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When Woodford Green resident Kelvin Bathie approached family historian Linda Gough, his aim was to find out more about his father’s Scottish background, but the outcome was something quite different and proved to be a perfect example of the fascination of family history research

Kelvin knew his family came from Scotland but not much more. When he told me his father’s name was Mensley Bathie, I was intrigued by the unusual first name. Bathie proved a relatively easy name to trace through the public records. I found an agricultural background and, as one relative was an auctioneer in farmland, animals and equipment, Bathie featured in newspaper articles and adverts.

The Bathie name moved to Newcastle-Upon-Tyne in the 1870s, where the occupations became industrial: engine fitter, electro-plater, cycle polisher. The family lived in Newcastle where Mensley was born in 1927. Kelvin was born in Cardiff, so the Bathie family went from Scotland to England to Wales.

As I was exploring the Newcastle records, the Mensley name popped up. Kelvin’s great grandfather, William Turnbull Bathie, had married Violetta Selina Mensley in 1898. I took a diversion along the Mensley line and found that Violetta had been one of seven daughters who all married, and so the Mensley name died out with them, explaining why the name was given to Kelvin’s father in 1927; to keep it alive.

Luckily, someone else had done work on the Mensley line on the Ancestry website and this was where things took a surprising turn. Violetta’s mother was Sarah Sayers, who had been only 15 when she married George Mensley. Sarah’s father was Tom Sayers, a famous bare-knuckle prize fighter, who became the world’s first heavyweight boxing champion in 1860. If you have an image in your mind of a bare-knuckle fighter, the chances are you are picturing Tom Sayers.

Tom was an illiterate bricklayer, born in Brighton, who lived in the slums of London. He had his first fight in 1849, aged 22. He was 5’ 8” and weighed around 150 pounds. There were no rules, no weight divisions and no time limits: two men beating each other until one didn’t get up. Tom’s final fight in 1860 became infamous. It ended in a draw – the only fight Tom did not win – after a battle lasting over two-and-a-half hours against a 6’ 2” American called John Camel Heenan. The police stormed the ring and stopped the fight. They shared the purse. According to various stories, Charles Dickens, William Thackeray and the Prince of Wales were in the audience.

Tom died in 1865 of untreated diabetes and alcohol. Some 100,000 people lined the funeral route and the procession was accompanied by Tom’s bullmastiff dog, Lion, sitting in a cart. Tom was buried in Highgate Cemetery, where he has a magnificent memorial, which includes a statue of his dog. His daughter Sarah married George Mensley in 1866 when she was 15 years old. George was the editor of Sporting Life and a good friend of Tom Sayers.

For me, the highpoint of the research was asking Kelvin: “Have you heard of Tom Sayers, famous bare-knuckle fighter?” and when he replied yes, I was able to say: “Well, he is your great-great-great grandfather!”

Reflecting on this later, Kelvin said: “I thought I came from a beige line of dour, hardworking labourers and artisans, so your discovery of the notorious prize-fighter has really given me a new perspective on my family history.”

Francis Castro, senior nature conservation ranger for Vision RCL, is keen to champion the Roding Valley and invites you to join him for a late summer walk through this local hidden gem. Valley photo by Anna MacLaughlin

The Roding Valley is one of the hidden gems of east London, part of the area’s industrial landscape but also retaining some of its rural charm. It is a great way to explore the borough and for those looking for a more rural getaway.

The Nature Conservation Ranger Team, part of the Parks Team for Vision RCL, have a walk scheduled for 7 September, which will be our longest walk yet, completing the trilogy of Roding Valley guided walks we have held throughout the year. It will take in the entirety of the Roding Valley through Redbridge, as we make our way to Wanstead Park, starting from Ray Park in Woodford Green.

Totalling around 7km each way, we will be travelling along one of the great assets the borough has in terms of a green corridor, one that maybe not too many people know about.

The aim of our walks has been to showcase the value of the Roding Valley in terms of a walking route and for its connection with other green spaces.

As a dog owner and keen walker who lives locally in the borough, finding nice walking routes in and around the Roding Valley has been something I have been doing for many years, not only to keep my dog fit but also myself, physically and mentally.

