Fabulous Wimbledon Pics - Gallery 3

Long Bar on left - My kind of place -And partially hid on right The Museum Tea Room - I have had tea in there

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Court 1 1999- Awaiting the mixed-doubles match featuring Steffi Graf and John McEnroe. You know, she pulled out of the mixed-doubles. Made John mad enough to eat fried chicken.

Friday night 99 - Made this spot at 8:30pm. I was over two miles away from the ticket gate. Weather, The first week, was spectacular. Thus, the queue length was unbelievable. I got up at 3:30am  each morning to get good tickets. On Saturday. I bought a Court One ticket. I had my choice

Everything's for sale except the court grass.

1991 Centre Court: Look at these happy faces

SOMERSET ROAD QUEUE - MY SPOT AT THE END OF A RAINBOW - THE FANS WAIT FOR THE GATES TO OPEN

More Meomories

1998: Walker Joe & Richard Hess - He's come to Wimbledon twenty times. He queues all nine nights and looks like he's a Member when you see him inside. He is amazing! He's from California...you might've  guessed.

The hand is quicker than the eye. My beer is hidden behind the 'bloke' wearing a blue and white T-shirts. These men are from Scotland. They cooked me a burger and fries. The camaraderie on the Q is really gen9922tile.

These men are from Holland. Everyone lives it up and has fun. It's just like that.

I don't know what this is all about. In '97, New Court 1 opened.

            They love Boris at this sanctuary.

                                Have no fear. Bobby and Bobbette are here on the night Q. Do they look like mirages? Just try something unlawful

After you establish yourself on the Q, you can catch the last round at a hectic pub in Wimbledon Village. It's a two-mile walk. One mile of it is almost straight up. It's wild!

FABULOUS WIMBLEDON 1992

Somerset Road queue: Friday, June 26, 1992

Unfortunately for you, I didn't forget the note pad. I apologizes. I flew over on Wednesday of the first week this year. My purpose was twofold. I wanted to find a publisher to read my Wimbledon stories, and I wanted to be on Centre Court for the middle Saturday matches: touted as a 'Special Day' by the 'Big-W'. They offered 2,000 Centre Court tickets located in the east and west open stands at a reduced price of £20 for £27 seats: fabulous seats for about $35. And the 2,000 tickets were to be split evenly between the Somerset Road and Church Road queue.

AELTC's idea was to recreate some of the special atmosphere and esprit de corps of last year's very successful middle Sunday (the first ever). They offered affordable Centre Court seats to the hardworking common man... "genuine tennis fans," to quote AELTC, who are crazy about the game like yours truly. Ticket prices were reduced for all the other Show Courts. I'd started queuing late Friday evening on Somerset Road. The 500 fans ahead caused me no concern, since 1000 Centre Court tickets were available. I setup my motel room and settled in for a hard night's sleep...

Checking the time, I became aware the first match was scheduled to start in fifteen minutes. Suddenly, my being had purpose. I hastily consumed the meal and departed for Centre Court. Reaching the west open stands, it appeared full at first glance, but I plunged on undaunted. I found a seat next to an Oriental, and I have a photo to prove it...

Big Jim and Andrei Olhovskiy entered, bowed reluctantly to the royal box, grabbed a stick and started their five-minute warm-up. I anticipated a short match, considering Olhovskiy's ranking. However, Olhovskiy won the first set 6-4 and already the match had exceeded my expectations. Courier struggled to return Andrei's serve. He was flat and heavy on his feet. Courier played better in the second set and won it 6-4. I whispered, "Now! We blow the Russian away." Wrong!

Bewildered, I watched Olhovskiy, a qualifier ranked number 192 in the world, beat up on our man, Courier, the top seed and number one player in the world...

THE OLDER MAN WHO QUEUED

Yes! One more time!

Surprise, I went a fifth time. Lucky for me, but unlucky for you, I lived to tell about it. Thus, you are stuck with this 1997 Wimbledon Story that almost had an unhappy ending. Fortunately, almost only counts in horseshoes. Cheer up it's short.

