Captaining the Eric Clapton Bunbury XI in our first match behind Ripley Court School on July 5th 1987 in pouring rain.  Watching Phil Collins keeping wicket, Eric and Bill Wyman in raincoats and Sou Westers standing at first and second slips looking the wrong way smoking Benson and Hedges with Ringo Star at third slip watching in wonderment.  Dennis Waterman fielding in the beer tent, David Essex charming the ladies at Long off, Gary Mason roaring with laughter at cover point.  Spandau Ballet’s Johnny Keeble running around like a terrier in the deep backed up by a thoughtful Peter Scudamore and encouraged by ‘Miami’ Johnny Cousins and four thousand five hundred drenched punters.

Michael Holding and Dennis Lillee bowling in tandem at Tunbridge Wells against Colin Cowdrey and the boys from Kent.  The game stopping as Walter Swinburn lands in his helicopter having just won the Arc de Triomphe race in Paris and saying “Sorry I’m late skip where do you want me to field?"

Playing against an England XI live on Sky Sports at the Oval to commemorate the 50th anniversary of V.E Day.  I flew Keith Miller in from Australia to reunite with his old pal Denis Compton.  Bottles of red were downed as the two legends scanned the field to watch us wired for sound, exchange bawdy tales which reached the ears of four million Sky listeners up and down the country.  Old ladies from Rochdale and Birkenhead blushed on hearing lurid details of ‘leg-overs’ and ‘bad piles’ described by the players who chatted on un-be-knowinglys.

Bill Wymans hat trick at the Oval V.E Day match 1995 taking the wickets of Sir Trevor MacDonald, Gary Lineker and Charlie Colville, the only televised hat trick ever taken.

1987 Allan Lamb's Benefit game.  Arriving to find the Australian side leaving after beating Northants in three days.  The coach turning back and the entire Aussie side led by Steve Waugh changing back into their whites and joining in followed by Eric Clapton playing guitar after the game in the bar for three hours.

Eric Clapton breaking a finger whilst fielding in the slips and being stung by a bumble bee on the other hand when returning to the pavilion.  All this seven days before he embarked on a multi-million dollar tour of the Far East.

Staging the very first two Junior World Cups in 1996 the Lombard World Challenge and Costcutter under 15 World Challenge live on Sky Sports, final at Lords cricket ground.

Meeting the boys from twelve different countries, some who had never been out of their villages to come and contest their skills and to forge life long friendships at a game they loved on the international stage.

Joe Kinnear’s catch in front of the London Zoo at Regents Park.  Ball flew off the edge to Joe at third man who took a blinding instinctive catch in front of a cage of laughing hyenas.

French tour.  Watching Badger chase the ball to the boundary and for ten minutes run circles around the ball before hurling it back.

Playing Emmerdale at Trent Bridge in front of eight thousand people and to be the only cricket team to have ever played at Wembley Stadium.

Inviting Lord Attenborough to join us at our game on Richmond Green.  Going to his house on the corner, knocking on his kitchen door, Dickie still in pyjamas giving me a welcoming hug and renewing our friendship thirty years after making ‘A Bridge Too Far’ – priceless.

Watching a fly past of Avro Lancasters with Richard Todd at Bourne in Lincolnshire prior to a game raising funds for Hugh Morris’s Head and Neck Cancer Charity.  Just think Wing Commander Guy Gibson V.C. and the Bunbury’s standing to attention, side by side.

Watching Andrew Flintoff, Ben Hollioake, Alex Tudor, David Sales, Liam Botham, Gareth Batty, Mark Chilton, Owais Shah and David Nash meeting each for the first time at my 1992 Bunbury ESCA Festival at Charter House School.

Sixteen games at Alconbury verses Dame Norma Majors XI for Mencap – everyone a winner for such a lovely lady and great hubby, Sir John.

Receiving the M.B.E. from Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace in 2003 for services to charity. “Thank you Bunbury’s".

Taking one hundred and twenty poorly children to Lapland for ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’ and seeing their little faces when they met Santa Claus – one hundred and twenty brave hearts – God bless them all.

The endless generosity of Colin Graves, Costcutter Supremo, in everything we do and heartfelt thanks to all our smashing sponsors over the past twenty one years.

Arriving at every game to be welcomed by the Bunbury Engine room of Hursty, ‘K.C,’ Dave Betteridge, Admiral Danks, Fingers, Badger and Nick, Toby ‘Jugs’, Mike Rosier, Sir Hugo Williams, Bobby Baker, - Men of Steel.

The Bunbury Ladies: Katie, Anoushka, Sam Fox, Jo Lumley, Holly Bellingham, Sam Janus, Gail Emms, Suzanne Dando, Elizabeth Danks, Brenda Cuby, Sue Jacobs, ‘Jules’ Betteridge, Sue Rice and all the wives and mistresses. To open the bowling with my son David at Eton College watched by my daughter Amy with my brave young godson Sam Cuby fielding at cover.

The overwhelming sense of joy at seeing all the fantastic crowds who come and support our every game and to stand very still at mid off to watch in wonder my legendary players who turn up week after week to give their time and talent for nothing to our unique Bunbury days.

And finally, once again, let me thank our magnificent sponsors who for twenty one years have supplied the fuel for our Bunnymobile to take us on missions of mirth and adventures piloted by the wizards of invention.

This year the world famous Bentley Motors have joined us as major sponsors to add poise, precision, power, phenomenal pace and performance to our players – the Bentley Bunbury’s, always pushing the boundaries.  Extra special thanks to Wayne Hawkes, Peter Grant, Richard Gordon and Sally Brooks.

Also, we are delighted to be sponsored by the world’s number one global law firm, White and Case who will be keeping a keen eye and vigorous interest as the Bunbury’s demonstrate their skills on the playing fields of Great Britain.  A big thank you to James Martin and Fiona Dodds. 

My heartfelt thanks go to our regular, loyal and wonderful sponsors Holly Bellingham and Simon Turner of Market Form, Colin Graves of Costcutter’s supermarkets, Phil Toms and Michelle Shaya of Cereal Partners, Ray Merridew of Unilever Best foods, Lou Agran of Nandos, Paul Thwaites of the Ashwell Property Group, Andrew Varley of Next,  Lord Maclaurin, Sally Hennessy, David Collier, David Morgan, Hugh Morris, Medha Laud and all at the E.C.B, Keith Bradshaw, Chief Executive of the M.C.C., Richard Caborn, Minister for Sport and Leonie Phillips, Keith Perry and Robert Philip of The Daily Telegraph, Lydia Powell of S.B.I., Naynesh Desai Ken Lake and E.S.C.A., Barney Francis and Brian Henderson of Sky Sports, Richard Bevan and Jason Ratcliffe of the P.C.A., Andy Jacobs and Paul Hawksbee of Talksport Radio, Gareth Davies, the world’s number one school’s sports journalist and the musical maestro’s Robin and Barry Gibb.

Finally a massive “merci” to Joe ‘Cubes’ Cuby and Gavin ‘Da Vinci,’ ‘Lord Tenby’ Thomas for producing this, our twenty first magnificent anniversary brochure – remember ‘a Bunbury is for life!’  1987-2007 - £10 million raised for charity and still going strong.   Faith, Hope and Charity – and of these three Charity is the greatest.