Just enjoyed a couple of hours up there....IPA Smooth £2.50 a pint!!!!
Hartlepool 2nds v Sedgefield 1sts!!!!
Had to come home though....fucking burning....an absolute sun trap!!!!

Btw....didn't a Pools team play Darlo there a few years ago....Brian Honour's testimonial????

Back in the day Pools used to have a game of cricket at Park Drive with HCC.

I remember it happening once in about 1994, Pools wore the green ‘Loki’ kit. My Dad was out first ball of the match cDalton bTinkler! It might have been for Brian Honours testimonial then we had one about five years ago for Richie Humphreys testimonial, Peter Beardsley spoke in the club on the night.

No better place in the Town on a nice day!

Actually Mr Mutley could be right I do vaguely remember a Pools vDarlo match as well?

Can't beat it on a nice day and Double Maxim on draught

Can’t beat Park Drive when I’m watching my kids play cricket in the sunshine drinking relatively cheap but good quality beer #parklfe #lovingit

Bloody hell PJ. If that’s John Tinkler, your dad must have been unlucky. I’ve played with Tinks; he can hold a bat, but wouldn’t describe him as a bowler!

I think he had a bet that he was going to hit the first ball of the match for 6 and top edged a long hop!

The venue is a credit to the town.

That sounds a great day out but aren't the kids a bit young for that? Are glasses even allowed on the pitch?

That's how I've always taken wickets. Three yesterday; 2 full bungers hit straight to fielders, and a leg side strangle. I've always said it's best to be a lucky bowler, rather than a good one.

Get involved in coaching the kids; clubs need volunteers to survive. I miss having a beer when watching my lad's coaching sessions, but it's much more fun helping out.

I would if I could, but am never able to get there for the start of the session as it clashes with the kids footie training, literally whip them straight from footie to cricket. Which is probably why I’m ready for a beer when I do get there!

I bet the attitude of the parents is better at the cricket.

They have more respect for the match officials. You never hear a cricket crowd chanting 'Who's the bastard in the hat?'

You’d be surprised. In fact I’m not sure that you would be if you remembered how pushy and cliquey some of the parents there were when we were kids- there’s still plenty of those about now.

Have you never been on the Western Terrace at Headingley?

I can remember going to Park drive for the dance festival back in the midst of time

I still have nightmares about those school dance festivals....I had to dance with Mucky Francis!!!!

Worst day of the school year by a good margin. Whole event ran on fear of what would happen to you if the teachers saw you making no effort and what would happen if your mates saw you showing any enthusiasm at all. You're not alone with the nightmares Mutley, everybody who took part was scarred for life.

I guess that was one (perhaps the only) advantage of an all-boys school.
To be honest I'd never even heard of school dance festivals until now.

It's probably nostalgia, but I only have fond memories of my one season down there. I felt out of my depth, and was subject to a fair few 'yakker' digs, but I was definitely welcomed and loved being part of the club. That U18s team had some seriously good cricketers, some of whom were already playing 1s or 2s, yet the egos weren't that big. I think it helped that the pro that year was down at junior nets quite a few times, and certainly made it feel a cohesive and inclusive club.

You’re right about the club being inclusive I can’t disagree with you on that at all and the majority of the people running it were fantastic, but some of the parents at the time were definitely a nuisance and make some of the worst footie parents look like angels!

And I was probably extremely guilty of most of the yakker stuff but it was all meant in jest rather than any malice!

Good to see that (young) Michael Gough is serving as one of the match officials at the Lords Test today.