Tennis / Combined / Social membership renewal form can be found here

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2008
(for a pdf version to download and print click here)

President

Spring heralds the start of a new Tennis season and the close of the Squash one. The fitness fanatics carry on at full steam for the entire year according to its Lord and Master, Peter (aka Brad Pitt) Davies. Which ever group that you belong to, I wish you an enjoyable summer and trust that you will fully utilise your Club membership.

Jean Dymock has agreed to take over the Assistant Secretary position from Elizabeth Leigh-Breese. The latter did a magnificent précis of the ramblings from the various Committee Meetings held throughout the year. We have not found a replacement for the Club Secretary, Alan Sherwood. This is a very important, if not the most important office, for a Club of our size and it will be difficult for the Avenue to continue in its present format unless a replacement is found. In the mean time, Alan has agreed to stay on as acting Secretary with a reduced role for which we are all profoundly grateful.

A new carpet for the lounge will be fitted in the summer to replace the badly stained one which is not even two years old! We are having a debate about the positioning of a bicycle rack to replace the ones bolted into the outside wall of the multi gym. Some railway sleepers are being delivered to the Club and Marc Blake is hoping to utilise his dentistry skills in manufacturing a revolutionary new design of bicycle rack!

Please look out for the impending racquet ball mix-in evening, possibly with food and also any forthcoming social events during the season.

Our condolences go to Mary Barker and her family on the death of Dick (her quieter half). We hope that Mary’s laugh will continue to disturb the peace.

Des Barker

President

Chairman

The club AGM took place on 28th February with the poorest turnout for many years! The club is suffering from lack of support and are in desperate need of help to ensure the smooth running of the club. If you or anyone you know is willing and able to provide some time to help then please contact any member of the management committee or talk to Liz in the office. As a members club, the club needs the members’ support.

Following the council’s clearing of the east boundary we are somewhat forced to shore up this boundary with a new fence and hedge, yet to be planted. The artificial tennis courts have been serviced and the tarmac courts are due to be serviced this summer. Areas of the club that are being looked into by the management committee are the erratic hot water system and the general condition of the changing rooms.

Please find enclosed a yellow subscription renewal form for tennis, combined and some social memberships. You will have received these in our winter newsletter either by post, or if we have your email, by email. A number of members claim to have received nothing, or to have accidentally deleted their email, so we have no option but to duplicate our efforts by post to ensure 100% coverage. If you are one of the many who have paid your subscription please forgive and ignore this reminder.

We are trying very hard to convert to email, due to its efficiency, low cost and its ability to publicise anything at the Club. Please let us have yours – it will be used solely for us to communicate with you. Our email is office@avenueltsc.co.uk

Let’s hope this summer brings better (drier) weather than last year so that full use of the grass courts can be made.

Support your club!

Cheers

Iain Cameron

Chairman

Tennis Men's Captain Report

The 2008 fixtures list will be available for collection shortly, and together with tennis programmes adults, juniors and mini, will be available on our website www.avenueltsc.co.uk

Likewise a proposed revision of the tennis byelaws, hopefully simplified, for your comments during April.

We have 20 teams entered in various leagues this year, so match practices will be held on Wednesday evenings starting 16th April. If you wish to play competitive tennis please get your name up on the list outside the office and come to match practice so that team squads and parings can be chosen according to standard and desire.

Some teams are age related e.g. 45+ 50+ 55+ so please let me know your age, I promise to be discreet. Des Barker our President is coincidently 103 – how discreet is that ??

Don’t forget also that mix-ins are an important element part of the tennis scene you don’t need a partner, the structure of tennis be it competitive or social provides them.

The Wimbledon ticket draw will be held early May.

Alan Sherwood

Squash

For the reasons given in the last club newsletter (14 days break at Christmas & a further 11 days at Easter) only the 1st Men’s Team & both Junior Teams have finished their matches in the Hampshire League at the time these notes were written. A total of thirteen matches in all are still to be played by April 25th and hopefully good results in these will improve the respective teams places in the Leagues since, despite a great deal of optimism at the start of the season, Avenue teams generally have not performed as well as we would have hoped especially as unexpected injuries both short & long term have meant we could not always turn out our strongest sides.

The top three men’s sides are all in the bottom half of the respective Divisions whilst the 4th side is currently fourth. Both the Veteran & Ladies sides sit in third place and each may well be able to move up one place by the end of the season. The 1st junior side finished in mid table whilst the 2nd side, in their first season in the league, were unable to field a side for three of their matches (two of these were away on Mothering Sunday and we would hope that this date is omitted from next seasons schedule) but did win three out of the remaining matches.

The Christmas doubles saw a good turnout with ten pairs entered and was won by Mick Miles & Simon Udal who beat Liz Walker & Adrian Jones in the final.

