Contents the
vintage issue
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WELCOME
4 FIVE IDEAS They’re good’uns, every one 6 SPOTLIGHT ON... The power of herbs EYES & EARS 11 JOE’S GEMS Songs in the Key of Life
12 ✷ THE ROCK ARCHIVE Jill Furmanovsky takes aim 20 MUSIC LISTINGS Seven magnificent albums 23 RATHER GOOD READS Plus win an urban gardening guide 25 ✷ B-MOVIE MADNESS! Introducing the hot new director of Flick, starring Faye Dunaway AESTHETICS 34 FROM BUS TO BOOT New clothing made from old 36 STROMBOLI’S CIRCUS 38 ✷ ROUGH DIAMONDS Vintage pub glam! 50 HOW TO WEAR SECOND-HAND
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57 FURNITURE RECLAIMED The Retrouvius phenomenon SWALLOW
62 FOOD AND PUB REVIEWS 64 BE A REBEL: PLANT SOME VEG! Crop-growing Guerrilla Gardener style 66 FOOD THEN AND NOW Are we destined to re-live the days of rationing?
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69 WINE How to spot a pure vintage 70 BEER BREWING Shun the tax raise, make your own 73 BROADWAY MARKET
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INFO PAGES 76 WORD ON THE STREET Your pearls of wisdom 78 THE SECRET CITY WALK 79 GOINGS ON 80 ✷ HAPPY CAMPERS Butlins is back 83 MORAL MONEY Beat the bad bankers
52 ILLUSTRATION
84 ORANGUTANS Help save the hairy blighters!
54 BATHROOM CABINET
86 EGG-DIRECTORY
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95 COMING NEXT ISSUE 96 SNIPPETS The life of a Camden dweller
✷ = ON THE COVER
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HAND CARE Rich Hand Oil
SPOTLIGHT ON...
THE POWER OF HERBS
Stuff pharmecueticals. Cari Steel shows us the best medicine is right on our window sill...
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ugleweed, burdock, feverfew…. What do they sound like to you; familiar flower names, or Hobbit swear words? Could you spot them on a country walk? Would you know their healing properties? Chances are that our grandparents would know immediately that feverfew treats headaches, but we’d be left scratching our heads and reaching for the Neurofen instead. Herbs, and flowers have always been nature’s most potent healers. Whatever the symptom, it’s likely that the earth can offer a cure. In the 16th Century, the alchemist, general clever bloke and physician, Paracelsus,
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promoted the theory of The Doctrine of Signatures. In other words, how the plant looks, gives an indication of the ailment that it cures. For example, the leaves of lungwort resemble unhappy lungs. The liverwort plant was seen as useful for treating - guess what - liver ailments, while nutmeg and walnuts were compared to the shape of the brain and are recommended for boosting mind power. For thousands of years plants have been used in rituals and ceremonies to evoke their potent healing properties. Understanding that everything in this world has a power to it, including the humble flower, the medicine men of the past revered all that was sprung from the earth, and utilized it in every way possible. In Britain, Druids used plants to celebrate their Solstices and Equinoxes. They’d gather round the majestic
4 tsp avocado oil 2 tsp evening pri mrose oil 2 tsp vitamin E oil 5 drops sandalwoo d essential oil 5 drops lemon ess ential oil 5 drops geranium essential oil >> Put all the ing redients into a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place in a steril ized balm jar and seal. Use: Massage a sma ll amount into hands and fee t as needed. Storage: Keeps for up to six months in a cool, dark place.
oak tree to perform their magical rituals, believing it to be sacred to the Earth Mother. Holly would ward off the evil spirits, and they took burdock and birch sap elixirs to enhance their health. Now maybe the idea of selfmedicating seems strange, yet no one knows our bodies better than ourselves. With the rise of healthy and organic eating, we’re already sprinkling goji berries on our muesli and drizzling Manuka honey in our tea. Using herbs to treat ailments is just the next step along the path of healing. To learn more about the ancient art we did a little digging and discovered that the edicts of the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries are still flourishing. Founded in London by the Royal Charter in 1617, it was preceded by the wonderfully titled Guild of Pepperers, a group made up of the respected tradesmen who ran the apothecaries. Today, you can still
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, FLOWERS AND PLANTS HAVE BEEN USED IN RITUALS TO EVOKE THEIR POTENT HEALING PROPERTIES. witness centuries of work that the Society achieved by visiting their world famous Chelsea Physic Garden; a monument to the importance of botany and medicine. Created in 1673, the Gardens lie adjacent to the riverfront at Chelsea, and now hold thousands of plants and seeds. (See p81 for visitor information).
