This week, we sat down with Jude Temple, who founded the enchanting local bookshop Only Make Believe — distinctive for its colour-coordinated shelves and its in-house fairies, who write letters back to any children who correspond with them. We discussed demolishing future regrets by living out your dreams and why, in an age in which memoirs and non fiction dominate, Jude opted for an almost-exclusively fiction-filled bookshop. Set down your copy of London Falling! After this interview, I think you’ll agree it’s time to read a novel.

But before that: A local park scores a prestigious award, making Merton an increasingly internationally-admired borough in terms of its parks. Plus, why despite mass objection to a Kingston and Merton development, City Hall has approved the plan anyway.

News snippets 🗞️

🏗️ Over 1,000 people objected to a Kingston and Merton development of 586 homes, but City Hall has pushed it through anyway. The plans from SGN and Berkley Homes will see three gasholders on protected land in Motspur Park demolished for 586 homes, with some of the buildings reaching 16 storeys tall. Despite fierce opposition, Jules Pipe, London’s Deputy Mayor for Planning, approved the scheme on Tuesday after ruling it would “not result in substantial harm” to the open land. Representatives from Kingston and Merton councils were joined by objecting residents on Tuesday in arguing that the height and scale of the development were too great and that local infrastructure would not be able to handle such an influx of people. The application received 1,190 objections and 52 letters of support across Kingston’s and Merton's websites. Click here to read the full story.

🔥 Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a fire at a recycling centre on Weird Road last Saturday. Around 80 tonnes of household waste was involved in the fire. Authorities think the most probable cause of the fire was a lithium-ion battery – a type of rechargeable battery found everywhere from smartphones and laptops to cameras, e-cigarettes and electric vehicles . A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Lithium-ion batteries and electricals with hidden lithium-ion batteries should not be placed in the same bins as your regular rubbish or recycling. Instead, check with the retailer or your local authority's website for the safest way to dispose of lithium-ion batteries in your area and reduce the risk of fires occurring. The brigade was called at 1.04pm and had the blaze under control by 2.50pm.

💚 Merton gained another Green Flag — the internationally recognised sign of excellence for parks — bringing the borough’s total number of flags to 11. The new Green Flag for the Mitcham park means Merton has almost doubled the number of Green Flag parks since 2024. Green Flags recognise well-managed, welcoming, and sustainable outdoor spaces for the local community. The awards are given after a meticulous judging process which awards marks for the above criteria as well as how involved the local community is in the running of the park.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 🥕

This week’s sponsor is the one and only Rooftop Farm. In September, the farm has another exciting event lined up. You can look forward to an evening of tastings and guided tours, all for £30 per person. Click here to book your spot.

Property of the week 🏡

While this six-bedroom detached house is rather impressive, its good looks aren’t our primary reason for featuring the property. Set within one of Wimbledon’s most prestigious enclaves, this house unfolds over 7,000 sq ft. The interior and amenities are lovely, but it’s the price that shocked me. £8.5 million. We’ve featured some expensive properties in our time, but this is a lot of dosh, even for Wimbledon. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Sip and Paint at the Fire Stables: Relax, sip your favourite drink and unleash your inner artist. Expert art instructors will guide you step by step in creating a beautiful canvas of the London skyline at sunset. Tickets are £47.30 per person.

Where: The Fire Stables, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 29 July, 6-8pm

🍻 Pub quiz at the Dog & Fox: It’s that time again: gather your smartest friends, grab a couple of beers and compete in one of Wimbledon’s most competitive pub quizzes. I love a pub quiz, though I’m yet to ever win anything.

Where: Dog & Fox, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 29 July, 7-10pm

👚 Goldsmith Vintage X Wimbledon Quarter Kilo Sale: Join Goldsmith Vintage at Wimbledon Quarter for a weekend packed with the best branded and designer vintage clothing, all for just £20 per kilo. Expect rails bursting with your favourite labels, including vintage sportswear, denim, jackets, knitwear, graphic tees, dresses, accessories and loads more. Admission is £2 per person.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 1 — Sunday 2 August, 11am.

🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of checking out a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.

Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.

When: Sunday 2 August, 8-11am

🏞️ Outdoor adventure day for young explorers: Suitable for 6 to 10-year-olds, this nature day aims to help you and your children through outdoor play, creativity, movement, and quiet moments. Click here to read the activities and to book your spot (tickets are £49 per person and include a signed copy of The Forest’s Secret – Helping Children Discover the Magic of Nature).

The magical bookshop turning book buying on its head 🧚

In April 2025, Jude Temple opened Only Make Believe, a bookshop in the heart of Merton Abbey Mills. Just over a year later - in May - Jude’s moved the shop into an even larger location within the same building, such is the demand. This week, we sat down to talk about the shop’s unique approach to bookselling.

Let’s start with the shop’s origin — what made you want to open such a unique space?

I was a local primary school teacher for most of my life, but owning a bookshop was always an itch. I lost both of my parents, and my sister and I were sitting around one day reminiscing about the fact that they never did move to Penzance like they wanted. I could imagine my children saying something similar about me: “Mum never did get her bookshop…” So that was the real driving force behind it, and I just jumped in with both feet.

And what has the experience of going from being a local resident to a shopkeeper been like?

It’s been extraordinary. I can’t tell you how clueless I was when I opened this place. I stood in the empty unit and wondered aloud, “Where do booksellers get books from? How does it work?” It’s been such a steep learning curve. At the beginning, that’s quite a good thing because you know you know nothing.

I’ve been blown away by the community’s response to the bookshop. We all know that people can buy books online and have them delivered within 24 hours. But people really want to interact and talk with other people. They want to know who they’re buying from and support the local community. Early on, people would pop in and want me to advise them, to talk to them about books, which is just the best part of the job.

And relationships build. You start to know people by their names and their children’s names and the names of their pets. Soon you’ve built a community with children running in and showing you their star of the week certificate from school.

What made you choose to almost exclusively stock fiction?

I think it was mostly because I saw the bookshop as an absolute passion project, and my passion lies within fiction. Fiction has shaped my life, taught me things and been an endless source of joy. The first unit was a tiny space, and I realised that I could buy loads of non-fiction but that it might not meet people’s needs. I know where I am with fiction: I feel it, I understand it and I can talk about it. I do order non-fiction when a customer requests a certain book. We also stock a small selection of children’s non-fiction because it’s just so good.

It was actually one of my children, Arden, who came up with the name for the shop. When I told her that we would only stock fiction, she said, “Oh, so it’s only make believe.” I knew then that we had the name.

The shop has a very unique layout, particularly your choice to arrange the books by colour rather than by author’s surname. How has that changed the buying experience?

I wanted the whole shop to feel quirky and whimsical, and I wanted people coming into the space to experience something. A lot of bookshops tend to feel quite corporate, and I really didn’t want that. Arranging the literary fiction by colour came from a moment of whimsy, but now we’ve become known for it. People tell me that it encourages them to really peruse the shelves, to feel absorbed by the space. It also encourages people to find something unusual or something they haven’t thought about, and that’s what a bookshop should aim to do.

It’s come to my attention that you have two resident fairies living in the shop. When did they move in?

When we relocated to the new shop, the fairies moved in too. One day, a fairy door appeared. Children started writing letters and drawing pictures for them, so we bought the fairies a little postbox. Then, much to our astonishment, the fairies began to reply. We found out their names were Chapter and Paige. Now the children write to the fairies, and the fairies write back!

How has the space grown since you founded the shop?

I think it’s mostly been through the events we run. We host a toddler story time twice a week. It’s completely free. Parents don’t have to book — we all know how unpredictable life with a toddler can be. So people just turn up on a Thursday or Friday morning at 9.30am. We’ve also always got children’s toys out on the carpet. On market days, Merton Abbey Mills can get quite crowded, so we’ve noticed a lot of people popping in on those days for a quiet 20 minutes of browsing, chatting and relaxing. We started a book club a little while ago. At the beginning, we had eight attendees. Now we’re up to 25, and we’re launching a fantasy-specific book club too.

There’s a physicality to bookshops. People spend a lot of time on screen, and I think many of us want to move away from that. People want to come together and share a common moment with one another — in our case, that’s through books.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you in what year Cannizaro House was built. The answer: 1705 (then known as Warren House).

Q: What makes the Buddhapadipa Temple so special?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. Do check out Only Make Believe at Merton Abbey Mills whenever you’re there. Get in touch with feature or interview ideas by emailing zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great week and we’ll see you next time!

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The tennis is over, and normality has returned to SW19. Well done to both Linda Noskova and Janek Sinner for their victories this weekend.

This week, we’ve got a short feature on what it was like to judge the Town Centre’s first official Tennis Window Competition. This year, I was lucky enough to be invited by Love Wimbledon to co-judge the competition. It was tough, it was fun and it was sweaty. Scroll down to read about how it went.

But before that – Save Wimbledon Park on an architectural plan which they believe reduces the covenant conflict that has plagued All England Lawn Tennis Club over their years trying to develop 38 additional tennis courts and an 8,000-seat stadium on a former golf course opposite the Wimbledon tennis complex. Plus: how scorching temperatures are killing off our local fish, a stunning three-bedroom, three-bathroom property nearby and the champagne dinner you deserve, in our news round-up, property of the week listing and event recommendations.

News snippets 🗞

⚠️ Dozens of fish have been found dead in Wimbledon Park Lake. Initial investigations by the Environment Agency and Thames Water indicate that the likely cause is the prolonged period of exceptionally hot weather, meaning the pond has suffered from depleted oxygen levels. Council officers spent the weekend removing the dead fish from the 20-acre lake in order to protect water quality. In a statement, the council wrote, “There is no evidence to suggest that pollution is responsible, although investigations and water quality monitoring are continuing.” Click here to read more.

🏠 The Daily Mail has published a “special report” surrounding the bedsits on Elsenham Street, Wimbledon. According to the Mail, residents have found themselves locked in a battle over a three-bedroom property on the street that was snapped up by developers for £1.3 million and then converted into six separate bedsits. The article also notes that neighbours fear it is a “Trojan Horse” project, opening the door to an influx of more bedsits. Read more here.

🎾 Last week, Save Wimbledon Park published “There must be a better way”, a briefing and rival plan by local architect Ken McFarlane in collaboration with tennis “master planner” and architect Richard Rees , which SWP says will avoid breaching the 1993 covenants, reduce the environmental impact of the development and deliver a lakeside walkway. Visit their website to see the full plan.

🦺 Have you ever wondered what it takes to host the world’s favourite tennis tournament? Merton Council has published a new article about all the work that goes on behind the scenes during The Championships, from street cleaning and food safety to big screens and parking restrictions. Click here to read the full story.

🎉 Car-owning Wimblers will be euphoric to hear that parking restrictions during The Championships have ended! After Sunday’s final, Wimbledon’s roads have gone back to normal. If any Wimblers were seriously affected by the closures and restrictions, pop a comment below — we want to hear from locals about their experiences during the tennis.

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Property of the week 🏡

This is a very sleek three-bedroom apartment in the heart of Wimbledon Village. All residents in this building get a share of the freehold (never a bad thing) and use of the communal garden. The property also boasts three bathrooms (a bathroom for each room). That said, a pad like this doesn’t come cheap. It’s currently listed at £1.6 million. Sheesh. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🧑🏻‍🎨 Drawing with Miguel: The Quarter’s artist in residence is back again this week with another creative class, hosted by Venezuelan artist Miguel Galue Piqueras. Tickets are £15 and equipment will be provided (as well as snacks — lucky you!) as you work with charcoal batons and pastel crayons on paper to create mindful art. No experience required. Book your spot here.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 18 July, 11am–12pm

🍸 The gin trail at Amathus: Are you a gin aficionado? Do you take it with tonic, lemonade or ginger beer? Are you in need of some inspiration for your summer cocktails? Pop into Amathus to have a peruse of their curated gin table and, when one catches your eye, simply ask for a sample. The event is also entirely free.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Monday 20 — Thursday 23 July, 11am – 7pm

🎭 New Stagers Presents Ripen Our Darkness: First staged in 1981, this groundbreaking play by Sarah Daniels follows Mary, who everyone assumes is stark raving mad - the dinner’s never ready on time, the shirts need to be sorted, the dirty dishes are piling up…and sometimes…she’s even late to church! Her poor husband, however does he cope? According to the Royal Court Theatre, Ripen Our Darkness by Sarah Daniels “is a powerful exploration of women’s liberation in the face of systemic oppression.” Grab your tickets here.

Where: Studio at New Wimbledon Theatre

When: Wednesday 22 — Saturday 25 July, 7.45pm

🥂 Orion by Alex Webb and Lanson champagne dinner: One of this week’s swankier events. Enjoy a curated five-course menu of exceptional cuisine, paired with premium Lanson champagnes. Highlights include black cod with caviar paired with the crisp Lanson Le Blanc de Blancs NV, Iron-Age Tamworth pork (that is, pork from a cross between a pedigree Tamworth sow with a Eurasian wild boar) with Wimbledon honey and miso glaze matched with a mystery vintage cuvée from Lanson’s cellars. Tickets are £180 per person, but from the decadent sound of the menu, well worth blowing your budget for..

Where: Orion by Alex Webb, Wimbledon Village

When: Thursday 23 July, 5.30–8pm

👩‍🔧 Repair Café: This community Repair Café, run in partnership with St Mark’s Church and Sustainable Merton, takes your everyday items — from household goods and appliances to clothing and textiles — and repairs them, saving you money and reducing waste.

Where: St Mark’s Church, Compton Road

When: Saturday 25 July, 10.30am–12.30pm

🏃‍♀️ Wimbledon Common 10k and half marathon: This 10k and half-marathon is organised by Runthrough. If you fancy a challenge, you can sign up by clicking the link here. Tickets cost £32 per person.

Where: Wimbledon Common, Richard Evans Memorial Playing Fields

When: Sunday 26 July, 9.30am–12.30pm

What did it take to judge the Wimbledon Window Dressing Competition 🏆

This year marked the 13th anniversary of the All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) annual Wimbledon Window Dressing Competition. It was also the first year that the long-running competition expanded to include businesses in Wimbledon Town Centre and Southfields.

A few months ago, I was contacted by Love Wimbledon to ask if I would be a judge for the town centre’s arm of the competition. I said yes without hesitation, telling them it was a huge honour, and awaited further instruction. Then came a meeting where the five scoring categories were explained to us: creativity and impact, sustainability, reflection on their business, entertainment value / sense of humour, and the overall tennis theme. I printed out the scorecard, wore a breathable shirt so as not to melt in the heat and hit the streets of SW19.

There were 35 entries in the town centre this year, with seven finalists, two runners-up and one winner (though the overall winner for the entire competition was judged separately). I realised the task would take more than an afternoon, not least because I wanted to ensure I had adequate time to digest what each business had created.

Without further ado, the finalists were the following:

• GoodGood Studio

• Served Café

• LUSH Cosmetics

• Vodafone

• Royal Trinity Hospice

• Little Gym

• Wimbledon School of English

Particular mention goes to the Wimbledon School of English for its reflection of their business and entertainment value. I’d also like to shout out Served Café for their excellent and creative window display. I especially liked the distressed multitasking pigeon sweating to hold up the bunting with his beak while keeping a basket of strawberries aloft in his claws – it felt a little like being a Wimble writer, trying to cover all aspects of the Championships during its running time.

I have no doubt that the other judges struggled as much as I did to pick the finalists. So many businesses put in a cracking effort this year — let’s hope that we can build on this momentum next year.

When it came to judging the runners-up, I was struck by M&S’ playful ‘Game Set Snack’ pun and the visual impact of the strawberries and tennis balls. But I suppose we should expect nothing less from M&S; after all, they always put in a good shift for the tennis (Red Diamond Strawberry and Creme Sandwich, I’m looking at you). Independent family-friendly Mediterranean restaurant Aimer also did a great job at capturing the essence of the competition: fun and creativity. Well done to both businesses.

But in the end, there could only be one winner: Elys. The department store really put on a show this year. Their display, which spanned several windows, was clever, thoughtful, fun, creative and captured the essence of the tennis perfectly. In an official press release from the All England Lawn Tennis Club, it was noted that “the judges were hugely taken by the imagination the team at Elys used to bring their whole window estate together in a range of themed displays that celebrate the spirit of tennis in Wimbledon, while showcasing the beautiful, seasonal products they are currently championing in the store itself. A worthy winner, and another recognition for Wimbledon’s famous department store during its 150th anniversary year.”

I couldn’t have put it better myself.

In the end, Elys won in the Town Centre, Southfields Footcare in Southfields and John D Wood in Wimbledon Village, with the overall competition winner being Knight Frank in Wimbledon Village. Huge congrats to all who participated, particularly those commended for their efforts.

After the dust of The Championships settled this weekend, The Wimble reached out to Craig Hurring, Chief Executive of Love Wimbledon, to get his thoughts on the Town Centre’s first-ever official Tennis Window Competition. He said, “Love Wimbledon was thrilled to get official recognition for Wimbledon Town Centre’s windows from AELTC for the first time this year and loved the ingenuity and creativity we saw on display. More than 50 businesses in the Town Centre celebrated the tennis in their windows — shops and offices alike — with 35 entering the official competition… Thank you to all the town centre businesses for getting into the spirit of tennis and to our judges for their thoughtful and considered feedback, and congratulations to Elys for winning our inaugural contest with their beautiful tennis-themed displays.”

I’d also like to say thanks to my fellow judges Kevin O’Neill (The Wimbledon Society), Caroline Bond (Wimbledon High School GDST) and Cassandra Aina (AELTC). Here’s to the great community that we’re so fortunate to have in the Town Centre. Three cheers!

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you why Wimbledon players originally wore white. The answer: Back in Victorian times, sweating was considered “improper”. To remedy this, athletes wore white to hide their perspiration as much as possible.

Q: In what year was Cannizaro House built? Bonus point if you can comment with its original name below.

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. Please do get in touch if you have any ideas for features or interviews: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week. See you next time!

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The Championships draw to an end this week. How has everyone found SW19 during the chaos? Enjoyable, vibrant or hell on earth?? Let loose in the comments.

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This week, we’ve got an inside look at the military stewards for Wimbledon’s Championships. 2026 marks 80 years since Armed Forces personnel began volunteering at the tennis. The Wimble spoke with Lieutenant Commander Christopher (Chris) Boucher, Officer in Charge for the military stewards, about how the armed forces came to become involved in the tennis tournament and the role they play there today.

Besides all this, we’ve also got the best local spot to watch England v Norway this Saturday, plus a must-see tour of a Wimbledon rooftop urban farm and a stunning three-bedroom property of the week. So even after the tennis wraps up, your calendar should be full.

News snippets 🗞

📉 Wimbledon locals are struggling to rent their homes out for this year’s Championships. It’s been reported that locals can earn up to £20,000 renting out their homes for The Championships fortnight, but according to one report, there has been less demand since the 300 line judges recruited from all over the world to arbitrate the results were axed in 2025 and replaced with cameras. Click here to read the full article (watch out for a few interesting quotes from locals in there).

⚽️ It was incredible to see England’s win against Mexico on Monday morning (huge respect to those who stayed up to watch the game). England will face Norway this Saturday in the quarter finals, but where are the best local spots to watch the game? Love Wimbledon compiled a useful list for all the best spots in the centre of town. Check it out here.

🎨 David Williams-Ellis, stepfather of the property developer and Princess Beatrice’s husband, Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, has been revealed as the sculptor behind the forthcoming bronze statue at the All England Tennis Club. The statue of Andy Murray was announced last year, but plans for its execution have otherwise remained a closely guarded secret. Telegraph Sport met with Williams-Ellis, who confirmed that it was modelled in clay before being cast in bronze. He also said the statue would be a fifth bigger than Andy Murray’s actual 6ft 3in frame. For more details, check out the article here.

🎾 British wildcard and Wimbledon local Arthur Fery stuns Flavio Cobolli to reach The Championships semi-final. Fery will now prepare to face French Open champion Alexander Zverev on Friday. Let’s all wish him good luck!

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 🫐

This week’s sponsor is Jungle Berry. Head over to Wimbledon Quarter and get 20% off any açaí bowl!

Property of the week 🏡

A rather generous three-bedroom apartment a short walk from Wimbledon Village and Wimbledon Town Centre. I say apartment, but, honestly, this is more of a house than an apartment. It even comes with a roof terrace, which might explain why it’s not apartment-priced (£1.5 million). Check out more photos here.

The week in pictures 📸

The Wimble’s to-do list 🥂

🐎 Wimbledon Village Stables open day: This is your chance to take a peek behind the curtain at Wimbledon Stables. You can learn about membership options, check out the Equicise horse simulator and meet Mr Fudge, the friendliest Shetland pony known to mankind.

Where: Wimbledon Stables, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 11 July, 2-3pm

🍹Ten To One Rum sampling at Amathus: On Saturday 11 July, it’s the Wimbledon Ladies’ Singles Final day, but it’s also both World Rum Day and National Mojito Day. Every day is a school day! Amathus will be welcoming Ross McDougal from NXUS Drinks to showcase Ten To One Caribbean rum and mix up a couple of rum-based cocktails. There will be mojitos and strawberry daiquiris aplenty. This event is entirely free. Just walk in, grab a cocktail and enjoy.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 11 July, 11am–4pm

🎷 Live music: IndieGo at the Rose & Crown: Local legends IndieGo kicked off The Championships at the Rose & Crown last week. This week, they’re bringing The Championships to a close. Expect all the classic British bangers. No booking is required as the event is free.

Where: Rose & Crown, Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 12 July, 8-11pm

🎨 Workshop: Drawing Enchantment: Wimbledon Museum’s Artist in Residence Alastair Gordon will share valuable tips and techniques for creating convincing observational drawings using artefacts from the museum as subjects. Tickets are £20 per person.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Thursday 16 July, 10.30am – 12.30pm

🎭 A Midsummer Night’s Dream: For their 15th annual Shakespeare in the Park performance, Mayhem Theatre Company presents Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Venture beneath a sun-dappled canopy where the King and Queen of the fairies play mischievous sport. Bring your chair, your picnic, and your family to watch as the summer evening unfolds into a world of love, magic, and mayhem! Book your tickets here. Prices vary.

