Many thanks from these ‘age of the Aquarius’ friends of gmltc (aka 1960’s teenagers), who regrouped  on 20&21 May 2017 to celebrate the passing away of one of us . The thriving junior members scene in the 1960’s was, for our parents, something of a port in a storm given they had pupating adolescents talking both about summers of love and of revolution. This coming after two decades of war and post-war austerity, indeed I was on war rations as a baby! TV from 5.00 pm till about 9.00 pm and the best social media could offer were letters to pirate radio stations moored somewhere in the North Sea. So where for these pupating kids with their needs to meet others, especially the opposite sex, dress as hippies, enjoy the abandonment in music and mores,  partying . For us it all centred on gmltc.

The parents of one of us , Rosie, owned Sedges Farm and during the petrol rationing of WW2 Doug Kyle, Rosie’s dad, lent sheep to mow the courts ( better than cows apparently as they didn’t  crush the grass florets in Spring). Peggy, Rosie’s mum, and Doug played there whilst Rosie was in her pram in 1953. Although many of us had met  as infants at Gateways , or neighbours etc  it was not until adolescence when parents , requiring ‘something constructive’  during school holidays in these anti-establishment times,  enrolled us at gmltc in 1963.  Peggy ran a Thurs p.m club session for juniors and  ‘Mr Lucas’ and Sandra coached us every Saturday morning– strictly one handed backhand without top spin. Attending both was de rigueur, but as a result gmltc became the social hub for those from far and wide ( Wendover, Beaconsfield etc) where we immersed ourselves in all things psychedelic at parties in the old club house. Nevertheless we unfailingly pitched up for Peggy and Mr Lucas’ sessions all in well ironed, white shorts / skirts. 

A big event was the Bucks Junior tournament in which we all took part and although most of us won ‘the cabbage’ , Rosie and Mark Peters were in the quarter finals of the mixed in one of those summers of love . In 2012 Mark again was knocked out early , but this time on Wimbledon grass, and in the semi-finals of the All England  > 60’s, reaching No.7 in the country the same year.  And Rosie became captain of the Ross-on -Wye Ladies. During the Bucks tournament my brother , John , had a paid holiday job supporting the groundsman, Albert.  Unfailingly in a dark, 3 piece, pin striped suit, Albert is recalled either in hot sunshine, demonstrating hedge cutting technique, with wood handled sheers,  on the hawthorne hedge bordering the Nagg’s Head or  sitting in his hut , with a roll-up , during rain, his weather beaten, brown face without , it has to be said , the whitest set of teeth , remembered only since  it is impossible to imagine Albert’s face unsmiling! Albert was absent for a couple of days leading up to the 1967 ( summer of love) tournament after the blade of the long grass cutter sheered off putting John in plaster. Somewhat concerned our mother went to visit Albert at his home in Little Kingshill , where she found him mortified and racked with guilt.

At around 18 all of us went separate ways but the obvious venue to celebrate the passing of one of our crowd was gmltc. Thanks to Jill Stiel and Neil Miller who very kindly offered to let us play for a couple of hours  after the Sat tournament on 20/5/17 , but  don’t tell Peggy , we crept back on Sunday and did the same again. The club looked fantastic with much improved facilities ( Mark says some of the best clay courts he has played on) , despite the move from the 7 grass and 3 hard of the 1960’s – how can you do that and call yourself the LTC ?! Reluctantly I too must recognize the need for change , my current circumstances  require that I abandon the beautiful feather , down and gossamer bindings I love  so much and invest instead in Icarex Ripstop Polyester (31g/m²) for health and safety reasons when manoeuvring through the ether here,  leaving us to admire  the few remaining masters of their craft when they show off what are know here as ‘Roger Federer backhand glides’.  

Christopher Done (DoB 11-10-50 . Glided off 13-11-2016 )

PS I still hope to come across some old photos when all is unpacked. If I do I will send on to you.