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From diving beetles to jumping spiders, James Heal from the Wren Wildlife Group reports on the highlights of this year’s Wanstead Wildlife Weekend, which revealed the diversity of life thriving on our doorstep

We have been organising the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend or something like it for almost a decade now. The original intention was as a slightly more formalised bioblitz where we counted every species – a mass citizen science natural history survey of sorts. The purpose has since morphed into more of an opportunity to showcase the amazing biodiversity we have locally through family-friendly activities. And there were some great highlights from this year’s event at the end of June.

Almost 50 people came out on the Friday evening and were rewarded with some very active bats, mainly Pipistrelles. Tim, who led the bat walk, was also back in Wanstead Park a few hours later for the annual moth trap reveal near the Temple. This is always one of my favourite activities, and lots of moths gently emerged from the egg boxes in the light trap, including crowd pleasers such as Buff-tip (Phalera bucephala), which looks exactly like a hewn-off section of Birch twig or small branch.

Bob led a walk along the transect (technical term for specific surveyed area) which a small team has been regularly surveying for butterflies. Some of the regular summer species were on show, including Essex Skipper, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, three of our ‘White’ species and a bonus from a well-showing Purple Hairstreak. This latter butterfly is often hard to spot as it is small, quite nondescript on the oft-seen underside of the wings, and likes spending time in the canopy, but one or two came down to ground level.

Another highlight was the rather overwhelmingly well-attended pond dipping at Shoulder of Mutton on the Sunday, where Louis and Gosia shared their knowledge and infectious enthusiasm, with young people wading out and finding Great Diving Beetles, water snails and dragonfly nymphs.

Despite the numbers at the pond dipping, there were still plenty of people who joined local bee and wasp expert Tony Madgwick, who helped an engaged crowd observe the drama of life and death unfold around nest holes of both bees and wasps on the dry and dusty pathways near Heronry Pond.

Amongst other activities – those which looked very closely at some wildlife many might miss – were the spider walk on Wanstead Flats and the lichen walk in Wanstead Park. Species highlights included a minuscule jumping spider found on tree trunks that looks like our common Zebra Jumping Spider (Salticus scenicus), but is much smaller and scarcer (S. zebraneus), and a Cladonia type of lichen (lichens are not a single species!) found not on bark or stone, but on soil.

If you would like to take part in Wren activities or if you have enough knowledge to lead a future walk, please do get in touch.

For more information on the Wren Wildlife Group, visit wnstd.com/wren

Residents are invited to join the Wren Wildlife Group in documenting the butterflies in Wanstead Park.

The event on 9 August is part of the UK-wide Big Butterfly Count 2025. “We will be leading a walk around the park to look for butterflies and to help you identify them. All ages are welcome; we’ll meet by the tea hut at 10am. Handouts will be provided so you can do your own count afterwards in your local area or garden,” said a spokesperson.

The national survey is run by the charity Butterfly Conservation.

Visit wnstd.com/bfly25

Wanstead High Street’s mobility hub and parklet was damaged last month after being struck by a vehicle.

“We have secured the area and are currently identifying the materials required for repair,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson.

However, some residents have called for the seating space – installed in June 2021 – to be removed entirely. “Before the crash, this structure had fallen into disrepair. We have plenty of seating and bike racks, and it uses up valuable car parking spaces,” said Katriye Ibrahim.

Wanstead residents told a public meeting, called by a London Assembly member, how TfL’s careless bus reorganisation is wrecking lives and needs urgent action. Donna Mizzi and Millicent Brown report

On one of the hottest days of the year, about 60 local residents packed a meeting, called at short notice, to speak of the dreadful effects the area’s bus changes have had on their lives, livelihoods, health and children’s education.

Caroline Russell, deputy chair of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee, explained she called July’s meeting at Wanstead House to understand why there was a continuing outcry about the changes imposed last September. The London Assembly holds the Mayor and TfL chairman Sadiq Khan to account. Her eyes widened as, over 90 minutes, she heard emotional accounts of ongoing impact – particularly about the W14, which has created major hardships at every level. “Children can’t get to school and adults can’t get to work.” “Patients can’t reach the hospital.” “The whole thing is a disgrace. We can’t wait for a bus that doesn’t come,” said residents. The W12 and W13 buses have also been problematic for many.

Residents told Caroline the infrequency and unpredictability of the ‘hourly’ W14 services, where there is no alternative public transport, has left elderly and disabled people isolated and lonely – common causes of depression. Meanwhile, carers have had trouble reaching residents. The W14 also avoids the most useful sections of South Woodford’s and Wanstead’s shopping streets, before terminating at Whipps Cross interchange, half a mile from the Outpatients and A&E departments.

Lucille Grant (86) was confined to her Nightingale Estate home on a number of days over the winter, forcing her to sell up and move to a more convenient location. “Now I worry about all the elderly and disabled people I’ve left behind,” she said. Elderly residents, including some using frames or walking sticks, have gone out and not been able to get a bus back home.

