Features

Francis Castro, senior nature conservation ranger for Vision RCL, is keen to champion the Roding Valley and invites you to join him for a late summer walk through this local hidden gem. Valley photo by Anna MacLaughlin The Roding Valley is one of the hidden gems of east London, part of the area’s industrial landscape but also retaining some of its rural charm. It is a great way to explore the borough and for those looking for a more rural getaway. The Nature Conservation Ranger Team, part of the Parks Team for Vision RCL, have a walk scheduled for 7 September, which will be our longest walk yet, completing the trilogy of Roding Valley guided walks we have held throughout the year. It will take in the entirety of the Roding Valley through Redbridge, as we make our way to Wanstead Park, starting from Ray Park in Woodford Green. Totalling around 7km each way, we will be travelling along one of the great assets the borough has in terms of a green corridor, one that maybe not too many people know about. The aim of our walks has been to showcase the value of the Roding Valley in terms of a...

Nominations for the Mayor of Redbridge’s annual community awards are now open. “These awards are a great way to throw light on those giving individuals to recognise and celebrate the work they do – so please get nominating!” said the Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Zulfiqar Hussain. A panel of councillors, officers and residents will shortlist the nominations and select winners in six different categories. The deadline is 31 December. Click here to take part....

Whether you are a tenant or a landlord, being involved in a dispute can be a stressful and difficult time if you do not have the right advice to hand, says Ruhul Ameen, a partner at local solicitors Wiseman Lee According to recent figures published by The Property Ombudsmen, the most common reasons for tenancy complaints are ‘poor management’, ‘communication and record-keeping issues’ and ‘problems with tenancy agreements, inventories and deposits’. Similarly, separate research from price comparison website GoCompare suggests neighbour disputes remain a big issue in certain UK regions. Its survey found that London ranked as the UK’s number one ‘hotspot’ for ‘nasty neighbour behaviour’, while South East England was one of the top areas for ‘noise’ complaints. This year, in a bid to increase protection for tenants, a raft of new laws have come into force. The Tenant Fees Act, which came into effect on 1 June 2019, now outlines specific rules relating to landlord payments. From this date, the amount landlords can legally request as a security deposit is capped to no more than the equivalent of five weeks’ rent. Further new legislation focuses on tenant health and safety. The Fitness for Human Habitation Act came into...

In the seventh of a series of articles following the progress of the Wanstead Environmental Charter, Councillor Paul Donovan explains why you should return plastic packaging to the supermarkets The work of creating a cleaner, greener Wanstead has focused recently on the need to cut plastics, especially from the High Street. Inspired by the excellent BBC programme War on Plastic, the people of Wanstead recently took unwanted plastic packaging back to Tesco, M&S and the Co-op. Plenty of plastic was piled up in the trolleys, then delivered to the managers of the different shops. The managers showed a positive willingness to engage and continue the dialogue. Tesco pointed to its own recycling record. The problem, of course, is huge, with plastic choking the planet. Now, the stuff is literally everywhere: in the food chain, water supply and air. It is estimated there are 19.5 billion single-use plastic items in the UK at any one time. And these plastic usage levels are set to triple by 2025. There were eight billion plastic bottles produced last year. Something clearly needs to be done. At an individual level, we can all aim to cut out single-use plastic. Locally, Redbridge Council is aiming to cut...

Sian Paterson is Wanstead’s newest bell-ringer, learning the ropes at Christ Church. Here, she recounts her lessons so far and encourages others to help keep this tradition alive I’m Sian, I’m 23 years old and I’ve lived in Wanstead my whole life (minus three years at university). I sing in the Parish of Wanstead choir, worship at St Mary’s and am involved in wider parish activities. Most recently, I responded to a plea to join the bell-ringing team at Christ Church to help keep the tradition alive. Having only ever rung the bell at St Mary’s by pulling on a small rope (which I now know is called chiming), the thought of ringing ‘proper’ church bells was quite exciting! I had no real idea what I was letting myself in for but I like to learn new skills, so I thought, ‘why not?’ John Eyre, chief bell-ringer, invited my dad and I to the bell tower one evening for our first lesson. If you live near the church, you’ll be pleased to know that before we were let loose on the bell, it was tied so it didn’t make any noise! The first thing I noticed is that you can’t see...

