©Geoff WilkinsonThe future of the former bowls club in Elmhurst Gardens has been decided after the initial tender process was reopened.
“This has been awarded to kGems Day Nursery and the pavilion will be a nursery, but they will also provide a kiosk café for park users and the local community,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL.
The South Woodford Society will be holding its AGM on 28 July from 6.30pm.
“We are hoping to be able to hold the event face to face, restrictions pending, but please check our website for details after the next government announcement,” said a spokesperson for the community group, which was formed in 2015 and now consists of over 500 members.
One of the group’s aims is to create a local Neighbourhood Plan.
Visit swvg.co.uk/sws
Redbridge Council’s School Streets scheme is to be introduced at five more schools across the borough, including Oakdale Infant and Junior Schools in South Woodford.
It means that during term time, traffic will be prohibited from entering Oakdale Road and parts of Ashford Road and Woodville Road from 8.15am to 9.10am and from 2.35pm to 3.40pm. Signs will notify drivers that these roads can only be accessed by cyclists and pedestrians at the displayed times, unless vehicles have an exemption.
Cameras will be installed over the summer to assess traffic flow, and enforcement will start from September.
“These new School Streets will provide a safer and cleaner environment for our children,” said Councillor Jo Blackman, Cabinet Member for Environment and Civic Pride.
Visit swvg.co.uk/schoolstreets
A consultation over plans to update the parliamentary constituency boundaries in England – which includes a change for many local residents – runs until 2 August.
Under proposals put forward by the Boundary Commission, the entirety of the South Woodford ward will be added to the Leyton and Wanstead constituency. Additionally, Bridge and the parts of Churchfields currently in Ilford North will move to the Chingford and Woodford Green constituency.
Visit swvg.co.uk/boundary
Litter pickers from the South Woodford Society collected over 30 bags of rubbish and recycling on 30 May.
“A special thanks to Ella the pug, who was very helpful at keeping up morale on a very warm day,” said a spokesperson for the group. The next litter pick will take place on 1 August, from 10am to 12.30pm, meeting at the community orchard on the corner of Mulberry Way and Primrose Road. “If you’d like to come along, or for more information on what we do, please get in touch.”
Email e18society@gmail.com
The founder of Walk It Out – a new project empowering women in Redbridge – is seeking a mentor from the Woodford area to host local walks and to offer support to young females.
“I am looking for someone to commit to one hour a week, so if there are women who live local to a park and are passionate about supporting and making positive changes in their area, do get in touch,” said April Mehmet.
The group currently hosts walks in Wanstead Park and other locations across the borough.
Photo by Stephan C Archetti/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesSouth Woodford’s Electric Gallery – located at 12 High Road – has become the exclusive partner for Getty Images in east London and Essex, providing access to a large collection of iconic photography.
“We are delighted to be working with Getty. I’ve admired and collected works from their photographers over the years and it’s thrilling to see their images on the walls,” said gallery founder Jai Francois.
An exhibition of acclaimed photographers – including Michael Ochs, photographer to the Hollywood elite – runs until 17 July.
The ‘park and stride’ scheme is cutting congestion along ChurchfieldsChildren’s safety is something I care about passionately, be it in the home, at play or in the classroom. Some threats are all too obvious, while others are invisible. And both are encountered at the school gates.
The visible threat of cars and other vehicles disproportionately affects child pedestrians under the age of 16 with – nationally – one death and 37 seriously injured every week. Meanwhile, the invisible threat of pollutants from motor vehicles, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates, can result in asthma, poor lung development and – over time – even death. It is estimated that 29,000 people die as a result of air pollution every year in the UK. And the threat outside school gates, with busy traffic and idling engines at drop-off and pick-up times, is particularly severe.
That is why I met with Rebecca Emeny, the headteacher at Churchfields Junior School, where I’m a governor, and council officers last November to discuss options for reducing school-gate traffic there. Unfortunately, due to the local street layout, it was not thought feasible to close the road outside the school during busy drop-off and pick-up times, so other options had to be sought. The council has since increased parking enforcement near the school, and an innovative ‘park and stride’ scheme, which I believe is the first in Redbridge, came into operation at the start of the summer term.
