Wimbledon Tennis

Most famous and prestigious tennis tournament in the world...Wimbledon is a fantastic place all year round but it really comes into its own during Wimbledon fortnight. From the station with its tennis placards, to the shops and pubs decorated with tennis ornaments to the giant screen, screening all the matches. You will get a real tennis atmosphere during the championships. Tennis fever really grips the area during Wimbledon fornight.

Open top and historic double decker buses from the 60's leave for the tennis every 15 minutes from Wimbledon station. Our Tip: you can catch shared taxis from the station if you prefer or there is a regular 493 bus which is 1 minute from the properties or if you fancy walking it is a 15 minute walk

Of course you will need tickets to see the tennis live. So how to get those sought after tickets?

Public Ballot:  You need to apply for the ballot which runs from 1st September to 15th December of the year before you want to attend. You can apply from Wimbledon Tennis's official website www.wimbledon.com Only one application is allowed per household. The deadline for submitting an application 15th December. You will be notified if you have been successful in obtaining tickets between February and June and will then be given instructions on how to pay for your tickets.

Didn't get tickets in the ballot? Don't despair. You can get tickets from ticketmaster.co.uk  if you have lightening fingers! There are about 500 tickets available every day for the next day or two but tickets go within about 5 seconds so you need to be at your computer before they are released and then be super quick!

Got all fuddled and your fingers where not quick enough for ticketmaster? Still not all is lost. Wimbledon release every day around 500 tickets for centre and number one court on the day. However to get these tickets you will need to queue. To have any chance of getting these tickets you will need to queue from around 5.00 pm from the night before or if it is a really popular day, for example if Murray is playing or if the weather is really good you might need to queue for 2 nights. No fear you can camp in Wimbledon Park and bring your tent. There are toilet facilites, food stalls and there is a great atmosphere. If you just want ground tickets to get into the grounds it is ok to start queuing from around 5.00 am to be sure to get in. You can even order takeaways and they will be delivered to your tent. The entrance to the queue is on Wimbledon Park Road on the corner of Woodspring Road see this map You can get more information on queuing for tickets here

Our Tip: Once you are in the grounds, head to the ticket resale office. From around 3.00 pm they resell tickets from people who have gone home. You can get great centre court tickets for around £ 10.00. For updates on the status of the queue check out the queue twitter feed at @ViewFromTheQ

Eating out at Wimbledon Tennis - We would recommend;

The Champagne bar where they do excellent seafood platters, sandwiches and sushi with a jazz band and beautiful terrace. The seafood platter is around £ 20.00 and they have champagne by the bottle or glass. Table service. Beautiful in a hot day. Excellent for people watching
Directions: Just outside centre court next to the Strawberries and Cream Stall. 

For a sit down meal
The Wingfield Reastaurant which is on the 1st floor of Centre Court, just above the Tea Lawn. They do lovely lunches and afternoon tea. For lunch booking is recommended. They operate a set menu with complimentary wine and water.
Also try th Baseline Diner with three dining experiences under one roof, The Grill, Roast and Lavazza Coffee Shop. We've not eaten there yet but the food looks really good!
Finally we'd recommend The Conservatory Kitchen with an English Country Gardens influence. It has a really friendly, airy summer vibe to it. It has some great dishes such as Briham Fish Pie, Groundsman's Platters or Lancashire Beef Stroganoff.
It's on the East side of Court No 1. 

For a drink afterwards we'd recommend the Long Bar with great drinks including of course Pimms. Or there are loads of bars dotted all around the grounds serving beers, champagne and Pimms. 

Finally of course the famous Wimbledon Strawberries and Cream! There are several locations all over the grounds where you can try these....take your pick.
If you've never had these before they are worth a taste, at least once.