Hello everyone. Spring is here! Lets be ‘avin you.

Last month we held the Club AGM. We had a reasonable turnout, but we would like to have seen more of you. There were lots of positives from the meeting, particularly the reported successes of the various teams we enter in the winter leagues. Our finances remain in good health, and we have been able to carry out a number of repairs and improvement to the club and courts during the off season.

You will be glad to hear that it was unanimously voted not to increase the subscriptions for this coming year. This means that we have kept them the same for two years on the trot. An increase next year has got to be on the cards! It was also agreed that Family membership is now to include two children.

A proposal was passed to alter the wording in the rules to allow beginners to join as juniors or off peak member, but that a playing in standard is otherwise still required, adjudicated by 3 committee or senior members.

Those playing in the teams will notice that there has been a bit of a change round of team captains. With regret we say goodbye (hopefully temporally) to Warrick Ross as captain of the A’s, to be replaced by Neil Baxter. Mats Willingson is standing down as the C’s captain to be replaced by Neil Bowker (who remains Mens Captain on the Committee). For the girls, Mandy Smith is being replaced by Sheila Barbour as Ladies Captain.

And there have been changes on the Committee itself. Goodbye to Mandy, Richard Harrington, Sara Hoskins, Angela Austin and Shuen Wong. Hello to Chris Wheadon (new membership secretary), Mary Anne MacKenzie and Helen Robinson. Whilst Joy Walley remains secretary, Mats becomes the new club treasurer and Sue takes on the role of events secretary.

If you are reading this you’ve probably got onto the new club website. Isn’t it good! We hope to keep you all much more up to date although some of us are going through a painful learning curve at the moment getting to know how to input, update etc. Let us know what you think.

I hope to see all of you at club evenings and afternoons. We’re hoping to hold a number of informal social get togethers during the summer, so keep an eye on the website. And don’t forget adult coaching beginning Wednesday evenings mid May. If you are interested contact Neil Bowker or just turn up.

See you on court.

Simon Philp.