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Images documenting local history will be on show at the Woodford Historical Society’s meeting on 14 March.

“My talk will be a light-hearted review of archive information and illustrations of Woodford gleaned over the past year,” said Peter Lawrence, whose presentation will take place at All Saints Church hall from 2.30pm (visitors: £3).

Among the images will be a photo of the Woodford Cycle Meet, an annual fancy-dress parade which ran from 1882 to 1914 to raise money for local hospitals.

Visit swvg.co.uk/history

The three cows that had been grazing in Wanstead Park since October were removed on 8 February.

“Our wonderful Longhorns have now moved on to pastures new, rejoining the 180-strong herd in Epping Forest. I know how much joy they brought to visitors whilst also supporting important conservation efforts. They will be back later in the year,” said Benjamin Murphy, Chairman of the Epping Forest and Commons Committee.

Grazing improves biodiversity by removing course vegetation from the acid grassland.

TfL will be going ahead with the proposed changes to the W12, W13, W14 and 549 bus routes between the Walthamstow, Wanstead and Woodford areas following a consultation last year.

“We received 863 responses to the consultation and would like to thank everyone who took part,” said a spokesperson.

The changes are expected to take place in September, with all routes restructured and the 549 withdrawn and replaced by an extended W14 route.

The new routes are available to view online. Visit swvg.co.uk/bus

A £300 reward is being offered for the safe return of a stolen tuba.

The instrument – a Besson Soverrign Tuba – was taken from a car in Woodford Green in the early hours of Sunday 28 January.

“My son’s tuba has great emotional value to him, but not much value to anyone else. Due to low resale possibility, the instrument may be dumped next to the road or in the forest,” said Ellena Hamman.

The silver tuba was in a black backpack case.

Call 07557 185 721

The South Woodford Society AGM will take place on 28 February

“It’s an opportunity to learn about our achievements in 2023 and our plans for 2024. So, drop in, and we look forward to meeting you. Membership of the Society is free, and if you join, you’ll be kept up to date with local issues and events,” said a spokesperson. The meeting will take place at the South Woodford Salvation Army on Daisy Road from 7pm.

Visit swvg.co.uk/sws

In the sixth of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, Don Taylor presents his shot of a Red Fox in the snow 

I took this photo of a fox in the snow a few weeks before Christmas 2022 in the City of London Cemetery, which lies adjacent to Wanstead Park and Wanstead Flats. There are several families of foxes there, and when the snow came that year, I just had to head over and bide my time to get the shot I wanted.

Foxes develop a thick winter coat, so their cold-weather behaviour isn’t much different from any other season. They devote most of the winter to hunting or foraging, with no need for a den until the mating season begins. So, it’s not uncommon to find a fox sleeping in the open beneath a blanket of snow! They breed from January to March. 

I now work part-time for the Corporation of London. I retired fairly young and wanted to do something in the outdoors. I do some litter picking over Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park and through this, I’ve got to know some great photographers. And it was because of these connections that I put together a 2024 calendar of Epping Forest photos.

I must say a word of thanks to the other volunteer litter pickers and groups who do such a wonderful job looking after our open spaces. Sarah Shaw leads the Wanstead Flats Pickers and Gill James coordinates the Friends of Wanstead Parklands’ monthly clean-up. And not forgetting Eileen Elton, a one-woman band (unless her sister is over from Australia). Alongside this, I’ve also discovered the Wren Wildlife Group and always love meeting up with their members. 

I also belong to the Orion Harriers running club and I’ve completed many marathons. I love adventures and probably the maddest, most dangerous activity I took part in was driving a Tuk Tuk 2,000 miles through India!

I love Epping Forest, and having only taken up photography in the last few years, it has provided everything I need to snap away!

For more information on the Epping Forest 2024 calendar, visit swvg.co.uk/ef24

The redundancy process can be stressful and difficult, so it is important to know your rights as an employee, says Jo Cullen from local solicitors Edwards Duthie Shamash

If you are about to be consulted, or you are in the process of being consulted about redundancy, it is important you know your rights.

