CROQUET Online Issue 3 | September 2025 GAZETTE
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WELCOME This 6me around, I would like to take a moment to be proud of our sport, our players and our clubs. You will read later in the Gaze7e that I managed to win myself a GC trophy this season, which I am delighted about. I played in a tournament with 15 other women who are the best in our country and the experience was both enjoyable and compe66ve in equal measures. This was the first 6me I had played in the Golf Croquet Women’s Championship and I have one thing to say: "Watch out croquet world, 6mes ahead are set to change." I have been asked in the past, “Why are the women in our sport not as good as the men?” I now have the answer, “They are, you just haven’t seen them playing yet!” I would like to encourage all players, not just our women, but everyone who hasn’t yet been brave enough, to enter a higher level tournament. Play against be7er players, lose against them, but learn from them. If you can’t find a tournament to enter, tell someone, let’s find a tournament for you to enter. Alison Alison Maugham Editor editor@croquetengland.org.uk
Croquet Gaze7e Online Issue 003 | September 2025
Front cover: Encouraging “newbies” to croquet at Southwell Croquet Club [Page 9]
INTER‐CLUB BOWDON V PHYLLIS COURT
CONTENTS 4 5 6 8 Hibiscus Chairman's Column Tunnel of Time
Le7ers to the Editor Lawn Maintenance Woking Junior Tournament Associa6on Croquet Repor6ng Golf Croquet Repor6ng Wheelchair Croquet The Road to Eastbourne Pier Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD)
10 11 13 20 27 28 29
Photo by Kevin Ward
The players from Phyllis Court and Bowdon halted play in their GC Inter‐Club Championship (Tier 1) semi‐final, to observe the na6onal two‐minute silence honouring the 80th anniversary of VJ Day (Victory in Japan) that marked the end of the Second World War. Paying their respects at noon on Friday 15 August were, from the le&: Rick Lilley, Charlie von Schmieder, Ian Norris & Chris Roberts (Phyllis Court); Frances Colman (Referee); Alison Maugham, Jack Good, Angharrad Walters & Nigel Ma7hews (Bowdon).
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HIBISCUS COLUMN
disciplines into a contest that ends on the hour. By then, a winning pair should have pegged out, a&er ge8ng two balls through six hoops. The rules ensure that no‐one sits court‐side watching others create four‐ball breaks, the most common deterrent for poten6al AC recruits. The balls are hit in colour order, star6ng with blue one yard in front of hoop one. Go through to progress to hoop 2; miss and your ball is off the court un6l your next turn, when the star6ng distance is reduced to 18 inches. In any turn, the player can roquet and croquet the other three balls once, but no more, even if they run a hoop. The striker’s ball doesn’t have to move the croquet ball in a take‐off; nor does the oppo ball have to stay on the lawn, though using a foot to propel it is forbidden: far too crude for our regulated age. As a post‐war child, I played by these rules, giving up the game for the next 59 years, when we moved into Bath in 1960. A year later, the Croquet Associa6on published the first edi6on of The Laws of Associa6on Croquet; the 7th edi6on, which came out in 2021, fine‐tuned its dense content into the interna6onal format used today. In May, 2025, the KWIK command
from CqE arrived at Blewbury CC. Eager to please, the Commi7ee got together for a workshop to learn how to do it, then invited villagers and members to take part in complimentary tutored games. The response was underwhelming, but the tac6cs required to use the rules profitably gradually triggered interest. What it wasn’t was quick…a&er 90 minutes, one ball pegged out, but the other three were s6ll figh6ng it out for hoop 2. Useful? Enjoyable? We Blewburians are not qui7ers, so I'll give you an update a&er our inaugural in‐house pairs tournament, on August Bank Holiday Monday. Given a stretch of turf, six lengths of bent metal and a striped pole, how many variants can you play? Pirates for starters. And then….. Although Wimbledon has long gone, thoughts may linger on medical 6meout variants. One dis6nguished low handicapper smiled broadly as she recalled a croquet match against Jonathan Toye, Norfolk’s celebrated one‐armed, one‐legged vic6m of a motorcycle accident. "He couldn't hit a thing", she explained, "then he asked me if I'd mind if we stopped the clock so he could change the sock on his ar6ficial leg. When he came back, he couldn't miss". What next, Novak?
MINTY CLINCH Travelling Croquet Journalist Telling the Croquet stories as they unfold
Imagine country house gardens between the world wars, lawns me6culously cut by mowers drawn by ponies. With eligible men in short supply following the Somme and Spanish flu, posh girls in flapper frocks welcomed the vicar and the doctor to cucumber sandwiches and croquet. Unlike the ambiance, the game was unrelen6ngly vicious. A&er a roquet, you put your foot on your striker ball to rocket the oppo into the herbaceous border. Or the fishpond. Recently, Croquet England searched the archives for a hybrid that might persuade newcomers to pursue AC rather than, or at worst as well as, GC. And there it was. A century later, they’ve called it KWIK, a name that I’m told must be wri7en in cursive script, making it illegible but not easily confused with a global tyre replacement brand. It reminds Americans of 6 wicket; for Brits, it combines elements from both
TUNNEL OF TIME CROQUET ON CAMERA – GET INVOLVED! Got a phone in your pocket? Then you’ve got everything you need to help promote croquet! Don’t worry if you’re not a video whiz — just have a go! If you need help with sound or edi6ng, we can support
you and we’ll add the finishing touches, like logos and intros.
We’re looking for short, fun videos (around 30 to 90 seconds) that show off the game we all love — from clever hoop tac6cs to fast‐paced mallet ba7les, or just a great moment on the lawn. It’s all about showing how croquet is ac6ve, sociable, and full of surprises.
