June 2025

Redbridge Council has called a temporary halt to work on Evergreen Field.

“Our Planning Enforcement Team has visited the site and spoken with the developers. We requested that all works cease until the planning conditions have been approved. We remain in dialogue with the developer to ensure this remains the case.”

The site – a patch of fenced-off land on Wanstead High Street, next to Christchurch Green – has not been used since 1967, when two homes that stood there were demolished. Permission for the construction of a four-storey development – including a children’s day nursery and 24 flats – was granted in June 2024.

Work to clear the site began at the end of May, with many residents immediately raising concerns about the loss of trees and disruption to wildlife during nesting season.

The rising blight of graffiti tags in Wanstead can be seen on our streets, subways and shopfronts, but with your help, we can report it, remove it and restore pride in our neighbourhood, says Katriye Ibrahim

Have you noticed the surge in graffiti across Wanstead? It’s hard to miss. From the sides of shops and bridges to subways and signposts, the spray paint is spreading fast – along the High Street, to the station and into Christchurch Green and beyond.

As a local resident who cares deeply about this area, I find it genuinely disheartening. This isn’t just about untidy walls; graffiti chips away at our sense of pride and safety. It sends the message that no one’s looking after our community. And when one piece of graffiti stays up, more often follow. It’s called the ‘broken windows’ effect – visible neglect that invites more antisocial behaviour. What message are we sending to our children when they see vandalism all around them? That this is just normal? That this is okay?

Many of us in Wanstead (and South Woodford, which has similar issues) are worried – and rightly so. This isn’t an occasional act of mischief anymore. It’s a growing problem that’s changing the look and feel of where we live.

In Redbridge, the Environmental Enforcement Team works to remove graffiti within three working days, prioritising anything offensive within 24 hours. That’s good news – but only if the graffiti gets reported. They’ve also trialled rapid-response cleaning and increased CCTV in hotspots. Offenders face fines of up to £5,000 and even prison time under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

But here’s the rub: graffiti often reappears faster than it’s cleaned, and the burden falls on us – residents – to report it. And it’s not always clear who to report it to. Is it council-owned? TfL? BT? It’s frustrating, I know. Still, if we want change, we can’t walk past this anymore. We need to act, together and consistently.

Here’s what you can do: download the Love Clean Streets app from Redbridge Council’s website (for free). It takes seconds to upload a photo, add a location and report any graffiti you see. Whether it’s on a shopfront or a wall, report it. Every time. Your report will be automatically sent to the relevant team at the council to deal with. However, not everything can be dealt with on the app. The council do not deal with the green or black telephone cabinets, for example; that’s Virgin or Openreach. Anything on TfL property will need to be directed to them and telephone kiosks can be BT or private companies.

If we all take that extra minute to report what we see, we can turn this around. It’s what being a community is all about. Wanstead deserves better. Let’s fight back with action, not apathy.

To report graffiti to the right place, call:

Openreach: 0800 023 2023
Redbridge Council: 020 8554 5000
TfL: 0343 222 1234
Virgin Media: 0330 333 0444

To download the Love Clean Streets app, visit wnstd.com/cleanstreets

Artist Jaquie Feldman has a long-standing connection with Wanstead. In more recent years, she has developed an artistic obsession with birds

My association with Wanstead goes back many years. I was born and brought up close by and some of my happiest early memories are of being taken to Wanstead House Community Association for my weekly ballet lessons.

I loved that to my young eyes Wanstead House was ‘oldy worldy.’ I obviously felt it offered more character than the new-builds of the 1960s and 1970s. Today, it stands as a venue in the very heart of the community, still offering ballet lessons, but also various creative arts, crafts, exhibitions and meeting hubs.

These days, I run three classes in mixed media art, and in addition work as a freelance museum and gallery artist and creative facilitator for the British Museum, Sir John Soane’s Museum, Keats House, National Portrait Gallery, the London Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich and UCL. My own practice changed direction during the pandemic as I lost my museum work. During that surreal time, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book, which is due to be published later in the year. It was during the pandemic that I developed an ‘obsession’ with birds and began to incorporate them into my artwork.

My love of birds started when I was young; I recall taking an injured bird to the local park and setting it free. Recently, and perhaps because I’ve never witnessed one, I’ve become fascinated with the breathtaking spectacle of the starling murmuration. In my work, I try to encapsulate the feeling a murmuration might evoke. Initial studies were created simply in pencil, but I’ve recently developed a multi-layering effect using canvas, Indian khadi paper for starling shapes and a combination of pencil, charcoal and ink. Interesting things happen as each medium behaves differently on the surface. The thought of the time-consuming depiction of every single starling in that murmuration might sound unbelievably tedious to accomplish but combined with listening to Philip Glass and Max Richter, I find it all relaxing and hypnotic!      

