The eventual winners were Jo Brown and Avenue Tennis Coach, Craig Phillips who won the tournament with 26 points, closely followed in 2^nd place by Dave (Scooby) Vennall and Charlie Lee (Wellington) with joint third place taken by Ladies Captain, Lynn O’Dell/Carl Puzey (Wellington)  and Club Coach, Barry Ramsden and Geoff Lee (Wellington).  Duddy thanked everyone for attending, especially the players who had turned up from Wellington and reminded everyone that the next Adult Social Doubles Tournament at the Tennis Club would be held on Sunday 26^th Feb from 11:00.

Duddy will be running Mini Red (under 8), Mini Orange (8 to 9) and Mini Green Tournaments at the club on Sunday 12^th Feb and asked that anyone wishing to play contact him at the club (01278 782758).

The club will also be running a Junior Tennis Camp from 13^th – 17^th Feb during the school holidays from 9:00 till 4:00, where children will be taught how to play tennis by qualified LTA coaches – forms are available from the club or the website – www.avenuetennis.com.

Duddy also wanted to remind parents that the club ran coaching sessions for juniors every night of the week and on Saturdays for every age group; details are available from the website or the office.

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He said that a new deal was available to all players aged 14 to 25 which would include membership until Mar 12, coaching on a Tuesday evening from 7:30 till 9:00pm and entry to an Olympic Ticket Draw all for only £15.  He said that the deal was financially supported by SASP – Somerset Activity and Sports Paternership. 

Barry Ramsden also resumed the Saturday Pay and Play sessions on Saturday 7^th Jan and was keen to see more players attend the sessions which start a 9:00 am.  Up to age 8’s from 9:00 till 10:00, 8 to 10 yr olds from 10:00 till 11:00, 10 – 11 Yr olds from 11:00 till 12:00, Sharipova Smashers – GIRLS Only from 12:00 till 1:00, Big Hitters from 1:30 till 2:30.

Duddy said he wanted to remind parents that Vinny’s Minis would resume on Friday 20^th Jan at 6:30.  Vinny’s Minis was started in Aug 2003 in order to allow adults the opportunity to bring their children along and join in the adult coaching or social match play on Friday evenings.  Due to the success of the evening the 2 hour session was split into two hour long FREE sessions for up to year group 3 children from 6:30 till 7:30 and up to year group 6 from 7:30 till 8:30.  Duddy said the idea behind the evening is to have some fun on a tennis court whilst doing lots of fun games and coordination exercises with rackets, balls and any other equipment we can use. He also said it was an ideal way to introduce young children to tennis and that he would like to encourage more parents to come along to the club and try it out.

The next Adult Social Doubles Tournament will be held at the club on Sunday 29^th Jan from 11:00; Duddy said these are fairly competitive but fun events and would encourage anyone to come down to the club and have a go to see if they like competitive tennis.

A new membership deal sponsored and supported by Somerset Activities and Sports Partnership (SASP) will be available to all youngsters between 14 and 25 which will include membership of the club until Mar 12, tennis lessons on a Tuesday evening from 7:30 till 9:00pm till Mar 12 and entry to an Olympic Ticket Draw – all for £15.  Head Coach Vinny Duddy said this is an excellent chance for those youngsters who want to take up tennis, get some tennis lessons and join a club that has lots of events going on.

Duddy also wanted to remind parents that Junior Tennis Squads restart on Monday 9^th Jan 2012 with lessons organised every night of the week for all age groups from age 5 onwards; details were available on the website – www.avenuetennis.com.  He also wanted to remind adults that there were courses available for them on a Thursday or Friday night and a Saturday afternoon.  With probably the best tennis facilities in Somerset and lots of social play and events organised by the club for all the family Duddy thought that 2012 was a great time to encourage some new people to get involved in a sport that is easy to play and a sport that can be played with all the family.  He also wanted to remind club members to let him know the results of their junior and adult Ladder Matches as these results could be passed to the British LTA for their ratings.

