November 2019

The organiser of Wanstead’s Remembrance commemorations – which once again saw large crowds gather at the war memorial earlier this month – has insisted the tradition will continue.

“There have been suggestions that it should no longer happen, that after 100 years society should ‘move on’… Each to their own view, but I believe our history teaches us a valuable lesson and so I personally pledge to you all that so long as I’m alive, Wanstead will always have its Remembrance commemoration,” said Colin Cronin.

Rising at Molehill Green in Essex, the River Roding passes through the Wanstead and Woodford area en route to the Thames, bringing with it a very real flood risk to local homes. In the sixth of a series of articles charting the River Roding Project – which aims to reduce that risk – Laura Hepworth from the Environment Agency reflects on the project’s recent community events. River image by Anna MacLaughlin

Since our last article, the River Roding Project Outline Business Case has been approved, which means we are now working to produce detailed designs. We are aiming to apply for planning permission by spring 2020. We have also submitted a bid for funding to the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, and should hear if we are through to the next stage early next year.

During October, we were busy hosting local events, which took place on Ilford High Road and outside Woodford Station. At these community events, we raised awareness of the local flood risk and shared information on the proposed environmental enhancements in Redbridge. It was a great opportunity for residents to provide their thoughts and highlight further improvements they would want to see along the Roding.

The proposed local enhancements include:

• Improving wildlife habitats and fish migration, reconnecting a backwater near Roding Lane South and removing a weir by Roding Hospital.
• Improving user experience with new information boards and signs along the Roding Valley.
• Reducing noise, light and air pollution by planting trees and hedgerows near Charlie Brown’s Roundabout and along the M11 corridor.
• An off-road cycling route between Snakes Lane East and Broadmead Church.

Across both events we had a really good turnout and spoke to nearly 100 members of the community, including local residents, groups and businesses. We received lots useful feedback about the project and ideas of how we can improve future engagement events.

It was important talking to several local residents who suffered from the 2000 floods to hear first-hand how difficult it was to recover. They were pleased to see the project proposals, which outline how we plan to reduce flood risk in the local area.

Many residents highlighted that the cycle paths were an important benefit of the project and felt these improvements will provide extra access for the community. In particular, one resident commented that the enhancements will protect the environment and make it more accessible for the public to enjoy.   

Nearly 5,000 homes are at risk of flooding across the borough of Redbridge, so make sure you are as prepared as possible this winter and check the flood risk for your own home or business.

In the 19th of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces us to local jazz pianist Keith Nichols, who will be performing at Wanstead Library in early December

One of the aims of Redbridge Music Society is to bring high-standard live musical events of all styles and genres to local venues at affordable prices, performed within a social and genial atmosphere. On 3 December, Keith Nichols will provide a programme of festive music performed in his own inimitable way at the Churchill Room in Wanstead Library.

Keith is considered to be a foremost authority on classic jazz and ragtime and is a widely respected exponent of the Harlem Stride style of jazz piano playing – a style developed in the large cities of the American East Coast during the 1920s and 1930s. He also specialises in all older jazz piano styles, including Scott Joplin, James P Johnson (“the father of stride”), Duke Ellington and Fats Waller.

Born in 1945 in Ilford, Keith took piano and accordion lessons at the age of five, becoming Great Britain junior champion on accordion in 1960. After graduating from the Guildhall School of Music, he turned professional and toured for seven years with the jazz-comedy band Levity Lancers, in which he played piano, trombone and tuba.

Over the years, Keith has toured extensively in the UK, Europe and America and has performed at many major world venues, such as London’s South Bank Centre and New York’s Carnegie Hall. He first visited the USA in 1976 as a member of Dick Sudhalter’s New Paul Whiteman Orchestra and in 1977 helped form the Midnite Follies Orchestra. Also in the 1970s he formed the band New Sedalia and helped with the formation of the Ragtime Orchestra.

Keith has written many arrangements and transcriptions in the 1920s and 1930s style and has made three solo albums for EMI and many for Decca (including one with Bing Crosby) and the American Stomp Off label. In 1990, he was invited by musical director Bob Wilber to play the piano part of Hoagy Carmichael on the soundtrack of the feature film Bix.

Currently, Keith is freelance and continues to perform and record prolifically, as well as lecturing on jazz history at the Royal Academy and Trinity colleges. He is also a well-regarded authority on Fats Waller.

