Bowerchalke CC Accounts 1949-1950 Season

INTRODUCTION
In amongst the various papers we have received on Bowerchalke CC from David Gulliver (our Uncle), we've come across some very interesting items, including the subject of this blog article: the accounts for the cricket club from 1949-50. They provide a fascinating insight into a number of things.

For example:

• Bowerchalke CC used to hire coaches from Adams Brothers (which we believe is now known as Victory Tours) to get to away games. It sounds like it was quite a day out not just for the players but other people from the village! A real outing! We spoke to our Mum about this and she can recall going to away games (e.g. out to the New Forest or down to Poole Park). We wonder if anyone has any photographs of these village outings? They must have been quite an occasion!
• Bowerchalke CC used to have a dinner and a raffle draw. We spoke to our Dad about this and he recalls these being held in the old Bowerchalke Village Hall (no longer there although KeithG can vaguely recall it, a green wooden structure perhaps?). There was some recollection of an after dinner speaker, a Mr. Douglas Horner, who also used to do impressions apparantly. Does anyone remember these dinners? Or have any photographs?
• Cricket bats were referred to as 'willows', how beautiful is that?
• The mower needed a couple of repairs! And Mr Stevens and Mr Gillan used to cut the pitch, for which they were paid.
• Umpires and scorers teas were properly accounted for.
• Looks like our Grandad (Harold Gulliver) received 3 pounds compensation from the insurance company Norwich Union, wonder why? Does anyone recall the story behind that?

THE DOCUMENT
The two pictures below are extracts from a scanned image of the original document which was hand-written and suffering a bit from the ravages of time (and a bit of damp too, hence the brown stain marks).

PICTURE A
This is an extract from the income page of the accounts. It says:

• Brought forward 30 (pounds) 10 (shillings) and 6 (pence)
• Proceeds of dinner 26 8 9
• Bus receipts for away games at Hale (2 0 6), Breamore ( 2 1 3), South Newton (1 10 0), Poole (2 12 0), Bemerton (19 6), Winterslow and Little Durnford (4 12 3), making a grand total of 14 pounds, 5 shillings and 6 pence (written in pencil).
• Draw sale of tickets (15 18 0)
• Returned prizes (1 0 0)
• Balance in hand 1949-50 (26 13 1)
• Making a total of 114 pounds 5 shillings and 10 pence (quite a lot!)

PICTURE B
This is an extract from the expenditure page of the 1950 accounts. Some of the words aren't 100% clear unfortunately but we think it reads as follows:

• March 16th - Willows (?) 6 (pounds) 3 (shillings) 10 (pence)
• May 2nd - J.T. Lowe Ltd. piston rings (in hand) 9 6
• May 2nd - D.M. Porter (?) repairs to mower 2 7 6
• May 3rd - Salisbury Journal fixture cards 1 10 6
• May 4th - Norwich Union Ins(urance) Co (?) SRC? team and 3rd party risks 1 19 0
• May 4th - cutting pitch P Stevens 2 18 0
• May 4th - cutting pitch J Gillan 2 14 0
• May 4th - Scorers and umpires teas 1 8 0
• May 4th - H Gulliver compensation from insurance company 3 0 0
• June 8th - D M Porter (?) repairs to mower 1 5 9
• June 22nd - T Jay and Sons draw tickets 2 5 6
• July 7th - Wiltons Scorebook and repairs 1 9 6
• September 13th - Wiltons rubber and roll of tape 2 4 9
• September 13th - rents for ground 10 0 0
• September 13th - A Butler and J Beckly polish for pitch - - -
• September 13th - Adams Bros. hire of coaches 24 15 0
• Balance in hand as of February 1951 50 15 0
• Making a total of 114 pounds 5 shillings and 10 pence

Keith and Stuart Gulliver