Wimbledon's town centre sees record number of visitors
Plus: Your chance to win two free tickets to War Horse at the New Wimbledon Theatre
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone is having a fine morning.
This week, we’ve got your usual news snippets, a great property of the week and a data-driven feature about Wimbledon’s record-breaking visitor numbers this year. We’ve also got some delightful recommendations for the week ahead and a couple of polls, which we’d love if you could answer.
We’re also doing a giveaway this week. That’s right: this is your chance to win two free tickets to see War Horse at the New Wimbledon Theatre on either Tuesday 5 August or Wednesday 6 August (you can pick which day). All you have to do is email me the answer to this Michael Morpurgo-themed question: in the novel Private Peaceful, Charlie sings his favourite childhood song before his execution. What is that song?
Email me your answers with the subject heading: WAR HORSE. The winner will then be picked at random and receive two free tickets. I’ll let the winner/s know over the weekend, so do keep at least one of those two dates free.
Other than that, happy reading!
News snippets 🗞
🥕 Wimbledon Quarter’s Rooftop Farm has a new event — and it’s already entirely sold out! Taste of The Rooftop Farm returns on 13 August, with guest chefs yet to be announced. I attended the last tasting event, so I’m not being disingenuous when I say that it’s really not one to miss. If you haven’t got tickets this time, then I urge you to sign up for their mailing list here. Rumour has it that there will be another event in September.
🎗 Local Evri courier Ian Adams is aiming to walk one million steps in aid of Diabetes UK. He is taking on the challenge in honour of his wife, Eileen, who he’s has been married to for over 40 years. Now in her sixties, Eileen has suffered from the illness for over a decade. She says, “I’m so proud of Ian for taking on this challenge and supporting this particular cause, which has helped me in so many ways throughout the years.” If you’d like to read and donate to Ian’s challenge, then click here.
🚇 The District line to Wimbledon is “not fit for purpose”, according to Putney MP Fleur Anderson. The comment comes after Sir Sadiq Khan was forced to apologise to thousands of tennis fans during the Wimbledon tennis Championships after the tube line suffered its worst performance in over a decade. Fleur Anderson spoke to The Standard last week and said:
“It goes up and down. Last autumn, there was a peak of signal failures. Sometimes it’s in the winter when the tunnels get flooded … They [problems on the line] are so frequent, one couple came to say their grown-up daughter had to move out of Southfields because she couldn’t rely on getting to work. That’s how bad it had got.”
🎾 Wimbledon considers a rule change to the women’s final. This year’s final saw Iga Swiatek swiftly overpower Amanda Anisimova 6–0, 6–0 in less than an hour. Some fans were left wondering if the current format should be changed to a best-of-five-sets match. One of the loudest voices calling for this change is former British tennis player Laura Robson, who claims that Anisimova could have performed better if she’d had more time. But while quite a few fans agree, there have been a significant number of voices arguing against a change. Read all about it in Tennis Majors.
Property of the week 🏡
Angles, angles and more angles! Have you ever seen a more angular property? Personally, I love it – it’s like living in a triangle. This two-bedroom, warehouse-style apartment reminds me of something you might find in New York. I particularly like the small balcony — talk about making the most of your space. This flat is only a stone’s throw from Wimbledon Chase and Raynes Park, and for £560,000, that’s not a bad deal. Check out more photos here.
The rebirth of the high street: How Wimbledon’s town centre bounced back 📈
Is the high street dying? Maybe… but not here in Wimbledon! Recent data — courtesy of Love Wimbledon and Wimbledon Quarter — shows that Wimbledon experienced a huge surge in footfall during the tennis fortnight. And while an increase in footfall is expected throughout the Championships, this year shows that Wimbledon town centre was the busiest it’s ever been since tracking cameras were installed in 2012.
The yellow line indicates most recent footfall.
