Saturday, 9th July 2022

We welcome Enfield CC as our latest visitors to Hare Hill. I hope you all have an enjoyable day and that the game ahead is both competitive and played within the ‘spirit of cricket’.

This programme’s Blog focusses on what has become an extremely important event in our annual cricketing calendar; Ladies Day. Wow, this will be the 28th  annual Ladies Day, here at Hare Hill, held over the past 30 years, with the event only missing from our calendar for 2 years, due to the COVID pandemic and  lockdown rules in place at the time.

Yes, it was back in 1992 when our very own Margaret Hetherington took on the leadership of organising the very first Ladies Day event. This inaugural event  took place during a Littleborough CC v Radcliffe CC match and 27 ladies (6 of whom were from Radcliffe), dressed in their finery and paid the ticket price of £5  to celebrate their day at the cricket in style. I am told it was a ‘sight to behold’ as the ladies enjoyed their day in an Ascot races day manor and laid the  foundations for many more Ladies Days to follow. More importantly, this was also the Cricket Club recognising the significant role our ladies play in the  continued support they provide of their loved ones playing cricket, each weekend, and their continued support in the running of the Club.

Money was raised through raffles, quizzes and other events, on the day, to ensure that ticket prices were kept to a minimum and any money left over, ‘back in the  day’ was donated to the Children’s Christmas Party fund. It would be remiss of me not to mention the introduction of the ladies selecting the ‘man of the match’  award, on the day, but more importantly the great idea of parading the players in front of a (by this time) very well-behaved female audience, so that they can vote  on the very sought after ‘rear of the game’ award! Funnily enough, awards that have continued to be voted on to this very day!

Margaret hung up her organising boots in August 2014 when her swan song event included a tribute band to ‘Take That’ for the ladies to enjoy and of course  provide Margaret the opportunity of a dance with the lead singer (aka Gary Barlow). Thank you, Margaret, for the initial initiative and thank you to all those that  also helped you make this event became a success, year on year, over a 22-year period. What a great achievement.

The organising reins have now been well and truly handed over to our current Ladies Sub Committee who have continued this great work for the past 8 years, by  hosting themed Ladies Day events prepared for in meticulous detail, whilst also now raising significant amounts of money for local charities and the development of cricket.

Today’s Ladies Day takes us to the South American county of Brazil, the carnival parades of Rio De Janeiro and in the words of Barry Manilow, the ‘hottest spot north of Havana’; of course, Copacabana. Today’s guests will enjoy the food, drink, live entertainment, music and passion (which apparently were ‘always in  fashion’), usually experienced in that part of the world, on our very own doorstep, here at Hare Hill. Have a great day ladies, I’m sure you all will.

On behalf of myself and the Management Committee, extremely well done to all our ladies that continue to make this very important annual event happen. I am  also sure (and know actually) that all that attend have a great time and are very grateful for all the hard work you put in to make these days a fantastic and  entertaining experience for them all.

Neil Barnes, LC&SC Chairman – 07595383375

CELEBRATING 150 YEARS OF CRICKET AT HARE HILL – ENFIELD 9th JULY 2022