Bermondsey Biscuit & Rotherhithe Docker - summer 2021

Summer 2021

Issue 9

spanish empire the rise and rise of bermondsey street pioneer josÉ pizarro

SHORT COURSES

@MORLEY COLLEGE LONDON

Health, Wellbeing & Movement Business Languages Applied & Social Sciences Humanities Music, Dance & Dramatic Arts Digital Media, Design & Photography Fashion, Millinery & Textiles Visual Arts

Craft a New Chapter.

SHORT COURSES ENROL NOW FOR SEPTEMBER With more than 1,000 specialist short courses on offer, Morley College London has something perfect to get you making and doing again.

Whether it’s in-person, online or a combination of both, our Covid secure work practices are designed with your safety in mind.

morleycollege.ac.uk/short-courses

contents

Summer 2021

35

About us Laura Burgoine

W

e’ve been based in the old Biscuit Factory in Bermondsey since 1994.

Our flagship publication, the Southwark News launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid for newspaper.

We created the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker in 2018 with support from sponsors including Sellar, Grosvenor, British Land, and many other local businesses.

We also publish the South Londoner each month, and the Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender every week.

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken paper mill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.

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The team Editor Writers Design Marketing Media partnerships Finance Managing Directors

Laura Burgoine Michael Holland, Debra Gosling Lizzy Tweedale, Dan Martin, Aurelio Medina Tammy Jukes, Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Katie Boyd Anthony Phillips Emrah Zeki Chris Mullany, Kevin Quinn

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Going out, out What’s on this summer Arts Performance art, music & Rotherhithe Pride People The Godfather of Spanish cuisine, chef José Pizarro Bermondsey Street Festival Our favorite village

Email enquiry@bermondseybiscuit.co.uk Phone 020 7231 5258 Facebook BermondseyBiscuit Instagram @bermondseybiscuit Website www.bbandrd.co.uk fe Print Printed by Ilif Published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd

7-13 16-17 19-31

fete in the city is back!

Food and Drink A book and beer festival, a German beer-hall &

Get in touch

5

32-36

the new vegetable plant delivery service taking London by storm

Books Interview with the author of “Tommy Steele: A Life in the Spotlight” Memory Lane From postwar Downtown to 21st century Beormund Centre, Coral Newell is a lifelong campaigner

The Last Word Suhel Ahmed talks three generations of Tower Tandoori

Our autumn issue hits the streets in November. Contact us to get involved 3

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40 42-43

A thank you to our sponsors We'd like to acknowledge all our sponsors and supporters for helping us bring the

Bermondsey Biscuit and

Rotherhithe Docker to life.

Summer 2021

going out, out

What’s on this summer in SE16 and SE1 ― Curating Covid-19

Standing meditation in the park

Keeper of Medicine at the Wellcome Galleries in the Science Museum, Natasha McEnrow explores the idea of “collecting Covid-19” at a virtual event for the Old Operating Theatre.

The Lodge Space has launched outdoor Qigong classes in Southwark Park every Wednesday night.

The ancient Chinese healing technique is based on meditation, controlled breathing, and guided movements, and promotes a stronger immune system, relaxation, reduced stress, and better concentration.

Through its rapid spread, global reach and capacity to overwhelm healthcare systems, the Covid-19 pandemic has created a public health crisis impacting the entire world. The Science Museum Group cares for one of the world’s most significant collections of science, technology, engineering and medicine. In response to the pandemic, their curators are actively and sensitively researching stories and identifying objects to collect on the nation’s behalf.

Qigong is especially beneficial for elders, people with chronic illnesses or physical disabilities, or office workers, and people in general who have little exercise in their daily lives.

Wednesdays from 6:15pm-7pm. Meet at the Lodge Space, 120a Lower Rd, SE16 2UB. www.thelodge.space

Clay-time Token Studios are taking happy hour to a new level with a pottery class that does BYOB. The 90-minute workshop includes making and painting; you’ll see the whole process of how ceramics are made in the kiln, learn how to throw a potter’s wheel, and fire your creation. Make your own mug, cake stand, designer bowl or just spend your time doing Patrick Swayze impressions for the ‘gram. £38. Token Studios, St Saviour’s Wharf, SE1 2BE. www.tokenstudio.co.uk

£5. September 30 from 6pm-7pm. https://oldoperatingtheatre.com

Blame it on the Bossa Nova

Sonic journey along the Thames

Broadway Tony winner hits Menier stage

London-based Brazilian Mario Bakuna is bringing the music of João Gilberto, the pioneering father of Bossa Nova from 1950s Brazil, to Rotherhithe.

The Totally Thames festival returns in September, and the MSCTY innovative sound journey, led

by BBC radio broadcaster and producer Nick Luscombe, is not to be missed.

