CROQUET GAZETTE Issue 1 | May 2025 Online
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National CROQUET WEEK
19-25 May 2025
ST A Y AC TIVE ST A Y SO C I A L ST A Y SH A RP
Looking for a new activity to stay active, meet people, and enjoy the outdoors? Croquet is a low-impact sport that blends strategy, skill, and social fun, perfect for all ages and fitness levels.
WHY TRY CROQUET?
Boosts physical & mental wellbeing
Great way to meet new people Relaxing outdoor activity Easy to learn & fun to play
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DISCOVER WHY CROQUET IS A GROWING SPORT, LOVED WORLDWIDE AND HOW IT CAN BRING FUN, FITNESS, AND FRIENDSHIP INTO YOUR LIFE. JOIN US AND GIVE IT A GO!
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WELCOME It is with great pleasure that I am able to welcome you to the first ever issue of the Croquet Gazette Online. Croquet England will be publishing this magazine bi‐monthly as an online only publication, with no intention of printing. There are so many reasons why I am excited to bring this new magazine to life, but the over‐arching reason is to bring more croquet to more people. The magazine will be available to the public, this means that it’s not just for associates of Croquet England, all players and non‐players will be able to read about our fabulous sport. The results from the recent Croquet Gazette survey have been analysed and have guided the way forward. The traditional printed Croquet Gazette will continue to serve as a historical record of Championship and International events, official announcements and general interest articles for the croquet community. It will present a wide range of articles which interest our current subscribers. In your online Gazette you may find some duplicated content. This will be an editor’s choice rather than an error, as I would like some of our articles to be shared far and wide, they are too good to keep to ourselves. As always, I welcome your comments, letters, ideas and submissions, please send your thoughts to me at editor@croquetengland.org.uk and help me spread the wonderful word of Croquet. Alison Alison Maugham Editor editor@croquetengland.org.uk THE CROQUET HUB Just over a year ago a Facebook group called The Croquet Hub was launched. With now over 1,000 members the conversations flow daily, and it’s all about Croquet. It’s a place for players to share experiences and knowledge, ask questions in a friendly and inclusive environment and sometimes even disagree. There have been many discussions over the past year, from rules to fun days, live‐ streaming and equipment, encouraging a supportive Croquet community. If you are not a Facebook user you can still read the discussions as this is a public group and open to all. Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/croquethub to join the conversation.
Croquet Gazette Online Issue 001 | May 2025
CONTENTS 4 5 6 7 8 Front cover: The Roade Runners Winners of the Sidmouth Team Challenge [Page 23]
Hibiscus Chairman's Column Tunnel of Time Pendle & Craven Croquet Club News Letters to the Editor Next Generation Association Croquet Reporting Golf Croquet Reporting Extolling the virtues in Angmering An interview with Stuart M Smith The Unofficial History of Croquet AC Strokes for GC Players Play Up
10 13 18 24 25 27 28 29
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HIBISCUS COLUMN
hard to credit when the struck ball doesn’t obviously move. That rarely stops the striker claiming it, often justly. Same with thin take offs. At Cheltenham, a man in his 80s with bad eyesight regularly checks for infringements through binoculars, calling it with improbable certainty from 20 yards away. The finer the players, the less frequent such accusations. Hassling your opponent by deliberately inducing self doubt is not a pretty way to win. No way does that make it unpopular or unacceptable with mid‐rangers desperate to hang onto their handicaps. P. S. Since my last dispatch, my car’s wiring has been replaced at a cost of over £10,000. After an absence of six weeks, it is back where it started, rodent free but vulnerable to a new infestation. If you live within walking distance of your club, this may not concern you. If you don’t, I’m using peppermint oil as a deterrent ‐ I hope. High pitch emitters were a possibility until research revealed that they only work until the beasties realise they’re harmless. Then it’s the gourmet wiring feast. Out of respect for my editor’s sensibilities, I won’t reveal what else was recommended. You too may not want to know.
either irritated by the interruption or with an ego boosted by a judgement call. Meticulously, markers are placed to position your potentially errant ball by the edge of the hoop. By now you are nervous, unsure whether the risk is a crush or a double hit, but aware that the odds are on the decision going against you. As it almost always will. Better to back off from the ref gambit with a coward’s escape rather than fall prey to a jaws fault that leaves you dangerously exposed? Maybe but no way to win a game. Oppo exultant…. The book, when learned by heart, reveals that you as the striker should seize the initiative by calling the referee yourself. Can it be that hogging the moral high ground gives you a better shot of a favourable outcome? I’ll try that next time. Is the ball through or not? Similar process. Amazingly the referee may stretch out on the grass on both sides of the hoop in turn to peer for a sliver of ball invisible to the naked eye. If it’s the oppo ball, you can only hope his subsequent roquet is fatally hampered; if it’s your ball, wait for perdition as the sliver goes against you. Clip or miss? We all know that a shiver of a touch is a roquet, but many find it
MINTY CLINCH Travelling Croquet Journalist Telling the Croquet stories as they unfold
The tyranny of the little yellow book, the Laws ‐ wash out your mouth if you ever say rules ‐ of Association Croquet, is something Chairman Mao would have surely enjoyed. There it sits, so compact, so densely filled with arcane dictats, so easily deployed by an experienced croquet operator to his/her/their advantage. Like their equivalents in golf and bridge, the laws were born of verbose 19th century values. The ‘modern’ version, published in 1961 and now in its 7th edition (2021), has a lot more to say about the minutiae of faults than most inexperienced players can take on board. A MOC? Come on, you must know. If you don’t, ‘maintenance of contact’ is an infinitesimally different way of saying push shot. And so….? ‘I’ll have that watched’. The ominous words ring out several times per game; your opponent’s mallet is raised, not in anger but in triumph; a referee stops the clock on their own court and strides purposefully over,
