DISCLAIMER: 
In view of the threatened legal action which followed last year’s newsletter, portions of the undergoing reports and memorandiae have been scrutinised and edited by our legal advisors Mssrs Noe, Morsilli and Jjolks. Hendreds Tennis Club accepts no liability for anything written heretoforeafterever, or for anything at all really.

The club is in a very healthy condition. We have 169 members and enough money in the bank to maintain the courts which is our main purpose. We are currently planning a relaxed seating area at the back of the courts (away from stray cricket and footballs) with beautiful views of the village and surrounding hills, where we can watch our dashing members playing tennis. Huge thanks to John D’Alton for clearing a mass of brambly undergrowth so we can get started on killing the weeds and laying turf or grass seed. The benches will then follow.

Our Summer Tournament is on June 27th. It is always a lovely day and seems to make a lot of people very happy for a comparatively small amount of hard work, although help is always greatly appreciated. We have plans for another American Doubles tournament on May 4^th and some more Friendlies. We don’t need to fundraise this year so we won’t be brandishing tickets at you and demanding cash for a bit. We are happy to run socials which cover their own costs, like our popular curry nights at the Eyston Arms.

Meanwhile you are all welcome to join me for sun salutations at dawn on the Ridgeway in hopes of good weather. See you there.

COMMITTEE FOR 2009-2010

The AGM was held on Monday 9th March and the following committee was elected:

Chairpearson                            Alex Pearson                            862844
General Secretary                     Lorraine Clayton                       833792
Membership Secretary             Helen McAlister                       832926
Treasurer                                  Tracey Richards                       832212
Committee Members                Sally Boddington                      833659
                                                Phillipa Waddington                  833992
                                                Ali Eyston                                 833117
                                                Cathy Dreyer                            862379
                                                James Spurgeon                       833385
                                                John D’Alton                            835079
                                                Simon John                               821909
Webmaster consultant               StJohn Dickson                        767848
Ardington TC Liaison &           Lucy Taylor                              833637
Coaching consultant

FREE (SORT OF): TWO PINTS OF LAGER AND A PACKET OF CRISPS

We use your membership fees to maintain the courts. Last year we repainted surfaces and lines, for example. The courts are also treated to prevent moss and weeds ruining our play every year. This means the committee is forced to pay for its own hangover hootch at committee meetings. (But anyway I like those unusual bottles of Polish? plonk which office holders see fit to serve up.) All this budget boozing means we are holding the cost of membership for the second year running: Family, £70; Adult, £40; Junior £10

You can save £5 (off family and adult membership) for paying up before May 31^st  - which is at least two pints of lager and a packet of crisps and you can’t say fairer. Membership forms are enclosed. Please remember to include your email address so we can email you entry forms for the tournament and any other notices.

MENDING FENCES

Good news! Our policy of leaving the doors to the courts unlocked seems to have paid off. No new holes have appeared in the fence. We have plans afoot to mend the existing holes possibly with a new type of netting which will be harder to damage.

PICKING UP TRASH

Sadly, this is not a new dating initiative for single members. There is still a depressing amount of litter left around the courts and parking area. We don’t believe that our members are responsible for this. However, if you can spare two minutes to pick any of it up, we’d be very grateful. We do try and do as much as we can ourselves, but the more people helping, the better. The grounds are so beautiful and the litter really isn’t.

TOURNAMENT

Don’t miss this year’s tournament on July 27th, 2009. Last year it was a great day out for players of all standards and ages with exciting finals. We were all winners and even those people who were ultimately not winners could be said to be winners in the sense that they had defeated numerous others to get the point where they could be defeated. Unless you were out first round in which eventuality you were still a winner having failed to be run over on the way to the Sports Club. Is this what you meant about glossing over things, Alex?

TOURNAMENT WINNERS 2008

ADULTS

Men Singles                           James Siebert

Ladies Singles`                       Molly Geach

Men’s Doubles                      Tom Raban and David Richards

Ladies Doubles                      Lucy Taylor and Emma Snell

Mixed Doubles                      Gemma Hickman and Adrian Combrink

JUNIORS

Under Year 6                          Leo Boddington

Year 6 and over, doubles       Tommy Geach and Thomas Kelly

McKinnon Plate                     Olly John, for sportsmanship

Sadly, no match reports are available. New umpires have been appointed. (Again, entry forms for this year will arrive by email. So please include your email on your membership form.)

2009 CLUB EVENTS

American Doubles
Monday 4^th  May. This is an informal turn-up-and-play competition for adults. It is held at our courts at East Hendred Sports Club and starts at 10am. Bring a picnic. Any children can play on the field. Bring bats and balls to entertain them. Or straightjackets.

Club Nights
These resume on April 24^th  from 6.30pm and continue every Friday until the tournament. At least two committee members will be on hand each night. If it rains, we will remove to the Eyston Arms for traditional indoor sports, pint lifting, gossip-mongering etc.

Social
We raised £345 in March through the raffle at the curry night, which everyone seemed to enjoy. This will be used mainly to fund a small amount of coaching for children at the two Hendred schools. We think the children enjoyed it last year and we hope that it will spur some of them to take up tennis and even join the club. We hope that it will promote good relations between the club and our neighbours.

Social Climbing
There has been much verbal enthusiasm for ladders but few matches. This year at the tournament on June 27th we are going to announce the top-ranked men and women with a special prize for the player who initiates the highest number of matches. Anyone interested in joining a ladder, please contact Alex Pearson on:  alex@pearson.uk.com

FIENDLIES (hilarious deliberate typo)

Last year’s friendlies took place in the usual atmosphere of mutual incomprehension and determined smiling. Match report from Uffington was: ‘Every ball was a lob’ and ‘Our opponents were very laid back and enjoyed a quick kip between points’. Perhaps the actual result is irrelevant anyway. We lost one of the other matches having been asked not to field ‘good’ players!

Sally Boddington is arranging more friendly matches with the following teams:

HTC v Uffington tennis club    Home: Tuesday June 2^nd; Away: Tuesday July 7^th Both fixtures start at 6.30pm

HTC v Ardington & Lockinge   To be announced

HTC v Abingdon Nifty Fifties    To be announced

 The matches are probably mixed 2 pair matches, so we need 2 men and 2 women for each fixture. You don’t need to play in all three. We hope to involve as many members as possible. Anyone interested please contact Sally on sally@oldfarmhouse.tv or call either 833659 (home) or 0780 3951029 (mobile).

COACHING

Lucy Taylor’s Thursday morning Ladies Groups are both fully subscribed. She is prepared to run more groups if enough people are keen. She also offers individual lessons during school hours. Coaching out of school hours may be possible. She is running some children’s sessions in Ardington on Thursday afternoons. Some spaces may be available after half term. Contact Lucy on 01235 833637 or lucy@school-house.co.uk

John D’Alton offers coaching for adults and children in small groups or for individuals. Contact John on 835079.

TENNIS BALLS

We will again be selling these through East Hendred Village shop. At £5 a tube they are at least £1 cheaper than the high street, plus they’re on your doorstep and the sales raise money for the club and the shop.