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Residents are invited to view the flora of St Mary’s Church graveyard, which is currently being left unmown.

“The bluebells were particularly special this year, enhanced by other spring flowers, including the towering but ethereal white Anthriscus, beautifully offsetting the red poppies of the permanent poppy trail commemorating victims of war. The strimmers will be back in mid-July, so visit this hidden part of wild Wanstead before then if you want to experience it,” said a church spokesperson.

Visit wnstd.com/stmarys

Redbridge Museum will open a new permanent exhibition later this year exploring 200,000 years of local history. In the fourth of a series of articles, Museum Officer Nishat Alam looks at some of the items on show

May marks the end of the Second World War in Europe, otherwise known as Victory in Europe (VE) Day. For people across Redbridge who had suffered terrible aerial bombings, this was a welcome relief. In this article, I look at the impact of the war on the borough and how people in Wanstead and Woodford responded.

As the capital, London was a major target for wartime air raids, but surrounding areas, like Redbridge – then made up of the Borough of Wanstead and Woodford and the Borough of Ilford – were also affected badly. Redbridge was heavily bombed during the Blitz between September 1940 and May 1941, and then again by V1 and V2 bombs between June 1944 and March 1945. Wanstead and Woodford suffered 25 V1 and 14 V2 attacks, while Ilford was hit even worse. In total, 802 people in Redbridge were killed, 4,000 injured, 50,000 homes were damaged and 822 destroyed.

Air raids were expected even before war began, so precautions were put in place very early on. Gas masks were issued all around, children were evacuated to the countryside, and locals volunteered to be Civil Defence workers, many as Air Raid Precaution (ARP) Wardens.

Fred and Daisy James were a couple living in Wanstead at the time. They became ARP Wardens for Aldersbrook and were based at Post 43 on Herongate Road. Their duties were to sound air raid sirens, ensure people followed blackout protocol, and report on bomb damage after air raids. They would also help to put out small fires caused by incendiary bombs, as can be seen in the photograph here, taken by Fred James. Fred documented his experience as an ARP Warden through photography and in pocket diaries. In one entry, he reported that two bombs fell on Belgrave Road at 4.30am on 10 September 1940: “Two houses were demolished and 30 or 40 badly damaged.” He goes on to write about his team’s response to the raid and expresses sympathy for the casualties.

Victory in Europe was announced on 8 May, and Wanstead and Woodford held 43 street parties to celebrate the end of the war. There were games, singing, dancing and large, decorated tables of party food lining the streets. Official celebrations for Wanstead and Woodford were held the following year with a gala on Woodford Green on 1 June 1946 attended by the Prime Minister and local MP Winston Churchill.

Redbridge Museum’s displays about the Second World War will explore the impact of the war on the borough, using stories like the James’ and objects such as the equipment used in the photograph above.

As the Friends of Christ Church Green takes shape, Colin Cronin explains the new group’s aims and invites residents to the founding meeting. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

The local playground on Christ Church Green has been a source of enjoyment for so many of our junior residents of Wanstead, but also a source of pride for their parents, fellow residents and local businesses too. It is a facility that the community crowdfunded for back in 2015, raising over £100k. 

It was heartbreaking, therefore, to learn that a mindless act of vandalism late one Saturday night in April could see such a community asset go up, at least partly, in smoke!

Whilst there has been a very admirable, laudable and well-supported crowdfunding campaign to replace the damaged equipment, I believe the proper course of action should have been to put the onus back onto Vision RCL, who manage our open spaces in Wanstead. Vision RCL are now a profitable charity, so should not have required money in excess of our Council Tax to replace the damaged equipment. I applaud the good intentions of our superb community, however, I fear it sets a dangerous precedent in allowing Vision RCL to abdicate their financial responsibility in such a way going forward.

Christ Church Green needs a number of improvements to protect it, not least of which should include CCTV coverage of places like the playground and the now newly installed café kiosk. After years of just doing ‘upkeep’, it has become clear that Christ Church Green requires serious attention from Vision RCL. Sadly, examples of graffiti in and around the Green are on the rise as are examples of bad lighting in places and vandalised trees and benches.

Our community’s engagement and interest in our local Green and ensuring its protection and ongoing improvement is exactly why the Friends of Christ Church Green is being formed.

The Friends of Christ Church Green will seek to act as a lobbying group that is governed by local residents with the purpose to liaise with local councillors, council officers and Vision RCL. It will ensure our Green is protected from any unwanted activities, is invested in and maintained accordingly.

A draft constitution is being drawn up and a public meeting will be called after May’s local elections to debate that constitution, what we as residents want and expect from this important group and to elect the Friends’ committee members.

We all have an individual voice, but sometimes a collective shout can be more effective. I hope you will join us at the Friends of Christ Church Green founding meeting (date to be confirmed) and voice how you want our Green to look for the future.

For more information on the Friends of Christ Church Green and to get involved, email friendsofccgreen@gmail.com

Local filmmaker Marc Coleman’s comedy-horror ManFish is now being promoted internationally.

“Last month, we released the trailer. It was picked up by a sales agent and will now hopefully be sold around the world. You should be able to spot a few Wanstead streets in the trailer, as well as a Leytonstone pub and the amazing Redbridge house where most of the film takes place. The rest of the film was shot on Canvey Island, where the story is set. Thanks to all who supported this project,” said Marc.

