Test Match Special - #40from40: Helen Richardson-Walsh MBE

Episode Date: May 28, 2020

Olympic gold medal winner with Team GB's hockey stars in 2016, Helen Richardson-Walsh chats to Jonathan Agnew a year on in 2017.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Bring more gear, carry more passengers, face greater challenges. Welcome to the world of Defender, with seating up to eight, ample cargo space and legendary off-road capability. It's built to make the most of every adventure. Learn more at landrover.ca. Boundary on BBC Sounds. Welcome to the Test Match Special podcast with Jonathan Agnew, bringing you more treats from our archive of View from the Boundary interviews. In 2016, the Olympic Games were in wonderful Rio de Janeiro, and I was there myself covering a memorable couple of weeks for Great Britain's equestrian team. The games were triumph for Team GB, perhaps best exemplified by the glorious gold medal for the women's hockey.

Now, a year from that win, I was joined by one of the stars of the tournament. Helen Richardson Walsh, as she took a view from the boundary during a test match at Old Trafford. Helen Richardson Walsh stepping forward. She's missed won this tournament and she scored another in the semi-final. Big pressure here. Helen and Richardson Walsh is a big pressure player. She has been here before. She looks cool.

She looks calm. Here we go. After two attempts by both teams, there is no score. But on the third, it's a penalty shot to GB. Helen Richardson Walsh then goes low. She's in. G.B. ahead. In the penalty shooter, in the Olympic final. It is 1-0. If Holly Webb gets this goal, Team G.B's women's hockey have won Olympic gold.

She's off. She's away. Web approaching the keeper. Can she get it through? She looks confident side to side. Holly Webb needs to get the shot away. She's gone! She's going! Great Britain's women! They have done it. Sixteen heroines out there on the park. What a match. They're all Olympic champions. They've rewritten hockey history.

That was unbelievable. I cannot believe what we have witnessed in this Olympic final. Maddie Hinch, you are an absolute hero. And in the great, great words of Barry Davis, where were the Dutch? Who cares? Well, a cricket fan for an early age, he represented England at junior levels, for dedicating her efforts to hockey

and it's a very warm welcome to Olympic gold medalist Helen Richardson Walshall there you go Is that the first time you've heard that? It's the first time I've actually heard the radio commentary Yeah I know because bringing tears to my eyes Yeah we have that a lot that people see the telly And they've got those all recorded and so on But they forget that we're there

Doing radio as well I know the drama on the radio is so much greater in a way Because you can't see it I know exactly And were you calm and cool and collected As the commentator their suggestions I'd like to think I was but actually do you know what

I was helped out by the Dutch well the Dutch fans stupidly as I was walking up to take that penalty normally it's silence and silence is horrible it's the last thing you want you know you're walking up and you know

you can just hear your thoughts but they started booing for some reason they started booing which is really unusual for a hockey hockey crowd and it just made me think right this is going in this is going in now

I think that's fair enough. So, yeah, actually, they helped me. So thanks to all those Dutch fans out there. Yeah, because there was the added complication that you actually have a Dutch connection in you. I mean, you've been playing, or we were playing, or afterwards, you're going to play hockey out there. Yeah, myself, my wife, Kate,

we decided to go out to Holland and just rub it in a bit more. Yeah, no, we'd made the decision before Rio that we were going to go and play for Blumenthal. And actually, I think for our team, that we went to it was win-win there was no internationals in that team right okay um so you know if they won brilliant holland-win gold

if weird won they get two Olympic champions so tell me what it's like then come on helen to stride up has to do a penalty with gold medal at stake and so on I mean even now a year on I mean can you remember absolutely unerringly now how what you were doing how you were feeling

were you that much in control of yourself or was it all a bit of a blur and he just sort of dealt with it at the moment. I think when you just said then, with all that at stake, with the Olympic gold at stake, if I had thought about that in that moment, I would have been like jelly. I do remember thinking a little bit like,

do you know what, you've been playing this game now for 17 years in the international team. You've had a lot of highs, but many lows, you know, you've dreamt about this moment for an incredibly long time. And it almost relaxed me. It almost just made me thought, right, just do it. Just put this in and just do it. This is what you've trained so hard for for such a long time,

and now you've got the opportunity to make it happen. And unfortunately I did somehow. I'm just thinking of you mentioned that sort of, a family setup as well with your wife Kate Captain is he I just putting it into my position if my wife was playing in the same team and I missed it I think I think my life would have been hell

for a very long time I know that wouldn't have been good would it no I mean did she say anything to you or did she actually to keep out of the way absolutely faith in me right confidence well I just don't know I I can feel the pressure.

