The Worple Road venue was the home of the Wimbledon Championships from 1877, but the All England Club moved to their present location in 1922, when the celebrated Centre Court — venue for all this year's Olympic finals — was also built.
The facilities have obviously changed significantly since then though, with the most recent improvement being the sliding roof that was added in 2009, as the main court’s seating capacity reached 15,000. Centre Court is the only playing area to have retained its original home as the club has expanded to 19 championship courts.
For London 2012 only 12 courts will be used, but that will be enough work for the All England Club groundsmen, who have just three weeks to prepare the courts for the first Olympic grass-court tournament in 88 years, after the end of the annual Grand Slam championships.
During the Olympic Games, Wimbledon will host the tennis competition from Saturday 28 July – Sunday 5 August, with more than 30,000 spectators flooding into the historic venue each day. Of course the All England club has plenty of experience in dealing with a two-week influx of tennis fans, so the viewing experience should be highly enjoyable for all those lucky enough to attend.
Preparing Wimbledon for Olympic competition will involve modifying structures already in place, reconfiguring tents as storage and security facilities, adding extra press desks and additional scoreboard facilities.
Situated close to Kew Gardens (a World Heritage Site) and also within easy reach of Richmond Park, Wimbledon is one of the most picturesque parts of south-west London and worth a visit for any Olympic fan.
Capacity: 30,500
Public facilities: The Games Mobility service will be present, plus there is a London 2012 Shop. There will also be London 2012 information points for venue and sports information, refreshment stands, transport updates, lost and found services and pushchair and wheelchair storage.
History: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 and the current venue of the Wimbledon Championships has hosted the tournament since 1922.
What's on? Tennis (July 28th to August 5th)
How do you get there? Public transport would be the best bet, as there is not a park-and-ride facility and local parking is very limited. Tube, rail and tram are all viable options, followed by the 493 bus route. WImbledon and Southfields are the nearest London Underground stops on the District Line, and Wimbledon is the nearest National Rail and Tramlink station.
Location – in relation to other venues: The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon is around 12 miles from the Olympic Park, on the other side of London, in the south west of the capital.
Location – on the tube: Wimbledon or Southfields are the nearest London Underground stops on the District line.
Source: uk.eurosport.yahoo.com
London Olympics 2012: Chelsea and United Contingent Makes Games Cut - ibtimes.co.uk
Athletico Madrid's Adrian Lopez is the third overage player to be included, alongside Mata and Martinez.
Current Valencia full-back Jordi Alba, who is set to join Barcelona this summer, has also made the cut after netting in the final against Italy, despite playing every minute of Spain's victorious campaign in Poland and Ukraine.
"I believe it would be unfair to demand that this team be at the same level as the full national team," said coach Luiz Milla.
"This team has character and a similar playing philosophy but it is a different team under different pressures."
As well as being the two-time European Champions and World Cup holders, Spain are also the Under-21 European Champions having claimed their third title in Denmark in 2011, which confirmed their qualification for the Olympic competition.
Spain will face Japan at Hampden Park on 26 July, Honduras at St James' Park on 29 July and Morocco on 1 August at Old Trafford in their three group matches.
Spain preliminary Olympic squad:
Goalkeepers: De Gea (Manchester United), Robles (Atletico Madrid), Marino (Villarreal)
Defenders: Azpilicueta (Marseille), Alba (Valencia), Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), Dominguez (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Montoya (Barcelona), Botia (Sporting Gijon), San Jose (Athletic Bilbao), Martinez (Real Sociedad)
Midfielders: Thiago (Barcelona), Herrera (Athletic Bilbao), Koke (Atletico Madrid), Romeu (Chelsea), Isco (Malaga), Mata (Chelsea), Muniain (Athletic Bilbao)
Forwards: Adrian (Atletico Madrid), Vasquez (Espanyol), Tello (Barcelona), Rodrigo (Benfica)
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Source: www.ibtimes.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Andy Murray faces fierce test of mettle against Spanish iron man David Ferrer - Daily Telegraph
“I’ve known him and Javier Piles, his coach, for a long time,” Murray added. “I chat to Javier about running a lot — he is an unbelievably fit guy. When we’re at the Miami tournament, at the end of the day he always runs back all the way from the courts in Key Biscayne to where their hotel is.
