Fascinating insight into nature at St Marys, Wanstead

Spiders,bees, peregrine falcons and daffodils can all be seen at Marys churchyard in Wanstead. St Marys was the site recently of an excellent guided tour, arranged by the Wren Group. The tour was led by chair of the Wren Group, James Heal with help from the custodians of St Mary's. James was pointing out the birds, a goldcrest and coal tit in amongst the Yew trees, when a peregrine falcon flew over above, scanning the area for prey. The next object of interest was a rotting log, which had become a home for wild bees James found a variety of spiders, as a result of shaking branches. The amount of wildlife in this three acre space was truly remarkable. There are also bee hives being tended on site. The church has a gardening group, which works in the graveyard. The Church working with Wild Wanstead and Redbridge Council have developed the graveyard into a biodiversity oasis. A real case of reading the signs of the times. Something also in evidence when going inside the church, were the pews full of goods donated by the local community to help the people of Ukraine. Built in 1790, the church sits adjacent to the site where Wanstead house stood until the 1820s. St Mary's often attracts the film crews, particularly those making films featuring the Georgian period. Vanity Fair was one recent drama partly filmed there. St Mary's, though, is truly a living church aware of its historical legacy, whilst also living in the moment, with the wild graveyard and charitable support for the people of Ukraine. The church truly plays a vital role as part of the community of Wanstead - an example that has much to offer others, particularly those seeking to live in a greener and more sustainable way. A cause for hope, so go take a look.

A bit more cash needed to realise the true potential of Wanstead Park and Epping Forest

There has been much happening in Wanstead Park recently, with the successful introduction of the long horn cows grazing, the area opened up to cycling, new sign posts and the exciting Thames 21 developments along the Roding. More is on the way with proposals for the park to get some Suitable Alternative Natural Green Space (SANGS) funding via Redbridge Council that will enable more work to be done around improving accesses to the park and the area around the exchange lands. It seems things have come a long way over the past 20 years. At the turn of the century, the custodians of the park, the City of London Corporation (CLC), seemed less willing to engage with the local population. I was part of a group called the Wanstead Park Community Project (WPCP), the forerunner to the Friends of Wanstead Park (FWP). The group was made up of historians, archaelogists, environmentalists, journalists and film makers. Much of the work was about bringing the past and present life of the park to public notice. Filmaker Stuart Monro was a driving force in setting up WPCP. Stuart also made a number of DVDs about different aspects of the park. Some of these are still on sale at various places around Wanstead. There was also a booklet about the park. Sadly, Stuart died in 2017 but his work was taken forward. The WPCP and then the FWP took forward concerns over things like the state of the lakes in the park. The park was put on English Heritage’s at risk register in 2009, due to the state of the lakes. It remains on that register today. But things have been moving forward, with some of the developments mentioned earlier. There has also been the excellent ongoing work of the Wren Group, whose members are regularly doing voluntary work around the park. Volunteers helped with the introduction of the cows, effectively watching over the cattle, whilst informing the public about what was going on. The FWP also do much in the park. They raised funds, which helped with the provision of the recent signposts and information boards. All of that said, there is a growing concern that a whole number of stakeholders from the volunteers of the Wren Group and FWP to Redbridge Council and Thames 21 seem to be contributing in different ways but what about the Corporation of London itself? Recently, the Environment Agency were insisting that statutory works needed doing in the form of a flood prevention plan for the park. Some £10 million was committed for the work before that need was reduced down to nearer the thousands so what happened to the rest of it? Neither it would seem are the funding shortages limited to Wanstead Park. The Epping Forest Heritage Trust (EPHT) has called on the City of London Corporation to “invest more in protecting and conserving the forest for people to enjoy now and for generations to come.” The EFHT highlight a 19% cut £1.66 Million) in the budget for the [Epping] forest from the previous year (2020/21). There has been a 40% cut in the budget over the past 10 years. “Extra funding is essential for tree, path and pond maintenance, as well as vital for habitat management to protect the Forest’s biodiversity,” said Peter Lewis, chief executive officer of the EFHT. “We all understand more than ever the importance of the Epping Forest to the people of London and Essex, as well as the Forest’s importance in terms of biodiversity, heritage and climate change. As we come out of the pandemic, we call on the Corporation to follow the visionary example of their predecessors and invest now in the future of the Forest for the good of us all, and for the good of our planet.” Let’s hope the City of London Corporation heed these words. It is a very rich organisation, which surely could afford to put a bit more into this vital ecological infrastructure stretching from East London out into Essex. It is a much-loved space, which just needs a bit more cash put in to help develop its fantastic potential.

