- A ball boy stands proudly on Court 19 before the players tread the grass. I have always been impressed by the ball boys and girls who collect and distribute the balls, and cater to a player's whims with a drink or towel. They carry out their duties with precision, speed, and a professional approach that could lead you to think they perform such all year round, and not just for the two weeks of the tournament. Hey, maybe they do. I wonder how many of them are tennis fans, and how many do it just for something to do. I am guessing that most fall in the first camp.
- Net height measuring and checking. I think I would look pretty daft in the uniform, but I must admit though not to my taste they do fit very well with the Wimbledon theme. Ralph Lauren, the boy done good.
- Another ball boy, taking care of business. The business was wiping his cheek and chin after a mishap with his waterbottle. Whilst holding three can-fresh tennis balls he attempted an ambitious last swig of water before play started. His ability to hold the four items seemed quite solid, so perhaps he just thought he was a little bit taller than he actually is (was? Tiswas?). The waterbottle started to eject a thin fast stream of liquid as his grip tightened just before the mouthpiece bumped into the space between his top lip and his nose - a feltrum faux pas if ever there was one. A couple of fumble slips later and he regained his composure, waterbottle back on terra firma, tennis balls held precariously in one hand as his cheek-smudging wipe removed the last traces of evidence. Slick.
- Water tumbling down the mini-stepped course that edges the steps leading down the side of Murray Mump-lump. According to a notice at the bottom, the water is recycled.
It's getting chilly out here now. We have run out of milk. The battery on my laptop is just about to go into life-stretching mode, so I will soon have to go in and put it on the mains. First though, here are some more photos.
- Up at the top of Aorangi Park is a water feature, sectioned so that the levels drop in three or four steps. It is bordered by a low concrete wall at the front, and fans sit on it to watch play on the gigantic screen at the foot of Murray Molehill. Colourful reflections and an interesting fairground mirror effect. The person on the left now has a head resembling a brush.
- The next picture I took with the camera upside down. The umbrella and person have started to fray and come apart, and the photo looks like it has had some Photoshop filter applied.
- When the sun gets low, the view from the Broadcast Centre roof yields shadows that stretch until far longer than their owner. I tried to use a technique of zooming while using a low shutter speed. It sort of worked, but I have seen far superior and more dramatic examples.
Battery power has now hit 17% so inside I go. It is warmer in here, that is for sure, and the laptop is brighter now it is plugged in. More photos...
- Shadow long, bearing witness to the efforts of the player, a frozen moment during a serve.
- At this angle you might not be able to see all the player, but the shadow betrays their shape as they run back and forth.
- Doubles, on Court 18. I wonder how difficult it makes play in such lighting.
- Not the best exposure, but I do like the light.
- Ditto. I am getting tired now, and should be long since snoring.
- A view through the slatted screens that separate the court from one of the main pedestrian thoroughfares that carve up the grounds.
Two final pictures, and as you will no doubt have surmised, are both of flowers that help to dress the grounds so very well. Lovely.
The battery power on my laptop has recovered and is now at 48%. My own batteries are flagging drastically, probably hovering around 20%. So, more lovely to me right now is the thought of, nay, the very act of going to bed, and to sleep. Goodnight.
