Cassandra Gardiner returns with this week’s offering. Guest opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. Ed
Accepting an invitation to a fund-raising event organised by the 41 Club at the Ryde Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club, with little knowledge of the game, arriving I wondered what to expect. Over the day grey skies, damp air and heavy showers, expecting a call, I was slightly amazed at a text confirming the evening was on. One thing I’d envisaged, was a perfect lawn, congenial folk and sun!
Arriving, lined-up along the path outside the small club entrance stood an assortment of wooden mallets. String-bound handles, some with foam padding, the rest bare, smooth wood, a variety of heights and most intriguing the option of a circular head or oblong block. Knowing little I opted for a round head with a long handle.
Choosing the right mallet
On the green, bending over taking a shot, the mallet forms an imaginary triangle in front of your feet, spread apart allowing for the swing. Swiftly (feeling the handle poking in my chest) swapping my mallet for a short, battered number I took my first shot. Feebly the ball rolled forward.
Our advisor strolled off, returning with a new-looking, mahogany coloured mallet, oblong head, for my use. Connecting with the ball, feeling a solid, satisfying thud, my next hit smoothly rolled straight forward, resting a few feet short of my target.
Let the battle commence
As five individual games commenced – four people, two teams, and a game-keeper, each participant assigned a coloured ball, playing in sequence aiming to hoop their ball – it became clear croquet is a tactical game. Landing a ball ‘in the jaws’ to quote another player, waiting until your next shot only to see an opponent whack your ball out of the way and into the rough!
This delighted some novices, opting to play in their words ‘defence’ targeting opponents balls rather than scoring. Once a ball passes through a hoop, the game moves to the next until six hoops are played.
And the winner is ….
Peels of laughter and fun comments filled a dull, plain evening with joy. When the light faded and specks of rain fell ‘last hoop’ was called. Drawn to a close, in the clubhouse around a long table we were treated to beef casserole, real mash and rhubarb crumble. Before coffee the results, totted-up, were announced. Two clear winners emerged from the start, and unknown to them a play-off at the end was the decider. Amongst 20 players, Chloe won, just beating her dad!
Prior to this, surprising and delighted, the head game-keeper’s ‘spies on the green’ nominated me for a commendation!
To find out about Ryde Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club visit their Website.
To read more of Cassandra Gardiner‘s work, visit her blog.
Image: julianhoad under CC BY 2.0