Yeah. We'll come on to more of that a little bit later on because I was down the road on this Friday night. I mean, it was a really golden evening, wasn't it? It was fantastic for British sport. And I was commentating on good old Nick Skelton going around and getting his goal about an hour, I think, before your game.

Yeah, what are games for him? It was fantastic. And the whole thing, you get so wrapped up in it. And I'm very lucky to do this job and watch England play cricket and they win and they lose and you go on and do your job and so on. And I was asked a number of times after the Olympics, what's it like to commentate on England winning ashes

or a Brit winning a gold? And it's a really difficult question to answer them because somehow you're all consumed, I think, particularly in an individual sport, watching Charlotte Duchadne Hyde also, of course, winning a gold and Nick Skelton. You know, you're there with them. You know, somehow you're allowed to be much more patriotic, I think, commentating at an Olympics.

I mean, here the excitement of the commentator there, commentating on the hockey. I don't think I could do that for the ashes somehow. And yet somehow the Olympics, everyone just buys into this incredible fortnight and watches sports that they've had no interest in before. Possibly it might never do again, but actually it might inspire you actually to take that sport up. Yeah, no, exactly.

And that is the beautiful thing about the Olympic Games. You can be watching such a random sport, like you say. You've never seen them. You barely know the rules, but you get behind these people. I think, yes, because they're British, they're where you come from, they're representing you, and also I think during the Olympics you get to hear some of those stories of those athletes that you know nothing about. Absolutely.

And there are thousands of athletes out there who are working incredibly hard day in, day out, giving absolutely everything for their country to just go to the Olympics and to have even a thought of trying to win a medal in Olympic Games. And that is what's special about it. You start to hear those stories and you get to know these people and what they've been doing, you know, without anybody knowing. Yes. All the train and all the hours they put in.

And then suddenly this is their limelight and you start backing them. It's brilliant. Did you have time to enjoy it before you had to get the flight home? Because it's right towards the end, isn't it? I mean, when it was the closing ceremony on the Sunday, I think, wasn't it? Yes. And this is on the Friday night. Yeah, so the hockey goes over the two weeks.

Yes. Which, you know, so you get the swimmers who they're done in the first week. Absolutely. We'll go out for the second week, trying not to disrupt all the other athletes. But no, yeah, we had a couple of really good nights afterwards. There were a lot of our friends and family who were out in supporting us. And obviously, it was great to be able to do it for all of those people as well because they've been with us every step of the way.

And that first night actually was relatively quiet. But it was, for me, it was perfect because we just went to this hotel really close to the village. on top on the roof of this hotel with all our family and friends just having a quiet drink a bit of dancing a few speeches that kind of thing

but actually you could really enjoy and savour that moment and I will always remember that night and just sitting there as an Olympic champion yeah fantastic and did that sort of complete it for you I mentioned you on four Olympics was that just the perfect

curtain if you like to lower quietly on a very distinguished international career after all. Yeah I think so I think it was something that I'd been chasing and striving for for as like well I

remember going to the Sydney Olympics and you know I was 18 years old and I thought this is going to be amazing you know we're going to go there we're going to win the Olympics we're the comeback heroes and and it wasn't like that you know we didn't do overly well we came 8th but I do remember watching that final

and watching the Australians with the best team at the time getting their gold medals and I thought that that is what I want to be and from that moment I dedicated my life to becoming an Olympic champion and so to achieve that

and bow out on that moment could you see this team forming probably not at Sydney but maybe Beijing after that perhaps I mean, when did this team start to get together? You thought, hang on a minute, this is going to be, this is going to suddenly peak at Rio maybe. I mean, maybe you could almost pick out the years ahead when everyone did mature and you're used to playing together.

