Grouts Cricket Team

By Shirley Waring

I am pleased to share this photograph of the Grouts cricket team. My dad, Leonard Calver was a pretty good fast bowler; he is standing 2nd in from the left hand side. He worked for Grouts c1940-1965, starting his apprenticeship straight from leaving school.  From 1943-1947 he did 4.5 years war service in the RAF as a wireless fitter and was mainly stationed in India.  After the war he resumed his electrical engineering role at Grouts. William Caddon was the chief engineer and on his retirement his role was divided, dad was appointed as the chief electrical engineer and David Steadman became chief mechanical engineer.

David Steadman and dad were good friends and cycled to work together. Both have told me this story that one morning around Easter 1941 there had been heavy bombing and dad was unable to go along his usual route down High Street where he met up with David, so he carried on to work not knowing whether David was alive or not.

David Steadman has very kindly named the Grouts cricket 11 in the photograph, back row, left to right: Norman Smith, Len Calver, Tommy Clarke, Arthur Starling, unknown, Ralph Brackenbury, Sid Smith

front row, left to right: Donnie Cattee, Albert Soards, Eddie Cockshoot, Harry Lark.

I have no memory of dad playing cricket, other than with us on the beach. However, I do clearly remember my mother knitting him a white cricket jumper.

Grouts also had tennis courts and I do remember watching my parents play tennis.

There was also a bowling green, dad and David Steadman fitted lighting and I'm reliably told that this was the first floodlit bowling green for miles around (probably the envy of other clubs).