TALKING CROQUET
Issue 004 | November 2025
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WELCOME Those of you who are regular readers of the Croquet England online magazines will have no7ced a change to this issue, the front cover now shows the 7tle “Talking Croquet”. During October I was totally engrossed in the Associa7on Croquet World Championship; held in America but watched by the rest of the world through the power of livestreaming. Let me first take this opportunity to congratulate Reg Bamford on such an amazing performance and becoming the 2025 Associa7on Croquet World Champion. One of the really amazing things about livestreaming is the commentary, where players of all abili7es from around the world can listen and learn. I do hope that some of my listening in to the commentary has helped me learn a li8le more about croquet. Not only did I listen to the commentary, but I have also been listening to you, the readers of our magazines. I have received several comments that suggest having two magazines, with the same 7tle apart from the word ‘online’, is a li8le like watching croquet for the first 7me… confusing. With this in mind, The Croquet Gaze8e will con7nue to be published bi‐monthly (the next issue hi9ng the door mats mid‐December) and Talking Croquet will be published bi‐monthly, online only, in the months where the Croquet Gaze8e is not delivered. I hope you enjoy this month's magazine and as always, I look forward to hearing your comments and sugges7ons. Alison Alison Maugham Editor editor@croquetengland.org.uk
Talking Croquet Issue 004 | November 2025
Front cover: Changing the world, one hoop at a 7me, at Pendle & Craven Croquet Club (Page 6)
CONTENTS 4 5 6 8
Chief Execu7ve's Column Indoor Swing Trainer Changing the world Wheelchair Project Le8ers to the Editor The road to Eastbourne Pier (Part 2) The Woking Juniors Indoor Croquet
FAREWELL MINTY CLINCH By Alison Maugham It is with great sadness that I must write my farewell to Minty Clinch, our fabulous author of her column, Hibiscus. Minty has wri8en her entertaining and educa7onal column in the Croquet Gaze8e since February 2022. We have been treated to twenty‐four ar7cles of hilarious anecdotes, 7mes of croquet travel, first‐hand coaching experiences and the highs and lows of being a Hibiscus. I would se8le down with a cup of tea when I no7ced the email from Minty arrive, knowing that my day
10 14 17 19
would be brightened immediately and o'en with happy tears rolling as I read her latest contribu7on to our beloved Croquet Gaze8e. I s7ll giggle when I remember so many people in the beginning not believing me when I told them that the infamous ‘Minty Clinch’ was in fact a real person. My thoughts are with Minty’s family and friends. She was a wonderful character who lived a full‐to‐the‐brim life, and will be missed by everyone who had the pleasure of her company.
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HOOPS AND HEROES ‐ THE FUTURE OF THE GAME
By Andy Dalby Welsh Chief Execu0ve Officer, Croquet England
I am proud and excited to have been appointed the Chief Execu7ve of Croquet England, the na7onal governing body that oversees a game so steeped in history. Croquet is a sport that I had enjoyed playing in my garden as a child, at my grandparents with my extended family, and most recently at a family wedding. It is a sport that has the ability to draw people together from different backgrounds, different genera7ons and with different aspira7ons in the game, all having equal importance. As a casual Croquet player, I have been both heartened and grateful for the welcome I have received from the Croquet family. It is already clear to me that the game cannot be played without the Hoops or the Heroes. The hoops are obvious, but the heroes less so. Sport could not develop or thrive without its volunteers. For decades, commi8ed volunteers, “the heroes” of Croquet, have ensured the game has developed, compe77ons have been organised and officiated at, and our most talented players have benefi8ed from compe7ng on the world stage. The heroes in the sport do so much, whether introducing new players to the game with a warm welcome and poin7ng them in the direc7on of their first hoop; tending the lawns, held so dear by players; making the teas for tournament days; refereeing a tournament to ensure it can go ahead; and much more. I enjoyed a8ending the European GC Club League in Southwick, only just over a mile from my house. When I heard of a Croquet facility at the rear of a friend’s back garden, li8le did I know that one of Croquet’s gems was hidden around the corner. Again, it was volunteers who put in the huge effort that enabled this compe77on to take place, and which en7ced players from across the con7nent to come and compete in sunny Sussex. At a na7onal level, as with many chari7es, we boast a highly skilled board of Trustees. Our Trustees are commi8ed to developing the game of Croquet and leading the organisa7on to transform the sport for the future. Croquet England also has a dedicated Execu7ve commi8ee and a host of standing commi8ees dealing with everything from tournaments to IT. This is not that unusual in organisa7ons, but it is unusual for all apart from me to be volunteering their 7me for the good of the game and on behalf of those who can benefit from it. This year’s Annual General Mee7ng provided the opportunity to celebrate some of the sport’s heroes with the presenta7on of Diplomas, of which there were many. Clubs around the country put forward those who have gone above and beyond to support the growth of Croquet in their club or region.
Andy Dalby‐Welsh, mallet and ball in hand
But are we doing enough to recruit, train, and retain these heroes of our game? Are we saying thank you to those who give up their 7me to grow the opportuni7es for others? And are we crea7ng the fun environment enabling us to recruit, train and retain the heroes of tomorrow? I know Croquet is a great game. I know Croquet has the poten7al to improve the lives of many and I know Croquet has many heroes commi8ed to the growth and development of the sport. I urge you to remember that a small thank you can make a huge difference to someone who is volunteering and working to improve the game for others. We are a small family, and I believe those heroes of the game need suppor7ng, nurturing and celebra7ng if we are to become a bigger family! I look forward to building on the conversa7ons I have had so far, listening, learning and then outlining a future direc7on that will enable the sport to grow. Let’s work together to ensure we can create brilliant and fun experiences around the hoops of our game that will a8ract and inspire not only the player but the heroes of the future!
