Oral History Interview: Biddy Burgum

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: Well, my name's Biddy Burgum and I was born in Birmingham and went to school during the war, erm, so I was born in 1927.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum introduces herself and states her year of birth.

Keywords: Birmingham--United Kingdom (UK); World War 2

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: And, erm, from there I went to Bedford PE College, which was PET College in those days. I didn't really think I wanted to teach but I was mad keen on, on sport and just wanted to go on playing.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum recalls her route from school to club hockey before moving on to Bedford PE College. She goes on to recount her experiences at Bedford in some depth, describing the teachers' approach and the overall atmosphere of the place.

Keywords: Barrage Balloon (Blimp); Bedford PE College; Broken Leg; Edgbaston Ladies Hockey Club; Rhona Lewis; School; World War 2

Subjects: Birmingham--United Kingdom (UK); Captaincy; Education and Schooling; Fitness & Injury; Recollection of Others--Coach & Manager; Teams--Girls--County; Teams--Girls--School; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--College & University

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: You played lots of sport...
BURGUM: Yes, I did.
SOMERVILLE: ...Different sports while you were there?
BURGUM: Yes, I played hockey in the winter and I also played cricket and tennis in the summer.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum discusses her sporting versatility which began at Bedford PE College and continued throughout her international hockey career.

Keywords: Bedford PE College; Cricket; London--United Kingdom (UK); Surrey (county); Sutton High School; Teaching; Tennis; The Oval Cricket Ground; Wallington Hockey Club; Wembley Stadium

Subjects: Education and Schooling; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Teams--Women--Club

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So, you were teaching hockey, er, teaching in Surrey, but you played hockey for Sussex?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum recalls how her choice of hockey club and county teams were dictated by her career as a teacher.

Keywords: Chelsea PE College; Midland Counties Womens Hockey Association (MCWHA)/Midlands (territory); Nottingham--United Kingdom (UK); Nottinghamshire (county); Sherwood Ladies Hockey Club; Surrey (county); Sussex (county); Teaching; Worthing High School

Subjects: Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--Territory

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: But your route to England hockey was through, erm, Surrey?
BURGUM: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: And the South presumably?
BURGUM: Yes, yes.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum recalls breaking into the England setup as a winger and her debut against Scotland at The Oval.

Keywords: Debut; England; Goal; International Match; Joan Barnes; Left-handed; Scotland; Southern Counties Womens Hockey Association (SCWHA)/South (territory); Surrey (county); Sussex (county); The Oval Cricket Ground; Winger

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Territory

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: [laughs] But, erm, no I think really I wasn't going to go to Surrey. I was going to teach in Birmingham where my parents were.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum recalls how she came to be teaching in Surrey before elaborating on her transition into college lecturing. She recalls a number of the successful, hockey-playing students that passed through Chelsea PE College during her tenure.

Keywords: Barbara Holden/Barbara Hambly; Bedford PE College; Birmingham--United Kingdom (UK); Chelsea PE College; College; Cricket; England; Great Britain; Ruth Hine/Ruth Hawes; School; Sutton High School; Teaching; Tennis

Subjects: Captaincy; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Women--College & University; Training & Conditioning--College & University

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Going back to your playing career, you played for England in several internationals over the '50s, erm, and you played for a touring team. Where did you tour?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum discusses her two tours to South Africa with England in 1954 and 1961 recalling the schedule, the hospitality and the sightseeing.

Keywords: Accommodation; Cape Town--South Africa; England; Expenses; Johannesburg--South Africa; Rhodesia/Southern Rhodesia; Schedule; South Africa; Teaching; Tour; Zimbabwe

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Personal; International Travel; Social & Friendships; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Territory; Teams--Women--Touring

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How did the cricket fit in?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum reflects on her sporting versatility recalling how she balanced hockey with cricket and tennis and how her determination to continue playing sport lead her to teaching.

