Anyone for tennis?

So I suppose I should start this by pointing out that I’m not a tennis nut.  It may seem like that from what I say, but I know worse.  I have friends who take 2 weeks annual leave during Wimbledon so they can see as much of it as possible and go several times both weeks.  I don’t fall into that category, I believe.  Some of you may wish to differ, that’s fine.

Wimbledon is one of my favourite sporting experiences.  Part of comes from being a tennis player.  Another comes from the place.  A long time ago (now) I got Wimbledon fever, watching it on tele.  Suspect it was before I went to senior school as I must have had the time to watch it a lot.  For a lot of that summer I spent lots of time hitting a ball against the house wall in the back garden.  Possibly fed up with the ‘thump thump thump’ continuously going on from that, or fear of a window going ‘crash’ instead, I was packed off to the local tennis club where my dad was a member, and things stuck.  I was half reasonable, no great shakes, but it was something I enjoyed as well.  Football had never been my thing, but this was different, and I could play singles and only have myself to blame or congratulate.  I would spend hours at the club, either hitting with others or hitting against their practice wall (back of a garage).  I was lucky with the club.  It had 6 grass courts.  Now-a-days that is a rarity, but it suited my game to a tee. 

I actually got to go to Wimbledon a few years later when my dad got some tickets through work.  I was lucky that he could get them most years and while he still worked there, I got to go most years.  The atmosphere was great.  A certain formality, but also a wonderful buzz.  Having got the fever from the tele a few years previous, the reality didn’t disappoint.   Since 1984 I’ve been more years than not.  I’ve been lucky in the ballots and even managed to see some finals and some corking matches as well.  I love going back to see what they have changed.  I can remember when the food and drink was served in white marquees with wooden boards due to the mud.  It’s more stylish now J.  I love taking friends there, I almost see it as a chance for me to act as tour guide.  Even though the action is on the courts, having a walk around always helps get a good vibe for the place.  You can also tell a lot about the players when they have to get to the outside courts, but that’s a different story.  There are certain things I will always buy when I’m there.  A programme is a must and I’ve managed (somehow) to get one for every year since I first went, even if I wasn’t there in person.  A keyring of a tennis ball is always on the list and has been since I first went.  In more recent years I’ve added the towel as well as they have the year on them as well.  I don’t use the towels, maybe I should!

For anyone who ever has a chance of going, I’d recommend it.  The place isn’t perfect, but it is unique and in many respects beautiful.  Everything is in the right colours, and to give you an idea of how important that is, I’ll finish with this little story.  A few years back, due to terror threats, it was decided to put concrete crash barriers across the unused gates to the club.  This was the right thing to do, there was no argument about that.  However after one day, it was felt they weren’t quite right.  Overnight the concrete was painted so that it matched the green and purple of the club.  The permanent replacements are in the club colours.  There is something very English about that, however it is certainly very Wimbledon.

I’m going again this year and looking forward to it.  Camera will be charged, I’ll try to remember to post some photos when I get the chance.  However given there’s going to be a lot of tennis on the tele over the next two weeks I might not post much till it’s over!

Greensleeves

Like many people I have no training in gardening.  I have a garden, I have a few books and I do my best.  However it is something that I find very enjoyable and rewarding, and if there are tasks to do, I will quite happily ‘plug myself in’ and while away the hours.  I managed to spend 3 hours yesterday after work doing stuff.  I probably overdid it a little, not finishing till about 10pm (just about enough light) but am pleased with the results.  I like the idea of planning stuff out and seeing how they turn out in the months and years to come.  I’ve even taking to offering suggestions to others in terms of what they can do with their gardens.  Maybe I’m giving lousy advice or maybe I have an eye for this sort of thing, but I’d like to hope my ideas are half decent.

 

I reckon that it probably took about 5 years to get it to the state I wanted, and I’ve since changed certain areas.  I still have a few plans I’d like to carry through, but much of that depends on the ability to get hold of what I want, and sometimes that is down to the local garden centres.  I know that when I was growing up, the family garden was regularly changed.  I often wonder if there’s an element of the George Lucas quote about films never being finished when it comes to gardens.  

I have made some discoveries along the way.  The most amusing one is the story I was told about my patio.  The garden (tiered) was originally 3 levels of grass with a wall around each level and steps down the side.  According to the neighbours, on one day they came back to find that the top level, nearest the house, was now a patio.  From what they can make out the patio was laid more or less straight onto the grass.  I’ve not had grass come through, so how true that is I don’t know, but it’ll be interesting to see what is there if I ever redesign that area.

