Farnborough Tennis Club
(Orpington)
Club News
Court re-surfacing update
FOR THE ATTENTION OF ALL MEMBERS:-
At long last our court re-surfacing project started on Monday 4th November. The work is able to proceed this late in the year thanks to the current spell of mild weather. Having now had the chance to discuss the work with the suppliers, the re-surfacing process is as follows:
- Cleaning of the current surfaces to remove any dirt, moss and debris.
- Pierce existing surface at approximately 0.5m centres through to the existing foundations and back-fill with pea shingle.
- Chase out approximately 300mm wide channel of asphalt around the entire internal perimeter.
- Spray surface with Tac coat. Lay approximately 25mm consolidated thickness 6mm porous macadam and thoroughly roll and cross roll.
- Install raising plates to the current tennis post sockets to increase the height to match the level of the new asphalt surface.
- Apply two coats of acrylic paint to the surface after 4 weeks and line markings applied fully in accordance with the LTA.
The tarmacadam material has moved on substantially since the courts were last resurfaced (20 years ago) and we believe the final surface will be slightly softer on the joints, more durable and more porous, allowing better drainage and less build-up of moss. It should also last us at least 15 years - the current surface was only expected to last 10-15 years at best and, as we know, has been cracking and warping in places for a while now.
As you will have noted from the process description, the bulk of the work will take four weeks, including two weeks to allow the tarmac to cure sufficiently to be playable. The realistic outlook is that the courts will be out of action for the whole of November - and possibly a little longer - dependent on prevailing weather conditions.
After this the courts may remain black with white lines for a time - potentially the whole winter - as the weather needs to be perfect to apply the acrylic paint. We will keep you updated as the work proceeds - watch this space!
Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on Sunday 1st December from 10:30 to 12:00 at the Crofton Oak Scout Hut near St Paul’s Church.
(Address: Crofton Oak Scout HQ, Crofton Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 8JE.)
All members are welcome to attend the AGM and all may speak on the agenda items and issues to be debated. Senior members may also vote for or against the resolutions presented.
Any member wishing to propose a resolution at the AGM must send a copy in writing to the Honorary Secretary before Friday 15th November so that provision may be made on the agenda. Any items submitted later than this may be included at the discretion of the Club Chairman.
Christmas social event
The Club are holding this years’ Christmas meal at The Bank in Locksbottom on Monday 2nd December at 7:30pm. Anyone who would like to attend, please let Sue Leonard know on the Farnborough Tennis Club WhatsApp [with a £10 deposit to follow]. There are still a few spaces remaining!
Club Tournaments
An update on the progress and results in this seasons’ tournament finals:
- the Ladies Doubles was won in July by Shirley Wicks & Jean Baars;
- the Veterans Singles was won by Chris Ponulak on Friday 1st November, following completion of the final Round Robin match;
- the Men's Doubles was won on Sunday 3rd November by Duncan Gager & Paul Stainsby.
Congratulations to all our winners so far and well done to all our finalists who played their part too.
The Men’s Singles Final between Rich Butcher and Rohan Sehgal is halfway through and hanging on a knife edge; hopefully, to be completed before the AGM.
The Ladies Singles Final, between Rose Howell and Rosie Anderson, is planned for the weekend of 9th / 10th November at Willet Way recreation ground, but this depends on whether the ladies can book a court.
Meanwhile, the final of the Mixed Doubles is still to be scheduled and will see Kuniko Sato & Paul Stainsby take on Rose Howell & Danny Edmunds.
See the Matches page on the website for more details about the tournament formats and the tournament rules.
American Tournaments
Remaining dates for the American Tournaments this year are as follows and details for each will be sent out prior to the event. These usually take place between 10am and 2pm on the published dates.
- Sunday 29th December 2024 - the Mince Pie American
Court Bookings
The requirement to book courts before playing has been lifted; members may simply turn up and play this season. However, members can still reserve courts using the online booking system and booked courts take priority.
Members may not book courts during Club Play sessions, Club Matches or Club Tournaments. Dates and times for these are all available on the website.
Note that, as per Club Rules, if all courts are occupied and members are waiting, a match shall consist of one normal tie-break set and, on completion of the set, players shall vacate the court to allow other members to play. Players may then await the next free court to play again.
Booked courts are for a set time period and will always take priority - these courts should be vacated on completion of the time period booked.
Reminder: could all members please take extra care to pull the latch across and ensure the court gates are locked securely when leaving the courts.
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