May 2023

A monthly comedy night at Wanstead Library that showcases comedians with disabilities and mental health conditions will include sign language interpreters at the event on 7 June (7.30pm; tickets from £1).

“After we received a small grant, I decided to use the money to make this night truly accessible. As well as having award-winning comic Don Biswas headlining, we have also secured the services of two BSL interpreters,” said Mark Nicholas, an autistic comic and promoter of the Laugh-Able event.

Visit wnstd.com/laughjune

The annual Wanstead Festival will return to Christ Church Green on Sunday 17 September, and local businesses and community groups are invited to book a stall.

“We are welcoming applications from general stallholders, exhibitors and crafters who wish to showcase themselves,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL. Prices start from £15 for a charity pitch and from £30 for a commercial pitch.

Additionally, organisers are also looking for local bands, choirs and solo performers to complete the line-up for this year’s event. “This festival provides a great opportunity for local musicians to perform on a professional music stage. If you would like to take part, please get in touch by 30 June.”

The festival runs from 11am to 6pm and will feature music, dance, arts and crafts, rides, food and activities for all the family.

Organisations can book a stall here.

Prospective musicians should email burockkracy@gmail.com for more information.

Wanstead High School music teacher Ian Sweet has been named Secondary School Teacher of the Year at the first-ever Redbridge Education Awards.

“Over 350 nominations were received for more than 240 members of staff. The winners were chosen by an independent panel comprising a Redbridge councillor, a retired deputy headteacher and a member of the Youth Parliament,” said a spokesperson.

The event was held at Wanstead Golf Club at the end of April and hosted by local celebrity Eddie Nestor MBE.

An estimated 20,000 people joined street parties and events across Redbridge to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III earlier this month.

“There is such a strong sense of community spirit all across Redbridge. At the street parties, I heard many inspiring stories of roads forming WhatsApp groups to help their neighbours during the pandemic – these acts of kindness led to blossoming communities and close friendships, cumulating in these community events,” said the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal.

FOR THE 2024 EVENT, CLICK HERE

Would you like to be more active in your community? Perhaps you’d like to develop new skills, improve existing ones or put your previous experience to good use in your local area?

Volunteering can be a great way to meet people, build confidence and even explore future job opportunities. 

Drop in to the Redbridge Volunteering Fair at the Town Hall (High Road, Ilford, IG1 1DD) on Tuesday 6 June from 11am – 2pm to find out more about the opportunities available in your area.

More than 30 different organisations will be there to promote a range of volunteering opportunities and community action initiatives. Staff from the Volunteer Centre will be on hand to chat, answer questions and sign people up to their successful volunteer matching service.

Volunteer Centre Redbridge is based at RedbridgeCVS and offers information, advice and guidance for anyone who lives, works or studies in Redbridge, who would like to find out more about ways to volunteer.  

A number of residents from the Aldersbrook and Lakehouse Estates are preparing to open their gardens again this summer for the annual Aldersbrook Open Garden Trail. Ruth Martin reports

Fifteen gardens across the Aldersbrook and Lakehouse Estates will open their gardens to the public on 4 June. Some have opened before and some will open for the first time this year. 

The Aldersbrook Open Garden Trail has proved to be a very popular community event each year, with people out and about, walking around the estates and having the opportunity to see what their neighbours’ gardens look like. Although the design of most of the houses on each estate are similar from the outside, it is always a pleasant surprise to discover all the gardens are different, reflecting the owners’ interests and horticultural skills.

We will have the delight of looking at the smallest garden at the end of Empress Avenue, where only two people can really enter at the same time but, when they do, they will be able to appreciate the beautiful planting. Visitors will have the joy of viewing a shady garden on Merlin Road, an oasis of green with some interesting planting and a recently created stumpery. We will also be looking forward to viewing gardens that haven’t opened before on St Margaret’s Road and Wanstead Park Avenue. And the gardens on the Lakehouse Estate are full of colourful planting.

As well as private gardens, the Sunderland Way Community Garden will be open. This is a great community project with plots gardened by residents in that area of Aldersbrook, and there is always an interesting mixture of vegetable and flower planting.

Visitors will be able to avail themselves of plenty of refreshments during the day. Carolyn’s garden on Empress Avenue will be open – as usual – serving ready-made pizzas from her pizza oven, and many of the other gardeners will be serving homemade cakes with tea, coffee and cold drinks. 

We are grateful to The Stow Brothers for sponsoring our trail again this year. Their sponsorship has helped us to raise a lot of money for local charities, including CHAOS (providing holidays for local young people), the Magpie Project (a Forest Gate-based charity helping mums and children under five living in temporary accommodation) and the Woodland Trust (a charity which protects trees and fights for healthy, happy habitats everywhere). The trail map will be published on our website.

