Three years ago a group of tennis players from Frome Selwood Tennis Club (FSTC) ventured to the south of Germany to visit Frome’s twin town Murrhardt. While there they were treated to a memorable stay with exceptional generosity. The members of FSTC wanted to repay the hospitality they received with what they hoped would be an equally enjoyable visit to Frome. And this they certainly did the first weekend of June, with a schedule planned to show the diversity of the area in and around Frome.
First stop for the guests from Murrhardt Tennis Club was a tour of the historic sites of Frome conducted in German, which was much appreciated by the guests. This was followed by lunch at a traditional pub and then a visit to the National Trust estate of Stourhead in glorious sunshine. A safari supper was held in the evening, which to the relief of the guests was nothing to do with Longleat, but a dinner party with each course held at a different home.
On Saturday it was down to business on the tennis courts. A mixed English/German doubles tournament for the Frome/Murrhardt Cup. This was won by Donna West and Uddo Claus after a closely contested final. The Germans then introduced their own twist to the game with a Drinkers Tournament. This involved substituting the usual inter-game hi-energy refreshment with a beverage of a stronger nature based on malted barley. The evening began with a game of skittles, followed by dinner and presentations at the Archangel.
FSTC are only a small club, but the guests from Murrhardt agreed they certainly know how to give big welcome to visitors. This reflects the friendliness which is at the heart of this club.