A small notice board 58" x 30" just inside the gate at Henbury porclaims that this is the E.J. Bakewell Memorial Ground. You have probably never noticed it, but if you have, the odds are that you do not know who E.J. Bakewell was, and what is more, you could not care less. So short is the memory, that only a handful of years after a man has died, devoting his life to a cause, and to whom this Club must be eternally grateful for its existence, only a few members know anything about him.

E.J. (Ted) Bakewell died in 1947 at the age of 65, after literally giving his life to the Club in order that our foundations should be built upon rock. Such was his sincere desire to see the club grow in strength that he asked to be dropped from the 1st XV where his position was assured, to the 3rd XV in order that he could foster the younger players, where he realised the future of the Club lay.

Ted was regarded in rugby circles as "a man of vision" which is proved by the fact that several of his prodigies played for Bristol..amongst them H Harwood, "Squidge" Smith, "Soapy" Rees and "Gaffer" Jones, whilst many others came up from the 3rds to the 1st XV to make the Saracens the formidable side that they were between the Wars.

The welfare of his team was the "Iron Mans" ideal and many men in Bristol rugger circles and elsewhere owe much to Ted. I am told on very good authority that after the game, the order in the Saras camp was "fifteen gingers and one pint", and Ted would dig deep, where the Saras were concerned - Ted always dug deep and often. It can be said without fear of contradiction that his influence was felt by the men in his day, and they were stirred by his example to develop the younger section of the Club, so much so that we can boast a ground, five fifteens and changing facilities which are the envy if many of our opponents.

It was through him that the Saracens were restarted after the First World War. Probably the strangest Committee Meeting of all time found Ted, Billy Wicks, Arthur Gould, Ernie Rice and Gus Cox sitting on the remains of a tree trunk on the Battlefield of France in 1917. These men inspired by the "man of vision" set about remoulding the Club that they loved, probably before they thought of remoulding their own shattered lives.

Ted was on the Gloucestershire Committee as the Bristol representative and was also the Combination representative to the Bristol Club, on top of which he held the position of Hon Team Sec. of the A and B XV's and Hon. Treasurer of the Saracens for well over twenty years. After the last war he was elected to the post of Club President, but unfortunately he was in failing health and in 1947 the Club said goodbye for ever to a man whose inspiration, and unfailing devotion is a yardstick by which every Saracen must measure himself.

In his will he left a little money - all that he had - to the Saracens and so it is small wonder that with this a memorial fund was started by those who wished to perpetuate the name of one of the greatest of all Saracens, by naming their ground the

EJ Bakewell Memorial Ground.

Ted Bakewell, the leading light of the Club used to work on a machine at the BAC and took it upon himself to look after the young lads in the factory. I started work in the Machine Shop at the age of 14 and when I became 16years old Ted Bakewell who was arranging my apprenticeship asked me if I played football - No I said, I play rugby for Horfield Church Juniors. Ted then told me that at the end of the next season I would be over 17years of age and so I had better start playing for Saracens.

Later when Ted became officially in charge of the apprentices and had his own office, I had to report to him first thing on Saturday morning. He would be having his morning shave and in his abrupt manner he would tell me he required 1 or 2 players due to cry-offs. Fortunately there were quite a number of ex-players in the factory. An ex-player Arthur Jackson never let me down. Ted was a dual personality, fatal to cross him but he would always look after his lads like a father. At the annual dinner he would sit at the bottom table with the youngest of the players - very rarely would he be on the top table.....