Newsletters

This is information that has been sent by e-mail; if you are a club member and would like to receive e-mail updates from the tennis section, please fill in your details below:

Get Ready for Tennis!

At last Spring seems to be arriving, better late than never.  It’s been a while since the last update so here’s a brief summary of what’s going on at the moment:

March 21^st  - Sport Relief and Tennis Open Day

Run a mile (or more) for sport relief around the cricket pitches, you can enter here: http://www.sportrelief.com/the-mile/neston-cricket-tennis-club-mile The section are also hoping a tennis only open day at 2pm, so please invite that friend or neighbour down that you’ve been meaning to show around the club!

Supermarket Vouchers

We are registered to collect both Sainsbury’s and Tesco’s vouchers for clubs and schools – please drop them off behind the bar, they can really help us get equipment for the section, thank you.

Curry Night

April 30^th will be time to see some great tennis as the finals of the men’s doubles and singles leagues will take place; more details to follow.

Tennis Committee

Some changes to the committee have sadly occurred, as both Gerry Kirby our chairman and Sally Cole have resigned.  Gerry has written a letter to you all – scroll down to see it.  We would like to thank them both for all their hard work.  Our next meeting is on March 17^th so if there are any items you feel we should be tackling, or if you would like to get involved please get in touch.  Our current priorities remain planning for improvements to our floodlights and the area around the pavilion.  We were successful in getting a 5^th adult team into the Wirral League, so there should be plenty of opportunities for competitive tennis this year; again get in touch if you would like to take part.

Tennis Courts

Our head Groundsman Graham has asked me to let you know that, in order to even out wear and tear on the courts that there may be daytime closures of some courts, particularly the end ones. If this causes any problems, eg if there are not enough courts to go round, please let him know.

Cardio Tennis

Now takes place on both Sunday and Wednesday mornings at 10.30am. No need to book, just turn up and enjoy a great fun fitness session for just £5.

Enjoy your tennis!

Lights and Plenty of Action!

Great to see so many people still playing tennis despite the weather, especially under the floodlights in the evening. While we are developing plans to improve the lighting, it is still important to follow the rules when using the floodlights so that they see us through the Winter:

·        Only switch on for the length of time you plan to use the courts

·        If you accidentally select too long, please ask the bar staff to override when you have finished playing

·        Only use enough lights for the number of courts in use

·        Always check how many minutes are left on the timer before starting to play – as it is very important that you do NOT switch lights back on within 15 minutes of lights going out.  This shortens the life span of the unit.

Thank you for your co-operation.

Friday morning social tennis

Due to popular demand, there is now a turn up and play session on a Friday morning – all standards of player are welcome for a friendly game of tennis at 10.15am; no need to book, just turn up (please remember to bring some balls!) and play.

Halloween and Tennis

This fun event with mixed, handicapped, teams of adults and juniors was a great success, despite the rather windy conditions. Elliot and Luke beat AJ and Rachel 4 games to 3 in a really close final! A similar event is planned for Sunday 20^th December – so put ‘Turkey and Tennis’ in your diary now!

Committee Update

Head groundsman Graham has recommended that the courts be power brushed which he hopes will ease the poor drainage especially to court 4.

We have requested that the Wirral League allow a 5^th team to be entered into the mixed league due to the increased number of players at our club.  This will be decided at the League’s AGM shortly but there are more teams than places in the league, so we may be turned down.

Plans for improvements for the area around the pavilion have not been forgotten – we are waiting for work on drains to the main driveway to be completed.  A presentation will be made to Club Council in the New Year on plans for improvements to court lighting.

Enjoy your tennis!

Wimbledon Tickets!

It may not feel like time for strawberries and cream, but to maximise the number of Wimbledon tickets allocated to our club members next year, we need as many people as possible to join British Tennis, part of the LTA, by the end of November. If you already have, great, you don’t need to do anything, if not, please click on the link to sign up https://www2.lta.org.uk/Membership/Join/ it’s free, only takes a couple of minutes and benefits the club in various ways.