A world in crisis , Covid, Ukraine and Climate destruction - what next?

The terrible scenes from Ukraine over recent weeks have shocked the world. The unleashing of violence by Russian President Vladimir Putin against people of another country, under no pretext, is very hard to fathom War always amounts to a total breakdown in human relations, a grotesque failure, leading to untold damage. Since the Second World War, all manner of laws, conventions and diplomatic structures have been put into place to prevent armed conflict taking place The UN, though imperfect, has played an important role as a place where people talk and resolve differences, rather than leap to violence. There have been conflicts over the past 77 years, such as Korea in the 1950s, Vietnam, Afghanistan (twice) and Iraq (twice). But in the main, it has been a period of peace compared to what went before. What is so difficult to understand is how President Putin can justify the huge amount of destruction unleashed. The thousands of deaths, the millions of refugees and demolition of much of what was a modern country. Is it all about imperial dreams of a greater Russia? Whatever the motivations , the actions and resulting devastation do not justify Putin's actions. The remainder of the world has held back from military intervention, which given the nuclear angle could bring the end for us all. Economic and cultural war though has been declared. Sanctions and boycotts have isolated Russia as a world pariah, but will it be enough? Is this a way to restrain violent conflict? Only, time will tell. What is for sure is that there needs to be a new push for peace and reinstatement of means to avoid war. The precedence of international law needs to be restored, something that took a severe knock when the US and UK invaded Iraq in 2003. Something, that President Putin no doubt noted, prior to invading Ukraine. It must be hoped that among those means is not a new arms race. The.tills of the arms manufacturers across the world have already been ringing loud and clear, as a result of the Ukraine conflict. The world has massive problems, like climate and biodiversity destruction, to focus upon. Huge resources are required to deal with these threats. Another arms race, amid an even more unstable world, is the last thing required. These certainly are turbulent times, first a worldwide pandemic killing millions, now war in Ukraine. It was hoped that life might change for the better coming out of Covid, a realisation that we all need to come together for the common good of all. Let's hope that when the Ukraine conflict is over, and peace returns, that a similar sentiment prevails. The generosity and support of ordinary people in the street for the stricken in Ukraine has been overwhelming. It is these sentiments that need to be plugged into in order to create a better, more peaceful world, not more arms sales and carbon emissions.

Metropolitan Police need more than a change of leader

The Metropolitan Police have never been far from the headlines recently. Met Commissioner Cressida Dick stood down, after London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his displeasure at performance. There have been a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving policeman, the subsequent mishandling of a peaceful demonstration concerning her death, the poor investigation and subsequent promotion of some of the officers involved concerning the Stephen Port case and the taking and circulation of pictures taken of two dead young women by police officers. In the Port case the Met has been accused of institutional homophobia, over the investigation of the murders of four men. 17 officers from the case were cleared of misconduct, whilst 7 have been promoted. Finally, came the revelations of the Independent Office for Police Conduct investigation into Charing Cross Police Station, which found unacceptable exchanges revealing homophobic, racist and sexist attitudes. These events are no doubt just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to abuses. More will be needed to address such a dysfunctional culture than just changing the leader. Part of the problem generally is the impunity that has surrounded the police generally, a feeling of being above the law. There have been numerous deaths in custody and miscarriages of justice over recent decades, yet no police officers have been held to account - indeed some, as in the Port case, have been promoted. There is an ongoing inquiry at the moment into police who went undercover to infiltrate peace and environmental groups. Some of these officers had relationships and children with the women concerned. How can this be justified on any level? What is needed is root and branch reform. The whole culture needs to change. There needs to be a careful examination of recruitment methods to ensure the right type of people are joining the police. Equality must be a watchword. Once recruited, the formation of officers needs to change. The canteen culture, that can result in misdemeanours being covered up and whistleblowers ostracised, has to change. Policing needs to reconnect with communities, with proper resourcing being provided for effective community policing. Policing in the UK has been at its most effective when based on consent. Consent is the basic rubrick of British policing - something that has come under severe pressure as a result of recent events. Yes, the police need more resources to do the job. The cuts of thousands of officers over recent years, whilst demands on policing have risen has not helped. But the police do not help themselves, with operations like the undercover operations against protesters - who thought this was a good use of resources? Also, there are those who are looking to completely privatise policing, an aim no doubt helped by recent scandals. So there is much reform needed to get the accountable police service we require for the 21st century. That said, let's not forget the great job done by most police officers, their heroic efforts, together with other frontline services, during the pandemic. Also, don't expect too much, the police are in many instances social refuse collectors. Their role may be expanding from this limited definition but it is unreasonable to look to the police to solve social problems. The police service though needs reform, resourcing and support if it is to regain its former position of trust in society. In order to reach that goal, there will need to be a whole shift of culture, not just a change of leader.

