With acknowledgements to Michael & Barbara Kingham from their book 'The History of Chalgrave Sports Club'. The book was written in 1992 and therefore the difference in dates should be borne in mind.

Early Recollections
The 1920's and 1930's
Chalgrave Sports Club
Club Badge
Ground & Pavilion Improvements
Pavilions

Early Recollections

Cricket was played at Tebworth as early as 1910 although there was not a Cricket Club as such. Walter Kingham, now in his 96th year, recalls how they used to play on the field in Chalgrave Rpad next to the Vicarage. In those days it was not a weekly event, maybe just 5 or 6 games during the summer months.

The teams were mainly from the Luton hat factories and used to arrive by horse and waggon. The village side were not in the position of owning their own kit and relied on the generosity of their opponents to share theirs. There was no break for tea, the game was played through to the finish when everyone would go round to The Queen's Head for food and drink. These games were arranged by a Mr George Smart who worked in the hat trade in Luton. They continued until the start of the first World War in 1914.

After the first war the village received a small grant from what was called the Canteen Fund or NAAFI Fund (Navy. Army and Air Force Institution) and this was used to purchase the first cricket kit.

November 1992

The 1920's and 1930's

After the end of the first war, the Cricket Club was formed. Money was very hard to come by, but was started with the small grant they managed to buy the basic equipment. Billy Harris who had returned from Africa was very generous and never saw the Club go short of bats and balls. A ball had to last several matches and they had to take special care of their TWO BATS!

The scores in the matches then were quite low. A team score of 50 would generally win the game. Under arm bowling was still being used and Jimmy Whinnett and Fred Bird were champions at this. In one match Jimmy took 5 wickets for 2 runs and Fred took 5 wickets for 7 runs, the opposition being all out for 12 runs.

Some of the players were Charlie Bradshaw, Sid Groves, Wally harris and Charlie Currington. Wally owned a baker's shop in Hockliffe and would often leave the field early to go and set the sponge - part of bread making we're told and nothing to do with cakes! Charlie Currington was the village greengrocer and also had a delivery round at Dunstable. At home matches he came straight to the ground, leaving his horse and cart outside to do a spot of umpiring.

Leonard Kingham was Secretary and Scorer for the Club right up to the start of the second world war when the Club was disbanded. He did a lot to keep the club going although he never played. He left that honour to his brother Walter. He lived in a cottage opposite the ground and he teams were usually picked there. The row of cottages were later demolished and the bungalow known as Berehul built on the site.

From the picture there are only two surviving members (1993). They are Walter Kingham and Ron Wing. Walter Kingham the oldest surviving member started playing for a Chalgrave team in 1910 when he was 14 years old.

He stopped playing for Chalgrave about 1936 when he moved to Luton where he played for a local side. He was Captain of Chalgrave for a number of years and had a reputation of being very astute and skilful as Captain and was well liked and looked up to by his team. He was a canny slow right arm bowler who took many wickets. He won many bowling honours over the years. On two occasions he was presented with cricket balls as trophies byb a member of Middlesex Cricket Club who attended the Mid Beds League ceremony held at Barton. Unfortunately, these cricket balls were never mounted, they were given to nephew Michael who used them in the first schoolboy matches played against Bidwell, Houghton Regis and Milton Bryan between 1944-45.

Ron Wing now in his 86th year started playing for Chalgrave in the 1926 season when he was 19 years of age. He retired in 1953. He was a loyal club member and served on the committee for most of these years. He was elected Captain of the Club in 1946 when the Club was reformed after the war. Along with Alec Ludgate he was the main strength of the team. He was noted for his big hitting and hit many sixes. He remembers that his highest score was 70 or 80 against Pulloxhill. His best bowling was against Stanbridge and Tilsworth when they were bowled out for 18, Ron take 8 wickets for 8 runs. He said he wasn't very popular with the opposing batsmen that day. He loved his cricket and says there was a very good team spirit in those days.

The Club was renamed sometime between 1924-28. They were runners up in the League in 1924 and were called Wingfield CC but when they won the League in 1928 it was Chalgrave CC. They were runners up again in 1931. This information comes from medals in our possession which were won by Jimmy Whinnett. The Club may well have won other awards but we have no record of these.

Chalgrave Sports Club

You may wonder why Chalgrave Sports Club and not Chalgrave Cricket Club. Well, after the first world war Chalgrave had a football as well as a cricket team. They also provided a tennis court. The field known as The Park, owned by a Mr Marlow catered for the football and tennis. The field lies between the council houses and the new housing development known as Woodlands. The football and cricket were run by the same committee which also had to finance both.

In the 1950s most of (The Boys) as the younger players were known played both sports. The football team colours were black and amber shirts with black shorts, and the team played in the Dunstable and District League.

In 1953, to be a Club member cost 3 shillings for cricket, the same for football and five shillings to be a non-playing member. Taxi fares for all away matches were 2/6d a head.

Club Badge

In 1968 the Clulb decided they would like new cricket caps. navy being the chosen colour. Not having a club badge to put on the front, Trevor Wood one of the players, was asked if he would design one. Trevor was a qualified Commercial Artist. The design chosen was taken from an original painting in the Parish Church.

Eventually we had badges for both caps and blazers at a cost of seven shillings for cap and ten shillings and six pence for the blazer badges. It was a very smart team which took the field in the 1970 season. In 1976 Trevor Wood was asked to be our first honorary member.

