My week judging the Town Centre's Tennis Window Competition
Plus: Why were dozens of fish found dead in Wimbledon Park Lake?
Good morning, Wimblers.
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.
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!
Thanks for incuding the item about dead fish in Wimbledon Park Lake.
the lake is still being investigated - ideal if the story (like the fish) is not allowed to die.
Thanks for incuding the item about dead fish in Wimbledon Park Lake.
the lake is still being investigated - ideal if the story (like the fish) is not allowed to die.