Tag: cricket

April 3rd – Up near Wall, the old cricket pitch was ploughed up a few years ago now by the farmer who owned it, leaving the portakabin pavilion – which must have cost a few bob to install – marooned. 

It’s so sad to see the cricket pitch gone; many a Sunday or Saturday afternoon as a young man I’d pass here with a game in full swing and sit and watch with maybe a beer on the go.

Remarkably, the in and out field are now supporting a healthy, blooming crop of oilseed rape, which seems a wee bit early for me – but it is beautiful.

Three years ago this weekend I found a car still abandoned in deep snow not half a mile from here. How the seasons in this country vary.

June 7th – I also called at the Church of St John, MArchington Woodlands, at a place called Woodroffes. It’s a gorgeous church clinging to a hillside in the middle of nowhere. It overlooks the Dove Valley and is the most beautiful, peaceful spot. 

The meadows were dappled yellow with buttercups, the church was bright in the sunlight, and a distant cricket pitch dozed in the warm afternoon.

It doesn’t get much more English than this.

December 22nd – That dreaded time when you have to do Christmas shopping. Taking a run up to Lichfield through the quiet lanes of Stonnall and Wall, I stopped at the hilltop overlooking Lichfield to catch my breath before entering the madness that is Lichfield at Christmas. I noticed Wall village cricket ground looking sad, forlorn and idle; hopefully, now the shortest day has passed it won’t be long until this field sees the white-clad lads out to defend their honour…

June 18th – Village cricket is so much more thrilling than the professional game, there’s so much more at stake. Here at Wall, near Lichfield, sporting chaps in their whites were not deterred by the rain showers and battled for honour in the overcast afternoon, no doubt looking forward to a pint at the local afterwards. 

In a coincidental nod to Roy Harper, notice the dog in the outfield…