A MEMBER who has given great service to Helensburgh Tennis Club over many years was honoured at the club's AGM on Thursday evening.
President Keith Love presented the Winifred McKenzie Memorial Salver to mens teams member and former committee member Ralph Ward.
Presented by the late Mrs McKenzie in the club's centenary year, 1984, it is awarded annually to someone who has given exceptional service, on or off court.
Keith said: "Ralph has been a sterling servant of the club for many years, playing in mens 2 and mens 3 teams, plus the mens over 60 side this year.
"His enthusiasm and will to win are to be admired, and I can only hope I am still able to play at the standard Ralph plays at in my later years.
"He is a true inspiration to all of us."
Ralph has also given many hours of service helping house and grounds convener Ian Parlane tackle all manner of tasks.
HELENSBURGH Tennis Club mens team player Clive Charters is the third 2019 winner of the club's Lotto.
Organiser Gay Black announced today that Clive was the winner of the March prize of £20. His cheque is on the way.
A VERY successful soup lunch was held at Helensburgh Tennis Club today . . . and raised £460 for Christian Aid.
Organised by Phyllis Fullarton, Anne McKelvie and Fiona MacLaren, the popular annual event attracted many members and friends to the clubhouse.
Here is the Helensburgh Tennis Club 2019 Newsletter as a pdf to be downloaded.
GET ready for the new season with a special offer from Bobby Kerr to Helensburgh Tennis Club members on all re-strings — only £10 for the month of March.
Please note that Bobby is on holiday March 18-25, so get in early. He will be at the club this Wednesday 6-8pm and Thursday 7-8.30pm, or email/text him.
FORMER Helensburgh Tennis Club finance convener Mike Paterson is the second 2019 winner of the club's Lotto.
Organiser Gay Black announced today that Mike was the winner of the February prize of £20. His cheque is on the way.
Last year Mike won the April and August draws.
HELENSBURGH Tennis Club members once again dug deep and raised £250 to donate to the local branch of Alzheimer Scotland.
Committee members Fiona MacLaren and Bobby Kerr joined Anne-Marie King, Dementia Advisor, and Lisa Lees, Community Activity Organiser, at the West Princes Street branch to hand over the cheque.
Club members recently took part in a bespoke first aid course specifically looking at tennis injuries including bleedings, sprains, fractures, cuts, grazes, bruises, burns, cramps and head injuries.
The course was in addition to the recent training session on the club’s defibrillator.
Junior coaching starts this week. A new cardio tennis class begins on Wednesday February 27, with the popular drills sessions starting the following evening at 7pm.
THE NEW season starts soon, and it is a great time for Helensburgh Tennis Club members to think about getting themselves fit.
The club can offer two great sessions starting at the end of February.
Katie Hope is keen to start a CARDIO tennis session on Wednesdays 6-7pm from February 27.
The session is a mixture of fitness and tennis and is great to blow away those winter cobwebs. To get members started, the first session is free.
The following evening club drill sessions start again 7-8.30pm.
The session is a mixture of tennis drills focusing each week on a specific area followed by some match play. Again the first session is free.
Both sessions cost £5 onwards. Anyone interested in either of the sessions, please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible so that the level of interest can be measured.
THE NEXT block of junior coaching at Helensburgh Tennis Club will start week commencing Monday February 18 with Katie Hope taking Monday classes and Shaun MacDonald taking Wednesday classes.
Mondays — Red (5-8 yrs) 4pm to 5pm, Orange (9-10 yrs) 5pm to 6pm
Wednesdays — Orange (9-10 yrs) 5pm to 6pm, Green (11-12 yrs) 6pm to 7pm, Yellow (13+ yrs) 7pm to 8pm
Please complete the coaching application form below. You can pay online by BACS, details on form, or by cheque or cash, to be handed to Janette along with the application form on the first night.
If you are paying by BACS please complete the form and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. back by return.
Please note that the MISS HITS class will be programmed subject to numbers. Please contact Lorna Brown directly on 07860 482 299/email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Bobby Kerr. 
AFTER a break in 2018, Helensburgh Tennis Club member Jill Fulton, who has won the club's Lotto every year since 2014, won again in January.
Organiser Gay Black announced today that Jill was the winner of the monthly prize, which this year is £20. Her cheque is on the way.
AS THE Annual General Meeting approaches, Helensburgh Tennis Club is looking for new conveners and members committed to help in other areas.
HELENSBURGH'S Gordon Reid gave 2018 mens singles finalist Stephane Houdet plenty to think about on the first day of the wheelchair tennis event at the Australian Open, but his hopes of a second singles title in four years at Melbourne Park ultimately came to an end.
Gordon saved three break points in the third game of the match to keep the contest on serve and then saved two set points at 5-4 down to maintain parity.
The Rio Paralympic champion saved a further two set points in the tiebreak before world no.4 Houdet snatched the advantage.
