Anyone for Croquet?

Quintessentially English (and Irish apparently) here is the noble game of Croquet.  We were given this set just a few weeks ago by our very good friends David & Janet who no longer have the palatial gardens of their previous home so thought we could make better use of it.  I gave it a go today as the sun was shining for most of the day.  Apparently it is a lot harder and trickier to play than most people think...  It is certainly not just about knocking a ball through some hoops - take a look at the course (middle photo) for starters.  Also take a look at the official rules and see if you can make any sense of them - I certainly can't! I'll just stick to the afternoon tea and cucumber sandwiches...