Although I’ve now moved away, I visit Wanstead as often as I can, inspired by the joyous café society of the High Street and the vibrant community hub that are lucky enough to call Wanstead home… and, yes, perhaps I’m also a little jealous!

To view more of Jaquie’s artwork, visit wnstd.com/jaqfeld

In the sixth of a series of articles charting the experiences of a Wanstead-based travel writer, Carole Edrich recalls how cold Canada’s Hudson Bay was whilst swimming with Beluga whales

I sway slightly with the current, hanging from the furthest extent of the towrope. Buoyed by the cloudy waters, there is little sense of movement and no real feeling of the world above the waves. I’m staying still and quiet. Legs and arms splayed for balance, an oversized floating lure.

My efforts to stay motionless are rewarded when I hear strange underwater voices resonating through the rather too turgid sea. We’ve been told that Beluga whales are attracted by the rhythmic vibrations of the Zodiac’s engine, but I’m sure my colleagues’ sudden moves have been scaring them off.

Although it’s summer, the Hudson Bay is even colder than you’d expect of a vast expanse of water fed by glaciers and melted snow. It was cold on the boat, and since wetsuits only work properly when you’re moving, we get steadily colder too.

I’m in the sea and I am freezing. We were told that the best way to warm up fast in the wetsuit is to urinate inside it. Advice I had decided to ignore, because, well… eww.

It’s not as if I was warm to begin with, but moving might kill my chances of seeing these wonderful white Beluga. Staying still and cold pays off, as with growing excitement I realise the cacophony around me is resolving into distinct, recognisable sounds. I momentarily forget I’m still slowly freezing. I forget the rain and the grey lowering sky. I listen to live whale song in the waters around me, both alien and intensely familiar. Some sounds make me think of life in the dry (and very much warmer) world above. The slow squeaky tuning of an old-style radio, the plaintive sound of a distant violinist, rusty nails scratching on glass, and a chirping and tweeting like the noise made by birds. I get increasingly colder and realise the sounds are repeating, a never-ending, low-frequency symphony, with shriller refrains that take quite an effort to hear.

I wonder if I might give myself frostbite and discover that – now I need it – my bladder’s too cold to obey.

Then five white shapes slowly emerge from the murk. A pod of Beluga – two full-grown, three smaller – swim close enough that even in this turbulent water their details can be seen. They know I’m here. They don’t seem much bothered. They turn and look, slowing their cruising to sight-see me.

I want to stay with them but my hands have stopped working. I give the signal to be pulled in. Cold, tired and – not by choice – smelling only of seawater, I peel off my gear with my fellow explorers. I’m blissed-out on nature and don’t care who sees.

To read more of Carole’s work or to listen to her podcast, visit wnstd.com/edrich

The loss of a loved one is always a difficult time, which can be further exacerbated by the absence of a will, says Asya Erol from local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash

When someone dies without a will, they are known to have died ‘intestate’. In these circumstances, the estate will need to be distributed in accordance with the rules of intestacy. In essence, this means the estate goes to the deceased person’s closest living relatives.

All beneficiaries who stand to inherit under the rules of intestacy have equal standing to act as administrators of the estate and deal with the estate administration. In the absence of any living relatives, the estate passes to the crown instead.

Under the current rules, for someone who is married and has children, their spouse is only entitled to the first £322,000 of the estate. Thereafter, the remainder of the estate is split with 50% to go to the surviving spouse and the other 50% shared equally between surviving children. This can result in inheritance tax being applicable.

In certain circumstances, intestate estates require a paper application to the probate registry, which takes longer to be processed than an online application. This can cause significant delays to the estate administration process, which people often prefer to finalise as quickly as possible.

Estates themselves are dealt with in the same manner whether there is a will in place or not. The process of valuing assets and liabilities, and obtaining legal authority to deal with the estate are the same, as are post-grant matters.  Where someone dies without a will, personal representatives are required to obtain a Grant of Letters of Administration rather than a Grant of Probate. However, they serve the same purpose and the title simply refers to the presence or lack of a will.

The lack of a will impacts beneficiaries who stand to inherit from an estate, and those who stand to inherit under the rules of intestacy may not necessarily be those you would have liked to leave your estate to.