It Doesn't get any better than this.

I saw history recorded in '99

1999: Hingus VS Dokic

This can't be happening to me? I'm number one everything.

1998 Court 18: This match was a pleasant surprise. I bought a cheap Grounds Pass this day. Another match was scheduled but they offered this instead. Wimbledon is a box of chocolates. How sweet it is!

1999 Court 1: Steffi's in a hurry to get to the ladies' dressing room. She would meet our gal Lindsey Davenport. The finals were a Yankee-Doodle-Day: Pete and Lindsey. 

Early 90s: Martina Navratilova on old Court 1

What a player!

Walker Joe's 1997 Wimbledon Safari

This year Marjorie Lee purchased a Dome tent just big enough to sleep me…at least we thought it was...and two blowup tanning floats. I had asked for blowup dolls. Hot 'diggity' dog! I was going to be sleeping on air. Why did I take two floats? Wrong! The second one wasn't a hospitality mat. It was a backup in case one leaked. Of course, she purchased a bedroll and a set of earplugs. But dreadfully, in retrospect, she forgot to pack my overcoat, long johns and fur-lined underwear. Fortunately, she packed flannel pajamas. This June was the coldest in the last 104 years.

Five years had expired since a grayer, balder and heavier Walker Joe graced the hollowed grounds of Wimbledon. Yes, five more years of spite for a few who had wished me gone years ago. Laugh will you. There's Social Security and two private pension payers namely, United Technologies, General Electric, and a few other non-contributing individuals.

My spirit had become tormented with desire, although my wallet is less clutered with the quintessential of life, wampum, and the decision had to be weighed carefully…inflation you know...

EPILOGUE

Five years had passed since I last kissed the green, green grass of home and some great players were missing, but the new breed were equally exciting to watch. Life's like that.

I returned home on the fourth of July. It's an ideal time to leave England, since the 'Brits' are less friendly on Independence Day. Perhaps, they still harbor animosity over the Colonies winning their freedom. Or, they resent our wasteful behavior at the Boston Tea Party. That, throwing all that tea into Boston Harbor was an act of heresy. If what happened at Boston, had happened on the Thames River, half of London would have gone for a swim.

Upon arriving home, my aging skeleton was worn to a frazzle, and I slept nearly two solid days. But on the third day I rose from the dead and watched the Ladies' and Gentlemen's finals on the teley. I was not surprised Martina Hingis and Pete Sampras won the crowns and the ton of sterling Wimbledon awards for excellence; Sampras received £415,000 and Hingis £373,500. To get $s multiply by 1.7.

Actually, recovering from the trip took about five days. Man! I must be getting old.

Hemingway's protagonist, in 'The Old Man And The Sea', dreamed for years about catching a big game fish and finally succeeded. It was so big it pulled the old man and his small boat way out to sea. Finally, the fish tired and the old man started moving slowly toward shore. On the way in, the hungry predators of the sea slowly devoured his catch. Reaching shore, his dream had vanished just like my rainbow...but not my memories.

PS: I spent $1,570 in 1997 and had a ball, but I was lucky. I met a kindhearted Steward.

The new facility provided for Wimbledon's overnight fans. Yes, There's hot water

Aren't you glad you asked?

o What happens the other fifty weeks at Wimbledon? Wimbledon never sleeps, although the grass does. What, after all that abuse, it needs and deserves rest. As soon as the finals are history, planning starts for next year's gala. Perhaps that's why it's such a regal affair.

Between March and November there is always some competition going on involving professionals, park players, school children and those who would resemble me. Each year over 600 Members, including Honorary, Temporary, and Juniors take part in thirty Club matches, which includes such match diversity as The Lords and Commons LTA and the British Lawn Tennis Writers' Association. And Davis Cup is played at Wimbledon, usually on No 1 Court. No matches are conducted on the sacred one, Centre Court. Once a year, shortly after the finals, the Chairman invites friends to play and socialize, who, like himself, have worked diligently to make the Championships unforgettable. (Singles Champions are made Honorary Members, and they enjoy the same privileges as Members.)

