Staff at the Stumps: The University Staff Cricket Club Archive

The archive revisited

In 2012, the Secretary of the University Staff Cricket Club donated the club’s existing records to Hull University Archives. Some work was undertaken to catalogue the material at the time; however, we revisited the collection as part of our University Records Project. As archivists, we sometimes revisit previously catalogued collections to enhance the descriptions. Our aim in doing this is to make collections more discoverable to researchers. Having completed this work, we have now relaunched the collection under the newly assigned reference number of ‘U DSCC’.

Work on the collection prompted great interest amongst the cricket fans on our staff, who were fascinated by the old score books, playing records, and fixture lists. We wanted to know more about the Club’s history, and it occurred to us that others might be equally interested.

First scoring book of the University Staff Cricket Club, 1949-1958 [U DSCC/2/1]

The openers

The story starts in 1949. A group of like-minded employees from the University College of Hull (as the University of Hull was then known) met in the Senior Common Room on campus to form a cricket club run by committee. K.R. Bull, a lecturer in Physical Education within the Adult Education Department was appointed as the first secretary, treasurer and captain. Others in attendance at this meeting were H. H. Lucas (lecturer in French), H. W. Parsons, O. A. W. Dilke (assistant lecturer in Classics), G. Bond (lecturer in Geology), J. Webster, A. R. White (lecturer in Philosophy), and A. W. Green (lecturer in English). Together, they formed the University Staff Cricket Club and invited the University College Principal, Professor A.E. Morgan, to act as President of the club. 

These first officers drafted a constitution to guide the running and activities of the club, the same being approved by the committee on 14 May 1949. It was agreed that the membership should be open to all academics and research students, plus guests by invitation. The club’s ethos was inclusive. The aim of the founding members was not to field the strongest possible team, but rather to provide opportunities for anyone who wished to play cricket. Although at first glance the exclusion of administrative staff and non-research students might seem at odds with such an inclusive approach, it can be explained by the fact that several other University cricket teams appear in the score books of the club, suggesting multiple teams existed on campus at simultaneously.

Fixtures

From 1956 to 1985, G. A. S. Bunker from the Department of Educational Studies served as Fixture Secretary, ensuring that the annual scheduling of matches ran smoothly. It stands as testament to Bunker’s organisational skills that we have surviving fixture lists from 1955, though nothing before then.

Fixtures list for 1955 [U DSCC/5]

Over the years, members of the club played regular matches against numerous local teams. Until the mid-1950s, a match against the University Employees Cricket Club was one of the earliest fixtures of season and was always held on or around the University’s Founders Day in May. 

Scoring card for the club's first recorded match, which was played against the Employees Cricket Club, 1949 [U DSCC/2/1]

Other University of Hull sides featured regularly in the programme, including teams fielded by the Students Union, Law Society, Liberal Society, History Society, and Research Students Association. Works teams were a staple in the programme, and the club regularly played against sides fielded by Hull Town Clerks, Northern Dairies, Hull Education Department, Wilson Line Company, and Earle's Shipping Company. Regular fixtures were arranged with local school and college sides, including Hymers Staff, Old Hymerians, Hull Training College, Kingston High Staff, Malet Lambert, Sir Henry Cooper Staff, and Riley High. Matches were also played against local town and village teams, including Hull Zingari, Melton, Welton, Brantingham, Yapham, Hutton Cranswick, South Holderness, and various Cottingham sides. There were even regular matches played against sides fielded by other universities, namely Sheffield, Leeds, and Durham. It’s a demonstration of just how popular cricket has been locally that the club had such a large pool of teams to play against. 

Surviving fixtures cards from the 1980s [U DSCC/6/4]

Regional university cricket

One element of the club’s history that fascinated us in the office, was the role Hull seems to have played in kickstarting annual festivals played between cricket teams fielded by universities in the north. These festivals began in 1969, when Hull hosted an inaugural Universities Staff Cricket Festival. 

Material sent to prospective participants in the inaugural Universities Staff Cricket Festival, 1969 [U DSCC/5/3]

The idea for the festival originated at Hull. It had been proposed at the club's 1969 AGM by two members, J. W. Owen and R. W. Walker, in the wake of a tour of Newcastle and Durham which had taken place in June 1968. Four sides participated: Hull, Keele, Leeds, and a combined Newcastle/Durham team. 

