While Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons may not have been looking through their crystal balls and envisaging a function at a cricket club on the Wirral as they belted out this great hit, the words could hardly be more appropriate. On Friday 10 November 2017 we saw members and supporters of Upton Cricket Club come together for a truly unforgettable Hot Pot. Nights like this serve to remind us how fortunate we are to have a club so expansive and so welcoming on our doorstep. The theme of one club was very much to the fore as players from juniors in their mid-teens to stalwarts in their sixties shared the awards under the watchful eye of MC Peter Clark. Peter's attention to detail and calm authority have helped make the annual Hot Pot a very special occasion for longer than many of us can remember.

A great gathering of players past and present, country members, friends of the club, juniors charged with keeping drinks topped up at the carefully planned tables and, for the first time, lady members gradually made their way into the function room as the conversation flowed amid a sense of joyous reminiscence. Within minutes the scene was set and once Chairman Jez Lamb had said grace, Emma and her team began to serve a truly sumptuous hot pot. Ready laughter was audible at every table as the evening took a pleasurable course. Although we were plunged into darkness briefly thanks to the unfortunate positioning of one of our young waiters close to the master lighting switch, the spirit of Upton Cricket Club was still burning brightly as ever as the guests enjoyed the food and company while eagerly anticipating the various presentations to follow.

Once the tables were cleared and comfort breaks taken, the faithful reconvened for the awards and to listen to the various speakers. Emma gave a brief presentation about the Neo Community Café and its superb charity work which was warmly received by all. Peter Clark then announced a long series of awards which were duly presented via the extremely safe hands of Warren Hegg. In addition to the standard seasonal awards, it was wonderful to see the names Ian Bruce and Rob Chapman added to those already engraved on the Colin Byrom Award for playing a remarkable 500 matches for Upton. Akhtar Ali generously added a new award, recognising those who have scored over 10,000 league runs for Upton. Winners of this prestigious award and present on the night included Nigel Sharrock, Brian Shenton, John Drummond, Rob Chapman and Akhtar himself. The second part of the award was for the those who’ve taken 1,000 league wickets for Upton with Pete Clark the only recipient of this award.

Dave Smith was presented with the Harry Sharrock Award for the splendid way in which he has represented the ethos of Upton Cricket Club. John Scragg was the hugely deserved winner of the Harry Cowley Award after an incredibly busy year on and off the field. In addition to playing a huge amount of cricket, John also found time to cut the outfield several times each week, perform numerous other maintenance tasks around the club and to revamp the Upton 1901 Club draw quite radically.

With the awards presented and those who gave their lives for our freedom honoured on the eve of Armistice Day, it was time for Mr Twitter; Dave Smith to take the floor. Those who know Dave well will be fully aware of his meticulous preparation and attention to detail. This was very much to the fore on the night as he proudly showed off his copy of "Daffy", the autobiography of Phil Defreitas, the speaker originally engaged for this magnificent occasion. In the absence of any similar volume for his replacement, Dave instead chose to call upon his rich seam of anecdotes both on the field and off it during his time at Upton. The audience were fortunate to gain some insight into the thought processes behind his prolific weekend tweets. Sometimes we may be none the wiser after oblique references to Descartes and the like but as Dave himself admitted, he can quickly get people back onside with references to events on the field of play and Twitter's own gift Matt Ingram. Dave commanded the room masterfully and no one was safe from his rapier-like wit as he recounted tales from the local cricket scene is his own inimitable manner. Throughout the laughter and merriment Dave's passion for Upton Cricket Club shone through as he paved the way for fellow Lancastrian Warren Hegg.

Warren was clearly very comfortable in the environment at Upton. After his early days with his family at Stand CC and then at Tonge CC, he clearly understands what it is which makes amateur clubs thrive. Although his career took off in a very different direction to most of his early team mates, his affection for those early days was still clear. He has appeared in Ashes tests in Australia and countless Lord's finals but he has not forgotten those early experiences which shaped him. Warren clearly exhibited his down to earth nature as he remembered his first appearance in the Lancashire dressing room. The disturbing sight of Jack Simmons in string vest and carpet slippers or the legendary Clive Lloyd receiving attention to troubled, little seen parts of his anatomy off physio Laurie Brown on the treatment table showed that those he had looked up to in his youth were no demi-gods behind closed doors. Remembering such moments helped forge a strong link with the Upton members. We have heard many tales of great adversaries and on the field battles over the years from various speakers but this was a completely new approach. While we may have few string vests in our own dressing rooms these days, I think current players at Upton will agree that they are not always the most salubrious of places.

Warren had us on the edge of our seats as he built up to his Ashes debut Down Under. Typically it started to rain just as the players were heading down the pavilion steps and the first day was washed out. This seemed fitting in view of what Warren had told us before. Although he has played with greats such as Flintoff, Anderson and Wasim Akram and against some of the finest players of all time, he seems remarkably grounded, in love with the game and with a strong sense of how it all began. His address was very well received and set the tone well for some ribald post event banter which clearly went on until the early hours as the 2017 season was dissected and vague plans were made for 2018. If you are looking for a Christmas gift for a cricket lover, it is possible that Dave Smith may have a copy of "Daffy" going pretty cheaply. Whether he would recommend it is another matter entirely.

I will finish by passing on thanks to: Peter Clark, Emma and her catering team, Jo and Chelsea for their sterling service behind the bar, the team of young drinks waiters, Dave Smith, Warren Hegg, Ian Sharrock for providing a suitably stocked bar for this special occasion and everyone else who made this truly a night to remember.