22nd New Zealand Veterans' Golf Croquet Championship

was held last week at the Manawatu Association in Fielding. The lawns were completely different to the lawns we who play in Hawkes Bay are used to because they were exceptionally dry and very very fast. This stood us in good stead for the next tournament in Wanganui where the lawns were equally fast.

I played pretty indifferent Croquet and managed to come somewhere in the middle in the doubles and singles events.

However the company was excellent and overall the tournament was a success and some very good acquaintanceships were formed. Which was good because some of the people also followed on to Wanganui and the socialising was excellent.

The following photos are a sequence of a jump shot by one of the top players, Bill Heavy. On this occasion it failed because the lawn was so good for jumping that the ball hit the top bar of the hoop. On my fist jump of the day I actually jumped over the top of the hoop. He is playing the blue ball.

A Few Days in Feilding: Interesting people, Scrabble and Saint Petersburg

I'm home.

One of the Good Things about going away to tournaments is that you meet some lovely people. Sometimes you also see new places although on the whole all I saw was one new croquet club (Feilding), a new (rather old) motel room and a bit of Feilding by night which is rather less than inspiring, presumably, than Feilding by day which, to be frank, does not strike one as the tiniest bit inspiring.

I did, however, have a wonderful time.

I arrived in Feilding early on Tuesday evening. A married couple from our own Club were already there. They very kindly took me under their wing. The evening started with a little relaxation and a Thai carry-out that was both delicious and contained more food than I suspect the average Somalian family has in a week. It was then announced that Tuesday was their Scrabble night. Now there are certain things in life I have never liked and managed to avoid with great success. Scrabble is one of those things. Board games is another.

However I decided that, in delightful company, even a game of Scrabble was better than reading even a good book in an indifferent motel room with nowhere even to go for a decent walk. I had a great time. I came third, of course, but next time.....

I seem to have arrived at a stage in life when not only am I doing new things but have discovered that it is a good idea to go back and have another try of some of the things one has previously tried and discarded.

The next night we went out for a meal and then played Saint Petersburg: a board game in which you acquire workers for income, build buildings for fame, and attract aristocrats to your city in order to gain the most fame at the end of the game. Ignorance is bliss. I chose the correct strategy and won. The next night we played again. I chose the incorrect strategy and lost. But next time......

Good Heavens! The next thing I will be attempting cryptic crosswords. Bye the way what is "Beef or game" in 6?"

Off to Feilding and Wanganui

I'm off in half an hour to Feilding (yes it is Feilding. Driving through the place people often wonder where the C is. No not the sea (Feilding is quite a way from that) but the C being the one that ei is supposed to follow.

Feilding is named after Col William Henry Adelbert Feilding who was a director of a group called the Emigrants and Colonists Aid Association. The aim of the Association was to reduce unemployment in England by creating new settlements in the colonies. The Colonel travelled to the 'New World' to buy land for these settlements. He ended up in Manawatu where he bought 100,000 acres of land from the Government for £75,000. The area became known as The Manchester Block and 2000 settlers were provided with free passage over 5 years. The first 23 arrived on 22 January 1874 and were the founding citizens of Feilding.

I'm going there to play in the New Zealand Veterans Croquet Championships.

Then I'm off to Wanganui to play in their Annual Tournament.

Until I return I suspect that this will be my last posting.

Bye bye for now.