History of Tortola Sports Club up to year 2001

Rowan Roy reports that tennis was being played in the BVI as far back as the mid twenties and a tennis club was actually formed in 1933 at the Agricultural station, which today, in year 2001, now houses the Althea Scatliffe School.  But it was not until the mid-fifties that tennis really started to take off with the use of the old cracked court at government House.  Clarence Christian, Rowan Roy, Alvin Jacobs and Cyril Romney could be seen playing there on a regular basis, often joined by Lily Romney and Anne Roy for mixed doubles.  No one had telephones, or cars of course, so arranging games was not as easy as it is today.

Eventually, frustrated with the erratic bounce they stamped out a court on the naked earth of what is now Court 1 at Pasea, and kept it weeded, using the old worn out net from Government House.  By the mid sixties the group of players had expanded to include Jill Tattersall, Steve Dickenson, Winston Smith and Betty Townend.  The wind-up telephone, which went off at 9.00 pm had arrived and cars could now drive from Fort Burt to Baughers Bay.  And so people would gather perhaps twice a week for tennis, and soon a shed, being the first clubhouse and a second court, now Court 2 was added.

Then in the mid to late sixties, together with Robin Tattersall, Albie Stewart and Peter Haycraft, the Tortola Sports Club was officially founded, which at the time included the Yacht Club and of which Jill Tattersall was the first President.  In June 1967 the Club took its first formal step to acquiring the land it now sits upon by signing a 5 year lease.  By 1970 David Kenworthy was President and both Ken Adamson and Noel Barton arrived that year.

With a $5,000 grant from Herbert Showering, whose company had by then bought the land from the Roy family, and contributions from many others including Paulina Dean and the Tattersalls, David Kenworthy’s architect skills were put to use and a clubhouse was built in the early seventies.  Everyone chipped in with some sort of help from painting to planting ornamental shrubs to making teas and many of those who contributed were made life members.  The grounds were kept grazed by a donkey belonging to Victor Fahie, a well-known local artist.  Victor was also the Club’s first Father Christmas and he used to arrive with his sack of presents on his beloved donkey.

Ken Adamson took over as President in 1971 and did an incredible amount of work from the moment he arrived.  In October 1972 he was instrumental in negotiating the club’s 42-year lease at Pasea and in 1974 in getting the first squash court built.  With Bram van Dyke they added the third tennis court (now Court 2) and with Clive Sears the fourth (now Court 3).  The final pieces of construction in the seventies were the resurfacing of Court 1 by Jim Morshead and the building of the second squash court.  Ken’s wife Xandra turned out to be the most amazing fundraiser at a time when significant capital spending was required.
The tennis section was very active at this time with annual singles and doubles tournaments and special events throughout the year such as the Christmas and Easter hamper Tournaments and eventually lights were a must.  Again masterminded by Ken Adamson these were installed on Courts 2 & 3 and the weekly floodlit Tournament was launched.  One of the wives would produce dinner for everyone, the cost of which had to be kept below $1 per person.

Ken was also very competitive on the Court and was Men’s Champion every year bar one through the seventies.  Noel Barton recalls playing a doubles game with Ken against the coach from Little Dix in which they were 0-5 down.  As they crossed, Noel said he presumed they were playing a long set and Ken and Noel went on to win 7-5.

Noel and Tine Barton also started the Saturday afternoon mixed doubles, which were such a feature of the seventies. As everyone arrived they put their rackets in a special stand and the fours were made up from that in order. Everyone took turns in producing scrumptious teas - around Wimbledon they did strawberries and cream. Tennis coaching took place as experts became available - Clive Sears was one of these.   The Adamsons also built a small playground to occupy the member’s children, Mikey Adamson being memorable in his little red boots.

Early players and supporters at the club up to 1980 included all of the above, together with Robert and Sally Dick-Read, M Chessman, A Wallace, P Kemp, S Wallace, B Landon, L Hill, Paula Barton, Ans van Dyke, The Gardiners, The Brownings, Liz Pilcher, Miriam Clough, Tricia Kinkead, Phyl Allison, and Ernie Sorrentino, whose sons, Peter, Keith and Neville were sensational for their age and size.  During this period international matches were arranged and the Sports Club began sending teams to neighbouring islands.

Jill Tattersall recalls the distinction of playing a set with Vivian Griffiths Hughes on the last occasion that she ever played - and the only time she has ever taken two games off a former Wimbledon player!  Her serve was still a force to be reckoned with.  Noel Barton also partnered Vivian in her last doubles match.

As the club developed in the early eighties, everyone used to watch movies against the outside of the squash court following a barbecue. The likes of Roger Downing, Jon Osman, Steve Steer, A Pilcher, A Wright, Edith Walters, S Corion, M Fridjhon, H Kemp, David and Carol Raworth, Alphonso Warner and Penny Haycraft were now actively involved.  Father Christmas in the form of David Smith visited children on the court every year. Dinners were organised and every one provided dishes and table decorations.

In the late eighties the Trust companies arrived in force, membership thrived and the facilities were upgraded.  Sadly as we reached the nineties some of these same facilities began to deteriorate.  The new younger members found they were too busy, with a new society that offered so many alternative activities, to put in the time to keep the impetus going.

From 1996 the membership started to decline rapidly as the courts and the clubhouse deteriorated further.  Few social and sporting events were held and the membership became increasingly disillusioned.  On the plus side however the club had managed through Derek Dunlop, Ken Adamson and Noel Barton, amongst many others, to negotiate the purchase of the freehold land on which the club stood, together with an additional three quarters of an acre, this all achieved without borrowing a penny.

Enter the new Millennium and a new spirit at the Club with young members prepared to get it together and launch new tennis and squash leagues, address the dilapidated club house and commence youth programs.