TALKING CROQUET Issue 008 | July 2026
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WELCOME
I make no secret of the fact that I have the best job in the world. Being the editor of the Croquet magazines is just one of the fun things I get to do during my working day. This title means I get to encourage, inspire, share stories and challenge perceptions. You may have read that I recently had the privilege of visiting lots of clubs and meeting new people in our community, you may have even been one of them. One comment I hear often is along the lines of “You really are mad about croquet”. Yes, yes I am. It is for this reason I am the proud wearer of many hats, just like many of you out there who support our sport, from grassroots to governance. This last month I have been found coaching on the courts, catering for forty, creating table plans for the World Cup of Croquet and updating computer software in the office. It’s a quirky job, but it suits a quirky person - like me. From sandwich making to graphic design, running hoops to updating policies, we all wear many hats, and should be proud - this is how our sport continues to be amazing. If you have a skill that comes with a hat, I wonder if you might share it with me. We could create a network of valuable skills and share our knowledge and passion across all of our clubs. Final words, I am super excited to share that the Association Croquet World Team Championship is finally coming to town. On the 24th July 2026, the first matches will be played at Roehampton Club and Hurlingham Club. There is no charge to spectate at these amazing clubs, so please go along and enjoy the atmosphere and the world class croquet, and maybe even swing by the live-stream booth to say hi to a quirky live-stream hat wearer. Alison
Talking Croquet Issue 008 | July 2026
TALKING CROQUET Issue 008 | July 2026
Front Cover: London Sport enjoying an away day at Surbiton Croquet Club
CONTENTS 4 Chief Executive's Column 8 Volunteering at a Croquet Club
Alison Maugham Editor editor@croquetengland.org.uk
10 Bury CC Holiday Weekend 11 Consistancy and Psychology 12 Croquet England: One Croquet 14 Letters to the Editor 15 Charity 1-Ball 16 Budleigh B, C & D Series 19 Junior Mallets 21 Swing Clinic 23 Ben Rhydding Intro Course 24 Horses, Penny Farthings and Croquet
AC WORLD TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
Tiers 2 & 3 22-27 July: Nottingham Croquet Club Tier 1 - MacRobertson Shield
24-28 July: Roehampton Club & Hurlingham Club 30 July - 3 August: Sussex County Croquet Club 5-9 August: Surbiton Croquet Club
www.croquetworldteamchampionships.co.uk
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CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S COLUMN
Andy Dalby-Welsh Chief Executive Officer Croquet England
Welcome to this edition of Talking Croquet. It is a real pleasure to introduce another issue packed with stories that capture the breadth, energy, and accessibility of our sport. Croquet continues to show, repeatedly, that it is far more than a game played on lawns. It is a community, a source producing world-class drama, and a place where people of all ages and backgrounds can belong. It has been an exciting time for of friendship and wellbeing, a competitive sport capable of Croquet England. Across the country, clubs are welcoming inexperienced players, volunteers are giving their
Croquet Players from the London Sport Away Day at Surbiton Croquet Club
team away day. London Sport is the lead organisation for getting people active in London. It was a fantastic occasion and a wonderful example of how croquet can introduce people to something different, sociable, and memorable. Surbiton provided a superb setting, and it was great to see guests enjoying the challenge, strategy, and fun of the game. These moments matter because they help us share croquet with new audiences and show how our clubs can offer welcoming, distinctive experiences for organisations, communities, and individuals alike. Continued on page 5
time and expertise with extraordinary generosity, and our sport is demonstrating its value in so many ways. From grassroots participation and community wellbeing to junior development and international competition, there is a growing sense of momentum. That momentum is built on the passion and dedication of clubs, members, coaches, officials, families, and supporters who continue to make croquet such a special sport to be part of. One recent highlight was the opportunity to welcome London Sport to Surbiton Croquet Club for their
Andy Dalby-Welsh on Bacon Duty for the London Sport Away Day
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... THE NORTHERN TOUR
This edition also reflects on a truly inspiring northern tour that I was fortunate to undertake with Alison Maugham, our Marketing, Communications and Partnerships Lead. The journey gave us the chance to visit clubs, meet volunteers, hear directly from members, and see first- hand the impact croquet is having in different communities. It was a reminder that while every club has its own character, history, and local strengths, they are united by a shared commitment to giving people great experiences through our sport. On our first day we visited Driffield Croquet Club where Mike and his partner Lesley introduced us to some of their members. Mike uses a wheelchair when playing and is trailblazing with regards to adapting his wheelchair. This enables Mike to access the lawns, cause no damage, and fully participate in the sport. Mike invited a local journalist down to the club and he achieved some great coverage of our visit and the progressive nature of Mike’s approach in the local paper. At the conclusion of our visit to Driffield we belatedly realised we were going to be close to York Croquet Club and the Northern Academy. Thanks to a quick response from John Harris, a few club members dropped down to the lawns and took us on at a game of Association Croquet. It was a beautiful
Image above: Back page Driffieldwoldsweekly Image below left: York Croquet Club and Northern Croquet Academy
setting with the beautiful sound of park life on a beautiful summers evening. At Pendle and Craven Croquet Club, we saw one of the most moving examples of croquet’s potential to support wellbeing. The club’s special project, developed by Ian Longstaff collaboratively with the local social prescribing team, is creating a new community for people facing significant health and life challenges, Continued on page 6
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... CELEBRATIONS
including Parkinson’s, Cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Meeting James Smith, the social prescriber who embraced croquet as part of this work, and seeing participants playing, laughing, socialising, and enjoying cake together at the end of the session, was deeply affecting. It showed how croquet can help people stay active, reduce isolation, build friendships, and enjoy time with loved ones in a safe and welcoming environment. The visit strengthened my belief that this kind of wellbeing work should be developed more widely. Croquet can, of course, provide pathways to elite competition and international success, but it can also offer something just as important: connection, purpose, and community. The Pendle and Craven project demonstrate what is possible when clubs, volunteers and local partners collaborate with imagination and compassion.
