An aspiring young actor from Wanstead has spoken of his enjoyment after being cast in a professional production of The Railway Children for this month’s Wanstead Fringe. “There was never a dull moment and I couldn’t have wished for a better experience, from late-night rehearsals to the adrenaline rush before each show! I learnt so much from working with such a warm, friendly and professional cast,” said 14-year-old Dashiell Ratcliffe. “There was a lovely family bond working with a cast so closely, and I already miss the buzz of it all!”...

Affordable housing developer Pocket Living has broken ground on its latest project on Gardner Close in Wanstead. “Pocket Living will transform the disused garage site into a two-storey building offering 20 affordable one-bedroom homes for first-time buyers – with a 20% discount off the full market value,” said a spokesperson. Pocket Living’s commitment to delivering affordable housing has been backed by the Mayor of London, who in 2017 provided the company with a £25m loan to develop sites like Gardner Close....

Redbridge Council has doubled the amount of time drivers can park for free on the borough’s high streets from 30 minutes to one hour. “This will be a real boost for our high streets and help revitalise the local economy whilst making sure there is still a good level of turnover in parking bays – giving as many people as possible the opportunity to use parking spaces to pop to the shops,” said Councillor Jas Athwal. Motorists can activate the free on-street parking via the Ringo app or at an upgraded pay and display machine....

Redbridge Council has installed a hi-tech Bigbelly bin on Snaresbrook Road as part of work undertaken with residents and the City of London to clear up Eagle Pond. “It’s a smart bin that can accommodate more rubbish, lets the council know when it’s full, requires emptying less often and reduces the risk of litter blowing out and into the pond,” said Councillor Jo Blackman. Big Belly bins hold roughly eight times more rubbish than a regular bin and compact waste automatically throughout the day....

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands – which has been campaigning for the regeneration of ‘east London’s hidden gem’ for the past decade – is seeking to recruit new members to support their work. “Our committee needs new blood. If you value the park and would like to contribute, why not come along to one of our meetings to get some idea of what might be involved? The editor of our popular members’ newsletter has stepped down so we are looking for a someone to take over this role… Someone with experience of website management would also be welcome,” said a spokesperson. The group – which normally meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 7.30pm at Wanstead Golf Club – is involved in shaping the long-term plans for the park’s regeneration. Email info@wansteadpark.org.uk...

In the 16th of a series of articles charting the Wild Wanstead project – which aims to transform Wanstead into a multi-garden nature reserve – Iain Ambler provides an update on work to rewild parts of George Green. Photography by Alex Deverill Lots of Wanstead residents will be familiar with the term rewilding. It’s a concept that’s gaining increasing currency in the UK in the conservation debate. It refers to the restoration of an area of land to its natural state, particularly to reintroduce species of animals or plants. The most famous example is the Knepp Estate in Sussex, which since 2001 has seen extraordinary increases in wildlife. Rare species like nightingales and purple emperor butterflies are breeding well there and populations of common species are growing at an astronomical pace. Rewilding is bringing hope that the UK can reverse the, frankly, alarming trends of biodiversity loss...

In the second of a series of articles looking at the work of Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering, local artist Brenda Coyle explains why picking up a brush could be just what the doctor ordered Lots of people come in and ask about the old Cherry Tree Café. Do you remember the one on Woodbine Place, by the buses? Called the Cherry Tree, of course, as it once housed within its walled garden a (now deceased) large, beautiful cherry tree, which bloomed every spring with gorgeous pink blossoms. Nowadays, the doors are open again, but this time it’s become a wonderful space for arts and craft classes, luckily part of Wanstead’s Allan Burgess Centre, supported by Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering. Various art-based activities are on offer, ranging from loom weaving and clay modelling to jewellery making and painting, to name but a...

As the children head back to school, accountancy examiner and Wanstead resident Steve Wilks offers his advice for preparing for the next season of exams The summer holidays are over; the nights are drawing in and a new term is starting. For many of Wanstead’s students, this means embarking on final year exams, whether at GCSE or A level. This will determine a student’s university choices and ultimate career path. Examinations are the traditional way of assessing this, and it is essential students develop a good exam technique to maximise the best result possible. It is important to familiarise yourself with the examination requirements – whether it’s multiple choice questions, short form structured questions or essay writing – and how these will be assessed. It is also essential to pay attention to the mark allocation for a question. Clearly, an answer worth 10 marks will often...

Stanley and Brenda Lopata will be using this month’s Wanstead Festival to champion the work of their daughter, who is striving to improve the UK’s seas and beaches through her charity Sea-Changers Seven years ago, my husband, Stanley, and I moved to this area after having lived in the same house in Buckhurst Hill for 44 years. According to popular wisdom, this should have been a really traumatic experience, but it has turned out to be a wonderful new phase in our lives. We love Wanstead – its diverse and vibrant community and its proximity to London and Epping Forest. However, one thing that Wanstead cannot boast is a marine and coastal environment. Why then are we choosing to put our efforts into supporting the charity Sea-Changers? Let me explain. Since we moved, we have both been attending art classes and were delighted to have...

Lots of people love the idea of installing a green roof but don’t know where to start. An event at this year’s Wanstead Fringe aims to change all that. Susie Knox from Wild Wanstead reports There’s a revolution going on in London. But if you want to see it, you’ll need to look up… Green roofs are appearing on buildings around the capital, creating a patchwork of vegetation across the skyline. According to a report from the Mayor of London, there are now 1.5 million square metres of green roof in Greater London. It might be new to the UK, but green roof technology is well established in countries like Germany, Austria and Switzerland. That means there’s now a substantial body of evidence quantifying the enormous benefits of making gardens in the sky. A green (or living) roof is one where vegetation or a habitat...

The island flower bed outside Wanstead Station is looking somewhat neglected and doesn’t live up to the Wanstead Community Gardeners’ usual high standards. It’s a work in progress, reassures Marian Temple The island bed between The George pub and Wanstead Station has been looking rather desolate for some time. An old water tank with ‘Wanstead Community Gardeners’ on it announces that it is one of our patches, but it has caused us problems since we took it over about three years ago. The soil is very poor, dry and stony, not really a problem but the couch grass is and threatens to overrun the area. Our councillors suggested we could apply for a Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) grant to have some preparatory work done to give us a more level playing field, something we could cope with. CIL grants come from developers who pay the council for...

As Art Trail Wanstead clocks up a decade, founder Donna Mizzi looks forward to 2019’s time-themed event and explains why more residents are getting involved in creating art than they did 10 years ago Over the space of just 10 years, we have noticed that art is considered less the preserve of a few talented individuals to being more an activity that people of all ages and abilities can engage in. And the trail has shown that individuals do not always have to spend years at art school to create work that is admired or appreciated by members of the public. That said, many of our members have at some time joined local classes, courses or groups. It may be a change in society as more people find art accessible, relaxing, therapeutic and a break from uncreative jobs. And, of course, it may be the...