Matthias won all 6 of his matches against 4 players from within the club and 2 from other clubs.   Charlie Jackson, Presha Kumar, James Coogan all tied for 2^nd place with 4 wins each, with other players Tom Spinks, Josh Chenylle-Proctor and Dylan Webb completing the other entrants.  Duddy said the standard was very good and thought that all the kids did very well in fairly windy conditions; Dylan Webb won the prize for best Sportsman on the day.  Later that afternoon Mason Parker beat Ellie May Vohra in the Green Ball event (6v3, 6v0) in a very well contested event which saw Mason taking control of the match with some powerful forehands and accurate serving; although Ellie May played some very good tactical points moving Mason out of position several times before finishing the points off.  Junior Tournaments will return to the club on 13^th Feb 2012.

Head Coach Vinny Duddy said the new adult membership deal has been very successful encouraging quite a few new players down to the club.  The club have decided to continue with the promotion until the end of this year; included in the membership offer are 10 FREE tennis lessons on a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 till 3:30 for a cost of £50. Membership of the club allows players free use of the courts, access to an excellent club house with superb facilities (including wi-fi and a large screen), a competitively priced and extensively stocked bar, access to reduced coaching rates, reduced room hire rates and to be part of Community based club that organises several social events throughout the year, as well as internal club tournaments and social play mornings and evenings. 

The club will be holding a Junior Tennis Camp during the first week of the school holidays (19^th – 23^rd Dec) from 9:00 till 4:00 pm; please see club website for booking forms (www.aveneutennis.com)

The club’s Annual Family Xmas Lunch will be held on Sunday 4^th Dec (12:30 for 1:00pm); everyone is reminded to book up early for this very popular event which is excellent value for money at £10 per adult and £5 for under 12’s; please put your name up on the list on the club’s notice board.  Chairman’s Mince Pies Sunday will be held on 18^th December from 12:30 onwards; all are invited to attend. 

The club will also be the venue for the a New Years Eve Glamour and Glitz Ball which is being run by the Grovers – (residents of the Grove where the Tennis Club is situated) – the evening will include dancing to a DJ, Canapes and a Cocktail Bar all for £10 per person (under 14s are free); more details available on the club website – www.avenuetennis.com.

1. New Membership Deal – New adult membership deal Nov 11 to Mar 12 – ONLY £50 to include 10 FREE Lessons on a Saturday afternoon – 2:00 till 3:30 pm.  The offer has been extended by the club until the end of Dec 11 so we should be able to honour the 10 free lessons during Jan to Mar 2012 – so please pass onto friends and family who you think may be interested.
2. Junior Tennis Coaching – we have Junior Coaching every night of the week and need to keep these squads full to ensure that we can continue to provide them; you can join up at any time of the term – it would be nice to see more players on the squads
   1. Mini Red – Mon & Fri (4:00 – 5:00) Tue, Wed, Thu (4:30 – 5:30)
   2. Mini Orange – Tue & Thu (4:30 – 5:30)
   3. Junior Yellow Ball – Tue (19:30 – 21:00) & Thu (17:30 – 19:00)
   4. Saturday Pay and Play – starts at 9:00 am and runs hourly
   5. Academy Squad Red, Orange and Yellow – contact Vinny or Craig for more details
3. The Junior and Adult Tennis Ladder – “COME ON – LET’S GET THIS GOING” – see website for details of rules – www.avenuetennis.com/tournaments/tennis-ladder. 
4. Mini Red Tournaments will take place on Sunday 27^th Nov, 13^th Feb and 4^th Mar from 11:00 am – please contact Vinny re entry – £5 for members, £7 non members.
5. Mini Orange Tournaments will take place on Sunday 27^th Nov, 13^th Feb and 4^th Mar from 13:00 pm – please contact Vinny re entry – £5 for members, £7 non members.
6. Green Ball Ratings Match Play will take place on Sunday 27^th Nov, 13^th Feb and 4^th Mar from 15:00 pm – please contact Vinny re entry – £5 for members, £7 non members.
7. Yellow Ball Ratings Match Play will take place on Saturday 25^th Feb from 1:30pm – please contact Barry re entry – £5 for members, £7 non members.
8. 8.      Committee Meeting 12^TH Jan 2012 – 7:00pm – the next Committee Meeting is on Thursday 12^th Jan 2012; if you have anything you wish brought up please let one of your Committee Members know.  Julie Cameron has agreed to take on the role of Chairwomen and Di Dimond will take on the Direct Debits as well as her Membership duties.  The very important role of treasurer will be advertised in the local newspaper as we have not had any interest from within the club – please contact a Committee Member if you wish to get involved in running YOUR Tennis Club.
9. 9.      Xmas Family Sunday Lunch 4^th Dec @ 12:00 for 12:30 – fantastic Xmas LUNCH for all your family and friends – Adults £10 and Children under 12 are £5 – please put your name on the list in the club foyer.