Where: Italian Gardens, Cannizaro Park

When: Wednesday 22 – Saturday 25 July, 7.30pm

🥕 Rooftop Farm tour: This urban farm on the rooftop of Wimbledon Quarter has transformed an unused space into a thriving, sustainable garden, right in the heart of the town. We’ve featured this farm plenty of times before, but it really is worth shouting about. On this guided tour, you’ll be taken behind the scenes of the farm, exploring how fresh, seasonal produce is grown in an urban environment. Tickets are £15 each.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 25 July, 10am & 11.30am

Reporting for duty: What do the military stewards do at Wimbledon?

It’s been 80 years since Armed Forces personnel began volunteering as stewards at The Championships. During the Second World War, The Championships were suspended. However, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) remained open to contribute to the war effort, acting as a base for the British Home Guard, fire and ambulance services and as a decontamination unit. On 11 October 1940, Centre Court was struck by a German bomb, decimating 1,200 seats. It would take several years before the damaged part of the competitor’s stand was rebuilt.

In 1946, The Championships resumed — the same year that the Armed Forces first offered demobilised personnel as stewards. These stewards were there to guide members of the public around the war-damaged grounds and to help The Championships to get back on its feet.

Fast forward 80 years, and around 500 military personnel continue to steward The Championships. But what does it take to execute such a seamless operation year in, year out?

Lt Cdr Christopher (Chris) Boucher joined the Royal Navy in 1988, working his way through the ranks to Warrant Officer and eventually Lieutenant Commander. In 2015, 27 years after joining the military, Chris volunteered as a steward at Wimbledon. He spent two years working on the gangways helping members of the public before taking on more senior positions. In 2022, he stepped into the role of running the military stewards’ operation at Wimbledon, a position known as the Officer in Charge.

“When I started in 2015, it was heavily reliant on people who had done it before,” Chris tells me. “I really wanted to make the stewarding process more inclusive. Now, our military stewards are split equally between those who have done it before and those who have not. We’ve also increased the number of stewards at The Championships. In 2015, 276 Armed Forces personnel volunteered. Last year, that number was up to 504.”

Armed Forces personnel must use part of their allocated leave if they want to volunteer at Wimbledon. “This year had the highest number of applicants ever, with 1,400 personnel applying,” Chris says. “We’ve also got about 460 people in reserve in case service members drop out before The Championships. We get people dropping out all of the time because of promotions, injuries, deployment and specific operations at a short notice.”

What does a day in the life of a military steward look like, I ask.

“Everyone arrives by 9am, and the earliest finish is 6.30pm. The whole fortnight is quite an arduous process for those who haven’t done it before,” he explains. “I always tell our new stewards to pace themselves throughout The Championships because by the time it’s over, you’ll be too tired to bend down and pick up your water bottle. After all, you’re standing on your feet for up to 10 hours a day in often very warm conditions.”

When not performing their duties, the rest of the stewards spend their time in an area known as The Championships Steward Village: a huge porta-building behind Henman Hill. There, the stewards can use the shower and dining facilities (they are treated to three meals a day provided by the AELTC’s chefs), and locker rooms.

The overarching focus for a military steward is guest experience. While members of the public often think it’s about security, that isn’t really the case, although the role does involve ensuring the public’s safety.

And the military stewards take their role incredibly seriously. “It’s a perfect opportunity to show the British Armed Forces in a great light on the world stage. I treat the tournament with the same ceremonial standards of a state funeral. The hair, shoes and uniform need to be perfect,” he explains.

I ask if there’s a sense of pride in stewarding at Wimbledon. “Absolutely,” says Chris. “Because this year marks our 80^th anniversary, I’ve actually asked many of the stewards to bring us any stories they have relating to Wimbledon. So far, the response has been great. There’s one story in particular that has stuck out to me this year. In February, a man and his twin brother were selected as stewards for this year’s tournament. They were both very excited, they even had a light-hearted rivalry: one of them being an Alcaraz fan and the other supporting Sinner. In March, I got an email from him to say that his brother had sadly passed away in a road traffic accident. So this year, he’s coming to honour his brother and keep his memory alive. I just think that’s incredibly powerful.”

For many of our Armed Forces service members, volunteering at The Championships is an honour. If you are lucky enough to be watching the tournament in person this year, do make a point of speaking to them. After all, they’re there to help you. And even if you don’t need help, there’s no harm in asking how their day is going.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you how many people come to Wimbledon during The Championships because of the tennis? The answer: 500,000.

Q: Why did Wimbledon players originally wear white?

You’re up to date 👋

It was a pleasure to interview Lt Cdr Christopher Boucher for The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed glimpsing inside the military stewards’ lives at The Championships. Enjoy the rest of your week, stay hydrated and keep a strong head if you’re watching the football this weekend. See you next Thursday!

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The Championships are well underway, which can only mean one thing: Wimbledon is swamped. It’s hot. It’s busy. It’s even a little bit overwhelming. But, crucially, it’s also Wimbledon’s buzziest time of year.

This week, we’re answering the perennial question: What makes the Wimbledon strawberry so special? We spoke with Marion Regan — owner of Hugh Lowe Farms, which has been supplying Wimbledon with strawberries for three decades — about their fruit’s journey to greatness.

Plus, is this the end of e-bikes in Merton? And where you can find free rosé in Wimbledon village (you’re welcome) in our news and events listings.

The print edition has been flying off the shelf (or stand, rather). If you haven’t picked up a copy, just head to Wimbledon Quarter — outside the M&S or inside The Fire Station Café — to grab your own. The stands look like the image below.

News snippets 🗞️

🚳 Merton council has requested an urgent meeting with e-bike operators Forest and Lime as The Championships get underway. The council is threatening to seize Lime and Forest bikes after large numbers were left strewn across Wimbledon’s pavements this week. The Championships is Wimbledon’s busiest time of year, so it should come as no surprise that the designated parking bays reached their capacity within the first few days of the tournament. The council is now seeking an urgent meeting with the e-bike operators to get the situation under control. Read more about that story here. But tennis aside, The Wimble has received plenty of email over the past two years about the e-bike problem in the borough. Should we ban e-bikes? Or is the issue not the bikes, but the lack of parking bays and should we petition for more? Let us know your thoughts below.

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🥳 Navy veteran, Cllr Nedra Daniel, has been appointed Merton’s Armed Forces Champion, taking over the role from former Cllr Dennis Pearce. According to the council’s press release, “The Armed Forces Champion has the responsibility to be a voice, advocate and first point of contact in the council for our armed forces community. This includes veterans, serving personnel, reservists and military families. The role also involves promoting the Armed Forces Covenant – to which the council is a signatory – as well as raising awareness of obligations under the Armed Forces Act 2021, the NHS constitution and other relevant legislation.” Born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, she moved to the UK aged 25 in order to join the Royal Navy. Across her decade of service, she was posted to three seagoing vessels – HMS Ark Royal, HMS Illustrious and HMS Defender. The appointment came just before the borough’s annual Armed Forces Day parade last Saturday.

🏥 St George’s Hospital has issued a warning for this year’s Championships. With over 500,000 people flocking to the borough over the fortnight, St George’s has warned that it may lead to increased demands for their emergency services, not least as we experience record-breaking temperatures. Last week’s heatwave proved just how important it is to keep safe in the sun. Click here to read more.

🌲 Have your say on where Merton’s new pocket parks should be. Pocket parks are small parks that are accessible to all residents. They are usually very small – no larger than the size of a parking space – but some can be as big as a tennis court. Pocket parks have been shown to tackle fly-tipping by bringing more people into the area and making the space look managed and cared for. If you think you know a local spot that would be perfect for a pocket park, get in touch with the council via their engagement hub. The survey is open until 6 August.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 🛍

Specialists in luxurious home and body products, Rituals is offering a summer event where attendees can get a free hand massage, 20% off selected items and more. Head to Wimbledon Quarter to check them out and click here for more details.

Property of the week 🏡

I’m a big fan of the light in this house, particularly in that garden patio area. While it’s been modernised in parts, this five-bedroom house still has a homespun feel to it. Location-wise, you couldn’t get much closer to Wimbledon Park if you tried, and from there it’s only a short walk to the shops and cafes. The price tag for a home like this? £1.5 million. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🏀

🍫 Hotel Chocolat summer tasting: The world-famous chocolate shop is hosting an immersive tasting experience that sees summer reimagined through a chocolatier’s lens. Those attending will get the chance to taste their way around a ‘chocuterie’ board and learn how to make their own version to impress barbecue guests. Tickets are £20 per person.

Where: Hotel Chocolat, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Thursday 2 July, 7.30–8.30pm

🥂 Nyetimber takes over Jeroboams: Enjoy a free — that’s right, free! — tasting of Nyetimber throughout The Championships at Wimbledon Village’s Jeroboams. Try the Classic Cuvée, the rosé and the Cuvée Chérie demi-sec, all open on rotation throughout. All you have to do is walk in.

Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 28 June — Sunday 12 July

🍓 Strawberries and cream giveaway: This is a free strawberries & cream giveaway in Wimbledon Quarter’s courtyard. You can also up a complimentary Rituals SPF sample and summer reward card whilst you’re there. Click here for more details and to see everything going on at the Quarter throughout The Championships.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter Courtyard

When: Saturday 4 July, 11am

🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.

Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.

When: Sunday 5 July, 8–11am

🌳 Forest bathing at Cannizaro Park: While this event’s title might lead you to conclude you’d be having a bath in the forest, actually it’s about “bathing” yourself in nature. Join Susanne Meis, founder of Meet in Nature, for a day of woodland immersion. It’s £15 per person and can be booked here.

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Saturday 11 July, 10.30am–12.30pm

🏆 Her Court: The Role that Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement: Readers will remember our feature with Cynthia Valianti Corbett a few weeks ago discussing this exhibition. Well, now it’s here! Today officially marks the opening of this wonderful exhibition! Pop along — you won’t regret it.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Thursday 2 – Saturday 11 July, 11am-5pm

⚽️ Fifa World Cup at Caddi Club: As I write this, England are getting ready to play DR Congo this afternoon. As I suspect is the case for many of our readers, I’m nervous. Caddi Club is showing all the England matches (granted we make it through this round) with £5 pints before kick-off. You also get a free pint if you sign up to the Caddi newsletter 60 minutes before the game starts (although this might just be for the game against DR Congo — we’ll have to wait and see).

Where: Caddi Club

When: Tuesday 11 June — Sunday 19 July (hopefully)

The surprising journey of the Wimbledon strawberry 🍓

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Wimbledon: immaculate tennis whites, sunburnt faces on Henman Hill or the Queue?

Or is it the booze? After all, Wimbledon is the single largest annual sporting catering operation in Europe. In 2024, more than 314,000 glasses of Pimm’s were consumed at the Championships, not to mention 25,000 bottles of champagne. That’s a lot of tipple.

For me — as I would wager is the case for many tennis fans across the globe — there is one enduring symbol of the Championships that transcends them all: strawberries (and cream, of course). But how are more than 1.5 million berries delivered to the stadium every year? What is the process of cultivating the world’s most famous strawberry?

Before this year’s Championships began, The Wimble sat down with the owner of Hugh Lowe Farms, Marion Regan, to understand the journey of the Wimbledon strawberry.

Hugh Lowe Farms has been supplying the Championships with their delicious Kent-grown strawberries for over three decades. It’s a relationship born out of trust, consistency and, crucially, proximity — the farm in Mereworth, Kent is only 31.5 miles from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Over time, the family-run farm has shown that they can deliver the volume and quality needed for an event as prestigious as Wimbledon.

But just how meticulous is the process from farm to table? “I look for strawberries that are fully ripe, evenly coloured, nicely shaped and firm enough to travel beautifully,” says Marion. “Our pickers know that Wimbledon fruit needs to look attractive in the punnet and eat beautifully too, so they are selecting for freshness, colour, flavour and consistency all at once.” The berries that they are choosing are intended to be eaten within hours. Strawberries at Wimbledon are only served on the day that they are picked. Any berries leftover are frozen and then made into Wimbledon’s strawberry jam, which is enjoyed throughout the year and features in their afternoon tea and Victoria sponge cake.

Before speaking with Marion, I was under the impression that there was only one variety of strawberry picked for the Championships. This is not the case. The strawberries are picked with flavour in mind first, but also with appearance, reliability and how well the fruit can handle the picking and packing process. The exact mix changes from season to season because varieties perform differently depending on the weather. A big part of the farm’s job is matching the right variety to the right moment in the season.

Delivering huge quantities of strawberries to the stadium each day for two weeks is no small operation. “The process starts very early,” Marion explains. “Our pickers begin at first light, when both the fruit and the people harvesting it benefit from the cooler temperatures. During the Wimbledon period, a substantial team is involved across picking, quality control, packing and transport. Because we know the order pattern, berries can be picked especially for the Championships, then taken quickly to the cooler where they are chilled, weighed, checked and then packed and despatched to SW19. It’s a highly organised operation rather than a last-minute rush.”

Each night throughout the Championships is all about being ready for the morning: checking orders, reviewing which fields are best for the following day, and making sure labour, transport, cooling and packing are all lined up. “Those mornings are busy, of course, but they are also deeply satisfying, because they bring together months of work into a single, well-executed chain from plant to punnet to plate,” says Marion.

It’s worth highlighting that Wimbledon’s strawberry production is about much more than the Championships fortnight. It’s a year-round discipline of planning, planting, nurturing and watching. The crop at Hugh Lowe Farms is established from young plants rather than seed. As the season progresses, the farm constantly monitors the weather, fruit development, flavour and plant health. Of course focus sharpens nearer the Championships, but it really is a process that requires time, precision and patience.

British weather is about as capricious as it can get. Too much light, too much rain, heat spikes or unseasonal cold spells can all have a detrimental effect on the crop.

I ask Marion how the cultivation technology has changed over the past 30 years. People’s perceptions of food have shifted in recent times, with a greater focus on sustainability. In 2019, plant-based cream was made available at the Championships to ensure that everyone could enjoy the tennis-based tradition.

“Certain changes have been enormous, but strawberry growing is in some ways unchanged — for example, the focus on freshness and careful selection process by hand,” she explains. That said, the farm is very focused on sustainability. “It runs through the way we farm,” says Marion. “We grow our berries in recycled coir, derived from waste coconut husks rather than peat-based growing media. We use biological controls wherever possible, encouraging beneficial insects and native pollinators so that chemical intervention is only used when strictly necessary. And our water is carefully managed, with reservoirs storing winter water for irrigation later in the year.”

What is the atmosphere like on the farm during the fortnight? Is there a sense of pride and fulfilment from the team that has made it possible?

“Yes, there is definitely a sense of pride,” she explains. “Wimbledon is recognised all over the world, so everyone on the farm understands that they are contributing to something iconic. But there is also a very practical atmosphere: people are focused, busy and keen to do the job properly. The satisfaction really comes from knowing that the fruit has been grown well, picked carefully and sent out in first-class condition.”

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you in what year Wimbledon Common’s windmill was built. The answer: 1817.

Q: How many people come to Wimbledon during The Championships because of the tennis?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. It was a pleasure to interview Marion — I hope you enjoyed reading the piece as much I enjoyed writing it. Have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next Thursday.

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Our summer print edition is here. It’s been a labour of love. Huge thanks to the rest of the team who worked on it: Love Wimbledon, Romulus, Aidan Mac Guill, Richard Heap and Joshi Herrmann. Copies can be found in Wimbledon Quarter — outside M&S and in The Fire Station Café — and should be going through letterboxes in the coming days.

Don’t worry if you can’t grab a copy; we’ll be uploading many of the print articles to our online newsletters as the weeks go by.

This week, instead of your usual recommendations, we have a “What’s on in Wimbledon during The Championships” section for those wondering what to do with themselves throughout the fortnight. We’ve also got news snippets and a small section about my visit to the AELTC for the one-year anniversary of the Championing Nature scheme with conservationist, explorer and TV presenter Steve Backshall.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🛑 Merton council is seeking urgent confirmation that maternity services will continue at St Helier Hospital, after making clear its strong opposition to any reduction or relocation of services from the hospital. The hospital has suffered significant underinvestment and is reportedly now having to consider temporarily relocating maternity services to other nearby hospitals to deal with serious disrepair concerns. Click here to read more.

🍓 Wimbledon prices skyrocket as the beloved combination of Pimm’s, strawberries and cream surpasses £15 for the first time in the tournament’s history. The Wimbledon staple now costs a whopping £16.50, marking a 9% jump from last year. A single glass of Pimm’s has also risen by £1.20, now coming in at £13.45.

🛍 Lovisa opened in Wimbledon Quarter this week! Inspired by couture runways and emerging street styles from around the globe, Lovisa’s dedicated trend-spotting teams work continuously to translate the latest fashion movements into fresh, wearable designs. Pop in and check it out.

🔥 Play during the Wimbledon qualifiers at Roehampton was suspended for over an hour due to a power outage that caused the tournament’s Electronic Line Calling (ELC) system to fail amid extreme heat. Click here to read more in the Independent.

🚧 Parking restrictions are back for The Championships. During Wimbledon fortnight there will be a number of parking restrictions throughout Wimbledon Village, Wimbledon Park and parts of Wimbledon town centre. Click here for more information and here to see a map of all the affected roads.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 💻

This week’s edition is sponsored by Huddle Wimbledon. Escape from the heat with a day pass in their air conditioned coworking space (with a free drink!).

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Property of the week 🏡

This four-bedroom, end-of-terrace home screams modernity. Just look at that kitchen, “playroom” and humongous balcony. This house is actually closer to Southfields than Wimbledon, but that still means you’ve got the District line on your doorstep. But how much does it cost to own a home of this size? Currently, Claudia Place is listed at £1.3 million. Check out more photos here.

What’s on in Wimbledon during The Championships? 🏆

Wimbledon Championships on The Piazza

Fancy a street-party vibe? Look no further than Wimbledon Piazza. There are food stalls, a number of bars, deckchairs and much more. And if the weather is kind, there is nowhere better than The Piazza (bar Henman Hill, but that’s a different conversation).

When: Monday 29 June – Sunday 12 July

Where: The Piazza, Wimbledon

Arthur at Polka Theatre

This summer, join Polka for their flagship show reimagining the Arthurian legend. It’s winter solstice 2026, and Grace is in A&E with Lego stuck up her nose, waiting for someone to notice her. Meanwhile, during the summer solstice 526AD, Arthur is setting out on the journey of a lifetime, tasked with retrieving the sword for the future king. As Grace and Arthur’s two worlds collide, they must embark on the biggest quest of their lives to retrieve Excalibur … if they can only figure out how to work together.

When: Saturday 20 June – Sunday 9 August

Where: Polka Theatre

Aspall and oysters charity fundraiser

Treat yourself to a delicious combination of Aspall cyder, fresh oysters, light nibbles and some live music to keep the vibes flowing. Whether you’re an oyster aficionado or just fancy giving them a go, this is not one to miss. Tickets are £25 per person, with all proceeds going to charity.

When: Monday 29 June, 6–8pm

Where: Fire Stables, Wimbledon Village

Her Court: The Role that Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement

Cynthia Corbett Gallery’s Young Masters is presenting a new exhibition this summer in partnership with Wimbledon Museum. The selected artists were given the chance to engage with the archives of Wimbledon Museum and respond with work that tackles the curatorial themes and historical artefacts. The resulting exhibition explores the little known relationship between Wimbledon and the women’s suffrage movement, drawing on themes of courage, resistance, erasure and more.

When: Thursday 2 – Saturday 11 July, 11am-5pm

Where: Wimbledon Museum

Love Wimbledon markets on The Piazza

Whilst not strictly during the fortnight, Love Wimbledon’s markets happen at the end of every month and are great fun. Whatever it is that you fancy, this market has it. From Bombay Delight’s award-winning curries to secondhand vinyl classics courtesy of So Pop Vinyl, the Piazza’s market is a smorgasbord of treats. Check it out if you’re here before the tournament starts, or if you’re hanging around a little longer.

When: Friday 27 – Saturday 28 / Saturday 1 – Sunday 2 August

Where: The Piazza, Wimbledon

Courtside at the Quarter

Arguably the most laid-back spot to watch the tennis this year. Recline on the Quarter’s deckchairs and watch the action unfold on the big screen. They’ve even got a retractable roof (just like the real stadium), so you can pretend you’re courtside. There will also be tennis-themed markets on both weekends of the Championships, while Wilton Tennis Club will be running two mini-tennis sessions between 1–4pm on both Saturdays of the tennis fortnight (for free).

Perhaps most importantly, the Quarter will once again be giving away free strawberries and cream on both tournament Saturdays.

When: Monday 29 June – Sunday 12 July

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

Live music at the Rose & Crown

Join local Wimbledon lad Christian Short, who takes to the stage as the Rose & Crown’s opening act for the tennis fortnight. A bunch of acts will be playing at the Rose & Crown throughout the tennis fortnight for free! Click here to check out more performances and dates.

When: Wednesday 1 July, 6–9pm (first night)

Where: Rose & Crown, Wimbledon Village

Wimbledon’s Championing Nature scheme celebrates its first anniversary 🎉

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the All England Club’s first anniversary celebrations for its Championing Nature scheme. The event — Championing Nature: Game. Set. Grow. — was hosted by climate presenter Abbie Dewhurst and featured a keynote speech from famed naturalist, broadcaster and programme ambassador Steve Backshall.

Championing Nature is a multi-year initiative delivered by four Wildlife Trusts across London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle, and it funds projects aiming to help those in underserved areas access green spaces, learn about the natural world and develop a deeper connection with nature.

After a small reception, we listened as young people and conservation leaders from across the country spoke about the excellent work they have been doing over the past year and shared personal stories of leadership, conservation and community action. Since the scheme’s inception in May 2025, 28,539 people have taken part in 865 sessions and activities, with 73% of participants coming from underserved and under-resourced communities.

Speaking after the event, Steve Backshall said, “Spending time in nature can completely change the way young people see the world and their place within it. What’s been so inspiring about Championing Nature is seeing young people not only reconnect with the environment but also become leaders and advocates within their own communities. The passion, confidence and commitment we have heard today gives me huge optimism for the future.”

