November 2024

The Wanstead Fringe, traditionally a highlight of September, is set to expand its reach with more events throughout the year.

It follows the creation of the Wanstead Curtain, a new year-round theatre and performance space in the hall of Wanstead Methodist Church on Hermon Hill.

“We’ve got some festive fun lined up for this month, including a free Christmas film party for all the community on 8 December and the Curtain’s first-ever panto, Peter’s Pan: A Kitchen Sink Pantomime, on 23 December. We are really ambitious for the difference the Curtain can make to the cultural life of Wanstead, and that’s not just at festival time in September. But to make it happen, we still need to hear from people who want to be involved. It’s wonderful to be working on such a positive project, so do join us,” said Fringe chair Giles Wilson.

Visit wnstd.com/fringe

In the 41st of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces local choir Modality Voices, who will perform a seasonal concert in Wanstead this December

One of the central aims of Redbridge Music Society is to promote and support local groups and musicians, and this month at Wanstead Library, local community choir Modality Voices will present an evening of seasonal music and readings entitled What Christmas Means to Me, directed by Jenny Ewington and accompanied by pianist Ben Summers. This will be followed in the second half of the evening by complementary wine and seasonal food.

Modality Voices was founded by Jenny Ewington in 2016 and is a friendly, diverse, mixed-voice choir with singers ranging in age from 16 upwards. The choir, which meets and rehearses weekly in Woodford, has established a reputation for its imaginative performances, its quality, blended sound and its great harmonies. 

For several years running, Modality Voices has been awarded first place in the choir section of the Stratford and East London Music Festival.

Modality Voices does much charitable work, in particular for the Centrepoint Charity, which supports and helps homeless young people.

Woodford-based Jenny Ewington, Modality Voice’s founder and musical director, is a qualified singing teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience. She has worked with singers of all ages, abilities and styles, and many of her students have gone on to careers in singing. Jenny also works in schools as a singing specialist, leads other choirs, writes vocal arrangements, leads workshops and creates performances. She strives to challenge her choirs musically (whilst having fun!) and her mission is to bring joy, connection and vitality to people’s lives through the inspiration of musical performance.

Piano accompanist Ben Summers studied at Baliol College, Oxford, and at the Guildhall School of Music where he specialised in double bass. He enjoys a varied playing career and has worked with London orchestras and X Factor winners, has given live radio performances and has recorded at the Abbey Road Studios; he has performed at the Royal Albert Hall and the London Palladium.

In addition to piano and double bass, Ben plays bass guitar and organ and also conducts and composes. Ben has been working with Jenny and Modality Voices since 2019.

Please come and start your run-up to the Christmas season in a friendly and convivial atmosphere!

Modality Voices will perform at Wanstead Library on 3 December from 8pm (tickets on the door; visitors: £12; members: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.

Redbridge Council has appointed a new chief executive.

Claire Hamilton, a Redbridge resident who is currently chief executive at Dacorum Borough Council, will start her new role in March 2025.

The Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Kam Rai, said: “Claire’s extensive experience, proven track record of strong leadership and innovation, and understanding of the needs and aspirations of our community will be invaluable and made her the outstanding candidate for us to appoint.”

The Wanstead Society has announced it will close as of 1 February 2025.

“It is with deep sadness the Wanstead Society will close after almost three decades of seeking to protect and enhance the character of Wanstead. The Society has had a good run, but like so many local groups, we have struggled to find new committee members to help run events and undertake the work we aimed to do,” said Chair Scott Wilding.

The Society was first formed in 1997 to save the Evergreen Field from development.

A Christmas market will take place on Wanstead High Street next month.

Stalls will be open from 10am to 4pm on Saturday 14 December.

“It will be a family-friendly, joyful event, with an emphasis on bringing the community together, shopping local and bringing in much-needed festive cheer. There’ll be music, festive stalls, food and activities for children,” said market organiser Usman Karim.