Know someone in TV or media who might want to help? Even be7er — send them our way! Let’s make croquet more visible, more fun, and more now.
Get in touch with the Marke6ng Commi7ee for more informa6on: mike.prince@croquetengland.org.uk Lights… camera… hoop run!
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CHAIRMAN'S COLUMN
by Samir Patel Chair of the Board of Trustees
By the 6me you read this our playing season will be coming to a close. I hope you have had some successes. I would like to thank all the volunteers who have been essen6al to these events – coaches, managers, referees, hoop se7ers, caterers, lawn carers, gardeners, bar teams, and those who do all those unseen tasks to maintain club houses, deal with the washing, take away rubbish, lock up each day, manage finances, and so on. Many of Croquet England’s commi7ees will be working over the coming months to arrange the year ahead. If you have any sugges6ons for changes or improvements please do contact the relevant commi7ee chair (you can find their details at the back of each Gaze7e). More immediate is our Annual General Mee6ng, on 11th October. This is our formal forum for trustees to report on our ac6vi6es each year, and for members to ask ques6ons and have a say on important decisions. General Mee6ngs are open to all Vo6ng Members of Croquet England. This is the subset of associates who have confirmed their agreement with the relevant condi6ons. If you simply wish to play and do not intend to engage with mee6ngs or exercise your vote, then that is fine ‐ the sport is nothing without people playing it. However, we are primarily a volunteer organisa6on, and the more people who are willing to play their part in our administra6on, the more effec6ve we can be. You can find more informa6on about becoming a vo6ng member of Croquet England on the website: h7ps:// www.croquet.org.uk/?p=members/Vo6ngMembership
Samir Patel & Edward Patel, winners of the Wa-ord GC Open Photo by Eddie Chung
WELCOMING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK The Gaze7e is a place to showcase our sport, filled with welcoming pages sharing stories and inspira6on for our clubs and ourselves……all coming together to bring news from croquet travels far and wide.
I am so very grateful to all of you who contribute to our magazine, to those of you who are regular readers and write in with your comments, your praise and yes, some6mes your cri6cism. Something can only be
Please keep sending your comments and sugges6ons, and help me improve your Gaze7e issue by issue.
improved if it can be measured, and you, the readers, are the only ones who can drive the success of our Croquet Gaze7e.
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TUNNEL OF TIME
Past Gaze7es can be found on the Croquet England website at h7ps://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=ca/gaze7e&Ac6on=Issues. Currently there are searchable scans of the Gaze7e back to 1953.
CHRIS WILLIAMS Croquet England Archivist
Whites, like enterprising play, help to make croquet more a7rac6ve to the spectator. Rover feels that there may well be a connec6on between these two quali6es. Indeed, if some sta6s6cian will make a survey of them, he undertakes to eat his very elegant hat if no appreciable correla6on is discovered. 100 YEARS AGO In the August 1st, 1925 Gaze7e (No. 507 Vol XXII. (No. 18)) Editorial Notes ENGLAND won the second Test Match and with it the rubber. This, perhaps, was not unexpected, the old country having no difficulty in finding four players of almost equal experience, while our visitors at a considerable disadvantage have not been able to bring with them their strongest representa6ve team. In Mr. J. C. Windsor, who for his recent successes has now added a fine win in the Cheltenham Championship Cup, Australia has one player at least in this country who ranks among the very best, and both he and Mr. W. T. McCleery did well to win games respec6vely from Miss D. D. Steel and Mr. P. D. Mathews. Those of us who were at Cheltenham must have been impressed by the keen interest. Taken by large numbers of spectators who provided a gallery considerably larger than that at Roehampton; but the weather on this second occasion was much more favourable, ideal summer condi6ons prevailing throughout. It would be difficult to imagine a more deligh5ul se8ng than the famous Cheltenham Club, in the beauty of its surroundings perhaps second to none in the Kingdom. The lawns were in superb condi6on and reflected the greatest credit on those locally responsible. From every point of view the second Test was a great success. Note – the report of the Test said that there were some two hundred and fi&y spectators.
selec6on green more nearly resembles blue and brown black. Pink suggests red and remaining colour to match yellow is white. Further, some clips are painted green with a blue line across the top and in a similar manner for the other colours. In New Zealand some Clubs have a white ring round each ball for double banking, In Australasia most Clubs have double banking on Club days. In Brisbane one Club some6mes has three sets of fours with the same colours on each lawn. It means no6ng all the 6me the posi6on of the balls m your game. It is be7er than having to sit out awai6ng a vacant lawn! Yours faithfully, W. B. C. Paynter (Auckland, New Zealand) 60 YEARS AGO In the September 1965 Gaze7e (#83) Notes by Rover No Blacklegs The Hurlingham delegate at the 1963 Club Conference bemoaned the virtual non‐existence of the white trouser except on state occasions, but his words do not seem to have had any considerable effect. Far too many players s6ll appear at tournaments looking as though they are on their way to paint a boat. Why this should be so is a li7le mysterious—croquet a&er all is a game, not an extended a&ernoon tea‐party, and it is normal to dress up for games, even those that are not energe6c. Part of the trouble may be the weather: in the rain even the sleekest of players is apt to look like a coastguard on a motor‐cycling holiday. But whites can of course be worn underneath, and the water‐ proofing discarded as soon as possible, despite the comment of a player at a tournament early this season that “he did not want to get his whites wet or dirty”. When asked if he wanted to get the smart suit that he was wearing wet or dirty, he replied that he had never looked at the ma7er in that light before....
