Tribute to Sid Anderson - Quoits champion

Wendy has given permission for this to be copied from the Old Harpenden Years Gone By Facebook page, where it attracted many comments in May 2019.

I don’t know the date of this photo but it is of my grandad Sid Anderson (standing behind large cup) and my great grandad also named Sidney Anderson (seated first left). I am sorry not to know the other gentlemen in the photo.

The Quoits team, Rothamsted Park. Credit: Wendy Austin family archives

My grandad lived at 7 Batford Road with my nan Rosie and they used to enjoy a drink and a game of darts in the Gibralter pub. He was a fine quoits and dart player. He represented England against Wales in 1949 to make his fifth quoits international. He was captain of Harpenden Quoits Club and took part in a contest between teams when the quoits bed was first opened in Rothamsted Park.

He was also one of the foremost darts players in Harpenden. Apparently this is unusual because a heavy hand is needed for quoits and a light hand for darts. He inherited this interest from his father who was a member of the Old Harpenden Quoits Club.

The Gibraltar pub Darts team, 1949. Credit: Wendy Austin family archives

The Gib Dart Club 1948 – 1949. All back row: Mr Woollatt 6th from left, my grandad Sidney Anderson 8th from left, Mr Ives, the landlord 10th from left, and my dad Ted Stoker 4th from right.

Playing darts Sidney was known to go through a season without defeat and was for a time the singles champion of Luton and District.

 

Sidney Anderson (right) outside Dodson’s bootmakers, 38 Station Road. I am sorry not to know the other man. Credit: Wendy Austin family archives

For 25 years he worked in Station Road, Harpenden as a cobbler. [Dodson’s bootmakers are listed in Kelly’s Directories from 1928 until after 1952.ed]

All this was from a cutting I have from the local paper printed after his death. He died so young at age 49 in 1953 when I was only 2 years old so I don’t remember him but am very proud of him still.

Harpenden Free Press report – 1953. Credit: Wendy Austin family archives

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