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101 comments
Comment How many of us have done that? If only I had kept that.... I know I have.
Comment enjoyed reading this - very interesting story
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When I was young(er) my dad and I were playing on the himalayas at St Andrews, when we came off the guy in the hut asked us if we saw
who was behind us. You wouldn't have known, no cameras no hype or attention seeking, it was Tom Watson. He had just came out for some
fun. He signed my cap. I swapped it with my brother for a cheap camera lol. Anyone else been silly with hindsight?
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Yep. I got married once !!!!!
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"When I was young(er) my dad and I were playing on the himalayas at St Andrews, when we came off the guy in the hut asked us if
we saw who was behind us. You wouldn't have known, no cameras no hype or attention seeking, it was Tom Watson. He had just came out
for some fun. He signed my cap. I swapped it with my brother for a cheap camera lol. Anyone else been silly with hindsight?
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How about asking Sara Hector (now Olympic gold medallist skier), when there was just the 2 of us in a gondola together in a ski resort and
she started up a conversation with me (and before I'd noticed her full Swedish national ski team attire), if she was there on holiday ?!.
Fortunately she saw the funny side...
Comment Would love to know the reason why the Barnardos link ended. Always seemed like a nice gesture. High school students in Wimbledon
have mostly already done pretty well in the lottery of life - they don’t need this too.
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Barnardo's emphasis moved away from residential homes for orphans, which became the responsibility of local councils, to fostering and
adoption in the 1960's. I'm guessing this might be the answer to your question as they would no longer have had direct control/access to a
stream of boys.
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Around the country and in other sports they should give those in care a chance to become included. I remember hitting 16 and
finding myself in a flat the next day with no help at all. These kids need a leg up in life. Too many kids from care end up in trouble.
Great story sad it doesn’t happen now.
Comment I was a Wimbledon Ballboy in 1972. We all came from Eastfields High School in Mitchum.
Trained for just three weeks by Commander Lane, it was a great time. Two weeks off school, we were certainly not paid. You had to be small
to be Center and needed to update the scoreboard as a Base on the Outer Courts. We all went on to be ballboys at The Dewars Cup later that
year in the Albert Hall.
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American Stan Smith won it that year, I recall.
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I wonder why they stopped paying ballboys? I would assume you weren’t in care so maybe that was why.
Comment Fascinating glimpse into Britain's past and very revealing of class and status in post war Britain. Very touching personal stories.
Comment What a fascinating story. It would make a great documentary.
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I agree. I'd be interested to learn more about the Barnardo's link and the evolution of the site. I've lived in Hertford for 30 years and knew
almost nothing of the history of Goldings, which is now home to some very expensive housing, converted from the original buildings, a
property company, a rare breeds farm and a country park. https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/goldings
Comment This story shows how an event in a young persons life can have such a huge positive impact on their future As adults we tend to
lose sight of how children see things
Comment Great story BEEB. You still have some proper journalists then...
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EXACTLY what I was thinking
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What a load of tosh.
"You did actually get paid for it," says Hill, adding that wages were up to £14 for the fortnight when he was used to 50p a week pocket
money for being a prefect.
£7 a week in 1960 for being a ballboy !! I started my apprenticeship in 1966 at £1 7/6 a week.
Yet 6 years earlier, he was getting 10 bob a week for being a Prefect at a Barnado's school ?
Yeah,course he was.
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They also refer to 50p. I think we can assume they've either decimalised or adjusted for inflation.
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If you read it he got 10/- pocket money while do an apprenticeship. He was a child in care, do you begrudge him the chance of earning a
little more?
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These places had a strict scale of reward which graduated according to age and behaviour. I would think that the ten shillings (50p) paid to a
prefect would be exceptional and most boys got considerably less. And any breach of discipline or bad behaviour would be punished by fines
so you would need to toe the line to keep your privileges
Comment What a gorgeous story and definitely worthy of a documentary (or even a film????).
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That’s a good idea!
Comment Fantastic story!
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Just couldn't stop reading that...amazing stuff and I can't help think that these apprenticeships helped them get a foothold in life.
great story all round but tinged with sadness at the start
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just couldn't stop reading that...amazing stuff and I can't help think that these apprenticeships helped them get a foothold in life. great story all
round but tinged with sadness at the start
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They were not, strictly speaking, apprenticeships; this was a training school where the emphasis was on learning industrial skills prior to
leaving and getting an apprenticeship. Many of the children at these places were placed by a juvenile court in the care of the local authority
because they were beyond parental control. It’s a good article but there is some context missing
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Maybe that's why the article says "they all learned a trade - carpentry, painting and decorating, sheet metal work, shoe mending, printing and
gardening - so that they could then get an apprenticeship"
Comment Aside from the story of the ballboys themselves, it helps you to remember when tennis players weren’t pampered primadonnas.
