Breakfast (and lunch, and tea) at Wimbledon

For as long as I can remember, I have spent the last week in June and the first week of July relatively glued to the television, watching tennis matches broadcast from the All England Lawn Tennis Club.  When I studied in London, I always meant to take the short tube ride from South Kensington to Wimbledon to check out the museum and grounds, but I never did make the trip. When I realized that I would in fact be living in London during the Championships, I scoured the internet looking for a way in to one of my bucket list sporting events.  What I learned was, A. I was way too late for the lottery, B. the resale market for tickets resembled something like a black market for organs, with asking (and receiving) prices in the thousands of dollars, and thankfully, C. there are thousands of tickets available nearly every day to would-be spectators who are willing to "queue" for the opportunity.

What is The Queue? Having experienced it, I would define it as the largest display of patience, en masse, I can ever imagine.  It's also one of the best traditions in sports; I can't think of another event on the level of Wimbledon where a spectator can show up on the day of (granted, very, very, very early on the day of) and pay face value for a ticket.  No scalping, no price gouging, just a keen interest and a willingness to adhere to the "Queue Code of Conduct."

Which brings me to this morning...very early this morning (some of you back in the States were probably awake when I was waking up!) After the alarm went off, I did a quick scan of the weather (chilly and windy, but no rain forecast) and a Twitter check (The Queue was already long, but not impossibly so) and got myself on the Tube by 5:45.  Thankfully, I live just a few stops away (and thankfully everyone on the Tube knew where they were going, note: the best stop for queueing is Southfields, NOT Wimbledon or Wimbledon Park, thank you fellow Tube-rides/Queuers/tennis fans!).

 

I arrived at The Queue (yes, they give it proper noun status here) around 6:30 and was given my Guide to Queueing and my Queue Card.  As you can see, I was number 3,350.  At 6:30 AM!  Within an hour, I would say our numbers had easily doubled if not tripled, and soon enough they were actually discouraging people from coming to join The Queue.  Andy Murray was scheduled to play on Centre Court, and it seemed nearly everyone in GB wanted to be a part of the start of what they hope is finally his year.

After a few cold hours of waiting, I emerged from The Queue with a Grounds ticket, giving me access to the grounds and any matches not happening on Centre Court or Courts 1 and 2 (so, none of the matches that make it to TV!)

 I had plenty of time in The Queue to plot my day, and smartly purchased a special edition newspaper with the schedule of play and court assignments (though I primarily purchased it because they were offering it with a  fleece blanket that would keep me warm and dry on the grass...and a chocolate bar that, admittedly, served as breakfast!).  But before I got down to the business of tennis, it was already time for lunch, which at Wimbledon must include Strawberries and Cream!

Then I headed to Court 14, which was scheduled for an American double feature.  The first match featured American Vania King vs. France's Alize Cornet.  The match did not go in King's favor, but it was great to watch.

Up next was a star from last year's Championships - and not only for having played the longest match in the tournament's history - the USA's John Isner.  Isner took on Evgeny Donskoy and while Donskoy never took a set, they did play two tie breaks and it was a very exciting match. Seeing Isner's serve in person is something to behold - I did feel for the judges who frequently had to make a call and simultaneously duck for their life!

After Isner's victory, I treated myself to a Pimm's No. 1 and headed up to Henman Hill, better known these days as Murray Mound.  Adjacent to Court 1, the Hill/Mound has a giant screen that broadcasts matches from  the show courts.  I arrived to see the beginning of what turned into the biggest upset of the day (Steve Darcis beating Rafa Nadal!) and settled in for the first set of Andy Murray v. Benjamin Becker.  It was a great atmosphere to watch tennis, even if it was on a giant screen rather than in person.  I can see why so many people queue just to park themselves on the Hill with a picnic basket (fun note: spectators are welcome to bring food into the grounds and many of them do.)

All in all, it was a wonderful and exciting day, and one that I honestly never thought I'd experience!  I may even be tempted to get up with the dawn and join The Queue again later this week!