In the seventh of a series of articles charting the experiences of a Wanstead-based travel writer, Carole Edrich discovers how widely read Wanstead Village Directory is… and that being an oddfellow pays off

Calvin Bailey MP will be holding a pop-up surgery in Wanstead on 18 September

Haven House Christmas Cake appeal is seeking local volunteer bakers to take part in the festive fundraiser

Where there’s a will, there’s a way, unless there is a dispute underlying the estate and the will! Kavita Rana from local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash explains

Joshua Abbott is preparing to publish Modernism Beyond Metro-land, a book documenting 20th-century architecture in London’s suburbs. In the third of a series of extracts, the spotlight is on Snaresbrook’s Hermitage Court. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

From healing spaces to Islamic gardens, the new programme of speakers for Aldersbrook Horticultural Society’s monthly meetings covers a wide range of topics. Ruth Martin reports

The Woodford and District branch of the National Trust has announced its new season of talks

A guided bird walk will take place on Wanstead Flats this month

Wanstead High Street will be closed to traffic to create a car-free Wanstead Festival

Chess has come a long way recently but there is still a missing piece, says 18-year-old Jay Demetriou, whose membership of Wanstead and Woodford Chess Club has helped him connect with the community

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands is seeking volunteers to help maintain and improve the park’s woodland play area

The Wanstead Book Festival, part of the Wanstead Fringe festivities, is once again hosting a wide range of talents and authors working in various styles, writes Giles Wilson