TUNNEL OF TIME YORKSHIRE WHEELCHAIR PROJECT by Mike Littlewood, Yorkshire
3. Can a ball be reached from the wheelchair user’s sitting position to place the ball for the croquet stroke.
Our wheelchair project has begun with the kind loan of a chair through Chris Rounce. INITIALLY WE IDENTIFIED 6 QUESTIONS 1. Positioning of the wheelchair in relation to the ball to be hit. 2. The ability of the wheelchair user to strike a ball from the chair’s position to a roquet.
4. Can a half roll be played. 5. Can a full roll be played. 6. Can a rush be played.
In the first test run with Mike in the chair, so to speak, all six questions had a positive outcome. Which would suggest that both golf and association croquet are playable from a standard wheelchair.
Continued on page 5
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CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN by Samir Patel Chair of the Board of Trustees
Croquet England’s published strategy [https://www.croquetengland.org.uk/ governance‐matters/] sets out themes of play, coaching and tournament officials, safety, inclusion, wellbeing, funding growth and sustainability. On 15 March, the Trustees met for a full day meeting to discuss these themes in more detail and start to consider themes, plans, priorities, and targets. There are some actions that Croquet England can quickly take forward, but there are a few overarching themes that we will consider further: 1. Coordination : Many major improvements can be achieved more effectively if we collaborate across many areas of Croquet England, our Federations and Clubs. For example, if we recruit players and develop clubs in one area, but focus our efforts on coaching and tournaments elsewhere, we don’t create the pathways for those new players to develop their play. We need to find ways to coordinate our efforts. 2. Fundraising : Whilst Croquet England has a healthy turnover, much of this is transactional (e.g. shop sales or tournament entries). The
CEO ROLE Beatrice McGlen has stepped down from her role as CEO. I, and my fellow Trustees, would like to record our thanks for Beatrice’s dedication and tireless work for Croquet England since our formation, and before that as Chair of the Executive Board of the Croquet Association since 2020. In that time, Beatrice has driven a wide range of improvements to our governance and operations, driven a much stronger focus on Safeguarding and Inclusion, and navigated the Covid pandemic. The Trustees have decided to review how this crucial role is delivered, and have therefore initiated a review to consider whether this should be as a full‐ or part‐time role, and examine if the range of tasks carried out and the organisational responsibilities are currently arranged in the most effective manner. This is with a view to advertising for a paid CEO role in the near future. Meanwhile, the responsibilities will be covered by a range of existing volunteers.
investable budget is much smaller. We identified a number of areas that would be significantly limited unless we can address this. There are roles that it is unrealistic to expect to be volunteer activities in the long term. We may be able to generate some additional funding through current activities, but we will need a greater focus on fundraising in the future. 3. Vision : We will achieve more if we can describe a common vision of where we want our sport to develop, and what we need to change to achieve that. Doing the same things, in the same way, and supported by the same committees, we will only see incremental improvements. If we are to be a much faster growing sport, with a broader – and younger – demographic than we saw from our last quinquennial survey, we will need to consider some significant changes to the way things have been. We always welcome ideas from subscribers on any issues, and particularly on any of the above.
YORKSHIRE WHEELCHAIR PROJECT CONTINUED
HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME ISSUES THAT WERE IMMEDIATELY IDENTIFIED. 1) As you can see from the images, the wheelchair used, although a standard type, has narrow hard main wheels. Inspection of the practice area by both Mike and the groundsman identified numerous very shallow wheel tracks. Considering we have had a remarkably dry and warm April 2025, this minor level of damage is too much. 2) Mike is tall, even allowing for age
and a bit of shrinkage, at least 5’ 10”. His arm length therefore is such that he is easily able to reach the ground from the sitting position. So, we are now looking for different wheelchairs with a pneumatic tyre system, preferably a wide tyre, and also looking at the arm length of our next guinea pig. A promising start though, and Chris has suggested that different types of wheelchair could be available from his source.
