Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Thoughts about the UK tour

Back home in Australia there is now opportunity to reflect on the two over 60s cricket tours in the UK during June and July 2015.

There were a number of team  milestones achieved by the Australian over 60s team:
  • Winning 11 of the 14 County games played
  • Winning the Test Match against Wales convincingly 
       and definitely
  • Winning two of the three Test Matches played against England including the two day game at the end of the tour
For Robin there were a number of personal milestones:
  • The opportunity to play cricket in England
  • The opportunity to play cricket in England for Australia
  • Playing in two Test Matches for Australia
  • Opening the bowling for Australia in one of the County games
  • Opening the batting for Australia in one of the County games
  • Owning a baggy green with a number 
For me it was great being able to travel with both the teams, meet the other players and their partners, watch the games played on attractive grounds as well as explore parts of England.

Generally the cricket grounds on which the matches were played were great. Even in small villages the games were played on turf wickets and well tended outfields. As can be seen from most of the posts about the matches the grounds were usually in picturesque settings.

Transport
For the Australian tour we hired a number of cars to carry the players plus a van to carry the gear. The aim was to provide flexibility especially on rest days allowing people to go in different directions. During games the WAGS could also use a car to go exploring. Generally this worked well except that only a limited number of people were designated drivers. This placed additional strain on match days for the driver as sometimes it could take one and a half hours to drive to the ground where the match was played. Often the driver would then play cricket and after the game would have to drive back to the hotel.

For the VOSCA tour we had a coach and driver to take us to the hotels and games. We were very lucky as we had a great driver, Steve, who would sometimes, during a game, drive the WAGS to a nearby location so they could do some exploring, and then collect us two or three hours later. Steve also took us on the scenic route when we travelled from one hotel to another including stop-overs at places to explore. This provided us with much of the flexibility we had with the cars without the players having the strain of driving. This, of course, may not have been the case with another driver.

Weather
Basically the English summer that we experienced was similar to late autumn in Melbourne. The temperature was normally in the mid to high teens, occasionally low twenties. It was often overcast. On many days there was a very cold wind for at least part of the day. We were lucky with the Australian tour as it mainly rained on rest days. Rain did shorten one match but there was still a result while on another occasion the rain started just as the game finished. The VOSCA tour was not quite so fortunate as two games were washed out. There was light rain during another game but the players only came off the ground once. There were three days of what we would call summer at the end of June with temperatures in high twenties and low to mid thirties. On one day the temperature reached 35 degrees in London. These days came out of the blue taking everyone by surprise, especially as the English do not use air conditioning.

Food
With all the English cooking programs it is disappointing that much of the food served in hotels and pubs is mediocre. What we really missed were vegetables. Vegetables, when provided were lots of potato (chips, mashed, boiled or occasionally baked) and peas (normal or mushy). Occasionally carrots were served and once we were offered cauliflower and broccoli. Breakfast was another issue. Most of the hotels provided a hot breakfast but for those wanting a continental breakfast the choice was usually limited. I normally have muesli, fruit and natural yoghurt for breakfast. There was no guarantee that any of these would be available. In the end I resorted to binging my own fruit to breakfast. There is a wide variety of fruit and vegetables available in the shops - just limited in restaurants.

The other thing that we noticed was that curry seems to be becoming the national dish in the UK. During the first week we had curry for dinner four times!

Accommodation
We stayed in a variety of accommodation during the two months in the UK. Generally the hotels in which we stayed during the Australian tour were old mansions converted to hotels. On the VOSCA tour most of the hotels were Travelodge (plus a couple of other chains). Generally the rooms were fine but the problem faced in most of the hotels was lack of air conditioning resulting in stuffiness in the rooms. We immediately opened the windows to let in some air but often outside noise meant that the windows needed to be closed if you wanted to sleep. If the corridors had no windows they were worse. However all but one of the hotels had a central location making it easy to explore the local area.

Having a shower can also be a challenge as each hotel seems to have a different set-up. Most of the hotels with the shower in the bath provided safety rails and non-slip surfaces, but not all. There are also many varieties of taps.

