ELLISWICK LTC NEWSLETTER – OCTOBER 2025
Welcome to our October Newsletter.
AGM – 6TH DECEMBER 2025 AT 10:30AM
Preparation for the club’s AGM is well underway. Papers for the AGM including the review of the year, accounts and details of proposed changes to Committee members will be issued on or before 22nd November. If you have any matters that you would like to raise at the AGM, please email our Club’s Secretary, David Kendall at [email protected] no later than 29th November 2025. Please do try to attend this important meeting and support your club. If you cannot attend, it is very important to the club to get as many proxies as possible before the AGM so as to achieve a quorum. If you are not able to attend in person, please do appoint a proxy to ensure that we have a quorum. You can nominate your choice of proxy (which can be the Chairman) by email to [email protected].
LTA MEMBERSHIP
The Club has renewed its membership of the LTA and its liability insurance for 2025/26.
VISITOR FEES
Guests of members are very welcome to play at Elliswick LTC. We politely remind you that the accompanying member must pay a fee of £3 (for each adult) or £1.50 (for each junior). That fee can either be paid in cash and left in one of the small brown envelopes provided or can now be paid by card using the QR code posted just inside the entrance to the clubhouse near the dryer. 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 is four.
2026 ELLISWICK CLOSED CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS
Elliswick Closed Club Championships 2026 will be held on Saturday 20th June with reserve date Sunday 21st June 2026. Please put these dates in your diary.
PERSONAL DETAILS IN CLUBSPARKS
Please complete and update your personal details in Clubspark 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.
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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.
GROUNDS & CLUBHOUSE
Winners Notice Boards.
The notice boards in the clubhouse have been updated with the names of the 2025 tournament winners.
Benches.
Many of the courtside benches are looking much smarter, having been repaired and repainted by John Horsford. Thank you John!
Invasive Weed.
Members may have noticed dieback on some of the vegetation at the back of court 4. An invasive weed (Horsetail) has been found and is being treated with a selective herbicide by a specialist company (the treated area is safe for pets and children just 1-2 hrs after treatment).
Washrooms.
A subcommittee has been reviewing options for washroom refurbishment, ranging from replacing the sanitaryware and improving the water flow and drainage to reduce blockages, through to full reconfiguration. Costed options will be incorporated into the next 5-year plan, to be presented for approval at the AGM on Sat 6 Dec.
Fire Risk Assessment.
The assessment carried out by Fireguard Services on 1 Oct highlighted a need to improve some safety measures and ensure that members understand the actions to be taken in the event of a fire (or other reason), to evacuate the building. Please take note of the safety instructions that are posted on the notice board and the poster below.
TEAM TENNIS
LADIES TEAM
Winter Vets team fixtures have been organised and matches are underway. These will run through to March 25. If you have any questions regarding ladies team, please contact our Ladies Captain, [email protected]. Good luck ladies for playing your matches through the colder months. We are looking for lady to captain our summer Hot Rackets 4th team. Please get in touch with Kate if you are able to help. No captain, no team.
Ladies Christmas Lunch: all lady members are invited to the ladies Christmas lunch on Tuesday 2nd December from 12pm. This is a bring and share a dish lunch. Any proceeds go to a local charity. If you wish to attend, please sign up here: https://forms.gle/vTcicSGhwNwGg38BA. For more information, please email Andree Haxton at [email protected]
MEN’S TEAM
2025 Summer Leagues
It had been a very challenging year for our men’s teams this season. They were faced with very tough opponents. Please see results below:
2025 Summer Herts League Report:
| TEAMS | CAPTAINS | DIVISION | POSITION |
| 1st | R TILLBROOKE | CHAMPIONSHIP | 6TH |
| 2nd | R GARDINER | 1 | 6TH |
| 3rd | T WARD | 3 | 3RD |
| 4th | B DEARMAN | 4 | 4TH |
| 5th | J BISSEKER | 4 | 7TH |
2025 Summer Hot Rackets Report:
| TEAMS | CAPTAINS | DIVISION | POSITION |
| 1st | R COURTMAN | 1B | 5TH |
| 2nd | M TIMMINS | 4A | 6TH |
2025/2026 Winter League
The winter vets matches have now been organised by captains in each age group category. If you’re not already in a squad and would like to play, please let our Mens Captain, Jem Collier-Garrity, know at [email protected]
MIXED TEAM TENNIS
The Autumn Datchworth league is almost coming to an end. Many thanks to all the Captains (Amy Martin, Richard Courtman, Michael Timmins and Susan Beasley) for sorting out teams for these weekly matches. The latest league positions may be found via the following link: https://datchworth.net/images/Summary_A.htm
The Winter Mixed competition has also started with Captains finalising their fixtures through to April 2025. Team Captains (Kate Curson, Rob Gardiner, Rachel Hoddinott, Ainsley Radgman, Rob Edward and Mark Way) have been in contact with their respective squads for availability for the 5 or 6 matches each team plays. If you’re not already in a squad and would like to play, please let our Mixed Team Captain, Amy Martin, know at [email protected]
SOCIALS
In early October, some of our members enjoyed a trip to see Guys and Dolls at the EMC theatre in Harpenden featuring a couple of Elliswick members in the cast.