“It’s like 11 kilometres. And obviously that work ethic has paid off with David.”
Expect this to be a serious test of nerve for Murray, and for the Centre-Court crowd too. There is little to choose between them: They are level on the head-to-head count with five matches each, and in grand slam events it is one win apiece, after Murray’s quarter-final defeat in Paris a month ago.
There are parallels in playing style too, for both men hate giving away freebies.
So far this Wimbledon, they have the lowest unforced error counts among the eight survivors (52 to Murray and 44 to Ferrer), and whenever one of them misses you can see the agony written across his face.
In Murray’s case, this is because he is a uniquely stubborn character, who takes every failing personally.
As for Ferrer, his natural tenacity has been honed by the hard-bitten Piles, who famously locked him in a cupboard as a teenager when he showed insufficient commitment to practise.
The man who emerged from those harsh years of training possesses such superhuman resolve that Ferrer’s cupboard has taken on mythical proportions – making it the tennis equivalent of Peter Parker’s spider-bite, or Batman’s early bereavement. In that cupboard, Piles forged the man whom the Spaniards call “Ferru” – a diminutive that translates to “Iron” in Catalan.
Murray and Ferrer will be second on Centre Court today, which could be handy if there are more showers to disrupt the outside courts.
It is the turn of defending champion Novak Djokovic to battle the elements on the roofless Court No 1, which rather evens things up after Murray had to play through the drizzle in his fourth-round match against Marin Cilic.
After persistent rain had prevented any play after 4.20pm on Monday afternoon, Murray came back at noon yesterday leading by a set and a break.
And he knew there could be no relaxing against Cilic, because the weather radar was predicting interruptions all afternoon.
Murray only had a short window of opportunity to get the job done. To his great credit, he snatched his chance with an emphatic three-set victory: 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.
It was a compelling performance, in which his serve was so dominant that he seemed to be channelling the spirit of Pete Sampras.
The key moment came in the first game of the third set, when Cilic gathered his fading resources to launch one final assault, and succeeded in gaining four set points. Murray rebuffed each one with an unplayable service winner, two of which the Croatian could not even lay a racket on.
With any luck, we can now put the debate over scheduling to bed. Murray has survived his trial by wind and weather on Court No 1, and took a philosophical stance last night about the whole affair.
“I don’t deserve to play all my matches on Centre Court,” he said. “Maybe someone like Roger [Federer does].”
From here on in, he will have the advantage of the roof on his side. But even if the order-of-play subcommittee has faded out of the picture, there could be more trouble ahead, in the shape of the remorseless, implacable David Ferrer.
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
London 2012: Dwain Chambers selected for Team GB - BBC News
Sprinter Dwain Chambers has been included in Team GB's athletics squad for the Olympic Games in London.
The 34-year-old, who won the 100m Games trials, can compete after the British Olympic Association policy of lifetime bans for drug cheats was overturned.
Jessica Ennis, Mo Farah, Phillips Idowu, Dai Greene and Christine Ohuruogu are among GB gold medal hopes.
Only one woman, Lynsey Sharp, is picked for the 800m with 2009 world bronze medallist Jenny Meadows missing out.
Meadows, who had indicated before the team announcement she would appeal if not selected, has decided not to fight the decision.
The 2010 European bronze medallist suffered a setback when she pulled out of this year's Euros before her 800m race in Helsinki on Saturday after aggravating an Achilles injury.
Marilyn Okoro, Emma Jackson and Jemma Simpson were other 800m contenders hoping to run in the women's event.
A total of 71 athletes were added on Tuesday to the six previously-named marathon runners to complete the GB athletics squad, which has been set a target of eight medals, including at least one gold.
Defending 400m title holder Ohuruogu, Ennis (heptathlon and 100m hurdles), Farah (5,000m and 10,000m), Idowu (triple jump) and Greene (400m hurdles) lead the gold medal prospects.
Adam Gemilli, 18, is the youngest member of the squad and one of three athletes picked for the men's 100m alongside James Dasaolu, 24, and Chambers.
Chambers was banned for two years after testing positive for the designer drug THG in 2003.
