Abbots Leigh Cricket Club
The club was founded in the year 1890 and one of the founder members was Jim Wyatt, then a boy of 14, who remained a member of the club to very much later in his life. An early minute book, which became known in 1954 records a meeting held at the village coffee rooms in January 1894 for drawing up a set of rules. The secretary on that occasion was George Wheare.

The ground in those days was the paddock adjacent to Home Farm and this remained in use as the cricket field until 1940 when the farmer decided to plough it up. The minutes also record that in 1897 Mr and Mrs Fenton Miles of the Manor House very kindly provided the club with its first pavilion and also sent along the players teas for each home match. There is also reference various club dinners held at the George Inn, which was kept in those days by a gentleman, always referred to as ‘Host’ Hardwick.

The price of a good bat in 1897 appears to have been twelve shillings and sixpence and a match ball could be purchased for four shillings and eight pence. The team usually proceeded to away matches on foot or on bicycles and the local carrier often transported the kit for one shilling a time. Just occasionally, they hired a farm wagon or horse drawn brake for the longer journeys.

By the year 1900 Abbots Leigh Cricketers were playing some of the leading clubs in the Bristol District and in that same year an occurrence in one of their games with the Old Bristolians gave rise to correspondence in the local press and an eventual ruling from the MCC.

After a break from 1915 to 1920, the club got going again with the help of Mr W. I. Gunn, vice-chairman of the Imperial Tobacco Company. Members were scarce at first but within two years there were two eleven’s in the field each week, and the club was enjoying a most successful period which lasted for the next decade. This was largely due to the am starring efforts Bill Frampton who had taken over the secretaryship backed up by his brother Ted, Fred Wheare, George Chamberlain, and Jimmy Arrowsmith-Brown.

A slight setback occurred in 1932 when the club reverted to one eleven but things soon picked up and by 1937 a new pavilion had been bought and erected thanks largely to Mr Gunn and a newcomer to the village Mr Evitt-Armstrong. Another club personality had also arrived on the scene, Mr Harold Arrowsmith-Brown, brother of Jimmy who was to prove a very sound guardian of the club finances over the next 24 years.

An enforced break into fixtures occurred between 1940 1945. At the end of the War, the club had no ground. However, through the offices of Mr F. O. Wills, Clifton College came to the rescue with the offer of a corner in their Beggar Bush Lane playing field. This was gratefully accepted and the arrangement continued for the next two seasons whilst the club tried hard to find a more permanent home. This proved impossible at the time and in 1949, the club closed down for one season.

In the following year, Easton in Gordano Cricket Club offered to share their ground with Abbots Leigh and the club was able to get going again. This sporting gesture was commemorated by the President and Vice Presidents gift of a shield for which the two clubs competed each season.

In 1951, Mr Armstrong announced that his wife had been successful in purchasing five acres of land and Abbots Leigh for use as a playing field. This he offered a rent free to the club on the condition that they would provide the labour to put it in order and launch an appeal for £500 to purchase the field from his wife. At their annual general meeting, the club unanimously accepted the offer and the appeal was launched in the spring of the same year.

Major, Sir Egbert Cadbury had now become President of the club, and his advice and encouragement greatly assisted the secretary, Bob Wheare and the treasurer Harold Brown in their efforts to get things organised. The field like the previous ground had been ploughed up was full of loose stones and weeds and it took the members many months before they could lay a wicket, fence of the field and roll it. Clifton College again came to their aid with a loan of a large roller and other equipment and the local farmers lent their tractors.

The pavilion on the old field was dismantled, transported to the new ground and re-erected, all the work being carried out by club members under the supervision of one of their number, Cyril Thorne.

Meanwhile the ladies connected with the club were been busy organising sales of work, dances and whist drives in order to raise the necessary £500. Mrs Bishop and Mrs Nottingham led this fundraising; they eventually became so good at their job that apart from an anonymous gift of £100 the bulk of the money came from their efforts.

In 1952 the team commenced playing on the new ground and in the closing days of 1954 purchase of the field was completed. The first trustees being appointed were Sir Egbert Cadbury (the President), Mr Albert Bishop (a Patron), Mr Eric Frampton and Mr Jack Nottingham (former Captain and Vice Captain).

To mark the acquisition of the field a special match took place on the 25 May 1955 when the club entertained a visiting team consisting of prominent local players assisted by one or two county professionals.

8/12/03 Steve Livings