Gates of Heaven

Enter through the black wrought iron gates of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, or as it is more commonly referred to, the All England Club, and you are on the site of The Championships, Wimbledon. The club was founded in 1868 as the All England Croquet Club. The first tennis Championships in men’s singles were held as a way to raise money for a pony-drawn roller for the croquet lawns.

The Championships, which began in 1877 is the oldest and most prestigious event in the world of Tennis. Tradition is the name of the game here, and the atmosphere is somewhat that of a lovely garden party where people just happen to be playing tennis. The English are known for their gardens and the grounds are beautifully landscaped. Purple and green are the official colors here and they have carried on that theme with , lavender, pink and white hydrangea, fragrant roses, and hanging baskets of purple and white flowers. Someone here knows what they are doing. I’ve never thought that a cold rainy climate was great for gardens, but everything is blooming profusely.

Speaking of cold rainy climate, yes, the normal Wimbledon weather arrived today. I knew it was too good to be true when we had four consecutive days with sunshine. As I walked up the hill this morning it started sprinkling, then sprinkling harder, then raining, and finally I had to run through a downpour the last few yards. It stopped around 2PM and by the time they got the covers off play started again around 2:30. The good news was they could play and not get behind, the bad news is, and it stayed cold, dark and windy all day.

I really had no incentive to do photos under these conditions, so thought I’d check out the shopping. First stop, the official Wimbledon Shop. As you enter to the left there is a sign that reads, “Luxury goods”. They are not kidding this is a shop where the T-shirts start at 25 GBP. That’s Great British Pounds which at the current exchange rate converts to $49.82. The merchandise is traditional and high quality, but at these prices, I won’t be filling up my luggage.

Next idea for staying dry is the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. This is definitely worth a visit. The museum is a beautifully designed contemporary space, which won a special commendation in the 2008 European Museum of the Year Award

This state of the art museum features artifacts and exhibits never seen before. There is also a fantastic cinema with a 200 degree screen that immerses the viewer into the world of The Championships. There is also a re-creation of the Gentlemen’s dressing room with a ghost like figure of John McEnroe acting as your guide.

Unfortunately, they don’t allow photos, so I can’t show you this wonderful space, but on your next visit here, be sure to check it out.

After all this shopping and museum walking, I’m in need of a little refreshment. The Champagne Bar is the popular hang out here. There is live band, Champagne and Pimms. I’m not sure if you are familiar with this drink, but the Brit’s love this as much as their cup of tea, and down gallons of it in the summer. It’s basically an aromatic gin based liqueur that is mixed with lemonade, fruit, and mint. This is quite a nice drink, but I still have to get a little work done today, so reluctantly, I settle for an ice tea. The bartender can’t believe that I’m not drinking anything alcoholic so I promise come back for a Pimms on a day after I’ve finished shooting.

Enough fun for the day, Ivanovic lost the first set, and I’m going to need a few snaps of her in case she looses. How right I was. The seeds here are falling faster than the rain. The number one seed and favorite to win the title, Ivanovic is out in straight sets to China’s Zheng Jie, who is ranked 133 in the world. It was 6-1, 6-4 in a quick 72 minutes.

It was surprising that Ivanovic went out in the 3rd round, but not entirely surprising that she did not take the title. The last woman to win the French and Wimbledon back to back was Serena Williams in 2002.

That’s it for today, I’m planning a night out in the Village, so check in tomorrow and I’ll tell all.

Posted by Cynthia Lum at 3:39 PM