Hi Everyone.
I got this lovely email from Alan in Newlands wanting to let us know how well the local tennis club are going.
He thought this blog was his local!
It turns out we are not so local but I think it is good to know what is going on in places called Newlands around the world.
Here is his response to my query about his geographic location...
Haha! My mistake. Newlands is a suburb of Glasgow in Scotland! Yes, by all means post the story, with perhaps an amusing introduction explaining the confusion. And hello from Scotland where it's 0oC and snowing!
NEWLANDS TENNIS CLUB NETS TOP AWARD
NEWLANDS Lawn Tennis Club is Tennis Scotland's 2012 Club of the Year.
The prestigious award is given to the club which has made a significant contribution to the development of tennis inScotland over the last twelve months.
Located in Glasgow's south side with well over one thousand members, a third of whom are juniors under sixteen, thriving Newlands is one of Scotland's top sports clubs. With four indoor courts and seven all-weather courts, four of which are floodlit, it caters for adult, team, social and junior tennis at all levels.
The family-friendly club also boasts five squash courts, a modern, fully-equipped gym and a comfortable clubhouse.
New club President Adrienne Airlie said: "We're delighted to win this fantastic award. Andy Murray's success last year made it an historic twelve months for Scottish tennis and at Newlands we also enjoyed an outstanding 2012.
“The award is testament to the hard work of so many people in our wonderful club. We have been so fortunate to have such a brilliant group of committee members over the years such as Alan Pearson, Dougie Cumine, Tom Culshaw, Bill Laird, Dave Crorie and many more. Their vision within tennis, squash and community interaction has taken the club to where it is today - what a legacy to hand on to all our younger member and families.
“All of their work and that of our great coaches has resulted in us offering an extensive programme for juniors - a major development which the judging panel particularly welcomed.”
In awarding Newlands the coveted title, the judges noted that both the adult and junior programmes were successfully re-launched which led to a rise in participation in existing and new members.
They also commended the club for working hard on its outreach programme with local nurseries and schools and for raising the club's profile in the local community.
And finally, they noted players of all ages enjoyed representing their club and achieving success at many events - from local leagues and cup competitions through to national and international events.
Head Coach Michael Welsh, who was also shortlisted for Tennis Scotland's Coach of the Year, is in no doubt why Newlands won the award.
"In the last couple of years we've systematically nurtured the junior side of the club. We've got one hundred and thirty juniors under 8 and a further two hundred and fifty under 16. They are the future of the club and we give them every opportunity to develop their skills as they mature.
"For the future, our priorities are to keep the momentum going and build on what we've achieved. We'll keep standards high at Newlands and we'll keep pushing for more success."
A number of club members were nominated in other categories - Anna Brogan for Junior Player of the Year, Christine Lockhart for Veteran Player of the Year and Marjorie Love for Veteran Player of the Year while Newlands Ladies 1st Team was shortlisted for the 2012 Team of the Year.
