Hello there, this is a message to the members of the Holland Park Tennis Club. I am a tennis player…read moreand I would love to have a chance to play on grass one day! Since I am not a member myself and I am only going to be in London for the next 5 weeks, I was wondering whether I could play with one among you and so fulfill this little dream of mine. Thanks for your kind attention, Nino

This place is so much more than a tennis club; it's my second home. Tennis clubs and I have known…read morea few can be elitist, cold places, full of cliques and rules. Take Hurlingham, where if you're not wearing 87% white, some haughty octogenarian will shuffle over and delight in ticking you off. And where despite the fact they boast dozens of often deserted, pristine courts, you can't book for more than an hour. And don't get me onto the 10-year waiting list. HPLTC is infinitely friendlier with far more sensible rules. What makes it special is the fact it's small enough to encourage a community feel, but not so small as to feel claustrophobic. The grounds are also wonderful. If you don't have any outdoor space at home as I don't you can while away summer days with a few sets on grass courts, before collapsing with a newspaper and Pimms in a deckchair on their generous lawn. The club, tucked away in Holland Park, has a unique atmosphere and is the type of place where you can turn up alone and find someone to chat to and probably play with. There's a club night on Wednesday with a dinner afterwards, a singles league, tournaments, barbecues in the summer and a dedicated core of regulars. Really, if you're tennis-mad, as I am, there's no better place to be on a sunny day...and no better tennis club in London.

Like Andrew says an awful surface. I too have graced these courts with my poor backhand and…read moredecidedly dodgy sliced serve and frankly the court did little to help me improve. It is great that the park has 2 courts but they need to decide whether they are offering a proper facility or simply allow it to run itself into the ground.

This system of not being able to speak to the staff at The ITC. is useless and has been operating…read morefor quite sometime now. All I want to do ,not very often, is just to confirm a booking at The Tennis Centre,on the indoor or outdoor court, and I cannot do that,let alone speak to a human being. On top of that it still is one of the most expensive places to play tennis on an an outdoor public court in London ,which has very low maitenence,with the lines badly painted.Its been like this for at least 25 years, and Islington Council should be ashamed of what a shoddy example of taking money, when they took over from David Lloyd.Things do not improve. Peter Alton

Um, yeah, it is pretty good…read more But really, if you don't like Tennis you're not going to really care much for Islington Tennis Centre are you? But then again, if you don't like Tennis why are you reading this? What's wrong with you? Huh? Anyway, at ITC you get 6 indoor hard courts (medium pace) and 2 outdoor courts that are always closed because it rains a lot and they close them if it rains the night before. Wet balls, you see. Yep. Also, someone might fall and hurt themselves, I guess. I love Tennis though, so I love ITC. The instructor led courses are really well priced and the instruction seems to instruct you on Tennis quite well, which I find is often the point. Indoor courts means the Tennis is year round and there are lockers, showers, a gym and a super expensive racquet shop with stringing service should you need it. You don't have to be a member to book a court, but it is more expensive if you aren't and you can only book 5 days in advance with 7 days in advance for a member. ITC's downside it its popularity; it is often very difficult to book a court and even if successful you can only book for an hour (around 20 pounds on this date). That isn't nearly enough time for me to flail about unconvincingly and still feel that I got my money's worth so for that reason (as well as price) it loses a star. However, it is one of the best places to play Tennis in London and well worth checking out. They also have drop-in Tennis sessions, where I imagine you show up and get schooled by a surly mustachioed club pro. Or perhaps own the court with your penetrating backhand line drive. Either/Or.

Currently closed for a refurbishment that was long overdue. Great pool to learn to swim in for…read moreyounger kids and used by Anaconda Swimming Club. The deep end is deep enough for learning to dive. We miss this pool as was a handy place for training or just a quick local swim. Good showers changing room basic. No doubt they will be updated as part of the refurbishment Edit: Pleased to say this has now reopened as from Saturday 4 February 2012 although Anaconda no longer use it. Not been back not sure we will be back as all the kids have outgrown it.

