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In the third of a series of short stories by members of South Woodford’s Young Writers Club, A White Christmas is a tale of adventure, an evil king and snow, by 10-year-old Viva Sastry

I had always wanted a white Christmas, ever since Grandma had told me about snow. My mother, too, had never known snow. In fact, she had wanted snow so badly, she made my name Snowdrop. My full name is Snowdrop Winters. I was an only child, but I had a cat called Everest, so I was rarely bored. Not with my Grandma’s stories anyway…

“Snowdrop! There’s two days until Christmas Eve!” a voice shouted. “We need to go and get a tree!” the voice said. “Snowdrop!” my mother yelled again. I was down the stairs like lightning.

I got into the car, begging Grandmother for a story. “Alright, alright, Snowdrop,” she said, her eyes sparkling childishly. “Once upon a time, there was snow…” she began. “The snow all came from one source: the snow jar. One day, an evil king – you know his name – who wanted to harness the powers of snow tried to steal it. But a brave hero hid it. To this day, nobody knows where it is…” As we were both sitting in the back, she passed me a blank map. “Some know…” she whispered.

Later that night, a strange sensation awoke me. A light was coming from somewhere. The map! Everest was curled around it. I knew it was calling me. Quietly, I slid out of bed and got dressed. Putting on my glasses, I could now see that the map was covered in words. Instructions! My heart leaped. It was a three-day walk to get to Mount Crystation, one to climb it. Again, I felt a rush of happiness. I could hire a train to Crystation and speed up the journey!

I packed three days’ worth of food, to go there and come back. I also packed the train fare both ways. I had a funny feeling Everest would be coming. Sure enough, she insisted on coming, so I bundled her inside the cat carrier and caught the night train to Crystation. The rattling of the train soon lulled me into sleep. Little did I know someone was watching me…

The train grinding to a halt woke me. I leapt out of the train and walked the 10 or so minutes to Crystation. The mountain loomed over me. The dark crag had an eerie light on it. Somehow, I knew it was here. Leaping up the rock face, I soon reached the chest. Squeezing inside, I saw the snow jar. Inside was a moonstone set in a pendant. There were four quarters – a topaz, a sapphire, a ruby and a diamond, respectively earth, water, fire and air. Set in the middle was the actual moonstone. Snow. Rain. Things that hadn’t been seen for two generations.

“You think I’ll let you escape?” snarled a menacing voice. “You were watching me!” I cried. “You are Archfang the Mystic, that king!” He lunged for the pendant. Everest bit him, and we both tore out of the cave, dashing down the mountain and back into the train, just as it rattled off.

We were safe, and we had the snow jar – no, the element pendant.

Calling all panto fans! Woodford Pantomime warmly invite you to let your hair down as they proudly present their 2020 production, Rapunzel, at the Sir James Hawkey Hall. Karen Kelsey reports

Remarkably, this will be the first time in our 59-year history that the amateur dramatic company has performed this fairy tale favourite, and the cast and crew are looking forward to putting on quite a show!

Taking on the role of director this year is Ellouise Dennis. Ellouise is no stranger to Woodford Pantomime. She joined the cast in 2010 as a dancer, and since then, has had principal roles as Tinkerbell and Sleeping Beauty. In 2016 she jointly choreographed Robin Hood, followed by Jack and the Beanstalk in 2018, and last year’s Treasure Island. “Pantomime has been a huge part of my life and the Hawkey Hall feels like my second home. I love seeing the audiences laugh and sing along, year after year. I’m having so much fun working with this year’s wonderful cast and I’m excited for audiences to see our version of Rapunzel,” said Ellouise.

This year’s dame will be played by Richard Sheepwash, who last performed with Woodford Panto in 2015, when he was one of the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella. Returning after a year out is James Robinson in the role of Prince Frederic, while Rapunzel will be played by Eleanor Davies.

