Afternoon Service at Mellstock
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On afternoons of drowsy calm
We stood in the panelled pew,
Singing one-voiced a Tate-and-Brady psalm
To the tune of ‘Cambridge New’.
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We watched the elms, we watched the rooks,
The clouds upon the breeze,
Between the whiles of glancing at our books,
And swaying like the trees.
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So mindless were those outpourings!-
Though I am not aware
That I have gained by subtle thought on things
Since we stood palming there.
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by Thomas Hardy (1840 – 1928)
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Tuesday 1st July 2025
Pre-Season Friendly
Deeping Rangers 6
Alec Muzychuk 43, James Stainsby 45+2, Scott Walmsley 53, 57, 73, 80,
Whittlesey 1
Kyle Hibbins 9,
Referee: Junior Jones. Attendance: 90
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
This match was played on an outside pitch at Deeping Rangers football ground and for a pre-season game, so early, there was a healthy attendance. The pitch was railed with a substantial dugout complex which actually served two pitches side by side. The hosts started slowly and found themselves a goal adrift as early as the ninth minute due to a serious custodial error. Two goals just before the interval, put the hosts in front and thereafter, with a host of second half substitutes to both sides, the home side gained complete control with Scott Walmsley running riot with four second half strikes.
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Wednesday 2nd July 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek League (@Thrapston)
Thrapston (Yellow) Women (won toss) 154 for 5 (20 overs)
defeated
Findon Dolben Women 77 all out (14.2 overs)
by 77 runs
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
The Northants Women’s midweek league is an eight a-side tournament held on Wednesday evenings from 6.00pm. Thrapston Yellow are the stronger of the two Thrapston Women’s teams (the other being Thrapston Green) and Fined Dolben Women were under strength this evening. It was a fairly easy and convincing victory for the hosts.
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Friday 4th July 2025
Pre-Season Friendly
Ilminster Town 3
Tom Case 22, Taylor Jefferson 35, Karl Davis 41,
Chard Town 0
Referee: James Knowles. Attendance: 114
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
Ilminster, the town on the River Isle, with the church (minster?) of St Mary and a population of just under six thousand. Ilminster Town FC, newly promoted to The South West Peninsular League against Chard Town, formerly of The Western League, but demoted by The FA because the slope on their ground was too steep! They’d been playing there for over 100 years without complaint and suddenly the men in suits decided the slope was unsafe. It makes me really angry! Chard Town now play in the premier division of The Somerset League, a great shame! This evening in fine weather, the parvenu struck three times in the opening period against a lacklustre visiting side, but the second half was a different story. Several substitutes were used by both sides and the visitors were much better defensively and kept the hosts at arms length with ease, but without being able to reduce the deficit. Healthy attendance, but the stand and floodlights required for the new level of football are yet to be installed!
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Saturday 5th July 2025 (k.o.: 11.30am)
Pre-Season Friendly
Millbrook 0
Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police 1
Tom Burt 48,
Referee: Dave England. Attendance: 37
Admission: OAP £1.00 (£2). Programme: NONE
Jenkins Park is not the easiest arena to access! We crossed Torpoint Sound by ferry and even a sliver of The River Tamar by ford! It is a pretty impressive stadium when you get there with a 120 seat stand and cover behind the near goal. There is a high class food outlet and a bar and raffle tickets were available priced at £1.00. Eddie Green is a former Premier League referee and international linesman, now long retired, but his love of the game keeps him occupied as the kitman and general factotum for Stoke Gabriel & Torbay Police, today’s visitors. His team rewarded his efforts with a comfortable victory, even if the margin was only one goal.
