David Hall's 2009 Report

FROM LEN HUTTON PORTRAIT TO ILKLEY MOOR BAHT'AT
by David Hall, Yorkshire County Cricket Club Archives Committee Chairman

The Archives Committee continues to be active on many fronts  and is now starting work in preparation for the opening of the museum at Headingley Carnegie. Completion of the new pavilion will release office space in the East Stand for a visitor reception and museum. 

Design contractors have been approached to make proposals for our consideration, and Club directors and Committee members have visited sporting museums to gather ideas. Subject to the space becoming available it is planned to open the facility during the 2010 season. We propose to run ground tours from the museum, and pilot tours have been successfully undertaken to develop our skills in operating these tours.

The Long Room cabinets in 2009 will feature the 1959 County Championship side and some new bat displays. It is unfortunate that last year’s feature on Len Hutton to mark the 70th anniversary of his 364 Test record was marred by the loss of a memorabilia item loaned by the Hutton family.  It would be appreciated if members would report any signs of the display cabinets being tampered with.

MAIN PHOTO: John (L) and Richard (2ndR) Hutton unveil a portrait of their father Sir Leonard Hutton with their sons Robert (2ndL) and Olly (R) at Headingley which is on loan for this season from the Hutton's and the MCC.

Among the many items donated to the Archives Committee during the year was a bat that belonged to the Rev E S Carter — who played for Yorkshire between 1876 and 1881, and was responsible for introducing Lord Hawke to Yorkshire cricket. Carter, it is said — although he always denied this — was the cricketing cleric who announced on Sunday mornings from the pulpit: “Here endeth the first innings.”

Last year we filmed another collection of DVDs recording the career experiences of Yorkshire cricketers. This time they featured Don Wilson, Ken Taylor, Bryan Stott, Dickie Bird, Fred Trueman and Len Hutton — the last two made possible through the courtesy of the BBC in making material available, to which we have added interviews with those who played with them and knew them. These will be available during the season from the Club shop.

For every four-day game Roy Wilkinson and Nigel Pullan will once again produce a brief history and “stat” details of previous encounters with the opposition. These appear on noticeboards in the Long Room and in boxes. We hope this Archives Committee initiative is appreciated by members and visitors.

Memorabilia Inventory work continues to provide more detailed data on the items we hold, and the overseeing of this substantial task is being undertaken by Ron Deaton with the assistance of Committee members. Ron’s considerable knowledge of the subject matter is proving invaluable.

 This is an ongoing operation taking many hours, week in and week out, with new items arriving and the compilation of displays featuring archival material being rotated at Headingley, Bramall Lane and Skipton Museum creating a constant “in and out” scenario.

Last year we renovated the Club’s first minute book that had become dilapidated. This work was undertaken by West Yorkshire Archive Services at considerable cost, which was met by a generous donation from Veronica Trueman in memory of Fred. The committee has recently applied to Leeds Civic Trust to install a Blue Plaque on the house at Welton Grove, Burley, which was the birthplace of Hedley Verity. We hope to have this in place during 2009.

The Club receives numerous inquiries regarding players and the Club’s history, which the Archives Committee handles. Some require considerable research, while others seek non-cricket information such as the full verses of Ilkley Moor Baht ‘at!

We are extremely fortunate in having a team of committee members who give considerable time, energy and expertise in bringing the numerous projects we undertake to fruition, for which I am most appreciative.