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INDOOR SWING TRAINER Peter Olsen in Australia has posted some YouTube videos (7nyurl.com/ croquetswingtrainer) using an inexpensive laser level as the basis for a simple swing trainer for use, primarily indoors, at home or at your club. By Andy Dibben allows you to observe the straightness of the full swing. A polycarbonate (unbreakable plas7c) mirror is
recommended over a tradi7onal glass one if you are going to hit balls whilst prac7sing your swing! The low power of the laser means that it is not useable outside in bright sunlight – but in the evening or on a dull day the laser line should be reasonably visible. A more elaborate set‐up (see fig. 4) can be constructed for use as a coaching aid in your clubhouse (or prac7ce at home if you have the space and permission to do so!). In this case the laser is mounted on a pole on top of a bridge (about 15cm high) that allows a ball to pass underneath. It is placed on a strip of ar7ficial grass (carpet is an alterna7ve) to protect the floor and has a cushioned backstop to protect the wall and to stop the ball ricoche7ng around the room. Ar7ficial grass tends to come in 2m & 4m widths – A 1m offcut from a 4m wide roll gives a usable 4m by 1m strip. Get the shortest pile possible – mine is only 6mm. In my set‐up, the pole is just a strip of wood with a steel mending plate screwed on at the top which the laser’s magne7c mount a8aches to. Three pieces of tape on the mat (see fig. 5) mark the target ball, and if any part of the ball passes over the central red strip when standing at the other end of the 4m strip then it should contact a ball 8‐9m away – not bad if you can do it consistently!
fig. 1
The laser level is a small ba8ery powered device that projects a horizontal and/or ver7cal laser line used by DIY’ers to accurately align shelves, hang wallpaper etc. (see fig. 1) They are readily available online from around £25. They can have red or green laser light but green seems to be accepted as providing a clearer/ brighter line. Ensure you get one that is self‐levelling to guarantee a true ver7cal line. It is also worth spending a bit extra for the flexibility of having one that has: rechargeable ba8eries, a tripod mount, a magne7c clamp a8achment and where the horizontal line (which is not needed) can be switched off. One that has all of these features is made by Funguard – about £30 from Amazon. In its simplest form, all you need to do is to place it on a flat level surface, about table height (70‐80cm off the ground) and put a piece of tape over part of the laser window to cut off the laser light at mallet height when you are standing about 2 metres away ‐ i.e. at a distance where you will not hit it at full swing and the laser does not shine in your eyes (see fig. 2). You will see that the laser light shines along the mallet’s sight line and all the way up the sha'. As you look down to where the ball would be and swing the mallet you can check whether you are holding your mallet truly ver7cally and whether the mallet is twis7ng as you swing. Looking down at the ball posi7on as you swing (which you should be when you actually hit the ball) prevents you from seeing how much your mallet may be moving out of line during the full extent of the swing. Pu9ng a mirror in front of the laser (see fig. 3)
fig. 2
fig. 3
fig. 4
fig. 5
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CHANGING THE WORLD ONE HOOP AT A TIME
By Dave Hunt‐Jackson, Club Secretary, Pendle & Craven Croquet Club
Pendle & Craven’s pioneering Wellbeing project goes from strength to strength. A bold headline and one which you might be forgiven for thinking is a bit of a joke! And yet, over the course of the ‘Croquet for Wellbeing’ ini7a7ve last summer, this seemingly flippant remark has gradually morphed, from tongue‐in‐cheek banter into somewhat of a campaign slogan. Not least because the person that ini7ally coined the phrase wasn’t even joking. “I do think that we’re onto something significant here” explains the project’s Lead Social Prescriber, James Smith; “When you see the difference it’s making and the feedback from clients, it’s simply astonishing.” James is speaking about the latest 16‐week run of Tuesday a'ernoon meet‐ups on the John Beech Lawns, nestled among the stone terraces of Earby, East Lancs. The final ques7onnaire analysis confirms what Pendle & Craven’s Project Lead, Ian Longstaff, has felt building all summer. On the key ques7ons, 66% of the respondents rated their experience as 10 out of 10 across all six main categories, with the answer to the big ques7on, ‘How well has the Group helped you towards your Wellbeing goals?’ returning an unequivocal 9.7 out of 10.
“On the one hand it’s kind of obvious when you see all the smiles week a'er week” he muses, “but when you think of it in terms of hard‐core data it is pre8y special. I mean, if croquet were being trialled alongside a new drug or therapy, we’d be having the Health Minister’s helicopter landing on the lawns in no 7me!” The project this 7me round has been funded by an award from the Sport England Movement Fund and builds on the success of last year’s pilot. It is, essen7ally, a partnership with the NHS, in that the Club works alongside local GPs and Social Prescribers who are able to refer their clients for all the good stuff that croquet brings: not just the game itself but the gentle nature of the exercise and the bonding with fellow players over 7me; even just the chance to get out of the house and enjoy some company or as
a welcome break from tough‐to‐deal‐ with situa7ons.
