A Lifetime in Cricket (Part VIII)

The Red Lion

The watering hole for the members of Axminster Town Cricket Club in 1970 was the Red Lion, where the proprietors were Ken and Joan Handbury.

Ken was a retired Squadron Leader in the Royal Airforce and one could imagine that "in their day" they were an attractive couple. In fact, a favoured allusion to mine-hosts were that they were Axminster's version of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor!

However, to say that Ken was rude was an understatement. Everything was said in jocular fashion, but when our team members entered the pub, his first words would probably have been "Well, I suppose you lot lost again?" – which wasn't quite correct, as we were a good team in the seventies.

However, Ken and Joan served a good pint, assisted by their son Kit and daughter Sally, who were just as pleasant as Ken was rude. Our visiting teams enjoyed drinking with us at the "Red" as the pub in those days was certainly unique. Ken also donated prizes for events and the Ken Handbury Cup for the best club all-rounder is still highly regarded at annual prize-giving evenings.

The Cavalier

I suppose it was inevitable that there would come a time, when Axminster Cricket Club would move on from the Red Lion. The original "Western" pub on the corner of Church Street and West Street had been refurbished and the pub was getting a really good name – not least due to its popular landlord and landlady, Norman and Hazel Kitchen, who ran the pub with their daughter and son-in-law, Cherrilyn (Chen) and Ron Downes.

We had some really great times at The Cavalier. There was often singing and some inevitable drinking games – and I suppose it was good business for the pub, as we arrived early evening on Saturdays and Sundays, with most of the team and the visiting opponents leaving before the pub became really busy at 9 o'clock and beyond. Inevitably there were some of us who stayed on at the pub well towards closing time and the lovely Hazel would often provide us with a complimentary basket of chips – always well-received.

Give me the names of...

During our time at the Cavalier, we had started our relationship with the St Marychurch Cricket Club from Torquay. They were a bonkers lot and introduced us to a number of beer-drinking games which we had never experienced before. "Give me the names of" was a favourite where each member of the team (which sometimes included our wives and girlfriends) would be required to think of a name of some obscure or not so obscure subject. It could have been "famous rugby players", "well-known breakfast cereals" or "garden vegetables". However, if it was your turn to think of an answer and you failed to respond or repeated a previous answer, you had to down the rest of your drink.

The Oochy Koochy game

"Give me the names of" was bad enough, but when St Marychurch taught us how to play the "Oochy-Koochy" game, it took beer drinking games to a new level. We had never played it before, although I remember our former doctor Chris Sutton, telling Pete Garner that he was playing Oochy Koochy when Pete was in nappies.

You first elected a chairman, but if you spoke to him (or her) without putting your hand on your head, the chairman would determine your punishment (probably downing another pint). The game revolved around clapping in time to a series of numbers, but if you got things wrong, you knew that a forfeit would come your way. The game was further boosted, for if you were seen to laugh, during the game, you were further punished – and it wasn't easy, not to laugh!

The chairman ruled over the game, but if the team members didn't approve of the chairman's actions, he or she could be voted out of the chair. For some reason, I often finished up as chairman and I'm afraid to say that many former young cricketers blamed me for starting them off on their beer-drinking habits. However, it was great fun and those of us who played Oochy Koochy over many years have fond memories of the game.

Pubs visited when playing away

When we played away, there were a few favourite pubs we visited. We always enjoyed the Old Inn, with our local rivals Kilmington, the George at Chardstock, the Sidmouth Arms at Upottery, the Kings Arms at Stockland, the Four Horseshoes (now the Keeper's Cottage) at Kentisbeare, the Green Dragon at Combe St Nicholas and the New Inn at Hawkchurch.

In many ways, there was more atmosphere in country pubs than in the clubhouses which came into vogue in the sixties and seventies. However, there was an obvious reason for the clubhouse model – the profit from the sale of drinks went a large way towards funding club expenses. It was inevitable that we would eventually go down this route, which we initiated when the club moved to Cloakham Lawns.

The Cloakham Lawn Sports Centre bar

The success of the bar revolves around the way the bar manager and staff look after the Cricket Club members and our visitors. In the 32 years since the bar was established, we have been extremely fortunate in being hosted by an excellent array of bar staff.

When we opened the bar in 1989 our first bar steward was David Starmer, a colleague of mine at the Rotary Club. David was followed by former bank manager Jim Tucker, who introduced the popular Cloakham Lawn quizzes, which are still running at the present day.

Jim was with us for some time and was followed by Dennis Real, Liz Wackley, Kevin Dodson and then Peter Hayball. Peter was extremely pro-active and keen to run outdoor bars – at the Guildhall for instance. Peter was followed by Ron Bicknell who was also interested in promoting additional fundraising events – such as the successful Tribute Band Concerts. Julie North was our next bar steward until 2017, when Jo and Simon Flint took over the tenancy and have managed the bar in exemplary fashion since then.

Our bar staff have been administered over the years by our management teams, headed by Phil Spong, Alan Seward and Bob Wallis. The bar has also been supplemented by additional bar staff as and when necessary including Jean Turner, Sharon Chown, Shirley Wakeley, Heather Walker and other ladies who have always been popular with the cricketers. We thank them all.

