The late
Sir Henry Irving and a friend fell in with a native on the outskirts
of the town, and being anxious to test the local reputation of the
poet asked the man if he had heard of a person named Shakespeare. The
man assented and volunteered the information that he was a writer. Did
he "know what Shakespeare had written?" Their informant could not say,
but, a moment after they had parted, he called back that he believed
he had written "part of the Bible."
An ancient villager, who was secretary of our Club and always acted as
umpire, gave me "out," incorrectly, for accidentally touching the
wicket when the ball was "dead." I retired without contesting his
decision, as I had been taught. Next time we met he apologized, having
discovered his mistake, but he was greatly impressed by my practical
example of "playing the game."
Cricket, though popular in my first years at Aldington, gradually
became difficult to arrange. As the market-garden industry superseded
farming, the young men found full employment for the long summer
evenings on their allotments and those of their parents. In the
winter, when horticultural work is not so pressing, they had plenty of
time on their hands, and a football club was formed. It flourished
exceedingly, and Badsey became almost invincible among the
neighbouring villages and even against the towns.
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