Ground & Pavilion Improvement

Chalgrave Sports Club was reformed in 1946 after the end of the war. Mr Frank Bird, uncle of Colin and Trevor Rose, owned the field known as the Green, Wingfield. He gave permission for cricket to be played there on any day except THE SABBATH.

The field was then much longer and stretched as far as The Plough Inn. In 1947 we were allowed to fence off a strip for the pitch during the playing season. The cows still had the run of the rest of the field, so, on Saturday mornings we not only had the pitch to mark out but also remove as many cow pats as possible! During the game, the cows were driven to the far end of the field and at teatime someone kept watch to keep them off the pitch.

In 1949 we prepared a playing surface and Mr Bird allowed us to put up an electric fence all the year round, the cows of course still having the run of the rest of the field.
The ground played on today, which is comparatively flat, was in quite a different state about 40 years ago. There was a pond to the left of the main gate, a large blackberry knoll right in line with the bowler’s arm and the whole ground represented a giant switch-back. This is no exaggeration. There were also large thistles and hawthorn bushes dotted around.

In about 1956 when Tythe Farm Estate was being built at Houghton Regis, Mr Bird had the chance of loads of soil and the big job of levelling the field and in-fill of the pond began. The job took about 3 years to complete, in which time all matches were played away from home.

In 1961, Mick Kingham and Trevor Rose had an agreement with Mr Bird and a fence was put right across the field where it is today. From that time onwards the ground has been rented on a yearly basis. In 1961 the rent was £7.00. In 1966 £10.00. By 1969 it has risen to £12.10s and in 1976 reached £25.00. Out of season when the grass became long Mr. Bird could never resist letting his cows back for a good feed.

Some time between 1969 and 1976 the ground became the property of Mr Frank Rose, father of Colin and Trevor. It is still owned by the Rose family and the rent is still £25.00. Naturally over the years work has had to be done on a regular basis. We had more loads of soil, this time from Toddington to complete the levelling. The pitch area was drained and the blackberry knoll cleared. In 1977 the bushes were cut back about 10ft and the extra ground reseeded. We have also had Malcolm Skevington rolling the pitch with his A36 Avaling Diesel Roller.

Over many years the late Ted Tansley who lived at College Farm, Chalgrave (now Old Barn Nurseries) used to load the Club his tractor for both rolling and cutting the outfield. Today we rely greatly on the generosity of Bernard Wilcock.

Pavilions

The First Pavilion 1952

In March 1952, the committee decided that some sort of shelter was needed at the Cricket Ground. Mr Frank Rose said he could purchase a HEN HOUSE for £10 which he thought would serve the purpose. In May 1952 the first (Pavilion?) was erected at Wingfield. It stood in the corner almost where the pavilion stands today. The two men in the photo (to be added later!) are John Perry on the left and Fred Bird Junior on the right. John played for the Club and lived at the farm where Bernard Wilcock now lives.

John became Chairman of the Club in 1955 and continued in the capacity until March 1962. He was also Treasurer for a number of years and represented the Club on the Village Hall Committee.

This photograph was sent to Michael Kingham during his National Service in Egypt so is well travelled.

The Second Pavilion 1969-1980

A 20ft long hut acquired from Hockliffe Football Club in 1969 became the second pavilion. It was sited to the left of the main entrance to the ground and used solely as changing rooms. In October 1976, some 7 years later, another hut was acquired, this time from Eggington Cricket Club. This hut was sited in the far corner of the field and was to become the first tea rooms.

It was a sad sight that met us on the morning of 1st January 1977. After a terrible storm which raged throughout New Year's Eve, both huts were smashed to pieces.

Rebuilding and Improvement Work

The first four months of 1977 were very busy. The two huts were rebuilt and both sited in the far corner of the ground, where they still stand today. The Hockliffe hut became the changing rooms once again but this time with improvements. At last we would also be able to serve teas at the ground for the first time and for once, things seemed to be looking up.

On the following pages you will see how team work brought results. It was a glorious sunny day at the beginning of May; the wives and girl friends set to, painting the tea-rooms, the benches and the tables. The men cut down hedges and worked on the pitch. A real family day! We all worked very hard but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Now Chalgrave Sports Club was ready to face the new season.

The Third Pavilion

Acquired by Terry Althorpe who lived at The Paddocks in Wingfield

Terry, a local businessman, played cricket for Chalgrave on a number of occasions. In 1977 he gave the Club 3 or 4 pre-fabricated sections which he thought could be joined to make a decent pavilion. The sections stood for over 2 years with no work being done at all and rapidly deteriorated. Planning permission was finally granted on 23rd May 1979 and was to be completed by September 1984.

We were lucky in that help was offered from many sources, but the man who really got the ball rolling for us was Larry Radford. Larry was a builder by profession, so had all the equipment needed to do the heavy work. He laid the cement base and with extra manpower moved the sections into position. Club members and friends then set to work and what a task lay ahead of them! There were lots of places to patch and lots of work to even make it look like a possible new pavilion. Everyone persevered and it began to take shape. It was a great day when at last we were able to start on the painting, both inside and out. Then tables, chairs, a cooker, sink unit, toilet fittings began to arrive from all over the place. The total cost was over £2,800 but we could never have reached our goal without all the hours, freely given, by everyone involved in this effort. The pavilion was completed in 1980 but repairs are on ongoing situation.

Have a flat roof the pavilion leaked on a number of occasions. Help was at hand again when Geoff Wilcock carried out the work of putting a slanting roof over the existing one, thus giving double the protection against the elements. Even so, this roof was torn off in the high winds of 1989. More repairs to be done - and more expense.

...to be continued....