Maroc - NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 08/Jan 03:16

Philip Thomson's unique cricket columns reissued

FAMILY and friends of former columnist Philip Thomson have reissued his unique features on cricket, which they believe will entertain and give everyone a hearty laugh, not just cricket fans. The collection of 17 feature columns of Thomson’s life experiences at Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) and at Queen’s Royal College, reflects a “wonderful era, humourously and anecdotally, through his amazing powers of recollection, coupled with an excellent writing style,” a media release said. “They were well received and highly anticipated and readers laughed heartily at the many amusing and brilliantly recounted anecdotes.” The QPCC, in collaboration with the family of Thomson, Brian Stollmeyer and author/producer Nasser Khan have reissued the 1996 book Ramblings From The Distant Past by the late Thomson, this time in hard cover and full colour, chock filled with paintings and photographs. The book is now available at the Queen’s Park Oval and many outlets such as Paper Based Book Shop, National Trust Heritage and Nigel R Khan or by calling 461-0666. Everard Gordon, a veteran sport reporter when the book was first published, reviewed the book in 1996. [caption id="attachment_1200826" align="alignnone" width="1024"] (From left to right): QPCC member and relative of Philip Thomson, Alex De Verteuil; graphic/artwork designer Marina Connell; Thomson's niece Jennifer de Verteuil; Thomson’s son QPCC member Robert Thompson; and Kishore Williams, honorary secretary at QPCC. Inset is author Nasser Khan.- Photo courtesy Nasser Khan[/caption] He headlined his article: Thomson’s Ramblings will have you laughing. To quote directly from the review, Gordon writes, “My family wondered if I was going mad. I burst out laughing and chuckled so often that they could not believe I was reading a collection of cricket stories.” Gordon makes an important point in that this collection can be appreciated by anybody who enjoys a good read, even if they did not know the difference between clean bowled and run out. It represents a rich and well-told series of highly amusing anecdotes, some of which also involve his days as a QRC student in the early 1930s. This second edition features an interesting collection of photographs, many from the Thomson family album. Well-known artist, Jackie Hinkson, a cricket lover himself, has done three specially commissioned watercolours and permission was obtained from the family of the late John Newel Lewis to use two of his line drawings from his collection Ajoupa. Philip’s son Robert and niece Jennifer de Verteuil have joined forces with QPCC to re-publish the collection of his columns. “It has long been felt that apart from being highly entertaining and beautifully written, these ramblings are in fact valuable sources of solid historical merit which should really and truly be reintroduced into the public domain.”   The post Philip Thomson's unique cricket columns reissued appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.