AKA 'Sta/o' Keeper of Croquet Sta.s.cs, visit croquetrecords.com
In this sec6on, we once again take a look through the 'Tunnel of Time' to see what was taking place in the Croquet World in the past, as seen in the Croquet Gaze7e. 70 YEARS AGO In the September 1955 Gaze7e (#14) Notes by Rover Rover offers his respec5ul congratula6ons to Miss Lydia Elphinstone‐Stone on the a7ainment of her nine6eth birthday on August 23rd, an occasion duly—and appropriately—celebrated during the tournament at Brighton, of which famous club this lady is now a member. For sixty of these ninety years Miss Elphinstone‐Stone has been a tournament player, joining the Associa6on on its founda6on and winning her Silver Medal in 1896. She must now be our senior associate, though run close for this dis6nc6on by the (very youthful) winner of the Women’s Championship in 1899, a certain Miss Lily Gower. What is even more to the point is that Miss Elphinstone‐Stone is s6ll an ac6ve and formidable compe6tor at our tournaments, enjoying her games and o&en winning them. Our honoured nonagenarian is not the sole example of her age to prove that Croquet is not only among the happiest of outdoor games, but that one at which such happiness lasts longest. Le.ers THE SUPPLEMENTARY COLOURS Dear Sir, With reference to “Notes by Rover’ on page 4 of June Croquet, apart from the fact that dark balls versus light balls appears to be the natural
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WHERE IT ALL STARTED
By Chris Alvey, dbmallets@gmail.com, Sponsors of the Townsend Club Award
Anne and I met at Cober Hill Hotel in North Yorkshire, which was also where we got our introduc6on to croquet. Although more suited to garden croquet than associa6on, the lawn was always seen as a place only serious players went, no kids allowed. A run across it when no‐one was there was the height of rebellion. The game there is a simplified version of AC where you play in colour order, there are no roquets un6l all 4 balls are through hoop one and you only get one set of roquets
between hoops, (regardless of how many 6mes you come on and off the lawn). This means there’s no need for complex openings, break‐building and leaves; and some of the rules are altered to make it easier for a novice. What it meant for us was that we could do full rolls before we understood a 4‐ball break and ul6mately adap6ng to AC was reasonably straigh5orward. Corinne, a good friend, and I now run the summer
week, or Holly’s week as it’s called; with Anne keeping us (me), in line. It’s a family‐orientated holiday with dances, a quiz and other evening ac6vi6es and where guests compete in friendly tournaments including ski7les, clock golf, bowls, table tennis, pool and of course croquet. Over the last 19 years of hos6ng, more and more people have given croquet a go, and for the last 2 summers we have run introductory sessions to Cober croquet. This year we provided our demo and personal mallets for them to use. It was so successful that the 2025 tournament was made up of 8 experienced Cober players and 8 complete novices.
The important thing that allowed the new players to take part was the acceptance, guidance and good‐ natured approach of the experienced players. There were 4 AC players on that week with Anne and I being 2 of them, so guests that weren’t used to coaching players, or explaining what they were doing and their tac6cs, really stepped up and helped their partners. If nothing else, it served as an amazing example of what pa6ence and understanding can do to help introduce new people to our amazing sport. (PS it also looks like 4 people who had a go for the first 6me are going to try it at their local club!!)
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Readers are reminded that the views expressed in the le7ers pages of the Gaze7e are those of the authors only, and not those of their clubs, unless specifically indicated.
BIRD SCARERS In the latest issue (#002) of Croquet Gaze7e Online, Duncan Hector recommends bird scarers to deter rooks and other birds that dig holes in the lawn. I don't doubt their effec6veness, because they deter me too. They work by emi8ng a very loud high‐pitched noise that can be heard by birds but is at the top of the range of human hearing, and beyond it for many. The noise is uncomfortable, so the birds move away. Older people lose the ability to detect high notes first, but many younger people can s6ll hear these pitches. Recently three were installed at my club, and I can a7est that they are like periodic jolts of the worst 6nnitus, and can cause severe headaches. It is easy to find reports from elsewhere of nausea, panic a7acks and migraines when encountering similar devices. Now, the first thing I do on arriving at our lawns is ensure that they are turned off for as long as I am there. Last year, I played at a Championship Series event, and had to ask the hosts to turn their bird scarers off on that occasion so that I could concentrate on my play. Perhaps my ears are more sensi6ve than I realise, but if at the age of 35 these are s6ll audible to me, they will be audible, harmful and off‐ pu8ng to many. If we don't want to deter younger players, we should be extremely careful of resor6ng to high‐pitch bird deterrents, and at the very least ensure that they are only turned on when nobody will be present. Thomas Halliday CLICKERS USED TO KEEP SCORES It would be interes6ng to have a debate about croquet players using clickers to keep score. I personally use a clicker to help me keep score when playing GC to either 13 or 19 hoops. However, it seems some Clubs want them banned. Is there a ruling on this? Judith Lawson Preston Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club
AN EARLY OFF‐COURT MEMORY: UNSAVOURY CHARACTER My name was causing confusion, Laurence being audibly indis6nguishable from that of the Club President, whose name was spelt Lawrence. Someone asked if I had a second name, so Victor, in need of a general dus6ng down and oiling, was at last put to use, but it was like trying to do things le&‐ handed. “You will call me, if you’d like a game, won’t you?” an elderly member had suggested on a number of occasions, so, one day, I a7empted to take up her kind offer by phone. “Hello, this is... Victor.” I was aware of a faltering hesita6on over my unprac6sed introduc6on. “I was wondering if you’d like to play this a&ernoon..?” There was a click and the line went dead. I tried again. “It’s Victor here. How about a game..?” Another click. Somewhat frustrated, I decided to go to the club anyway and arrived in due course to find my intended opponent in play. “Is your telephone out of order?” I enquired, once she was seated between turns. “I tried ringing earlier but the line kept going dead.” “Oh dear! Was that you? I am sorry. I put the phone down on purpose. I thought it was, well, you know, one of those calls.” “I did say my name.” “I didn’t recognize Victor. Besides, you called at around lunch 6me. They always phone at lunch 6me. Young men si8ng in offices with nothing to do. They finger through the directory un6l they find a Miss. Some of the things they say!” A&er that, with Victor so obviously being a caller with unsavoury tendencies, I made a firm decision to revert to Laurence – with a ‘u’. By Laurence Latham
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ENCOURAGING “NEWBIES” TO CROQUET
By Elaine Maiden
Born in Sri Lanka, Mano grew up there not involved in any serious sports but he played so&ball, cricket, snooker and billiards with friends. Concentra6ng on his studies was the passport to his steady employment, and in the late 70s he moved to the UK to gain further experiences and qualifica6ons. Moving around the UK with his profession, with young children and a busy work schedule there wasn’t 6me for any serious sports. A&er re6rement, and a move to Southwell to be nearer family, he joined the Southwell U3A where he was given the opportunity to join a new U3A croquet group that was about to begin. At that first session the group leader spoke about “a taster session” that was coming up at the Southwell Croquet Club (SCC), and Mano says “I jumped at the idea because in‐offs and cut shots on the billiards table told me that I would enjoy croquet”.