You have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. In a redundancy, this means:

You should be warned and consulted about the proposed redundancy.

Your employer must adopt a fair basis on which to select for redundancy. They must identify an appropriate pool from which to select potentially redundant employees and must select against proper criteria.

Your employer must consider suitable alternative employment if appropriate.

The right not to be unfairly dismissed only applies to employees who have been employed continuously for two years or more at the termination date. However, you have rights from day one of employment where your redundancy is due to discrimination due to any of the protected characteristics (sex, pregnancy, marital status or civil partnership, age, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment or religion), victimisation or harassment or for less favourable treatment due to your fixed-term or part-time status. If you are on maternity (or adoption or shared parental) leave, you have an automatic right to be offered any suitable alternative vacancies that may be available.

If your redundancy is confirmed, you will be entitled to your contractual notice subject to statutory minimum notice. Where you have been employed for two years or more, you will be entitled to a statutory redundancy payment, calculated according to a formula based on your age, length of service (capped at 20 years) and a week’s pay (subject to a statutory limit, currently £643 as of April 2023). You may also be entitled to a contractual enhanced redundancy payment subject to signing a settlement agreement. A redundancy payment can be paid tax-free (up to £30,000). All other contractual payments such as notice and holiday are subject to normal deductions for tax and national insurance. With two or more years service, you will also have the right to take reasonable paid time off to look for other work or arrange training.

If your employer is insolvent or refuses to pay, you have the right to apply to the National Insurance Fund for payment of your statutory redundancy and some other payments.

We would advise you to take advice early to ensure you are aware of your rights in full and of any time limits to make a claim for unfair dismissal, victimisation or discrimination.

Edwards Duthie Shamash is located at 149 High Street, Wanstead, E11 2RL. For more information, call 020 8514 9000 or visit edwardsduthieshamash.co.uk

A stress response is normal and offers protection to both humans and animals alike, but only if it is produced in small quantities and is well managed, says local nurse Fiona Flaherty

The prime cause of stress is our high-tech, fast-paced, unrelenting lifestyles, plus economic and personal uncertainties leading to chronic stress as a major cause of ill-health worldwide. 

Cortisol, the main stress hormone, is continually produced and released from the adrenal glands into the bloodstream. Normal cortisol levels are not detrimental. A normal cortisol rhythm should peak in the morning hours, then steadily decline throughout the day, with the lowest levels at night. 

How do I know if I am stressed?

• You crave carbohydrates and possibly eat more than 50% of your calories after 5pm.
• You suffer from depression, anxiety, nervousness, irritability and weight gain.
• You find it difficult recovering from exercise, musculoskeletal injuries and get sick often.
• You have difficulty sleeping, with vivid dreams, sweating at night and loss of libido. 
• You feel light-headed upon standing and need caffeine to keep you awake.

If this describes some or all of your symptoms, you are most likely experiencing the effects of stress and subsequent high cortisol levels. A general rule to remedy this is to focus on ‘real’ food. Avoid packaged, heavily processed and non-organic foods as these increase the toxic load to the liver and add stress to the body.

Better food choices include non-starchy vegetables, which have a detoxifying ability, including the cruciferous family (cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and sprouts) plus dark-green leaves. Protein should be included at every meal to help with stabilizing blood sugar and to improve immune function. Fats, specifically omega-3 fatty acids, are anti-inflammatory and found in foods like salmon and chia seeds. Water is also important for everyone, as it will hydrate cells and detoxify the body. 

While exercise is recommended as one of the best forms of medicine, too much exercise at the wrong intensity level and duration can be more inflammatory. It is best to exercise when your cortisol is closest to its normal range. Cortisol levels peak about 40 minutes into exercise, so limit cardiovascular activity to less than 40 minutes at a time.

