Stanley Johnson, father of London mayor Boris, was looking out of his Exmoor window wondering if the weather gods might yet spoil his big birthday celebrations organised for this weekend.

"It's looking pretty grim up here right now," said Stanley, speaking to the Western Morning News as a thin drizzle fell on the moors in the lead up to a cricket match which the Johnson family is staging locally to mark the 70th birthday of its multi-talented patriarch.

The extended Johnson clan is gathering in the hills in readiness for tomorrow's match which will be played against the Winsford village team, of which Stanley happens to be president.

"I suppose I am playing against my own team really, but we've put together a crack Johnson side to beat them and we're absolutely jam-packed at the family home already," he told the WMN. "I've got all of my six children coming down and 11 grandchildren."

So will Johnson senior be leading his sons and grandsons into battle as captain against a recently high-flying Winsford team?

"I do play from time to time, but rugby is more my game," replied Mr Johnson. "That is why I've asked my son Jo to be captain. Did you know he was elected as MP for Orpington with a stonking majority?

"But it's certainly not up to me to prejudice the decision of the captain in the matter of where in the order I bat. Before number seven, I hope," shrugged Mr Johnson.

"Actually, the last time I played was when I captained the Father's XI at Ashdown House prep school in Somerset – in my book Stanley I Presume there is a poignant description of how I bowled my son Leo out first ball. It was a terrible moment for me when I saw the boy's wicket's clatter – but all he said was 'well done, dada'."

"But I am more of batsman than a bowler," Mr Johnson went on. "Frankly, the last time I had serious game of anything was when I was fighting the Teignbridge constituency seat and I took Boris on in a needle squash match – the Western Morning News photographer Richard Austin took our picture."

So did the globe-trotting patriarch hold out hopes for victory against Winsford?

"Well why don't you ring Andrew Blackmore, their captain, and find out who they are playing? It would be jolly useful for me to know," replied the fit 70 year old who has just returned from adventures in places like the Galapagos Archipelago and Bhutan. "Winsford are doing bloody well at the moment – they're now in the top division of the West Somerset league.

"However, I do have a couple of good chaps on my side. My secret weapon is Angus McGougan – the son of one of our neighbours on Exmoor, Lady Acland – and a fast bowler for the Eton First XI.

"Apart from Angus it's an all-Johnson team. My other secret weapon is Boris's older son Milo who has, at 15, got in to the Westminster College XI. The basic line-up will be myself, my sons Boris, Jo, Leo, Max, four male Johnson grandchildren (Milo, Ludo, Theo, and Oliver) and my daughter Julia's fiancé, Calum – and Angus."

The Johnson clan has been told that several old Winsfordians will be playing in the opposing side tomorrow.

"We're told there will be one or two chaps Boris and Rachel went to the village school with," said Mr Johnson. "It was called the Winsford First School, but would have been better named the Last School, as it has now closed for good.

"My two had a good state education there before we moved to London – and we're hoping this cricket match will be good for the village, helping to put it back on the map."