Tuesday 5th June 2012
The Club held a Jubilee Team Tournament in which the Red, White and Blue Teams battled it out for the Jubilee Trophy. Despite some wet and blustery weather, all the doubles round matches between the 3 teams were played, involving players aged from 6 to 80. However, as the first of the All Team Challenge competitions between the Red and Blue Teams was being played, the heavens really opened and the competition had to be called off.
The Trophy was awarded to Red Team, who had been the clear leaders at the end of the doubles matches. Sir Bryan Nicholson (Nick), the Red Team captain, collecting the trophy, said that he thought his team had handled the difficult conditions better, but praised the efforts of both opposing teams.
Following the Team Tournament, the Club held an Open Session and welcomed a number of villagers interested in joining the Club. They talked to members and to our excellent coaches and were able to see what our Club has to offer. Some even braved the dismal weather to try out the courts!
To mark our Jubilee Day the Clubhouse featured the Club’s beautiful Floral Display, which Djina Dann had designed and which had been on view earlier in the weekend at the church. The bright yellow ‘tennis balls’ were much admired! Pia Chamberlain’s display of historic photos of Kingswood were on show as well, attracting considerable attention.
We had also invited the KADDS singers to reprise their Jubilee Song Set after their success at the Street Party, and a Clubhouse full of members and visitors joined in lustily with their renditions of songs from London musicals of the last 60 years. KADDS led us in not one but two rounds of Happy Birthday, the first to their young singer Sophie Bousfield and the second to Red Team Captain ‘Nick’ Nicholson whose 80th birthday was the following day.
To round off an action-packed day, the evening was devoted to a Lamb Spit Roast and BBQ. When this was planned we envisaged being able to spread out across the Club lawn on a warm June evening. As it turned out, we all had to pack into the Clubhouse while the gallant band of chefs, led by Warren Eales and including Guy Kingsbury, Geoff Kitchen, James Jackson and Steve Armitage, toiled away outside to deliver perfectly roasted lamb, plus delicious burgers and Porky White sausages.
Ann Murphy and a team of volunteers produced an array of tempting salads and followed the main course (and seconds!) with scrumptious desserts. Steve Kippen, and earlier David Smith, kept the drinks flowing. All in all, despite the weather, it was a great evening.
