CHAIRMAN'S NEWSLETTER – NEW YEAR 2019

 

By Wing Commander (Retired) Roger Lindley

 

50thAnniversary.  A Happy New Year to you! 2019 is going to be a special year for the Club, as we shall be celebrating our 50thanniversary. Despite having no courts of their own, the club kicked off in 1969 using Stratford Park, plus Major Metcalfe's and the Rector's courts.  A year later, having raised the sum of £169.8s.10p through a dance and coffee mornings, they embarked on an ambitious project to construct our courts on the Stuart Playing Field.  The Ladies' Match Secretary then, incidentally, was a Mrs Anna MacBean.     

 

Unlike most other sports, one positive aspect of tennis is that if you can keep yourself in reasonable shape it's perfectly possible to play the game for at least half a century.  Now in my 70th year, I recall turning up for officer training at RAF Henlow in 1969, with my wooden Maxply Fort in a suitcase strapped to the back of my motor bike.  Tennis balls were not pressurised then, and had to be used that year;  they were white, and I recall the change to yellow a few years later as my regular partner was colour blind and couldn't see them...

So we'll be celebrating this year, and we've chosen the Sunday in the middle of Wimbledon fortnight, 7thJuly, as an appropriate day to organise some family fun.  There will be something for everybody, so please make a diary note. And if you've got a wooden racquet in the attic, dig it out, as you may get the opportunity to use it.   

 

Court Refurbishment   Your committee is pondering how best to move forward with regard to the court surfaces; you will all be well aware that they can become slippery and potentially unplayable when damp or frosty, which is inevitable on a tarmacadam surface.  A number of clubs are moving to a synthetic clay surface, and we have been monitoring their progress with interest.  There are several advantages, apart from more opportunity to play in marginal weather conditions without slipping:  it's easier on the knees, and would be a bit cheaper and quicker to lay than another layer of tarmacadam.  On the debit side, clay courts need to be swept after each session, and traction can be a bit tricky if you push off quickly.  Any thoughts?  Let us know. 

In the meantime, take care: slippery when wet !   

   

Subscriptions  As last year, we are implementing the LTA's online membership scheme for payments, which is very straightforward, and the way we communicate with you.  So please pay your subscription now to confirm your membership via our website (as you will have seen from the AGM, after several years of price freezes a decision was taken to increase all subscriptions by 5% for 2019): 

www.clubspark.lta.org.uk/minchinhamptontennisclub

 

British Tennis Membership & Wimbledon ticketsIt's important that all members are signed upfor (free) British Tennis membership and linked to the club,as the more members we have, the more Wimbledon tickets we qualify for.  Also, all league players have to be members to enable them to participate.  So please ensure you are correctly recorded, and keep a record of your membership number. www.lta.org.ukis the website.  Also, you need to opt in via the website to qualify for the Wimbledon ballot, so please do this as soon as possible.

 

Safeguarding Children   Just a reminder, now that we have over 140 Juniors, that those  under the age of 13 cannot be left unsupervised, as we do need to comply with the LTA's safeguarding ruleswhilst on club premises.  However, it is acceptable for parents to designate a specific adult to act in loco parentis, and of course they are being supervised by James when attending coaching lessons. 

 

Club Championships  Please don't miss out on competitive tennis through the summer months this year, just because you know you won't be available on the day of the Club championships. There's nothing wrong with entering and seeing how far you can get, and this offers more tennis for everyone.  If you do find yourself playing like a demon in a semi-final, just concede the match at an appropriate stage so that your opponent will qualify to play in the final.  

It's always sensible to arrange your matches as early as possible; and leaving matches until after the deadline dates is unfair on others in the competition and creates havoc in the last few days leading up to the finals. 

            

The Clubhouse  Di Cason continues to do an incredible job to keep the clubhouse clean and tidy. Everyone can help by wielding the Hoover when necessary, putting away the cups, or taking a bin liner home with them when it's full. And if you use the heater, please attach the tag beside the socket to the door lock to ensure it won't be left on all night.  

Don't forget, in order to keep both the clubhouse and courts clean throughout the winter, please:

• Walk around the sports pitches.
• Use the shoe scrapers (on the left as you enter).
• Change into your tennis shoes once you arrive at the clubhouse.

 

Bear in mind that there will be times in winter when we need to turn the water off, so it's best to bring something to drink with you on frosty days. There's a large water container in the fridge if you forget. And please, help yourself  to a hot drink and offer any visitors one when it's chilly.  

 

SecurityThankfully, we have experienced no incidents of vandalism in 2018, but if you do have any concerns, even for antisocial behaviour on the Stuart Playing Field,  do phone the police non-emergency hotline (101).  Also, if someone is injured and needs transport, or disabled access is required, there is a key to the main gate in the Clubhouse in the cupboard containing the First Aid kit.

 

Stroud district local plan review

Some of you may be aware that Stroud are currently undertaking a consultation on a new local plan, which includes proposals for increasing the number of houses developed within the district.  One of the possible developments that is earmarked is Tobacconist Road.  Members are encouraged to go online www.stroud.gov.uk/localplanreviewand submit any comments they may have through the online survey (in particular to Q5.1a and 5.05).  

One point it may be useful to make is that any housing development would need to ensure (among other things) adequate provision of recreation facilities.  As our club is probably at (or near) capacity, any development should include the provision of additional facilities – e.g. 2 new tennis courts (which could be linked to the playing fields by a bridge over the protected bank).

 

2019 Diary Dates  To ensure that you get the most out of the club throughout 2019, please put the dates below in your diary right away:

 

                        

            31 January               Deadline for British Tennis Membership

                                                    Paid your Subscription?

            14 April                      Fun Mixed Tournament

            1 March                      Sign up for Wimbledon Draw

            1 April                         Glos LTA Summer Leagues commence                                               

            14 May                       Sign up for Club Championships

            1 July                          Wimbledon fortnight commences

            7 July                          Club 50th Anniversary Celebration

            15 July                       Wimbledon Finals

            31 August                 Glos LTA Summer Leagues end                         

            1 September            Sign up for Winter League

            15 September         ClubFinals Day

            9 October                  AGM and Awards Presentation

            26 October              Skittles evening

            TBN                            Club Christmas function

 

The Committee  I'm pleased to say that all of the current committee have all agreed to stay on in 2019, with the addition of Jason Smart as our Men's Captain.  But we still remain short of a Maintenance member, so please consider whether you could take this job on.  We do our best to ensure that the workload of all jobs is not too onerous, or leave you out of pocket.  

 

The composition of the committee is now as follows:

 

            Chairman                              Roger Lindley

            Secretary                               Becky Putnam

            Membership Secretary Cris Fagarasan

            Men's Captain                     Jason Smart

            Ladies' Captain                   Alison Winkfield

            Social Sec/Juniors Rep   Galina Gardiner       

            Fixtures Secretary            Sue Watts

            Finance member               Andrew Roberts

            Treasurer                              Pat Humphery                      

            Coach                                      James Aburrow

                        

            Ex-Officio:

            Welfare Officer                     Clare Gardiner

            Clubhouse Member            Di Cason

            Maintenance member        Vacant

            Daytime Social Tennis

            Organiser                                   Jackie Snelling

 

            Minchinhampton Sports Association Committee:

                                                Roger Lindley (Chairman)

                                                Pat Humphery

                                                James Aburrow

 

I hope that this Newsletter has whetted your appetite for tennis, and provided you with all the information you need to get started in 2019.  Do please get in touch with me if you have any suggestions for our 50thanniversary celebrations, or thoughts on the way forward for our court surfaces.

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