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Bermuda Blog
Sue Matthew, the world number 6's mum, in Bermuda ...

Since I last wrote Nick has won a quarter final match and lost a semi final. Greg was fantastic and thoroughly deserves his place in the final, and I guess he's pleased that it wasn't the usual brutal 5 setter so that he has something left for today. Nick has acquitted himself well out here in reaching the last four and we are very proud of him.

So, back to our adventures... yesterday we took a bus out to the other end of the island ... to St George, which dates back to 1612. I'm interested in that period and am working on Shakespeare's 'Tempest' back in my other life as a teacher; it's about a shipwreck circa 1612 and an unexplored island, so the parallels are there with Bermuda. St George has lots of narrow streets and old, old buildings, wooden stocks, its own wooden boat of the time and a statue of an Elizabethan merchant, so there were plenty of pictures taken to use later in class. We had a late lunch in an old waterside tavern and the sun blazed down on us after the earlier rain. Again, lovely.

On our way to St George we stopped off at the Crystal Caves .. another wonderful experience. The caves were discovered when 2 boys playing cricket lost their ball in the dense undergrowth. When searching they discovered the hole that led down into a massive cave system with stalactites (ceiling) and stalagmites (floor) and other curiosities that I don't know the names of, that were millions - yes, millions - of years old! It is magnificent down there, quite breathtaking and very beautiful. When we came out we got drenched in a torrential downpour but soon dried out when the sun began to shine again.

Before I finish my first ever blog, I want to say something about the staff here at the hotel, in particular, Rudi, Melody, Oudi and Lanka (not sure I've spelt those quite right). They have been fantastic all week; nothing has been too much trouble for them. They greet us in the mornings like old friends and have really done more than just their job. They have moved to the beach bar in the daytime and then to the venue at night, and even late, when they must be tired after their long day, they have still smiled and made a fuss of us...thanks, guys!

So it's the final tonight and then home tomorrow night. Back to the cold, wet, windy UK winter. It's been a wonderful week and I wouldn't have missed it for the world (that's not meant to be a pun!) Arrive in the UK Monday morning, then the journey from Gatwick to the north, get the winter woollies out again, and prepare for work on Tuesday. Aagh !!!!!!

I'll never forget this trip, though, and how close I was to not coming at all !!

Thanks to everyone who has patiently waded through my adventures. I hope it helped to give you a taste of this magical island too.

Till next time (?!)

It's been a couple of days since the last edition so I have some catching up to do.

Yesterday started with another memorable bus ride. As rain was forecast (I'm sure that readers in colder climes will be delighted to hear that), we decided to go over to the Royal Navy Dockyard area at the end of the island going west. So we caught the bus out there. Now, I've already said that the drivers are great - very courteous and very slow, as all the traffic is here.

Well, we had a driver who thought she was Sandra Bullock in 'Speed' ! We went round the narrow corners at hair-raising speeds and at one point I was thrown to the opposite seat! We finally arrived just about in one piece but with frazzled nerves.

The Dockyard is worth a visit...a small shopping mal, glassworks complete with blowers demonstrating their skills, a ceramics workshop and the old barracks / museum / olde pub, with its own brewed beer, and the Commisioners residence high up on the rock with 360 degree views and protected by huge cannons. Very nice. It was interesting to see the history of slaves, convicts (who built it all and lived on prison ships), and Bermuda's role in two world wars. During the afternoon the heavens opened and the rain fell hard ... not cold, dark rain like ours in England, though.

When we'd finished we caught a very fast catamaran to Hamilton and were just heading to the bus terminal when we heard 'Hedley Matthew! What are you doing here?' When we turned around there was an old friend from Dallas, Ken Stillman, an ex-president of USSRA, now representing Pan-America in WSF. Small world.

We first met Ken many years ago and Nick has spent time with his family in Texas as a junior. Ken also visited Sheffield for the World Masters in (I think) 1996. With Ken were two people from Yorkshire. To those who don't know, Yorkshire is the biggest county in England and Yorkshiremen (and women) are very proud of their heritage.

Jamie and Sarah get one holiday a year and they use it to go to watch squash! Last year it was the world open in Cairo and this year Bermuda. Needless to say, Jamie is squash mad and Sarah tags along!!!! We then headed to the venue to watch the new sport of squash on ice. I'm relieved to say that Nick won again.

Today (Wednesday) was the day for the scooters. Enough said about that as I'm under strict orders not to mention it! Suffice to say, I apologise for laughing at David (Pearson) the other day. We had a very hot couple of hours on the beach before the storm clouds came over and then a bite to eat before getting ready for James v Nick.