Shield singles GC compe66on aimed at “newbies” who had been playing croquet for under three years. It was refreshing to watch these newbies compete, showing dedica6on, progress and sheer love for croquet. What an amazing game that offers fitness, challenge and a compe66ve spirit.
Mano joined SCC straight away, where he found the members friendly and very welcoming. He says “At SCC there are excellent coaching opportuni6es available to teach you the finer points of the game”. At the end of August, Mano was the overall winner of the Derek Blow
Fancy a day of doubles associa6on croquet where every game is over in less than an hour on a half‐sized court in a warm sports hall? Add into this kitchen facili6es with warm lunches available and a well‐stocked bar and you would be hard pressed to find a be7er way to spend a winter weekend. Now imagine if the venue was just a few minutes from the M25 or a brisk walk from Ockenden train sta6on, it is almost a croquet dream, but it is a reality. Once a month this winter star6ng in November Old Brentwood’s Croquet Club will be hos6ng the winter indoor croquet season. Ten one‐day tournaments spread over five weekends. Come with a partner or enter alone and we will match you up with a partner. The courts are true and fast, the company s6mula6ng and fun ‐ so sign up fast before all the spaces are gone. Once you have tried speed croquet you will be hooked, and it is also a great way to stay in trim through the darker months. Hoping to see you there. Book your tournament www.oldbrentwoodscroquetclub/indoor‐ croquet Contact Paul Hetherington (paulhether65@outlook.com) or Alison Maugham (alison@alisonswebsites.co.uk) for more informa6on. INDOOR CROQUET JUST OFF THE M25
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CROQUET LAWN MAINTENANCE
DUNCAN HECTOR duncanhectorturfcare.co.uk
Hoop Smasher
A CUNNING HACK FOR HOOPS As the season progresses, hoop holes tend to enlarge, causing the hoops to loosen. I solve this by using carrot‐ shaped plas6c shims cut from old fer6liser containers. These are pushed into the holes to make the hoops solid in the ground again. The posi6on of the shims allows you to fine‐ tune the hoop width: placing them on the outside of the holes narrows the gap, while placing them on the inside widens it. They do tend to bed into the hole 6ghtly so a pair of nose‐end pliers will be required to remove them. For extra firmness, a small amount of green‐waste compost can be added to the holes. Being organic, it will break down naturally over 6me without crea6ng high spots. NEWPORT CC HOOP SMASHER A hoop smasher is used to create pilot holes when se8ng hoops, and the job is much easier if the smasher matches your desired hoop width. Newport CC has devised a clever solu6on by adap6ng a spare hoop with an adjustable bolt, allowing precise control over the width (see photo). SHOULD I MOW BEFORE FERTILISING? When using granular fer6liser, it’s best to mow first. Apply the fer6liser just before rain is forecast, or water it in if you have irriga6on. A&er applica6on, mow without the grass box un6l the granules have dispersed. This prevents fer6liser from being collected with the clippings and ending up on the compost heap. ASK THE EXPERT Duncan Hector has kindly agreed to be our resident expert for lawn care. From the results of the Croquet Gaze7e survey it was clear that lawncare advice was a high priority for many of our readers. Duncan would be delighted to hear your ques6ons which may be published and responded to in the Croquet Gaze7e. Please submit your ques6ons to communica6ons@croquetengland.org.uk.
Shims
WHAT HEIGHT SHOULD WE MOW AT? For several years I maintained the lawn at 5 mm, but recently reduced it to 4 mm with no6ceable results. The lawn speed has improved, and coarse grasses don’t like it. A faster surface transforms the game, encouraging a lighter touch and allowing longer shots with less effort. However, if the surface is uneven, you may need to keep the grass slightly longer to prevent balls from wandering. In the winter, the cut height should be increased to between 6 mm and 10 mm. Keeping the grass trimmed during the winter is important because it encourages lateral growth thus thickening the sward. If the grass is allowed to grow long and lanky, the sward will thin out and the surface will degrade. IRRIGATION I was recently asked how o&en irriga6on should be used during dry periods. Some believe it’s best to water heavily but infrequently, allowing moisture to penetrate deep into the root zone and encourage deeper roo6ng. According to this theory, light daily watering keeps moisture near the surface while the deeper soil remains dry. While this sounds logical, my experience shows the opposite. I apply 2.5 mm per night (about 2,500 litres per lawn) during dry spells. Tes6ng my lawn’s root zone reveals that the top inch is driest, it’s moist from 1" to 5", and wet at 6". It’s remarkable how o&en accepted advice and published guidance don’t match real‐world results.
