Coming together for the common good of all

The weather patterns recently have been odd for the time of year. The seasons seem to be slightly behind where things would normally be in May. This struck home when an organic grower recently posted two pictures of broad bean plants. One was this year in flower, the other, at the same time last year, with pods on. The pictures nicely illustrated how things are about three to four weeks behind where they usually are at this time of year. The effects of the delay can also be seen in the trees, now bursting forth with leaf, though slightly late. There have been long periods without rain, then a period of deluge. It has been very unseasonly cold at night. Resilient stalwarts have been refusing to put on the heating in May, which has meant piling on the jumpers at night. The climate is changing. The gardeners and wildlife observers will be well aware of the change, seeing it at first hand. I recently visited Rye Harbour nature reserve in Sussex. Again, the reserve was more reminiscent of April than May, with birds like the bitterns booming in the reeds, as part of their mating ritual. The long dry spell had held back some of the birds. All around us things in nature are changing due to fluctuations in climate. What all these things show is how inter-related and dependent we all are on each other. It is no good putting ones head in the sand and pretending nothing is happening. Unfortunately, this does seem to be the attitude of many humans to climate change and biodiversity loss. Whilst many people have recognised what is happening, believe the science and are acting to bring about change. Others seem in complete denial, rather than read the signs of the times, they prefer to carry on exactly as before - polluting the atmosphere, consuming to excess and dumping their waste everywhere. What will it take to wake some people up and make them realise we a have to change - have some respect for each other and the planet on which we all depend. Everything is inter-telated, we are literally all in it together. And as such we all need to come together for the common good of all.

Exciting happenings in Wanstead Park and on the Flats

Wanstead Park and Flats must have contributed much to the sanity of people over the period of the pandemic. Over the dark days of lockdowns, a walk in the park or across the Flats, as part of daily exercise offereed a welcome respite. Many people seem to have discovered the area for the first time over this period. Local people are particularly protective of their open space and rightly so. The recent fantastic display of bluebells, in Chalet Wood, drew people in from far and wide. Not that many years ago the bluebells were a fairly well kept secret but with the arrival of social media, the good news has been spread far and wide. People have come from all over to see the flowers, most stick to the paths and respect the area, a few seem to think the rules are for others. Another recent success has been the fencing off of a small area of the Flats to help protect the nesting skylarks. The population has been dwindling over recent years, so it is hoped this extra protection will help the birds prosper in future. And there is more to come with the Long Horn cattle returning to the park in August. Three Long Horns crazed in the park for a couple of months last summer, proving hugely popular with the public. Their return is eagerly awaited. Another development resulting from the pandemic has been the wild flower field planted on the Flats, near the City of London cemetery, where the temporary morgue stood, early last year. A fitting natural memorial to that grim period. The Corporation of London have plans for future developments. There is an ongoing consultation on cycling in the park. The three options being to stay as things are, ban cycling all together or allow cycling throughout the park. I'd favour the third option but would like to see some restoration of paths, so that cyclists and pedestrians can co-exist without tearing up the terrain, something that has happened due to the heavier footfall, over wet periods in recent months. There are other outstanding issues in need of attention such as the the lakes in the park and some of the entry points. It would also be good to see the rewilding efforts continue, with suggestions like more wild flower areas around the brick pit area (adjacent to Aldersbrook Road between Blakehall and Park Roads) acted upon. There is much happening and lots to be done but this is also a time to give thanks for our fantastic open spaces in Wanstead and to those who have maintained them and by extension us over these recent difficult times.

Time to reset the clock on climate crisis

It is a sobering thought that the dip in carbon dioxide emissions over the last 12 months, falling up to 17% due to the pandemic, meant the world was back to 2006 levels for the year. The same year incidentally that Sir Nicholas Stern's prophetic report for the UK government advised that if we acted then crisis could be averted and to delay would cost more. Sir Nicholas's words were largely ignored, as humanity continued consuming more and dashing like lemmings toward the cliff edge. Humanity continues to consume more, choking up the very planet we depend upon for life. The avalanche of plastic, both in land and across oceans offers a very good example of this process in action. The political class have begun to stir, resulting in the Paris agreement in 2015. But as Greta Thurnberg points out, they have then failed to deliver on those promises. At local level there have been climate emergencies declared but time is running out. Covid has shown what a crisis really looks like and the mobilisation needed to counter it, The government has moved to invest in the development of green infrastructure but is it too little too late? Following the 2008 financial crisis there were radical measures taken to kick start the economy. Among these were the feed in tariff scheme to encourage people to put solar panels on their roofs. There was a big take up. Polluting cars were taken off the roads in their thousands. Then though came the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition. Conservative leader David Cameron made much of his green credentials, being pictured famously with huskies in Greenland but the empty promises were exposed once he got in office, later being quoted as calling for “the ditching of the green crap.” The feed in tariff and other progressive moves have been phased out by a series of Conservative governments. The green economy is where the jobs, as well as the future of the planet reside. Wanstead Climate Action recently highlighted how green jobs could help replace job lost over the period of the pandemic. Thousands of jobs can be created in this sector in Redbridge and beyond across East London. The Green New Deal UK has estimated that 1.2 million green jobs could be created across the UK over the next two years at a cost of £68 billion. The opportunity is there to create good jobs as part of a move into the growing sector of sustainable living. The climate crisis is on us. The Covid pandemic offers an opportunity to take stock and reset the clock. Part of that process must involve fundamentally changing the way in which we live. This means making real change in the way we live and work, failure to so means lurching ever closer to that precipice.

