While pubs close around the UK, in Wanstead, the George has been saved

The George & Dragon pub, formerly the George, will be opening in January. The £1.5 million refurbishment of the pub by new owners Urban Pubs & Bars (UPB) will bring a new experience for the people of Wanstead. The saving of the pub is something to be celebrated. Pubs are going down across the country, with the cost of living crisis accelerating this process. It is rare to save or open a new one. The continuation of the George legacy, which goes back to the 18th century, is very welcome. The campaign to save the George played no small part in this achievement. It showed how much local people care for this iconic pub. A petition signed by 3,589 people, showed the appetite for a place where people can eat and drink together but is also a community space. In a world where people seem to be becoming increasing disconnected and isolated, this important function of pubs and other hospitality premises should not be under estimated. The appetite for good, reasonably priced beer was again emphasised in October with the great turn out for the Wanstead Beer Festival. Attended by more than 700 people, the festival was almost drunk dry but not quite. Next year the organisers intend to try to go one better, another step towards making Wanstead a beer capital. So now, we wait for the George & Dragon to open. UPB have been impressed with the local support that was shown for the old pub. It shows people really value and care for the place. UPB have been keen to engage, meeting recently with Leyton & Wanstead MP Calvin Bailey and myself to explain their plans. It all looks exciting with the new owners keen to become an active part of the Wanstead community. They have a particular commitment to sourcing locally, which fits well with the bigger vision for sustainable living. It is great that many of the staff from the George are being kept on, others have been redeployed by previous owners Wetherspoons. UPB expect to take on more staff, as their plans progress The new owners won't be providing the cheap prices of Wetherspoons but they do recognise the need for variety and that not everyone can afford £6 plus pints. But for now it is a case of wait and see. The future looks bright. What shouldn't be forgotten is the effort of so many to save the pub. Whilst Wetherspoons refused to listen, the new owners have. The Wanstead community has once again come together and been heard. Now, just looking forward to that first pint in the George & Dragon.

Otters, kingfishers & pollution - the story of the River Roding

The River Roding really is one of the hidden jewels in the biodiversity crown around these parts. The river begins out in the wilds of Essex, meandering it's way through Redbridge to reach Barking and eventually the Thames. The parts I enjoy regularly walking are between Charlie Browns roundabout and Ilford Hill. Most of the route is either the Roding Valley Park (owned by Redbridge) or Wanstead Park (owned by the City of London Corporation). The river is always changing. Kingfishers often fly down river, that flash of bright emerald blue. Or if your lucky a stationery bird perched on a branch, a fish in its beak. The imperious herons are also a regular sight, waiting motionless to strike, skewering a fish or vole. The elusive water rail also tracks the banks. Above, the adjacent Ilford Golf course, buzzards can be seen drifting on the thermals, looking for prey below. Along the Roding Valley stretch is a community orchard on the Redbridge Lane East side. All sorts of varieties of apples and pears in the summer. The blackberries also abound along the banks at this time. Later, in the autumn, hops can be seen growing on the rivers edge. A recent exciting addition on the Roding has been otters. There have been some spotted along the Wanstead Park stretch of the river. A fortunate few, mainly birders, have been lucky enough to see an otter. These elusive creatures have also been picked up by police helicopters, as they swim downstream. They may have been attracted by an increase in fish life in the river - due partly to the work of Thames 21, which has put obstacles in the river, so encouraging the water to meander more slowly creating pools, where fish dwell. The River Roding,though, does suffer from pollution, often from private landowners, adjacent to the waterway. The River Roding Trust has done much to highlight the pollution. It has also done great clear up work, with voluntary groups conducting litter picks along the banks.. The river is another area that acts as a receptacle for human detritus. Then there is the pollution in the water.Environmental activist and lawyer, Paul Powesland has highlighted the pollution in the river and those responsible. In 2021, he revealed heavy pollution at the Aldersbrook tributary, which flows into the river. This came from a sewage spill from a pipe owned by Thames Water. The Environment Agency has yet to press charges. The Roding is a precious haven for nature and humanity. A tranquil place to walk and watch wildlife.But it is also a river under threat from a variety of polluting sources. More people need to take an interest and become custodians of the river. The River Roding Trust (riverrodingtrust.org.uk) is a good place to start, if you want to help protect and save this precious waterway.

