Tennis trophy mystery
OLD TENNIS trophies have been found in a police station.
DO YOU remember playing as a member of Inveraray Tennis Club?
No such club exists today, but not so long ago there was a seemingly-thriving tennis scene in the Royal Burgh. Clearing out Inveraray police property ahead of a planned sale, police officers discovered some mystery trophies in a loft. Tarnished, neglected and forgotten, the trophies were all awarded for competitions within Inveraray Tennis Club.
The reason for their presence in this particular loft might have something to do with the location of the police station - directly beside the tennis courts - or perhaps they were there for safe keeping.
Being responsible types, the officers handed in the silverware to the Argyll Estates offices and it was there estate secretary Margaret Mather became intrigued by the mystery. Margaret’s husband Ally got to work with the Duraglit and, with a bit of elbow grease and some minor repairs, the trophies came up gleaming. They are now stored under lock and key in a safe place.
But, sadly, little seems to be remembered about the trophies or the club.
One of the trophies, a shield appears to have been presented by the Argyllshire Advertiser, unusually with ‘Adver- tiser’ spelled with a ‘z’. Cups, too, were presented to the club by Ed Sobota in 1960 and an older one, the Challenge Cup, by George M Sime.
Judging by the inscriptions, the club seems to have been particularly active in the 1950s and ’60s.
On the ‘Advertizer’ shield, the most recent inscription is for doubles partners Mrs L Campbell and Peter Aitken in 1975.
So it’s over to you readers.
What can you tell us about Inveraray Tennis Club and do you have memories of these competitions? What happened to the club?