Actor and Green Party member Ashley Gunstock said: “TfL is either grossly inept, thoughtless or callous.” Caroline suggested there might have been some planning oversights; the response was a shaking of heads. A resident said it appeared TfL was taking a “sneaky wrecking ball” to the W14 as it hasn’t been as profitable as other routes.

A local elderly woman apologised for arriving late after a one-and-a-half-hour journey. Caroline said she understood because it had taken her that same length of time to reach the meeting, including Tube replacement buses. Immediately, several people chorused: “But this woman hasn’t travelled from Islington!” The exhausted, apologetic resident had just come from nearby Nightingale Lane, but her bus didn’t turn up.

Caroline is a Green Party member. Fellow London Assembly member Keith Prince, Conservative member for Redbridge and Havering, also attended the meeting. He mentioned that the local Labour MP Calvin Bailey has been involved, presenting a parliamentary petition in January. Meeting organiser Syed Siddiqi said the seriousness of the issues meant that parties needed to work together to bring about the necessary bus changes. Keith said he is also arranging to get the Deputy Mayor down to the area and to the badly affected Woodbridge High School in September. Later, he explained he has also visited badly impacted retired residents in Eagle Lodge, Snaresbrook, and has arranged a meeting with the Director of Buses and to ride the W-buses with residents. He has raised direct questions with the London Mayor and says he is having ongoing meetings. Wanstead’s Labour councillors have also been raising the issues at Redbridge’s External Committee meetings. Save Our Local Bus Services campaigners say they will be meeting Deputy Mayor Seb Dance soon, and they were urged to work together with councillors and officers. But then a TfL officer spent much time telling the committee how difficult it was for TfL to make any changes. Councillors responded saying their own objections had been ignored in the first place.

Other residents have been drawing attention to the lack of essential bus information at local stops, including the Whipps Cross stand, even though the extensive changes took place almost a year ago. A TfL officer apologised, without being challenged, and said renewed details should appear this month.

Meanwhile, residents complained the apps were frequently useless. Director of Wanstead Mental Health Clinic, David Sleet, said: “You’re told to check an app for information. If you are a vulnerable person, you are already a target, and TfL is making them do something which makes them even more vulnerable.”

To share your W-bus stories, email donnamizzi@btinternet.com

Local children are invited to celebrate National Playday on 6 August.

Wanstead Library will be hosting a teddy bears’ picnic for under-5s on Christ Church Green from 2.30pm, followed by an hour of games and activities suitable for four- to 10-year-olds from 3pm. “Please note, these free events will take place in the park, weather permitting, but will be held in the library hall if it rains,” said a spokesperson.

National Playday events first began in 1987 as a response to cuts in funding for playgrounds and play centres.

Visit wnstd.com/play25

A new edition of Village Vouchers has been jointly published by the Wanstead Village Directory and South Woodford Village Gazette.

“Next time you head to the High Street, make sure you have Village Vouchers in your pocket. There are over £500 of savings available at local shops, salons, cafés, pubs and restaurants. Plus, every copy sold includes a donation to Tin in a Bin,” said editor Lee Marquis.

Valid until June 2026, the booklets can be ordered online (£5) and collected from the High Street.

Visit wnstd.com/vouchers

Ninety years ago, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the famous K6 telephone box. Wanstead’s own iconic kiosk has now been adopted by Wanstead House Community Association. Kathryn Stangaard reports

It has always surprised me when someone comes into Wanstead House for the first time and says they have lived in the area for years but never knew we were here! For nearly 80 years, Wanstead House Community Association has been part of the local community, here every day of the week providing classes and clubs for everyone from birth to 110!

As a charitable organisation, advertising is expensive; our website and social media work well but sometimes you need something more obvious that really stands out, so what could be better than that typically British London landmark, the phone box?

One of our art tutors, Brenda Coyle, brought to my attention that we could adopt the historic phone box outside Wanstead Station. It was a very easy process. I sent an email to the relevant department at BT and we answered a few simple questions to see if we were eligible. The phone boxes are only available for adoption by councils and charities, so we fitted the bill and were accepted straight away. Obviously, we do have to maintain it, keep it clean and free of graffiti, and we can then use it to advertise Wanstead House and all that goes on here. Around the country, these redundant phone boxes have been used as book exchanges, art galleries and to house defibrillators (we have one of those at Wanstead House now as well, thanks to Martin & Co). It is surprising what you can do with a small space.

This particular phone box is a special one. Known as a K6 kiosk, it was designed by Giles Gilbert Scott in 1935 to mark King George V’s Silver Jubilee. Positioned beside a rare Edward VIII post box, Wanstead’s K6 was Grade II listed in 1987 and is one of only two K6s in the borough (the other one is in Woodford Green, opposite The Castle).