Chambers records 100 metre trials win
He won the 100m trials in Birmingham in 10.25 seconds - seven hundredths of a second outside the 'A' qualification time required - and did not run in the 100m at the European Championships . However, he ran 'A' times last summer, which the selectors could take into account.
"For me representing my country in an Olympics is a privilege that should never be taken for granted," said Chambers.
"To be given the opportunity to do so in my home town has been a dream that at times has seemed very distant and is now a reality."
One of the toughest choices facing UK Athletics was which of five contenders to pick for the women's 800m.
Three runners could have been chosen and head coach Charles van Commenee said a third of the six-hour selection meeting was taken up by discussing the event before plumping for Sharp, the only one of the five without an A standard time.
"We decided she was the one with best current form. It was difficult because not one of the athletes took control of their own destiny," he said.
Analysis
"Team selections are always going to have people missing and the women's 800m is the most contentious. Charles van Commenee is basically saying the four girls that got the A standard aren't going to be able to produce at the Games, whereas there are probably other people in other events that you could say the same thing about. It's a lack of consistency."
"The athletes made it difficult by not doing what they're supposed to do. Once the selection panel has to spend two hours it's already a bad sign.
"The panel and I are convinced that the athlete selected is the one who has the best chance of performing well at the Games."
Okoro and Jackson have run the 'A' standard this year but finished fifth and seventh respectively at the Olympic trials - won by Sharp, who also claimed a European silver medal.
Meadows, who has not raced this year because of injury, and Simpson achieved the A standard in 2011. Simpson was second in the trials but finished seventh in Helsinki.
A Team GB statement read: "International rules of sport mean an athlete who has achieved the 'B' standard can only be selected if there are no 'A' standard athletes in that event selected to the team."
Shortly before the team announcement, Okoro, who is in the 4x400m team, said on Twitter: "I'm quitting". She later deleted the tweet.
Van Commenee said: "Hearing the news that you are not part, that you can't compete in your favourite event in the Olympics is not easy to digest and it's not easy to give that news.
"When I spoke to her on the phone, she indicated that she would quit. I want to see how that goes in the next few days."
The Dutchman, who has admitted he is braced for a "heap of appeals" from athletes, said it was not easy to leave out Meadows.
"It was very difficult because she has a proven track record. She's absolutely a world-class athlete. However, she has not raced since the [2011] World Championships in Daegu," he said.
Sprinter Richard Kilty said his own exclusion was "an absolute disgrace" after posting two A standard times in the 200m and he planned to appeal.
He said on Twitter: "I am 100% fit, with two A standards, three spots available and they say no, and there's five slower athletes than me in the relay - they have a personal problem with me."
Three athletes are the head coach's own discretionary picks - Nigel Levine (men's 400m), Lee McConnell (women's 400m) and Julia Bleasdale (women's 5,000m).
European high jump champion Robbie Grabarz will make his Olympic debut, while Greg Rutherford has a genuine medal chance in the long jump.
Eilish McColgan, 21, the daughter of former 10,000m world champion Liz, will represent Britain in the women's 3,000m steeplechase.
World bronze medallist Andy Turner has been selected for the 110m hurdles.
Chambers was joined in the squad by another athlete previously barred due to a drugs ban, with Carl Myerscough selected in the shot put.
Myerscough achieved a second B standard in the shot just hours before the deadline by seeking out a minor meeting in Estonia and catching a ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn late on Saturday night.