Keith’s distinctive playing, humorous personality and warm engagement with his audiences always make for a particularly enjoyable evening. And next month’s event will end with the music society’s annual festive celebrations with plentiful complementary refreshments. Start your run-up to this year’s Christmas season by joining us in an evening of high-quality festive entertainment.

At next month’s meeting of the Wanstead Historical Society, Mark Gorman and Peter Williams will explain how Wanstead Flats was used as a venue to spread political and religious messages

Take a fascinating journey through the history of the flats showing how this semi-regulated space became the base for the free expression of ideas, whether religious or political, at the end of the 19th century.

Some notable local characters from Leytonstone stand out. Bushwood, it turns out, was our local Speakers’ Corner. The talk will also discuss how the conservators, the City of London Corporation, sought to exercise control and some of the court cases that ensued.

Political and religious groups have long seen Wanstead Flats as a natural meeting place, as ‘public property’ for the use of the people. However, since the passing of the Epping Forest Act in 1878, the City of London, as ‘conservators’ responsible for managing the Flats as part of the wider forest, have tried to control and restrict such uses. This is the story of the struggle between these two differing views of Wanstead Flats.

Up to the mid-20th century, the main means of communicating political or religious messages was through mass meetings and processions with bands and banners. Often unable to afford (or banned from) meeting rooms and halls, radical political and religious groups sought out large open spaces for their gatherings. Wanstead Flats, located within easy reach of the London of earlier times, and since the late Victorian era surrounded by housing, was seen as an ideal meeting place.

Radical politics in Victorian times were dominated by one great issue: the vote. Even after the reform of Parliament in 1832, working people still had no say in running the country, and the vote was a key demand from the time of the Chartists through to the end of the century and beyond. At the same time, many people were seeking alternatives to the mainstream Anglican Church in an era of great religious fervour.

Religion and politics were often interwoven, and open-air meetings were a prime means of passing on radical political and religious messages. The unfenced ‘public spaces’ of Wanstead Flats were an obvious venue for both.

At the same time, Wanstead Flats had for many years prior to 1878 been a temporary home to travelling communities, above all to Gipsies, who, despite local disapproval (and sometimes harassment), were a familiar part of the local scene. We shall see how some members of this community were to become involved with the wave of religious enthusiasm of the Victorian era.

In the first of a series of articles, local photographer Geoff Wilkinson discusses his new exhibition – entitled ‘Quick! Before it goes’ – depicting London’s East End, an area which resonates with many residents here.

Growing up in London’s East End was a fascinating experience for a young boy. In the 1950s, bomb damage from the war was still very much evident. Living mostly in Stratford, I remember the area just to the right of the old Angel Lane street market which had been completely flattened. No houses or buildings remained; it was just a playground or used for parking vans and cars, such as there were. Perhaps it is the memories of this loss of buildings and architecture that has made me so determined to photograph what is left of the old East End.

When I opened my Whitechapel exhibition last year at the gallery, it was interesting to see the various reactions of the visitors when they saw the photographs. Many of my generation were delighted to see pictures of streets where they had grown up and played or perhaps the buildings where their grandparents had lived. My daughter’s generation, mainly young professionals, reminisced about nights out at bars and restaurants and living in fashionable flats in Whitechapel or Hoxton. For many of these visitors now living in Wanstead, Woodford and the surrounding areas, the common theme, regardless of generation, was the sadness of the familiar places disappearing.

It was the memories shared with me and the emotions the photographs evoked in people that persuaded me to continue on this theme, to capture a wider area of the East End, including Hackney, Bethnal Green (as shown here), Mile End, Bow and much, much more.

At this time of year, many homeowners will be in their gardens pruning back hedges and trees. Just be sure you don’t chop off more than you can handle, says Ruhul Ameen, a partner at local solicitors Wiseman Lee

If you are planning to do more than a little light pruning and are considering more major changes in your garden, it’s worth making sure you are aware of your legal rights first – particularly if it affects neighbouring properties.

