Wanstead news roundup, 09.10.10; Flats, lollipops, and fingerprints

• The angst and anger about the Met’s plans for Wanstead Flats has not gone away. A public meeting this week with the police and the City of London, which owns the flats, was heated; there is more debate about the cost of the consultation process, and the rent that will be paid for the duration of the Olympic operations.

• Wanstead woman Penny Bickerstaff was going to Trafalgar Square in a black cab which had a crash. She was hurt and had to go to hospital. The cab charged her the full fare plus waiting time. Story here at the Daily Telegraph.

• Parents of children at the Wanstead Church School have launched a petition to “save” Derek the lollipop man who helps children cross the high street outside the Cuckfield pub. Redbridge Borough Council is attempting to save money, and in August a spokesman told the Wanstead Guardian:

“(Lollipop people) provide a valuable service and will be appreciated by people but they are mainly at existing crossings, and a large number of primary school children are accompanied anyway. We have to ask the question whether it is value for money.”

• A sermon by the Rev Robert Hampson at Holy Trinity church on Hermon Hill has angered Guides leaders. His message, he says, was against the sexualisation of children, including the sentiment that it was “better to wait until they were married before having sex with boyfriends and girlfriends although I made sure I did not use the word sex”. Some parents have told the Guardian that because there were young children there, they felt it was inappropriate. Wansteadium hopes to be able to bring you the transcript of the sermon.

• Fingerprinting is being introduced at Wanstead High School, as part of making proceedings cashless. Observer columnist and civil liberties campaigner Henry Porter has highlighted the news on his blog.

Letter to Wansteadium, I

A new feature: a letter to Wansteadium. This comes from Helen Zammett. If you’d like to share something with the rest of  Wanstead, use the form on the right hand side of the page.

The future of Wanstead Hospital is in doubt as Health for NE London has continued with its proposal to close the two rehabilitation wards there.  This is in spite of the overwhelming opposition which the public showed at the meeting held by our local councillors this spring.

Health 4NEL said they had not thought further about the Hospital, which also has an outpatient service. Many people are concerned for the future of the hospital, fearing it may be sold for development.

Helen Zammett

Choice tweets about Wanstead, XXII; You think you’ve got trouble getting home?

Jus manged to lock myself in the back of my van. I’m in brading crescent wanstead e11. Need help asapless than a minute ago via ÃœberTwitter

The first 10 books sold at Wanstead’s new bookshop


People queued outside the Oxfam bookshop on Wanstead High Street on Saturday morning, anticipating the 10am opening of what, according to reliable sources, is believed to be Wanstead’s first bookshop in at least 50 years.

And here, exclusively to Wansteadium, are the first ten purchases made at the shop:

1. Rembrandt’s Eyes by Simon Schama

2. The Great Moghuls by Bamber Gascoigne

3. American Prince, My Autobiography, by Tony Curtis

4. Tommy: The British Soldier on the Western Front 1914-18, by Richard Holmes

5. Collins Dictionary and Thesaurus 2004

6. The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Audio CD)

7. Rebecca, by Daphne du Maurier
Nicholas Nickleby, by Charles Dickens (Audio book)

8. Beatles by Lars Saabye Christensen
Bob Dylan Chronicles book one
Tarantino A-Zed by Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn
Classical 1000 – Top recordings of all time, by Rob Cowan

9 . The Young Lloyd George, by John Grigg
WG’s Birthday Party by David Kynaston

10. Coast – The Journey Continues, by Christopher Somerville
The Somme Day by Day Account by Chris McCarthy

Thanks to Mark Appiah and shop manager Jillian White.

Photo: Peter Hall

Choice tweets about Wanstead XXI; Busy, busy, busy

Checking out Wanstead’s new Oxfam Books and Music – probably the busiest shop in the history of busy shops.less than a minute ago via OpenBeak