Club Meeting "” Jim Auld

President Bill Joners welcomed 13 other members and guest speaker Jim Auld.

Dave Campbell reported on the successful and enjoyable wine tasting in the Commodore Hotel on Friday evening attended by 35 people, and thanked Ellie's Cellar for providing the wine, and the hotel for giving both the room and the cheese and biscuits without charge. Some £600 was raised for the club's youth services.

Jim Auld, a family friend, spoke about the rise and rise of Helensburgh's wheelchair tennis champion, Gordon Reid, the first Scot to be ranked world no.1 in tennis.

He told of the Team Reid decision a year earlier to support Gordon at the Rio Paralympics in September, and the trip to Rio, where they stayed at the appropriately named Barra Beach. He said that the Games was very well organised and had a fantastic atmosphere. The local people were very friendly and showed great warmth.

Gordon's main matches were in a well-filled 10,000 seater stadium, with loud vocal support from Team Reid, all dressed alike and often homed in on by the TV cameras.

Jim described Gordon's progress to the mens doubles silver medal with partner Alfie Hewett, and to the mens singles gold medal.

"We were all on tenterhooks before the singles final, but we felt that it was his time — and it was," he said. "He thoroughly deserved it, and he is someone Helensburgh should be very proud of."

Jack Rudram proposed the vote of thanks. The weekly raffle fror a whisky miniature was won by Alastair Wilson.

• More details of Gordon's early tennis in Helensburgh can be found here.