Almost 90 years after its’ original opening the Leighton Park Cricket Pavilion has been lovingly restored thanks to an in-house maintenance team and with generous support from the Old Leightonians community, including the OLCC (Old Leightonians Cricket Club). To celebrate the renewal of “the old lady on the Park”, as Guest of Honour, Mark Simmons, gently referred to the much-loved building, a small tea party took place. Guests including donors, members of the OLCC, Governors, Sports Scholars, parents and staff.
Originally opened in 1934, the sight of the timbered pavilion nestling under the trees, is an iconic Leighton Park scene. It had however fallen in to a poor state of repair, and needed a makeover to make it fit for further generations of boys and girls to enjoy.
When Mark joined the Leighton Park teaching staff in 1980 he was already a member of the Berkshire County Cricket team and he subsequently was its captain from 1988 to 1995. He played in 148 Championship matches and scored over 6000 runs. He is well known throughout the area for his playing, coaching and administrative abilities. In his career at Leighton Park he has been Head of PE and Games, Housemaster and Senior Master- and in the process has become Leighton Park’s longest-serving member of the teaching staff. Recently appointed Chair of Berkshire County Cricket Club, he was the obvious choice to carry out the ribbon cutting.
The much-loved co-founder of the OLCC Graham Carter passed away at Christmas; it was a joy to welcome members of his family to the opening, and to see the naming of the room downstairs in Graham’s memory.
More photos on our Flickr album.
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