South Chilterns London Explorers Group

THIRTY-FIVE members of the South Chilterns London Explorers Group (SCLEG) met on the Kidmore End Cricket Club pitch on August 13 to celebrate a quarter of a century of monthly expeditions to London.

Unexpectedly, we found ourselves sharing the pitch with some young cricketers whose previous fixture had been postponed.

We had a similar experience multiple times during the covid pandemic and the train strikes so we had every sympathy with them. Despite these setbacks we managed to notch up more than 250 visits since May 2000.

We assembled for our celebration on the boundary out of harm’s way, somewhere near third man or alternately long on, where Wyfold bubbles were uncorked and glasses raised to thank Rosemary Appleby for 18 years as our financial scorer, Mike Macleod for 17 years as captain, Jeanne Nichols for eight years as fixture secretary and Judy Skeet for picking the grapes.

Two silver, helium-filled, numbered balloons were given to the captain as a way of dignifying the occasion but instead, with the aid of a frisky breeze they almost managed to wrestle him to the ground as he vainly attempted to maintain his composure.

Meanwhile, the young cricketers had completed their game with enviable decorum, an example to their elders for whom 25 was considered to be an innings well worth the celebration.

Mike Macleod