Where To Start?

Welcome
Finally, this blog is up-and-running: a brand spanking new, shiny piece of digital space on the Internet! Something that would probably have been incomprehensible to those people back in the 1950s, 60s and 70s whose weekends during the summer months were taken up with playing cricket, a game they loved and were very good at, in the beautiful, rural setting of Bowerchalke village. But something which we can use today to try and capture as many memories of those times as possible from people anywhere in the world: the global village.

I have to say that moving on from the scrappy piece of A4 paper I've been carrying around with me for weeks now is a sad but significant moment. I shall miss the scribbled lists, the diagrams, the arrows shooting across the page: my thoughts essentially. This project* (because that's what it's become) has suddenly stepped up a gear but it had to if it was going to go any further. Hey, what the heck! I'll digitise that piece of paper too and stick a picture of it up here so you can all see what I'm talking about!

Starting Point
So, where to start, where to start...? Well, setting up this blog was the first thing (big tick!). I'll ask Stuart to just 'proofread' the details suggest changes and so on and then check with James at CVCC to make sure he's happy and then we'll really kick it off.

Getting The Word Out
The next phase is communication: start communicating with people to generate some interest. I've already got the contact details (e-mail addresses) for the local parish magazines in the Chalke Valley villages of: Bowerchalke, Bishopstone, Broadchalke, Coombe Bissett and Ebbesbourne Wake. Thanks to Helen Gulliver and Mum for that info! I'm planning to write a very short piece and send it to them for inclusion in their next publications, pointing at this blog. Writing that piece will be the next task!

Alternatives?
As the initial approach will be to focus on the villages, I do wonder if there might be other places to generate interest as well such as village hall and church notice boards? The pubs? The schools? The bus stops? will need some help on-the-ground with that. Of course the villages have websites too! See links on sidebar.

I'm sure the powers of Facebook, Twitter et all will also prove useful communication vehicles.

Any other ideas?

Eventually, something through the Salisbury Journal might be appropriate too, especially to gather thoughts from those who used to play against Bowerchalke CC for their own village teams.

E-Mail Address
I also need to set-up an e-mail address for this project which I'll do as soon as possible. Watch this space!

What Else?
I've got lots of other ideas as well, for example: writing down my own 'small boy thoughts and memories', look on Google maps for the old ground, do an images search online (I found one yesterday for The Bell Inn) and I think it would be worth sharing some of the stuff I've still got relating to The Gullivers versus Mouldings cricket matches, afterall a lot of those people used to play for Bowerchalke CC and that's where a lot of memories have been shared in the past when we've all gathered together. So much to do!
KeithG
*goodness I may need a project plan too!