Sydenham Tennis Club

Club Manager – Annual leave
Just a reminder that I’m on leave until Friday 23 May. However, I’ll still be checking emails each morning, so please feel free to contact me if you have an urgent query.

American Doubles Tournament – Bank Holiday Monday 26 May 2025
A fun tournament where you will play a game of mixed doubles for 15 minutes before everything changes – the court you play on, the opposing team, and even your doubles partner! Starts at 12.30pm. All playing categories are welcome to take part, and the bar will be open for family and supporters, as well as afterwards for the competitors.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
10 May: Mixed v Bromley Wendover 1 (A) – lost 4-8 (NL Div 1)
11 May: Men’s 1 v Sidcup Rec 1 (A) – won 12-0 (NL Div 3)
11 May: Men’s 4 v Whitstable 1 (A) – lost 1-3 (Kent Div 8)
11 May: Men’s 5 v Bearstead 6 (A) – won 4-0 (Kent Div 8)
11 May: Women’s 2 v Oakwood 1 (H) – lost 0-8 (NK Div D) 

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Club Manager – Annual leave
I’ll be on leave from Tuesday 13 May to Friday 23 May. However, will still be checking emails each morning, so please feel free to contact me if you have an urgent query.

Club rebranding
At the Club AGM last year it was confirmed that the Club would change it’s trading name to Sydenham Tennis & Squash Club, in order to more fully represent the squash section and recognise that there is no longer croquet at the Club.
We are now at a stage where we are looking to rebrand our logo, that you see on the signage around the site, on the website, and other media. If any member works in this field, or knows someone who does, please get in contact to discuss.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
3 May: Women’s 1 v Sundridge Park 2 (A) – won 3-1 (Kent Div 2)
3 May: Women’s 3 v Chipstead Place 2 (H) – won 2-2 (Kent Div 8)
4 May: Men’s 2 v Kemsing 1 (A) – lost 0-4 (Kent Div 3)
7 May: Men’s Over 60s v Ightham 2 (A) – drew 4-4 (NK Div D) 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 10 – 16 May: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1500, and Monday 0900-1630 before going on leave. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Squash Beginners course – Saturday 10 May 2025
There are a few places left on this course for any tennis members who fancy trying out squash. Suitable for beginners as well as anyone who has played before and is now thinking of taking up the sport again.
Courses run for 90 minutes, from 10.45-12.15pm, including tuition and practice of skills. All equipment is provided, but it is essential that you use footwear with non-marking soles. The course fee is £25.00 – book here.

Dulwich Women’s Open Squash Tournament 2025
Congratulations to Club member Jenny Lamaj, who was the Grade E winner at the recent tournament. Check out the photo on our Facebook page.

Tennis court maintenance
Tennis courts 1 & 2 will be unavailable until 4.30pm on Tuesday 6 May as they are being pressure cleaned to remove moss build up.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
26 Apr: Women’s 2 v Willett Rec 1 (A) – lost 3-5 (NK Div D)
27 Apr: Women’s 3 v Canterbury 5 (A) – won 4-0 (Kent Div 8)
27 Apr: Men’s 5 v New Ash Green 2 (A) – won 4-0 (Kent Div 11) 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 3 – 9 May: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1630, Tuesday 0900-1500, and Friday 0900-1800. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Bank Holiday Members’ Day – Sunday 4 May 2025
Join fellow members for an afternoon of food and fun! Courts 1 & 2 will be converted into our own version of a street party with seating available and mini court games to play, and table tennis will set up in the hall.
The bar will be open for refreshments, and then you can see the refurbishments in the clubhouse too! We ask everyone to bring an item of food to share. The event will run from 1.00-4.00pm. Members’ family and friends are welcome – it would be helpful to know if you plan to attend, and whether you are bringing a savoury or sweet dish.

Out of Pocket – Friday 9 May 2025
Just a reminder about booking. The event is for adults only, or family members who are 16 years and above. There are only 50 tickets available with priority to Club members.
SE20’s finest soul, pop, and indie covers band comprising Club members Dave and Jerome on guitar and bass. Join us for a specially curated mix of sixties to modern music, including Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Paul Weller and many more. 
Doors open from 7.00pm – live performance starts at 8.00pm – bar until 10.30pm. Tickets cost just £5 per person – please email me to book at dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk.

