Day 98
Willesden Green - Willesden Junction - Wimbledon - Wimbledon Park
"The stations went in two by two, hurrah, hurrah..."
Today's travels take me to four stations, coupled together in two locations.
Well, that's not strictly true - as we'll see - but certainly the first two stations are both "Willesden" stations, and the remaining two are both in Wimbledon.
Willesden Green, my first stop, is on a road called Walm Lane, which forms part of the A407 running between Cricklewood just to the north, and central Willesden to the south.
It's a fairly busy, reasonably well-provisioned, if slightly down at heel shopping street, and the station rather stands out from the shabby buildings that surround it.
It was the design of one Charles Walter Clark - not one of our more familiar names, though he did also design several Metropolitan Line stations including Farringdon, Great Portland Street and Baker Street. Like these, Willesden Green is now a Grade II Listed Building.
As well as the station and the shops, Walm Lane is home to an attractive and well-preserved church called St. Gabriels - built in 1897.
The many roads leading off Walm Lane are full of Arts & Crafts era houses and suggest an affluence not quite in keeping with the impression I get from the main street. Perhaps this is the Cricklewood influence.
This theory is strengthened as I head south (away from Cricklewood) on Walm Lane and reach Willesden High Road, which has even more shops and is (sadly) even more down at heel.
There is one building that catches my eye, however, and it's the local library.
Not only does it have the words 'Inspire And Be Inspired' in large neon letters above its entrance, but it seems to be a strange hybrid of the very modern and the distinctly old-fashioned.
The Victorian part of the library - built in 1894 - was constructed following a poll in which local residents requested such an edifice. When the new complex was being planned in 2012 the initial proposal was to demolish the old building, but again, public opinion (in the form of a petition) held sway and the building was kept - rightly so in my opinion.
The rest of the High Road is, as I have said, a rather shabby collection of shops, and I don't linger too long.
Instead I head for my next destination - Willesden Junction.
***
Willesden Junction, despite its name, is not actually in Willesden at all, but in next-door Harlesden.
As the latter half of the name suggests however, it is definitely a busy one, being the junction at which the Bakerloo Line, three branches of the Overground Line, and (formerly) the London & North Western Railway all meet.
It sits just to the south of Harlesden town centre, which - like Willesden - is typical of the sort of urban shopping area you get when there's not a huge amount of disposable income flying around.
There are pound shops, amusement arcades, money transfer services and plenty of take-away establishments, but not much in the way of higher end shopping.
At the centre of the shopping area is the 'Jubilee Clock', erected for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It seems newly painted and adds an element of civic pride to what otherwise seems an area that has seen better days.
The community here is largely Caribbean and the area is (unofficially at least) the 'Reggae Capital' of London. UK based Reggae band 'The Cimarons' were based (and recorded) in this part of town.
Sadly though, the first half of my day has proved less than edifying, and I head off southwards to Wimbledon in the hope that it his a bit more to offer...
***
And the first thing that strikes me as I stand outside Wimbledon station, looking at the main road, is how much cleaner it seems compared to my morning locations.
The station itself is also a junction of sorts, linking the District Line, South Western Railway, and the relatively new Tramline.
Outside the station I'm greeted by a striking sculpture of a stag, whose name (apparently) is Arthur.
This was commissioned by Merton council and made by local artist Isabelle Southwood in time for the rejuvenation of Wimbledon centre for the 2012 Olympics.
The significance of the stag motif is, I'm afraid, lost on me - unless it has something to do with the area's proximity to Richmond Park, which lies to the west of Wimbledon Common. The poem on a plaque attached to the statue's plinth does little to enlighten me.
Above the station are more sculptures, this time of various 'spectators', which I assume were also part of the same rejuvenation scheme, though I've been unable to discover any information on this - they are rather eerie though, as they gaze down at the people emerging from the station.
Of course, the first thing pretty much everyone thinks of when they hear the name "Wimbledon" is tennis.
The annual championships take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club grounds, some distance to the north of here, and I'll be visiting those in a little while, but the tennis influence is pretty clear even here.
