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Chris was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire on June 8th 1945 then moved to Mansfield to be educated at Carter Lane and Sutton Road Technical Schools (now Sherwood Hall). During his life he worked for the NCB, Vallances, Viyella Bayliss’s newsagents and TNT. For a period he established his own printing company that primarily produced and delivered a magazine covering musical entertainment in Clubs across the Midlands.
Chris was a regular ‘floor singer’ at the Crown Folk club and a talented guitarist. As a challenge he formed a new Folk Club at the Carpenters Arms, Boughton where its success was measured by overcrowded evenings forcing a move to the Brown Cow, Mansfield, a thriving club today. Chris reinvented himself musically several times, cutting his first LP in 1972 in the duo Fo’c’sle, the group Tantalus followed and ultimately Beez Neez who played a range of music suited to both Folk and the Miner’s Welfares and Social clubs. They also appeared regularly on Radio Nottingham, Leicester Hallam and Derby and featured on ‘Calendar’ and the Dennis McCarthy show also making two ‘twinning town’ tours to Germany in 1978-79. Several LP’s remain a testament to his musical career. Hockey became an increasingly important part of his life, joining North Notts in 1973. Becoming one of the active volunteers he was soon encouraging the new input from the QE Grammar School, offering lifts in his ‘sportily driven’ car, arranging mixed hockey matches and indeed occasionally scoring a few goals from his favoured right wing position. By his own admission Chris was never a great player but he was a great stalwart of the Club. As North Notts expanded to three and four teams Chris became an enthusiastic Captain always preferring to support the lower teams and hence commenced his career in coaching. A ready supply of young players were joining the club from Manor School and Chris played a large part in organising the first midweek ‘youth coaching’ sessions, filling his car with young players on Sunday mornings to travel to inter club matches and recruiting parents and club players to support him. The club is full of players who will have started their hockey with Chris and been influenced by his enthusiasm. Jason Barton, Chris Buck and Jason Faulkner of the current first XI squad, Andy Barnes, Mike Packer, Ian Fay, Clive Hilton, Ray Wakefield, the Aked brothers & Gary Bradbury to name a few, were all influenced by Chris and Hockey is the better for it. The arrival of Astro-turf in Mansfield coincided with the GB Olympic Gold medal, now North Notts were coaching 40 to 50 youngsters, developing links with a local ladies club and of course Chris was the organiser. He qualified as a coach and an umpire and spent the last10 years coaching around 250 Nottinghamshire county Schoolgirls also Mansfield Ladies HC, North Notts Ladies HC, Bilborough College and Newark Ladies HC. Visiting Primary schools to support the County Council led hockey development initiatives. Right up to his last 3 weeks Chris pushed himself to attend his coaching sessions. Chris leaves his loving wife Christine, daughters Katie and Joanna and sons- in- law Martin & Phil (and his ‘stress relieving’ cats, Bob & Barney). Around 200 attended a moving funeral service where his life was celebrated by his music, his life story and a poem about his hockey his life and love.
Andy Barnes
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Not
a keen academic the founding of a Sailing club at the School, based near Kings
Mill reservoir saw Chris’s entry into Amateur sport and indeed re-kindled his
interest in schoolwork. He became British junior champion in his class, and
sailed competitively during the 1960’s and 70’s in his boat ‘Tantalus’. 
