“Do you have any old photographs of cows wandering through the streets? Whether it’s cows grazing outside your house, peering over a garden fence or simply being part of everyday life in Wanstead, I’d love to hear from you,” said David Bennett. Under ancient commoners’ rights, cows grazed on Wanstead Flats – and roamed nearby roads – until the BSE crisis of 1996.
Email office@ppreditions.com
“The aim is to set three poppy wreaths on the side and rear fences around the memorial with streamers of poppies falling to the ground… If you’d like to help, please grab your needles! Completed poppies will be needed by the end of September,” said a spokesperson.
The project is a spin-off from the Christ Church kneelers project.
Email kneelers4cc@gmail.com
Universe. Galaxy. Milky Way. Solar System. Earth. Europe. United Kingdom. England. London. Greater London. Redbridge. Wanstead. E11. 51.567° N, 0.033° E. We are here. You are here, too (I assume, since you’re reading the Wanstead Village Directory). The Wanstead Fringe is here as well. And for the past 14 years, it has been rooted in this corner of East London. Here it began, here it has grown and here we intend for it to stay.
However, this year, things will change a little. A new strand of the festival is to be launched: Family Fringe. The idea is one we hope will become a permanent and cherished part of every Fringe season. It will feature a host of events for families, children and young people, creating opportunities for new generations to become part of Wanstead’s cultural life.
The ambition is to establish new traditions that over time become as beloved as some of the Fringe’s more long-standing fixtures, like the Eve-of-Fringe Charivari or The Duke Street Party, albeit with slightly earlier bedtimes and considerably less drinking! After all, traditions become so when they are shared. By involving younger generations, communities preserve customs, stories and celebrations that make them unique. We also celebrate change and evolution, not just how we got here but who we will eventually become.
Every September, the Fringe brings a renewed energy to Wanstead. Just as summer begins to fade and many of us reluctantly return to offices, classrooms and routines, the festival fills the area with music, theatre, creativity and celebration. It gives people a reason to gather together as the evenings grow darker and the leaves begin to turn. We do it because we are here and because we are glad to be.
Recently, I came across a quote from James Baldwin: “There is reason, after all, that some people wish to colonise the moon and others dance before it as an ancient friend.” What I take from this is that we should celebrate what we have. Of course, we must explore, adapt and develop, but also, shouldn’t our focus be equally on how we can live in harmony with the world around us and championing what we’ve got (while we have it), rather than constantly looking elsewhere for fulfilment?
I believe the Fringe is, in many ways, an expression of that idea. While headlines are increasingly filled with stories of missions to the moon, Mars and who knows where else, it sometimes feels as though we’ve forgotten to stop and appreciate the remarkable things right in front of us. We spend so much time looking outward, we neglect to cherish what is already here. We are here. Right now. The Fringe is our way of making the most of that fact. It is a celebration of the small things that make life meaningful. We champion Wanstead not only through the events we host, but through the care we invest in the area itself: the fairy lights and cushions for the Kinema on Christ Church Green, the restoration of the Wanstead Curtain, the performances, exhibitions and activities created by local people who give this neighbourhood its character. Most importantly, we celebrate the extraordinary talent that exists here.
The Fringe is made by performers, volunteers, artists and audiences who collectively create something greater than the sum of its parts. Hopefully, the new Family Fringe will continue that tradition. One exciting addition is the launch of the Wanstead Youth Theatre, beginning this August. Young people will spend two weeks taking part in workshops before performing a production during the Fringe. We hope it will be the first chapter in a story that continues for years to come. Who knows? Some of the children taking part this year may one day become the artists and organisers who shape future Fringes. They may be the people who continue to enrich Wanstead and strengthen the bonds that connect us all. Because the key to happiness is often simpler than we imagine. It lies in appreciating what we have, celebrating where we are and sharing this.
