Tag: Cricket

Playing Cricket in the Back Yards of UK Cities!

UK: British Council Film Archive ([1950] – Cricket Documentary! (25.9.2025)

At his peak, however, he was a very good all-rounder wielding the bat and ball. When a child, my father taught me all the rules of cricket and this is why I know a) how to play the game, and b) what is going on when watching it (we support Leicestershire County Cricket Club – and we watched them play once). I have tried to teach my partner and children – but the modern youth now have the internet to take their attention! I have played “in-door” cricket – as well as cricket on a proper pitch – and I never wore a helmet (I couldn’t afford one). When standing at the crease – the mind must be calm and expansive – clear and reflective. Peace and self-control must permeate reality – whilst the bat and ball must be properly utilised in a technically perfect manner. There is no hatred for the opposition – or unnecessary attachment to one’s team-mates – all are equal to the true gentleman. This is why I refer to cricket as a form of English Confucianism!

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Morris or Moorish - You Decide!

UK: “Barn the Burkha” – the Countryside Alliance Shares Its Views with Reform UK! (7.6.2025)

We propose an education, environmentally-friendly “barn” within which the said population will be able to volunteer to congregate – where we will offer Morris Dancing, Cricket, Equestrian Sport, Country Dancing, light refreshments and a myriad of other wholesome activities – including a Driving Course given by Jeremy Clarkson. Children will be able to watch re-runs of Jon Pertwee’s Wurzel Gummidge on a big screen, with a live appearance by the Wurzels themselves!  We will add a subtle message which states that although the Wurzels are very popular in Japan – and given that they are not “Japanese” – they are not permitted to hold any citizenship in that country.

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Met Police Officer Punches Suspect!

UK: Met Police Policy of “Punching Suspects in Back of Head” Backfires – as Offending Officer Spared Jail-Time! (1.5.2025)

She told the court: “I accept it was out of character and you lost self control.

“As a police officer, you were in a position of significant responsibility. (These actions) will reduce trust and confidence in police.”

Speaking after the trial, father-of-two Mr Attanayake, 42, originally from Sri Lanka, told the PA news agency the incident had left him with both psychological and physical damage.

He said: “I play cricket as a bowler, but I have been unable to play because of issues I now have with my shoulder. It will get better but I have missed two seasons already.

“Psychologically, I now get triggered by alarms and people in uniforms. I have been a law abiding citizen since I have lived in the UK.”

Mr Attanayake also confirmed he was yet to receive an apology from the Metropolitan Police, and claimed he had instead been told the incident was a case of “mistaken identity”.

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Women Were Treated Very Well!

London: Broken Biscuits and Paternalistic Capitalism: Was the Bermondsey Biscuit Factory a Worker’s Paradise or is the Truth Less Sweet? (13.1.2025)

The first female clerks, responsible for typewriting invoices and the telephone exchange, were employed in 1885. The new hires may have been surprised to find the company brochure had a dedicated ladies’ section called ‘Matters Feminine’. However, the suffragettes would not have been too impressed with its content. Topics mainly included cooking, family and fashion. 

‘It is all very well for a man to smile at the feminine love of clothes, and dismiss them as being of very little importance in life. Women know better. Husbands, who profess not to admire fashions, are not slow to complain at the dowdy appearance of their wives,’ read one passage. 

In the following decades, many of the women employed found promotions were very much possible. Anne Edwards, who got a job as a clerical assistant in 1957, wrote: “Brilliant employers, they paid for me to attend Pitman’s College to extend my shorthand skills. They monitored my progress, my typewriting skills and promoted me from junior to manager’s secretary in the same department. I loved working there.”

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Football History – I Was There! Pre-Season Friendly: Sutton United Vs Leicester City – Played Tuesday July 16th – 2002 [Kick-Off 7:30 pm]! (14.6.2002)

Eventually, during the 1970s, he founded the ‘Tiverton Town Cricket Club’ (TTCB) – and for a time found fame with the antics and achievements this sporting entity achieved! I was actually researching old newspaper articles featuring ‘Peter Wyles’ who is described as the ‘Captain’, ‘Manager’ and even ‘Groundsman’ between 1975-1980! Like everything, eventually other power-bases (and egos) developed and my father quietly withdrew! This is why today all kinds of people make ‘fake’ claims to having founded ‘Tiverton Town Cricket Club’! As a young child, I used to accompany my father to the Tiverton Cricket Club Home Ground (during all kinds of weather) – situated on the outskirts of Tiverton (near the Rugby Ground) – where he used to cut the grass, ‘roll’ the ground and ‘mark-out’ the pitch! I even have memories of attending one or two ‘Home’ matches – and remember talking to the other team members (including ‘Peter Goldsworthy’ and ‘Pete Townsend’, etc). I also remember that one or two of my father’s friends in the team were attending St Luke’s Sports College (in Exeter) at the time – which meant they were of ‘Professional’ cricketing standard with no one locally realising the situation!

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