Meeting: 4 October 2008
Guest Speaker: Roger Packham
Grace
Grace was delivered by the Reverend David Brown.
“Loving Father, as we recall the glory days of cricket, played out here 250 years ago; as we reminisce about the season just ended and as we look forward to the Ashes Tour next summer, so we give thanks for the fellowship of the table. Bless O Lord this food to our use and make us ever mindful of the wants and needs of others. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
The Menu
Smoked Salmon & Mackerel Terrine, served with a mixed salad and French toast
Braised Beef Forestière, served with seasonal vegetables and potatoes
English Cheeseboard, followed by Coffee & Chocolate Mints (produced by Dick Orders.
The Meeting
Neil Jenkinson opened the meeting, welcoming everyone and advising that, in the absence of Stephen Saunders, Penny Taylor would be acting as Treasurer and collecting any subscriptions.
Report on the centenary match on Saturday 13 September 2008. The match between Hambledon XII v Broadhalfpenny Down Association Invitation XII was held to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the unveiling, in September 1908, of the stone commemorating the feats of the Hambledon Cricketers between 1750 and 1792 and the return of cricket to Broadhalfpenny Down after an absence of 116 years.
Click here to view photographs.
Neil reported that it had been a very successful match, with a very close finish. The teams and scorecards may be found at the end of this Newsletter.
The weather was superb, as was the afternoon. Stephen Saunders had worked tirelessly to help get the teams together and to produce an excellent souvenir programme – copies of which are still available at a cost of £2. Photographs of the event will be gratefully received.
The match was followed by a celebration dinner at the Bat & Ball with sadly, disappointing food followed, thankfully, by a veritable feast of entertainment, produced and presented by David Rayvern Allen – a distinguished former BBC Producer and Cricket Historian.
The audience was treated to a “mildly” extravagant and thoroughly entertaining exploration of cricket in song, prose and verse of Hambledon and Beyond, starring:
Charles Collingwood, John Baddeley
Cantabile – the London Quartet, and
Simon Townley (keyboard and vocals)
Cantabile – Assist all ye Muses – Traditional / Cotton, and Fill the Goblet – Byron / Nyren
Charles Collingwood – It all began at Hambledon – Stilgoe
Cantabile – The Cricketers of Hambledon – Blunt / Warlock
John Baddeley – Nyren’s Description of the Players – Nyren / C. Clarke
Cantabile – In and Out Tea Towel – Fleming
Cantabile – Multi-National Song – Fleming
Simon Townley – Simon’s Number – Townley
Charles & John – Half-Death Row – Stilgoe
Company – Vitae Lampada ‘A Breathless Hush…’ – Newbolt
Company – Jerusalem – Parry / Stilgoe
All in all, an excellent day – which was thoroughly enjoyed by all – with many thanks to Stephen and David and his merry band – Charles Collingwood, John Baddeley, Cantabile and Simon Townley!
Meeting Notices
David Allen welcomed guests who had not attended before and explained the tradition of the six toasts made by The Hambledon Club on such occasions.
Apologies for Absence
Apologies had been received from Stephen Saunders, whose daughter had been taken seriously ill after the Centenary Match and to whom we wish a speedy and full recovery. Apologies had also been received from the Pardoe family, Roy Clarke, Oliver Howard, Douglas Miller, Roger Treherne, Gillie and Nicholas Twine and Ashley Mote.
Resignations
Richard Allen, Michael Gauntlett and Tony Webb had asked to be removed from the membership list, in response to a recent letter to members.
Prize Draw in support of Hambledon Cricket Club
Dick Orders explained the traditional donations and draw for payment of the winner’s lunch ticket(s), made on behalf of Hambledon CC in support of their Colts and Youth Cricket.
The draw raised a magnificent £181, including £50 for the prize winner and lunch for our speaker, leaving a balance of £106.
The Speaker
Dave introduced our speaker, Roger Packham, who explained, having been told he could talk about anything he liked, that he would like to talk about a historic cricket ground, first played on in 1845 and in the process of being restored – Sheffield Park in East Sussex.
“Sheffield Park Garden is a flagship of the situated a mile north of the A272, east of Haywards Heath. One of the interests of the National Trust is to have a Centenary match – 100 years after Lord Sheffield’s death – Old England – v – Old Australia – in June 2009 to celebrate the restoration of the cricket ground at Sheffield Park.
In his time, the Australian XI started playing at Sheffield Park, in 1884, at the invitation of Lord Sheffield, who engaged W. G. Grace as Captain. The first game saw England all out for 28, of which W. G. scored 20. The Australians played at Sheffield Park 5 times during the 1880s and 1890s and it was also the scene of the first South African match in this country and for the Parsees Indians.
