A Guide to Wimbledon

Pimms? Check. Strawberries? Check. Are your whites white? Check! Wimbledon kicks off on Monday and, as a bit of a tennis junkie and SW19 regular, I thought I’d share some stories and impart some wisdom (ha!) which may or may not be of use to people interested in visiting the Championships. Here we go…

How To Get There

Train

Trains run every 5 – 10mins from London Waterloo and a return will only cost you a few quid. There are also trains every 10 – 15mins from the Guildford / Woking direction. If you’re coming from somewhere else then best check the South West Trains website for times and changes.

Tube

Jump on the District Line (the green one) and head south. You can either ride all the way to Wimbledon Station or jump off at Southfields (two stops before) and walk. (Head down Wimbledon Park Road and after 5 - 10mins you’ll see the grounds on your right).

Buses

Once at Wimbledon Station, head out the main exit and there are shuttle buses directly in front that leave every 5 minutes and take you straight to the grounds and the queue. A single costs about 2 quid and a return is a bit more – please note that prices vary each year. (This is my transport of choice. One year we found ourselves walking back to the bus stop with Nikolay Davydenko wandering along a few steps in front of us without a care in the world… in the following December he went on to win the ATP Finals at the O2. Bizarre!)

Taxi

If you don’t want to wait for a bus, there’s a taxi rank outside the main exit and to the right. Obviously it works out cheaper if the cab’s full, so if there are only a couple of you why not befriend some strangers! (But don’t accept sweets from them!)

What To Take

Sun cream

If you don’t take anything else with you, make sure you take this! The last few years have delivered incredible weather and even though I’ve reapplied throughout the day I’ve left the grounds slightly toasted every time. My friend makes sure she reapplies every hour or so and yet she still burns. One year she even got burnt through her scarf (much to our amusement!).

Water

Forget what I said about sun cream – this is the one thing you need to take! Unless you’re on Centre Court all day and the roof is shut, you’re going to be in direct sunlight all day. Add that to queuing time and you’re probably going to be in it for 12+ hours, which means you’re going to be dehydrated before even considering a Pimms. Luckily, you can bring a bottle and keep re-filling at one of the taps around the grounds. You can also use the taps to cool yourself off it gets really hot… not that I have ever done that…

Lunch and snacks

Unless you’re lucky enough to be dining at the Wingfield Restaurant, you may want to bring your own picnic lunch. There is a food court but the prices are high and the food, honestly, isn’t anything to write home about. You’re better off heading to M&S Food for a selection of treats before you set out.

Camera

Obviously. You literally never know what’s going to happen at Wimbledon or what you’re going to see. Take a camera or regret it forever.

Umbrella

…ella, ella! Because, let’s face it, we’re in England. Plus it can double up as a sun shade (as long as you’re not on the show courts and obstructing someone’s view).

What To Wear

Obviously this depends on the weather. The last few years have blessed us with some absolutely glorious sunshine, meaning shorts, skirts, t-shirts and flip-flops have been standard attire. This year looks like it’s going to me more like the Wimbledon’s I remember from my childhood – rain delays, cowering under umbrellas and wishing you’d worn more layers.

However, this is England so there’s a good chance it’ll be brilliant sunshine one minute and freezing downpours the next. So the key to surviving the day is layers! Here’s what I’m planning to take:

- An outfit suitable for sunshine and heat

- A slightly warmer layer in case it’s a bit breezy

- A jumper / hoodie for colder moments and in case play continues into the evening (Isner v Mahut are scheduled for Round 1…)

- Waterproof jacket

Things To Check Out

Outside courts

If you’ve only got Grounds tickets then that doesn’t mean you can only watch stuff on the big screen. There are loads of outside courts featuring lower seeded players and doubles matches, some of which have seating and others where you can only stand. But they’re still good – last year we stood and witnessed an incredible doubles match where Dominic Inglot and Chris Eaton (two un-seeded Brits) defeated the world No.1’s – Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic. It was brilliant! The first week is the best for these courts – there’s more going on so the chances of seeing higher-ranked players is greater.

New plaque for Isner and Mahut

One of the outside courts is the now infamous Court 18 where John Isner and Nicholas Mahut played out their ridiculous 11 hours, 5 min battle. To celebrate their ridiculousness a commemorative plaque has been added – worth checking out if you’re around the court.

