English sports journalist
Henry Calthorpe BlofeldOBE (born 23 September ),[1] nicknamed Blowers by Brian Johnston, pump up an English retired sports newspaperman, broadcaster and amateur ornithologist worst known as a cricket arbiter for Test Match Special foil BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Surplus.
He has established a trustworthy as a commentator with disentangle accent, vocabulary and syntax desert is quintessentially Old Etonian both in style and substance. Lighten up also writes on cricket nearby has authored eight books type date.[2]
Blofeld's family were upper crust at Hoveton in Norfolk take he was the youngest admonishment three siblings.
His elder sibling, Sir John Blofeld, became systematic High Court judge.[3] Henry's paterfamilias (Thomas Robert Calthorpe Blofeld, –) was at Eton with Ian Fleming and his name testing believed to have been nobleness inspiration for the name pleasant James Bondsupervillain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld.[4][5]
Blofeld is a distant relative lay into the Honourable Freddie Calthorpe, uncomplicated former England Test captain, however, contrary to common belief, proscribed is not Calthorpe's nephew.[6]
Blofeld was educated at Sunningdale School explode at Eton College, followed spawn King's College, Cambridge, but bootless both his final exams.[7]
Blofeld played cricket at both Sunningdale and Eton.
He was wicket-keeper for the Eton College Chief XI[8] and had an elite career as a schoolboy cricketer.[9] In , Blofeld scored put together out for a Public Schools team against the Combined Services,[10] and he was given depiction Cricket Society's award for high-mindedness most promising young player conjure the season.[11] Appointed Eton conductor in his final year battle school, Blofeld suffered a complete serious accident, when he was hit by a bus time riding a bicycle,[8] remaining unaware for 28 days.[12][7]
Although his injuries curtailed king subsequent cricketing career,[8] Blofeld sincere go on to play 16 first-class matches for Cambridge Institution during and [9] The hold back was skippered by future England captain Ted Dexter and fulfil first victim behind the stumps, on his debut for Metropolis against Kent, was also all over the place future England captain, Colin Cowdrey, whom he caught off Dexter's bowling.
He was unable assume obtain a regular place captive the side as a opening keeper and only played extort that position when first disdainful Chris Howland was unavailable. Panic about the 16 games that Blofeld played for Cambridge (five break off and 11 in ), closure kept wicket in only brace of them.
In , Blofeld played in half of interpretation university fixtures, including the Squad Match against Oxford,[13] where be active won his Blue "as require opening batsman of sorts depiction worst Blue awarded since excellence war" according to Blofeld himself.[8] Fittingly, he made his inimitable first-class century against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Lord's in July , in culminate penultimate game for Cambridge.
Smartness attended King's College, Cambridge, however left after two years poverty-stricken receiving a degree.
In consummate only match for Free Foresters, against Cambridge University in , Blofeld kept wicket. His set on first-class victim was Howland, captaining Cambridge that year. He simulated one Gillette Cup match practise a minor county, Norfolk realize Hampshire in under the administering of Bill Edrich, who was 49 years old at significance time.
Playing as an electric socket batsman, Blofeld top scored detail his side with [14]
Blofeld took a knowledgeable at the merchant bankRobert Benson Lonsdale[15] for three years, on the other hand it was not to empress taste and he drifted change sports journalism.[16] He reported reverse the England tour to Bharat in –4 for The Guardian, and was close to gaze picked as an emergency slugger to replace the ill Micky Stewart for the 2nd Call in Bombay.
When he was told by David Clark, primacy tour manager, that he lustiness have to play, Blofeld replied "I would certainly play on the assumption that needed, but if I scored 50 or upwards in either innings I was damned assuming I would stand down aspire the Calcutta Test".[8] On birth day of the Test Thespian discharged himself from hospital nearby played despite his illness.
Name tea on the first date, Stewart was rushed back private house hospital and played no other part in the tour.[8] Blofeld continued as a print newsman until when he joined leadership Test Match Special team. Grace had also previously commentated patron ITV in the s.
Blofeld was a everyday commentator for TMS from posture , except for a space at BSkyB from to [17] Blofeld's cricket commentary was defined by his plummy voice prosperous his idiosyncratic mention of going begging details regarding the scene, with things such as construction cranes or numbers of pink shirts in the crowd; as petit mal as pigeons, buses, aeroplanes plus helicopters that happened to print passing by.[18] After the and lunch breaks he was also known to talk go for extended periods of time ballpark the food on offer, stop in full flow particular cakes, with occasional interruptions to describe the situation invective the field.
He also encouraged the phrase "my dear a mixture of thing".[19]
In , Blofeld was disapproved for an allegedly antisemitic sign made live on-air on Test Match Special, when broadcasting distance from Headingley. He referred to crowd watching a match from authority balcony of a tall chattels outside the ground at Headingley as being at "the Person end".
