November 2022

The parent-led Redbridge For Education campaign – which aimed to ensure all local schoolchildren had a device for remote learning – will be winding up its operation this month.

“It has been an eventful couple of years. During our project, we distributed over 700 devices and saved three tonnes of digital waste from landfill. The time has come to focus on our own families, but Redbridge Council’s Digital Inclusion team will take up the mantle,” said Wanstead resident and co-founder Vicky Taylor.

Visit wnstd.com/diginc 

Wanstead Poppy Man Jim Carroll will be holding his final collection for the annual appeal this month.

“This will be his last year outside the Oxfam shop. Jim is planning to retire in 2023, after 10 years collecting on the High Street. He will miss everyone and the chats with his fans – there are some ladies who only buy poppies from him! We’ve also lost Marguerite Wimborne, who took a tumble earlier this year and has relocated to a retirement home, so she’ll be absent from her slot by the dry cleaners,” said a spokesperson.

The Wren Wildlife Group’s practical work sessions have resumed in Wanstead Park (first Sunday of the month and most Thursdays, from 10am to 12.30pm).

“At the end of September, we cleared scrub on Ornamental Water’s Lincoln Island to expose the wild daffodils and bluebells for next spring. In October, we cleared the banks by the Grotto. This month, we’ll also be working in Chalet Wood and carrying out various other pieces of work as requested by the City of London,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/wren 

Three services of Remembrance will take place across Wanstead and South Woodford this month.

The first will happen on Armistice Day at the Snaresbrook Garden of Remembrance, off Snaresbrook Road, opposite Eagle Pond (arrive by 10.55am).

This will be followed by a service on 12 November at the Woodford War Memorial, outside St Mary’s Church in South Woodford (arrive by 8.40am).

A final gathering will take place at the Wanstead War Memorial on the High Street on 13 November (arrive by 12.15pm).

Voice-over artist Sally Dunbar gives us the inside story on the Redbridge Talking Newspaper, a weekly publication for those living with blindness or visual impairment. And as a free service, more volunteers are needed

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I’ll begin… From the popularity of yesterday’s radio programmes like Listen with Mother, to the long-running TV show Jackanory, through to today’s boom in audiobooks, being read to is something we all respond to on a very instinctive level: the reassurance of a friendly voice in our ear; the shared experience of the story.

It is these kinds of human interactions that are integral to our existence. Something highlighted so strikingly during the pandemic, which denied us the enjoyment and comfort of social contact with others. For those living with blindness or visual impairment, however, those feelings didn’t necessarily go away when lockdown ended. A talking newspaper can help these people stay in contact with their local community.

As a voice-over artist, I spend much of my time talking to other people through the medium of radio and television; narrating stories, imparting information and being a reassuring voice. It is a job I love and have been doing for over 20 years. But it’s much more than a job. I also spend my free time reading to people and using these same skills in whatever way I can. So, when my friend, Chichi Parish, a volunteer news editor for the Redbridge Talking Newspaper (RTN), told me they were looking for more readers, I jumped at the chance.

RTN is run by a dedicated team of volunteers, headed up by Paul Campbell, whose enthusiasm and energy is inspiring. He dedicates much of his time to organising and running the team of around 50 volunteers, who put the talking newspaper together every week. Each edition runs for about 90 minutes and includes local headlines, news stories, a magazine feature, some music and a quiz. It is a free service and the programmes are copied onto memory sticks and posted out to about 50 listeners each week, with many more listening online.

“I’ve been listening to RTN for 20 years and particularly value the local news as it’s difficult for me to get this anywhere else, but the recordings really have something for everyone and are a wonderful achievement. I really appreciate so many people giving up time to produce them,” said listener Clare Gailans.

It’s marvellous to know that the RTN started life in 1976 and is still going strong today. Even during lockdown, production didn’t stop. We changed to monthly editions and all recorded from home. Thankfully, we’re now back in our Ilford studio, recording weekly again. We’re always looking for volunteer readers, news editors, engineers and more. If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, why not have a listen to our latest edition? And, as all stories must come to an end… I’d like to wish you a happy ever after.

