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News of an old member... (Supplied by Alan Howick...
21st Feb 2012)
Jack Jeffrey who
is now 92, is moving away from his Mark Hall home of 60 years to
live with his daughter in Gt Dunmow. “It’s going to be a big wrench
to leave area” said Jack “but it makes sense to Move in with Sue as
she has plenty of room in her Dunmow home for me”. Jack has promised
to make sure, if he finds any memorabilia of his time with the Club
he will make sure he passes on for our safe keeping. Jack played
with us for many years during the 1950’s through to the early 1970’s
and was the 2nd XI Captain for a number of years. He
also, with his long time friend, Lew Whitby, carried out a lot of
ground maintenance for us as he was a skilled carpenter. He was also
Captain of Harlow Town football team up to around 1960 when a bad
knee injury (caused by doing building work inside the football
club!) forced retirement at the young age of 42! He has promised to
return to Marigolds whenever he can and also to be there for this
year’s Presidents Day.
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Tales of an old member... (Supplied by Alan
Howick... 21st Feb 2012)
Memories from Percy Pavitt (A Member since 1922 and also a Life
Member).
“The cricket has been played on
Marigolds as long as I can remember. The ground was left uncared for
until after the First World War. As school children, we used to play
on the ground when grass was quite long, so it has always been a
‘dear old Marigolds’ as far as I can remember.
There must have been cricket played on
the ground before the First Great War, the old pavilion has been
there for years and years. During my time it was done up a bit, so
that it could be used by players and spectators alike, but as the
years passed on, a new pavilion was built, toilets etc were built in
a position where water pipes etc were easily connected. I must say,
that the older generation who built the old pavilion, built it in
the right spot to watch the game, but the new place was built
because of the modern requirements. I know this because at the time,
I was on the committee.
Our Captain was Captain G Hoare who by
the way, I believe bought the ground for the Club. He was a very
fine wicket keeper and batsman and we played under him for several
years.Also I must mention dear old Bill Collins who was Secretary
for many years, he also played. It has taken many years to get the
ground in (to) the state that it’s in now, by men and women who have
worked hard for the Club for many years.
At sometime dear old Reg Furse who
played for us, put his flock of sheep on the outfield to get the
grass a bit shorter and then Mr Wederal with horse and mower started
cutting the outfield. The horses feet were covered with leather
pull-on shoes to protect it cutting into the ground.
I can remember all these things, am
sure our Captain(s) would be very pleased to see the state of the
ground these days and believe the hedge between Marigolds and
Spicers Field is partly been taken out. Two trees, many years ago,
were in that same hedge behind the bowlers arm. They were taken out.
I have forgotten to mention the hockey
club, don’t know anything about them, they seem to get on very well
together, both clubs, it must be wonderful to play the game (hockey)
on the cricket outfield where the grass is kept so short; to my mind
you must have a good service to play hockey on.
I have not been to the very dear old
ground for very long time now, but hope to get there for a while on
August 4th Presidents Day somehow. I often see Mrs
Prodger on a Sunday morning. She tells me bits and pieces of news,
it was a lucky day for us, who were playing cricket all those years
ago, when this cricketing family Arrived (Prodgers) and are
still there today.
Extra……..
This is how I came to play cricket for
Harlow.
In the old days practise was played
almost every evening, as I have said Marigolds was a play ground for
us kids in my school days, at the age of 16, to play for the Club
you had of course to join it. To join was about five shillings
(0.25p) in those days, maybe a bit more, but believe me, for us
younger ones, it was not easy, to have to pay that amount.
I was always playing cricket and
football at school and on the outfield of Marigolds, so (I) was
quiet good at games, until one day I was watching the practise when
the second (XI) Captain asked me if I could play over at Nazeing on
the Saturday as they were short, of course I would, at that very
moment, a young man walked on to the ground and asked to join the
Club, they asked if he could play over at Nazeing on the Saturday,
of course he would, shall never forget that game, they put is in
first so you can tell how weak they were, but I was run out for 16
and the new boy Harry Hards who was sent in with me scored 50, we
became members of the first team and great friends and members of
the first team for some years.
During my time playing for Harlow
Cricket Club, I scored 116, against Matching Green, took all 10
wickets against, “can’t think of the name of the team!” and did the
hat trick twice, must have been the blind school!
Percy Pavitt b. 1906 d. c2000.(First
played for Harlow CC in 1922.). These memories were written by Percy
in August 1999 when he Was 93 years of age.
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