In one case, a Dorset homeowner was prosecuted for cutting down 11 trees on his property. He had not realised they were subject to a Tree Preservation Order. This meant he needed to apply to his local authority for permission before either pruning or removing the trees. One of the consequences of removing the trees was that it increased the light and garden space of the property. In fact, when the case went to court, lawyers acting for the council argued that the tree removal had added an additional £137,500 to the value of his £1.4m home. Despite claiming he had not carried out the work to enhance the value of the property but had only removed the trees to protect his grandchildren from potential falling branches, the court was not convinced. The homeowner was handed a £170,000 fine plus court costs. A Proceeds of Crime Order was also made to recover the increase to the value of his home.

Another individual who ran into tree-related problems was a property developer from South Devon who was investigated by the Forestry Commission. Furious neighbours discovered an entire woodland area next to their homes had been felled without permission. The once picturesque green hillside had been cleared of its trees to make way for a proposed development of nine houses. It probably goes without saying the local council took an extremely dim view of the individual’s decision to prepare the groundwork before seeking planning permission and so refused his application.

However, too little cutting back can sometimes be just as bad as too much. Closer to home, one London homeowner was sued by her neighbours for £500,000 because of damage to their properties. They claimed the damage had been caused by the roots of four sycamore trees, which had extended under their properties and caused subsidence.

It is not only trees that lead to problems in the garden. Japanese knotweed is a well-known cause of neighbour disputes. However, a landmark Appeal Court ruling means homeowners who are blighted by Japanese knotweed growing on neighbouring land now have legal redress. Network Rail was taken to court by two Welsh homeowners who claimed the company had not taken sufficient steps to deal with the fast-growing plant, which had become so overgrown it had extended underneath their properties. The Appeal Court sided with the homeowners, agreeing the knotweed was an ‘actionable nuisance’. This decision means homeowners can now take legal action if a neighbour is not taking the appropriate steps to stop Japanese knotweed encroaching onto their land.

Christine Clark will be talking about her experiences of volunteering at Redbridge Foodbank at an East London Soroptimists event this month

I volunteer at Redbridge Foodbank, one of the 1200 Trussell Trust foodbanks in UK. We provide a food and hygiene parcel for clients, designed to last around three days. The intention is to tide them over until their situation has improved. Most of the people who come to the foodbank are in financial difficulties due to low income or benefit changes or delays. However, we also have people who are sleeping rough on the streets, or who are having difficulties due to bereavement, health issues, redundancy, or who are asylum seekers. 

Last year Redbridge foodbank gave out over 6000 food and hygiene parcels, an increase of almost 2000 on the previous year.

The role I play at the foodbank is to meet and greet the clients, welcoming them in a warm and friendly manner. They arrive with a referral voucher and I go through our “shopping list” with them while they tell me what things they needs. They are then able to have a hot drink and biscuits while their parcel is prepared. While they wait, I also chat with them and find out if there is any other help they need. I can then signpost them to the relevant organisations to support them. I also offer a friendly ear for a chat. Many of them are lonely and are glad of someone to talk to. The parcels given out contain, not only food supplies but also household essentials, such as washing powder and washing up liquid, and personal hygiene items such as shampoo, shower gel, tooth brushes and paste, sanitary protection, as well as nappies and baby food. The foodbank cannot, however, give out baby milk due to a United Nations ruling. We do not forget pets, as we also have dog and cat food available if required.

I am a member of East London Soroptimists and in my capacity as a foodbank volunteer I am giving a talk on the work of the foodbank on Tuesday 19th November. The talk will be taking place a Woodford Memorial Hall at 7:30pm.  When I volunteer I do so as an independent person, not in my capacity as a Soroptimist.

In the 18th of a series of articles charting the Wild Wanstead project, green roof expert Chris Bridgman explains how to turn your extension roof into a wildlife-friendly garden in the sky

Living green roofs can be installed on most flat or gently inclining roofs. For an average residential extension, the green roof system is just loose laid directly on top of the roofing material as an extra layer. This can be done when building a new extension or retrofitted onto an existing roof.

The green roof system is made up of three main components:

A root barrier that stops the roots of the plants getting through and damaging your waterproof layer (most new roofing felts are already root-proof so this may not be needed).

A drainage layer, which stores water but also lets any rain seeping through the vegetation run off the roof and into the gutters in the usual way.

A lightweight growing medium for the plants – small particles of porous material and organic matter, which takes the place of soil.

