There was only one FR

LIKE many hundreds of others from the sporting community in East Devon and South Somerset, I was saddened to hear of the death of Frank Huddy - gentleman cricketer, wonderful musician and raconteur.

I first met Frank when he ran the Double H entertainment agency in Chard when I was Regatta & Carnival secretary in Lyme Regis. I booked the Tony Graham Combo, for which he was the front man, for numerous dances.

But I got to know Frank better through local cricketing circles. Known affectionately as FR (his Christian name initials) he was club captain at Chardstock for many seasons in days before league cricket ruined the local game and village cricket was much to the fore.

Fixtures between Uplyme and Chardstock were always competitive but ultra-friendly, especially after the games when we would repair to the The George in Chardstock or Talbot Arms in Uplyme to buy  jugs of beer for dropped catches and listen to Frank’s cricketing tales. Whatever happened to those days?

Frank had a way with words, both spoken and written, and helped to pen a charming history of Chardstock Cricket Club when they celebrated their 100th anniversary in 1987.

In later years meeting Frank at various sporting dinners and occasions was always an enjoyable experience. He was a lovely man and will be greatly missed.

• IS anyone in Honiton interested in local government?  The last few months has been one of the most controversial periods in the town’s recent history with the argument raging over the Beehive community centre. You would have thought the annual parish meeting would have been packed out. But how many attended? ONE!

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