If proof were needed how amazing the game of hockey is, look no further than the story of one of Bedford Hockey Club’s inspirational players, writes Jean Fitch.
It would be indiscreet to mention Steph’s age, but the history of her playing career speaks volumes.
Steph was taught hockey by one of the best in the game, England and GB’s Val Robinson, at Stratton School in Biggleswade, Steph being encouraged to go on to play for Midland’s Juniors. She also played alongside Val for Bedford’s Parkside, before its merger with other teams in Bedford, to form Bedford HC as we know it today.
Ironically, it wasn’t until September 2022, after a six-year campaign by Bedford Physical Education Old Students Association (BPEOSA), of which Steph remains an active member, that Steph, her wife Anita, and over 300 other former students of the College came together to be awarded Honorary Degrees by the University of Bedfordshire.
With such a busy working life, hockey fell off the schedule for Steph until, in 2018, over 40 years since she had last played, she saw an article in the local paper about Bedford HC doing Walking Hockey. The rest, as they say, is history, as Steph and Anita, also a hockey player in her younger years, both returned to the field of play.
MORE info at source: https://www.thehockeypaper.co.uk/articles/2023/03/20/so-much-fun-walking-hockey-paves-way-back-to-league-matches-for-septuagenarian
