Editor

In the fifth of a series of articles featuring the images of local photographers who document the wildlife of Wanstead Park and the surrounding area, Deepak Dembla presents his festive feel-good image of a Robin

My name is Deepak Dembla and I’m an IT professional. Photography, stargazing, fitness and dancing are my passions. Covid lockdowns made me explore Wanstead Flats and Wanstead Park more than ever with my camera. And ever since, nature has always surprised me with something amazing: wildlife, beautiful sunsets and sunrises or something amazing in the sky, like a beautiful rainbow or a comet, the moon and planets. I must say, it’s a treasure!

I never had any formal education in photography. While in college, I joined an astronomy club called ABAA. This is where I met Dilip Kumar, former president of the club. I was inspired by his amazing astrophotography, landscape and wildlife photography skills, and bought my first camera and started playing with it. When I moved to London 16 years ago, I always made sure I lived close to a park or a forest to enjoy nature and practice my photography skills.

I love that Wanstead Park is just a few minutes’ walk from where I live. I try to visit the park every week if I can. I can easily spend four hours or more just trying to see and capture something new in the park.

While shooting birds, I use a 500mm zoom lens so I can shoot from a distance and not disturb them. The UK’s favourite bird is pictured here, the European Robin, known simply as a Robin or Robin Redbreast. It is found across Europe, east to Western Siberia and south to North Africa. Robins are small, insectivorous birds, around 12cm to 14cm in length. Unlike other small birds, Robins are not so shy, and one can get really close to them if they don’t feel threatened.

As a non-migratory species, Robins can be seen throughout the year, although there are quite a few legends surrounding their relation to Christmas. One legend goes back to Victorian times, when the tradition of sending Christmas cards started. They were delivered by postmen wearing bright-red coats. These postmen were nicknamed ‘Robins’ or ‘Redbreasts’ with the popular early cards of the era displaying the Robins who characterised them. A theme which continues to this day. 

But legend also has it that the Robin’s redbreast has a direct link to Christianity. One fable suggests that when the baby Jesus was in his manger, the fire which had been lit to keep him warm started to blaze up. A brown Robin, noticing that Mary had been distracted, placed himself between the fire and the face of baby Jesus. The Robin fluffed out its feathers to protect the baby, but in so doing, its breast was scorched. This redness was then passed on to future generations of Robins.

To view more of Deepak’s wildlife photos, visit swvg.co.uk/deepak

Redbridge Council has issued a statement following the destruction of a historic sign on the corner of Daisy Road, near South Woodford station.

“It has been upsetting to see the historic sign in South Woodford painted over by a local business owner. The Council has not given any permissions to erase this piece of local history. Unfortunately, the sign is not protected under planning law and so the business owner did not require permission from the Council to carry out the work. We are looking into how local heritage and places local people treasure can be better protected across Redbridge and it is our sincere hope that, seeing how much it means to local people, the business owner reinstates the sign.”

The ‘ghost sign’ for Lidstone Butchers was uncovered in 2015, having been previously been obstructed by a billboard.

Some South Woodford scribbles from DD, our resident diarist and observer of all things local. Illustrated by Evelyn Rowland

Doris took me to The King and I. At the London Palladium. Doris is 90, only I’m not supposed to mention it to anyone. She usually wears a velvet hat. I met her in the butcher’s last month. At least, I was in the butcher’s and she was heading past the butcher’s at purposeful high speed in the direction of Woolworths.

Doris uses a stick to good effect. Not so much to lean on or to steady herself. More for brandishing. Other pedestrians tend to clear a path. I called out. She changed course instantly and lurched in amongst the steaks and sausages. Dave had already weighed up my kidneys but he sensed an imminent hiatus and moved on temporarily to the next customer. “Thanks so much for shouting at me,” says Doris, a bit out of breath. “I don’t hear too well these days. People have to shout. Do you ever manage to get out to the theatre? I’d like to take you. Not next week. In about three weeks. Give me time to book. I’ll write to you. Then you can let me know what you want to see.” Doris shouts too. Her normal voice might strike others as a touch dramatic. A wonderful reader in her day, with carrying power even in the open air. So, there we were, the two of us, shouting at each other in the butcher’s. And everyone knows we are going to the theatre.

