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| A Game Changing Enigma |
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| • | Alice and her companion are puzzled to discover some very strange changes recently in Wonderland. Oh dear! What on earth could have happened? | |
| 2021 begins with scarcity and hope |
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| • | Of course 2021 will be better than 2020, eventually. But in the winter and spring, in most of the world, scarcity of supplies and equipment creates medical desperation while vaccinations lag. | |
| CRESTING THE WAVE |
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| • | A new reality could be the saving grace of humanity in a world where everyone is joyfully, safely and confidently united, without physical or emotional barriers, beyond consideration of class or status. It's possibility glimpsed in vast and empty public spaces much too small to accommodate such a transformation. | |
| Croxit: Croquet after Brexit |
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| • | According to the Brit who created and manages the Liverpool Croquet Club, the sport no longer can serve as an escape from the politics and the climate of a newly fragmented globe. | |
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Has Golf Croquet taken over the sport? |
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| • | After examining the statistics and trends of major countries tracking the 'crisis', we propose some radical interim solutions. | |
| Croquet Day: June 8, 2019 who/where/why/what |
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| • | There's a spottily observed World Croquet Day and many national Croquet Days. But the truth is that any person in the world can declare and celebrate this sport, anywhere, any time. | |
| A deadly croquet Situation |
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| • | You think you can clearly see and understand the fine line that separates a game from reality. But that line turns out to be completely invisible in the life-or-death case of a Situation. | |
| Games, Courts, and Lawns: casual, serious, & ideal |
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| • | The editor compiles a photo essay illustrating the extreme range of courts and games in "croquet", as top-ranked players describe their ideal courts for serious competition. | |
| Do women equal men? | ||
| • | No, they don't, either in learning patterns or in competitive results. This editorial examines why that is, explores the exceptions, and asks how and whether the situation needs to be remedied. | |
| Good News/Bad News | ||
| • | The bottom line: both the sport and the USCA have survived and prospered, as America has joined the rest of the world in a global sport that is finally--and proudly--middle class. | |
| The Croquet Apocalypse | ||
| • | While the world changes around them, older players fail to adjust to the faster pace of life in the Internet age or to recruit younger players into the sport. | |
| Reviewing OxfordCroquet.com | ||
| • | Mike Orgill explores one of a handful of the sport's essential sites: the go-to resource for Association Croquet. | |
| My romance with photography | ||
| • | An American photographer and croquet player exploits the tricks and tools of PhotoShop to "paint" an idealized vision of many subjects, including croquet. | |
| The problem with old people | ||
| • | There are way too many of them. What can be done? | |
| Photographing the partnership | ||
| • | Collaboration, capitulation, conflict are all dynamics of playing with another person, and sound communication can lay the path to victory. | |
| Tyranny of the clock? I don't think so. |
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| • | Bert Myer argues that time--and winning--are all that matters. | |
| The bugaboo of time | ||
| • | Time of all sorts--game time, stroke time, match time--is sometimes necessary in croquet competitions, but there are ways to mitigate the tyranny of the clock. | |
| Carpet Croquet for the Seniors | ||
| • | Combine senior care with free enterprise and the new definition of corporate rights in America care and you get a virulent malady that might be incurable. | |
| The Death of Croquet | ||
| • | Britain's Angry Man takes on the mainstream press for their "Silly Season" coverage of croquet around the recent British Opens. | |
| Keith Wylie and Me | ||
| • | Mike Orgill explores Wylie's Expert Croquet Tactics thirty years after the publication of the ground-breaking book and his first review. | |
| A Singular Case Of Fictional Doubles |
