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
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 10
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