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Showing posts from June, 2015

Inspired Sunday

I haven’t been to church as often since I left the Convent in 1979. There I knew that would grab your attention...   You a convent girl?  I hear you chortle,  Yes moi!  Although I have to confess Sister Mary Clare,  our Headmistress,  and I were never that close.  She probably let out a long sigh of relief the day I left  to further my education elsewhere. Her faith, hope and charity having been tested to the max! The ensuing years saw my church attendance limited  to  three brief periods in which I returned to the fold, a lthough I must admit, blink and mere mortals may have missed it... Mr Wren calls these my hormonal days...  All co-inciding with being pregnant in the 80's.  I suppose I was searching for some inner calm,  an impossible ask really  for 'him upstairs' with three kids under five....   My twenties and thirties became a blur of moving around the world. Chu

Aegon Classic Birmingham - Anyone for tennis?

After the dusty red clay courts of Paris it is refreshing to be in the land of strawberries and cream and impeccably mown lawn tennis courts. It's two weeks until Wimbledon and the summer of British tennis is in full swing. There's Nottingham, Eastbourne, Queen's and we are at the Aegon Classic in Birmingham. It's a wonderful time of year, the sun is thankfully now shining, and life's good watching tennis! We arrive to be waved into the VIP car park  right at the front door of the Edgbaston Priory Club. We couldn't have got any closer! It's got to be the easiest start to any WTA tournament  that I've attended across the world. We are delighted to be supporting, thanks to my brother, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham and have a lovely day of tennis and corporate hospitality ahead. As we wander past the practice courts, spotting now familiar Roland Garros faces,  it feels like we've been invited to a frien

Paris memories

'A few of my favourite things...' SOUND OF MUSIC LYRICS  by RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN ... staying in an apartment close to the Parc des Princes and seeing the Paris St Germain crowd excitement for the last match of the season. For Blue Monday! Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens ...or roses in a French street market in Boulonge-Billancourt sprinkled with tennis water! Bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens ...Or the Eiffel Tower through the copper gates of the Jardin des Tuileries Brown paper packages tied up with strings ...or smelly goats cheese These are a few of my favourite things . ..the Eiffel Tower through the sunroof of our taxi ----------------------- Photo credit: M deVries-Wiering  Cream coloured ponies and crisp apple struedels . ..or Napoleon's horses celebrating victory on the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel  Place du Carroussel and the Louvre Doorbells and

Courtside at Roland-Garros!

French Open, Paris 2015 It might seem strange to say, being from Melbourne, Australia,  but I just reckon Roland-Garros could be my favourite Grand Slam.  Look at me, I'm a long way from home! Of course it won’t be possible to say with any complete certainty,  until I have had the pleasure of attending all four…  That was the challenge that Irina Falconi,  professional tennis player  and family friend,  threw out to me this week, and I rather like it!  If Mr Wren is reading this blog, he may think otherwise,  given I have been doing a lot of ‘galavanting’ recently,  but it’s a great thought for the bucket list! TV cameras on Suzanne Lenglen court I never thought I’d be able to attend Roland-Garros,  let alone sit in some of the best seats in the house. Look at me,  with the same view as you are getting on your TV screens.  Woo hoo! Or how about the time I sat courtside amongst the Ball Boys? Talk about being in amongst all t