September 2020

When Wanstead residents get fed up with something unsightly in their neighbourhood, they do something about it. It’s the power of fed-uppery, as Marian Temple knows only too well. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

The only reason Wanstead has its cottage garden at the Corner House is that someone got fed up. That someone was me in April 2003. Just once too often, I walked past the patch of waist-high weeds and takeaway rubbish bin the garden had become. Something had to be done. It was. Just me and my mates at first, with the agreement of the council and backup of the Wanstead Society. A garden emerged that has been Wanstead’s iconic High Street cottage garden for the past 17 years.

In 2017, Daniel Slipper got fed up with the litter strewn over Wanstead’s greens and open spaces. He did something about it. The monthly litter picks were born and are now continued by our local councillors. What a difference that has made! How much better it would be if the strewing didn’t happen in the first place, but that’s another story.

In April this year, in the middle of a heatwave that has been waving for most of this summer, Peta Jarmey, one of our community gardeners, got fed up with walking past a derelict patch of weeds and rubbish that could have been a delightful flower bed. Déjà vu? Certainly.

The patch in question is the one pictured here – a long bed, 20 metres or so, that runs along the footpath connecting Cambridge Park with the roads that were cut off when the new road was put into a tunnel under George Green. It’s the Belgique end of the green and is backed by a rather handsome wall beneath which the traffic plunges into the tunnel.

Transport for London built the road, the tunnel, the wall and the flower bed. They forgot to do anything with the flower bed, and for the past 20-odd years, footpath users have walked past a strip of weeds and rubbish. Enter thoroughly fed-up Wanstead Community Gardener Peta, who walked past this dismal patch just once too often. The power of fed-uppery kicked in.

A hot April is not an ideal time to create a new flower bed, especially where there is no source of water. However, you can’t keep a good gardener down. Litter and weeds out, soil dug over, easy-going plants put in from Peta’s own garden, the Corner House garden and those of various locals who left their donations on the patch. Against all the odds, the new plants thrived, watered by a pocket army of well-wishers who brought water in plastic bottles  at the end of each hot day. They wanted this patch of flowers to do well… and it did.

It doesn’t take very long to create a garden. In less than three months, the Belgique bed was up and running. Thanks to the nearby Kindred Nursery we now have a source of water. Good-tempered plants are flowering and golden hop scrambling up the wall. There are a few empty spaces. They will be filled. Welcome to Wanstead’s latest perennial border.

Let’s drink a toast to the power of fed-uppery.

Vintage trader Karen Stuckey took over the running of Wanstead Vintage fairs earlier this year. Although her first event in May was a victim of lockdown, the new Wanstead Vintage era starts now

Hasn’t lockdown been so difficult for everyone? What would have been my first Wanstead Vintage event in May, after taking over the fairs at the beginning of the year, had to be cancelled due to the current pandemic. However, I am delighted to say we will finally be open for business again this month. It is a really exciting year for us as it is our 10th anniversary as well. 

I first became interested in vintage over 10 years ago. I had just come out of the City after working as a training manager for JP Morgan for 15 years. I wanted a change of career, away from the corporate world. Whilst walking around Loughton, I came across Boningtons, the auctioneers. I went to their next viewing and auction and found it really exciting, so the following day I took my CV into their offices.  My timing was perfect and I started as office manager the following week!

I worked at Boningtons for five years and learnt so much. I will always remember doing the internet bidding on one particular lot which achieved just shy of £30,000! It was so exciting, the room erupted with applause when the hammer went down.

Working in an auction house really piqued my interest in vintage items and I started buying and selling myself. Of course, I got to the stage where I was running out of room at home as I was buying far more than I was selling, so I decided to attend vintage fairs. I now also have a space where I sell at Crews Hill Vintage Emporium in Enfield. This is rather nice because it gives me a base and has meant I have met more fellow traders.

It is now more important than ever to repair, reuse and recycle. The damage we have already inflicted on the planet is obvious to see and we can’t wait any longer to address it. Buying pre-loved is the way forward. It has all the excitement of a new purchase with the added bonus of helping the planet and knowing you’re recycling.

I was delighted to take over Wanstead Vintage this year – it was the perfect fit for me. I knew a number of the regular stallholders and my best asset is organising. We are really fortunate to hold these fairs in Wanstead United Reformed Church, a beautiful Grade II listed, recently refurbished building, which is incredibly light and airy with the sun streaming through the huge colourful stained glass windows. The church has two halls, which we fill with an array of stallholders, some of whom have been with us since 2010. They will be selling, as they always do, a huge variety of genuine vintage items: homewares, jewellery, handbags, posters, textiles, vinyl and books to name a few – everything you need for your home and wardrobe.