The Christmas market will be in addition to the regular monthly market on Sunday 1 December.

Visit wnstd.com/market

The Wanstead Beer Festival – which was attended by over 730 people in October – has raised £4,000 for charity.

The money is being split between local charities Chaos, Reach Out, Christ Church and the Wanstead Fringe.

“It was a great day, with Wanstead once again showing how much it loves its beer. Thanks to everyone who helped make the day happen and everyone who came along,” said Paul Donovan. “Now it is onto the next one. The bar is rising, but everyone involved is determined to deliver an even better event next year.”

The Wanstead Village Directory has reached the finals of the Redbridge Social Value Award, a borough-wide category within the Ilford Business Awards that recognises businesses which excel in community engagement.

“I am extremely grateful to all those who voted for us. Regardless of the outcome, it has been wonderful to hear the appreciation our readers and advertisers have for the magazine,” said editor Lee Marquis.

The winner will be announced at an award ceremony in December. 

Recently, I met with a number of senior officials at Transport for London (TfL) to convey my constituents’ concerns about recent changes to the W12 and W14 bus routes.

In particularly, I was keen to stress the impact that the reduced frequency of service to the Nightingale Estate was having on residents; my concerns around access to the Whipps Cross Hospital estate, and the importance of stopping at Woodbine Place. I know as well that there has been concern over the accuracy of timetable information, both on apps and physically printed by bus stands, and I have raised that as well. Finally, I know there have been concerns in the community about the accessibility of the consultation process from TfL. 

I want to clarify TfL’s position on each issue, as they explained it to me, and then set out what I am doing going forward.  
 
TfL officials understand that the reduced service of the Nightingale Estate is causing issues for residents, and I have stressed that a number of my constituents feel stranded due to the change. Their defence of the decision rested on data showing relatively low usage from the estate, with an average of 80 passengers per day, many of which were return journeys. They take the view that where they have empty buses, they better serve passengers by reallocating them to busier routes and areas.  
 
Similarly, TfL officials understand that there is an impact on a number of residents accessing Whipps Cross Hospital, as the new route does not enter the estate, but instead stops at the Whipps Cross Interchange. Their position was firstly, that there wasn’t enough time in the schedule to extend the route into the hospital, and attempting to do so would seriously hinder the reliability of the service. They added that due to ongoing redevelopment work at Whipps Cross, there currently is nowhere to stand the bus on the estate. They pointed out that passengers can change buses at the Whipps Cross Interchange and access the estate directly every 3 minutes, on average.  
 
On Woodbine Place, officials understood that servicing that stop would be helpful for passengers, but as with Whipps Cross, they told me that the there is not enough time in the schedule to make that happen immediately. However, they have given some ground here. They will consider having the W14 stop at Woodbine Place, but this is subject to gathering enough data through the winter to show that the current schedule is running reliably. I do want to temper expectations here – if the W14 is to stop at Woodbine Place, we are looking into the new year – but it is a small victory and testament to the voices of the community, which have been powerful and clear.  
 
Regarding the accuracy of timetable information, officials have conceded that this has not been good enough. I know that since September, bus times on apps and printed on bus stands haven’t been accurate. As covered in the media, TfL suffered a cyberattack in September and this hampered their ability to share accurate data. Some good news on this front. I am told that as of Saturday 16 November, data sharing was back up to speed, and apps and websites should now show accurate timings. With regards to the printed timetables on bus stands, I am told that this should be completed in December.  

Finally, with regards to the consultation, I know that a number of residents have expressed concern over the openness and accessibility of it, and I have fed that back to TfL. They confirmed that their consultation process involved posting invitations to 22,000+ local addresses near the relevant stops, and engaging with local groups. They told me that they received 868 responses, including 17 from stakeholders (like Redbridge and Waltham Forest Councils), and remarked that this was broadly ‘par for the course’ for bus consultations in terms of numbers.  

