Category: Events

Bakewell Croquet Club are now well into the playing season after a soggy start.

In May, a group of members enjoyed a few days staying at the Ripon Spa Hotel and playing on their championship quality lawns

A club tournament was held on 31st May with 26 members taking part. The excellent refreshments being provided by members, the croquet was enthusiastic – probably due to the amount of cake consumed!

So far this year, two friendly games have been hosted here, one with Darley Dale and one with Southwell (who always go home with supplies of Bakewell puddings!), both games were most enjoyable.

The first A-team league match was played at home on the 11th June against Leicester. Unfortunately, Bakewell lost 5 games to their 7.

Future events include an outing to play at Snitterton court near Matlock; a club BBQ hosted by two of our members – with crazy croquet played on a sloping field usually occupied by sheep!

In the afternoon and evening of Friday, 18th July the Rotary Club are holding a charity event at Ashford-in-the-Water cricket club. Croquet demonstrations and taster games will be provided.

Details of club playing sessions can be found one the ‘More about the club‘ page, ‘Calendar of club events‘ page or in the Coming Events section of the Peak Advertiser.

The Croquet Club has enjoyed a winter season playing a variation of croquet indoors! A new fitness club, Born2move, has recently opened with a good sized area of astroturf and for a few hours on a Saturday afternoon, they kindly allowed us to set out our reasonably solid and (almost) immovable hoops. The hoops were designed and manufactured ‘in house’ by two shy and retiring (?) qualified mechanical engineers David Peters and Alan Reeves.

It is not quite the real thing but at least it gave us some practice in tactics and getting balls going in a chosen direction. It has been good fun and has kept members in touch throughout the off season.
Owner Matt Kay, his wife Sarah and staff made us most welcome, providing delicious healthy soups and rolls in the stylish, comfortable cafe upstairs prior to play.

Mike White winning a hoop during our late September club visit to Ripon Spa Hotel where 9 members enjoyed three fine croquet playing days.

On Monday 12th August, 18 members of Bakewell Croquet Club visited Brodsworth Hall and Gardens near Doncaster, now owned and run by English Heritage. We played croquet all day on lovely , well kept lawns and between games toured the Hall, a mid-Victorian country house and enjoyed walking round the gardens.

Alan and Billie

Bakewell Croquet Club held a club tournament on the last day of August with twenty one members taking part. The play was enthusiastic, with delicious cakes and tea provided by the members.

The end of the season is approaching but play will continue whilst the weather and the state of the courts allows. A programme of local winter walks followed by a pub lunch is planned.

Last Wednesday, 10th July we had the pleasure of a visit from five adults from Golding House Resource Centre at Matlock. They are people with learning difficulties who live in Matlock, Darley Dale or Bakewell who regularly attend the Centre to take part in a wide variety of activities, many of which are provided by local clubs and individuals in the community.

This croquet session was an add-on to the walks provided by Terry Page, a full time Peak Park Ranger. Assisted by Billie, Carol, Avvy and Alan, we were able to enjoy some games of croquet on a beautiful summer’s day. The final session proved that “Girl Power” were the winners – one of the attached photos shows the two contestants celebrating with their carer Rachael.

We all had a really good time and they are sure to be back.

Alan

 

 

Bakewell A team (Judith Clay, Steve Marsh and Alan Reeves) played the second of their 1st division matches on Friday 28th June. It was a home game against Long Eaton which Bakewell won 9 games to 3. This evens us up with the 9 – 3 defeat we suffered at our first away game against Leicester. So 4 more matches to play, 2 at home and 2 away.

We are fortunate to have a relatively large pool of players to choose from compared with other clubs. Hopefully, all of the following will get to play in the 1st division. Peter Blackburn, Judith Clay, Bob Furniss, Steve Marsh, Alan Reeves, Peter Williams and George Wolfe.

Our next match will be at Branston (Lincolnshire) on Wednesday 10th July.

Alan

A few photographs of Bakewell Croquet Club when they enjoyed participating in the Bakewell Baking Festival at the request of the Mayor Paul Morgans, by playing croquet in the recreation ground for the entertainment of the public.

Click the images to see a larger version.

Bakewell Croquet Club started the season enthusiastically despite the chilly weather, it was hard to recognise anyone under the layers of woolly hats and scarves. However last weekend everything improved when the sun came out. Ten members went to enjoy a stay at The Ripon Spa Hotel and play on their superb courts. The mornings were spend playing a friendly tournament with the afternoons free to enjoy exploring the surrounding area. Some of our party took advantage of tuition from the hotel resident coach. As always the club has a busy calendar of events, including friendlies with other clubs, league games, two club tournaments and a BBQ. If anyone is wondering what croquet is all about, please come along to one of our club sessions and one of our members will be pleased to give you a taster lesson.

Bakewell Croquet Club member Dorothy Evans won a closely fought final to win an East Midlands Tournament played at the Nottingham Croquet Club on 30 May, beating fellow club member Mike White into second place.


The tournament was open to all qualifying players within England and had a starting line-up of twenty-four hopefuls. Both Dorothy and Mike topped their group matches in the morning and went on to win their semi-finals to set up an all Bakewell clash for the final. It was a tense game with the lead changing hands throughout the match and Dorothy running out the winner on the last and deciding hoop with a score of 7-6.

After the final Dorothy said, “It was a tense match and at times I thought that I had lost it, but I got a good position on the last hoop and managed to score”.

Mike commented, “It was a very close match all the way through that could have gone either way.  It was great to be part a match that was so close, Dorothy just got the advantage at the last hoop and so deserved to win”.

This is the first year in which this tournament has been run and so Dorothy will be the first name to be engraved on the base of the cup, which will be competed for again next year.

Alan Reeves, Chairman of the Bakewell club remarked, “This is the first time that any club member has entered an external competition and we are all delighted that Dorothy won, although sorry that Mike had to lose”.

Alan went on, “I think that this win really puts us on the map as a club and I encourage anyone who has an interest in a game of skill and tactics to either contact me or come along to one of our club sessions. We provide all the equipment and have qualified coaches to give tuition and guidance”.

Alan’s telephone number is 01629 812603 and club sessions are every Monday and Thursday at 2.00pm and Saturday at 10.00am.