A Presentation Event

This has become an Annual Event for Shipley when the lads and lassies who distinguished  themselves during the season receive their medals and awards. An extra dimension was added this year with the presentation of medals to the ladies who played in the Summer Soft Ball Festivals

James C and Simon did the talking and James was fulsome in his praise of the efforts made by all

He signalled out Simon ( here here!) and Timo who had worked hard with the youngsters

                                            

Yes Timo is the big kid with the football and his coaching methods obviously worked for all the junior teams had good results although perhaps Joe got on the wrong side of him

The boys ,girls and ladies received their medals with varying degrees of skill. Here is Arthur 

who won the Under 13 award. Brother  Joe looked really pleased for him but realised he was getting older and wiser and no longer  qualified  for an award. Never mind Joe , Arthur's not in the 1st XI and hasn't got a batting average below ONE. 

Jack managed to drop his award much to the disgust of his Dad who will shortly need a bigger Trophy cabinet as both the lads received awards

The Junior Player of the Year award went to Harriet Parkin who not only played above her age group with Derbyshire Girls age group teams but also played senior cricket.

The spectators were as enthusiastic as ever and the support they provide is much welcomed. Carole and David were paying attention but needed a cup of tea to fend off the cool weather

Another season done and dusted !!

The first rumblings of Emancipation

It has been a pretty mundane season as far as Shipley cricket is concerned. The 1st XI were consistent at being inconsistent and the twos fell away after a bright start. With the 3rd XI a small embryo in it's first season it was the first rumblings of emancipation that caught the eye.

Were the bastions of our male dominated empire about to be threatened ? Perhaps not quite yet but the first rumblings appeared as our ladies formed up to take part in the DCB organised Women's Soft Ball Festivals around the county.

Eight players playing a version of Kwik Cricket may not sound earth shattering but in a neglected area of the sport at club level the introduction of this competition could be far reaching.

At Shipley our ladies somewhat reluctantly agreed to take part and, after a few basic practice sessions our team was ready for the off. They assembled at the heights of Belper on Sunday 5th August at 10.30 and got off to a good start with a win over Denby. They followed this up with later visits to Belper Meadows and Duffield where they added further wins to their tally. Overall the team won 6 of the 11 games they played.

What was more important was that they enjoyed it and vowed to continue-winter training and hard ball are the next targets. Well done to all !!

 At Belper Amateurs and Meadows

The best yet!

There are lots of pictures of the ground available and I could bore anyone by going back over them but the aerial shot recently taken from a helicopter comes near the top of my list. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but WOW

Blast from the Past - David Shaw

Catching up with ex players is always a pleasure and David Shaw popped down to the ground on Saturday. David was one of those almost players who loved cricket but never quite displayed his true talent. I think it was more his lack of self belief than technical ability but what do I know! He was certainly pleased to see the Shipley ground looking so well and expressed his long held affinity with the surroundings.

David is living near Chevin Golf Club with a move to Allestree imminent. He looks very fit thanks to a strict fitness routine which he shares with his partner.

Don't leave it so long next time.

Farewell Timo

Timo joined us this season whilst on holiday from South Africa. He quickly became a popular member and played in all of the season fixtures averaging 39  with the bat and taking 47 wickets  at 14.85.

His run total of 853 included 2 hundreds and 2 fifties ( one of those was an annoyingly out on 99)

He was well looked after and goes back to SA next week somewhat chubbier than when he arrived. Whether this was the result of the home cooked fare with the Parkins or his exploration of every pub in Derby and Nottingham is questionable.

Well done indeed

The Ghostly Path

The prolonged spell of hot weather has once again highlighted the path that goes across the ground to where ? We do not know!!

There are various theories about the path.

 The mundane suggestion is that it was a wooden rail line linking the Shipley Collieries to the Coppice mine.

