Meet your historical neighbours: Wimbledon's blue plaques
Plus: The Council seizes properties from a rogue landlord, Merton is crowned the best place to downsize, and a snapshot of another dashing Wimbledon property
Good morning, Wimblers — I hope that everyone has had a good week. Thank you to those who have reached out via email or Instagram in recent days; it’s great to hear your thoughts and feedback.
It’s been a quiet week in Wimbledon. August is coming to a close, families are away and the summer is staggering to a slow and muggy halt. But fret not! Wimbledon always has something to offer. This week you can expect your usual news snippets, a wine tasting for those lesser-known and underappreciated French varieties, and a new study that puts Merton as London’s No.1 borough for green spaces. We’ve also got a little segment on Wimbledon’s blue plaques for those of you interested in SW19’s former and formidable residents (thank you to Martyn Kern for the idea).
Last week was fantastic and I was incredibly pleased to see so many of you engaging with the newsletter. Please keep sharing and promoting the work that we do — it means so much!
And don’t forget, you can always send photos of the week, ideas and recommendations to zak@thewimble.com.
That’s all from me. Happy reading!
News snippets 🗞
🏘 Merton Council seizes properties from rogue landlord — the decision comes after months of complaints from tenants about poor repair services and treatment. This is the first time that the Council has taken such action. With the landlord no longer in possession of the properties, the Council has employed agents to manage the buildings for the next 12 months. The Council has had the power to take this action for 20 years, but, as Councillor Andrew Judge pointed out, “There’s been very little use [of the legislation] by local authorities. We’re going to use them.” Read more in The Standard.
🚚 Our borough has been named the best place to downsize — a survey carried out by The Telegraph found that Merton tops the list of contenders thanks to its easily accessible parks, shops and healthcare services. See the list here.
🌳 We’ve also got the best access to green spaces in London — new figures from The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs estimates that 86,527 of the 87,768 households in Merton (that’s 99%) are within a kilometre of luscious greenery. If you’re in the unlucky 1%, get in touch. More details here.
Property of the week 🏡
If this home doesn’t count as “cottagecore”, I don’t know what does. It’s ridiculously twee (and I mean that in a good way). This detached house, known as Chapman Lodge, is every historian’s dream. The property dates back to the 19th century and was once the gatehouse of the Belmont Estate, owned by the Duc de Vendôme (how often does one get to say that about a gaff?). But it does come at a price: £2,450,000 to be exact. If you fancy some more window shopping, take a look here.
Meet your historical neighbours: Wimbledon’s blue plaques 🔵
Wimbledon is full of characters. That’s part of its charm. But do you ever stop to think about who lived here before you? Do you ever wonder who your neighbours might have been had you lived here 100 years ago? Thanks to the English Heritage’s blue plaques, you don’t have to. Here are eleven of Wimbledon’s most notable residents (scrapbook drawings by yours truly). You can also check out our map of Wimbledon’s blue plaque’s here!
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) — Eagle House, High Street, SW19 5EF (1803)
Not the happiest of chaps, Schopenhauer is perhaps best known as the “philosopher of pessimism”. He studied at Eagle House in 1803 as a young man and had, to put it mildly, a pretty terrible time. That said, it’s nice to have had one of philosophy’s most notable thinkers as a resident of SW19, albeit for a short period.
Arnold Toynbee (1852-1883) & Joseph Toynbee (1815-1866) — 9 Wimbledon Parkside, SW19 5NB (1854-1866)
Joseph Toynbee was a famed otologist who spent the majority of his career focusing on the anatomy of the ear. He led the first ear and throat disease department at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. Arnold Toynbee, his son, was a notable historian and philosopher, his most famous work being A Study of History (1934-1961).
Robert Graves (1895-1985) — 1 Lauriston Road, SW19 4TL (born here in 1895)
Robert Graves is perhaps one of the 20th century’s greatest writers. His poetry, short stories and memoir, Goodbye to All That, are still read extensively today. Born in Wimbledon, Graves studied at King’s College School before enlisting to serve in the First World War; his war poems are some of the finest works we have on the subject. He was famously wounded at The Battle of the Somme after a shell-fragment pierced his lung.
Lionel Tetris (1876-1975) — 42 Marryat Road, SW19 5BD
Perhaps one of the most notable violinists of the 20th century, Lionel Tetris, CBE had an illustrious career. Tetris helped champion the violin as a soloist’s instrument. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and it was there where he made a name for himself by performing transcriptions of Mendelssohn and Wieniawski. He was also considered to be one of the greatest violin teachers of his era.
