A date for the second Wanstead Beer Festival has been set.
It follows the success of the first event last October, which raised over £3,000 for local good causes. “The enthusiasm for the inaugural event meant diaries were opened and a new date fixed. The event will take place at Christ Church halls on 12 October 2024. It was excellent to raise money for local charities and, hopefully, even more can be raised in 2024,” said organiser Paul Donovan.
© Tony MorrisonWhen three large mammals with massive curving horns appeared in Wanstead Park in the autumn, there was shock. We did not expect to see cows here so late in the year. We had no cows at all in 2022, due to the long drought ruining the grazing.
So, the cattle warden volunteers rushed into action. Our main aim was to tell people why the cows were there and to discourage them, and their dogs and children, from getting too close. Ten metres was the rule. Some people had never seen a live cow before. Most dogs and their owners wisely decided to keep a healthy distance. A few owners had not trained their frisky dogs to come when called, but soon learned to keep them on a lead.
We expected a few people to be angry. “Do you think you own this park?” “What about my dog’s right to roam?” “Why were there so few warning signs up?” But most people were delighted to welcome ‘our’ cows back, and many people remembered them from 2021. A surprising number were well informed already. They asked questions. “What happened to the calves they had?” “What are their names?” “Are they pregnant?” “Why are they here so late in the year?” “How long will they be staying?” “What about all these cowpats?” “Where do they go at night?” Answers: Quinine, Nina and Mara (new girl). They were delayed by the requirement for bovine TB testing as a nearby farm tested positive. None pregnant. They will stay until the grazing gives out in January or February. They stay out all night. Cowpats are very good for improving the soil and overwintering these hardy cattle encourages certain insect species. The grazing clears the habitat of encroaching scrub and biodiversity is improved. A spokesperson for the City of London Corporation explains: “The cows have an important job to do grazing the main acid grassland to remove course vegetation and young scrub, which improves the biodiversity of this special area of Epping Forest. Grazing is particularly important for Wanstead Park because to mow with machinery would destroy one of the main features of wildlife interest, the Yellow Meadow Ant hills.”
Mara, Nina and Quinine are magic in an unexpected way. Calm down, you frantic urban creatures, they say. Though not in so many words. And just a few days after that first excitement, the park went quiet. The cow-gazers still came, but now there was acceptance that this was a special space to share and enjoy. Dog walkers, strollers, cyclists, joggers, we all have to make space for each other. And smile. And look.
A heartfelt thank you to Epping Forest from the volunteer wardens for this wonderful opportunity to engage with the public, to hear so many stories about cows in people’s gardens or back home in India or Ireland or Iran, and to enjoy the park we know so well from a new perspective.
For more information about the cows in Wanstead Park, visit swvg.co.uk/wpcows
Redbridge Council is petitioning the government for financial support to repair Broadmead Road bridge in Woodford, which has been closed to traffic since July.
Essential structural repairs are expected to cost at least £25m. “The Prime Minister’s decision to cancel the northern leg of HS2 means billions are available to help fund transport projects… We are calling on the Transport Secretary to allocate urgent funding to help cover the enormous cost of this unforeseen project,” said Councillor Kam Rai.
Visit swvg.co.uk/brr
Oakdale Junior School has received the Gold Award for UNICEF UK’s Rights Respecting Schools programme for the second time.
The award recognises schools which put the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child at the heart of their planning and policies.
“This has such a positive impact on our pupils – the ethos is embedded in the day-to-day life of our school and celebrates all we do to ensure our pupils feel a sense of belonging and have an awareness of their role in the wider world,” said Head of School Carley Smith.
A new police hub on the Orchard Estate in Woodford will become a base for local Safer Neighbourhood Teams, including those covering South Woodford and Churchfields wards.
“The new hub will be home to at least 20 officers, working in partnership with council staff and Redbridge housing officers to prevent antisocial behaviour and support people across the west of Redbridge,” said a Redbridge Council spokesperson. Local police will continue to be based in Barkingside until the hub is operational in the summer.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP officially opened the new South Woodford Post Office earlier this month.
“The whole store looks fantastic, and it’s good news for businesses and residents in South Woodford,” said the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green.
He was joined by postmaster Sam Sarwar, who also runs a Post Office in Buckhurst Hill.