The shopping centre is called 'Centre Court', and inside the station there are posters emblazoned with the Wimbledon Championships logo. Even the local dry cleaner has replaced the letter 'o' in their name - Wimbledon Dry Cleaners - with a tennis ball.
On the other hand, if the influx of thousands of tennis fans every year means that the area spruces itself up regularly, then I'll allow them to be a little unimaginative in their marketing.
Before immersing myself in the world of tennis however, I head south of the station rather than north, and have a look at two reasonably proximate, though very different, local theatres.
The first, and most traditional, is the 'New Wimbledon Theatre'.
This, despite its claims, is not particularly new - being a traditional Edwardian theatre - which has seen premieres of shows like Oliver and Half A Sixpence before these transferred into the West End.
It's fairly typical of a suburban theatre, and sees many touring productions of hit West End shows.
It was also the venue for several pantomimes that were televised and broadcast in the early 2000s, featuring some perhaps unlikely cast members from the world of 'alternative' comedy like Paul Merton, Julian Clary and Adrian Edmondson.
Sticking with the theme of shows aimed at children, the next theatre I visit is the world-famous Polka Theatre.
This was the first ever UK theatre venue dedicated to productions specifically aimed at children (aged 0-13). Beginning in 1967 as a touring puppetry based company, they opened a permanent theatre here in 1979 and have gone on to become a producing theatre working with such well-known writers as Alan Ayckbourn and Philip Pullman.
Heading back northwards to the town centre I stop for a bite to eat before heading off once again to my final station of the day - Wimbledon Park - and (at last!) to the home of UK tennis, the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
***
Wimbledon Park is quaint looking little station - penultimate on this branch of the District Line - which lies to the east of both the park that gave it its name, and the tennis courts to which I am, eventually I promise, going to come.
The road it sits on is - despite a few neat looking shops - clearly in a very residential area, and one where there is obviously a fair amount of money about.
Not only are the houses large and (as far as I can tell) not divided into flats, but the cars parked on their driveways (often two or three to a household) are all very expensive and over-sized.
The park itself, when looked at on Google maps, seems to be a pleasantly open space with a lake at its centre, and I expect to be able to stroll across it by means of some no doubt picturesque footpaths.
However, I'm soon dispelled of this notion.
The park has actually been divided into two, with the area south of the lake being entirely taken over by the Wimbledon Park Golf Club.
Unlike the golf club I encountered last week at West Ruislip, which had a pleasantly accessible public footpath running through it, here the club is very much of the "on no account let the proles in" variety. There are tall fences all the way around the course, completely blocking off the southern perimeter of the lake, and obliging the general public to walk around the northern side to get across the park.
The 'public' section of the park is fairly plain - a few tennis courts and a children's playground, but otherwise just an open field.
It does have - unusually - its own police station.
This is based in what used to be the park's pavilion, and is actually called a police 'office' (which I think basically means it doesn't have any cells in it). It houses half a dozen or so members of the 'Safer Neighbourhood Team', which is intended to be a more 'visible' police presence in the area.
But eventually I cross the park and come - finally - to the main landmark of the area.
I suspect most people (even non tennis fans) have seen at least some of the Wimbledon Championships on TV. Many will also perhaps have come here to spend a day at the grounds themselves - either getting a ticket through their local tennis club, or by joining the infamous 'Queue' which (during the Wimbledon fortnight) takes over Wimbledon Park and offers the chance of a day ticket to the Championships.
I myself have been lucky enough to visit a few times, and even to get a seat in the fabled Centre Court, and I'm sure that anyone who's been here will agree with me that the experience and atmosphere of being within the grounds during that summer fortnight, and of sitting courtside during a match, is a world away from watching the Championships on TV. So if you ever get the chance of a ticket, I recommend you leap at it.
However, if - like me - you find yourself in the neighbourhood at some other time of the year, I can also recommend you pay a visit to the museum, located in the grounds, and avail yourself of a tour of Centre Court - as I do today.
There are a couple of options with regard to the length of tour you go on, but - since I have more to fit in today - I opt for the more limited 15 minute tour of Centre Court, followed by an hour or so's visit to the museum.
I join the tour group waiting outside Centre Court, by the statue of one of tennis's famous former players - Fred Perry - and, while we wait, I take a photo of the 'Order of Play', which is still showing the matches played on the day of the Gentlemen's Final.
Our guide arrives and we follow her into Centre Court - taking a seat in the 'International Box', which is reserved for members of the International Tennis Federation.
I won't bore you with too many facts and figures - just a couple of the more salient points.
The All England Club was originally located to the south of the current site, off Worple Road, and had 12 courts laid out in a 3x4 arrangement.
The middle two courts of the second row were then combined into one single, large capacity court, and thus given the name 'Centre Court'.
When the Club moved to its present location in 1922, the main court kept the name 'Centre Court', though it wasn't strictly speaking in the centre of the grounds.
The retractable roof was added in 2009, and takes about 10 minutes to fully close, though the ground needs up to a further hour to 'settle' before play can resume.
The grass used on the court is Perennial Ryegrass, and is cut to an exact height of 8mm for the Championships.
The first thing you might notice from my photo of the empty court, and the thing that strikes me as I sit here, is the lack of the usual white painted boundary lines.
I don't know why I should be surprised - after all, if you've seen the state of the court by the end of Wimbledon fortnight, you'll know that a massive programme of re-seeding needs to take place. But for some reason it had never occurred to me that they would re-paint the lines every year.
Given the fact that - with modern technology in the form of the 'Hawkeye' device measuring the bounce of a tennis ball to within millimetres - those white lines need to be positioned in exactly the same place year after year, I really don't envy the groundsman's job in the least.
After Centre Court, I go to the museum.
This is housed in the basement level one of the buildings by the main gates, and traces the history of Wimbledon, and tennis in general, from its beginnings as 'Real Tennis' up to the modern day.
There's plenty of 'interactivity' to amuse the kids (and many adults) including a Virtual Reality film, which - thanks to the use of 360° camera technology - allows you to take a courtside seat at the 2016 finals, in which Andy Murray beat Milos Raonic and Serena Williams beat Angelique Kerber.
Here are just a few more of the exhibits, to whet your appetite...
But, since the place really only comes alive for those two weeks in the summer, here are a selection of photos from my previous visits - firstly in 2011 and secondly this past summer, when I was fortunate enough to nab tickets for the Ladies' final...
After leaving the All England Club, I walk a little way along the outer perimeter of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club opposite, which I mentioned earlier.
There are, at irregular points along the pavement, benches set facing into the park, to allow passers by the 'privilege' of watching golfers doing their stuff.
The pleasure (such as it is) of such spectatorship must surely be diminished though, by the fact that the fences are all topped with vicious looking barbed wire.
Once again, my opinion of golf clubs and their perpetually insular members takes a nose-dive...
On the other hand, being so close to the lake does mean that some trespassers do, at least, manage to make it onto the fairway and (I sincerely hope) get in the way of Mr and Mrs Stand-Offish and their precious round of golf...
No visit to the area of Wimbledon would be complete without a trip to one final location reasonably nearby - especially if the name of your blog happens to have been taken from one of its most famous (albeit fictional) residents.
Wimbledon Common lies some way to the west of the All England Club, and is - like most of its kind - a large expanse of fairly open space, surrounded - and criss-crossed by - various groups of trees and bushes.
It also has a Grade II Listed Windmill at its northern end, with a museum attached to it.
This is (and how often has this been the case on my travels?) only open at limited times during the week - in this case on Saturdays and Sundays - so I can't go inside, sadly.
The mill was in use up until the mid-Nineteenth century, when the local Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, wanted to fence off Wimbledon Common for his own private use (did he play golf I wonder?). The Earl's designs were rejected by popular demand, but by then the miller had been evicted and the mill's machinery removed.
The mill has been restored several times over the last century or so, and these days - as well as the museum - there's a pleasant looking tea-room attached to it where the many local dog-walkers take their refreshment mid-walk.
However, it's as the home of the fictional "Wombles of Wimbledon Common" that the place is possibly best known to non-locals.
