One social group of 18 men known as the Charlestown Charlies has been playing every Saturday on the courts for 55 years but wound up the nets and cracked a beer for the final time last Saturday, October 31.

The courts that have sat next to Charles-town Oval for more than 80 years will be bulldozed in coming weeks to make way for GPT Group’s expanding Charlestown Square development.

To accommodate the growing shopping precinct, Charlestown Bowling Club has been moved and redeveloped and Charles-town Oval is shifting 15 metres north east.

This leaves little room for the much-loved tennis courts, which will be demolished and replaced with a public park.

The loss will affect dozens of tennis players who use the courts but for the Saturday social group it is the end of an era.

The group is currently made up of 18 men but has seen many come and go over the years.

Two members, Vic Webber and Paul Dillion, said they had played with the Charlestown Charlies most Saturdays for more than 50 years.

“One set that was played here a few weeks ago had a combined age of more than 300 years; everyone was well over 80,” Mr Webber said.

Another member, David Locker, said he had a particular affinity with the courts.

“When I started playing here 25 years ago, my mother said her father and the local policeman and doctor built the courts when she was a little girl,” he said.

“So presumably it was built sometime after the first World War.”

Although saddened by the forced move, the group of friends will continue their perpetual game at a new location this weekend.

After celebrating their history at Charles-town last Saturday with a few games of tennis followed by a few beers and jokes, the social players will start a new era on the courts at Hillsborough this weekend.