Budleigh Croquet charity event

A charity event at Budleigh Salterton Croquet Club opened the new season with a bang on the day lockdown was lifted, and The British Heart Foundation will benefit to the tune of £660 as a result.
Different formats of the croquet were played - Golf Croquet, Association Croquet and Short Croquet – and to ensure social distancing, members registered in advance and were allocated lawns, so they could go straight to their allotted space to start long-awaited play.
A four-people limit on each of the 12 spacious lawns ensured safety. The sun was shining, the breeze was light and the first thwack of hitting the mallet against the ball could be heard, soon followed by laughter or shrieks depending on how accurately the ball travelled to the desired spot.
What joy to be in such beautiful, natural surroundings within sight of the sea and playing croquet.
Rivalries were put aside for the day. Did it matter whether players ran hoops, knocked their opponents balls away or ran their ball to exactly the position they wanted? No, it did not. Well, mostly not!
This day was to support the Charity and was all about raising money, having fun, being out in the fresh air, chatting to players not seen for months and hoping that all the skills hadn’t been completely forgotten.
Despite many weeks without play, most people managed to regain their skills very quickly, within the usual fluctuations that occur in any games.
There were those tantalising shots that just missed the hoop by a fraction, those amazing shots that did something even more spectacular than you planned. Delight and joy of starting play again could be seen from the smiles and murmurs of chatter, as play continued during the glorious day.
The season has begun with a very satisfying day of croquet but with the added bonus of a hefty donation to the British Hear Foundation.
If you are interested in giving croquet a try, leave a message on our answer phone: 01395 442548 and we’ll get back to you, or go to our website: www.budleighcroquet.org