Thank you very much to Geoffrey Lawes for permission to publish the following extract from his book 'Billingshurst's Heritage No. 2'. If you are interested in further reading about Billingshurst, please contact Geoffrey Lawes on 01403 785799.

Lawn tennis has been played in Billingshurst at least as far back to the years before the Great War. The 'Flapper' generation of the 1920s, among the well-to-do, embraced the sport as a socially welcome diversion for both men and women, unlike football, cricket and stoolball. 

We first hear of an organisation to control the use of a public facility which kept minutes of its meetings on 13th October, 1949. The Village Sports Association met at the King's Head and nominated a Tennis Courts Committee and decreed court fees of a shilling (5p) an hour. 

In May 1963 it was decided to form a Tennis Club Committee to succeed the former Courts Committee. The crying need was for a new pavilion and for the Club to take charge of maintenance and control instead of doing everything through the Council who had taken the court out of use for resurfacing without notice. A plan to buy a Portacbain was rejected. Instead an elderly caravan was bought in 1966 renovated and furnished. The club joined the Sussex County L.T.A.

Refurbished courts were opened in 2006 and new lights provided in 2008. Further refurbishment of courts 1, 2 and 3 and the provision of the long sought 4th court came in April, 2012 at a cost of £40,000. The President, Di Burroughs, received the prestigious Tennis Sussex Robert Cushing silver salver award in recognition of her unstinting 30 years of service to the Billingshurst Club. Men's Captain and development officer, Rob Falkner, and Coach, Dave Almond, were also nominated for awards. 

Picture: 1984, David Watt, Ted Farmer, Jeremy David and Maggie Keyte