EIGHTIETH CELEBRATIONS

The Dutch group of players are good party makers; they have enjoyed two more recently. The first one was to celebrate the eightieth birthday of Dawn: I have written about her late husband Hank's achievements in an earlier post.  All their friends seemed to be there, & she managed to bring along her favourite jazz band as well.  Here is a photo of this local band, with her in  the middle:

The next photo shows some of the crowd arriving for the lunch:

Notice the animated discussions, with one of Dawn's well-known table decorations in the foreground.

And then came the meal - excellent as usual on the Restaurant terrace; followed by speeches in the usual Dutch tradition. The jazz band played, & then accompanied Anton who interpreted songs specially composed for the occasion by himself. There is other talent than tennis skills in the Club! 

Even some dancing & singing by Dawn, Chris & friend.......

This highly successful event was followed a mere week later by a Round-Robin doubles tournament of 24 players in 6 rounds: the number of players being doubled by hungry friends for one more good lunch.

Enough of our active Dutch members.......... what have other Club members been doing?

The internal Club tournament has produced many exciting matches; the end of these struggles will be celebrated this coming Sunday with an informal barbecue at the Restaurant.  (If you haven't yet booked, you're probably too late, these events are popular!)

Coming events;  a full Vignal tournament for all-comers & categories; a good replacement for the washed-out February event. Starting date 29th June; finals a fortnight later (14th July). Register as soon as possible.

One further photo - youth showing some rapid play on the mini-tennis court:

Try this sometime!  And look forward to an active summer in your Club with plenty new faces & visitors. The swimming pool too will very soon also be in use - 19 m by 9 m gives you plenty of space to keep really fit!  Go to it!

FURTHER PROGRESS

A recent promise of terrace extension has been carried out, not only efficiently, but with an attractive additional facility:  the surface extension is painted blue, with white lines providing a miniature tennis court!  The temporary addition of a net, has allowed members to practise play - most conveniently with a foam ball.  This provides a valuable new training method - only to be used of course when the restaurant is not in use - but already several younger players are showing exceptional skill in this mini-game, which will surely add to their competences in real tournament & match play.

The second club improvement rapidly achieved is the arrival of new furniture. The proprietors' choice was soon vindicated by the appreciative remarks of arriving members:  here is a view which will surely convince many other new clients & members:

The numerous plats du jour have been enjoyed by many of you & of your friends: Virginie & Manu, the Chef have devised further delights for your palates which you can investigate in a newly-designed Menu. Look specially perhaps at the list of desserts available for the summer season we are going to celebrate soon.

You will remember the disappointing fate of our February Tournament under those depressing deluges of rain; well, here's a pleasant surprise for all of you who wield a useful racquet, & who haven't yet read Didier's notices.  For the first time to my knowledge, we can announce the organisation of an Internal Tennis Tournament.  Consider the advantages arising from this decision:

1. All Junior categories (unprovided for last February) are available.
2. The matches start on the 11th of this month, & continue up to the 23rd of June.
3. Competition is restricted to Vignal members only - you already have seen how much easier it will be to beat some of your old friends, rather than those frightening visitors from other Clubs!
4. So now is that great opportunity to have that real classement  you've heard so much about, & have so much desired.
5. As more time is available, you are allowed to enter for more categories, say 2 or 3.
6. The modest entry fee per category also pays for the barbecue after the final matches.

Entries will be made through Oliver or Didier (Tournament Referee - Juge-Arbitre) or by filling-in an on-line document I will send out.

Jonathan Eysseric

You should recognise this name as of the eldest son of Didier & Pascale, & our leading player. He has been training hard recently on Court One, both physically with his coach, & at his game with his sparring partner, Jean-Philippe. From today you can see a photo of him in action just outside the restaurant.  Here is another:

 Here are a few details of his progress in high-level tournaments. You will remember he was World Junior Tennis Champion for the year 2008.  Subsequently he has had experience of meeting many strong players - even age 17, he gave Andy Murray a difficult match. As left-hander he has been a useful sparring-partner for Roger Federer. But what about recent successes?

His performance in the Qualifications for the recent Monaco Tournament gave further hope for his future:  against the Spaniard Albert Ramos he lost 7/5, 5/7, 7/6, with a match point for Jonathan in the third set. A disappointment to get so near; note the high world ranking (67 at the time; 38 last year, of Ramos.) The Spaniard continued several rounds after this close encounter, only losing to Fabio Fognini -semi-finalist loser to Djokovich. Then quarter-finalist loser to Nadal in Barcelone. High level tennis all this.

The local Grasse Open Tournament (a 'Futures' - level category) gave Jonathan a clear win in both Singles & Doubles. Great victories;  but he will go higher than this............ Keep your eyes on your leading player!