The creation of children's author Elizabeth Beresford, the environmentally-conscious Wombles began life in the late 1960s and became popular in the 1970s thanks to the popular BBC TV adaptation of their stories.
The theme tune to this adaptation, written by Mike Batt, is - of course - the source of my blog's title:
"Underground, overground, Wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we..."
"Making Good Use Of Bad Rubbish" (or in other words, recycling all the litter that the careless Human visitors to the common left behind) they lived in burrows, ate mushrooms, and were randomly named after various entries in the old atlas (thus: Orinoco, Wellington, Tobermory, and the atlas's owner, Great Uncle Bulgaria).
I spend some time wandering along the various paths and bridleways that cross the Common. At various times a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye causes me to fumble with my camera for a hurried snapshot. A tuft of fur, a blurred movement through the bushes... could it be?
But, if there are any Wombles resident in the common these days, they're keeping well away from Human eyes, and I head homewards at last, having ticked off another four names from my ever-decreasing list of remaining stations.
Until next time!
Well, that's not strictly true - as we'll see - but certainly the first two stations are both "Willesden" stations, and the remaining two are both in Wimbledon.
Willesden Green, my first stop, is on a road called Walm Lane, which forms part of the A407 running between Cricklewood just to the north, and central Willesden to the south.
 |
| Willesden Green |
It's a fairly busy, reasonably well-provisioned, if slightly down at heel shopping street, and the station rather stands out from the shabby buildings that surround it.
 |
| Walm Lane |
It was the design of one Charles Walter Clark - not one of our more familiar names, though he did also design several Metropolitan Line stations including Farringdon, Great Portland Street and Baker Street. Like these, Willesden Green is now a Grade II Listed Building.
As well as the station and the shops, Walm Lane is home to an attractive and well-preserved church called St. Gabriels - built in 1897.
 |
| St Gabriels |
The many roads leading off Walm Lane are full of Arts & Crafts era houses and suggest an affluence not quite in keeping with the impression I get from the main street. Perhaps this is the Cricklewood influence.
This theory is strengthened as I head south (away from Cricklewood) on Walm Lane and reach Willesden High Road, which has even more shops and is (sadly) even more down at heel.
There is one building that catches my eye, however, and it's the local library.
 |
| Willesden Library |
Not only does it have the words 'Inspire And Be Inspired' in large neon letters above its entrance, but it seems to be a strange hybrid of the very modern and the distinctly old-fashioned.
The Victorian part of the library - built in 1894 - was constructed following a poll in which local residents requested such an edifice. When the new complex was being planned in 2012 the initial proposal was to demolish the old building, but again, public opinion (in the form of a petition) held sway and the building was kept - rightly so in my opinion.
The rest of the High Road is, as I have said, a rather shabby collection of shops, and I don't linger too long.
 |
| Willesden High Road |
Instead I head for my next destination - Willesden Junction.
***
Willesden Junction, despite its name, is not actually in Willesden at all, but in next-door Harlesden.
 |
| Willesden Junction |
As the latter half of the name suggests however, it is definitely a busy one, being the junction at which the Bakerloo Line, three branches of the Overground Line, and (formerly) the London & North Western Railway all meet.
 |
| Some of the many tracks meeting at the station |
It sits just to the south of Harlesden town centre, which - like Willesden - is typical of the sort of urban shopping area you get when there's not a huge amount of disposable income flying around.
 |
| Harlesden town centre |
There are pound shops, amusement arcades, money transfer services and plenty of take-away establishments, but not much in the way of higher end shopping.
 |
| Jubilee Clock |
At the centre of the shopping area is the 'Jubilee Clock', erected for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. It seems newly painted and adds an element of civic pride to what otherwise seems an area that has seen better days.
The community here is largely Caribbean and the area is (unofficially at least) the 'Reggae Capital' of London. UK based Reggae band 'The Cimarons' were based (and recorded) in this part of town.
Sadly though, the first half of my day has proved less than edifying, and I head off southwards to Wimbledon in the hope that it his a bit more to offer...