The Aldersbrook Open Garden Trail is organised by the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society, revived in 2018, which meets on the second Tuesday of every month at Aldersbrook Bowls Club with a range of speakers, both local and national.

The Aldersbrook Open Garden Trail will take place on 4 June from 12 noon to 5pm. Tickets for entry to all gardens will be available on the day (adults: £5; under-16s: free). Visit wnstd.com/ahs

The latest novel by Peter Chegwidden is a tale of love and tragedy which draws on memories of growing up in Wanstead and South Woodford in the 1950s and 1960s. Here, the author shares some of those memories

Ah, memories. And childhood memories, often the best. I was born in Wanstead in 1949, living in Chestnut Drive before moving in infancy to Malford Grove in South Woodford. I started my education at Churchfields (Mr Williams was the Head) and after a day’s schooling, there was nothing better than a visit to Downey’s for sweets on the way home!

Dad made us a wooden toboggan for use when the Hollow Ponds were frozen and the land covered by snow – our sledge went much faster than the bought ones. Us means me and my beloved sister Kathleen, who later attended Gowan Lea. Both sister and school are now sadly long gone. 

Ah, memories. The cows from the nearby forest wandering up Malford Grove to graze uninvited in our front garden! Going shopping with Mum at the Home and Colonial Stores near South Woodford station. Hearing the eerie sound of the air-raid siren being tested at Gates Corner every morning. The council thinking it was a good idea to give Malford Grove pink concrete verges. Aargh! Standing on Pulteney Road bridge, watching the trains go by, occasionally seeing a shunting engine working in the coal yards there. Mum and Dad taking us to the Plaza cinema on George Lane to see a comedy film. Dad taking us to the green in front of The Drive to throw sticks at the trees in the hope of bringing some conkers down. Mum taking us on the 101 from Wanstead, past the park and across the Flats to feed the swans near the City of London Cemetery. Or letting us play on the swings in the park surrounding Christ Church. Even to a small child, it gave a village feel to Wanstead. 

Dear memories. For his business, Dad had several lock-up garages at De Gruchy’s (I think it was) on New Wanstead, a large complex I found fascinating. There was my first girlfriend, Nola, who took my illustrated love letters to school where the teacher held them up for the class to see. Blush. We were both 10. It didn’t last. Later, I went to school in Loughton, often travelling on the Green Line 720 coaches. 

Cherished memories. For worship Sunday morning, it was communion wine at Holy Trinity on Hermon Hill, then over the road to the Fir Trees for beer! The then vicar, Father Angwin, joined us there once. And I was now out of my teens. But there had been a ‘guiding star’ for my future in my childhood.

Near Snaresbrook Station was a road sign to ‘Maidstone A20’ (no doubt via the Woolwich ferry), and at 23, that was where I moved when my firm relocated. And I’ve been in Kent ever since. But my memories of Wanstead and South Woodford have never left.

Peter’s novel, The Valour of the Heart, is available from Amazon (Kindle: £2.99; paperback: £6.99). Visit wnstd.com/valour

A variety of nature-themed events will take place in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats next month as part of the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend.

“Become a wildlife explorer for the weekend. Join butterfly, bird and bat walks, spider safaris, minibeast hunts, workshops, children’s activities, pond dips, picnics and much more. Discover what’s living on your doorstep!” said a spokesperson for the Wren Wildlife Group, which is organising the two-day series of free events for 24 and 25 June.

Visit wnstd.com/wren 

Wanstead Park has been a constant for the whole of my life, yet it’s a place of evolving change, reflects Paul Donovan, who believes humankind must take a step back to move forward 

Life is a conveyor belt of change. Human beings are constantly seeking to get off the journey, settle and feel some security of tenure. But you cannot stop the journey. The thought occurs when looking back at people and places around us. 

When I was a child, John Dexter was the park keeper in Wanstead Park. We’d always see Mr Dexter around, a respected, imposing figure. He kept order as well as doing much work in the park. I was at school with Anne, his daughter. The Dexters lived in one of the park keeper’s lodges by the Temple. John left the park in the early 1990s, moving locally. He died recently. Ann put up a number of pictures of John from the old days, in front of the Temple and various other places. They brought back memories of great times.

Another memory was refreshed when standing recently by the Shoulder of Mutton Pond. The area immediately adjacent to the east used to be open grassland. We used to play football there. Earlier still, a couple of guys came in all weathers to swim in the lake. I only found out later that one of the guys was the father of a later friend of mine. He used to cycle from Dagenham for a dip. Now, that area is totally covered in bramble, a good terrain for the birds, but no one would know what it was like before. No one swims in the lake. Times change.

