| THE HISTORY OF EDGBASTON CROQUET CLUB
The Club has been in existence since around 1900. It was originally situated in
the grounds of The Plough and Harrow hotel in Hagley Road, close to the Newman
Oratory Church, and was known as The Plough & Harrow Croquet Club. Records go
back to 1908 but these reveal a start date around the turn of the century.
The earliest members included fathers from the Newman Oratory, in particular the first
President, the Rev. Father Richard Bellasis, the major benefactor of the club for over 20
years, and his brother Father Lewis Bellasis.
In 1914 the Club changed its name to Edgbaston Croquet Club and in the summer of
1915 moved to its present location in Richmond Hill Road where a simple pavilion
(costing £30.13.0d. including carriage and erection) had been
constructed. Two lawns had been levelled for the opening on 5th
June which, according to the Minute book " only rose coloured spectacles could make
the surface appear passable."
In 1914 the Club had 48 playing members, but by 1917, 28 had resigned due to the
war. The Club’ s first Honorary Secretary, Captain WGW Hastings, apparently
went to the front in 1914, was still there in 1918, and, although he survived
the war, was never able to return to the Club.
In 1919 a Minute by Margaret Barrows records the death of the landlord, Mr. Cary
Field, "without whose generosity and kindness the Club would never have been able to
exist" - it appears that he charged no rent whatsoever! She went on to record
" the carrying on of the Club has been a difficult task, left as it was in the hands
of the very few. Now, however, we hope that our troubles are over, and we foresee a
very successful season for 1920 - we have set up a board to attract notice at the entrance
gate and are doing what we can in the way of advertisement. Tea is always now
obtainable at the ground, Mrs. Bayley Parker being kind enough to supply us with boiling
water any afternoon - the china, tea, sugar and other necessaries may be used by any
member on payment of a trifling fee. We have been considerably troubled this season
by constant burglaries, the pavilion having been broken open no fewer than 3 times.
Ground at the close of the season was in excellent condition and reflects great credit on
our groundsman Styles."
(Margaret Barrows was the Club's Treasurer for 21 years until 1928 and Secretary for
almost as long.)
The Club’s subscription in 1919 was 1 guinea, increased to 2 guineas the
following season and 2.5 guineas in 1925. Mains water was connected that year (in
spite of this, it was to be another 65 years before proper flush toilets were installed).
In 1922 the Club registered with The Croquet Association. The third lawn
was opened in May 1926 - it had been constructed using completely new turf at a cost of
£100.17.0d raised from donations from members, which now numbered 34. Father
Richard as he was affectionately known, continued to provide the club with machinery,
lawns materials and all manner of other items at his own expense.
1929 was a notable year in the Club’s history, when its team won the very first
Longman Cup. The team consisted of Mr. Owen Parsons, Miss M. Whitehouse, Mr. G.F.
Crisp, Major A.M. Deakin, Mrs. H.H. Benton and Mrs. A.M. Deakin. (Edgbaston won
again in 1952 and 1961).
During the 1930s Edgbaston established itself as the Midlands leading
club.
Bridge was introduced to the Club and became increasingly popular. War Savings
Certificates were purchased with the proceeds (table money 3d per player)
Golf croquet was played on Wednesdays and Saturdays on lawn 3 only. A tea
"woman" named Mrs. Tubb was employed on a daily basis.
In 1939 both Fathers Richard and Lewis Bellasis died. At the AGM in December the
Hon. Secretary reported " The year had not been so successful as the preceding
one, owing to continuous wet weather, and war starting in September." In
1940, it was arranged with the Food Controller for butter and sugar for an average of 60
members per week. By 1945, however, the war had reduced the number of members to 20
playing and 12 bridge and by 1951 the number of playing members was further reduced to 17.
Dr. B.R. Sandiford, Secretary of the Club and Mr. R.H. Newton, the Chairman, were both
instrumental in reviving the Club in the 1950s and early 60s.
Reg Newton sadly died suddenly in 1965, and was succeeded by Professor Alan Ross.