AELTC is most generous with its facilities, hosting many tournaments: British Hard Court Championships Tournament, The London Parks & Clubs LTA Tournaments, and the services stage their Championships on the grass courts, the National Veterans Championships are held in the Aorangi Park section with its fourteen grass courts, and it goes on and on. Besides the aforementioned, hardly a dry day goes by that some courts are occupied with friendly games. Did I write friendly? You might see Virginia Wade, the 1977 champion, or Christine Janes, who reached the '69 final, using a wooden framed racket, and Kitty Godfree, the 1924 and 1926 Champion, who played on her 90th birthday. It is truly a tennis center. Mrs. Godfree, you will learn, is the only player to beat Helen Wills Moody at Wimbledon. Fred Perry is Britons’ tennis hero and Kitty Godfree was their heroine. She was made a Club Vice-President in 1986.

And of course, the Wimbledon Museum and the Wimbledon Shops are accessible. At the Museum, you can view a nearly real-life portrait of Chris Evert, who is truly one of the all time greats. Between 1972 and 1989, the year she retired, Chrissie won Wimbledon three times and was runner-up six times. Unfortunately, Chrissie's career paralleled Miss Navratilova's, who denied her in five finals. What a great rivalry it became.

Why was it so great? Besides the fact that they were magnificent players of their own style of play, spectators saw the two basic styles of playing the game, which spawns more stroke variety...Chrissie traversing the baseline and Martina stalks the net. Chrissie won the U.S. title six times, the French Championships seven times, more than any other woman, and the Australian twice. During a six year run, she won 125 consecutive matches on clay. In all, she played 1450 professional matches losing only 146. And every new player wanted to develop a two-fisted backhand. Bravo, Chrissie!

Note! Jimmy Conners, who played in the same time span as Chrissie, also had a great deal of influence on players developing the two-fisted backhand. Did you know they considered becoming husband and wife once? Man, those two would produce a few future Wimbledon Champions.

Do they really play croquet? Yes, the Royal, ancient and lethargic game of croquet is played within the grounds. Each year a tournament is staged to decide the Club Champion. Professor Bernard Neal, I'm happy to report, has won the Club title twenty-four times in the last twenty-six years (up to 1989). This fact might suggest that Members are not as bent and keen on croquet as they are on lawn tennis and the tournament lacks talent, or Professor Neal is just 'bloody' sensational. The latter beams true. The kindly professor has also won the National Championship. You might say, "He brandishes a tricky mallet...or is it a sticky wicket."

Also, an avid bridge circle thrives in spite of the venom that sometimes drips from the players' fangs. This knowledge comes more as an expected than an unexpected. I, having played the game, realize there's not another game involving mental ability, albeit of an inert or physical nature, that is more competitive. I've seen married couples threaten divorce and opponents nearly come to blows, as in fisticuffs. It might be likened to umpiring a John McEnroe match or playing doubles with yours truly. For these reasons, I no longer play bridge. However, for an invitation to the Clubhouse I will start again. Get this! McEnroe and Walker Joe (anyone) would be the best doubles team in the world.

I will bet that a game of chess can be found without looking very long. I'm ready, if there are any takers amongst the Membership. We'll play in the Pimm's and Champaign Garden.

o Does 'Love' mean 'Nothing' in tennis? Yes, but only in tennis. There are several theories about the origin of the word love as a tennis term, meaning nothing or zero. To play for love means to play for nothing. That's what most of us hackers do, but we add a dash of vengeance and a pinch of spite. Another theory is that the word 'Love' comes from the French word l'oeuf (egg), which was used in scoring Royal Tennis, a game the British acquired from the French. It’s the forerunner of today's tennis. How often have you had the pleasure of staring daggers across the net and shouting sarcastically at the villain on the other side, who has been running you all over the court like a pet monkey, "There goes your goose l'oeuf?"

o Who's the timekeeper at Wimbledon? If you said ROLEX you are correct. They have this to say: "355,000 spectators, 800 matches, 7,651 new balls. One timekeeper."

