ELLISWICK LTC NEWSLETTER – SEPTEMBER 2026
Welcome to our September Newsletter. We hope you’ve been enjoying your tennis during this wonderfully sunny September — it’s been a real treat to see the courts so busy and full of energy.
We have some important news to share with you in this newsletter, so do read on and discover what’s happening at our much‑loved tennis club. There’s plenty to enjoy, celebrate, and look forward to.
2027 ADULTS AND JUNIOR TOURNAMENTS
We are pleased to confirm the dates for the 2027 tournaments:
- Club Tournament Finals Day: Saturday 20 June 2027. Reserve date: Sunday 21 June 2027 (please note this is Father’s Day)
- Junior Tournament: Sunday 28 June 2027. Reserve date: Sunday 5 July 2027
CLUB NIGHTS & SOCIAL TENNIS
The autumn season is underway now. The summer club nights (men’s, ladies, mixed and juniors) have all come to an end. Thank you to those who help organised and run our club nights. However, our morning social mixed-in tennis sessions are still running on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9am and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am. Please do keep our social tennis vibrant by attending the sessions. All abilities are welcome. Just turn up and play.
SAFEGUARDING – A MESSAGE FROM THE CLUB PRESIDENT, JIM MCGOWN
Our Safeguarding Team is committed to ensuring that our club remains a safe, respectful, and happy place for all members and visitors. Our club is run by volunteers who give their time and energy to help Elliswick thrive. Please support them in creating a positive environment for all. If at any point you feel you have been treated unfairly, or faced harassment on abuse, please share your concern with our Safeguarding Team Leaders, Andree and David. We are here to listen and to help.
ELLISWICK LTC SAFEGUARDING TEAM
| ANDREE HAXTON
Administrator & Welfare Officer 07900006526 |
DAVID KENDALL
Club Secretary/ Deputy Welfare Officer 07720451471 |
ALEXANDER GARDINER
Young Person’s Welfare Ambassador 07847472432 |
KIERAN LUCAS
Young Person’s Welfare Ambassador 07876754863 |
Thank you for helping us keep our club a welcoming place where everyone can enjoy their tennis.
GROUNDS
The committee are planning to resurface the mini- court next spring, with carpet similar to that used on courts 4-7. It will be usable for Pickleball, however before deciding whether to include Pickleball line markings we would like to establish the level of interest. If you might be interested in playing Pickleball on the renovated mini-court, please let Andree know at [email protected].
TEAM TENNIS
Our teams have enjoyed a strong summer season across both the Herts League and Hot Rackets. All matches have now concluded, with a mix of results and plenty of great tennis played.
A heartfelt thank you to our fellow captains for the time, care and effort they put into organising fixtures and finding players to represent Elliswick. And thank you to everyone who stepped onto court — we hope you enjoyed the matches and the camaraderie that comes with team tennis.
A huge thank you to all our team players across the club—whether your team has been promoted, stayed in its division, or faced tougher results this season. Your time, effort, and commitment to Elliswick are hugely appreciated.
A huge congratulations to the following teams who finished top or second in their divisions and will be promoted. Well done to every player — a fantastic achievement and richly deserved.
2025/2026 Winter Vets season, both teams have been promoted to Championships Divisions
Ladies 50A, captained by Rachel Hoddinott
Mens 55A, captained by Simon Lowe
2026 Summer Herts League
Mens 2nd captained by Rob Gardiner, promoted to Division 1
Ladies 2nd captained by Susie Collins, came 2nd in their Division 1
2026 Summer Hot Rackets League
Ladies 4th captained by Kathryn Coulson, promoted to Division 5
Mens 1st captained by Sam Lowe, promoted to Division 1
Ladies 2nd captained by Kim Rennie came 2nd , promoted to Division 1
Some of our brilliant Ladies’ Captains will be stepping down after leading their teams so wonderfully over the years. Our heartfelt thanks to each of them — you know who you are — for everything you’ve done for the club.
We’ll be looking for new captains next spring, so if you might be interested in running a team, please get in touch with our Ladies’ Captain, Rachel Hoddinott, at [email protected].
The 2026/27 Winter Vets fixtures are now confirmed. We’re now well underway with arranging all the winter fixtures, so it’s shaping up to be a busy season ahead.
Captains will be in touch with their squads regarding selections. Best of luck to all our teams braving the colder months. We hope you enjoy your tennis, and please do feel free to come along and support our teams. Most matches take place on weekend days — it may not be Wimbledon finals, but it’s still great fun, especially with a cup of tea in hand.
Mixed Teams
The Autumn Datchworth League is now underway, with several of our teams already battling through some tough early matches against very strong opposition. The league will continue until mid‑November 2026.
Fixtures for the East Herts Winter Mixed League have also been released, and our six captains are busy coordinating dates with their opposing teams. A heartfelt thank you to all our captains for the time and effort they put into keeping these leagues running so smoothly. Good luck to all players competing throughout the autumn and winter seasons.
SOCIALS
What a fantastic result! 🎉 We’ve raised £779.45 for Macmillan Cancer Support as of 28 September — a massive thank you to everyone who donated, baked, attended and helped make the morning such a success.
Our final Supper Night was a great success. Huge thanks to Chris Rice and Jane Bisseker for preparing a delicious Italian feast, which was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.
And there’s still plenty to look forward to! We have a fantastic line-up of social events through to the end of the year — see below for all the details.
Events in October 2026
| Saturday 17th | Quiz Night and Fish & Chips, please click on the following link to sign up by 10th October 2026: https://forms.gle/1ZGwEvRfQfE1zxCG7 |
Events in November 2026
| Saturday 14th | Lulu and the Hullabaloos 8pm, please sign up here to attend: https://forms.gle/fzR2HJ3vnAXwL9DG8 |
Events in December 2026
| Tuesday 1st | Members Charity Christmas Lunch https://forms.gle/SUbw6FjYJohY5g2K7
This year we will be raising fund for Harpenden Hopper |
| Saturday 5th | AGM – Please attend this important meeting and support the club. |
| Saturday 19th | Festive Music & Magic Evening with Tim Sutton and Upbeat Choir – please sign up here: |
Please put all those dates in your busy diaries.
If you have any queries regarding any of the social events, please contact our Social Secretary, Jane Bisseker, [email protected]
JUNIOR NEWS
Summer League
What a summer it’s been for our juniors in the Hertfordshire Youth & National League. They delivered impressive tennis, and the teams below finished first in their divisions, earning promotion. Huge well done to every player — a superb effort and fully deserved. Our thanks go to all the captains who have dedicated their time to organising matches and coordinating players. Your support makes a huge difference.
U12 Boys, captained by Lara Menzies
U16 Boys, captained by Paul Lucas
U16 Girls, captained by Pierre Oliviere
Winter League
Some of our junior teams have now begun their Herts National Winter League matches, with our talented junior players competing against clubs from across the county. Wishing the very best of luck to all juniors taking part in this league.
CHARITIES
POPPY APPEAL
The annual Poppy Appeal will run from 24 October to 11 November and there will be poppies and a cash collecting tin at the club during this period. A QR code will be available to scan for those who prefer to donate online. Please support your local Poppy Appeal, which over the past year has raised more than £30,000 in support of members of the armed forces and their families. Thank you.
DENS Sleepout 2026
Date: Friday 20th November 7.30pm
Venue: The Dock, Station Road, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, WD4 8LZ
Ticket Price: Adults (18+): £10 / Child (8-17): £5
Just One Night Can Change Someone’s Future
Book your place today: www.dens.org.uk/event/sleepout
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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.