Okay, so you got lucky and scored tickets to Wimbledon in the public drawing. Or you’ve decided to brave the uncertain British weather to camp and queue for last-minute tickets to the world-famous Grand Slam tennis tournament.
Before heading out to spend the day at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, here is a list of things you don’t want to forget to bring, and a few you should remember to leave at home.
Bring sunscreen
Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe after years of watching a rainy Wimbledon, but the sun is shining on London during the tennis fortnight. Only the center court is covered and the roof is only closed when it rains. We like the Avon Skin So Soft range of sunscreen / bug repellent combinations. They come in all kinds of formulations (sprays, creams, lotions) and separate versions for kids and adults, up to SPF 30. And they smell great too. Mosquitoes may not be in the tennis club, but this feature could come in handy when camping for last minute tickets or later enjoying a riverside pub.
Bring a sun hat
Find a sun hat that will withstand a drizzle. But leave the floppy-brim large number at home – brimmed hats are a Wimbledon Don’t . A canvas hat, inner cap, or baseball cap would work well. And Panama hats have been seen on the stands, just make sure the straw holds up if it rains. The Canadian Tilley AIRFLO range may not be the height of fashion, but they are packable and repel rain and mildew. They’re vented for freshness, and when it comes to sun protection, they promise to block up to 98 percent of harmful UVA / UVB radiation and deliver an ultraviolet factor (UPF) of 50+, the highest rating available. Just the thing that protects you for all summer outdoor spectator events, especially a long day watching Wimbledon tennis on an open court.
Bring a bottle of water
If the weather is good enough for tennis, it could be a hot, dry day. Drinks, including alcoholic beverages, are sold at Wimbledon, but the last thing you want to do in the middle of a tense match is bounce in your seat to queue to quench your thirst. Put a few small bottles of water in your bag. And make sure they are plastic or metal flasks. Glass bottles are a no-no in the stands.
Bring a collapsible rain poncho
A waterproof rain poncho will come in handy for sudden downpours, as only Center Court has a roof. I believe that a lightweight, packable poncho, large enough to cover you and your things, is more useful and considerate to others than an umbrella on crowded grounds and bleachers. Also, if the weather is nice, you can use it as a ground cloth as you stretch out to look at the big screen from Picnic Terrace, one known as Henman Hill and currently called Murray Mound.
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Bring your camera
Watching a match at Wimbledon is a once-in-a-lifetime event for most people, so you’ll definitely want some photos to show people back home that you were there. You are allowed to take photos for your personal use. Cameras, film cameras, and video recording are allowed as long as they do not interfere with competitors or anyone else, and as long as your images / films / videos are for your private, non-commercial use. Go for something compact and quiet. The Nikon Coolpix S700 is a smart compact featuring 16 megapixels and a Nikkor 20x 4.5-90mm optical zoom lens and on-camera motion detection technology small enough to fit in a pocket. It’s Wi-Fi enabled, so you can start snapshots to your friends from your smartphone right away, and it’s available for less than $ 200.
Bring Munchies
Food and beverages are available at several different catering facilities. But it can be expensive.
You can bring your own small picnic or snack supply, as well as a bottle of wine per person or two cans of beer. But don’t expect to consume alcoholic beverages, or anything more substantial than the snacks at the stalls. For proper picnic meals there’s the picnic deck, with garden tables and chairs if you’re lucky, room to spread out a picnic on the lawn if you don’t have it.
Hadaki’s Coated Plastic Insulated “Lunch Pods” are clean and discreet insulated bags that look like summer bags and are perfect for work. You can find a very good selection of them on Amazon.com
Bring headphones
If you like to follow the action on more than one court, or follow another game or sport while watching a game at Wimbledon, you can bring your radio. Okay, but be sure to bring noise-canceling headphones so you can listen without disturbing others in the stands. And, while you’re at it, remember to turn off your mobile phone while you’re in the stands. The Comply NR10 headphones are a neat pocket-sized set with good noise reduction and three different sized earplugs for a good, comfortable fit.
And don’t bring …
- never wanting to be left behind, Wimbledon has banned selfie sticks. Leave yours at home or you will lose it.
- Anything that can be taken as a weapon: large kitchen knives, large corkscrew, pepper spray.
- rattles, rattles and horns
- signs larger than 2 square feet
- alcoholic beverages in the stands
- active mobile phones in the stands
- “Ambush Advertising” merchandise. Those are hats, ponchos, sunscreen, umbrellas, and other free items that they may have given you while you were waiting in line at Wimbledon. Look closely and you will notice that they are marked for the purpose of free television exposure within the grounds. Branded foods and clothing that you have purchased for yourself are usually allowed. But if the items you carry have unusually large and blatant advertising, they can be considered part of an ambush campaign. If so, they can be temporarily confiscated. If you refuse to give them up until you leave the club (when you can usually get those gifts back), you can be denied entry. So from a delicious free gift to a serious annoyance in about 30 seconds.