"The very first Wimbledon tournament of 1877 was rather different in size and spectacle from the event we know today.

The final of the men's singles (the only event) attracted just 200 spectators, who each paid a shilling (5p) to watch the proceedings. The total gate from the entire Championship was £10. My, only 10£. A rough estimate would put that at about £40,000 today had prices kept up with inflation. And tickets would cost £200.

Nowadays, around 355,000 people pour into the grounds to watch the 448 matches in the five main Championship events plus 357 other contests spread over the 18 courts.

The All England Club employs upwards of 7,000 people for ancillary duties during the fortnight, to supplement the 64 permanent staff.

All the players have to be looked after. TV cameras and commentators must be installed. And more tasks that are mundane need to be accomplished.

There are people to deal with catering, programmes, transport, and of course, the ever-growing demand for tickets.

The end product…the public face of Wimbledon…is the presentation of the best players, in the best possible conditions, producing the finest tennis." Believe it. I admit I had to look up the word ancillary. Webster says it means subordinate.

o Can you rent cushions at Wimbledon. No, you hire cushions. However, its talent is quite singular. It makes the hard seats more user friendly.

o What is the '97 Rain check policy. Quote: "When play is affected by rain, the holders of certain categories of tickets for seats on Centre, No.1 and No. 2 Courts may be entitled to compensation. These categories are:

o tickets bought through the public ballot in advance.

o tickets bought on the day at the gate.

o tickets sold to County Lawn Tennis Associations, LTA Registered Members and to schools through the British Schools LTA.

If there is no play at all, holders of these tickets may have:

o a full refund of the ticket price and

o priority for a similar ticket for The Championships on the corresponding day next year at the full price for that year.

If there is no play before 6.00pm, holders of these tickets may have a refund of half the ticket price, but not priority for the following year.

It is regretted that no compensation is available to any other ticket holder."

Translated: Don't get caught wet with any ticket other than a Centre, No. 1 and no. 2 Court. And woe-be-unto-you if you should get caught with a tout/scalper acquired ticket. The rain check policy is only applicable to the original ticket owner's. Wimbledon's computers are beating the touts to a pulp. Bravo! You now see warning signs, "Tout acquired tickets will not gain you entrance," or something of the sort. And the conditions have changed to invalidate tickets not held by the original owners.

A few years ago you got no money back just priority to buy a similar ticket for The Championships on the corresponding day next year at the full price for that year. This is an example of the continuing evolution of this great tournament. It just keeps on getting better and better. Incidentally, the rain check policy reads, as if it was written by the Queen's legal staff doesn't it?

o Who was Fred Perry? No, he's not kin to Old Fred. God? Well, almost, at least the English feel about him that way. He was the second child of cotton spinner Sam and Hannah Perry. The year was 1909. My father graduated this year from The University of Georgia with a law degree.

Frederic John Perry would learn to play tennis and become a legend while he still breathed and an English household word. Between 1933 and 1936 he would win three Wimbledon singles titles, and the American Championships three times, and the Australian and French Championships once. During his short tenure as an amateur player, he led Britain to four successive Davis Cup victories, in which he won over such notable Wimbledon Champions as Henri Cochet, Ellsworth Vines, Sidney Wood and Jack Crawford. Perry holds the distinction of being the last Englishman to win a grand slam event. Yes, the well went dry sixty-one years ago. Come on England get your act together.

He turned professional in 1936 and was barred from official competition until the open era in 1968, which found him out of his prime. We'll never know just how great a player he might have been. I think they should give him the title of Sir Frederic John Perry if they haven't already done so.

o Has Wimbledon always been at its present Church Road Address? No! No! No! Wimbledon's original site was a four-acre plot near the railroad tracks on Worple Road. I stray. Should I have lived in the nineteenth century, would I have queued to get tickets? No. The game's popularity developed slowly. In the beginning, it was more social than physical, since both genders participated. Well, after the match, some lighter physical activity probably transpired. I hope.