Aside from putting on an entertaining show, Woodford Pantomime are also pleased to raise money for charitable causes. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our 2019 audiences, we raised over £2,000, which we were pleased to hand over to ELHAP (a special needs adventure playground based in Woodford Bridge). This year we will be raising money for the Little Princess Trust, a fantastic charity that provides real-hair wigs to children and young people suffering with cancer or other illnesses.

The Hawkey Hall is ideally placed, approximately half a mile from Woodford Tube Station and a two-minute walk from Woodford High Road. Ample parking is available and nearby there are a variety of local eateries to dine at before or after the show. Tickets went on sale in September and are selling fast for what will be an exciting and hilarious production, so why not join us on this hair-raising adventure?

In the first of two articles, local photographer Geoff Wilkinson discusses his new exhibition – entitled ‘Quick! Before it goes’ – depicting London’s East End, an area which resonates with many residents here

Growing up in London’s East End was a fascinating experience for a young boy. In the 1950s, bomb damage from the war was still very much evident. Living mostly in Stratford, I remember the area just to the right of the old Angel Lane street market which had been completely flattened. No houses or buildings remained; it was just a playground or used for parking vans and cars, such as there were. Perhaps it is the memories of this loss of buildings and architecture that has made me so determined to photograph what is left of the old East End.

When I opened my Whitechapel exhibition last year at the gallery, it was interesting to see the various reactions of the visitors when they saw the photographs. Many of my generation were delighted to see pictures of streets where they had grown up and played or perhaps the buildings where their grandparents had lived. My daughter’s generation, mainly young professionals, reminisced about nights out at bars and restaurants and living in fashionable flats in Whitechapel or Hoxton. For many of these visitors now living in Wanstead, Woodford and the surrounding areas, the common theme, regardless of generation, was the sadness of the familiar places disappearing.

It was the memories shared with me and the emotions the photographs evoked in people that persuaded me to continue on this theme, to capture a wider area of the East End, including Hackney, Bethnal Green (as shown here), Mile End, Bow and much, much more.

At this time of year, local resident and member of Woodford Arts Group Darren Evans – who goes by the name The Suburban Artist – likes to spend his time painting festive homes

I am a local artist and father of three living in Woodford.  My journey to becoming a full-time artist has been an interesting one.

From as early as I can remember, growing up in Wolverhampton,  I was interested in buildings and drawing and painting the environment around me. This led me to study architecture at St John’s College, Cambridge – but I graduated into a recession in the building industry and so headed off to seek my fortune in London.

I spent more time than I care to remember working in the banking industry and I didn’t pick up a paintbrush for years as the demands of family life took over.

Now my kids are a bit older, I have been able to find the time to get back to what I love, and I have reached for my paintbrushes again.

There are three main areas where my recent work has been focused: I have been drawn to create portraits of buildings – commissioned by their owners – which I find have their own beauty and resonance. These artworks have developed into what I call ‘Life Stories’, which provide an individual timeline for a family and show the homes and places where a family have lived as they have grown, and these have proved very popular with my customers. I use very fine ink pens to capture the structure and add plenty of detail and then watercolour – as a wash initially, then building up layers to bring the paintings to life.

Secondly, as we live in Woodford, we spend a lot of time in Epping Forest; its unspoilt beauty is an enormous source of inspiration for me. Our family walks in Epping Forest have led me to create a series of almost abstract images inspired by views of the Forest at different times of the year.

Finally, around Christmas time last year, I was asked by some of my customers to produce affordable paintings of their homes in a winter setting, or of their front doors adorned with seasonal decoration. I then used these images to produce greetings cards which could be sent to friends and family.

Residents are invited to reminisce about Woodford at a heritage coffee morning organised by Vision RCL at South Woodford Library on 3 December.

