Merton College dinner – 5^th September

Club chair, Neil Mortensen, has set up an Oxford Real Tennis Dinner at Merton College on Saturday September 5^th. There will be a drinks reception at 6.30pm supported by Pol Roger, and dinner at 7.30pm.

Dress code will be black tie and we warmly welcome partners to join us. Cost is £100 per person.

This will be open to all with a Club connection – alumni, Club members and Railroad Club members. To book dinner for you and your partner please go to this Jotform link: https://pci.jotform.com/form/260882978249375

There will also be a limited number of discounted places for current students, and if you would like to find out more please speak to Andrew Davis. 

The Dinner is part of a Real Tennis Weekend – details to come.

Queen’s Club Autumn 2026

We had a great event at Queen’s last year (see below) and hope to get the courts there again in the Autumn for another day of Railroad Club doubles. Details soon!

Queen’s Event: 26 October 2025 Alastair McKeown writes …

The Railroad Club met up on an autumn Saturday at The Queen’s Club for a hugely enjoyable day of tennis and catching up with old friends. Having two courts meant that there was a lot of tennis played and everyone had a few matches each. Handicaps ranged from 12 to 80, with stars like Charlie Defries on 12, and ages that weren’t far off that range either, with current students, and even former Blues from the 1970s like Fred Satow. 

On court, there were some superb volleys from Izzy Marshall, some sublime off-thetambour forehands from leftie Rob Walker, and it was heartening to see that Ollie Hawkins’ self-invented method of hitting it high onto the back walls for a combo of chase the line followed by hazard chase the line is still going strong. Thanks to some clever pairings, everyone was able to play off level, and half an hour matches meant a full set could be played.

A big thank you to Andrew for organising such a wonderful day, and to The Queen’s Club for generously allowing this event to take place there. Everyone left with big smiles on their faces, even if lack of regular play meant some of us were also aware of creaking joints as we hobbled happily home. Roll on the next Railroad event!

Men’s Varsity report

Leon Kashdan-Brown, Blues Captain, on a triumphant Oxford team…

“The all-anticipated Varsity weekend was packed full of exciting matches, class shots, and epic comebacks. Both the men and the women played fantastically, causing some upsets along the way.

The men’s team pulled off an impressive 5-1 win, claiming all of the singles matches, despite positions 2-4 all being outmatched on handicap.

Friday started with a stellar performance from our third string, George Gardiner. He started, and remained, laser focussed, picking apart any weaknesses of his lefty opponent Leo Sanitt and soaring through the first set 6-1. His opponent gave it his all in the second set but still couldn’t claim more than three games, starting the men’s match with a straight sets victory that gave us the confidence we needed.

Unfortunately, this momentum did not follow through to the next match, where Gardiner, paired with team captain Leon Kashdan-Brown, faced off against two new opponents. A flurry of quick volleys and seamless teamwork from the Cambridge duo, Benjamin Craig and James Wilson, caught our pair out and the first set quickly escaped them. Whilst it only got closer from there, Oxford couldn’t quite turn the tide, losing the match in straight sets.

The final men’s game on Friday was the men’s first string doubles. First string, Bertie Vallat, and fourth, Christopher Sneddon, paired up for the very first time to face off against Sanitt and Jin Seok Lee, Cambridge’s first string. Vallat displayed an absolute masterclass, showcasing shots that reminded us why he is the top-ranked under-25 player in the UK. But Sneddon reminded us that he earned that position, dealing well with being targeted and putting the ball away with style.

The next day saw a shift in atmosphere as the audience slowly grew, team supporters got louder, and the matches pushed the schedule to its limits. It appeared that the teams had agreed to put on a show with endless 3-set matches and results too close to call. Sneddon started us off, 5 handicap points worse-off than his opponent, Wilson and caused quite the stir taking the first set 6-4. The balance seemed to shift as his opponent took the next 6-2, but Sneddon kept cool as ever, carving the ball out of the corners of the court, and straight into the targets. Expert precision carried him through the last set, claiming it 6-1.

Next up was Kashdan-Brown against Craig, captain vs captain. Games flitted back and forth between the two and it was anyone’s guess what would happen next. A 6-4 win followed by a 3-6 loss for Oxford, and neither player looked the weaker heading into the last set. Both were determined not to let a single ball go, running down winners and battling on through lengthy rallies. But it was Oxford who claimed the victory in the third set, securing the win for the team and putting them 4-1 up.

