CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN by Samir Patel Chair of the Board of Trustees
I’ve just returned from the Associa7on Croquet Inter‐county Championship, which is an annual jamboree of 165 players from 22 coun7es compe7ng over four days at Sussex County (Southwick) and Compton Croquet Clubs. As well as the players, there was a countless number of volunteers in all manner of roles – lawns, lines, hoops, catering, bar, gardens, maintenance, parking, finances, tournament management and refereeing. Thank you all, for this event and everyone else who volunteers at clubs across the country. A visit to Compton also allowed me to see the Padel facility that has been built next to the courts and compare it to the facility at East Dorset LTCC (described by Dave Fuller in the previous issue). Compton’s indoor courts are a much more imposing and less aesthe7c structure than the open three‐ court arrangement at Parkstone, but at both venues it’s clear that the courts have a regular stream of players across a range of demographics. Pricing for Padel ranges from £20 to £80 per hour, which is an interes7ng comparison to the £32.50 for four days in the inter‐county championship. The Trustees are considering the ques7on of how we secure more money to grow all levels of our sport as we seek to collate ac7on plans in support of the strategy. We currently rely on hundreds of hard‐working volunteers. This commitment and dedica7on is, and will remain, essen7al to the smooth running of Croquet England, but it’s clear that we need to a8ract more funding to sustain and grow our sport.
We’re always looking for people with ideas to support the strategy and we are currently seeking applica7ons for two new Trustees of Croquet England. As a charity, the role of the Trustees is an essen7al part of our governance. Trusteeship can be rewarding for many reasons ‐ from a sense of making a difference to our Sport, to new experiences and rela7onships. I encourage everyone to consider whether to stand, or whether they know someone else that they think might be appropriate. There is more informa7on available on the subscriber’s website: www.croquet.org.uk/?p=press/news&NewsID=8708
2000 MILE ROUND TRIP FOR SWISS CROQUET PLAYER By Mike Bradbury, Pendle and Craven Croquet Club
Ambassador’s party to celebrate the King’s birthday in order to give a demonstra7on of croquet. Peter is playing in a number of events in the UK this year, including the AC inter‐coun7es for Warwickshire. The 65‐year‐old, who holds joint Bri7sh and Swiss ci7zenship, has played croquet all over the world, including America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Egypt. Currently he is trying to start up a croquet club in Ticino, where he lives, and re‐ establish an Italian Croquet Associa7on as well as the Swiss. He is the Treasurer of the Cern Croquet Club, Secretary of the Swiss Croquet Associa7on and Treasurer of the World Croquet Federa7on.
At the Golf Croquet A level Series event at Pendle over the weekend of 7th and 8th June, it became apparent that one player was showing an extraordinary commitment to compete in the North West of England. Peter Payne had travelled from Switzerland, where he lives in Vicomorcote in the canton of Ticino. He had le' at 04.30 on Friday morning from Malpensa, arriving in Manchester Airport via Heathrow. If there were no delays, he would arrive home at 01.00 on Monday morning. The evening before his epic round trip, Peter had appeared at the Bri7sh
Peter was born in Birmingham in 1959. He moved to Switzerland in 1971 when he was 11. His croquet journey began in the mid‐1960s. Currently, he has an AC handicap of ½ and is a scratch player at Golf Croquet.
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 5
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online