The manager of the Wanstead branch of Nationwide is holding a raffle to support the charity work of local resident Frank Charles.

Supported by the Mayor of Redbridge, the money raised will be shared between Frank’s Feed The Streetz initiative – which delivers food and hygiene bags to the homeless – and the Walthamstow Christian Kitchen. Raffle tickets (£2 each) are available from the High Street building society until 14 September, with a luxury hamper as the prize.

A range of books are also on sale for £1 each.

The temporary mortuary erected on Wanstead Flats at the height of the coronavirus pandemic has been removed and will become a new wild flower habitat.

“While coronavirus is likely to be with us for a long time and we mustn’t be complacent, the removal of the mortuary is a welcome sign of normal life beginning to return to our open spaces… The site will be sown in autumn and again next spring with a wild flower seed mix, including seeds collected from nearby areas of the forest,” said a City of London spokesperson.

With low water levels in Wanstead Park’s Ornamental Water, the resident swan family are in need of help.

“With less water, the swans are restricted in their ability to access the wider lake, and therefore food. We are asking people to take a detour to the lake to feed them. The cygnets will need energy to learn to fly. Seeded brown bread, spinach, kale and lettuce are all welcome. Thank you to all those who have already been supporting them,” said Tracey Adebowale-Jones, who is part of a volunteer network monitoring local swans.

After several weeks without rain and with temperatures reaching 35ºC last month, Wanstead Flats suffered a series of infernos.

“On 10 August, a large blaze burned about one hectare of tinderbox-dry grassland by Centre Road car park. Two days later, a series of fires swept through a swathe of bushes and grass between the Golden Fleece and Alexandra Lake. The London Fire Brigade deserves thanks for a speedy and efficient response… Arson is suspected for at least one of the blazes,” said Tim Harris of the Wren Wildlife Group.

Despite the Wanstead Fringe being cancelled this year, the popular Wanstead Kinema will return on 11 September.

“Every year, the Kinema is the most atmospheric event in the Wanstead calendar. We’re showing Dr Seuss’ The Lorax, which, I think, is a modern classic. It has a powerfully inspiring message for young and old about the difference everyone can make,” said organiser Giles Wilson. The screening will take place at Wanstead Cricket Club on Overton Drive from 6.30pm (adults: £7.50; children: £3.50).

Visit wnstd.com/lorax

Healthwatch Redbridge is seeking feedback from local residents about their experiences of NHS health and social care services during the pandemic.

“We are in regular contact with hospitals and adult social care services across Redbridge, receiving updates on how they are working during this time and what systems and changes they are making to services. We will use the responses to ensure local concerns are identified early and passed on to the appropriate services. Let your voice be heard,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/hr

A petition is urging Redbridge Council to better help small businesses comply with social distancing rules.

It follows a fine issued to a local hairdresser for placing chairs outside his shop.

“Wanstead Hairdressers put three chairs outside when it opened after lockdown so elderly customers had somewhere to sit. The council fined them £100 without warning. They’re not the only shop this has happened to,” said Natalie Michaelides, whose petition received over 150 signatures in 24 hours.

Visit wnstd.com/chairs

Wanstead’s annual art trail will not take place this month, but organisers are keen to hear from residents who would like to help stage next year’s event.

“Art Trail Wanstead usually takes place in September, but coronavirus made it unsafe to run this year. We would have staged some interesting activities and shows, but those plans have been put on hold,” said trail founder Donna Mizzi. In the absence of the trail, the Wanstead Village Directory is pleased to present two local artists in this issue (pages 52 and 62).

Visit wnstd.com/art

Kareem Cole from local solicitors Wiseman Lee takes a look at the importance of Lasting Powers of Attorney and planning for life in lockdown, especially for those who are more vulnerable

The unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic has prompted many people to ensure their wills are up to date should they suddenly become unwell. But who would you want to help manage your finances or make decisions about your personal health or affairs if you were forced back into lockdown or lost capacity?

Most likely, you would want your family or friends to make these decisions for you. A fully registered Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) will allow the people of your choice to assist you should you become unable to leave the house or manage by yourself.

There is no automatic right for your next of kin to act on your behalf.