Giles Gilbert Scott was a talented architect, best remembered for the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. He stemmed from the famous Scott dynasty of architects whose patriarch was George Gilbert Scott (Giles’ grandfather), whose work includes Snaresbrook Crown Court and Christ Church, Wanstead.

This amazing opportunity, to be able to adopt and use a part of history, has cost just £1. That was all BT were asking for it, so all we would ask you is to please help us look after this piece of heritage and take the time to stop and have a look at what is going on at your local community centre. I guarantee there will be something that will be of interest to you to keep your mind active or your body fit. It’s never too early or too late to try something new and we always welcome new members. So, next time you are passing, don’t forget to make a quick call to the phone box and see what we have going on.

Wanstead House is located at 21 The Green, Wanstead, E11 2NT. Call 020 8989 3693 or visit wnstd.com/house

The future of Wanstead Park’s waterways and the River Roding are inextricably linked, so what will be the best outcome? Councillor Paul Donovan explores the options

The competing demands for water in the local area was one theme that came out of a recent session run by Epping Forest in Wanstead Park. Invited to the park, local stakeholders were shown around by Epping Forest staff. The focus was the Park Plan, with projects that had been undertaken and in some cases completed over the past couple of years.

On the completion side, there is the floating reed bed on the Heronry Pond. Work to restore the Grotto is underway, with refurbishment of the Temple about to start.

But perhaps the most interesting proposal is the plan to pump water from the River Roding into the adjacent Ornamental Water (pictured here, where there has been no water for some time), then onto the other lakes in the park. The new plan, in a way, operates the opposite way around to the originally designed water system. Then, the water flowed from The Basin on the golf course to the Shoulder of Mutton Pond, onto the Heronry Pond, the Perch Pond and finally the Ornamental Water. The old system no longer functions well, with different lakes drying up over recent years. The Ornamental Water in particular does not hold water for long.

The stopgap measure of recent times has seen the Environment Agency (EA) granting a licence for Epping Forest to pump water from nearby bore holes into the Heronry Pond and Perch Pond. But this is a short-term arrangement, not a permanent solution. Epping Forest is set to replace the old pumphouse with a new one to extract water from the River Roding in the winter months, though EA approval is required for this to happen.

The role of the River Roding in this equation is an interesting one to ponder. On the one hand, there are the warnings about rising river levels with the onset of climate change. This could put surrounding residential areas under threat of being flooded. A safety valve, like the extraction of water to expanses like the park, can relieve some of these pressures. On the other hand, at present, river levels seem low, with competing interests seeking to draw on already depleted resources. The EA has to decide which interests take priority.

There are many calls for water to be restored to the Wanstead Park lakes. Yet, others say why should the river be depleted to maintain a man-made structure in what was the playpen of members of the British aristocracy in past centuries? The park, though, as part of Epping Forest, was given to the people of London by the Crown in 1878. Indeed, the river used to run through the Ornamental Water before it was separated off and straightened as part of the 18th-century designs of the park.

So, there are interesting, competing narratives on the question of water supplies. Some imaginative thinking is required from all sides. Pumping water from the Roding into the lakes has a role to play, but there will be a question of how much? What will future water levels be on the Roding? Maybe going forward, there should be thought given to developing more reed beds and wetland-style terrain, as part of the long-term solution. Or some sort of restoration of the original design, with the river running through the Ornamental Water or controlled by a sluice gate?

The park needs to be viewed as but one part of the overall mosaic that includes the River Roding as well as surrounding residential and non-residential areas. A more holistic view is needed to ensure a truly sustainable long-term solution.

For more information on the Park Plan, visit wnstd.com/parkplan

A planning application has been submitted for the development of a new Education and Youth Hub on the site of the former Wanstead Youth Centre, which closed in October 2023.

The £6.5m project will remodel the Elmcroft Avenue venue to include classrooms, a café, playrooms and offices. However, plans to convert the rear gymnasium into a multi-purpose space have raised concerns among campaigners, who argue it will mean the loss of the last large indoor sports hall in the west of the borough.

Visit wnstd.com/yhp

The rising blight of graffiti tags in Wanstead can be seen on our streets, subways and shopfronts, but with your help, we can report it, remove it and restore pride in our neighbourhood, says Katriye Ibrahim

Have you noticed the surge in graffiti across Wanstead? It’s hard to miss. From the sides of shops and bridges to subways and signposts, the spray paint is spreading fast – along the High Street, to the station and into Christchurch Green and beyond.

As a local resident who cares deeply about this area, I find it genuinely disheartening. This isn’t just about untidy walls; graffiti chips away at our sense of pride and safety. It sends the message that no one’s looking after our community. And when one piece of graffiti stays up, more often follow. It’s called the ‘broken windows’ effect – visible neglect that invites more antisocial behaviour. What message are we sending to our children when they see vandalism all around them? That this is just normal? That this is okay?

Many of us in Wanstead (and South Woodford, which has similar issues) are worried – and rightly so. This isn’t an occasional act of mischief anymore. It’s a growing problem that’s changing the look and feel of where we live.

