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Chester Croquet Club held its first AC/GC partnership day of the season. 8 members who normally play golf croquet partnered 8 members who normally play association croquet for a lighthearted competition of association croquet.

Robin Tasker managed the competition and worked out which pair was to play which pair each round to determine the eventual winners.

With two games each Sarah Clements and Sally Slater played Brian Walton and Rick Davies in the final round to decide the winners. After an hour’s exciting play the two pairs were neck and neck at 7 hoops all, making a shot to the peg the deciding factor. Sarah and Rick played the drives and both made excellent shots inches from the peg, but Sarah’s was a couple of inches nearer so deciding the outcome.

It was an enjoyable afternoon played in warm sunshine, and the members are looking forward to the next partnership day to be held in June.

Now here’s a thought: play GC and AC!

Rachel Gee is a top class player – winning the 2011 Women’s Golf Croquet World championship, representing England in the association Openshaw competition, winning the English National Singles AC in 2019 and 2020, and the 2014, 2018, and 2023 European Golf croquet championships.

Not bad eh?

She was asked what was her best suggestion for development in either code and she said

PLAY THE OTHER CODE

“Playing AC has opened my eyes to a large range of alternative shot options in GC, some of which can be hoop winning almost immediately. Playing GC has given me a better understanding of my % success rate for any given shot (running longer hoops, various length roquets etc) which has given me the confidence to be much more aggressive with my break pick up lines and shooting shot selections in AC.”

Well said Rachel.

Look out for our next GC/ AC partnership day to improve your understanding and skills.

The first beautiful sunny day in the season so far saw Chester Chariots play Llanfairfechan at home in the NW Level Play Golf Croquet League on Thursday, 2 May. It was a very tight match, with many games taking well over an hour and 4 going to the golden hoop. Sally Slater (captain), Jude Wise and Edward Baskerville took on a very strong team from Wales, but eventually lost by 10 games to 5.

Back to an overcast day on Saturday, 4 May, Chester met a different team from Llanfairfechan also at home, this time in an Association Croquet 14pt Full Lawn Handicap match. This was the first match of the season in the new 14pt format introduced this year by the NW Federation. The team of Brian Walton (captain), David Boyd, Sally Slater and Paul Taylor faced a team with a bag full of bisques which made for a challenging day, but all the team had some successes and there was even a golden hoop game. Fortunately, the rain held off and Chester won by 11 games to 5.

Last call for Early Bird Doubles

We now have 13 participants signed up for this fun, informal competition on Sunday, 12 May. They are:

Liz Baskerville, Cynthia Graham, David Johnson, David Mann, Lesley Newman, Paulette Thomas. Wendy Lord, Christine Fryer, Lorraine Rawlins, Gail Thomas. Gwyn Thomas and Liz Griffiths.

Are there any more high handicap Golf Croquet players out there who want to join in ? Please let me know on jaytay20ch@aol.com or at 07810892311 ASAP if you do.

We will aim to start at 9.30 am, and bring your lunch ! There will be cake ! You do not have to wear whites.

All the best

Jayne Taylor
07810892311

7 May 2024

Spaces still available for Early Bird GC Doubles

The Early Bird Doubles will be held on Sunday, 12 May.  This is for players with a handicap of 11 or 12, or not yet with a handicap.  You do not have to join as a pair.  We currently have 14 players who have previously signed up to play, but the competition takes 16 and it may be that others will have to drop out before the date.  So spaces are available and it is good to have some reserves to call upon if needed.

Currently we have Liz Baskerville, Cynthia Graham, David Johnson, David Mann, Lesley Newman, Doreen Jones, Paulette Thomas, Rhia Taylor, Wendy Lord, Christine Fryer, Lorraine Rawlins, Mary McManus, Gail Thomas and Gwyn Thomas.

Let me know if I have missed you off that list and you were expecting to play, or if you would like to join the list. Please reply direct to me on jaytay20ch@aol.com .

Partners are picked randomly, and games  will be level play but timed at 45 minutes, the winning pair for each game being the first to run 7 hoops or the one that has run the most hoops after 45 minutes. It would be good to start at 9.30 am if possible.

Jayne Taylor
07810892311

30 April 2024

Early Bird GC Doubles on Sunday, 12 May 2024

Hello all high handicap golf croquet players

As you may recall, last year we had to cancel the Hi-Tails Doubles competition due to bad weather. However, we have an alternative doubles competition for those with a high handicap (usually 11 or 12) or no handicap (i.e beginners) early in the season called the Early Bird Doubles. As with the Hi- Tails, you enter individually and are paired up randomly with a partner.

