THE DOWER HOUSE NEWSLETTER

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The chicks were a great talking point for the whole 10 days that they spent here, with many residents visiting them

1 THE DOWER HOUSE NEWSLETTER Welcome to The Dower House s June Newsletter. Last month we saw the arrival of our chicken eggs, out of the 8 eggs that we received 6 chicks hatched. The chicks were a great talking point for the whole 10 days that they spent here, with many residents visiting them each day to see they had grown. When the pre-school children were here on their weekly visit they enjoyed holding the chicks and talking with the residents about the chicks.

2 The History of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships The championships, Wimbledon, or just Wimbledon as it is more commonly referred to, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and arguably the most famous. Since the first tournament 125 years ago in 1877, The Championships have been hosted by the all England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London and take place over two weeks in late June early July. Of the four major annual tennis tournaments known as the Grand Slams, Wimbledon is the only one to still be played on grass, which is where the name lawn tennis originated. Grass is also the surface which provides the fastest game of tennis. Of the other three, the Australian Open and the US Open are both played on hard courts and the French open is played on clay. In stark contrast to today s sporting extravaganza, the first year of the Championships took place with very little fanfare. The All England Club had originally been called the All England Croquets Club when it opened in 1869, but as the new game of lawn tennis an offshoot of the original indoor popularity at the end of the nineteenth century, the club decided to provide tennis courts for their visitors. On 14 th April 1877 the Club introduced the first of a number of name changes to become the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club. Unlike today s tournament, which involves four junior and four invitation competitions alongside the five main contests the men s single and double matches, the Women s single and double matches and the mixed doubles. The first Wimbledon championships had one event, the Gentlemen s singles. As it was not permissible for women to enter the tournament in 1877, the first Wimbledon champion from a group of twenty-two male competitors was twenty seven year old Spencer William Gore. In front of a crowd of 200, who had paid a shilling apiece to attend; Gore beat his opponent William Marshall in a decisive 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 defeat lasting only forty-eight minutes. As would also be the tradition for many Wimbledon tournaments to follow until a retractable roof was installed over centre court in 2009, the final was postponed due to rain. When it was eventually played three days later the weather conditions had not greatly improved. The game of lawn tennis was still in its infancy at this stage, with players using basic handmade equipment and imprecise strokes, unlike the slick powerful serves and top of the range rackets we see today. However, modern day Wimbledon spectators would be sure to recognise many of the rules of the game which were first introduced by the All England Club s Committee in 1877 as an adaptation of those put in place by the Marylebone Cricket Club, perversely the controlling body of real tennis.

3 Whilst no tournaments were held at Wimbledon during and because of the First and Second World wars, the game continued to grow in popularity. In 1884 the men s doubles competition was introduced and the same year women were also invited to join the tournament. In the fifties the club moved from its original rented sites on Worple road to the larger, present day Church Road site and in 1967 the tournament made history when the event became the first broadcast to ever be televised in colour. Trophies and prize money Following the completion of the five major competitions the winner are presented with the traditional Wimbledon trophies. Having to replace both the Field Cup in 1883 and the Challenge Cup in 1886, the All England Club decided that future trophies should no longer become property of the Championship winners, who would instead receive a replica of the trophy whilst the originals were housed in the Wimbledon museum. For the men s singles winners the trophy was a silver gilt cup engraved with the words The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World and inscribed with the name of winners dating back to In 2009, when there was no more room for the names of future Wimbledon Champions, the addition of a black plinth adorned with a silver band incorporated so that more names could be commemorated. For the ladies singles winners the trophy is as sterling silver salver, known as the Rosewater Dish, which was first introduced in 1886, and for each of the doubles tournaments a silver challenge cup is presented to the winners. Whilst the coveted trophies were highly prized it wasn t until 1968 that prize money was awarded at Wimbledon. This was also the first year that the club allowed professional players to compete. However, surprisingly it was only as recently as 2007 that the prize money for men and women became equal! Wimbledon Fashion The accede outfit of choice for Wimbledon players in the nineteenth century was plain white long-sleeved shirts and trousers for men and full-length corseted white dresses and hats for women. It was not until the 1920s and 1930s that the players, and particularly the female players, began to experiment with their clothing. Shorter skirts, shorts and sleeveless tops were all introduced, some more daringly than others, to provide ease of movement and a sense of individual personality. As far back as the 1930 s the French grand slam winner Rene Lacoste promoted his own eponymous label by wearing his crocodile emblazoned shirts whilst on 3

