Wanstead’s vigil

Picture: Redbridge

A vigil on Christchurch Green on Monday evening was attended by hundreds of people paying their respects to the Queen.

Fringe focus: A week for poetry

As the Wanstead Fringe goes into a rather unusual week, it feels fitting that poetry is on the agenda.

On Wednesday evening at City Place Coffee there will be a Spoken Word Night – a fantastically creative mix of poets, performers, improvisers and spoken word artists. When the Fringe held a similar event last year attendees were delighted by being able to hear raw talent so close-up. Tickets can be booked below.

Spoken Word Night

One of the nation’s most celebrated poets, Hannah Lowe, who won last year’s Costa Book Award, will be at Wanstead Library on Thursday evening speaking about her poems and her time time teaching in Redbridge and elsewhere. It’s a very rare opportunity to meet and hear from Hannah, and poetry lovers are strongly encouraged to book tickets now. This event has now been postponed.

POSTPONED: Wanstead Book Festival presents Hannah Lowe

Scenes from the 2022 Fringe, pt 2

The Wanstead Kinema proved once again its habit for creating a magical atmosphere, as families gathered in the church garden at Christ Church on Saturday. The programme began with a montage of images of the late Queen.

2022’s Wanstead Kinema

On Sunday a Climate picnic on Christchurch Green heard talks and insights into what more people could do to help the environment and climate, including (a subject close to Wansteadium’s heart) what can be done to make gardens more hospitable to hedgehogs.

Karen Myers, who spoke at the event, prepared some handouts on helping hedgehogs and biodiverse gardening, which are available here.

BIODIVERSE-GARDENING-FINAL-1Download
Hedgehogs-FinalDownload

The Climate Picnic

Scenes from the 2022 Fringe, pt 1

Wanstead Fringe organisers decided on Friday that the fringe should proceed, following government advice on holding scheduled events during the period of national mourning for Her Majesty the Queen.

They decided events should proceed respectfully, and musician Joe Walters, opening the Fanfare to the Fringe event at St Mary’s church, showed elegantly what that meant in practice by playing the following.

Stargazers spot the planets at The Stars from Wanstead
The cast of A Non-Emergency, which played to a full house on Friday
More scenes from outside music at St Mary’s

Wanstead church becomes first in Redbridge to host gay weddings

Wanstead United Reformed Church on Nightingale Lane has become the first church in Redbridge to be registered to conduct same sex marriages.

The church members agreed to taking the step some time ago but have now received the official confirmation that all couples who wish to have a wedding in a Christian ceremony may do so.

The church’s lead minister, the Reverend Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson said: “It is a proud moment for us here at Wanstead URC to be the first to bring this good news to its community.”  Church Secretary Grace Smith added, “It is important to us to be able to welcome all members of the local community on equal terms. We also hope this will provide an opportunity for couples currently unable to marry in their own churches.”