COMING UP EVENTS:
NOVEMBER
8th – Jazz Night with Lulu & the Hullabaloos. Please sign up here if you wish to attend: https://forms.gle/scukixUoS3D5i5HA9
12th – Gin Tasting Evening. To make this event to happen, we need more participants to sign up. Please click on the following link to sign up: https://forms.gle/XiD3PCv4vtMR9CoaA . This event will only go ahead if we have an adequate number of attendees.
15th – Annabel Croft at the EMC. That trip is now closed as all the group tickets have been taken, however members may wish to know that they can obtain a 25% discount on tickets for this event by using the code LTA25.
DECEMBER 2025
2nd – Ladies Charity Christmas Lunch (bring a dish) sign up here: https://forms.gle/vTcicSGhwNwGg38BA
6th – Annual General Meeting at 10:30am. Please attend this important meeting and support the club.
7th – SAVE THE DATE: Charity Music and Magic Evening with Tim Sutton and Upbeat Choir at 6:00-8:00pm. Tickets £10 including Mulled Wine and Mince Pies. Please click on the following link to sign up:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCBM6F7lM7hZGH4CQal2bVz5WLMwteirTAI-BE4yqqfQXmjQ/viewform
Please put all those dates in your busy diaries.
JUNIORS
We are proud to announce that our U14 Boys team (Oishin Brocklebank and Harry D’Angiola), captained by David Brocklebank, have won their division in the LTA Youth & National League summer season 2025. Well done and congratulations to the players and thank you to the captain for organising the matches.
2026 JUNIOR TOURNAMENT
We propose to hold the 2026 tournament on Sunday 28th June with reserve date Sunday 5th July 2026. Please put the above dates in your diary.
JUNIORS LEAGUE TOURNAMENTS
Autumn and Winter leagues are now being played. Thank you to all the captains for their time and effort in arranging all the matches.
OTHER NEWS
Poppy Appeal
A reminder that the annual Poppy Appeal is running until Tuesday 11 November (Remembrance Day). A Poppy tray is located in the clubhouse and donations can be made by cash in the collecting tin or online by scanning the QR code on the Poppy tray. Alternatively, David Cowan (Mob 07909 990275) has a card reader that also allows you to add Gift Aid to your donation.
Ceilidh
There are still tickets available for the Ceilidh at Wheathampstead Memorial Hall on Sat 22 Nov.
The event is run by Harpenden Lions and is raising funds for the Harpenden Hopper. There will be a Bar, Live Band and Caller. Tickets cost £20 and include a Ploughman’s Supper. Please visit https://www.harpenden-lions.co.uk/ceilidh25 for further details and to buy tickets or contact David Cowan on 07909 990275.
Christmas Eve 6pm – 7pm – Community Carol Singing – at Harpenden Common, beside the Harpenden Arms
Please join some of our members who will sing carols and Christmas songs together on Christmas Eve led by our talented musicians Tim Sutton, supported by the Harpenden Trust, and there will be an opportunity to donate to the Harpenden Trust Christmas Appeal.
DENS Sponsored Sleepout
There are just 4 weeks to go until the DENS Sponsored Sleepout on Friday 21st November at Hammond Academy in Hemel – and we need your help to make it our biggest yet!
Our Sponsored Sleepout is one of DENS’ most important fundraising events, helping to raise vital awareness and funds to support local people facing homelessness and crisis.
This year’s event promises to be a fantastic evening, featuring:
Live music to keep spirits high
Hot food available throughout the night
A hot chocolate stall to keep you warm
A live Q&A session to learn more about DENS and the impact of your support
️ A dedicated family and youth sleeping area, plus plenty of indoor sleeping options
Visit www.dens.org.uk/sleepout to secure your FREE place!
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.