Sydenham Tennis Club

With Christmas fast approaching, here are a few things for the New Year.

American Doubles Tournament – Wednesday 1 January 2025
We could do with more entries for the annual New Year’s Day tournament, which will start at 1.00pm. It’s a fun way to start the new year. You play a game of mixed doubles for 15 minutes before everything changes – the court you play on, the opposing team, and even your doubles partner! All playing categories are welcome to take part, and the bar will be open for family and supporters, as well as afterwards for the competitors. Find out more here. Contact me for the link to book your place.

Christmas/New Year Quiz – Friday 10 January 2025
Dust off your thinking caps for the new year edition of our popular quiz night. Join regular host Jeff Richards for an evening of fun with family and friends – the bar will be open from 6.30pm with the quiz starting at 7.30pm. Book early to secure your place as numbers are limited to 8 teams.
You can enter as a team or an individual. To book please contact Jeff on 07769565095 or at jeff.richards@rcn.org.uk with your name and, if you are entering a team, your team’s name and the number of people in the team (max 6). Don’t worry if you can’t make up a team or would like to come on your own – Jeff will allocate you to a team on the night. Entry: Adults £3 – Children £2

Community Tennis Programme
All of our adult drop-in coaching sessions for January are now online for booking. You will find full details and booking here. Fun Friday after school club for 3-14 years starts again on 10 January – info here. Finally, why not try out pickleball at our weekly session on Monday afternoon – it’s free for members – info here.

Merry Christmas!

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Craft Beer Festival – Friday 20 December 2024
A reminder that the bar/clubhouse closes this weekend for the Christmas break, and we’ll be holding a craft beer festival tonight in conjunction with our supplier BR3WERY from Beckenham. There will be three beers available on draft – Nectaron Pale Ale, a Mulled Wine Xmas IPA, and an Oatmeal stout – with a special beer flight offer of half a pint of each plus a bar snack and mince pie for just £10. Bar open from 6.30-9.30pm.

Racketball Tournament
The annual Racketball tournament finals took place on 7 December with Ian Moody defending his title in a closely fought match against newcomer Josh Wells. Favourite Ian took the first game and looked comfortable before Josh’s exuberant chasing brought him a 2-1 lead. Eventually, Ian’s experience and tactical nous won through to take the match 3-2. In the Plate event, Tony Moyes defeated Peter Lewis.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 21-27 December: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1330, Christmas Eve 0900-1330, and Friday 0900-1200. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Beer Festival – Friday 20 & Saturday 21 December 2024
As a final event before Christmas, we’ll be holding a craft beer festival in conjunction with our supplier BR3WERY from Beckenham. There will be three beers available on draft – with a special beer flight offer of half a pint of each with a snack and mince pie for £10 – as well as mulled wine on sale.
The bar will be open from 6.30-9.30pm and Saturday from 1.00-4.00pm as long as stock lasts.

Christmas & New Year Information
Some Club activities and facilities will not be available during the festive period as detailed below.
The clubhouse bar will close on Saturday 21 December and reopen on Monday 6 January 2025, although the clubhouse will be open when I am on site.
Tennis club play sessions will end on Sunday 22 December and start again on Sunday 5 January 2025. Squash club night will end on Wednesday 18 December and start again on Wednesday 8 January 2025. 
Coaching groups and sessions will finish on Saturday 21 December – the new term will begin on Saturday 4 January 2025. Drop-in classes will go online for booking next week.
We are having electrical works undertaken in the squash court building from 1-7 January, and it is likely that some facilities will be unavailable at the commencement of the works between 1-3 January. Full details will be confirmed nearer the time. 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 14-20 December: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1330, Monday 0900-1200, Wednesday 0900-1200, and Friday 1200-2100. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Club Members Christmas Party – Friday 6 December 2024
Please note that we will no longer have the pizza pop up on site this evening. Unfortunately, our original supplier cannot make it and I’ve been unable to find an alternative. However, there will still be some nibbles and mince pies available.

Coaching team update
Holly Richards has now left the Club. All of her groups are covered up to Christmas, so these will go ahead as usual. We will have another update regarding the new team for January onwards, as we are confirming new coaches at the moment.

Club Grounds/Maintenance
Paul Oakes, who has been maintaining the Club grounds for around ten years, is leaving at Christmas to move to the Cotswolds – we wish him well. Therefore, we are looking for someone to take on a grounds/maintenance role with approximately 10-15 hours per week available. 
The role would include maintaining the Club surrounds, including vacuuming the hard tennis courts, clearing clay courts of debris, keeping all tennis courts clean and tidy, removing litter, maintaining paths, grass cutting, trimming and maintaining trees, hedges, vegetation and flowers, plus minor building, electrical and plumbing repairs, replacing lights, decorating and other duties of a similar nature.
If you are interested, or know of anyone, please contact me for more information.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 7-13 December: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1500, Monday 0900-1500, Thursday 1500-2100, and Friday 0900-1500. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Club Members Christmas Party – Friday 6 December 2024
Reminder that it’s the Club members Christmas get together tomorrow from 6.30-10.30pm… we’ll be putting on some nibbles and mince pies, and mulled wine will be available to buy. Table Tennis will be set up in the hall, and pickleball outside depending on the weather.
No need to book but if you can let us know if you plan to attend so we can make provision for food and drinks. All members and partners are welcome.