The main closed championships have reached the semifinal stages and full results will be posted on the club website in due course. The Veteran Men’s competition takes place from 22nd April onwards.

With effect from Monday, 28th April the summer booking system comes into operation – please see the various notices in & around the squash court section of the clubhouse.

Please put a note in your diaries for the Squash Section AGM on Thursday 10th April, at 8 pm. The notices about Section officials will be on the main notice board halfway up the stairs.

Ken Blowe

Squash representative

Squash Coaching

There are still places available in junior coaching groups, the times are as advertised or please get it touch with me.

Individual coaching adult and junior is available by appointment.

Richard Hopp

Club Coach

Fitness Section

On Sunday 4th May 2008, between 10am and 2pm, we will be holding an open day in the gym, where the Gym Instructors/Personal Trainers will be on hand to give advice on the equipment and to introduce new members. Further information on this will be displayed on the fitness notice board overlooking squash courts A and B

We are currently designing and printing a number of programme cards for members to use, to enable them to write down their own exercise programmes for the gym. A cardholder will be made available in the gym for members to leave their programme cards in.

An update on the Treadmill. We recognise that this is a very popular piece of equipment enjoyed by many members and therefore when there are repair issues, we aim to have these resolved as soon as possible. Star Trac have been working with us to find out what has been causing some inconsistencies in the running of this machine as has been experienced by some members. Can I therefore ask that between now and the 17th April, any slight problems, no matter how insignificant, be recorded in the book in the gym.

A plea to all you budding Arnie Schwarzenegger’s, that after using the free weights, can you please return them to the racks provided and not leave them lying around on the floor for other members to clear up, to avoid any accidents.

We are also trying to create some space on the shelves for members to put their bags in (signs will be displayed) as a Health & Safety precaution to avoid any accidents.

Finally, can I remind members that the wooden floor area is out of action every Thursday between 6.45pm and 8pm, to enable the spinning classes to be instructed.

Peter Davies

Health & Fitness representative

Tennis Coaching Corner - WHAT'S HAPPENING?

All details of coaching and competitive opportunities are now available. This includes:

• 2008 TENNIS COACHING PROGRAMME- highlighting important dates and all courses for the coming year.

• 2008 TENNIS CAMP PROGRAMME- full details and special offers for holiday time tennis opportunities.

• 2008 TENNIS CALENDARS- all events for the coming year are listed on our easy to read adult, junior and mini calendars.

ROAD TO WIMBLEDON 14&U

If you are aged 14& /u/n/de:@~/r you can enter the “Road to Wimbledon” Junior tournament by signing up on the junior notice board. Entries close on Sunday 6th April. See Junior Tennis Calendar for event timings. Winners of the boys and girls singles event will qualify for the County Finals on the 5th and 6th of July.

2008 CHARITY EVENTS

This year we will once again be hosting 2 charity events both of which are very good causes and personally important. The Damian Timms Team Challenge will again be held on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May commencing at 2pm. The afternoon will be action packed with loads of fun things to do, as well as the tennis, including a fantastic prize raffle, all in aid of Cancer Research UK and the Rowans Hospice.

On Friday 31st October there is special event for our junior members to help raise some funds for Children in Need.

BRITISH TENNIS MEMBERSHIP

All Avenue club members are entitled to join the L.T.A. British Membership scheme, this year, for FREE. People who sign up will get access to a Wimbledon Club ballot, player ratings, regular communications from the L.T.A. And opportunities to add on packages ( including ACE Magazine ). Sign up by visiting www.lta.org.uk/britishtennismembership/ or pick up a form from the office or Pro-Shop.

AVENUE PRO-SHOP

Why not pop in and check out the 2008 Wilson and Babolat tennis racket ranges. We have a demo available in every model and don't forget members receive 15% off all racket sales. We will also in the Month of April be selling off some ex-demo, used and selected 2007 models.

Roger Manvell

Tennis Secretary

Volunteers are needed for the Open Junior Tournament from August 11th to 16th, and especially a catering coordinator. Please contact Sara Robson, telephone 023 9225 9898

LTA membership for individuals is free this year and offers a number of benefits. It can be applied for directly with the LTA.

Rob Mort

Grounds Chairman

This year County week at the Club will be from Monday 21 to Friday 25 July.

We host Ladies group 5 and the Counties competing are:- West of Scotland; Northumberland; Herefordshire & Worcs; North of Scotland;. Somerset & Staffordshire.

Members of the grounds committee are Marcus Blake, Colin Manvell and Philip Stride. Please approach anyone on this committee with your comments and complaints with reference to the grounds and we will do our utmost to help. Work in progress at the moment in the north east corner is to install new netting on the boundary, tidy up the grass tip and plant a new hedge on the roadside of the netting. We trust this will be completed by the start of the grass court which will be the last week of April, weather permitting.

Marc Blake