Fixtures played during the inaugural Universities Staff Cricket Festival, 1969 [U DSCC/5/3]

Inaugural Universities Staff Cricket Festival results table, 1969 [U DSCC/5/3] 

The festival became an annual event. Hull took part whenever possible, though low membership and financial issues during the 1970 and 1980s caused problems with fielding teams. Additionally, Hull’s participation in the 1989 festival was prevented on political grounds. The University was, at this time, involved in an employment rights case over the dismissal of a lecturer, Edgar Page. Nottingham, the hosts of the festival in this year, informed Hull that they could only field a team if Page’s case had been resolved, which it was not.

Correspondence between Nottingham and Hull regarding Hull's participation in the 1989 Universities Staff Cricket Festival [U DSCC/5/5]

Captains

Over the years, club players have been captained by K. R. Bull (1949-54), H. K. Bevan (1955-57), H. W. Parsons (1958-59), J. M. A. Barker (1960-61), T. T. B. Ryder (1962-65), R. Walker (1966-68, 1974, 1976, 1978), K. J. Toyne (1969-70), J. Dunning-Davies (1971-72), J. W. Owen (1973), W. Owen (1975), A. Lee (1977), and M. Smith (1979-85). Research undertaken in 1985 by the club secretary, Mike Turner, collated match results to show the club’s wins, losses and draws by decade as follows: 1950s - 49/48/32; 1960s - 65/54/26; 1970s - 74/131/10; 1980s - 45/61/5. His research suggests that club sides had the highest success rate under the captains of the 1950s and 1960s, but played the most matches under the captains of the 1970s.

That’s lunch!

Taking a break from the playing of cricket, there was also a social side to membership of the club. Members met annually at an Annual General Meeting, first held in 1950, and an annual club dinner was instituted in 1967. A Mr. Bower served as 'Master of the Revels' between 1967-1984, making sure that this social activity took place. 

Receipt for payment of expenses for an annual dinner held at the Pearson Park Hotel in November 1975 [U DSCC/5/2]

In 1998, a special anniversary dinner was held to mark the club's 50th birthday, with many former players returning or sending messages of support.

50th anniversary dinner invite response sent by Alan Boner, 1998 [U DSCC/5/8]

There was even a double page spread printed in the University Bulletin.

50th anniversary article printed in the University Bulletin, 1998 [U DSCC/5/8]

All Out! Not yet…

In 2023, the club marked its 75th anniversary with a free Indoor Cricket event at the University Sports Centre. It continues to operate, providing an outlet for members of staff interested in playing cricket.

Bowled over by cricket? 

Discover the collection yourself by consulting the online catalogue for a description of the records, and by visiting the History Centre to see the original material.

Hull History Centre also holds the records of Hull Zingari Cricket Club [C DSZC], Hull Cricket Club [C DSHC], East Riding Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association [C DSUS], East Yorkshire Cricket Alliance [C DSEC], East Riding Amateur Cricket League and East Yorkshire Cricket Alliance [C DSAC], and Wilson Line Cricket Club [U DX360].

Claire, Archivist (Hull University Archives)

T.W. Bamford: The Academic Who Defined Our University’s Story

The First Fifty Years

In 1978, the Oxford University Press published ‘The University of Hull: The First Fifty Years’ written by Thomas William Bamford, a British academic researcher and lecturer at the University of Hull. It is from this book that we have a clear understanding of the foundation and early development of the University during the 1920s and 1930s, as well as the expansion of the University site from a series of fields to the core of the campus we know today.

Bamford's history of the University of Hull in it's first 50 years

Bamford Before Hull

We could be forgiven for thinking that the author of such a work was an historian, however, Bamford’s academic background was in Zoology and Education. Born 26 August 1912, Bamford began his academic career in Zoology, gaining a B.Sc. (London) Class II in Zoology (1935), carrying out research on Herring and Galeichthys, and completing a Ph.D. (London) in Zoology (1947). Bamford's academic interests then turned to education, and he completed a Teachers Diploma in 1947. He went on to study for a Masters degree in Education from London, which he completed in 1953, and received a D.Litt. from London in 1969. His research in this area focused on the 19th century history of public-school education and he published numerous papers and works on the subject.

