Dust off your rackets

Dalkeith Lawn Tennis Club will be reopening on Saturday 21st April 2012 weather and court condition permitting. The club will open at 2pm for social tennis following off-season resurfacing and court improvements.

On the evening of the 21st, the club's first social night of 2012 will take place in The Justinlees and will include the ballot for DLTC's Wimbledon ticket allocation. Further ticket details, including dates, prices and how to enter the ballot, will follow by email in due course.

Curry sponsor named in Britain’s hot hundred

DLTC sponsor Itihaas has been named one of the top 100 curry specialists in Britain.

The Dalkeith restaurant, opened less than four years ago, is one of only six establishments in Scotland among 100 shortlisted in the 2011 British Curry Awards. The others are in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Renfrewshire.

It is the latest distinction for Itihaas, voted best South Asian restaurant in Scotland in 2010 in awards run by Spice Times magazine and one of four finalists in the Indian category of this year’s Scottish Restaurant Awards.

Some 2,700 restaurants were entered for the British Curry Awards from a record 68,000 public nominations. Nine regional winners will be selected from the shortlist and announced at the Battersea Evolution, London, on 28 November at an event hosted by celebrity chef James Martin and attended by more than 1,500 guests. It will be the biggest night of the year for almost 100,000 people involved in the industry.

Awards’ organiser Enam Ali MBE said: “This is the seventh year of the British Curry Awards and the standards get higher every year. To reach the shortlist is a tremendous achievement. Interest in the competition has been greater than ever, underlining the tremendous support for Britain’s favourite food.”

Matin Khan, Bangladeshi-born Director of the restaurant on Eskbank Road, commented: “My team are proud to have been listed as one of the best curry restaurants in the whole of Britain and one of only a very select number in Scotland.

“Our menus are built around traditional Indian and Bangladeshi dishes, using the freshest ingredients and authentic spices. Curries come in an amazing array of flavours and textures, and we consistently try to get our customers’ taste buds buzzing!”

Mr Khan recently opened another Midlothian restaurant, Radhuni, in Loanhead’s Clerk Street.

Coaching success

Congratulations to John Slater (Junior Liaison Officer) on passing his level 1 coaching qualification recently!

David ‘thrashes’ the rest in tennis season finale

Dalkeith Tennis Club marked the end of its season with a men’s handicap event which attracted a great turn-out.

The winner was David Dowell, runner-up in the 2011 men’s singles championship, who beat Ricky Smith in the final.

In the semi-finals David overcame Johnny Costello while Ricky defeated last year’s handicap winner, Frank Nisbet.

The event, known at the club as ‘The Thrash,’ was superbly organised by Ricky and Stuart Campbell who laid on food and refreshments.

Play it again, Sam! She’s champion again after 22 years

It took a long time but Samantha Fearnley’s second ladies singles championship at Dalkeith tennis club was well worth waiting for.

The left-hander, who last won the title as a teenager in 1989, emerged victorious from one of the finest ladies’ matches in recent memory at the Eskbank Road courts when she beat defending champion Lorna Lettice 6-3, 6-2 in a high tempo final.

Despite the score the number of points won was almost identical for each player in the first set and the close confrontation continued.

High quality tennis was served up by both players who kept striking the ball from corner to corner with astonishing accuracy, creating a succession of long rallies. Lorna’s sliced forehands and backhands were not quite as powerful as Sam’s, with the new champion also making her opponent race to cover drop shots and acutely angled drives.

The result carried on a proud family tradition. Sam’s father Bill is a former men’s singles champion at the Club and is now its Honorary President.

There is a new name on the men’s honours board after 27-year-old Gareth Stewart from Gorebridge beat last year’s seniors’ winner David Dowell 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

Off to a flyer with a 5-0 lead, Gareth cruised through the first set and led 2-0 before David levelled things at 2-2, then 3-3, before the younger man stepped up a gear to take his first DLTC title. This was only the second season at the club for Gareth, who works in environmental health for Borders Council.

Many times men’s doubles champions Graeme Forbes and Phil Richardson were toppled in the final by Bill Fleming and Dowell 6-4, 6-3.

In the mixed doubles final, Sam Fearnley made it a daily double by teaming up with Grahame Forbes to retain their title with a 7-6, 6-2 win over Michael Roarty and Lorna Lettice.

Gareth’s the one to beat

Gareth Stewart is the new men’s singles champion at DLTC, beating last year’s seniors’ winner David Dowell 6-1, 6-3 in the final.

Off to a flyer with a 5-0 lead, Gareth cruised through the first set and led 2-0 before David levelled things at 2-2, then 3-3, before the youngster stepped up a gear to take his first DLTC title.

Our courtside reporter commented: “I think he will have his name on this trophy a few times in the years to come.”

Flame and fortune - Our BBQ was a sure fire hit

"Phew, what a scorcher!"

And that was just the weather.

The Club’s first barbeque of the Summer, on a sunny last Saturday of July, was a sizzling success, largely thanks to the efforts of head chef and events supremo Ricky Smith.

He and his team served up a mouthwatering spread of sausages, chicken (with vegetarian options on request), pizzas, rolls, salads, potatoes and salads. All free! Yes, all you needed was love …

Oh, and there was tennis too. Lots of it. The BBQ smoke got in some players’ eyes but nobody minded (and it was a failsafe excuse for hitting a poor shot).

A great crowd of members, old and new, and their families enjoyed another red hot social event at DLTC.