For more information on the Redbridge Talking Newspaper and to listen to the latest issue, visit wnstd.com/rtn

2022 has been an eventful year for a number of reasons, but it has also been a year when the Wanstead Society, a small charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing Wanstead, turned 25. Scott Wilding reports

Our volunteer-led organisation is made up of a group of people who give up their time to help improve where we live. And after a quarter of a century, we took time at our AGM last month to reflect on the differences we’ve made and how we can continue to improve.

This year, we have been involved in a number of important projects, including supporting the Wanstead Community Gardeners, Eagle Pond clean-up days and planning issues. A Greek proverb says that “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they shall never sit in.” Taking that to heart, we planted a new tree outside Gail’s Bakery earlier this year – one which we hope will be there long after we have gone. One of our overriding commitments will always be to protect and improve the natural environment where we can. 

Reflecting on what we have achieved in the last 25 years, one of our proudest moments was to turn the bricked-up flower beds around the old water fountain by Wanstead Station into blooming beds. In 2014, we persuaded the council to open them up, and now they provide a burst of colour, sustainable drainage and native wild flowers to allow bees and bugs to thrive. The Wanstead Community Gardeners do a fantastic job maintaining them. A small success that came from years of lobbying. 

But as we look ahead, we know that some issues continue to concern our members. The state of the Evergreen Field, the urban environment and planning issues, to name a few. We know there is a need for new and affordable homes, but a rush to build can never be at the expense of good, considered design. We remain committed to working with developers where we can to offer advice or help, and we hope that, together, we can achieve the best for all. 

The Wanstead Society itself needs to grow and change. Our executive board has lost some long-standing members over the last 12 months and we are always seeking new and enthusiastic people to guide what we should do next or how we can improve. 

Our board meets once a month for just an hour, but we set out what aims and projects should progress. Without our volunteers, we can’t do the work we have done over the last 25 years. So, if you are keen to help Wanstead, or have some new ideas, please get in touch; we’d love to have your help and advice. 

Finally, let me thank all those members past and present who have worked with us over the last quarter of a century. For a small volunteer organisation like ours, to have lasted this long is an achievement in itself. So, thank you, Wanstead!

For more information on the Wanstead Society, visit wnstd.com/ws or email info@wansteadsociety.org.uk

Last year, April Mehmet founded Walk it Out, a project dedicated to empowering women in Redbridge. As the initiative grows, more female mentors are now needed in Wanstead to continue the mission

I am April Mehmet, founder of Walk it Out, which I created in 2021 to improve the health and well-being of females in Redbridge, to raise awareness, improve women’s safety and empower young girls and women to stand up for themselves at home and in public.

Since my last article in March, I went on to win a Redbridge Mayor’s Community Award, which was a very proud moment for me and inspired me to continue reaching out to local females. Walk it Out has gone on to provide a range of activities and support, from walking to picnics, coffee meets, trips, exercise classes and various workshops to empower and build confidence. We are very passionate about supporting the youth and allowing women to feel strong, and we are continuously campaigning to end male violence against young girls and women. Our mission is to strengthen the voices of females.

On 26 June, a woman was killed in Ilford. When I heard the tragic news, I thought enough is enough, this cannot be happening in my own area. I had to do something about it! So I called a protest to stop male violence against women, for our voices to be heard and for street harassment to become a criminal offence. I wanted to raise awareness by bringing the whole community together to show that when one young girl or woman gets hurt, it affects all of us. The next day I found out her name was Zara Aleena, and hundreds gathered for a vigil.

We should be able to walk anywhere, anytime, without the fear of being attacked. Why should we say “text me when you get home”? Why do we have to change our route or dress code so that we don’t get approached? Why do we have to watch our backs?

Every day, young girls and women face street harassment and violence in our own communities. No female should have to feel unsafe and we shouldn’t have to keep accepting this normalised behaviour.

Our protest was very empowering and the work behind the scenes continues. We work very closely with the council and the police to build community relationships and are continuously looking at ways to improve female safety. If you are passionate about making a difference in your community, we would love to hear from you as we have several volunteering roles available, and I would like to see more walks and other events in the Wanstead area.

I am currently working on a workshop to deliver to schools to raise awareness and teach key skills, from communication to confidence, as there needs to be more youth intervention with more positive role models in our communities. Everyone has a part to play; in the community, everyone needs to take responsibility for their own actions!

