It was at a Committee Meeting held on the 13th April 1964 when the Club Secretary was first given the Committee's approval to explore the possibilities of starting up a ladies section within the Club. Taking the bit between his teeth, the Secretary/1st Team Captain, namely John Cranwell, wasted little or no time on embarking on this new venture.

What John did not realise at that time was that an old, well established, Ladies Hockey Club - Highgate Ladies - had fallen upon hard times and needed either to find a new location or else totally disband.

It was by chance that John Cranwell spotted a letter in a north London newspaper from Barbara Lockyer calling out for a new location and a boost of membership to keep the club going. Ah, thought John, what an ideal solution. Negotiations promptly started and in October 1965 at the Hendon Hockey Club's 80th Anniversary Dinner Dance celebrations, held at the Hendon Way Hotel, John Cranwell publicly announced that he had received a letter from Highgate Ladies Hockey Club requesting that they may become the ladies section of Hendon Hockey Club. This news was quite a surprise to most members and was generally received, I believe, with keenness.

At the time I was a junior member of Highgate Ladies, but remember that there was a distinct feeling of apprehension and concern as to whether Highgate Ladies would as a result of the amalgamation, lose its own identity and tradition. I suppose in time this would be inevitable but it was more important at that time to keep the Club going as best we could.

In 1964 our 'home ground' was still located near Boston Manor; however, whilst negotiations were going ahead with Hendon Men's Hockey Club, we had to spend our 1965/66 Season in Regents Park. Lovely scenery but the pitches were dreadful which succeeded in helping us lose good hockey players and good fixtures. We did gain, however, a different type of spectator, namely the giraffes and elephants, etc. residing in London Zoo.

Eventually in June 1966, at Hendon Hockey Club's A.G.M. held at West Hendon Pavilion, all the remaining Highgate Ladies were voted 'en bloc' into the Club.

Speaking personally, I have never looked back but am pleased to say that we are still wearing grey skirts and socks in the tradition of Highgate Ladies of some eighteen years gone.

Jackie Stephens