4 court. However, today Wimbledon is besieged with the current sports logos of choice as tennis outfits seem to be less about comfort or individuality and more often than not, a result of the multi-million pound sponsorship deals with sportswear giants. Indeed even the ball boys and girls have left behind the traditional Wimbledon colours of green and purple and have sported navy and cream uniforms created by the American fashion designer Ralph Lauren since Wimbledon traditions Although much has changed since the Wimbledon Championships were first introduced in 1887, today when we think of Wimbledon fortnight there are a number of traditional images that still spring to mind. The obligatory strawberries and cream (of which it is estimated that 28,000 kilos of English strawberries and 7000 litres of cream are consumed each year!), the white or almost all white dress code which is still a requirement, or the strong ties with the Royal family to name but a few. All of which combined continue to preserve Wimbledon s place both in British heritage and at the forefront of the tennis world. June Activities Monday, 4 th June Johanna and Benno from Pets as Therapy Monday, 4 th June - Knitting Group will be meeting at 11.00am in the conservatory, anyone welcome Tuesday, 5 th June - Keep fit in the drawing room with Lorraine at 11.00am Tuesday, 5 th June Scrabble afternoon in the dining room at 2.45pm Wednesday, 6 th June Kings Worthy Pre-school children will be in the drawing room at 11.00am, everyone welcome Thursday, 7 th June Trip to Merdon Manor, Hursley private garden tour Monday, 11 th June - Knitting Group will be meeting at 11.00am in the conservatory, anyone welcome Tuesday, 12 th June Keep fit in the drawing room with Lorraine at 11.00am Wednesday, 13 th June - Kings Worthy Pre-school children will be in the drawing room at 11.00am, everyone welcome

Thursday, 14 th June Holy Communion in the drawing room at 11.00am with Rev. Tim Selwood Thursday, 14 th June Anytime Club Quiz with Carol in the dining room at 2.

5 Thursday, 14 th June Holy Communion in the drawing room at 11.00am with Rev. Tim Selwood Thursday, 14 th June Anytime Club Quiz with Carol in the dining room at 2.45pm Monday, 18 th June Johanna and Benno from Pets as Therapy Monday, 18 th June - Knitting Group will be meeting at 11.00am in the conservatory, anyone welcome Tuesday, 19 th June Keep Fit with Lorraine in the drawing room at 11.00am Wednesday, 20 th June Kings Worthy Pre-school children will be in the drawing room at 11.00am, everyone welcome Wednesday, 20 th June Lucy from the Dogs Trust will be coming into give a talk Monday, 25 th June - Knitting Group will be meeting at 11.00am in the conservatory, anyone welcome Tuesday, 26 th June - Keep Fit with Lorraine in the drawing room at 11.00am Wednesday, 27 th June Kings Worthy pre-school children in the drawing room at 11.00am, everyone welcome This Month Film s Director Steven Spielberg's epic World War I drama details the remarkable bond between a man named Albert (Jeremy Irvine) and his loyal horse, Joey. Adapted from the novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse follows the growing friendship between man and beast as Albert trains Joey, and then follows Joey on an incredible journey across the English countryside after the pair are forcibly separated. Along the way, Joey touches the lives of everyone he comes into contact with, including British and German soldiers, as well as a kindly French farmer and his impressionable granddaughter. Later, in no man's land, Joey's extraordinary saga winds to a poignant and deeply affecting climax. 5

An opera company filled with retired performers reunite once a year to stage a fund-raiser for their theatre in Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut.

