From strawberries and cream to players sporting all-white kits, Wimbledon is an event that has been steeped in tradition since 1877. It is a day out that underpins the British summer, with thousands of fans attending the action at SW19.
The majority of supporters turn up fresh-faced following a good night’s sleep. For others, though, their Wimbledon experience begins less than a mile away from the All England Lawn Tennis Club in a park, where they sleep overnight in a tent.
Since 1922, thousands of fans have camped out and joined the Wimbledon Queue in order to secure a ticket for the grass-court Grand Slam, with 1,500 tickets offered up daily across the show courts, while several thousand grounds passes are handed out.
Over the years, The Queue has become its own phenomenon, moving from the pavement on Church Road to the park in 2008 as its popularity grew. It is a key aspect of the Wimbledon experience and it is not hard to see why.
A stroll around the park during the fortnight reveals a feeling of energy and anticipation in the air. There is a constant hum of excitement as fans chat to their ‘neighbours’, recalling previous Wimbledon memories, while making bold predictions about the matches and players they are waiting to see.
For couple Chris and Freya, the experience has been extra special this year, with two-year-old son Raffi making his debut in The Queue.
“Wimbledon is the reason why you want to be in the UK in the summer because the events are what make the UK and Britain so special,” said Chris, 40, who has been queuing since he was a teenager. “We have come here off the back of Glastonbury, so we have done six of the past seven nights in a tent. We had never spent a night in a tent with a baby before last week and we thought it would be difficult, but Raffi has been a little trooper. He has loved it and he has slept better in a tent than at home.
“Three days ago he was dancing to Diana Ross on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury and now he is going to be cheering on Novak Djokovic on Centre Court!”
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Photo Credit: Sam Jacot/ATP Tour
Just like on Tour, there is a vast array of ages and experiences in The Queue, with two-year-old Raffi standing just metres from seasoned tennis fan Ed, who first queued in 1977.
“We used to queue on the pavements and we were just in sleeping bags with no tents allowed,” Ed recalled. “It rained on us, but it was fine. It was very informal, when we…
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