At this point, observant and in particular, any long-standing readers will have realised that I have gone back down Memory Lane. George Lane still, of course, but in the days of Dave the Butcher and Peter the Greengrocer, the Pet Shop and the Gift Shop and Woolworths. Before the arrival of the International Supermarket or the tattooists or Creative Biscuit or glorious Greggs or ‘Our M&S Food’. Surely, it’s OK in this Christmas edition to indulge in some shameless nostalgia? Doris was, after all, a South Woodford phenomenon. A successful businesswoman. Worked in the City in her younger days. She lived in Pulteney Road, I seem to remember. She was the treasurer of a charity I helped with. It was she who handled all our connections with the Charities Commission. At one point, she told us, they informed her that from then on she would have to submit all our financial statements in a different format and ‘online.’ She let them know immediately, and I’m sure politely, that she was 90 and would continue to submit her figures on paper and in the usual way. I don’t think we heard any more about it. I’ll never know really how it happened that she invited me to the theatre. Perhaps she recognised my situation in my long-term carer role and wanted to give me a treat.

It all came to pass as Doris had ordained. Letters were exchanged. We met at South Woodford station at 6.15. “If we’re too early, we can look in Liberty’s shop windows,” she said. “They are usually rather splendid.” I learnt that Doris had ‘gone up twice in person’ to the box office to get the tickets. I pictured her negotiating all those steps at Oxford Circus. Her “plastic wouldn’t work” on the first visit.

We sat in the stalls. “You must have the gangway seat!” she insisted. 

The lights went down. It was all colour and dance and exotic costumes and gorgeous absurdity and ‘suspended disbelief’. And all those songs: Shall We Dance?, Something Wonderful, Getting to Know You and Hello, Young Lovers. For a few hours, we escaped on the music and the lovely, wonderfully silly story. I did anyway. Doris admitted afterwards she hadn’t been able to pick up much as her hearing aid was playing up. At one point, she dropped a small component out of it and I had to crawl about under the seats, groping amongst the feet of predominantly sympathetic strangers to rescue it. But she had seen that I was enjoying every moment. “And that was the whole point of the exercise!” she said. 

Back on a crowded Oxford Circus platform, there were only two seats left for a very necessary recovery phase before the next Epping train, due in 12 minutes. The middle two seats in a clutch of four. 

“D’you mind if we join you?” says Doris, gracious as always. She gave no sign of noticing their green hair and pierced eyelids. 

“Of course not. Take a seat!” (She had.) “So long as you don’t mind us smoking and being terribly drunk!” He moved the open wine bottle from its precarious position between Doris’s sensible shoes. 

“Heading home?” she enquired. 

“Heading out!” said one. 

“The night is young!” said the other. “Why don’t you come clubbing with us? You look like a goer!” 

They delighted in Doris. Ten minutes’ animated conversation passed between equals. The train came in and they waved us off.

To contact DD with your thoughts or feedback, email dd@swvg.co.uk

A South Woodford artist who specialises in painting large urban scenes in watercolour will be holding an exhibition of his latest work at Broadway Market on 7 December.

“Entitled Re:View East, these paintings are inspired by the East End of London, from Bethnal Green to Hackney Wick. I love the energy and vibrancy of this part of London that you don’t find anywhere else, and this is combined with a real sense of authenticity and history,” said Darren Evans, a member of Woodford Arts Group.

Visit thesuburbanartist.co.uk

There’ll be plenty of festive cheer in South Woodford this November and December, with a number of events on offer for all the community to enjoy. Kris Kringle reports

As the winter chill settles in and the scent of cinnamon lattes fill the air, South Woodford prepares for a new round of festive events. A time to enjoy the spirit of togetherness and community celebration. 

Woodford Christmas Craft Market
25 November; 10am to 3pm (free entry)
Woodford Memorial Hall, High Road, E18 2PA
Providing local creatives with a platform to showcase their wares.

Christmas lights switch-on
1 December; from 3.30pm (free)
George Lane roundabout, South Woodford
The switching-on of South Woodford’s Christmas lights will be followed by a jolly singalong of festive songs. As well as local dignitaries, there will be panto characters mingling… and Santa will make a special visit!

