London Guest of Honor: Behind the Scenes at Wimbledon

As we head into the dead of winter, thoughts of tennis and summer sports are out of place in much of the northern hemisphere. But, to draw more eyes to their Guest of Honor sweepstakes, London officials invited the media for a look to summer with a behind the scenes tour of the Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

The Wimbledon tour swept through portions of the hallowed grounds that not even the tour guide visited before, including the players’ private lounge and the TV set where BBC 1 hosts its coverage every year.

The winner of the Guest of Honor contest will get more than just such a tour. He or she will get a private tennis lesson from longtime Wimbledon competitor and current commentator Tim Henman. In addition, the selected entrant will enjoy other behind the scenes experiences at the Royal Opera House, an explosive visit to the HMS Belfast and a meeting with the legendary Dr. Stephen Hawking.

Related: Win a Shot at ‘Everything Cool’ in London

You’ll find some special hidden visions of Wimbledon in the gallery below. If any of them catch your eye and you decide you’d like to become a member of the Wimbledon Club, good luck. I’m afraid you have much better odds of winning the sweepstakes.

First of all, the queue for membership is longer than the waiting list for Green Bay Packers season tickets. Then, according to the club’s bylaws, you must be nominated by a current member. Once nominated, current members would have to peg you for something the club needed or for some special service you could provide. In the end, there’s nothing  democratic about being a member of the world’s most famous tennis club.

Maybe Henman will give you a hand.