July 2020

A photobook entitled Wanstead Cares (£15) – which documents the creative window displays seen in homes across the local area – has been published.

“The books have been printed, and the first batch have been delivered to those that have pre-ordered. Now you can buy them, and I will deliver as soon as possible. And remember, £5 from every sale goes to local good causes – the first donation has been made!” said photographer Dan Clarke, who is keen to hear from shops that can stock the book.

Visit wnstd.com/cares

A network of foodbank collection points at 34 homes across Aldersbrook, Wanstead and South Woodford have collectively received over 10 tonnes of donations since the initiative was launched at the end of April.

“Redbridge Foodbank is getting four times more referrals every week than before the pandemic and is totally reliant on donations. The Tin in the Bin Network has made a huge difference, and we are one of their major suppliers!” said James Paterson, who established the network with Julie Harvey.

Visit wnstd.com/food

A member of the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society is taking part in the nationwide Portraits of Togetherness initiative to offer free photo shoots for NHS staff, key workers or local heroes.

“I will be choosing five or more nominations at the end of the month for their shoot as a thank you for being amazing heroes during the pandemic,” said Anila Hussain.

Those selected will take part in a one-hour outdoor portrait session for up to six people, receiving five edited digital images to download.

Visit wnstd.com/nhsportrait

The Wanstead Society has waived this year’s renewal fees for its members, encouraging them to spend the money in local shops.

“The COVID-19 crises has affected us all, and we know with tough times ahead, every penny counts. That’s why we will give our members a free year (worth £10 per household) if they want it. If you can spare £10, spend it in one of our lovely shops on the High Street instead. We hope this small gesture will go some way to helping them survive,” said the group’s chairman Scott Wilding.

Visit wnstd.com/ws

A flower bed on the path that connects Cambridge Park to Draycot Road, alongside George Green, has been given a new lease of life by the Wanstead Community Gardeners.

“One of our members got so fed up with walking past this litter-strewn, weedy patch that she was galvanised into action. Litter and weeds out, donated plants in. A lot of hard work later, and this patch is coming to life. Kindred, the nearby nursery, is happy to let us use their water until the plants get established,” said Marian Temple.

Local resident Gracie Wolstenholme has set up a YouTube channel to offer an insight into living with cerebral palsy.

“Mum has hardly let me out the house since the beginning of March due to my disability making me vulnerable (for those of you who know my mum, you know she faffs over me!)… So to keep myself busy, I made a series of films to help people understand the disability better. Making these awareness videos has kept me going through the pandemic,” explained Gracie.

Visit wnstd.com/gracie

A group of musicians from the Aldersbrook Estate have created a music video remotely.

“We wanted to share a little fun, love and happiness, and celebrate our community spirit… If you enjoy our performance, please consider donating a few pounds to support local charities at this difficult time,” said organiser Chris Wilcox.

So far, the initiative has raised £1,000, which will be shared between, Aldersbrook Primary School PTA, Aldersbrook Riding School, St Gabriel’s Church and Wanstead Park Preschool.

Visit wnstd.com/av

A brood of up to six cygnets hatched on the Shoulder of Mutton Pond in Wanstead Park have all died.

“It is not unusual for swans to lose many of their newborn – they are vulnerable to foxes, gulls, terrapins and even snakes. But more worrying this year is the increased human footprint in the park because of lockdown. We discovered a path we believe was human-made leading directly to the nest. This may have been innocently done, but it created a direct line for foxes to the cygnets,” said Tracey Adebowale-Jones.

A monthly litter pick in Wanstead resumed last month.

“We may have been in lockdown for the past three months, but that does not seem to mean people have kept their rubbish at home. Plenty has been dumped around the area, particularly in the parks and green spaces,” said Councillor Paul Donovan. The event takes place on the third Saturday of the month from 10am, meeting on the corner of High Street and Woodbine Place.

A 30-minute film documenting the renovation of St Mary’s Church in Wanstead was released last month.

“Filmed by members of Eastside Community Heritage Group and edited by local filmmaker Mark Coleman, the documentary tracks the renovations of the Overton Drive building in 2018 and 2019 – made possible by a grant from the National Heritage Lottery Fund – and talks with the parish’s conservation architect, Ian Angus, the designer of the Bishop Edmund King chapel in Oxford, Niall McLaughlin and leading church historian Rev Professor Mark Chapman as they tried to identify what was in the design brief Thomas Hardwick might have been handed when he was appointed architect for the current building at the end of the 18th century,” said a church spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/stmarysfilm