American Doubles Tournament – Bank Holiday Monday 26 May 2025
A fun tournament where you will play a game of mixed doubles for 15 minutes before everything changes – the court you play on, the opposing team, and even your doubles partner! Starts at 12.30pm. All playing categories are welcome to take part, and the bar will be open for family and supporters, as well as afterwards for the competitors.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Clubhouse works and closure
A reminder that we are undertaking a series of works to upgrade the clubhouse facilities from Sunday 27 April to Saturday 3 May. Therefore, there will be restricted access to the building during this period. The bar will be closed at the start of the week and will reopen as usual on Thursday 1 May. 

Pickleball
A new term of pickleball starts on Monday 28 April. There is an introductory session with Coach Sophie if any member is available and wants to try it out and learn the game. The session runs from 1.00-3.00pm and costs £25 – you can book your place here.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
19 Apr: Men’s 2 v DL Beckenham 1 (H) – won 2-2 (Kent Div 3)
23 Apr: Men’s Over 60s v Ightham 1 (H) – lost 0-8 (NK Div D) 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 26 April – 2 May: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1630, Monday 0900-1500, Tuesday 0900-1500, and Friday 0900-1930. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Easter Working Party
A last call for anyone who can spare a couple of hours tomorrow between 10.30-2.30pm, we have a working party to clear the overgrown area in the North-west corner of the site behind court 6. Refreshments will be provided, but please let me know if you plan to attend.

Play Your Way to Wimbledon Tournament
Many thanks to all who played in the tournament on Saturday 12 April and congratulations to the winners who go on to the regional round in June.
Final results as follows: Women’s Doubles – Anna Daniel & Veronique Vera bt Katharine Beaudry & Vikki Courtney 6-3; Men’s Doubles – Luke Prentice & Wilf Cleave bt James Needham & Tom Roberts 6-3.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
13 Apr: Women’s 3 v Whitstable 3 (A) – won 3-1 (Kent Div 8)
13 Apr: Men’s 1 v DL Kings Hill 2 (H) – won 3-1 (Kent Div 2)

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 19-25 April: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1330, Thursday 0900-1800, and Friday 0900-1930. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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The draws for the Annual Club tennis tournaments are now available to view in the clubhouse foyer.

We are using new software this year, which is causing a few issues setting up, but should work out better once everything is in place. The draw will be available online over the Easter weekend.

Most events will have an uneven number of entries for a full draw. In this event ‘byes’ are awarded in the first round. The competition regulations are that byes are given to seeded players first, in order of seeding, until the full draw is covered. If there are further byes required, the remainder of the entries are drawn at random with byes included. 

If you are entered in the Men’s Singles, and have a First Round match, please note that the deadline to play is Sunday 11 May so try to organize your match as soon as possible. There were 82 entries so there are not many weeks for each round!

If you entered a doubles event ‘Partner Required’ and you cannot find yourself in the draw it means we were unable to match you up due to insufficient partners being available.

The details for the Roger De Klerk Memorial Mixed Doubles Trophy will go out next week.

You will find full tournament rules in the Members area of the website and in the clubhouse foyer. It is very important that you read the scoring format for each event.

Please contact me for more information on any of the above

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk 

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Easter Weekend
Courts will be open normal times all over the Easter weekend, and Sunday tennis club play sessions will run as usual on Easter Sunday 20 April. I’ll be available on site from Good Friday to Easter Sunday from 9.00-3.00pm each day.
Also, don’t forget, if you can spare a couple of hours on Saturday 19 April between 10.30-2.30pm, we have a working party to clear the overgrown area in the North-west corner of the site behind court 6. Refreshments will be provided, but please let me know if you plan to attend so I know how many will be coming.