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Saturday 5th July 2025 (k.o.: 2.30pm)
Pre-Season Friendly
Roche 4
Cory Hall 11, Jack Bragg 21, Jack Buzza 34, Harley Coad 44,
Goonhavern 4
Louis Brown 16, 88, Jayden Taylor 28, 64,
Referee:- Sam Doble Attendance: 28
Admission: F.O.C. Programme: NONE
The afternoon in deepest Cornwall was drizzly wet and with an eightieth birthday party taking place in the clubhouse, there was no cover (and no hardstanding) at the ground. The arena is overlooked by The Rock after which Roche (French for “rock”) is named. There are several legends about it and evidence of a former building at the top, brooding over the football proceedings below! Roche have just been relegated from the St Pirans League Division 1 East to Division 2 East and we saw them on 19th April at Nanpean where they were well beaten by 6-0. Goonhavern are currently playing in Division 2 West of the same league. The two clubs are about twenty miles apart. Roche, despite last season’s disaster when they won only one of twenty-two games, were dominant in the first half and took a commanding 4-2 lead into the interval. The visitors became increasingly confident as the second half wore on, pulling one goal back on the hour mark and pinching a draw with an eighty-eighth minute equaliser. Good game. With John Main.
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Sunday 6th July 2025
East Midlands Women’s Cricket League Premier Division (@ Kibworth)
Kibworth Women 41 all out (19.2 overs)
lost to
Gedling Colliery Women (won toss) 42 for 4 (13.5 overs)
by six wickets
Umpires: Mark Chester & Eddie McGeown
Rain! Sometimes very heavy rain, all morning and into the afternoon, meant that this match didn’t get under way until 3.30pm and was reduced to twenty-five overs per side. Kibworth had a poor innings and subsided to a mere 41 all out at barely two runs an over. They bowled a lot better than they batted and managed to garner four wickets (and several dropped catches), before the visitors gained the victory. The hosts provided an excellent tea in the main pavilion and at the end of the match, there was a sweet course available in addition to a free pint for the umpires!
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Wednesday 9th July 2025
Northants Women’s Midweek League (@Thrapston)
Irthlingborough CC Women 75 for 6 (20 overs)
lost to
Thrapston CC Women (Green) (won toss) 76 for 1 (10.4 overs)
by six wickets
Umpire: Eddie McGeown
On a beautiful, warm summer’s evening, this match was completed in under two hours with the hosts restricting Irthlingborough Women to a mere 75 off their twenty overs. They used seven bowlers and all contributed to either taking wickets or keeping the total runs conceded to a minimum. When it came their turn to bat, they polished off the required total in less than eleven overs for a straightforward and impressive victory.
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Saturday 12th July 2025
Pre-Season Friendly
Fulwood Amateurs 1
Theo Ball 54 (pen),
Warrington Rylands 4
Jake Burton 3, Ben Fildes 69, Kris Smith 85, Eric Yahaha 88,
(Tunde Owalabi missed penalty 45,)
Referee: Phil Peltier. Attendance: 122
Admission: OAP £3.00 (£5). Programme: NONE
Newcomers to the North-West Counties League, Fulwood Amateurs play their games on land that is adjacent to (and formerly owned by) Preston Grasshoppers RUFC. There is extensive cover behind one goal and (uncovered) seating for around 100 souls. A scheme for the installation of floodlights is already well advanced at a projected cost of some £80k. Additionally, there is a bar and food outlet and blessed shade on the far side under the cover of the trees! Today, they were soundly trounced by a team three steps above them in the pyramid, but there is no doubting their commitment and determination and they deserve to succeed! With John Main.
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Behind the goal at one end is a covered standing area that used to be a golf range (in fact I think it is still called by that name), you can make out the structure in the above picture.
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Monday 14th July 2025
Pre-Season Friendly
St Ives Town 0
Corby Town 2
Connor Tomlinson 69, Reuben Marshall 72,
Referee: Aimee Keir. Attendance: 143
Admission: OAP £4.00 (£6). Programme: NONE
Deep in Cambridgeshire, on the banks of The River Great Ouse is Westwood Road, home of St Ives Town who now have a 3G surface for their matches. Tonight’s visitors, Corby Town, are a division below the hosts in the pyramid, but after a turgid opening period, they belied there apparent inferiority with two late goals to achieve a well deserved victory. With son, Mike, and grandson, Freddie.
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