Image above: Andy with Donna and Ian Longstaff at Pendle & Craven Croquet Club Image below left: Backpage back page Bury Time
demonstrated his media credentials by holding a short interview with me and before we knew it our visit had made it into another local paper! Bowdon Croquet Club then provided a world-class venue for a world-class occasion as it hosted the England versus Spain Golf Croquet Test Match. The playing surfaces, organisation and
have fun, improve, compete and build friendships. They are part of the quiet engine room of croquet, and our sport is stronger because of them. Roy
Playing a friendly with Chris and Anne Alvey
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 6 the importance of volunteers was impossible to miss. People like Roy, Chris and Anne give their time, skill, and enthusiasm so that others can Our journey then took us to Bury Croquet Club, where we enjoyed a great game with club legend Roy Spencer, along with Chris Alvey and Anne Alvey of DB Mallets. Once again,
Image above: Players from the England and Spain teams with their trophies and gifts (Full tournament report to follow in a future Croquet Gazette)
Continued on page 7
... AND MORE
welcome were outstanding, thanks to the enormous efforts of the club’s volunteers. Over three highly competitive days, England and Spain produced a superb contest, with Spain arriving as defending champions and England securing a memorable 15–11 victory. Captained by John-Paul Moberly, the England team showed especially encouraging to see younger players performing at such an elevated level. Spain, led by Jose Riva Gómez- Jordana, contributed hugely to a brilliant sporting spectacle. determination, courage and competitive spirit, and it was
A weekday tournament at Southwell Croquet Club
Juniors competing at Nottingham Croquet Club
Spectating at Bowdon with Angharrad Walters and Caz Sinclair
The final stage of the tour brought more memorable moments. At Southwell Croquet Club, Derek and Elaine gave us a warm welcome, introduced us to members and helped us gather valuable feedback on how Croquet England can best support clubs. Their dedication was inspiring, and Derek’s past as Mr GB added an unexpected and delightful twist to the visit. From there, Alison and I travelled to Nottingham Croquet Club for the National Junior Championships. Seeing young people compete, play doubles, support one another, and show such
great spirit reinforced why youth development must remain a key priority for the future of croquet. Bringing parents and teachers together to help shape the development of young players is an exciting step. Their insight, commitment, and willingness to be involved will be invaluable as we build a stronger pathway for the next generation. Alongside the wellbeing project, junior development shows how croquet can grow by listening, partnering, and investing in people.
in this month’s Talking Croquet you can see our updated Vision, Mission, Values and Strategic Priorities. I hope you enjoy this edition of Talking Croquet and the stories it contains. They are full of warmth, fun, competition, friendship, and possibility. My thanks go to Alison for organising such a valuable trip, to every club that welcomed us so generously, and to all the volunteers who make croquet what it is. The future is bright, and the future is croquet.
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THE SPINOFFS CONTINUED
With all this in mind, perhaps out of frustration, because I am a biology professor at the University of the West of England (UWE), and amazingly fortunate to have an excellent editor at CRC Press, I have co-authored a book on the topic of the interaction of animals with sports facilities: ISBN 9781032986227 (https://www.routledge.com/Animal- Behaviour-Welfare-and-Interactions-in-Sports-and- Recreational-Environments/Hancock-Rouse-Pawson/p/book/ 9781032986227). In the book we discuss such issues from around the world, and some of the things we can do about animal management whilst upholding welfare standards in our activities. Certainly, being Lawn Manager at NDCC has kept me busy, but I also have other roles at the club too, such as media liaison. If anyone wishes to see some of NDCC’s activities go to https://www.northsomersettimes.co.uk/topics/croquet/ where our local newspaper has collated some of our articles. Oh, and occasionally I get to play croquet – although not well!