Practice courts

If you want to sneek a peek at your favourite players warming up, head down to the practice courts. There’s usually someone good down there – over the years we’ve seen Fed, Djokovic, Soderling, Monfils and Rafa. It’s a bit like a zoo in the sense that you have to queue up for a few minutes and the players are behind a fence, but if you can get past that then its brilliant!

Autograph island

You never know who’s going to be here but there’s usually someone signing stuff and smiling for photos with fans. So if you want someone to sign your giant novelty tennis ball, or even your arm, then keep an eye out!

Winners walk

If you snoop around under Centre Court you’ll stumble upon a wall charting all the winners of the singles and doubles matches throughout the years. Perfect for sheltering and killing time during rain delays!

Ticket Resale

Anyone with tickets who leaves before the end of play is encouraged to pop their ticket into one of the resale boxes outside the courts. They’re then re-sold for £5 (with the money going to charity) to anyone already in the grounds. The queues for Centre Court and Court 1 tickets are often long but it’s worth it if you want to see the greats in action, and around mid-afternoon they start to go down quite quickly. I do this every year and always get to see at least one entire match.

What Not To Do

Shout “C’mon Tim”

It is sort of mildly funny the first time round, but 5 days into the tournament and for the 3rd time during a match which doesn’t include a Brit, the joke gets a bit stale. It’s been 4 years since Tiger Tim played on these hallowed grass courts, time to move on.

Drunkenly complain about how much you hate tennis

Big sporting events attract corporate idiots. You may be there because of the free alcohol your company is providing and so you can boast when you’re back at the office, but remember there are genuine fans here who have literally queued for hours in burning sun / torrential rain and won’t even get onto a show court to see their idols. Shut up or hand in your ticket and get out.

Act like a crazed, tennis-loving 13-year-old girl

Okay, I may be slightly guilty of sprinting through the crowds to get a picture of Andy Roddick (people say they’ve never seen me move so fast) and I may have gasped quite loudly at Rafa removing his shirt when he was standing only a few feet away from me (In my defence I wasn’t alone and it was purely a reflex and thus out of my control – that guy has the body of a Greek god!), but I’m not proud of it. I would never run up to anyone and stutter “oh my god, I’m like, your biggest fan and I like, totally love you, please sign my face.” That’s not cool. Many of the players, particularly lower seeded ones, wander about the grounds along with everyone else. Respect their space, it’s not a zoo!

Take in massive banners and flags

First of all, this isn’t a football match. Second of all, anything that could obstruct spectators’ view will be taken off you at the security gates.

Shout, make any sudden movements or use flash photography during a point

This is a Grand Slam, not a quick rally in the local park. For the players, this is their livelihood and winning matches here can determine the path of their entire career. If the flow of the game is interrupted and the players get angry you’ll be glared at by the crowd and thrown out by security.

Litter

This really annoys me. Whether you’re in the queue in Wimbledon Park, sitting on Henman Hill or in prime position on Centre Court, take your rubbish with you. There are plenty of bins and there’s no excuse for being a slob.

Be annoying

Smoking and mobile phones are a massive NO. Don’t smoke in the stands, put your phone on silent and leave the stands before you make a call. It may be Wimbledon but the fans will lynch you if needs be.

So there we have it. Forget Christmas, this is what I consider “the most wonderful time of the year”. I’ll be down at the grounds for a couple of days over the coming week and following the rest of the action like an absolute hawk. Feel free to send any questions my way and I’ll try to answer them!

For all the official information from the Championships, visit the Wimbledon website.

Enjoy! (And beware of Wombles!)

I Want to Ride My (Boris) Bicycle

Over the last 10 years or so, I’ve either regularly visited, worked in or lived in London at one stage or another. But as much as I love our fair city and all it has to offer, the one thing I hate most about it is the Tube… not in general (I’d be lost without it!), but just having to use it when it’s raining, over 18° outside and during rush hour. Combine those three things all together and you’ve got your basic nightmare: involuntarily squashed up against a fat, damp and grumpy businessman - a fate worse than being sent to the Tower.

