wansteadtestcentre – Wansteadium

Wanstead news roundup, 14.5.11; Driving, sauna, parking

• Wanstead driving test centre has the lowest pass rate of any centre in the country, says the Wanstead Guardian. It’s not quite true – figures from the DSA show Thornbury centre to be marginally worse – but it’s still very very low. The paper says low incomes are to blame, but that doesn’t seem to ring true somehow. Other explanations welcome.

• The bosses of the Wanstead Sauna have been jailed for a total of three-and-half years for conspiracy to control prostitution.

• A campaign against proposed parking changes on streets in central Wanstead has been launched. Details on poster below (click image for larger version).

Wanstead driving test routes mapped

Wanstead is, of course, no stranger to L-plates. In fact it seems to be an irresistible draw to learner drivers – some say the reason is that it’s in London but relatively suburban, others that there’s no car park attached to the test centre and so the parking tests are easier. Whatever the reason, Wanstead drivers will continue to grit their teeth, count to 10, and refuse to let any frustration show.

Wansteadium reader Cliff Xuan has usefully plotted on Google Maps the various test routes around Wanstead. The full selection is here.

View Wanstead Hermon Hill, Test Route 11 in a larger map