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www.croquetengland.org.uk | 9
BCC HOLIDAY WEEKEND 22ND- 25TH MAY 2026 By Roy Spencer
For the second year running, the club’s annual holiday weekend took place at the Warner Hotels Alvaston Hall Hotel, Nantwich from 22–25 May. Nineteen club members took advantage of, and enjoyed, the many activities the hotel has to offer, including the leisure centre with pool and spa, aqua aerobics, archery and shooting, boules, and quizzes - and of course croquet! Members also enjoyed walking around the extensive grounds and watching the wildlife. Whilst the hotel has its own croquet lawn, a disused bowling green was kindly prepared by the hotel grounds team for the club’s exclusive use. We took our own equipment and gazebo, (thank goodness!) and plenty of croquet was played over, what was the hottest May Bank Holiday weekend, on record. A number of hotel guests took advantage of taster sessions on the Saturday, and there were several enquiries about the game, with guests taking away leaflets and details of their nearest club. Some guests were subsequently seen playing on the hotel lawn, others mentioned us on social media and others thanked us in person for adding to the enjoyment of the weekend at the hotel. In the evenings, members got together for enjoyable dinners in the hotel restaurant and cabaret room. The food and service in the restaurant were excellent and efficient, with a themed menu each evening followed by musical entertainment — including a Tom Jones tribute act on the Saturday.
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CONSISTENCY AND PSYCHOLOGY … BEAR WITH ME By Chris Alvey, dbmallets@gmail.com, Sponsors of the Townsend Club Award
I’ve done it again. Reduced my handicap… and immediately started losing games. Whether it’s psychological or simply the ridiculous amount of pressure I put on myself, I don’t know. Either way, the timing is impeccable. Why the pressure? Well, getting down to a 6 means I can finally do my Level 2 coaching badge (assuming I don’t promptly return to a 7). As a coach, I also feel I should be delivering advice from the perspective of someone who’s at least improving. Although, when people I’ve coached watch me play competitively, I regularly walk off the lawn muttering, “Whatever you do, don’t do what I just did.” In the Northwest Federation we play Base 8, so I’ve been giving bisques away for a while now. The problem is I’m not consistent enough to keep a winning run going. Like most of us in the “mere mortal” handicap range, I alternate between looking like I know what I’m doing and wondering if I’ve ever held a mallet before. A few weeks ago I played doubles with someone I coach and everything clicked. Hoops were running, breaks were building from nowhere and I briefly wondered if I’d cracked this croquet lark. Naturally, in the afternoon’s singles match I lost to a very capable 10 who’s handicap is clearly on the way down. I did manage to run a hoop from five yards—a distance normally reserved for wishful thinking (it was a bit of a hail Mary to get back in the game); but flashes of brilliance don’t win matches, consistency does. The following week brought two internal matches; one handicap and
one advanced. The handicap match was dreadful. I sleepwalked through most of it before suddenly remembering how to play with half an hour left and launching a desperate charge to the peg. Unfortunately, my opponent had exactly the same idea and beat me on the golden hoop. Let’s just say the drive home featured language not covered in the coaching syllabus! The advanced match was a completely different story. I was a rank outsider against one of the club’s best players, yet somehow played some of my best croquet in weeks. We both made mistakes, but he was simply better and deserved the win. Despite the loss, I came off far happier after losing that game than the previous one—and only lost two points from my index.
When I’m coaching, I often tell players not to focus on winning every match. Instead, aim to do one or two hoops better than last time. It’s achievable, keeps disappointment in check and means you’re measuring progress rather than results. Recently I heard: “The more you want to win, the easier you are to beat.” Perhaps, for once, I should take my own advice. On a lighter note, Anne has also reduced her handicap… and unlike me, she’s still winning. I’m absolutely not jealous. Not at all.
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MORE CROQUET
EMBRACING A ONE CROQUET PHILOSOPHY TO CELEBRATE THE GAME AND THOSE WITHIN IT!
OUR VISION Inspiring generations of Croquet players through our inclusive and exciting sport. OUR PURPOSE To attract more people to play more croquet in more places for fun, friendship and competition. VALUES Fun: Croquet is enjoyable whether playing with friends and family or competing with players from around the world. Passionate: We will champion croquet and will celebrate everyone who plays and volunteers. Accessible: Croquet is for everyone and we will ensure that it creates brilliant experiences for all. Collaborative: We will listen to our players and volunteers, they are the heart of our sport and will shape the future of croquet. Progressive: We are open to change and will evolve our sport to attract a new diverse generation of players and volunteers. STRATEGIC PRIORITIES To increase the number of players and volunteers participating in Croquet at all levels.
To increase the diversity of players and volunteers in Croquet.
To ensure that players and volunteers have a brilliant experience when playing or volunteering.
Continued on page 9
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STRATEGIC THEMES AND ACTION PLANS
INCOME GENERATION
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS We will review and implement a coherent and targeted social media plan across our external communication channels. Introducing new initiatives through awareness campaigns will enable us to reach and recruit a broader audience, resulting in more participants. Improved engagement through website and social media will be achieved by recruiting a dynamic and flexible team with marketing expertise. The implementation of an effective communications plan will improve internal and external communications at Croquet England.
PARTICIPATION AND PLAYER GROWTH By continuing to provide funding support and through the development of targeted marketing materials, we will support the sustainability and growth of our clubs. We will implement an annual survey, to track the increased participation from our primary focus on recruiting Generation X. We are committed to supporting the delivery of two special projects, ‘Croquet for Wellbeing’ and ‘Youth Croquet’. This provides us with growth opportunities for two additional target
Our policies and processes will be updated to ensure we are positioned strongly to achieve trust, foundation and statutory funding. An income generation plan will be developed to identify and prioritise potential income opportunities. This will be supported by the introduction of an income generation working group, who will assist in achieving our income targets. We will build more corporate partnerships through hosting and entertainment opportunities, to develop an income generation stream.
groups in year two and beyond. Through the recruitment of new coaches and supporting existing
coaches, we will enable every player to reach their croquet playing potential.
