Lives in Cricket No 52 - Schooled in Cricket (2nd edition)

74 Chapter Twelve A cricket school is founded The end of the war opened up the world anew for many folk, none more than for the ever-ambitious Johnny Lawrence. Before the winter was out he had developed what were to be the two arms of his future cricketing career. One was his founding of a cricketing school. As we know Johnny was attracted to cricket coaching before the war both with his engagements at Pocklington and Rishworth Schools and with individual coaching in his backyard in the previous family home at the Ropery, Carlton. As carpenters, in the days when what is now called do- it-yourself was the order of the day, he and his brother Sammy were able to construct – originally as a greenhouse – the original cricket school alongside the family home of Westfield House on Westfield Road, between Rothwell, Carlton and Robin Hood on land he had bought immediately A young Stephen Lawrence in front of Westfield Cricket School; an even younger Dean Gabbitas, son of well-known rugby league player Brian, is keeping wicket.