Wanstead War Memorial. 8th November 2026.
Photograph: Martin Smith
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Wanstead man charged with murder
Wanstead man Kevin Bramley has been charged with the murder of Lorena Ciupeanu who died in 2022.
The Metropolitan Police issued this statement yesterday:
A man has been charged with the murder of Lorena Ciupeanu in 2022.
Kevin Bramley, 68 (12.10.1958), of Hermon Hill, Wanstead, who was in a relationship with Lorena at the time of her death, was arrested on Thursday, 5 November on suspicion of her murder.
He was charged later the same day with murder, sexual assault, coercive and controlling behaviour and causing actual bodily harm. The charges all relate to Lorena.
Bramley will appear at Barkingside Magistrates’ Court this morning, Friday, 6 November.
Police were called after 28-year-old Lorena was taken to Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone on 4 November 2022 after being found unresponsive. Despite the efforts of paramedics, she sadly died the following day.
Wanstead photos: Lit up
Holy Trinity on Hermon Hill lit up and looking good ahead of fireworks night… lots of the local displays are sold out so nice to have this given to us for free. (Pooches not included.)
Photograph: Bibby Binky
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A whole lot of numbers
Wansteadium has a new page, which will have been spotted by eagle-eyed readers: it’s just up there in the navigation: Wanstead in data. All sorts of updating facts and figures all about Wanstead, collected for the interest of the people of Wanstead.
Among the data feeds you will find there are records about how much rain we’ve had recently, and how that’s having an impact on the level of the Roding and local reservoirs:
Rainfall · nearest EA gauge
No rain recorded in the past 24 hours
0.0mm
The nearest Environment Agency gauge has recorded 1.4mm over the past seven days.
Two weeks of rainfall
Last 7 days
1.4 mm
Previous 7 days
5.4 mm
Two consecutive seven-day periods at the same gauge. Not a comparison with the historical average.
River Roding · Redbridge gauge
The Roding is at its usual level
0.12m
The river is within its long-term typical range.
7 days agoLatest
You can also see up-to-date records of Wanstead air quality, thanks to the monitoring station at Gardner Close:
Air quality · Gardner Close
Air pollution is low
LOW
Nitrogen dioxide at Gardner Close is 10µg/m³, air-quality index 1.
7 days agoLatest
Also you can keep track of the actual prices houses in Wanstead have sold for (clue: it’s not as much as you might think)
Homes · Recently sold
What are Wanstead homes selling for?
£698k
Median registered sale price in 2026 to date · 135 sales · 35 terraces · 35 semis · 3 detached.
Oct 2025Latest
Other figures there worth looking at are trends in local crime, population, school places, and with more to come as we discover more feeds. Any data nerds out there who know of other sources, please let us know by emailing info@wansteadium.com.
And anyone who rolls their eyes and says: “Pshaw! More AI!”, well here’s a thing. AI can be a very useful tool but it is not used in the routine processing or interpretation of the data presented in our data dashboards. Calculations, comparisons and descriptions are generated using programmed methods rather than AI-generated assessments. And anyone who queries the use of Pshaw as an exclamation, we can only tell you that it was good enough to be the answer to Wordle #1852 in July.
Leaving a trace
We love the work of local writer and photographer Joanna Pocock, author of the much-praised travel memoir Greyhound, in which she travelled across America on buses (spoiler: it wasn’t pretty). Her latest essay has just been published in the final print issue of Dark Mountain, a literary magazine which explores humanity’s relationship with nature (something Joanna charts via her Bluesky feed, often in Wanstead Park).
The essay recalls a 50-mile canoe journey through Montana’s Missouri Breaks wilderness, using the instruction to leave no trace as the starting point for a more complicated question: might some human interventions actually leave a landscape in better condition? You can read Leave No Trace here at Dark Mountain
Wansteadium Revisited: 7 November 2026
Our new occasional feature, looking back on some stories which still somehow resonate today.
