During our stay in Scotland, my sister Janet very kindly passed us some notable family photographs. Including this picture of Arthur Ames in his school’s first XI cricket team in 1926. (Arthur is on the left in the front row).
Arthur was my dad’s younger brother, of whom he was particularly fond. It was therefore tragic that Arthur died at the young age of 20 in 1932. My dad was evidently deeply affected by this loss, especially when – as a qualified medical man – he was unable to help Arthur to overcome his fatal illness.
Arthur was clearly a keen cricketer and followed his older brother and grandfather Sidney (1849-1945) in this regard. My dad was in the first team at King’s College, Taunton, in the early 1920s, while Sidney played against the legendary WG Grace in Stroud in 1882. These moments, of course, paled into insignificance in comparison with the true family star, wicketkeeper Les Ames, who played for Kent and England. Les (1905-1990) was a cousin and very good friends with my dad, and regularly visited our home in the post-war years.
