THEY were born in the year that Fred Perry last won Wimbledon - but Barbara Watson, Janet Hanby and Pat Cooper are still serving members at Wollaston Tennis Club in Stourbridge 80 years later.

The trio celebrated their 80th birthdays - and a total of 150 years of membership - with a buffet at their regular Wednesday morning session on court at the club, off Prestwood Drive in Stourton.

Barbara, a retired school teacher, a cyclist and rambler all over Europe, has been a member at the club for 40 years, serving on the catering committee for most of them and still chairing that committee.

But club chairman John Cutler said: “Barbara's greatest contribution is jokes and good humour.”

Janet, together with her late husband Len, joined the club in 1965, just as it moved to its current location in Stourton, and the couple both became involved in managing it.

She has been membership secretary, as well as ladies' captain - and has helped to raise more than £2,000 for local charities at the ‘Oldies Wednesday Bash’, the weekly playing session attended, mainly, by more mature members.

Pat has been a member for 60 years and played at the club's former base, in Church Road, Wollaston, before it moved to Stourton.

Her late husband, Peter, was among the members who helped to build the club at its present site.

Pat was a regular member of tennis teams in the Staffordshire league.

Janet Hanby said: “We were all born in 1936, which is the year Fred Perry won Wimbledon for the third time - and, of course, it is only recently that Andy Murray became the first Brit since then to win the championship.

“The exercise and social side of tennis has served all three of us well over many years and we still play, although we have to pace ourselves a bit these days.

“We tend to play a set and then stop for a coffee and a natter for half-an-hour and then go back on court.”

Mr Cutler paid tribute to the major contribution all three “girls” had made to the development of the club.

“These three ladies, who can all still play a mean game, are what Wollaston Tennis Club is all about and its uniqueness,” he added. “Good tennis players - yes. But also great members.”