Wansteadium Blitz Project, 23 Nov 1940, New Wanstead, High St

In one of the worst nights of bombing Wanstead faced during the Blitz, on this night in 1940, German planes dropped high explosives on

  • Number 73 and 89 New Wanstead, causing fire and the collapse of the side of a house
  • Spratt Hall Road, damaging water and gas mains and causing a fire
  • Wanstead High Street, injuring four people and breaking electric cables, and
  • Fitzgerald Road.

Write your own joke

It’s write-your-own-joke time. Submit them in the usual manner (Twitter, Facebook, or via Comments.)

The raw materials: A pile of white powder is discovered first thing one morning by a forest ranger by the side of a tree on Wanstead Flats. Once alerted, the authorities take it seriously. Three nearby roads are closed. The experts come in. Warnings of a chemical spill spread. Friday morning traffic is badly disrupted. Two hours later, the chemical tests show the substance was sugar.

Choice tweets about Wanstead, XXIV: Toddlers get streetwise

Spotted: sweet-looking little girl exiting Wanstead chippy & turning to crow unexpectedly at the long and winding queue: “So long, suckers!”less than a minute ago via web

The UFOs are back in Wanstead

Cue eyeball-rolling: UFO sightings have returned to Wanstead.

On the UK UFO Sightings website, a reported sighting on Thursday evening reads:

I was just looking out of the bedroom window when I saw a very bright white light and a sound that I did not recognise. I kept my eyes fixed on the object and it came closer overhead at great speed, the sound was uniform unlike a plane when flying. It was a disc shape and was huge. I could clearly see two lit windows encompassing most of the top of the object it was a very bright white light. This was most definately NOT a plane or an helicopter. It was moving at great speed -very different to a plane.

A commenters on the site says it’s the second recent sighting “of this object with what appear to be windows on it”.

Eyeballs at ease.

Greengrocer makes name for self

So the greengrocer on Wanstead High Street is called Harveys. Who knew? A new sign has gone up above the shop, proudly pointing out that it was established in 1969 (just like Gap).

It’s simple, and has won the support of the Wanstead-based Smarter High Street campaign, which points out: “Peter Harvey’s been run off his feet since he opened his greengrocery in 1969. So busy that he didn’t get around to putting a sign up.”

Wansteadium is a bit wistful that there are no greengrocer’s apostrophes on the sign, but then one does expect above average of Wanstead.

Rotisserie chicken delivery in Wanstead

It certainly sounds like a notch above the usual food delivery choices – but you can now have rotisserie corn fed chicken delivered to your door, as long as you live in Wanstead or Woodford. The Rotisserie Company has just opened for business, and offers chickens which are “basted in garlic and rosemary-infused olive oil and seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon and herbs de Provence” and new potatoes cooked under the chickens with onion and garlic.

Owner Kim Smith told us: “We bought our first Rotisserie a few years ago and used it for parties and the like.  It was a huge success with our friends and we always joked that every household should have a commercial rotisserie in their house… When my company suffered in the recession it seemed a good idea to share my passion with others who enjoy good food and possibly don’t always have the time to cook or just don’t feel like it.

They offer free delivery to Wanstead, even on meals for one (£4.50), and are open Wed – Fri 4-8pm, Sat – Sun noon – 8pm

And – this bit is something of a departure for us and we received nothing in return – if you mention Wansteadium when ordering your first delivery from them, they will give you 10% off. Full menu and pricing from their website or on 020 8279 5964.