THE article on the possible demise of Tang Hall Hotel will recall memories for countless older readers (October 10).

However, younger readers may not realise that the hotel was the headquarters of Heworth Amateur Rugby League Club and Tang Hall Tennis Club for many years until the 1960s and started many players on the road to success at a higher level.

Ray Batten who went on to play for Leeds and Great Britain, Geoff Wrigglesworth, who was another GB player, Ted Barnard (Leeds), Ken Bowman (Huddersfield), Tony Crosby (Leeds and York) and the Drake brothers Bill, Jim and Joe (Hull and York) are just a few names which come to mind on the rugby league scene as Heworth chairman Jim Hattee did so much to encourage youngsters, including his own sons, to take up the game.

Peter Moor, Geoff Atkinson, Mike Fallon, Harold Pickup, David Taylor, John Linfoot, Keith Turner, Gwen Cartledge, Rita Hodgson and the writer of this letter were all Tang Hall TC members who went on to become York Municipal Tournament champions.

Tang Hall Hotel was at one time owned by Cameron's Brewery, which had had its headquarters in Church Lane behind Low Ousegate and Spurriergate. When the decision was made to build houses on part of the hotel site in the mid 1960s, the tennis club joined with Clifton Tennis Club, who played in Water Lane, to form York Lawn Tennis Club.

Within a year or so the Water Lane site, owned by the nearby church, was sold so that the YWCA could be built. York LTC then moved to their present site at Clifton Park. Heworth RL Club meanwhile moved to Elm Park Way.

Malcolm Huntington,

School Lane,

Heslington,

York.

Updated: 10:42 Monday, October 17, 2005