Hilda Mary Light (1890–1969), sports administrator and hockey pioneer

Hilda Mary Light (1890–1969), sports administrator and hockey pioneer, was born at Woodridings, Pinner, Middlesex, on 6 September 1890, the elder daughter in the family of two daughters and one son of George Miller Light (1856–1920), solicitor, and his wife, Catherine Elizabeth, née Jackson (1857–1944). Her mother, a gold medallist at the Royal College of Music, was gifted musically and progressive in her outlook, allowing the girls to ride to school on bicycles. Hilda Light attended Oakfield dame school in Pinner but neither the academic work nor the games were to her taste. She found the gymnastics and games at the South Hampstead High School for Girls, where she was a pupil, more suited to her active personality. From an early age she was a keen all-round sportswoman, taking part in tennis tournaments, hockey and sailing regattas.