Meeting date: 17 April 2004
Guest Speaker: Jocelyn Galsworthy
Grace
Delivered by the Rev. David Brown
Almighty God, whose generosity and love for us is unending, we pray for your blessing on our end-of-season gathering today, as we enjoy the fellowship of the table and the fruits of your creation. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen
We always hope to launch the season with our spring meeting, but the first-class season encroaches increasingly and play had begun by the time we sat for another splendid lunch. There was also a competing sporting attraction a few miles to the south, involving an eleven from Manchester in red shirts.
Menu
Melon & Mango Medley
Nicoise Salad
Braised Venison Steak with a Claret Jus, Vegetables & Potatoes
English Cheese & Biscuits
Coffee & Mints
Apologies for Absence
Apologies were received from a number of members including Andrew Renshaw, Roy Clarke, Chris de Mellow, Stuart Lampard, the Pardoe Family, Keith Hayhurst, Christopher Bazalgette, and John Grimsley who had recently played for the Bradman XI in Australia and sent warm regards from Alistair & Jenny McLellan. There was also a special welcome for Mr. & Mrs. Beaumont who had arrived directly from Antigua via Heathrow.
The Speaker
If you watched the television pictures of England’s victory against West Indies at Lord’s (how lovely to write those words!) you may well have seen Jocelyn working on her latest painting. She began the season as the latest of our members to address the Hambledon Club – telling us that she has been painting the “special” but “radically changed” Lord’s since 1991.
She offered some very forthright views on a variety of cricketing topics as well as shared experiences while working on the celebrated images of cricket grounds around the world. She told us that she had loved cricket as a child, watched Hampshire in their “heyday” and enjoyed Peter May’s Book of Cricket as a girl.
Having spoken about and published some of these experiences before, she chose to focus on the recent past, present, and future, beginning with New Zealand in March 2002. She suggested that was not a “sparkling” experience. While admitting her view was a minority one she had wondered whether the New Zealand landscape offered a “paintable” scene. She had been “amazed” by the number of sheep in neat but “boring” fields, while the grey, volcanic beaches, and dark mountains appeared rather ominous.
In Australia, English cricket had been a “disaster” again – especially the “diabolical” fielding. She had painted Adelaide before the stands were built and remembered with fondness how well she was looked after in Adelaide. In Perth, there was a considerable problem with wind and at one point her palette took flight and hit some of the ‘Barmy Army’.
She believes that English grounds need to be “more adaptable” and suggested specifically that the Rose Bowl does not offer “relaxation or variety”.
Jocelyn believes that the public has many sensible views about cricket and offered some strong opinions about the management of the game, suggesting that leadership is an “art on its own”.
She embarked upon a major portrait project in 2002 – a world of cricket including players, media, scorers, umpires, and stewards. She told us of some of her recent portraits including a visit to Ian Botham’s farm in February 2004. This was a relaxed meeting with his grandchildren and a Yorkshire pub lunch. She enjoyed the “conversation” with Dickie Bird and was “impressed greatly” by Michael Vaughan. A book will be published with 50 portraits including biographies of each and we can look forward to that in the near future
Parish Notices
Elections
The President and all members of the committee (details below) were re-elected. Dave Allen has resumed responsibility for the Newsletter.
Subscriptions
The annual subscription was confirmed at 3 guineas. The President has been encouraged by The Guinness Book of Records that they might include this as a record (unchanged for 208 years).
Tour
The President announced the possibility of a club tour to play a match at Bowral towards the end of 2005. This would include a visit to the Far East. If members are interested they should contact Penny Taylor.
Support for Hambledon CC’s Colt
Dick Orders ran the usual draw, which helped us to raise a sum of £155 for Hambledon’s Colts. Their Chairman addressed the meeting, thanking us for our support over the years and describing the success of the club in developing young players.
Hambledon’s Colts were established 10 years ago and 70% of their playing strength are former colts. They now have a 4th XI with many young players and around 120 colts in total. They are running an under-7 side and two teams at every age group Hambledon CC Colts.
Grateful thanks were given to our hosts, Dick and Lesley, and many thanks to Dave Allen, for drafting this Newsletter.