The Roding Valley is largely what we term a country park and wild space. This does not mean we do not manage it, but its management is geared towards wildlife and protecting the naturalness and wildness experience, which is what we want visitors to take away with them. It is not easy, especially with the M11 and A406 roads thundering right through it (it has taken many years, but I seem to be immune from the hum of the motorway), but somehow the Roding Valley and the River Roding have persevered from what has been, quite recently, disastrous disturbance and destruction, through the passion and action of those who have and are managing it, as well as committed volunteers and residents.

It will never be the same or have the same value for wildlife and people as before the motorway came through. Some people will even remember the area before the M11 and A406 and how rural the Roding Valley used to be and the meanders the river used to have. However, this does not mean it has no value. Indeed, we must do the upmost to protect what we have and make it better.

We still have regular sightings of kingfishers and little egrets along the river; grey wagtails can sometimes be seen using the river as well. The valley is also home to many small mammals, from weasels and water shrews to badgers, with other creatures of interest including stag beetles and grass snakes, which you can sometimes spot while walking the paths. On the river, you may get lucky and spot a juvenile otter that has strayed south from its breeding grounds further north in Essex. Unfortunately, the habitat quality means that, at the moment, we have not recorded otter being able to breed or survive along our stretch of river. Eels can sometimes be spotted in the water too – the River Roding used to be a good place to see them – however, their decline has been noted.

Our walks are put together to help improve local knowledge of this hidden and not so well known wild space, and to inspire its continued use, protection and the ways we can make it better for the future. We look forward to seeing you on one of our walks soon.

Never discuss politics or religion in polite company, so the saying goes. But, keeping it polite, Councillor Stephen Adams (Conservative, Churchfields) explains why Jesus is at the centre of his politics

I became a Christian at the age of 21 on a park bench in Nottingham. Here’s what I came to accept: I am a broken and imperfect individual who rejected God, deserving eternal rejection from him. But God in his love sent Jesus to be punished instead of me by dying on the cross and being raised again, proving he’d paid the price and presenting me blameless before God. Jesus went to great lengths to serve me, so in my thankfulness I should be prepared to do the same for others.

Many say that religion should stay out of politics. I find this an odd statement, since our democracy relies on input and representation from all elements of our society. For me, it is impossible to separate the two. Jesus is at the centre of my life, which includes my work. It is because of this that I can serve my residents with dedication and integrity. Christ makes me look outside of myself, and towards others. The importance of faith is even recognised in the private sector through workplace diversity groups. I work for one of the Big Four accounting firms where I help to lead a Christian group of around 500 people.

Theresa May, in her final Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament, gave the advice “to be true to yourself”. Statements such as these are widely taught to young children and are commonly held values in our society. In my opinion, they are the antithesis of Christian teaching, causing people to look inwardly rather than outwardly, putting themselves first. The Bible challenges me to think of others, even when my instincts urge me to look out for number one. I fear this mindset is declining in our society. Figures from the Charities Aid Foundation show charitable giving in the UK is falling in real terms, both nominally and on a per capita basis.

Being a local councillor is about serving the residents in your ward. I have to balance a full-time job in the City with resident meetings, committee meetings, hundreds of emails, litter picking, and more. On top of this, I volunteer my time with charities like Tearfund, who help others in poverty around the world. Without a servant mindset, I would not be able to fulfil my role effectively. Remembering that Jesus served me, especially when I did not merit his favour, helps me serve others. This is especially true during periods of business and mental fatigue.

We are in an era where people complain that many politicians are self-serving, a claim I believe is exaggerated. Nevertheless, society gets the politicians they deserve. I hope it can be said of me that I have been the servant of others. As Jesus said: “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35).

Councillor Rosa Gomez (Labour, Churchfields) spoke from personal experience when she presented a council motion on domestic violence over the summer. Here, she discusses the work ahead

Since 2015, levels of domestic abuse have been slowly increasing, meaning it is essential that action is quickly taken to bring it to an end. On average, two women a week and 30 men a year die as a result of domestic violence. It is estimated to cost the UK £23 billion annually, including costs to the criminal justice system, the health service, social care and housing. Of course, this ignores the personal costs, which cannot be quantified in pounds and pence.

