The Bishop’s Chalice is a competition for men aged 55+, played during the winter months. Weather permitting, 7 rounds are played, and the individual with the highest aggregate of 4 best Stableford scores wins the trophy. The competition was established in 2000 in memory of Frank Cocks who died on 20th August 1998. The trophy was donated by the Challacombe Family (Stephen his son in law, and daughter Tina).
Frank Cocks was Chaplain in Chief to the RAF before becoming Bishop of Shrewsbury. His father was vicar of St Johns, Felixstowe for 40 years, and when Frank returned to Felixstowe in his retirement, much of his leisure time was enjoyed at the Felixstowe Ferry Golf club which he captained in 1985. He and the family were enormously grateful for all the support given to him by the Club after the death of his wife Barbara in 1989.
The Chalice was hand crafted by Professor Declan Anderson, lately Professor of Physiology at Bristol University and previously at Guys Hospital in London. He took up silversmithing fulltime after his retirement in 1985 until 2010. The Chalice is based on a 17th century design and has been constructed from three pieces of silver, with the bowl hammered out from a single piece. The wood of the plinth and lid is Rosewood Sonokelling from Java, plantation grown. The handle represents a chess bishop.
Unusually there are six hallmarks as seen below and include the makers mark (DJA), the Old Sterling mark, the New fitness mark, the mark of the London Assay Office which indicates where the silver was authenticated, and the date letter (a) to indicate the year 2000. There is a special millennial mark for silverware made during the year 2000.
The inscription reads ‘In memory of Rt. Rev. Frank Cocks CB, Captain 1985’