One of the key points to recognise here is that the law does not provide for unmarried partners – there is no such thing as a ‘common-law spouse’ and therefore cohabitees who have been in long-term relationships have no rights to inherit from their partner’s estates when they are unmarried.

A Deed of Variation can be used as a tool to vary the estate and intestacy rules if all parties impacted agree and are able to execute such a document, although it should be noted that these have their own implications and trigger Trust Registration with HMRC by creating a trust.

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

Ahead of this year’s Epping Forest Centenary Walk, West Essex Ramblers’ David Evans explains the background to the event and invites local residents to join them on all or part of the 14-mile trek

Next time you’re walking in Epping Forest – the largest open space in London – tip your hat to the shades of Thomas Willingale and a host of like-minded philanthropists, whose perseverance in the face of rapacious landowners resulted in this wonderful walking area remaining accessible to the common people – that’s you and me. Their efforts over more than a decade led to the passage of the Epping Forest Act in 1878, ending unlawful encroachment and enclosures on Forest land. Today, it has more than four million visitors each year.

Stimulated by the opening of a railway line to Chingford, the Forest rapidly became a magnet for East Londoners keen to alleviate the hardships of inner-city industrial life with the Forest’s pastoral tranquillity. Indeed, throughout the first half of the 20th century, it became almost a holiday destination, supplying (relatively) clean air, access to a natural environment and peace and quiet.

In 1978, two members of West Essex Ramblers – Harry Bitten and Fred Matthews – devised a Centenary Walk to acknowledge the debt owed to the architects of the Epping Forest Act. Since then, West Essex Ramblers have each year (excluding Covid times) organised the Centenary Walk, following the same route. It runs from Manor Park in the south, finishing at Epping in the north. The Centenary Walk follows well-established footpaths (they’re even named on the OS map) and is easily accessible by public transport. The total length is 14.5 miles, which will be within the capability of many walkers. “Our intention is to make the walk as inclusive as possible, so we’ve also built in a series of joining and dropping-off points that make the walk suitable for families and you can tailor your participation to your own walking range,” said David Keane, project leader for this year’s walk.

West Essex is a very active group within the Ramblers’ Association with over 600 members, including many living locally. We enjoy walking in a variety of locations. Epping Forest is on our doorstep, but our programme includes walks in the Essex countryside, the Lea Valley, London, along the Thames and further afield, including national trails. We are very keen to welcome new walkers of all ages.

This year is the 49th iteration of the Centenary Walk. From little beginnings, it has grown in stature and we now attract walkers from many parts of London, Essex and Hertfordshire. The passing of the Epping Forest Act was, for many Londoners, a moment as significant as the Peak District’s Kinder Scout trespass in the 1930s. Willingale and his colleagues would no doubt be delighted to see just how successful their efforts have been in opening up Epping Forest. We all owe them a debt of gratitude.

This year’s Epping Forest Centenary Walk will take place on 6 July. For full details and for more information on the West Essex Ramblers, visit wnstd.com/wer

Ninety years ago, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the famous K6 telephone box. Wanstead’s own recently refurbished kiosk still stands proudly outside the station. Local historian Davis Watson reports. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone and by the turn of the century, small telephone kiosks – soon to be known more commonly as ‘boxes’ – began to pop up around England. The government altered the course of telephonic communication with the Telephone Transfer Act of 1911 which saw the nationalisation of the National Telephone Company, which was taken over by the General Post Office (GPO).

The GPO soon began a quest to design a standard public telephone kiosk that would be used throughout the nation. Their first version appeared in 1921 and was duly named K1, a shortened version of the simple Kiosk One. However, an updated style was quickly sought and in 1924, the Post Office organised a competition for a new design.

The winner was Giles Gilbert Scott, a talented architect best remembered for the stunning Gothic-styled Anglican Liverpool Cathedral. He stemmed from the famous Scott dynasty of architects whose patriarch was George Gilbert Scott Senior (Giles’ grandfather). Local readers will likely be familiar with George’s Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum (now Snaresbrook Crown Court) and Christ Church, Wanstead.

Giles modernised his design of the kiosk on several occasions before the renowned K6 – commissioned to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V – finally arrived in 1935. It was this design that is the most famous and predominant of England’s kiosks and which remains a British icon to this day. The first K6 hit the streets a year later, and the one outside Wanstead Station (at the time, yet to be built) likely followed soon after.

