GUESTS were invited to have a go at something new in South Ham over the weekend.

The newly-established Thornycroft Bowls and Basingstoke Croquet Club threw open its doors as guests were invited to come along to the group to give either sport a try.

Based off Saint Andrew’s Road, in South Ham, members welcomed newcomers on Saturday and Sunday to try their hands at the sports, to socialise or just learn more about the club.

On offer at the open day were taster sessions of the two main types of croquet which are played at the club.

One of the types on offer was Golf Croquet, a relatively simple game involving either two or four players progressing their balls round the course.

As well as Golf Croquet, those wanting a bit more of a challenge could take part in Association Croquet, which is a more complicated variation of the sport and requires a variety of skills and a sense of tactics.

In Association Croquet, just as in snooker, the idea is to build a “break” by putting your ball through the hoops in a certain order and using all the other three balls on the lawn.

Member of the Thornycroft Bowls and Basingstoke Croquet Club were on hand to guide the novices through their sessions.

The club is open on Saturday morning from 10am until 1pm.

For more information about the club, go to basingstokecroquet.co.uk.