Richard C Sargent, of Idle, (above) is one of the most effective bowlers in the Bradford League and most people see in him a recruit which it will be worth the county’s while to secure when first-class cricket is resumed. In 1914 he accomplished some encouraging performances for Yorkshire second eleven. For Yorkshire against the Huddersfield district he secured 13 wickets for 91 runs and against East Riding in one innings at Beverley, eight for 38. On Saturday, against Eccleshill, he obtained eight wickets, seven clean bowled, at a cost of 15 runs. Of the 45 balls he sent down, runs were gathered from only six.

Idle bowler waiting to get his Yorkshire chance

Shipley Council’s Higher Education sub-committee received a letter from Mr J W Hampson on behalf of the Saltaire Wesleyan cricket club. The club owed the committee £11 5s 6d for one and a half year’s rent on the recreation ground in Albert Road. They asked if, ‘as nearly all the members of the club had joined H.M. forces and the field had not been used by the club this year, the committee would accept one year’s rent (£7. 10s) in settlement. ‘It was decided that as, in deference to the wishes of the Saltaire Wesleyan CC, about two years ago the Education Committee declined the application of another cricket club, consisting partly of old Salt School boys, to rent the fields, the committee do not now consider that they are called upon to make any reduction from the amount of rent due.’

Committee turns down cricket club’s plea for reduced rent

Soldier boxers to scrap for title over 20 rounds

Two soldiers were set to slug it out over 20 rounds for the light- heavyweight championship of the British Empire at Bradford City’s Valley Parade ground on 5 August. Defending champion was Bandsman Sgt Race, who ‘has defeated almost every heavyweight boxer of note in England, France and Australia. He also gave Bombardier Wells the hardest contest of his life.’ His opponent was Sgt Harry Carson D.C.M., who recently fought Sgt Dick Smith over 20 rounds for the light- heavyweight championship of England and the Lord Lonsdale Belt.

SPORT

Musama gave over most of his weekly music column to “Concerts at the Front,” a pamphlet issued by Lena Ashwell (right) who was raising money for the shows she put on for serving men and women. The present scheme was started in February 1915 since which time well over 2,000 concerts have been given. There are two concert parties at work at once among the base camps in France – one on the longer route, Rouen and Havre, the other on the Dieppe and Boulogne route. The one stays a month, the other three weeks, and by giving three concerts a day, the principal centres and hospitals get a concert once a month. A notable and peculiar event is the “officers” and “nurses” concert as this is the only occasion when the nurses from the different hospitals meet each other and pauses between the musical items are given so that they may have conversation. Piano is conjured up During these summer months the concerts are invariably given out of doors. The YMCA are largely instrumental in making the arrangements. A little platform may be seen erected by the wayside or in a convenient field – a piano is conjured up from somewhere and the concert party, rather like a band of strolling gipsies “under the greenwood tree,” play and sing to an audience stretched at ease upon the grass. If the concert is at a camp hospital, the wounded are wheeled out or carried out in their beds. To say that the concerts are appreciated is to use a feeble expression. The pamphlet says: “the visit of a concert party is an event looked forward to for weeks beforehand and talked of for weeks afterwards. The men welcome the music as if they were hungry and thirsty for the beauty and comfort of it and it was a touching surprise to find out how much the concerts were needed. It was an even greater surprise to find that it was the good music, true music that they loved most.”

Concerts to lift spirits at the Front

Mr Francis Jagger applied to the court to evict James Oddy who was his tenant at 16 Lane End, Baildon, claiming that he was owed £2 6s in back rent. The house was let at a weekly rent of 2s and Mr Oddy had admitted that he was in considerable arrears. The court heard he had earned 36s per week at the combing shed but was not working now ‘but he won’t pay the rent when he is working. ‘The defendant did not appear and the usual order was made.’