10.  Chairman’s Xmas Mince Pies Sunday 18^th Dec @12:30 – you are all invited to come along with your friends and family to enjoy some festive songs together with Xmas Mince Pies.

11.  Junior Xmas Party Friday 23^rd Dec @ 6:30 – for all the junior members and players attending our Tennis Squads we will have some fun games, chips, pizza, fish fingers and some Xmas songs; anyone wishing to offer any help for this evening (especially cooking the food) will be gratefully appreciated.

12.  Junior Xmas Tennis Camp -19^th – 23^rd Dec – during the Xmas Hols we will run the Junior Tennis Camp from 9:00am till 4:00pm daily.

13.  Boxing Day Social Mixed Doubles Tournament – 26^th Dec @ 11:00 (ish) – come down and run off some of the Xmas Dinner to make room for some more

14.  New Years Eve Party – GLAMOUR AND GLITZ – 31 Dec from 8:00 till next year – This event is being organised by our local residents and they are planning a fantastic Glamour and Glitz evening with Canapes, Cocktails and great music all for only £10 per person (Under 14s are free).  Tickets are available from No 4 or No 14 The Grove – please get your tickets early to avoid disappointment as they are limited.

15.  Please pass this onto any friends and family that you think may be interested in joining the tennis club.  If I have missed anything then please remind me, take a look at the notice boards or on the website www.avenuetennis.com

Head Coach Vinny Duddy said the new adult membership deal has been very successful encouraging quite a few new players down to the club.  The club have decided to continue with the promotion until the end of this year; included in the membership offer are 10 FREE tennis lessons on a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 till 3:30 for a cost of £50. Membership of the club allows players free use of the courts, access to an excellent club house with superb facilities (including wi-fi and a large screen), a competitively priced and extensively stocked bar, access to reduced coaching rates, reduced room hire rates and to be part of Community based club that organises several social events throughout the year, as well as internal club tournaments and social play mornings and evenings. 

Duddy will also be running a Mini Red (11:00 till 1:00), a Mini Orange (1:00 till 3:00) and a Green Ball Tournament on Sunday 27^th Nov; anyone wishing to play should contact him at the club.

The club will be holding a Junior Tennis Camp during the first week of the school holidays (19^th – 23^rd Dec) from 9:00 till 4:00 pm; please see club website for booking forms (www.aveneutennis.com)

The club’s Annual Family and Friends Xmas Lunch will be held on Sunday 4^th Dec (12:30 for 1:00pm); everyone is reminded to book up early for this very popular event which is excellent value for money at £10 per adult and £5 for under 12’s; please put your name up on the list on the club’s notice board.

Chairman’s Mince Pies Sunday will be held on 18^th December from 12:30 onwards; all are invited to attend. 

The club will also be the venue for the a New Years Eve Glamour and Glitz Ball which is being run by the Grovers – (residents of the Grove where the Tennis Club is situated) – the evening will include dancing to a DJ, Canapes and a Cocktail Bar all for £10 per person (under 14s are free); more details available on the club website – www.avenuetennis.com.

Head Coach Vinny Duddy said the new adult membership deal has been very successful encouraging 8 new players down to the club.  He said it was really nice to see some new faces at the club and was really pleased with how successful the offer has been; he wanted to remind everyone that it was running all through the rest of this year.  Included in the membership offer are 10 FREE tennis lessons on a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 till 3:30 and all for a cost of £50. Membership of the club allows players free use of the courts, access to an excellent club house with superb facilities (including wi-fi and a large screen), a competitively priced and extensively stocked bar, access to reduced coaching rates, reduced room hire rates and to be part of Community based club that organises several social events throughout the year, as well as internal club tournaments and social play mornings and evenings.  