According to Ian, it is the broad range of issues presented that underlines the efficacy of all the hoop running. “We have carers who come for a bit of respite, cancer pa7ents who have found something that they can s7ll do and enjoy with their partners, people who are restricted in some way due to physical injuries, mental health challenges or condi7ons like Alzheimer’s and demen7a” he says. For him, the most gra7fying thing is to see how the Club volunteers have taken it all in their stride and have found ways to accommodate whatever has been thrown at them. “The sight of a group leader carrying a white plas7c chair around for a guy who has Parkinson’s and needs the odd rest here and there; it brings a tear to the eye some7mes!” The guest book is also awash with posi7ve remarks, with par7cipants aged from 28 to 90 recording comments like, “We act like children,
Con nued on page 7
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CHANGING THE WORLD CONTINUED
best thing ever!”, “We feel very at home here”, “You are my second life‐ saving group” and the hit‐the‐nail‐on‐ the‐head simplicity of “I LOVE TUESDAYS!!!” Perhaps the greatest accolade though happened right at the end. On the last day of the funded project on 30th September, a wave of sadness washed through the group at the thought of it ending. So, at the eleventh hour, the
the proof of the pudding for new club Chairman Stephen Wright. “I feel incredibly proud of the team and what we are achieving here” he says, explaining that “It shows just how powerful croquet can be in improving mental health outcomes, tackling social isola7on and star7ng on the path to be8er health via movement and low‐impact exercise”. For Croquet England too, Pendle & Craven’s success offers compelling proof that Wellbeing is built into croquet in a way few other sports can match. So much so, that their Sport Development Commi8ee have put pen to paper and launched a white paper aimed specifically at health professionals and physiotherapists. The ‘Changing the world…’ tagline might have started out as a joke, but the grain of truth at its core is sprou7ng handsomely!
idea of everyone con7nuing on a Pay & Play basis was floated and 14 people instantly put their name on the sign‐up sheet. Not only a welcome cash boost it is also this intrepid band, who have carried on their croquet in the face of decidedly autumnal weather, that is
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WHEELCHAIR PROJECT AT DRIFFIELD By Mike Li1lewood
So, the posi7ves from this year, in the project. We have established that the strokes for golf croquet and associa7on can be played from a wheelchair. However, adjustments to the rules of both games need to be made for
Well, the outdoor 2025 season at the Driffield club has drawn to a close, not that we have facility to play inside in these cold and witheringly windy months. The club had some success this year in our maiden short lawn league season. The first croquet league match being played at the club in 90 years and hosted by us! I have also had personal success and now wear a weight‐bearing boot on my le' leg. S7ll with stern warnings from the podiatry team to stay off it as much as possible though. So where does this leave the wheelchair project? Well, at the moment, s7ll with many unanswered ques7ons regarding the type of wheelchair that will be best suited. Whilst the Bowls Royce wheelchair that has been lent to me proved that it could be used without damaging the lawn, it proved heavy to use and very difficult to manoeuvre. The 8cm wheels are much harder to swivel than the 1cm wheels on my personal chair. These issues were compounded when in September our warm dry spring and summer were subjected to freak weather condi7ons. It rained! This made it almost impossible to turn and posi7on the chair on the lawn, as the wide wheels just slipped on the lubrica7ng moisture. This, of course, is no issue in Formula One racing, the car just pulls into the pits and within a few seconds old tyres off, new tyres on. We don’t even know currently what width of tyre to put on. If we go too narrow, then we could be damaging the lawn again. At Pocklington, which is a town not too far away, the tennis club has three sports wheelchairs provided by the Lawn Tennis Associa7on. We are part of the LTA in our club, being a combina7on of tennis and croquet players. So, I shall see if we can be loaned one of these to see the reac7on of the lawn to its use. A'er all, these chairs are allowed to be used on the courts at Wimbledon. I believe it rains in London too. Two heads are be8er than one, so if any of the readers have any sugges7ons of how the standard wheelchair we have can be modified to prevent tyre damage to the lawn they would be gratefully received. Whilst we have the engineering capability within our small membership that eureka moment has so far eluded us. To save Alison an increased workload please forward your eureka moments to care2mike@hotmail.com . This is the style of wheelchair that we have been given to work with. Heavier than my personal one as it has a tubular steel frame. From a prac7cal point they have to be the large diameter rear wheel version, and hand wheel so that I can hold and rotate them to posi7on the chair.
game and match play to accommodate the much larger footprint the chair
creates. These being marking balls or removing hoops that impede the wheelchair being moved into a playing posi7on. In using these adapta7ons to the rules not only have I been able to join in club sessions I have managed to win a game. The wheelchair marks made on the prac7ce area seemed to recover quite quickly, but this was tested during excep7onally dry seasonal weather. At least Peter, our groundsman, didn’t seem fazed by them. I shall probably con7nue to play from the chair next year, as my leg muscles begin to rebuild, and the structure of my foot con7nues to stabilise. I don’t expect another dry spring and summer though, so perhaps adjustments will need to be made for so'er lawn condi7ons, only 7me will tell on that one. Sadly, my enquiry with the distributor of my personal chair, Mo7on Healthcare of Braintree, went unanswered, and the chair is made in China. So, I am now in the process of contac7ng, Z‐Tec Mobility, Invictus Ac7ve, and DaVinci Mobility who according to the Internet search are UK‐based manufacturers. The Bowls Royce wheelchair was developed by the Bush Hills bowls shop and retails for £1,074.00 plus a delivery fee of £130.00. Other Bowls approved chairs can be found at: whiteheadbowls.co.uk/product/chairiot bowls‐wheelchair/ para‐handybowlingwheelchair.com email: andrewgsemple@sky.com These prices leave croquet players of modest means out‐ priced from the game, so the need for the project to be successful con7nues to be an important one. So please, if you do have ideas for adap7ng a standard wheelchair that members or clubs can recycle, at much reduced cost get in touch, care2mike@hotmail.com.
