To go back to the original query, did a certain chap play for Norton Cricket Club? then look at their archives. If they are anything like other clubs and groups in the area they will have records going back to day one with whom played where and what, the runs scored and how by each player. Those records as with many other clubs should be placed with the local history groups or libraries for future reference. I was surprised to see my Fathers name mentioned in the Norton Scout group records, it would be a good project to hunt down such records and allow them to be seen by interested parties.
Bowling is a great mixer and yes I knew and played bowls with and against Norma and the rest. I was at Elmtree, treasurer and committee member, we played in various leagues which brought us into contact with many old school friends I had not seen since. The Bill Darly’s, Eddy Norton, The Tinklers and so many more men and ladies I had not seen in years. Each club would attend the social events of the others so we did attend the Norton club. There were also round robin days when we would be playing mixed rinks so there was also the intermix, plus the socialising although we all played to win we remained friends. The same could not be said of those early cricket years. If a so called lower class team took out a top team we had somehow cheated, it was not cricket old chap. I stuck with the school and green lads, we knew our place.
When Frank Mee talks about the members being the Gentlemen of Norton reminds me of my youth. A team mate of mine for the Richard Hind who also was a Town player won a cricket scholarship and joined the Norton Club. To keep him company I joined the Norton Cricket Club. During practice one of these ‘toffs’ went upto my friend and stated sarcasticly, “You don’t think you will be in the team do you” – My friend gave him one big punch in the face. Consequently he was dismissed from the Club.
The new club is used by all the sections under the Norton C.C.T. banner for their functions (ie cricket, football, bowls, Stockton Rugby Club & others). The hall can be booked for private functions. If you were a member of the bowls club you would have known some of the clubs top players Norma & Dennis Shaw, Dennis Baker & Jeff Allen.
Strange though it may seem in today’s modern thinking there were three distinct types of cricket played in Norton. The Gentlemen of Norton cricket club, lawyers doctors, business men which did not include tradesmen. Then we had the Tykes who played at the top field of the show-field off Crooksbarn road. ICI, and others from the area. Then we had the school boy teams, the Green boys who often played for the schools and anyone who could get together a set of stumps a bat and a ball. We had as much chance of getting a game at the cricket club as a snowball in a hot oven. If and it is a big if as I never saw anyone do it, they were absolutely brilliant at the game they may just get a trial then came the hammer blow, you provided all your own gear which was beyond most of us lads and our families. It was the class system as we all knew it, it has not gone away although much diluted these days. I had some good nights in the Norton Cricket club much later in life when I took up Bowls and we went to the Norton Bowling Club events, they shared the club with the cricketers. It was of course the new building I never got to set foot in the old Pavilion ever, nor did most of us lads. In later years such clubs had to allow more people in and standards lowered as the old lads who had run the clubs vanished. I did play on some strange pitches in the army but even then the first three would be Officers and us rough lads would only get to bat when the game was going down the pan. Not unusual for the times back then, it was the way of things.
My father, Ken Sheraton, besides being a regular of the "Social Section" of the Cricket Club for the majority of his lifetime, told me of days when he helped out on the scoreboard here. I believe he played a little here too. (And not just on Norton Creen as a lad.) I have a vague teenage memory of ‘making the teas’ at Norton Cricket Club, during a match. That would have been in the 1970s. Would this pavillion have been the same one at that time, or the "new", brick one?
Harold Stephenson attended Mill Lane School – at that time with various sections as they went through to secondary age pre the 1944 Education Act. Like many others Stivvie joined Stockton Cricket Club on a scholarship. Schools were invited to send promising boys up to the nets on 3 nights. A selection group watched them carefully and any numbers of boys, say from 2 to 7 as there was no fixed number, were offered free junior membership for 3 years. In “Durham CCC, Past, Present and Future” by Jack Bannister and David Graveney and page 114 we read: 1945 – Also featuring in the averages was Harold Stephenson, who played for Stockton but was handicapped by having to play secondfiddle for club and county to the brilliant Arthur Austin.” In 1946 he headed Durham”s batting averages “but his talents, together with those of Spooner, Townsend and Robertson, had attracted the notice of Somerset, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.”
