Pendle and Craven Croquet Club
Cemetery Road, Earby, Lancashire, BB18 6QX
The final day of the 5 day tournament concluded in bright sunshine with a play off between the tournament manager Mike Town and Rick Harding with Rick being triumphant. A full official report will follow.
The club received nothing but compliments on the condition and speed of the lawns, the management and hospitality throughout the 5 days. Many thanks to all club members who spent many hours preparing for this event. Well Done to everyone.
Due to Covid, other illnesses and last minute unavailability only 7 players turned out in beautiful conditions for the annual Level GC club competition. It was an ‘all play all’ format, everyone playing six games, and knowing that hoop difference may decide the final result. In the end it was very close with Mike Bradbury, Cathy O’Brien and Paul Dowdall all winning five of their six games. Mike was the eventual winner with a hoop difference of +20, closely followed by Cathy, +18, and Paul, +17. Special mention to Ian who was playing his first competition (well done Ian) and special thanks to Cathy’s husband Neil who had to drive over from north Leeds with the order of play etc which Cathy had left on the kitchen table.
With many thanks to Cathy for running the tournament.
Our Introduction to Croquet Courses are filling up rapidly, the course starting 3rd September is full.
The next places available are on the course starting 14th September ( 21st September and 5th October )
Places need to be booked as individual tuition is given. Please call our Coach on 07388 898 827 to book a place. Participants wishing to join the club after completing the course can avail themselves of our end of year deals.
The Club held its Summer AC Handicap Tournament over the August Bank Holiday Weekend. In preparation for hosting the Spencer Ell in September, a lot of hard work has been undertaken by members resulting in the Club looking a picture: surrounds tidied, hedges trimmed and the courts playing at a decent pace. A rather select gathering of eight contestants from five clubs made life easy for the Manager and the players were divided into two blocks with all-play-all on Saturday. The top two from each block, Debbie James (York) and Malcolm Tingle (York) from Block A, and Philip Jay (Huddersfield) and Philip Snowden (Fylde) from Block B, then played in a mini knockout on Sunday whilst the remaining four players played cross-block games. In tightly fought semi-finals the York players had to concede victory to the two Philips who then played the Final after lunch.
There were two trophies on offer with a trophy for the fastest game as well as the main trophy. The first was won by Denise Foster (York) who, in one of the block games, beat the eventual champion in a little over two hours. The weather put a slight dampener on the Final but it did not prevent Philip Jay running out a worthy winner and earning himself a handicap reduction at the same time.
Many thanks to the club members who were constantly on hand, offering hospitality.
Report from David Carpenter, team captain.
Today we played at Fylde.
Pendle and Craven team: Mike Bradley(3), Cathy O’Brien(6), Sharon de Maine(9) and David Carpenter (11)
Fylde team: Phillip Bass(8), Catherine Bass(8), Ursula Walker(12) and Helen Froggatt(12)
At lunch the score was 5 games each . However in the afternoon Pendle took control of affairs winning 7 of the remaining 8 singles. Congratulations to Sharon on winning all her singles games for the second match in succession.
Result Pendle & Craven won 12-6
Photo after the match. Well Done Team.
Report from Robert Essler.
The AC team won 4-3 after a somewhat bizarre ending where Robin’s opponent went through the wrong hoop with his ball and neither player realised. Eventually the spectators intervened and the balls were replaced where upon Robin went through a hoop to win the match!
Well done Pendle and Craven CC
Our enthusiastic Chair and two members spent a very hot day on Sunday 11th August promoting Pendle and Craven Croquet Club at Trawden Agricultural Show. This innovative approach was to advertise croquet to a wider selection of people and let them have a go.
They had a very good response, lots of potential recruits for the next taster sessions and beginners courses. Hopefully some will become full members!
Loads of children to had a go too, they were very competitive and really keen. Something to pursue in the future…..
Two new Taster sessions coming up in August.
Tuesday August 20th 2-4pm and 6-8pm
Everyone welcome, please telephone Cathy to book 07388 898 827 or just turn up.
What’s a Lummox? Or a Southport Leave?
Pendle & Craven Croquet Club hosted the Millennium Advanced AC tournament last weekend. Fourteen competitors, representing six of the clubs within the North West, were split into two classes to try to ensure as much competitive play as possible.
In the A Class, run as a Flexible Swiss, the Manager allowed games to run their course, without any time limits. With 8 competitors the aim was to complete at least 5 rounds. There were 6 entrants in the B class, playing an all play all block with 3 hour time limits.
Lee Hartley, from Fylde, triumphed in the A class, winning all 6 of his matches. The B class was a much closer affair with 4 players going into the final round of games able to win the trophy. The victor was Jim Allcock from Crake Valley, with 4 wins, including one over Phil Snowden, who also finished with 4 wins out of 5.
It was good to see new faces participating in their first Advanced level tournament. Congratulations to Andrew Gould (Pendle), Phil Snowden (Fylde) and Ed Cheetham (Bowdon) who now appear in the World Rankings.
The weather was better than forecast, the lawns were playing well & the good spirited banter amongst the players was educational!>
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a Lummox is a clumsy, stupid person, perhaps a harsh comment to one who has just quit the lawn having made an error. And the Southport Leave is when the turn in which Hoop 1 is run, ends with the clip being placed on Hoop 2.
The trophies were presented by the Manager, Angharrad Walters in bright sunshine. Thanks were offered to Pendle & Craven Croquet Club for hosting the event, to RD Geotech for their sponsorship of the event, and to the competitors for their participation & good spirits. Full results are available on croquetscores.com.
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