Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton CollegeNevill, Ralph
History
Floreat Etona: Anecdotes and Memories of Eton College
Nevill, Ralph
Eton College
Sixpenny, which appears to have taken its name from the Sixpenny Club,
founded for Lower boys by G. J. Boudier, 1832-1838, captain of the
eleven, an Etonian who is said to once have thrashed a bargee three
times his own size, was formerly a much-coveted Lower boy colour. It
was, however, done away with in 1898, but Upper Sixpenny is still an
important cricket colour for Uppers who are also Juniors, as it is now
the first colour a young cricketer can obtain at Eton, where, if you
once get a name as a promising bat, bowler, or field, it is difficult
to lose it, whereas if a boy does not start well, little attention is
afterwards paid to him.
A curious modern Eton cricket institution is “Second Upper Club,”
nominally the second game in the school, but in reality consisting of
Upper boys who are distinguished in the school, mostly in some other
line than cricket, though a number of quite good players also belong. A
few years ago some of the games played by Second Upper Club degenerated
into huge “rags,” ending with an early adjournment to little Brown’s,
whence, after a huge tea had been partaken of, every one went off to
bathe.
[SN: AGAR’S PLOUGH]
A feature of modern Eton is “Agar’s Plough,” just across Datchet Lane,
well laid out for the purposes of the school games. This large tract
of land was saved from the speculative builder by purchase in 1895, and
here, eight years later, for the first time was played the Eton and
Winchester match. As a cricket ground Agar’s Plough possesses several
advantages over the historic Upper Club, known in the distant past as
the Upper Shooting Fields. One of the chief gains is, of course, the
absence of big trees to confuse the light. Whether, however, Upper
Club is discarded for school matches or not, it will always remain a
hallowed spot in the recollection of old Etonians who as boys knew it
in its summer glory. Full of picturesque associations and shaded by
stately elms planted in the days of the Commonwealth, the beautiful old
ground has seen many a generation of Eton boys pass o’er its pleasant
sward of green. Besides Agar’s Plough modern Eton possesses other
facilities for games undreamt of in less luxurious days. Amongst these
are the new racquets courts near the gasworks which in 1902-3 took the
place of those down Keate’s Lane.
At the present day there is no tennis at Eton, but a tennis court
appears to have existed between 1600 and 1603, though, curiously
enough, its site has never been ascertained. Near the new racquets
courts thirty-eight new fives courts have been built since 1870.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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