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Helping others can be both fulfilling and fun, says Ron Jeffries of Redbridge Voluntary Care, a good neighbour scheme that has been running for over 40 years and is in need of volunteers in Woodford.

From time to time, most people will know someone who needs help with transport to a hospital, the doctors, a clinic or the dentist. You may be aware of someone who is lonely, sick or elderly, someone who would welcome the company of a visitor.

You may have wondered if you might be able to help but are unsure how to go about it. If so, help is at hand! And it will be both fulfilling and fun for you, and a lifeline for someone who needs your support.

Redbridge Voluntary Care (RVC) is a good neighbour scheme and registered charity which started in 1973 and offers help to any resident of the London Borough of Redbridge. We help residents in many ways, by visiting lonely people, sitting with the sick or elderly when their carers go out or providing transport for people to attend medical appointments. We also take people to hospital to visit their partners or relatives. This can be a one-off visit or a regular commitment. In an emergency, RVC can get shopping or collect prescriptions. We also have volunteers who are willing to act as escorts during a visit to the doctors. This can be of benefit to patients who are hard of hearing, visually impaired or just nervous.

We have a small band of volunteers able to change light bulbs, check batteries, carry out small repairs, sort out bills or move furniture. However, what we cannot do is gardening, decorating, regular shopping or housework, or transport people who cannot get into an ordinary car.

At present, we have over 100 volunteers. Some act as duty officers, working from their homes for a day once a month or so. A dedicated telephone line is transferred to the home, taking calls from residents who need help. The duty officer has a contact list of volunteers who are able to assist when needed. When a request for help comes in from a client, carer, Age UK or social worker, the duty officer has to match up volunteers to the request and see who is available for the required task.

New volunteers in the Wanstead and Woodford area are always welcome, and we also need more duty officers. The work is rewarding in that we are able to offer help to those who are vulnerable and who need our assistance.

Volunteers meet from time to time to share experiences, and so RVC is also a means of getting to know members of your local community.

Are you up for it? Can you spare an hour or so now and then to help someone who is lonely or vulnerable? If you are interested in finding out more, please get in touch. You will be warmly welcomed.

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

I am not a genealogist but my interest in social and oral history has intrigued me for the past 15 years. After retiring from a career in print journalism and the film and television industry, I was keen to find something which would occupy my time. A casual search on the City of London Corporation website revealed they were inviting applications from people to become tour guides and lecturers. That was for me!

After qualifying as a guide in 2005, I went on a number of short courses about various aspects of London’s rich heritage. So, it was on to Birkbeck, University of London, to complete four years of part-time study in the evenings to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. The journey continued by spending two years distance learning to get a Master’s degree in Sport History and Culture at De Montfort University, Leicester, and finally, a second Master’s degree in Heritage Studies at the University of East London.

At school, history was all about kings and queens, politicians, dates of battles won and lost, the Empire, rebellions… and so the list goes on. Do I get an extra mark if I remember the date of the Battle of Waterloo? I passed the subject at GCE O level but that was all. Yet, here I am, almost 60 years later, living and breathing history, going around the Home Counties talking about London, its people, heritage, status, social development, influence and reputation over many centuries. I am fortunate to meet so many people who share my enthusiasm.

Without doubt, my journalistic background, including a year-long period as a cub reporter on the Woodford Times, has sharpened my instincts for investigation and research and confirmed a long-held theory that everyone has something to contribute to the social mix of how we live our lives now, in the recent past, and even long after people have gone to meet the grim reaper!

My talk this January is entitled Pounds, Shillings and Poverty and will explore London in the 19th century, which was an age of invention, mechanisation, railway building and urbanisation. Fortunes were made – and lost. Squalid living conditions added to the misery of those who also struggled against disease and rising crime. But there were also those who devoted their lives to improving the conditions.

Whether I am giving an illustrated historical presentation on a cruise ship or talking to a small group in a village hall, the message, whatever the theme, is that London has a rich vein of history, good and bad. It’s always worth talking about.