Today”s Guardian (29th April)carries an obituary of Harold Stephenson, aged 87, “one of the finest wicketkeepers to play for Somerset” and “former sheet metal worker who never lost his County Durham vowels”. Does not give his place of birth. I don”t think it was within Stockton itself. Billingham or Haverton Hill?
D.C.H Townsend was my boss when I worked at Archer Parkin and Townsend, Solicitors up till 1965. He was an irrascible, yet likeable person. Another person, Brian Armstrong who was connected with the Norton Cricket club also worked there.
I have been looking at this photo for quite a while now and I don”t think that it is the one used straight after the 2nd WW. I think that it was larger than this, with more steps upto the changing room and much more seating. When looking at the enlarged copy the roof is visible and there is no Dormer type window there.
Although not shown on the photo there was a Dormer Window in the roof where the scorers were. They would shout the number of runs made to the boys on the scoreboard and keep them up to date with the score. In those days it was said that DCH Townsend hit the longest 6 ever.Hitting it over the railings onto a passing goods train and finishing up in Hartlepool. – Another professional who played for Norton before joining the County League was a man called Muncer (His name was either Les or Ted). His brother was the Groundsman at Norton. He played for Somerset probably at the same time as Spooner for Warwickshire. Remembering the Hockey played on the field, my Doctor, Dr. Willmot was a member and played for the Norton Team.
Tom Birtle is my uncle, and yes he did play for Northants. I saw him recently at the funeral of the much missed Tony Thomas, a man who lived and breathed Norton Cricket Club.
As Ken said – I was never the brainiest but I did have my favourite subjects which I was very good at. The trouble with me was that I was an outdoor person and enjoyed my sport. I was a goalie in those days but never good enough to play in the school team. There was a Geoff Moody who could not be replaced. I did manage one game though. With cricket I did go up to Grosvenor Road to the practices when players like John Rosser, Gus Williamson, Ken Grieg and a bowler called Titterington played. Again only represented the team on 2 occasions. Fancy remembering from nearly 60 years ago. Mind you, you were my Form Master when I 1st attended Richard Hind. You must have had a system of picking out people and remembering them because such a lot of boys must have past through your teaching years.
Glad I was able to identify the old clubhouse and bring back memories to so many of you! I remember Colin Atkinson very well. I spent a couple of weekends with Colin and Shirley when they moved to Millfield together with my father Jack Jemison who also played some cricket, but mainly hockey at Norton. As a child, I spent many a happy hour playing on the steps of the clubhouse!
Tom Birtles I recall now. Yet, it seems from a Durham County C C history, that he never played for Durham. The catalogue of names from Bob Irwin is fascinating. All very good cricketers. Well remembered Bob as I recall you having an occasional problem in remembering one or two things at Richard Hind! Bob”s reminiscence about turning up early to try to work the scoreboard is a reminder of how one grew into involvement in the game in those days. I had done the same at Stockton years before – or getting the job of selling scorecards!
I was going to mention Tom Birtle as one of the missing players who went into County Cricket, but I thought it was Northants he went to play for. Other players from that era were Fred Harker, Craig Williamson(uncle to Gus), Harry Thompson(who always opened the batting with Dickie Spooner)Basil McQuillan, Edgar Manners,George Malloy, Norman(Duck) Kelly, ? Bell. You”ve got us all going now Ken remembering all those names. I can remember turning up early at the home matches and trying to be the first to work the scoreboard. Getting all the number plates from the pavilion. You got a free tea at the interval for doing this job.
3 additional names of high standard Norton cricketers have come to mind. Colin Atkinson was playing in the mid-fifties and perhaps up to 1960. He played 8 times for Durham (then a Minor County) in 1959 and headed the batting averages. His teaching career took him to the famous Milfield School in Somerset and initially he played for the county in holidays. Then he became Somerset captain for a few years. Back to full time teaching he later became Head of the school. Ken Williamson was another attractive batsman and useful bowler. He also played for Durham for several seasons. Jackie Fox was a neat and tidy wicketkeeper and he went on to succeed Dick Spooner at Warwickshire in 1959. He played 43 games for them before returning home. Then he played for Durham again as well as at Norton. So that Norton pavilion had some excellent cricketers through its doors. Probably true of hockey players too.