Last, but very much not least, Vallat tested Lee’s resilience, pushing him to play far beyond the level he’s used to. But whilst Vallat ran away with the match, his opponent managed to claim two games from him, and from the sound you could hear from the dedans when he did, anyone would think the match had gone the other way. A straight sets victory closed out the weekend for the men’s team, putting their name on the trophy for the ninth year running. We had our work cut out for us over the last year, as an entirely new first team, but everyone worked hard and was up for the challenge. We felt confident in our no-so-secret weapon, Mr Vallat, but showed that the rest of the team was up for the fight regardless.

Thank you to the Railroad Club in particular for making this weekend so memorable. Being able to all have dinner together on Friday night was a great boost to morale, and got everyone in the spirit of the event. Not only that, but the Varsity dinner was a first for all of the men’s team, and was surely an unforgettable experience. This was made all the more pleasant with the contributions of the Railroad Club, and their enthusiasm in helping the students at OUTC.

Women’s Varsity Match

Hannah Wilson-Kemsley, Captain, reports on a narrow defeat …

Oxford’s women’s team of Mary Strevens, Cordelia Lamming, Hannah Wilson Kemsley and Daniela Braw-Smith travelled to the Varsity match at Lord’s ready for two days of competition against Cambridge.

Mary opened the lineup with a challenging match against Cambridge’s number one, Ellie White. Mary made a promising start and competed strongly from the outset, but White proved difficult to contain and ultimately took the match. Oxford responded immediately in the next singles match, where Hannah Wilson Kemsley produced a composed performance to defeat Martha Jameson in straight sets. Her win levelled the score at 1–1. Hannah returned to court shortly after alongside Cordelia Lamming for the doubles. The pair fought hard and kept the sets competitive, but Cambridge edged the key moments to take the match in straight sets. Oxford ended the first day narrowly behind at 1–2, with everything still to play for.

Day two began with an extraordinary match from Daniela Braw-Smith against Theodora Enslin. In a dramatic contest, Daniela saved match points in the deciding set and pushed the match into a tense third-set battle. Despite her resilience and some exceptional tennis in what was an outstanding first Varsity appearance, she eventually lost 6–5 in the final set. Cordelia then stepped up with one of the performances of the weekend. Showing great determination and composure, she defeated Venetia D’Arcy in three sets, producing some of her best tennis and keeping Oxford in contention.

Trailing 2–3 heading into the final doubles match, the tie came down to Daniela and Mary, who were partnering together for the first time. Facing a strong Cambridge pairing that included Ellie White, they battled hard but ultimately found the challenge too difficult, with Cambridge securing the final match. The tie finished 4–2 in Cambridge’s favour, but the weekend was filled with competitive matches, impressive performances and fantastic team spirit from the Oxford side.

A huge thank you goes to coaches Nick, Craig and Andrew for their support, as well as to Brian and the MCC for organising the event and to the entire MCC team for hosting such a wonderful two days of tennis.  

The Railroad Club at Lord’s: 30 May 2026

We were unable to secure the court at Lords for an event last year but this year Mary Strevens asked on our behalf. Tom Carew-Hunt and Chris Bray were very helpful and agreed to let us have the court for a day.  

It was a real treat for the 16 RRC members who came along to play – unfortunately in the end Mary was unable to attend herself.

The tried and tested format of casual doubles again proved popular with everyone getting to play at least 3 sets. The White Wolf of Woodstock (or Boufs as he was known to older members!) even played a set (unsuccessfully!) versus the improving Will Fortune and incoming Blues captain, Alex Williams.

All participants said they thoroughly enjoyed the day with half a dozen or so retiring afterwards to the noisy Lords Tavern, where Arsenal’s unsuccessful attempt to win the Champions League was being televised!

Queen’s Event – report by Alastair Mackeown

The Railroad Club met up on Saturday 26th October at The Queen’s Club for a hugely enjoyable day of tennis and catching up with old friends. Having two courts meant that there was a lot of tennis played and everyone had a few matches each. Handicaps ranged from 12 to 80, with stars like Charlie Defries on 12, and ages that weren’t far off that range either, with current students, and even former Blues from the 1970s like Fred Satow. 

It was a wonderful opportunity to see fellow players from the past, meet new people, and share stories from Oxford days. It was noted that Horatio Cary will be giving the Blues match speech at Lord’s this year, and was looking for any embarrassing tales about the pros, which had Andrew Davis looking nervous. I am sure he would be grateful for any suitable contributions.

