Page 24 - Demo

A GLANCE AT THE PAST
Grove Road to Meadow Lane... the love of tennis
Tennis has been played in this area for nearly 140 years. The earliest record I have found
to date is in the Northampton Mercury on 8th September 1883 with a report on the second annual competition for members of the Thrapston Lawn Tennis Club, which took place on 30th August. The president, Mr A E Parsons, donated a purse which was won by Miss Pars in the ladies’ competition whilst Mr Thacker won a racquet in the mens’. Amongst the named entrants were Miss Neilson, Mr F Halford, Misses Lannie and Ada Selby and Dr Blacker. As this was the second annual event, the first must have taken place in 1882.
1929 reported the sad demise of a sparrow in flight, hit by a hard-driven volley during a game. One of the last sporting events held before
War began was the Thrapston Tennis Club tournament, raising funds for the Thrapston Hospital Fund, which raised money for Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
As did many other communities nationwide, in 1951 Thrapston held their own Festival of Britain celebration with events from 1st May
at the Secondary and Primary Schools (May Day Festivals) unto December. The Tennis Club contributed to the Festival by holding
a tournament on their two hard courts in Grove Road during early Summer. The Festival souvenir programme is shown.
In 1958 Mrs. Loveday, Mrs, Cheney and Mrs. Cawdell purchased for £55.00 a small piece of
In May 1901 the first cycling run of the newly-formed tennis and cycling club took place whilst six weeks later the Kettering Leader and Observer reported: “A match was played
on Saturday at Thrapston between
the Thrapston Town and Rothwell
Waverley tennis clubs, resulting in a
decisive victory for the home side, who outplayed the visitors at all points. Tea
was provided by the kindness of the
ladies of the club, to whom the thanks
of both members and visitors are due”.
It seems that tennis, along with all
other sport, ceased during the Great
War and the next reference I have found is in 1927 when the club hosted an event for the NSPCC in their pavilion in Market Road, which remained their headquarters until World War 2.
Between then and the onset of World War 2, other tennis clubs existed in Thrapston
and Islip, including the Free Church Tennis Club, The Baptists Tennis Club and Thrapston Highfield Club. One local news story in July
land at the end of Grove Road from Smith and Grace for the tennis club, later becoming club Trustees. Two courts and a small wooden clubhouse were built, and modest success was enjoyed. The founder members of the new club are shown below and are, from left to right: Mrs. M. Miller, Islip Grange, Islip; Mrs. M. Loveday, Mill Road, Islip; Mrs. Wyatt, Chancery Lane,
Thrapston; Mrs. K.Cheney, Huntingdon Road, Thrapston; Mrs P Cawdell, Midland Road, Thrapston. (Thrapston Tennis Club archives)
However, during the 1970’s and 1980’s the club membership dwindled, the courts fell into disrepair and eventually the club ceased to operate. After a long period of inactivity, it was revived in 1991 but had no funds to refurbish the original site. By 1998 the town council had
It seems that tennis, along with all other sport, ceased during the Great War
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