Ryde Lawn Tennis _ Croquet Club Playstreet Lane Ryde IOW PO33 3LJ

Ryde Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Playstreet Lane Ryde IOW PO33 3LJ Tel 01983 562095 www.rltcc.co.uk Ryde Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club Playstreet Lane Ryde IOW PO33 3LJ Tel 01983 562095 www.rltcc.co.uk AUTUMN/WINTER 08/09 Playstreet Lane Ryde IOW PO33 3LJ Te P The Club continues to go from strength to strength. Since the last edition we have reached our highest ever level of membership; become the first tennis club on the Island to achieve Clubmark status; run a series of very successful tournaments; topped several league divisions; carried off croquet trophies . . . and will very soon have three shiny new Astroturf courts. Quite a lot to be proud of, so why not come along to the Annual Dinner (p.12) and celebrate another very successful year in style! Claire Rivers (riversapsemanor@aol.com) CONTENTS Resurfacing Courts 1-3 How Will You Receive the Newsletter? Christmas US Tournament Halloween Party New Adult Beginners’ Tennis Courses Junior Tournament News Tokens—Leftover Food—Astroturf Doormats—Lost Property Winter Tennis Ladders Junior & Adult Coaching Winter Tennis Coaching Schedule Annual Dinner & Dance at Rookley Country Park Annual Dinner Booking Form British Tennis & Wimbledon Ballot—Clubmark A Great Summer of League Tennis Club Mix-Ins—Ladies’ Sundays—Grumpy Old Men Social Mixed Doubles—Wednesday Night Suppers Major Croquet Events of Summer 08 Southern Croquet Federation : Association Handicap League Christmas Supper 10th Dec— Mulled Wine & Mince Pies 22nd Winter Tennis Diary As this goes to press work on the Resurfacing of Courts 1-3 should be underway. If all goes according to plan the Astroturf should be down and ready to play on during the last week in October. Until then the Sunday mix-in sessions will start at 10am to allow for adult coaching. Note: Parking will be very restricted while the work is being carried out. Please be patient, it will be worth it! _____________________________________________________________ HOW WILL YOU RECEIVE THE NEWSLETTER IN FUTURE? So far around 60 members have signed up to have the Newsletter emailed to them instead of receiving a paper copy. This will save the Club a considerable amount of money and is a far greener option. If you have not received an email from RLTCC in the past few weeks it means we do not have a current email address for you—please put this right by emailing me at riversapsemanor@aol.com before the end of October. If you would like to continue receiving a paper copy please complete the form below and leave it in the Clubhouse: I should like to continue to receive a paper copy of the Newsletter Name______________________________________ Address ____________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ Please leave in the Clubhouse for the attn. of Claire Rivers ___________________________________________________________________ CHRISTMAS AMERICAN TOURNAMENT SUNDAY 14 th December10 am A Christmas American tournament is being held on Sunday 14 December from 10am – approx. 12.30, followed by a buffet lunch. This will replace the usual Sunday morning mix-in & is for all adult members, of any ability. The sign-up sheet is on the notice board in the clubhouse. There is a maximum of 24 entries. Please bring along a contribution of food for the buffet & your entry fee of £4 (which includes a glass of mulled wine). Christmas fancy dress if you dare! We look forward to seeing you. HALLOWEEN PARTY Friday 31st October 7pm in the Clubhouse Tickets £7 include 3 course supper Prize for the best Halloween Fancy Dress Contact Carrie (568705) or Shirley (875205) Two new ADULT BEGINNERS TENNIS COURSES starting in November! The last course was fully booked with all 12 places snapped up very quickly—so book early to avoid disappointment: Course No. 1 Sundays 9-10am starts 02.11.08 Course No. 2 Thursdays 10-11am starts 06.11.08 £30 for the 6 week course. Both courses run for 6 consecutive weeks Places must be booked in advance. LTA licensed coaches Rackets and balls supplied BOOKING FORM Name………………………….. ………………………………. Address………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………… Tel. No…………………………………Course 1 or 2 (please circle) Please send completed booking form with payment to: Chrissie Fothergill Hedge End, Corbett Road, Ryde PO33 3LF Cheques payable to Mrs C Fothergill Please tel. 612953 for further details or email to chrissiefothergill@hotmail.co.uk _____________________________________________________________ A Fantastic Summer of Junior Tennis . . . In June we hosted an exciting new GIRLS ONLY SINGLES TOURNAMENT. Aimed at those fairly new to competition with ratings of 10.2 or 10.1, the draw was split into two boxes, with a round robin played in each. The final was played out between the two box winners—Sarah Markus (RLTCC) & Sara Brooks (London), with Sarah M finally carrying off the winner‘s trophy. The annual COUNTY PRESS & SPORTIES JUNIOR TOURNAMENT saw another week of great tennis both from our own juniors & mainland competitors. The star of the tournament was undoubtedly Francis Sergeant from Bromley Tennis Academy. He won both the U16 & U18 singles, dropping very few games along the way &, paired with Gary Furmidge, took the runner up spot in the 18&U doubles. The local hero, however, was our own Ryan Todd who managed to reach both the singles finals to challenge the mainlander, putting up a brave fight to stay in both matches. The U18 doubles was won by Sean Furmidge & Corin Gibson who were unbeaten all week. The boys U14 singles culminated in a final between Alex Baughan & Harry Steed. This was a tremendous tussle, with Alex finally coming out on top at the end of a very long three set match. The U12 boys‘ singles also saw some great matches, with Owen Todd securing the title in a final against Piers Richards. Along the way Owen had a brilliant win over higher rated & older Robert Lankester of Southsea. It was very pleasing to see six girls playing this year, with Lucy Gooden of Ventnor remaining unbeaten to win the title & Alexa Boswell as runner up. Alexa & Lucy also paired up to win the doubles. The competition wound up with the final of the U15 boys‘ doubles, an excellent match in which Oliver Churches & Harry Steed overcame Charlie Gedling & Anthony Spence to take the title. The Player of the Tournament award was given to Matt Olive. The Junior tournament was followed by a MINI TENNIS FESTIVAL—over 40 children aged from 4-10 arrived eagerly on 2nd August despite the damp & drizzly conditions. Rain meant that the mini Red event was postponed to the following weekend, but the Orange & Green events went ahead on the Astroturf. The draws were split into round robins giving every player more matches than in a knock out draw. Congratulations to Green, Orange & Red winners Robert Lankester (Herts), Jake Scrimshaw & Max Hill and to runners up Regan Matthews (Mead), Alex Breach (Ventnor) & Jake Scrimshaw. Our next tournament is at half term—a Grade 4 tournament for juniors up to 18, as well as a mini Red, Orange & Green event. Our juniors had another successful run in this summer‘s HAMPSHIRE & IOW JUNIOR CLUB LEAGUE, playing against teams from Winchester, Aldershot, Southampton, Littleton, Southsea & Chichester. All 3 teams in the 12U 14UA and 16U were just pipped to the post by a single point in the tables, finishing in 2nd place with 8 points to the winners‘ 9 points. Well done to all the boys: Milo, Owen, Piers, Jadon, Austin, Harvey, Ryan & Richard (12U); Harry, Oliver, Antony, Charlie, Oliver, Alex, James, Guy & Toby (14U); Ricky, Matt, Ryan & Phil, along with George P & George S who both played in one match (16U). And let‘s not forget the 58 ENTHUSIASTIC GROWN UPS who turned out on a very wet weekend to compete in the WESTRIDGE FORD CHAMPIONSHIPS. A highlight of the Club‘s tennis calendar this well-supported event (with many former island players returning from the mainland) saw some first class matches, especially the men‘s singles & doubles finals which were of ―the finest quality tennis‖ . Congratulations to Pete Reynolds who beat defending champion Quentin Sloper in a nail-biting final, putting an end to Quentin‘s unbeaten run of five championship wins. Full report at rtlcc.co.uk. ___________________________________________________________________ Floodlight Tokens: Apparently so many in circulation are unused (i.e. lying forgotten in people's bags, pockets etc.) that more