The 20s and 30sIn 1919 the club was restarted by M. Tegetmeier, assisted among others by H. B. Figg; with six or seven other pre-1914 stalwarts they formed the nucleus of the new side. Filling up the last few places in the one XI was not unlike the trouble the Team Secretary of today has with the 5th XI on some Saturday mornings. In those days too the Secretary was Treasurer, Fixture and Team Secretary as well.
The club was slow to progress after 1918, as it was again after 1945; in the late twenties and early thirties however a strong element of new members who had played hockey at school joined the club with a resulting raising of standards all round.
George Baker, who joined in 1928 and who was still scoring goals at centre-forward in the 1st in 1956, remembers well the side at the time. The backs were Alfred Coughtrey (Vice-captain of Berkhamsted Golf Club this year) and Bill Wiltshire (brother of Reg Wiltshire, 1st XI umpire 1946-56). Others in the side were Col. Lane, Baines, Ellison, Basil Thompson, Kenneth Boyd, John Voss, George Ross and Pat Goffey. In the early thirties Donald Lockhart first played in 1931 and was followed by Davy, Cranfield, Buxton, Raith, Philip Stevenson, 'Fuzz' Merricks, John Rowe and John Wilkinson.
This period, according to several of our former members was the golden age of B.H.C. although the fixture list was not as strong as today. In 1936 the club went through a season undefeated, drawing four games. The 2nd XI of the time included Martin Addiscott and Douglas Thorne, whose recollections of these years appear on page 13. 1946-63Among those who helped re-form the club were Donald Lockhart, Jack Coleman, Reg Wiltshire and John Wilkinson. Donald was Captain from 1946-50 with John as Secretary until his sudden death in 1952.
Progress was slow. New members with any experience were difficult to find. Heavy defeats were not unusual, including one of double figures by Blueharts when Michael Green was pulled into the side on the Saturday morning for his first-ever game of hockey - and his last in goal. It was not until the 1951-52 season that a 2nd XI was attempted; even then the side seldom had eleven players. For five years from 1951 Brian Soole for two and Peter Wilkinson for three seasons were Captains of the 1st XI with the standard rising a little. In Brian's second year the 1st XI was undefeated from the end of October, a feat certainly not accomplished since, but opposition was not so strong by a long way.
At this time the fixture list showed little change from season to season but by the end of Peter Wilkinson' s 1st XI captaincy term (1956), new blood was beginning to appear. Not before it was time! A year or two previously the 1st XI on several Saturdays fielded a side with six players known to be over 40. (They shall be nameless as all are still connected with the club and are now over so).
From 1956-62 growth was continuous. Membership steadily increased; a 3rd XI was started in 1957, a 4th in 1959 and a regular 5th fielded through 1962. So much new blood has pushed up the standard of all Xl's as can be seen from the greatly improved fixture list. This has been in large part due to the enthusiasm of two recent Fixture Secretaries, Rodney Sims and Tarn Hodder.
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