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SUNSHINY DAYS @ NOTTINGHAM WEEK A BBQ is lit by Roger and Debbie! ‐ celebra7on required so the drinking is merry. Report by Rupert Ursus
No9ngham Week unlike anything seen. The Eastern lawns empty, even though green. Western courts stunning have sure earned their day. All four dressed by Charlie with lots now to play. The Robin‐Hood‐handicap and all of the classes. There’s a doubles comp too, compe7ng for glasses. Time limits in place, 2 games per lawn, 6 days of play. We need two dozen or more finished today! Sunshiny balls and Hopewell hoops, easy for split shots, cut rushes and scoops. The manager thinks that all will be fine. But wait! the games are all going to 7me. Tuesday surprise, sparkling wine popping, 50 years at No9ngham and no sign of stopping.
Off for more liquids but the food piles are sound: like the 5000, enough to go ‘round. It’s the eve of the finals, the B class completed. Hardwick beat Houston only narrowly defeated. Saturday dawns and two semis are played. Tom Dewar and Peter by Tim and Tony are slayed. So on to the finals the crowns to reveal. Well managed by Alex as one court we steal. Dutch Hockey team cram into shorts made of court, impressed at the greatness of our li8le sport. The first is the D class Patricia Duke Cox… defeats David Boxell no 7me on the clocks. The second the doubles Omied and Sarah again… defeat Anthony and Colin e7que8e strained. The Open is won by Phil over Omied. Not going to 7me though… just as expected.
Picture: Roger Watson ligh0ng the BBQs
As for the last two the C and the Hood, 7me of the essence the spectacle good. Tim was ahead but missed at the last. To give Tony the C class, going round fast. David Brydon and Sarah swap blows 7ll the end, Sarah’s bisques run out far too fast to defend. So now I must end it, one more to rhyme, the last two games finished plus 1 on 7me.
Picture: Peter Death in play 50 years a!er first playing at No2ngham.
Wednesday sees play in the day and a play in the evening, its sweltering hot, how’s everyone feeling? Thursday arrives, some respite from the sun, lots of cri7cal games, but some races run. Friday is ending 128 games later… we all need a boost…please someone cater.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Readers are reminded that the views expressed in the le8ers pages of the Gaze8e are those of the authors only, and not those of their clubs, unless specifically indicated.
CROQUET FIGURINES
Searching eBay on 9 April 2009 I came across the Royal Doulton 1992 Bri7sh Spor7ng Heritage female figure [1] and bought it. She was the first of the Coalport ’Ladies of Fashion’ [2] followed 6 months later notably with a separate brass mallet, and further 8 years later, the plain white version, a second? Figures are mainly female, but one early excep7on was the bisque pair [3]. After cleaning, her pe9coat was found to be trimmed with primary colours and his waistcoat, not brown, but maroon. More familiar, probably, are the Lladro pair [4] and the Norman Rockwell figurines [5]; where ‘he leers over her shoulder’. I also have the large doll figure of that pair from a US thrift shop. Another early purchase was the lady in reddish top [6] over white skirt with red hat. She has a ‘coronet’ mark, which research showed to have been used by East Germany to pass off their ceramics as good quality porcelain. She cost £17 in 2012. I now have 3 examples, the latest, 2023, £1 – from
the local dump shop! Just about all figures were bought via eBay. Many come from the USA, when postage & packing can cost more than the figure. For a while a club member’s sister brought some over in her luggage, alas no more. If you collect it is worth searching likely countries’ domes7c eBay. I had been looking for some years for the ‘Vesta Lady’ [9] and found her on the Canadian site when she was not listed on the UK eBay site even though I specified ‘search worldwide’. My favourite, coveted for some years, is a very recent purchase ‐ ‘Young England’s Sister’, a Parian ware figure [7]. Not all my figures are ceramic; some are resin, the 3 small ‘Under the Hedge’ figures with caterpillar hoop [8], and a couple metal ‐ the brass ’vesta lady’ and smaller ‘Gibson Girl’ in pewter [9]. I ‘allowed’ the ‘Nuts & Bolts’ figure’ [10] and recently a modern steampunk sculpture, ‘Cecil’ [11], by US ar7st Jim Casey was expensive. I’m not sure about that one!
I don’t buy anthropomorphic figures and definitely ‘no thank you’ to the rather creepy US ‘Byer’s Choice’ figures. I do occasionally buy other croquet related items e.g. 3 CA Silver Medals, one with a Budleigh Salterton bar. The cast iron mechanical bank [12] also appealed but not the prodigiously produced steam‐punk birds on old croquet balls by US sculptors Jim & Tori Mullan at c£500 ‐ £1,000. Some figures are genuine an7ques. The Staffordshire Flat‐Back [13] and from Germany, the large player in red jacket and yellow striped trousers [14]. He is an early 20thC figure marked with the Imperial Amphora Czechoslovakia mark; His ‘partner’ 15] bought from a UK seller was markedly less expensive. When does an interest become an obsession? I don’t know but, I’m s7ll buying. Chris Donovan
EYESIGHT BEATS LASER Following Liz Wilson’s ar7cle on the difficul7es for colour‐blind croquet players, I would like to draw your a8en7on to Brookwood Croquet, who supply ‘high visibility’ croquet clips including adding colour‐blind markings to the green and brown clips as recommended by Croquet England. These can be obtained at www.brookwoodcroquet.sumupstore.com. Andrew Du8on
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SUSSEX COUNTY CROQUET CLUB RAISES £2500+ FOR PROSTATE CANCER UK By Linda Gavigan
On Sunday 21st September, Sussex County Croquet Club raised over £2500 for Prostate Cancer UK on their lawns located at Kingston Lane in Shoreham. Members, families and friends enjoyed an a'ernoon of croquet‐with‐a‐difference, wielding mallets to play bowls, ski8les, racing croquet, the Game of Cards and a challenging obstacle course contested by players aiming to complete the course in the lowest number of strokes ‐ rather like crazy golf with drainpipes and much harder than it appeared at first glance! Tea and cakes in the club house, with a delicious selec7on of homemade cakes, and a very successful raffle added to the total raised on a JustGiving page organised by Vincent L’Estrange. Organiser Joanne Crosby said “We were delighted by the large numbers who turned up to support the event which was postponed by the rain the previous weekend. As well as the fantas7c sum raised for Prostate Cancer UK we hope that we have raised awareness of this insidious cancer.”