The park, of course, has a long history, with people from across classes and generations enjoying the area. The recent photo exhibition of COVID times by Russell Boyce marked another period. A time that is already being looked back on as part of the story of the park.

Getting older can seem a lonely business, as those you have known die off. The net can appear to be closing in. But more positively, looking back should show the way forward. Learn from the past to progress in the future.

Not everything in the past was great. People can come to romanticise the past as they grow older, a resistance to the inevitable. Moving forward, we do have more knowledge as to how to work in harmony with nature, not seek to dominate it as has so often been the case in the past. The promotion of biodiversity and efforts to combat climate change are to be welcomed. Never forgetting these crises have largely been created by the reckless behaviour of human beings. If humankind is going to survive, it most certainly needs to learn the lessons of the past. Indeed, maybe for the first time in recent history, there needs to be a step back in order to progress forward. A need to live more simply and tread lighter on the Earth. This will be a progression, that is likely to come when we recognise our own mortality and that we are only part of a passing phase in the history of life. Enjoy our time here, learn from the past and look to the future.

Paul Donovan is a Labour councillor for Wanstead Village ward.

Redbridge Council is running a series of free composting workshops this week as part International Compost Awareness Week (7 to 13 May), including a session on Christ Church Green.

Around a third of waste produced in Redbridge is food waste. Households can help reduce this figure by putting their food waste to good use through composting, which is nature’s process of recycling food waste into nutrient rich sustenance for your garden. It’s also a money saver, as it a means you don’t have to buy compost for your garden.

“To help people get started on their composting journey or to get more tips if you’re already doing it, we’re running several community-based composting workshops,” said a council spokesperson.

The workshops will cover:

• the basics of composting
• do’s and don’ts
• troubleshooting
• busting composting myths
• a sorting activity
• Q&A session

Workshop locations:

• 11 May 2023, 1pm-2pm, Hainault Forest Country Park, Hainault
• 11 May 2023, 6pm-7pm, Christchurch Green, Wanstead
• 13 May 2023, 12pm-1pm, South Park, Mayfield
• 13 May 2023, 2pm-3pm, Uphall Recreation Ground, Loxford

Tickets are free, but booking is required.

Wren Wildlife Group member Sybil Ritten needs help surveying Wanstead’s stag beetle population this summer

Would a walk on a balmy summer’s evening in our local area appeal to anyone? It appears that Bushwood, Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park have never had a survey for stag beetles (Lucanus cervus), despite there being areas which are suitable habitats for their breeding and despite them being found both within these areas and on the surrounding streets.

So, I am planning to do a transect survey this summer in Bushwood and wondered if anyone else would be interested in doing the same in this or an adjoining area, including Wanstead, Aldersbrook or Leytonstone.

Stag beetles are part of the Saproxylic group of beetles, so are found in areas where there is a supply of dead and decaying wood. After around six years as larvae, they pupate and emerge as adults to find mates from late May to early August. The males searching for females tend to migrate to surfaces of warmth, hence often being found on pavements and roads.

Briefly, the transect survey will entail choosing a 500-metre patch where you walk and record what you see six times during June and July at sunset. If possible, you should walk from west to east and it needs to be above 12ºC, with little or no wind, and dry. There seems to be a dearth of surveys within woodland and wilder green spaces, but if it is more convenient, a transect on streets or a local park is also acceptable. The time, date, temperature, humidity and wind speed are recorded and the amount of live and dead wood habitat is estimated for each walk. If you are lucky enough to come across any stag beetles (alive or dead), you can take a photograph to confirm your identification. The adult male is distinctive (pictured here), but the female bears a resemblance to the lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus), which has a wider distribution but is matt black as opposed to a shinier, dark conker-brown colour.

Your survey can then be uploaded to the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), or if preferred, you can return forms to me so I may scan and upload them. It will be easier to retrieve the data as a group if we submit the collective data to one account, and I am willing to take on this role. The data is ultimately fed into the National Biodiversity Network and the European Stag Beetle Research Group. I hope to also encourage people to report any isolated findings through the PTES website. 

Apart from the PTES website, you may also find Maria Fremlin’s articles and papers a great resource. She has been studying the beetles for 20 years. Currently, she is looking at egg development in the stag beetle female, so would value it if anyone finds a dead female to dissect (open the abdominal sternites and take a photograph). Alternatively, if you can get them to me quickly, I am happy to perform the task!

