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Archives Committee Chairman's Report 2008

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David Hall's 2008 Report...

CENTENARY OF BOWES BIRTH, 70 YEARS SINCE LEN'S 364
by David Hall, Yorkshire County Cricket Club Archives Committee Chairman

An active year of several Long Room projects, of the launch of a series of DVDs by great players and of restoration work was marred by the theft of one item from a Darren Lehmann display that meant that the whole had to be removed to a place of safe keeping.

In 2008, the Long Room cabinets will feature Len Hutton on the 70th anniversary of his 364 against Australia, and celebrate the centenary of the birth of Bill Bowes.

The exhibition Playing the Game, showing how cricketers contributed to the war effort, will be shown by arrangement with the War Graves Commission.

External displays will feature Fred Trueman at the Skipton Museum to complement the unveiling of his statue and a contribution of Bramall Lane memorabilia to the Legends Of The Lane museum.

A memorial plaque to Yorkshire players killed in two world war wars unveiled in August2007 at the Hutton Gates by the President, Bob Appleyard, and Field Marshal Lord Inge, the cost covered by donations.

Funds have been generated by the sale of non-Yorkshire-related memorabilia, enabling the committee to acquire items specific to the Club's history. We greatly appreciate items left to the Club, as it is not always possible to compete at auctions, where high prices are realised frequently.

Members and guests were able to see in 2007 a feature commemorating the 555 opening stand by Percy Holmes and Herbert Sutcliffe at Leyton in 1932, Geoffrey Boycott's 100th century in the Headinglet Test of 30 years ago, and Trueman memorabilia. The kit Lehmann used when he hit 339 in 2006 was on show until the helmet was stolen. Stephen Chalke followed his booklet on George Hirst in 2006 with another commemorating the Holmes-Sutcliffe stand.

A third, on Express Deliveries Bill Bowes is under consideration, while Stephen is selecting another subject. Stephen donates some of these proceeds to the Archives Committee funds.

DVDs on Yorkshire players are available from the Club Shop, and work on a second tranche, to be released next year, is well advanced.

Restoration work at West Yorkshire Archive included the Club's first minute book.

Committee members researched the many inquiries for information about the Club's history and players, and at each Championship match historical data on the fixture is displayed in the Long Room, the Executive Suite and boxes, a service much appreciated by members.

Bob Appleyard presented Rawdon Cricket Club with a trilogy of photographs of Hedley Verity, Brian Close and Bryan Stott - all of whom began there.

I would like to record my personal thanks to members of the committee for their substantial contributions. Archives Committee 2008: David Hall CBE TD, chairman; David Allan, Peter Anderson, Richard Coates, Ron Deaton, James Greenfield, Harold North and Roy Wilkinson.

THE HAND THAT BOWLED BRADMAN: 2008 is the centenary of the birth of William Eric Bowes, who achieved immortality by bowling Sir Donald first ball at Melbourne on the 1932-3 Bodyline tour. Definition of a Yorkshireman? Anyone born within the sound of Bill Bowes.