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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. YOUTUBE VIDEO AND COMMENTARY
ROGER'S TYPO UPRAYS Genuine croquet-related typos to make you smile
I'm an NZ based croquet player, potentially of both codes, although there is very little AC played here these days. I'm delighted that USA, England, Australia, NZ, and indeed Egypt, are all trying hard to video croquet matches of consequence. The standard of camera work has improved markedly in the recent past. One thing disappoints me though, the lack of informed commentary during play, with the notable exceptions of Chris Clark and Aston Wade. Might national associations consider inviting individuals to learn how it's done?
A genuine nugget from history. Jon was looking for my proofreading services:
Let me know if you are available for some roof reading in the coming week. Comment: I take proofreading seriously, and to suggest I would sunbathe while working is just not on.
Thank you, Rod Templeman Auckland
Roger G, Phyllis Court
ALL-OUT ATTACK CROQUET
The Short Croquet went well, especially for Debbie [Lines], who won [Peterborough's inaugural Short Croquet tournament] with a clean sweep of seven wins out of seven. Ken Knock and I [Adrian Kirby] finished our seventh round game with half an hour to spare before a bonus round of doubles we tacked on at the end. So we invented a new form of Short Croquet on the fly. We're calling it All-out Attack Croquet ("Double-A C"), and the key rule is that every single-ball shot must be a hoop attempt or an attempted roquet - one consequence being that if your ball goes to a position from which neither of those is physically possible you lose the continuation stroke. The first and so far only ever game of Double-A C went like a dream: I clanged Hoop 1; Ken played a wonderfully on- the-edge two-ball break round five of his six hoops, then missed a (physically possible!) hampered continuation; I hit in, played a three-ball break all round, peeled him and pegged him out, and quixotically pegged my ball out too; Ken hit in and played another brilliant two-ball break in the fourth turn of the game round five hoops, this time rescuing a hampered roquet with a sweep shot only to then bounce off a long Hoop 6 attempt into a corner; he won a couple of turns later when I missed two long shots I was obliged - suicidally - to take. Great fun, and game over in about fifteen minutes.
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CHARITY 1-BALL 2026 By Debbie James
Another fantastic result from this annual event in the croquet calendar, uniting clubs from all regions of the country and celebrating all that is good in the croquet community. 40 clubs played a heat, many of them regulars and some new. Into the fold came Leighton Linslade and Winterborne Valley, while Carrickmines in Ireland continued its support of the event with an impressive 560 euros raised from its heat to donate to The Irish Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Collectively clubs played for Save The Children, raising £8,135.25. With Gift Aid an even more magnificent total of £9,043.50. The charity colour was red and the outfits did not disappoint, all adding to the fun spirit in which this season- opening competition is played. Winners and qualifiers from the heats went on to represent their clubs and federations at a regional final. Wonderful support again from the host clubs - Surbiton for the southern final and Bowdon, a new venue for this year’s northern final, which did not disappoint either in the warmth of its welcome or the quality of its lawns. Huge thanks to both clubs for their generosity as hosts. A field of 40 finalists at Surbiton produced a winner in Gareth Hobby from Caversham, while a smaller field of finalists in the north saw Richard Lamborn of York claim the victor’s trophy. Congratulations to both winners, and well played to all who qualified for a final. A final word of ‘thanks and well done’ to everyone - clubs, players, managers and donors - who supported the Charity 1-ball in 2026. Let’s do it all again next year!
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BUDLEIGH GC B, C & D SERIES APRIL 2026
By Louise Smith
Over a very busy three days, 10-12th April, sixty-four players competed in four tournaments at the top facilities provided by Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club. As ever, the courts were presented in pristine condition by the dedicated grounds team, and we offer our thanks and recognition to all club volunteers that contribute to these efforts ensuring high standards and an enjoyable experience for all competitors. Thanks are also due to visiting Referees, Brian Wilson, Steve Bennett and Ian Burridge for their efforts in resolving any issues that arose during play. GC ‘D’ Level (10+) Series Friday began with the GC ‘D’ Level (10+) Series managed by Stuart M. Smith. Seven of the sixteen competitors were making their tournament debut, travelling from Phyllis Court, Bath, Watford and Taunton Deane. John Warren (Taunton Deane), Roger Isaac (Budleigh), and Mike Gorvette (Bradford upon Avon) made strong starts each gaining a full house of three wins in their respective blocks. They were joined in the main knockout stages by Marion Bedford (Bath), Lynn Wulcko (Camerton & Peasedown), Martin Sloots (Watford), Michael Bellotti (Budleigh) and Monica Baker (Bradford upon Avon) all with 2 game wins. Amid the majority female competitors, it was only Michael Bellotti that survived the first Main knockout round, to face Lynn Wulcko in the semi-final. Monica Baker and Marion Bedford took the second semi-final places. Both Wulcko and Baker despatched their respective opponents with 7-3 wins, earning places in the Main Final. The Main Final saw an on-form Lynn Wulcko dominate the game leading to a 7-1 victory over Monica Baker in her first ever tournament and gaining a place at the National GC ‘D’ Level Series Final in September (19/20th @ Compton). In the Plate, Andrew Kingsnorth (Budleigh) had some tight games (7-6 and 7-5) to reach the Plate Final with Carol Gorvett having a slightly more comfortable journey (7-3 and 7-4). The Plate Final was a close contest with Gorvette the victor on the 13th hoop. GC ‘C’ Level (7+) Series Saturday’s GC ‘C’ Level (7+) Series also saw an impressive turnout of female players, comprising 12 of the 16 competitors.
