We have decided to trial a new lawn booking sheet for 2021 onwards.

As with the previous version, it is accessed via the Croquet Members page on the club website.

Click on the link and you will see a page like this (this is a photo as at 1st December):

Do not worry, I am not expecting you to be able to decipher this photograph! It will appear larger on your screen.

Here is a zoomed in picture of the top left of the screen:

You will notice that the new sheet allows you to book time slots – morning, afternoon and evening. The Morning slot is shown above. Find the day you want to play and type in to the cell next to Main 1 (if booking the main lawn).

Unfortunately, as its 1st December, the lawn is closed, but from 2nd December you can play early afternoons. Join us tomorrow?

As we get to Spring, of course, there will be many more white spaces. The white background indicates that the lawn is bookable (the first column above says “Winter” or “Book” when the season is in full flow).

We will use the same sheet to record other activities, and use it to communicate these to you.

For example, every week we mow the lawn, so this is recorded as “MOW” and the cells are coloured green. Steve, as the chap who manages the mowing rota, will allocate volunteers by date, take a copy of this sheet and email it to the mowing group.

We can also use the sheet to record working party activities, external matches against other clubs, roll ups and who is bringing cake or setting up the barbecue.

It is only essential to use this sheet to book the lawn for a game. There is no other way, unless you take pot luck and just turn up.

All other voluntary work will be communicated via email or by a list posted on the door or in the pavilion, in the usual way. We will endeavour to capture the information from these and transcribe on to this sheet.

The current incentive to do this is for COVID purposes so that we have a record of recent activity in or around the lawns. It’s unlikely but if someone did have a positive test, then this could be used to alert others. Of course, we do have the QR code displayed for the NHS COVID App too.

I hope you are able to access and use the sheet. If you do have problems with it please contact me (steve.edney@sky.com).

Further information below, for those who have not glazed over yet:

The current week is displayed when you open the sheet. To see next week, use the PAGE DOWN key on your keyboard. PAGE DOWN for later weeks, and PAGE UP to return to earlier weeks. You can click the REFRESH key (top left) to return to the top of the sheet or hover over “History” and click the link to see past entries.

When you click the link from the website, the sheet opens with the message “Working”. This means it is loading. Wait a few more seconds, and the sheet will update so that the current week is shown (this actually only happens on a Sunday when someone opens it for the first time that day, as the new week rolls in).

Yesterday’s details are also updated on opening the sheet, which is sorted, so that yesterday and all previous days are shown at the bottom of the sheet (Remember to click on “History” if you need to refer back).

That’s all for now. I hope this works but only time will tell!

Steve Edney

steven.edney@sky.com

1st December 2020

Diary dates

Ember Croquet AGM:  NB Change of date, now Monday 16^th November, 7.30pm via zoom or MSTeams.  If you haven’t received David’s email with the formal notice and agenda attached, do, please, get in touch with him croquet@embersportsclub.org.uk .

It will be great if you are able to attend the meeting, not only to hear the business and to ensure a quorum but also it would be lovely to see you all.  Video-conferencing details will be sent out next week, including the opportunity for a test run in advance of the meeting.

Report

A few games have been played in October and we have been pleased to welcome prospective new members as well as our opponents from the match v Surbiton earlier in the season. 

The main lawn closed on 1 November and, owing to the latest Covid Lockdown, the small lawn is now also closed for play until, all being well, 2 December when it will re-open for winter play and practice.

There will be maintenance work done as necessary, and which is permissible, over the next two or three weeks to complete the autumn lawn work and close down the irrigation system.

Winter Play and Practice – as soon as easing of Lockdown permits

Small Lawn – members will have seen the information sent out by email about play and practice on the small lawn, including arrangements for keeping in touch at short notice to share weather prospects, playing conditions and individual availability.  I’ll re-send this information when we are nearer to easing of Lockdown.