Yeah, well, I think there was a definite moment in time when the, I think hockey in our country was rescued a little bit by the London Olympics because we were not in a very good place after Athens. The women hadn't qualified. The men hadn't done overly well. Funding got cut by 70%. and we were in a bad place and then the next year the London Olympics was awarded

and so thankfully funding came back into the sport and so after Beijing as a women's team led by our coach Danny Kerry he was like right we've got an opportunity now to change what we do

to become centralised to train much better much smarter and as a group of women we decided right this is our opportunity we have to grab this and I still remember a meeting that we had back in February 2009 sat in the Bisham Abbey

National Sports Centre one of the meeting rooms there and us just sitting around in a circle okay what do we want to do in London what do we want to achieve and the answer was to try and win gold and bearing in mind we were ranked ninth at the time we were you know we hadn't been on a world podium since 92 as a Great Britain team that was a long way off

for many people in that room but boy am I glad we did it that was the start of that journey I'm going to tell you about my experiences in your sport and then you can tell me about your experiences in mine okay can you mention Bissam Abbey now I play proper hockey okay I played proper hockey

on mud grassy pitches in which you took a great swipe at the ball and a divot used to fly into the opponent's face. Okay, that's proper hockey. I'll never experience that. You see, I bet you didn't. You probably had lovely artificial... Too long ago.

All rolled out. Don't be cheeky. All rolled out. That was proper. I mean, can you imagine playing like that? The ball used to go all over the place. You hit you on the ankle. It was a different game now, isn't it?

Yeah. Different game. It's a really good sport now. It's fast. Love the fact that there's real freedom of move. My steps and is a goalkeeper. It's pretty good. It's brave.

See, that was my second bit. You mentioned Bissom Abbey. there was a million years ago a lovely Radio 4 sports program called Sport on 4 presented by Cliff Morgan absolute legend who won year and I was trying to work it out

when I was preparing for this sometime in the late 90s I think he was poorly or wasn't on holiday and I had to present some of his programmes and I was dispatched to Bissom Abbey one morning I wasn't entirely sure what I was supposed to be doing until I got there but I knew I was doing

something to do with the men's hockey team who were playing that afternoon and international so they were doing their warm-ups getting ready and so on and somebody presented me with all this gold keeping kit and a microphone and said, well, in you go. You're going to go and keep goal. I said, you must be mad. Then I got pushed in, and they were taking short corners, penalty flicks. I mean, that is a crazy, crazy place to be. I know. You have to be a bit mad to be a goalkeeper.

I don't know what it is with presenters. Well, you say you didn't want to go in goal. No. But a lot of presenters that come down and interview us, they're like, yeah, let me put the kit on, let me get in gold. And we're all like, yeah, go on. No, what you can hit them, you mean? You can't do that. Well, I think I got away with it. But it was, I mean, that's a reminder again of when you watch any sport on the telly, what it might be, it all looks very nice, get slow motion replays.

But boy, when you've got, I say, short corners. And I felt they were being kind. I think they were sort of picking their spots because they'd be good enough to do that. Oh, yeah, definitely. Yeah, definitely. I think that's the thing. When you watch sport on TV, and you're watching the very best, and they make it look so easy. Absolutely. And then you go and watch live and you think, oh my goodness, they're moving so far.

I'm thinking about tennis in my head at the moment. You know, you watch on TV, it just looks easy. But then you go and you go and try it yourself and you think, goodness, how did they reach that drop shot? It also struck me that it actually shows how far men's hockey's come too, and that you wouldn't be, well, in cricket you wouldn't have a reporter in goal messing around and one of your warm-ups for an international match. And they were sort of grateful for the publicity, I guess, and so it's moved on. So that's my hockey experience.