Haven House Christmas Fair
2 and 3 December; 10am to 3pm (£8)
Haven House Children’s Hospice, IG8 9LB
Children can immerse themselves in the magic of the grotto (£15 per child), where they will spend time with Santa and receive a present. Outside in the grounds, adults can indulge in mulled wine and mince pies while the little ones enjoy the woodland activity trail, make crafts or bounce in the inflatable snow globe!

Sneak and Peek
1, 2 and 9 December; various times (tickets: £12)
Redbridge Drama Centre, South Woodford
This endearing and entertaining musical for children of all ages will capture the magic of Santa’s world while showcasing the determination and heart of two young elves striving to become real undercover agents. They learn essential spy skills, like gift-wrapping without making a sound and navigating rooftops with grace. So, gather round and let the spirit of Sneak and Peek fill your hearts with joy.

Santa’s Christmas Workshop
16 and 17 December; various times (tickets: £15)
Redbridge Drama Centre, South Woodford
Come and visit Santa’s workshop, where Santa and his hard-working elves are busily getting ready for the big day. All the boys and girls need to write a letter to Santa and post them in Santa’s postbox. They can then help the elves get ready for their Christmas party; decide what songs they’ll sing, learn their dance routines and join in the party games. Santa will be on hand to join in the fun and give every child a gift.

South Woodford Christmas Market
17 December; 11am to 5pm
George Lane, South Woodford
The monthly community market will be a family-friendly event with Christmas fayre, activities and entertainment.

Local school and church events
Festive fun, gift stalls, special events and services – too many to include here, so check the full listings to see what’s on.

For more information on these and other Christmas events in South Woodford, visit swvg.co.uk/hohoho

Local resident Red Willow reflects on her ambition to encourage variety in cooking and eating, a seven-year adventure which has led to the publication of her vegetarian cookbook, inspired by the seasons

May I introduce A Year of Veggie Adventures? Four scrumptious seasons of palate-pleasing pleasures. She is peppered with poetry, tall tales, handy hints, elegant scenes, and spans 17 countries of truly delicious dishes.

My intention was simply to encourage variety in cooking and eating. Although the tide is now turning, cookbooks, magazines and TV shows previously put a lot of emphasis on meaty cooking. 

Ever since I first began eating out in the mid-90s, I noticed restaurants and pubs always lacked any decent vegetarian food, often offering just one ‘option’, and that was usually mushroom risotto or vegetable penne pasta. Unbelievably, I still sometimes see those on the menu! 

Being a chef, and a curious traveller, I knew there were so many more ingredients that were being ignored. In conversation, I found many people were unwilling to widen their food choices due to having no knowledge of how to use grains, beans, vegetables, spices and herbs. I also noted that cookbooks had become more about the photographic styling than the food. The current fashion is bold, bright and blocky, with top-down messy Instagram-style photos. There’s also the puzzling phenomenon of that antique-looking spoon that seems to make its way into every photo, sitting in a strategic smudge of the relevant sauce. 

Well, I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. My goal was to craft a work of art, something beautiful and inspirational. I intended to express the energetic quality of the seasons and highlight the intrinsic bond between our lives, our food and Mother Nature’s cycles.

It has certainly been an adventure bringing her to life. I began in 2016 and first compiled four separate e-books to sell online before reformatting them all into one file, creating the cover and getting the whole thing print-ready. The cover is just one of the things that make Veggie Adventures so unique. It is a lovely, hand-painted watercolour, with prints and collage, using items found in our garden. This delicate, circular entwining of nature’s gifts spans both sides of the cover. If you open it out, you can see the full glory of the year.

Unusually, the adventure begins in autumn, nature’s most abundant harvest, and cycles through to summer. Every page is seasonally themed with vibes of nostalgia and good times. Also, there are no photos of the completed dishes in the book itself. Instead, I put photos in a gallery on my website, and saved page space for the all-important recipes, over 150 of them inspired by my global travels.

For now, I’m feeling accomplished, but pretty soon, it’s likely I’ll embark on the next adventure.

A Year of Veggie Adventures by Red Willow is available in hardback (£30). For more information, visit swvg.co.uk/ayova

Gardening at Christmas will be the theme for a National Trust talk in South Woodford on 12 December.

