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An insider's guide to Wimbledon

The British tennis season is here. That only means one thing, Wimbledon. Rebecca Morris gives you the low-down of the tournament that brings southwest London to life

The tradition of royalty, plucky fans and unpredictable weather make this tournament one of the biggest sporting events of the year. The 2005 Championships start on Monday 20 June and end with the Men's singles final on Sunday 3 July.

• Who plays at Wimbledon?
  
• Getting tickets
  
• Getting there
  
• The scene
  
• The food
  
• The queues
  
• The celebrities and minor royals
  
• The player perks
  
• Apres-tennis
  
• What can I watch at Wimbledon?
  
• The links and facts

Who plays at Wimbledon? The Wimbledon draw is made up of 128 players for the Mens' and Ladies' singles tournament. This year defending champion Roger Federer will be taking on the likes of Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and our own Tim Henman for the Wimbledon Trophy, and the small matter of £630,000. The Williams sisters, Amelie Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova are among the big names vying for the Venus Rosewater Dish and £600,000. British players, other than Henman and Greg Rusedski, generally have to rely on the generosity of the Club to give them automatic entry into the tournament in the form of wild cards, which are predominately given to Brits, and these low-ranked players generally provide their share of upset and excitement in the first few days.

Getting tickets
Advance tickets are distributed by public ballot, and to be eligible you must write to The All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club requesting to enter by 31 December for the following year. Your chances of being successful in the lottery are remote. You can queue on the day, but get there early, and remember payment is with cash only. If you want Centre Court tickets, which start at £32, arrive around 3am, or the night before. If you just want to soak up the atmosphere, a ground pass at £16 will suffice - the benefits being that you don't need to queue so early, and on the first week you can see some big names on the outside courts. Or you can catch the evening matches after work for just £10.

Getting there
Take the District Line tube to Southfields station or to Wimbledon tube/train station, where there is a shuttle bus, although it is quite expensive. The tournament is only a seven-minute stroll away, and it's an even shorter walk to join the queue. The No 39 bus from Clapham Junction to Putney goes right to the road that runs in front of the club. Parking is limited and costs from £15; another option is to try the various side streets nearby where residents often rent out their driveways for smaller sums.

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