may have to be purchased. Please can you check to see whether you are the owner of any of these forgotten tokens! Things That Lurk In The Fridge: Please can you note that food should NOT be left in the fridge after events. Please take it home and share it with family & friends instead! Astroturf Mats Are All The Rage! An enterprising (Scottish) member boosted Club funds by selling off-cuts of Astroturf following the resurfacing of courts 4-6. These proved so popular that there is already a waiting list of those hoping to acquire offcuts from the current resurfacing work. If you are a home (or boat) owner looking for ways to enhance your property (or wipe your feet) look no further—contact John Sim on 566040. Lost Property: Any lost property left unclaimed in the Clubhouse will be disposed of at the end of October— you have been warned! THE TENNIS COMMITTEE ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS FOR HALF-TERM JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS (USED TO COVER THE COST OF BALLS &/OR TROPHIES)—IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS PLEASE CONTACT HELEN PEAK (404883). ___________________________________________________________________ The WINTER TENNIS SINGLES LADDER re-starts at the end of this month (once resurfacing work has finished). The ladder is open to 18 adult members (male and female). Six Performance Juniors have been invited from the Monday evening performance squad making the total 24. Please contact Chrissie or David (612953) before October 20th if you would like to be included . In addition this winter, by popular demand, three DOUBLES LADDERS (Ladies', Men's & Mixed) will also run. All standards are welcome from Division 1 to Division 4 to Club MixIn players. Participants need to find their own partner and then put their names up on the board in the Clubhouse. Alternatively inform Chrissie (612953) before October 20th. The Ladder Rules are available on the notice board in the Clubhouse or on the website. Floodlit courts need to be booked in the Clubhouse and tokens purchased in advance. Competitors need to check the Winter Tennis Programme and court availability prior to arranging matches. ___________________________________________________________________ Both Junior & Adult Tennis Coaching programmes run throughout the year. The programme for Autumn/Winter 2008/09 is shown opposite. Junior Squad Ages: Mini Red—born 2001 or later Mini Orange—born 2000 or 2001 Mini Green—born 1999 only Junior Development Squads—age 11+ Squads A-D (A being performance) Group coaching fees with effect from September 2008: Juniors: ½hr- £2; ¾hr-£3; 1 hr-£4; 1 ½ hr-£5 (Junior non-members pay an extra 50p per session) Adults: £5 per session (non-members £6) Private Individual Coaching fees, per hour: David-£25; Chrissie/Olly/Joe-£20 TENNIS COACHING SCHEDULE Autumn/Winter 08/09 MONDAY 3.15-4.00 4.15-5.15 4.00-5.00 5.00-6.30 TUESDAY 9.00-10.30 4.00-5.00 5.00-6.30 8.00-10.00 WEDNESDAY 4.00-5.00 5.00-6.30 THURSDAY 4.00-500 5.00-6.30 FRIDAY 10.00-12.00 4.00-5.00 4.00-5.00 SATURDAY 9.00-10.00 9.00-10.00 10.00-11.00 10.00-11.00 11.00-12.00 11.00-12.30 SUNDAY 8.30-9.30 Mixed Adult Improvers David 9.00-10.00 Mixed Adult Beginners Chrissie ____________________________________________________________________________________ Ladies’ Intermediate Mini Red Mini Red (Fiveways) David Chrissie David/Ryan Mini Red Mini Orange Mini Orange (Ryde School) Junior Performance Squad A Ladies’ 2nd Team Intermediates Mini Green/Dev Squad D Junior Dev Squad C Match Practice (Performance) Chrissie Chrissie Chrissie David David David Chrissie David Mini Red Mini Green Performance David David Mini Orange Junior Dev Squad B David David Mini Red Mini Orange Mini Orange Mini Green Junior Girls (11+) Junior Boys (11+) David/Ricky David/Richard David/Ricky David/Richard Chrissie David RLTCC Annual Dinner & Dance Rookely Country Park Saturday 15th November 2008 6.45-7.15pm Tickets £25 per person Our annual Dinner & Dance is being held on Saturday 15th November at Rookley Country Park. It is the main event in the Club‘s social calendar and its success relies on your support. The event is being held exclusively in the Midnight Bar where a three course meal will be followed by tea or