Author: Wansteadium

Calling interesting shopkeepers

The last time Wansteadium invited readers to indulge in a bit of wishful thinking about what kind of shop would they really like to see come into the High Street, the overwhelming answer was a fishmonger. And lo it came to pass.

On the basis that it’s worth trying again, readers are invited to speculate what would be the most interesting and useful shop to open in this particular spot. Fingers crossed the same trick will work.

Playground collects green money

IMG_6146.JPG  The Wanstead Playground Association has been made one of this month’s good causes in Waitrose in South Woodford. Customers are invited to place green tokens in their collecting box for a share of a payout. As this photo shows there’s some way to go, but Wanstead shoppers will doubtless try to make a influence matters.

FB_IMG_1428067961850In other Playground news, the winner of the massive Easter Egg, as made by Belgique, was John O’Connor, pictured with his salivating pals.

 

Wanstead hunt goes global

wanstead-attackThe hunt for a woman who is wanted by police following an assault on a deaf homeless woman at Wanstead Tube station has gone around the world.

CCTV photographs of the woman have appeared in London papers and have been widely tweeted, including by a deaf group in Canada.

More details have been released by the police about the attack which happened at 8.30pm on 28 February (which, incidentally, was the Saturday on which Scotland played Italy, and France played Wales in the Six Nations, in case that jogs memories). The attack, described by police as “seemingly unprovoked”, took place outside the Tube station. The woman then went into the station and down the escalators, accompanied by a man.

Though the police have not speculated as to where the woman was from, the timings may well mean she had been visiting Wanstead and was leaving. Anyone with details is asked to contact British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, or text 61016, quoting reference T/B2 of 30/03/2015, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Saving an old bit of Wanstead with a spade

Primroses which are now flowering along the edge of Christ Church Green might, to close observers, seem to be newly planted. The plants themselves, though, and their ancestors have been flowering in Wanstead for at least 100 years.

Wanstead’s guerrilla gardener Marian Temple takes up the story. “The primroses were due to be made homeless. They’ve been flowering profusely for about the last 100 years, obviously in what was part of an old garden but is now the grounds of the scout hut at the very end of the high street Snaresbrook.

0.Marian Temple- Gardener“The hut is about to be demolished so a new one can be built. Primroses and building sites don’t go together very well so chances of survival – zilch. Operation “Save the Primroses” swung into action and that explains the appearance of these lovely plants in Tarzy Wood, the Wanstead Station patches, the Manor House street flower beds, Corner House Garden and of course Wanstead Place.

“Hopefully, we’ll manage to transplant the lot and at some time when the rebuilding is finished to replant a stock back in their original old garden place. In the meantime, Wanstead is primrosed up to the eyeballs. Enjoy.”

• That’s not the only guerrilla activity to report. She adds: “You may have noticed the Wanstead Station surrounds looking a lot more interesting than this time last year. That’s because the manky bare litter strewn patches have been sucked into the Wanstead mania for cheering up sad pieces of public soil.

“Since April last year, locals including families with young kids have been meeting every so often on Sundays and really taking over these sad patches. First on the agenda is a de-manking session, bits of chewing gum, dog ends, cans, bottles and the odd bolt cutter removed. Flower shop Daisy has been mega generous in donating their “past sell-by date” plants. All planted and flowering their petalled heads off as you read. Loads of stuff from our own gardens too nicely settled in their new public patches.

“What a difference! We call ourselves the Wanstead Community Gardeners but it’s a very loose amalgam of locals who really enjoy making a difference. Want to join in the fun??? No gardening experience needed. Just get in contact with me, Marian Temple via Wansteadium (marian@wansteadium.com) and I will add your details to the email network.