The fall and rise of Wimbledon

I paid a visit to the Wimbledon Museum of Local History this weekend. It's free, and staffed by enthusiastic volunteers. Wimbledon seems to have had its ups and downs over the centuries, until it became an attractive place for politicians such as William Pitt and Charles James Fox to stay or to live. Pitt even fought a duel on the Common in 1798.

The area started to develop apace in the late 19th century with the advent of reliable public transport in the shape of trains, trams and buses. The idea of a 'workman's fare' of 1d (less than a halfpenny nowadays) to travel on the trams before 7am sounds surreal, a century later.

I liked the stuffed peacock, too! (That must have taken a while...)