Andrew Jackson (Guildford) was the only player achieving 3 wins in the block stages, with all other Main Knockout qualifiers on 2 wins each. Jackson was swiftly relegated to the Bowl with a 1/7 loss to Susan Bellew (Bristol) in the Quarter Final round; Kevin Currie (Watford) was narrowly defeated by Christine Moore (Bristol), 6-7. Lynn Wulcko (Camerton and Peasedown) in her second KO of the weekend, secured a swift win over Julia Green (Phyllis Court) 7-3; as did Clare Rockall (Gainsborough), 7-3 playing Helen Metcalf (Winchester). Entering the semi-finals, having put in a strong performance throughout, Rockall was favourite for the main title and quickly gained her place beating Christine Moore 7-5. The other semi-finalists, Susan Bellew and Lynn Wulcko played well, with Bellew’s increasing confidence showing and earning her a 7-4 victory. As the Main Final got underway, Bellew played a positive game, taking every chance that presented itself, and established an early lead. Clare Rockall – the more experienced player – gave an admirable performance but was unable to recover, with Bellew winning the game and her first tournament, 7-2 and a place at the National ‘C’ Level Finals (26/27th September @ Wrest Park). In the Plate, Yvette Currie (Watford) and Catriona Peterson (Nottingham) appeared the two stronger contenders with Peterson’s accomplished jumping ability a favourable asset. Two Budleigh locals, Jennifer Norton-Smith and Yvonne Price gave both players tougher games in the Semi Finals but
Continued on page 15
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BUDLEIGH SERIES EVENTS CONTINUED
nevertheless the expected outcome presented a Currie v Peterson Plate Final. This game saw two fairly well-matched players battle it out, hoop for hoop, until Peterson secured the deserved Plate winner position at hoop 12, final score 7- 5. GC ‘B’ Level (DG<1700) Series The first of the new criteria <DG1700 ‘B’ Level Series saw 39 players at allocation competing for the 16 available places. As a result, BSCC held a SiSTER tournament for those disappointed in the GC ‘C’ and ‘B’ SERIES allocations, running simultaneously on Sunday with the ‘B’ Level. This gave players an opportunity to experience playing at Budleigh and gain valuable ranking points, although it was not part of the Series events. The popularity of the GC ‘B’ Level Series was evident in the quality of the field - only 77 D/Grade points separated seed 1 from seed 16 – so this will probably be the most competitive GC ‘B’ Level heat of the entire season! Paul Rockall (Gainsborough), Jill Bateman (Cheltenham), Dan Rhodes-Chadder (N/A) and Izzy Poyntz (Budleigh) all topped their respective blocks with 3 wins. In Block A, top seed Glynis Davies (Northampton) joined Rockall in the main knockout, alongside Martin C. Leach (Budleigh) from Block B; Stephen Flay (East Dorset) from Block C; and Jill Shaw (Camerton & Peasedown) from Block D - all with 2 wins each. The strong female showing in the Main Quarter Final round saw Izzy Poyntz despatch Stephen Flay 7-4; and Jill Shaw beat Dan Rhodes-Chadder 7-5. Glynis Davies, the stronger competitor, defeated Jill Bateman comfortably 7-3 whilst Paul Rockall and Martin C. Leach provided the tightest game of the QF, with Leach clinching a narrow 13th hoop decider to move on to the semi-sinals. The semi-finals pitched Budleigh players Leach and Poyntz into a hard-fought contest, with Leach successful on the 12th hoop 7-5. Davies again swiftly despatched her opponent Shaw in a clinical 7-2 win and looked favourite entering the Main Final. Meanwhile, the eight players in the Plate Knockout all opened their campaigns with competitive matches. In the first semi-final, Claire Herring (Cheltenham) faced Paul New (Budleigh), while Frank Pearce (Dowlish Wake) took on Brent Watkins (Cheltenham) in the other. After a below-par showing in the block stages, Paul New found much better form in the Plate Knockout. Having come through his quarter-final, he defeated Herring 7-4 to secure his place in the Final. In the second semi-final, Pearce edged past Watkins in a tight contest, winning 7-6.
However, New was unable to maintain his momentum in the final. His form dipped once more, allowing Pearce to take control and claim a comfortable 7-2 victory to win the Plate. After a varied weekend of weather, the Main B Level Final saw some welcome sunshine and a crowd of Budleigh Spectators gathered adding to the atmosphere. Like Susan Bellew in the previous ‘C’ Level (7+) Final the day before, Martin C. Leach took every opportunity playing a confident and positive game. Glynis Davies did not appear able to answer this offensive and was soon 1-6 down. A short rally at hoop 8 gained Davies another point but had left Leach onside within 4 yards of hoop 9. This easy approach then forced Davies into two failed clearance attempts with Leach securing a comfortable victory and his first GC ‘B’ Level DG<1700 Series win. Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club are again delighted to have a representative at the GC ‘B’ Level National Series Final later this season at Pendle & Craven.