Prior to joining Hull, Bamford held a research post at the University College London and Courtauld Institute (1935-1938). During the Second World War he worked at the Air Ministry (1939-1941) in a civilian role, followed by a post with the Meteorological Branch of the R.A.F. (1941-1945). After the war, he was appointed Biology Master at Raynes Park County Grammar School (1947-1950), leaving in 1951 to take up the post of Lecturer in Biology and Health Education at Borough Road College (1951-1955).

Perhaps Bamford’s interest in writing a work of history can be found in his connections to Zoology, Biology, Marine Ecosystems, Aeronautics, and the teaching of Education, as all these subjects formed a significant part of the early development of the University.

Bamford at Hull

Bamford’s association with the University of Hull began on 1 April 1955, when he was appointed Senior Tutor in the University's Institute of Education. He was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1964 and, subsequently, to Reader in 1970. Concurrently, he served as Deputy Director of the Institute of Education from 1967, becoming Director in 1976. In 1976, a year before his retirement, Bamford was awarded a Personal Professorship, and was granted the title of Emeritus Professor by University Council in October 1977, shortly after his retirement.

But for the purposes of this blog, we’re interested in the academic session 1974/75, when Bamford was appointed by the University Publications Committee to produce a history of the University of Hull. The work was commissioned to mark the University's 50th anniversary in 1977/1978. 

Using existing administrative records kept by the University, he uncovered the early development of the University, tracing it from its origins as a University College under the University of London's authority, to a university in its own right. He also spoke and corresponded with professorial staff who had been associated with the University since its formation. After several years of research and writing, Bamford delivered a manuscript to the Publications Committee in February 1977. For his efforts, he was given an honorarium of £500, with a further sum payable on publication of the work. In a letter dated 30 September 1976, which was found within Bamford’s University of Hull personnel file, Vice-Chancellor Dennison commented on the matter: 

'Characteristically, he [Bamford] said that he was willing to undertake the work without payment but I told him that we should wish to recognise it in this way.' 

Alongside the book, Bamford was asked to give one of two public talks as part of the University’s Jubilee celebrations. Bamford's talk was titled 'The History of the University' and was delivered on 13 October 1977. A companion talk, titled 'From Explosion to Implosion: The Robbins Era', was given by Professor J. P. Kenyon on 18 October 1977. Both texts were subsequently printed in the 1978 Spring Term edition of the University Gazette. 

University Gazette, Spring 1978

In further recognition of his work, the University presented Bamford with reproductions of original sketches for the coat of arms of the University College of Hull in August 1982.

A Research Collection of Note

Whilst working on the book, Bamford built up a small but significant research archive. The collection is now held by Hull University Archives, having been found amongst papers transferred from the Institute of Education Library in 1985 and donated by Bamford. It has been catalogued as part of a long-running project to rationalise and make accessible University-related collections ahead of the University’s Centenary in 2027/2028.

We might think that, because we have access to Bamford’s published work, there would be no need to keep his research papers. However, in addition to his research notes, this collection contains a surprising amount of original material. There are sets of correspondence of the University’s first Secretary and Principal with various individuals and organisations, as well as original notes and extracts from minutes, and short accounts of the University's foundation.

Overview of the University College shortly after it was founded, c.1928

There are mentions of Forsyth and Maule, the original Architects engaged by the University to develop the site and a layout plan showing suggested developments for the campus site. There are also references to negotiations around the transfer of lands from the Local Education Authority to the University College for its use, including ‘8 Acre Field’, a strip of land on the Newland High School grounds, and a site purchased by T.R. Ferens on 30 May 1922. 

Layout plan showing architect's suggestions for the campus site, c.1927

In addition, there are a number of pamphlets which were produced by the University in its early days. These include a copy of the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the University College of Hull dated 1927 with amendments up to 1952; an article written by A.E. Morgan, the first Principal of the University titled ‘The Modern University and University College’, written around 1927; and a paper titled ‘The Proposed University College at Hull dated around 1927.

Pamphlets found within Bamford's archive, c.1927

The collection also contains an illustrated description of the University’s Coat of Arms titled ‘A Lesson in Heraldry - The University College of Hull’, which was produced around 1927.

