At the Chelmsford Spectacular on August Bank Holiday 1989, Tom and Judy Anderson of the East Anglian Croquet Federation (aka the EACF) ran “come and try it” sessions in the Sport for All section of the event. They were collecting names and addresses of those who were interested in learning more; Jackie and Grahame Goodacre put their names down …. and so began the seed to this Club.
The following May in 1990, Jackie and Grahame were invited by Chelmsford Council to take part in four free croquet lessons in Central Park on Monday evenings. They attended along with about a dozen others. At the end of the final session, council leisure service representatives were present and asked if there was sufficient interest in forming a club. There was! The Council allowed them access to two under-used tennis courts along with a patch of grass outside the boundary of the courts. The EACF provided key equipment on loan – some mallets, balls and hoops and the Council offered to provide a £400 interest free loan to be paid back in three years.
To obtain the loan, they needed to form a Club, draw up a Constitution and have three offices – a Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer; these individuals were the guarantors for the loan. So, on that night, the inaugural meeting was held with Grahame Goodacre, Chairman, Andy Cripps, Secretary and Peter Yates, Treasurer. They signed the loan – and the Club kicked off with a membership of 11.
The four months of Summer 1990 was the Club’s first season of play using half size park grassed lawns. Over the coming years, the Club grew and by 1995. the members were ready to enter the EACF. However there was an issue – our lawns were not full size!
Many options were investigated. Member Cheryl Stephenson, who had worked alongside Grahame in preparing the first lawns, paid to attend a groundsman’s course at Writtle College. From this, negotiations began between the Club and College for a suitable piece of ground on which the Club could establish a more permanent basis and have two full size lawns. Discussions with Professor Alder, Principal of the College and Richard Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Sports and Turf Management held as Extraordinary General Meeting at which is was agreed a site be allocated which could also provide a project for the students to work on.
Summer 1997 – the ground having been dug and levelled and correctly prepared with all the necessary nutrients, seeding etc – saw the Club settle in Writtle.
In 1999 came a merger with Bentley Croquet Club, who had lost their ground, to form the Chelmsford and Bentley Croquet Club.
In 2006, thanks to grants from the Croquet Association and Awards for All, the Club was able to construct a clubhouse which enabled members to enjoy on-site facilities – plenty of tea.
After nearly 30 years, Chelmsford Club is moving to a new home in the grounds of Margaretting Village Hall in Margaretting, Essex.