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Local councillors are urging NatWest to reconsider the proposal to close their branch in Wanstead.

“This well-used branch provides a critical service for local people, including those who may struggle with online banking and find it difficult to travel further afield,” said Councillor Jo Blackman. The branch – the last remaining bank in Wanstead – is scheduled to close on 31 October.

In a statement, NatWest said: “We’re getting in touch with customers and engaging the local community to talk through our decision.”

Call 0131 380 6528 

A charity based at the Redbridge Lane West allotments in Wanstead is looking for gardening volunteers.

“We began over 10 years ago to engage adults with learning disabilities in the entire process of fruit and vegetable cultivation, harvesting, eating more healthily and learning skills for personal development. Even if you can only spare an hour or two to help us out on the allotments, it would be much appreciated,” said a spokesperson for Sprout There!, which is part of Ilford charity Uniting Friends.

Call 020 8551 8800

Over 350 people attended a fun day at Wanstead Youth Centre earlier this month.

“The event was designed to show what an invaluable community asset the centre is. Attendees enjoyed a range of activities, from basketball to boxing, as well as sampling the state-of-the-art music studio. We would like to thank the community for their support,” said a spokesperson for the Save Our Wanstead Youth Centre Campaign group.

Redbridge Council is due to decide on the venue’s future next month.

Visit wnstd.com/sowyc

In the fifth of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, Tushar Bala presents a montage of his shots of a Little Egret

My name is Tushar Bala and I’m a science teacher. I started my wildlife photography in earnest at Wanstead Park on day one of COVID lockdown. I would practice before and after work. I would take pictures of anything that moved! I love Wanstead Park because of its various wildlife. But it is the people who have approached me to have a quick chat that makes the park special, from lovely retired couples to TikToking teenagers, dog walkers and families.

I have gone on to inspire my students to visit Wanstead Park as well. Just a few weeks ago, one of my wheelchair-bound students insisted on going to the famous bluebell wood. So, his dad and brother pulled and pushed him through the quagmire. He took some pictures, and I will admit, they were brilliant and better than mine. He had a history of not wanting to go out and his parents were desperate to get him out of the house. He is now a regular visitor to the park.

Wanstead Park offers a plethora of wildlife experiences. I’ve played hide and seek with a fox, literally going around in circles. (The fox cheated and took a short cut through the bushes!) I’ve been stopped in my tracks by a heron wrestling with a two-foot pike. I’ve watched a Great Spotted Woodpecker tear off bark to get to grubs. And during one lunchtime walk, I was rewarded with a buzzard perched in the woods. I stopped a family and allowed the children to watch it through my camera lens.

At dusk, I like to sit down with a cup of tea and watch the beautiful terns hunt, swooping down, skimming the surface to catch fish. And I love to watch the Grey Heron do its… well, I call it a snake dance, using its neck to attract fish. Or watch the Little Egret do its shuffle dance to stir up the mud and catch its dinner.

I found the Little Egret quite tough to capture. These birds are usually found at the wooded part of the lake, so the background is very dark and you can easily overexpose the image. Little Egrets are very skittish and one has to approach very slowly. After a few minutes of observation, I decided to go for a set of three images; the dishevelled look, not so dishevelled and then looking quite smart. I call the sequence ‘having a bad hair day!’

Wanstead Park has a lot to offer, not least, for mental health well-being. It is wonderful to be humbled by the wildlife and their behaviour, to meet like-minded people who appreciate the sense of calmness that the park offers, a place to sit and rest one’s bones with a flask of coffee, to listen to the dawn chorus of the birds, a catalyst (I had to put a scientific word in the article!) to visit other places.

As I walk home with my unwieldy camera gear, I’m tired, hungry and thirsty; my joints ache; I’m sometimes euphoric that I may have taken a nice image, but I always have a big, fat cheek-to-cheek smile.

I now also visit lots of other places to get my wildlife fix, mainly RSPB sites and some Wetland Trust sites. My pictures (the decent ones) are emailed to the organisations responsible for looking after the habitats I have visited, just as a thank you. Some images have been published, and usually, the sites I visit will post them on their websites.

To view more local wildlife photos, visit wnstd.com/parklife

Vanya Marks of Wanstead Climate Action laments the area’s lost front gardens to driveways, but cites this positive example on Felstead Road. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

Confession time: six years ago, when my partner and I moved into our current house and couldn’t park anywhere near it, we removed the patch of grass that was our front garden and put in a small driveway. The guilt I have felt since has been profound. I could have used this space to plant a tiny wild flower meadow, a couple of fruit trees or gorgeous perennials to keep the bees and bugs happy. Now, I sit staring at the back of our car worrying about declining insect numbers.

