By Mike Carter, festival Historian & Archivist. Email: morewine22@gmail.com Tel: 07768 671272
The Torbay Easter Hockey Festival returns for its 73rd running over the Easter weekend, from Friday 18th through to Monday 21st April. There are three other Easter hockey festivals still in existence (a resurrected Blackpool, Skegness and Beanfields, Weston Super Mare), but Torbay is the longest continually running Easter festival in the country .
The current 2025 entry list is 10 clubs, an increase from 2024, with 9 of the participating teams dating back to pre-Covid days, 8 each having attended over 60 festivals! Games will once again take place on the astro pitches at Clennon Valley (Paignton) and Torquay Girls Grammar School.
Further entry slots are still available , and festival contact details are available at torbayhockeyfestival.org.uk
Festival HQ will again be the Palace Hotel , Seafront , Paignton , following a very successful initial hosting in 2024. The Festival kicks off at 9.30am at Clennon Valley Leisure Centre, with the traditional flag laying (not raising, as the flag pole has long disappeared and not been replaced!) on the surrounding fence. This is followed by the Official Bully Off between the Festival President, Ms. Nicole Amil, and Chairman, James Carter.
Check out the Clubnets TikTok from the 2024 Festival Kick Off: https://www.tiktok.com/@clubnetsuk/video/7355978695993068833?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7428629588316849696
On Saturday evening, the Festival hosts a Reception for Club Captains and Secretaries and all players who have attended the Festival for 25 years.
The teams fiercely compete for the Bill Stickells Cup for highest scoring team over the weekend, with the Buffaloes from Smethwick H.C. (below) back to defend the Cup which they have won on 3 of the last 4 occasions. However, in the spirit of Festival Hockey, we also award the Tony Forward Shield for Fair Play to ensure the event is enjoyed by all. 2024 joint winners were the Bluebottles from Bristol and the Torreadors from the local Torbay Club .
On a more sombre note, the Festival has lost two of its longer serving friends with Don Bryant of the Oddfellows passing away in June. Don attended his first Festival in 1955 and had clocked up over 60 attendances. Recently, in October, Phil Gutteridge of the Stags, West Bromwich H. C. also died. Phil’s first appearance was in 1975, and he had 2 spells on the Festival committee spanning 1992 – 2011 .