For a youngster these were magical times.  Over the next few years I got to know all the ground-staff.  The permanent ones like Bernie Bloodworth, Cec Steeds, Roger Perry, Nick Hillier (who never tired of telling us that Robin Hobbs (a fellow leg-spinner) was the best number eleven in the country), Wilf and Ted Wilkins ("I made runs and took wickets at the BAC ground, sir."), Derek Marsh, Mike Bissex, Jim Andrew, Jonathan Harrap. The occasional summer staff like footballers George Petherbridge and Johnny Watkins.

A couple of years after that first visit to the County Ground, I became a junior member and Dave suggested I join the Supporter's Club. Things were very different in those days and I remember organising Secretary E. Rex Ward telling me I was a bloody nuisance, as he wanted to go for his lunch. The 2^nd XI captain/coach was ex-Essex man Alan Avery - a wonderfully kind man. On the day he retired (to be replaced by George Emmett), he gave Dave his bat.

It was part of the duties of the ground-staff to operate the scoreboard.  This was the (then) new one, opened officially in 1957 by the Duke of Beaufort.  Naturally, my school friends and I were only too pleased to be allowed to help out on match days. There was a terrific view and a free tea provided.  The one drawback was the weather.  It seemed to rain a lot in Bristol (what's changed?) and then there were the covers to take care of.  Dave was an expert weather-forecaster on those occasions.  He could spot the rain coming with no problem at all and be ready on the heavy roller to drag out the covers when the time came.  He used to say when you couldn’t see St. Mary Redcliffe in the distance rain was minutes away.  This particularly impressed me since I couldn’t see it even in bright sunlight!

Dave loved listening to the radio – the Light Programme in those days. Nat King Cole's 'Let There Be Love' was a special a favourite of Barrie Meyer, and when it was broadcast one day, with Glos. in the field, the volume was turned up as Dave didn't want him to miss it. Did he hear it?  He certainly turned round, but then, so did everybody else on the field, as did several inhabitants of nearby Kennington Avenue!

I remember him getting married and my being far too young to go to his stag party.  Another member of the ground-staff who should be nameless (but let’s call him Roger Perry) was also too young but went anyway.  Apparently, after downing a few drinks of his own, he went around finishing everybody else's.  He had to be taken home by Ron Nicholls & Barrie Meyer.  Dave was so grateful that he named two of his future sons after 'Nick' and Barrie.  As for Roger, it was a very handy introduction to the world of drink.  He has since enjoyed a successful career in the brewery industry and even managed the occasional spot of groundsmanship on the side.

Dave and I have never exchanged a cross word in over 50 years of friendship. This despite extreme provocation on my part on at least one occasion.  Dave liked a bet in those days, as did I, despite being well under the legal age.  But I was quite tall and was usually able to slip into the shop on the Promenade on Gloucester Road on the way home for lunch.  On one such occasion, Dave had asked me to place a bet for him. However, on arrival I found a policeman outside, who seemed glued to the spot.  So I had to return with his bet unplaced. Naturally, I had to suffer in his company back in the scoreboard as one by one his un-backed selections romped home!

Dave himself had a cavalier approach to batting. He had all the strokes and a wonderful eye, but he could be casual.  I once saw him hit a delivery from Somerset’s Brian Lobb straight into the pavilion.  Next ball he tried to repeat the stroke and had his middle stump removed.  I could hardly believe it.  "What happened," I asked afterwards. "I missed it," came the disappointingly brief but honest reply.  Incidentally, this was something of an emergency call-up for Dave, whose 2^nd XI career had petered out with his increasing workload as Bernie’s assistant.  But it led to a shortage of bodies for other duties and hence my debut and only appearance as scorer for Glos. II. 

Apart from these occasional appearances for Glos. II, he played regular club cricket for Long Ashton, Stapleton, Downend, Willows etc. He had a certain reputation for getting out in the forties and nineties – indeed his highest score for Glos. was 91. The rumour was that he didn't want to buy the drinks, but I prefer to think it was just a lack of ruthlessness on his part!

I occasionally played against him but only once dismissed him.  And in that game (Hanham v. Long Ashton) I encountered his son Neal for the first time on the cricket field - and none of us could get him out - I think he ran himself out in the end. On another occasion Dave caught me off the bowling of his uncle Wilf!

I didn't see his last cricket match, though I do recall a ceremonial burning of the kit, after sons Barry & Neal both scored centuries for Willows.  On the other hand, I did see his last game of soccer.  Dave regularly played skittles in the winter for Vassall C.C., whose home alley was the Glos. C. C. C. Supporters Social Club.  A football team was also formed and, naturally, played its home games at the County Ground.  Dave made a few appearances in mid-field or in the back four, but after one heavy defeat at the hands of 'Nimble', he declared that he had better things to do on Sunday mornings than be made a fool of by kids half his age.  And that was that.

His sense of humour is legendary, as is his penchant for nicknames.  My opening bowler partner and myself, for instance, were known as 'Straight up and down and grunt'! He would probably blame it on others, but I believe it was Dave who dubbed the brave but ineffective Tom Pugh as 'Captain Pugwash'. 

In addition to cricket and football, he was also an excellent squash player, who made good use of the facilities at the county ground when Phoenix Assurance took over.

Having retired from Gloucestershire after around 50 years service – the major part of this as head groundsman, Dave makes occasional broadcasts for BBC Radio Bristol as a commentator/summariser on matches involving Gloucestershire & Somerset. These appearances proved few and far between in 2008 due to cutbacks. Let's hope we hear more from him in 2009!

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