Good morning, Wimblers.
Attention coffee lovers! One local university student and writer, Hilde Wagenaar, aka “@hildewrites”, has written an illustrated poetry book about ten of London’s cosiest cafés, and one of them happens to be in Wimbledon. This week, we spoke to Hilde about her process, her love of London’s cafés and the joy of a banana latte.
The Wimble Christmas print edition call-out: We are already gearing up for our Christmas print edition and we need your help. Do you have any stories, historical facts, people of interest or Christmassy ideas that you think would make for a good feature in our print edition. If so, email zak@thewimble.com with the subject line “Christmas Print Ideas” and let us know!
We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a stunning property of the week and some very interesting recommendations for the coming days and weeks. Let’s dive in.
News snippets 🗞
🪧 Fix the District, a campaign by local passengers of the Wimbledon District line branch, are holding a demonstration outside of Wimbledon station today. Since February, the campaign has allowed members of the public to log delays on their website. Organise Max Barber said, “Last year, by our count of TfL's own records, the Wimbledon branch had a signal failure on 49 different days, more than three times as many as in 2015. TfL itself describes the equipment as 'life-expired' and 'prone to faults', yet the modern signalling meant to replace it was cut in 2020 and still isn't funded. Nearly half the delays passengers report to us happen while TfL's status board says 'Good Service'. Tomorrow, commuters are asking for a proper fix." The demonstration will take place from 4–7pm.
🛏 Richard Rogers’s Wimbledon home that inspired Centre Pompidou and Lloyd’s of London has been given to the National Trust. The Grade II* listed house at 22 Parkside has been lauded as one of the most “significant homes in British architectural history” and is said to have helped inspire two of the world’s most venerated modern buildings. The house was originally designed in 1967 by Richard and Su Rogers for Richard’s parents. Last week, it was revealed that the house has moved from private ownership to the National Trust. Speaking to The Standard, Ben Rogers, Richard and Su’s son, said, “As a family, we wanted to ensure that this remarkable house would be protected, cared for and shared with future generations, rather than remaining a private asset.” Read the full story here.
👷🏼♀️ Merton Council has announced “major” plans for remaking Morden town centre. Last week, the council revealed its plans to find the right development partner and turn the town centre into “one of the best” in London (you can’t fault them for a lack of ambition). The plans include making “a greener, more vibrant town centre, with a stronger high street, new homes, jobs and opportunities for local people, and improved places to spend time.” Read the full press release here.
The Wimble’s sponsor of the week ♻️
This week’s sponsor is none other than Sustainable September (brought to you by Wimbledon Quarter and Love Wimbledon). We’re halfway through the month, but there are still plenty of activities to get involved with this weekend. Check out the website here to see what’s on.
Property of the week 🏡
A rather nice six-bedroom terraced house, don’t you think? I’m particularly fond of the oeil-de-boeuf window in the bedroom. The house also has three bathrooms, a garden, balconies and a reception room with a bay window. But you know the score by now. This sort of property doesn’t come cheap in SW19. This particular one will set you back £2 million. Check out more photos here.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎯
🍃 Greener Living Pop-Up Market: Sustainable Merton are putting on a fantastic eco-friendly market this weekend. From homeware and handmade jewellery to upcycled fashion and delicious artisan treats, there’s something for everyone at this environmentally conscious pop-up market.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Saturday 19 September, 10am–5pm
🍫 Hotel Chocolat Autumn Chocolate Tasting Experience: These guided autumnal sessions are back after a few years! Visit the store in Wimbledon Quarter to taste your way through a curated selection of classic and all-new recipes, from supremely smooth Pumpkin Pie to warming Spicy Maple. Finish with a hot chocolate sample to really top-off the day. Tickets are £12 per person. Book here.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Saturday 19 September, 12–2pm
🎶 St John’s September Lunchtime Recital: This month will feature Maxime Marquette on piano, performing Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 “Moonlight” (Beethoven) and The Road Taken & Endless Dreams (M. Marquette). As ever, this event is free but donations are most welcome.
Where: St John the Baptist
When: Friday 25 September, 1pm (refreshments from 12.30pm)
🕯 Sinatra by Candlelight: Celebrating one of the greatest vocalists in jazz history, this evening is all about experiencing the magic of Ol’ Blue Eyes. Tickets range from £20 to £45 and can be bought here.
