Anyone For Tennis?
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| Posted by: Articles Editor |
01/05/2007 |
T&L delves into the records of the Gardens LTC in Southfields.
.jpg) There is something fascinating about handwritten records. Juliet Childs, membership secretary of the Gardens Lawn Tennis Club in Southfields, is the keeper of minute books going back to June 1903 – and from then until 1943, when the first typewritten minutes appear, the books are impeccably kept in a succession of beautifully clear hands. Some of the entries are very evocative of that earlier age.
The first book opens with:
11th June 1903
A meeting of residents in the neighbourhood of Southfields Station was held in Lockyer’s Restaurant at 8.30pm.
Present 2 ladies and 14 gentlemen.
W C Cooper occupied the chair.
W Miller made a statement with reference to the proposed ground for tennis courts at back of Southdean Gardens.
15th June 1903
Resolved that the members be recommended to adopt The Gardens Lawn Tennis Club as the name of the club.
Playing members annual subscription: Ladies 7/6, Gentlemen 10/6 Juveniles 3 shillings
Within a year, the courts had been laid, and play began. Numerous discussions were held over the club colours – should they be black and pink, or blue and green? Under what circumstances should play be allowed on Sundays – ‘even for ladies’? The club quickly developed an active entertainments programme, and committee members were busy obtaining dance cards for dinner dances, and arranging whist drives. There were also sober moments:
28th August 1914
Entertainments
The committee discussed the desirability of holding entertainments during the ensuing winter, having in mind the unrest caused by the European War.
The club house has a roll of honour for those who fell in the Great War, as it was later called.
The club flourished in the inter-war years, but ran into difficulties again in 1939:
13th September 1939
Mr Saunders raised the question of the bar rota and asked for permission to enrol ladies in view of the difficulty of finding sufficient men.
28th January 1940
The war had caused the suspension of the entertainment programme and seriously curtailed all other activities for about one third of the year... as long as the war lasted, the strictest economy was necessary and we must rely on entertainments for a considerable portion of the revenue necessary to meet recurrent expenses. It was decided ... to frame an advertisement with a patriotic flavour for display in the Spring.
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In general it seems that tennis activities were limited during the war years, partly because of the difficulty of maintaining the courts (the groundsman seems to have been called up), but they tried to organise as much as possible in the way of 'entertainments'. There was also a 'canteen' and, of course, the bar.
Entertainments still figure in the club’s present-day priorities – monthly quizzes and summer and winter parties and the refurbished bar are as much a mark of this lively local club as the recently installed floodlighting, and active coaching programme. ‘We have 117 full playing members at the moment’, says Juliet, ‘mainly very local.’ Adult and junior club sessions are always well-attended – ‘but we are always pleased to see new faces’, adds Juliet. ‘There’s no need to book ahead – just come along to any club session, and you will be made welcome’.
Club sessions: Adults Tue/Fri 6pm onwards, Sun 2pm onwards, Juniors Thur 6-7pm
For more info, call Juliet Childs on 020 8789 0865, or see www.gardenstennis.co.uk
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