Come 29 June and Wimbledon will take over all dining table/pub conversations.
A testimony to the tennis frenzy is Wimbledon’s All Bar One restaurant renaming itself to “All Bar Wimble One”.
This year, over 40,000 fans are expected to flock to Wimbledon daily.
Take a look at five crazy facts about London’s largest tennis tournament:
1. This year’s Wimbledon prize money is *drumroll please* £26.75m, a staggering 152% rise since 2011.
2. During World War II, five bombs hit Centre Court
The bomb destroyed 1,200 seats and it took nine years for the court to be fully restored.
3. 10 million viewers watched Novak Djokovic’s victory over Roger Federer in 2014
Novak Djokovic’s victory over Roger Federer in the Wimbledon Gentlemen’s Singles final drew a peak audience of 10 million viewers. The Ladies’ Singles Final drew a peak audience of 3.1m viewers. (BBC)
4. Rufus, a Harris Hawk, at Wimbledon to scare the pigeons
Rufus visits the club most weeks of the year to provide a deterrent to local pigeons by making them aware of a predator in the grounds, persuading them to roost elsewhere. He flies for one hour (9.00am) most mornings of the championships before the gates open.
5. Catering
350,000 cups of tea and coffee
150,000 bottles of water
207,000 meals served
230,000 glasses of Pimm’s
190,000 sandwiches
150,000 bath buns, scones, pasties and doughnuts
130,000 lunches are served
100,000 pints of draught beer and lager
60,000 sausage baguettes
40,000 char-grilled meals served
32,000 portions of fish and chips
30,000 litres of milk
142,000 portions of English strawberries
28,000 bottles of champagne
15,000 bananas (for players)
60,000 portions of ice cream
12,000kg of poached salmon and smoked salmon
7,000 litres of dairy cream
6,000 stone baked pizzas
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