This episode marks the opening of a new exhibit at the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket entitled 'Doug and the Don'.
Doug and The Don is a special exhibition that was launched by the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket on National Sporting Heritage Day, 30 September 2022 which celebrates the friendship between two men at the opposite ends of the cricketing spectrum – Doug Davies, a genial club cricketer in South Wales and Sir Don Bradman, the world’s finest-ever batter and an Australian sporting icon.
“The Don was Doug’s cricketing hero, “explains Dr. Andrew Hignell, the Curator of the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket at Glamorgan Cricket’s headquarters at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. “For nigh on thirty years, the pair exchanged letters, with their friendship starting when Doug did a sketch of the Australian cricketer and sent it to him for The Don to sign.”
“Doug, like his father before him, was a talented artist, and to Doug’s delight he had several opportunities to meet up with The Don and personally handover these sketches to the world’s greatest-ever batter. They also shared a love of music so their letters were about more things than just cricket.”
In this episode as well as talking to Douglas we talk to his nephew Noel and friends, rugby play Peter Bolland, ex-Glamorgan cricketer Roger Davis and Cardiff born cricketer Ian Holmes. There is also an interview with museum volunteer conservationist Alice Moor who was one of the transcribers of the Bradman letters.
We would like to thank BBC Wales for supplying us with archive soundtrack of Bradman's message to Glamorgan CCC members and supporters and Bradman playing piano on a recording made in 1930 and replayed on BBC Radio.
For those interested in seeing the exhibition they can contact the museum at :
museum@glamorgancricket.co.uk or tel: 02920 419383