Club Address:
Patterdale Tennis & Croquet Club
King George V Playing Field
Patterdale
Cumbria
CA11 0PJ
Email address: patterdalecroquet@gmail.com
Webpage: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/PatterdaleTennisClub/Croquet
North West Federation of Croquet Clubs - for everything Croquet in the north west
by Chris Alvey
Club Address:
Patterdale Tennis & Croquet Club
King George V Playing Field
Patterdale
Cumbria
CA11 0PJ
Email address: patterdalecroquet@gmail.com
Webpage: https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/PatterdaleTennisClub/Croquet
by Chris Alvey
Yes! We’re back onto ‘our’ traditional weekend, the friendly seasonal warm-up tournament that it’s always been (before the interference of the GC Tournament Committee), had attendance numbers fall off a cliff. Reverting back to April means we now aren’t included in their ‘Ascot Cup’ qualifying series.
The manager sent out the tournament notice to the entered, a week before the tournament, promising fine & dry weather – early arrivals, on tournament eve seriously doubted this as they stood in the rain, viewing the ‘lake’ upon which they would play the following morning. Dawn broke, the rain had blown through and the courts had drained, so play started on-time in the dry as the temperature climbed.
Tournament format; two blocks, all-play-all on the first day, leading to seeded Bo3 quarter-finals KO on second day for top the eight qualifiers and consolation single game block play for Plate non-qualifiers .
Last year’s beaten finalist (Rigge) lifted ‘David Hopkins ‘ Bon Bon’ dish for his second time.
Final finishing order; Rigge, Bagni, Hawkins, Flexman, Dixon, Hughes & Clark with The Plate going to local member Mike Bradbury.
Thanks are due to Paul D for mowing, Mike for white lining all courts, PR for court creation & managing & Gill (& Libby) for superb catering service.
Last word – contact us now for a place in next year’s seasons swinger, this one was fun and friendly & can only be equalled, not bettered.
by Chris Alvey
Dip in, join in, drop out, play, don’t play, choose version, rest.. .. what am I talking about? Well the JB Easter season opener of course!
Come and play croquet, preferably in the sunshine on fine dry courts. Fortunately Earby delivered just such over the bank holiday. Not saying we didn’t get any rain, we did, but almost as an afterthought, a bit, blowing through just before lunch on the final day with the first three days bathing us with blue sky & sunshine – some players resorting to SPF 25.
Eighteen players sensibly booked their places in this friendly (either Hcp or Adv) AC format tournament to be faced with four freshly laid-out courts and as already hinted at, some came just
for a single day, some for just a game or some for all three full days. Ten joined the Chinese Banquet on Saturday evening which curtailed play for them before 20:00 (time the table was booked for).
Just before we left to dine, we were treated to a ‘flyby’ of hot air balloons – one of which was the “Fort Vale” – a lovely sight over our grounds! (for those that don’t know Fort Vale aka Ted Fort had a major involvement in our early years)
In line with previous years, the tradition of buttered Hot Cross Buns for all on Good Friday & choccy Eggs on Sunday were available.
And so to the silverware;- after 76 games, is that a record? What must be, was the number of Advanced Games chosen to be played all the way down the field of entries with some surprise ‘scalps being collected.
John Beech Handicap Trophy – David Harding
Peter Dowdall Cup (adv) – Lee Hartley.
Under 10 Handicap Trophy – Richard Harding
10 & Over Handicap Trophy – Gabi Smolskiene
Fastest Game – David Harding (48mins Vs Lee Hartley)
Most Games – Lee Hartley.