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An estimated 20,000 people joined street parties and events across Redbridge to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III earlier this month.

“There is such a strong sense of community spirit all across Redbridge. At the street parties, I heard many inspiring stories of roads forming WhatsApp groups to help their neighbours during the pandemic – these acts of kindness led to blossoming communities and close friendships, cumulating in these community events,” said the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal.

The latest novel by Peter Chegwidden is a tale of love and tragedy which draws on memories of growing up in Wanstead and South Woodford in the 1950s and 1960s. Here, the author shares some of those memories

Ah, memories. And childhood memories, often the best. I was born in Wanstead in 1949, living in Chestnut Drive before moving in infancy to Malford Grove in South Woodford. I started my education at Churchfields (Mr Williams was the Head) and after a day’s schooling, there was nothing better than a visit to Downey’s for sweets on the way home!

Dad made us a wooden toboggan for use when the Hollow Ponds were frozen and the land covered by snow – our sledge went much faster than the bought ones. Us means me and my beloved sister Kathleen, who later attended Gowan Lea. Both sister and school are now sadly long gone. 

Ah, memories. The cows from the nearby forest wandering up Malford Grove to graze uninvited in our front garden! Going shopping with Mum at the Home and Colonial Stores near South Woodford station. Hearing the eerie sound of the air-raid siren being tested at Gates Corner every morning. The council thinking it was a good idea to give Malford Grove pink concrete verges. Aargh! Standing on Pulteney Road bridge, watching the trains go by, occasionally seeing a shunting engine working in the coal yards there. Mum and Dad taking us to the Plaza cinema on George Lane to see a comedy film. Dad taking us to the green in front of The Drive to throw sticks at the trees in the hope of bringing some conkers down. Mum taking us on the 101 from Wanstead, past the park and across the Flats to feed the swans near the City of London Cemetery. Or letting us play on the swings in the park surrounding Christ Church. Even to a small child, it gave a village feel to Wanstead. 

Dear memories. For his business, Dad had several lock-up garages at De Gruchy’s (I think it was) on New Wanstead, a large complex I found fascinating. There was my first girlfriend, Nola, who took my illustrated love letters to school where the teacher held them up for the class to see. Blush. We were both 10. It didn’t last. Later, I went to school in Loughton, often travelling on the Green Line 720 coaches. 

Cherished memories. For worship Sunday morning, it was communion wine at Holy Trinity on Hermon Hill, then over the road to the Fir Trees for beer! The then vicar, Father Angwin, joined us there once. And I was now out of my teens. But there had been a ‘guiding star’ for my future in my childhood.

Near Snaresbrook Station was a road sign to ‘Maidstone A20’ (no doubt via the Woolwich ferry), and at 23, that was where I moved when my firm relocated. And I’ve been in Kent ever since. But my memories of Wanstead and South Woodford have never left.

Peter’s novel, The Valour of the Heart, is available from Amazon (Kindle: £2.99; paperback: £6.99). Visit wnstd.com/valour

Wren Wildlife Group member Sybil Ritten needs help surveying Wanstead’s stag beetle population this summer

Would a walk on a balmy summer’s evening in our local area appeal to anyone? It appears that Bushwood, Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park have never had a survey for stag beetles (Lucanus cervus), despite there being areas which are suitable habitats for their breeding and despite them being found both within these areas and on the surrounding streets.

So, I am planning to do a transect survey this summer in Bushwood and wondered if anyone else would be interested in doing the same in this or an adjoining area, including Wanstead, Aldersbrook or Leytonstone.

Stag beetles are part of the Saproxylic group of beetles, so are found in areas where there is a supply of dead and decaying wood. After around six years as larvae, they pupate and emerge as adults to find mates from late May to early August. The males searching for females tend to migrate to surfaces of warmth, hence often being found on pavements and roads.

Briefly, the transect survey will entail choosing a 500-metre patch where you walk and record what you see six times during June and July at sunset. If possible, you should walk from west to east and it needs to be above 12ºC, with little or no wind, and dry. There seems to be a dearth of surveys within woodland and wilder green spaces, but if it is more convenient, a transect on streets or a local park is also acceptable. The time, date, temperature, humidity and wind speed are recorded and the amount of live and dead wood habitat is estimated for each walk. If you are lucky enough to come across any stag beetles (alive or dead), you can take a photograph to confirm your identification. The adult male is distinctive (pictured here), but the female bears a resemblance to the lesser stag beetle (Dorcus parallelipipedus), which has a wider distribution but is matt black as opposed to a shinier, dark conker-brown colour.