Rolling the wicket

When we played our cricket at North Street, we did not have a mechanical roller. The rolling was managed by players pulling one of the club's lightweight or heavy rollers. The heavy roller was a massive thing. After each match – before we made a bee-line for the Red Lion - all the home players had to assist with the rolling of the wicket using the heavy roller. It was whilst this rolling took place that the afternoon's match was analysed and discussed. There was much banter around the heavy roller and it was generally the case that if players had missed an easy catch, were out first ball, or had done something stupid during the game – the punishment was to drag the heavy roller through one length of the pitch, all by themselves.

The Line Book

It was following the acquisition of a mechanical roller and a part-time groundsman, that the end of play, wicket-rolling ceased and the after-match mickey-taking took place at the pub.

In the late seventies/early eighties, we produced a "line book". This was the idea of one of our cricketers, Donald Fell, who ran a chandlery in Axminster. It always seemed strange to be running a chandlery in an inland town, but it became a very successful business for Don and his wife Rosemary.

Don started a Line Book in the chandlery – just writing down crazy things that customers alluded to and mentioned when they visited Donald's business – such as "Do you sell ice-creams?" or "Do you serve coffee?" (What – in a chandlery!!).

Encouraged by Donald, we decided to kick-start a Line Book for Axminster Cricket Club – mainly jotting down daft things uttred by members of the club. Over a few years, hundreds of quotes were documented - some of them were somewhat "near the knuckle"!

Here are some quotes from the Line Book for you to enjoy – or not.

MRS ROSEMARY FELL – "I must look inside Donald's Cricket Box"!

Wembdon CC to NEVILLE PRITCHARD – "You must be the best team we play".

NEVILLE PRITCHARD to Wembdon CC – "You must be the worst team we play!"

TERRY GUPPY to Philip Spong, after being hit for four, off the first ball of the innings v Stratford upon Avon CC– "This ball's like a bit of soap, I tell-ee"!

(Following week)

TERRY GUPPY to Philip Spong, after being hit for four, in first over against Dorchester CC – It's soft as a tennis ball, I tell-ee"! PETE SCOTCHFORD after ball was hit for six into adjacent cemetery at Dorchester CC – "Dead Ball"! Phil Spong – Dorchester are drinking in the Baker's Arms.

PETE SCOTCHFORD – "You'll need some dough to go there!"

DON FELL on seeing a small terrier dog walking around the outfield at Exeter Civil Service CC – "Look – a mechanical lavatory brush"!

DON FELL after Dave Pike had hit a six into a Willhayes Park Garden – "It's alright, it's only knocked her brussels sprouts off!"

LIZ HAYNES re Les Haynes – "Who's that fellow out there with the hat on?"

BERYL MOULDING – "You ought to know – you've been sleeping with him for years"

LIZ HAYNES – "Yes, but not with a hat on!" FRED PEADON (elderly spectator) following an appeal for LBW (leg before wicket) against Ian Duckworth – "It can't be – it hit him on the foot"! LANGPORT CC Batsman, with Phil Spong about to bowl the first ball of the innings – "He had me out leg stump last year".

ANDREW MOULDING after the batsman is bowled first ball "Off stump, this year!"

IAN DUCKWORTH watching Taunton CC player fielding in three sweaters – "Where did you last play – India?"

PHIL SPONG – "No – Curry Rivel!" TERRY GUPPY v Feniton CC, after getting bowled first ball – "I carried my bat today – carried it out to the wicket and carried it back again!" DON FELL on seeing Geoff Enticott's jumbo sausage in the Cavalier pub – "I saw one like that in Bulawayo!" Axminster are 31 for 7 against Beaminster CC – DAVE PIKE to Ian Duckworth who is operating the scoreboard – "Quick, there's a train coming – put a one up in front of the score!" PETE GARNER to Don Fell – "Where's Rosemary tonight"

DON FELL – "She's at Sherborne Horse Trials"

ANDREW MOULDING "Is she riding?"

DON FELL – "No, she's entered as a Shetland Pony"!

IAN DUCKWORTH talking about migrating toads "You even get them down drains".

PETE SCOTCHFORD "That would be Toad in the Hole"! Secretary GEOFF ENTICOTT is reading the minutes of the last meeting "Mrs Kendall has produced a bear! And there will be a draw in the Cavalier Inn" PETE GARNER – "Somerset are playing in Bath – I expect it's been rained off".

PETE SCOTCHFORD –"It's always wet in bath!"

DAVE CAPON – "Last week we went on the Dart Valley Railway".

PETE SCOTCHFORD –"I expect you felt quite chuffed!" One of the Hawkchurch cricketers was called Tim Over.

He then came on to bowl.

At the end of his six balls, ANDREW MOULDING – "That's an Over over over!" TOM VOWDEN talking about a cricketer – "He's a big head! And there's only two bigger heads in England – Maidenhead and Birkenhead!" Dave Horsfield had experienced a bad day in the field and dropped at least two easy catches. He entered the Cavalier. PHIL SPONG – "I wonder of Dave can hold a pint!?" LIZ HAYNES on observing players going to inspect the wicket in driving rain "I always thought cricketers were mad – now I'm convinced"! The next edition of "Moulding's Memories" will be Part IX of a Lifetime in Cricket. This will include the start in cricket coaching and eventual work with Somerset County Cricket Club.