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TUNNEL OF TIME
60 YEARS AGO In the April 1965 Gazette (#79) THE 1965 SEASON
visitors to make their own evening snacks; by trying to find accommodation within walking distance of the Club; by recommending hotels near to each other so that transport could be combined, or hotels on a bus route; by having a list of members who might be willing to take visitors for bed and breakfast only (and of course visitors of their own choice) on a paying basis, and a list of those who might be willing to give lifts — also on a paying basis. Some Clubs have started thinking on these lines, and their ideas will be of great interest to all croquet players. Croquet has weathered greater trials than this, but never without changes: some standards of comfort may have to be lowered, but they can be tolerated. What really is vital is that Clubs shall not founder, nor tournaments, which keep up the standard of the game, fade away. Chairman’s Report The Annual General Meeting, on 31st May, will see the end of a unique career of service and dedication to the Game of Croquet, in the retirement of our President, Maurice Reckitt. He first came onto the Council in 1929, served as its Chairman from 1937 to 1939, became Vice‐President in 1962, and President in 1967. He has probably put more into the Game than any other person, living or dead, in the long history of the game. The Council has taken the unprecedented action of inviting him to sit on the Council after his retiring from the Presidency, so valued are his utterances and respected his counsel. Extract from Proceedings at Council Meetings March 8th 1975 It was agreed that double banking would be permitted both the Inter‐ Club Championship and Longman Club Team Cup competition, provided both Clubs concerned so agree.
CHRIS WILLIAMS Croquet England Archivist
AKA 'Statto' Keeper of Croquet Statistics, visit croquetrecords.com
Difficulties of obtaining managers for tournaments, and this has been made even more difficult by the rudeness of some of our top players. Two managers have asked the Tournament Committee to consider suspending a player from official events if he or she is reported for such behaviour. The Committee unanimously agreed that such behaviour must be stopped. It would appear at the moment that the brunt of management falls on the shoulders of all too few: this is very hard work and means giving up a lot of time and play, and then unfortunately it is not appreciated by some of the players. The Council would like to see more of the first class players who are free to do so giving a helping hand and taking their share of work in the way of management. 65 YEARS AGO In the April 1960 Gazette (#43) REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED BY THE COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THE MEMORIAL TO MRS APPS The Committee have, on behalf of the Council, accepted with appreciation a Silver Bowl, which Capt. Reid‐Walker has kindly offered to give in memory of Mrs. Apps (to be known as the Apps Bowl), and propose that this Bowl be awarded each year to the most improved player (taking into account both Club and Tournament play), who is a member of a registered Club and is also an associate, to be held for one year. Past Gazettes can be found on the Croquet England website at https:// www.croquet.org.uk/?p=ca/ gazette&Action=Issues. Currently there are searchable scans of the Gazette back to 1953.
In this section, we once again take a look through the 'Tunnel of Time' to see what was taking place in the Croquet World in the past, as seen in the Croquet Gazette. 50 YEARS AGO In the April 1975 Gazette (#135) Rover Notes The Car and Croquet When Croquet Clubs started in the 1860s, and then revived in the 1890s, people used to travel to the grounds by train or by horse, or even, as at Shrewsbury, by ferry. Wimbledon was beside the railway line, with private access and a half‐hourly service to Waterloo. Other Clubs, such as Southwick and Parkstone, are in the lee of railway embankments. In 1894 the London and South Western ran through Ottery St Mary, and the people of Budleigh Salterton formed a private company to bring the line 6 miles, 4 furlongs, 7.20 chains to within, among other things, 100 yards of the Croquet Club. The station was built in a field belonging to the Ross family, the forbears of Colonel Cave. Today, we again need to show initiative and forethought. The cost of transport has become a major item in the budget of club members and tournament visitors alike. Many of them have retired and have no ‘threshold agreements’ to cushion them against inflation. There may well be points at which Clubs could help by investigating more bed and breakfast accommodation; by giving the use of the Club premises for
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PENDLE & CRAVEN CROQUET CLUB Now that the croquet season 2025 is in full swing, report from clubs are flooding in from all levels of tournament. A very busy month has been reported from the Pendle & Craven Croquet Club, who have started their season well by winning their first Murphy Shield match, and encouraging competitive play with some new tournaments. Read this latest report from the club, by Libby Dixon. MURPHY SHIELD The Murphy Shield is an Inter Club knockout competition for Golf Croquet; each team of four players must have an aggregate GC handicap of at least 8. Today the Pendle & Craven Team were victorious over Ashby
Croquet Club. The team of Mike Bradbury, Libby Dixon, Andrew Gould and Paul Dowdall travelled down on Wednesday afternoon staying overnight so as to be fresh for a full day’s play. The weather was unseasonably hot (the warmest 1st May on record). Our hosts provided an excellent lunch along with cool drinks. The result was a 5‐1 win for Pendle & Craven.
The ultimate winner with 5wins out of 6 games was Leigh Dixon who triggered to an 11. The manager was thanked for running the Tournament by all the players. The manager thanked all the ground staff and volunteers for all their hard work in watering the lawns so there was grass to play on and setting up the lawns. C”ADVANTAGE GC TOURNAMENT 3RD MAY As an experiment Pendle and Craven Croquet Club introduced a “C” Advantage GC competition into their Tournament programme. Pendle and Craven CC welcomed
Simon A from Bury Croquet Club and Brenda K from Crake Valley Croquet Club, along with four club members. The day was very cool and despite periods of sunshine the temperature only reached 10deg. Players gathered by 8.45am and after a managers briefing, time was allowed for a warm up on the lawns.
