Season 2025 brought a cornucopia of rewards for the York league teams. The squads won both the Yorkshire Federation leagues (short and full), ending a 20 year drought in the short croquet league. Added to these victories came success in both Croquet North and the East Pennine League - a clean sweep for York Croquet Club. Congratulations to all who played…and so well! We now go on to represent our federation in the Inter-Club Short Croquet competition and the Secretary’s Shield in 2026.
YCC League Manager Sue, squad players James and Tom receive the silverware
Club members Helen, Michael, Chris, Kevin, Herald, Janet, Cathie, Lionel, Denise, Malcolm, Debbie and James swung into action at end of season to top dress lawns 1 and 2. ‘The beast’, expertly operated by lawnsman Kevin, was fed with 400 bags of compost.
Efficient teamwork stacked and replenished the pallet stations with bag after bag. Herald showed mastery of the Stanley knife!
The labour over the day continued with leaf sweeping and raking, more sweeping and dragging of chain nets.
Finally the job was done. May the grass germinate well and the lawns play smooth next season!
Our inaugural ‘Bring a Friend’ Day introduced 11 newbies to club. We played variations of the game - ricochet, Kwik Croquet, alternate stroke - with our friends, then congregated for a delicious lunch in the clubhouse. York CC's Bring & Share guarantees never to disappoint. Croquet continued after lunch, culminating in a Shoot to the Peg contest, won by our visitor Ingrid who can now spread the word with her prize of a YCC mug.
Congratulations to York's Callum Johnson and to Helen Griffiths, winner and runner-up respectively of the 2025 YCF heat of the Charity 1-ball. A field of 14 from across the federation, dressed in blue in support of Alzheimer's Society, played and ate cake with equal enthusiasm, raising a magnificent £233.
This entitles the YCF to send three players to the final at Nottingham on 17 May.
Club was delighted to host Year 3 classes from Knavesmire Primary School on a sunny afternoon in September.
52 children enjoyed mallet sport activities on the lawns, and time in the clubhouse doing croquet-themed drawing, writing and sums, inspired by their study of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
No Cheshire cats, flamingos or hedgehogs, the Queen of Hearts was noticeable for her absence! But the provision of hoops, mallets and balls introduced the ‘queen of games’ to a new cohort of potential future players.
