Day one announcing here at Wimbledon was a Bathgate Road baptism of fire, cycling up that punishing hill to hear my own pre-recorded announcement.
Most of the announcements are live and naturally revolve around the day’s scheduled play and weather prospects but a few standard messages for the start and end of the day are recorded.
As anticipated, the first crowds - including those stalwart individuals who had been queuing and camping overnight in the park - came streaming in as the gates opened at 10.30am.
My job is to work closely with the team of forecasters, anticipating even the slightest hint of rain that might interfere with the day’s play.
A bonus is our picture window panorama of colourful crowds milling on St Mary’s Walk, the main thoroughfare that hugs the western rim of Centre Court, where earlier Novak Djokovic was in action, having successfully begun the defence of his title.
Unlike Djokovic, some of us have never been here before and have to learn our way around. It’s a relatively daunting prospect.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club is a vast complex of 20 courts for competitive play, as well as practice courts, eateries, shops and a museum.
In the run-up to the start of the championships, I’ve been refining my map-reading skills exploring this greenest and most glam of venues.
The most important prerequisite is to know how to get back to the forecast room and the announcer’s mic. Not as straightforward as it seems.
I’ve also climbed an umpire’s chair to see if they really are as rickety as they look, in case a vertiginous on-court announcement is required. Definitely a trousers and sensible shoes job.
I haven’t yet sampled the famous strawberries and cream but have succumbed to the strawberries and cream popcorn. And wandered into the museum, where you can lift a weight to see just how heavy a millstone was the sports outfit of the Edwardian ladies’ champion.
Imagine scampering around the court in that.