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| • | Managing an event in Wonderland naturally includes finding exotic solutions to fantastic problems. | |
| Croquet in the Zombie Apocalypse | ||
| • | A Secular Humanist radicalized by current events in the Middle East invites you to ask: �What can one person do to make a difference?� | |
| Battle of the Secs-Gen | ||
| • | Highlights of the bruising debate, blow by nasty blow, are reproduced in streamlined fashion from the Nottingham Board, to better enable you, the reader, to vote on who actually won: Chris Clarke or Stephen Mulliner. | |
| The upsets you won't forget | ||
| • | It's happened to just about everyone--Reg Bamford and Jeff Soo included--and you may still relive those moments in the middle of sleepless nights. | |
| Long Grass | ||
| • | Has the time come, at long last, for long-grass croquet? For all types of the game, at all levels. | |
| TIME | ||
| • | Gail Arkley's second in a series of three essays gives us intimate insights into the trials, triumphs, and sacrifices of the non-playing spouse of a competitor. | |
| Distinguishing national styles in world croquet |
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| • | Steve Jones has played competitively in all four major croquet countries, and shares his personal views on some broad distinctions. | |
| Whites | ||
| • | The wife of a croquet player delivers her perspective on croquet's premiere color, choosing her courtside costume, and the consequent evolution of her personal aesthetic. | |
| Walking the halls of fame | ||
| • | Fame is fleeting in the lawn sports--but it's a little less so if you're elected to one of the halls of fame. | |
| Picturing London's 2013 World Championship |
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| • | Two members of the seldom-seen Woking Croquet Club present a provocative gallery of largely behind-the-scenes snaps at three of the four venues. | |
| Plus Twenty Six and All That | ||
| • | Laurence Latham fills in some missing gaps in world history with croquet references largely unknown until their publication here. | |
| Mind over mallet | ||
| • | A croquet-playing neurologist examines the neureopsychological aspects of your own game influencing play and limiting your success on the court. | |
| THE BALL: Discovering the Object of the Game | ||
| • | Anthropologist John Fox has written an engaging and well-researched book which is poorly focused and mentions croquet only once, disparagingly and inaccurately. | |
| How women miss the mark | ||
| • | If more Kiwi and Aussie women rank higher than their northern hemisphere counterparts, two British players in the first Association Croquet World Championship for Women say it may be because their national associations support their development. | |
| Is a bad loser just a loser? | ||
| • | An ambitious young player accustomed to winning in everything tries to convince himself that losing a croquet match is okay, and it's a tough sell. | |
| Frogs and Croquet | ||
| • | They're both still evolving, but not until this moment in history has a croquet-playing scientist reported the astonishing symbiosis of that process. | |
| Down the gopher hole with Mr. Wicket |
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| • | Perhaps you should hesitate to reject a separate reality until you have explored it, yourself. | |
| Reflections on Croquet in Wonderland | ||
| • | The best-known croquet games in literature have led one British croquet player a long way down the garden path to. | |
| An album of favorite photos | ||
| • | The end of the year is a time for looking back at what was most significant, best remembered, or most enjoyed. Sometimes that's only a striking image. | |
| The day the world changed | ||
| • | On September 11th, 2001, Rhys Thomas was in Hawaii, producing a three-hour documentary about World War Two for The History Channel. Read his story. | |
| Editors' Forum on the Women's World Championship | ||
| • | Golf Croquet already has a World event, but not Association Croquet. Three prominent women players state the case for alternative ways of improving the standard of female play. | |
| Short croquet videos worth watching | ||
| • | The judges produce a modest guide to croquet players reluctant to navigate on their own the vast, insufficiently charted wilderness of youtube. | |
| Shakespeare's take on the game | ||
| • | In this unashamed whimsy, John Prince illustrates the trash talk he and Andrew Winn have irreverently penned for the bard. | |
| Photo Contest Finals! | ||
| • | The editors showcase the most arresting photos of people and venues submitted from everywhere for our 2009 contest. | |
| 2009 Photo Contest Invites Entries | ||