For more information on how you can support the Walk It Out initiative, call 07437 517 177 or visit wnstd.com/wio

The UK’s oldest competitive music and drama festival will be taking place locally in February 2023. Applications are now open for performers of all ages. Sheena Bronson reports

The Stratford and East London Music Festival (SELMF) offers the opportunity to perform and compete in one of the many instrumental, singing, speech and drama classes. The event was founded in 1882 by John Spencer Curwen, making it the UK’s oldest competitive music and drama festival.

With over 70 singing classes alone, there’s sure to be one that appeals – including classical, musical theatre, jazz, a class to perform a song that you have written yourself, popular music and recitals. There are also more than 50 speech and drama classes to choose from for individuals, duets and groups in classes for poetry, acting, storytelling, news reporting and humorous verse.

There are hundreds of classes to compete in, broken down into nine categories: choral singing, orchestra and bands, concerto, instrumental, piano, recorders, solo and ensemble singing and speech and drama.

On the final night of the festival, we hold the Young Musician of the Year competition, which showcases the best young musicians (pianists, vocalists and instrumentalists) aged 11 to 17 who have performed during the event.

Back in 1882, the entry fee for the first festival was 2s 6d (12p) for solo performers, 5s 0d (25p) for quartets and 10s 0d (50p) for choirs. Originally, it was only open to those who lived in Stratford, Leyton, Wanstead, Walthamstow, Woodford, Plaistow, Forest Gate, Canning Town, Victoria Docks and Leytonstone. Now, musicians and actors come to the festival from the local area and beyond to perform and compete in a friendly and supportive environment. As well as enjoying the excitement of competing at the festival, all entrants receive feedback and tips from professional adjudicators, as well as a certificate. Winning entrants often receive a cup and some a cash prize. The best young pianist can win £500.

SELMF is a charitable organisation and exists because of our brilliant team of dedicated volunteers. We would appreciate any additional help you may be able to offer, either with your time or with donations to help towards our running costs. Becoming a Friend of the Festival for just £10 gives you free entry to all the competitions, plus a free programme. Or if you fancy donating a silver trophy for aspiring performers, we would love to hear from you.

The Stratford and East London Music Festival 2023 will take place during February half-term at St Mary’s Church in South Woodford (choirs, orchestras and bands) and at Redbridge Music Service in Hainault (all other music, speech and drama classes). For more information, visit wnstd.com/selmf

At this month’s meeting of the Wanstead Historical Society, Dr John Fisher will give a presentation about James Bradley (1692–1762), a local unsung hero of science who proved the Earth orbits the sun from observations made in Wanstead

After I married my wife in her home village of Sherborne, in the Windrush Valley in the Cotswolds, I soon learned that James Bradley, the third Astronomer Royal, had been raised there, attending Westwood’s Grammar School in nearby Northleach, as did my wife. After buying our house near Wanstead Flats, we discovered Bradley had also lived in Wanstead for many years after leaving Sherborne, being the nephew of James Pound, the rector of Wanstead. This amazing coincidence led me to seek Bradley’s biography, but since a memoir had been published by Stephen Peter Rigaud in 1832, nothing of real note had been written since.

I decided to write a biography of Bradley myself. However, my only acquaintance with the history of science was as an undergraduate of the Open University, so I wrote to an academic in Cambridge. I was met with kindness and support and was helped by some of the country’s leading historians of science. My years of research at Cambridge University Library and the Bodleian Library in Oxford led to working for a Master’s degree at Imperial College, followed by a doctorate on Bradley’s work.

After many years of work, I realised the remarkable achievements of Bradley at Greenwich, Oxford and initially at Wanstead had never been fully recognised. He is one of the great unsung heroes of science. In his own lifetime, he was recognised as the finest astronomer on Earth. After his death in 1762, the then director of the Paris Observatory asserted that Bradley’s discoveries of the aberration of light and of the nutation of the Earth’s axis were the most important astronomical discoveries of the 18th century.

It is easy to understand why Bradley’s achievements have not been widely acknowledged, for his discoveries demand some understanding of astronomical technicalities, but the consequences of his discoveries made in Wanstead in a modest dwelling on the site of the present Co-op were far-reaching. The first, the aberration of light, made in 1728, was the first universally accepted observational evidence of the motion of the Earth. 

