A SUCCESSFUL Huddersfield gymnastics club is calling its former members for a 40th anniversary celebration.

Greenhead Gymnastics Club has constantly produced Yorkshire champions at both junior and senior level.

Now club stalwart, Christine Bowker, who established the club as a young PE teacher in 1969, said she was hoping to track down as many former members as possible for a ‘Ruby anniversary’ knees up on September 12.

Former Greenhead star Karen Hargate who represented Great Britain at the 1988 Seoul Olympics whilst at the club will be attending, and Christine said she hoped the club’s former Russian coaches would also make it.

Christine, who founded the club in Greenhead High School gymnasium, said: “You’ve got to put the success of the club down to the enthusiasm of the coaches and the Russian connection.

“We’ve had lots and lots of Russian coaches and a lot of those are coming to the 40 year celebration.

“Some are coming from St Petersberg and representatives from British Gymnastics will also be there.”

Forty years on Greenhead is still the the only dedicated gymnastics facility in Kirklees.

The club has notched 13 senior and nine junior Yorkshire titles and Christine said she was proud to have produced so many champions from such humble beginnings.

She added: “I think we’ve built a great thing for the community.

“We started with nothing so we had to build equipment up.

“We did a lot of fundraising activities and sponsored things so we could buy more.”

In a bid to improve the standard and increase training time Christine moved her club to Deighton High School where there was a hall and a gym.

And in 1979 the club moved into its own dedicated facilities at the former St Thomas’ Church, Bradley, where it remains to this day.

The most recent international star produced by the club was Nicola Ginnerver who competed in the 1995 and 1997 World Student Games.

Ex-gymnasts and friends of the club can apply for tickets for the party at Greenhead Masonic Lodge by ringing Christine on 01484 541473 or at the club on 01484 420262.

Tickets, £25, include a buffet and a disco. The club is launching a new pre-school Greenhead Grasshoppers club on Monday mornings.

For more information contact Christine Bowker.