Editor

Yuki Negishi is a pianist of “rare poetry, passion and virtuosity”. Having lived in Tokyo, New York and Amsterdam, she now calls South Woodford home, and is inviting fellow residents to hear her play.

I recently moved to South Woodford with my IT director husband Michael, and noticed there weren’t many classical concerts in the area, despite the many beautiful churches with grand pianos. St Mary’s Church is a short walk from my house, and the first time I visited, I was struck by its splendid pipe organ and perfect acoustics.

I quickly felt the potential for a regular recital series, which could give local residents easy access to some great music, and an ideal opportunity for me to try out new recital programmes.

Music has been my entire life; I am Japanese, born in Tokyo, but spent seven years in New York City between the ages of five and 12 due to my father’s business. There, I was fortunate to be accepted to the world-famous Juilliard School of Music as an honorary scholarship student aged 10. I had two important years studying with Richard Fabre, who was a student of Rosina Lhévinne from the great Russian piano school who mentored Van Cliburn and John Williams, among others. These years paved the way for my future aspirations.

Europe has always been my dream destination to continue my studies, London specifically, for its central location geographically and culturally. After studying for three years in Amsterdam, I came here in 2001 to complete my Masters and Artist Diploma at the Royal College of Music. I regularly perform as a soloist and chamber musician in all sorts of venues and festivals, in countries such as the UK, Japan, China, Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, Poland and the USA. As a pianist, there is so much repertoire to explore – I probably won’t be able to go through all of them in my lifetime! But my affinity lies with the Romantics: Schubert (though he is more late-Classical), Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Brahms and also the Frenchman Debussy. I also love the Russian composers such as Rachmaninoff, and more recently Kapustin, who infuses classical and jazz. His music is pure jazz when you listen to it, but there is no improvisation, they are all written out in musical score!

I will be releasing a solo CD comprising some of my favourite composers through the Quartz label in 2020. Alongside this, I will continue performing with my newly established Solomon Piano Quintet. I hope to bring these projects to St Mary’s regularly throughout the year. The first one was in March with a solo programme of Schubert and Chopin sonatas. The next one will be on 10 July, with lots of Chopin, Kapustin and the American Romantic composer Amy Beach. I do hope you will be able to join me at one of my recitals.

PC Daniel Thomas is pleased to report a significant fall in the number of burglaries in the South Woodford area, and encourages residents to help fight crime by securing their homes

My name is PC Daniel Thomas and I am the Dedicated Ward Officer (DWO) for South Woodford. I am one of two police officers who cover South Woodford and we also have a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) dedicated to this area.

I know that many of you have been worried about theft-related crimes in South Woodford, particularly burglary. Interestingly, the majority of residential burglaries take place between 4pm and 8pm. But there are many things we have done and are continuing to do to reduce the number of burglaries, and I am pleased to say the numbers have indeed fallen substantially over the past six months. In November 2018, there were 18 recorded burglaries in the South Woodford ward. In May 2019, this fell to just two. We have worked very hard to reduce this number, but there are also things you can do to make your home more secure.

Burglary is an opportunist crime and burglars will target homes they believe are empty. We recommend leaving a light on when you go out, especially if you are going to return after dark. This will give the impression that your home is occupied. Timed lights can also help with this. This is the cheapest and most effective way of securing your home beyond locks and closing windows. I know all of this sounds obvious and most of you probably do it anyway, but on our patrols, we come across many homes in darkness in the evenings that may seem inviting to unwanted ‘guests’!

Alarms, CCTV and video doorbells are other effective ways of securing your home. If you have a side gate that leads to a garden, you should ensure this cannot be easily compromised. Make it hard for thieves to climb over by installing spikes and not leaving wheelie bins in front.

Another crime we have experienced recently in South Woodford is the theft of motor vehicles. This has been driven by an increase in keyless entry cars. The solution to this is relatively straightforward. There are pouches that can be bought online for a small amount of money that block the signal the key fobs are transmitting, preventing criminals from remotely accessing the signal.

As a Safer Neighbourhoods Team, we are very busy dealing with a wide variety of issues in your area. This ranges from crime, community events, neighbour disputes, mental health assessments and antisocial behaviour. We also like to meet as many of you as possible – you are our eyes and ears. We patrol South Woodford on bicycle and foot only as this makes us more accessible and helps us deal with local issues.