Whilst I am pleased that there is the prospect of a concession on Woodbine Place, and that data sharing is back up and running, I remain concerned about the other outstanding issues, and I am disappointed that TfL has not taken meaningful steps to address the worries in the community.  
That is why I will be formally presenting a petition to Parliament to register my concerns officially. This petition does not require mass signatures and can be presented with just two members of the public. I do know that the Save Our Buses Campaign has garnered many signatures which they are kindly sharing with my office. I will present the weight of opinion from the community alongside the petition. 

I will also continue to engage with TfL officials and continue to press them on the clear upset in the community over the bus route changes.  
 
Going forward, it is important that I hear from constituents on this issue. I would sincerely encourage constituents to contact my office to register their feelings on this matter. The more voices I can speak to when I go back to TfL, the stronger the case will be. 

Readers can email me on calvin.bailey.mp@parliament.uk, post letters to me at Calvin Bailey MBE MP, House of Commons, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA or call my office 0207 219 7417. Readers should include their full name, address including postcode and bus route number.

Wanstead Park ward has a new Labour councillor following a by-election last week.

Emma Shepherd-Mallinson was elected with a total of 934 votes, a majority of 585 over the Conservative candidate in second place

An Ilford Independents candidate was third, followed by the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK.

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of former councillor Bayo Alaba, who is now an MP.

Councillor Emma Shepherd-Mallinson joins Councillor Sheila Bain in representing the area.

Art Group Wanstead member Ruth Perry developed her artistic skills during the pandemic, and now finds inspiration in local nature

I’ve come quite late to art. Until I was about to turn 50 in 2020, I hadn’t really done art of any kind since school – and I didn’t do much there! I don’t even have an art O level. As part of a New Year’s resolution to try something different, I signed myself up to a beginners’ watercolour day at City Lit. It was scheduled for mid-April, but then the pandemic hit and we went into lockdown. 

Undeterred, I decided to see what I could teach myself using YouTube videos. It turns out quite a lot! I started watching videos by Alan Owen, an elderly Lancastrian with a love of classic English watercolourists like Edward Wesson and Ron Ransen. I also came across Karen Rice, an online tutor, who encourages experimentation with mark-making, using bubble wrap, clingfilm, sticks from the garden and credit cards. I liked combining watercolours – often thought of as a rather traditional ‘ladylike’ medium – with these more modern techniques. 

Finally, I found Lois Davidson, whose loose, atmospheric landscapes I found really appealing. Just as importantly, I liked the way she explained her process and her attitude to making art. Through Lois, I learned to enjoy being playful with watercolour as a medium, trying out different colour combinations, mark-making techniques and brushes. I learned it wasn’t important to always produce a painting; what mattered was to experiment, have fun and take some learnings from whatever happened during a painting session. This has been excellent advice that has seen me progress from an absolute novice to a hobby painter who actually sells her work.

When the pandemic ended, with hours of practice under my belt and a growing number of paintings cluttering up the house, I joined Art Group Wanstead just as they were planning their annual stand at the Wanstead Festival. Fellow group members – Donna Mizzi, in particular – were incredibly encouraging and offered me practical advice on framing and pricing. I sold six paintings at that first festival and since then, I haven’t looked back.

Wanstead is a great place to be an amateur artist. Last year, Allistair at Compassionate Funerals on Hermon Hill offered me a beautiful space for a solo exhibition. The Stow Brothers regularly invite Art Group Wanstead members to exhibit in their High Street office and this summer, I even had a solo exhibition there.

I am continuing to experiment, branching out into mixed media, combining watercolour with photography, oil pastels and lino printing. I also recently bought myself a gel plate, so who knows where that will lead?

I’m still finding my style as I try out lots of different approaches. But I’d say my work is generally characterised by a willingness to be led by the medium combined with a love of delicacy and precision. And much of it is inspired by local landscape and nature.

