AS most people get over, they tend to slow down a little.

Schedules become a bit quieter, and as physical and mental capacities decline, people step back from some responsibilities as they settle down for a quiet life.

The same cannot be said of Joy Harman who, at 95, is still playing tennis with the same level of enthusiasm as she has always done.

Doubles is very much her forte these days, with Mrs Harman still playing at Colchester Officers’ Club three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

If the courts are slippery, she will happily wait until the frost melts away or is swept away by some of the court staff – she’s not one for shying away from any challenge.

Age may blunt physicality, but, in Mrs Harman’s case, it certainly hasn’t dimmed her competitiveness.

She said: “Am I competitive? Yes – you play to win.

“Even if you can’t win, you keep playing.”

Nor has age affected Mrs Harman’s innate understanding of her doubles partners – when she plays, she still has a sixth sense to tell her where her partner is, which shots they can return, and shots they might not go for.

“Me and Birte, we’re used to how one another play – she knows I can cover the net.

“I used to be a reasonable server, though I am a bit soft now.”

Mrs Harman moved to Colchester from South Africa in 1961, but her love of the sport started long before she moved to the UK.

“When I was ten or 11, my parents used to play in a remote corner of South Africa, we used to grab their racquets when they were having tea and have a hit-up.”

More than 60 years later, Mrs Harman – who lives in Lexden – is still equally keen to get out and play.

“I believe exercise is good for you – and friendship, of course.

“This is a lovely club – it used to be rather a posh club, now it’s just a friendly club.”

Some of her friends, who are also gearing up to brave the cold, bright morning, chime in with plenty of praise.

“She’s an inspiration, she really is wonderful” one of her friends, Geraldine, added.

With the frost having cleared, the courts are free to play on, and at 95, Mrs Harman gears up to play the game that has kept her on her toes all these years.