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WATFORD (CASSIOBURY) CROQUET CLUB NEWS By Kevin Currie Trustee, Wa/ord (Cassiobury) Club
As the summer turns to autumn, Wa6ord (Cassiobury) Croquet Club can reflect on a successful season for the club and its members. At the end of September the club won the Murphy Shield, a na7onal Golf Croquet knock‐out team tournament, for the fourth 7me in the last 15 years on the superb lawns of the Roehampton Club, bea7ng Guildford & Godalming 4‐3 in the final. A'er leading 3‐0 at the lunch interval in the best‐of‐7 match it turned into a close‐run encounter with veteran Arthur Reed finally winning his singles contest to clinch the 4‐3 win. The local Roehampton spectators were duly impressed when Arthur also drew their a8en7on to his name displayed on the winners board in their pavilion for his
Nick Archer’s and Lois Hall’s dual Wa6ord win in the Level Play and Handicap classes respec7vely in the regional Golf Croquet Club Champions' tournament. In addi7on, Nick Archer brought more credit to the club by represen7ng England for the first 7me in a match against the USA in July, and Simon Hathrell travelled to Florida in October as a referee in the World Associa7on Croquet Championship. In September the Wa6ord club also hosted the final of the Secretary’s Shield, another na7onal team compe77on, in which the highlight was a Singles game between the current Women's World Champion, Debbie Lines, represen7ng the Peterborough club, and her opponent from the World Championship final, Gabrielle Higgins, represen7ng the Sussex County club – so truly a reprise of the world championship final. To conclude, Wa6ord has a thriving croquet club based at its 4 lawns in Cassiobury Park, going from strength to strength, and it will be celebra7ng its 90th anniversary next year. It welcomes beginners and players of any standard for membership.
victory in their top club tournament there back in 1967! A week beforehand Wa6ord also won the Anderson Shield, a regional team compe77on for Associa7on Croquet, bea7ng Newport 4‐3 in a close‐fought final, and on the same day a Wa6ord team won the regional B‐level League Golf Croquet final, bea7ng Meldreth 11‐7. In addi7on, the club won the regional Golf Croquet Open League for the fourth 7me in the last 5 years, and the Beds & Herts Associa7on Croquet league for the sixth 7me in the last 20 years. Altogether a very successful end to the summer season. All of the above successes are season‐long campaigns, involving more members than those taking part in the finals, and are truly team efforts. Individually, a number of members have won various tournaments throughout the summer, the highlight being
07929 940893 mlstuchfield@gmail.com Marie Stuchfield
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THE MAGGIE COWMAN CUP FESTIVAL OF CROQUET
By Andrea Widdison
Ripon Spa Croquet Club in North Yorkshire hosted the Maggie Cowman compe77on on September 8th and 9th. Maggie Cowman was an amazing sportsperson having represented England at cricket in her youth. A'er a chronic condi7on stopped her playing sport, she received a double lung transplant at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. In spite of this she then became an accomplished croquet player represen7ng both Ripon Spa club in matches and England at the Women’s World Championships. Maggie passed away in 2022 and Ripon Spa club thought it fi9ng to host an annual event in her honour and also to raise funds for the Freeman’s sports teams.
Roger I’Anson wins the Progressive Doubles
Sarah Clements receives her medal from Ted Flexman
Sheila Hornsey, winner of the Progressive Doubles
Jane Pringle, winner of the Maggie Cowman Cup
The two day event started with a fun Progressive Doubles with 20 compe7tors. The compe77on was won by Roger I’Anson (Ripon Spa) and Sheila Hornsey (The Dales). A fi9ng result as Sheila was a cricketer friend of Maggie’s and Maggie had introduced her to croquet. Day one ended with a Sausage Sizzle. Day two was of a more serious nature. A fiercely contested Open Singles compe77on for the Maggie Cowman Cup, which included 3 of the country’s top women players, was eventually won by Jane Pringle (Auckland). The silver medallist was Sarah Clements (Chester). Other medals were awarded to Jane Bailey the Shield winner, Michael Franklin the Plate winner and Robert Mumford the Saucer winner.
The day ended with a vote of thanks given by club chairman and organiser Ted Flexman who announced that £585 had been raised this year in Maggie’s honour. In total Ripon Spa Croquet Club have raised over £1920 over the four years of this compe77on. A delicious a'ernoon tea of cakes and strawberries and cream followed.
