Good morning, Wimblers.
How can we support one another? How can we help those struggling with mental health issues across the borough? This week, I sat down with Angeles Walford, president of the Rotary Club of Merton and a former headteacher in the borough. Scroll down to hear about Sport in Mind (a registered mental health sports charity), the importance of third spaces for young children and how education has changed over the past 20 years.
We’ve also got good news for curry lovers: Dishoom is opening a restaurant in Wimbledon (more details below). We’ve also got some great recommendations for the coming weeks, a ridiculous property of the week and details of a new housing target for Merton.
Happy reading!
News snippets 🗞
🥘 Dishoom, the now über-famous Indian restaurant chain, is set to open one of its all-day, bar-café concept Permit Room in Wimbledon. Rumour has it that the restaurant will open at the bottom of Wimbledon Hill Road, right opposite Wagamama and Rosa’s Thai. It will act more as a café-cocktail bar, but food will be available soon. If you’re already a Dishoom fan, fret not — classics such as the Dishoom Chicken Ruby, Mattar Paneer and Prawn Moilee are all on the menu. There is already a Permit Room in Notting Hill, so check out their website to get a flavour of what’s coming to our area.
🏡 Merton Council announces an ambitious plan to deliver thousands of new homes over the next decade. The council aims to build 2,500 homes over the next ten years, 1,500 of which are to be “affordable homes”. The council has already begun building the first council homes in a generation, but with the housing crisis mounting, a more ambitious approach is needed. Plans include exploring the suitability of locations already identified for new homes, remaking Morden into the “best town centre” in London, searching for new locations for housing and working with developers and housing associations to build homes on council land. Read the full press release here.
🥕 Our friends at Wimbledon Quarter’s Rooftop Farm were featured in a lengthy article by Time & Leisure this week. Gabby McKenzie, urban farmer, spoke with the publication about how the farm benefits the local community, her hopes and plans for the future and how we can all get involved. Check out Gabby’s interview here.
💦 Thousands of homes across south London, including Merton, had their water supply restored following a burst water main earlier this week. Thames Water said roughly 15,000 homes were affected on Monday, described the repair as “complex” and said that some trees had to be removed to fix the problem. Paul Kohler, the MP for Wimbledon, said he had contacted Thames Water for more information and promised to share updates with his followers on X. Read the full story here.
🎓 King’s College Wimbledon and Wimbledon High School have made it into Tatler’s “Best Public Schools in London” guide. About KCS, Tatler wrote, “There’s also a clear sense that education is about what comes next. The Futures programme looks at life beyond school, offering exposure to entrepreneurship, digital media and real-world problem solving; and from this year, a new course called World Beyond will tackle everything from the ethics of AI to oracy and medical literacy.”
About Wimbledon High School, the society magazine said, “At Wimbledon High, the girls are encouraged to take themselves seriously – but not too seriously – and individuality is actively supported rather than forced into a mould.” Read the full article here.
The Wimble’s sponsor of the week 🎃
Keep the kids entertained this half term at Wimbledon Quarter with Halloween-themed arts and crafts workshops. These are free drop-in sessions, so no booking is required, and run for two hours, so pop in anytime between 10am–12pm to get crafting.
Property of the week 🏡
This six-bedroom Edwardian home is nothing short of ridiculous. It may have period features but it’s certainly modernised, even coming with a gym. At just shy of £5 million, it’s hardly a ‘steal’, but it is very beautiful. Check out more photos here.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯
🖼 Art Below Autumn Show: In October 2026, in collaboration with Art Below, Ad Lib Gallery will be showing artworks by numerous artists on billboard posters at Regents Park, Pimlico & Hyde Park Corner tube stations. Many of the participating artists will have their work on display at the Ad Lib Gallery in Wimbledon Village.
Where: Ad Lib Gallery, Wimbledon Village
When: Thursday 8 — Sunday 25 October, 10am–5.30pm
☕️ Macmillan Coffee Morning: Pop into the Rose & Crown for a hot drink, a savoury snack, a sweet treat and good conversation. All donations, big or small, go towards Macmillan Merton.
Where: Rose & Crown, Wimbledon
When: Tuesday 13 October, 9.30–11am
🍷 Wine Dinner: Petit Château Bordeaux is the name of the smaller, family-run estates in Bordeaux — as well as this mid-October meal, offered at one of Wimbledon’s best restaurants. These estates are often overlooked, but their wines are excellent. This wine dinner is all about exploring these hidden treasures whilst also enjoying a three-course meal. Tickets are £95.
Where: The Black Lamb
When: Tuesday 13 October, 7pm
🎻 Ludwig Van Beethoven: Classical Music’s Greatest Revolutionary: Join Sandy Burnett as she presents an overview of this visionary’s life and music. Next year marks 200 years since Beethoven died, and this lecture is a perfect opportunity to reassess his legacy and work. Members go free, but it’s £10 for everyone else. Buy your tickets here.
Where: The Sacred Heart Church Hall, Wimbledon Village
When: Wednesday 14 October, 8pm
🏡 The Amazing Story of Uppark House: This talk by Keith Roberts is all about the incredible history of the Grade-I listed building in South Harting, West Sussex. Originally built around 1690 by architect William Talman, the estate has a colourful past, including having a big impact on H. G. Wells, whose mother, Sarah, was a housekeeper there from 1880–1893. Tickets are £4.50 for non-members. You can pay on the door.