Visit wnstd.com/manfish

Decades of rubbish removed, 14 tons of soil added, 180-plus plants rehomed. Job done. Marian Temple of the Wanstead Community Gardeners tells the story of the new Snaresbrook Station car park patch

Last autumn, we were approached by someone involved in the station car park at Snaresbrook. Did we know there was a neglected strip of earth there? Might we be interested in doing something with it? We went to have a look.

The strip runs half the length of the car park. It was a dry trench. It would need a lot of work to create a border there, but if we decided to take it on, we would be introducing greenery into an area of hard surfacing. Good for people, good for insects. Since we are street gardeners, we always ask ourselves with a new patch: “Who is going to see this?” In this case, it would be seen by people on the trains, on the platforms and the car park users.

It was going to be a big project for us, but it was impossible to know just how big until we started. Liaising with TfL and NCP, the car park people, we got going. With the help of 20 volunteers, many working parties and much earth shifting, the job has recently been done.

As with all the neglected patches we take on, the first task was ‘mank’ removal. We took out decades of detritus: plastic, cellophane, foil, food cartons and bottles. It was endless, but it all came out along with 20 metres of plastic pipe and a section of chain-link fence. All to the dump. Once cleared out, we had to think about filling the trench level with the car park surface. How much filler would we need? None of us knew. A learning curve. We put in 60 rubble sacks of leaf mould. Good stuff but it didn’t go very far. Redbridge Garden Centre brought along three tons of topsoil. That didn’t make much difference either. In the end, 14 tons of topsoil went into the trench.

As with all our patches, we plant stuff that, once established, can more or less look after itself. We cannot water. It was important to plant early so that good root systems could be established before the summer dry spells. We favour old-fashioned cottage garden plants and Mediterranean ones. They are tough, don’t get eaten by slugs and come back year after year.

The new border – all 35 metres of it – is in full sun, backed by a brick wall with the old concrete posts for the long-departed chain-link fence still in situ. How useful those posts are going to be! They will support the tall hollyhocks and mulleins we have planted. We have threaded wire through the holes in the posts the length of the border to support other plants: 180 plants have gone in, still counting. They are a mix of walking woundeds from the garden centre, plants sourced from our own gardens, the Corner House garden and our other local patches. Half of Wanstead is there. They are just waiting for more rain and sunshine before springing into growth.

Job done.

For more information on the work of the Wanstead Community Gardeners and to get involved, visit wnstd.com/gardeners

In the 10th of a series of articles by plot holders at Redbridge Lane West allotments – which are under threat from the adjacent gas works – Jason Edwards provides an update on the site’s future

Readers may know that back in March 2021, Cadent put forward plans to take over the allotments at Redbridge Lane West for two years while carrying out works on their adjacent gas site. The plans included building a large compound and car park, which would have meant closing the allotments to all of us, the destruction of many plots and of wildlife habitats.

The plot holders were dismayed at these proposals, many of us having put years of work into our allotments. We came together to organise a public campaign, not only in defence of our rights, but of the principle that as an important public resource and service, allotments should be valued and protected. We started a petition that raised over 4,000 signatures, and we lobbied the council, our MP and ministers to push back against Cadent’s plans. We achieved a degree of success when, at a council meeting last September, Cadent revealed they had dropped their plans to take over the whole site.

Just before Christmas, however, we learnt Cadent was still planning to take over almost a quarter of the site. This includes seven plots adjacent to the fence on their site – which they say has to be replaced under government regulations – and a further two plots nearby that will also be decommissioned for the duration of the work. Their current plans also propose four of the plots on the fence line being significantly diminished in size with a permanent transfer of allotment land to Cadent, something we had understood the council were committed to preventing.

We agonised over whether to continue our public campaign of opposition or to negotiate with Cadent. Disappointingly, it became clear that, although local councillors have been supportive, the council would not back us further in continuing to fight the plans and we felt we had to relent. The plot holders’ working group are now in discussions with Cadent to minimise the timescale and long-term impact of the works. We’re conducting the negotiations in good faith, and we sincerely hope Cadent stick with any promises they make. Particularly important for us is that we ensure the preservation of the wildlife environment and allow Sprout There! to continue their brilliant therapeutic work on site with adults with learning disabilities.

We are very saddened that a number of us are losing our allotments in this way. These allotments have been a haven for many of us in very difficult times and we are deeply attached to them. But we are proud of how we have worked together to push back against the worst of Cadent’s plans and we encourage others who find themselves in similar circumstances to organise and fight! We are vegetable growers, not revolutionaries, but our working group’s unofficial slogan has helped keep us going through dark times: No pasarán!

To view the petition to save the Redbridge Lane West allotments, visit wnstd.com/sta

Last month’s public meeting on the future of Christ Church Green was overwhelmingly positive, says organiser Colin Cronin, with residents now invited to join a new Friends of Christ Church Green group

Christ Church Green has long been Wanstead’s ‘village green’. It is a place where many of us will have fond memories of family and community events, or just strolling under the canopy of its trees on the way to the High Street.