Another challenge, when travelling with medication requiring refrigeration, is that most hotels in the UK do not have fridges. All the hotels allowed my medication to be kept in a staff fridge but one hotel refused to put my freezer pack in a freezer for OH&S reasons!

General observations
There is history everywhere you go.

The British love their dogs. There are dogs everywhere.

Prices are expensive, especially food and drink.

There are lots of different shades of green in the English countryside.

During summer the cities, towns and villages all have vivid displays of flowers in containers and hanging baskets.

It was a great two months. Lots of cricket but also lots of sightseeing. At the team dinner at the end of the Australian tour we were all asked to give our views about the tour. The general consensus was that not only was it was great to have the opportunity to play cricket in England but also more importantly the players, at the age of 60 plus, were able to participate in such a tour. This sentiment also applied to the VOSCA tour.

Thursday, August 6, 2015

VOSCA over 70s

During July the VOSCA over 70s cricket team also toured the southern counties of England. They were scheduled to play twelve games - ten county games and two games against combined England teams.

Two players from Ringwood over 60s played in this team - Chris Hartrup and Terry Dunn. Therefore there were four members of Ringwood over 60s playing in England over the summer as Gary Semple and Robin were playing with the VOSCA over 60s team.

Game 1 against Surrey over 70s was played on July 8. It was a 45 over game and Victoria made 3 for 180 while Surrey scored 3 for 194. A victory to Surrey.

Game 2 against Kent over 70s was played on July 10. Victoria made184 in their 45 overs while Kent could only make 176. A victory for Victoria by 8 runs.

Game 3 against Sussex over 70s was played on July 12. Victoria scored 8 for 164 in their innings but Sussex overtook this score with eight overs to go. A win for Sussex.

Game 4 against Hampshire over 70s was played on July 13. Victoria made 222 in their 45 overs while Hampshire made 208 runs. Another victory for Victoria, this time by 14 runs.

Game 5 against Somerset over 70s on July 16. Somerset batted first making 165 runs while Victoria scored 3 for 166. A victory for Victoria by 7 wickets.

Game 6 against Worcestershire over 70s on July 17. Victoria made 3 for 236 in 45 overs while Worcestshire made 8 for 171. A good win for Victoria by 65 runs.

At this stage the VOSCA over 70s team had played six games and won four.

Game 7 was the first of three matches against combined England teams on July 19. It was played at Kidderminster Cricket Club in Worcestershire. Victoria batted first compiling 3 for 166. England passed this total with all wickets intact at 0 for 185. A win for England.

Game 8 was against a Cambridgeshire / Norfolk over 70s team played on July 20. Cambridgeshire / Norfolk batted first making 2 for 185 while Victoria made 6 for 183. A win for Cambridgeshire / Norfolk.

Game 9 was against Hertfordshire over 70s. Victoria made 2 for 213 while Hertfordshire scored 9 for 210. Another win for Victoria.

Game 10 was against Suffolk over 70s played on July 24. The weather was threatening so it was agreed to play a 15 over game. Victoria made 3 for 85 in the 15 overs while Suffolk were 0 for 75. A victory for Victoria.

Game 11 against Essex over 70s on July 26 was a washout.

Game 12 was another match against England at Sunbury Cricket Club on July 29. This was a 50 over game. England was 3 for 267 at the end of the 50 overs while Victoria was 8 for 172. Another win for England.

The VOSCA over 70s team won six of the nine games played against county sides but were defeated in the two matches played against the England combined teams. They thoroughly enjoyed the experience of playing in England on great grounds. At the combined over 60s and over 70s dinner at the end of the tour the good spirit in which the games were played was frequently commented upon.

Australian over 60s team tour of England

Link to official photo on Seniors Cricket Australia website.
Link to match reports on Seniors Cricket Australia website.

