Category: Wansteadium

New electric car charging points are being installed at various points around Wanstead, and very sympathetic they are too. Style and substance.

Comedian Paul Sinha is among the line-up for the fourth Wanstead Book Festival which also includes local author Iain Sinclair, historian Otto English, children’s writer Tola Okogwu and author Daisy Goodwin.

They join philosopher Julian Baggini, and crime writer Alice Slater, author of Death of a Bookseller.

Geraldine Roberts, author of The Angel and the Cad which will next year be marking its 10th anniversary, will be discussing the legacy of Wanstead House with fellow historian Hannah Armstrong.

Sinha is familiar to TV and radio audiences thanks to his quizzing on The Chase and comedy on Radio 4. He is also a stalwart of the Wanstead Fringe having appeared several times, but on this occasion he will be appearing as an author, discussing his newly published autobiography One Sinha Lifetime.

Otto English is the author of Fake Heroes and will be in conversation with Victor Adebowale.

Author Iain Sinclair who has written much about the nature of east London will be discussing his new book Pariah Genius with John Rogers.

Daisy Goodwin is well-known as a TV producer and is also the author of Diva, a gripping account of the tragedy of opera star Maria Callas.

Tola Okogwu is the author of Beka and the Moon and the Onyeka series of children’s books and will be taking part in the festival’s first Family Book Day which is being staged with Redbridge Libraries as the climax of their Fabula festival.

Wanstead Book Festival is part of the Wanstead Fringe, which runs from 7-28 September and promises a huge range of cultural events. Full details of the line-up and tickets for the events are now available at the Wanstead Fringe website.

A new riverside walking path joining Wanstead and Ilford is to be constructed following a grant from the Greater London Authority to Redbridge.

In a statement announcing the plan, Redbridge said:

Redbridge Council has been awarded £3m as part of the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) Civic Partnership Programme to transform the walking route between Wanstead Park, Roding Valley, and Ilford town centre.

The project will deliver new green space and a stunning riverside path. As one of five boroughs selected for the award, the funding will be used to: 

• Improve access from Ilford into Roding Valley by creating a new bridge crossing and pocket park.
• Create a riverside path to connect into existing footpaths into Roding Valley and open up access to green space, including rewilding opportunities.
• Progress plans for the cycle route running from Newham into Ilford, along with the Ilford Western Gyratory
• Shape transformation plans with the local community.

Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council, said: “There’s so much to see and do across Redbridge, and by improving pedestrian routes, we’re connecting Wanstead, Woodford and Ilford, making sure people from all parts of the borough, can access all we have to offer.”

Refuse and recycling collections look likely to be hit again later this month after plans were announced for a second strike by staff.

Collectors belonging to the Unite union will strike between 22 August and 5 September, following action earlier in the summer.

Collections in Redbridge are done by Redbridge Civic Services Ltd, which is owed by the council. The strike is over working conditions.

The strike is the first major test of the new council leader, Councillor Kam Rai, who was elected by councillors to the position following previous leader Jas Athwal’s election as MP.

It’s that day in Wanstead’s calendar when by tradition we all celebrate with a Cherry Pey (Pie) in honour of the 1752 sign on the side of the George pub.

Of course the future of the George is still uncertain. Councillor Paul Donovan reports that he has been told the Wetherspoons board has considered a petition of 3,200 fans of the George, but that the company remains committed to selling the pub.

The updates came to a letter sent to Wetherspoons chair Sir Tim Martin in which Cllr Donovan highlighted the “dismay” and “concern” of the local population.

“Wetherspoons are known to be sensitive to the concerns of their customers and the well-being of local communities. I know that you have reconsidered closure decisions before, when there has been local support for pubs staying open. Hopefully you may think again with regard to the George,” Cllr Donovan said in the letter.

In response, a Wetherspoons spokesperson said: “We can confirm that The George is currently on the market however it will continue operating as a Wetherspoon pub until is sold and we very much hope that you will still enjoy the pub until then. We understand that you, the pub’s other loyal customers and our dedicated members of staff will be disappointed with this decision, however JD Wetherspoon has made the decision on a commercial basis which we believe is in the best interest of the company as a whole. We hope customers will choose to visit our other pubs in the area.

“We can confirm that staff will be given the opportunity for re-
employment at other Wetherspoon pubs in the event that their pub is sold. Nonetheless your comments and observations have been noted, and thank you for the petition which has been discussed with the board.”

No honeymoon for Leyton and Wanstead’s new MP Calvin Bailey as a high-profile mini-crimewave for Wanstead shops has given him something significant to address.

A raid on Tesco which was filmed and posted to social media where it has been very widely viewed was just one of the attacks – a florist and two cafes have also been broken into in the past couple of weeks. In one case a stolen till was discovered abandoned in the street.

Worth remembering though that crime in Redbridge is below the average for the Metropolitan Police area. Met stats for recorded robberies give a mixed picture for Wanstead Village – a fall month-on-month but a rise in the 12 months to end of June.

The people of our constituency deserve better. This horrific attack has become too normal. Accepted and routine.

I have spoken to the leader of the council today and will engage with the Police. Leyton and Wanstead deserves better. https://t.co/PhAQdeiYOS

— Calvin Bailey MP (@CalvinBailey) July 9, 2024