Pamphlet on the Coat of Arms of the University College of Hull, c.1927, plus illustrated description of the Coat of Arms of the University of Hull, c.1954

When working through the collection to describe the individual items it contains, it became increasingly evident that some of the original material must have come from the University’s own institutional records. A number of the folders containing the original material featured reference numbers, such as ‘Parcel 9’, which match the filing system for sequences of Vice Chancellor’s and Registrar’s files also held in the University Archives. We could only conclude that several of these files must have been borrowed from the University’s own administrative files sequences by Bamford, who had then forgotten to return them.

Original folder labelled 'Parcel 9'

Whilst we might lament the disruption of original record series (although this is perhaps more galling to the archivist than the general public!), Bamford's work should rightly be recognised as a solid, thorough and authoritative representation of the practical and factual development of the University over the course of its first fifty years. He laid the ground work upon which subsequent researchers interested in this history have been able to build.

Full Circle

Fifty years on, as we prepare for the University’s Centenary, we’re still drawing on the information uncovered by Bamford. His surviving and newly catalogued archive will be used to support current research, hopefully uncovering some new stories! Whereas Bamford focused on dates, buildings, and departments, we hope to supplement his research by adding layers of personal stories to build a greater and more people-focused picture of the University Community over its first 100 years.

You can discover the archive yourself by using the online catalogue to view a description of the records, and by visiting the History Centre to see the original material.

Claire, Archivist (Hull University Archives)

WWII Veterans in East Yorkshire

Today sees the release of the second of our University Records Project newly catalogued collections!

The WWII Oral History Project Archive [RefNo. U DWOH] was donated to the University Archives in February 2025. It was created by Professor Doug Thompson, formerly a lecturer and researcher in Italian Language and History at the University of Hull. The collection captures written and recorded interviews with East Riding veterans of the Italian military campaign staged during WWII. It also captures ephemeral material, contemporary to the campaign, donated by participants in the project to support a related exhibition. This material includes photocopies of veterans’ diary entries, menus for Allied forces Christmas lunches, examples of Allied military currency notes, a pencil drawing depicting soldiers in small boats under explosive fire, and a Special Order from Allied Force Headquarters dated 2 May 1945.

Pencil drawing showing different elf characters drawn by one of the project participants during WWII

The collection is a fascinating snapshot of the wartime experience of military personnel from the local region and provides a counterpoint to the extensive records of civilian life on the Homefront, which are also held at the History Centre.

Interview with the depositors

On the 28 January 2026 I met with Gillian Ania, partner of the late Professor Thompson, and Simona Rizzardi, Thompson’s friend and colleague. It was Gillian and Simona who had arranged for the collection to come to Hull History Centre. They were kind enough to let me quiz them about the WWII Oral History Project for the purposes of this blog.

What does it mean to you to have the collection accessible to researchers?

G: The motivation behind the ‘WWII Oral History Project’ was to investigate and document the experiences of veterans from the East Riding of Yorkshire who were involved in the ‘Italian Military Campaign’, the Allies’ push through Italy in the latter stages of WWII (1943-45) to liberate the country from the German occupation. The fact that the documents relating to this investigation are now publicly available for consultation means a great deal to me, and I am very grateful to the Hull History Centre which is performing such a valuable service in preserving this original material.

S: The collection was ‘dormant’ for over 35 years, and it was a shame that during that time nobody had been able to benefit from the wealth of information and material it contained. All the veterans who took part are now dead and their stories would be lost if the collection had not been made public and accessible to all.

What do you think it would have meant to Professor Thompson?

G: Professor Thompson would have been absolutely delighted to know that this material, which absorbed him for so many years in both a professional and personal capacity, has now found an ideal home, and will be preserved. The Project was carried out before I got to know Doug, but he spoke of it often, returning to the material many times with passion, and sometimes regret – regret that it wasn’t better ordered! He’d tell me about it, re-reading some of the questionnaires and listening to interviews; he’d read further about the Campaign, making notes; and he’d reorder the folders, always intending to do ‘a final sort’ of everything before he saw it placed in a suitable Archive.