You see the problem isn’t just our driveway. Everywhere I look, the good people of Wanstead are ripping out their vibrant front gardens and installing vast swathes of concrete that could accommodate eight or nine, even 10 cars. From the perspective of UK wildlife (the State of Nature report says that one in 10 UK wildlife species faces extinction), this is a devastating trend. But quite apart from that, the appearance of Wanstead is changing. 

When we first came to this pretty little pocket of London in 2009, the streets were blooming with trees and flowers. Cute cottage gardens all around the village, roses, wisteria and tendrils of ivy spilling over hedges, splashes of blossom and petals perfuming the air. It wasn’t just our splendid street trees providing this colour and scent and life and shade; it was our front gardens. 

Now, I walk around Wanstead and see soulless car parks devoid of life. Birdsong has ceased, the buzzing of bees replaced by the roar of digging machines. It’s little wonder that, according to another study, the UK has lost 60% of its flying insects in the past 20 years. This is terrifying for many reasons: without pollinators, we will have food shortages; without insects, we lose the animals that rely on them as food; without invertebrates that recycle nutrients, our soil will degrade. In other words, they are essential for the proper functioning of all ecosystems. Our gardens, front and back, provide much-needed sanctuary as these creatures are battered on all sides by industrial-scale pesticides, loss of habitat and climate change.

While the Wanstead Community Gardeners do a stellar job adding colour to our streets all year round, and Redbridge Council helps with schemes like tree pit adoption and ‘pollinator pathways’, some homeowners, landlords and developers seem bent on destroying every living thing in sight. Is it a desire for ‘tidiness’? A need to park a whole fleet of cars? Well, no offence meant to anyone from Ilford, but if we keep on replacing front gardens with concrete, we will end up with the barren grey streets of our neighbouring postcode. People of Wanstead, if you don’t do it for the insects and birds, please do it for your house prices! 

And if you must put in a driveway, consider an eco-friendly option such as the one pictured here on Felstead Road. Four strips of paving allow for the wheels of two cars, but keep space for a fabulous mix of easy-to-maintain perennials and pollinator-loving wild flowers.

For more information on Wanstead Climate Action, visit wnstd.com/climate

Following a positive response to his article earlier this year floating the idea of a Wanstead Beer Festival, Councillor Paul Donovan is now part of the organising committee bringing the event to a head in October

The Wanstead Beer Festival is up and running. Save the date: 14 October in the halls of Christ Church. It is hoped this community-based event will put Wanstead on the beer festival map, as well as raise money for local charities. All are welcome, from novices to seasoned real ale drinkers.

A small group of enthusiasts have come together to form the organising committee, but the more the merrier – if you believe you have something to offer, please get in touch, via the email below.

The Wanstead Beer Festival is set to run from midday into the evening. The aim is to get as wide a range of beers as possible, drawn from local breweries and some more further afield. A keen team of researchers have already taken on the task of sourcing the beers. 

Cider enthusiasts are welcome, with some special choices on offer. There will also be lager, and wine and prosecco will be available, too, so hopefully, all tastes will be catered for. And food will be supplied from local sources.

The event is now looking for sponsors, ideally drawn from the local community. It is hoped a special Wanstead Beer Festival glass will be produced, unique for the event. Everyone will get a glass as part of the admission price. A sponsor for the glass would be great.

The event is not for profit, with whatever money made above the operational costs going to a number of local charities.

A real ale aficionado himself, the priest in charge of Wanstead Parish, Reverend James Gilder, is pleased to be a part of the team that is working to bring together the first Wanstead Beer Festival: “I’m really pleased that we are able to host the beer festival in the parish halls. Churches and beer have had a long history, with monks brewing ales for many centuries. Until quite recently, it was usual for a church’s bellringers to keep a cask in the tower, which they often partook of during services! I am sure this event will be a joyous chance to once again see that great Wanstead community spirit coming to the fore, and to spotlight some of our local businesses,” said James.

The response since the idea of a local beer festival was first launched in the February edition of the Wanstead Village Directory has been amazing. Lots of people have come forward and there is a real buzz about the event.

We have a great venue lined up, so now all that remains is to get everything in place for 14 October. No small task, but given the great start, all is looking good so far.

Watch this space.