“Instead of parking on Churchfields, we have been asking parents that drive their children to school to ‘park and stride’ from the Derby Road car park (behind Tesco, on the High Road). This is just a five-minute walk from the school. This summer term, the council’s parking team has agreed free parking for our parents during the morning drop from 8.15am to 9.15am, and at afternoon collection from 3pm to 4pm,” explained Rebecca Emeny.
Taking advantage of the ‘park and stride’ scheme has several benefits. It creates a car-free zone outside the school gates, making it a safer environment for children and families arriving and leaving. It also provides the opportunity to practice essential road safety skills with your child on the short walk; and it allows parent drivers to avoid – and reduce – congestion along Churchfields.
Redbridge School Streets are being rolled out across the borough. These ban traffic at schools’ start and finish times. Where there are practical problems with the implementation of these – as there were at Churchfields – I would like to see the council innovate with measures such as ‘park and stride’ to reduce pollution for everyone outside the school gates, and to increase children’s daily exercise during the final stride to school.
To contact Councillor Rosa Gomez, email rosa.gomez@redbridge.gov.uk or call 07799 057 030
Redbridge in Bloom – the borough’s annual amateur gardening competition – returns this year with a rainbow theme.
“Whatever your level of gardening expertise, help us spread a message of love in support of the NHS by creating your very own rainbow garden. Fill your front gardens with flowers bursting with all the colours of the rainbow,” said a spokesperson for Vision RCL, which organises the competition. The closing date for entries is 5 July, with judging to take place between 12 and 16 July.
Visit swvg.co.uk/bloom21
25 Mulberry WayIt’s that time of year when gardens start to open to support the National Garden Scheme (NGS). Due to Covid restrictions in 2020, only a handful of gardens could open. However, London gardeners still managed to raise nearly £28,000, providing critical support to the nursing and health charities the NGS supports.
Many people have visited local NGS gardens in the past. This year please, please, please continue to do so! The garden owners work extremely hard to open their spaces for viewing, some with plants for sale and most with tea and cakes available. All money collected goes directly to the NGS. The gardens are generally open without booking, but for some, pre-booking is essential via the NGS website (it’s best to check online for confirmation that gardens are open as well).
Many London gardens are small, and garden owners have to work hard for interest that the larger country gardens can provide with less effort. My own garden at 17 Greenstone Mews in Wanstead (open on 11 July from 12.30pm to 4pm) is a good example, measuring just 20 feet by 17 feet. It features a mature strawberry tree and a buried bath used as a fishpond, surrounded by climbers clothing fences underplanted with herbs, vegetables, shrubs and perennials grown from cuttings.
A new garden opening this year is at 110 Perth Road, Ilford (open on 31 July from 1pm to 5pm). This is a long, thin garden that combines plants from the tropics, the Mediterranean and Japan, as well as the UK. Another larger new garden is at 26 College Gardens, Chingford (open on 6 June from 2pm to 5pm). It is approximately two-thirds of an acre with a sun terrace leading to established borders and a plethora of climbing roses.
There will also be four different gardens situated on the Aldersbrook Estate (1 Clavering Road, 21 Park Road, 4 Empress Avenue and 47 St Margaret’s Road, all open on 4 July from 12 noon to 5pm). Planting includes a colour-themed garden, a garden designed in circles and curves, a kitchen garden and chicken coop (there may be fresh eggs for sale), and a large garden with a medley of planting and different areas.
In South Woodford, you will find a pretty Victorian terraced house with a dog-friendly, Italian patio-style garden at 25 Mulberry Way (open on 27 June from 1pm to 5pm), and a delightful wildlife-friendly garden on two levels at the rear of 83 Cowslip Road (open on 11 July from 2pm to 5pm).
A huge thank you to all the incredible garden owners and their helpers who welcome you, the garden visitors, to raise such fantastic funds for charity. If you would like to open your own garden in 2022, do get in touch.
