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Stuart Smith Wins Colourful Tournament at Pendle.

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The Kate Jones Tournament 24/26th Aug at Pendle CC

Stuart Smith with the Kate Jones Trophy

August Bank Holiday, the CA’s GC Second Eight Tournament.
One local, two from the midlands and five from the ‘south’ met over the scorching long weekend at our club to contest the ‘Kate Jones’. Format was all play all, with each round being a best of three 13 point games.

After all Seven rounds were completed, the top four played in a KO, Bo3 Semi, and B03 Final. The four non qualifiers played in the Plate event – 19 point single game KO (by consensus with the involved players).

The club looked magnificent, with bunting draped along the hut gutters and along the rain shelters. Hanging flower baskets (supplied by Jan), also mounted on the hut & sheds. Lawn markers and bright white lines denoting the four full size courts (& a half size laid out for members use). The Friday mow was redone on Sunday evening after play (by one of the attending players, since a viable club member ran off when the mower was bought out – you know who you are!).

Many thanks are due to Abdul, Jan, Karen, Libby & Paul R for their work in hosting this Major Event, and Stephen Leonard for the Sunday mow.

Stuart M Smith beat Tim King for the title & Stephen Custance-Baker took the Plate.

Once, Twice, Three times a Winner – Riggey

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Crake “Rock Clock” AC Tournament 17/18th Aug

Jim Allcock presents Paul Rigge with the Cavendish Clock

Riggey travelled up the the Lake District to play in the Crake Valley Croquet Club’s August Advanced Tournament.

The work continues at Crake to bring the Lawns back into full use with the re-serviced drains now starting to have an effect, after Friday’s downpour I expected the event to be cancelled or at least notified of a late start, but not a bit of it. the ‘top’ courts were both dry and playable – great job CCC.

This Tournament was also notable, since it’s the last event the ‘Leaning Pavilion of Greenodd’ will be used. Over winter it’s due to be demolished & replaced with a ‘proper’ brick building fitted with both running water *and* electricity! For a club formed in 1897, will the new ‘hut’ last as long or have as much personality? Enter the event next year and find out!

Paul now is the only player to hold the Lake District Slate Cavendish Clock three times.

Over 1500 people try Croquet

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BBC CountryfileLive at Castle Howard August 2019

Adam Henson enjoying Croquet at Castle Howard

A group of 50 enthusiastic croquet players drawn mostly from the Yorkshire Federation went to the new CountryfileLive at Castle Howard to give visitors to the 4 day event the opportunity to ” give croquet a go”. Two small courts were set up on the lawns with the magnificent house in the background and over 1500 tried their hand at running hoops with some expert guidance. All of the visitors seemed to enjoy it ; any serious interest was captured and links are being made to clubs for follow up.

John Dawson coaches Adam Henson through the hoop

The weather was variable and as the show lasted from 9-00 to 6 pm on each day. The CA volunteers worked hard with some time off to enjoy the rest of the show themselves.

Matt Baker and Anita Rani try Croquet with Derek Knight

It is always difficult to assess the long term impact of this sort of activity but 1500 is a “serious” number of players and there is no doubt that the team of volunteers raised the public profile of croquet amongst the tens of thousand visitors to the show. As a result of the relationships built up at Blenheim the BBC Countryfile Live stars turned up en masse for an early morning publicity shoot and Matt Baker , Ellie Harrison and Adam Henson came back to hone their croquet skills watched by many of their fans. Some activities were shot on camera but we shall have to wait to see if any of the footage makes it to the Sunday night show.

BBC Countryfile Presenters try Croquet at Castle Howard

A big “thank you” to all the volunteers, to Anna Giraud for managing the recruitment and deployment of the teams, to Derek Knight ( and Anna) for setting up and dismantling the site, to the York and Beverley clubs for the loan of equipment .

Yorkshire members hosting Croquet at Castle Howard

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