Author: Wansteadium

Congratulations to Wanstead garden designer Kathy Taylor, who is down to the final four in a competition to create a new garden for Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant. Her design, called The Bean There garden, is in the shape of a runner bean. Judging for the final winner takes place next month.

Geoff Wilkinson writes on Wanstead Daily Photo: “I had a walk around to the back of Christ Church the other afternoon. There is this lovely gate there with a path leading to a porch and door, I have been there several times before but without my camera so I thought it was time to rectify things and I am so glad I did. The light was great and there was a children’s party in progress in the church hall, hence the balloon tied to the gate, it gave the scene a little extra.”

Our man keeping in touch with the clubhouse writes: “The Herons remain in touch with the Premier League’s leaders after an incontrovertible win against Chingford. The evergreen John Chambers – who has been a 1st team player since his late teens, and is now in his 40s – scored an unbeaten 50 and some chap called Velani managed to scrape a very lucky unbeaten 100. (Lucky for someone who is an England U19 international, that is.)

Away at Chingford the 2nd XI were just as convincing, winning by 146 runs and retaining hopes of leading their league.

Karan Singh’s phone was pilfered while he was batting at Nutter Lane, but his 100* was a major contribution to the 3rd team’s narrow win against Fives & Heronians.

The 4th XI game against Hornchurch was extremely close, all results being very probable, and the team will be relieved not to have lost.

A fairly straightforward win for the Fifths was the outcome against Chingford, Sriram Pathmarajah continuing his form with 57* and continuing to evade his jug-buying duties.”

Geoff Wilkinson wrote on Wanstead Daily Photo some time last week: “Funny old night last night. I had read somewhere that at the moment there is an abundance of shooting stars in the night sky. I thought I would try my luck in the back garden for a couple of hours and try to capture them. So late last night I was sitting quietly in the garden in the dark when a fox nonchalantly walked by and looked at me as if I was mad. He may well have been right. Anyway, no shooting stars, too many clouds but I did end up with this dramatic picture of the night sky over Wanstead.”

(Wansteadium apologises for late appearance of blogging recently. There are other things occupying the Wansteadium mind…)

A four-foot deep hole has appeared in the middle of Nightingale Lane. Jokes (about workmen now looking into it) aside, it is alarmingly deep. It’s been cordoned off.

Councillors have, for the time being, rejected a bid to convert the laundrette on Wanstead High Street into a fast food outlet.

Council planners had recommended that the scheme by the owner be approved, but as the Wanstead Guardian and the Recorder report, councillors rejected that recommendation. The owner could yet appeal, however.

Councillor Paul Canal, who voted against the bid, told the Recorder: “I don’t want Wanstead to turn into somewhere like Leytonstone. The High Street has a unique character and range of shops, a takeaway would attract litter and anti-social behaviour.”

Last year a bid to convert the nearby Wanstead Domestic Appliances site into a takeaway was dropped following opposition, and earlier this year a bid by Domino’s Pizza to change the use of the former Cinnamon restaurant into a takeaway was also dropped.