Hi zetec,
I lived just up the road from this pond in the early eighties. (Ilford Lane)
I sailed my yacht there most Sundays, and never saw another modeller.
There is/was another good sized lake, I think it was called Maysbrook Park, just along the road towards Ilford/Goodmays I think.
Same era and never saw a boat on that either. Although I believe it was used by a club previously.
In the sixties I used to sail on the small pond at Whipps Cross, not the main rowing boat lake. but the little one on the Snaresbrook side. This topic was gone over in detail on the old Model Boats forum.
There used also to be a large concrete pond on Wanstead flats, but I was told that has been filled in and built on.
Bob