Author: Wansteadium

Olympic volunteers start here

Wednesday morning is expected to mark the start of Olympic volunteering season, as the website which allows people to put their names forward is officially launched. It will remain open until 27 October, and there are as many as 70,000 places available. The site will be available here – but there does not appear to be much point in rushing to get your name down: it’s not first come first served.

A Redbridge-led recovery?

The BBC has today published a whole series of statistics about how vulnerable different areas of England are to public sector cuts. They have been calculated by the credit rating agency Experian, which has vast databases of the make-up of the country, and are based on a range of different factors such as the number of people employed in the public sector, life expectancy, benefits etc. The BBC News website has all sorts of whizzy maps to explore on the subject.

The overall picture for Redbridge is that it is almost exactly at the mid-point of vulnerability in England – 166th out of 324 areas. But beneath that are a number of interesting figures.

The borough scores highly for the number of self-employed people – 83rd – and is 50th where earnings are concerned. Crime is relatively high at 231, and considering the image many have of Redbridge it scores poorly – 273rd – for the amount of green space (though given the number of very rural districts in England, this is perhaps not so surprising).

Where Redbridge really stands out is on the number of business start-ups since 2008 – third out of the whole of England, behind neighbouring Barking and Dagenham in second place, and Newham in top spot. This is a fascinating picture of enterprise in east London, perhaps influenced by Olympic investment, and particularly important in difficult economic times when so much store is being set on a revival led by the private sector.

Wanstead news roundup, 8.9.10; Cars, blooming, bikes

• The 100mph car race on Aldersbrook Road in June last year, which ended up in the deaths of two men, has concluded in jail sentences for Lexus Sport driver Zubair Dawood of Forest Gate and BMW driver Nabeal Javeed of East Ham. Dawood was on the wrong side of the road avoiding a speed camera on the 30mph road, lost control and hit a tree by a Speed Kills sign. (It’s odd, but coverage of the case, – complete with Saab and Mercedes adverts – can be seen here at the Evening Standard, and with Toyota adverts here at the Daily Mirror.)

• More cheerful motor-related news: a stolen Morris Minor which had been lovingly restored in time to serve as a car enthusiast’s wedding car but which was stolen before the big day was tracked down on the streets of Wanstead. It is now back with its rightful owner, the Daily Express reported.

• There was a ‘mass picnic’, reportedly of several hundred people, on Wanstead Flats at the weekend in opposition to the Met’s plan to site an Olympic control centre there.

• Wanstead and Snaresbrook Safer Neighbourhood Teams will give the public a forum at Wanstead House, The Green, Wanstead, on 14 September at 7.30pm.

• The Nightingale Pub on Nightingale Lane won best pub in Redbridge in Bloom. Margaret Ludlow of Wanstead was second in the borough for her front garden.

• Wanstead’s Gabrielle Collard, currently cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groats, is having a hard time. Follow her blog here. Sounds even worse than a tube strike.

Wanstead ways to get round the Tube strike

It looks like the Tube strike is going ahead, so this is a place Wansteadium readers can share their travel experiences – either woes or ways round the strike.

Get in touch either by e-mail – wansteadium[at]gmail.com – or via the twitter hashtag #tubestrike #e11, or on Facebook.

MONDAY 7pm, Nic Newman writes: “Great idea to use Wansteadium to get people sharing best routes. Any thoughts on the best way to get to kensington tomorrow? train, river? ”

2130 BST: TFL reporting Central Line operating with only minor delays, though BBC Travel saying severe delays on Central and Circle.

2230 BST: Torrential rain in Wanstead worries fairweather cyclists.

2330 BST: @sweuxth tweets: “Btw for all Central Line users a member of staff told me it’ll most likely be closed all day tomorrow so don’t bother going to work tomorrow

TUESDAY 0630 BST: TFL says Central Line is suspended, as is Victoria Line (so no point schlepping to Walthamstow. Overground has good service. Live details here.

0635BST: But, in a variation of that old Southern Comfort ad, at least it’s stopped raining.

0830BST: TFL saying Central Line now suspended between Leytonstone and White City. However, Wanstead station all locked up.

0845BST: Live departure board for Wanstead: http://bit.ly/9Dl8am

0848BST: And live departure board for Snaresbrook. http://bit.ly/cFqPme – currently two trains showing at 5 and 13 minutes away, but only going as far as Leytonstone.

@Wansteadium try the 0728 from stop a by the station towards victoria, route 744 741 742less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneGavin Bell
zzgavin

The plan is overground to wanstead park, short walk to Forest Gate, train to Stratford and DLR to the Wharf. What could possibly go wrong?less than a minute ago via Twitter for iPhoneColin Lovemason
DrLovemason

1000BST: Ahh some perspective: BBC News – the Blitz in pictures.

2 hours to get home (40 mins from Manor Park to Wanstead)less than a minute ago via webCatherine Burns
cmaburns

At bus stop at Forest Gate, thanks to tube strike. Thought it would turn into a full blown riot as driver said only going to Wanstead Parkless than a minute ago via webJo Rinaldi
jocat1980