Empowering communities

The power of one playing a part of the greater whole should never be underestimated. None of us are islands but all operate as part of a larger group called the human race. The human race in turn is part of nature - just one element interlinked with plants, birds, animals and the atmosphere to create the whole. The power of one is important. A friend of mine emphasised how we can all play a part in our own way and when all those actions come together we get real change, hopefully for the better. The Covid pandemic has been a time when many have rediscovered community. People have been looking out for each other. There has been much charitable endeavour, whether supporting foodbanks or helping the homeless. There has been support for those on the front line like NHS workers and teachers. It's not all been plain sailing ofcourse, with some staying behind closed doors, working out frustrations on various social media platforms. Over the past four years as a councillor for Wanstead, I've endeavoured together with fellow councillors Jo Blackman, Daniel Morgan Thomas, Sheila Bain and Paul Merry to help empower people and support our communities. Back in 2018, we played a part in organising a large public meeting on the environment. The Cleaner Greener Wanstead group emerged from that , which in turn spearheaded a number of local initiatives. A lot of people signed up and there has been progress on that agenda. The monthly litter picks are another initiative, where a group of volunteers come together to help clean up the area. Other groups in the area that existed long before we got elected, like the Wanstead Community Gardeners, the Wanstead Society, Wild Wanstead, the Wren Group and Friends of Wanstead Park all operate actively in the community working to make Wanstead a better place. Wanstead Climate Action is another valuable contributor. All have played vital parts in different ways. Christchurch Green is in the centre of our community. It is the place where the Wanstead Festival and other community events take place and come to life. It is a space that belongs to us all – though with sometimes competing views. There has been rancour amongst some over some recent developments. But nothing that cannot be resolved going forward. Councillors have agreed to attend a meeting next month to discuss future developments on Christchurch Green. Hopefully, this can be the start of a really positive dialogue, maybe a Friends of Christchurch Green group can be established, which empowers people to play a role in shaping the future of this green lung at the heart of Wanstead. It's up to people to decide. Moving forward, more and more people need to become actively involved in shaping the future of our borough. There has to be meaningful engagement, not simply conscripting volunteers to do tasks which would otherwise have to be paid for. Meaningful, involvement means people having a real voice in making those decisions that effect them. It also means engaging a variety of opinions, giving equal weight to all, not allowing the loudest to drown out everyone else. Together a better, more participative society can be created. The power of one can become the power of many and then real organic change occurs.

