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Redbridge Council is rolling out cycle hangars across the borough.

“The response from residents so far has been very positive, with the vast majority looking forward to having somewhere safe to put their bikes. In neighbouring boroughs, hangars have proved popular and helped foster a cycling culture – hopefully, the same will happen here,” said Councillor Paul Donovan.

“If you are interested in having a hangar close to you, please get in touch.”

Email jack.redman@redbridge.gov.uk

The South Woodford Society is urging as many people as possible to take part in Redbridge Council’s consultation on the group’s Neighbourhood Plan Area and Forum application.

“The boundary area for the plan has been based on the E18 postcode, with a slight overlap into parts of Wanstead, Snaresbrook and Woodford. It also includes the Tesco site next to Charlie Brown’s Roundabout, which has been included for the simple reason that the sheer size of that site, should it ever be developed into residential, would have a significant impact on resources in South Woodford,” said Pearl Arbenser-Simmonds.

The consultation – which is open until 6 January – asks residents if they think the proposed boundary is consistent with the South Woodford area. A decision on whether the area will be designated is expected by the end of February and is the first stage in producing a Neighbourhood Plan for the area.

Email dpd@redbridge.gov.uk or visit swvg.co.uk/nplan

Members of a local fitness club took part in a 1980s-themed mass workout at the end of 2019 in celebration their leader’s 25th anniversary in fitness and to raise funds for ELHAP, a special needs adventure playground in Woodford Bridge.

“This charity event was the climax of a fantastic year – my 25th anniversary of teaching fitness classes. We managed to find an original Felicity Kendal vinyl exercise LP from the 1980s and hook it up to a sound system… we all enjoyed stepping back in time for the aerobathon,” said South Woodford resident Karen Smith, who runs Fitgirlslim in Gants Hill, Chigwell, Woodford and Clayhall

“Thanks to the generosity of our club members, throughout the year, we have now raised over £5,000 for ELHAP and had a lot of fun along the way.”

Visit swvg.co.uk/fgs

Woodford Town FC officials have expressed their delight following Redbridge Council’s approval of a £1.6m revamp of Ashton Playing Fields in Woodford Green, which will enable the club – currently sharing a ground with Harlow FC – to return to the local area.

“This is a real step forward and it will be a fantastic reward for a lot of effort when the building work begins,” said a spokesperson.

The club, which competes in the Essex Senior League, are keen to build community ties, and have been working with local schools to create a time capsule that will be buried under the proposed 350-seater grandstand.

“It’s great the wheels are turning in our return home. There has been a lot of support in the local area for this. The future is looking very exciting!” added supporter Lloyd Duddridge.

Visit swvg.co.uk/wtfc

Henry Scott stood as an independent candidate for the Leyton and Wanstead constituency in December’s General Election. Having recently turned 18, he was the UK’s youngest candidate.

“The election has been brilliant, and it’s given me a lot of experience, but also educated me a lot on the issues in our area and in the country. From the homeless to business owners, everyone has problems that need to have a change in the way they are dealt with… I was surprised at some of the abuse myself and other parties received, but I’ve been told that’s just how politics works… I am definitely going to run for a councillor position next time. The campaign has spurred me on and built me up with enthusiasm,” said Henry, who received a 1% vote share with 427 votes.

Redbridge Council is seeking feedback from residents as to where communal charging points for electric vehicles should be located.

“The advance of this technology has been slower in this country than some others, but gradually the electric car revolution is taking off. Redbridge Council is keen to support this form of transport, providing a number of charging points across the borough. This is an ongoing process, so expressions of interest are being invited regarding possible sites,” said Councillor Paul Donovan.

Figures provided by the BBC Shared Data Unit in 2019 show Redbridge has a lower than average ratio of charger ports to licensed electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles when compared to the rest of UK (21 charging locations and 426 licensed electric cars).

Email evcp@redbridge.gov.uk

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.