Remembering Bernard, and the Family Who Came Before Us

Before the club was ours, it was Bernard's. He and his family ran the squash courts here for years, and since we took the place on, the thing locals mention most isn't the building — it's him. The welcome at the door, the tournaments, the way he made anyone picking up a racket for the first time feel like they belonged. That tells you everything about the man.

We were lucky enough to get to know Bernard in his last few months. His son Andy would tell us how his dad followed every bit of the work we were doing — the new windows, the new doors, all of it. Bernard liked hearing how it was coming along. After all the years he'd put into this place, it clearly still mattered to him, and that meant a lot to us.

When Bernard passed, Andy and his sister kept that connection going, and we're glad to say the friendship has carried on well beyond any business. We swap stories, share memories, and when we open the doors properly, Bernard's family will be among the first we invite through them.

A place like this is never really just bricks and a roof. It's the people who filled it — and Bernard filled it with a lot of good. We intend to look after it the way he did.