The Twelfth Man 2014

! 21 A %good%friend%of%mine,%retired%school%teacher,% Donald%William%Hillkirk%died%last%summer%and%shortly% afterwards%his%wife%Brenda,%a%retired%Games% Mistress,%contacted%me,%telling%me%she%wished%to% donate%his%book%collection%to%'The%Wombwell'.%Don,%I% should%add,%in%addition%to%his%teaching%life,%was%a% great%book%lover%and%as%a%sideline%was%proprietor%of% Bookworms%Paradise,%a%small%antiquarian%shop%on% Race%Common%Road%in%Barnsley.% % While%active%in%the%shop%one%Saturday,%Don's% beautiful%wife%called%in%and%I%instantly%realised%why% Don%had%fallen%in%love%when%young%Brenda%had%first% arrived%at%the%school%where%Don%was%teaching% Maths.%He%told%me%that%the%young%lady,%dressed%in% shorts,%going%up%a%flight%of%stairs%was%“the%girl%I%am% going%to%marry”:%and%so%it%was.%I%have%to%confess%that% talking%to%Brenda%the%mention%of%playing%Badminton% for%Royston%revived%memories%of%playing.%I%dug%out% my%racquet%and%shorts%within%weeks%and%was% partnering%Brenda%in%mixed%doubles%(although%I%was% the%one%'at%the%net')%in%the%Barnsley%League. % I%would%often%join%Don%at%Oakwell.%The%last%match% Don%and%I%attended%was%a%cup%tie%in%Lancashire% (Burnley%1%Liverpool%0)%with%me%supplying%the%tickets% and%Don%driving;%we%had%a%really%happy%day%(and% night).%I%know%Don%held%a%Barnsley%season%ticket%all% his%life,%although%I%would%often%see%him%at%Yorkshire% matches%too. % I%was%at%a%car%boot%sale%in%May%when%I%came%upon%a% man%arguing%with%the%dealer%about%a%pile%of%tatty% postcards.%I%spotted%an%envelope%of%Barnsley% 'treasure',%a%1948%signing%form%of%Gavin%Smith,%his% players%cards%and%other%oddments.%I%told%the%dealer% and%customer,%"I'll%pay%the%£10,%let%him%have%the% postcards%and%I'll%take%the%envelope".%As%soon%as%I% got%home,%I%phoned%Don%to%ask%'Have%you%ever%heard% of%a%player%called%Gavin%Smith?’%Of%course%he%had.%I% offered%to%drive%over%and%show%him%all%my%purchases% Laughing,%he%told%me%'You%always%used%to%love% playing%with%my%wife,%didn’t%you?.%Is%this%an%excuse% to%see%her%again?"%Brenda%then%came%on%the%phone,% telling%me%not%to%visit%for%Don%is%very%ill.%Instead,%I% posted%them%to%his%home.%Brenda%phoned%later%to% telling%me%he%was%now%in%a%hospice,%but%had%been% thrilled%to%see%my%'junk'.%He%died%on%8th%June.% % A gift to Wombwell Cricket Lovers’ Society Words by Norman Hazell WOMBWELL CRICKET LOVERS COACHING CLASSES – AWARDS WINNERS 2014 DEREK MOXON MEMORIAL TROPHY Winner: EVA DOWKES Runner up: MATTHEW BLACKMAN BRIAN JOHNSTON MEMORIAL TROPHY Winner: CHARLIE BAKER Runner up: EVAN RICHARDS ERIC SYKES MEMORIAL AWARD Winner: JAKE HARDCASTLE Runner up: OLIVER DEPLEDGE JOHN ARLOTT MEMORIAL AWARD Winner: ADAM PEARSON Runner up: JACK RILEY JACK SOKELL MEMORIAL AWARD Winner: TAYLOR SWIFT COLLEEN MORLEY AWARD Winner: KADE FLETCHER DICKIE BIRD AWARD Winner: DECLAN DOWKES The Society’s grateful thanks to all the youngsters for participating at the 2013 nets, supportive parents and of course all of the WCLS coaching team, detailed below: John Ambler Andy Bennett Darren Crossland Rob Hulley Brian Marsh Brian Workman (Coaching coordinator) Guest coach: Richard Wilkinson