Ask most people with any interest in the subject at all who first proved that the Earth revolved around the sun and the answers usually swing between Copernicus and Galileo. In truth, both men conjectured that the Earth moved, and indeed Galileo was put on trial by the Holy Inquisition for asserting it. By the following century, most astronomers believed the Earth revolved around the sun but no one was able to prove it. It was Bradley, working with his suspended telescope at his aunt’s house in Wanstead, who discovered the phenomenon that established once and for all that the Earth did indeed move.

The aberration of light is difficult to explain without using technicalities. Over the years, I have used the expedient of an umbrella to show people how aberration works. Imagine rain falling vertically on a windless day. You hold your umbrella directly over your head. However, if you walk, you will have to tilt your umbrella forward. The faster you move, the greater the tilt. As the Earth moves around the sun, light from the stars is likewise ‘slanted’, just in the same way as rainfall appears to be slanted as you walk into the rain. What Bradley discovered is that every object in the sky is shifted in the direction the Earth moves as it travels around the sun.

Bradley’s discovery of the nutation of the Earth’s axis was even more remarkable. As the moon revolves around the Earth, the plane of its orbit is tilted five degrees from the plane of the Earth’s equator. The Earth is slightly oblate, wider at the equator than across the poles. The moon tugs at the Earth’s equator causing the Earth to wobble. The technical term to describe this wobble is nutation. It is a tiny movement, yet remarkably, Bradley observed it for 20 years before publishing his discovery paper in 1748. It established the accuracy of Newton’s universal law of gravitation with a degree of precision previously undreamed of.

I intend that my talk for the Wanstead Historical Society won’t blind people with science. I will attempt to tell the story of how the third son of an obscure steward on a Cotswold estate (now owned by the National Trust) became the most celebrated astronomer in Europe. Wanstead should be mightily proud of its connections with this man.

Dr John Fisher’s presentation for the Wanstead Historical Society will take place at Wanstead Library on 7 November from 8pm (visitors: £3). Call 07949 026 212

Age UK Redbridge, Barking and Havering has launched a new Digital Champion Programme to help older people get online and learn how to use digital devices. Project coordinator Vivienne Greengrass reports

Given digital exclusion increases with age, there are important questions about how any increased reliance on technology in our society has affected the older population. The ongoing restrictions and fears around social interaction for older people have led to concerns about loneliness and isolation, particularly for those who do not use or find it difficult to use digital technology to keep in contact.

Being digitally included can help older people carry out the activities that matter most to them. It can help them stay connected with family and friends, find activities and support, access essential services, and remain socially connected. Vital services such as banking, shopping and health services have become increasingly ‘digital first’ since the COVID-19 pandemic. But there are more than three million people aged 65 and over in the UK who do not use the internet, meaning there is a huge risk of older people being left behind.

Digital inclusion is about making sure that people have the capability to use the internet to do things that benefit them day-to-day. It is defined in terms of digital skills, digital connectivity and digital accessibility. This programme will provide digital training sessions to help those older people who want to learn how to get online, to build their essential digital skills and confidence to live a more included and independent life.

The sessions will be delivered by volunteer Digital Champions. The programme has three core activities.

Awareness-raising
These activities and events are designed to support older people to understand the benefits that digital technology can bring. To inform them how digital technology could benefit them personally, the ways in which it could make day-to-day life easier and more enjoyable and inspire participation in the digital skills support sessions.

Digital skills support
To assist older people in developing their digital skills and confidence. Support can be staff- or volunteer-led, delivered in a one-to-one or group setting, offered remotely (telephone or video call), in the client’s home or in a suitable venue. Each older person is likely to require between five and 10 sessions.

Tablet loan scheme
The tablet loan scheme will be offered to those older people most at risk of digital exclusion, to ensure they can access technology and connectivity on a loan basis to ‘give it a go’ and support their skills development in the short term. 

If you would like to take part in the programme or volunteer as a Digital Champion, do get in touch.

