The Cambridge University Squash Racquets and Fives Courts at Portugal Place

St. John's College demolished the Fives and Racquets building at Portugal Place in 1995 for re-development. There are now no Rugby Fives courts in Cambridge except for a single court at the Perse School, which the undergraduates use for practice by kind permission of the Headmaster. 'Home' matches are played at Bedford Modern School, again by kind permission of the Headmaster. The 'Past versus Present' is played at Oundle School, thanks to the generosity of the master in charge. To celebrate the century of Cambridge Court Games at Portugal Place, an Open Day was held on Saturday 11th June 1995, and exhibition matches of Rugby Fives, Eton Fives and Racquets were played. At a reception in the afternoon, to which the press were invited, two speeches were made. The first was by Peter Ridgeon, Chairman of the County Badminton Association and coach to the Cambridge Badminton Squad, who spoke of the history of the building. "In 1892 [St. John's] College granted a lease to a Fellow of Trinity, a Cambridge banker and a gentleman from Kent, of land in Portugal Street and of the courts newly erected there to be known as the Cambridge Racquets and Fives Courts."

The honours board which hung in Portugal Place

He related the tale of life friendship with Sid Tabor, the rose-growing, chain-smoking squash pro with the mustard-gas-ulcerated leg and lung, who regularly beat undergraduates for a packet of cigarettes, giving them eight start and service, while wearing a long black overcoat, blazer and flannels, plus brown trilby hat. He spoke warmly too of Philip Ellis, present at the Open Day, who began his incumbency of Portugal Place living in the rest room at the top of the stairs. He ended, with badminton particularly in mind, by suggesting that "We have now got to the stage where most secondary schools and all village colleges have better sports facilities than Cambridge University." The second speech was made by Barry Trapnell, on behalf of all the sports, bemoaning the demise of the building but expressing the hope that the University would see itself able to replace the lost facilities in the not too distant future. Those Rugby Fives players who played the last ever games on Court Number One were Joe Gribble, Bob Dolby, David Hebden, Tim Caroe and Paddy d'Ancona (see photo). David Barnes rescued a small piece of the front wall from the demolition site. That will be displayed one day in the courts which it is hoped the University will one day build on a new site. The Honours Boards which once hung in the changing rooms at Portugal Place is in the safe keeping of Bob Dolby.