Oral History Interview: John Peake

Partial Transcript: PEAKE: My name is John Peake and I was born on the twenty sixth of August, 1924.
SOMERVILLE: And how did you start in hockey John?

Segment Synopsis: Peake introduces himself stating his name and date of birth and describes his journey into hockey.

Keywords: Repton--United Kingdom (UK); World War 2/WW2/The Second World War; School

Subjects: Education and Schooling

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Did you leave school and go straight onto university, or did you do something else?
PEAKE: No, what happened was, anybody who was involved with, um, interested in, mathematics and things, er, was likely to be, er, moved by the Government to go to a university to do engineering.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes how he carried on playing hockey at university and at the naval college in Greenwich.

Keywords: Cambridge University; Cambridge University Hockey Club; Clare College--Cambridge; Coal mine; Dock yard; Engineering; Government; Greenwich--United Kingdom (UK); London--United Kingdom (UK); Mathematics/Maths; Mid Surrey Hockey Club/Mid-Surrey Hockey Club; Minister of Aircraft Production; Naval Officer; Old Royal Naval College--Greenwich; Plane; Scholarship; School; Sea; Ship; Surrey (county); Tea; The Royal Corps of Naval Constructors (RCNC); The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS); Uniform; Aeroplane

Subjects: Armed Forces; Teams--Men--Club; Teams--Men--College & University; Tournaments--School; Tournaments--University

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So when did you start playing representative hockey at county level?
PEAKE: Er, well it was really I suppose with the, um, with the navy.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes how playing hockey at county level led to him being spotted to play for England.

Keywords: England; England trial; Possibles versus Probables; Royal Navy; Trials

Subjects: Armed Forces; Teams--Men--County

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: When was this? Your first game for England?
PEAKE: '47 I should say.

Segment Synopsis: Peake reminisces over what it was like to be selected to play for England and his memories of his first international match.

Keywords: England; Family; Great Britain; International Match; Ireland; Olympics/Olympic Games; Scotland; Selection; Test Match; Wales

Subjects: Olympic Games--1948 London; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So, you played for England in 1947.
PEAKE: Yes.
SOMERVILLE: And the Olympics was the following year.
PEAKE: Yes, I'm not sure really quite its '48, '47, '48 was the sort of season, so it could have been that I played first for some of the matches, it may have been '47 or'48, I'm not sure.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes how he was selected to represent England in the London 1948 Olympic Games.

Keywords: England; Great Britain; Letter; London--United Kingdom (UK); Olympics/Olympic Games; Selection

Subjects: Olympic Games--1948 London; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And did you get together for training?
PEAKE: Er, no, not a lot. We did have one weekend where we went to, er, to er play with a local team and a county team, and that was about it.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes how he trained in preparation for the London 1948 Olympic Games.

Keywords: Emil Zátopek; Fried egg; London--United Kingdom (UK); Olympics/Olympic Games; Powdered egg; RAF camp; Ration; Rationing; Royal Air Force/RAF; Running; Scotland; Sweater; Training; Uxbridge--United Kingdom (UK); Wales; Dance

Subjects: Armed Forces; Dinners; Fitness, Injury & Health; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Olympic Games--1948 London; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training & Conditioning--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So do you remember the, er, the first match of the Olympics? I think you played Afghanistan?
PEAKE: Er, no, we played them second, er, um, I will have to remember the first one, but we drew, unfortunately

Segment Synopsis: Peake reminisces over the the teams he played against, the position he played in and the medal ceremony at the London 1948 Olympic Games.

Keywords: Afghanistan; David George Burghley/Lord Burghley; Drew; Forward; Goal; Greenwich Park; Ice hockey; India; International Match; London--United Kingdom (UK); Medal; Medal Ceremony; Old Royal Naval College--Greenwich; Olympics/Olympic Games; Outside Right; Pakistan; Peterborough--United Kingdom (UK); Semi-final; Squash; Switzerland; United States of America (USA); Wembley Stadium

Subjects: Awards--Recognition; Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Kit & Equipment; Olympic Games--1948 London; Playing Surfaces; Recollection of Others--Non-hockey Athlete; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And after the Olympics, did you carry on playing for mid-Surrey?
PEAKE: Er, no, what happened is that, er, after the Olympics I'd finished the two years at Greenwich naval college so then I started on an actual job with my training.

Segment Synopsis: Peake explains why he was unable to continue playing hockey after the Olympic Games.