S: I know that he was rightly proud of his achievement: he kept all the material collected safely in boxes, hoping that one day the right place and the right people would appear to catalogue, store and make the collection available to the public, which is exactly what the History Centre has been able to provide now. So he would be delighted to know that the collection is now in its ideal location.

What’s the most interesting thing about the collection for you?

G: I was familiar with the Project, and its scope, but the importance of its now being publicly available was really brought home to me on my recent visit to the Hull History Centre (January 2026). Claire had set out the files ready for our perusal, and Simona and I spent a couple of hours going through them – we could easily have stayed longer! – and I was fascinated anew. I particularly enjoyed reading a great many of the 60 or so questionnaires, getting an overview of the different places the servicemen had passed through, and their impressions of the Italians they had encountered – ‘strange’ or ‘hostile’ or (more often) ‘friendly’ and ‘kind’. These were years when most of the young soldiers were new to everything – not only to life in the army, but also to living (and in difficult conditions) in a foreign country. Very few had been to Italy prior to the War, and yet very many had returned since then, some affectionately retracing their steps, and others enjoying holidays there with their families. I found this very moving. It was also interesting to see what the servicemen had kept from their time in Italy – army pamphlets conveying information, instructions, rules and regulations etc, alongside souvenirs documenting the ‘lighter’ side of life (tourist brochures, concert programmes, captioned cartoons, and so on); or personal letters and poems which connected very much to ‘home’, alongside more factual accounts and diary entries.

S: Definitely the veterans’ diaries and personal testimonies. They are not only accounts of what they went through during the war, but also of their memories of living for a time (even if war-time) in a foreign country and being exposed to a different culture and people, something which some of them had never experienced before. I find them fascinating.

Photocopy of pages from a notebook kept by J. W. Hunter whilst in Italy 

There are recordings with four women in the collection who would obviously not have undertaken military service during WWII. Do you know anything of the background to this? One of the names is Mimma Rizzardi who I believe was your mother, Simona?

G: Simona may be better placed to respond here. She is indeed Mimma’s daughter, and was also directly involved with the Project, carrying out some of the interviewing, etc (alongside other colleagues in the Department of Italian at Hull). 

S: Yes, and the other one whom I interviewed with her was a distant cousin of hers (I didn’t know there were two more women). They were only teenagers when the war started, and about 20 when it ended. They were born and had grown up under the Fascist regime of Mussolini and had vivid memories of the years of the war, and especially of the days of the ‘liberation’ by the Allied forces. I hope it will soon be possible for all the interview recordings to be digitalised and made available alongside the other material in collection: I think both researchers and the general public will find them extremely interesting.

Did you know any of the other participants?

G: David Fowkes, I had once met at his home in York, in connection with his contribution, as well as to view some of his paintings. Joe (J.A.) Riley, I did not meet, but he was Doug’s father-in-law, and friend. At some point (in the late 1980s or early 1990s?) Doug, together with a long-time friend of his, took Joe back to Italy to revisit the places he’d passed through, including Florence. I recall him telling me that Joe was extremely moved to be seeing ‘his places’ again. I am familiar with the work of renowned historian, Christopher Seton-Watson, former fellow of Modern History and Politics at Oxford, author of the important tome Italy from Liberalism to Fascism, 1870-1925. 

S: Yes, David Fowkes: he was a renowned York painter who at the beginning of the war joined the Royal Artillery, was then transferred to field artillery and eventually was sent on draft to Italy, where he spent three years. He was a dear friend of mine and I invited him to take part in the project. His contribution included a journal he kept from those years, interspersed with his own drawing and sketches. Professor Thompson thought it was worth publishing and now a copy of David Fowkes’ A Gunner’s Journal, Italy 1943-1946 (Department of Italian, University of Hull, 1990) is included in the History Centre collection. It is a fascinating and poignant testimony and I encourage everyone who accesses the collection to read it.

What can you remember about the project?

S: The scale of it: all the Italian Department staff at Hull University were involved in some way (some in the interviews, others in preparing and sorting out the material for the exhibition) and the university library was heaving with people coming to see the exhibition. There was great excitement and the feeling that we were part of something important and unique.

Can you remember anything about the exhibition and what it meant to the participants?

