A LITTLE imagination, a lot of hard work, but most of all the will to succeed. That is the cornerstone combination upon which the new Brixworth Tennis Club opened up its doors on Easter Monday afternoon.
Thermals and a huge pot of tea might have been more appropriate than strawberries and cream, but Brixworth’s three hard courts are homed in an attractive setting and were soon overrun with activity and enthusiasm.
A five-strong committee has been built around chairman Will Haxby, who has been the driving force behind kick-starting the club into existence on premises shared with Brixworth Cricket Club.
Despite the fact around 70 people have already pledged allegiance to the cause since the turn of the year by taking out memberships, Haxby and the club’s new secretary Jonathan Martin were still nervous about opening support in a cold climate with other Easter pulls. They needn’t have worried.
As a large group of youngsters and more than a sprinkling of adults kept busy to stave off early April chill, local coaches James Haley and Laura Mineards supervised events on court.
Haxby said: “Much of what has been generated here is thanks to the support of a grant from Sport England but we also owe a debt of thanks to Dallas Burston and the cricket club.
“It’s incredible looking at it now to think the excavation work didn’t start here before 2005 when it was just a field, with the cricket club moving here three years later.
“Now there will soon be four changing rooms on site, including male and female for tennis and the next job of fund-raising will be towards the installation of floodlights.”
He added: “With the club so close to the edge of the village the idea has always been to create a social atmosphere for people who don’t want to drive ten miles to play their tennis.
“The cricket club are up here on Friday evenings in the summer and always enjoy a drink and a Bar-B-Q in a friendly environment and we jumped at the chance to be part of that
“Ideally you would want the courts to be used regularly during the day which is quite possible for retired people living in the village, and of course the children. After all, there are 500 of them at Brixworth Primary School just down the road.”
Club Secretary Martin has built the club’s new web-site – www.brixworthtennisclub.org.uk – where full details of junior coaching courses between April-June are posted but coach Haley can also be contacted on 07747 785344.
Club nights will be on Tuesday (for over 18s) as well as Friday from 5pm to dusk, and on Sundays between 2pm-6pm.