Rich history of Wanstead

The history of Wanstead and the surrounding area makes for a fascinating study. There was Wanstead House that used to stand in the grounds of the park and golf course with its rich history. The final episode being well chronicled in Geraldine Robert’s excellent book, the Angel and the Cad, which tells the story of William Wellesley-Pole and Catherine Tylney Long. The frittering away of the estate, which stood comparison to Blenheim Palace, to the point where it was physically sold off piece by piece. Prior to that, the previous Wanstead House had been the playground of Tudor and Stuart monarchs and courtiers. The house was variously owned by the infamous Richard Rich and later Queen Elizabeth’s favourite Earl of Leicester, Robert Dudley. The latter is believed to have married his second wife Lettice Knollys at the house, resulting in his being exiled from court by a scorned and angry Elizabeth. A new study titled Wanstead House: East London’s Lost Palace by Hannah Armstrong comes out next year . Beyond the house, though, here is so much else that has gone on in the area. A lot of Wanstead, as it appears today, came about in the early part of the 20th century. Up until that time it seems to have been mainly made up of farms and forest – a very rural setting. The building of the likes of the Eastern Avenue and arrival of the railway seems to have led to much of the developments. Previously, the landscape was punctuated by large houses, such as the Lake House, which stood where the Belgrave Heights block of flats now stands. On the site of Wanstead Station, there used to be another large house occupied by William Penn, after whom Pennsylvania was later named. Another striking house, was the former the agent’s residence for the Wanstead House Estate, pictured in 1912, with the hunt outside. It was demolished in 1932. In his recent talk on Wanstead history, Chris O’Donnell told the story of the three Nutter sisters – Gertrude, Jessie and Mary, who gave the field at Nutter Lane to the people of Wanstead. It was in their honour that the road was renamed Nutter Lane, it previously having been known as George Lane. Chris also told of the fascinating history of St Marys Church, with links to slave owners and those who fought for abolition, both commemorated in the grounds. It is also a sobering thought that Wanstead House was no doubt financed by income derived from the East India Company, which was linked to the slave trade. Then there is the United Reformed Church at the top of Nightingale and Grosvenor Roads, moved brick by brick from St Pancras and rebuilt here. Another more recent nugget of history concerned the battle post war to stop West Ham Council compulsorily purchasing 163 acres of Wanstead Flats to build a housing estate linking West Ham and Wanstead. A mobilisation, involving the War Damage Organisation in Aldersbrook, together with people from East Ham and West Ham stopped this happening. There is so much history in Wanstead and the surrounding area

Technology takeover?

Technology has come to play a bigger and bigger role in people's lives over the period of the pandemic. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Whatsapp, Skype, Facebook and Twitter are just a few of the many platforms that have enabled connectivity between people. This technology has enabled people to stay in touch, though more than a few have probably had enough of online meetings. The reliance we now place on technology hit home recently, when the internet and cable connection went down. During an online meeting, things were cut short. Turning to the TV, that network was down as well. A message was being given that s cable was not connected, when in reality the network was down. Next morning, the street Whatsapp was alive with chatter about the network going down, so then I knew it was not just me. This minor episode illustrated how essential technology has become, as well as providing an example of a connected community that wasn't there before. There are worries about our present direction of travel, with the assumption that everyone is on line. Increasingly, not being online seems to be inviting isolation and alienation. Many of the traditional high street shops and services are moving online, closing shops and branches. The move of the likes of banks away from a physical to an online presence no doubt makes commercial sense. But what about the less digitally literate person at home alone. They value the chance to speak direct to another person in person. The move to online may make them feel more anxious and insecure. People have literally become addicted to their mobile phones. At some time in the future the ability to converse directly with another human being in person may become a taught social skill. It is good to break digital addiction from time to time - leave the phone behind when you go for a walk. Feel that liberation, a reclaiming of life. The advent of the internet has brought huge access to information for billions. Yet it has also enabled people to lock themselves off in silos, only communicating with like minded individuals. Conspiracy theories and unreality abound. So there are definite pluses and minuses of the present digital revolution. It has been a huge help in so many ways during the pandemic, allowing people to stay in touch. On a more negative note, the technology can also help breed a new type of isolation and loneliness. So moving forward we must continue to use the connectivity of online communication but not let the whole thing takeover, reclaim our lives sometimes.