Wanstead roundup, 31.01.12; Mystery, mistletoe and music

• Residents of Wellington Road and Nelson Road are collecting signatures asking for traffic calming because of the number of motorists who cut the corner from Hermon Hill to the High Street. Wansteadium reader Caroline said: “The speed of traffic is particularly dangerous for children and elderly residents; the road is also used by children to get to Wanstead Church School and other local schools. Remember we also have a stream of ‘L’ drivers trying to negotiate the road.”

• Weird goings-on at the Ilford Recorder. Some Scientologists came to Wanstead at the weekend to talk to people in the street about their church. The paper’s website ran a story, and some people on Twitter objected to it. It then disappeared, like it never happened.

• Wansteadium reader @Lornamedia has blogged some thoughts about cancer which it’s hard to ignore (even though that might be an easier option).

• Another quaint Wansteadium tradition maintained for another year: observing the healthy growth of mistletoe on trees in Wanstead. Last winter (and the winter before) it was a single sprouting which got noticed – this year a tree on Ashbourne Avenue clearly has five separate growths.

• More good news for Wanstead, following our upbeat retail roundup last week. Design company iwantdesign has moved into Wanstead from oh-so-trendy Brick Lane.

• Good luck to ace Larder baristrix Katherine whose band Bleech starts a nationwide tour next week. You can see tour dates and listen to songs from their EP Deadhead here.

• Thank you to all the new followers of Wansteadium – now more than 800 on Twitter, more than 300 on Facebook, and 270 (atow) who are receiving us by e-mail. You’re all welcome.