Grave restoration – step one

Posted on October 10, 2018 by admin

On the morning of Tuesday 9th October the team from Midland Conservation lifted the ledger stone and removed it off site. The details of Ellen Maria, Thomas Henry Gem’s wife, are to be engraved on the stone as she is buried here too but unrecorded on site.

Stone has been ordered for the construction of the new grave architecture. Completeion date awaited.

The ledger stone to the grave of the family Lawson, over which that from Gem’s grave was slid many years ago, is now seeing the daylight once again!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Uncategorized, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Grave restoraton commissioned

Posted on September 19, 2018 by admin

Job done.

At long last, with sufficient monies raised, the restoration work has been commissioned via Midland Conservation Limited. A site meeting was held recently and materials ordered.

The ledger stone should be lifted early in October and taken into the workshop for the engraving of Harry Gem’s wife’s details.

More on the schedule as it is known.

Posted in Birmingham, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, Obituary - Harry Gem, Warstone Lane Cemetery | Leave a comment

Appeal has raised £8,000 of the £10,000 target

Posted on June 26, 2018 by admin

Our appeal for funds to restore Harry’s grave in Warstone Lane Cemetery, Birmingham has reached £8,000 and we send our grateful thanks to all the organisations and individuals who have given so genereously.

We have launched a Crowdfunder campaign to raise the final £2,000. Please help by giving what you can and spreading the word among your friends.

Click here for details

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Grave Restoration Appeal – Video

Posted on May 12, 2018 by admin

Gem's sketch of himself playing with Perera, against doctors Haynes and Tompkins, at the club they founded in Leamington.We’ll be launching a Crowdfunder Appeal in June to raise the remainder of the money required to commission the work to restore Harry’s grave. In the meantime, here’s an extended version of our video giving some of the background to the story of Harry Gem and Augurio Perera and details of the restoration plan.

Click here for video.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Edgbaston Archery & Lawn Tennis Society, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment

A Birmingham Gem

Posted on April 18, 2018 by admin

Article from the Birmingham Post of 9th October 1962, the 100th anniversary of Harry Gem’s run from Birmingham to Warwick.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment

Harry Gem Grave Restoration Appeal

Posted on March 19, 2018 by admin

We’ve raised just in excess of £5,500 so far and need another £2,000 – 2,500 in order to commission the work. On top of that we hope to raise £1,000 – 1,500 to hold in trust to cover future maintenance requirements. If you can help please contact us at: theharrygemproject@gmail.com.

Click here to see our video giving a brief introduction to Harry’s story.

Posted in Ampton Road, Bath Street Racquets Club, Birmingham Rifle Volunteers, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment

Real Tennis at Leamington Spa

Posted on February 28, 2018 by admin

The Leamington Tennis Court Club was established in 1846 and Harry Gem joined in 1872.  The club is discreetly located at the heart of Royal Leamington Spa and here members may play tennis, squash rackets, rackets and fives. Click here to see a real tennis match at Leamington.

The All England Club adopted the real tennis method of  scoring (love, fifteen, thirty, forty) when revising the laws of lawn tennis in 1877, in readiness for the first championships at Wimbledon.

Posted in Leamington Tennis Court Club, Real Tennis | Leave a comment

Ready to play!

Posted on January 15, 2018 by admin

The racquets kindly donated by Grays are now ready for the upcoming season of demo days, etc.

We send our thanks too for the good offices of Norman Hyde, at the Leamington Tennis Court Club, in organising the stringing by Tom Granville, head professional at the Moreton Morrell Tennis Court Club. Nice work Tom and many thanks.

 

 

Posted in History of Lawn Tennis | Leave a comment

Harry Gem Grave Restoration Appeal – £5,500 raised so far

Posted on December 6, 2017 by admin

The appeal for funds to restore Harry Gem’s grave in Warstone Lane Cemetery at the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has begun.

Just over £7,000 is needed to rebuild the grave architecture and we aim to raise an extra £2,000 to provide a fund for maintenance in the future.

So far we have raised £5,500, over two thirds of the amount for the restoration, and hope to have the full amount in place ready to commission the work later in the year.

If you would like to contribute please contact us by email: theharrygemproject@gmail.com

Here’s a sample of the material we’ve been sending out to potential ‘corporate” sponsors (click images to enlarge):

 

 

Posted in Aims, Grave - Harry Gem, Harry Gem, History of Lawn Tennis, Obituary - Harry Gem, Scrapbook - Harry Gem | Leave a comment

Gem’s Leamington Club formed in 1874 not 1872

Posted on November 7, 2017 by admin

It has been assumed that Gem and Perera moved to Leamington Spa in 1872 and formed their Leamington club in the same year. Research commissioned by Bob Everitt, of the Tennis Collectors’ Society, indicates that Gem had moved into the town in late 1872. This was established by reference to the ‘General Arrivals’ section of the Leamington Spa Courier and Warwick Advertiser of that year. Perera was not listed during or before 1872 and, unfortnately, newspapers for 1873 and 1874 were not available.

However. an article in the Leamington Spa Courier and Warwick Advertiser dated 24th July 1875 indicates that the club was without doubt formed in 1874.

 

 

Posted in Harry Gem, Leamington Club, Perera | Leave a comment