I am compiling a book about this and in particular about Lord Sheffield, who did a tremendous amount for cricket and on one occasion, in 1896, the Prince of Wales came down by train, on the Bluebell Line, to visit the game between Lord Sheffield’s XI and the Australians. On another occasion, the gate was 30,000 people. When asked why he did not charge the people, Lord Sheffield replied that if he charged them they would pinch his daffodils but as he did not, they would be his friends for life.
In 1894, Nottingham Forest played a game against a representative side of Sussex amateurs and in 1888 the first Maori rugby team played there on their first tour of Great Britain. Other events were held, as well as cricket – Skating – involving the Norwegian Champion Skaters and Curling on the frozen lakes.
Lord Sheffield arranged a 10-year programme of ground improvements that would keep local people employed during the winter months. He was a bachelor and notoriously shy, enjoying a very private life. Lord Sheffield may have had ‘natural heirs’ in Fletching, as descendants; other stories persisted that he was gay and/or a eunuch.
The Australians liked him too. In 1891 he took a full English side to Australia to play for The Ashes, with W. G. Grace as skipper. He paid for the whole trip. The Bulletin (presumably an Australian periodical) was to say of him on 12 December 1891 – ‘A little fat, stumpy man, for all the world like an English farmer of the old standard type. Hair long and straggly, lips and face roughly shaven and a little fringe of a beard left under the chin, eyes small and cute, thick-necked, heavy jowled, obstinate, good-natured and shrewd, his lordship is just the sort of man that would make a find landlord for a bush pub.’ High praise from the Aussies!
Lord Sheffield was very astute and spent a lot of money on Sussex County Cricket Club. Alfred Shaw coached dozens of cricketers and some of them made the grade.
On the occasion of one South African game, a happy occasion and again staged at no charge, Arthur William Seccull (1868-1945) a South African player reported ‘We were billeted at the Hotel Metropole in Brighton as the guests of Lord Sheffield and our host had arranged for special conveyances to take the team to the station after each day’s play. His Lordship had forbidden any ordinary carriages for hire to enter the estate. This evidently caused great annoyance to the cabbies who were plying for hire and who had lost innumerable fares in consequence. To our astonishment, on leaving the estate on the last day we found the cabbies had obstructed the pathway, presumably with the object of forcing us to miss the train to Brighton and to use their conveyances afterwards for this purpose. They had completely blockaded the fairway with their vehicles and we found ourselves held up by a number of cabbies ready with picks and shovels. Some dirty work looked imminent. Fearing that damage might be done and finding it quite impossible to pass, we determined on the battle and declared war. Boy Johnson and I led the attack, followed by other members of the team. On jumping from our carriages we were greeted with all kinds of missiles and various weapons were used against us. After a desperate fight, we managed to push the enemy back and clear their cabs away. Breaking through their line amidst ringing cheers, we just succeeded in catching our train after a record drive’.
Controversy continued to irritate Lord Sheffield and so he closed the ground which prompted a comment by a newspaper in December 1886 – ‘Lord Sheffield has been most annoyed over the past autumn by a serious of anonymous accusations regarding his grounds and has closed his cricket ground until the culprits are discovered and punished.’
Another newspaper report, in November 1888 – ‘The Earl of Sheffield is receiving more anonymous letters, this time with the threat of murder by Jack the Ripper. The name is no doubt a hoax but the letters are taken as offensive referring to tenants being turned out of their homes. A reward of £250 is being offered for information on the perpetrator.’
England, October 27th, 1888. Dear Lord Sheffield. I am sorry, but feeling it is my duty to let you know, as I do not think you do, or would you have the heart to turn out an old tenant like poor Mrs Grover out of her home after such a hard struggle to maintain and bring up her family. Not only that, but allowing anyone to get an honest living there in the butchering line, or that have done for a number of years. But it seems to me as though you and your faithful steward want it all, and if you had my wish you would get more than you wanted. Remember, this is a warning to you, but at the same time I should be much obliged to you if you can arrange it for your steward to sleep under the same roof as yourself on Monday night, October 29th, or else I shall have to bring an assistant. My knife is nice and sharp. Oh for a gentleman this time instead of a lady. I am sorry for troubling you, but don’t forget the 29th. I remain Yours truly, Jack the Ripper. SAE 6.11.1888’
Lord Sheffield found all this and several anonymous letters very hurtful. He had been a gracious and charitable landlord and had been stung bitterly.
