Author: Wansteadium

Redbridge councillors have discussed a proposal which would allow the density of housing in Wanstead, Woodford to quadruple between 2015 and 2030. The local development framework, which sets the priorities and goals for planning and building, is currently being formulated and one of the options considers, according to the Wanstead Guardian “large-scale developments in traditionally suburban “major corridors” in Woodford Green, South Woodford and Wanstead”.

Now Wansteadium has a passing interest in the activities of local councils, but doesn’t pretend to understand what all this really means. It is though a fair bet that many of the people who read this site (whether residents, experts or indeed councillors) do know what, if anything, this means. They are welcome to elucidate matters using the form below.

These are great days for children’s reading in Wanstead.

The inspired summer reading project, which is being run at Wanstead Library as it is in many other libraries around the country, has successfully captured many children’s imaginations. And this weekend Wanstead gets its own “Little Free Library”, a charitable project which encourages children to swap their books and take one away for free.

Each Little Free Library – and there are several around London and the rest of the country now – operates from a residential area and is designed especially for the location. Wanstead’s is being installed this weekend in the garden of Overton Drive resident Fiona Tonkin – hence the name above the door. It has been decorated in an Epping Forest style by artist Gabriela Castellanos.

#tonkinlodge is being collected tonight for installation tomorrow by @LFLProject #lfl #LittleFreeLibrary #Wanstead pic.twitter.com/Jbtky2lqUx

— grela (@grelaarts) August 14, 2014

The summer reading scheme, Mythical Maze, has successfully introduced a bit of social gaming into going to the library. The task children have for the summer holidays is to read six books, and to be able to talk about what they have read. With each completed book, they are closer to reaching the target of the end of the maze. As the chart in Wanstead library shows, many children have already completed the task – in fact some finished it in the first few days of the summer holidays.

Any children not yet under way still have time to take part – but should be aware that the library will be closed before the end of the holidays for a new roof to be installed.

Wanstead Fish gets ink.

https://twitter.com/itswoodsygirl/status/498912046550110208

Regular readers will know of the Seeds for Snaresbrook campaign run by Friends of the Earth which encouraged residents to adopt a tree pit, ie the bit round the bottom of street trees, in order to avoid pesticide being sprayed on them. The idea was to plant them with flower seeds to assist bees as they navigate through E11.

These pictures taken in Grosvenor Road look pretty impressive, but there must surely be contenders from other streets for best pit in Wanstead? Please post photos on social media mentioning Wansteadium so that we can find them, or email them directly to us at info@wansteadium.com.

 

Wansteadium reader Roger Estop writes:

There was a vigorous discussion on this site last week about the possibility of Wanstead losing I&K Brown’s garage. Several people have now objected to the plans, though others have questioned whether it’s a building worth saving. I believe the garage is one of those semi-precious buildings that makes a place special. This ‘toy-town’ repair garage is a delightful feature of the Christchurch ‘village’, along with the picturesque cottage opposite, the old fire station and the old police station. What is the point of a conservation area? Remove quirky, non-conforming, slightly shabby personalities and homogenise it? Or adapt the old buildings to something new and vital? Losing the distinctive building front damages character; the proposal is as lifeless as graph paper and does precisely nothing to enhance anything. Walk from Tarzy Wood to Christchurch – enjoy the variety and surprise while you can. This is Wanstead.