Spend the night with Blowers
THE voice of cricket is set to host a special evening of anecdotes in Bracknell this weekend, and if you’re not a cricket fan there is something for everyone.
Henry Blofeld, affectionately known as Blowers, will bring his one man show My Dear Old Things to the Wilde Theatre in Bracknell on Sunday, May 29.
Blowers is best known as an author, journalist and for spending 45 years in the box as a commentator on BBC Radio’s Test Match Special (TMS).
He had an “exceptional” career as a schoolboy cricketer and was given the Cricket Society’s award for the most promising young player of the season.
However in his final year at school he suffered a serious accident when he was hit by a bus while riding his bicycle.
In his autobiography he said of the accident: “My skull had been broken much of the way round, the cheek bone had been squashed flat, my jaw was somewhat worse for wear, my collarbone had taken quite a hammering and the perimeter of my right eye had seen better days.
“A good deal of sewing had gone on and I remained unconscious for quite a while, then they had to fish all the splinters of bone out of my brain.”
Despite spending 28 days unconscious, Henry says his outlook on life remained a positive one.
“I don’t think I spent my life thinking ‘if only’ I just wanted to get on.”
Although the injuries curtailed his cricketing career, he did go on to play first-class matches for Cambridge University.
After what he described as an unfulfilling stint in banking, Henry moved into sports journalism in the 1960s before joining TMS in 1972.
The highlight, he said, was England’s third test victory against Australia at Headingley in 1981, a series which became known as “Botham’s Ashes” and “The Miracle of Headingley” after Sir Ian Botham’s performance with both bat and ball.
Blowers added: “Always good to beat Australia isn’t it?”
Throughout his tenure in the TMS box he commentated on hundreds of world class cricket matches and entertained listeners with regular use of the phrase “my dear old thing”.
His unique style has been commended for bringing the atmosphere of a real event to a cricket match by painting the picture of more than what is happening at the crease.
Henry said: “If you are commentating on a cricket match and only focus on what is going on in the middle I think it all becomes rather two dimensional.
“If you don’t paint the picture, you aren’t giving the listener a fair look on what is actually happening.”
This style of articulating a message is what you will experience when attending one of his live shows.
“The key to any public speaking or commentary is to be yourself. I am who I am,” said Henry.
“What I try to do is to make everyone feel like I am talking to them personally rather than talking at them in an audience.”
Despite being synonymous with sport, the show will be more than just a night of cricket anecdotes as Henry also featured in series four of The Real Marigold Hotel
The show followed eight celebrities as they travelled around India and experienced the culture.
He was joined on the show by wellknown names such as Britt Ekland,
Paul Chuckle, Duncan Bannatyne and Barbara Dickson.
Henry said: “India is my favourite country in the world so it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”
“The most enjoyable part of the journey was the interaction of eight fascinating but different people thrown together.
“Each one had led a distinguished career in their own fields and they now brought together all their different experiences in an interesting mix of characters.”
Since his retirement from TMS in 2017, he has also appeared on Tipping Point and the award-winning comedy panel show Would I Lie to You?
Henry says his “My Dear Old Things” show has something for everyone, whether you are a die-hard cricket fan or just looking for an evening of entertainment.
“The first half of the show will be all about my amazing experience on The Real Marigold and then after the interval I will share all the TMS anecdotes.
“If you are a cricket fan I have all the stories of Brian Johnston, Arlott and of course the streaker at Lords.
“There is something for everyone and for anyone who comes along we will have a laugh a minute.”
The show starts at 4pm on Sunday, May 29, at the Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park in Bracknell. To book tickets, visit: southhillpark.org.uk