Karen Humpage announces the launch of her book featuring artwork and anecdotes of the cows that once roamed the local streets of Wanstead and Woodford Wanstead residents may already be familiar with my work. My paintings of the cows that used to wander the local streets have been shown at Art Trail Wanstead and the Wanstead Festival, as well as being featured in this publication. I recently finished writing my book on the subject, entitled Common or Garden Cows, which will be released in August. I’m very excited about the book coming out and keen to know what everyone thinks about it. I’m hoping to organise a ‘meet the author’ afternoon in a local establishment, and possibly do some readings from the book, so check my website for details. I’ve already had the seal of approval from Year 3 pupils at St John’s C of E school in Buckhurst Hill. I spent a lovely afternoon there recently talking about when the cows used to come to town and showing them my cow paintings. In turn, they all drew and coloured in pictures of cows causing traffic jams and getting into people’s front gardens. Growing up in Woodford in the seventies – Rokeby...

Sally Medcalf thanks her Wanstead High School art teachers for inspiring her creativity, which will be on show during the 10th Art Trail Wanstead next month I was born and grew up in Wanstead, and was lucky to attend Wanstead High School, which has a fantastic art department. We had some great teachers – Phil Tootell, Don Campbell and Dave Hall – who were a big influence on me and gave me so much encouragement. They were very enthusiastic and inspired me to develop my art, experiment and push boundaries. I did my foundation course at Sir John Cass School of Art, studied graphics and illustration at East Ham College of Technology, then worked in a graphic design studio. More recently, I have been attending a class at Wanstead House, which has given me a fresh perspective and has inspired me to challenge myself and experiment with different media and new ways of working to develop a more personal style. I will be showing some of my new work at Wanstead House as part of our group show. Wanstead was a great place to grow up. I loved the outdoors and spent a lot of time in Wanstead Park and...

Following the success of last year’s postcard art exhibition, Eugene Coyle invites you to be part of this year’s time-themed display during next month’s Art Trail Wanstead One of the most satisfying elements of last year’s first postcard art exhibition was how many embraced the idea, interpreting the trail theme in many creative ways. It inspired me to run the exhibition again as part of Art Trail Wanstead, affording me the opportunity, once again, to communicate with many people locally and further afield. I enjoyed the challenge of inspiring fellow artists and non-artists alike to enter an artwork on a postcard, even if they don’t consider themselves creative. We are all creative! The exhibition’s core success lies in attracting submissions from those who wouldn’t normally consider entering the trail. We received several entries from overseas last year, making the trail truly international! This year marks the 10th anniversary of Art Trail Wanstead and the theme is ‘Time’. So, I am calling out to the local community to submit a postcard-sized artwork inspired by the theme, using any medium from painting or drawing to collage, photography, written word, textiles, printing, 3D, mixed media or any other form that inspires you. I encourage...

In the 15th of a series of articles charting the Wild Wanstead project – which aims to transform Wanstead into a multi-garden nature reserve – Nicola Steele explains the benefits of living walls when garden space is tight Wanstead is buzzing with builders, as usual. But how can we keep it buzzing with bees, too? In our smallish gardens, large extensions can significantly reduce available space for the plants and trees so essential for wildlife (and humans) to thrive in cities. But one solution to help enhance the natural habitat while you build is to wrap your extension in greenery – and a living wall is a way to do that. Living walls are a growing trend around town and look set to become a more common feature of urban buildings because of the significant environmental benefits they bring. Whether for an office or someone’s home, green walls reduce air and noise pollution, create a natural environment that improves our health and wellbeing, support insect and bird life, and look great. But one of their most important benefits is their thermal impact. With temperatures in France topping 45ºC this summer, it’s a reminder that Londoners are expected to face regular...

Councillor Paul Donovan and Councillor Jo Blackman explain how the recent declaration of a climate emergency by Redbridge Council will impact on Wanstead life Redbridge Council has declared a climate emergency, committing to go carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon free by 2050. The council unanimously carried the motion – brought by Wanstead Village councillors – on 20 June. Enactment of the motion will bring the whole question of the environment up the council agenda. The big challenge now is to put the worthy words into action. The motion commits the council to carry out a green audit of its services and tackle air pollution, particularly at schools. Plastic use is to be radically reduced in council operations, with efforts being made to cut single-use plastic right across the borough. The waste and recycling elements of the motion look to very much focus on stopping producing and throwing away so much in the first instance. The council will look to make existing council-owned property as energy efficient as possible. Renewable and sustainable energy will be positively encouraged in Redbridge through the council’s planning, estate management, investment and procurement policies. Ideas like municipal renewable energy companies will be looked into alongside other...

