‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ Street Art

In collaboration with artist Louis Masai and local photographer and culture campaigner Cindy Sasha, Love Wimbledon enhances the allure of Wimbledon Town Centre with a recently-installed street art feature. Named ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’, this stand-out art is inspired by the need to raise awareness of the decline of British birds in London, particularly the House Sparrow, which is renowned for its birdsong and seen as a vital part of urban life.

Brought to life by street artist Louis Masai, who is often best-known for his dynamic and inspiring wall murals of endangered animals, this new art features a male  and female house sparrow inferring the question of ‘where has the sparrow song gone’. As well as adding to the visual appeal of Wimbledon Town Centre, this art carries a strong environmental message, reflecting how birdsong has reduced over time, due to the population decline of this bird species.

According to The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), there has been a severe decline in the UK House Sparrow population, estimated as dropping by 71 per cent since 1977, which has led to the classification of these birds as a species of high conservation concern. Based on the hit single ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’ by Icelandic musician Björk, the title for this art directly links to the disappearance of this species and their birdsong which could have a profound impact on human health. These natural sounds have been linked to improved mental and emotional health amongst humans, acting as the perfect antidote to the pressures of modern life.

This installation also ties in closely with Love Wimbledon’s commitments to changing the landscape of Wimbledon so that it is a popular, attractive and interesting place for all. As said by collaborator Cindy Sasha, “street art can change a landscape of a town centre. I love it when the love spreads through art and sends such a positive message – we need more of it!”.

The presence of this street art helps to add to the appeal of The Broadway and energises the Wimbledon Town Centre. Enhancing the vibrancy of the town, directly benefits the businesses situated within the area, through means such as increasing footfall numbers. This is even more important given the current situation facing high streets across the UK, with more and more consumers leaning towards online shopping from large e-commerce retailers. Bringing a free piece of art to the streets of Wimbledon strengthens the arts and culture scene in the area, as well as acting as a driving force to encourage consumers to leave their homes and visit the town centre.

Love Wimbledon create and fund a variety of cultural and environmental notions in Wimbledon Town Centre, including previously installing the first rainbow pedestrian crossing in the UK, in partnership with Merton Council, to show support to the LGBTQ community in the area. This addition of this new wall art helps to enhance the Wimbledon experience and adds to the notion that there is more to Wimbledon than what meets the eye.

 

“This collaboration has brought an important message to Wimbledon, whilst also developing a stronger and more vivid cultural strategy for visitors to experience the town centre. The art is impactful, meaningful and has had a positive response from business, visitors and local residents.”

Sally Warren, Love Wimbledon

 

Find this new street art piece on Alwyne Road, off Wimbledon Hill Road, in Wimbledon Town Centre, and help to support this message.

 

Winter Wonderland brings Christmas to Wimbledon

 

Love Wimbledon’s Winter Wonderland brought a joyous warm glow to our town centre on Sunday 1 December.

 

With The Broadway closed to traffic, thousands of visitors filled the streets, enjoying festive entertainment, tucking in to traditional treats and getting hands-on with a host of activities for all ages. Shoppers were also treated to a huge array of unique and handmade gifts, including original art, homeware, clothing and accessories from local artisans at our Christmas Market.

Thank you to the businesses in Wimbledon for supporting the event, namely Centre Court Shopping Centre for the spectacular fireworks display, New Wimbledon Theatre who provided Cinderella cut outs for photos and Sticks N Sushi, a new addition to the array of delicious food stalls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parking Charges Increase in January 2020

The cost of car parking in Merton Council’s car parks and on the streets in Wimbledon will be increasing on 14th January 2020.

 

Businesses will be aware that Love Wimbledon has been continuously lobbying to oppose these price increases by Merton Council. The reason for this increase is based on the need to improve air quality in the town centre.

Love Wimbledon is very supportive of initiatives that are likely to improve air quality and are working on a number of initiatives, such as recently planting 250 trees on Hartfield Road, as part of the The Woodland Trust’s ‘Free Trees for Schools and Communities’ programme. However, this hike in parking prices will not impact buses and through-traffic, which create significant emissions for the town.

We are lobbying GLA and TfL to assist with this, for example, by changing their policies to introduce a cleaner bus fleet, as we strongly believe that raising parking charges by such a high percentage will have a detrimental impact on people’s perceptions of visiting the town – pushing them out to retail parks and further incentivising online shopping.

Read more on Love Wimbledon’s parking campaign and our work to oppose this price increase, including our response to Merton Council’s Parking Consultation.

We would of course also encourage you to use public transport wherever possible to reduce emissions and congestion in the town.

Please note that whilst the Merton Council car parks and on-street parking are increasing, Centre Court and The Bridge car park prices will remain the same. For further details on these parking charge increases, visit the Merton Council website.