Your survey can then be uploaded to the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), or if preferred, you can return forms to me so I may scan and upload them. It will be easier to retrieve the data as a group if we submit the collective data to one account, and I am willing to take on this role. The data is ultimately fed into the National Biodiversity Network and the European Stag Beetle Research Group. I hope to also encourage people to report any isolated findings through the PTES website. 

Apart from the PTES website, you may also find Maria Fremlin’s articles and papers a great resource. She has been studying the beetles for 20 years. Currently, she is looking at egg development in the stag beetle female, so would value it if anyone finds a dead female to dissect (open the abdominal sternites and take a photograph). Alternatively, if you can get them to me quickly, I am happy to perform the task!

To contact Sybil for more information, email bushwoodlucanus@outlook.com

For more information on the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species, visit ptes.org

To read Maria Fremlin’s articles, visit wnstd.com/fremlin

Ann Holmes reflects on 100 years of lawn bowling at Wanstead Bowling Club, and invites residents to have a go at this historic sport at this month’s open day event

What have the Romans ever done for us? Anyone who has watched Monty Python’s Life of Brian may recall the list. But we also have them to thank for refining the Egyptian practice of rolling stone balls towards targets into the modern game of bowls. It was adapted across Europe, spreading through the British Empire and The Commonwealth and is hugely popular in Australia.

Indeed, it was so beloved that a succession of laws was passed restricting play from the 13th century onwards. Far too much time was being taken away from archery practice, a skill integral to success in battles. The game was exclusively thereafter only played by royalty and the upper classes until Queen Victoria relaxed restrictions in 1845.

The invention of the lawnmower by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830 enabled the greens to be brought to a much higher standard and opened up the sport to the masses. The famous cricketer WG Grace founded the English Bowling Association in 1903 and went on to represent England in the first six Home International Series. 

Our club started out as an offshoot of Wanstead Cricket Club. In 1912, veterans of the ‘willow’, looking for a less strenuous sport, started playing bowls on the eastern side of the cricket ground. As the game became more popular, Wanstead Sports Ground Ltd arranged for a good Cumberland turf green to be laid in front of the golf clubhouse. A new club was born and formally opened on 30 June 1923.

For many years, the dress code was very formal. These days, women no longer have to play in skirts, nor men in long-sleeved collared shirts and ties. Many clubs now have patterned tops and play with a myriad of coloured bowls rather than just black. 

Our ethos is to be inclusive. We have members of all ages, with different physical challenges, and some no longer able to play competitively, who are just happy to have a friendly ‘roll up’ or sit and watch. We go on lovely day trips to play other clubs and have a busy social calendar, with quizzes, race nights, bingo and murder mystery evenings. 

Our special centenary open day is on 14 May, from 12 noon to 4pm, where there will be a plant stall, cream teas, ladies playing in vintage dress and much more. You can have a go, if you want, with fun events on the green. An added bonus is that we are in the unique and privileged position of being within the beautiful surroundings of Wanstead Golf Club – a little oasis in the East End!

Wanstead Bowling Club is located within Wanstead Golf Club on Overton Drive. For more information, visit wnstd.com/bowls

With the skylark protective fencing on Wanstead Flats being vandalised, Wren Wildlife Group members Bob Vaughan and James Heal are keen to educate the community on the need for this temporary measure

At certain points in history, Wanstead Flats has been at risk of enclosure and being developed. We should be forever grateful for the committed local citizens of East London and Essex who resisted those moves.

Wanstead Flats has, however, been enclosed and utilised a number of times, albeit on a temporary basis: a prisoner of war camp in World War II, a police muster station during the 2012 Olympics and a temporary mortuary (that was thankfully not really used) during the pandemic. Another enclosure of sorts is the temporary fencing put up around sections of the broom fields on Wanstead Flats where our local skylarks breed. Nobody wants to see Wanstead Flats enclosed, but, as with all things in life, there are times for compromise, and it seems to me that temporarily not being able to walk or take dogs into a relatively small section of grassland to give our ground-nesting birds the best chance of survival seems like a price worth paying. 

Skylarks can be heard singing on Wanstead Flats every spring, the closest colony to central London. However, this small brown bird is now a red-list species of conservation concern.