RAIN AGAIN

Waiting for a sunny day to give you more news, rain came again this afternoon: no more tennis today. Looking back as far as 1998, by far the wettest year was 2010, with 743 mm precipitation recorded in Cannes; the equivalent for today is already about 300 mm, with the month of March unfinished!

A very recent piece of news to give hope for the future:  cover for two of the claycourts has been ordered - you will soon be able to continue to play even during torrential downpours. Very good news! Photos hopefully in my next blog.

Another improvement to the Club facilities has been under way this week: doubtless because of the great success of the restaurant under our capable chef and the new proprietors, the terrace area has been doubled.  New tables and chairs will follow presently, all ready for the spring and summer days when it is so agreeable to eat under a completely blue sky.  Those few members and players who have not yet sampled the varied menus, will have no excuse but to join the happy band of regular clients. Remember friends of your families are equally welcome: they may even be lucky enough to witness a spectacular match on the centre court.

And speaking of spectacular tennis, I was one of the few who watched an extraordinary match  when the tournament referee (juge-arbitre) left his complex arrangements, to beat his athletic Cannes opponent in three sets. This, with innumerable service-volleys, and in spite of a groggy left-knee, and a developing cramp in his right leg!  Bravo Didier! Unfortunately this was one of the last matches possible: back came the rain to make more than 7 days lost out of the 14 available, and an inevitable tournament cancellation. (Watch out for the Junior events scheduled for July.)

A few privileged members were invited to the private exhibition of Nicole Bélanger's paintings a week or so ago.  This event took place in their newly-built modern mansion in the Peyrebelle area. This residence is fortunately quite spacious, for the alacrity with which Nicole (='Coline') executes her works of art, may one day soon, present a severe problem of accommodation for her strongly supportive husband, Gilles. Here is my photo showing something of the paintings (acrylic on canvas): a much more complete view is found on her website:   www.coline-art.com

Just a word now about the Nature happily around us at the Vignal; looking carefully at the many ash trees around the courts, you will see a yellowish-green material on many of the branches. Here is a photo:

This material, called lichen contains algae along with fungi; the two organisms live together for their mutual benefit. This association is called symbiosis; the algae contain the pigment chlorophyll which facilitates photosynthesis, and this vital process using sunlight provides glucose which is food for the fungi, (and incidentally oxygen for us!) The existence of so much lichen around here, is a good sign that there is no atmospheric pollution by sulphur dioxide - a gas which destroys lichen.  A good environment then!

Forthcoming Club events are round-robin tournaments both in the Ladies' group and the Dutch group. See the respective Captains Judy Haar and George Buter for more details. Now get back to practising when the courts are dry again. Bonne chance et bon tennis.

WINTER

The months of December and January have been decidedly wet and cold.  In this privileged part of the world, a day of rain can always be followed by a full blue sky, but we have experienced an exceptionally humid period. This has adversely affected the state of the clay courts which have been mainly unplayable during this time. So we are lucky to have so many hard courts!

Here is a photo of a well-washed shirt one frosty morning, illustrating one effect of the recent weather conditions;  thank-you Fred.....

 The tennis-playing groups have bravely kept up their good humour  and good eating. The IWG tennis captain, Judy talks to 25 of her ladies in the club restaurant here:

The accent was on decorative hats, as you see - Caroline next:

While the Chef quietly prepared the excellent meal in the background:

A great event as usual. 

The ladies followed this a few days later with a cocktail evening to view (and sell!) a good number of works of art painted by several group members.  What a talented and active crowd!

On a serious note of security, a little explanation could be acceptable, of the notice on the wall near the offices, indicating that a 'défibrillateur cardiaque' is available. Anxious members will have been appreciative of this important purchase by our owners;  but exactly how and when would this apparatus be used?

Let us earnestly hope that the occasion will never occur..............  but nevertheless, if it does happen that a player collapses on court;  members should be ready to act, and to act correctly and rapidly.

The first thing to check should be to find if the victim is still breathing - if not; this could be the most serious case, & heart massage should be initiated immediately, with someone telephoning SAMU at 15.

This is where the defibrillator comes in. The victim's chest should be uncovered, & the electrodes in the pack placed on each side of the heart, as you will see in the video linked to this text. With the apparatus plugged in to the set, an oral diagnosis will be emitted. If fibrillation (chaotic vibrations not allowing normal heart pumping) is detected; the instruction to press the button giving a strong electric shock, will be announced. 

All this carried out correctly could save the life of one of us: watch the video carefully, & imagine in your mind what you, yourself, would remember to do in such a situation. 

(Pour une traduction en français, viens me demander au Club: en tout cas le video est en français

Bon tennis & bon appétit dans votre restaurant !

Remember also the Annual Vignal Tournament from February 23rd to March 10th; I sent out forms to fill in before February 20th, to possible participants this afternoon. Otherwise communicate directly with Olivier or Didier at the Club. Bonne chance!