In 2012, when Andy Murray lost to Roger Federer, the cameras tracked a total footfall of 547,817. When Murray won Wimbledon in 2013, that number increased to 614,712. (Unsurprising, considering Murray was the first male British player to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936.) But while we may not have had a Brit in the final this year, it doesn’t seem to have dissuaded visitors from coming to SW19. This year, footfall reached a peak of 648,456 over the fortnight. Broken down, that’s a staggering 331,228 in week one and 317,228 in week two. Of course, the tennis isn’t entirely responsible for those numbers but, looking at the graph, you can see the Championships have a significant impact on visitor count.
Speaking with the team behind Wimbledon Quarter, it appears that they too enjoyed a record-breaking number of visitors throughout the fortnight. In the first week, the Quarter saw a total number of 178,604 visitors. That’s a 17% increase from last year. Numbers remained high in week two, with a total number of 172,153 visitors. Overall, the Quarter saw a 13% increase in footfall from last year.
So is the high street dying? Well, not in Wimbledon. And not in many other parts of the country either. It’s undoubtedly struggling, especially in areas with high rental costs and low consumer spending rates. But it’s adapting, and revitalised retail areas in Wimbledon — the Quarter, Broadway, the Village — are all doing their bit to change with the times. Fundamentally, our high streets are vital to our communities, and although I understand that shopping online is more convenient, I’d encourage everyone to shop locally where they can (only if they’re able to, of course).
Check out this article and this article for further commentary on the death (or rebirth) of the high street.
The Wimble’s to-do list
🍩 Love Wimbledon local market on the Piazza: Welcome back to the monthly market offering a delightful mix of artisan stalls. Whatever it is that you fancy, this market has it. From Bombay Delight’s award-winning curries to secondhand vinyl classics courtesy of So Pop Vinyl, the Piazza’s market has something for everyone.
Where: The Piazza, Wimbledon
When: Friday 1 August – Saturday 2 August, 11am-6pm
🍻 Pub quiz at the Dog & Fox: It’s that time again: gather your smartest friends, grab a couple of beers and compete in one of Wimbledon’s most competitive pub quizzes. I love a pub quiz — I’ve always fancied myself something of a quizmaster (though unfortunately I’d probably run out of questions within the first few weeks).
Where: Dog & Fox, Wimbledon Village
When: Wednesday 6 August, 6-8pm
🐎 Wimbledon Village Stables open day: Wimbledon Village Stables open day: This is your chance to take a peek behind the curtain at Wimbledon Stables. You can learn about membership options, check out the Equicise horse simulator and meet Mr Fudge, the friendliest Shetland pony known to mankind.
Where: Wimbledon Village Stables
When: Saturday 9 August, 2-3pm
🏅Green King Untapped music competition: Whether you’re a band, singer-songwriter, drag queen or something else entirely, Greene King Untapped is your shot to make it to the big leagues. This is a national pub-based music competition, but you’ll compete in early heats at your local Greene King pub (this year, it’s the Prince of Wales in the town centre and the Leather Bottle in Wimbledon Chase). Just click here to sign up. If you do make it to the top, you’ll be in with a chance to win £10k and a slot to perform at Pub in the Park 2026.
Where: Select local Greene King pubs (sign up here).
When: Friday 8 August
☕️ Ladies Before Lunch at Wimbledon Guild: Your monthly get-together is back! Enjoy some brunch whilst you relax with friends (or make new ones). The activity is free — refreshments are available for a small charge at the Guild’s cafe. Details to book are here.
Where: Wimbledon Guild
When: Tuesday 5 August, 10am-12pm
Question of the week 🔍
Last week, I asked you which road is the most expensive (for buying a house) in Wimbledon. The answer: Parkside Avenue.
Q: When was the Polka Theatre built?
You’re up to date 👋
Thanks for reading this week’s edition of The Wimble. Don’t forget to enter our competition for a chance to win two tickets to War Horse at the New Wimbledon Theatre. And do get in touch with any upcoming events or potential features: zak@thewimble.com. Other than that, have a great rest of the week, and we’ll see you next time.
Ooh! I have to pull you up on the Polka Theatre question. It opened as a theatre in 1979, but was actually built as the church hall for Holy Trinity next door, which was consecrated in 1862. It is currently on a long lease to the Polka Theatre.