A PICTURE taken 72 years ago of a world famous Yorkshire cricketer brought back fond memories for a Rawdon man.

Thomas Rigg, 85, was just 13-years-old and captain of cricket at Rawdon Littlemoor Primary School when in 1933 he was called upon to make a presentation to Yorkshire and England cricketer Hedley Verity.

Mr Verity, who started his career at Rawdon Cricket Club, had just returned home after a successful tour of Australia and was being presented with a trophy.

The presentation at Micklefield Park was photographed and 72 years later the school's copy of the photo was discovered in the attic of the Harrogate Road school.

The search was then on to track down the young lad making the presentation so that the picture and its history could be put on show at Rawdon Littlemoor's new premises in New Road Side after the Easter holidays.

Mr Rigg, who at the time lived on Harrogate Road and now lives on Benton Park Drive, contacted the Wharfedale Observer after reading the appeal for information.

He said: "We lived next door to Hedley and knew the family. He was a very nice fella and one of the best fellas I had ever met."

Hedley Verity recently featured in Yorkshire Cricket Club's account of the best players in the last 100 years.

He toured with the England team in 1933 for the infamous Bodyline series, but his career was cut short when he was killed on duty in Italy during World War Two.

Mr Rigg said he remembers clearly the presentation.

"Hedley Verity had been to Australia, it was a very good tour and the presentation was the school's way of saying well done. I remember being a bit nervous about it."

But according to Mr Rigg, the cricketer was nothing like today's celebrity sportsmen.

"We didn't make as much of them in those days, they were nothing like the idiot celebrities on the television today.

"There were no airs and graces about Hedley, he was a very gentle fella and it was an honour to have known him."

Mr Rigg, who was at Rawdon Littlemoor School from when he was five to 14-years-old, remembers a very different form of education.

"There was a lot better discipline then and no messing about. You'd get caned for various things, for not doing things properly. Just about everyone in the school got caned at one time or another."

The school recently held several events and a reunion of old pupils and friends ahead of its planned move in just a few weeks time to new premises at New Road Side.

Mr Rigg said: "It's progress I suppose, the school's looking a bit old now and things are a bit different in schools now to when I went."

Mr Rigg's photograph will be restored and put on show at the new school.

School governor Cyril Snell, who made the appeal about the photograph, said he was delighted that Mr Rigg had come forward.

He hoped that the school could honour Hedley Verity by displaying the restored picture for all to see.