For a full list of gardens, entry costs and opening times, visit ngs.org.uk
For more information on taking part in 2022, email teresa.farnham@yahoo.co.uk
©Evelyn Rowland / evelynrowland.co.ukWe receive far fewer letters in the post these days, don’t we? But we all had a letter from Professor Sir Ian Diamond. You may not have got as far as his signature before rushing to your computer, or panicking if you don’t have one, given that “you must complete the census by law or you could be fined up to £1,000.” The professor’s name comes further down, along with the slightly grudging fact that “you can request a paper version”. The census form is a very 21st-century document: you have quite a choice of boxes to tick when recording your gender. I suppose I’m a bit of a stick in the mud really, as I still “identify myself with what’s on my birth certificate.” No, I’m not mocking; I find the scientific progress on our understanding of gender intriguing. But while I confidently ticked my female box, I was recalling my grandson’s response to the subject when he was about 10 years old: “I know all about the gender spectrum, Grandma, and I’m absolutely sure I’m right at the male end of it.”
Another box I lingered over – I’ll explain why in a minute – asked you to describe what you did in your main job. My mother often said that “troubles come in threes”. Sure enough, when I broke the cables on the up-and-over garage door last week, and then, shortly afterwards, failed to start my car, I was obviously on the lookout for the sequel. And looking out was what I was doing, admiring one of those recent breathtakingly beautiful red morning skies, when I noticed that someone had stolen my wheelie bin during the night. Presumably just wheelied it away in the early hours. I had only possessed the bin for two days. Part of the Town Hall’s decision to rationalise borough rubbish collections. I hate wheelie bins. But I had managed to accommodate it as discreetly as possible between my two gates. So it had been sort of invisible. It’s certainly invisible now!
All of this meant my locked-down situation was going to be pleasantly (even if distantly) infiltrated by persons with the relevant key skills to sort me out. I found myself wondering what each of them might write in the “main job” box. Not just the garage door repairer, the AA man and the lady in the Town Hall Bin Department. What about the tree surgeon who was to prune my ornamental malus? Or the telephone engineer I paused to chat with in Chelmsford Road? Or the civic amenities operative down on Chigwell Road?
The garage door problem was urgent. It was hanging at an angle and wide open so that any Tom, Dick or burglar could access the garage. (I had quickly emptied the wine rack, but took a chance on the tool box.) Two companies I tried both said: “You’ll need a new door. We could book you in for June.” Two others were too far away. But how different was Keith at Garage Doors Ltd: “Ah, that‘s an old Henderson model. I think we can repair that.” (I had emailed a photograph.) “I’ll send someone on Monday to secure the door and make you safe and give you a quote.” Two days later, job done. “Doors are what we do. Supply ‘em. Fit ‘em. Maintain ‘em”. (His entry in the job box?)
The AA predicted an hour’s wait, but Jack came in half the time. “This battery is still under guarantee. Best we replace it.” Expertise and friendly chat too: I explained how hard I had found it to register my cry for help. Pressing buttons as instructed but in vain. “Oh, well, you need to install the app. You’ve got a smartphone? Give it here; I’ll show you what to do.” Job title? “My knight in bright yellow armour.”
As for the stolen bin, a mix of disbelief and merriment characterised my conversation with the Town Hall lady. “Steps are being taken, and I’ll make sure the men know they must collect your black sack OK on Tuesday.” They did. “A problem-solver par excellence”. Full marks to her. I await a new bin.
The tree surgeon arrived. Wally by name. Ladder in one hand. Heavy-duty cordless electric pruning saw in the other. Soon, what looked like half the tree was splattered on the lawn. The tree stood naked, stark, but beautifully shaped. “Should he take away all the debris?” No: we decided to save the extra pounds (sterling) and add this task to our exercise regime. Hopefully lose some of the other pounds into the bargain. There was no doubt about Wally’s job box. “I’ve been up trees for the past 50 years.”
The telephone engineer sits alone in front of a sort of large Pandora’s box. There’s one at the bottom of Grove Hill. Sometimes, he is sitting on a small stool, not unlike a milking stool. In fact, as he leans with meticulous care, even a touch of tenderness, up close to the jungle of wires, he could well be sensing the warmth and aroma of a milk-heavy cow, except that he’s not in a sheltered barn. He’s usually on a windy corner. How does he manage to explain his job in just 35 words? “Think installing, repairing, unscrambling, upgrading, maintaining. Think fibre optics, Wi-Fi, broadband, new smart technology. Keeping you in touch with the world.” He manages fine. With only 20!