So, please do come to an event (or three, four or more). We have found ourselves here from all walks of life, from all over the world. Join us in celebrating where we are, what we have, the wonderful fact that, against all odds and amid the vastness of the universe, we are here. And what a wonderful place to be.
Wanstead Fringe 2026 will run from 5 to 26 September. For more information, visit wansteadfringe.org
An unusual tree has popped up along the edge of Wanstead’s Christ Church Green – an oak adorned with artwork. Art Group Wanstead (AGW) members seized the opportunity to help beautify the hoarding fence surrounding the Evergreen Field, during construction work.
A wide range of artwork has been included in the branches, including subjects inspired by Wanstead such as landmarks, local scenes and a portrait of the area’s former MP, Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
Members with their work displayed range from professional artists to keen adult amateurs of all ages, including an artist in her 90s and a remarkable member who learned to paint with her other hand following a stroke.
Graphic designer Fiona Eastmond sifted though all the artworks submitted while Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society member Arnie Göbel photographed the artwork to the high quality required for this special project.
The oak was chosen as a popular local symbol and as a natural edging for the popular open green space. And it is also the symbol for Wanstead House community centre, this year celebrating its 80th anniversary. The centre is used for many local art classes, art groups and for some AGW meetings.
AGW also put forward historical facts relating directly to Wanstead’s outstanding figures of the past, to contribute to some of the other work on the hoarding. These were kindly checked by Wanstead Historical Society, led by one of our local living treasures, Pearly Queen Doreen Golding. Details about the other works on the hoarding are being planned for future editions of the Wanstead Village Directory.
All those involved have succeeded in turning a building site into a beauty sight. The greatest delight comes from seeing passers-by looking surprised, then stopping and enjoying the art.
It’s difficult to find public spaces for showing local artists’ work, particularly for any length of time. The art tree is likely to stay up until at least autumn 2027 while the four-storey flats and children’s nursery are being constructed on the site.
We must also thank Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing Association for paying to reproduce the art tree for the hoarding.
1 Donna Mizzi / 2 Bernie Clarkson / 3 Carin Wright / 4 Marie Christie 5 Francesca Jaggs / 6 Teresa Witz / 7 Gill Farr / 8 Arnie Göbel 9 Elly Davies / 10 Sonia Cudd / 11 Lena Coombs-O’Brien 12 Janice Elgin / 13 Bernie Clarkson / 14 Arnie Göbel 15 Gina Wade / 16 Wiz Mansi / 17 Madeline Wong / 18 Janet Silver 19 Peter Cartwright / 20 Alison Stenhouse / 21 Carin Wright / 22 Donna Mizzi / 23 Alison Stenhouse / 24 Bal Ghataore
For more information on the artwork, email donnamizzi@btinternet.com
“We are hoping Nuru, Taylor and Veronica will graze not only the areas of grass we normally mow, but also the bramble in the woodland too. This picture shows the area they have previously been restricted to in green; each dot represents a location recorded by their GPS collars… The extended area is shown in orange,” said a City of London Corporation spokesperson.
The cows can be tracked online. Visit wnstd.com/cowtracker
Now in its 14th year, the annual celebration of culture will see the return of the Eve-of-Fringe Charivari on 4 September, with The Duke street party the following day. The ever-popular open-air Kinema will take place on 12 September, family book day on 19 September and the Wanstead jumble trail on 26 September.
Last year’s Fringe – which is coordinated by volunteers – featured over 100 events with some 4,000 tickets sold.
Visit wnstd.com/fringe
“It’s a community project just like the little free book libraries, but for art. The idea is to drop off something you have made and take away something that calls to you. Everyone is welcome to join in. Paintings, drawings and handmade pieces are welcome; the only condition is your art needs to be small enough to fit inside the gallery!” said Laura Smith, who bought the display case on eBay and installed it on her garden wall.
“I’d love this idea to grow and expand to other locations. If anyone would like advice on setting one up outside their home, please get in touch.”
