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I think 1964, Wimbledon, That was a good time too,
THAT WAS A GOOD TIME TOO, I ONCE GOT AN ACE IN THE B*!#@ FROM ROD LAVER, (I MIGHT HAVE
BRAGGED ABOUT THIS YEARS AGO, NOT SURE!) ON CENTRE COURT, I WENT DOWN, AND THERE WAS THIS
BIG "GROAN" FROM THE CENTRE COURT CROWD.., (I WAS ONLY COVERING ANOTHER GUY AS A ONE OFF,
AS I WAS USUALLY ATTACHED IN THAT PARTICULAR YEAR TO NUMBER ONE COURT) BLIMEY I THOUGHT,
DISGRACED AND EMBARRASSED FOREVER IN MY DEBUT ON CENTRE COURT...! THEN I HEARD A VOICE,
(R.S.M HUTCHINSON.., CADET DRILL INSTRUCTOR FROM BATTL"1 HQ),..IN MY HEAD, SAYING.. "STRAIGHTEN -UP
LAD, -YOUR- ON -PARADE.."! , AND I PULLED UP, IN AGONY AND LOOKED UP, WITH THIS AUDIE MURPHY,
FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, TRUE GRIT, AND THE FLIPPIN CENTRE COURT CROWD STARTED CLAPPING,
(ME MUM WAS WATCHING IT ON TV, SHE SAID AT FIRST, SHE WAS READY TO EMIGRATE HER VILLAGE.., AND
THEN WHEN I STOOD UP, SHE REACHED FOR THE GUINESS! GREAT BALLS OF FIRE,! HE WON, (LAVER) AND
GAVE ME HIS RAQUET, WHICH I USED AS A WALKING STICK TO WALK OFF COURT! (IT’S ALL TRUE REALLY!)
BYE FOR NOW,
NEVILLE FLETCHER MacANDREW 62-65
I was a box boy at Wimbledon and that meant I went around emptying the boxs of used tickets , well in the boxes sometimes there
would be tips left for the ball boys and we would hide it anywhere in our shoes socks anywhere it wouldn't jingle so we hadn't got
to share it because if it jingled the others wanted to know where you had got it from
Keith Bishop Aberdeen 62-65
Did anyone watch Wimbledon on t v, (August 2006) they have said on t v that this year was the first year that Wimbledon had a one
armed ball boy???
wrong Mike Jarvis was the first Wimbledon Ball boy with one arm. He used to do the manual score board
Bob Woodward Mount Stephen 52-55
If you remember only the Choir boys went to Wimbledon David
Alfred Cummings (Nerman) MacAndrew 60-65
I trained every year and never got to go so the last year I played Tennis and let everyone else do the training, I knew I wasn't going.
Dave Blower Somerset 62-65
Dave, you could have had my place at Wimbledon I hated it, cheap labour if you ask me £3.00 odd for two weeks work. the second
year i did not put my name down but the rev pursued me and made me go. What about those black pumps we had to wear, I can
remember standing on court 3 in the blazing sun, my feet were cooking i now have toes like chipolatas. Wonder what Barnardo's
got paid for supplying ball boys! ummmm
Jimmy Chapman
Jimmy I read your story about Wimbledon and the black pumps, and it reminded me of a story I heard about Johnie A, when he
was a ball boy at Wimbledon, he was on one knee at the net, and his opposite partner at the other end of the net, saw some young
girls laughing. and what came to pass was, his b***s were hanging out of his shorts.
Maybe he was hoping that one day he would meet ball girls
Tony Angell 62-64
I remember the confirmation classes and I only sucked up to Nixon to get a place at Wimbledon my voice was crap so I just became
an altar boy
Brian Perrier MacAndrew 62-65
It must have been the second year that one of the teachers in charge decided to do something about the lack of seating arrangements
for Barnardo staff during play. Seeing a vacant corner on the centre court, he sent a couple of boys to collect a bench from elsewhere,
placed it in the prime position then approached the referee for "permission to use that spare bench on centre court for use of ball-boy
masters".
"What spare bench?" asked the referee, somewhat puzzled. The master took him to see, and
establishing that it seemed to be spare, the referee gave permission. Within minutes a notice designating "Bench to be used only
by Barnardo ball-boy masters" was in evidence and remained so for 20 years, giving all Barnardo masters who followed on, a
prime view of the game.
Jimmy James Mount Stephen 45-49
I could never understand why we attracted such a large following of female fans ourselves, until it was pointed out to me that every
time we climbed the gantry all the girls would come to look up our shorts, as we hardly ever wore underwear because of the heat.
Bob Cox 1960-1963
One year; I remember the Daily Express put up a cup for us to play for in our own tennis championship. That was good fun. I
remember the event as a one-off, but it might have continued for other years
Bob Pegg 50-52
I remember a game when I went to Wimbledon and the ball went out of play I remember going for it then deciding not to then just
as Laver (the player) went to serve I decided to go for it, he lost his temper and threw the ball at me it was my own fault I shouldn't
have hesitated it just wasn't done, Laver apologised to me at the end of play
Brian Perrier MacAndrew 62-65
When we first started as ball boys, the balls used to fly all over the place. We used to throw the balls from one end of the court to
the other - not roll them along the ground - and so there seemed like lots of balls in the air at times! It was chaos. When the
tournament was over we went back and worked on it until we got it as it is today.
Jimmy James Mount Stephen 45-49
It was a nice little earner for us because after the match the players used to give us their sweatbands and we would sell them to the
fans.
"The funniest thing I saw was a line judge fell asleep”.
Tom Hill Cairns 62-66
I most enjoyed meeting Karen Hantze - Susman, she was Billie Jean Kings double's partner, and I fell madly
in love with her, I also tried to be on her court if she was playing, and once had the pleasure of knocking up
with her prior to a game.
Bob Cox 1960-1963
1954/5 ball boy. Lining up in the school courtyard ready for Wimbledon Corbett, the chaplain and ball-boy boss,
read out: Eric Holden not going to ball-boying. Seen scrounging along the stand seats. Well, my heart sank as Offord,
one of the masters had asked me to bring back a used newspaper if I found one. Of course, I was silenced and never could
tell Corbett that I was not scrounging.
Eric Fell Holden mid 50s
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