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WOKING JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
By Sara Anderson, Woking Croquet
The junior sec6on at Woking Croquet held their first ever tournament on Monday 14th July 2025. There were ten entrants ranging from ages 6 to 17 compe6ng in a mixture of doubles and singles matches. We used half‐size lawns, first to four hoops to keep the games moving at a good pace. In the two hours the players all managed five games within mixed age groups. We had prizes for the 1st and 2nd older juniors and the 1st and 2nd younger juniors. Older: Winner: Ana on 4 out of 5 wins. Runner‐up: Fifi on 3 out of 5 wins Younger: Draw for 1st and 2nd on 2 wins: Simon and Sienna (all against older players) The majority of the players had two wins. Everyone enjoyed the event and all played compe66vely. We will be doing another one soon, and a fancy dress tournament is planned for the end of the season.
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CROQUET NORTH FEDERATION: GOLF CROQUET COACHING BY THE BEST OF THE BEST By Dennis Scarr Chairman of Croquet North
Despite being known in some quarters as ‘a bit of a croquet desert’, here in Croquet North we do come across the odd oasis in our 88 mile‐long Federa6on Region, running from Bamburgh to Middlesbrough. We have seen a steady growth in Golf Croquet in recent years, which has been encouraging. Recruitment is one part of the strategy, reten6on the other and, regardless of whether people come to Golf Croquet for its sociability or to partake compe66vely, opportuni6es to improve your game are key to sustaining con6nued interest. Prior to the 2025 season Croquet North Execu6ve Commi7ee supported
believed to originally be from the world of Golf, that ‘prac6ce does not make perfect – prac6ce makes permanent’ sugges6ng that prac6sing the wrong things is of li7le value. Ul6mately the sessions on 17th & 18th June were well supported, including spectators, and feedback from par6cipants was extremely posi6ve. We at Croquet North would, once again, thank Chris & Jenny for the two excellent coaching sessions. Addi6onally, we thank Peter Tymms our GC League Manager, Tony McCann our photographer and those at Backworth and Durham Croquet Clubs who helped with sessions on the day.
a sugges6on by the GC League Manager, Peter Tymms, that we should organize some GC Coaching as an ‘across the Federa6on’ event. The decision was taken and the Minutes of the mee6ng recorded that the GC League Manager
should ‘organise some coaching’. What followed was quite startling!
The Coaching Sessions would be led by Chris & Jenny Clarke. Both are ex‐world champions and two of the most highly regarded coaches in the world. ‘How on earth did you manage to get them?’ was my ques6on. ‘I asked them’ was the answer. So, dates in the diary – 17th & 18th June at Backworth and Chester le Street, with a ‘meet the coaches’ Garden Party on 16th July. Places on the coaching sessions filled up quickly, with 80 people signing up. Opportuni6es were given to par6cipants to iden6fy, via a ques6onnaire, any aspects of coaching they would like to be covered. At the pre‐session Garden Party, Chris Clarke made the point that Croquet had given both him and Jenny so much that they saw it as very important to give something back. The coaching sessions would be a great opportunity for players with a range of abili6es to learn and grasp some of the tools they could use to improve their game. I had heard Chris Clarke on more than one occasion repeat the maxim,
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STUDENT CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 By Charlie Sharpe
Singles winner: Charlie Sharpe, University of Oxford Plate winner: Ptolemy Chapman, University of Manchester Doubles winners: Charlie Sharpe & Teodoro D’Agos.no, University of Oxford
On the 26th and 27th of July, the Oxford University Associa6on Croquet Club (OUACC) proudly hosted the annual Student Croquet Championships – a pres6gious tournament where the skill levels range from ‘why are you holding that big hammer upside down’ to ‘I’ve spent every waking minute of the last 12 months prepping for this tournament’. This year, students travelled across the UK and Europe to par6cipate, with entrants from four universi6es: the usual suspects – Cambridge, Oxford, and Manchester – and an interna6onal wildcard from Bocconi University in Milan. Unfortunately, we missed out on the usual presence of the mighty Aston Wade and Teddy Wilmot‐Sitwell (former OUACC President). The weekend’s play kicked off bright and early – painfully early, some might say – with a doubles match between Oxford and Manchester at 8am on Saturday. Despite most players being over a month into their (not so healthy) summer holiday sleeping rou6nes, they took to the lawns with fire in their eyes, proving once again that associa6on croquet is as much a ba7le of wits and strategy as it is a test of who can stay awake for 3 hours straight. By 2pm, sleep‐ induced delirium was reaching record levels, but the warriors were fed and the enthusiasm to get the singles underway was intoxica6ng.
Midway through the first round of singles, Cambridge’s duo Jack and James (J & J) had a sudden realisa6on: they had no accommoda6on for the evening. Fortunately, their friend Jamie had been tasked with finding somewhere to stay, but the task proved more difficult than an6cipated. In response, the trio (J & J & J) developed a detailed well‐thought‐out plan to simply sleep next to the lawns in the park, minimising the next morning’s travel 6me and maximising that evening’s much needed shut‐eye. However, a&er a spontaneous agreement that the evening would consist of a night out in Oxford, this grand plan lost its appeal as it would require J & J & J to drunkenly climb a 15‐foot bayonet‐topped fence under the light of nothing but the moon and a distant streetlamp. Instead, they booked a late‐ night bus to some off‐grid Airbnb.