I forgot about Gordon “Gus” Williamson who went on from Norton C C to play for Northamptonshire, opening the bowling with Frank Tyson. He attended Richard Hind School. Very tall and I thought that he was a better spin bowler than fast. A very useful batsman too. At school he opened the bowling with another tall team member, surname of Smith but whose Christian name I have forgotten at the moment. On matting wickets at Grosvenor Road they were formidable!
Norman is referring to David C H Townsend, a classical batsman of the highest quality. He toured the West Indies with the MCC (as the England teams were known on tour)in 1932-33, I think. Had big innings for Oxford University for 3 seasons. Did not continue in 1st class county cricket as his father “required” him to join the family law practice – Archer, Parkin and Townsend. He wrote the first ever MCC Book of cricket coaching – a high quality book. Yet curiously father – C L Townsend – was a well known player for Gloucestershire at the time of WG Grace. Norton at that time had many very good players. R (Dick) T Spooner and Alan Townsend went on to play for Warwickshire for years. M M Walford played on occasions when not playing for Somerset. He taught at Sherborne School – David Shepherd (England test batsman and later Bishop of Liverpool) being a pupil coached by him. Artful spin bowler Jim Grigor was another class player of the post WW2 period. Countless others. David Townsend was a leader in the development of the ground and the many additional sports faciliies there.
Yes I think this is the old Noton Cricket Pavillion.I remember going to see Townend who was one of the top batsman of the day play for this team. Just after the 39-45 war the Cricket Club invited my father to become a Vice President for the club I pressume to raise money to keep going. It is pleasing to note the progress made in the facilities and the extension of the club by purchasing the extra field at the top of Grantham Road it is all a great asset for the club.
It certainly is/was the pavilion used by Norton Cricket Club in the 1940″s and 50″s when I knew it and played there with Stockton CC at various age levels.
To go back to the original query, did a certain chap play for Norton Cricket Club? then look at their archives. If they are anything like other clubs and groups in the area they will have records going back to day one with whom played where and what, the runs scored and how by each player. Those records as with many other clubs should be placed with the local history groups or libraries for future reference. I was surprised to see my Fathers name mentioned in the Norton Scout group records, it would be a good project to hunt down such records and allow them to be seen by interested parties.
Bowling is a great mixer and yes I knew and played bowls with and against Norma and the rest. I was at Elmtree, treasurer and committee member, we played in various leagues which brought us into contact with many old school friends I had not seen since. The Bill Darly’s, Eddy Norton, The Tinklers and so many more men and ladies I had not seen in years. Each club would attend the social events of the others so we did attend the Norton club. There were also round robin days when we would be playing mixed rinks so there was also the intermix, plus the socialising although we all played to win we remained friends. The same could not be said of those early cricket years. If a so called lower class team took out a top team we had somehow cheated, it was not cricket old chap. I stuck with the school and green lads, we knew our place.
When Frank Mee talks about the members being the Gentlemen of Norton reminds me of my youth. A team mate of mine for the Richard Hind who also was a Town player won a cricket scholarship and joined the Norton Club. To keep him company I joined the Norton Cricket Club. During practice one of these ‘toffs’ went upto my friend and stated sarcasticly, “You don’t think you will be in the team do you” – My friend gave him one big punch in the face. Consequently he was dismissed from the Club.
The new club is used by all the sections under the Norton C.C.T. banner for their functions (ie cricket, football, bowls, Stockton Rugby Club & others). The hall can be booked for private functions. If you were a member of the bowls club you would have known some of the clubs top players Norma & Dennis Shaw, Dennis Baker & Jeff Allen.