Over the years, the Wren Wildlife and Conservation Group have been monitoring the numbers of singing male skylarks on Wanstead Flats and have noticed a rapid decline from double figures in 2010 to just three or four in the last few years. As it is a ground-nesting bird, the skylark is prone to disturbance, and with the increase in footfall on the Flats, we are concerned that skylarks might soon be lost as a breeding species locally. A further complication is that skylarks will not nest near tree cover; they prefer open spaces.

So, in 2021, the City of London agreed to put up fencing during the breeding season (March to August) over a couple of small areas in the middle of the Flats. This experiment has worked well and, although it is difficult to be precise, with no breeding recorded in 2020, it is believed at least one pair bred successfully in the last two years.

However, this year, someone has been cutting down the fence. We are not sure why this is happening. We want everyone to support this initiative, which is now being adopted elsewhere to ensure the skylark’s song will remain a delight throughout the UK. The Wren Group has been involved in helping the community – especially dog walkers – understand the need for this temporary fencing. The public has been very supportive and appreciative of the lovely lilting song as they walk through the Flats on the main paths. Unfortunately, a small number of individuals seem keen to break the rules and ruin things for the majority.

Community. Neighbourliness. Dialogue. Understanding. Progress. These all seem like pertinent words at the moment.

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

Four open-air evening performances will take place in Wanstead Park this summer.

Award-winning theatre company Illyria will begin the season on 30 May with Robin Hood, followed by performances of Twelfth Night (29 June) and Pride and Prejudice (28 July).

All-male theatre group The Lord Chamberlain’s Men will conclude the programme with a production of Romeo and Juliet on 27 August.

All shows take place in the Temple enclosure from 7pm, and attendees are encouraged to bring their own seating and a picnic.

Visit wnstd.com/wp23

Wanstead Park’s bluebells have emerged and should remain on show into early May.

“The warmer weather in mid-April encouraged the bluebells to open, and the sunshine brought out their sweet scent. The main show will be at the end of April, hopefully with the flowers on display into May. The park has been very busy with visitors taking photos and children cycling and balancing on the logs. Happily, we’ve seen no sign of destructive trampling so far. The new signage seems to have helped a lot,” said Gill James of the Wren Wildlife Group.

Visit the bluebells in Wanstead Park this month, then enjoy them in art form at St Gabriel’s Church, says Art Group Wanstead founder Donna Mizzi

The bluebell wood in Wanstead Park attracts more publicity and draws in a greater number of visitors with each passing year. But this month, you will be able to enjoy the local English bluebells more than ever before. 

A Bluebell and Spring art display and event is being organised by Art Group Wanstead to celebrate the annual appearance of these enchanting flowers. And it will be held at St Gabriel’s Church on Park Road, Aldersbrook, just a short walk away from Wanstead Park’s bluebell wood, giving the opportunity to combine both attractions.

A wide range of art – including painting, drawing, photography, collage, mixed media and mosaic – will be on show from local artists (professional and amateur). Work by young artists from Make Me An Art Star art club and Wanstead Park Preschool group will also be displayed. The event is being supported by The Stow Brothers estate agents.

The event runs from Monday 17 April until Sunday 23 April. The biggest day will be Saturday 22 April, when there will also be fascinating workshops and art demos for adults and children, stalls, a bead shop, teas and scrumptious cakes. There will be no admission charges, but donations for St Gabriel’s Tin in a Bin will be greatly welcomed – either in the form of tinned food or cash contributions for the food bank.

On all open days, there will also be an art and craft Give, Take ’n’ Donate table with the money going to the food bank. This is your opportunity to spring clean your art cupboards. Good quality art and craft items of all sorts will be appreciated by visitors and artists, including art books, paper, picture frames and materials for adults and children.

Art Group Wanstead plans to have some refreshments available each day for local residents and walkers who want to pop in to enjoy the art. Perhaps it will encourage visitors to start some bluebell artwork of their own. 

It is estimated that the UK has up to half of the world’s total bluebell population. But don’t confuse our delicate, drooping bluebells with the Spanish version, which grows upright with flowers all around the stem. The hybrid, a mix of the British and Spanish, may gradually threaten the native bluebells’ existence. In our part of the UK, the most intense bluebell blooming time tends to be from mid-April up to early May. But keep your eye on local reports.

When viewing the flowers in the park, always stick to the log-lined paths: it can take years for crushed bluebells to regenerate in a trampled spot. A few minutes of thoughtless behaviour could easily impact this stunning wildflower spectacle.

