February 2026

A plan to demolish a row of single-storey shops at 12–15 Woodbine Place has been submitted to Redbridge Council.

If approved, the site – which is home to Best Turkish Kebab, Wanstead Hairdressers and Bambini – will be replaced by a three-storey building consisting of ground-floor commercial units and first- and second-floor office units.

The site is located within the Wanstead Village Conservation Area and has locally listed status, underscoring its historical and architectural importance.

Wanstead Village councillors have confirmed they will be objecting to the proposals. “In our objection we will be citing material planning considerations including: the effect on listed building and conservation area, layout and density of building and design, appearance and materials,” said the councillors.

The proposals are available on the council’s planning portal under ref 3335/25. Deadline for objections is 20 February.

Visit wnstd.com/1215wp

The City of London Corporation has begun mapping the lakebed of Wanstead Park’s dried-out Ornamental Water.

“We will be conducting borehole surveys across the lakebed to assess the below-ground conditions. This will help us to assess the lakebed’s capacity to hold water… and guide future conservation efforts,” said a spokesperson.

The Environment Agency is currently considering an application to pump water into the lake from the River Roding, with a decision expected later this year.

Work is underway to install a steel frame to support the Grotto ruins in Wanstead Park.

“The top of the Grotto is leaning; we need to stabilise it to ensure it remains secure. The steel frame will have minimal impact on existing brickwork and can be beneficial for any future restoration work,” said a City of London Corporation spokesperson.

The pathway behind the 18th-century landmark will be closed until project completion at the end of March. “Due to ground conditions, we will not be able to open the path at weekends.”

In the 51st of a series of articles, David Bird discusses the work of Redbridge Music Society and introduces Emilija Karaliute, who will be performing in Wanstead this month

Two main aims of Redbridge Music Society are to promote the work of younger musicians and to bring a range of musical styles and genres to the people of Redbridge via high-quality live recitals. Both aims will be evidenced this month at Wanstead Library when Lithuanian musician Emilija Karaliute will perform on the ‘kanklės’ (a zither-like instrument), playing a diverse range of music, including traditional Lithuanian folk music and works by composers such as Saint-Saens, Mendelssohn and the Belgian harpist/composer Alphonse Hasselmans.

The kanklės – the national instrument of Lithuania – is a string instrument belonging to the zither family where the strings are parallel to the soundboard (not perpendicular to the soundboard as with the harp) and do not extend beyond it (as with the guitar). It is usually rested on the player’s lap and is played by either plucking the strings with the fingers or with a bone or quill plectrum. It is an ancient instrument most probably dating back to the 15th century and is used in folk music, rituals, celebrations and, at one time, even warfare. It is related to the Latvian ‘kokle’, the Finish ‘kantele’ and the Russian ‘gusli’.

Emilija is a professional classical and folk musician who began studying the kanklės in Lithuania at an early age, developing a deep connection to the instrument and its cultural roots. She has been playing the kanklės for 16 years and has twice been awarded the title of the National Laureate of Lithuania.

The kanklės still remains relatively unknown to many and Emilija is passionate about popularising and showcasing the instrument, sharing it with new audiences and, at the same time, promoting the diversity of Lithuanian culture. She came to the UK in 2018 to fulfil this mission, and since completing her degree in London with first-class honours has now become a regular performer in the UK and Europe, with recent solo recitals in Paris and Berlin.

Emilija is well known for her ability to enthuse audiences with her commentaries about the nature, history and culture of the kanklės and for her prowess in skilfully integrating the instrument into diverse genres, including classical, contemporary and folk music.

Please come along to this recital; it will provide a unique opportunity to see and hear an unusual, fascinating and beautiful-sounding instrument being demonstrated and played.

The recital will take place at Wanstead Library on 17 February from 8pm (tickets on the door: £12; members: £9). Call 07380 606 767. Redbridge Music Society is affiliated to Making Music.

Wanstead Park’s visitor centre was reopened in January following three months of refurbishment work.

“This included repointing the brickwork and roof and repairs and redecoration to the windows, timberwork and the portico,” said a City of London Corporation spokesperson. Built around 1760, the building – known as the Temple because of its Classical temple design – is one of a few surviving buildings from the former Wanstead House estate.

The Temple will be open on 15 February from 11am to 3pm.

Residents are invited to take part in a 10km walk through Epping Forest this month in aid of the Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund.

“Whether you take it on solo, with family, or a four-legged companion, this is your chance to get outside, move your body, and make a difference,” said a spokesperson for the charity, which supports families affected by childhood cancer, including a number of families in the Wanstead and Woodford area.

