WITH the 2019 Wimbledon Tennis Championships now on and long queues forming for strawberries and cream, there is one resident at Hatherleigh Nursing Home who will be eagerly watching each match and reminiscing about her glory days on the court.

Rosemary ‘Rosie’ Jewell (neé Wooller) is 81 years old and is a former tennis player, part of the under-18 team who attended the Wimbledon Championships in 1954.

Rosie was delighted to have made it through to the quarter finals.

Rosie has lived in Hatherleigh Nursing Home for the last two and a half years. In that time the team have been keen to hear more about Rosie’s life as a high level tennis player and have learnt more about her past.

When she was growing up as an only child, Rosie’s family say she was often left to entertain herself. When she was home from boarding school in the long summer months, she took up tennis and began to show promise, winning the singles title in her hometown, Colwyn Bay, in 1951 when she was just 13. When she was 16, she was selected to play in the British under-18 team in the 1954 Wimbledon Championships, getting through to the quarter finals.

She also went on to play for the North Wales County team in 1957.

Rosie now lives with dementia. She was visited recently by care writer Jerry Short who wanted to hear more about her story.

He said: “I had been told by the care team that although Rosie’s dementia had affected her memory, her love of ball games has stayed strong. When I was introduced to her, one of the care team members asker her if she’d like to play catch and I saw the instant her face lit up with anticipation, her eyes sparkling.

“I continued watching as she enthusiastically took her place opposite and they proceeded to throw a softly inflated beach ball to each other.

“Rosie’s hands unerringly caught the ball each time it was thrown to her, her hand and eye coordination presumably honed from her years of tennis playing, and I loved that the care team member was clearly enjoying the game too. Her affection and respect for Rosie were clear, and very pleasing to see.”

If anyone visits the home whilst Wimbeldon is on, they will probably see Rosie in one of the sitting rooms, watching the television closely to ensure the umpires are making all the correct calls, and of course, strawberries and cream will be served, as well as the on-screen tennis balls.