Plants are grown on top with a small gravel border around the perimeter. For low-maintenance options, roofs are usually planted up with sedum, meadow wild flowers or a mix of both – but you could add other features like a log pile too. The green roof system for growing sedum is approximately 6cm deep, increasing to 12cm if you want wild flowers (and more if you want a turf roof). The roof will need a bit of attention twice a year – a feed for the sedum in spring and cutting or removing the dead wild flowers, plus checking for any weeds that have snuck in during autumn.

Because adding a green system is an extra layer over your regular roofing material, protecting it from the elements, it is thought that the life of your roof could be extended by as much as three times. The green roof has a cooling effect in hot weather (free air conditioning) and an insulating effect in winter, which can reduce bills. Other benefits of green roofs include restoring gardens lost to development, providing a great-looking design feature and ensuring upstairs rooms have a nice view, supporting biodiversity, mopping up carbon and other emissions, and preventing flooding (because the vegetation absorbs some of the rain).

If you’re interested in installing one, here are the typical steps:

1. Touch base with the council about your plans. It is probably easiest to use the pre-application advice from Redbridge Planning Service, which costs £50 for a 30-minute meeting. Redbridge currently doesn’t have a standard policy on green roofs, but a request to install one has never been rejected.
2. Pick a suitably qualified green roof installer. I recommend using one that installs the Optigreen system. Always look for a supplier that is a member of the Green Roof Organisation.
3. Speak to the supplier. Describe what you want to do and discuss which of their roofing systems would best meet your needs. Find out the weight per square metre of the different options.
4. Schedule a structural engineer to visit your property to assess your extension roof and confirm the weight it will be able to take. Pick someone who is familiar with green roofs – your supplier should be able to recommend someone. It will typically cost around £350 for the survey. If you’ve got the technical plans for your extension, that will help the engineer, but this isn’t essential.
5. Based on feedback from the structural engineer, pick an appropriate green roof system and liaise with the supplier to book them to visit your property to discuss the roof and its installation. For a good quality system, expect to pay around £80 to £90 per square meter (plus VAT). This would cover all the materials and the cost of installation (based on a minimum of 10 square meters).
6. One final thing you need to do before your green system is installed is ensure your roof is completely watertight. If you’re putting it on top of an existing roof, you could either get new felt laid on top to be sure or pay a roofing company to do an integrity test to check for any leaks.
7. Once this is done, you’re ready to create your garden in the sky. For a typical single-storey extension, the roof will be accessed by ladder and materials brought to it in sacks.
8. If your roof is installed during a dry period, you will need to water at first to help it establish.
9. The supplier should provide you with all the information you need about maintaining your roof. If your roof is safe for you to access, you could do this yourself. If not, or you’d prefer to outsource the job, most companies offer a management service.

The Natural History Museum’s Curator of Meteorites will be giving a talk at Wanstead House this month.

“Dr Natasha Almeida will be discussing meteorites, the far-flung remnants of the solar system that come crashing down to Earth,” said Steve Karpel of the North East London Astronomical Society, which is hosting the 17 November event (3pm; first visit free).

Dr Almeida’s research focuses on the use of micro-computed tomography in the study of extraterrestrial material, including meteorites and NASA Apollo samples.

Call 020 8995 9853

Artist David Sawyer – who travelled with the Prince of Wales to the Caribbean as an official tour artist earlier this year – will be demonstrating landscape painting in oils at Wanstead House this month.

“One of the many tips David will be giving at the demonstration is to paint or sketch en plein air, because you will learn what to leave out of the painting and what to leave in,” said a spokesperson for Essex Art Club, which is hosting the event on 24 November from 2.30pm to 4.30pm (visitors: £5).

Visit wnstd.com/eac

In the first of two articles by former local resident David Williams, the journalist-turned-tour guide and lecturer explains why he often returns to the area to give talks to local groups.

Whether I am talking to a genealogy group or local history enthusiasts, I know that at some stage there will be a discussion with someone who wants to tell me how far back they have traced their ancestors. The common factor here is their enthusiasm. I suppose we have to thank the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are? for encouraging family history research and I can only imagine how long people spend trawling through census forms, parochial documents, workhouse records and the Old Bailey online.

Without access to the mass of information available now on the internet we would all face hours travelling to libraries large and small, trying to decipher the handwriting of someone in the 19th century who was making notes and taking down details of what we all hope will lead us to that distant relative who finished up in Newgate Prison or made – and subsequently lost – a fortune.