coffee & mints, speeches and a raffle. Live music will be provided by ‘Crossfire‘. One booking form (see below) should be completed for each person. Please complete and return them to the by 7th November. Don‘t forget to include payment. Return transport by minibus is being arranged for those living in the Ryde area (including Binstead, St Helen‘s, Bembridge & Seaview. Cost to be confirmed (the more people the cheaper it will be!) Please indicate on the form if you would like to be included. If you have any queries, please contact Shirley (875205) or Carrie (568705) We look forward to seeing you there! _____________________________________________________________ ANNUAL DINNER BOOKING FORM NAME: ADDRESS: CONTACT TEL: CHEQUE/CASH ENCLOSED: £... Please indicate your choice of starter, main course and dessert: Starters Oak smoked salmon with horseradish & potato salad Smoked duck breast with chicory & pea & herb dressing Roast beetroot & goats cheese salad with baby spinach and rosemary croutons Main Courses Char-grilled chicken breast, crushed new potatoes & green beans Grilled pork tenderloin, mashed potato, spinach, caramelised apples & mustard cream Roast pumpkin & chestnut soufflé, creamed leeks & wild mushrooms Desserts Vanilla panacotta with strawberries Brioche & butter pudding with vanilla ice-cream IOW Cheese board with homemade chutney & biscuits Transport I live in the Ryde area (inc Seaview, Bembridge, St Helen‘s or Binstead) and would like return transport YES or NO Seating Please let us know who you would like to sit with (tables are of 6/8 maximum, so your choice of seating cannot be guaranteed) Please return this form to Shirley or Carrie or leave in the Clubhouse for their attention by 7th November ______________________________________________________________ British Tennis Membership—The Club will benefit from your membership—Please Join! It’s free until 2012! Our allocation of Wimbledon tickets will be based on the number of members who have signed up for British Tennis Membership by 30 November 2008. If you don‘t sign up our allocation could be reduced. Members who have not joined will NOT be able to enter the Wimbledon ballot next year. Other benefits include: Discounts on tickets for the Davis Cup and Eastbourne (the men will be there next year!) A Team Card – collect points through shopping online at Amazon, John Lewis, iTunes, etc & redeem the points against tennis equipment Wall chart & competition planner for juniors A rating for the more competitive amongst you Join on line at lta.org.uk/BritishTennisMembership or pick up a form in the Clubhouse. _____________________________________________________________ As reported in the County Press (27 June) we were the first tennis club on the Island to be awarded the LTA's Clubmark seal of approval. More impressively, we were only the third out of 371 tennis clubs in the South and West to receive this award, and 15th in the whole of England & Wales. A big vote of thanks should go to Chrissie Fothergill who led the application process. It took many months to pull all the information together and to make the changes and improvements that were necessary to show to the LTA that we met all the tests. Very well done to Chrissie and to all involved in making this happen. We are undoubtedly a better Club as a result of this exercise. _____________________________________________________________ A GREAT SUMMER OF LEAGUE TENNIS Our eleven tennis teams have had a very successful season, with two teams coming top of Division 1, four teams retaining their places in the top division and two others gaining promotion. Here is a round-up from the team captains: THE MIXED 1ST TEAM CAMPAIGN started early summer with an extremely hard earned 6-3 win away against Lee on Solent. A victory in late July over 2007 champions Chichester, which was preceded by a comfortable win at Alverstoke, gave the team top position with just one match remaining. Sadly, the last home fixture was conceded by Avenue at very short notice taking away an opportunity to win the league in style. So a great season for the team giving the Club the Portsmouth & District Division 1 title for the first time in at least 20 years. IN MEN’S HAMPSHIRE DIVISION 1 the pressure was