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Woodside Avenue, Eastleigh. SO50 9ES
History
Compiled by Wilf Paskins, member since 1945
Middle Road, Sholing
In 1956 word was that The Rosoman Tennis Club in Middle Road , Sholing was in financial difficulties and were looking for someone to buy the remaining 14 years of their lease on the land on which their tennis courts and clubroom were situated. They hoped that, if they found the right buyer, they would still be able to continue using the courts. Their asking price was £1000 and, as the Clubs assets totalled a mere £350, you might have thought that would have been the end of our interest but, not so. A committee meeting was held at a pub in East Street,(yes there were some in those days) and most members present offered to pay 15 years subscriptions up front so it was decided to offer the tennis club a 50% deposit with the balance payable over two years. Contact with them suggested that this would be acceptable so, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held, at the premises, on 2nd. December 1956 at which it was learnt that Club President, Alec Bennett, had promised a donation of £100 and the meeting voted to go ahead offering a £600 deposit.
I was closely involved in arranging the purchase and the transfer of the lease, also in making application for the Clubs registration under the licensing acts and some small structural changes to incorporate a bar. At the suggestion of our friends at Esso, I drew up a ‘beer engine’ which looked like a petrol pump but housed a barrel of Watneys beer and a gas bottle,
a clock was incorporated on the front. This was made up for us by Esso and it
a clock was incorporated on the front. This was made up for us by Esso and it
did look like a scale model but the beer did not come out of the hose, had it done so it could have been quite messy. In 1961, we obtained planning consent for a brick built extension to house a larger, more secure, bar. The brickwork was done for us by the builder who was our next door neighbour, Ted Barfoot, all the other work being done by Club members.
The Clubroom provided all the amenities required with plenty of room for parking, Friday evening meetings, social events and committee meetings. Members families could enjoy the events and the tennis club could continue their activities. This happy state of affairs lasted until 25th. March 1970 when, in spite of rigorous attempts to obtain a renewal of the lease from an intransigent landlords agent, we were obliged to quit. The site and clubhouse remained derelict for a number of years
The Clubroom provided all the amenities required with plenty of room for parking, Friday evening meetings, social events and committee meetings. Members families could enjoy the events and the tennis club could continue their activities. This happy state of affairs lasted until 25th. March 1970 when, in spite of rigorous attempts to obtain a renewal of the lease from an intransigent landlords agent, we were obliged to quit. The site and clubhouse remained derelict for a number of years
