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Illustrated Guide to Christchurch and Neighbourhood

Canterbury Lawn Tennis Club

Canterbury Lawn Tennis Club.

This Club was started three years and a half ago, more particularly to provide courts, which might be used in winter as well as summer, and with this view the Club has laid down four courts—three of asphalt and one of clay and ash—on their ground, which is situated in Cranmer-square, and is held on lease from the Church Property Trustees. £300 and upwards has been spent by the committee on the formation, improvement, and fencing the ground. The Club consists of a President (hon. E. C. J. Stevens), a vice-President (Mr. H. Allan Scott), an hon. Treasurer (Mr. Joseph Gould), an hon. Secretary (Mr. F. H. Bruges), a committee of seven (consisting of Messrs. H. P. Lance, C. C. Corfe, W. V. Millton, T. D. Condell, E. J. Ross, Geo. Hogben, and J. B. Harrison), and upwards of 100 members and lady subscribers. The annual meetings of the Club are held in September, and, as an indication of the financial condition of the Club, the balance to the credit of the Club, after payment of all expenses, was, last year, over £100. The entrance fee is £1 1s., and the annual subscription £1 1s; but members joining after the 1st November in any year, pay only half the yearly subscription for the year in which they join; the year commencing on the 1st May, and all members being elected by the committee. Ladies pay no entrance fee, and only 10s. 6d. as a yearly subscription; and in return for this they are entitled to play every morning from nine o'clock till one o'clock; and on two afternoons in the week—Mondays and Wednesdays. Members have also the privilege of introducing their friends on Wednesday afternoons. Persons not residing between the rivers Hurunui and Rangitata may, on being proposed by a member, and seconded by one of the committee, become a visiting member for a fortnight. Gentlemen, resident beyond a radius of 12 miles from Christchurch are eligible as members, on payment of an annual subscription of 10s. 6d., and an entrance fee of 10s. 6d. During the spring and autumn months, tournaments, both single and double-handed, are arranged amongst the members of the Club, which hitherto seem to have given great satisfaction, not-withstanding the great difficulty the committee have had in making such handicaps as would place competitors on an equal page 119footing, and give each a fair chance of success. The leading players of the Club are — Messrs. F. Wilding, E. J. Ross, W.V. Millton, G. H. Ross, H. Short, and A. W. Cooke. In the single-handed tournament, held during the spring of last year, Mr. Wilding succeeded in carrying off the first prize, beating Mr. E. J. Ross in the last round but one, the latter conceding a bisque in a set to the former. Mr. Wilding also beat Mr. W. V. Millton on level terms in the last round, the latter thus carrying off the second prize. Among the lady subscribers the most prominent players are Mrs. H. Allan Scott, the Misses Hutton, and Miss Maude, all of whom play with considerable skill. There is little doubt that the formation of the Club has been the means of great improvement in the game, and time will probably show that Canterbury can carry off the honours in tennis as she has latterly at cricket.