Bluebell and Spring event times at St Gabriel’s Church, Park Road, E12 5HH:

Monday 17 April: 12 noon–3pm
Tuesday 18 April: 12 noon–3pm
Wednesday 19 April: show closed
Thursday 20 April: 2.30pm–4.30pm
Friday 21 April: 12 noon–3pm
Saturday 22 April: 11am–4pm
Sunday 23 April: 11.15am–1.30pm

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

In the third of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, Diane Dalli presents her shot of a female ring-necked parakeet

I have been visiting Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats to photograph the wildlife there for the past three years. It is a haven for a variety of birds and there is always something to spot, from birds of prey like little owls and kestrels to smaller species like stonechats and white throats.

The swifts and swallows that arrive in late spring are challenging to photograph and I will be attempting to get a sharp picture of them flying this year. They fly at up to 70mph, so they live up to their name!

Skylarks have been given their own territory on the Flats, fenced off to prevent disturbance during the nesting season, and can often be seen soaring over the flats, singing sweetly. Another challenging photo opportunity.

And then there is the large flock of ring-necked parakeets, which are present all year round and are very active, squawking as they fly by. The female parakeet pictured here was with her mate, checking out the hole in the tree as a possible nesting spot, so I will be returning later in the year to see if I can see any fledglings. While this colourful bird is named the ring-necked parakeet, only the males develop the telltale ring.

In the summer months, I also enjoy photographing the many varieties of colourful butterflies in Wanstead, some quite rare, like the green hairstreak and the clouded yellow. 

There are many different habitats around here, including several lakes and ponds with a large variety of waterbirds. Dragonflies can also be seen, skimming across the water on a hot summer’s day. The ponds suffered last summer in the drought but are now looking ready to support this year’s breeding pairs of swans, egrets, ducks and grebes.

Wanstead Park is a peaceful place to spend a few hours away from city life and I will keep coming back with my camera.

To view more of Diane’s wildlife photos, visit wnstd.com/dalli

Temporary fencing returned to Wanstead Flats last month to protect ground-nesting skylarks during the breeding season (April to August).

“The skylark is now on the Red List for species of conservation concern. We have been monitoring the numbers of singing males on the Flats and have noticed a rapid decline from double figures in 2010 to just three or four in the last few years. With increased footfall on the Flats, we are concerned skylarks may soon be lost as a breeding species locally,” said a Wren Wildlife Group spokesperson.

Visitors are being asked not to pick or trample on Epping Forest’s native English bluebells, including those growing in Chalet Wood in Wanstead Park.

“The past few years have been hugely damaging to our rare bluebell population. Sadly, a growing number of visitors seem to care more about getting a social media moment than the lasting damage they leave behind,” said Ben Murphy, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee.

Bluebells serve an important purpose in the park’s ecosystem, feeding bees and other early pollinators. Even when not visible above ground, the bulbs can be damaged by heavy footfall, and when the plants are trampled on, it can take them four to seven years to re-establish and grow again.

“To avoid us having to close off areas of Epping Forest, we hope by explaining why these sites are so important, alongside new pathways and signage, visitors will work with us to protect these wonderful bluebells for years to come.”

A Wanstead Community Coronation Festival will take place on Christ Church Green on 7 May in aid of the Mayor of Redbridge Appeal and supporting Tin in a Bin.

“This will be a fabulous opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate the King’s Coronation. There will be music, entertainment, fairground rides, stalls, food and refreshments,” said Suzi Harnett, who is helping to organise the event. Volunteers, performers and stallholders are invited to take part.

If you would like to have a stall at this event,
contact Melissa: melissa.titre@treehousenurseryschool.com or call 07714 947 210 

If you would like to perform or get involved and volunteer on the day,
contact Suzi: suziharnett@btinternet.com or call 07917 670 664

Stand-up comedian Stephen Catling will be performing in Wanstead this April as part of the Laugh-Able Comedy Night to mark Autism Awareness Month. He believes people with autism need to speak up 

I am autistic and came from the North to live in London in 2016. I have been a comedian performing regularly on the London and general UK circuit since 2017. I am known for being an alternative act, who uses clowning and inventiveness on stage on the mainstream circuit. I’ve achieved several accolades including at the Stand-up for Cider comedy competition (finalist, 2023) and from both the South Coast Comedy Awards and the Student Comedy Awards (semi-finalist, 2022).