Strange though it may seem in today’s modern thinking there were three distinct types of cricket played in Norton. The Gentlemen of Norton cricket club, lawyers doctors, business men which did not include tradesmen. Then we had the Tykes who played at the top field of the show-field off Crooksbarn road. ICI, and others from the area. Then we had the school boy teams, the Green boys who often played for the schools and anyone who could get together a set of stumps a bat and a ball. We had as much chance of getting a game at the cricket club as a snowball in a hot oven. If and it is a big if as I never saw anyone do it, they were absolutely brilliant at the game they may just get a trial then came the hammer blow, you provided all your own gear which was beyond most of us lads and our families. It was the class system as we all knew it, it has not gone away although much diluted these days. I had some good nights in the Norton Cricket club much later in life when I took up Bowls and we went to the Norton Bowling Club events, they shared the club with the cricketers. It was of course the new building I never got to set foot in the old Pavilion ever, nor did most of us lads. In later years such clubs had to allow more people in and standards lowered as the old lads who had run the clubs vanished. I did play on some strange pitches in the army but even then the first three would be Officers and us rough lads would only get to bat when the game was going down the pan. Not unusual for the times back then, it was the way of things.
Others replaced this one even before the brick one.
My father, Ken Sheraton, besides being a regular of the "Social Section" of the Cricket Club for the majority of his lifetime, told me of days when he helped out on the scoreboard here. I believe he played a little here too. (And not just on Norton Creen as a lad.) I have a vague teenage memory of ‘making the teas’ at Norton Cricket Club, during a match. That would have been in the 1970s. Would this pavillion have been the same one at that time, or the "new", brick one?
Harold Stephenson attended Mill Lane School – at that time with various sections as they went through to secondary age pre the 1944 Education Act. Like many others Stivvie joined Stockton Cricket Club on a scholarship. Schools were invited to send promising boys up to the nets on 3 nights. A selection group watched them carefully and any numbers of boys, say from 2 to 7 as there was no fixed number, were offered free junior membership for 3 years. In “Durham CCC, Past, Present and Future” by Jack Bannister and David Graveney and page 114 we read: 1945 – Also featuring in the averages was Harold Stephenson, who played for Stockton but was handicapped by having to play secondfiddle for club and county to the brilliant Arthur Austin.” In 1946 he headed Durham”s batting averages “but his talents, together with those of Spooner, Townsend and Robertson, had attracted the notice of Somerset, Warwickshire and Northamptonshire.”
Today”s Guardian (29th April)carries an obituary of Harold Stephenson, aged 87, “one of the finest wicketkeepers to play for Somerset” and “former sheet metal worker who never lost his County Durham vowels”. Does not give his place of birth. I don”t think it was within Stockton itself. Billingham or Haverton Hill?
D.C.H Townsend was my boss when I worked at Archer Parkin and Townsend, Solicitors up till 1965. He was an irrascible, yet likeable person. Another person, Brian Armstrong who was connected with the Norton Cricket club also worked there.
I agree with Bob Irwin, Norton cricket pavilion was much bigger than this,the one shown must have been before the 1930s.
I have been looking at this photo for quite a while now and I don”t think that it is the one used straight after the 2nd WW. I think that it was larger than this, with more steps upto the changing room and much more seating. When looking at the enlarged copy the roof is visible and there is no Dormer type window there.
Although not shown on the photo there was a Dormer Window in the roof where the scorers were. They would shout the number of runs made to the boys on the scoreboard and keep them up to date with the score. In those days it was said that DCH Townsend hit the longest 6 ever.Hitting it over the railings onto a passing goods train and finishing up in Hartlepool. – Another professional who played for Norton before joining the County League was a man called Muncer (His name was either Les or Ted). His brother was the Groundsman at Norton. He played for Somerset probably at the same time as Spooner for Warwickshire. Remembering the Hockey played on the field, my Doctor, Dr. Willmot was a member and played for the Norton Team.
Tom Birtle is my uncle, and yes he did play for Northants. I saw him recently at the funeral of the much missed Tony Thomas, a man who lived and breathed Norton Cricket Club.
As Ken said – I was never the brainiest but I did have my favourite subjects which I was very good at. The trouble with me was that I was an outdoor person and enjoyed my sport. I was a goalie in those days but never good enough to play in the school team. There was a Geoff Moody who could not be replaced. I did manage one game though. With cricket I did go up to Grosvenor Road to the practices when players like John Rosser, Gus Williamson, Ken Grieg and a bowler called Titterington played. Again only represented the team on 2 occasions. Fancy remembering from nearly 60 years ago. Mind you, you were my Form Master when I 1st attended Richard Hind. You must have had a system of picking out people and remembering them because such a lot of boys must have past through your teaching years.