For more information on the Wanstead Beer Festival, email beer@wnstd.com

With Wanstead Park’s new Woodland Play Area finally open, Gill James reflects on a 22-year campaign by the Aldersbrook Families Association 

Have you ever pushed a buggy containing a protesting toddler across Wanstead Park to reach the nearest play area, half an hour’s walk away on Christ Church Green in Wanstead? If so, you will know why local mums set up a campaign back in 2001 for a play area within walking distance of families living on the Aldersbrook Estate.

It has been a long, long process, which began with the founding of the Aldersbrook Families Association (AFA). Many were the local sites suggested and rejected. When no suitable site could be found, the AFA decided instead to support local projects to benefit families. So began Music in Wanstead Park, the annual event enjoyed by so many families over 17 years.

When a possible site for a modest woodland play area was eventually identified in Wanstead Park, the AFA committee decided to put the money raised by running Music in Wanstead Park into supporting the new play area project. By now, some of those original campaigners are grannies!

There were many hoops to jump through. Seemingly endless City of London committees. What sort of play equipment was acceptable to all users in a beautiful park with a semi-wild aspect? Who was going to install it? Were there any important historic remains in the ground? Who was responsible for maintenance once the play equipment was in? How to keep children safe? How much money could we raise? Should dogs be allowed? And many more questions to answer.

Finally, after many stops and starts, the chair of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee, Ben Murphy, cut the ceremonial ribbon tied to the log stack in the Woodland Play Area to mark the official opening of the site on 16 June, some 22 years after the AFA first set up its playground campaign! School was out, and many children could be seen negotiating the woodland trail, swinging on the monkey bars and enjoying ice creams. It was a lovely sight.

The play area remains a work in progress. The fencing around the whole site must be finished and a surfaced path is also needed, leading to a piece of accessible play equipment such as a basket swing. 

What volunteers have raised:

• £10,000 from the Aldersbrook Families Association, which kickstarted the campaign.
• £7,000 from the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.
• £10,100 from the City of London Central Grants Programme.
• £5,876 from the National Lottery Awards for All fund.
• £1,000 from the 2022 Aldersbrook Garden Trail.
• £1,000 from a family cycling event in the park in 2022.

Now, it’s up to today’s young parents to look after the play area and make it even better.

The Woodland Play Area is located behind the Temple in Wanstead Park. For more information, visit wnstd.com/park

The Save Our Wanstead Youth Centre campaign has issued an open letter in response to the Leader of Redbridge Council’s article in last month’s issue of the Wanstead Village Directory, in which it was announced the future of Wanstead Youth Centre will be decided at a council meeting in September

Jas Athwal, the Leader of the Council, has confirmed in the article that the future of Wanstead Youth Centre will be made at the Cabinet meeting in September 2023.

The SOWYC Group thank councillors, Young People and the wider community for their support in achieving this positive response.

We want to re-iterate our request for the council to grant a moratorium, of at least 12 months, to allow further time to explore and pursue other options and funding streams to retain the only remaining youth centre of its kind in the borough.  And to make available, as previously requested,  the necessary financial documents to allow this to happen. 

We remind the council that over 5,000 people signed the petition to oppose the closure of the centre; and at the public meeting in March many young people spoke about the importance of the centre to their physical and mental health. We sincerely hope this will be central to the decision making in September.

We urge the council to commence a meaningful consultation with the users of the youth centre, to inform the report being compiled for September’s Cabinet meeting.

We would also like to ask for clarity from the council regarding the statement in the article that £14 million that is being invested in the borough into leisure facilities, where in the borough is this investment happening and when? We also request further details on the £4million being spent on the lido in Valentine’s Park and substantiation for the claim the lido will ‘cover it’s own costs’, as we are unaware of a single open-air lido in the country that is self-sufficient.

We invite councillors, as well as the wider community to come and experience the youth centre by attending the ‘Activities and Fun’ event, which is being organised by the campaign group and held at the centre (114 Elmcroft Avenue, E11 2DB) on 15^th July  12-3pm (further details on Facebook)

To stay up to date join the ‘Save Wanstead Youth Centre’ Facebook group , or follow the campaign on Twitter @S_W_Y_C. To join the Group please email SaveWansteadYouthCentre@gmail.com or contact Liz Martins on 07403 649306.

Campaigners will host a fun day at the centre on 15 July from 2pm to 5pm to demonstrate the activities available at the venue. 

