Gradually Wanstead’s new ‘village’ signs are being noticed, with some people alarmed that Wanstead seems to be officially a village. In fact the Wanstead Village Conservation Area status dates back to 1970.
And now the Wanstead Guardian has revealed the cost of the two wooden signs: £7,000.
Some were sceptical when work started on redeveloping the Cuckfield Garage in Wellington Road, Wanstead, fearing that the historic building might not survive the process.
But the hoardings are down, and the resulting mix of shopfronts and flats looks fantastic. It’s thought the underground petrol tanks have also been removed.
The building started life as the stables for guests visiting the Cuckfield Hotel – now the pub – before becoming a petrol station and eventually just a £5-a-time carwash forecourt.
The new premises are being advertised through County Commercial agents.
Jonathan Lethbridge, whose Wanstead Birder blog has become the main source of information for the country’s media about the deaths of birds at Wanstead Flats, has written that people have still been ignoring the danger signs and barriers around Alexandra Lake.
The bird death saga rumbles on. The stupidity of the local populace continues to beggar belief. I’ve seen families walking past the “Biohazard” signs and stepping over the high-viz tape to go and feed the ducks by the lake shore. Fail. The Corporation had to install proper security fencing to stop them. Personally I’d have let Darwinism take it’s course, but there you go
It’s mysterious, but it seems that the Olive Branch, one of Wanstead’s popular coffee shops, is up for sale. An advert posted at Christie & Co describes the cafe as offering a “prime location in an affluent area”, with “good day and night footfall”, a “covered pavement area with seats”, and with “scope to improve trade”. The quoted price for the lease is £95,000, though it’s not stated how long this has to run.
There would be plenty of people in Wanstead who would be sorry to see the end of the Olive Branch, if that’s what this advert portends. It’s especially appreciated for being roomy and capable of accommodating families. But competition has seriously increased in the past year with Wanstead’s new Starbucks being rarely less than buzzing.
Any more information welcome at wansteadium[at]googlemail.com or via comments below.
And I am also concerned that after years of avoiding going to the village, God may have brought the village to the girl.
I am worried that I am now, officially, one of the Village People? Am I?
