The District Line gets a makeover
Plus: The new women's football team taking Wimbledon by storm
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope we’ve all been enjoying the sun!
This week I had the pleasure of sitting down with Eamonn Newell, founder of Swans FC. Swans FC offers women a chance to play football, regardless of their ability or age. Whether you’re 18 or 81, Swans has a space for you — and they just so happened to launch their Wimbledon branch earlier this year. Scroll down to hear all about their work and how women’s football is bringing communities together.
We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a lovely property of the week and some great recommendations for the days ahead.
Reader call-out: As the London Marathon approaches, we’re looking to hear from any locals that are running this year. Get in touch and tell us who you’re running for, if you’ve run before and how you’re preparing for it. Email zak@thewimble.com.
Other than that, happy reading!
News snippets 🗞
🚇 Wimbledon’s District Line gets urgent improvements by TfL. As many of our readers are aware, the Wimbledon branch of the District Line can be patchy (and that’s being kind): signal failures, engineering works, misleading timetables. Writing in London Now, the MP for Wimbledon, Paul Kohler has voiced his frustrations with the line, saying, “The root of the problem lies in the signalling between Wimbledon and East Putney, which is several generations out of date. Unlike much of the District Line, which benefits from modern automatic train management, our branch remains a technological outlier.”
But according to the piece, work is due to take place over the next few months and should hopefully be in place by the summer.
🏃 Thomas Cheetham, who has lived locally for over 20 years, is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Alzheimer's Research UK. Cheetham’s father has Alzheimer's, which he called a "cruel" illness that takes away one’s personality. This is Cheetham’s 24th London Marathon — he first took part in 1991. To sponsor him and show your support, head to his fundraising page here.
🏗 Prime Minister Keir Starmer has asked Housing Secretary Steve Reed to investigate claims that Criterion Capital, owners of Britannia Point in Colliers Wood, has evicted large numbers of its tenants ahead of new renters' rights coming into effect. In PMQs last week, Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden, Dame Siobhain McDonagh, raised her concerns about the reported mass evictions and called on Starmer to address the situation. The real estate company, founded by Asif Aziz, has reportedly served notice against at least 130 tenants in recent weeks, according to this article in The Standard.
Property of the week 🏡
This five-bedroom detached home is in one of Wimbledon’s most sought after locations. Only a few minutes from Wimbledon Village and with an outdoor pool, it’s no surprise that this humongous property is on sale for £4.35m. Check out more photos here.
Ask The Wimble❓
You asked us “when will The Wimble publish another print edition?”
The answer: we’re going to launch another summer edition in June to coincide with the tennis. Keep your eyes peeled for call-outs and other print-related messages!
Keep sending your “Ask The Wimble” questions to zak@thewimble.com. We’re working through them as they come. If you’ve already asked a question, keep your eyes peeled for answers in the coming weeks.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎨
🎸 The Choir of Man: Welcome to the Choir of Man, the best pub in the world… at the New Wimbledon Theatre. The show features “a wildly talented group of incredible instrumentalists, world-class wordsmiths, and sensational singers, this cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys serves it all... live!” The show received a 5-star review in LondonTheatre1 this week and tickets are selling fast, so grab them here.
Where: New Wimbledon Theatre
When: Sat 14 – Sat 21 March
🥃 Azaline saffron vermouth and negroni sampling at Amathus: This weekend, Amathus Wimbledon welcomes Steve Drawbell, owner of Azaline Saffron Vermouth, for a free sampling session to celebrate World Vermouth Day. If you’re interested in a few samples, then get yourself down to Amathus this Saturday.
Where: Amathus, Wimbledon Village
When: Saturday 21 March, 12–5pm
🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: The Village Farmers’ Market is one of Wimbledon’s weekly highlights. In fact, many restaurants use this market to source their produce — so you know you’re in good company. Get yourself along this weekend and pick up some groceries to cook a delicious meal.
Where: Wimbledon Village
When: Sunday 22 March, 10am – 3pm
🐝 AELTC: Weekend of Nature: Join the AELTC for a nature weekend, celebrating the season’s wildlife and the role that water plays in helping nature flourish (in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust). Join the nature safari walks to scout for “mini beasts” and wildlife, speak with the AELTC’s horticulture and grounds teams for advice on water-friendly plants, and find out how they harvest water for their grass courts. This event is free to attend and no booking is required.