I was chatting with an old school friend the other day and he was anxious to tell me more about his East End roots and, in particular, his Huguenot ancestry. But I had to remind him that although finding out more about the life and the world of his three times great-grandfather was a triumph of his tenacious research, he was unaware of the social background of his discovery. What was the story behind the census return or the death certificate? What did he know about working and living conditions of that period?

I am not a genealogist but my interest in social and oral history has intrigued me for the past 15 years. Trying to find something to occupy my time after retiring from a career in print journalism and the film and television industry, it soon became obvious that concentrating on reducing my golf handicap was not the solution. That was when a casual search on the City of London Corporation website revealed an item which seemed worth investigating. They were inviting applications from people who were prepared to consider becoming tour guides and lecturers.

I applied, was interviewed and offered a place on the year-long course. In 2005 I proudly received my badge and certification in the Egyptian Room of the Mansion House. It was the start of a late, late career as a historian – and leading walks and giving talks about the City of London. Since that day, this ex-Churchfields Primary School boy – who fluffed his educational opportunities in the 1950s – has never improved his golf handicap but can certainly appreciate the value of further education.

Amateur dramatics group the Highams Players are celebrating their 80th anniversary with a production of the Alan Ayckbourn comedy Life and Beth at Wanstead House on 21, 22 and 23 November.

The group was founded in 1939, performing at Highams House before moving to the Memorial Hall in South Woodford and then to Wanstead House in 1973.

“We are a friendly, close-knit group who delight in rehearsing in each other’s homes, and are always keen to welcome new members,” said Susan Walters.

Call 020 8924 6987

In the sixth of a series of articles looking at the developing plans for restoring Wanstead Park, John Sharpe from the Friends of Wanstead Parklands takes a look at the recently published Parkland Plan. Photo of Perch Pond by Christian Moss

In the October edition of the Wanstead Village Directory, in his article on the lakes of Wanstead Park, Friends of Wanstead Parklands member Richard Arnopp referenced the development of the Parkland Plan, which sets out in detail the vision for future restoration and management of the park.

The latest version has now been published and sets out how the work aspires to improve the park environment and the user and visitor experience.

The intention of this article – and the next instalment planned for the December edition – is to summarise these planned developments, which aim to regenerate Wanstead Park (which since 2009 has been on Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register) and put it on the map as the main ‘Southern Gateway’ to the wider Epping Forest landscape.

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands have worked with the other major stakeholders to best represent park users within the developing framework. However, it is the main landowners – the City of London, Wanstead Sports Grounds Limited, Wanstead Parish and the London Borough of Redbridge – who will have the responsibility of delivering the project. Part of the strategy will be to improve co-ordinated management by these independent parties, with support from the Friends.

In order to deliver this long-term vision, the conceptual options are varied and range from one-off major capital expenditures, such as restoring the lakes to stabilise water levels, to relatively simple actions, such as re-focusing on-going maintenance in the various parts of the park. The large size of Wanstead Park and the potential need for significant funding means the plan and its delivery is a long-term commitment with some actions more readily achieved than others.

The key objectives of the Parkland Plan are:

Addressing visitor needs to provide an accessible and legible historic landscape. This will include clearing and restoring selected historic features and improving entrances and paths. As well as heritage, the park’s natural aspects would benefit from better management to promote biodiversity and nature conservation.

Improving visitor facilities around the park, including developing the surroundings of the Temple as a visitor hub with improved access, an enhanced catering offering, flexible space for events and a new children’s play area. It is hoped this will also bring future activity and income generation benefits, which will ensure financial sustainability.

Improving water management and ensuring the major package of works to the lakes (designated as ‘High Risk’ in 2018) both respect and benefit the historic significance of the waterscape and surrounding landscape.

Conserving the boathouse Grotto. A Conservation Management Plan has just been completed, which is intended to guide the future care of this unique building.

Promoting research into Wanstead Park, its history, management and biodiversity.

The Parkland Plan also supports increased community and volunteer involvement in the park.

Although the ‘shopping list’ for Wanstead Park’s future is largely settled, some questions over funding and timescales still need to be resolved. Plans and priorities for phasing, including those that can be covered by existing staff and budgets, will first need to be approved. This will enable both capital and corresponding revenue costs to be broadly agreed, prior to the submission of a bid of up to £5m to the National Heritage Lottery Fund (NHLF). The NHLF have only recently revised their funding criteria for projects between 2019 and 2024. Competition for funding is strong, and it is not yet clear how or when this element will be integrated.

