Chappaquiddick Ted dead

Twice?

Skully in Gay Dubber shock ...

Too slow, ol' bean.

Recently noticed this fine tribute by a famous writer to a deceased politician of his day who had committed suicide to avoid public scandal:

Posterity will ne'er survey
A nobler grave than this:
Here lie the bones of Castlereagh:
Stop, traveller, and piss.

However although the writer was, and remained, far more famous than the politician he himself died in unpleasant circumstances only twenty months later so it is perhaps best not to tempt Providence.

Such hate and bile, amusing though.

The writer batted at 7 for Harrow in the very first Eton v.Harrow match in 1805 on Lord's Old Ground although he was quite well-known for a few other things after that.

Providence.

Are you talking about Rhode Island or Russia.

"Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseshit!
(Piss by Ron)"

Allan D wrote:Recently noticed this fine tribute by a famous writer to a deceased politician of his day who had committed suicide to avoid public scandal:

Posterity will ne'er survey
A nobler grave than this:
Here lie the bones of Castlereagh:
Stop, traveller, and piss.

However although the writer was, and remained, far more famous than the politician he himself died in unpleasant circumstances only twenty months later so it is perhaps best not to tempt Providence.

Such hate and bile, amusing though.

The writer batted at 7 for Harrow in the very first Eton v.Harrow match in 1805 on Lord's Old Ground although he was quite well-known for a few other things after that.

I know we're way off topic when you start talking about someone who was responsible for the defeat of Napolean and topping himself. By the by Rugby v Marlborough was the first match played on the old site.

Bradman wrote:I know we're way off topic when you start talking about someone who was responsible for the defeat of Napolean and topping himself. By the by Rugby v Marlborough was the first match played on the old site.

Nelson, Wellington and Marshals Kutuzov and Blucher played a bit of a part in Boney's downfall too. Lord C was also credited with the notorious Six Acts (which removed the right of habeas corpus for the first time since the reign of Charles II) and the Peterloo Massacre in 1819 leading Percy Bysshe, who didn't like him any more than Lord B did, to write:

I met Murder on the way -
He had a mask like Castlereagh -
Very smooth he looked, yet grim;
Seven blood-hounds followed him:

All were fat; and well they might
Be in admirable plight,
For one by one, and two by two,
He tossed the human hearts to chew
Which from his wide cloak he drew.

Liverpool used Castlereagh's death to liberalise his administration and bring in Canning and Peel to replace Castlereagh and Sidmouth. Canning "brought the New World into existence to restore the balance of the Old" and Peel created the Metropolitan Police.

I didn't say Byron played in the first match at Lord's Old Ground (now Dorset Square). I said he played in the first Eton v. Harrow match at the Old Ground which I think is accurate. Shakespear batted at 6 for Harrow although he and Lord B don't seem to have put up much resistance in either innings. However, credit due to Lord B, since, apart from being a great resident of Nottinghamshire (and now permanently interred there at Hucknall Parish Church), he had a club foot, a physical deformity he shared with the late Dr Goebbels. There is. however, no evidence that the former Minister of Propaganda ever played cricket, even at school level, or ever visited Nottinghamshire although various members of the Luftwaffe did pay several flying visits as my father often used to testify to me.

Apologies, Bradders, I may have misunderstood your point about the first match played at Lord's Old Ground. However, according to this:

Other Matches at Lord's Old Ground

the first match was between the White Conduit Club and Middlesex in May 1787 and there appears to be no record of the Marlborough v.Rugby match ever having been played at the Old Ground. According to this:

Other Matches at Lord's Cricket Ground

the fixture was not staged at the present ground until 1872. However I have come across a reference to a match between the two schools taking place at one of the grounds in Islington (now, alas, all sadly defunct) in 1864 although the scorecard does not survive in Cricket Archive.

I pulled that one out of my arse just to see what you came up with. Interestingly I think Middlesex games used to get shunted elsewhere if they clashed with the Eton Harrow game.

It was probably the ducke egg blue bags we had to wear that stopped the game being played at Lords.

Bradman wrote:I pulled that one out of my arse just to see what you came up with. Interestingly I think Middlesex games used to get shunted elsewhere if they clashed with the Eton Harrow game.

The most famous example of this was the July 1939 fixture between Middlesex and Notts which was switched to The Oval to accommodate Eton and Harrow. The match, which Notts won fairly easily by an innings & 190 despite the presence of Robertson, Edrich & Compton in the Middlesex side, was also notable for Walter Keeton's 312*, still the record score by a Notts player and the record for any visiting player at The Oval until Fairbrother's 366 in 1990. I think both Middlesex and Surrey are unique among the counties in not owning their home grounds since MCC owns Lord's and the Duchy of Cornwall owns The Oval.

Bradman wrote:It was probably the ducke egg blue bags we had to wear that stopped the game being played at Lords.

Are you an Old Marlburian, Bradders? I know it had a reputation for spartan brutality from reading the opening chapter of Francis Chichester's autobiography, "The Lonely Sea and the Sky" so it was hardly surprising he chose a career as a solitary circumnavigator. I remember hearing John Mortimer on the radio once tell a story about two PoWs working on the Railway of Death for the Japanese in WWII - as one passed the other he said:

Still, it's not as bad as Marlborough

Were any of the English "public" schools any different?

Duck egg blue is Rugby old chap. Winchester had a reputation as being the worst, and it did produce Douglas Jardine. Probably the origin of his emnity with Plum.

Rugby back then was a finshing school for rich layabouts. I only went there because my Grandfather threatened to cut me out of his will if i didn't.

Bradman wrote:Duck egg blue is Rugby old chap. Winchester had a reputation as being the worst, and it did produce Douglas Jardine. Probably the origin of his emnity with Plum.

Yep, went and re-read Nicholas Monserrat''s autobiog comments earlier.

Wierd bloke.

Montserrat?

A friend of Ian Flemmings. Some people suggested he was the inspiration for James Bond which is so far out of left field to be even funny. His two part autobigraphy did however have a large number of gaps in it.

Bradman wrote:A friend of Ian Flemmings. Some people suggested he was the inspiration for James Bond which is so far out of left field to be even funny. His two part autobigraphy did however have a large number of gaps in it.

So was David Niven. Anyway since he was a naval officer thrioughout WW2 it is a touch unlikely.

Agree on the gaps but he did space it at 5 year periods, and i recall his ex got a court injunction about being named in it.

Bond was a navy officer. Though he went to Eton not Winchester, albeit for a small time.

Bradman wrote:Bond was a navy officer. Though he went to Eton not Winchester, albeit for a small time.

TBH can't remember a school reference in the books.

Doubtless Zat will have something to say.

Obit at the end of "You Only Live Twice" when everyone thought he'd died in Japan.

"M" writes he was removed from the school after a problem with one of the schoolmaster's daughters. (I think)

Bradman wrote:Obit at the end of "You Only Live Twice" when everyone thought he'd died in Japan.

"M" writes he was removed from the school after a problem with one of the schoolmaster's daughters. (I think)

Ah, long time since I reread that one.

He also mentions Bond's service in the RNVR just like Monserrat. Again as a pacifist it's pretty far fetched.

Checkng out: Fleming was also Eton and RNVR,

And a drunk, a three pack a day man and a misogynist. Metinks you don't have to go too far past the author to find the inspiration for Bond.