This is not a crowd fleeing from an alien spacecraft but spectators leaving the tennis show that's in town this week.  It's the ATP Champions Tour which allows tennis stars of the past to earn a crust by fooling around with ball and racquet in front of an indulgent public.

The temporary court erected on the Accies ground is an impressive structure and gives a great view of the game but you wouldn't want to ask whoever labelled the stands for directions since the east and west stands were the wrong way round.

The tennis is supplemented, and perhaps for some people was supplanted, by the eating and drinking opportunities that were spread around the playing field.  I was quite surprised that there were almost no merchandising stalls.  You couldn't come away clutching a souvenir Henman hat or McEnroe muppet.  The most you could do was buy a racquet or a sleeve of balls or subscribe to David Lloyd's tennis clubs.  I'd spent enough on my ticket to not even buy a programme never mind buy a souvenir, so maybe that was the organisers' calculation too.  (Question - would the attendance have been better if the prices had been lower? )

As to the tennis although I greatly admired the skills on show there was a bit too much tomfoolery for my taste.  I admit to being entertained by at least one bit of comic business though.  In the Henman Ivanisevic encounter there were naturally cries of "come on Tim", "come on Goran" etc.  As Ivanisevic prepared to serve at one point one wag added "come Nadal" to the mix.  Without a moment's hesitation  Ivanisevic went into Nadal's well known ritual, adjusting the back of his shorts, tucking his hair in, wiping his nose on both sides.

It was very funny and after all there's Wimbledon soon if you want to see serious tennis.