Keywords: Birmingham--United Kingdom (UK); Coach; Cricket; Nottinghamshire (county); Ramsgate Easter Festival; Southern Counties Womens Hockey Association (SCWHA)/South (territory); Sutton High School; Teaching; Tennis

Subjects: Coaching & Management--County; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Recreation; Teams--Girls--County; Teams--Women--Touring; Tournaments--Festival

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: [laughs]
SOMERVILLE: You've seen a lot of changes in the game since you started. Erm, can you tell me about some of the changes you think were for the good and some for the bad?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum reflects on how hockey has evolved throughout her career. She discusses technological advancement, playing surfaces, rule changes and different approaches to coaching. She reflects on the financial emphasis in modern 'professional' sport compared to the 'amateurism' of her day.

Keywords: "The Sticks Rule"; AstroTurf/Artificial Turf; England; Expenses; Forward; Free Hit; Grass; Hobby; Hockey Stick; Left-handed; Manager; Obstruction; Positional Sense; South Africa; Support Staff; Teaching; Tour; Winger

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Personal; Amateurism & Professionalism; Coaching & Management--Club; Coaching & Management--Junior; Coaching & Management--School; Fitness & Injury; Kit & Equipment; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Playing Surfaces; Recreation; Rules; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Touring; Training & Conditioning--Club; Training & Conditioning--International; Training & Conditioning--Junior; Training & Conditioning--School

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: So, I started off as a centre forward because I wanted to be in the middle. I wanted to score goals, you see? [laughs] And I wouldn't on the wing.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum reveals how she came to play right wing having initially been a centre forward. She recalls an anecdote about the one time that she played in defence and how she was equally poor at umpiring.

Keywords: County Match; Defender; Forward; Inside Forward; Southern Counties Womens Hockey Association (SCWHA)/South (territory); Umpire; Winger

Subjects: Teams--Women--Territory; Umpiring--College & University

Partial Transcript: BURGUM: [indistinguishable]
SOMERVILLE: When did you stop playing?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum recounts how she carried on playing county level hockey after retiring from senior internationals before turning her hand to coaching, predominantly children but also coaching other coaches, at home and abroad. She laments the lack of a Masters setup that would have elongated her playing career.

Keywords: Canada; Coach; Coaching Course; England; English Hockey Association (EHA); International caps; Sussex (county); Training Camp; United States of America (USA)

Subjects: Associations--National; Coaching & Management--County; Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement; Teams--Women--County; Teams--Women--International; Teams--Women--Masters & Veterans

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What about the friends that you've made during your hockey career?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum reminisces on the friendships she has forged through hockey and how, even in her old age, hockey enables her to establish rapport and friendships across generations.

Keywords: Brenda Coleshill; Canada; Eastbourne College; England; Hockey Tea; South Africa; Sussex (county); Tour

Subjects: Social & Friendships; Teams--Girls--International; Teams--Women--College & University; Teams--Women--Touring

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: But you carry on your hockey interest through your other interests now, don't you? And I say that because I found...
BURGUM: What have you found about me?
SOMERVILLE: ...This. I'm showing you a picture of some hockey sticks.

Segment Synopsis: Burgum discusses her interest in amateur photography and her academic interest in the development of hockey sticks, born from an early sponsorship arrangement with the kit manufacturer Grays. She goes on to recall how the Indian Head Hockey Stick was introduced in the UK through the India team at the IFWHA Tournament at Folkestone in 1953.

Keywords: Academia; Eastbourne Photographic Society; England; English Head Hockey Stick; Grays; Half Indian Head ("Half Head") Hockey Stick; Hobby; Hockey Stick; India; Indian Head Hockey Stick; Photography; Thesis; Undergraduate Degree; Vera Chapman

Subjects: Commercialism & Sponsorship; History & Heritage; IFWHA Conference & Tournament--1953 Folkestone; Kit & Equipment; Manufacturing & Industry; Recollection of Others--Player; Recreation; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Would you change anything?

Segment Synopsis: Burgum laments the decline of hockey in schools and the decline of sport in schools generally before offering some final reflections on her life.

Keywords: Chelsea PE College; Eilish MacBean; Ruth Hine/Ruth Hawes; Samantha Wright; School; Teaching

Subjects: Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Recollection of Others--Player; Training & Conditioning--School