Denis Compton interviewed by Geoffrey Moorhouse

Reference

AV/4/53

Date:

1989-07-28

Level of description

item

Extent

1 cassette: 1 side, total time 33 minutes 58 seconds

Part of

Audio Cassettes (AV/4)

Scope and Content

Cassette recording, D C S Compton, Middlesex and England cricketer, interviewed by Geoffrey Moorhouse in the Long Room at Lord's Cricket Ground. The recording consists of one side of a cassette.

[0:00-0:50] Moorhouse explains that Compton arrived late to the interview due to problems with his car, [0:50-4:35] Compton talks about his first visit to Lord's in 1932 to play for the Elementary Schools, scoring a century and meeting P F Warner who invited Compton to join the Lord's Ground Staff, and being approached to play for Arsenal Football Club around the same time, [4:35-7:15] Compton talks about the work he did at Lord's including selling scorecards, sweeping the lawns and being coached in the nets where he developed his sweep stroke and recalls the times he was given out from using the shot, [7:15-9:25] Compton talks about the discipline he experienced while working on the ground staff at Lord's and his respect for the history of cricket, [9:25-11:20] Compton talks about the relationship between MCC Young Professionals and MCC Members who Compton would bowl at in the nets as a young professional and get paid for, and bowling to C Aubrey Smith, [11:20-12:40] Compton talks about supporting Surrey County Cricket Club prior to joining Middlesex, and his admiration for Sir J B Hobbs, [12:40-15:45] Compton talks about his memories of his Middlesex teammates including J M Sims, and umpires he recalled including Alec Skelding, [15:45-16:20] Compton talks about Frank Chester, [16:20-21:15] Compton talks about the atmosphere at Lord's when he played compared to other grounds, and the differences between the crowds at Lord's and at other grounds, [21:15-25:05] Compton talks about the slope at Lord's and how it didn't affect his batting, and his preference for batting facing the Pavilion, and batting at Headingley, and his admiration for the fact that Yorkshire had not signed an overseas player (at the time of recording), [25:05-29:05] Compton talks about the 1947 season including the centuries he scored and his success in that season, and playing at Swansea during that season against Glamorgan and being bowled for 0 by J C Clay, [29:05-33:58] Compton compares Lord's in 1989 to when he first visited the Ground, and his admiration for the new Mound Stand, Moorhouse's dislike of the clock at Lord's, Compton's belief that the Grand Stand be improved, and both Compton and Moorhouse talks about Australian cricket grounds, and Compton's favourite grounds including Newlands in Cape Town, and cricket grounds in England he liked and his dislike of Headingley.

Associations

Geoffrey Moorhouse
Denis Charles Scott Compton
Sir Pelham Francis Warner
Charles Aubrey Smith
Arsenal Football Club
Middlesex County Cricket Club
Sir John Berry Hobbs
Surrey County Cricket Club
Yorkshire County Cricket Club
James Morton Sims
Alexander Skelding
Frank Chester
John Charles Clay

Subject

MCC Ground staff, Mound Stand, Lord's Slope

Institution name

Marylebone Cricket Club

Conditions governing access

Open

Language

English, 6574, , , , , , , , ,

Size

1 cassette: 1 side, total time 33 minutes 58 seconds

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  • Denis Compton interviewed by Geoffrey Moorhouse (AV/4/53)