Posted by: Murray Glover on 08-DEC-2009

Found a fascinating French guy on Google ... just enter "Nicolas Henri Racine de Monville." (a) He was a goodish realers player. (b) He had many mistresses and was a great "friend" of Madam du Barry. (c) Jefferson and the King of Sweden at the time definitely visited him at his house, and probably Franklin too. (d) He played badminton whilst awaiting his execution. (e) Was luckily reprieved a few days after Robespierre was guillotined. I attach a montage of some of the entries in the fascinating Google piece.

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 08-DEC-2009

This is fabulous! The next new person who turns up at Prince's Court will be told about this !

Posted by: Murray Glover on 08-DEC-2009

It seemed to me that the link between de Monville being an ace dancer AND an ace court tennis player was far from coincidental. When I was watching your great videocast of the final on Sunday, I marvelled at the amazing footwork of both Rob and Cam ... I guess they must be good dancers too ? If anyone makes a game look easy, it's usually because of their footwork ? At my ping pong club we had an old guy who played for our British League team and consistently blew a lot of young tigers away ... turned out he was a champion ballroom dancer too. He was called Henry Buist ... sadly now dead ... but a year or two before he died he beat the extrovert US hustler, Marty Reisman, in the final of the World Over-60 championship in France. If you don't know about Marty, find out about him, quite a character. Google "Marty Reisman" and watch the youtube clip called "sandpaper ping pong". He got to the final of the world championships in the early 1950s only to meet the Japanese guy playing with the newfangled sponge bat and lost disastrously to him. In the following year's championship, everyone was using sponge, and Marty was never able to make the transition.

Posted by: Vernon Cassin on 09-DEC-2009

I wonder, Murray, if I support or confound your theory. This Saturday I'm opening a viennese ball at the Washington Golf & Country Club with the Fledermaus Quadrille, then playing realers on Sunday. My realers remains excreble--but perhaps it reflects my leaden tread on the dance floor!

Posted by: Murray Glover on 10-DEC-2009

Vernon, I'm sure your footwork is a damn sight better than mine. But why not let us judge for ourselves ? ... for a small consideration, I am sure that Ryan C would set up a webcam at the WGCC so that we could see your toes twinkling in the Fledermaus quadrille. ... and then have it set up in the dedans the next day ... so much the better if it happened to be your eagerly awaited match with TG ????? Even if it means getting up in the middle of our UK night to watch either or both, I would happily do so. Just tell me the transmission start time(s).

Posted by: Murray Glover on 10-DEC-2009

Vernon, Have just read your conversations with both the TGs on the other topic, so see that you are playing a four-hander on Sunday, so Grassi/Cassin will be a joy still to come. Do you have ancestral links to the astounding scientist/mathematician/astronomer Cassini ?

Posted by: Vernon Cassin on 10-DEC-2009

Let us say "yes" barring contrary evidence.

Posted by: Murray Glover on 11-DEC-2009

I read that Cassini later became a French citizen ... so it would be quite logical for his descendants to have dropped the final "i" at some stage. Having Googled Vernon Cassin I am now quite bewildered ... there seem to be several generations of you, with all sorts amazing life stories ! How are you related to the guy in the 86th. birthday celebration photos ?

Posted by: Vernon Cassin on 11-DEC-2009

Google demystified: My grandfather, father and I all have the same name. My grandfather is the one in the 86th birthday photos, and also on the conspiracy websites. He was in the foreign service. My father is the lawyer (I suppose you'd call him a corporate solicitor or something similar) in the middle east. He runs an oil company in Africa and plays real tennis at Radley. He's also the one on various boards. I'm the newly-minted barrister in Washington, D.C., working primarily on commercial litigation and white collar crime. I'm also the one who used to run the Princeton humor magazine, if that awful rag still comes up on google.

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 17-DEC-2009

Tonight's the night! Unless we hear to the contrary about other Swedish players, Hakan Lonaeus will be crowned Tennis Champion of Sweden. This will be the highlight of tonight's League Night! If you have never been to a coronation, this is your chance. Will "His Highness" be crowned or will he "crown" himself a la Napoleon? Ironically, Prince's Court is the home court of another National Champion- who is this person and what country is this person "the champ of"?

