Author: Wansteadium

Wanstead’s party weekend

Wanstead’s party weekend – coinciding with the end of the Olympics – has begun with the arrival of artist Jeremy Deller’s inflatable Stonehenge on Christchurch Green.

We’ll be adding photos and tweets here all weekend. Either send directly to us at wansteadium@gmail.com or include @wansteadium on your tweets.



Doubt over ‘memorial ride’ for Wanstead cyclist Dan Harris

There is confusion about whether a planned cycle ride in memory of Wanstead cyclist Dan Harris, who was killed in a crash with an Olympic media bus last week, will go ahead this week.

Dan, 28, who lived on Wanstead High Street with his girlfriend, died cycling home from his office in the City. He had started cycling to avoid the Tube congestion during the Olympics. His death sparked a debate about cycle helmets, though his family have said that Dan was wearing a helmet and was a careful cyclist.

Flowers were laid at the site of Dan’s death on Monday, and there has been talk on cyclists’ forums about adding a “ghost bike” at the scene. (These are bikes which are painted completely white and left permanently at the scene of cyclists’ deaths to mark the spot.)

But there does not seem to be agreement on the forums about whether a cycle ride, which was floated last week immediately after his death, during the Games should go ahead. One commenter said: “Any ride on 10 August will end in disorder. Leave well alone. It is not a fitting tribute…”

This followed a statement from Dan’s family which said: [O]ur family do not want Daniel’s name associated with any protests, or used for any ‘political point-scoring’ whatsoever by pro-cycling lobbyists or similar factions.”

His colleagues at online printing firm Moo.com said: “[A]ll we can ask is that you take extra care on the roads.”

Meanwhile the Evening Standard’s Ross Lydall is reporting that on Sunday, TfL altered the road markings at the junction where the accident happened, and added extra signs urging cyclists to use an adjacent cycle path. He also reports that “advance stop lines” which allow cyclists to get out ahead of traffic waiting at lights were removed 10 days before Dan’s death.

Cyclist killed in Olympic bus crash was from Wanstead

The cyclist killed in a collision with an Olympics media bus was Wanstead’s Dan Harris.

Dan, 28, who was known on Twitter as @gecko84 and was a follower of Wansteadium, had been cycling from Wanstead to the City, where he was a community manager for internet-based business card company Moo. His death has led to a widespread debate about cycle safety.

An online diary of his cycling showed he would take the route through Leytonstone, and go past the Olympic stadium into Victoria Park before heading to the City down Bethnal Green Road. The collision in happened at Ruckholt Road. As well as being active on Twitter, his Flickr page shows he was a talented photographer.

On his blog he described himself as “a social media strategist, community manager, web editor and marketing drone by trade. I’m a physicist by education. Go figure!”

This was his final tweet, sent on Wednesday lunchtime, a few hours before the crash.

His colleagues at Moo have posted this entry on their company blog, saying:

There are no words that can truly express how much we’ll all miss him, and his infectious enthusiasm, warmth and passion for life.

Wansteadium sends condolences to those who were close to him.

Update: The Evening Standard says a memorial cycle is planned for Dan for August 10.

A new view inside an old building

While we’re thinking about refits, here’s a picture for anyone who hasn’t had chance to see inside the newly refurbished United Reformed Church on Grosvenor Road. Before the refit, the interior was dark and dominated by old wood, as is typical of churches of its age. But the new view – advertised effectively by lights being left on in the evenings – shows the difference it has made.

How much did the Co-op refit cost?

Regular readers will know that Wansteadium was pleasantly surprised by the refurbishment of the Wanstead Co-op. But we came across this old story from the Wanstead Guardian from January, which reveals that the cost of the work was to be £820,000. Did they get their money’s worth?