On court, there were some superb volleys from Izzy Marshall, some sublime off-the-tambour forehands from leftie Rob Walker, and it was heartening to see that Ollie Hawkins’ self-invented method of hitting it high onto the back walls for a combo of chase the line followed by hazard chase the line is still going strong. Thanks to some clever pairings, everyone was able to play off level, and half an hour matches meant a full set could be played.

A big thank you to Andrew for organising such a wonderful day, and to The Queen’s Club for generously allowing this event to take place there. Everyone left with big smiles on their faces, even if lack of regular play meant some of us were also aware of creaking joints as we hobbled happily home. Roll on the next Railroad event!

Varsity update

The Varsity matches are coming up soon with the first teams playing at Lord’s on Friday 27^th and Saturday 28^th February, with the second teams playing at Oxford the previous week. Please see below for previews from Leon Kashdan-Brown and Hannah Wilson-Kemsley, the men’s and women’s captains.

Please come and support. Doing so is free and does not need a reservation. It you would like to join for lunch on Friday, Saturday or both, please let the pros know by Thursday 26^th February.  This will be £17 a head.  Reservations are required for this.

We will also arrange casual drinks at the Lord’s Tavern on Friday evening. Again, there is no need to make a reservation for this but if you are thinking of coming please let us know so we have an idea of numbers.

We are also holding some alumni spaces at the Saturday dinner. The event is black tie and tickets are £95 per person. Railroad Club members are first in the queue (after the players’ families). First come, first served, so please let us know as soon as you can. The Long Room is being renovated so the dinner will be held in Pelham’s[in the Warner Stand] this year but we are confident it will be a memorable occasion.  The speech will be given by Horatio Cary – we understand that he would welcome any embarrassing tales about the pros…

Please also feel free to come and support the second teams at Oxford on 20^th and 21^st February. There is a direct cost to the club for the seconds match at home and if possible we would like to raise funds to contribute to this from Railroad Club members. Our target is £1,000. If you are willing and able to help with this, please contact the pros.

Railroad events 

Next up is an OUTC / Railroad club dinner at Merton College on Saturday 5^th September, with past and present members of OUTC not only eating together but also playing together over that weekend. Again, more details will follow in due course.

Membership and support

If you are not already signed up as a member of the Railroad Club, please consider joining.  The annual fee of £50 (or £30 for recent graduates or those based overseas) is used to support Oxford real tennis at all levels and we hope that the club will be an increasingly vibrant means for alumni to stay in touch.  More details here: Signing up to the Railroad Club – OUTC Railroad Club

The new committee is considering how best to raise and deploy our funds and will be in touch later in the year with new ideas.

Leon Kashdan-Brown on the Men’s team:

This time last year, the situation for the Oxford Blues seemed dire. Not only was our entire first team leaving, but our second team had suffered a catastrophic defeat at Cambridge, every player being at least 10 handicap points weaker than their opponent.

However, this band of cricket, rackets, squash, and lawn tennis players were all still finding their feet. Second team captain Matthew Dick knew what potential looked like and invested in the development of what is now the Blues.

Team development has progressed quickly, with players engaging in weekly group coaching and some private sessions. All those continuing from last year have cut at least 10 handicap point since last year, with myself and Alexander Williams both dropping more than 20.

Competition has been tight for the top spots, and with a busy Oxford court, we have been booking every opportunity we get. Williams is currently in a race for fourth with Rackets player Christopher Sneddon, and it’s looking too close to call. Only 0.2 points separate myself in second place, and George Gardiner in third, and we have had great recent success as doubles partners.

New to the university, and fresh from recent Rackets success with Gardiner and Sneddon over Cambridge, is our star player Bertie Vallat (Snuggles/Bubbles). Vallat recently made the second round of the British open and earned that prestigious +! The Oxford Blues have not seen such a strong player for some time and the team could witness a true masterclass on the all-important weekend at Lords.

Although we have faith in Vallat’s matches, we shall bring the challenge to Cambridge throughout our ranks. Close battles, great chases, and nail-biting restes should be expected as we bring out our best players.

