LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Readers are reminded that the views expressed in the letters pages of the Gazette are those of the authors only, and not those of their clubs, unless specifically indicated.
CROQUET AND CHEMISTRY Dear Editor
Perhaps someone will tell me when Croquet England will be collecting the Nobel Prize for Chemistry?.... I should explain.... I tune in each week to University Challenge in the hope that, one day, I will know the answer to one of the questions. Imagine my surprise to hear that a Chemist called August Wilhelm von Hofmann used coloured croquet balls to demonstrate an Atomic Molecular Model. You know, the models that look a bit like a miniature version of the Atomium in Brussels. I know of at least two croquet playing Chemists, so there must be more? Do our playing colleague Chemists also use croquet balls for this purpose? Perhaps one of these Chemists might like to pop over to Sweden to pick up the award? If there is a further chemical development then the Tertiary balls could be used? I have two “sub” reasons for tuning in each week. Firstly I listen for the most obscure subject being studied. Secondly, no matter how often the announcer says "asking the questions, Amol Rajan" I only ever hear "asking the questions,
WHAT’S IN A NAME? Dear Editor, Your recent article "What's in a Bamber Gascoigne ". Do I need therapy? Klim Seabright, Cheltenham Croquet Club name?" refers to France and/or Italy plus Ireland but let me put in a bid for principally spoken in Belgium. Bis, in French, means again (after all, the French say bis when we say encore at a concert). In Dutch/Flemish, the suffix -ke is a diminutive or affectionate reference. A bisque is thus a little turn Belgium as a source of croquet terminology. "Bisque" is a clear reference to the two languages
ROGER'S TYPO UPFAVE Genuine croquet-related typos to make you smile
This month's genuine snippet from history (not made up): ... rather than trawling through the minuets of umpteen committee minutes ... Comment: I didn't realise committee meetings could be enlivened with dance and music; it's a jolly good idea.
Roger G, Phyllis Court
07929 940893 mlstuchfield@gmail.com Marie Stuchfield
again. Voilà! John Swabey
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www.croquetengland.org.uk | 9
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