Landlord wins eviction order for rent arrears

Shipley Education Committee were concerned about a reduction in their income and how best to use the money they did have wisely while fulfilling their obligations The committee’s main source of income was a government attendance allowance but in the last three weeks in June, attendance local had only been 2,910 compared to 3.127 in the same period the previous year. According to Alderman Dunn this was likely to reduce the committee’s income by several hundred pounds. Drastic Cllr Reynolds said that he had previously called attention to the decline in attendance in the hope that something drastic would be done to improve the situation. He predicted the committee “will financially be a long way on the wrong side at the end of the year. “I don’t know exactly what to suggest but we cannot be satisfied with only

87 per cent in the summer months, although it may be considered satisfactory in the winter. “I understand that attendances are fewer throughout the country and that the war is said to be at the root of the matter. “In my opinion people should take more interest in their children and I hope they will send them to school as regularly as possible.” Cllr C E Learoyd, the committee chairman, said he was glad attention had been drawn to the matter. He pointed out that part of the reason might be that “The attendance committee are reluctant to take out summonses against parents at the present time and magistrates are not over anxious to make a conviction.

“If parents will only use their influence, they can do far more good than anything the committee can do.” The committee also discussed ways they could make economies on the provision of school meals. The number of ‘necessitous children’ who had to be fed had more than halved in the previous year, down from 72 to 31, making the maintenance of a special food kitchen uneconomical. Matron It was suggested they should consider giving Mrs Pickard, the matron of the kitchen, two weeks’ holiday with salary and that the kitchen should close from 29 July until further notice. Meanwhile they would make enquiries if other suitable arrangements could be made to feed the children with dinner tickets in some other place or places.

Education Committee urges parents to do more as declining attendance eats into school budgets

Archie Hodgson of Melbourne St, Saltaire Road, met with an accident on Saturday evening. He was cycling down Briggate in the direction of Windhill when his machine skidded on the tram lines and he was thrown violently over the handle bars into the roadway, sustaining nasty injuries to the head. He was picked up by Mr Joseph Dibb and Mr James Craven and taken into the Bull Hotel, opposite where the accident occurred and after he had been attended to by Dr Bonner, who was quickly on the scene, he was conveyed home in a cab.

Cyclist hurt after he skidded on tram lines

Girls High School appoints new teachers

Miss Ethel Knowles, B.A. and Miss Dorothy Thornton, B.Sc. have been appointed assistant mistresses at the Girls High School, Saltaire, the former at a salary of £120 per annum and the latter at £110.

A report of a fund raising garden party by Shipley Unionists included descriptions of some of the activities, many of which were run by one local clan. ‘Mrs Beecroft and Mrs Parkinson were at the head of the tea department and they worked like Trojans, whilst those in charge of the buffet – who were very assiduous in the discharge of their duties – were Mrs Cowie, Mrs Rimmington, Mrs Gill and Miss Cowie. Mrs Gill was at the head of the work stall and she and her assistants were kept busy disposing of their wares. ‘The ice-cream stall, which was under the management of Miss Gibbon, was the centre of attraction, not only of the juveniles but of many of the grown-ups as well. The attendants of the flower stall were Mrs S Rhodes, Mrs F F Rhodes, Miss Queenie Rhodes, Miss Dorothy Rhodes and Miss Winnie Smith and few if any visitors were able to resist the appeals for patronage on the part of these zealous “flower girls.” Shooting range ‘Mr George Stell made a good “showman.” He adopted just the right methods and there was little wonder that he attracted a large clientele to his “hoop-la.” Most of the male visitors wanted to “have a pop” when they saw the shooting range and those who did were readily “armed” by the smart lads who had charge of the range. These were Masters Rex Rhodes and Harold Rhodes ‘It cannot be said that there “more kicks than half pence” for Mr Joe Rhodes. This gentleman was in charge of the stand where you were asked to make an attempt to kick a football through a hole which was by no means a big one. Patrons had to pay a penny for each kick and as the kickers were very rarely good but rather almost always bad or indifferent, “Joe” was able – and at this he was delighted – to hand over a good sum to the treasurer. Mr Arthur Robson set up a motor-car service, running visitors to Burley and back at a charge of one shilling and in this way the funds were considerably augmented.’

Many Rhodes lead to boost in funds