September 2022

Local resident Lorna Paterson first began helping others to learn sign language during lockdown. This month, she launches a monthly group at Wanstead Library to help more people communicate

I bumped into a neighbour at the supermarket during the first lockdown in March 2020. Unable to communicate, we gazed helplessly into each other’s eyes. The neighbour, who has impaired hearing, was unable to read my lips because we were both wearing masks. 

I’m a hearing person with British Sign Language (BSL) Level Two. My neighbour suffered hearing loss in later life and has had no opportunity to learn how to sign. Sadly, I was unable to use BSL to chat with her. That was when I decided to seek ways to share my skills with other Wanstead residents.

In a post on the Wanstead Community Hub Facebook group, and via an article in this magazine, I asked if anyone was interested in learning some common BSL signs. More than 30 people responded. 

While the pandemic ran its course, it proved to be difficult to arrange for small groups to meet in person to share and practise basic BSL. However, several people met with me on Zoom once a week to learn finger-spelling and share conversational signs: weather, family information, numbers and time. Over Christmas 2020, I took part in a signing choir at the Romford Festival and shared the carols we signed with the Zoom group.

The deaf community is proud and independent, but for many people, the experience of hearing loss is isolating. Children born with hearing impairments benefit from the amazing ‘deaf tech’ now available, but they also need community support. Loss of hearing is especially troublesome if it happens in later life, when it takes longer to learn new ways to communicate.

I have lived in Wanstead for 40 years. Until I chose to retire early, I was head of English in a high school in Waltham Forest. Now I’m employed by a Department for Education approved tuition agency as an academic support tutor for university students with disabilities. As a qualified teacher, in theory, I’m qualified to teach BSL Level One, but I don’t intend to run formal lessons. I am equally as keen to keep my own signing skills up to date as I am to help others to acquire them. BSL Wanstead is all about sharing. 

Wanstead Library has kindly agreed to reserve a space for BSL Wanstead to meet from early October onwards. Initially, these meetings will take place once a month on a weekday afternoon, but I hope as the project develops, there will be opportunities to meet in the evening as well. All BSL Wanstead activities are completely free.

The BSL Wanstead project welcomes anyone interested in learning, sharing and practising conversational BSL. If you would like to take part, please do get in touch.

For more information and to contact Lorna, visit patersonloarn.co.uk

Wanstead United Reformed Church has become the first church in Redbridge to be registered to conduct same-sex marriages.

Church members agreed to the change some time ago but have now received official confirmation that the Nightingale Lane venue can conduct ceremonies for all couples.

“It is important to us to be able to welcome all members of the community on equal terms. We also hope this will provide an opportunity for couples currently unable to marry in their own churches,” said a spokesperson.

Wanstead resident Siân Paterson has spoke of her experience as a volunteer marshall for the queue to see Her Late Majesty lying in state:

“It was a challenging but rewarding week. I was feeling sore by the end, but I’ll never forget the experience. The crowds were fantastic and in high spirits. Witnessing the formation of the longest queue in history is literally the most British thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t think anyone imagined how long the queue was going to get, but in true British style, we all kept calm and carried on! Thank you, ma’am.”

Wanstead’s monthly community market on the High Street will, for the first time, coincide with the annual Wanstead Festival on 2 October.

“We are looking forward to being part of the Wanstead Festival experience. As usual, our stall holders will be offering a wide range of food and drink, gifts and art and crafts, so do come and explore,” said a spokesperson for Ace Events, which organises the market. Stalls will open at 10am and close at the later time of 5pm.

The market takes place on the first Sunday of each month.

A healthy afternoon tea party will take place at Christ Church this month to raise funds for after-school clubs in disadvantaged communities, helping them provide healthier food for children from low-income families.

Hosted by The Caroline Walker Trust as part of its World’s Healthiest Afternoon Tea initiative, the event will take place on 23 October from 2.30pm (adults: £15.75; kids: £8.50).