Go behind the scenes of the highly controversial Sholem Asch play The God of Vengeance at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Indecent follows the path of the artists who risked their careers and lives to perform in the deeply moving play, accompanied by a small live Klezmer band.

Featuring reinterpretations and Mario’s own compositions, the performance features traditional elements of samba, syncopated rhythms of plucked chords, along with more contemporary jazz.

In Brazil, Mario Bakuna has played alongside the trombonist Itacir Bocato, guitarist Renato Consorte, and pianist Nelson Aires.

Using MSCTY’s latest placemaking programme, two new pieces of music have been made for Tower Bridge and London Bridge City Pier, as well as a soundtrack for the journey itself, with a unique composition inspired by the sights and sounds experienced on board an Uber Boat. Audiences can use a QR code and geolocation to listen to the songs on their mobile devices while exploring the different areas.

Mario Bakuna’s Tribute to João Gilberto is on 15 October at 7pm at the Finnish Church, Albion St, SE16. Tickets available at: www.tunedin.londonBuy your copy at: www.amberley-books.com

https://thamesfestivaltrust.org

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Rebecca Taichman, who won the Tony Award for Best Direction for Indecent on Broadway, brings her stunning production to the Menier for its European premiere.

September 3-November 27. 53 Southwark Street, SE1 1RU. Tickets: £37.50-£42.50. www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Summer 2021

ere over the rain h w e bo m w Follow the Rainbow River o S and celebrate this year’s London Pride with a walking tour uncovering London’s queer history beyond Soho.

arts

T

he tour starts at the Brunel Museum, on the site of the Thames Tunnel; the first tunnel under a navigable river anywhere in the world.

Initially a foot tunnel, the underwater thoroughfare developed the nickname the Hades Hotel, as a place where sex workers of both genders would meet their clients.

The tour then travels through a number of forgotten places of queer history. “Although not marked by blue plaques or monuments, these places are significant in the history of queer London” says tour guide Sacha Coward. Working with Sheldon Goodman, this will be the first inperson tour the pair have done since 2020.

Telling stories of bisexual pirates of the 17th century and the protests against the treatment of the LGBQT community by the News of the World in the 1980s, the tour will uncover 400 years of queer history in the space of 90 minutes.

“We want to show people that LGBTQ+ London has a history dating back far beyond the start of London Pride, and is geographically wider than just Soho” says Sheldon Goodman.

The tour is on Friday 10 September, the day before the parade for London Pride. Tickets start at £15.

The Brunel Museum, Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF. Phone: 020 7231 3840 www.thebrunelmuseum.com

My fu ture i s up t here

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Summer 2021

arts

Live album from Rotherhithe Mayflower sailing’s 400th anniversary concert out now

M

usical duo One Voice, One Cello & A Mad Belgian have launched a new album, which was recorded at their sold-out concert at Rotherhithe’s St Mary’s Church last year, which commemorated the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower.

Englishman Rupert Gillett and Belgian Jennifer El Gammal, armed with only a cello, a soprano sax and an occasional melodeon, are folk singers, jazz improvisers, chamber musicians and storytellers, and their live performances are known for their grace, wit and virtuosity.

This album was recorded at St Mary’s Church in a sold-out concert, specially commissioned by the concert series TunedIn London, which is run

by Rotherhithe local Eleanor Thorn. It is the culmination of a year’s work in cooperation with local historian Graham Taylor. The church in which this concert was recorded is the final resting place of Master Christopher Jones, Captain of the Mayflower, and the ship itself was berthed a few steps away on the river Thames. The beauty of the church and its strong historical significance made the choice of making a live album an obvious one, and this recording truly

captures the spirit of that special evening.

The first half of the concert is the duo’s song cycle “Memories of the Mayflower”. It tells the story of the famous “Pilgrim Fathers”, persecuted for their religion in Elizabethan England, who voyaged across the Atlantic to seek better lives. Upon arrival, almost half of the company died from disease and harsh conditions. Narration of the story itself is provided by the renowned American actor Nathan Osgood, who has performed in numerous films, TV productions, theatre and is a regular fixture on BBC audio dramas.

The second half of the concert tells a number of “short tales” of a different nature, including a romantic encounter by an ice cream van, humanoid robots in the workplace and an unlikely Sherlock Holmes mystery.

The release date of this album was selected in memory of John Penry, the Brownist preacher who was hanged on 29 May 1593 for sedition.

To order your copy of the album visit: www. tunedin.london or www.onevoiceonecelloandamadbelgian.com

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arts

Summer 2021

Calling all makers and crafters

O

xo Tower Wharf is offering three months rent-free for designer-makers and craft-based creative businesses keen to join its vibrant community.