“Do you remember South Woodford when shops had half-day closing and shut at 5.30pm? Today, shops come and go, but in the past, many remained for a long time. You may remember Hedges the drapers, which first opened in the 1890s and eventually closed in the mid-1970s, or Warnes, the school outfitters at 128 George Lane. Woolworths, Freeman Hardy Willis, Posners and the LEB have all long gone… Perhaps you remember the Plaza Cinema or the Congregational Church, which were replaced respectively by Sainsbury’s and Bejam, the freezer shop, in the 1970s and 1980s? Bejam became Iceland and then M&S. Do you have memories of living or growing up in South Woodford? Come along to our coffee morning and share your memories with others,” said a library spokesperson.

The event runs from 11am to 12 noon.

Call 020 8708 9067

Councillor Beverley Brewer (Labour, South Woodford) explains why she thinks South Woodford resident Omar Salem was right when he confronted Boris Johnson at Whipps Cross Hospital in September

South Woodford resident Omar Salem was in the news recently when he confronted Boris Johnson at Whipps Cross Hospital.

Omar was absolutely justified to complain about understaffing. I was delighted to hear that the government has finally relented and agreed to fund new buildings at Whipps. All credit to those who have tenaciously campaigned for this, not least the hospital’s constituency MP John Cryer. But I am concerned this will do nothing to address the urgent need for increased funding for the hospital’s day to day running costs. Accident and emergency waiting times have been unacceptable for years, and the waiting list for Barts NHS Trust is now an unbelievable 88,172 cases.

Even with the extra money, Whipps will be overwhelmed unless there is investment in other NHS services as well, including GPs, mental health and, of course, King George’s.

Turning attention to housing, I was pleased when local people contacted me about the recent George Clarke Channel 4 housing documentary. His message was crystal clear: “We are in a housing crisis, in desperate need.” His petition for a massive national new council house building programme won tremendous support, with many South Woodford residents signing – if the government responded positively, there would be no need for modular housing. So, it is disappointing that the government has instead now made it even harder for councils to build new homes. George’s points about modular housing were similar to concerns I raised with the planning committee last year.

Although the modular homes are not ideal, they are a response to a desperate situation and are far better than the temporary accommodation many of our most vulnerable residents are currently offered. The council is committed to building 600 new, permanent, affordable council homes for rent on existing council owned sites by 2022.

One of my top priorities after getting elected last year was to improve street cleaning locally. This is a real challenge for the council, as we have had over half of our funding (£133m) removed by central government. So, I was delighted when the council agreed to invest an extra £1m a year to clean our borough’s streets, including special attention for our area. This was strongly supported by local MP Wes Streeting.

New street cleaning arrangements are due to commence by November. I will, of course, be keeping a close eye on this – as your local councillor who lives in the ward, I am out and about every day – and as always, I will be keen to hear the views of local people.

Councillor Suzanne Nolan (Conservative, South Woodford) talks about her caseload, her work to get policies changed and her battle against the ‘black hole’ that is the council website

We are living in interesting times, with many long-standing issues continuing to dominate nationally.

However, despite these discussions, life here in South Woodford continues, with residents getting on with their lives, dealing with the important issues that affect their daily activities.

We have continued our work doing walkabouts with officers around South Woodford, knocking on doors, talking to residents, and holding our regular stall in George Lane, discussing local issues with all those who come and talk to us, and replying to the many emails and telephone calls we receive.

There are some common themes continually being raised by residents: how the area is deteriorating with increasing littering and fly-tipping,the poor state of roads with potholes and how, when trying to report it online as the council asks, the reports disappear into a black hole and nothing ever appears to be acted upon.

We continue to act ourselves and pressurise council officers to respond to residents and not leave the reports in a black hole called Redbridge Council website.

If you do have problems, contact us and we will act on your behalf.

There is some good news as well, I’m pleased to say.

The inappropriate planning application to redevelop the Incey Winceys Nursery on Eastwood Close was withdrawn once we had called the application in to be discussed by the full planning committee.

But probably the best news is that the government has provided £350m to build a new hospital on the Whipps Cross site, which serves the residents of South Woodford and will provide a new state-of-the-art hospital. While the scheme is being prepared, the Hospital Trust want to consult with patients and residents about the development and priorities.