To contact Sybil for more information, email bushwoodlucanus@outlook.com

For more information on the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, visit ptes.org

To read Maria Fremlin’s articles, visit wnstd.com/fremlin

Since 2013, a seller is required to state whether Japanese knotweed is present on their property. Derek Inkpin from local solicitors Axiom DWFM looks at the legal implications of this invasive weed

Imagine you are in the process of buying a house, and on receiving a form from your solicitor entitled ‘Property Information Form’, which features in all residential conveyancing transactions, you read that Japanese knotweed has previously been found at the property but has been treated by a specialist firm with a guarantee. Do you cancel your purchase or still proceed, not least because you really like the house?

Everybody has heard about this pernicious weed, but it seems as if it is a distant menace. It may be the stuff of legal and financial nightmares, but if it has been treated, is that enough? Well, it has the potential to damage man-made and natural structures and has been estimated to be present in every 10 square kilometres of the British Isles.

Court cases involving knotweed are likely to increase as a result of a recent Court of Appeal decision in Davies vs Bridgend Council, which is regarded as a landmark ruling. These cases, however, have had a difficult recent history when in 2018 the Court of Appeal decided in Williams vs Network Rail Infrastructure (NRI) that Mr Williams could succeed in his appeal but not on the grounds of NRl’s land causing a private nuisance through encroaching knotweed to Mr Williams’ land. He succeeded because of the loss of what is called the amenity value and use of his property.

It is clear that once warned of the presence of knotweed, a landowner is under a duty to treat it and will be liable if there is a history of failure to do so. That will give rise to a court claim which in the Williams and Davies cases included a right to claim for the loss in value of their respective properties. In the Davies case, the significance of what was decided was that a landowner can recover compensation for the stigma attached to his house, even after successful treatment by a specialist contractor with a guarantee in place.

Thus, there is still the possibility of a value reduction of the property after treatment and buyers walking away from the purchase or offering less for the property. It might prevent mortgage lenders from lending on a property or prevent homeowners from carrying out improvements to landscaping or building works which would otherwise increase the value of their property.

As a seller, never be tempted in the form you complete to answer ‘no’ to the questions about knotweed which is sent to the buyer. Failure to report or deliberately conceal knotweed could lead to the seller being sued for misrepresentation and liable for compensation due to the stigma attached to their property, as well as treatment costs.

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

Redbridge in Bloom – the borough’s annual amateur gardening competition – returns this summer with a royal theme.

“This year, we will celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, and so we are encouraging the residents of Redbridge to create a garden fit for the King!” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL, which organises the competition.

The closing date for entries is 3 July, with judging to take place from 10 July. Categories include best front garden, best container garden and best sustainable garden.

Visit wnstd.com/bloom

Ann Holmes reflects on 100 years of lawn bowling at Wanstead Bowling Club, and invites residents to have a go at this historic sport at this month’s open day event

What have the Romans ever done for us? Anyone who has watched Monty Python’s Life of Brian may recall the list. But we also have them to thank for refining the Egyptian practice of rolling stone balls towards targets into the modern game of bowls. It was adapted across Europe, spreading through the British Empire and The Commonwealth and is hugely popular in Australia.

Indeed, it was so beloved that a succession of laws was passed restricting play from the 13th century onwards. Far too much time was being taken away from archery practice, a skill integral to success in battles. The game was exclusively thereafter only played by royalty and the upper classes until Queen Victoria relaxed restrictions in 1845.

The invention of the lawnmower by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830 enabled the greens to be brought to a much higher standard and opened up the sport to the masses. The famous cricketer WG Grace founded the English Bowling Association in 1903 and went on to represent England in the first six Home International Series. 

Our club started out as an offshoot of Wanstead Cricket Club. In 1912, veterans of the ‘willow’, looking for a less strenuous sport, started playing bowls on the eastern side of the cricket ground. As the game became more popular, Wanstead Sports Ground Ltd arranged for a good Cumberland turf green to be laid in front of the golf clubhouse. A new club was born and formally opened on 30 June 1923.

For many years, the dress code was very formal. These days, women no longer have to play in skirts, nor men in long-sleeved collared shirts and ties. Many clubs now have patterned tops and play with a myriad of coloured bowls rather than just black. 

Our ethos is to be inclusive. We have members of all ages, with different physical challenges, and some no longer able to play competitively, who are just happy to have a friendly ‘roll up’ or sit and watch. We go on lovely day trips to play other clubs and have a busy social calendar, with quizzes, race nights, bingo and murder mystery evenings. 

Our special centenary open day is on 14 May, from 12 noon to 4pm, where there will be a plant stall, cream teas, ladies playing in vintage dress and much more. You can have a go, if you want, with fun events on the green. An added bonus is that we are in the unique and privileged position of being within the beautiful surroundings of Wanstead Golf Club – a little oasis in the East End!

