Wansteadium

A new feature! Wanstead’s Isolation Projects – a showcase of various things Wanstead folk have made or done during the lockdown. It doesn’t matter what it is – just send us a photo, video, recording or email to info@wansteadium.com – and tell us a bit about what you’ve done and why. Adults and children welcome.

Keith Coffey is kicking things off with this song and video he’s made. He writes:

This is my music isolation video. It’s meant to remind us that we’re all in this together. I put a call out to friends and family around the world and asked them to send me a positive video clip. I wrote and recorded this tune and put them together. This is the result.

Places other than Wanstead apparently also saw the amazing view of the Moon on Tuesday night, but these shots by ace snapper and Wanstead Fringe favourite Geoff Wilkinson are something special.

Anya Lipska – aka writer Alison Turner – told the second Wanstead Social Distance Club meeting of her new heroine, Cassie Raven, a mortuary assistant who thinks of the bodies before her as being alive. She also talked about the life of a crime writer, and some of the difficulties the publishing industry is facing at the moment.

Those interested in Alison’s work can sign up to her very occasional email newsletter for launch details of her new book, Body Language, at anyalipska.com.

Details of next week’s meeting will be announced at the weekend.

Please note this event has now passed – you can watch the video here.

Our second meeting takes place this afternoon at 5pm when crime writer Alison Turner, aka Anya Lipska, will be reading from her upcoming novel Body Language.

To join the Zoom meeting, please click this link:
https://zoom.us/j/655544964?pwd=SGpmN1VpYjBMMnVDQTVmZ09lYUhMdz09

That link should work by itself, but Zoom has introduced tougher security and you may also need these details: Meeting ID: 655 544 964 and password : 005563

The Wanstead Social Distance Club is open to all readers of Wansteadium – it’s our little contribution to keep community life alive in Wanstead while people can’t meet in person.

Have a suitable 5pm beverage handy, and be ready for some details of the life of a mortuary assistant.

Car parks for many of the most popular open areas around Wanstead are closing, the Epping Forest authorities have announced, following the lead of many similar open spaces around the capital. The good news for walkers – and dogs – is that they are still at the time of writing open to foot and bike traffic.

Regrettably #EppingForest car parks are now closed due to overcrowding. Police are redirecting cars to go home and stay local. The Forest is still open for locally based exercise if you access on foot or bicycle.

— Epping Forest (@CoLEppingForest) April 5, 2020

The Hollow Ponds car park shut at the end of last week to allow more parking for hospital staff and volunteers to reach Whipps Cross easily.

Seeing the Farmers’ Market on Sunday was not quite what many people had expected, although it did appear that appropriate social distancing was taking place, and food was definitely what was on offer.

One Wansteadium reader, Louise, was not happy, emailing to say she was waiting in the 2-metre queue at Tesco to buy essentials when she saw people walking up and down the road looking at the stalls.

All our shops have been fully stocked so there was no need. Also is going out to buy luxury cheese an essential right now? It actually feels like Wanstead think they are immune to this! I live alone and I’m extremely active and close to family, but I’m sticking to the rules with the hope that the isolation period won’t go on too long, so I can start to live a normal life again. I am so disappointed with Wanstead right now!!!

On the other hand, the stallholders – part of the food production chain – are themselves trying to keep in business. It’s yet another of those tricky issues where if there IS a right answer, it’s not immediately clear.