Elliswick LTC Newsletter – October 2024

Welcome to our October Newsletter.

AGM – 7th December 2024 at 10:30am

Preparation for the club’s AGM is well underway.  Papers for the AGM including the review of the year, accounts and details of proposed changes to Committee members will be issued on or before  22nd November.  If you have any matters that you would like to raise at the AGM, please email our Club’s Secretary, David Kendall at [email protected] no later than 29th November 2024. Please do try to attend this important meeting and support your club. If you cannot attend, it is very important to the club to get as many proxies as possible before the AGM so as to achieve a quorum.  If you are not able to attend in person, please do appoint a proxy to ensure that we have a quorum. You can nominate your choice of proxy (which can be the Chairman) by email to [email protected].

LTA MEMBERSHIP

The Club has renewed its membership of the LTA and its liability insurance for 2024/25.

FLOODLIGHTS WORKS COMMENCEMENT

The target start date for the installation of new floodlights to courts 5 and 6 are:

Works commencement:              9 December 2024

Works Completion:                     10 January 2025

Extended week if required:         13 – 17 January 2025.

During the above period, courts 4-7 will be closed leaving only courts 1-3 available to members. The committee decided to leave the social play periods (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings) in the court booking system, as well as the Saturday morning fixed fours at 8am.

The coaches will have exclusive use of one court (court 1), and courts 2 and 3 will be available for member use.

The target start date should be achievable however we are reliant on manufacturing of the new posts and baseplates.

The base plates are made by one company and these have been completed and sent to the post manufacturer, so that is promising. We are currently awaiting confirmation of the manufacturing slot for the posts and we should then have more certainty of the start date shortly. We hope that this will not affect dates but if there are changes then we will notify all members immediately.

ELLISWICK CLOSED CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS 2025

Elliswick Closed Club Championships 2025 will be held on Saturday 21st June 2025 with the backup day being 22nd June 2025. Please put these dates in your diary.

TENNIS BALLS ON COURTS

A gentle reminder that only 4 tennis balls (one tin) are allowed per court and please leave the rest for other members to use.

PERSONAL DETAILS IN CLUBSPARKS

Please update your personal details in clubsparks by logging into your Elliswick LTC Account using the link below.

If you are already signed in, please sign out and then back in again.

ClubSpark / Account / Sign in

auth.clubspark.uk

Select “Your Account” top right. You should then see a page called your profile. Please update all your details and use the save button at the bottom.

GROUNDS & CLUBHOUSE

  • Please take extra care when playing tennis during the autumn/winter months as courts can be slippery.
  • The Winner boards in the clubhouse with the names of this year’s winners are being updated.
  • The thermostats for the underfloor heating in the clubhouse have been set and locked. Please do not try to adjust them, also please don’t leave any of the outside doors open. If additional heating is required, there are 4 wall mounted heaters that can be used.

 TEAM TENNIS

LADIES TEAM

Winter Vets team fixtures are organised and matches are underway, these will run through to March 25.  If you have any questions regarding ladies team, please contact our Ladies Captain, [email protected]. Good luck ladies for playing your matches through the colder months.

Ladies Christmas Lunch:  all lady members are invited to the ladies Christmas lunch on Tuesday 3rd December from 12pm.  This is a bring and share lunch, any proceeds go to a local charity.  The sign-up sheet will go on the notice board at the beginning of November. For more information, please email Andree Haxton at [email protected]

MEN’S TEAM

We entered 1 team into the Herts National Winter League, captained by Rupert Tillbrooke.  The winter vets matches have now been organised by captains in each age group category.  If you’re not already in a squad and would like to play, please let our Mens Captain, Jem Collier-Garrity know at [email protected]

2024 Summer Herts League Report:

1st Team:  3rd position in Division Championship – Rupert Tillbrooke

2nd Team: Top position in Division 2B – Rob Gardiner

3rd Team: 6th position in Division 3B – Tony Ward

4th Team: 3rd position in Division 4A – David Kendall

5th Team: 6th position in Division 4B – Justin Bisseker

2024 Summer Hot Rackets Report:

1st Team: 3rd position in Division 2B – Paul Hunt

2nd Team: 2nd position in Division 5A – David Pankhurst

MIXED TEAM TENNIS

The Autumn Datchworth is now drawing to an end.  Many thanks to all the Captains (Amy Martin, Jem Collier-Garrity, Stuart Owen and Susan Beasley) for sorting out teams for this weekly tournament.  The latest league positions may be found via the following link http://datchworth.net/images/Summary_A.htm

