The record entry for an England Squash Masters tournament stood at 164 until it was smashed at Edgbaston Priory last month with 216. The South of England Open at Winchester Lawn Tennis & Squash again was very well supported with 183 entries giving a very full weekend of Squash.

The Women's O-60s was won by Wales Champion Sian Johnson a talented shot maker who had too much variety in the final for 2016 World Champion Karen Hume of Kent, winning in straight games.

The Women's 55s has turned into a great rivalry between two fantastic athletes with their matches being long and punishing. Scotland no. 1 Fiona McLean is ahead at the moment but former National Champion Mandy Akin of Kent is close and a competitive 3/1 win for the Scot underlined that.

The Women's over 50s was played in a round robin and serial Champion Rachel Woolford prevailed with a fine series of wins to take the title. Hampshire's Beverley Brockway came second. The 45s was a repeat of the last Regional final but a reversal in fortune for Buckinghamshire star Sarah Parr who this time could not make any impression on Isabelle Tweedle of Surrey who playing her elegant moving game won through 3/0 for her 18th Regional title. Second on the all time list.

The Women's 35/40 event had an outstanding favourite in Kent's Keeley Johnson the National, British Open and European Champion. Sure enough, she again showed her class to win through, her final opponent Louisa Dalwood going down 3/0.

In the Men's events the over 75s played as a round robin saw Hampshire's Beverley Boag beat all comers with Middlesex's Mike McLaughlin coming second. But the 70s had a major upset. Hampshire's Barry Featherstone had won the last three events and was odds on favourite. Former National 65 Champion Aubrey Waddy had won three five game matches to reach the final and was not expected to unduly trouble the top seed.

After saving three match points in the fourth he triumphed in the fifth game of an enthralling and close match.

The Men's 65s has a number of closely matched players and again, the games are very closely fought all through the tournament. British Open Champion Steve Jackson of Surrey defeated European Champion John Rae of Scotland in one semi final while John Goodrich of Sussex overcame previous winner Terry Belshaw of Cumbria. It was 'Judge John' who overruled Jackson, however as he improved on his second place in Birmingham with a solid 3/1 win.

In the 60s top seed Gordon McManus of Kent was carrying an injury and went out to Berkshire's Ripley Oyley - always a dangerous shot-maker. Stuart Hardy took advantage and removed Durham's Colin Shields and Oyler to set up a final with 'new' over 60 Ian Bradburn of Lancashire who had edged home against Scotland star Paul Harris in three tight games. Hardy took the first and had a game point for 2/1 but Bradburn took the game and blasted through the fourth to take his first 60s title.

Some new players competed in the men's 55s and Andrew Killey of Avon confirmed his class by reaching the final where he met top seed David Box of Cumbria. In a see-saw battle Box held on to take it in five games. The men's 50s had Norfolk's David Youngs unbeaten this season with three championship wins but he fell early to Buckinghamshire's Phil Yerby. He in turn was edged out by Surrey's Cliff Martindale who met former National Champion Eamonn Price of Herfordshire after he had avenged an earlier defeat by Berkshire's Steve Dodridge. Price was too clinical in the final and maintained the pressure to win in four.

Former England star Galen Le Cheminant now plays under the Stars and Stripes as he coaches in the USA and the Open finalist was top seed here. He reached the final untroubled where he met Edgbaston Priory pro Mike Harris looking for his third title of the season. In a match of great skills and wonderful squash, Harris made it three wins with an 11/9 in the fifth game triumph.

The top seeds fell in the men's 40s as Ashley Bowling and Ben Hutton went out to Leonard Westover and Stuart Ayton respectively. Berkshire's Tim Burrell then won in five against Westover while Scotland star Ayton took his place in the final against Joss Hargreaves. It was a close match with the Scot 2/1 up when Burrell pulled a hamstring and could not continue - a first title to the Scot.

The Blue Riband event is always the men's 35s and the top seed was Surrey's Phil Nightingale - still playing on the pro circuit. His conqueror in the British Open final Alex Preston went out to Winchester pro Gary Hinton who in turn fell to Norfolk's evergreen champion Jamie Goodrich. Meanwhile Nightingale needed five games to beat Marcus Hayes before reaching the final with a win over Keith Timms. In a high quality five game match with much discussion with the referee, it was the Norfolk man who secured his 19th England Regional title - remarkably, all of them at over 35 events.

The presentations were made by Joy Carter, Chair of the England Squash Board and thanks made to the Club, referees and the exceptional Event Managers Brian and Roz Brock.