The athletes selected for Team GB are:
Men
Adam Gemili - 100m and 4 x 100m (age: 18, born: London, lives: Dartford)
Dwain Chambers - 100m and 4 x 100m (age: 34, born: London, lives: London)
James Dasaolu - 100 and 4x100m (age: 24, born: Croydon, lives: Loughborough)
Christian Malcolm - 200m and 4x100m (age: 33, born: Cardiff, lives: Newport)
James Ellington - 200m and 4x100m (age: 26, born: Lewisham, lives: London
Martyn Rooney - 400m and 4x400m (age: 25, born: Croydon, lives: Loughborough)
Conrad Williams - 400m and 4x400m (age: 30, born: Kingston, Jamaica, lives: Hither Green)
Nigel Levine - 400m and 4x400m (age: 23, born: Bedford, lives: Bedford)
Andrew Osagie - 800m (age: 24, born: Harlow, lives: Twickenham)
Michael Rimmer - 800m (age: 26, born: Southport, lives: Manchester)
Ross Murray - 1500m (age: 22, born: Gateshead, lives: Twickenham
Andrew Baddeley - 1500m (age: 30, born: Merseyside lives: London)
Nick McCormick - 5,000m (age: 30, born: Newcastle, lives: Loughborough)
Mo Farah - 5,000m and 10,000m (age: 28, born: Somalia, lives: Portland, USA)
Chris Thompson - 10,000m (age: 31, born: Barrow-in-Furness, lives Oregon USA)
Stuart Stokes - 3,000m steeplechase (age: 35, born: Bolton, lives: Bolton)
Lawrence Clarke - 110m hurdles (age: 22, born: London, lives: Bath)
Andrew Pozzi - 110m hurdles (age: 19, born: Leamington Spa, lives: Bristol)
Andy Turner - 110m hurdles (age: 31, born: Nottingham, lives: Sutton)
Dai Greene - 400m hurdles and 4x400m (age: 26, born: Llanelli, lives: Trowbridge)
Jack Green - 400m hurdles and 4x400m (age: 20, born: Maidstone, lives: Bath)
Rhys Williams - 400m hurdles (age: 28, born: Cardiff, lives: London)
Robbie Grabarz - high jump (age: 24, born: Enfield, lives: Birmingham)
Steve Lewis - pole vault (age: 26, born: Stoke on Trent, lives:London)
Greg Rutherford - long jump (age: 24, born: Milton Keynes, lives: Milton Keynes)
Chris Tomlinson - long jump (age: 30, born: Middlesbrough, lives: London)
Philips Idowu - triple jump (age: 33, born: Hackney, lives: Birmingham)
Mervyn Luckwell - javelin (age: 27, born: Milton Keynes, lives: Loughborough)
Lawrence Okoye - discus (age: 20, born: Croydon, lives Croydon)
Brett Morse - discus (age: 23, born:Cardiff, lives: Penarth)
Abdul Buhari - discus (age: 30, born: Nigeria, lives: London)
Carl Myerscough - shot put (age: 32, born: Blackpool, lives: USA)
Alex Smith - hammer (age:24, born: Hull, lives Hull)
Daniel Awde - decathlon (age: 24, born: Essex, lives Essex)
Dominic King - 50k walk (age: 29. Born: Colchester. Lives: Colchester)
Danny Talbot - 4x100m (age 21, born: Sailisbury, lives: Trowbridge)
Simeon Williamson - 4x100m (age: 26, born: London, lives: Enfield)
Mark Lewis-Francis - 4x100m (age: 29, born: Birmingham, lives: London)
Richard Buck - 4x400m (age: 25, born: York, lives: Loughborough)
Luke Lennon-Ford - 4x400m (age: 23, born: Sutton Coldfield, lives: London)
Rob Tobin - 4x400m (age: 28, born: Lincoln, lives: Basingstoke)
Previously selected for marathon: Scott Overall - (age: 29, born: Hammersmith, lives: Sutton), Dave Webb - (age: 30, born: Leeds, lives: Leeds), Lee Merrien - (age: 34, born: Guernsey, lives: Guernsey)
Women
Abi Oyepitan - 100m and 200m (age: 32, born: London , lives: London)
Anyika Onuora - 100m and 200m (age: 27, born: Liverpool, lives: London)
Margaret Adeoye - 200m (age: 27, born: London, lives: London)
Christine Ohuruogu - 400m and 4x400m (age: 28, born: London, lives: London)
Shana Cox - 400m and 4x400m (age: 27, born: Brooklyn, USA, lives: London)
Lee McConnell - 400m and 4x400m (age: 33, born: Glasgow, lives: Glasgow)
Lynsey Sharp - 800m (age: 21, born: Edinburgh, lives: Edinburgh)
Laura Weightman - 1500m (age: 21, born: Alnwick, lives: Leeds)
Lisa Dobriskey - 1500m (age:28, born: Ashford, lives: Loughborough)
Hannah England - 1500m (age: 25, born: Oxford, lives: Birmingham)
Jo Pavey - 5,000m and 10,000m (age: 38, born: Exeter, lives: Exeter)
