Easter Fun Tournament

You have to wonder about the logic of the way that Easter is calculated – for those of you interested in such things, it’s the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring equinox.  Obvious, really!  What it meant this year was that you had to be a hardy soul to risk the Fun Tournament which marked the start of the 2008 Littleton Tennis Club summer season. 

Despite the weather, and there was plenty of it, it was fun for the 20 or so members who pitched up.  Play started in glorious sunshine, but the black clouds soon rolled in, and then we got the hail – for the first time!  Players on Court Three dived for the shelter of the hut, but the hoots of derision and cries of ‘Wimps’ soon brought them back out. 

The format of the event was a handicap tournament where winning a game was rewarded by starting the next game a point down – win the next game and it was two points down, and so on.  To say it was a great leveller was something of an understatement and most sets – made up of seven games – ended up being close with four : three the most common result.  No long games either – get to deuce and it was sudden death! 

With four courts in play throughout – three mixed doubles and a men’s – the pace was brisk and the event was excellently organised by Beryl May, ably assisted by Vivienne Aspin.  To make the numbers work we needed an additional man, and Vivienne’s contribution was above and beyond the call of duty in being re-christened James for the afternoon!  

Play stopped after about two and a half hours, but not before another burst of hail ensured that everyone got just a little bit damp – the verdict of the jury was that the second hailstorm was just a fraction short of being proper snow.  A very welcome picnic tea in the clubhouse saw David Carslaw – who triumphed despite a considerable amount of abuse from his fellow players – and Sue Brown declared the winners, with Clare and Tim Harris getting chocolate Easter Bunnies as leading juniors.

All in all it was a really enjoyable afternoon and a great way to start the 2008 summer season.