My earliest pathway into comedy was through watching Monty Python in high school, where friends and I wrote our own Pythonesque parodies of biblical stories, such as Noah’s Tardis. But I didn’t start performing solo until I joined the Lancaster University Comedy Institute during my studies in biomedical science and psychology. There I discovered a particular aptitude for surrealism. When I started performing in London, I began to hone my craft by incorporating other forms of comedy, such as clowning. I am now taking my solo show Beehavioural Problems: Something Something Autism to the Edinburgh Fringe this year.

I will be headlining the award-winning Laugh-Able Comedy Night at Wanstead Library this month, where the wonderful Mark Nicholas (promoter, comic, host and fellow autistic) has curated a line-up of comedians with autism spectrum disorder as part of Autism Awareness Month. Mark has hosted many amazing comedians at Laugh-Able over the years, some being very established on the scene, such Joe Wells, Andrew O’Neil and even Rosie Jones. While the commonality of the comedians is having a disability or being neurodivergent, the comics who perform are quite an eclectic mix.

How has autism made my life harder? As a child, I was bullied a lot for being weird and sensitive, but even as an adult I have found many employers (or would-be employers) make mistakes, usually out of blatant ignorance, but the result is the same and many have caused a great deal of harm (even when they’ve tried to do right). One research company did send a particularly problematic manager on an autism training course, but this was an exception in my career.

Many people get information about autism from inaccurate stereotypes in the media. Even today, Rain Man is people’s go-to idea of autism, but Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1988 film had savant syndrome, which is very specific and very rare. And there are also issues with characters like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory, who perpetuate the common stereotypes. So, my advice for other autistic people is to speak up and tell people more about our condition. The more diverse they see it, the less they treat us with misunderstanding and ignorance.

Stephen will perform at Wanstead Library on 5 April from 7.30pm (tickets: £3). Visit wnstd.com/laughapril

A controversial plan to build two blocks of flats on part of Snaresbrook Station car park was approved by Redbridge Council earlier this month.

Developers Pocket Living are due to start the two-year construction project in the spring of 2024, creating 74 homes, all of which will be available to first-time buyers in Redbridge at a 20% discount compared to the local market.

Residents who formed the Real Snaresbrook campaign opposed the development for a number of reasons, including the height of the buildings. 

In the second of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, James Ball presents his close-up of a long-tailed tit

I’m James, a local estate agent with a passion for photographing all types of wildlife and, in particular, birds. I find it amazing the variety of wildlife we can see almost on our doorsteps.

Here’s an image I took earlier this winter in Wanstead Park. It was an overcast day, which didn’t provide brilliant light but did mean the light was evenly spread with little shadow.

This bird is a long-tailed tit, resembling a pink, white and black ball of fluff, with a long tail. Like candy floss with wings, they can be very photogenic. Gregarious and noisy residents, long-tailed tits are most usually noticed in small, excitable flocks of about 20 birds.

Like most tits, they rove the woods and hedgerows but are also seen on heaths and commons with suitable bushes. They move quickly and rarely stop for longer than a second or two, so you have to try and get a step ahead. I positioned myself in front of the flock and took this image when the bird landed on an isolated branch with a clean foreground and background.

Here are some of my top tips for taking better wildlife photographs. 

Patience
You’ll be lucky to stumble across your target subject on the first attempt, even the second or third. Learning your subject’s habits will help you put yourself a step ahead.

Eye-level
Try to position yourself as close to the subject’s eye level as you can, even if it means lying on the ground! This connects your camera to the subject, creating a more emotive and often dramatic image.

Fast shutter speed
This will allow you to capture wildlife whilst it’s on the move. Birds all move at different speeds, depending on their size and how much of a rush they are in. So, you’ll need to adjust your settings accordingly. Gulls over a lake are a great entry subject for capturing birds in flight.

Use ‘continuous shooting’ mode and ‘continuous focusing’ to take multiple bursts of photographs and to continually track the subject. These modes will have different names on different brands of camera.

Sunlight
In my opinion, the best lighting is at dusk and dawn during the ‘golden hour’. The sunrises over Wanstead Flats and the sunsets in Wanstead Park are beautiful, and when you can time this with passing birds, you can achieve great results; well worth the early alarm!

Position yourself so the sun is behind you and you’re facing the bird you’re photographing for the best lighting setup. Shooting into the sun can also sometimes create lovely photographs, especially when the sun is low and the light is less harsh, making perfect conditions for artistic silhouettes.