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Junior Mallets Welcome to Junior Mallets, celebrating the fun, friendships and competitions of our young people.
WOKING GC D-LEVEL TOURNAMENT By Sara Anderson, Woking Croquet Club The day started with a quick panic as one of the players got the wrong day for the tournament and didn’t show. Fortunately, the elder sister of Fifi, one of Woking’s Junior players, had kept her whites in the car just in case, and was delighted to step in. Ana stood in at no notice, helping out the Manager, Sara, by ensuring all the players of both blocks got a minimum of 5 matches each. Much to everyone's relief the rain stayed away and instead we had a warm breeze and by the end of the day we were basking in lovely sunshine. This tournament was the first D Level held at Woking and a great success. Help and advice was given to 8 out of the 12 players with completing their handicap cards for level, as this was to be their first Tournament. It was lovely, also, to see two sisters compete, and as luck would have it they were not in the same block…..between the two of them they helped lower the average age by quite a bit. The standard of play was very good and really encouraging to see players calling for a ref for possible iffy shots and helping each other out with watching the sequence of balls. Maureen Ward was the only player to win all her block matches and was the first player to qualify for the semi-final. Ana narrowly pipped Felicity Grubb to the 2nd place in the same block as she had higher net hoops. Block B was also very close with the top two players each having 4 wins. Richard Law took the first position with higher net hoops followed closely by Jane Drury. Both semi finals were strongly contested by all 4 players. Jane finished first beating Maureen, followed by Ana who beat Richard, earning their places in the final. Maureen and
Richard to play for third and fourth place. Maureen took the third place with a 7-4 win. Then Jane and Ana started the final….with a good audience of around 12 people. Ana got off to a good start running the first two hoops, Jane quickly caught up, and then it was a fight for every hoop with lots of clearing balls. Youth on her side, Ana didn’t seem at all phased with playing in a final and there seemed to be no nerves, although she said she was bricking it. However, we spectators and coaches from Woking all felt her nerves instead. Ana was stoic and even when Jane kept clearing balls and the hoops each became a long fight between them, she never seemed disheartened or phased by it. Maybe she should play poker if she can hide all her feelings and nerves that well. Beating Jane 7-4, Ana was delighted and very excited….and everyone shared her joy. Both Jane and Felicity, with all their wins, earned a handicap reduction from 10 to 9. Congratulations all.
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Junior Mallets NATIONAL SCHOOLS', CLUBS' AND JUNIORS' 2026
By Ian Draper
This Croquet England annual event was held at Nottingham Croquet Club. The club. delivered an enjoyable and successful weekend for the 25 under 18 Croquet players. The players represented Nottingham, High Wycombe, Woking, Cheltenham, and Bath Croquet Clubs. This is the third year that this event has been held at Nottingham Croquet Club and It is particularly gratifying to see the progress that the young people are making year on year. I think both club coaches and parents commented on the spirit with which the event was played by the young people. A spirit of companionship, learning, fun and mutual support. It was wonderful to see four Lawns is fully occupied with under 25 of England’s best Under 18 players. The challenge now will be keeping them going with Croquet and helping them to envisage a future playing Croquet at clubs and, for some, internationally. Nottingham won the schools and teams event with Alfie Baldwin and Millie Draper beating High Wycombe in the final play-off. The U-18 Section was won by Ana Buckley, runner-up Emmeline Dallinger. The U-14 Section was won by Alfie Baldwin, runner-up Hanna Laganowska Black.
The U-11 Section was won by Tansy Mallarachi, runner-up Lily Weston This event was supported by, and could not have run at all, without the commitment of Nottingham Croquet Club team of youth development volunteers. (Ian Vincent, John Davis, Sarah Butler, Jan Draper and Declan McPhee).
End of season Junior Event A Junior meet-up for the under 25s is in the diary for Sunday 27th September at Cheltenham Croquet Club. There will be lots of Croquet, fun challenges, food and friendships. Please express your interest by contac\ng communica\ons@croquetengland.org.uk.