Julia Bleasdale - 5,000m and 10,000m (age: 30, born: Surry, lives: Surrey)
Barbara Parker- 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase (age:29, born: King's Lynn, lives: California, USA)
Eilish McColgan- 3,000m steeplechase (age: 21, born: Dundee, lives: Carnousie )
Johanna Jackson - 20km walk (age: 27, born: Middlesbrough, lives: Leeds )
Tiffany Porter - 100m hurdles (age: 24, born: Michigan, USA, lives: London)
Perri Shakes-Drayton - 400m hurdles (age: 23, born: London, lives: London)
Eilidh Child - 400m hurdles (age: 25, born: Perth, lives: Kinross/Bath)
Holly Bleasdale - pole vault (age: 20, born: Preston, lives: Chorley)
Kate Dennison- pole vault (age: 28, born: Durban, SA, lives: Loughborough)
Shara Proctor- long jump (age: 23, born: Anguilla, lives: Atlanta, USA)
Yamile Aldama - triple jump (age: 39, born: Havana, Cuba,lives: London)
Sophie Hitchon - hammer (age: 20, born: Burnley, lives: Loughborough)
Goldie Sayers - javelin (age: 29, born: Newmarket, lives: London)
Jessica Ennis - heptathlon and 100m hurdles (age: 26, born: Sheffield, lives: Sheffield)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson - heptathlon (age: 18, born: Liverpool, lives: Liverpool)
Louise Hazel - heptathlon (age: 26, born: Southwark, lives: Birmingham)
Marilyn Okoro - 4x400m (age: 27, born: London, lives: London)
Nicola Sanders - 4x400m (age: 30, born: High Wycombe, lives: Bourne End)
Emily Diamond - 4x400m (age: 21, born: Bristol, lives: Bristol)
Previously selected for marathon: Paula Radcliffe (age: 38, born: Northwich, Cheshire, lives: Salisbury), Mara Yamauchi (age: 38, born: Oxford, lives: Teddington) Claire Hallissey (age: 29, born: Watford, lives: Virginia, USA)
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
London 2012: Dai Greene lead record Welsh Olympic team - BBC News
World champion Dai Greene will lead the Welsh contingent in Team GB's athletics team as Wales will send a record number of competitors to the London Olympics.
Greene is joined in the 71-strong squad by countrymen fellow 400m hurdler Rhys Williams, sprinter Christian Malcolm and discus thrower Brett Morse.
Now 28 Welsh participants have been named for the 2012 Games - beating the 27 sent to the 1908 London Games.
But 800m runner Gareth Warburton, who ran the Olympic A standard, misses out.
Andrew Osagie, who won the 800m at last month's Olympic trials in Birmingham, is confirmed in the Team GB track and field squad alongside Michael Rimmer.
UK Athletics Head Coach Charles Van Commenee has stated a target of eight medals - including at least one gold - from his team, which also includes the six marathon runners that had already been selected.
Van Commenee's tally would not only double the four medals won at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but would represent Team GB's best result since the 1988 Seoul Olympics when a squad featuring Daley Thompson, Linford Christie, Steve Cram and Welsh 100m hurdler Colin Jackson won eight medals.
Greene, the world and Commonwealth champion, and Malcolm, who is preparing for his fourth Olympic Games, secured their London selections at the Olympic trials when Greene won the 400m hurdles and Malcolm finished second in the 200m.
Williams sealed the third 400m hurdles place alongside Greene and Jack Green by winning the European title in Helsinki last Friday where he ran the Olympic 'A' qualifying standard for a second time.
Both reigning outdoor world champions Greene and long-distance runner Mo Farah will represent Team GB in London and will be joined by former world champion and current double world silver medallist heptahlete Jessica Ennis, who is one 47 Olympic debutants in the squad.
Commonwealth bronze medallist Malcolm, who captained Team GB to their most successful World Championships in 2011, will join Beijing silver medallist long-jumper Philips Idowu at his fourth Olympic Games.
