Chester Croquet Club is always pleased to welcome visits by local community groups and half a dozen members of Cestrian Ramblers came on Monday, 7 September, for an afternoon of croquet fun! The Cestrians were taken through an introduction to the game, including:
Welcome talk including a health and safety briefing
How to hold a mallet
Hitting the ball
Basic drills to include hoop running, positioning, clearing.
This was followed by a well earned tea break, and a few games to use their newly acquired skills. I popped by at this stage to witness happy, smiling Cestrians, who had clearly mastered the basic skills. They were running hoops with amazing precision and skill!
I personally can think of nothing better than spending time on a beautifully kept, open lawn, surrounded by nature. Here, I am mixing with fellow croquet players as part of the community in Westminster Park, nothing better… than exploring the beautiful surrounding countryside with the Cestrian Ramblers!
Here are some messages from the Cestrians:
“Thank you for an enjoyable afternoon at the croquet taster you kindly arranged. We found it good fun and discovered a sport that is almost a cross between golf and chess!”
“Thank you for arranging the croquet coaching session, which was a very enjoyable evening. I recommend others to give it a go.”
“We had an excellent coach, clearly demonstrating the fundamentals of the game. A particular highlight was a Cestrians’s 20-yard shot, which passed straight through the hoop without touching the sides.”
“I can only echo what everyone has already said, a most enjoyable session, thank you again. As regards my 20yd shot I can assure you was beginners luck!!”
“I enjoyed the session very much, I didn’t realise there was so much to the game, the scoring side of it and also the two different types of games but I’m sure that would all become clearer the more time spent playing, it’s not a game I had ever thought about playing before.”
“A very enjoyable afternoon and I shall certainly be back for another go.”
Elaine Rossignol
Cestrian Ramblers (Chester) Group is part of the Merseyside and West Cheshire Area Ramblers’ Association