The competition will be held on Sunday May 12th. Places have been offered to those players who entered the cancelled Hi Tails competition last year, but we have a few places left if anyone else wishes to take part. Please let me know…..first come first served, but there will be a reserve list just in case anyone has to pull out .

Please reply direct to me on jaytay20ch@aol.com .

All the best

Jayne Taylor
07810892311

1 April 2024

On Saturday, 20 April, Chester hosted the reigning champions Crake Lakes for the first match of the 2024 North West Federation advanced association croquet season. Chester – represented by David Guyton, David Boyd and Robin Tasker – reached the lunch interval having lost the doubles 13-18 while David Guyton squeezed past his opponent 15-14 in the singles. The afternoon was equally tight with the first two singles shared leaving the match tied at 2-2 with the final game still in progress. As time was called Chester held a 2 hoop lead but conceding a lift, and the Crake Lakes player took advantage to draw level; and then win the game and therefore the overall match by peeling his second ball through the penultimate hoop for Golden Hoop victory 3-2. On such fine margins are matches won or lost…

On the following Sunday, 21 April, Chester Croquet Club held its annual taster sessions. There was a great turn out of 30 people who had come to try their hand at the sport. The sunshine helped them have a great day and many have gone on to join the club.

Last year Chester played Bowdon in the quarter final of the national Inter-Club golf croquet championship and managed to beat them 4-3. This year Chester drew them in the first round on 22 April; a tough draw with their team of four having handicaps of -3, -2, -1 and -1). The team we fielded was David Boyd, Mark Lloyd, Tom Grievson and John Hampson (+1,+1,+2 and +2); and this year we did not have home advantage. Bowdon got off to a terrific start in the morning winning both the doubles and the two singles matches to go 3-0 up. The afternoon was better for Chester with John Hampson and Mark Lloyd winning a game each, but the final score was Bowdon 5 Chester 2. Despite the defeat it was a very enjoyable day – lovely greens and friendly and hospitable opponents with only a few light rain showers, despite the weather forecast of torrential rain all day. Bowdon now go on to play High Wycombe in the second round.

On Thursday, 25 April, Chester played Chester! Having two level play teams – the Centurions and the Chariots – this is the first match of the season in the NW Federation golf croquet level play league. The two teams were David Boyd, Garry Greenwood and John Hampson for the Centurions, and Jude Wise, Kerry Dadson and Pat Clare for the Chariots. After evenly balanced sessions to start with, the Centurions raced ahead to win 16-2.

Then on Saturday, 27 April, Chester played at home against Bury in the first round of the national Longman Trophy association croquet handicap competition. The Chester team for the match were David Guyton (captain), David Boyd, Brian Walton and Andy Wilson-Chalon who had joined the club only a few weeks earlier after half a century’s absence from croquet! For late April it was a distinctly chilly day with only occasional glimpses of sunshine in the morning followed by light drizzle in the afternoon. Chester faced an experienced team from Bury who won the match 5 – 2 having won the doubles and two singles games in the morning and two of the four singles games in the afternoon. However, the match was much more closely balanced than indicated by the final result. In the doubles game in the morning David Guyton and Andy Wilson-Chalon lost by just one hoop after being one hoop ahead when time was called. And in the afternoon Andy Wilson-Chalon lost by just one hoop to Anne Alvey of Bury who won the All England AC handicap championship at Chester last year. Just a couple of hoops in  6½ hours of play made the difference between a 5 – 2 win for Bury and what might have been a 4 – 3 win for Chester.

Association Croquet – Myths Busting!

TOO LONG
Not so. You can play for as long as you feel like. A lot of short lawn games last about an hour. There is a new 14 point game (12 hoops and the peg) that is an hour and a half but could be less.

NOT SOCIABLE
AC is a friendly game. Often you can play doubles and be on the lawn chatting with your partner. If anyone sees Robert and Mavis playing, the laughter can be heard for miles!

BORING
Less boring than golf croquet can be! Each game is very different as you work the tactics out. If you like snooker you’ll love it!

TOO DIFFICULT
Not so. It maybe takes a bit longer to get to grips with some of the shots, but it is essentially quite simple. Hit a ball, pick yours up and put it with another ball, hit both balls, run the hoop – repeat. What’s difficult about that?

