Elliswick LTC Newsletter – March 2026
Welcome to our March Newsletter. Following the clock change, the midweek evening sessions will be starting on Tuesday 31st March 2026 (Men’s Night). From 6pm until we can no longer see the ball, every Tuesday (Men’s Night), Wednesday (Ladies’ nights), and Thursday (Mixed), just turn up and play. All club nights are run by one of our coaches. Players of all standards are very welcome to join in. You can even have refreshments at the bar during/after the evening sessions.
CLUB TOURNAMENT
The adult club tournament draw was published by email to all members and also posted on the notice board together with the contact lists of the participants. Dates to complete each round will be monitored strictly and if any matches are not played by this date, the match will be agreed by the ‘toss of a coin’.
Deadline to play the first-round matches are as follows:
Ladies singles and ladies doubles: 25th April 2026
Mixed doubles, Men’s singles and Men’s doubles: 18th April 2026
Should there be extenuating circumstances then you are to notify Louise Behan before the round deadline. Matches up to and including semi-final stage must be concluded by 18 June 2026.
COURTS FOR TOURNAMENT MATCHES
Players should book courts online in the usual manner – see website for details. Please book matches for 1.5 hours max. Court bookings are open two weeks in advance. Andree Haxton will only allocate a court for your match during the club nights or social mix-ins.
Please schedule your matches well in advance of the deadlines in case they get postponed due to inclement weather or other unforeseen circumstances.
If anyone has to pull out of the competition, please notify our Tournament Secretary, Louise Behan, at [email protected] . Best of luck to all the entrants!
COACHING COORDINATOR ROLE
Thank you to everyone who has submitted an application so far. The position remains open to all members.
The deadline for applications is 5th April 2026. Please email your application to [email protected].
FOOD & HYGIENE INSPECTION
Following an unannounced visit from the Food & Hygiene inspector recently, we are pleased to announce that we have been awarded another 5* for the cleanliness and the management of our club. Thank you to all members who help to keep the clubhouse clean and tidy.
SUMMER TERM GROUP COACHING – SPACES STILL AVAILABLE
There’s still time to join our Summer term group coaching! A number of adult and junior groups remain open, and places are offered on a first‑come, first‑served basis. If you’d like to take part in the summer term, now is a great moment to book.
Book your Summer term coaching here:
https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/ElliswickLawnTennisClub/Coaching
Looking for holiday activities? Easter camps and May half‑term camps can be booked here:
https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/ElliswickLawnTennisClub/Coaching/Camps
If you’re new to Clubspark Coaching system, please remember that adults booking for U16 players must register themselves first, then add their children to their account.
Our coaching team—Dan Pearce, Rupert Tillbrooke, and Steve Shea—will be leading all group sessions. They are also available for private lessons. To enquire about private coaching, email [email protected] or contact a coach directly.
PERSONAL DETAILS UPDATE IN CLUBSPARKS
It is really important that ALL members check that we have your full details in our Clubspark membership system. To those who haven’t updated your personal details in Clubspark, please do so by logging into your Elliswick LTC Account using the link below.
If you are already signed in, please sign out and then back in again.
|
Select “Your Account” top right. You should then see a page called your profile. Please update all your details and use the save button at the bottom.
BRINGING A GUEST
Members may bring guests on court during off-peak times. Please make sure that the member introducing a guest to play tennis must enter the name and address of the guest together with his/her own name in the visitor book which is kept on the Club’s premises (in the hallway). At the same time, the required visitor’s fee (£3.00) must be paid in cash or via the QR code displayed in the entrance hall. No one may be admitted as a guest to play tennis on more than three occasions in any calendar year. The total number of guests permitted per Member per annum shall be four.
CLUBHOUSE AND GROUNDS
Spring has truly arrived at our club, as shown by the vibrant flowers flourishing in our beautifully maintained garden. We extend our sincere thanks to Dave Watkinson for his continued hard work and commitment in creating a wonderful outdoor space for members and visitors alike.
TEAM TENNIS
Some of the winter matches are still progressing, with a few matches left to play. We are looking forward to the summer leagues (Herts League, Hot Rackets, Summer Datchworth, Mid-Herts Mixed and ladies friendlies) and the team captains should be reaching out to you for your availability. Thank you to all the captains for organising the matches. If you would like to play team tennis, please do not hesitate to register your interest by contacting our respective captains as follows:
Men’s Captain: Mark Behan – [email protected]
Ladies Captain: Rachel Hoddinott – [email protected]
Ladies Friendlies: Lynn Frankling – [email protected]
Mid-Herts Mixed (Friendlies): Andree Haxton – [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP
A very warm welcome to all our new members. We’re excited to meet many of you at New Members’ Day on Saturday 16 May, from 2pm to 5pm. If the weather isn’t on our side, we’ll move the event to Sunday 17 May instead.
This is a relaxed introduction to the club for both adult and junior members — a chance to meet some of the committee, enjoy a few friendly games on court, and finish with refreshments.
If you’d like to join us, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/JDfKTNyCwsxvprrGA
SOCIALS
March was a busy month at the club. We kicked things off with a fantastic evening of live music from Ross and Vicky of Out of the Blue, which had everyone on their feet. A group of members also headed to Stratford to watch ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ with music and lyrics written by our very own Tim Sutton. Many thanks to Sally Radcliffe for organising. We rounded things off at the EMC, cheering on members appearing in HMTC’s Curtains.
