Is this the first Womble to run a marathon?
Plus: Police officers face watchdog probe over Wimbledon school crash that killed two girls
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone has had a lovely week.
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.
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).
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.”
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.”
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!
Fantastic edition Zak, it’s really nice to meet some of the local people running in the Marathon!