Bowls is NOT an old people’s sport, even though many elderly members play and enjoy it!  We have started an initiative to invite all members, who take part in other Club activities, to share our love of this wonderful game. Please look out for an invitation to ‘Have a Go’ and do sign up.

The bowls season is in full swing, Club Championships, matches against other clubs, internal competitions, roll-ups and members just enjoying a friendly game on Green 2. There are, however, some ups and downs. Two of the clubs we used to play against are no longer in use, Parsons Green and Hurlingham Park. One because the tennis section insisted that the bowls green be given over to tennis courts, and the other because the Council is no longer looking after the greens. However, most of the members of those two clubs now play at Winnington, in Bishops Park, where we had a tough match recently, losing both triples. Cambridge Park was also unable to field a team for our match in June.

On the plus side we have a new fixture with Heathfield, a flourishing club in Wandsworth. We played a match at their club in June when both teams drew, and we hosted a return match at Hurlingham in July, in which both the home teams won their matches.

Internal competitions have now started, and four teams of two battled it out for the Kathleen Parker Cup, which was won by Roger Howells and Lewis More O’Ferrall.

Green 2 is now out of play for reparation for the rest of the year at least, and the Green 1 renovation was carried out in August. The Committee met at the end of July, to decide on how best to manage bowling on one green only. Please look out for the necessary signage and instructions about this situation.

MICHAEL WRIGHT, BOWLS COMMITTEE

Do you consider croquet to be a sport or a social activity? I am sure opinions on this will differ, but did you know that croquet made its one and only appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris games in 1904. There have been no repeat performances, possibly as only French competitors took part and apparently only one spectator bought a ticket to the event! The official report on the Games damningly referred to the game as having ‘hardly any pretensions to athleticism’. Even Town Planning, not noted for its sporting credentials, achieved four Olympic appearances.

I am very much in the sport camp. Croquet may not be particularly spectator-friendly or even athletic, but you certainly get exercise, it is tactical and can be very competitive. It is also one of the few sports where players are not separated by age, gender or physical ability. If you have never played, why not come along to one of the regular roll-up sessions advertised on the Club’s website?

We are very fortunate to have some of the best lawns in the country and are therefore able to attract many prestigious croquet competitions. This year we are hosting The President’s Cup between Thursday 5 and Sunday 8 September, an invitation event for eight elite players. Surely, we can do better than one spectator! Why not come and watch and you can decide, sport or social activity.

RICHARD ANDREWS, CHAIR, CROQUET