To find out more information or to volunteer, call 07946 032 332 or email vivienne.greengrass@ageukrbh.org.uk

Liz Calvert is one of many residents who will be living in the shadow of the blocks of flats proposed for Snaresbrook Station car park. The Real Snaresbrook campaign believes the community deserves better

In August, a scattering of residents from The Rise and Hollybush Close (cul-de-sacs off Hollybush Hill) were advised by a flyer that Snaresbrook Station car park was being sold by TfL and that a company called Pocket Living had plans to build affordable homes there. For a few of us, our gardens abut the car park; for the remainder, they are in close proximity. 

On discussion, we all came to the same conclusion: we aren’t anti-affordable living – how could you be? – but the plans astounded us. The proposals are for two adjoining blocks of flats of five and six storeys. They will tower over our streets: these buildings will be seen from Hollybush Hill and from the High Street. Our concerns are as follows:

The ”pretty pedestrian walkway” as described in the plans will also accommodate the route for goods and emergency vehicles to access the engineering depot and the railway line, creating a dangerous mixed-use zone.

The car park is prone to flooding and this has never, to our knowledge, been resolved. How will it cope with 74 new dwellings using the drainage system?

Pocket Living do not accommodate for car ownership (they will supply bicycle storage). Pocket Living has advised that Redbridge Council will not supply their residents with parking permits, so where will those cars go? The streets around Hollybush Hill are for permit holders only, and the car park will have room for only a few.

The trees – covered by Tree Protection Orders – and the flower beds will all incur damage or be lost completely.

Our main concern is for the emergency services and their ability to access the flats. The turn at the station is tight and the road is regularly blocked.

So, we have organised ourselves. We have a residents’ WhatsApp group, we are in discussion with local councillors and we have knocked door to door and spoken to other residents – not one was in favour of this. We also have a petition and one of our members has created a website. 

To sum up, we don’t want our privacy invaded; elderly and disabled neighbours are fretting already about the noise and the impact. The possible new residents deserve much more than these boxes; they need safety too. Lower blocks, two or three storeys, or a row of terraced houses would be better, but we were advised those won’t make the company enough profit. We sincerely hope these existing plans are shelved.

For more information on the development proposal, visit wnstd.com/pocketliving

For information on the Real Snaresbrook campaign, visit realsnaresbrook.org

Participating in an art workshop can complete an ideal leisure day, as young Wanstead Festival visitors discovered last month. Art Group Wanstead’s Donna Mizzi reports on the organisation’s “Hands On” project

Little artistic hands had massive attention lavished on them at the “Hands On” workshop presented by Art Group Wanstead at last month’s Wanstead Festival.

While the adult members of the group were presenting their own work on a large display fence and a number of stalls, dozens of children grasped the opportunity to create their own art at a free workshop.

Children were wide-eyed at the colourful variety of materials available for their mixed media “Hands On” project, such as glitter foam, pom-poms, a mind-boggling array of dazzling embellishments and a large range of papers and colouring materials, and glue… lots of glue.

One of the art tutors involved, Brenda Coyle, said: “Some of the children came along to see their mum or dad’s artwork, and then were utterly delighted to be able to create some art themselves. It helped them to make the connection – between adults’ work and their own efforts. And parents were pleased their children could create something on the day as well as looking at the festival attractions.”

Seven-year-old Amelia Ahmed created hand- and gem-themed artwork: “I go to the Wanstead Festival every year and usually head straight for the rides! This time I was really excited to see my mum’s art on display. The arts and crafts stall was really cool; I had so much fun decorating my sparkly hand with gems.” Her five-year-old brother, Aydan, added: “My mummy is an artist and loves painting, so I want to be an artist… and an astronaut, too!”

Children using their hand shapes as a subject for art might appear to be quite a modern activity. But, in fact, hand shapes have been found among the oldest artwork discovered on this planet. Just four years ago, experts examined hand outlines found among cave paintings on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Its estimated age: 45,000 years!

Drawing or painting realistic-looking hands is recognised as a very difficult skill – largely because they are so expressive. Hands are often considered second only to the face in importance in portraits. Determined adults practise techniques, and showed some of their drawings at the workshop for added inspiration – for people of all ages.

Art Group Wanstead’s hands and minds have also been busy preparing work for The Stow Brothers art display, now on at 117A Wanstead High Street. Anyone can pop in to enjoy the wide variety of art during the business’s open hours. The art group will also have a Christmas shop at the premises on 27 November.

For more information on Art Group Wanstead, visit wnstd.com/art