The Atlas Laboratory only had a hockey team to compete at the annual SRC's inter-establishment event. However, many Atlas and Rutherford staff played for AERE Harwell's hockey club including Paul Bryant, Mike Claringbold, Lorna Claringbold, John Forbes, Bob Hopgood, Steve Kiln, Gordon Walker, Nigel West and many others.
Below is an article from Harlequin, Christmas 1966
The teeming crowds which throng the touchlines of the football club's home matches (there were at least a dozen last week) are occasionally aware of another, stranger game going on on the neighbouring pitch. This is the hockey club at home.
Actually the rules are very similar to football, although the goals are smaller, the ball is much smaller and the players are armed with sticks. The ball itself is similar to a cricket ball and is painted white - sometimes it is a cricket ball painted white - after all, cricket club are careless with their equipment . . .
Many people think hockey is a girls' game: occasionally they say so - though not if we're carrying our sticks. The way we play bears more resemblance to the version portrayed by Ronald Searle.
The last article on Hockey in Harlequin appeared in the Summer number of 1962 from the pen of John Doran, who has left us after playing throughout one of our most successful seasons-of which more anon. Since then the club has played over 200 matches, scored over 400 goals and fetched the ball from the Ridgeway car park over 2,000 times (to reassure Ridgeway residents, it usually runs along the ground).
The earlier article mentioned our annual Easter visits to Paignton disguised as the FAEREYS. There we play about six matches in the four days against the Devon Dumplings, the Busbars, the Midwives and various other motley crews from the South and the Midlands. Although an ability to play hockey is useful there (and Harwell have been top team out of the 30 or so at the festival on two of their five visits) it is not the only criterion for selection. Deft handling of a pint pot, skill with fruit (in a machine) and a wide fund of stories and ballads are also essential attributes. Nor is it an accident that the Harwell convenor for the festival-Mike Powell of Theoretical Physics-is also the Motor Club's champion rally navigator. The pitches are scattered throughout the Torquay and Paignton "complex", and although the town pitches are well signposted this never seems to apply to the one at an army camp a few miles inland, which is reached via some of Devon's fortunately unique lanes. One member was heard to remark that in four games on that pitch he had never used the same route (there or back). Actually this pitch at Denbury Army Camp and another at the Naval College at Dartmouth have hard surfaces which lead to some splendid fast hockey and some spectacular bruises. They can be played on whatever the weather, and anyone who has visited the West Country in the spring can appreciate how essential this is. Many members take their families, for Paignton out-of-season has plenty to offer in the way of entertainment. If it's too cold on the beach, there are swings and slides for the children, and one doesn't have to queue to see what the butler saw.
The other highlight of Harwell's hockey year is the mixed tournament held at the end of the season. Although we don't run a mixed team now, the tournament is well supported by 24 teams from all over Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Competition is keen and, however we frame the rules, a new argument seems to rear its head every year - to be dealt with firmly and fairly by Don Rowe who as chairman acts as organiser. The tournament also acts as a training event for the St. John's Ambulance Brigade - one year when the pitches were bone hard they had over 40 cases (mostly cuts) to deal with - and we are always most grateful to them for coming along. One piece of advice I would give to readers: on the day of our tournament don't arrange to go out - stop at home and watch television. Of the six times we have run it, rain has caused its cancellation on three occasions and almost done so on a fourth.
Last year was our most successful season since 1954 (records of earlier seasons have been lost). Out of 30 matches 23 were won and 3 drawn, and 100 goals scored for the first time. Twice before (in 1957 and 1961) have we been into the 90s. Last season, with one match left, we had scored 97 and managed the third goal with about 5 minutes of the. season left. The chief reason for this success was that we have been able to steal a march on our rivals by importing Brian O'Connor from Western Australia to bolster up the forward line, and he scored 39 of the goals. To avoid the charge of professionalism he has found a part-time job in Ceramics Division.
This season we aim to do even better. There was no summer lay-off, for mid-week evening matches continued right up until early August (these finish well before closing-time and leave one with a splendid thirst) - and we have started off in great style by scoring 38 goals in 6 games. If you want to join in, phone our permanent secretary Angwin Marples. If you're not very active, don't despair - the 2nd XI are short of a goalkeeper.
AFTER heavy defeats by Walling-ford and Oxford Hawks, when half the side were still on holiday, Atomic Energy Research Establishment H.C. settled down and several wins were recorded, notably against Newbury, Swindon and Maidenhead. The win against Swindon was a source of special satisfaction since a week earlier they defeated Wallingford and this result served to ease the sting of that earlier defeat at the hands of Wallingford. Much of the credit for the improvement must go to full-backs Mike Powell and John Penney and centre-half Ken Shaw, whose steadiness has enabled wing halves Angwin Marples and John Doran to press the attack persistently. The forwards have performed erratically and several cricket scores have been balanced by blank days. The return fixtures in the second half of the season are anticipated with relish, especially if the weather is kind to the club's two fine pitches. "The Faereys" are also looking forward to the Paignton Easter Festival where they hope to improve on their 1964 record of five wins and a draw in six games.
