Dear Dr English,

It was great to see you at our club supper last month. You certainly made us all laugh. Clearly your passion for the game is as strong as ever and for me it brought back memories of the 2001 ESCA festival, which I took part in.

Training to become a doctor, I get less and less time to play cricket and find myself
spending more and more time thinking about my modest career. Certainly, one of
the highlights has been the Bunbury festival.

I remember feeling as proud as Punch when Robin Smith presented me with my cap.
After all, I was amongst some of the finest schoolboy cricketers in the country. Winchester was an ideal setting with carefully prepared pitches and carpet-like outfields, coupled with wonderful weather and fantastic hospitality. We were looked after very well and thanks to your kind generosity we had a ball.

At the time, I was all too focussed on my performance. The festival is so much more than batting and bowling though. It is a taste of what professional cricket might be like (the only taste for most of us). It is a chance to play with and against the most talented lads under the supervision of the most knowledgeable coaches. It is a time to meet new people and share experiences about the game. I look back very fondly at my Bunbury experience and for this I must thank you.

Yours truly,

Rahul Bhome (Royal Free and University College Medical School)