ON A perfect summer evening, Frome Rotary and Midsomer Norton Rotary Clubs returned to the lawns of Camerton and Peasedown Croquet Club for their annual challenge match. This is a regular fixture enjoyed both by the two visiting rotary clubs and their hosts at Camerton and Peasedown CC.

All four lawns were double-banked in order to accommodate the thirty-two players playing in eight doubles matches. Some of the visitors were new to the game, but croquet is an easy sport to play even at a first outing so, after a brief introduction to stroke productions and some basic tactics, the Rotarians were guided through a match by CPCC club members who were on hand to encourage and suggest tactics and strategy.

It was a close fought evening; the silence of complete concentration on stroke play punctuated by Oooos and Ahhhhs as some shots hit their targets and others just missed. There was also a lot of joyful noise from across the four lawns. The final score was a fairly resounding win for the team from the Frome Rotary Club.

Once the encounter was over both teams retired to the CPCC Club House for refreshments and more friendly banter. Closing speeches were made and the Challenge Cup was passed from Midsomer Norton Rotary, last year’s winners, to the Frome Rotarians; to hold until the fixture is re-played in 2026.

As the Rotarians left the Clubhouse, at dusk, they were greeted by an amazingly beautiful sunset in the western sky overlooking the Cam valley. It was a memorable end to a lovely evening.

If you or your friends would like to ‘Have a Go’ at croquet and enjoy a similar group experience then you can contact Camerton and Peasedown CC via their website at https://camertonpeasedowncroquet.co.uk/ to see what could be arranged.