With the success of the UK’s vaccination programme, restrictions are easing, and more and more things are going back to normal. Pubs are now open for drinks outside, people can meet in small groups, shops are open, and most important, for a tennis fanatic like me, outdoor sport is now possible!
My name is Lewis, I’m one of the Directors of Studies at LSI/IH Portsmouth, and a teacher – but in my free time, I love playing tennis, and try to play as often as I can. During the lockdown it was very frustrating not to be able to play, but since April 12, outdoor sport is allowed, and from May 17th indoor sport will be too.
Portsmouth is a great place for sport – we have lots of gyms, places to play football, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, as well as lots of parks if you like running, and a whole area along the seafront where people can walk, cycle or run. As well as that, there are lots of tennis courts. I play at a place called Canoe Lake, which is a tennis centre with six hard courts and eight grass courts, and the best thing about it is that it is just 50 metres from the sea, so when you are playing, you can often see boats coming past, and smell the sea air! Here’s a photo of me on one of the courts (this was my first game after lockdown):
It’s also very cheap to play tennis in Portsmouth. I’ve taught English in many countries, and sometimes I’ve been surprised how expensive it is to book a court, but here it’s just £6 for a hour (so £3 each).
At LSI/IH Portsmouth, we also organise sports activities for students – we have a regular Monday night football game which students can sign up for, and we’ve also had tennis evenings, as well as badminton and yoga. We can also help you book somewhere if you want to play your favourite sport, or you can just go out for a run along the seafront. The timing of the end of the lockdown is great – summer is coming, and it’s going be a great time to do sport, indoors and outdoors in Portsmouth.