Wanstead Bowling Club is located within Wanstead Golf Club on Overton Drive. For more information, visit wnstd.com/bowls

In the 32nd of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces Belgian harpist Lise Vandermissen, who will be performing in Wanstead this month

Redbridge Music Society will round off its current season of bringing high-quality musical events to the borough with a recital given by award-winning young harpist Lise Vandermissen. Her performance will include music by Haydn, Liszt, Debussy, Ravel and the Welsh bardist John Parry, as well as more modern compositions by Freddie Mercury, alongside her own work. 

Lise graduated magna cum laude at LUCA School of Arts in Belgium with harpist Lieve Robbroeckx, followed by a Master’s degree (with distinction) at Guildhall School of Music & Drama (GSMD) in London with Imogen Barford. She then completed a two-year fellowship programme, also at GSMD. 

Lise has been a successful participant in numerous international competitions and has gained many awards and prizes, including first prize at the fifth International Harp Competition in Slovenia, second prize at the fifth International Harp Competition in Hungary and second prize at the North London Camac Harp Competition. She was awarded the Guildhall Harp Prize and was selected to be a Live Music Now musician, a Concordia Foundation Artist and a UKHA Emerging Artist. She received the Culture Prize in Bilzen, Belgium, and won places at the London Sinfonietta Academy and the Académie Camac in France. 

Lise has played as a concerto soloist with orchestras in the UK (Croydon and Guildford Symphony Orchestras), Poland, Belgium, Germany and The Netherlands, both on the modern pedal harp and on the Italian triple harp. She is also a chamber ensemblist, playing in the Duo Molinello and Aglica Trio ensembles. 

Recently, Lise performed Handel’s Harp Concerto at the London Handel Festival and has just completed a six-month residency teaching and performing at an international harp academy in Hong Kong. She gave the world premiere of Mark-Anthony Turnage’s Four Meditations for solo harp and performed her own transcription of Ravel’s Le Tombeau de Couperin at the World Harp Congress in Wales. She has just recorded her first commercial solo album, Transformed, which contains many of the pieces you will hear at the recital.

Lise currently lives with her harps on a houseboat on the London canals, and when she is not playing the harp, loves to jog along the canal banks. Her recital will be a very special evening of music-making, celebrating traditional and modern music. I do hope you can join us for this final event in our current season of recitals.

Lise Vandermissen will perform at Wanstead Library on 16 May from 8pm (tickets on the door; visitors: £12; members: £8). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is supported by Vision RCL and affiliated to Making Music.

On 27 May, the St Mary’s Church organ will be 100 years old. A weekend festival of music will celebrate this centenary and Michael Blighton – who tunes the organ – will give a talk about the instrument

The pipe organ in St Mary’s Church will celebrate its 100th anniversary in May. It was built by the Leyton firm of Robert Spurden Rutt. In organ terms, this instrument is still considered a spring chicken! The church itself dates from 1790, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable to see an organ of the same date in the church (as with other furnishings), so I will also talk about what we know of previous instruments in the church in my talk this month.

Organs are thought to have existed in churches in England for over a thousand years, although we have very little surviving organ material from before the English Civil War (1642–1651), and even less from before the English Reformation of the 1530s, but there is a fair amount of early written material about organs and organ builders surviving in the archives of our great cathedrals and colleges.

During the 18th century, organs began to become popular again, especially in ordinary parish churches; then, during the Industrial Revolution (with the expansion of our cities and subsequent church building) organ building got its largest boost in history, especially with the founding of so many Nonconformist churches and chapels, all needing their own organs. Some 19th-century organ-building firms became huge, supplying the home market as well as the British Empire. One firm in Norwich produced one new organ a week; today, most firms would take four to five months for such a task.

An organ works by each of its pipes being blown with wind when the corresponding notes are played by the organist on the keyboards or pedalboard. The wind itself comes from the organ’s bellows which these days are fed by an electric blower rather than some poor choirboy operating the pumping handle at the back of the organ! ‘Organ stops’ are ranks of pipes which can be drawn by the organist either alone or in combination to change the sound effects and power of the organ. There are many videos on the internet that can demonstrate how a pipe organ works and are well worth taking a look at.

My job is to keep the organ in good working order and tune the pipes (all by ear); this is done about twice a year. Let’s hope this fine organ continues to play for another century!

The church will be holding a May Music Festival from 26 to 29 May featuring four events. The Sonare Vocal Quartet will kick off the celebrations, and we’ll also hear from a number of local professional musicians in a chamber music concert to mark the centenary. Everyone is invited to come along and help mark this special birthday.

