I joined 'the queue' at Wimbledon where fans can get in for £30 - here's how to do the same

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'Wake up, time to wake up,' came the cry, '15 minutes to pack up your tents'.

I checked my watch, just past 5:30am. Of course, I was already awake, with a pair of ducks having decided to conduct a low-altitude fly-by past my tent just minutes earlier.

Not that I was having the best night's sleep anyway. The noise of hundreds of tennis fans arriving metres from my tent in the wee hours would not be my chosen soundtrack for an uninterrupted eight hours.

Early birds: I joined tennis fans gathering to queue for the first day of the tournament

Engrossed: A Press Association photographer snapped me attempting to watch the England Euros match on a mobile phone

Still, I made my bed, quite literally, by choosing to pitch up in Wimbledon Park on a Sunday afternoon to join the famous Wimbledon queue, following in the footsteps of millions of tennis fans since the queue began in 1926.

With the majority of tickets allocated in a public ballot, queueing is the only option for those who aren't lucky enough to get one. That is, unless they have £1,000 or more to spend on hospitality tickets.  

We had arrived just after 1pm ready to join the overnight queue for Wimbledon's first day on Monday. With the queuing process set to begin at 2pm, we were surprised to discover that two lines of tents had already been pitched by keen fans.

Joining the end of the row and unfurling our tents, the first hurdle was complete.

Once you have pitched up, the queuing begins in truly British fashion, as campers wait patiently for stewards to make their way along the line handing out queue cards which cement your place ahead of the first day.

With an extensive code of conduct in place for queuers, one that includes absences from your tent not exceeding 30 minutes, two person tents as a maximum and a ban on camping stoves, the Championship organisers have left no stone unturned – even takeaway food deliveries must be made to a specified gate.

These rules may not have been followed entirely to the letter. Indeed, there were certainly a number of tents pushing the two-person limit and my visit to the closest pub for the second half of the England vs Slovenia match possibly exceeded half an hour thanks to Jude Bellingham's late goal.

However, the key queue itself remained in place. Whether this was due to the system preventing queue jumpers, or the nation's respect for the sacred nature of long lines of people, is unclear.

Pitching up: Tennis fans began setting out their tents as early as midday on Sunday 

With an England win in the bag, the campers settled down to their cans of beer and Pimm's, hoping to lull themselves into some form of sleep before a rude awakening on Monday.

Despite the rigours of the camp, waking to find hundreds of queuers sprawled out behind me on picnic blankets, having presumably joined before sunrise, was enough to reaffirm my motivations for committing to a poor night of sleep.

While the latecomers would be likely to get into the grounds of Wimbledon, our queue numbers in the mid-750s assured that we would secure some good seats.

With just 1,000 tickets allocated to those queueing for Centre Court and Court One, the earlier you arrive, the better. Some campers even choose to camp two days in advance for their tickets. If you can brave the lack of showers, then this almost certainly gives you access to Centre Court.

Camping done and dusted; the second stage of our queuing began. And oh there were queues, and queues within queues.

Long wait: After slow progress in the queue, we were eventually greeted with free affogato in the queue village

Our group decided to split off to tackle the coffee and baggage drop queues, in the hope that we could avoid the worst of the crowds - while some stayed in the all-important entry queue. 

Even with our forward thinking, queueing is unavoidable, so be prepared to face half an hour waiting for either, even before you return to your actual place in the Wimbledon queue.

While it is free to join the queue, it is worth noting that the baggage drop is charged per item, with smaller bags costing £1, while larger bags and tents come in at £5 each.

Fueled with pastries and coffee, but still slightly shell-shocked, we jumped headfirst into, you guessed it, more queues. 

But this time we entered the big leagues, as the stewards gave us the go-ahead to join the back of the line headed towards the grounds and, of course, the new Wimbledon 'queue village'.

Rising prices: As the tournament continues, ticket prices increase for the later stages

After nudging forward for an apparent eternity, we were eventually greeted by an honorary steward who has undoubtedly seen his fair share of championships and who kindly assured us that despite the fact we had only missed Centre Court by a dozen spaces, the tennis on Court One would be better anyway.

Court One bands firmly around our wrists, we at long last arrived at the Wimbledon queue village, where Amex card holders can nab a £20 discount if they spent over £140. 

Paying for two tickets for Court One, I secured my discount, bringing the total for the two £80 tickets to just £140. 

Also on offer were £50 tickets for courts two and three, though prices are set to increase as the tournament continues.

You can also buy a ground pass for just £30 which allows you to soak up the atmopshere and sit on the famous Henman Hill. 

Once in, you can also try your luck at securing a resale ticket for one of the courts for £10-£15. 

Action-shot: Top seed Jannik Sinner tees up a serve in his first round clash with Yannick Hanfmann

The financial product partnerships continued in the village, where we each received an affogato (at 8am) courtesy of my brother's Barclaycard. We also treated ourselves to a free coffee from Lavazza but decided against a non-alcoholic Stella Artois for £6.60.

As the clock struck 11, we were through the hallowed gates and ushered into the championships.

Inside the grounds, it is still possible to do Wimbledon on a budget. While a Pimm's might set you back as much as £11.95, strawberries and cream have been capped at £2.50. Alternatively, you can choose to bring food with you, avoiding even more queues and pricey meals.

Fans are also allowed to bring two cans of beer (or Pimm's of course) into the grounds, or a bottle of wine, which should be plenty to see you through even the dullest tennis match.

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Luckily, with Court One tickets we were able to see top seed Jannik Sinner cruise to victory in the first round, notwithstanding the effects of some minor sleep deprivation.

Is it worth it? 

Entering the Wimbledon ballot is undoubtedly the method of getting tickets that requires the least effort, with the majority tickets for the three biggest courts allocated to the public ballot. 

However, there is no guarantee that you will be among the lucky winners.

Meanwhile, stumping up the cash for a debenture or hospitality ticket is not an alternative if you are looking to head to Wimbledon on a budget.

The cheapest hospitality tickets are still likely to set you back in the region of £1,000, while getting your hands on a debenture will cost well into the tens of thousands.

Debentures provide a premium seat in Centre Court and Court One for a five-year period, providing access to exclusive hospitality areas. Unsurprisingly they come with a very hefty price tag.

Joining the queue, on the other hand, provides a way of getting tickets at face value if you lose out on the public ballot.

If you arrive in good time, even in the early hours instead of camping overnight, it is likely that you will be able to secure ground pass tickets and have a good chance of making it to the larger courts.

Choosing to queue also allows you to revel in the championship atmosphere, and make the most of the sunshine... if you are lucky enough to see it.

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