please empty your brain below
Thanks for the report! I liked today's post best. But I was left wondering what had happened to that poor tree in front of the public toilets in the John Innes Park. Was it hit by lightning, butchered by a tree surgeon or what? I googled it and was led to the Park Management Plan but it's 81 pages and I haven't finished scrolling yet. But I did find this fascinating nugget: "The Merton Park residential area has the highest concentration of holly blue butterflies in the country. They are abundant in the John Innes Park and are dependent on the combination of both holly and ivy for the completion of their life cycle."

Lucy Garden | 15.03.24 - 7:23 a.m. | #

As a resident of Wimbledon in the 'Crazy Gang' years of the 80s and 90s, now living up North (England not London), your tour of Merton has been first class return to some old haunts and happy memories.

Rod | 15.03.24 - 7:37 a.m. | #

Your link to the residents association goes to the John Innes Society, which is something completely different.

The Merton Park residents association is quite interesting in its own right. In some ways it's another group of NIMBYs who got their way, but the original cause was a major road building project through Merton Park and with the benefit of hindsight they got it right.

dg writes: switched, thanks.

Eric | Homepage | 15.03.24 - 7:43 a.m. | #

Doubtless the residents of Cranmer Green will continue to complain about poor mobile reception.

Another interesting tomb - indeed mausoleum - at a St Marys church in Merton is that of Sir Joseph Bazalgette - of sewer fame. But that's the St Marys in Wimbledon village

Timbo | 15.03.24 - 8:12 a.m. | #

Phone masts and cabinets - future residents will complain about poor mobile phone reception, lack of 5G, broadband and so on.

Still Anon | 15.03.24 - 8:16 a.m. | #

The toilet block is listed! The tree required attention and was professionally pruned to a stump.

The croquet lawn is original to the estate and so is beautifully landscaped.

Colin Whiting | 15.03.24 - 9:06 a.m. | #

Thanks,l for the info on the tree, Colin. I'm no tree surgeon but taking off so much bark when trimming a tree doesn't seem like normal professional practice. I hope it survives its surgery.

Lucy Garden | 15.03.24 - 9:10 a.m. | #

Two of the Councillors in Merton still represent the Merton Park Independent Residents, over 30 years after they defeated the plans to drive a local bypass continuation through the heart of the area to avoid South Wimbledon.

The existing section was built on the trackbed of a long closed railway spur of what is now the tram route, but beyond the spur were those lovely residential properties and that historic church. That was the only way the road could be extended towards Bushey Road and them the A3. The environmental vandalism would have been extreme.

Ken | 15.03.24 - 9:42 a.m. | #

The church itself would have been the obvious location for a mobile phone mask, unless it had already done an exclusive deal with Vodaphone!

The history of John Innes, and the compost named after him was very interesting, thanks.

Mikey C | 15.03.24 - 9:59 a.m. | #

Compost: yes interesting. I had idly wondered how what looked like a trade name appeared so widely on different bags of compost. It being a public domain recipe makes good sense of that observation.

Malcolm of Kent | 15.03.24 - 10:23 a.m. | #

A very nice report of my home area.
There are also 6 bells at St Mary’s Merton, the oldest dating back to 1456, and was the sole bell of 3 left following the reformation. Another dates from when Nelson worshipped here, and two others were installed for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, one of which was given by John Innes.
I’ve been a bellringer here for the last 36 years.

AndrewR | 15.03.24 - 2:55 p.m. | #











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