Glad I was able to identify the old clubhouse and bring back memories to so many of you! I remember Colin Atkinson very well. I spent a couple of weekends with Colin and Shirley when they moved to Millfield together with my father Jack Jemison who also played some cricket, but mainly hockey at Norton. As a child, I spent many a happy hour playing on the steps of the clubhouse!
Tom Birtles I recall now. Yet, it seems from a Durham County C C history, that he never played for Durham. The catalogue of names from Bob Irwin is fascinating. All very good cricketers. Well remembered Bob as I recall you having an occasional problem in remembering one or two things at Richard Hind! Bob”s reminiscence about turning up early to try to work the scoreboard is a reminder of how one grew into involvement in the game in those days. I had done the same at Stockton years before – or getting the job of selling scorecards!
I was going to mention Tom Birtle as one of the missing players who went into County Cricket, but I thought it was Northants he went to play for. Other players from that era were Fred Harker, Craig Williamson(uncle to Gus), Harry Thompson(who always opened the batting with Dickie Spooner)Basil McQuillan, Edgar Manners,George Malloy, Norman(Duck) Kelly, ? Bell. You”ve got us all going now Ken remembering all those names. I can remember turning up early at the home matches and trying to be the first to work the scoreboard. Getting all the number plates from the pavilion. You got a free tea at the interval for doing this job.
Ken hasn”t mentioned Tommy Birtles a fast bowler who went to play for Notts,at that time Notts had a feather bed wicket which was no good for Tommy.
3 additional names of high standard Norton cricketers have come to mind. Colin Atkinson was playing in the mid-fifties and perhaps up to 1960. He played 8 times for Durham (then a Minor County) in 1959 and headed the batting averages. His teaching career took him to the famous Milfield School in Somerset and initially he played for the county in holidays. Then he became Somerset captain for a few years. Back to full time teaching he later became Head of the school. Ken Williamson was another attractive batsman and useful bowler. He also played for Durham for several seasons. Jackie Fox was a neat and tidy wicketkeeper and he went on to succeed Dick Spooner at Warwickshire in 1959. He played 43 games for them before returning home. Then he played for Durham again as well as at Norton. So that Norton pavilion had some excellent cricketers through its doors. Probably true of hockey players too.
I forgot about Gordon “Gus” Williamson who went on from Norton C C to play for Northamptonshire, opening the bowling with Frank Tyson. He attended Richard Hind School. Very tall and I thought that he was a better spin bowler than fast. A very useful batsman too. At school he opened the bowling with another tall team member, surname of Smith but whose Christian name I have forgotten at the moment. On matting wickets at Grosvenor Road they were formidable!
Norman is referring to David C H Townsend, a classical batsman of the highest quality. He toured the West Indies with the MCC (as the England teams were known on tour)in 1932-33, I think. Had big innings for Oxford University for 3 seasons. Did not continue in 1st class county cricket as his father “required” him to join the family law practice – Archer, Parkin and Townsend. He wrote the first ever MCC Book of cricket coaching – a high quality book. Yet curiously father – C L Townsend – was a well known player for Gloucestershire at the time of WG Grace. Norton at that time had many very good players. R (Dick) T Spooner and Alan Townsend went on to play for Warwickshire for years. M M Walford played on occasions when not playing for Somerset. He taught at Sherborne School – David Shepherd (England test batsman and later Bishop of Liverpool) being a pupil coached by him. Artful spin bowler Jim Grigor was another class player of the post WW2 period. Countless others. David Townsend was a leader in the development of the ground and the many additional sports faciliies there.
Yes I think this is the old Noton Cricket Pavillion.I remember going to see Townend who was one of the top batsman of the day play for this team. Just after the 39-45 war the Cricket Club invited my father to become a Vice President for the club I pressume to raise money to keep going. It is pleasing to note the progress made in the facilities and the extension of the club by purchasing the extra field at the top of Grantham Road it is all a great asset for the club.
It certainly is/was the pavilion used by Norton Cricket Club in the 1940″s and 50″s when I knew it and played there with Stockton CC at various age levels.
Is this possibly the old clubhouse at Norton Hockey Club. Cricket was played here also.