The former empty shop at 115 George Lane now features two Post Office counters in a dedicated area and one as part of an open-plan counter alongside the retail section of the convenience store.
The SELMF was founded in 1882, making it the UK’s oldest competitive music and drama festival. It has always played a large part in the musical history of East London from its early days as a local event in Stratford. The Festival culminates in the Young Musician Competition on the last Saturday (February for 2024), where 10 young musicians are chosen to compete for the coveted and very prestigious Young Musician competition. Matthew Taylor, Chair of the SELMF says “The standard of the Young Musicians concert is out of this world. You could easily be watching professional performances in the West End”.
In 2024, the Festival will have classes for bands, orchestras and choirs on the 5th and 6th of February at St. Mary’s Church in South Woodford and the 19th-24th February for all other music, speech and drama classes. These will take place at the Redbridge Music Service, John Savage Centre, Fencepiece Road, Hainault, Ilford, IG6 2NB.
Entries for the Stratford and East London Music Festival close on the 29 December 2023.
All entries can be made online using the easy-to-use booking system called Play & Perform. For all details on classes available, how to become a Friend Of The Festival and entering, please go to our website www.stratfordmusicfestival.org.uk
Redbridge’s first-ever Youth Climate and Sustainability Forum took place in November.
Eco-minded students from across the borough came together at the Town Hall for a day of activities, workshops and discussions promoting greener living.
“When you grow up and find out about climate change, it is scary… When I saw the visible effects of climate change, it was a wow moment; it gave me the spark to want to change this,” said Lucie Sattaur-Lennon from Woodbridge High School, who took part in the event.
Recently, reports emerged that Smile Direct Club, the online dental firm, was shutting down all global operations after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the USA in September.
Stories regarding Smile Direct Club patients who have paid thousands of pounds can be found across social media, as well as national news and radio.
However, I am concerned that the oral health implications of Smile Direct Club’s bankruptcy far outweigh the financial ones, especially for those mid treatment and now abandoned.
Founded in 2014, Smile Direct Club’s users grew quickly due to its promise of affordable orthodontic solutions that achieve the desired results in 4-6 months without needing an in-person dental visit.
Despite the concerns of many experts within the dental industry, there was no intervention and now dentists’ worst fears have been realised.
So, what can people do?
From the promise of their dream smile to a dental nightmare, Smile Direct Club patients have been forced to pick up the pieces – but many do not know where to start.
Here at Improve Your Smile in Woodford Green, we would like to invite anyone affected by this situation to have a complimentary consultation with our highly experienced Orthodontist to discuss their options.
For more information, call 020 8504 2704
Improve Your Smile is located at 162 High Road, Woodford Green, Essex IG8 9EF
The South Woodford Society hosted their third Christmas lights switch-on event on George Lane at the beginning of December.
“It was a great success, with the community gathered to enjoy some festive cheer. Children lined up to meet Santa as he gifted sweets. The Mayor of Redbridge counted down, and as the lights came on, each child turned on their glow sticks to create a sea of light. We all enjoyed the brass band, a performance from Oakdale School and a carol singalong. A pantomime cow added to the fun!” said a spokesperson.
©Geoff WilkinsonThe South Woodford Village Gazette has launched Village Vouchers, a new initiative to help residents save money whilst supporting the local economy and good causes.
Published in collaboration with the Wanstead Village Directory, Village Vouchers is a booklet filled with 100 discount vouchers for shops, salons, cafés, pubs and restaurants across the two areas. “From free cake with a coffee to money off a massage, Village Vouchers is designed to get people excited about shopping locally. A huge thanks to all the businesses that are taking part,” said editor Lee Marquis.
Priced £4 and valid until 31 March 2024, the booklets are being sold by local libraries, schools and charities, who retain up to half the proceeds. Copies can also be purchased online and collected from George Lane, with shoppers invited to select a good cause to support.
Visit swvg.co.uk/vv
The owner of Fresh As A Daisy Café has explained why the Lidstone Butchers ghost sign was painted over.
“I started refurbishing the premises in September. I contacted the council to ask about permission to renovate the exterior wall, and supplied pictures of the wall. I was told in writing by the council that if I was planning to repair or restore the external wall to cover up graffiti, then I would not need planning permission. We are deeply sorry for the distress this has caused. This was not our intention. If we had known, we would have left the wall untouched,” said Bledar Islami, who subsequently had the sign repainted.
