Emily Chapman Laing
Hallam Tennis Club will be celebrating their 50th anniversary next month and are welcoming current and former players to celebrate the journey.
“We’d love to see as many previous players at the event as we can,“ club Secretary Liane Weaver said.
The event will be held at the Hallam Tennis Club on Sunday 23 July at 2pm.
There will be finger food and drinks provided, and Glow in the Dark tennis will be played at 5pm.
The club started from bare bones in 1973.
The tennis club had about 150 members before they even acquired their own courts to play on, instead playing with other clubs like Hampton Park.
“They started without having tennis courts,“ Ms Weaver said.
“There was nothing in Hallam.“
“We did a lot of fundraisers, dinners, balls and hoedowns,“ founding member Margaret Millier said.
The founding members still have a buzzing social circle with regular catch-ups going beyond the courts.
“Making friendships is the biggest thing, and they’re still there today,“ Ms Millier said.
“I would be lost without them.“
Now the club is down to 70 members, having dropped in members as other sports grew in the area.
The club members are encouraging locals to join the club and try their hand at tennis.
“Tennis is something anyone can do,“ Ms Weaver said.
“You don’t have to be good at it, you can play singles, doubles, you can play anytime of the day or night and on the weekends.“
The club hosts many different sessions for the sport across the week.
“We’ve got quite a strong midweek ladies’ and midweek men’s, which are mainly older people,“ Ms Weaver said.
“We’ve got social comp, comp at night, comp on Saturdays, coaching, there’s plenty of stuff going on.“
Past president and life member Janette Jones, who joined the club in 1991, said her favourite thing about being a member has been the “family“ feel.
“It is definitely a family,“ she said.
“And then there’s all the friends you make.
“From two to 92, it doesn’t matter, anyone can play at any time of the year.“
Former club secretary Lynne Dickson joined the club in 1988 and has enjoyed sharing the sport with her family.
“We’ve just really loved being part of a club where the whole family can play together,“ she said.
The members look forward to reminiscing with past and current players on their time at the club for the 50th anniversary celebration.
