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croquet
​LIfe IN THE UK

The Sport That Can Bring the UK and USA Together

List of All 'Life in the UK' Articles

By BRIAN WILSON
UK Travel Correspondent
Special to North Palm Beach Life


Mo and I play croquet – almost 4 times/week, plus competitions - life can be hectic!!

We play both Golf and Association Croquet – we understand there are also  "American Rules" but we don’t know about those.

I’d like to introduce you to the fascinating sport of croquet and show how "6 hoops, 4 balls, 2 mallets and 1 lawn" can bring USA and the UK together.

Let me introduce croquet. In the UK there are over 200 clubs and 8,000 active players across the country, and croquet is enjoyed in both a competitive and social environment.

You’re wrong if you think it is genteel pastime; it’s a game, played by people of all ages and abilities. Your objective is to send your ball through a series of hoops, or knock your opponent out of the way, or block them from scoring – but you always shake hands at the end!!

The UK Croquet Association has produced a short video:
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Our Club (Camerton and Peasedown) is a few miles south of the Georgian City of Bath and is set in the beautiful Somerset countryside. We have 4 full sized lawn (each the size of 2 tennis courts) and a club pavilion. There are times when there are two games of doubles being played on each lawn - that’s 32 people playing at the same time.

The World does come to our club – a few years ago we were one of the hosts for a World Championship. You can see our lawns, Club pavilion and marquees in this picture.



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Croquet is a game of skill and strategy, angles, tactics, guile - a bit like snooker on grass. Croquet offers sport, friendships, fun, competition and a whole lot more - it’s an outdoor sport that keeps you physically and mentally fit, providing a competitive yet sociable environment.

So, how did croquet bring the USA and UK together?

Heather from Boston (Mass) and Paul from Bradford on Avon (UK) were to "tie the knot" in the fine City of Bath. 

They realised that, with over 70 guests, they wanted to create an opportunity for both “families” to get to know each other, so they were treated to an afternoon of Croquet at Camerton & Peasedown Croquet Club.

The American contingent came from Boston and the East Coast, Texas, Florida, the Midwest – plus others from across the US.

On arrival at the Club, guests were greeted by a celebratory arch created by Club members holding croquet mallets aloft. Everyone then moved down to the Club grounds where an introductory drink of Pimms was taken before they went on lawn for a short introduction to Croquet – then onto a real game.
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The 5 Club coaches and a myriad of Club Members were on hand for each of the 16 games. There were a number of timed games and everyone soon got in to the swing of things – people enjoyed a good-natured game of Croquet and some became very competitive 

Then onto the main marquee where a series of tables, bedecked with bunting and the flags of both countries, were laden with old English china service, home-made scones, jam and clotted cream, not forgetting the lashings of tea.

Everyone enjoyed the cream tea – but there was the question “do you put cream on first, then jam on the top, or the other way round?”

Club members were on hand to serve tea and to replenish scones, jam and cream – it was quite an operation, catering for over 50 people 

People did not want to leave the sunlit grounds with views across the Somerset countryside  - and a group photo call would be a reminder of this fantastic day.

And finally:  Croquet is not only a growing sport in the UK - it is alive and well in the USA.

So, if we have got your interest, why not go along to your local club and find out more - there are quite a few in Florida and certainly in Palm Beach. Visit the United States Croquet Association to find out more.

Croquet is a fantastic sport - so contact your local club soon. However, if you are a croquet player and will be visiting the UK, why not contact me and I’ll send you details of local clubs. Better still, if you are visiting Bath, then we’ll love to see you.

NORTH PALM BEACH LIFE

Contact us: northpalmlife@gmail.com

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© COPYRIGHT  2021,  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
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        • Carnival Vista Craft Beer
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      • River Cruise in Germany -- Mainz and Koblenz
      • River Cruising in Germany - The Romantic Rhine
      • River Cruise in Germany - Heidelberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Wurzburg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Bamberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Nuremberg
      • River Cruising in Germany - Regensburg
    • SeaTrade Cruise Global 2019
    • Symphony of the Seas - Miami Inaugural Voyage >
      • Symphony of the Seas - Ultimate Family Suite
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      • Pumpkin Patch 2017
      • Reindeer Games
      • River Paddle Event
    • Brian Wilson: Life in the UK >
      • Life in the UK - Bath, England
      • Life in the UK - Croquet
      • Life in the UK - Music in Russia
      • Life in the UK - Sri Lanka
      • Life in the UK - Sri Lanka - Sigiriya
      • Life in the UK - US Embassy
    • The Florida Keys >
      • Key West
      • The Hemingway House and Museum
    • Joe Cartwright - Travel Writer >
      • Beartooth Highway
      • North Cascades National Park
      • A Visit to the Philippines
      • Grand Canyon National Park
      • Glacier National Park
      • Yellowstone National Park
      • Hiking in Bear Country
      • Crater Lake National Park
      • Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
      • The Kerrville Folk Festival
      • Building Hope in the Rio Grande Valley
    • Island Destinations
    • Lake Okeechobee Picnic
    • October Odyssey >
      • Cartagena, Columbia
      • Panama Canal
      • Antigua, Guatemala
      • Cabo San Lucas
      • Birds and Bees Speakeasy in Los Angeles
      • We Love LA
      • Coast Starlight
      • Napa Wine Tour
      • California Zephyr
      • California Zephyr Part Two
      • Chicago
      • Amtrak Capitol Limited
      • Washington DC
    • Pam - Traveling in Style
    • Road Trip! >
      • Road Trip! -- Tucumcari, New Mexico
      • Road Trip! -- The Painted Desert
      • Road Trip! - Sedona, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - Sedona Wineries
      • Road Trip! Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
      • Road Trip! - Mogollon Rim
      • Road Trip! - Verde Canyon Railroad
      • Road Trip! - Jerome, Arizona
      • Road Trip! - California
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Celebrity Tour
      • Road Trip! - Palm Springs Aerial Tramway
      • Road Trip! - Festival in Palm Springs
      • Road Trip! - Willcox, Arizona and Apple Annie's Orchard
      • Road Trip! Willcox Wineries
      • Road Trip! Chiricahua National Monument
      • Road Trip! Tombstone, Arizona
      • Tombstone, Part Two
      • Road Trip! - Epilogue
    • Unknown Yellowstone >
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Heart Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Summit Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Shoshone Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Grizzly Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Riddle Lake
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Pelican Cone
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Mt. Washburn
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Specimen Ridge
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Avalanche Peak
      • Unknown Yellowstone - Divide Creek
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      • Coral World - U.S. Virgin Islands
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