Defibrillator Training

Lawrence McNeight of the hockey section has been instrumental in organising the donation of a defibrillator to the club.  This amazing piece of equipment could save your life if you were unfortunate enough to have a heart attack. Your chances of survival decrease by 10% for each minute your heart is in ‘atrial fibrillation’ (the cause of 80% of heart attacks), but this machine can shock your heart back into the correct rhythm.

I went on the training last week and was surprised how easy it would be to use. While I do spend a significant amount of time at the club, as do the other volunteers who undertook the training, it would be great to have a few more of you trained to use the equipment, just in case. The session just takes an evening and more are planned, so if you are interested please get in touch.

Old Balls!

If you have any old balls that aren’t good enough for your tennis anymore, they may be useful for the coaches to use for some training.  Any donations appreciated - I will be putting out a bag on the pavilion veranda for them. Thank you.

Mini Tennis

There will be limited court availability on Sunday 15^th November from 3pm to 5.30pm while a Mini Orange Tournament takes place.

50:50 Draw

Our most recent winner was Diane Flett; if you would like the chance to win £50 each month, just complete and return the attached standing order for £2 a month.  

Enjoy your tennis!

Welcome to New Committee Members.

We duly held our Tennis AGM last week - thank you to those of you who came along and to Jenny Toomey for making a lovely chilli supper for everyone.  I am delighted that we have two new recruits for our committee, Carole Leary and Irene Davies-Foo, who will both help Maxine with the juniors. Jenny Toomey resigned due to holiday commitments! Thank you very much Jenny for all your hard work over the years.

Our committee is now:

Chair: Gerry Kirby, Secretary: Jo Race, Treasurer: Mel Brooks. Ground rep: Gerry Kirby, Junior Co-ordinator: Maxine Hardy, other committee members: Jenny Rowland, Ken Patrick, Steve Race, Carole Leary and Irene Davies Foo.

I have attached the Chairman’s report for your information. Our next committee meeting is on November 17^th if there are any issues you would like us to take forward.

Beginners’ Clinic – Friday Mornings

From November 6^th, each Friday from 9.15am to 10.15am, Dan will be running a Beginners’ Clinic which will concentrate on a different tennis stroke each week. The cost is £30 for the block of 6 sessions, please contact Dan to book your place (dan@nestontennis.co.uk or 07906 047350).

Fun Tournament

There will be a spooky themed adults and juniors fun tournament on Sunday 1^st November at 1pm – sign up sheet and more information on the notice board.

50:50 Draw

Our most recent winner was Steve Race.

Other Events

The President’s dinner is on Friday 20^th November – contact Andy Wallis heathbank.wallis@virgin.net for tickets for this annual black tie event.

The Wirral Christmas Bazaar, in aid of Clatterbridge Cancer Research takes place on the 2^nd and 3^rd of November. Full details in the flyer attached.

The Neston Tennis sweatshirts ordered during the 24 hour tennis-a-thon are now ready for collection by phoning Mel on 336 1515.

Thank you to the Clive Watkin Partnership, Estate Agents and Chartered Surveyors, who have once again kindly sponsored our website.

Enjoy your tennis!

Tennis AGM.

Yes, it’s that time of the year again.  The Tennis Section AGM is due to take place on Tuesday 13^th October at 8pm.  The agenda, and minutes of the last AGM are attached.  Jenny Toomey has kindly offered to provide a hot supper for a small charge, so please let me know if you are planning to attend, or offer your apologies!

If there are any additional items you would like on the agenda, please let me know before Tuesday 6^th October, thanks.

Tuesday Social Tennis

The start time for this session has been amended to 10am; it will finish at 11.30am.  This is an ideal group for improving your social tennis suitable for all standards of players.

New Tennis Group

Quite a few new members are fairly new to the game, so Maxine Hardy is starting a new group so that there are more opportunities to have a light-hearted game or two.  Possibilities are Mondays or Fridays; if you would like to get involved please e-mail Max on max@nestontennis.co.uk. 