There are two types of LPA. One covers your property and financial matters (use this LPA to give an attorney the power to make decisions about selling your home, collecting benefits or a pension and paying bills, for example), whilst the other covers your health and welfare decisions (use this LPA to give an attorney the power to make decisions about your daily routine, medical care, moving into a care home and life-sustaining treatment, for example). You can choose to make one type or both.

Life during lockdown has been very difficult for many, especially those who are more vulnerable or are shielding. Issues people are facing include not being able to go to the shops, the bank, or have family members visit who would usually help.

Having an LPA in place means your attorneys can assist as necessary whilst you have capacity and then fully manage your finances should you lose capacity. They can also arrange medical appointments for you, put in place extra care, assist with paying bills and access cash for general household expenses.

With the possibility of more restrictions being placed on our lives in the future, Lasting Powers of Attorney could prove very useful. Whereas a will is effective from the day it is signed, an LPA is only effective after it has been successfully registered. The registration process can take up to four months.

If you do not have an LPA, your next of kin would need to apply to the Court of Protection to become your Deputy. This is a costly process that can take up to nine months to be resolved.

The importance of ensuring you are properly safeguarded if you were to suddenly lose capacity cannot be underestimated.

Woodford Town FC are confident the dream of a return to their home town will be realised by October, in time for the Essex Senior League season, says the club’s Technical Director Neil Day

Although coronavirus has delayed a large proportion of the building works required to turn the Ashton Playing Field arena into a venue suitable for senior football, the club has received assurances works will be completed in time for the delayed start to the season.

Club Chairman Tony Scott said: “There have been some really positive meetings with the council and contractors in recent weeks and the wheels are beginning to move to get us back home… This promises to be a ‘different’ type of season for various reasons, and we are very hopeful common sense and maybe a little flexibility can be shown to enable our return to become a reality.”

We have been gearing up to the beginning of building work for a couple of seasons and are very pleased with the platform our long-term strategies have already given us before the first digger went in. Our forward-thinking club has recruited a top-class media and marketing team to boost the Woodford Town FC brand, and have already built up numerous supporter-driven initiatives whilst playing at Harlow FC, including our ‘Fans Band’ and designing and producing a very popular heritage shirt celebrating Woodford history, with a nod to former local resident Sylvia Pankhurst’s invaluable role in the suffragette movement.

The groundwork already done could cause an explosion of interest in the former giants of the non-league game, founded in 1937. We’ve done so much in the past couple of seasons that relied upon our return home to really take off: banners, posters and flyers have all been designed, produced and put into storage just for this moment. We have a considerable number of volunteers who can’t wait to get started and we want all the community to be involved. ‘Woodford for Everyone’ is a strapline that was used on social media and sums up our ethos.

On the pitch, Woodford has also had a make-over, underpinning our much-vaunted policy of pitching young, home-grown talent into senior non-league football. A smattering of 16-year-olds has been a standout feature in Dee Safer’s sides for several seasons now, attempting to play an attacking, possession-based game not always associated with getting results in a notoriously physically dominated league. The Woods will be running an under-18 team, competing in the FA Youth Cup, and an under-23 ‘development team’ managed by ex-Bethnal Green United and Enfield FC defender Shane Baptiste, alongside experienced coach Glen Reeves.

It’s fair to say there’s something for everyone if you want to get involved. Announcements will be coming soon on the club’s revamped website – or just follow the noise on a Friday evening!

In the fifth of a series of articles looking at the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital, Charlotte Monro reflects on a recent public meeting and expresses concern over plans for 51 fewer beds

Work towards the new Whipps Cross Hospital is advancing apace with the architect team in the process of being appointed. A public meeting hosted by Waltham Forest Save Our NHS (WFSONHS) at the end of July demonstrated our communities’ determination that the new hospital must be designed to meet our needs in the future. Alarm that the latest plans are for 51 fewer beds than now – despite the area having the fastest-growing population in London – has led to the launch of a community-wide campaign.

People found the meeting informative and inspiring. Enthusiastic discussion followed the three speakers. Residents spoke of the reality on the ground: 8,000 more people moving into new developments in Leabridge ward, which is already 10 GPs short and has no health centre. And housing for staff on the Whipps site; public transport – sufficient and green – and genuine consultation were all raised. People are eager to act.

John Cryer MP spoke first: “We can’t be in a position where we have got a nice new hospital but it cannot cope with the demand.” He has witnessed the “absolutely desperate” pressure on Whipps. “The hospital has been at 100% bed occupancy for the last two winters. Once you get to 90%, you start to compromise safety, you should not even go near 100%.” Sufficient beds is a critical issue, of which he has long experience, from the new Queen’s Hospital in Romford to the closure of Wanstead Hospital’s Heronwood and Galleon unit “which provided excellent rehab… Now, I am getting cases of people who cannot get the services in their homes that were promised when the wards closed. So, people go back needing more intense hospital care.”