The popular Wanstead Fringe Jumble Trail returns next month and this year it will be doing its modest part to help protect our planet. Mark Herring reports As usual, the Fringe will unleash a full and varied programme of theatre, comedy, music and art on the people of Wanstead, with new venues and plenty of old favourites. That includes the one and only Wanstead Jumble Trail, which offers a brilliant opportunity to clear out your wardrobe and free up some space in the toy cupboard – assuming you dare to open it. The trail also provides a great excuse to get out there and meet your neighbours, steal ideas for your garden or just have a wander around the area. Who knows who you might meet – or what you might find? And this year, the trail aims to be more eco-friendly than ever. Without wanting to sound too right on, man, there’s a real sense of environmental awareness in the community. This year’s Wanstead Fringe hopes to reflect that by bringing a greater purpose to the jumble trail, a purpose even greater than following the kids around as they hunt for plastic toys to fill the space you’ve made by...

Once frequented by highwaymen and now run by a football legend, the site of the pub now known as Nightingale on the Green has a rich history. Millicent Brown reports It is a historic Wanstead public house which has been visited by families for centuries – and recently, it has been buzzing once again under changed ownership and the new name of Nightingale on the Green. Dating back to the early 18th century, the picturesque green it is situated upon – once known as Mob’s Hole – was the heart of all the crime that characterised this now tranquil area of Wanstead. At that time, a woman who called herself Lady Butterfield kept a notorious roadhouse here. The green was a well-known place for people to go and enjoy a drop of alcohol and some gambling – and legendary highwayman Dick Turpin was the most regular and famous visitor. In fact, he and his accomplices are thought to have used many different parks and buildings in the whole area to launch their raids on who they thought were wealthy families travelling through Epping Forest. Turpin, born in 1705, and his accomplices certainly made our Georgian ancestors watch over their shoulders!...

To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, the East of London Family History Society is inviting its members to share their wartime memories. Janet Seward reports In August, the Newham and Redbridge branch of the East of London Family History Society will hold a members’ evening, but guests are still welcome. These evenings are an opportunity for members to share family stories or the trials and tribulations of detecting their ancestors. We don’t usually have a theme to these evenings, but as September brings the 80th anniversary of the start of the World War II, we have decided to devote the session to memories of that time. So far, we have three confirmed speakers. Michael Potter and I will co-ordinate the evening. One of the first significant events of the war for many was the evacuation of civilians, especially children, from areas most likely to be bombed. Most of us have family experiences of evacuation either first-hand or passed down to us. My parents and their brothers and sisters were evacuated, but a combination of home sickness and the Phoney War saw them return to London by Christmas 1939. There were, however, two heart-warming exceptions....

The City of London Corporation has given the go-ahead for a large-scale music festival to be held on Wanstead Flats next year. “The City Corporation has received a proposal from MAMA Festivals for a three-day music event on Wanstead Flats in September 2020. Elected members have agreed in principle the event can be held,” said a spokesperson. Organisers must now apply to Redbridge Council for a licence and conduct a public consultation. A petition opposing the plans has received over 600 signatures. Visit wnstd.com/flatsmusic...

In the first of a series of articles by members of the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society, Alan Simpson tells the story behind this image taken at City Hall I took this photograph a few years ago, before mobile phones were as ever-present as they are now. Such a scene today would possibly not warrant a photograph or even a second glance. A photo club outing to London’s higher viewpoints included a visit to City Hall (as part of the annual Open House London festival). I therefore took advantage of the only time in the year when the public has access to the viewing gallery on the ninth floor, outside London’s Living Room; this is where you often see the mayor holding forth in television interviews. Looking over the barrier, I caught sight of these two men absorbed in their phones down below. Unaware of each other, and in a harsh urban environment, the scene of which they were part conveyed a sense of isolation. By using a short telephoto lens, I was able to exclude any distractions outside the frame and focus attention on the two figures and their immediate surroundings. Of course, the original photograph was in colour, but the...

