Key Quotes

"Anyone who believes that exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist."
(Kenneth Boulding)




"Down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. "

(Raymond Chandler)





"Live simply so that others can simply live." (unknown)





"I cannot live without books" (Thomas Jefferson)





"Sport is war without the shooting" (George Orwell)





"New York is a great city to live in if you can afford to get out of it" (William Rossa Cole)





The secret of a happy ending is knowing when to roll the credits (Patterson Hood)































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Monday 26 August 2013

The Oval - a sense of history

For members of Surrey County Cricket Club , home has seen some changes this season. Firstly the relocation of the Hobbs Gates and the construction of a new forecourt which gives the pavilion a more palatial appearance, although I still tend to enter from the side.




The external features that represent the Club's heritage are still there to be found but perhaps you have to look harder to find them.





Once inside however a great effort has been made to display memorabilia from great players from the Club's past. As I walk through the corridors and mount the staircases the portraits remind me of the rich history that the Club possesses.




Realising that there are now members who because of their age have no memory of Barrington and Stewart reminds me that although I often quote the career statistics of Sir Jack Hobbs, of course, I never saw him play. Yet cricket is a remarkable sport we continue to discuss who was the great batsman or bowler based on grainy film footage taken nearly a century ago.




It's now over 50 years ago that I first watched cricket at the Oval, yet memories of those days still flood into my mind. They have made an indelible imprint.
They represent some of the most memorable and happiest moments of childhood.



In this respect my early history is tied up with the history of these old buildings,stands and memory of players sadly many of whom have died in the years that have passed since I was first taken to the ground in 1961.

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