The Preston Nomads
were based in the village of Fulking , at the foot of the South Downs, in East Sussex , and it was a ground I knew well as Carry On
scriptwriter, Talbot 'Tolly' Rothwell, was an honorary member of the club.
I'd spent many a
summer's Sunday basking in the tradition of drunken men swinging wood at
leather and berating the inevitable early loss of their open wicket. The game itself
meant little to me; the open space, relaxed atmosphere and copious amounts of
sugary offerings were a different matter.
On this particular day the celebrity side was to
feature Sid James, Leslie Phillips, Eric Sykes, Peter Butterworth, Jim Dale and
Tolly himself.
We’d spent the morning at Tolly’s while my dad took it
upon himself to be chief motivator and bottle washer .. i.e he was getting in
the way and taking the coming proceedings far too seriously.
Sid James, Peter Butterworth and Jim Dale arrived just
before we left for the game. I sat next to Jim Dale on the short journey and
I’m sure I sensed nerves among his quick wit and boyish charms.
From the first over onwards it became pretty clear
that the batting total of the local Preston Nomads side was likely to cause
embarrassment to the celebrities’ final score. So Eric Sykes took it
upon himself to the play the clown, a role he was born too.
His one-liners, fake falls, mimed catches and
impersonations brought the host side to its knees .. not an easy position to
bat from. The obviously superior Nomads side saw their batting order collapse
in just a few short overs.
After whisky-laced refreshments, Tolly and his band of
misbehaving brothers stepped up and took under an hour to pass the Nomads
total.
Victory was theirs, and the drinks were free. Celebrations
went on long into the evening and my dad rescued me from the debauchery not
long before its effects would’ve left a permanent scar on my emotional development!
To read more on Sid James, Jim Dale and the rest of the Carry On cast and crew .. buy a copy of A Write Carry On .. Just CLICK HERE
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