This is Findon Village — this website was created by Valerie Martin and contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

Bowling Along in the 1920s

A game of cricket in progress below picturesque Church Hill in Findon 1923.

 

Copyright Valerie Martin 1999

The game of cricket in 1927 depicted below, was one of the matches called a "Top Hat Match" and some interesting characters appear to have participated in the afternoon’s festivities at Kennel Bottom.

 

In 1928 the members of the Findon Cricket Club decided to have colours of their own. A decision on exactly which colours could not be decided. A chance connection with the horse-racing world assisted the club members' judgment. This was when a horse at The Vale Stables trained by the cricket team Captain, Cecil Young, won several races in the colours of its owner, black and amber. The Cricket Club agreed that these should be the Cricket Club colours from then on.

Another cricket match at Kennel Bottom below Church Hill during the summer of 1929. Findon are batting v. Goring. The batsmen are Ronald Ockenden from Ockenden’s timber yard — (nearest) and Ernest Groves. St. John the Baptist Church can be seen in the distance.

 

The game may not appear to be of significance today but it was, in fact, reported in The Times newspaper.

Cattle meandering along the Long Furlong Road near the cricket pitch, pre 1930

 

Continue if you would like to read Sticky Wicket After the War years when the Canadians left the Findon cricket ground.

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — was launched by Valerie Martin in January 1999 and will grow to be a historical record of life in Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

 

E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com