For a woman who spent her working life in the gloomy, daylight starved, environments of Medical Imaging Departments, it is quite the turn of events to turn my transferable skills to the management of a Tennis Club by the sea.

Yesterday we were entertaining Tree Surgeons doing remedial work on  trees damaged by winter storms. The first of two such days in June.

All of our trees have Tree Protection Orders on them so licences and permissions have taken some time to be obtained. 

But two young men with some very fancy equipment  soon trimmed our ailing Ash tree into something that may or may not survive a disease process. But at least now he no longer has any big boughs to drop over our neighbours wall.

But he is not a thing of beauty anymore.

Taking a jump from one world to another in semi-retirement is a fascinating process. Every day is a school day. Transferable skills flex and expand. My treasure trove of knowledge has some truly eccentric and unexpected nuggets of new information and I have some different or enhanced skills. I also have a much bigger and prettier office!

Marking time. A 100 year old tennis club gets an address. The 21st Century has arrived.

1966 was a big year in Great Britain. The men’s football team won the football World Cup and Postcodes were introduced.

Between 1966 and 1974 every address in Britain gained a postcode.

For reasons, lost in the mist of time, our Tennis Club missed out. I imagine other places must have done too.

For 60 years the club has managed. Firmly occupying a corner of land where the road bends and meets the sea. But the world has moved on and increasingly the digital age just cannot see something that does not have an alphanumeric code.

In fact the very act of applying for an official address and postcode without a postcode proved to be a challenge. A challenge that was ultimately successful. Although to achieve filling in a digital form correctly but inaccurately the club was declared a  ‘new’ build.

Increasing companies and organisations have systems that simply cannot interact with our club because we had no postcode.

So yesterday really was a red letter day. Although as yet no actual letter of any colour has been delivered. That would require a postbox!

Small steps.

Yesterday turned out to be the last day stuff had to be delivered to a members address and then walked or driven to the club for redelivery. Nothing inconsequential, like an Amazon parcel that could be tucked into a coat pocket or bag.

Four park benches for the watching of tennis or just taking in the view.