The 33-year-old from Newport will join James Ellington in the 200m and Malcolm is also picked for the 4x100m relay despite dropping the baton during the men's 4x100m final at the European Championships on the weekend.
He joins Ellington, Adam Gemili, James Dasaolu and the recalled Dwain Chambers, who can compete after the British Olympic Association policy of lifetime bans for drug cheats was overturned. , in the relay squad.
Analysis
The men's selection in the 800m is somewhat controversial in that Gareth Warburton is omitted even though there is a spare place alongside Andrew Osagie and Michael Rimmer. I personally feel very sorry for the Welshman, who achieved the 'A' standard (1:45=6) in style with his 1:44.98 win in Oslo. That would have been enough to get him selected by most countries, but UKA requires two such standards - and Gareth fell just 0.20 short when he tried again, without pacemakers, on a slow track in Helsinki.
Morse is picked for his first Olympics despite not gaining the Olympic 'A' qualifying standard but the Cardiff athlete's second placed finish at the trials was enough for qualification.
Warburton, on the other hand, did run the Olympic 'A' standard but missed out on a discretionary place as the Caernarfon 800m runner needed to hit the required standard twice and he finished just fourth at the Birmingham trials.
Greene and Williams will start their Olympic bid on the opening day of athletics events on 3 August at the Olympic Stadium before the 400mh final on 6 August.
Malcolm will look improve on two fifth placed Olympic final finishes when the 200m starts on 7 August, before the 9 August final, while Morse begins on 6 August.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Sussex reach last eight - SkySports
Sussex booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Friends Life t20 after claiming a convincing six-wicket win over Surrey at the Kia Oval.
Surrey, who own hopes of a spot in the last eight were ended with the defeat, could only struggle to 106-6 before rain brought their innings to a premature end after 16.2 overs.
Sussex were given a revised target of 109 from 15 overs, a score they chased down with 20 balls to spare despite Gareth Batty's figures of 3-11.
The hosts were put in to bat and although they made a positive start, a flurry of wickets put the brakes on their hopes of setting a big target.
Steven Davies had shown some promise at the top of the innings but was dismissed for 21 when he carved a wide ball from Chris Liddle straight to Murray Goodwin.
The only other Surrey batsmen to make it into double figures were Zander de Bruyn, who made an unbeaten 30, and Rory Burns, who scored 23 before falling one ball prior to the rain intervened.
Michael Yardy finished as the pick of the bowlers with 2-15 while Will Beer got rid of Kevin Pietersen, who followed his duck against Hampshire the previous night by being caught on the boundary for eight.
Chris Nash set the tone for Sussex's reply as he blasted 22 off the first two overs before top-edging a catch to Davies off the bowling of Stuart Meaker.
Matt Prior plundered 25 off just 10 balls, including a big six off Dirk Nannes, only to be caught on the boundary, while Luke Wright made 32 off 21 balls when he offered a return catch to Batty. But the visitors still eased across the line.
Source: www.skysports.com
Community-funded solar project goes live on Lewes Priory School - thisissussex.co.uk
Non-profit community energy company OVESCO successfully completes its second community-owned solar energy project in Sussex.
The roof of Lewes Priory, a state-owned secondary school in Sussex, now boasts 143 solar PV panels. The £63,000 project was funded by excess community investment in the Harvey's Brewery installation, the first major project of its kind in the UK.
OVESCO, with the help of local company Southern Solar, installed the 37kwp system, which is estimated to generate in excess of 35,000kwh of solar electricity per year.
During term time the school is expected to use most of the energy generated by the system but during school holidays the surplus will be sold back to the National Grid. While the school will save an estimated £3,000 on energy bills, investors in the project will be provided with a return of 4% per annum over the next 25 years.
Changes to the government's feed-in-tariffs (FiTs) resulted in a number of reductions to the rates offered for solar-generated electricity. Fortunately the cost of solar installations has also dropped, enabling the project to proceed with Lewes Priory benefitting from a tariff of 15.2p/1kWh for the energy it generates.
