The photo on the next page was taken in the very hot summer of 1976, or ‘the drought’ as it was known. I was ten years old and my parents had taken me to a Lord’s Taverners’ charity cricket match at, I think, Burghley House near Stamford in Lincolnshire.
You paid to have your picture taken with some of the famous people playing in the charity match. I had my photo taken with both Eric Morecambe and Tom Baker, who was then Dr Who. I asked Tom if he wore his long scarf to play cricket. He told me he left the famous garment in the pavilion as he was worried about tripping over it.
Eric gave me his pint to hold for the picture. I was shy, I think, and we never drank beer at home!
Eric with Tania Glyde at a Lord’s Taverners’ charity cricket match. She had been in the autograph queue and kindly sent me this photo for inclusion in the book.
Eric had played cricket at many charity matches down the years, but when joining the Taverners, he made the decision to stick to using his image to sell the charity rather than continue to join in the actual sporting event. I will always remember a Taverners’ cricket match at Blenheim Palace in the mid-seventies, and the commentator’s voice coming over the speakers: ‘And Eric Morecambe is STILL signing autographs!’ – GM