©Geoff WilkinsonWe invite members of the community to join us for a performance of Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater in St Mary’s Church on Good Friday. This is a beautiful piece, a setting of a 12th-century hymn depicting the agony of Mary at the crucifixion. All voices welcome, we just ask you to commit to three of the four rehearsals, which will be on 19 February, 5 and 19 March and 2 April,” said Alison Wells.
If there’s one thing many of us have learned over the last few years, it’s that the small, everyday moments often become the most precious. A wobbly camcorder clip of Christmas morning. A family holiday filmed on VHS. A wedding video tucked away in a drawer. These recordings aren’t just old tapes. They’re living snapshots of who we were, and they’re worth protecting so they can be enjoyed by future generations.
The challenge is that the media we relied on in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s wasn’t built to last this long. Magnetic tapes slowly degrade over time. The binder that holds the magnetic layer can break down, tapes can stretch or stick, and if they’ve been stored in lofts, garages or damp cupboards, mould can become a real issue. Many people are surprised to learn the expected lifespan of tape was often quoted as around 10 years in ideal conditions. Now, we’re regularly dealing with tapes that are 30 to 40 years old. In some cases, a tape might play once and then fail, which is why acting sooner rather than later matters.
DVDs can also be vulnerable. Disc rot is a gradual deterioration of the disc’s layers, sometimes due to manufacturing issues, but also accelerated by heat, humidity or tiny cracks. It can show up as freezing, pixelation, missing sections or a disc that won’t read at all. If a DVD holds the only copy of an important family event, that’s a risk most of us would rather not take.
There’s another practical reality, too. Working machines are getting harder to find, and the era of widespread servicing and repair has largely faded. Even if you still have a player, it may not be running at its best. Many households simply don’t have the equipment anymore.
That combination of emotional value and technical fragility is exactly why I set up Tape Transfer Pro here in the local area. It began when my brother and I discovered some tapes belonging to our late mother. We were close to throwing them away, but curiosity won. Hearing her voice again was a proper stop-you-in-your-tracks moment. I started digitising my own family archive, then neighbours and friends in Wanstead, South Woodford and nearby areas asked if I could help with theirs.
The goal is simple: remove the stress from the process. People shouldn’t have to post irreplaceable tapes across the country and hope for the best, or hand them to a high street counter without knowing who will handle them or when they’ll be returned. Keeping transfers local, handled carefully and personally, makes a real difference. Because in the end, this isn’t really about formats. It’s about protecting memories now, so your kids and grandkids can press play later and feel like they were right there with you.
For more information on digitising old video tapes, visit tapetransferpro.com
Redbridge Music Service studentsTwo essential aims of Redbridge Music Society are to promote up-and-coming young musicians, especially those residing within the borough, and to bring a diverse range of musical styles and genres to the people of Redbridge.
Both aims will be realised when the students of Redbridge Music Service put on a recital in the Churchill Room of Wanstead Library this January.
Redbridge Music Service is based at the John Savage Centre in Hainault, and throughout its long existence has nurtured numerous talented young musicians, very many of whom have gone on to pursue careers in music.
Redbridge Music Service is part of the East London Music Alliance (ELMA), held in high esteem for its provision of exceptionally high-quality music education. ELMA’s vision is to establish opportunities for students of local music services to progress and create music together, especially via live performances. To this end, Redbridge Music Service provides a wide range of instrumental and vocal tuition in schools throughout the borough, even at nursery and reception level, with instruments being available for hire from the service’s instrument centre.
Redbridge Music Service also provides opportunities for its students to perform music together, and every year presents over 50 local concerts, ranging from those at the John Savage Centre to public recitals, such as our Wanstead Library event and other major events at Redbridge Town Hall. Every two years there is also the highly successful and well-renowned Redbridge Schools’ Choral Festival at the Royal Albert Hall.
Being involved in musical activities and the acquisition of performance skills can be very beneficial for a young person’s development, and learning to play a musical instrument can significantly improve important developmental qualities, such as self-confidence, imagination and creativity, memory and co-ordination skills and communication, team and social skills, skills which also greatly benefit other areas in the school curriculum.
Redbridge Music Service encourages its students to explore music from a wide range of historical periods and genres, and this will be evident at the recital at Wanstead Library when the students will perform an eclectic mix of music and musical styles. Their recitals are a standard annual feature in Redbridge Music Society’s calendar and are always popular and well-attended events.
Please come along and support Redbridge’s young and home-grown musical talent!
The recital will take place at Wanstead Library on 20 January from 8pm (tickets on the door: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.
“Although it’s not possible to install the exact signage being requested – due to the confusion it may cause drivers as the proposed placement of the signs is two junctions away from the scheme – we are exploring alternative solutions. This will take some time to investigate as we may need to use non-standard signage that would need to comply with regulations.”
School Streets sign on Ashbourne AvenueThe scheme – in place since March 2025 – prohibits traffic from entering parts of Ashbourne Avenue and South View Drive during school start and finish times.
“There is no proper signage on Chigwell Road to warn drivers in advance and the signs on the side roads don’t make it clear which are restricted. It’s a cash cow,” said a resident.
Mistle Thrush territories in Wanstead Park have declined in recent yearsSo, how has Redbridge Council risen to biodiversity challenges over the past few years? When first elected for Wanstead Village in 2018, Councillor Jo Blackman and myself sought to raise environmental issues up the council agenda. We were starting from a very low mark.
