Category: Wansteadium

Snaresbrook passengers have, in the past few weeks, had a bit of extra help in deciding whether or not to squeeze their way on to a heavily laden Tube after it trundles down the line from South Woodford.

The dilemma is familiar – get on, despite the discomfort, or just wait for the next train. The risks are known to every commuter: one should always get on a train if one can, since any kind of delay might hit a later train. But on the other hand, the next train might have empty seats. What to do, what to do…

The newish development at Snaresbrook on busy mornings though is for the station announcer to tell the waiting passengers how full in percentage terms the next train – and the one after that – is. Listen, if you can, to this recording: Snaresbrook 20130226 08:02:57

The fact is that Transport For London has as much to gain as anyone from customers passengers avoiding crushed journeys – “regulating the service”, they would probably call it. And so better information about what is happening on the line is good for everyone.

Mike Smith, Central Line Stations’ performance manager, told Wansteadium:

“Our staff at Snaresbrook have made full use of station equipment to determine and advise customers of how full trains are, enabling customers to make their own decision about whether to jump on the train coming in or wait for another. I’m really pleased that customers have found this helpful, and we’ll keep looking at ways in which we can provide better information to help make the lives of our customers easier.”

What we don’t know is how the percentages are calculated. Is it by an assessment by station staff? Or by something more technical? Any Tubeheads are welcome to demystify matters.

This is a new regular feature for Wansteadium – a ball-by-ball commentary of a reading of the classic Wanstead Through the Ages by W V Phillips.

This book seems like a local history from central casting – a tatty dustcover, yellowing pages, hand-painted illustrations, and a charming JR Hartley tone. It was first published in 1946, with a revised  edition three years later, and has just 112 pages.  Winston Churchill, MP for Wanstead and Woodford at that time, wrote an introductory note, which must have pleased Phillips no end, but which somehow misses the point in that it’s not actually about Wanstead. Instead it reads: “It is for the children that we have laid so many tyrants low. Let us hope they will be worthy of the great sacrifices…”

A foreword has an indication about the character of 1940s Wanstead. “[I]f there is one fact clear from local history, is that the community has ever taken strangers within its gates and made them citizens who can unaffectedly share the interest of present endeavours and the pride of past achievements.” Warms the cockles, don’t it?

The author’s note which follows proves the book’s Fly Fishing qualities:

 

(Reader ND points out that W V Phillips was Winifred, so is therefore a she, not a he. Wansteadium maintains the name can be unisex. But since later editions of the book bear the name Winifred Eastment – who wrote several other books too – we will concede the point.)

Once she relaxes into her subject, though, one line in particular leaps off the pages of the first chapter. Phillips mentions in passing that Wanstead’s “soothing sobriquet” is “Sleepy Hollow”. Now despite all the talking and reading Wansteadium has undertaken in the past few years in the public service of maintaining this website, the name Sleepy Hollow has only ever been mentioned in connection with the headless horseman-related work of Tim Burton.

So initially there is something to get one’s teeth into: does anyone actually refer to Wanstead as Sleepy Hollow any more? And if not, when did THAT stop? Comments via the form below if you please.

IN THE NEXT EXCITING INSTALMENT OF WANSTEAD THROUGH THE AGES…
…we discover whether Wanstead gets its name from a whitewashed building, the pagan god of wind, weather and half-day closing, or – tantalisingly – because it was built on a hill. 

 

 

 

Dear Wansteadium

We are 20 local Guides, and this August we will be travelling to Zambia and Malawi to volunteer with The Book Bus charity. Last year we told you about our volunteering adventure. Here is an update.

The Book Bus travels to schools in rural villages across Zambia and Malawi. Although children learn to read at school, classes can contain over 100 children so it is easy for those children that fall behind to go unnoticed. The Book Bus project works with small groups of children to ensure that all children receive the literacy support they need and the inspiration to read through games, drama and craft activities.

To give us experience of reading to children, we have been visiting local Brownie Units. We have been able to practice reading stories at the right pace, trying out different voices and ensuring that the Brownies understood the stories and found them interesting. We have come up with and tested out craft ideas and games which complement the stories. Working with the Brownies has been good fun and we have learnt which stories work best and which activities children are most enthusiastic about.

Fundraising for the trip has also kept us busy. At Christmas we spent two days bag packing at Waitrose in South Woodford. In February over 100 children came along to our Valentine’s Disco and enjoyed an
evening’s partying and dancing, as well as activities including face-painting, cake decorating, card-making,
mehndi and pink mocktails.

Our next fundraising event is a Barn Dance on Saturday 16 March at 7.30pm in St Gabriel’s Church Hall,
Park Road, Aldersbrook, E12 5 HG. We have a live band, Fiddle and Squeeze to accompany the dancing.
Tickets cost £10 in advance and £12 on the door and include a jacket potato bar. Bring your own booze,
glasses and nibbles. To buy tickets call or SMS 0777 44 65 000 or email africaBookBus@Gmail.com.

For more information about the Book Bus see www.thebookbus.org