Newsletter October 2025 

Changing rooms update

Renovation project now well underway.

One of the first obstacles encountered early on was significant amount of damp which had been seeping into the walls for years through perished grouting in the old tile work.

This has taken some time to resolve and at the time of writing ( Wednesday 5th Nov ) the de humidifier is till extracting moisture. I am informed this drying out process is almost complete.

This has inevitably caused a delay which is unfortunate but unavoidable as in most projects of this nature.

Further updates on progress and times scales  will be provided via information to members emails

as appropriate.

Once again we thank you for your patience and understanding in this matter.

S Anderson 

Treasurer 

The committee is in need of an enthusiastic volunteer to take on the role of club treasurer. If anyone feels they would be interested please let any member of the committee know, or email at  info@swanseatennisandsquashclub.co.uk.

Parking - many members have noticed the increased pressure on our limited parking over the last month. We would be interested in viable ideas to try and solve this issue. We have been in contact with the University who are also experiencing pressure on spaces. 

Please contact N Murphy.

Membership - all members are encouraged to check the status of other players. There is currently no facility to see the list of members- however if you suspect any one to be taking unfair advantage of the club and its facilities please forward your concerns to N Murphy, Jenny Burrows  or any of the committee. 

Congratulations 

Squash 

Well done to Mashhour Gadalla 'Tito' on reaching semi finals of British Closed U 13 Squash Championships in Sheffield.  

Tennis 

Swansea Tennis & Squash Club congratulate Mimi Xu as she reaches another career milestone winning both singles and doubles at the ITF W100 in Wrexham. 

Chris Hill - Winning the 065 Men’s Doubles taking his tally of Welsh Titles to 27. 

Junior Tennis Players’ Summer Success! 

Charles Preece – 8 & Under Welsh Champion!

What a performance! Just six months into competitive tennis, Charles won every match to lift the prestigious Welsh title. A fantastic achievement and the start of an exciting journey for this super young talent.

Zander Watkins – 8 & Under Welsh Runner-Up!

An outstanding tournament and an incredible season for Zander, representing South Wales and winning multiple events. Keep working hard, Zander — another future star to watch!

County Cup Selection – Mini Tennis Age Groups

We’d like to congratulate the following players on their County Cup squad selection this year — an incredible achievement!

• Guto Williams – 8 & Under

• Charles Preece – 9 & Under

• Zander Watkins – 9 & Under

• Theo Thompson – 10 & Under

• Poppy Jones – 10 & Under Girls

• Oliver Lewis – 11 & Under

Outstanding Summer Efforts

As well as those listed above, we’d also like to recognise the following juniors who have proudly represented Swansea Tennis & Squash Club across South Wales this summer. Competing in numerous graded events, your dedication and enthusiasm have been fantastic!

Joseph Lloyd / Roland Brooks / Isaac McAdie / Sara Thomas / Mahum Aslam / Cai Williams / Evan William / Jack Farren / Gautam Anan / Dylan Ferguson  / Theo Diuilo / Imogen McAdie / Will Mora / Tristan Mora.

Coach David Williams says:

“We at Swansea Tennis and Squash Club are so proud to have both finalists at the Welsh 8 & Under Championships come through our programme. It shows the strength of our LTA Youth coaching programme at the club, and seeing so many players go on to represent their county is hugely rewarding. We have a special batch of players on the way up — who knows, maybe another Mimi Xu?”

Tennis Grant / Padel 

In June we saw Mimi debut on Court 1 at the Wimbledon Championships then returning to our club to announce our successful grant application in July. 

We can now confirm all paperwork is complete, and the contractors have allocated us a slot early in 2026.

 It is likely to be a 6 – 8-week project with courts ready for use in March 2026.

As agreed with the padel working group we will all continue to explore options for a minimum of 2 padel courts. 

Tennis Leagues 

The Winter tennis leagues have started with our teams as always competing well for our club.

The Tennis team captains are listed below for information.                                                                                                        Do not hesitate to contact us on members@swanseatennisandsquashclub.co.uk; should you feel you would like to get involved in team tennis.

THANKS!   all our captains who do a tremendous job coordinating teams, courts and travel!

Good luck to all teams!

El Lightbody 

Tennis Ladders - 

Thanks to Jon who has set up the Tennis Ladders. 

 The Wackers Celebrate 21 Years with a Retro Xmas Tournament!

The Wackers will be holding their annual Christmas squash competition on Monday, 8th December — but this year’s event comes with a special twist! To mark their 21st Anniversary, the team will be going retro — playing with classic wooden rackets and sporting vintage gear, including headbands, loud shirts, and those unmistakably “snug” shorts! Spectators are welcome....

The Wackers are a lively group of 11 players aged between 57 and 80+, with around eight members regularly taking to the courts at 4:00 pm and 4:45 pm on Mondays and Wednesdays. Formed back in 2004, the group still includes four original members — Pete Marsh, Steve Noot, Gavin Young, and Pete Rees — who have been part of the Wacker story from the very beginning.

 A special mention goes to Pete Rees, who at the age of 8* (we’ll let you guess the missing number!) is probably the oldest active club member — a remarkable achievement and an inspiration to us all.

 Fondly remembered past members include Tony Collins, Eric Robinson and Tony Withy, who remain an important part of the group’s history.

Over the years, several Wackers have proudly represented the club in both the Welsh Masters Open and Closed competitions, continuing their tradition of competitive camaraderie and good humour.

And if you fancy joining in, the Wackers welcome newcomers of all ages and abilities.Here’s to another 21 years of squash, friendship, and Wacker-style fun! 

The Wackers 

WGO 2025 

The club held a  very successful event -with entries ranging from as young as 12  to over 70.

 Final results - 

A - Winner of the Geoff Thomas Trophy - Steve Calorusso  bt Declan Cottrell (Rhwbina)  

B  - Nick Rees bt Cam White

C - Mike Moseley (Maesteg) bt Ian Howarth

D - Martyn Wadling  (RR)

E - Greg Mwanza bt James Williams (Pontadawe)

Presented by David Fraser,  5 times winner of the original West Glamorgan County Closed, the matches were of an excellent standard and all the players demonstrated a high standard of sportsmanship.

Positive feedback from the players, spectators, and especially the referee, Paul Thomas, is a clear sign of a successful competition. Well done to all involved. 

We look forward to hosting the biggest Welsh Squash Tournament with the Welsh Senior Closed  on 12-14th  December - more information to follow. 

Events  please see list of forthcoming events - we would be interested in hearing from anyone with ideas for different social & competitive  events for members & guests.  

The newsletter contains information for members and about members - any information you think could be included please let any of the committee know before the end of each month. 

Thank you