The Club History - South Cave Lawn Tennis Club

Nancy Thorogood

South Cave Tennis Club was formed in 1949. One of its founding members was Bob Farthing whose sister still resides in the village.
The original venue for tennis was situated on the North side of Market Place behind the house called Netherwolds. Wendy Elliott, a local resident, remembers playing on the court when she was a young girl. After a year, the Club moved to a tennis court in the grounds of Cave Castle. Members of the Cave Castle Country Club might be interested to know that they are probably swimming on the
very site of the old tennis court!

In 1950 the Social and Recreational Committee of the Parish Council acquired some land and the sports clubs in the village were
allocated specific areas. The present courts are situated on that land. The then club members embarked on a variety of fund raising events in order to build two tennis courts. Wendy Elliott recalls that the privet hedge bordering the courts was donated by a source in Brantingham, on the proviso that the Club arranged for its transportation. In order to save precious funds, a pony and trap was borrowed from a local farm. Unfortunately, in their enthusiasm, the members piled the trap so high that the pony was lifted clean off the ground and the trap collapsed! The Club then had to recompense the farmer for the loss of his trap and hopefully the pony survived its ordeal!

The initial courts were grass and when, around 1970, sufficient funds were raised, a rather gritty tarmac surface was laid. At this stage the Club had one mixed team which played in the rather grand sounding Humberside League which was composed of teams from Cherry Burton, Blackburns and North Ferriby. It was a very friendly, sociable league but as membership increased in the late 70s, it was decided to join the more competitive Hull League. Initially two teams were entered – one mixed and one men’s team. At this point Club Nights were very well attended with members keen to win a coveted place in one of the teams. Attendances regularly numbered at least twenty on Wednesday evenings. American Tournaments were also well supported. Jumble sales, treasure hunts, quiz nights and discos were also a feature of the 70s and early 80s because funds were now required to build a pavilion. The original Club House was little more than a garden shed and when the new pavilion was finally built, the ‘garden shed’ was transported to a garden in Beverley Road to become the stable for the family pony!

Fund raising was ongoing because as the years went by the tarmac courts became increasingly hazardous to play on! It was no fun to
take a tumble on them at that time - scraped knees and grazed elbows and long lasting scars! When funds were available the Club therefore invested in smart new green porous macadam courts in 1989. This smart new appearance led to an increase in membership and in a gradual and steady increase in the number of teams playing in the Hull League. For a number of years members were satisfied with the courts but after a time other local Clubs began replacing hard courts with other materials – artificial grass or carpet.  Members began to appreciate the benefits of these courts in that they were much kinder to knee and hip joints and the more athletic players could throw themselves around the courts in the knowledge that falls were slightly cushioned !

Following a men’s match on Beverley’s new courts, when it became apparent that, not only were the courts a pleasure to play on, but play could continue shortly after a heavy downpour, the discussion on the journey home turned to fund-raising for new courts. From that conversation came the idea that funds could be raised quickly through loans from members. This proved to be a successful project; the courts were completed in 1999, the member were repaid in good time, and membership once again saw an increase.

In 2006 the Club became affiliated to the Lawn Tennis Association and through that we are allocated a number of Wimbledon tickets each year. Members can enter a ballot to win a pair of tickets. Membership of the LTA also brings opportunities to apply for grants or loans and it is through a generous grant that we have been able to erect floodlighting. In 2010 the Club gained the CLUBMARK which the LTA awards to clubs which fulfill certain requirements.

In 2007, the year of the floods, the courts suffered badly and it has been said that one of our Junior members was able to swim across the courts! We greatly appreciated the grant that the South Cave and Wolds Rotary Club gave us to have the courts refurbished and cleaned following the flood.

At each stage in the Club’s history there seems to have been different groups of enthusiasts who not only have enjoyed playing
tennis, but have given freely of their time to save the club expense by volunteering to do a variety of tasks. Mowing the grass, painting the pavilion, running repairs to the netting, replacing locks and padlocks, treating the weeds, organising events to name but a few. Without those people the Club would not be the thriving successful Club that it is today.  From one team playing in a village league in
the late 1960s and early 70s, the Club now has 10 teams playing in the Hull league.

Throughout the years the Club has investigated several possible sites for an additional court but so far with no success but hope springs eternal! Certainly in the near future we will have to consider replacing the present court surface.

Watch this space!