Wansteadium

@Wansteadium any one know whats this is about? pic.twitter.com/Yt3TWQt0Nf

— Rudeye (@Rudseye) June 8, 2015

Geoff Wilkinson writes on Wanstead Daily Photo: “Remember where the antique shop was in the High Street? Well as you probably know it’s gone, and the building has a ‘for sale’ sign on it. Anyway along the side of the main building I found this delightful shiplap timber shed complete with peeling paint. It looks as if it has some age, I hope when the new owners take over they keep this little beauty…”

Thank you to those Wansteadium readers who are continuing to show their support for this website by making their Amazon purchases via the box on this page. Every time you do this, Amazon gives us a few pence. It’s never going to make us a fortune (don’t worry, we’re not going to change) but the pennies add up and help cover our running costs. Popular this month were a set of kitchen cupboard handles, a shed latch, printer cartridges, and a single copy of Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success. (If that particular purchaser becomes a highly successful businessperson, don’t forget us?)

The plan to convert the former British Queen into flats, and to build further flats adjoining on what was the pub/restaurant car park, has been rejected by Redbridge Council. As we reported in November, there were several objections lodged to the plan, including those on the grounds that the design did not fit the style of Wanstead.

One councillor apparently described the design for the flats as being “goggle-eyed”, the Wanstead Guardian reported, with another saying the plans are “out of keeping with the street scene and… rather overbearing”.

The revelation, highlighted by the BBC News website, that Wanstead driving test centre has the third lowest pass rate in the UK is a bit of a shocker for a number of reasons.

Clearly there’s no shortage of candidates wanting to take their test here – as is evidenced by the sheer number of L plates and by the Sun’s naming in 2009 of part of South Woodford as being the country’s worst learner driver hotspot. So apparently the Wanstead centre doesn’t have a bad reputation.

Then there’s the generally benign road layout in these parts: no Old Street roundabout round here.

And lastly there’s the trusty old bit of folklore – that people want their tests in Wanstead because it doesn’t have a car park which allegedly means candidates can avoid tricky parking tests.

Other theories are welcome, via comments below.

 
 

Wansteadium reader Sarah Wilde was in Nepal at the time of the devastating earthquake in April. Though not injured, she did, she says “feel the deep fear” they caused. On returning to Wanstead, she decided to raise money to help those hit so badly by the destruction.

She is a yoga teacher and so will be holding two classes in the Churchill Room at Wanstead Library on Tuesday evening – a beginner’s class from 1900 to 2030, and an intermediate class from 2030 to 2200. Those taking part are invited to make a donation (there’s a suggestion of £20) to the Disasters Emergency Committee. Sarah made this film with them. She can be contacted via her event page on Facebook.