Dear All,

 

It is with a heavy heart that I have to confirm the Basildon Tennis courts will be closed until further notice.  I hold out some small hope that the Government will see sense at some stage and agree with the LTA's observation highlighted below - forever the optimist.

 

I will take this opportunity to give the courts another demoss treatment - the problem with not playing on them is that the moss will come back with a vengeance. If anyone has the time to give me a hand, please get in touch!

 

Lydia Berks

BTC Chair

 

Please see below exert of an email just received from the LTA:

Despite the strong case we and many of you have put forward to Government, we're sorry to confirm that the new restrictions being introduced from tomorrow mean you will not be allowed to play tennis in England for the duration of the national lockdown, as a result of the closure of all outdoor tennis courts as well as indoor facilities.

We believe that if people are being encouraged to take part in exercise during lockdown and are allowed to meet someone else from a different household for a socially distanced walk, they should have been able to play tennis against each other on either side of a net.

However, whilst we are disappointed with the outcome, we respect the decision the Government has taken and now ask all those involved in tennis in England to adhere to it.

We know these restrictions will have a significant impact on the whole tennis community, and our focus now will switch to campaigning to ensure that as much grassroots tennis activity can resume as soon as possible, including both indoor and outdoor tennis.

We'll continue to keep you updated with the latest information in the coming days and weeks on our dedicated coronavirus information page.