Ahead of the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend, James Heal offers his tips for birdwatching on the local patch

Some of the local birders (me included) have been around for a while. I will spare the blushes of one of my fellows who has been ticking stuff locally since before I was born. There are a range of capabilities and specific interests (some of us like gulls, some like surveying breeding birds, some use nocturnal migration recorders and heat sensory binoculars, and some like taking the best photos of birds possible), but this group of core local birders have kept the records flowing over the last decade and more and found some amazing birds. I dread to think about the number of combined hours we have put into birding Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park – it would be a very large figure indeed. Most of us are out at least weekly, and some of us almost daily!

Birding is about so much more than numbers, but there are few committed birders who are not at least somewhat interested in the numbers game. Birders, as we know, like lists, with several of us now contributing regularly to centralised applications, most notably eBird, which enable our bird data to contribute to wider ornithological science. 

I moved to the local area in late 2014, and 2023 is now the ninth year I have been regularly birding the patch. In that time, I have been lucky enough to record 148 species of bird (I say record rather than ‘see’ as two species on my list are ‘heard only’: Quail and Tawny Owl). There are six local birders who have all got over 150 species on their patch lists. I am not going to indulge in false modesty here; for a relatively small and unassuming site, those are impressive numbers! And with 150 years worth of records, and almost 15 years of very comprehensive records, the total patch list is just over 200. Quite phenomenal, really!

Anyhow, I need to get to the point! I realise that for someone early on in their journey of birding, knowing where to start or how to start amassing a substantive list may be a little daunting. So, for the benefit of those who are starting out on their birding journey, or for those who don’t quite visit often enough to make building a big list easy, the following tips are for you.

Get to know the patch
Spend time walking around the local area as regularly as you can. Note what you see, where you see it and when (time of year, but also time of day – these factors can make a massive difference). We have a map on the Wanstead Birding website with some local names for things: Motorcycle Wood, The Gates of Mordor, The Ditch of Despair and the Forbidden Triangle are all on there.

Go out across all four seasons
You don’t need to be a daily or even a weekly birder to clock up some good birds locally, but you do need to get out relatively regularly. You will also build a disproportionately strong list by focusing on birding during the spring and autumn migration periods.

Study your targets
To keep a list, you need to be able to accurately identify your targets by sight (and often at distance) and sound (learning flight calls is essential for the passage migration period). If you are starting from a low base of knowledge, I would suggest using a field guide like the Collins Bird Guide and looking up the birds you see while you are out and about.

Build a base of easy targets
One of two gifts to you from this article is a list of 71 species which should be pretty much guaranteed if you follow the steps above. Admittedly, some of these ‘easy’ birds are easier than others – I doubt I have ever set foot on the patch without ticking off a Robin, whilst I have managed to get several months into the year without adding Grey Wagtail to my year list, but I would be shocked if I didn’t add it before the year is out. Against each of the 71 species, I have put where and when you are most likely to see them. 

Devise a list of more challenging targets
Once you have your foundation species, you can now set yourself a target of the species which should be doable within a typical year. Your second gift is a list of 39 species setting out the largely annual birds which can be tricky, but with some dedication, should be largely doable within any given year. As with above, some are easier to get than others. There are arguments that birds like Snipe, Little Owl, Coal Tit and Yellow Wagtail should really be in the ‘easy’ list, while others such as Short-eared Owl and Yellowhammer could be considered too difficult for a list of this nature. However, this is a target list of birds you might reasonably expect to see, and so even if you only got two-thirds of the list in a year, you would be well on your way to getting 100 birds for the year.

Be ready to engage in twitching
Every year, we get a small smattering of rarer birds than those on the lists provided. If you get serious about your patch list or patch year list and would like to see interesting birds locally, you probably need to be ready to respond to news and come out to try and see the good birds when the news goes out. I remember that within a few months of moving to the area, a Slavonian Grebe showed up on Heronry Pond. It was the first record for the patch and the only one to date. If I hadn’t made the effort to go and see it, there was no guarantee that opportunity would come up again locally.

Building a patch list can be a great way to develop your understanding of birds – a stronger sense of the ordinary will give you greater intuition for the extraordinary. If this article was of use to a small handful of people who then go on to strengthen the network of local birders, the more trained eyes there are out on the patch, the better. Not only from a rarity-finding perspective but also to contribute to the understanding of what birds we have present locally and what is happening to their numbers.

For more information on the Wren Wildlife Group and Wanstead Wildlife Weekend (24 and 25 June), visit wnstd.com/wren

To view the bird lists in the group’s latest newsletter, visit wnstd.com/birdlists

The Wren Wildlife Group will host the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend this month. Everyone is invited to join them in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats to get a little closer to nature. Gill James outlines the events taking place

The Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group was founded in 1972. We’ve spent the last 50 years helping to promote and protect the wildlife of the Wanstead area and its surrounds, and helping to bring the people of East London closer to the wildlife around them. This month, we continue that tradition by inviting you to Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats on the weekend of 24 and 25 June for the Wanstead Wildlife Weekend. Come and discover what’s living on your doorstep! There are activities for all ages.

