AU

About us

Castor & Ailsworth Tennis Club caters for a range of activities from social weekend tennis, to more competitive matchplay and has a club history dating back to 1920s.

Early records show that the club courts were conveniently located behind the Fitzwilliam Arms. In the 1960's the Church Commissioners offered land at Holme Close on a peppercorn rent and the joint Castor and Ailsworth Tennis and Bowls Club was constituted to take advantage. Two tennis courts and a bowling green were developed and membership under Colin Humphries flourished. As with many clubs there were ups and downs and sadly the bowls club did not survive, the green became overgrown and stayed that way for years. By the 1990's the Tennis club was at low ebb with about a dozen members and with substantial costs of maintenance. However, a small group of local residents came together, determined to keep a local facility which, if allowed to close, would fall to development and be lost forever. A new committee was formed with a simple constitution and a fund raising purge generated some £1500 to be spent on upgrading the playing surfaces and to re-equip with new nets and posts. Membership grew and LTA coaching provided. A team was entered in the league and held up the bottom of the table for a year or two! The real breakthrough came with the need to provide a new all weather court on the derelict land. Fortunately there was good professional skill in the club and under Malcolm Groves meticulous steering the land was bought from the Church Commissioners, a right of way negotiated, a land swop effected and a Lottery grant + hard earned local pledges served to enable the hard court and clubhouse. Dr. Brian Mawhinney, then a local resident and Government minister, officially opened the club.

Now the club has grown to about 120 with many family memberships. The standard of tennis has improved so that the "A team" secured promotion to the second division and the Ladies team gained promotion in its first year. The "B team" and social tennis flourishes. The younger generations are encouraged with Saturday Coaching over a ten week programme. For Martin Stalley, our immediate past Chairman, it has been a rewarding time and hopefully we can keep going to the club’s centenary. If anyone has detail of the original founding date, we would welcome information. On behalf of all, extend many thanks to Martin for his six years of office, developing the Club and maintaining its friendly ethos. Matt Watchorn has taken over from Ali Peat as Club Captain and again many thanks to Ali who has inspired the Club to take the mens’ tennis into Division 2 of the Peterborough League. The Ladies have been equally successful and the aspirations for the year with a schedule designed to cater for all - from social to serious tennis.

Bill Sansom, Club Chairman.