News: Work Starts on New Tennis Courts
The Waiting Is (Nearly) Over
AT LAST! After almost 5 years of fund raising, negotiation and general hard work, the project to build 4 new outdoor tennis courts plus a kidzone to replace our existing old, crumbling 3 outdoor tennis courts got under way on site on Monday 2 February, 2009
Projected to take 14 weeks with a completion target of early May, 2009, the contractors couldn't have had much worse weather for their first days on this job - raging blizzards if I recall correctly on the first day! Nevertheless it is very exciting watching the old courts being demolished to make way for the new ones - and no-one will miss the old lighting or damaged fencing I'm sure!
We intend to keep you up-to-date with progress on this contract via emails and additions to this web page (so why don't you bookmark it or save it as favourite now?). We'd love it if anyone has good photos of the ongoing work or even short video clips so everyone who visits this page can see how things are getting on. Check out our Photo Gallery now!
If you have any questions at all regarding the new tennis court project, don't hesitate to get in touch with a committee member or send us your question(s) via email or by post. We will endeavour to answer your questions promptly and may update the web site with the question and answer if this would be of general interest to members and residents of Hampton-In-Arden.
STOP PRESS we're nearly red-dy!
Red Euroclay surfacing is now down on two of the courts and their surrounds - check out the Photo Gallery to see how this looks. Surround and internal fencing is mostly up, including extra height safety net facing the cricket square. Realignment of the pedestrian path from the clubhouse to the hockey pitch is under way. With more work scheduled to complete in week commencing 27 April, it won't be long now!
Things to Remember While the Work Is Under Way
Reduced Sports Club Car Park Capacity
For the first few weeks of the contract at least, the Sports Club car park will operate with a much reduced car parking capacity. Approximately half of the available space has been fenced off to allow for the safe manoeuvring and storage of heavy construction equpiment while they work the main construction of the new tennis court areas. Pedestrian access ways are available for both the clubhouse and the Scout and Guide Hut while the car park is fenced off.
Safety Reminder
Don't forget: please take appropriate safety precautions when you are in the Sports Club car park, attending the club for an event (sporting or social) or attending the Scout and Guide Hut. There are numerous notices on the fencing itself but please do keep an eye on children in the vicinity of the works - yes, the courts will all be worth it when completed but the area is a construction site for the moment, not a playground. Please take particular care during February half-term week when there are likely to be many more children in the area during the day than there would be during school term time.
Coaching and Social Tennis
We do apologise for the temporary lack of tennis courts at Hampton. Top class new courts will be available sometime after Easter!
In the interim, Ian is still running junior coaching sessions at alternative venues. Any queries, please give Ian a ring (on 07968 451956).
Alternate arrangements for adult social tennis have been made with Billesley Tennis Centre (Tuesday and Friday evenings) and with Eversfield Preparatory School (Sunday mornings). The courts at Billesley are good outdoor hard courts but laid on a proper more forgiving base - less hard on the joints, but the balls still bounce like the old courts. Ther are no fees for Hampton Tennis Club members to pay for using these facilities at these times but please introduce yourselves to the staff before you start to play - in the case of the evening sessions, you will undoubtedly need them to put the floodlights on your designated courts, for instance. The locations of each venue can be found:
For further information re social tennis, please review the email sent out to members recenlty (see below)
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