“The festive season is usually regarded as a horticultural hiatus. But in this illustrated talk, we’ll see Christmas offers much to the gardener. We’ll look at colourful plants that brighten both indoors and outdoors, and study the most beloved Yuletide plant: the Christmas tree. Lavishly sprinkled with bad jokes!” said Nick Dobson, whose presentation will take place at the Woodford Memorial Hall from 10.30am (visitors: £3).

Call 07774 164 407

South Woodford resident Michael Walford-Grant is using his recent book publishing deal to raise funds for The Compassionate Friends, an organisation that supports bereaved parents

In 2002, on a cold, dark November morning, my wife and I lost our beautiful boy, William. He was 13 years old, doing his paper round on his bike before school to save up enough money to go on holiday to Disney World in Florida. He was our only child. The loss was devastating. The memory of the policeman arriving at our front door at 7.30 in the morning will remain with me forever.

Since then, my wife and I have rebuilt our lives, one slow, painful step after another. We have both experienced some very dark moments along the way. 

In 2017, I joined The Compassionate Friends as a helpline volunteer. The charity provides a range of support services for bereaved parents and siblings. I help most Monday evenings. Because all the volunteers have experienced the loss of a child, the parents calling the helpline really appreciate the fact that when they call, they get to speak to someone who has gone through something similar to them. The work is very satisfying, albeit emotional at times. 

Away from the charity, in November of last year, I signed an international book publishing deal with an American publishing house. I am not an author, so securing the contract was, and is, very exciting. I am an experienced sales professional, and after a career of working for companies, I decided to start my own sales consulting practice. One month before the pandemic hit, so not great timing!

However, it is through this that I came up with the idea for the book Sales Unplugged: The Invaluable “Go To Guide” for Busy B2B Salespeople. It is a book of sales best practices, targeted at business-to-business sales professionals. It took about nine months to put together and draws upon a vast array of materials and experience, acquired and collated over a career spanning more than 30 years. Part two of the book is a collection of stories and anecdotes, ranging from the dramatic to the funny to the deeply personal. The locations for the stories include Dublin, New York, Abu Dhabi and Austria, plus, of course, my home town, London. 

I am proud of my profession and passionate about giving something back after experiencing my loss, which is unlike any other type of bereavement. So, I am using my book to raise funds. 

The charity is always in need of money to enable us to continue to support bereaved parents and siblings with a comprehensive range of support services. My target is to raise £1,000 by the end of the year.

If you would like to donate, and optionally acquire a copy of the book, it would mean a great to deal me. Thank you.

For more information and to donate, visit swvg.co.uk/tcf

Faiza Shaheen, the Labour Party’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, responds to Sir Iain Duncan Smith’s article in the last issue about local policing

Since 2010, under successive Conservative governments, we have seen unprecedented real terms cuts in multiple areas of public services. The police system has not escaped this short-sighted and dangerous experiment.

The police force was cut savagely in the 2010s, with some recovery in numbers in the last few years once the damage was becoming clear. The shortfall is still evident, with analysis of Home Office figures finding that overall, there has been a cut of over 10,000 neighbourhood officers and PCSOs from frontline policing since 2010, even after the recent uplift is factored in. Government funding for policing has fallen by 20% since 2010, with London being particularly hard hit. 

The impact is devastating for our sense of safety and the functioning of the police. Nearly 95% of crimes went unsolved by the police between April 2022 and March 2023. Add to this the cuts to the criminal justice system, youth services, mental health services and legal aid and you start to get the picture of the extent of the damage to an ecosystem that is meant to be designed to uphold safety and address criminality.

For Iain Duncan Smith to blame Sadiq Khan for the closure of the police station in Woodford given this context is both misleading and hypocritical. The majority of Sadiq Khan’s policing budget comes from central government, and just like Boris Johnson before him, he has been forced to close police stations across London as a consequence of cuts by the Conservatives. And after holding on to Uxbridge in the recent by-election, the Conservatives see political currency in bashing and blaming Sadiq Khan at every turn to avoid scrutiny of their own record – but the truth is police stations have been closing at the rate of one a week across the country since 2010.

