Many of our followers will be aware of how The Hockey Museum (THM) has developed by collecting heritage material from many corners of the hockey family. In the 12 years of our existence in Woking we have received 1,369 collections of many different sizes and varieties.

Despite the amazing collections that we have amassed, we were very aware that arguably the most important and oldest known collection had escaped us. We were informed more than 15 years ago that this had been lost, indeed disposed of, when its owner died in 2006.

We refer to the collection of Ken Howells, former Welsh international player, a life-long supporter of Teddington Hockey Club and a senior official of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for many years. He amassed his collection over a lifetime in hockey and was responsible for the first exhibition of hockey heritage at the London World Cup in 1986. We were both staggered and saddened to receive the news of its loss and, as we hadn’t heard another word of this wonderful collection in the intervening years, we believed that it had gone. Ken’s material used to be displayed in the Teddington HC pavilion in Bushy Park, the London Royal Park – some of our readers might remember seeing it in situ.

And then … two months ago we received correspondence from Ken’s grandson, via the Executive at Teddington HC, advising us that some of Ken’s hockey collection was safe and well in his mother’s garage! News of the best private hockey collection in the world can only come once!

Communications between Marcus Wardle (THM Archivist and Teddington Vice President) and the Howells family ensued. The “some” boxes became “many” became “enough to fit into a Transit Van”, and at this point we realised that this could be the core of the famous Ken Howells collection!

Naturally, Ken’s grandson Chris Howells had first contacted his grandfather’s hockey club, but both Teddington and Chris were quick to agree that there was only one location where Ken’s legacy could be dutifully preserved and made accessible to the whole hockey family …

All that was needed was to go and get it. The best and most elusive of privately held hockey collections … from Harrogate, Yorkshire!

Arrangements were swiftly made and on 17 August we took a van from Woking and collected the ‘Holy Grail of hockey’.

Ken Howells’s personal collection of hockey heritage is collected by The Hockey Museum.

Ken’s collection is no disappointment, although we have only had a cursory view of the 30 or so boxes and other framed display pieces. One of the frames contains five hockey sticks from the 1880s! Other gems include an archive of Teddington team photographs, a huge applique flag emblazoned with the logo of the International Federation of Women’s Hockey Associations (IFWHA) and a personalized United States IFWHA car registration plate (see pictures below).

Ken was also a great historian of the game, having written two excellent books that are very highly regarded. We look forward to researching his background papers in our quest to compile a definitive history of hockey.

The collection safely in storage in Woking just waiting to be looked through and worked on.

Chris was visibly emotional upon handing over the collection to the Museum – it represents a symbolic and poignant connection to his grandfather, and he put a lot of effort into keeping it in good condition. He intends to visit Woking to help catalogue and conserve this amazing find – a collection that we thought had been lost to hockey forever.

Celebrate with us by making a financial donation to The Hockey Museum

Until we can more thoroughly examine the contents of this exciting new collection, we are unable to cost the work needed to scope and conserve it. However, considering the similarly large collection of Alan Walker that we are currently engaged with as a benchmark, the Ken Howells Collection will ultimately cost THM several thousands of pounds in conservation materials alone.

Please celebrate this incredible re-discovery with us by supporting our endeavours to preserve Ken’s collection for the benefit of hockey and for generations of hockey player to come. Click here to make a donation.

If you would like to make a considerable one-off donation, please contact our Treasurer to discuss a direct bank transfer (so as to avoid transaction fees). Click through to our online contact form.

Fascinating items were quickly identified with a cursory look through the incoming collection.