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STUDENT CHAMPIONSHIP 2025 CONTINUED A&er a heroic day of play, all 8 students re6red to a local pub, The Royal Oak, to rehydrate. With losers of the day’s games unapologe6cally declaring the winners are morally obliged to buy them a pint, it was not long before shouts of a pub crawl were being heard across the table. With J & J & J
determined to sample Oxford’s nightlife, the evening culminated in a 3am return home and alarms set for four hours later. As Sunday morning rolled around, 8 bleary‐eyed zombies once again returned to the lawns for the doubles final, the singles final and the plate final. With each match as rive6ng as the last, Oxford University was lucky enough to come home with both the doubles and singles trophies. We were also fortunate enough to have interna6onal croquet legend, Harry Fisher, present the trophies to the winners a&er an excellent speech about the history of the tournament and the significance of the trophies.
All in all, the tournament was a great success, and it was wonderful to see so many young players travelling from around the world to play some Associa6on Croquet.
ROSS BAGNI EMPLOYS TELEKINESIS TO WIN HIS FIRST AC TOURNAMENT
PETERBOROUGH AC HANDICAP – 14TH/15TH JULY 2025
Twelve players from nine different clubs competed for the Ken Hope‐Jones Shield in Peterborough Croquet Club’s AC Handicap Tournament on 14th and 15th July 2025. The event was played as a four‐round Egyp6an, with the third‐round games pegged down at 7pm on the Monday evening. The resumed games neatly produced two players – Colin Spencer of Downham (10) and Ross Bagni of Leighton‐ Linslade (11) – on three wins out of three. The two undefeated players met on the ‘show court’ (the lawn borrowed from the bowls club in front of the clubhouse) in Game Four. Ross, in his first ever AC tournament, outplayed Colin to win +18 in well under two hours. The moment he took most delight in came in an earlier game, when his ball was heading two feet to the right of its intended target, and he said Go Le&, Go Le& – and it did! He later spo7ed someone in full biohazard gear and with a spray tank on his back not far from the courts, and pointed this out to the tournament manager, Adrian Kirby. Adrian said he’d called the guy in from Ghostbusters to exorcise Ross’s demonic powers.
The three runners‐up – each with three wins, having only succumbed to Ross – were Ken Knock of Pinchbeck (6), Alex Lever of Hampstead Heath (6) and of course Colin Spencer. The wooden spoon went to Mar6n Russell of Hunstanton (8). At tea, Adrian presented Ross with the Shield and a nice bo7le of Chilean Merlot. Ross thanked the manager and also the club members – Inga, Janet and Sue – who had looked a&er the players so well, laying out the sandwich lunches and providing lots of tea6me treats.
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DEBBIE LINES IS SUPER‐ADVANCED CHAMPION OF ENGLAND
THE ROEHAMPTON GOLD CUP
By Joel Taylor
Players arrived at Roehampton for its annual Gold Cup advanced weekend to find the heavy overnight rain had created lakes where there were once croquet courts. Eventually the rain stopped, but just as it looked as if they might start drying out the heavens opened again and the flooding became worse than before. Frustrated by the lack of croquet, some of the players re6red to the main clubhouse and invented an icosahedral dice‐based croquet board game. With rain s6ll falling, lunch was taken and hopes began to fade of any play on Saturday; one player even chose to go home. However, as forecast, the rain abated shortly a&er lunch, and a combina6on of sandy soil and a lot of hard work by players with the rollers and the Bowdry (other brands of water soakeruppers are available) the courts became playable by 3.30pm. The photos show court 2 at 11am and 3pm.
placed players, which le& no doubt that she was a thoroughly deserved winner. In joint second place were Ian Lines and Teddy Wilmot‐Sitwell. Teddy con6nues to improve rapidly – he defeated David Maugham with a 35m hit‐in and fearless finish a&er being TPO'd, and he rounded off the tournament with his third career TP. David Maugham won the peeling prize with a QP in his first game and three triples (which turned out to be unnecessary for the prize). The most‐games prize went to Robert Wilkinson, whose efficient play allowed him to complete six games in the rain‐ shortened weekend – one more than anyone else. Five previous winners of the event contested the weekend, the most noteworthy of which was Dennis Bulloch from New Zealand, who last won the Gold Cup in 1975 (50 years ago!). This was the first 6me he had seen his name on the trophy, and he was bemused to find it spelled incorrectly. Overall, in the manager's opinion, the choice of super‐advanced achieved its aim of increasing interac6vity in games, and gave players a slightly different challenge from the usual advanced
This year's edi6on of the Gold Cup (so named because of the colour of the trophy) was played as a super‐advanced flexible Swiss. Super‐advanced was chosen because despite the Quadway hoops and Fletcher balls the lawn condi6ons at Roehampton are typically very easy, and games have a tendency to be one‐sided shoo6ng contests. As the only super‐advanced tournament in the country this year, the event thus became the de facto super‐advanced na6onal championship. A&er a shortened first day four players were undefeated overnight, and many more had only one loss. Either through good luck or good judgement of the manager a clear winner emerged by the end of Sunday, and Debbie Lines, with four wins out of four, was crowned the Gold Cup winner and super‐advanced champion of England for 2025. Three of Debbie's four wins were against the second, third and fourth
weekend. Thank you to all the players for their good humour and forbearance during the six‐hour rain delay.