St Mary’s Church is located on Overton Drive, Wanstead. The May Music Festival will run from 26 to 29 May (event details below). For more information, email alisongwells@me.com

Shakespeare’s Macbeth will be performed at the open-air Greek Theatre in the grounds of Woodford County High School this summer.

“With 10 actors in period costume, this promises to be a summer’s evening full of magic and drama. And for those studying the play for GCSE, it will reinforce understanding and a love for Shakespeare,” said a spokesperson for the Drama Impact Theatre Company. The performance will take place on 30 June from 7pm.

Readers can use code ‘WVD’ for a 10% discount.

Visit wnstd.com/macbeth

The annual RideLondon cycling event will pass through Redbridge on 28 May, causing some road closures in the west of the borough, including the Green Man Roundabout, Hollybush Hill and Woodford Road.

“The event will bring extensive benefits to Redbridge, attracting visitors to local high streets and encouraging people to take up cycling… In the lead-up to the event, we will publicise the locations of crowd zones where people can view the cycling,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/ride23

With the skylark protective fencing on Wanstead Flats being vandalised, Wren Wildlife Group members Bob Vaughan and James Heal are keen to educate the community on the need for this temporary measure

At certain points in history, Wanstead Flats has been at risk of enclosure and being developed. We should be forever grateful for the committed local citizens of East London and Essex who resisted those moves.

Wanstead Flats has, however, been enclosed and utilised a number of times, albeit on a temporary basis: a prisoner of war camp in World War II, a police muster station during the 2012 Olympics and a temporary mortuary (that was thankfully not really used) during the pandemic. Another enclosure of sorts is the temporary fencing put up around sections of the broom fields on Wanstead Flats where our local skylarks breed. Nobody wants to see Wanstead Flats enclosed, but, as with all things in life, there are times for compromise, and it seems to me that temporarily not being able to walk or take dogs into a relatively small section of grassland to give our ground-nesting birds the best chance of survival seems like a price worth paying. 

Skylarks can be heard singing on Wanstead Flats every spring, the closest colony to central London. However, this small brown bird is now a red-list species of conservation concern.

Over the years, the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group have been monitoring the numbers of singing male skylarks on Wanstead Flats and have noticed a rapid decline from double figures in 2010 to just three or four in the last few years. As it is a ground-nesting bird, the skylark is prone to disturbance, and with the increase in footfall on the Flats, we are concerned that skylarks might soon be lost as a breeding species locally. A further complication is that skylarks will not nest near tree cover; they prefer open spaces.

So, in 2021, the City of London agreed to put up fencing during the breeding season (March to August) over a couple of small areas in the middle of the Flats. This experiment has worked well and, although it is difficult to be precise, with no breeding recorded in 2020, it is believed at least one pair bred successfully in the last two years.

However, this year, someone has been cutting down the fence. We are not sure why this is happening. We want everyone to support this initiative, which is now being adopted elsewhere to ensure the skylark’s song will remain a delight throughout the UK. The Wren Group has been involved in helping the community – especially dog walkers – understand the need for this temporary fencing. The public has been very supportive and appreciative of the lovely lilting song as they walk through the Flats on the main paths. Unfortunately, a small number of individuals seem keen to break the rules and ruin things for the majority.

Community. Neighbourliness. Dialogue. Understanding. Progress. These all seem like pertinent words at the moment.

For more information on the Wren Wildlife Group, visit wnstd.com/wren

Tinder Sticks will resume its Walk in the Woods programme this month. Here, lead instructor Alison O’Connor explains why she is keen for people to connect with Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats

Why not join one of our Walk in the Woods events to help you explore Epping Forest deeper and connect further with nature through healthy activities and bushcraft workshops? Our monthly events will take place in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats and Leyton Flats (Hollow Ponds) on Tuesdays. 

May’s events include making washing detergent from ivy, an exploratory walk linking Wanstead Flats and the park and campfire cooking with spring edible plants. Working in harmony with the City of London’s no-foraging policy, we will collect plants from areas which have permission to forage. We feel it is important we respect not only the wildlife that lives in Epping Forest but the organisation that manages it for our enjoyment.

I am a firm believer in the healing power of nature. We all know how relaxing a walk in the woods can be and evidence shows us the quality of our relationship with nature is part of the reason for its positive impact on our well-being. Having a stronger connection with nature means we have a stronger emotional attachment to our surroundings and this increases the mental well-being benefits. Our events aim to create those strong connections via workshops in whittling wood, nature drawing and weaving with plants, for example. All such events have the ability to allow us to be present in the moment and not trapped in our heads, which are filled with the stresses and strains of daily life. Even just sitting and chatting around the campfire is a joy in itself! 