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THE ROAD TO EASTBOURNE PIER PART 2: THE JOURNEY
Tournament Manager I made the decision to withdraw from this one. A'er all I’m confident not stupid, and so the third lesson was learnt: know your limits! However, I was now le' with a gap in my calendar, but there was another Open with spaces, in Tunbridge Wells. Although technically a similar level, as most of the top players were converging on East Anglia the entry,
By Michael Pudney [Magic Mike]
And I would drive 2,000 miles, Then I would drive 2,000 more Just to be the man who smacked four coloured balls Although it’s made me rather poor. So where was I? Ah yes, my first C‐Series at Budleigh and buoyed with confidence! Well in the intervening four months I’ve learnt a fair amount about this croquet lark; 164 ranking games tends to do that to you. The first and most disturbing thing I learnt was that “Magic Mike” is in fact a male stripper featuring in films and stage shows. In fairness to our Compe77ons Manager John Effingham, who gave me this moniker, I’m not sure he knew either. Anyway it’s too late now, I have the beanie hat. However, I promise not to try and emulate my namesake on the lawns. The second major educa7on involved the TES tournament entry system. Apparently the comments sec7on next to your name in a tournament entry is not a private place for you to make comments about your prepara7ons or opponents, as it is visible to at the least the Tournament Manager and possibly other players. Fortunately, I did discover this before I made any serious faux pas, so be warned before making any tac7cal or other observa7ons about a fellow compe7tor, or derogatory comments about a town’s
whilst good, wasn’t quite so daun7ng, and I entered fully expec7ng a day of defeat but educa7on. Perhaps the expecta7ons for the day made me play in a more relaxed fashion, and along with my fellow 7‐Handicapper I qualified for the main knock‐out. Unlike Edward Patel I lost my quarter‐final, but then went on to win two further matches and finished 5th, whilst Edward a'er a narrow defeat to his dad 7‐6 in the semi‐final finished 4th. (A lesson learnt for others that day – never underes7mate a 7.) So buoyed with confidence again I moved on to my first overseas
hotels and general state of repair. Although thinking about it, it may in fact be a useful addi7on to the website if a personal comments sec7on was available to record your own accommoda7on and leave arrangements. It is probably worth at this point thanking James at HQ who was a great help when entering my first tournaments; if you are ever unsure about anything pick up the phone. In my experience you will be met with great knowledge and support. Onto the croquet itself. A'er my ini7al rela7ve successes and planning out my season I discovered a gap, and decided much to the surprise of my
croquet tournament, well the Isle of Wight counts doesn’t it? Much of my season had been built on a plan to qualify for the C‐ Level Finals in Eastbourne, and I had entered as many tournaments as possible, and was confident that a'er a 4th and a number of 5ths I would eventually be triumphant, but the problem was by this stage I was in danger of not being eligible for any tournaments that hadn’t been allocated. I considered this as I
clubmates to enter the East Anglian Open, which at the 7me had an entry of eight and one fellow highish handicapper. A few weeks later he had dropped out and been replaced by eight of the top players in the country, but with an hour to go I was s7ll in the tournament, along with 15 players with handicaps of 1 and below. My blushes were spared at the 11th hour when I was pushed to 1st reserve. Following a very kind and suppor7ve exchange with Ian Burridge the
dragged my kit bag up the long and surprisingly steep road from Ryde Harbour to the croquet club, and had a quick nap under the beau7ful White Isle early morning sunshine, but I was top seed so what could go wrong today. As I walked back 11 hours later having finished last, I texted my club coach Tony Elkin, who has been my mentor and has ac7vely supported my journey, with four simple words: “make it
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THE ROAD TO EASTBOURNE PIER CONTINUED
make sense”. The truth is that the C‐Level is surprisingly hard, it has a mixture of new players rapidly improving and old seasoned players with years of experience. The style of play is some7mes erra7c, and decision‐making can be confused by the unpredictable ability of opponents. If I am honest it was one of the lowest parts of the season. A break from my self‐ imposed pressure was needed. This was provided by my beloved Crystal Palace reaching the FA Cup Final (sorry East Dorset for the withdrawal, but it wasn’t really a choice) and a li8le trip up the road to Pendle and Craven for an A‐Series. The Cup Final and the A‐Series at Pendle were both brilliant weekends, winning one and qualifying out of my block in the other. I have wondered if like me Crystal Palace took their opponents out the night before the game for a Chinese in a car park, and persuaded them to drink coffee liqueur. It worked for me, and I will put this par7cular tac7c into the memory bank for future tournaments when I am technically out of my depth. Despite this rela7ve success I had not really got close to my season’s goal of the C‐Series Finals, and more to the point I was beginning to run out of money. I had set out to prepare properly for each tournament, staying near the venue and ge9ng a good night’s sleep. However, this also comes at a cost, both in terms of money and annual leave. As my love interest in the area was unavailable (an unfortunate recurring feature of the season) I therefore made the hard decision that in order to play in the B‐Series at Colchester at
myself, Alan Dickenson and Dena Howle8 were there to watch. This was very disappoin7ng, and looking at my stats for the day it seems 3rd and 4th place was not competed for. However, it was the most fun I had had watching a game all season, and we laughed a lot. Now I had a problem, just two tournaments at C‐Level le', no automa7c qualifica7on, and I’m supposed to be at a wedding celebra7on on the day of the next tournament. So being a total hypocrite, on arriving at East Dorset I explained to the Manager that I would regre8ably need to leave as soon as all my matches were complete, and told the bride I would be with her at about 8pm. At around 7pm I picked up my mallet and walked out onto the lawn to play my first C‐ Level final, against the only person to have beaten me that day, Linda Hogan, a high handicapper playing off 10 who had won 7‐6 in our first game of the day. An hour later without changing I was in my car driving the 101 miles to Leatherhead (a promise is a promise), with a trophy, a commemora7ve wine glass and a lot of apologising to do. Most significantly, I had reached my goal and was indeed on the road to Eastbourne Pier, with the added bonus of a further trip to Budleigh Beach. It had taken 164 ranking games, I had travelled 4,000 miles and spent more money than I care to calculate. I had been posi7ve, nega7ve, happy, annoyed, frustrated and quietly content, and I had met some wonderful people. Now I need to toddle off, I have hotels to book. Nothing could now go wrong, could it?