| • | Entries are being accepted for Croquet World's Fourth Annual Photo Contest until August 16. | |
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Victoria Centre: a promise unfulfilled |
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| • | The Victoria Croquet Association neither explains nor corrects the failed forecasts around the opening of its new headquarters, but in the absence of answers, we offer pointed questions in abundance. | |
| The pursuit of justice in tournament design | ||
| • | Louis Nel and Bob Alman recommend simple changes in American Rules and Association Croquet events to increase the probability of fair results. | |
| 2008 Photo Contest Winners | ||
| • | From 100 finalists, 40 are here online, with all due accolades from the judges. | |
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Why it's okay to cheat at croquet |
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| • | It's not, really. But you'll never convince the mainstream press of a notion firmly rooted in the culture of backyard croquet. | |
| The fun, the feel, the photo | ||
| • | The most ambitious photo shoot ever attempted by a croquet association aims at reshaping the sport's public image. See photos and interview. | |
| Wouldn't you rather be at the bowling alley? | ||
| • | In this republication of Leslie Fielding's controversial poem, we break precedent to give an irate bowler equal time. | |
| 2007 photo contest winners! | ||
| • | Once again, the editors collect and judge winning photos taken by readers. More than 80 finalist photos from around the world are included. | |
| The deadliest mallet | ||
| • | A new mystery by Donna Andrews begins with a body felled by a heavy mallet in a game of eXtreme Croquet | |
| Midsummer Rant contest lays an egg! | ||
| • | The editors, determined to make lemonade out of lemons, rise above universal apathy and poll opinion leaders around the world on croquet's major issues | |
| V is for vicious, V is for victory | ||
| • | The antidote to croquet's poisonous public image is found abundantly in the popular misconception of the game. | |
| Photo Contest Finalists! | ||
| • | Here are 100 winners and placers in many categories from all over the croquet world, judged by James Hawkins, Bob Alman, and Reuben Edwards. | |
| How to shoot croquet players | ||
| • | An experienced amateur photographer in England shares tips on making the game look exciting and involving like...well, like a sport | |
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Croquet in the movies: A 2005 update |
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| • | James Hawkins expands his review of croquet's not-always-glorious appearances on celluloid. | |
| Croquet in American print ads | ||
| • | They peaked in the 1950�s, and the first and only collector of these striking images permits us to display his best. | |
| The lost literature of croquet | ||
| • | Croquet�s relentless chief sleuth invites readers to the hunt for lost treasures as a vastly expanded second edition of his bibliography comes off the press. | |
| Unsolved mysteries of croquet history | ||
| • | Croquet�s bibliographer and most diligent sleuth has found some clues but few solutions to some of the sport�s most enduring puzzles. | |
| Croquet at War | ||
| • | For 150 years, the fortunes of war and the evolution of our favorite sport have intersected in surprising and consequential ways. | |
| 'The Others': image and elitism in croquet | ||
| • | Everywhere in the world, croquet is played by a self-selected elite. Our English essayist wonders: Does anyone really want it to be any other way? | |
| The Perfect Game | ||
| • | A century after it was written, G.K. Chesterton's elegant little story is an eternal consolation to losers everywhere. | |
| How we lost Wimbledon | ||
| • | It wasn't lawn tennis that ended croquet's surging popularity in 19th Century England; the sport's newest historian points to the real culprits . | |
| An online tour of the new National Croquet Gallery | ||
| • | From approximately 100 objects on display, this survey details eleven, selected for the unique values they represent in the croquet culture as it has evolved over 140 years. | |
| How and why we voted against televised Golf Croquet | ||
| • | But for a single vote we might have had a different history of croquet in Britain, and perhaps the world. Richard Hilditch tells the story. | |
| Croquet on TV | ||
| • | James Hawkins wonders: Is television the answer to our recruiting prayers or an unattainable fantasy? | |
| Is Britain losing her grip? | ||
| • | Six of the top twelve places in the latest world rankings belong to the Kiwis and only three to the long-dominant Brits | |
