Criccieth Tennis Club History Part 1

Criccieth Tennis Club History Part 1

HISTORIETTE OF THE CRICCIETH LAWN TENNIS CLUB 1892 – 1967

By F.G.Jagger. Caereinion, Llanystwndwy, Criccieth, Caerns. N. Wales
 


Founded in 1892 in the grounds of Parciau First tournament played 1893 Transferred to present site in 1895 First affiliated to the LTA in 1896 One of the regular players, Frank Risley went on to win Wimbledon Doubles Championships in 1902 and 1906.

Another regular player was Dorothy Round who won Wimbledon championships in 1934, 1935, 1936 & 1937 Another frequent player was Lt.Col. .Duncan Macaulay, who went on to be Secretary of the All England Club for 17 years Other unexpected regulars were J.B. Priestly and Lady Megan Lloyd-George.

The last Open Tournament was in 1939, never revived after the war In August dances were held in the drill hall, opposite, now the guide hut. The land was purchased in 1957 at the death of the landlord Miss Dorothy Pughe Jones for the Ynysgain Estate.
In 1892 the annual rates were £1. 7 shillings and 8 pence In 1896 a wheelbarrow cost 7 shillings November 16th 1900 W. Williams was paid 6 shillings for castrating a donkey Between 1895 and 1912 policemen were regularly hired at 5 shillings a time. But nobody knows why.

Notables played here, such as J.B. Priestly; Frank Riseley who partnered by S. H. Smith and won the Men’s Double Championship at Wimbledon in 1902 and 1906; his brother Bob Riseley who was on the Committee of Management of the Wimbledon Championships for many years; Dodd and Mellet of South Africa; Dorothy Round, Ladies’ Singles Champion at Wimbledon in 1934 , and 1937, Mixed Doubles Champion 1934, 1935 and 1936; Commander Philip Glover, Navy champion; Miss Thelma Cazlet; Alan Davies; Lt. Col. Duncan Macaulay, Secretary of the All England Club, Wimbledon, 1946 -1963; Lady Megan Lloyd George, M.P and many others.

Firstly, I must remind all readers that the writer of this chronicle is neither an author nor a classical scholar. Far from it, but only a retired farmer who, even today, is better informed about cattle, sheep and manure. Therefore he hopes you will excuse the many mistakes in composition, etc. which will abound throughout.

This Tennis Club, which I think can claim to be one of the oldest in existence today, began in 1892 in the grounds of Parciau, Criccieth, North Wales. It was transferred to its present site in 1895, where it has remained to the present day! It was first affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association in 1896 and has been ever since.

Some of the items, as written in the accounts since 1892 will be of interest. For example the wages paid to Mr. Wm. Jones, the first groundsman recorded £1. 2s. Od. per week. September 5th, 1895 Poor and District Rate £1. 7s. 8d. March 18th, 1896 – One Barrow 7/-. March 23rd, 1896 -1 Rake and 1 Brush 3/3. September 1st, 1896 – Town Crier 3/6 (They must have been crying far money even in those days!). October 9th, 1900 – W. Watkin, Donkey 15th November 16th, 1900 – W. Williams, Castrating, Donkey 6/-. Why this was necessary, I wouldn’t know, perhaps it had some Welsh blood in it and was trying to jump the fences. However, it survived. April 20th, 1901- Donkey winter keep 10/-. January 19th, 1902 – Oats and Donkey keep 10/-. So far as I can gather from the accounts. October 13th, 1911 – J. S. Griffiths, Donkey keep £1. lOs. Od. is the last time the donkey is referred to, which I regret to think that after this date was the end of the donkey. 

Nevertheless I am sure he never enjoyed life an after November 16th, 1900.

Throughout the accounts from 1895 to 1912 there are recurring items as follows: September 1st, 1896 – Policeman 7/6. August 28th, 1897 – Policeman 5/-. September 3rd, 1898 – Policeman 5/August 19th, 1901 – Constable 5/-, August 16th, 1902 – Policeman 7/6, and so an. What did the constabulary receive bribes for? I also wouldn’t know. There was no license on the premises. Hardly any traffic on the roads during those years, except horses and donkeys. It couldn’t have been anything to do with the morals of the donkey.

I dare not suggest that the morals of the members were at fault at least in 1893, as I note from the records that the first tournament took place this year and the entries included eight relations of mine. I think it best to let the present members draw their awn conclusions and leave it at that.

An interesting event took place on Saturday, August 28th, 1897 commencing at 2 p.m. I presume to raise money far the Club. “A Bicycle Gymkhana.” Judges Sir Hugh Ellis-Nanney and Walter Glynn, Esq. Referee S. C. Thornton Jagger, Esq. Admission to the ground 1/-. Competitors free. Tea provided 6d. each. The events were as follows: Ladies Parasol, Egg and Spoon and Obstacle Races. Gentleman’s V.C., Hackey, Tilting the Ring, Bobbing the Apple and Obstacle Races. Ladies and Gentlemens Tortoise, Cigarette and Gretna Green Race. I hope it kept fine and that they made a profit and no two of the same sex cycled all the way to Gretna Green.

