No good news from Goodison

Biking back from Shurdington having had my flu jab, I stopped to extend a welcome to old friends who have just moved into Cheltenham - having been trying for ages to sell their nice house in a village beyond Gloucester. It didn't seem at first glance a particularly attractive swap, but inside is surprisingly roomy, and there's a quiet, decent-sized garden at the back. They will be fine once the dust has settled. An encouragement to us!

This afternoon, Everton trounced Aston Villa 3-0, and my hopes of a re-run of the result of the 1897 Cup Final were dashed. As my 14-year-old Gateley grandfather sat at supper at Ampleforth, the only Birmingham boy in the midst of a crowd of Liverpudlians, a telegram arrived: "Aston Villa 3, Everton 2."

Gateley solicitors

This photograph shows my grandfather Arthur John Gateley, on the left, arm in arm with his brother (four years older), Stephen Joseph. They were the "Sons" of "Stephen Gateley & Sons", the solicitors firm established by their father Stephen Michael, with offices in Temple Row, Birmingham. The firm continues today with the family name intact, as I've mentioned before. Today would have been my grandfather's 130th birthday.

Cricket memorabilia

Sorting through some old photographs a few days ago, I came across one of my grandfather's cricket team, Sutton Coldfield. I Googled the club, which is still flourishing, and, having just bought a new scanner, I was able to send a copy to them. Now they say they are interested in anything else from that era, so I have put together an on-line collection. It includes this rather blurred image of C.O. Gray and my grandfather (then 27) going out to open the batting for Sutton Coldfield v. Walsall, at the 1910 August Bank Holiday, a century ago. I particularly like the thatched pavilion in the background, which reminds me of J.M. Barrie's design of the same vintage which still graces the Stanway ground.

Bears up!

Warwickshire County Cricket Club are today celebrating their victory in the County Championship - albeit only its second division. But this means that next year they will be back in the first division, where of course they rightly belong.

Born in Birmingham, I was always a staunch Warwickshire supporter, and indeed suffered for it in the late '50s/early '60s at school (in Yorkshire - and with plenty of Surrey contemporaries). It's years since I went to watch Warwickshire play, but during the season I follow their progress closely in the paper: a win the previous day always gives me a boost the next morning.

There must be thousands of men my age who share this fervency, but will future generations? I don't detect any County cricket enthusiasm in my three sons, let alone Agnes. Who will want to inherit my grandfather Gateley's oddly-shaped Ampleforth College cricket cap I wonder.