It was a lovely opportunity to hear about the great work that young people are undertaking across the UK to tackle climate change and lead the charge for a brighter tomorrow. I think the most important takeaway from the day was the point about underserved communities and their need for greener spaces. It also made me reflect on our borough and how lucky we are to have green spaces readily available. So many of The Wimble’s readers write in to talk about their outdoor activities, nature projects and sustainability schemes. I’d love to keep the momentum going, so please do get in touch if you have any stories relating to nature, sustainability or any schemes supporting the underserved parts of our community: zak@thewimble.com.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list of American rappers and asked which one was born in Wimbledon. The answer: Young MC

Q: In what year was Wimbledon Common’s windmill built?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. Grab your copies of our print edition (not least if you’re visiting the Quarter to escape this heatwave). Do get in touch if you have any stories, ideas or events you’d like us to feature: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time!

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This week, we spoke to Cynthia Valianti Corbett, the woman behind Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement — a Young Masters exhibition in collaboration with Wimbledon Museum. Cynthia moved to Wimbledon with her family in 1994. In 2004, she set up her own nomadic gallery, the Cynthia Corbett Gallery. Cynthia and I sat down to talk about her career, what it takes to curate, the role Wimbledon played in the suffragette movement (without too many spoilers), and what this new exhibition aims to achieve. Scroll down to read all about it.

We’ve also got your usual news snippets, some fun recommendations to keep you busy before the tennis and a very dashing property of the week.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🌲 New woodland to be created in Morden Park and other areas across Merton. Thousands of trees are set to be planted across Merton over the next year, creating several new woodland areas that will benefit both wildlife and local communities, with the first to be built in Morden Park. Click here to read the full press release.

🍻 Stella Artois has released a limited-edition “Strawberries & Cream” lager ahead of The Championships this year. The Strawberries & Cream Lager has a lower ABV of 3.4% and a light pink colour, as one might expect from a strawberry-flavoured lager. You’ll only be able to grab the beer from Sainsbury’s and Co-Op stores, so keep your eyes peeled if flavoured beer is your jam.

🚧 Work has started on dozens of new council homes across Merton. The borough is expected to see more than 75 affordable homes built in Merton through a partnership with L&Q and the council. Construction formally began on June 4 at Raleigh Gardens in Mitcham. The wider project is backed by investment from the mayor of London’s Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026. Click here to read more.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 💻

This week’s sponsor of the week is Huddle. Huddle has everything from coworking and private offices to meeting rooms and singular pods for when you need to take those important calls. Use the Wimble code above — HuddleTennis26 — for 50 per cent off a day pass, which is normally £36.

Property of the week 🏡

This stylish period conversion flat sits within a rather decadent development, just a stone’s throw from Wimbledon Common. The property boasts high ceilings, wooden floors, three bedrooms (one with an en suite) and a private balcony. Talk about decadence. But what’s the damage? £1.5 million. Nice if you can afford it. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎹 Mozart’s Requiem: Conducted by Sacred Heart’s Director of Music, Robert Rathbone, this deeply moving evening of choral and orchestral music is not one to miss. Written in the final weeks of his life (though not completed), Requiem is a beautiful and haunting piece of music. Tickets are £20, though there are concessions available.

Where: Sacred Heart Church

When: Saturday 20 June, 8pm

💍 Wedding showcase at the Coach House: Have you been thinking about buying that ring? Is it time to pop the question? Head to the Coach House in the heart of Wimbledon Village this weekend to talk with their wedding team and meet local suppliers. The event is entirely free, and no booking is required.

Where: Coach House, Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 21 June, 12–3pm

🎾 King’s Arts 2026: Judy Murray OBE: Join Judy Murray as she talks to Gaby Huddart, reflecting on her remarkable journey as a player, a coach and a leading advocate for women in sport. This summer, Judy will publish her second novel Game, Set and Murder, and part of her talk will include her thoughts on finding creative inspiration. Tickets are £32.50 per person and include a glass of wine (£15 for under 21s, including a soft drink).

Where: King’s Festival Marquee, King’s College School

When: Monday 22 June, 7.30pm

🦅 ‘Tailored Swift’ Walk: Join the Wimbledon Swifts Group for this guided walk in support of National Swift Awareness Week. There will be a short talk on swifts in the area as well as a walk to try and spot the beautiful birds in the sky and identify their nesting sites. To book a spot, email Louise at wimbledonswifts@outlook.com.

Where: Wimbledon War Memorial

When: Wednesday 24 June, 7.30pm

🍸 Bring your own booze comedy: Join this event for a high-energy night of laughs at Wimbledon Library. Bring your own booze (whatever you fancy), kick back and have a jolly good time. Tickets are £5 — book them here.

Where: Wimbledon Library

When: Wednesday 24 June, 8pm

🎶 St John’s June lunchtime recital: This recital will feature Sara Minelli (flute) and Jelena Makarova (piano). performing a programme of works by Cheryl Frances-Hoad, Wilhelmine Von Bayreuth, Górecki, Messiaen and Janáček. A new piece by Simon Speare, "Epione Soothes", will also have its world premiere. As ever, this recital is free, but donations are very much encouraged.

Where: St John the Baptist

When: Friday 26 June, 1pm

🦌 Game butchery masterclass and dinner: Hosted by game dealer Chris, the night will begin with a hands-on demonstration as he guides you through preparing and butchering a whole roe deer. Chef Holly will then take over the evening, cooking a seasonal feast over open fire. Tickets are £70.20.

Where: Dog & Fox

When: Friday 26 June, 7–10pm

🥕 Rooftop Farm Tour x London Climate Action Week: This tour is a fun and insightful exploration of sustainability, growing in an urban environment, and the positive effects of urban farming. Tickets are £15 and include 50% off your coffee upon arrival at The Fire Station Café as well as a 50% discount voucher for the farm’s honey and mushrooms (sold at the café). Book here.

Where: Rooftop Farm, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 27 June

Her Court: In conversation with Cynthia Valianti Corbett 🟪⬜️🟩

Cynthia Valianti Corbett was working for Citibank in New York when an opportunity to transfer to London arose. She took it, and she’s been here ever since. In 2004, she launched her own “nomadic gallery”, the Cynthia Corbett Gallery. In 2009, Cynthia founded the not-for-profit Young Masters Art Prize. Today, Young Masters has developed into a dynamic programme of exhibitions, museum collaborations, art fairs, talks, and online initiatives that bring contemporary artists into dialogue with history, heritage, and cultural memory.

This summer, Young Masters is taking on one of its most exciting projects yet, Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement. The project is in collaboration with Wimbledon Museum (the host of the exhibition) and will run from 2-11 July. This week, I sat down with Cynthia to talk about nomadic galleries, moving to Wimbledon, what it took to get this project off the ground and, crucially, the role that Wimbledon played in the suffragette movement.

Let’s start with you. Were you always in the art world? What galvanised you to start your gallery in 2004?

I, like so many women, found myself at a career crossroads not long after starting a family. I’d studied at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts and pursued a career as an international economist and diplomat. I joined Citibank in New York, transferred to London in 1986, married an Englishman, started a family and ended up staying in the UK. At the time, I was still working and negotiating international debt issues for emerging countries, so I was constantly travelling all over Africa, the USA, and Central, Eastern and Western Europe. And I loved it! But with a family, that sort of career can be difficult.

In 1998, I turned to my husband and said, “I want to go back to college and study art history.” So that’s what I did. I knew I wanted a gallery, but I also knew that I couldn’t afford my own permanent space in central London (which is where I would need to be in order to give my artists enough visibility). So from the very beginning in 2004, my gallery was nomadic. This basically meant that someone would lend me a part of their house near Regents Park, a section of their restaurant or a private room at a hotel. And equally, when I had the money, I would rent out spaces in Marleybone, Mayfair or Chelsea.

Did you find this nomadic style challenging?

In the beginning, it was hard. I had to foster new partnerships and hope that these partnerships prevailed. You have to be incredibly organised to run a nomadic gallery, which, thankfully, I was. But you also have to be incredibly realistic and respectful. You’re using other people’s spaces, and you need to adapt to that.

What is Young Masters? And how does it relate to your upcoming exhibition?

Young Masters was created as a means to help emerging artists. It’s separate to my gallery and not for profit. “Young” stands for contemporary, and “Masters” means looking at history and those that came before you. I have always loved art history, so Young Masters was an extension of that passion, in some ways. We’ve run around half a dozen prizes since its inception in 2009, as well as exhibitions, museum collaborations, art fairs, educational events and talks.

For this Young Masters exhibition, we did an open call for artists to draw on the archives of Wimbledon Museum and respond to the title: “Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement”. I have to say, we were very lucky that the brilliant people at the Wimbledon Society and Wimbledon Museum were so amazing in curating the research for us. The museum may look small, but it’s got a treasure trove of artefacts and archives, all of which the artists were invited to respond to. There have been hundreds of submissions, but in the end we could only select 14 artists. We decided to look at everything for this exhibition: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, glass, textiles, spoken word, performance, video and photography. An artist’s response to Her Court was designed to be multi-faceted. And the submissions have honestly been incredible.

And without spoiling the exhibition, what role did Wimbledon play in the suffragette movement?

Central to this exhibition is Rose Lamartine Yates. She was a leading figure in the suffragette movement, honorary secretary of Wimbledon’s Social and Political Union, and lived at Dorset Hall in Merton from 1906-35. Yates was a real trailblazer, a real badass. She was even arrested in 1909 and imprisoned in Holloway Jail for a whole month. When suffragettes were released from prison, they were given a silver brooch, known as the “Holloway brooch”, and Rose’s is in Wimbledon Museum, which is really special. What’s even more special is the fact that these brooches were designed by Sylvia Pankhurst, and Helen Pankhurst (CBE) — her granddaughter — is this exhibition’s special advisor. Helen will actually be delivering a talk exploring the themes behind Her Court on Tuesday 7 July, which is such an honour.

It also only occurred to me last year that the suffragette colours (purple, white and green) are very similar to the purple and green colours of the All England Tennis Club. Whether our artists want to bring the tennis — and, more specifically, the history of women at The Championships — into their pieces is entirely up to them, but I think it’s very important to explore that symbolic overlap between the visual language of Wimbledon tennis and the suffrage movement. Really, at its core, this exhibition is about women’s history, protest, visibility and how these themes resonate in our contemporary lives today.

Her Court: The Role Wimbledon Played in the Suffragette Movement begins with a private viewing on Thursday 2 July (RSVP here). If you’re interested in attending Helen Pankhurst’s talk with Carmela Corbett, grab your tickets here. The exhibition will then run until Saturday 11 July.

Location: Wimbledon Museum, 22 Ridgway, SW19 4QN

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list and asked which of the athletes hails from Wimbledon. The answer: James Hunt.

Q: Which of these famous American rappers was born in Wimbledon?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our interview with Cynthia. Make sure to check our the Her Court exhibition when it opens in July. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and look out for our print edition.

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This week we sat down with Polka Theatre’s artistic director, Helen Matravers, to discuss their plans for the summer, what makes Polka special and the legend of King Arthur.

We’ve also got your usual news snippets, some recommendations to keep you busy before the tennis, and a great property of the week.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

💰 Your Community Bank, the not-for-profit credit union serving Croydon, Sutton and Merton, has opened a part-time hub at Merton Civic Centre. The hub is open Tuesdays and Thursdays (10am – 2pm) and is there to answer any questions and walk you through any paperwork you might be dealing with. Merton council already works with the organisation to deliver the Merton Young Savers Scheme, which helps young people in the borough build good financial habits from an early age. All Year 7 students living in Merton are eligible for a free savings account with a £20 deposit from the council and £10 for their parent or carer, funded through Merton’s Cost-of-Living Fund. Click here to read more.

💞 A new initiative has been launched to support Merton carers. The council marked the beginning of Carer’s Week by announcing three new initiatives to support, celebrate and recognise the borough’s carers. The first is Merton’s pledge to increase its funding for the carers grant, called the Carer’s Discretionary Payment. This grant allows carers to receive a one-off payment for a short break to cover the cost of training courses, equipment, or other items or expenses. The second is the addition of two new support groups: Mencap Meet Ups (a support group for carers of people with learning disabilities or autism, running on the second Wednesday of the month) and a new monthly Carer’s First support group based in Wimbledon are available. Click here for more details.

🏀 A group of Merton schoolgirls have reached the area finals of a major basketball competition. The girls, from Harris Academy in Merton, reached the finals of the Jr NBA 3v3 basketball tournament after taking part in the Her Time To Play coaching clinic in January. The girls from Harris Academy were among the top 32 teams out of the whopping 349 who applied. Check out more in the Wimbledon Guardian.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 🥕

The Rooftop Farm is hosting a tour this month in collaboration with London Climate Action Week. The tour is a fun and insightful exploration of sustainability, growing in an urban environment, and the positive effects of urban farming. Tickets are £15 and include 50% off your coffee upon arrival at The Fire Station Café as well as a 50% discount voucher for the farm’s honey and mushrooms (sold at the café). Book here.

Property of the week 🏡

A very swanky flat indeed. This three-bedroom property is in one of Wimbledon’s most exclusive residential developments. The flat also comes with a communal gym and cinema. How much? £1.5 million. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Ken Zier at Wimbledon Fine Art: A much-admired Danish seascape artist, Ken Zier’s works are full of light and movement. Pop in, enjoy a selection of oil paintings and even purchase a piece to take home.

Where: Wimbledon Fine Art

When: Sunday 14 – Sunday 28 June, 12–3pm

🥂 Chapel Down English wine-making masterclass: Chapel Down is one of England’s best-known sparkling wine producers. Based in Kent, their grapes’ distinctive flavour comes from the chalky terroir and warm, maritime climate of the region’s North Downs. If you’re yet to try English sparkling, this tasting is the best place to start. Tickets are £40 per person and include six different varieties to try, as well as nibbles.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Thursday 18 June, 6.30–8pm

🥳 Wimbledon opening party: Excited for the tennis to start? This year, the Dog & Fox is kicking off the party early, turning their dining room into a dance floor with live music and a Stella Artois garden takeover with curated BBQ menus. Entry is free, but you should reserve a spot using this link.

Where: Dog & Fox

When: Saturday 20 June, 7pm – midnight

🧘‍♀️ Deep Rest: Yin Yoga and Sound Bath: This 90-minute yin yoga and sound bath is an immersive experience designed to help you slow down, soften the body and gently quiet the mind. Those attending must bring a yoga mat, blanket or pillow, warm layers and an eye mask (optional). Prices range from £28 to £38, and spots can be booked here.

Where: Wimbledon Village Hall

When: Saturday 20 June, 3.30–5pm

🛍 Artisans Market at Cannizaro House: Over 30 wonderful boutique suppliers will be at Cannizaro House for this market, with everything from jewellery, clothes, skincare and candles to dog accessories, glass decorations, gin, rum and more.

Where: Cannizaro House

When: Sunday 21 June, 11am – 4pm

‘It’s a huge smorgasbord of different styles and genres of theatre’: In conversation with Polka Theatre’s Helen Matravers 🎭

Polka Theatre recently announced its packed autumn and winter season for 2026–27. Leading the season is the new musical Toto, which will begin in October. Theatregoers should also look out for Rebel, Rebel (directed by Helen Matravers); Colours, Colours Everywhere; Blub; The Three Little Pigs; At Sea; and The Sleep Show. Polka’s flagship summer show, Arthur, also starts next week. We sat down with artistic director Helen Matravers to talk about Arthur, accessibility and how the beloved Wimbledon gem chooses its shows.

Before we jump into the summer season, I hear you’re directing a show at Polka next year — tell us about that.

Yes, I’m directing a show called Rebel, Rebel, which starts in January next year. It’s a brand-new show celebrating female voices from the past and present. Also, full disclosure, this is my time solo directing a show. I’ve made loads of work in my career, trained as an actor and devised a bunch of projects, but this is a new challenge for me — and I’m really excited!

Arthur is this summer’s flagship show. What exciting things has the show got in store for us?

Arthur is our YC Chan main house theatre show. It’s actually a co-production with a theatre in Bath called The Egg (and it’s going to be their Christmas show). It’s a very funny, bonkers and silly retelling of the ancient legend. At its heart, it’s a show that explores what what makes a great leader. It follows Grace, who finds herself in A&E during the winter solstice of 2026. Grace encounters Merlin in A&E and is then transported back to the summer solstice in 526 AD, where she meets a young Arthur. Together, they go through a set of challenges, learning to like one another and work out what their individual styles of leadership look like.

It’s written by an amazing playwright called Marietta Kirkbride. It’s got a great set design, puppetry and, of course, the Excalibur moment; we couldn’t leave that out.

What is the process for curating new seasons at Polka?

It’s really tricky. The best way to describe it is it being like a Tetris puzzle. We have to cater for children ages zero to 13. A two year old won’t watch the same thing as an eight year old. We’re really trying to curate new stories and platform new voices, as well as providing audiences with something familiar. There’s a balancing act between book adaptations, new writing, dance, opera, rap and traditional styles of theatre. It’s a huge smorgasbord of different styles and genres of theatre. Because we have two theatres, we always try to make sure there’s a variety between the venues. Whatever is on at the main space will have a different age group, vibe or feeling to what’s being performed at the studio theatre.

There are no more than ten dedicated, permanent children’s theatres in England, and there are none that look like us in terms of being a community hub with play areas, workshops, etc. We try to make sure that what we put on stage mirrors the uniqueness of the building. We’re always trying to create new stories that children are fascinated by.

Would you say that accessibility plays a big part in Polka’s mission?

Absolutely. Accessibility underpins everything we do. We approach our mission with the ethos that no child should ever miss out. It’s important to remember that accessibility is about everyone. We know that there are parents, grandparents and carers who need accessible facilities; for example, they might be visually impaired or hard of hearing. When we look at a show, accessibility is what we think about first and foremost. There is no way we’d ever turn a child away from a show because they weren’t able to enjoy it in the same way their peers could. The doors are open to every single child out there. It’s incredibly important that all children get the chance to see themselves on stage, to have their own story reflected back at them.

Polka actually staged the first ever relaxed performance, and over time we’ve seen that sort of accessibility spread across the theatre sector. We make sure that all of our shows offer dates with British Sign Language (BSL), captions, audio descriptions and relaxed performances.

And how does accessibility inform the curation of shows at Polka?

I think it starts with looking at the source material and then who is adapting the show, who is creating the music, and who is performing. For example, we staged The Firework-Maker’s Daughter around Christmas. It’s a story set in Southeast Asia, but the book was written by Philip Pullman.I asked Jude Christian, who has Southeast Asian heritage, to adapt it into a play for us because it meant there was a real authenticity to the language and world of the production. It’s very important for us that the source material is diverse and balanced, and that it enables children to see stories on stage that they can relate to.

Looking beyond the summer, we’ve got a show called Colours, Colours Everywhere in which the lead performer is a hearing-aid user. Across the board, we work to present the most open and diverse theatre possible so that it can reach as many children as possible.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked when the final dog race was held at Wimbledon Stadium. The answer: 2017

Q: Which of these famous athletes comes from Wimbledon?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our interview with Helen Matravers. Do book tickets for Polka’s upcoming shows, you won’t regret it. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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I hope that we’re all having a good week so far. This week, I met with Wimbledon’s town centre ranger, Tom Ruffell. In a bid to see what a day in his life looked like, I joined him on one of his patrols around the centre. Scroll down to read all about the incredible work Tom does for our community.

We’ve also got your usual news snippets and some great recommendations to keep you busy as the weather (hopefully) gets better.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 💪

This week’s sponsor is Strong Pilates. Some of our readers might remember that we featured Strong Pilates last year when I took on one of their sessions (read it here). Now Strong are back again with a limited time offer. Book seven classes for just £49 using this link here.

News snippets 🗞

🗑 Every household in Merton is now able to book one free bulky waste collection per year, allowing for up to three household items. This includes items such as sofas, mattresses, fridges and other large household furniture. Read more about Merton council’s wider work to improve street cleanliness here.

🎨 King’s College School is once again hosting its annual celebration of culture and the arts this summer, with the dates just announced. The festival will run from Monday 22 – Saturday 27 June and will include a rich mix of events, performances, exhibitions, concerts and workshops. There’ll also be three “in conversation with” events, featuring Judy Murray OBE, Dame Mary Berry and David Olusoga OBE. Click here to see the full programme and book your tickets.

🎸 Van Morrison has announced a show at the New Wimbledon Theatre. That’s right, the creator of “Brown Eyed Girl” is coming to town this September with a one-night-only show in SW19. Fun fact: “Into the Mystic” is one of my go-to karaoke songs (if only I had the pipes to sing it). Check out more details here.

🧑🏽‍🔧 Wimbledon Repair Café, based at St Mark’s Church Hall on Compton Road, launched last Saturday. The café aims to cut waste and extend the life of everyday items. Volunteer repairers aim to fix a range of household goods, including electrical and mechanical items, clothing, toys and bicycles. Repairs are offered free of charge, but donations are encouraged. Read more about the monthly pop-up here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Matisse: The Poetry of Colour: Ad Lib Gallery presents a special exhibition of Henri Matisse’s celebrated Verve publication. The gallery wrote, “These works reflect the playful energy and poetic simplicity that defined Matisse’s later career . . . This intimate presentation offers collectors, art enthusiasts and new audiences alike the chance to experience the spirit of Matisse up close — works that continue to inspire contemporary art, design and culture around the world.” Click here for more details.

Where: Ad Lib Gallery

When: Friday 5 – Sunday 21 June

🧑🏻‍🎨 Drawing with Miguel: The Quarter’s artist in residence is back again this week with another creative class. Tickets are £15 and equipment will be provided (as well as snacks — lucky you!). Book your spot here.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 6 June, 11am – 12pm

🎶 Songs of Light: The Academy Choir Wimbledon are joined this Saturday by the Britten Sinfonia for a night of English music, conducted by their Music Director George Inscoe (sub-organist at St Paul’s Cathedral). Tickets are £20 per person.

Where: St John’s Spencer Hill

When Saturday 6 June, 7pm

🧺 Love Wimbledon Local Market on The Piazza: Think artisan stalls, hot food, and baked goods, plus homeware, art, clothing and accessories. Each market is different and brings with it new traders and seasonal goods. Pop along and have a gander.

