The Frome Fossil

THE CASE OF CASE

The Frome Fossil

Here’s another local celeb you’ve never heard of. Cecil Charles Coles Case was born in Frome in 1895, the son of a tanner. Charismatic he was not. He was dogged, snobbish, slow-moving and pudding-faced. He spent nearly all his years in the town, having as little as possible to do with other people. He never ever thought of having a job or getting married or going to the pub.

And yet he is worth remembering. For C. C. C. Case had another life: he played cricket for Somerset for nearly a decade. During that time he gained a nickname (“Box”- who’d have guessed?), scored nine centuries and found an outlet for his deeply buried passion and intensity. Not that you’d have noticed, because he has gone down in history as the apotheosis of dullness, the acme of tedium. “The grimmest batsman I have ever seen,” wrote one journalist. “The kindest adjective to evoke his style,” opined another, “was probably ‘ugly’.”

There was no grace or flair or risk in his batting. Somerset crowds, used to the thunder and lightning of wallopers like Harold Gimblett or Arthur Wellard, jeered him mercilessly. But it was like blowing peas at an elephant. Case carried on unwaveringly through whatever was thrown at him. After stunning yet another delivery with his lifeless bat, he would walk round and round in ever widening circles until it was time for the next one. So ferocious was his concentration that he never noticed when an opponent once bowled a rubber ball as a joke.

However, even iron determination couldn’t make him a good fielder. If the ball came near him, he would rumble into action like a steam roller, snatch it up and hurl it in with all his might. Alas, it rarely went anywhere near the stumps. Batsmen made use of this by pretending to take a run, but not moving. Case, greatly excited, could be relied on to fling the ball so wide that it would rocket to the far side of the ground for four byes.

On retirement, Case went home and lived unadventurously off his investments. Who knew him? Very few. The only memory is from a clerk in the local bank. Case, he said, insisted on having his money in brand new notes. He died, alone and in the same family house in Keyford, in 1969. But he had had his moment in the limelight.

ALL HALLOWS

Welcome back! It’s wonderful to have our children learning and embracing their childhood in the grounds of our beautiful school. When Dr Richards, All Hallows Head, asked our pupils on the first week of their return ‘What had been their stand out moments?’, pupils replied ‘The Science Fair’, ‘having lessons in a classroom with my teacher and my friends’, ‘the food’ and ‘practising a song which we had written over lockdown’.

Apply now to join us in the Summer or Autumn Term. For more information and to arrange a visit, call Jackie on 01749 881609. Come and discover why our children are thriving...

Set in a stunning location, just 15 minutes from Frome and Bruton, with minibus transport available, All Hallows is a day and boarding prep school for children aged 3 to 13. A creative and dynamic curriculum, with our pupils’ happiness and well-being at the heart of all decision-making, is producing outstanding results. Children are moving on to their senior schools, confident in who they are and ready to make the most of the opportunities that lie ahead. www.allhallowsschool.co.uk