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Mike Hann receiving the Roehampton Cup from CA President, Quiller Barrett (Photo: Julie Horsley)

This year saw an increased entry with only two places available for Event 1 and Event 2 fully subscribed.

Thursday saw the start of the Gilbey Goblet (the Handicap singles) this was played as a Knockout with consolation event.
In the semi-final David Clarke beat Chris Donovan +12 and Peter Nelson beat Rosemary Bradshaw +15.
The all Sidmouth final saw Peter Nelson beat David Clarke +9.
The Challenge Cups were all played as American Blocks.
The 8 players contesting for the Roehampton Cup started after lunch on Friday. By lunch time on Sunday Mike Hann remained unbeaten and last year's winner Dave Mundy only losing to Tom Weston, so there was all to play for when they met for their final game. There was a tense finish to the game with Red and Black on Peg and Yellow and Blue on 4-back with Mike having made a leave near Corner 4. Dave lifted his Yellow ball and shot at Blue and Black but missed, leaving Mike to finish the game +5.
Block B for the Council Cup saw Adam Wimshurst and Chris Donovan both with 4 wins but Adam had beaten Chris so on who beat whom was declared the winner.
Block C for the Reckitt Cup saw Richard Williamson with a clean sweep of 4 wins.
Block D/E for the Stevenson Cup saw Quiller Barrett on 4 wins (only having lost to Nigel Graves) and Jane Hull with a clean sweep in her block, which unfortunately had 2 withdrawals on the Saturday due to health problems. In the Final Quiller beat Jane +2T.

Quiller Barrett, before he presented the trophies, said that he was delighted to see that numbers were up this year. He said he been researching the history of the Challenge and Gilbey and gave a short account of how this Tournament started. Since then Quiller has provided a fuller account, which is reproduced below:

In 1900 the Sheen House Club, which was then the headquarters of the United All England Croquet Association (as the Croquet Association was known at that time) presented to the Association a Challenge Cup for open competition. This trophy was won by Sir William Bruce who beat J.E. Austin +6 +26 in the final. In 1903 the Roehampton Club presented additional Cups so there were then three Roehampton Challenge Cups.
In 1920 The Chairman of the CA Council, Mr. Arthur N Gilbey, who was also a prominent supporter of angling and other field sports, presented a Cup to the Association for a handicap competition. From a field of 164 entries the first Gilbey Cup was won by Mr. L.A. Chope of Roehampton who played under the pseudonym of A N Other.
In 1923 the decision was made to run the Challenge Cups and the Gilbey Goblet as a joint tournament, a "marriage" which has lasted unbroken to the present day. That year ten lawns at Roehampton were available and 265 entrants played in the tournament that was spread over a fortnight, something of a marathon for the manager.

Results of the Challenge and Gilbey:

Class Singles

Format: American Blocks
Class A: (Advanced ) Winner: Mike Hann
Class B ( Advanced ) Winner: Adam Wimshurst
Class C ( Advanced ) Winner: Richard`Williamson
Class D ( Advanced) Block Winners: Quiller Barrett and Jane Hull
Winner: Quiller Barrett +2T

Handicap Singles

FORMAT: Knockout
Quarter Final: Graham Harford, David Clarke, David Mooney, Chris Donovan,
Mike Hammond, Peter Nelson, Derek Powell, Rosemary Bradshaw
Semi-Final: David Clarke, Chris Donovan, Peter Nelson, Rosemary Bradshaw
Final: David Clarke and Peter Nelson
Winner: Peter Nelson +9