As an unknowing 18-year old I started my daily commuting life as an avid tube traveller, however over the past seven years it’s gradually dawned on me that having instant access to oxygen is a good thing, not having to walk 300 yards in order to travel 100 yards is a great, and not having rude people push and shove you is actually quite pleasant. I can’t quite believe it’s taken me until my mid-20’s to figure out that walking and getting buses, although it takes slightly longer, is far less upsetting and much better for the soul than being stuck in a sweaty underground dungeon of full of angry commuters.

So when jolly old Boris became Mayor and introduced the Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme it seemed like a dream come true. No more relying on public transport - just yourself and your ability to not get flattened by London drivers! I had visions of groups of commuters (myself included) cycling to work singing “doe a deer a female deer” a la The Sound of Music. Brilliant.

Of course my dreams were temporarily shattered when I learnt that you had to register and use the bikes regularly if you were going to get your money’s worth… however, this is no longer the case! Huzzah! You can now use the bikes on a ‘pay as you go’ type scheme, so last weekend I gathered some willing friends and took full advantage! So if you’re thinking of doing the same yourself (which I highly recommend!) here’s a run-down on how it works and what it’s like…

How to Rent a Boris Bike

1 - Find a docking station and go to the terminal. All you need is your debit / credit card - you can’t use cash.

2 - Follow the on-screen directions… it’s pretty simple - you just have to agree to the terms and conditions, say how many bikes you want to hire and how long you want access to them for.

3 - You’ll then be asked if you want to rent your bike straight away. Assuming you do, you press ‘Yes’ and a slip will be printed with a release code on it. Once you have the code, simply pick the bike you want from the docking station and type in the code on the pad on the left hand side (it’s touch sensitive so you don’t need to press the buttons).

4 - If it’s worked then the light on the pad will flash amber and eventually green. Once it’s green lift the handlebars up slightly and pull the bike back towards you to release it. If it flashes red it could be that a fault has been registered with the bike so try another one.

5 - Hit the road Jack! You’re now free to explore London by bike! Huzzah!

Once you're done, you can return the bike to any docking station - just ride up and click the bike back into one of the empty spaces. Done!
 
Cost

As far as charges go, you pay a flat-out access fee: £1 for 1 day, £5 for 7 days and if you’re a registered member you can pay £45 for the year.

Any charges after that are based on your usage and will be charged to your card accordingly: under 30mins is free, up to 1 hour is £4, and it goes all the way up to the 24 hour mark which will set you back £50.

The Bike

The bike itself is nothing spectacular, but I guess that’s fine for zipping around the city. It has lights, you can strap your bag onto the front and there’s a bell… but there’s absolutely no suspension and the “gears” are… well… to be fair, they’re rubbish. There’s only three– 1 and 2 are exactly the same and 3 is only slightly different. So really, much like Charlie Sheen, these bikes have one speed and that’s GO.

For information about cycling routes, a full list of charges and fines, and a map of docking stations, visit the TFL website.

Happy cycling!!! 

Baby We Were Born To Run

This time last year, my wussy friend from the metaphorical boulder story and I somehow stupidly decided to run a 5k because “it might be fun”. So we trained, jumped on board the charity sponsorship train and ran until we couldn’t run anymore. Imagine Forrest Gump crossed with Phoebe from Friends.

Surprisingly, we managed to follow through our good intentions of keeping fit (well, sort of…) and completed our 5k without dying. The only downfall was the lengthy break from late summer to Christmas where the only things we ran for were local transport and happy hours... oops!

To add to our lack of dedication, this past Christmas was the first in six years where I wasn’t ill and, with the threat of illness beckoning from my sniffly and coughing parents, I didn’t waste any time as far as enjoying my food was concerned. Thus I more or less inhaled my Christmas dinner followed by two helpings of Christmas pudding, trifle and Christmas cake. And then a bit later on, some Cadbury roses… and half a chocolate orange… and some shortbread. You get the point. Anyway, by the time Christmas was over we could both physically feel the error of our ways and realised we’d arrived at the point where we needed to start running again before our arteries completely blocked. 

So here we are: we’ve been running regularly since the beginning of the year and have both commented on how much easier we’ve found it this time round. When we first started out last year, we ran 50 yards and practically fell on the floor. This time we were a little rusty but managed our usual training route without needing any breathing equipment or the emergency services. Huzzah! Problem was, what with the excitement / delirium of running 6.7k for the first time in four months without dying, the stupid parts of our brains kicked in and we somehow arrived at the conclusion that we should run a 10k. Not only that, but we needed to run a 5k beforehand to practice. Simples! 

