Honour for Croquet Durham founder (From The Northern Echo)
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Honour for Croquet Durham founder
11:11am Tuesday 21st February 2012 in Durham City News
Roger Carpenter, left, and John Cotes
A CROQUET club founder has been honoured for his services to the sport.
John Cotes, who helped found Croquet Durham, received a diploma for services to croquet from the Croquet Association (CA), the sport’s national governing body.
David Turner, from the CA, handed over the framed certificate to Dr Cotes, of Durham City, on Monday evening.
Dr Cotes, 87, said: "I hope this can be used to promote croquet. I can lose myself in it and not think about anything else."
Roger Carpenter, chairman of Croquet Durham, said: "John is a fantastic person, not just for doing what he does but also doing it at his age. He’s got so much drive and enthusiasm.
"He’s developed this sport in Durham, which a lot of us thoroughly enjoy. We feel it’s something that a lot of people could benefit from, young and old."
Dr Cotes, a researcher into disability due to breathlessness in people with occupational health issues, moved to Durham in 1978. He joined Auckland Croquet Club, in Bishop Auckland, in 1999; before starting to Durham club in 2008.
The club, which has around 22 members, plays Monday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons in Aykley Heads, Durham. Play is expected to resume in late March.
For more information, call Mr Carpenter on 0191-3864511.