To view more of Ruth’s art, follow her on Instagram @ruthperryart

For more information on Ruth’s work, email ruthxperry@gmail.com 

We’ve heard the expression ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, but as someone who has had a beloved pet go missing, I know all too well that it takes a village to find them, says Wanstead resident Liz Hickson

The paradox of an increasingly digitised world is also increasing isolation – so, for many, pets play an increasingly important role. The PDSA’s 2023 Animal Wellbeing Report states that 94% of pet owners believe owning a pet makes them happy. 

So, when our pets go missing, for many of us, it will be a deeply upsetting time, with owners frequently experiencing grief, anxiety, stress, guilt and self-blame. According to pet microchip provider Petlog, almost 5,000 dogs and over 20,000 cats were reported missing between January 2023 to June 2024. Unfortunately, as I’m only too aware from my own recent experience, having a pet go missing is an extremely distressing experience, and one I wasn’t alone in given the various lost and found pet sites on which I posted details of my beloved cat, Harry. But there are a number of very simple ways our community can help owners when a pet goes missing:

• Pick up any abandoned dog and cat collars and contact the number given on the tag.
• Share posters to any local WhatsApp groups you are in. And if you live near the missing pet’s home, put a poster up in your window (a distraught owner will really appreciate it).
• Check doorbell and camera footage and look in your sheds, garages and gardens, and take your time to do so – a cat who is hiding won’t come out immediately. 
• If you knock a cat or dog over, please stop, and if you can’t find them to take to a vet, alert a local Facebook group of the details.
• Like, comment and share social media posts about lost pets to keep them front of mind. 
• If you see a bedraggled-looking pet on a doorstep, knock on the door it’s outside. It might just save its life.
• Get to know your local cats, and if you do see a cat you think may be lost, put a paper collar on it and post on local social media (pet owners will appreciate that you care).

Sadly, I don’t know what happened to Harry – I don’t know how, when or where my much-loved boy died, just that I found him mauled by foxes (possibly posthumously) on my doorstep. I do know that I have turned the various possibilities and my potential alternative actions over and over in my mind, thinking what I didn’t do and what I could have done differently to keep Harry alive. And, as I work my way through my very real guilt and grief, in my denial I still trawl lost and found pet sites, hoping there has been a dreadful mistake. I still turn up to potential sightings of him. But in my loss, if this article helps someone else’s pet to be found alive and well, then some good has come out of bad – and I think Harry would appreciate that.

If you are grieving a pet, help and support is available. Visit wnstd.com/pet

Local photographers have produced a 2025 calendar featuring locations across Epping Forest.

“All profit will go to charities operating within the Forest, including The Swan Sanctuary. Last year, we raised over £3,000; this year, we’re aiming for £5,000!” said Don Taylor, who compiled the calendar.

A Wanstead Park bluebell scene and the Northern Lights, as seen from Wanstead Flats, are among the images.

A4 (£10) and A3 (£12) calendars are available from the Wanstead Park tea hut and City Place on the High Street. 

Redbridge Council will host an online meeting to explain the condition of Broadmead Road Bridge.

“Local people are invited to dial in, to hear about the condition of the bridge following assessments from structural engineers, and to find out the next steps for this crucial local infrastructure,” said a spokesperson.

The event will take place via Microsoft Teams on 18 November from 6pm.

For more information, click here.

Redbridge Council has launched a budget survey to gather views on what matters most to local residents.

“We want to inform you about the difficult decisions we, Redbridge Council, will make when prioritising spending to keep vital services running while balancing a squeezed budget,” said a council spokesperson.

“More than a decade of Government austerity has significantly impacted Redbridge. The Council has lost over 54p for every £1 of government grant funding, resulting in over £150m less to spend on local services every year. Despite the challenges of rising inflation, increasing demand, and reduced government funding, Redbridge Council is innovating to continue delivering with less and protecting the vital services that matter most to local people.”

Responses to the survey questions will help set the budget for services in Redbridge for 2025-26.

