Wansteadium

It might have not much going for it, except the rats, the wire fence, and the reputation as Wanstead’s wasted wilderness, but a touch of frost does show the Evergreen Field at its finest.

Once a year we like to take a look back at which stories most floated people’s boats in the previous 12 months. It’s that time again.

We also take this opportunity to thank all readers for their attention, their tips, their ideas and contributions. You can always let us know things by email at info@wansteadium.com, and if you want to publicise an event please feel free to add details at https://wansteadium.com/events/community/add

But for now here’s the big list…

1. Redbridge to open café kiosk on Christchurch Green (March)
   
2. Wanstead’s swimming pool back on track (February)
   
3. Wanstead’s favourite subject: Yes, we’re getting a new coffee shop (February)
   
4. D’vine riddle (November)
   
5. Wanstead flash flooding pics (July)
   
6. City Place opens for business (April)
   
7. Wanstead Parklet is coming. What do you mean you don’t know what a parklet is?? (May)
   
8. Small number of celebrities expected at Nightingale Green (January)
   
9. An exciting new shake-up for Wanstead… (June)
   
10. Advice for dog-owners who are worried about dog thefts (February)
    
11. Wanstead Fringe 2021 is ON (June)
    
12. Hermon Hill residents’ fear of the future (June)

There’s been significant progress on booster uptake since we last presented these figures on 13 December. In particular booster rates in Snaresbrook have risen from 39.7%, and Wanstead Village from 40.9%, to nearly 55% in both wards.

It’s worth remembering though that these figures show that, even in areas with good uptake like Wanstead, one in five eligible people have not had a first dose.

We’re big fans of Wanstead’s fabulous posties, and we especially like that it’s the same people who do the delivering, come rain or shine. We thank them for their service.

So this is in no way a complaint – perhaps just an observation on the impact Covid has had on the Royal Mail… but did anyone else get a big clutch of Christmas cards on the days after Christmas?

Happily it means imagined slights from relatives and old friends, who one imagined had not sent cards, have now been dispelled.

It’s hard to remember a wetter Christmas, rather marring the hopes of a crisp bright Boxing Day walk on Wanstead Park. But it was still beautiful.

Further upriver, the gauge where the Roding meets the A12 showed things were indeed very wet.

We rather like the growing trend for people to decorate the trees in their streets. Langley Drive (above) , for instance, has little solar lights wrapped around its street tree trunks, which looks very festive.

But Mansfield Road, (below), has displayed some bold oneupmanship.

Any other roads joining the fray are welcome to send pictures to info@wansteadium.com.