To view more of James’s wildlife photos, visit wnstd.com/jamesball

In the 12th of a series of articles looking at the redevelopment of Whipps Cross Hospital, Charlotte Monro reflects on NHS funding issues, strike action and the need for improvements in end-of-life care 

Amidst uncertainty over funding for the national new hospitals programme, the Whipps Cross Redevelopment team is still waiting for money to be released for the next phase, the multistorey car park. The underfunding of the NHS over the years is at such a point that impossible pressure has become the norm. 

It has never been more urgent to fight for our NHS. Thousands of nurses, ambulance staff and therapists are taking strike action for this reason. I am inspired by the courage and determination of my health care colleagues who are taking this stand because the shortage of staff means their patients are suffering and they cannot deliver the care they want. Nurses’ real pay has fallen by £5,200 compared to 2010, whilst paramedics’ real pay is down by £6,700. They are asking to be treated as caring human beings and valued for the vital work they do. 

Our campaign for the future of Whipps is not only for the best buildings and spaces to meet our health care needs, but for its dedicated staff, without which there is no future. The work to save the Margaret Centre brings this home. In January, councillors on the Joint Scrutiny Committee discussed a review of end-of-life care in the Whipps catchment area. I was one of five members of the public who addressed the meeting, calling for the Margaret Centre to be reprovided within in the Whipps redevelopment. 

Despite all the evidence gathered by the review from service users, their carers and staff clearly showing how highly valued our end-of-life and palliative care unit in Whipps is, the options proposed did not include reproviding it as a dedicated unit in the new hospital build. It seems there is a missing piece in the report’s conclusions: the expertise that has been built in the Margaret Centre, the understanding of needs and the human-centred care. This must be the launch pad, and the ongoing beacon, for much-needed improvements in end-of-life care. I suggested that a unit next to the hospital linked by a bridge be considered. 

A GP – who said local doctors had not been consulted about the Margaret Centre– added: “The centre provides an invaluable resource for the community, particularly for dying patients. It also provides respite care. For doctors like myself, it’s such a wonderful place to go to and share grief. Yes, some people want to die at home and that’s their choice, but there are some that need this centre.”

If you have experience of end-of-life care or feel strongly about this, make sure you have your say. The review is ongoing with engagement sessions being planned and a consultation to be launched later this year. 

And please support our health staff!

To join the campaign or share views, email whipps.cross.campaign@gmail.com

Swan rescue volunteers are urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead when near water birds in Wanstead Park and by Eagle Pond in Snaresbrook.

“As cygnets are being chased off by their parents it makes them vulnerable on the bank, and nesting season is approaching, which makes the swans fiercely protective of their territories. You may feel your dog is no threat, but the swans don’t know that. Any interaction with birds causes massive stress to them, even when there is no physical contact,” said Helen O’Rourke. 

The Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society were victorious in the Romford Gold Cup interclub competition held in February.

“It was a print competition between six clubs. We submitted five images from different club members and got 96 points and came first. In addition, David Tyrrell won the best print of the night award with his photo entitled Tranquillity,” said club chair Sue Rosner.

The photographers whose work helped secure the victory were David Tyrrell, Bob Gibbons, Chris Saunders, Luciano Ocesca and Carole Milligan.

A consultation on the planning application for London City Airport’s expansion plans runs until 17 March. If approved, more planes will be flying over Wanstead, says John Stewart of campaign group HACAN East

Wanstead faces the prospect of more aircraft at the weekend if London City Airport’s expansion plans go ahead. The plans are currently out for public consultation. London City wants to fly planes on a Saturday afternoon for the first time. At present, no aircrafts are permitted between 12.30pm on Saturdays until 12.30pm on Sundays, in order to give people a break from the noise.

London City now wants to change all that. It is seeking permission to fly on Saturdays until 7.30pm (6.30pm in the winter months). It also wants more planes during the first half hour of the day. The aim is to carry 2.5 million more passengers by around 2031.

The public consultation started on 15 February and runs for a month until 17 March. It is being conducted by Newham Council, the planning authority for the airport. At the time of writing, Newham has not provided email or postal details of where to send responses. I imagine they will go up on the council’s website.

The reason behind the proposals is London City’s desire to attract more leisure passengers. For most of its 35-year life, City has been largely a business airport, but in the year before Covid, business passengers only accounted for 50% of all travellers through the airport. Post-Covid business travel has been slower to recover than leisure. London City believes that Saturday afternoon flying will help boost the leisure market.