Where: The Piazza, Wimbledon

When: Saturday 6 & Sunday 7 June, 11am – 6pm

🛫 Swords Travel: Afternoon Tea with Kirker: Join the Swords Travel team (along with their partner Kirker) for a spot of afternoon tea. You’ll have the chance to enjoy cakes, sandwiches and tea (of course), all while imagining your next travel adventure. Kirker offers a bunch of travel options, from city breaks to cultural tours and classic rail journeys. The event is free, though you will need to register here.

Where: Swords Travel

When: Friday 12 June, 2.30–4.30pm

🍸 Marrakech Gin & Martini Sampling: CBA Gin Co’s Marrakech Gin was developed during lockdown to capture the flavours and atmosphere of Morocco at a time when travel was prohibited. Now you can try their delicious gin for yourself . . . for free! Join CBA Gin’s co-founder Peter Barney as he mixes up a Marrakech dry martini and classic G&Ts for you to try. No booking required: just walk in.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 13 June, 12–5pm

🧑🏽‍🌾 LCAW Rooftop Farm Tour: Led by the farm’s experienced team and in collaboration with LCAW (London Climate Action Week), this local tour is a fun and insightful exploration of sustainability, growing in an urban environment and the positive effects of urban farming. Tickets are £15 and include 50% off your coffee upon arrival at The Fire Station Café as well as a 50% discount voucher for the farm’s honey and mushrooms (sold at the café). Book your spot here.

Where: Rooftop Farm, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 27 June, 10am–11.30am

On patrol with Wimbledon’s lone ranger ⭐️

It’s a sweaty May afternoon when I meet Tom Ruffell outside of Wimbledon Quarter, and I’m immediately questioning my choice of jeans and leather boots. Tom has been Love Wimbledon’s town centre ranger since 2013. For those unfamiliar with Love Wimbledon, the organisation is Wimbledon’s Business Improvement District (BID), and it looks after more than 600 independent businesses in Wimbledon Town Centre to protect the area and promote all the great initiatives taking place in SW19.

The Wimble has worked with the team at Love Wimbledon many times over the past two years, but I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting Tom before. He has very kindly agreed to let me shadow him for a couple of hours and see what a day in his life looks like. “I resolve about 150–250 issues each month, working with partners to resolve them” he tells me as we make our way along The Broadway. “And these issues really vary. They could be anything from graffiti on private or public land, fly-posting, fly-tipping, leaks, overflowing bins, commercial waste, cracked paving stones … that’s a big one.”

We’re on a patrol of Wimbledon Town Centre to identify any issues and engage with the business owners and managers. Our first stop is The Old Frizzle. I stand beside Tom as he chats with the staff. They smile, recognising him immediately. “I really think you guys should enter the Merton Best Business Awards this year,” he says to a member of staff. “Your retro football quiz is a great example of innovation.” It’s clear that Tom has a rapport with many of the businesses in the area, and their appreciation for his support is palpable.

As we continue our walk, I ask Tom why he thinks having the BID is important for the area. “The most important aspect of the BID for me is being able to give businesses a voice — to make sure their priorities are heard,” he explains. “We’re here to support them, to get in touch with the right people and to have the answers to any of their questions.”

But Tom’s job goes beyond businesses. As the sole town centre ranger, he is responsible for making sure that everything in the area is running smoothly. In May alone, he managed to resolve 185 issues. “Fly-tipping was one of the worst in May,” he says. “And fly-tipping can be so strange. I’ve found everything from mattresses to push chairs and, ironically, brooms. We tend to find a lot of brooms.” When issues of antisocial behaviour (ASB) arise, the ranger has a relationship with the local police and Merton’s neighbourhood wardens, who were introduced in June last year.

Tom was in his early twenties when he took on his current position. Thirteen years later, and he’s seen much of the town centre change. “One of the best changes I’ve seen in this part of Wimbledon is the money and time spent on refurbishing or developing this area. Just look at the events and businesses we have here.”

I ask him if he thinks Wimbledon has managed to escape the “death of the high street”. He says it has. “I think a part of that is the community here,” he explains. “It really hit home during Covid. It was a challenging time for everybody, not least for businesses. But so many shops and restaurants provided for those less fortunate during that period. The charity that came from the community was really remarkable. I think that’s just another thing that makes Wimbledon so great.”

Our patrol is coming to its end. “That, and also everything that’s on offer — from transport links and green spaces to markets and festivals,” he continues. “I mean, that’s why I’m still here. I love my job, and I love what the area has to offer. I’m very lucky that I can say that.”

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list of books and asked which one has a scene involving Wimbledon. The answer: War of the Worlds.

Q: When was the final dog race held at Wimbledon Stadium?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our piece with Tom Ruffell. If you do see him around, give him a wave or say hello; I’m sure he’ll be happy to have a chat with you. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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We’ve been busy this week working on the print edition. That said, we’ve still managed to pull together a short but snappy edition with your usual news snippets, some recommendations to keep you busy in this overwhelming heat, and a list of our top dinner spots going into summer.

Do get in touch if you have any ideas or stories you think we might like to feature: zak@thewimble.com.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🗳 On Wednesday 20 May, councillor Shuile Syeda was elected as the mayor of Merton, making her the first Muslim mayor in the borough’s history. Born and raised in the area, Syeda represents St Helier Ward and has served as deputy mayor for the past year. Addressing the annual council meeting, Councillor Syeda said: “Being the first Muslim mayor [in] Merton’s history is not simply a personal achievement – it reflects the diversity, openness and unity that define our borough.” Read more in the council’s press release.

🔍 What happened to the AELTC during the Second World War? While it may not be breaking news, this week the BBC has produced an interesting article highlighting the roles of major British sports stadiums during WWII. During the war, Wimbledon’s AELTC was transformed into a civil defence and military centre. The clubhouse was used by the Home Guard, decontamination units and emergency services, while parts of the grounds were turned over to food production (including livestock like pigs and rabbits). The club was actually hit during the Blitz: on 11 October 1940, bombs struck the grounds, including Centre Court. Click here to read more.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week ☕

This is a unique Wimble reader offer for Urban Baristas in Wimbledon Quarter. Just walk in, show them this image from the edition and claim that free lamington. Who doesn’t love a cheeky lamington (the classic Australian sponge cake dipped in chocolate icing and rolled in dessicated coconut)? Big thanks to our friends at Urban Baristas for this giveaway!

Property of the week 🏡

It’s hard to resist the allure of a penthouse in the heart of Wimbledon on one of SW19’s most sought-after roads. This two-bedroom property comes with two bathrooms, a communal garden, wonderful views and two parking spaces. But all of this doesn’t come cheap. This particular home is on the market for £2 million. Check out more pics here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

👗 May Pop Up Market: The Wimbledon Quarter pop up market is back this weekend, bringing you the very best of local shopping, artisan food and family-friendly entertainment to the heart of Wimbledon.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 30 & Sunday 31 May

🌭 Sausage and Cider Festival: Join the team at the Hand in Hand next weekend for their first ever sausage and cider festival. There will be a line-up of delicious craft ciders as well as gourmet sausages, live music and sunny summer vibes. Book a table here.

Where: Hand in Hand, Wimbledon Village

When: Friday 5 – Saturday 6 June

🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.

Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.

When: Sunday 7 May, 8–11am

👑 Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots: The Art of Diplomacy: Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I may have been rivals, but as two women attempting to rule courts full of hot-headed, ego-driven men, they also saw the powerful role that art could play in maintaining control and shaping their self-presentation. Join Dr Christina Faraday’s lecture to discover how these two figures used the visual arts to condemn and also negotiate. Members go free; otherwise, it’s £10 per person. Book

Where: The Sacred Heart Church Hall

When: Wednesday 10 June, 8pm

🍷 Elite Wines of Italy: Barbaresco and Barolo: This is your chance to try some of northern Italy’s finest wine. Taste six premium wines from both Barolo and Barbaresco, showcasing wines with floral delicacy, tannic power and everything in between. You will also hear about the wine’s relationship with the local cuisine with a few examples of food from the region. Tickets are £48 per person.

Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village

When: Friday 12 June, 6–7.30pm

Best spots for a bite this summer 🍕

The Black Lamb — 67 High Street, Wimbledon Village

With an onus on British farmers and sustainable produce, the Black Lamb’s à la carte menus change seasonally and are accompanied by a vast, well-researched choice of drinks. This year, they’re doing a “4-course Wimbledon Set Menu” with standout dishes such as confit Chalk Stream trout with elderflower and cucumber and pork tenderloin with broad beans, tomatoes, fennel and marjoram salsa. They’ve even got their own twist on strawberries and cream with their “Wobbles of Wimbledon” Sussex strawberry and cream jelly.

Orion by Alex Webb — 75-77 Ridgway

Alex Webb — winner of 2020’s MasterChef: The Professionals — opened his first restaurant in Wimbledon Village late last year. His new venture is a French-inspired, British-seafood-led neighbourhood restaurant right in the heart of the village. The menu offers a range of plates designed for sharing, shaped by both the seasons and by Alex’s ties to local producers. And if you’re looking for suggestions, you can’t go wrong with their signature lobster and prawn toast.

Fox & Grapes — 9 Camp Road, Wimbledon Village

Think gastropub classics with contemporary twists at this village pub. And if you see an advert for their supper clubs, don’t question it — grab a ticket now. In fact, last year I had the pleasure of visiting the Fox & Grapes and partaking in their Sourced & Found supper club. It was delicious. Click here to read that review.

Black Radish — 12 Watermill Way

Black Radish offers an intimate 12-seat Anglo-French dining experience. Co-owner and head chef Toby Cartwright has created a warm and inviting oasis in the heart of Merton Abbey Mills. The result is an exciting and thoughtful set menu with everything from wild Cornish sea bass to beetroot sorbet.

Dalchini — 147 Arthur Road

In 2024, Dalchini celebrated 25 years in Wimbledon. The UK’s first Indo-Chinese restaurant, the team are masters of their craft, and the menu is a perfect culinary fusion. Standout dishes include the Mahim Fish Koliwada, Chicken Lollypops and Lamb Dry Red Chilli. Back when The Wimble was incredibly new, I went and reviewed Dalchini (and their not-so-secret speakeasy). Check it out here.

Oy Bar — 66, The Broadway

Whilst we’ve already included Oy Bar’s owner Evegeniy Zukin in this edition, it would be remiss of us not to include this authentic bistro too. The atmosphere is about as chilled as it gets. Order a few small dishes with a glass or two of wine, or perhaps try their new and improved brunch menu. Oh, and don’t forget about the shellfish. After all, this is an oyster bar.

Bombay Delight — 271-273, The Broadway

Owner Ajay Chaurasia has been a pro-chef for over 25 years, creating menus for hotels, cruise ships and even the BAFTA film and TV awards. Winner of “People’s Choice” at the 2025 Merton Best Business Awards, it should come as no surprise that Bombay Delight is a favourite among locals in SW19. The monkfish alleppey and the lamb angara are particularly delicious (and a firm favourite of yours truly).

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list of events and asked which had occurred at the former Wimbledon Stadium. The answer: stock car racing.

Q: Which of these books has a scene involving the Wimbledon area?

You’re up to date 👋

I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. We’re still working hard behind the scenes to get our content ready for print. Keep your eyes peeled for any updates or announcements. Other than that, have a great rest of the week, and we’ll see you next Thursday.

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This week we’re bringing you a slightly snappier newsletter, as we continue to beaver away behind the scenes on our upcoming print edition. We’re almost done with pulling it together, so do keep your eyes peeled for any updates about distribution and dates.

Of course, we still have your usual news snippets, some great recommendations to keep you busy, a list of our current top five bars for the summer and more.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🚨 The men who stabbed a journalist in Wimbledon in 2024 were working for Iran as part of a campaign of “Iranian terror”, a court has been told. In March 2024, two Romanian men — George Stana, 25, and Nandito Badea, 21 — were accused of attacking Pouria Zeraati, a journalist for a Persian-language television station. Stana and Badea have both denied charges of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and unlawful wounding. In March 2023, officers found Stana in a rear communal garden at Zeratti’s address wearing gloves, a blue surgical face mask and carrying a pair of scissors in his pocket. Stana left the UK for Romania soon afterwards. Now Stana and Badea are on trial at Woolwich Crown Court, which is expected to last up to four weeks. Click here to read the full details.

❌ A number of Wimbledon roads will be closed this summer for essential works. These include Copse Hill, Hartfield Road, Kingston Road, Lambourne Avenue, Quicks Road, Thornton Road, St Johns Road, Wimbledon Road, Wimbledon Bridge, St George’s Road and Alexandra Road. Click here to see the exact date of the closures.

🏈 American football is on its way to Wimbledon. The London Warriors will play the first game of their new season at the Cherry Red Records Stadium (home of AFC Wimbledon). The Warriors were recently announced as part of a brand new league known as the American Football League Europe (AFLE). Click here to read more.

🎭 Polka Theatre has announced its packed autumn and winter season for 2026–27. Leading the season is the new musical Toto, which will begin in October. Theatre-goers should also look out for Rebel, Rebel (directed by Polka’s Artistic Director Helen Matravers); Colours, Colours Everywhere; Blub; The Three Little Pigs; At Sea and The Sleep Show, alongside international work including You’ll See by Branar. Click here for the full list and dates.

Property of the week 🏡

This house is all about modernity — just look at that indoor gym. In fact, the property is brand-spanking new, and was only completed in 2018. There are six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a huge garden and underfloor heating for when the cold sets in. But I warn you, reader, this is not a cheap house. Currently, they’re looking for £4.5 million. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🍷 Spotlight on cabernet franc: Cabernet franc is an ancient grape variety often overlooked by its cousin cabernet sauvignon. But for those who haven’t tasted cabernet franc, you are truly missing out. It’s a complex grape with more variation and expression than many of its neighbouring varieties. Tickets are £35 per person.

Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village

When: Friday 22 May, 6–7.30pm

🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: The farmers’ market is a classic weekend activity. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for that strange bespoke veg item from BBC Good Food or just a plain old carrot, the farmers’ market will surely have it. Get yourself along this weekend and pick up some groceries to assemble an extravagant spring salad as the weather warms up.

Where: Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 24 May, 10am – 3pm

🍸 Bring your own booze comedy: You’ve heard of BYOB restaurants, but have you heard of BYOB comedy? Join this event for a high-energy night of laughs at Wimbledon Reference Library. Tickets are £5 and are available here or on the door.

Where: Wimbledon Library

When: Wednesday 27 May, 8pm

🏆 Wimbledon Society Lecture: Josephine Butler: In Victorian times, a woman living quietly at North View on Wimbledon Common was stirring up a national storm. But Josephine Butler wasn’t content to accept the injustices of her age. Join Susanna Rustin, social affairs leader writer at the Guardian and former arts journalist at the Financial Times, as she takes you through the extraordinary life of this Wimbledon heroine. Click here for more details.

Where: Emmanuel Church

When: Wednesday 27 May, 7pm

❤️‍🩹 Understanding self-harm in young people (webinar): This is a free webinar covering the causes, risk factors & triggers of self-harm — as well as strategies to support young people who self-harm. The session will be led by Stephen McCluskey, a highly experienced mental health nurse who has spent the last 30 years working within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This webinar is free to join, but you must reserve a spot here.

Where: Online

When: Wednesday 27 May, 12–1pm

Best spots for a drink this summer 🍹

Vineria @ Vallebona — 70a High Street, Wimbledon Village

Stefano Vallebona moved to the UK in 1997. Borough Market's first Italian trader, he then opened a shop in Wimbledon Village with his wife, Naoko. Vineria is the attached wine bar. Expect romantic tables, five-star ingredients, stunning wines (many from rare regions), and a sleek pizza and small plates menu.

601 Queen’s Road — Wimbledon Quarter

Potentially one of the most aesthetically-pleasing venues in Wimbledon, 601 Queen’s Road is the perfect place for some light food and a couple of drinks bang in the centre. Head here if you’re a fan of small plates, picky bits and delicious cocktails. Oh, and make sure to check out their beautiful roof terrace.

The Sultan — 78 Norman Road

There are few proper boozers left in London like The Sultan. Having won the South West London Camra Pub of the Year four times, it’s no shock that this watering hole is one of Wimbledon’s finest. I first popped in here when I visited Wimbledon’s Greensleeves Morris Men. If you’re a fan of real ale, this is the place to be.

Artisans Depot — 154 Merton Hall Road

We’ve been a fan of this intimate wine bar since it reopened last year. Led by two local fathers, Artisans Depot has broadened its horizons with themed tastings and tapas (and pintxos) nights. Whether you fancy a glass in or want to pick up that perfect bottle for dinner at home, Artisans Depot is the place for you.

The Loft at The Alexandra — 33 Wimbledon High Road

The Alex has always been at the heart of Wimbledon’s community. At Christmas, they serve nearly 180 free lunches for those who have found themselves alone during the holidays. But beyond community, The Alex is one of the loveliest places for a pint or a glass of wine in south London, and their Loft rooftop bar is particularly charming during the warmer weather.

The Trafalgar — 23 High Path

Another winner of CAMRA’s South West London Pub of the Year, The Trafalgar reopened in 2023 when Oli Carter-Esdale took the helm. The Trafalgar is a real neighbourhood spot, though it has faced uncertainty in recent years as developers have sought to turn the pub into a block of flats and a café. But locals have shown their support for this gem, and all it takes is popping your head in to see how beloved this SW19 pub is.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you how many kilograms of strawberries are consumed at Wimbledon each year. The answer: 28,000kg.

Q: Which of these events took place at the former Wimbledon Stadium?

You’re up to date 👋

I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition. Do keep sharing The Wimble with your friends and family so we can continue to grow our newsletter. Keep your eyes peeled for updates about our print edition, have a great week, and we’ll see you next time.

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This week, The Wimble spoke with Evgeniy Zukin. Evgeniy and his family moved to south London at the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Some of our readers might remember Evgeniy from our piece early last year focusing on the launch of his Wimbledon restaurant, Oy Bar. But this week, I sat down with Evgeniy to talk about tennis and how he wound up running the Ukrainian Tennis Federation from SW19.

We’ve also got a breakdown of last week’s local election in Merton. Check out our news snippets to see how the council has shaped up after your votes.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞️

🎉 It’s official: The Wimble is launching another summer print edition! This will be our third print edition in 18 months, and we couldn’t be more excited. Look out over the next few weeks for updates and info about where to grab your copy and what to expect.

🗳️ Labour has secured another four years in control of Merton Council. The party returned 32 councillors across the authority’s 57 seats (a small gain on 2022’s results). The Liberal Democrats — who made a concerted effort in this year’s election to unseat Labour — won 19 seats (also an improvement on 2022’s results). The Conservatives retained their foothold in Wimbledon Village but lost three councillors elsewhere in the borough (notably Nick McLean, who was defeated by the Liberal Democrats in Cannon Hill). Stephen Alambritis, former leader of Labour-run Merton Council, said, “This is about local issues, this is all about the street on your road. I think if you make that differentiation, people will think and not want to gamble it all away.”

Councillors Anthony Fairclough, leader of the Merton Liberal Democrats, said, “These results show that more and more residents across the borough are putting their trust in the Liberal Democrats to stand up for them and focus on the issues that matter most locally.”

The voter turnout was 45.15 per cent (up 40 per cent from 2022). The election also saw a record number of candidates (271) standing for election across all 20 of Merton’s wards. Read more here and click here to see the full breakdown of votes.

👩‍🌾 On Tuesday, Wimbledon Quarter hosted the Taste of the Rooftop Farm spring event. It was a sold-out evening full of conversation, samples and talks from special guests Vanessa Marx (Bingham Riverhouse) and Toby Cartwright (Black Radish). If you missed this event and would like to attend the next one, check out the Quarter’s page here for the next tour on Saturday 30 May.

Property of the week 🏠

This five-bedroom house is undeniably beautiful (though I’d probably get rid of the flower wallpaper in the reception room). It comes with three bathrooms, four reception rooms, a garden and a cellar. This place really doesn’t skimp on the space. But at £2.5m, you’d hope they wouldn’t! Check out more pictures here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎶 Merton Singfest: This event, organised by Wimbledon Choral in partnership with Merton Music Foundation, involves everyone from schoolchildren and young people to adults and seniors within the borough, celebrating the rich diversity of choirs in Merton. Each of the 15 participating choirs will have 15 minutes to sing their chosen music. Entry is free, though attendees are encouraged to purchase refreshments and cakes to help pay for the event! Check out more info here.

Where: St Mark’s Church, SW19 7ND

When: Saturday 16 May, 10am – 5.30pm

🥳 Family activity day: Spend a day enjoying Cannizaro Park’s pond with water conservation experts from the South East Rivers Trust. There will be lots of pond-habitat-focused activities for all of the family to enjoy. This event is free, though booking is required for the three pond dipping sessions that day (click here).

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Sunday 17 May, 11am – 4pm

🍻 Pub quiz at The Hand in Hand: Gather your smartest friends, grab a couple of beers and compete in one of Wimbledon’s most competitive pub quizzes. I’ve been out of the pub quiz circuit for quite some time now, but last week I donned my quiz cap and tried one in the city. Let’s put it this way: I’m not half as good as I remember.

Where: Hand in Hand

When: Tuesday 19 May, 8–10pm

🥂 Grower Champagne Tasting: Growers are increasingly focusing on making their own Champagne rather than supplying their grapes to Grande Marques. With a focus on terroir and individuality, they’re producing some stunning wines, often in tiny amounts. Tickets are £50 per person and include a guided tasting of five different Champagnes.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Thursday 21 May, 6.30–8pm

🎼 St John May Lunchtime Recital: This event is one of a series of lunchtime recitals held on the fourth Friday of each month, featuring local and international professional musicians. This month will feature Jane Faulkner (violin) and Gary Peacock (piano). These events are free but donations are strongly encouraged.