***
And the first thing that strikes me as I stand outside Wimbledon station, looking at the main road, is how much cleaner it seems compared to my morning locations.
 |
| Wimbledon |
The station itself is also a junction of sorts, linking the District Line, South Western Railway, and the relatively new Tramline.
Outside the station I'm greeted by a striking sculpture of a stag, whose name (apparently) is Arthur.
 |
| Arthur the Stag |
This was commissioned by Merton council and made by local artist Isabelle Southwood in time for the rejuvenation of Wimbledon centre for the 2012 Olympics.
The significance of the stag motif is, I'm afraid, lost on me - unless it has something to do with the area's proximity to Richmond Park, which lies to the west of Wimbledon Common. The poem on a plaque attached to the statue's plinth does little to enlighten me.
 |
| Your guess is as good as mine... |
Above the station are more sculptures, this time of various 'spectators', which I assume were also part of the same rejuvenation scheme, though I've been unable to discover any information on this - they are rather eerie though, as they gaze down at the people emerging from the station.
 |
| Ever feel like you're being watched...? |
Of course, the first thing pretty much everyone thinks of when they hear the name "Wimbledon" is tennis.
The annual championships take place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club grounds, some distance to the north of here, and I'll be visiting those in a little while, but the tennis influence is pretty clear even here.
 |
| Anyone for tennis? |
The shopping centre is called 'Centre Court', and inside the station there are posters emblazoned with the Wimbledon Championships logo. Even the local dry cleaner has replaced the letter 'o' in their name - Wimbledon Dry Cleaners - with a tennis ball.
On the other hand, if the influx of thousands of tennis fans every year means that the area spruces itself up regularly, then I'll allow them to be a little unimaginative in their marketing.
 |
| 'The Broadway' - Wimbledon |
Before immersing myself in the world of tennis however, I head south of the station rather than north, and have a look at two reasonably proximate, though very different, local theatres.
 |
| New Wimbledon Theatre |
This, despite its claims, is not particularly new - being a traditional Edwardian theatre - which has seen premieres of shows like Oliver and Half A Sixpence before these transferred into the West End.
It's fairly typical of a suburban theatre, and sees many touring productions of hit West End shows.
It was also the venue for several pantomimes that were televised and broadcast in the early 2000s, featuring some perhaps unlikely cast members from the world of 'alternative' comedy like Paul Merton, Julian Clary and Adrian Edmondson.
Sticking with the theme of shows aimed at children, the next theatre I visit is the world-famous Polka Theatre.
 |
| Polka Theatre |
This was the first ever UK theatre venue dedicated to productions specifically aimed at children (aged 0-13). Beginning in 1967 as a touring puppetry based company, they opened a permanent theatre here in 1979 and have gone on to become a producing theatre working with such well-known writers as Alan Ayckbourn and Philip Pullman.
Heading back northwards to the town centre I stop for a bite to eat before heading off once again to my final station of the day - Wimbledon Park - and (at last!) to the home of UK tennis, the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
***
Wimbledon Park is quaint looking little station - penultimate on this branch of the District Line - which lies to the east of both the park that gave it its name, and the tennis courts to which I am, eventually I promise, going to come.
 |
| Wimbledon Park |
The road it sits on is - despite a few neat looking shops - clearly in a very residential area, and one where there is obviously a fair amount of money about.
 |
| Arthur Road outside the station |
Not only are the houses large and (as far as I can tell) not divided into flats, but the cars parked on their driveways (often two or three to a household) are all very expensive and over-sized.
The park itself, when looked at on Google maps, seems to be a pleasantly open space with a lake at its centre, and I expect to be able to stroll across it by means of some no doubt picturesque footpaths.
 |
| Wimbledon Park lake |
However, I'm soon dispelled of this notion.
The park has actually been divided into two, with the area south of the lake being entirely taken over by the Wimbledon Park Golf Club.
Unlike the golf club I encountered last week at West Ruislip, which had a pleasantly accessible public footpath running through it, here the club is very much of the "on no account let the proles in" variety. There are tall fences all the way around the course, completely blocking off the southern perimeter of the lake, and obliging the general public to walk around the northern side to get across the park.
