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....

The producers of The Railway Children – to be performed at Forest School in Snaresbrook as part of the Wanstead Fringe festival – are searching for a local actor to play the role of Jim. “It would suit a young person with acting and singing ability, who wants to work with a professional theatre company,” said producer Katherine Mount. Rehearsals commence 9 September, with performances on 14 and 15 September. If the successful candidate requires time off school, the company will apply for licences and supply a registered chaperone. “For audience members, this will be an opportunity to see a West End-style musical on your doorstep… This heart-warming tale is set to a new musical soundtrack, bringing a touch of magic to the stage.” Email info@hordernciani.com...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...