Stephen Lewis, the actor famous for playing Blakey in the 1970s sitcom On the Buses, has died in the Cambridge Nursing Home in Wanstead, where he lived. He was 88. Rashid Ebrahimkhan, manager of the home, told reporters: “He still had his sense of humour, very much so. He was very resilient until the last.”
@Wansteadium a Wanstead man. Did you know?"@KerryAlexandra: On The Buses actor Stephen Lewis has died aged 88 http://t.co/7p3tSRWoag
— Jim Martin (@JimSpim) August 13, 2015
This is Harry, a 40-year-old tortoise who has gone AWOL from his Snaresbrook garden, probably now tramping through some Epping Forest undergrowth. His owner person, Tina Nieman da Costa, has been hunting for him without joy.
Tina says: “We hope he comes back to us. We can’t imagine house without him. He’s not very big – 7×10 inches at his shell – and although he’s 40, he was a rescue tortoise. Sadly his previous owner put a hole in his shell and painted him. There is now a missing shell segment and the paint is all gone but he never grew very big. We took him to a specialist who says he suffered a trauma when young (probably dropped). That being said, he is very friendly for a tortoise and loves strawberries and cucumber.”
Anyone in the vicinity of the Rivenhall Estate is asked to check their gardens and let Tina or husband Troy know. Tina’s on 07841 421267 and Troy is on 07735 577399.
Last Tube strike Wansteadium shared a map of walking times from Wanstead stations. But for those who might be brushing the cobwebs off a mostly unused bike, here are some tips from avid cyclists Robert Dineen and Nick Affleck.
1. Skip Leytonstone High Road. For many Wansteadites, the northern tip of Leytonstone High Road will be the shortest way to get to central London but the contra-flow there makes it among the most dangerous urban roads we’ve encountered. By encouraging cyclists to ride in the opposite direction to the traffic, you forever take pedestrians and drivers by surprise, and sharply increase the risk of an accident as a result. As for Blake Hell Road which is beset by roadworks and traffic jams, careful cyclists should be able to pick their way through the stranded masses. (Anyone hoping to hop on a 101 bus to Stratford or a 308 to Manor Park should remember this.)
2. There’s a reasonably calm route west from Wanstead Flats via Cann Hall Road, and Honour Lea Avenue in Leyton which takes you to the Olympic Park. Continue west across a connecting flyover into Victoria Park, which then joins the Regents Canal, allowing pleasant pedalling all the way to City Road. Go steady, and use your bell liberally on the towpath!
3. Consider cycling to Stratford for DLR and Overground connections. There are 500 cycle parking spaces at Westfield.
4. Avoid Whitechapel High Street if you can. Roadworks building the new cycle lanes here have reduced the lanes available to traffic and made the ride into the City much longer. Better to use the Cycle Superhighway that links the Docklands to Tower Hill and can be accessed at Mile End. Be warned, though, it has only one line in each direction and tends to get busy at rush hour, so you will probably need to curb your inner Mark Cavendish and avoid overtaking.
5. Give way to buses. There will be 200 extra buses on the roads during the strike and they will have the right of way priority, despite the number of cyclists who refuse to halt and allow buses to leave a stop. Buck that trend and you will contribute to improving cyclists’ reputation on the road, as well as help to keep the flow of traffic moving.
6. Be especially vigilant around Boris bikes. The demand for the hire bikes that have popped up across central London will presumably spike during the Tube strike. Though a welcome addition to the city’s transport network, the bikes are heavy and unresponsive, making it hard to respond quickly to dangerous situations.
• Robert Dineen is author of Kings of the Road: A Journey into the Heart of British Cycling. He will be taking part in a special cycling evening during the Wanstead Fringe – more details to be announced.
Wansteadium reader Diana writes:
“I wonder if any of the lovely followers of Wansteadium can help me – on Sunday 19 July at around 3.00pm I was knocked off my bike outside Tesco Express on the High Street in Wanstead when a car driver reversed into me. Several kind people came to my aid and the driver of the car did stop but as I was in complete shock I failed to get anyone’s details. I have suffered a fractured arm and it looks like my bike frame is bent and non-repairable. If anyone was there or can provide me with any information I would be so grateful. The police are checking for CCTV but I am hoping that either the driver or one of the Good Samaritans may come forward. Please contact Wansteadium (info@wansteadium.com) who will forward details to me. Thank you, Diana.”
Most of the slots for musicians for the Wanstead Fringe (and indeed the Wanstead Festival) are now filled. But any musicians who are prepared to indulge in a bit of busking street performance are encouraged to get in touch by email info@wansteadfringe.org. The Wanstead Fringe runs from Saturday 5 September until Saturday 12 September. Details of the full programme will be published in a couple of weeks’ time.
Redbridge Council issued a press release on Monday saying that the council had agreed a number of steps with National Grid to alleviate the problem of traffic congestion on Blake Hall Road caused by roadworks to repair the gas main.
These measure include:
* National Grid agreeing to increase the number of “site operatives” and to have for longer hours, including Saturdays
* Introduction of temporary signs at the junctions of Belgrave Road /Blake Hall Road, Windsor Road/Lake House Road and Richmond Way/Lake House Road indicating ‘No Through Access’ to either Lake House Road or Blake Hall Road.