In Redbridge, the Environmental Enforcement Team works to remove graffiti within three working days, prioritising anything offensive within 24 hours. That’s good news – but only if the graffiti gets reported. They’ve also trialled rapid-response cleaning and increased CCTV in hotspots. Offenders face fines of up to £5,000 and even prison time under the Criminal Damage Act 1971.

But here’s the rub: graffiti often reappears faster than it’s cleaned, and the burden falls on us – residents – to report it. And it’s not always clear who to report it to. Is it council-owned? TfL? BT? It’s frustrating, I know. Still, if we want change, we can’t walk past this anymore. We need to act, together and consistently.

Here’s what you can do: download the Love Clean Streets app from Redbridge Council’s website (for free). It takes seconds to upload a photo, add a location and report any graffiti you see. Whether it’s on a shopfront or a wall, report it. Every time. Your report will be automatically sent to the relevant team at the council to deal with. However, not everything can be dealt with on the app. The council do not deal with the green or black telephone cabinets, for example; that’s Virgin or Openreach. Anything on TfL property will need to be directed to them and telephone kiosks can be BT or private companies.

If we all take that extra minute to report what we see, we can turn this around. It’s what being a community is all about. Wanstead deserves better. Let’s fight back with action, not apathy.

To report graffiti to the right place, call:

Openreach: 0800 023 2023
Redbridge Council: 020 8554 5000
TfL: 0343 222 1234
Virgin Media: 0330 333 0444

To download the Love Clean Streets app, visit wnstd.com/cleanstreets

Artist Jaquie Feldman has a long-standing connection with Wanstead. In more recent years, she has developed an artistic obsession with birds

My association with Wanstead goes back many years. I was born and brought up close by and some of my happiest early memories are of being taken to Wanstead House Community Association for my weekly ballet lessons.

I loved that to my young eyes Wanstead House was ‘oldy worldy.’ I obviously felt it offered more character than the new-builds of the 1960s and 1970s. Today, it stands as a venue in the very heart of the community, still offering ballet lessons, but also various creative arts, crafts, exhibitions and meeting hubs.

These days, I run three classes in mixed media art, and in addition work as a freelance museum and gallery artist and creative facilitator for the British Museum, Sir John Soane’s Museum, Keats House, National Portrait Gallery, the London Museum, Royal Museums Greenwich and UCL. My own practice changed direction during the pandemic as I lost my museum work. During that surreal time, I wrote and illustrated a children’s book, which is due to be published later in the year. It was during the pandemic that I developed an ‘obsession’ with birds and began to incorporate them into my artwork.

My love of birds started when I was young; I recall taking an injured bird to the local park and setting it free. Recently, and perhaps because I’ve never witnessed one, I’ve become fascinated with the breathtaking spectacle of the starling murmuration. In my work, I try to encapsulate the feeling a murmuration might evoke. Initial studies were created simply in pencil, but I’ve recently developed a multi-layering effect using canvas, Indian khadi paper for starling shapes and a combination of pencil, charcoal and ink. Interesting things happen as each medium behaves differently on the surface. The thought of the time-consuming depiction of every single starling in that murmuration might sound unbelievably tedious to accomplish but combined with listening to Philip Glass and Max Richter, I find it all relaxing and hypnotic!      

Although I’ve now moved away, I visit Wanstead as often as I can, inspired by the joyous café society of the High Street and the vibrant community hub that are lucky enough to call Wanstead home… and, yes, perhaps I’m also a little jealous!

To view more of Jaquie’s artwork, visit wnstd.com/jaqfeld

Ninety years ago, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott designed the famous K6 telephone box. Wanstead’s own recently refurbished kiosk still stands proudly outside the station. Local historian Davis Watson reports. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented the telephone and by the turn of the century, small telephone kiosks – soon to be known more commonly as ‘boxes’ – began to pop up around England. The government altered the course of telephonic communication with the Telephone Transfer Act of 1911 which saw the nationalisation of the National Telephone Company, which was taken over by the General Post Office (GPO).

The GPO soon began a quest to design a standard public telephone kiosk that would be used throughout the nation. Their first version appeared in 1921 and was duly named K1, a shortened version of the simple Kiosk One. However, an updated style was quickly sought and in 1924, the Post Office organised a competition for a new design.

The winner was Giles Gilbert Scott, a talented architect best remembered for the stunning Gothic-styled Anglican Liverpool Cathedral. He stemmed from the famous Scott dynasty of architects whose patriarch was George Gilbert Scott Senior (Giles’ grandfather). Local readers will likely be familiar with George’s Wanstead Infant Orphan Asylum (now Snaresbrook Crown Court) and Christ Church, Wanstead.

Giles modernised his design of the kiosk on several occasions before the renowned K6 – commissioned to commemorate the Silver Jubilee of King George V – finally arrived in 1935. It was this design that is the most famous and predominant of England’s kiosks and which remains a British icon to this day. The first K6 hit the streets a year later, and the one outside Wanstead Station (at the time, yet to be built) likely followed soon after.