The members of the Australian over 60s cricket team that toured England in June 2015 were:
  • Colin Cooke [Qld] captain
  • Murray Harrison [ACT] vice captain
  • Rex Bennett [Vic]
  • David Cordy [Vic]
  • Robin Court [Vic]
  • John Dedman [ACT]
  • Phil Drescher [Qld]
  • Greg Johnson [Vic]
  • Neil King [Vic]
  • Pat Logue [Qld]
  • Graeme McIlwain [Qld]
  • James Martin [ACT]
  • Kevin Meikle [Qld]
  • Ian Pethwick [Qld]
  • Greg Quinn [SA]
  • Brian Scott [NSW]
  • John Stackpoole [Qld]
  • Ian Southall [Vic]
During the four week tour the team played 18 games. They won 11 of the 14 county games played. On this tour the games were played against the southern counties. There were also four test matches. The Australians defeated Wales in a one day game. They also won two of the three games played against England including the final match which was played over two days. It was a great effort by the team.

Six WAGS were on the tour for the first three weeks - Anne Harrison, Jill Drescher, Mandy Logue, Annette McIlwain, Sharon Scott and Vicki Court. During the final week we were joined by four more WAGS - Geraldine Southall, Geraldine Bennett, Leanne Cordy and Karen Meiikle.

VOSCA tour team to England

Members of the VOSCA over 60s cricket team that toured England in July 2015 were:
  • David Baker
  • Graeme Cook
  • Robin Court
  • Gordon Cowling
  • Guy Eastwood
  • Don Everett
  • Lindsay Fisher
  • David Green
  • John Miller
  • John Moore
  • Geoff Olfield
  • Gary Semple
  • Dick Stumbles
  • Greg Watsford
  • Bill Wigmore
Plus honorary Victorian from the ACT, Bill Rowe.

The WAGS who toured with the team were Lyn Wigmore, Julie Cowling, Margaret Everett, Nola Baker, Karen Semple, Yvonne Moore, Glenda Eastwood and Vicki Court.

Thirteen games were scheduled against county over 60s teams for the four week tour but only ten games were played as two were washed out and Derbyshire cancelled their game. Most of the games were against northern county over 60s teams with a few from the southern counties. Of the ten games played the Victorian team won three - against Yorkshire, Leicestershire and Kent.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

VOSCA over 60s Team dinner

Before we left Leicester we had a Team Dinner at a local hotel. Everyone had to wear a hat that was not related to cricket resulting in a variety of headwear, in many cases from local op-shops. Some of the group appear in the following photos.
Robin, Bill and Graeme
David, Nola, Yvonne, John and Margaret
David, Lindsay, David and Nola
Lyn, Bill and Greg
Nola, Glenda and Guy
Don, Geoff and Steve
Gary, Karen and Gordon
The WAGS
It was an entertaining evening.

On the final night of the tour a combined over 60s and over 70s team dinner was also held.

Cotswolds

During the the Australian over 60s cricket tour in June we had spent a day in the Cotswolds. On the way from Leicester back to Sunbury on Thames we visited the area again.
Our first stop was the picturesque tourist village of Bourton on the Water which has a stream running through the middle of the village.
Like our first visit to the area the weather was overcast with rain threatening. It would be interesting to see the area when the sun was shining.
Most of the buildings are made from local stone and have plenty of character.
In this area dry stone walls or fences are the norm in the towns as well as in the countryside.
Our next stop was the village of Bibury.
The building opposite where the coach was parked was Arlington Mill, a building dating back to the seventeenth century.
We then wandered past the Bibury Trout Farm and Fishery.
The gardens make this a most attractive area.
If you look carefully you might see a trout in the water.
Once again there were impressive dry stone fences.
Unfortunately we only had a short time in this village. There was much more to explore. It was back on the coach and on to the Travelodge at Sunbury on Thames, our final hotel on the tour.

