Oh, Carol! ‘You hurt me and you make me cry’
Blewbury stalwart Carol Jamieson is still spitting feathers over the great Croquet England GC handicap U-turn.
The former club merchandising guru has been the victim of some astonishing CqE indecision.
Carol suffered after CqE manager James Death sent out an edict that “if a player’s dynamic grade is more than one lower than their card shows, their handicap should be reduced accordingly.”
But just a week later CqE chief executive Andy Dalby-Walsh put out an ‘urgent’ message to club handicappers: “Please stop this process now.”
All of which left Carol properly stitched up!
She said: “I was told that I was in the C Level tournament at Budleigh in April but then an hour later I was told that my handicap was reduced by this new rule from seven to five.
“Therefore I was no longer eligible to play in C Levels and had to withdraw from all C levels I had entered for the season. Blewbury handicapper Steve Fisher was informed and had to change my card.
“The next day James Death phoned to say he was not refunding my entry fees as the new rule was being reconsidered.
“With my new handicap of five I entered the B level at Budleigh but at the allocation I did not get a place as my D grade was not good enough!
“Having thought that this was all sorted and that I knew what I was doing for the season, the chief exec of CqE emailed me to say that this new rule was to be stopped and that my handicap would not be changed.
“Back to square one, except that I have missed out on the Budleigh C Level. I have received my fees back for the C Levels I had entered but then had to start again and enter afresh.”
Factor in the aggravation of the concomitant uncertainty over accommodation reservations near the venue in Devon and Carol’s grief ramped up even more.
She said: “It was quite a saga and meant a number of sleepless nights trying to work out each scenario. All told I was not a happy bunny.”
Fortunately Carol was the only Blewbury member involved in the about-face. She thinks she knows who was at fault and said: “I’ll have a word with him when I see him.”
Anyone still confused should read the latest CqE “urgent guidance”
The day we cleaned up our act
Massive kudos to the members who took part in the big pre-season spring cleaning bonanza!
Here’s what the clubhouse floor looks like when it has been scrubbed and polished. Sadly, it doesn’t stay like that for very long when the courts are damp but Jackie Bryant’s army of volunteers put in a great shift.
The chairs and windows got the same treatment and we even had the CqE coaching supremo cleaning the loo. Top job, Ruth!
Our workers also left the club sign gleaming (above) to impress passing motorists on the A417.
Don’t forget that you can sign up to help out around the club.
At last, Spring is sprung
Praise the Lord! The weather’s improving and the start of the competitive croquet season at Blewbury is barely a fortnight away.
We’ve a busy first week planned with tournaments and matches in three codes, kicking off on Saturday, April 4th, with the AC Hi-Lo Doubles.
Next up, on Easter Monday, is the Roger Cambray Charity One-Ball, with Deirdre Cochrane defending her title at the annual barbecue.
At the last look both these competitions had room for about four more players; check them out and sign up.
The Advantage League season opens on Wednesday, April 8th, with Blewbury D taking on Caversham. Club GC champ Simon Bryant leads a side of three 7-handicappers… Carol Jamieson, Jackie Bryant and Bruce Gibson.
The action switches to the AC code on Saturday, April 11th, when last season’s Prebendal Manor Cup is finally wrapped up. Two of Blewbury’s best AC players, Joe King and Peter Allan, will battle to earn the right to face Andy Evason in the afternoon final.
Andy will be clutching a fistful of bisques… seven if he plays Peter and 8.5 if it’s Joe.
On the following day it is the turn of the GC players to contest the Hi-Lo Doubles. Again, there are a few places left.
Don’t forget…if you’re not playing then a bit of support is always appreciated. Also, any photos taken at these events would be a welcome contribution to the April newsletter.
An old friend remembered
Tributes have been paid to former Blewbury member Rodney Calver, who passed away in January aged 85.
Rodney (left) was an Oxfordshire boy who move to the United States 40 years ago but kept a cottage in Uffington and came over to the UK every year and played at our club.
Our member Sandy Millikin said: “When Carol Wadsworth, Minty Clinch and I became members we told Rodney about it and he became a member, but he only played when he was here in the summer. I guess that was from 2019.
“For a while he was quite keen but then his health deteriorated and he did not play for the past couple of years. I am sure some members will remember him. He was mainly an AC player.”
Rodney had been honoured as club president of the year by the USA croquet association for his work at his local club in Maryland.