Welcome to the 103rd season of tennis at Blackhall Lawn Tennis Club. The club is surely one of the hidden gems in Blackhall. If you are re-joining, we are delighted that you have continued your membership at Blackhall and if you are joining for the first time ‘Welcome to the Club’. We pride ourselves on the friendly nature of the club and encourage people to get involved in all aspects of the club. There is room at Blackhall Tennis Club for all levels of tennis from beginners all the way to top performers.
This year the focus is on encouraging the youth of the area to take up tennis. The club will continue its program of coaching some of the pupils at Blackhall Primary School and will seek alternate ways of encouraging youngsters to take up the sport. Parental involvement is crucial in this area and it is great to see a number of parents stepping forward to help out. If there is the demand it is our intention at the club to approach Tennis Scotland about running some coaching courses at Blackhall, if you are interested please get in touch with me or a fellow committee member.
2017
Last year the club had another memorable year, and it was the Ladies 1st team that featured in the spotlight winning the Scottish Cup and the East of Scotland LTA 1st Division Championship ; a truly remarkable performance . Not to be outdone the Ladies second team won the 6th Division Title and the success from last year has blossomed and the Ladies will run three teams this year.
The Mens teams had more mixed fortunes. The first team did very well to be 3rd in Division 1, the seconds unfortunately were relegated, however the 3rds were champions again making it 4 successive promotions! The men’s fourth team having been promoted twice over the last two years found the going slightly tougher and now find themselves back in League Division 8.
The Junior Teams all competed very well with the 12 and under Boys taking the accolade of Division Champions. There was a combined team with Corstorphine in the Girls under 14 League which was an innovative idea and congratulations to those that can think outside the box. All in all it is a fabulous result for a small club, and I would like to thank all the members who contributed.
The Courts
The courts had to have a major overhaul last year. They had become unplayable as the sand put down by the contractor had started to disintegrate. This caused a dust to cover the courts which resulted in the surface becoming dangerous to play on. After some negotiations with the contractor it was decided to remove the contaminated sand and replace it. The work was carried out last April and I am sure that you will have noticed the fantastic improvement in the surface last year.
A great deal of effort goes in to keeping the courts in tip top condition and I would like to take this opportunity to remind all members of your responsibility in brushing the courts after playing. There are brushes and drags and it is up to all of us to keep the courts at their best. Please make sure you brush the courts after use it is imperative if we wish to get the best out of the courts and prolong their life.
Social Tennis
Once again thanks to the efforts of some tennis stalwarts we have continued to grow the amount of social tennis at the club. David Brunger was key in pushing the Mixed Doubles Social tennis on a Saturday Lunch Time, and we wish to continue that this year with the first session starting on the 7th of April.
Sunday mornings has men down from 9am with the Ladies starting around 10.45am. Monday nights are like Wimbledon with some of the clubs’ big hitters down, and for the gentler folk, there is Mens tennis on a Wednesday night and ladies on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
League Tennis
The ESLTA tennis leagues begin in April and extend to about 10 weeks finishing at the end of May. The club will run four men’s teams and three Ladies teams as well as various junior teams. Team practice has already started and if you fancy joining in you will be made most welcome. The first teams are training on a Monday Night with the Men’s second team. The Ladies second team practice is on Tuesday and Thursday, while the men’s third and fourth teams are down on Wednesday night. So come on down and give it a go!
Subscription Renewal
Your renewal form has been dispatched and it should be completed and returned by the 1st of April. Membership of the club does represent incredible value, with Adult membership equivalent to £3.36 a week. It is £9 an hour at Craiglockhart !
Wimbledon ticket draw will be announced as soon as we get the ticket allocation. You must have paid your subscriptions to be included in the draw!
Here’s to another wonderful tennis season at Blackhall in 2018
Yours sincerely,
Billie Croan
BLTC President