I am reading a book that has come my way: SLIPLESS IN SETTLE. It is a cricket book, and, as a keen cricketer, is of special interest to me. It is by Harry Pearson. Now a coincidence – my father was friendly with a Harry Pearson – they both played cricket for Middlesbrough. No it’s not the same Harry Pearson. The time gap is too great. My Harry was a family friend. I still have books about Robin Hood he bought me – I had moved from wanting to be Peter Pan to wanting to be Robin Hood, then later I wanted to be as good a cricketer as Hedley Verity, the heir-apparent to that other great Yorkshire cricketer Wilfred Rhodes. Those of you who know cricket will realise that I am ‘getting on a bit.’ Now back to this book. This Harry Pearson is taking a ‘slow turn around Northern Cricket.’ He is visiting matches in the Northern Leagues and brings into each game interesting and unusual facts from the past and present and mixes serious comment with good humour, making it all a pleant journry especially for me. He visits Guisborough when they are playing Blackhall. He cannot mention Blackhall without mentioning their outstanding professional Jack Carr from the 1930s. Even though I was still a schoolboy at the time, I remember him and his reputation in the North Yorkshire and South Durham League. My brother, playing for Middlesbrough, played against him. My brother was 11 years older than me (age gap again) and had a fine reputation as a bowler in that League so much so that he was picked in the League’s team to play against the full Yorkshire team of the 1930s. He opened the bowling to Herbert Sutcliffe, of the Hobbs and Sutcliffe England partnership. He bowled a maiden over to the great batsman who congratulted him on such a fine over. Ah, the memories that are recalled by reading a book. I could go on but you’ve probably read enough now. I’ll take up this theme again soon.