The History of Brighton and Hove Parks LTA

The Brighton & Hove Parks League (originally the Brighton Parks League) was founded in 1929, and began its first full season in 1930, with the inaugural championship won by Rookery Tennis Club. The Parks League is thought to be the oldest continuously active citywide parks league in the United Kingdom.

The earliest known photograph of Parks League tennis comes from The Keep archive in Moulscoombe, Brighton, and is dated from 1932. See below.

Parks League Division One competes for the Beckett Challenge Shield (see below). It is three feet high, and carries the names of all the winners since 1930.

List of winners:

1930 Rookery
1931 Rookery
1932 Rookery
1933 Hollingbury
1934 Hollingbury
1935 Rookery
1936 Hollingbury
1937 Rookery
1938 Hollingbury
1939 Hollingbury
1940 Queens
1941 Dyke
1942 not contested
1943 not contested
1944 not contested
1945 not contested
1946 Hollingbury
1947 Hollingbury
1948 Hollingbury
1949 Hollingbury
1950 Hollingbury
1951 Preston
1952 Hollingbury
1953 Hollingbury
1954 Hollingbury
1955 Hollingbury
1956 Hollingbury
1957 Hollingbury
1958 Hollingbury
1959 Hollingbury
1960 Queens
1961 Hollingbury
1962 Hollingbury
1963 Hollingbury
1964 Preston
1965 Preston
1966 Hove
1967 Queens
1968 Hove
1969 Hove
1970 Queens
1971 Queens
1972 Hove
1973 Hove
1974 Hove
1975 Hove
1976 Hove
1977 Queens
1978 Queens
1979 Queens
1980 Queens
1981 Hove
1982 Hove
1983 De Haura [*]
1984 Hove
1985 Queens
1986 Queens
1987 Queens
1988 Queens
1989 Queens
1990 Queens
1991 Rookery
1992 Queens
1993 Rookery
1994 Rookery
1995 Queens
1996 Hove
1997 Rookery
1998 Hove
1999 Hove
2000 Hove
2001 Queens
2002 Queens
2003 Hove
2004 Hove
2005 Queens
2006 Hove
2007 Hove
2008 Hove
2009 Queens
2010 Dyke
2011 Stanford
2012 Dyke
2013 Saltdean
2014 Dyke
2015 Saltdean
2016 Queens
2017 Dyke
2018 Queens
2019 Dyke
2020 not contested
2021 Hove
2022 Hove

Dyke, 2019 Division 1 champions

Queens, 2018 Division 1 champions

[*] De Haura Tennis Club, Shoreham-by-Sea, no longer competes in the Brighton & Hove Parks LTA.

nb. Rookery sometimes referred to as ‘Rookery Withdean’.

Most wins:
Queens 23
Hove 21
Hollingbury 20
Rookery 9
Dyke 6
Preston 3
Saltdean 2
Stanford 1
De Haura 1

Queens Park, Parks League champions 1960: