Esteemed Crosser reaches 90 not out

A great Crosser celebrated his 90th birthday on July 9th. Despite Richard Demarco's many significant achievements in the cultural sphere, he maintains fond memories of his time as a young Holy Cross cricketer. 

As we know, the Edinburgh Festival and Fringe won't be taking place this year. The Cowgate, usually a hive of activity at this time of year, was serenely quiet as I passed through it on Wednesday morning. I was on the way to meet Richard Demarco in relation to his massive archive project (currently based at Summerhall). Despite his long association with both the International Festival and the Fringe, he was not unhappy about the cancellation of this year's Festival. Though the Edinburgh Festival ‘gave Edinburgh a much needed special dimension’, he feels that the Festival has lost sight of its original mission and a rebirth is long overdue. Perhaps the year off will lead to some rethinking..

90 not out is a fine achievement for any cricketer and for any Crosser. Demarco attended Holy Cross Academy from 1941 until 1949. He was delighted to hear of my connections to the cricket club. He had heard about Hugh Kilpatrick's death. Both were at Holy Cross at the same time (Richard 3 years older than Hugh). He passed on his good wishes to the club and hopes that it can keep alive the Holy Cross name (the school having closed in 1969 and the rugby club having become Inverleith in the 90s). When reviewing the history of the school (published 10 years ago) he suggested that the cricket club 'deserves to have a history all to itself'. 

Richard admitted that he was ‘obsessed’ with cricket in his youth, as the letter below from David Harding (another Holy Cross Academy pupil who became a leading artist and art teacher) makes clear. The letter indicates Demarco’s passion for record keeping - something he’s maintained throughout his life, culminating in his archive which contains hundreds of thousands of items. The photo of the 1949 Holy Cross Academy school first XI includes both Richard and his brother. According to Hugh Kilpatrick's computerised records (which only cover 1st XI matches), Demarco only once turned out for the FP 1st XI (his brother Louis played 4 times). 

Demarco is currently in the midst of organising his vast and rich archive with the hope that it will be transferred to a purpose-build home in Granton ...possibly in 2024. From the energy and passion for life and art he displayed when I met him, a century seems within the grasp of this legendary Crosser.

Find out more about Demarco's archive project here. 

McGill's 70th.

Bunch of ugly crossers @HXCricket @beefrazor @vikgaware pic.twitter.com/RVYqcY52r4
— andy graham (@crosstastic) December 11, 2014

Shifty the Craic Dealer???

Ma een near popped oot ma heid.

Shifty on the BBC

"Shifty, a young crack cocaine dealer in London, sees his life quickly spiral out of control when his best friend (Bates?) returns home"

"Packs a powerful punch"???

Shifty on IMDB

Next on Saturday, BBC2, 2330.

Ex-pat Pat to be an ex-pat

No caption required

Captaincy Race Blown Wide Open

Cross captaincy leadership hopeful Bishop 'Pat' Lynch is both delighted and gutted to announce that he is not much longer to be a Crosser.

Due to personal reasons, he (and his good lady) shall soon be making a return back to Australia just in time for winter and those chilly 20-odd degree temperatures. Indeed, the move 'home' should all be done & dusted prior to our new season.

Headlines

For the rest of us, with the AGM tomorrow, we've been spared just in the nick of time, from a seasons worth of amazingly imaginative 'Lynch Mob' headlines in the EEN.

Captaincy

The Bishop had recently been propelled towards the top of a long list of contenders for the 1st XI captaincy. As usual, I was absolutely bang on in my analysis when I said "the best & worst sledger in the club holds the fatal 'early front-runner' tag".

Barbarism

The Bish has of course endeared himself to Crossers on various counts in his short stint at Arbo. He single-handedly halted the avalanche of Fair Play Awards we'd come to take for granted with his vicious weekly denunciations of young children in opposing teams.

Homoeroticism

However, his influence wasn't all good. Avoiding all national stereotypes Big Pat loved a XXXX or three, preferably mixed in with a bit of male bonding in the form of manly arm-wrestling (due to Arbo's strict No Sheep policy) which he has introduced of a Saturday evening. Will there be a 'Bishop Lynch Trophy' inaugurated in 2012 for the competition he established???

Fielding

The Bish also excelled in setting new standards in the field. Even if, like me, you weren't actually there, you will still vividly recall 'that drop' at Grange Loan. The ball being passed along the slip cordon and placed into the big man's pocket before he contrived to grass it. Sadly I have to mention his gravity defying, full stretch, once in an era catch at Roseburn a week later.

Swansong

So, whilst there won't be a big psuedo-religious Aussie leading our troops onto the field of battle this coming season, Pat will of course be leading us into the Games Hall of battle in the LiveSportOnTV Indoor 6's at Liberton High School this evening at 7.30*. Any East Academy players reading this might want to rush along to hand out some jip before the opportunity for revenge expires.

Leaving Drinks

No details as yet, but I'm sure something will be arranged.

* Despite the 6's taking place at the same time and in the same place every week, there has been a 'muck up with the booking' and there will be no 6's tonight.

Bonfield is Top of the Crossers!

With 204 runs, 1 catch & 22 wickets, the Player of the Year Award for 2011 went to Shannon Bonfield.

Here we see EC Smith offering congratulations to 'Bonza' and one can only note the strong handshake on show here....