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Mike  Smith

What years were you a Ball Boy?

1950-51 or possibly 1949-50

What courts did you look after, what age were you?

Court 7 (too tall for the Show courts!)

Did you enjoy the task and why?

Terrific! That escape from Home Rule and most especially, Lyons famous fruit pies. Always on the lunch menu. Enjoyable that is, until the day I bit into a huge lump of gristle nestled in the apple filling!

Did anything unusual/funny happen whilst you were on court?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Outside Courts only had two ball boys. One on net and the other at server's end. My partner on net (who will remain nameless), was not too good at rolling the balls down the grass. It's funny now but not then, when he somehow managed to fling the ball over the high adjoining hedge that separated the court from the strawberry and cream eaters on the other side.

Which player did you most enjoy meeting and why?

"Little Mo" paused to let me take her photograph outside the ball boys' room. Lew Hoad who blasted into stuffy old Wimbledon.

Who is your favourite tennis player today?

Leyton Hewitt of course! Who else is there?

Do you play tennis now and if so do you belong to a club?

Regrettably no. I met the girl who has been my wife for forty years, at the West Herts Tennis Club, in Watford, Herts.

Would you like to add any further information?

I do not recall any rigorous training for Wimbledon. Out on Court 7, where we had to work the manual scoreboards, a helpful linesman advised me of the score! In my first day I knew nothing of the scoring rules - but I soon learned. I still have the Dunlop Maxply racquet I bought in England so many years ago, but like me, it's a bit warped! We are going to have a ceremonial cremation - for the racquet that is.

From:  Mike  J. Smith

 

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