News

Wilfrid Weld, Hampshire’s Patron, who died in December 2015, was a major figure in the history of Hampshire Cricket for many years but it is a measure of the richness of his life that this warranted no more than a short paragraph in the obituary published by the Times. There, he was described accurately as a “big man in every sense.”

Wilfrid was born in West Sussex and as a member of one of the country’s leading Roman Catholic families he went to the Jesuit Stonyhurst College and from there to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1954 he was commissioned in the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen’s Bays) and with a pal, Johnny Elliott, he drove a Triumph TR2 to Amman to join the Regiment.

In the early 17th century, an ancestor, Humphrey Weld, had made his fortune in London and became Lord Mayor of the city. His grandson, also Humphrey, purchased the Lulworth Estate and this passed eventually to Wilfrid’s father, Sir Joseph Weld. In 1959, Wilfrid left the Army and returned to Lulworth to help his father manage the estate. Wilfrid studied to become a Chartered Surveyor and set up what is said to have been the first Landlord/Tenant farming partnership.

At this time, Lulworth Castle was in a state of considerable disrepair as the result of a fire, and one of Wilfrid’s life-long projects was to restore it and ensure that the estate was a viable enterprise. Rather more for pleasure, he created a cricket ground and Lulworth Castle Cricket Club. He played regularly for Dorset Rangers through the 1960s and his club was formed in 1967. Their matches were often great weekend affairs, social and sporting, and Wilfrid’s good friend Leo Harrison and many of the younger Hampshire cricketers often appeared. His funeral was attended by a number of these including Leo and Alan Castell, Keith Wheatley, Mick Hill, Richard Lewis, Raj Maru and Bryan Timms. Tim Tremlett recalled that by the time he was playing for Hampshire, the players and their families would be invited to stay at Lulworth during matches at Bournemouth.

In 1970, Hampshire faced a 2nd XI crisis. Mike Barnard had been appointed to coach and run the side but on a cricket tour of Germany was seriously injured in a coach crash, so Wilfrid devoted most of that season to travelling with the side and helping with the organisation. The players recall his contribution with great affection and in mid-June he appeared for the only time for Hampshire 2nd XI v Gloucestershire 2nd XI at Bristol.

It was a two-day match which Gloucestershire won with some ease despite Hampshire’s side including four ‘Champions’: Gordon Greenidge, Leo Harrison, David O’Sullivan and Alan Wassell. Wilfrid batted at number 11 and in the first innings scored four before he ‘nicked’ Jack Davey to the ‘keeper. In the second innings he arrived with his side in deep trouble at 76-9 and while he managed just one run, he was undefeated as he and ‘Ossie’ Gooding added 26 – the best partnership of the innings.

In 1973 he was elected to the Hampshire Committee for the first time as Hampshire won their second Championship and he took on many other projects. He became a JP in 1976 and one year later he completed Lulworth Castle House where he and Sally lived until recent years. In 1984 he was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of Dorset and in 1996 High Sheriff of Dorset.

Wilfrid remained on the Hampshire Committee and in 1990 became President, in which position he was very actively involved in all the preparations and complex negotiations for the move from Northlands Road to the Rose Bowl. He was a part of the team including Tony Baker, Mike Taylor, Chairman Brian Ford and Committee member Bill Hughes at the heart of the planning, selling and then building of the new stadium.

When that arrived with the Millennium and a new category of Millennium Membership, Wilfrid was the first to sign up. In 2002 he became the new club’s first Patron and he remained in that position until his death, continuing to follow Hampshire regularly in all forms of the game. He was a familiar sight in the Committee Room and the seats outside, with his Daily Telegraph – I think he generally finished the crossword.

Sally would accompany him frequently although she was busy at Lulworth Castle and estate, which opened to the public in 1998 and staged all kinds of events including the opportunity to see the restored Castle itself. One of Sally’s projects for the younger people was Camp Bestival, the pop festival ‘sister’ to the Isle of Wight’s Bestival.

In 2009, having restored a beautiful property by the river at Bindon Mill, Wilfrid and Sally left the estate and moved there, and in 2014 it was the site of a wonderful party to celebrate Wilfrid’s 80th birthday with many friends including a fine gathering of Hampshire cricketers and from ‘over the border’ John Snow. There was a table plan but not allocated seats so where we sat was somewhat by chance. Each ‘place mat’ was an old ‘pop’ single and not until we sat did I discover that that the person who had ‘bagged’ Frank Ifield’s version of “I Remember You” was required to stand and entertain the gathering with at least a couple of lines. By chance I had sat there so I fulfilled my duty, which seemed to amuse folks and it rings true today. Wilfrid, it’s certain we will all remember you, and thank you for the fine company and everything you did for Hampshire cricket.

Dave Allen

This article will appear in the Hampshire Handbook, 2016