As the tension builds for Wimbledon’s second week, spectators gaze in anticipation at the rainy skies, hoping for the storm clouds to pass safely. But it’s too late to prevent a thunderclap from crashing over the hapless greats who run the Lawn Tennis Association, the sport’s governing body.
I can reveal that they have been hit by a inflammatory 27-page document sent to the association’s Disciplinary Officer, detailing an extraordinary litany of alleged failures allegedly committed at the £1,000-a-year West Hants club in Bournemouth should have been.
The club, which has 16 tennis courts, four squash courts, gyms, a gym and a swimming pool, has been effectively controlled by the club since it acquired the West Hants’ property for nearly £800,000 almost 30 years ago.
However, according to the claims in the document, which was compiled by “very concerned members”, this has not prevented the creation of what they describe as a “completely toxic environment”. They fear that the club and the LTA could be seriously discredited.
The LTA has been hit by an extraordinary litany of alleged failures, allegedly at the £1,000 annual fee West Hants club in Bournemouth (file image).
The letter summarized the club’s chief executive, Peter Elviss, as “authoritarian” and “insensitive to and intolerant of criticism.”
Elviss was previously the managing director of the exclusive Queen’s Club. His tenure there coincided with a bitter struggle between members and the LTA, which had bought ownership of the club decades earlier when it was in financial trouble.
After the LTA announced it was putting Queen’s up for sale for £40million, members reacted furiously. A legal battle in the Supreme Court was only averted after the LTA agreed to sell the club to members for £35million.
The battle lines at West Hants are not dissimilar, although this time Elviss and the club’s board want To West Hants as a charity. This outrages its critics, who argue that the club has no right to dispose of its property in this way – without the consent of the members.
The LTA informs me that they have responded to the letter and remain in touch with the injured members. She adds that she is willing to investigate “relevant allegations” – provided she is presented with “specific details” and “appropriate evidence”.
A West Hants Club spokesman tells me, “West Hants Club is forward-thinking and embracing a family culture with modern leadership, which has angered some of our members.”
“We have had discussions with them for a number of years and have answered all of their questions. So it was disappointing to read a long list of allegations, all of which we deny.”
“Professional advice was sought before any changes were made to the club and all procedures have been correctly followed.”
Ned’s mission… to propose to Hayley in his pants
It is a brief encounter that she will never forget.
I heard Hayley Atwell’s fiancé, Ned Wolfgang Kelly, was shirtless when he proposed to the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star in Venice.
“My fiancé was in his pants in the kitchen and there was an accordion playing outside our window – perfectly timed but not planned,” she reveals. The 41-year-old Londoner (right and with songwriter Kelly, above) got engaged in April.
“We rented this Airbnb that had a lot of shelves with porcelain ducks on them, so it was quite a surreal setup,” she says. “I said to him, ‘Venice was my first, most precious travel destination,’ and I’ve always had a strange connection to it.
“So he took me there and that’s where it happened.”
Hayley Atwell’s fiancé, Ned Wolfgang Kelly, didn’t wear pants when he proposed to the ‘Mission: Impossible’ star in Venice (pictured together in June).
Hayley Atwell attends the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible earlier this month
Maureen Lipman has a theory as to why she was bestowed a lady’s dignity in 2021. Could this be due to the influence of royal friend, biographer and namesake Gyles Brandreth?
The 77-year-old actress says, “Sheila Hancock was made a DBE, as was Joanna Lumley.” And we’ve all worked with Gyles Brandreth. I’m just saying. . .’
Meanwhile, Dame Maureen reveals she has a new boyfriend following the death of her last partner Guido Castro in 2021. “He’s a blessing,” she says.
I want it all… Queens turnover of £41m
Freddie Mercury’s music grossed £41million last year – 31 years after his death. Queen’s revenue rose by £1.7million year-on-year, meaning the band’s venture turned a profit of £22.2million.
Although Mercury died at the age of 45, his estate still owns a 25 per cent stake in the company Queen Productions Ltd, which earns royalties from the group’s hits.
The success of Oscar-winning biopic Bohemian Rhapsody keeps the money flowing as the members share a £12.9m pot – or £3.23m each for Brian May, 75, Roger Taylor (73), John Deacon (71) and Mercury’s estate.
Masterchef judge Gregg Wallace, 58, appeared more interested in the tobacco than the food at the Boisdale Life Editor’s Lunch and Awards at Canary Wharf, east London yesterday.
“My grandfather always smoked cigars at Christmas,” he tells me. “When he died, my grandmother didn’t believe Christmas was until someone smoked a cigar. Since I was the eldest grandson, she gave me the cigar.”
Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing has revealed his new wife Sophie Habboo believes mermaids aren’t just folklore.
“Sophie and I went to the Little Mermaid the other day,” he says. “Sophie turned to me and asked if mermaids were real.” She explains, “Do you think dinosaurs were real?” It doesn’t matter.
“Dinosaurs don’t exist anymore, mermaids don’t exist anymore, but maybe a million years ago they did.”
David Gandy, often described as Britain’s handsomest man, has revealed he ate his packed lunch alone at his Essex comprehensive school, where he was bullied for his good speech.
The 43-year-old model – who set hearts racing when he appeared in a Dolce & Gabbana ad in only skinny white pants – says: “I’m not sure anyone enjoys being a teenager.” “It’s a tough stage.”
On the Desert Island Dishes podcast, he adds, “I took solace, ate my little sandwiches in the library, and read James Herriot books.”