What a Summer.... the building contractors had the perfect weather which resulted in the new pitch being ready ahead of schedule. When the big day came on Saturday 8 September which would mark the official opening and this years HockeyFest, the weather had other ideas though. After praying for a month for rain to help the pitch bed in... and the grass seed surrounding the pitch to grow, it decided to provide the entire months rainfall in one deluge!

Weeks of planning resulted in a paired back Plan B. Club members still arrived early to help set up, some a little hung over from the previous evening's 60th Anniversary celebrations! And they were absolute troupers... pulling together in a great example of team work in heavy pouring rain.... putting up gazebos in record time, donning the HockeyFest banners either side of goal (still ensuring they were lined up with precision anyone with OCD would have been proud of) and setting up mini games and cones for drills. Not to be outdone, Coach Brendan was still determined his BBQ would go ahead, the true professional setting up under cover and getting those coals going!

We'd had the news in July from England Hockey that we had been selected as the North West's 'Spotlight HockeyFest' so they and HockeyFest sponsor, Notts Sports, had been helping us to promote the event for some time and had really helped us to ramp that up in the final week. They very kindly sent us some free goodies as well to help make our HockeyFest - including banners, photo frames and a goalmouth target to replace our current and rather tired equivalent. With last night's special guest, Hannah MacLeod, staying over to help us doubly celebrate the 60th and officially open the new pitch, despite the rain, it was still a weekend to remember.

The Academy moved their morning planned activity in to the Sports Hall. We 'delivered' Hannah to their excited students for their final hour where she got stuck in with a bit of coaching and play with them. As more Club members and former players came down, we gradually moved towards the Sports Hall as excitement grew for the official opening.

Academy Principal, Alasdair Ashcroft welcomed everyone and said "These are very exciting times at GCA! Academically, 2018 saw the school's best ever exam results. And now in sport, we are, after a lot of blood, sweat and tears, finally opening our amazing new, full sized, floodlit, all weather pitch."

Charles also gave a speech and presented a new trophy to the school for them to award to their hockey student of the year each year.

Hannah also gave some inspirational words and cut the cake... after a bit of fighting with it.

Thank you flowers were presented to various Academy staff who had made a terrific contribution.

The rain had subsided a little so everybody then moved outside onto the pitch where some small sided games took place and official photographs. Despite the rain, there was a fair number of prospective Club members who came down to give the sport a go as well as Academy players staying on.

Hannah then judged the Clubs Star Baker Award with now part time Red and 2nd Year Bath University student, Zoe Mather postponing her return south for the new academic year, so she could not only attend this fantastic weekend but win the Award for the 2nd consecutive year!

A quick 30 minute masterclass on the pitch then ensued with players encouraging Hannah to 'do this' and 'do that'.... 'top right hand corner Hannah'.... only to sky the ball over the fence..... not just once but three times! Cries of 'right, go and get it' where met with laughter. She later tweeted with a hand hits head emoji..."When you’re invited to a hockey club and lose 3 balls over the fence trying to hit the top right corner of the goal #sorry #hockeyfest @GarstangHockey @EnglandHockey"

Despite the damp squib or rather the absolute deluge, we made the most of a day, that might otherwise have had to be cancelled. And as we left to take Hannah back to the train station, Brendan's BBQ was still going strong with a good steady trade!

For the day in pictures, visit our photo album Here