by Ian Vincent at Nottingham
13th April

I am very sorry to report that Gordon Hopewell, a long-standing member of the Croquet Association and latterly Croquet England, died after a very brief spell in hospital on Saturday 4th April, 2026.

Having moved down from Scotland, Gordon started playing croquet at the Nottingham club in the mid 1960s, as one of a group of Nottingham High School boys who somehow persuaded the staff to allow them to spend their games afternoon learning croquet. That the then, sparse and elderly, membership of the club tolerated, if not encouraged, them probably contributed a lot to its survival for the next sixty years.

He went up to Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where he read Natural Sciences and researched in the field of genetics. His early working life was spent in London, as an actuary, during which time he joined the Hurlingham club.

He rapidly became a good player, though of the generation who only played AC competitively, and was invited to play in several of the AC Eights.

Summoned back to Nottingham to manage the family furniture business, he again became active in the club, serving on the committee and briefly as Hon. Treasurer, before being elected President. He was a generous benefactor, donating handsome silver trophies for the spring handicap weekend (which is currently in abeyance because we host a Croquet England event, the Peels, which has its own trophies), and the Hopewell Cup for the East Midlands Championship. He also funded the development of the hoops we play with, and diplomatically resolved the argument as to whether they should be called “Hurlingham” or “Nottingham” hoops by having his own name on them. The photograph was taken during the 2015 Womens AC World Championship, where he ran an (eponymous) Gin bar in the West Pavilion.

He was also a member and strong supporter of the Surbiton club, despite having to travel from SE London to reach it. Apart from Croquet, he was a good cook, avid reader, with a fine library and cellar, and opera enthusiast.

He will be sadly missed by the many friends who knew him. At the time of writing, funeral arrangements have yet to be made.

Ian Vincent

President

Nottingham Croquet Club

Nottingham members excel at AC Open Championships

This year’s Association Croquet Open Championships have just concluded at a very hot and dry Surbiton croquet club, which offered the type of highly challenging playing conditions enjoyed by top players.

The main event, the Singles Open Championship, was won by Robert Fulford (of Colchester club) in an exciting best of three final against New Zealander (and far country member of our club) Jenny Clarke. James Death, also of our club, was a semi-finalist.

The Singles Plate was won by our own chairman, Omied Hallam.

The singles Z knockout was won by Jack Good – a student member of our club. Another of our younger members, Euan Burridge, distinguished himself in getting through the qualification stage and beating the formidable Gabrielle Higgins to get a quarter final place before succumbing to James Death. Euan then dashed back to Nottingham to play in and win our GC Championship weekend.

In the AC Open Doubles, James Death and partner Samir Patel (of Surbiton club) won the main event, beating Jenny Clarke (playing with Stephen Mulliner) in the final.

Much of the event was live streamed on YouTube with expert commentary and can be watched on the Croquet England channel.

Congratulations to all who did so well.