PHOTOGRAPHY: stock.xchng, Wellcome London
CREATE YOUR OWN KITCHEN CHEMIST From humble plants, you can produce tonics, boosters, tinctures, ointments, and creams. In today’s make-do-and-mend world, there’s nothing more logical than using what’s growing around us to improve our health. Even if you only have access to a window box, you can still easily create your own mini medicine patch. And it doesn’t take long to transform your kitchen into a pharmacy. Make sure you have a mortar and pestle, as often the ingredients
need grinding. You may find a few trips to health food shops are needed, but it’s more than likely you’ll find what you’re looking for. And while some recipes may seem fiddly, remember that in the world of herbal medicine, a little goes a long way and many remedies can stay fresh for up to six months, as long as they’re kept in sealed jars away from light. We hope that you enjoy, try out, and achieve positive results with these two recipes. The more natural remedies make up part of our daily lives, the less our health becomes something that we’ll require outside help to treat. Taking back the role of governing our own health has never been more appropriate or easy to do. A word of caution: Herbs are potent, so make sure that you are well informed about the remedies that you are creating. ■
If you were in any doubt that natural remedies were experiencing a resurgence, James Wong, star of the BBC’s Grow Your Own Drugs, demonstrated that plant power can go mainstream. His book shares recipes for all sorts of illnesses, aches and even herbal beauty fixes. The remedies featured in this article are taken from James Wong’s Grow Your Own Drugs – Easy Recipes For Natural Remedies and Beauty Fixes available from all good bookshops, £16.99
OAT SORE THR a Throat Spray e Echinac
and for ave to st r and le ve dark Co , in a cool 3 cloves o weeks leaves, colour tw e nt th mi y er 5 pepp Graduall e. ac d pl pe op ped ge. finely ch h ely chop will chan id throug aves, fin the liqu ea 5 sage le ur in ed ra ac purp St pl a >> ce in na sl 30ml echi weaved mu alth ing all a loose(from he , squeez er in tincture ra s) st op a rbs by sh in he od e fo th id from qu li e id into th the liqu the . Filter nd ttle. ha >> Place bo y nt ized spra peppermi a steril . cloves, ed ed ne in y as leaves ge Use: Spra the frid and sage Keeps in s bowl, e: as ag gl or l St . a smal one year nacea for up to the echi then add eggmag.co.uk . tincture
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Eyes & Ears
Life through a lens Jill Furmanovsky: The woman behind rock photography WORDS Ellie Good
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Eyes & Ears
MICK JAGGER, LONDON, 1973. “Mick Jagger made a guest appearance with Billy Preston at the Rainbow Theatre. He wore blue eyeshadow and a white suit. He stole the show!” eggmag.co.uk
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Eyes & Ears
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ill Furmanovsky is one of the worlds’ most prominent music photographers. During her career she has won many awards; and lifted her lens to countless legends, capturing split seconds of rock history which have gone on to be idolised by thousands. Here, she explains that regardless of how the creative industries evolve, music photography will always be her passion. WHERE IS YOUR NAME FROM? I’M ASSUMING IT’S NOT BRITISH. It comes from Lithuania originally – my grandfather on my father’s side.
TINA AND IKE, HOLLAND 1975. “I came across this print of Tina Turner dwarfed by Ike when I looked more carefully at the contact sheets from an early shoot in my career. Taken at a music festival only a short time before Tina left Ike, it has the added poignancy of hindsight.”
CAN YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST PHOTOGRAPH YOU EVER TOOK? I remember taking a camera on school trips when I was a young teenager. I tried to shoot artistically and remember taking a picture of a deer in a park that I was really pleased with. My first rock shot was of Paul McCartney with two of my school friends in the 1960’s, taken on a Kodak instamatic, or something similar. In the late ‘60’s when the Beatles recorded at Abbey Road there was always a gaggle of school girls waiting outside, hoping to run errands for the tour manager Mal Evan, or waiting for autographs which the Beatles gave if they were in the mood. The fans
I took a short course in photography. two weeks later i got the job... it was fate!