Where: Christ Church Hall, SW20 0RZ
When: Saturday 17 October, 3pm
‘Everyone has a right to be happy’: In conversation with Angeles Walford 🤝
Last month, I was contacted by Club President of The Rotary Club of Merton, Angeles Walford. She told me that the Rotary Club of Merton and Sport in Mind — a UK mental health sports charity that uses physical activity to improve the mental wellbeing of children, young people and adults — has partnered to bring free sporting activities to the borough. This initiative sounded brilliant, so I wanted to know more.
This week, we sat down to talk about the aims of the Rotary Club, how different age groups are affected by mental health issues and the importance of education.
How did your partnership with Sport in Mind come about? And what are some of the aims?
The day that I contacted you, it had been announced that Prince William and Harry Kane were calling on the sports sector to help with suicide prevention. Months before, I had launched an event at the William Morris Pub with a similar goal. I invited leaders from the council and other interested parties to come along and listen to Craig Adams from Sport in Mind, a UK charity that uses sport to improve the lives of people with mental health struggles. The Rotary Club of Merton and Sport in Mind are collaborating to bring free sports and activities to people of all ages across the borough, particularly those with mental health or well-being issues; it’s all about building confidence, reducing isolation and supporting mental health.
I have always been greatly interested in how we can improve people’s mental health, not least when I was a headteacher in Merton 20 years ago. And through the Rotary Club, we’re looking to create a platform to help those who might not have a support network themselves. There are three target groups: younger teenagers not in education or employment, young men (ages 18-40) who are at risk of suicide, and the elderly who are isolated and vulnerable.
Let’s start with the aims for the elderly. What are you hoping to achieve?
Firstly, I think it’s really important to note that everything we’re looking to do is free. Whilst it’s true that there are often events for older people in the UK, many of them cost money. Whether it be £3 or £6, it can be a struggle to afford these activities on a regular basis.
One of the main projects we have in the pipeline involves gardening. We’re looking to use the allotment sites in Mitcham as a hub for the isolated members of our community. The idea is that anyone can pop along, speak with people, have a cup of tea or coffee and do some gardening if they want physical exercise. These allotments are a space where they can go a few times a week, get some fresh air and see new (and familiar) faces. Similarly, we’re looking to use the cafés and church spaces across the borough to host board game sessions for these same people. Over time, I’m hoping I can bring the younger demographic — those teenagers not in education or employment — along to these allotment and board game sessions, creating an intergenerational network and support group.
You mentioned you were a headteacher in Merton for many years. What are some of the problems young people are facing in our borough today?
A lot has changed since I retired from education, and a lot of those changes have been for the better. But there are still parts of Merton that are disenfranchised and underfunded, both in terms of education and mental health infrastructure. Education is a key catalyst for social mobility. If we are not providing children with the right tools and facilities to learn — both inside and outside of the classroom — then we are failing them. I was very lucky to grow up in an era where youth clubs were in abundance. Today, there are hardly any left. These third spaces are crucial for young people, particularly those who might not want to or be able to spend time at home. It’s all about the quality and quantity of provisions for young people. If we’re depriving them of those provisions, then we’re creating problems for when they reach adulthood.
And finally, can you explain a little bit about the Rotary Club and how it operates?
The Rotary is actually a very old organisation. It began in 1905 in Chicago, Illinois, but has gone on to make a huge impact globally, with over 1.2 million members across the world. It’s a non-political, non-religious organisation with the overarching aim of helping people wherever we can, whether that be in our own borough or internationally.
The Merton club only formed last year, having risen from the ashes of the Morden branch — we wanted to rebrand as ‘Merton’ because the work we do is across the borough. Throughout the year, we are raising money for various charities, hosting events and competitions for children, and supporting schemes such as Sustainable September. We don’t have much money — and everything we make goes directly to the charities we are fundraising for — but we like to connect with people and help in any way that we can. In September, we managed to raise £481.20 for Breast Cancer Now, and that was just by hosting an afternoon tea. At our heart, we’re focused on serving our community. At the Rotary Club, we believe that everyone has a right to be happy.
If you want to support the Rotary Club or check out their upcoming events, fundraisers and projects, visit their website here. If you’d like to get involved or learn more about Sport in Mind, click here. And if there are any readers out there with space to host a Rotary Club event, do get in touch with Angeles at 07951600921.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked you who owned most of the land in Wimbledon between 1328 to 1536? The answer: The Archbishop of Canterbury.
Q: The statue on the dome of the New Wimbledon Theatre was removed in WWII for fear it might help German bombers find their way. In what year was it returned?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s Wimble. Please do keep getting in touch with ideas for our Christmas print edition: zak@thewimble.com. I’m really keen to hear about any historical pieces/facts about Wimbledon and personal Christmas-related stories. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time.
Excited about the arrival of Dishoom! Great news 👍
What a lovely idea to use allotments to help with people’s mental health. My allotment has really helped with my mental health when times have been tough. I wish them every success. Also great to hear that Dishoom are coming to Wimbledon. I love a bacon naan for breakfast. Their black dhal is good- I sometimes make it from the recipe their cookbook.