As the cricket season comes to an end let’s remember the former world famous home of the game in Norfolk through the wonderful words of the much loved and talented former headmaster, the late Brian Patrick of Beccles, written in 1985.

IN PRAISE OF LAKENHAM.

I like to go to Lakenham

All on a Summer’s day,

I like to go to Lakenham

To see old Norfolk play.

 

That fare to be a lovely place

Where lots o’ fine folk go.

They like a good old mardle

And p’raps a pint you know.

(Image: Newsquest)

That really is a bootiful ground,

Th’as got a lovely wicket,

I fact I know no better place

To go and watch the cricket.

 

Especially when the sun streams down

Upon this stretch of green,

And Norfolk are a’doing well.

Then life is right serene.

 

You can sit upon the benches

That are all around the ring,

Or bring your car right to the line

Where you’ll see everything.

(Image: Newsquest)

Some folk they bring their deckchairs

And sit there at their ease.

And some watch from the little tents

A flappin’ in the breeze.

 

Most people bring a picnic

That save a lot of sweat,

You can eat yar wittles in the car

If that should turn out wet!

 

They’ve got a fine pavilion,

Th’as got a clock and all,

And down them steps the batsmen come

When it’s time to face the ball.

 

Th’as great to see old Handley

Sweeping the ball so fine,

And Plumb and good old Huggins

Getting right in line.

 

 

O’ course there’s consternation

When one of ours gets out,

‘Cor blast he shouldn’t a done that’

You can hear the spectators shout!

 

And sometimes when we’re fielding

A catching chance goes down,

‘Why don’t you get a bucket?’

Is the cry all round the ground.

 

I love old Lakenham, that don’t change

Th’as allus bin the same

Right from the time I first went there

To watch this fine old game.

 

Bill Thomas, Powell and Nigel Moore

And Teddy Witherden

Were just a few of the cricketers

Who gave us pleasure then.

(Image: Supplied)

Pete Walmsley bowled like lightning

(I played against him once)

He knocked my wicket out first ball,

I wholly looked a dunce!

 

My hero was Bill Edrich

He came back from Lords

Where he’d done bloomin’ wonders

For the county of three swords.

 

He’d bat and bowl with all his might

He held some rare old catches,

His inspiration was just right,

To help Norfolk win their matches.

 

He liked to get a move on

He’d allus try to win,

And sometimes when he won the toss

He’ look hard at the wicket

And then he’d put the others in

‘Cos he knew this game of cricket!

 

And if he thought the visitors

Weren’t chasing up the score

That he’d set them to win the game

(He never liked to draw).

 

He’d go and bowl some ‘donkey drops’

To try and buy awicket,

And often this would do the trick

For this is all in cricket.

 

And when the first class teams come here

We’ve seen some good old games,

For dear old Lakenham has been graced

By many famous names.

(Image: Courtesy of the David Armstrong Collection.)

Last year we had boy Gower

When Leicestershire came here,

We thought he’d make a great old score

But our Cookie said, “No fear.”

(Image: Newsquest)

He hulled that ball and ran him out.

As quick as you could see,

And so the England skipper went

For only forty three.

 

We should have beaten Glamorgan

A year or so ago,

We only needed twenty more

But tha’s how cricket go.

 

The umpire gave old Parvez out…LBW

That seemed a rotten trick,

For Parvez played the ball quite hard

We’re sure we heard the click!

 

But never mind we like a moan

When things don’t go our way,

And we like to talk things over again

Upon the close of play.

 

“Now was he out?” Of course he was

If ‘he’ was one of them,

But that wholly made a difference

If ‘he’ was a Norfolk man!

 

I hope to go to Lakenham

Where the turf is like a lawn,

Until the last game is over

And the final stumps are drawn.

(Image: Newsquest)

For I like to go to Lakenham

Upon a Summer’s day,

Yes I like to go to Lakenham

To see old Norfolk play.

 

The following year, 1986, following the death of Bill Edrich, Brian wrote:

Poor Bill, he’s gone to that good place

Where every pitch is true,

And where the sun is shining down

And the sky is always blue.

(Image: newsquest)

And we can see him leading out

His team in Heaven above,

To play this game of cricket

Where he did dearly love.

 

But here his game is over

Bill Edrich is at rest,

We are very proud to know that he

Was Norfolk’s very best.