The summer seems to be racing along and the nights are already drawing in (aaghh). For me,
this is undoubtedly the best time of year to enjoy tennis and it’s great to see Wimbledon
dominating the sports pages of the national press at the moment.
I’m writing this a few days after our Celebration Day event on 25 June and I am still buzzing
after such an enjoyable experience. The rain held off for the most part and we attracted very
good attendances for the Cardio/Coaching sessions and the fun doubles competition in the
afternoon, which was won by former Chair Bob Roberts! (do I hear cries of ‘nepotism’?)
I am extremely grateful to Jan Lloyd-Jones, Sue Stokes, Diana Tasker, Annabel Wace, Joe
Waters and Andrea Welby who put in so much effort to make the day go well. Jenny Courts
also deserves praise for organising the fun doubles and contributing prizes, and Chris Tasker
was a great help on the barbeque. Several members also contributed cakes and the whole
event had a lovely party feel.
The feedback has been so positive that we are keen to arrange a similar session in August (no
firm date yet but watch this space) leaving enough of a time gap to ensure that our Finals Day
(Sunday 25 September) is not overshadowed. It was especially gratifying to see the take-up for
the fun doubles, and the round robin format was a great way to bring together players of varying
skill levels.
I can also report that the Dunlop/K-Swiss rep Sam enjoyed meeting members of the club very
much and was clearly impressed by what he saw. He said that he wants to come back again in
the future so it looks like it was worth his while financially. I bought a new pair of tennis shoes
from him and the price was about the same as shopping online. However, I got personal
service, including expert advice on the fit, and was able to try different sizes and styles.
Sometimes the internet is not always the best option!
As part of our endeavours to comply with best practice, the LTA have asked us to draw attention
to our code of conduct. As a result, it is now easy to find on our website. Could I ask you all to
familiarise yourself with the code as soon as possible.
FInally, just a reminder that Lisa Gibbs has started a Whatsapp group for those who wish to
signal whether they will be taking part in specific social tennis sessions. So far it seems to be
working well; the whole intention is to provide more reassurance that there will be players
available, especially for members who face a reasonably lengthy journey to the courts. For more
details, contact Lisa - gibbs_lisa@hotmail.co.uk
Enjoy your tennis - and look forward to seeing you all down at the courts.
Bob McNally