It was common for the kiosks to be placed near existing post boxes and the one at Wanstead was no exception, being located alongside a post box bearing the cypher of Edward VIII; a rarity in itself as few boxes are in existence due to the short reign of the monarch (325 days).

British Telecom (BT) was placed in charge of English telecommunications in 1981 and almost immediately declared their wish to paint all existing red telephone kiosks in yellow. After much public outcry, the decision was reversed and the kiosks gradually gained their status as national treasures. Many were promptly granted listed status, including Wanstead’s very own K6, which was designated as Grade II on 31 July 1987.

During the following decade, BT repainted many of the crowns that adorn the top sections of the kiosks, changing them from their original red colour to gold, and Wanstead’s kiosk also received that treatment. Another K6 to be amended in that fashion stands at Woodford Green, opposite The Castle; the only other surviving K6 in Redbridge.

Wanstead’s telephone kiosk was restored around the start of this decade, with works including a new door and missing glass replaced. Sadly, it again fell into a state of disrepair, with vandalism including graffitied and scratched glass, along with a much-dirtied interior. It was reported to BT, who completed another round of repairs and restoration last month. “We’re aware of the vandalism problem at this location… We’d urge anyone who witnesses criminal activity to report it to the police. And while crime and antisocial behaviour are police matters, we remain committed to working closely with the authorities and local communities to help where we can,” said a BT spokesperson.

With this year marking the 90th anniversary of Scott’s famous design, perhaps a call for the ongoing preservation of Wanstead’s listed landmark will not be left unanswered?

For more information on the story of K6 telephone box, visit wnstd.com/k6

The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group’s annual Wanstead Wildlife Weekend returns this month with a diverse programme of free nature activities. James Heal reports

WWW stands for the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend (apparently, also something about the world wide web, but this is much more enjoyable). The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group has been organising this set of activities almost annually for a few years now. A midsummer weekend of nature-themed, family-friendly and free activities in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats.

This year, the weekend will run from the evening of Friday 20 June to the afternoon of Sunday 22 June. At the time of writing, we are still finalising the exact running order of events, but it will include things like bat detecting, revealing moths from a light trap, invertebrate recording, studying bees and wasps, a spider survey, pond dipping, a lichen walk and butterfly transect showcase, as well as a couple of stalls, some child-friendly mini beast stories and a wildflower walk.

Some of the activities, such as the pond dipping, will be well suited to families with children and others, such as the spider surveying, will, perhaps, appeal more to those who would like to get more involved with invertebrate recording.

With the continued advances in phone cameras, AI identification tools and accessible and high-quality identification guides in books and online, wildlife recording is becoming increasingly accessible to the interested amateur and we are keen to promote and celebrate this.

It is a great way to get to know the wild places in your local area a little better and dip your toe into the incredible diversity of life that can be found on our doorstep. For example, did you know that inside the small holes on dusty pathways live solitary bees and wasps? Did you know we have rare spiders hiding in amongst the oak leaves and grasses all around us? And did you know that it is possible to catch the nymphs of some of our most beautiful dragonflies in the ponds in our park?

In the years that I have been regularly recording wildlife locally, I have never ceased to be amazed by the diversity we have here and how I can still be shocked and surprised by some of the animals that show up: finding a Siberian migrant (a Yellow-browed Warbler) calling on Wanstead Flats, watching an Osprey fly over my house, watching and photographing a pair of otters in the River Roding, regularly finding a species of spider in my garden that is considered nationally rare. These are just a tiny handful of over 1,000 different species – from mammals to mites – that I have recorded in our local area.

If you would like to find out more about the wildlife around us, please come and join us this month for the WWW.

For more information on Wanstead Wildlife Weekend events, visit wnstd.com/wren

Redbridge Cycling Campaign will lead a 30-mile bike ride from Wanstead Park into central London this month.

“We will use a quiet route in and out of the centre and cycle down The Mall, alongside Green Park and around Hyde Park. The ride will be gently paced and marshalled throughout,” said a spokesperson.

The free event will depart from the park’s tea hut at 10am on 15 June, returning by 5pm. Participants are encouraged to bring a picnic. Less experienced riders and accompanied children are welcome.

Visit wnstd.com/rcc

Cowley Road came together in true community spirit last month to mark 80 years since VE Day with a joyful street party full of reflection, fun and fundraising. Resident Jennie O’ Beirne reports

After being invited by Redbridge Council to apply to hold a street party to commemorate 80 years since VE Day in 1945, Cowley Road decided to go for it! We held our celebration on 4 May.

But before the festivities could begin, a small group of volunteers set about making the arrangements, starting with agreeing with the council to have the road closed for the event.  Each house in the street contributed the same nominal amount towards the day and the council supplied commemorative bunting and flags, which we used to decorate the street to great effect.

