ABOUT US
Thursdays 10-12am. £5 visitor fee( as of March 2025 ).
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Tangent Badminton club was formed from players who played at the Addlestone Community Association Badminton club but who no longer wanted to play "seriously" and just wanted to play for fun during the day in a friendly, social environment.
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We comprise a mixed club with a wide range of ages and skills but mainly older players who have the time in the middle of the day to play without the pressure of team competition but who want the opportunity to keep fit and maintain , or even develop, their skills.
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You need a good understanding of the game as we, unfortunately, cannot take beginners but our skills range from players who have always just played for fun and some who once played more competitively when they were younger.
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We play doubles games on 2 courts and use a pegboard system to ensure that players get an equal, varied and fair share on court. So you will play mixed, men's and ladies doubles and be partnered with partners of varying abilities according to who is near the the front of the queue on the pegboard. This ensures a good rotation of players in a session and normally you will have shared a court with most attendees by the end of a session.
Numbers attending vary from the low teens to the low twenties as many members have occasional commitments that prevent them playing every week.
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We meet EVERY THURSDAY MORNING (10-12am) throughout the year except public holidays or the occasional week when there is maintenance work at the centre (the wooden floor is usually resurfaced during a week in August).
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Some members and ex-members have made friends and meet socially outside the club. The club itself holds several social events during the year, such as a Christmas lunch at a local restaurant and a summer garden party in a member's garden.
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Some of our older members ( in their 80 & 90s) who have passed their playing days still keep in contact; popping in for a chat during sessions or attending our social functions.
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We welcome visitors who would like to try us out ( visitor day fee applies) before taking the plunge and joining the club (an annual subscription then applies)
FACILITIES
We play at the Addlestone Community Association building in the centre of Addlestone. The building is a modern, air-conditioned centre and we play in the main concert hall. This room boasts excellent playing conditions: 2 courts with ample court spacing; a sprung wooden floor; air conditioning; a high ceiling and variable intensity LED lighting so we are not affected by hot weather conditions, cramped quarters or poor lighting.
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We play with quality feather shuttles.
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There are changing facilities (in the toilets but no showers) for those who do not want to travel in playing gear.
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There are no restrictions on playing gear except that the sole of your sport shoes must be light coloured, soft rubber to avoid leaving marks on the light wooden floor.
Free car parking in the centre's car park is available for attendees BUT MAKE SURE YOU ENTER YOUR VEHICLE REG NO ON THE SCREEN IN THE FOYER TO AVOID A PARKING PENALTY .
THE COURTS
The modern hall is air-conditioned and has a sprung wooden floor, high ceiling and clear, dimmable LED lighting.
All of this provides prime playing conditions even though our players are generally past their prime!
FRIENDLY GAMES
You will be paired with almost everybody at some point in a session and the games are played in a friendly and fun environment.
Congratulations or high fives are "de rigueur" even if somebody has an off day or the pegboard system throws up an uneven match and one side takes a beating! ( Just clench your teeth and smile: you will get another go on court in a few minutes and think of all the aches and pains that those energetic winners will have tomorrow! )
MIXED, MENS OR WOMENS DOUBLES?
To make efficient use of the courts we play doubles games.
The pegboard system is a First-In-First-Out queue that ensures everybody has equal time on the courts. Each foursome usually distributes themselves to give the most even match. You can always put your peg to the back of the queue if you want a longer rest.
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The type of doubles game is determined by the players who are next in the queue on the pegboard. You can even change sex for the match to make it work!
FIRE UP YOUR ENGINE
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The centre's cafe is no longer open ( March 2025) but if you want to indulge then there is usually a free supply of cakes or more yummy biscuits donated by anyone who is willing to admit to a birthday that week (although they may not admit to how old).
Give us a try
WHAT IT COSTS
FEES
Annual membership: £68( 2023-24 season) payable in April. Pro rata charge applies for part year.
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Visitor: £5( 2023-24 season) per 2hr session. You can visit up to 6 times in one financial year ( April-March). Thereafter you should join as a full member. If you join part way through the year then fees are paid pro rata and we also deduct any visitor fees already paid that year.
ACA Membership: To become a Tangent member you must also be a member of the Addlestone Community Association (ACA: our parent organisation that provides the centre's facilities). .
ACA membership (as of March 2025): £3.50/year ( £5.50 for couples). If paid after 31 May then an additional £1.50 is due.
"The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk"
Marcus Tullius Cicero
"The harder we play, the more humbly we shall walk tomorrow"
Tangent member
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SOCIAL EVENTS
More than just badminton, if you want.
XMAS LUNCH
Each Xmas we arrange a Christmas lunch at a local restaurant. All members and partners are welcome. Some older ex-members who are past their playing days also attend as they like to keep in touch with old friends.
SUMMER GARDEN PARTY
Members often offer their garden for a summer garden party where all members and partners are welcome ( attendees help with food/drink donations)
OTHER EVENTS
The centre is occasionally closed for repairs or maintenance work and somebody may organise a replacement event for that session. Here, members and friends went for a walk round Horsell Common before retiring to a local pub for lunch.
CONTACT US
Tangent Badminton Secretary, Addlestone Community Association, Garfeld Road, Addlestone, UK