Leon Kashdan-Brown. OUTC Men’s Captain

Hannah Wilson Kemsley on the Women’s team:

Preparations for Women’s Varsity are going very well, with a strong squad taking shape. We have three players confirmed for the Blues match: Mary Strevens, Cordelia Lamming, and Hannah Wilson Kemsley (captain), all of whom competed last year and bring valuable experience. New this season are Daniela Braw-Smith and Rosa Marks, who are competing in a playoff for the fourth spot; both have shown impressive progress and commitment since the start of the year and would be excellent additions to the team. The squad has been training together twice weekly.

Tanisha Reddy, who has joined very recently, is a top squash player and has picked up real tennis remarkably quickly; she will play on the 2s and could easily progress to Blues level with more match experience. Abigail Tresise, who has been playing for several years and has a strong understanding of the game, will also feature on the 2s. The final 2s position will go to one of our three newer recruits who are still developing, with a reserve likely named as well. Overall, it is shaping up to be two very exciting weekends of tennis.

As this year’s seconds Varsity is at home, preparations are underway. We have appointed 2s captains to help with organisation. Lunch will be provided on both days, along with a social on Saturday evening with the Oxford and Cambridge teams.

Hannah Wilson Kemsley, OUTC Women’s Captain

Railroad at Hatfield

For The Railroad Club’s Spring event this year, we had the pleasure of heading to Hatfield who’d kindly agreed to host us on their superb court.

At play on the Hatfield Court

A dozen or so Railroad Club members turned up for friendly doubles with everyone getting three or four sets with different partners.

The Railroad team

Once again there were a couple of members who hadn’t played in a number of years and were thrilled to get back on court. Two attendees live not far away from Hatfield and enquired about membership there so a win win all around!

After the tennis the players walked down the hill for a couple of drinks in the sunny beer garden of the Eight Bells Pub!

A thoroughly relaxed and enjoyable day.

Many thanks to Eve Shenkman who was such a great help with organisation and to Hatfield pro, Jon Dawes for making us so welcome.

Railroaders: relaxing in the Hatfield Dedans

Next events

And the next event … will be at Queens again in the Autumn and next Spring we plan to return to Oxford! 

So … Save the Date!

Our next event is at Queens Club on 26th October.

Queens have kindly offered us their courts again for the day and we plan to organise social doubles as usual. But … maybe, just maybe, there might be a competition (a Railroad Club championship?) for the lower handicap players to run alongside the doubles. That will depend on who signs up.

Also following the success of last year’s Oxford tennis event and dinner at Vincent’s we plan to do something similar next May/June

Railroad Club Rackets

Once again the RRC have been providing half price rackets to students. The students really appreciate this. See two happy recipients below!

Francesca Dakin (Somerville) and Alex Williams (Christchurch) with their Railroad Club rackets 

Your help please!

If you were able to offer any support it would be gratefully received. We really could do with a treasurer/membership secretary.

Input on development and fundraising would also be very welcome as well as help with the planning of events.

Please do get in touch if you think you might be able to help out in these or other areas at railroad@outc.org.uk

Onwards and Upwards for the Railroad Club!

Andrew Davis 

Andrew in the Hatfield Dedans

From Winter 2024 newsletter

Fred Satow on Oxford success in the 2024 World Masters Age Group Championships

The World Masters Age Group Championships were held at Queen’s Club in May 2024. These are played in five-year age groups and Oxford alumni were well represented in both the individual singles and doubles. 

Roman Krznaric (Pembroke) was a semi-finalist in the Over 50s singles and finalist in the doubles. Very unfortunately he had to retire from both due to injury – the injuries that prompted his article in the last edition of the Newsletter. 

Fred Satow (Trinity) valiantly played in both the Over 55 and Over 65 doubles, while Nick Geere (St Peter’s) and Marek Stefanowicz were in the Over 60s singles. Marek (partnering John Prenn) was a finalist in the Over 70s doubles and in the Over 70s singles.

Peter Begg of Brasenose and Tim Harper separately reached the semi-finals of the Over 75 singles and then paired up to make the semi-finals of the doubles. However, they came up against our own ex-Head Pro Alan Oliver who won both the singles and (with Jill Newby) the doubles. 

Congratulations Alan! 

Alan on serve in the World Masters 

And receiving his trophy

No Oxford alumni took part in the Over 80s.

The next age group championships will be taking place in Australia in 2026. If you will qualify for any of the age groups do think about entering, especially as there should be an opportunity to try out the new Sydney court. As yet there are no female only events but if a demand is recognised they could perhaps be introduced.

Graham Harding on 1595 and all that!