I do often wonder how exactly my brain convinces me that these “brilliant plans” I come up with are in fact brilliant. They’re always followed by that same awful feeling you get when wake up hungover and realise you’ve drunkenly ordered everything off your Amazon wish list…

So what was originally an attempt to keep fit and stay active has developed into something much more. A year on, and it’s all about pride, self-worth and apparently achieving “good Australia legs”. One of my friends says I need to be fit enough to keep up with the hot Australian surfer guys and still look moderately attractive. This would be less daunting if we didn’t literally run around a lake towards a burger van every week! (I’m not even kidding about this – we indulge in a cheese burger or bacon roll as soon as we’ve crossed the finish line. Don’t judge.)

Aaaanyway, enough about that. In a nut shell, I’m running a 5k and a 10k this year and I’m doing it in aid of the British Heart Foundation and the RNLI. You can read more about the charities I support by visiting my new Charities page, or read about my involvement and even sponsor me by clicking HERE.

Al-bag & Austin (see what I did there?)

Once upon a time in a magical land of Nike dunks and false eyelashes, a girl went for lunch at an American diner on Carnaby Street and had a brilliant idea. Fast forward 18 months and the magical idea beans have turned into a magical t-shirt selling beanstalk, aka Alberg & Austin.

Named after a lost teddy and a man she once met in an actual American diner, Alberg & Austin is the brainchild of the lovely Caitriona Brown. The brand boasts a range of limited edition t-shirts, designed by a bunch of the UK’s top up-and-coming designers, and is aiming to achieve great things in 2011.

Since its launch, Alberg has been steadily gaining a following of loyal fans and has been dabbling in everything from markets on Brick Lane to music festivals in London’s parks. They have a whole host of DJ and music friends and are currently supporting Lincoln-based band Dancing Lotus on their London tour.

As if all that wasn’t enough, Alberg have just released a couple of canvas bags (below) which are perfect for the approaching summer (it IS almost summer, please just humour me) and you can get your hands on one right here!

Remember, everything is limited edition – once it’s gone it’s gone – so BUY ONE NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE!!! (apologies if that was too forceful)

Anyway, the moral of this post is that Alberg & Austin is cool. The tees are cool. The bags are cool. Fact. So get buying and spread the Alberg love! Bag one now before it’s too late… they’re bags of fun… sorry.

Ooh and also you can follow Alberg & Austin on Facebook and Twitter – stay up-to-date with the latest news and discounts! It’ll change your life! :)

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

I've been trying to write this post for over a week now. There are five documents sitting on my desktop containing half-written ramblings about various things but I guess I’m not ready to share them with the world just yet. So I've resorted to writing about cake.

Those of you who know me will already be aware of this, but to me cake is pretty much the exact opposite of what kryptonite is to Superman. If you buy me cake I will be your friend. I'd be more comfortable spending £30,000 on a magnificent dream wedding cake and getting married in the loading bay of a Tesco Metro than having a swish location with hundreds of guests. If I almost drowned I wouldn't need a lifeguard to resuscitate me, I'd need a cupcake. Well... maybe not, but you get the idea. Aaanyway... Over the past few years I've been slowly sampling all the cupcake goodness that London has to offer. There was one weekend last summer when I sampled three places in one weekend. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Done. Don't judge me.

So in an attempt to put my useless knowledge on cake to good use, I’ve compiled a list for anyone in the market for a London-based cupcake (or five). Here’s a run-down of the places I’ve visited and a bit about them, starting with worst and ending in the best. Aaaaaaand GO!

Primrose Bakery www.primrosebakery.org.uk

This is a place I'd often been told about (apparently people like Kate Moss like it), so when I found a discarded £5 note on the floor of an ice cream parlour in Covent Garden one day, I celebrated by skipping off to the legendary bakery.

Admittedly it was nearing the end of the day and there wasn't too much on offer, but I picked out the best three and raced home, pretty smug and excited about my technically free treats! Only it wasn’t a treat. It was probably one of the biggest food-related disappointments of my life. Dry sponge combined with icing that had that ‘I've-been-sitting-on-the-counter-since-9am’ vibe about it. Not good.

