by Mike Tarr (Artist and Museum Trustee)
This is a story about Bill Andrews, the great Somerset bowler (all-rounder?) who was the manager of the Somerset 2nd XI when I played for the club.
I was very fond of Bill and regret that through no fault of his own, he comes out of this on the wrong side of events, which I am sure may have happened a few times in his working days for Somerset CCC.
As I recall, it was my first Minor Counties match for the Seconds versus Cornwall at Penzance, and after the first day I was not out overnight and very anxious about batting the next morning. Because of this, and to hopefully help the nerves, I had maybe one or two too many in the hotel bar during the evening, along with, I would add, some of the others.
On retiring to bed, somewhat confused, and putting my head on the pillow, I discovered that a half-eaten cold turkey had been placed under it. In a state of panic I discovered that a couple of my teammates ( I think both their surnames began with a ‘W’ but may be wrong!) had taken the turkey from the cold cabinet in the hotel reception area and placed it in my bed. This was met with great hilarity when I discovered it there, but to their credit the two protagonists took pity on me and my plight.
Sadly the aforementioned bird was transported to Bill’s room and placed in his bedside locker. He had no knowledge of these happenings and was only made aware of them when a subsequent bill arrived from the hotel at the club and Bill had to explain away something he knew absolutely nothing about.
The outcome was unclear, did Bill have to pay himself for the turkey (on the assumption that he had taken it for his own benefit), were the culprits discovered? To this day I still feel guilty that Bill was the innocent and I was an unwitting party to a fiendish prank.
Bill was a great chap, full of enthusiasm and was well liked and perhaps didn’t deserve the treatment that he received over the years, (being sacked by Somerset 3 times as he was always proud to say).
For what it’s worth, in a hangover haze I was out for 30 odd the next morning and was nicknamed ‘Turkey Tarr’ for some time after.