It’s been a busy weekend at Sidmouth Tennis Club as players start throwing on some extra layers and gearing up for the battle against the elements in the winter season ahead, writes Kate Truman.

Over 30 players took part in a fun ‘triples’ competition hosted by club coaches Sue Wiltshire and Daryl Bass on Saturday evening.

The format of triples is fast and furious: each team comprises three players, one of whom volleys at the net, one who plays on the forehand baseline and one on the backhand baseline.

When a point is won, the three players making up each team must rotate one position anti-clockwise to cover a different area of the court; the first team to get to seven points wins. Teams were made up of players of mixed abilities and organised into two groups for a round-robin contest that was played in high spirits, with plenty of bluff and banter.

Although not overly serious, there did have to be a winning team and, at the end of the evening, that honour went to Marlene Maynard, Nora MacAndrew and Marc Bennetts, who were chuffed to receive a medal each.

There was then plenty of time to down a few drinks in the bar and tuck into a hearty cooked supper, which Gill Hodgson somehow managed to rustle up despite competing in the event herself!

It was a hugely enjoyable evening that everyone is keen to repeat.