Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments
Wakefield
Created on September 16, 2024
Discover the glamorous and surprising story behind Castleford's A Reight Neet Aht charity marbles competition!
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Transcript
1937
Coronationcelebrations
Theme: Castleford cakesGuest: Viscountess Allendale
1936
First Reight Neet Aht
Theme: Huge piesGuest: Viscountess Allendale
1938
Pies and patrons
Theme: Giant meat & potato pie Guest: Lady Allerton
1939
1000 pancakes
Theme:Shrove TuesdayGuest:Councillor Ezra Taylor
1940
Funds for Finland
Theme: Winter WarGuest: George & Beryl Formby
Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments
Images courtesy of Wakefield Libraries Photographic Collection and Wakefield Museums & Castles
Find out more on our blog
1950
A revival
Theme: Civic contestGuest: Castleford RLFC
1952
Neet Aht in Wakefield
Theme: Yorkshire mayorsGuest: U.S. Consul
1953
Yorkshire vs America
Theme: CoronationGuest: U.S. Air Force
1955
A world first
Theme:All-ladiesGuest:Lady Docker
1956
Sport stars and stripes
Theme: Zebra stripesGuest: Lady DockerNorthern sportsmen
Reight Neet Aht: Timeline of the tournaments
Images courtesy of Wakefield Libraries Photographic Collection and Wakefield Museums & Castles
Find out more on our blog
1957
Global affair
Theme: Yorkshire vs the worldGuest: Lady DockerInternational students
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.
21 April 1936
The programme and order of dances for the 1936 Reight Neet Aht event
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!
25 April 1952
The celebrity and dignitary signatures from The Mayor of Wakefield's Charity Ball Reight Neet Aht event in 1952
A crowd watching on at the 1952 Reight Neet Aht event
Click here to watch 'Mayors at Marbles' (1952) - a British Pathé film from the event (opens in new tab)
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.
3 March 1955
A poster for the 1955 Reight Neet Aht event, advertising 'The World's First All Ladies Marbles Tournament', with Lady Docker's team versus Castleford Factory Girls
Girls Neet Aht - some of the women who took part in the 'world's first' All-Ladies marbles tournment
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.
4 March 1940
The flyer for the 1940 Reight Neet Aht event, advertising that George Formby and Beryl would be attending.
George Formby playing marbles at the 1940 Reight Neet Aht event watched by his wife Beryl and a grinning crowd.
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!
9 February 1937
A poster for the 1937 Reight Neet Aht event
A ceremonial vase commemorating the reign of King George V and Queen Mary of Teck presented at the 1937 Reight Neet Aht event
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.
10 March 1953
A flyer for the 1953 Reight Neet Aht Charity Ball, 'featuring the America v. Yorkshire Marbles Contest'
Congratulations! The winner of the 1953 event being presented with the ceremonial marble trophy
Click here to watch 'Castleford - Marble contest between Great Britain and U.S.A.' (1953) - a British Pathé film from the event (opens in new tab)
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.
21 February 1939
The Programme for the 1939 Reight Neet Aht event - note the playful use of medieval-style language!
Front cover of the guestbook presented by Cllr Taylor at the 1939 Reight Neet Aht event
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.
10 April 1957
Lady Docker with competitors at the 1957 Reight Neet Aht event
The ceremonial marble trophy from the 1957 Reight Neet Aht event - on display at Castleford Museum
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!
21 March 1956
A ceremonial banner for the 1956 Reight Neet Aht event
Lady Docker earning her stripes at the zebra-stripe themed 1956 Reight Neet Aht event
Click here to watch 'A Reight Neet Aht' (1956) - a British Pathé film from the event (opens in new tab)
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!
22 March 1950
Letterhead for the Reight Neet Aht events
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.
1 March 1938
A traditional meat and potato pie, similar to the giant one shared by attendees to the 1938 event
A commemorative marble from the 1938 Reight Neet Aht event, signed by Gracie Fields