Moth traps
Saturday 24 June, 6am (Wanstead Park)
Saturday starts bright and early with moth expert Tim Harris revealing what moths he has caught overnight in his moth trap. Meet at the Temple; no booking required. 

Wildlife walk
Saturday 24 June, 10am (Wanstead Park)
Those looking for a later start to the day can join an introductory wildlife walk for all ages with Redbridge Nature Conservation leader Tajinder Lachhar, who will be pointing out the different plants, insects and birds of Wanstead Park. Meet at the Tea Hut; booking required.

Spider safari
Saturday 24 June, 2pm (Wanstead Flats)
On Saturday afternoon, we are delighted to welcome back a man who knows all about spiders, David Carr, who will be on Wanstead Flats leading the great spider safari. Prepare to be amazed. Meet at Centre Road car park; no booking required.

Family workshops
Saturday 24 June, (Wanstead Park)
Take part in a butterfly workshop for families, with hands-on activities, including making butterfly feeders; or join a workshop for older children, learning about our fascinating birds of prey. Meet at the Temple enclosure (times to be confirmed); booking required.

Art ramble
Sunday 25 June, 10am (Wanstead Park)
Discover your inner artist on Sunday morning with Jo Wood, who will be leading an art ramble in Wanstead Park for adults. Meet at the Tea Hut; booking required.

Pond-dipping
Sunday 25 June, 10am & 11am (Wanstead Park)
Children will love collecting and identifying the small creatures to be found in the Shoulder of Mutton Pond. There will be two one-hour sessions, one for younger children at 10am (four- to nine-year-olds) and one for older children at 11am (all children must be accompanied by an adult). Pond nets and experts provided, but bring your own wellies! Booking required.

Macro photography workshop
Sunday 25 June, 2pm (Wanstead Flats)
A local photographer will be showing you how to capture nature’s minute beauty with a camera, photographing insects, such as damselflies and bees. Suitable for adults. Meet at Centre Road car park; booking required.

Climate picnic
Sunday 25 June, 12 noon to 2pm (Wanstead Park)
On Sunday afternoon, we are delighted to be able to welcome families into the newly opened Woodland Play Area in Wanstead Park (behind the Temple). Join in the Great Big Picnic celebrating the Mayor of London’s Community Weekend (bring your own grub). No booking required.

Insect stories
Sunday 25 June, 2pm (Wanstead Park)
The picnic will be followed by an insect-themed storytelling session led by costumed actors. Suitable for three- to six-year-olds. Meet at the Woodland Play Area; no booking required. 

Minibeast hunt
Sunday 25 June, 3pm (Wanstead Park)
Kids will love becoming nature detectives and joining the hunt to see what creepy-crawlies they can find hiding under the leaves and logs. There will also be activities such as identifying trees and animal hide and seek. Meet at the Woodland Play Area; no booking required. 

Wren Group information tent
Both days, 10am to 4pm (Wanstead Park)
More serious nature detectives will be collecting information and recording what animals and plants we can all find and identify over the weekend. Local naturalist Tricia Moxey will be totalling up all the finds to see how rich the biodiversity in our area is. And on Sunday, the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society will be giving advice on how to encourage wildlife in your garden.

Wanstead Wildlife Weekend will take place on 24 and 25 June. For more information, and to book events, visit wnstd.com/wren

The first-ever Wanstead Beer Festival will take place later this year.

“After a great response to an article in the Wanstead Village Directory in February pitching the idea, a core group of enthusiasts have been busy pulling plans together. We can now announce the inaugural Wanstead Beer Festival will take place on 14 October in the halls of Christ Church,” said Paul Donovan, one of the organisers, who are now looking for support and festival sponsors.

Any money raised above event costs will go to local charities.

Email beer@wnstd.com

A statement from the Wren Wildlife Group about this year’s bluebell season in Wanstead Park:

“There was less damage to the flowers by humans than in previous years – the improved signage and clearer paths has helped. But there will always be a minority who don’t appreciate the damage they do by trampling on these delicate flowers. The colder weather meant the bluebell season lasted for longer this year, and, on the whole, the bluebell wood has been a successful collaboration between the Wren Group and the City of London.”