Gordon, the 2016 Australian Open champion, battled back to claim the only break of the second set, but his challenge began to falter in the decider and Houdet went to seal a 7-6(8), 5-7, 6-2 win.
The burgh man will have his opportunity to gain some consolation tomorrow when he partners Alfie Hewett in the mens doubles semi-finals, with Houdet on the other side of the net.
Three-time Wimbledon and two-time US Open champions Hewett and Reid will begin their bid for a third successive Grand Slam doubles crown against Houdet and Australian Ben Weekes.
HELENSBURGH'S Gordon Reid is in the four-strong British wheelchair tennis team whose challenge begins on Wednesday at the Australian Open.
Gordon, the 2016 champion, will play Stephane Houdet of France, the 2018 runner-up at Melbourne Park.
The world no.7 won the first Grand Slam singles title of his career in Australia three years ago and is relishing his return to Melbourne, which will see him play world no.3 Houdet in his opening singles and doubles matches.
He said: “I love coming back to Melbourne Park. They have improved the facilities once again and it’s fantastic for all the players.
"Seeing the singles trophy up close again during the draw ceremony brought back great memories from 2016.”
Gordon has already played two tournaments this season, the first of which brought his latest Super Series doubles title when he partnered Argentina’s Gustavo Fernandez to win the Bendigo Open.
He now turns his attention to attempting to win back-to-back Grand Slam doubles titles with Alfie Hewett as the two-time US Open and three-time Wimbledon champions reunite.
Gordon said: “Over the last few months I’ve played with a few different partners while Alfie had his break.
"So I’m looking forward to being back on the doubles court with him and aiming to win our first Aussie Open doubles title as a team,”
They will play Houdet and Australian Ben Weekes in their semi-final.
A NUMBER of Helensburgh Tennis Club members took part in a bespoke First Aid course recently.
Bobby Kerr arranged for the Training Officer from West Dunbartonshire Leisure to create a course specifically looking at injuries that could happen on the tennis court.
Topics included bleedings, sprains, fractures, cuts, grazes, bruises, burns, cramps and head injuries.
The course was free and members were asked if they wished to make a donation to the local Alzheimer branch. A total of £115 was raised, and the club committee agreed to bring the total up to £250.
A presentation with the staff at the branch will take place in due course.
NOW is the last chance to take part in the 2019 Helensburgh Tennis Club Lotto.
It costs only £10 per ticket. Please download the application form from the Downloads area of this website.
Also, please do not forget to opt in to the Wimbledon ballot by logging on to the LTA website https://www.lta.org.uk/major-tennis-events/grand-slams/wimbledon/ballots/btm-ballots-home/
Bobby Kerr said: "We are way down on numbers of members who have opted in, so our allocation of tickets will be dire. Please opt in, and if you need help contact me."
THANKS to all Helensburgh Tennis Club members who have put their names forward to attend the two first aid courses being held next Saturday (January 12).
One space has become available on the 10am to 12noon slot and there are still four places available on the 12noon to 2pm slot.
These courses are free of charge to members as the tutor, Colin, is donating his time for free, but the club will be making a donation to the local Alzheimer branch at his request and members are welcome to donate something as well.
Please wear loose clothing as the course will have some interactive parts, and bring pen and paper for your own notes if you wish.
HELENSBURGH Tennis Club's annual Hangover Tournament on Wednesday January 2 was a great success.
On a cold but dry afternoon eighteen members took part, and thoroughly enjoyed the event.
Organiser Bobby Kerr, who took the 'selfie' below, said: "It was a great turnout for our hangover tournament.
"Stephen and Barbra managed to overcome a fightback from Arthur and Catherine but held on to win the final.
"The players had an enjoyable tea afterwards, with the usual high standard of goodies."
HELENSBURGH Tennis Club's Christmas Lotto winners have been announced by organiser Gay Black.
The 1st prize in December of £40 goes to Iain MacLaren, the 2nd prize of £20 to past president Alan Mitchelson, and the 3rd prize of £10 to secretary Maurice McIntyre.
The November winner of £25 was Bobby Kerr. The cheques are on their way.
Now is the time to enrol for the 2019 Club Lotto. The application form can be downloaded from the Downloads area of this website, and should be returned to Gay as soon as possible.
A FIRST AID course for members o Helensburgh Tennis Club has been arranged, following the recent defibrillator training.
HELENSBURGH Tennis Club members and friends enjoyed a highly successful St Andrew's Night Ceilidh in the clubhouse on Friday evening.
The event, organised by social convener Fiona MacLaren and a team of helpers featured the two musicians who make up the highly-rated Crowded Croft Ceilidh Band.
Those present also enjoyed an excellent buffet meal provided by the members which was up to the usual very high standard of clubhouse functions.
Fiona said afterwards: "It was a great team effort as ever, and the feedback has been excellent — so I suspect it will be one to repeat in the club diary."
