Custom Bats Cricket Forum
Equipment => Bats => Bat Making => Topic started by: GJ on March 12, 2010, 08:45:01 PM
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Well I think we all know about Julian Millichamp after he left M&H, but interested to know if Jonathan Hall is still making or involved? Or was jonathan hall just a business partner to julian and didnt make the bats?
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Jonathan did not make bats and left in the early nineties.
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Got this from google GJ
Julian Millichamp and Jonathan Hall started up M & H in l987. Working from a farm in rural Somerset they quickly began to make a name for themselves as batmakers to the stars of the day. Many Test and County professionals flocked to their door irrespective of whichever cricket company they were contracted to. They simply re-stickered their M & H bat with their own sponsor's logo.
In 1994, Julian sold his interest in the company and moved out to Australia to set up the new Millichamp - Puma operation. Jonathan Hall remained at the helm, Henry Greswell bought a small financial interest and James Laver arrived to make bats.
The firm moved to their Taunton HQ in 1996. Jonathan Hall sold the company to Henry Greswell and Rob Chambers joined the bat-making team under James Laver. James left in 1999 to set up his own company in New Zealand with partner, George Wood.
Henry Greswell sold the company at the beginning of 2001 to Rob Chambers, now the senior batmaker who also assumed the additional mantle of Managing Director.
I think Jon is still out in Australia. My business partner is friendly with him and used to play cricket with him and Julian at Chard cricket club in Somerset
Had my first bat made by Julian back in 1987 at the farm in Merriott. My Brother ended up using the bat and still says to this day that it was the best bat he ever had. That farm was an amazing place.
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was the barn where paul bradbury was ,bishops lyead ?
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All their bats were machined and pressed by Tim Keeley until they had a proper set up, the original set up was in Jonathan's parents house.
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No Hell4leather. They first had a barn in a village called Merriott just outside of Crewkerne. I think it was Jons parents farm. They then moved to the barn in Bishops Lydeard. They then moved to Taunton and Paul Bradbury moved to Lydeard. All 3 of them, Jon, Julian and Paul played cricket for Chard.
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Had all these amazing bat makers a short drive away. Was either not born or 1/2 when they were around though!
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i remember going down to the barn ,very tight lanes ! paul was a good player i heard?
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Yep, Jon and Paul were good players as well. Jon Played for Dorset for quite a few years. Paul Was playing for Taunton upto when he went back to Oz a couple of years ago. I think Julian just played for the beer.
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Yes Hell4leather, sorry. Jon was a tall off spinner who batted middle order. Good player. He captained Dorset and Chard, when Chard won the old Somerset League (when it was good!!) Paul opened the batting or number 3. Played against them both quite a lot over the years.
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Interesting stuff. Especially that they didnt press or machine for a while. Am I right in thinking that Julian still does this or does he press his own clefts?
I heard that he visits England every year around this time to choose his wood so maybe they are already pressed.