| Naming the Game | ||
| • | What's in a name? Perpetual confusion if influential Anglophiles in America insist on calling it "Association Croquet." | |
| Croquet on celluloid: it's not a pretty picture | ||
| • | A survey of croquet images in the movies helps to explain why the sport is held is such low public regard. | |
| The lost literature of croquet | ||
| • | To mark the publication of the first extensive croquet bibliography, the author picks out some special targets for bounty hunters. | |
| Keith Wylie: 1945-1999 | |
| • | Mike Orgill reviews Wylie's masterpiece and the London Times sums up the life of "one of the greatest exponents of the game." |
Letters from the frontier:San Miguel de Allende |
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| • | The lawns, the players, the clubs - trials and triumph in Mexico's croquet capital. | |
| Reflections on "the other game" | ||
| • | In the wake of the Beverly Hills Invitational, Mohammad Kamal, Jacques Fournier, and Greg Goth consider the future of golf croquet. | |
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The State of the Game by John Riches, Australian Correspondent |
| #6 | Laws Recommendations - an explanation. A complete revision of the Laws for the Australian Croquet Association provides a platform for renewed negotiations at MacRob 2000. | |
| #5 | The Laws revision: what difference will it make? John Riches offers some examples. | |
| #4 | Thirty-Three Changes and Clarifications Proposed by the International Laws Meeting in Bunbury | |
| #3 | Aggress or regress - the choice is yours | |
| #2 | The Who, Why, and Wherefore of Sound Coaching | |
| #1 | Identifying flaws in the "Laws" as a prelude to amending them | |
| How to cheat and win in croquet | ||
| • | A British reprint from 1868 tells you exactly how to survive the ruthless chaos of the social game as a winner. | |
| Colouring the sport: Will it make a difference? | ||
| • | Some say relaxing the all-white colour standard has gone too far, others say it hasn't gone far enough. We explore the possibilities, in black and white and colour. | |
| MacRobertson Shield 2000: Picking the players and the winners | ||
| • | Former world champion Chris Clarke assesses the sport's main international team event, upcoming in Christchurch, New Zealand | |
| Looking back, looking ahead | ||
| • | "1998: a year to remember?", by Peter Payne | |
| • | "The 1998 croquet year in Oz", by Wendy Davidson | |
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The New Zealand Report by Steve Jones, NZ Correspondent |
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| #6 | Picking the winners of MacRob 2000 | |
| #5 | After the revolution: Splashes of colour in a sea of white | |
| #4 | Revolutionary changes are decreed - including retiring the "whites" standard and switching to Barlow balls. | |
| #3 | Stories of the sporting exploits of top players in "Peel Appeal" | |
| #2 | Tackling the sport's ultimate challenge at the club level | |
| #1 | Revealing a strategy for achieving world dominance in the sport | |
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The Hilditch Report by Richard Hilditch, UK Correspondent |
| #1 | Does the dominance of male nerds keep women from competing? |
| Georgia's Jekyll Island Hotel | |
| • | Jerry Aiello reports on a National HIstoric Landmark with croquet on the front lawn |
| The Forum | • | Online Readers Forum |
| International Forum on Women who Compete | |
| • | The Hilditch Report |
| • | Luminaries respond |
| Humo(u)r | |
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Review of The Lighter Side of
Serious Croquet, by David Appleton with cartoons by Jack Shotton |
| • | "Ellicot and the Triple Peel", short fiction by D.K. Holland |
| • | A Hanner Sampler - short fiction and cartoons by Michael Hanner |
| • | Baba Bob Revisited #5, Joy and Suffering in the Game |
| • | Baba Bob Revisited #4, Is croquet the true path to High Society? |
| • | Baba Bob Revisited #3, The Manifest Destiny of 21st Century Croquet |
| • | Baba Bob Revisited #2, "Playing House" and "Playing Croquet" |
| • | Baba Bob Revisited #1, The wit and wisdom of the Croquet Swami |
| Letters | |
| • | Team selections and croquet's public image 10-Oct-99 |
| • | Jaques ball developments 27-Apr-98 |
| • | Jaques responds 7-Oct-97 |
| • | Letters 3-Oct-97 |
| • | The rankings 6-Aug-97 |
| • | Ozzie democracy 1-Jul-97 |
| • | The women "Down Under" 30-Mar-97 |
| • | Men, women, real time, realative time 26-Jan-97 |
| • | Shades of grey in "whites" debate. 1-Jul-97 |
| • | Whites: do they clash with today's sporting image 26-Jan-97 |