“D” LEVEL GC SERIES “D” Level series was held on 3rd May 2025. This is a new exciting addition to the CE fixtures calendar to @encourage new players to develop their skills. There were 7 entries with only one other club represented, Fylde. After the managers briefing at 9.00 am and a warm up, play commenced at 9.15. All the competitors were finding the cold conditions difficult after the previous few hot days. Many had not enough layers but managed to warm up with hot drinks. It was an all play all format with one competitor sitting out each round. The games flowed freely with no game taking longer than 1 hour. Everyone commented on how surprised they were to enjoy the experience and it was fun. For the majority it was the first Tournament they had ever played. Many games were fiercely fought with six 7/6 games. In the afternoon the sun came out briefly which had everyone hoping for higher temperatures. Afternoon tea was enjoyed watching the last match to finish.
In an all‐play‐all , no time limits , and using the Advantage 2024/25 framework, play got underway. Despite the initial fear of long games the players played expeditiously. No game went past 45 mins. At lunch everyone gathered in the clubhouse to warm up. Chatter centered on croquet and forthcoming competitions for C class players. The afternoon went without any problems and the clear winner was Sharon D with 4 wins out of 5 games. Sharon was presented with her trophy by Libby D (Tournament Manager). Competitors all reported they enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and the competition.
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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.
THE ULTIMATE HANDICAP ASSESSMENT SYSTEM?
The Fairness in Amateur Recreational Croquet Enterprise (FARCE) has been following with interest the ongoing debate within the croquet community of how to improve handicapping assessment within the sport. Using their internationally renowned expertise, they have developed the Integrated Croquet Assessment Leveller system. Known as FARCICAL it comprises the following set of fully integrated components that will guarantee fairness in handicap play to the satisfaction of the whole croquet community. 1. A full body scanner. This enables a full physiological profile of a player to be obtained thus ensuring an accurate assessment of the level at which they are able to play the game. Note: the associated blood analyser can only be used if a suitably qualified nurse is available to take samples for analysis. 2. A sophisticated shot monitoring system equipped with 12 high definition cameras capable of 1000 frames a second to determine the skill and accuracy to which a player is making their shots. Coupled with heart rate & perspiration monitors plus other unique patented biometric sensors the system can also alert if the 3. An AI assisted psychological, tactics and laws assessment testing package. The players tactical ability and knowledge of the game is an obvious factor in the handicap assessment. The psychological tests enable fine tuning of the handicap calculation to take into account the players emotional state and hence how their standard of play may change as events unfold during the game. 4. A drone equipped with a comprehensive array of environment and ground scanning sensors to factor weather and court conditions into the handicap calculation. For example, a player with limited strength will struggle if the court is very slow and player under test is trying to manipulate the evaluation.
will require a handicap increase. Conversely, a very fast court may disadvantage a heavy‐handed player who struggles with accuracy in very delicate shots. 5. Full dynamic real‐time court scanning so that each shot played can be verified against probability predictions from the initial assessment. Additional software (at extra cost) can be added to provide automated live‐streaming including commentary, playback and game analysis. 6. A powerful computer system to analyse all the data providing an accurate determination of a player’s handicap to ensure a 50% winning probability. Together with real‐time monitoring during a game, handicaps can be continually re‐assessed. In the case of Advantage GC, it can be used to adjust the number of hoops during the game that need to be made if a player is deemed to not be playing to their previously calculated handicap. 7. A particularly important feature is the ability to adjust handicaps on a game‐by‐game basis to accommodate the comparative strengths & weaknesses of the two players. Also, the changes to court conditions and player concentration/stamina levels as the day progresses. As one of FARCE’s dedicated researchers discovered, a player who has taken advantage of a host clubs excellent lunchtime dining and drinking facilities will have a significant disadvantage in the afternoon playing someone who has brought their own banana and bottled water. In addition to the food/alcohol consumption factors that could affect play FARCE is currently negotiating with the relevant bodies to further enhance the system by factoring in information from a player’s Medical, Police, Employment and other personal data records. FARCE is pleased to offer the FARCICAL system to clubs for a discounted price of £450,000 subject to agreeing a 5‐
year annual maintenance and support fee of £10,000/year. To monitor multiple courts simultaneously, additional court monitoring sub‐systems can be purchased for £25,000 each. The central system can support up to 4 monitored courts. Response from an independent FARCICAL evaluation: We believe that the FARCICAL system will be of great benefit to the sport in ensuring fair play in handicap competitions. We are slightly concerned about the time taken to scan and assess players before play starts but specifying a 05:00 arrival time should address this issue and ensure that play can commence around the normal start time of 09:30. We would also recommend that a club procures a system for every 2 courts for efficient reassessment before the commencement of afternoon play. We have pointed out to FARCE that their claim of exactly 50:50 chance of winning cannot be fully justifiable until a comprehensive biometric package (including player voice recording) is developed for players to wear during the game to supplement the visual analysis from the courtside video system. We also noted that the on‐court monitoring system was vastly superior to the VAR system used in football. It was able to make instant decisions on any suspect shot thus making referees obsolete. It is recognised that some shortsighted clubs who do not take handicap play seriously will refuse to procure the FARCICAL system. To accommodate this, and to achieve an equivalent 50:50 chance of winning, the tournament regulations will be amended to provide the option for both players to agree just to toss a coin to decide who has won and then adjourn to the bar to await the next round to be scheduled. FARCE representative
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LETTERS CONTINUED
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.