With this in mind, residents met with Councillor Paul Donovan and Deputy Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Kam Rai, at Christ Church last month to discuss many aspects of the Green and what we can do to work more effectively together in the future. Such meetings always produce a range of equal but opposite opinions and whilst this meeting was no different, there was an overwhelmingly positive tone during the two hours we spent together, and it clarified a number of points, including:

• The new café kiosk will not have its own alcohol licence, so will only be able to serve alcohol at separately licensed, limited events, such as the Wanstead Festival.
• The kiosk itself will be a sustainable venture with a green roof and in-operation foodstuffs will be locally sourced, with avoidance of single-use plastics.
• There will be a new team operating across Redbridge green spaces to address anti-social behaviour and it will include Christ Church Green in its scope.
• There will be an enhanced capacity for litter collection on Christ Church Green.
• There will also be refurbishment of the toilet block on the Green.

Most importantly of all was the excellent suggestion to form a Friends of Christ Church Green, a non-political residents group that would work collaboratively with Redbridge Council and Vision RCL to ensure all voices in the community are heard and that residents are getting the most out of our village green. Councillor Donovan, along with fellow residents, was very supportive of the idea, stating that: “We hope the new Friends group will provide a constructive forum for engagement. Moving forward, let’s hope this point marks the start of a new collaborative, empowering relationship involving all stakeholders in the community concerned with the future of our much-loved Christ Church Green.”

It is indeed a fantastic idea in a community that has never shied away from making its opinions known or its voices heard, and over the coming weeks, we will begin taking the first steps to forming this important group. Wanstead residents will always be united by wanting what is best for our community and I remain convinced it will be the same case in supporting our efforts to work together for the betterment of Christ Church Green.

For more information on the Friends of Christ Church Green and to get involved, email friendsofccgreen@gmail.com

Redbridge Council has commissioned Jan Kattein Architects to deliver an art audio trail that celebrates the high streets in Wanstead, Woodford and South Woodford. Felicity Barbur reports

We want to hear your Wanstead High Street stories! Our Walk Local Talk Local project – which will see the creation of three temporary public art audio trails – is being funded by the European Regional Development Welcome Back Fund and hopes to encourage people back into the town centres over the next six months.

A sense of belonging is intrinsically linked to the stories people associate with the place where they live. High streets are full of stories of growing up and meeting family and friends; stories of a first job, stories of social interactions and of experiencing the physical transformation of the places we live.

Walk Local Talk Local aims to reconnect people with the borough’s high streets after two years of unprecedented disruption through narratives that are set in the past, present and future. Three art trails (Woodford to Wanstead, Gants Hill to Hainault and Ilford Lane to Chadwell Heath) will combine physical, temporary on-site artwork interventions with a digital audio experience. Together, the combination of a rich audio archive with a sequence of physical ‘gateways’ will reveal stories about the area’s hidden history, explore the deeply personal memories embedded in these streets, and capture some of the energy and imagination that will drive their future.

The Woodford to Wanstead trail had a soft launch at the end of March, and will be added to over the coming months. Each art trail will stitch together multiple public spaces and the people who have lived within them across time, drawing from local contributors to give the specific narratives that define places pinpointed on the trails. At first, people tuning in will hear again from each other whilst slowly hearing the stories of what happened locally pre-COVID, the stories of what is happening locally now and what will happen locally in the future. This will be a first of its kind to showcase how people simplify and map a city’s urbanism through spatially engaging events, social phenomena and transient activity. None of which are directly visible on geospatial maps, but in the context of Redbridge’s public spaces is plentiful and is worth revealing.

We are devising the art trails through conversations with local people. We are either recording informal conversations or receiving voice notes of pre-recorded stories we can then translate into a series of anonymous anecdotal podcasts that will be accessed through physical artwork QR codes along the trail. If you are interested in contributing a story or two about your experiences and memories of Wanstead, we want to hear from you as soon as possible.

For more information and to take part in the project, visit walklocaltalklocal.com or call 07943 060 481

Having been selected as a Girls Golf Rocks venue, Wanstead Golf Club is joining others around the country in encouraging more girls to take up the sport. Club manager Danielle Anderson reports

Wanstead Golf Club (originally founded as Wanstead Park Golf Club) first opened on 25 November 1893. The intervening years have seen many changes here, and we now have some 650 members, comprising of full, midweek, lifestyle, lady, junior, senior and social members.

Of special interest is that Sir Winston Churchill was an honorary member and, to date, the club has provided three Ryder Cup professionals from its ranks: Percy Alliss, Alan Dailey and Lionel Platts. In 1946, club member Jean Hetherington won the Ladies Open Championship.

So, we are pleased to announce that we have been selected by England Golf to become a Girls Golf Rocks venue. It is a national programme with over 200 clubs taking part.

The aim of Girls Golf Rocks is to boost participation numbers and address, for the long term, the disparity in numbers between girls and boys playing the game. All participating clubs are aiming to create an environment where girls feel comfortable and confident to join in the initial sessions and then offer a clear pathway for them to continue their participation in the sport.

Girls Golf Rocks encourages beginner girls, aged five to 18, to learn and play golf in a fun and friendly way. While coaches will lead the sessions, Girls Golf Rocks will also encourage current girl golf club members aged between 12 and 25 to act as peer role models and assist in the delivery of the programme. The emphasis on the lessons is for girls to learn the fundamentals of the game and have fun with their friends in a comfortable and relaxed setting without too much emphasis on the coaching and competitive elements of the game. Taster sessions are free, usually lasting an hour, and are a great way of trying golf before signing up for the six-week coaching course (£35). The coaching course will involve six, hour-long sessions spread over six weeks, with the last lesson being out on the course.