It was common for the kiosks to be placed near existing post boxes and the one at Wanstead was no exception, being located alongside a post box bearing the cypher of Edward VIII; a rarity in itself as few boxes are in existence due to the short reign of the monarch (325 days).

British Telecom (BT) was placed in charge of English telecommunications in 1981 and almost immediately declared their wish to paint all existing red telephone kiosks in yellow. After much public outcry, the decision was reversed and the kiosks gradually gained their status as national treasures. Many were promptly granted listed status, including Wanstead’s very own K6, which was designated as Grade II on 31 July 1987.

During the following decade, BT repainted many of the crowns that adorn the top sections of the kiosks, changing them from their original red colour to gold, and Wanstead’s kiosk also received that treatment. Another K6 to be amended in that fashion stands at Woodford Green, opposite The Castle; the only other surviving K6 in Redbridge.

Wanstead’s telephone kiosk was restored around the start of this decade, with works including a new door and missing glass replaced. Sadly, it again fell into a state of disrepair, with vandalism including graffitied and scratched glass, along with a much-dirtied interior. It was reported to BT, who completed another round of repairs and restoration last month. “We’re aware of the vandalism problem at this location… We’d urge anyone who witnesses criminal activity to report it to the police. And while crime and antisocial behaviour are police matters, we remain committed to working closely with the authorities and local communities to help where we can,” said a BT spokesperson.

With this year marking the 90th anniversary of Scott’s famous design, perhaps a call for the ongoing preservation of Wanstead’s listed landmark will not be left unanswered?

For more information on the story of K6 telephone box, visit wnstd.com/k6

Wanstead resident Matt Lo is a life coach, NLP practitioner and, most recently, founder of The Dad Table, an online meeting space for dads and a small but important step towards improving men’s mental health

When I became a dad, I noticed something straight away: there was so much brilliant support for mums, but almost nothing for dads. And while I completely understand and respect the focus on maternal support, I couldn’t help but fill the gap.

The early days of fatherhood were beautiful – but also overwhelming, isolating and emotionally heavy. I looked around for something to help me process it all, and it just didn’t exist.

So, I created The Dad Table.

Truthfully, I didn’t just set it up for others – I needed it too. It’s a free weekly Zoom space for expectant, new and current dads to show up exactly as they are. There’s no pressure to speak – some dads just listen. Some talk. Some laugh. Every experience is valid. Some weeks we talk about broken sleep or toddler chaos. Other weeks we go deeper – around identity, burnout, relationships or the silent pressure to hold everything together. And sometimes, we just laugh at the madness of it all, because that helps, too.

We’ve had dads join from all across the UK – even from abroad. And no matter where they’re from, every dad seems to say a version of the same thing: “I didn’t realise how much I needed this!”

There’s something powerful about being in a space where you don’t have to perform, where you’re not judged, not being told what to do. You’re just listened to.

But there’s a deeper reason why this matters. Last year, 74% of all suicides in the UK were men. That statistic hits me every single time I read it – and it’s my mission to help change that. We need to normalise spaces where men can be open, vulnerable and supported. The Dad Table is a small, quiet step in that direction.

Alongside this, I’m a life coach and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner, working specifically with dads who feel overwhelmed, stuck, pressured or on the edge of burnout. I help them build structure, calm and clarity through daily routines and mindset strategies, so they can move forward without losing themselves. The Dad Table is an extension of that mission. It’s not about fixing people. It’s about offering a space to be seen, heard and supported – even if just for 60 minutes a week. If you’re anything like me, the weeks can blur together. Work, life, pressure, responsibility. You’re doing your best to be present – for your kids, your partner, your work. But some days, there’s barely anything left in the tank.

If you’re a dad and any of this resonates, you’re welcome to pull up a chair.

For more information and to contact Matt, visit wnstd.com/thedadtable

The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group’s annual Wanstead Wildlife Weekend returns this month with a diverse programme of free nature activities. James Heal reports

WWW stands for the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend (apparently, also something about the world wide web, but this is much more enjoyable). The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group has been organising this set of activities almost annually for a few years now. A midsummer weekend of nature-themed, family-friendly and free activities in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats.

This year, the weekend will run from the evening of Friday 20 June to the afternoon of Sunday 22 June. At the time of writing, we are still finalising the exact running order of events, but it will include things like bat detecting, revealing moths from a light trap, invertebrate recording, studying bees and wasps, a spider survey, pond dipping, a lichen walk and butterfly transect showcase, as well as a couple of stalls, some child-friendly mini beast stories and a wildflower walk.

