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To Russia with Croquet Love

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Chester members Paul Watson and John Dawson (Far left) and Sally Slater and David Guyton (far right) with Russian guests
Chester members Paul Watson and John Dawson (far left) and Sally Slater and David Guyton (far right) with Russian guests

Russian visitors fail to find flamingoes or hedgehogs at Chester Croquet Club

Chester croquet club played host on Friday 26 June to a group of journalists from Russia, organised by VisitBritain. The group of six from Moscow were on a cultural tour based on the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The book is very popular in Russia with adults and children alike.

David Guyton demonstrates how to hold a mallett
David Guyton demonstrates how to hold a mallett

The group had flown into Manchester on Thursday, then Friday morning visited Daresbury, the home of Lewis Carroll’s family, before coming to Chester on the way to North Wales.  After a visit to Llandudno (via a stay in Portmerion), they will make their way to Oxford to see Christchurch College where Charles Dodgson/Lewis Carroll was tutor of mathematics and where he most probably saw and played the newly popular game of croquet. The tour finishes in London at an Alice exhibition at the V&A and afternoon Mad Hatters tea party at a leading hotel.

Croquet is largely unknown in Russia and they wished to see what the game was and how it was played because it was mentioned in the book.

Dasha Motyagina tries hoop running
Dasha Motyagina tries hoop running

Led by Dasha Motyagina from Visit Britain, the journalists Martha, Alexandra, Christina, Vadim and Elena were given lunch at the club, followed by a brief history of croquet from David Guyton, past chairman. They were then given mallets and had a go at playing the game, assisted by club members Paul Watson, John Dawson and Sally Slater. The journalists all represented different publications in Moscow, ranging from Cosmoplitan to an on-line magazine for women and an airport magazine, and intend to write about the tour when they return home.

The game of croquet proved great fun and very popular. Martha thought they should definitely set up a club in Moscow!

ADDENDUM

Since the above post was published, Federation Secretary Paul Rigge has informed this website that Russia is a member of the World Croquet Federation and there is a croquet club in Moscow.  You can find more detail, especially if you are a russian speaker at: www.croquet.ru  or  www.croquet-club.com 

TT

Bury Win 2015 Festival of Croquet

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Festival crowd enjoying the Southport sunshine
Festival crowd enjoying the Southport sunshine

Bury Win 2015 Festival Championship at Southport

The victorious Bury Croquet squad with the 2015 Festival Cup and Short event shield
The victorious Bury Croquet squad with the 2015 Festival Cup and Short event shield
2015 Festival Advanced Trophy presented to Fylde
2015 Festival Advanced Trophy presented to Fylde

The North West Federation of Croquet Clubs held its annual Club Championships at the Southport & Birkdale Club (S&B) over the weekend of 27th and 28th June 2015.  This was the 21st Year of the Championships – a Festival of Croquet – which is possibly the largest annual gathering of Croquet players in the world.

The Southport and Birkdale Club managed to produce 16 courts on 13 ‘full size’ lawns including 7½ full size equivalent on the Club’s north lawns. This year the lawns were in excellent condition and David Key, the Lawn Manager at S&B, is to be congratulated on his work.

Some 265 games were played requiring 85 players to be ‘on the lawns’ for any one round (including those who helped as part of the Manager’s Select short croquet team), but most Clubs brought extra people to give all of their members the opportunity to participate in this very special event. In all we estimate the number of individual participants to be in excess of 100 over the two days.

Saturday had been touted as a warm sunny day all week and it turned out to be just that. The forecasters had predicted a wet start for us on the Sunday but the rain arrived earlier than expected leaving a cloudy morning which brightened into a lovely summer afternoon.

 

Fylde Handicap captain receives Festival trophy from Federation chairman Gary Wilson
Fylde Handicap captain receives Festival trophy from Federation chairman Gary Wilson

The Competitions

The overall Championship was won by Bury, (third in 2014), with Bowdon in second place, Southport finishing third. Bury and Bowdon each had 21 points but Bury had won a Championship Event (Short).