Over the time span of 1903 to 1919, spectators’ interest was cultivated with the arrival of several flashy players, namely Miss May Sutton from the USA, Norman Brooks from Australia, Anthony Wilding from New Zealand, and England's own Dorothea Lambert Chambers, who won the title seven times. Just think, Miss Sutton had to travel by steamer to get to the grass courts of Wimbledon: a fortnight going, a fortnight there and a fortnight returning home. Now, if you lose in the first round, you can be home the next day. And the game was comparably as slow: technological innovation and all that jazz. We need to have more respect for the engineers of the world who make our lives better in every way.

With spectators coming back, Centre Court seating capacity was increased to 7,000 seats, and the first year after the war, in 1919, the demand for tickets were so great a ballot was held.

In 1921, Mlle Suzanne Lenglen, from the south of France, burst upon the scene. She would dethrone Mrs. Lambert Chambers with a sensational display of stroking consistency. She won the final set, of an obviously tough match, 9-7, and the popularity of women's tennis was catapulted to astronomical heights. With mesmerizing gracefulness, Suzanne Lenglen swept through the competition, and her popularity escalated exponentially with each acrobatic stroke she performed to such an extent that the police had difficulty controlling the crowds. "If I had not seen her play, I would never know how beautiful tennis can be," said Ted Tinling. And 'The Lenglen Trail', i.e., Queue, started reaching from Wimbledon Station to Worple Road.

A year later American 'Big Bill’ Tilden arrived with his thundering serve, and the public's fascination for the sport was further inflamed. The All England Club's founding Fathers were quick to grasps the purport of what their eyes revealed, and they started looking for a larger site for The Lawn Tennis Championships. Their search found approximately 13.5 acres of farming land along Church Road and the rest is history.

Time! Might I be allowed to preach for a moment? I hope that the World's tournaments never lose sight of the fact that, without outstanding tennis talent, their courts and even Centre Court, would become nothing more than big empty shells. Tournaments need to treat every player, regardless of their ranking, equally. You just never know when a given player might become motivated to work harder and became an overnight sensation. Martina Navratilova did it and so did Agassi. Equal treatment for all might stimulate a stronger desire. Incidentally, many of the stars start faltering after winning their first five million. With all that security in the bank, the motivation to go out and sweat four hours each day diminishes. Or they marry the likes of a Brooke Shields and find better ways to spend their days and nights. And soon they become ashamed to play.

Remember, it takes 128 superbly conditioned young men and women to make a tournament great and a two-week affair. And, like Wimbledon, who spends profits on the fortunes of British tennis, other tournaments must be willing to channel funds to promote their country's tennis fortunes, while feathering their own nests. Of course, we need to encourage the kids in every way possible, but it's never too late. Remember that I started playing after turning 49. Few people in the world enjoy the game any more than I do. Believe it!

And finally it seems that "The Queue" I came to love started in 1921; the lottery in 1919; and the scheme for financing improvements, by issuing debentures, was first instituted in 1913. God, Wimbledon is steeped with tradition. And it's not for sale.

o When was the new Centre Court built? Designed by Captain Peach to disallow court shadows prior to late afternoon, work began in September 1921. I have read that the stadium, which covers about an acre, contains 1,700 tons of sand, 600 tons of cement and 3,000 tons of shingles. Every grain of sand has become sacred. It opened on June 26, 1922. Originally, it seated around 10,000, with standing room for 2,000. Seats were added through the years, and eventually, after completion of the new expansion program in progress, which will add 700 seats, it will seat about 14,000.

o What woman held the record for the most titles at Wimbledon before Billie Jean King won her 20th? Elizabeth Ryan won 19 titles, 12 doubles, 6 with Suzanne Lenglen, and 7 mixed doubles, but no singles titles. Miss Ryan died in 1979, her record intact, the evening before Billie Jean's 20th victory came with Betty Stove.