The event will start at the Bury Road car park at 10am on 21 February.

Visit wnstd.com/lccf

Local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash was named Redbridge Business of the Year at the recent Ilford & Redbridge Business Awards. Julia McFall reflects on the historic firm’s success

The vibrancy and success of the London Borough of Redbridge’s business community took centre stage in December at the Ilford & Redbridge Business Awards, held at the Coliseum Suite in Ilford. This glamorous black-tie event welcomed over 600 guests, including local entrepreneurs, representatives from national chains with branches in Redbridge and officials from the council. The awards showcased the strength and diversity of the borough’s commercial sector.

The event was organised by the Ilford Business Improvement District (BID). The BID represents nearly 400 businesses in central Ilford and works tirelessly to create a welcoming, attractive and vibrant town centre. Its initiatives aim to boost footfall, support local shops, cafés and services and ensure Ilford remains a thriving hub for commerce. A strong town centre benefits the entire borough, and these awards highlight achievements across both Ilford and the wider borough.

The evening embraced a Strictly Come Dancing theme, treating attendees to a spectacle of entertainment featuring acrobats, ballroom dancers, magicians and comedy acts. Speakers from the local authority emphasised the power of collaboration between businesses and local government, reminding guests of what can be achieved when we work together to improve the borough for all.

One of the night’s biggest triumphs was Edward Duthie Shamash solicitors being named Redbridge Business of the Year, a tremendous accolade that reflects both the firm’s current success and its deep roots in the community. With a history spanning more than 120 years, the firm’s head office sits opposite Valentine’s Park in Ilford, alongside a branch on Wanstead High Street, plus offices in Stratford and Waterloo. Today, Edward Duthie Shamash stands as a nationally recognised law firm with a reach far beyond Redbridge, yet its heart remains firmly in the borough. The firm combines a strong private client practice – property, wills, civil litigation and court of protection works – with high-profile criminal legal aid, mental health and family departments working with local people. The firm is also a significant local employer. Senior partner Shaun Murphy expressed the firm’s delight at the win: “We are thrilled to receive this award and grateful for the support of so many clients and contacts during the nominations process. This recognition reflects our commitment to the community… We believe vibrant community organisations benefit us all.”

Events like these not only celebrate business success but also reinforce the importance of community spirit. The awards show Redbridge thrives as a place where enterprise and local pride go hand in hand.

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

At the Woodford Historical Society’s February meeting, Jef Page will be exploring the origins of Redbridge street names, including Nutter Lane, home to one of the oldest houses in Wanstead

In 1653, Ilford stretched barely 100 yards along the High Road with just 53 houses, and Wanstead and Woodford probably had even fewer. This was, of course, because all the land was farmland, meadows and woods, with very few proper roads. For my talk this month, there are now many streets to choose from. I will start the talk with Ilford, then move on to Gants Hill (the derivation of its name), Barkingside (the cigarette estate), Wanstead and finish with Woodford.

Wanstead has a group of streets with connections to the former Wanstead House and the family names associated with it. The palace existed between 1715 and 1824. It was built by Sir Richard Child (1680–1750). George I ascended the throne in 1714 and granted Child the Irish title of Castlemaine, Kerry in 1718, so Child and his family were naturally loyal to the Crown. Road names with marriage connections include Draycot, Seagry, Mornington, Wellesley and Wellington. There’s no road named for Child (nor his wife Dorothy, née Glynne), but Tylney Road is south of Wanstead Flats. Catherine Tylney Long, eldest daughter of Sir James Tylney Long of Draycot, Wiltshire, married William Wellesley-Pole in 1812. He was the nephew of Wellington, and the Earl of Mornington was Wellington’s father. Catherine inherited the Wanstead House estate and was wealthy beyond words. She and ‘Wicked’ William bankrupted the family; the court’s judgement was that, in 1825, the house was to be “erased from the face of the earth” and so erase memory of the shame.

In 1880, the Cowley family owned large tracts of land and sold 184 acres of Wanstead Park to the Corporation of London for preservation as part of Epping Forest, and the rest was sold in 1920 to Wanstead Sports Grounds Ltd.

Nelson, Rodney and Victory roads and Trafalgar Place are close to Snaresbrook and Hermon Hill. Admiral George Rodney was a famous admiral when Britain ruled the waves. Admiral Lord Nelson won the Battle of Trafalgar, leading his famous ship HMS Victory to victory in 1805, though it cost him his life. No doubt residents were pleased to have these names selected and extol those heroes.

