With the demand for places increasing, the annual AC South West Tour has been expanded from 5 to 7 days this
year, bringing back a day at Bath once again after a gap of 10 years, and adding a new venue at Hamptworth.
The 11 tourists were rationed to about half of the Tour each, so that teams were only either 5- or 6-a-side
at any venue.
Apart from Nailsea where the only winner was the rain - waterlogged courts made play impossible
all day - the tourists had a pretty successful time, recording three match wins, two losses and one draw. A distinct
improvement over the performance in the previous few years.
Perhaps the strangest aspect of the Tour was the curious run of misfortune with Inns! First, the
usual centre of operations had to be hurriedly reorganised elsewhere when the Bowl Inn at Almondsbury cancelled a
long-standing booking at short notice because of refurbishment plans. Then at Blewbury when everyone trooped off to
the Red Lion for lunch after the morning play, that was found to be unexpectedly closed, though an alternative was
quickly found in the nearby village of Upton. Then that evening when the remaining tourists turned up at the
Shears
Inn near Marlborough for their booked overnight stop en route to Hamptworth, they were greeted with a "Closed" sign
at the entrance! It transpired that the ownership had changed hands just that morning. Fortunately the new owner
proved to be most accommodating: although the bar was closed we were treated to a pint on the house, the rooms were
still available, he arranged a fine dinner for us at a nearby pub which opened their restaurant especially for us,
he provided an excellent breakfast, and then he refused to let us pay for the rooms because of all the trouble!
Highly recommended (but don't expect it to be free next time)!
Mary Rose
GC Inter-Club Championship
With the demand for places increasing, the annual AC South West Tour has been expanded from 5 to 7 days this
year, bringing back a day at Bath once again after a gap of 10 years, and adding a new venue at Hamptworth.
The 11 tourists were rationed to about half of the Tour each, so that teams were only either 5- or 6-a-side
at any venue.
Tour photos by year:
