Thursday 17 September 2009

Canford School Real Tennis Court

Arrived at Canford School - only three of us having CRB clearance we braved the CCTV cameras and toured the grounds for a view of the 19th C school buildings. Gordon knew the grounds intimately having spent a week in the headmaster's house doing some extra physics revision for 1st MB with the head's son Danny Wallace 35 years ago.
We inspected the court before play, noting the raquet graveyard in the grating below the net, the quirky chase 8 at the service end instead of a yard worse than the last gallery, at which point Guy discovered he had left his raquet at Petworth House tow games previously and was uncertain which raquet he had used this morning at Seaccourt. Steve ROnaldson, the engaging and entertaining resident real professional kindly supplied a school raquet for the game and later leant Guy one of his own "left handed" raquets whith which to continue the tour - which which to continue the tour. Another lovely Bickley court with a true flagstone floor. The match was filmed by Paul Conley of VJ West, who had kindly driven over from Sherbourne to film the game, risking his life and camera folming from the net!
We found it difficult to tear ourselves away as a group of sixth form girls came on court for a lesson!
After a light vegetarian lunch we set off in convoy with Paul for Bridport with little time to spare.

No comments:

Post a Comment