The Free Little Art Gallery is located on the corner of Nelson Road and Hermon Hill. People are encouraged to check the display regularly as the items on show will continually change.
Visit wnstd.com/littleart
“Many were purely recreational, from pigeon flying – the sport was actually launched on the Flats – to paragliding and model aircraft flying. But there have been more serious reasons for taking to the sky, including the bombing raids of two world wars. And then there are the utterly bizarre, such as Colonel Cody’s man-bearing kite,” said the authors.
The book is priced £6 and available from:
How can we face the seriousness of the climate and nature crisis without feeling overwhelmed by helplessness, anxiety for our children and grandchildren or anger at political inaction? Daily life is already demanding enough: there’s always more to do than time allows and the cost of simply getting by seems to rise every day. To consider the wider picture of our planet can feel like tipping into a sea of doom, when all we want is to keep our heads above water and remain positive for those we love.
Perhaps you are in a more comfortable position. You’ve worked hard to build a secure life for yourself and your family and you’re thankful not to have constant financial worry. There’s room now for more of life’s pleasures than when you were younger, and thinking about the state of the planet might feel like an unwanted burden.
Being in touch with the costs of our way of life on the Earth is profoundly difficult, maybe even impossible. As humans, we cope in many different ways. Some deny the science or turn a blind eye; others take bold action, sometimes to the point of exhaustion. There can be many staging posts along the way: experiences of shock, grief, anxiety, anger, despair, cynicism or hope; the wish for repair, resilience, collaboration, change.
The Climate Café Listening Circle offers a simple structure for expressing and hearing these complex responses to the climate and nature crisis in a supportive, collaborative setting. Inspired by Death Cafés, which provide a space to share feelings around bereavement, the Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) and other organisations have adapted the model for climate concerns.
In a Climate Café Listening Circle, there are no speakers or action plans; just a warm, welcoming atmosphere where individuals can speak from the heart about what’s on their minds and be listened to.
Sharing in this way can bring relief, enable conversation and reduce the sense of taboo around discussing climate and nature in daily life. In this way, it can nurture both personal and, for some, political agency.
Two of us trained in the CPA approach began hosting Climate Café Listening Circles last year at Wanstead Quaker Meeting House, generously provided rent-free by Wanstead Quakers. Words that have emerged from participants about their experience include: gratitude, community, inspiration, solace, rejuvenation and balance. If you’d like to find out more or attend a future Climate Café Listening Circle, please get in touch.
Climate Café Listening Circles will take place on 25 July, 3 October, and 5 December at Wanstead Quaker Meeting House, Bush Road, E11 3AU (10.30am; free; booking required). For more information, email liz.bodycote@googlemail.com
©Manji GamiEast London Runners was formed in 1982 – following the success of the inaugural 1981 London Marathon – when an informal group of fewer than 20 novices began meeting for training runs at decorated athlete Roger Mills’ sports shop on Wanstead High Street. By 1985, the group had grown to 120 runners competing in the London, New York, Berlin and Amsterdam marathons, and the Hyde Park Fun Run and Great North Run, among others. Members soon elected to register as an affiliated club, choosing their signature red kit (beating yellow by a single vote!).
Today, East London Runners prides itself on being a welcoming community that opens its doors to runners of all levels, whether on the road, track or trail. No matter the pace or running goals, joggers and runners can find an activity to suit them, along with support and camaraderie from the club’s 250 members, whose ages range from 20 to 80-plus.
Casual and competitive runners alike come together to enjoy the sociable, weekly club run, meeting at Eton Manor Rugby Club on Wednesday evenings at 7pm. Runners join a group at a pace and distance based on their ability, exploring local streets through the winter and making use of a wide array of green spaces in the lighter months, from Wanstead Flats and the bluebells of Chalet Wood in Wanstead Park through to various parts of Epping Forest, which is also a popular destination for Sunday group runs.
Monday night’s track run at Ashton Playing Fields in Woodford is another popular session led by the club’s qualified coaches. Many of these leaders originally joined as regular runners or beginners whom the club proudly supported along their journeys.