The survey is open until 1 December.

Wanstead’s Christmas tree lights will be switched on this month at an event featuring performances by local school choirs and a Christmas show.

“With just days to go before the big day, Santa’s navigation system has broken and sent the North Pole into chaos. Will the elves be able to get Santa back on track?” asked a Vision RCL spokesperson.

Local milkman Steve Hayden’s festive float will also be on display at the event, which will take place on 22 November from 4pm on George Green, opposite Wanstead station.

As the holiday season approaches, a group of passionate volunteer bakers led by Paul Canal and Sarah-Jane Hogg are gearing up to make a difference

Each year, a dedicated team of bakers comes together to create delicious, handcrafted Christmas cakes, sold in support of Haven House Children’s Hospice. This initiative raises vital funds to support children with life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, and the effort embodies the holiday spirit of giving and community.

The charity Christmas cake project has become an annual tradition, bringing together people from all walks of life. Through our combined love of baking and community service, our volunteer bakers produce an array of beautiful cakes that celebrate the season’s flavours. Each cake is sold for a donation, with 100% of proceeds going directly to Haven House Children’s Hospice, an organisation dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for children and young people.

Haven House Children’s Hospice provides a compassionate and caring environment for children with complex health needs and life-limiting conditions. The Woodford Green hospice offers an array of services, including respite care, music therapy, hydrotherapy and family support. These services play an essential role in the lives of the children and families they serve, helping to create positive memories and relieve the strain of daily challenges.

For Haven House, community support is crucial. As a charity, the hospice relies heavily on donations and volunteer work to sustain its mission. By purchasing or baking one of these Christmas cakes, you’ll be directly helping to fund these services, making a tangible difference for families facing unimaginable challenges.

This year, we’re calling on community members to get involved. If you have a passion for baking or simply want to contribute to a worthy cause, consider joining our team of volunteer bakers. Whether you’re an experienced baker or a beginner with a love for Christmas treats, your time and effort can have a significant impact. Baking sessions are a wonderful way to meet like-minded people, share recipes and enjoy the holiday spirit, all while helping a remarkable cause.

If baking isn’t your thing, you can still make a difference by purchasing one of these delicious cakes. Each cake is a unique creation, lovingly baked, and they make a wonderful holiday gift or festive addition to your own table. By purchasing a cake, you’re not just bringing joy to your family and friends; you’re also supporting essential care for children in need.

Together, we can bake a difference for Haven House Children’s Hospice. Your support will bring hope and joy to children and families this holiday season, a true reflection of what this time of year is all about.

Let’s make this year’s Wanstead and Woodford Christmas Bakers Appeal our best yet!

To become a volunteer baker or to purchase a cake, text 07769 159433, email havenhousebakers@gmail.com or visit wnstd.com/bakers

Jo Cullen from local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash explores employee rights in a redundancy situation, when you need to protect yourself from unfair treatment, discrimination and victimisation 

A redundancy process can be stressful and difficult. If you are an employee about to be consulted, or you are in the process of being consulted about a potential redundancy, it is important you know your rights. 

You have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. In a redundancy situation, this means you should be warned and consulted about the proposed redundancy. Your employer must adopt a fair basis on which to select for redundancy. An employer must identify an appropriate pool from which to select potentially redundant employees and must select against proper criteria.

Currently, the right not to be unfairly dismissed only applies to employees who have been employed continuously for two years or more at the termination date. 

You have rights from day one of employment not to be dismissed for an automatically unfair reason (for example, because you have raised a whistle-blowing concern, a health and safety reason or for asserting a statutory right) or where your redundancy is due to discrimination due to any of the protected characteristics (sex, maternity or pregnancy, marital status or civil partnership, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or religion or belief), victimisation or harassment or for less favourable treatment due to your fixed-term or part-time status.