Agreement and adoption of the Parkland Plan will then need to be endorsed by the Steering Group, and formally by the Wanstead Park landowners.

The most recent costing for all the planned work is around £14.5m, and it is currently unclear as to which parts of the plan will be fulfilled if, for some reason, there is a shortfall in funding.

A further frustration for the Friends is that the latest starting point for major works to be carried out is further down the road than anticipated. This is said to be due to the requirements of the City of London’s required internal processes for planning and funding major projects, with work on the capital projects now due to commence as late as 2024.

In advance of this, the Friends will continue liaising and working with the City of London and other project partners to establish what work can take place to improve the visitor experience and the overall state of the park and its lakes while plan development is in progress.

If you wish to be involved in the ongoing development of the Parkland Plan, and actively contribute to the thinking behind it and the local community, please consider joining the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.

Wanstead resident Colin Cronin started organising local Remembrance services several years ago. Here, the former councillor explains why he continues to do so and why such events provide a valuable lesson.

In 1922, local residents gathered for the unveiling of the Wanstead War Memorial next to Tarzy Wood. Designed by Forest Gate resident and sculptor Newbury Abbott Trent, it has stood as a permanent reminder for Wanstead residents of those members of our community who have given their lives selflessly during times of conflict.

Seventy-five years later in 1997, Snaresbrook’s Garden of Remembrance (off Snaresbrook Road) opened to honour all victims of war.

Now we are in the Remembrancetide period, members of the Wanstead community, young and old alike, are once again ready to stand together at the war memorial on Remembrance Sunday and in the Garden of Remembrance on Armistice Day to pause, reflect and pay our respects to those who, for our tomorrows, gave their today.

I first began assisting the Royal British Legion in organising the Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day commemorations several years ago, and with the closure of the British Legion’s Wanstead branch some time ago, have continued to organise these annual commemorations ever since, with help from the Salvation Army, Vision RCL and officers from Redbridge Council.

It is always wonderful to see the RAF and police cadets parade along the High Street, the mayoral party being led to the memorial field by the golden Wanstead mace, gifted to Wanstead Urban Council by Winston Churchill, and members of the clergy from local Wanstead churches joining together to lead us in prayer. From the hymns and wreath-laying through to the sounding of the last post by a lone bugler, I am always struck by the solemnity and peacefulness of both occasions, which is in marked contrast to the chaos and cacophony that war brings.

But perhaps the most poignant aspect of Remembrance Sunday for me is seeing the youngest members of our community from the local Beavers, Cubs and Scouts laying their own personal poppy tributes at the base of the memorial.

I firmly believe that observing a moment’s silence on both Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day not only allows members of our community to show respect and remember those who have lost their lives but it also reminds us of – and will continue to teach the generations that come after us – an incredibly valuable lesson: that war should never be the solution.

Surely, there can be no greater tribute to the victims of war than that?

Parker Dairies milkman Steve Hayden will be switching on the George Green Christmas tree lights on 22 November at 4.30pm.

“The theme will be that of a cleaner, greener, plastic-free Christmas. There will also be local school choirs, a band and some panto characters,” said Councillor Paul Donovan.

Last year, more than 150 residents attended the event, at which milk and treats were distributed to the children.

“It’s great when the community comes together to celebrate in this way… Christmas is also a time to reach out to others.”

A public workshop took place last month in Redbridge Council’s first steps towards preparing a management plan for the Aldersbrook Conservation Area.

The ideas put forward will help develop an up-to-date appraisal, and identify how best to preserve and enhance the character and significance of the area.

“A full and formal consultation will take place to further enable residents to express their views. This will include drop-in sessions, which will take place towards the end of the year,” said a council spokesperson.

A Wanstead butchers has been remembered in a new book celebrating London shops.

“I painted AG Dennis in 2015, and I’m pleased now that I did, as I wasn’t to know it would close the following year… All the shops in my book are painted because they had wonderful shop frontages with beautiful lettering and design, but also because they were or are excellent neighbourhood businesses,” said artist Eleanor Crow.

Shopfronts of London is published by Batsford and Spitalfields Life Books (£14.99).