Some of you might like to know what I have done with the garden, well a summary is as follows.  Patio level is a range of pots with a variety of season and perennial plants.  The middle level is mainly lawn with a border consisting of bulbs that flower at differing times of the years, some ground cover plants and a selection of shrubs for regular colour and more height.  The lower level is a selection of raised vegetable patches, fruit trees and a self-seeding wild bed.

I Want To Ride My Bicycle

Too long a gap between postings again, but at least it’s a new one now!

New topic for me to post on, and it’s cycling.

Why pick this as a new topic, well I have a bit of an interest in it.  In my previous job I used to cycle to work each day.  I’ve also cycled in for my current job on a number of occasions.  Finally I’m looking at moving on from marathons and possibly the next challenge will be Triathlons.  I won’t be posting on the latter of these just yet, but will do in time, but it’s the work commute that I want to focus on.

Now I know that a lot of posts have been made on cycling to work, there have been lots of news stories as well.  I doubt that I will cast any new light on the issue, nor am I going to suddenly  find the solution to everyone’s gripes.

Cycling in Brighton and Hove can be a mixed blessing.  There have been lots of cycle lane work by the council.  Some good, some less so.  Cycle lanes on a major road that are so wide they take out a lane of traffic in both directions is possibly overkill.  I know that it’s caused a lot of aggravation for drivers, most of which gets taken out on the cyclists rather than the council.  However cycle lanes that go ‘behind’ bus stops so that busses aren’t cutting across cyclists to pull over and stop are quite a good idea in my mind.  We’re also lucky that we have a seafront that can have a cycle lane along it, taking cyclists off of the road.
Returning to the bike last week in what will probably be our short summer window, it didn’t take long (2 days) for me to be yelled at but someone.  (Happened to be driving a white van, but I’m sure that was just chance!).  What had upset them.  The fact that I was moving across a lane (in line with another car) and I had held him up for all of about 10 seconds.  He probably wasted more time slowing down to yell at me.  I happily ignored him and carried on my way.  This is not uncommon in town, though I think in 2 years of cycling I’ve only been yelled at 4 times.  I consider myself quite a responsible cyclist and know that each time I was in the right.  (I will happily list why in another post if I need to).  However it is interesting that with some drivers the default position is that the cyclist is in the wrong.

Chatting to a colleague at work, they pointed out that it’s a size thing and that the ‘conflict’ always works in terms of the next size up on the road, or at least that is where the conflict normally exists. Pedestrians v Cyclists, Cyclists v Cars, Cars v Busses and so on.  Often I feel that cyclists actually get it from both sides.  I’ve been challenged to a fight by a pedestrian who felt I should have stopped because they wanted to cross the road (no formal crossing area), and by a bus driver who felt that I should have come to a complete standstill despite being ahead of him and let him go past and then resume my cycle to work.  As far as the highway code is concerned I don’t believe I was in the wrong in either situation, but am willing to be pointed to a bit that says otherwise.

So this brings me onto the last bit for now and that’s my top 5 dislikes as a cyclist.  Maybe some will be surprising, and hopefully some will show that I’m one of the more responsible cyclists out there.

1)      Cyclists going through red lights.  This happens often and I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been waiting and someone else goes past.  I often feel like trying to point out that I’ve not stopped just to have a rest.  (I’d also include cyclists who ‘pavement hop’ while still on the bike to avoid lights.  If you’re on the pavement you should be off the bike and walking it)

2)      Cyclist who ignore one way signs.  This goes back to when I was driving and went to turn up a one way street and I nearly hit a cyclist speeding down the road in the wrong direction.  No apology from them, just a grin!

3)      ‘Squeeze’ drivers.  These are the drivers who believe that the right course of action when they see cyclists coming up to lights will purposefully (when they don’t have to) move over as close to the curb as possible.  While unlike the other two there is nothing illegal in it, it really is quite childish.

4)      ‘I’m Right’ drivers.  These are the ones who assume they are correct in their road usage and that everyone else is correct.  Normally it’s from lack of knowledge of the highway code or even something as simple as the local area where they don’t know how the traffic signals are working.  Just because there is a red light in once direction it doesn’t mean it’s the same in the opposite one!

5)      MP3/Mobile Zombies.  These are the ones who pay no attention to the outside world.  They will be listening for traffic rather than looking for it and most bikes tend to be quiet.  When electric cars become the norm, things could be dangerous for this group.  (As a sub group here there are the drivers who are listening to their MP3s/mobiles with headphones when they are driving and therefore totally unaware of what is going on even inside their own car rather than the outside world).

Hopefully those 5 show that I’m quite even handed with the good and bad on the road of all users.  I trust this doesn’t seem like too much of a rant, but it is meant to be quite serious.

Whatever mode of transport you use though, may it be safe and considerate to all!