New Coaching Session

Dan is thinking of introducing a 6 week course for adults covering a different tennis stroke each week.  We would like to know how much demand there would be and when would be the best time to run it.  Again if you could let Max know your thoughts.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Last Friday’s event raised over £600 and was beautifully organised by Kate Thorn and Emma Birtles plus many able assistants – very well done to all!

Enjoy your tennis!

Well Done!

A very big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who took part in our 24 hour fundraising – from Club President, Andy Wallis, to our youngest mini tennis players. I hope you all enjoyed the experience. Special thanks go to those who played the ‘graveyard’ shift in the dead of night and also to the mainstays of the organising, Mel and Max.

How Much Did We Raise?

We don’t know the final figure as all the sponsorship money isn’t in yet.  Please could you e-mail Mel how much you think you will be collecting (melsophie1@hotmail.co.uk) to give her an idea, and then drop the funds and sponsorship form off to her when you next go to the club – her address is

I will say that the car boot sale was our busiest yet and we hope to be well into 4 figures.

The option to make an online donation is still available, just follow this link:

http://www.clubcharity.co.uk/donate/index.cfm?&Groupcode=1700NTC

Tuesday Tennis

Will be without a coach this week as Dan is working in local schools, but we shall play anyway.

Macmillan Coffee Morning

Be part of the world’s biggest coffee morning on Friday 25^th September.  Just drop in any time between 10am and noon to the tea room for coffee. There will also be a raffle, cake stall and hand-made jewellery and cards for sale.

Club AGM – 30^th September

Details can be found here: http://nestoncricketclub.co.uk/newsletters.aspx please keep Julie Schofield (julesar@sky.com) informed of any changes to e-mail addresses to ensure that you receive Club updates. The Tennis Section AGM is on 13^th October – details to follow shortly.

Enjoy your tennis!

Only 4 Days to Go!

Yes, at 6pm on Friday the first balls will be struck in our 24 hour tennis-a-thon; we just have a few spaces available on the Saturday if you would like to take part:

8am to 9am

9am to 10am

12pm to 1pm

2pm to 3pm

Mel is co-ordinating this, so please get in touch with her on 336 1515 or melsophie1@hotmail.co.uk   as soon as possible!

The Timetable is:

Friday 18^th

4pm to 6pm the younger juniors will be doing a sponsored Mini ‘Run and Fun’ with barbecue and tuck shop

6pm The opening ball will be struck and tennis will be played non-stop for 24 hours! The barbecue will stay lit until late in the night!

Saturday 19^th

8am to 11 am Car Boot Sale: the Barbecue re-opens and will stay open another 12 hours!

6pm Tired troops (and anyone else who wants to join us) gather for a celebration barbecue!

If you are taking part, remember to get some sponsors (form attached) or ask people to donate by going to www.nestontennis.co.uk and following the link!

We would also appreciate any suitable bric-a-brac for us to sell at the boot sale, just give me a bell on 336 2014 or drop me an e-mail. There are only a few pitches left if you want one for yourself, but do come down and see what it’s all about!

Cardio Tennis

Now the summer is ending, if you want to try the latest way to get fit, Cardio  Tennis is back on Wednesday mornings from 10am to 11am. It’s fast, fun and furious and only £5 a session. Pre-booking essential, so get in touch with me to join in.

Enjoy your tennis!

New Term!

Now that the kids are safely back at school, the Tuesday morning tennis session for adults returns from tomorrow. The session runs from 9.30am to 11am, and is suitable for anyone who wants to improve their social tennis!  It costs just £5, you don’t need to book and if you attend 7 sessions, the 8^th is free.

Dan is away on a course from Wednesday to Friday, so those of you champing at the bit to get back to cardio tennis will have to wait a bit longer.

50:50 Winner

Dr Dave was the lucky winner of the 50:50 club this month.  For a chance of winning, just complete and return the attached standing order form – just £2 a month helps support the section.

American Doubles Winners

Congratulations to Mel and Ryan for winning this fun event yesterday and also to runners up Fin and Jack. 

24 Hour Fundraising Madness

Places are filling up fast for the 24 hour fundraiser – thank you to all those who are working hard to get sponsorship. Don’t forget we are also running a boot sale too!

