Each year we get the opportunity to obtain some Wimbledon tickets in a ballot for members of the club which are drawn from a hat for those who wish to have the opportunity to purchase them.


In order to get some allocated to us each member needs to register with British Tennis and Opt In to the ballot.   The more who opt in the more pairs of tickets we receive.

To do this you need to go to the LTA website and either login if you already have a number, login name and password.  You should then be prompted to opt in which has been made much simpler this year .... one click!

Or you need to register yourself and then do the above.

Please take a few minutes to do this even if you dont personally want tickets as it gives everyone else in the club more chances to get hold of some.

Thankyou

                                 
 January 2016
 
I am writing this recovering from our 2nd January ‘Fun on the Courts’. My plan to turn out wearing a silly elf hat, hit a few balls and then socialise over mince pies and coffee didn’t align with what our coach Nicol had in mind, who put us through our paces and worked us hard to burn off some of those festive calories. Thankfully I wasn’t alone in feeling match unfit and there was a collective sigh of relief when someone was finally declared champion and we were allowed to retire to the clubhouse for refreshments!
January may feel premature for thinking about July sunshine, strawberries and Wimbledon, but we need as many members as possible to register with British Tennis and Opt In for inclusion within the Wimbledon ballot for tickets. The Club will be allocated a number of tickets based on how many of our members Opt In, and if you have Opted In then you will be eligible for inclusion within the Club draw to purchase those tickets. So, even if you are not interested in the tickets yourselves, by Opting In you will increase the number of tickets available to the Club and allow more of our members the opportunity to purchase tickets. A reminder of how to register with British Tennis (it’s free!) and Opt In can be found in the News page on the website. 
 
I’m pleased to say that the alterations to the clubhouse are complete and that we now have some much needed storage space, a sizeable notice board and some additional electrical sockets. Our thanks go to Stuart Teasdale for doing such a good job for us, as well as to Alistair McKenzie-Harman and Robert Adamson for volunteering to do some of the other alterations and making good. One item that we haven’t managed to do yet is to find a home for the pool table that we seemed to inherit earlier last year; if anyone is interested in acquiring it we are open to offers.
One of the highlights of the sporting calendar is the BBC Sports Personality of the Year, where several of the awards this year showcased  the Davis Cup victory for Great Britain.  The final against Belgium certainly made for fantastic viewing, especially for me the doubles match with Andy and Jamie Murray. We play mostly doubles within the club and watching that match demonstrated not only the importance of teamwork, but more than that how spirit, passion and ambition all play a key part in a successful doubles partnership – something that we all would do well to remember when we prepare for the coming season’s leagues, club and inter-club matches.
Our trialling of the Sunday evening play at the Community Centre has been well received by all those that have tried it, so much so that we have decided to extend the arrangement into the New Year. We have booked the main hall from 6-7pm for 11 weeks, starting Sunday 10th January, so if you would like to reserve a booking for either a place or a group, please let me know well in advance. The cost remains £2.50 for members and £4.00 for non-members. And note that the adult and junior coaching programme re-commences on Sunday 10th January – please contact Gillian if you require any further information.
And finally, on behalf of the Committee I would like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and best wishes for 2016.
John Brennan - Club President