Issue 25

At that point Kari Carswell and Gordon Drummond put John in contact with Helen Blair and Lily Cartwright from Edinburgh University. They and some friends were keen to play cricket in Edinburgh after the end of term. It was a perfect coming together of needs, and suddenly the club was able to support a women's team. The university girls - including Katie McGill, Ollie Rae and Ruth Willis - were able to provide coaches for the younger girls from time to time. The rest, as they say, is history. Eric continued his vital role for a number of years and was deservedly awarded the Jappy trophy in 2013 for this important contribution to the club’s development. Girl Power! The development of Carlton’s female side When John Boyd took over as Carlton’s Junior Convener in 2007, co-ed primary school coaching on a Wednesday was working well but there was a sharp drop off in girls' participation beyond age 10. Maybe it was just that as boys become stronger and sweatier the girls seemed more selective about who they wanted to spend their Wednesday evenings with. Eric Edwards’ daughter Louise was interested in cricket but her words may have summed things up, ‘Boys are, like, so uncool.’ How could these girls be catered for? Having chewed things over with Eric, John asked him if he'd be interested in running group coaching specifically for girls on Wednesday evenings. Eric signed up there and then. Leigh Kasperek also volunteered to coach the group - and what better inspiration could the girls have? After a couple of years, when the older girls were in S2, Eric started a girls' hard ball group who made Grange Loan their own on Friday evenings. The girls played their first hard ball fixture on 4 May 2012, triumphing against Kinross - see picture below. The challenge then became how to transition the older girls into senior cricket. A few mums had expressed an interest in getting involved, but there was no obvious path to pull together the numbers to start a women’s team. When Eric was asked recently for his reflections on the challenges of coaching girls as opposed to boys, he said the main thing he noticed was there there were more gymnastics going on in the outfield, with cartwheels a particular favourite. But, more seriously, Eric warmly remembers a tense match in which Lisa Thomson bowled a brilliant final over to clinch a victory against Watsons, dismissing future star internationalist Sarah Bryce in the process. Lisa also went on to international honours before forsaking cricket for basketball. Lisa can be seen in the photograph along with current Carlton star and internationalist Hannah Rainey. In NL 4 Hannah recalled the fun on Friday nights. Competitiveness a boy thing? Don’t believe it. Eric also recalled the highly competitive first ever Mother v Daughters match, despite the heavy censoring of his match report that was deemed necessary in those more innocent times. And If you want to read more about those early days of girls’ cricket at Carlton, Eric’s blow by blow match reports can be found on this link - http://carltoncc.co.uk/old/GirlsCricket.h tm

I was a fresh 9 year old having joined Carlton the year before, when I found myself waking up on a Sunday morning, envious of my elder brother who was playing in a Kwik Cricket tournament in Livingston. Still waiting to play my first game, I was getting ready to get in the car as a spectator, when suddenly the phone rang. After a quick exchange, I was informed that someone had not turned up, and they wondered if I wanted to play. An excited yes and a quick drive through later, we got out of the car at the ground, looking for the team. I recognised the team, and they had already started. Running onto the pitch full of energy, the ball flew up in the air in my direction. The anticipation, the pressure, and… the dropped catch. Disappointment couldn’t begin to describe it. However, the batsmen were just as surprised as I was that the chance had gone down, and were stranded at the same end. Thinking quickly, I threw it at the other end, and the run out was taken. The joy that I felt then is undoubtedly what gave me the initial desire to play. My fielding has improved since then, yet many things have stayed the same. The euphoria of a team victory is still enjoyed, and the disappointment in a loss Having progressed through the junior age groups and now played senior cricket, I have been lucky to have had lots of opportunities to play at different levels. But regardless of whether I am playing for the under 16s in a big cup tie against Grange or a bitterly cold April at Peffermill for the 4s, the pleasure that I have experienced has remained constant. Cricket seems to possess a unique team environment, with a chance to learn from others, that teaches you important lessons in teamwork, commitment and discipline. Whilst I would like to think that I have contributed to the club in a small way with the odd wicket or a few runs here and there, it is greatly outweighed by what the club has given to me. It is clear to see that regardless of who I am playing with, there is a shared passion for cricket. The values that I have learnt in a team environment have been hugely beneficial, not just in a sporting context. And whilst at times frustration is felt when you get a low score, a poor decision or simply a disappointing lack of empire biscuits, the positives completely outweigh the negatives. A few things have changed since my debut at Livingston all those years ago, namely the standard of the fielding and the pace of the bowling, but some things are still the same. Despite the fact that I have changed, it is reassuring to find that Carlton is the same friendly, hard-working and successful club as it was when I started. Euan Keatinge on being a junior and senior cricketer at Carlton Hello Georgia Everyone at Carlton is pleased to see Georgia Henderson back at Grange Loan following her recent spell in hospital after contracting meningitis. And everyone sends Georgia all best wishes for her full and speedy recovery.

