This week’s Now and Then picture shows the old tennis courts at Newport Athletic Ground, my mother used to be a ball girl at important tournaments.
There also used to be a cricket pitch and bowling green. The red brick buildings in the background housed the old club house and offices.
Reverend Graham Moore, Newport
The Now and Then pictures shows Newport Athletic Grounds.
I remember they used to host a big tournament there in the week before Wimbledon up until the 1960s. The big stars of the time all played there.
Jack Hartshorne, Newport
It’s Rodney Parade, I remember playing tennis there during the late 1950s, while at school at the old Clarence Place Tech College Terry Britton, Hobart,Tasmania,Australia This looks like Rodney Parade when tennis was a big part of the Athletic Club. All changed there now but tennis was very popular there. I think the Welsh Tennis Cup matches were held there.
Jim Dyer Newport
The picture is the old grass tennis courts at Newport Athletic Club Rodney Parade.
When I was a schoolboy in the early 70s the membership of the NAC would allow you free admission to all Newport RFC home games as well as being able to play tennis free of charge all summer on these courts.
When I sat my O-levels we had an extended summer school break and myself and a few friends spent the whole ten weeks or so improving our tennis.
The membership also allowed you free entry most days for the Green Shield Welsh Open Championships which took place just after Wimbledon and attracted a lot of the top players.
Alan Cording Newport
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