Wansteadium’s most read, 2019

Here is our annual roundup of the most-read stories on Wansteadium over the past year. It’s no surprise that the death of much-lamented Jill Stock was the most read story.

There are plenty of other stories too, and as is our tradition we’d like to thank everyone who has read the site over the past year, everyone who has signed up to follow our newsletter, and everyone who has sent in news items, photographs or thoughts to info@wansteadium.com. Without you there wouldn’t really be a Wansteadium.

1. RIP Jill Stock (June)  View

2. New café for Wanstead: Barrel Boulangerie opens (May) View

3. New homes to be built in Wanstead – on top of old ones (February) View

4. The mystery of Wanstead’s ‘Dark Alley’ (January) View

5. A new coffee shop for Snaresbrook (January) View

6. Wheelie bins are coming (March) View

7. The curious case of Wanstead’s ‘strip club’ (July) View

8. John Cryer’s Brexit position (January) View

9. Wanstead High Street, 1963 (part two) (January) View

10. This is how hot it is today in Wanstead: Tarmac swallows Coke (June) View

The annual Wanstead crossword

With Ye Traditional Boxing Day Walk in Wanstead Park being rained off, it’s time for the other tradition – the Wansteadium Christmas puzzle. Send pics of completed grids to info@wansteadium.com for max kudos. Answers later in the week.

(See it here in PDF format for easy printing.)

Across

4) Fringe stalwart and chaser
5) Hardy’s hardly this, except in Wanstead
7) – The Fish
8) Cad
10) Costs a guinea on 17 July
14) AKA Stephen Lewis, late of this parish
16) Park landmark
17) A girl on the High Street
18) Was 50 in 2019
20) Wanstead’s dancer, strictly speaking
24) Doctor of the House
26) Harry –
28) River
29) County
32) AKA Gale
33) Wanstead through the Ages author

Down

1) County
2) High Street stroller
3) Wanstead son who became a state
5) Cad
6) Small fringey instrument
9) Cad
11) County
12) Children of the Fringe
13) The Padre of Bombetta
15) Italian for hops
17) Park landmark
19) French city or weak adjective? No one knew.
20) John –
21) Used to be on Woodbine Place
22) Wanstead’s star-gazer
23) Poet
25) What Winston wears in his old place
27) A field, a lane, there are a lot of them around
30) The fish go in two by two
31) Cad (with 5,8 and 9)

Wanstead beaten. Not too bothered.