The Boy with Wings soars in Wimbledon

Plus: Wimbledon M&S gets a glamorous makeover

Jul 10, 2025

Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is having a lovely week so far. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch about the print edition; the support has been fantastic.

This week, we’ve got your usual news snippets, recommendations and a lovely property of the week. We’ve also got a great little review of the Polka Theatre’s latest show, The Boy with Wings.

It’s been great to see our print edition getting some media coverage in the past week — check out the stories on us in Hold the Front Page and Printweek — and there’s still time to grab your free copy. Just head down to Wimbledon Quarter and grab the print from any one of our collection stands in The Fire Station Café, by the Quarter’s big screen or outside the M&S.

Happy reading!

A black cab driver reading through The Wimble

News snippets 🗞

🚨 The grieving parents of two eight-year-old girls who were killed in a tragic car crash at a local school are still waiting for answers. Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau died after being struck by a car that crashed into Study Prep in Wimbledon on 6 July 2023. At a remembrance on Sunday, Nuria’s mother Smera Choran said that they “have had to fight very hard — harder than any victim should ever have to” and that they “still await answers for what happened on that fateful day”. The driver of the car was rearrested in January this year after an internal review in which the families of the two girls said that they were “unconvinced” about the fastidiousness of the investigation.

Helen Lowe, who was headteacher at the time of the crash, said: “[The] people who perpetrated those events have had to be answerable, and we don't have that, which makes it - for the parents and for us - impossible to move on." Read more about the situation in the Independent.

🎾 Hundreds marched on High Court this week to protest against the All England Club’s £200m expansion proposal. Planning permission for the scheme was granted last year. However, campaigners from Save Wimbledon Park argue that the park, a Grade II-listed heritage site, is subject to similar protections as the green belt or royal parks and that the development would cause “deliberate damage” to the land. A spokesperson from the AELTC said the plans are crucial for “ensuring Wimbledon remains the pinnacle of tennis … and a global attraction for both London and the UK” and that there will be a “significant” increase in biodiversity across the site. A judgement on the proposal is expected in writing at a later date. Read more about the ongoing situation here.

🥳 Marks & Spencer is undergoing an upgrade at Wimbledon Quarter and will be closed from Tuesday 15 July until their grand reopening sometime in August. Details released say the upgrade will feature an increased ground space, refreshed layout, a wider range of products and an “enhanced shopping experience”. The date for their grand reopening has not been set, but I’m hoping it’s ASAP! (Where else am I going to get my lunch from?)

🍓 The price of strawberries and cream at Wimbledon has increased for the first time in 15 years. The cost of the sweet treat is up 20p from £2.50 to £2.70, marking an 8% rise in the overall price of the famous snack. This reminds me of when the price of a Cadbury’s Fredo rose to 30p in 2024. Outrageous!

🎾 Have Wimbledon locals had enough of the tennis? The Spectator’s Lisa Haseldine certainly thinks so in her recent article. In her piece, Haseldine argues that residents of SW19 watch as the Championships turn their tube line into “a hot, sticky hellscape on wheels” and that the school and work commutes become a “nightmare”. She also points out that many Wimbledonians choose to “shut up shop altogether and get out of SW19 for the whole fortnight”. Whether you agree with Haseldine’s article or not, it’s a great read — so do click that link above.

Property of the week 🏡

I don’t know how I feel about this six-bedroom house. It’s really nice, but is it too much? The garden is beautiful — as are the dining room, bathroom and entrance hallway — but I’m unsure about the blend of antique and modern. Don’t get me wrong: I’d absolutely love to live here. But I do wonder if, had I £3.95m, I’d spend my money on this particular property. Check out more photos here.

The Wimble’s to-do list 🎭

🛍 Go Inspire Wimbledon Championship market: Go Inspire are hosting the Courtside Wimbledon Quarter markets this year, which means it’s your chance to pick up some exclusive items whilst watching the tennis. The markets have everything from handmade jewellery to one-of-a-kind items of clothing. What’s not to love?

Where: Wimbledon Quarter

When: Saturday 12 July (10am — 6pm) & Sunday 13 July (11am — 5pm)

🎨 Art Below summer show 2025: This July, in collaboration with Art Below, the Wimbledon-based Ad Lib Gallery will be showcasing artworks by various artists on billboard posters throughout Pimlico and Hyde Park tube stations. To celebrate this, the gallery will also be exhibiting works by many of the participating artists in SW19, with a private view you can RSVP to here.

Where: Ad Lib Gallery, Wimbledon Village

When: Thursday 17 July — Sunday 27 July, 10am — 5pm

🍷 Sherry Spectacular at Amathus: As Frankie Valli once sang: Sherry, Sherry baby! Get yourself down to Amathus’ masterclass on the fortified wine next week to learn about the difference between a fino and an oloroso — and don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of tasting too. Tickets are £35 plus booking fee and can be bought here.

Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village

When: Wednesday 16 July, 6.30pm

🎤 Live music at The Old Frizzle: Cut loose this weekend with a bit of music and dancing. Pop in to the Old Frizzle — one of Wimbledon’s best pubs — and listen to everything from classic covers to quirky country.

Where: The Old Frizzle, The Broadway

When: Saturday 12 July, 9pm until late

🐴 Wimbledon Village stables open day: On the second Saturday of every month, the stables opens its doors to visitors so that they can enjoy the yard, hang out with the lovely horses and see how everything runs behind the scenes. It’s entirely free — and do bring your children along to meet Mr Fudge, the friendliest Shetland pony you’ll ever meet!

Where: Wimbledon Village stables

When: Saturday 12 July, 2 — 3pm

The Boy With Wings: Polka’s summer flagship show 🦋

The Boy with Wings, Polka Theatre’s flagship show for the summer, has landed (pardon the pun) in Wimbledon. The show is adapted from Sir Lenny Henry’s children’s novel of the same name and follows 12-year-old Tunde, a boy who lives with his mum and often dreams about reuniting with his absent father. But what Tunde doesn’t know is that his father is actually a part-avian, part-humanoid alien from a different planet. (I’d like to see Jeremy Kyle try to deal with that family drama.)

The cast is made up of six versatile actors who play multiple roles, as well as rap, sing and even dabble in a bit of puppetry. The show begins with the young Tunde, played by Adiel Boboye, begging his mother to leave the bedroom door open as he sleeps. Tunde is a nervous boy, but it’s not his fault: we later find out that his mother is not actually his mother, but a scientist hired by Tunde’s alien father to protect and watch over him on Earth. Because of this, Tunde’s “mother”, Ruth, played brilliantly by Mia Jerome, is somewhat smothering and overprotective — she’d rather see him spend his summer indoors playing video games than explore the “dangerous” outside world. But Tunde is a 12-year-old boy; he wants to grow up. And with the help of his two new best friends, Kylie and Dev, played enthusiastically by Millie Elkins-Green and Samir Mahat respectively, he does just that.

There are two plots that run in tandem throughout the production. The first focuses on Tunde and his need for independence. The second follows Juba, a ferocious feline alien from the planet Furlean, which is at war with Tunde’s father’s avian world. Juba’s reason for being on earth is to find Tunde and broker some sort of peace deal. These dual plot lines only merge at the end of the first act, when Tunde finally sprouts his avian wings.

It's never easy to adapt a novel for the stage. Plots are often hastened and exposition can feel shoehorned into a script. But The Boy with Wings does a great job at abating this with its use of song and puppetry. Whilst it’s not strictly a musical, the chirpy chorus of singing birds (controlled by the cast of puppeteers) and Tunde’s rap-battling best friends both help to move the story along at a swift pace. The set and costume design by Laura McEwen is also one of the show’s unique selling points, with the sci-fi elements making for an imaginative and functional mise-en-scène.

The show is really about coming together, about finding common ground — even with our enemies. When Tunde’s father, Aaven, arrives on earth and comes face-to-face with his arch nemesis, Juba, it is Tunde who manages to show them the error of their ways. The show teaches us that we can be blinded by ignorance and hatred. Early in the show, it is Juba who tells the trio of best friends and the audience that reasons for war “can often seem many but, when it comes down to it, there aren’t any”. This is something of the show’s overarching theme: it’s a tale about overcoming your fears, but also a story about the wider notion of conflict. And if there’s one message to glean from The Boy with Wings, it’s one of peace and reconciliation.

Arvind Ethan David has done a fine job of adapting Sir Lenny’s book for stage, and the direction from Daniel Bailey is certainly vibrant and engaging enough for a show that is aimed at 7—12 year olds. But what really struck me about The Boy with Wings was the script’s maturity, the ideas and jokes that can be enjoyed by all ages. So, with that in mind, why not escape the heat on one of these blisteringly hot summer days and get yourself and your children down to Polka Theatre for a bit of singsong sci-fi fun?

The Boy with Wings is on until Saturday 16 August. Book your tickets here.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked you who the first woman to win the Wimbledon ladies’ singles competition was. The answer: Maud Watson (which 29% of you got right).

Q: Who is the youngest man to win Wimbledon’s men’s singles title?

Photo of the week 📸

Last week, I was sent this photo by local resident Sally Gibbons. In her email, Sally wrote: “The council is making an effort to control e-bike parking. Sadly the parking bays are not always used as effectively as they could be.”

Has anyone else seen or experienced this? If so, leave a comment below. And thanks for the photo, Sally! Send in your own photos for a chance to be featured: zak@thewimble.com.

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you liked our review of The Boy with Wings. If you have children, do get them along before the run ends. If any Wimblers see any shop fronts that have really caught their eye this Championships, do send in some photos. And, as ever, get in touch with any ideas, leads or questions: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of your week, and we’ll see you next time.