The Wimbledon pub making sure people aren't alone on Christmas

A final roundup of all things good in SW19, a feature about the power of care and all the latest local news

Dec 19, 2024

Good morning, Wimblers — and welcome to this year’s final edition of The Wimble. And what a year it has been. All of this has been made possible by you, the readers, and the team here at The Wimble is eternally grateful for all of your support and encouragement over the past seven months. Keep up the good work and share and subscribe if you haven’t yet.

We’ve got a packed little edition for you this week. Expect your last weekly news roundup for the year, some very festive recommendations, an important feature focusing on Queen’s Court Care Home and all the brilliant work they do there, and more!

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch over the holidays with ideas, feedback and scoops for the coming year: zak@thewimble.com.

Happy reading!

News snippets 🗞

🎄 In 2015, owners of the Alexandra pub in Wimbledon, Mick and Sarah Doe, started a tradition: Giving away a free Christmas dinner to anybody spending Christmas alone. What started as a small initiative has grown into something quite incredible. In their first year, Mick and Sarah hosted nine people. By 2022, that number had grown to 186. Word spread about their generosity, and soon they had volunteers, donations and suppliers heavily discounting their Christmas produce all in the name of giving. Just last week, Mick and Sarah wrote a lovely article in the Londonist about their efforts. One quote which stuck out for me went as follows:

By now, your own Christmas plans will no doubt be well under way, I hope they are wonderful. I sincerely hope that you never find yourself feeling like you have to tell the neighbours that you're off to see your sister in Margate before staying home alone. I hope you never have to watch the King's speech, paper hat on your head, wondering what time you're going to bung the ready meal in the microwave. For lots of folks, that's Christmas Day right there. That's why we do what we do.

If you or anyone you know is alone this Christmas, remember that there’s a welcoming smile and a free meal waiting for you at the Alexandra.

🚲 Cyclists in Merton say that they need to be “brave” when cycling around the borough as they fear for their safety. The council held a preliminary consultation in anticipation of next year’s Walking and Cycling Strategy, which attracted more than 1000 participants. 26% of the respondents claim that the biggest problem facing local cyclists is the danger of the road. An equal number of people also voiced concerns over the need for segregated cycle lanes and traffic-free cycle routes. Read more about the council’s cycling plans here and give us your views on cycling in Merton in the comments.

Property of the week

The phrase “done up” gets thrown around a lot these days, but this six-bedroom detached modern home deserves the title. It comes with a multi-functional garden room that’s currently set up as a gym, it’s in a perfect location, only a stone’s throw from Wimbledon Common — plus, it also has a pool. That’s right … a pool. Not that our soggy shores are particularly “pool friendly”. But it’s there if you want it. All this could be yours for a cool £3.95 mil. Check out more details here.

The Wimble’s to do list 🎭

🥕 Wimbledon Village Farmers’ Market: This is your last chance to bag some beautiful produce — and presents! — from Wimbledon’s very own farmers’ market before Christmas. Head up to the village this Sunday and gaze upon the seemingly endless supply of farm fresh products and ready to eat treats.

Where: Wimbledon Village

When: Sunday 22 December, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

🎤 Christmas Sing-along Concert: Warm up those vocal cords and head on down to the New Wimbledon Theatre for a night of merriment. Conductor George Tormann will be leading the audience through a selection of Christmas bangers: everything from “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” to “Away in a Manger”. There will be a live band, a 60-person choir and special guest soloists. Tickets start at £29.43 and you can get them here. What are you waiting for?

Where: New Wimbledon Theatre

When: Friday 20 December, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

🍾 Discovery Tasting @ Friarwood: Champagne Ruinart: Don’t say we don’t spoil you! Stroll up to the village this weekend for a free champagne tasting. That’s right … free! Ruinart is a particularly lovely champagne for those of you who haven’t tried it — in fact, I’d go as far to say that it’s somewhat nicer (and cheaper) than Dom Perignon.

Where: Friarwood Wines, Wimbledon Village

When: Saturday 21 December, 2:30 PM - 6:30 PM

🎸 Live Music at Light on the Common: Who doesn’t love dinner and a show? Pop along to Light on the Common this Friday for some cocktails, dinner and relaxing live music in one of Wimbledon’s most stylish restaurants. And what’s more? The cocktails are 2-4-1.

Where: Light on the Common

When: Friday 20 December, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

🍺 Pub Quiz at The Dog & Fox: You’ve had the turkey, you’ve had a few glasses of bubbly, you’ve eaten one too many mince pies … and you’re at a loose end this Christmas. What do you do? I’ll tell you: head over to The Dog & Fox for a cheeky little pub quiz, of course. Bring your family, bring the dog, bring your best festive cheer and get stuck in!

Where: The Dog & Fox

When: Wednesday 25 December, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

The importance of caring: A day at Queen’s Court Care Home 💗

When I was 15 and in the throes of my DofE Bronze Award, I volunteered at a care home in Clapham. I thought I’d only do it for a few weeks. I ended up staying for six months and forging connections with the residents that have stayed with me to this day. A short while ago, Emilia Bogdanowicz — Community Engagement Officer at Wimbledon’s Queen’s Court Care Home — invited me for lunch with her and the residents. I instantly thought about the care home in Clapham, the people I’d met, the beautiful stories I’d heard. I told Emilia it was a yes from me. I made my way along Queen’s Road to discuss everything from the memory-inducing power of music to what it means to be a carer.