Visit wnstd.com/tea

Redbridge Museum will open a new permanent exhibition later this year exploring 200,000 years of local history. In the eighth of a series of articles, Museum Officer Nishat Alam looks at some of the items on show

The Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum opened in Snaresbrook in 1843. The building is now known as Snaresbrook Crown Court, but for over a century it was a boarding school. In this article, I look at the history of the asylum, later called the Royal Wanstead School, which will be explored in a new display about the borough’s historic institutions when Redbridge Museum re-opens in the next few months. 

We usually understand ‘orphan’ as someone who has lost both their parents, but the pupils of the Infant Orphan Asylum were children whose fathers had died and whose mothers could not afford to take care of them. The asylum only took in children from respectable, middle-class families, who could often buy the vote of the private donors who funded the asylum, ensuring their child’s admittance.

In this way, the asylum was not a traditional orphanage. The building itself is not the kind of place we tend to picture when we think of homes of its kind. Now Grade II listed, it was designed by two prominent architects and its foundation stone laid by Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who was the institution’s first royal patron. But despite its status amongst royals, the Infant Orphan Asylum was, after all, a boarding school where children were sent away from their families, often as infants. Pupils had a strict, disciplined schooling by the teachers and nurses who took care of them and, as with many in similar schools at the time, may have been quite miserable.

Donald Grist, who was there from 1903 to 1919, wrote in his memoir, A Victorian Charity: “Meals were simple and sparse: mince or stew with one vegetable… Drinks were cocoa, water and watered milk.” Meals were served on plates like the one pictured above, which will feature in the new museum display among other material, having been donated to us by a local resident who, in 1990, recovered various pieces of crockery used by the asylum from the shores of Eagle Pond. They paint a picture of a rather grim experience hidden behind a grand façade.

The asylum’s slightly ominous Victorian name was abandoned for the more inviting Royal Wanstead School in 1938. At this point, it began to operate as a school rather than an orphanage as social attitudes on education and care changed. Pupils attending at this time probably looked back at their time more fondly than their Victorian counterparts. 

As welfare provision improved in the 1950s, more children began to attend local schools and the Royal Wanstead School saw a decline in income and attendance until it could no longer afford to stay open. It finally closed in 1971. The building opened as a Crown Court on 26 November 1974.

Redbridge Museum is located on Clements Road, Ilford. Visit wnstd.com/rm
To complete a survey on what else should go on display, visit wnstd.com/rms

All are welcome.

From a Shakespeare line to a Churchill jibe, Derek Inkpin from local solicitors Wiseman Lee has no objection to a few good lawyer jokes. Does he have a good sense of humour? You can be the judge of that

Shakespeare’s plays, as we know, are full of phrases which over 400 years later are still used in common speech.  One of the memorable lines from Henry VI, Part 2 is from the mouth of Dick ‘The Butcher’, who suggests one of the ways to improve the prospects of pretenders achieving the throne: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers.”

Perhaps he was thinking that lawyers maintain the privilege of the wealthy and powerful when, in the face of a violent mob, lawyers stand in their way seeking to protect the rule of law.

Jokes or insults about lawyers seem to have been with us for as long as the law has existed. I would be struggling to think of anything funny to say about accountants or architects, but for solicitors and barristers, the world is awash. How many lawyers does it take to change a light bulb? How many can you afford?

Or from yesteryear: after the freshly acquitted horse thief pleaded with the judge for an arrest warrant “for that dirty lawyer of mine,” the explanation was: “Your Honour, you see I didn’t have the money to pay his fee, so he went and took the horse I stole.”

Then there are the old ones. What is the difference between a catfish and a lawyer?  One is a scum-sucking-bottom-feeding scavenger. The other is a fish. And, why don’t sharks eat lawyers? Professional courtesy.

