Played Rugby for Yeovil on a regular basis. Scored 1st Try at Johnson Park a newly opened Sports facility. Played one game for South Somerset.

Eventually gave up Rugby because of injuries culminating in being tackled in a game against Bath. I was concussed and taken home where I woke up on the chair, not knowing why I was there until I saw the invitation card. Went back to the club and sank two pints of beer. I then went to see the doctor who said you are ok; don’t play for a few weeks and don’t drink!
Played Tennis for Yeovil 2nd Team.

Took up Squash. Played 5 times a week. Match captain of Yeovil Squash Club arranged and played in matches against:- RNAS Yeovilton, The Army at Tidworth, Bryanstone Public School, Bath University, and Poole Harbour Yacht  where post match drinks were quaffed and the delicate pink elephants on the bar carpet quickly became more distinct!).  In 1954 also arranged an exhibition match between Hashim Khan and his cousin Roshan at Yeovil Squash club. This took place in 1954.  I didn’t have a car so I cycled a lot and was reliant on lifts from friends one of whom was Frank from Crewkerne. We went on many trips sometimes with two girl friends. On one occasion we went to Burton Bradstock on the 1st Aug It was a great village celebration finishing up in the local pub. The road to it from Dorchester was beautiful but very hilly and Frank’s Austin 7 packed up on the hills so 3 of us had to get out; crank start the engine and push a lot. 

Went to Coppelia ballet Bournemouth Winter Gardens.

Frank later took my girlfriend and married her. In retrospect very fortuitous. and another proof of another quotation from Uncle Ted’s book :- Every Adversity brings with it the seed of an equivalent advantage!” (Some of my readers, (if there are still any out there,) will have heard this one Ad Nauseam. 

In 1952 took up tennis umpiring first in club matches followed by Tunbridge Wells final (Virginia Wade), Bristol West of England Championships, Bournemouth Hard Court Championships, Davis Cup matches Bristol, London Grass Court Championships at Queens Club, Wimbledon Qualifiers at Roehampton, Beckenham, Crystal Palace,  Professional Championships at Wembley Sports Arena, and Wimbledon, graduating from outside courts to approx.100 matches officiated on Centre Court.

I applied to take be a linesman at Wimbledon in 1952 but was not selected. However 3 days before the first Monday I received a telegram from the Referees office saying:- Can you Umpire Wimbledon reply immediately.

On the social side I went to the Wimbledon Ball at Grosvenor House Park Lane.

My friend and squash partner was Colin Hanham who was playing in the doubles at Wimbledon got me an invite ticket from a Miss N.T Steacy of England who was not staying for the Ball. So 2 Australian girl players, Colin and I all got out of the taxi at Grosvenor House and there were lines of onlookers craning there necks to do a bit player spotting. They must have been a bit puzzled by me. We got to the top of the winding staircase and the tickets were handed over to the uniformed, guest announcer who I think just said Mr Mr.Hanham and guests. (Well I didn’t look a bit like Miss N.T Seacy.)  I queued up for a dance with Maureen Connolly but it was too long.

For a few years I was able to get me into the player’s restaurant, the Press Bar, The adjacent local Wimbledon Tennis Club bar taken over for the players. And seats in the Members enclosure behind the Royal Box for some matches. One evening I went with Colin and my cousin Mary who was at Wimbledon as my guest, for a curry at The Dog and Fox. A friend of Colins who owned Road Haulage Company joined us with 8 others and paid the whole bill.

Also at the Dog and Foxes dance after the matches we joined some players for drinks round the table including Margaret Smith a Wimbledon Women’s Champion(who actually drank pints of beer.)

The Umpires also had their dance there. At one of these a saw Fred Perry a three times Wimbledon Winner and also a World Table Tennis Champion standing at the bar alone so had a drink with him and reminded him that when lived in Bolton he gave an exhibition match at Markland Hill Tennis Club which was about ½ mile from Beverley Road.