Sporting Days in the 1920'3 Back to the Main Historical Society page
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Sporting Days in the 1920'3


from The Barwicker No.12
December 1988



When Barwickers are reminiscing about past village lite, it is not long before the subject of sport is raised. The definitive histories of the cricket and football teams must await some other time, but it is perhaps the anecdotes told about past games that best reveal the real flavour of Barwick sport. Bert Howlett was born in 1905 and, before he left these shores for Australia in 1926, he sampled most of the sports that Barwick had to offer.

Cricket began for hill in the school yard where they played with a soft ball. He remembers a boy called Syd Jackson hitting a six that landed on the Church Tower. His own cricketing career was somewhat short and undistinguished but he did his bit as scorer, occasional No. 11 batsman and keeper of the book at rules.

"Maurice Lumb (see back cover) was a bowler, but he tried to run before he could walk fast and had no control. One day at practice, he hit me fair in the mouth with a bumper and messed my teeth up. That was the end of my cricketing but I was scorer for a few years, firstly on the Leeds Rd. ground, then on to the Chequers new ground. I was scoring and we were one man short against Ledston Luck. Mr Lumb was still batting and he asked me to hold my end up. I let fly at everything, got two or three runs and was glad to get out."

"In a second team semi-final, Jack Robshaw, father of Stanley, was captain, and the opposing batsman picked up the ball and Jack called to the umpire "How's that!" The umpire had never heard that one before and came and asked me what the rule was. The rules were in the back of the score book, so I said, "According to the rules, he's out!" So, I can claim to have taken one wicket."

"Robshaws meant cricket. Stan Robshaw has a photograph of an early Barwick cricket team in which four Robshaw brothers were playing, namely his father, John, and three uncles, Ben, Tom and Victor. Uncle Ben was the best all rounder with his shuffling few steps and then over with a ball of as good a length as you could meet. Ben's son Billy was a good batsman and a slow bowler. Some batsman got out trying to knock Billy's head off."

"Dogger Walton was small but well built and a fast, opening bowler. I think today he would be suspect for throwing. He was the only player without whites so the club bought him some grey trousers. They could not afford to lose hill. Syd Plews, the assistant blacksmith, was a really good batsman."

"Mr Mark Helm, landlord of the Gascoigne and farmer, was lame in one leg and owned the field where cricket was played. Mrs. Helm, a kind lady, did the catering for guests, etc. After each cricketing season, the team would have a social dinner at the Gascoigne Arms, and I was always invited. I can still taste Mrs Helm's apple tart with cheese. The son, Master Richard, was rather spoiled with three young sisters and his father owning the cricket field. He was an average bat and bowler and worth his place in the cricket team. But Ben Robshaw cut him down to size when he saw young Dick playing tennis, when he should have been at cricket practice. Dick said that he did not need practice as he was good enough without. Ben told him "If you don't come to the practice, we will be good enough without you". That put Richard on the straight and narrow. He was O.K. after that."ยท

"Shadwell Cricket team had a good spinner called Arthur Heaton. He used to roll the ball over. It went up high and then dropped down quick. They had cows feeding in the cricket field and according to the Shadwell team, they broke the fence around the pitch and left their "clap". But really the Shadwell players picked up a cow "clap" and placed it on the spot for Arthur to turn the ball. That's what I call cricket."

"Fred Lumb helped the team financially when times were tough. Then we returned to Barwick: on our honeymoon in 1931, my wife stayed with the Lumb family and got to know all of them. Richard was her favourite. The other day she said, "Richard Lumb sti11 plays for Yorkshire". I said, "That's not your Richard Lumb. If it was, he would be the oldest player ever!"

"Another character worthy of note was Billy Markham who took a great interest in sport. He got a cast model of a cricket bat and it lasted a long time because he was No.11 batsman. He was the captain at the second team and I was the scorer. We always had a sweep, sixpence each and the winner would receive five shillings. In one match, I drew No. 11, and it was the only time he made any runs. He threw the bat at everything and connected, so I won the prize. He also organised the first two-up school. Later on he got a crown and anchor board and I was paid one penny as a look-out for coppers."

"In another gambling stunt, a few men at the corner at the Gascoigne would get two lads to run around the block at Uncle Jim 's, then to the right towards the Chapel and then down to the corner. Both had to run in opposite directions. I was picked many times. I knew I had to be at a certain spot to beat the other runner. 'The trouble was, we didn't get anything out or the kitty."