The iconic riverside building, at the heart of London’s South Bank, is home to studios for designermakers and craft businesses including jewellers, ceramicists, milliners, textile artists and more, all making, showcasing and selling their products. Now they have a number of spaces available to new tenants.

Thanks to support from the Culture Recovery Fund, Oxo Tower Wharf is thrilled to be able to offer a generous three-month rent free period to successful studio applicants.

“These opportunities come at a pivotal time for Oxo as we re-focus on craft and design and seek talented makers to join us,” says Design Curator Sophie Cain.

“We’re excited to be safeguarding spaces for creatives in central London and our building provides a unique opportunity for makers to have a studio and showroom in one, with opportunity for an open door to the public too!”

For more information, please contact Design Curator Sophie Cain at: lettings@coinstreet.org or visit: coinstreet.org/oxo-tower-wharf

 Oxo

Units, Locomocean, Archipelago Textiles & Loveness © Lee Weill Photography

PRAYER CHANGES SITUATIONS AND GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS

Prayer & Praise LUNCH HOUR

Everybody is welcome to pray for 5, 10, 20 minutes or more.

Light refreshment provided

GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS

Have you been affected by COVID-19 or anything else, physically, emotionally, or financially?

God grants our heart’s desires in answers to prayers. Some of His promises are: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him.” 1 John 5:14-15

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:13-14 Effective prayer doesn’t need to be long or eloquent, just sincere, and asking for what God has already promised us in Jesus’ name.

New Covenant Church is facilitating prayers for anyone to ask for God’s help in whatever you are going through personally, and intervention in the problems of our cities and nation.

VENUE: NEW COVENANT CHURCH

EVERY WEDNESDAY

TIME: 12NOON - 1PM The church has the following facilities: • • • • • •

Healing rooms for prayers & counselling Food Bank, Tea and Coffee, Clothing Bookshop Youth & Children facilities Sunday English Service at 10am French & Spanish Services at 1pm

506 - 510 Old Kent Road, London SE1 5BA (Next to ASDA) Tel: 020 7231 9817 Em: bermondsey@newcovenant.org.uk @NCCBermondsey Website: nccbermondsey.org.uk 506-510 Old Kent Road, SE1 5BA (Next to Asda) Tel: 020 7231 9817 E: bermondsey@newconvent.org.uk W: nccbermondsey.org.uk @NCCBermondsey 10

A message from The Canada Water Team A lot has been happening since our last update in May’s edition, as

opportunities available in our sector, with the aim of supporting

we’ve moved into the delivery phase of this exciting project. We

local young people up to the age of 25 with tools to access

have been preparing the site ahead of the construction of the first

opportunities in Canada Water and other developments.

buildings and spaces, including;

In the last three years it has engaged over 7,000 Southwark school students, and 106 local young people have been supported

• The former Tesco petrol station has been demolished with

into work or further education, including a local sixth form

site enabling works due to complete for Plot A2 by the end of

student gaining a higher-level apprenticeship place with our

August. The interim petrol station is now open.

consultant Aecom. We are proud that 82% of participants have

• The demolition of the former Rotherhithe police station ended in July to allow for welfare facilities to support the construction of Plot A1.

• Work has begun at the rear of the Printworks by Quebec Way to build the basement for a new below ground electrical substation to provide electricity for the Masterplan area as well as the wider local area.

• The refurbishment and conservation of the former Dock Offices finished.

• A temporary higher education campus for TEDI-London has now been built off Quebec Way and will open in September.

RMA applications coming up In addition to starting construction of the development, we’ve also been drawing up the detailed designs for the next buildings and spaces that we plan to deliver.

The planning permission granted by Southwark Council is ‘hybrid’ with some parts in detail and some in outline. Where outline consent was given, the council approved the principle and parameters of the new buildings and spaces including their future use and maximum height and scale. We have been working up the detail for these plots in order to produce what are known as ‘Reserved Matters Applications’ (RMAs) to secure detailed planning permission. Each RMA will be individually submitted to Southwark Council for their approval.

We held a webinar about the RMA process in May and you can view it to learn more by visiting www.canadawatermasterplan.com/event/rma-webinar

Helping young people discover a career in construction

been BAME, and over 50% are female. Find out more by visiting constructionyouth.org.uk

Helping local businesses and entrepreneurs to Thrive THRIVE is a business hub in Surrey Quays Leisure Park that provides low-cost private space mentoring and support for local start-up businesses who live in SE16. It is run by Tree Shepherd, a social enterprise that helps people across London reach their full potential and start their own business.

Through five years of local engagement, we found that many local people had ideas for a business or were just starting out, and that ongoing support and space to work was key to their small businesses progressing to the next stage. We also recognise the value of locally grown businesses, both to individuals, as well as the local economy and in creating a vibrant place.

