As Wansteadium noted last week, the “Opening Soon” posters completely covering the windows of the former Devon House Interiors on Hermon Hill are pretty successful at building a sense of anticipation: it’s a large shop, great setting, lots of people passing… what could it be? A restaurant, perhaps? A new cafe? A bookshop even?
Underwhelming as it might seem, Wansteadium has reason to believe it’s going to be a kitchen and bathroom showroom. (Sound of hopes being dashed.)
Road safety plans costing £165,000 have been agreed for New Wanstead, which has an accident rate 30% higher than other equivalent roads in Redbridge. The plans will include a new pedestrian island, new lighting and a new road surface. Details at Wanstead Guardian.
Pot Idol update: Redbridge Council has allocated £250,000 to repair more than 8,000 potholes across the borough. (See more Pot Idol here)
The Larder, the Orange Tree and the Wanstead Leisure Centre have all been nominated for the Smooth Radio Love London Awards.
It’s back to business for children’s boutique Knock Down Ginger, which featured in the News of the World after a visit by bailiffs.
Wansteadium is launching its collection of general election leaflets. As with other local news websites around the country, we will attempt to upload images of all general election leaflets distributed between now and the expected polling day of 6 May. You can see other leaflets from around the country on the website The Straight Choice, a non-party live election leaflet monitoring project.
First up, Labour’s John Cryer, delivered in Snaresbrook ward on 23 March.
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(Please feel free to let us know of any others you have delivered if you live in the constituency of Leyton and Wanstead, either via comments or to wansteadium-at-googlemail.com.)
In January, Wansteadium launched Wanstead Pot Idol, a (not completely serious) hunt for Wanstead’s biggest pot-hole.
Now just as Alistair Darling announces new funds to repair potholes and the Evening Standard highlights 121,000 potholes on London roads, the team behind the forthcoming Wanstead Television, due to launch in the next few weeks, has documented what came next in at least one part of Wanstead: a big session of hole filling. These pictures taken in Wanstead Place and Spratt Hall Road.
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Tape preventing access to the apparently poisoned Wanstead Flats lake, where 80 birds and a dog died last week, has been torn, according to a complainant to the FixMyStreet website. On the site, which forwards complaints to the appropriate authorities (and excerpts of which can be seen on the right hand side of Wansteadium pages), the report reads:
The contaminated pond has warning barriers around to stop people walking near it. These however have been broken and I have witness people walking dogs right next to the pond.
Wanstead children’s shoe-shop owner Rina Henry has told how bailiffs emptied her shop of £30,000 stock over a £193 debt.
Rina, of Knock Down Ginger on Wanstead High Street, told the News of the World that she was handcuffed by police who she had called to help her.
CCTV footage shows Rina collapsing in a panic attack. The paper says the footage, which it shows on its site, “shows slightly-built shop boss Rina Henry restrained by two police officers she called in to HELP HER, as bailiffs carry her cash till out of the door… Bizarrely, it then captures a bailiff and a policeman shaking hands on a job well done.”
UPDATE 2200GMT: Rina Henry tells Wansteadium: “Thank you for your kind wishes. The shop is back in business!”
More details coming on Tuesday.
