Luncheon held in the shade area after a social game of croquet.

On Saturday 14 February we played a On Saturday 14 February we played a game of Aussie Croquet with 30 in attend­ance. It was a cooler morning to start and there were a total of 23 games played on the day.

A runaway score of 14/8 was recorded when Lyn Simmonds and Irene Riley trailed Barry White and Cheryl Toohey, Neville Spry and Noel Jolliffe also trailed David West and Allan Jones.

On 14 February Aussie croquet scores were also 14/10. On the day two games were won by Peter West, Lyn Simmonds, Harley Stewart, Enid Baker, Ray Burridge, Geoff Coles, Allan Jones, John Allegri, Kevin Rubie and David West. Whilst all three games were won by Barry White, John Farah, Fay Picker and May Jones.

Well done to all the players but special congratulations to one of our very mature members Barry White who has been in the winning circles of late.

In Aussie Croquet it is imperative that the clips be used on each hoop as many of us have short memories and if clips are used it gives a true indication as to whether each player has indeed been through that par­ticular hoop.

On Tuesday 17 February Golf Croquet was played with 35 players in attendance.

All three games were won by Bill Scott, Pe­ter West, Rex Toole and Mal Smith. Well done to those players.

A further reminder that Seniors Week is fast approaching and we are holding an Open day on Tuesday 3 March . There will be Golf Croquet played as well as some fun games. A scrumptious morning tea will be provided by Forbes Shire Council. We look forward to seeing you come down for a game and please wear closed in shoes, bring your hat, your bottle of water and wear your sunscreen. All are welcome to attend the Open Day.

By Elvy Quirk

Jill Rubie recently celebrated her Birthday at Forbes Croquet Club luncheon.

Aussie Croquet was played on 7 February with only a small number in attendance, mainly due to the warmer conditions. However all who played and took part enjoyed the 19 games played.

All three games were won by Rex Toole, Ray Burridge and May Jones. Well done to those players.

A close score of 14/13 games were played by Fay Picker who trailed Colleen Liebich, Young Tony Bernardi (solo) was defeated by Peter West (solo).

On Tuesday 10 February we played Golf Croquet with 33 in attendance and we welcomed Robert Priest who had come down to try a game. Welcome Rob and we hope you come to like the game and will join us on a permanent basis.

There were 26 games played on the day and the winners of all three games were Neville Spry, Mal Smith and John Allegri. Congratulations to those players.

All are welcome to come and try a game of Croquet. Croquet is played on Tuesday and Saturday each week. Arrival 8.15am to get your names into the draw. Closed in shoes are to be worn, bring your hat, your bottle of water and wear your sunscreen. Mallets provided.

As mentioned earlier we will be celebrating Seniors week with an Open Day on Tuesday, 3 March. Any person young or mature are welcome to come and try a game. There will also be some fun games and a scrumptious morning tea provided by Forbes Shire Council. Closed in shoes are to be worn, bring your hat, a bottle of water and wear your sunscreen. Mallets will be provided.

By Elvy Quirk

On Saturday 24 January, Aussie Croquet was played with 25 in attendance. It was a little cooler this morning whilst Croquet was played and the 8.30am start is proving to be rewarding as far as the heat goes.

On the day all three games were won by John Allegri, John Farah, David West, Noel Jolliffe, Neil Riley and Neville Spry. Con­gratulations to all these players.

Some good scores were recorded on the day and runaway scores of 14/9 were as follows: Geoff Coles and Russell Ander­son trailed Cheryl Toohey and Noel Jolliffe, Bruce and Greg Toole were defeated by John Allegri and Neville Spry, John Browne and Rex Toole were also defeated by David and Peter West (father/son combination).A close score of 14/13 saw Cheryl Toohey and Colleen Liebich narrowly beaten by Geoff Coles and John Farah.

Various 14/12 scores were also recorded on the day as follows: Bill Scott and Irene Riley defeated Elvy Quirk and Kevin Wen­ning, John Allegri and Neville Spry de­feated Harley Stewart and Allan Jones, Elvy Quirk and May Jones defeated Col­leen Liebich and Cheryl Toohey, Neil Riley and John Farah defeated Geoff Coles and Kevin Wenning, John Allegri (playing solo) defeated Peter West (also playing solo), David West and Elvy Quirk defeated Rex Toole and May Jones.

A number of players went down 14/11; Greg and Bruce Toole were defeated by Rex Toole and John Farah, Bill Scott and Peter West were also defeated by John Browne and Irene Riley, Bruce and Greg Toole were defeated by Neil Riley and Noel Jolliffe, John Browne and Tony Bernardi were defeated by Bill Scott and Russell Ander.

Many scores of 14/10 were also record­ed on the day as follows: Allan Jones (solo) was defeated by Colleen Liebich (solo), Frank Donohoe and Harley Stewart were also defeated by Kevin Rubie and John Farah, May Jones and Tony Bernardi were defeated by Neil Riley (playing solo), Tony Bernardi (solo) defeated by Noel Jolliffe (solo), Kevin Rubie (solo) was defeated by Russell Anderson and David West, Kevin Wenning and Allan Jones were defeated by Harley Stewart and Neville Spry.

The 8.30am start is proving popular with many of our players, as its an opportunity to try and beat the hotter part of the day.

As mentioned previously, Seniors week is again being celebrated with an Open Day at Croquet on 3 March, arrive by 8.15am to get your names in the draw.

Stay Cool, Stay Safe.

By Elvy Quirk

Showcasing impressive skills that have inspired a return to the courts next year.

Croquet has become the highlight of the week for participants from Currajong Disability Services (CDS) thanks to a new inclusive coaching program deliv­ered by the Parkes Croquet Club.

Around 30 participants and staff at­tended eight coaching sessions from May this year, quickly embracing the sport and asking for more once the pro­gram concluded.

“It has been a great success, and our participants absolutely loved it,” said Douglas Pout, Day Services Coordina­tor at Currajong Disability Services.

The initiative began after Parkes Croquet Club member Graeme Hunter attended a grant-writing workshop at Parkes Shire Council. The idea came to life when the club secured a Parkes Shire Sports Grant to deliver the coach­ing sessions and provide morning tea for Currajong participants.

“It was a privilege for our club mem­bers to run this program,” said Graeme.

“It was wonderful to see some partici­pants showing exceptional talent and being able to play a proper game at the end of the program.”

He also praised the participants for their strong team spirit and willingness to help pack up after every session.

Currajong plans to return to the cro­quet courts in March next year. “Our lads and ladies are missing it already,” Doug­las said.

“Participants stepped into something new with confidence and quickly con­nected with the members of the Parkes Croquet Club. The partnership has been positive for everyone involved, and by the end some of our crew were matching it with the more experienced players.

This has opened the door and given our participants another space where they feel welcomed and included.

“CDS is not defined by limitation. We are a group of people with different strengths, and when opportunities like this come along, our participants show exactly what they can do.”