We each chose a ball and had the rules explained to us. My first few shots were played incorrectly so I was obviously messing around at the back of the class when we were having our Croquet Lesson.
Beige stepped up first, a seasoned croquetter and played a beautiful shot through the first hoop.
Yellow went next and played a rubbish shot which just sat next to the hoop.
Black sailed through and on to the next hoop.
Then it was my turn. I crashed straight into Yellow, who was next to the hoop. So I got two extra turns. I took two more turns and crashed into Yellow each time. Bloody Yellow. I got irritated. Yellow became my enemy.
Blue played last and kind of trundled through the hoop, not very spectacularly.
It continued this way for much of the game, Beige sailing effortlessly round and, ultimately, beating us all, and us trying to remember which hoop to aim for next and trying to find our balls in the bushes surrounding the Croquet Lawn.
Apparently you have to go through this hoop first, then this one, then that one then back through this one and that one.... And when you hit someone else's ball you get an extra turn and when you go through a hoop you get an extra turn and....
When this all started to hurt my brain and us amateurs had been trying to get through the same hoop for hours, we decided it the proper way, with a race around the trees.
Blue and I arrived back within milliseconds of each other, me panting heavily, Blue looking calm and unaffected.
And that's how it was decided. Blue and I came joint last. The Croquet Queen came first. Black and Yellow came second and third, I don't remember which way round as I was probably off in the undergrowth, trying to locate my ball....
I'd like to say we all went inside and lunched like ladies and discussed knitting. But that's not true. We got fish and chips and sat round the TV talking nonsense.
So all in all, a good time was had by everyone. What, what!
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