Tennis-a-thon

Start time -  6pm Friday 18^th September

Finish time - 6pm Saturday 19^th September

Car Boot Sale

Saturday 19^th September 8am to 11am.

All this hard works helps to keep our membership fees as low as possible and all funds raised will be spent on the tennis section – on the remaining work to the pavilion to provide a decked seating area and towards an upgrade of our floodlights.

Enjoy your tennis!

Tennis-a-thon!

Details of this mammoth event are:

Start time -  6pm Friday 18^th September

Finish time - 6pm Saturday 19^th September

Sign up sheets are now at the club – please put your name down to play for a one hour time slot then start collecting sponsorship (a sponsorship form is attached).  If you can’t play that day, you can still be involved by making a donation, either by sending a cheque directly to the section or online, by

following this link: http://www.clubcharity.co.uk/donate/index.cfm?&Groupcode=1700NTC

You can also help by donating items to sell at our car boot sales – just get in touch with me if you would like to do so.

All funds raised will be spent on the tennis section – on the remaining work to the pavilion to provide a decked seating area and towards an upgrade of our floodlights.

Shrimp Cup

Congratulations to the winners of the Shrimp Cup, Margaret and Jo, and runners up Fran and Mel.  The sun shone and a very pleasant morning was had by all.  Thank you to Delia Higginbottom for her invaluable help in running the event.

50:50 Winner

Congratulations to Chris Oliver who has once again won the draw - I don’t know how you do it!!  For £2 a month, you too can have a chance of winning and help with our fundraising – just sign and return the attached standing order.

American Doubles Tournament

Sunday 6^th September 1pm: fun adults/juniors doubles event. Entry just £5 per player including barbecue. We’ll match you up with a partner if you don’t have one! Sign up sheets in the clubhouse, or contact Dan dan@nestontennis.co.uk .

Mersey Kidney Research Tournament

This enjoyable annual event for ladies will be running at Heswall again this year on Friday 2^nd October at 9.30am. The £23 entry fee includes lunch.  For more details and an entry form please contact Mrs Jo Banks on 342 9840.

Enjoy your tennis!

Fundraising!

Although work to the main clubhouse is covered by your membership fees, the tennis pavilion is not and, now that all the lorries have left the site, we would like to finish the outside work – by installing decking and some planters.  In the slightly longer term, we will also need funds to renew the court lighting.

To this end, our car boot sales will be starting up again in the Autumn, the first one will be on Saturday 19^th September and there will be a second one on Saturday 17^th October.

In addition, we are planning a 24 hour ‘tennis-a-thon’ which will commence on the evening of Friday 18^th September.  We would like to raise £5000 in one weekend so we shall need your help!  Please do your bit by either taking part – sign up sheets will be going up shortly – or by sponsoring those brave souls that do!  Of course you can still take part in our 50:50 club – the next draw takes place tomorrow (form attached).

Shrimp Cup

There are still spaces available to play in the annual Shrimp Cup this Wednesday 5^th August at 9.30am.  Sign up sheets are on the tennis notice board in the main club house. Entry price of £8 includes lunch and a glass of wine, or if you aren’t up to the tennis, join us for lunch for £5.

Court Priorities

Further to the recent update on court priorities, to make it easier to know when coaching is taking place at weekends, there will now be signs up on a ‘coaching priority court’ – to ensure that the coach always has a court available.  When the coach is not using the court, feel free to play, but be aware that when the next lesson starts you will have to move to another court when available. Thank you for your co-operation.

We have also re-introduced the signing in book so that members may legitimately play with non-members, but please also remember to carry your membership cards with you at all times -  if you haven’t got your card you may be asked to leave the court.

Enjoy your tennis!

Shrimp Cup!

The annual Shrimp Cup will take place on Wednesday 5^th August at 9.30am. Players of all standards are welcome to join in this light-hearted event which is the highlight of the ladies’ social tennis year!

Sign up sheets will be on the tennis notice board in the main club house shortly. Entry price of £8 includes lunch and a glass of wine, or just £5 for lunch only.