all, I would have to save some dosh and do a day return of 274 miles. I set off at 5.30am, returning home 14 hours later with a nice bo8le of red, the Lae7cia Atkinson Cup and a qualifica7on for the Na7onal B‐Level finals under my belt. I think I probably texted Tony again with the same four words as I did on the ferry back from Ryde, but with a much happier emoji. With the unexpected B‐Series qualifica7on secured I refocused my a8en7on on that elusive C‐Level Final. The major problem was that I was now limited to only four more a8empts, as my handicap had gone down to 5, meaning I was eligible only for those tournaments which had passed their alloca7on date when I was s7ll a 7. Swindon was a nightmare 9th. Surbiton however was more encouraging, and in strong winds I lost
a semi‐final to Helen Lucas, who had to leave the court several 7mes to retrieve her hat. Or was this in fact a cunning plan to disrupt my flow? Hmmm. As well as my disappointment at losing, Surbiton also highlighted a couple of annoyances that have blighted an otherwise mostly posi7ve playing experience. Namely slow play and the failure of players to stay 7ll the end of tournaments. The final of the Surbiton tournament was eventually finished at 8:25pm on hoop 13. Unfortunately only the tournament management,
PART 1 OF MIKE'S STORY WAS PUBLISHED IN ISSUE 003 SEPTEMBER 2025
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WHERE DID THE SEASON GO? Well, that was over somewhat quickly! In truth, as we have three jobs between us as well as the mallet business, we only really play in club teams and events like the Mary Rose, the Longman Cup and the North‐West Federa7on leagues. Anne has had a good season in general, seeing a reduc7on in her handicap, whereas I have once again bounced around the trigger points and stayed on the same one for the whole season; and if I am honest didn’t play very well for many of the early matches. Bury, as many clubs do I suspect, struggle for AC players. We have been able in the last 12 seasons or so to field two 26pt AC teams in the league, but injuries and availability made our last match more difficult than usual to put out a team, so I asked one of the GC players I have been coaching AC to if he would fill the vacant slot for the match. By Chris Alvey, dbmallets@gmail.com, Sponsors of the Townsend Club Award
This made me the lowest handicap for the match at 7 and Duncan in his first ever full lawn match an 18, with Anne and Phil playing at 9 and 10. We really had nothing to lose, as we weren’t in a posi7on to win the league, but I don’t like having to hand walkovers to other clubs. I played the alternate shot doubles with Duncan, and it became quickly apparent that much of what I had been coaching had gone in and been absorbed. Discussion was quick and we played an a8acking game for the most part. Duncan dropped pioneers in usable places for me and was running hoops and using rushes well, even encouraging me to shoot at a hoop I would normally have run away from as it was outside my usual range (and I made it!). As a coach it made me really proud, and as a captain it was a perfect first ou7ng for a new member of the team. We were 3 up at lunch. The a'ernoon is when this match became my highlight of the season. Teaching tac7cs is not easy as, in the words some7mes accredited to Eisenhower, “No plan survives first contact with the enemy”. Croquet is all about adap7ng to the way you’re playing and the way your opponent is playing; and one good hit‐in can change the whole game. Duncan
David, Anne & Duncan
played his game, his way, albeit following what we had done in coaching. When he was behind there was no glimmer of him giving up, just trying harder, and he played an absolute blinder. He recovered the hoops he was behind and went on to win plus 4 on 7me.
Since becoming a coach I have lost internal matches and compe77ons to the majority of those I’ve coached, and I suspect that Duncan will ul7mately be another. But hand on heart, I can honestly say I was incredibly proud to have had some part in his development and will be calling on him for next season as well. That day was my croquet highlight of 2025 and we won 7‐0.
Duncan at Coaching
Duncan
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THE WOKING JUNIORS
By Sara Anderson
Today was the last junior session of the year at Woking before the lawns close for winter works. We played a GC doubles tournament in fancy dress to celebrate the end of a very successful first year. There were 6 doubles pairings with guest players Mar7n and Tanya, and the tournament was all‐play‐all, so 5 matches each, first to 4 hoops. At the end of the 5 matches we had 4 teams on 3 wins, and all the teams had won at least one of their matches. So yet again we had a hoop shootout : Winners Mark & Emmeline (each won a Nutcracker ornament filled with sweets) 2nd Tanya & Talitha 3rd Ian & Julie8e 3rd Ana & Hector Best Fancy Dress Fifi ‐ Cruella de Vil (miniature cowboy hat for decora7on). The juniors were all awarded a Cer7ficate of Achievement for their first season of croquet. Well played everyone. Massive thanks to the coaching team who have come every Monday … Colin Groves, Sandra Guildford, Ian & Sara Anderson. With thanks to all the Jjuniors for being such a pleasure to coach….and their parents who have supported them along the way. Looking forward to some winter croquet and the 2026 season.
Le' to Right in photo: Frank (Hector), The Joker (Mark), Queen of Hearts (Talitha), Arc7c Explorers (Julie8e & Emmeline), Captain of Queen's Guard (Ian), Queen (Sara), Spiderman (Simon), Three Cowboys (Sandra, Tanya & Mar7n), Princess (Ana), Cruella de Vil (Fifi)
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HAVE MALLET WILL TRAVEL
By Brenda Duplock, Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club
This is a personal reflec7on on my 2025 croquet season, which I wanted to share, as I hope it might inspire others to experience the fun and camaraderie of travelling to tournaments in other places. Over the year, I’ve enjoyed travelling and compe7ng in seven Croquet England GC Level Series ‘C’ (7+ hcp) compe77ons at Chester, Swindon, East Dorset, Bath, Cheltenham, Sidmouth, and of course at my home club, Budleigh Salterton. I didn’t win any of the compe77ons but measured my real success in winning more games than I lost and, in all but one event, I qualified for the main knockout rather than the (consola7on) plate. I finished 3rd once and 4th twice.
