WELCOME
Not so long ago, I was lucky to find myself visiting one of our hidden gem Croquet Clubs; a single lawn tucked away in the heart of a small town in mid-Wales, with neighbouring tennis court and cricket pitch. I had been contacted by the founder of the club, Jan Crisp, who was enquiring about indoor croquet. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of indoor croquet, especially over the winter months when our small communities might otherwise end up in hibernation. I happened to have a spare indoor court stored locally, so I offered to deliver the equipment on my next trip in that direction. As I drove the 225 mile trip west from home, I pondered what I might find when I arrived. The Llanidloes Club members
Croquet Gazette Issue 423 | October 2026
CROQUET GAZETTE Issue 423| October 2026
turned out in force, to set courts, support the teams
playing, make teas, welcome guests and most of all, cheer, clap and whoop. As I sneaked in the sidegate to join the crowd, I felt it was a privilege to be spectating at the Welsh Croquet Association Golf Croquet Team Championship
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2026. Llanfairfechan Croquet Club played superbly against Glamorgan Croquet Club gaining an excellent 8-4 win. When I arrived, the impressive spectacle showcased 8 players on the single lawn, fiercely competing their doubles matches, two teams starting at the traditional corner 4, and the other two with secondary colours from corner 2. The sight of a championship event being hosted by a single lawn club, showcased where grassroots can support the topflight tournaments, and where hosting a tournament like this can highlight a club’s passion and prowess. Not long after the presentations and praise for the excellent croquet from the top players in the region, the conversations quickly led back to grassroots, and how their “ball-in-a-bag” will continue over the winter with the indoor courts. The “ball-in-a-bag” is a simple yet brilliant concept where everyone in the club has a ball with their name on, and each week they are picked from a bag to find an opponent to play in the roll-up. This ensures that everyone gets a chance to play with a variety of people, helping to reduce cliques and encourage a welcoming yet competitive environment for everyone involved. A little piece of my heart will now belong to this little club in the heart of Wales, where one day, I hope, my own little ball might be picked from a bag. Alison Alison Maugham Editor editor@croquetengland.org.uk
Front Cover: England: World Team Champions (Page 7) Image credit: Martin Conway
CONTENTS 4 Tunnel of Time 5 The Chair’s Perspective 6 The Centenary MacRobertson Shield 11 Letters to the Editor 13 AC World Teams Tiers 2 & 3 14 Swing Clinic 16 Short Croquet Focus 17 Association Croquet News 24 Golf Croquet News 28 NWFederation Festival of Croquet 29 Coaching Pages 32 The little wins ... from DB Mallets 33 Obituaries
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