We worked with Tree Shepherd to create a low-cost workspace in a disused restaurant, with a programme of free business support and advice to help local people grow. 79 local people accessed support and advice at Thrive last year, and we hope that this will equip local businesses to access the affordable workspace and retail space that the development will deliver. The project aims to become selfsustaining with a network of local entrepreneurs to further outreach within their communities. To find out more or to enquire about space, visit treeshepherd.org.uk

Preparing and sustaining local people in employment Big Local Works was established in 2017 to help improve the lives of local people by preparing for and sustaining them in employment and self-employment. The charity supports entrepreneurship, provides benefits and welfare support, and develops new community initiatives to meet local needs. It helps in three key areas: providing support with benefits and welfare advice; providing employability training; and supporting entrepreneurs to start businesses.

We have been supporting Big Local Works with a weekly drop-in benefit and welfare support clinic online. This re-opened at the end of July at THRIVE in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre. To find out more, visit biglocalworks.org.uk

Keep in touch We are committed to ongoing engagement, in a way that is inclusive and accessible to everyone who lives, works and spend time here.

The Construction Youth Trust’s aim is to inspire and enable young people to overcome barriers and discover a career in the construction and built environment sector. We are a founding partner of an education and training programme with the charity.

Shaping Southwark’s Future programme works with eight local secondary schools to give students and NEET (Not in Education Employment or Training) young people insight into the careers and

Please sign up to our mailing list for updates by contacting: team@canadawatermasterplan.com or visiting our website at: canadawatermasterplan.com

OXO TOWER WHARF ARE SEEKING TALENTED CRAFTSPEOPLE AND DESIGNER-MAKERS FOR OUR SOUTH BANK STUDIOS, AVAILABLE NOW

OUR STUDIOS ARE CREATIVELY INSPIRING SPACES TO WORK, SHOWCASE AND SELL YOUR PRODUCTS FROM INTERESTED? CONTACT US AT LETTINGS@COINSTREET.ORG | 020 7021 1650 | OXOTOWER.CO.UK Oxo Tower Wharf, Bargehouse Street, South Bank, London SE1 9NH Oxo Tower Wharf is owned and managed by social enterprise Coin Street Images: top, Dan Weill, Loveness Lee; bottom, Ben Tynegate, Wagumi Japanese design store:

Summer 2021

arts

10-hour marathon performance art piece at Ugly Duck

B

ermondsey’s Ugly Duck hosts PSX – a Decade of Performance Art in the UK, a free, live 10-hour event courtesy of Folkestone-based organisation ]performance s p a c e[, currently celebrating their 10th anniversary.

Born out of the Occupy movement, ]performance s p a c e[ has supported exciting and radical work in a nurturing environment since 2011. Ugly Duck, an organisation renowned for revitalising underused spaces in London, provide an ideal setting via their atmospheric Tanner Street location; a Victorian former warehouse offering plenty of space for social distancing.

The line-up includes the esteemed and inventive Anne Bean, who has been active for over five decades

and was once part of the thriving Bermondsey creative community colonising Butler’s Wharf.

Martin O’Brien, a prominent artist with cystic fibrosis, will further his performative exploration of mortality and physical endurance, having outlived his life expectancy by several years. Chinasa Vivian Ezugha presents a piece titled Tongue Matter.

The event includes a rare visit from veteran artist Alastair MacLennan, who travels to Bermondsey from Belfast. Alastair established his distinctive practice in the early 1970s and has performed and exhibited internationally ever since. Others performing include Brazilian Rubiane Maia, whose art is a hybrid practice across performance, video, installation and text, Elvira Santamaría-Torres, who has made many appearances at international festivals, art centres, museums and public spaces, Poppy Jackson, renowned for her exploration of the female body as an autonomous zone and Joseph Morgan Schofield: artist and ]performance s pa c e[ assistant director. Selina Bonelli completes the line-up, utilising artefacts, unwanted hand me downs, worthless heirlooms, and found materials to interrogate oppressive power structures and social realities.

PSX – A Decade of Performance Art in the UK starts at 11am and concludes at 9pm on Saturday August 21st at Ugly Duck, 49 Tanner Street, SE1 3PL.  With

bare feet touching the sky I yearn, Joseph Morgan Schofield, 2020. © Jemima Yong

COME AND JOIN THE CIRCUS...

IN SOUTHWARK Flying Fantastic is a dedicated aerial and circus school, with studios in Waterloo, Peckham and Wimbledon. We have regular weekly classes and courses for both kids (age 7+) and adults. Classes include aerial silks, aerial hoop, slings, trapeze, rope, and straps.

