Croquet Club
Members of the Club can use the courts at any time of the week as long as the ground is not being mown. The all-weather court is, of course, available at all times. A list of members’ names and ‘phone numbers is provided so that games can be arranged between members and friends. There is a small fee for
non-member visitors.
Designated sessions each week are as follows:
Association croquet on Wednesdays and Fridays from 4.OOpm until dark.
Golf croquet on Monday and Thursday mornings and Tuesday afternoons.
WEEKEND SESSION
This will be on Saturday afternoons from 2pm –5pm Occasionally during the season the courts may be reserved for tournaments and matches. A fixture list is available well in advance so that members can play in matches, or come to support the Club. Other Clubs visit us and we plan visits to them. Everyone is welcome to take part in these events.
SOCIAL EVENTS
In addition to our annual Summer Social, usually held on a Thursday afternoon we are, this year, hoping to organize a Fun Day to take place on a Saturday. Our annual dinner is held on the last Thursday of November.
Partners are very welcome to come to these events.
The Club is run by a committee elected annually at the AGM. The Club subscription is set by the members at this meeting. The ‘phone numbers of the current committee are listed below so that you can make contact and get any information or help you may need.
Chris Howell (Chairman) 01284 787728
Katie Fairbarn (Treasurer) 0178 7277376
Mollie Crawford ( Secretary) 01284 388944 mollied@dscrybe.com.
Shirley Chrispin (Membership) 01284 762115 shirley@chrispin41.plus.com
Brian Cash (Website manager) 01284 761189 briancash2000@aol.com
There are two major variations of the game currently played - Association Croquet, which is the development of the Victorian game, is a complex game which requires a wide variety of skills. The strategies and tactics take many hours of practice to perfect.
Golf Croquet provides an ideal social occupation for many players. All players are continuously active throughout the whole game, both physically and mentally and what better than an afternoon in good company, in pleasant surroundings and with gentle exercise.
At Bury St. Edmunds we play both games, Golf and Association, with experienced players on hand to help new members. Coaching is available.
Our Club is based at the Victory Sports Ground which is situated between the A134 and Nowton Road. The entrance is in Nowton Road (opposite South Lee School). The brown signs in the town to Nowton Park show the way. After turning left into the ground drive down the track past the tennis lawns. At the end of the tennis lawns there is ample grassed parking space. A toilet block is adjacent to the parking area.
A short walk through the line of trees between the cricket pitches leads to the croquet courts. There are three full-sized grass lawns and a full sized all-weather artificial court, enabling play to continue throughout the winter months.
A small Kabin provides storage space for the club croquet equipment and members’ coats and bags. Benches, seats and a gazebo are used on the grass by the lawns. Members bring their own refreshments.
There is sufficient equipment for new members to use while they are learning to play. Most players then buy a mallet for personal use.
White clothing is the usual croquet ‘uniform’ and soft soled flat shoes are essential.