WHY HISTORY MATTERS It is often said that our history is nothing more than a record of times past: important to get it right when celebrating anniversaries and compiling record books, but otherwise of no real practical relevance to us today. The dusty facts are not always dull, of course. Knowing that the club at Hurlingham was initially called the New Red House Club, for example, suggesting a connection with a not entirely salubrious hostelry which once stood on the other side of the Thames near what had by then become the eastern edge of Battersea Park; or that the players at the Ryde tournament of 1911 were able to watch the departure of the RMS Olympic (sister ship of the Titanic) from Southampton on her maiden voyage; or that the Delves Broughton Cups were donated by Sir Jock Delves Broughton, gambler, suspected insurance fraudster and chief suspect in the murder of the Earl of Erroll in Kenya in 1941: each of these echoes from the past surely adds something of interest. But our history has more to offer. Why is the bisque so called? Where did automatic handicapping come from? Why do we call an all‐play‐all an American? Why can we peel any ball through its hoop in order at any time, but only peg it out if we too are a rover? Those are questions which history can answer, and are still very much with us today. And that in turn is a key reason for taking an interest in history: we owe much, good and bad, to what has preceded us. Understanding that legacy helps us not only to appreciate why things are as they are, but also to make good decisions for the future. It is perhaps naive to talk of the lessons of history, because circumstances – and objectives – change. Apparent similarities between past and present are not always what they seem. But many issues have arisen before (often on several occasions) and it can be instructive to see how others have tackled them. Slow play, making the game more challenging for the top players, handicapping players properly, players’ lack of engagement with the administration of the sport: none of these problems is new. If we start with a blank sheet of paper each time we address them, we are wasting the valuable resource of our predecessors’ attempts to find workable solutions. Ian Bond, 4 May 2025 CROQUET CHAINS One of Sheffield U3A’s Croquet Club members (90) is visually impaired and has had trouble with the convention of coin tossing to determine partnerships and playing order. She now uses a device comprising 4 small equally long chains hanging from a key ring, each chain colour coded near the key ring with electrical insulating tape (see photo). At the start of play the chains hang down from a closed fist which conceals the coloured tapes. Each player chooses a chain, and the colours are then revealed, identifying partnerships and playing order. It works first time every time, with no ambiguity or lost coinage. It is simple, cheap and portable, and is also suitable for players with 20‐20 vision. Regards, Ken Bond
EARLY OFF COURT MEMORY
Well, actually, not exactly off. To prevent you reading while misled, perhaps I should explain. With my friendly opponent seated near the south boundary, I attempted a long take off to a ball near the second corner, instantly realizing I’d played the shot far too hard. The question wasn’t, “Will it trickle over the boundary?” but rather, “Will it be stopped by the hedge?” In fact I was so concerned that, whilst hurrying in pursuit, I found myself mentally rehearsing “Please may I have my ball back?” to the non‐ croquet playing neighbours next door. But then, amazingly, the ball stopped dead in its tracks and just sat there without even bothering to look round. It had been waylaid by something approaching a chasm and was now relaxing up to its middle in the warm earth. “Er, can I move it out of this hole?” I called somewhat hesitantly to my distant adversary, conscious of rather more than a twinge of guilt. With permission granted, I duly repositioned both my ball and its next intended target to adjacent points of less disadvantage. The outcome of the following stroke is long forgotten. Guilty or not in the eyes of the prevailing law, hopefully it was as bad as true justice demanded. Laurence V Latham
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NEXT GENERATION by Sara Anderson Woking Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Well……… following on from our two “taster” sessions last year we now have a Junior Croquet Section at Woking Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club . So far this season we have 10 new junior members…...last year only saw 1 additional junior, so that’s 1000% increase… whoop whoop! I have a fabulous team and the entire club is behind the venture. We started off using one lawn each week, but this very quickly grew to two lawns, and not one complaint about both our lawns being utilised …..even the tennis and croquet club members watching whilst enjoying a drink on the patio.
All our coaches have really enjoyed being part of this new venture and have found it extremely satisfying to coach such eager and receptive junior players. As this project is targeted at Home Educated children we have a wide range of ages from 5 years old to 16 years ….all a delight to coach and so eager to learn. The age gap doesn’t appear to be a barrier as the older ones encouraging the younger ones..……..all of them are extremely competitive and keeping count of their victories! The opportunity and enjoyment the children are gaining from the sessions is evident each week, from starting off as a baby sister tagging along we have a five year old so engrossed in the game she counts the “big sleeps” down until her next chance on the lawns, and at the other end of the age spectrum, where we have a young lady of 16 years old, who wants to play and practice all the time . She is like a sponge soaking up anything and everything to do with croquet and would happily live at the club if allowed.
Having a coaching team of 6 means we always have at least 4 coaches to hand.
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PRESIDENT'S POETRY SELECTION
CLUB ROLL‐UPS Croquet England President, Patricia Duke‐Cox, shares some of her favourite Croquet Poetry. "I have always enjoyed reading poetry, although a poet I am not, and on my travels and on reading the Croquet Gazette over the years, I have copied verses that have appealed to me. Croquet players and members of our national organisation are so versatile, and it is always a pleasure to read compositions that I have now shared with our lovely editor, Alison Maugham."
