The hidden heroes of the tennis
Plus: A biodynamic wine tasting, a nature walk and a lecture on the Edo period of Japan
Hello Wimblers — welcome to this week’s edition of The Wimble.
It’s been a while since we’ve celebrated our subscribers, but we’re delighted to announce that, as of today, we have over 7,000 dedicated readers! Our goal is to get to 10,000 by the end of this year, so please keep sharing and subscribing so we can reach even more of our community.
This week we have a lovely feature about the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the Wimbledon Championships what they are. Scroll down to hear about the dedication it takes to make the stadium look impeccable — and fit for the world’s tennis pros.
We’ve also got your usual news snippets, a more affordable property of the week (well, relatively), and some great recommendations for the week ahead.
Do get in touch if you have a story you’d like us to feature: zak@thewimble.com.
Happy reading!
News snippets 🗞
🛍 Danish lifestyle brand Søstrene Grene are opening a brand-new store in Wimbledon. Each of the company’s London locations offer a slightly different shopping experience; their Wimbledon branch, located on The Broadway, will bring a fresh collection of Scandi-style interiors. Check out more info in the Retail Times.
🎨 Merton Arts Society are having their first exhibition since 2019. This summer, they’ll be back at the Stable Yard Gallery in Morden Hall Park, where 20 members will be showing a variety of framed and unframed work for visitors to peruse and purchase. The exhibition will run from 7—22 June (10am — 5pm).
And if you’re feeling inspired, the society is actively looking for new members. Members meet on the second Tuesday of every month from 7.30—9.30pm at Martin Way Methodist Church. Anyone over 16 is welcome to join, whether you’re an experienced artist or a beginner. If you’re interested, talk to one of the stewards at the exhibition or pick up a brochure when you’re there.
📮 The Raynes Park Post Office has been saved from closure following a campaign launched by Liberal Democrat representatives. A new independent franchise operator will take over the business in September, offering the same services. The change also means that the post office will extend its opening hours on Tuesday mornings.
🎾TFL have released updated guidance for cabbies looking to work during the Wimbledon Championships. Licensed taxis and PHVs have been encouraged to assist with the movement of an expected 42,000 daily attendees to and from the stadium. TFL has outlined the temporary taxi pick-up and drop-off points, as well as reminding drivers to avoid stopping or parking where it’s not permitted. Read their full guidelines here.
Property of the week 🏡
In honour of AFC Wimbledon’s triumph against Walsall last week, we’ve decided to feature a property that’s about as close to the stadium as you can get without being called a pitch invader. It’s a two-bedroom apartment with 802 sq ft of space. It’s on the market for a somewhat reasonable £550,000. I say reasonable only because this is London, and £100,000 will scarcely get you a bin in Zone 4. And for me, the balcony makes it worth the price (I’m a sucker for a spacious balcony). Check out more info here.
The Wimble’s to-do list 🎨
✏️ Navigating reception expectations workshop: Is your child starting school this September? If so, join Bespoke Minds Education at the Little Gym this weekend for a relaxed talk designed for parents of preschoolers that will cover everything from key milestones to settling-in strategies. Tickets are £20 per person and can be booked here.
Where: The Little Gym, Wimbledon Quarter
When: Saturday 7 June, 4pm
🍷 Organic and biodynamic wine tasting: The words “organic” and “biodynamic” are thrown around a lot these days — especially if you frequent the cooler-than-cool yuppified wine bars of North and East London. But what do these words actually mean? What makes a wine organic — and how is that different from biodynamic? If these questions keep you up at night, then head over to Jeroboams this Friday to taste a selection of delicious bottles and have the world of natural wines demystified. Tickets are £30 each.
Where: Jeroboams, Wimbledon Village
When: Friday 6 June, 6pm
🗾 The Great Age of Shogun: The art and culture of the Edo period of Japan: Alongside an industrial boom, Japan’s Edo period saw a flourishing of art and culture. Join Marie Conte-Helm next week as she takes you on a tour of the period’s riches, from castle architecture and golden screen painting to lacquerware and netsuke. This event is free for members; tickets cost £10 for everyone else.
