Category: News

On Wednesday 7th October 2026 Derby West End Bowls & Croquet Club held a Bowling Green & Croquet Lawn Maintenance Seminar sponsored by Howardson Group Ltd., the Kirk Langley based lawnmower specialists, in conjunction with DLF Seeds from Worcestershire.

Forty eight greenkeepers from over 20 clubs in the area visited our club house for what turned out to be a very entertaining and informative day. The day started with breakfast pastries and included a hot buffet lunch supplied by the club. The seminar included well respected keynote speakers who addressed the attendees on a number of key topics throughout the day, with machine demonstrations and practical advice on how to maintain equipment being included on the agenda. The seminar included an Open Forum where the professionals were more than happy to discuss club individual requirements and answer questions.

It was a resounding success with praise from all quarters being received. We would particularly like to thank Howardsons for supporting this event and making it a day to remember in our calendar of events, and they have already expressed interest in returning in 2027.  

From a club point of view, we have learnt that we have a clubhouse which is a perfect venue for any company, group, or organisation which is seeking to hire a meeting room in Derby to suit their purposes.

Should you know of any group, of whatever size, who would be interested in renting our space for a meeting/seminar or AGM  etc you will see from the below photo that we are more than able to cater for your needs. Please feel free to contact Kate Ibbitson at Derby Croquet Club for more information and assistance. (kateibbitson@gmail.com)

On Sunday 27th September 2026 Derby Team F travelled to play Woodhall Spa away. After an early start and a two hour journey into Lincolnshire, Team F were apprehensive about the task that lay ahead. The team consisted of David & Kay Charlton and Frank Webster and the standard of the opposition’s players who had low handicaps of 6, 6 and 7 did nothing to allay our concerns. The lawns were very uneven, undulating and smaller than we are used to but the club itself is set in a beautiful park, so the view made up for any shortcomings the playing surface presented us with. 

By the time we were treated to a lovely lunch, the score was 3-3, so the afternoon session would be interesting, with us needing to win four of the remaining six games to achieve a victory. We won 2 of the first 3 singles and followed up with 2 from the final 3 singles giving us a 7-5 win. All 3 players should be commended for their efforts, especially in the afternoon 2 sessions (played simultaneously on 3 lawns).

David played very well, winning all 3 of his singles games and has now lowered his handicap to 5. Kay played the best games of her season scoring 2 from 5 and coming close to winning her singles games, contributing significantly to our hoops score of 67. Frank finally won 2 of his 3 singles games and his doubles game with Kay.

All in all, a brilliant performance.

Well done Team ‘F’.

On Sunday 20^th September 2026 Derby Croquet Club staged its fifth annual Singles Championship. Eight players competed in two blocks of four, with the top two in each block progressing to semi-finals. Most games were very closely contested, with only key moments deciding the outcome. In the event the Semi-Finals were Amanada Young v Kate Ibbitson and Christine Worrall v Peter Seddon. Kate and Peter prevailed to contest the ‘same household’ Final. Peter emerged 7-4 winner to become Club Champion 2026. The Plate Final was also a ‘family affair’ in which Frank Webster beat Bernie Webster 7-6 on a cliffhanger Golden Hoop. Frank received a humorously-engraved spoon for clinching the win. 

The entire day was very well-run from planning to set-up to action to lunch. As presentations were made, Amanda thanked all involved – and the weather was very kind to us too. It was observed that the club has progressed in leaps and bounds since its foundation. And the Champions board will now display five different winners in five seasons – that suggests strength in depth. Every single player certainly accomplished brilliant shots – even if every player also made the occasional ‘bloomer’! But that’s croquet for you. 

As another season draws to an end, this was a fitting way to confirm our progress and strength as a club. Here’s to doing it all again and more in 2027. 

On Thursday 17th September 2026, Derby Team ‘F’ welcomed Southwell ‘C’ team in their penultimate league match. Heavy rain early on the day meant a wet lawn covered with leaves and worm casts needed clearing and swishing. The match began promptly at 10:30 with Kate, Amanda and Christine manning the scoring and timekeeping station. We reached the lunchtime break 4-2 up which left us with only three wins required after lunch in the final 6 games to secure victory in the match. David excelled in all his games finishing the day with five from five. And by the time Jack had won a mid-afternoon singles we stood 6-3 up, leaving Frank to win against Southwell’s team captain to clinch the seventh game we needed to ensure the victory. The final 2 games of the afternoon resulted in a loss and a win to give a final match victory of 8-4 to Derby Team F. A big thank you to the back room team, especially Bernie for providing her usual high standard lunch, Kay, Kate, Amanda and Christine for their help and support too.

On Tuesday 1st September 2026 Team K finished their Division 4 matches by welcoming Sheffield Parkhead Croquet Club to Markeaton St. On refreshingly greener lawns Sheffield started well by beating Amanda & Kate 4-3 before time expired. Yes, it was not the fastest game ever. Alarm bells might have sounded but we pulled ourselves together to push on. Only 1 further game was lost and we emerged 10-2 victors. Needless to say keen contributions were made by all of our three players Amanda, Chris & Kate. Many thanks to Sheffield for being such friendly opponents and of course to Bernie for our excellent buffet and Frank for keeping time. The result leaves Team K on 3.5 points with none left to play. So alas we cannot top the league. Good luck to Team F who have 2  points with 2 games to play. Now there’s a challenge!

Today’s match away at Southwell provided an entertaining and enjoyable day of competitive play, with both sides showing determination and skill throughout.  There was a lot expected of Stephen, Christine and Amanda who arrived cool, fresh and looking forward to the day.

