THE NATIONAL SENIORS CONTINUED Michael Bithell [Meldreth 0] was, for the second year
running, successful in the Colin Hemming Cup. He was only beaten by Richard Wood [Sidmouth 1.5]. Of his six wins three matches were narrow victories with that ‘annoying/ glorious/frustrating’ +1. Will it be 3 in a row next year? Curtis Drake [USA 0] took the runner-up bottle of bubbly. The Trevor Williams Cup saw 13 of the 25 scheduled game peg-out. A 3 hour time limit had been set before the conditions were fully appreciated and a few games did indeed go to time. The semi-final was played between Harding v Adams [26 – 14] and David Fuller [East Dorset -2] v Williams [17 – 16]. The final went to time with Harding pouncing on one of Fuller’s shots falling short when it hit the peg. It was, however, a tight game with Harding winning for the second year running 24 – 22.
The President of Croquet England, Jonathan Isaacs presented the prizes after thanking Budleigh for their sterling efforts, particularly the hoop setting in very dry ground. Photo right of Rick Harding Credit: Martha Palin A BOREHOLE FOR BLEWBURY By Dave Dibben, Blewbury Croquet Club
Blewbury Croquet Club are now enjoying the benefits of their decision to construct a borehole beside their courts. The project cost £26,527 and was completed in parallel with the replacement of their original irrigation system. It was finished just in time to foil the worst effects of May’s surprise heatwave. And it gives the South Oxfordshire club the ability to more easily budget for the future. It was all made possible by the combination of a £5,000 award from Croquet England’s Development Fund, very generous interest-free loans from two members of the Club, and a donation of £3,000 from another (against which the club – as a registered CASC - could claim gift aid). With more frequent droughts, increasing water bills, and local hosepipe bans all threatening the quality of their courts — and
potentially even the club’s future — Blewbury set out to secure a guaranteed long-term water supply, taking advantage of the layer of permeable rock and resultant high water table under the village. The work started in mid-November 2025. The drilling contractors were at first hampered by some underground cables and a rocky chalk layer, but they quickly made up lost time after they struck water at the depth of just six metres. Drilling continued to a depth of 24 metres, and a submersible pump was soon in place. The project couldn’t complete until it had been tested in conjunction with the new irrigation system. And it met one significant delay, in finding an electrician to connect the borehole cabinet’s cable into a newly-installed fuse box. But final testing was successfully signed off on 1st May. Blewbury secretary David Long said: “With a working borehole providing ample water, we have achieved a seemingly guaranteed water supply for
our irrigation needs. We have also put the club on a more stable financial footing, with our loan repayments much more predictable than future mains water costs. But it will only be in 10-20 years’ time that we’ll be able to fully quantify the savings we’ll have made.” In a nutshell, here’s Blewbury’s advice to other clubs who may be considering going down the same road… * Boreholes are expensive: consider the payback period. * Dry boreholes are particularly expensive. A necessary first step is to carry out an online grounds survey to find out where the water is. * Make sure you know what else might be buried under your proposed site. * Consider your water storage and electrical supply needs before you start on the project. * Appoint a project manager with engineering knowledge (and preferably previous experience). David Long concludes: “We are very happy with the outcome of this project. Our lawns are already looking — and playing — all the better for it.”
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