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Residents are invited to contribute to a series of Wanstead Village Directory articles documenting local memories, thoughts and feelings about World War Two.

“Calvin Bailey MP explored the importance of Remembrance in the January 2025 issue and Rev Gilder outlines his hopes for local VE Day celebrations in the February 2025 edition. With 2025 marking 80 years since the war’s end, I’d like to continue this theme. If you have a story to tell – yours or a relative’s – do get in touch,” said editor Lee Marquis.

Email editor@wnstd.com

Ingrid Howarth has transformed Wanstead Place Surgery’s backyard into a wellbeing garden much appreciated by doctors and staff

The Wanstead Place Surgery Patient Participation Group (PPG) decided last summer to create an outdoor space for wellbeing activities by improving the surgery’s backyard. The yard resembled a concrete jungle, invaded by weeds one metre high. The storage shed and timber fence panels were showing signs of rot and junior maple trees had begun life in the gutters of the shed. To make matters worse, there was no outside garden tap and therefore no direct access to water, vital for any garden.

As a Wanstead resident and patient of the surgery, I offered to take on the challenge and create a welcoming outdoor space suitable for the doctors, trainees and staff.

My work began in early June, lifting five-dozen concrete slabs to create an outline shape. Roughly two thousand wild garlic bulbs (half of which are probably still there) were lifted; weeds, old tree stumps and various other bits were bagged up for the fortnightly waste collections.

Once the areas for planting were established and cleared, a trip to Redbridge Garden Centre ensued to buy soil, compost and a host of plants and shrubs. Some patients and other Wanstead residents, encouraged by the project, kindly donated plants from their own gardens. A big thank you goes to a friendly neighbour who offered to remove over 200 kilos of rubbish and then installed a very useful garden tap.

Planting continued in earnest over a two-month period. The panels and gates were wood-filled and painted to add colour to what was a drab area. The storage shed was cleaned and painted brilliant white and an old bookcase, shoe stand and beer drum were upcycled and now act as plant stands for colourful potted plants.

The once dull outdoor space is now flourishing with colour and happiness, and with seeds and bulbs in place for the spring, the future is looking even brighter. The first summer has already provided a wonderful space for lunch breaks, staff and PPG meetings, as well as training sessions for GP trainees and medical students. There are growing ideas of offering the garden for wellbeing and other outdoor activities for patients in the coming years. 

Wanstead Place Surgery is a large practice with a vibrant clinical team of six senior GPs, four GP trainees, three nurses, two physiotherapists and a clinical pharmacist. This is a surgery of family doctors; some of them have been resident for over two decades and have witnessed previous youngsters become parents themselves.

The surgery is located at 45 Wanstead Place, Wanstead, E11 2SW. For more information, call 020 8989 1968 or visit wnstd.com/wps

There was much excitement about recent sightings of otters in the River Roding. It was particularly astonishing given the state of the river, but is a reassuring sign of nature’s resilience, says Councillor Jo Blackman

The River Roding and its tributaries are critical features of Redbridge’s environment and a vital haven for a range of wildlife and biodiversity. They are also valued by residents and form a distinctive part of Wanstead Park and Roding Valley Park, as well as plans for the Ilford Arrival scheme, a Greater London Authority part-funded programme to open up access to the Roding near Ilford, and wider regeneration.

Sadly, the River Roding has suffered similar challenges to other waterways across the country and has some of the highest number of sewage discharges in London, after the Thames. Information on permitted sewage outfalls is now made publicly available on the Thames Water website. 

Recent testing undertaken by Thames21 and the River Roding Trust in collaboration with local citizen scientists shows levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci bacteria regularly exceeded safe limits during dry weather conditions (sometimes by a factor of over 20). These results are likely evidence of Thames Water spilling untreated sewage in addition to the outfalls authorised by the Environment Agency. Thanks to the work of the River Roding Trust, we are aware of at least two unpermitted sewage outfalls (located on the Aldersbrook and at Little Ilford). Further work is needed by Thames Water to identify any other unknown outfalls in the Roding. 

Thames Water and Environment Agency officials recently appeared in front of the Redbridge Council’s External Scrutiny Committee, chaired by Wanstead Village Councillor Daniel Morgan-Thomas. The real special guest at the committee was the Roding itself. Paul Powlesland from the River Roding Trust brought a container of water from the Roding with him – a powerful reminder that we need to ensure all agencies are acting in the best interests of the river, which has too often been neglected.

