Retro Food For Modern Times – The Pimms Cup – Anyone for Tennis?

It is safe to say that if was a Spice Girl, I would almost definitely not be Sporty Spice.

I am a) too lazy, b) too uncoordinated and c) not enough of a team player for most sports.  Back in the day though, I was a fairly nifty tennis player.  My secret weapon was a killer backhand drive that no one ever saw coming – primarily because the rest of my game was fairly weak.  I would lull my opponents into a false sense of security then unleash the beast!

I still have a soft spot for tennis though and with Wimbledon starting last week, my thoughts turned to all things tennis related.  Turns out, my fondness for tennis goes beyond the merely athletic though. So, here are my top three tennis related things that don’t actually involve a racket or ball.

Fred Perry Sportswear, particularly the Amy Winehouse Collection:

2.  The Poem, A Subalterns’s Love Song by Sir John Betjeman

3. The Pimms Cup

Pimms is a herbal liqueur and the official drink of Wimbledon.  The Pimms Cup, as with Fred Perry Sportswear and John Betjeman poetry is as British as British can be. It was first made in an oyster bar owned by James Pimm in London in 1840 and has pretty much been made ever since.

The recipe is as easy as pie – Pimms, lemonade or ginger ale or both, plenty of ice and garnished with cucumber, lemon and borage flowers if you can find them. I couldn’t so I used mint instead.

It is light, summery and a perfect drink for whiling away a summer afternoon whilst reading some Betjeman or watching a few sets!

I’m going to be spending my week staying up late to watch Wimbledon, enjoy your week, whatever you do! And let me know which Spice Girl you’d be!