So I got my flight all good last night. Got the train to Rhi's place in Islington (where I stayed when I first landed) and crashed there.
This morning I left at 8am when she left for work and I first walked to one of my teaching agencies. Here I picked up some mail they had for me and got a few things done on the computer. Exciting news....one of the "things I got done" was booking Oktoberfest! So from September 26-29 I'll be in Munich at Oktoberfest! I had so much fun in Dublin celebrating St Paddy's that I decided why not. If I stick to my budgeting I should be ok :)
Then I went to the bank and next walked the 70 minute walk from Tottenham Court Road to Earl's Court. When mum and I came to London in January 2011 this is where we stayed! So I walked down our street, past our hotel (which has changed names Mum, it's now an Ibis one) and to the Main Street. I saw the station, the Indian restaurant and the pub we ate at. Then I had lunch at Gregg's Cafe, a cheap watery where we bought lunch each day. Here I had a 30 minute chat with a lady who heard my accent while ordering and told me about some really cheap accommodation if I need it later on. She was on for a huuuuge chat! Like mum always says I somehow attract people who want to talk to me while I'm away haha.
Got on the train and got off at Southfields where I walked to Wimbledon. I don't think I have to explain what I did in Wimbledon! But just in case - I went on a tour of the England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club of course! So my fun sport Fridays continued. By fluke I'm on four Fridays in a row of famous sports stadiums now - Maracanã, Lord's, The Emirates and now here! Anyone know of a famous sports stadium in Bordeaux for next Friday?! Need to keep my record running haha!
The tour went for ninety minutes and was really good. I learned a lot about the history of the club and about the facilities.
Firstly I had a quick look in the museum before my tour started. I learned a bit about the history of tennis. There was a quote in the exhibition I quite liked.... "Tennis is the perfect combination of violent action taking place in an atmosphere of tranquility" - Billie Jean King. I agree! The screams of Sharapova, Williams etc mixed with "quiet please". Haha. Tennis first appeared in the 12th century in France but was called Jeu de Palme and involved hitting the ball with your hand! Throughout time it took various forms but in 1874 it came to be as we know it today at Wimbledon - lawn tennis (but it was also called Sphairistiké at that time!).
Then we began our 90 minute tour. We started by the boards where the scores are hand written up as the tournament progresses and then printed afterwards - I took a photo it the Kyrigos vs Nadal match score! We also saw the pony roll but more on that later.
We saw lots of outdoor courts, Courts 1, 2 and 3 and centre court (the show courts), as well as the media centre, the players' entrance and the interview room. Court 1 holds 11,000 spectators, courts 2 and 3 500 and centre court 15,000. In centre court all the seats were covered in plastic and apparently it takes a week to take them all off! Also, between November and March due to there being limited sun (though I've had heaps of sun, this morning was cloudy but this arvo was beautiful and sunny again!!) a sun lamp goes over the grass to ensure it gets enough sun. The grass is surrounded by an electric fence to keep foxes out because the grass is so precious. It is perfectly manicured and before the championship starts the grass is kept strictly at 8mm long, meaning it is cut every day and the lines repainted every day! Centre court also has a retractable roof that was built in 2009. After it was installed it didn't rain at all the next two summers - Mother Nature having a laugh I suppose!!
Overall the tour was really interesting and it was cool to be at the courts that greats such as Djokovic, Federer and Murray have won on!
After the tour I went back to the museum where I got an audio guide and also got to watch a 3D movie which made you feel as if you were sitting there watching the championship!
I learned a few more things in the museum... Originally the Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was based at a place called Worple Road which opened in 1868. A man named John Walsh donated money and gave a pony roller to smooth the grass out, but it broke in 1877 and the club had no money to fix it. So he suggested they run a tennis championship to raise money to fix it. The championship was a success, and thus the championship we know today as Wimbledon was born! The championship became so popular that in 1922 the club purchased Wimbledon and moved there so as to fit the thousands of spectators wanting to attend each year. Initially in the championship the previous winner only had to play the winner of all the others players, so just one game! Imagine how many more Federer would've won if that was still the case, not being tired due to only playing one match! One more fact - 16 bombs fell on club grounds during World War II.
The museum ended with the two trophies won each year (one in the men's, one in the women's). Turns out the winners have to return their trophies by July 1, or if they are a foreigner they have to take it to a bank before they leave or on July 1!
After a great few hours here I walked up the hill through Wimbledon Village and caught a train for 20 minutes to Sutton where I met Emily. Tonight we went to her trampolining class. I'm not very good but learned a few basic tricks! Then we went for dinner at Nando's with her friends Emily and Mandy.
Now I'm absolutely exhausted so I'm off to bed!!
Love to all
Claire
Xoxox
No comments:
Post a Comment