Sporting Events - Sunday Stamps II

As the finals at Wimbledon are being held this weekend I looked for tennis stamps.

Czechoslovakia - 22 Feb 1973

This stamp was to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the tennis organisation in Czechoslovakia.

It wasn't to be Andy Murray's year this time but:

Great Britain - 2013 - he won

From Australia I found an Olympic diver

Australia

If that date stamp is 1976, the Olympics were in Montreal that year.

I can still touch my toes but there is no way I could ever look as graceful as that.

Perhaps I would do better at archery in a European Championship.

Italy - 2011

I searched hard to find a stamp relating to women's football to celebrate the recent World Cup in Canada and England's relative success in finishing third.

I had to settle for the men's moment of glory in 1966 instead.

Great Britain

Get your tickets for other sporting events through the links at Sunday-Stamps-II-30.

This Sporting Life - Sepia Saturday

Until quite recently I've always played one sport or another so this week's prompt struck a chord with me.

I have never grown a moustache and no longer have a singlet like the one he's wearing. However there are still some golfing trophies on the top of my filing cabinet.

Golfing trophies and souvenir golf balls.

The first trophy I won was for the shot put in the U14 age group at Stamford School's sports day in 1950 (I think). I don't remember what it was like or the Fielding Cup for cricket that was to come later when I was in the 1st XI.

I played cricket for many years and was always proud to wear my School Cricket Colour Blazer, long after I left school. Black and white photos don't do it justice at all.

Cricket blazer - Lincoln Lindum Ground, 1950s

Same ground, same blazer accompanied by a girl.

The girl who was to become my wife.

So cricket has a lot to answer for. What you can't see here is that her dress has thin red strips that went with the red in my blazer.

My first job in industry was at Richard Thomas & Baldwins, Redbourn Works in Scunthorpe where I collected the Interdepartmental  Cricket Cup for 1963 on behalf of the Laboratory team.

Who should have combed his hair?

Our children played sport as well and I have managed to find some photos including trophies.

Rachel with her teddy; Andrew with his trophy (1970s)

And later an older Rachel with a tennis trophy of her own.

I played my last games of cricket during the 1980s in Norway. It was there that now aged 50 and too old and slow for hockey that I discovered golf. I never played golf while at St Andrews University at the end of the 1950s - something I'll always regret.

I suppose that brings me back to the trophies in my first picture - the ones I have been allowed to keep. At one time I could have shown off a lot more.

Golfing success in 1989

I guess time has caught up with me so I have only small replicas to admire. However especially for you I have had my photo taken again today.

Bob in that School Cricket Blazer from the 1950s.

I can still wear it as you can see - but it's tight across the shoulders and ...

I can't do the damned thing up!

To see what others have on show this week run across to Sepia-Saturday-205. And you Aussies - no sledging!

Ball Games - Sepia Saturday

I knew what I was going to post as soon as I saw this week's prompt:

I played cricket for many years but I've only watched one game of baseball.

Baseball - Dearborn, Michigan 2006

Earlier that summer we visited England's north-east coast and came across a cricket match in progress in the shadow of Bamburgh Castle.

Cricket at Bamburgh Castle 2006

 I've also played a lot of tennis but was never good enough to beat my daughter even when I was fit.

Beaten again - Sveti Stefan

Playing tennis indoors on hard courts didn't help my knees so I turned to golf at the late age of 50. As an active hockey and cricket player I had always told my golfing friends that any b....! fool can hit a ball that stays still.

Billingham Golf Club - 17th green

 I was recovering from minor surgery at the time that I took that shot of two of my golfing partners.

Billingham - 11th fairway

 I also have to admit that my daughter also beats me at golf although she only plays a few times a year.

The Homestead - Michigan's fresh water resort

Here she's posing with a golfing statue at Michigan's Homestead resort.

Finally here's the family's current sporting star.

Surfing champion

For more fun and games I suggest that you take a look at what's happening on Sepia-saturday-136

Your serve - Sepia Saturday

With Wimbledon in full swing it just had to be 'anyone for tennis' this week.

Who would believe that tennis has gone to the dogs?

What do you mean, it's closed?

It's meant to be an all weather court, isn't it?

Ah well , we'll just have to wait for it to open up.

Scout and Cody

They might have given me a better seat than this.

Gem - waiting for the match to begin.

Play in this heat?

Cody and Scout

You must be having a larf.

Come on, Cody! It's your serve.

Lily's receiving

Play!

Cody won't be rushed

Time out.

Bring on the trainer.

If you enjoy playing tennis as much as us you must check out the other fans at Sepia-saturday-132

Love to All, from Cody (14), Gem (13), Scout (3) and Lily (2)