Editor

Artist Alison Stenhouse – who has been inspired by the blossoming trees of Wanstead and South Woodford – introduces her fellow Woodford Arts Group members, who will all be taking part in a late-spring exhibition at Packfords Hotel (restrictions pending)

Woodford Arts Group is an artist collective who use different media to produce a variety of styles of visual art. Between us, our members have significant experience in many fields of art.

Terry Rumak is from a fashion and textiles background and paints geometric patterns.

Ged Rumak worked in design and now paints in oils; still life and landscapes.

Julia Brett paints in acrylics, but has more recently been experimenting with printmaking, etching and aquatint, among many techniques; landscapes and flowers.

Shelagh French and Sue Mayne love nearby Epping Forest, which often features in their atmospheric paintings, as well as other landscapes.

Emma Liebeskind is continually exploring new techniques, keeping to her principles of sustainability to represent natural forms.

John Rowlands uses metal to convey ideas, many figurative, in sculpture.

Amanda Whittle loves colour and pattern and uses mosaic as her medium.

David Varney uses resin to create shiny works of trees, leaves and butterflies.

Darren Evan’s watercolours are often of architecture, ranging from an illustration of a single building to a whole famous view of London’s skyline.

Hannah Varney and Cheryl Gabriel use photography to convey nature and people.

And I enjoy landscapes, seascapes and people, depicting them in acrylics, wood engraving and pastel. Pastel was used for the work presented here.

Creativity has been a good distraction from the strange times we have been going through, and members of the group have still managed outdoor sketching, photography and painting or printing at home. They have kept in touch with each other via WhatsApp, Instagram and email, and look forward to meeting soon.

Last year, due to Covid restrictions, we were unable to have an exhibition at Packfords Hotel, but instead displayed an online exhibition. However, this year we plan to go ahead at the hotel once again and it should prove an interesting mix of art.

Woodford Arts Group is planning to host an exhibition at Packfords Hotel (16 Snakes Lane West, Woodford Green, IG8 0BS) from 31 May to 5 June. For more information, visit swvg.co.uk/wag

Pupils from Nightingale Primary School have raised £2,200 for the PTA’s Covid Response Fund by taking part in a team ‘marafun’ challenge.

“Over the course of two weekends, each class worked as a team to complete a marathon between them. Armed with their personal trackers, they walked, hopped and skipped their way around Redbridge,” said a PTA spokesperson. Together the children covered 842km, with the money raised paying for vouchers for school families hit hard by the pandemic.

The event was sponsored by North London Loft Rooms.

The Woodford and District National Trust Centre – which will host a virtual talk about National Trust properties on 11 May at 3pm – is planning for a return to in-person meetings this autumn.

“We have managed three Zoom events during the pandemic, but our intention is to restart our talks programme – Covid restrictions pending – in September, at our usual venues of All Saints’ Church Hall in Woodford Green and Woodford Memorial Hall in South Woodford,” said chairman Richard Speller.

Email speller643@btinternet.com

Kathie Teahan is one of many residents who would like to see the empty bowls club behind the hedges in the centre of Elmhurst Gardens become a resource that is open to everyone in the community. Photo by Geoff Wilkinson

The Elmhurst Gardens bowls club closed at the end of 2020, a victim of dwindling membership and COVID-19 restrictions. The site, known as South Woodford Bowls Club, currently lies empty and unused.

Having not been accessible to the general public for many years, the re-purposing of the site presents a wonderful opportunity for something positive to materialise in our community, and in recent surveys, many residents said they would welcome a cafe and community space.

This space has the potential to be a multi-use venue with rooms that could be hired for commercial and private use as well as an area to serve refreshment and host events for the community. It will greatly enhance one of our most popular small green spaces, providing additional ways for all age groups to socialise and enjoy leisure activities, adding to an already close-knit community feel. Over the last year, many of us have come to appreciate our local parks more than ever, and with cuts to public funding, a business like this will go a long way in increasing what Elmhurst Gardens has already provided – a safe place to see friendly faces of all ages and feel less isolated.

The Maybank Community Association, the Friends of Elmhurst Gardens and the Elmhurst Playground Group are some of the most vocal bodies in relaying what residents want to see happen in their local park. The desire is to provide activities for all age groups. Established activity groups already operating in the area have found it hard to find premises to accommodate them during school hours, something which could be catered for in a community hub.

For the elderly, a cafe would be a place where they can meet with friends or form new friendships, having spent so much time in isolation due to COVID-19. A range of classes and activities could be arranged for them. Well-being activities and social events for the elderly are highly desirable to combat isolation and loneliness.

Children under five would benefit enormously from a cafe as well – socialising with other children and partaking in different activities running throughout the week.

A community hub would also provide somewhere for school-aged children to mix with peers in a safe and secure environment, rather than them returning to an empty home or wandering the streets. This is something South Woodford really needs, and it would be great for these children to feel they can come and use the facilities. A wide range of outdoor activities could be provided, utilising the green area, such as table tennis and football. Redbridge Council is working toward the ‘child-friendly borough’ accreditation from UNICEF, and they recently consulted young people about problems in the local area. Many replied about the lack of places to go for teenagers. A community hub would help with this.

The disabled community would benefit from a safe environment for children, teenagers and adults who feel socially isolated. A cafe and community hub could provide access to specialised activities.

With the correct application, a community hub could also hold fundraising events for the park and other local causes.

A community hub and cafe would champion diversity across the board because everyone matters in the community around Elmhurst Gardens.

We are fully aware of the pressure on Vision RCL – who manage the park – and Redbridge Council to make cuts and generate income in public spaces, but I would argue that a cafe and community hub would be a financially viable suggestion for a business. Cafes are successful in other local parks in Redbridge and indeed across the country, and I feel the same could be the case in Elmhurst Gardens.

