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Wanstead teenager Grace Wolstenholme invites you to watch her YouTube channel for an insight into her life with cerebral palsy. In the second of a series of articles, the aspiring actor talks about Chicken Shed Theatre

I’ve been acting from the age of seven at Chicken Shed Theatre. I started in children’s theatre and took part in some Christmas shows, then I moved up to youth theatre and took part in a few more performances. My favourite show was Feel The Love because it was about all kinds of love and saying everyone’s equal, but I especially enjoyed the nightclub scene because I love a good party!

Chicken Shed changed my life. Before joining, I hated leaving the house as I was embarrassed for people to see me because I was ‘different’. Every time my mum tried to get me out of the house I would have a meltdown. I actually remember her forcing me to sit in my car seat to get me to my primary school, and one day, I was so strong she couldn’t physically get me in the car!

Then Chicken Shed called saying there was a space for me. My mum was in shock because she heard the waiting time can be up to 10 years. The reason I got in so quickly was because my mum took me to the children’s workshops on the weekends and they saw how bad I was. They thought Chicken Shed would really help build my confidence so they invited me to a week called Summer Shed. I remember kicking, hitting and biting my mum when she was trying to get me into the room. The lady in charge was expecting me, so when she heard screaming and crying, she knew I was there and came over. I even kicked her. Then she introduced me to my one-to-one and I went to the group, but I didn’t join in.

After a few months of going, I started getting more confident. After a year, you couldn’t get me away from Chicken Shed. I was enjoying it so much. I was only seven, but from that age, I knew I belonged and fitted in and I went to my primary school saying I was leaving and going to school at Chicken Shed, but that wasn’t true because it’s a college.

I went to a special needs secondary school,  which at the time was the best school, but after two years of being there it really changed. When I started, most people were like me, physically disabled, not mentally disabled. But that changed and most people were mentally disabled, so again, I just wanted to study at Chicken Shed. I was 14, so I still couldn’t go, and it got to a point where I wouldn’t go to school because I didn’t fit in.

Because my school was attached to a mainstream school, I used to talk to the ‘mainstream’ pupils through the fence. Then at the age of 15, I applied for Chicken Shed, and one day after school I got home to a letter saying I had an interview. My school did everything they could to help because I was quite naughty there, so the staff couldn’t wait to get rid of me! Three months later, I got another letter saying I got in. So, June last year I left school and started college. I finally felt I was getting somewhere in life.

Redbridge Cycling is keen to hear your feedback on proposals to open new cycle routes through Wanstead Park. Gill James and Haydn Powell report on an often contentious subject

The last few months have been tough for everyone, so it is good to have silver linings. During lockdown, Wanstead Park was a haven to those wishing to get some fresh air and exercise. Park wardens report a 122% rise in visitor numbers.

For the climate crisis, the exponential growth in the popularity of cycling has been another real positive.

At present, a 1950s by-law restricts cycling in the park to a 200m stretch from the entrance at Wanstead Park Avenue up to the tea hut, then bearing left along the north-eastern edge of the Heronry Pond. Cycling is forbidden in all other parts of the park, but the signposting is, at best, erratic.

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands Facebook page witnessed some lively discussion, including complaints about cyclists not sticking to the sole designated route. Offline, users have also reported more serious incidents, including an altercation between a cyclist and a dog walker, and bikes being ridden in Chalet Wood, home to a notable colony of bluebells, which are easily damaged by trampling.

Since the park’s keepers began returning to work, the by-laws have been more rigorously enforced, notably around the Ornamental Water, where cycling is off limits.

At a meeting in July, the Friends of Wanstead Parklands committee members discussed the possibilities of expanding cycling in the park. The current situation is an area of dissatisfaction for all parties. Cycling has become a free-for-all, which is antagonising some pedestrians. In contrast, government and local council support for increased use of bikes has stoked demand for improved cycle routes through the park.

The Friends of Wanstead Parklands committee supported, in principle, the opening up of a shared-use route between the gate at Wanstead Park Avenue to the gate at Warren Road. This would make a good general ‘artery’ route for crossing the park.

Other proposed shared routes which Redbridge Cycling would like considered are:

The wide path between the River Roding and the Ornamental Water, connecting Warren Road with an entry from the Ilford side of the park. This route is good for family cycling.

A small section of pathway from the southern tip of the Ornamental Lake to the tea hut, north of Perch Pond. This would complete a circular leisure cycle route, which would be a tremendous benefit to safe family cycling. Resurfacing would also improve access for wheelchair users.

Redbridge Cycling wants to hear your views on the concept of new cycling routes around Wanstead Park.