More colourful is that it is made by the ghost of Shipley Hall who has walked the path since the 1890's. She wanders in search of her long lost love  in a flowing white robe which touches the ground causing the path to appear. Only appears around midnight  when there is a full moon. 

Said to have been seen by several older members leaving the old Bull & Bush which was tucked into the woods.

Believe what you will !!! I know which I prefer

Perhaps I prefer flowers over cricketers?

Pottering around the Shipley ground has always provided me with a great deal of pleasure. Whether it be a tree planting scheme or attractive borders my belief has always been that a cricket ground must  be more than a wicket and outfield.

The trees around the ground are mostly well matured  and some I planted as saplings have certainly sprung up

                           

In Spring -the tuplips

Lucky heather on the bank

Rowan  ,Buddleia and

Quinces                                               

Autumn mushrooms and conkers

Collecting Punch Cricket Cartoons

PUNCH was a weekly British magazine published ( with a short break) from 1841 to 2002.  It specialised in humour and satire and peaked in the second world war with patriotic themes.
In the earlier years many fine cricketing cartoons were produced and as a true cricket nut I started to collect originals and copies which I framed and together with other cricket pictures adorn most of the walls of my cramped  flat. Most have been hand painted.

Here are a few which I hope you will find amusing, although they are of an age long past,

By clicking on the pictures you can obtain a larger print which makes the wording legible

The first couple are a pair. Enlarge and read what happens to the Squire

                                                        What of the umpires ?
This one's my favourite

Seems the umpire holding stick is a farmer ,anxious to get his cows back th' field in case it rains


                                                            But how bad are we ?

                                                   And how well do we play the game?

                                        

                                               Much better to leave it to the youngsters

       

                       They will play anywhere-with whatever-never mind the problems

           and never argue !

                                                      and accept dismissal gracefully

                                            

Well it's only village cricket

                                         


     

                           
               

Robin Pratt- RIP

I was saddened to learn of the death of Robin Pratt today. We played cricket together in the late sixties early seventies and although he could be quite a handful for any skipper he was a great man to have by your side.

He bowled right arm leg spin before it was in fashion and could score useful runs.

Perhaps the most colourful episode I can recall concerns a friendly game Shipley v Dunstall at their lovely ground . The Squire's son was playing for the home side and was a bit up himself- cravat, multi-coloured cap- and really not wishing to associate with the hoi por loi. Just the sort that would annoy Robin and the two were exchanging words from the start. Robin was bowling all scruffy and beard flowing beating the bat frequently before finally bowling and sending off Son of Squire who made the mistake of calling Robin a scruffy bugger. The next moment Robin had the offenders head under his arm threatening to send him skywards and had to be restrained.
We never played at Dunstall again!

Simon Lacey recalls that Robin decided he wanted to live in the USA and duly got visas and flights and set out for his new homeland. The customs officials took one look at him at Kennedy Airport and promptly shipped him back on the next available plane. His exile had lasted 3 days and he could be found in the pub on his first night back complaining of rights violation.

He suffered ill health in his later years with severe arthritis and breathing problems but treated such misfortunes with light hearted distain.

A lovely, funny man the like of which we are unlikely to come across again. RIP Robin.

Another season

I really believe that Cricket is like no other sport. It is infuriating but inspiring, depressing but uplifting, in fact totally dominated by ups and downs

Even before you get the smell of a freshly mown wicket in your nostrils and step on to the field of play in that first match your mind has filled with wild imaginings

 Will you get that magic ton?  Perhaps a 10-wicket haul?  A magic leg side stumping? A catch to match anything the IPL serves up? Whatever your discipline its all up for grabs!

Before that, you need to take look at the remains of your unwashed kit and, this means a new pleasure awaits. Yes- you need new clothing and kit. A new bat -gosh that dear? Lovely leather batting gloves with a smart blue piping – yes please. Oh, of course, the flannels, shirt and sweater(s) to match the piping.  Put it on the credit card and tell her later – yes that’s the way to go!!

