Tunnel of Time [April 2022]
The following article was published in the Croquet Gazette in April 2022. It's now time to share our tunnel of time with the world, starting from the beginning. Thank you to Chris 'Statto' Williams for his research and dedication to our history.
In this new section we take a look back through the ‘Tunnel of Time’ to see what was taking place in the Croquet World in the past as seen by the Croquet Gazette.
Whilst looking at Gazettes from 10, 20, 30 and 40 years ago a common theme seems to have been croquet clubs having to find new venues or changes to the number of courts they had use of.
10 years ago
The April 2012 Gazette (#337) reported that 2012 was going to be the final year of play at Wrest Park. English Heritage decided to turn the grounds of the house back to their original state. Fortunately the croquet club were able to move to another site near the entrance to the estate.
Also on the move in 2012 were Ipswich Croquet Club who decided to move from the public park in the centre of Ipswich where they had been for 81 years, to the Fynn Valley Golf Club 2 miles away. Unfortunately after 9 years the croquet club had to leave Fynn Valley, because of redevelopment, and the club is in the process of creating four new courts at a nearby farm.
Pictures by Samir Patel, GC Inter-club final September 2008
Cover photo by Tim King
20 years ago
The March 2002 Gazette (#278) reported that Pendle Croquet Club has been given notice to quit by the end of 2002 from Nelson and Colne College, where they had been playing since 1986. Fortunately they managed to find an area of land with room for five courts in the nearby village of Earby and the new ground was formally opened in 2005.
30 years ago
The January 1992 Gazette (#219) had much better news from Sidmouth in that they had recently had work done to their poor quality old tennis lawns which turned the club from a three court venue into a four court one.
40 years ago
On a happier note the Spring 1982 Gazette (#165) reported that two new clubs had been registered; namely Nailsea with 2 lawns and Worcester with 1.
Past Gazettes can be found on the CA website at https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=ca/gazette&Action=Issues. Currently there are scans of the Gazette back to Issue 154 from December 1979. The intention is to place all the Gazettes from 1953, when the current numbering system started, on the CA website.
By Chris Williams [originally published April 2022]
Croquet England Archivist