on to secure enough points to preserve our position in the County‘s premier league. Competing against the likes of Winchester, West Hants, Salisbury, Southbourne and Victoria Avenue it was never going to be an easy season. However, an early season win away against Victoria Avenue and a surprising gift of points from West Hants was enough to guarantee our place in the division for 2009. Well done to all the players who played with such amazing commitment during these two summer league campaigns. David Fothergill Hampshire Ladies Division 5 Playing in the Hampshire Ladies League this year was a new and very enjoyable experience for us. It is always interesting to visit new clubs and play against their players. Three ladies pairs were needed for these matches and I am pleased to say that we won three matches and lost only one, coming 3 rd in the division. Thanks go to Sally, Helen, Carrie, Helena, Aileen, Pam, Pippa, Thrup and Anne for playing. Portsmouth Mixed Division 2 Having gained promotion from Division 3 last year, we finished 3 rd in the 2nd Division, winning 2 and losing 2 matches. Thanks to Neil, Gordon, Mike, Jeremy, Richard, Dan, Kevin, Heather, Helen, Sally, Chrissie, Pam, Aileen & Anne for playing and special thanks to Kevin for his help in organising the men to play. Anne Tapley Portsmouth & District Summer League – Division Ryde Lawn Ladies First Team Despite many players suffering injuries this summer the Ladies First Team won two of their five matches and narrowly lost at home to division winners Chichester. This ensures that the team will remain in Division 1 next season. Many thanks to all those who played and in particular to the ladies drafted in from the Second Team. Helen Peak Mens 2nd Team (Lawn B) - Hampshire Division 5a Having been promoted as champions of Division 6 last summer, we had a total of four matches to play this season against Warsash B, Alverstoke, Ryde Mead and Glebian. We won all four matches convincingly which put us at the top of Division 5A and has gained us promotion to Division 4 next season. Thanks to all the players: Jeremy Baldwin, Paul Rainford, Paul Rigby, Dan Kalley, Matt Olive, Richard Scott, Ricki Pullinger, Simon Jenkin, Rick Spink. Mens 1st Team (Lawn 1) - Portsmouth & District Division 1 Having won Division 1 in the summer ‗07 season, I took over the running of the team this year, attempting to win the division again! We played a total of six matches, five of which we won convincingly, narrowly losing the sixth to Priory on sets. After a close study online of the league tables, and considering a few matches in this division are yet to be completed, it looks as if the Lawn 1 team will win Division 1 again this season! Still to be officially confirmed though! Thanks to all the players: Stuart Peak, James Scully, James Seaton, Justin Biggs, David Fothergill, Pete Reynolds, Richard Scott, Ben Brading and Jack Giles. Lawn 1st Team (Lawn A) - Island League Division 1 Another predictable season in Division 1 of the Island League this summer! We played eight matches against four teams (home & away fixtures against same teams in Island League), winning four and losing four. We remained unbeaten against Ventnor‘s A and B teams, but lost out to Brighstone and Ryde Mead A. I predict that Lawn A will finish third in the league, and therefore remain in the top division for next season. Thanks to Anne Tapley, Heather Mill, Aileen Evans, Pam Fuller, Paul Rainford and John Seaton. Kevin Willis (and a big thank you to Kevin for captaining & playing in all three of the above teams, as well as playing in several of our other teams!) WE WON! Congratulations to our Ladies’ 2nd Team for all their commitment in attending the regular coaching sessions & match practice which has resulted in such confident wins. Now the hard work begins, the competition is going to get tougher but the rewards will be greater. Watch out Ladies‘ 1st team— we are on the way!! I would like to thank David for his commitment to us and also Chrissie, who‘s encouragement helped to ensure a great victory in our final match. I would especially like to thank Kathie and Jo for their great wins during the summer, and to all the team who have contributed to such a fun year! Carrie Ryde Lawn 