Chris Snuggs - Berners/Halls 58-65: As far as I know Graham Barlow was the only WHS boy ever to play cricket for England, but he was only at WHS for the first two years.

His father Derek was a chauffeur to Don Ryder, a prominent businessman of that era, and we often socialized with the family. Graham was two years younger than me, and when I reported back from WHS about my life at the school Derek & his wife Betty decided to send Graham there, too. I remember that he impressed Dickie Mayes but gave no clear sign at the time of the ability that would lead to him being a key member of Middlesex and being selected for England. His test career was disappointing and short lived, but he had more success in ODIs.

It turned out that at WHS he missed his home, family and friends too much and it was decided he would leave at the end of his second year, and from WHS he went to Ealing Grammar School and later to Loughborough College. I obviously knew him fairly well both before and at school but we never became friends as such - and as it happens I never saw him again after he left WHS.

He has now written an autobiography along with co-author James Hawkins:

"Better Than He Knew - The Graham Barlow Story "

The following is taken from the description on the Amazon site.

“Hawkins' research has bought into contact with so many of Barlow's contemporaries that he was going to get a fully rounded picture of his subject. Ticks all the boxes for an excellent cricketing biography. This one is certainly recommended.” - Martin Chandler, CricketWeb.net

"The Graham Barlow Story recalls the cricketing life of Graham Barlow, a talented all-round sportsman and largely unsung member of the Middlesex team that dominated domestic cricket from 1976 to 1985. Emerging from schoolboy cricket, seven years passed before he established himself in 1976. Cast aside after a 300-day international career, his focus on fitness and fielding often overshadowed his pugnacious batting. After a disastrous 1982, promotion to the top of the order to open with Wilf Slack provided the stability that he longed for and triggered the most successful period of his career until injury forced retirement. A global coaching career followed with success in New Zealand as head coach of Central Districts. "Better Than He Knew" is a deeply personally tribute that includes Graham's memoirs and synchronistic thoughts about the ups and downs of his life and career. There's also insight from former team-mates, whose stories celebrate this likeable cricketer and a golden era of county cricket."