Eyes & Ears THE CLASH, LONDON, 1977. ““White riot, I wanna riot, white riot, a riot of my own!” There was a riot at this Rainbow Theatre gig when the audience smashed up a load of seats!”
were known as ‘Apple Scruffs’. I took the picture outside Paul’s house which was around the corner from the studio. He didn’t seem to mind posing. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURSUE PHOTOGRAPHY? I took a two-week course in photography in 1972 when I was a first year Graphics student at the Central St.Martin’s School of Art. We used the college Pentax cameras. On the first day of the course we all had to shoot a roll of colour transparency, which
was processed at the end of the day and followed by a crit the next morning. I still remember how thrilled I was having a camera and searching for ‘decisive moments’. One of my pictures, a portrait of a man in a market, came out brilliantly and I was praised by my course tutor, who was a professional photographer. I think that was it for me - I had found something I loved doing and was good at. Less than a week later, I got the job at the Rainbow Theatre (the North London rock venue) as in-house photographer. Perhaps it was fate!
WHY DID YOU MAKE A BEELINE FOR THE MUSIC SCENE? No real mystery there. After The Beatles and The Walker Brothers, I became a fan of early progressive music, particularly Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac and Pink Floyd. I was also into soul music and early reggae and ska - I loved going dancing in clubs like The Cavalier in Golders Green. Some musicians from Rhodesia who were in a band called Otis Waygood became friends of mine, and we used to hang out smoking joints and going to gigs. Lene Lovich (most famous for her www.eggmag.co.uk
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Rough Diamonds Gone are the days of wearing your scruffs down the boozer. EggMag shows you how to do pub glam with an edge. PHOTOGRAPHY George Garnier STYLING Lucia Liu
JIMMY WEARS: Sequins jacket Sam Greenberg, £55. Flower print top stylist’s own (from a flea market in New York), £10. Jeans Jimmy’s own. Rolo the dog, not for sale
Aesthetics
THIS PAGE JIMMY WEARS: Denim jacket and jeans both Jimmy’s own. Flower print top stylist’s own (from a flea market in New York), £10. Ankle boots Beyond Retro, £45 OPPOSITE IEVA WEARS: Pale rose silk dress Beyond Retro, £35. Studs bracelet, £25 each from Camden market
Aesthetics
OPPOSITE IEVA WEARS: Taffeta dress Beyond Retro, £30. Gloves Black Pearl, £16. Studs bracelets, £25 each from Camden market. Animal print heels Sam Greenberg, £25 THIS PAGE JIMMY WEARS: Hat Rokit, £15. Print top Sam Greenberg, £38. Pinstripe blazer Rokit, £35. Shorts Beyond Retro, £11. Socks Sophie Radermacher (available on request). Ankle boots Jimmy’s own
They ate, we eat they’ll eat
Chicken Tikka may still be the unofficial national dish, but the traditional British approach to food is suddenly fashionable again. Amanda Thompson tells us more.
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oing against the trend of excess characterized by the big hair, big mobile phones and even bigger cocktail-umbrellas of the 1980s, food in the decade that fashion forgot was a remarkably simple affair. At East End institution the Quality Chop House, starters included British classics - crab soup, asparagus hollandaise or the now almost retro scrambled eggs with smoked salmon. For main courses, carnivores feasted on calf’s liver with bacon, or lamb chops, while salmon fishcakes were the veggie’s choice. Twenty-five years on and via various liaisons with cuisines drawn from Phuket to Paris, the traditional British menu is once again dominating our food scene. From gastropubs serving homegrown pie and chips to the ham hock terrine opening the menu at Covent Garden’s Rules (London’s oldest eatery), it seems we’ve come full circle back to a more simple era of dishes based on the meat-and-twoveg mindset, albeit with a notable
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nod to the cuisines we’ve sampled along the way. In fact, British food, once described as that “beleagutered cuisine” by restaurant critic Fay Maschler, is proudly leading the way on the menus of the country’s best eateries: St John Bread and Wine and Michelin star magnet The Fat Duck to name but a couple. Ingredients like asparagus, swede and British rare-breed meats are
billion, world grain stocks are at their lowest level in a generation, and there is progressively less land on which to cultivate crops. During the slightly less populous ‘80s, a sense of perpetual plenty prevailed amid the explosion of sprawling supermarkets: the notion of food being either necessary or luxury became obsolete as we were able to satisfy our every gastronomical whim
Just as families of the forties dug for victory, a resurgence of kitchen gardens is in full flow once again being recognised as the jewels of the country’s gastronomical crown. However, these are decidedly different times, and the shift in our taste is to do with more than just Epicurean nostalgia. In his lecture on food security, Tim Lang, Professor of Food Policy at City University, highlighted the increasing lack of sustainability our food production industry faces. With the global population hurtling towards nine
with a quick trip to Tesco. But this era of consumption has inevitably taken its toll - according to Lang, in the UK alone we’re now consuming six times as much food as we are able to produce, and are all only too aware of the proliferation of campaigns to raise awareness and educate people on the health and consumption issues around food. So with dwindling supplies and rocketing obesity, the moment is certainly ripe for a back to basics approach to eating.