Players stood during breaks, got their own drinks, didn’t take an eternity to get through matches - and played with proper rackets, of course.
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Yes, today's players get it easier than those of yesterday.
But it's still a pretty tough career. The stellar rewards only go to those at the very top.
Still, if you're really keen on seeing real players ... you can always drop in at your local club. But you're unlikely to see a "proper" racquet
unless you bring one along. ??
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Showing your age Geoff.. All oldies think they lived through Golden years...
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Yes, today's players get it easier than those of yesterday. But it's still a pretty tough career. The stellar rewards only go to those at the
very top. Still, if you're really keen on seeing real players ... you can always drop in at your local club. But you're unlikely to see a "proper"
racquet unless you bring one along. ??
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I recall as a keen but talentless player in the mid 1970s the ultimate racquet to have was a gut strung Dunlop Maxply Fort. By 1980
proper racquets had almost gone.
Comment How did he get 50p pocket money in 1960?! More like 10 shillings.
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Usual from you.
Comment Good story well done Beeb
Comment Grand story.
Comment It just goes to show that any opportunity can make a huge difference to young people. Thank you for sharing this fabulous and
heartwarming story.
Reply Almost made up for them being chucked into care....
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Change your job then….
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Silly comment - they were given an opportunity to be part of a different world, they entered into it voluntarily, enjoyed the experience
and got a few perks along the way.
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Do you have a dose of bitterness with every meal????
Comment Great story.
Comment Shows stories don't need to be about people earning megs bucks with a different haircut every week. Also nice to read that some of
the stars are down to earth and friendly. Well written article too.
Comment One the best stories I've read on this site. Well done Beeb.
Comment Great story.
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The lack of Ball girls/persons during those years of course.
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The article is about a time when there were only boys doing the job. Girls came along much later.
They are referred to as ballboys or ballgirls, depending on whether they have a skirt or shorts, being the standard uniform, and not because
they identify as a boy, girl or cat!
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I used to be a ball cat, but they cut meow'ers, so I left :-(
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I'm joking, in case anyone takes this seriously. Independent thought not allowed!!
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Funniest comment I have seen for ages.
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I look forward to the first transgender ball fetcher....I really do. I am poking fun at the BBC, not people's desire to be who they want to be.
Comment Very interesting read, insightful esp. how values help in life's journey.
Comment As a pretty vocal critic of the BBC Tennis page and it's generally poor coverage of lower rank players
(and obsession with the GOAT debate), huge well done. Great story, great research.
Comment Good.
Comment so Norton was 217...how sad and shameful
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As bad as being called by your surname only! Like using Norton rather than Winston.
This was a different age and whilst you may judge by modern "standards" it was acceptable then.
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read the article before you jump on your high horse.....save you doing it....The boys were known by their number.Norton was 217
(sic)...NOT MY WORDS but those of the journalist who penned the article....troll the BBC
replied: I never said it was your words! Read my response before being so sensitive!!! A great article and evokes an age that's gone.
replied: I’m old enough to remember when it was only the girls who were called by their first names. I am struggling to believe that children,
even those who were placed in care for whatever reason, would ever be called by number instead of their surname. It’s an interesting story
but I think there’s a lot of over egging the pudding in respect of the old guys reminiscence
replied: Ironically the main drive behind most sportsmen is to be a number ... Usually No.1 ...
But sometimes other numbers or even including letters, like "CR7".
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Evokes an age when children would be put into care if their parents house wasn't big enough, not get them a bigger house, just cart them off to a home
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You read a lovely article like this from men who are obviously pleased and proud to have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps
with the support and help from Barnardos and that's all you have to say??
Yes, it is sad and shameful - that it's the only thing you think worth commenting upon.
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you were given a number just for administration purposes, you were referred by name otherwise. I was at the same school as
Winston albeit at a younger age, my number was 11.
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It’s unlikely to be the case that they were taken into care merely due to overcrowding. Many of these children were known to the
police having committed petty offences. Such children, being too young to be detained in secure custody would be sent to children’s homes
by juvenile courts and dispersed to training schools across the country.
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Without wishing to pry, my interest is genuinely not prurient, what circumstances led to your being sent to Goldings?
