Wansteadium

Wanstead will be affected by the proposed changes to parliamentary boundaries, but not in the way one might have expected.

It will, assuming the proposals from the Boundary Commission are enacted, change from being part of Leyton and Wanstead and instead become part of a new Leytonstone and Wanstead constituency which will also contain Wood Street bits of Walthamstow. Leyton will become part of the Walthamstow constituency.

But the recommendations are different from those made by the Boundary Commission in 2011, which we reported here, which would have meant a return to the old days of a Wanstead and Woodford constituency.

There’s been speculation about what the proposed changes will mean for Labour MPs who say they would be particularly affected by them. Whether John Cryer would attempt to seek selection for Walthamstow because of the Leyton part (and thus be up against Stella Creasy) or aim for Leytonstone and Wanstead (which would probably be a harder seat to win) is yet to be seen. In a statement on his website he said he was disappointed by the proposals, adding that they were not set in stone and that the public consultation would run until December.
The consultation is available online here.

Despite the rainy start the Wanstead Fringe got going on Saturday by sheltering under awnings, gazebos and umbrellas, including the fantastic human brass section Jonny Holliday, above, who played at the Duke Street party. And there’s a good forecast – actually a very good forecast – for the rest of the week, so fingers are crossed for the many events yet to come.

On Sunday children will be shown the secrets of comics and cartoons (in a now sold-out event), and on Monday there’s Jingle Bop, Musical Memories and a demonstration by Fabien from Nice Croissant and Kevin from Wanstead Fish.

Some of the other highlights from this week include a bring-your-own poem session, Scent and Scandal on Wednesday evening and the always popular Wanstead Fringe Comedy Night on Friday. Full details are at the Wanstead Fringe site.

But here are some of the scenes from the start of the Fringe.

 

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Lady Catherine, the wronged heroine of Wanstead, much abused by her slob of a husband, William Pole-Tylney Long-Wellesley, died heartbroken on this day in 1825. (The book The Angel and the Cad is highly recommended.)

A suitable chance, perhaps, to look back at this triumphant mock trial of William Pole-Tylney Long-Wellesley which was staged at last year’s Wanstead Fringe. In case you don’t know, the Wanstead Fringe 2016 starts on Saturday.

(Users of iPhones should tap here.)

No further takers for this challenge to find a great trivia titbit linking Wanstead to the Great Fire.

This is the answer we were after, as illustrated by the Pepysdiary.com website:

Yes, Pepys buried his parmesan and wine while in the company of Sir William Penn, who later lived in Wanstead where he died. He was the father of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania, who was brought up here. Trivial, admittedly, but then great trivia is.

The Orange Tree, which has long been a stalwart of life on Wanstead High Street, is to close its shop. Like many things it is going online, and is hoping to offer a local click-and-collect service for its wallpaper, paint and fabrics.

Owner Rachel Root told Wansteadium: “Everyone has been very supportive so far and for many the fact that I’ll be offering a free home consultation service with the collections is a big plus.”

She has found new studio premises in Wanstead to operate from. The Orange Tree website has been prominent for a while and will be further developed.

The announcement comes in what was beginning to feel like a golden period for the High Street with the new greengrocer and butcher bringing more shoppers back into the area.

The Wanstead Fringe has always made a point of appealing to all ages, and there are again several events for children.

First up, on this Saturday morning are two drama workshops for young children led by Sprinklepunch Theatre. Details are here.

On Sunday, animator and comic artist Chris Drew will be demonstrating for children the secrets of drawing comics. Chris was one of the biggest hits at last year’s Fringe and this is sure to be popular. Make sure you get tickets.

On Monday there are two Jingle Bop sessions for pre-school children and their parents – they are fun and interactive sessions which are very popular with Wanstead families.

Then on Saturday 17 September, virtuoso guitarist Pete Black will be offering group sessions for children who are new to the guitar and to those who have been playing for a bit.

And the big family event of the Fringe is once again the Kinema, the original Wanstead open air cinema which this year will be in the grounds of Christ Church and will be showing the hit movie Zootropolis. Tickets are going fast and are limited so don’t miss out.