The airport has said that it will only permit the newest available planes to operate on Saturday afternoons and during the early morning. The expectation is that if airlines are required to use the newest planes at these times, they will in due course use them at all times. The new planes are larger and cleaner, but over Wanstead, they will not be noticeably quieter. They are being promoted as about five decibels less noisy on departure close to the airport, but only two to three decibels quieter elsewhere. A reduction of two or three decibels cannot be picked up by the human ear.

Newham has decided to run a very limited consultation. It will hold no public meetings and is just leafleting homes close to the airport. It is informing most of the overflown boroughs, including Redbridge, but the fear remains that most residents impacted by the airport will not know about the consultation.

Later this year, probably in the summer, Newham’s Strategic Development will consider London City’s application. If it gets the go-ahead, the airport aims to have the new plans in place by 2024.

For more information on the consultation, visit wnstd.com/lcaconsult

For more information on HACAN East, visit hacaneast.org.uk

Volunteers joined Vision RCL’s nature conservation rangers in February for a community tree planting day in Roding Valley Park, near Charlie Brown’s Roundabout.

“We planted elm trees donated by our partner Butterfly Conservation. These trees will help the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, a species solely reliant on elm trees to complete its life cycle,” said Tajinder Lachhar.

Following the outbreak of Dutch elm disease in the 1970s and 1980s, the UK population of white-letter hairstreak butterflies dropped by 96%.

An exhibition by Russell Boyce documenting the use of Wanstead Park during the pandemic is on show at the Temple. The photos are accompanied by snippets of overheard conversations

During the lockdown of February 2021, many had taken to daily exercise outdoors, which was permitted under the rules. Like me, most of us had slipped into a routine: same place, same time and often the same conversation.

Just about every day I would walk around Wanstead Park with my wife Verity. On one such walk, I noticed as people passed each other there was a tendency to give one another a wide ‘socially distanced’ berth and carry on with their conversation. I would often catch a snippet of those conversations out of context. I wondered what snippet others would hear from us. We were living in strange times, so I decided to capture it. 

When I explained my new documentary project to my family – which was to stop people, tell them I had overheard their conversation and ask to take their photo and add it to the caption – their response was: “You’re mad, and no-one will agree to that!”

Maybe people were attracted to a diversion from their routine or maybe they took pity on this madman with a camera, but everyone I asked said “yes”. So, a big thank you to each and every one of you.

Fast forward two years from the government’s 22 February 2021 announcement of the ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown, and so many of our priorities then are now a fading memory. The extra care of vulnerable loved ones, daily death tolls, talk of vaccines and anti-vaxxers, social distancing, numbers limited at weddings and funerals, toilet roll shortages, binge watching and no travel to name a few. But something that will never fade is the loss felt for loved ones who died during the pandemic. And so I hope these pictures and snippets of conversations serve as a reminder of where we all were, and just how far we’ve thankfully come.

Overheard in Lockdown – which is supported by The Stow Brothers, Epping Forest and the City of London – is on show outside the Temple until 26 March.

One year ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. Eight months ago, Ilona Hlushchenkova and her family arrived in Wanstead, having fled Odesa on the first day of the invasion. A journalist in her home country, the mother-of-one is grateful for all the support she has received and is now looking to apply her talents in a new field 

On 24 February 2022, my life was divided into before and after. On this day, waking up at 5am from the sounds of explosions, my husband and I packed a small bag, took our one-year-old son and crossed the border between Ukraine and Moldova on foot. 

Moldova, Romania, England. Life in hotels, endless transfers and sleepless nights. In the first weeks of the war, we did not know where we would be tomorrow and what we would do next. Complete strangers helped us, and before the start of the war, I never thought the hearts of some were so pure, huge and full of love, while others were so full of hatred, anger and atrocities. 

On 24 February last year – the day of Russia’s full-scale invasion of our peaceful, free and beautiful country – we lost the sense of time, the sense of ourselves and of the future. We became the heroes of Remarque’s novels, only in real life, it does not look so romantic.

War is blood, grief, crippled bodies and crippled destinies. There is a heaviness on the soul, which is forever with you.

We had been looking for sponsors to host our family for a long time. Our friends from Ukraine, who arrived in England in the spring, helped us in our search. They wrote a Facebook post that was responded to by our current sponsors, Barbara and James Morris, two of the nicest people we know. On 1 June 2022, we settled in Wanstead and our lives took on the outline of our former existence. 

In Ukraine, we lived in Odesa, a wonderful city on the Black Sea. This is a place with great culture, wonderful architecture, amazing people and the most beautiful sunrises.

