It’s been nearly 20 years since the West Shore celebrated Gllangcolme Days.
The Langford Tennis Club has maintained the tradition, in name at least, by continuing to host the Gllangcolme Tennis Festival mixed doubles event.
The 32nd annual tournament had a full draw of 32 teams last year and an equal number are expected to be signed up as plays gets underway Thursday (June 19) on the courts at Royal Roads University.
Sue Grandmaison, club vice-president and former tournament co-ordinator, said the event draws from around the region and beyond.
“We’ve got a couple of people coming from Alberta, from Peachland, all over Victoria and up Island as well,” she said.
One of several tournaments the club hosts between spring and fall, the Gllangcolme event – perhaps more than any other it hosts – is part tennis, part social function, Grandmaison said.
There’s a West Coast-themed dinner/dance on Saturday that includes a silent auction fundraiser for the club’s junior program and Westshore Food Bank.
“People stay and have fun and we give them free breakfast in the morning (Saturday and Sunday). It keeps everybody together. It’s competitive, but social as well.”
On the tennis side, the triple-knockout tournament has an A, B and C flight, with every team starting in the A division. The top seeds going in are Peter and Damaris Brix of Saanich, while the host club’s Tracy and Carmine Antonacci, as well as Grandmaison and playing partner Serge Joseph of Vancouver, are also expected to compete for the title.
Matches begin at 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8:30 a.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday, with the ‘A’ final slated for 2:30 p.m. that day. For more information, visit langfordtennisclub.com.
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