Or from the USA: Lawyer: “I have some good news for you.” Client: “What good news? You lost my case, I was convicted of a murder I did not commit and was sentenced to die in the electric chair?” Lawyer: “That’s all true, but I got the voltage lowered.”

And so it goes on. Someone mistakenly left the cages of the reptile house open in the zoo and there were snakes slithering everywhere. The keeper tried frantically to get them back in their cages. Finally, he yelled: “Quick, call a lawyer. We need someone who speaks their language.”

What’s the difference between a good lawyer and a bad lawyer? A bad lawyer might let a case drag on for several years. A good lawyer knows how to make it last even longer.

There are hundreds of these humorous (?) contributions, but I think in my next life, I will choose another job and avoid being the butt of everybody’s jokes and even Winston Churchill’s jibe: “Lawyers occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”

Wiseman Lee is located at 9–13 Cambridge Park, Wanstead, E11 2PU. For more information, call 020 8215 1000

This year’s Wanstead Festival will now take place on Sunday 2 October.

The annual event was originally planned to take place on Sunday 18 September, the day before Her Majesty’s state funeral.

“Taking place on Christ Church Green, from 11am-6pm, the rescheduled festival promises a mix of music and performances across two main stages, and lots of family friendly attractions,” said a Vision RCL spokesperson.

This year’s Wanstead Festival has been postponed.

Originally scheduled to take place on Sunday 18 September, the community event has been called off following the death of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

“As a mark of respect to Her Majesty The Queen and The Royal Family Wanstead Festival has been postponed,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL.

The festival will now take place on Sunday 2nd October with a day of activities and entertainment for all the family.

Residents are invited to join a vigil on Christ Church Green this evening (12 September) in memory of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

“Please join us tonight in Wanstead as we honour the memory of Her Majesty The Queen and reflect upon the lasting impact she made on our world,” said the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal.

The event will start at 6pm, with those attending asked to gather near the new café on the green.

Wanstead Climate Action is spreading the word about The Great Homes Upgrade campaign, which can rapidly cut bills and emissions from home heating, says Kathy Taylor

It’s a no-brainer. As Professor Katharine Hayhoe says in her book about climate change: “The cheapest form of energy is the energy that you don’t use.” Why not cut bills, reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas, help those most at risk of fuel poverty and save the planet by reducing carbon emissions, all at the same time? It could be a win-win. 

Why then does the government seem so reluctant to invest substantially in insulating Britain’s energy-leaky homes? An investment of £11.7bn, the same amount that it is costing to refurbish Parliament, could upgrade over four million homes to higher energy standards. It would also kick-start an industry that has faltered, owing to short-term grant schemes that have come and then been withdrawn before their time is up, owing to poor management. No industry can flourish in this uncertain environment. 

At the time of writing, the UK government has committed £37bn to help households with energy bills, but there has been nothing to upgrade energy efficiency. As homes account for 20% of UK carbon emissions, we will not get to net zero without a mass insulation strategy. The best way of doing this would be a concerted effort to upgrade homes street by street, starting with retrofits to social housing. 

Wanstead Climate Action has joined forces with the New Economics Foundation campaign ‘The Great Homes Upgrade’, Fuel Poverty Action and many other organisations to call on the government to put this right. And following a successful stall at the South Woodford Jubilee Market in June and several in Wanstead High Street over the summer, we will be hosting another information stall at the Wanstead Festival on 18 September, so look out for us there.

Reducing your heating bill now is also probably one of the most effective actions for a climate-safe future. Major works can daunt even committed people and there is a lack of practical support and information for local residents to reduce their emissions and bills long term. Wanstead Climate Action aren’t experts in energy efficiency, but we’ve seen what can be achieved, even in Victorian terraces, and have started a resource list on our website, including grant information (such as the Redbridge Go Green grant) and advice. You can also use our website to find example letters to send to your local MP.

For those who can fund the work themselves, there is also a list of local insulation contractors. This may be for internal or external solid wall insulation, loft improvements, underfloor work and so on, with a wide range of costs and payback periods. If all of it seems overwhelming, try our advice and planning section.

