Wimbledon Village 7th Annual Tennis-Themed Window Competition
For as long as Roger Federer and Serena Williams have been on their epic record-extending quests on the grass courts of SW19, Wimbledon has enjoyed a parallel form of sporting competition and achievement - the Annual Tennis-Themed Window Competition, now in its seventh edition. Illumin8 Beauty has this year's smash hit with its apparent barrage of balls (crafted from bright yellow reindeer moss) shattering its glass frontage.
From Friarwood Wines' long, replica “Queue” of bottles to The Glasshouse facial and laser clinic’s toy tennis court with Barbie and Ken dolls dressed up as competitors, the businesses of Wimbledon Village find ingeniously appealing ways to interpret the spirit of The Championships.
It’s not just the retail equivalent of playing a tweener to entertain the crowds; rivalry is intense as 60 boutiques and healthcare services, restaurants and charity shops, estate agents and hairdressers rise to the challenge of conjuring the best-dressed tennis-themed window with a melange of Slazenger balls, Babolat racket, club colours of purple and green, strawberries and champagne. Top prize is a pair of two Centre Court tickets; other prizes include dinner at The Ivy, magnums of Lanson champagne – plus bragging rights in the close-knit community for a year. The Awards party is filmed by international media crews.
In 2019 several newcomers represent a wave of NextGen challengers seeking to knock out established prizewinners such as Pet Pavilion, Thai Tho (home of Bob the Ball) and Hemingways Cocktail Bar (who are working a Wombledon range of caricatures). The flower shop Gardenia of London, for example, has stormed into the reckoning with a scoreboard detailing matches between Pete Pampas and Andre Agave, and Venus Flytrap Williams versus John McAloe, hung above a row of pots containing the respective plants.
The not-yet-opened Megan’s restaurant has taken an interactive approach with a huge picture of four men posing with rackets and balls in women’s kit under the line, “Should our chefs trade in their chef whites for tennis whites? Wimbledon, we look forward to ‘serving’ you!”
Sweaty Betty’s range of exercise gear is worn by a row of four glamorous mannequins, sitting as if courtside, sipping champagne and Pimm’s, heads swivelled to the same degree as if following a rally. The motto? “Life’s short. Cause a racquet.”
Some displays have practical appeal: the Wimbledon Pharmacy wishes all-comers a happy tournament with an array of suspended tennis balls interspersed with factor 50 sun lotion and hay fever relief. Others are unashamedly whimsical: Pet Pavilion’s “Thrill of the Ride” theme is illustrated by terriers, a spaniel and a bulldog flying through a starry sky on dog beds upholstered in tennis-ball motif fabric.
The public can vote for their favourite window by “liking” it on the @WVEvents Facebook page – the #WimbledonVillageWindows 2019 album went live on the 24th June. Ten independent judges are also enlisted to visit and score every participating window to ensure fair results. They are assessed on the strength of their tennis concept, the creativity of its execution and on how the play on the tennis theme reflects each shop or restaurant’s speciality.
“The Wimbledon Village tennis window competition has truly captured the imagination of the public and the tennis sporting superstars who visit Wimbledon Village,” says Adrian Mills, Chair of the Wimbledon Village Business Association. “At a time when High Streets are trying to find innovative ways of encouraging footfall, what could be better than this to bring people together in a colourful, fun and imaginative way. We host the best tennis tournament in the world and we, as a community, hope visitors enjoy Wimbledon Village and the tennis window competition as part of an exceptional experience when visiting SW19.”
The winners will be announced later in The Fortnight.