Finally, the day came and happened to coincide with the monthly market on Wanstead High Street, so keeping the traffic away became extra important!

The party began with a broadcast of Winston Churchill’s speech from that time and the street took a moment to reflect on the awfulness of war and how lucky we are not to have such terrible atrocities in our country today, even though wars still rage around the world.

Two of the street’s children set up a scavenger hunt, which had us looking for clues up and down the length of the road. The street sat down to a lunch at tables kindly loaned by The Duke and other neighbours. There was also a sharing table, laden with soft drinks, cakes and crisps for everyone to help themselves. Lunch was followed by a cake competition so the cakes could then be eaten!  We had a very successful auction of mainly donated items and everyone was given a raffle ticket with a host of prizes being given out, the star prize being a large hamper of goodies. We had a London quiz and a guess-the-intro music quiz, which everyone enjoyed with more prizes won.

There was a children’s table with colouring activities and a parachute-style game. With the street closed, it was great to see children playing football in the road just like old times.

Despite the chilly northeasterly wind, a great time was had by everyone, with wonderful neighbourly friendliness and great community spirit. From the smallest babies to some of the oldest residents, it was fabulous to have so many people join in, despite it being a Bank Holiday and a lot of households away.

We had a collection point for Tin in a Bin, which was very generously supported. We were also delighted to raise over £500, which we chose to donate to CombatStress, a veterans’ mental health charity.

For more information on closing a road for a street party, visit wnstd.com/party

For more information about CombatStress and the work they do, visit wnstd.com/cs

The practice team at Aldersbrook Medical Centre has been awarded a permanent contract to run the surgery.

It follows a year of uncertainty after the NHS reduced the surgery’s budget, forcing providers Richmond Road Medical Centre to hand in their notice and enter into a new procurement process. “We are delighted! We now have certainty the services we receive will continue,” said Terilla Bernard from the patient participation group.

GPs will host a prostate cancer awareness talk at St Gabriel’s Church from 7pm on 1 July.

Marian Temple invites you to join the Wanstead Community Gardeners on two evening ‘trundles’ this June to hear the stories behind the patches, meet the gardeners who created them and discover the blooming heart of Wanstead’s community spirit. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

Wanstead Community Gardeners have been super active for a good ten years now, but it all started in 2003 with the Corner House Garden at the Age Concern Luncheon Club. At that time, the garden was a sorry sight indeed, but was to become Wanstead’s iconic cottage garden on the High Street.

Since then, there’s been no stopping us. We now have over 40 patches of former SPPS (sad patch of public soil), from tree surrounds to full-sized gardens. We took them under our trowel and the resulting patches help make Wanstead the special place it is. Want to join in the fun? Ask one of us or send us an email.

We’ve been doing the Wanstead trundles for some time now because people are really interested in our patches of gardens and want to know how they came about.

This year, it will be two trundles because us Community Gardeners now have so many patches all over the place that it’s not possible to cover the ground in one session!

There are two dates for a leisurely evening guided walk with the stories of how each patch came into being and a chance to meet the gardeners who created them. Entertainment guaranteed.

The first trundle will take place on Monday 2 June; meet at Snaresbrook Station for 7pm if you’d like to join us. At this end of the High Street, there were no obvious sad flower beds for us to adopt, so we looked skywards. Lots of interesting stories to be heard about the Hanging Gardens of Snaresbrook. We’ll have a quick look at Solly’s Patch, the raised street planter at the end of Lonsdale Road. This was due to be flattened when its occupant, the Horse Chestnut tree, died, but the council let us have it, complete with tree stump, so the well-loved patch of colour on the corner was created. We’ll finish at the Wanstead Clinic Garden on Wanstead Place, another delight and work in progress.

On Monday 9 June, we’ll be meeting at 7pm again, this time at the Belgique Bed, which is at the end of George Green, on the opposite side of the road to Belgique. We’ll have a look at that border, the Gravel Garden, the mini meadow behind that, then cross George Green to Ingrid’s Isle (pictured here), that amazing traffic roundabout turned garden, much beloved by drivers and footsters alike. We’ll finish this second trundle at the Corner House Garden, opposite the Co-op, where this whole story started 22 years ago.

No need to book, just turn up. Each walk will probably take about two hours, but people are free to join or leave as they wish. Join us for a chance to find out about this little niche of Wanstead history.

Happy trundling!

To contact the Wanstead Community Gardeners, visit wnstd.com/wcg

Redbridge Council is proposing to introduce a road safety zone covering Aldersbrook and parts of Wanstead.

“As part of its draft Sustainable Transport Strategy, the council has committed to the implementation of road safety zones… to contribute to the goal of Vision Zero, which is the elimination of road deaths and serious injuries by 2041,” said Councillor Jo Blackman.

The Wanstead South safety zone – one of three across the borough in the first phase of the project – will see a speed limit of 20mph on all roads south of the A12 and north of Wanstead Flats. Implementation is expected within the current financial year, with additional zones set to follow for the rest of Wanstead and South Woodford.

