely borne. Typically, she was always more interested in the wellbeing of others. She leaves two children, Clair and Richard, from her first marriage.