If redundancy is confirmed, and you have been employed for two years or more, you have the right to take reasonable paid time off to look for other work or to arrange training. You will be entitled to your contractual notice subject to statutory minimum notice. You may be asked to work your notice, or you may be asked to go on ‘garden leave’ if your contract allows for the notice period. Alternatively, your contract may allow your employer to give you notice immediately and to pay you in lieu of your notice period.

If you have been employed for two years or more, you will have the right to receive a statutory redundancy payment calculated according to a formula based on your age, length of service (capped at 20 years) and a week’s pay (subject to a statutory limit currently £700 as of April 2024). If you unreasonably refuse an offer of suitable alternative employment, you may forfeit your right to a statutory redundancy payment.

An employment lawyer can guide employees through the redundancy process and you may wish to seek independent legal advice to ensure you are aware of your rights and any time limits to make a claim for unfair dismissal, discrimination or victimisation.

Edwards Duthie Shamash is located at 149 High Street, Wanstead, E11 2RL. For more information, call 020 8514 9000 or visit edwardsduthieshamash.co.uk

Benjamin Murphy, Chair of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, has published an update on work taking place in Wanstead Park. In the first of a series of extracts, the focus is on the Ornamental Water

As part of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee‘s regular cycle of visits to Wanstead Park, we walked the full length of Ornamental Water. With this waterbody completely dry (excluding some recent rainfall) and full of so much vegetation, I do understand the frustrations of those who have written to me asking that we take this seriously.

I can honestly say we do and we are trying everything we can to improve the water resilience of Wanstead Park. However, I have always been transparent in saying the odds are stacked against us with Ornamental Water. The Environment Agency has warned the Mayor of London that within 25 years, London could run out of water. We have a responsibility to ensure the solutions we seek for these man-made waterbodies are sustainable, or to consider alternative options in the best interests of the environment.

So, what specific actions are we taking? Epping Forest currently has an abstraction licence in place to pump 236,520 cubic metres of potable aquifer water each year up until 2028. This is pumped directly into the Heronry Pond and filters down through the cascade. Future abstraction licences are not likely to be permitted and, as such, this is not a long-term, sustainable operation. Therefore, the reinstatement and extension of an ‘up cascade’ scheme needs to be developed. We have engaged expert consultants Spaflow to design a new pump house and new pumps to extract water from the River Roding. Our consultants have engaged extensively with the Environment Agency to ensure all of their proposals meet the extraordinarily tight criteria we have to operate within. This phase of the project has £150,000 allocated from the City of London Corporation.

The proposed new pump house will include filters and pumps which prevent fish being drawn into and harmed by the pumps. We have now submitted detailed proposals to the Environment Agency. However, it may take up to 12 months to consider this application. It is our ambition to begin pumping from winter 2025. However, this is completely reliant on all of the required legal and regulatory permissions, as well as the completed procurement and maintenance contracts, being in place. And one of the outstanding concerns is the quality of water in the River Roding at the moment. So, we are also working with Thames Water and Redbridge Council to address unlicensed discharges of waste into the river.

In a strange twist of fate, there is an unintended benefit to Ornamental Water being dry, as it enables contractors to undertake restoration work to the Grotto. I am also aware there is a sense of irony that the usual water safety signs ask visitors not to swim or bathe in the (non-existent) water! All I ask is for you to please bear with us.

To read Benjamin’s article in full, visit wnstd.com/parkupdate

Tin in a Bin will host a drag queen bingo night in Wanstead on 23 November to raise funds for Redbridge Foodbank’s warehouse renovation project. James Nunn reports on the charity’s recent work 

Since our last article in June, where we outlined Redbridge Foodbank’s warehouse renovation project, we have progressed at pace. Our dedicated team have battled the summer heat and overcome challenges with material delivery, water ingression and timelines – they have our everlasting gratitude, as do the community members who enable the project itself by donating and supporting it. Everything Redbridge Foodbank is able to do for local people in need is facilitated by its generous donors.