Other  events:

Several ladders are now up and running - further details  http://nestontennis.co.uk/ladders.aspx 
 

An end of season barbecue is planned for Friday 11^th September.

The Tennis AGM will be the evening of Tuesday 13^th October.

Court Usage:

It’s been great that so many people are playing tennis at the moment, but that has meant that occasionally all courts are being used so here’s a timely reminder of our court priorities if people are waiting:

• Booked matches have priority over social tennis. 

• Doubles take priority over singles. 

• One tie break set can be completed, maximum 30 minutes duration. 

• Seniors have priority over juniors. (Except in the case of booked matches/tournaments and scheduled coaching squads/tennis camps.)

Further information on what regular play takes place can be found on the court schedule page of the website: nestontennis.co.uk/courts.aspx  with the one off dates   that I am aware of here: nestontennis.co.uk/dates.aspx .  Booking sheets on the main notice board also show this information. 

Please also remember to carry your membership cards with you at all times.  We have learned of several non-members using our facilities, so if you haven’t got your card you may be asked to leave the court.

Although Tuesday matches finish shortly, the courts will still be busy on Tuesday evenings as a number of informal competitions finish the season.

Enjoy your tennis!

Ladders!

The tennis section will be running a mixed doubles tennis ladder giving members the opportunity to compete against each other. All members are welcome.
 
Further details click here http://nestontennis.co.uk/ladders.aspx and click mixed doubles.
 
There will be a small registration fee of £5 per couple to cover admin costs.  Initial league positions will be on a 1st come 1st served basis on receipt of player details and registration fee.
 
The ultimate goal of ladder play is to be the player in the top position on the ladder.  Also, other goals are to provide an opportunity for players to have fun, meet some new players, and get a chance to work on improving their tennis game.
 
The league table, rules and contact details are posted on the website. The league tables will also be posted on notice boards at club.
 
To register email Mel at melsophie1@hotmail.co.uk with your
 
Name
 
Mobile Number
 
Email Address
 
Home Phone (if no mobile number) 
 
Any questions or suggestions please email Mel.
 
Good Luck!

50:50

Our latest winner was Margaret Robson. Congratulations!

So many events coming up to put in your diaries:

Enjoy your tennis!

Plenty of Tennis!

 So many events coming up to put in your diaries:

‘Strawberries and Cream’ - Sunday 28^th June, 2pm

Another fun adults’ and juniors’ tournament, this time with a Wimbledon theme. Entry of £5 includes refreshments, strawberries perhaps? Sign up sheets are in the main club house – if you don’t have a handy junior to sign up with, put your name down anyway and Dan will organise a partner for you.

Cardio Tennis – New for Wednesday Mornings, 10am

Thanks to the guinea pigs who tried this out last week – we had a great time. It’s fast, it’s furious, it’s fun: a workout with your tennis racket led by Head Coach Dan. £5 for an hour’s intensive exercise, but numbers are limited, so contact me if you would like to join in.

Family Fun Day – Sunday 5^th of July

A great day out for all the family, so much going on, there’s bound to be something for everyone, from sport to crafts, to seriously wacky – ‘The Famous Egg Throwing Competition’ anyone?! – full details can be found on http://nestoncricketclub.co.uk/familyfunday.aspx

Ladies’ Shrimp Cup – Wednesday 5^th August

The annual social tennis event, tennis in the morning followed by lunch.  Full details to follow in a couple of weeks. 

Tennis Camps:

July 29th, 30th and 31st

August 12th, 13th and 14th

August 26th, 27th and 28th

Ideal for children aged 5 to 12. www.nestontennis.co.uk/tenniscamps.aspx has all the information you need.

Other news:

There is also a red mini tennis event this Saturday afternoon at 2pm, but only a couple of courts should be in use, if you can tear yourselves away from Wimbledon and fancy a game!   

Enjoy your tennis!

More Winners!

Congratulations to Rowena and Fiona for their success in winning the NSPCC Tournament last Friday, commiserations to the runners-up Mandy and Jo.  No one really lost as the sun shone and a lovely morning was had by all – and all in a good cause!  Many thanks to Annie, Kate and the rest of the Burton and Neston NSPCC Team for organising such an enjoyable event.

