Better....stronger....onwards!
For as long as I can remember I have loved watching and playing (badly) tennis.
Every summer in the street, a makeshift court marked out using 'chalky stones' (if you know, you know!) and a scramble to name yourself after the player du jour....McEnroe, Borg, Connors, 'Boom Boom' Becker....pick one, any one!
Then 'street rules' came into play and we played tennis for two weeks solid, sometimes in the pitch dark, only taking a break when the good matches were on TV.
When there were cars parked in our way, the swingball came out...black eye anyone?
I have been lucky to travel to almost every corner of the globe, but in 2017 I had the chance to visit 'Championships' myself and experience first hand what I have watched on TV for the last 5 decades.
It blew me away!
The place is quite simply hallowed with echoes of the greats. It is history on an epic scale that you can see and touch and be part of.
There is not a single blade of grass out of place, the pansies in the planters all face the same way. the grounds are simply pristine.
Nothing compares.
I had Centre Court seats, sat 5m away from Rafa Nadal, watched Andy Murray win (I even got on telly shouting "gaun yersel Andy!!", I sat on Henman Hill, I drank champagne and Pimms (thanks to Shona for the hospitality) and I walked past tennis stars all day in the grounds.
This year I applied to the ballot and was accepted, but it was cancelled due to the CV.
I hope to return next year and I'll bet it will be the most special and best Wimbledon Fortnight ever.
The point of my post is (if you have not guessed already) that no matter what blows you are dealt in 2020, we are all in this together. Use your time wisely anplan for 2021, come back bigger, stronger and better.