For more information and advice, visit wansteadclimateaction.com

Yann Corre updates on the success of the Christ Church Green communal compost bin trial, and invites residents to local composting workshops as part of The Great Big Green Week

At the end of June, Cleaner Greener Wanstead and Redbridge Council installed a compost bin on Christ Church Green. It was placed on the grass verge near the entrance of the church. 

Open to everyone, this compost bin is an invitation to reduce our waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The only thing you have to do is throw your fruit and veggie food waste into the bin. And people have been using the bin with success. Tea bags, coffee grounds and appropriate cardboard boxes and packaging have also been recycled in the compost. 

Every year, London Local Authorities collect more than 3.6 million tons of waste, and generating more rubbish for waste collection day means more lorries using more fuel and causing more air pollution and greenhouse gases to be released. Composting significantly reduces waste and greenhouse gas emissions. It doesn’t take up much space and produces a soil improver that’s great for the garden and perfect for growing your own plants.

We regularly check the Christ Church Green bin to make it successful. We mix the matter once a week, which is crucial as it is an aerobic process (with oxygen). In order to maintain optimal moisture in the system, it is recommended to add around 50% of soft green material (grass clippings, weeds, uncooked vegetables) with 50% woody brown material (prunings, wood chippings, shredded paper, cardboard or dead leaves). The composting process takes six to nine months.  

No bad smells or major misuses were observed after more than a month of use, and we would like to thank all users for respecting the few rules to make this trial a success. 

If you are interested in this process, come and have a look at the bin and start composting. You will see it is very simple and your general waste bin will be much lighter. 

The Great Big Green Week will take place from 24 September to 2 October. This is the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature. During this week, two interactive workshops will take place here in Wanstead. This will be the perfect opportunity to share with us any questions you may have about composting. Support, advice and tips will be provided to teach you what food waste can be thrown in. We will also discuss how you can store your kitchen waste for a few days in your home before dropping it in the communal bin. We look forward to seeing you all during this week, but do not hesitate to contact us right now if you want more information about composting or if you are ready to try it!

Composting workshops will take place by the bin on 29 September (5.15pm to 6.15pm) and on 1 October (10.15am to 11.15am). For more information and advice, email yann-corre@hotmail.com

The Epping Forest Big Walk returns this month, inviting residents to walk the entire length of the Forest in one day. Amy Liu from the Epping Forest Heritage Trust reports

We look forward to welcoming walkers of all ages and from all walks of life to join us and walk the whole length or part of Epping Forest in a day, as the Epping Forest Big Walk returns for its first full-scale event since the pandemic. 

The walk was previously known as the Centenary Walk, as it was established in 1978 for the 100th anniversary of the passing of the Epping Forest Act 1878. The route covers the whole length of the Forest, starting from Manor Park in Newham, skirting Wanstead and Woodford towards Highams Park, passing Chingford Plain, High Beach and going all the way to Epping in Essex. 

Organised with support from the West Essex Ramblers and the City of London Corporation, the event provides the opportunity to walk the entire length of Epping Forest, about 14.1 miles, in a day. It is now one of the biggest annual events celebrating Epping Forest and its irreplaceable biodiversity, culture and heritage. The walk will take us through some of the most iconic locations and ancient monuments, as well as provide the chance to experience the mosaic of habitats the Forest encompasses, from grass plains, heathlands and ponds to ancient woodlands. 

The route will be guided by volunteers from Epping Forest Heritage Trust and West Essex Ramblers, and it will be nicely paced with three main stops along the way – at Highams Park Lake, Chingford Visitor Centre (Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge) and High Beach Visitor Centre – for breaks and refreshments. There will also be short informative talks along the route, from which you will learn more about the wildlife, conservation, history and management of Epping Forest. 