N.B. to existing ESC members of other ESC sections it may be of interest to see what the cost would be of adding Croquet to your existing ESC membership. Proportionate scales for new members joining part-way through the year, and for the winter season are published on the ESC website / Croquet section / Membership tab https://www.embersportsclub.org.uk/ember-croquet-club/ .  If you’re curious about the sport, would like a reason to get outdoors this winter and fancy making a start in the quieter months ahead of the main summer season, do get in touch croquet@embersportsclub.org.uk .  See, also, page 13 of the autumn edition of Thames Ditton Today https://residents-association.com/images/thamesdittontoday/autumn2020.pdf

Indoor Croquet – This is on hold for the time being while Covid restrictions apply.  We shall be in touch about dates and arrangements as soon as the situation improves.

New Member – We’re very pleased to welcome Christine Evans.  We’re looking forward to starting play again soon and to introducing Christine to more of the ESC and Croquet family here.

At this time of year we’d usually be gathering a rota for running the bar for the Ember Players’ winter production.  Sadly, as we know, the performing arts have been particularly badly hit by the pandemic restrictions, so let us spare a thought for our drama section friends and wish them well for a creative return before too long.

Keep well, All, and Stay Safe

Simon

Following on from our Sport England CEF grant success and the article in the Surrey Advertiser in July, the club is featured this month in the Autumn edition of Thames Ditton Today See page 13.  One or two enquiries are starting to come through from this, which is encouraging.

Other activities this month (as reported in the Club Newsletter):

Ember Croquet AGM:  Friday 30^th October, 7.30pm, via ‘zoom’ (tech permitting and with as much business as possible covered via email beforehand).  Further details will follow in the next couple of weeks.

This month’s news

No sooner had our updating of eased COVID regulations been completed than these tightened up again.  This rendered the hoped-for 20^th September get-together unviable.  This, sadly, is a sign of the times in this stop / go season.

The roll-ups / sessions-to-six have continued to run, with regular attenders Tom, Hugh, Steve, Roger S, Simon and, sometimes, Pat partnering for good team combinations resulting in some closely fought, and always fun, competitive games.

Autumn / winter play

Owing to the delayed start to the season the main lawn will be kept open for play for as long as the weather permits into October. 

The small lawn, and roll-ups / sessions-to-six, will remain open throughout the autumn and winter months. 

Indoor croquet sessions:  given the experience of evolving COVID regulations, a decision has yet to be made on whether we can go ahead with these this winter, usually the second Tuesday of the month, 7.30pm, from November through to March.

Autumn Work

Meanwhile, the most has been made of a few days of late-September fine weather for autumn lawn work and equipment, machine and buildings repair and maintenance.  We have verticut, scarified (x3), sprayed liquid iron for moss control and selectively over-seeded on both lawns; and, when there is next a break in the weather, we’ll aerate with the new cartridge and put down ‘Purity’ soil conditioner.  Many thanks to Steve, Roger S, Roger D, Simon, and Pat for putting in the shifts throughout the year, and to Hugh and Geraldine for mowing and tending the flowerbeds respectively.

The final of the internal GC (Golf Croquet) tournament was played in blustery and chilly conditions between defending champion, Steve Edney, and last year’s losing finalist, Hugh Stephenson. Would Hugh get revenge having lost last year on a golden hoop?

NO!!!

Steve won the two games played 7-4 to retain his trophy. Well done, Steve.

Both games followed the same pattern. Hugh wins the first hoop, Steve the second, then Hugh the next two, then Steve drawing level after six hoops. Steve goes into the lead on 1-back, Hugh levels, but then Steve wins three in a row to clinch victory.

There were some very good hoop runs by both players. Steve attempted one jump shot but the ball came down on Hugh’s ball in the jaws, pushing it through for Hugh’s hoop. Steve tended to judge the distances a bit better, particularly on the long shots, and that may have been the difference.

