Eaton Bray Lawn Tennis Club

Posted on August 2, 2011

Things are hotting up – literally – at EBLTC this summer. Some of our Tuesday and Sunday social playing sessions have even been accompanied by the occasional glimpse of sunlight! One intrepid individual was actually spotted wearing shorts last week. He hopes to be over the worst of the frostbite soon. But the lighter evenings mean two things. First, it means that the Earth's northern hemisphere is tilting towards the sun while the southern hemisphere tilts away from it. So as the UK is tilted toward the sun, the daylight lasts more than 12 hours because the sun is at its northernmost position from the equator. Second, it means that we can play more tennis. It is this second fact that is the most interesting (or less boring) to our merry band of members, and thus encourages them out onto the courts after dinner like bees round a honey pot.

Thus, our junior members are coming on leaps and bounds thanks to coach Sara Leavy's enthusiastic and fun Saturday morning sessions. Our internal club tournament is at a peak, with members vying to get into the next round, the incentive being a place on court on Final's Day on Saturday 10th September. Final's day always draws big crowds, nearly 25 turned up last year. This time though, there is an added highlight. As well as our usual scrumptious 256 menu choice barbecue, I will be attempting once more to conquer that death defying annual challenge which is the umpire's chair. Last year I got halfway up and felt dizzy, and despite bravely continuing to the top, couldn't turn around to park myself in the seat. As such I descended backwards down all 6 steps and walked round and round in circles in a very stressed state, demanding to anyone who would listen that I was immediately released from umpiring duties. Ross then very kindly sat me down, made me a cup of sweet tea and persuaded me to umpire from ground level, which I was very happy with. I've now spent a year in therapy with an acrophobia specialist and am already able to go upstairs on my own, so don't miss my second attempt at 'the chair' on 10th September..! I just hope I'll fit into it; it does seem to shrink a bit every year whilst in storage. The clubhouse must be damp, I'll have a word with the committee.

Our various teams in the South Beds league continue to fight hard against some excellent competition. It's a difficult year; with several of our teams having being promoted into higher divisions after last season, the quality of the opposition has likewise improved. We're a bit like Stoke City though, stabilising our position this year before going for total domination next season. In total, 48 matches have so far been played (or occasionally postponed as the opposition struggle to find brave-enough players to face us). Our Girls Under 16s are doing very well, with Alison Lowe and Alicia Franklin winning all their matches. Our Ladies team has won 2 matches (with Alison again appearing in both...) as have our Men's A and our Mixed. Unfortunately Alison wasn't allowed to play for the Men's A team, although they could do with her based on some tough matches coming up! But there's a way to go yet, and a full report of our final positions will appear here at the end of the season, so stay tuned! Someone called me to say that it will also appear on BskyB, but only if I left them my mobile phone security details, and a summary of the tennis club's recent financial transactions. Based on our Vietnamese financier Phut Pholt's recent record, I declined and told them that if I ever heard from them again, I'd get their newspaper closed down. The power of EBLTC.

For any further information about the club, including when we get together for our social tennis sessions up at the School Lane courts, or our various activities, you can visit our website at www.ebltc.org.uk