Title
'Oh it was manic, you really could not get courts': Derek Timmins on the popularity of squash at Folkestone Sports Centre in the 1970s.
Subject
Derek Timmins
Description
An excerpt of an oral history recording with Derek Timmins, in which he describes the popularity of the sport - and the rush to book squash courts - at Folkestone Sports Centre in the 1970s. Transcript attached.
Creator
Michael Romyn
Publisher
Kent's Sporting Memories
Date
Interview recorded on 9 September, 2019
Contributor
Derek Timmins; Michael Romyn
Rights
Kent's Sporting Memories
Relation
Derek Timmins Oral History Recording
Format
MP3 (1:42)
Language
English
Type
Audio recording
Identifier
Derek Timmins
Transcription
Kent’s Sporting Memories Oral History Transcript (Excerpt)
Interviewee: Derek Timmins
Interviewer: Michael Romyn
Date: 9 September, 2019
Location: Derek Timmins’ home in Folkestone, Kent.
Recording Time: 27:25 – 30:59
Derek Timmins: It started off as ‘The Club’. As I say they had the two squash courts and the Folkestone Squash Club moved across and at that stage I think a lot of people started to take it up from different walks of life, and yes it was. I mean you couldn’t get courts – it was really difficult to get courts. People used to turn up – if you wanted a court then there’d be people standing in a queue at the desk to book up a court for the week ahead, and before the desk opened. There’d be somebody behind the desk who’d actually take no notice of this queue and then it would go through, ‘Yes, can I have a 6:40 for next Tuesday?’, ‘Sorry that’s gone’, ‘7:20?’, ‘Alright, I’ll take it.’ Oh no, it was, you could not get a court. And then Firs [squash club] opened and it became easier again. You know, I can remember from my early days, you’d phone up at sort of quarter to nine, ‘cause the desk would open at nine or something, phone up at quarter to nine and just sit on the phone waiting for fifteen minutes – they wouldn’t answer it before nine – but you had to make sure that you didn’t get the engaged tone so you’d actually get through. Because they used to run one court with a telephone and one was turn-up, so. If you’re on the telephone, you’re okay, you know, you’ll get a court for the next week. Oh it was manic, you really could not get courts. I used to play a lot of my squash in the end at sort of 9:20 or 8:40 because they were more available. And it suited me, it suited my lifestyle at the time, so I was happy. It really was heavy usage and that was with three courts going.
--Ends--
Interviewee: Derek Timmins
Interviewer: Michael Romyn
Date: 9 September, 2019
Location: Derek Timmins’ home in Folkestone, Kent.
Recording Time: 27:25 – 30:59
Derek Timmins: It started off as ‘The Club’. As I say they had the two squash courts and the Folkestone Squash Club moved across and at that stage I think a lot of people started to take it up from different walks of life, and yes it was. I mean you couldn’t get courts – it was really difficult to get courts. People used to turn up – if you wanted a court then there’d be people standing in a queue at the desk to book up a court for the week ahead, and before the desk opened. There’d be somebody behind the desk who’d actually take no notice of this queue and then it would go through, ‘Yes, can I have a 6:40 for next Tuesday?’, ‘Sorry that’s gone’, ‘7:20?’, ‘Alright, I’ll take it.’ Oh no, it was, you could not get a court. And then Firs [squash club] opened and it became easier again. You know, I can remember from my early days, you’d phone up at sort of quarter to nine, ‘cause the desk would open at nine or something, phone up at quarter to nine and just sit on the phone waiting for fifteen minutes – they wouldn’t answer it before nine – but you had to make sure that you didn’t get the engaged tone so you’d actually get through. Because they used to run one court with a telephone and one was turn-up, so. If you’re on the telephone, you’re okay, you know, you’ll get a court for the next week. Oh it was manic, you really could not get courts. I used to play a lot of my squash in the end at sort of 9:20 or 8:40 because they were more available. And it suited me, it suited my lifestyle at the time, so I was happy. It really was heavy usage and that was with three courts going.
--Ends--