"Bill Markham was noted for his interest in young people. For instance he helped to get the tennis club going with the Kemptons. He bought a huge harmonica for me to play so the players could have dances on the court. He also aided us to get a junior football team together. I recall playing Thorner in a friendly game at Thorner. He went with us and when we saw the Thorner team we nearly fainted. They were seasoned players, but we had Rowley Lovett and two Birch boys and we managed a draw. He was an inspiration to young people."

"There was a competition between different soccer leagues and Barwick was drawn to play Burton Salmon, a team in a higher standard. It was played at Barwick, behind the church wall on Potterton Lane. It was wet and windy and there was no score ~until just before the end. Arthur Robshaw, a top runner, played centre forward. He managed to get the ball right down to the goal, fell down and pushed the ball Just over the line with his head. A goal! There was a fight, started by two women really. The water gutter ran blood.!"

"I remember Billy Robshaw playing in a soccer match and he had boils (called blains in Barwick) on both legs. When he finished the game he had pus and blood streaming down his legs. Anyhow, soccer paid, tor he and my brother Sydney both got work with Airey's building firm, because they were good players and Airey's were one of the hardest teams in the Leeds Suburbs League. Airey's Ltd. built a new style of cheap house from the Halton Junction of the tram line on the left to Leeds. They were brought to the site in concrete sections. They did not look so good, but it is what is inside that matters."

"I also recall the time when there was a nine-hole golf course, opposite Warwick Terrace. It went out or business before the first world war. We had permission to play there and we commenced with only one stick. The tennis courts, up at Chequers, were established by the efforts of the Kemptons. They were new residents who lived up the Boyle. It became a great success. Only the elite played on the courts. All we wanted was a level piece of ground, plus plenty of hard work."

HOW BERT HOWLETT GOT TO AUSTRALIA

Despite Bert's sporting and other activities, he left Barwick in 1926 for the better employment opportunities that Australia appeared to offer. (Editor).
He continues his story:

"Crossland's used to own or manage the Barleycorn in Scholes and then they retired to Barwick and 1ived in one of the houses below Armitages' house and farm yard. The houses overlooked the bottom beck and were built 4 ft. above the footpath through the Bank's fields. One daughter, Minny, married an Aussie soldier, Fred Hoady, who said that he would help any lad to get to Australia. All the bully boys reckoned they would like to go. Then, they sold up and went to Australia themselves. The only piece of furniture they took was a piano. Dennis Armitage built a case around it which helped to hold the sections together. They put in all sorts of articles to keep it firm and it only needed the lid to be put on and then one nail went right through into the piano. He painted the ship's name and address - Adelaide, South Australia. It looked really romantic to me but all the older folk said it was too risky because of their age. They proved to be right."

"One day Mr Lumb got a letter from Mrs Crossland. This said that if any young lad wished to go to Australia, they would like Mr Lumb to select the most suitable one. They wanted a lad about 18 years old, used to horses and he would get £l a week and keep. Ten shillings a week and keep yourself was the going rate in Barwick. I gave it a lot of thought. I could easily pass for 18 years and I knew about pit ponies, how to put the collar on and so forth. So I made up my mind and said to Mr Lumb "Put my name down for Australia. How many other names have you got?" He said "None and you would be the last one I expected".

"So I waited for a reply and after a few weeks I asked Mr Lumb if he had heard anything. He said "No. To tell you the truth I have not sent a reply. I thought you may change your mind." When he saw that I was determined to go, he sent the letter and later on got £40 sent tor my fare: £38 for the ship, which was called the S.S.Hobson's Bay. and £2 to get to London. etc. Mr Lumb did everything for me - went to Cook's shipping agent, got a passport etc. - and got nothing out of it."

"I had a great send-off at the Institute the night before I left. They raised some thirty shillings and said that if ever I wanted to come home they would get my fare to come back. It was a touching farewell for me. The Rev. Reg. Harvey had a Morris Cow1ey car and he drove me to Leeds to board the train to London enroute for Australia. It was 2.0 a.m. and I was very pleased when I heard the Harvey's car purring over. as it was freezing cold, with snow and ice all around."

"The money for the fare. etc. I paid back in 40 weeks - I did not ask for one penny although I could have got money if I'd have asked for it. So when I hear people say "I started with nothing.". I always say that I started owing £40."



BERT HOWLETT
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