Steve Wilks and Deborah Selner remember Jill Stock, who died at the end of May. Known to many, her funeral saw the City of London Cemetery’s chapel overflowing with friends and family celebrating her life I had the pleasure of knowing Jill when I moved to Wanstead and she introduced me to various people who were involved in Neighbourhood Watch. Ever the community worker, she initially became a Watch Co-ordinator and then Chairman of the Safer Neighbourhood Panel, assisting the police and running the group. Having lived for over 40 years in Wanstead, she had a wealth of local knowledge. She regularly organised the annual street party for residents on Cranbourne Avenue where she lived. Through working as a nurse and being involved in her own children’s schools as a member of Nightingale and Wanstead High PTA, she knew a huge bank of people from all walks of life. A trip down the High Street could easily take an hour with Jill; she always stopped to say hello or have a quick chat. All her neighbours knew her by name and would often knock on her door for an address, a telephone number or a bit of friendly advice, and...

Wanstead resident and student member of Stop the War Coalition Lucy Nichols explains why she and a few friends recently hosted a stall on the High Street opposing war with Iran On Saturday 29 June, myself and a group of student activists from the Stop the War Coalition ran a very successful stall on Wanstead High Street. We talked about the very real threat of war with Iran and encouraged locals to share with us the reasons why they were against British involvement in a war in the Middle East. We came to Wanstead as part of a national day of action called by the Stop the War Coalition, a campaign group set up prior to the war in Iraq which has been campaigning tirelessly against British and American warmongering abroad ever since. The group has a support network that spans the country and includes everything from religious groups to trade unions. I have been very fortunate in working for the group during my gap year, which has resulted in a fair amount of experience running stalls, leafleting and protesting. This is why I decided to come and campaign in Wanstead; I thought I’d bring everything I know about campaigning back to...

London City Airport’s Master Plan, released on 28 June, proposes to double the number of flights each year. Steve Wilks looks at the effects of the new proposals on Wanstead and its environs With an increasingly global and networked world, travelling in our jobs is becoming more commonplace. At London City Airport, in the last five years, its passenger numbers have grown by 40%, hitting 4.8 million in 2018. It expects demand to rise to 11 million by 2035, but its current capacity is limited to 6.5 million passengers, according to the London Borough of Newham. London City CEO Robert Sinclair has stated the airport does not plan to build a new runway, extend the length of it or expand beyond its current site boundary. The airport wants to emphasise that it will focus on sustainability while expanding and using fuel-efficient aircraft and making its grounds operations carbon neutral. The airport has tabled a Draft Master Plan 2020–2035 – it proposes to double the number of flights from 75k to 151k by 2035. It is also looking to relax a restriction that sees it close between 1pm on Saturdays and 12.30pm on Sundays, as well as an eight-hour overnight curfew and...

In the 10th – and last – of a series of articles celebrating the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society – which is now in its 126th year – club member Alan Simpson continues to offer an insight into the group’s history. Photo by club member David Tyrrell. When the opportunity came to move club meetings to Wanstead House Community Centre in 2014 – only 70 years after it was first suggested – the chance was taken. Once there, it was not long before the club had outgrown its ground-floor meeting room and moved into the much larger room in the attic (once the home of the defunct Leytonstone and Wanstead Camera Club). The only downside of the move to Wanstead House was that the change of evening (from Tuesday to Monday) meant several members could no longer attend, including Peter Smith, a long-standing member and former chairman. Meeting only twice a month, and not at all in some holiday periods, left some members wanting a more regular programme. With this in mind, in 2015, informal get-togethers in the Wanstead House bar were introduced on Tuesday evenings in the weeks with no formal club meeting. Workshops were also organised on the use...

In the sixth of a series of articles following the progress of the Wanstead Environmental Charter, Councillor Paul Donovan (Wanstead Village, Labour) looks at how the council’s Local Implementation Plan will help. The Wanstead Environmental Charter has been gathering pace since its launch at the start of May. Most of the local schools attended the launch and signed up for the principles of making Wanstead a cleaner, greener place. Each has been taking things forward, with Wanstead High School working toward the internationally recognised Eco-Schools Green Flag award. Litter pickers continue to clean up the area – maybe one day people will stop dumping the waste in the first place. There has been great support for the charter from The Stow Brothers, who hosted the launch and promotes the campaign on its front window and with the distribution of the leaflet. We need more businesses to follow their example. The charter organisers are looking for support for flowering boxes for street railings. There is also the aim to cut waste and free Wanstead High Street of single-use plastic. On the council side, there are exciting developments with the publication of the Local Implementation Plan (LIP), which seeks to put the London...

