Author: Wansteadium

Wanstead news roundup, 28.03.10; Potholes, The Larder, Knock Down Ginger

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.

Wanstead general election leaflets, pt 1

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.

[nggallery id=2]

(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.)

Wanstead Pot Idol: Now an Ex-factor

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.

[nggallery id=1]

Barriers ripped round Wanstead poisoned lake

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’s Knock Down Ginger knocked

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.

Wanstead news roundup, 20.03.10; UFOs, dead birds, and the under-40s

UFOs were spotted from Wanstead/Leytonstone borders, apparently, according to the UK-UFO website:

Went to feed the foxes in the early hours Friday night when I noticed that all sound had ceased in the garden. Couldn’t hear the trees or M11 sound in the distance of the motorway which you would expect to hear on a Friday night. Looked up and saw 5 lights coming towards the allotments in the sky. Curious as I thought they might be military helicoptors because of the size but realised I could not hear a pin drop. As they got closer I saw they were very bright and in formation and knew then that they were ufo’s. I ran upstairs to my husband and woke him and pulled the curtains open and said ‘now do you believe’?

Picture: Wanstead Birder

There were two arrests following the deaths of at least 80 birds – and one Alsation – at Alexandra Lake on Wanstead Flats. Scientists are still examining the bodies of the birds. More details at Wanstead Birder; picture courtesy Jonathan Lethbridge.

Twice as many couple under 40 who have children can afford to buy houses in Redbridge compared to the rest of London, according to the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit, which basically means family houses are more affordable in Redbridge than they are in other boroughs. The question is why?

Redbridge Council gave permission retrospectively for the demolition of the Truffles chocolate shop – which had been one of Wanstead’s oldest buildings – but they really had no choice: it was pulled down in May last year by a developer who says it turned out to be dangerously unstable. Abdul Rafeeq told the Wanstead Guardian that he will rebuild the house to its original specifications. He faces legal action for the demolition in June.

Nightingale Primary School has been classed as “outstanding” by Ofsted, a dramatic turnaround for head teacher Liz Barrett since she arrived at the school in 1997. Work by the pupils is currently showing in Wanstead Library foyer.