PATHWAY PRECAUTIONS

Enjoying so many beautiful sunny days we tend to forget that the year 2014 was a record year for rain (1 238 mm in Cannes)  and that in October of year 2015, we lost two cars and two peacocks from drenching rain during one day alone!  It's hardly surprising then that work in the Club grounds has been concentrated on ditches to avoid flooding of the covered courts and the construction of cemented pathways to allow players to walk from Club House to tennis courts without getting their feet wet.  All this was arduous, time-consuming labour............

 During all this time playing on the courts continued with very little restriction - it is reassuring to note how fully our facilities are used during daytime: also, after a day of rain, late in the evening under the 'bubbles' protection.

Visitors continue to arrive: in the Christmas period we were glad to welcome two old friends Veteran Captains of Ireland and Sweden teams: Neagle Cathcart and Mikael Kirs :

Allow me at this point to introduce a sad note at this point concerning the passing of a long-time member of our Club by a crushing illness after a lifetime of sport and artistic activity.  Michel Slatkine was known to many for his cheerfulness,  good humour and sportsmanship. To record this loss, a small gathering of friends took place in the restaurant. Here are photos of Michel in happier times, and of the meeting of friends in remembrance of him.

Now most players are familiar with our veteran worker, Fred and know that it is thanks to him that the courts are kept in such fine condition - few however know who can act when Fred is on holiday. The following photo gives away this secret:

Another sturdy Club character was caught bringing in extra decorations in the form of one of his wife's  recent works of art:

                                                                                   Well done,  Nicole and Gilles.

   

Younger members  that are training hard day by day form part of the thriving Tennis Academy: the girls,  enthusiastically led by Nathalie Ballet are on court morning and afternoon for physical exercises, tennis traing and matches.  Two of them, Mirabelle Njoze and Nelise Verster leave tomorrow for a tournament in Hammamet in Tunisia - you can follow their progress in detail on internet. Here's another one of the group, Chelsea Samways in action here recently.

Back to the courts now - to practise if you're lucky enough to have reserved one;  otherwise to watch one of the high-level matches.  The first Club Tournament of the year is well and truly in progress.

VIGNAL TOURNAMENT

This part of the world, famed for its equable climate, treated us to an even worse first two months of the year than that of our last January & February.  We would like to forget those many days of incessant rain; I even counted up to 11 days loss of outdoor tennis for each of these months.  Once more a hearty thanks to our proprietors, for their foresight & efficiency, in providing us with the means of playing under cover from that often atrocious weather.  Not only this precious facility, but the new experience of many members, of playing on a better-preserved surface: protected from the elements, finding they were playing with a new concentration! So far, so good;  but recently back in the open sunny air, old pleasures enjoyed once more.........

Our annual tournament from February to March also profited from the use of the two covered courts; its success was secured once more by the assiduous work of Didier Eysseric in organising the hundreds of matches with so many players from other Clubs, & to Olivier for receiving all those participants into the Club with his usual good humour. The fortnight of competition ended with finals on the last Saturday this year - to make room for important first team matches the following Sunday.  A busy time then with a successful reception for the Tournament Prize-Giving.  I'll celebrate this with a few photos describing the scene & events:

The cook had made good provision for the amuses-gueules accompanying the champagne & for his valuable work every lunchtime, here he is - our chef Manu, with Oliver, receiving applause from everyone:

and if you haven't yet tasted his tarte aux pommes glace vanille; here's what it looks like:

Another well-liked member of staff, without whom the terres battues would never have been in such good condition, is of course, Fred from Tunisia. He was rather unsafely 'chaired' by Olivier & Didier:

The banners around the courts advertise the generous sponsorship we were lucky to have for this tournament: here is one of the banners in front of the collection of cups for the winners:

  And here is an assembly of winners & runners-up, proudly showing their prizes:

Tournaments are not over for the year:  an internal tournament will take place over the next 3 months until a second Vignal tournament is programmed for June-July; with all the younger age categories this time. 

Start practising as soon as possible:  here is how you should be serving perhaps ............

carla

max

I'll finish this blog with a clear sign of spring with the vigorous sprouting from our well-pruned old willow tree.  Wishing you all a similar vigour in your tennis......