In the second 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.

A walk around London’s East End is now a fascinating experience. The changes are enormous, as I have discovered on this latest photographic odyssey for my current exhibition. Buildings and whole streets have disappeared, often replaced with modern glass and steel structures our parents and grandparents would never recognise.

Visitors to my photography gallery in Wanstead had talked about their parents’ lives and childhood memories of playing on the streets of Bethnal Green, Bow, Mile End and other parts of the East End.

It was the night I got off the DLR at Canning Town station to take some more photographs that it suddenly became a more personal journey. My grandfather’s house, now long gone, on Bidder Street was next to the railway line and what was known at that time as ‘Peggy Leggy Steps’, the pedestrian footbridge over the railway. This was part of my East End playground when we visited him and my grandmother. The ‘Steps’ have been replaced by Star Lane DLR station. When lit at night, it acts as a beacon for shift workers finishing in the darkness. The Woolwich ferry, connecting the north and south of the River Thames, was always a Sunday morning treat with my grandfather. Being on the boat as it moved through the river those few hundred yards was a real adventure. It was that memory which led me to take the photograph on this page of the ferry named the Dame Vera Lynn.

This photograph, although not what you might think of as a typical east London scene, sums up everything for me, with the new East End (Canary Wharf) behind the ferry and the old dock cranes on the right symbolising the past.

Residents are invited to join the Wren Wildlife Group for a bird spotting walk through Wanstead Park as part of this January’s RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch.

“We’ll be looking at a variety of wintering ducks – including gadwall, shoveler, pochard and tufted ducks – on the park’s lakes. And we’ll be searching through the bare trees for fieldfares, redwings and siskins. And there may be the odd surprise as well!” said Tim Harris. Participants will meet at the park’s Temple at 10am on 25 January (free; call 07505 482 328).

The Big Garden Birdwatch started as an event for children in 1979 when the RSPB joined forces with BBC’s Blue Peter and called on kids to report what birds they saw in their garden. The annual event has since highlighted the decline of house sparrows and starlings. These birds have dropped by 56% and 80% respectively since the event began. But there have also been increases in some species, such as great tits, which are up by 68%.

Visit swvg.co.uk/birdwatch

Former fashion designer Terry Rumak – who counts Lady Diana Spencer among her past clients – is now a member of Woodford Arts Group and spends her time creating patchwork quilts and geometric paintings.

Born in the North East of England, surrounded by rugged landscapes, seascapes and heavy industry, inspiration for painting was all around me.

I studied at Middlesbrough College of Art, and then St Martin’s School of Art in London, where I gained a BA in Fashion Design. After leaving St Martin’s in 1968, I worked with a number of established designers. London in the 1970s and 1980s was the epicentre of fashion design and it was therefore relatively easy to open my own boutique. A friend and I designed and made 24 garments, put them on a rail in a tiny shop within an arcade on New Bond Street, and Rumak & Sample began trading. Success was followed with a shop in an arcade opposite Harrods, on the Brompton Road, and then my own shop in Walton Street, Knightsbridge, where I began trading as Rumak & Rumak.

Focusing on evening and wedding gowns, plus special occasion clothes for Ascot, balls and concert appearances, my garments were bought by many actors, film stars and well-known people, including Lady Diana Spencer.

My designs and colour sense were influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites, 1940s fashion design and abstract artists. I travelled extensively in search of unusual fabrics and braids for inspiration, and loved the cultures, colours and smells of the places I visited. I was inspired by the fine silks, chiffons, gorgeous braids and ribbons I brought back from my travels. In 2018, one of my designs was shown in a Sunday Telegraph colour supplement and featured in an exhibition at Chatsworth, displaying the dresses of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire.

From 1984 to 2018 I worked in advertising, media and market research, and over the last 10 years, I’ve reduced my working hours to return to a more creative lifestyle, initially designing patchwork quilts, which allowed me to use intense colours and geometric patterns. Quilts are a labour of love as each one takes six to nine months from concept to completion. I’ve accepted several commissions, mainly for children, commemorating their date of birth. Each design is highly individual.

