Dress: Morning dress is obligatory.Gold Cup Day (Ladies Day) is traditionally a fashion spectacle.
Accommodation: Cliveden Hotel, Maidenhead, Berkshire.SL6 OJF.Tel: 016286 68561. Online booking.
Enjoy Ascot in style and stay nearby at the magnificent 5 Star Cliveden, former Thames-side seat of the Astor family with a Michelin Star restaurent, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts and Spa. With double rooms starting at £355 per night you will probably need a certain tip for the Gold Cup winner.
Lawn Tennis
Wimbledon Lawn Tennis
Championships
Date: 23 June - 6 July, 2003.
Venue: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Church Road, London SW19 5AE
What it is: Tennis has long been England's most popular summer social sport and the green courts of Wimbledon its
pinnacle. King George VI, when Duke of York, set the
Royal seal on the Wimbledon Championships when he competed in the
Men's Doubles in 1921, an era when all competitors were amateur. This
year's prize money has been raised to £575,000 for the Gentlemen's champion and £535,000 for the Ladies champion, prompting grumbles of
sexism from some quarters. The Wimbledon atmosphere is unrivalled by
any other tournament on the world circuit; emerald green courts, the
Royal Box graced by the Duke and Duchess of Kent, tournament patrons, the polite and decorously clad Centre Court spectators, the social
ritual of champagne and fresh strawberries, the inevitable rainstorms.
And of course there are the players, for whom winning at Wimbledon is the ultimate dream.
Website: www.wimbledon.org
Getting there: The courts are seven miles
southwest of central London. Visitors are recommended to travel by
public transport or taxi as parking is extremely limited.
Tickets: Book well in advance. Although some tickets are available for all courts at the gate for the first week,
expect to queue all night for these. Centre Court and Court No 1 seats are available by ballot. Applications must be received by December 1.
For an application form, write including SAE/International Reply Coupon to: All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, PO Box 98, Church Rd, London SW19 5AE; tel: 020
8946 2244; fax: 020 8947 8752. Ground tickets to watch games on courts 3 to 17 are available at the gate only on the day of play. Demand exceeds supply, so arrive early. Overseas visitors can buy tickets through the Club's official US agent, Sportsworld Travel; tel: 1 800 278 6738.