We offer birthday parties, group bookings, taster workshops, holiday camps and much, much more! There’s something for everyone! Come fly!

No previous experience necessary – we promise!

Flying Fantastic: Peckham, Waterloo, Wimbledon 020 7928 2093 | info@flyingfantastic.co.uk www.flyingfantastic.co.uk

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NEW ER M CUSTOERS OFF BLE A AVAIL

Kingsdale Foundation School

First Class and Top of the Class Celebrating A Level Results at Kingsdale Foundation School!

Celebrating our A Level Success with Pride!

Our students did amazingly well and produced some of our best results ever.

Almost two-thirds of our graduates going on to higher education have been offered places at prestigious Russell Group Universities including Cambridge as well as Imperial, University & King’s College London, Manchester, Bristol and Nottingham.

Hannah & Ivy seem pleased after they recive their A-Level results

Our gifted and talented creative and performing artists will be attending highly esteemed conservatoires and institutions such as The Prince’s Foundation (The Royal Drawing School) and Kingston University. They have much to celebrate.

For further information, visit www.kingsdalefoundationschool.org.uk Victor Chicaza-Alulema celebrating his 3A*/A Grades and place at UCL with his parents!

people

Summer 2021

Spanish Empire Laura Burgoine

as chef josÉ pizarro launches TWO NEW RESTAURANTS, HE TALKS TO THE BISCUIT ABOUT TAPAS, A NEAR CAREER IN DENTISTRY, AND WHY BERMONDSEY STREET WILL ALWAYS BE HOME

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people

C

hef José Pizarro has been called the Godfather of Spanish cooking in the UK. After moving from Talaván in Cáceres, Extremadura, to London in 1998, he pioneered a movement that changed Britain’s food scene forever. It all began on Bermondsey Street.

“I chose Bermondsey Street for my first restaurant because I was living on Long Lane at the time. Bermondsey Street was a lovely area where people were very down to earth. It felt like home,” José told the Biscuit. “I was walking around Bermondsey Street, and there wasn’t much happening there. I was looking at the space where Flour and Grape is now [214 Bermondsey Street] for a long time. But someone else came with more money than me, which is always the way! But I believe things happen for a reason.”

In the same week, José was offered the corner spot at 104 Bermondsey Street where José Tapas Bar still thrives today. “This place was my dream! As a chef, why would I want a big place? I fell in love with that space and could see it as a proper Spanish tapas bar. I was very worried and had no money and didn’t know if people would come, but since the day we opened there have been lots of people coming in. Amazing people. We’re part of the community and very happy there; it’s just home.

“Bermondsey Street is more vibrant now than it was when I first moved in,” he continues.

“Hospitality has done a lot for the area. The owners of the houses there should be very happy that hospitality businesses put Bermondsey Street on the map.”

José Tapas Bar opened in 2010 and quickly gained cult status across London as the go-to destination for the best tapas in town. It had a nobooking policy, which soon became a trademark of the city’s buzziest locales, and it continues to serve a daily changing menu, written on the black boards,

along with 50 Spanish wines and sherries served by the glass.

“People didn’t know much about Spanish food when I first moved to London. I think they knew about tapas but not really about Spanish ingredients. I would say to people: Iberico ham is not Parma ham. Now I love seeing them enjoying it and understanding Spanish food. And people travel more now and when they go to Spain they look for the quality of food; it’s nice to see.”

Next came José’s critically acclaimed second Bermondsey Street restaurant, Pizarro, named after his grandfather, who had a bar called Pizarro in Talaván. Just one block away from the flagship tapas bar, the restaurant serves a menu of small tapas and more substantial dishes that can be served as starters and mains or as tapas for sharing. The food is influenced by José’s passion for the best quality seasonal Spanish produce cooked in an open kitchen.

Today, the chef has a restaurant in Broadgate Circle, his first gastropub, the Swan Inn, in Surrey’s leafy Esher, as well as two restaurants he’s launching this year in the heart of Mayfair: Poster Bar by José and José Pizarro at the Royal Academy.

Along with publishing a series of cookbooks, José has been a regular on BBC 1’s Saturday Kitchen, and also appeared on Sunday Brunch, ITV’s This Morning, Weekend Kitchen with Waitrose, Rick Stein’s Christmas, the Food Network’s The Big Eat and James Martin’s Saturday Morning.

“The time goes so quickly because it’s fun,” he

“Hospitality has done a lot for the area... it put Bermondsey Street on the map”

17

says. “Hospitality is all about people and my guests.”

Originally a dental technician, José reached a fork in the road where he had to decide between a career in dentistry or pursuing his love of cooking.

“I changed my mind. I did a cooking course and never looked back. And now it’s been, bloody hell, 27 years!” he says.