On 18 April 1889, he resigned from Sussex CCC and his letter was read to the annual meeting by the new secretary, W. Newham – ‘Dear Mr Newham. As county cricketers are, I think, entitled to ask to know why I, the President of the Club, have withdrawn my subscription, I get to state that it is because the Sussex people for the last two years and a half have been amusing themselves by pestering me with anonymous letters and lately with letters containing serious threats of assassination. These tiresome ruffians live in the parish of Fletching and Maresfield. I have done my utmost to bring them to book in order to put an end to this state of things, not only injurious to cricket but to all other local interests, but owing to the Fletching people not giving me the slighted assistance and not only that but in some cases to their doing what they could to prevent information being brought to me and in other cases to their trying even to injure those who brought it and otherwise tried to help me to such a degree that those who brought it came in downright fear and trembling, the task of bringing offenders to light has been very difficult and has been thwarted by Sussex people, so deeply that, perhaps, the action is more natural and excusable than strictly logical. I have decided to withdraw all subscriptions from all Sussex public objects until these cowardly brutes are discovered and punished. I may add that so soon as these ruffians, who live in Fletching, have been so punished, I shall gladly continue to subscribe to your funds and so glad shall I be to do so under the altered circumstances that I will increase the amount to £300 annually. I am sorry to have had to refer to my personal and individual concerns at all, but it would have been impossible to have that given a full and proper explanation to the meeting, which I think they have a right to expect, without doing so. Believe me, yours, Sheffield.’
Lord Sheffield was educated at Eton and a member of the Sussex Archaeological Society. As reported in the East Sussex News in June 1893 – ‘At Sheffield Park on Saturday in the presence of some 40 or 50 of Lord Sheffield’s friends and neighbours, Professor Budge of the British Museum unrolled a mummy brought by Lord Sheffield from Egypt in the early part of this year. On a number of tables placed together in front of his Lordship’s private pavilion in the cricket ground lay a strange object in human form. From this, the experienced fingers of the Professor were seen unwinding yard upon yard of brownish linen, brittle with age, until at length the shapely face and head, small but well-moulded form of a priestess of twenty centuries ago, was unveiled. A hieroglyphic inscription was thus described by Dr Budge: ‘Look, O Osiris, the President of the Underworld, the Great God, the Lord of Abydye, and do thou protest the deceased Sheret-Meht, daughter of Nes-Heru’. At the close of the investigation, which was followed with the deepest interest by all present, the remains of the priestess were returned to the sarcophagus where they had rested for so many centuries.
In 1893, in honour of another visit by the Australians, C T Brock was given a blank cheque for a fireworks display. ‘There were probably many hundreds among those who went to the Park on Tuesday who did so solely to witness the illuminations arranged for that evening in honour of the colonial visitors. Indeed this was proved by the fact that whole train loads of passengers arrived from Brighton and elsewhere long after stumps had been drawn for the day. Quite an array of operators had been for two days engaged in hanging coloured lamps and lanterns and building up to set firework pieces at every conceivable point where the beauty of effect was obtainable, and even before the sun had fairly set men had commenced the enormous task of lighting the former. This, as darkness fell, it was seen by the thousands who had assembled on the northern slope of the cricket ground that the lake plateaus between that spot and the noble mansion, with all the undulating woodland upon their banks, were crossed and re-crossed, festooned and bedecked with lights of every describable hue, in spots, particularly over the waterfalls and bridges, so thick as to present the appearance of continuous narrow lines of variegated fire. The gaunt trunks of firs and the stems of the more massive oaks were entwined with lamps, fancy lanterns hung in graceful festoons from bough to bough, high spreading branches had pendants of brilliant lights reaching to the ground; every walk was bordered and every group of shrubs encircled with tiny flashing fires; bright stars shone upon the water’s edge and even among the dancing spray of the cascades. As darkness came on and the distant house faded from view, the scene grew more and more brilliant, and as far as the eye could reach, till seemingly lost on a dim and distant horizon, there was a veritable fairyland of extreme beauty and variety. Those who know the open-are café chantant of the Champs de Elysees can imagine some thousand of them grouped upon a sloping plain, and even then they would scare picture the true brilliancy and beauty of the picture which night disclosed to view in Sheffield Park.
‘At a given signal, the woods on every side were formed into a background of magnificent green, changing to purple, again to blue, then to a delicate pink, and, indeed, colours of all tints, the most distant foliage being brought more clearly into vision than ever day made possible. Then began the discharge of rockets – such combinations of colours, such myriads of shooting stars, such wonderful fiery meteors, such groupings of beauty as pen cannot possibly describe. They flashed to the sky above, they darted and hissed on the waters below and in such numbers that one was bewildered and knew not which way to glance, fearing to miss some new sight, whilst awed in contemplation of another. Then came the set pieces. Great revolving circles within circles, squares and triangles of enormous size, moving elephants, dancing sailors, performing acrobats, cascades of sparks that no words can picture. Presently a cheer arose as clear and distinct on the margin of the lower lake appeared the words, in orange-coloured fire, ‘Welcome Australians. Good wishes and hearty thanks for your reception of our team in Australia.’ Then came a repetition of much of that which we have already endeavoured to describe, and so the mysterious and lovely sight continued for quite an hour. Reluctantly the great crowd turned from the charming spectacle, and it is not too much to say that the recollections of that night will never fade from the memories of those who had the good fortune to witness the spectacle, which was verily a triumph of the illuminator’s art. Before the crowd separated, cheers were given again and again for the noble Earl.’
