The Peter Dawes Trophy took place on Sunday, September 29th, featuring a group of talented junior players and their parents/grandparents. The event promised a day of fun Real Tennis doubles. The pairs included Colin Jones and his son Ben, Michael and Ryan Wallace, Pete Turner and his son John, John Pickup and his grandson Sam, Marta and Daniel Morgan, Andy and Jack Morgan, Pete and Evie Tambling, and Jane Grady and Will New.
The tournament began with two groups of four pairs at 10am, with Peter and Viv Dawes, along with Liz Turner and Issy Tufnell, eagerly watching from the dedans. In the first group, Mike and Ryan Wallace emerged as winners with 18 points, closely followed by runners-up Pete and Johnathan Turner with 14 points. In the second group, Andy and Jack Morgan secured the top spot with Jane Grady and Will New as runners-up.
The semi-final matches followed, with Jane and Will advancing after a close match against Mike and Ryan, and Andy and Jack securing their spot in the final by defeating Pete and Johnathan. The final match was a tight one, with young Jack showing fearlessness and determination, despite being towered over by everyone. Ultimately, Andy and Jack emerged as the winners, with a final score of 8-4.
Special thanks were extended to Peter Dawes, the sponsor of the event, who expressed his happiness with the day and his ongoing support for the juniors in a touching speech during the presentation. It was indeed a fantastic tournament played in good spirits.
Andrew Lyons