Congratulations also to Doreen Grey, our latest 50:50 winner.  Remember you too can join in and help the tennis section to keep making improvements. Entry form attached.

Grass Courts

Now that the promised barbecue summer finally seems to be on its way, it's wonderful to be able to play on the grass courts. In order to keep the grass in tip top condition it is important to follow the club guidelines on their use:
-        Play should not start until 11.30 am. If we are lucky and not had rain for several days, you may be able to play earlier, but check with the ground staff first.
-        At weekends, use common sense - the courts may have been closed on a Friday, but if we have had 24 hours clear of rain, the grass should be ok to play on once the dew has dried off.
 
And a reminder about our 'dress code'; you don't need tennis whites, but you do need to be respectable, which means tops should be worn at all times, no matter how hot it gets!!

Singles Ladder

The tennis section will be running a singles tennis ladder giving members the opportunity to compete against each other. All members are welcome; initially there will be one league for both men and ladies but this may be altered depending on the interest level.
 
The ultimate goal of ladder play is to be the player in the top position on the ladder.  Also, other goals are to provide an opportunity for players to have fun, meet some new players, and get a chance to work on improving their tennis game.
 
To join in, and find more information, visit the website, www.nestontennis.co.uk/ladders.aspx . The league tables will also be posted on notice boards at club.
  

Enjoy your tennis!

Calling all Ladies!

Friday the 12^th June is Neston and Burton NSPCC’s annual tennis tournament for ladies.  Play starts at 9.15am followed by a very civilized lunch, (in the newly revamped tea room) – always a very sociable affair! Full details and an application form are attached.  As an open, fundraising event, non-members are very welcome too, so why not bring a friend?

Club Tournament

We are considering the options for another attempt at the Club Tournament this year – it did fizzle out last year somewhat!  If you think you might be interested in playing, please e-mail me with the category(ies) you would like to play in ie singles/doubles ladies/mens or mixed doubles (don’t think we can have a mixed singles…!) The plan would be to run as a knock out with matches played at your convenience over the summer, maybe a grand barbecue final in September; other ideas always welcome.

50:50

The draw for June will take place this Friday and it’s not too late to join in!! Just fill in your standing order form (attached) and drop it off, with £2 for this month, (or multiples of £2 to increase your chances of winning) to our treasurer Mel Brooks: 105 Parkgate Road – the bungalow opposite Earle Drive on your way down to the club, or set it up on the internet; very easy.

Remember your membership fees only cover the cost of the courts: to keep our facilities up to scratch – and improve them - we hope to replace some of the worn out nets, replace the lighting on the top courts and are considering the possibility of installing lights on the lower astro courts. 

Car Parking

Those of you who play during the week will be pleased to hear that the builders have left the car park and we can now use it as normal again at last.

Enjoy your tennis!

And the Winner is…..!

Chris Oliver is our first 50:50 draw winner – congratulations, but I think the rest of the third team is looking forward to a good night out now, Chris!

If you would like to take part in next month’s draw, just complete and return the attached form. Remember, all profits support our tennis section.

Clubmark

We are delighted that the section was recently awarded Clubmark status by the LTA - Clubmark is the only national cross sports quality accreditation scheme for clubs with junior sections.  What’s that got to do with adults? It means that we are now eligible to apply for grants such as for court lighting improvements, which means that all ages will benefit. I am sure that you have noticed that the lower courts have been re-sanded; this was paid for by a grant from the ‘Awards for All’ Lottery Fund which we would not have received without our work on Clubmark.

Tennis Events

The mixed social matches played on a Thursday evening are now underway. Fixtures can be found on the website:

http://nestontennis.co.uk/mixedfriendly.aspx , please contact Tony Bush on 327 8101 if you would like to get involved.

The NSPCC are planning their annual fundraising tournament for ladies on Friday 12^th June.  More details to follow, but put the date in your diary now!

New for this year is a Save the Children Tournament, pencilled in for Friday 17^th July. This will be a doubles competition which will take place in the evening.