When Wanstead residents get fed up with something unsightly in their neighbourhood, they do something about it. It’s the power of fed-uppery, as Marian Temple knows only too well. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

The only reason Wanstead has its cottage garden at the Corner House is that someone got fed up. That someone was me in April 2003. Just once too often, I walked past the patch of waist-high weeds and takeaway rubbish bin the garden had become. Something had to be done. It was. Just me and my mates at first, with the agreement of the council and backup of the Wanstead Society. A garden emerged that has been Wanstead’s iconic High Street cottage garden for the past 17 years.

In 2017, Daniel Slipper got fed up with the litter strewn over Wanstead’s greens and open spaces. He did something about it. The monthly litter picks were born and are now continued by our local councillors. What a difference that has made! How much better it would be if the strewing didn’t happen in the first place, but that’s another story.

In April this year, in the middle of a heatwave that has been waving for most of this summer, Peta Jarmey, one of our community gardeners, got fed up with walking past a derelict patch of weeds and rubbish that could have been a delightful flower bed. Déjà vu? Certainly.

The patch in question is the one pictured here – a long bed, 20 metres or so, that runs along the footpath connecting Cambridge Park with the roads that were cut off when the new road was put into a tunnel under George Green. It’s the Belgique end of the green and is backed by a rather handsome wall beneath which the traffic plunges into the tunnel.

Transport for London built the road, the tunnel, the wall and the flower bed. They forgot to do anything with the flower bed, and for the past 20-odd years, footpath users have walked past a strip of weeds and rubbish. Enter thoroughly fed-up Wanstead Community Gardener Peta, who walked past this dismal patch just once too often. The power of fed-uppery kicked in.

A hot April is not an ideal time to create a new flower bed, especially where there is no source of water. However, you can’t keep a good gardener down. Litter and weeds out, soil dug over, easy-going plants put in from Peta’s own garden, the Corner House garden and those of various locals who left their donations on the patch. Against all the odds, the new plants thrived, watered by a pocket army of well-wishers who brought water in plastic bottles  at the end of each hot day. They wanted this patch of flowers to do well… and it did.

It doesn’t take very long to create a garden. In less than three months, the Belgique bed was up and running. Thanks to the nearby Kindred Nursery we now have a source of water. Good-tempered plants are flowering and golden hop scrambling up the wall. There are a few empty spaces. They will be filled. Welcome to Wanstead’s latest perennial border.

Let’s drink a toast to the power of fed-uppery.

Despite the Wanstead Fringe being cancelled this year, the popular Wanstead Kinema will return on 11 September.

“Every year, the Kinema is the most atmospheric event in the Wanstead calendar. We’re showing Dr Seuss’ The Lorax, which, I think, is a modern classic. It has a powerfully inspiring message for young and old about the difference everyone can make,” said organiser Giles Wilson. The screening will take place at Wanstead Cricket Club on Overton Drive from 6.30pm (adults: £7.50; children: £3.50).

Visit wnstd.com/lorax

Healthwatch Redbridge is seeking feedback from local residents about their experiences of NHS health and social care services during the pandemic.

“We are in regular contact with hospitals and adult social care services across Redbridge, receiving updates on how they are working during this time and what systems and changes they are making to services. We will use the responses to ensure local concerns are identified early and passed on to the appropriate services. Let your voice be heard,” said a spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/hr

A new grow zone has been established in a private communal garden in Snaresbrook as an extension of the Wild Wanstead project.

“Our zone is on the Rivenhall Estate opposite Eagle Pond. It was inspired by seeing other grow zones and through setting up a neighbourly WhatsApp chat during lockdown. It didn’t take much for the residents of Brooksglade to agree to leave an unmowed area on the communal lawn and we look forward to planting some wild flowers in the spring,” said resident Tina Nieman Da Costa.

The state of Wanstead Park’s lakes has prompted an increasing clamour on social media in recent weeks.

“Local people have watched in dismay as the Ornamental Water is drying up,” said Richard Arnopp of the Friends of Wanstead Parklands.

Water is currently being pumped into the lake system from the park’s borehole for 16 hours a day, alternating between Heronry Pond and Perch Pond.

“Despite this pumping, levels remain low in the Heronry Pond, and not enough water is reaching the Ornamental Water via Perch Pond even to stabilise it. Sadly, there are no easy fixes. A few years ago, the City of London commissioned a survey of the lakes, and an assessment of dams is due soon. This will form the core of a proposed project to restore the park, but this is not expected to start until 2024. Massive leakage and inadequate water inputs mean keeping the lakes filled is simply impossible at present.”

Redbridge Council is giving away over 40,000 spring-flowering bulbs to help improve local neighbourhoods.