The sessions – which launch in June – are designed to be fun, to involve team and group pursuits, to include a variety of golf-related activities and to allow for social time at the beginning and end.

The importance of the Girls Golf Rocks campaign can’t be overestimated. If we don’t do these sorts of things, the sport won’t carry on into the future. Golf clubs such as ours need these campaigns to bring new blood into the game. We are passionate about getting a wide range of girls to try this wonderful sport. And you never know, we might have the next Georgia Hall, Charley Hull or Jean Hetherington just waiting to be discovered.

For more information and to book a Girls Golf Rocks taster session at Wanstead Golf Club, visit wnstd.com/girlsgolf

Dr Emilia Smeds from the University of Westminster introduces the EX-TRA research project surveying opinions on Wanstead’s street space. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

In June 2021, a colourful seating area appeared next to the Co-op on the High Street in Wanstead, where a couple of parking spaces had existed only weeks before. This Wanstead Mobility Hub was the second of its kind to be installed by Redbridge Council. The Wanstead Society, residents and local businesses had their say about it, with a diversity of perspectives. Now that the hub has been in place for nine months, we are revisiting the debate.

The Wanstead Mobility Hub provides a new seating area or ‘parklet’ for local people to enjoy the High Street. It is free for anybody to use, not exclusive to specific café customers. You might use it to take a break with your kids while out shopping or as a meeting point.

Redbridge Council’s vision for the space goes beyond this: it is called a hub because it offers many travel options in one place, allowing people to easily switch from one low-emission mode of travel to another. Next to the seating there is bicycle parking and a parking bay reserved for a car club vehicle. You could, for example, cycle to the hub, attend the farmers market, and then travel onwards in a car club car or by Tube. There is an electric vehicle charging point, serving both the car club and members of the public who can park their own electric vehicle in a reserved bay and charge it whilst shopping locally.

Our EX-TRA research project (Experimenting with City Streets to Transform Urban Mobility) is interested in the Mobility Hub because it was implemented as a trial to explore a new idea. An important issue is to what extent local communities are aware of such street space ‘experiments’ when many have been introduced quite rapidly since the pandemic.

Is the Mobility Hub a good use of street space? Should there be more of them in Wanstead? We are interested in all views, whether you like the hub or find issues with it. While the University of Westminster is collaborating with Redbridge Council and the charity Living Streets, our study is independent.

Understanding local opinions about the hub is only a starting point for a wider conversation about the future of local high streets. This is why our website includes a second survey about your views on streets in Wanstead and South Woodford more broadly, where you can place a pin on a map and comment on where you would like to see changes.

The pandemic has accelerated the redesign of London streets, providing more outdoor space for people (whether sitting, walking or cycling) rather than space for cars and parking. There is a finite amount of street space, so the question for the future is: what balance is fairest to make space for everyone?

In Wanstead High Street, that question has now arrived.

To take part in the street space survey, visit wnstd.com/extra. Residents can also speak to project interviewers, who will be at the Wanstead Mobility Hub on weekdays this spring.

For more information, email extraproject@westminster.ac.uk

The new café kiosk on Christ Church Green is set to open this month.

“The unit has now been delivered and installed. Work has begun connecting the electric and water mains, and we envisage the café to be fully open by Easter,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL. The kiosk will not have an alcohol licence but will be able to serve alcohol at separately licensed events.

Redbridge Council has also announced a £2m investment in public toilets in parks, which will include the toilets on Christ Church Green adjacent to the new kiosk.

Wanstead-based knitting group Social Knitworks has created a new range of woolly poppies to show support for Ukraine.

“We normally knit and crochet to help vulnerable people locally. However, we felt we had to do something for our Ukrainian neighbours. So, we dusted off our poppy patterns and found a few new ones, but instead of red, we have developed a range in blue and yellow, priced £4 each. All proceeds will go to the DEC Ukraine Appeal,” said Liz Hickson.

Email lizzieofizzie@gmail.com

The Wanstead Society will celebrate its silver jubilee by planting a new tree on the High Street this month in a nod to the community group’s first project in the late nineties. Scott Wilding reports

Back in 1997, an average pint would cost you £1.10, a litre of petrol was around 70p and I was still at Wanstead High School completing my A levels. But this was also the year that the Wanstead Society was born, and so in 2022, we turn 25.

To celebrate our silver jubilee, we are planting a tree outside Gail’s Bakery this month, which we hope will live at least another 25 years.

We’d like to thank Redbridge Council, who helped with the logistics, and for allowing us to celebrate our anniversary in this way.

We felt a tree was the right way to celebrate rather than a formal celebration. Urban trees provide heat shade, soak up excess water and give food and shelter to local wildlife. One tree on its own, of course, makes only a small difference. But in the 25 years we have been active, we have planted over 40 trees right across Wanstead, including the ones that stretch from Snaresbrook Station to the junction of Hollybush Hill. These were installed in the late 1990s and are still going strong; it was one of our first projects, but far from the last.

In over a quarter of a century, we have planted bulbs on Christ Church Green, funded the Wanstead Community Gardeners and helped pay for numerous community projects. From part-funding bins to fundraising for the refurbishment of the children’s playground on the green, we have always aimed to put something back.

