April 2025

Aldersbrook Primary School is looking for new local school governors.

The school – which was recently awarded Outstanding by Ofsted – is a local authority controlled co-educational school for children aged five to 11.

“If you’re passionate about education and have skills or experience that could help guide an already outstanding team, we’d love to hear from you. As a member of the governing body, you’ll help to make strategic decisions, have a chance to connect with the community as well as an opportunity to develop your own professional skills,” said a school spokesperson.

Those with skills in safeguarding, fundraising, public sector finance and digital and information technology (including AI) are encouraged to apply.

“You don’t need to have a background in education but educational experience is also really valued. We also value critical thinking, enthusiasm, alignment with the school’s values and a commitment to attend six to eight meetings a year, a mixture of online and in person at the school).”

For more information, visit aldersbrook.redbridge.sch.uk or email Catheryne Hill, Chair of Governors, on catheryne.hill@gmail.com

The Wind in the Willows on 14 June 2025

As You Like It on 5 and 6 July 2025

Pride and Prejudice on 22 July 2025

HMS Pinafore on 8 August 2025

Wanstead Park’s annual display of bluebells has attracted thousands of visitors.

“The bluebells looked magnificent and have gradually spread over the years with a helping hand in the winter from the Wren Wildlife Group, who maintain the pathways that protect these delicate plants. Thankfully, we haven’t noticed any new unwanted paths being created through the flowers. The stems, however, look shorter this year, possibly due to a lack of rain this spring,” said Gill James of the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.

Redbridge Council’s free garden waste collection service has resumed.

You can present a maximum of five open bags or sacks. They must be placed at the boundary of your property by 6am on your day of the collection,” said a spokesperson. The fortnightly service collects grass cuttings, weeds, plants, dead leaves and twigs. Official reusable garden waste bags are available to buy from Wanstead Library (£2 each), although any open black sack can also be presented for collection.

Visit wnstd.com/gdnwaste

Calvin Bailey MP has launched a petition calling for step-free access to Snaresbrook station.

“Step-free access is so important for our disabled and elderly residents and families with young children. Currently, people with mobility challenges struggle to make quick, everyday journeys from this station. Improving accessibility would not only support these residents but also boost local businesses by encouraging more people to visit Wanstead,” said the Leyton and Wanstead MP.

The petition – which is also gathering personal accounts of station use – will be presented to TfL and the Mayor of London to show why Snaresbrook is in urgent need of step-free access.

The station was used for over 1.8m journeys in 2024, whereas nearby South Woodford station – which was made step-free in 2019 – facilitated over 4m journeys.

Visit wnstd.com/stepfree

Art Group Wanstead member Heidi Stutt enjoys exploring the beauty of insects and the changing seasons through watercolour paintings

I began my journey as an artist in 2020, a time of uncertainty that led me to explore creativity as a means of expression and connection. Since then, my work has evolved into a deeply personal exploration of nature, nostalgia and emotion, often blending soft, dreamlike elements with darker, grungier undertones.

Watercolour has become my primary medium, allowing me to work with fluidity and unpredictability – qualities that reflect the themes I explore in my art. I enjoy the balance between control and spontaneity, often letting the paint guide me rather than imposing a rigid structure. Textural elements and layered washes help me create depth, while delicate details bring my pieces to life.

Wanstead’s landscapes and green spaces are a constant source of inspiration. I often paint Wanstead Park, its woodlands and the surrounding ponds, observing how the seasons transform familiar scenes. The soft haze of summer, the golden hues of autumn and the first greens of spring all find their way into my work.

My recent collection focuses on the intricate beauty of insects – particularly butterflies, wasps and bees. These creatures, so small yet vital to our ecosystems, hold a quiet significance in the landscapes I paint. I wanted to highlight their presence, capturing their fragility and resilience in equal measure.

For me, painting is about connection – both to nature and to those who view my work. I hope my art encourages people to pause, look closer and appreciate the small, ever-changing wonders around them. As I continue exploring Wanstead’s landscapes through watercolour, I look forward to sharing more of my interpretations of this beautiful, ever-changing environment.

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

To view more of Heidi’s artwork on Instagram, visit wnstd.com/stutt

To join the Save Our Local Bus Services campaign WhatsApp group, visit wnstd.com/buswa

To view the petition, visit wnstd.com/bus

Haydn Powell from the Redbridge Cycling Campaign encourages you to get on your bike and head down to Wanstead Park next month to take part in Redbridge’s festival of cycling. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

On Sunday 11 May, Redbridge Cycling Campaign and other local cycle groups, including Cycle Sisters and Joy Riders, are organising a festival of cycling, suitable for all ages, abilities and styles of bike. This is part of the London Cycling Campaign Sunday Streets programme.