Domestic abuse has a personal meaning for me; as a result, it is imperative to my work as a councillor that Redbridge does all it can to condemn abusive behaviours and to support those who find themselves victim to domestic violence. It is a great personal achievement to have recently presented a motion on domestic violence before the council and even more pleasing that my council colleagues agreed unanimously to pass it. The motion calls for zero tolerance of domestic violence across Redbridge. As a result, the council will be reviewing its policies and practices to ensure there are no places where forms of domestic abuse may have become normalised. We have committed to making sure there are sufficient resources to support women, men, those with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community seeking to escape abusive relationships.

Personal experience means I know why it is vital those living with domestic violence find help at the point they ask for it. For this reason, I agree fully with my Redbridge Council colleagues in calling on the government to implement a domestic abusers register to keep track of those perpetrating this violence, thus protecting further possible victims, and to properly fund services supporting survivors.

Redbridge Chief Executive Andy Donald wrote to the Home Office regarding the motion. It is good to know from their response there is work going on nationally to support and protect victims. However, this stops short of introducing a register.

In Redbridge, we are lucky to have great support services and wonderful residents who want to support those in need. If you know someone suffering from domestic abuse, Refuge provide specialist support services to local residents. They can provide free, confidential advice.

If you would like to help those escaping domestic violence, please consider joining Women In Need (WIN) on Facebook. They work alongside the charity Hestia, regularly appealing for donations to help women and children fleeing domestic violence. I know from experience that the support of friends made it much easier to move away from an unhealthy relationship and to build something better.

Councillor Clark Vasey (Conservative, Churchfields) explains why he campaigned for 60 additional school places in Woodford, and why he continues to press the council on the issue

Your child starting school is a momentous moment for any parent. However, for parents across Woodford, this sense of anticipation was replaced with worry as a failure by Redbridge Council meant Woodford had a shortage of school places, while Ilford had an excess of up to 200 places.

The result of this failure meant parents across Woodford saw their children dumped in schools of more than two miles away. In some cases, the distances were more than three miles away. Two to three hours of walking a day would have ruled out walking, and the location of the school meant public transport would, in many cases, take just as long and involve almost as much walking. The distances meant these schools were simply inappropriate and would have turned family life upside down.

The priority for Redbridge Labour is Ilford and Woodford consistently loses out. In street cleansing and resources generally, Woodford is at the bottom of their list, but it is the failure to provide enough school places which shows Labour’s neglect of Woodford at its most unfair.

However, Woodford parents did not take this lightly and supported by our local MP, Iain Duncan Smith and the Conservative councillors for Churchfields, South Woodford and Monkhams wards, they exerted maximum pressure on the council. To prove the distances of the proposed schools were not acceptable, I walked the route with a Churchfields family, and at one hour and seven minutes, it proved our point.

From the outset, we called for a bulge class, and in a meeting with the Head of Education when it was clear a single bulge class was not going to help all of the Woodford families, I called for a second bulge class. After months of campaigning the council finally relented and the solution was two bulge classes, one in Oakdale and one in Nightingale, meaning 60 extra school places for the west of the borough.  This has meant a school closer to home for these Woodford families.

The parents affected this year now have a school which works for their child, but this continues to be relevant. If the shortage of school places in Woodford is not addressed, then a new group of families will find themselves in this unacceptable position next year. The council cannot claim not to know this is a problem. We have pressed the council to review school places in the borough. Woodford might not be the part of the borough which Labour cares about, but they must recognise that children in Woodford are entitled to a local school. We need a long-term solution. What we need are fair school places for Woodford.

Have you noticed the new planters at South Woodford station? Attiya Thanvi explains the culmination of the energy garden project – which was over a year in the making – and invites others to help it grow. Photography by Geoff Wilkinson

In June 2018, while scrolling through Instagram, I came across #undergroundinbloom, introducing me to the NGO Repowering London, which funds greening projects across London stations. I sent a recommendation for them to run a project at South Woodford Station, and then forgot all about it. In August 2018, I received an email saying they were interested in coming to survey the station and to see if we qualified for funding. 