Our next 25 years will see more challenges, but none more so than the environment. It’s essential that we do what we can to support local, native wildlife and plant vegetation if we want to tackle the climate emergency. This is likely to be the one really big challenge we all need to contribute to. In July last year, flash flooding caused by severe heavy rain resulted in huge damage to local homes and businesses. With extreme weather events becoming more frequent, it’s clear climate change is right on our doorstep, and in some cases, flooding over it and into our homes.

Our projects would never be possible without the help and support of Wanstead residents. As a volunteer organisation, we rely on our members giving their time for free. And it’s our members who, through generous donations and selflessly giving up their time, have made Wanstead just that little bit better.

So, we hope that over the next 25 years, we can continue making Wanstead even better still, and with your help, we will.

For more information on the Wanstead Society, visit wansteadsociety.org.uk or write to: Wanstead Society, c/o Wanstead House, 21 The Green, Wanstead, E11 2NT.

In the ninth of a series of articles by those connected to Redbridge Lane West allotments – which are under threat from the adjacent gas works – we hear from former plot holder Gemma Sanderson

In November 2011, Wanstead Village Directory published an article sharing the enjoyment that my husband, Sandy, and I got from our little patch in Wanstead.

We obtained the allotment in 2007 when it was just a weedy patch of grass with poor-quality soil. It seemed a little overwhelming at the start, but Sandy gradually sectioned areas off into raised beds, where we could focus on improving the soil, and covered the paths with membrane and stones to keep down the weeds. We sifted the soil thoroughly in each of the beds to get rid of debris, grass and bramble roots. We also went and collected manure regularly from the local stables to combine with the soil. It was amazing to see what a difference this made to the quality and texture of the soil over the months and years.

Sandy and I loved the whole production process of growing our own fruit and vegetables, as well as the social aspect that came with the friendly site on Redbridge Lane West. There were a few well-established plot holders – who had been present when the Queen visited in 2002 – who gave us great advice in the early stages. Over the years, we went from being enthusiastic newbies to being sought out for advice ourselves. It also had a positive impact on my husband in terms of health and helped him get past the struggle he had with having to give up his career.

Sadly, in early 2012, Sandy became quite ill and was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer. He deteriorated rapidly and I lost him in June that year. I really struggled for some time but found the greatest peace at the allotment, where we had enjoyed so much time together. We planted a crab apple tree on the site, in Sandy’s memory, alongside one for a fellow plot holder who we had lost the previous year. The allotment community was a huge part of what got me through that difficult time.

All the initial efforts put into the structure and layout made the ongoing work more manageable, and I was able to keep the allotment going for another four years, with help from fellow plot holders Sally and Ray. After this time, the wooden raised beds and structures were starting to deteriorate, and along with a need to downsize my property, I made the very difficult decision to give up my plot. But I still keep in contact with the many friends I made at the allotments.

A small amount of Sandy’s ashes were placed under a rose I planted for him at the allotments. Sadly, this rose is in the very area where I understand Cadent want to place a car park as part of their gas site upgrades. I will be sad to see all our hard work and memories demolished. I’m not sure Cadent realise how much time, effort and love has gone into each allotment plot over the many years.

To view Gemma and Sandy’s article from 2011, visit wnstd.com/sanderson
To view the petition to save the Redbridge Lane West allotments, visit wnstd.com/sta

A rescue package of works to restore Wanstead Park’s historic Grotto will begin this month.

“The Grotto was damaged by fire in 1884 and while it has had patchy repairs over the past 138 years, it has been badly declining and is on the Heritage at Risk Register. The edges of the landing stage have been crumbling. Major stones have been dislodged and the banks are now collapsing,” said a spokesperson for the Heritage of London Trust, which has raised £24,000 for the first phase of this project.

Visit wnstd.com/grotto

Local artist Chris Thomas explains the background to his exhibition of Himalayan landscapes on show at Wanstead Library this month

Nepal is a country in the Indian subcontinent and the Himalaya forms its northern border with Tibet. Its history has been filled with political instability and its geology unpredictable. Despite all this, the people have remained hospitable and welcoming, and the mountain scenery awe-inspiring. The people of the Himalaya belong to a variety of ethnic groups: Gurungs, Sherpas, Rais and a bewildering variety of other Tibeto-Burman nationalities.

I first visited Nepal in the mid-eighties and made a trek in Annapurna district. Since then, I have returned many times and trekked in the Solu Khumbu, Langtang and Annapurna districts on many occasions. Over the years, I’ve seen many changes with roads making ever deeper incursions into the mountains and hotels becoming increasingly sophisticated. The hospitality remains the same and the scenery is always spectacular.

For many years, I recorded my experiences with a trusty Pentax K1000 camera. Analogue moved to digital, and so did my photographic endeavours, but on the last couple of treks I decided to take a drawing book and water colour box to supplement my photography.

All the paintings in the exhibition were made in London using my own photographs and the visual notes I made while trekking. However, perhaps the most important references were the memories of these experiences.

When I was a student, drawing and painting the landscape was an important aspect of my work, and over the past couple of years that interest has been rekindled. I’ve always maintained an interest in the genre through looking at paintings, natural history and essays on aesthetics. Burke’s work on the sublime and the beautiful played an important role in my consideration while engaged in these paintings.

The paintings are concerned with elements of formal composition and the notion of the picturesque, with a reference to foreground interest and the inclusion of features such as habitation, architecture and cultural references in the form of prayer flags and chortens (Buddhist commemorative monuments).

