‘This is Essex’ is the theme for an Essex Art Club competition, which will be judged at the group’s annual exhibition at this November. Mary Springham invites artists to join the historic club and enter. Image July-Thaxted by John Tookey. Essex is the theme for our special competition for members of Essex Art Club. The prize is £120 for a picture of 120 square inches, to celebrate the 120th year of the club. We are pleased to announce the submitted works – which will be displayed at our November exhibition at Wanstead House – will be judged by Professor Ken Howard OBE, who was our club president for many years and is now our patron. Essex Art Club has been encouraging artists and holding exhibitions since 1899, and...

South Woodford’s Young Writers Club is nurturing the creativity of local budding authors, under the guidance of the group’s teacher Shameem Aziz, who knows to never underestimate a child’s potential. The Young Writers Club was the brainchild of Agnieszka Kazmierczak, a friend of mine who was looking for a club that would encourage her son’s love of writing. There were no such clubs already in existence, so being the determined person she is, she set one up herself! Prospective attendees submitted samples of their writing and were picked from these submissions. What was the criteria? Excellent  grammar? Sentence structure? High-level vocabulary? All of these elements had a bearing, of course, but the real requirement was a passion for creativity, ideas and a love of writing. The...

Thanks to the work of the South Woodford Community Gardeners, it will be hard to walk down George Lane this summer without noticing the floral beauty that bisects the road. Judy Noble tells the story behind their work. On many a Friday morning when you walk down the high street, you can spy us busy weeding, planting, cutting back and pruning the lovely gardens we are so lucky to have right down the centre of George Lane in South Woodford. We so enjoy it when you, the local public, come up and tell us how much you too enjoy these gardens. Some of you stay and chat awhile, giving us a chance to straighten our backs, or give us tips and plants you can spare...

Woodford Green resident Linda Gough explains how what began as an interest in family history some 30 years ago has now developed into a satisfying vocation reuniting families Television programmes like Who Do You think You Are? and Long Lost Families have tapped into a very human interest in who we are and where we come from. Added to this, many families have mysteries to solve, missing people to trace and information and stories which they would like to check for accuracy. I became interested in family history about 30 years ago, when I researched my partner’s family who came to England from Germany in the 1830s. This research, undertaken in school holidays when I was a teacher, involved a Tube ride from South Woodford to...

Karen Humpage announces the launch of her book featuring artwork and anecdotes of the cows that once roamed the streets of Woodford. Woodford residents may already be familiar with my work. My paintings of the cows that used to wander the streets have been shown nearby during Art Trail Wanstead and the Wanstead Festival. I recently finished writing my book on the subject, entitled Common or Garden Cows, which is due for release on 28 July. I’m very excited about the book coming out, and keen to know what everyone thinks about it. I’m hoping to organise a ‘meet the author’ afternoon in a local establishment, and possibly do some readings from the book. It’s too early to give definite details yet, so check my...

Sue Page from the Redbridge Heritage Centre invites you to a reminiscence session at Woodford Green Library this August, to share your memories of food, glorious food Our eating habits have changed a lot over the last 80 years. If you lived through the Second World War, you will remember the dietary restrictions brought about by rationing, which began in January 1940. If you lived in Woodford, you would have had to register with a particular retailer in the area to purchase bacon, cheese, fats and sugar. Rationing meant some foodstuffs were traded on the Black Market.   A Woodford café owner was charged in 1946 with obtaining rationed foodstuffs “in excess of points allocated”. He had received 480 tins of salmon and 24 tins...

Counselling and psychotherapy training institute TA East will be hosting a listening post at South Woodford Library this summer. Victoria Baskervill explains what it means to be truly listened to. We all need to talk, be listened to and be in contact with each other, to thrive in this world. “Listening is about being present, not just about being quiet.” Krista Tippett, Becoming Wise, 2016. In contemporary society, we often don’t have or take the time to stop and listen to the birds sing, to hear children’s laughter, or to look up from our phones and really listen and hear each other. There have been moments in both my personal and professional life which I can pinpoint being truly listened to, heard and understood. Sometimes, these have been chance...

Library Development Officer Christine Thompson invites South Woodford’s children to take part in a space-themed reading challenge this summer and read six library books over the holidays. The Reading Agency’s annual Summer Reading Challenge is aimed at children aged four to 12 years and helps get almost three quarters of a million children into libraries to boost their reading skills and confidence. Children’s reading can ‘dip’ during the summer holidays if they don’t have regular access to books and encouragement to pick them up. In 2019, children across the UK will be able to take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, entitled Space Chase, an out-of-this-world adventure inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. It is also the 20th anniversary of...

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...

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...

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...

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...