The ladies’ Shrimp Cup will take place on Wednesday 5^th August, again put the date in your diary and I will send out more details nearer the time.

Enjoy your tennis!

Wimbledon!

One of the major benefits of being a member of an LTA affiliated club is the opportunity to buy Wimbledon tickets in the club ballot.  This will take place on Tuesday, April 21^st at 8pm.  To take part you must:

-        be a member of the club aged 9 or over and

-        be a member of British Tennis and

-        attend the draw in person, or send a proxy on your behalf. (Your proxy must also be a club member and can only represent one member in the ballot; if using a proxy, please provide their name in advance.)

We have a fantastic number of tickets available this year, including a pair for finals day!  Full details of the draw, including terms and conditions, can be found on www.nestontennis.co.uk/wimbledondraw.aspx . If you would like to enter the ballot please e-mail me your name, your proxy, if applicable, and British Tennis number - or sign up on the sheet on the tennis noticeboard. It is not too late to join British Tennis to be eligible – just follow this link (it’s free!) -    http://www.lta.org.uk/BritishTennisMembership/

50:50 draw

To help our fundraising efforts, we are going to run a 50:50 fundraising draw each month.  To participate, you need to set up a standing order (form here, or do an internet transfer) from your bank to pay £2 monthly (or more, in multiples of £2 to increase your chance of winning!) for a chance to win half the funds paid in – and we guarantee the first draw, in May, will have a minimum prize of £50! 

Match practice

A reminder that Tuesdays from 6.30pm are now match practice nights, so if you want to take part in league matches, make sure you join in!

Choc and Tennis Tournament

Sunday 19^th April: 2pm.  Great fun for only £5 including buffet. Sign up sheets on the tennis noticeboard.

Court usage

It is important that we wear out our tennis courts evenly!  This ensures that we get the maximum life out of a very expensive resource.  To this end, at quieter times the ground staff may close some courts, particularly the top courts to encourage play on the much improved lower courts. Apparently the end courts are several years older than the middle courts!

Clubhouse Closure

A quick reminder that on Monday 4^th May, the Clubhouse will be closed all day while work takes place inside.  For the remainder of that week, it will be closed from 8am to 5pm.  There will be no access to ANY facilities inside during these periods.

Enjoy your tennis!

Chocolate and Tennis!

Two of my favourite activities are eating chocolate and playing tennis, but I don’t usually do both at once!  On the 19^th of April the tennis and chocolate come together to make the great fun ‘Choc and Tennis Tournament’!

Starting at 2pm on Sunday, 19^th April, this fun Easter tournament for both adults and juniors will follow a similar format to the great Turkey and Tennis event run before Christmas. Entry is just £5 per person and includes a finger buffet (both choc and non-choc!).

Sign up sheets will be going up in the main clubhouse shortly – you can enter as a couple (1 adult, 1 junior) or on your own and Dan will match you up with someone suitable.

Open Day this Sunday!

Remember to remind all your friends about our open day on March 29^th – 1pm onwards.  Anyone joining on the day will get 12 months’ membership for the price of 11, can join in some great fun tennis and cricket activities – and it’s all free!!  Adult members introducing a new member on the day will also receive a £10 bar voucher! Full details of what’s on are on the main club website: www.nestoncricketclub.co.uk/openday.aspx .

Aegon Junior Matches:

There are home matches currently planned on these dates:

These matches will usually take place in the afternoon and have priority over social tennis.

Remember

Friday night social tennis will start up again from Friday 3^rd April, 7pm.

Tuesday mornings (9.30am to 11am) social tennis coaching and coffee £5

Easter tennis camp 15^th, 16^th and 17^th April.

Enjoy your tennis!

Good News!

The lower courts are being re-sanded next week; the work should take less than a week, weather permitting, so that there should be plenty of court availability for the start of the season.

Court Booking

Now that we are entering our busy time, I will shortly put back up the court booking sheets. These should have details of matches, tournaments and coaching sessions so you can avoid busy periods if you want a quiet game!  There is also an ‘at a glance’ schedule on the website of regular activities and the ‘dates’ page has details of the extra events that don’t have a weekly set time. I can’t promise to put everything on, but I try!!

