Cassette recording, Fay Ashmore, MCC employee, interviewed by Geoffrey Moorhouse. The recording consists of two sides of a cassette. The recording took place in the Old Library at Lord's Cricket Ground.
Side 1: [0:00-2:35] Ashmore talks about her upbringing in Somerset, joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service and meeting Ronald Aird (MCC Assistant Secretary) whilst scoring cricket matches for Sandhurst, and joining MCC on Aird's recommendation and working as a secretary for Colonel R S Rait Kerr (Secretary of MCC), [2:35-4:20] Ashmore talks about her enjoyment of cricket prior to working at Lord's and how she felt when coming to Lord's for the first time, and Moorhouse talks about his dislike of the clock next to the Mound Stand, [4:20-7:15] Ashmore talks about working for Colonel R S Rait Kerr, Rait Kerr's character and generosity in letting her watch Somerset matches at Lord's when she was supposed to be working, [7:15-8:10] Ashmore talks about Rait Kerr's strengths as Secretary, [8:10-11:30] Ashmore talks about Rait Kerr's re-drafting of the Laws of Cricket in 1947 which Ashmore assisted him with, the people Ashmore worked with in the Secretary's office including Patricia Hoare who became John Arlott's wife, [11:30-15:15] Ashmore talks about her daily routine at Lord's including having lunch in the Tavern, having lunch next to the Player's Dining Room when matches were on, her working hours in and out of the cricket season and her wages, [15:15-18:10] Ashmore talks about leaving Lord's after Rait Kerr retired to have children but returning part-time to work as a Secretary to MCC Curator Diana Rait Kerr, [18:10-26:10] Ashmore talks about visiting Lord's after she left and being given a pass for the Members' Stand, and the changes she has noticed from when she worked at Lord's including the atmosphere and changes in crowd behaviour to when she first visited at Lord's, [26:10-29:35] Ashmore talks about changes in MCC Membership compared to when she arrived at Lord's, including dress code, and seeing much of the players when she worked, and discreetly seeing royalty when they visited, [29:35-33:50] Ashmore talks about her dislike of women's cricket and her thoughts on women membership, and talks about the Rait Kerr family and their holidays, [33:50-36:15] Ashmore talks about Ronald Aird and his character, [36:15-37:10] Ashmore talks about S C Griffith, [37:10-39:45] Ashmore talks about being busy in the Library when she worked part-time for Diana Rait Kerr and bringing her son to Lord's while she worked, [39:45-43:35] Ashmore talks about Gus Farley and about Ashmore not having a desire to return to Lord's after 40 years, and her final day at Lord's, and receiving a present from MCC Curator S E A Green when she left of a scorecard from the first match she scored at Lord's in 1944, [43:35-47:37] Ashmore talks about changes to the MCC Library and Museum since Green was made Curator, such as moving the Library above the MCC Museum, and talks about the layout of the Old Library before the books were moved.
Side 2: [0:00-1:10] Ashmore talks about the current MCC Library area, [1:10-4:25] Ashmore talks about where the Library and Museum sit among the Club's priorities, and both Ashmore and Moorhouse compare sport today to when they were younger, [4:25-10:40] Ashmore talks about visiting Lord's and how Lord's has changed compared to when she first started visiting Lord's, and talks about K R Miller hitting a six which broke one of the spectator's chairs when it landed, and Ashmore and Moorhouse talk about their memories of seeing Miller at Lord's after he retired, [10:40-15:55] Ashmore and Moorhouse talk about their memories of I T Botham, Jack Lee, Harold Gimblett, Maurice Tremlett and past Somerset teams, [15:55-18:10] Moorhouse talks about cricketers who have committed suicide and Ashmore talks about meeting David Foot who wrote Harold Gimblett's biography, [18:10-20:22] Ashmore talks about the enjoyment of cricket by women and her knowledge of cricket.
