Berry Hill RFC celebrate their 125th anniversary this weekend with a special memorabilia event at their Lakers Road clubhouse. Here, John Belcher recounts the club’s history ahead of an illustrated talk he will give as part of the event on Sunday.

The first game of rugby was recorded by Joseph ’Slen’ Gwilliam in his notebook on local sport, when Berry Hill played Mile End in 1893. They played home matches at Wynols Hill, having no place in Berry Hill itself.

By 1899, thanks to Mr Gwilliam’s father Tom, Berry Hill gained a permanent home at the Globe Inn, fielded two teams, played at the Crescent and called themselves Berry Hill Crescents until they became just Berry Hill around 1910.

The Crescents’ first reported game was away to Monmouth on Saturday October 5 1901, which the home team won by 13-0.

Since then, apart from the war years, the club has carried out it’s fixtures throughout the ups and downs of its history.

On Saturday 10 and Sunday February 11, members and public will be able to see an exhibition of memorabilia donated by players, ex-players, families and friends, of anything that is connected to the club’s history.

We are still open for contributions at any time up to Sunday, especially the unusual.

This weekend it is 30 years since Berry Hill played at home against the London giants, Harlequins, in the fourth round of what was then the national John Player Cup.

In pouring rain and mud, an epic struggle was witnessed by a huge crowd that ended in victory for the Quins by 17-4.

To those of us who were there, it seems like almost yesterday. Never to be forgotten.