Jo and I were on the Nature and Environment Task and Finish Group. This group took evidence, did some site visits and came up with a plan. Among the recommendations was a review of the Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) around the borough, the implementation of grow zones (wild areas), the phasing out of pesticide usage, managing sites as wetlands for biodiversity and promoting wildlife corridors. A new Urban Landscape policy was adopted. We also brought a Climate Emergency motion to the council in June 2019. This was duly passed.
There have been successes. Grow zones have extended, with 10,000 square metres covered. Another 400,000 square metres have been given to wild space. Some 850 tree pits have been adopted in the last year, with 7,000 trees planted in the same period. Less encouraging is the failure to take forward the SINC recommendations. There has been increasing involvement from residents and groups operating on a voluntary basis. The likes of the Wren Wildlife Group, Wanstead Community Gardeners and River Roding Trust have all done a lot. This, though, is an emergency, demanding responses at least on a par with COVID. Obviously, the response thus far is nowhere near that level. National government could help by making the need to address biodiversity and climate emergencies a statutory duty on councils.
Things need to change. There are two initiatives that offer hope. The first is the London Local Nature Recovery Plan, which offers guidance on how things should progress. The second is a call for a nature emergency motion to be passed by the council. This would offer measurable benchmarks which must be met. Things like committing to 30% of council land for nature recovery by 2030 and the extension of the duty on developers to provide 20% biodiversity net gain in their projects. The culture also needs to change, so the comprehensive nature recovery strategy is embedded in all elements of the council. A petition calling for just such an initiative has collected over 1,500 signatures and will be presented to the council in January. The May elections are another opportunity to make clear to those seeking office how important it is to address the environmental emergencies.
Given the political will, garnered from grassroots pressure, we can really accelerate efforts to confront these crises. All is not lost, with many positive things going on, but time is running out; more is needed and fast.
For more information on declaring a nature emergency, visit wnstd.com/ntem
“This is truly a community award as we couldn’t do what we do without those who support us week in, week out. Every single thing we have ever asked for, the community has provided. It is truly heartwarming. Thank you, Wanstead, for continuing to support all we do. You are all amazing,” said Suzi, who was honoured at the service’s annual conference last month.
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The London Borough of Redbridge is proud to be recognised as part of the Tree Cities of the World for the fifth consecutive year, with over 40,000 council-maintained trees and 128 hectares of woodland forming a vital part of our green urban landscape.
On 19 January, join Wanstead Climate Action at Wanstead House to hear from Redbridge Council’s arboricultural team for an important presentation and discussion on how we care for these trees and explore the feasibility of a pesticide-free future.
Redbridge’s arboricultural team inspects council trees on a three-year cycle to ensure their safety and health and to consider pruning works. This includes pollarding, a traditional pruning method that helps maintain large species within urban spaces and is carried out on a two- to six-year rotation.
However, some trees die due to disease, structural weakness or environmental stress. As part of our discussion at Wanstead Climate Action, we’ll be talking about tree survival, reasons for losses, tree planting and how local people can also help to improve outcomes.
The arboricultural team also manages weed maintenance. Currently, highway weeds are managed through four annual herbicide treatments. Although effective, chemical weed spraying has raised environmental concerns, prompting a 50% reduction in herbicide use in Redbridge in the last 15 years. Innovative schemes such as Pollinator Pathways have also helped further reduce herbicide use. Under the scheme, neighbours can join together to adopt tree pits on their street, eliminating the need for chemical weed spraying on their street entirely. This is just one example of how residents can play a vital role in tree care. Our newly planted street trees also carry blue labels inviting neighbours to water them. These simple actions help young trees thrive and help boost biodiversity in our borough.
Redbridge has planted over 50,000 new trees in the past six years, with a further 6,000 planned this winter. These trees are critical for climate resilience and biodiversity. They absorb carbon, reduce urban heat, improve air quality and create habitats for pollinators and wildlife, helping us meet canopy cover and sustainability goals.
The borough is also home to remarkable heritage trees, including the veteran Sweet Chestnuts on George Green as shown here, a living link to Wanstead’s history and a symbol of resilience. Preserving such trees is as important as planting new ones, so join me at Wanstead Climate Action’s January meeting to find out more about the importance of our trees and what we can do together to help protect them.
Peter’s presentation will take place on 19 January from 7.30pm at Wanstead House, 21 The Green, E11 2NT. For more information, visit wnstd.com/climate
For more information on council trees, adopting a tree pit and Pollinator Pathways, visit wnstd.com/trees
“Developing an HMO was not our original intention. But now, the only logical tenants for us are working professionals. For example, an HMO previously developed by us houses five NHS nurses, none of whom have ever caused any issues for the neighbours. Yet the underlying ‘not on my street’ sentiment persists. We have been in contact with the council for several months to ensure that every legal requirement is fully satisfied.”
“We have inspected the property. It is currently under renovation and is unoccupied. We have advised the owner that using it as an HMO would require planning permission and a licence. They have committed to applying and any proposals will go through the proper planning process, with residents given the opportunity to comment. The council will continue to monitor the site to ensure compliance.”
“The developers originally said the house was being refurbished as a family home. Once work was almost complete they changed their plan to operate a six-room HMO instead… Hermon Hill is in an Article 4 protected area, which is meant to stop uncontrolled HMO conversions. If this is allowed, Article 4 becomes meaningless across Redbridge,” said a neighbour.
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“This money will aid our efforts to support the local community through our peer support groups. We are also grateful to City Place and Tesco Express for their contributions, and a special thank you to the professionals who have facilitated these groups voluntarily for the last year,” said non-clinical director David Sleet.
isit wnstd.com/mhc