7. Limpsfield - A High Street of Cricketers

Residents of Limpsfield are surely grateful to the work of Kay Percy OBE for her work in detailing the History of the ancient Village of Limpsfield – particularly her book ‘Limpsfield Explored’ (1975) which brings life to the many dwellings connected to or bearing the family name of local Cricketing characters.

I have often thought that it would be possible to write a page or two on the Cricketing households of Limpsfield High Street and the attaching press cutting provides many names that can be easily matched to properties in the Village to this day .

This article is taken from qa 1936 article in the Westerham Courier entitled “Well known Cricketers of Limpsfield”

"The only Limpsfield Cricketer still in the village is Mr Harry Keeler and he recalls that because the 1865 match was played in August, some of the regular players were not in the side.

Mr Keeler, who is the Limpsfield tailor, had a long cricketing career and was also a footballer and a runner. He started in his early ‘teens and was good with the bat and in the field and also as a bowler. After the last war, he helped to revive the Club and was captain for several seasons.

Dr W.P. Wynne, who captained the 1895 side, was in practice in the village and built Brambletye, where Dr G.D.Laing, also a prominent sportsman, now resides.
George Loveland and John Brasier were both builders and both died in 1932. Mr Loveland was a deceptive left hand bowler and was a trial to many famous cricketers in matches on Limpsfield Common : the great “WG” once said of him “I don’t want any more of him”.

Mr Brasier played regularly for the Club until he was 70, and after he was 50 made a new reputation as a wicket keeper.

Mr Ambrose Boyson lived in the Manor House and Mr Hardy was his Butler. Mr N Hudson, a chicken farmer, lived at the Bowling Green on the Common and allowed the Club to use part of his house as a Pavilion, a use to which the premises (now the British Legion Club) are still put today.

Jim and Jack Bannister were brothers, and like the Skinners and Jells of Godstone, were excellent cricketers. Jim Bannister, who was a very good bat, was at one time on the ground staff at Oxford when Mr H.D.G. Leveson-Gower was at the University : his brother was afterwards Groundsman at Oxted.

Mr Jack Webster was in business in the Village and Mr A.G. Avanal was apprenticed to Mr Keeler.."