Miss Ryan's Wimbledon record might suggest that she was a doubles specialist. Her best showing in a Wimbledon Singles Championship was runner up twice. Suzanne Lenglen, who commentator and historian Bud Collins nods the best woman player of the 20s, stole her thunder in 1921, and Mrs. Helen Wills Moody, Bud's choice for best of the 30's, denied her in 1930. With this in mind, my plethora of surmise about her singles ability could be wrong. Maybe she was just unlucky or born ten years too soon.

Now, having tread upon this path of great individual achievements, allow me to detail Billie Jean King's. And I'll follow that with the next two winningest women at Wimbledon:

- Billie Jean King won 6 singles, 10 doubles and 4 mixed doubles titles for a total of 20.

- Martina Navratilova won 9 singles, 7 doubles and 3 mixed doubles titles for a total of 19 (Let's not count her out yet. She won the 1995 mixed doubles title)

- Suzanne Lenglen won 6 singles, 6 doubles (all with Miss Ryan) and 3 mixed doubles titles for a total of 15.

Often the ladies are overlooked when tennis superlatives are being passed out. We hear ravings about Bjorn Borg's five consecutive victories. Are we all chauvinists? How about Martina Navratilova's six consecutive victories between 1982 and 1987? And Suzanne Lenglen won five in a row between 1919 and 1923. And she combined with Elizabeth Ryan to win 5 consecutive doubles titles between 1919 and 1923.

Only a few men have performed comparably to the ladies mentioned. Willie Renshaw captured 6 consecutive single titles between 1881 and 1886, while beating Earnest, his twin brother, three times. Nobody talks about Willie's record these days except commentator, historian and hacker Bud Collins, who wrote somewhere that when Borg was playing for his sixth title, the one Gentleman John McEnroe denied him, he was asked if he knew who Willie Renshaw was. Borg stoically replied while his heart beat only once, "Yes, I know who Mr. Renshaw was." That's about as emotional as Borg gets. It's safe to guess that Borg and Collins alone knew of Willie Renshaw, but I hope the world learns via my Wimbledon Story. Borg resting heart rate is said to be little more than a bear's during hibernation.

Willie won the Singles Championship again in 1890 and the twins combined to win seven doubles titles making Willie the winningest Gentleman of all times with 14 titles. Earnest's tally is a mere eight, having won only one singles title, no thanks to his brother. Do you suppose he harbored ill feeling toward Willie? When I started playing the game at forty-nine, it took me four years before I could beat my brother Ben. And I know how bad I always felt after Ben kicked my tail.

Another great brother team, Reggie and Laurie Doherty, followed the Renshaw twins. Laurie would win five consecutive singles titles and team with Reggie to win five consecutive double titles plus three additional doubles titles making him the second winningest male player of all time with 13 titles. Laurie Doherty's remarkable accomplishment, winning five consecutive singles and doubles titles, is nonpareil. It took until 1997, 91 years later, for the Woodies to equal the Doherty's feat in doubles play. And Borg's fifth title came 74 years later.

Interestingly, in the Renshaws and Dohertys days mixed doubles was not offered. Should it have been, it is conceivable that their title tally might have been higher. Mixed doubles started in 1913. Allow me this chauvinistic viewpoint. Take away the ladies mixed doubles titles and their tallies become, King 16, Navratilova 16, Ryan 12, and Lenglen 12. Now, the men of yore compare better. But Mrs. King's and Miss Navratilova's accomplishments loom taller than the Empire State Building.

In the new millennium that followed, no such dominance would occur. I know you are thinking, "thank God," not predisposed to hearing about more records, so, I will only mention that John McEnroe, who won eight titles, three singles and five double titles, edges all players in the new century. And, although a few brothers like the Gullickson twins, Mayers and the Jensens have played together, none have enjoyed such great success. But I doubt if the Dohertys and Renshaws were half as colorful as the Jensens.

o What manufacturer's balls are used at Wimbledon and when did they change from white to yellow? Slazenger has provided the balls since 1902. Yellow balls were used the first time in 1986. Slazenger was there when, in 1963, a line judge was banned from duties for falling asleep at her post. She readily admitted that she had indeed nodded off, but vociferously denied that too much gin was the cause.

o When Martina, at age 33, won her ninth singles title in 1990, whose record did she break? Eleven years after Californian Helen Wills Moody held up the winner’s trophy for the first time, she held it up again for the eighth time in 1938. She was a super cool baseliner who was super-tough in the Grand Slam events. She was the first 'Ice-Maiden' and then God created Chris Evert. "Records are made to be broken, and I'm just surprised that this one has lasted so long," she told John Parsons (Daily Telegraph). Helen happened along toward the sunset years of Suzanne Lenglen.

