Lives in Cricket No 26 - HV Hesketh-Prichard

104 Before the War Some time this year Parker refers to Hex’s taking part in private theatricals for local charity, playing the mechanical servant in Iron Ann . This is The Iron Ann, a one-act farce by Arthur Grahame, not a sibling of Kenneth, and Adelaide St Clair, published in 1911. The stage directions include this: The Iron Ann – Cotton dress, cooking apron, with directions for use printed upon the bib, large cap with bow, key for winding the machine hanging round its neck. For first appearance the ‘Iron Ann’ must be tied up in brown paper leaving the feet free to stand upon, and labelled ‘This side up with care.’ Note: A coffee grinder or some other noisy machine must be used behind the scene when the ‘Ann’ is being wound. It was not a speaking part. The Iron Ann had to be disposed of when it attempts to cook a black servant, an entirely stereotypical part. This is, it must be said, a very early example of the appearance of a robot in literature, well before the word came into English from Czech. That history is another story altogether, but the misbehaving domestic robot did become a staple storyline in science fiction. One might note that the Junkers 52 was later known to British forces as Iron Annie . He turned his attention again to more serious matters and the Society of Authors, and attended management committee meetings on 7 October and 4 November, but was not there on 2 December. In November, The Cahusac Mystery appeared in book form and was reviewed by the Manchester Guardian , oddly enough in the same review that raved about Eric Parker’s Promise of Arden . But you cannot find a copy of Parker’s book now. The Guardian was less keen on The Cahusac Mystery . It said that it was ‘the usual detective mystery plus something more … an attempt at rather subtle character drawing.’ But it thought this went too far in the character of the highly respectable lady who lets herself be made love to by the nauseous villain in order to aid her lover in unravelling the mystery of the crime passes easily in melodrama, but when she is subjected to the cold light of reality we must shake our heads over her, and that spoils everything. The ambitious aim weakens a cleverly invented ‘mystery’. * * * * * * * The first sighting we have of Hex in 1913 is an appearance on the management committee of the Society of Authors on 8 January, then again on 3 March. Bernard Shaw, a very regular attender, and W.W.Jacobs, the famous short story writer, were among the others. Then – presumably at the 1913 Annual General Meeting, but the minutes of that are lost – he was elected as chairman of the management committee. He had attended the meeting on 24 April, but on 7 July he was in the chair. The first game we know about this year is a distinctly minor one, as he played for St Saviour’s against Harpenden: they won (102 to 92) and Hex scored 29 and took a couple of wickets. Hex began playing first-class cricket early this year, but it was to be his last season. 1913 started very badly for Hampshire and Hex was there at