Court schedule: http://nestontennis.co.uk/courts.aspx

Dates page: http://nestontennis.co.uk/dates.aspx

Match fixtures: http://nestontennis.co.uk/matches.aspx

Please note in particular that there are a number of ‘Aegon Team Tennis’ matches for juniors taking place on Saturdays and Sundays this year and these do have priority over social tennis!

Open Day

A big thank you to Sue, Carol, Jo and Laura who came down yesterday to help finish the pavilion decorating. They worked very hard, but we did leave you some jobs to do on Saturday, so do come down from 1.30pm onwards! Also thanks to Richard Neal of Robinson & Neal for his kind donation of some lovely brushes and other painting bits!

Remember all this effort is to have everything looking as good as possible for our Open Day, (Sunday, 29^th March).  Please pass the word around! Anyone joining on the day will get 12 months’ membership for the price of 11, plus there will be a reward if you introduce a friend!  

The Open Day starts at 1pm, there will be fun tennis and cricket activities, refreshments and tours of the facilities – all free to potential members!!! 

Remember

Friday night social tennis will start up again from Friday 3^rd April, 7pm.

Tuesday mornings (9.30am to 11am) social tennis coaching and coffee £5

Tuesday evenings (6.30pm to 8pm) adult tennis coaching £3

Easter tennis camp 15^th, 16^th and 17^th April.

Enjoy your tennis!

Please Help!

Open Day

We want to finish getting our tennis pavilion spick and span before Open Day, (Sunday, 29^th March) so please come down and help either the morning of Wednesday 18^th March, or the afternoon of Saturday 21^st March.

Bring either a paintbrush, roller, sanding sheets or cleaning stuff - we have the paint (and the dirt….) - to spring clean, paint the outside wood and sort the windows out.  If you can help on either day, please let me know as soon as possible, thanks!

We also hope to run a reward scheme if you introduce a friend as a member for open day, so remember to tell them about it!  There will be fun tennis and cricket based activities for all ages, refreshments and tours of the facilities! Entry is free too!

Social Tennis

Friday night social tennis will start up again from Friday 3^rd April, 7pm.

Court lighting

If playing after dark, please remember to check that there is enough time left on the lights before you start to play – if the lights go out you MUST leave 15 minutes before switching them back on, or the mechanism becomes damaged and over time needs replacing more often.

Mini Tennis Tournament

An orange mini tennis tournament is taking place this Saturday: the top courts will be in use from 12.30 onwards so bear this in mind if you are planning a game!

Tennis Camp

We will be running one of our great fun tennis camps for youngsters aged 5 to 12 again this Easter – on the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th April.  Full details on the website as usual.

Enjoy your tennis!

Tennis Time!

Now that the wintery weather is behind us (touch wood) it’s time to dust off your tennis gear and get playing!

Starting on Tuesday 24^th February we have:

Social Tennis Coaching

Dan is taking over this session from Alan and changing the format slightly:

Session time: 9.30am to 11am

Cost just £5

New loyalty scheme – plus session on 24^th is FREE, then half price on 3^rd March!

Free tea/coffee after the session in our glamorous pavilion!

No need to book, just turn up, or give Dan a bell on 07906 047350 if you would like more information.

Tennis coaching and team practice

Session time 6.30pm to 8pm

Cost just £3 if joining in the coaching

No booking required.

You do not need to be playing for the teams to join in – just want to play better!

Other news:

We hope to run an open ‘day’ event on the afternoon of March 29^th to encourage new members.  Please pass the word around to anyone you think would be interested in seeing what we have to offer! More details to follow.

The exciting clubhouse development is growing daily – you can see progress for yourself on the development page of the club website – www.nestoncricketclub.co.uk.

Sign up sheets for the ladies’ social tennis matches this spring/summer will be going up shortly.  All welcome!

Our next tennis section committee meeting is on March 3^rd, so do let me know if there are any items you think should be on the agenda.

Enjoy your tennis!