Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments

Theme: Civic contest Guest: Castleford RLFC

A revival

1950

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Images courtesy of Wakefield Libraries Photographic Collection and Wakefield Museums & Castles

Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments

Theme: Winter War Guest: George & Beryl Formby

Funds for Finland

1940

Theme: Shrove Tuesday Guest: Councillor Ezra Taylor

1000 pancakes

1939

Theme: Giant meat & potato pie Guest: Lady Allerton

Pies and patrons

1938

Theme: Huge pies Guest: Viscountess Allendale

First Reight Neet Aht

1936

Theme: Castleford cakes Guest: Viscountess Allendale

Coronation celebrations

1937

Theme: Yorkshire vs the world Guest: Lady Docker International students

Global affair

1957

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Images courtesy of Wakefield Libraries Photographic Collection and Wakefield Museums & Castles

Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments

Theme: Zebra stripes Guest: Lady Docker Northern sportsmen

Sport stars and stripes

1956

Theme: All-ladies Guest: Lady Docker

A world first

1955

Theme: Coronation Guest: U.S. Air Force

Yorkshire vs America

1953

Theme: Yorkshire mayors Guest: U.S. Consul

Neet Aht in Wakefield

1952

21 April 1936

The first event included a marbles tournament featuring the Fed Up Club. This was the nickname for a local group of former miners. Guests also enjoyed other entertainment including music and dancing. They tucked into a huge pie for supper. The evening was in aid of Leeds Infirmary and aimed to raise £50.

25 April 1952

1952 was the only Reight Neet Aht held outside of Castleford. The Mayor of Wakefield won the previous contest in 1950 so claimed the right to host an event in Wakefield. He invited civic leaders from across Yorkshire and the guest of honour was the U.S. Consul, Walter Hoffman. Sid Colclough found the night too formal. He was relieved when the Chair of Castleford Urban District Council won the tournament. Reight Neet Aht could go back home to Castleford!

3 March 1955

Sid Colclough advertised 1955's event as the world's first All-Ladies marbles tournament. He invited glamorous socialite, Lady Docker to form a team. Lady Docker's husband was Sir Bernard Docker, chairman of Daimler cars. They played against "Castleford Factory Girls" from different Castleford companies. They worked for glassworks, potteries and tailors. Hartley's even made special pint pots to mark the occasion.

4 March 1940

1940 was the only Reight Neet Aht held during the Second World War. It raised money for Finland, who had just been invaded. The marbles matches were between Air Raid Protection and Home Guard units. Famous entertainer, George Formby came to the event with his wife, Beryl. They had met in Castleford. The star guests attracted a record attendance for a Reight Neet Aht.

9 February 1937

The second Reight Neet Aht celebrated King George VI's upcoming coronation. Castleford pottery, Clokie's repurposed old royal mugs for the event. 11 West Riding Councils competed in the matches. Castleford rugby star, Arthur Atkinson was the referee. The event took place on Shrove Tuesday. It included a feast of special Castleford cakes with a cherry baked in them. William Furniss won the competition - in his nineties!

10 March 1953

In 1953 Reight Neet Aht celebrated its return to Castleford and Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation year. The marbles tournament was a first ever international match. A team of airmen from the American Air Force base in Cheshire took on Yorkshire for the trophy. The event raised money for the victims of the North Sea flood earlier in the year.

21 February 1939

Organisers put on a feast of a thousand pancakes for guests at the 1939 Reight Neet Aht. Councillor Ezra Taylor arranged for U.S. President Roosevelt to sign the competition marbles but they weren’t used. Councillor Taylor was an important supporter of Reight Neet Aht. He gifted a special guestbook to the tournament. Many players, celebrities and reporters signed it over the years.

10 April 1957

This was the last documented Reight Neet Aht event. Lady Docker attended the event once again. She led a team of Yorkshiremen. Their challengers were a group of international students from Leeds University. The teams played matches on special boards decorated with world maps. One of the students was Wole Soyinka from Nigeria. He went onto win the 1986 Nobel Prize for Literature.

21 March 1956

Lady Docker was the guest of honour for the second year running. In 1956 she took on a team of Northern sportsmen in a zebra-stripe themed event. Stars like cricketer, Len Hutton and footballer, John Charles played marbles matches on zebra skins. Lady Docker arrived at the event in a custom Daimler with zebra skin seats. The teams played for trophies painted with special zebra stripes by Hartley's pottery. Even the marbles were zebra-striped!

22 March 1950

Sid Colclough relaunched Reight Neet Aht for the first time since the Second World War. It was a lively celebration. Local mayors and councillors took on Castleford rugby league players at marbles. Cllr Borkman of Wakefield won the tournament to take Castleford's crown! Castleford singers and choirs entertained the guests. There was lots of dancing!

1 March 1938

The 1938 gala again took place on Shrove Tuesday. This time guests tucked into a giant meat and potato pie! Organiser, Sid Colclough, persuaded many famous names to support Reight Neet Aht. Cinema and music hall star, Gracie Fields never made it to Castleford but she was a patron for the event. BBC radio broadcasted highlights from the 1938 Neet Aht.