Wanstead roundup, 11.2.12; Comedy, cuts, and education in action

• Wanstead’s own star media lawyer, Mark Stephens, onetime defender of Wikileaks among other causes, has received his CBE from Prince Charles.

• Firefighters rescued a dog which had fallen into a freezing lake in Wanstead Park on Friday. They later asked dog-owners to make sure their animals kept away from frozen water.

• The exact changes have not yet been announced, but Wanstead Library is to have reduced opening hours from April as part of council cuts.

• Lovely tale from the Wanstead Guardian about the member of station staff at Snaresbrook who has converted a little office on the westbound platform into a little steam train museum, complete with videos playing. More details here.

• Congratulations to James Ward of the Larder on the opening of the first part of their third venue, the historic Butler’s Retreat in Chingford Plain. More details here.

• An example of political education in action, as revealed by one Wanstead teenager last week. Mr Cryer can console himself that she went away knowing more than when she came in. (Anonymised to prevent blushes.)
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• Thursday sees the return of the Wanstead Comedy Night, once again at Bar Room Bar. The line-up and details are available from the Wanstead Comedy Night website. As in previous months, we will hope to have some of the best one-liners, half remembered, on Friday. (Volunteers welcome.)

A great day for Wanstead

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Plenty of people were sad when Wanstead’s charmingly odd Andrews Builders Merchants shut up shop. Like something from the Two Ronnies, it stood out alone, boxy and weird with a painted sign from decades past.

The sign survived the shop by a year or so, but ended up in a skip during renovations by the shop’s new owner, who was unaware of the sentimental attachment many in Wanstead had for it.

There is, though, a happy ending to this story. With high streets beset by chains, charity shops and closures, to say nothing of shop fronts with garish internally illuminated Perspex boxes, the curiosity of the spot has been – remarkably and wonderfully – preserved.

So welcome, everyone, the Wanstead Fabric Merchants. Congratulations to Geoff Rosenberg and family, the enlightened proprietors who employed Wanstead’s one-woman-smarter-high-street campaign, Gabrielle Collard, to design the new shop front.

While the painted window design gives the new shop a cool edge, the new sign could be a definition of sympathetic redevelopment. Wooden, with the same proportions, similar wording and style, yet with reversed colours to emphasise the changes.

All in all, a good day for the character and diversity of Wanstead. Let’s hope Geoff’s bravery is rewarded.

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Wanstead in snow in pictures

Send your pictures of Wanstead in the snow to wansteadium@gmail.com

To get the snowball rolling is this cracker from Richard Chambury (whose Autumn photos were such a hit here).


Wanstead Flats by Martin Warne – @mwarne


The Shrubbery by Pete J – @PeterJQJ


And two nice jobs from Neil Perry – @NPPhotographer


From Jillian Steggle


From Avril Rodriguez-Dixon


And Churchill with his traditional mohawk, from Paul Glynn


Wanstead Berries from C to the H – @EDMI_Podcast


These four from Keng-Gah, “on Sunday afternoon after crumble and custard at Queens”.


These two of Hollow Pond from Susannah Davies.

Above and seven below from Nicolle French.

And last word, for now, from Nice Croissant Kerrie. Thanks to everyone for sending photos in.

Stranded in Snaresbrook

Saturday night Central Line passengers were stranded outside Snaresbrook as snow brought the line to a standstill, forcing the train to be evacuated. The passengers had to walk along the tracks, according to tweeter @naomibridge and others.

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Video of passengers leaving the train is here.

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Wanstead’s mystery mansion (and a made-up street)

More than one Wanstead resident will have pondered whether there is the chance of a quick buck by renting out their home during the Olympics. I must confess I have myself. But take a look at this listing, as spotted by reader Wansteadium Janah, who says “Have you seen this?? £60,000 a week! In Aldersbrook!” You might note, on your way to the floor as you pass out, that the house has 16 bedrooms and maid service. But still.

I’m happy to be able to clear up a quandary for fellow reader Catherine, though, who was mystified by a story in the Wanstead Guardian a couple of weeks ago. “The 19 January edition features a front page article about renting homes during the Olympics. It mentions that a home in Thyme Avenue is asking for £10,000 a week. Having lived in Wanstead all my life I was surprised to have never heard of the road. I went to Google Maps and was surprised to The Avenue named as Thyme Avenue. I don’t think the road has undergone a name change but how could Google and The Guardian get it all Pete Tong?”

Well I can clear up one thing. There is not, nor ever has been, a road called Thyme Avenue there. I checked with Redbridge Council who very helpfully confirmed that “The Avenue in Wanstead has always been known as The Avenue ever since its creation circa 1897”. I can’t clear up how Google invented a name – and even less how our own local paper would fall for it. The council has contacted Google to have the mistake corrected.

Friends, I live to serve.