Events in Leamington mark the milestone of the first pure lawn tennis club

Events were held to mark the 150th anniversary of the first pure lawn tennis club.

Leamington Lawn Tennis and Squash Club said Harry Gem and his friends developed their own rules for the sport in the town at a time when lawn tennis was becoming increasingly popular.

She claimed that her version of the sport at the original Leamington Lawn Tennis Club in 1874 was close to “what would be recognised as tennis today”.

A family fun day and a special doubles tournament have already taken place this summer.

On Sunday, the modern club was scheduled to hold a “Whites & Wood” tournament, in which competitors wore their own white clothing and used wooden clubs.

Treasurer Dan Cale said people had been looking in garages, sheds, “garbage dumps and recycling centers,” which led to the organization acquiring dozens of the rackets and “hiring a club trainer to restring them” for use.

The Treasurer stated: “In essence, we can safely say that Leamington Tennis Club was the first pure grass tennis club in the world.”

“People were playing around with bats in their backyards. There was a need to codify and establish rules.”

“(Harry) Gem and his friends in Leamington devised their own rules (for tennis), which was played at the Manor House Hotel in Leamington.”

Although the treasurer said that the current club is not the same as the original one and that those now involved are its “heirs,” he spoke about the town’s history, stating, “We believe we have had a great influence on what we consider to be the rules of tennis today.”

He said that Henry “Cavendish” Jones, who wrote the rules of the All England Club in 1877, “visited Leamington at least twice in 1874 and stayed at the Manor House Hotel.”

In 1874, there were “larger rectangles” – the entire course consisted of four rectangles – whereas the All England Club’s 1877 model included double-shot rails and serving areas like today, Cale said.

Leamington’s field was 90 x 36 feet, compared to 78 x 36 feet.

Mr Cale said: “We are very proud to be playing a part in the development of this great sport.

“We would like to thank the people who have helped make the club what it is today.”