Manchester Welcomes His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh
His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh visited the Manchester Tennis & Racquet Club to mark the 150th Anniversary of its foundation.
The Club is a private members club providing both sporting and social facilities for its members. It comprises a Real Tennis Court, a Rackets Court, a Squash Court and an original Victorian Skittle Alley, and is one of a very small number of institutions where these historic games can still regularly be played. More recently the Rackets Court has been adapted for padel and pickleball as well as Rackets, the ancestor of modern squash. The Club also has a Bar and Dining Room where meals and drinks are regularly provided for members and guests. Over its first 150 years, its membership has included many individuals of distinction in the local region and has nurtured many fine players of all three sports, including the current Amateur Champion of Real Tennis.
On arrival, His Royal Highness was greeted by Mike Walmsley OBE, Deputy Lieutenant of the of the County of Greater Manchester, who introduced The Duke to the Ceremonial Mayor and Mayoress of Salford, Councillor Robin Garrido and Mrs Karen Garrido, and to His Honour Brendan Hegarty KC, a former President of the Club who then led the party into the Club. On entering the premises, His Royal Highness was introduced to the Honorary Secretary of the Club, Mr Carl Hamill. The Duke then met various members of staff, including the General Manager, Stella Heap, the Assistant Manager, Shelley Lloyd, the Head Professional, Steve Brockenshaw, the Senior Professional, James Asher, the Club Chef, Gareth Lloyd, and general assistant, James Prestwich. His Royal Highness then met and spoke to a number of members and staff before proceeding to the Tennis Court, where a game of Doubles was in progress. The Duke is Patron of the Tennis & Rackets Association, the governing body of the games of Real Tennis and Rackets. His Royal Highness then went through into the Skittle Alley to see some play on this historic facility and tried his hand at the game.
After leaving the Tennis Court, His Royal Highness viewed the War Memorial bearing the names of those members who gave their lives for their country in the course of two World Wars. The Duke then entered the gallery of the Rackets Court and had the opportunity to see some play before being shown the Bar and the Dining Room. There followed a gathering on the Tennis Court where the Honorary Secretary made a brief speech of appreciation and thanks. During the course of the visit, The Duke was able to meet many members and members of staff and to view the works of renovation and improvement which had been carried out earlier in the year to mark the Club’s Sesquicentennial.