CLUB CHARACTERS

Perhaps the first of our members that surprised me when chatting about his various occupations, was the well-loved Hank. The Dutch group have an annual lunch in his memory, organized by his wife, Dawn. In addition to his genial participation on our courts, he had been a Racing Driver! Not only that hazardous occupation, but what I found with a little persistence in our little chat,  the considerably safer  past-time of making stringed instruments! I hear that his double-basses were particularly successful.  

Here is a photo from November 2004: 

followed by one of Dawn from May of this year:

A much more recent discovery from casual conversations in the Club, concerns our English friend Edward Grimshaw. Not particularly vociferous during his doubles matches - even on the rare occasions when his dear wife, Lucia misses her volleys!  I can now reveal, by dint of my careful journalistic attempts on your behalf...........

You will recognize the intrepid explorer slightly younger than now; but not his exact situation.  He tells me he was here on the summit of Mount Scott in Antarctica, and that he made this ascent during his two year sojourn in that continent back in the 1960's.

Certainly, you must agree, a serious candidate for the distinctive title of 'Club Character'.

One more photo to emphasize the point: imagine surviving two days of continual snow in these surroundings!

So let's not complain too much if it rains all this week! But remember I'm always on the look-out for new material..........

I'm asked to remind you of various items which may interest some of you:

If you wish to re-contact the fitness expert, Christophe Dehays, he is not far away, and you will find details of what he does, at his website, www.selectgym.com .

There is a sale of home-made objects by a friendly neighbour on December 8th here in the Club - more details of this and of Christmas Choral happenings on notices in your favourite Restaurant.

My Best Wishes for a Happy Festive Season, signed by my namesake's local resident on a suitable perch, after the annual pruning of the willow tree.

a single click on a photo enlarges it

JOLLIFICATIONS

It was about ten days ago that our restaurant was particularly full at midday; latecomers had difficulty in finding a place for their vehicles in the parking lot. The main group leaving the courts after their usual two hours of doubles is now named 'Cosmo' I hear:  quite a joyful crowd!

A much smaller group, that we may call the 'Buter-Dikken' players, started off on the lower terrace with apéritifs & with the desire to celebrate the birthday of one of their number. This sporting gentleman came to us last year from Canada, & thoroughly enjoys our privileged climate; so he is encouraged to stay longer with us, not only through the good tennis, but by being offered a special headgear. Also, to aid the merriment, his friends attempted to surround him with floating soap bubbles. Anton is seen in the next photo starting his contribution.

Wolfgang followed this more successfully from the other side, as you see in my next photo.

I'm unable to explain the sudden sad expression on Adrian's face, for as you can see, his 'hat' is rather a lightweight affair.  Anyway he quickly returned to his usual happy demeanor, with the help of a glass of rosé. And then of course up the steps everyone to those beautifully set tables, & those tasteful 'plats du jour' and those delicious 'desserts'.  Here are photos of some of the participants at table.

One or two other items of news: 

The friendly masseur, Claudio who several of you met during the summer tells me he will be here again from 30th October to the 10th November inclusive. You may reserve a session as before through the details I gave in an earlier post. Here is a link to his website.

If you need tennis lessons, I have just posted photos of three of our teachers, with their mobile numbers on my other tennis website.

Good luck in your next matches;  and come to support our teams playing against other clubs - tomorrow the 14th, & the following Sundays.

à bientôt !

NEWS ITEMS

The Club continues to thrive under the new ownership; the restaurant has more & more enthusiastic adherents as the word passes from member to member & from friends to new friends: this is the way to success - the words that pass are congratulatory for both food & service, & the elegant set tables & welcoming staff are always inviting;  a credit to the Club. A superbly flowering hibiscus plant &  a championship player on the nearby refurbished court complete the happy picture.

The player is Jonathan Eysseric eldest son of Didier (Club Technical Manager) & Pascale, his wife. We shall see more & more of the rest of the family on court as time goes by: a formidable array!  Jonathan is of world class & is high on the list of French players.













Weekly visits of tennis groups of player are an ever-important part of the Vignal community; take the Tuesday morning Dutch group for instance.  They have excelled themselves recently by using 6 courts for their 2-hour session, that is 24 doubles players. Here they are, after an exhausting time, taking a well-earned drink before lunch.

We mustn't forget individual players who have contributed to the Club over very many years, I occasionally catch one or other of these friends in a suitable posture. Last week it was Andy Hill, now Headmaster of a School in Sophia, who provided me with an amusing photo. A good match player, both singles & doubles (often with his sporting wife, Bev), trencherman-supporter of the Tie-Break, he here seems to be helping to hold up the ancient fabric.

On this merry note, I leave you until next time, with two more items;

1. Don't forget that your restaurant is closed on Mondays.

2. Be careful to help preserve the newly renovated courts when watering them;

don't leave the spray in one area too long; move it around at about head-height

and don't neglect the outer surfaces.

Enjoy your tennis, & bring along more friends !