As the Wimbledon Championships enter their second week, with the nail-biting finals in sight, Wimbledon town and village are at tennis fever pitch. Here are five ways to make the most of the tennis season:
1 You might still get tickets
Official tickets from the All England Club are sold by a ballot, which closed in December. Limited tickets are, however, still available, daily from the Ticketmaster website.
You can also join Wimbledon?s famous queue. The club releases 500 tickets a day for Centre Court, No 1 and No 2 Court – apart from the last four days on Centre Court. Thousands of grounds passes are available daily too, allowing access to unreserved seating and standing on Courts No 3 to 18. Arrive as early as possible and before the ground opens at 10.30am.
Read more on the Wimbledon website.
2 Watch the final on a big screen
Queuing for a grounds pass allows you to watch the action from the big screen on Murray Mound, the piece of land to the north of Centre Court.
Or head for the Piazza in Wimbledon town centre, where the atmosphere is possibly just as good. If you?re early and very lucky you might bag a deckchair or an outdoor table at a local restaurant.
Alternatively, go further afield where there are big screens at Granary Square, Kings Cross; beside Tower Bridge and City Hall; in the grounds of Fulham Palace or at St Katharine Dock.
Find more options on the Time Out website.
3 Soak up the atmosphere
Shops and businesses in the town and village go all out to make the most of a time when the eyes of the world are on Wimbledon. Check out the amazing shop front displays and post pictures of your favourites on Instagram or go tennis-related celebrity spotting from local cafes and restaurants.
4 Dress to impress, or not
If you?re heading to the tournament, unless you?re competing, there?s no dress code. In spite of the glamour of Wimbledon, for spectators it?s all about comfortable and casual. During the first week of play temperatures soared. Forecasts for the second week are cooler with a chance of rain, so wear layers and come prepared for sunshine and showers.
5 Can I bring a picnic?
There are plenty of places to eat inside the ground, but they aren?t cheap and it?s likely you?ll need to queue ? so bringing your own picnic is a good option. You can only take in one bag per person, measuring no more than 40 x 30 x 30cm, so no hard-sided picnic hampers or cool boxes are allowed.
If you wish to sell or let your property in Wimbledon, then please contact us for more information on how we can help your journey to #TennisTown