The Winter Mixed competition is also about to start with Captains finalising their fixtures through to April 2025. Team Captains (Kate Curson, Rob Gardiner, Victoria Aitchison, Steve Hall, David Kendall and Cath Shepherd) will be asking their respective squads for availability for the 5 or 6 matches each team plays.  If you’re not already in a squad and would like to play, please let our Mixed Team Captain, Amy Martin know at [email protected]

SOCIALS 

Our Centenary Dinner Dance was a great success, thank you to Jem and Victoria for organising this event. The quiz night was also a great success, thank you to our genius Quiz Mistress Carol Arnsby for making the evening so enjoyable and well done to the winning team.

COMING UP EVENTS:

Saturday 9th November  – Jazz Night with Lulu & the Hoolabalus, sign up here: https://forms.gle/JMA3mVbUKVxMkn3D7

Tuesday 3rd December at 12pm – Ladies Charity Christmas Lunch (bring a dish), sign up here:   https://forms.gle/SW8ys5hj2F1N3BPt6

Saturday 7th December at 10:30am – Annual General Meeting. Please attend this important meeting and support the club.

Sunday 15th December – Christmas Charity Music and Magic Evening with Tim Sutton and Upbeat Choir, 6:00-8:00pm. Mulled Wine and Mince Pies. Free entry, with a retiring collection/donations in aid of
https://future-academyuk.net/  creating hope and opportunity for the world’s forgotten children.  Please follow the link below to reserve your tickets for this event:
https://forms.gle/oBgtvWWSSzVjpLLy7

Monday 30th December – Christmas Bank Holiday Tournament – Due to the floodlights work, this event has been cancelled.

Please put all those dates in your busy diaries.

If you have any queries regarding our social events, please contact our Social Secretary, Jane Bisseker, at [email protected]

 JUNIORS

2025 JUNIOR TOURNAMENT

We propose to hold the 2025 tournament on Sunday 29th June 2025 with reserve date Sunday 6th July 2025.  Please put the above dates in your diary.

JUNIORS LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS

Autumn and Winter leagues are now being played. Thank you to all the captains for their time and effort in arranging all the matches.

OTHER NEWS

Radio Interview

Our Club Secretary, David Kendall was recently interviewed by the local radio.  If you wish to listen to the interview please click on the following link:  https://mix926.com/highlight/elliswick-tennis-mark-a-century-in-style/.

Herts. LTA Bulletin

To read the bulletin, please click on the following link: https://hertstennis.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/8.-Herts-Tennis-Bulletin-no-8-September-2024-.pdf

Please note in particular page 8, where our club features in it!

Poppy Appeal

Poppies (including pin badges) are available in the clubhouse for those who would like to buy one (there is a QR code for those who wish to donate by card). The Poppy Appeal runs until Monday 11 November.

Ceilidh at Wheathapstead Memorial Hall

Let your hair down at a Ceilidh on Friday 15 November, at the Wheathampstead Memorial Hall. There will be a live band and caller, hot food, and a bar. Tickets cost £20, which includes a hot meal of lasagne (meat and vegetarian options). Even if you don’t wish to dance, we’re sure you will enjoy the live music, food, drink and company! To buy tickets please use the QR code on the flyer or visit https://www.harpenden-lions.co.uk/ceilidh. The event is supporting the charity Waterways Experiences (https://wexp.org.uk/), that enables people, regardless of age, physical ability or social disadvantage to experience the fun and the beauty of our waterways.

Wine Tasting Evening – 22nd November 2024, 19:30 to 23:00

Some of our members (Debbie, Neil and Callum Liles) are organising wine tasting evening for Kinsbourne Explorer Scouts and the 9th Harpenden Scouts to raise fund for their trip to Kandersteg International Scout Centre (in the Swiss Alps) in the summer.  Tickets are £25pp.  To organise a table and book your tickets, please contact: [email protected] by 8th November.

Christmas Eve 6pm – 7pm – Community Carol Singing – at Harpenden Common, beside the Harpenden Arms

Please join some of our members who will sing carols and Christmas songs together on Christmas Eve led by our talented musicians Tim Sutton, Dave Pankhurst and their band, supported by the Harpenden Trust, and there will be an opportunity to donate to the Harpenden Trust Christmas Appeal.

Kind Regards

Elliswick LTC Committee

PS, Don’t forget to keep up to date with events at our website http://www.elliswickltc.co.uk and follow our Facebook page as well.