June in the Garden The days are blessed with lots of light well into the evening and most of the days with sunshine and small bouts of rain which brings out the richness, colour, scent and vigour in

Over the last month the garden has really grown. The borders are full and bursting with life; roses popping open, alliums standing tall and bees buzzing between them all.

6 An opera company filled with retired performers reunite once a year to stage a fund-raiser for their theatre in Dustin Hoffman's directorial debut. Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Billy Connolly star. June in the Garden The days are blessed with lots of light well into the evening and most of the days with sunshine and small bouts of rain which brings out the richness, colour, scent and vigour in the garden. The borders are filled with herbaceous perennials, taking over from the spring flowers and the trees have lost their blossom but the leaves have a beautiful colour palette of their own. Over the last month the garden has really grown. The borders are full and bursting with life; roses popping open, alliums standing tall and bees buzzing between them all. The pond is gin clear and on a sunny day you can almost count the fish. The lilies are just about out and I haven t seen a dragonfly yet, but all this is to look forward to. We have lots of colour to come in the garden; we have collected our pre-planted hanging baskets and lots of geraniums and begonias for our pots and they will soon be bursting with lots of colour for all to enjoy. Along by the barn we are growing sweet peas so please feel free to pick some, they really are a summer delight. Our iris bed is late to display this year, but now it s in full bloom - a real show stopper. Over the next month we will be watering, weeding, dead heading and edging the garden to perfection, with the sun on our backs and smiles on our faces!

7 Editor s notes If anyone would like to contribute any articles to the monthly newsletter I would be delighted to receive them. Philippa Thompson General Manager 7

June Quiz 1. Which flower is sometimes referred to as the Lenten lily? 2. Which street was satirised by The Kinks in their 1966 hit, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"? 3.

6. What was the name of the rag doll in the 1950s children's TV series Andy Pandy? 7. Which planet in the Solar System has the most moons? 8.

8 June Quiz 1. Which flower is sometimes referred to as the Lenten lily? 2. Which street was satirised by The Kinks in their 1966 hit, "Dedicated Follower of Fashion"? 3. John Moores University is in which English city? 4. Casting, burnishing and carbonizing are all terms relating to which skill or hobby? 5. Which country is the world's largest producer of olive oil? 6. What was the name of the rag doll in the 1950s children's TV series Andy Pandy? 7. Which planet in the Solar System has the most moons? 8. Which area of Edinburgh, at the end of the Royal Mile, is the location of the Scottish Parliament? 9. Which confectionary brand founded in 1907 by Sydney Herbert Marks, in Essex, is a boy's name spelled backwards? 10. Name the smallest British rodent? 11. Which word, meaning 'small pebble' in Latin, is the mathematical study of continuous change? 12. Whose summer villa is at Castel Gandolfo? 13. What is used as the filling of a summer pudding? 14. Which institution, introduced by Harold Wilson consists of TV and radio lectures and summer school? 15. Which brothers wrote the song summertime?

9 Answer 1. Daffodil 2. Carnaby Street 3. Liverpool 4. Pottery 5. Spain 6. Looby Loo 7. Jupiter 8. Holyrood 9. Trebor 10. Harvest mouse 11. Calculus 12. The Pope 13. Soft Fruit 14. Open University 15. George & Ira Gershwin 9

Every Wimbledon tournament has twenty winners. The greatest tennis players participate in every Wimbledon tournament. The greatest male winners:

Every Wimbledon tournament has twenty winners. The greatest tennis players participate in every Wimbledon tournament. The greatest male winners: Werkstuk door een scholier 1671 woorden 23 mei 2005 6.5 42 keer beoordeeld Vak Engels Introduction & research question The subject of my assignment is Wimbledon. I play tennis myself, so that s one of