Dame Margaret Rutherford (1892-1972) — 4 Berkeley Place, SW19 4NN
Overcoming a troubled early life, Dame Margaret Rutherford rose to prominence after World War II when she starred in the film adaptations of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. She moved to Wimbledon at the age of three following the death of her mother, where she lived with her aunt Bessie at 4 Berkeley Place. A recipient of both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe, it’s safe to say that Rutherford had an extraordinary career. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1967.
Josephine Butler (1828-1906) — 8 North View, Wimbledon, SW19 4UJ (1890-1893)
Josephine Butler was a trailblazing feminist. She fought extensively for women’s rights and against child prostitution. In 1886, she led the campaign to repeal the Contagious Diseases Act: legislation that tried to control the spread of venereal diseases through the forced examination of suspected prostitutes. This past June, The Guardian wrote a brilliant piece on her life and work.
Sister Nivedita (1867-1911) — 21 A High Street, SW19 5DX
Sister Nivedita famously campaigned for Indian independence. Throughout her life, she fought for further education in India — opening a school in Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta — as well as writing prolifically; her best known book is arguably The Master as I Saw Him.
Rose Lamartine Yates (1875-1954) — Dorset Hall, Kingston Road, SW19 3NQ (1906-1935)
Rose Lamartine Yates was a suffragette, social activist and was heavily involved in the Women’s Consultative Committee of the League of Nations in 1932. When war broke out in 1914, Yates opened a soup kitchen for the poor at 9 Victoria Crescent, Wimbledon. In 1918, she ran as an independent candidate in the London County Council election for North Lambeth and won her seat.
Georgette Heyer (1902-1974) — 103 Woodside, SW19 7BA (born here in 1902)
We have another great writer on our list: Georgette Heyer. She is often considered the founder of the historical romance genre, and she was also prolific in the world of detective fiction. Some of her famous novels include The Grand Sophy, Venetia and These Old Shades.
Sir Ernst Chain (1906-1979) — 9 North View, SW19 4UJ
Sir Ernst Boris Chain was a German biochemist. He left Germany in 1933 as a result of the Nazis’ rise to power. Chain, along with Howard Florey, built on the work of Alexander Fleming and found a way to concentrate the bacteria-killing agent in penicillin. In 1945, Chain, Florey and Fleming received the Nobel Prize.
John Innes (1829-1904) — Manor House, Watery Lane, SW20 9AD
A property developer and philanthropist, John Innes is famous for developing Merton Park and for receiving the title of Merton’s Lord of the Manor in 1872 — a title dating back to England’s feudal system. Upon his death, Innes left the majority of his grounds to be converted into a public park for the people of Merton and Morden.
The Wimble’s to do list 🎯
🍷 Wine Tasting at Jeroboams — “The Underdogs of France”. This wine tasting is all about the lesser-known, underrated grape varieties and regions of France. I do love a wine tasting, though I made the mistake of not spitting any of the wine out at my first one (that was a fun bus ride home). It’s £25 a ticket. Head here to book.
Where: Jeroboams, 77 High Street, Wimbledon Village
When: Friday 30th August, 6:00 PM - until the wine run outs
🎻 Live Music at Light on the Common — enjoy a meal and some 2-4-1 cocktails as the musicians at Light on the Common keep you company. Who doesn’t like dinner with a show?
Where: Light on the Common, 48 High Street, Wimbledon Village
When: Friday 30th August, 5:00PM - 6:30PM
🏝 Indian Ocean & Sri Lanka Travel Showcase — Swords Travel are running an evening to get you in that holiday mood (the summer isn’t finished just yet). Head over for a chance to speak to experts and find out about these beautiful destinations as well as where to go, what to do and what to see. More details here.
Where: Swords Travel, Wimbledon High Street, SW19 5BY
When: Thursday 29th August, 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
🍽 Ladies Before Lunch — Wimbledon Guild is running another brunch meet-up next week. It’s free to attend and refreshments will only be a small charge from the Guild’s cafe. Pop along to meet old friends or make new ones. Book your space here.
Where: Guild Lounge, Wimbledon Guild, 30/32 Worple Road, SW19 4EF
When: Tuesday 3rd September, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Question of the week 🔍
Last week I asked you which Prime Minister fought a duel on Wimbledon Common against the MP for Southwark in 1798. The answer: William Pitt “The Younger”.
Q: Who holds the record for the loudest grunt on court at Wimbledon? Hint: it was 101.2 decibels, which is roughly the same noise as a 747 taking off (a terrifying thought).
You’re up to date 👋
Thanks for reading this week. If you enjoyed the newsletter, please share it with your friends, family, enemies, work colleagues and anyone else you’d like to pester who has access to the internet. Please send me your photos of the week, your ideas, your recommendations and your stories: zak@thewimble.com. For now, take it easy, have a good weekend, enjoy some rest and I’ll see you next week!
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