The tournaments I entered had 16 par7cipants. Play started in blocks. Then the most successful block players were entered into a knockout, with the remainder going into the plate. Players generally play 6 games over the day. The warm welcome at all the venues was very much appreciated along with hot & cold drinks, excellent cakes and, notably, the outstanding lunch at Chester! The experience was great for my game, playing many different people on very varying lawns. My handicap has changed from 8 at the start of the season to 5, and my DGrade has gone up by 92 points. I played 60 games, including LP 5+ league matches which counted towards this rise, and achieved a 63% win rate. I found that the experience, especially adap7ng to playing on varying lawn condi7ons, was very useful when playing away in league matches and when playing condi7ons changed at home. My croquet ‘family’ has also expanded, and I look forward to playing many of the same people next year – although now in the GC B Level Series. The whole season was great fun, but also a fantas7c learning curve for me ‐ so I'd recommend giving these tournaments a try! Check out the Croquet England Tournament Calendar and put yourself forward! You may even be able, as I did, to combine a day’s Croquet with a visit to family or friends or being a tourist in a different area ‐ which added to the whole enjoyment of travelling to play. I'm looking forward to the tournament calendar opening in February, so I can plan my next adventures ‐ I hope some of you will join me! Finally, I'd like to end with a massive Thank You to fellow Budleigh club member Stuart M. Smith. At the start of the year, Stu asked me if I would like to partner him for our season‐long club Doubles compe77on. This was a great boost to my confidence and Stu's constant encouragement 'to get out there and play' inspired me to do just that! Photo: Brenda is pictured here (centre) with the victorious Budleigh LP 5+ Team a!er bea0ng Broadwas at Bristol in the Final to win the SWCF LP 5+ League.
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FUN, FAST AND FRIENDLY FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ALISON ON 07766 720830, ALISONMAUGHAMCROQUET@GMAIL.COM
thing to remember to bring with you is your best sense of humour. Believe me, you’ll need it. It wasn’t long before I became somewhat addicted to this new form of Croquet. At the 7me of this first tournament, in 2017, I was a scratch player. Just two years earlier I was one of the most improved players, so I had become rather accustomed to my fair share of winning. Oh boy, was I brought down a peg or two! I was quickly reminded of the art of coming second. The speed of the court saw my first three croquet strokes go flying out of bounds, hoop approaches were going past hoops by a country mile and, as for the roll shots, apparently Barlow Cs do ‘odd things’.
ALISON MAUGHAM
On a mission to bring croquet to the people
Let me tell you a story, which begins with my dad (Cliff Jones) asking me to play Croquet with him. He said: “Would
you like to play some croquet this winter?”, to which I replied “Of course, I always want to play Croquet”. But then, he added the catch, or in fact mul7ple catches: “It’s indoor croquet. Oh, and it’s doubles, so you will be playing with me. Oh, and it’s handicap…. Oh, and it’s speed croquet.” Naturally I couldn’t resist, but I was in for a shock. As I walked into the Sports Hall of the Ross Peers Sports Centre in Soham, I found myself amongst other players all wearing whites, looking very serious, rushing and shuffling around like I had never seen croquet players behave before. This was in fact, an en7rely new breed of Croquet player, and I soon became one of them.
That season Dad and I didn’t win a single tournament, but we did win a few games as we gradually mastered the speed of the carpet. Naturally I would be back the following season, determined as ever to get back to winning. That following season I returned with a new partner. This 7me it was my husband who had to work out how to play this most frustra7ng new style of croquet. David, whose Associa7on Croquet handicap was ‐2.5, provided our pairing with a new challenge: an
Alison & Cliff... a long 0me ago
addi7onal two‐and‐a‐half‐minute penalty. This meant we had 22 minutes and 30 seconds to complete fourteen points, whilst also scoring three peels on our other ball. We learned quickly that a four‐ball break was not the way forward, as too many roquets and croquets took too much 7me. And the ba8le was on. My partner, the England Team Captain, and I didn’t win a single tournament. Perhaps I
shouldn’t have switched partners. Finally, on the second weekend of tac7cs and tensions we won our first two games. But the wins were s7ll few and far between. In 2019 the monthly weekends became monthly ‘Maugham family holiday’. Bemused onlookers in the sports hall would witness the most compe77ve croquet couple in the world, with their baby sleeping courtside and, a'er a few years, toddling a'er his parents with his own mallet in hand.
Ross Peers Sports Centre, Soham
The one‐day tournaments are played as Associa7on Croquet 14‐point handicap games. Each pair has their handicap assigned to them which is on a scale from “lots of bisques” down to “having to do some peels”. There’s also the clock, which starts at 25 minutes and counts down whilst each pair is in play. As the players race against the 7me and each other, this game of Croquet brings out the best and the worst in all, no ma8er who you are or what standard you play at. And, apart from your mallet, the most important
Finally in 2022 we had cracked it. I was on the winning side again and it felt great. But in 2023 fate threw a curve ball. Month by month the tournament had ever fewer players and we would start struggling to break even and cover the costs of the hall rental. We did survive Covid‐19, but the sports centre needed to earn more, and twelve croquet
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