If you travel to many parts of London by any means of transport, you have probably noticed the number of cyclists moving swiftly between places, keeping healthy, fit and smiling. On seeing these happy cyclists, how many of you have said, ‘one day I am going to get my old bike out and start cycling again’? Over the last few years, several Redbridge cycling groups have encouraged people to do just that, getting them back into the saddle by offering:

• Free, one-to-one buddying to get you started.
• Gentle, sociable, marshalled group rides to help you gain confidence.
• Women-only rides.
• Advice on bike maintenance and purchase.

Next month’s Ride Redbridge will be a chance to get out the bike, pump up the tyres, oil the chain and go for a ride with other local cyclists. Bring along your family and friends. It doesn’t matter where in Redbridge you live, one of the nine starting points of the five marshalled rides will be near you (including Wanstead Park). The rides are designed for every cyclist in Redbridge. All rides will then converge at Fairlop Waters for a picnic.

Redbridge Cycling Campaign and Redbridge Council are encouraging us all to think about travelling sustainably. Most of us want to use sustainable forms of transport, but many of us are put off walking and cycling near busy, car-filled roads. Once we find quiet routes to use, walking and cycling become realistic options for shorter journeys.

We work with Redbridge Council to improve the cycling infrastructure in Redbridge and enable people to enjoy cycling safely. The social and environmental improvements that change can bring are clear to see in the low-traffic neighbourhoods and cycling infrastructure of Newham, Hackney, Walthamstow and central London.

Ride Redbridge will be a great way to explore leisure routes in all parts of the borough. All five routes will use parks, cycle paths and side roads as much as possible. We’re prioritising your safety by avoiding main roads and marshals will be present to help guide you across any challenging junctions.

The details of all the Ride Redbridge rides – along with future events – can be found on our website. Simply choose the ride and starting point which is most convenient for you. Bring your picnic and come and join us to feel the joy and freedom of cycling.

For more information on Redbridge Cycling Campaign and upcoming rides, visit wnstd.com/rcc

Step into spring with a visit to a local open garden. With so many wonderful National Garden Scheme gardens to explore, there’s something for everyone, says local volunteer organiser Teresa Farnham

With spring here, please think about visiting National Garden Scheme (NGS) gardens to get fresh ideas for planting or design; contribute funds to cancer charities; enjoy meeting new people; eat delicious cakes or buy new garden plants.

In 2024, the National Garden Scheme raised over £3.5m for cancer charities such as Marie Curie, MacMillan Cancer Support and Hospice UK. All from willing volunteers who open their gardens to the general public.

The nine gardens that were open locally last year raised over £5,000. Not bad going for opening on one day each! This year, locally, there are 18 gardens taking part. They are all very different and range from the tiny (Wanstead gardens) to an extensively planted two-thirds of an acre (College Gardens in Chingford, with plants and birdhouses for sale; my nesting robins were very grateful last year!) Another opening in Aldersbrook features a ceramicist who uses the plants in her garden to produce beautiful ceramic items.

As an NGS volunteer area organiser for 30 years, I am always amazed by the variety of the gardens I am privileged to help open. It is a treat to visit the gardens and see how much the visitors, as well as owners and helpers, enjoy the day.

Some garden owners have opened for many years, and after a break, Latimer Road in Forest Gate will once again open this year to stun visitors with its exuberance and diversity of plants. Harold Road in Leytonstone are looking forward to their 10th year and have made delicious jams, chutneys and cakes for sale as well as looking after a collection of 30 daphnes. Garden visitors are often amazed when they go through ordinary-looking town houses to view exuberantly planted gardens.

Both Tweedmouth Road in Plaistow (tiny and tropical) and Higham Street in Walthamstow (large and wildlife-friendly) gardens have been featured on BBC TV. New gardens open locally this year include a set of three gardens in Wanstead on Greenstone Mews and Voluntary Place, plus Rokeby Gardens in Woodford Green and Betoyne Avenue in Chingford. I hope they will add to the list of London open gardens for years to come.

So, please visit at least one of the local NGS gardens this year, or if you’re planning a holiday in the UK, why not look up a garden near your destination? Wanstead Library has free copies of the NGS booklet to take away or browse all the gardens online. And perhaps you will consider opening your own garden next year. If you do, I am happy to visit.

