Back in May, several ladies from VIEW visited the lawns at Myall Park to try a swing of the mallets and learn the game, which is noted for its low-impact physicality and surprisingly strategic capacity.

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Twenty players in all, from VIEW and the Croquet Club, swarmed the field, enjoying the latest social outing that VIEW had planned, and for only the first time in four years where the two clubs united outdoors.

“I was surprised by the hidden technicalities of the game, but would do it again,” Sheril Johnson, VIEW’s Program Officer, told NOTA.

Luckily, the croquet lawns, which had suffered from severe dehydration over summer due to a problem with the recycled watering system, are not so brown anymore, but could still use some love.

The local plovers have been at it again, too, exercising their odd propensity for ‘nesting’ in shallow hollows upon wide, open ground, taking up residence on one lawn, and providing yet another obstacle for the mallet-wielders to navigate as they aim for the hoops and goals.

Play was followed by a neat morning tea, taking advantage of the nicer weather, which has been at a bit of a premium these last few months.

Other recent VIEW outings included a trip to the Hunter Botanical Gardens near Heatherbrae.

“On 29th June, we welcomed a new Croquet Club member, Barry, on yet another sunny and bright morning,” Croquet and VIEW club member Sue Dodds informed NOTA.

“Hopefully more great days of bright weather are still to come.”

The Croquet Club plays the ‘golf’ variation of the game Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday mornings, from 8:45am at Myall Park, and ‘association croquet’ is played on Tuesdays, welcoming everyone to come and try the game.

By Thomas O’KEEFE