Lives in Cricket No 25 - Tom Richardson

112 Bout-du-Monde but a professional establishment, housing physicians whose specialisms relate to those where the Aix-les-Bains sulphur baths might contribute to a cure or alleviation, for example, sports medicine, rheumatology, osteopathy, physiotherapy etc. The Institut de Beauté has become a toy shop, but the concept continues in an upmarket beauty salon, part of the Nocibé chain, which is now housed in what was part of the hotel. The ‘Nicolas-Bar’ itself is now called l’Addict and is a lounge bar, according to the publicity outside, specialising in cocktails and Guinness. So the Anglophile flavour has been retained. The report in the Daily Mail , probably from the same news agency, is consistent on the cause of death, but not on the time Paris, Thursday 1 am The Journal has received a telegram from Aix-les-Bains announcing that Tom Richardson, the famous Surrey fast bowler was found dead yesterday morning at the foot of a hill by the village of St. Jean d’Arvey. Death was apparently due to cerebral congestion brought on by exposure. On Tuesday night, Richardson, according to the Journal , left his hotel without being observed by the nurses and his family. He went out in his slippers and without a tie or collar. 270 The last paragraph is clearly incorrect. Whether he went out in his slippers and without collar and tie there is no way of knowing, but by Tuesday evening, he was already dead. According to the death certificate, an undertaker from Aix-les-Bains and a retired local gendarme discovered the body (The ‘Disparu’ headline in the local paper suggests that the alarm had been raised) and testified before the Mayor twenty-four hours later that the time of the discovery had been 3 pm on the afternoon of Tuesday 2 nd . Richardson must have had a passport and/or other identity papers on him, as the statement by the undertaker and gendarme gives his address and occupation correctly, as well as the name of his estranged wife. Under French Law, the declaration before the Mayor should be within twenty-four hours (which it was – just) by relatives or neighbours (which it wasn’t – there weren’t any around) and it should also be accompanied by a medical certificate. Again, it wasn’t – the only instance in the St Jean d’Arvey registers – and no cause of death is given. The Evening News the same day also carries the story. It is consistent to the extent that it also mentions that he went out without a tie or collar and wearing slippers and adds that he had 400 francs in his pocket. However, it has the time of his departure at 5 am, rather than the evening and the discovery of the body after the police had been alerted in the late evening rather than the next day. It was, in fact, much earlier. How Tom came to be anywhere near St Jean d’Arvey is something of a mystery. True, according to Richardson’s son, and confirmed by ‘Felix’ 270 4 July 1912