High Handicap GC team win against Bath

CPCC’s High Handicap team welcomed 6 players from Bath on a cloudy day with a few very light showers. The first round of four games had to be played on two lawns double-banked, as the groundsman was still working on lawns 3 and 4 when play started at 10am. CPCC took the lead 3-1 in those games and kept their noses in front all day, running out 11½ – 8½ winners. There were a number of very close games, with CPCC winning two on the golden hoop. The very competitive nature of the match was illustrated by the fact that only two of the twenty games were won 7-3; all the rest were closer. Three of CPCC’s players (Simon Munton, June Farley and Peter Buchanan) won 3 of their 4 games, while Bath’s most successful player was Valerie Stanley with 4 wins from 5 games. Referee Nigel Wulcko (with his canine assistant Pepper) made a very valuable contribution to the day’s proceedings, with the Bath captain saying that she had learnt some useful lessons.

Reporter: Peter Buchanan

CPCC & Bath teams with Referee’s Assistant

Welsh cakes for some

The CPCC High Handicap team travelled to Llandaff on 20th May for a golf croquet match. They competed strongly against a team including Gareth Harris (H12 ?) who, in his second year as a player, emerged as a key member of the Llandaff team. Here’s Gareth (in the blue hat) congratulating Peter Buchanan on a CPCC win at the golden hoop in a doubles game.

The morning finished with Llandaff in the lead 7½ to 2½ and, despite greater success in the final rounds, the CPCC team ended the day with 7½ to Llandaff’s 12½.

The home team, keen to reinstate pre-CoVid traditions, laid on a splendid lunch and it was a pleasure sitting together to eat and chat. Following a special request, one of our team was presented with a plate of Welsh cakes which he guarded keenly but unsuccessfully.

After two consecutive losses, the future of the non-playing team captain looks uncertain. I spoke to several members of the team and there was a general agreement that they would manage just as well without him.

High Handicap League match at Bath CC

On a warm sunny day at Bath Croquet Club, CPCC started badly with the home team winning three of the four matches in each of the three rounds before the lunch break. This pattern continued into the afternoon but the final score of 15:5 to Bath fails to reflect a closely-fought match: ten of the games were won or drawn at the final hoop and seven of these were decided at the “golden” hoop. Patricia Naish was CPCC player-of-the-day winning four of the five games in which she played.

Here, Tony Curson, the match referee takes the knee to adjudicate on a shot by a member of the Bath team. Mary and Patricia look on as the red ball emerges from the hoop, caught mid flight by the camera.

In another doubles match, with the Abbey in the background, a Bath player offers advice to her partner while the CPCC players discuss tactics.

No Half-Measures at the Autumn Quiz Night

The start of the autumn Quiz Night was delayed by road closures on the approach to the venue but when proceedings finally got under way eight teams were ready to compete. We had been warned from the outset by Peter, our quizmaster, that in the case of disputed answers his decision was final and as the evening continued it became clear that he is not a man who does things by half. You will not find him sitting on the fence or hedging his bets. Fifty shades of grey? – black and white will do. So no half-marks.

But let’s face it: there are some questions that require a more considered response. As key members in the gathering would confirm, quiz nights are a serious business. After a closely-fought contest the “Answering Machine” emerged as the winning team.

Assisting our deceptively affable quizmaster on the night were Dea who kept score (whole numbers only) together with Alison and Jean who organised the half-time refreshments.