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A Word or Two from Reginald Bakeley
BY REGINALD BAKELEY
EXCERPTED FROM PHOOKA NO.425

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It comes as no revelation to adherents of the true spirit of croquet that the sport has attained an unprecedented level of stuffiness. What was once a game to be enjoyed universally is now a highly codified, ritualistic farce. The croquet spectator need travel but a bit further than his or her own backyard to observe examples of this phenomenon, for it is the same backyard which serves as the last bastion of spirited croquet.

When the garden sets are wiped clean after a morning of wickets, the only place to find any semblance of croquet play is at an exclusive club. And it is here that croquet is grappled, held by the neck and wrung until every ounce of its spirit and vitality expire like so much milk left uncapped, on the front porch of my or your home.

Phooka is determined to combat each and every misconception of the fine and true sport of croquet, and will continue to do so in a series of articles of original intention and also in commentaries on previously published literature. This season, we reprint a segment from Charlton and Thompson's supposed end-all tome, Croquet. The article enumerates the pieces of clothing fit for men and women in the sport. Quite erroneously, Charlton and Thompson have left out key aspects of the proper wicketer's outfit. In my reply, printed directly after the offending article, I point out omissions as specific as the navigational tools needed for overland croquet, and also obviously overlooked items such as the hip flask, which improves endurance and morale.

Yours sincerely,
Reginald Bakeley
President, Team Wales

Croquet Dress
by James Charlton and Wm. Thompson

A Counter-Viewpoint
by Reginald Bakeley


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