They asked questions about how many volunteers we had. This prompted me to reach out to friends I have met through my tutoring business, and to contact local mums to see if they wanted to get involved. I got a brilliant response. We had a couple of site visits and design meetings with Rhys and Cat from the Energy Garden team to assess the potential of the site so we could design it as well as possible. At this stage, I also encouraged my children and other young people to come along and get stuck in with a local community project. I knew my daughters and their friends were keen to work in the local area following their support of the local homeless community after last year’s adverse weather conditions. The children put their all into the project, contacting their school’s sustainability officer for support and ideas as well.

With everyone’s input, it was decided we wanted something that would help the environment and would also be easy to maintain. We chose some herbs that people are able to pick for their own personal use, which also added a nice aroma to the platform. The design of the garden and choice of plants was finalised by Christmas following our design meetings, and then the wait for permissions began! My daughters continued to keep the community interested by setting up and maintaining a Facebook page and Instagram account.

We were hoping we would be able to start planting by February, which would have been the ideal time to plant before spring, but things are more complicated than they seem. We were informed that since South Woodford Station is an Underground station which is actually above ground, they needed a whole new set of permissions from TfL in order to start the project. Rhys and Cat remained in touch while we waited patiently.

After a couple of cancelled dates, the day finally arrived in mid-July. We were all ready for the installation of the garden on what happened to be one of the hottest days of this summer. Despite this, all our volunteers arrived on time, including four from Good Gym Redbridge.

We started by building planters and lining them, lending good practical experience for our younger volunteers. We were all so excited and enthusiastic as we filled them with soil and plants that we finished well ahead of schedule.

While the first stage of planting is complete, in the second stage we hope to get help with a drip irrigation system and to create a living wall on an empty advertisement board. Another idea is to create and maintain a small book exchange on the westbound platform.

I have been going over regularly with my family to water the plants. We are really looking forward to maintaining and adding to the garden and to see all the plants bloom. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers – we couldn’t have done it without you!

The Environment Agency has announced a day of community engagement in Woodford in connection with the River Roding Project, which aims to improve local river defences.

“Heavy rain has caused the River Roding to flood the area eight times in the past 100 years: 1926, 1939, 1947, 1974, 1988, 1993, 2000 and 2007… Parts of Woodford and Ilford are at high risk of flooding,” said a spokesperson.

The project involves the construction of a flood storage area to hold back high flows upstream in rural Essex. Enhancements along the Roding Valley are also being explored, including riverside landscaping and re-naturalising the river. “This catchment approach will reduce the risk of flooding to more than 600 homes and businesses in the local area.”

Residents are invited to find out more and give their views at Woodford Station, Snakes Lane East on 17 October from 12 noon to 6pm. A similar event will take place on Ilford High Road (opposite The Exchange) on 3 October.

Call 03708 506 506

An It’s a Knockout competition organised by Woodford Green dental practice Improve Your Smile raised £6,800 for Haven House Children’s Hospice at the end of July.

Team Improve Your Smile went head-to-head against six other businesses – Enigma Beauty Salon, Whistle ‘N’ Flute: Laundry Lounge, Oven Clean Chigwell, Vantage VA, Catalyst Design and The Traveller’s Friend – each part of the Haven House 100 Club, having pledged to raise £1,000 each for the hospice this year.

“The day was a great opportunity for all of our businesses to get to know each other whilst having fun, and most importantly raising money for our local children’s hospice,” said Amanda Green, marketing manager at Improve Your Smile. The Whistle ‘N’ Flute team won the challenge.

To donate, visit swvg.co.uk/knockout

Members of Woodford Arts Group will be displaying their work at Packfords Hotel this autumn in what will be the art collective’s second exhibition at the Snakes Lane West venue.

Since their inaugural exhibition in the spring – which attracted nearly 250 visitors to a private viewing – the group has welcomed new members, whose work will be included in the display. On show from 21 to 27 October, the exhibition will have a ‘reflections’ theme.

“Once again, Packfords have very generously agreed to support our event, and they will be opening a pop-up art cafe for the entire week… Our artists will be exhibiting a range of media, including oils, watercolour, sculpture, ceramics, photography and ink. All the art on show will be new work created specifically for this exhibition,” said a spokesperson. The art group – which was founded in 2018 and is open to all Woodford-based artists – plans to continue holding two events annually.

Visit woodfordartsgroup.org

A long-serving local Police Community Support Officer has retired.