Racketball Tournament Finals – Saturday 7 December 2024
The annual tournament draws to a conclusion on Saturday. If you’ve never seen racketball played before, please come along and watch. 
The order of play will be as follows: 1130: Plate – Tony Moyes v Peter Lewis; 1215: Main – Ian Moody v Joshua Wells.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 6-12 December: Friday from 1200-2100, Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1500, Monday 0900-1500, and Thursday 1500-2100. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Club Members Christmas Party – Friday 6 December 2024
A reminder to put the Club members Christmas get together in your diary… next Friday from 6.30-10.30pm… Mince pies and mulled wine… Pizza to order… Pickleball… Table Tennis… No need to book but if you can let us know if you plan to attend so we can make provision for food and drinks.
All members and partners are welcome! However, please no children at this event. 

American Mixed Doubles Tournament – Wednesday 1 January 2025
The New Year’s Day competition returns – starting at 1.00pm. You will play a game of mixed doubles for 15 minutes before everything changes – the court you play on, the opposing team, and even your doubles partner! All playing categories are welcome to take part. Find out more… The entry fee is £8.00 – please contact me to book your place.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 30 November – 6 December: Sunday from 0900-1200, Monday 0900-1500, Wednesday 0900-1200, and Friday 1500-2100. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Tennis club play 
At the recent Tennis committee meeting, it was decided to put on an additional open club play session on Thursday afternoon from 1.30-3.30pm. All members can attend, including off-peak members.
This will start on Thursday 28 November on courts 3 & 4. Balls will be provided but, if attending, please ensure balls are replaced under the table in the squash courts as they will also be used for club play on Thursday evening.

Court maintenance
All courts are checked regularly for playing condition and we have a schedule of maintenance that takes place over the course of the year. However, if you think there is something that needs to be brought to our attention, please email me directly.
It’s important to note that on occasions there are issues that need to be monitored, such as the current dip in tennis court 4 in the service area. Some of these problems are weather related, and our contractors tell us to wait for several months before taking remedial action. 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club this weekend on Friday from 0900-1200, Saturday 0900-1330, and Sunday 0900-1330, and then on leave until Sunday 1 December. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Club Members Christmas Party – Friday 6 December 2024
Join us in the clubhouse for mulled wine and mince pies. A pop up food stall will be on site too, and the bar open from 6.30-10.30pm. Games and table tennis available in the hall. No need to book – all members and partners are welcome!

Squash Courts – Heating & Hot Water
The boiler in the squash court building has now be replaced, so the heating and showers should be nice and toasty again! Apologies for the delay and lack of hot water for the last couple of weeks, but it was felt a better option in the long-term to replace the boiler rather than repair. Please DO NOT switch off the heaters on the balcony, or block the main door open, as this will affect the thermostatic heating and could result on cold courts.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 9-15 November: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1500, Monday 0900-1030, and Wednesday 1300-2100. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Burger Night – Friday 1 November 2024
A reminder that Meat and Bread will be setting up their pop-up burger tent again tonight, adjacent to tennis court 1 from around 5-9pm. The bar will be open with BR3WERY draft on sale so why not pop down.

Club Annual General Meeting – Thursday 7 November
A reminder that the Club’s 48th AGM will take place next Thursday at 8.00pm in the clubhouse. The bar will be open from 7.00pm, and there will be a drink on arrival and a few nibbles for all who attend.
If you want to put forward a question, or submit a proxy form if you cannot attend, please do so by 8.00pm on Wednesday 6 November. You will find all the relevant documents here. 

Squash Courts – Heating & Hot Water
The boiler in the squash court building will now be replaced due to the cost of repair and the age of the boiler. The engineer will be on site Monday and Tuesday, so the heating and hot water should be back online from Tuesday evening.

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 2-8 November: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1200, Monday 0900-1200, Tuesday 0900-1500, and Friday 0900-1500. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Squash Courts – Heating & Hot Water
Unfortunately, there is a problem with the boiler in the squash court building, which means there is currently no heating or hot water. The engineer has now been on site and confirmed the fault. However, a part needs to be replaced and ordered from the boiler company, and then installed, so it is likely that the matter will not be resolved for a week or so. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.

Members Survey
Many thanks to all members who completed the recent Members survey. The results will be analysed by the Board of Directors and relevant committees. There will also be an opportunity for discussion at the Club AGM on Thursday 7 November.
If there are any comments that I can provide a response to, you’ll receive a reply in the next week or so. For anyone who expressed an interest in volunteering, there will be many directors, committee members and volunteers in attendance at the AGM, so please feel free to come along and have an informal chat about the various roles. 

American Doubles Tournament & Burger Night – Friday 1 November 2024
There are still spaces left for the tournament next Friday. You will play a game of mixed doubles for 15 minutes before everything changes – the court you play on, the opposing team, and even your doubles partner! All playing categories are welcome to take part.
A reminder too that Meat and Bread will be setting up their pop-up burger tent again adjacent to tennis court 1 throughout the evening. The bar will be open for refreshments, and table tennis will be available in the hall from 6.30pm. Why not book a court, grab a drink in the bar, and order your burger?

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 26 October – 1 November: Saturday from 0900-1630, Sunday 0900-1500, Monday 1200-1800, Wednesday 1800-2100, and Friday 1200-2100. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Remember that the bar is open Monday to Thursday from 7.00-10.00pm, Friday evening if there is an event taking place, and Saturday/Sunday when the Club Manager is on site.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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