General Points
Access
When unlocking the gate, please take the lock with you to the court to avoid the padlock being stolen. Please ensure you lock up when leaving. There is a knack to ensuring the gate is secured by the chain, if unsure please ask a committee member. A key to the clubhouse is in a key- safe for which the access code is the same as the main gate combination.
Clothing
Please ensure you wear tennis shoes, as ribbed or outdoor footwear damages the court surface – both hard and grass courts. Please wear appropriate sports clothing when playing.
Juniors
For reasons of safety and security, junior members under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
Grass Courts
We are extremely proud of our grass courts which are unique in the area. To maintain them, however, is costly and time consuming and much of the work is done by volunteers. Please treat them with respect – they are there to be enjoyed by all members for playing tennis and should not be treated as a general play area. To avoid personal injury and damage to the grass courts DO NOT use the courts if they are wet or slippery. Remember they can become slippery from dew during play.
Club Sessions for Senior & Student Members
All members are welcome to attend club sessions. The format is generally a series of informal doubles matches consisting of five games. Members mix and match to involve everyone who attends.
Tournaments
The Club organises several senior and junior competitions during the summer season. These are open to all members regardless of ability and we hope everyone who comes along has an enjoyable and fun day. Friends and family are welcome to attend. There is a nominal entry fee, plus there is usually a BBQ lunch, for which there is also a charge, and normally a fund raising raffle. Tournaments on Sundays start at 11.00am prompt and continue into the afternoon. To play you should add your name to the entry list that is posted in the clubhouse normally 2 weeks prior to the event.
Court Usage
Club sessions, official coaching sessions and competition matches take priority over casual play. Details of coaching sessions are available from the club website and notice board, timing of club competition matches will be shown on the calendar on the front door of the clubhouse. Due to COVID 19 pandemic, courts must be pre-booked via the club website, using the online booking system. We expect all members to act fairly with regards to court usage.
Coaching
The Club offers a programme of coaching sessions throughout the year at reasonable rates for Seniors and Juniors. These are run by LTA trained coach Jo Parkin and are open to both members and non-members. Jo coaches at a number of local schools. See the Club website and notices or contact the Club via our contact page.
Competitive Tennis: (Hospital Cup and Essex Small Clubs League)
If you are interested in playing competitive tennis, the Club usually has entrants into The Hospital Cup – see a committee member or visit www.hospitalcup.org for more details. The Club has doubles teams in the Essex Small Clubs League, contact the Club Captain if you are interested in playing. Results can be viewed on CHTC’s website.
Guests
All members of the Club may invite a guest (or non-member) along to play tennis. The charge for each guest per visit is £5. Before you begin to play, please put the money together with a note of your name and the name of your guest in an envelope and post it through the letter box of 31b Church Street, Saffron Walden, or alternatively give the money to a committee member. Guests may play up to a maximum of five times before we would expect them to become a member of the Club.
Working Weekends
The Club organises one or two working weekends during the year, usually spring and autumn. Members are encouraged to volunteer and give a few hours to help with general maintenance, tidying and cleaning around the Club grounds and the clubhouse.
LTA/BTM membership
The Club is a registered “Place to Play” venue with the LTA. Members are entitled to sign up as a British Tennis Member for no charge. This will enable you to take advantage of benefits offered to British Tennis members including the chance of participating in the draw for Wimbledon tickets. For more information visit: https://www3.lta.org.uk/Members/Join/ Tickets drawn in the Wimbledon Ballot are not free but are a chance to buy, usually in pairs of tickets. Please ensure if you are a member or become a member that you link yourself to this Club as well as any other registered Place to Play where you might also be a member.
Safety
Safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is important that whilst on the Club’s premises you look out for your own safety and that of others. If you notice anything of concern please bring the details to the attention of Paul Willmott who is responsible for Health & Safety matters at the Club 01799 540 751 email paul@distinctiveconsulting.co.uk or to any other committee member.
Photographic Policy
The Club encourages parents, carers, and spectators to use photographic equipment to capture their child or friend playing tennis to support and encourage their experience. If any members has concerns about inappropriate photography, this should be reported immediately to a committee member. The Club will take photographs at tournaments and other organised events and will take photographs of the winners and runner-ups at its competitions. These may appear in the local press or on the Club website or other marketing material. If you object to such an image of you or your child being used in this way, please make this known in writing to the Club via the Secretary (chtcsecretary@hotmail.com) or other club officer.
Car Parking
The Club does not have any rights to park in the Museum grounds; Club members are, however, accommodated as far as possible. The gates to the Museum are normally closed Mon to Thurs evenings from 5.30pm, and 5.00pm on Fri, Sat and Sun. When the gates are closed Members may still gain access but they are requested to close the gates behind them both on entering and leaving the grounds so to discourage parking by drivers with no business on site. Please operate the gates quietly to avoid nuisance to neighbours and please only use the Museum car park when visiting the tennis club. During their hours of opening the Museum requests CHTC members not to park on the museum forecourt especially opposite to the entrance doors. If members must park on site they should park at the upper end on Bury Hill (the grassed area on the other side of the fence to our top court) when conditions are dry. The Museum is open to the public 10.00 – 5.00 Tues to Saturday and 2.00 to 5.00 Sunday and Bank Holidays. The request not to park on the forecourt also applies to Mondays when parking is reserved for various volunteers of the Museum, Fry Gallery and the Tourist Information Centre.