Author: Wansteadium

The public-spiritedness of Wanstead gardeners is already legendary, with many spots around the area tended on a voluntary basis (not just the Corner House garden).

The call has gone out for any gardeners willing to donate plants to the garden on the eastbound platform at Snaresbrook station (see sign below). Though unpopular with late night reveller expecting to find themselves heading towards Hainault, Snaresbrook is one of the gems of the Central Line – the point at which, it has been said, the line seems to have left London and entered England.

Wansteadium reader @MissisBeekeeper tweeted this morning asking “anyone know what’s going on with new Cherry Tree Cafe?”

The answer can be found on our messageboard, WansteadTalk.com, where RogerM posted this message:

The Cheery Tree Cafe in Woodbine Place is under new management. Previously run by Redbridge the cafe is now managed by HAIL, an organisation that supports adults with learning difficulties and which runs two other cafes in Haringey. Although the cafe is already open Monday to Friday, they [had] their formal opening on Friday 14 June between 10 and 3. …The cafe will [now] open 7 days a week 9.30 to 4.

It serves excellent sandwiches, delicious homemade cakes and a hot dish of the day. Coffee is also great. However its USP is the lovely sheltered garden, complete with eponymous cherry tree. Worth checking out, it is right opposite the children’s playground on Christchurch Green

Our man with pebbles in his pocket writes:

Two young cricketers sandwiched a fine weekend for Wanstead men’s cricket. Sunday saw under-16 batsman Finlay Chesney-Brown (right) scoring a superb undefeated 68 in the win against Woodford Green.

On Saturday, against a strong Upminster side Kishen Velani, who has also played for motley teams such as England U19, scored a fine century to set up victory in the club’s effort to retain the Premiership title.

Steve Ramdial’s half-century in the 2nds and three young players’ 50s for the 3rds led to wins against respective Woodford Wells sides.

The Herons’ 4th XI just scraped a draw against visitors Chingford, Sriram Pathmarajah continued his habit of avoiding buying jugs of beer by scoring 48 runs in the 5th team draw, and the 6th XI were simply not strong enough against Fives & Heronians 4th team.

The Heronettes headed for Harrow on Sunday but had to come away humbled.

Wansteadium reader and expert in children’s publishing Jodie Marsh (not that one, this one: @Jodiemarsh31) writes:

This website community and blog have been recently discussing the problems Wanstead High Street is facing with some of the current retailers moving off to pastures new, or just not managing to survive the difficult time. So, with that in mind and as a relatively new resident (seven months) I thought I’d throw my two-pence in. It’s idealistic, perhaps, but it’s simple – Wanstead needs a children’s book shop!

Children’s bookselling is the only part of independent book retail in growth, and in comparable areas of London there are indie specialist children’s bookshops are not just surviving, but thriving: Tales on Moon Lane in Herne Hill; Victoria Park Books in my old stomping ground of Hackney; Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End… I work in the children’s book industry as a literary agent and I know these bookshops well. They are proper hubs of the community; running social events, high profile author events and mini literary festivals, book clubs for adults and children, they work closely with the local schools to promote reading for pleasure and are just a joy to have on the high street. In the right premises such a shop could have a cafe to give The Larder a proper competitor and as an area with a high proportion of affluent young parents it seems to me a no-brainer. If I had the capital I’d start it up tomorrow! I hope someone takes up the challenge.

Last week we featured photographs of the Corner House Garden which Marian Temple and others have been tending for the past 10 years. Wansteadium reader Rohini Wahi, an ace design blogger herself, visited Marian’s own garden during an open afternoon, and says she was “completely smitten”.

“Good old-fashioned community spirit delicious cakes and the most enchanting country garden. I wish I could visit every weekend.”