First, let’s take a moment to mark the 10 year anniversary of the announcement that Wanstead is to get a new swimming pool. Oh how young and naive we were! Watch Wansteadium this week for more updates on this story.
And one rueful memory: the sign which adorned Andrews Builders Merchants, for many an absolutely definitive part of Wanstead, ended up in a skip. (Meanwhile there is still no further intelligence on what exactly will be happening to that other jewel in Wanstead’s crown, Wanstead Hairdresser’s on Woodbine Place.)
New planning applications in Wanstead: 3 Nov 26
Here are the latest planning applications registered in Wanstead Village and Wanstead Park during the previous week. These details come from Redbridge Council’s public planning register; applications may change as they progress.
New planning applications
Registered 26 Oct 2026 – 1 Nov 2026 · Wanstead Village and Wanstead Park
Registered
Other proposals
25, Northumberland Avenue, Wanstead, London, E12 5HD
T1 (purple leaf plum) - Remove dying main stem. Lightly reshape up to 1m. General maintenance (summary)
2846/26Council record ↗
Registered
Tree works
Little Holt, New Wanstead, London, E11 2SJ
TPO 36/08 T24 (tree 3 on site plan) - Hornbeam - Lift crown to 4m and remove epicormic growth T21 (tree 29 on site plan) - London Plane - Lift crown 3m above garages (effectively lifted 6 metres above ground) (summary)
2669/26Council record ↗
Registered
Tree works
42, Overton Drive, London, E11 2NJ
T1 (Robinia) and T2 (Lawson Cypress) - fell to ground level. (Summary).
2854/26Council record ↗
Under assessment
Demolition
1, St Marys Avenue, London, E11 2NR
Demolish detached rear stable. Single storey detached timber framed stable. (Summary).
2838/26Council record ↗
Under assessment
Loft & roof
58, Elmcroft Avenue, Wanstead, London, E11 2BL
Loft conversion with a rear dormer. Two front roof light. New window to gable end. (Summary).
2833/26Council record ↗
Under assessment
Loft & roof
10, Lake House Road, Wanstead, London, E11 3QS
Remove conservatory and existing extension. Single storey rear extension with steps down to garden. Loft conversion. Two front and two rear rooflights. Removal of two chimneys. Replacement of uPVC windows and doors with timber framed double glazed windows of same configuration on front and side elevation. Replacement and widening of first floor window openings from uPVC to slimline aluminium frames with timber vent openings. Refurbishment of existing porch, including replacing front entry door and windows for slimline aluminium. (summary)
2819/26Council record ↗
Registered
Tree works
35, St Margarets Road, Wanstead, London, E12 5DR
T1 (Ash) - Remove shoots from trunk (approx 30cm) Trim branch over neighbours driveway by 1M. T2 (Holly) - Prune lower branches by 0.3M. T3 (Mimosa) - Remove. G1 (mixed) - General pruning by 30cm of established bushes to front and rear. (summary)
2473/26Council record ↗
Under assessment
Loft & roof
61, Hollybush Hill, Wanstead, London, E11 1PX
Alterations to roof profile. Loft conversion with two rear dormers. Six rooflights. (summary)
2810/26Council record ↗
Source: London Borough of Redbridge planning register. Category labels are automatically inferred, not official classifications. Application details and decisions can change; check the council record for current information. Wansteadium publishes site details rather than applicant identities or neighbours’ comments. Report an issue.
For the wider archive, visit Planning in Wanstead. Always consult the official Redbridge application record for the latest information.
Wanstead photos: Let the chills show
Hallowe’en decorations are getting more ambitious ever year, cost of living crisis be damned. So your spooky photos are welcome – we may even have a vote on Saturday.
Nelson Road
Photograph: Bibby Binky
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Wansteadium Revisited: 28 Oct 26
A new occasional column, a selection from the Wansteadium archive.
