May 2024

Art Group Wanstead has opened a bluebell-themed exhibition at The Stow Brothers.

“The early spring made it easy to miss the bluebells in Wanstead Park at their peak. But you can continue to experience their beauty by dropping in to the estate agents to see bluebell artworks by our members,” said Donna Mizzi. The display at 117A High Street Wanstead will be open until mid-June, with art also available for sale.

Art Group Wanstead is open to amateur and professional artists with a local connection.

Visit wnstd.com/art

To mark Mental Health Awareness Week (13 to 19 May), Vision RCL will be delivering a timetable of free events in Wanstead and across Redbridge.

The local activities on offer include Pilates and Zumba at Wanstead Leisure Centre and a watercolour painting taster session at Wanstead Library.

“We recognise the importance of developing and maintaining positive mental health, and are committed to providing services which can positively impact wellbeing,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/visionevents

Wanstead Park’s bluebells were on show earlier than usual this year.

“The display was truly spectacular this year. Bluebells countrywide bloomed a week early, which was down to a wet and not-too-cold spring. Some may also put this down to the effects of climate change. Visitors flocked to see the iconic flowers in great numbers, and there was very little trampling to be seen, so well done everyone. The discreet signage has done its job advising people to keep to the paths,” said Gill James of Friends of Wanstead Parklands.

Redbridge Council has issued a statement following concerns over the roots of High Street trees being cut.

“We carried out planned root pruning works to several trees located by footpaths that were being resurfaced. Root pruning is standard practice to help maintain the footpaths in a safe condition… We carry out root pruning on a regular basis with contractors who are highly experienced in this kind of work. This important maintenance ensures our trees can continue to flourish while pavements remain safe for pedestrians.”

In the seventh of a series of articles, Revd James Gilder of Wanstead Parish asks if Wanstead is too ‘nice’, prays for The George to remain a Wetherspoons and announces new opening times for Christ Church 

Why do you live in Wanstead? Perhaps it’s because you have always lived here. Maybe like me, you moved here for your work, or because you like what Wanstead has to offer for your family. This place is certainly quite different to everywhere around it, and in many ways, that’s a really nice thing. We have lots of green space, good transport links into and out of London, and a variety of pleasant houses and other accommodations that go into making our town what it is. People don’t often end up in Wanstead by accident – there’s no denying it is a very nice place to live, and no-doubt there are many who look on with a degree of envy at an E11 postcode. 

But can a place be too nice? All too often these days, ‘nice’ equals ‘expensive’. And I think we can all agree that Wanstead is definitely an expensive place to live. It is a reflection of our times that I’d be surprised if a single one of the teachers in our local schools, for example, actually lives in our community, because they can’t afford to – let alone those who work in our local shops or who clean our offices and homes. Sadly, we live in a place that has become so ‘nice’ that basically it risks becoming only a partial community, closed off to those on even average salaries. We have seen this happen all over our capital city, and it’s a sad hollowing out of society that I feel we ought to try to fight against.

Which brings me on to The George. This pub often feels like one of the last bastions of ‘old Wanstead’. Whatever you think of the politics of the Wetherspoons management, it is undeniable that, in The George, they have maintained a very decent pub which is affordable to all. It is a pub which is well-frequented from morning ‘til night; and a haven for those who need to make a cup of coffee last all day. When our parish was approached last year about creating a ‘warm room’ for those who couldn’t afford to heat their homes, it was remarked that (a) this was somewhat ironic given the average temperature of the church and (b) that The George effectively provides this facility already and does so extremely well. Its proposed closure is yet another nail in the coffin of Wanstead for ‘normal’ people – for all of us who don’t always want to pay for a pint with a tenner. I hope and pray this decision is reversed, and – if not – perhaps we ought to see if we could open a social club which provides a similar facility.

For those wanting somewhere to cool off and be still over the summer, I’m pleased to say Christ Church will be open every week day from at least 9am to 3pm, from the beginning of May to the end of the Wanstead Festival in September. Please feel free to come in and enjoy the peace and quiet of the space, whether you are religious or not. We would love you to pay us a visit.

To contact Reverend James Gilder, email wansteadparishadmin@uwclub.net

Live animals will be on show in Wanstead Park next month as part of the annual Wanstead Wildlife Weekend.

“We have booked an exciting display from a company with a good reputation for animal welfare. They will be showing live British wildlife, such as rodents, a barn owl, a snake, invasive marsh frogs and even a rescue hedgehog,” said a Wren Wildlife Group spokesperson.

Taking place on 22 and 23 June, the weekend of free events will also include bushcraft workshops, a spider hunt and pond dipping.

For more information, visit wrengroup.org.uk

This year’s Wanstead Festival will take place on 15 September.

Exhibitors, performers and caterers are invited to apply to take part in the annual community event. “This popular event attracts thousands of people, who come together to enjoy a fun-filled day on Christchurch Green. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to showcase your business,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL.

Visit wnstd.com/festival

With winter behind us, many will be tempted to mow, strim, cut back and tidy their gardens. But Wanstead resident Karen Myers explains why you should resist and join in with No Mow May 

A recent survey by the charity Buglife found the UK’s flying insect population has declined by as much as 60% in the last 20 years, and scientists have confirmed land-dwelling insect populations continue to collapse by around 9% every decade. This freefall in the mainstay of our ecosystem is due to a variety of reasons, including climate change, intensive farming methods, pesticide use in parks, on kerbsides and in private gardens, habitat loss and a new trend to carpet gardens in plastic grass.

So, what can we do to reverse this worrying decline and, in some cases, the complete extinction of our beautiful buzzing friends? The answer is, plenty! If you have some outside space, a balcony or even a window ledge for flowers, you can make a real difference. Studies tell us that short, clipped and mown monoculture lawns, which have been popular for so long, are actually a barren wasteland for insects. By allowing some areas of your grass to grow longer, you will be providing shelter and important early food sources for a variety of pollinators. Perhaps also consider making part of your lawn into an area for wild flowers. This will reward you with a stunning show of colour, as well as attracting a wide range of insects. It is about this time that bees and other pollinators emerge from a long winter of hibernation, and they are absolutely starving – areas of grass left to grow give opportunities for daisies, clover and dandelions, which are not only beautiful but also provide sustenance for insects. 

Have you noticed, in a tucked away area on the eastbound platform at Snaresbrook Station, a pile of logs for a beetle shelter? Amongst many other benefits for nature, this small act of human kindness has encouraged a pair of beautiful Chaffinches to regularly visit the platform. Replicated across Wanstead gardens, this simple deed could provide the easy win of a plentiful food source for birds. 

Hedgehogs occasionally slumber through summer days in long grass, so you could also be providing a safe haven for some of Wanstead’s few precious colonies of hogs. Do always take care to check first when strimming or mowing as hedgehogs do not run away when they sense danger, they just curl up. 

If you do decide to help the bees, butterflies and other insects this May (and hopefully in June onwards), please steer clear of using pesticides and choose plants for your beds or balconies that are pollinator-friendly, such as Dog Rose (Rosa canina), Meadow Cranesbill (Geranium pratense) and English Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia).

If we all pulled together, Wanstead gardens could provide a vital safe haven for our local insect population and wildlife in general. We just need to relax a little and share our space with nature. Happy gardening everyone!

For more information on No Mow May, visit wnstd.com/nomow