Open Writing

Gangs usually form in most teenage societies and it was through our mutual interest in cricket that the Mortimer Road gang was formed. It comprised of Gerald and Anthony Hogg, Ronnie Wright, Billy Burden, Lawrence Gosling and myself. Every other Saturday, in the summer, we used to go to watch South Shield Cricket Club at their nearby Wood Terrace Ground. Taking lemonade and sandwiches, we were set for the day watching Alf 'Pan' Headley, Bert Land, Ken Thompson, Benny Taylor, Johnny Ward, Alan Lawson and many others.

Also my dad and mam used to take me to watch Durham County when they occasionally played at Wood Terrace. At the time Durham were in the Minor Counties League and I recall games against Yorkshire Second XI with players like Johnny Wardle and Gerry Smithson. Rotund Bill Proud was the captain of Durham.

Dad was a good talker and sitting in his usual seat opposite the pavilion, he never stopped telling me what a fine team South Shields had during the 1930's. Names like Albert Howell, Len Weight and Foster Coulson were much repeated. Some people wrongly thought we were related to John Scott who scored many runs for Shields between 1936 and 1948.

Over and above cricket and football the gang enjoyed themselves. We used to listen to' Dick Barton Special Agent' at 6:45pm on the radio, (no TV in those days) and occasionally meet up straight after to go to the Chichester Picture House. Swapping comics was a popular pastime. The Hotspur, Rover, Adventure and Wizard were all circulated - with 'Roy of the Rovers' in the Rover perhaps the most favoured. The terrible winter from January to March 1947 gave the Mortimer Road gang the opportunity for snowballing and sledging.

Nationally, the post-war years were said to be very austere. To us young teenagers they certainly weren't. There were few annual holidays and food was rationed but this didn't bother us. We had parks and beaches to explore, swimming at Derby Street baths, twelve cinemas to choose from and numerous youth clubs to attend if we wished. I even remember going on a day trip to the Lake District with my parents. Life was good and I couldn't comprehend it getting much better - but it certainly did.

It all seemed to happen during my last year at school, "The Festival of Britain" summer of 1951. The previous year South Shields Cricket Club celebrated its Centenary and had introduced a system of Junior Membership at a very modest fee, to attract younger players. Mam and dad were quick to get me membership. This meant I could watch the cricket matches free of charge and practise on the outfield while players used the nets during the week.

Several members of our gang also joined and it was whilst practising on the outfield one night that I saw somebody watching us. That somebody, I later found out, was Len Corner, a former second team captain. He eventually approached me, asked my name and invited me to come over to the official nets to have a bowl. After bowling a few balls and further discussion on how old I was and what school I attended he invited me to play for the Club's third team away at Wearmouth the following Monday. I did a quick mental check that there was no school match that night before saying "yes".

Mam and dad were excited when I told them but my selection caused one problem, I didn't have any cricket flannels and there was little time to get them before next Monday. So I made my debut for South Shields Cricket Club in my school trousers. Don Lawson was captain and I recall explaining to him I had injured my arm at school and couldn't bowl. Some debut!