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THE CHALLENGE CUPS 2025 AC ADVANCED PLAY
By Sarah Hayes
successfully completed their three rounds on day one (albeit most games going to 6me and only finishing at 7pm) The players showed real grit and determina6on and their efforts did not go unno6ced – which might explain being rewarded with hear5elt thanks and a Mars bar by tournament management ‐ no expense spared eh? The early leader was Adam Moliver with Beaumont, Thompson and Donovan all closing in on the rails. The final two rounds would be crucial as these players were all to be matched against each other. Andrew Beaumont was improving all the 6me but despite bea6ng Moliver +4T and Donovan +1T he had already lost to Thompson again by 1 on 6me, and so his chances of winning rested on the results between the remaining three of the leading pack. Thompson finished the last round on 4 wins so the winner would be determined by the outcome of the game between Moliver and Donovan. From what I could make out, Moliver had made great headway and was winning by some margin when Donovan pulled his socks up and began his poten6ally winning turn ‐ lots of hoops needed and these were made, but wait ‐ he needs a peel as well ‐ this was completed and now with 6me pending and seconds le& the leave was all important with him now ahead. Moliver hit the li& right in the middle and finished to win 26‐24. We won’t men6on Chris having mistakenly laid up in corner 1 ‐ oops.
Several players had stayed on from the Gilbey handicap and, with some new arrivals, a total of 20 players vied for the three beau6ful silver trophies. THE ROEHAMPTON CUP A manager’s job is never done, nor dull, as many of you can a7est to, and the originally planned all play all two seeded blocks being completed on Day 1( which would have led to an 8 person KO on Day 2) unfortunately couldn’t happen, resul6ng in the two blocks being completed on Day 2. Sadly due to the resultant 6me constraints the intended 8 player knockout rounds were then reduced to just the block winners. The final being between Sam Cuthbert and David Warhurst with Cuthbert prevailing.
Sam Cuthbert with the Roehampton Cup
Of the players David Warhurst played solidly throughout and both Richard Marriage and Mark Simmerson showed a great deal of skill and are both improving rapidly all the 6me, even though Simmerson spoke in some foreign language most of the 6me with Warhurst ac6ng as translator….. mu7ering “Aye Lad” in response to most comments seemed to work. Chris Crowcro& displayed flashes of sheer brilliance and accuracy with a fantas6c and unexpected win over Cuthbert +2. Those not involved in the event final played one last round for the consola6on Hands Ladder which was won by Sarah Hayes, being just a single index point above her closest rival. THE COUNCIL CUP This event was competed for over two days by six players in one all play all block. Despite the showers and windy condi6ons the compe6tors
Delighted Adam Moliver wins the Council Cup
So the Council Cup was presented to a delighted Moliver whose missile‐like accuracy throughout made him a well‐ deserved winner. Peter Thompson was solid and reliable and received a small token as runner‐up. Beaumont was third overall, the same as he had been in the Gilbey Goblet
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THE CHALLENGE CUPS 2025 CONTINUED
handicap so a good consistent level of play over the 4 days. THE RECKITT (1926) CUP This le& four players to compete for the Recki7 Cup. They played an all‐play‐all block followed by a final and play off . This needed two games both days and they all agreed this would be perfect for them. This small but perfectly formed group of players stuck together like glue and were all firm friends who dined and took tea together. Out on the lawns the compe66ve sides of them appeared and some skilful and accurate play was displayed by all. One croquet stroke executed by Jeremy Tenison‐Smith was my Shot of the Tournament where, from somewhere north of hoop 3 one ball was placed about 1 yard off centre of West Boundary and strikers ball about 1 yard from the opponent balls in corner 4. Astonishing as the lawns were not exactly fast a&er the rain. Well done Jeremy. All the games went to 6me ‐ and the block ended with 3 players on 2 wins who had all beaten each other, so net points were the order of the day to determine posi6ons for the Knock‐Out. The final was between Eileen Magee and Jeremy “Roll from anywhere” Tenison‐Smith, with Eileen prevailing +8T.
Simmerson refuelling
Eileen Magee presents herself with the Recki/ (1926) Cup
Eileen Magee catching up with old friends between games
This group had a great 6me together and played with real spirit, whether roas6ng in the sunshine or dripping wet in the rain, there were lots of smiles and laughter. Presenta6ons were made by Eileen Magee as representa6ve of Croquet England and she was thanked for all her efforts, she was Head Chef for two days also, with a small gi& of a nice bo7le of red for her and David to enjoy when they got home.
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BOWDON SHORT CROQUET TOURNAMENT 23 ‐ 24 JULY 2025 By Alex McIntyre (No0ngham Croquet Club
A field of 25 gathered at Bowdon Croquet Club for their Short Croquet Tournament as the clouds parted and the sun once again graced the lawns. Two trophies were at stake, with the ‘Bowdon Short Croquet Trophy’ being run as a flexible Swiss alongside the ‘NWFCC Millennium Short Croquet Trophy’ taking place concurrently as a single‐life knockout. Having been furnished with a 2‐peels handicap, my first ever game of short croquet converted me to the format quickly, and I watched in awe as the two 4‐peel handicappers breezed around the lawn. One of these wily tac6cians, Alan Mayne, reached the final of the knockout against Sylvia Steer, resul6ng in a clash between octogenarians in which Alan triumphed on the Thursday A&ernoon. In the Swiss, Alan Dix triumphed with 6 wins and a single loss (to me!). Thanks to Brian ‘Deadly’ Medley (aka the Diva) for managing, and to the
Above: Alan Mayne Right: Alan Dix
lawn manager at Bowdon for preparing such lovely lawns.