Where: St John the Baptist

When: Friday 22 May, 1pm

How does the CEO of the Ukrainian Tennis Federation end up running an oyster bar in Wimbledon? 🦪

It’s a bright spring morning. I’m sitting with Evgeniy Zukin in his Wimbledon restaurant, Oy Bar. I first met Evgeniy about a year and a half ago, right after Evgeniy opened the restaurant. I’d visited then to talk about the food. What I learnt on that occasion was Evgeniy’s backstory: his meteoric rise in the world of Ukrainian tennis, his experience of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and how his family wound up running an oyster restaurant in SW19. The interview last year was short and oyster-heavy. But I made a promise to myself to come back for the full story. So here I am. And all I can think to say is: “Where did it all start?”

Evgeniy Zukin was just seven years old when his mother introduced him to tennis. Very quickly, the sport became his life. Playing in Kyiv’s Republican Stadium (renamed the Olimpiyskiy National Sports Complex), Evgeniy proved himself from a young age, ranking in Ukraine’s top 10 players under 12. But by 14, Evgeniy and his family began to struggle with the financial burden of nurturing a young athlete. “I realised that without a bigger financial investment, my career as a player wasn’t going to reach the heights that I wanted. So I pivoted and started my master’s degree when I was only 16 years old.” Evgeniy packed his bags and spent five years studying physical rehabilitation at the National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport (potentially the longest name for a university that I’ve ever heard). But he couldn’t stay away from tennis for long. By 18, Evgeniy was back on the court as a hitting partner and coach.

“It was also around this time that I got my certification as a chair umpire. I was 19, which meant I was the youngest person in the entirety of the post-Soviet states. I know this might not sound like a lot, but it was a huge deal for us in Ukraine. This was in 2003, and I was the second person in Ukraine at the time to get this qualification from the International Tennis Federation (ITF).”

So where did life take him next? Evgeniy spent the following ten years travelling the world and umpiring tournaments as big as the Davis Cup. During his stint as a tennis official, in 2009, Evgeniy and a friend launched the only print magazine for tennis in Ukraine. They kept the name simple: Tennis Club. “There had been a magazine before, but when the financial crash hit in 2008, it shut down. But our magazine was a grassroots project – the budget was small. Tennis clubs across the country would kindly lend us their rooms to work in. The designer would come in at night after his day job. And all the while, I was still working internationally as an ITF-certified official.”

In 2013, the Ukrainian Tennis Federation (UTF) called and asked if he’d like to be their CEO. “The rhythm of my life completely changed when I joined the Ukrainian Tennis Federation. I had been on the move for the entirety of my adult life. For the first time, I was being asked to work from an office. But it was a job I really wanted to do. In my first two years, we tripled the number of international tournaments, concentrated on rising junior talent by investing in them, and kept our eye on the grassroots of Ukrainian tennis.” From 2013 to the outbreak of the war, Evgeniy and his team fought tirelessly to put Ukrainian tennis on the map, both nationally and internationally. And they did.

But in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine and started the largest and deadliest war in Europe since WWII. At the time, Evgeniy was gearing up to host Ukraine vs Barbados in Kyiv for the Davis Cup play-offs.

“Do you remember when all of the embassies started to evacuate their staff?” Evgeniy asks.

I nod.

“Around this time, the ITF Davis Cup committee scheduled a meeting to discuss the challenges in organising the title. As a member of the committee, I proposed to organise the tie on neutral ground due to the significant security threats posed by hosting it in Kyiv. I had experience with this: when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, we were forced to host matches in Estonia because that was ‘neutral ground’. So, with the full-scale invasion, I spoke with the rest of the Davis Cup committee and told them I would host the match against Barbados in Turkey.”

Evgeniy, his wife, Vladyslava, and their two children packed three suitcases and flew to Turkey to find a suitable venue for the match within three weeks. By the time Evgeniy and his family made it to Turkey, the war had already begun. I ask Evgeniy if he had any urge to go back to Ukraine at the time. “No, the risk was too high. I had my family with me and thankfully we were safe.”

Surprisingly, the tie against Barbados went ahead. Ukraine won. There was little time to celebrate. Immediately, Evgeniy was flown to Portugal, where he met with the ITF and made a few statements to the press regarding the war and the next steps for the Ukrainian national team. But what were his next steps? “We knew we couldn’t go back to Ukraine,” says Evgeniy. “Our national tennis club in Ukraine – the one that my wife and I set up – had been destroyed by Russian artillery. So we looked for somewhere in Europe, and that’s when an old friend of mine from the ITF gave me a call and invited me and my family to stay at his house in Tooting. The anniversary of us moving here will be at the end of the month.”

They stayed in Tooting before finding a house in Colliers Wood, which is where Evgeniy’s family live now. I ask Evgeniy what that time was like and how the idea for an oyster restaurant came to him amidst all that chaos. “I didn’t know what was going to happen with my job at the Ukrainian Tennis Federation. As it turns out, the president asked me to stay on in my role and I’ve worked from here ever since (I still do that full time every day). But at the same time, we needed to integrate here. And it felt like starting a small restaurant was the best way to do that. I put everything I loved into this menu and wine list, and it makes me happy to see when our customers are happy.”

Evgeniy and Vladyslava are hands-on owners. They both do shifts at the restaurant when needed, and they play an active part in Oy Bar’s day-to-day direction. Evgeniy tells me that the restaurant – as well as his and his wife’s membership at Spencer Lawn Tennis Club – has been a great way to meet local people and integrate into the community. I ask him if he finds it strange that of all places to wind up, he winds up in one of the world’s most famous tennis locations. “Probably the most famous tennis location,” he interjects. “I first came to Wimbledon in 2014 with the UTF to look after Ukrainian players and meet with the other federations. I never imagined then that I’d be back here less than 10 years later, living down the road and running a restaurant!”

Are you happy here? “We have our close friends now,” says Evgeniy. “That community has really helped us, and we’re very grateful to everyone who welcomed us so nicely back in 2022. We’re very happy here. And with the Oy Bar, we feel as if we’re giving back a little. It’s not a business that brings in a lot of money, if I’m being honest. But it does enable us to give something back.”

Oy Bar is located at 66 The Broadway. Check out their Instagram here.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I presented you with a list of famous singers and asked which one was born in Wimbledon. The answer: Quincy Jones III.

Q: How many kilos of strawberries are consumed at the tennis each year?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed Evgeniy’s story. We’ll also be featuring a similar version of that article in our forthcoming summer print edition, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next Thursday.

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Today is the big day. It’s the local elections. There are 57 seats up for grabs in Merton, and you get to decide who takes control of our borough. Polling stations are open from 7am–10pm (or 9am–5pm if you’re voting at the Civic Centre). Scroll down to get a sense of each party’s manifesto.

This week, I sat down with Ekaterina Botziou Pilalis, a local author who has just released a new children’s book, The Wolf Who Ate Alone. If her name sounds familiar, that’s because she’s also part of the family that runs the Stage Door Steakhouse. Scroll down to read about her life in Wimbledon, why she decided to write a children’s book about individuality and what it means to not follow the crowd.

We’re gearing up for our summer print edition, so please do get in touch if you have any human interest stories that we could feature: zak@thewimble.com.

News snippets 🗞️

🚨 The driver of a car that crashed into a local school has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after two eight-year-old girls – Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau – were killed. Claire Freemantle has been accused of two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and seven counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the crash at the Study Prep School in July 2023. It has been indicated by Freemantle’s lawyers that she will plead not guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 June.

Freemantle was rearrested and then released in January last year. The current charges come after evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 17 March this year. Click here to read more.

🗳 Today is the day! Local elections are taking place across the UK today (including in Merton). Residents will have the opportunity to decide whether to stick with our current councillors or take the borough in a new political direction. Labour has held overall control in Merton since 2014 (Ross Garrod has been the council leader since 2022). Currently, the 57-seat council is made up of 30 Labour councillors, 17 Liberal Democrats, seven Conservatives, two Merton Park Ward Residents and one other independent. Voting is never easy, but it’s incredibly important. Click here to read each Merton party’s manifesto to help you decide (if you haven’t already).

Click here for timings and polling stations. The declaration is expected at 5am tomorrow.

The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 💼

Huddle, located in Wimbledon Quarter, is offering Wimble readers a free day of coworking (T&Cs apply). All you have to do is email wimbledon@huddle.co.uk to arrange your free coworking trial (exclusive to Fridays).

Property of the week 🏡

This is a rather lovely detached period property, if you ask me. This five-bedroom home is located just off the desirable Copse Hill and has enough space for the Partridge Family. But how much, I hear you ask. £2.15 million. Sheesh. Looks like most of us will be saving up for a while. Check out more pics here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🖌 Sketching workshop on Wimbledon Common: Spend some time outside, observe nature and create some wonderful sketches. What’s not to love? Join local artist Katie Preston as she teaches you some simple ways to realise your sketching potential. This event is suitable for anyone 16+. Tickets are £20 per person and can be bought here.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Friday 8 May, 11.30am–1.30pm

🌳 Forest bathing at Cannizaro Park: No, it’s not what you think. This event is not about having a bath in the forest. Instead, it’s about “bathing” yourself in nature. Join Susanne Meis, founder of Meet in Nature, for a day of woodland immersion. Tickets are £15 per person and can be bought here.

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Saturday 9 May, 10.30am–12.30pm

🕵️‍♀️ Do We See What They Saw? Experiencing Paintings in the Past: Contemporary painting is wildly different to what came before — but so is the context we view paintings in. We don’t use magnifying glasses, conceal pictures behind small curtains or hang pictures incredibly high up. How does our experience of looking at works of art today compare to the viewing experience of earlier centuries? This Arts Society Wimbledon lecture, led by Dr Chantal Brotherton-Ratcliffe, considers the very different conditions in which art was displayed in the past. Tickets are £10 per person (book here). Members go free. Members go free.

Where: The Sacred Heart Church

When: Wednesday 13 May, 8pm

🎤 The Rapping Princess at Polka: We’re promoting this again in case parents missed out on the recommendation last week. The age range for this show is 3–6 years old. Tickets can be bought here. We really are lucky to have Polka on our doorsteps, so please do get yourself along to the theatre as much as you can to support such an amazing and enduring staple of SW19.

Where: Polka Theatre

When: Saturday 16 May – Sunday 21 June

🥳 Family activity day: Spend a day enjoying Cannizaro Park’s pond with water conservation experts from the South East Rivers Trust. There will be lots of pond habitat-focused activities for all of the family to enjoy. This event is free, though booking is required for the pond dipping sessions (click here).

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Sunday 17 May, 11am–4pm

The Wolf Who Ate Alone: In conversation with local children’s author Ekaterina Botziou Pilalis 🐺

Ekaterina Botziou Pilalis is a local mother of three, a learning support assistant and part of the family that runs the beloved Stage Door Steakhouse restaurant on The Broadway. But she has also been quietly building a body of children’s books and creative work over the past decade, from her Greek mythology chapter book series The Adventures of Omicron to her most recent picture book, The Wolf Who Ate Alone.

The Wolf Who Ate Alone is a simple but profound story about a wolf who chooses to sit alone, not out of loneliness or fear, but because he is content in his own space. It’s a book which was inspired by Ekaterina’s own children, as well as the social dynamics she sees every day while working in schools. This week, I sat down with Ekaterina to talk about the message behind her latest book.

Let’s start with your background. How did you end up in Wimbledon writing children’s books?

I moved to Wimbledon in 2011 after finishing my law degree and taking on a job with an American finance company in Mayfair. I started a blog that same year, and from there my writing started to become a main focus. I wrote for an English Cypriot fashion-lifestyle magazine (my husband’s family is from Cyprus; mine are from Greece), as well as other publications including The Huffington Post and Love Wimbledon, focusing on local businesses and fashion features.

And how did your career as a learning support assistant start?

After having my second child, I decided not to return to work in finance and instead continued with my writing and supporting the family business. My eldest son (11) has dyslexia, and from early on, I became very interested in education at home and what I could do to help him. Schools do all they can to support children with learning difficulties, but it’s very difficult if they don’t have the right resources and proper funding. I did a lot of research into the education system, and, without realising it, I was slowly putting myself on a pathway to working in education.

Although I was writing different books at the time, I was also researching educational materials and different teaching methods online and creating my own interactive toddler learning book. When my youngest child started reception, I decided that I wanted to go back into work outside of the family business. At first, I volunteered at my children’s school in Wimbledon and, after completing a qualification in SEN (special educational needs), began working as a general teaching assistant and then a learning support assistant at a local school. It’s been an incredible experience. I’ve been able to see both sides: the experience of having a child with SEN and the experience of seeing what schools are up against in terms of financial constraints and other mounting pressures.

Do you think your experience as a learning support assistant has informed your latest book, The Wolf Who Ate Alone?

Most definitely, but the book has also come from being a parent. It’s so common for our children to come home and tell us things that have happened at school. Often, I would link what my children told me with the experiences I had as a learning assistant. All children go through phases where they feel included and then excluded by their friends. And I find that the lunch hall is where those experiences and emotions are really exasperated.

The Wolf Who Ate Alone is about self-assurance. It’s about individuality and what it means not to follow the crowd. The story takes place in a lunch hall where the sheep sit together and one wolf sits alone. He’s not sitting alone because he’s lonely but because he’s happy in his own space (and happy in himself). The dynamic changes when another wolf enters the lunch hall, who also sits alone. The story develops without dialogue. I wanted it to be as simple as possible. All it takes is for one of the wolves to stand up for the sheep to sit with them. It’s really based off something I see a lot. Not every child wants to join in in the same way. And sometimes that’s misunderstood. The wolves aren’t isolated; they’re just respecting their individuality. And in the end, the sheep and wolves share a table, not necessarily to talk but to sit wherever they please and to not feel as if there’s this huge unspoken space between them.

The book isn’t about right and wrong or wolves against sheep. It’s about knowing that you don’t have to do what everyone else does in order to fit in. It’s a book about the strength that comes from not conforming. It’s a book designed to speak to children who are looking for guidance.

Ekaterina has had an incredible career and journey so far. If you want to read more about her work, her writing and her projects, head to her website here. To grab a copy of her newest children’s book, The Wolf Who Ate Alone, which she illustrated herself, click here. You can also visit her Instagram for updates and hear her read it aloud here (for free!).

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you how many water wheels the River Wandle powered in the Victorian era. The answer: 68.

Q: Which of these famous singers was born in Wimbledon?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our interview with Ekaterina. Do visit her website to get your copy of The Wolf Who Ate Alone. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next Thursday.

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This week, we ask the question: How does a church turn green? I sat down with Trinity Church’s Elizabeth Scharinger to talk about how religious centres are pulling their weight when it comes to sustainability in the borough. Scroll down to read about pop-up markets, local food banks and why grassroots activism can affect a global change.

We’ve got updates on the Wimblers who ran the London Marathon on Sunday. Scroll down to see how much they raised and how fast they ran. Thank you to everyone who donated and showed support!

As always, please get in touch with stories or ideas: zak@thewimble.com.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🏅 The former mayor of Merton (2017-18), Councillor Marsie Skeete, has sadly passed away. Councillor Skeete has served as a councillor in Longthornton since 2014. She also held the roles of Cabinet Member for Women and Equalities and Chair of the Joint Consultative Committee with Ethnic Minority Organisations. Her passing was announced by the council, where Councillor Ross Garrod paid tribute to her work. Click here to read more.

⚽ AFC Wimbledon have secured their safety in League One! The Dons won their last match against Wigan Athletic, meaning they won’t be going down this season. Check out the team’s press release and interview with Johnnie Jackson.

🔥 Four fire engines and around 25 firefighters tackled a blaze at a property on St Helier Avenue in Morden on Sunday. Control officers took the first of 14 calls at 1.13pm and mobilised crews from Wimbledon, Mitcham, New Malden and Tooting fire stations. The fire was extinguished by 1.43pm, although most of the ground and first floors were destroyed. So far, there have been no reports of any injuries. Click here to read more about fire safety and how to protect you and your loved ones from danger.

🎤 Mitcham’s rather colourful bandstand won a prestigious national award this month. The bandstand, called ‘What Goes Around’, won in the best ‘Activation’ category of the Pineapple Awards, which recognises excellence in placemaking, community-led projects and urban design. The judges found that the bandstand offers “a striking focal point for the community, and it was clear from the presentation how joyous this project was – for the team delivering and the community it has provided for.” Click here to read more.

This week’s Wimble sponsor ⛳️

We are absolutely in golf season right now, and what better way to practise your swing than with a spot of golf at Caddi Club? Even if golf isn’t your thing, their bar and restaurant (with its beautiful rooftop terrace) is a great place to whittle away a sunny afternoon. Check out their website for deals, events and booking.

Property of the week 🏡

You may be looking at this GIF and saying, “Hang on, Zak . . . I’ve seen this one before!” And you’d be right. You have. But it’s still on the market, and I like this house quite a bit. This four-bedroom fully detached home is the last remaining part of the former Belmont Estate. Originally built in 1864 for merchant banker Daniel Meinertzhagen, the lodge has had a long list of owners from the Holloway family and members of the Orléans branch of the French royal family. Chapman Lodge is a Wimbledon gem. But what does a gem cost? £2.5m. Which is probably why it’s still available. Check out more pics here.

Updates on our runners 🏃

Many of you will hopefully remember that two weeks ago we featured four Wimblers running the London Marathon. How did they do? Did they manage to hit their targets? Don’t forget that you can still donate to each of their running pages even though the marathon is over!

Dean Parson (Haydon the Womble)

Dean’s initial plan was to raise £10,000 for Dons Local Action. Dean smashed his target and raised more than £16,500! He completed the marathon in 7 hours, 42 minutes and 24 seconds (wearing the full Haydon the Womble gear). Dean said, “A huge thanks to AFC Wimbledon fans who seemed to be everywhere to give me a lift when I needed it, even when I didn't know I needed it!”

Dean's Page

Wayne and Lauren Weaver

Wayne and Lauren ran the London Marathon in support of Anaphylaxis UK. Lauren suffers from a severe nut allergy, and the family says they have benefited from the charity’s work for over 20 years. The duo finished in 5 hours, 20 minutes and 17 seconds. The combined target was to raise £4,000. The pair exceeded their target and are so far at £5,097. Well done!

Lauren's page

Wayne's page

Chrissie Ely

Chrissie ran the London Marathon in support of Street Child, an international children’s education charity active in more than 20 of the world’s most low-income and disaster-struck countries. Her goal was £2,500. I’m pleased to say that Chrissie has so far raised over £4,750 and completed the marathon in 3 hours and 45 minutes. She said it was a “fantastic day & incredible experience”.

Chrissie's page

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Exhibition: Impressions of Wimbledon Common: The beauty of Wimbledon Common has been brought to life by local print maker Katie Preston in her new solo exhibition. Katie has captured the common’s shifting seasons through her screenprints, monotypes and drawings, and locals have the chance to meet with her and talk in person about the work every day throughout the exhibition. Entry is free, and 15 per cent of print sales will be donated to the Wimbledon Museum, which is just next door to the gallery.

Where: The Norman Plastow Gallery

When: Tuesday 28 April – Sunday 10 May, 2–5pm

☕️ Coffee in the Garden in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support: Have a cup of joe or a nice brew as you stroll around the beautiful gardens at 61 Arthur Road. There will be homemade cakes and other treats for sale, plus shopping from the bespoke stalls. The event is free but there is a suggested donation of £5 to cover the cost of the tea and cakes.

Where: 61 Arthur Road, SW19 7DN

When: Wednesday 6 May, 9am–1pm

🌳 Forest bathing at Cannizaro Park: Join Susanne Meis, founder of Meet in Nature, as she guides you along a slow, sensory walk in the wooded world of Cannizaro Park. Tickets are £15 per person and can be bought here.

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Saturday 9 May, 10.30am–12.30pm

🍷 Australian wine tasting: Australia has been producing some of the world’s best wines for decades. Head down to Artisans Depot to sample some of their classics. Tickets are £35 per person and include a relaxed guided tasting of 6+ wines (and a glass of bubbly on arrival). Book at the bar or email artisansdepotwimbledon@gmail.com.

Where: Artisans Depop

When: Saturday 9 May, 7.30pm

🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: The farmers’ market is a classic weekend activity. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for that strange bespoke veg item from BBC Good Food or just a plain old carrot, the farmers’ market will surely have it. Get yourself along this weekend and pick up some groceries to assemble an extravagant spring salad as the weather warms up.

Where: Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 10 May, 10am–3pm

🎤 The Rapping Princess: “Shiloh is a little princess with a big love for music. She’s got one problem though, she can’t sing…” Join Shiloh at Polka Theatre as she adventures through all genres of music to discover a love for rapping, with a little help from some singing friends and puppets along the way. The age range for this show is 3–6 years old. Tickets can be bought here. We really are lucky to have Polka on our doorsteps, so please do get yourself along to the theatre as much as you can to support such an amazing and enduring staple of SW19.

Where: Polka Theatre

When: Saturday 16 May – Sunday 21 June

What makes a church green? 🌿

What does it mean when a church goes green? Trinity United Reformed Church in Wimbledon – ‘Trinity’ for short – was founded in 1884 as a Presbyterian church. When the United Reformed Church was created in 1972, Trinity became a member of that denomination. In 2007, the Mansel Road Centre was built next to the church as a multi-purpose community hub, offering everything from dance, drama and music to language lessons and even Pilates. But over the past few years, the church has taken on a new endeavour: to go green. More specifically, the church is aiming to achieve a gold Eco Church award.

This week, I sat down to talk with Elizabeth Scharinger — church administrator and Green Group leader — to find out all about grassroots environmental projects and why community centres like Trinity are helping to pave the way for sustainable living in the borough.

When did Trinity turn its attention towards the environment and sustainability?

I suppose it’s happened gradually, but the biggest driving force behind it is A Rocha. A Rocha is an international charity – we work with the British arm – that focuses on conservation and restoring the natural world. They run a scheme called Eco Church, a community of churches from all denominations aiming to be more environmentally conscious. In 2016, we were awarded our bronze accreditation. Then came silver. But what we’re really aiming for is gold. To become an Eco Church, you have to make sure you’re performing in five areas: worship & teaching, buildings & energy, land & nature, community & local engagement, and lifestyle.

But how does a church prove it’s being sustainable in its worship, for instance?

