ladies' changing and resting-room, and they have greatly
improved their accommodation. It is time other meetings followed their
example. At the seaside meetings it does not so much matter. Most of the
players stay near the ground and can go to their own rooms and be back
in time to play again, if necessary; but in London tournaments, where
there is often a long drive or train journey before one reaches home, it
is most important that there should be a good changing-room.

[ILLUSTRATION: A TOURNAMENT HOUSE-PARTY AT NEWCASTLE _Front row (left to
right_): THE LATE MISS C. MEYRE, MR. G.W. HILLYARD, MRS. HILLYARD, MRS.
LAMBERT CHAMBERS, MR. N.E. BROOKES, MR. A.J. ROBERTS]

There is another improvement which I feel sure would be greatly welcomed
by competitors, and that is a separate tea-tent for their use. Often a
player has only a few minutes to get her tea, and, with the general
public engaged in the same amiable pursuit, she is not able to be served
and has to go away tealess. If there were a competitors' tea-tent, a
player could obtain her tea in comfort when she wanted it.

Always bear in mind that a referee at a tournament has a most "worrying
time of it." Players can and should help to make his task lighter.
There are many ways in which they can assist to make the tournament as
successful as possible. One is by being punctual and ready dressed to
play when wanted, and another is by umpiring when they are disengaged
and have not an important match just coming on. "Taking the chair" may
help them not to dispute an umpire's decision when they are in court
themselves. They will realize how difficult umpiring is, and that bad as
umpires often are they are doing their best. To dispute a decision or to
argue with the umpire never helps matters; it usually makes him nervous.
A bad decision must be taken as a fortune of war, and borne in a
sportsmanlike manner. But you must never allow the crowd to influence
the umpire. It is a hopeless expedient, for many people who watch
matches are ignorant of the rules of the game.

Sometimes--I suppose it is Hobson's choice--an umpire is chosen from the
"gate." If he knows little or nothing of his duties the result is
disastrous. Should there be difficulty in getting an umpire who knows
something of his work, I think the match should take care of itself. I
have experienced umpires who do not even know how to score!

And now a word or two about _Clubs._ It is very difficult to manage a