Over the past four months, renovations have been completed on the flooring and installation of the volunteer bathrooms and kitchen has begun. As I write, we are awaiting delivery of a new ventilation unit.

Once completed, the warehouse space will enable the streamlining of the current operational model, cut running costs, increase storage capacity, provide a safe working environment for volunteers and allow for the reintroduction of the Redbridge Foodbank Cafe, where clients can enjoy a cup of tea while they speak with our trained volunteers, who can signpost them to expert local organisations that can address the underlying issue leading to them needing our services.

This renovation project has been funded through a mixture of grants, local appeal funding and unrestricted funds. With phase two coming to a close, we are currently fundraising for our final phase, which will operationalise the space to realise the objectives of Redbridge Foodbank: “To relieve hunger and poverty in our local community by feeding people in crisis, promote social inclusion, advance education, training and retraining among unemployed people and develop the capacity and skills of members of the community so they are equipped to identify and meet their own needs.”

Redbridge Foodbank has a proven track record of delivering for our shared local community. A total of 16,771 food parcels were distributed to clients in the last financial year. This breaks down to 10,138 adults and 6,633 children (including repeat visits). And our successful programme with Citizens Advice Redbridge (which began two years ago) has facilitated 1,137 consultations with clients. As a result of these consultations and follow up work, 716 clients have been empowered to support themselves without needing the food bank to survive.

If you would like to help Redbridge Foodbank, whether by volunteering, donating food and hygiene products or donating financially, your gifts will be gratefully received.

A drag queen bingo night organised by Tin in a Bin will take place at Christ Church hall, Wanstead on 23 November from 7pm (tickets: £15). Visit wnstd.com/bingo

To donate to Redbridge Foodbank, visit redbridgefoodbank.org.uk

In the 13th of a series of articles featuring wildlife images from Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats, Dr Tony Madgwick presents a shot of a Migrant Spreadwing damselfly, a species not previously seen in the area

As we move deeper into autumn, we see fewer damselflies and dragonflies around our local ponds and lakes. So, it was exciting to get a WhatsApp message and an image posted by Andy Gibbons (Wanstead Birders) last month saying he had found what he thought was an Emerald Damselfly, which has not been recorded on Wanstead Flats or in Wanstead Park since 1897, and in East London since the early 2000s.

The message had two of us from the Wren Wildlife Group rushing out to confirm the sighting. And this damselfly turned out to be even more exciting than we first thought, as we confirmed our suspicion that it was a Migrant Spreadwing (or Southern Emerald Damselfly). A further search of the pond area revealed the presence of another female and a male. 

The Migrant Spreadwing is, as its name suggests, something of a wanderer. Common in parts of continental Europe, it was first recorded in Norfolk in 2002 and has since established a few isolated breeding colonies in the south-east of England, working its way up along the Thames in South Essex and North Kent. Finding these three leads us to hope they have begun to establish a new colony, the first in London. 

Damselflies are the dainty relatives of the more familiar and robust aeronauts that are dragonflies. Dragonflies and damselflies are predators, both in the air as adults and underwater as larvae. As larvae, they can live from a few months to five years, depending on species, habitat and weather conditions. Assuming adequate food, the main factor driving growth of individual species is temperature, with warmer climates favouring faster growth. 

In the UK, the Emerald group of mainly green-coloured damsels numbers four different species. All of these have now been recorded in the Wanstead Flats area within the last 125 years or so. However, the Emerald Damselfly and the Scarce Emerald Damselfly have declined rapidly and can no longer be found locally, except as occasional wanderers. The Willow Emerald Damselfly arrived in the UK from continental Europe in 2009 and is now one of the more locally abundant late-summer and early-autumn damselflies. Perhaps we can hope to add the Migrant Spreadwing to our local open spaces. 

The reasons for the demise of some species and the success of others are complex, but human activity and climate change are both important factors. Where we can create and manage diverse mosaics of good quality habitat, we can hope to make existing and future assemblages of animals and plants resilient for future generations to enjoy.