Attack on net zero policies is the latest strand of the fossil fuel backed climate denial industry

The twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss continue to ravage the world. The floods in Europe, the hurricanes in America and daily impacts seen in this country. Yet, still the world sleeps. America has just elected a president in complete denial that there is any sort of environmental crisis going on. He is famed for backing fossil fuel production. Quite how this will work out, when renewables are by far the cheapest form of energy, remains to be seen. America has made great strides forward on the environmental agenda under the Biden administration. But it decided at the Presidential election to head back towards some sort of mythical vision of the 1950s. The impact of the climate skeptic movement has done much damage across the world, not just in America - mainly in delaying action. Funded in large part by the fossil fuel industry to propagate lies and distortions it has had a big impact. Flying in the face of the science, media across the world has fallen into line with the propagation of the many untruths. Outright denial of the crises has largely been discredited, with a refining of tactics from the climate deniers. The new target is net zero. So the idea that countries need to adopt policies that will bring net zero emissions in order to address climate change is under attack. These policies are crucial to human survival on the earth, yet climate deniers are redefining the policy as some sort of lifestyle choice. This then becomes, net zero policies cannot be afforded. Or yes, we can move in that direction when there is growth in the economy. This is an insidious development of climate denial. It is easily accepted with those caught up in short term, bottom line economic thinking Yet it is as nonsensical as climate denial. The devastation is all around us. There is no time to delay. Nature can be brutal and turn. It will not wait till humans decide they can "afford" to behave in a less destructive way. We are already paying the price of inaction. Back in 2006, Sir Nicholas Stern, warned in a report for the British Government that not acting on climate would be more costly in the long term. And so it has proved. There seems every chance that the world has gone past the tipping points on climate and biodiversity destruction. We may simply be dealing with the effects, not the causes? What is for sure is that there is no more time to delay. Net zero policies must be the norm across the world. The destruction of the environment is the crisis of our time. It needs to be treated as such. We cannot just sit and hope a magic solution can be found and everything will be alright

BBC needs to halt its march to self destruction

So the BBC have decided to let football presenter, Gary Lineker, go from his job as Match of the Day. Another decision that shows the gutlessness at the heart of the Corporation. Yes, Lineker is paid a huge amount of money (around £1.3 million) to present the weekly program plus other shows. But Lineker is very good at what he does. There can be little doubt that other rival channels will compete for the former England internationals services. He will probably earn more. The decision to let Lineker go, though, seems likely to be because of his controversial tweets. His comments about issues like the previous Conservative Government's immoral asylum policies attracted criticism from that government and right wing media. He was, though, absolutely right in what he was saying. There was a huge furore last year, when Lineker was suspended and fellow presenters - in an act of solidarity - went on strike in support. Lineker was reinstated. Issues of free speech were and are at stake, something that has apparently been withdrawn at the BBC for high profile presenters. But what the latest Lineker developments betray is an organisation that appears to have totally lost its way. The BBC management has cynically overseen budget cuts forced on it by government. It has used the shortage of funding as an excuse to further slash journalistic resources and dumb down. Journalists have gone, news coverage has been further devalued. Meanwhile, more and more seems to be spent on trashy quizzes and reality TV - often hosted by washed up soap stars. This stream of banality provides a source of ready ammunition for those opposed to the very existence of the BBC. Popular programs have been cut. So, for example, the popular Autumnwatch has gone, whilst the weekly, Countryfile, has now been reduced to an archive program, lacking original content.. The BBC seems to have totally lost its way. It has a habit of capitulating at times of trouble, rather than rallying support amongst the public and opposing the onslaught. The direction of travel at the moment will see the gradual erosion of that public support. This is not to say that all is lost. The BBCs news coverage remains amongst the most trusted by the public. The Corporation continues to produce some great drama like the recent adaptation of Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light and previously Mr Loverman. (Even if these dramatic triumphs do have to be set against a background of innane cop based dross.) There are many opponents of the BBC out there that need to be confronted. Instead, the present management seems determined to capitulate by backing an ever accelerating race to the bottom. The BBC urgently needs to rediscover its role at the heart of the nation. The present chipping away at all that is good in its content will only hasten it's demise