WITH MY MALLET IN MY HAND
Well I sat and watched him make a rather handy break. Already I was feeling sort of tired, But at least I’d get a start with my balls two feet apart ‐ But then I saw he’d gone and left them wired! Well, my turn came round again, when he’d made another ten, “At last”, I thought, “his cheeky grin I’ll shift”. But my shot turned out a flop when my ball jumped over top And he said to me, “Did you forget the lift?”
With my mallet in my hand, by the croquet lawn I stand, Hoping my opponent will break down; For I went and missed the red when I lifted up my head, And I feel as though I’ll never live it down. Things started to go wrong when my opponent came along ‐ I couldn’t even win the flamin’ toss; Then I couldn’t hit the tice, though I’d set it up real nice,And I knew that I was staring at a loss.
Continued on page 11
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NEXT GENERATION CONTINUED
The last couple of weeks we have started teaching stop shots, stun shots, drives and rushes…they are now all wanting to master the jump shot ……..yikes! The steady flow of juniors on the lawns has also generated keen interest from the junior tennis players, both members and visiting players, meaning we are planning to have more sessions and considering hosting a Junior Tournament next year in the CE Calendar. Over and above this we are hoping to take at least 3 players up to Nottingham for THE NATIONAL SCHOOLS', CLUBS' AND JUNIORS' CHAMPIONSHIPS this year. If you are inspired to coach juniors please do contact Ian Draper or Paul Francis.
The knock on effect of having junior players on the lawns on a regular basis is that we have been asked to consider hosting summer camps and after school croquet for our club members who are attending school, over and above the home educated learners. Right from our first coaching session this year on 31st March we have been amazed at how quickly they are all learning and how diligent they are about practicing. Our first day we did a two hour coaching session…..then allowing them to continue practicing if they wished while we cleared away the equipment….1 and half hours later and some games on the full sized lawns we eventually had to send them home.
PRESIDENT'S POETRY SELECTION CONTINUED
Well, I tried to keep my cool, and not look like a fool, Avoiding all unnecessary risks; But it generates some heat when you’re getting badly beat By a bloke to whom you should give seven bisques. On again, and like a dope, I began to have some hope, “For perhaps he’ll have a stroke or break a leg”; Took off, careful not to crush, and obtained a perfect rush ‐ Except that right between them was the peg!
I at last got into play, and you may have heard me say, “If I make this point he’s really in the soup!”, “What a lovely hoop”, I cried, “Didn’t even touch the side!” ‐ Then I saw my clip was on a different hoop! I composed my spinning head. “Now, think positive!”, I said, And confident at last began to feel. Then I began to understand why he was holding out his hand, For he’d finished with a triple‐flamin’‐ peel!
“Well, my friend”, I hear you say, “Why don’t you give the game away, Since it only gets you all worked up and mad?” But I’ll play again, no doubt, until I finally peg out, For this is the greatest fun I’ve ever had!
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THE CROQUET ENGLAND DIPLOMA
Patricia Duke‐Cox President, Croquet England
Croquet England Diplomas recognise members of Affiliated Clubs (and not just Croquet England Subscribers) who have given outstanding service to croquet, and have been active in club or federation affairs over a long period. The Diplomas have nothing to do with croquet prowess and everything to do with the help given to other members. The President normally presents these awards at the AGM, although recipients may elect to receive their Croquet England Diploma on another occasion. The award is made only once to any person, and is not normally made posthumously unless there are surviving family members who would appreciate it. The full citation for those awarded a Croquet England Diploma will be published on the website, with a summary in the Gazette. Nominations can be made by clubs or federations and should be: o sent by email to the office by the end of July comprising: o a short citation (300 words max.) o a passport‐style photograph, if available (as a separate attachment named as the nominee) o a declaration that the submitter is not aware of any reason why such an award could bring the organisation into disrepute o The office will consolidate the citations into a draft web page (including the photographs) ready for review by the Awards Panel
The Awards Panel will normally approve all nominations meeting the above criteria, but some may be declined if felt to be of insufficient merit, or deferred if too many are submitted by the same club in any year. After vetting is complete, the office will: 1. Inform the nominator that the nomination is successful, and ask them if they want to inform the Croquet England Diploma winner, or if they want the office to do it (some Clubs and Federations like to make it a surprise and award the certificate themselves). 2. Send the certificates to the President for signing, who then passes them on to the Chair of Trustees to sign and return to the office ready for distribution at the Croquet England AGM (when held at a venue) or at local events according to feedback from step 1. 3. According to feedback from step 1, inform the Croquet England Diploma winners, telling them that the Croquet England President will recognise them at the AGM and, if needed, send out the certificates either to the recipient or the nominator. 4. Publish in full the Croquet England Diploma winners' citations on the Croquet England website soon after the AGM. The content of this page is used by the President for citations read at the AGM, and publication in the Gazette.