Having been born in 1901, I can only from now onwards write of the events after this year, from when I can remember. In 1896 Mr. H. J. Ellis-Nanney, Gwynfryn, now the late Sir Hugh J. Ellis-Nanney, Bart. was the President and after he retired it was always an unwritten rule that the owner of the land was automatically made the President and took the chair, when available, at an Annual and Committee Meetings, consequently Mr. John Thomas Jones, Parciau, the landlord at that time had this privilege and no one dare suggest otherwise. My first recollection of this incredible and amazing character was, I think, in 1912. One evening during my boyhood I was sitting with my brother and our mother outside the Secretary’s room. 

It was a peaceful evening, the sun was shining and the birds were singing, behind us in the Secretary’s room a committee meeting was in progress. All of a sudden, without any warning, I can remember quite well, the door of the Secretary’s roam burst open and out of it emerged the President, who slammed the door behind him at the same time muttering out loud “Damn fools. Damn fools the lot of them.” and hurriedly, left the grounds. At the time, of course, I never thought anything of this episode but remembering it afterwards I have often wondered. What was the outcome of this meeting? Was it abandoned? Or was another Chairman appointed in order to carry on? Knowing now about the unwritten rule I guess the former fits the case.


Another landlord-president, who followed his uncle, was the late Mr. Trevor Roberts, Parciau, late Clerk to the County Court in Caernarvon. I had many happy associations with him as Honorary Secretary during his period as President.

Members’ Club Day, every Tuesday in the past, was always a great social event. So much so that I had a friend, Mr. Walter Shaw, Huyton, Liverpool, who always spent his holiday every year in Criccieth. I used to ask him to come as my guest on many a Club Day. You couldn’t get in without being invited by a member. He said to me on one occasion, when thanking for the invitation, that he had come to the conclusion that it was harder to get into the ground on Club Day at Criccieth Tennis Club than it was to get into the Royal Enclosure at Ascot!

There was in the past a certain amount of truth in this. The Club in the past had a bad name for snobbery and I am thankful to say that this is not so now. I am sorry to say that it was a member of my family who was the worst offender, amongst others. An aunt of mine, Aunt Parry, who was the widow of a late Rector of Criccieth, and lived at Caerfa, the house at the bottom of the lane leading up to Brynawelon. Here was another incredible character. She exercised the ” Blackballing Rule”, which was then in operation, with relish. 

She did, however, give good service to the Club as Tea Hostess for many years. I can only think of these other persons who gave the same sterling service to the Club in this respect – The late Mrs. Gladstone Jones and Mrs. Kidson, Mrs. Dobie, Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. Black and Mrs. Gomer Davies our present hostess. During the 1914 -1918 war Aunt Parry was convinced that one night the Zeppelins would try and drop a bomb on Brynawelon hoping that Mr. Lloyd George, as he then was, was in residence. This fact did not worry her at all, which gave her many sleepless nights was that she was convinced the Zeffelins, as she called them, would miss Brynawelon and hit Caerfa. Fortunately for the country and Aunt Parry, neither took place.

Criccieth being a holiday resort often attracts good tennis players; I do not refer here to the Annual Open Tennis Tournaments held between the two world wars, which I will write about later on. The most famous stars, amongst others, in the tennis world, to play on our courts on holiday were, of course, the Riseley brothers. They also played in an Annual Open Tournament. Frank Riseley partnered by, S. H. Smith won the Men’s Double Championship at Wimbledon in 1902 and 1906. Bob Riseley was on the Committee of Management of the Wimbledon Championships for many years and was also a very good player.


Mr. Pratt, who played for Cheshire and qualified one year to play at Wimbledon was another star seen on our courts on holiday. I mention him because I think his debut at Wimbledon, which was a thrilling and frustrating experience, is worth relating. He arrived on Monday, the first day of the Championships and was informed that he had been drawn in the first round of the men’s singles against Bill Tilden of America to be played on the Centre Court.” Big Bill Tilden,” as he was then called, was the originator of the Cannonball Service. Pratt hardly won a point never mind a game. Relating his experience afterwards he said he never saw the ball if the first service was in court or otherwise and the speed of Tilden’s returns were beyond his capacity to cope with. I personally saw Tilden playing and I think I can safely say he was, without any doubt, the finest men’s singles player of this century. 

The only person I know of who nearly succeeded in trying to cope with this cannonball service, although in a most unorthodox way was Henri Cochet of France. He once played Tilden in a final of the Men’s Singles at Wimbledon, which although Tilden won, was one of the most amazing singles I ever saw at Wimbledon. Cochet’s method of trying to deal with this service, which was partially successful, was to stand about a foot behind the service line and to take the service on the half volley. If he connected at the right angle, which wasn’t often, his return was like a shot out of a gun and even Big Bill Tilden was beaten.

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