Bowlers Name? Grisenthwaite! What? Grisenthwaite! Ok! A problem I will never escape on the field: shouting a surname with roots set deep in the North of Britain, yet nobody is sure how to spell it. My name is derived from ancient Norse, Grissen – a young boar and Thwaite – a clearing in a forest. Naturally Boarfarmer is not a charismatic name to be shouting at scorers. It is thought that our ancestors were Norse raiders into Cumberland from Ireland and Scotland. All Grisenthwaites can be traced back to a Robert Grisenthwaite born in Castle Sowerby c1541. According to sources the Grisenthwaites living on the ancient borders of Scotland would suffer raids, countering these with ‘bowe furnished’. In the mid-18th century the scouse Grisenthwaites were established in Ormskirk. One travelled to Liverpool, Australia in 1828; some may make links to stereotypes, I will leave that unsaid. Our claims to fame are modest, linked with doing our bit. A part of Penrith was built by William Grisenthwaite in the 19th Century, including the beautiful Langdale Chase Hotel. My Great Great Grandfather John is believed to have been the Master of Arms on the SS Montrose, in charge of the incarceration of Dr Crippen and his companion. My Great Grandfather Joe served in the Scots Guards and Royal Signals during WW2. He was part of the British Expeditionary Force and was unable to be evacuated from Dunkirk. Instead he was picked up in St Naizare narrowly avoiding being sunk on the RMS Lancastria, the greatest single ship loss of life in British maritime history. He later helped install the communications for the Tehran Conference between Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in 1943. I don’t think I have any family tie with the Mr Grisenthwaite from Kirkcaldy who has made the record books for being the ‘Dullest man in Scotland’. Dull perhaps, but by recording the dates on which he mowed his lawn since 1984, this Grisenthwaite has contributed useful data on climate change for which he was credited in an article for the Royal Meteorological Society. My Grandfather Ron was the true cricketing hero, built like a brick outhouse he tore through the leagues around Lancashire and Cheshire. A gifted quick in his youth and a hard-hitting bat later. He had trials for Lancashire but despite a good showing, he did not fit that frame. Working in Hong Kong he and Peter Anderson, later to be CEO of Somerset CCC, took the Royal Navy side from the bottom to the top of the league. They would represent HK and would play against touring sides with the likes of Gower and co. True talent that has not quite passed onto me, yet I love cricket. And I am thankful that Carlton has been part of the connections the Grisenthwaites have had with Scotland. What’s in a Name? Rob on his distinctive handle This is the heraldic description of Carlton’s crest - the fist ‘n’ arrow. Given the serious purposes of the original members of the club it seems unlikely that the crest was adopted at random. But exactly why is unknown. In heraldry the armoured arm represents a leader or a person fit for high deeds. The arrow is a weapon ‘destined for avengement’, ie a symbol of martial readiness. Together this seems an accurate description of the typical Carlton member - and perhaps that is all the explanation that is needed. Research continues. Dexter Arm Embowed In Armour, The Hand Grasping An Arrow In Bend Sinister Point Downwards

Many Carlton players have had their first encounter with hardball cricket in the Primary School team. They may not be aware of the origins of this team in Carlton’s long and fruitful relationship with South Morningside Primary School throughout the 1990s. Cricket was introduced to South Morningside by Richard and Grace Ellis in the late 1980s with the enthusiastic support of the head teacher. A fixture list was painstakingly put together including most of the cricket playing private schools. The team flourished. It won the Scottish schools kwik cricket competition in 1990 - duly reported in the Times Educational Supplement (see opposite) - and represented Scotland at the National Finals at Edgbaston. Finding a place to practice and play was always a challenge. After the 1990 triumph, David Watts contacted Carlton to see if they could play a Boys v Parents game at Grange Loan to celebrate. The club responded positively and the school began to make use of Grange Loan for training and matches. Many of its players became junior Carlton member as the club’s recently established junior section took off. The current primary hardball team evolved out of this relationship as players were gradually drawn from other primary schools in the area and largely plays the fixtures arranged in those early days. SMPS won the Wrigley's Scottish Regional softball tournament in 1994 and 1995 and again represented Scotland in the UK National Finals, also at Edgbaston. In 1995 they all met and had their photo taken with Ian Botham. Perhaps equally exciting they were rewarded with significant amounts of the sponsor’s chewing gum. Sadly the competition has discontinued. Among the players who came through the original SMPS set up was Carlton’s current Director of Cricket Fraser Watts, who featured in those 1990s triumphs. Current players Tom and Harry Simpson, Rua McIntyre, Calum Everett and Ruari Macpherson are all former pupils of SMPS and of the Carlton Primary XI. SMPS at Edgbaston 1990 - meeting Tom Graveney - Fraser Watts is centre back row SMPS at Edgbaston in 1995 - meeting ian Botham South Morningside Primary School at Carlton