In 1964 a "revolt" was reported due to the suspension of Saturday teas as no
suitable "tea woman" could be found. A House Committee was formed and lady
members now formed a rota to provide teas. The fabric of the ageing pavilion was of
increasing concern, made worse by visiting vandals and rodents.
During the early 1970s, notable events were an exhibition of croquet at Cannon
Hill Park by John Solomon and Professor Bernard Neal, and the formation of The West
Midlands Federation of Croquet Clubs at the instigation of Alan Girling. Dr. R.C.
(Ray) Jones joined the Club, and became increasingly involved in its activities taking
over as Chairman in 1981. He was instrumental in the new pavilion project and a
major recruitment drive. A side issue for Ray was a Miss Finlay from the Edgbaston
Girls High School who frequently complained to him that our younger lads frequently
"looked at" and even wolf-whistled through our fence at her girls on the school
playing ground.
In spite of such minor annoyances, Ray was able to raise the amount of just under
£4,000 for a new clubhouse from grants from Birmingham City Council, The Sports Council,
donations from former president John Meacham and other members, and various fund-raising
activities. A loan and grant from the Croquet Association was also obtained - this
was something of a first and a proving ground for such assistance, which is now regarded
as reasonably normal.
In 1983 the old club house was finally demolished, and replaced by our existing
one.
The construction was by an organisation called "Community Action" in which
young men who had got into difficulty (or had no training) worked under the supervision of
a professional foreman. This organisation was funded by the City and the Club paid
only for the materials, not for the labour.
The new pavilion was officially opened on 23rd July by Councillor Norman Green, of the
Sports Council of Birmingham with Alan Oldham, representing The Croquet Association, in
attendance.
In 1985 and 1986 the Club hosted visits of USA and Australian test teams to play warm
up matches against a West Midlands team prior to the MacRobertson Shield. West
Midlands won on both occasions.
By 1987 membership had increased to well over 60 and during the early 1990s the Club
continued to thrive. By 2001, however, membership had once again dwindled. A
major flood in that year almost destroyed lawn 3. It was decided to appoint
Chris Bennett (who had been an active member of the Club during the early 1960s and again
from 1982) to manage the Club, in particular to oversee lawn repairs and organise a
renewed recruitment effort. This enabled a long-term development plan to be put in
place.
In 2003 Edgbaston hosted an International between England and South Africa: the teams
were captained by Robert Fulford and Reg Bamford, the then world ranked nos. 1 and
2. The South African team included that country's two first black players, Meschack
Mazibuko and Victor Dladla, both of whom had been coached by Chris during his winters
there. England were the winners, and an official visit from the Lord Mayor and
Lady Mayoress of Birmingham made it a memorable occasion.
In August 2005 Edgbaston were co-hosts with Cheltenham, Bristol and Nailsea of The
World Croquet Federation Championships. 50 of the world's top players from fourteen
different countries competed at Edgbaston over the five days of the tournament. The
Club benefited massively from this event, with major tree surgery being done by its
landlords, Calthorpe Estates, and its neighbours - the police ground, and a grant from
Birmingham City Council which provided the Club with a new mower and other machinery, new
mallets and Dawson tournament balls.
In 2005 Edgbaston set up its website. In 2006 we increased our subscriptions to
cover the running costs of the Club, and have decided - due to lack of
precise records - to celebrate our Centenary year. We now look forward to the next
100 years.As a quid pro quo for this, however,
our landlords Calthorpe Estates agreed to meet the cost of
connecting an electricity supply from our neighbours, the Edgbaston
High School for Girls, to our pavilion. So we are no longer in the
dark ages!
Our new lease, whilst
indeterminate in length, guarantees us many more years on our
current site with an annual increase only in terms of RPI. It was
thus that we felt able to, and enthusiastic about, celebrating our
Centenary, the precise date of which is rather uncertain – but we
know that the origins of the Club were somewhere between 1900 and
1907.
This was done in grand
style at a dinner held at the Edgbaston Golf Club on 26th
April 2007. 47 people attended the dinner – 31 members with 16
guests. The main course menus were a choice between:
Braised minted lamb shank
served on spring onion mash with a red wine and mint sauce -
Crispy roasted confit of
half a Gressingham duck with an orange and Grand Marnier sauce -
Roasted fillets of sea bass
served on sliced potatoes with red peppers, vine tomatoes, olives
and anchovy with a warm herb dressing.
