The last one did damage all over the place and blew through in a day but this Katie swan ned by on a Friday afternoon in July – 8th July to be exact. Katie Swan, for t’was she, was invited to come down from Wimbledon to meet our promising crop of players and a few who are, frankly, past it (if you will excuse the expression but when I was young anyone over 35 was “past-it”).

Let me explain for those of you who do not know: Freddie Swain came to the club last Summer having been invited to go to Wimbledon to watch his cousin, Katie, play in the Junior Championships. He was so inspired he nagged his Mum until she gave in and sent him along to one of Paul’s sessions. So there we are: I started nagging his Mum about trying to have Katie drop in to present the Road to Wimbledon prizes but she was not on the same continent at the time.

So what was it that Katie did: Katie arrived at 16:00 and was introduced to everyone important (Chairman Matt and I included) before having a question-answer session with the juniors. She was then presented a Thornden Tennis Club sweat shirt and a Lifetime Honorary Membership award – so she can come and hit with us any time she is around – is that OK Magda, Lydia, Estella, Anna and all?

After the formalities and the photo – above – she watched some of our members hit balls and gave a few suggestions on how to improve their play: unfortunately her recent injury (the one that forced her to retire from her match at Wimbledon) meant she could hit with people but not move too much  – which was a shame but that is the way the cookie crumbles as they say in the U S of A.

On her tight schedule she then had to shoot off as she had an important meeting to attend later in the evening.

Thanks for the visit Katie: it was really great and we really mean it when we say: drop in any time you are in the UK – give us some notice and we will find some hitting partners.

Title: For those of you who are too young, or never used to listen to “Sing something simple” on Sunday afternoons on the “BBC Light Programme” – it was a popular World War 1 song!