Last year's Tennis Classic, with it's usual mix of tennis, music and entertainment, featured a very special raffle prize - the opportunity to come down on court and play doubles with Cliff. The lucky winner was Rosemary Skyrme from Melksham in Wiltshire, and here in her own words, Rosemary describes what it was like to meet the man whose career she has followed for decades.

"I just couldn't believe my eyes and ears when Cliff made this draw and read out my number 3005! My friend Jean was saying 'that's you, that's you!'

I have liked and admired Cliff and his music for all of his 43 years in show-business and in particular over the last 12 years have been able to go to his concerts more, the family having grown up."

"I have seen him in Cardif, Newport, Birmingham, Bournemouth, and London, as well as Australia and New Zealand. I've never met him, despite two close calls on BBC1 TV day in London with Jill Dando three years ago and seeing him at Perth airport five years ago. So perhaps it can be understood how I felt when my number was called out in Birmingham! I thought to myself that I was going to go for it, even if I made a fool of myself in front of thousands of people"

"I was taken along corridors to the backstage area where I was fitted with a radio microphone and a t-shirt which said on the back 'I played tennis with Cliff Richard on Dec 14th 2002'. I already wore a santa clause hat and fancy Christmas ears sticking up with tinsel draped arond my shoulders"

"I was given a beautiful lightweight Slazenger tennis racket to play with and pushed through onto the stage. There I was met by Claire Sweeney who briefly interviewed me, noticed that I was trembling somewhat and asked how I was feeling. I pointed out that I hadn't played tennis for 30/35 years!"

She took me down onto the tennis court (situated in the middle of the arena) and introduced me to Cliff!

"I have to say I was on 'auto-pilot' otherwise I would have been reduced to Jelly! Cliff greeted me with a hug and a kiss (!!!) and also tied my tinsel into a neat bow so it didn't fall off."

"We were playing against Virginia Wade and Roger Taylor and had a bit of a warm-up knocking the ball across.

A special umpire came on - Ozzy Osbourne - who was really Bobby Davro in disguise. Cliff whispered to me who it really was, then I blew it by saying 'hello Bobby' when he approached me! (all the thousands of people could hear everything said due to the microphones)"

"After 'Ozzy' knocked over a few flower pots and was finally hoisted up high in the umpire's chair, he permitted play to commence - which was a rather worrying moment for me! The crowd were really good - they cheered me when I got the ball over the net!  The four of us served in turn and when it was my turn I thought I'd enter into the spirit of the event by trying a proper overarm serve and I put so much effort into it I missed the ball completely!"

"Cliff allowed me to serve underarm which helped me a bit, though Virginia was always encouraging the 'proper' serves. She advised me to 'keep both hands on the racket' but I queried how I could do that as one hand had to hold the ball. They seemed to think that was funny, but it was I thought at the time! Cliff pointed out 'Rosemary, this woman won Wimbledon!'

"On another occassion Cliff encouraged me to stand by the net as it would intimidate them - 'especially in that hat!', to which Bobby Davro quipped - 'it'd be the face that intimidates them.' Bobby Davro also added that I had been at Wimbledon - as one of the Wombles! Cliff is too polite to say things like that!"

"Much to my surprise, Cliff and I won - well he won while I'd been shuffling around alongside. Virgina and Roger were very kind of course and made lots of allowances for me. Virginia was generous enough to say at the end, when we all traditionally shook hands, that I'd been terrific, and I had another big hug and kiss from Cliff!"

"There was a bit of a photocall then when I was able to exchange a few words with Cliff. I noticed he'd been sucking a throat lozenge so I asked if his throat was alright and he assured me he just had a slight cough."

"I also told him that I'd been to several shows on his current UK tour (his best show yet - true rock and roll!) and was planing to go out to Australia and New Zealand in 2003.  I wished him a pleasant Christmas and asked if he'd be spending it in Barbados, which he said he would be. It was all over so soon!"

"I was given the racket I'd played with to keep, plus case, also a Wilson tracksuit plus another top - all with 'Intelligent Finance' on the one side and 'Cliff's Tennis Classic' on the other.

It was when I got back to my seat I was suddenly overcome and thought of what I should have said/done, or not said/done! (I wish I'd spoken to Mike Read as I had met him 3 years before during the BBC TV day, and also he was making a lot of comments about me taking a long time to reach the stage after I'd left my seat! (I didn't realise that until afterwards)."

"I was still in a bit of daze for a while, but came back down to earth to enjoy Cliff singing songs from his tour and playing his guitar, including an Elvis medley, Claudette, The Young Ones,, Miss you Nights, No Particular Place to Go, Gee Whiz It's You, I could easily fall, Too Much, Don't be Cruel, Stuck on You, then into the Christmas songs; Mistletoe and Wine, Together, Saviour's Day, Little Town and also Silent Night (a duet with Claire Sweeney)"

"Then Cliff led all of us into Once in Royal David's City, O Come All Ye Faithful, Hark the Herald Angels Sing and the evening ended with us all joining together in the Millennnium Prayer"

"I've been going to Cliff's Christmas Tennis event for many years now. It's a lovely occassion and sets the scene for Christmas for me, but I never ever dreamed that one day I'd be on the court with him! It was an awe-inspiring experience, such a great opportunity , and Cliff was so nice (Well I knew he would be). It's something I shall remember for the rest of my life. It was the high spot of Christmas for me - and for the last 20, and the next 20 years too! I have a video (sent to me by the Tennis Foundation via Sky TV) and a photo to prove it.  I was also briefly on the Sky TV highlights broadcast on Christmas Day - the commentator described me as 'one delighted fan' - an understatement!"

Article reproduced courtesy of Melksham News.