What's your cricket experience, Helix? You used to play, didn't you? Yeah, I did used to play. I was brought up in a very sporty family. I've got three older brothers for my sins. And so we played everything when I was growing up. And cricket was very much a part of that. I think my first real memory of playing cricket would have been in the park,

you know, with my brothers, with... I remember my granddad being there as well, and my dad. and, you know, just loving playing cricket. And as I grew up, I, you know, I found that I was reasonably okay at it. What were you doing, bowling, batting? I was a bit of everything, a bit of an all-rounder. I actually really enjoyed fielding as well, randomly fielding in the covers. Yeah, yeah. I can imagine your brothers didn't you give much chance to bat, though.

You'd have done most of the bowling, I suspect, in the garden, I would have thought. Yeah. I think there might have been a few arguments. Actually, we used to do play test matches. Oh, right. Don't we? My brother's here. Your brother's here, sorry.

We used to do test matches. So my brother's on, you know, a little A5 piece of paper would mark out the bowling bit of the scorecard and then you'd have the... Yeah, proper stuff. Is this sad or not? No, and you are not alone. No. And so, and then, you know, in the, very small garden, but, you know, pretty long and thin. Yep.

Perfect for obviously cricket. And I think, you know, I think you've got a... Two runs if you hit the offside wall, one run on the... The apple tree, got a three or something. Yeah, I think it was a six of you actually along the floor. Right. On to the patio. Out of it went out next door to you.

Absolutely. And then obviously you had the cellar tape on the tennis board to try and get a bit of swing. So, yeah, no. That's not sad at all. It's rather nice. Good. Who were you in your mind? Were you actually players? Goodness.

Andy's saying yes. Who are you, Andy? Viv Richards. Oh, he was Viv Richards. Well, that's an easy one. I wonder who, do you have anyone in that you were? He's mouthing Mike Atherton out of it. Yeah.

I'm just wondering whether he was early enough, but yeah, no, Mike Atherton. Have you met Mike Atherton? I think I have. Okay, well, if not, we'll take you around. You have to come and meet him afterwards. You probably pay more shots than he did. That's fair. But I do remember that innings, Mike Atherton against Alan Donald.

Oh, yes. at Trent Bridge. Yeah, that innings. It was Trent Bridge, obviously, growing up in Nottingham was a great ground for us. You used to go? We did go a few times, yeah. Obviously, playing and all different sports couldn't go probably as much as would have liked, but definitely did catch a few matches down at Trent Bridge.

So how did your cricket go then? Because you'd have played with the boys, I guess, up until a certain age. Yes, yeah. So I played at school. Primary school was very lucky that a teacher there, you know, just let me play football and cricket with. the boys. I think I did captain the team there as well

and then actually secondary school I played with the boys as well and I remember getting through to the final which was played at Trent Bridge I don't know it must have been a county type tournament and it was played at Trent Bridge we played against the local private school and I was at a comp

and we had no chance but to go out and actually play at Trent Bridge in a final captain the you know the boys team was a very special moment I always remember that At what point did you find that actually that you couldn't actually carry on with the boys or were you told that you couldn't carry on playing in boys cricket anymore

and had to move exclusively on to women's cricket? No, yeah, I think I got to around under 14s, so I played under 11s, 12s and 13s with the Knott's County with the boys. But I got, yeah, I think it was under 14s, under 15s, I started to feel like, okay, I'm not sure I want to continue playing with the boys anymore. And I started to look for women's teams. I didn't really know they existed, actually. And so, yeah, I started to play cricket with the women.

And back then we wore these really awful white skirts. Oh, I remember. Oh, goodness. You can't play sport. Well, I say that. We play hockey in a skirt, didn't we? And tennis. And tennis, yeah.

Yes. But for some reason, it just felt wrong playing cricket in a skirt. Yes. but yeah long socks white socks yeah that was the thing as well had to be pulled up absolutely

absolutely so that finished off your cricket did it having to worry I think I then got to the age it was about 15 when hockey was really starting to take over I got into the under 16

England hockey team and then it became a bit of a decision you could have played hockey in the winter and cricket in the summer I could have done I could have done I think I did actually

continue playing cricket for fun I did a bit of indoor cricket as well. Oh nice, that is good fun. Yeah, it's really good fun. Yeah, so I really enjoyed that and kept my eye in, but I haven't actually played probably until, since I was about 16, 17.

