Tennis Club Lit Up At Last!

THE celebrations of Thame Tennis Club last Sunday, finished just in time, before a huge storm dramatically lit up the skies of Thame.
Ironically, the club was celebrating the inaugeration of its long-awaited, and in the planning stage, controversial flood lighting.
Unfortunately, because the club is not allowed to turn on the lights after 7pm on a Sunday, the full effect could not be enjoyed on the night, but that didn’t stop members, prospective members, the Mayor or Thame, town councillors and SODC Leader, David Green (who cut the tape to the two, new all-weather courts)from enjoying a pig roast and buffet and the benefits of the club bar.
Club Chairman, Aiden Coles, thanked ex-Thame councillors, Mary Stiles and Mike Mesurier particularly for their support and encouragemebt in the early days of planning the new facilities and told the assembled crowd: “After so many years of waiting, we now have the membership and the enthusiasm to take the club foreward.”
The evening’s fun included two gripping exhibition doubles matches on the new courts featuring well-known international players Martin Lee and James Davidson and Oxfordshire?s Jonathan Maskens amongst others.
Martin and James have both played at Wimbledon, have both been ranked in the top 15 in the UK and Martin has partnered Tim Henman in the Davis Cup.

As well as offering a major increase in capacity for players of all standards, the Club can now offer tennis all year round and into the evening.

Funding for the project was secured from a number of sources including Thame Town Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, Sport England and the LTA in addition to the Clubs own resources, the latter being the result of many years of fund-raising.

PHOTO: Martin Lee, James Davidson and Jonathan Maskens pose before the exhibition matches, with the lucky Thame Tennis Club members who played with them.