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

Balmy Cricket Days in the 1950s

 

April 1950

Copyright Valerie Martin 1999

In April 1950, His Grace the Duke of Norfolk had paid an official visit to Kennel Bottom beneath Church Hill to open the new cricket pavilion.

Previous to this I am told there were only makeshift timber sheds in lieu of changing rooms. The players' wives with no mod cons whatsoever had courageously prepared teas and boiled water on a primus stove. Findon Cricket Club could now boast a smart brick building with changing rooms, showers and toilets. Findon Cricket Club was on the map at last.

 

4th August, 2004

Dear Valerie

You asked for identification of any of the cricketers in your photograph of the 1950s Findon Cricket Club.

 

I have arrowed Don Priestley who was very attached to the Club for many years, so much so that he asked for his ashes to be scattered on the pitch.

He was my father's partner in a dental practice in Worthing and died in the 1980s. A really delightful fellow who enjoyed game shooting, and gun dog breeding (labradors) and training as well as his cricket. I still have a book "The Art of Shooting" which he gave me for Christmas in the 1940s.

His wife Mary was deeply involved with the dogs and showed them. She was, until recently, in an old peoples home in Ashington.  Last Christmas there was no card from her and I fear that she may now have joined him.

I hope this is helpful.

Mike Cooksey, Bristol.

 

 

 A cheerful Findon Cricket team who appear to have been the winning side in 1956. The enthusiastic plays are in he back row, from left to right:-

Gordon Johnson, Reginald Hazelgrove, Bay Jones, Frederick Thompson, Kenneth Martin, Dennis Williams and Douglas Haskell.

In the front row, left to right are Johnny Spiers Junior (known as "Fishy" because he ran the fish shop, George Winton (a relation of the village grocery owner); John Ferries, Thomas Hymas and Jack Gilbert. The keen young scorer is David Groves.

Continue if you would like to read about Findon Cricket in the Swinging 1960s.

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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