This coming year it’s the 430^th anniversary of the founding of the Merton Court and thus the beginning of our Club. Admittedly, 430^th doesn’t have quite the ring of 450^th or 500^th – but those events are a long way away and we need to work with what we’ve got…

In Britain

• Queen Elizabeth I had been on the throne for 37 years but by now was getting on a bit. The Virgin Queen’s white lead make-up was getting heavier and more poisonous 
• Having talked his way out of the Tower, where he had been imprisoned for secretly marrying one of the Queen’s maids, Sir Walter Raleigh had set off that February to find the fabled golden city of El Dorado. 
• On stage, William Shakespeare had collected his payment from the Queen for a performance at Christmas 1594 that she’d attended and was sharpening his quill. It’s probable that Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Richard II were written in 1595. 
• Offstage, the fashionable were beginning to put heels on their shoes – probably to make themselves look appropriately fabulous.
• For the poor of Britain … not so good. Cost of living crisis! There were bad harvests in both 1594 and 1595 and in June 1595, food riots erupted in London.

And in tennis?  

• It was 150 years before first world champion – Clergé the Elder – emerged but Antonio Scanio had already set down the rules which have barely changed in nearly 500 years.
• Scanio gratifyingly reckoned that tennis was a “very noble and rare exercise beneficial for body and mind”, so perhaps that was why it was already becoming popular in Oxford. There were already at least three courts: in Blue Boar Lane, Oriel Street and Merton Street. 
• Our court first gets a mention on 6^th October 1595 when it was built by John Lante and placed under the keepership of Thomas Wood, father of the antiquary Anthony (see the blue plaque on the wall of 5 Merton St). The keeper was today’s Andrew but we don’t know the name of any Oxford pro of that period.

• By the late 16^th century, players were shifting from playing with bare hands or a short battoir (think table tennis bat) to the long-handled sheep gut strung rackets in the shape we know today. This was probably in line with the shift from leather-covered balls – often stuffed with dog’s hair or human hair – to cloth-covered balls much more like those we use today. On court, a guide to gentlemanly conduct suggests we value much the same qualities in players today. In John Eliot’s Parlement of Prattlers (1593), one chap – Nicholas – says admiringly of his opponent: “O divell! What a firking stroke is that! You have an arme of iron”

Andrew Davis on Railroad Real Tennis at Queens Club, 27^th October 2024

This year, we had 25 for our annual Railroad Club event at Queens Club in late October. Once again it was great to see all these keen players – some were at OU back in the 70s and some are current students. All in all, a brilliant mix of players with handicaps ranging from 10-75! It was a lovely vibe all day – different to the event earlier in the year in Oxford yet similar at the same time!  Even current OUTC club president, Professor Sir Neil Mortensen came down to play and see what it’s all about!

The format was again casual doubles with most people getting on court at least 3 or 4 times. This works well as part of the idea is that people who have not played in a while can feel relaxed about signing up and joining in. It was great to see people socialising over lunch – Queens is such a wonderful, friendly club and I feel very fortunate that we are being allowed to host events there. 

There is an idea of a Railroad Club championship at some point too … that would be a more serious competition for those who would like that.

Georgie did a great job of putting the matches together ensuring that people of similar standard were on court together where at all possible. 

It was great chat to have a drink afterwards with a group of enthusiastic quite recent leavers who enjoyed the day. Clearly there are London based ex-students who have ideas for events going forward – that gives me a lot of reassurance. We need ideas and people’s help implementing them for the RRC to thrive! If you can offer any support we would love to hear from you. It’s still early days in the whole Railroad initiative…

From Summer 2024 Newsletter

The Railroad Club set up for past Oxford players to support Oxford student tennis has been active in 2024. 

Railroad monies have supported not just the masterclasses run by Rob and Claire Fahey for the Varsity squads but also the subsidised racket scheme for students. This year eight rackets have gone to students; including Alfie Backhouse (men’s captain), Mary Strevens and Matthew Dick. ‘Fantastic!’ was Alfie’s response.  Help me ‘shoe the Tabs!’ was Mary’s.

Matthew Dick with his new Extratec racket

Mary Strevens with her Extratec

The Railroad Club took advantage of Spike Willcocks (who’s now based in the States) making a UK trip to set up a weekend of tennis followed by supper at Vincent’s Club. 

