(Courts Photo: Gemma Brown, Images: Chris Freeman)

Although we may be closed for winter, guests still manage to get in to enjoy our courts.

One frequent visitor is the furtive old fox, who's often on the hunt for food, a place to play, or somewhere to practice its essential survival skill—digging holes. The fox digs - hoping to find a safe spot to shelter its young, and the period between December and February is ideal for this activity. However, foxes can become quite aggressive, so it’s best to keep your distance, allow them to carry on with their work, and clean up the courts after they leave.

Foxes are territorial, which explains the frequent visits from our local population. They can often be seen roaming Bute Avenue, playing on the tennis courts, or hopping over walls at the back of the club.

Another visitor to our courts is the surreptitious squirrel, scurrrying along the cemetery walls, pausing intermittently as it crosses the garden area behind the courts. Like the sly old fox, squirrels enjoy digging holes in our clay courts. They use these holes to store food, they steal from other squirrels' caches, and create dummy caches to deter competitors. Squirrels frequently return to these sites to check on the status of their stashes.

It’s clear there's plenty happening at Park Tennis Club during the winter months. So, if you’re out and about, don’t forget to bring your camera to capture pictures of Park's endearing little visitors.