Whilst some progress has been made by Thames Water, officials at the meeting were unable to provide the committee with much detail, nor was the Environment Agency able to tell us if they had taken any action against Thames Water for the pollution of the Roding. I have therefore joined forces with Calvin Bailey MP, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee Ben Murphy and Redbridge Council Leader Kam Rai in a letter to Thames Water and the Environment Agency demanding urgent action in the interests of the environment, public health and our residents. 

If we want the otters and other wildlife to thrive in the Roding, we need Thames Water and the Environment Agency to step up and take action to address the sewage scandal.

Jo Blackman is a Labour councillor for Wanstead Village and Cabinet Member for Environment and Sustainability. Visit wnstd.com/blackman

Drivers in Wanstead are reminded to stay alert following the installation of new yellow box junctions on the High Street.

“We train learner drivers to read pedestrians’ body language before we reach zebra crossings, ensuring they are ready to stop if someone is close to the edge of the road. If you have followed us without being aware, you may end up in the yellow box and be fined. It is not our fault there is only room for one vehicle between the crossing and the yellow box,” said local driving instructor Diane Ward.

Construction of the new Wanstead Leisure Centre is scheduled for completion at the end of 2025.

The new facility – which began building work in 2022 – will feature a 25-metre swimming pool, dance studios, new reception area and accessible changing rooms. As part of the development, Wanstead High School pupils will also benefit from new classrooms and improved dining spaces. “It’s great to finally see some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Sarah Williams, business manager at Wanstead High School.

Visit wnstd.com/wlc2

Benjamin Murphy, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, provides an update on the health of Wanstead Park’s historic Map Tree, and explains plans to plant a replacement. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

I wanted to provide an update on the health of the British Isles-shaped Cedar, known as the ‘Map Tree’, in Wanstead Park. The pronounced lean of this tree has been the subject of discussion and a cause of concern to park visitors. 

Firstly, the safety of Epping Forest’s visitors and staff is our number one priority. To achieve this, our arborists carry out tree inspections as part of a rolling programme to identify vulnerable trees and put measures in place to keep them safe. The rise of more extreme weather conditions, a result of climate change, is a significant challenge we face in our mission to protect them.

This issue was self-identified and the tree is deemed safe. However, there is damage to major structural roots caused by footfall near the base of the tree and the lean towards Ornamental Water continues to worsen. There remains a high degree of uncertainty around how long the tree may last, so our team are doing what they can to prolong its natural life whilst we create a succession plan. 

Our arborists explored a range of options with tree industry professionals, including:

• Propping, which would introduce rigid structures anchored in the ground that support tree branches or trunks from below.
• Introduction of static towers and steel cable braces to stop any further decline.
• Relocating the footpath from the base of the tree, reducing damage to buttress roots.

Unfortunately, these options cannot be implemented at this location or would not sustain the tree over the long term. Therefore, the recommended option is to plant a replacement tree nearby and establish knee-high fencing around the base in a horseshoe shape around the tree’s drip line. 

The tree is considered healthy and, as such, it is a self-optimising structure. It has the ability to identify stresses and adapt to them. In this case, the stress is the lean, which trees adapt to through additional structural roots and the production of reaction wood.

I recognise the connections people feel towards this iconic tree, which is of historical significance to Epping Forest. There remains some optimism the tree may surprise us and continue for decades to come, but it seems sensible we make plans now for its eventual replacement. This project is likely to cost around £4,000 for the new tree, fencing and its installation and we will work with the partners to raise funds for this ahead of planting next September.

For more information on Wanstead Park, visit wnstd.com/park

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands will host a New Year stroll in the park on 5 January, with an irreverent, local interpretation on the 12 days of Christmas.

“Join us for an easy post-Christmas morning stroll. We’ll take a tour of some historical highlights of the park, highlighting 12 key moments in its history. This will be a Wanstead Park epiphany walk!” said Adrian Russell.

The walk will depart from the park’s Warren Road entrance at 10.30am, finishing at the tea hut by 12 noon.

Email info@wansteadpark.org.uk

Residents have until 5 January to apply to adopt a tree pit on their street, alongside year-round applications to remove an entire road from the chemical weed control spraying schedule.