The club’s members hail from all corners of Redbridge and neighbouring boroughs, and include athletes capable of winning long-distance trail running events, as well as extraordinary fundraisers and campaigners championing good causes. A strong contingent of members are also highly dedicated parkrunners, regularly running or volunteering on Saturday mornings at an array of local parks, including the ever-popular Wanstead Flats parkrun.
A highlight of the club’s calendar is its summer charity 5km race at Valentines Park, hosted as part of the East London Five Interclub Series (known locally as ELVIS!). In June, 280 runners from 17 different clubs took part. It proved to be a race of two halves: changeable weather meant runners started in calm, dry conditions, only to finish under cold, lashing rain while splashing through deep puddles before the finish line. All profits from the race and cake stall go to the Magpie Project, a local charity supporting women and young children.
New members are welcome and can try out the club’s Monday and Wednesday sessions for free. For more information, visit eastlondonrunners.org.uk
©Geoff WilkinsonJune was an exciting month for Christ Church, as the Parish launched its Inspire Wanstead campaign to restore the church building and make it more user-friendly for you, the local community.
After much campaigning and work behind the scenes, we are delighted to say we were successful in achieving a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) to develop our project. The NLHF is the largest grant-making body for heritage buildings in the UK and has chosen to provide initial funding for us to engage architects and project managers to take this project forward to the point where it is ‘ready to go’. In late 2027, the NLHF will make the final decision as to whether to fund the whole project, the cost of which is a staggering £3.6m (for which we must raise at least 10% ourselves).
Unfortunately, the Victorians didn’t do a great job of building Christ Church’s tower; its supports and buttresses aren’t big enough to hold its weight and they are gradually slipping away from the building. So, we need to make sure that this, and various other elements of the building’s exterior, are made secure to withstand the next century.
Christ Church is presently a somewhat dark and cold building, so the first thing we need to do inside is to install some better heating and lighting. We would also like to level the sinking floor and install proper toilets and a kitchen at the back of the church. Much like our friends at Wanstead United Reformed Church did some years ago, we would like to make the space in Christ Church usable by community groups during times when we are not holding services, so we need flexible but beautiful furniture to allow us to do that. However, much will also not be changing. The chancel and its wonderful oak choir stalls and pulpit, and the beautiful and unique English altar, are all gems – remove them over my dead body! As our esteemed architect (who is also architect for three English cathedrals) said at the project launch in early June, change is always a part of historic buildings; it’s about preserving the good and improving the rest. And we’ll be working closely with English Heritage, obtaining all the necessary permissions to ensure everything is done with the utmost care for the historic fabric of the church.
In addition to the above, we’ll be running a range of heritage activities and workshops for people to get involved in over the next few years. There’ll be lots going on and I’m excited at the opportunity to bring you further news as it happens. Thanks to those of you who’ve helped us thus far, and thanks too if you play the National Lottery! As a vicar, I shouldn’t endorse gambling, but even if you haven’t won the jackpot, you have at least helped preserve Wanstead’s heritage.
For more information on Christ Church and the Inspire Wanstead project, visit wansteadparish.org
The Family Fringe will feature a host of events designed for families, children and young people. “The idea of bringing together all the events suitable for families and children is to send a signal that the Fringe is for everyone, we want all of Wanstead to feel involved,” said Fringe chair Giles Wilson.
Among the Family Fringe activities will be the launch of Wanstead Youth Theatre. “Young people will spend two weeks in August taking part in workshops before performing a production during the opening weekend of the Fringe.” Now in its 14th year, the Wanstead Fringe will run from 5 to 26 September, bringing a diverse range of cultural events to local venues.
“If you’d like to be involved, we still need volunteers. From helping to run plays at the Wanstead Curtain and The Bull to screening films and checking tickets. And it’s not too late if you want to run your own event.”
Email info@wansteadfringe.org