So, anyone for tennis?

Obviously, you're in your element this week if you want to watch the world's best slug it out at the sport's premier tournament from the comfort of your armchair. And what sheer bliss it is.

But what if you want to pick up a racquet and give it a go yourself? If it was up to Judy Murray, of course, every child would start playing over the bars of their cot. You can't switch on the telly or read a newspaper these days without Andy Murray's indomitable mum shouting from the rooftops about new initiatives to get youngsters, especially girls, involved in the sport. Good on her.

But let's be honest, tennis has always had an elitist air about it. And I don't just mean the Pimms, whites and straw boater image of the All England Club.

Back when I was a tennis-mad nipper in 1980s Glenrothes, playing bat and ball up against a wall and sneaking into my school's sinking concrete courts was about as far as it got.

My family wasn't sporty and didn't know anyone who played tennis. It was a "posh" sport that involved expensive equipment, clubs and lessons, or was played by Americans because it was sunny there. It wasn't really for the likes of us. Boys played football and girls played hockey or didn't do sport at all. Wimbledon on the telly would have to do.

A few years ago, when I tried to take up the game in London, it seemed things hadn't moved on much. Over four years I lived in three different London boroughs and none appeared to have nearby public courts that were less than £20 an hour to hire. Lessons were prohibitively expensive and the joining fees for clubs were many hundreds a year. I gave up again.

This year, at my fortieth birthday, I promised myself I'd bite the bullet and take up tennis properly. Damn the expense.

You can imagine my surprise and delight then when I realised that as a citizen of Glasgow, I'd pretty much won the tennis lottery. Yes, there are lots of private tennis clubs should I choose to join one. But the public facilities and coaching programmes throughout the city are excellent too. And, crucially, they are affordable for all.

In fact, all I had to do was pop along to my local park in Glasgow, where a community tennis club runs dirt cheap lessons and social tennis sessions for juniors and seniors of all shapes and sizes. Three hours of social tennis, where I get the chance to play with and learn from folk of all ages and abilities costs £4.50 - the same as a gin and tonic - with racquets and balls provided if necessary. A six-week block of lessons is just £40.

And if I want to play with pals outside of these sessions, the floodlit all-weather courts in my local park are free, as they are in parks throughout the city.

There are free taster programmes and reasonably priced lessons and sessions for all ages and levels in parks, sports centres and clubs all over Glasgow.

During the winter months, meanwhile, those who feel their serve might be affected by driving wind and rain can keep up their training at the indoor tennis centres at Gorbals and Scotstoun.

For youngsters, the tennis academy set up by Scot Elena Baltacha, the former British number one, before her untimely death from liver cancer last year, is working with coaches in Glasgow to make the game more accessible.

I can only vouch for Glasgow, but Tennis Scotland insists there are free taster programmes and coaching sessions across the country. They add that they've already provided equipment and skills training to more than 2000 schools and say participation in the sport is slowly increasing.

Whether or not we are doing enough in Scotland to offer the next Andy Murray or Elena Baltacha the right elite training programme is perhaps a question for another day.

One thing's for sure, though. Unless kids of all backgrounds get the chance to lift a racquet there won't be another Andy or Elena. But it's also up to all of us to get off our bums and take advantage of these great opportunities, and make sure our kids do too, not because we or they are going to be future Wimbledon champions, but because it's great fun.

As for me, a few weeks in and my forehands, backhands and volleys are coming on surprisingly well. Most importantly of all, however, I'm loving it.

As I have suspected for more than 30 years, I could be Scotland's next big tennis hope. Watch out Serena, I'm coming to get you.