Posted by: Ivan Ronaldson on 17-DEC-2009

Temple, I think there might be three national champions here ..... Do you know them all?

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 17-DEC-2009

Of course I do,Ivan We crowned Hakan Lonaeus tonight The Swedish tennis champ!- pictures will follow! This is the first coronation-will there be others!? Hakan was quite humble during the ceremony. He does look quite reagl, though-don't you agree?

Posted by: Phil Shannon on 21-DEC-2009

I'm boldly suggesting that we (Prince's Court) potentially have the most national champions of any club.......... Netherlands Sweden Vietnam Japan Greece Ghana Bolivia Germany Mexico and counting!!

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 21-DEC-2009

Who can match the champions with their countries?

Posted by: Al Vega on 22-DEC-2009

Dare I claim the entire southern continent of America? Unless proven otherwise, it's mine.

Posted by: Vernon Cassin on 22-DEC-2009

You can divide it up with Peter Bender. I claim Saudi Arabia, having been born in Riyadh. My father may challenge me for the title but I think I'm the favorite among the contenders.

Posted by: Al Vega on 22-DEC-2009

I assume this Peter Bender you speak of is not a PC member? Therefore, the title is rightfuly mine still-correct me if I'm wrong, but we are claiming Princes Court status. Born in Saudi Arabia! That is a "Did you know?" that I "didn't know" about VC-interesting! -----

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 22-DEC-2009

Claim away all- you are all welcome at Prince's Court !

Posted by: Vernon Cassin on 23-DEC-2009

For some reason I thought Peter Bender was an overseas member at Prince's Court--and pretty much everywhere else.

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 23-DEC-2009

Bender travels the world spreading "truth and light" wherever he goes!

Posted by: Jake McCray on 23-DEC-2009

He follows in the footsteps of the mighty Grassi! With the truth and light bit anyway :)

Posted by: Chris Ronaldson on 23-DEC-2009

Gentlemen, I write to protest, in the strongest terms, the award of the national championship of Sweden allegedly claimed this evening at PC. Having scoured all my back emails, there is no trace of an entry form being sent to this club. I am prepared to wager five gold sovereigns that Henrik Boris-Moller, who plays at Radley, will defeat the imposter Hakan Lonaeus.

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 23-DEC-2009

Next time,Chris, please read the message board a little closer.On Dec 17 there was a message stating that unless we heard to the contrary,Hakan was being crowned that night.Having no objections,we went ahead with the coronation. Send your man over to Prince's Court so he can challenge the Champion! Check out the other countries that we have alleged champs from! (earlier message in this thread)

Posted by: Chris Ronaldson on 24-DEC-2009

Merry Christmas to you all: spreaders of truth and light, imposters and all at Prince's Court

Posted by: Hakan Lonaeus on 29-DEC-2009

Merry Christmas to you all! Send this youngster who is attempting to de-throne me over to Prince's Court and we can finally decide who is the best Swedish Real player. My sons are both trying, but as they are not yet bona fide members of Prince's, they don't really count. They could be counts of my court, should they wish. And they are slightly suspicious since they got shirts with a snake and an eagle for Christmas presents...

Posted by: Hakan Lonaeus on 29-DEC-2009

Actually, please invite Henrik Boris-Moller to Prince's court on Thursday this week, when we will have a more official Swedish Championship, open, in the New World. So far we have four contestants, only one being a female. She would have a straight shot at being the reigning Swedish Women's Champion, if she arrives in time!

Posted by: Al Vega on 31-DEC-2009

Hakan, as long as those shirts are white they can wear them on PC! I feel left out of the fun-congrats on your crowning (just now saw the photo)!

Posted by: Temple Grassi on 31-DEC-2009

Who can identify Hakan's admirers ? He does appear quite regal-thanks to Rob Carlson for providing this picture! "Every picture tells a story, don't it!" Mick Jagger