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150 Old Memories of East-Bourne. [Chap. XII.
target should be constructed so as to be capable of some sliding adjustment up and down. The " bat" should be something like a tennis racquet but with a shorter handle. In point of fact if specially-constructed bats are not available 2 or 3 disused tennis racquets may be employed—the handles of which have been shortened by 3 or 4 inches. The ball is an ordinary india-rubber ball, not too small in size. The bowler bowls, of course, aiming to strike the target, which the batsman seeks to prevent being done. The batsman striking the ball to a sufficient distance, runs, or does not run, to the opposite wicket and back again, and may be bowled out, or caught out, or may score a run or runs in the usual way of cricket.
Besides Point-to-Point Races (good for killing people) got up in connection with local Hunts, as to which I have nothing to say because I know nothing, there used to be an annual Race Meeting at Bullock Down, near Beachy Head. Even at the remote date when these meetings took place and when, I mean, East-Bourne was still a small place not much known to the racing fraternity of cardsharpers, thimble-riggers, Aunt Sally-men et hoc genus omnc, there were not lacking proofs that " sport" of the sort was a great nuisance and evil, so on Ma}' 10,1875 I took upon myself the functions of " Our own Reporter " and went to the Beachy Head Races. I wrote a description of the festive scene which the editor of the Sussex Times honoured me by publishing. I sent a copy of my journalistic effort to the Duke of Devonshire and never more were there any Races on Bullock Down. Such is the power of the Press !
" The scenes that were to be witnessed at Beachy Head on the day in question, were infinitely worse than anything we could have imagined, rivalling for blackguardism the worst features of the Kingsbury, Croydon and other suburban meetings,, which have been the constant theme of writers in the London papers during the last year or two, on the score of the injury they inflict on the morals and peace of the neighbourhood. We are glad to be able to feel that neither East-Bourne, nor probably even Sussex, contributed many to the contingent of fast " ladies " and " gentlemen " who disfigured our Downs by their company on the 10th of May-There was a great absence, we are happy to say, of local faces, and the few that were there belonged to owners of whom probably the majority would have been ashamed to have had their names chronicled by the reporters as visitors to the race-course. At any rate the " grand stand " (save the mark) and the ring were exclusively given over to foreigners, London and other blacklegs, who plyed their |
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