Worship is actually one of the areas we’re doing really well in. We hold services dedicated to the environment; we have a prayer tree for people to pray for the climate crisis, and we’re providing resources (like our outdoor space or the Mansel Road Centre) for those who require more support. When it comes to buildings and energy, we’re actively reducing our carbon footprint every year. How do we do that? Well, one example is our NEST heating system, which makes sure the heating is only on when needed. Another example would be the Perspex we’ve put over our glass windows to help insulate the building all year round. It’s easier at the church’s Mansel Road Centre: we have LED lighting, we recycle, we get our milk delivered in glass bottles so as not to use single-use plastic, and we have a reusable party kit which anyone can hire (part of the Party Kit Network).

Do you think churches and other places of worship should be leading the community when it comes to sustainability?

I think community & local engagement is a very important part of what we do. We recognise the impact locally, nationally and internationally that the climate crisis is having. Once a year, we work with Sustainable Merton to host an eco winter pop-up market in Wimbledon Quarter (which has been great to us for these events). We sell ecoLiving and Fairtrade products at these markets, host a clothes swap and spread the word to the community, all the while raising money for Sustainable Merton. We’re also actively trying to create and educate the future caretakes of the planet with our Junior Church: planting a bee-friendly garden, doing litter pick-ups with the children.

I just think it’s so important for institutions like ours to be involved in the community, create those links and help others – and, by doing so, help the world.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you which Wimbledon pub was a stop for stagecoaches before the area had a train station. The answer: Dog & Fox (though Rose & Crown would also be an acceptable answer).

Q: How many water wheels did the River Wandle power in the Victorian era?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our feature on Trinity United Reformed Church and all the fantastic work they’re doing for the community. If you’ve got similar stories, please do get in touch with zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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If you’re a foodie, then you’re in for a treat. A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of dining at Black Radish in Colliers Wood. Having nearly exploded after six courses, I decided it might be worth writing about my experience. Scroll down for some insight and pictures.

Of course we have your usual news snippets, a great property of the week and some lovely and varied recommendations for the coming days.

Oh, and one last thing. We put the spotlight on some locals who are running the London Marathon this weekend. If you have the capacity, please click here and scroll down to read their stories and donate (if you can).

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News snippets 🗞

🚦 Good news! Passengers on the District Line should soon see long-awaited improvements after TfL and Network Rail confirmed plans to improve the signals that control the Wimbledon branch of the line. The upgrade will focus on the most failure-prone part of the line between Wimbledon and East Putney. For far too long, the Wimbledon branch has been reliant on Victorian-era track layouts and outdated equipment. The project will not involve a full resignalling, but it will bring the infrastructure closer to modern standards. Read more here.

🗳 It’s a “battle of step counts” for the May elections in Merton. Liberal Democrat leader on the council, Anthony Fairclough, said he is doing 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day. Labour's Ross Garrod, the current council leader, says he is doing the same. Click here to read the BBC’s behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming elections.

🪧 A teacher’s strike in Merton is set to go ahead next month. School support staff at 22 primary schools in Merton have voted to strike for one day – on Friday 1 May – because of a pay dispute affecting several outer London boroughs. In a press release, the council urged GMB to cancel the strikes and instead take up mediation with local government. Check out more details here.

🎓 Eighty-six per cent of children in Merton receive offers from their first-choice primary school, according to new data from the council. More than 95 per cent of children have been offered a place in one of their top three preferred primary schools, and 86 per cent received their first-choice place. Parents, of course, will need to take up offers for their children, and responses need to be received by 30 April.

🎉 Three new stores are set to open in Wimbledon Quarter this year. The first (coming early summer) is Jungle Berry, a healthy, sustainable açai store offering healthy food and refreshing drinks. The second (coming late summer) is Lovisa, a fashion-forward Australian jewellery brand. The third (coming in autumn) is Inner Strength, a space dedicated to teaching yoga to athletes.

Property of the week 🏡

This is certainly one of the most modern properties we’ve featured. This five-bedroom semi-detached house comes with everything from a built-in wine fridge to artificial grass and a dedicated patio area for barbecuing in the garden. But what about the price. This one comes in at a cool £2m. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Exhibition: 20th Century French & Italian Paintings: Head to Wimbledon Fine Art as they host a new exhibition of 20th-century French & Italian paintings from a range of artists including Regis Bouvier de Cachard, Andre Raffin, Maurice Boitel, Roberto Ferruzzi and Michel Maly.

Where: Wimbledon Fine Art

When: Sunday 26 April – Sunday 10 May (12–3pm on Sunday 26 April)

🎶 The Making Of ABBA: The Story Of The Band’s 1975 Breakthrough Album: Author Joe Matera is at Wimbledon Library, sharing the story of ABBA’s self-titled 1975 classic, from writing to global commercial breakthrough. The event is free, but you’ll need to book a space here as it’s a highly sought-after event.

Where: Wimbledon Library

When: Tuesday 28 April, 7.30pm

🥂 La Crème de la Crémant: Crémant generally specialises in the grape varieties of the region and is made in both white and rosé styles. It’s almost always cheaper than champagne, but it is often equally as high in quality. Head to Amathus next week to try six varieties from different regions. Tickets are £40 per person.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 29 April, 6.30–8pm

🦪 Rocks x Guinness: It might shock you, but oysters and Guinness are actually a fantastic combination. Get yourself to the Rose & Crown next week to find out for yourself! Watch professional shuckers at work as they prepare the freshest oysters, served both beautifully chilled and indulgently hot. Expect bold pairings, including rich Guinness Welsh Rarebit, crafted to elevate every bite and sip. Book here.

Where: Rose & Crown

When: Saturday 2 May, 2–4pm

🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.

Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.

When: Sunday 3 May, 8–11am

🦅 International Dawn Chorus Day Bird Walk: This event has the earliest start of any we’ve promoted. Join local volunteer bird expert Les Evans-Hill at 4.45am next weekend to celebrate International Dawn Chorus Day 2026. The walk will cover some different terrains, and some areas may be wet underfoot, so waterproof footwear is recommended. And bring a pair of binoculars if you have them.

Where: Commons Rangers’ Office

When: Sunday 3 May, 4.45am

An evening at Black Radish: Good things come in small packages 🫑

It’s an unusually warm spring evening as we make our way from Colliers Wood to Black Radish. We take our seats by the window and look out at the bustling traffic along Merantun Way.

Black Radish is an intimate 12-seat Anglo-French dining experience. In layman’s terms, that means you pay £85 for six courses and don’t ask if they “do chips with that”. The first dish – which is not actually part of the set menu but is given to tables as a quasi-amuse-bouche – is a selection of pickled beetroots. I’ve never been a fan of beetroots. But in this instance, the pickling has worked wonders, and I find myself genuinely enjoying the experience (for the first time in my life). The first “official” course is a selection of Mexican marigold-smoked eel croustades and canapé-sized portions of cultured butter Cornish sea bass. It might be small, but it’s an exceptionally well-balanced dish and the perfect way to start the meal.

We then move on to one of Black Radish’s showstoppers: agnolotti (pasta) filled with Wimbledon Quarter Rooftop Farm’s mushrooms and wild garlic. This is a real sit-back-in-your-chair-in-disbelief kind of dish. With so few ingredients, Toby and the team have done something magnificent. It’s a dish that works perfectly this time of year – hearty enough for the colder evenings but with that fresh zing you expect during springtime.

Throughout the meal, we sample a few glasses of wine (a makeshift “wine flight”, if you will). The first glass we order is the Tokaj Dry Furmint from 2020. Tokaj is a legendary Hungarian wine known for its intense sweetness and aromas of citrus fruits (chiefly orange peel) and honeysuckle. Tokaj tends to be drunk as a dessert wine, but in this case we’ve got a dry variety that works and pairs perfectly with our next dish: line-caught pollock, Cornish lobster and Datterini tomatoes.

I am already starting to feel slightly full when the next plate arrives: rose veal, sweetbread, asparagus, and broad beans paired with black garlic. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest cuts of meat I’ve had in years. The expression “melt in your mouth” is overused when talking about food, but in this case it really is the only descriptor that does the veal justice. The sweet molasses flavours from the black garlic offset the richness of the meat perfectly. It’s a dish I’ll be thinking about for a long time. For this dish, the sommelier recommends an orange wine from Portugal. Orange wine has become something of a trend in recent years. But what people don’t tend to realise is that orange wine can vary significantly in its flavour. I prefer a lighter orange wine – they tend to have less of that cidery-tannic aftertaste – and this one is just that. At the same time, it’s got enough of a body to stand up to the meat course.

Then we’re on to the beetroot sorbet. As I said before, I’m not a beetroot guy – but whatever they’re doing to the beetroots in the kitchen has me questioning my former convictions. It’s an earthy and sweet dessert that cleanses the palate after all the rich and delicate flavours from the previous courses. It is also delicious. This is followed by a rich chocolate dessert that I adore but struggle to finish – I’ve been eating for nearly three hours at this point, so you can hardly blame me.

We leave Black Radish slightly dazed after such an immersive experience. I wave goodbye to Toby, though he’s got his head down fixing up a table’s dessert from the open kitchen. Black Radish is one of SW19’s finest restaurants — there is no doubt about that. And while it may not be the cheapest restaurant, it’s certainly one that you won’t forget. Let’s hope for Black Radish’s continued success — and for many mouthwatering multi-course dinners to come.

Check out Black Radish’s website for opening times and for booking.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you which sport was the favourite among locals before tennis? The answer: croquet.

Q: Which pub in Wimbledon Village was a stop for stagecoaches before the area had a train station?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our little feature on Black Radish. Do book yourself a spot – tables tend to go quickly. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time. Oh, and good luck to all the locals running the marathon this weekend!

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We’re keeping it compact for this edition, with a feature on several readers running this year’s London Marathon. Scroll down to hear about their charities, training and targets. We’ve also got a packed list of recommendations for the coming days (many of which are free to attend), a stunning property of the week and your usual news snippets. There’s been an update on the crash that occurred at the Study Prep in 2023, which claimed the lives of two eight-year-old girls. Scroll down to read more.

Other than that, do get in touch if you have any stories you think we should cover: zak@thewimble.com.

GET IN TOUCH

News snippets 🗞

🚔 Eleven police officers are being investigated by the institutional watchdog over their handling of the crash at the Study Prep School in 2023. Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau (both eight years old) died after a Land Rover driven by Claire Freemantle ploughed into the school as the students were celebrating the last day of the summer term. Freemantle was arrested, but police later said that she had suffered an epileptic seizure and would face no criminal charges.

Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is looking into “concerns about the standard of the investigation”. It is also investigating whether the Met provided false and misleading information to families, and whether the officers’ treatment of them was influenced by their race. After pursuing “new lines of inquiry”, Freemantle was re-arrested in January last year on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and released on bail. Evidence was submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 17 March this year, and it is aiming for a decision by the end of this month. Click here to read The Times’ deep-dive into the ongoing situation.

⚽️ As part of a new multi-year partnership, AFC Wimbledon will work with Big Motoring World, one of the UK’s largest independent used-car supermarkets, for a range of community-focused projects. Special events will be held at Big Motoring World’s “supermarket” across from the stadium on Waterside Way. Click here to read more about their upcoming events.

🐣 Wimbledon Quarter had a record-breaking year this Easter. From Saturday 28 March to Sunday 12 April, the Quarter had over 301,943 visitors (that’s a lot of people joining in for the Easter egg hunt). Over the two-week period, 14,500 Easter eggs were handed out for free, with 350 children taking part in the activity. And perhaps the highlight for the little ones was their chance to meet the Easter Bunny himself! Well done to everyone involved for bringing joy to the area this holiday season.

Property of the week 🏡

You really couldn’t get much closer to Wimbledon station if you tried. This four-bedroom, semi-detached house on Courthope Villas is a lovely blend of spacious and homey. You’re also right on top of the shops and Wimbledon’s town centre, which is always a plus. But how much? £1.8m. Affordable? Not really. The most expensive property in the area? Far from it. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🖼 Cover Stories by Cathy Corbishley Michel: This exhibition brings together 30 years of art quilts from small wall hangings to bed-sized quilts. Some of our readers may remember Cathy from our piece last year, when we went to her previous exhibition, Blueprinting History. Click here to give it a read. Make sure to get down to this new one — it’s also free!

Where: Stableyard Exhibition Space, Morden Hall Park

When: Sunday 29 March – Sunday 26 April, 10.30am – 3pm

♠️ Whist with a Twist: Enjoy a sociable night of cards with a twist (a tasty meal) in aid of Merton Winter Night Shelter. The suggested donation price is £25 for adults and £15 for children. Tickets include wine, nibbles and a two-course meal. Contact Jane Long (jane.long@me.com) for further details and to reserve tickets.

Where: St John the Baptist

When: Saturday 18 April, 7–10.30pm

🎨 Worple Art Group Spring Exhibition: Head to St Mark’s Church for a showcase of over 200 original paintings and drawings by 17 local artists. Admission is free, so bring whoever you want. Click here to read more.

Where: St Mark’s Church, Wimbledon

When: Friday 17 April, 3–7pm & Saturday 18 April, 10am – 5.30pm

🥃 Silkie Irish whiskey sampling: A collection of exceptionally soft whiskeys, the Silkies give an insight into the rich, smoky style of whiskey for which Donegal distillers were once famed — and which the Sliabh Liag Distillers are now reviving. Alan McHugh will guide you as you try all three of the core Silkie whiskeys: the Legendary Silkie, the Legendary Dark Silkie and the Legendary Midnight Silkie. Alan will also be mixing up some delicious whiskey-based cocktails for refreshing summer drinking, along with a Silkie take on a classic Manhattan. And the event is entirely free!

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 18 April, 12–5pm

💍 Wedding showcase at the Coach House: Thinking about popping the question? If so, head to see the beautiful Coach House, a wedding venue located in the heart of Wimbledon Village. This is your chance to talk to their wedding team and meet local suppliers. And even if it’s not for you, it’s still a nice day out.

Where: Coach House at the Dog & Fox

When: Sunday 19 April, 12–3pm

🌲 Guided tree walk at Cannizaro Park: Join arboriculturist Greg Packman in exploring the park’s tree collection, which just so happens to be one of the most diverse collections in Greater London. There are over 200 species originating from all over the world. Tickets are £10 per person and can be booked here.

Where: Cannizaro Park

When: Saturday 25 April, 11am – 1pm

🛍 Community markets at Wimbledon Quarter: The markets will showcase around 30 carefully selected stalls celebrating the very best culture, fashion, arts and crafts, lifestyle and artisan food that Wimbledon and Merton have to offer. Families are warmly welcomed, with live DJ sets and children’s craft activities running across both days.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 25 – Sunday 26 April, 10am–6pm

Meet the Wimblers running the London Marathon this year 🏃‍♀️💨

Running the London Marathon is no walk in the park (literally). It takes courage and determination to get across that finish line, and the runners need as much support as they can get. As the marathon is next Sunday, I thought it would be a nice idea to spotlight some of the Wimbers running this year and show them some support. Click on the button below each profile to visit their fundraising pages and read more. The Wimble and Wimbledon Quarter are also donating £50 to each of these runners to keep the ball rolling on their fundraising!

Dean Parson (Haydon the Womble) — Dons Local Action (£10,000 target)

Dean has been the man behind the mask of Haydon the Womble since 2006. To celebrate, Dean (and Haydon) are running 26.2 miles… in the full mascot suit. It’s hard enough to run a marathon as it is, but doing so with a huge Womble mask on your head is taking it to the next level. Haydon the Womble is the embodiment of community spirit, and so it makes perfect sense that Dean is running the marathon this year to raise money for Dons Local Action. Dons do so much for our community, but they need our support to keep going. The Dons are also no strangers to physical feats. Last year, their co-founder Xavier Wiggins walked to all 92 professional football league clubs in the EFL over 92 days (read our interview here).

Dean's (Haydon's) page

Wayne and Lauren Weaver (father and daughter) — Anaphylaxis UK (£2,000 target)

Wayne has lived in Wimbledon for over 27 years, and his daughter, Lauren, has spent most of her life in SW19. The father-daughter duo are running the London Marathon for the first time this year in support of Anaphylaxis UK. Lauren suffers from a severe nut allergy, and the family says they have benefitted from the charity’s work for over 20 years. Anaphylaxis UK is the only UK-wide charity operating solely for the growing numbers of people at risk of serious allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. As Wayne points out on his fundraising page, over 2 million people have a food allergy in the UK, and hospital admissions due to allergies and anaphylaxis in England have nearly doubled in the last 20 years.

Living with a severe allergy can cause significant amounts of stress, as Lauren explains “While it is something I have learnt to manage, it adds a layer of persistent stress to everyday activities. Simple things that many take for granted – such as eating out with friends, attending social events, or travelling — require constant vigilance and forward planning to ensure my safety.”

Wayne's page

Lauren's page

Chrissie Ely – Street Child (£2,500 target)

This is Chrissie’s first ever marathon. For the past year, she has been developing herself as a runner and has been training hard in anticipation of next Sunday’s challenge. Chrissie is running the London Marathon for Street Child, an international children’s education charity active in more than 20 of the world’s most low-income and disaster-struck countries to try and break down all the barriers that prevent a child from being safe, in school and learning. Chrissie wrote that she was drawn to Street Child because of their focus on education in emergencies: “This includes children currently living on or near the front line in Ukraine, where Street Child (with their corporate partner Infosys) established digital learning centres providing access to educational and mental health support.”

Chrissie's page

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list of actors from The Crown and asked which of them was born in Wimbledon. The answer: Ben Miles (who played Peter Townsend).

Q: What was the original local sport of Wimbledon (before tennis)?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. Please check out the fundraising pages for all our readers running the London Marathon this year. And get yourself along to some of the activities recommended in our to-do list. If you have a story or an idea, please get in touch with zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you on Thursday!

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This week we’ve got a rather special piece about Cerys San Martin-Davies. Cerys is a local nine-year-old girl who was just awarded runner-up in the Mini Maestro Awards. Her work has also been presented at the Royal Academy of Arts Young Artists’ Summer Show, and she previously received a special commendation from the Royal Society of Biology at age six for her depiction of the Great Barrier Reef. In short, Cerys is making waves in the art world — and she’s not even 10 yet! Scroll down to read about when I met the San Martin-Davies family.

We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a beautiful property of the week and some post-Easter recommendations to keep you going as the weather gets lovelier.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🗳 The local elections are being held on Thursday 7 May. Merton’s voting history has been interesting over the years. The borough switched between Conservative and Labour in the 1960s and early 1970s. It was then controlled by the Tories from 1974–1990, where it then switched back to Labour. It was under no overall control from 2006–2014 but has been Labour-controlled since then. Of course, it’s incredibly hard to accurately predict elections, but the BBC has put together a rather informative profile on Merton which you can read here. Click the link to learn about Merton’s electoral history, population size and more.

↗️ After receiving funding from Merton Council, Love Wimbledon started the refresh of Hartfield Walk (the space next to Robert Dyas). The work started on Monday 30 March and will last for several weeks. It will include rebuilding the entrance arch, renovating the kiosks and removing rotten seating. Once the seating has been removed, the team will survey the site to establish what remedial works are needed before planters are added and they install new seating. Click here to read more.

🎉 This year, Merton Park Bowls Club reached a significant milestone: its centenary year. For 100 years, this club has been a quiet but enduring presence in the heart of Merton. Founded in 1926, the club began modestly, originally playing on a green near what was then little more than a car park. Like many bowls clubs of its era, Merton Park initially reflected the social norms of early 20th-century Britain, operating as a men’s club only. However, a significant moment of progress came in 1962 with the formation of a women’s section. The club will be holding an open day on Saturday 9 May to allow local members of the public to visit, try their hand at bowls and get a feel for the club. In addition, they run regular introductory sessions on Monday evenings from 6pm until dusk, starting on Monday 4 May, 2026. Find out more from their website: www.mertonparkbowls.com. Also, check out our piece with the club from last year.

This week’s Wimble sponsor ⛳️

The Masters kicks off today. What better way to spend the tournament than at Caddi Club in Wimbledon Quarter? There will be speciality cocktails, food aplenty and competitions to win drivers, lessons and golf balls. Plus, Caddi has a fully stocked bar and a cracking food menu, so they’ve got you covered for replenishments.

Property of the week 🏡

It’s incredible how property prices change over such short distances. This three-bedroom brick-fronted Apostle house is in great condition. It’s even got a modern loft extension. But it’s half the price of a property in Wimbledon’s centre. This particular home will set you back £900,000. I’m not saying that it’s cheap, but it’s certainly better than your average property in SW19. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎭 We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Separate from Polka’s Easter workshops, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt returns to Wimbledon after a hugely successful spring run in 2022. Little Angel Theatre brings Michael Rosen’s thrilling and funny adventure to life in this puppetry production. Directed by Peter Glanville, it features music and lyrics by renowned singer-songwriter Barb Jungr. Book your tickets here.

Where: Polka Theatre

When: Wednesday 25 March – Sunday 12 April

💃 Easter dance camp: The holidays are coming to an end, but we’ve still got a few days to go. If you’re wondering what to do with your little ones, look no further. These two days of dancing fun are suitable for children aged 3–12 years old. The camp costs £132 per child (so not the cheapest of Easter activities), but it promises to create some great memories, both for kids and relieved parents who can pack them off for a 48 hour stretch! Book here.

Where: St Mary’s Church Garden Hall

When: Thursday 9 – Friday 10 April, 10am – 4pm

🇮🇹 ‘Unsung Italy’ wine tasting: Italy produces some of the world’s finest wines (and I’m not talking about the paint-stripper Chianti you get at your local pizzeria). Every region of Italy produces fascinating and distinctive wines, many of which fly under the radar. This tasting focuses on the lesser-known appellations: Umbria, Campania and Friuli. The team will also provide nibbles. Tickets are £35 and can be bought here.

Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village

When: Friday 10 April, 6–7.30pm

🎻 Bach to Baby: The critically acclaimed concert for babies, toddlers and their parents or guardians comes to Wimbledon this Easter. Enjoy outstanding musicians and performances designed for the whole family. Tickets are £17.70 and can be bought here.

Where: Trinity United Reformed Church

When: Saturday 16 April, 3–3.45pm

🎨 Worple Art Group Spring Exhibition: Head to St Mark’s Church for a showcase of over 200 original paintings and drawings by 17 local artists. Admission is free, so bring whoever you want. Click here to read more.

