The All England Women's Hockey Association (AEWHA) Honary Life Members board from 1925 onwards has now been fixed at the Museum. Thanks to Mike Smith for polishing the plate.
The archives at Butts Way are taking shape. Whilst Mike Smith (right) has been busy painting and fixing the sheves, Dil Bahra (left) has been sorting the books and magazines in the library.
Hockey, at last, has its own archive museum. The dream of a number of enthusiasts has been realised. The Museum is at Butts Road in the lively, leafy Surrey town of Woking in England.
It has come about largely through the energy and initiative of a group of enthusiasts. Two pairs of people, Mike Smith and David Wareham, on one hand, and Patrick Rowley and Dil Bahra on the other, with largely the same objective of working to preserve hockey's rich heritage, came together. When the two groups met some four years ago, they decided to form a Hockey Archives group.
The group was later expanded to include Katie Dodd, the former England international, and Ian Wilson, the Treasurer of England Hockey. The sextet blended instantly and enormous progress has been made. You can see how far we have progressed.
The collection, spanning the 125 years of hockey's existence, so far consists of books, magazines, photographs, videos, drawings, paintings, besides trophies, plaques, and the changes of hockey clothing, balls, and sticks - even hockey stamps. Some fascinating, even unique, things have come into our possession.
We are also in the process of obtaining extensive statistical records of hockey both for the UK and international hockey. But this is not just about the higher levels of our game. Our collection is a montage of hockey at all levels.
The initial driving force for this collection came from Mike Smith, he of Mercian sports goods fame, and chartered surveyor David Wareham, a former hockey umpire and official. Pat Rowley and Dil Bahra, as members of the Hockey Writers Club, had become increasingly aware of the dearth of readily available information on the game. Pat had realised how little was available back in 1969 when he wrote The Book of Hockey. Dil was particularly interested in India and the subcontinent. Katie Dodd became interested when she joined England Hockey and tried to pull together a historical display for women's hockey. Her energy and drive made her a natural leader for our group.
Ian Wilson was responsible for trying to save what records of England and UK hockey existed when England's National Stadium at Milton Keynes was sold. He set up an England Hockey Archive Steering Group and played a major role in making sure hockey literature was found a home at Bath University.
Our website has been sponsored by Denys Shortt, the former England U21 international, through one of his businesses. He is one of many in hockey who are supporting our venture; people who want to put something back into the game they love.
Thankfully many enthusiasts around the UK, the country where hockey was born, and the rest of the world, have retained and collected hockey memorabilia.
So if you know of anyone, wherever they are in the world, who would like to join us in our initiative or provide memorabilia, do get in touch. We are extremely grateful to Woking Borough Council and its enterprising museum, The Lightbox who have made the site at Butts Road available to us (at peppercorn rent) and provided valuable guidance and help.
Hockey now has two collections of archives. We played an important role in the setting up of the hockey section for Bath University's sports library where their archivist, Lizzie Richmond, has done a wonderful job.
Our next venture will be to make a display to have on view, possibly in Central London, in time for the London Olympics. Soon we will seek to secure individual donations while currently we are working to make the Museum a Charitable Trust.
Meanwhile do get in touch with us. We need your suggestions, ideas, and contributions.
Patrick Rowley, September 2011
THM Curator, Mike Smith presents cine films featuring Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation to the Bampton Archive. In the decades either side of WW2, one of the biggest names in hockey was undoubtedly Marjorie Pollard. She played cricket for England as well. Marjorie was a player, coach, journalist, publisher and film...
Former FIH President Leandro Negre at the Board meeting with the THM Trustees and Museum Mentor, Liz May.Standing: Liz May, Philip Kimberley, David Balbirnie, David Wareham, Mike Barford, Dil Bahra, Lucy Newcombe, Imogen Gibbon.Seated: Katie Dodd, Leandro Negre, Mike Smith. We were delighted that the former FIH President and current...
These are exciting and challenging times for THM. The Trustees recognised the need to take on additional museum and business skills at the strategic level to ensure we deliver on our ambitious plans to develop hockey’s heritage and bring it to a wider audience. We are therefore delighted to announce...
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THM's Curatorial Assistant Holly Parsons. Holly Parsons completes the Museum’s curatorial team. She joined as Curatorial Assistant in February. Since leaving the University of Portsmouth in 2011 she has been volunteering at museums in London and the South, including the Old Police Cells under Brighton Town Hall, Marlipins Museum...
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Wilhelmina Augusta Baumann Exhibition: Wilhelmina Augusta Baumann The Hockey Museum is currently showing a small exhibition on Wilhelmina Augusta Baumann, one of the most respected and important women in hockey during the 1920s and '30s. The exhibition, which explores Baumann's playing and pioneering administrative career, ties in with...
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The Hockey Museum and The University of Wolverhampton are delighted to announce that the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) have approved funding for a collaborative PhD post to be jointly supervised by The University of Wolverhampton and THM. The title of the research project is An Oral History of...
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The Hockey Museum has provided imagery to an exhibition celebrating the 50th anniversary of Milton Keynes. Held at in the central forum of thecentre:MK, Milton Keynes shopping centre, A New City comes to Life celebrates the stories, innovations and communities that have made Milton Keynes the vibrant...
The Hockey Museum (THM) is seeking enthusiastic and experienced people to join its Board of Trustees. Trustees will be strong advocates for the organisation, support the implementation of the Museum's vision and help to raise its profile. We are looking to increase the number of Trustees to give the Board a more...