Sleep helps by reducing cortisol and restoring the adrenal glands. Work towards eight hours of uninterrupted sleep between 10pm and 6am. Artificial light tricks the body into releasing more cortisol, so switch them all off. A weekly massage and dry sauna have also been shown to decrease stress levels.

Fiona Flaherty is a registered nurse and nutritional therapist based in South Woodford and Harley Street. For more information, call 07973 601 862 or visit meducatehealthcare.com 

South Woodford resident Simone Roach explains her frustration and desperation following the rejection of her disability benefit application, which has left her feeling abandoned

My name is Simone Roach. I’m 21 years old and was born with a disability called severe progressive axonal polyneuropathy. My condition caused me to lose the ability to walk, so I’m now a permanent wheelchair user. It also removed all of the movement from my fingers and wrists, so I can’t grab or hold objects with my hands either (I’m typing this article with a pen in my mouth). Despite all this, my claim to receive PIP, a disability benefit, was dismissed.

This has put me in an impossible situation. I currently have no funds despite having bills to pay. I have nothing I can use to pay the extra costs my disability causes me, and I don’t have a wheelchair taxi card (because I can’t claim PIP), so I’m stuck indoors. I’ve been applying to jobs nonstop and going through countless job interviews only to be rejected time and time again. There aren’t that many jobs I can apply for based on my skills and qualifications. I can’t just do a standard cleaning, waitressing or retail job because of my disability. 

I tried going to Citizens Advice Redbridge because things are getting quite desperate, but they don’t do in-person appointments. I phoned them but was on hold for over two hours. I emailed them, but they said they’re so busy working on cases that they might not be able to help anyone new at the moment. I desperately need help and I don’t know where else to turn.

My PIP claim is supposedly being dismissed because I recently lived in the Netherlands. I was born in London and I used to live here when I was younger (my parents and sisters are British citizens too). However, when I was a child, my family moved to the Netherlands. I moved back to the UK in April 2023. I contacted both Citizens Advice and a PIP adviser and they both assured me that if I moved here, I’d be able to claim PIP. I knew I wouldn’t be able to move to London without that extra financial support.

Upon my return, I filled out the PIP application form. To my surprise, after months of waiting, my PIP claim was dismissed. Apparently, because I haven’t lived in England for two of the last three years, I can’t claim PIP, even though on PIP’s official website it says: “If you’ve recently returned from living in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein, you might be able to get PIP sooner.” In fact, it says that you are even able to claim PIP while living abroad if you’re a British citizen. I tried to appeal the decision but the answer was the same – I have to wait two years before I can claim.

This is deeply disturbing to me. It means if you have a disability and you leave the UK for two years, you can never return because how is one supposed to function here for two years until eligible to claim benefits again? I feel as if I’m being abandoned by the government.

For more information and to contact Simone, visit thewheelchairteen.com

Being made redundant was the best thing to happen to South Woodford resident Sonia Cudd, who soon went on to combine her passions for art and dogs (particularly greyhounds)

I love art and over the years have attended many evening classes, mainly life drawing and painting, at some of London’s leading art schools. My art has been a way to relax after my stressful accountancy day job.

Having been made redundant in April 2021, I decided to apply myself to my art full-time, and I opened an Etsy shop to see if I’d be able to sell what I was producing. It was a good way to combine my business mind and creativity. I opted to produce something that would be easy to dispatch by post, which is how I got back into lino printing.

What I love about doing lino cuts is that it brings drawing, painting and sculpture together. I enjoy the process of carving into the lino and the anticipation of seeing my work come to life as I lift the paper from the inked lino to reveal the finished piece. It can be quite exciting!

It’s always best to choose a subject you are passionate about. Luckily for me, I had adopted a greyhound supermodel in 2013. Grace the greyhound was the most beautiful, elegant and yet goofy creature. She was alarmingly tall and a rare blue fawn colour. She was quite a celebrity among the retired greyhound community and a great ambassador for her breed. I named my business after her, Grace Cuddle Art. 

