Wimbledon

[Dave2002]

Hysterical!
How many working-class kids get the chance to wield a racket? I'm sure a few lucky ones do, but it's the exception.

Is there an obvious reason for your statement? Is it, indeed, even true?

Is it a cultural thing, or a resource issue? I can't see an obvious reason why tennis shouldn't be popular - or is it another of those "people like us don't go to opera" sort of things?

Perhaps football is easier, with a need for a field or park, plus a ball, rather than a laid out court. Cricket - after a fashion - could be OK - but might lead to broken windows.

Maybe the lack of affordable public courts, or the cost of rackets are barriers.

[ardcarp]

cultural thing, or a resource issue?

Probably both.

One good music-related thing though. My youngest grandson (aged 7) attends a Leicester primary school in a mixed race area. About 350 pupils there of which 28 learn the trombone...free. My grandson is one of them, and performed in a 'trombone choir' at a summer concert. So it's not all bad.

[Dave2002]

Probably both.

One good music-related thing though. My youngest grandson (aged 7) attends a Leicester primary school in a mixed race area. About 350 pupils there of which 28 learn the trombone...free. My grandson is one of them, and performed in a 'trombone choir' at a summer concert. So it's not all bad.

Leicester, for some reason, seems to have a good reputation for supporting music. [Presumably because it does - or has done ...!]

I remember hearing about them years ago - when I think Michael Tippett became involved. see https://www.leicestersymphonyorchest...chael-tippett/
Since then I have a friend who actually played with the Leicester Schools SO many years ago - and maybe his contribution is on one of the LPs they made.

I don't really know why Leicester should have been able to do that, though in fairness other areas did have viable youth orchestras back in the 1960s - such as the Merseyside YO - in which I think Simon Rattle played timpani - though I could be wrong.

How many schools or local authorities support such activities now?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Hysterical!

Why don't the services volunteer for rowdy football matches? Surely much more for them to do there. I think my uneasy feeling about the Wimbledon/Service-person connection stems from tennis being seen as an 'elitist' sport. How many working-class kids get the chance to wield a racket? I'm sure a few lucky ones do, but it's the exception.

The irony is that the Centre Court audience must be the most upmarket sports audience in the world. Tennis is almost exclusively a middle calls sport and the tickets for the show courts are very expensive . The only working class people there are quite likely to be the squaddies.The LTA has pretty much failed in its mission to open the sport up. A great shame as just about any premiership footballer is likely to have the skill to be a formidable tennis player.

[gurnemanz]

Tennis is almost exclusively a middle class sport .

[cloughie]

An absolute shower!

[Lordgeous]

Anyway......... IT'S OVER!

[cloughie]

Anyway......... IT'S OVER!

…so don’t argue Johnny Mac!

[eighthobstruction]

....Nick Kyrgios does commentary....https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...hannel-analyst