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Contents Features Pathway to design 14 DD’s 61st Woodford Diary18–19 Wanstead Fringe section21–30 Fringe invitation22 Wanstead Fringe events23–29 Police hub hopes 36 Magical place 38–39 What you eat42 Park life 46–47 The law, seriously 50 Puzzles & competitions Sudoku 16 Crossword competition32 Woodford anagram40 Every issue Local news6–10 & 12 Community events 55–58 & 60 Community groups 62 Useful numbers64 Index of advertisers66 Contact Us 020 8819 0595 Welcome... It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That’s not a proverb I‘m particularly keen on saying. It smacks of a defeatist attitude, convincing oneself that any capacity to progress is more dependent upon others than on our own abilities. But there is no denying the truth behind those words, with plenty of nepotistic examples in the world of politics and business to prove the point. On a more philosophical level, perhaps it’s a saying we should all embrace a bit more, if only to remind us that knowing people is important. After all, that’s how communities are built. Lockdown certainly taught us that. And I expect all of us know at least one person a little better today than we did before 23 March 2020. Furthermore, I expect many among us also acquired a new skill, learnt a new trade or mastered a new hobby during those lockdown days, so the ‘what you know’ is clearly still important, even if it plays second fiddle to the ‘who’. As a community magazine editor, knowing people is fundamental. It’s the difference between filling these pages with insights into the lives of those who live here and filling these pages with insights into the lives of those who don’t (celebrity gossip, anyone?). It’s the difference between a community magazine and a magazine that just happens to be distributed within a community. With that in mind, perhaps I need to become more at peace with the phrase ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’. After all, it’s the very essence of this publication, albeit with a very location-specific requirement for the ‘who’. How best to encapsulate that in a snappy sentence? It’s not what you know, it’s where you know. Lee Marquis, Editor Calling local residents... The South Woodford Village Gazette proudly supports local businesses and we encourage you to do the same. Help us help these businesses by mentioning the South Woodford Village Gazette when responding to adverts. A note to businesses... If you are a business based in South Woodford, or if you have a presence in the local community, we can help you get your message across to our readers. The deadline for inclusion in the November/December <strong>2023</strong> edition is 20 <strong>Oct</strong>ober <strong>2023</strong>. info@swvg.co.uk swvg.co.uk @southwoodfordvg South Woodford Village Gazette PO Box 2491, Ilford, IG1 8JT The South Woodford Village Gazette is published every other month with a circulation of 12,000 copies. Of these, 11,000 are delivered to homes and businesses across the local area. The remaining copies are available from local shops. Postal subscriptions are available from swvg.co.uk/subscribe ISSN 2632-8224 Published by Marquis Print Ltd. Founded in 1992 by Jack Lamport Mitchell. Edited from 2004 to 2015 by Ken and Sue Lees. Marquis Print Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or endorse companies or products that appear in this magazine. The views expressed in feature articles are those of the credited authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. ©<strong>2023</strong> Marquis Print Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior consent. Printed by Premier Print Group, G02 Lock Studios, 7 Corsican Square, London, E3 3YD