The South Woodford Society has launched a crowdfunding campaign to establish a community orchard outside South Woodford station. Louise Burgess explains the benefits for the community… and cider drinkers

As evidenced by our street names of Primrose, Mulberry and Cowslip, the south-east side of George Lane used to be a flower-filled space, with market gardens and a dairy. We are aiming to put some of this country feel back into South Woodford by building a community orchard, refurbishing the current small green spaces and improving the planting.

Our campaign is crowdfunded, using an online funding platform for ideas that bring local places to life. Projects are matched to funds from councils, foundations and companies that might want to help. We are hoping that our funding will be met by a donation from the Mayor’s Fund, organised by the Mayor of London.

We’ll work to re-imagine this area. As these spaces are currently a little neglected and run-down, we are proposing to refurbish this area and enhance our pride in our community.

South Woodford station has just had a new step-free entrance on the westbound side of George Lane, which has been a great support for the community, but we are hoping Redbridge Council and TfL will take this opportunity to work with us to brighten up the rather utilitarian look of the new entrance and the surrounding area. This area includes two small sections of green space, and the larger of the two spaces, at the corner of Primrose Road, will be the site for an orchard to provide free fruit for the community with additional bee- and user-friendly planting.   

We would like the broken brick planters by the local car park (junction of Mulberry Way and Primrose Road) to be refurbished by the council and we would like to add some Christmas lights to an already established fir tree, to create a welcoming aspect to this corner of South Woodford during the darker winter months.

The rather neglected subway under the railway line would benefit from repair and redecoration, and the installation of CCTV for security will also be requested, although this is in the gift of the council and TfL and is not in the scope of this current project.

We have the backing of the council’s Head of Civic Pride, Councillor John Howard, and our local councillors to carry out this work, and we will be engaging with local businesses and schools to include the views of their pupils, customers and staff in how the project is carried out and maintained.

There are many benefits, not least the increase in the residents’ community wellbeing, which will result in less crime and greater security in the local area. High-level planters should discourage antisocial behaviour and increased use of the area by residents will also prevent abuse.

New community orchards help to address the nation’s allotment shortfall, promote community production and ownership of fruit and help us rediscover the pleasures of eating organic fruit grown close to home.

The Orchard Project will collect our fruit and give back cider in return – for every 3kg of apples, we will get back a 330ml bottle of the limited edition Local Fox Cider. The fruit can be collected from late August and previous locations have included Walthamstow, Herne Hill, Richmond and Perivale.

The fruit can be of all shapes and sizes as long as it is unsprayed and from London. The most important thing is that fruit is separated into blemish-free and those with slight blemishes – even the odd bug is fine!

Community orchards also help to green the urban environment and create habitats for wildlife, increasing our city’s biodiversity.  In an era of climate change and peak oil, planting trees, which should provide a large yield year after year for decades to come, is a logical move, helping to build food security and community resilience.

Avon House School in Woodford Green is looking to make contact with as many former students and staff as possible as they prepare to mark their 100th anniversary during the forthcoming academic year.

“We would be delighted for you to join our alumni network… It doesn’t matter when you left us, whether you are in further education, in employment or retired, whether you still live nearby or have moved away, there are still ways you can connect with the school and stay in touch,” said a spokesperson. “To celebrate our 100th anniversary, we will be organising an exciting programme of events and are happy to assist former students in organising their own events, or getting back in touch with their peers.”

Visit swvg.co/avonhouse or call 020 8504 1749

Sainsbury’s marked its 150th birthday in May, with staff from across the business invited to volunteer for a cause in their local community to celebrate the milestone. In South Woodford, supermarket workers have pledged time to help improve, among other things, the Salvation Army centre on Daisy Road.

“Some of my colleagues will be weeding, painting and cleaning the carpets,” said store manager Mark Twell, who also donates food for the centre’s lunches for the elderly. “Others will be working to improve the alleyway that runs from our store up to M&S, planting hanging baskets and repainting the railings… We are also keen to brighten up the outside wall space with art, and I am open to suggestions from the community for any murals they would like to see painted.”

Call 020 8989 8224

More than 20 people took part in a clean-up day at Eagle Pond in June. Councillor Jo Blackman (Wanstead Village, Labour) organised the litter pick with the City of London Corporation – which owns the site off Snaresbrook Road and provided waders and boats on the day – after a number of residents expressed concerns about the state of the pond.

