For generations of Maitland tennis players, the name Peter Taylor was well known.
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With his long, spring-toed stride and handlebar moustache, he was an unmissable fixture around the district's tennis courts for decades.
He was, among other things a decent player in his own right, the longest serving secretary of Maitland City Tennis Club, but is perhaps better known as the man behind the Taylor Tennis Academy at Raworth that was the training ground for hundreds, perhaps thousands of the region's aspiring players.
Retired these days and living on the Gold Coast, Taylor has written a book about his life and tennis coaching career called One Hundred Smiles.
On Saturday, November 30 from 10am to midday he will be at McDonald's Book Store in High Street to launch his 234-page story.
The book covers a lot of miles - from the tragic early loss of his brother Tony in a road accident to coaching in the United States and playing junior representative cricket with Doug Walters. And of course his life in tennis.
But first let's start with the rather intriguing title, One Hundred Smiles, a phrase he uses again and again throughout the book.
It started, he explains, when he was coaching students at Seaham Primary School - he felt it was important that young people enjoyed their tennis and carried a positive outlook, so he asked each child "to attempt 100 smiles before lunch each day".
In the end it's a mantra about appreciating the positives ... a view that only became stronger as he grew older. It's something that he applied to life, not just the sporting arena. As such, whenever mentioned in the book it's in bold type.
It's obvious Taylor is justifiably proud of his achievements - and why not?
A CV that includes 50 years in administration, 63,500 voluntary hours, tennis centre owner for 27 years, Hunter Academy of Sport life member, 1996 Tennis Australia and tennis Coaches of Australia 'national Coach of the Year ... there's plenty to be proud about.
Happily married to Pam and with three adult children, he must have been a serial note-keeper and has a wonderful memory.
Throughout the book he sprinkles in quotes or excerpts from his personal correspondence.
Like this, from Chris Currie (Brisbane-ex Maitland) in 2017:
"So many highlights Mr T from our tour of the USA to being a ball boy at the Australian Indoors (being told by the great Ivan Lendl to 'get me a towel boy'! ), to being part of such a great group of young, talented tennis players at Raworth. I always regretted not being coached by you sooner, as my game improved so much under you."
But who better than the great John Newcombe, a man Taylor considers a coaching mentor, for the last word.
Newcombe wrote the foreword.
"Peter is one of those quiet achievers, or little Aussie battlers that helped make Australia the great nation we have become over the last 200 years. Well done Peter, I'm proud to have known you."
Say no more.