CLUB TRADITIONS – THE BADGEMORE TAKE
In common with many other established clubs, Badgemore has built up a number of traditions over the past half-century. They are a good indication of the shared values, friendships and sense of fun that bind the Badgemore family together. The green jacket and club badge As can be seen from the ‘Rogues Gallery’ of men’s captains’ photographs in the spike bar, and lady captains’ photographs in the ladies’ locker room, early club captains wore their own smart attire when their official club photos were taken. In the late 1980s, this all changed with the introduction of the green jacket for club captains, which continues to this day. During the year when Theo Ziffo was captain, the committee felt that the club warranted its own unique Badgemore crest and badge. As it happened, one of the committee members, Jim Tattersall, (later to become the 1992 captain) worked for Saatchi and Saatchi. Jim worked with a colleague who helped design the logo, incorporating a badger, an oak tree, and a swan on water (a reference to Henley-on-Thames). This has remained the logo for the captains’ jackets, the club tie and many items of commemorative clothing. Pantomimes – Badgemore Players In the '90s, the area above the pro shop (now occupied by the gym) was an open area that was readily transformed into a small theatre. It became the base for The Badgemore Players to put on an annual pantomime, the brainchild of former lady captain and club president June Gaffney.
“Any resemblance between the original and final versions of the pantomime scripts was coincidental”
There were three pantos in total, ‘Cinderella’ in 1994, ‘Aladdin’ the following Christmas and ‘Dick Whittington goes to Oz’ in 1996. June wrote and directed the first two, with Mike Wood taking on those roles for the final pantomime. Rehearsals were often chaotic and largely depended on the availability of the individuals from their day jobs! Our thespians were encouraged to ‘do their own thing’, adding their own lines and ad-libbing at will. Both June and Mike would freely admit that any resemblance between the original and final versions of their scripts was coincidental – if only for legal purposes. After each rehearsal, there was a retreat to the bar where it was generally agreed, after a few drinks, that “it would be all right on the night.”
ABOVE AND RIGHT: PANTO POSING
73 / QUARTER MILE
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