Keywords: Haslar--United Kingdom (UK); Old Royal Naval College--Greenwich; Olympics/Olympic Games; Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); Ship; Ship Trials Officer; Surrey (county); Tank; Model Boat

Subjects: Armed Forces; Life Outside of Hockey--Career; Manufacturing & Industry

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: And did you play hockey while you were in Portsmouth?
PEAKE: Well what happened was, I played a little bit more hockey, yes, for the local club, er, but, er, it wasn't long after that I did my back in, its call a slipped disk.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes how he had to take a break from his hockey following an injury.

Keywords: John Ivens/John F B Ivens; Olympics/Olympic Games; Outside Right; Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); Slipped disk

Subjects: Fitness, Injury & Health; Recollection of Others--Player; Teams--Men--Club; Tournaments--Club

Partial Transcript: PEAKE: But, what happened was that, not long after that, I left the Royal Corps of Naval Constructors anyway, um, and was going into industry.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes his career outside of hockey and the time he was awarded with a CBE for his service to industry.

Keywords: Baker Perkins Ltd; Buckingham Palace; Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE); Engineering; Family; Industry; Personal Assistant; Queen Elizabeth II; The Royal Corps of Naval Constructors (RCNC)

Subjects: Manufacturing & Industry

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: One thing you haven't told me about, which I read about, was that you carried an Olympic torch.
PEAKE: Oh yes, yes.

Segment Synopsis: Peake recounts the time he carried the Olympic Torch to mark the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Keywords: Cambridge--United Kingdom (UK); London--United Kingdom (UK); Olympic Torch; Olympics/Olympic Games; Peterborough--United Kingdom (UK); Primary School; Letter

Subjects: Olympic Games--2012 London

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: You've watched some hockey since then, did you get to the 2012 Olympics to watch the hockey?
PEAKE: Yes indeed. I also got to um, the opening of the hockey pitch.

Segment Synopsis: Peake recounts his memories of the London 2012 Olympic Games. He discusses watching the opening ceremony, the rule changes since he has played, the different types of hockey sticks he has played with and against and the training regime of the current hockey athletes.

Keywords: Anthony Stuart Nunn/Anthony Nunn/Tony Nunn; Back Stick; Buff Off; Christopher Langhorn; English Head Hockey Stick; Golf; Grass; Greenwich--United Kingdom (UK); Half Indian Head ("Half Head") Hockey Stick; Haslar--United Kingdom (UK); Hockey Stick; India; Indian Head Hockey Stick; London--United Kingdom (UK); Long Corner; Olympic Park; Olympic Stadium; Olympics/Olympic Games; Pakistan; Party; Pitch; Portsmouth--United Kingdom (UK); Riverbank Arena; Royal Navy; Speed; The Royal Corps of Naval Constructors (RCNC); Ticket; Training; Umpire; Alan Walker

Subjects: Hockey Homes, Venues & Stadia; Olympic Games--1948 London; Olympic Games--2012 London; Playing Surfaces; Recollection of Others--Player; Reunion; Rules; Social & Friendships; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International; Training & Conditioning--International; Umpiring--International

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: So, you, you've been involved with The Hockey Museum, I know, because you've been to several of the events there and brought your medal down to show everybody.
PEAKE: Yes, yes, they've done a great job starting all that up.

Segment Synopsis: Peake describes his involvement with The Hockey Museum.

Keywords: Anthony Stuart Nunn/Anthony Nunn/Tony Nunn; London--United Kingdom (UK); Medal; Peterborough--United Kingdom (UK); The Hockey Museum

Subjects: History & Heritage; Reunion; Social & Friendships

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: Can you remember the players you played with and against and do any of them really stand out as being special?
PEAKE: Well they were all. I remember Walford was a name.

Segment Synopsis: Peake remembers the friendships he has made within hockey.

Keywords: Anthony Stuart Nunn/Anthony Nunn/Tony Nunn; Centre Half; Grass; Hockey Family; Inside Left; Lincolnshire (county); Michael Walford; Norman Borrett; Squash

Subjects: Recollection of Others--Player; Reunion; Social & Friendships

Partial Transcript: SOMERVILLE: I always ask this, but it sounds a bit of a silly question but what are your stand out memories from your hockey career, looking backwards?
PEAKE: Oh dear, you should have given me some notice of this.

Segment Synopsis: Peake reflects on his success at the London 2012 Olympics Games.

Keywords: England; Olympics/Olympic Games; School; Silver Medal

Subjects: Olympic Games--1948 London; Teams--Men--International; Tournaments--International