The gardens of 17 Greenstone Mews and 28 and 32 Voluntary Place in Wanstead will be open on 27 April from 2pm to 5pm (tickets: £5). Visit wnstd.com/ngs25

To contact Teresa for more information, email teresa.farnham@yahoo.co.uk

David Sleet is the non-clinical director of Wanstead Mental Health Clinic and is proud to have launched The Veterans’ RVP, a new level of support for veterans and their person of significance

RVP is the military acronym for Rendezvous Point. Our programme, The Veterans’ RVP, will be the meeting point that has been missing for so many veterans and their family members, offering a monthly drop-in and chat service. I am extremely proud to be able to offer veterans and their person of significance (spouse, partner, sibling, parent or even friend) a truly unique layer of support that makes a real difference. The Veterans’ RVP is veteran- and service family-led.

Unlike The Veterans’ RVP, current support provision is often dependent on the length of service and is predominantly vocationally focused. Any such transitional support is for personnel only, with family support often isolated. Because of these inadequacies, a disproportionately higher percentage of ex-military end up in custody, find themselves homeless, dependent on drugs and alcohol or take their own lives.

The only way to improve these outcomes is with psychological awareness and effective support. The Veterans’ RVP aims to elevate wellbeing awareness, resilience and empowerment and provide effective cohesion and veteran-led therapies. We need to increase positive communication to create positive transitions from service life to civilian life.

By providing a dedicated drop-in and chat service for veterans, a separate service for the person of significance and a shared lunch that brings people together, we are able to give a higher level of support. And with qualified counselling professionals who are also trained and certified for their specialist knowledge of the veteran environment, those who served can be confident their experiences of military service are in safe hands.

“Wanstead Mental Health Clinic has an aim to serve as many in the community as we can and each team member connected to our support for veterans has either served in the military themselves or is the family of those who have served. The veins of military life run through us all,” said clinical director Siobhain Crosbie, the daughter of a Staff Sergent in the Royal Artillery. My own father also served in the Royal Artillery for 22 years and our service director, Donna Murray, is a veteran of the Queen Alexandra’s Army Nursing Corps, who saw active service in conflict zones and knows the challenges of transitioning to civilian life.

We are aware of the lack of support for veterans in particular. Veterans have served us and provided us with protection, and we believe in supporting them when it’s time for them to adjust to civilian life again. We are proud and honoured to serve those whose lives have been devoted to serving all others.

Wanstead Mental Health Clinic is located at 11–13 Cambridge Park, Wanstead. For more information, call 020 3488 5899 or visit wnstd.com/mhc

On the move? Read this first, says Daveena Seepaul from local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash, who offers an overview of the conveyancing process for buyers and sellers

Conveyancing is the legal transfer of home ownership from the seller to the buyer. The conveyancing process begins when an offer on a house is accepted and finishes when the keys are released.

The buying and selling of a home is probably the most significant personal transaction people undertake in their lives. Your property solicitor will carry out the legal work to help your transaction run smoothly. Their responsibilities will include checking the house title and organising searches for the property on a purchase, and on a sale, they will obtain your title documents and ask you to complete detailed questionnaires.

On a sale, your title number will enable your solicitor to obtain title documents. You will also need to provide certain documents such as leases, share certificates for management companies, NHBC (National House Building Council) and other guarantees and planning and building regulation documents the buyer will require.

Your property will either be registered at the Land Registry or it will be unregistered. The majority of properties are registered, so the legal title is held by the Land Registry. If your property is unregistered, you will need the unregistered title deeds to prove ownership.

Your property solicitors will ask you to complete forms to form part of the contract package. This will consist of property information forms that provide the buyer with detailed information about the property. Plus, a fixtures and fittings form that outlines exactly what you will be leaving in the property.

When buying a property, you will need to instruct your solicitor and your proposed mortgage lender at the earliest opportunity. Your application for a mortgage should be made as soon as possible. You should pay any valuation fee your lender may ask for and consider the type of survey you want carried out. Your solicitor will apply for your searches and you will need to pay for these.

Your solicitor will ask you to provide evidence of your source of funds. It is a legal requirement that the buyer provides adequate proof of the source of their funds to their solicitor. It could be a gifted deposit from your parents or money held in a savings account.

Many people want to move out of their existing property and into their new property on the same day. Your property solicitor will help to synchronise your sale and purchase, keep all parties informed of how the other matter is progressing and negotiate appropriate dates with them.

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