Where: St Mark’s Church, Wimbledon

When: Friday 17 (3–7pm) — Saturday 18 April (10am – 5.30pm)

🥕 MasterChef: The Professionals Six Hands Supper Club: Orion’s Chef Patron Alex Webb is joined in Wimbledon by his fellow MasterChef: The Professionals finalists Bart and Philli. Three chefs. One menu. A celebration of the finest culinary skills. Book a table here.

Where: Saturday 18 April, 12.15–1.45pm

Meet the Wimbledon nine-year-old making waves in the art world 🖼

It’s one of the nicest days of the year as I make my way from Wimbledon South to Merton Park. I’m heading to the San Martin-Davies household to meet Cerys and her family. Cerys is a nine-year-old artist who is having something of a moment in the art world right now. Just two weeks ago, her life-size painting was awarded runner-up at the Hari Hotel Mini Maestro Awards. But this isn’t Cerys’s first taste of success. At age seven, her work was presented at the Royal Academy of Arts Young Artists’ Summer Show. She also previously received a special commendation from the Royal Society of Biology at age six for her depiction of the Great Barrier Reef. In short, Cerys has racked up a huge list of achievements, and all before the age of 10. When her father Gonzalo got in touch with The Wimble, I decided to pay the family a visit and see Cerys’s art first-hand.

Gonzalo and his wife Julia greet me at the door. Behind them stands Cerys and her twin brother Rhys, who has just got back from playing touch rugby and fancies a go on his electric guitar. Julia tells me that they only moved into this house at Christmas. “It took a lot of work,” she says. It has evidently paid off: the converted space at the back of the house pools with natural light, and the table covered in art supplies gives it the feel of a painter’s studio. And, in essence, it is. When the four of us sit down at the table, Cerys’s piece “Maths Blanket” leans against the wall beside me. “She was six when she made that… seven when it went up,” says Gonzalo. “We realised then that it wasn’t just us seeing Cerys’s talent.”

“I had some help,” chimes Cerys. “But the ideas are always mine.” Gonzalo and Julia laugh. Cerys has been creating since she was a toddler. Gonzalo explains she has always had an incredible command of colour. “She would tell us that these colours actually meant something. Even when she was tiny, she would say things like ‘that’s a house’ and ‘that’s a mountain’.” At first, Julia and Gonzalo thought it was just a cute hobby. Their backgrounds are in science and, by their own admission, not creative. When Cerys had her work accepted into the Royal Academy, her parents thought it was a one-time thing. But then the art kept on coming.

I ask Cerys why she decided to make that first tapestry. Rhys, who has now finished playing guitar and joined us, is the mathematician out of the two of them. “Rhys likes maths. I like art and joining things together,” Cerys tells me. It would seem “Maths Blanket” was, for Cerys, a way of bridging the art and science world. Gonzalo then brings out a scrappy piece of paper. On it is a small, delicate drawing of a vase and flowers. “I find this astonishing,” says Gonzalo. “Cerys was just doodling this. We thought nothing of it. We were about to throw it away when she said, ‘Wait, I might do something with that.’ Then a few weeks ago she did this.” Gonzalo and Julia show me a canvas with a flower assembled through textiles. Cerys had used the fabrics from when the family were picking material for their new sofa, and it’s striking how meticulous her colour choices are.

But what’s it like to be the parents of a rising star? What advice would Julia and Gonzalo give others who are just realising that their little one has a knack for a particular field? “I think it’s about paying attention,” says Julia. “We didn’t to begin with. Cerys has been drawing, painting and asking for art equipment since she was teeny. As important as school is, children are capable of doing a lot more than you think they are. I think unless you’re artists or creatives yourself, you’re in danger of minimising it because you don’t understand.”

Gonzalo nods. “And let them lead a little bit,” he adds. “It’s easy for parents to over-schedule their children and, by accident, tell their kids what it is that they should focus on. Some things you can’t avoid. We all need to reach a certain baseline at maths and English to get on in this world. But beyond that, let them lead a little bit and see where their passion takes them, not your passion.”

I say my goodbyes to Cerys and Rhys (who has also shown me some of his awesome drawings of beasts from video games) and make my way back to Wimbledon South in unusually sunny weather. As I walk, I reflect on the fact that we often forget how capable children are at creating their own work and how important it is to nourish talent from an early age. Meeting the San Martin-Davies family was more than just the highlight of my week; it was a reminder to champion all of the talented members in our community, whether they’re nine or 90.

Check out Cerys’s art Instagram here (run by her parents).

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you what the name of the Roman road that passed through Colliers Wood to Chichester was called. The answer: Stane Street.

Q: Which of these stars from The Crown was born in Wimbledon?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our spotlight on Cerys San Martin-Davies. Do send in local success stories for your chance to be featured: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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This week we’ve got an interview with Richard Cohen, the chair of SW19’s largest running club, the Wimbledon Windmilers. Formed in 1980 and now with over 550 active members, the Windmilers are nothing short of a Wimbledon institution. But not all of us are avid runners. In fact, many of us — myself included — are out of practice when it comes to running. Sitting down with Richard, I asked him how such a large group of runners deals with novices (like myself) joining. Scroll down to see what he said.

We also have your usual news snippets, a great property of the week and some recommendations to keep you busy in the days ahead. Let us know in the comments below if you have any Easter activities or traditions that you fancy sharing with other readers.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🏗 Construction begins on Merton’s first new council homes in a generation. The work is being carried out on 75 new council homes across three sites in the borough. The developments are supported by a multimillion-pound investment from the Mayor of London’s Affordable Homes programme (2021–26). Each home will have “PassivHaus” principles, which means they will be energy-efficient and more sustainable, and are set to be finished in 2027. Elm Nursery in Mitcham will have 21 homes, and Raleigh Gardens in Mitcham will have 36 homes made up of one and two-bedroom flats. Farm Road in Morden will have 18 new council homes made up of one and two-bedroom flats and larger homes for families. Click here to read more.

🌳 New “pocket parks” have been opening across Merton. These small but impactful spaces aim to bring nature closer to communities by supporting wellbeing and creating habitats for wildlife. There are 20 locations across the borough (one in each ward) and have been introduced as part of Merton’s 60th anniversary. Click here to see where your nearest “pocket park” is.

🗳 Wimbledon MP Paul Kohler, is among 12 councillors stepping down from Merton council ahead of the upcoming local elections. The 12 known departing councillors come from Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. Kohler, a Lib Dem, is stepping down to focus on his parliamentary duties full-time. Click here to read a full list of those stepping down.

🐄 The date for Deen City Farm’s annual fundraiser event “Farm Fest” has just been announced. Join the farm on Saturday 27 June for a day of fun and celebrations. The itinerary is yet to be revealed, but if it’s anything like last year, we’re in for a treat. Tickets are £2 for 16+, £1 for those ages 12—15 and children under 11 go free. The festival will last from 10am – 7pm, with the last entry being at 6pm. Keep your eyes peeled for more info.

Property of the week 🏡

This three-bedroom Grade II-listed apartment is only a short walk from Wimbledon town centre and south Wimbledon. It has a great amount of space for an apartment, though I think its most winning feature is that metal spiral staircase that leads to the upstairs bedroom. But what does it cost? This particular flat will set you back just shy of £1.1m. Not the cheapest flat in Wimbledon. Not the most expensive, either. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯

🎨 Easter face painting: Join the landlady of the Rose & Crown and the rest of her team for a day of face painting and Easter celebrations. There will even be a chance for your children to show off their Easter card-making skills. This event is free, and no booking is required.

Where: Rose & Crown

When: Saturday 4 April, 12–3pm

🐇 Meet the Easter Bunny: Celebrate the magic of Easter with a special “Meet the Easter Bunny” event. There will be an Easter storytime, a meet and greet, arts and crafts, magic tricks, face painting and more. Tickets are £10 per child. Book here.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 4 April, 11am–5pm (each session is 45 minutes)

🐴 Holistic horse care: This is your chance to spend a calm 75 minutes connecting with horses in a safe and relaxed environment. The session begins with an introduction to horse behaviour, including flight instincts, body language, and how horses perceive their surroundings. Then you will move on to hands-on time with the horses, guided by experienced instructors, where you’ll learn the basics of safe handling and grooming, observe how horses respond to calm, consistent communication, and discover techniques that promote horse well-being. Note that there is no riding involved. Tickets are £40 for non-members. Book your spot here.

Where: Wimbledon Village Stables

When: Tuesday 7 April, 1.45–3pm

📜 Cleopatra: Image and Reality: Cleopatra is undeniably one of the most interesting figures in history. This lecture by Dr Stephen Kershaw will focus on her personality, the events of her life, the men in it and the cultural context of the time. Members go free. £10 for everyone else. Click here for more information.

Where: The Sacred Heart Church Hall

When: Wednesday 8 April, 8pm

🍾 Castelnau Champagne sampling: A grower cooperative, Champagne Castelnau sources their grapes from over 800 hectares across 150 crus, producing some exceptional-value and highly acclaimed Champagnes, well known for their extensive lees ageing. Some very technical words there, but all you really need to know is that it tastes delicious. You’ll be guided through three of Castelnau’s cuvées – their Brut NV, Rosé NV and exceptional vintage Blanc de Blancs – and understand what all the fuss is about. Oh, and did I mention that this tasting is free? That’s right. What are you waiting for?

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 11 April, 12–4pm

🎉 2026 Songkran Festival: Celebrate the Thai New Year and experience the beautiful traditions of Thai culture. Join others at Buddhapadipa Temple for traditional blessings, Thai food and community celebrations. Members, volunteers and children under 12 go free. Tickets are £3 for non-members. This year’s event also coincides with the temple’s 60th anniversary.

Where: Buddhapadipa Temple

When: Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 April, 10am – 5pm

🥕 Taste of The Rooftop Farm: Join The Rooftop Farm for an exclusive evening to taste a variety of dishes made using ingredients from the farm. The event is hosted in The Fire Station Café, located on Queens Road on the ground floor of Wimbledon Quarter (opposite the police station). Expect cocktails and mocktails made with the farm’s honey, tasting bites with fresh farm produce, talks by special guests Vanessa Marx (Bingham Riverhouse) and Toby Cartwright (Black Radish), a chat with resident beekeeper Barnaby and a guided tour of the farm itself. Tickets are £27 per person and will sell out very fast, so grab them here now!

Where: The Fire Station Café, Wimbledon Quarter

When: Tuesday 12 May, 6–8pm

‘We believe that running is for everyone’: Meet Wimbledon’s largest running club 🏃 💨

Formed in 1980, Wimbledon Windmilers are one of SW19’s oldest and biggest running clubs. I think the name “running club” can be a little scary for people (like me) who consider themselves “bad” at running. But it needn’t be that way. In fact, running clubs are for people of all abilities. They are spaces where everyone should feel welcome. And that ethos is at the heart of the Wimbledon Windmilers’ mission. This week, I sat down with Richard Cohen, the club’s chair, to talk about the impact of running on the community and what it means to be a Windmiler.

Let’s start with your backstory, Richard. How did you join the Windmilers?

I always ran growing up. When I moved from South Africa to the UK, I started running with a friend. But I wanted to build my network. I wanted to find a community of like-minded people that I could call friends. This was over ten years ago, and you didn’t have the running influencers of social media that you see today. You had to rely on more traditional groups like the Windmilers. So I was offered a free trial and was hooked from there. And it was just over a year ago that I took on the role of chair.

What would be your elevator pitch for the Wimbledon Windmilers?

So we’re a running and multi-sports club. Having “multi-sports” adds an additional dimension to the club. First and foremost, we are primarily a running club, but within that we have aspects of swimming and cycling too — and therefore we offer a broader range of activity. Our schedule is very accessible and provides options for everyone. For instance, there are the Tuesday and Thursday night runs around the streets of Wimbledon (or the common during the summer). On a Wednesday evening and Saturday morning, we’ll have track sessions at Wimbledon Park’s track. And on Sunday, we tend to have the social runs. That can be anything from a three mile to seven mile social jog — accommodating all speeds — through to some longer 11+ mile options for those wanting to go longer. If marathons and personal bests are your thing, we can accommodate that. But if you’re just looking for a sociable club to run with once a week, we can be that too.

And what sort of impact do running clubs like the Windmilers have on our community?

Personally, it helped me to be a better and healthier person. I think the community makes you more accountable in a way. I think the communities that form within the club also push you to be better. And these micro-communities work in different ways. There’s a group of Windmilers who meet every Tuesday lunchtime. It’s a very casual social run with a coffee afterwards. Most of these runners are retired or working from home, and thus they have less of an opportunity to meet people. That’s where a club like ours can have a profound impact on the community. It’s a really lovely thing to see. So many of my closest friends have come from the running club.

What I love about our club specifically is how we support one another. Unlike clubs that are focused primarily on performance, our club looks out for our runners. We will always stand by the finish line of a race waiting to clap the last Windmiler in. That sense of community — of cheering people on — is so important to us.

Even now, if I head up to the common for a solo run, I’ll bump into someone I know from the club. To me, that’s so special. When you live in a city that’s as big as London, that feeling of locality is integral. It’s also worth noting for your readers that “running clubs” can sound quite elitist. That’s really not what we’re aiming for. As a club, we’ve got runners who run ultra marathons on a regular basis and people who can complete marathons in two hours and thirty minutes. But we also have people who join us for a short jog each week.

We want a broad range of people joining our club, people from all walks of life. As we continue to grow, I’d like to see even more diversity and variety in the Windmilers.

Membership for Wimbledon Windmilers starts at £37 per person. Anyone interested is welcome to attend a trial session. Membership gives you access to unlimited running and coaching sessions.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I gave you a list and asked which of the films was shot locally. The answer: Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Q: What is the name of the Roman road that passed through Colliers Wood and connected London to Chichester

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. We hope you enjoyed our interview with Richard Cohen, chair of Wimbledon Windmilers. We’re currently getting back to those of you who reached out about the London Marathon. If you haven’t got in touch yet but would like to share your reason for running, email zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next Thursday!

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Easter Sunday is upon us very soon, so this week we’re rounding up The Wimble’s top picks for the holiday weekend. Scroll down to find out about the best family activities, the perfect spots for lunch and all the great activities throughout the Easter period.

Don’t worry, we also have your usual recommendations for the coming days, a one-of-a-kind property of the week and this edition’s news snippets.

Call-out: we’re still searching for readers who are running the London Marathon. Do get in touch and tell us who you’re running for, if you’ve taken part in the marathon before (or any marathon) and what your training schedule looks like. Email zak@thewimble.com.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🎾 The AELTC’s £200m expansion plans have cleared a major hurdle after the High Court’s judgement last week. The plans aim to treble the size of the site of the Championships by developing a former golf course to include 39 new courts. The campaign group Save Wimbledon Park argued that the land is actually subject to a statutory public recreation trust and thus must be preserved for public recreation. The AELTC argued that the land had never been used for such purposes. Following a hearing in January, Judge Nicholas Thompsell sided with the AELTC.

But the story doesn’t end there. SWP has announced it will apply to the Court of Appeal following last week’s judgement. SWP’s co-director Jeremy Hudson said, “We love tennis but we continue the fight after this news because there is a strong case for protecting this precious open space from development. Wimbledon promised they would never build on this land.”

Whilst last week’s judgement was a victory for AELTC, it would seem both sides have a long way to go before any clear resolution is made. Click here for a very thorough breakdown of recent events and here for a short summary on last week’s ruling.

🏎 Wimbledon High School has launched the Goblin Car Project, a 17-week all-girls engineering project giving students the opportunity to design and build a real electric car. The project, which brings together girls from Granard, Sacred Heart and West Wimbledon Primary School, will see the students construct a battery-powered Goblin car, which they will race at the Goodwood Motor Circuit in June. Wimbledon High School said the project was about more than engineering, with the scheme aiming to connect classroom learning with real-world challenges. Click here to read more.

🎥 Video review technology will be introduced at the Championships for the first time this year. This means that players will be able to challenge decisions made by umpires, something that they can already do at the US Open and the Australian Open. The players will not be able to challenge the accuracy of the recently introduced electronic line calling system, but they will be able to ask the umpire to review certain calls. A review will also be allowed at the end of a point if a player feels their opponent may be guilty of hindrance. Check out the full story here.

Property of the week 🏡

This house is utterly ridiculous. In fact, I don’t even want to call it a house. It feels more like a mini estate. Click the link further down and take a look at that floor plan if you don’t believe me. And how chic is that hut at the back of the garden? But, as you might have guessed, this property is not cheap. More specifically, it will set you back £3.75m. Click here to salivate over more pictures.

The Wimble’s to-do list

📚 Waterstones monthly book club: This month’s book is Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin. The novel follows twenty-one-year-old Olly. She meets Sam Bax: fearless, goofy and risk-taking, he arrives in her life on the back of a huge motorcycle. By the end of the day, the pair are kissing in an apple orchard. A year later, they are married. Five years later, Olly is a widow and left to grieve her husband alone. Head down this evening if you’ve read the book to discuss the intricacies of Colwin’s 1975 novel, and keep your eyes peeled on their Instagram for next month’s book.

Where: Waterstones, Wimbledon

When: Thursday 26 March, 7–8pm

👗 Sample sale in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support: Find one-off clothing items for ladies at this sale of Danish brands Pulz Jeans & b.young. 10% of all sales profits will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Support in Merton for the latest fundraising project at Kingston Hospital. The Macmillan team is also collecting unwanted foreign cash to convert into sterling and would welcome any contributions.

Where: The Coach House at the Dog & Fox, Wimbledon Village

When: Friday 27 March, 10am–3pm

🎻 St John’s lunchtime recital: St John’s church concerts are back again this month with another free lunchtime recital. This performance will feature Romana Szczepaniak on violin and should make for a lovely Friday afternoon. This event is free and no booking is required.

Where: St John the Baptist

When: Friday 27 March, 1pm (snacks at 12.30pm)

🏎 Southside Hustle Classic Car Meet: This informal meeting of classic car owners in Wimbledon (and the surrounding areas) features a stunning array of cars — some of which are extremely rare. If you’re a petrolhead, or you just like the idea of a bunch of classic cars in one place, then head up to Wimbledon Village next Sunday.

Where: Wimbledon Common Southside near the farmers’ market.

When: Sunday 5 April, 8–11am

🎶 The Making Of ABBA: The Story Of The Band’s 1975 Breakthrough Album: Author Joe Matera is at Wimbledon Library, sharing the story of ABBA’s self-titled 1975 classic, from writing to global commercial breakthrough. The event is free but you’ll need to book a highly sought after spot here.

Where: Wimbledon Library

When: Tuesday 28 April, 7.30pm

This week’s Wimble sponsor ⛳️

The weather has been strange these past few weeks. Rain. Sun. Hail. Sun. Rain. Clouds. You get the point. With this sort of capricious weather, it makes sense to book an activity inside. Enter Caddi Club. If indoor golf sounds like your jam, then this is the place for you. And even if it doesn’t, you can still pop in for a bite to eat and something to drink (kids are also welcome!). Just click the button below to learn more and book your table or bay.

BOOK YOUR SPOT HERE

The Wimble’s guide to Easter 🐣

For the kids 🚸

Bach to Baby: The critically acclaimed concert for babies, toddlers and their parents or guardians comes to Wimbledon this Easter. Enjoy outstanding musicians and performances designed for the whole family. Tickets are £17.70 and can be bought here.

Where: Trinity United Reformed Church

When: Saturday 28 March, 3–3.45pm

Self-guided Easter egg hunt: Wimbledon Quarter is hosting a free family-friendly Easter egg hunt this year. All you have to do is pop into Wimbledon Quarter between 10.30am–4.30pm, head to the ground floor via the M&S or Boots entrance to collect your map, and then just follow the clues. This event is for children aged 3–12 years old (children must be accompanied by an adult to take part).

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 28 March, 10.30am–4.30pm

Free Easter craft workshops: Community markets, crafting activities, hatching chicks workshop, egg painting and Easter colouring, meeting the Easter Bunny and so much more! Over Easter weekend, the Quarter is hosting a variety of activities for you and the family. The only event that isn’t free is ‘Meet the Easter Bunny’ — as an A List name, there’s a price tag attached (tickets are £10 per child, which you can grab here).

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 28 March – Sunday 12 April

Puppet-making workshop: Wimbledon Museum and Habitats and Heritage are teaming up to host a puppet-making workshop this Easter. The children will get the chance to make a likeness of Sir Joseph Bazalgette, the famed (and local) 19th Century civil engineer. Punch and Judys just don’t cut it any more . Spaces are £5 per child and can be booked here.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Friday 10 – Saturday 11 April, 10.30am–12.30pm / 1.30–3.30pm

Easter dance camp: Are you wondering how to keep your little ones entertained for the Easter holidays? No problem: these two days of dancing fun are suitable for children aged 3–12 years old. The camp costs £132 per child (so not the cheapest of Easter activities), but it promises to create some great memories, both for kids and relieved parents who can pack them off for a 48 hour stretch! Book here.

Where: St Mary’s Church Garden Hall

When: Thursday 9 – Friday 10 April, 10am–4pm

Best spots for some Easter grub 🍖

The Black Lamb: Break your Lenten fast at The Black Lamb this Easter. Their four-course Easter set menu comes in at a rather reasonable £54 per person. Expect mushroom Marmite eclairs, Sussex lamb saddle, wild fallow croquettes and a dark chocolate mousse pudding. Book your table here.

Hotel du Vin, Cannizaro House: Pop in to Wimbledon’s only Rosette-awarded restaurant and indulge in a spot of afternoon tea. Included are a selection of elegant finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, cakes, seasonal desserts and some complimentary Easter eggs for the little ones. It’s £29.95 per person – book a table here.

The Alexandra: No list would be complete without local favourite The Alex. If you’re looking for a classic slap-up roast, then this is the place. Come for the roast, stay for the atmosphere. Book your table here.

Orion: The new and very charming Orion is offering its own unique Sunday menu this Easter. Alex Webb’s latest venture has been receiving rave reviews, and for good reason. Check out their Sunday menu here to get yourself in the Easter mood, and book a table through their website (tables go fast, so I’d suggest booking soon).

