Wimbledon workers were in for a nasty shock this week when they took their first lunch break of the tournament. Since last year, food prices on the staff menu have risen. Those who opt for a bowl of pasta at lunch will be paying £20 and a side order of salad will set them back £8. Smoothies are priced at £7.
“It’s insane how prices went up but not the money on our passes or our hourly rate,” one disgruntled tournament worker told us. Note from us: join the club.
Wimbledon workers get credit on their entry passes to use for food on breaks. The employee who spoke to The Londoner said they have £25 to spend, which won’t get them far if they feel like having the linguine.
“It’s a joke. I hope when the championships start they put more money on our passes because we’ll be in the grounds for longer hours,” said another Wimbledon worker.
Many of those who work behind the scenes at Wimbledon are local teenagers who are paid around £12 an hour. But there are deals to be found. We hear the price of Wimbledon’s traditional strawberries and cream has been capped at £2.50 for punters. It might be all the workers can afford for lunch, too.
Royal fashion fave on the brink
The women of the Royal family might be looking for a new fashion brand soon. The Vampire’s Wife, founded by Susie Cave, wife of musician Nick, and favoured by everyone from the Princess of Wales to Kate Moss, might be closing down. Princess Beatrice is also a fan. She was spotted wearing one of their blouses at Mark’s, the Mayfair private members’ club, last night. Today the company says it is threatened with closure due to “debt built up as a result of strategies to tackle the pandemic”. They say they are fighting to stay open and will keep trading in the near term. HMRC has announced its plans to wind up the firm, but there is still a court battle to come.
I, Wesley
Ambitious Labour man Wes Streeting launched his memoir, One Boy, Two Bills and a Fry Up, last night at his old school in Westminster. Shadow Cabinet colleagues turned up but his leader, Sir Keir Starmer, was absent. Busy with those upcoming by-elections, no doubt. But do we detect tension? From announcement to release, Streeting’s book took a year. Starmer, meanwhile, promised a book in March last year. After a long period of silence it now turns out that he’s not writing it after all. Instead he will be cooperating with a friendly journalist on a biography (he has repaid his large advance to the publisher). Writer’s block?
Is Klimt clapped?
Gustav Klimt’s last painting broke records when it sold for £74m at Sotheby’s this week. Should it have fetched such a high sum? A high-end art adviser told us they refused to bid on the work for their client because they think Sotheby’s glossed over some details. “It’s an unfinished painting! They described it as ‘a new style’ — that made me laugh!” Another dealer thought the sale a damp squib, calling Klimt’s last “a disappointment.”
Blind viewing suits Mr Jones
Broadway hit A Strange Loop landed in London last night — actors Simon Callow and Toby Jones told us they didn’t know what it was about before they went in. “I like to know as little as possible. That’s how I like to see the theatre,” said Jones. Both say they support the US writer’s strike, but are feeling the effects. “I’d like to have my career back again please!” joked Callow. Booker-winning author Bernadine Evaristo was also there with writer Michael R Jackson and lead actor Kyle Ramar Freeman.
