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BACK NEXT Chapter 8 The Turning of the Tide Page 54


slouching walk who, like Lee Trevino, hailed from Texas and had a similar outlook on life – and golf, to the ebullient Mexican/American He was a wonderful trick shot artist and, like Joe Kirkwood, he could do amazing things with a golf ball. Thinking that the bag had been delivered there by mistake, Wignall decided to deal with the matter later and went on deck to watch the liner embark. On returning to unpack he was quite startled when the wardrobe door opened to reveal the smiling face of Joe Ezar, who was ‘stowing away’. Wignall did not turn Joe in, but insisted that he report to the purser, which he promised to do. In fact, possibly due to the heavy workload in the purser’s office, he did not get an interview until after the ship took on more passengers at Cherbourg and was en route to New York. He escaped the ‘brig’, after the intervention of friends and well-wishers, and was allocated a berth in tourist class. He was able to work his passage by giving demonstrations and exhibitions, something he did more than once on trips across the Atlantic. At that time the fares began at less then £40.

Queen Mary 2As I write in 2003, bookings are being taken for the maiden voyage of Cunard’s £550 million French built Queen Mary 2, described as “the grandest Ocean Liner ever built” and, like her predecessor, the largest - at 150,000 tons. The ship is fitted with every luxury facility imaginable including a golf simulator. On the modern liners Trick Shot Artists will not be found stowing away or working their passage across the Atlantic, which costs more than twenty-five times the fare in Ezar’s day. Nowadays they are booked in advance to entertain the passengers.

Football reached a low ebb in 1934 when Italy, the host nation, won the second World Cup, beating Czechoslovakia 2-1. It was a propaganda triumph for Mussolini, but a ‘sporting fiasco’ with intimidated referees failing to control brutality on the field.
For me the season finished on a high note - I won the Midland Open at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham - a course that no longer exists.

In May 1935 the news was dominated by the death of Lawrence of Arabia in a motorcycle accident. Also widely reported was the inquest in Chester following the death of a 25-years-old local Post Office worker from anthrax. The source could not be identified, but it could have come from imported mailbags. Almost seventy years later the threat of contamination is from more sinister sources.

W. H. DaviesThe month brought unseasonable weather to the north–west coast of England when snow hit the final day of the Dunlop Southport Tournament, causing play to be abandoned – eventually! It was the first event held at the recently refurbished Birkdale and has entered the record books under the heading of ‘Unusual Weather Conditions’. Although a blizzard was blowing horizontally across the course when the first pair were due to tee off at 8am, astonishingly there was no one present who had the authority to postpone the start. It was a case of play or be disqualified - so we played. I was in the fourth match out and by the time we reached the first green putting was impossible. Even playing a pitch and run shot the ball assumed the proportions of a cricket ball and players were putting with mashies. We had played thirteen holes before the cease-fire was eventually sounded and emissaries were despatched to the outlying holes. The first pairing out, Wallasey pro Bill Davies, the 1933 champion and Bill Large from Liverpool’s Allerton Municipal, made it all the way to the 18th. Large’s caddie collapsed at the third due to the cold and Bill had to lug his own bag through the blizzard for much of the round. Not surprisingly he scored 87 and Bill Davies came in with 82 - his 12-inch putt at the 15th had come up short.

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