The picture shows (L – R) Peter Bretherton (Chairman) Valerie
Willoughby (Secretary), Avril with her award, and Austin Smith
(President)
LTA Meritorius Service Award 2005
Avril Petchey was a Council member of Vets Tennis GB from 1993 to 2005
inclusive during which time she helped to develop the ranking system,
acted as Affiliations Secretary, organised the annual Ray Temple Trophy
and assisted wherever help was needed. She was a fine tennis player
with a catalogue of great achievements:
- She reached the third round of Wimbledon qualifying on three occasions, twice in singles and once in doubles
- With her daughter, Caroline, she won the national Mother and Daughter event and reached the final of the world event
- She represented Great Britain in the Alice Marble Cup in California in 1994
- She played in the Essex County Ladies’ team for fifteen years and was captain from 1984 to 1993
- She
is Tennis Secretary of the Connaught Club where she has also been
Membership Secretary, Junior Tournament Secretary and Assistant Referee
and, on court, has played for the Club for over thirty years including
when Connaught won the National Club League.
For all these achievements, Avril was awarded
the LTA Meritorious Service Award 2005 which was presented to her by
her colleagues in Vets Tennis GB at the end of March.
Roland Carter – an appreciation
Vets
Tennis GB recently announced the retirement of its long-serving
President, Roland Carter, due to the onset of ill health. With
great sadness, we now have to record his death in hospital on 9 March
at the age of 86.
Roland was involved almost from the start in the
early initiatives to spread opportunities for older players to compete
both domestically and in the international arena. After a spell
recruiting member clubs, he became International Liaison Officer and
took on the role of chairman of selectors, sending British teams to
take part in ITF competitions. This led to his election to the
ITF Veterans’ Committee in 1980, a position he held with distinction
until 1995. As a fine tennis player himself, he was eminently
well qualified for the task of assessing the qualities of the would-be
veteran international players
Roland succeeded Russell Young in 1983 as only the second Chairman of
the Association, continuing in this role until 1988 when he assumed the
Presidency. This semi-retirement failed to dim his enthusiasm for
the veteran’s game and he played his part in offering wise counsel to
debates at Council meetings. Many younger players will remember
him as the man who presented their prizes at national events until only
a few years ago.
Vets Tennis GB announces its new Chairman
Vets Tennis GB announces the retirement of its President, Roland
Carter, at the Annual General Meeting on 1 December, due to his
continuing ill-health. Roland succeeded the VLTA’s first
President, Russell Young, as Chairman of the Council in 1983 having
already served the cause of veterans’ tennis for most of the
Association’s life since 1974. He became President in 1988 and
was a familiar figure presenting prizes at the Nationals. Austin Smith,
our new President and a Council member from 1984, was elected to the
office of Chairman in 1988 by the Council and continued in that role
until the 2004 AGM when he was nominated by Roland as his successor and
duly elected. Peter Bretherton, pictured here, has been a Council
member since 1991. He has been elected by the Council to succeed
Austin as Chairman. Peter plays for the Lancashire Men’s 55 team
and is a regular competitor in Nationals. He has chaired the
Competitions Policy Committee for a number of years.
Five Year Plan - Tennis: 'The Game For Life'
The VLTA has now finalised its Five Year Plan, the Excutive Summary
of which has been sent to its affiliated clubs. The full version is now
available click here
Obituary – Derrick Lester
Derrick Lester was a familiar figure for close on twenty years to
many veteran tennis players who regularly took part in the veterans'
National Championships. They and the VLTA learned with sorrow of his
death on 22 July at the age of 80 following a debilitating
illness. Derrick had served on the VLTA Council since 1984. Until
2001 when he was elected Life-Vice President, he was a member of the
Selection Committee for international teams and joint Tournament
Director of the National Championships. Derrick was himself a fine
tennis player and represented Great Britain in the Austria Cup. He was
awarded the LTA's Meritorious Service Award in 1997 for his outstanding
services to veterans' tennis and to the Middlesex County LTA where he
was latterly Vice-President and a Council member from 1973. He had also
served as one of the Middlesex representatives on the LTA Council. His
contribution to the administration of veterans' tennis will long be
remembered by the many colleagues who attended his funeral on 30 July
when Austin Smith spoke movingly of his long friendship with Derrick
and Sir Richard Greenbury recalled his playing experiences for club and
county under Derrick's captaincy.
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