Duddy and Craig Phillips also attended Burnham Infants School on Monday and Tuesday where they taught the teachers and their assistants, with the help of Year 1 and 2 children some tennis games that they could do with the children in their indoor hall with the FREE tennis equipment that they had received from the LTA and Tennis Foundation.  Duddy hoped that it would encourage the teachers to provide some tennis at the school which in turn might encourage them to have some more focused training at the Avenue where Junior Coaching is available every night of the week (members £3.75 or non members £4.25 per session).  Duddy and Phillips are also attending Berrow Infants next week and have offered to do the same at some of the other schools in Burnham.

The club will be holding another Social Sunday Mixed Doubles Tournament on Sunday 20^th Nov in memory of Jan Mackay a former member at the club; all are welcome to attend and play with play scheduled to begin around 11:00 and complete around 1:00 with the bar open for refreshment afterwards – see website – www.avenuetennis.com.

Duddy will also be running a Mini Red (11:00 till 1:00), a Mini Orange (1:00 till 3:00) and a Green Ball Tournament on Sunday 27^th Nov; anyone wishing to play should contact him at the club.

The club’s Annual Xmas Lunch will be held on Sunday 4^th Dec (12:30 for 1:00pm); everyone is reminded to book up early for this event using the list on the club’s notice board.

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The Avenue Tennis Club are running a new adult membership deal which will see new adults receiving membership from Nov 11 till Mar 12 together with 10 FREE tennis lessons on a Saturday afternoon from 2:00 till 3:30 for £50.  Avenue Tennis Head Coach Vinny Duddy said he hoped this was a good offer that would encourage more new players down to the club to either begin tennis or just get back into it.  Membership of the club allows players free use of the courts, access to an excellent club house with superb facilities (including wi-fi and a large screen), a competitively priced and extensive bar, access to reduced coaching rates, reduced room hire rates and to be part of Community based club that organises several social events throughout the year, as well as internal club tournaments and social play mornings and evenings.

The Captain’s Dinner will be held on Saturday 12^th November; anyone wishing to attend should contact Captain’s Richard Belfield or Lynn O Dell.

Weekday Junior Coaching will restart the new term from Monday 31^st October and at £3.75 (members) or £4.25 per session (non member) where juniors will be taught how to play tennis through lots of movement and racket/ball coordination exercises and games.

Red, Orange and Green – contact Vinny (01278 782758) – email – avenuetennisheadcoach@live.co.uk

Yellow Ball – contact Barry (07749 878581) – email -barrytennisramsden@hotmail.co.uk

Dates are as follows

Red Ball from 11:00 am – 30th Oct  11, 27th Nov 11, 13th Feb 12, 4th Mar 12

Orange Ball from 13:00pm - 30th Oct  11, 27th Nov 11, 13th Feb 12, 4th Mar 12

Green Ball from 15:00pm - 30th Oct  11, 27th Nov 11, 13th Feb 12, 4th Mar 12

Yellow Ball from 13:30pm – 29th Oct  11, 25th Feb 12

Martin Hoyland has managed to win a unique double taking both the Men’s Somerset County Closed 2011 Tennis and Badminton titles (pictured with the County Tennis Cup above).

Martin who plays for the Avenue Tennis Clubs 1^st team managed to beat Craig Phillips in the Somerset County Closed Tennis Finals in June and then went on to win the County Closed Doubles with Craig.

Although Martin has always been a fantastic Badminton player he has not really put in the same amount and standard of training that he has for tennis.   The County finals were held at the Crewkerne Sports Centre where Martin won his box group of 3, including against eventual losing finalist David Weekes from Portishead, without losing a game.  The knock-out stages proved to be a little more difficult with Martin losing the first games in the quarter finals and the final, but managed to up his game when he had to, to become County Champion.  His father Phil was most pleased with this achievement commenting that he found it a quite unique double as he is not a member of a Badminton club nor does he train or play with the County Squad.

Congratulations to Martin on this unique achievement.

The club will also be holding a Junior Tennis Camp, daily from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm, during the next school holiday (24^th – 28^th Oct); forms are available at the club or from the website.

On the 23^rd Oct the club will be holding the Ron Hines Memorial Social Mixed Doubles Competition which all are invited to come along and play.  Play will start around 11:00am after the Rugby World Cup Final which will also be shown on the club’s large screen. 

The club are also due to release a new membership deal which will run from Nov 11 – Mar 12 and will include FREE Coaching on a Saturday afternoon; please see website (www.avenuetennis.com) for details.