Published: 18/09/2008 00:00 -
Updated: 29/01/2010 12:38
CASTING one's mind back to a cold snow and ice-laden Ash Wednesday in 1956 is something not many can do, especially not my generation.
If you can, picture Ashbourne lying under a blanket of thick snow, sub-zero temperatures and the Henmore brook covered in several inches of thick ice.
Those were indeed the conditions facing players and indeed spectators that year.
"Nothing wrong with that"? I can practically hear you question, as players have braved similar conditions since.
What makes it very peculiar was that in 1956 on Ash Wednesday, not long after the ball was turned up by then local doctor Reg Ogley only THREE players ventured into the water on the shaw croft.
Stalwart Down'ard Jimmy Grant, who had goaled the ball in 1950, Don Lowndes a stalwart up'ard, who had goaled in 1949, 1952, and 1953 and Charlie Burton - a Down'ard who had not goaled.
Such was the effort of these three players to face the extreme icy waters of the Henmore but also to break sheets of ice that proceeded them along the stretch of river, no other players challenged their valiant efforts no tried to take the leather from them.
Don Lowndes withdrew at the back of the then Nestle factory as he felt, as an Up'ard, he could help no longer, leaving Jimmy and Charlie to negotiate thick ice and very deep water.
Jimmy Grant being a sporting player enquired of Charlie that if he remained with him in the river to Clifton he could goal the ball, this is what they did, they took the ball completely by water to clifton, assisted in shallower stretches by Betty Cundy a female follower, neither were they challenged or confronted and before 5pm Charlie Burton goaled the ball by touching the wall at Clifton Mill where the wheel had once stood.
What relevance has this to my blog? Well, Charlie Burton was the youngest brother of my nan, the late Beat Errington, nee Burton.
The irony of this, remembered by my mother who then was 8 years old was Charlie fell through the back door of number 5 George Street, where he lived... Said to my mother and her cousin Chris Burton: "Here is something for you kids to play with"! And handed them the ball, devoid of all paint.
Charlie was then off work for 17 weeks recovering from hypothermia and a bad back from the rigours of cold.
Not a known shrovetide stalwart player of his day or generation, but he goaled a ball none-the-less and his name is written into the annuals of the game!
Strangely after such an effort to goal, many years later Charlie sold his leather to the late Jack Smith, a collector of shrovetide related ephemera, for the sum of £5!
Since painting the balls I have enquired about my uncle's leather many times, and by chance was reunited with it about four years ago.
Jack Smith re-sold the ball under the request of the then ball painter Jack Roberts to Dr Ogley.
It was repainted by Mr Roberts and remained with him - who had originally turned it up. Upon the death of Dr Ogley, the ball was then kept by his daughter who had revisited the shrovetide games and bought the ball with her.
I was very fortunate to have some photographs of the ball goaled in very adverse conditions by a member of my family!
If you can, picture Ashbourne lying under a blanket of thick snow, sub-zero temperatures and the Henmore brook covered in several inches of thick ice.
Those were indeed the conditions facing players and indeed spectators that year.
"Nothing wrong with that"? I can practically hear you question, as players have braved similar conditions since.
What makes it very peculiar was that in 1956 on Ash Wednesday, not long after the ball was turned up by then local doctor Reg Ogley only THREE players ventured into the water on the shaw croft.
Stalwart Down'ard Jimmy Grant, who had goaled the ball in 1950, Don Lowndes a stalwart up'ard, who had goaled in 1949, 1952, and 1953 and Charlie Burton - a Down'ard who had not goaled.
Such was the effort of these three players to face the extreme icy waters of the Henmore but also to break sheets of ice that proceeded them along the stretch of river, no other players challenged their valiant efforts no tried to take the leather from them.
Don Lowndes withdrew at the back of the then Nestle factory as he felt, as an Up'ard, he could help no longer, leaving Jimmy and Charlie to negotiate thick ice and very deep water.
Jimmy Grant being a sporting player enquired of Charlie that if he remained with him in the river to Clifton he could goal the ball, this is what they did, they took the ball completely by water to clifton, assisted in shallower stretches by Betty Cundy a female follower, neither were they challenged or confronted and before 5pm Charlie Burton goaled the ball by touching the wall at Clifton Mill where the wheel had once stood.
What relevance has this to my blog? Well, Charlie Burton was the youngest brother of my nan, the late Beat Errington, nee Burton.
The irony of this, remembered by my mother who then was 8 years old was Charlie fell through the back door of number 5 George Street, where he lived... Said to my mother and her cousin Chris Burton: "Here is something for you kids to play with"! And handed them the ball, devoid of all paint.
Charlie was then off work for 17 weeks recovering from hypothermia and a bad back from the rigours of cold.
Not a known shrovetide stalwart player of his day or generation, but he goaled a ball none-the-less and his name is written into the annuals of the game!
Strangely after such an effort to goal, many years later Charlie sold his leather to the late Jack Smith, a collector of shrovetide related ephemera, for the sum of £5!
Since painting the balls I have enquired about my uncle's leather many times, and by chance was reunited with it about four years ago.
Jack Smith re-sold the ball under the request of the then ball painter Jack Roberts to Dr Ogley.
It was repainted by Mr Roberts and remained with him - who had originally turned it up. Upon the death of Dr Ogley, the ball was then kept by his daughter who had revisited the shrovetide games and bought the ball with her.
I was very fortunate to have some photographs of the ball goaled in very adverse conditions by a member of my family!
