Wansteadium

Wansteadium reader Richard K points out this planning document visualisation for the plans for Station Approach, hosted on the Redbridge planning website. (Photos of current demolished state of building here.)

Guerrilla gardener Marian Temple writes:

Next work party on Wanstead station surrounds is on Sunday 27 April at 11am. This will probably be the last Sunday session for some time as I’m running out of Sundays but it’s a family friendly day. A lot has been done with just two work party sessions and there’s not a lot more to do. Three more patches need the weeds pulled out and after that, it’s just a matter of chucking wild flower seeds around. Yippee! I want to plant more foxgloves and primroses in some shady patches and would love someone to saw up a branch of buddleia which has fallen down. If you fancy doing a bit for Wanstead and putting your mark on a sad patch of earth to make it something that gives pleasure, do join us if you can. Those that came really enjoyed themselves. Sometimes, little things can be so satisfying. No experience necessary. Bring gardening gloves if you have ‘em and any tools that might be useful. Children really welcome. See ya Sunday. Marian Temple.

Wanstead band Suburban 100 – pictured in a familiar setting above – are to play the O2 Academy in Islington in July. The band, which you can hear in action below, describe themselves as seeking to “combine the uncompromising attitude and the vitality of punk with the mystical harmonies of psychedelic rock and the bright, radiant rhythms and energy of the dancehall scene spawned by Northern Soul”. Details of tickets are here, and you can follow them on Facebook here and Twitter here.

The pruning of London Plane trees is often a startling and stark sight, especially when they are “pollarded”, as with the examples above on Wanstead High Street. It’s a kind of tree, much loved in these parts, which responds particularly well to this very severe pruning. But Wansteadium cannot have been alone in wondering whether just after the start of the growing season is the right time of year for pollarding to take place. We’ve tried to get in touch with the borough’s arborecultural officer to get the expert view, but without success. Anyone with answers is welcome to add comments below.

Geoff Wilkinson writes on Wanstead Daily Photo: “Now here’s a thing that always intrigues me when I pass through Voluntary Place. I know that the pair of doors on the left lead to someone’s garden but what about this pair of black doors on the right? There appears to be a factory type building behind them but I have never seen them open or any activity there. Is it a factory, converted into something else, who knows?”