TAVISTOCK Tennis Club held its annual dinner at the town?s golf club last Saturday.
Chairman David Isaac said it had been a good year for the club and with its excellent facilities had encouraged new players both junior and senior.
With the Plymouth and District League Competitions more teams than ever before had participated with five mens, three ladies and three juniors where the men?s B team as winners of Div 2 had been promoted to Div 1 joining the A team, the ladies? B team promoted to Div 3 and the juniors? C team promoted to Div 3.
There had been a high entry for the club tournaments where there had been some good matches with some new winners. Outstanding features were Annie Jefferies winning the ladies? singles for the seventh time, Phil Harbottle winning the men?s singles for the fourth time and Josh Brown at the age of 13 yrs winning the boys? U18.
Club sessions had been well attended. Three targets had been met with new floodlights for courts 4 and 5 to bring them up to the standard of those on the new courts 6, 7 and 8, the old toilets adjacent to the clubhouse removed and a bench installed on the space made in memory of the club?s oldest member, 95yrs, who died in 2002. The arrival of Linden Hardisty as coach has had a major impact on the club and with his vast experience of coaching at all levels and organising ability is doing a fine job particularly with the juniors.
He is also involved with and assisting the Devon LTA. David expressed thanks to the committee and others who do so much behind the scenes for the smooth running of the club with special references to Ken Watkins who had served the club in many ways for nearly 50yrs and to Viv Iles who arranged the dinner.
He thanked Norma Woodcock, club president, for all her help and advice. The mayor, Jenny Metcalf, said that Tavistock was fortunate to have such a friendly club with all its facilities and had a great asset with Linden. The president paid tribute to David and his committee for what they do.
Mike Jefferies, a former chairman, proposed a vote of thanks to David for all he does for the club and said the committee had unanimously agreed to make him an honorary member.
The cup for the outstanding member of the year went to Sue Parsons, a popular member and despite an illness was an example to everyone by continuing to play and socialise whenever she could.
There were congratulations and applause for member Mike Saase and his wife, Honoria from Scotland, who got married in September. Viv Iles presented a bouquet to the mayor. In the afternoon for the seventh year running there was the traditional fundraising competition for the cup donated by Mike Blagrove in memory of his wife June and won by Anne Bruce and David Martin.
The event with donations at the dinner raised £343-50p for the Children?s Hospice South West. Over seven years it has raised approximately £1,750 for this charity.
l Results of the Open Mixed Doubles tournament traditionally played after the main tournaments. In the main event, Viv Iles/Ray Hinton beat Anne Bruce/Richard Hendin 6-1, 6-4. In the plate, Melody Mason/John Jackson beat Kylie Martin/Tim Wallis 6-3, 6-3.
Recent friendlies. v Okehampton MXDs at home lost 3-5. v Bude LDs lost 0-8 and v East Cornwall MXDs away drew 4-4.?
l Pictured: Tavistock mayor, Jenny Metcalf, with club president, Norma Woodcock, chairman David Isaac and some trophy winners and members.