Chris Snuggs - Berners/Halls 58-65: “The old tennis courts, now no more - removed in 1991 I believe. The image shows TWO courts but I only remember ONE from 58 to 65 - but my memory may be faulty. There must have been two, but was one of those spaces a CROQUET lawn in the early days? There are a few things I regret about WHS. The majority involve failed liaisons with the fairer sex, but one is the lack of tennis. Still, you can't have everything in life and we had plenty of other great things to do.”

Jon Kemp: “In the 70's there were two hard and two grass. Smokey Robinson looked after tennis for those sixth formers who chose to play it on games days. We all thought Jon Lee (Corners) would become a professional but he let us down.”

Chris Snuggs: “I remember masters sometime playing on what I think was the single court in my day - and that was usually on a Sunday. The rest of the time it lay unused, which was a pity. They could have had a booking system for boys - perhaps not ALL boys but from 5th form upwards at least.”

Glynne Thomas: “Two courts Chris. I remember playing Felicity Hutton on one such court!”

Chris Snuggs: “Your memory is better than mine, but don't get too excited about that! And I REALLY do not remember a hard court. I also don't remember any boys ever using those courts, but you were Head Boy! The Huttons were really lovely people. I didn't know Felicity but I loved Patrick. He was a really top man.”

Kevin Cooper: “There were two hard courts and two grass courts in my day Chris 80-85.”

Chris Snuggs: “Thanks! Waiting to hear from my contemporaries whether I remember rightly or not! I have a REALLY vivid memory of Stretch playing one Sunday - not sure with whom. He was very striking in his shorts - such incredibly long, thin legs. I always wondered how he could fit in a tank - the rumour being that he had been a tank commander in WWII. To this day I do not know why nobody dared ask him about that, but perhaps someone else did.”

Harvey Angel: “I thought it was just one hard court (plus a grass one), but having checked a grainy old bit of film from a WH Fete in the summer of 1966, where the courts were used as a go-karting track, there were definitely two hard courts.”

William Bauer: “I remember there only being one. As for liaisons with the fairer sex, I had my fair share. Susan Easdown was the daughter of the landlord of the Compasses in Holbrook. One interesting story I could tell was when Mr. Poole gave me permission one Sunday to take her on a sailing picnic in the Snype. Having moored the boat down river against a kind of dyke, we had our picnic and whatever in the field on the other side of the dyke. When it was time to get back, to my horror, the tide had meanwhile gone out and the boat was stranded on some rocks. I finally got her afloat and having to tack back, arrived after dark!! Quite an adventure! There's obviously more to this particular liaison, which I will recount when we meet.”

Chris Snuggs: “Can't wait to hear it! I have some stories, too - but not as exciting as yours!!! Did the damsel's FATHER give his permission!!!! And that was very generous of Stretch .....”

William Bauer: “Of course. Do you remember the "ferns "? Cosy hideouts!”

John Tuddenham: “I remember building "camps" in the Ferns.”

Mark Howell: “Yes 2 hard courts and 2 grass courts, the croquet lawn though never used as one was at a higher level westwards I.e. towards the Diana statue, so in effect it was behind the Chemistry prep room and the Berners Head of House room.”

Mike Wardell: “I remember playing John Perceval on these 2 courts as Old Boys!!”

Terry Ashcroft: “I remember playing on the grass court quite a lot. Those years enabled me to play league tennis and also league bton after I got married in the Farnham area.”

Chris Snuggs: “I had absolutely NO IDEA that boys could play on those courts! My ignorance is stunning .....”

Steve Johnston: “Just to get some perspective on this. I moved on to a rural grammar school in Devon for my 6th form years. There were no boats, no swimming pool, no orchestra, no choir, no music room, no metalwork, no archery, no YFC, no tennis, just one shared playing field, no rugby, no library for 1st to 5th forms... But there were in the some great pubs and a girls' school within walking distance! .....Win a few, lose a few.”

Bill Kitchen: “We used them for Go Karting ( much to Shakeshafts chagrin) . Luckily, I had more ‘success’ with the fairer sex than kart-racing.”

Barry Clark: “Hi Chris Snuggs, re Stretch. He told a story or two about his tanks days and those in France. One involved his being shot at by a tank at almost point blank range. Luckily it was a newer tank and had a rifled barrel. The shell screwed right round him so that he could tell the tale. As for female company the Young Farmers, Sailing Club, Musical performances etc all provide opportunities to mix with females. In my case the Fencing club (me) organised completions with other schools that all happened to be girls' schools. We were the first boys to enter St Felix Southwold. The Captain of Fencing there later interviewed me for a job coaching at a school she was Head of PE at. As soon as I walked in we both laughed as we recognised each other - details only in person not over the web!”

Chris Snuggs - Barry Clark: “Goodness! And you seemed such an innocent young lad at school! I had the usual ulterior motive for joining the Young farmers Club, but had NO idea the Fencing Club was such a steamy hotbed of romantic pursuit - though perhaps 'hotbed' is not quite the appropriate term here ....”

Mark Frost - Barry Clark: “I can't recall any female interaction involving the Fencing Club when H J Ramsay was in charge.”

Barry Clark: “Ha Ha, but I ran it before Ramsay arrived. Long story told elsewhere, but I ran into the "Area Coach" and took lessons from her in exchange for babysitting her children on her farm in Saxmundham. She taught at all the other schools (IHS, Felixstowe College, St Felix....) so matches were arranged ...”

Dean Haney: “I absolutely loved the grass courts, used to get up at 6am some days to play before breakfast. Still playing competitively now at 52 - was dissapointed to see they were gone on my visit last year.A story for another day, involving a tuck shop break in and approx 500 Cadburys creme eggs comes to mind … surprising how the farmers field didn’t start sprouting egg trees.”

Mike Wardell: “I keep up the Tennis - still playing club team matches at 76.”

Dean Haney: “Thanks Mike for the words of encouragement - nice to hear from a fellow player.”

Mike Wardell: “Best sport for a healthy lifestyle!”

Daniel Dave O'Byrne: “I remember playing tennis with Simon Geller and John Mitchell, and perhaps Robin Skinner. Simon and John both being in Berners (I was in Johnston's) knew how to source rackets and balls. I never got into tennis - it was rather to "stop and starty" for me: collecting up the balls was a chore, and I don't think I had very strong arms. As Steve Johnston says you can't have everything.”

Robin Skinner - Daniel Dave O'Byrne: “I was - and still am - crap at tennis and don’t even like watching it .... I was having a smoke whilst you lot were knocking a ball around.”

Daniel Dave O'Byrne - Robin Skinner: “LOL! I can't watch it either. I bet you can remember in a flash what footwear we wearing as well. I know you have an amazing memory. Bravo! Advantage Skinner.”