Redbridge has an average of two road deaths and 88 serious injuries each year. If a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle travelling at 20mph there is a 2.5% chance they will be fatally injured, compared to a 20% chance at 30mph.

Visit wnstd.com/20

In the first of a series of articles, Benjamin Murphy, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, reports on the improvement projects that will be getting underway in Wanstead Park this summer

Wanstead Park is a Grade II* Registered Park and Garden and has been on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register 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 Heritage at Risk Register in 2010, while the Grotto was separately added in 2017.

Over the next few months, work will begin on several heritage and conservation projects in Wanstead Park as part of our ongoing efforts to care for this much-loved historic landscape.

Thanks to donations from the Friends of Wanstead Parklands and Aldersbrook Families Association, the play area will be getting a facelift, including new play equipment, signage and a surfaced path to an accessible nest swing. During this time, the play area will need to be closed completely, and we hope to have the work finished this summer.

As readers may already know, the Grotto is in need of work to stabilise its structure to remove it from the Heritage at Risk Register. This essential work, led by the City of London Corporation as conservators of Epping Forest, will also begin this summer and is expected to continue until the end of the year. Works will include removing and replacing decayed bricks and loose pointing and reinstating new flaunching – the mortar base holding the chimney stacks in position. From a distance, these changes might not look like a lot, but along with a steel frame that will be erected at the back of the Grotto, they will stabilise the brickwork and ensure it remains in good condition.

As outlined in my January article, Wanstead Park’s British Isles-shaped ‘Map Tree’ has a pronounced lean toward the Ornamental Water and exposed roots at the base of the trunk (see picture). Sadly, these roots are being damaged from heavy footfall, so, in the next few weeks, a low fence will be built around this 200-year-old cedar to help protect it. The roots not only carry nutrients and water but anchor the tree firmly in the ground. Please help us preserve this much-loved specimen for as long as possible by keeping off the roots. There remains some optimism the tree may surprise us and continue for decades to come, but we are also making plans to plant a replacement nearby.

There are also several projects underway to improve the water resilience in the park.  Our new Wanstead Park Projects Officer is coordinating these to ensure their successful delivery over the next couple of years. More to follow on this in a future issue.

Throughout these important conservation and heritage works, some areas of the Park may be closed off to visitors, for your safety.

For more information and updates, visit wnstd.com/colc

Local artist Verity Watkins is fascinated by flowers – including Wanstead Park’s iconic bluebells – and celebrates their beauty through screen printing

Over Easter, the bluebells were out in all their glory in our beautiful Wanstead Park, and I visited there most days to enjoy these increasingly rare and delicate plants. There is nothing like an ancient woodland glade, in dappled spring sunshine, with a misty blue carpet of flowers.

Traditional English bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) are defined by their arching stem and almost violet bells that droop in one direction, and this is what I’ve tried to capture in my screen print designs. They are also known as wood bells, wild hyacinths or fairy flowers, on account of the fluted bells that look charmingly like tiny fairy dresses.

I work on an occasional basis for the learning department at the Chelsea Physic Garden, the oldest botanical garden in London which started in 1673, just after the Great Fire of London. It gives me ample opportunity to observe the many plants that come and go during the seasons and I take a lot of pictures of these. Sometimes, I scavenge leaves, petals, nuts and berries from the streets around Wanstead or Wanstead Park itself. I’ve even knocked on someone’s door and asked if I can take a picture of their gorgeous flowers. From these, I create digital collage images, which I also turn into designs for cards. Sometimes, I just sit quietly and look. It’s amazing what you can see when you truly look; this is what nature teaches us, to appreciate the small details of the beautiful plants around us.

Screen printing can be a complex process, but I choose to do it at home on the kitchen table, cutting out traditional stencils, which encourages simplicity. I’ve always been fascinated by plants and flowers and the character they have when distilled into simple shapes. I use acrylic paints for their vibrancy and work fairly large, with anywhere between three and eight colours per screen print. These days, it’s fairly easy to recreate the look of screen printing using digital techniques, but it’s the real-life inconsistencies that give a screen print its character and joy. I usually start by intending 10 prints, but after some misaligning or soggy stencils, I usually end up with about five originals I am satisfied with. I then scan the image and create artwork to send to the printers to create greetings cards.

I have lived in Wanstead for 30 years and always look forward to the show of bluebells every year. It used to be a local secret. But sadly, the rise of social media has led to many more people coming simply to grab a picture of themselves with these iconic and joyful plants. Did you know that a bluebell once stepped on can take six years to recover? We all need to be careful to protect the natural heritage we have, otherwise, sadly, all we will have left are the pictures.

To view more of Verity’s art and to order greetings cards, visit wnstd.com/verity

Open-air theatre will return to Wanstead Park this summer.

The new season will begin on 14 June with a performance of The Wind in the Willows by outdoor theatre company Illyria.

