Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to All Members

We’ve had another fantastic year at the club this year, the pinnacle being our old courts finally being replaced by a super smooth, brand new surface with new nets and freshly painted lines! We’ve had coaching running all year, weekend events, junior team events, competitions, promotions and even a league win. The club is growing as each month goes by, some players picking up a racquet for the very first time and others after many years of not playing.
 
If you’d like to get active and get some fresh air after Christmas and New Year , there is a fun mini tournament aimed at our newer members who are not part of the ladies and men’s squads, on Saturday 5 January from 1pm to 3pm.  Keep an eye on the website and FB page for further details.
 
We are delighted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy Healthy 2019. 
 

Our Year in Brief

Much to our surprise we opened the year with our winter mixed doubles team being promoted yet again, but now find themselves in a very competitive league indeed,  playing the likes of Dinas,  Rhiwbina and Creiger, but they love a challenge!
 
Coaching sessions and social tennis continued through the winter months with a good turn out for all considering the weather.  Members worked hard on making the best of our rough courts by brushing and relining them. Thanks to all who contributed. Fun and fundraising came in the shape of a Bingo night, which raised nearly £500, well done everyone, and a cheese, wine and games night. Thanks to our social committee for organising those events.
 
In April our junior team played their first competitive match in Barry, it was so fantastic to see the club putting out a junior team at last.  Thanks to Pete and all our supportive parents, without you it can’t be done. 



 In May over 60 people signed up to our Great British Tennis Weekend.  It brought new tennis players to the club and inspired others to pick up a racquet again after many years of not playing. We were delighted to see club membership increase in spite of our rapidly deteriorating courts.


 
The club also entered a men’s doubles team and a ladies doubles team into the South Wales summer league.  We found not all clubs were happy to play on our weather worn courts but we kept smiling and feeding them cake to stop them complaining too much.  In an extremely unexpected turn of events the ladies team won their league, hurray!

In June, we joined forces with Margaret and Mike Stephens who having tragically lost their son Oliver to cancer this year, want to raise funds for the club in his memory. Oliver was a professional tennis coach who began his tennis career as a junior in LM and was a huge success coaching in USA.  Together with Mike and Margaret we are raising money to improve our facilities, and will rename the clubhouse The Oliver Stephens Pavillion in his memory.
 
Our AGM was well attended and awards given out for Player of the Year - Dawn Howles and Most Improved Player- Helen Jones, well done ladies.
       
 
This month we also won two pairs of Wimbledon tickets from the LTA ballot which were subsequently won by two LMTC members who got to go to Centre Court and No 1 Court to see the big boys and girls play.  Don’t forget to opt in this year so we can win more ticket opportunities.
 
Our club championships were held in July and August culminating in Finals Day in September, and the first year that we have had enough junior players to run a junior competition.  It was a great success and we are all looking forward to next year’s competition with even more players. Well done to everyone who took part and made the competition so much fun. A special mention to Ethan who won three titles.


 
In October the work finally started on the courts and we relocated our social tennis Saturday to St Donats as Atlantic College were kind enough to let us use their facilities. A huge thanks to them.  We also held our annual Quiz night which raised over £500.  Thank you for supporting this event and bringing friends and family.  Thanks to Alan and the the Social Committee for organising. 
 
 The Courts were finally ready in November. A huge thank you to Llantwit Major Town Council for helping us and for their continued support of the club.  Our next target is floodlights so we can extend playing time during the winter.

December has been eventful with our Christmas Party and our fantastic Family Tinsel Tennis event organised by Pete.  It was wonderful to see so many on court in December, in spite of the thunder clouds looming! Well done Peter and Jackie, and thanks to all the parents who helped and provided food for the party afterwards.

  

We are all excited about 2019 and hope we will continue to build on club membership especially our junior members.  The courts will be painted in the Spring and we can’t wait to host events, competitions, family days, community days and more at the club.
 
If you have any suggestions or ideas for the club, or you’d like to get involved on the committee or social committee please do contact us we welcome all ideas.
 
See you on court!