The 'public' section of the park is fairly plain - a few tennis courts and a children's playground, but otherwise just an open field.
 |
| Wimbledon Park - the bit you're allowed to visit |
It does have - unusually - its own police station.
 |
| Wimbledon Park Police Office |
This is based in what used to be the park's pavilion, and is actually called a police 'office' (which I think basically means it doesn't have any cells in it). It houses half a dozen or so members of the 'Safer Neighbourhood Team', which is intended to be a more 'visible' police presence in the area.
But eventually I cross the park and come - finally - to the main landmark of the area.
 |
| All England Lawn Tennis Club |
I suspect most people (even non tennis fans) have seen at least some of the Wimbledon Championships on TV. Many will also perhaps have come here to spend a day at the grounds themselves - either getting a ticket through their local tennis club, or by joining the infamous 'Queue' which (during the Wimbledon fortnight) takes over Wimbledon Park and offers the chance of a day ticket to the Championships.
 |
| One of the many entrances - and the Wimbledon shop |
I myself have been lucky enough to visit a few times, and even to get a seat in the fabled Centre Court, and I'm sure that anyone who's been here will agree with me that the experience and atmosphere of being within the grounds during that summer fortnight, and of sitting courtside during a match, is a world away from watching the Championships on TV. So if you ever get the chance of a ticket, I recommend you leap at it.
However, if - like me - you find yourself in the neighbourhood at some other time of the year, I can also recommend you pay a visit to the museum, located in the grounds, and avail yourself of a tour of Centre Court - as I do today.
 |
| Fred Perry |
There are a couple of options with regard to the length of tour you go on, but - since I have more to fit in today - I opt for the more limited 15 minute tour of Centre Court, followed by an hour or so's visit to the museum.
I join the tour group waiting outside Centre Court, by the statue of one of tennis's famous former players - Fred Perry - and, while we wait, I take a photo of the 'Order of Play', which is still showing the matches played on the day of the Gentlemen's Final.
 |
| Order Of Play |
Our guide arrives and we follow her into Centre Court - taking a seat in the 'International Box', which is reserved for members of the International Tennis Federation.
I won't bore you with too many facts and figures - just a couple of the more salient points.
The All England Club was originally located to the south of the current site, off Worple Road, and had 12 courts laid out in a 3x4 arrangement.
The middle two courts of the second row were then combined into one single, large capacity court, and thus given the name 'Centre Court'.
 |
| Championship logo in Centre Court |
When the Club moved to its present location in 1922, the main court kept the name 'Centre Court', though it wasn't strictly speaking in the centre of the grounds.
 |
| The retractable roof |
 |
| But of course... |
The grass used on the court is Perennial Ryegrass, and is cut to an exact height of 8mm for the Championships.
The first thing you might notice from my photo of the empty court, and the thing that strikes me as I sit here, is the lack of the usual white painted boundary lines.
 |
| Look, no lines! |
I don't know why I should be surprised - after all, if you've seen the state of the court by the end of Wimbledon fortnight, you'll know that a massive programme of re-seeding needs to take place. But for some reason it had never occurred to me that they would re-paint the lines every year.
Given the fact that - with modern technology in the form of the 'Hawkeye' device measuring the bounce of a tennis ball to within millimetres - those white lines need to be positioned in exactly the same place year after year, I really don't envy the groundsman's job in the least.
After Centre Court, I go to the museum.
 |
| Tennis themed cutlery was all the rage in the 1920s apparently... |
 |
| King George VI played here too |
This is housed in the basement level one of the buildings by the main gates, and traces the history of Wimbledon, and tennis in general, from its beginnings as 'Real Tennis' up to the modern day.
There's plenty of 'interactivity' to amuse the kids (and many adults) including a Virtual Reality film, which - thanks to the use of 360° camera technology - allows you to take a courtside seat at the 2016 finals, in which Andy Murray beat Milos Raonic and Serena Williams beat Angelique Kerber.