Rising at Molehill Green in Essex, the River Roding passes through the Wanstead and Woodford area en route to the Thames, bringing with it a very real flood risk to local homes. In the fourth of a series of articles charting the River Roding Project – which aims to reduce that risk – Andy Naish from the Environment Agency offers advice on protecting your property. River photo by Geoff Wilkinson. The River Roding Project recently held a community drop-in event at Kelvedon Hatch Village Hall, near to the proposed flood storage area in Essex. This was a chance for local residents, community groups and landowners to find out more about the project, how we plan to minimise disruption and how it will reduce flooding impacts in the Wanstead and Woodford area. Once we know which existing defences need refurbishing, we will hold a similar community drop-in event in Woodford so you can find out more. We will also be looking for opportunities to include environmental enhancements along the River Roding in the local area. Stay tuned for further details on our website. Protecting your property If your home or business is flooded, it can be costly, not just in terms of...

Steve Wilks is a volunteer for the St Francis Hospice boutique in Wanstead and looks at the practical ways residents can support the charity by donating their time… or unwanted clothing. Having had the obligatory spring clear out this year, the result was that I had accumulated bags of unwanted clothing and linen, which has been sitting in the cupboard but never seen the light of day. One of my New Year’s resolutions was to reduce clutter, and I then decided it would be better served taken to a local charity shop where someone could benefit from using it and a charity could make some money from it. St Francis Hospice is one of the latest shops to open up on Wanstead High Street, and given its size and range of items sold, I thought it would make best use of the items to display. St Francis Hospice is an independent charity that provides the very best in specialist care for local people with complex needs related to life-limiting illness, and inspires and educates others to support a service provided completely free of charge to patients and their families. St Francis Hospice relies on donations from the public and sales...

This month, professional stuntwoman and local resident Lucy Allen will be giving a presentation about the suffragette movement, partly inspired by her window-smashing work on the 2015 film Suffragette. This month, I shall be returning to the Wanstead Park Women’s Club to give my latest talk ‘Suffragette and the Petticoat Rebellion’. I have already shared my adventures as a stuntwoman with this group and also told tales about ‘The Ship of Dreams’, the doomed liner Titanic and what it was like to work on the Oscar-winning film. This time, I will be in window-smashing mode talking about my experiences working on the 2015 film Suffragette and telling the story of the suffragette movement in, I hope, a lively ‘Lucy-style’ way, using the actual voices from the women themselves. Last year was the centenary year of some women getting the vote, which inspired me to produce this talk. The suffragettes hold a special place in my heart because they were so fearless and bold. My first London theatre performances were in a production of The Petticoat Rebellion when I was only 17 and a member of the National Youth Theatre. This play certainly taught me a lot about what the suffragettes went...

Ahead of a family learning workshop about hedgehogs at Wanstead Library this month, Anna MacLaughlin, a nature conservation ranger for Vision RCL, explains how you can help these spiny mammals. The humble hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is one of our most beloved mammals, but sadly, we’re seeing worrying declines across the nation. Evidence shows that over the past 15 years populations have declined by nearly a third in the suburbs and cities and by over half in the countryside, with estimates suggesting there are less than one million hedgehogs left in the UK. Whilst hedgehogs are legally protected from trapping or intentional harm, the legislation does not directly deal with the key drivers of decline. Hedgehogs face a multitude of threats across both urban and rural landscapes. They are faring poorly in the countryside due to an increasing loss of hedgerows and high levels of pesticide use in the agricultural landscape, reducing the invertebrate prey available for them to feed on. Likewise, our towns and cities present a range of challenges to hedgehogs; impermeable boundaries that restrict their movement, over-management of green spaces and gardens, entanglement in litter, fencing and netting and the increased density of road networks. It’s currently estimated...

‘This is Essex’ is the theme for an Essex Art Club competition, which will be judged at the group’s annual exhibition at Wanstead House this November. Mary Springham invites artists to join the historic club and enter. Image July-Thaxted by John Tookey Essex is the theme for our special competition for members of Essex Art Club. The prize is £120 for a picture of 120 square inches, to celebrate the 120th year of the club. We are pleased to announce the submitted works – which will be displayed at our November exhibition at Wanstead House – will be judged by Professor Ken Howard OBE, who was our club president for many years and is now our patron. Essex Art Club has been encouraging artists and holding exhibitions since 1899, and the post of president has been held by Royal Academicians, such as Sir Alfred Munnings and Professor Howard. Sir Frank Brangwyn and Walter Spradbery were vice-presidents, as was John Nash, brother of the more famous Paul Nash. Our current president is John M Tookey, a member of the Pastel Society. An annual exhibition has been held at Guildhall in the City of London many times and one Winston Churchill MP contributed a...