Wansteadium

The Wanstead Fringe has been given a £3,000 award by the London City Airport Community Fund to help with the development of the Wanstead Kinema. The grant is part of £40,000 the fund is distributing to good causes in East London.

Over the summer the Fringe team crafted the Wanstead Curtain – a cinema, theatre and performance space –  in the disused hall at the Wanstead Methodist Church on Hermon Hill, and the grant helps fund the equipment needed for the showing of films.

Giles Wilson, chair of the Wanstead Fringe, said: “We’re really grateful to the London City Airport Community Fund for their grant. It means a lot to us because the Fringe is entirely volunteer-run, and receives no funding from anyone except our sponsors and members. The grant means our hopes for developing the Wanstead Curtain as a home for our Kinema activities have been given a real boost.”

This year the Fringe was sponsored by Petty Son & Prestwich, Edwards Duthie Shamash, Two Toms, North London Loft Rooms, the Duke, Compassionate Funerals, East London Brewery, the Wanstead Society, Wanstead Bookshop and City Place Coffee.

Its membership scheme, which was launched this year, gives individuals a chance to support the development of cultural activities in Wanstead – at the time of writing there are 63 Wanstead Fringe members. New members can join here.

Each Autumn we mark the first frost of the season, just as we have been doing here every year since 2010. It probably means nothing, but it keeps us happy. Anyway, it was today and it’s interesting to note that this is the earliest second earliest frost on record, if you’re only using Wansteadium as your source.

2024 – 11 October
2023 – 16 October
2022 – 6 December
2021 – 2 November
2020 – 4 November
2019 – 4 November
2018 – 25 September
2017 – 30 October
2016 – 2 November
2015 – 23 November
2014 – 6 November
2013 – 13 November
2012 – 6 November
2011 – 25 November
2010 – 21 October

The production of Miss Julie being staged at the Wanstead Curtain in the final weekend of the 2024 Wanstead Fringe has had a rave review.

Peter Fiennes, cousin of actors Ralph and Joseph, tweeted in support of the play having seen it at the Curtain. The play transfers to the Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton in October, but there are some tickets still available for Friday and Saturday night at the Fringe.

I saw this last night and it’s brilliant. Such a powerful story, compellingly directed by Jon Fentiman and acted by Maria Naterstad, @chrisaghaactor and Lia Goresh.
It’s on 8-13 Oct at @CourtyardHoxton https://t.co/Hix1GQ9Kdl

— Peter Fiennes (@pfiennes) September 26, 2024

Other events not to miss before the door closes on this year’s Fringe include
a production of short plays at the Bull – Short Plays, Big Stories, and crime stories on Friday night by celebrated storyteller Patrick Marlowe.

And the climax of what has been the most musically rich Fringe yet is the visit of the Natural Voices choir to St Mary’s on Saturday night with an uplifting concert for all. The choir are expected in strength, and will include star voice Lux Panesar:

Tickets, including family discounts, for Natural Voices are available here.

And links to all events this weekend are on the Fringe site at wansteadfringe.org/events

The Wanstead Beer Festival is returning in October after its successful debut last year. This year, as well as beer and wine there will be a celebration of local gins.

The beers on offer will include

• Brentwood breweries’ Pride of Prague, produced to mark West Ham’s Europa conference win last year
• Malden-based brewery Might Oak’s Captain Bob and others
• Sussex brewery Harvey’s Best Bitter and Old Ale
• Walthamstow brewery Beerblefish with the always popular Lea Valley lager
• Pretty Decent are providing ‘I could get better in T*sco for a quid‘.

There will also be ciders and some perry from Devon brewers Farmer Jim.

The event takes place on 12 October. Tickets are £10 entrance fee, which includes a programme and commemorative glass. Funds raised go to local charities. Organiser Paul Donovan said: ‘We are keeping the prices down again this year, so attendees will be getting bargain beer, as well as helping charity.

Tickets are available here. 

It’s the last week of the 2024 Wanstead Fringe, and happily there are jewels still left in the programme.

Author Lizzie Dearden is speaking on Monday about her book which reveals the extent of foiled terror plots in the UK.

On Tuesday, writer Iain Sinclair will be in conversation with local hero John Rogers.

On Wednesday, film-maker Dan Edelstyn will be one of those discussing how to make your home as environmentally friendly as possible.

The theatre keeps coming with the much anticipated new production of Miss Julie starting at the Wanstead Curtain (the hall at Wanstead Methodist Church on Hermon Hill) on Tuesday. It runs until Saturday before transferring to the Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton.

Upstairs at the Bull there are two plays this week – Golden Sun & Silver Moon, a surrealistic fairy tale about the creation of the celestial firmament. And starting on Thursday is Short Plays, Big Stories, a collection of new writing and fresh talents.

The week’s climax will be a visit from the Natural Voices choir who will be marking the Fringe’s final day with a concert at St Mary’s in Overton Drive. It’s guaranteed to make you feel good.

For the full line-up of events, including comedy, crime stories, gin & jazz, wine and tequila tastings, art classes, wool felting and more besides, check out the listings at https://wansteadfringe.org/events/

A mass reminisce took place at Wanstead High School on Sunday with a reunion of old boys and girls to mark the school’s centenary. 450 former pupils came from across the country, while some were visiting from Canada, Australia and France, to mark the occasion.

One woman joined the school in 1943, and also attended the 25th and 75th anniversary celebrations. One couple met at the school aged 16, 62 years ago. The oldest visitor was 93. Visitors were shown round by current pupils, and heard several of the school’s bands playing.

One organiser said: “So many people talked about being back in the headmaster’s office, not being allowed in the quad ever, the girls and boys school prefect shed, the debating society with minutes… The best was the guy who came and asked us to look up his old girlfriends’ names.

Meanwhile the major construction project at the school site, to build the new Wanstead Leisure Centre and swimming pool , is due to be finished next summer .