Oral History Interview: Peter Savage

Partial Transcript: SAVAGE: Er, my name's Peter Savage. Er. I'm probably best known for my hockey photography.

Segment Synopsis: Savage introduces himself for the record.

Keywords: Photography

Partial Transcript: SAVAGE: And, er, you want to know how I got started in hockey. It's rather interesting actually because I used to go to a very, very rough North London school.

Segment Synopsis: Savage recalls his early days of school hockey before joining Broxbourne Hockey Club at the age of 19. He goes on to recount his move south, setting up the Sussex Police Hockey Club before becoming Chairperson and Fixtures Secretary of Brighton & Hove Hockey Club.

Keywords: Beckenham Hockey Club; Beckenham--United Kingdom (UK); Brighton & Hove Hockey Club; Brighton--United Kingdom (UK); Broxbourne Hockey Club; Chairperson; Fixtures Secretary; Girlfriend; Goalkeeper; Hastings--United Kingdom (UK); London--United Kingdom (UK); Police; Rugby; School; Shinty; South Saxons Hockey Club; Sussex Police Hockey Club; Umpire; Winger

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Club; Education and Schooling; Indoor Hockey; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Teams--Men--Club; Teams--Men--Masters & Veterans; Teams--Women--Club

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How did you get in to the photography side?

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses how his recreational interest in photography became a profession, evolving out of and complimenting his career as a hockey journalist.

Keywords: Ady Kerry; England Hockey (EH); Euro Hockey League (EHL); European Hockey Federation (EHF); Hobby; Hockey Sport Magazine; Journalist/Journalism; Peter Luck; Photography; Push Magazine; Umpire

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Personal; Associations--International; Associations--National; Media; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recreation

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: What was your most exciting, erm, ph--photograph?

Segment Synopsis: Savage recalls his three favourite hockey photographs and discusses the importance of 'capturing the moment' over photographic perfection. He goes on to speak of the differences between photographing hockey and other sports.

Keywords: Ady Kerry; Alex Danson; Amsterdam--Netherlands; Ashley Jackson; Athletics; Boom--Belgium; Bronze Medal; Cricket; England; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Final; Fleet Street; Germany; Goal; Goalkeeper; Gold Medal; Great Britain; Horse Racing; London--United Kingdom (UK); Luck; Olympics/Olympic Games; Photography; Push Magazine; Sherpa Tenzing/Tenzing Norgay; Table Tennis

Subjects: Amateurism & Professionalism; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Media; Olympic Games--2012 London; Recollection of Others--Celebrity; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recollection of Others--Player; Recreation; Teams--Men--International; Teams--Women--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: The game has changed a lot over the time...
SAVAGE: Yeah.
SOMERVILLE: ...You've been taking photographs.
SAVAGE: Yeah, absolutely, yeah.
SOMERVILLE: What have been the major challenges from, from your perspective in, in keeping up with those changes?

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses the challenges of photographing hockey, from the technical aspects of indoor and outdoor sports photography to the logistical and financial challenges. He also discusses how he catalogues his extensive archive of images.

Keywords: Accreditation; Archive; Contrast; Czech Republic; Digital Camera; Domain Name; Euro Hockey League (EHL); Exposure; Floodlights; Focus; Germany; Goalkeeper; Internet; Lighting; London--United Kingdom (UK); Match Report; Rotterdam Hockey Club; Rotterdam--Netherlands; Shadow; Single-lens Reflex Camera (SLR); Spain; Speed; The Hague--Netherlands; Wembley Arena/The Empire Pool, Wembley; World Cup

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Personal; History & Heritage; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Indoor Hockey; Kit & Equipment; Manufacturing & Industry; Recreation; Tournaments--Club; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And how did you marry doing all this activity with your full-time job?

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses how, initially through sponsorship but latterly retirement, he was able to maintain his commitment to hockey journalism and photography.

Keywords: Journalist/Journalism; Local Council; Mercian; Photography; Police; Shift Work

Subjects: Administration & Finances--Personal; Commercialism & Sponsorship; Education and Schooling; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Life Outside of Hockey--Retirement; Media

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: How did you get into radio?
SAVAGE: [laughs] Another long story [laughs].

Segment Synopsis: Savage recalls his foray into radio journalism with Talk Hockey Radio via public address system commentary and BBC Sussex. He discusses his favourite interviewees and reflects on the eloquence of hockey players generally.

Keywords: Accreditation; Argentina; BBC; BBC Radio Sussex; Berlin--Germany; Claudia Klatt; Commentator; Freelance; Germany; Gymkhana; Hal Hudson; Hockey Sport Magazine; Horse Racing; Interview; Kate Richardson-Walsh/Kate Walsh; Netherlands; Photography; Podcast; Public Address System; Radio; Radio Alex; Raymond Brooks-Ward; Simon Mason; Spain; Stella Savage; Talk Hockey Radio; Wife

Subjects: Media; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recollection of Others--Player; Recreation

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Where haven't you been?

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses the countries he has and has not visited during his time as a hockey journalist and photographer. He recalls how he came by Press Accreditation for, and his experiences of, the London 2012 Olympic Games and reflects on his lucky breaks.

Keywords: Accreditation; BBC; Editor/Editing; India; Italy; Ken Wilson; Kuala Lumpar--Malaysia; Luck; Malaysia; News International Phone-hacking Scandal; News of the World; Olympics/Olympic Games; Photography; Push Magazine; Sweden; United States of America (USA)

Subjects: Fitness & Injury; International Travel; Media; Olympic Games--2012 London; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recreation; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And your Talk Radio you said lasted for...
SAVAGE: About seven years.
SOMERVILLE: ...Six, seven years.

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses how his terminal illness has forced him to wind down his journalistic pursuits. He reveals that his website now provides a narrative of his condition alongside his photographic work.

Keywords: Blog; Cancer; Hockey In England E-magazine; Illness; Internet; Journalist/Journalism; Photography; Talk Hockey Radio

Subjects: Fitness, Injury & Health; Media; Recreation

Partial Transcript: SAVAGE: [laughs]
SOMERVILLE: You've kept up with social media...
SAVAGE: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: ...And adapted it and embraced it...
SAVAGE: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: ...And used it...
SAVAGE: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: ...To the full. Do you like this world with, with, where nothing is kept private, everything is out there?

Segment Synopsis: Savage discusses social media and how he has utilised it to project his photography into the public sphere. He suggests that the women's game in the UK, both at club and international level, would benefit from greater engagement with photography online.

Keywords: England; Great Britain; Holcombe Hockey Club; Internet; Photography; Twitter

Subjects: Social Media; Teams--Men--Club; Teams--Women--Club; Teams--Women--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And now? What are you doing now?
SAVAGE: Well...
SOMERVILLE: What are you able to do now?
SAVAGE: ...Erm, because I can't drive any more I'm reliant on my wife and the, erm, there are, there are hazards in photographing hockey. Erm, I'm having to be very careful.

Segment Synopsis: Savage returns to the subject of his illness. He discusses how it has affected his vision and how this, in turn, has impacted on his photography.

Keywords: Azerbaijan; Cancer; East Grinstead Hockey Club; European Nations Championship/EuroHockey Nations Championship; Floodlights; Illness; Lego; Manchester--United Kingdom (UK); Photography; Rugby; Stella Savage; Surbiton Hockey Club; Tina Cullen/Christina Cullen; Wife

Subjects: Fitness, Injury & Health; Media; Recollection of Others--Media Figure; Recollection of Others--Player; Recreation; Teams--Men--Club; Teams--Women--Club