Visit wnstd.com/crow

A packed hall gave London City Airport representatives a tough time over their expansion proposals at the public meeting in Wanstead last month. John Stewart of campaign group HACAN East reports

London City is proposing to almost double flight numbers from their current level, end the 24-hour weekend break and operate more planes in the early morning and late evening.

Airport representatives came under particular fire during October’s public meeting for not knowing the noise impact for Wanstead if the plans went ahead.

The proposals are part of London City’s Master Plan, which sets out its vision for the airport until 2035. Tim Halley, Director of Planning at London City, argued the airport believed the demand would be there to justify its expansion proposals. But he was at pains to stress they were only proposals and that the airport would take account of responses to the consultation before coming out with any final plans. The consultation ended on 18 October.

The airport expects to publish a final Master Plan towards the end of this year. If it decides to go ahead with any of the expansion proposals, it will need to draw up a detailed planning application to go before Newham Council, the airport’s planning authority. If Newham Council turns it down, the airport has the right to appeal, which would involve a public inquiry.

At the Wanstead Library meeting on 3 October, there was a lot of passionate criticism of London City’s decision in 2016 to concentrate its flight paths. It means that certain areas get all the planes. The fear was expressed that if the expansion proposals go ahead, people in the affected places will be living under a ‘constant sky of sound’.

However, London City is now being required to reassess its flight paths as part of airspace changes that will be introduced at all airports in London and the South East around 2025.  In a couple of years’ time, London City will consult on options for its new flight paths. These are expected to include the idea of multiple flight paths which can be rotated each day to ensure each community gets a break from the noise.

Whatever the future holds, it is certain there will be many more public meetings in Wanstead on aircraft noise, flight paths and any expansion proposals London City comes up with.

For most of its history, London City Airport has concentrated on the immediate area surrounding the airport. Now, Wanstead is very much on its radar. That is not going to change. My sense is the local people will keep Wanstead on the agenda. There was a determination at the meeting that London City be held to account. I expect a locally based campaign will start up to make it an issue in the forthcoming mayoral and London Assembly elections.

Housebound residents need not have their reading material confined to free magazines that drop through their letterbox, says Rose Meredith, Home Library Service Volunteer Co-ordinator for Redbridge Libraries

Now the autumn is here, it’s that time of year when we start thinking about the gradual approach of winter and spending more time in the comfort of our own homes.

Some of our residents may start thinking about having falls and slips in icy winter weather, and this can make winter a time of staying at home a lot more, perhaps not having much of an opportunity to socialise.

This can happen at any stage of our lives, especially if we are recovering from illness or perhaps a fall, which has resulted in a temporary disability keeping us indoors.

The Redbridge Library Service – which is managed by Vision RCL on behalf of Redbridge Council – can help with your reading needs if something occurs in your life which, for any reason, means you are likely to be at home for the winter or for any longer period of time.

It might be that you have an operation and know it will take several months to feel yourself again and have the confidence to go out and about. Or it may be that you are at home on a more permanent basis and friends and neighbours are currently helping you but you are unable to reach your local library.   

We run a volunteer service for anyone who is unable to get to a library and is either temporarily or long-term housebound.

Age is not a barrier; we deliver to all age groups. However, being a Redbridge resident is a requirement to receive this service, but it doesn’t matter if you own or rent in the borough.

A member of staff will visit you with a volunteer and will assess your reading needs with you – usually, we have great chats about books and about what you like to read and even what you have read in the past – this is all part of our service.

Then, your volunteer starts to get an idea about what you like to read – they visit you on an ‘as and when basis’ – you decide when you want more books and your volunteer will bring them into your home.

All of the library volunteers have been chosen for their roles because of their approachable and vibrant personalities and, of course, their love of libraries, books and reading.

Wanstead residents Dennis and Paul Weeks of North London Loft Rooms were delighted to receive an invitation for inclusion in The Parliamentary Review. Michelle Harris reports

Being featured in the government’s Parliamentary Review is an accolade reserved for companies at the pinnacle of their industry. The purpose of the publication is to support the sharing of experience within various sectors and the subsequent raising of industry standards.

Companies featured also have the facility to raise their profile as a respected company within their industry. A company’s presence serves on multiple levels, whether to share a ‘best practice’ or to even criticise the government (from their professional perspective) if deemed relevant and in the national interest.