Everyone is welcome! It is an event for communities to come together, celebrate and get inspired by this wonderful ancient forest. You do not need to be a professional hiker to join us. Depending on your preference, you can choose to walk the full route or take part in one of the smaller local sections. Here is the timetable for the full route:

• 9am: start at the junction of Forest Drive and Capel Road, near Manor Park Station.
• 10am: depart Green Man roundabout.
• 11.25am: depart from Michael Mallinson Scout Centre, Highams Park Lake.
• 12.40pm: arrive at Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge; 1.30pm: depart Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge.
• 2.30pm: depart High Beach Visitor Centre.
• 4.30pm: arrive at Bell Common, Epping.

The Epping Forest Big Walk 2022 will take place on 25 September. To register (free; donations welcome), visit wnstd.com/bigwalk22

The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group will be holding a 50th-anniversary celebration at Wanstead Golf Club on 8 October (4pm to 10pm; tickets: £10).

“The event will be a chance to meet our new patron, Gayle Chong Kwan, an award-winning artist who lives locally and whose work addresses our relationship with waste, nature and diverse ecologies. The event will also showcase the winners of our photography competition, and we’ll have a ‘fireside’ chat with our founding members,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/wren

Mixed media artist Anna Bisset has been a tutor at Wanstead House Community Association for 20 years. Here, she explains some valuable lessons she has learned

It all started by assisting Bill Porter with his watercolour classes, which were so popular, he needed an extra tutor. Bill was a member of Essex Art Club, and many of its members were in the class. When Bill retired, I took over his classes at Wanstead House and continued to teach watercolours, adding acrylics, pastels and pen and ink to the mix. There is still a thriving art community there after 20 years.

Recently, I also took over the portrait art class from Eamon Everall, who taught at Wanstead House for many years. He said the class was originally established by renowned local artist Haydn Mackey. Mackey’s great friend and student, Walter Spradbery, helped set up Bedford House Community Association in Buckhurst Hill after the Second World War. Both artists were involved with Essex Art Club, which based many of its activities at Wanstead House and still does. I feel privileged to run classes at both Wanstead House and Bedford House and to be part of their shared history.

Originally, I studied at Bath Academy of Art in Corsham, Wiltshire, where I was taught by contemporary artists, including Peter Kinley. I followed the traditional path in learning to paint. Then, unconventionally, I worked in a foundry, my family’s business, before taking an MA at the University of East London. Figurehead for Docklands, my sculpture made out of steel scrap, was placed at Poplar Dock in 1998. I also created a large-scale 3D Peace Dove for Wanstead in 2014 to mark the centenary of the First World War with Art Group Wanstead.

After my MA, I started teaching (I have worked for Redbridge Institute of Adult Education for 25 years) and then developed painting and drawing with a series of exhibitions in Suffolk. I showed my landscapes and seascapes alongside the work of photographer Paul Tucker – now my husband – and silversmiths Plenderleith. Collaborating with other artists, be they my contemporaries or my students, has become a recurring feature. I enjoy the energy that is created in a group and it gives a focus for all to work towards.

I continue to take part in exhibitions with ex-Corsham students, which is a great way of keeping in touch and continuing to support each other’s development as artists. In 2021, the Corsham Studio group came together for the E17 Art Trail, and I produced a silk-screen print, Rule of Six, for the event.

Combining the roles of artist and teacher sometimes creates opportunities for my students outside the classroom, such as at Loughton’s Lopping Art exhibition a few months ago. In 2010, we displayed students’ work at Christ Church in Wanstead when the pipe organ was renewed. In 2011, we had a display at The Corner House showing images depicting the renovation of the building. I have shown students’ work at St Mary’s Church on Overton Drive several times, visiting the church to draw with the class. Taking part helps to extend students’ skills. Vitally, the support and encouragement given by other students, as well as by the tutor, helps students to progress and enjoy their art.