This will be followed by the East London Shakespeare Festival’s production of As You Like It on 5 and 6 July.

Illyria will then return with Pride and Prejudice on 22 July and HMS Pinafore on 8 August.

All shows take place in the park’s Temple enclosure and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and a picnic.

Visit wnstd.com/wp25

TfL has confirmed the W14 bus will once again stop at Woodbine Place.

“We regularly review our services according to feedback… We are now working to change the W14 westbound service so it stops at Woodbine Place,” said a spokesperson.

It follows TfL’s review of the W12, W13 and W14 bus routes, which were restructured last September.

The review – published last month – concludes the services have not been good enough, with the arrival of new electric buses in the summer expected to improve performance.

Visit wnstd.com/wr

As part of VE Day 80th anniversary celebrations, local historian Davis Watson will give a talk about the impact World War Two had on Wanstead

Eighty years ago this month, Wanstead joined the rest of the country in celebrating VE Day. Amid the jubilation, Wanstead could also reflect on a trying time that had seen residents pushed to their limits.

By the time war had been declared in September 1939, Wanstead, like many other towns across the nation, had been preparing in case of conflict. The Borough of Wanstead and Woodford had founded a local Civil Defence Service in March 1936 and when war was announced, 43 wardens’ posts, spread across six districts, were quickly confirmed.

Locations of posts in Wanstead included the entrance to Wanstead Golf Club, the grounds of the Weavers’ Almshouses and Nutter Lane, opposite the junction with Buckingham Road. Other well-known local sites utilised during the war included Wanstead High School for use as a field kitchen, Christ Church Green as a home for a temporary shelter and Hermon Hill Methodist Church hall as a rest centre to provide accommodation for bombed-out families.

Wardens dashed between these sites night after night as reports of bombings and fires were reported to the posts. One of their most memorable call-outs occurred in August 1940 when a British plane crashed in Hereford Road, bouncing off two houses before landing in the road and sending stray bullets through nearby walls; the pilot having baled out successfully, the sole injury was sustained by a dog.

A week later saw the commencement of the Blitz and Wanstead suffered heavily on the first night, chiefly around the Nightingale Lane junction of the High Street. Roughly 500 incendiaries fell in that area alone, which destroyed several buildings, including two houses on Grove Road (since renamed Grosvenor Road) and a block of flats at the newly built Shrubbery. Several properties on the High Street itself were also badly damaged.

In the meantime, other important measures were seen to; guardrails were installed at Eagle Pond to prevent pedestrians falling in during blackouts, a siren was installed at Wanstead Police Station to signal the start of a raid and the all-clear, and Reverend Godwin Birchenough, rector of the parish, reluctantly cancelled Wednesday evening services as they were frequently interrupted by raids.

In the midst of such action on home soil, countless local residents also received news of the death of loved ones on active service. Wanstead residents to die serving their country included pilot Arthur Lowthian Barge of the RAF Volunteer Reserve, who, in April 1943, crashed his plane into a tree in Wiltshire. Barge’s father, also named Arthur, was a local councillor who played a huge role in civil defence in the borough throughout the war, at one point serving as chief warden. A fellow military casualty was Battle of Britain pilot David Edward Lloyd, who passed away in March 1942 when he collided with a Polish plane over Hayes. Both Barge and Lloyd, among many other Second World War military casualties, are buried in the graveyard at St Mary’s, Wanstead.

1. Wanstead High Street.
2. Rescue workers rest after a bombing on Lake House Road on 19 March 1941.
3. The Shrubberies following bombing in the early hours of 8 September 1940.
4. Lake House Road following a bombing on 19 March 1941.
5. The Hermitage, Snaresbrook Road, bombed in October 1940.
6. Snaresbrook Road.
7. 12–14 Hereford Road after a British plane crashed in the street on 31 August 1940.
8. Evergreen House on Wanstead High Street following a bombing on 7 September 1940.

A talk entitled Wanstead at War will take place at Christ Church on 5 May from 3pm (free; no booking required). For more information on other local VE Day anniversary events, visit wnstd.com/ve80

A planning application has been submitted to redevelop two single-storey shops on Wanstead High Street.

The proposal involves demolishing the existing buildings – currently home to The Wanstead Barber Shop (1A) and the now closed Simple ‘n’ Natural shop (3A) – and replacing them with a development featuring a ground floor retail unit and three flats above.

evelopers say the new building will complement the surrounding architecture and will in-fill the gap within the existing three-storey terrace.

Visit wnstd.com/1a3a

Wanstead Park’s annual display of bluebells has attracted thousands of visitors.

“The bluebells looked magnificent and have gradually spread over the years with a helping hand in the winter from the Wren Wildlife Group, who maintain the pathways that protect these delicate plants. Thankfully, we haven’t noticed any new unwanted paths being created through the flowers. The stems, however, look shorter this year, possibly due to a lack of rain this spring,” said Gill James of the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.