SAFE FROM AI For the moment, it looks as though Croquet content is still safe from AI. Richard Barkey from Ealing Croquet Club has been experimenting with his new assistant, AI. Ai has been helping
by Alison Maugham Still the Editor, until AI can make as many typos as me
Richard create some graphics for a new project he is working on, but I think we can see why the old fashioned Croquet photographer will still be a very much needed and valuable role for some time yet. I just had to share these two fantastic images of a 'Jump' shot and ‘Canon’ shot... Fabulous! I’m rather intrigued as to what AI thinks a ‘stop shot’ might be.
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THE LATHAM CUP Bob Whiffen, Bristol Croquet Club
The Latham Cup for handicap play in Bristol has been contested for more than 40 years, with Reg Bamford being one of the early winners. Only one person, David Gillett (Sussex County), has won it four times, including last year, and he returned this year to defend his title.
This year all the games were 18‐point full bisque with a base of 4, with a hoop 1 and 9 (3‐back) start. All three courts were used for the twelve players, six of them from Bristol and six visitors from various clubs ranging geographically from Garway (near Hereford) to Sussex County. All games were double‐banked with a time limit of 2½ hours, which turned out to be reasonable, with more than 50% finishing before time. The maximum handicap allowed was 20, but players ranged from 2½ to 14. Contrary to weather forecasts, the weather turned out to be reasonable on Saturday, and very pleasant on Sunday. The courts were still a little bumpy with the occasional bald patch, but were an acceptable speed. As it was the first tournament of the season it was the first time to use our newly acquired hoops. At the end of play on Saturday Susan King (Bristol) was the only person to have won all three games, and unfortunately the only person not to win a game was David Gillett. The game between the two of them was won by Susan by one point on time.
On Sunday morning Susan King lost her game to Mark Oldale (Garway), and by lunchtime we had four players on three wins. As there were no clear eliminations, they played two six‐ point games with one‐third of their bisque allocation for an 18‐point game. Susan King played Mike Chan (also from Bristol) and Mark Oldale played Colin Britt (Camerton and Peasedown). This resulted in the final being a repeat of the morning game between Susan King (14 handicap) and Mark Oldale (4 handicap). After one hour, after using some of her bisques, Susan was leading 9 ‐ 3. As time went on, Mark gradually reduced the six point deficit, and the game ended in a win for Mark Oldale by one point. As a result of playing in this tournament, both Susan King and Nigel Knee (Cheltenham) reduced their handicaps.
For me it was a pleasure to manage the tournament with such a pleasant group of players.
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ALTERNATE STROKES, ALTERNATE SCORING SYSTEM, SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE??
DAVID CORNES Croquet Sports Journalist Reporting on the changes ahead
Crake Valley Croquet Club’s first annual tournament, the “AC Alternate Strokes” , was held at the end of April. Traditionally, the format has been two blocks of 4 pairs “all play all”, with the respective block winners contesting the final. For 2025 it was decided to experiment with a new scoring system aimed at encouraging more attacking play throughout. Why Change? To fit three 18‐point block games and a final in one day is a challenge, although achievable by limiting the time to 100 minutes per game “dead stop”. Typically, the pair making the first break to rover wins each game, due to the limited time left for the opposing pair to respond and the “ease” in maintaining a lead through defensive tactics.
Rick Harding (Nottingham) in action at Crake
Consideration was necessary, therefore, as to how best to entice each pair to go for hoops and build a break if possible. Feedback shows players want to be on the lawn a fair proportion of their time and to have a 50/50 chance of winning. What changed? Almost everything! From bisque allocation, the “first” hoop to be run and the score recording system to determine the block winners. Bisque allocation: For 2025, the maximum handicap as a starting point was set at 20 per player. Stage One: adjust to 18‐point games (as per page 118 of the 7th edition Laws) Stage Two: take the average of the pair Stage Three: reduction of 40% per pair for the time limit of 100 minutes Stage Four: BASE ZERO for ALL pairs in all their games irrespective of the opposition
Continued on page 15
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ALTERNATE STROKES CONTINUED
The top 4 ranked pairs played in Block A and the lowest 4 in Block B, the rationale being to produce games between players of similar standards but still allowing a lower‐ranked pair the chance of success overall. “First” Hoop: ALL clips were placed on hoop 5 to start, meaning the most hoops a pair could sit out for was a break of EIGHT, rather than the traditional TWELVE (when clips effectively start on hoop one and three back). Score Recording: a couple of Crake Valley members gave very positive feedback on their experiences from York CC “Viking Challenge Short Lawn Tournaments”. York awards points for each win but also BONUS points for each hoop scored and for pegging out. We adopted this approach and decided: • Game win = 4 points (game loss = nil points) • Each hoop run = 1 point (up to 18 hoops) • To score 18 hoops in a game = Bonus 3 points • Maximum per game = 25 points How did it work on the day? It worked a treat, evidenced by reporting the journey of the eventual winners, Andrew Gould and Paul Dowdall (from Pendle & Craven). Andrew has an improving AC handicap of 9, whilst Paul plays off 7. Their bisque allocation for this tournament was calculated at 3.5 per game, which meant they were in Block B with other pairs bisque allocation being 4.5, 6 and 7 respectively. The pair lost their first game 7 to 10 hoops, earning them 7 