Supporters of Woodford Town Football Club have been left frustrated by the delay in moving into their new ground on Ashton Playing Fields. “It is disheartening, but it will be worth the wait to see a first-class athletic and football stadium developed on the site off Chigwell Road,” said a spokesperson for the club, which continues to share a ground with Harlow FC. “The move has passed the planning stage, but there is little sign of progress at the site despite extensive liaison between those involved… It will be hard to galvanise the local support until we return home.” Woodford Town FC currently holds a mid-table position in the Essex Senior League and have built up a very ‘noisy and inclusive’ following despite being based...

A Year 5 Avon House Preparatory School pupil has become an international karate champion. Nine-year-old Aaron Johnson-Campbell travelled to Scotland in September to compete in the 2019 British Karate Federation’s International Open Championships. “After four extremely competitive matches, with amazing competitors, Aaron came through successfully to be crowned champion in the boys kumite category (seven to nine years; over 25kg). This was a well-deserved win for Aaron after all the intense training that he put in and we cannot wait to see the fantastic achievements he will accomplish in the future. Well done Aaron!” said a spokesperson for the Woodford Green school. Kumite literally means ‘grappling hands’ and is one of the three main sections of karate teaching. Visit swvg.co.uk/bkf...

Powers to tackle and reduce anti-social behaviour in the west of the borough have been extended after residents overwhelmingly supported Redbridge Council’s proposals to update a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for the area. Police and council officers previously had powers to combat street drinking in Bridge, Monkhams, Churchfields, South Woodford, Wanstead Village and Wanstead Park wards. Now, the updated PSPO is enforcing additional restrictions, including begging, public urination, loitering and spitting. “Public concern prompted a consultation with residents, which received 1,693 responses with an overwhelming majority in favour of all the restrictions,” said a spokesperson. Breaches of the order can result in a fine of £100 or, in serious cases, prosecution....

Sir Winston Churchill was a world leader, statesman and local MP. Ahead of a talk at Wanstead Library about the iconic politician, Jef Page, president of the Ilford Historical Society, reviews the life of a man he believes was the ‘greatest Briton of all’ Winston Spencer Churchill (1874–1965) was a larger-than-life character, lucky to be born in Blenheim Palace with a massive silver spoon in his mouth, son of the beautiful American heiress Jennie Jerome (he worshipped her) and Lord Randolph Churchill. Winston attracted both tragedy and attention – hardly surprising as he liked smoking massive seven-inch long Cuban Havana cigars and stuck up a V-sign second to none. From being reviled in Tonypandy, South Wales where, as Liberal Home Secretary, he sent troops onto...

Are you sitting comfortably? Former teacher and Woodford Green resident Jessica Norrie has a story to tell. Her novel – The Magic Carpet – was inspired by her experiences of teaching and living locally I’ve lived since 1988 in Walthamstow or Woodford, and taught Redbridge pupils and adults until 2016. Teaching’s a two-way process; we learn from students while they learn from us. I liked and celebrated them, but by retirement, my head was crowded with three decades of lives brought into my classrooms. Thousands passed through, from all income levels, speaking over 50 languages, practising at least 10 religions or none, with single parents, step-parents, carers…    It’s a teacher’s job to help pupils organise their thoughts by telling or writing news or stories...

The Woodford Festival Association (WFA) is appealing for new volunteers to help ensure the next event – planned for October 2020 – can go ahead. The biennial festival – which takes place over the course of a week – embraces a wide range of performing and visual arts, presented mostly by local residents. WFA chairman Geoff Seeff was delighted with the community’s positive response to the nearly 100 individual events that were staged in 2018 and believes that, since its launch in 2008, the festival has become one of the defining features of the local area. “It’s great fun. We are able to provide a forum for some amazingly talented musicians, artists, poets and speakers and they in turn are able to give much pleasure...

More than 100 people gathered at Latchett Evangelical Church in South Woodford recently to mark the handover of the building to a new congregation. Church elder Tim Smith explains why Nearly 90 years after Latchett Evangelical Church was founded in Maybank Road, the building has been handed to The Bridge Church, a group which has been worshipping in Woodford and Buckhurst Hill for many years. Older readers may well remember the original ‘Tin Tab’ in Latchett Road, then known as Latchett Hall. This was bought in 1933 by Dr David Smith to be a place of worship and community action. In 1961 the rebuilding scheme we see today was completed with funds raised entirely by the congregation. Over the years, the church has had its...

The Woodford and District branch of the National Trust is inviting new members to join them on their winter London outings. Membership costs £15 per year, which includes the trips and access to a series of monthly talks at Woodford Memorial Hall and All Saints’ Church. Upcoming excursions include a trip to the Bank of England on 5 November, a visit to the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul in Greenwich on 11 December and a tour of Whitehall’s Banqueting House on 23 January. Call 07774 164 407...

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 sixth of a series of articles charting the River Roding Project – which aims to reduce that risk – Laura Hepworth from the Environment Agency reflects on the project’s recent community events. River image by Anna MacLaughlin Since the last edition, the River Roding Project Outline Business Case has been approved, which means we are now working to produce detailed designs. We are aiming to apply for planning permission by spring 2020. We have also submitted a bid for funding to the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, and should hear if we are...

The local community are invited to pay their respects at Remembrance ceremonies across Redbridge this November. South Woodford will host the first of the borough’s six wreath-laying events with a service at the Woodford War Memorial in front of St Mary’s Church on 9 November from 9am. Three more services will take place the following day: at Ilford War Memorial (10.50am), Hainault War Memorial (10.45am) and Wanstead War Memorial (12.30pm). On Remembrance Day itself, Fairlop Waters Country Park and Snaresbrook’s Garden of Remembrance will be the setting for two minutes of silence at 11am. “It is only fitting that we pay tribute to all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice… We owe them a debt of gratitude,” said the Mayor of Redbridge, Councillor Zulfiqar...

Members of a local slimming and fitness club competed in a dragon boat race in September to raise funds for charity and to celebrate their instructor’s 25th anniversary year of teaching fitness. “We recruited 17 of our members, aged 26 to almost 70, to take part in #Dragonfest 2019 – a day of fun, food and excitement in aid of good causes. Thirteen other teams, including nursery staff and cleaners, battled for first place on the day,” said South Woodford resident Karen Smith, who runs Fitgirlslim in Gants Hill, Chigwell, Woodford and Clayhall. The Fitgirlslim Flyers – who were the only all-female team in the event – raised over £2,400 for Woodford Bridge charity ELHAP, which supports over 600 disabled children, young people and adults...

A public consultation on South Woodford’s Neighbourhood Plan is due to start in November. “There is currently a formal review of the paperwork, after which the consultation will start. This will be publicised both on our website and by Redbridge Council,” said a spokesperson for the South Woodford Society. “Once we hit this milestone, we will be seeking volunteers to assist in putting together the actual plan, which we anticipate will take quite a few months.” Visit swvg.co.uk/sws...