FREE Croquet Training Course in April
Free training and free use of equipment will be available on the following Saturday mornings with a 9.45 a.m. meet for a 10.00 a.m. start. April 5th, 12th, 19th (which is the Easter weekend) and 26th. It is not essential to be able to attend all sessions but obviously the more you can attend the more we'll be able to teach you. Our course is run entirely by Club members so you would be meeting people you might well be playing with in the future should you join. The only requirement on which we insist is that you wear flat shoes such as trainers or anything else comfortable for walking on lawns and we do so simply because heels damage the lawns. A number of Croquet Clubs insist on all players wearing whites but we only wear whites when playing in Inter-Club competitions. Smart casual or jeans and a t-shirt is fine by us.
There are two basic codes of croquet which are 'Association' and 'Golf', both of which are played both Nationally and Internationally to standard rules. During the training sessions we will concentrate on the techniques, tactics and basic rules of Golf Croquet as this is generally regarded as the simplest way to become familiar with croquet. You will hopefully be playing a game by the end of lesson one.
In order to register for attendance of the course, or to learn more, please contact our Club Secretary whose details can be found on our contacts page.
The above photos were taken at the 2013 training sessions but we're hoping for better weather this April
Christmas Meal December 2013
As has previously been the case a good time was had by all at the Jolly Farmers thanks to Tony's usual excellent organisation
Ken Pickett (Chairman), Brian Dawes (Secretary), Valerie Zaater (Treasurer), Sheila Rudling
Golf Match Report 24th September
Working on the lawns
After some sieving, wheel-barrowing soil around, lugging topsoil around, hours more spent listening to about fifteen alternative methods of levelling a lawn (not like that, like that), chucking some dirt about (I think that's the correct technical terminology), levelling the lawn with rakes, measuring with spirit levels and levelling by guesswork we did some work. The next part was levelling with more rakes, an improvised scraper board and a really weird soil-related impliment borrowed from our neighbours. We then got down to some serious stomping and rolling. This was followed by more stomping, more levelling and more rolling. Why? I've no idea - it looked fine to me but as I'd appointed myself the task of specialist rake leaner I wasn't too bothered. Then came the seeding bit.
In the first photograph (above left) John demonstrates the correct way to spread the grass seed and in the second photograph (above right) David demonstrates the 'Bush Hill Park Seed Scatterers Dance'. He was judged to have scored a 5.7 on both the Come Dancing and Richter Scale.
The photo (above left) shows Brian demonstrating the perfect way to lean on a rake while John scatters having already ploughed the fields. Meanwhile (see right-hand photo) Peter and John have what's called a 'Seed Off' in the finals of today's seeding competition. Numerous experts watch on.... no they really are. Our experts department have the extremely hard task of explaining to the other observers exactly what is being done wrong.
Below David gives another demonstration, this time he's doing the splits but only got marked with an average of 2.7 by the judges seen in the background. Brian stands by with the rake to encourage David. Below right we see the aftermath of what was nearly 'The Great Bush Hill Park Seed Spill Disaster' ...the things we do for the Enfield Croquet Club eh?
Photographs kindly provided by Andy Davis (that's another highly specialised work-avoiding job).
Quiz: Name eight current Enfield Croquet Club members who have both played in and won an Inter Club Final or Finals for our Club. Answers on a self-addressed postcard.
Enfield beat Watford 8-4 in a Friendly Doubles match - the report can be found here: Inter-Club GC page
Association Match Report 8th September
Enfield beat Watford 5-2 in the Longman Cup - the report can be found here: Inter-Club AC page
Golf Match Report 6th September
Enfield East beat Enfield West 11-7 in the East Anglian GC Handicap Semi Final - the report can be found here: Inter-Club GC page
Association Match Report July 24th
Enfield beat Watford 4-2 at home and the match report and photographs can be found on our Inter-Club AC page
Association Match Report July 12th
Enfield beat Roehampton 6-1 at home and the match report can be found on our Inter-Club AC page
Just some of our new members for 2013
Lorreine Glyn Shirley Graham
Tom Linda Stephen Peter
more to follow - and apologies if this loads slowly - am having problems with file sizes
SPOTTED ON THE LAWNS
TRAINING COURSE APRIL/MAY
Following another successful training course Enfield Croquet Club are delighted to be welcoming 12 new members for the 2013 season.
This season we had 22 new trailists thanks to David Fenner's very effective publicity campaign. Most seemed to enjoy the sport and some want to come back next season when they'll have more time available to take up the game. Look out for new faces on the lawns folks because a number of those on the course have now become members for the 2013 season.
ASSOCIATION MATCH REPORT
Enfield v Wrest Park - Home match WON 5-1 Friday April 26 2013
Enfield’s Association team got off to a good start to the season with a hard fought but emphatic win over Wrest Park. It could have been different however had the two very close timed out games gone Wrest Park’s way.
In
the morning doubles matches Brian Havill (9 handicap) and John Street
(14) played well to beat David Wooley (7) and David Morris (10) by 26-8
(plus 18). While on the other lawn Ken Pickett (2.5) and Wendy
Spencer-Smith (18) took on Peter Aspinall (20) and Bryan Harral (1) who
played superbly throughout the day. This was a very narrow victory for
Enfield in a timed out match by 15T-14T (pus1T).
