Alison’s memories 90th Anniversary 2022

Fifteen years ago, on a lovely sunny day the club members walked down to the large flower bed that is planted each year to commemorate a special occasion in Blenheim and had been planted in 2007 for croquets 75tn anniversary.  We stood around in our new red shirts and white trousers and admired it, had a few speeches and then walked back to the club rooms to have afternoon tea. Since golf croquet was introduced in the late 1990s the very strict dress code of all white which the Association players had to abide by was being relaxed and for the first time a club uniform of a red polo shirt with the four coloured croquet balls was worn for competition matches and anything went for club days

Our AC side of the club have always entered competitions. There have aways been annual team matches with Nelson and Kaikoura as well as individuals entering New Zealand wide ones. Our greatest achievement was when Graham Roberts won the Arthur Ross trophy, a handicap tournament open to all of NZ. He was the first and still only member to have achieved this for our club. When he flew back to Blenheim with the trophy we quickly gathered as many members to go out to the airport to welcome him back.

Times were changing the committee encouraged by Bob Chetwin and Edna Churchill decided to start a golf croquet section. From the start it was stated that it was to be an equal section of the club which has been one of our strengths. So, Edna started coaching and teaching a few eager players this new format of Golf Croquet. I joined in the January as I was still working then and playing golf. Play was Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday although starting times have altered.

  As Golf croquet became more popular because it was quicker to learn and the games were much shorter and not so competitive, the numbers started to drop in Association Croquet at the Brooklyn Club as well as ours so Brooklyn decided to close their AC section. Most of those players came and joined with us and very welcome they were too. Unfortunately, through natural attrition club numbers started to decline so about 5 years ago we had a big membership drive through newspaper articles, open days with coaching, letter box drops and word of mouth. Since then, our numbers have steadily increased until last year on some GC days our lawns were full and turns at sitting out had to be used.

Originally the club only played in the summer starting with a special opening day and ending with a closing day in April when the trophies won during the season were given out. This was to rest the lawns but it has been found that providing care was taken no damage was done by playing in the winter so now the club plays all year round.

At this time, it was decided the lawns were due for refurbishing. A decision was made that during the next two winters, first 3 and 4 would be dug up, levelled and resown followed by 1 and 2 the following winter. Contractors would need to be employed quite an expensive undertaking so the club were successful in getting grants from pub charities. This has resulted today on world class lawns for us to play on. About this time employing commercial lawn mowers became very expensive so the club took over that commitment. Victor, Ewan, and now Mike have done an excellent job.

Two years ago, the council decided with the increase in cruise ships bus parking was needed so they put in a bus park just before the entrance to the croquet lawns and built a new park beside the tennis courts which we have to share with the tennis club.

2020 covid hit the country and everyone had to isolate. Fortunately, after the first attack being out in the open air meant we could play and mask wearing became optional. One good thing about that time there were no cruise ship so we were able to park at our entrance, not so far to walk.

Later in 2020 Barbara Guillemot procured a BBQ, a very flash modern one, and instituted monthly BBQs through the summer after play on a Sunday. Very Popular And so to commemorate 90 years of Blenheim Croquet Club after play we will have a BBQ.

The club is in very good heart, plenty of younger members and very keen, so in 10 years there should be a 100-year celebration. Hope to be there in my wheel Chair.

Alison Brice

Presented by Barb Guillemot at 90th Anniversary 2022

This is a speech about the formation of the club put together from information that is documented and gathered from club members. It is not a history of the Club.

Croquet in NZ began with the arrival of the earliest settlers in the 1850s who would have boxed croquet set amongst their luggage – a symbol of their middle-class status. The earliest record of croquet in NZ was in Christchurch in 1866, but the first official club was founded in Auckland in 1879. In 1920 the NZ Croquet Council was formed and was taken over by the National administration of the game.

The earliest documented mention of croquet in Blenheim/Marlborough was in August 1931 when Ms Jeanie Young called a meeting of interested persons when a decision was made to establish a croquet club in Blenheim. Approximately 20 women attended this meeting. The Club prospered and at a general meeting held in September of that year, it was decided to name the Club the Blenheim Croquet Club.

Although there is no known written evidence available now, it is believed the earliest croquet played in Marlborough was in Picton sometime before the game was established in Blenheim. Members of the Picton Club attended the official opening of the Blenheim Croquet Club on 15th December 1932. Mrs Flood from Picton spoke at the Blenheim Opening.

The original croquet lawns were sited opposite the Clock tower in Seymour Square on the land presently occupied by the Marlborough District Council buildings.

