Come on Roger/Rafa/Andy! (Wimbledon, London)

Member Name: mrjoegoodwin

Product:	Wimbledon, London
Date:	24/06/09 (52 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most picturesque and prestigious tournament in the world, all best players attend, new roof

Disadvantages: The British weather, cost of refreshments

Well, as it's the time of year again when millions of Britons become tennis fans for a fortnight, what better time to write a review of the All England Club, home to the Wimbledon grass tennis championship, one of the 4 tournaments that make up the prestigious 'Grand Slam' of tennis events (Paris, New York and Melbourne comprise the others).

The venue is located in South West London, surprisingly enough in Wimbledon itself. Transport to and from the main gates is best served through the Wimbledon underground stop (District Line), and is then a 15 minute walk or so. Not hard to find, follow the crowds! If you are feeling less energetic, there are shuttle buses that run from the station to the gates, for a small fee. Parking is possible in off-site parking facilities, but given the congestion on the small roads that lead to the tennis club, it's probably not worth it, unless you are really desperate to take your car. As with the shuttle buses, you tend to reach the grounds more quickly on foot anyway, such are the traffic jams!

Take the opportunity to pick up some of the freebies (papers, drinks, cereal bars etc) that are on offer from street vendors on the walk to the ground, but beware - not everything you pick up can be taken in with you! I ended up having to throw away a couple of items that were being handed out just outside the gates because they weren't permitted inside. What was the point?!

Tickets aren't cheap, from £40 - £100 for Centre Court tickets, and there's no discount for seats at the back! £100 for the Men's final on the last Sunday, whether you're in the front row, or row Z. Still, at least you are guaranteed a full day's play on Centre Court, thanks to the installation in 2009 of the retractable roof, which allows for uninterrupted play during the day, and the possibility of extending matches later than in previous years, thanks to the floodlights.

The British weather has previously played havoc with the schedules, with the never welcome sight of covers frantically being brought on to cover the courts in the event of heavy showers. If your day's play is affected by rain, you may be entitled to a refund, but it depends how long you have been fortunate to see tennis being played for. If you've seen under an hour, a full refund can be claimed. Over an hour? Sorry, out of luck!

Obtaining tickets can be done through one of 3 methods. The easiest way is to apply through your local tennis club, if you are a member. Each LTA affiliate receives a certain allocation of tickets per year. The most common way is to join the AELTC ballot, sending off a SAE to the organisers before December 2009 (for the 2010 tournament), and crossing your fingers that your details are plucked from the virtual hat. Still no luck? Time to queue! 6000 tickets for the show and outside courts are available every day, but to get the best seats, you really need to queue overnight! Not for everybody, but if you're absolutely desperate to see the action up close, it's the only chance you'll get!

The facilities inside the grounds are excellent, with all 3 show courts offering excellent views from virtually every seat in the arena. The outside courts can be a bit of a scrum to get a seat when more popular players appear during the opening few days, but well worth a visit.

Henman Hill/Murray Mount sees large crowds gathering on the hill outside Centre Court to watch the big screen - in my opinion, a bit of a waste of money if you've paid to get into the ground, why not watch some proper tennis instead of a glorified TV?

My only real gripe with Wimbledon is the food and drink prices, especially when they confiscate some items from your bags at the door! Come prepared with sandwiches and water though, and you can still make Wimbledon a relatively affordable trip out.

Everybody should attend the finest grass court tournament at least once in their life, fingers crossed for the ballot next year!

Summary: The finest tennis venue in the world