Doug Hayward
1926-2011
Douglas Hayward LVO, MA, first became interested in puppetry in 1940, when as a wartime evacuee to Malvern, he became a frequent visitor to the Lanchester Marionette Theatre, and was encouraged by Waldo and Muriel in the making of his first marionette. After an early career in teaching and youth work in Cornwall and Oxfordshire, Douglas was appointed to the role of Midlands Regional Officer for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, which resulted in him re-locating to the Staffordshire Village of Abbots Bromley. Here, in 1974, Douglas converted a small commercial property on the High Street into a 50-seat Marionette Theatre which opened on 3rd May 1975.
The Opening Ceremony was performed by Waldo Lanchester. The Theatre ran for 10 years with regular marionette shows performed one evening per week by Douglas and his wife, Hazel, helped by their family – Pippa, Nicky and Bruce. Many regional and national Guild events were hosted at the theatre during this time, including visits from overseas puppeteers, film shows, slide evenings, exhibitions, book sales, talks, workshops and weekend schools. Severe hearing loss eventually forced Douglas to call an end to weekly marionette performances.
The Theatre, however, was converted into a Puppet Museum housing the vast collection of puppets Douglas had collected over the years and so began a further lengthy chapter in the building’s history. Douglas and Hazel continued to welcome about 2000 visitors per year to their Aladdin’s cave of puppetry memorabilia for a further 10 years. The Museum thus remained a popular destination on the Staffordshire Tourist Map, while still serving as a regional hub for Midlands Puppeteers and hosting ever-expanding Guild events.
In 1993, the Puppet Collection moved to the County Museum, then based at Shugborough, Staffordshire, where 200 or so items from the collection were on permanent display in a re-creation of the Abbots Bromley Museum, complete with original external signage, until 2016. Thereafter followed several long-term loans and touring exhibitions. The Puppet Collection remains an important and valued part of the Staffordshire Archives and Heritage Collection. Douglas was a tireless Ambassador for the Guild, serving as Archivist for many years, finally becoming a Vice President. He was presented with numerous awards including the President’s Plate, the Haslam Cup and the Guild’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.