Step One: Buy ATP End of Tour Finals Tickets, and secure appropriate transport. Search everyday on the BBC Tennis site to learn which players you will be watching in the doubles and singles matches. Decide on design- adding humour where possible to encourage televisual exposure. I went for a beautiful double sided fabric banner, support for the singles on one side and the doubles on the other. I also decided to use the same phrasing on each side, for amusing symmetry. The kind of thing to make people smile and say 'oh that's clever'. And I added the flag for each player (grrr 6 players and they all come from different countries) and some little tennis rackets- although as you can see my rackets would be useless as I forgot to add string to them. One side says: GO DJOKO GO
(BEST HAIR IN TENNIS)
And the other says:
GO DOUBLES GO
(BEST HANDS IN TENNIS)
Step Two: I cut out large enough letters from a magazine and used these to make cardboard templates, I couldn't find all the letters the correct size in the mag but I used the T to help me draw the H, and the O to help me do the U, and so on. The cardboard letters made sure all my lettering was uniform in size and style, and was a really good idea, also I can use them again.
Step Four: Pause and pose for a photograph. (sigh)
Step Six: Use fabric glue to stick letters and flags to background. Helpful to have a little glue spreader to use (I used a small piece of cardboard) to spread the glue evenly over the fabric. I also managed to spread the glue all over the book I was using to lean on (I was sat crossed legged on the living room floor), others may take head and decide to use the kitchen table- but that ain't my style.
Step Seven: My banner was double sided so I had folded a piece of fabric in half (if you do the same, make sure you glue the letters on the right way up on each side) so now I need to sew the edges. Which I did.
Step Eight: This is when I finally ironed my fabric- again others may chose to do it before they sew, but I do not. Also when I realised I'd forgotten to add our names to the banner- which I did in biro.
Step Nine: Spend five hours on a coach to get to London, then head to the O2 arena, eat your little packed lunch, and wave your banner like there's no tomorrow. Until you finally realise that up in the cheap seats there's no way anyone can see you.
