A touch of

country life in London
by Daniel Counihan
FOR ANYONE thinking up a Catholic Quiz for next Christmas, an absolute winner of a question might be: "What is the connection between Pope John Paul II and Winkfield's Pride?"
A shortened form of this, which does, indeed, spring instantly to mind, "What was Winkfield's Pride?" might be suitable for a quiz in Sporting Life; for the answer is that this was the name of a notably successful racehorse towards the end of the last century.
And the connection with Pope John Paul? Well, the house in which he will be staying overnight when he comes to London, the residence of his Pro Nuncio. Archbishop Bruno Heim, in Wimbledon, was built out of part of the large sum of money this gifted animal won for its owner.
1 suspect this will be news to the Archbishop. but I can assure him that my information is impeccable, and that punters may risk with confience something more than a modest each way investment.
The owner, one of those easycome-easy-go money-makers of the opulent Nineties, decided to spare no expense in making his new home just what he wanted.
I am told he had the ceilings gilded in a manner amply expressive of the man who has everything, including bad taste, and built a special room, lined with fragrant cedarwood to hold the fur-coats of himself, his family and his guests. However, all this was changed quite soon when the collapse of some of his ventures compelled him to let the house.
Later occupants gave it a look of greater propriety, starting by removing the gilding.
The occupier for a long time was Sir Joseph Hood, father of one of the present directors of the Catholic Herald. Sir Harold Hood, who spent a large part of his boyhood there.
Number 54, Parkside. Wimbledon, became the headquarters of the Apostolic Delegation when it was established in November, 1938.
Hitler had already started those expansionist moves in Europe which led to the second world war. His take-over in Austria caused the Papal Nunciature in Vienna to be closed, and part of its furnishings were sent to Wimbledon.
They have been added to over the years to give the building its present individual appearance and atmosphere, an interesting blend of the ecclesiastical, the diplomatic, the conventional and the personal.
It is still just possible with a good deal of imagination to conjure up an impression of what it might have been in the days ' when it shared an owner with Winkfielccs Pride. , There 'is Something about the profusion of shiny, carved woodwork that calls up associations of expensive hairtonic, whisky-breath and good cigars.
It is rather easier to imagine it as a family house. yvith the Hood children playing on the tennis court, which used to be where now there is Mformal lawn, with a pond, a bit of statuary and a fountain, looking very Country Life English.
The Pope will see this, and the hedge and trees hiding a kitchen garden beyond, from the windows of the main reception room, where he w ill almost certainly spend some of his time.
,This large room is on t■■:0
IcNsIs„,,and. divided by sh,alhor, flight of steps. The furnishing is mostly tapestried, Queen Annestyle armchairs and sofas, with some good old marquetry pieces. One wall of the upper level is lined with book-cases, containing what is probably not a very
personal choice, Acta Apostolicae Sedis from 1926 and an enormous History of the Popes, providing most of it.
There is a small collection of Greek ikons. There are several signed photographs of members of the British Royal Family, and a large picture of Pope John.
On one side of this room is a dining-room, which the Pope will use, and which has a table that can seat 18 pepple.
7.0ne-of` two sisters of the fyi-s0;icaL,Missionaries of Mary Who work at the Nunciature. Sister Bibi, will cook for the Pope.
She has been at the Nunciature since 1954. Her companion, Sister Helena, has been there since 1973, after 13 years in Tanganyika and nine in the USA.
These two nuns are responsible for the gleaming, convent-like condition of the whole interior. They are taking special care of the larger-than-life-size bronze bust of Pope John Paul II, by Dr Arthur Fleischmann, which stands at the foot of the stairs in the large, square hall.
They and everyone else in the place are sworn to secrecy about precisely which will be the Pope's bedroom. There is a wide selection on the building's two upper floors.
In front, Wimbledon Common stretches for several miles. There's a bus-stop near the front gate. None of the people I found waiting there had any idea what the building behind them was.