May 2024

Which sport connects Birmingham, Leamington Spa, London and New York, all of which feature in this month’s edition? I suppose our front cover gives the answer away; but can you explain the connections? 

This month, Noel Street joins us to celebrate the centenary of the Kings Norton Tennis Club. For the last hundred years, its members have been championing the benefits of a game which was invented in its current form in Edgbaston between 1859 and 1865; whose first public tournament was held in Leamington Spa in 1882; and which regularly attracts international attention in London (Wimbledon) and New York (The U.S. Open). If you wanted to stretch a point, you might even add another of this month’s destinations, RAF Cosford, to the list, home of the RAF’s School of Physical Training. It’s not just an impressive museum.

Then there is the name of the Birmingham solicitor who, with his Spanish friend Augurio Perera, is reputed to have invented modern tennis on that croquet lawn in Edgbaston, Major Thomas Henry “Harry” Gem. Could there be a link here with the Gem family whose memorials grace the walls of St Nicolas’ Church? If you can find one, please let us know.

Michael Kennedy’s discovery of a Lord Mayor of London who rose to prominence from humble Kings Norton origins is quite extraordinary (p.18), as are the inspiring stories of selfless courage told by Pauline Weaver on page 40. But first, Larry Wright (p.4) offers a Christian perspective on fear as he explores trust in a loving God, who promises “the peace which passes all understanding”, whatever our circumstances.