Comment Great article, they received training for life, now everything now is mainly focused on academic achievements.
Comment Great read, thanks.
Comment I loved this story, well done Sonia Oxley, a completely different angle on the tennis world, a relief to read something away from
the brutal and commercial tennis tour of now, beautiful picture of boys with Darlene Hard.
Reply Agree, quality article by Sonia Oxley
Comment Good to see some real journalism, golf, cricket and rugby journalists take note.
Comment My school played the local Barnardo’s Home at football every year, home and away. They were the toughest team we played
all year! The homes gave them a chance in life they may not have otherwise have had, given their sad circumstances. Nice article. Why did
Wimbledon change it up??
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"Change it up" suggests an improvement....
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Barnardo's role changed in the 1960's, from residential homes, which became the responsibility of local councils, to fostering and
adoption services. So the stream of Barnardo's boys would have dried up.
Comment Well done Barnados, well done boys not a bit of self pity, stood them in good stead for life and their fantastic achievements and
well done the tennis players who showed them respect
Comment Great story!!!
Comment Thank you Sonia for this article. My dad Tom Nicholson and his dear friend Cliff (Pop) Steele were housemasters at Goldings
in the 50s and trained the ballboys for Wimbledon. It's so difficult to find documentary evidence of this period and lovely to see here.
Reply Thank you Sonia for this article. My dad Tom Nicholson and his dear friend Cliff (Pop) Steele were housemasters at Goldings in the
50s and trained the ballboys for Wimbledon. It's so difficult to find documentary evidence of this period and lovely to see here.
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Hello Duncan
Pop is now 90 years old and has attended our reunions every year until 2 years ago, when it became to much travelling. He is doing well and
we keep in touch with him regularly.
Our website features our school magazine (The Goldonian), and I’m sure you will find references there of your father and his time spent there.
www.Goldings.org
Dave Blower Goldings 62-65
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And what do you actually mean by the emoji?
Comment This is lovely. My grandfather, Raymond Wheatley, was Headmaster of Goldings in the 1950s/60s and my late father always used to
tell us about the Wimbledon ball boys as he lived at the school with his dad, mum and big sister. The house we lived in as children was also
called Goldings, so it's a name that evokes many memories.
Reply posted by Dave Blower to Andy Wheatley
Mr Wheatley our former Headmasters, son David, supported our annual reunion every first Sat in October. David always wanted to be a
Goldings boy, he never realised that he always was one. He was always accepted as one, by the boys.
Mr Wheatley and David are both featured on our website. www.goldings.org
Comment A story from the "know your place" Britain of the 1950s and 60s. In the light of this week's report on cricket, those old attitudes persist.
Comment It was great to hear that Darlene Hard had time to talk to the boys & not at them, not just in tennis but throughout sport their are so many
up there own backsides
Comment Great article, thank you. Would make a wonderful documentary.
Comment It’s a very interesting account largely based on the anecdotal accounts of two former children from Goldings School that were fortunate
enough to have been chosen to become Wimbledon ball boys. However it has to be balanced with the plethora of evidence that suggests places like
Goldings had their darker side. A cheery story for the countdown to Wimbledon but only one side of life at Goldings.
Comment Very interesting story, great to read from a Goldings Boy who never got to go to Wimbledon. Well done Sammy and Winnie.
Goldings, The William Baker Technical School has a reunion website and we get together every year. There are lots more interesting stories
from our Old Boys on the Website
www.goldings.org
Dave Blower 62-65 Goldings
Comment What a lovely article! As a child I was always fascinated by the Barnardo's Ball Boys, my father would explain who they were and how
they came to be at Wimbledon. It is so good to hear what the future held for some of them and how the experience helped them achieve their goals.
Good journalism.
Comment This is such a nice article and bit of history! And it is so good to hear such positive things about a care home when the media nearly
always gives us details of the abusive ones.
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This is such a nice article and bit of history! And it is so good to hear such positive things about a care home when the media nearly always
gives us details of the abusive ones.
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In all fairness Barnardo's is one of the few that I've never seen mentioned for the same revolting offences as huge numbers of Christian
(and other religions') self-proclaimed benevolent institutions.
Until I hear otherwise I will always trust Barnardo's and anyone who's been through the Barnardo's system.
Comment Great article - my father Alec and his brother Frank were both Barnado’s boys and Wimbledon ball boys in the 1953 championship,
my dad in the men’s final too - I known because he reminded us every year !
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