What A Raquet

An entry to Sepia Saturday. "Using old images as prompts for new reflections".

 Photo of 1880 from the International Centre of Photography, New York

Subjects and photographer unknown

I came across this photograph by chance while looking for something else, irresistible to use this week. I can't decide if this is a hallway or a backdrop but they are having fun with this whimsical shot.  Who knows they may be about to run out of the door and start batting balls about.  Peering through those strings is a similarity of face that makes me think they are a family.  The boy's clothing at the back makes him looks as though he could have wandered in from the 21st century to join the photographic experience.

From one posed shot to another

which featured in the Picture Show Annual 1938 captioned "Dolores del Rio and her bull terrier, Michael, are inseparable, and he even accompanies here to the tennis courts".  Maybe a pooch like this is also useful for retrieving tennis balls.

Dolores del Rio (1905-1983) had a long career in film, theatre and television although at the time of this photo, at the end of the 1930s, was not finding roles in Hollywood and continued her career in Mexico for the next two decades, returning to the US in 1960 to make 'Flaming Star' starring Elvis Presley.  George Bernard Shaw was quoted as saying the two most beautiful things in the world were the Taj Mahal and Dolores del Rio.  Despite it being said her beauty routine was that of a diet of orchid petals and sleeping 16 hours a day

she seems to have fitted in a certain amount of racket sports.  The date is 1935 when del Rio filmed two musical comedies 'In Caliente' and 'I Live for Love',  both with the musical choreography by Busby Berkeley, and who can resist those elaborate kaleidoscopic and slightly wacky numbers he produced.   The photo looks as though it may have been taken on a film set, everyone seems dressed for hot weather apart from the suited man, not that Dolores

couldn't play in a suit herself although goes for the comfort of kicking off her shoes here.  Lastly

 Zsa Zsa Gabor and John Hann, Long Beach TTA President

we enter the world of Zsa Zsa Gabor.  Not sure what husband number she is up to at the time of this photograph but she is dressed for any occasion, those puff sleeves serving to distract her opponent as she flips the ball across the net.   

Table Tennis photographs from Larry Hodge's addictive "Celebrities Play Table Tennis" page.

ABC Wednesday - Activity

Are you ready for some aerobic activity?  Not aquarobics, this canal water might be nice for Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard)  but a bit murky for my taste.  But notice our mariner has a bike at the ready on the front.

A perfect way to journey through the countryside.  This old railway line would give a great non impact aerobic workout improving the distribution and consumption of oxygen and so improve the hear rate.  Not to mention enhance well being.

Unfortunately I have no pictures of Aqua-cycles but if your legs need a rest what about a canoe.  This was a team relay race on the River Severn. For a real work out maybe a team game of

Rugby League if you want an adversary and if you don't mind being battered and bruised.  A mix of aerobic and anaerobic and an action packed game for the spectator.

Relaxing to be spectators by accident as we sat on a rock in the sunshine, having a late lunch on the mountain side, and watched the participants on the Walna Scar track in the last stage of the triathlon a 9km run down to Coniston. They had already swum the lake for 1.5 km and taken a 28 km bike ride.  These were the stragglers but the ones in front looked remarkable fresh.

Later in the day these two were out for a bit of activity, a chat and a run. Fell running is a popular sport in the area and this is a nice soft track for training.

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The perfect aerobic activities are cycling, swimming, rowing, running, walking and hiking. So lastly some walkers coming down Wetherlam, the reward, to go up again to Swirl How to get to the next peak, a bit of agility required to negotiate the rocks.  Some people are more adept than others in bouncing from rock to rock.

Are you ready to strap on your trainers or do you just feel like a nice sit down

when you can throw a ball at a dog and watch

its anticipation before bounding off.  Dogs are big on activity.

The abode of ABC Wednesday and its many participants can be found here.  There will be lots more

words starting with A.

Carnegie Challenge Cup

There was much excitement in the Rugby League side of town when we drew a Super League team in the 4th round of the Challenge Cup. The day came when Wigan came to Craven Park and the crowds turned out. 6,275 people crammed into the ground, I had not seen it this full for many years.

Popular Side Supporters

The whistle blew and the game set off at a cracking pace and the score ping ponged backwards and forwards, 0-6, 6-6 (Liam Finch try) 6-10, 12-10 (James Nixon try, Paul Noone conversion hey we could win this) 12-14, 14-14, 14-20. The crowd was buzzing as half time came.

Stopping Wigan scoring

So near to another Barrow try

Wigan came out in the second half having obviously having had a good telling off in the changing rooms and put Barrow under pressure but we stood up well. 14-24, 18-24 (Liam Campbell try), 20-24 (Noone Penalty) but now comes the twist of fate. A long pass to Finch had set Harrison in for a try, we were ecstatic, the referee was about to give it but the touch judge called a forward pass (not only we thought this was a good pass, none of the Wigan players had appealed for a forward pass). A few more pieces of bad luck and Wigan's Karl Pryce scored a try and we were 20-28.

The end result was Barrow Raiders 20 Wigan Warriors 32. There was going to be no giant killing on this day but it was an entertaining match and the crowd cheered to the rafters on the final whistle. The team had done us proud with their non-stop running and tackling. The man of the match was Liam Finch but all 13 players and the 4 substitutes were magnificent.