Latest news with #WestByfleet
The Guardian
25-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Andy Murray: ‘I don't have any plans to go to Wimbledon. I don't go to watch tennis as a fan'
Andy Murray has always had a way of creating alchemy on a tennis court. But, even in retirement, he is discovering new tricks. For more than an hour he has little kids from West Byfleet junior school transfixed as he coaches them through the joys of mini-tennis. There are swings and wild misses, gentle advice and high fives. In fact Murray is so locked in, he even makes his familiar power-exhale noise while he gently lifts the ball over a tiny net. In short, he is a natural – even if he doesn't quite see it that way himself. 'I think they were just buzzing to get a few hours out of the classroom to be honest,' he says, typically self-effacing, as he chats during a quick break. 'But it's great. I love seeing kids on a tennis court having fun.' That includes his four children. Although he indicates that none of them have the desire or talent to be the next Andy Murray. 'They're not good tennis players,' he says, smiling. 'But my eldest daughter had her first school match yesterday. I hit a couple of balls with her in the morning. She was saying to me, 'oh, I'm terrible' and she was laughing about it. But she actually went undefeated. She and her partner won their matches. We were a bit surprised at her level being that high. So they all hit a little bit, but not a whole lot.' Murray is in West Byfleet to promote an LTA and government initiative that has led to more than 3,000 dilapidated park tennis courts being brought back to life in three years. It is something that clearly matters deeply to him. 'When I was growing up, a lot of the park courts around where we lived were almost unusable with broken nets and weeds growing out the ground,' he says. 'So to have 3,000 more courts just gives more people an opportunity to play. If you want more players at the top, this is where it starts.' With that, Murray's thoughts inevitably turn to Wimbledon. Although he admits that now his playing days are behind him, and his coaching stint with Novak Djokovic has ended, it will take something special to lure him back to the All England Club this year. 'I don't have any plans to go,' he says. 'I'm not working there. I don't go to watch tennis as a fan. But if one of my kids wanted to go along and watch, I obviously would take them. Or if a British player made the final I would go. I went to the Djokovic v Alcaraz final a couple of years ago, just because I had a feeling it was going to be a great match. But I won't be there otherwise.' Given Jack Draper's form, Murray may have to change his mind and he is clearly impressed with the 23-year-old's development. 'I'm not surprised that he's up there,' he says. 'I trained with him quite a bit when he was younger, and he's very good. He has a brilliant game. He's a big guy, lefty, with a big forehand and a really consistent backhand. He also moves really well for a big guy. 'He just had lots of niggles and various injury issues. But this year he's been fit for the majority of the season and his ranking is where it should be and where it deserves to be.' Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Murray is also too smart to offer advice in public to Draper – not least because when he was coming up he had the likes of Greg Rusedski making suggestions that weren't always helpful. 'I try to stay away from that,' he says. 'Because I just know from when I played Wimbledon the first few times that it was really hard when you had ex-British No 1s, or people that you've watched on the TV and looked up to, making public comments. 'And if I say, 'this is what Jack should do', I'm pretty sure that when he goes to Wimbledon, he will be getting told, 'Andy said that you should do this'. And sometimes that advice is contrary to what your coach is telling you. But I would obviously speak to him and his coach privately.' However, Murray is optimistic about the state of British tennis, with Jacob Fearnley also coming through and three women – Emma Raducanu, Katie Boulter and Sonay Kartal – all in the world's top 50. 'We're going well at the moment,' he says. 'Jack's done very well. Emma's a grand slam champion. Sonay's had a brilliant year. And what Jacob has done in the last year is not quite unprecedented, but it's very impressive. To come out of college and be around the top 50 is great to see.' For now, though, Murray admits he is likely to spend more time working on his golf game than watching tennis. Especially now his handicap, which was seven last year, has come down. 'It's not seven any more,' he says. 'I'm two now. I was a bit better than that, but recently I've been struggling. So yeah, my handicap is going in the wrong direction.' But didn't he nearly win his club championship recently? 'I don't know about nearly won,' he shoots back. 'I was one shot behind the leader on the middle of the 13th fairway on the second and final day. But I didn't manage to get it done.' When it comes to ex-players Murray reckons that Tim Henman, who is off scratch, is the one to beat. 'I played with him on Monday,' he says. 'Wimbledon had a golf day with some of the players. He played, along with Alcaraz, De Minaur and Lleyton Hewitt. We were in different groups but Tim played very well. He's really, really good.' Before he leaves, Murray wants to get a final message across: that he is backing the LTA's call for more government funding to provide 40 covered tennis, padel and multisport facilities, especially in areas of highest social deprivation. 'It is essential in this country for the winter months,' he says. 'Because the weather is not great, particularly up north. It's tough. It's not easy to go out and want to run around when it's freezing cold and raining. So more covered courts will make a big difference.' It is a message that is soaked in Murray's upbringing in Scotland. But, as you watch him high five another excited child, you realise it comes from the heart too.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Post Office scandal victim upset by £60k bill for legal fees