Bacon rolls are still available on Saturday mornings, now in the capable hands of Ella Beasley.
Jack Beasley has now hit his fundraising target for his school trip — the Beasleys send huge thanks to everyone for their support and generosity. We wish Jack the very best for his World Challenge trip to Cambodia, where he’ll be working at a bear orphanage.
Please note below our social events scheduled for the next few months:
Events in April 2026
|
Wednesday 1st |
The first of the Ladies nights this Summer. Please message Liz on 07448233049, if you would like to be included in the weekly WhatsApp message throughout the summer for Wednesdays Ladies Night. As above, all club nights are now being organised by one of our coaches. |
| Thursday 2nd | Club Night Mix In begins |
| Monday 6th | Bank Holiday Tournament, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/qokxdr2dkP4UeyVJA |
| Thursday 16th | Supper Night begins. Angela Perry will be cooking up some chicken Marbella, and vegetable tart (vegetarian) served with potatoes and green beans followed by fruit and cream meringue. All for £10pp. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/VZRVVEvxhJfKfuhM7 |
| Friday 17th | Junior Night begins (16:30-18:00 primary school-age kids, 18:00-20:00 secondary school-age kids). |
| Sunday 26th | Family walk led by Chris Rice followed by quiz, cake/tea or drinks from the bar in the clubhouse. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/huatn12zEF9g8Nwt9 |
Events in May 2026
| Monday 4th | Bank Holiday Tournament reserve date in case 6 April cancelled due to weather |
| Wednesday 6th | Fashion & Fizz Special Ladies Night. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/VMFfJzk3zddbX7Vw9 |
| Tuesday 12th | Men’s Beer & Curry Night, sign up here: https://forms.gle/UaStTbZUhHtgyNFa9 |
| Thursday 14th | Moroccan Supper night by Chris Rice who will be cooking up a Lamb Tagine, Couscous & Moroccan fruit jelly. All for £10pp. Please sign up here: https://forms.gle/UB9DF1tcuj5S5PrY8 |
| Saturday 16th | New Members Day (reserve date in case of rain 17th May). please sign up here: https://forms.gle/JDfKTNyCwsxvprrGA |
| Monday 25th | Spring Bank Holiday Tournament |
Events in June 2026
| Wednesday 3rd | Ladies Fizz & Curry Night, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/wQGRDNo5iJFkYuzk8 |
| Saturday 6th | Wine Tasting Evening with Barry and Alison, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/sztwdSGG9V35vkB67 |
| Thursday 11th | Mexican supper night by Victoria and Susie, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/DCcHTyoFetgFvaXc6 |
| Saturday/Sunday 20th/21st | Finals Day |
| Sunday 28th | Junior Tournament |
If you have any queries regarding our social events, please contact our Social Secretary, “Super Jane” Bisseker at [email protected].
JUNIORS
Junior Nights – Starting Friday 17th April (after the Easter break) – Free for all junior members
We’re excited to bring back our popular Junior Nights.
Session Times
- 4:30–6:00pm – Young Juniors (Primary School Age)
Children must be supervised by a parent or responsible adult. - 6:00–8:00pm – Older Juniors (Secondary School Age)
They do not need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian, but we do require an adult supervision on site.
There will be a tuck shop for the juniors and the bar will be open if we have enough volunteers to run it. If you’re able to offer some time, please email [email protected].
Team Tennis
If your junior would like to play in a team, please contact our Junior Secretary, Dan Pearce, at [email protected].
SUNDAY 28th JUNE 2026 – JUNIOR TOURNAMENT – With reserve date of Sunday 5th July 2026.
This year, the tournament will be organised by a team of parent volunteers, with assistance from coaches Dan and Rupert. If you are able to support the planning or organisation, please contact us at [email protected]. Please note that the tournament cannot proceed without sufficient parental support.
EASTER EGG RAFFLE
Please support the Easter Egg Raffle, organised by one of our members, David Cowan on behalf of Harpenden Lions Club, to raise funds for the Willow Foundation, a charity founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper Bob Wilson and his wife, to provide special breaks and experiences for seriously ill young adults. The giant Belgian Chocolate Easter Egg weighs 1kg! Each entry costs just £1 and we are aiming to raise at least £100 for this great charity! Please enter and help us to achieve our goal! The raffle will be drawn on Monday 6thApril 2026.
‘SPRING CLEAN’ TOOL AND EQUIPMENT COLLECTION TO EMPOWER YOUNG PEOPLE IN AFRICA
One of our members, Louisa Philips on behalf of ‘The Developing World Group’ is organizing a collection of unwanted ‘Tools and Equipment’ to help young people in Africa to develop the skills and knowledge needed to find gainful employment or start their own business. This includes garden tools, building tools, sewing machines etc. Please see the list of items needed attached. The items will be refurbished by Workaid and then sent by container to training centres in Africa. So enjoy a ‘Spring Clean’ and drop off your items on Sunday afternoon, 19th April, at Lourdes Hall, Southdown Road, Harpenden, AL5 1PD. Or call Louisa Phillips, on 07734 190488 if you would like to drop them off sooner.
Kind Regards
Elliswick LTC Committee
PS, Don’t forget to keep up to date with events at our website http://www.elliswickltc.co.uk and follow our Facebook page as well.