G: In addition to what Doug told me about the Project, I also recall how thrilled he said the veterans were to be contacted and interviewed about their experiences of serving in Italy all those years ago, and for their accounts to feature centrally in an exhibition at the University.

S: I cannot remember anything specific, but I know it offered the veterans the extraordinary opportunity to meet fellow servicemen who had had similar experiences and to share precious memories of both happy and traumatic times. It certainly made them realise that what they did was remembered and appreciated and had a huge historical value.

Material donated by project participants for use in the exhibition

Final thoughts

Anyone who wishes to look at this collection may do so for free here at the Hull History Centre. A description of the records within the collection can be accessed via our online catalogue, where you can also download a PDF copy of the catalogue. Details of how to arrange a visit can be found under the ‘Visit Us’ section of our website. Please note that, due to technical requirements, we are currently unable to provide access to the audio recordings within series U DWOH/3. Should you wish to listen to a particular recording please contact archives@hull.ac.uk to discuss your needs.

Claire (Archivist, Hull University Archives)

Hull’s ‘WAGs’: Hull University Staff Wives Club

The influence of women

Look back through the correspondence of the first leaders of the University of Hull (at that time known as University College Hull) and you will find numerous instances in which Principals Morgan and Nicholson call on the practical aid of the wives of men employed in academic positions at the University. In some cases, these women are asked to play hostess to visiting dignitaries or candidates for interview. In other instances, they are asked to use their influence and social connections to drum up support for the work of the university. There are even examples in which their opinions of prospective interview candidates are sought and given. This appears to have happened in situations where a candidate was known to the wife of an existing academic by virtue of her own social, educational, or academic connections. Thus, at a time when academic and technical positions were largely held by men, we can detect evidence of female activity behind the scenes directed towards the functioning of the university.

It is perhaps unsurprising then that a University Staff Wives Club, later renamed the Staff Women’s Club, was formed, providing a place for these women to come together in a more organised manner. The formation of the club in 1955 aligns with the university being granted a charter with authority to award its own degrees. This marked a pivotal moment in the history of the University of Hull.

New research collection!

The activities of the University Staff Wives Club [RefNo. U DSWC] are documented in the latest of our newly catalogued University of Hull related collections to be made available at the History Centre. The records of the club cover the period 1955-2005; that’s 50 years of contributions to university life made by women associated with the institution. So what can we learn from these exciting ‘new’ records….

Members of the Staff Wives Club in the mid 1950s

Who were these women?

The collection includes a series of club minute books which begin at the formation of the club in 1955 and form a complete sequence through to 1995. The minutes reveal that initially the club consisted of only staff wives. From the club’s minutes, we learn that the first chair was Mrs P. Good, presumably the wife of Professor Good of the Biology Department. We learn that Mrs Brooks first acted as secretary, but that the first official secretary was Mrs Duffin. Mrs Symons was elected as the first treasurer, and Mrs King, Mrs Craig, Mrs Cook and Mrs Barker formed the remaining committee members. Mrs King was responsible, along with Mrs Craig and Mrs Cook, for drawing up rules for the club. The first annual report, issued in December 1956, recounts that about sixty people were present at the first ever meeting of the club, held 2 November 1955. Mrs Brynmor Jones, the wife of the university’s vice chancellor, is noted in the annual report as being one of the founding members of the club. The group assembled in November must then have represented most of the women directly associated with male employees of the university at this time. Membership of the club was later widened out to include female staff, along with female relatives of academic and academic related staff, and a name change to the University Staff Women's Club was made in 1988 to reflect this.

A social network

At the 2 November 1955 meeting, it was decided that the club’s ‘activities should be social rather than purely cultural’. A series of annual files, covering the period 1967-2005, contain circulars, officers’ reports, correspondence, and programmes of events providing further details about the club’s activities. Meetings of the club appear to have formed the heart of members’ activities. In addition to the business part of the meetings, time was carved out for refreshments and chatting, as well as specially arranged activities, such as the showing of films and musical evenings with members encouraged to bring their own records to play. The annual files also reveal that, in addition to ordinary meetings, members of the club held AGMs, arranged receptions and dinners, and negotiated the use of swimming baths at Newland Children’s Homes for the benefit of club members. The club also took part in visits to other educational institutions, including a school in Helmsley, Henry Cooper High School, and a reciprocal visit to Sheffield University arranged in conjunction with Sheffield’s University Wives Club. That these activities took place shows that the club played a role in providing for the social life of women associated with the University of Hull. As noted above, this is what had been hoped for at the outset, and must have helped to develop a network of female social contacts for those who involved themselves in the club’s activities.