Leicester - other Old City sites

After our visit to Leicester Cathedral we were taken on a 90 minute walk around the section known as Old Leicester which included Leicester Castle and the Jewry Wall. However there were also other sites to see on the walk to the castle.
The Newarke Gateway was built around 1410.  It was part of a wall built around Trinity Hospital established in 1300 and the Annunciation Church. The body of Richard III was probably brought through this gateway after the Battle of Bosworth Field as it is thought that the body was on display for a time in the Annunciation Church. The Newarke Gateway is now known as the Magazine Gateway as during the Civil War it was used for storing arms and armour. It was also used as a prison for a time and during World War I it was used as a recruiting station.
The Turret Gateway on the other side of the wall led to the castle precinct.
View of the Turret Gate with the Church of St Mary de Castro in the distance.
The site of the former Collegiate Church of the Annunciation of Our Lady founded in 1355-1356.
Part of the wall of Chantry House built in 1511 by the merchant, William Wigston. It was originally built as the home of two priests who said masses for the souls of the royal family and William Wigston. By 1600 it was a domestic home.
 Chantry House and Skeffington House form Newarke Houses Museum.
Part of the wall leading from the Turret Gate to the vicinity of the castle.
A more detailed view of the wall.
View of St Mary de Castro Church from the castle motte.

Monday, August 3, 2015

Leicester - Leicester Castle

Leicester Castle was built shortly after the Normans arrived in England, probably in 1068. It would have been a motte and bailey castle. The remains of the motte still exist today in the Castle Gardens. Later the castle was rebuilt in stone.
Little remains of the castle though there are still some structures remaining.
The castle gate still exists providing clues as to what the structure would have been like.
 Our guide warned us that we would probably be underwhelmed by the castle itself.
The sections of the castle that still exist are inside the present structure on the site. The building is part of de Montford University.
John of Gaunt inherited the castle when the brother of his wife, Blanche, died. After Blanche died John of Gaunt is thought to have used Leicester Castle as a base when he visited his then mistress, Katherine, at Kettlethorpe.
Also part of the castle buildings is the Church of St Mary de Castro which was built 900 years ago.
The Castle Gardens have only recently been established though no doubt the castle would have had gardens at some time in its history.

Leicester - Richard III

25 July was a free day and tours relating to Richard III and also of parts of the old city had been organised. It was a great day.
Statue of Richard III at Leicester Cathedral
In August 2012 an excavation was undertaken in a car park near Leicester Cathedral to locate the exact location of Grey Friars friary thought to be the burial place for Richard III. The excavation was undertaken by staff from Leicester University in collaboration with the Richard III Society and Leicester City Council. The archaeological dig proved to be more than successful as during the excavation a skeleton was found which was later proved to be the skeleton of Richard III. In March 2055 the skeleton of Richard III was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral.
In the morning we visited The Richard III Visitor Centre.
This museum was opened in 2014 and has excellent displays portraying the events of Richard III's life and death as well as information about the discovery of the body and identification of the body as that of the king.
The actual grave site has been preserved and it is possible to view part of the excavation site through a glass floor.
In the afternoon we went on a guided tour of Leicester Cathedral.
Above the entrance to the cathedral are sculptures of seven figures associated with Leicester including St Guthlac, St Hugh of Lincoln, Robert Grossteste, John Wycliffe, Henry Hastings, William Chillingworth and William Magee.
The cathedral is a church dating back to Norman times. It is dedicated to a Roman soldier who converted to Christianity in the fourth century, St Martin of Tours. It is possible that there was originally a Roman temple on the site and later a Saxon church. The church was designated Leicester Cathedral in 1927.
The body of Richard III has been buried in the cathedral crypt but a monument to Richard III is now in the cathedral. It is made of stone from North Yorkshire and the coat of arms of Richard III plus the symbol of a boar are incised into the memorial. The words, Loyaulte me lie, are the motto of Richard III.
Throughout the cathedral are signs providing information about Richard III.
The embroidered pall that covered the coffin before the reinterment is also on display along with a replica of a crown.
On the east wall of the cathedral is a window dedicated to those who died during the First World War. The window was installed in 1920.
The Sanctuary was relocated in 2014 with a new stone altar and wooden cathedra (bishop's chair).
I later located the area where Richard III is believed to have crossed the river on his way to Bosworth Fields.
Bow Bridge was built in 1863 replacing the bridge that existed in medieval times.