It is hard for me and Janie to remember a time when Ray was not a constant feature of tennis in Boston Manor Park. We have always played at the weekends. On Saturday mornings, for more than two decades, we would witness Ray enthusiastically showing children the basics of tennis on Court One. On the occasions when we could play during the week, such as Monday mornings, we’d come across Ray again, stewarding some (mostly) women’s doubles.
Ray’s thoughtfulness and courtesy towards other players at the courts was impeccable. One of the many reasons why Janie and I became sure that Boston Manor Tennis Club, is “our sort of place”.
All good things come to an end. Ray has decided to hang up his racket. Would we care to join him and other members past and present for an afternoon party across the way in Blondin Park? Linda Massey was organising a bit of a do. How could we possibly have missed that?
Dozens and dozens of Ray’s friends, family and former tennis trainees stopped by to help Ray celebrate. The April weather smiled on Ray’s party – no more than he deserved. In fact, it was a bit of a scorcher. I decided to protect my head with my new pillbox cap, which I plan to sport when watching cricket and tennis this season.
I have long thought that Janie and I might be the last remaining players at Boston Manor who have been there since before Ray’s time. Very few people played there when we started playing in that park and Ray came along to get activities moving soon after we joined.
Ray confirmed that factoid in his speech, while also making reference to a playful comment by one of the youngsters alluding to my resemblance to a certain well-known writer from days of yore – the short clip below says it all:
No-one had pointed out this resemblance before…at least, not this month they hadn’t.
Ray was far too polite to point the finger at the offending youngster…which is more than can be said for that youngster’s dad, who approached me on the tennis courts a few days later, struggling to suppress his giggles, confessing that his son was the culprit. Hmm.
Have more than thou showest, Speak less than thou knowest…
…as The Bard so eloquently put it, in King Lear.
Boston Manor Tennis Club won’t quite be the same place again without Ray, but his efforts (and those of many others) helped transform that small tennis club, and indeed the whole park, into a thriving and friendly community place.
Vicky: Yes, we’ve been worrying about Morris for some time
Ever since Linda Massey (of Boston Manor Friends/Tennis Club fame) mentioned fundraising for a pavilion at Blondin Park (across the way), Janie and I became, tangentially and in a small way, involved in the project.
In fact, we managed to get the Blondin Park NTP installed during the winter of 2019/2020, but then the pandemic put the kybosh on our plans for a launch there.
Meanwhile, Linda and the Blondin Consortium’s plans for a pavilion came to fruition towards the end of summer 2021, so it seemed to make sense to have a joint launch of the facilities.
The Mayor of Ealing, Munir Ahmed, came along to cut the pavilion ribbon.
Linda Massey briefs The Mayor on arrival
Prior to the ribbon cutting…a display of Morris dancing. Why Morris dancing, I hear you cry? Because, apparently, the Northfield Morris troupe was the first community group to book the new pavilion as its new home for its practice sessions and the like.
Had you asked me on the morning of this event whether I knew any Morris dancers. I’d have said “unequivocally no”. But unfortunately it seems that Morris dancers have infiltrated polite society in West London, so we recognised at least two members of the troupe as Boston Manor Tennis Club regulars.
Meanwhile Carol, a Boston Manor regular but not of the Morris persuasion, helped the assembled throng to reach a state of Morris tolerance…or perhaps even wondrous oblivion, by dint of jugs brimming with Pimms.
Soft drinks were also available for youngsters and those with a good reason to avoid Pimms. In my case, I had driven to Blondin, following my own Byzantine instructions for navigating the parking restrictions and the experimental road closure at one end of the ideal access road for the park. I wrote chapter and verse – some would say an entire apocrypha – on the topic.
There was also a splendid spread of sandwiches and nibbles for the guests, which was quite a treat, although it was a very hot afternoon, so “plenty of liquids” seemed more important than “plenty of sandwiches”.
Meanwhile the youngsters from Ealing Fields High School were limbering up for some cricket.
Several youngsters enjoying the use of our non-turf pitch
The site of their school recently erected the following plaque to the most famous alum of the predecessor school on that site:
The Ealing Civic Society Green Plaque unveiled on 13 October 2020 at the entrance to Ealing Fields School, Little Ealing Lane, Ealing, London W5 4EJ to commemorate singer Dusty Springfield (1939-99). .As Mary O’Brien, she attended what formerly was St Anne’s Convent School on the site between 1951 and 1955. The future Dusty Springfield spent her teenage years growing up in Ealing before embarking upon a career which resulted in her being the only British female singer to have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Once I learnt that our youthful cricket neophytes were from that school, I considered adding some Dusty patter into my London Cricket Trust speech:
Dusty Springfield is actually my role model in the matter of batting. Whenever I take to the crease, I just don’t know what to do with myself, so I close my eyes and count to ten”…
…but then I thought better of it.
Not sure anyone was listening when I spoke anyway
So apparently I said words along the following lines:
I am thrilled to be part of the celebrations opening the Blondin Park Community Pavilion and non-turf cricket pitch. Every one of the dozens of non-turf pitches the LCT establishes in parks around London is special, enabling thousands of youngsters to experience the joys of playing cricket. But this Blondin facility, in my own community, has an extra special place in my heart. Many thanks to the Blondin Consortium, Ealing Council & The England & Wales Cricket Board for the collaboration that has made this wonderful facility happen.
The pavilion itself is indeed a rather wonderful prefabricated building, spacious and full of useful facilities.
There’s me having a chat with our friend Joan from the tennis courts
Below is a picture of Jean washing her hands – the sink works out that you are there, so squirts the requisite amount of soap, runs warm water on your hands for a while and then blow dries your hands.
The event was all over too soon. The participation cricket team from my beloved Middlesex County Cricket Club facilitated a rapid game of cricket for the youngsters.
As always, seeing young folk having fun playing cricket using our facilities always makes me happy. But seeing the new facility being used in Blondin park, in my own community, gave me an an extra special surge of excitement and joy.
Then it was time for everyone except the London Cricket Trust folk to go home.
We held our Trustees meeting at the site, making ourselves the very first EVER meeting to be held in the new Blondin Pavilion.
An historic moment. What a first.
Thanks to Linda Massey and Janelle for the above photograph.
After the meeting, I showed Ed Griffiths Boston Manor Park and gave him a lift back to a suitable station, despite the relentless teasing he had given me about my parking/driving instructions for the event. Still, I have been brought up to respond with kindness whenever possible, so Dumbo and I took Ed as close to the platform as possible for his journey home.
