Hungerford Virtual Museum

Website produced and maintained for the Hungerford Historical Association
by Hugh Pihlens

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You are in [People] [Norman Hidden]

Norman Hidden, who died in 2006, has contributed an enormous amount to our knowledge of the early history of Hungerford, as can be seen from the extensive amount of his material that is now available on the Virtual Museum.

Norman Hidden was born in Portsmouth and educated at Porthcawl, Hereford Cathedral School, and Brasenose College, Oxford, from which University he obtained an M.A. degree and a Diploma in Education.

Teacher and Lecturer: He has taught in this country in Macclesfield, Goole (Yorkshire) and Hornchurch, where he was head of the English department. He spent three years as a lecturer in English at Adrian College, Michigan, USA. From 1964-1975 he was Senior Lecturer in English at the College of All Saints, London.

Poetry Activities: In later years he has devoted himself to helping poets and poetry, founding "New Poetry" magazine, originating "Poets' Picnic", and launching a series of publications by Workshop Press. In 1968 he was elected Chairman of the General Council of the Poetry Society of Great Britain (National Poetry Centre), was re-elected in 1969 and 1970 and became a Vice-President. For many years he was a member of the Executive Committee of the English Association, of the Council of the National Book League and of the Advisory Council of the English Speaking Board. Adjudicator, Martin Luther King Memorial Literary Award. (1972-9 ).
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Publications: His short stories appeared in Pick of the Year's Short Stories as well as in various magazines. Articles on literature have been published in many national and international journals. He was joint editor (1968) of the National Anthology of Student Poetry, and edited two poetry anthologies used in schools: Say It Aloud (Hutchinson, 1972) and Over To You (English Speaking Board, 1975), as well as preparing A Study-tape Guide to 'Under Milk Wood' (Study-tapes Ltd., 1974). He has also published Dr, Kink and His Old Style Boarding School Autobiography (Workshop Press, 1973). His poems appeared in a variety of magazines, and some were broadcast on the BBC Third programme, and were included in the Exposition Spatialiste Internationale (Paris, 1967).

Readings: He has read his own poems at the Little Theatre (London), Phoenix Theatre (Leicester), Hornsey Town Hall, Birmingham and Midland Arts Institute, International Students House, etc. He has also read twice in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey.




			Norman Hidden, 1913-2006



	Col Donald Macey, Constable, and Norman Hidden, Hocktide, 1989

Lectures and Talks: His lectures on contemporary poetry included those to Oxford University Institute of Education, London University Institute of Education, the English Association, staff and students of Goldsmiths College, London; York Poetry Society, Suffolk Poetry Centre, Nottingham Centre, Leicester Poetry Society, Wolverhampton College of Art, etc. and many schools of all kinds. He spoke to the Hungerford Historical Association on many occasions.

Broadcasting: He broadcast on Radio 3, Radio 4 ('Kaleidoscope')/BBC Overseas Service, London Broadcasting, etc, and also appeared in BBC TV.

History of Hungerford: His interest in the history of Hungerford came about in 1979 whilst researching his family history, which brought him to the manor of Hidden, just north of Hungerford. The Hidden family had many contacts in Hungerford itself, and Norman spent very many years researching the early history of Hungerford in the primary sources of the Public records Offices (now National Archives), Berkshire and Wiltshire Records Offices, and a host of other sources.

Norman spoke to the Hungerford Historical Association on several occasions, and was Guest of Honour, with his wife Joyce, at Hocktide 1989. Read his speech.

The town owes him a huge debt of gratitude for all his work, and that of his wife Joyce, who has so generously allowed the Hungerford Historical Association and the Virtual Museum permission to share his works.

In 2009 the HHA published Norman Hidden's "Aspects of the Early History of Hungerford", a compilation of 28 chapters of local historical topics.

See also:
- Virtual Museum Archives - for many of Norman Hidden's papers

Updated: 21.8.2011