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2009: Early courts at Uppingham get a makeover

Most people in the game are aware of Uppingham as a centre for Fives: the school has four courts and a long tradition of producing Fives players.

Fewer people are aware of the hidden gem at Uppingham that are the two "miniature" courts in Brooklands, one of the boarding houses at the school. Always an important source of Fives players for the school as a whole under the enthusiastic eye of Housemaster Chris Stevens, Brooklands have recently had their courts refurbished and brought back to life thanks to an EFA grant.

In recent seasons, the Fives players of North Oxford and the Old Edwardians have established an annual friendly fixture that takes place on courts that are off the beaten track and not part of the regular Fives circuit. Previous fixtures have taken place at St.Bartholomew's in Newbury, RGS High Wycombe and Bryanston. This year saw a mini-tour of Rutland with games at Oakham in the morning, also featuring several members of the thriving local Oakham club and matches on the main school courts at Uppingham and on the two Brooklands courts in the afternoon.

As you can see from the photos above, work on the second court at Brooklands is still ongoing, but I am delighted to report that the courts are now in good condition, with new lighting and the smell of fresh paint still evident. The courts themselves are a real curiosity - the oldest standing courts in the country after the court at High Elms in Kent, they were built in 1870 and are most definitely non-standard, being smaller than a normal court and featuring a much lower buttress. Indeed our match there quickly produced several new shots that don't feature anywhere in the coaching manual including the shot that lands on the step and bounces over the top of the buttress and the drive into the door in the back left of the court!

With another door going from the back of the courts straight into the Boarding House, the youngsters of Brooklands now have an absolutely fantastic facility which will hopefully help Fives flourish in Uppingham.

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