Where: The Sacred Heart Church Hall
When: Wednesday 11 June, 8pm
🎶 Wimbledon Common Chorus presents: Songs & Stories: The strapline of local choir the Wimbledon Community Chorus is “if you like singing in the shower or in the car, come and sing with us”. Anyone can join — there are no auditions. Tickets for their summer concert are £15 each, and all proceeds go to the Jack Lonergan Foundation, a charity that promotes musical education for young people from low-income families who might otherwise be unable to access it.
Where: St Matthew’s Church, SW20
When: Saturday 14 June, 4—6.20pm
🌳 Guided tree walk at Cannizaro Park: Join arboriculturist Greg Packman as he continues the exploration of Cannizaro Park’s Champion Trees and other noteworthy trees. Tickets are £11.50.
Where: Cannizaro Park
When: Saturday 14 June, 11am—1pm
Baseline Players: The Ground Staff Behind Wimbledon's Annual Ace 🎾
Making the most celebrated Grand Slam tournament in the world run smoothly is no walk in the park. We speak to the people working tirelessly behind the televised scenes.
OK. So you’ve got your Pimm’s cup, settled into a Centre Court seat — lucky thing — spotted a celebrity, dribbled strawberries and cream down that white linen suit, and fixed your eyes on an impending three hours of tennis. Two incredibly fit athletes smashing balls across a deceptively large area at impossibly high speeds is impressive enough. But spare a thought for the talent making all of this possible.
One person is Neil Stubley. Head of Courts and Horticulture since 2017, his Wimbledon journey began in 1995 after being hired as a groundsman. Unsurprisingly, then, he has plenty to say about the work that goes into maintaining the stadium, including its flower beds and green areas, as well as what's needed to keep the grass on the courts as responsive as it need to be. No mean feat on an island with weather more capricious than the stock market.
“We worry about the Championships and the grass every year because it’s a living surface,” says Stubley. Each year, 10 tonnes of seeds are used on Wimbledon's courts, and 200 tonnes of soil are applied to level them. Even then, the correct ball bounce height is checked 1,822 times over the fortnight of the Championships. And during that time, resistance is measured 18,240 times to ensure the best possible conditions for the world's best players. “We can control it to about 70%,” he says. “But Mother Nature always has the final say.”
It never gets any easier, either. There’s only so long Stubley and his team can dine out on the triumph of last year’s tournament — you're only ever as good as your current job, and each year, success or failure sits on the shoulders of an army of behind-the-scenes workers. No pressure there, then. But stress is also a key motivator.
“If I haven’t got that knot in my stomach in the lead-up to the tournament, then I’ll feel like I’m getting too complacent and something will go wrong,” Stubley says. And he's quick to point out it’s not just the courts they need to consider.
Take the flowers, for example. Beautiful? Yes. Central to the image of Wimbledon? Definitely. Easy to manage? Absolutely not. In total, 27,000 plants are brought in for The Championships every year, from hanging baskets to window boxes, troughs and even living walls. Hydrangeas and petunias, roses and ivy. Enough to mean the dedicated horticultural team works tirelessly to perfect that iconic 'tennis in an English Garden’ look. An aesthetic with roots in the Victorian age, which has come to represent tennis culture itself.
The groundskeepers are under immense strain, but nevertheless they also clearly love what they do. As Senior Gardener Robin Murphy emphasises. “You feel like custodians of the land. That pressure drives us, but it’s also the reason why so many of us stay. The eyes of the world are keeping you on your toes. Every Championship is like having a new job — it doesn’t feel like I’ve been in the same place for 21 years.”
So, next time you’re having a glass of Lanson on Henman Hill, enraptured by the sights, sounds and smells of the most unique and iconic tennis tournament on the planet, don't forget about the incredible people who make this what it is. After all, two weeks of fun for us is a year — if not a lifetime — of work for them.
Question of the week 🔍
Last week I asked you what year Wimbledon merged with Mitcham, Merton and Morden to form the London Borough of Merton. The answer: 1965.
Q: What famous nickname was given to Wimbledon FC in the 1980s and 90s by the British media?
You’re up to date 👋
Thank you for reading this week’s edition. I hope you enjoyed our insider feature on the workers of Wimbledon. Please do get in touch if you have any ideas: zak@thewimble.com. And share and subscribe if you haven’t already. Other than that, have a wonderful week.