Our most honoured guest was
Professor Bernard Neil, President of The Croquet Association, who
proposed the toast to the Club with a witty and memorable speech.
Martin Granger Brown, our previous President, rose to the challenge
and responded in his usual flamboyant and hilarious style
The photos below shows
Jackie Granger Brown, Bernard Neal, and Martin in reflective mood
prior to the speeches, Martin in full flow enjoyed by the assembled
company.
After the speeches, Ken
Jones, our current President, presented the trophies for last year's
club competitions.
Chris Bennett had won The
Parish Cup for level advanced play and The
Parsons Cup (association ladder).
Simon Cawdell had won The
Victory Cup.
Jim Markham had won both the
Deakin-Holroyd handicap cup and The Gong for B level advanced play
Ken Ruston had won the
Horlor Cup for handicap play for over 12 handicappers.
Esther Jones had won the
Golf Croquet cup.
PRESIDENTS
190? - 1928: Rev. R.G.Bellasis.
1929 - 1938: Mr. E.E. Lamb.
1938 - 1946: Mr. O.P. Parsons.
1946 - 1965: Mr. E.B. Holroyd.
1965 - 1975: Mr. J.B. Meacham.
1975 - 1978: Mr. R.S. King-Farlow.
1978 - 1981: Miss C. Templeton.
1981 - 1988: Mr. R.A. Welch.
1988 - 2000: Mr. M. Granger-Brown.
2000 - present:Mr. K. Jones
CHAIRMEN from 1945
1945 - 1965: Mr. R.H. (Reg) Newton.
1966 - 1975: Professor Alan Ross.
1975 - 1981: Miss Dorothy Horton.
1981 – 1986 Dr. Raymund Jones.
1986 - 1990: Mr. Ken Jones.
1990 - 1996: Mr. Ian McClelland.
1996 - 2002: Mr. Henry Fellows.
2002 - 2004:Mr. Paul Swaffield.
2005 - 2007: Mr. Chris Bennett.
2008
Mr Ted Jackson
John Meacham, who was a member from the early 1950s, last year sent us a
long and amusing letter containing his reminiscences of some of the Club's main
characters. The following is a brief synopsis:
Dr. Sandiford:
Secretary of the Club and its then leading player with a handicap of 1 was responsible
for the revival of the Club and spent all his spare time at it. He was a joy to
know. He was a regular competitor in the All England (winning it in 1951) and
encouraged everybody to have an official handicap.
Reg Newton:
A retired electrical engineer, tall and stout with an expansive charming personality
and a booming voice who hosted regular sherry parties for the club in his house.
Handicap 2.5, he played with a quite extraordinary homemade mallet with laths attached
to the shaft.. He liked to play for money (2 shillings) and was careful not to lose
it. He drove a big Jaguar which he steered with his stomach whilst
gesticulating with his hands.
Mr. G.A. Yarwood:
Another retired electrical engineer, took the Chair at many meetings during the 1940s
and was very active in all Club affairs. "Yaya" continued to play well
into his 80s, but only in fine weather. His main adversary at this time was Mr.
F.S.B. Lawes who had weak lungs and would only play in dull weather.
Additionally, the two disliked each other, so when a wet day that might turn bright, or
vice versa, was finally decided upon, the whole club would turn out to witness the spats.
Hilda Trought:
A member for many years and an active player with a handicap around 5. A kind,
friendly, intensely clever lady, she was a total shambles and smoked non-stop, often
having two or three cigarettes going at the same time because she couldn't remember what
she had done with the others. She represented the Club well in many Longman Cup
matches. She had been head girl of Girton College and an outstanding scholar
seconded during the war to work on high explosives.
An accident which was rumoured to have blown up her entire laboratory had made her very
deaf in spite of which - whilst a member at Edgbaston - she was chief biochemist at
the United Birmingham Hospitals Group. On her death in 1967 she remembered the Club
in her Will.