The chef says the Covid-19 pandemic has been “difficult and stressful but ok.” He supports numerous charities and donated 3000 meals during the height of the pandemic. “I think in the first five months of the pandemic I had one day off.

That’s just what happens when you transform your business. You have to do what you have to do,” he says.

With his empire expanding and a finger in every pie, the chef ’s work is never done. “It’s good to be busy,” he says. “I have a very supportive team. Each day, I don’t know where I am. Today, I’m wherever they need me.”

“When you are a chef you want your restaurant to be vibrant and happy, where people sit down and are comfortable. This December will be ten years since we opened José. There’s always something to celebrate.”

José Tapas Bar is at 104 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UB. Pizarro is at 194 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ. https://josepizarro.com

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Summer 2021

Bermondsey Street festival: Saturday 18 September

PICTURE PERFECT Art dealer and Old Etonian Jay Jopling’s White Cube is one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, with spaces on Bermondsey Street, in central London’s Mason’s Yard, and in Hong Kong.

The converted 1970s warehouse opened in 2011, and was the biggest European commercial gallery at the time of its launch.

And to think that I saw it on Bermondsey Street

144-152 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TQ. https://whitecube.com Rebecca and Vincent Eames have been running Eames Fine Arts on Bermondsey Street for eight years, with private collectors’ studios around the corner on Tanner Street (where the Picassos are kept). They opened a new print room on the street last year, right before the Covid-19 pandemic emerged. The Eames work with local artists including Norman Ackroyd, Gail Brodholt, Karen Keogh, Nigel Swift, Anita Klein and Sophie Layton (daughter of glassblower Peter Layton), and sell linocut prints, screenprints, lithographs, wood-cut prints and other works on paper. You can buy an original small Picasso lithograph for £500 (a signed original Picasso print can cost from £9000-£90,000) or a Matisse for as little as £350.

Laura Burgoine

Artists, foodies, and village vibes collide in this iconic designer district. As the bunting goes up for the annual Bermondsey Street festival, we look at the people and passions that make the postcode.

Eames Fine Art gallery, 58 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD. Eames Fine Art Print Room, 159 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW. www.eamesfineart.com Peter Layton’s London Glassblowing.

Octogenarian glassblower Peter Layton opened his first studio on the river in Rotherhithe in the ‘70s, pioneering the British studio glass scene and transforming it from an industrial medium to a collectable art form. The artist has created highprofile commissions for the Tate, the National Gallery and even Prince Charles, who held an exhibition at Buckingham Palace (but didn’t buy anything!) In 1995, Peter moved to Leathermarket before making Bermondsey Street home, over ten years ago. Today, Peter has some of the best glassblowers in the country working out of his Bermondsey Street studio.

London Glassblowing, 62-66 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD. Phone: 020 7403 2800.

Londonglassblowing.co.uk

Zandra Rhodes’ Fashion and Textiles Museum At any hour of the day you’ll find Dame Zandra Rhodes hard at work in her penthouse above the Fashion and Textile Museum, which she founded in 2003. The location was suggested to her by her great friend sculptor, jeweller and performance artist Andrew Logan, who lived around the corner at the time. The museum is the first European building that Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta designed.

The Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XF. Phone: 020 7407 8664. www.ftmlondon.org

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Bermondsey Street festival: Saturday 18 September

Summer 2021

The Village fete in the city is back Bermondsey Street Festival celebrates its 15th birthday this year.

Returning on Saturday 18 September, the village fete in the city is celebrating the local community and its strength in responding to the challenges created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Follow the festival on social media for all the updates #BermondsStFest Saturday 18 September from 11am-6pm.

Bermondseystreetfestival.org.uk

THE SLEEPOVER The 90-room boutique hotel, Bermondsey Square Hotel, caters to business travellers, foodies and fashionistas alike with stylish accommodation and high standards of housekeeping (which now include PPE and super sanitising).

Bermondsey Square, Tower Bridge Road, SE1 3UN. www.bermondseysquarehotel.co.uk

Meet modern Women’s Institute group the Borough Belles Katherine Blackler

T

he Borough Belles WI are running a fundraising stand at Bermondsey Street Festival again this year and they can’t wait to meet you!

This buzzing branch of the Women’s Institute has around 50 members and has been bringing local women together since 2009. Whilst they’ll be predominantly sporting tempting cakes and delicacies at the stand, their monthly evening meetings range from insightful speakers and presentations to getting stuck into various craft activities or campaigning to improve our world, all done over a cuppa and a tasty treat!