Alongside the adult programme of events, we will be running Little Owls for preschool children in Wanstead Park. These monthly sessions will allow your kids to go a bit wild in the woods, cooking up a storm in the mud kitchen, following nature trails, learning about the plants and animals or swinging in the hammocks listening to stories. Each month will have a different theme, and May is all about trees! Make a leaf crown, match up the picture and discover how to identify trees or create woodland art on the forest floor. 

Tinder Sticks Community Interest Company also secures funding to deliver projects for marginalised sections of the community to help break down the socio-economic barriers that stop people from enjoying the outdoors. We believe that everybody should have the opportunity to relax, enjoy and learn from the nature around us. It is thanks to the City Bridge Trust that we can provide both of these projects free of charge to you with the aim of connecting the community to Epping Forest and improving well-being.

I hope to see you in the woods!

Walk in the Woods events are free to join, but booking is required as spaces are limited. Events start from 9 May. For more information, visit tindersticks.org.uk

Redbridge Council is cracking down on irresponsible dog owners following an increase in public complaints about dog fouling and uncontrolled dogs. Council Officer Jo Smallman reports

As well as complaints about dogs not on leads, last year, nearly 800 reports were made to the council, up from the previous year, over people failing to pick up after their dogs and instead letting their pooches foul public spaces.

The increase has sparked a council-led campaign aimed at dog owners, as well as the use of specialist cameras by the council’s enforcement team to catch offenders. 

A dog control Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is also currently in place in the borough covering several areas of dog control, including ensuring dogs are on leads and the maximum number of dogs allowed under one handler in locations where the PSPO applies. Under the PSPO, it is also an offence for anyone in charge of a dog to foul land in the borough by failing to clear up their dog’s mess. Offenders can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of up to £100, and if the case goes to court, it could cost the owner, or person in charge of the animal, up to £1,000.

While the majority of dog owners clear up after their dogs when walking them in the borough, a minority are still breaking the law by failing to do so and causing problems for the public.

So, the council recently launched a boroughwide campaign encouraging dog owners to be ‘Proud to Pick Up’. As part of the campaign, signage has been placed in parks and on more than 200 litter bins around the borough reminding dog owners they can dispose of bagged dog mess in any public street litter bin in Redbridge. Anyone unable to find a bin near them should take their dog waste home and put it in their own waste bin.

The council’s enforcement team are also using specialist cameras that can be easily deployed in hot-spot areas to help catch offending dog owners, with clips being shared on Redbridge’s ‘Wall of Shame’, which regularly features footage of people committing environmental crimes across the borough and encourages the public to come forward if they can help identify any of the lawbreakers.

Dog fouling is not only deeply unpleasant and unsightly; it can also be dangerous. Whilst rare, contact with dog excrement can cause toxocariasis – a nasty infection that can lead to dizziness, nausea, asthma and even seizures or blindness (at the Hospital for Tropical Diseases in London, about 20 to 30 patients with retinal damage from toxocariasis are treated annually). Another reason to keep it off our streets.

The law states that being unaware a dog has fouled or not having a suitable bag is not a reasonable excuse to leave dog mess behind.

To report dog fouling in Redbridge, visit wnstd.com/dogfouling

For more information on the dog control PSPO, visit wnstd.com/dogpspo

Four open-air evening performances will take place in Wanstead Park this summer.

Award-winning theatre company Illyria will begin the season on 30 May with Robin Hood, followed by performances of Twelfth Night (29 June) and Pride and Prejudice (28 July).

All-male theatre group The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will conclude the programme with a production of Romeo and Juliet on 27 August.

All shows take place in the Temple enclosure from 7pm, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and a picnic.

Visit wnstd.com/wp23

Residents are invited to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at a festival on Christ Church Green on 7 May from 11am to 6pm.

“This will be a fabulous opportunity for the community to come together. There is a full line-up of events planned for the whole family, including music and entertainment from local talent. There will also be fairground rides, stalls, a bar, food and refreshments,” said a spokesperson. The event will raise funds for the Mayor of Redbridge Appeal and Tin in a Bin.

Volunteering brings communities together, says Nurun Begum, Volunteer Centre Manager at Redbridge CVS, which provides information, training and support to organisations and residents

The Volunteer Centre Redbridge is based at Redbridge CVS (Redbridge Council for Voluntary Services) in Ilford and aims to make Redbridge a place which values volunteering and recognises the contribution volunteers make to the community. We support organisations in recruiting volunteers and, importantly, help guide volunteers towards the right organisation and roles for them.