“It’s great to see what a difference we can make when we work together. A group of residents are now joining forces to make lasting improvements,” said Councillor Blackman.

Another clean-up day is set to take place in the autumn, with pond visitors urged to take their litter home with them and not to feed bread to the ducks, which can lead to waterfowl malnutrition, cause pollution and attract pests. Residents are also encouraged to pick up one piece of litter each time they pass the pond. “Small things make a massive difference, and we can all make a small change to help our environment.”

Visit swvg.co/blackman

Local owners of classic cars and motorcycles came together at Derby Road car park in June. The social gathering – which saw 26 different vehicles take part – is now set to become a regular event.

“The plan was to gather for two hours on a Sunday morning and the only instructions were to bring along a classic car and grab a cuppa… During the weeks running up to the event, flyers were printed and placed on classic cars parked in the area. With the aid of social media, the only thing left to do was to see what would happen. By the 10am start time, the first four cars were parked up. Every time I looked up, another car arrived, followed by another and another,” said Gary Zylberszac, who organised the event. “The oldest vehicle was a 1943 James Auto Cycle and each of the next five decades of motoring were all represented too… Thank you to everyone who turned up, with or without a car, for an awesome couple of hours!” The next gathering is planned for 11 August.

Visit swvg.co/classiccars

The inaugural exhibition of the recently formed Woodford Arts Group was hailed a resounding success by organisers, following a good turnout over a weekend in June. The three-day display at Packfords Hotel showcased work by local artists, including the group’s founder Julia Brett.

“I was knocked out by the amount of visitors over the three days. People seemed genuinely delighted to find art by local people at a local venue. And the question most asked was ‘when are we holding our next one?’” said Julia, who established the group at the end of last year to help local creatives share and showcase their talents and create an awareness of local art. As a thank you to the exhibition hosts, Debra Packford was presented with a framed illustration of the hotel, drawn by Darren Evans.

The art group – which is open to all Woodford-based artists – hopes to hold two events annually, with plans being developed for a second event to take place in the autumn.

Visit woodfordartsgroup.org

Redbridge Council is considering an application to construct a nine-storey office block at 10–12 Eastwood Close in South Woodford, the site of Incey Winceys Day Nursery.

“Many residents are concerned about this application… There are many issues here, not least whether office space is required in this location, and over 120 objections have been made to the council. We would argue that the site needs a considered approach, rather than piecemeal buildings. At the time of writing, we are waiting to hear when this is going to be discussed by the council, but your comments will still be taken into consideration if you have not yet made a representation,” said a South Woodford Society spokesperson.

Under the plans, the ground and first floors would remain in use as a nursery.

Visit swvg.co/ewood

Local residents and councillors came together in June to clear away the overgrown greenery at the back of the Derby Road car park.

“We also took to the surrounding streets, up to the High Road and round by the Churchill statue, to clear away litter. Over 20 bags of rubbish were collected, with over six bags of recycling sorted on our return,” said a spokesperson for the South Woodford Society, which organised the event. “We’re aiming to organise our next litter pick in the autumn, so please get in touch if you would like to be involved.”

The South Woodford Society is an independent, voluntary and non-political group working to ‘build a stronger community, support local businesses and make South Woodford a better place to live and work’.

Email e18society@gmail.com

A tea and cake garden party at the home of a South Woodford resident has raised over £7,000 for Haven House.

“This means we have enough to pay for a day of care at the hospice… Thank you to everyone that supported the event,” said Michelle Vanlint, who hosted her 14th annual garden party on Derby Road in June.

A day’s care at Haven House Children’s Hospice costs £5,666. The Woodford Green charity looks after children who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions.

Visit swvg.co/cake14

Anyone suffering from osteoporosis – a condition where bones lose strength and break more easily – is invited to attend a talk outlining the latest research into the disease in Woodford Green on 11 July.

Hosted by the North East London Support Group of the Royal Osteoporosis Society, the event – which will take place from 1.15pm to 3pm at St Thomas of Canterbury Church (£4.50) – will feature guest speaker Professor Susan Lanham-New from the University of Surrey. “Professor Lanham-New will be talking about the important role of nutrition for good bone health and the latest research, and we are delighted to be able to hear the latest news from such a well-respected expert,” said Stella Scrivener, development manager for the Royal Osteoporosis Society.

Call 07503 070 653