September 1997. Tony Hawks and Arthur Smith are watching the football round at Tony's house. England are playing Moldova in the World Cup qualifiers and winning easily. The conversation, oddly, turns to tennis, which Arthur has always asserted is a 'crap game', especially after Tony beat him at it on holiday in Majorca, easily. A pedantic argument ensues, Tony believing that even a 'natural sportsman or sportswoman' couldn't be good at tennis without the proper tuition. Arthur vowing that most natural sportsmen (like the footballers on the telly) could pick up a racket and, without too much bother, play a good game, in fact, they could beat Tony (ex-Sussex junior champion, former Equity Knockout winner). And so a childish bet was profferd that Tony couldn't play all of the Moldovan national football team at tennis (I believe a hundred pounds is sufficient to get you doing these kind of things) and beat them all. I could, I could beat them all, said Tony. Not every single one of them, taunted his friend conspiratorially, One of them is bound to be very good.
A further carrot was clearly needed. Look if you beat them all then Ill stand naked on Balham High Street and sing the Moldovan National Antham, with a pixie hat on. On your head. Alright as long as you supply the hat. The bet was on.

Praise for Playing the Moldovans at Tennis: 'I expected to find this book funny, which it is; I didn’t expect to find it illuminating and rather moving – which it is, too' - Daily Mail

More on Moldova
Throughout its history Moldova was a subject to frequent invasions and political changes, and it finally gained its independence from Russia in 1991. A new constitution was approved by the Parliament and Moldova is now an independent, neutral state. Famous for its wine, the fertile land is ideally suited for agricultural related industries.

Moldova Facts
Population: 4,461,000
Languages: Moldovan (official), Russian
Currency: Moldovan Leu
Religions: Eastern Orthodox
Moldova's Official Website

More on Moldova
Throughout its history Moldova was a subject to frequent invasions and political changes, and it finally gained its independence from Russia in 1991. A new constitution was approved by the Parliament and Moldova is now an independent, neutral state. Famous for its wine, the fertile land is ideally suited for agricultural related industries.

Moldova Facts
Population: 4,461,000
Languages: Moldovan (official), Russian
Currency: Moldovan Leu
Religions: Eastern Orthodox
Moldova's Official Website

Since leaving Moldova my relationship with Grigore, Dina, Adrian and Elena has continued. The summer after I left I rented a house in the Romanian mountains and along with some other friends we all had a week’s holiday together. It was on this trip that we came up with the idea of starting a care centre for poor children in Chisinau. I had been donating half the royalties from the book into a fund, the proceeds of which were meant to be of some help to the country which had provided the raw material for my book.

I returned to Moldova in May 2001 and helped Grigore and Dina look for the property which is to be the base for this centre. We have now paid the first instalment in buying this property and we hope to open the centre early next year.

Helping me to organise this whole project are a British charity called Aid To Russia and The Republics. They have experience in how to go about these things and how to ensure that all our money does not end up in the hands of some greedy mafia bastard. Their details are below if you want to find out more about their work