The Himalaya has a limited reference to the context of the European landscape tradition. Explorers such as Joseph Hooker and Edward Norton made topographical renderings of the mountains. Edward Lear painted Kanchenjunga from Darjeeling. William Simpson made descriptive watercolours and Nicholas Roerich engaged the viewer in his mystical and romantic vision.

As Nepal was a closed country until the mid-20th century, it received few visitors, and those permitted entry were limited in their movement outside the Kathmandu valley. Photography became the preferred medium for travel and expeditions and, as a consequence, Nepal’s Himalaya has been largely neglected as a subject for painters.

Landscape painting is just one aspect of my interest in the visual arts; portraiture, the figure and narrative are also important parts of my work.

Chris’s exhibition of Himalayan landscapes will be on show at Wanstead Library until 20 March. For more information, visit christhomasart.co.uk

Art Group Wanstead member Blandine Martin explains why doodling on empty food packets became an additional artistic outlet for her during the pandemic

I’m Blandine Martin, a French artist based in east London. In my practice, I like to experiment with a multitude of materials, mixing traditional techniques such as weaving, basketry and woodworking with computer-aided manufacturing technology. Recently, laser cutting has enabled me to cut repeated patterns on fabric to create dream-like installations along with semi-sculptural textile work.

I’m fascinated by the fragility of memories, family themed work and the traces we leave behind. Sadly, I recently inherited some old family objects from my late mother. Some were found broken and rotting in the cellar, which made them easier to transform by giving them another purpose and narrative. It became very clear by working on the objects that I was also healing my own grief, which prompted me to include them in my textile show entitled 3am, the exact time my mother passed away. The exhibition – which will take place in July – will include the work of a new textile group called Material Difference, made up of seven artists who came together while doing the same textile course at City Lit.

Doodling has been a very important part of my practice for exploring patterns as well as ‘the running line’, which subsequently informed my textile work by means of digitally printed designs, including machine-stitched threads imitating those lines.

I started using doodling techniques on empty food packaging at the beginning of the first lockdown. It was a way to be creative at home without the need for studio space or tons of art materials. The packaging structure turned out to be the perfect base for drawing. The shape of the packaging also gives the drawing a sculptural dimension, which I really like. As an art technician in a secondary school, I have used doodling techniques with students as a mindful exercise tool and to explore abstracted forms without conscious effort. The students created some really fabulous, colourful, bold and dynamic landscapes.

I joined Art Group Wanstead a few years ago to meet others, share ideas and projects and to be inspired by like-minded people. Since the pandemic started, it became clear just how important it is to be able to join discussions in my local area. I must admit, I was blown away by how big the creative community is around here. Making art can be a lonely task, so to be part of a group can be beneficial in many ways.

Last year, I exhibited at The Stone Space in Leytonstone, displaying sculptures in their window. It was such a positive experience that I am currently looking for more exhibition space in and around Wanstead.

To view more of Blandine’s work, visit wnstd.com/blandine

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

Volunteers who help monitor the well-being of swans in Wanstead Park have urged dog owners to keep their pets under control, especially when the lakes are frozen.

“Earlier this month, many of the park’s lakes were iced over. The swans prefer to be on the banks away from the ice, but if they are panicked and run on the ice, they can acquire nasty injuries from skidding, and reaching them is tricky and dangerous for the rescuer. The ice is also risky for dogs if they run out after the birds,” said a spokesperson for The Swan Sanctuary.

Concerns have been raised over the safety of the zebra crossing on Wanstead High Street, opposite Christ Church Green.

It follows an incident last month when a pedestrian was injured, and in 2016, a 91-year-old man was knocked over and killed at the site. Redbridge Council is considering responses to a consultation on plans to make the crossing a raised ‘speed table’, but there are also calls to relocate the crossing, remove the trees that obstruct the view for drivers and pedestrians, or change it to a pelican crossing.

A public meeting to discuss the commercial use of Christ Church Green has been scheduled for 2pm on 12 March.

For details, click here.

Vision RCL is a charity that works in partnership with Redbridge Council to deliver leisure and cultural services. Here, chief executive Iain Varah offers some insight into the workings of the organisation

Vision RCL is an independent registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, overseen by a board of voluntary unpaid director trustees made up of community representatives and two local councillors.

As a charity, any financial surpluses Vision makes are reinvested to improve the quality of facilities and services and to deliver our charitable objectives. Vision aims to increase participation, accessibility and inclusivity across all of its services, as well as developing partnerships and sharing best practice.

The charity was established in 2007 and Redbridge Council decided to transfer a number of core sport and leisure facilities to the trust at that time. This was followed in 2008 by the transfer of the three remaining sport and leisure facilities, including Wanstead Leisure Centre. In May 2011, the council transferred a wider range of services into the trust, including parks and open spaces, nature conservation, libraries, arts and events, museum, heritage, hall lettings and grounds maintenance services.

Vision again expanded significantly in 2016 to incorporate Redbridge Music Service and Redbridge Drama Centre, the latter based in South Woodford. Wanstead and Loxford Youth Centres were also transferred in the same year. Vision also took on the operation of the dual-use school/community pool and sports facilities at Loxford School of Science and Technology, and a further leisure centre development at Mayfield School opened in 2018. In September 2019, Vision took over management of the Kenneth More Theatre.

