The Hockey Museum (THM) has chosen to dedicate its Oral History Collection to Peter Savage, the well respected hockey photographer and journalist. His Talk Hockey Radio interviews were the catalyst for the Museum's collection of oral histories and you will soon be able to discover Peter's interviews on this site alongside interviews from THM's continuously growing collection of oral histories.

There was a time when museums were all about objects and paper archives, but in recent times there has been an increasing interest in making oral records of events, stories, memories and other issues from the 'living past', otherwise known as Oral History. That is to say history we all carry around in our heads; our personal recollections and experiences. All of us have been somewhere or done something that other people would find interesting, whether it be playing in the Olympic Games or running a small hockey club.

Much of the history that we store in our heads is lost as we pass on or disappear into retirement, and that’s where oral history comes in. Quite simply it is the audio recording of history in the form of people’s personal stories. One of THM's volunteers is Peter Savage in whose honour our Oral Histories Collection is named. Peter has donated his collection of recorded interviews, carried out over 15 years as a hockey journalist, to the Museum and THM has used these as a basis for its oral history collection but will build on them with material of its own.

To that end, THM has been supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with a grant for £7,100. With this funding THM is running a programme to collect oral histories from past players, umpires, officials and administrators. The project intends to have conversations with, initially, 25 former hockey players and/or officials who have been long-time participants at all levels within the sport; to record their recollections and preserve them for the education of current and future generations of participants and potential participants and to encourage greater awareness of, and participation in, hockey. THM has plans to attend major hockey events to capture histories and interesting stories from those involved, be they spectators, players or officials.

If you have any material that you would like to share with THM or have any suggestions for future interviewees, please get in touch with Evelyn Somerville, THM Oral Histories Lead, using our online form or come and see us at the next major hockey event.

“Oral history can be defined as the recording, preservation and interpretation of historical information, based on the personal experiences and opinions of the speaker. It may take the form of eye-witness evidence about the past, but can include folklore, myths, songs and stories passed down over the years by word of mouth. While it is an invaluable way of preserving the knowledge and understanding of older people, it can also involve interviewing younger generations.” (East Midlands Oral History Archive)

For more information on the initial Heritage Lottery funded project and to download the Press Release, click here.