Tag Archives: demon bowler

Richard lawry: Free Time, Cricket 1960s

Several locals played for West Wight – George Kelsey, Fred Cheverton and Chris Cheverton, Ted Lawry, Ted Crooks, Denny Stretton, Stuart Holloway, and before I left to become a Police Cadet in 1963, I joined Dad, (Ted Lawry) so there were two generations of Chevertons and two generations of Lawrys playing.

In the early days when Dad was playing, my mum used to push my sister in her pram with me walking, along the railway line to watch Dad play at Stroud. If we were lucky, there were wild strawberries growing along the railway line to make the walk more tasty.

I remember being told that Dad, who was a ‘Demon Bowler,’ took a lot of wickets at Calbourne in one match. Dad was working in the High Street on the following Monday, and Bill Brett, a staunch Calbourne player and member of a cricketing family, was working in South Street. Dad couldn’t resist the chance to celebrate  West Wight’s victory so he made a giant sized bat and sent his apprentice round to deliver it to Bill Brett, with the message that Calbourne might like to use it in the next match.
Richard Lawry b 1947