March 2026

A celebration of Redbridge’s second-place award in the New Year’s Day London Parade took place at the Town Hall last month.

We were presented with a beautiful medal by the Mayor of Redbridge. It was an honour to be involved and the £10,000 prize money will go to a number of charities,” said Maria Sanchez, owner of Wanstead-based Treehouse Nursery Schools, who organised Redbridge’s ‘Save the Earth’ themed display at the parade.

All London boroughs are invited to the annual parade to demonstrate the city’s diversity.

Three English Longhorn cows finished their seasonal stay at Wanstead Park last month.

“We are grateful to the Friends of Wanstead Parklands and our cattle volunteers, who helped ensure the wellbeing of Lazy, Kite and Jolly whilst they went about their important business grazing the acid grasslands. Thanks to the cows, the anthills remain open and the dung beetles will continue to thrive, helping to preserve the delicate balance of Wanstead Park’s ecosystem,” said a spokesperson for the City of London Corporation.

A website has been launched to celebrate the architectural significance of The Shrubbery, an iconic Grade II listed residential building in Wanstead.

“The website will be a place to learn more about the building’s history, its design and the story behind it, as well as to keep the local community informed as restoration progresses,” said residents and directors Rohini Wahi and Scott Bartle.

Built in the 1930s, The Shrubbery is located on Grosvenor Road, just behind Wanstead High Street.

Visit theshrubberye11.co.uk

Residents have raised £5,000 to fund specialist legal advice on the future use of the former Dover Road church hall in Aldersbrook.

“The Council is treating the hall as if it can operate as a place of worship, despite evidence it historically functioned as a broader community hall. This matters because a live planning application could enable more intensive use, increasing footfall and parking pressure to an already constrained road,” said a spokesperson for Dover Road Community Action Group.

Visit wnstd.com/dover

Local poetry group the Redbridge Rhymesters will be meeting for a creative writing session in Wanstead on 10 March.

“Our theme will be music, but participants can also write on any other topic they fancy. Plus, we’ll be joined by pupils from Snaresbrook Primary School for this event,” said group founder Alexandra Wilde. The free session will take place at the Allan Burgess Centre from 10am and is open to anyone over 55.

Call 020 8989 6338