The tendering process for the site ended on 23 February – and it seems a private nursery is to be awarded the site – but a petition has been launched calling for it to become a resource that is open to everyone. The people of the Elmhurst area just want to have what many other parks have – a place to share with their community. Let’s save this site for everyone instead of letting it go to a private tenant who will lock us out again.

To view the petition, click here.

A South Woodford resident is urging local drivers to take note of the Idling Action London campaign.

“Air quality has become a pressing issue in our area, and we have all got into bad habits, such as vehicle idling, which has proven harmful effects on pedestrians and even those inside the car. Idling an engine even for a short period causes air pollution, so, please help to support this valuable initiative by adopting ‘engine off every stop’ and improve the air quality for everyone in E18!” said Stewart Brown.

Visit swvg.co.uk/ial

The City of London is consulting the public over the future of cycling in Wanstead Park.

“Currently, there is one designated cycle path through the park… The rest of the park is subject to a 1930s byelaw which prohibits cycling. Feedback suggests this current mix of rules is confusing,” said a spokesperson.

The consultation proposes three options: no changes, a complete cycling ban, or allowing cycling on paths throughout the whole park.

The consultation closes at 9am on 10 May.

Visit swvg.co.uk/parkcycle

Redbridge Council is seeking community input on how to improve high streets across the borough.

“We want to hear your views about cost-effective, high-impact changes that will create welcoming, safe and attractive high streets, improving the shopping experience for all… We are keen to work with you to improve our high streets and will consider all the responses we receive,” said a spokesperson.

Visit swvg.co.uk/highst

A new temporary Post Office has opened in The Galleria shopping arcade, replacing the George Lane branch which closed for good on 28 April.

“The former branch at 139 George Lane closed because the landlord served notice on the lease of the property due to redevelopment. We have been looking for temporary and permanent premises since notice was served in February… We fully recognise how much the community rely on having Post Office services and we continue to seek a permanent solution for the people of South Woodford,” said a Post Office spokesperson.

Located at Unit 1, The Galleria, 180–182 George Lane, the new venue is open from 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and from 9am to 12.30pm on Saturday.

Services include bill payments, cash withdrawals, postage and home shopping collections and returns.

The first seven trees – including cherry and apple trees – have been planted at the community orchard site on the corner of Primrose Road and Mulberry Way in South Woodford.

“They’re healthy saplings at the moment and should bear fruit in a couple of years. Look out for more planting days in the warmer weather, when we’re hoping to plant herbs, soft fruit bushes and other plants such as rhubarb and cardoons. If you’re interested in helping, let us know,” said a South Woodford Society spokesperson.

Visit swvg.co.uk/sws

The South Woodford Society has been awarded £2,500 by the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Fund.

“We plan on using this money to pay for benches and signage at the community orchard and to also continue the campaign for the provision of South Woodford village signs. Only 20 projects were picked for this level of funding, so we are very excited. It will help us to regreen South Woodford, increase biodiversity and make our area an even better place to live, work and visit,” said a spokesperson for the community group.

The Rotary Club of Leytonstone and Woodford will be hosting a virtual festival of music on 21 May from 7pm.

“Following quiz and bingo nights in lockdown, our club continues efforts to help the community. There will be something for all, from classical to pop, swing, opera and show music, delivered by a number of talented artists, including Colin Sell, the pianist from I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue,” said John Bracken. Tickets are £12 per household, with proceeds going to Haven House and the Chigwell Riding Trust.

To register and for joining instructions, email peter.blake97@outlook.com

As Woodford Arts Group make tentative plans for an exhibition in June (with a virtual display back up), group member Ged Rumak compares and contrasts two of his spring-themed paintings

Like most people, I have had a love-hate relationship with lockdown, which I won’t discuss here, but needless to say, it has necessarily created a more restricted artistic view of the world. However, with spring upon us, two of my paintings from 2019 in contrasting locations and with different approaches come to mind – one in Rapallo, Italy (inset), and the other in Epping Forest (main image).

Both paintings are not just a matter of recording the subjects to be painted – though the skills to do this are pre-requisite. In working on these images, I am trying to refine the physical experience of being on location. This process involves many things, certainly the fundamental skills of drawing and painting, space, light, tone, perspective, form and composition, but also gut response, risk-taking and a sound knowledge of materials. If all this has worked, then I hope the images have come to life.

Painting and drawing ‘en plein air’ is a tricky business, especially in spring when weather and subject are likely to change quickly. Places seem to have something different to offer each time you see them, especially after a heavy shower. Making sketches and hastily grabbed phone-camera shots are often necessary before proceeding to the studio, but occasionally so is having to revisit the site to consolidate things. Some conjecture and good-old artistic licence can be necessary, but I normally resist the temptation to tidy up too much – staying true to the basic composition as first seen, for better or for worse.

I share the concern of many of my contemporaries over the degradation of painting and drawing skills taught in our art schools. It is essential to be taught or to teach yourself the rules and master them before you break or abandon them.

Most of my work is based on personal experience. I tried to capture a bright, early spring morning in Rapallo before the bustle of the port begins and the tourists descend on the cafés on the waterfront, changing its character. In contrast, forgetting the rules somewhat by breaking down literal shapes and colour combinations, Epping Forest, again on an early spring morning, still evokes a particular sense of time and space.

To lovers of visual art, or perhaps to those who just enjoy the experience of galleries and exhibitions, it’s worth noting that the Woodford Arts Group is planning a Covid-safe exhibition in early June at Packfords Hotel. If this is not possible, a virtual exhibition will be available online.

For more information on Woodford Arts Group, visit swvg.co.uk/wag