England cricketers visit school

3:54pm Monday 12th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

PUPILS welcomed three international cricketers to their village school today.

England captain Michael Vaughan was joined by Matthew Hoggard and Paul Collingwood as he opened the new pavilion at Beechwood Park School, Markyate this afternoon.

Headteacher Patrick Atkinson said: "Our special guest follows in the footsteps of similarly distinguished cricketers, Mike Brearley, who opened the old pavilion almost exactly 30 years ago and David Gower who opened the Sports Hall in 1985."

Talking about the new facilities, he added: "The pavilion provides much needed additional changing rooms each with showers, to be used all year round by both boys and girls.

"There is also a referees' changing room, as well as a pleasant space for hospitality allowing for the serving of high quality match teas, the staple requirement of a long afternoon in the outfield or at last post on the rounders pitch."

Mr Atkinson thanked the successive chairmen of the Beechwood Park School Parents Association and parents of past and present pupils for their generous donations which helped pay for the new pavilion.

Having formally opened the new pavilion, Michael Vaughan and his colleagues not only joined some of Beechwood Park's pupils in the cricket nets, but also wielded a rounders bat, demonstrating the transferable nature of their skills.