Family ties in Gloucester confuse our Laurence
n a recent visit to Gloucester I got lost, not for the first time I hasten to add. I was on my way to meet up with Gareth Balmer at Gloucester Rugby Club. I pulled in at a school to get directions where I found the Head Groundsman working by the entrance. He very kindly put me right. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, I
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asked him a few questions about his role at the school; Kings in Gloucester. He told me his name and, by coincidence, he turned out to be the uncle of Gareth, the very man I was going to see. He was Graeme Balmer and not only was his father formerly the Head Groundsman at the school but Gareth’s father, David (Graham’s brother), had also been Head Groundsman at the rugby stadium. Confused? So was I.
Both the school and the rugby club have had sons following fathers into the position of Head Groundsman. In total Graeme and his dad have had 50 years at the school while David and Gareth have clocked up 14 years service at the rugby club. The family connections works
very well as the two venues share machinery as and when required. Faced with this unusual scenario I
talked with Graham about his role at the school.
THE King’s School is one of the seven famous Cathedral Schools established by Henry VIII in 1541. Whilst initially a Choir School, it has grown considerably over the years into the leading co- educational independent school in the area, with around five hundred pupils, aged three to eighteen. Graeme is responsible for maintaining
the grounds and gardens at both the school site and the Archdeacon playing fields. He has two assistants, Dave Barley and Richard Bowman. The Archdeacon playing fields host both rugby and cricket fixtures. There are three cricket squares at the ground offering around 40 pitches for play. However, with cricket being played every day during the summer term, the grounds staff have to make each strip last as long as they can. Surrey Gostd loam is
used on the squares and this has been very successful for repairs and establishing grass.
It is an old landfill site which does come with a few problems. Often, areas have been known to drop as much as 75 mm (3”) in places, requiring cricket pitches to be relaid every now and again.
Gloucester RFC
Eventually I arrived at the rugby club to be met by Gareth and his father, David, the Stadium Manager. They were busy preparing the pitch for a televised match against Wasps. Sky TV were setting up lighting, camera rigs and studio facilities. Gareth was mowing the pitch using a
Toro triple set at 35 mm, getting ahead of the company who were marking out a Guinness logo. Despite having staged over thirty matches to date, and the prolonged cold, wintry weather, the pitch was still in very good condition with over 70% grass cover. The weekly routine consists of pitch repairs after the game, divoting, re-
Balmer ARMY
By LAURENCE GALE MSc Left -r
David and Nephew/Son Gareth right Uncle Graeme, Dad
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