Best of the rest 🎈

Love Wimbledon Easter market: Each market brings fresh finds and seasonal favourites, with new traders joining regularly. Whatever it is that you fancy, this market has it: from Bombay Delight’s award-winning curries to secondhand vinyl classics courtesy of So Pop Vinyl. This Easter, the market will also include origami making with Polka Theatre (Friday) and Easter wreath-making (Saturday).

Where: The Piazza, Wimbledon

When: Friday 3 – Saturday 4 April, 11am – 6pm

Easter holiday workshops at Polka Theatre: Holiday programmes include one-off workshops where children of different ages are invited to discover and explore creative art forms ranging from musical theatre through to puppetry and storytelling. This Easter, Polka’s workshops are inspired by the childhood classic We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. This playful music and storytelling workshop invites children and their grown-ups on an adventure filled with rhymes, sensory play and imagination. Tickets are £13 (each ticket is for both an adult and a child).

Where: Polka Theatre

When: Tuesday 31 March, start times vary

The Princess and the Pea: We all know the story. It’s a classic for a reason. But this production brings us the Let’s All Dance Ballet Company’s signature tight narrative, fantastic dancing, beautiful costumes and lovely music to tell the fairytale in a new and exciting way. Book your tickets via this link.

Where: New Wimbledon Theatre

When: Wednesday 1 – Tuesday 2 April

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Separate from Polka’s Easter workshops, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt returns to Wimbledon after a hugely successful spring run in 2022. Little Angel Theatre brings Michael Rosen’s thrilling and funny adventure to life in this entrancing puppetry production directed by Peter Glanville and with music and lyrics by renowned singer-songwriter Barb Jungr. Book your tickets here.

Where: Polka Theatre

When: Wednesday 25 March – Sunday 12 April

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you when the first game at the new Plough Lane (Cherry Reds Record Stadium) played. The answer: 2020.

Q: Which of these films shot scenes locally?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you’ve enjoyed our suggestions for Easter and that you get yourself along to one of them. Do keep getting in touch with ideas for features, interviews and events. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eamonn Newell, founder of Swans FC. Swans FC offers women a chance to play football, regardless of their ability or age. Whether you’re 18 or 81, Swans has a space for you — and they just so happened to launch their Wimbledon branch earlier this year. Scroll down to hear all about their work and how women’s football is bringing communities together.

We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a lovely property of the week and some great recommendations for the days ahead.

Reader call-out: As the London Marathon approaches, we’re looking to hear from any locals that are running this year. Get in touch and tell us who you’re running for, if you’ve run before and how you’re preparing for it. Email zak@thewimble.com.

Other than that, happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🚇 Wimbledon’s District Line gets urgent improvements by TfL. As many of our readers are aware, the Wimbledon branch of the District Line can be patchy (and that’s being kind): signal failures, engineering works, misleading timetables. Writing in London Now, the MP for Wimbledon, Paul Kohler has voiced his frustrations with the line, saying, “The root of the problem lies in the signalling between Wimbledon and East Putney, which is several generations out of date. Unlike much of the District Line, which benefits from modern automatic train management, our branch remains a technological outlier.”

But according to the piece, work is due to take place over the next few months and should hopefully be in place by the summer.

🏃 Thomas Cheetham, who has lived locally for over 20 years, is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK. Cheetham’s father has Alzheimer's, which he called a "cruel" illness that takes away one’s personality. This is Cheetham’s 24th London Marathon — he first took part in 1991. To sponsor him and show your support, head to his fundraising page here.

🏗 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked Housing Secretary Steve Reed to investigate claims that Criterion Capital, owners of Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, has evicted large numbers of its tenants ahead of new renters' rights coming into effect. In PMQs last week, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, Dame Siobhain McDonagh, raised her concerns about the reported mass evictions and called on Starmer to address the situation. The real estate company, founded by Asif Aziz, has reportedly served notice against at least 130 tenants in recent weeks, according to this article in The Standard.

Property of the week 🏡

This five-bedroom detached home is in one of Wimbledon’s most sought after locations. Only a few minutes from Wimbledon Village and with an outdoor pool, it’s no surprise that this humongous property is on sale for £4.35m. Check out more photos here.

Ask The Wimble❓

You asked us “when will The Wimble publish another print edition?”

The answer: we’re going to launch another summer edition in June to coincide with the tennis. Keep your eyes peeled for call-outs and other print-related messages!

Keep sending your “Ask The Wimble” questions to zak@thewimble.com. We’re working through them as they come. If you’ve already asked a question, keep your eyes peeled for answers in the coming weeks.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎨

🎸 The Choir of Man: Welcome to the Choir of Man, the best pub in the world… at the New Wimbledon Theatre. The show features “a wildly talented group of incredible instrumentalists, world-class wordsmiths, and sensational singers, this cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys serves it all... live!” The show received a 5-star review in LondonTheatre1 this week and tickets are selling fast, so grab them here.

Where: New Wimbledon Theatre

When: Sat 14 – Sat 21 March

🥃 Azaline saffron vermouth and negroni sampling at Amathus: This weekend, Amathus Wimbledon welcomes Steve Drawbell, owner of Azaline Saffron Vermouth, for a free sampling session to celebrate World Vermouth Day. If you’re interested in a few samples, then get yourself down to Amathus this Saturday.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 21 March, 12–5pm

🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: The Village Farmers’ Market is one of Wimbledon’s weekly highlights. In fact, many restaurants use this market to source their produce — so you know you’re in good company. Get yourself along this weekend and pick up some groceries to cook a delicious meal.

Where: Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 22 March, 10am – 3pm

🐝 AELTC: Weekend of Nature: Join the AELTC for a nature weekend, celebrating the season’s wildlife and the role that water plays in helping nature flourish (in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust). Join the nature safari walks to scout for “mini beasts” and wildlife, speak with the AELTC’s horticulture and grounds teams for advice on water-friendly plants, and find out how they harvest water for their grass courts. This event is free to attend and no booking is required.

Where: The Clubhouse on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course

When: Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 March, 10am – 1pm / 2–4pm

🐣 Easter at Wimbledon Quarter: Meet the Easter Bunny!! Join the Quarter for a magical Easter experience filled with storytelling, crafting and family fun. Tickets are £10 per child and can be bought here.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 4 April, 11am – 5pm

A new women’s football club in the heart of SW19 ⚽️

Eamonn Newell created Swans Football to give women the opportunity to learn or return to the game in a safe, friendly and accepting environment. Women’s football has gone from strength to strength in the past few years, but plenty of women over 25 still feel a huge lack of opportunity, especially at an amateur level. Swans FC’s mission is to rectify that. Having launched in Twickenham three years ago, the project has expanded to other areas of South London: Chiswick, Richmond, Kingston, Barnes and Kew. And their latest addition just so happens to be on our doorstep in Wimbledon. I sat down with Eamonn to talk about the club’s story, aims and how football can bring communities together.

Take me back to where this all started. What made you launch Swans Football?

It all started when one of my daughters came back from school one day. She told me she was disappointed that she hadn’t been selected for the football team. It was the first I’d heard of her liking football! So I looked around our area, Twickenham, but there didn’t seem to be many clubs for young girls. I called a few, and they all said the same thing: “Get her along for a trial.” And I thought: “She’s never kicked a ball before. She doesn’t need to go to a trial and have a group of middle-aged men tell her that she’s not good enough to play. What she needs is for a club to take her on and help her learn.”

I asked my daughter if she had any friends who’d be interested in starting a club, and it quickly snowballed from there. Quite soon, I realised I had a responsibility to take coaching courses and equip myself with the skills to train these young girls. And so with the help of some other local dads, we started Twickenham Cygnets FC in 2015. Back then, it was just me, my daughter and five of her friends. Today that club has 350 girls and 26 teams, ages 5–16.

And how did Swans come about?

About three years ago, some of the mothers of the girls at Twickenham Cygnets FC approached me and asked if I could start a club for adult women. They spoke about the lack of opportunities and setbacks they faced whilst growing up. So I started the first adult Swans FC in Twickenham, unsure as to what the uptake would be. 40 women came to the first session! From there, I expanded to Chiswick, Richmond, Kingston and now Wimbledon. It’s been a really amazing experience. Today, we have over 100 women playing across the boroughs.

What does a typical training session look like?

We follow the same session plan across all venues. This way, if you miss one session, you can always drop into another one on a different day at a different location. A typical session is 10 minutes of warming up before going straight into technical practice. That might be something as simple as learning how to pass, or it might be something a little more difficult, like shooting or defending as a unit. These sessions are always an hour, and the last 20 minutes is where the women get to play a game, which seems to be everyone’s favourite part of the evening.

How do you think the women’s game has changed in recent years?

It’s interesting: I think perspectives vary depending on age. Any female footballer under the age of 15 tends to see football as a sport for them — there’s not really much of a sense that it’s “a boy’s game”. But I think anyone older than 15 still has a bit of that imposter syndrome: “Are we fully accepted into this world?” Amongst the Swans — all of whom are over 18 — there’s definitely a sense that they have been excluded from the sport in the past and that now there is finally a chance for inclusion and acceptance.

Talk to me a little bit about the impact of the Swans on the community.

I think it’s really all about bringing people together. Some of the players have spoken privately about their personal battles and how the club is a beacon for them. But it’s also been lovely to see new relationships forming. The Monday night group doesn’t have a session on a bank holiday, but they’ll still all meet up to watch a game or go to the pub. There’s a real social bond with the Swans.

On a personal level, it’s been beautiful to see the little moments week in, week out. It can be as simple as someone turning up to their first Swans session having never kicked a ball before, the sheer joy on a player’s face after scoring her first goal or the friendships and bonds that develop amongst a group of women from many different backgrounds, now united by their love of football and the sense of belonging that comes with being part of a community. It’s these little collections of moments that remind me why I do it.

Swans FC practice every Thursday (7.30–8.30pm) at Wimbledon High School, Nursery Road, SW19 4JA. The sessions are for anyone aged 18 to 81+. Bring your trainers or astros (no football boots). The first session is free, and then prices vary depending on uptake. Click here to register and read more.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you what year the District Line in Wimbledon opened. The answer: 1889.

Q: When was the first game at the new Plough Lane (Cherry Reds Record Stadium) played?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our feature on Swans FC! Do check out their website to get involved. And get in touch if you’re running the London Marathon by emailing zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time!

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This week, The Wimble visited Deen City Farm. The farm has been a free resource for our community since 1978 and is perhaps one of Merton’s greatest assets. Unfortunately, it’s not easy to run a project on a shoestring budget, and they’re currently looking for donations to keep the farm alive. If you have anything to give, please do take a look at their appeal here. And scroll down to read about my day with the goats, rabbits, cows and other lovely animals at their farm.

We’ve got your usual news snippets, a lovely property of the week and some great recommendations for the days ahead as the sun (hopefully) continues to shine.

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, so if you have a special day planned, please do send in your photos with a little caption to zak@thewimble.com to be featured next week.

Other than that, happy reading!

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News snippets 🗞

⭐️ Ssam Ssam at 149 Merton Road, SW19, has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, an award recognising restaurants that serve high-quality food at an affordable price. It was just one of 37 restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand in February’s announcement. Check out the news here and the restaurant here.

🍺 The Old Frizzle has launched a new community beer, Legacy Lager, in aid of inclusive sport across London. Livelyhood, the parent company of The Old Frizzle (which owns several pubs in south London), says it marks a “meaningful commitment” to community, inclusion and sport. The beer will be rolled out across all of Livelyhood’s pubs, with 50p from every purchase of a Legacy Lager going towards South London Laces, a women’s and non-binary football club built on community and inclusion.

🛀 Rituals opened in Wimbledon Quarter yesterday at 10.30am. The shop embraces the art of soulful living and aims to be your compass for personal wellbeing. Their bath, body and home products are designed to help you connect and bring more balance to your body, mind and soul.

📊 Merton Council has passed its budget for the next financial year. From April, the main element of council tax will be frozen from April. However, the picture may not be as rosy as it seems. On the issue of council tax, Lib Dem Opposition Leader Anthony Fairclough said, “People may be relieved that it is not five per cent, but they still know they are paying more.” Check out MyLondon for the full story.

🕺 In a new interview for LondonNow, the founders behind Merton’s Dementia Discos have explained the origins of their impactful initiative. Siblings Kate Darby and Nick Shaw started the project when they couldn’t find a dementia-friendly music activity for their father. They then decided to launch their own Dementia Disco in 2019, moving online during the pandemic before going back to face-to-face meetings. Check out their website. The next disco is on Sunday 22 March from 2.30–4.30pm.

🤳 A mobile repair shop in Mitcham wants to become an ‘artisan boutique’ so it can sell alcohol. Vijaykumar Patel, the owner of the businesses at 256 London Road, initially applied for an alcohol licence in January. Concerns were raised by the police that an alcohol licence would encourage drinking on the street in an area already suffering from anti-social behaviour. A month later, Mr Patel changed course and introduced the idea of an ‘artisan deli’ that would still serve alcohol. However, in February, PC Avril O'Brien said, "My opinion is that only since I have highlighted the licensing policy around the Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ) exceptions have you now adjusted your business to fit." Read more here.

Property of the week 🏡

This three-bedroom flat set within a Grade II listed building was once the home of Sir Edwin Saunders, the esteemed dentist of Queen Victoria. It’s all about opulence with this property. Just look at the front facade of the building — it looks more like something the National Trust might own than a home. It’s the bay windows that do it for me. Just look at the view. But how much does this extravagant flat cost? No less than a cool £2.275m. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎁

🎨 Drawing Enchantment: Workshop: Join Wimbledon Museum Artist in Residence Alastair Gordon as he shares valuable tips for creating observational drawings, using artefacts from the museum as subjects. Break down complex forms into simple shapes, lines and tones, and discover how the process of drawing unlocks the enchantment found in everyday objects. Tickets are £20 per person.

Where: Wimbledon Museum

When: Saturday 14 March, 10.30am–12.30pm

💐 Rituals opening celebrations: Join Rituals for their opening celebration this Saturday and enjoy special treatments, exclusive offers and surprises. The first 50 guests who make a purchase on the day will receive a goodie bag filled with products from Rituals’s award-winning collection.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 14 March, 10.30am

🕺 Broadway Boogie at YMCA: Join Broadway Boogie for our unforgettable, show-stopping musical megamix class. This is a high-energy dance fitness workout inspired by musical theatre from stage and screen. Learn iconic routines from legendary musicals like Grease, Six, Mamma Mia, Moulin Rouge, A Chorus Line and more. Book your spot here.

Where: 196–198, The Broadway

When: Saturday 14 March, 9.30–10.30am

🌷Free tulip giveaway for Mother’s Day: This Saturday from 10am–3pm (or until stocks run out), those visiting Wimbledon Quarter can pick up a free individually wrapped tulip to gift to a mum, grandmother, guardian or any special maternal figure who deserves a little appreciation. Tulips will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the Quarter recommends arriving early to avoid missing out.

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When Saturday 14 March, 10am–3pm

🥂 Nyetimber masterclass at Amathus: If you haven’t tried Nyetimber yet, what are you doing? It’s a heavyweight among the English sparklings, and this masterclass gives you the chance to sample their world-renowned selection, including the Tillington Single Vineyard and the 1086. Tickets are £45 per person.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 18 March, 6.30–8pm

🐴 Holistic horse care: This is your chance to spend a calm 75 minutes connecting with horses in a safe and relaxed environment. The session begins with an introduction to horse behaviour, including flight instincts, body language, and how horses perceive their surroundings. Then you will move on to hands-on time with the horses, guided by experienced instructors, where you’ll learn the basics of safe handling and grooming, observe how horses respond to calm, consistent communication, and discover techniques that promote horse well-being. Note that there is no riding involved. Tickets are £40 for non-members. Book here.

Where: Wimbledon Village Stables

When: Saturday 21 March, 1.45–3pm

🍃 Great British Spring Clean Womble Walk: The Wombles Walk is a new fun family trail exploring the Commons and its landmarks, while litter picking along the way. Find all the hidden Wombles and you’ll collect a treat. You’ll even have the chance to meet one of the Wombles. Entry costs £3 per person.

Where: Home Burrow by the Ranger’s Office

When: Sunday 22 March, 11am–4pm

‘An oasis in the heart of an urban landscape’: A day at Deen City Farm 🐐

Deen City Farm has been serving the community of Merton since 1978. For almost 50 years, the farm has been a free oasis in the heart of an urban landscape, where children can interact with animals for the first time, young people can learn about the environment and adults can find a calm connection with nature in between their busy lives. The farm offers work experience for over 244 students a year, 64 per cent of whom identify as disabled. They also welcome over 146,000 visitors a year (for free), support volunteer opportunities for over 190 people a year — of those 43 per cent in 2023/24 were unemployed and 56 per cent identified as individuals with additional needs — and host students who have lost their desire or ability to thrive in the mainstream education system.

As a registered charity, Deen City Farm has faced financial pressures over the past few years, and it needs our help to continue its wonderful work. The farm has just launched its spring appeal — which you can donate to here — and is always on the lookout for donations. I still remember visiting Deen City Farm with my school when I was around 6 years old. And speaking to the team over email last week, I realised that I hadn’t been back since. A visit was long overdue, and so on Tuesday afternoon, I hopped on the 200 bus to pay our friends at the farm a timely visit.

It’s a bright Tuesday afternoon as I cross the River Wandle and make my way through the gates of Deen City Farm. I’m here to meet Roxanne Cullen, the leader of the farm’s visitor services teams. I find her in the office, where staff wander from room to room covered in hay and other bits of detritus from a hard day’s work. She introduces me to Maria Day, land and livestock manager, and the three of us make our way towards the edge of the farm’s five-acre boundary. The land we’re standing on is called Bunces Meadow and is owned by the National Trust, and the farm has been here since relocating in the 1990s.

Maria points at two cows lounging on a stack of hay. “That’s Meg and Brie,” she says. “They’re our Shetland cows. Are you catching the last rays of sun?” she calls out to them. “Like everything from Shetland, they’re a little bit smaller than your average cow — not that cows ever come in ‘small’. These girls are basically two big organic lawnmowers.” Roxanne explains to me that the overarching mission of the farm is education. Children, often those who have never had the opportunity to see livestock before, are taken on guided tours around the farm. They get the chance to interact with the animals, feed them and learn about the phases that different breeds of livestock go through.

“The children love the sheep and cows because that’s what they’re used to seeing in books, but the goats are always the most fun. Goats are basically like dogs. Each one has its own unique personality.” The farm has nine goats: six pygmy, two Golden Guernsey, and one Nubian — a big fella called Jet (also known as “bag snatcher” on account of his cheeky tendency to steal bags of feed from the hands of children). I notice a ram in a separate paddock. He’s staring directly at me. “What does this little guy want?” I ask. Maria points at the plastic ball between his hooves. “He thinks you want his treat box, so he’s showing you that it’s his.” On cue, the ram begins pawing the ground.

The three of us step inside the goat enclosure and immediately the goats flock around Maria. It’s clear that the staff at Deen City Farm has a special relationship with their livestock, a relationship that is often forged over many years of hard work and caregiving. Fox, a Golden Guernsey, walks towards me and Roxanne explains that all I need to do is put my hand out and stroke her. We spend a good five minutes chatting about the goats. They’re excellent climbers, mischievous and naturally inquisitive — a dangerous combination. “That’s why the climbing apparatus is in the middle of the enclosure. If we put it by the sides, they would just jump out and escape,” says Maria. She also tells me that you can always tell which goat is boss by the length of its beard. The longer the beard, the more authoritative the goat. To make sure hierarchy is maintained, the goats will bite the beard hairs off a lowlier member of their herd.

We leave the enclosure and wander past two donkeys that were previously fighting over a welly boot. Then I meet the ferrets, guinea pigs and Continental Giant Rabbits. The rabbits are only a year old but they’re significantly bigger than your average bunny. They’re a curious bunch, and after sniffing my coat, the fluffle decides that I’m alright. We then walk past the chickens — one of their rare breeds here is the Indonesian Ayam Cemani, a chicken with black feathers, skin, meat and organs — as well as a pheasant who doesn’t really seem to know what’s going on.

I ask Roxanne why she thinks the farm has managed to last so long. “A couple of years ago, we had a massive electrical problem where we lost a lot of electricity coming into the site. We were forced to ask the public for help, and what we found was that the farm really resonated with the local community. We had people writing in saying things like, “Please don’t go. We need you here. I’ve got memories from when I was a child of this place!” I think that’s what keeps us going. We’re part of the heart of this community. We’re free to enter, we’re always accessible — and we want to keep it that way. We’re next to one of the most deprived areas in the borough, and so we’ll always steer away from charging people to come here. It’s also why our riding lessons are subsidised.”

The riding school is a significant part of Deen City Farm. Joanna Henbrey has been running the school for 20 years, and with 12 horses and ponies, it’s no small operation. Lessons are offered to beginners as young as two years old and go all the way up to expert adult riders. They’ve even got RoboHorse: an equestrian simulator that helps people get to grips with horse riding if they don’t fancy getting on a living creature. I’m tempted to give it a go, but we’re running out of time.

After a few hours at Deen City Farm, it’s clear to me how important this oasis is for our community. The work that they do — which you can read even more about here — supports all of us, and will continue to support us for years to come if we support it in turn. Not everyone is in a position to give, but if you are, I urge you to have a look at their appeal and offer what you can. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful resource in our borough, not least at a time when cuts and closures across the capital are in abundance. And even if you can’t give, do treat yourself to a visit at the farm. It’s free, and it really is a perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Deen City Farm is open Tuesdays–Sundays from 10am–4.30pm. Check out their about page to read more about the farm’s mission and the work they have already achieved.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you which restaurant in Wimbledon has been awarded a Rosette. The answer: The Orangery at Cannizaro House, though I understand why many of you assumed it was The Black Lamb (their food is excellent).

Q: What year was the District Line in Wimbledon opened (clue: it was the same year that it opened in Wimbledon Park)?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. I hope you enjoyed our feature on Deen City Farm. Do pay them a visit if you get the chance, and donate to their appeal if you can. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.

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