Welcome to 2006 - where a promising year awaits…..

Our tennis teams have produced great results in first half of the season both in the Newbury and Thames Valley Leagues. This in turn is reliant on the coaching and development of our players. 

In this regard I would like to pay a special tribute to Sue T.  Sue does an incredible amount of work in promoting and developing our newer players, not least in organising the Coaching Programme but also the special ’Ladies afternoons’ and box leagues. 

The Junior Committee has a great new team who are already to recruiting and encouraging the junior members of our club.

You will know that last year Patricia K resigned, followed closely by the termination of our coaching arrangement with GDT.

The new team is lead by Annabel W as Junior Liaison Officer and John J as Junior Membership Secretary.  Karen K, Christine B, Doris N and Jonathon H make up the rest of the junior committee.

As some of you will know, Ray H died last year.  Anyone who knew Ray will know of his love of tennis and GTC.  So much so that he has donated a cup engraved with his well used catch phrase ‘A Pox On It’.  Through our discussions with him, it was his wish that an annual charity event should be held in his name, the first of which will be on Sunday 21st May in support of CLIC Sargent. 

This will hardly be news by the time you read it, but at the AGM I read out a draft letter in response to the planning application for an all weather sports playing surface, with high fence and floodlighting, to be situated adjacent to our courts.

Although we as a club in principal support any initiative encouraging sport in the area; it was proposed at the AGM that I should send a letter of objection, primarily on the grounds of the location of the proposal, but  also with many other concerns. This has now been sent to the SODC and also to the Parish Council outlining our position.

(Editor’s note: This particular planning application has now been withdrawn)

At the recent AGM both myself and Ian B (Vice Chairman) resigned.  Ian has been one of our longer serving Members, and on behalf of everyone on the Committee a special thank you to him.

My resignation comes on the back of my move from Goring.  I have enjoyed my time firstly as Social Secretary where with some pride managed to create three events which are now well established in our annual social calendar, namely The Dinner Dance, which was on 25th February, the Summer BBQ and the Quiz Evening. 

As Chairman, apart from the day-to-day running of the Club, my time was spent reacting to events relating to the impact of GDT and our Club.

The last year has been great with many achievements including the outstanding efforts of Sallie P, for the new look Newsletter and Phil R for the Website.  

This coming year 2006 will see the refurbishment of the courts and I am sure some excellent tennis played on them.

Lastly I would like to thank the Committee for working with me over the past four years or so.  We are always looking for help with the running of the club, so if you think you would be able to give some time, then please contact the Secretary or anyone else on the Committee and I’m sure they will be delighted to give you some idea of what events are planned and where you could help.

Peter H