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Thursday 13 January 2011

A Sporting Sepia Saturday

I can't comment sensibly on ladies hockey other than to say their stick work was better than the men. However I still bear the scars from playing mixed hockey during the school holidays.

My first picture shows Stamford School 1st XI from 1954. I'm at the left end of the front row at the tender age of 17.

The white 'blob' above the doorway behind the third and fourth player is the 'Old Man' gargoyle on the chapel at the school. All new boys were lifted up in turn to kiss this at an initiation ceremony. I understand that this practice has been discontinued now.

I can remember everyone's surname in the photograph but am struggling to remember all the christian names. Must be old age!


The same applies to the photo below of the United College team at St Andrews University for 1955-56.


 You should be able to recognise me in this.

The nearest I can get to a ladies team is to show the tennis team from Stamford High School for1953 some of whom played in those mixed hockey games in the holidays. (We weren't meant to mix in term time.) 


The girl third from the right in the back row became my wife in 1958.

More sporting action at: Sepia Saturday 57

11 comments:

David Robinson said...

Fond memories, eh, Bob? A few members of our house football team had their photo taken with Jack Charlton when he came to coach us in 1962 but the picture, which also appeared in the Yorkshire Post, disappeared years ago.

Kristin said...

To me, living in Michigan USA, hockey meant ice hockey. I do remember one semester in school having to play field hockey. We never got to the point of fancy stick work.

Anonymous said...

I remember hockey as being a pretty brutal girls' sport in Scotland in the 1970's, as well as being played in the freezing cold! Tennis - much more civilised :-) Jo

Alan Burnett said...

Easily spotted you in the second photo Bob (you had retained the same expression over the years. I only ever played hockey once and I am glad to say it was a very foggy day and I managed to hide on the wing for much of the match. Great memories.

Nancy said...

Young and not so young you: you look so different. Lovely young wife you chose.

21 Wits said...

Wow, this is very cool...especially your picture, it looks like you had a great team to play with! Thanks for sharing these! The last one the girls outfits look so white! They must have used Tide! Very cool!

Bob Scotney said...

Jo, brutal maybe but nowhere near as brutal as the ladies lacrosse at St Andrews playing us men at their game!

Bob Scotney said...

Nancy, I wonder who chose who.

Lisa said...

Wonderful! But -- no more kissing the gargoyle? I wonder why.

North County Film Club said...

Yes, a very pretty wife!

Bruno Laliberté said...

2nd pic, U R on the right, front row again. i see that you had more than sports on your mind, if it brought you your wife. lovely selection of pictures. thanx 4 sharing!!
:)~
HUGZ