ANYONE FOR TENNIS?

Down at the Rec Ground on Sunday afternoon I was approached by a woman! No, not what you might be thinking, she was a former resident, now living away, who had come down with a youngster interested in a game of tennis.
She wanted to know why the grass courts had been removed, and why the adjoining hard-surface ones were not in use.
Like many of us, she could remember the time when you could turn up 'on spec' at the old farmhouse, where the groundsman lived, and book a court, there and then.
I explained that, due to vandalism, North Lincolnshire Council no longer considered it economic to keep the remaining courts in good order.
She was interested in the grand plans to revamp the entire Rec Ground, although I expressed doubts it would ever happen.
She seemed disappointed to learn Brigg's remaining courts at Sir John Nelthorpe School are not available for public hire.
In the days of Brigg Urban District Council (pre-1974)the Rec Ground offered football, cricket (on a good quality, well-tended square), putting and tennis (hard surface and grass). You could hire gear, there and then, and there was even a shop serving ice cream, soft drinks and sweets.
That was all run by a very small council. Since then we have been through the era of Glanford Borough Council (which at least built the new changing room block) into the current ownership of North Lincolnshire Council (1996 onwards).
No tennis any more, no putting, no shop and no facility to book your games on-site, just by turning up if you and a few friends fancy a spot of healthy exercise.
Remembering the Rec Ground as it was years ago, Sunday's lady visitor seemed unimpressed by what she found on her return visit. Do you blame her?