points. Their second game saw a narrow 10‐9 victory, earning them a further 14 points (10 plus 4 for the win). Going into the last round of games, mathematically, any one of the four pairs could go through, including their opponents (undefeated Paul Galley & Chris Williamson from the host club). With just two minutes to go, Andrew and Paul were ahead in the match (12‐7), but not overall. Knowing there were points still available for each hoop scored, the pair attacked and ran three‐back to extend the game and finish 13‐7 (17 points). This result meant they progressed to the final by ONE point , much to their delight and their opponent’s dismay. Hence three pairs in that block won two games each, but the pair that ran the most hoops progressed . Table (points per game) Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 TOTAL Andrew & Paul D 7 14 17 38 Chris & Paul G 15 15 7 37 Sandra & Louise 14 4 14 32 Simon & Graham 5 9 7 21
2025 Winners Andrew Gould & Paul Dowdall (Pendle & Craven)
The FINAL – In the Final, Andrew & Paul came up against last year’s winners, brothers Rick and Dave Harding (Nottingham & Llanfairfechan), who achieved a total of 58 points in their block, to win by nine points. Both pairs made decent breaks and made a few mistakes, but the Pendle & Craven pair triumphed 18 hoops to 15. The Final summed up the whole tournament, in that each pair spent plenty of time on the lawn and, when sitting out, not too long off the lawn timewise, waiting for their next opportunity. Summary – All 16 players applauded the format, including Rick, who as a minus handicap player had some prior reservations. As Tournament Manager, planning for the 2026 tournament is therefore quite simply “more of the same”. I am pleased to report on this successful trial and hope it inspires other Clubs and Federations to consider similar structures, thereby attracting more players to partake in Association play. Footnote – Back to earth 4 days later, when I played an utterly boring NW Federation league match against Aunt Emma, (one hoop at a time and hide your balls leaving 40 yards hit in opportunities for your opponent). Ended up playing “Aunt Emma” at her own game and came out the winner 11‐9. Three hours of my life I won’t get back!! Perhaps if our league adopted points for hoops scored then Clubs might not struggle as they do to get players to travel to away games.
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MCCLEMENTS CUP [EASTER AC HANDICAP]
By Minty Clinch
Cheltenham Croquet Club opened its CqE season with a fierce handicap competition for the McClements Cup. 22 players arrived on a bitter Good Friday to find James Death, a last minute replacement for Peter Petrie, in full control of the organisation as well as the catering he’d already signed up for. Nine hours later, he announced the skilful octet who’d fought their way to the Saturday knockout to three heavily muffled survivors in semi darkness. Most would have put their money on Sarah Hayes and Dave Kibble; others who had risen to the occasion included the Nottingham couple, Mike Hedge and Nicky Newberry, Liz Webb from Bowden, Kibble’s fellow Bristolian, Neil Kingston, and Cheltenham’s own John Gilden and Brent Watkins. By the time James served his pork pie lunch on Saturday, eight had become four with the two minus handicappers, Dave and Sarah, in one semi and Neil (2.5) and Nicky (18) in the other. James grabbed a pint and sat down to wait. And wait. Games between experts are often played with swift dispatch, but not this one. ‘It’ll be over when one of us stops messing up’ Sarah commented, on her way to a narrow win. An all women’s final? Only if Nicky’s forest of bisques could hold out against Neil’s rare errors. As it did. James sighed and pulled another pint. Nearly everyone else went home.
Nicky used her bisques to build an early lead in the final, only to see Sarah close in ominously as time was running down. At 22‐ 23, she miscalculated the clock and failed to run the vital equalising hoop, allowing Nicky to survive +1 on time. A shame so few were there to applaud her as high bisquers rarely hold their nerve to ride so high against an irrepressible force like Sarah Hayes. Thank you to James for his organisation, even the also rans had a great time!
07929 940893 mlstuchfield@gmail.com Marie Stuchfield
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THE JOHN BEECH 40TH ANNIVERSARY MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT
Many thanks to Roger Schofield who managed this years tournament, and the many club members who managed the lawns and the hospitality. The Winners were: Peter Dowdall Cup: Angharrad Walters. The John Beech Trophy: Fiona Crompton. Fastest Game: John Crompton Most Games: Lee Hartley Fastest Game: John Crompton Highest Handicapper: John Crompton Lowest: Handicapper: Phillip Jay The winners are pictured below being presented with their trophies by the tournament manager Roger Schofield and the Clubs’ Chairman Sharon de Maine. The club is looking forward to many more exciting events this summer. many thanks to all our volunteers who made this weekend possible.
by Sharon de Maine, Club Chairman
It is 40 years since Pendle and Craven Croquet Club was founded by John Beech in his garden, and the club has moved from strength to strength since then. Now playing on 5 lawns in Cemetery Road in Earby, Lancashire, the club is now becoming a firm member of the local community. The Easter weekend involves the club in the first big tournament of the season. The John Beech Memorial Tournament which takes place from lunchtime Good Friday until late afternoon on Easter Monday, where players come from all over the country to play at Pendle and Craven croquet Club. This year the tournament was full, and, with the help of a couple of days excellent weather it was a great success, the lawns were in great condition and were running fine plus the hospitality was excellent, players reported they had really enjoyed themselves. The atmosphere was very friendly and spectators were most welcome, and did, come and watch.
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