The shortage of published news about the Dubbo Croquet Club is in no way a reflection of the level of activity on the courts over the recent months.

Despite temperatures, cloud cover, frost levels, precipitation and other phenomena, croquet has continued to be played. The play days of Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays have been as well subscribed as ever.

The biggest event over the winter months was the Doubles Competition.

The competitors were Tricia Shanks/Des Pope, Lillian Wallace/Mavis Grant, Margaret Sheridan/Ian McKenzie, Stan Ellis/Tracey Keenan, Ingrid Stufano/Graham Bender, Warwick Herd/Sandra Burns, Kate Colwell/Bryan Smith with Don and Pam Day rounding out the lists.

Each pair played every other in a time-limited seven-hoop format. All games were played on the unique ‘Wonderland’ artificial grass, a Dubbo initiative.

Ben Vang did the heavy lifting of building the competition schedule. The current captain had only to do some tweaks around the format, procedural matters, and accommodating late withdrawals and substitutions. The standard of play was very high.

A sample of examples include Sandra Burns’ exceptional hooping and jawsing from daunting distances; Warwick Herd’s casually executed but admirable hooping; Ingrid Stufano’s long-distance clearances; and the unchallengeable ability to run hoops from difficult placements by both Graham Bender and Bryan Smith.

Pam and Don Day were the outright winners on five wins and two draws, followed by Tracey Keenan and Stan Ellis with five wins and one draw. Sandra Burns and Warwick Herd were the handicapped winners.

Also of note during the winter months was the radio interview by Kim Goldsmith of the club captain, Charles Campbell, on local ABC radio as one of her regular segments to encourage listeners to keep moving and be active.

The club was represented at the latest New Residents’ evenings hosted by the Dubbo Regional Council. The club is proud to report that we have missed only one of these events in the past eight years.

Bookings for works parties as an end-of-year activity have been opened and – as usual – interest has been strong. The club has a team of twelve accredited coaches to draw on, the facilities of a club house, secure fencing, ample street parking and lighting for evening play, all available for a reasonable fee.

For club information, see our entry under MULTIPLE DAYS in the Dubbo Photo News Community Diary.

(A note of welcome to our new contributor, North Stake).