“PCSO Graham Farrance retired in July after serving the local community for 10 years,” said a spokesperson for the South Woodford Safer Neighbourhoods Team (SNT). PCSO Simon Jones – who previously served in the Monkhams SNT – has since joined the South Woodford SNT, which also includes PC Daniel Thomas, PC Sarah Burke and Sergeant David Lipyeat.

Call 020 8345 3616

Woodford Creative Hub will be hosting a jumble trail this September.

Open to anyone living in Monkhams, Churchfields and Bridge wards, the event will see residents set up temporary ‘shops’ outside their homes and invite their neighbours to browser for a bargain.

“You can sell pre-loved clothes, shoes, toys, games, DVDs, books, furniture, homemade cookies or craft,” said event organiser Hannah Hole. “We will create a map highlighting the homes taking part and advertise via flyers and on social media, for locals to visit. We are charging a small fee to take part (£3) to cover the marketing costs and any money left over will be used for creative projects in the community.”

The trail will take place on 29 September from 10am to 2pm.

Email wcreativehub@gmail.com

In the 10th – and last – of a series of articles celebrating the Woodford and Wanstead Photographic Society – which is now in its 126th year – club member Alan Simpson continues to offer an insight into the group’s history. Photo by club member David Tyrrell.

When the opportunity came to move club meetings to Wanstead House Community Centre in 2014 – only 70 years after it was first suggested – the chance was taken. Once there, it was not long before the club had outgrown its ground-floor meeting room and moved into the much larger room in the attic (once the home of the defunct Leytonstone and Wanstead Camera Club). The only downside of the move to Wanstead House was that the change of evening (from Tuesday to Monday) meant several members could no longer attend, including Peter Smith, a long-standing member and former chairman.

Meeting only twice a month, and not at all in some holiday periods, left some members wanting a more regular programme. With this in mind, in 2015, informal get-togethers in the Wanstead House bar were introduced on Tuesday evenings in the weeks with no formal club meeting. Workshops were also organised on the use of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. In addition, David Tachauer, and then Brian McCarthy, took on the role of organising outings to places with photographic potential. These extra activities all proved to be successful and truly meet one of the society’s early aims, viz ‘the discussion of the subjects connected with photography in a social manner and the encouragement of photographic research practice among the members by mutual and friendly assistance’.

The move to Wanstead House, a presence on social media (notably Flickr and Facebook) and an injection of new blood and new ideas into the committee all helped to revive the society’s fortunes, and membership numbers began to rise again – in mid-2018, there were 38 paid-up members (membership now costing £65 per annum; £45 for concessions). Many of the newer members had no background in ‘traditional’ photography, their photographic interest having formed in a world of camera phones, selfies and transient online images. To help these and others develop a wider skills base, the society now places less emphasis on competitions and its programme regularly includes practical hands-on sessions and outings. This is in some way a return to the motives of the society’s early years when the founder members gave instruction and demonstration sessions, but now with greater participation.

To celebrate the club’s 125th anniversary, Dave Tyrell organised an 1893 Foundation Cup inter-club competition. This was held in October 2018, with WWPS battling against local rivals from Loughton Camera Club, Romford Camera Club, Barking Photographic Society, Chingford Photographic Society and Chigwell Camera Club. Alongside the competition, an exhibition of members’ work was on display at Wanstead House for a two-week period.

The society’s founders would be amazed at the developments that have taken place since they formed their club for ‘the advancement of photography, technically and artistically’, in the modern methods of producing photographs and in the ease with which photographs can now be mass-produced. They would no doubt also be amazed that the club they founded 125 years ago is still meeting regularly and fulfilling their original aims.

Most years as chairman:

George Hall (11 years), 1945–1946, 1947–1954, 1955–1957 and 1958–1959

Peter Smith (8 years), 1998–2006

Longest continuously serving chairman:

Peter Smith (8 years), 1998–2006

George Hall (7 years), 1947–1954

Longest periods between first and last election as chairman:

H Wilmer (29 years), 1893–1894 and 1922–1923

Francis Emler (21 years), 1903–1904 and 1924–1925

Chairwomen:

Norah Cross, 1927–1928

Winn Fowkes, 1976–1978 and 1994–1995

Wendy Gill, 2006–2007