history

The History of Oadby (Granville) Tennis & Social Club, by Streph Howse

In 1945, the residents of what was then called Stoneygate Rise (the area adjacent to Granville Avenue and Grosvenor Crescent) decided to form a social club to perpetuate the spirit fostered during the war and culminating in the many street parties which erupted on VJ Day to celebrate victory. The old Meadowcourt Tennis Club had ceased to operate during the hostilities but the changing rooms and clubhouse had been used by Portland House School, the PAY Corps and the ATS.

The owner, Mr. L Browning, was approached and on 18th January 1946 a committee was formed and it was decided to call the new club 'Granville Private Club'. Membership was to be restricted to residents of Stoneygate Rise and the aims were to provide a social and recreational facility for those residents, with tennis very much the secondary consideration. The landlord agreed to maintain the buildings and the five main courts, but not the three 'green' courts which ultimately fell into disrepair and became an area of scrub.

In those embryo years the social calendar was full of whist drives, solo drives, old time and modern dancing (with lessons) and children's parties. A billiard table and piano were purchased to encourage the use of the clubhouse. On the recreational front there were very successful cricket and mixed hockey teams, and our own drama group performed many well-known plays.

By the end of the first decade the tennis activities had increased and teams were entered in the Leicestershire Leagues with some success. However, in 1955 a resolution was passed to reduce the club's involvement in league teams from two ladies and two mens teams to one of each. About this time the residency qualification was being phased out, but prospective members had to be proposed and seconded and undergo a tennis proficiency test. Later on, although the test remained, the prospective member was interviewed by the committee to assess his suitability.

The name of the club had now changed to 'Granville Tennis and Social Club' and ultimately to its present title to give it more of a recognizable local identity. In 1976 membership requirements were relaxed (the test was abolished) to allow families to join and put more emphasis on the social and social tennis sides which had been in danger of sinking beneath a surfeit of competitive play. This change of direction was so successful that membership numbers in all categories soared to a point where waiting lists were introduced. In 1977 this vibrant membership succeeded in raising enough money to buy land, and five years later, by superhuman effort to build (literally) a new clubhouse and changing rooms to replace the old wooden structures which had been in use since before the war.

A New Clubhouse, written in the mid 1980's by David Straker, Chairman 1982

There had been talk about renewing the ageing clubhouse and changing rooms for years. But now, by 1980, all the options were open thanks to the foresight of those who had ensured that the freehold was owned by the club. Of course, there were members who wished for little change and as plans were considered the expense and need were continually debated.

A succession of fund raising events, especially a series of Donkey Derbies, meant that after several years of saving we had over £10,000 and could make a start if the will and enthusiasm were there. A rather elaborate and expensive plan was set aside, but this did have the effect of focussing members on the possibility that we could do things in style rather than bodge up what we had. Eventually a sub-committee comprising Past Chairman Roger Snow, Chairman Paul Clark, Vice-Chairman David Straker and member Roger Percival considered a radical DO IT YOURSELF plan based on a simple shell which could be kitted out over the years as the club gained more funds. This was put to the committee who agreed to present a keen and unanimous lead to a special meeting of all the members.

In 1981, with a senior membership of less than a hundred, it was quite ambitious to aim for a building which could seat a hundred to a hot meal, provide bar, lounge, kitchen and changing facilities, accommodate two table tennis tables and allow hire-out potential. Constraints included the siting of the courts and the new water main together with the maximum width of pre-fabricated roof truss that members could lift if we ever got above the foundations! Planning permission was sought.

A special general meeting was called by Chairman Paul later in 1981 and, despite some doubters, the bold decision to go ahead was made. It is clear that a stable membership, cohesive atmosphere in fund raising, great fun in social events and success in teams climbing the leagues all made a positive impact in creating a dynamic and optimistic mood. Development in the time of high inflation caused us to wish to transfer our hard-earned funds into bricks and mortar as soon as possible. Hardly had the decision to proceed been made when a JCB was hired to dig out footings carefully laid out under the direction of Roger Snow a day or two before. And, of course, a large privet hedge ran through our plans to the corner of now what is court four. So the JCB cleverly picked it up and moved it root and branch to our boundary - where it thrives today!

Thus, suddenly, we were a building site so naturally it rained. Our trenches looked as if they might fill up or collapse if the rain continued as forecast and, with winter approaching, this could put us back months. So that Friday evening in the gloom and damp the telephone wires hummed around Oadby as the committee 'phoned all members with spades to hurry down to the club ready to receive a convoy of ready-mixed concrete lorries in half an hour. And they came and they poured and we shovelled and it poured. Now there was one poor cement lorry who reversed just a little bit too far where the front door stands today. Not only did were have cement in our footings but a lorry as well. Aghast we watched it slither into the trench and slowly cant over the back of our beloved court two. Half an hour later the breakdown lorry shackled a chain to our lurching Enemix and took the strain. A mighty crack and …zing as the chain parted. No members were lost that night. Fortunately they all had their heads down shovelling as the rest of the convoy arrived. Way past midnight there was this poor man with a chassis broken and drum jammed still somewhere in the bowels of his lorry shovelling it out by hand before it set.

