The Common’s marvellous motors
The elegantly planted driveways on the streets around the All England Club are an annual attraction, and the cars that populate them aren’t bad either – Marryat Road offers a gleaming apron front of Porsches, Bentleys, Mercedes and more. A morning walk up the hill brought a special reward for petrolheads on Sunday – a classic car meet on Wimbledon Common. By 9am, its raggedy heathland was fringed with marvellous motors, from a Lotus Elan to a Daf 600, a brand-new Morgan to a 50-year-old Stingray. The Southside Hustle began back in Covid times, when two friends, Charles Evans and Jamie Wheatley, began meeting up to enjoy a socially distanced coffee and a drive. What started with two cars now attracts dozen of eye-catching engines every first Sunday of the month – while retaining a vibe that’s both lowkey and local.
Tip-top #southsidehustle this morning, lovely to see everyone 👋🏼 pic.twitter.com/U5iVMFaOd7
— 𝔻𝕒𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕝 𝔹𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕤 (@denialvibes) July 7, 2024
Shana’s journey of faith
Among the regulars peering under each other’s hoods was Shana Parmeshwar, who has been custom-building her Ford Ranger for the past four years. Its sides lift up to reveal a microwave, a refrigerator and even a pull-out dressing table-and-mirror – all essential items for the solo overland journey through Africa that she begins on Monday. Parmeshwar will be delivering prosthetic limbs to Gambia and Ghana, and fundraising for the Bristol-based organisation that repurposes them in the process. As well as passing through Morocco, Mauritania and the occasional minefield, she’ll spend 300 miles crossing the Sahara desert, “which is where it gets really sketchy”. She says her love of engines and her faith will be equally valuable: “My insurance policy is the man upstairs.”
Brad’s rebranding continues apace
In the middle of his busy week coaching Coco Gauff and commentating for ESPN, Brad Gilbert has found time to come up with a new addition to his legendary roll of player nicknames – favourites including Mad Man [Jack] Draper, Boy Band [David] Goffin and Lighten Up Frances [Tiafoe]. The Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard’s progression to the fourth round of the men’s singles has occasioned his latest, Nando’s-inspired effort. Now we wait to see whether “Peri-Peri Hot Sauce” makes it through to face Rune-DMC – or even meets Gimme Shelton, or Escape from Alcaraz, in the final.
