Saturday 20th September saw Hinckley Squash & Racketball Club packed to the rafters to mark two important milestones in its history… their 90th Anniversary since formation in 1935, and also a celebration of 10 years since they opened the new club at Maple Drive, Hinckley.
Hinckley Squash Club’s story began in 1935 when local enthusiasts, led by Harold Wightman and H.J. Birch, built Leicestershire’s first squash court on Castle Street for £605. Despite the hardships of the Second World War and a post-war financial crisis that nearly closed the club, dedicated members kept it alive, with a revived committee under Bob Ryley steering it through the 1960s and beyond. Forced to leave Castle Street in 1983 due to redevelopment, members rallied to build a new home on Brunel Road, opening a self-built two-court club in 1984 that became a thriving hub for teams, juniors, and a growing ladies’ section. They secured their future by purchasing the freehold in 1994, even surviving a threatened compulsory purchase a few years later. After a 15-year search for a permanent home, the club’s determination paid off in 2015 with the opening of a modern four-court facility on Tungsten Park, built with the support of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council. Today, the courts — named Castle, Brunel, Ryley, and Jennings — stand as a tribute to the resilience, passion, and community spirit that have defined Hinckley Squash Club for 90 years.
And what better way to mark this important milestone in the club’s history than to invite in some of the best players from the UK to put on a show for the members. Former World #1 and 3x World Champion, Nick Matthew, along with three other world ranked British squash hotshots in Rhys Evans, Grace Gear and Alicia Mead, each took to a court with our budding juniors, putting them through their paces and testing their skills focussing on different aspects of the game.
Following this it was a chance for our members and guests to ‘Play a Pro’. These slots gave successful bidders a chance to test their mettle against the professionals, with what we’ll call varying degrees of success!
The night ended with matches of scintillating exhibition squash between firstly Grace and Alicia and then Rhys and Nick dazzling the assembled audience with some simply stunning squash the likes of which all in attendance were privileged to see. Afterwards, the players offered interesting insight into the life and training of professional squash players as well as what the future of the sport might hold, as part of a Q&A session.
We’d like to offer a massive thank you to the pros, Nick, Rhys, Grace and Alicia for their time and entertainment, to club member Tim Solley for arranging the players, to our social committee of Alison Nicholas, Terrie Godden and Paul Goodwin for their organisation of the event, to everyone who donated raffle prizes (apologies to one member who then won the prize that they had donated!) and to Amy O’Hara for a simple breathtaking 90th birthday cake!
Last but my no means least, thank you to club member Neil Tuite whose generous sponsorship of this event, through his business Aaron Sandford Cars, made it all possible.
See you at the 100th anniversary bash in 2035!