2, Portsmouth and District League This year has been a tough year for the second team, playing against some tough opposition, including our own Men‘s 1st team!! However there have been some excellent results most notably against Priory which we won 4-0!!! At the stage of writing this report it is still unclear if the second team will stay up or get relegated to the 2 nd Division. A big thank you goes out to all the players who have played this year: Dan Kalley (Capt), Jeremy Baldwin, Richard Scott, Kev Willis, Paul Rainford, Jack Giles, Pete Reynolds, Ricki Pullinger, Phil Hodges, Matt Olive and Ryan Todd. Dan ________________________________________________________________________________ The Tennis Diary offers lots of opportunities for informal, social tennis: Club Mix-Ins: Monday & Wednesday 6:30-8:30pm, Sunday Morning 9:30-12:00 Mix-Ins are an important feature of club tennis, particularly for newer members as they offer the chance to meet and play with others in an informal setting. During the winter season there is a charge of £2 for all participants to cover the cost of floodlights. Please Note: Monday evening mix-ins are running for a trial period until Christmas and will continue if there is enough support. Also, Sunday mix-ins will start half an hour later, at 10:00, until resurfacing work on courts 1-3 has been completed (hopefully very soon!). Ladies’ Sunday Afternoons Dates for the Ladies‘ Sunday afternoon sessions through the winter: October 5th & 19th; November 2nd, 16th & 30th; December 14th & 21st; January 4th & 18th; February 1st & 15th; March 1st & 15th. The sessions start at 2pm and are followed by tea. They are pre-arranged so as to have 4, 8 or 12 players. If you would like to play please contact Diana on 566703. Grumpy Old Men’s Saturday Tennis With their scholarly slogan of ―Non Potes Gravis Esse‖ the Grumpy Old Men (a very loose description) play throughout the year on Saturday afternoons from 4:30-6:30. Each week is pre-arranged so as to have an even number of players. If you are interested in playing, please contact Mark Rogers on 811468 or at: rogersiow@vodafoneemail.co.uk Other events include Friday Evening Social Mixed Doubles and occasional American Tournaments (see p. 4). The Social Committee are hoping to arrange another Ladies’ Tennis & Lunch in early December—watch the notice boards and the website for details of this and other events. Friday Evening Social Mixed Doubles These are usually held on the last Friday of the month. The next 3 dates will be 24th October, 28th November & 19th December. The evenings are very informal and sociable and open to all adult members. You do not need to bring a partner. Cost is £3 per head and players are also expected to bring a contribution for the buffet which is held in the Clubhouse at the end of play. Play starts between 6.30 & 7pm. Players compete for coveted trophies. The winning lady’s fairy has recently been replaced by a splendid duck. Numbers are limited so please contact Simon or Jessica on 565717 a week or two in advance to book your place. Ps We are often short of men!! _____________________________________________________________ Wednesday Night Supper Club This will continue through the winter on the first Wednesday of each month* A simple one-course meal is offered for £4 and served from around 7:30pm (8pm for those playing in the mix-in). Supper will often be served even if it is raining & the mix-in has not happened. If in doubt phone the club on 562095. Please Note: Volunteer cooks are needed—please sign up in the Clubhouse or speak to Carrie (568705). *(See p.27 for details of December’s Christmas Supper—which be held on the 10th December and needs to be booked!) _____________________________________________________________ MAJOR CROQUET EVENTS OF SUMMER 2008 The first major event of the 2008 season was a four day Festival of Croquet held in June. This was managed by Cliff Jones and was a well supported event with 14 players taking part in three different competitions. The Isle of Wight Championship was won by Paul Castell, the B Class event by Richard Stevens from Hamptworth, and the C class by Marie Young. Not only was the Tournament very enjoyable but it also made a significant contribution to