Open Writing

In August 1949 while still at school I was officially introduced to the cricket nets at Wood Terrace by attending a one-day coaching course. Although this was not very successful, it did encourage me the following April to join South Shields Cricket Club.

This was easier said than done. It meant finding suitable playing kit, raising the membership fee and amazingly finding somebody to take my money. I could manage a white shirt but buying new cricket boots, flannels and a white sweater were out of the question on my meagre wage at Reyrolles. Other methods had to be employed.

My mother, by now 'Queen of the Jumble Sales' started searching the second hand market, while at the same time, alerting the extended family of my needs. She quickly found a likely pair of flannels approximately my size and assured me that “once washed and pressed they will be okay.”

The following week she proudly came home with a large white cricket sweater. "A little large but you can roll your sleeves up." she said confidently. The boots, however, continued to cause a problem. That was until the extended family got to work.

Albert Peacock, my cousin in Newcastle, reported via my Aunt Ada that he had a pair of old, unwanted cricket boots and if I collected them I could have them. The next available day, which happened to be Easter weekend, I took Eddie Jermain with me and we cycled to my aunt's house in High Heaton on the far side of Newcastle. Fortunately, the pre-war, real buck-skin boots fitted and, although a little heavy, I was delighted. After one of my aunt's special teas, we returned home with my prize possession safely stored in my saddle bag.

Once home, the boots were conscientiously cleaned, blancoed and re-studded and were to be used by me for the next ten years. I still have the seventy-year-old boots and await a suitable offer from a cricket museum!

With the help of birthday presents for my 15th birthday and my increased pocket money after starting work, I somehow managed to raise the membership fee for joining the cricket club at the start of the 1950 season. I then presented myself at the pavilion on the first practice night of the new season, money in hand and said, "I would like to join."

Everybody seemed oblivious to my needs and I got an assortment of replies from, "Just join in" to "See Alan Lawson, the treasurer and captain." Unfortunately he was never at the ground. Later I found he was busy organising the Cricket Club's Centenary Dinner, which was held at Northfield Gardens Drill Hall on 10th May.

So after two nights carrying the money around with me, being reluctant to leave it in the dressing room while practising, I decided further action was required. I found out where he lived and went round to see him. He accepted my membership fee and I became a proud junior member of South Shields Cricket Club in the hall of the captain/treasurer's house.

Joining that club was one thing; getting a place in the team was quite another. There was no junior team but only a third team that consisted mostly of juniors with a few older players. That was my initial aim.

I found out during the first week or two that the organisation of the practice nets left a great deal to be desired. Nobody
seemed to be in charge and those who arrived first batted first
or bowled until it was their turn to bat. Unless two nets were
used, first team players bowled to juniors and third team players, and vice versa.

H W Greenwood was professional, but little coaching was done, and not much interest was shown in new or lesser-known members of the club.

The practice nets in 1950 were located at the Dean Road end of the ground not far from the tennis courts. When the tennis courts were busy, often with attractive young female players, it was easy to forget about playing a straight bat. Several near accidents occurred. I don't know if it had anything to do with it, but the following year the nets were moved to the Sunderland Road boundary side of the field. Here, our practice was accompanied with music from the Gilbert Daniels Dancing School, which was situated just over the dividing fence. I think most of us preferred the former location.

The first and second teams played on a Saturday and the third team on Monday evenings. All teams were chosen on a Monday and any selected players were asked to delete their names from the team sheet displayed in the pavilion if they were unavailable. As a result, I used to attend the Saturday games, particularly to keep an eye on the notice board for any possible deletions for the following Monday's game.