A mixture of OUTC alumni, former attendees of OU who play Real Tennis here at Oxford, current students, OUTC committee members (including our club president, Professor Sir Neil Mortensen), Club trustees, our ex-professional Alan Oliver and the odd regular club member, played Real Tennis during the day and went to dinner at Vincent’s in the evening.

Around 16 attendees signed up for tennis. Though some of the alumni had not played for 10-20 years, everyone seemed to love getting back on court here at Oxford and some really entertaining doubles was played. The ‘show’ match was late afternoon and featured three ex OUTC captains and our professional, Craig Greenhalgh.  A full dedans was eager to see our Railroad patron, Spike Willcocks, play again and he did not disappoint! Partnering his old team-mate, Rob Walker, he took on Geoff Baker and Craig.  Despite being out of practice and having been in a serious car accident a couple of years ago, Spike was ‘on fire’ right from the off! His court coverage was exceptional and volleys so precise it was a joy to watch – it was like turning the clock back to the late 1990s! Ably supported by Rob Walker they took an early lead. Craig however, supported by his inspired partner, Geoff Baker worked his way into the game. This combined with Spike’s level possibly dropping a tad meant they ran out winners in an entertaining and close 8 game set.

Rob Walker, Spike Willcocks to the left; Craig Greenhalgh and Geoff Baker to the right

Dinner at Vincent’s was lovely with about 35 in attendance. Older and younger alumni enjoyed each other’s company and the feelgood factor was obvious to all there. Neil made an introductory speech which was followed by Spike who spoke for 20 minutes or so (brief by his standards!).  A toast was proposed by Spike’s contemporary at Oxford and former second team player, Ollie Hawkins. A big thank you goes to Mark Savage who kindly supplied delicious wine for the occasion. A good number of diners then moved next door to Sandy’s wine bar until the early hours!

Dinner at Vincents’

The feedback has been incredibly positive and there is a definite will to repeat the event at some point. We have never held an event quite like this one before and I would say the atmosphere throughout the day and into the evening felt ‘uniquely positive’. ‘So brilliant being back in Oxford’, said one participant, ‘a wonderful day and evening’.

We hope you’ve had a wonderful summer and are getting ready for the 2024-25 Real Tennis season!

To celebrate the new season we’re holding another Railroad event at the Queen’s Club on Sunday 27^th October. This will be the third – big thanks to Georgie Willis and Queen’s – so if you haven’t come along before do try to make this year’s event. They’re great fun for all handicap levels – not too serious.

The precise format of the event will depend on numbers, but we reckon it’ll be a similar format to previous years with rolling partners and generally a more social than competitive spirit. If we do get fewer numbers we could be looking at a knock-out doubles or even a RRC v QC event, so do let us know if you are keen to attend! Please email railroad@outc.org.uk or georgie.willis@live.co.uk to sign up or let us know if you are interested. 

We’ll kick off at 10am – but if transport makes it difficult to get to Queen’s at that time, don’t despair. We’re likely to play a morning and an evening group, so please express a preference. We’ll have two courts through until 4:30pm

We’re also going to be planning a social event in Spring 2025, so watch this space! Likely a London club for drinks, so any suggestions for hosting or event ideas are welcome.

Please do get in touch! And have a wonderful and successful RT season!

A balmy Saturday in June saw members of the Railroad Club come together in Oxford for an eagerly anticipated reunion; one dedicated Railroader even missed the school function she’d organised, such was the level of commitment! 

Off games and unable to take part in the afternoon’s tennis at Merton Street, I’m ashamed to say that instead of hot-footing it to the court, I checked into my room in New College (wow, student beds are small…) and strolled around college with the broadest smile on my face! I’m not sure it ever felt this good when I was an undergrad – always late for lectures, Chemistry tutes with quite possibly the scariest prof in Oxford and endless practicals in smelly labs.  But without the work, well, Oxford in the sunshine is just the best! I bought a book in Blackwell’s and tried to look clever, climbed the Tower of St Michael at the North Gate… yes I was unashamedly in full on tourist mode and loving it!  

And then to Merton Street … where the doubles matches were in full swing, with the Railroaders rolling back the years and showcasing their skills (and the odd shank) to an appreciative dedans.  An afternoon of laughter and friendly competition, with old teammates happy to be back on the Oxford court. And the highlight: a tennis masterclass by Spike, Rob, Geoff and Craig – how do they make it look so easy…?

As the sun began to set, the Railroaders traded their tennis whites for black tie and reconvened at Vincent’s Club for a champagne reception in the wood panelled lounge.