Vision, as an independent charity, has access to a range of significant external funding that public bodies cannot access. On an annual basis, this figure is in excess of £800,000, but will be significantly increased with an Arts Council England grant of £1m from the Creative People and Places fund to be spent across Redbridge in partnership with a number of Redbridge-based charitable and voluntary organisations over the next three years. Vision now has over 750 employees and a turnover of over £20m, and is one of the largest and most diverse leisure and culture trusts in the country.

The formal relationship between Redbridge Council and Vision is defined by a Funding and Management Agreement in place until March 2026, as well as related leases, licences and other supporting agreements. As the council is under increasing financial pressure due to the reduction in government funding, the need to generate income to protect jobs, services and facilities has become more acute. The management fee from Redbridge Council has reduced significantly over time, and Vision has to generate income to fill the ever-increasing hole in finance between the management fee and running costs.

For more information on the work of Vision RCL, visit visionrcl.org.uk

Ruth Martin, chair of the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society, reports on a recent tree-planting ceremony at Aldersbrook Medical Centre to commemorate all those who have lost their lives to Covid

On the last Saturday in November, Aldersbrook Horticultural Society were very proud to take part in a tree-planting ceremony at Aldersbrook Medical Centre.

A crab apple tree and two ‘discovery’ eating apples were planted in the front garden of the surgery on Aldersbrook Road. Dr Mehta, the senior GP at the practice, spoke movingly about his personal experience of Covid and was helped to plant the central tree by his young son and daughter, with staff from the surgery, patients and members of Aldersbrook Horticultural Society planting the remainder.

A commemorative plaque was placed next to the trees to. The plaque reads:

To commemorate those who have died during the COVID pandemic and to thank all NHS and other key workers.

A golden privet hedge was planted below the lime trees in the garden, and as it grows, it will not only look very pretty but will also provide the garden with shelter. The heavy rain from Storm Arwen didn’t deter enthusiasm and made the refreshments of cake and tea all the more welcome for the good crowd that attended the ceremony.

Aldersbrook Horticultural Society has been working with Aldersbrook Medical Centre for several months. The brick planter next to the bus stop has been transformed from a giant rubbish bin into an attractive flower bed planted with shrubs and colourful perennials. We have been working with the Patient Participation Group to develop a gardening club to support patients at the practice. There are monthly working parties and in October, a raised bed was planted with wallflowers and colourful spring bulbs donated by Redbridge Council. Plans in the future involve more planting and ongoing work to keep the front garden looking its best.

Aldersbrook Horticultural Society continues to go from strength to strength and meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7.30pm at Aldersbrook Bowls Club. Our meetings are open to members (£35 a year) and to non-members (£5 per meeting).

We have a variety of local and national speakers. Nick Bailey from Gardeners’ World wowed us in September with a talk on ‘365 days of colour’, committee members in October talked about the beginning of the gardening year and in November, Ken Clarke from Forest Gate shared his knowledge and love of succulents and cacti, leaving us all more confident about caring for our plants rather than killing them with love.

This year’s programme of events will begin on 11 January with a presentation by Simone Rauxlah on terra preta soils.

For more information on the Aldersbrook Horticultural Society, visit wnstd.com/ahs

Colin Cronin has organised a public meeting with local councillors and Vision RCL to address the issues surrounding the commercial use of Christchurch Green, as highlighted by the recent Christmas tree market

Christchurch Green has long been the centre of Wanstead. From an arboricultural perspective, the green is a jewel that is home to many different species of trees, both indigenous and non-native to these shores. From a social perspective, it really comes into its own as our ‘village green’, a place where many residents will have fond memories of school sports days, picnics with friends, attending the annual Wanstead Festival or just strolling under the canopy of its trees on their way to support businesses on our local High Street.

This jewel requires constant attention and management to ensure it continues to be the place we love and enjoy so much, and that management comes at a financial cost.

Vision RCL is the social enterprise that has been tasked with managing many of the green spaces in Redbridge, including Christchurch Green, and to meet the costs of maintaining this space has embarked on a number of initiatives aimed at increasing revenue.

In August 2021, Vision announced excitedly that they had been granted planning permission to provide a “new sustainable café kiosk” despite a large number of objections from local residents. Then, in late November, it was Vision who dreamed up a Christmas tree selling gimmick on the green, again designed to increase revenue.

Both of these initiatives have been developed and implemented without any consultation with or concern for local residents’ views or the impact they might potentially have on rate-paying businesses on our High Street. Indeed, so ill-conceived was the pop-up Christmas tree market idea that local traders were subsequently approached by Vision asking if they could sell their surplus Christmas trees at other green spaces in Redbridge.

Whilst we all appreciate that costs need to be met for the maintenance of our green, Vision needs to rethink their approach as to how they go about working with local residents and the businesses of Wanstead going forward to ensure all members of the community can have their say and be heard.

We will therefore look to host a public meeting with our local councillors and Vision representatives to hear their plans and aspirations for Christchurch Green for the future, how we as local residents can be included in those conversations and how we can all work together to ensure the mistakes of last month are not repeated.

The public meeting will take place on 5 March from 2pm at Christ Church, Wanstead.