Cynthia Templeton:
Secretary of the Club for many years, and President for three, was another very solid
middle bisque player who represented the Club well in Longman Cup events, including the
Club's win at Hurlingham in 1961 in a team with Hilda Trought, John Meacham and F.R.
Meacham (John's father).
W.S. Renwick:
Wore a monocle and was rather down at heel and scruffy. He had a rectangular
mallet (almost unheard of in the early 60s) which he placed on the ground and then walked
back, then adjusted, repeating this interminably. John Meacham considered him a
gentleman down on his luck but after attending a lecture given by him in a pub - attended
by around 300 people - discovered he was a younger son of a wealthy Scottish family who
used his inheritance to buy the Aston Martin company.
Alan and Stefanya Ross:
He was an astronomer turned Professor of Linguistics apparently adept in over 30
languages. He became famous for coining the "U" and "non-U"
epithets to illustrate class usage of English. She was a well-known lexicographer
and a leading part of the Oxford English Dictionary team. He was very tall and wore
his trousers too short - she chain-smoked, but only one at a time. Both were
charming members of the Club and good players and opponents.
Barbara Meacham:
John Meacham's first wife, went on to become English Ladies Champion and the C.A.'s
first Development Secretary.
Bunny Austin:
Chief Architect at Fort Dunlop, Bunny was persuaded by his wife to become involved with
the construction of the new pavilion and in exchange for "a little tonk" gave
freely of him time in this respect.
John Meacham also recalls another "useful" player, one Chris Bennett - our
current Chairman. Chris beat John two or three times to his "surprise and
irratation" but partnered him in 1966 in Longman Cup matches. From a Minute in
that year, an extract reads: "Mr. Bennett played so strongly throughout that the
handicappers will have to do something about him." In 1968, The Croquet
Association's Centenary year, Chris won the Club and Area All England Handicap
competition to proceed to Roehampton for the last 8. Playing in the semi-final on
Saturday, he was for peg and peg at 3.15 p.m. when a redoubtable lady from the C.A.
questioned his wife as to whether she had a suitable hat as the finalists were to be
presented to the Queen at tea on Sunday. Having rushed off to buy an entire
new outfit she returned to find his opponent beating him by plus one.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
In compiling this very brief history from hundreds of pages of Minutes many names have
come to light - but this is not a book so there has not been space for them.
However, the following early (and now late) members of the Club not appearing in either
the history or in the cameos above should, I feel, be particularly remembered for their
various contributions:
Mr. J.L. Fleetwood, Mr. W.L. Jordan, Mrs. B.G. Grimley, Miss A.E. Grimley, Miss C.
Grimley, Mrs. Halse (we still compete for her Cup annually), Mr. & Mrs. Holroyd,
Mr. H.V. Currie and Mr. W.G. Jordan (Honorary Secretaries), Mr. W.H. Wills (Groundsman),
Mrs. Owen Parsons (who ran the bridge room and organised teas), Mrs. S.C. Parish (who
presented both the Parish Cup and Victory Cup in 1945), Mr. Fred Trout (lawns
curator during the 1970s), Mrs. Tilly (presented The Tilly Bowl which we compete for
annually, who resigned as a playing member at age 93), Mr. & Mrs. R.J. Taylor, Mr.
P.C. Hordern (Lawns Curator), Mrs. J.A. Wilson, Miss Margaret Lacey, Dr. Rose
Molloy, Miss Vida Worsley, Miss Gladys Maclean, Mr. M.G. Tompkinson. More recently,
Miss Pauline Hill, who presented the Club with 3 new sets of hoops in 2003, gave
invaluable help during the World Championships, but sadly died later in the year.
I am indebted in particular to the many former Secretaries of the Club, in particular
Margaret Barrows, Mr. H.V. Currie, Cynthia Templeton and Margaret Curtois, whose
hand-written and later beautifully-typed Minutes make the Club come alive.
This history has been compiled solely from the Minutes, John Meacham's and Ray Jones's
recollections, and I would therefore welcome any additional contributions from
current or former members, which can be added in at any time.
Esther Jones, Secretary.
April 2006.
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