Karen Bowes (Crake Valley) defeated David Parrott (Bury) in the Final (7-4) to win the Cup.

10 players participated at Whitehead Park, several of whom were competing in their first Bury Tournament and it was great to welcome fresh faces to the Club.

The weather was much fresher and cloudier for the first part of the morning, however the sunshine and hot temperatures soon returned.

It was a keenly contested Tournament with great play and commitment from everyone throughout, demonstrated by the fact that so many of the matches resulted in a 7-6 scoreline.

Play consisted of 2 blocks. In Block A Karen Bowes (Crake Valley) won 3 out of 4 games, Ursula Walker (Fylde), Ray Lock (Ashby), and David Parrott (Bury) each won 2 and Mick Derrick (Sheffield) won 1.

In Block B Clare Rockall (Gainsborough) won 3 games, John Bowes (Crake Valley), Brenda Knight (Crake Valley), and Katy Hill (Ripon Spa) each won 2 and Sharon de Maine (Bury) won 1.

Semi-finals were held for both the Cup and the Plate. Players through to the Plate were Ursula and Ray from Block A and Brenda and Katy from Block B. Players through to the Cup were Karen and David from Block A and John and Clare from Block B. Mick and Sharon competed for the 9^th/10^th Playoff, a very close game, which was won by Sharon(7-6)

The first semi-final for the Plate was full of great shots and Ray had to work hard to gain his victory over Brenda (7-6) and his place in the Final. In an enjoyable match Katy beat Ursula (7-3) to face Ray in the Final, which was another excitingly close game, but Ray held his own to overcome Katy (7-5) to take the Plate.

Brenda and Ursula battled it out for the 7^th/8^th Playoff. Great play from both ladies but Brenda just pipped Ursula to the post and won (7-6)

The first semi-final for the Cup was the husband-and-wife battle between John and Karen Bowes. John put up a good fight, but Karen triumphed to gain her place in the Final (7-5). Yet another closely fought match took place between Clare Rockall and David Parrott.  David held his nerve and won (7-6) thus gaining his place in the Final.

In the 3^rd/4^th Playoff John Bowes unfortunately had to retire mid match due to an injury, consequently Clare took 3^rd place.

Despite playing some great shots and putting up a good fight David could not contain Karen and she beat him (7-4) to win the Cup.

Club President David Barrett presented the trophies and wine.

Thanks go to Referee, John Crossland, who did a sterling job as always, the Tournament Management, Grounds and Catering Teams for making the day an enormous success, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

Full results can be seen on Croquet Scores https://croquetscores.com2026

Winner Karen Bowes of Crake Valley CC with runner up David Parrott of Bury CC

Report by Sue Worth

5 places left at the inaugural event

The recently appointed Chief Executive Officer of Croquet England, Andy Dalby-Welsh, visited Bury Croquet Club on Wednesday 17 June 2026 as part of a tour of croquet clubs across the North of England.

Based in Cheltenham, Croquet England is the national governing body for the sport and supports clubs, players and the development of croquet throughout the country.

During his visit to Bury Croquet Club’s Whitehead Park lawns, Mr Dalby-Welsh met club members, toured the facilities and enjoyed the opportunity to play on the club’s lawns. The visit was part of a wider Northern tour, which also includes a visit to Bowdon Croquet Club, hosts of a major international England v Spain Golf Croquet Tournament taking place from Friday 19 to Sunday 21 June.

Speaking after his visit, Mr Dalby-Welsh said:

“It has been an absolute pleasure to visit and play at Bury Croquet Club, and brilliant to receive such a warm welcome from club members. It has beautiful grounds with excellent facilities, including a unique indoor playing area.”

On behalf of Bury Croquet Club, Vice Chair Roy Spencer presented Andy Dalby-Welsh, accompanied by Croquet England Communications Officer Alison Maugham, with engraved handmade wooden bowls as a memento of the occasion.

Andy Dalby-Welsh has more than 20 years’ experience of leadership across the sport, disability and youth development sectors. Most recently, he served as CEO of London Youth Games. Prior to that, as Deputy CEO of Activity Alliance, the national lead organisation for getting disabled people active, he worked to influence disability inclusion nationally and oversaw governance reform towards a federated structure.

Andy is visually impaired and represented the England Blind Cricket Team over several years, bringing personal experience of inclusive sport alongside his professional expertise.

The visit highlights Croquet England’s ongoing commitment to supporting clubs across the country, strengthening relationships with local organisations and promoting the growth and accessibility of the sport.

Further information or photographs contact Roy Spencer