Margaret French, known primarily for her very active involvement with the Bradfield Club over many years, but also with Thorncliffe and Abbeydale connections, has relocated to Newcastle on Tyne to be nearer family.
From a long established family in the Loxley valley she joined Bradfield tennis club in 1954 where she remained a member for 63 years, progressing through team player & captain, Chairman, President, and culminating in Honorary Life President; she probably wouldn’t disagree with the description general dog’s body either! Tennis activities beyond her club included serving on the ‘Parks’ committee and captaining the Sheffield Parks Veterans Team in the Yorkshire League, organising the Parish senior and Junior tournaments, and for the last ten years taking responsibility for the umpires at our junior Finals day and organising the 9U and 10U events at Ecclesall (thank you Margaret). In my Presidency she was awarded the May Medal for 2009 for her exceptional services to tennis over many years.
On the competitive side she won Club, Parish and Parks singles and doubles titles many times, and only a few years ago received the President’s Trophy for the outstanding performance in our annual SDLTA tournament. In 2013 she was selected for her age group Yorkshire team playing both singles and doubles, losing to Surrey in the 2016 final and being awarded her County colours. At an age when most people are reducing their playing involvements Margaret threw herself into National Competition, reaching No. ranking 1 in her age group in Yorkshire, and No 25 in the world! On one occasion in the gap between Christmas and New Year she travelled to Prestwick (Scotland) by bus, tram, train and foot to play five other entrants, and return - Such dedication. Trips to Croatia and Majorca to play in LTA and ITF events were more romantic.
The World Student Games of 1991 started her on her Umpiring career during which time she ‘took a line’ in the Wimbledon Ladies Final of 2000, a Davis Cup tie, and the Auckland (NZ) Open. She took the chair for junior matches in the Sydney Junior Tournament, completed twenty Wimbledon’s as an official and at one time spent about 100 days a year in pursuit of this involvement.
Tennis is probably like all voluntary ventures in that a few do an awful lot for nothing, and a lot do nothing or very little. Margaret being one of the former, how long will it be before the Geordie tennis community are aware of a new force in their midst?
Author:
John Andrews