I visited the dump down on Chigwell Road with four enormous green bags of the tree clippings. I usually take a large smile when I head dumpwards. There’s a big notice: “We are here to help.” And they always do when I ask nicely. One ‘operative’ will step up, all muscles and bright orange suit, and toss the bags effortlessly into the yawning space. Sometimes, the massive dampening system is in use and you relish a baptism of ‘Scotch mist’.
What does he write on his form? That’s a no-brainer: “My life is rubbish.”
Baking for a past garden partyI moved back to the UK in 2002. I wanted to do some voluntary work and decided on Haven House Children’s Hospice after reading about them in a local magazine. Initially, I worked in their office in Chingford, supporting the fundraising team, and then I looked for other ways to support the hospice.
I decided to organise a cake sale at my home – who doesn’t love cake and a cup of tea? It was a very simple idea and easy to get people to engage with – getting something nice for your money is better than a straightforward donation!
The first event was held in 2006. We raised around £200 and probably 30 to 40 people popped in. I baked all the cakes myself. It lasted just a few hours and the set-up was minimal, so my mum and I could manage on our own in my kitchen. Over the years, the event has snowballed, initially as a result of word of mouth, then social media helped with promotion, boosted by everybody’s positive endorsement of what a lovely day it is. It is now a regular date in many people’s summer calendars, and they make an afternoon of it and meet up with friends. It is a marvellous sight to see the garden full of people eating cake and drinking tea and coffee, while raising money for an amazing cause.
The event has increased in all dimensions, including the number and variety of cakes, number of bakers, length of the event itself and facilities to accommodate greater numbers of people. This requires preparation and a masterplan. We open the doors around 11am and serve tea, coffee and cake all day, and in the afternoon, ‘Pimm’s o’Clock’ has been added to the agenda. We finish with a BBQ in the evening. I also have several stalls in the garden with vendors selling handbags, homemade chutneys, jams, jewellery and Forever Living products. Each seller donates part of their proceeds to the cause. The planning starts months before and the set-up starts several days before.
I now need a rota for the army of helpers who take on tasks such as collecting garden furniture from neighbours and setting up all the tables and chairs, washing up as I bake, chopping Pimm’s fruit, serving tea and coffee, serving cakes (usually four of us are serving at any one time), washing up cake stands as we continually restock, washing up all the cups and plates as guests come and go, moving furniture in my house to prepare and then moving it back afterwards, washing up hundreds of plastic Roses and Quality Street tubs for the cakes we sell for people to take home, selling raffle tickets, wrapping raffle prizes and generally doing whatever needs to be done.
An incredible number of people bake too – without them, the event would not be possible. I usually bake around 30 cakes in the days leading up to the event and then I think at least another 80 to 100 cakes are delivered, which always sell out.
Last year, COVID-19 forced us to rethink the event completely, and I only decided on a new approach two weeks before, when the restrictions were made clear. I decided to do a pop-up cake trail, where you could bake and sell to your neighbours. I put some messages out on social media and was overwhelmed with support and offers of help. Before I knew it, the event had progressed to an international pop-up trail, with people having stalls outside their house locally and in Australia and the USA. It was a completely manic two weeks. My son had to manage all the messages and questions while I baked, as I could not keep on top of it all.
Miraculously, we got everybody organised and updated the trail posters several times (people kept asking to be added). I had a stall outside my house, and the following day, another stall outside The Cuckfield in Wanstead. After a very hectic three days, we sold out of cake and smashed our target of £1,000. I had no idea how people would feel about coming out and eating cake mid-pandemic, but I was blown away by the response and support.
During my 14th garden-based event in 2019, we had raised nearly £10,000, but in 2020, with the cake trail in COVID lockdown, we raised over £24,000! This year, COVID restrictions pending, we are hoping to do a combination of pop-up stalls around the area, as well as the return of my garden party.
If anybody reading this is interested in helping this year – in any way – please get in touch. And if any local businesses would like to donate a raffle prize, that would be greatly appreciated. I cannot put the event on without the support of the local community.
Michelle’s 16th annual cake sale in aid of Haven House will take place on 25 June in her garden at 12 Derby Road, South Woodford, E18 2PU (COVID restrictions pending). A pop-up cake trail will also take place locally on 26 and 27 June.
For more information and to donate, email msvanlint@yahoo.co.uk or visit swvg.co.uk/16cake
