There are now three ways of checking club team fixtures!

Firstly, you can check in your personal copy of the Members Handbook - these have just been produced, and are available in the Clubhouse, or ask Dick Elms.

Secondly you can click on the Calendar section of this website - this has the advantage of also giving details of social tournaments and other important events.

Thirdly, if you click on Fixtures and Results ( and if the Team Captains have been doing their stuff!) you can see not only future fixtures but also the results of those that have been completed.

Yet again, our Winter Handicap Tournament kept many members on their toes during the shortest days.  Thanks to the expertise of the handicappping judges, there were a lot of close contests, but in the end the winners were :

Ladies Singles : Juliet Thompson

Mens Singles :   James Timbrell

Ladies Doubles : Sasha Ferguson and Sue Warrington

Mens Doubles  : Graeme Brydon and Richard White

Mixed Doubles : Sarah Armitage and Sean Stringer

Congratulations to all!

... and what a weekend we had!

Firstly, many thanks to all the volunteers who pitched in on Saturday 14th to prepare for the summer season - the clubhouse and contents have been thoroughly cleaned, some painting has been done, gutters cleared, paving slabs re-laid,hanging baskets hung, netting erected on the north fencing.... great stuff!

Secondly, thanks in no small part to more volunteers who distributed nearly 2500 flyers around the neighbourhood, a good number of newcomers came to our Open Day tournament on Sunday 15th - two have already signed up to join the Club, and others are joining us on Tuesday or Wednesday evening this week to check that we are the right local tennis venue for them.  There was a lovely welcoming atmosphere, and no doubt the smell of bacon butties wafting across the courts encouraged everyone! Again, many thanks to the cooks and other organisers.

Thirdly, the Wimbledon Draw was held - over 50 members applied for tickets, and the lucky 15 winners now have to respond to the new British Tennis system and pay over the internet, which it is hoped will reduce fraud.

It's that time of year again!

There's good news on the subscription front - firstly, annual subscriptions have been kept the same, for the fourth year.  In addition, there is now an increased reduction for family membership.  Lastly, in this Olympic year, the Committee has decided to make a special reduced offer to new members only - download the Subscription form from the Downloads section of this site for full details.

Hope to see you on the courts soon,

Dick Elms

Membership Secretary, 020 8441 0040

dickelms@aol.com

Happy New Year - Gung Hay Fat Choy! 

to all Ravenscroft LTC members

23^rd January 2012 heralded the start of the Year of the Dragon – a chance to sweep clean ready for a good year ahead! Last week Ravenscroft’s courts enjoyed a new year spruce up and clean ready for the start of the season.

The court cleaning has removed moss and leaves which were causing areas outside/by the end courts to be slippery BUT to reduce the risk of slipping please

• ·         make sure you wear appropriate footwear – tennis shoes rather than trainers
• ·         avoid playing when the courts are wet because they can be slippery

We have been advised to advise players deciding to play in wet conditions that they put themselves at risk and RLTC can accept no responsibility for accident/injury. We are going to put up signs to remind members to take care on court.

We want to try to encourage more social tennis and club events in the year ahead and raise funds to support the club so if you have any ideas of ways we can encourage more people to join in please tell me or Social Secretaries Julie Kimberley and Carolyn Ferguson.

The first social event takes place on 16^th March 2012 at 7.45pm – our St Patrick’s Quiz Night – let’s pack the clubhouse with quizzers for a fun fund raising evening for only £10 to include a fish and chip supper!

Then …to celebrate the longer evenings, the imminent start of the Easter Holidays and to kick start the playing season we hope that you will join us for the first Club Night Supper of the year on Thursday 29th March.  It will be a Black & White evening so no other colours will be allowed on court for play ... however we will not promise burnt offerings on the supper table to comply with the theme - but then again you never know?  Please bring yourselves in the correct attire, a bottle & £5 for supper, but in order to help the chefs (Margaret Gibson & Jane Keogh) please email Margaret at g.r.gibson@btinternet.com to book your place at the table!

See you on 16^th March for the quiz – I hope – and on court whenever the weather permits and especially at the social on 29^th March.

Very best wishes.

Sue Warrington (Chair)

31.1.12

Last Sunday morning saw 27 people compete for Beth's Trophy which was great.  The sun shone at times despite a bad forecast but as Noel said he was sure that Beth had "had a word" and arranged that for us!

The competition was a very close run one with 4 players tying on 12 games each - Mair Beccarelli, Sue Warrington, Nic Armitage and Dick Elms - however there has to be a winner and so Steve Porter announced on "countback" the Top Lady trophy would be awarded to Mair, the Top Man trophy to Dick and the coveted outright winner Trophy would go to Dick too!  So well done the winners and well done the competitors and well done those that came to support, cook, eat, sell the raffle tickets, organise the play etc etc!

Over £80 was collected on the raffle and so including entrance fees and bacon butty revenue we collected £240 which will be divided between Cherry Lodge and our Club.  It would be nice to purchase something for the Club with our share so if anyone has any suggestions we would be interested to hear them please?

Next year's Tournament will be on the usual Sunday and will be organised by Jane Keogh aided and abetted by William Harvey!

Thanks for all your support and a special thanks to Steve for organising the play!

It is with deep regret that I have to inform the membership of the sad passing of Tom Illingworth.

Tom passed away peacefully at home aged 91 last Tuesday 12th July after a short illness.

Tom was a long time member of the club and played well into his 80s and will be remembered very fondly by a lot of us.  In particular by his trade mark white track suit and his giggle as you fell foul of his evil slice!

Our thoughts are with his family at this time.

Margaret Gibson

Cup results

Ladies Singles

Winner :               Kim Henderson                                 Runner-up : Jo Ireland

 Ladies Doubles

Winners :             Jo Ireland and Marisa Nicholes

Runners-up :      Kim Henderson and Margaret Gibson

 Mens Singles

Winner :               James Timbrell                 Runner-up : Chris Williams

 Mens Doubles

Winners :             Ian Pittams and Chris Williams   

Runners-up :      Adrian Todd and Tom Warrington

 Mixed Doubles

Winners :             Kim Henderson and Chris Williams         

Runners-up :      Marisa Nicholes and Isaac Moore

 Plate results

Ladies Singles

Winner :               Katie White                        Runner-up : Kate Milful

 Ladies Doubles

Winners :             Jane Keogh and Debbie Thompson         

Runners-up :      Jill Baker and Joan Naughton

 Mens Singles

Winner :               Will Jones                            Runner-up : James Falkingham

 Mens Doubles

Winners :             Gary Collins and Simon Golding

Runners-up :      Ian Butler and Alan Paterson

 Mixed Doubles

Winners :             Julie Kimberley and Gary Collins

Runners-up :      Jane Northam and Barry Henderson

Membership subscriptions are being collected and so NOW is the time to get out on court to maximise the value of the fees that you have just paid out!