Meet Anna at the Wanstead Festival, when Art Group Wanstead will be displaying its work. Visit artgroupwanstead.com

To view more of Anna’s work, visit annabisset.co.uk. For more information on Anna’s art classes at Wanstead House, visit wansteadhouse.co.uk

St Mary’s Church and Christ Church in Wanstead are open for tributes to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who died yesterday.

“Following the sad news of the death of Her Majesty the Queen, both St Mary’s and Christ Church in Wanstead will be open all day on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for people to light a candle, leave their floral tributes, sign a book of condolence, and to mourn,” said a church spokesperson.

Notice of a special service to mark Her Majesty’s death will be released in due course.

A book of condolence has been opened at Wanstead Library for residents to express their grief and gratitude to Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, who died yesterday at Balmoral Castle.

 The Queen, aged 96, was the longest-serving monarch in British history, beginning her reign in 1952 at age 25.

There are six books of condolence at venues across the borough (Hainault Library, Central Library, Goodmayes Library, Wanstead Library, Woodford Green Library and Valentines Mansion) and Redbridge Council has said floral tributes can also be left at Christ Church Green.

A special vigil will take place at 6pm on Monday 12 September.

“This is a time of shared public grief, during which people from all communities and backgrounds, are joining together to mourn Her Majesty,” said the Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Thavathuray Jeyaranjan.

As a mark of respect, the Union Jack flag is being flown at half-mast at Redbridge Town Hall.

Messages can also be sent via the royal.uk website.

Based in Wanstead, the East London ME/CFS Support Group has been a lifeline for those living with chronic fatigue syndrome. Long COVID sufferers, like Tim Armitage’s wife, are also invited to join them

My wife, Sally, has had ME for the last six years. The effects of her condition are varied. There’s extreme fatigue, where doing even light work around the house or ‘just popping to the shops’ can wipe her out, muscle aches and weakness, sleep disturbance and cognitive dysfunction, where facts and figures that were once readily available are now difficult to remember.

After activity more strenuous than a short stroll, she experiences post-exertion malaise, meaning that at any time, from a few hours later to the next couple of days, she is exhausted. Her symptoms become more intense with no amount of sleep lessening the effects. She calls this payback!

Then, in 2020, she caught Covid.

This worsened her existing problems and added new ones on top. She now suffers from regular migraine attacks and an altered sense of taste and smell.

As a family with two teenagers, we’ve adapted. She and I used to be a partnership, splitting household jobs equally, but now most things fall to me. As someone who was always on the go, my wife has found this difficult. It’s one of many things that’s changed.

We have to limit social activities, dog walks and holidays. Everything is planned with precision. Public transport is often not an option and I have to drive and drop her close to the door. We also limit the time spent somewhere so she doesn’t get too tired, and sometimes I’ll go out with the kids on my own so she can rest at home. It’s not how we would choose life to be, but, unfortunately, it’s our new reality.

My wife likens living with ME to a smartphone that can’t be fully charged. Even if it’s plugged in all night, by morning it’s still only at 25%. And by lunchtime, it’s empty.

This forces her to make micro decisions about how she spends what little energy she has and how to programme in small periods of rest for recharging, simply to make it to the end of the day.

One thing that has kept her sane has been the ME support group she came across in 2018. They meet monthly, on Saturday afternoons at the Wanstead House Community Centre. They have been a lifeline. The informal drop-in group share their experiences and knowledge of having ME.

My wife wants to spread the word to anyone suffering from either ME or Long Covid that there is a supportive, local group waiting to help and listen to those who need it.

The East London ME/CFS Support Group will meet on 10 September, 15 October and 26 November at Wanstead House, 21 The Green, E11 2NT between 2.30pm and 5pm (free; donations welcome). For more information, call 07957 152 566

As the Wanstead Fringe limbers up for its ninth annual showcase – with a range of real-world events running from 9 to 25 September – founder Giles Wilson has one eye on the 10th anniversary next year

It’s not a pretty word, but it is powerful: meatspace. It’s the opposite of cyberspace. While for two years we conducted all sorts of social interactions online, we are now back, fully, in the world of meatspace, where real people actually meet other real people, in real life.

