Expectations exceeded

As we set out the courts for the Come and Try session on 4 July we were expecting a quiet day. Limited preparation and promotion because of Covid-20, combined with a rather dreary weather forecast, led to low expectations. We decided to lay out only two half lawns and one full lawn, instead of four half lawns and we were already discussing how to fill in the gaps between visitors.

How wrong we were! An hour into the day we had to lay out two more half lawns to cope with the much higher demand. The need to ensure we met social distancing guidelines meant that we even needed extra people to ensure that visitors sanitised their hands and mallets were cleaned before use.  Things quietened down in the afternoon because of the occasional rain. But overall we had 28 new visitors, each playing for at least an hour and a number saying they would definitely be joining the club! It turned out to be a very successful day.
 
In addition to a few people coming from a local leaflet drop, many members had responded to the request to introduce croquet to friends. This remains a vital way to recruit new people.  We normally hold two Come and Try sessions a year, and recruitment is an important part of maintaining the club’s health. So, as we were limited to just one day because of this year’s restrictions,  it was especially good to see so many people new to croquet clearly having a good time.

Thanks go to everyone who encouraged their friends to come the event as well as to the members who helped out on the day.

Stephen Wright