“The bulbs are being given out in time for Redbridge’s Big Planting Weekend, taking place between 16 and 18 October. The borough-wide planting movement encourages people to plant their bulbs in spaces that benefit the local community,” said a spokesperson. Community groups, residents and schools can request the bulbs by completing an online form by 20 September.

Visit swvg.co.uk/bulbs20

Ward Panels in Wanstead and South Woodford are keen to welcome a wider diversity of members from their respective communities to help support neighbourhood policing. Elaine Atkins reports

At the end of July, Redbridge residents were invited to attend a live webinar hosted by the Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, and the Borough Commander, Stephen Clayman. 

The importance of the partnership between the police and the council in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour was highlighted – but so too was the vital role of the general public in being the local ‘eyes and ears’ for reporting issues.   

Across the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), each ward has a dedicated Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT) – a team of MPS officers who work closely with our communities to be able to establish local policing priorities and keep us safe. The wider area of ‘South Woodford’ covers both the Churchfields and South Woodford wards, while ‘Wanstead’ includes the Wanstead Village and Wanstead Park wards. Each ward has its own SNT, with three Dedicated Ward Officers, consisting of two Constables and a Police Community Support Officer – all supervised by a Sergeant and an Inspector.

Each ward has its own Ward Panel drawn from those who live, work or learn in the ward. The panel sets out to represent the whole community, including residents’ associations, faith groups, schools, businesses and community groups, to be able to engage with the SNT. Problem solving is at the heart of all neighbourhood policing, and engagement with the community helps to provide long-term solutions to reduce crime and antisocial behaviour. The aim is for the diversity within each panel to represent the diversity within each ward, to be able to give everybody a say in deciding local policing priorities that affect us all. This can be a challenge, however, and attracting panel members from all age groups, genders, faiths and cultures isn’t easy.

Our Ward Panels normally meet four times a year. Our SNT officers attend as observers – bringing data on crime and general information – as do ward councillors, Neighbourhood Watch ward coordinators and officers from Redbridge. Residents and community representatives are often invited to observe the work of the panel, especially if they are considering becoming a member.

At each Ward Panel meeting, opinions and concerns are expressed by the community through the panel members and the sectors they represent. Crime statistics and police reports are considered for the panel to be able to agree on a priority for their SNT, which is reviewed at the next meeting.

We are encouraging people from all cultures, faiths, genders and age groups to learn more about the panels and, hopefully to join us in shaping the local area. There are varying levels of involvement available, with the Wanstead Park panel currently seeking a new chair.

Residents will recall the conversion of the Old Cottage Antiques shop on the High Street into two small houses in 2018. But were there more of these cottages? Dr Colin Runeckles takes a look back in time

Before the entire High Street was numbered completely in the mid-1920s, 6–8 High Street were known as Wanstead Cottages. But when I began to look back at census returns in the 1800s, I found in 1871 not the two that can be seen today by the side of Wanstead Church School, but seven. Intrigued by this, I decided to find out what happened to the remaining five.

If you go back to the Ordnance Survey maps of the 1860s, you can indeed see seven small cottages in a row from the High Street, and the 1871 census lists them as 1–7, 1 being on the High Street and the remainder in a terrace behind it. Presumably, like 6 High Street does today, their front door would have faced north towards the school. Occupations of those listed in the 1871 census included a grocer (at number 1), laundresses, gardeners and labourers. This was clearly housing for the working classes, unlike the Georgian townhouses on the other side of the road, occupied by those of professions such as solicitors and physicians.

But then, by 1874, a man called John Maughfling had appeared on the Wanstead scene with a butchers shop on the High Street. Like some other successful traders in the area, he decided to enter the business of property development.

In 1880, Maughfling had two houses in Wanstead Place built – these are now 43–45. In 1888, he built three shops on the corner of the High Street, numbers 10–14, but then known as Rose Terrace. And then in 1893, another house in Wanstead Place, number 47, was built, in which Maughfling lived until his death in 1900 and his widow until around 1920.

But what have houses in Wanstead Place got to do with the seven Wanstead Cottages? Well, the gardens at the back of these houses were planned to extend right up to the boundary with the school. This meant that some of the cottages would have to be demolished. By the time of the 1891 census, there are only 1–6 Wanstead Cottages, and later in the decade, the 1893–4 Ordnance Survey map shows only the two that remain today.

I assume Maughfling bought the entire corner plot of land between the school boundary and Wanstead Place on the corner of the High Street. Unless they were simply demolished for being unfit for habitation, then a new owner wanting the land for his own use can be the only explanation as to why they disappeared off the map.

When you next pass the restored cottages, spare a thought for the other five that were occupied by some of the area’s working classes, until John Maughfling came to Wanstead.

