A South Woodford resident who organised an informal gathering of local classic car owners and their vehicles in June is planning to repeat the event this month, and is extending an invitation to Wanstead car enthusiasts. “‘Classic and a Cuppa’ is open to all classic, vintage and veteran cars and perhaps some more modern, interesting or rare ones,” said Gary Zylberszac, whose first event at South Woodford’s Derby Road car park saw 26 vehicles take part. The second gathering will take place from 10am to 12 noon on 11 August. Visit wnstd.com/cars...

Work to replace 5.3km of water pipes across 20 roads in Wanstead began last week and is expected to continue until March. “This is an important piece of work and we’re investing £2.2 million in the scheme to provide a safe and reliable supply for future generations… A range of techniques which do not require open trenches will be used to lay the new pipes, with trenches being used only as a last resort… We don’t plan to remove any trees, but any that do have to be removed will be replaced,” said a Thames Water spokesperson....

Redbridge Council is seeking feedback on plans to fine drivers who leave their engines running while parked as part of the authority’s efforts to reduce air pollution. “Engine idling is one of the key contributors to air pollution and this new policy will be an important tool to reduce toxic air,” said a spokesperson. Fines will only be issued if drivers refuse to switch off their engine when asked. The consultation closes on 2 August. Visit wnstd.com/idle...

John Cryer MP has confirmed he intends to seek reselection as Labour’s candidate for the Leyton and Wanstead constituency at the next general election. “I look forward to asking local members to once again put their trust in me to represent Leyton and Wanstead in Westminster,” said the politician, who has represented the area since the general election in 2010 and currently enjoys a majority of 22,607 following the 2017 election. Visit johncryermp.co.uk...

A series of free information sessions are being run in the borough, offering tenants the chance to find out about their rights and renting in Redbridge. The mobile Redbridge Tenants Forum is taking place throughout July in various locations and is also being used as a platform to let renters know about a free new course being offered by the council. The Redbridge Tenant Accreditation Course gives tenants the opportunity to learn in more detail about their rights, how to be a good tenant and the responsibilities and rights of a landlord. As well as finding out more about the course, the information sessions also offer tenants general advice on tenant rights and how to resolve difficult situations with landlords. Free Tenant Information Packs will also be distributed at the sessions. The session will take place at Wanstead Library on 24 July from 1pm to...

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

‘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...