To honour 40 years since the death of Sir Alfred Hitchcock, local historian Gary Lewis tells the story of how his interest in the late director spawned a business offering guided tours in Leytonstone Good evening (as Leytonstone’s favourite son himself would say). My name is Gary Lewis, I’m a local historian, public speaker and tour guide on the subject of the late, great film director Sir Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was born on 13 August 1899 in Leytonstone. Known as the Master of Suspense, he directed over 50 feature films before receiving an American Film Institute Life Achievement Award. He made his directorial debut with the silent film The Pleasure Garden in 1925. His first successful film, The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), helped to shape the thriller genre, while his 1929 film, Blackmail, was the first British ‘talkie’. He died in California on...

Over £16m of government business grants paid to small businesses in the borough so far.

A bear hunt has been created in Wanstead to help keep children entertained on their daily walk.

The service has also arranged for deliveries of food parcels and other essential items.

A temporary mortuary has been erected on Wanstead Flats in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Improve your confidence and public speaking skills.

Foodbank collection points at local homes

The site allows people check how busy their local supermarkets are.

Wanstead High School and Woodbridge High School were among those who contributed.

Temporary fencing has been assembled around play areas in Wanstead and South Woodford’s parks.

With kerbside recycling collections suspended, Redbridge Council is keen to assure residents that recyclable materials are not going to landfill.

In the third of a series of articles documenting the thoughts of local anti-bullying ambassador Elsa Arnold, the founder of the Spreading Kindness Through E11 initiative explains how we can all effect change I’ve always been someone who has dreamt of ways to make a positive difference and inspire even just a small change in the world. It’s important to me that I am able to have an impact and help others with issues I understand and feel passionately about shaping. When I experienced bullying and struggled with my mental health, my desire and need to help others got stronger, and after struggling so much, I couldn’t stand by knowing that other people were experiencing similar difficulties. I knew and believed I could make a difference. But I’ll be honest, taking the first few steps to speak out and stand up was one of the...