As restrictions ease, they aim to put on a mixture of online and in-person main meetings and the ancillary activities that have been such a support for members during the pandemic such as Film Club, Supper Club, Culture Club, and regular groups for dancing, walking, drawing, embroidery,

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books and lido-swimming will offer virtual and in-person offerings too. There really is something for everyone within this WI group (being able to make or bake things is certainly not a prerequisite to join!)

Membership for the year is just £44 (pro-rated up to 1st April subscription year) Drop by the stand to find out more.

WHEN & WHERE: They meet on the third Wednesday of every month, 7.30-9.30pm. Online with SE London venues for live meetings

GUESTS: Suggested donation of £5 (£2.50 if a member of another WI) MORE INFO: www.boroughbelles.com Instagram and Facebook @boroughbelleswi

Bermondsey Street festival: Saturday 18 September

Summer 2021

THE FOODIE FAVES Raw English honey brand Bermondsey Street Bees has generated more than its fair share of buzz since the company’s beginning in 2007. In 2020, Bermondsey Street Bees took home a Great British Food Award, and a Great Taste Awards Golden Fork for Best Product in London and the South-East. Run by husband and wife team Dale Gibson and Sarah Wyndham Lewis, who began bee-keeping on the rooftop above their office and flat in Bermondsey Street and now have 14 sites across Essex and Hertfordshire.

Bermondsey Street Bees, 103 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3XB. www.bermondseystreetbees.co.uk For restaurants, you’re spoilt for choice with acclaimed Spanish chef José Pizarro’s two eateries: José tapas bar, which was the original no reservation, cult following go-to for tapas, and the recently opened Pizarro’s open kitchen serving up tapas and Spanish cuisine with a modern twist.

The industrial bar and grill Bermondsey Bar and Kitchen serves modern British food and cocktails.

For gastropubs, you can’t go past the Woolpack, the Garrison, Tanner and Co and Hide Bar, while pizza lovers can rejoice at the addition of sourdough pioneers Franco Manca to the strip. All-day bistro Casse Croute serves French classics, complete with red-checked tablecloths, and Donnelly’s dishes up fresh, sustainable and ethical UK grown produce in the form of British sharing plates. Café Murano sees chef Angela Hartnett’s classic and modern Italian fare served from an open kitchen for counter dining, while Flour and Grape is easygoing Italian, offering homemade pasta, gelato and interesting wines. Omoide is renowned for its chirasi sushi bowls and dashi, freshly prepared to order, and Hakata Ramen Bar is a no-reservations spot serving Japanese dishes with an intimate basement bar below.

THE DAILY GRIND Come happy, leave edgy: this is the mantra of provocative coffee shop Fuckoffee, who caused quite a stir when they opened in the area. They’ve fast built a legion of laptop tapping, flat white sipping fans, and are sticking to their guns when it comes to their company ethos. All their coffee is organic, shade-grown and free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, and harmful fertilizers, which they say not only produces an inferior coffee but eventually can damage the health of the workers handling it.

163-167 Bermondsey Street, SE1 4UW. The 19th century graveyard WatchHouse Bermondsey only seats ten but does takeaway coffee, sandwiches and sweet treats every day of the week.

199 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW. https://watchhouse.com

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEAM LONDON BRIDGE

Taking care of business

LONDON BRIDGE COMMUNITY

Free Hip Hop dance weekender

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or one weekend only we’re giving Hip Hop the most prestigious stage in the capital! The Fiya House Hip Hop Weekender is a free dance event being hosted at The Scoop beside City Hall and Tower Bridge on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 August. All the family can join interactive workshops - learn your top-rock from your Bart Simpson and your two-step from your cabbage patch! Watch pop-up performances from world-renowned dance artists, incredible live DJs, and some of the UK’s finest youth dance talent - bringing together local people to celebrate community spirit.

Saturday is Family Day and Sunday is Social Dance Day. Sign up on the day for workshops, watch a battle or join one if you dare! Battle registration is 11.30am to 1pm on Saturday (under 18s), 11am to 12pm Sunday. All beside the most famous river in the world.

Fiya House is a world-renowned collective of dance artists based in London and has

been a positive and consistent presence in the UK Popping community since 2012.

Founded by Dickson Mbi and Brooke Milliner, Fiya House is committed to supporting the next generation of young dancers in the UK. Providing a network for community growth, the collective develops well- rounded individuals who feel like they belong to something bigger than themselves.

The Hip Hop Weekender is presented by Fiya House, commissioned by Team London Bridge, funded by Southwark Council, and supported by London Bridge City and Summer by the River Festival.

The Scoop at London Bridge City, SE1 2AA. See atlondonbridge.com for more details Follow on social media #SummerbytheRiver @LDNBridgeCity @fiya.house (Instagram), @FiyaHouseCrew @atlondonbridge

New service to welcome visitors to London Bridge

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he whole of the country is changing how we do things. A few weeks ago we had to make a booking to sit down and have a cup of tea, but now socialising and going out is more relaxed and we can live our lives with a little less pre-planning.