Wanstead teenager Grace Wolstenholme invites you to watch her YouTube channel for an insight into her life with cerebral palsy. In the first of a series of articles, the aspiring actor talks about wheelchairs and boys

Hi, my name is Grace Wolstenholme, I’m 17 years old and I live in Wanstead with my mum, and I can’t leave out my adorable assistant dog Scooby.

I’ve got cerebral palsy, a brain condition that affects my movement and voice. Some people with cerebral palsy can have added disabilities, such as a learning difficulty, but in my case, it does not affect my understanding. Some people don’t always appreciate that I’m not mentally disabled, so to help people learn more about cerebral palsy, I’ve set up an informative YouTube channel to try and spread awareness about the condition.

I posted a message on social media saying I was thinking of doing a Q&A, inviting people to ask me about living with cerebral palsy. From that, I had about 17 questions, which I thought was quite good considering I don’t really have that many followers!

Another video I filmed is called What dating is like with cerebral palsy. Because I want people to see me as a ‘normal’ teenage girl, I wore my grey dress (the one in the photo here), made up my bed and sat on that, and spoke about what dating is like for me. I explain why dating with cerebral palsy isn’t easy at all because I feel that boys just see a wheelchair, no matter what I wear. If a boy saw an able-bodied girl wearing a skimpy dress, they’d be drooling all over her, but if they saw a girl in a wheelchair, they probably wouldn’t look twice because they think a girl in a wheelchair isn’t capable of doing stuff an able-bodied girl could do. They probably think I don’t understand. You tell me. Do you think a girl who doesn’t understand would wear a fitted dress and a full face of make-up? No, they wouldn’t, or is it you think I’m not ‘able enough’ to do stuff? Well, let me tell you, I can walk, I can talk, I can understand and I’ve also got hypermobility, so you know what that means!

But boys would rather go out with a girl who can walk in high heels. Don’t get me wrong, I wear high heels, but there’s only one problem. I won’t get far walking in them! But a boy would rather be seen with a girl who can walk in high heels than be seen with a girl in a wheelchair wearing high heels. Tell me, what is the difference between using wheels to get around rather than legs? Not a lot!

In February, I performed a monologue I wrote about my life called Why can’t you see me, which got some fantastic reviews from the press, and you can watch this on my YouTube channel as well.

Even though I’m in a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean I’m not a normal teenage girl, because I am! I just use a wheelchair to get from A to B.

Cities around the world are starting to prioritise the needs of people over cars. Let’s seize the moment to do something in Wanstead too, say Wanstead Climate Action members Kathy Taylor and Susannah Knox

Air pollution is an invisible enemy – killing 9,000 Londoners prematurely every year. The brief drop in traffic levels during the coronavirus lockdown gave us a glimpse of what life could be like with less congestion and cleaner air.

So, we’ve come up with some quick and simple ways you can help put pressure on Redbridge Council and the government to get their act together and deal with the problem of air pollution. Imagine Wanstead less choked up with traffic. It could be a breath of fresh air.

The London Assembly says the capital’s toxic air is a public health crisis. Exposure to air pollution stunts the growth of children’s lungs and increases the chance of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and other illnesses. Now, evidence is mounting that it is linked to increased Covid-19 infections and death rates, according to the World Health Organization.

The main cause of air pollution in London is traffic. The quieter streets, cleaner air and lower noise levels that lockdown brought were welcomed across Wanstead. And many cities, including areas of London, have recently and quickly made expanded cycleways or traffic-free streets to make cycling safer and reduce crowding on pavements and public transport. But so far, sadly, not in Redbridge. Cycling is a way to travel with a lower risk of coronavirus infection than public transport. However, understandably, many people are put off getting on their bike due to the lack of safe cycleways. The danger is people will start to drive more to avoid infection, worsening air quality and putting health at risk in other ways.

In Redbridge, cycling provision is far poorer than in other boroughs, and safe cycleways are few and far between. There is a noticeable deterioration in safe cycling options when cycling from Waltham Forest to Redbridge, for example.

While Redbridge Council has shown intention to improve matters and is currently undertaking a consultation, the more pressure that is exerted on them, the higher safe cycling will move up the agenda. Many schemes can be done at low cost. Others will require major funding. However, the health of all of us, especially our children, is at stake.

Five things you can do now:

• Contribute to the council survey on safer streets: wnstd.com/map
• Email John Cryer MP and ask what action he is taking: wnstd.com/emailmp
• Stop using your car for local journeys.
• Check out the work by Mums for Lungs: wnstd.com/lungs
• Join Wanstead Climate Action to help campaign locally: wnstd.com/wca