From the owner: Enjoy the state of the art gym, studio. swimming pool and tennis courts in the heart of the City of…read moreLondon. The centre is brought to you by City of London Corporation, in partnership with Fusion, a highly experienced sports and leisure organisation. As a registered charity, Fusion continually reinvest to improve and develop what's on offer in your community. So why not make us your first choice when you want to get active?

Talk about a foiled plan, but we went for a game all prepared with paraphanelia and turned out…read morethere were not courts free. So my friend and myself just landed up using the sufficient cafe and watched the others play. Watching is good too, since you get to talk about the style and technique of players. Haha. The have a small shop selling basic tennis equipment. So please book before you go to play. The courts seem fine, by the standards I've seen elsewhere in Lawn tennis. Coaching facilities available for young and adults. They have 12 courts.

8 lovely hard tennis courts in Burgess Park available for £4 an hour…read more Great way to spend the afternoon.

Well-kempt tennis courts near Clapham South tube, and set in the verdant grounds of Clapham Common,…read morethese courts are the ideal place to smash away the murray blues. With five courts, three of them floodlit, and a great little café at the gates to quench yourself with an ice-cold drink after a sweaty match of doubles, these courts are a great way to get some summer exercise for a fiver. Oh, and there's a couple of beat up old cricket nets next door as well!

There are many mini squares in Hoxton…read more Not all are created equal. Of course many will flock to Hoxton Square to grab a patch of grass...errr dirt, and soak up some sun on the off chance there may be some. HSQ is active, lots of bars/restaurants surround it and it's kept very nicely...as are all of the parks I've been to in Hackney. (my council tax at work!). But I much prefer Aske. A quiet little half square just a street over from Hoxton Square on Pitfield Street. It has; - 1 very nice tennis court. - 1 full court basketball court with scoreboard. - Many benches. - Lush green grass. I much prefer to picnic (Pitfield & Kurious Yellow Cafe are nearby or Yours Food Centre is right next to it and has a lovely organic section, drinks, water) or hang out in Aske compared to Hoxton Square Park. Watch some tennis or bball, sit with the dog, walk around a bit. It's smaller, but much nicer in my opinon. *there is always a wait for the tennis courts on a nice day. Be warned! *I feel this park gets less peed on/puked on during the weekends because its more open to a main street. By humans, obviously. *Less dogs running around unleashed because it is near a busier street. *Open Dawn til Dusk, like most parks in London. And the real kicker? One day I was walking my dog through here and was cleaning up after her and one of the Park Attendants came up to me and thanked me for doing so. In my 10 years of having a dog, no one has ever thanked me for this thankless duty (pun intended) -- but I really appreciated it and thought it was nice. Also, pick up after your dog if you have one!

This is a great city run course for kids to learn tennis…read more Held in Tower Hamlets community open courts in Bethnal Green Gardens and Mile End Stadium. Apparently concern over the lack of tennis stars coming thru Wimbledon that are British (think Tim Henman or better yet don't !!) has provoked a course of funded tennis classes to be set up for kids in Tower Hamlets. Targeting children from ages 5-16 years old - hour long classes are available for £1.00/£2.00 - 3 times a week. Check schedule for specific age group coaching. My son goes on Thursdays and since it is outside courts -- classes have often been very rainy! However in true British fashion the classes are rarely cancelled and head coach Jaime has a pretty big weekly groups. He shows up with his kit including 30 kids tennis rackets, balls and assistant. The program has only been running for a year and have already had close to 3000 kids received some coaching. Expectations are high - watch out Wimbledon 2020!

The tennis courts are great, but other than that, it's really not a lot of green for gardens. I was…read moreexpected a tiny parks of some sort, but it's not escape here, still view of the road, and just not somewhere to sit and chill. Less complaint now that it's been edited to say that it's just tennis, and not somewhere picnic suitable! Oops!