'I have been queuing at Wimbledon for 12 years'

BBC News

07-07-2025

Every summer, one man is always stood right at the front of the Wimbledon queue.Chief steward James Mendelssohn, from Thursley in Surrey, has been managing the crowds waiting to enter one of the world's biggest tennis tournaments for 12 years.He told Radio Surrey he is always happy to see "old friends" who join the queue year after year - and welcome new guests. But while some arrive well-prepared, he says others "are perhaps less good at looking at a weather forecast!".
As the heatwaves of the last few weeks gave way to rain, numbers have been fluctuating, he said.But although the weather "has kept a few people away", Mr Mendelssohn has a team of 200 stewards to keep the queues in order.So how does he manage so many people and make sure all the visitors get in on time?"It's a very well-rehearsed system," he said. "People arrive at any time of the day or night, they're given a queue card which is numbered."That enables us to guarantee that whatever time you arrive, and - however many people you see milling around in the field - we will get guests into the ground in exactly the order they arrive."
He said it takes a lot of organisation to manage so many people each day."It does, but it's been happening for years now. Every year we review it, we try and make some improvements."Because, at the end of the day, we want our guests to have a memorable experience at Wimbledon."And it is seeing so many enjoy the experience that has been a highlight for Mr Mendelssohn every year."We see new faces here obviously, but there are some old friends who come back year after year," he said."We know them, they know us, and it's great to see some old friends. They just love being part of the queue."I think it's seeing so many people who are really excited about Wimbledon."I mean, Wimbledon is the premier sporting event in the world, we believe."And there are people who are just excited to be here, it's part of their bucket list. "They love tennis."