Lydney Tennis Club are right at the heart of the town’s sporting life, just a serve and a volley from the rugby, cricket and football clubs, not to mention the nearby lake that is used by the angling club.

This year the tennis club are celebrating their 66th anniversary and they are certainly in rude health.

“We’ve got 200-odd members and they are split pretty evenly between adults and juniors,” said chairman Martin Godwin.

Those members play on four all-weather outdoor floodlit courts and Godwin added: “We’re in a very good position at the moment, very buoyant.

“We’ve got three men’s teams in the Gloucestershire Summer League and this season we’re fielding four women’s teams. Last season we had three.”

And on the competitive side at the club it’s very much a family affair, because the men’s A team are captained by Dave James and the women’s first team are led by his wife, Janice.

“They both grew up in Lydney and have been with the club since before I joined in the early-1980s,” said Godwin, who admits to being in his “mid-60s”.

“Dave is slightly younger than me, but he still plays for the A team. He is a very good player.”

Not that Godwin is too shabby himself. He’s playing for the club’s C team again this season, a team he has organised in seasons past.

“My volleying isn’t good enough for the A team,” he chuckled. “I can scoot around the court but my volleying is no good.

“Mind you, my scooting around depends on my knees these days,” he added, laughing, “not that I like to admit it.”

The men’s A team play in Division 2A while the B and C teams play in divisions 5A and 6B respectively.

On the women’s side their four teams play in divisions 2B, 3B, 5A and 5B.

The club also have two adult teams in the mixed winter league which means they play tennis all the year round.

And it’s not just the adults who hit balls for fun.

The club also boast six younger teams that compete in the county junior league and much of the credit for the club’s thriving junior section should go to the head coach Rachael Wintle, said Godwin.

“She’s from Lydney and has been our coach for just over three years,” said Godwin. “She does a fantastic job and is always coming up with new initiatives. She’s obviously a very good tennis player, but her love of tennis shines through and she’s got great drive.

“She also runs the club’s Facebook page and her son Jason Wong is our website manager.”

The club are clearly hitting plenty of winners and Godwin is keen to stress that they cater for people of all standards, not just those who want to play competitively. They are just as keen for people to turn up and play social tennis as well.

The sport has been a big part of Godwin’s life and it’s one that he’ll happily recommend to anyone.

“It’s a sport that you can play at any level,” he said. “You can get enjoyment and satisfaction regardless, you don’t have to be a top player. And it gives you good all-round exercise. It’s a sport for life.”