Club news
Good Friday 29 March: no play is allowed. This is one of the conditions of our terms with the Methodist Estate.
Monday 1 April: there will be an extra club session 2:30-5:30.
Membership renewals coming up soon: You will receive an online link to renew your membership very shortly. The email sender will show as Clubspark (the membership system provided for clubs by the LTA) so if you haven't received it by Easter, please check your spam folder. At the AGM in 2023, a decision was made to abolish the couples' discount, so we now have a straightforward 'linear' system with an adult's rate and a junior rate. The adult rate is £250, with £5 discount if you pay before 30 April. The junior rate is £35. All the rates are here >>. Clubspark offers a payment system through GoCardless. The club pays the additional fee associated with this and it saves us a lot of admin, so if it could suit you, then please give it a go! But bank transfers and other payment methods are also possible. If you know you won't be renewing this year, please let us know. Then we won't bother you with further emails and we can offer places to people on the waiting list. And a warm welcome to new member Nobuko Yamao.
Volunteers please: It significantly extends the quality and life of our lovely courts if we drag them every couple of weeks. Ian is looking for a pool of people willing to drag the courts occasionally. Obviously the more people volunteer, the less often any one person has to do it! Please help! Contact Ian at facilities@muswellhilltennis.com.
Court bookings: If you're booking a court, please can you try not to leave empty half-hours, particularly at our peak times. As you know, court time is at a premium at the weekends and weekday evenings, so we really need to try to use every moment possible.
Coaching updates: The junior coaching programme from MLT run by Maria and Sara started again w/b 19 Feb for 6 weeks.
Mondays 4-7pm
Thursdays 4-6pm
Booking can be made online.
Joe's courses started again at the beginning of March.
Wednesday evening club sessions: We have suspended Wednesday evening club sessions temporarily. They will re-start after Easter, on Wednesday 3 April, giving us chance to enjoy the long evenings and - hopefully - some sunshine.
Court maintenance: People often ask questions about the courts and the maintenance routine, so here are some interesting FAQs.
Guest fees: you are welcome to bring guests to play at the club (except for weekend club sessions) but please:
- let us know in advance who you are bringing and when (email guest@muswellhilltennis.com)
- once they have played, pay £5 per adult guest, £3 per junior into the club account
This is important as we need information about who is playing for the purposes of our insurance.
Members may bring the same guest 10 times each tennis year. A member may bring up to 3 guests weekdays till 4pm.
Intermediate doubles coaching: Many experienced players have said they would appreciate some doubles coaching. Vivian Gabb is running a session for intermediate players on Tuesday mornings 10-11am. This is drills and practice of doubles strategy, open to members and non-members. A court is then available for people to continue to play and put what you've learned into practice. Cost: £12.50. Please let Sylvia know if you are interested in this. You wouldn't need to commit to every week.
Closing up: A gentle reminder that if you're the last person/group leaving the club at any time of day please make sure that the clubhouse heaters are turned right down to the frost setting (the red dot), doors are properly closed and locked and that the gate is closed behind you. With the weather so changeable it may well be that later bookings get cancelled, so don't assume others will be there later.
New beginners' coaching session: Joe has started another beginners' group 7-8pm on Wednesday evenings. Cost £12 + £2 for lights. If you're interested please contact Joe at joetenis@hotmail.com or 07956 265158.
The climate crisis: We're doing our bit. All the lighting at the club, both on and off court, is now LED.
Contactless payment for the floodlights: No more hunting around for £1 coins! And no more laden trips to the bank for Mike and others.... We have moved to a contactless payment system for the lights. All debit and credit cards and ApplePay are accepted (but not Amex). The card reader is behind the door on entering the clubhouse. As agreed with our neighbours, floodlights should not be on after 9.30pm.
On court behaviour: Please do your best to keep shouting to a minimum. Emotions are part of tennis for sure, but swearing and shouting - even if it is only at your racket - can be off-putting to your opponent and in extreme cases disturb other people using the Estate grounds. In particular, please be aware of your noise levels if you're playing early morning. And we all play our best tennis when we feel supported and comfortable, so encourage your partner. Criticising is counter-productive and not in the spirit of the club. In the end it boils down to one simple principle - be nice!
Junior club sessions: Every Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00. 12-16 year olds welcome. Any questions, just contact Joe on 07956 265158.
Tennis Balls: If you are buying tennis balls from the club the cost is £6 per tin.
Booking courts: The booking system lets you book for the current day and the next six days. It is possible to have one booking each day.
- Please remember to cancel a booking if the court is no longer needed.
- We ask all members when booking a court to avoid if at all possible leaving half hour gaps before or after your booking., especially on Saturday mornings which is a popular time. It is possible to book on the half hour!
- We ask that members do not just turn up hoping that a court will be free - please book a court by going to the website and clicking on court bookings.
Regular court maintenance programme:
- On 18 July 2023, all 4 courts were power brushed and weedkiller was applied to the perimeter of the courts.
- On 11 September 2023, all 4 courts were power brushed and topped up with sand infill.
- On 11 December 2023, all 4 courts were power brushed and moss killer was applied.
- On 28 February 2024, all 4 courts were power brushed.
- On 29 April 2024, all 4 courts will have moss killer applied.
- On 13 May 2024, all 4 courts will be power brushed and topped up with sand infill.
Parking at MHMLTC: We ask that, where possible, you walk or cycle to the club. If you need to drive, we have 7 spaces in our car park and we ask that the first car to arrive parks at one end or other of the car park, to encourage others to park so that we make use of the 7 spaces. In addition, we need to remind long standing members and to advise new members of the following:
- We have no right to use car parking spaces at The Paddock. It is merely a friendly arrangement with a neighbour
- We may only use The Paddock spaces when our spaces are full
- When using The Paddock spaces we must always leave 3 spaces empty so that we do not deprive any resident or visitor of a space
- We are not permitted to park in the curve opposite the entrance to The Paddock parking
Clubhouse Security: If court 4 is the only court being used and there is no-one in the clubhouse, in the interests of security please lock the clubhouse.
Supervision of Juniors: When children attend formal coaching sessions or holiday camps, they are supervised by the coaches concerned. However, when junior members and their guests use the club's facilities at any other time that is permitted by the club, parents and guardians must understand that there are no staff on the premises to safeguard, supervise or assist children, and at times there may not be any adults present at all. Parents must therefore accept complete responsibility for their juniors and guests when using the facilities of the club and the neighbouring North Bank estate, and either arrange for their play to be supervised or knowingly allow them to play unsupervised.
Safeguarding & Diversity: The LTA have asked us to make all members aware of their responsibilities when it comes to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Guidance and details of our Welfare Officers who will deal with any issue is on the noticeboard in the clubhouse. You can also find advice on what to do if you have a concern in the 'Club policies' section here>>
Feedback: As we reflect on the past year and what we want to change, the Committee would welcome your feedback! Things that have gone well, things we could improve - we'd love to know, so just drop us a note.