Greyhounds are quite a misunderstood breed and it is only once you meet one of the lucky dogs who have been adopted after retiring from racing that you get to see what wonderful pets they make. As well as being the sixth-fastest land animal (for pub quizzers, the few land animals faster than a greyhound are a cheetah, pronghorn, springbok, blackbuck and lion).

Greyhounds are gentle, loving and lazy dogs. They also make wonderful muses with their doe eyes, big noses and powerful muscular form.

I have since diversified into depicting other dog breeds, the occasional fox and my most challenging subject: a human grandchild! I have done commissions using pastels, coloured pencils and paint, and have recently introduced small ceramic art to my range of products.

A friend encouraged me to exhibit at the Local Makers Market in Wanstead and I absolutely loved meeting people and seeing their positive reactions to my work. I now regularly exhibit at a few other artisan markets. 

People do say that when you face a life challenge – in my case, being made redundant in my 50s – something better is around the corner, and I can definitely say it was the best thing that could have happened to me, as it has enabled me to live my dream of being a professional artist.

Follow Sonia on Instagram or Facebook @gracecuddleart, or to view her Etsy shop, visit swvg.co.uk/cuddle

With South Woodford’s Barclays set to close in February, and with NatWest having left Wanstead in October 2023, our high streets have suffered another blow, says Delia Ray

News that Barclays on George Lane will close on 23 February means no high street banks will remain throughout Wanstead and Woodford. In a remarkably short time, bustling branches of banks once competing on every street corner have become empty husks – or even been reinvented as an artisan bakery. 

The changes come on the back of a growing use of digital banking. Barclays state 94% of its South Woodford customers mostly bank online. They also say that fewer than 10 customers regularly use the branch for all their transactions. Other banks cite similar figures. Given these numbers, the banks claim it’s too expensive to staff branches. Perhaps it’s no surprise they are pulling out of smaller sites, to focus on densely populated areas such as Barkingside and Walthamstow – at least for now. Nationally, the number of bank and building society branches fell by about 34% between 2012 and 2021, according to the Office of National Statistics.

Closures force customers into challenging journeys. They also lead to fewer cash machines (at least, free ones). Research by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in 2022 found that older people, people in poor health or on lower incomes, and those less able to manage their finances, depend more on cash. In 2019, the FCA identified bank closures would affect much the same groups. 

People adept with computers, who pay for everything through their phone, may meet the loss of local branches with a shrug. But many who find online banking difficult welcome the support of bank staff. Transactions are not always straightforward. Small businesses which take cash will always need somewhere to deposit their takings.

What does this mean for Wanstead and Woodford? Fortunately, South Woodford recently regained its Post Office, where banking functions can still be carried out. As in Wanstead, visiting the Post Office to send a parcel or run through a passport application provides a sound reason to visit the high street – and visit local shops at the same time. The Nationwide Building Society recently pledged to keep its current branches open until 2026, which means they’ll remain for now in George Lane, South Woodford.

But if local services continue their decline, one option for us may be a banking hub. The number of hubs – shared spaces letting customers of multiple banks perform everyday banking tasks – is growing across the UK. Sharing makes them more viable than a branch of a single bank. Post Office staff operate counter services, where you can withdraw and deposit cash and pay bills. Bank representatives visit at different times. It’s early days, but with queues forming outside hubs as far afield as Brixham and Rochford, this innovation could restore vanished services. It could even revitalise our high streets.

For more information on banking hubs, visit swvg.co.uk/bankhub

The South Woodford Business Forum will host their second business information and networking event on 15 February (5pm to 7pm; venue to be confirmed).

It follows a popular event held in November, which saw more than 40 business owners and entrepreneurs from the local area attend. “Our event provides a platform to connect with the vibrant tapestry of local businesses. You’ll be able to exchange ideas and supercharge your network,” said a spokesperson.

The meeting is free, but booking is required.

Visit swvg.co.uk/bf