Category: News

Please see note from Ian Harrison below

I am intending to offer croquet coaching again this year in B’stoke, but we are somewhat constrained by the restrictions at present.

As before, coaching is free for full members here but we are asking our Associate Members (ie U3A) and visitors to donate £3/session to Club funds.  As well as GC I shall be offering a series called “Introduction to AC” – which is what it says on the tin.

The plan is (Fridays @ 2.00pm unless stated otherwise):

2 April                 GC

1 May    (Sat 2.00pm)   GC

28 May               GC

At the moment I’d be interested to know if any of your members would like to join the throng.  If expected numbers exceed the allowances I’d be happy to offer additional dates, subject to lawn time being available.

And don’t forget that there is a brilliant series of video coaching modules for AC and GC on the Basingstoke website (www.basingstokecroquet.co.uk).

Best wishes

Ian Dr Ian Harrison
Coaching Officer
Southern Croquet Federation
1 Kestrel Road
Kempshott
Basingstoke
RG 22 5PA

01256 326081

ian.b.harrison@btinternet.com

Roger received this message on March 20th from Andrew Harrison, the Manager at The Four Seasons:

Just thought you might like to see the status of the lawn. Twenty five ton bags of moss were removed! Dressing and seeding on the way.

Please see the attached document

The AGM will be held on March 11th via Zoom. Details are in the Members Area

The season has now ended and the equipment has been removed from the lawn. We thrive on being a social club but this has sadly been diminished in 2020 due to the pandemic. We have had a few highlights though:

We held our AGM on 12 March, just before restrictions were introduced, which was followed by a delicious Cheese and Wine Party organised by Sue and Mike Smith. For the record the 2019 competition winners, honoured at the time, were Steve Frazer, Alison Callaway & Sue Smith and Sue Meek who won the singles, doubles and plate respectively.

Seven new members joined the club this year – Sally Daniell, Annabel McDiarmid, Caroline and Gerry Morgan, Diana Pedersen, Anita Pocock-Gulliver and Andy Walker. We wish them a very warm welcome and many happy years playing croquet.

We agreed in committee that due to the disruption this year, next year’s subscription would be complimentary for those who joined in 2020.

We played in the One Court League and, as a result, Peter Fennell arranged a friendly match, at Dogmersfield, with Caversham. From memory this was only the third match we have played at home, the other two visiting clubs being Littlehampton and Phyllis Court.

The one competition held this year was the Mander Cup, expertly run by Veronica and her team – many congratulations to Sue Smith who won!

We had a socially distanced fun day, effortlessly run by Jill Catt as usual, together with this year’s singles final won by Bob Blightman.

And finally it was Bob who probably made the greatest contribution to this year’s activities by producing our very own web site. A huge thank you for this task which was not without its challenges.

Our Christmas skittles dinner will not take place this year unless there is a miraculous change in the country’s fortunes. As we are in Tier 1, however, members may meet in groups of six, indoors, at restaurants or at home, so perhaps some of you may like to meet up independently. I should be happy to join in, or even arrange a bubble, if anyone would like me to!

With best wishes, apologies if I have missed anyone and hoping you all keep safe,
Roger

For those of you wishing to sneak in a few more games between the gales, the club season will end Thursday 15th October

**** PLEASE CAN TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BORROWED CLUB MALLETS RETURN THEM TO THE STORAGE BOX BY 15 OCT.

It would also be useful if you could confirm to me by email that you have done so.

My records show following issues:

1. Peter Fennell                     36″ 3.02 lbs.

2. Cathy Fennell                    35″ 2.14 lbs.

3. Anita P-Gulliver                 34″ 2.14 lbs

4. Bob Blightman                   37″ 2lb 14oz

5. Tony Homewood              36″ 2.12

6. Lesley Hearon                   32″

7. Andy Walker                      36″

8. Gill Ovendon                     32″

9. Alison Callaway                     37″

10. Sue Hearson.                  34″ 2.14

11. Veronica

12. Diana Pedersen              2.14

Dare we hope that there will be some form of normality next season!

Trialling a website for DCC