Mistletoetastic

The traditional boom in mistletoe which takes place on the edge of Wanstead and South Woodford is back, demonstrating beautifully the parasitic character of the plant (it lives on other trees, having been planted there in bird poo). If you see it, point it out to a child.

(Rumours that the word ‘mistletoe’ comes from words for dung + twig seem not to be true – more likely is that it comes from sticky + twig, describing the way the berries stick to the host tree.)

Respect for Ronnie

Embed from Getty Images

A respectful doff of Wanstead’s cap should go to Ronnie O’Sullivan, former Wanstead High School pupil, who on Sunday won the UK Snooker Championship for a record seventh time.

O’Sullivan – also five times world champion – is one of the greatest players in the history of snooker, and has his tweets demonstrate, still an occasional visitor here from his home in Chigwell.

Wanstead tree weekender

Mas Beg, of Heads n Tails pet shop on Wanstead High Street

The traditional Christmas Tree weekend is in full swing, and Mas Beg has even grown a festive white beard which contributes to the atmosphere nicely. 

Delivery at Jack’s DIY on Hermon Hill

And in a useful bit of timing, anyone who wonders about the environmental impact of Christmas trees can consult this excellent BBC explainer. 

Wanstead’s ‘Tree with a Postcode’ to be commemorated

tree, public domain
Image: Wikimedia, public domain

Campaigners who brought Wanstead to international attention by living in a tree on George Green in a protest against the M11 Link Road will be back at the site on Friday to mark the event’s 25th anniversary.

The campaign was specifically against the building of the road between Green Man and Redbridge roundabouts because of the demolition of houses and removal of very old trees which the construction involved. But it became a widely reported event, and it was claimed people protesting in the tree meant  it had become a legal dwelling – partly in the hope of giving it some protection.   Wikipedia’s potted history of the tree has the following:

The chestnut tree on George Green, Wanstead became a focal point and a symbol for anti-M11 Link Road protesters.
Until late 1993, local opposition to the M11 extension had been relatively limited. While opposition had been going for nearly ten years, institutional avenues of protest had been exhausted, and local residents were largely resigned to the road being built. When outside protesters arrived in September 1993, few residents saw their mission as “their campaign”.
One section of the M11 extension was due to tunnel under George Green in Wanstead. Residents had believed that this would save their green, and a 250-year-old sweet chestnut tree that grew upon it, but because this was a cut and cover tunnel, this required the tree to be cut down.
Support for the protests started to extend to the local community when Jean Gosling, a lollipop lady in Wanstead, upon learning of the tree’s impending destruction, rallied the support of local children (and was later fired from her job for doing so while wearing her uniform), who in turn recruited their parents into the protests. It was then that the non-resident radicals realised that they had significant local support. When local residents gathered for a tree dressing ceremony on 6 November, they found their way barred by security fencing. With support from the protesters, they pulled it down.
Protesters continued to delay the destruction of the tree. Solicitors for the campaign had even argued in court that receipt of a letter addressed to the tree itself gave it the status of a legal dwelling, causing a further delay. In the early morning of 7 December 1993, several hundred police arrived to evict the protesters, which took ten hours to carry out. Protesters made numerous complaints against the police; police, in turn, denied these allegations, attributing any misbehaviour to the protesters. Media attention started to increase regarding the protest, with several daily newspapers putting pictures of the tree on their front pages.

No M11 Chestnut Tree 25th Anniversary Gathering on George Green

Unfinished business from the Fringe

The original comedy headliner for this year’s Wanstead Fringe, top comic Jeff Innocent, is finally doing the decent thing and coming to Wanstead after having to pull out of the Fringe. He will be paying his dues at Wanstead Cricket Club on Thursday evening with a full line-up.

Additional excellent news: You can now buy tickets directly through Wansteadium. This is a ‘beta’ feature, and uses the same system we have used for the Fringe for several years so it should be smooth. Just click the link below.

Wanstead Comedy Night