Another great production of a Christmas Carol at the Old Vic

The annual celebration of Charles Dicken's a Christmas Carol at the Old Vic did not disappoint. An explosion of energy from an excellent cast, anchored by the outstanding, John Simm, playing Scrooge. This is the eighth year that the Old Vic has performed a Christmas Carol, making it a real festive curtain raiser for the many who attend. The play represents Christmas writ big, celebration and joy, yet also a very moral story of one man's redemption. This Matthew Warchus production tells the story to perfection. The pace of the production gradually speeding up to the final second half crescendo. Rob Howell's set maybe slightly more minimalist than past offerings but it works well. Maybe the cast have to work that little bit harder? The effects, such as the snow tumbling down and the sheet channels used to bring food in from the sidelines to create the big feast ordered by Scrooge, provide great atmospherics. The brussel sprouts and potatoes cascade down onto the stage. The large turkey is paraded around. The musical accompaniment is once again distinctive with the use of the handbells and carols sung from the upper circle balcony of the theatre. Some criticise the Old Vic for running a Christmas Carol each year but the ready response comes as the play finishes. The theatres annual appeal has now raised over £1 million over the seven years. This year the funds raised will go to the Waterloo Food bank. But as John Simm reminded the audience 14 million people live in poverty in the UK. One in three children. This in one of the richest countries in the world, a home to over 200 billionaires, yet millions go to food banks. The gross inequality of this society reverberates back to the world Dickens wrote about in a Christmas Carol. As long as such injustice continues the Old Vic needs to keep telling this story. A story about a man in love with money and only able to truly live when redeemed from that sorry state. When he changes, the world around him is transformed. Similarly, when the unjust, unequal structures of this country change then so too will the mass of people be able to live better lives. Until that time the play must go on, as a constant reminder of the need for change and redemption. On a lighter note, this is another great production of a Christmas Carol - a play that really gets the Christmas season going for all of those lucky enough to see it. Runs till 4 January 2025

