October 2025

A member of the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society has won the nature category of the Redbridge Photography Awards 2025.

“I took this photo in Claybury Park. I’ve photographed a lot in there over the years and through the seasons. This time, I was hoping for a few photos of the sunrise. Although I took this photo in the autumn, I hadn’t planned for the mist, nor for the dog walkers. It was one of those occasions where everything came together just at the right time,” said Alan Simpson.

Last month’s Wanstead Fringe saw nearly 4,000 tickets sold for over 100 events across 13 local venues.

“This Fringe had the most variety of any so far. We saw real originality and creativity in theatre and music, with the highest standards and biggest audiences. We set out to prove something was happening in Wanstead and we weren’t disappointed!” said Fringe chair Giles Wilson, who is seeking more volunteers and supporters.

“We want Wanstead to become a hub for arts and culture all year round.”

Visit wnstd.com/fsp

Redbridge Council has announced plans to overhaul household recycling collections.

“As part of our longer-term plans for improving household waste collections, we’ll be introducing single wheelie bins for dry mixed recycling, replacing the multiple boxes currently in use. This will make recycling easier, increase recycling capacity for households, reduce spills and further improve safety for our refuse collection crews. The changes will start in 2028 when our contract with the East London Waste Authority comes to an end.”

Redbridge Council launched a new website last month.

Built on the same platform as gov.uk, the redesigned site features a trial AI assistant to help answer questions.

“It has been built with residents at its heart, offering a faster, smarter and more accessible way to connect with local services and information. Give it a try and share your feedback via the link at the top of the new site,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/rc

Redbridge Council is inviting feedback from residents as plans are made for next year’s budget.

“As we plan for the 2026/27 budget, we’re starting the conversation early to make sure your voice is heard. We want your ideas on how to make the most of our resources, tackle local issues and build a brighter future together. Have your say and help us lobby for fairer funding. Your input matters,” said a council spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/2627

The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group’s Tim Harris reports on a successful breeding season for the Skylarks of Wanstead Flats, where simple protection measures are helping these ground-nesting birds

He rises and begins to round,
He drops the silver chain of sound
Of many links without a break,
In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake.

The evocative opening lines of English poet George Meredith’s The Lark Ascending perfectly capture the essence of a male Skylark’s spring song-flight. The poem, written in 1881, inspired Ralph Vaughan Williams to compose his single-movement work of the same name on the eve of World War I, with a violin beautifully playing the role of the lark.

The Skylark’s song epitomises the British countryside, an exuberant outpouring of joy to herald a new spring. Although, sadly, changes in agricultural practices have resulted in the species’ population declining dramatically in recent decades, we still have a few birds on Wanstead Flats. Since they are ground-nesters, Skylarks face more problems than most birds during the breeding season. Rats, foxes and crows may take the eggs, and people and dogs disturb the nesting sites. A rat eradication programme has helped, but not much can be done about the foxes and crows. By 2021, the lark population on the Flats – the closest to the centre of London – had fallen to just three pairs.

With the larks on the brink of extinction locally, the City of London Corporation, supported by the Wren Group, fenced off two areas of the Flats where they breed between March and the end of August. Initially, they used unsightly green plastic, but for the last two seasons, rope has been strung between the wooden fenceposts instead. This is less visually intrusive, can be reused – and it works. Human and canine footfall within the roped areas has been virtually eliminated in the sensitive spring and summer months.

Early in the spring, each male lark makes prolonged song-flights, spiralling ever higher while constantly emitting Meredith’s unique “silver chain of sound.” Counting the number of singing males is the best way to determine bird numbers, and this year, the season started with three. Apart from the song-flights and occasions where the birds feed on the shorter grass of the model aircraft runway, it is notoriously difficult to work out what the birds are doing. Since most of their activity – feeding, building nests, laying eggs and feeding young – is conducted in thick grass, which grows taller as spring turns to summer, long, patient hours of observation are required.

This year’s three breeding pairs made five breeding attempts, at least four of which got to the stage of adults feeding young. An end-of-season walkover of the two roped-off areas produced a count of between eight and 10 birds, meaning that a minimum of two (and possibly four) young were fledged this year. Growing the population on the Flats will take time, but I’m hopeful that our three pairs will increase to four next spring.

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

Restoration of Wanstead Park’s Ornamental Waters took a step forward last month with the clearing of vegetation from the dried-out lakebed.

“Our arborist team used a forestry mulcher to chop up any young trees and vegetation on the lakebed… This will allow the area to be assessed for its capacity to hold water and will help us to find a way forward for the lakes,” said a City of London Corporation spokesperson.

Historically, water was drawn from the River Roding to feed the Ornamental Waters, and the intention is to do so again.

“We are waiting for approval from the Environment Agency. This decision may not happen until well into 2026. In the meantime, we have consultants working on designs for the pump house… The complexity of this project is huge with many historical, environmental and external restrictions to consider.”

Local photographer Mike Edwards will be giving a presentation this month about the book he self-published in 2014, featuring the stories of local business owners.

“The idea for Shelf Life E11:E4:E18 came about during an environmental portraiture course at City Lit. I started by asking shopkeepers in Wanstead to ‘pose’ for me and found most happily agreed,” said Mike, whose talk for the Woodford Historical Society will take place at All Saints Church hall in Woodford Wells on 9 October from 2.30pm (visitors: £5).

Visit wnstd.com/910