“The group has been in existence for over 70 years. We meet weekly to socialise, maybe with a talk or a variety of other activities, and to plan our weekend walks, cycle rides and visits to places of interest,” said Trevor Eley. The quiz – which is open to non-members – will take place at the Rovsco Scout hall on 11 April from 7.30pm (£8 per person).
Call 07545 201 705
April thoughts turn to welcome signs of spring and new life. Staring out at a February garden enveloped in five degrees of chilly rain and wind, it can be hard to remember what it feels like to venture out in April with the trowel or to crank the lawnmower into action, just as in the middle of summer it feels like the heat will last forever.
Not much does last forever, of course. That is a big part of the beauty of creation, and that fragility and impermanence looms large in the human psyche because we are ourselves impermanent beings, just here for a season. Why do we give real flowers when we know they will be dead and gone in a couple of weeks? Surely, it would be far more sensible to give plastic ones, which would last indefinitely? Sensible maybe, but somehow not as loving, nor as human. Impermanence makes real things special. We like to enjoy things before they are gone, and if we think something is here forever, we tend to take it rather for granted. ‘Real’ doesn’t always last forever, but it is still best in our eyes.
Telling the difference between fake and real is a hot topic right now. How many times do we see videos we suspect to be generated by AI? This wretched technology, which nobody asked for, and which threatens to spell the ruin of so much that is good and original in human thought and creativity, seems now to pervade depressing amounts of our experience. Just like the little plastic particles now inside us all, artificial intelligence seems to invade all our worlds, dumbing down much it touches to utter dross. I genuinely feel glad to have been brought up in a childhood where reading a book could be absorbing, where learning new things gained me originality and awareness, and where growing up to use my skills earned me a living. Will these simple markers of human dignity even exist in our next generation? Or will we all just be passive consumers of computer-generated rubbish?
We do still have a choice as humans. Do we accept the forgery of life that is being offered to us by these new technologies, or do we reject them where at all possible in favour of actual, real and beautiful human intelligence and imagination? You won’t be surprised to learn that I didn’t ask Chat GPT to answer that question! As a Christian, I believe humanity is flawed, but I also know there to be dignity and self-respect in being ‘really’ human: in relating to others, sharing our thoughts and our creativity, and in being part of a real society away from our screens. For me personally, church is a big part of that, and none more so than in the journey through Holy Week. The new life celebrated at Easter may be spiritual, but it can also be natural; we can see it literally blooming before our eyes. Let us never be so dimmed to its beauty that we forget to celebrate the real.
To contact Reverend James Gilder, email office@parishofwanstead.org
“We’ve been serving the community for nearly 80 years, but despite being just a two-minute walk from Wanstead Station, people still tell us they didn’t know we existed!” said Kathryn Stangaard, manager of Wanstead House Community Association.
Located at 21 The Green – at the junction of Redbridge Lane West and St Mary’s Avenue – the building was constructed in 1914 and first opened as a community centre on 21 September 1946, having previously been a private residence named West Ham Hall. The centre now offers a diverse range of courses, clubs and classes for all ages and welcomes around 1,000 visitors through its doors every week.
The open day will take place on 11 April from 11am to 3pm, providing an opportunity to see what’s on offer.
Plans are being made for 80th anniversary celebrations this September.
Call 020 8989 3693 or visit wnstd.com/house