I was excited, stupidly excited, when an invitation by Stella Artois to watch tennis at the Hurlingham Club appeared in my mailbox. It had been a good few years since I had last seen a competitive tennis match in person – particularly on a grass surface. I love tennis and every year around spring time, I find myself eagerly looking forward to the summer when June would arrive and the Wimbledon fever would grip the entire nation. There is no feeling quite like it, and if you have ever been down to the All-England Club, where the Wimbledon Championships takes place, you will know just how extraordinary it really feels to be there. If you have never been to the venue, you will have no idea. This country becomes a different country when Wimbledon is around – we really do love our tennis around this time of the year. It makes me feel truly proud not only to be a Briton but a Londoner, when people all over the world and tennis players talk about it so affectionately. According to the figures the global cumulative viewing audience is estimated to be 378.8m people across 198 territories!
The BNP Paribas Tennis Classic is basically a tournament that provides the tennis players with a vital opportunity to warm-up for Wimbledon. My day at the Hurlingham Club started off with a luxury drinks reception outside on a very beautiful day where we mingled with other VIP guests. This moment presented us with the opportunity to take a good look around the visually stunning surroundings. I was quite awestruck by the lush, immaculately green lawns – complete with lawn striping and the Hurlingham Club building just took my breath away. After the drinks, we went inside to view a Q&A session with a tennis legend – I had no idea who it was going to be, so you can imagine my surprise when Tim Henman appeared as the surprise guest to be interviewed.
As the delicious lunch was served, we were treated to a lovely little fashion show by my-wardrobe.com, with models in lingerie walking down the dining hall, past our tables. Once lunch was over, it was time to head down to the courts for some live tennis action! We saw Kei Nishikori take on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, and former British favourite Tim Henman fight it out with Mark Philippoussis! Sadly Tim lost in two straight sets but that didn’t spoil my day, or even dampen my mood in the least. I retired to the ever-so-comfy outdoor sofa area for drinks with the PR lady after 6pm, to simply appreciate the moment and occasion – as it’s not every day you get to be at the Hurlingham Club (the waiting list for the membership is…. 15 years – yes you read that correctly). We chatted endlessly until after 9pm. It was the perfect summer day, and because it was an evening of winding down outside, we both agreed that it felt so much like a Friday even though it was actually Wednesday evening.
I had a tremendously enjoyable day out, and by the next day I found myself missing being there. Still do. Stella Artois (for more info please visit www.stellaartois.com) was an official Beer supplier to the BNP Paribas Tennis Classic at Hurlingham, and I am grateful to its PR team for inviting me to the event. It was precisely what I needed just after London Collections: Men had ended – a day of rest and relaxation!