A former Surrey sub-postmistress who was wrongly jailed while pregnant during the Post Office's Horizon IT scandal says she has been caused "great upset" by a demand of £60,000 for legal Misra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, was one of more than 900 sub-postmasters convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting based on faulty computer data between 1999 and Nick Gould worked on a pro bono basis to get her conviction overturned in 2021, and Ms Misra then agreed to pay for any further legal work. But she said she has received "no details" as to exactly what work he had done Gould has not responded to BBC Surrey's request for a response. Ms Misra was jailed for 15 months in 2010 after being accused of stealing £74,000 from her Post Office was sent to Bronzefield prison on the day of her eldest son's 10th birthday, and gave birth to her youngest child while still in April she was one of four leading campaigners to receive an OBE for their service to her conviction was quashed, Ms Misra has received an undisclosed amount of interim compensation, but has not yet received the final BBC understands that Ms Misra signed a retainer in 2021, after her conviction was quashed, for the provision of "commercial legal services" provided by Mr Gould moving was agreed Mr Gould would charge for his time at a fixed hourly rate. However, emails seen by the BBC show Mr Gould has since claimed that this agreement was changed to one where Ms Misra would pay the lesser of £60,000 or 5% of any compensation she received from the Post Office. Despite Ms Misra paying Mr Gould more than £20,000, she disputes this later agreement and says she has been given no details of what time Mr Gould in fact spent working on her the time, Mr Gould was working for Aria Grace Law, who said he was removed from professional duties at the firm in January, "following serious concerns regarding his conduct".A spokesperson for Aria Grace said: "Mr Gould does not and must not be taken to speak for Aria Grace." Why were hundreds of Post Office workers wrongly prosecuted?'The Post Office has ruined every happy moment of my life since 2005' They said the firm stood with the victims of the Post Office scandal, and honoured their resilience."We condemn any conduct that seeks to exploit their trust or harm their recovery," they Misra said she would "always be grateful" for the support Mr Gould gave on being asked to pay £60,000 for legal services provided by Mr Gould since her conviction was overturned, she said: "I felt uneasy but I trusted Nick that this must be correct if he, a solicitor, was telling me so."Despite paying in excess of £20,000, in May she received a legal letter on behalf of Mr Gould's current legal firm, Impact Lawyers, saying she would be sued if she did not pay what they said was Wallis, a former BBC journalist who continues to cover the Post Office's Horizon IT scandal, told BBC Radio Surrey that Ms Misra had contacted him "in some distress"."All Seema wanted to know was what work he had done to justify the bill," he added. Ms Misra said she wanted to avoid conflict with Mr Gould "after all his pro bono support for us and because my family and I have already been through quite enough".She added: "I asked for details of exactly what work he had done since my conviction was set aside to justify this, but have received no details."Last month I received a letter from lawyers representing Nick Gould's current legal firm, Impact Lawyers, telling me I would be sued if I did not pay what they said was outstanding."She said she would defend the case if his firm sued her."I don't think Nick has acted as a solicitor should and the whole thing has caused me and my family great upset," she added."I hope Nick Gould and Impact... will now do the right thing and drop the matter so that we don't have to carry on worrying about it and spending further time on it."A spokesperson for Impact Lawyers told the BBC they were unable to comment.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Community groups called on to run West Byfleet sports pavilion
Voluntary and community groups are being given the opportunity to take on the running of a Surrey sports pavilion as a bankrupt council aims to make Byfleet Pavilion is the latest community asset to be handed over by Woking Borough arrangement sees land or buildings leased to independent groups which then manage the effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023, and final decisions on the treatment of its £2bn debt are expected to be taken by government in June. Community centres were prioritised for transfer from the council to be run by independent if the council sold everything it owned it would still be more than £1.5bn in debt, a report previously pavilion, in West Byfleet Recreation Ground, has flexible indoor space suitable for a variety of community uses, and access to outdoor sports pitches and green space, according to the council. Ellen Nicholson, portfolio holder for climate change and leisure on the council, said it was a "fantastic opportunity" for a local organisation to run the pavilion, "ensuring this much-loved community space continues to serve local residents for years to come".She said the programme aimed to empower local groups to "deliver services that matter most to them". "We particularly welcome partnership applications that reflect the vibrant sports community and diverse range of organisations already associated with the site," she deadline to submit an expression of interest is 17:00 BST on 13 June.