And, of course, we can’t ignore Nutter Lane. Originally George Lane, it was renamed Nutter Lane in 1934 following the construction of the Eastern Avenue. Richard Nutter was churchwarden of Christ Church (1853–1861) and lived with his daughters Mary, Gertrude and Jessie, who were great benefactors to Wanstead; in 1921, they gave the five-acre field opposite their house to the people of Wanstead for recreation and leisure. The sisters lived on the road until 1926 in a house named Applegarth, which is thought to have been built around 1710, making it one of the oldest houses in Wanstead.

Jef’s presentation will take place at All Saints’ Church hall in Woodford Wells on 12 February from 2.30pm (visitors: £5). For more information, visit wnstd.com/wdhs

Ahead of an LGBTQ+ History Month event at Wanstead Library, author Jack Parlett reflects on his work on Fire Island in New York and explains why it’s important to learn from the queer icons of the past

As a writer and scholar of queer culture, I spend most months of the year thinking about LGBTQ+ history. That said, February and June tend to be my busiest times.

While the summer months are ushered in annually by Pride Month – and all of the parades and protests that entails – the winter equivalent is February’s LGBTQ+ History Month. It presents an opportunity not only to reflect upon and celebrate untold stories and rediscovered histories, but also to look at the present more clearly. There is a lot to learn from the queer icons of the past, whose lives and loves, victories and losses, impart a simple lesson and a warning: don’t get complacent.

This was a common refrain in the research I did for my first non-fiction book, Fire Island, which looks at the story of the thin strip of land off the Long Island coast, near New York City. Like a more rebellious (and only slightly less moneyed) sibling to the Hamptons, Fire Island has been known since the 1930s as a hip and glamorous destination. The island is famous for its two queer-centric communities, Fire Island Pines and Cherry Grove, which each grew in reputation in the first half of the 20th century. A wide array of queer cultural figures have visited these communities in search of a holiday, a refuge and a place to write and think. WH Auden lived for whole summers on the island with his younger lover in the 1940s, while Patricia Highsmith spent numerous tumultuous weekends in the island’s lesbian bars in the 1950s. James Baldwin wrote some of his beloved novel Another Country from a beach house there, preferring seclusion over the sexual free-for-all of the party scene.

My interest in the island’s queer literary history drew me deeper into exploring the resilience of these communities. The queer people who made a home on Fire Island weathered many storms, both before and after Stonewall and the liberationist era of the 1970s, which was swiftly followed in the 1980s by the devastation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the homophobic backlash that ensued. The fragility of social progress, and the ease with which old prejudices could resurface and turn the clock backwards, would be no surprise to the generations who experienced this as a lived reality.

The current political moment is dark and uncertain, and in the face of continued attacks on trans people in this country, and the wider ramifications of President Trump’s second term, the hard-won freedoms of the queer community can seem rather precarious. This LGBTQ+ History Month, it seems more important than ever to reflect on the bravery of those who came before, both the challenges they faced and the flamboyant, unapologetic ways they responded to those challenges. In looking backwards, we can also find new ways forward.

Jack will be in conversation about LGBTQ+ history at Wanstead Library on 11 February from 6.45pm. Visit wnstd.com/parlett

Harry Hill made a surprise appearance at St Gabriel’s Banish the Blues comedy night last month.

Hosted by local comedian and podcaster Laura Smyth, the event also featured Jen Brister. The sell-out night was organised by the Friends of St Gabriel’s to raise money for the ongoing refurbishment of the community hall. “We were incredibly grateful for such brilliant acts giving up their time to help us raise funds to restore this much-loved community asset back to its former glory,” said Father Martyn Hawkes.

Visit wnstd.com/fsg

Construction of the Wanstead Leisure Centre extension has experienced further delays, with the project now scheduled for completion in summer 2026.

The new 4,200-square-metre building will span three blocks, housing a 25-metre swimming pool, dance studios, a commercial kitchen and new classrooms for Wanstead High School. “We recognise that delays during complex construction projects can be frustrating,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson.

Building work on the £20m project began in 2022.

A workshop offering guidance on fixing electrical items will take place in Christ Church hall on 16 February (5pm to 7pm).

“This workshop is designed for those who would like to start volunteering at community repair events but don’t know where to start. We’ll look at a broad range of items – including toasters and lamps – with the support of an experienced repairer,” said a spokesperson for The Restart Project.

Visit wnstd.com/fix