Volunteering not only contributes towards social cohesion, bringing local communities together to achieve a common goal, but improves mental well-being, builds confidence and tackles isolation and loneliness. It can also provide a helpful pathway to employment, particularly for younger people or those returning to work. This is evident from the positive feedback from volunteers and organisations we work with, such as Age UK, who are currently recruiting for a kitchen aide in Wanstead. One of their amazing volunteers, a 66-year-old who regularly helps in this role, said: “I am sure some people may feel nervous about making the decision to volunteer. Perhaps it takes them out of their comfort zone. But I can wholeheartedly recommend it.”

I am always awestruck when I meet the many incredible people who show such dedication and compassion in their volunteering roles and give up their free time for worthy causes. And it is great to see the launch of the national campaign for volunteering, The Big Help Out, to promote volunteering to a wider audience. The initiative kick-starts with a national day of volunteering on the Coronation bank holiday, encouraging people to pledge their time, whether a single day or regularly.

I am passionate about breaking down barriers which deter and hinder people’s volunteering experience, and keen to continually source volunteering opportunities which are as diverse as the communities we live in. My team and I will be hosting our annual Volunteer’s Fair at the Town Hall in Ilford on 6 June (11am to 2pm) and hope to meet lots of prospective volunteers. Plus, we hold monthly workshops open to anyone who’d like to find out more about volunteering in the borough. We also offer a one-to-one, confidential, drop-in service for anyone who’d like to discuss opportunities individually. We strive to ensure people have a positive volunteering experience that is both meaningful and mutually beneficial to individuals, organisations and the community.

If this has inspired you to volunteer, take a look at our website to view the current opportunities and register your interest for the roles. We can often get people started on their volunteering journey almost immediately.

For more information on Redbridge CVS, email volunteering@redbridgecvs.net. To view current local volunteering opportunities, visit wnstd.com/volunteer

Ahead of the Wanstead Community Coronation Festival, James Paterson explains how residents can continue to support Tin in a Bin, and in the spirit of The Big Help Out, we hear from two of the organisation’s much-needed volunteers 

During the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, Tin in a Bin put out a call to streets that were holding parties to collect donations of non-perishable food staples. The response was great. We received a huge boost from that appeal. 

King Charles III’s coronation will see a repeat of street celebrations in our community, and we are again appealing to anyone holding a party to have a ‘tin’ collection to generate much-needed donations. The sad fact is the economic environment is causing more need for food banks, but also reducing donors’ ability to give. We’re hoping the appeal this year will help replenish our depleted supplies. 

The King’s call for people to join The Big Help Out resonates strongly with our organisation; we have a huge network of over 50 collection points and there are many others involved in the transportation and managing of all the donations. Tin in a Bin, or TinaB as we lovingly call it, has become a community asset, bringing people together and achieving more than just food bank support.

Mary Stephenson, one of our volunteers at St Mary’s Church in Wanstead (TinaB HQ), said: “During my working life as a police officer, I often reached out to voluntary organisations. I was extremely thankful and highly appreciative of their invaluable contribution and often thought where on earth would we be without such groups, such people. When I reached the end of my career, I wanted to help that crucial work continue. After over seven years as a witness support volunteer at a local magistrates court, I now volunteer weekly at a cat rescue. Just over a year ago, I went to help at a Ukraine appeal in Wanstead; it was there I was introduced to Tin in a Bin, an incredible concept involving the whole community. Over a year later, I am still involved on a weekly basis and have formed friendships as a result. It’s so much more than the food bank support too. We’re always thinking of new ways to support and new ways to raise funds.”

Martin Chew, who volunteers with his wife Annie at St Mary’s, added: “Over two years ago, whilst out walking, we saw St Mary’s Wanstead was open. We went in to look around and were surprised to find pews in the side aisle full of tins of food of all kinds! We had stumbled across the flourishing food bank operation Tin in a Bin. Asking if we could help, we received a warm invitation to come along on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. As well as periods of intense activity sorting, storing and picking items, these sessions provide opportunities for conversation with other volunteers and visitors. I am sure we all would prefer to return to a time when food banks were not necessary, but we can for now at least do a small amount to help out in these troubled times.”

During the Wanstead Community Coronation Festival, TinaB will be running two tombola stalls. If you’d like to join us as a volunteer or have a collection point at your home, please visit the stalls or get in touch. The festival has been made possible by our generous local sponsors North London Loft Rooms, Petty Son & Prestwich, The Duke, K&D Joinery, Summit, Treehouse Nursery and JingleBop. With family entertainment, fairground rides and live music, the event will be a wonderful opportunity for the community to celebrate as one.

The Wanstead Community Coronation Festival will take place on 7 May from 11am to 6pm on Christ Church Green. For more information on TinaB, email tinab.wanstead@gmail.com