A few pieces of news. First, we have reached an exciting stage of the clubhouse rebuild. Between this Thursday and next Tuesday the main structure will go up (walls this week, roof next Mon/Tues). So in a few days’ time anyone coming down the club or following the photos on Facebook will get a good idea of what the finished building will look like. There will still be lots to do after that of course, so completion date remains late April/early May as in the last update.
Please note that the club will be closed during the day (up to 4pm) on the four days affected (Thursday 22/1, Friday 23/1, Monday 26/1 and Tues 27/1) as the work requires some heavy machinery. Evening and weekend play will be unaffected and clubplay on Thursday and Sunday will go ahead as usual – weather permitting at least.
Second, a reminder on Wimbledon tickets. If you want to be in the draw (or might want to be – there is no obligation to take up tickets) as members of the club you need to be a registered British Tennis member, which nearly everyone is, but you also need to have ‘opted in’ to the ballot on the LTA website, which only about half of you have done. To do this, login via www2.lta.org.uk/Login/, then go to ‘Opt in or out of the Wimbledon ballot’ on the right hand side of the next page. The deadline is early February so this may be your last reminder!
Third and last, some very sad news. We reported last August that distinguished ex-member Martin Rangé was seriously ill with lung cancer. I am very sorry to report that he passed away just before Christmas. Martin originally became involved with Camber as President of TC Salland, a tennis club in Deventer, Holland, with which Camber conducted a regular exchange from the early 1970s to the late 1990s. Through these exchanges he met and eventually married our Treasurer, Liz Morgan, herself one of the key people at Camber in the 1980s and 1990s. Liz and Martin lived near Brighton for many years, remaining occasional visitors to the club and very much part of Camber’s extended family. Martin is a great loss and our thoughts are very much with Liz. Camber was represented at Martin’s funeral by Colin and Sandra Mackay and Pete and Jo Coleman.
All the best
Chris