IMMORTALISING the glory days of Great Britain’s Olympic hockey triumphs in a unique work of art, The Hockey Museum in Woking relaunched its exhibition with five spectacular quilts as a centrepiece.

The Hockey Museum (THM), Woking’s only national sports museum at 13 High Street, is also the only hockey museum in the world. The unveiling of five drop Olympic Hockey Quilts, created by local artist Pat Deacon from West Byfleet, provided a spectacular backdrop to the event.

The event also included two historical presentations, which follow years of work by the museum in compiling definitive records of England’s and Great Britain’s results that, until now, were only for the period prior to the Tokyo Olympics.

Thanks to the museum’s research, all GB players, going back to 1920, are now eligible to receive their International Honours Caps, which have never previously been presented. It is now engaged in finding 581 players, or their descendants, who have played hockey for Great Britain.

Among the former players located was Tony Nunn, now 94, who was finally presented with his cap, dating from his appearance at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952. The presentation was made by former English field hockey goalkeeper Simon Mason, who played in three Olympics for Great Britain. Tony had belonged to Hawks Hockey Club who used to play on the Byfleet Cricket Club ground and he lived in Pyrford.

The other was to Woking-born David Wareham, formerly secretary of Woking Hockey Club. David, with another local, Mike Smith, was responsible for founding THM thirty years ago and he recently retired as a museum trustee. In recognition of this he was also presented an automaton that depicts the four phases of David’s working and hockey life – which retiring THM Curator, Mike Smith, said was: “A true piece of art in its own right.”

The colourful quilts, depicting all the Olympic medals that have been won by British hockey teams since the sport was introduced into the Olympics in 1908, will be on display at THM for the rest of the year before they go on tour.

The Hockey Museum’s First XI exhibition is open to the public on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and at many other times by appointment.

* FOR more information, visit www.hockeymuseum.net