IMAGE: Getty *All Ministry of Food, recipe and quotes from the Imperial War Musem
Swallow The cornerstone of British food has always been homegrown meat and vegetables, so of course it’s no coincidence that the national grub is back in vogue at a time when more of us than ever are turning to our gardens (or at least our nearest farmer’s market) for inspiration and a solution to evidently unsustainable mass production. Just as the families of the forties dug for victory, planting crops of fruit and vegetables to ensure they could remain selfsufficient, today a resurgence of kitchen gardens is in full flow. Sales of vegetable crop seeds now exceed those of flowers as people turn their back gardens into allotments, working towards a more economical and sustainable life. Celebrity chefs and TV gardeners are pitching in too, offering advice and ideas for sustainable eating, whilst pushing the trend for British food back onto dinner tables across the nation – see Monty Don’s Fork to Fork or Sarah Raven’s The Garden Cookbook for more ideas. Out in the community London Food Link, with the help of Boris Johnson, have launched Capital Growth, an initiative aiming to create 2,012 new growing spaces by the time the Olympics begin, transforming derelict spaces on rooftops,
housing estates, schools and churches into thriving gardens. Freshly grown veggies, herbs and fruits are a fantastic way of putting the enjoyment of good British food back at the heart of our city. With home-growing in mind, take a leaf out of our wartime predecessor’s book, and have a look at seasonal, local produce. Explore restaurant menus for the best of British, ask your greengrocer what’s good now, or check which veg is being served at your local gastropub for a clue to what’s in season. And of course, don’t forget to order a nostalgic smoked salmon pinwheel along the way. Just make sure it’s sustainably farmed. ■ Some relevant websites: n lovefoodhatewaste.com n food.gov.uk n eatwell.gov.uk n sustainweb.org n capitalgrowth.org An easy to grow vegetable is the good old potato. According to government stats, we waste 359,000 tonnes of them a year, which seems downright careless. Try using up a few of those spuds with this recipe from wartimes Ministry of Food’s book: POTATO JANE Cooking time: 45 mins/1 hr Serves 4 n 1½lb potatoes n ½ leek, chopped n 2oz breadcrumbs n 3oz cheese, grated n salt and pepper n ½-¾ pint milk
>> Layer the potatoes, sliced, in an oven dish. Sprinkle the leek, cheese, crumbs and seasoning. Layer alternately. Finish with cheese and crumbs. Pour over milk and bake in a moderate oven for 45 mins or steam for 1 hour. www.eggmag.co.uk
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Mmmm. Beeeeer. B
When darling Mr Darling stuck another 2% on beer duty, Alan Pearce decided enough was enough. So he brewed his own... And it was ruddy good.
rewing my own beer? How hard can it be? Apparently all it takes is the ability to follow a simple recipe. Anything homemade tastes delicious; provided of course, that it doesn’t go horribly wrong. But maybe it’s that frisson of danger that improves it. So, with this reckless spirit of adventure filling my sails, I set forth upon the foamy seas of beer-making. The BruBox produces about ten litres of beer, and being fully reusable, replacing raw ingredients sets you back about £15 each session. Not too shabby. And there’s a choice of ingredients depending on whether you wish to make pilsner, stout, wiessbier etc. I opted for London Bitter, hoping to produce a “well-hopped, copper coloured bitter... The delightful aroma of First Gold hops lingers on the palate.” Oh those naughty hops!