The Wren Wildlife Group, London Wildlife Trust and Wild Wanstead have compiled a list of 10 species at risk of local extinction. In the last of a series of articles looking at each species in turn, Susie Knox explains why she’s bats about pipistrelles

Pipistrelles are small bats with brown fur and a black face and wings. Their wingspan is about 20cm and they weigh no more than a pound coin. Pipistrelles roost (spend the day) hidden out of sight, singly or in small groups, in crevices in buildings, tree holes and bat boxes. They emerge to feed around 20 minutes after sunset, dining on flies, midges and mosquitoes.

Pipistrelles fly in a fast, jerky way, two to 10 metres above the ground as they pursue small insects, which they catch and eat on the wing. A single bat can consume up to 3,000 insects in one night.

There are two different species of pipistrelle bat in Wanstead: the common pipistrelle and the soprano pipistrelle. Common pipistrelle bats have a slightly lower-pitched voice than their soprano cousins.

Common pipistrelles normally breed in autumn and winter, but will not give birth until the following summer. Males establish courtship territories, which they patrol while emitting high-pitched calls to attract the attention of females. When ready to give birth, females gather in large maternity roosts. Typically, they have one baby (pup), which is fed on its mum’s milk for the first few weeks. The young bats can fly at around three weeks old and by six weeks they are fully independent.

The best time to spot pipistrelles is April to September. They hibernate between December and March, finding a crevice in a building where it’s warm and sheltered.

Pipistrelles are the most common and widespread bats in Britain, but like other species, they’re coming under pressure as land is developed and the wooded areas, ponds and open green spaces they rely on for hunting shrink. It’s unclear how their numbers are holding up. We know from scientific evidence and the absence of bugs on our car windscreens that there have been very significant declines in flying insects, their food source. Another potential threat is the loss of roosting sites due to modern construction and insulation methods reducing the gaps and crevices where bats can shelter.

The Wanstead area is blessed with several lakes surrounded by woodland – ideal places for pipistrelles to hunt at night. Hollow Pond on Leyton Flats and Perch Pond in Wanstead Park are both very good, but there is evidence that numbers there have declined in the last few years.

How to help

• More trees! They’re really important for common pipistrelles. Trees provide cover as bats emerge from their roosts and they often follow treelines to help navigate when out hunting. Plant new trees at the back of your garden and nurture any mature trees you’ve got – they have nooks and crannies where bats can roost.
• Make your garden an oasis for flying insects. Fill it with dense foliage and pollinator-friendly plants like aubretia, jasmine and Michaelmas daisies. Have a wild area with food plants for moths, such as honeysuckle, hawthorn, ivy and sweet rocket.
• Install a wildlife pond and create a long grass area.
• Reduce light pollution by ditching unnecessary night lights in your garden – it disorientates bats and is thought to be contributing to the dramatic decline in insects.
• Put up bat boxes.
• Don’t use pesticides and lobby the council against their use.

For more information about the 10 species under threat of extinction in Wanstead, visit wnstd.com/the10

Iain Ambler was one of 15 plot holders who recently restored the Redbridge Lane West allotment pond, ensuring it remains a haven for wildlife all year round. Photo by Stephen Lines

The pond – situated in one corner of the Redbridge Lane West allotment site – was created over 20 years ago. It is as big as the back garden of an average terraced house, and so is perhaps one of the bigger wildlife ponds in the borough, apart from those in Wanstead Park and on Wanstead Flats or Hollow Pond.

Why did we act?
In recent years, the pond had been dry for long periods of time, probably negatively impacting wildlife. For example, our site previously had common newts, but these hadn’t been seen this year.

Over the summer, I heard of English Cricket Board research which suggested April and May had recently become the driest months of the English year – these are the critical breeding months for our native amphibia and insects. Ponds typically act as a magnet on any wildlife site – for example, they will attract insects, which in turn bring amphibia, bats and birds. So, we wanted to do something to continue our allotment’s tradition of doing its bit for urban wildlife. The site has a history of engagement with and encouragement for wildlife conservation with many plot holders taking part. And, of course, we wanted to restore the pond for the sheer joy of it! In conversation with one Wanstead resident, she said how in the past on an early summer’s evening, she walked along one of the roads adjacent to the allotment and enjoyed, as she put it, “the frog chorus.”

What did we do?
Over the summer months, we cleared the pond and surrounding area of scrub and re-landscaped and relined it with a butyl liner (so it should stay permanently wet). We then added many pond plants, including irises, water lilies, marsh marigolds and oxygenators. We also added natural refuges for wildlife (hibernacula), to allow wildlife to enter and exit from the pond under cover, safe from predators. Finally, we added plants to the raised bank around the pond and started to create mini wild flower meadows to attract pollinators and insects.

This has been a joint project with Simon Litt, Vision RCL’s allotments officer and his team, who contributed the pond liner and plants. Many Redbridge residents kindly contributed underlay for the pond liner following a social media request.

We’ve also had some great expert advice from, among others, Froglife (the UK nature charity for amphibia), Tim Harris from the Wren Wildlife Group, Susie Knox from Wild Wanstead and Enid Barrie from Essex Botany.

What will the benefits be?
We hope that by restoring the pond, we can attract and increase the number of insects, amphibia, birds, waterfowl and mammals that use the pond and site. In addition, we think the pond is a beautiful ‘jewel within a jewel’ on our site, and will inspire both plot holders and the wider community to connect with wildlife and nature.

For more information on allotments in Redbridge, visit wnstd.com/allotments