“In the UK, we have the best courts and the most skilled groundsmen who know how to look after them. We cannot allow such a quality provision to die out”
Graham Kimpton, Head Groundsman, The Queen’s Club
L
ondon is famed for enjoying one of the richest of all sporting heritages, especially so since the 19th century when the capital bore witness to the formation of many new sports and clubs, to the present era, which is witnessing the birth of a new generation of mega, modern stadia, not to mention the mammoth 2012 Olympic site.
Whilst work on the Olympics facilities continues apace in the east of London, on the west side, tucked neatly between rows of elegant Edwardian and Victorian town houses along Kensington’s affluent residential streets, it’s business as usual for, arguably, the second most prestigious lawn tennis hub in the country - The Queen’s Club.
Established in 1886, The Queen’s Club was formed on the site of what was originally a market garden. The sporting origins stemmed from a group of local businessmen who wanted to
form a sports club with a multi-use outlook.
Queen Victoria agreed to be its first
patron so, accordingly, the name The Queen’s Club was created. Whilst, today, the club’s fame is
rooted in lawn tennis and racket sports, over the decades this prime hectarage of London land has seen as many as 25 different sports played here - everything from ice-skating and baseball, to athletics and rugby. By the late 1920s, annual fixtures included Oxford v Cambridge rugby matches, football ties and athletics, which were staged on the cinder track that once ran around the perimeter of the site. The diversity of sports attracted crowds of more than 10,000 strong, lured by the boom in interest for competitive sport.
As sports such as football, rugby and athletics grew in popularity, The Queen’s Club facilities were no match for demand and they were transferred
to new homes at Wembley, Twickenham and White City respectively. Meanwhile, the increasingly popular game of lawn tennis, which had continued to blossom as mowing machinery developed, took over at Queen’s as the club embarked on a commitment to produce the highest quality tennis lawns. This demand for quality remains as
strong today as it ever was. Whilst technology has moved on, and turfcare practices have advanced out of all recognition, the need to maintain the club’s impeccable reputation has remained constant - a commitment that Grounds Manager, Graham Kimpton, has known since he was a boy. Taking over the position from his
father, David, after working under him for twenty-five years, Graham is the latest in a dynastic line of family members drawn to a career in turfcare. David began work at Queen’s in 1966, and spent forty-three years in the job,
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