Punchy's Hampshire Years

'Punchy’s Hampshire Years' tells the story of Alan Rayment’s life from 1949 to 1959, the years when he spent his summers inside the game of cricket. The book, following on from 'Punchy through the Covers', was to be the second of a three-volume autobiography, but sadly Alan Rayment died before he was able to complete it. Stephen Chalke has drawn together the written chapters, as well as notes, taped conversations and other titbits, to complete the story. There are delightful insights into the life of a professional county cricketer in the 1950s, a fascinating account of the successful ballroom dancing business that Alan and his wife Betty developed during those years and powerful descriptions of the life-changing spiritual experiences that led him to leave behind his life in cricket and dance. Even when he spends the summer of 1959 as an assistant coach at Lord’s, Alan’s radical thinking comes to the fore, generating a most surprising tale. In the words of his former Hampshire captain Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, Alan Rayment had 'great ability and insight into people’s characters' and 'a number of qualities unusual in the normal first-class cricketer’ – and 'Punchy’s Hampshire Years' bears that out. Warmth and humour combine with a free-thinking spirit, ever curious to explore fresh worlds and new ideas, making this a stimulating memoir which is, indeed, much more ‘unusual’ than one by a ‘normal first-class cricketer’.

Alan ‘Punchy’ Rayment was born in North London in May 1928. A free-scoring batsman and brilliant fielder, he played for Hampshire from 1949 to 1958. Encouraged to improve his footwork by learning ballroom dancing, he developed a second talent. In Southampton, together with his wife Betty, he ran dance classes, performed at events and managed a highly popular ballroom in the city centre. A profound religious experience led to his abandoning cricket and dance. He trained and worked as a community worker, then travelled overseas in search of spiritual enlightenment. Returning to England in his sixties, he embarked on a project to tell the story of his life. He died in October 2020.