The idea the new hospital needs fewer beds relies on assumptions that fewer people will need hospital treatment because of proposed new models of care in the community and improved organisation of hospital care. A close look at the strategy documents, said the next speaker Mary Burnette of WFSONHS, shows major flaws in the modelling used. For one, Waltham Forest has less to spend on both hospital and community health care than most of the boroughs to which it is compared. Decisions resting on untested assumptions could give us the same pressures and ambulance queues stretching into our future.

The final presentation from Green at Barts Health staff group called for the new Whipps to be the first UK net zero-carbon hospital, designed for the wellbeing of all who use it. With danger from climate change, anything less would be unforgivable. Natural light, views and ventilation, green spaces and nature, renewable clean energy from solar panels on roofs of both hospital and houses, all this is doable. But our guarantee will be the involvement throughout of community, staff and patients. And funding!

A new grow zone has been established in a private communal garden in Snaresbrook as an extension of the Wild Wanstead project.

“Our zone is on the Rivenhall Estate opposite Eagle Pond. It was inspired by seeing other grow zones and through setting up a neighbourly WhatsApp chat during lockdown. It didn’t take much for the residents of Brooksglade to agree to leave an unmowed area on the communal lawn and we look forward to planting some wild flowers in the spring,” said resident Tina Nieman Da Costa.

South Woodford resident and pianist Yuki Negishi will be joining musicians from across the country for a virtual concert on 19 September and 9 October (8pm; tickets: £11.99).

“My monthly Beethoven 250 series at St Mary’s Church in South Woodford has been cancelled since March 2020 due to the pandemic, so I was honoured to be invited to perform these recitals online. I will be performing the Appassionata and Pathetique sonatas by Beethoven, alongside other composers,” said Yuki.

Visit swvg.co.uk/yuki

A psychotherapist and parent coach from South Woodford has launched a campaign to help prevent children’s mental health suffering from the long-term effects of COVID-19.

“Research tells us there is a 10-year delay between young people experiencing their first symptoms and accessing help. Prevention is better than cure, and building resilience is at the heart of my campaign #LegacyNow, which is about passing on your values to your children rather than an inheritance,” explained Usha Chudasama.

Visit swvg.co.uk/legacy

The state of Wanstead Park’s lakes has prompted an increasing clamour on social media in recent weeks.

“Local people have watched in dismay as the Ornamental Water is drying up,” said Richard Arnopp of the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.

Water is currently being pumped into the lake system from the park’s borehole for 16 hours a day, alternating between Heronry Pond and Perch Pond.

“Despite this pumping, levels remain low in the Heronry Pond, and not enough water is reaching the Ornamental Water via Perch Pond even to stabilise it. Sadly, there are no easy fixes. A few years ago, the City of London commissioned a survey of the lakes, and an assessment of dams is due soon. This will form the core of a proposed project to restore the park, but this is not expected to start until 2024. Massive leakage and inadequate water inputs mean keeping the lakes filled is simply impossible at present.”

Redbridge Council is giving away over 40,000 spring-flowering bulbs to help improve local neighbourhoods.

“The bulbs are being given out in time for Redbridge’s Big Planting Weekend, taking place between 16 and 18 October. The borough-wide planting movement encourages people to plant their bulbs in spaces that benefit the local community,” said a spokesperson. Community groups, residents and schools can request the bulbs by completing an online form by 20 September.

Visit swvg.co.uk/bulbs20

Wanstead House Community Association reopened from 1 September.

“Most of our clubs and groups are ready and willing to return, although restrictions and regulations will be in place. Social distancing has to be maintained throughout and face masks must be worn in all communal areas,” said manager Ann Brockway. The centre – located at 21 The Green, Wanstead – has announced a new programme of classes for adults and children, which includes languages, dance, art, keep-fit, fashion and floristry.

Call 020 8989 3693

Redbridge Council is calling on residents to become Street Watch volunteers.

“Street Watch is a community partnership led by members of the public who kindly volunteer their time to patrol their neighbourhoods in high-visibility jackets to create safer, more cohesive neighbourhoods,” said a spokesperson. Volunteers will receive training from local police before patrolling on foot or by bike in pairs.

Visit swvg.co.uk/watch