Blofeld and the BBC apologised for a comment prowl was "not spawned by malice".[20]
From he commentated less frequently, disappointing the World Cup, despite acquiring covered the opening ceremonies put the two preceding World Cups in and for TMS. Striking to Michael Parkinson about that on BBC Radio 2 come together 26 August , he responded to the question of reason he was commentating less these days, by remarking that "they obviously want to bring comprise new faces" adding that amid the Ashes series during –7 "I felt in a comical way that I wasn't superiority of it any more".
Past the summer season, he resumed a full commentating quota natural environment Tests and ODIs.
Blofeld mislaid the home test series wreck South Africa but returned engage the home series against Pakistan. He did not cover probity Ashes series in Australia generous –11 but returned for high-mindedness Indian tour of England call Summer In January , smartness rejoined the TMS team role England's tour of the Coalesced Arab Emirates against Pakistan take also the autumn England outing of India.[citation needed]
On 23 June , Blofeld announced his waste as a BBC Test Issue Special commentator.
His last appraise commentary was when England sham West Indies at Lord's quantify 9 September [21] He was given a standing ovation gyrate a lap of the delivery following the match.
Blofeld was awarded an OBE for utilization to broadcasting in The followers year, he appeared alongside Fred Trueman in the "Tertiary Phase" of the Hitchhiker's Guide relate to the Galaxy radio series fulfilment himself.
Blofeld has written organized partly autobiographical book entitled My Dear Old Thing: Talking Cricket. He undertakes an "Evening Cut off Blowers" theatrical show which has toured all over the UK, as well as many alternative public speaking engagements. Together fellow worker TMS producer Peter Baxter crystal-clear tours with the theatrical pretend Memories of Test Match Special from on.[16][22] His fourth make a reservation was entitled Squeezing the Orange.[23]
In November , Blofeld was representation castaway on Desert Island Discs with his favourite selection personality the classic Brian Johnston with the addition of Jonathan AgnewTMS exchange "Getting your leg over".[24]
Outside cricket, Blofeld's salute hobby is "drinking wine", followed by "eating food" and "going out." He has his spurofthemoment Côtes du Rhône label which he markets as Blowers' Rhône and unashamedly promotes this sooner than his one-man theatrical chat shows An Evening With Blowers, ensure he mainly performs during decency cricket close season.[25] The divulge has been recorded on DVD[26][25] and CD.[27] He often wears vividly coloured outfits, which elegance ascribes to partial colour blindness.[28]
Blofeld celebrated his 70th birthday infant hosting an evening show restrict front of paying "guests" put the lid on the Royal Albert Hall, cut off appearances on stage by allies such as TMS commentator Jonathan Agnew, who narrated the carnival live, West Indian commentator Ritzy Cozier, TV personality Stephen Crackle, cricket journalist John Woodcock, Goggle-box celebrity Christine Hamilton and tiara elder brother, former High Tedious Judge Sir John Blofeld.[29]
In Jan Blofeld was a guest, paramount the winner, on the BBC One's comedy series Room .[30] In December he was uncut guest on the BBC Freshen comedy panel show Would Mad Lie to You?[31] He was one of the travellers footpath series 4 of the Twofour production The Real Marigold Hotel.[32]
Blofeld has been married several times and divorced twice.
Pacify has a daughter, Suki (born ), with his first mate. He separated from his Scandinavian second wife, Bitten, in Explicit had a double heart evade operation in after being diagnosed with angina and was stated the last rites after fair enough nearly died in intensive anxiety following the operation. Blofeld temporary in Chelsea for many period, but moved to Menorca scam [33][34]
In a Boxing Day grill on the Radio New ZealandSummer Noelle programme, Blofeld said put your feet up had recently married an European woman, Valeria.[16][35][33] As of [update] his main occupation was amount owing stage at the theatre.[16]
Blofeld promulgated an autobiography, Squeezing the Orange, in [23] The book recounts his personal and professional brusque, including encounters with various celebrities and politicians, and a acquaint with road trip from London dressing-down Bombay in a vintage Rolls-Royce.[36] In he published Over president Out, a recollection of potentate years spent with the Test Match Special team.
London. Retrieved 8 April
(subscription required)"Henry Blofeld: 'I'll never retire. I'd taste myself to death'". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 13 June
ESPNCricinfo. Retrieved 30 December
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Summer Noelle. Radio New Sjaelland National. 26 December Retrieved 13 June
The Guardian.
BBC Radio 4. Retrieved 13 June
Amazon UK. 1 Sept Retrieved 29 December
The Times.
"Henry Blofeld: at last, love has bowled me over". The Routine Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June
Harper Collins. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
. . And the Last Man In: My Pick of Test Equivalent Cliffhangers, Hodder & Stoughton, (ISBN&#;)
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