When we started the Fringe in 2013 it was a bit of a joke at our own expense. We loved Wanstead, yes, but we knew that cultural activities were a bit thin on the ground here, and we had a limited choice of venues. So, we decided to improvise with what we had – the open-air Kinema being the prime example.

We didn’t have any money either, so again, we improvised with some sponsorship – from its earliest days (as now) with Petty Son and Prestwich being the first to put a hand in their pocket.

Things seem to be working. Starting on Friday 9 September, there will be a wider range of Wanstead Fringe events than ever before. Three different plays; some 10 book events in the inaugural Wanstead Book Festival; pottery classes; live music; comedy; more open-air cinema; quizzes; talks; spoken word artists and the return of the jumble trail.

The number of venues has grown. For the first time this year, we’ll be in the excellent Wanstead High Theatre, something of a hidden gem.

And more sponsors have joined too. Along with Petty’s, we now have Edwards Duthie Shamash, THP Chartered Accountants, The Wanstead Society, Eton Manor RFC and The Duke – names I never tire of reciting because, without them, there wouldn’t be a Fringe.

So, as we head into a 10th anniversary year, where do we go from here? How do we embed the Wanstead Fringe as a cultural anchor? What do we need to do now to make sure it’s around for a 20th anniversary?

Part of it is having the right people involved. Part of it is having the right ambitions. Part of it is growing as Wanstead grows. But I’d be a fool if I didn’t say a large part of it too will come down to having enough money.

So, we’re coming up with some ideas for how people can join in this homegrown venture, either with their time, their ideas, or if they prefer, with their money. Thousands of people will be taking part in Fringe events this month. If you’re one of them, and you want the Fringe to be around for future generations of Wanstead people, please take a look at the website to see how you can help.

But for now, it’s back to the meatspace. I love the internet as much as anyone, but I can’t wait for this Fringe to begin, in real life.

For more information and to book tickets for all Wanstead Fringe events, visit wansteadfringe.org

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Wanstead band Tall Poppies will be providing the soundtrack to the opening of this year’s Wanstead Festival.

“The twin sister-fronted alternative pop act will bring their unique live set to Christ Church Green with some new material and old favourites,” said the band’s manager. Originating from Australia, Susan and Catherine Hay are joined by Diarmuid Nugent on violin and Doug Fink on drums.

The group have recorded three albums, and their new single, Big Shake, has enjoyed national radio play.

Visit wnstd.com/tp

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Visitors to this month’s Wanstead Festival will be able to view art and get creative, courtesy of Art Group Wanstead.

“Feast your eyes and try your own hand at artwork at our festival stand. There will be a varied visual display by members who previously took part in the local art trail. Now, the group is looking for suitable venues to show members’ work together. Children and adults are invited to drop by for our ‘Hands On’ workshop throughout the day,” said a group spokesperson.

Visit artgroupwanstead.com

The East London and Essex Electronic Keyboard Club is in desperate need of more members if its 40-year history of providing music for the Wanstead community is to continue. Club secretary Derek Farr reports

The East London and Essex Electronic Keyboard Club (formerly known as the East London and Essex Organ Society) is 40 years old. Founded by budding organ players and encouraged by their organ teacher, Martyn Rice, and David Thomas (our club president), the club was started in July 1982.

Our first meeting venue, like so many organ clubs, was a public house. For us, it was the Maypole in Barkingside. In those early days, the members entertained themselves, playing organs brought along by our president from the local music shop. Members would also bring along food they had made and a good time was had by all. The society started with a membership of 53 and this number soon rose to 74 – not bad for a new club. The pub soon became unsuitable, so a search was made to find a new meeting place. Wanstead Library, having a hall called the Churchill Room, looked promising. That was back in 1983 and it has proved very successful; we have remained there ever since.

