The tennis season is upon us

I mentioned before that tennis seems to be a sport for the richer people.

I've no idea why, it's not expensive for kids to play. COG is in a good club but it's only about £50 a year for her membership.  She doesn't have to be a member, it just means she can play in tournaments. The group lessons are £5 a time with a small discount for members. Tournament matches cost between  £1 and £12 to play. So far this isn't different to football or dancing and it is a lot cheaper than riding or karate. So why are 90% of the girls COG plays with at private school? Admittedly where I live there is an abundance of private schools but the tennis club is opposite a state school. 

I suspect a lot of the eliteness is self perpetuating. Rich mums with big cars in designer shades all sit together on their designer throws being upper class polite.

I on the other hand am the parent of the state school child who arrived in a rush in my gardening clothes because I'd rather do gardening in the few hours prior to a match than put on Chanel.

As we ran out the door to go to the match, I grabbed some milk, tea, coffee etc just in case, like a good guider would. 

'Wang that in the fridge for me' I said as I passed the milk over to Chanel Mummy who was stood near the fridge when I arrived. I could have been speaking Polish and obviously had crawled from under a stone given the way she looked at me! 

The beautiful handbags were zipped up tight and pulled a little closer as I made a cup of tea and wandered outside to a corner of shame.

It is a shame, but I don't understand why it's so exclusive. Day to day the club is a lovely place to be, people are friendly, polite and welcoming but match day visiting mummys, well they turn me into a paranoid person feeling unworthy as I watch the tournament circuit parents help little darling Dylis carry 10 rackets to the court like it's bloody Wimbledon.

I feel my northern working class roots rise up from under the pretend middle class framework I've slowly built around me and I become an unworthy emotional wreck.

I wonder if it does the same to others and that's why so many state school kids stop going in the end. 

COG? No she's never showed any signs that she feels uncomfortable. She's friends with all these girls. She doesn't have the concrete block of a working class struggle of a childhood tying her down. She is comfortable in her skin and her surroundings. Good for her. She is such a cool kid. But even with all my unworthy feelings, I'm taking the credit for my cool kid.

It takes a cool parent to recognise a cycle and break it.

They won't break me though, I decided to add a touch of common to the crockeried snacks by throwing down 2 packets of jaffa cake bars.  The Chanel Mummy shudders were worth every penny of the £1 they cost!