Review of the Lie of the Land by Guy Shrubsole

This book provides vital reading for government ministers, activists and anyone who cares about the future of the planet. Guy Shrubsole reveals how the limited number of people who own land in the UK have overseen the trashing of this asset under the guise of being good stewards. There are telling statistics, such as that just 5% of the land is taken for private homes and gardens. This figure rises to 8.8% if the definition is extended to all land built on. A further 73% is farmland and 10% forestry. Agriculture contributes 11%. of UK carbon emissions. Shrubsole asserts that the "biggest drivers of biodiversity loss are agriculture, forestry and shooting." There is then a comprehensive demolition of the private landowners claims to be good stewards of the land. Shrubsole chronicles the damage done to peat on the uplands by grouse shoots. Huge amounts of CO2 have been released through mismanagement, involving the draining and burning of the peat heavy areas. All, to satisfy the needs of game birds, that are ultimately shot. There are amazing statistics, such as that 50 million pheasants are released to be shot each year by the landowners - more than the total breeding biomass of the entire UK wild bird population. The author charts the draining of the Fens in Cambridgeshire, initially by 13 landowning venture capitalists, converting it from wetlands to farming land. There has been a subsequent huge release of CO2. Then there was the destructive role of individuals like Lord Bedford, who in the 19th century, brought in invasive damaging species like the grey squirrel. Shrubsole claims that the funds given to private landowners (£9.2 billion in the last 30 years), in the name of stewardship, to look after and improve the land, has been largely wasted. It would be better spent on buying the land outright and bringing it into the public estate. Even the national parks are dominated by privately owned farmland. And matters have got worse over the past 14 years, with cuts to public sector operators and regulators. This book though is not all doom and gloom but a vision of what can be, as well as a call to action. Basically, Shrubsole wants to take the land back from the private sphere to the public. He draws inspiration from Scotland, where the Land Reform Act enshrines the community right to buy. So, when land becomes available, community bodies can register an interest. They, then have eight months to raise the funds but can also draw on a Community Fund. A similar but more diluted form of the community right to buy exists in England under the Localism Act. But here, there is just six months to raise the funds and community groups can be gazumped. A Community Ownership Fund was established in 2021. In Scotland, the community ownership process has seen 500,000 acres (2.6%) of the land come under public ownership. Shrubsole looks in detail at the transformation in nature as a result of the public buy out at Langholm Moor in Scotland. Shrubsole concludes with a 10 point plan of action. The plan includes taking back control of the peat soils of the uplands, presently emitting 3.4 million tonnes of CO2 annually. This includes banning moorland burning and outlawing driven grouse shooting. Shrubsole believes rewilding the uplands would substantially cut CO2 emissions and make the government target of protecting 30% if the land for nature by 2030 attainable. There are also calls for a strong community right to buy in England, using public money to buy land for nature, make polluting landowners pay, via a carbon land tax, stopping the mass pheasant releases and making large landowners (1000 acres plus) accountable for what they are doing with the land for nature. "The public needs to be able to assert that some parts of our land - our most important carbon stores, our most precious ecosystems-have to be managed for the common good, rather than trashed for private gain, " writes Shrubsole. Guy Shrubsole has come up with a most important book at a crucial time in the present biodiversity and climate crisis. He highlights how the domination of the land by a small number of private interests has helped further that crisis. His recommendations offer a way forward and hope for the future. But only if the public interest finally triumphs over private greed. Published by William Collins - £22

Waste not

The amount of litter just dumped around Wanstead does not seem to ever decrease. On a recent litter pick, it took very little time to fill a bag with all sorts of discarded waste - cans, plastic bottles, cups, paper and fag ends. There seems no end to it, much of it thrown out of car windows or just casually dropped by pedestrians. Why do human beings have so little regard for the environment in which they live? The amount of rubbish taken out of Wanstead is incredible. There are the efforts of volunteer litter pickers and the professional street cleaners. Many will have seen the bags mount up, waiting to be picked up on the high street. Then there are the bins on George and Christchurch Greens that are emptied regularly by Vision staff. The council brought in wheelie bins a few years ago. This was to encourage less waste and more recycling. It has worked to a degree but the levels of actual household waste created show little sign of reducing It seems there is a total disconnect between the climate crisis going on around us and people's individual lives The consumer society of buy, use and throw away has brought us to the brink of environmental disaster. The land and oceans are filling up with plastics and other waste products. We are literally choking on our own rubbish. In order to have any chance of surviving, there needs to be a total change of mindset. We all need to live more simply on the earth, tread more gently and have a greater sense of care for the consequences of our actions. In the case of waste this means creating less. Why can people not buy what they are going to eat, rather than throw so much away? Food waste is a huge problem in our society. Think a little more holistically, the problem does not end when the waste is taken away from your home. Another huge amount of waste is created by building work. Extensions, rebuilds and new kitchens create massive amounts of waste. Yes, good contractors ensure this waste is disposed of in a responsible manner but it still needs dealing with. Do people need to rip a house or flat apart, as soon as they move into the place. It is incredible to behold practically new kitchens finishing up in skips outside houses. Just because people have the money and can do something doesn't make it the right thing to do. The time has come to think more holistically about what we do. Think of the community, the consequences of the way we live. We all need to live more simply and sustainably on this earth or in time we will destroy the very basis of life. *A councillor led monthly litter pick takes place at 10am on the third Saturday of each month. Starting point is Woodbine Place by the buses - equipment provided. Next session is on 16th November