Back to Squash event is a resounding success

by Julian Wellings | 25 August 2021 | competition, events, squash

By Nathan Lake

Squash is back! Thank you to everyone who came along last Friday for our Back to Squash event.

The event was held to celebrate the return to full squash following the various lockdowns, and to show off the club’s superb refurbished squash area.

It was a fantastic night for squash… and the bar as it so happens. Around one hundred people witnessed two fantastic exhibition matches. Some also took part in squash clinics with the pro squash players. Thank you to everyone for your support of the event, and hopefully, more to come.

A big thank you to the sponsors: East Glos, Adrian Brown (FPC) and a few others (who wish to remain anonymous) for their huge support of the event. Also, thank you to squash manager Mark Toseland, the squash committee, and the bar staff for fully embracing the event and working behind the scenes to make the event a success.

Before the matches, our resident and guest pros got involved with three clinics, where members got the chance to get on court with them. I’m pleased to say that all of the clinics were full, but without a doubt, it was the ladies and girls session that stole the show with a whopping 16 girls in attendance.

After that, it was onto the exhibition matches. Haley Mendez and Lucy Turmel did not disappoint with a glorious display of accurate squash played at a blistering pace. Haley coming off the back of making the last 32 of the British Open earlier in the week, and Lucy Turmel recently reaching a career-high world ranking of 30. Much to the disappointment of the home crowd, Lucy squeezed through in two close games.

After the ladies Nathan Lake the daunting task of playing Joel Makin, recently crowned British National Champion and known to be one of the fittest players on tour. Thankfully Nathan was involved in organising the event, and rumour has it he had something to do with the match being best of three and not best of five. Anyway, after going one game down, Nathan managed to regroup and win the next two games thanks to the cheers of a large home crowd!