The morning’s play saw the teams evenly matched and it was level pegging by lunch with both teams on 3 games a piece.  Careful positioning and accurate shots by both teams also kept the score close through the early afternoon.

Christine performed her first successful match jump shot.  Of course, she had to add more drama to this maiden event as her ball landed on top of the opponents ball in the mouth of the hoop and continued spinning on top of the other ball.  After both players stood agape, watching this unusal event, Christine’s ball finally dropped off on the right side and successfully won her the hoop.  If only it had been videoed!

The second half saw the contest continuing to be close. A series of precise hoops and accurate clearances gave Southwell a slight advantage and the outcome remained uncertain until the closing stages.

Derby dug in and the match finished 7–5 to Derby, after an engaging battle that could have gone either way. Both teams contributed to an enjoyable and sporting contest.

The hot weather of late held off and the promised rain shower didn’t materialise during the match. As always when visiting  Southwell, the hospitality was welcoming and friendly and the lunch was excellent.

Overall, it was a successful day of croquet, combining friendly competition with some excellent play.

Thanks to the hosting team including the time keeper.

And Well Done Stephen, Chris & Amanda, Team Derby K!

On Friday 7th August 2026 Team F visited Sheffield Parkhead and arrived to a warm welcome by their team and helpers. With Bernie Webster unable to play, David Charlton kindly stepped into the team alongside Kay Charlton and Frank Webster.

The two lawns were sloping and undulating and were mostly bare dry grass (due to the prolonged spell of hot weather), making some shots impossible to judge. The Home side also commented on the poor state of the grounds, which are on the outfield of a cricket pitch, but being more accustomed to the surface, were able to employ their local knowledge to best effect when taking aim.  

Lots of good-natured banter did the rounds. Kay stated that she would never complain about Derby’s lawns ever again after suggesting that “the ball was like a bouncing bomb on lawn two”. She followed up with the quote of the day – “the north face of the Eiger is flatter”. Despite the ‘ups and downs’ she still pulled off her first competitive ‘Jump Shot’. Well done Kay!!

David’s observation was also spot-on: “ You could tap the ball down the slope and it would go 10 feet forward then move 2 feet sideways and still keep running until it was past the hoop”.

Aside from all the challenges, Team F came away with a 6 – 6 draw.

Our teamwork in the doubles showed through, especially when choosing clearance shots. And with David only just losing to their number one player on the Golden hoop we very nearly achieved a win.

Each of our team made crucial contributions as follows; David won 4 from 5 games, Frank won 3 from 5 games and Kay won 2 from 5 games.

The tea and cake (Coffee and Walnut) at the end of the match was especially nice.

Well done Team F.

On the Derby lawns on Tuesday 4 August 2026 Team K gained their first victory of the season in Division 4. The Derby trio were Kate Ibbitson, Stephen Lamont and Peter Seddon. The visitors were Nottingham B. What a fascinating contest it proved – with varieties of style a notable feature. 

No one present will forget the relaxed and fearless flamboyance of 18-year-old prodigy Declan Macphee (Handicap 3) – compelling to watch as he pulled off countless ‘crackshot’ clearances from distance. Declan has played in both the World and European under-21 GC Championships. His singles against ‘steady Eddie’ Kate presented a real contrast of approaches, and arguably performance of the day from Kate as she took Declan all the way before losing 7-6 on a keenly-contested Golden Hoop. 

Declan won all his 3 singles. For Derby Kate bagged 2, and Stephen and Peter 1 each. Overall Nottingham took the Singles 5-4. This made the 3 Doubles crucial on the day. Derby dug deep to take them all and emerge 7-5 winners – a real team effort with crucial contributions from all 3 players. 

Clinching that first win is always a relief! Good luck Team K for the remaining matches – and to Team Frank who next travel to Sheffield Parkhead. 

A big thanks to Nottingham who were a pleasure to play against – and to Bernie Webster for a customary excellent lunch. 

On Saturday 1^st August 2026 eight players battled it out at Ashby Croquet Club in the Regional Final of the National Golf Croquet Handicap. Derby had two representatives – Kate Ibbitson and Peter Seddon. Peter secured his place through Derby’s initial qualifying competition, and Kate willingly bagged a late spot following a withdrawal! You can’t keep a good runner down! Each of the entrants played all the others – 7 games – with the top two progressing to the National Final in Watford in September.

On parched and lightning-quick courts, careful play and tactics seemed the order of the day – plus mental stamina. Our Derby players each won 5 of their 7 games. Unbeaten Ormond Hooper (Ashby) deservedly took top place with consistent and careful play – while Peter gained second spot over Kate (no controversy there!) through a ‘hoops run’ calculation. It is encouraging that DCC are steadily moving on from the ‘newbie’ stage – now a force to be reckoned with! 

Thanks to all at Ashby for organising a very well-run event.

On Wednesday 22nd July 2026 we welcomed Emma Barker to Derby Croquet Club. Emma is a finalist in the Miss Derbyshire/Miss Nottinghamshire Pageant. As part of the preparation for the competition, Emma wanted to visit as many diverse clubs and organisations as possible to achieve an overview of local community opportunities. Being the only Croquet Club in Derby, we invited Emma along to learn about the sport. Along with some Club members who were there for our regular Wednesday afternoon social play, Emma was handed a mallet and taught the basics of hitting the ball. She soon got the hang of it, so much so, that we proceeded to play a friendly doubles match, with some gentle coaching along the way. Our local ‘pageant participant’ thoroughly enjoyed herself and was astounded at how compelling and competitive the game can be. All in all, we had a very positive and enjoyable afternoon. Good luck and best wishes to Emma for the final coming up this weekend.