The Sevenfountains Sports Club hosted tennis players from Port Elizabeth, East London and the Albany and Bathurst region, as the family and friends of Derick Emslie paid tribute to the contribution he made to tennis and cricket, both at Sevenfountains and in the greater Grahamstown area.
The Sevenfountains Sports Club hosted tennis players from Port Elizabeth, East London and the Albany and Bathurst region, as the family and friends of Derick Emslie paid tribute to the contribution he made to tennis and cricket, both at Sevenfountains and in the greater Grahamstown area.
The event was the brainwave of David Emslie, CEO of EP Cricket who, together with Derick’s wife, Jenny, and his niece, Sheryl, organised a great day of competitive mixed doubles. The event was played over a full day, with eight couples in the A section, six in the B section and a group of old timers who played socially in the afternoon.
All the players and visitors invited on the day were involved in some way in Derick’s tennis life. The event was won by Derick’s eldest son, Andrew, playing with Alke Bradfield, while the B section was won by Ross Purdon and Lolie Bradfield.
"It was a fun-filled day, followed in the evening by dinner, dancing and lots of laughs," said Jenny Emslie. The meal was provided by Erica Gornall. Derick spent most of his life at Sevenfountains, farming at New Year Park.
During this time he was a long-serving president of the Sevenfountains Sports Club, President of Grahamstown Tennis, the founder of the Grahamstown Veterans Tennis Association and a keen member of the EP Veterans Tennis team. "His enthusiasm and competitive spirit will be long remembered and the whole day and evening was exactly the recipe he would have loved. It was a great tribute to him," said Jenny.