In the
afternoon games Bryan Harral playing in an imperious mood beat Ken 26-13
(plus 13). Brian (Havill) had a runaway victory against Brian Wooley
26-2 (plus 24). John beat David Morris 26-19 (+7) whilst Wendy had the
closest of the singles matches beating Peter Aspinall by squeezing out a
close-run win 15T-14T (plus 1T).
Our Association team for the day: Ken, Brian H, John and Wendy
Next Association game v Melgrave see Diary for fixtures
ENFIELD WIN THE CHAIRMAN'S CUP 2012
A full report of this match can now be found on our Inter-Club AC page and hopefully maybe some photos will follow as well, if Brian Havill's camera phone worked sufficiently well.
Enfield's winning Association Croquet squad for 2012 is seen below:
Ken, Wendy, John, Brian H, Alan, Brian D and David
Enfield win East Anglian
Handicap play-offs Final
Wednesday September 5th 2012 Enfield v Watford (neutral) won 11-7A Full report of this East Anglian Handicap Golf fixture is shown on our Inter-Club GC page
Enfield's Brian Havill is now an East Anglian Croquet Federation Champion
2012 Club Champions Day played at Wrest Park on Sunday 22nd April 2012
Twenty-three competitors from eleven clubs took part in the first EACF event for the 2012 outdoor season. This was a unique occasion in that it would be the last year six lawns would be available at Wrest Park, situated in the beautiful gardens of the historic house. Fortunately the sun gods smiled and although the day was sunny with a chill nip in the air, the showers that were promised were noticeable by their absence apart from a short down poor in the afternoon.
The day's event was split into three groups of 7 or 8 players comprising Advanced; ‘B’-level Advanced; and Handicap. Each group played as a straight knock-out.
In the Handicap Group, Enfield Croquet Club was represented by Brian Havill who competed with Steve Lewis (Hunstanton), Francis Lambert (Newport), Georgeen Hemming (Colchester), John Moore (Watford), Peter Whiting (Bygrave), Jonathan Toye (Downham Mkt) and Heather Bennett (St. Albans).
Playing reduced games of 22 points, most players found the lawns tricky to adjust to. After a slow start Brian edged through his first round versus Peter Whiting. In his next match, Brian was up against the best player in the group – Johathan Toye. This match saw the one soaking of the day. While Jonathon decided to dress down to shorts and a T shirt, Brian dressed as Nanook of the North. Fortunately, Nanook won so Brian was in the final. In the final he played Steve Lewis from Hunstanton. After another slow start, Brian was 2 – 8 down, two good breaks saw him take a commanding leading and he won out 22 – 10.
Tournament Winners: Tim Brewer, Duncan Hector and our very own Brian Havill
Very many congratulations to Brian on his outstanding achievement.
Wrest Park seen here in a drier period of Club Champions match day
Friday April 27 Enfield v St. Albans (Home) lost 2-4
Full report with photos of this Beds and Herts Association fixture is shown on our Inter-Club AC page.
EVENING CROQUET will be played on Thursday evenings from 6.00 p.m. this season - we'll start the evening sessions just as soon as it stops raining. Evening croquet will end when the last player leaves the lawns or the park closes.
Basil receives his well deserved 'Diploma for Services to Croquet'
Basil Lawrence our Honorary Life President and ex-Chairman receives the 'Diploma for Services to Croquet' awarded by the Croquet Association. It was presented by Sheila Rudling, our longest serving Club member, at this years AGM. It was also Shelia who did us all such a huge favour when she introduced Basil and Joan to the Club way back in 1993.
A clearly delighted Basil makes a fine speech to the members whilst clutching his Diploma
Photos above kindly provided by Miichael Israel
PICTURE SPECIAL OF THE CHAMPIONS:
FINAL WIN FOR ENFIELD EAST
MATCH REPORT 11th SEPTEMBER 2011
2011 East Anglian Golf Croquet League Play-off FINAL
A disastrous start by Enfield East at Bury St. Edmunds almost suggested that their most important match of the season was almost over before it was half way through. Windy conditions and three lawns that ran away on one side seemed to unduly effect our players in the first couple of rounds. Having lost the first round 1-3 and it went from bad to worse in the second round with a 0-4 loss. This meant they were a massive 1-7 behind with eight singles and two doubles still to play. Leighton Linslade required just three of the remaining ten matches for victory. However Ken, David F, Brian H and Tony, all of of whom won two of their singles matches, clawed their way back to 8-8 at the end of the four singles rounds. With the momentum now in their favour they took both the doubles matches to complete a really impressive comeback and a 10-8 victory. Congratulations to the winning team members and the entire squad who saw them through the earlier stages.
Enfield East and Leighton Linslade at the 2011 Final.
Ken looks happy but Brian quite rightly hides from the cameras.
Final score: Enfield East 10 Leighton Linslade 8
All the 2012 match reports will be shown on our Inter-Club AC and Inter-Club GC pages
Registered Charity No. 1123281