Our first artistes were unknown players at that time. To name a few, they included David Thomas, Danny O’Sullivan and a young man called Mark Brown. Some of the first real professionals we booked were artistes you may know: Steve Lowdell, Byron Jones, Robert Beadle and Harry Jackson. The committee today still endeavours to engage the very best artistes, including some up-and-coming new faces. It is our aim to encourage new talent, as well as supporting established organists.

But with a dwindling membership following the pandemic, keeping the club going has been tough. And last month, at our AGM, we had to vote on the worst decision of the club’s existence: do we close or do we strive to find new members? I am glad to report the members voted to keep going. So, we are now making a plea to Wanstead residents and those from the surrounding area. If you enjoy listening to music, please come and visit us!

We have provided excellent music for the community these past 40 years. The music is varied, from classical to big band and up-to-date tunes, and we are now hopefully adding jazz to the shows. Artistes come from all over the country to play for two hours, with a 25-minute break when you can enjoy some refreshments and socialise.

East London and Essex Electronic Keyboard Club is well known on the keyboard circuit and, I might add, respected for enjoying the music and a social evening. This is why we have gone on as long as we have. But we need more people to come and enjoy a couple of hours away from their TVs and smartphones, and belong to something special.

The club meets at Wanstead Library on the second Wednesday of the month (doors open at 7.15pm; concert starts at 7.50pm). Annual membership is £20. Monthly tickets are £10 (visitors: £12; under-16s: £2). For more information, call 020 8530 3717

With this month’s Wanstead Fringe offering three separate theatre productions, Fiona Gordon explains why Wanstead should be proud to be turning ‘luvvie’

Wanstead has come over all ‘luvvie’ of late. We first smelt the greasepaint and heard the roar of the crowd back in April with the launch of Wanstead’s very own professional theatre company, and now not one, not two, but three theatre productions will be coming to Wanstead this month as part of the annual Wanstead Fringe.

There is something for everyone. Black comedy, drama, farce, tragedy – all waiting to capture an audience in a venue on or just off the High Street. What a delight to have quality theatre on our doorstep! What makes it even more delightful is that all three theatre companies have their roots in our village.

Wanstead resident, Marissa Landy, brings her self-penned show fresh from the (slightly) cooler climes of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A Non-Emergency is a contemporary comedy based on Marissa’s real-life experiences of working in the ambulance service. Upstairs at The Bull, join a couple of crewmates and the patients they meet on a day at work. It should have you in stitches of the right kind! 

Born and bred Wanstead stalwart, Jon Fentiman, known by all for his epic comedy nights, both at the Fringe and throughout the year, brings his directional debut to his old comprehensive school, Wanstead High. DNA by Dennis Kelly is a modern-day black comedy with a dark heart. Centred around a group of adolescents, this explosive play calls into question society’s response to cruelty, bullying, peer pressure and pack mentality. Are these behaviours societal and learned or are they inherent in us all?

And finally, after a sell-out debut of Bazaar & Rummage in April, Wanstead Theatre Co are back with their second show. TWO by Jim Cartwright (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Road) is a tale of love, laughs and loss in your friendly local. Come meet the landlady and the landlord of this busy boozer and let them introduce you to the regulars. The production is, once again, site-specific. Set in a pub, and so, performed in The Bull.

It is a testament to our Wanstead community that so many local theatre practitioners want to be part of the ninth Wanstead Fringe. Yes, we are an arty lot who love to be entertained, but we also love to get involved. From the support of businesses, schools and churches willingly providing venues or financial support or creating window displays, to individuals offering their time and talents to promote the shows or to residents sourcing or loaning a much-needed prop or set piece, we are shaping up into a proper theatre community. 

Theatre for the community with the help of the community – now that is something worth seeing!

For more information and to book tickets for all Wanstead Fringe events, visit wansteadfringe.org