LIGHTS, CAMERA… CROQUET! HELP US BRING MALLET SPORTS TO THE SCREEN
playing a classic game on a summer lawn or tes6ng out a fast‐paced new format, there’s a story to tell. We’re looking for short videos — from 30 to 90 seconds — that highlight what makes croquet special. It could be a clever tac6c for scoring a hoop, a funny moment on the lawn, or a mini‐ story that busts the myths about croquet being slow or stuffy. You don’t need to be a video expert — just have a go! If you'd like help with audio or edi6ng, we’re here to
support you. We’ll add logos and 6dy things up as part of a plan to help clubs grow their presence on social media and make croquet more visible and invi6ng. And if you know anyone in TV, film, or media who might want to get involved, do put them in touch — we’d love to hear from them. For more informa6on, contact the Marke6ng Commi7ee: mike.prince@croquetengland.org.uk
TV and social media are great ways to fly the flag for our favourite game — and now we’re invi6ng you to help share the fun and excitement. Using nothing more than your mobile phone, you can help us capture the joy, energy, and variety of our sport. Croquet is perfect for all ages — combining exercise, clever tac6cs, and good company. Whether you're
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THE GILBEY GOBLET 28‐29 AUGUST 2025
By Sarah Hayes
The Gilbey Goblet, being the two‐day AC Handicap play element of the Challenge & Gilbey, was ba7led for at Cheltenham CC over 28 & 29 August 2025. Sixteen keen compe6tors arrived on Day 1 and drew a 6cket to randomly draw a block colour and posi6on, for example Red 2, and so the four all‐play‐all blocks were allocated lawns and the event started proper with all vying to win their block and progress to a pre‐determined Knockout on Day 2. The block winners and KO order of play were: Andrew Beaumont (blue) playing Mark Lansdale (red) Chris Donovan (black) playing Sarah Hayes (yellow). These four players were eliminated from the Hands Ladder consola6on which all other players par6cipated in over Day 2 with all block games coun6ng towards final Hands index.
Motley crew of winners with Eileen Magee
The Gilbey Goblet was won by Sarah Hayes who beat Mark Lansdale in the final +12. I have been asked not to men6on the bisques s6ll standing at the peg‐out so I won’t. I am sure Mark would be delighted to discuss it with you next 6me you see him. Andrew Beaumont had a strong last game playing extremely well and ending up third overall. The last round of the Hands Ladder was very nail‐bi6ng for the compe6tors as any one of four players could win. David Magee was clubhouse leader on an index of 109 before tea, but was ul6mately pipped at the post by Mark Simmerson who won his last game to realise a Hands index of 111. Everything played in great spirit, and we managed to complete in sunshine. Mrs E Magee, as CqE representa6ve, had kindly agreed to do all the presenta6ons –
Le :Andrew Beaumont (lovely shoes) on his way to 3rd place
Below: David Warhurst delighted to be buying a drink at end of a game
many thanks to Eileen for this. Automa6c Handicap Changes
M Lansdale 7 from 8 A Moliver 2.5 from 2 M Simmerson 1 from 1.5
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SIDMOUTH GC ‘C’ LEVEL (+7HCP) AND ‘B’ LEVEL SERIES (+4HCP)
WEEKEND OF 9/10 AUGUST 2025
By Louise Smith
The first weekend of August saw Sidmouth Croquet Club once again host back‐to‐back fixtures in the na6onal Golf Croquet Series. Saturday welcomed the C‐Level (7+ hcp) compe6tors, followed on Sunday by the B‐Level (4+ hcp) ‐ both events drawing strong entries from across the South‐ West and beyond. GC C‐LEVEL (7+ HCP) TOURNAMENT – SATURDAY 9 AUGUST The C‐Level blocks produced some excellent play, with four compe6tors achieving a clean sweep of their group matches: Brenda Duplock (Budleigh), Kandy Lang (Dowlish Wake), Graham Brooksbank (Cheltenham) and Amanda Haste (Sidmouth). They were joined in the main knockout by Philip Hendy (Camerton & Peasedown), Feona Bickley (Bath), Carol Jamieson (Blewbury) and Chris6ne Churchill (Dowlish Wake). The Quarter‐finals soon served up a mixture of surprises and excitement. Top seed Duplock was knocked out 5–7 by second seed Bickley, while Sidmouth’s own Haste lost by the same scoreline to Jamieson. Brooksbank overcame Churchill 7‐5, and Lang produced the only seeding surprise ‐ edging out Hendy 4–3 on 6me. In the Semi‐finals, Jamieson powered through with a decisive 7–1 win over Bickley, while Brooksbank endured a much 6ghter contest against Lang, eventually prevailing with another 7–5 result. The Plate knockout was a rather tense affair, with several matches going to the 13th hoop. The Final was no excep6on ‐ Patrice Chandler (Budleigh) edging past Nicky Newberry (No8ngham) 7–6 to claim the Plate 6tle. The main Final itself was a fi8ng end to a compe66ve day. Both Brooksbank and Jamieson had opportuni6es, but it came down to the final hoop. Holding his nerve, Brooksbank ran hoop 13 cleanly to secure the C‐Level 6tle ‐ and with it, qualifica6on for the Na6onal Final at Compton on 27–28 September. Congratula6ons Graham! GC B‐LEVEL (4+ HCP) TOURNAMENT – SUNDAY 10 AUGUST Sunday once again dawned bright and sunny for the B‐Level event, which brought together a par6cularly strong field. Only one player, Sue Nicholas (Cheam), managed to complete a hat‐trick of wins in the blocks, joining tournament top seed Adrian Coward (Budleigh) in the Quarter‐final line‐up.
C Level Winner Graham Brooksbank with Manager Philip Harris
C Level Plate Winner Patrice Chandler with Manager Philip Harris
Blocks B and C were especially compe66ve. In Block B, three players finished on two wins apiece, with Jill Bateman (Cheltenham) and Richard Williamson (Bristol) advancing on net hoops at the expense of Naomi Whitehead (Cheltenham). Block C was equally 6ght, with both Paul Arbos and Mike Powell from Nailsea level on results ‐ Arbos going through on the “who beat whom” rule alongside block winner Stephen Flay (East Dorset). From Block D, Kathryn Gilden (Cheltenham) and Anwen Owens (Bath) claimed the remaining Quarter‐final spots.
Con nued on page 21
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