Summer Sports - Tennis “


Remember that members are losing their facilities for two and half to three months each year. Mostly they seem happy with what we are doing, but you can never take their goodwill for granted


a 120‐year lease from the LTA, giving them autonomy to run the club through a fully‐ elected board.


Since then, they have “sensitively invested” in facilities, completing key projects such as resurfacing four artificial grass courts. ATP tennis events plus the World Rackets Championships, leading Real Tennis events including the British Open and, between 2009‐2013, The ATCO Super Series Squash Finals all number among its record of achievement.


The Queen’s Club provision


‐ Twenty‐seven outdoor lawn tennis courts, (twelve grass courts that are “arguably the finest of their kind in the world”)


‐ Ten indoor lawn tennis courts (a winter bubble also houses two shale indoor courts)


‐ Six outdoor shale courts ‐ Five acrylic courts ‐ Four artificial grass courts ‐ Indoor practice wall ‐ Two real tennis courts ‐ Two rackets courts ‐ Three glass‐backed squash courts


Recent scale‐up of the championships in what is already a tight urban venue presents the organising committee, logistics and ground management teams with a correspondingly larger task to deliver the venue ready for opening day.


Last year, site manager John Hester briefly basked in the media limelight, pictured with two‐time championship winner Andy Murray, who presented him with a ‘Services to the event` honour before being quizzed by commentator John Inverdale about the demands of what is a marathon year‐round co‐ordinating effort to set the stage for world class tennis attracting burgeoning attendance.


86 I PC APRIL/MAY 2018


Subcontracted to the LTA, John has been involved with Queen’s for thirty‐three years. “I started as a chippie/joiner erecting and repairing fencing then moved to managing the build‐up of what was then the Stella Artois Championships. By now, I suppose I know where everything is and where it needs to go,” says John, whose longstanding tenure at the club has been extended recently for another four years.


Working with The White Company earlier in his career took John around the world working on ice hockey, golf and rugby events as well as the ‘Round the World Yacht Race’, so he certainly knows his way around. John has to perform as an ambassador of charm while he’s involved with the tournament ‐ almost as important an element of his job as managing contractors and trades.


“Remember that members are losing their facilities for two and half to three months each year, so we need to keep them sweet. Mostly they seem happy with what we are doing, but you can never take their goodwill for granted,” he says.


“Health and safety is so much more prominent than when I first started and that takes much of my time, given the amount of


electrical gear and cabling that’s brought on site.”


His job is a skilful balancing act, interfacing Queen’s management and members, he says, and it’s one that starts early doors. “Because we are in a built‐up area, suppliers have to travel as early as possible to avoid traffic delays. At 5.00am they turn up with a police escort and drive on to the ground via Greyhound Road, to park on what had been, until very recently, many of the outdoor courts.”


Build‐up starts in earnest six weeks before the championships begin. Three of Queen’s acrylic (Plexi) courts in the back compound go under two layers of robust aluminium sheeting to protect the precious playing surfaces as materials are fork‐lifted from juggernauts, and other delivery vehicles unloaded, with up to fifty contractors, subcontractors and suppliers ferrying in everything from marquees, hospitality furniture and planters to heavy electrical gear, cabling and the structural elements of what transforms into Queen’s version of Centre Court, the 8,500‐capacity stands erected by longstanding tournament partner Arena Group.


Switch of sponsor will create added demands this year as colour schemes and


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