“A tree pit is the soil area at the base of trees, perfect for planting with wildflowers. Last year, residents adopted over 650 tree pits across the borough, boosting biodiversity. If you have previously adopted a tree pit, you will have to re-apply as adoptions only last for 12 months,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/treepits

Benjamin Murphy, Chair of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, has published an update on work taking place in Wanstead Park. In the second of a series of extracts, the focus is on the Grotto

For those who may not be aware, Wanstead Park is a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden (RPG) and has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register (HARR) since 2009.

In 1954, the Temple and the nearby Grotto were designated as Grade II listed buildings, while in 1970 the Wanstead Park area was designated as a Conservation Area. The Wanstead Park Conservation Area was added to the HARR in 2010, while the Grotto was separately added in 2017. In its prime, Wanstead House was known to rival the Palace of Versailles in its grandeur – it was the pride of the East End of London.

The Grotto dates back to 1761. It was built over two levels with a boathouse that opened directly onto the Ornamental Water, and a room for entertainment above with a service area to the side. The Grotto survived the wreck of the Wanstead House estate and became a popular attraction when the park was opened to the public in 1882, with an admission price of sixpence. Sadly, most of the Grotto was destroyed in a fire in 1884, and while it has had patchy repairs over the intervening years, it has been badly declining. A restoration project is underway. 

So, what specific actions have we taken? We have completed structural investigations and trial pits to understand the foundations, ground conditions and construction materials around the Grotto and landing stage. There has also been archaeological and geological cataloguing of any loose material, including retrieval of loose stones from the Ornamental Water. A restoration and maintenance plan is currently underway, focusing on essential repairs with recommendations for the conservation and structural stabilisation of the Grotto, with the aim these measures will remove it from the HARR.

But more actions still need to take place. The structural investigations and trial pits identified there was a variation in the construction materials of the landing stage; therefore, an updated construction specification and listed building consent for the landing stage had to be sought. This was submitted at the end of September, with consent hopefully due to be granted before the end of the year. Furthermore, the City of London Corporation has identified funding for the essential and recommended repairs, including a contribution of £14,000 from the Heritage of London Trust.

The restoration and maintenance plan will include recommendations for desirable repairs and restoration works to the Grotto and will include recommendations on public access and visitor information for this construction stage. A further study will be required to look at options for the long-term interpretation and visitor access to the Grotto, along with opportunities to find the additional funding for this.

To read Benjamin’s article in full, visit wnstd.com/parkupdate

With otters recently spotted on a local stretch of the River Roding, Paul Powlesland – who founded the River Roding Trust five years ago – is looking for Wanstead residents to become guardians of the river 

When I moved to the River Roding in Barking on my boat in 2017, I perhaps naively assumed there were professionals and government officials looking after the river. After all, the Roding – flowing over 40 miles from its source in Molehill Green in Essex to its confluence with the Thames in Barking – is London’s third-largest river and crucial to the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people in its catchment, as well as the nature that relies on it.

Having lived on and grown to know the river over the past seven years, I came to understand the awful truth that no one was truly acting and speaking in the river’s interests and preventing damage and destruction to the river; as a result, the lower river in particular was in serious trouble. 

I therefore set up the Friends of the River Roding group on Facebook to start gathering other volunteers. This project became the River Roding Trust in 2019 and since then our volunteers have undertaken a growing range of activities to care for the river: water quality testing, continuing litter picks (removing up to 400 bags in a single weekend!), planting trees, opening riverside paths, removing invasive species, ensuring riverside developments benefit the river, restoring the Roding’s lost riverside meadows and marshes wherever possible, and many more.

Our approach as a charity has been very much a grassroots one and we continue to be run solely by volunteers. We are also very locally run, with volunteers getting to know a particular part of the river and then seeking to protect and restore it in whatever ways we can. Although we have sought to protect all of the river, much of our effort so far has been in Barking and in Ilford, where many of our volunteers live. We are now looking to set up volunteer groups further along the river, including in Wanstead and Woodford, and give them the equipment, training, knowledge, advice and social media and organisational connections they need to act as guardians on their part of the river.

The Roding is an incredible river, which along with its valley and catchment could be one of the wildest, most beautiful and ecology-rich urban rivers in the country. But its fate very much hangs in the balance, with bad news about continued ecological and water quality degradation contrasting with positive news like the recent discovery of otters living in the river in Redbridge.

