History

Historical Memories

Christmas whist drives, advertised as having more than forty prizes, all of which were donated (Roy Turner using his charm to persuade local traders etc. To give a prize) were the main fund raising activity during the late forties & early fifties. Public response in the village resulting in the old village hall bulging at its ageing seams.

In 1955, as I recall, a golf competition was held in the recreation ground. 9 holes & fairways were cut around the ground. It was financially a great success. Villagers came in great numbers every evening during the week with the grand finale on the Saturday. As I recall it cost 1/- per round. We raised about £200 which, with a grant from the playing fields association, purchased a motor mower with a seat & roller.

On the playing field the club was very successful. Champions of the Wimborne Saturday league year after year. In the early fifties an application was made to play Sunday cricket & despite strong opposition from the local church & chapel, permission was granted by the Parish council.

Sunday cricket became, over a short period, a good class of game. Many of the top Bournemouth league giants (Throop Corinthians, Bournemouth electric, Adastral, and Richmond Park to name a few) plus the old Somerley side, Wessex Wanderes- all top class sides in those days with a scattering of minor counties players in opposition. Even with the class of opposition, Verwood reigned supreme. A collection box used to raise £4 to £5 every match.

Also during the early post war years, an evening league was held, comprising of teams from the village for a c donated by the late Mr H. S. Craven (The Craven Cup). Competition was fierce with teams like the Fuzzackers (with the local stars Brian & Geoff Hall), Dewlands (with a young Alan hall), Farrow and Ball, the Cherries, Station Road (I wonder if Gerald Froud remembers his evening behind the stumps) All these games were played on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as I recall and played on a wicker cut adjacent to the present square. It created great interest especially during the early years of its existence. Alas those days will never return.

Towards the end of the fifties the Verwood cricket club lost all its senior players and officials over a very short period of time. A few of the young members tried to keep the club going but in about 1960 or 1961 the club folded. The wicket was kept in a reasonable state by myself during the sad period of about 18 months, hoping that cricket would return to the village.

The turning point came when the Woodland C.C approached what remained of the Verwood cricket club to play evening league (Wimborne) at Verwood. The club then revived a Verwood and woodlands C.C with Mr Cottrell as chairman. In 1963 the committee decided to apply to the Bournemouth league and much to our great delight and surprise we were successful. The Bournemouth league was almost a closed shop at the time. So in 1964 we played our first game against Kennedys on Kings Park 3, being dismissed for 36. However our opponents were bowled out for 26- a famous victory. That year we were champions at the first attempt, repeating this in 1965 by winning Division Three.

A.Hall (1988)