On arriving in Clacton with wife Carol from his native Yorkshire to join the North Clacton General Practice in 1970, Dick joined Clacton Cricket Club as a player in 1972. He was primarily a seam bowler, but he proved a hard-hitting batsman, batting in the middle to late order. He played in fifty first-eleven matches in five – he played no cricket in the 1973 season - seasons, making only three appearance in the 1977 season. His best bowling performance was four wickets for fifty-one runs against Ipswich & East Suffolk at Vista Road in his first season. In his thirty-four innings he made 358 runs at an average of 11.58, with a best score of thirty-seven not out against Braintree in the 1974 season. He more or less retired from playing at the end of 1977, although he did make the numbers up on a few occasions for the second eleven in the 1982, 1983 and 1987 seasons. His record for the second eleven in seven appearances was 67 runs and six wickets.

As he played no cricket in the 1978 season he joined the list of Vice-Presidents and continued as a Vice-President until he was elected as an Honorary Life-Member in 1995 in recognition of his devoted services to the Club over a great number of years. That year – 1978 - he served on the management committee, but due to work commitments did not serve on the committee again until 1983. In 1985 he became Vice-Chairman, a position he held for eight years.

Probably the biggest contribution he made to the Club was in his role as the first Chairman of Clacton Cricket and Hockey Club. On 30th November 1987 the first meeting of a Clacton Cricket and Hockey Club management steering committee took place. Dick was elected Chairman. The objectives of this committee were to oversee the building of the new cricket pavilion, which Tendring District Council were planning to build to replace the old cricket pavilion. The new pavilion was to be shared by the cricket club and Clacton Hockey Club. The steering committee had to raise the sum of £35,000 which would be handed over to the Council at the opening of the new pavilion. The final objective was to formulate a constitution for the management of the pavilion, following possession. In 1989, after two years of debate, planning and some little impatience, the new pavilion finally became reality. The Club, together with Clacton Hockey Club, were showing off their new home to a packed audience on 24th April. Trevor Brooking M.B.E. (of West Ham United and England fame) opened the new pavilion. Dick was to remain Chairman of Clacton Cricket and Hockey Club until December 1991.

In the 1989 season (the first in the new pavilion) Dick managed the Young Clacton team that participated in the Clacton Gazette League, a team which included his eldest son Paul. He also organised a colts cricket week. Dick reported that fine weather coupled with the superb new facilities at Vista Road ensured an excellent week of cricket for what proved to be the Colts most successful season in the Club’s history. He again managed the Young Clacton team the following season.

Dick was an avid tourist, keeping us much entertained on our longish coach journeys. He was a member of the touring parties to Yorkshire and Leicestershire in 1985 and 1986. He acted as team medical officer and spokesman-in-chief and was basically the tour manager, having at times to keep some tourists in order. In the 1985 annual report Alan Reynolds (former player) stated that Dick, being a poor sleeper, was always first at breakfast and throughout the day would capture the tour’s magic moments on film. Dick assumed the same role in 1990 and 1991 when the Club embarked on tours to Sussex.

Many retired cricketers take to the golf course. Dick was no exception and he was a member of Clacton Golf Club for several years. In the summer of 1994 Dick organised a golf match versus the Golf Club, which was contested on 18th August. The Golf Club team comprised members of the “Pheasant Pluckers Society”, and was captained by Richard Morton (father of former Clacton cricketer Ian). Despite the generosity of a few extra shots the Cricket Club bowed to the undoubted experience of their opponents (who included the Club professional Stuart Levermore) in this inaugural meeting. This event became an annual event lasting for eight years, with the Cricket Club managing just won victory - in 2000. The golf was traditionally followed by a social event at the Golf Club in the evening.

In the 1996 season Dick organised a cricket match between the Club and the Golf Club as a curtain-raiser for the Club’s “Festival of Cricket”. The Cricket Club team, comprising cricketing golfers, won, but the match was but a small part of the evening as the players, officials and supported from both sides enjoyed a sumptuous buffet prepared by Dick’s wife Carol and Susan Gillespie. It was past midnight before the pavilion doors were eventually closed!

Dick was a keen contributor to the Club’s Annual Reports, reporting on the “Extravaganzas” – matches with the Caribbean elevens - and through his “Views from the Balcony” as well as reporting on the Colts Section and Young Clacton matches when he was the organiser.

His interest in cricket and in the Club was in no doubt fuelled by the fact that his two sons, Paul and Nick, had come through the Colts section and played regularly for the Club until they moved away from Clacton. Paul played senior cricket from 1982 to 2001 and Nick from 1986 to 2003. Even daughter Emma made an appearance.

On a personal note Dick and I were great friends. During his days with the Club we would share many social occasions and more recently we would meet at St Johns Church where Dick was a regular worshipper. I was often grateful that Dick was a doctor, for on many occasion he took me from the ground to the hospital to treat me although he was not on duty, whenever I was injured, thus saving me much waiting time. Then there was the occasion when we on tour in Leicestershire in 1985 and he removed the seven stitches from my nose (I had been hit in a match the weekend before when Dick had inserted them). Very convenient!

Dick was very popular and active in the local community. Not only was he a partner at the Great Clacton Surgery for 27 years, but was on the staff at Clacton Hospital and Clacton Maternity Hospital. After retiring from the surgery in 1997 Dick continued to work as a locum doctor at various local practices. He finally retired on 22nd September 2006, exactly fifty years after completing his training at London’s Charring Cross Hospital. Dick was keen on the theatre and was honorary medical officer for Francis Golightly at the West Cliff Theatre for 22 years and secretary to the West Cliff Theatere Trust from 1997 to 2002. Dick was a member of the Clacton Round Table and was prominent in the organisation’s running of the Weeley Pop Festival in 1971. He was also a member of the Clacton Rotary Club, where he served on all committees and was the Club’s President in 1978, its 50th Anniversary year.

Clacton Cricket Club offers its condolences to Carol and the rest of the family (Louise, Emma, Paul, Nick and seven grandchildren). Dick, may you rest in peace.

The funeral will be held on March 1st at 11.30am at St James’s Church.

Credit: Nigel Brown/John Stuck