Viva Lewes Issue #153 June 2019

WE TRY
Croquet
at the Cheyney Croquet Club
It’s overcast but dry when
I reach the headquarters of
Cheyney Croquet Club at
Cheyney Field in Ringmer.
Croquet is, I have been
told, a fair-weather game, so
it’s a relief that rain hasn’t
stopped play.
A handful of people are
milling around, each holding
a rectangular-headed
mallet. The smooth square
of lawn sports six white
hoops, as well as a central
peg banded in blue, red,
black and yellow. These
stripes, I later learn, correspond
to the colours of the four balls and
the order of play.
I am met by Cheyney Croquet Club’s Christine
and Graham, who are keen to attract new
members to the club. “There are two main
kinds of croquet,” Christine explains, “association
croquet and golf croquet. Both are played
here, but mostly we play golf croquet, which is
simpler. Association croquet has been likened
to billiards on grass and is usually one on one.
It’s very strategic and requires a lot of skill.
“In golf croquet, you can play singles or doubles,
and the aim is to get the ball through the
hoop – what we call ‘running the hoop’. There
are six hoops, and you go round clockwise,
then back anticlockwise. If association croquet
is more like chess, then golf croquet is more
like draughts. It’s very accessible, as well as
being sociable and a lot of fun.”
Thought to have originated in Ireland in
the1830s, croquet took off in England in the
mid 19th century, when it
became hugely fashionable.
However, it may date back
to the middle ages, sharing
its roots with other stickand-ball
sports such as golf
and hockey, as well as the
17th-century game of ‘pall
mall’, which gave its name
to the Mall in St James’s
Park, London, where it was
played and popularised by
King Charles II.
To me, croquet retains
an air of gentility (as well
as an association with
flamingoes and hedgehogs,
courtesy of Lewis Carroll), but I soon find out
it isn’t quite as effortless as it looks.
Equipped with an unexpectedly heavy mallet,
I stand facing the first hoop, as Graham helps
me set up my shot – preparation which is
known as ‘stalking the ball’. “You don’t need to
be strong or have any special skills,” he assures
me, as I take a feeble swipe. “Anyone can pick
it up. Just swing the mallet back, and keep
your eye on the ball until you’ve hit it.”
After a few attempts, I manage to make contact
with a satisfying clunk that sends the ball at
least vaguely in the direction of the hoop.
“Most people will find they can knock the
ball around after a couple of afternoons,” says
Christine encouragingly. “And they will have
had a good time and met some nice people.”
Graham agrees. “It can be as competitive as
you want, or a relaxing bit of fun. We’d say to
anyone to come along and have a go.”Anita Hall
cheyneycroquetclub.org.uk
96