Wimbledon is in full swing, with a palpable buzz on the streets of our little village – so much so, it feels as though we’re a little closer to vibe of central London.
There are moments – in the Rose & Crown’s busy beer garden, for example, with the glorious evening sun shining down on a lot of happy people – when I wish it could be like this all year round. The next morning, however, I’ve no doubt that my friends and the bar staff are grateful it’s only for two weeks a year that our town welcomes the world to queue in front of us at our local bars!
Last week’s wonderful hot weather provided plenty of sunshine, creating an idyllic setting in which to dress up and watch the tennis. I’m always grateful to be able to take a day to enjoy the very traditional atmosphere at such a well-organised event, and watch incredible players excel at their sport. From the intimacy of the smaller courts to the grand theatre of Centre Court, all manicured lawns and clipped accents, there is nowhere more impressive than Wimbledon’s AELTC on a beautifulsummer’s day.
But it turns out you don't need to go to the grounds to see one of the tennis greats in Wimbledon. I wasn't out the night Nick Kyrgios made the headlines partying at the Dog & Fox the night before his match with Nadal, but my friends have told me how nice he was to those around him. And it's not just Kyrgios: the players seem to be making themselves at home and mingling more with Wimbledon folk and businesses this year – Djokovic took a casual stroll through Cannizaro Park, Federer visited Wimbledon's Piazza, Jamie Murray was spotted in the Rose & Crown, and Nadal is often found popping into Bayley & Sage for groceries.
In the past week, I've eaten a lot of strawberries while resisting the cream, enjoyed the buzzy nights in the Village, had picnics on the common with friends, spent a day at the tennis… all very peaceful. But the Wimbledon Village Tennis Party I threw last week at the Dog & Fox – an epic social event for 200 guests – was anything but. The first to arrive was the Fantastic Mr Fudge, Wimbledon Village stables’ adorable Shetland pony, whose ears pricked up when the golden man of Wimbledon Mr Bond cycled past and stopped to wish us a great party.
As the (human) guests arrived, I couldn't relax due to a few hidden dramas: two nine-foot stilted angels with a combined wingspan of 12 foot were stuck in the basement where they were trying to change, and we had already run out of beer. Mark Gordon, Founder of Wimbledon Brewery, came to the rescue by personally delivering five crates of our local brewery's finest new summer ales. The Pimm’s and Martin Miller gin and tonics were soon flowing and, before 8pm, the LED-lit winged angels managed to release themselves to join the dancing crowds.
The man responsible for filling the dancefloor, MC Kie, had flown in from Greece, freshened up at Hotel du Vin and joined his fellow DJs just in time to play an insane Old Skool garage set. Flex FM's CEO DJ Carlos was a true legend, bringing the station’s DJ box to set up in the Dog & Fox’s event space.
Earlier on that evening, there was a moment that made me pause, breathe and smile. The Dog & Fox crew were doing what they do best; guests were having beautiful henna tattoos applied to hands and wrists by Sophia @hennaabysof; others were demolishing tennis-ball cakes by Zay's Bakes, and more than 200 happy people from near and far were having a blast, listening to the tunes, mingling, laughing and dancing. This wonderful evening is probably the only party I've thrown where I just let go: I handed my phone to my team, joined MC Kie and his crew on stage and let the night reveal itself as the ultimate way to celebrate the tennis in our town.
Admittedly, I needed a few days to recover – but the Fire Stables in the Village soon tempted me back out, with an opportunity to learn to make strawberry tarts with their head chef, Raffa. The experience was streamed live on Facebook and I was delighted when, by pure chance, Adrian Mills and Mick Dore, landlord of the notorious Alexandra pub, walked past just in time to see my culinary skills in action. It was only 10am and the sun was shining bright, so I decided to spend the rest of my morning there watching all the keen tennis fans walk down the hill to the grounds.
Wimbledon Town and the Village have excelled themselves in welcoming crowds with their tennis vibe this year – and the best seat is not always on Centre Court. I found mine in the sun at the Rose & Crown’s beer garden on the Tanqueray bench beside Freddie (Nikki the GM'S gorgeous pooch).
Today, the sky is not so bright, but as I sip my morning coffee, flocks of pretty dresses, Panama hats and comfy shoes are marching past on their way to watch the game. It’s a wonderful and uplifting time of year – a time when people who have travelled here from far and wide ask where we live, and proudly we reply: ‘Wimbledon.’
@LadyWimbledon
LadyWimbledon.com
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