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Junior Mallets SCHOOLS CHAMPIONSHIP 2026
By Joel Taylor
The 2026 National Schools Championship was hosted again by Surbiton and featured 30 players from 4 schools: Radley College, Abingdon School, Winchester College and Hayesfield Girls' School. Like last year, the tournament contained two events, singles and doubles. The singles was a flexible swiss and the doubles was run as a straight knockout with knocked-out players joining the swiss. All games were played level 14 point on half lawns, which allowed a total of 54 games to be played. As always, with so many youngsters enjoying their day of croquet, the real winner was croquet. But in a more competitive sense, Radley was dominant on the court. The Radley programme has grown steadily in the past few years. They have at least 7 courts at school and hold an internal doubles tournament which this year involves 90 pairs. The standard of their croquet was noticeably better this year and if that trend continues then the future of England croquet could be very bright indeed. The singles winner was Oliver Smiley from Radley winning all four of his games. Honourable mentions to Ricky Xia (Radley) who won 5 out of 6, losing only to Smiley; and Oliver Kang (Winchester) who won 4 out of 5, losing only to Smiley. A special mention must also be made of Hanna Laganowska Black (Hayesfield) who at 13 was both the youngest and the only female player in the event. She was a picture of serenity on the lawn and despite this being her first national schools championship she was very competitive in all her games. The semi finalists in the doubles were all from Radley and the final pitted twin brothers against each other. The final was a very tense and close match all the way to the end. At 6 & 6 v 6 & peg, Will Cordle and Austin Barnes purported to peg out their opponents' peg ball, which resulted in a ball wrongly removed from the game. Neither pair realised the error, but the Radley coach felt that in the interests of fairness, the error should be rectified, so he stepped in, reminded the players of the rules and replaced the balls. It probably did not change the outcome of the match and in
the end Jerome Barnes and Henry Terry (Radley) lifted the trophy. All players learnt something about the game and about themselves. Hopefully next year's event can feature a wider range of schools. Anyone of school age is eligible to compete, so look out for the 2027 event. Thanks
to my Assistant Manager, Adam
Swinton, and to the teachers and parents
who gave up their Sunday to bring the students to the tournament.
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THOUGHTS FROM THE SWING CLINIC
RAOUF ALLIM Grade 3 AC/grade 3 GC coach
This article is more for the folk who are interested in swing coaching!
HOCUS POCUS? A couple of years ago I was playing in the AC Intercounties, which is a tournament that I love, and always play in if I get the chance. Lots of good players turn up, and there is a great atmosphere. I happened to be sitting next to one of the Elite players, who asked me rather innocently (and clearly mischievously) what all this swing coaching was about. Surely, he said, all people have to do is look at the ball and hit it. Wasn’t it all just hocus pocus? After being on the receiving end of some good humoured ribbing I eventually offered to sell him some magic oil to rub on his mallet, which would make him a better player, and we moved onto other topics. On a more serious note, however, swing coaching isn’t just telling people to look at a ball and hit it! Things come in threes A Swing Clinic is usually a mixed bag of problems, and a common topic is what to do about something that is hurting when playing. My wife tells me that things come in threes, and many years of marriage have taught me to pick my fights carefully, particularly with regards to esoteric topics such as confirmation bias. Also, I know that having had an argument about it, something will happen to me in triplicate (such as three parking fines), and yet again I will have lost. Anyway, having recently done three Swing Clinics I realised that I had had three people come to me with a painful right wrist. None of the players had other joint problems. It’s an interesting topic, at least to a swing coach. ONE OF THE DISADVANTAGES OF A WRIST SWING! The first case was one that anyone could predict as a strong possibility for a wrist problem, and that was a player using an Irish grip with the right hand on top, using quite a wristy technique. After years of playing he was finding it difficult to bend his right wrist back as far as it used to go, and he was probably getting early wear and tear arthritis in the wrist joint. We discussed various options, including switching to a Solomon grip which is much easier on the wrists, but in the end he opted to get himself fitted with an angled mallet shaft. We discussed how to measure the correct distance for
the angulation, and agreed that he would come back with his new mallet for a quick review. Hopefully, he will do better with that, and won’t require any major modifications to his swing. HOW CAN YOU GET WRIST PAIN WITH A SHOULDER SWING? The other two were both good players, using a standard grip in right-handed configuration (right hand below the left). They were both using a two shoulder technique, and they had an identical issue. They were overusing the right wrist, and the question was why, given that they had quite good shoulder swings. The answer lay in how their left shoulders were contributing to the swing. There was an early active movement of the left shoulder in the transition (the part of the swing where the backswing changes to the downswing). This was causing a timing issue where the mallet head was slightly lagging through the downswing, and which the player had to correct through the strike with an active right wrist flick (and simultaneously with a deceleration of the left shoulder). Being good players they had built this correction perfectly into their swing, but years of using this active wrist movement were beginning to take their toll. IF YOU ARE A SWING COACH HOW DO YOU DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM? The first thing is there is a strong clue, which is that the right wrist is hurting, so you should be looking carefully for where in the swing the right wrist is activating. The second thing is to observe what happens when the player is asked to swing one-handed just with the left hand. You’ll only get a few chances to see what is happening, because good players automatically start to correct things if they don’t work. What you see is the early left shoulder movement, and because there is no right wrist available to sort things out the player is forced to decelerate the left
Continued on page 22
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... THE SWING CLINIC CONTINUED
shoulder to allow the mallet to strike the ball. Once the player has done this a couple of times they are already beginning to work out how to drop the mallet in passively, and get a good strike, so if you haven’t spotted what’s happening the effect is already disappearing. The third thing is to ask the player to temporarily increase their grip strength in their left hand when swinging two handed. When you do this it will greatly reduce early left shoulder movement, because the left shoulder can only lunge early if the left wrist is fairly loose. This may not make much sense to you, but if you experiment with a mallet yourself, holding it in just your left hand, you’ll find it much more difficult to do a forward lunge with your left shoulder if you’re gripping the mallet shaft really firmly. When the player grips more firmly with the left hand the right wrist flick diminishes. How do you fix this problem? You need a set of exercises which retrain the left shoulder to work in better time with the right shoulder. The best one is getting the player to swing one-handed, left hand only. If they’ve not done this before then they’ll struggle to hit the ball 10 yards, but after coaching them on the correct technique of a passive mallet drop from the transition they should quickly progress to hitting twenty or more yards. Once they’ve got a good passive left shoulder action going then reintroduce the right hand, but ask the player to imagine they’re still playing left-handed only. Alternate one- handed and two-handed strokes, concentrating the whole time on the correct left-sided action. Using a firmer left hand grip can be helpful with this. At this stage the right wrist flick should have disappeared, and you can then ask the player to try playing the stroke with a conscious equal pairing of both shoulders. Eventually, the hope is that the player can use this method to retrain their left shoulder action, and their right wrist should stop hurting! Regarding left hand grip strength, once the problem has disappeared the player can experiment with different grip strengths, as they won’t need such a firm grip once the left shoulder is retrained. The other benefit of this is that with the left shoulder working properly their swing will actually be more powerful. Happy days! Hopefully this article has been of interest to the swing coaches out there. It demonstrates how a painful wrist can arise as a primary stroke issue (the wrist swing), and as a secondary stroke issue (the wrist flick correction for an errant left shoulder). It covers the observations you can make, the tests you can do to diagnose the problem, and the remedial steps which can be taken. No hocus pocus – honestly.
