Author: Wansteadium

Such a wealth of cultural riches going on all over Wanstead at the moment – if only life was always like this. Here are some highlights.

It’s a big day in Fringe events, with the first Family Book Day taking place in Wanstead Library all day, staged with Redbridge Libraries’ Fabula festival.

The rundown is:

11.30am Celebrated author Tola Okogwu with Bekah and the Moon
1pm Author and (and CBeebies star) Joseph Elliott with Nora and the Map of Mayhem
3pm Discover Children’s Story Centre with Supertato

The event is free and you can just turn up. More details here.

Also of interest to families is the always popular Bam Bam – comedian Graeme Matthews of BGT fame – with his show filled with magic, silly games, competitions and lots of opportunities for audience participation. That is at 3pm at Christ Church hall and some tickets are still available here.

Which all leads up to the Fringe’s biggest event, and probably most loved – it’s the evening for Open Air Kinema. This year it’s Wonka and there are still a few tickets left (though probably not for long). The forecast is good – but wrap up warm.

It’s a big day for grown-ups too, with one of the most interesting events of the Fringe taking place. For years audio transmitters embedded in lamp posts on the route of the A12 have been telling stories of people who once lived there. But without a receiver you can’t hear them. Audio artist Graeme Miller who is behind the project is distributing receivers and guides today – come to the foyer of the library any time between 11am and 2pm.

There’s a rosé wine tasting at MUST Wine, and there are three different plays across Wanstead today, plus matinees.
* Woodrow Auditions Live
* Silk Road (kinda)
* Talking Heads (sold out).

A very short video explaining what’s been happening on Hermon Hill.

The cinema phase of the Curtain for this Fringe now passes into theatre – from Sunday evening it becomes a theatre for:
* Richard II (Sunday to Wednesday)
* Global Voices (Thursday to Saturday)
* Miss Julie (Tuesday 24th to Saturday 28th)

More information and tickets available via the Fringe website.

Thoughts go out to former Wanstead Cricket Club player Feroze Khushi this week who must be feeling pretty sick after Essex CC were docked 12 points in the county championship because a bat he was playing was was ruled to be too big.

Feroze used the Gray-Nicholls bat in a match against Nottinghamshire in April. A complaint was made at the time, but the penalty was only implemented this week after a long process which revealed that the authorities have different sized gauges to measure if bats are the right size.

Essex CCC issued a statement saying:

Essex CCC have also supported Feroze Khushi throughout the process and the Club understands the joint responsibility regarding testing playing equipment and therefore, no further action will be taken against the player.

Feroze played for Wanstead CC between 2015 and 2019 and was part of the team which won the National Club Championships. The club’s first XI is in action for the last time this season on Saturday against Hornchurch in the Essex League Cup final. The match starts at noon at Harrow Lodge, Hornchurch.

With so much going on in the Wanstead Fringe, and with several events already sold out, here are some atttractions not to be missed.

The Wanstead Kinema indoor showings continue with:
* 12 Years A Slave (Cert 15) with introduction by Dr Teresa Hagan, Tuesday at 7.30pm at the Wanstead Curtain
* Romeo + Juliet (Cert 12A) on Thursday at 7.30pm

Aldersbrook-based parenting guru and Dr Martha is speaking on Tuesday in the first of this year’s Wanstead Book Festival events. It’s at 5.30pm so parent can bring children if they need to without disrupting bedtimes too much.

Ace photographers Geoff Wilkinson and Stefan Rousseau will be showing some of their photos, new and old, and telling the tales behind them at Wanstead Cricket Club on Wednesday.

Two plays begin runs on Wednesday:
* The Silk Road (kinda) and Woodrow Auditions Live, both at the Bull. They are both character-based plays, and double-bill tickets are available.

There’s a friendly debate about hipster craft beer at The Duke on Thursday at 7pm, and a cigar masterclass at MUST Wine at 7.30pm

And musically there is:
* The Jon Howells Trio – jazz in St Mary’s on Thursday at 7pm
* Violinist Jan Regulski with music by Arvo Pärt, Astor Piazzolla and others at Wanstead URC at 7.30pm (nb not at lunchtime as mistakenly listed in the printed programme)

The Wanstead Fringe got off to a boisterous start on Friday with Lucy and Joe’s Charivari at St Mary’s, followed by a weekend of partying, plays, films, comedy, workshops and tastings.

Here are some of the sights. Feel free to send in any you have to info@wansteadium.com