Wimbledon 2014

I’ve played tennis since the age of 6 and been a tennis fan in general since before I can remember, but the moment June begins my love for the sport takes a significant leap as, yes, the month of June means the beginning of the world’s biggest- and best- sporting event: WIMBLEDON.

Tennis is the one sport that I can happily sit and watch to its completion, it simply never gets boring. But it’s not just my love of the sport that has me tuning in, but the event itself. It’s quintessentially British, and everything that makes me proud of my nationality. From the strict ‘All-white’ rule, to its traditions, etiquette and popular British pastime of queuing, Wimbledon showcases the best of British.

Going to Wimbledon and sitting on Centre Court watching my favourite tennis stars battle it out, under the unusually hot British sun with my strawberries and cream in tow, is placed high upon my Bucket List. When that day finally comes- and it will, I assure you- I want to be prepared. So, I have put together a little collection of my favourite outfits worn by celebrities and TWAGS (as they are now referred to). Take a peep….

 

 

 

 

Wimbledon has also become synonymous with the classic pairing of Strawberries and Cream. To give a modern twist on this traditional Wimbledon custom, I have found a recipe (courtesy of BBC Good Food) to try out in preparation of the day for WHEN it comes.

Strawberry Cheesecakes

Ingredients

• 85g low-fat biscuits (we used Weightwatchers ginger biscuits)
• 200g tub extra-light soft cheese
• 200g tub 0% fat Greek yogurt
• 4 tbsp caster sugar
• few drops vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp good-quality strawberry jam
• 100g strawberries, hulled and sliced

 

Method

1. Put the biscuits in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have chunky crumbs. Divide between 4 glasses or small bowls.
2. Beat the soft cheese, yogurt, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, then spoon over the crumbs and chill until you are ready to serve.
3. Stir the jam in a bowl until loose, then gently stir in the strawberries. Divide the strawberries between the cheesecakes and serve.

 

 

The Fault in Our Stars

Everyone had kept going on about The Fault in Our Stars and how wonderfully beautiful it was, and how I just HAD to read it. But it was the large-scale hype surrounding it which actually put me off picking it up and reading it. See, I’m a little strange in that I don’t like to do/try/read/watch something just because everyone else is saying I should (some call this being stubborn, I like to call trying it be different). So, just like Breaking Bad, I shrugged it off and vowed neither to read nor watch the story.

However, in true ‘me-style’, I caved. I had finished reading another book and in an effort to keep my brain working now that exams and Uni are finished for the summer I took a trip to a bookstore and did exactly what I said I wouldn’t do; I bought the book.

And now I’m here urging you- like my friends did unto me- to read.this.book. I loved it. Since the days of my English Literature A levels, I haven’t really read a book in the same, ‘normal’ way, as I now choose to analyse it; the language, the meanings and the characters.

The Fault in Our Stars is a true modern-day tragedy. It’s ridiculously romantic, but not in the conventionally traditional ‘Romeo and Juliet’ kind of way. The two main characters, Hazel and Augustus, have such similar personalities, with a striking wit and flare for sarcasm and are uniquely gifted in their ability to formulate some highly-intellectual comebacks, that their dialogue is so entertaining. And both, as they discuss within this dialogue, have their own hamartia's.

John Green doesn’t mean for the book to be just one thing, i.e. to be labelled as being a romance novel, or just a sad story. Just like the actual storyline, he pushes for it to be a telling of reality whereby there exists the pursuit of love, a few tragic and saddening parts, but also parts which warm the heart and make you laugh out loud.

He, through the characters he creates and their amazing dialogue; through the use of ‘reality’ within an entirely fictional tale, creates a uniquely compelling story which leaves you feeling somewhat content with your own life but at the same time forces you to contemplate on how quickly and how dramatically life can change.

Before you all don your scuba goggles as I start to plummet to crazy depths, I’ll stop in an effort to avoid ruining the story for you all (as I know you are now desperate to read it). But honestly, while the book didn’t necessarily- and cheesily- ‘change my life’, it did leave me in a continually contemplative mood, and even with a blocked nose, a blinding headache and a sore throat, I vowed to stop ever feeling down about my life as, truly, however bad life got, it could ALWAYS be worse.