All England Lawn Tennis Club, late 1940s.

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The All England Club has been staging the world's most famous tennis championship since 1877, first at its original home in Worple Road, Wimbledon, then from 1922 at its current Church Road premises.

The Club has developed and showcased the sports talent of generations of British and overseas players. The annual lawn tennis championships have attracted large audiences and have only been cancelled during the two world wars and the recent coronavirus pandemic.  

In World War II, the All England Club became a Civil Defence outpost, with offices for the Fire Service, the Red Cross and Air Raid Precautions. A small farm with various livestock was established on part of the site and several of the fine tennis lawns were used for growing vegetables as part of the Dig For Victory Campaign. The famous Centre Court also suffered bomb damage in October 1940. 

By 1946 material shortages meant that tennis balls were at a premium and food was still rationed, however the return of the Wimbledon championships was a huge boost to public morale. American, Pauline Betz, won the Ladies Singles title and the Men's champion was Frenchman, Yvon Petra. His triumph was all the sweeter, as he had overcome a bad wartime knee injury and two years as a prisoner of war.

This animation has been produced for Merton Heritage Service by 5:25 Creative Agency in Colliers Wood. It was commissioned for Merton's Borough of Sport initiative. This aims to create free opportunities for residents to get active, by celebrating our area’s sporting heritage and investing in the borough's sports infrastructure.