Presently, I am refining my drawing skills by sketching everyday objects and developing geometric paintings using strong colours and bold shapes. Most of my paintings are like a sculptor’s maquette since I envisage them on a large scale but produce the first idea on small canvasses. Recently, I was commissioned to paint a very large canvas which was shown in Woodford Arts Group’s last exhibition at Packfords Hotel.

As newcomers to South Woodford, my husband and I joined the Woodford Arts Group to establish friendships with local artists. Since most artists work in isolation, I feel the group offers an opportunity for feedback from people dealing with similar issues and the opportunity to exhibit my work as part of a group.

To mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, local pianist Yuki Negishi – a Juilliard School and Royal College of Music graduate – will be performing a series of piano recitals in South Woodford.

I started my lunchtime piano recital series in March 2019 at St Mary’s Church, South Woodford, and have gratefully (with the support of the church and local audiences) attracted a regular audience attendance of about 50.

The year 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great and prodigious German composer Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), one of the most influential figures in classical music. To mark this anniversary, I will be doing a series throughout the year showcasing his music for solo piano and chamber music.

Beethoven’s career is conventionally divided into early, middle and late periods. The early period is typically seen to last until 1802, the middle period from 1802 to 1812, and the late period from 1812 until his death in 1827.

Beethoven’s hearing deteriorated from about 1802 when he wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament, a letter to his brothers recording thoughts of suicide and a resolution to continue living for and through his art.

By 1811 (aged 41), he was completely deaf, when he gave up performing in public until the premiere performance of his Ninth Symphony in 1824 (he had to be turned around to see the thunderous applause of the audience because he could not hear the audience, nor the orchestra).

Beethoven wrote 32 piano sonatas – I won’t be playing them all in South Woodford, but I will be playing some of the more well-known ones, such as the Pathetique Sonata, and later in the year, the Waldstein Sonata, the Moonlight Sonata and the Appassionata. I will also be playing the colossal Hammerklavier Sonata, which was deemed to be ‘unplayable’ at the time of composition due to its length (45 mins) and technical difficulty! So, this is a personal challenge for myself as well.

I will be inviting my colleagues from my regular Solomon Piano Quintet (which includes violinists Tadasuke Iijima and Ayako Yamazaki, violist Yohei Nakajima and cellist Matt Strover), along with other musicians to join me throughout the year for some of the chamber music works: the String Quartet Op. 131 (which has seven linked movements without a break), the String Trio Op. 9 No. 3 and the Piano Trio Op. 70 No. 1, known as the Ghost.

Rising at Molehill Green in Essex, the River Roding passes through the Wanstead and Woodford area en route to the Thames, bringing with it a very real flood risk to local homes. In the seventh of a series of articles charting the River Roding Project – which aims to reduce that risk – Nina Garner from the Environment Agency encourages us all to prepare for winter.

Over the last few editions of this publication, we have discussed different ways you can prepare for flooding. We have recently seen significant flooding across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and the Midlands, with some parts of central England receiving a month’s worth of rainfall in early November alone.

Flooding can have long-term effects on lives, livelihoods and property. The threat of flooding is real and can have devastating impacts on communities, so protecting people, property and things like roads and rail continues to be the Environment Agency’s top priority. Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of flooding – floods which destroy lives and property. This is why it is more important than ever to be prepared for flooding.

In England there are over five million homes at risk of flooding. The average cost of flooding to a home is £30k. Flooding also brings a significant risk to life. The mental health impacts of flooding can last for two years or more after flooding has happened. Depression, anxiety and PTSD can affect up to a third of people who have been flooded.

But, crucially, taking steps to prepare for flooding, and knowing what to do in a flood can significantly reduce the damages to a home and possessions (by around 40%), reduce risk to life, and reduce the likelihood of suffering from mental health impacts in the future.

Our campaign is focused on helping people know what action to take in a flood, based on our ‘Prepare, Act, Survive’ flood guide.