Myself and Councillor Michael Duffell will continue to work and speak to residents to help solve problems, raise issues and help to maintain and improve our South Woodford and our neighbourhood. From experience, we know that when we work with residents and local groups that great things can be achieved and that politicians will change policies and listen.

In the first of two articles by former South Woodford resident David Williams, the journalist-turned-tour guide and lecturer explains why he often returns to the area to give talks to local groups

Whether I am talking to a genealogy group or local history enthusiasts, I know that at some stage there will be a discussion with someone who wants to tell me how far back they have traced their ancestors. The common factor here is their enthusiasm. I suppose we have to thank the TV programme Who Do You Think You Are? for encouraging family history research and I can only imagine how long people spend trawling through census forms, parochial documents, workhouse records and the Old Bailey online.

Without access to the mass of information available now on the internet we would all face hours travelling to libraries large and small, trying to decipher the handwriting of someone in the 19th century who was making notes and taking down details of what we all hope will lead us to that distant relative who finished up in Newgate Prison or made – and subsequently lost – a fortune.

I was chatting with an old school friend the other day and he was anxious to tell me more about his East End roots and, in particular, his Huguenot ancestry. But I had to remind him that although finding out more about the life and the world of his three times great-grandfather was a triumph of his tenacious research, he was unaware of the social background of his discovery. What was the story behind the census return or the death certificate? What did he know about working and living conditions of that period?

I am not a genealogist but my interest in social and oral history has intrigued me for the past 15 years. Trying to find something which would occupy my time after retiring from a career in print journalism and the film and television industry, it soon became obvious that concentrating on reducing my golf handicap was not the solution. That was when a casual search on the City of London Corporation website revealed an item which seemed worth investigating. They were inviting applications from people who were prepared to consider becoming tour guides and lecturers.

That was for me. I applied, was interviewed and then offered a place on the year-long course, and in 2005 proudly received my badge and certification in the Egyptian Room of the Mansion House. It was the start of a late, late career as a historian – and leading walks and giving talks about the City of London. Since that day, this ex-Churchfields Primary and Buckhurst Hill County High School boy – who fluffed his educational opportunities in the 1950s – has never improved his golf handicap but can certainly appreciate the value of further education.

Two Christmas-themed markets will provide South Woodford residents with additional gift-buying opportunities this festive season.

The Woodford Craft Market will return to Woodford Memorial Hall on 30 November (10am to 4pm; free entry), with 30 talented designer-makers offering handcrafted goods, including jewellery, decorations, clothes and homeware. “With so many local makers showcasing their artisan gifts, it’s the perfect place to do a spot of Christmas shopping,” said organiser Ghene Snowdon.

And as Christmas gets closer, George Lane’s monthly farmers’ market will be complemented by seasonal products on 15 December (10am to 3pm). “We’re hoping this event will bring a real Christmassy community spirit to South Woodford. The monthly farmers’ markets are still relatively new here but are quickly becoming a great addition to South Woodford life, so remember, a farmers’ market is not just for Christmas!” said a spokesperson for the South Woodford Society.

In the second of a series of articles by members of the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society, Robert Gibbons tells the story behind this image taken on the South Bank

A few years ago, I had booked to see The Wizard of Oz at the Festival Hall on the South Bank and had arrived early for the afternoon matinee, which was due to start at 2.30pm. I always carry a small compact camera with me and decided to kill time by wandering around on the off-chance of seeing any photos worth taking.

Squeals of laughter drew my attention to an area where multiple jets of water were squirting from the ground at random intervals with children running in and out, trying to guess the right timing in order to avoid a soaking. None of them were successful.

After a while, a couple of young guys spontaneously started to do handstands in the waterjets, and it seemed this might make an interesting shot. However, within a moment, a mother and her small son entered the scene, beyond and between the two handstanders, and I could see that the child was completely enthralled with the action and mesmerised with innocent joy.

As a photographer, you get a kind of visceral feedback when elements combine and the composition feels ‘right’, so I put the viewfinder to my eye, instinctively framed the shot and pressed the shutter to record the ‘decisive moment’ before the scene changed and life moved on.