Here are some statistics:

• there were 190 shots played, 100 in the first game and 90 in the second;
• there were 36 attempts at running hoops, of which 16 missed, including Steve’s failed jump shot;
• 60% of all shots were for position, that is trying to get near the hoop in order to run the hoop next shot
• 35 shots were played to rush the opponent’s ball out of the way, of which 20 were played by Hugh, and 15 by Steve
• On two occasions, Steve promoted his other ball into better positions, whereas Hugh did not play this type of shot at all
• Each hoop took an average of nine shots to win, the highest number of shots to win a hoop was 22 on the eleventh hoop in the first game, and the lowest number of shots taken was 5 on five separate occasions.

Ember is traditionally an AC (Association Croquet) club but we are taking GC far more seriously these days, and once COVID is out of the way (here’s hoping), we will reach out to other clubs to learn more about tactical play. In the meantime, it’s very much simpler to learn and more inclusive than AC, so if anyone out there wants to start to play croquet, come and join in!

The final was played today (Saturday 19th September) between our two freshest faces, Roger Stearn and Simon Charrington. Roger S had managed to win against Roger Dollimore and Tom Eddy on his way to the final, whilst Simon had squeezed past 2019 champion Steve Edney in his semi.

Roger played red and yellow, and Simon black and blue. Simon got the first hoop but then Roger quickly responded with a tremendous peel using both his balls. Unfortunately Roger could not capitalize and Simon nervously managed to progress to 9-2, before Roger got his next chance at a hoop. He clawed his way back to 5-9, but without finding his usual flow.

A couple more hoops were traded, so it was 12-6 to Simon when he got into his rhythm and pushed the black round nicely a few hoops. He was playing with a swagger but his best innings came to an end with 5 hoops added. Soon it was 17-7 and Roger was still not firing. He got another hoop but decided not to risk another hoop setting up yellow to run hoop 4 with red as its pilot and hoping Simon could not hit in. Of course he can! But hold on, he misses a simple roquet letting Roger back in to get a couple more hoops, 10-17.

Again Roger cannot string too many hoops together so once more sets up hoping Simon cannot repeat a long hit in. This time he cannot, so can Roger get going this time? He runs a hoop but in such a way he cannot hit the pilot so yet again he has to retreat.

Time is running out (both players had agreed to a 3 hour timed game rather than to the death), and the game gets even more tentative. Roger is on 13 and Simon on 19. Looking at how many hoops Roger could run, Simon calculated he needed one more hoop to be safe. He was playing blue and pushed black into the north east corner. Attempting to put blue in the south east corner, he sliced it off into the Tennis ditch giving Roger one last chance (the bell had now sounded). Roger had a tough 12-footer, yellow to blue, but unfortunately missed, so that was it… Simon is the new open champion, winning 20 points to 13.

Here are some statistics about this game:

There were 345 shots played in the match. Simon had 217 shots and Roger 128.

They had just over 30 turns each. Simon averaged 7 shots per turn, with his longest innings (turn) amounting to 38 shots, scoring 5 hoops. Roger averaged 4 shots per turn and his longest innings was only 15 shots.

Both players have regularly been running 11 hoops for fun, but this was a final, so a mix of nerves and cagey tactical play brought this down.

Simon was more successful today at hitting in (roqueting) with a success rate of 83% compared to Roger’s 70%. This proved to be the difference, as Roger had a hoop run percentage of 93%, whereas Simon blobbed a few resulting in a 77% success rate.

Roger had 43 croquet shots, 14 of which were roll shots. Simon chose to roll 23 times out of his 84 croquet shots. This points to Simon finding better positional shots today.

I am sure these two will have many more tussles like this over many years to come. It’s testament to Roger Dollimore’s excellent coaching that we have a couple of fast improvers on our books.

I enjoyed watching it anyway!

Steve “Statto” Edney

19th September 2020

PS. Ooh I said I would include a graph or two… (note Simon ran the same hoop twice because he put the clip on the wrong hoop!)