Are you prepared for winter?
Our flood defences reduce the risk of flooding but we can never eliminate the risk entirely. So, as we enter the heart of winter, we have put together a summary of flood advice to help you prepare to protect yourself, your loved ones and your home.

• Find out if your property is at risk (swvg.co.uk/flood).
• Sign up to receive free flood warnings (swvg.co.uk/floodwarn).
• Create a personal flood plan. This could include preparing a bag of essential items if you need to leave your home, such as medication, warm clothing, chargers and important documents like passports.
• Find out how you can ‘prepare, act and survive’ (swvg.co.uk/pas).
• Create a community flood plan. This helps coordinate responses by helping you decide what practical action to take to support each other before, during and after a flood. Plans like these are great in helping the community get back on their feet after an incident.

If you’d like to find out more information about volunteering in your community or flood planning, please contact your local flood resilience team.

The east London branch of Soroptimist International – which meets at Woodford Memorial Hall – will host an event about women’s mental health in the community and in the criminal justice system on 21 January.

The talk will be led by Joyce Kallevik, director of WISH, the only national, user-led charity working with women with mental health needs in prisons, hospitals and the community. “Joyce is a widely recognised authority on the reality of women’s mental health provision. She’ll be sharing her extensive experience working as a mental health advocate and the unique insights she’s gained through her own experience of mental illness,” said a Soroptimist East London spokesperson.

The event, which starts at 7.15pm, is open to all (tickets: by donation; booking required).

Visit swvg.co.uk/wish

Julia Brett, who founded the Woodford Arts Group one year ago, looks at the group’s successes to date and their plans for the year ahead, and explains why the local area has always appealed to artists.

This time last year, the Woodford Arts Group consisted of a few local artists who had responded to a call-out on the Next Door app.  This was for Woodford-based artists who were interested in getting together for mutual support and the possibility of starting an art-exhibiting group.

Within five months, we had our first exhibition. We had no idea what to expect and I suppose neither did any of the 250 visitors who came along to Packfords Hotel to see what we were about. We had lots of local interest and sales and were constantly asked when the next event was going to happen. We quickly followed up with an autumn exhibition with a pop-up cafe, again at Packfords, thanks to Debra Packford’s support. This time we exhibited for a week and it was gratifying to see repeat visitors as well as new ones.

Of course, we are not setting any precedents; Woodford and its environs have attracted other artists over the years. So, what is so special about Woodford and how does it influence artists?

One thing is Woodford being part of the forest and another is its historical context. Tudor queens have lodged nearby and many famous and infamous artists have been captivated by its verdant scenery. Jacob Epstein falls into the latter category. He scandalised society by keeping his mistress nearby and painted many scenes here and here about. I came across one of Epstein’s immediately recognisable Epping Forest paintings at the recent Tate Modern Van Gogh influences exhibition. In the same exhibition, Pissarro also had a painting from the same area, and he rented a number of properties locally. Twentieth-century artists include Churchill, Morris and Pankhurst. One of the newest artistic endeavours is that of Marsha David and her partner Digby, who have just started life drawing classes on a Tuesday evening locally.

Members of Woodford Arts Group are equally as influenced. Each season brings its own beauty, which we interpret in different styles. Sometimes, my own work is representational, like Summer Shadows in Knighton Woods (main image above). Others are more abstract, like the winter pond reflections in Lords Bushes (top inset image).

Group member Darren Evans portrays Woodford in a more illustrative style, such as his Woodford montage (bottom inset image). He says he takes in the views while walking with his family and dog. He captures the elements of Woodford, especially the chestnut trees, which are so emblematic of the area.

Shelagh French lives opposite Knighton Woods and is captivated by it and it shows in her work, while Cheryl Gabriel photographs the forest and last year produced a calendar showing the community of dogs in Knighton Woods.