Well, after that it was all downhill. The building inspector admired our footings and a bricklayer was hired to lay several million bricks. Funds were dropping so the club members were offered the singular honour of life membership if they kindly capitalise, interest free, the next stages. We were keen to get on. Footings aren't much fun on their own. Besides they were older members so we weren't giving much away! Thus the walls went up. Although we had spent ahead of schedule the industry and contacts of the members at the club meant that we had saved as well. So how about buying the roof trusses and seeing if we could fix them up next? They arrived and the first job was to cut the ends off. We did. But we should not have. So we spent the next weekend sticking them back on again. The trusses were raised one by one. Yes, think of it, no Sunday morning tennis until you have lifted a truss up! It was around this stage that the less skilled members got the job of fixing insulation sheets in the wall cavities. Meanwhile, up aloft Andy Tyler and Mike Hinks having pinned up nearly all the trusses, thought that the honour of fixing the last nail to hold the roof up should go to the new club Chairman who was very busy with his polystyrene sheet. Leaving nothing to chance Andy starts this nail of in the right direction. Well, it was rather like missing an overhead smash a yard from the net - but rest assured, the insulation is well fixed.

It was at this stage, In the summer of 1982, that we felt it would be done - and ahead of schedule. At the start, in late '81, the then Vice-Chairman dreamt of taking the Chair of a club with no money, no members, huge debts and beautiful foundations. And now, here we were a few months later hiring a tiler to put our slates on! Our three wise men, Roger Snow, Mike Hinks and Andy Tyler were spending so long at the club that we thought it only fair to make them a temporary accommodation in the roof space. And so to the drains and the plumbing, the wiring and the lights, the bar and the kitchen, the hatch and the doors, the tiling and the glazing, the staining and the insulation, the looks and the partition, the equipment and the carpet and the furniture and ………… lets have An Opening.

Thus it came to pass that members old and new, supported by all of Leicestershire Tennis came along on the Sunday 28th November 1982 and warmed our clubhouse. It was a good do and as members had built it, so one of our number who had lead the experience declared it open for us. The members of 1980-82 gained more than good fun from their endeavours and trust that those who enjoy the social or tennis life of Oadby Granville themselves find a way of doing something for the next generation.

David Straker
Chairman 1982

Reminiscences of Mike Jackson, son of Frank Jackson our first club chairman 1946

My sister Judy Jackson recently sent me a press cutting from the Leicester Mercury which referred to the recent 60th birthday celebrations of the Oadby (Granville) Tennis Club. I also understand that she wrote to the 'Mr Leicester' column recalling the fact that our father, Frank Jackson, was elected as first chairman of the Club in 1946.

Whilst sadly I cannot provide you with any photographs directly associated with the early days of the club, I can provide a little more information about the embryonic stages which led to its formation. I apologise in advance if these facts are already known and therefore irrelevant

The Stoneygate Rise estate consisting of Granville Avenue (Only a very short road originally), Grosvenor Crescent, Carfax Avenue, Lyndon Drive and Southfields Drive was built in the late 1920's by Brownings who were local property developers. They also developed the site for the old Meadowcourt Tennis club.

In 1945 there was general disappointment in Stoneygate Rise that there were no organised celebrations for VE day in May of that year. When VJ day was imminent in August, my father convened a meeting of several Grosvenor Crescent residents. I can remember the names of a few, Messrs Scott, Neal, Merriman, Read, Clarke, Sherrif, Creswell and Sinclair (it was all very chauvinistic as no ladies were invited). As a result a street party and sports afternoon was arranged, to be held in Grosvenor Crescent.

This event was followed by dancing in the evening to amplified records and under temporary lighting. By popular request the evening event was repeated the following Saturday. Happily the weather was extremely kind on both occasions. By general consensus it was agreed that this social spirit in the local community should be maintained through those early peacetime days.

The larger wooden Meadowcourt Tennis Club building was identified as a possible local venue for future events. My father was acquainted with and a friend of Louis Browning as a result of them being fellow officers throughout the war in the 2nd South Leicester Battalion of the Home Guard and so he agreed to initiate enquiries regarding the lease.

In the early part of 1946 the activities were wholly social, whist drives on a Thursday, and socials, dances and solo drives alternating on Saturdays. There was also a junior membership evening each Friday. In the spring of that year the tennis courts came into regular use. As the club became more established, hockey, cricket and amateur dramatics were among those added to the list of member's activities.

My father remained chairman until his death in the spring of 1947 when the role passed to Mr Oscar Farrant a resident of Lyndon Drive. My late mother enjoyed the privilege of becoming one of the first honorary life members of 'The Granville' along with Mr Walter Creswell and the elderly Mrs Baines (doyen of the card playing fraternity).

In the early 1950's following complaints of disturbance from a Mr Wagstaff who lived at 'The Pines' (the first house in Granville Avenue) the main wooden club building was moved without disassembly away from the communal boundary to the other side of the entrance drive.

The rest as they say, is history.

If, and it's a very big if, the Anna Howse mentioned in 'Mr Leicester's' article had a maiden name of Thompson, then I seem to recollect her living in Lyndon Drive and I have further more painful memories of an occasion when she and her partner Dorothy 'somebody or other' gave my partner and myself a sound drubbing on the tennis courts. Worse it took place on the first court directly under the eyes of other club members gathered on the veranda of the old green pavilion.

I moved away from the Leicester area some forty years ago, returning to Oadby only on rare occasions when I have witnessed the steady ‘disappearance’ of the village.

Among the casualties of that disappearing process was the White Horse pub which stood in Leicester Road. It was there that the officers of the 2nd South Leicester Battalion had their unofficial mess. Whilst I said at the outset I regrettably have no old club photographs I do have one old press photograph in my possession which might be of minor interest.

oadby dads army

My father (Capt) Frank Jackson is seated at the piano whilst (Major) Louis Browning is sitting at the extreme left. May I presume to suggest that through gatherings similar to this an acquaintance blossomed that may have provided some of the seeds from which the present club has grown.

Mike Jackson