Boxing Day plus One
Our annual Boxing Day plus One social gathering will take place at Chester Croquet Club on Thursday, 27 December. We will start at 1 pm. Please bring some leftovers from Christmas excess. The club will provide Buck Fizz or similar cocktail, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Do bring along any visiting family or friends with you. There will be no chance of croquet play this year so we will have a short quiz with a prize. Expect a croquet question or two!
All the best
A few more dates for your diary
Boxing Day plus One, Thursday, 27 December, 12.00 midday. As we do every year there will be a ‘Boxing Day plus One’ social gathering in the clubhouse. The club provides some wine and mince pies, and you bring along your leftovers and relatives. If you’d prefer, you can leave your relatives behind!
AGM, Friday, 8 March 2019 That date you’ve all been waiting for. It will be held as usual at Westminster Park Community Centre. More details after Christmas.
Planning ahead, we will be holding our annual taster day next season on Saturday, 13 April 2019. Tell your friends.
Finally, we have some more Chester Croquet Club mugs for sale at £5.00. If you want that unique gift for friends or family at Christmas, or a couple for yourself, then this is your opportunity. I will leave an example in the clubhouse.
Annual pantomime visit – Dick Whittington at Theatre Clwyd
This year it is Dick Whittington, the puuuurrfect panto. For those of you who have not been before, it is a traditional fun cheesy panto, full of familiar rock and roll songs.
The cost is approximately £22 pp, payable in advance, and we will car share from Westminster Park.
Please let me know by Friday October 19th if you would like to go and then I will buy the tickets as a block.
End of season supper and presentation of trophies
Our traditional end of season meal will be held at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 14th November 2018 at Chez Jules Restaurant on Northgate Street, Chester. The cost will be £13.95 for 2 courses and £16.95 for 3 courses, payable on the night. Everyone pays for their own drinks. At this meal we make presentations, or re-presentations, of the trophies and awards from the 2018 season. It is an excellent event, much enjoyed by all who attend. Unfortunately finding a venue that will take everyone is quite difficult in Chester and, therefore, this event is limited to members of Chester Croquet Club only.
There is a sign-up sheet in the clubhouse. Please put your name on it to book a place. Please contact me by e-mail or on my mobile at 07962234857 if you cannot get anyone to put your name on the clubhouse list.
Visit to Plas Teg, Wednesday, 17 October
Sandy Finchett-Maddock has kindly arranged a visit to the fabulous Jacobean house Plas Teg near Mold next Wednesday, 17 October. The cost is £10 per person payable in cash on the day.
Many of you have already given me your names to go, but if anyone else is interested please let me know.
If you wish to go under your own steam, we will meet you outside Plas Teg at 10.50 am. Anyone who wishes to car share, please meet in Westminster Park car park at 10.15 am.
Places for lunch have been reserved at The Bridge Inn near to Plas Teg in Pontblyddyn for 12.30 – 1.00 pm. The menu is good and reasonably priced, but of course you are not required to stay if you do not wish to.
A word of warning: the house is very cold, so please wear warm clothing.
Please contact me if you would like further information or wish to be put on the list.
Social Sunday, 3 June, re-instated
The golf handicap match against Culcheth which was postponed from Sunday, 27 May, to Sunday, 3 June, has now been abandoned as Culcheth find they are unable to raise a team. This means that there will be only one home match on that day so the Social Sunday can also take place as previously planned. As usual, the gathering is from 2.00 to 5.00 pm. Two lawns will available for play and there will also be an opportunity to watch a short lawn league match against Southport. Family and friends are always welcome and don’t forget to bring some nibbles to share. Tea and coffee will be available.
Social Sunday, 3 June, cancelled
Because of the postponement of a match from Sunday, 27 May, the Club will be hosting two home matches on Sunday, 3 June. With two visiting teams and all four lawns in use, it will not be practicable to hold a Social Sunday gathering on the same day so the decision has been taken to cancel the event. Instead, everyone is welcome to come and watch Chester playing against Southport in a short lawn league match and against Culcheth in a golf handicap league match.
As other weekends in June are also busy, the next Social Sunday will be on Sunday, 1 July.
Social Sundays
Just a reminder that the social Sunday this month is not tomorrow, but next week 13th May, as that is National Croquet Day. Usual plan – bring something to share / between 2.00 and 5.00 / friends and family welcome. Tea and coffee will be available.
Social Sunday is also being moved in August to the second Sunday, so here are the dates for the rest of the season season:
May 13th
June 3rd (2 lawns will be in use due to a match)
July 1st
August 12th
September 2nd
October 7th
On August 4th and 5th Chester will be hosting the national level play 0 Plus open golf croquet tournament. Be fabulous to watch and spectators are very welcome, so put that in your diary too!
Have fun
Annual dinner reminder
There are still plently of places available for the annual dinner, so please come, the food is great and the company even better! All members, either singly or with partners, and relatives or friends of members are very welcome. See below for more details about the cost and means of payment.
All the best
Annual dinner
The Croquet Club’s annual dinner will be held at Chester Golf Club, Curzon Park, on Thursday, 8 March 2018, arrival 7pm for 7.30 pm dinner. The cost is £24 for three courses including coffee and staff tips. There will be a choice of menu on the night. (It is always very nice, the chef says he likes to see what is the best available at the time.) It is always an enjoyable occasion and non-member relatives or friends are very welcome.
Please send a cheque made out to Chester Croquet Club to Sarah Andrew, 5 Parc Waen, Bangor Road, Conwy LL32 8EL to arrive before 21 February (I am going away after that). Alternatively you can transfer £24 per person into the following bank account, name Dr S Andrew, sort code: 07-04-36 account number 10764415. Please put your name as a reference then e-mail Sarah at sarahm.andrew.sa@gmail.com to say you have transferred the funds.
All the best
Change of date for ten pin bowling
Due to the fixed nature of the date of the snowdrop walk, we have decided to move the ten pin bowling to early March instead of Feb 20th.
The ten pin bowling event will now be on Tuesday, 6 March 2018, at 3.00 pm followed by tea and cake if wished. This will be at the bowling alley at the Coliseum Leisure Park at Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port. It is good fun if we can hire at least two lanes to make it a fun competition, so sign up if you would like to come.
We will car share as usual from Westminster Park car park, details to be finalised. Cost is approx £14 for two games.
Annual dinner
The Club’s annual dinner will be held on Thursday, 8 March 2018, at Chester Golf Club. The event is open to all members and their partners whether or not they are members of the Club. It is always a convivial evening and can be enjoyed equally by accompanied and unaccompanied members. More details regarding the menu and cost will be available shortly.
Snowdrop walk
Here are more details about our exciting snowdrop walk:
1.00 – 3.00 pm Wednesday, 21 February, at Ness Gardens
A guided walk for one and a half hours followed by drink in front of a roaring fire in the old house.
Cost – £7.50 payable in advance. Tickets are limited. Some members have already indicated their wish to come and, if any one else would like to join, please let me know by the end of tomorrow, Tuesday, 23 January.
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Thanks
Sandy, Sarah and Sally
Two more social events for your diaries
We are holding a 10-pin bowling social event at the bowling alley at Cheshire Oaks near Ellesmere Port at 3.00 pm on Tuesday, 20 February, with tea and cake (or something stronger) afterwards. Approx cost about £20. Car share will be available. Please let us know if you are interested.
We are also planning a SNOWDROP WALK at Ness Gardens on the Wirral, or at Chirk, but are awaiting to see what the snowdrops are doing before we finalise the date. It will probably be mid February to early March. Car share will be available. Please let us know if you are interested.
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Thanks
Sandy, Sarah and Sally