But I made my senior debut for England when I was 17, so hockey was really quite taken up a lot of time by that point. But you still go and watch, I saw you at the Oval last week. Yes. So you do get your cricket in still? Yeah, yeah. Test cricket mainly? Like the slow burn?

Yes, I'm very much a test, cricket fan. I like the, you know, I really appreciate kind of the chess of the game and, you know, how it ebbs and flows throughout the well, I was going to say five days, but it's rarely five days anymore, is it?

We're trying to drag them out into five days. But yeah, you know, it's a real mental battle, and I think that's what I really like about test cricket. Can you imagine hockey, and there's a number of sports now, the appeal are trying to make to make them quick, and so can you imagine a way which hockey could become

like a T20 format. I mean, is that, could you see that happening to increase appeal of it? Yeah, they're actually, like all sports, they're trying to make it, yeah, I mean, how can you make hockey faster? But they are doing that with hockey fives. Right. So it's like a five-a-side. So they already have indoor hockey, which is fibr-a-side. But they're now trying to create this hockey fives, which is, yeah, five-a-side but outdoors.

Right. So, yeah, trying to make more goals. You're not a same-size pitch? No, not same size pitch I think it's on I don't know Half a pitch maybe quarter of a pitch Something like that, yeah

So I've never played it But I would I think you probably would Do you like that Do you like the sports Moving well Is it moving forward? I don't know

I mean you could also say They're dumbing down And they go chop chop chop Cut cut cut cut Faster faster faster Yeah I don't know I'm It's a tough one for me

Because I remember Hockey is a game That have changed a lot of rules Over the time so they've got rid of, well, turning off-site. Yeah, it is a different game. We could raise our sticks above our shoulders. Yes, exactly.

And now some cracking goals are scored, you know, with sticks overhead. And I remember one rule that came in, and it was the self-pass rule in hockey. And I thought, you can't do that. You know, that's like fundamental rule in a game. You know, if a whistle goes, it's a free hit, you have to pass it to somebody else. and I absolutely loved it when it came in I absolutely loved it and I thought

do you know what some of these rules are brilliant and I think hockey is a sport and I think cricket as well to be fair with the technology that they've brought in has really transformed the game and I think hockey is a sport

that has also tried to do that and I do believe it has moved the sport forward so I try to now whenever these things happen I try to give them a chance You know, I am, I guess, a bit of a traditionalist in that sense, in the sporting sense. But the world has moved on and it does move forwards. Well, it changes.

And we want people to keep playing the sport and be interested in it. And that's the important thing. A year on from Rio, Helen, what have you noticed or have you noticed any change about hockey in general? Not as women's hockey, but also men's too, perhaps, on the back of what you all did over there. And I'm wondering, again, in context really of the women's cricket team, who of course, you know, at the top of the world at the moment, and what they might expect or might learn or might hope from what you've managed to do, and your team has done.

Yeah, well, I think one of the massive things was the interest in our team and our sport straight away. We're really lucky that the Women's World Cup has been hosted in London next year. And I think I'm not too sure of the stats, but the tickets went on sale, but only two people who have bought tickets before and to clubs

and they sold 20,000 tickets in the first hour and you're like, that is ridiculous that is unprecedented. That is unprecedented and you know it's the same with the cricket the women's cricket world cup I mean what to sit you know to unfortunately I wasn't able to be at Lords for that final but I was listening to TMS

an a rainy Isle of White um cry my eyes out listening to Claire Conner and Karen Smith is and, you know, hearing their memories and you could sense the emotion in them because of where they had been with cricket and the sport and seeing where it had come.

