A PACKED programme of competitive tennis, club spirit and community celebration brought the 2026 Somer Valley Tennis Club Championships to a memorable close on Sunday, October 11.

Players of all ages battled it out for championship honours at Writhlington Indoor Tennis Centre, before players, members, family and friends gathered at Writhlington Village Hall for the trophy presentations, afternoon tea and raffle.

The Championships, which have been running over several weeks, attracted strong entries across a wide range of singles and doubles competitions, providing plenty of competitive tennis and some closely fought matches along the way.

In the headline singles events, Rachel Gibbs was crowned Ladies’ Singles Champion after facing Christine Hunt in the final, while Samuel Perryman once again took the Men’s Singles title following his final against William Powell.

The doubles competitions produced plenty of excitement too. William Powell and Matthew Harris won the Men’s Doubles, while Rachel Gibbs and Christine Hunt took the Ladies’ title. The Mixed Doubles was won by Naomi & Samuel Perryman.

There was also success in the club’s other competitions, with Mandy Stonier and Janie Bullus winning the Super Vets 60+ event and Christine Hunt and Andrew Beazley taking the Mixed Vets 40+ title.

Payman Fathi and Paul Gray won the Men’s Doubles Lucky Dip, while Janie Bullus and Marie Craig were the Ladies’ Doubles Lucky Dip winners.

The club was also delighted to include the Dragonfly Leisure juniors, with Thomas Aldred winning the Under-16 Boys’ competition.

But Finals Day was about more than trophies and results. It was also an opportunity to recognise the many members who give their time and energy to make the club successful throughout the year. The Pendle Club Person of the Year award went to Ffiona Brace, recognising her enthusiasm, commitment and willingness to help wherever needed.

The Stonier Hobbs Volunteer of the Year award was presented to the Somer Valley Tennis Club Committee, recognising the collective effort and dedication of the committee in keeping the club running smoothly.

The club would like to thank Patrick Lodge who organised the competitions and everyone who helped behind the scenes to make the competition happen, and all the players who took part. Special thanks also go to the 2026 Championship sponsors - The Hunt Family, Waterson Construction, Childs Sulzmann Architects, Scott Construction and Stonier Hobbs Estate Agents - for their generous support.

The Championships once again demonstrated the friendly and inclusive spirit of Somer Valley Tennis Club, bringing members together for competitive tennis, friendship and a celebration of everything that makes the club such an important part of the local community.

For more information on this and about Somer Valley Tennis Club, visit Clubspark / Somer Valley Tennis / https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/SomerValleyTennis.

*Tennis is a racket sport which can be played by virtually all ages, either individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles).

The highlight of the tennis calendar in this country is the Wimbledon Championships which is regarded as the best in the world.