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membership (d) The hard-court. Members were able to relax and enjoy their
tennis under ideal conditions, with the possible exception of the intense heat
not allowing a great deal of play on the hard court. ... a problem we were all
happy to put up with'!!! In 1960 the weather was poor and the hard court 'came
into its own' with additional hard courts being hired at Hartswood
The 1960 report makes mention of the winter also, the hard-court has come
in for fairly regular use by members at weekends - the first step towards year
round play.
Peter Sullivan, the Club Captain reported 'a marked degree of progress with the
first team moving up to second place in the Brentwood and District League'.
however there were first round exits for both the ladies and the men in the Essex
Junior cups.
The club's singles champions for the year were miss W. Ketterer and Mr P. Sullivan
again winning their respective events, with a ladies' singles cup being purchased.
Numerous comments abut the increase in members appear in the committtee
minutes of the late '50s and at a meeting on Sunday 30th September 1961 it
prompted the the next move in the development of the club.
Moving of Tennis Pavilion
It was agreed that a further grass court would need to be laid as soon as
possible, in order to accomodate the influx of new members within the club and
the only way to do this would be to move the Tennis Pavilion and lay the new
court where it now exists'. It was also pointed out that in approximately three
or four years time the Club would have sufficient money to put down its new
hard court.
It was also agreed, after consulting the groundsman, that the earliest a new
grass court could be used was for season 1963.... so that.... the pavilion would
have to be moved late summer 1962'.
Whilst the Tennis Club was progressing well and comfortably balancing its books,
there appears to have been difficult times in the relationship between Cricket
and Hockey over the running costs of the main playing field. A tennis club
committee minute reports F. Benton and W.H.F Clarke advising that the 'cricket
club were considering that their expenses to C.G.C were too high and were
seeking to propose a new formula....(this would be mainly at the expense of the
Hockey club)'.
the Tennis representatives were advised to 'maintain silence'.... and protect
the interests of the Club' - leaving one wondering how they could do both and
succeed.
However, at the next Tennis meeting it appears that the club's share of of the
C.G.C expenses were targeted for an increase and their representatives were
then given a free hand! they obviously did a good job as at the Tennis AGM a
month later Mr Clarke reported that the Tennis 'levy had been reduced from
£100 to £50 but our contribution raised from £100 to £120' - which probably
ensured that the 'special vote of thanks given to Mr F. Benton on his retirement
as Treasurer after seven years of office during which time much hard work and
effort had been made by him ...with great success'was fully supported.
Looking back on the 1963 season the committee was concerned over the