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From: The Racketeer 46, July 2002

Lethal Spin [10]

by Frank Raistrick

Juniors
I was once in a Committee meeting discussing juniors, and as the Junior Secretary I was pontificating rather pompously that we must look after our youngsters, as they were the future of any club. One of our middle-aged members said he couldn't care less - he detested kids dashing all over the courts, and he'd be long gone by the time they were old enough. I was shocked, but I have since realised how wrong I was, although not for this reason.

It's because juniors aren't around long enough to metamorphose into seniors, like tadpoles into butterflies. In the middle-class world of club tennis, most teenagers graduate to further education, never to be seen again, except by their nearest and dearest, and the once-loved tennis courts are no longer part of their lives.

My Mapperley Park experience proves this. In the late 1970s we had as good a collection of juniors as any club in the league, including mighty Woodthorpe and West Bridgford. We won the Junior League and would have probably done the same in the Teenage League if it had been invented. There was quantity too, and the courts struggled to cope with the swarming hordes. They turned the clubhouse into a tip, but I won't go into that, I never did then except when it was raining.

Our Junior team was all-conquering, Ed Davey and Mark Brady being unbeaten, Mark Fletcher and Philip Edwards brilliant, with the precocious Peter Gunton moving in. A tiny Amanda Gregory was beginning her glittering career. destined to play for England all over the world. I still marvel at the remembrance of her and Peter playing long, long rallies together, when they could barely see over the net.

There were lots more, Caroline Darlaston, Glyn and Sian McKim Thomas, Charlotte Preston, Susan Hayward, a gaggle of Cooney girls, Georgina Edwards, Adam and Rebecca Firmin. Andrew Hursthouse and David Gregory were maturing and there were many whose names are clouded in my memory by fast-approaching senility.

Amongst the ones who would have formed the teenage team were David French, Chris Taylor, Martin, Jane and Hilary Corder, Rebecca Darlaston, who played for the County, Lisa Ostrowsky, Jane Barton, Sarah Connolly, Simon and Virginia Maxwell - and two brothers whose surname name eludes me - yes, even Andy was young once!

But the question I'm slowly getting round to asking, is - where are they now? Certainly not playing tennis at Mapperley, except for a couple. Was all that hard graft coaching them wasted? Are they playing somewhere else, or as I suspect, are their rackets in attics gathering dust?

I understand that Amanda became disenchanted with the game which is sad after all her hard work. I shall always be grateful to her for holding my hand on the Wild Mouse on our never-to-be-forgotten trip to Skegness. Could we fill a fifty-two seater coach with juniors now? Don't bother writing in with the answers. I know them.

I would like to see our editor using a small portion of his estimable organ for a column entitled, 'Where are they now?' Somebody must know. They can't all have disappeared completely, and I would dearly like to hear about them. They were a smashing bunch, full of life, and being a big part of mine, enhancing it and making me feel young again. How about it, Andy?

Shelagh
Sorry to hear that Shelagh is not her old athletic self. I miss her name on scorecards - or has she just changed her name again? She's in the Guinness Book of Records for aliases. Not many people know this, but she was once one of the Chippendales (where are they now?) I understand that she was voted the most popular one in the group by the rest of the gang. Get well soon, love - the team's in a right mess without you.

Where are they now?

In response to Frank's plea above, we will print the low-down on what past members of the club have been getting up to since they moved to pastures new. But - and this is a big but, to judge from past experience of appeals for contributions - only if any readers make the effort to send in the relevant details. We know there are people out there who can help - some of you are related to ex-members mentioned by Frank.

There's no need to stick to those mentioned here. Remember that the club has been going since 1923, so there are lots of people who have graced (or disgraced) the hallowed surface of our courts. Let's be wildly optimistic and appeal for information about any past members.

We could readily compile a list of recent ex-members who moved to other clubs, but can anyone add a bit more meat to the bones. Also, reminiscences of older members while they were at the club would be of interest.

Web note: If any past members of the club happen to find this page they can get in touch via the contacts page.

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