Howzat for a collection as Dickie Bird exhibition opens in Barnsley

They didn’t know it then, but fate had big plans for the trio. One, Geoffrey Boycott, would go on to become one of England’s greatest ever batsman, while the second, Michael Parkinson, embarked on a career as an internationally-renowned journalist and talk show host.

“I remember we were sitting on the boundary edge after practice, Michael, myself and Geoffrey, we were all very young,” he told The Yorkshire Post.

“Michael Parkinson said to us, ‘I wonder what life holds for us?’. It just amazing, in our different fields, how each one of us got to the top.”

Mr Bird, now 83, now has a lot to look back on after a career that has seen him become arguably the world’s best known umpire and one of sport’s favourite characters.

And from Saturday, he is sharing his memories with the help of a free exhibition in his home town of Barnsley celebrating his life and achievements. ‘Dickie Bird: My Life in Cricket’ will showcase the many priceless artefacts he has accumulated, including those from his umpiring career and others from his encounters with royalty and political leaders.

“It was Natalie Murray (collections manager at Barnsley council) who came up and suggested it. I said to her I would do it but have you got place big enough for all my stuff? I have so much stuff my house is like a museum.

“It is my home town and people will get quite a surprise when they see all the medals and all the invitations I have had from all over the world, from Kings and Queens, and Prime Ministers and so forth. It will go very well, I am sure of it.

“It is right back from me being a boy, right from playing football for Barnsley boys I have kept more or less everything. I have invitations from three Prime Ministers, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair, they invited me to have dinner with them at Chequers, I have framed the menu and also the invitation.

“When I had lunch with the Queen at Buckingham Palace, which was very special to me. It was just the Queen, myself and Prince Edward. He had to go out so I spent the whole day with the Queen.

“I have all the medals for Test matches and major cup finals. I have some magnificent glassware as well, I have kept all of that. It is worth a fortune. They stripped my walls bare and all my cabinets {for the exhibition].”

The exhibition, which runs until May 14, charts his story from early days as the footballing son of a miner to becoming a leading cricket umpire, with 66 Test matches under his belt.

Between 1956 and 1964, Mr Bird played first-class cricket as a batsman for Yorkshire and Leicestershire, before becoming an umpire. He was awarded the MBE in June 1986 in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List and became a frequent tea-time visitor at the Palace, apparently attending more than 20 times.

As well as mementoes from the three World Cup finals he umpired, and the 1980 Centenary Test Match at Lord’s between England and Australia, visitors can see the bag he carried his gear in, including his cap and international umpire’s jacket.

He said: “They will find it very interesting. I would want a full day here to look round it all. It will be very good.

“They took all my stuff and it’s going into cabinets at the town hall, there are also quotes from all the greatest players in the world.”

Organisers say the display can be enjoyed by cricket novices and enthusiasts and can help visitors discover more about the game.

There will be an opportunity to learn the rules and the many hand signals used as well as taking a visit to dressing room to try on some cricket kit.

To launch the exhibition on Saturday, the museum will host a free cricketing family fun day between 10am and 3pm, where families are invited to come along and learn new skills with cricketers from Barnsley’s local clubs.

Coun Roy Miller of Barnsley council said: “When thinking about cricket you inevitably think about one of the sport’s best loved characters, ‘Dickie Bird’.

“Born and raised in Barnsley, Dickie has not only achieved great things in his career he has also been a great supporter of the town. For this reason there is no better place to host this fascinating exhibition than in our very own Experience Barnsley.”