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INTRO COURSE GIVES MEMBERSHIP A BOOST
"We had a really super group this year " said Penny. "They worked so hard, paid attention and were very focused and motivated to do well." The new graduates mixed and mingled with other players over a Pimms or two and tried out their skills with skittles and tricky croquet games organised by committee member Jackie Green. Golfer Polly Smith rose to the new challenge and can't wait go get playing. "The course was very good and a lot of time and effort went into our training," she said. " I had never played croquet before, but I really like the strategy involved." Fellow graduates Liz Armstrong and Lucy Shaw were also keen. "It was a super course," said Lucy. " I had never played before and everyone concerned was so friendly and helpful."
By Stephanie Ferguson
Ben Rhydding Croquet Club have boosted membership by coaching members of the local U3A. As part of their community outreach programme they have built up a firm relationship with Ilkley and District U3A and this year's Introduction to Croquet course has been the best ever. Out of the sixteen newcomers learning the basics of golf croquet, fourteen The four-week course was led by club coach and captain Penny Clark and her team. The students braved the cold and spring rain as they got to grips with mallets, hoops, balls and more. But they had to cope with blazing heat on the lawns beside the River Wharfe in June when they were welcomed with a Pimms and Nibbles party. were so impressed that they immediately joined the club.
New recruits from left: Lucy Shaw, coach Penny Clark, Liz Armstrong and Polly Smith
With so many of the class of 2026 signing up, the BRCC membership now tops sixty, which bodes well for the future.
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HORSES, PENNY FARTHINGS AND CROQUET
By Adrian Coles, Hon Secretary, Surbiton Croquet Club
At first sight there is little connection between horses, penny farthing bicycles and croquet. But some readers might have a clue as to what these three things have in common when I say that all were gathered together at Ham Polo Club’s centenary celebration on the late May Bank Holiday Monday. The link, of course, is mallets. On the day penny farthing polo was followed by the more conventional horse polo, with croquet taster sessions, provided by three committee members from Surbiton Croquet Club, running continuously alongside both. We were participating in a “festival of mallet sports,” a central part of Ham Polo Club’s promise to give its guests a “fun-filled Sports Day like no other”. The day kicked off with penny farthing polo (“not a sight you see every day” as the polo club’s advertising put it with pinpoint accuracy). The work rate of the cyclists (jockeys?) was phenomenal. Riding these huge 19th century ungeared bicycles around a grass polo lawn didn’t look easy. But cycling is just the start. Riders need to chase the ball, swing the six-foot-long mallet with accuracy against that ball, and direct it towards a team colleague or the goal. It can be dangerous; a major injury timeout required a mechanic with a spanner to refix a loose pedal after a crash of bikes. That Monday broke the “hottest day in May” record at nearby Kew Gardens (it was broken again the next day), so with the mercury rising above 34°, not a cloud in sight and the sun beating down, my admiration for the participants rose as high as the temperature. Given the heat, each section of the match (there are four “chukkas” in a polo match) was cut down from seven and a half minutes to six minutes, and similar considerations applied to the conventional, horse-based, polo. Concern for the wellbeing of the horses is central to a polo club, and the programme had to be curtailed. Nevertheless, we were treated to two exciting games. So where did the croquet fit in? Ham Polo Club is about a 20- minute drive from Surbiton Croquet Club, and they had written to me in the winter asking if our club might like to take part in their centenary celebrations. They guessed that their membership might enjoy croquet and ours, polo. The club offered discounted tickets to their event for our club members, which a number took advantage of. We had a lawn beautifully positioned just next to the club house, and with the polo commentator mentioning the croquet taster sessions frequently over the PA system, we had a steady stream of visitors. We were able to set up six hoops on, broadly speaking, level ground, and run a
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