Well served

FEWER things sum up true Brit spirit better than Wimbledon, with its strawberries and cream, Pimms and lemonade and all those queues. Millions of us will be transformed into tennis fanatics for the next fortnight when the covers come off the All England Lawn Tennis And Croquet Club on Monday.

Most followers of Henman and co will watch the drama unfold on television, but for those who fancy a ring-side seat, a visit to the world's most prestigious tennis tournament in SW19 is a realistic day out.

OK, so you might see more tennis, particularly on the show courts of Centre Court, court one and two, by staying at home and watching it on the box. But then you miss out on the experience that is Wimbledon.

Few people in York know about the Wimbledon experience better than John Linfoot.

John, the chairman of York Tennis Club, has been officiating at Wimbledon for 25 years, both as an umpire and a linesman.

"If you've never been, it's worth going at least once," he says. "You get better coverage on TV, but you can't beat being there and being in the middle of it... there's such a buzz."

John, 57, who works in personnel for Nestl, will be working as a linesman on some of the outside courts for the first ten days of the tournament. And he's looking forward to it immensely because many big names and great matches take place outside of the main show courts, particularly during the first three or four days of the tournament.

"All the top players can't play on the show courts so lots will have to play on the outside courts," says John.

And this is good news for you. Most of the tickets for the show courts have been already allocated, however around 6,000 ground tickets - giving access to all the other courts - are on sale each day.

"You can get a ground ticket for £12, although you will probably have to queue," says John.

Ah, yes. The queuing. Don't be put off by the pictures shown every year on TV of people camping out all night just to get a ticket for Wimbledon. These dedicated souls are queuing to grab the few tickets which are available each day for the show courts. The official advice is that if you start queuing by 7am, you're likely to get a ground ticket at least.

The times I've been to Wimbledon, I didn't join the queue until around 10am and I still got in - albeit just by a whisker on one occasion.

And be warned, once the gates open the queue moves fast. If you are travelling in a party, keep together, otherwise you could be split up and even miss out on entry.

Tickets are sold on an individual basis only - so you can't buy one for a friend if they've nipped to the loo or gone to find a cold drink. Equally, it's not acceptable to leave a bag in your place while you nip to the loo or look for a drink. And the advice on asking a steward to hold your place for you is... just don't.

"If you genuinely need to leave the queue for a short period, advise those in front or behind you to avoid problems on your return," is the advice from Wimbledon staff.

Once inside, it's game on. Check the day's fixtures and go and watch some world-class tennis. A ground ticket also lets you into the standing enclosure at the back of court two.

If you're desperate to see the action on Centre Court, there's a giant screen perched on a large grassy area in the centre of the club, where you can soak up the rays and the day's hottest tennis action.

If your heart is set on Centre Court but you are not prepared to camp out overnight, the best advice is to buy a ground ticket, then queue for Centre Court returns in the late afternoon. These tickets cost just a few pounds and the money goes to charity.

No visit to Wimbledon would be complete without some strawberries and cream. There's a wide variety of food and drink outlets at the complex - but it might be nicer, and cheaper, to bring your own cool box and enjoy that other very English tradition... a summer picnic.

Weather can be as unpredictable as some of the leading players' form, so come prepared for sun and showers. Sun cream and a hat are as necessary as a brolly and warm jacket.

And if rain does disrupt play, there is always the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum to visit (open daily 10.30am-5pm, adult entry £5). Sporty types might like to do a bit of shopping at the many merchandising stalls on site. Or, if all else fails, why not head for the bar?

If all this tempts you to make a day-trip to the championships, here's just one last piece of advice. The London Underground stop for the tennis tournament isn't Wimbledon, it's Southfields - the All England club is a 15-minute walk or short bus or taxi ride from there.

u For more information about Wimbledon visit online at: www.wimbledon.com

u Train inquiries or bookings can be made by telephoning GNER on 08457 225 225 or online at www.gner.co.uk with day returns from York to London starting at £24.

Updated: 09:59 Saturday, June 23, 2001