A couple of weeks ago, I shared an old photograph from a comedy cricket match and challenged readers to identify as many faces as possible.
What followed was wonderful.
Emails arrived. Messages arrived. Facebook detectives got involved. Former players emerged from the mists of time. Long-forgotten stories resurfaced. A few people correctly identified future stars. Several others confidently identified people who were not in the photograph at all.
Which is, in many ways, the most enjoyable part of any competition.
The truth is that the photograph was always going to be a challenge.
It was taken somewhere around 1993 or 1994, before mobile phones, before social media, and before most of us had any idea what lay ahead.
Some of the faces would become household names.
Others became successful writers, performers, producers and broadcasters.
A few are sadly no longer with us.
All of them contributed to some very happy days.
Then, just as the debate was reaching fever pitch, an email arrived from one of the men best qualified to settle the matter.
The splendid comedian, writer, playwright and opening batsman Chris England Chris was one of the organisers of the team and, unlike the rest of us, appears to possess a memory that borders on the supernatural.
His email is reproduced below exactly as received.
Hey up Paul,
Happy days indeed.
I feel like you will remember most of these guys, but just in case, for your competition’s sake, I thought I’d let you have a key to the picture:
Back Row – L to R:
1. Neil Mullarkey, long-time Comedy Store player
2. Paul Simpkin, comedy writer-turned-civil servant, now retired
3. Chris England, author, playwright, opening bat, seen here recovering from having all his wisdom teeth taken out the day before
4. Gary Rimmer, friend of Arthur’s, number 11
5. Lee Simpson, actor, Comedy Store player
6. Sarah Howell, at that time, BBC LE dept
7. Arthur Smith, who once only had nine players because his team sheet included ‘Brian’, ‘Arthur’ and ‘Me’
8. Nick Smith, Arthur’s brother, and much better bowler
9. Andy Smart, much-missed comic legend
10. Matt Hardy, Australian comic who once bowled with his trousers round his ankles, not sure why
11. Jem Wall, actor, currently in Andor as a bloke with a robot eye
12. Alan Davies , the TV comic par excellence, always played in a yellow Essex one-day shirt
13. Andy Taylor, concealing his own face, the lead in An Evening with Gary Lineker
14. Keith Coughtrie, Scottish lawyer, occasional stand-up
15. Jeff Green, stand-up comic – this may have been his only ever game of cricket
16. And the rather odd ghostly apparition of my lovely late wife Susan, who is definitely in my version of this picture.
Middle Row – L to R:
17. Bill Bailey, fast bowling comic hero, who once missed a game entirely by going to Barnet when the game was in Barnes
18. Paul Boross, humourologist and wicket keeper
19. Grub Smith, journalist, all-rounder
20. Simon Humphries, friend of Arthur’s, left-handed batsman
21. Dave Carpenter, friend of Arthur’s, journeyman
22. Nick Hancock , comic, TV presenter, now co-host of The Famous Sloping Pitch podcast with another bloke
23. Moray Hunter, of the always excellent C4 sketch show Absolutely, demon spinner
Front Row – L to R:
24. Hugh Grant, friend of Andy Taylor’s, not sure what happened to him
25. Paul Mark Elliott, of the great Wow Show, who once played a cyborg in Blake’s Seven
I believe this to be 1993, partly because of the wisdom teeth thing, and partly because I vaguely remember saying to Hugh that day, “So what have you been up to?” and him replying,
“Oh, I’ve just been doing some dreadful thing, all weddings and funerals, it’s going to be perfectly ghastly.”
It will have been a match between An England XI and Arthur’s Dusty Fleming International Hairstylists, at Wandsworth Park, by the river in Putney.
As you say, from before the era of mobile phones – we might have been able to get Bill to turn his motor bike round if we’d had them.
Hope this finds you well,
All best,
as ever,
Chris
An England XI (capt)
PS Do I win the prize…?
PS It might even have been 1994, you know, looking at the averages…
Now, this presented us with a problem.
On the one hand, Chris had unquestionably provided the most complete, detailed and authoritative answer.
On the other hand, Chris was one of the people who organised the teams.
This is rather like asking the examiner to enter the exam.
Or allowing the wicket keeper to mark his own scorecard.
After much debate here at Humourology Headquarters (admittedly involving only me, Emma, Helen, Les, and a cup of tea), it was agreed that Chris had clearly earned a signed copy of the book for the sheer effort, detail and joy contained in his response.
However, in the interests of sporting fairness, we also selected a winner from the general public.
Congratulations to Denise Kelly, whose entry came closest to identifying the remarkable collection of comics, actors, writers and future stars captured in this accidental time capsule.
A signed copy of Humourology will be winging its way to both winners shortly.
What I love most about this photograph is not who became famous.
It is the reminder that before careers, awards, television appearances and headlines, there were simply groups of friends spending time together.
Playing cricket.
Telling stories.
Taking chances.
Making each other laugh.
The score has long since been forgotten.
The friendships haven’t.
See you next Tuesday.
Warmest,
Paul x
Here’s a handy link to Season 8’s most recent episode below
