Covent Garden London
The heart of London's West End
Salmagundi Gardeners in Literary On-Drive
Dorothy Parker, on hearing of the death of President Coolidge, allegedly said, "How could they tell?" Might she have reacted similarly to sightings of Salmagundi Gardeners playing cricket? Were she not dead (something most of our players have over her), an invitation to watch us very much alive and playing in New York's Central Park would be winging its way to The Algonquin Hotel.
Winging its way prematurely, that is, because no such game has been arranged - but it can be only a matter of time, for this reason: there exists in New York a Salmagundi Club. This gathering of American artists and literati is believed to be connected to the Greenwich Village Preservation Society. A twinning with the Covent Garden Community Association and our own village of Covent Garden seems to follow naturally.
The American club was founded in 1830. By a staggering coincidence this is precisely the time on a Sunday evening Salmagundi Cricketers are throwing away their wicket in order to get to the pub. It's unclear exactly when the name Salmagundi was copied from us (cleverly in advance), but it was after an incident that became known as the Salmagundi Papers. Could these in any way be linked with the Sunday papers that all Salmagundi batsmen settle down with not long after bravely striding out to the crease?
The Salmagundi Club has an address in 5th Avenue, which, as many will know, runs down one side of Central Park. Clearly, for this match which must be played, it would be more convenient for the Americans to act as hosts - this in spite of the help, if we did play at home, the cobbles of the Piazza might give our spinners.
What connects our two great organisations more than anything (apart from the name, which actually connects us more than anything) is the literary and artistic milieu that is Salmagundi Gardeners Cricket Club. Nowhere will you find - not even in Faulkner or Hemingway ("grace under pressure") - narrative as beautiful and moving as the Salmagundi batsman's explanation of how that couldn't possibly be LBW.
As for the artists in the side - they know who they are. So a transatlantic cultural exchange is inevitable. Assuming New York's Salmagundi will put aside their rounders (a game occasionally tacked on to a picnic) for the noble art of cricket (a game within which the picnic is inherent), the sounds of leather on willow will soon be dancing playfully on the wind with the hooters of the Staten Island ferry and the horns of the yellow taxi cabs.
Salmagundi Gardeners Cricket Club has represented Covent Garden since 1976. New, young, old and occasional players are always welcome. You do not need any cricket equipment of your own to play. If you know who Dorothy Parker was you might be asked to open the innings.
This year's club captain is Erik Samuelson who can be contacted on 020 8672 2194 (home) and erik@esamuelson.demon.co.uk
Mark Gilkes
Covent Garden Community Association Annual Report 2000-2001
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