成人快手

Golf Child

Golf genius - Sammy Fuller could be the next big thing in golf

Sammy Fuller looks like any typical six-year-old growing up in London today.

At her primary school in Chiswick she seems a perfectly normal child, playing and laughing with the other children.

However, Sammy isn聮t like most normal children.

She has a passion. Not a normal passion for dolls, pets or toys 聳 but for golf. And she聮s pretty good at it too.

Sammy has already won a number of competitions on the children聮s golf circuit. When she became national champion in her age group at St Andrew聮s last year, she beat her nearest rival by 23 shots.

Former Olympic champion, Linford Christie, goes to meet her - and tries his hand at golf for the very first time.

Golfing hot shot

Linford Christie needs to learn fast. Sammy has challenged him to a game 聳 and no-one wants to be beaten by a six year old!

Sammy聮s Mum and Dad are the driving force behind their daughter聮s sporting career. They are both professional tennis coaches - but they聮re keen golfers too.

How's your handicap? Linford Christie goes for a birdie

Sammy聮s Dad, Ashley, says: "From the age of two she showed exceptional co-ordination. We knew then from a very early age of two or three that she would excel in most sports she takes up.

"She聮s quite a feisty character, but she聮s also got immense concentration, and she聮s unbelievably competitive."

Sammy shows Linford all her medals in her bedroom. She tells him that she can hit the ball "for miles". And she likes golf "because I like to win".

Talking about her medals, Sammy tell Linford: "This is when I won The HSBC Wee Wonders Open Golf Championships and this one is when me and my Dad won the father and daughter competition. At the last hole he hit two balls in the water and I saved the day.聰

Lesson in golf

Linford suggests that Sammy gives her Dad some lessons!

Sammy trains at the Dukes Meadows golf club in Chiswick and Linford spends the day with her and her coach Scott Margetts.

He is looking for some much needed help and advice before he takes Sammy on.

Linford tells Scott, "I need not just some tips, I need some lessons - and a miracle too".

"You聮ve got your work cut out", replies Scott.

Linford has his first try on the putting green.

Suddenly he wonders if it was a wise decision to have accepted the challenge after all. He can hardly hit the ball.

Linford asks Scott how far Sammy can hit a golf ball:

"She can hit a ball around 140 yards. It will be a good shot with a driver. The Academy Course we聮re going to play, the longest hole is around 130 yards. Sammy can confidently reach each of the flags in one stroke."

After some tuition, Linford seems to be improving. "Well done you聮ve got it. First class - look at the distance it聮s travelled," says Scott.

"I don聮t know. I couldn聮t even see it," replies Linford.

The ball has actually gone about 110 yards, so Linford is pleased. But will this crash course enough to overcome his six-year-old opponent?

The battle commences. They play the best of three holes.

Sammy teams up with her dad, while Linford has coach Scott to bail him out of trouble.

Competitive edge

From the start Sammy looks in dangerous form. Just before Linford聮s turn to tee-off the psychological warfare begins.

Sammy asks Linford: "Why are you wearing those trousers?"

"I don聮t know," he replies. "I thought all golfers wore checked trousers like these!"

Golfing challenge - Linford Christie tries to raise his game

Sammy doesn聮t believe in giving second chances either 聳 she refuses to give Linford a second shot - even when he feigns ignorance of the rules.

"No more balls," she says, "That聮s the rules in golf".

So has Sammy got what it takes to become an international golfing star? Her coach thinks so:

"For her age she is probably the best young lady in the country.

"We are confident of that, measured on her success when playing other tournaments. She plays on the main course and regularly makes fives and fours and the odd three.

"She can probably beat 70% of the adults playing here at the weekend.聰 Scott.

Tiger instincts

If you want to become a top professional it helps to start young.

Tiger Woods began his career at the tender age of two, and the currant teenage golfing sensation Michelle Wie took up her clubs at four.