Here are just a few more of the exhibits, to whet your appetite...
 |
| A load of balls |
 |
| The BBC's Wimbledon theme tune |
 |
| Traditional ladies' tennis playing outfits |
 |
| And the actual Ladies' Singles Trophy |
 |
| The actual Gentlemen's Singles Trophy |
But, since the place really only comes alive for those two weeks in the summer, here are a selection of photos from my previous visits - firstly in 2011 and secondly this past summer, when I was fortunate enough to nab tickets for the Ladies' final...
 |
| Murray Mound, Henman Hill, Rusedski Rise, call it what you will... |
 |
| It can get pretty busy here... |
 |
| The traditional beverage... |
 |
| The Royal Box - with some royals in it |
 |
| Andy Murray's serve |
 |
| And a gift for the crowd |
 |
| Rafa Nadal in full swing |
 |
| Ball 'Persons' ready for this year's Ladies' Final |
 |
| Garbine Muguruza serves... |
 |
| ...Venus Williams returns |
 |
| Just a few of the thousands who come to watch |
 |
| The Champion... |
 |
| ...and the Runner-Up |
After leaving the All England Club, I walk a little way along the outer perimeter of the Wimbledon Park Golf Club opposite, which I mentioned earlier.
There are, at irregular points along the pavement, benches set facing into the park, to allow passers by the 'privilege' of watching golfers doing their stuff.
The pleasure (such as it is) of such spectatorship must surely be diminished though, by the fact that the fences are all topped with vicious looking barbed wire.
 |
| This green and pleasant land...? |
Once again, my opinion of golf clubs and their perpetually insular members takes a nose-dive...
On the other hand, being so close to the lake does mean that some trespassers do, at least, manage to make it onto the fairway and (I sincerely hope) get in the way of Mr and Mrs Stand-Offish and their precious round of golf...
 |
| Well done chaps! |
No visit to the area of Wimbledon would be complete without a trip to one final location reasonably nearby - especially if the name of your blog happens to have been taken from one of its most famous (albeit fictional) residents.
 |
| Wimbledon Common |
Wimbledon Common lies some way to the west of the All England Club, and is - like most of its kind - a large expanse of fairly open space, surrounded - and criss-crossed by - various groups of trees and bushes.
It also has a Grade II Listed Windmill at its northern end, with a museum attached to it.
 |
| Wimbledon Windmill |
This is (and how often has this been the case on my travels?) only open at limited times during the week - in this case on Saturdays and Sundays - so I can't go inside, sadly.
The mill was in use up until the mid-Nineteenth century, when the local Lord of the Manor, Earl Spencer, wanted to fence off Wimbledon Common for his own private use (did he play golf I wonder?). The Earl's designs were rejected by popular demand, but by then the miller had been evicted and the mill's machinery removed.
The mill has been restored several times over the last century or so, and these days - as well as the museum - there's a pleasant looking tea-room attached to it where the many local dog-walkers take their refreshment mid-walk.
However, it's as the home of the fictional "Wombles of Wimbledon Common" that the place is possibly best known to non-locals.
The creation of children's author Elizabeth Beresford, the environmentally-conscious Wombles began life in the late 1960s and became popular in the 1970s thanks to the popular BBC TV adaptation of their stories.
The theme tune to this adaptation, written by Mike Batt, is - of course - the source of my blog's title:
"Underground, overground, Wombling free,
The Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we..."
"Making Good Use Of Bad Rubbish" (or in other words, recycling all the litter that the careless Human visitors to the common left behind) they lived in burrows, ate mushrooms, and were randomly named after various entries in the old atlas (thus: Orinoco, Wellington, Tobermory, and the atlas's owner, Great Uncle Bulgaria).
I spend some time wandering along the various paths and bridleways that cross the Common. At various times a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye causes me to fumble with my camera for a hurried snapshot. A tuft of fur, a blurred movement through the bushes... could it be?
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| Is that Great Uncle Bulgaria stretching his legs perhaps? |
But, if there are any Wombles resident in the common these days, they're keeping well away from Human eyes, and I head homewards at last, having ticked off another four names from my ever-decreasing list of remaining stations.
Until next time!
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