Martin Brandt
1949 – 2018
Martin Brandt a former SCF Chairman, long time SCF AC Leagues manager and Chairman of Basingstoke CC has, sadly, died.
There is a thriving Croquet Club in Basingstoke, largely due to the efforts of one individual, Martin Brandt.Having learned garden croquet at an early age, Martin – like many others – was seized by the bug and continued playing for as long as he possibly could.He died on 15 November 2018 as a result of illness that had plagued him for much of his adult life. He confounded the medical prognoses but, eventually, things caught up with him.
Martin was a founder member of Basingstoke Croquet Club in 1974, was never off the Committee; he was Chairman at the time of his death and had been for over 20 years.He was also AC Leagues co-ordinator of the Southern Croquet Federation and had been its Chairman for many years.Martin’s personal life was clouded in sadness, having lost his first wife, Belinda, in tragic circumstances. He remarried Iryna – and taught her to play croquet! He was noted for taking croquet kit to work (for SSE) and setting up on a patch of grass at the office for some lunchtime practice.One or two current members of the Club joined as a result! In spite of his illness and a move to the Abingdon area, he was able to see in the move of Basingstoke Croquet Club to new facilities in 2018 and he has left the Club in good form for the future.
Ian Harrison