Some of the activities, such as the pond dipping, will be well suited to families with children and others, such as the spider surveying, will, perhaps, appeal more to those who would like to get more involved with invertebrate recording.

With the continued advances in phone cameras, AI identification tools and accessible and high-quality identification guides in books and online, wildlife recording is becoming increasingly accessible to the interested amateur and we are keen to promote and celebrate this.

It is a great way to get to know the wild places in your local area a little better and dip your toe into the incredible diversity of life that can be found on our doorstep. For example, did you know that inside the small holes on dusty pathways live solitary bees and wasps? Did you know we have rare spiders hiding in amongst the oak leaves and grasses all around us? And did you know that it is possible to catch the nymphs of some of our most beautiful dragonflies in the ponds in our park?

In the years that I have been regularly recording wildlife locally, I have never ceased to be amazed by the diversity we have here and how I can still be shocked and surprised by some of the animals that show up: finding a Siberian migrant (a Yellow-browed Warbler) calling on Wanstead Flats, watching an Osprey fly over my house, watching and photographing a pair of otters in the River Roding, regularly finding a species of spider in my garden that is considered nationally rare. These are just a tiny handful of over 1,000 different species – from mammals to mites – that I have recorded in our local area.

If you would like to find out more about the wildlife around us, please come and join us this month for the WWW.

For more information on Wanstead Wildlife Weekend events, visit wnstd.com/wren

Last September’s changes to local bus routes impacted the lives of many residents. In the fifth of a series of articles, Elli Taylor explains the consequences for her family’s wellbeing and mental health

My husband and I have a son who is seven years old and autistic. We have lived in Wanstead most of our lives; we wanted to be close to my parents and liked the amazing bus network that used to work very well, when the buses ran every 15 minutes. I am totally reliant on these buses as I do not drive. We used the buses on a daily basis, for shopping, doctor and hospital appointments, errands and trips out just for a bus ride.

We didn’t hear about the bus route changes before they happened last September, and then suddenly, there was no bus and no one knew which bus to take. So, when I heard about the bus campaign opposing the changes whilst I was at the market on the High Street, I signed the petition and offered to help. I believe the buses are essential to live our lives independently.

No consideration has been given to the local community with the withdrawal and changes to the bus routes. My son is a wheelchair user (for his own safety); he used to love getting on the bus to go to the park. He would say hello to the driver – which is amazing for a non-verbal child, and hearing this would make my day – and give high fives to the other passengers! Not making these trips has had a huge detrimental effect on our wellbeing and mental health.

The last time we took the bus (W13), we waited 50 minutes; we were late for an appointment because of the delay. My son had the biggest meltdown during this time, hitting himself and repeatedly screaming: “Bus, bus bus!”

Doing shopping is a nightmare now, again something my son used to enjoy – bus trip, shopping, treat and bus trip home. The previous W12 (now W14) used to run every 15 minutes, then it became every 20 minutes, then every 30 minutes, and now, disgracefully, it’s every hour. We are struggling and feel let down by TfL and the Mayor of London, who says people should use public transport, but how can we? No one can wait on the streets for an hourly bus, especially in bad weather. What we went through over the winter is unforgivable.

We needed the service to care for my mother-in-law, who was very poorly with motor neurone disease. But not being able to get a regular bus was just too upsetting for my son, and I can do without the added stress for us both. Most of the time we have to struggle by walking, as waiting for the bus is still a nightmare; it’s impossible to wait for a bus for up to an hour! We used to use all three buses (W12, W13 and W14) regularly; now, nothing!

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

To view the petition, visit wnstd.com/bus

The delayed construction of the Wanstead Leisure Centre extension is now in its final phases.

The new building will house a 25-metre swimming pool, dance studios, accessible changing rooms, reception area and new classrooms for Wanstead High School.

“We appreciate the support and patience shown by the community and Wanstead High School as we work to provide this vital infrastructure,” said the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Kam Rai.

The £16m project is now expected to be completed this winter.

Art Group Wanstead members will hold an open-air studio sale on 15 June.

“It is important to have creativity in our lives; it’s therapeutic, confidence-boosting, community-building and can make you see the world differently,” said group founder Donna Mizzi.

The event will take place on the front lawn of The Limes, High Road, South Woodford (opposite Electric Gallery), with stalls offering artwork, craft materials, beads, jewellery and pre-loved items.

“If it rains, we’ll postpone to the following Sunday.”

Visit wnstd.com/art