This picture was accepted for exhibition at the London Salon in 2009.

Although I title this photo Waterjet Handstand, at its heart it’s about the joy of a child experiencing things for the first time, and therefore has a timeless quality. I’m pleased I was able to record it.

The popular South Woodford Farmers’ Market has been running since the summer and December’s Christmas event is set to be the best yet, says Louise Burgess of the South Woodford Society as she updates us on the group’s hopes and plans for the local area

Whether you’re looking for festive food, classic decorations, arts and crafts or that last-minute gift, you can find all you want for Christmas at the South Woodford Christmas market – and at all our other local businesses, of course!  

We are hoping to regale you with traditional seasonal tunes and jazz, mulled wine, jolly bangers from the Giggly Pig and scrumptious cakes, pies and cheeses. Come along from 10am to 3pm on 15 December and join in the festive fun. And do get in touch if you want to be involved with a stall on the day or run an activity at the event.

Other initiatives the South Woodford Society has been working on include the area’s regular litter picks, which have been running in conjunction with CleanupUK, the anti-littering charity and Redbridge Council. We are still also working on the plans for a community orchard outside the station, so please get in touch if you have experience or knowledge in any of the following areas: fruit orchards, market gardening, landscaping, cider making, arboriculture or urban regreening.

Along with the wider population, we too are becoming increasingly concerned with environmental issues. Plastic pollution is a major problem, so reducing your consumption of plastic bottles should be applauded. If just one in 10 Brits refilled their water bottles once a week, we’d have 340 million fewer plastic bottles a year in circulation.

With this in mind, members of the South Woodford Business Forum are planning to join the Refill initiative (refill.org.uk) and become ‘refill stations’, so you can save money, stay hydrated and prevent plastic pollution at source. Download the free Refill app or look out for the Refill droplet in shop and business windows.

Concerned about climate change? So are we, which is why we are planning a public consultation meeting to set up a dedicated environmental group.  Please get in touch if you are interested in being part of that.

Planning issues such as the site of Waltham Forest Fencing, HMOs (houses in multiple occupation) in the Church End triangle and the use of containers for emergency housing have all been raised over the last year, and we continue our dialogue with local councillors and Redbridge Council to ensure the concerns of local residents are being given due consideration. Work is on-going with the Neighbourhood Plan, which ‘sits’ below the Local Plan and should help us plan positively to support local development. If you want to help with this work, please contact us.

As part of Redbridge’s ‘Spruce up your neighbourhood’ campaign, we took part in the Big Bulb Planting Weekend in October, working alongside the South Woodford Community Gardeners and Sainsbury’s to prepare for a glorious display in the area’s flower beds next spring. Bulbs have also been planted in the proposed orchard plot on the corner of Primrose Road and Mulberry Way.

Another of our plans is to develop the area between Boots and M&S into ‘SoWo Square’, to be the heart of George Lane.  Sainsbury’s already has plans to improve seating and planting, and is supporting us to create a mural under the arches along its walkway. We’re working on getting the community notice boards to work better too.

There’s so much going on in South Woodford and we can all be part of it in some way. Please join the South Woodford Society (it’s free) to keep in touch and to let us know how you’d like to be involved. Your suggestions for how you would like to see the community grow are always welcome.

Supporters of Woodford Town Football Club have been left frustrated by the delay in moving into their new ground on Ashton Playing Fields.

“It is disheartening, but it will be worth the wait to see a first-class athletic and football stadium developed on the site off Chigwell Road,” said a spokesperson for the club, which continues to share a ground with Harlow FC. “The move has passed the planning stage, but there is little sign of progress at the site despite extensive liaison between those involved… It will be hard to galvanise the local support until we return home.”

Woodford Town FC currently holds a mid-table position in the Essex Senior League and have built up a very ‘noisy and inclusive’ following despite being based a considerable distance outside the area.

Visit swvg.co.uk/wtfc