Yes. And where it got to now. And it's exactly, and I was crying because it was exactly the same emotions that I was feeling, you know, where we were as a sport. And women's sport is moving forward. It is, I think, the quality

The recognition of it. And the recognition, yeah. And that's my point, really. I mean, you talk about when you were 17, picked the England youth team where it was for hockey. And I can sort of imagine what it must have been like them, but probably pretty amateur, was it?

And, you know, so you really have been there all the way from, well, from the start, really, as to where your sport is and where women's cricket has become? Was it frustrating when you were playing? Sydney Olympics, and the lead up to that, say,

were you frustrated that people might have been focusing more on what men were doing or something. I mean, did you as a women's team always feel that you were being rather overlooked? And you were playing a men's sport, for instance? Yeah, do you know, I didn't necessarily feel that in hockey. I think it is probably more even than the likes of cricket and rugby and football, for sure.

So I didn't necessarily feel that as I was growing up. I do feel there is a bit of inequality in certain areas with opportunities with more opportunities for men in hockey at the moment which is frustrating to see but yeah I mean when I was when I was that age I didn't necessarily feel it you know I think I was just absorbed in my own world

when you're younger you don't really necessarily see the bigger picture as much one area that surely women's sport does lead the way is the acceptance of gay people you mentioned Kate it seems to me men's cricket seems to be a long way away from being in that sort of same situation why do you think it is that women's sport

I mean is it just more comfortable for more welcoming for gay people to play yeah I think I think so I think it was certainly an environment where I felt most comfortable you know for me playing sport was a bit of an escape

when you're out on that field whatever field it was a cricket pitch a hockey pitch know, the football pitch, you can just be you. And that's what I really loved about sport. And I do think that it is very much accepted. And, you know, and I think in the wider community and wider society, we are starting to accept it a lot more. And I think, you know, that's why myself and Kate are open about it.

I think it's important for people, if they can, to be themselves. and, you know, just be normal. Yeah. Can you imagine a situation, I don't know, how many years down the line when you have got Premiers or, you know, test cricketers, or whatever it might be.

It just seems that the men's world still seems to be some of this barrier that it still exists. It is, and I think it's a wider cultural and social thing that plays a part in that. You know, obviously the sporting male world is a very macho, macho world. and you have to live up to certain expectations.

And I think that's that wider cultural thing. And I do think, though, we put almost a bit of pressure on particularly football. You know, if a male footballer was to come out, that would be amazing. You know, it would really change things. And I do, I do... Do you understand why they don't? Oh, absolutely. Yeah, I do.

I do. You know, in general, everybody's been fantastic with myself and Kate, but there has been the odd tweet or, you know, and it's literally the odd one, but it does get to you. It's the one that hurts. Exactly. And so I can 100% understand why they don't, because it would be an exceptionally tough place to be.

But I do know that there are lots of organisations like Kick It Out and I'm actually the patron of the Proud Lily Whites because I'm a Spurs fan. Spurs, yes. So what does that do? And so they, I think, just try and... Is that women only again? No, so that's the LGBT supporters network for Spurs, and lots of other football teams are introducing them into their clubs as well.

And I think it's just trying to show that their club and their sport is okay with... well, they're including everybody into their community. And I think the more it is seen, the more it is shown, then hopefully the more people will feel welcome in those environments and feel okay to be themselves in those environments. And if they see something, you know, if somebody else sees something going on that's not right, then they will be prepared to say, hold on a minute,

you can't say that or you can't do that. and I think we are moving in the right direction but we have got a long way to go but do you think we've come quite a long way quite quickly oh yes definitely definitely I think we have you and I be having this conversation 15 20 years ago no no exactly and so I think yeah I think it is it is definitely definitely moving well she got the OBU and he got the em what was that like as well I know again that's another cause I think of a very a huge row in our household, I'm sorry. If she got the O and I got the O, I'll be disappointed with that.