Club funds. Shortly after that event the Bembridge Twinning Association brought a large party of French people for an afternoon of Croquet followed by an English tea. Heather‘s French linguistic skills were very useful! The Inter-Club knock-out competition took place in May and June. We won the first round against Cheltenham by 5 matches to 2, but were beaten at Hurlingham on their home ground in round two. Ryde Open Golf Croquet Tournament was held on 12th and 13th July and a number of Club members were once again heavily involved with providing the necessary catering arrangements. Eleven mainland competitors took part and the final winner was Ray Mounfield of Ashby. Bill Arliss came second with Nelson Morrow and John Sim in 3 rd and 4th places. The Solstice, which is a Southern Federation Golf Croquet pairs competition, this year was held at Abingdon on July 20th. The other teams taking part were from Eynsham, Blewbury, Thames Valley, Winslow and High Wycombe. The outcome was very successful for Ryde in that Robin Thornton and Roy Tillcock took first place, with Alan Truckel and Dave Willett coming second. This was the second year running that this pair had won the Solstice trophy. A new event for the Club was acting as a venue for a Hen Party on Sunday 27 July. A group of people from the mainland were shown how to play by some of our members and enjoyed a pleasant morning. The Mary Robinson Tournament in August was particularly poignant as Mary died earlier this year having been one of the mainstays of the Croquet section for many years. Her daughter Deborah kindly agreed to present the winner‘s shield and we were very pleased that one of our own members, Richard Harris, was the recipient. In September six of our players, Roy Tillcock, Robin Thornton, Dave Willett, Alan Truckel, and John Sim, travelled to Southwick, near Brighton to take part in the Inter-Counties Championship. This is a prestigious event organised by the Croquet Association and includes a number of very high ranking players. Our team acquitted themselves well against such strong opposition and we hope to enter again next year – perhaps under the Isle of Wight County banner, rather than that of Hampshire which we were obliged to do this year. Richard Harris again this year, represented the Club in the Golf Croquet All England Handicap Championship. He reached the semi finals but the eventual winner was an up and coming 15 year old young man. We wound up a successful croquet season with our annual Finals Day on September 27th. Block play competition in both versions of the handicap game throughout the season had reduced the field to two Association players and three Golf Croquet. The Association final between two evenly matched and relative newcomers to the game, Pamela Sim (2007) winner and Richard Harris, was never going to offer an easy victory for either player. Pam built up a good early lead and although Richard was able to close the gap in the later stages his erratic shooting ability enabled Pam to peg out for victory by 8 points. The Golf Croquet final was, somewhat perversely, a tripartite affair spanning almost the full handicap range. Roy Tillcock (2), Pamela Sim - again! (6) and Stella Rogers (9) completed an all-play-all block, each match being best of three 13-point games. The closest of the three matches was undoubtedly the duel between Pam's excellent clearing ability and Roy's jump shot skill. The latter eventually prevailed with Roy winning 7-4, 6-7, 7-4. In the other matches Roy claimed the Golf title by also defeating Stella 7-4, 7-3, and Pam beat Stella 7-2, 7-6. Ryde's four immaculate croquet lawns have benefitted from the damp summer and their full capacity enabled a doubles competition to be played at the same time as the singles finals. Sixteen club members enjoyed a four-round event with a different partner in each game. The Thornton Trophy went to the winners and county players Alan Truckel and John Sim who defeated Linda Watson and Ian Card 7-5 in the final. The Southern Federation Golf Croquet League results are not yet published. Ryde won four matches and drew two over the season. The final League places will be determined by a countback on hoops. Pam Sim Southern Croquet Federation : Association Handicap League A new year & with all to play for we set off on 15 June for Littleton & Winchester with high hopes but with a player short. Despite our enthusiasm we were unable to field more than three players & consequently were obliged to concede one game to both our opponents. Playing against Littleton in the morning we won all our games but were unable to maintain our winning momentum in the afternoon, losing 4-0 to Winchester. On 22 June Reading came to the Island and Ryde won 3-1. Reading always like to make a full day of their visit and stayed on to play friendly games in the afternoon, including a version of mixed doubles using six balls. It was good fun and as always, Reading enjoyed their day here. Hamptworth were welcomed to Ryde on 3rd August and came with a strong team, nevertheless Ryde won 3 to 1. In the afternoon other association playing club members turned out to give the visitors some sociable and friendly opposition with further games. The Basingstoke players arrived in two separate groups giving a staggered start. They were accompanied by their wives so did not stay for friendly games in the afternoon, preferring a leisurely lunch with their spouses and the opportunity to relax and enjoy the island. This was a vital match since if we won all four games we would be the winners of the Southern League. Our fate was to be otherwise as the final outcome was a draw against Basingstoke leaving Hamptworth the winners of the Southern League. Once again as last year victory was snatched from our grasp at the last moment but there is consolation in the thought that the only team that won against this year‘s winners was Ryde. The players representing Ryde in this year‘s league were Richard Harris, Phillip Kennerley, Pam Sim, Roy Tillcock, Alan Truckel and Chester Watson. Chester Watson _____________________________________________________________ it’s Christmas again! Once again the Social Committee are serving up a Christmas feast: On Wednesday 10th December at 7.30pm in the Clubhouse. £6.50 per head for Roast Turkey with all the trimmings & a choice of puddings. Followed by coffee & mints and a raffle for a Christmas Hamper. Numbers will be limited, so book early to avoid disappointment! Put your name on the list in the Clubhouse or contact Carrie (568705) or Shirley (875205) The traditional Mulled Wine & Mince Pie event will be held on Saturday 20th December 12-1.30pm All members are welcome—come along and share in the festive spirit! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ WINTER TENNIS DIARY valid from 1st October 2008 MONDAY 3.15pm – 5.00pm 5.00pm – 6.30pm 6.30pm – 8.30pm 8.30pm – 10.00pm TUESDAY 4.00pm – 6.30pm 6.30pm – 10.00pm 4.00pm – 6.30pm 6.30pm – 8.30pm 8.30pm – 10.00pm 4.00pm – 6.30pm 6.30pm – 8.00pm 8.00pm – 10.00pm 10.00am – 12 noon 4.00pm – 5.00pm 6.30pm – 10.00pm 9.00am – 12.30pm 12.30pm onwards 4.30pm – 6.30pm 6.30pm – 10.00pm SUNDAY 8.30am – 10.00am 9.30am – 12 noon 12 noon onwards Mini Tennis Coaching Junior Performance Squad Club Mix-In (trial to Christmas if volunteers come forward to run it) Private play Mini/Junior Dev. squads Match Practice Mini Tennis Coaching Club Mix-In Private Play Mini/Junior Dev. squad Match Practice (Ladies) Private Play Ladies Morning Mini Tennis Coaching Private Play/Social Mixed Doubles (Please see noticeboards for court availability) Junior Coaching League matches/Private Play (Please see noticeboards for court availability) Grumpy Old Men Private Play Adult Coaching Beginners/Early Improvers Club Mix-in League Matches/Ladies Afternoon/ Private Play (Please see noticeboards for court availability) WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Please note that juniors have priority use of courts 1 – 3 from 3pm-5.30pm Mon-Fri. Members intending to play in organised floodlit events must bring money with them to pay their participation fee on the night. The charge for the club mix-in is £2. Booking sheets for private play under floodlights are on the internal noticeboard. 1 token costs £2 and buys half an hour’s use of a floodlit court and can be purchased from: David Fothergill, Diana Harris, Simon Mead, Anne Tapley ____________________________________________________________________________________