RE: Boyhood Memories

Sporting side of things came around in the 1950s when around the age of 17/18 I started playing football and cricket for the village, in those days of Doug Stoddart, Owen Phillips, Ken Meadows, John Hodgkinson, the Saunders and Graingers were just a few of the names that come to mind. There was one chap I remember, Bill George, who never seem to stop moaning throughout the game and at times used to put me right off the game itself.

On the cricketing side of things yet again in the 1950s where one knew 'one's place' we were captained by a Mr Hale, I think he may have been an old public school chappie as he always called us by our surname and he himself was always referred to as Mr Hale (we knew our place in those days). He was a very good batsman, I remember seeing him score a century against Redhill at the 'Ring', Earlswood. After a while I became wicket keeper but the number of 'extras' I conceded meant I usually needed to score at least 50 to offset the deficit, which was never on as I usually opened the innings and batted rather a la Boycott rather than a la Pieterson.