Sammy has impressed Britain聮s top lady golfer, Laura Davis, who watched her perform at a recent master class.

How far does she think Sammy could go?

"It聮s hard to say at this stage but she聮s having a great start and her family is obviously well into it so it聮s good. Very good, very impressive," says Laura.

Her parents insist they聮ll let her stop if she wants to. But Sammy聮s determined to go all the way.

"When I grow up, I want to be a champion, professional of golf. I would like to be like Tiger Woods and Anika Sorrinson," she insists.

Back at the golf club and Linford聮s downfall is almost complete. No prizes for guessing the result.

"A bit far Linford!" shouts Sammy as Linford misses the hole again.

Sammy taps her ball into the hole effortlessly.

"She聮s small, but she聮s really 18," says Linford. "She聮s not 6 at all!"

The game is over and everyone shakes hands. Sammy and her dad are the winners.

"Surely there聮s something I can beat her at?", wonders Linford.

"To make it fair, let聮s have a race 聳 I need to get some street cred back," he tells Sammy.

"OK," says Sammy, "but I get a head start!"

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Back to the glory days - high hopes for regeneration work

King's Cross regeneration

Ever wondered what聮s inside that magnificent Victorian hotel cum railway station on Euston Road, St Pancras?

Architect Maxwell Hutchinson takes a sneak look at one of the biggest refurbishment projects in London聮s history.

Built in the 1860聮s by church architect George Gilbert Scott, it聮s a glorious example of a Victorian gothic folly at its best.

Built for the Midland Railway Company from Derby, it was a kind of statement 聳 the Midland main line had arrived in luxury.

In its hey day, it was the ultimate statement in luxury. The 50 best rooms had a whole suite with a bathroom that was brought into the room when required.

Every part of the hotel was luxuriously tailored and even the pianos 聳 for the best rooms 聳 were hand made in mahogany.

To get around the hotel the company came up with some ambitious technological ideas.

Restoring St Pancras to its former glory

The lifts were hydraulically powered, with water fed from an artesian well under the hotel.

The hotel was also one of the first to be powered by gas light and then electricity and it even boasted its own dedicated telegraph line to the City of London.

But its sheer scale and ambition, and technological prowess obscured the fact that it was a little bit too clever, too expensive and a little too far away from the centre of London.

Within a few decades new hotels had opened up and the hotel began to suffer from its own shortcomings 聳 there were few bathrooms in the hotel and almost no toilets in the rooms.

By the 1930聮s the hotel was shut and for the next fifty years it was used as offices by the Railway Company and then British Rail.

By the 1980聮s it was completely abandoned and then its roof fell in 聳 the whole building was nearly condemned.

New challenge - getting the restoration right

But determined resistance by conservationists meant that the building itself was preserved and a new roof put on.

The biggest changes though have come as a result of the new high speed Channel Tunnel link.

The main Eurostar terminal will be located in the old railway shed within a few years, prompting a massive redevelopment of the site.

The hotel itself is also about to get the massive makeover.

Portobello Road Market - under threat?

Portobello Road

Is Portobello Road Market, one of London's most visited places, under threat?

Find out how locals and traders plan to save the market...

Every Saturday if you head over to west London 60,000 pairs of feet will be trotting up and down Portobello Road Market.

They come from all over London, Britain and the world attracted by the market聮s bohemian mix of shops, antiques, fashion and fruit and veg stalls.

It聮s been going for more than a century and is now one of the top 10 most popular attractions in the capital.

But the very character that聮s made it so popular is now under threat because the quirky charms of the market has now wooed chain stores.

Slowly Portobello is changing as big businesses buy out the local smaller independent shops.

Alongside this rents in the area have rocketed as it聮s got so popular.

But now worried traders and locals are getting together to fight to save the market. But can their ambitious plan work?

Although the local council and the pressure group are working together, they both believe that ultimately the power to save Portobello Road rests with government.

Without its help, all that which makes this west London market so special might soon disappear.

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