Lord Sheffield did nothing by halves. In 1891-2, when in Australia, as the promoter of the English team, he presented the authorities with a £150 trophy for the annual tournament of cricket in Australia – the Sheffield Shield. Over the years the trophy has been renamed the Pura Milk Cup and then the Pura Cup, but new sponsors want it to revert to the Sheffield Shield presented by Weet-bix.
National Trust members and Hambledon Club members will be invited to celebrate at the Centenary match between Old England and the Old Australians to be held at Sheffield Park on 28 June 2009. It is hoped to attract some Old England players of some renown.
Dave thanked Roger for a very lively and interesting talk, promising to report his presentation in the next Newsletter and to remind members about the event at the next meeting. He would also see if it might be possible to get a group together to attend.
Publications
Dave reported that Neil Jenkinson has written a new book – Richard Daft: On a Pedestal – Number 7 in the Lives in Cricket series, Edited by Tony Webb and Published by the Association of Cricket Statisticians & Historians (Sep 2008).
Synopsis: A cricketer who was famous before W.G. Grace appeared on the scene, Richard Daft was a Nottingham boy from a poor background whose unexpected inheritance gave him a chance to play top-class cricket, first as a gentleman amateur and later as a professional. He captained Nottinghamshire, with great style and poise, to the county championship six times in the 1870s, but his brewery and sports outfitting businesses later failed and he reappeared in top cricket as an umpire. This book charts the roller-coaster life of a cricketer whose career started before overarm bowling was legal and extended into the early twentieth century.
147 pages, well illustrated. £12.00.
Next Meetings
The next lunch will be on Saturday, 4 April 2009 and we are delighted that the speaker will be John Stern, Editor of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.
We are very hopeful that Christopher Martin-Jenkins will be our speaker at the October 2009 lunch.
Thanks
Dave Allen thanked Edwina and the staff of the Bat & Ball for a lovely lunch.
Reminder
Dave reminded members that copies of the Centenary Match Souvenir programme were still available, from Andrew Renshaw, at a cost of £2 and that we would be grateful for any photographs of the event.
Centenary Match – Saturday, 13 September
Broadhalfpenny Down Association Invitation XII – v – Hambledon XII
Hambledon XII
1. Will Kendall – Hampshire 1996-2004
2. Derek Kenway (Wicketkeeper) – Hambledon CC & Hampshire 1997-2005
3. James Fry – Great Grandson of C B Fry
4. James Scutt (Captain – Hambledon CC
5. John Stephenson – Hampshire 1995-2001 & England 1989
6. David Alexander – President, Hambledon CC
7. James Bruce – Hampshire 2003-2007
8. Michael Brown – Hampshire 2004 to date
9. Nic Pothas – Hampshire 2002 – date
10. Ian Turner – Hambledon CC & Hampshire 1989-1993
11. Raj Maru – Hampshire 1984-1998
12. Craig Saunders
Umpire: Douglas Miller
Scorer: Penny Taylor
BHDA XII
1. Stuart Ransley – MCC Young Cricketer
2. Oliver Dunthorne – Spencer CC & Cross Arrows CC
3. Gerry Northwood – Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC
4. Scott Myers – Alton CC & Middlesex U19 Academy
5. Max Fernie (Wicketkeeper) – Wimbledon CC
6. Oliver Saffell – MCC Young Cricketer
7. Mike Beardall – Broadhalfpenny Brigands CC
8. Freddie Chalk – Bristol University & Butterflies CC
9. Harry Chichester – Butterflies CC
10. Jonathan Stanton – Radley Rangers CC
11. John Barclay (Captain) – Sussex CCC 1970-1986 – Captain 1981 – 1986)
12. Sandy Ross – Sussex Martlets CC & East Grinstead CC
Umpire: Nigel Lovett-Turner
Scorer: Peter Danks
Hambledon XII 168-8 (Kendall 101, Stephenson 33, Ransley 2-13, Stanton 2-15)
BHDA XII 166-8 (Ransley 70, Northwood 48, Maru 3-17, Bruce 2-30)
Hambledon won by 2 runs.