I mean, how did you swallow that one? I think it's because she got the MBE the year before. Oh, I see. She got promoted. Yeah, and then she got the promotion, yeah, afterwards. So, yeah, no, I'm obviously incredibly proud of Kate for what she's also achieved. I mean, I think, actually, we both made our debuts in 99, and our careers have pretty much mirrored each other. I've missed a couple of tournaments due to quite bad injuries.

injuries, and they're the only kind of things I've missed. I was reading somewhere that she was captain, of course, broke her jaw to the middle of a game, and rather than you obviously worry about her and what she's doing, and so you had to be captain and carry on playing the game. I mean, how on earth did that feel? Well, yeah, I mean, it was in the London Olympics, and there was only four minutes on the clock, yeah, four minutes left on the clock, we're four nil up against Japan. So there wasn't long left.

No. And so, yeah, obviously just played out that game. And, I mean, that was a pretty awful moment. Yeah, it must have been. Just stretched off and gone. Yeah, she, you know, well, walked off. And she said that as soon as she got hit, she knew something was very badly wrong. She always says that if you felt her teeth across the wrong place.

That's too much information. I know, sorry. but yeah and it was obviously it was a difficult time obviously you know we've been through so much you know you're at the home olympic games you're trained incredibly hard you know in as a team you're thinking we could medal here we could be on that podium and so for her she's thinking you're very determined face there by way i can see no because you're very smiley but actually you get you get a bit steely can't you yeah very yeah i saw a glint there i saw i saw a glint Yeah, but yeah, no, it was a difficult time

But if there was any chance that she was going to come back And she obviously had surgery And they put a metal plate in the jaw And I think she missed two games And then managed to come back on the pitch We've got a Twitter question here What have Helen Richardson Walsh And Henry Blofeldt got in common

We've both got buses named after them in Nottingham You've got your bus, have you, Nottingham? Yes. A bus and not a tram. Stuart Broad's got a tram. Yes, he has. Blowers has got a bus. And you've got a bus, yeah.

It's the number eight, which is my number. And it goes at the top of my mum's road. So my mum gets on my bus, which is, I know. I mean, that was, that kind of stuff, that's mad. Yes. You know, a local brewery in Nottingham also named a beer after me. I think my brothers were like, right, right now, that is, you know, The Olympic Games, that's all right, but you've got your own beer.

This is the little sister playing in the garden. I know, exactly. That was one of many fascinating interviews. We've been lucky enough to enjoy over the years, from prime ministers to rock stars to Oscar winners. And so many of them are already available via BBC sounds, including His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh. I had a short period after the war when I played at Windsor.

The marvelous Do you remember the cartoonist Jackie Broom? Oh yes, yes. Oh, yes. And I remember one glorious occasion when I thought I'd bowl a googly It came out of the back of my hand

But when I did it When it hit the ground It did actually go the wrong way But this time it flew fairly high into the air And so Jackie Broom's all this coming and ducked Whereupon it hit the wicked full toss he then did a splendid

cartoon of this ball arriving. Spedeguze dropper, cotton ball, and the thing like it. But again, in my research is I'm told that you took one for 12 against Hampshire. That must have been probably

at Highclare, I should think. It probably... Well, we had a... Do you remember George Newman? Yes, indeed, yeah. Well, he organised a series of charity matches for the National Playfield Association.

The first one was at Bournemouth, actually. Is it? Yeah, and it was the first time I'd ever play. on a sort of good pitch at first said, I rather enjoyed it. And of course, playing with what amounted to first-class cricketers, either active or retired, they had a marvellous way of organising the game.

They're very cunning, aren't there? And everybody was allowed to get off the mark, but there came a moment when it was considered that they'd had enough. Things got quite serious, though. You were a bit lucky because Porchy was once going in in one of his games, and Ingleman McKenzie said to Butch White, was a very far bowler, give him one. Give him one, like you said, give him money, get off the ball.

And Butch wife told him, give him money, he took a 35-yard run and said with a tremendous be-bours, which rather shook for you. Well, we'll keep on bringing you these classic View from the Boundary interviews as part of our 40 from 40 series. Just subscribe via BBC Sounds to make sure you hear them all. Classic View from the Boundary on the TMS podcast. Alan Shear and Ian Wright are in my kitchen. What's going on?

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