Quiz Night – Friday 25 April 2025
Join regular host Jeff Richards for an evening of fun with family and friends – the bar will be open from 6.30pm with the quiz starting at 7.30pm. No theme this time – just general knowledge!
Numbers are limited and there is still space for 4 teams, so please book as soon as possible with Jeff on 07769565095 or at jeff.richards@rcn.org.uk with your name and, if you are entering a team (max 6). Don’t worry if you can’t make up a team or would like to come on your own – Jeff will allocate you to a team on the night. Entry: Adults £3 – Children £2

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
5 Apr: Women’s 1 v DL Kings Hill 1 (H) – lost 0-4 (Kent Div 2)
6 Apr: Men’s 3 v Bromley Wendover 4 (A) – lost 1-3 (Kent Div 6)
6 Apr: Mixed 1 v Sevenoaks 3 (A) – won 4-0 (Kent Div 2)
9 Apr: Mixed Vets v DL Beckenham Vets (A) – lost 1-7 (NK Div D) 

Club Manager Hours
I will be available at the Club the following hours between 12-18 April: Saturday from 0900-1500, Sunday 0900-1330, Monday 0900-2100, and Friday 0900-1330. During these times you can obtain drinks & snacks from the bar, as well as balls & accessories, and hire the Slinger ball machine.

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Tennis courts – current issues
We are aware of a couple of significant issues with the clay courts. The ridge in the carpet on the outside of court 5 has returned, although at least this is off the playing surface. However, please be aware of it when running off court. 
Also, a ‘dead’ spot has developed on court 4 to the outside of one of the service boxes. This is where we suffered some minor subsidence last year and now the carpet has lost contact with the tarmac underneath. I’ve asked our contractors Trevor May to look into these as a matter of urgency, along with a few other minor bits of maintenance.

Tennis courts – general maintenance
Courts 1 & 2 are scheduled for chemical treatment to kill the moss and other weeds on Thursday 24 April. This will be followed by pressure cleaning on Tuesday 6 May. These are dependent on weather so may need to be altered at short notice but, on both occasions, the courts will be out of action for the day.
The clay courts are planned to be decompacted and relevelled, and topped up with additional clay. All courts will be closed for a day to complete the work. We are awaiting final confirmation, but it is likely to be in the week commencing 5 May. 

Squash courts – routine maintenance
There will be a service maintenance visit over 24-25 April, where the courts will be closed. Both floors are being sanded and relined, spot repairs will be undertaken on any damaged wall areas and tins checked, the front wall on court 2 will be cleaned, and all the other walls in both courts repainted.

Clubhouse works
The clubhouse will have limited access over the week of 28 April – 3 May whilst work is undertaken to update the women’s toilets, kitchen area and lay a new floor in the hall. Further details will be provided nearer the time. 

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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Easter Grounds Working Party – Saturday 19 April 2025
You may remember that we held an open meeting for any member interested in developing environmental sustainability projects at the Club. One of the ideas proposed was to utilize the overgrown area in the North-west corner of the site behind court 6.
It was thought that we could put in more outdoor seating, accompanied by planting and habitat areas, perhaps even space for growing fruit and veg. In order to make a start we’ll need to begin to clear the ground.
We are asking if any member can spare a few hours over Easter to form a working party with some of the Club staff – we’ll be on site between 10.30-2.30pm – and will provide refreshments for anyone who helps out. Please let me know if you’re available.

Adult Training Camp – Saturday 31 May 2025
Remember to book your place on the Adult Camp as these fill up quickly. Club coaches Toby and Luis will deliver a full day of coaching, matchplay and tactics. The day begins at 8.30am with tea/coffee before the first session starts at 9.00am. A light lunch will be provided between 12.00-1.00pm and the programme ends at 3.00pm, followed by the opportunity to review the day in the clubhouse bar afterwards.
The cost is £55.00, including refreshments – all playing levels welcome. Please email me if you have any queries.

Club Team Results
The Summer Kent & North Kent tennis results from last week:
29 Mar: Mixed 2 v Tunbridge Wells 7 (H) – won 4-0 (Kent Div 7)
30 Mar: Men’s 1 v Crescent 1 (A) – lost 1-3 (Kent Div 2)
30 Mar: Men’s 4 v Hayes 2 (A) – lost 1-3 (Kent Div 8)
30 Mar: Men’s 5 v Kemsing 5 (A) – lost 2-2 (Kent Div 11)
2 Apr: Men’s Over 60s v Kemsing (H) – won 7-1 (NK Div D)

Dez Lewington
Club Manager
Contact – dez.lewington@sltcc.co.uk

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