There were nine entrants of three person teams in the Golf Croquet Championship which was won by Chester with five victories from eight matches, including, importantly, a victory over Bowdon, also with five wins.

The Short competition, also best of three per match, was won by Bury with five wins from six matches. Westmorland finished in second place with Southport in third place having lost to the runner up.

For the third year in succession eight teams competed in the Handicap event which was played as an 18 point over 2¼ hours. Fylde was the worthy winner having won six of the seven games losing only to second place Bowdon.

Advanced play continued as a doubles event and was won convincingly by the Fylde team with Southport finishing in second place.

Short Croquet matches were all double banked. However, players were given plenty of time (1½ hours) to complete games and the 15 minute changeover allowed enabled them to relax a little between games.

Presentation of Short Festival trophy to Chester
Presentation of Short Festival trophy to Chester

Golf Croquet players faced a little more time pressure with just 5 minutes allowed between matches. They responded admirably and the Championship Manager was both surprised and delighted to see the declaration of results which included a drawn game and teams keeping to the schedule.

Only one Handicap game had to be stopped by the manager at 4.30 on Sunday enabling results to be co-ordinated and tables prepared in good time.

 

2015 Short event winners - Bury
2015 Short event winners – Bury

The Presentation

Gary Wilson, the Chairman of the North West Federation began by thanking Keith Roberts, Championship Manager and Liz Wilson who provides vital support to the Manager and undertakes a great deal of liaison with NWF Clubs.  Gary went on to thank the Southport & Birkdale Club, its officers and members for their hard work in preparing for this annual event, the Event and all of the other people who stop the event leaking at the seams.

The participants were also thanked, having travelled at no little expense from North East Lancashire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.  Once again, first time participants (referred to as virgins by some in the audience) were invited to stand and applauded, they included the Craig y Don contingent.

Keith then took a brief opportunity to give a personal thank you to his Event Managers, without whom the weekend would not flow as it so often does.

Gary presented the Winners Shields and the overall Champions Cup.  The presentations concluded about 5.15 enabling everyone to get away at a convenient time. I say everybody but the Southport members still had to finish clearing away equipment, tables/chairs and gazebos before they went home.

Well done Southport and Birkdale.  Another splendid Championship

Keith Roberts
Championship Manager

Click on any image to go to Slideshow: 

Riggy Wins LPG Croquet Millenium Trophy

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NWFCC LEVEL PLAY GOLF CROQUET TOURNAMENT – 31st MAY 2015 at CHESTER

Paul Rigge (Bury) being presented with the Federation Millenium Level Play Golf Croquet trophy by Manager Pat Clare of Chester.
Paul Rigge (Bury) being presented with the Federation Millenium Level Play Golf Croquet trophy by Manager Pat Clare of Chester.

Ten players from six clubs joined in the first Federation Level Play Golf Croquet Tournament. We gave a big welcome to our friends from Craig Y Don. As far as I know this is the first tournament the club has entered except for the Festival.

The day was fine but started very cold with a very unfriendly wind. The day brightened later but was only a little warmer.  The format was ‘All play All’, with no time limits. Handicaps varied from 10 to scratch but despite this variation the games were well fought with the results mostly not giving a true picture of the battles that took place, sometimes lasting several minutes at one hoop.

After round six there were three players each with five wins – Maureen Ivens, Garry Greenwood and Paul Rigge – leaving all to be played for in the last three rounds. Maureen beat Garry in round 7 but lost the last two. Garry won his last two and Paul won all his last 3 games. This meant that Paul was the winner with 8 out of 9 wins, Garry on his tail with 7 wins. Congratulations Paul on your success.

A big thank you to Chester club for hosting the event and special thanks go to the catering team. They did a marvellous job especially dealing extremely well with the various dietary problems amongst the players and managers.

Paul had changed out of his whites prior to the presentation of the trophy unfortunately but he had had an earlier problem concerning his whites and some jam!

2015 Millenium Level Play Golf Players at Chester
2015 Millenium Level Play Golf Players at Chester

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