I won't enjoy the match, I'm sure, because I get too nervous.. like to be there for Nick, but would be happy to be somewhere else until it's all over! Love both of them to bits and it's painful to think that only one of them will progress to tomorrow.

So on that note I'll finish and head off for the venue ... the rest, as they say, will be history.

Well, here's the second edition, a bit late, but you must understand that I've been very busy.... yesterday (Monday), Hedley, or Deadly (Ali Walker) or Ledley (can't say who) went again to the Bermuda Squash Club to watch four first round matches, whilst his sister (another Sue) and I went exploring in Hamilton, the capital.

We went on the bus and immediately got a taste of this superb island. We caught the hotel shuttle to the main road where we would catch the bus into Hamilton...when the bus dropped us off, there, 30 metres away was the other bus at the stop about to pull out. We started running, filled with dread.

Those of you who travel on buses in England (or at least, Sheffield) will understand why...as we neared the bus we expected to see a hand waving us goodbye as the bus pulled out. But no, here in Bermuda they wait for you! And the driver actually greets you and tells you not to rush! During the journey, the same driver leapt out of his seat to help a lady with baby and pushchair get on the bus. This is what it's like here. Everyone is so pleasant and polite...and nothing is too much trouble.

Hamilton was lovely, like a little bit of old England plus the sunshine. We ambled around, browsed the shops, sat in the park overlooking the water. They are putting up the Xmas decorations in the streets and across the main street was a decoration reading 'Peace on Earth' and I thought, Yes I can believe it here.

After an exhausting (!) shop, we decided that a cup of tea was in order and sat on a verandah in an Irish pub where we got talking to an American couple who had arrived only that morning.

They were called Fred and Mary Chalker and hailed from Florida... this was a holiday in cooler climes for them! Anyway, to cut a long story short, they had tickets for the squash, so we instructed them to be there in time for 6 o'clock to cheer Nick on! After this, we caught a taxi to the club to meet up with Deadly and watch a match, then taxi back to the hotel, after laughing at DP on his scooter.

So, at 5.45 we were in the venue waiting to watch Nick.

I'm always terribly nervous and would actually be far better off somewhere else doing something else.

One way to relieve the tension, though, is to get hold of two of the long balloons that they are giving out here. They're great - when you clap them together sideways, they make a loud clanking noise like tin cans.

Great idea, great fun...except that in Nick's game I must have got carried away because one of mine started to droop - story of my life! Fred and Mary were there, as were Warren and Simon (see issue 1) and the icing on the cake was that Nick won so I was happy.

We watched the other matches and collapsed into bed exhausted. So don't any of you think that we are having it easy over here!

Farewell until tomorrow,

Sunday night

Well, been here a whole day now and I'm still pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming this! What a gorgeous place, what a wonderful set up...I'm sure that at 7am tomorrow I'll wake up and climb into my car on a dreary wet dark morning to drive to work and this will all have been a dream.

Excuse me, but I only found out three weeks ago that I was coming (thankyou, boss) and I still can't quite believe it.

Had a relaxing day today after the long journey yesterday, so when Hedley set off for the squash club somewhere else this morning (keen as hell - like he doesn't see enough squash or something), his sister Suzanne and I hit the pool area for a couple of hours, then Horseshoe beach for the afternoon. The sun beat down and it was just divine. Still, I guess squash fans don't want to know about that...

On the plane yesterday we were sitting next to two guys, Warren and Simon from Cleethorpes and Cumbria respectively. They were coming over to help out, carrying players bags etc. Nice work if you can get it. There they were at the squash club today when Hedley turned up, beavering away, working hard. They didn't know about SquashSite so I put them straight on that (you can pay me later Steve), and I hope Steve got a photo of them today to go with this [no, but coming right up !!!].

I always enjoy going to PSA events, because it's so nice to see all the players. I've known many of them for years - from the juniors onwards- and I'm very fond of them all. Many have stayed with us when they've come to Sheffield either for tournaments or training and they always look after me, make sure I'm ok ... very thoughtful, sweet.

Many of them have got the mandatory scooter already and I'm thinking that maybe in a couple of days I might join them and give it a go. Will probably fall off like Nick did the first year he came here ... not a sensible thing to do when you've got games of squash to play!

Anyway, a day on the beach has left me exhausted so until tomorrow, au revoir (unless I'm sacked, that is)