The Beer Diary
DAY 1. A light cardbox box arrives,
containing the Polycube (a collapsable polythene box), what seems to be a big tin of beans, some large tea bags, a
length of clear hose and a bag of white powder. The latter reveals itself to be sterilizing agent not anthrax, and there’s a lot of it because first, you have to clean the bejesus out of everything. Any bugs in the Polycube (where the magic happens) have weeks to get busy, ensuring your beer tastes like
Swallow brewings from the tea bags (which turn out to be hops) and lots of London tap water. To this is added the yeast. Most commercial beer is pasteurised so it keeps better which kills off live yeast and means the beer doesn’t age. Beer with live yeast, like cask conditioned ales, will change in taste, texture and colour over time, mostly for the better. The process takes an hour and I then leave the full Polycube to ferment. Basically, the yeast and other natural enzymes convert the carbohydrates in the fruit/grains into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which gives the beer its natural fizz. However this does mean the thing could explode, so an airlock has to be attached which you make out of the hose. This has the additional benefit of making an amusing noise when the air bubbles out. And that’s it. The only other consideration is to leave it somewhere with a temperature of
I opt for a London Bitter, hoping to make ‘a copper beer where the hops linger on the palate.’ Oh those naughty hops! bumjuice. So it’s on with the Marigolds, out with the Ecover. At this point I discover mouse droppings behind the microwave. Unpleasant. Get carried away and end up doing laundry.* Everything is rinsed out. Quite satisfying- the kitchen now smells like a swimming pool. The big baked bean tin contains malt, which needs softening up by standing in hot water. Once the lid is taken off it smells amazing. This goes into the Polycube along with the
* This is not essential
around 17°C, where the yeast is at it’s most funky. This is easily measured by the thermometer on the Polycube. I now go to Majorca for 5 days.*
DAY 6. Come home and thankfully it hasn’t exploded. There’s a nice frothy head on the beer which shows all is going well. Regular amusing blubblub-BLUB-blub sounds issuing forth. DAY 14. Fermentation over! No more gurgles. Apparently it just needs to be left to clear. My wife keeps prodding at it in a suspicious and derisory manner www.eggmag.co.uk eggmag.co.uk
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SAVE THE ORANGUTANS! Let’s help the big blighters, palm oil farming is wrecking their homes...
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t’s strange to think of palm trees - usually associated with tropical holidays and humid jungle adventures - as a cause of concern, but the demand for their oil is creating huge problems one being the endangerment of our distant cousins. According to The Palm Oil Action Group, 50 orangutans are killed each week by people shooting them or burning forests, whilst clearing areas for plantation. Expanses of jungle are being cleared so fast in Sumatra and Borneo, that 98% may have been wiped out by 2022 - which equates to an area the size of England and Wales combined. This brings other impacts too; it’s said that in the Malaysian state of Sabah, North Borneo, the seasons have changed completely and over the last six years rains have come erratically all year round.
Palm oil is a big earner in South East Asia, and is increasingly relied upon by multinationals. You’d be amazed what you find it in - chocolate, oven chips, soap and more worryingly, biofuels - a fast growing worldwide industry being developed as a ‘quick fix’ to the greenhouse gas problem.
Fifty orangutans are killed each week whilst clearing areas for plantation So, these poor great apes. Just because we want to drive cars and eat low-fat, processed foods, we’re pushing them out of their homes. Next time you pick up a snack, think twice and check the label for palm oil.
WHO TO TRUST Unhelpfully many companies including Tesco, admit they don’t even know which of their products contain palm oil. However, these companies are taking a step in the right direction by using either sustainable palm oil, or none at all: n Asda n Lush n The Body Shop n Waitrose
This land used to be rainforest, and home to the Orangutans. Palm Oil farming is changing Borneo’s climate and endangering the lives of our hairy friends.
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HELPING OUR HAIRY HALF-BROTHERS: THE ORANGUTAN FOUNDATION The organisation has started a programme to protect vulnerable orangutan habitat based around the Lamandau Wildlife Reserve, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. The release of rehabilitated orangutans into the Indonesian Lamandau Wildlife Reserve has created a visible reason to increase the protection of these threatened forests. In 1998, the vast 293 square mile Reserve became an expanse of legally protected land, which the Indonesian Government approved as an orangutan release site. To help protect these endangered creatures and their ever-diminishing environment, the ‘Lamandau Eco System Conservation Programme’ (LECP) was launched. Eliminating illegal de-forestation to protect these great apes, the programme is a joint effort between The Orangutan Foundation, local Indonesian partners and Yayorin, a non-governmental organization. The programme protects the reserve by manning guard posts and organising perimeter patrols. It also helps to decrease pressure that the local communities put on the surrounding area, by finding different ways to work with farmers; introducing agro-forestry schemes and helping rubber tappers maintain their stock is vital to aid the building of their sustainable futures. By taking a mobile teaching unit into schools and communities, the programme has encouraged regeneration in the reserve by tree-planting to create a ‘living border’. LECP has also successfully stopped a proposed 8,000 hectare palm oil plantation, that would have wiped out a huge part of the reserve’s buffer zone. The OF plays a vital role in continually seeking ways to stop the spread of palm oil farms from claiming more orangutan lives and homes. ■
✷ If you would like to support the ongoing work of Orangutan Foundation please visit orangutan.org.uk
ABOVE: An orangutan mother with her baby. RIGHT: Two of the local rubber tappers, involved in the LECP programme.
Find them at orangutan.org.uk
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