Where: St Mary’s Church
When: Saturday 26 September, 7–8pm (sitting one) and 9–10pm (sitting two)
🥃 California Gin and Negroni Sampling: I know most of us associate gin with England, but that’s no reason to neglect the sun-soaked rolling hills of Orange County. It’s been said that the American gin really comes into its own when incorporated into the classic Italian cocktail. Why not give it a go? The event is free, after all.
Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village
When: Saturday 26 September, 12–5pm
👩👧👧 Planning for Later Life Afternoon Tea: Talking about the future can be daunting, if at times morbid. But it has to be done. This free, informal event — hosted by Peacock & Co Solicitors — is about gaining insight and information from a panel of expert speakers covering finances, legal documents to have in place, care and practical home support. There will also be a complimentary full afternoon tea of sandwiches, desserts and scones.
Where: Hotel du Vin Cannizaro House
When: Wednesday 30 September, 2–4pm
Meet the poet writing about London’s best cafés ☕️
Last year, Hilde Wagenaar started a master’s degree at Kingston University. Having moved from the Netherlands to pursue her academics in London, Hilde was keen to explore the city. But getting to know a metropolis is difficult. A person needs a plan. For Hilde, that plan involved cafés. As she explored London through its unique coffee shops, a thought occurred to her: why not write about this? So that’s exactly what she did.
This week, The Wimble sat down with Hilde to discuss her new illustrated poetry collection, A Cup of Clouds and Tomorrows, and why The Fire Station Café is one of London’s best coffee spots.
What was the driving force behind this book? What made you want to write poetry about London’s cafés?
It was my first time living in London. I was incredibly excited. I come from the countryside in the Netherlands, so it’s not exactly what I’m used to. Doing my masters, I ended up studying in a lot of cafés because my room in Surbiton was a little too cramped to spend all of my time in. I realised cafés often have something that makes them unique, and I wanted to capture that in some way. Originally, I thought about just drawing them, but it occurred to me that coffee and reading go hand in hand (I’m always reading when I have a cup of coffee), so an illustrated poetry collection seemed like the perfect project.
So each poem is inspired by a different café?
Often the poems were inspired by what I was doing that day or by something that happened in the café. For example, the poem about The Fire Station Café, “Checkered Mornings”, was inspired by a conversation with Kristine, the manager. She explained to me that one of the best aspects of her job is being able to put a smile on a stranger’s face, even if just for a moment. I thought that was such a lovely sentiment — I’ve got a lot of experience working in customer service myself, so I can relate to that. I think writing has the capacity to do the same thing. So “Checkered Mornings” was really written because Kristine inspired me.
How did you pick the cafés? What made them special to you?
I picked the cafés based on their atmosphere. I prefer those spaces where you’re encouraged to sit down and relax rather than queue and rush for your takeaway. All of the cafés in this book are places where people can find some peace during their day. A lot of the cafés were found by accident. I was originally in Wimbledon visiting Wimbledon Books in the village. I thought that the area was too lovely to visit once, so I decided to look for a café to come back to (as I had already started the book). I saw photos online of The Fire Station Café, thought that it matched the vibe I was looking for and gave it a go. The minute I walked in, Kristine began speaking to me — I knew then that I had made the right choice. There are similar stories for each of the cafés featured in the book.
And lastly, how do you do those beautiful illustrations?
This was actually my first time drawing digitally! I usually prefer to paint on paper, but I was worried about the quality had I scanned them to use in the book. In the end, I settled on using my iPad. Luckily, I already had some accessories in my flat designed to make drawing on the iPad feel more authentic. I suppose the biggest benefit of using an iPad is that you can erase your mistakes as much as you want!
You can pick up your copy of A Cup of Clouds and Tomorrows at The Fire Station Café or on Amazon.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked you what Wimbledon was referred to as in a charter signed by King Edward the Peaceful in 967 AD. The answer: Wimbedounyng.
Q: How much did Wimbledon’s population grow by from the 1800s to 1911?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s Wimble. If you’re passing through the town centre this week, pop in to The Fire Station Café to pick up a copy of Hilde’s book (and grab a delicious banana latte while you’re there). Get in touch with your stories by emailing zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next Thursday.
It was wonderful talking to you! Thank you, Zak.
Zak. Just to say that you truly have created something special with this newsletter. It’s GREAT.