Return to News Page
PHOTO ARCHIVES
One of our members, Sir Patrick Cheyne, has come across some old croquet photographs while doing a clearance of a house that once belonged to one of Bowdon's former members, Mrs. Alex Fotiadi, and has kindly donated them to the club's archives. Mrs. Fotiadi was a member from 1939 until her death in 1990. President of the Club from 1972 to 1981 she was, in her day, one of the best women players in the country. Her generosity to the club over the years in donating cash sums for various projects provided the springboard for its re-generation in the late 1970s.
Mrs. Fotiadi's name appears on several of the club competition trophies. She won the Silver Challenge Box in 1943, 1951, 1965 & 1975 and the Handicap Doubles Cup in 1963 with Mrs. J. Walker, 1969 with Mr. R. Walker and 1971 with Col. Tom Emmott. She also won the Open A Class Singles trophy, the Reed Cup (now the trophy for the May Handicap Weekend), in 1964 & 1965; her name lives on as the donator of the magnificent Novices Silver Challenge Bowl in 1957.
Mrs. Fotiadi was runner-up in the Women's Championship in 1968 as well as competing in the Championship of the North of England when she was joint holder in 1956 of the runners-up trophy, now The Bowdon Cup. The championship was moved away from Alderley Edge in 1908 and was played at Buxton up until 1956 (after which it ceased to be run until Bowdon took over in 1979), and it is from about this era that the photos probably come.

Please view the photos below and see if you can identify the event and any of the locations.
Where this is known it is shown below the photograph.




Possible names for players in the photograph that was probably taken at the Southern Championships, Devonshire Park, Eastbourne in 1957:
  1.
23.
45.
  2. Major J.R. Abbey
24. Major G.F. "Freddie" Stone
46. Miss Daisy Lintern
      (prominent player & manager)
  3. Geoffrey F. Rothwell 
      (brother of Richard, no.25)
25. Richard Rothwell
      (Lady Barbarolli's nephew - she was the
       famous oboist Evelyn Rothwell)
47.
  4.
26. Maurice Reckitt
48.
  5. George R. Mills
      (brother of Violet and "Aggy" Mills)
27.
49. Mrs. Hope Rotherham
  6.
28.
50.
  7. E.P.C. "Patrick" Cotter
29. Mrs. Winifred Ashton  (previously Mrs.
      E.D. Kingsford and ex-McRob player in
      New Zealand, 1950)
51.
  8.
30. L.H. Ashton   (husband of above, both
      players at Parkstone)
52. Sylvia Meredith (née Aynsley, wife of
      Ralph Creed Meredith)
  9. E.A. "Tony" Roper
31. Mrs. McMordie  (widow of
      ex-international J.A. McMordie)
53.
10. Dr. W.R.D. "Bobby" Wiggins
32.
54. Mrs. Ruth Heley
11. G. Victor Evans
33.
55. Lady Ursula Abbey
12. H.T. Pinckney-Simpson
34.
56.
13.
35. D.D. Steel?
57.
14. The Reverend Ralph Creed Meredith 36.
58. Mrs. R.C.J. Beaton (née Lily Gower)
15. V.A. de la "Dela" Nougerède 37.
59. Miss Agnes E. "Aggy" Mills
16. The Reverend R.W.B. "Basil"
      Brackenbury (ex-headmaster of
      St.Lawrence College, Ramsgate, and
      past House Master of Marlborough
      College)
38.
60. Mrs. Barbara Chittenden
17. Major Jack Dibley M.C.
39.
61. Mrs. Nora Elvey
18.
40.
62. Mrs. Amy Reckitt (wife of Maurice)
19.
41.
63.
20. Miss Violet Mills
42.
64.
21.
43.
65.
22.
44. Isobel M. Roe 66.
N.B. Other possible names of people thought to be have been playing at that time are:

Major Cobb Harold Penny
Mrs. Lorn C. Apps
Ron Faulkner
David Prichard
Geoffrey Beamish
Vera Gasson
Muriel Reeve
Mary Briggs
Dudley Hamilton-Miller
Pat Solomon
J.K. Brown Leslie Kirk-Greene
F.E. "Frank" Stobart
Bruce Buchanan
Bryan Lloyd-Pratt W. Sweet Escott
Martin Buller Kay Longman Guy Warwick
Ernest Carpmael
William Longman Joan Warwick
Gerald Cave
Neville Wiggins
Mrs. Chittenden
Cam Paynter Gerald Williams




Possible names for players in the photograph that was probably taken at the Southern Championships, Devonshire Park, Eastbourne in 1957:
  8. 27. 47.
  9. E.A. "Tony" Roper 28. 48.
10. Dr. W.R.D. "Bobby" Wiggins 29. Mrs. Winifred Ashton
      (previously Mrs. E.D. Kingsford)
49. Mrs. Hope Rotherham
11. G. Victor Evans 30. L.H. Ashton 56.
12. H.T. Pinckney-Simpson 37. 57.
13. 38. 58. Mrs. R.C.J. Beaton (née Lily Gower)
14. The Reverend Ralph Creed Meredith 39. 59. Miss Agnes E. "Aggy" Mills
15. V.A. de la "Dela" Nougerède 40. 60. Mrs. Barbara Chittenden
16. The Reverend R.W.B. "Basil"
      Brackenbury
41. 61. Mrs. Nora Elvey
17. Major Jack Dibley M.C. 42 62. Mrs. Amy Reckitt (wife of Maurice)
23. 43. 63.
24. Major G.F. "Freddie" Stone 44. Isobel M. Roe 64.
25. Richard Rothwell 45. 65.
26. Maurice Reckitt 46. Miss Daisy Lintern 66.



Mrs.Alex Fotiadi in play

Mrs.Alex Fotiadi receiving a trophy at Cheltenham in July 1973

Possible names for players in photograph that was probably taken on 28th July 1973:
1=Mrs Alex Fotiadi, 2=Mrs Daniels (then President of Cheltenham Croquet Club), 3=Brigadier Leslie Burke (then Chairman of Cheltenham Croquet Club),

4=Bernard Weitz, 5=Col. G.T.Wheeler (then Lawns Manager), 6=John Wheeler (not related), 7=Pat Newton, 8=A.N. Other

Mrs.Alex Fotiadi in play on lawn 1 at Bowdon in May 1974, with ex-President Chris Hudson on lawn 4

Mrs.Alex Fotiadi in play on lawn 1 at Bowdon