Old Photograph of Grindleford - The Cricket Club (1950s)

This photograph of Grindlefor Cricket Club in action was taken probably in the 1950s. The bowler is George Stone, who acquired something of a reputation in the village as a demon bowler. There is a dubious story about him bowling Don Bradman^[1] when the Australian team were staying at the Maynard.^[2]

George's “day job” was working for Sam White, the tenant Goatscliffe Farm in the 1950s. George drove the little blue tractor, probably a Fordson. Sam never learned to drive himself but he used to ride behind George on the back plate, gripping the mudgards to stay upright!

I can still see him now… All the same, it's strange that I lived next door to them when I was young, but I'd never known George had played, nay, excelled at cricket. It's so nice to know something of his survived.

The Cricket Field was beside St Helen's Church, near to what is now Pinegrove Nursing Home.

(Information provided by Alan Jacques/Rosemary Lockie)

References
[1] Sir Don Bradman (Wikipedia). Don (1908-2001) and George would have been of a similar age; though there any similarity ends, as I believe George was born in Somerset.
[2] The Maynard Arms Hotel.