There are many things that come to mind when one thinks of London, but what perhaps isn’t readily apparent is the excellent sporting scene the city and its environs have to offer. The month of June, in particular, offers what are perhaps the two most quintessentially British sporting events—Royal Ascot, the world’s most famous horse race, steeped in tradition and dating back to 1711, and the Wimbledon Championships, held annually since 1877. Fortunately for the tourist, the two events are held virtually back-to-back (in 2008, Royal Ascot will take place June 17-21, and Wimbledon takes place June 23-July 6), making it possible to take in both events during an extended London holiday.

Ascot falls first on the sporting calendar, and is as much about spectacle (the hats! the Queen!) as it is about world-class horse racing. More 300,000 people make the annual pilgrimage to Berkshire, a 50-minute drive or train journey from London, during Royal Ascot week, making it Europe’s best-attended race meeting. There are 17 Group races and more than £3.5 million in prize money on offer, with at least one Group One event on each of the five days. The main event, however, is the Ascot Gold Cup, which takes place on Ladies' Day, the Thursday of race week, which I attended in June of 2006.

Her Majesty The Queen usually starts each race day by entering the racecourse in horse-drawn carriage, proceeding up the Straight Mile and winding her way through the grounds, before finally entering the Parade Ring to cheering throngs. Conveniently for the awed, camera-toting spectators, she alights her carriage and lingers on the field, shaking hands with dignitaries and race officials, before moving inside to the Royal Enclosure, where members of the Royal family have their private boxes.

Individual admittance to the Royal Enclosure is incredibly difficult to acquire (first-time applicants must complete a sponsorship form, which must be signed by someone who has attended the Royal Enclosure for four years). The dress code is similarly strict—ladies are required to wear a hat, the bigger and frillier the better (making for some interesting packing dilemmas for American visitors) and strapless dresses are not permitted, while men are required to wear either black or gray morning dress, including a waistcoat, with a top hat. The dress code is less rigid for other areas of the Grandstand, but fortunately most spectators elect to dress for the occasion nonetheless, making for the most elaborate hat sightings this side of the Kentucky Derby.

The Ascot Racecourse recently underwent a massive, two-year, £200 million redevelopment, the highlight of which is the new Grandstand, with its distinctive design featuring a parasol roof suspended on “structural trees,” as well as new and refurbished fine dining and hospitality venues, a total of 12 in all, as well as 265 private boxes.

We were fortunate to obtain seating in the Parade Ring restaurant, the crown jewel of the new Grandstand, offering the quintessential Ascot experience. Complete with its own exclusive balcony, the restaurant is located at the heart of the Grandstand overlooking the Parade Ring and winner’s enclosure, and is just a short walk across the galleria to an exclusive seated viewing area adjacent to the Royal Box. Packages are available for private tables for two to 12 guests, and include one-day Royal Enclosure membership (no sponsorship application required); a five course á la carte luncheon; full afternoon tea with strawberries and cream and pink champagne; complimentary bar; and more.

Between the meal courses that seem never ending, the free flow of champagne, and the general mood of revelry, the racing itself can take a back seat, but is among the best a race fan is likely to see. Being a novice gambler, I bet conservatively on three races, and lost conservatively on three races--£5 each on Country Song to win, Glamour Puss to win, and, having finally wised up, Day Flight each way.

The day’s racing over, woozy spectators make their way back to their cars or to the train station (service to Ascot runs from London Waterloo at regular intervals). Arriving at Royal Ascot by train is a festive affair: behatted spectators board the train at stops all along the way, laughing and joking with their fellow passengers during the 53-minute ride, the end of which is followed by a 10-minute walk through leafy countryside adjoining Windsor Great Park, past picnickers lounging in the grass, to the racecourse.

However, departing Royal Ascot by train is a different animal altogether. The pleasant walk through bucolic English parkland now seems much hillier than it did upon arrival, especially for ladies who have been standing in heels for most of the day. Racegoers, many of whom may be in their cups, crowd the station platform, jockeying for position to board the next train. Only the swiftest (and most aggressive) passengers get seats, while the rest stand pressed against one another in the aisles for the nearly hourlong trip back to London. For this reason, it is highly recommended that visitors spring for a car service to and from the race so as to preserve the happy memories of the afternoon. Visit London, London’s official visitor organization, offers a complete listing of car services on their web site, visitlondon.com.

After some early morning showers, opening day of the Wimbledon Championships turned sunny and warm, perfect tennis viewing weather. We arrived in the village of Wimbledon early for breakfast at Cannizaro House, a Georgian country house hotel with stunning gardens,where we peeked in on a roomful of seamstresses making last-minute alterations to on-court staff uniforms, designed by Ralph Lauren and prominently displayed in all the designer’s London boutique windows.

After breakfast, we took a brief tour of the village of Wimbledon, a charming upscale-rural town with striking views of the city of London. In addition to being home to a number of chic shops, handsome period buildings, and Wimbledon Common, a public recreation area with a golf course and stables, the village is also home to Buddhapadipa Temple, the first Buddhist temple in the United Kingdom, a lovely and serene place with elaborate statuary and ducklings paddling happily in ponds.

We finally made our way to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, joining the spirited crush of spectators packing into the storied grounds. With time to spare, we first visited the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum, a thorough and entertaining compendium of Wimbledon history and paraphernalia (one particularly intriguing exhibit features a three-D projection of John McEnroe standing in a recreation of the Gentlemen's Dressing Room circa1980s, reminiscing about his memories of the era, including how he first met Jimmy Connors). Ralph Lauren designing the official uniforms? Super Brat narrating museum exhibits? Where’s the British pride?

Not quite time for tennis yet and the weather still holding, we moved on to lunch at the The Wingfield Restaurant. The meal was capped off with the customary strawberries and cream, a treat that the British take very seriously. To ensure utmost freshness, the strawberries, usually Grade I Kent strawberries of the highest quality, are picked the day before and arrive at Wimbledon at 5.30 a.m., prior to being inspected and hulled. Over the course of a single tournament, Wimbledon catering serves more than 61,000 pounds of strawberries and 7,000 liters of dairy cream.

Finally, we were ready for some tennis. I wish I could report on an afternoon spent exhilarating in the lions of the sport thwoking balls at lightning speeds over lush green lawns. However, our day of tennis fell prey to a misfortune that has so dogged the Wimbledon Championships as to become the stuff of legend—drenching, unstoppable, Biblical rain. Earlier at the museum, I had noticed a series of cartoons and satiric sketches about Wimbledon all concerning the maddening propensity for rain on the tournament’s opening day, at which we had all chuckled appreciatively at the time. They were less funny now.

We attempted to ride out the storm back at the museum and gift shop, which soon became unendurably hot and overcrowded, so I ventured back out in search of shelter that offered a bit more personal space, assuming the rain would let up soon. I clearly underestimated British rain (lesson learned: when in England, always, always bring an umbrella). It poured steadily as I trudged back toward the restaurant, only to discover that every square inch of covered standing room was packed solid with bedraggled tennis fans. I finally spied a small, unoccupied programs kiosk, and flattened myself against it to avail myself of its five inches of overhanging roofline. Shortly thereafter, a colleague who had also fled the museum joined me, and we waited to see if they would cancel the day’s play.

We had been standing pressed against the kiosk for about 15 minutes when a pair of American men approached, and asked if anyone was inside. I replied that it was empty. “Have you tried the door?” Man One asked. “The door?” I responded, turning around to discover that I had been leaning on the entryway to the kiosk. Man One pulled lightly at the door, which opened obligingly, and in we all piled.

Over the course of the next 45 minutes, we discovered that the gentlemen were both junior tennis instructors from San Diego and were traveling to celebrate one’s 40^th birthday. One of the men braved the rain to make a beer run, and we chatted and posed for a number of photographs, as we had become the subject of much amusement to passing spectators. Finally, the leader of our group arrived to tell us that we had to head back to the city, and we left our newfound friends in sole occupation of the kiosk.

The British have become so accustomed to rain at Wimbledon, and are so skilled at drying the courts, that they are loathe to cancel a day’s play. Eventually, at 7:20 p.m., the day’s play was called off, at a cost of £1 million to the All England Club (the Club offers full refunds if less than one hour's play is possible). Another important lesson learned: if you’re going to attend Wimbledon, plan to attend more than one day of the tournament.

As disappointing as the Wimbledon outcome was, it couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm for the country’s rich sporting heritage. As a final cap to our holiday, we were passing Trafalgar Square on our way to dinner the night England beat Ecuador in the 2006 World Cup. Young soccer fans had crowded into the square’s fountain, splashing, chanting, and waving the Union Jack, while bemused bobbies watched from the sidelines, allowing the party to continue just a bit longer before evicting the revelers from their perches. England may be a place where adherence to tradition still reigns, but sometimes you just have to let loose and celebrate, something the British also know how to do with style.  

Acquiring Royal Ascot & Wimbledon Tickets

Needless to say, tickets to both events are highly sought after. There is a rather complicated balloting and drawing process by which the majority of Wimbledon seats are distributed (visit this site for a full explanation). There is also daily queuing for grounds passes, which is well organized but can be time-consuming and offers no guarantees. However, a number of tickets are available for corporate hospitality through the All England Club (click the Hospitality link at wimbledon.org to fill out an information request) and for overseas package tours through Wimbledon’s official licensed agents, Keith Prowse and Sportsworld Group. These agents provide packages that include London hotel accommodations and Wimbledon tickets, and can take much of the guesswork out of organizing a trip to Wimbledon from the U.S. Ascot offers a number of hospitality packages that deliver a top-notch Royal Ascot experience at a variety of price points. For the full range of offerings, visit www.ascot.co.uk, click the Racing link, and select from the Royal Ascot packages listed individually under the “Restaurants and Boxes” link.  

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