There were no clubrooms by the lawns and members used space and facilities in the then nearby Plunket rooms. At a meeting in early 1933 a decision was made to build a clubhouse, the pavilion one year and the addition of a veranda the next year. Also in 1933, the Blenheim Croquet was invited to join the Nelson Association but this was declined.

Over the next few years, two other Clubs were established in Marlborough at Kaikoura and Seddon, Seddon closed in about 1990. In 1991 The Brooklyn Club was established. The Marlborough Croquet Association (now called Croquet Marlborough) then had 3 Clubs, Blenheim, Brooklyn and Kaikoura.

In the early years, croquet was mainly a game for women who took to the game in preference to the male-dominated environment of lawn bowls. Croquet was played under strict etiquette and dress code rules. The occasional “mufti day” appeared in the annual program as an infrequent relaxation of the strict rules. The early photographs of Blenheim Croquet Club members playing on one lawn show formal-length white dresses, red cardigans and white shoes. Any man would be long white trousers, a white shirt and a tie and blazer along with white shoes. Existing members from those late 1980s playing days and earlier will talk of the strong attention to correct etiquette and good manners on the lawns. New members were introduced to the games in a series of coaching sessions that ensured they both knew how to play the game to a reasonable level and also knew the correct demeanour required while playing.

Just over 20 years after its establishment, the Club began discussions with the then Blenheim Borough Council about moving the Club to lawns at Pollard Park. In late 1955 the Clubhouse was moved to Pollard Park

where it sits today. The new lawns were established in an area, which had previously been a market garden. Mr Barry Briden who later on became a member owned the market garden. The initial clubhouse, which was placed just off Parker Street, was replaced by a new building in 1987, which was further enlarged in 2006. As an indication of the Club's growing strength, they took responsibility for the maintenance and preparation of the lawns and an implement and equipment shed was added in 2009.

For many years the Club has been nationally acknowledged for the high standard of its lawns, which have often been used for National Events.

From the beginning, members played the then-current form of what is known as Association Croquet. This format was the only way to play the game, but in the late 1970s – early 1980’s the desire to attend a wider television audience and coverage of croquet led to the encouragement of the development of Golf Croquet which had been at that time a fairly insignificant format of the game

The Blenheim Croquet Club followed the lead of the NZ Croquet Council and encouraged the playing of Golf Croquet as it was seen as a means of increasing club membership and having players “graduate” into playing association Croquet. As in most other parts of the country, Golf Croquet developed a life of its own and became a very popular sport for those who had not played much sport previously or those who had given up more active sports but wanted to continue an active sporting life.

Way back croquet was an all-day sport and on Club days began early morning and went on until almost 5 pm

sometimes later. Golf croquet’s short game style, congenial playing environment and gentle exercise in the fresh air format immediately attracted numbers of new players to croquet clubs. The Blenheim Croquet Club’s Edna Churchill a longtime member led the drive to establish Golf Croquet on the Club's annual programme (Senior Golf Croquet Trophy) which is called the Churchill Tray. At Edna’s insistence, Golf Croquet was given equal standing to the long-established Association Croquet which led to 3 playing days for Association Croquet and 3 playing days for Golf Croquet.

In the 1980’s Association games could last for up to and beyond 8 hours, as there was no time limit applied to a contest. Time limits were then introduced and now the standard time frame is 21/2 to 3hrs per game. The nature of Association Croquet meant there was little interaction between the players. Golf Croquet's short playing times, friendly atmosphere and close competitiveness explain its popularity today.

Today the Club Members predominately play Golf Croquet, Association Croquet continues with a strong but small number of devoted players. About 30 years ago an Australian version of croquet called Ricochet was introduced to the Club's Annual Programme and it continues with a small but devoted group playing one day a week.

Over the years of its existence, the Club has had many distinguished players who all did well in National competitions but without achieving full NZ representation.

Today after 90 years the Blenheim Croquet Club continues to thrive. Its 50-plus members provide a caring and competitive atmosphere. We have some of the best playing conditions in the country and a very

friendly clubhouse. All members and visitors value the Club.

Devoted grounds people over the years have ensured all players have optimum playing conditions, which are the envy of many other Clubs around the country. The clubhouse is very suitable for purpose and accommodates all the activities of members “off the lawns”.

Today Blenheim croquet is played year-round without a break for winter. Not many years ago the lawns would close from early April to late September. When the greens were closed extensive maintenance work was often done on the lawns – hence this great foundation. We have benefited from this.

The Club has been very fortunate to have many excellent members prepared to take the helm and lead this Club as President or Captain and they have been well supported by the various volunteer workers who do the everyday things to make the Club Work.

THE BLENHEIM CROQUET CLUB WORKS.