Odd Collections 7: Pig Memorabilia

So the pigs have arrived! Compared to last week's blip this is hardly a collection in the conventional sense, indeed in some respects its the opposite of a collection, though I don't have a word for that. Let me explain it.

Today I am travelling to Kendal, Cumbria to spend time with an ageing group of friends from my York and Hull University days. When I finished university in 1977 I was keen to get together the best cricketers and the nicest guys that I played with at both universities. In 1978 we went on our first cricket tour in the south-west - Yorkhull CC was born. We toured for six years there and then for 13 years in the lakes. When we got too old we gracefully retired and we have met since on an annual basis to watch a game of cricket during the summer.

From the outset, due partly to my size and love of sausages, I was known affectionately as the 'fat pig'. This was not meant in a derogatory way but became the source of Laddish humour on our tours. At the end of each tour I would always be presented with a piece of pig memorabilia. Sometimes they were edible like pork scratchings, a pack of olde pig Bacon, or the Percy pigs that you see in the pic. Sometimes they were instantly forgettable and this is why the collection did not develop so many went straight in the bin. The ones I have remaining I quite like including the Pass the Pigs game which we played on tour.

After touring in the south-west I prepared a booklet with all the facts and figures about our games. This was modelled on the Cricketers Almanack, Wisden. This is why it became known as Pigden. You will see the three editions of Pigden in the photo. Although we stopped playing before the turn of the millennium we did play once more in 2003 at Hambledon the home of cricket. The white t-shirt was presented to each member of the team, note the pig logo and every year since there is always been a day during the summer meeting when we are required to wear those T-shirts. The red T-shirt and tie came more recently and sadly arose out of a tragedy for the group.

2 years ago we returned to Kendal to the hotel that we always stayed in when we played cricket there. I will be showing you pictures over the weekend. We went there in March 2012 at the request of one of our members, George. George been diagnosed with bowel cancer just two months before my own diagnosis. Sadly George never had a chance and his time was short. He wanted to return to where we had so many fond memories and this started our return trips there. I know George appreciated everyone turning up to give him a great weekend. George died in June 2012. We returned last year partly on my request given my own battles with prostate cancer. My resilience so far will keep us returning there as long as we can.

The T shirt and tie were prepared in memory of George and bought by a small donation George left for us. We also bought a tree in his memory which we planted at the hotel last year. We will be looking at its progress when I get there later today. I will include it as part of a blip.

The final piece of pig memorabilia I received was the rather magnificent toast rack that you see in the picture. The person who had been responsible for ferreting out pig memorabilia, over all these years, Sid, decided that this would be the last one he gave me. With great ceremony the lads gave it to me about three years ago. It had slices of toast in between the slats. The toast had been cut out in the shape of YORKHULL, the name of our team and the name I have used as my username ever since.

I hope you enjoyed the story. I am so looking forward to meeting up with my good friends this weekend. There will be about eight of us this year. I know this was an unusual and in many ways inadequate collection but you can perhaps appreciate the sentiments now and why I kept it back to fit in with this weekend.

This is also the debut picture for my new camera. And also brings a halt to the collections for three weeks as I will be blipping from America on the next two Fridays. I have a few collections left but believe it or not I'm beginning to run out.

Enjoy your weekend I know I will.