Lewes Priory provides education for 1150 pupils and receives glowing Ofsted reports. OVESCO Director Dirk Campbell said: "Young people are acutely aware of the issues facing the environment and it's important for them to know the older generations are taking action to safeguard their future. We are delighted that the students at the school have shown so much enthusiasm for the project."
Energy efficiency measures, waste recycling schemes and green workshops have long been part of the school's operations. But it wasn't until OVESCO realised its efforts to become more sustainable that it was chosen for the installation.
Tony Smith, Head of Lewes Priory School said: "Our vision for the school was to become more sustainable and community-involved; our pupils really embraced the idea and were keen to do something bigger.
"At the same time the school was under pressure to reduce costs and I struggled to see how we could improve efficiency with little funds. In return for our roof space, the solar installation will reduce our energy costs while supporting a very worthwhile community initiative."
The main driver for change was the pupil-run Eco Group, a student body committed to awareness raising and reducing the school's environmental impact. It was this group that drove demand for the solar energy installation.
Lewes Priory pupil Ayo Okojie, 15, is a member of the Eco Group and a big supporter of renewable energy. She said: "We wrote a letter to OVESCO when we first heard about the scheme. We got the idea because some of us have solar panels installed on our homes and we thought it would be great if the school could have them too."
Head teacher Tony added: "OVESCO and Southern Solar came along at the right time and made things easy. We got on with running the school knowing we were cutting carbon and would soon have more money to spend on learning and resources."
As part of the student engagement process, Southern Solar will host a Lewes Priory School assembly and Q&A, providing pupils with first hand information on the installation and how it works.
Howard Johns, MD of Southern Solar and Director of the Solar Trade Association said: "We're passionate about community-owned energy and working with Lewes Priory presents a great awareness raising opportunity. Education plays an important role in empowering people and communities to generate their own energy and it's something we're keen to support."
OVESCO's long-term plan is to make Lewes District self-sufficient in renewable energy by 2030. Other OVESCO projects under consideration include PV arrays at Barcombe Nurseries and Brickyard Farm and a share in E.On's planned Rampion wind farm.
Globally OVESCO's groundbreaking projects are also attracting attention. Director Chris Rowland was recently invited to speak at a European symposium on low carbon futures.
For more information visit www.ovesco.co.uk or www.southernsolar.co.uk.
Source: www.thisissussex.co.uk
Wimbledon 2012: Roger Federer admits he feared injury would end his SW19 glory bid - Daily Record
Jul 3 2012 By Colin Duncan
Roger Federer Image 1
ROGER FEDERER admits he feared his bid for a seventh Wimbledon title was about to be derailed after suffering an injury scare during his win over Xavier Malisse.
The Swiss master, who needed a medical time-out to have treatment for a back problem, was below-par as he beat the Belgian 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 4-6 6-3 on Centre Court.
But after reaching his 33rd consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final, Federer insisted the injury wouldn’t affect his chances of a record-equalling seventh SW19 triumph.
The 30-year-old Swiss star had eight minutes of physio during the first set, which he secured on a tie-break, before storming through the rain-delayed second.
Malisse won the third but Federer recovered to set up a last eight clash with Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny, who saw off Denis Istomin.
Federer said: “My back is OK, it started to feel better as the match went on.
“When you play on tour for over 15 years the back does hurt at times but you hope it doesn’t come in a big match.
“It was scary but the treatment was a big help.
“I had to apologise to Xavier but it was out of my control. It’s a freak thing that comes and goes.
“I’ve been doing exercises for years. I have a pretty good record with being injury free so if this is the worst then I’m happy. I should be back fine on Wednesday.
“I felt my back going at the beginning of the first set and then I played on it maybe three, four games.
“It must be a mix of playing in the five setter, the two days off and the cold wind.”
Federer was surprised Wimbledon chiefs didn’t close the Centre Court roof prior to his match, given the unsettled weather forecast.
But he used the 46-minute delay to get more treatment on his injury and insisted he was happy to play in the more traditional open-air setting at SW19.
He said: “I’m very pleased that I came through and the rain delay helped me.
“I was surprised they didn’t close the roof but I was glad they kept it open because it is an outdoor tournament.
“We don’t want to play indoors all the time and it’s not that big a deal to come off and on again.”
Source: www.dailyrecord.co.uk
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