The lights on the back of the Christmas tree on George Green stopped working because of an ‘act of vandalism’.
Snaresbrook councillor Colin Cronin asked Redbridge council employees to check the tree after last week’s item in Wansteadium about half of the tree being dark.
They have now investigated and told him that the lights were vandalised, he said on the Wansteadium Facebook page.
It’s nearly Twelfth Night, almost time those old Christmas trees down. And while you’re doing so, check to see if our resident tree expert Scott Whitehead’s November prediction that the pine needles will fall more than normal because of the warm weather has come true.
Scott made the prediction here.
Seems to be much brown on #Christmas tree already. With this warm weather I think many trees will be bald by 25th pic.twitter.com/cXloNhUzIt
— Wanstead weather (@wanstead_meteo) November 11, 2015
And it seems to have come true for at least one household on Nightingale Lane (pictured above) which shoved their tree stick thing on to the pavement a week ago.
This week several Tube stations have been rezoned, notable Stratford which moved from zone 3 into a joint 2/3 zone, meaning considerable savings for many customers. Other stations changing are Stratford High Street, Stratford International DLR station, West Ham, Canning Town, Star Lane and Abbey Road.
But Wanstead and Snaresbrook were not on the list, despite an enterprising campaign run last year by Ricky Varaden and Diana Silva. The campaigners called for both stations to be rezoned into zone 3 instead of their current zone 4. They said that stations on other lines ARE included in zone 3 but are actually further away from TFL’s central reference point, Charing Cross than either Wanstead or Snaresbrook is.
They also claimed that the growth in east London’s population since the Olympics means that the balance of the city was shifting and this should be reflected in the zones. Their campaign was, however, unsuccessful and TFL has no plans to look at the issue again.
Thanks to everyone who has helped make Wansteadium Wanstead’s favourite website once again in 2015.*
As you can see from the figures below, it’s been another remarkable year for us, and it couldn’t have been achieved without everyone who has been in touch with bits of information, tip-offs, items of news and photographs (including Colin, the sender of this too cute New Year’s Day squirrel). And, of course, it wouldn’t have happened without our regular readers and 1,250 e-mail newsletter subscribers (sign up here if you haven’t already).
So here goes…
And here are the most popular 15 stories from the year…
Happy 2016 to everyone, and thanks again.
*Ok the “favourite” thing isn’t strictly provable. But it worked out fine for British Airways.
…is that there are no lights on the back of the Wanstead Christmas tree.
In case you missed it – which you might well have done, given that a press release went out on Christmas Eve – Redbridge Council has agreed to give £20,000 to the fundraising for the playground on Christchurch green. There are more details here but it’s looking very much like the fundraising will meet its target which will be cause for some celebration and civic pride. Swings and roundabouts.
UPDATE: Wanstead Playground Association’s Nicola Jarratt writes: “The council’s commitment to bring our total raised to £80,000 (which currently equates to a 17.5k donation) is much appreciated. It unlocks an further £10,000 grant from the Hedley Foundation which was contingent on us raising £80,000. We are therefore guaranteed to reach the amazing figure of £90,000. We’re still working hard to raise the additional 18k to reach our final target, but Wanstead is guaranteed a fantastic new playground next year which is wonderful news.”
