16.01.1932 – 16.2.2024

The Hockey Museum is saddened to hear of the death of Freda Walker, aged 92. She was one of the characters of Durham, the North and England Hockey. While small in stature, her personality and positivity made her someone that you just couldn’t miss, on or off the pitch.

From her early days growing up in Bradford with two older sisters, she was always ahead of the game. She could read before she went to school and was always in the year ahead of her age finishing as Head Girl at her grammar school. As someone who loved sport, in 1950 she applied for, and was accepted, at the renowned Dartford PE College in Kent even though she was under the regulation height! After gaining her teaching qualification, she taught PE first at Polam Hall School, Darlington then at Sunderland High School as Head of Department before moving on in 1964 to take up a lecturing post at Neville’s Cross Teacher Training College in Durham.

Jenny Cardwell (former England player and Head Coach) remembers Freda at this time:

“Freda was one of my lecturers at Neville’s Cross and was excellent at her job. She encouraged me to go to county hockey trials and I was selected for Durham 2nd XI – that first important step on my hockey journey.”

Freda went on to hold many senior posts while at Neville’s Cross and countless prospective young teachers will have benefitted from her knowledgeable and supportive guidance. In 1980 she was able to complete a one-year Masters in Education at Manchester University and later on spent two years lecturing at Northumbria University.

From her early days, Freda’s talent as a hockey player was obvious. After College, she played as half back for Sunderland Games Club, and from there was selected first for Durham County (1953-1970), then the North (1961-1968), England B (1961-1964) and England (1965). She always made a difference and, as a natural leader, she was captain in many of these teams. That said, she never took life too seriously as Brenda Read, a former England teammate remembers:

“Having played directly against her as centre forward vs centre half in Midlands vs North matches, I can vouch for her sense of humour. She kept talking to me to try to put me off, for example when we were both tussling for the ball she would say something like ‘stop it … it’s my turn’ or ‘will you stop running for a minute’. We’d often end up laughing”.

Freda also had the opportunity to tour with the England team to the USA in 1961 and again for the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) World Tournament in 1963. Nan Williams (former Somerset and England) remembers sharing rooms with Freda and that Freda enjoyed Nan’s ‘Somerset humour’. They became lifelong friends. This US trip also gave Freda exposure to different playing and coaching styles that she continued to develop through her career and was the beginning of many friendships that were to last a lifetime.

 

 

As Freda’s playing days were coming to an end, there was no let-up in her support for hockey. The list of coaching, selection and administrative posts she held at University, Territory and All England Women’s Hockey Association (AEWHA) level seemed endless. Even with all these commitments, she was still ever present in her home county of Durham.

As former England player and Durham compatriot, Ann Whitworth recalls:

“Freda did so much for the County over many, many seasons and never lost her enthusiasm and sense of humour. She was prepared to help everyone and always had fresh, innovative ideas for a way forward for players and the county. On a personal level she played a significant part throughout my hockey career from being a 17-year-old fresh into the county team and onwards into the England team. She will be greatly missed.”

Coaching was one of her great loves and Freda was involved at all levels from the 1950s through to the late 1990s, including a short period coaching with the England team in the early 1970s. She sat on numerous coaching committees including the AEWHA Coaching Committee where she championed efforts to improve coach education and the coach award scheme. She was a selector at all levels of the game, but it will be as an England National Selector that she will be best remembered, an ever-present member of the panel for almost 20 years until 1993 when the move to coach-selected squads was introduced.

Sue Slocombe, the GB & England coach at the time, remembers Freda fondly:

“Freda was always so supportive. She knew I loved mini gems … a jelly sweet … and would often bring some for me when the selectors joined us. She had a keen wit and I always valued Freda’s contributions to our discussions”.

On top of all these roles, Freda sat on Durham, the North and AEWHA Councils, often taking on the role as Chair along with her other jobs. In 1995, her contributions to hockey at all levels were recognised when she was made an AEWHA Honorary Life Member.

Freda travelled a lot in support of the sport she loved. She particularly enjoyed the company of Audrey Appleby, a former international umpire, and they travelled to many matches together. She also went on a number of England Tours, Worlds Cups and Olympic Qualifiers. She particularly enjoyed her trips to the United States of America to coach at summer hockey camps. She attended the Hockey and Lacrosse Camp at Merestead, New York for over 20 years and also visited one in Alberta, Canada. Brenda Read has fond memories of the many years spent together at hockey camps in the USA, making good friends, especially Adele Boyd and Caroline Hausserman.

In later life, Freda travelled less and while she never got to grips with modern technology, she kept in touch with the many friends in the UK and abroad that she made throughout her life. She had asked for a quiet funeral (i.e. no attendees) which was held on 1 March 2024 – her ashes were scattered locally. Freda was always a keen supporter of her community and lived her life the way she wanted. Her contribution to the educational and hockey world was vast. Freda was great fun; she will be missed by many.

Our thanks to those who have contributed to the writing of this tribute, particularly Liz Grant (former North Secretary and friend).

Katie Dodd