Each one of us who lives in the catchment can make a big difference for our river, so if you love and care for the Roding and would like to get involved in any capacity as a guardian of the river, please do get in touch.

For more information and to get involved, email river.roding@gmail.com or visit wnstd.com/rodingfriends

Enjoy Art Group Wanstead’s current selling display in Wanstead Library’s lobby. It may even inspire you to add art materials to your gift wishlist this year, says group founder Donna Mizzi

Whether your favourite Christmas images include flying reindeer, chirpy robins, turkeys, partridges in pear trees or angels and Christmas tree fairies, they all have a feature in common. And so, Winged Wonders is the theme chosen by Art Group Wanstead members for its Christmas display at Wanstead Library, which runs until Saturday 21 December.

Artists enjoy having a theme to follow – and then creatively breaking the constraints. So, prepare for some left-field ideas. For example, a Robin in Wanstead may well be accompanied by Batman; Star Trek fans can enjoy some enterprising delights (did you know the Klingon’s battleship is called a Bird of Prey?), while keen birdwatchers can marvel at the natural beauty of our feathered friends.

Artwork and cards will be available to purchase, with contact details available. At the appropriately named Christmas ‘Flamingo Fair’ on Saturday 7 December, the showcase in the library’s lobby will be open for sales from 11am to 4pm. 

The Stow Brothers estate agent supports shows by our local artists and is also showing a range of work by Art Group Wanstead member Nataly Kenny until 8 January. Just pop into the estate agent’s office at 117A Wanstead High Street to enjoy this artist’s work.

Art Group Wanstead is open to keen local amateurs, through to professionals. Our members include adults with a wide range of ages, backgrounds and nationalities, all with a connection to the area. In these difficult economic times, the group helps lift people’s spirits and confidence. And we avoid charging membership fees by asking everyone to get involved in helping the group in some way.

For more information on the work of Art Group Wanstead, visit wnstd.com/art

For nearly 100 years, St Gabriel’s Church parish hall has united the Aldersbrook community. Now, the community’s help is needed to ensure it can be restored for future generations. Georgina Brewis and Jane Skelding report

St Gabriel’s parish hall opened in 1927, and the original £4,000 building cost was raised by fundraising within the local community. The campaign was kicked off by an article in the West Ham and South Essex Mail in December 1925, which reported that “the present church room” was now “inadequate for the growing needs of the church and its parochial institutions.” The Sunday School and other community groups, including a branch of the Church Lads’ Brigade, had been using a temporary tin hall for meetings and events. This was put up in 1903 alongside the original tin church, which was replaced by the brick-built St Gabriel’s in 1913.

In May 1927, two foundation stones were laid with great ceremony, witnessed by a large crowd that is a testament to the hall’s importance to the local community. One stone was inscribed ‘on behalf of the Sunday School’ and laid by the Venerable Archdeacon PM Bayne, and the other by Viscountess Byng of Vimy. The hall was already complete by October that year. An advertising leaflet boasted of the hall’s “polished maple floor for dancing” and “large stage with dressing rooms on either side.” The original hire price was up to three guineas for an “ordinary evening” of dances and whist drives. The proximity to Wanstead Flats was a key selling point and groups were encouraged to hire the hall for refreshments after “tennis or other games.”

Then, as now, the hall was in constant use by the church and local community, often for fundraising activities. For example, in the parish archive, there is a flyer from 1948 advertising a sale to raise money for the Bishop’s Fund for Post-War Needs. Activities included handicrafts, a book stall and, of course, plenty of tea and cake.

One hundred years on, the hall is in desperate need of internal upgrades. The Friends of St Gabriel’s has been raising funds to make sure it is fit for the community now and for another hundred years. The theme for this regeneration project is sustainability, meaning reuse, upcycling and energy conservation lie at the heart of all the work undertaken. Today, the hall is still filled seven days a week by a pre-school, uniformed group meetings, dance classes, sports and games nights for adolescents with autism. 

Last year, St Gabriel’s ran its first Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign with donations match-funded. Father Martyn Hawkes said: “Last year’s Big Give was so successful we raised enough to complete the installation of a new hall kitchen. This year, we are having another go to raise the funds needed to reconfigure the back of the hall and add accessible and enhanced storage, which will benefit each and every user.”

To help us restore the hall for future generations, please consider donating to this year’s Big Give between 3 and 10 December.

For more information and to donate, visit wnstd.com/biggive