Pub landlord Harry Taylor, 52, has camped out for Wimbledon tickets for 34 consecutive years, making him one of the tournament's biggest superfans. This year, he joined the queue on Saturday morning at 9.00 am, 48 hours before Day One, and was number 28 in line. Despite a scorching heatwave, he remains undeterred.
High-Tech Gear and Community Spirit
Harry, owner of the Red Lion Inn in Bridge, Kent, has upgraded his camping setup with a £300 heat-reflective tent, a 100-watt solar panel for charging devices, and video display glasses to watch the World Cup and other matches. He said: "I've got a bigger 100 watt solar panel to charge all our devices - we're here for 12 or 13 days. And because of the World Cup I've got a projector screen which is equipped into my sunglasses - it's like sitting in a cinema screen."
The queue has become a community, with Harry making lifelong friends. They have a group chat to discuss matches. He said: "There are loads of tennis tournaments in the world, but Wimbledon is the greatest. If you don't win Wimbledon, then you are nobody."
Organisers Improve Queue Experience
The All England Club provides amenities including toilets described as "better than Glastonbury toilets," numbered cards to prevent queue-jumping, stewards, phone chargers, and food stalls. Harry noted: "The All England Club do an excellent job and every year the queue improves drastically."
As of yesterday, Harry estimated 1,500 people in the queue, with 200 arriving every hour. He said: "This evening it's going to be rammed."
Favourites for the Title
With his favourite Carlos Alcaraz injured, Harry backs Jannik Sinner. He said: "There's only two people in it - Sinner and Djokovic, but I'll have to go for Sinner as they are on the same side of the draw."