Time to tackle the car culture

The role of the car in everyday life is a hot topic of the moment. The government has justed enacted some changes to the highway code, intended to make life a little safer for everyone on the road. Pedestrians and cyclists should be safer as a result. The response of some car drivers in the letters pages of national newspapers show an incredible intolerance. There were calls for cycles to be licenced, pay a tax etc. The attitude was one of the car drivers actually own the roads, rather than are just one of a number of groups that use them. The behaviour of many drivers toward cyclists and pedestrians is dangerous. People need to realise a car is a lethal weapon in the wrong hands, several tonnes of metal driven at speed can cause incredible harm. The tensions between motorists and cyclist have been growing over the years. There are a number of cyclists who break the laws, jumping red lights, cycling on pavements etc. This does not help. Equally, some motorists cut up cyclists and generally try to make life difficult. These tensions seem to have increased over the period of the pandemic. The answer to these problems are better cycle lanes and off road facilities for cyclists. Cyclists and pedestrians need to feel safe. Car drivers also need to have life made easier for them on the roads, with better traffic flow. The Mayor of London has a target of getting 80 per cent of travel by foot, cycle or public transport by 2041. Unfortunately, this target has slipped over the period of the pandemic, with more people getting into their cars. There is though significant ongoing investment in the infrastructure that will encourage these active forms of travel to prosper. A big challenge in Wanstead is to get more active travel At times, it seems as if we're living on a traffic island. New Wanstead, the High Street, Cambridge Park and Blakehall Road can all be clogged up with cars belching pollution, particularly at the weekend. The noise pollution from roads, like the A406, seems to grow daily. The arrival of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in October will help by removing some polluting vehicles. The School Street schemes help to cut traffic and get parents and children using other modes of transport to get to school. There have been schemes brought in at the Church and Aldersbrook schools but some opposition elsewhere. We really do need to move to tackle pollution, which means fewer and cleaner cars. There has been a roll out of electric charging points across the borough. This will help encourage people to get electric cars, though they remain too expensive for many people. Speeding has also been a growing problem recently, something the police and council are acting to address. A cycling network is beginning slowly to take shape, with new cycle lanes coming to Blakehall, Aldersbrook, Centre and Lakehouse Roads. Wanstead Park is also now a free running space for cyclists. Cycle hangars are also being rolled out across the area. Much is happening but always more is needed. Modal shift in transport of the type promoted by the Mayor and TFL can only happen if alternative means of travel to the car are made cheaper and safer. This needs proper investment from central government. The health and welfare of Londoners should not be put at stake in a political tug of war over TFL funding due to the ravages caused to income by the pandemic. We all need to move forward together in a modal shift that can see a cleaner, greener London emerge. There remains much to be done.

Time to defend the BBC against this idealogically driven right wing government

The recent announcement that the TV licence fee is to be frozen, then ended in 2027, marks the latest irrational action from this government The annual £159 licence fee funds a good deal of the output of the BBC. The Conservative governments of the past decade have been consumed by an obsessive desire to destroy the BBC. This has varied from freezing the licence fee to shifting the burden for providing free licences for the over 75s to the Corporation in 2015 (cost of £750 million). It has been death by a thousand cuts. The professed objection of some Conservative MPs to the BBC is their idealogical obsession with privatising everything. Secondly, they believe that the news division of the Corporation is biased against them This is palpably untrue, proven by the consistent majorities the Tories have got at the ballot box over recent years. If anything it is the Left and the Labour Party that have suffered most. In their book, The War Against the BBC, Patrick Barwise and Peter York found that the Corporation usually bends toward the government of the day and more so when it is Conservative. The BBC remains the place where most people look for reliable news. None more so than in the period of the pandemic. Data shows 44 per cent of the public look to the BBC for impartial news, next is ITN with 10 percent. The best of the papers is the Guardian on 3 per cent. During the pandemic, some may argue the BBC was too generous to the government line. promoting a message of fear that made people obey - crossing the line between journalism and becoming a PR arm of government.There was ofcourse also some excellent investigative work done on dodgy Personal Protective Equipment and Test and Trace contracts. But whatever the view, the BBC played an important role. It also plays an significant part in promoting local journalism. The BBC is a world renown brand, respected throughout the world and extending the effective reach of the UK. When people are tempted to follow the government line about the BBC, they need to remember what is at stake. News and current affairs are but a small part of BBC output That output stretches from dramas like Line of Duty and Poldark to David Attenborough's wildlife programs, Winterwatch and Countryfile, not to mention EastEnders, the Archers and Match of the Day. All come under threat with this attack on funding One has to hope people realise what they could lose before it is gone. The BBC has to rally the huge amount of goodwill and support it has in the population. More giving voice to supporters and less self flagellation favouring it's critics would be welcome. The leadership team at the BBC, headed by Director General Tim Davie have to be bold in standing up to this bullying government. The licence fee is not really the issue but the funding of the BBC Abolish the licence fee by all means but the BBC needs a guarantee of funding, possibly via an annual grant paid out of general taxation There are many alternative funding models around. But something is needed to provide certainty, so that the BBC can continue to provide its wide range of services - many of which no one else will do It is time to get behind the BBC against the onslaught of this idealogically driven right wing government. Don't wait till it is too late.