Game on to find four-foot high tennis balls in Shrewsbury

It is game on to discover a set of colourful four-foot high tennis balls around Shrewsbury to win a prize.

One of the Tennis Trail stars, one of many around the town. This one sponsored by 'Team 4 You'. Pictured is: Emma Molyneux from Shrewsbury BID and Jon Gidney from The Shrewsbury Club

The Shrewsbury Tennis Ball Trail is now in place and people are being encouraged to take part in a journey of discovery to find the 12 caricatures of tennis balls at different locations around the town.

People just need to find the locations, write down the sponsor and key phrase on the back of each of them, and then submit their entries to have a chance of winning a prizes.

The competition runs until March 30, but the balls will be in place until April 19 as part of the countdown to the prestigious Budgen Motors World Tennis Tour event at The Shrewsbury Club.

Local company Darwin Composites created the 12 balls for the trail - eight of which have been painted by Shrewsbury College students.

The Shrewsbury Tennis Ball Trail is now in place

Dave Courteen, The Shrewsbury Club’s managing director, said: “The 12 tennis balls have now been installed around the town and the search is on with some great prizes to be had.

“The trail can be followed on foot around the town, it’s something which can be enjoyed by all the family and is a great way to lead into the Budgen Motors World Tennis Tour event.”

Prizes include three-month family memberships to The Shrewsbury Club, four tickets to attend a VIP lunch and finals day at the World Tennis Tour W60 at The Shrewsbury Club on April 5, and two tickets to enjoy a day’s play at the Fever-Tree Championships.

Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID which is supporting the trail, said: “The trail has already created a lot of interest and we would love to see as many people as possible out and about looking for these four foot tennis balls - they’re not all that difficult to spot.

Local company Darwin Composites created the 12 balls for the trail - eight of which have been painted by Shrewsbury College students

“There’s some great prizes to be won and it will set the scene nicely for the major international tennis tournament coming to Shrewsbury in March, an event we are all really looking forward to.”

The $60,000 tournament, part of the International Tennis Federation’s world tennis calendar, is, outside of the grass court season, the biggest event in women’s tennis in the UK in 2020.

Entry is free and forms with a map of the trail can be downloaded from the tournament website and also collected from a variety of shops and businesses in the town centre, including the Visitor Information Centre at Shrewsbury Museum & Art Gallery.

For more information visit worldtennistourshrewsbury.com