My last ever ATP World Tour finals for Sky Sports

Up on top of the O2

I have just finished working on Sky Sports' last ever tennis event, the ATP World Tour Finals, for the foreseeable future. Maybe one day it will come back but for now the global giant Amazon has taken it on.

I was fortunate to be asked to do my first ATP back in 2009. In those days we had a tiny studio and even tinier make up area if you can call it that. It was a set up on a chair outside the studio with limited lighting. I shared the space with the lighting director, an air conditioning unit and spare camera kit - luckily we got on.

Eventually we moved across the way to a larger studio and I was able to secure a little more space (although not much) with better lighting. I would do Annabel’s hair and makeup at the hotel in the comfort of my room and do the guys at the location.

We had two sessions per day which always seemed to run over giving us a slap dash break for dinner and then a rush to get to a news cross down on the court side, then another dash to the fan zone for the evening show opener. The Evening sessions would often overrun and we’d be lucky to see our beds before midnight. We've also had some great guests over the years including Peter Fleming, Boris Becker, Judy Murray, Pat Cash, Jamie Delgado, Lleyton Hewitt, Lindsay Davenport and Marion Bartoli, to name just a few.

Marcus, Annabel and Greg

Last year the fan zone area disappeared due to the construction of a shopping centre within the O2 dome which opened this year as the Icon Outlet. No more running to various locations with indigestion. For our last 8 days of broadcasting they cut the screen time for the presenters giving us an altogether much more relaxed experience with a proper meal break every day. This was also probably the first year we didn’t overrun on any matches – most were done in 2 sets.

On our last day, the presenting team, a producer, cameraman and I had the opportunity to walk over the top of the O2 to film the opener for the finale. We couldn't have asked for a better day. If you ever get the chance to do it, I would highly recommend it. Safety is obviously the primary concern so we had to watch a video, wear all the gear including safety harness and boots before embarking on the 15 minute climb which begins with a flight of stairs. The view from the top was amazing – albeit blowing a bit of a gale up there on the day. The descent felt a little harder as there are no stairs on the other side and quite a steep drop on the last bit to negotiate. We had a very experienced team of guides to help us along the way and never once felt nervous or insecure.

Annabel transformed

Back on the ground again, we had to prepare for the final show. Annabel's windblown hair and make up had to be redone and Marcus and Greg groomed for the camera.

After a decade of epic finals, it was a fantastic way to end our last show watching a relative newcomer, 21 year old Alexander Zverev beat the number 1 Novak Djokovic in 2 straight sets.

The end of an era, I will always treasure my memories from the US Open and the ATP World Tour and will miss working with such a fab team of people.

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We stayed at Novotel Canary Wharf, just one stop away on the Jubilee line.




 

Three days on the Suffolk coast with the Holiday Hound

Scout enjoying a swim

Generally when I think of the beach, I think of hot summer days lazing on a sun lounger and going for cooling dips in the ocean. I also think of walking along a beach on darker days, rugged up against the cold wind. Both of these scenarios are equally appealing to me for very different reasons.

I love to get away at any time of year, but particularly in the autumn before a long stint of work and the lead up to Christmas. Now that I have a dog, I like to use this break so I can take him too. I decided that the beach would be just perfect given that the crowds would be gone and he could run freely and have a swim if he fancied it. He absolutely loves the water.

The coastline of the UK has many options but I wanted something within about a 2 hour drive away from London. I chose Aldeburgh, a town which has inspired artists and writers and most notably composer Benjamin Britten. 

Virginia Woolf once dismissed it as a “miserable dull little sea village”, and that’s what locals want you to think – for they know it’s anything but.

I had been a few times before and loved it. Dogs are allowed on most beaches in Suffolk with restrictions from May through September on the most popular ones so it seemed the right fit.

Sunset - Hazlewood Marsh

I found a delightful place to rent through the Rural Retreats website. They have a lot of dog friendly self catering properties on offer and as I had used them before I knew I'd find something reliable and suitable. We were based in a one bedroom ground floor apartment overlooking the Hazlewood Marsh and only a few minutes away from Aldeburgh town and beach. It was the perfect retreat - peaceful and serenely quiet - a home from home. The sunsets over the marsh were simply beautiful.

We were extremely lucky with the weather. It could have gone either way at this time of year and I didn't particularly mind which way - it is what it is - but it was gloriously sunny and clear which made the cold temperatures that much easier to bear.

Scout loved the beach which was devoid of people until later in the day - he even went in for a swim until a wave broke over him and he body-surfed to the shore. I'm not sure he knew what hit him and although it didn't stop him, he was a bit cautious after that!

Our exploring took us north a few miles to the beautiful Suffolk town of Southwold. We walked from the pier along the beach towards the centre of town. Here there were families, children and dogs playing in the autumn sunshine. There are a number of iconic British beach huts along the sea front, all brightly painted and decorated. These are available to rent in the summer and as expected booked up well in advance. During a day at the seaside, a beach hut is the perfect place to shelter away from the midday sun or to change out of your wet bathers before enjoying a well-earned refreshment! 
 
We had lunch at the Sole Bay Inn, right next to the Southwold Lighthouse, which is open to visitors on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays between 2-4pm. I didn't think it was quite Scout's thing so we walked into town and back along the beach again.

The sun went down by 4.30pm each day so we always got back to the apartment before it got dark. We had a large garden to access which was great for Scout and he had more than his usual share of exercise. In the evenings we catered for ourselves and relaxed in front of the fire watching movies on Netflix. 

The next day we went north again and just a few minutes away to Thorpness. It was quite windy and the beach was deserted. Scout was in his element once more, in and out of the water and didn't seem to mind being wet and windblown. 

It was our last full day and we knew of dog friendly pub, the Plough and Sail, in the town of Snape Maltings and made our way there, although we didn't end up staying as the outside area was not to our liking on the day. That's not to say I wouldn't go back. Right next door was a cafe with outdoor seating in full sun so we opted to have lunch there instead. The town is located in an 'area of outstanding natural beauty' on the River Alde, and I would really like to go back there again. 

After checking out of our accommodation on Sunday morning, we went back in to Aldeburgh to give Scout his last run on the beach. I think he knew we were leaving as he didn't want to come back when called.
We also wanted to go back to our favourite find, a little cafe (sadly the name escapes me) just off the seafront down a little lane towards the High Street and opposite the Garage Gallery. They served delicious Mozzo coffee which I had never heard of before and looked forward to it everyday.

A long weekend break can be as good as a week off. It's great to get out of the city and your regular life to experience something completely different, yet still keep a little normality of that life in a home away from home. I think a few more of these may be on the cards.