So, how to follow up on our 2019 successes? In spring 2020, we will be travelling the world! Well, Traveller’s Tales is going to be our theme. We will be doing this over a weekend and offering tiffin, tea and tapas. We also plan some plein air painting sessions to encourage people to come and meet our artists so the community can get involved with us.

The best thing about us as a group is that we’re very flexible and open to anything. So, we’ll see what the rest of the year holds for us and respond in a creative way.

Residents keen on beautifying the streets of South Woodford for the year ahead are urged not to miss the 2020 deadline for adopting a tree pit near their home.

“Planting bee-friendly flowers under a street tree will make your road look beautiful, reduce chemicals being sprayed and help local  wildlife,” said a spokesperson for South Woodford Gardeners, which is aiming to increase the number of street trees across the neighbourhood planted at their base to support pollinating insects by creating stepping-stone habitats between surrounding green spaces.

“Just email the council by 25 January to tell them the location of the tree you’re adopting and they’ll provide a label to stop it being sprayed. Plant the base with wild flowers, geraniums, herbs or any other small plants. They can be really successful, even if there isn’t much soil.”

Email cleansing.services@redbridge.gov.uk or click here for more information on what to plant and street gardening safety advice.

Members of the South Woodford Young Writers Club were enthralled by author Andrew Michaelides, who visited their group recently. Teacher Shameem Aziz was equally inspired.

At the South Woodford Young Writers Club recently we had the pleasure of hosting Andrew Michaelides, a self-published children’s author. Andrew (known as Mr Michic) has published a series of three books based on the adventures of Tramp, a talking dog.

Of course, we were delighted to have him, and his visit was informative in so many ways. The children had pre-prepared questions they wanted to ask him. What inspired him? Why did he become a writer? What were his stories based on? What advice would he give someone who wants to write? All answered with patience and understanding.

It is probably true to say of children’s authors that they have certain characteristics in common. They manage to retain a sense of the wonder of life and  of adventure that can so easily be eroded as one grows up. This was certainly clear to see from meeting Andrew.

The visit also debunked the belief that success as an author must be immediate. Andrew wrote his first book over 30 years ago. Having got on with the business of life, work and family, he went back to it, and after a few changes and selection of an illustrator, proceeded to publication. Interestingly, Andrew’s job in ‘real life’ had nothing to do with writing – he became an accountant.

The children were rapt throughout – we could hardly believe how much time had passed! Andrew took them on the story of his life and managed to achieve in person what a good book should do – the children were lost in their imagination and fascinated by his story.

There were bigger life lessons that I am sure they took away from their meeting – whether they decide to become authors or not – most important of which was this: whatever your goal or dream, don’t give up. You, or circumstance, may delay it, you may take detours, you may refine and revise the plan, you will meet doubters along the way, you may have a dip in confidence and self- belief, but always keep the dream alive – whatever that dream is – until your will, circumstance and time come together in perfect symmetry to make it real. Andrew was a manifestation of this philosophy, sitting in front of the young writers.

As someone who loves writing but has spent most of her working life in schools, there were many salutary lessons in the visit for me too. Chief of which was it is never too late to return to delayed dreams. You are fortunate indeed if you manage to marry your passion and purpose and manifest it into your working life, which I have done; blessed again if you manage to do it twice… watch this space.

A nationwide water refill scheme has been launched in South Woodford to help shoppers stay hydrated and to reduce the use of plastic bottles.

“South Woodford is now part of the network set up by Refill, and a number of local businesses have already signed up, including the recently relocated Tipi Coffee (117 George Lane), Atkins Physiotherapy (154 High Road) and Greggs (168 George Lane).  So now, whenever you are out and about in South Woodford, look for the refill droplet logo and you can ask for your water bottle to be refilled,” said Louise Burgess of the South Woodford Society.

By downloading the app, users can search for their nearest refill station wherever they are. “This makes it easy to reduce the number of plastic bottles you need to buy and join the increasing number of people whose individual action will have a global impact. According to the Environmental Audit Committee, seven billion plastic water bottles are used each year in the UK.”

Visit refill.org.uk