In the 1924 Wimbledon Championships, jaundice caused Mlle. Lenglen to default before her semifinal match and Miss Helen Wills became the odds on favorite. She would be pitted against Miss Kitty McKane, latter to become Mrs. Godfree, in the finals. When Helen won the first set 6-4 and led 4-1 in the second, the predictions of her winning seemed certain, but undaunted, Miss McKane kindled the competitive fires inside her, which she was known for, winning five consecutive games for the set. More confident now, Miss McKane managed to keep the wick turned up and won the final set 6-4. This would be the one and only blemish on Miss Wills' Wimbledon record. Two years later, she'd win her first title and would dominate women's tennis for the next eleven years.

o What improvement to Centre Court eliminated view restrictions in 1992? For years, the columns supporting the roof superstructure caused 3,600 seats to have restricted view. Although, an embarrassment for The All England Club, the seats were offered at a reduced price of £5 to £8. Many of us poorer fans purchased these tickets, because the columns were thin and the restriction was minimal. It left sterling for strawberries and cream or a pint. The 1992 roof improvement eliminated the problem except for about 66 seats. No. 1 Court also had this problem, but no longer. It's history. It’s been replaced by a super new No. 1 Court, which doesn't have one inferior seat.

o When was the All England Club founded? 1868. ... Yes, it's here to stay.

o Why is everything so expensive? I have thought briefly about the cost of things in London and have come up with this common sense theory. Petrol (gas) is sold by the liter, which is slightly larger than a quart. You know it takes four quarts to make a gallon. Londoners pay 60p a liter. That's roughly $4 a gallon. We pay $1.30. Therefore, I'm certain the price of petrol has a great deal to do with the high cost of everything, but I'll refrain from an economic dissertation to explain it, except to say that the cost of energy has a far-reaching effect on the price of goods and services. Americans complain about having to pay $1.30. Boy, how spoiled we have become. You have to go abroad to realize just how sweetly we have it.

EPILOGUE

Five years had passed since I last kissed the green, green grass of home and some great players were missing, but the new breed were equally exciting to watch. Life's like that.

I returned home on the fourth of July. It's an ideal time to leave England, since the 'Brits' are less friendly on Independence Day. Perhaps, they still harbor animosity over the Colonies winning their freedom. Or, they resent our wasteful behavior at the Boston Tea Party. That, throwing all that tea into Boston Harbor was an act of heresy. If what happened at Boston, had happened on the Thames River, half of London would have gone for a swim.

Upon arriving home, my aging skeleton was worn to a frazzle, and I slept nearly two solid days. But on the third day I rose from the dead and watched the Ladies' and Gentlemen's finals on the teley. I was not surprised Martina Hingis and Pete Sampras won the crowns and the ton of sterling Wimbledon awards for excellence; Sampras received £415,000 and Hingis £373,500. To get $s multiply by 1.7.

Actually, recovering from the trip took about five days. Man! I must be getting old.

Hemingway's protagonist, in 'The Old Man And The Sea', dreamed for years about catching a big game fish and finally succeeded. It was so big it pulled the old man and his small boat way out to sea. Finally, the fish tired and the old man started moving slowly toward shore. On the way in, the hungry predators of the sea slowly devoured his catch. Reaching shore, his dream had vanished just like my rainbow...but not my memories.

PS: I spent $1,570 in 1997 and had a ball, but I was lucky. I met a kindhearted Steward.

Going Home. Yes! I'm a Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech. Maaan! I'm Tired!

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