Trophy Room Kitchen Upgrade
The Committee has approved expenditure on the upgrade of the Trophy Room kitchen. It won’t be a significant change, but will provide more bench space, new fridges, cooktop, oven and microwave, all long overdue for replacement. The final detailed decisions have yet to be taken, so the work won’t be immediate, but members will be advised well in advance. Apologies in anticipation for some inconvenience.
Outstanding Accounts
The response from many members to the request to bring their accounts back to the 30 day credit balance has been encouraging. Thankyou in the interests of the Club.
But there are some members who have still yet to do so, or made appropriate arrangements with the Treasurer. If you are in these categories, please take action now.
Members Details
The response to the request to members to provide up to date personal information has been disappointing. The request is again made in this newsletter.
Having up to date information is essential to effective communication with the members and also to plan for future development of the Club and Club membership.
Please respond asap.
Fill in my Contact Details
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Can You Help? Volunteers Needed for Social Events
To enable the Club to continue to hold the tournament dinners that everyone enjoys so much, we need people to help cook and set up, If you can spare some time we would love to hear from you. Please email or contact the Club with your preferred events/availability.
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The USCTA is to induct Barry Toates into its International Court Tennis Hall of Fame. This will happen at the USCTA Annual Dinner in New York on 9 December 2016. Since it started in 1994, the Hall of Fame recognises individuals for their extraordinary accomplishments – either as a player or for service to the game of tennis.
Barry’s letter advice states that his record as a player, contributions as a professional, and long time tennis efforts make his induction very much well deserved.
The announcement in the April USCTA Newsletter states –
Barry Toates was the first professional at Newport upon the reopening of the court in 1979. He also worked at the Tennis & Racquet Club in Boston and helped revive the court at Lakewood. Toates won the 1979 US Open Singles and the US Open Doubles in 1979 and 1983. A dynamic coach and teacher of the game, he served on the board of the USCTA and contributed greatly to the late twentieth-century revival of the game in America.
Barry will join a unique group of 27 inductees.
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Sydney Real Tennis Club Visit - 4-6 March
The March visit of SRTC saw 9 dedicated Sydney players up against a home town team that put 21 different players on the court over the 3 days. And it went down to the wire !
All matches were a handicapped 8 game set with advantage all games. In the doubles, when the first pair reached 4 games, the trailing pair were able to change server or receiver if they wished. When a player or pair fell behind 3 games, they received a bisque.
At the end of the Friday afternoon tennis it was Sydney 3, Hobart 3.
Friday Matches
Bert Cason & Francis Spilsbury d. Eddie Fazal & James Willis 8/4; Dave Mitchell d. Damien O’Meara 8/5; John Moores d. Brian Robertson 8/4; Paul Dunne & Francis Spilsbury lt Michael Fitzgerald & Damien O’Meara 1/8; John Armstrong & Pat Bradfield lt Eddie Fazal & James Willlis 6/8 & Paul Dunne & Graeme Holloway lt Justin Cooper and Chris Cooper 3/8.
Saturday Matches
12 matches on the Saturday saw Sydney move to an 11/7 lead overall.
Will Joscelyne & David Hook d James Willis & Damien O’Meara 8/3; John Herbert & Will Joscelyne lt Chris Cooper & Justin Cooper 6/8; Julianne Drewitt & Stephen Pinkus lt Eddie Fazal & Sav Cremona 4/8; Will Joscelyne & Alex Fahey lt to Chris Cooper & Michael Fitzgerald 5/8; John Moores & Michelle Moores lt Brian Robertson & Damien O’Meara 5/8; Graham Flower lt Sav Cremona 1/8; Stephen Pinkus & Michelle Moores d Brian Robertson & James Willis 8/2; Francis Spilsbury & John Moores d Michael Fitzgerald & Eddie Fazal 8/5; John Herbert & Christine Stirling lt Brian O’Meara & James Willis 5/8; Alex Fahey & Francis Spilsbury lt Brian Robertson & Eddie Fazal 4/8; Graeme Bradfield & Julianne Drewitt lt Sav Cremona & Damien O’Meara 4/8 & Graeme Bradfield & Pat Bradfield d Dylan Cooper & Justin Cooper 8/5.
Dinner in the Trophy Room – Saturday Evening
Michelle Moores, John Moores and Karen Toates catered for dinner in the Trophy Room. The Moores’ turned on an awesome roast done on the bbq, with veggies and salad and Karen Toates provided sticky date pudding for dessert.
Sunday Matches
Trailing 7 to 11 at the start of play on Sunday, Hobart made a comeback winning the first 5 matches to take a 12/11 lead. Sydney levelled at 12 all and the result was determined by the last match of the weekend with James Willis and Justin Cooper defeating Ian Reed and Cam Potter 6/2.