Educational activities

The minutes also reveal an educational element to the activities of the club, including the arrangement of talks for the benefit of members. For instance, at a meeting held 29 May 1956, it was reported that Mr F.W. Brooks, Reader in Mediaeval History at the university, gave ‘a fascinating talk on the growth & development of the city of Hull’, and that arrangements were subsequently made to tour old Hull on the 12 June. The club also appears to have benefited from the university’s support for visiting scholarships, such as in May 1960 when they received a talk from Professor Natalie Darcy, a Fulbright Scholar from America, who spoke on ‘The effect of psychology on the education of children in the United States’. On a more domestic note, during a meeting held 31 October 1957, a cookery demonstration was arranged for club members, and it was noted that those present ‘picked up tips on certain aspects of cooking which should prove useful in the future'. Members of the club even offered to give talks themselves, such as one given by Dr Joan Kippling on her work with the Marriage Guidance Council in October 1959. Tours were also arranged for the benefit of members. The club visited university facilities, including the Audio-Visual Centre, Thwaite Hall, and Cleminson Hall, to better understand the work of the university. Trips to see local sites were also arranged, including visits to Hull Trinity House and the M.V. Spero, operated by Ellerman’s Wilson Line Ltd. Such activities gave women access to educational and enrichment experiences outside of the daily routine of their own work and lives.

Developing civic links

It’s perhaps worth highlighting that, through their interactions with civic organisations, business owners, and academics at the university, members of the club arguably contributed to the development and maintenance of informal links between the University of Hull and the local region. Additionally, the minutes of the club reveal that donations were made to local charities. For instance, in 1958, a collection raised as a result of an event at Burton Constable Hall was given to the Red Cross in 1958; and a year later, in 1959, a donation was made to the campaign group Aid for Refugees. This is an area that deserves more research. It would, for instance, be interesting to understand whether, and to what extent, the activities of the club might have contributed to the university’s reputation as a civically minded institution.

Photographs taken at a Staff Wives Club garden party arranged by Mrs Reckitt in 1976

Supporting the wider university community

The collection also contains evidence that the club had a role to play in supporting the university community outside of the immediate context of the club’s own membership. For instance, balance sheets record collections taken to provide flowers and gifts to support members of the university suffering sickness or bereavements. Members of the club arranged, at their own expense, an annual Christmas party for the benefit of staff members’ children. The minutes also contain mention of gifts given by the club to different parts of the university, such as the donation of 24 coat hangers to benefit the Senior Common Room in October 1962. Additionally, the minutes record that, in January 1963, a sub-committee was formed to consider ‘the accommodation problem of the newly appointed member of staff’, with it being considered that the club was a suitable body to ‘take over provision’. This reference to providing for new staff brings to mind the work that was undertaken by women associated with the very earliest years of the university’s operation, noted in the introduction to this blog.

Members of the Staff Wives Club at a tree planting ceremony to mark the retirement of Lady and Sir Brynmor Jones, Mar 1972

Final thoughts

From this very brief overview, we can see the types of details which are recorded in the surviving records of the University Staff Wives Club. We can learn of the membership’s activities to support each other; we can better understand the social interactions of women who were attached to the academic community by marriage rather than employment; and we can perceive instances in which the club’s members acted as a connection between the university and the wider local community. 

But, more importantly, we can start to identify individuals within a group of people who have remained largely hidden in the story of the university’s history. Given the timing of the club’s formation, the activities it undertook, and the relationships it helped to develop, it is likely that these women had a role to play in helping to create a sense of community within the newly independent University of Hull. This is surely worth further investigation.

Further information about the contents of this collection can be found on the History Centre’s online catalogue, where you can also download a PDF version of the collection catalogue. If you would like to view any of the records within the collection you can do so for free in our Searchroom. Visit our website to find out how to arrange a visit.

Claire (Archivist, Hull University Archives)