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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.

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The Stratford and East London Music Festival continues to grow in popularity, in the number of entries it attracts (nearly 600 in 2023) and via the many different types of classes available.  

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 5^th and 6^th of February at St. Mary’s Church in South Woodford and the 19^th-24^th 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.

Financial concerns for Smile Direct Club patients may be the least of their worries, according to local Dental Practice Manager Moona Malik. 

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 

www.improveyoursmile.co.uk

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.

The 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.

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