Richard Cato with the two trophies made by Menzshed.
When the world championship of marbles rolls off in England tomorrow – Good Friday – there will be a Te Awamutu flavour to it.
The Te Awamutu Menzshed has made two crowns to be used at the championships, being held on Tinsley Green, West Sussex.
President Richard Cato said members had been asked to make a flat crown with 22 holes.
The request came from Te Awamutu resident, Royal watcher and photographer Julia McCarthy-Fox, who has returned to England with the crowns, to be used as part of the competition.
She organises the event, which returned last year after a two-year break and was won by the Yorkshire Meds. Her late husband Sam organised the it for 40 years.
A Menzshed member drew up a pattern of a crown, then the English oak plywood was cut out with an electric fret-saw, sanded and stained.
Wikipedia reports the marbles competition dates back to 1588 and is a Good Friday tradition. The current event began in 1932.
To play the game a crown is laid in the centre of a 1.8-metre raised concrete ring covered with firm, flat sand. The marbles are placed in the holes and the crown is lifted leaving the marbles in place, in the form of a crown.
It’s particularly significant this year because the competition comes a month ahead of King Charles’ coronation.
The competition is a speed test to see how many marbles the competitor can dislodge with his “shooter” marble from the edge of the circle in a given time.
“It’s one of the more unusual requests we have had,” Mr Cato said.