ELITIST
What rubbish! Players come from all backgrounds and walks of life.

TOO EFFORTFUL
You do have to hit two balls together which is a little harder than hitting one, but we can play on a short lawn which is half the size so they don’t have to travel as far.

COME AND HAVE A GO!
We are a friendly bunch who love nothing more than sharing our enthusiasm for Association Croquet. Come on a Monday morning when the short lawners are having fun. Or a Tuesday evening when there’ll be loads of help available. Definitely sign up for the GC/AC partnership day on Tuesday, 7 May. That is really good fun and a good introduction to AC.

Don’t delay, contact me to sign up!

Sally Slater

Chester Croquet Club had a good start to the season on Sunday, 31 March, with an opening social, cream tea and casual and fun games of croquet. About 30 members attended with their families, so young and not so young were well represented.

Since then the lawns have been closed the majority of the time, and league matches against other clubs have had to be cancelled, due to heavy and incessant rain waterlogging the lawns. There has been no opportunity for practice.

The only match to take place so far this season was a short lawn association croquet match against Bury at their grounds in Coronation Park on Sunday,  12 August. The team of Sally Slater (captain), Jayne Taylor, Robert Jones and Michael Fletcher played well against their more practised opponents but lost 12 to 4. Michael won three of his games in his first ever croquet match which was an excellent result.

Once the weather changes for the better, then other matches should follow on thick and fast.

Chester Croquet Club opened the season with a social funday at the pavilion in Westminster Park on Sunday, 31 March, with a sparkling cream tea. Members brought along friends and family and about 30 people enjoyed playing croquet.

But the rain couldn’t stay away for long and was back on Monday, 1 April, to wash out the first of the season’s weekly roll-up sessions.

During a rare spell of sunshine between heavy rain overnight and more rain in the afternoon, a small but resolute band of volunteers managed to set out hoops for the four full lawns as planned  on Thursday morning, 28 March. The lawns were sodden with large areas of standing water across all four lawns but a minor benefit was that the ground was so soft it was possible to hammer in the hoops relatively easily without needing to drill holes into hard clay. Hoops for the eight short lawns were were set out on Saturday, 30 March, ready for the new season to start on Sunday, 31 March, and the first Social Funday of 2024. And, miracle of miracles after so much rain, the lawns are dry and ready for play.

You may have seen on the Club calender a new entry called GC Teatime Twosomes from 4 pm to 5.30 pm each Thursday afternoon. This is very similar to Tuesday’s Progressive Doubles – lose and you stay put and swap partners, win and you move on and swap partners. Three thirty minute games then tea and biscuits.

The difference is that the winner gets a pin badge. If there is a draw it is decided by a simple ‘nearest the centre peg from the boundary’ play off. Every week there is a pin to win and wear in your hat, lapel, piercing, mallet bag.

The first Teatime Twosomes is on Thursday,  4 April, at 4.00 pm sharp. You know the rules and routine so come along and win some Thursday Teatime Twosome pins.

See you there!

Tom Grievson

The 2024 croquet season starts on Sunday, 31 March 2024. The lawns are white lined and hoop laying will be done later this week. On our opening day please come to the Sunday Funday starting at 12 noon. Bring friends and family and a plate of food to share if you wish. Bubbly, drinks, scones and berries and cream will be provided.

There is a full programme of matches, tournaments and events planned for this year. All the usual regular weekly events continue with a couple of additions. As last year June is set to be a very busy month so please try to make a habit of looking at the calendar on our excellent website before setting off to your favourite croquet event.

Our website is full of up to date information about the Club and its doings, its members, its events and news of the successes or otherwise of our teams and players. It also contains details of Club policies and documents (Home – Policies and Documents) including our Child Safeguarding Policy. Mavis Sellars (07715 050850) is the Safeguarding Officer.

Subscriptions are due now but should be paid by 1 May at the latest please. Use either Bank transfer (details on website) or directly to our new Treasurer, Ian Graham. Ian lives very close to the Club; you can see his new roof from the Clubhouse.

The lawn booking system continues this year which is helpful to those who do not live close by the Club but please remember that your booking does not guarantee sole occupancy of a lawn. Double banking is the norm but we do not mix AC and GC on a lawn.

More info on existing and new tournaments and events to follow but, in the meantime, please come and enjoy your Club and see you at Sunday Funday perhaps?

Tom Grievson
Chair