For me such thoughts are but distant memories but to all embarking on a new season – Good luck!!

US Masters

Well I'm glad its over for Another year but it does make compulsive viewing and the course is something else

                       

For McIlroy a chance of the grand slam gone with a 4th round in which he just lost it. I don't know anything about the technicalities of golf but his mental ability to concentrate appeared to disappear and he suddenly started to rush his shots.

However these fine sportspeople  amaze me with their ability to drive over 300 yds, hit an iron around 220, and then play delicate putts. The practice and dedication  put in to achieve this can only be imagined and admired.

Although they tell me that the golf and cricket swings do not help each other I am certain that the mental toughness and practice regimes of these internationals is something that cricketers should aspire to.

HERE’S A TALE OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CRICKET CLUB GROUND

It’s about the development of the ground rather than playing.  The latter is beautifully covered in Simon Lacey’s excellent Centenary Book “The History of Shipley Hall CC”

The ground was the brain child of the Squire, Alfred Millar Mundy. Some said it was an act of benevolence to his workers but perhaps it was more to further the cricketing ambitions of his son Godfrey. We have no records that tell us how good Godfrey was but I doubt whether any of the employees at the Hall would really try to dismiss him.

So, in 1896 work started to convert the Haystack yard to a cricket field using labour from the Hall. Most of the work was manual and soil was transported by horse and cart

The ground was officially opened in 1899. The first recorded match was between married men v single all from the Hall. Singles 60 Married 37.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PAVILION

The first picture we have of the pavilion shows it in the background of a team photo from 1900 which included the Squire (back row second from left)

Not very much changed, it was a wooden buiding and remained so through to our next picture from 1940

 The building had a rustic charm and its basic outline was retained as brick changing rooms were added to each end of the building you see above. In the 1970’s a score box was added

This is from a painting by Shelia Bailey the original of which hangs in the pavilion

It was not until 2003 when any significant change was undertaken. Aided by an unexpected windfall and a tremendous funding effort a changing room was added above the existing away room at a cost of 24K

This was intended as part of a phased development but it was not until 4 years later that we were in position to add Phase 2

Phase2 was extensive and included renovations to the kitchen, toilets and bar. Perhaps it did not go far enough but money was tight and the before and after position was significant.  The cost was 28K

 The main missing element was a score box and this became more evident after we purchased an electronic scoreboard. We initially positioned this on the home dressing room balcony which was a labour-intensive exercise as it had to be stored inside the room after each game. 

                                             

 In 2014 further improvements were made to the Home Changing room and a Pool Room was added.

                                                                

In 2015 the club drew up plans to construct a score box cum machine shed and work started on this in the winter

 The end product was impressive and functional. It cost 32K which was raised mainly from the generous donations from the Chairman and ex- Chairman together with a funding grant from UK Coal.

In 2016 the score box was dedicated to a sadly departed member, Norman Smith and officially opened by his 100 year-old father who is the current President of the club.

  So, for the present we are up to date but as far as the pavilion is concerned the only way is up!!!

                                       

THE GROUND

The ground area has always had a unique shape. The initial construction did not produce a totally flat surface and the run down at “THE HALL end” was significant, (especially if you are chasing a ball over the slope). At “THE TENNIS COURT“ end there was a gentle downward slope and a similar slope exists looking from pavilion to the top of the ground

    

The perimeter of the ground was open and a white picket fence ran the length of two sides

In the late 1970’s the Chairman set out an extensive programme of tree planting and over the years as the trees grew this has produced a true rural and village club effect.   The various stages of growth are reflected in the following pictures   

             

  The process is on-going with a further bank of trees developing slowly at the HALL END

                                                  

Eventually the perimeter of the ground will be completely tree lined.

CONCLUSION.

The changes made can be seen by comparing “BEFORE” and “AFTER”.

However, it is important to reflect that we are but guardians of the club for future generations, Let’s hope that it develops apace!!