My life in tennis..from the very beginning...
Vicky (left) circa 1983
I moved house from Enfield to Winchmore Hill and attended a new school where I met Vicky.
She suggested to me to come and join her at Enfield Chase Tennis Club and the rest is history. I joined the club and discovered a wonderful sport that I was naturally good at and enjoyed so much. We attended our weekly lessons with our coach Ivor and I improved so much in a short space of time even winning the Improver Of The Year trophy 1983 (which I never returned) because I genuinely enjoyed scampering around that court whacking the day lights out of those yellow balls and returning home with socks covered in red clay dust.
I never looked back, I was hooked.
Here we were in my back alley in 1983 on our Pathfinder bikes with wooden rackets in hand...thank you Vicky x
WOODEN RACKETS
I bought my first tennis racket from the newsagent across the street, it cost £2.50 and came with a free ball! I thought it was a good racket but every time I hit a forehand it would bend because the metal wasn't very strong, so to bend it back I would flip the racket around and hit a backhand so it was constantly being bent backwards and forwards! It sure improved my strokes! I soon tired of Mrs Bendy Racket so my mum took me to Argos where she bought me my first proper racket, a Slazenger Panther! It came with a cool racket case and I think it cost £19.99, believe me, I thought I was Martina Navratilova, except without the dodgy hairdo.
I spent the subsequent years playing tennis for various clubs as well as Enfield Chase, including Hazelwood Lawn Tennis Club, David Lloyd Enfield, Barnet, Potters Bar and Townsend in St Albans.
Over the years I have managed to attain a few awards which stand proudly on my shelf at home, as well as winning 2 improver of the year cups at different clubs, my name is etched on 2 different club's winners boards for winning the mixed and ladies doubles, a feat of which I am immensely proud of and the self esteem this achievement brings is enormous.
Our Hazelwood 4th Team (me, second from left,back row)
THE REASONS
Tennis was not only a sport I played for exercise purposes, in fact, in never has been for physical exercise for me, just sheer enjoyment. Everyone says that 'working out' is boring and they are correct, which is another reason why I stuck with tennis because I never viewed it as 'working out', I viewed it as total fun and enjoyment, a social outlet to meet many many friends and have hours, days, weeks, months and years of sunny fun filled tennis matches ( with exercise thrown in as good bonus)
Me winning the 'Doris' trophy at Potters Bar Club 2011
I even met my husband thought tennis.
He came to my tennis club's annual Square Dance social event, which for me was just a reason to don my red lumberjack shirt dance very stupidly, wear tight jeans and consume copious amount of wine while our worlds collided over a Barn Dance Medley and love blossomed....
My husband and I at Queens Club this year
The social aspect of tennis is somewhat overlooked. Mention tennis to a non player and a lot of immediate responses gravitate towards 'elitist sport', 'money driven' and 'no one British is any good' etc. Rarely does anyone acknowledge how many relationships and wonderful lifelong friendships that are formed over that tennis net.
Sport unites people who otherwise would have nothing in common and nothing to talk to each other about.
Tennis forms bonds.
Hazelwood tennis club also had me writing the yearly quiz where my attendees included Alan Jones and the mighty Jo Durie...they were not very good at quizzes, they got the booby prize in fact (a tin of tuna)
My husband and I have produced 2 tennis loving children all because I attended a funny Square Dance social event at my club. I have also met many good friends like Vicky, who I still am in contact with and dozens more who I have played with over the years and have many memorable and funny memories to always share.
JAZZY AND ASHLEY
Ashley...through the years
Jazzy, keeping score on Finals Day
Here are our 2 children who have played tennis since they were big enough to hold a racket.
Ashley 14, now hits both my husband and I off the court in a very embarrassing way.
I lie, I am not embarrassed at all, I burst with pride and joy whenever I watch him play. He has won numerous child tournaments and is now entering into the men's teams and will progress on to a lifetime of enjoying and loving tennis.
Winning Ways
Ashley visited Wimbledon for the first time last year and was so impressed, even meeting the hawk that keeps watch over centre court, and hitting some balls with Sam Querry.
He also met and played with Jeremy Bates when he visited Townsend, even though Ashley didn't know who he was...ahem.
Two years ago he won a local competition to attend the Annabel Croft tennis School at St Albans Girls School but was so disappointed as it got cancelled due to lack of interest. This baffled me...what sporty child wouldn't want to spend a whole week playing tennis in the summer?
Jazzy 10, is not far behind him. She hits the ball superbly and prefers to play with all the boys, there is a serious lack of girls playing tennis at our club which is such a shame. Jazzy has played numerous matches for Townsend too and represented her school at various tournaments as well as winning some child events. She loves tennis, but asks me why can't more girls play? I ask myself the same question...
Jazzy....through the years
BATCHWOOD
We live right next door to the newly refurbished Batchwood Tennis Centre of Excellence and have played there a few times. It is a beautiful centre and we are very lucky to have it on our doorstep. We attended the recent re-opening with the local mayor....spot Jazzy in the front with blonde hair and blue jumper, never one to miss a photo opportunity.
We even spent a wonderful day at the magnificent Roehampton Centre, home of the LTA where we all received some brilliant coaching in the London sunshine, tennis has allowed us to experience such happy times together as a family.
Ashley receiving coaching from someone who looks a lot like Rafa at Roehampton.
Tennis is a superb sport to play, it is not for the elite, it is for everybody and my life has been shaped by tennis for the better.
I've had so much fun and exercise and met amazing people through playing tennis so I thank my friend Vicky for introducing me to this fantastic sport. I can't think what I would've done without it.
Here is a small video featuring my family and I loving our sport....
TENNIS ALLOWS YOU TO:
: Form long lasting friendships
: Build confidence
: Have British tennis stars attend your club quizzes..and lose
: Get Wimbledon tickets in the club ballot
: Find a husband
: Have children who play better than you
: Tone up flabby bottoms
: Get your name on the board...forever!
: Learn square dancing
: Meet tennis legends...like Jeremy Bates
: Beat the boys
: Keep active
: Get a suntan
: Spend wonderful days at posh tennis clubs
: Photobomb the local Mayor
: HAVE FUN!!!!!😀
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