My first impression of Wanstead was that it is lively, green and multicultural. It is an oasis of calm in the midst of the hectic life of a big city. The locals are smiling and hospitable people. Many of you helped, whether it was finding a nursery, a bike or a hairdresser.

Life in a new country is very exciting and difficult at the same time. It feels like you become young and unintelligent again! You have to re-learn how to communicate. You study products in the store for longer and puzzle over how to complete the necessary documents or make an appointment with a doctor. New food, a new rhythm of life, new values ​​and constant homesickness.

Although we are physically safe, we are still living in war. Many of our relatives and friends decided to stay in Ukraine. Now, they are left without electricity, water and heat for long periods due to the constant shelling by Russian terrorists. Not a day passes without disturbing news from home, and we all live with one dream: for peace to come and for the terrorist state of Russia to cease to exist.

I have been a journalist for over 13 years. Since childhood, I knew I would write and steadily followed my dream. I have been a reporter, news anchor and website editor. I ran my own TV projects and worked as a press secretary and marketer. However, in England, my knowledge of the language is not enough to work as a journalist and I am looking for a new field of activity. My English level is B1. I am a sociable and purposeful person, open to everything new. My husband worked as a dentist before the war. Now, he has to follow a long and difficult path to confirm his diploma and continue to practice.

Our little son is my personal miracle. Thanks to him, we have the strength to go through all the trials we faced as refugees. Here and now, we can provide him with a calm and happy childhood, without explosions, sirens and alarms.

The contribution of the UK government and local people in helping Ukraine through these dark times cannot be overstated. But I ask you to continue this with the same zeal, because every day, in the very heart of Europe, civilians and our defenders die at the hands of Russian soldiers.

Please, keep helping in any way you can. There is no small or big help. Now, we need everything: things for those who were left without a home, generators, ammunition and much more. Any and all help is so greatly appreciated. We hug and thank you for all that you have already done.

To connect with Ilona on Facebook, visit wnstd.com/ilona

In the first of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, Alessandro Riccarelli presents a montage of his shots of a kestrel in flight

I never used to be interested in photography, although my father made a living out of it. Until my father retired, I never thought I would spend time and money on it as a hobby. But in life, what you don’t find interesting now may well become a future passion!

That’s what happened to me. I love nature, so wildlife photography became my primary interest, although I shoot street scenes and portraits occasionally as well. Recording wildlife is challenging; you don’t know what you’re going to see and when, or if you are going to see anything at all!

I am based in Gants Hill and like to visit local parks. Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats are regular destinations. You can see a good variety of species in Wanstead, although unfortunately (for reasons we all know), many have disappeared. Wanstead Park is home to woodpeckers, kingfishers, herons and, of course, parakeets!

Kestrels are also fairly easy to spot, often seen hovering over grasslands hunting small rodents or large insects. Rarely do they miss a catch, so if you notice one diving, wait and you might be able to see something tucked in its talons as it rises. Pointing a camera up a tree with a kestrel perching for prolonged periods can be very tiring, and holding your equipment steady becomes difficult. When this happens, I think about professional wildlife photographers spending days, if not weeks, to get one shot, so I shouldn’t complain about half an hour!

I’m always intrigued by what will happen next and I like challenging situations. Birds of prey don’t have an easy life out there; in fact, just moments after I captured the female kestrel opposite catching her rodent prey, magpies started to chase her, trying to steal a free meal.

I thank the editor for choosing these pictures and I will be taking many more in Wanstead Park, where every outing can be unique.

To view more of Alessandro’s wildlife photos, visit wnstd.com/riccarelli

A young Wanstead resident has launched a series of YouTube videos documenting Transport for London services by postcode region.

Beginning with E11, 12-year-old Riku Fryderyk – who is also a published author – explores the landmarks of the area alongside an overview of the Tube and bus network. “Sometimes, I need to take a break from writing! Whilst my mum is looking for a literary agent for my newest book, I like to indulge in my passion for trains,” said Riku.V

isit wnstd.com/tflbypostcode

Residents who oppose Pocket Living’s plans to build flats on Snaresbrook Station car park have drawn attention to the rejection of a similar proposal in Brent last month.

“The Planning Inspectorate upheld Brent Council’s decision, and we need to learn from this. There’s a failure to meet housing mix requirements, and road and fire safety concerns remain. This scheme is deeply flawed,” said a Real Snaresbrook campaign spokesperson. Redbridge Council will make a decision this month.

Visit wnstd.com/spl