Where: The Clubhouse on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Course
When: Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 March, 10am – 1pm / 2–4pm
🐣 Easter at Wimbledon Quarter: Meet the Easter Bunny!! Join the Quarter for a magical Easter experience filled with storytelling, crafting and family fun. Tickets are £10 per child and can be bought here.
Where: Wimbledon Quarter
When: Saturday 4 April, 11am – 5pm
A new women’s football club in the heart of SW19 ⚽️
Eamonn Newell created Swans Football to give women the opportunity to learn or return to the game in a safe, friendly and accepting environment. Women’s football has gone from strength to strength in the past few years, but plenty of women over 25 still feel a huge lack of opportunity, especially at an amateur level. Swans FC’s mission is to rectify that. Having launched in Twickenham three years ago, the project has expanded to other areas of South London: Chiswick, Richmond, Kingston, Barnes and Kew. And their latest addition just so happens to be on our doorstep in Wimbledon. I sat down with Eamonn to talk about the club’s story, aims and how football can bring communities together.
Take me back to where this all started. What made you launch Swans Football?
It all started when one of my daughters came back from school one day. She told me she was disappointed that she hadn’t been selected for the football team. It was the first I’d heard of her liking football! So I looked around our area, Twickenham, but there didn’t seem to be many clubs for young girls. I called a few, and they all said the same thing: “Get her along for a trial.” And I thought: “She’s never kicked a ball before. She doesn’t need to go to a trial and have a group of middle-aged men tell her that she’s not good enough to play. What she needs is for a club to take her on and help her learn.”
I asked my daughter if she had any friends who’d be interested in starting a club, and it quickly snowballed from there. Quite soon, I realised I had a responsibility to take coaching courses and equip myself with the skills to train these young girls. And so with the help of some other local dads, we started Twickenham Cygnets FC in 2015. Back then, it was just me, my daughter and five of her friends. Today that club has 350 girls and 26 teams, ages 5–16.
And how did Swans come about?
About three years ago, some of the mothers of the girls at Twickenham Cygnets FC approached me and asked if I could start a club for adult women. They spoke about the lack of opportunities and setbacks they faced whilst growing up. So I started the first adult Swans FC in Twickenham, unsure as to what the uptake would be. 40 women came to the first session! From there, I expanded to Chiswick, Richmond, Kingston and now Wimbledon. It’s been a really amazing experience. Today, we have over 100 women playing across the boroughs.
What does a typical training session look like?
We follow the same session plan across all venues. This way, if you miss one session, you can always drop into another one on a different day at a different location. A typical session is 10 minutes of warming up before going straight into technical practice. That might be something as simple as learning how to pass, or it might be something a little more difficult, like shooting or defending as a unit. These sessions are always an hour, and the last 20 minutes is where the women get to play a game, which seems to be everyone’s favourite part of the evening.
How do you think the women’s game has changed in recent years?
It’s interesting: I think perspectives vary depending on age. Any female footballer under the age of 15 tends to see football as a sport for them — there’s not really much of a sense that it’s “a boy’s game”. But I think anyone older than 15 still has a bit of that imposter syndrome: “Are we fully accepted into this world?” Amongst the Swans — all of whom are over 18 — there’s definitely a sense that they have been excluded from the sport in the past and that now there is finally a chance for inclusion and acceptance.
Talk to me a little bit about the impact of the Swans on the community.
I think it’s really all about bringing people together. Some of the players have spoken privately about their personal battles and how the club is a beacon for them. But it’s also been lovely to see new relationships forming. The Monday night group doesn’t have a session on a bank holiday, but they’ll still all meet up to watch a game or go to the pub. There’s a real social bond with the Swans.
On a personal level, it’s been beautiful to see the little moments week in, week out. It can be as simple as someone turning up to their first Swans session having never kicked a ball before, the sheer joy on a player’s face after scoring her first goal or the friendships and bonds that develop amongst a group of women from many different backgrounds, now united by their love of football and the sense of belonging that comes with being part of a community. It’s these little collections of moments that remind me why I do it.
Swans FC practice every Thursday (7.30–8.30pm) at Wimbledon High School, Nursery Road, SW19 4JA. The sessions are for anyone aged 18 to 81+. Bring your trainers or astros (no football boots). The first session is free, and then prices vary depending on uptake. Click here to register and read more.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked you what year the District Line in Wimbledon opened. The answer: 1889.
Q: When was the first game at the new Plough Lane (Cherry Reds Record Stadium) played?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our feature on Swans FC! Do check out their website to get involved. And get in touch if you’re running the London Marathon by emailing zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week and we’ll see you next time!