Dennis and Paul Weeks of North London Loft Rooms were keen to participate and humbled by the invitation for inclusion. Despite being a relatively new company (founded in 2015), they have quickly gained a reputation for high-quality building services that are helping local residents (as they are based in Wanstead) to boost their property values by approximately 20%, whilst adding almost 50% in size. Most important are the benefits enjoyed by homeowners for an improved lifestyle quality.

For those looking to enhance their home within their currently available space, a loft room’s potential is only limited by imagination and creative enterprise; den, home office, cinema room, private and luxurious bedroom with en suite or even a gymnasium, all are exciting options. A private space within a family home can be a special and very attractive proposition, whilst also saving on exorbitant moving fees and the stress of trying to find a larger property. If living with young children, they can remain at their schools and close to friends, and also extended family if all are located nearby. Lives are enriched and the whole family work as a unit, despite increasing requirements and unforeseen additional practicalities.

Construction has been a prominent profession within Dennis and Paul’s family, so despite other careers before their joint venture, they decided to develop a strategic forecast and business development plan. They quickly gained a good reputation, with a turnover of over £1m within the first year of trading, which doubled by 2018. Their unique code of practice and mission statement ensured a successful business trajectory and role model for other construction companies.

As a result of their positioning and article, both Dennis and Paul, together with their families, feel a sense of absolute pride. Thrilled by the invitation, and alongside other respected professionals, they are keen to participate and showcase their success to help support others.

Councillor Jo Blackman explains why Wanstead’s Woodbine Day Centre is so important, and encourages anyone interested in volunteering at this adult social care venue to pop in.

Bins and roads – that’s often what springs to mind when people think about how their council tax is spent. However, the biggest proportion of the council’s budget actually goes on children’s services and social care. In 2019/2020, the council will spend more on adult social care than roads and the environment combined.

With an ageing population, the demand for adult social care continues to increase, and this is sadly not being met by central government funding, with cuts of £166m to the council’s overall budget since 2010 and continued uncertainty about future funding. Faced with these pressures, the council was forced to implement the social care charge levy introduced by the government to support and protect vulnerable residents.

Adult social care work often goes unseen by residents unless they or their family or friends find themselves needing support. In Wanstead Village, we are lucky to have a vibrant adult social care day centre. At the front line, Woodbine Centre staff have had to adapt to the continued pressures from a squeeze on budgets. This has seen them take in more adults with more complex needs and disabilities from across the borough, whilst also exploring ways to generate revenue.

I visited the centre recently with the council’s People Scrutiny Committee. We were all moved by stories of how adults we met had been supported through difficult times, including through activities and, most importantly, friendship. It was humbling to meet the staff who run the centre with such commitment and enthusiasm.

The centre has an impressive range of facilities, including an IT suite, kitchens, music area and outdoor space too. They have good links with the local community, with a number of shops and cafes hosting users of the centre to develop their skills and experience. They have a varied programme of activities, including musical memories for those with dementia, gardening, drama and art, and they always welcome visitors. Woodbine Centre has exciting plans for the future, including a Christmas market on 30 November and, potentially, the addition of a garden centre.

The on-site Cherry Tree Cafe is open from 12 noon to 2pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and provides opportunities for students with special educational needs to gain experience in catering, building their knowledge through practical experience in a functioning cafe.

If you know of someone who could benefit from the services at Woodbine Centre, please get in touch. They also welcome volunteering offers and encourage people to pop in to speak to them.

A new breastfeeding support group will meet in Wanstead for the first time this month.

“As the UK has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the developed world and only 1% of women are exclusively breastfeeding at six months, this initiative is crucial and timely.  Breastfeeding support is critical in improving this rate,” said Karen Shah, a La Leche League Leader who will be hosting the free support group on the first Monday of every month at The Cuckfield from 12 noon to 2pm (babies in arms welcome).

Visit laleche.org.uk

Children aged nine and over are invited to make new friends at a Wanstead Library event this month.

“As part of Anti-Bullying Week, this is an opportunity to make new friends, enjoy some fun activities and discuss how to spread kindness in our community,” said a library spokesperson. The free anti-bullying workshop will take place on 13 November from 4pm to 5.15pm.

Run by the Anti-Bullying Alliance, this year’s Anti-Bullying Week theme is ‘Change Starts With Us’.

Visit wnstd.com/libevents