Page 26 - Club Rockley

helped that, because of Rockley’s many sporting facilities, including the nine hole golf, we were able to attract many visiting sports teams from overseas, including every visiting international cricket team for over twen- ty years, including the dozen or so years of the all inclusive operation, “Club Rockley Barbados”
There are some outstanding memories, once when I was having din- ner with the great all round cricketer Sir Gary Sobers and Dickie Bird, the famous cricket umpire our table was approached by a very well dressed English gentleman in his middle years, who, after a graceful apology for his interruption, addressed Sir Gary with a respectful half bow,
“Sir Garfield, all my life I have considered that the three greatest sportsman in the world were the great Football maestro from Brazil “Pele, the great boxer Cassius Clay who became Mohammed Ali, and you! I never thought I would ever get to meet one of them but here you are so I just want to shake your hand and say “Thank you for all the pleasure you have given me over so many years”.
Gary stood up and shook his hand. The gentleman’s heartfelt smile lit up the restaurant. “It was a pleasure!” said Sir Gary.
Other memorable moments came along from time to time, I recall Bobby Simpson the Manager of the visiting Australian Cricket team and one of the all time great opening batsmen and slip fielders in the world of cricket, dancing enthusiastically with “The Stilt Man” from the floor show.
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Sir Garfield Sobers, cricketing genius.
Jenny Atkinson and sister Mandy with Dicky Bird.
Bobby Simpson slips around the dance floor with the stilt men.