Business in Windsor - Using local council play areas

On Sunday we decided that we should try and finish work each day a little earlier... since we work into the evenings it would hardly be a crime!!

So 4pm yesterday, 11th August 2008, we decided to go and have a knock around on the tennis courts beside Alexander Gardens. We had thought of going to Windsor Tennis club but we’d need to wear proper kit, have proper “bats” and pay for the privilege... which we wouldn’t mind if we were enthusiasts but since we are just a family looking to have a bit of fun on a summer afternoon, makes sense to use the council facilities. No rules, any old kit, just bring yourselves and your balls...

It all started nicely but we found we couldn’t get a rally of any sort. So Ali and I went over to another vacant court and attempted to get a rally together. 10 minutes in and we’d managed a rally of 6!

It’s amazing how you lose touch with these things when you’re not playing regularly. After all it’s only been 30 years since I used to hang out at “the rock”. An area on a new housing estate in Holt Park, Leeds, that had a bowling green for the wrinklies, 3 rides for the nippers, 3 tennis courts for our summer enjoyment and a rock, to sit on and be “cool”.

I was always average at sport, never that hungry that I needed to win and on the rare occasion I’d beat one of the 2 or 3 chaps who wanted to win at all cost, it would make me smile as they turned red and steam came out of their ears!!

Back to our family match... for 30 minutes we struggled on. It was a great work out, and eventually we achieved a rally of 14 clean traverses over the net. That was the rule... it could bounce 2x and you could even hit it 2x, it just had to go over the net to the opponent and they had to return it.

Great fun and we’ll be back there in another 30 years!!

The kids enjoyed it, sort of, Charlie’s been having lessons so he could show off and Chloe preferred the curry afterwards and it did taste sooooo nice!!!