'The Cricket Blazer'

by M-L Rowland, Archivist

The term blazer is said to have been first applied to the scarlet coats adopted by the Lady Margaret Boat Club (St John's College, Cambridge) as early as 1862 or it may come from the coats worn by the crew of the HMS Blazer c 1850. The coloured cricket blazer seems to have appeared at about the same time.

The Hurst 1st Cricket XI white blazer may be seen in the 1914 team photograph.

It would have disappeared very early in WW2 due to clothes rationing. Mr George Hill has told us that it reappeared in 1950 or 1951. Mr Roger Moulton does not remember seeing boys wearing such a blazer or anyone during the week wearing one from 1968 onwards. I believe that there was just the one blazer available which was worn by the Captain only for team photographs. We have had kind donations of their old 1st XI Cricket Blazers to the Archives from both George Hill and Paul Ruddlesdin.'

Part of Mr Hill's blazer was later incorporated into a tapestry of the school and Mr Ruddlesdin's blazer is shown here complete after dry cleaning.

Do other OJs have memories of wearing the Hurst 1st XI Cricket Blazer?