Me and Emilia with my goodie bag / Photo taken by a member of staff

Queen’s Court Care Home has a warm exterior. It looks more like an enlarged house than your typical “care home”. I’m buzzed in and I wait for Emilia in the lounge room: a place where residents can relax in armchairs — they’re so comfortable that I’m afraid of dozing off — and read the periodicals.

Emilia arrives and takes me into the dining room. Just over a dozen residents are sitting around tables chatting casually and enjoying teas and coffees before the meal arrives. It’s clear that Queen’s Court takes meal times very seriously, staff included. We sit down as the kitchen prepares our starter of avocado salad tossed in a balsamic glaze. Queen’s Court has been here for 29 years, and Emilia makes a point of stressing that most of the staff have worked here since the early days: “Our general manager has been here for 25 years. In fact, a lot of our staff have been here for 15 to 20 years. I think it says something about our home that the staff want to work here for so long.”

There are only 12 members of staff at Queen’s Court. It’s a streamlined operation. Emilia explains that this also creates an intimate and familial dynamic between the staff and residents. “We celebrate every member of staff’s birthday,” she says. “It’s the same with the residents. We make it our job to know them very well, to make their dreams come true if we can. It’s all about improving their quality of life.”

Queen’s Court is lucky to be where it is, Emilia tells me. “We usually organise a trip twice a week. Cannizzaro Park or Richmond. We’re super lucky to be around such greenery.” I ask how the trips work and if every resident gets a chance to go. “It’s not easy,” she says. “We can’t take everyone every time. We have a list and we rotate people from that.”

Soft classical music is playing as members of staff clear tables, replace cutlery, fill up wine glasses and coffee mugs. I’ve seen my fair share of care homes, and Queen’s Court is up there with one of the most aesthetically pleasing.

I ask Emilia to talk to me about the activities and community engagement that Queen’s Court participates in. “We do a lot of work with schools and young people,” she sayd. “King’s College School is particularly lovely to us. They organise a Christmas event every year and they invite all of the care homes in the area. Parents make cakes and the children sing for the residents — who absolutely love it!” Our main course of chicken breast coated in a caramelised onion sauce is served as I ask what activity or experience makes the residents happiest, I ask. “Definitely music,” she says. “We have our music therapist who comes twice a month for a live concert. The power of music is incredible. A resident might not be able to move very much, but when a song comes on from their past, they almost always have a physical reaction.”

The table of residents to my left are chatting about a recent trip. “Did they go somewhere this morning?” I ask. Emilia looks confused for a second. “Oh, yes,” she smiles. “Helen went to The Quarter this morning for a coffee. She wants to go every day. But Helen is going home tomorrow.” Queen’s Court, like many care homes, also offers temporary living quarters for people who are recovering from surgeries or in need of a place to stay for a few weeks.

I ask to talk about what it means to be a carer. “It’s not a normal job,” she says after a pause. “When I’m back home, I’ll still think about the residents. You build connections with people and that’s beautiful, but it can also be tough when you lose someone. I remember one day when an elderly lady called Sarah joined us here for ‘end of life care’. She wasn’t bed bound — in fact, she was walking and participating. I had a really good connection with Sarah. And I remember I had the weekend off and so I bought a bouquet of flowers to bring to her on Monday and when I got here I said, ‘Where is she?’ And that’s when they told me that she passed away. But of course, the residents will feel the loss too. We all see each other every day, so it has a huge impact when a person is no longer at the book club activity, or at lunch, or in their room.”

Emilia makes a very good point: being a carer is not like any other job. A person expects to experience trauma in a hospital — not to say that expecting it makes it any easier — but nurses and doctors rarely forge relationships with patients in the way that carers do with residents. How can they? A carer becomes an extension of a resident’s family. “All of us work here at Christmas time,'“ says Emilia. “I don’t want to leave my residents alone. A lot of families come but that’s not the case for everyone. So every Christmas we get a big Christmas tree in the dining room and we buy each resident a present and we spend the day opening them all together. In that way, we are like a family.”

A pineapple upside down cake is served for dessert with an espresso. The chef comes out to shake my hand. I tell him that if this is the food he serves everyday then his residents are very lucky people. Emilia and I chat a little while longer before I’m given a tour of the home. As I leave, goodie bag in hand, I think about some of Emilia’s words that will stay with me: “These are real people. As a carer, you’re working with people’s lives, not things. And that is what makes our job so unique.”

Check out Queen’s Court Care Home’s website to read about all the great work they do and follow their Facebook page to see what activities are coming up.

Question of the week 🔍

Last week, I asked what the oldest building in Wimbledon is (excluding churches). The answer: The Old Rectory, built c.1500.

Q: Which famous artist who helped found the Pre-Raphaelite brotherhood attended King’s College School?

You’re up to date 👋

Thank you to everyone for your support this year. It’s been incredible to see The Wimble grow and go from strength to strength. I wish you all a lovely and restorative Christmas and a happy new year. Take a break, get some rest, kick back and relax. We’ll see you in January.