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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