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

A local community gardening group won Best Community Display in this year’s Redbridge in Bloom competition.

Comprising members of the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society and the Aldersbrook Medical Centre Patient Participation Group, the gardeners received the award for their work on the medical centre’s garden, and were presented with a trophy at a ceremony at Valentines Mansion.

“The Aldersbrook Medical Centre garden has been transformed and is a welcoming front door to the practice,” said Jane Batey.

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

The first will take place on 9 November at the Woodford War Memorial, outside St Mary’s Church in South Woodford (arrive by 8.40am). This will be followed by a gathering at the Wanstead War Memorial on the High Street on 10 November (arrive by 12.15pm). A final service will take place on Armistice Day at the Snaresbrook Garden of Remembrance, off Snaresbrook Road, opposite Eagle Pond (arrive by 10.45am).

Wanstead’s first-ever repair café took place last month, attracting more than 100 visitors who were able to register items to be fixed for free, including electrical appliances, jewellery, bicycles and clothes.

The event managed to save 1,320kg of carbon emissions and 159kg of waste… Subject to funding, we are hoping to run more repair cafés in 2025, so get in touch if you’d like to help out,” said Lydia Fraser-Ward, who organised the event alongside Wanstead Climate Action and Christ Church.

Email wansteadrepaircafe@gmail.com

TfL has created a bus fiasco in Wanstead and South Woodford with its incompetent changes to the W12, W13 and W14 routes, say Save Our Local Bus Services campaigners. Member Donna Mizzi explains

Many elderly and disabled people are put at great risk when they cannot access public transport from near their home. That’s one major reason the Save Our Local Bus Services campaign is demanding urgent and major improvements – before winter hits.

TfL keeps repeating that it will keep bus services “under review”. However, since the changes were imposed in September, many residents have trouble reaching the local hospital, GPs, supermarkets and stations. Others find themselves stranded while trying to travel back home. Children are having trouble getting to school and commuters are reluctantly having to rely more on their cars again. Distraught and perplexed bus users have become an increasingly common sight.

In some areas, including the huge Nightingale Estate stretching from Wanstead to South Woodford, the hail-and-ride bus was reduced from half-hourly to hourly…without any timetable. Common traffic hold-ups on this route stop it being reliable, while Neighbourhood Watch members are concerned about people of all ages walking down the estate’s long streets in the dark.

The ultra-confusing changes to the W12, W13, W14 and 549 routes have severely hit those with mobility and health issues. The ‘lifeline’ W14 now terminates a quarter of a mile short of Whipps Cross Hospital. Incredibly, the W14 has also been designed to miss the most popular stops, including those near step-free Wanstead Tube station, Wanstead and South Woodford amenities, and Walthamstow.

Even, TfL’s own customer service advisers haven’t been able to understand the muddled bus routes – a number of residents reported after they sought travel advice. Meanwhile, buses variously don’t arrive, fail to stop or have wrong destinations on the front.

Another part of TfL’s ill-considered plan is to move the High Street zebra crossing near Wanstead Church School, so the W14 can turn right from Grosvenor Road. But it needs to continue to turn left – to take passengers to the most useful stretch of the High Street.

Local residents are entitled to be angry; their travel needs have been ignored and last year’s so-called consultation was a farce. Last month, following growing complaints, Wanstead councillors hastily organised a small public meeting. TfL provided two officers who were not ‘decision-makers’ and lacked sufficient knowledge of the local areas involved. One W12 user reported that his regular journeys from Wanstead to Whipps Cross were taking about 40 minutes longer because they had been re-routed through highly congested Leytonstone. TfL also ignored warnings to avoid that problem.

Residents are invited to submit their local bus experiences. Drop a note into the special ‘bus post box’ in Wanstead Pharmacy, or visit wnstd.com/mybus, where you can also access the petition.