If I am elected as the MP for Chingford and Woodford Green, the area I grew up in and live in, I want to bring a different brand of politics. One not about blatant lies and misinformation, but about a focus on the solutions and working with the community to bring positive change for our neighbourhood. Too many of us have faced cars being stolen or homes being broken into. I back Labour’s plan to restore neighbourhood policing with 13,000 new officers and PCSOs. My priority will also be on tackling the root problems by fighting for more youth spaces, like the one that has just been opened at the housing development at the former dog racing stadium after community pressure and funding from Waltham Forest Council. The UK economy is still faltering from the disastrous tenure of Liz Truss – who was Iain Duncan Smith’s favoured candidate for Prime Minister – but with a new government and a new MP, we will finally have the fresh start we so desperately need.

Faiza Shaheen is the Labour Party prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green. For more information, visit swvg.co.uk/shaheen

Local resident Delia Ray, a volunteer for countryside charity CPRE London, explains how the people of Wanstead and Woodford can help with a bold plan to mitigate the impact of climate change on the capital

Imagine a ring of trees providing shade and tranquillity in a seamless circle around London. Linking with existing areas such as Epping Forest, the woodland would absorb pollution, cool the environment and provide safe passage for local wildlife. 

It sounds like a dream, but countryside charity CPRE London is working with expert partners (such as The Woodland Trust) to make this ‘M25 of trees’ a reality. By planting saplings or reforesting neglected sites, gaps will be filled and access enhanced across the green belt.

We now need help from people in outer London areas such as Wanstead and Woodford with the first step: mapping areas which offer potential for planting. These places could include overlooked plots of land near existing woods, empty borders of a park, or fly-tipped scrubland. They could be council land, privately owned or part of the estate of schools or churches.

One site already highlighted to the team in Redbridge is the stretch of the River Roding near Chigwell Road (as pictured here). Borderland such as this could host new trees linked to neighbouring woodland, reducing run-off and flood risk. Other possible locations are the patch of overgrown land behind Eagle Pond, within the grounds of Snaresbrook Crown Court, and the land between Wanstead Park and Valentines Park, especially the overgrown spaces adjacent to the Roding. Can you identify any more locations? At this point, we’re simply mapping possible sites, and we will find out who owns them in follow-up stages. 

The next step will be planting. Like a natural forest, the new tree ring community forest will contain native trees, but also hedgerows, open plains, and even cultivated areas such as orchards, areas of nut trees and wooded margins for nature-friendly farming.

The forest will build on existing woodland in the green belt. The project directly addresses key requirements of the London Urban Forest Plan to create more woodland, especially species-rich woodland, in London. It encourages biodiversity, supporting vulnerable species such as the hedgehog and Pipistrelle bat. It will also help residents to enjoy access to nature – essential for the 1.8m Londoners with no garden, including an estimated 100,000 in Redbridge.

Currently, swathes of London’s green belt are under threat. The tree ring will therefore also help the green belt do its job. Without it, London could have spread out like Los Angeles, potentially sprawling across an area from Cambridge to Brighton.

Can you help bring this vision to life? If you know of possible locations for new woodland creation, please get in touch. There are also lots of opportunities to donate or get involved in other ways.

For more information and to submit your ideas, visit swvg.co.uk/treering

Residents are invited to help improve habitats and food sources for pollinators by taking part in Redbridge Council’s tree pit adoption and Pollinator Pathways schemes.

“When tree pits are adopted, the individual pits go onto the no-chemical spray list. In the case of Pollinator Pathway streets, the whole street goes onto the no-spray list,” said a spokesperson. Last year, over 560 tree pits were adopted in the borough, boosting biodiversity by growing wild flowers around the trees. Applications close on 31 December.

Visit swvg.co.uk/pits 

Volunteer bakers will be selling Christmas cakes this December to raise money for Haven House Children’s Hospice.

It follows the success of last year’s appeal, which saw 40 cakes sold in exchange for a donation to the Woodford Green charity, raising £1,288. “Thanks to all who continue to support us. If you would like to order a cake, please get in touch by 3 December. The suggested donation is £20 for a plain cake or £25 for an iced cake,” said organiser Sarah-Jane Mendonça.

Email havenhousechristmascakes@gmail.com