After 89 years the Chant Street Uniting Church Tennis Club is calling time and for its final serve, its members will donate to the Empty Stocking Appeal for the first time.
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The six remaining players of one of the oldest tennis clubs in the state's North put down their racquets at the club for the last time earlier this year before COVID-19 swept the world.
Club secretary Margaret Spencer, who has been in the position since 1976, said the club had its last hit out before coronavirus.
"We didn't know our last one then was going to be our last," she said.
"It's very sad.
"We would have liked even more [years], but there's just not enough of us that are fit to be doing it."
The club held a luncheon on Monday to raise funds for the appeal. Ms Spencer said she believed it was the first time the club had donated to the cause.
The appeal is aiming to raise $80,000 for its 112th year and so far more than $11,800 has been raised.
The funds will be distributed to Northern Tasmanian charities - Launceston City Mission, The Salvation Army, The Benevolent Society and St Vincent de Paul Society.
Club treasurer Pam Kerrison, who has been at the club for about 16 years, said the club chose to donate to The Examiner's appeal because of who it benefited.
"Because it supports so many of the charities in Launceston in one go," she said.
"We would have liked to have done 90 years.
In other news:
"It is with regret that owing to lack of numbers and ill health, it was decided to close."
The club began in August 1931 and originally was based at a court leased on East Launceston's Stewart Street, before it moved to Chant Street and the court was built by church members.
Among some of the players who have graced the club's courts is Wimbledon and Australian doubles champion Helen Gourlay, who when visiting the city always had a game on the courts as her father, Don Gourlay, played at the club until the age of about 93.
Ms Spencer said at one stage the club had so many members it had to play matches over three days.
"Well, yes when I first started playing we played on Tuesday mornings," she said.
"And then, I don't know how many years later, but a bit later on there were too many of us to play on Tuesdays so we played on Mondays and Tuesdays. That went on for quite a while."
One of the longest standing members was former club president Flo Beech, and her late husband Jack, who were members for more than 60 years.
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