That being said, they weren’t the worst cupcakes I'd ever eaten*. But still, I’m glad I didn't spend my own hard-earned cash on them. Maybe I was just unlucky. Who knows. But if you’re aiming to try them out I’d recommend going earlier in the day rather than later!

*FYI – I didn’t eat all three, the other two were donated to hungry flatmates.

Candy Cakes www.candycakes.com

I think it was the brightly coloured promise of food-colouring related hyperactivity that attracted me to this place. Their window looks like it’s part of Willy Wonka's magical kingdom and, I’m not being funny but, who could resist something like that?!

To be honest, I can’t offer too much about them. The cake is good and the icing could be better, but it’s the sweets on the top that are the best bit! Fortunately Cyber Candy is just down the road so it’s a win-win situation.

Ms Cupcake www.mscupcake.co.uk

I came across this little gem several months ago whilst helping out on a friend’s stall at the Backyard Market on Brick Lane. Having spent a large part of the day sitting around and slowly slipping into a hypothermic state, I went off in search of food and ended up at this stall in the Old Truman Brewery.

Although I was a little wary at first about buying something vegan, my body was telling my brain that this is what I needed to eat in order to carry on and so I eventually opted for a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. To my amazement, it was pretty damn good. If I hadn’t have known it was vegan I would have never noticed the difference. To this day I still don’t understand what was in it ingredients-wise but I guess it’s all irrelevant really. Cake: good. Icing: good. If you’re in the vicinity go and treat yourself!

Hummingbird Bakery hummingbirdbakery.com

Another of the famous cupcake bakeries in London but unlike Primrose, this does not disappoint! There’s always a steady stream of people going in and out (a good sign!) and you emerge carrying your cake in a little white box with a metal handle. I know the packaging doesn’t matter in the slightest but, in this case, its simplicity appealed to mine.

They have a whole range of cupcakes smothered with fluffy butter cream and cream cheese frostings, as well as various brownies and whoopie pies. It’s a real testament to your own self-control going into that place and coming out with only one item. Perfect for indulging.

Bea's of Bloomsbury www.beasofbloomsbury.com

I visited this place after it was recommended to me by a friend. Rather than opting for just a regular cupcake, my partner in crime and I went all out by ordering the full-on afternoon tea. Sandwiches, scones, meringues, brownies, cupcakes and some questionable pink squidgy stuff which I concluded was a sweet imitation of a human lung. It all comes piled onto a snazzy tiered stand (see the photo below), the tea flows and the good times roll. The perfect way to spend a drizzly, grey afternoon off work in the City.

Fortnum & Mason www.fortnumandmason.com

Not necessarily the first place you'd think of when it comes to cupcakes, but definitely boasting one of the best bakeries in London. I LOVE this shop even though I can’t afford 98% of its stock. It’s one of my happy places and my dream is to one day buy one of their hampers.

The day I sampled their cupcakes I had initially gone in to show my friend the amazing wedding cakes they have on sale (not because I’m itching to get married – I couldn’t be further from it!). Somehow, only a few minutes later, there we were standing at the cake counter discussing whether it was reasonable or not to spend £1.20 on a mini cupcake. Clearly there was no argument. We bought two cupcakes and have never looked back. They may have been expensive, but it’s all relevant – quality not quantity right? They were pretty amazing. Next time I plan to get a full sized one!

Lola's www.lolas-kitchen.co.uk

This is my go-to cupcake place. If I could move in I would. There must be plenty of room under the counter for me to sleep but apparently that’s against health a safety regulations so, alas, the dream will never become reality.

They have all the flavours you could wish for, mini cupcakes, themed cupcakes, etc. You can even order a full cake-sized cupcake which comes with a bunch of smaller cupcakes piled on the top for things such as birthdays, parties or slow Sunday afternoons. Magical. My personal favourites are the Blueberry, Red Velvet and Oreo cupcakes – with them you simply can’t go wrong!

I also love that Lola’s make good use of Twitter - they regularly tweet a question offering a free cupcake to the first six people who come into the store with the correct answer. Brilliant marketing + free cake. What’s not cool about that? One day I will be in the vicinity, I will know the answer and I will be one of the first six. I shall have my cake and I shall eat it.

Right. That’s enough about cupcakes for today. Hopefully the next post will be about something slightly more interesting and less pointless.