Wansteadium

Wanstead cyclist Carole Edrich wrote here last week that following her own chemotherapy, she was going to cycle to Trim in Ireland, all in aid of a charity which provides adapted bikes and tricycles for children who have had cancer. Here is an update from the saddle:

Thanks to Clair, a leggy redhead on the ferry, I got to Kelly’s Spa
Resort Hotel without getting lost at all. That’s a first on the trip
as my sense of direction, ability to remember directions, or distinguish
left from right disappears with fatigue.

The locally sourced food here at Kelly’s is fantastic and I watched a
spectacular sunrise over the Irish sea from my bed before feeling
shamed into getting up by the sound of early rising guests.

The journey so far started with a ride to the mainline station and the
train to Weybridge. After that, the bike route went through Newbury,
Chippenham (overnight at Guyers House, a beautifully maintained
romantic destination with gorgeous gardens, attentive staff and a
wonderful attention to detail), then Bath, Bristol, Newport, Hereford,
Hay-On-Wye (here, at the Westview Guest House I was looked after by
the owners, a couple passionately and intelligently dedicated to
minimizing their carbon footprint, driving Porsches and who provide
warm, friendly and superior holiday lodgings).

My lack of fitness is frustrating and I struggle daily with the
distances involved, especially when there are hills. Memories of
riding through Argentina before cancer have a dreamlike clarity
and I’m determined to get that level of fitness back even though, for
now, this ride to Ireland may have been far too ambitious.

My laptop is dead even though I’ve carried it on my back and so is my
phone charger (which I didn’t). Common sense says I’m getting fitter
although my legs feel like jelly and I’m never sure I’ll make the day’s
ride.

Two friends are sponsoring me for the millimeters I lose from my
waist. So much exercise means I’m hungry all the time and so far the
food has been extremely good. This wasn’t something I took into
account when I posted the appeal on www.justgiving.com/CyclistOnChemo
– if things don’t change I may have to pay them!

Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/CyclistOnChemo or you can text a donation

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Wanstead’s property blogger George C Parker writes:

Like many people I was outraged by the recent phone hacking scandal, and I made sure I left an angry message to the News of the World on my voicemail. However I try though, I soon turn from the news pages to the property pages – it’s the way we moguls are made.

Talking of telecoms, much of Wanstead’s voice and data traffic still travels through the exchange in Gordon Road, though regretfully fibre-optics have now replaced the rows of nimble-fingered, honey-toned lady operators… I’m sorry, where was I?

As well as being a communications hub, Gordon Road is well positioned for many of Wanstead’s primary schools, Christchurch Green, and either local Tube station.

It’s a good example of a road where property is still snapped up when it becomes available – according to mouseprice.co.uk, three Gordon Road houses have changed hands this year with strong annualised returns. Registering for online alerts with estate agents and web property portals will give you a competitive advantage, and the fateful email might even whizz through one of those fibre-optics ..

Vertical gardening
I’m mildly impressed by these people who can croft great mounds of food from their window boxes and garden containers, like this chap. They festoon their home and castle with every manner of fruit and legume, conjuring up veritable Harvest Festivals of grub. Part of me wonders why they don’t turn their roof tile over to grazing cattle and be done with it. But please don’t ask George C Parker for a valuation on one of these agricultural spectaculars! Most buyers will not want to inherit a ploughing schedule when they move in – if they did, they’d buy a real farm.

However, for those green-fingered people who want to grow a little happiness outdoors, there’s always an allotment. Local plots include as those at Redbridge Lane West, which are more than handy for the Warren Estate. Now I’m no gardener, and would always prefer my organic veg to arrive ready washed fresh from the delivery van to having to dig them up. But I’d be happy to trundle down to tend my patch from this lovely Tennyson Avenue property (5 bedroom detached, just £1.275m). Possibly a little on the Margo and Jerry end of the Good Life scale, but I guess I could always wipe my wellies carefully outside.

At the other end of the property scale, here is a bijou residencethat might help you with pests in the garden – at £24.95 this comes in well below the Stamp Duty threshold, and is not subject to HIP (Hedgehog Information Pack) legislation.

The positive sightings of urban hedgehogs in Wanstead (including this one, above, as helpfully reported by Tim Wright) have been encouraging. But readers might be interested in these other wildlifey things going on around Wanstead, as reported by the excellent Wanstead Wildlife site.

* Four mink have been spotted in Wanstead Park, and wildlife watchers are extremely concerned about the threat they could pose to birds and other animals. Paul Donovan told the Wanstead Guardian: “Something needs to be done because they can kill everything in sight and if they kill the voles, that has implications for the birds and suddenly they’re having an impact on the park’s ecology.” Anyone spotting a mink (image here) should report it to the Corporation of London on 020 8502 1010; it is hoped they can be trapped.

* The first reported sightings ever of the Marbled White butterfly in Wanstead happened earlier this month

* Paul Ferris recorded this remarkable video of a knot of toads heaped together at the end of May.

Heaps of Toads from Paul Ferris on Vimeo.

UPDATE: Wansteadium reader Nigel Watson writes:

Just read your posting regarding Wanstead wildlife and I thought I would share the attached photograph of a regular visitor to my garden on St Mary’s Avenue. The photo is of a single green parrot, however last week we had 3 of them all feeding at once! Hope you enjoy and keep up the good work

A mini-festival of old Penguins and Pelicans in Wanstead Oxfam.

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Photos from @nick_affleck