Man keeps 34‑Wimbledon queue streak despite heat

A tennis fan who is camping out in a queue for Wimbledon tickets for the 34th year on the trot says he is continuing the tradition despite soaring temperatures in the South East.

Harry Taylor, owner of the Red Lion Inn in Bridge, Kent, arrives on Saturday morning and plans to camp overnight every day throughout the championships.

Even though the Met Office forecast is for temperatures to reach 30C during Wimbledon fortnight, the 52-year-old said he had come “fully prepared”.

“I’ve bought pallets of bottled water,” he said. “I’ve packed cooling towels, travel fans and ice cubes which we will place inside portable coolers.”

Taylor added he bought a heat-reflective tent, which cost £300, so he could get a good night’s rest.

“In the past years, when it was hot, the tent I had used was like sleeping in an oven,” he said.

He has also packed white linen clothes, large portable batteries and solar panels to sustain the charging units.

Taylor said he had gained more experience on how to stay cool from one particular Wimbledon year.

“I was watching Andy Murray playing on Centre Court,” he said.

“On court it reached about 40C. Some audience members had fainted.”

He said at the time, he sat at an area in the arena where there was direct sunlight from 13:00.

“My skin peeled,” he said. “I was really concerned and when I spoke to the doctor, he told me it was sunburn.”

Taylor said he had friends from around the world, including China, Australia and Belgium, who join the queue alongside him every year.

The pub owner previously told the BBC he would join the queue every year “unless I’m dead or I’m in hospital”.

When asked who he looked forward to watching this year, Taylor said he was disappointed that six-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz had pulled out of the tournament.

“So I have made plans to watch Jannik Sinner’s matches instead,” he said.

“I also look forward to watching Serena Williams.”

Sinner is the men’s defending champion while Iga Swiatek is the women’s defending champion.

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