So Sydney took the Trophy. Not bad for a team of 9 players without a court!
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Sydney Real Tennis Club - Presentation to Barry Toates
There were good speeches all round at the tournament dinner and the Sydney Club presented Barry with a unique present to mark his retirement. It was a simple, but most attractive card box by a Sydney Woodworker, Garrick Blue. It is crafted from West Australian Jarrah and New Guinea Rosewood and has a plaque attached engraved with message of Sydney’s appreciation of Barry's encouragement and friendship over the years.
And for the card box were 2 special decks of playing cards with a unique Sydney Real Tennis logo on the back. All presented by Chris Cooper of SRTC with an accompanying bottle of fine Barossa Valley red.
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The 52nd Percy Finch Tournament
The annual Percy Finch Tournament HRTC v RMTC (A & B Divisions) was played in Hobart over the weekend of 12-14 March.
The Hobart A Division team was Kieran Booth, Graeme Blundstone, Patrick Dunne, Peter Boyles, Graeme Bradfield, Jeremy Rackham and John Herbert. The B Division team was Nick Rooke, Graeme Holloway, Justin Legg, Ron Booth & Will Joscelyne.
Melbourne was represented by Daniel Williams, Michael Williams, Paul Rosedale, Hugo Pinset, Mark Hartnell and Jonathon Hamer in the A Division and in B Division by Nick Carr, Ed Hamer, Henry Turnbull, Jackson Brand, Nick Brand, Michael McAuley & Graeme Richardson.
The A Division was a close result, with Melbourne winning 4/3.
In Singles Kieran Booth d Daniel Williams 6/4, 6/1; Graeme Blundstone d Michael Williams 6/5, 1/6, 6/5, Patrick Dunne lt Paul Rosedale 6/3,6/1; Graeme Bradfield d Hugo Pinset 6/4, 2/6, 6/2; Jeremy Rackham lt Mark Hartnell 3/6, 6/4, 6/0 and John Herbert lt Jonathon Hamer 5/6, 6/4, 6/3.
The Doubles matches weren’t as tight as most of the singles matches, and RMTC broke the tied result after the singles with a 2/1 win in the doubles. Kieran Booth and Graeme Blundstone d Daniel Williams & Jonathon Hamer 6/4, 6/1, but Michael Williams and Paul Rosedale of RMTC defeated Pete Boyles and Patrick Dunne 6/5, 6/1 and Hugo Pinset and Mark Hartnell were too good for Graeme Bradfield and Jeremy Rackham winning 6/3, 6/1 to clinch the 2016 Percy Finch for Melbourne.
In the B Division, Hobart was too strong for Melbourne winning 7 matches to 1.
Nick Rooke lost to Nick Carr 9/6, but after that it was a clean sweep to Hobart. Graeme Holloway d Ed Hamer 9/7, Justine Legg d Henry Turnbull 9/3, Ron Booth d Jackson Brand 9/8, Will Joscelyne d Nick Brabd 9/3, Nick Rooke & John Herbert d Nick Carr & Michael McAuley 9/2, Ron Booth & Justin Legg d Graeme Richardson & Henry Turnbull 9/4 and Graeme Holloway & Will Joscelyne d Ed Hamer & Jackson Brand 9/0.
Percy Finch Dinner
The Percy Finch Dinner was held in the Trophy Room on Saturday evening. A full room of 35 diners were treated to a 3 course meal of:
- either cauliflower and leek soup or mushroom soup.
- slow cooked pulled pork and lamb, broccoli salad, slaw and brioche. With white bbq sauce and Moroccan beetroot chutney as accompaniments.
- triple choc brownies and blondies, served with cream and blueberries.
Emma Wills was the principal caterer, supported by Merran Ramsay, Katharine Podmore and Pete Boyles. They were assisted by a set up, service and clean up team of Pete Wills, Pat Dunne and Nicole Panozzo.
Two members contributed their local produce to the dinner.
Graeme Bradfield made his special blueberries available to top off the desert.
James Lord (the owner of Huon Valley Meat Co.) gave Emma a special rate for the dinner meats, which was a great saving. Huon Valley Meat Company’s butchers shop is at 89 Goulburn Street, just on the corner of Molle and Goulburn Streets. The meat is local and ethically raised. They have a small organically certified abattoir down in Cradoc, and undertake ethical slaughtering practices in an environment that is as low stress as possible. All the meat comes from local farms, run by farmers known and trusted by the company.
Australian Amateur Doubles
Three teams entered the Australian Amateur Doubles Tournament that was played in conjunction with the Percy Finch Weekend.
Paul Rosedale & Patrick Dunne with a doubles handicap of 14, played Daniel and Michael Williams who had a handicap of 7 for the right to play Kieran Booth and Graeme Blundstone (+0.2) in the final.
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