Our new Visitor Information service in London Bridge Station is here to help you find the best things to do in the area. Don’t worry if you’ve not got your military-style planned itinerary, our team is on hand

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to recommend the best places to eat and shop, find a place to have a coffee outdoors, suggest a play at the theatre or a family friendly exhibition for the summer hols.

You’ll find us on the lower concourse between Tooley Street and St Thomas Street, opposite Pret.

Opening hours Weds-Sun, 11.30am to 7.30pm.

Bermondsey Street festival: Saturday 18 September

Summer 2021

SHOP IT LIKE IT’S HOT The historic Bermondsey Antiques Market, originally known as the New Caledonian Market and first opened by Prince Albert in 1855, runs every Friday from 6am-2pm with around 25 vendors selling glassware, ceramics, jewellery, kitchenware, art, sculptures and more. www.bermondseyantiquemarket.co.uk Family run shop Lovely and British, owned by Scottish siblings Lorna and John Oliver, offers a unique collection of gift products and cards from independent artisans and entrepreneurs, all celebrating British culture.

132a Bermondsey Street, SE1 3TX. www.lovelyandbritish.com At quaint gourmet grocery store Giddy Grocer you’ll find locally produced bread and pastries, wine, ales and traditional deli items such as cheese, home cooked hams, meat, fish and seasonal fruit and vegetables. It’s run by longtime Bermondsey residents Christine Hall and Simon Lyons; Christine’s grandparents owned a grocery store in the New Forest in the ‘50s where her father became resident baker, and she’s spent most of her working life making TV documentaries including Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Simon has been trading on the strip for over 12 years; his B Street Deli is a neighbourhood favourite.

80 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UD.

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Wall cladding, drinks cabinet, banquet seating and dining table

by Goldfinch Furniture

fun and games

Summer 2021

Electric Shuffle launches on Bermondsey Street Canary Wharf hot-spot is coming to our ‘hood!

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he new bar and games room is designed to be both a local hangout and a must-see attraction for visitors, serving community cocktails and hosting the best talent south of the river.

Electric Shuffle is home to a reimagined version of the classic game of shuffleboard. With a rich history spanning over hundreds of years, shuffleboard is as much a game of skill as it is luck. Electric Shuffleboard uses unparalleled vision technology to guide teams of up to 16 through a series of games that are immersive, challenging and, above all, fun.

For the best experience, it’s recommended that you book a 90-minute slot for a game, which costs £10 per person.

Even if you’re not after a game, you can visit the bar just for a drink or the brunch menu boasts bottomless pizza, prosecco, and local talent where guests can enjoy the very best singers, DJs, bands and comedians.

Full or partial venue hire options are also available while the bar itself is home to 10 shuffleboards and has a total guest capacity of 350.

CEO, Steve Moore, who co-founded Electric Shuffle, says:

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“This is an exciting leap in our trajectory, and one we’re more than ready to make. We’re so grateful to have a new home under the arches here and hope to become part of the fabric of this vibrant community.

“We don’t just want to exist in London Bridge, we want it to be somewhere that’s seen to be giving back to it. That’s why we are as committed to creating an immersive hospitality experience as we are to building long-lasting foundations in the area by getting behind brilliant causes.

“The birth of our new venue signals more than just the opening of a new bar, it signals an important addition to the growth of the community. We can’t wait to get started!”

Electric Shuffle is at 10 Bermondsey Street, SE1 2ER. Phone: 020 8059 4163.

Brunch runs from Thursday to Sunday (12 noon-2pm and 2:30pm-4:30pm) Bookings are now open. Spaces at Electric Shuffle venues are regularly booked up to three months in advance so book your place: https://electricshuffle.com

Summer 2021

bermondsey street festival

Bound for the Bermondsey Street festival?

Swing by Morocco St for a book and beer extravaganza

Laura Burgoine

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ndependent bookshop, café, bar and all-round creative space Morocco Bound is celebrating its two-year anniversary in style at this year’s Bermondsey Street Festival.

Owner Jonathan Dransfield, an architect and author, invites festival goers to swing by the shop where they’ll have a live jazz band featuring his colleague, saxophonist Joe Elliot, as well as an expanded book selection, and a mix of local produce on sale, including beers from the Bermondsey Beer Mile. “We have such a fantastic range of beers in South East London. The majority of the breweries we stock are on the Beer Mile but we have an

informal rule that you have to be able to cycle there.

I live in Peckham, so we have beers from Deptford and Gipsy Hill as well,” Jonathan says.

The shop’s motto is: people, books, beer, and, post lockdown, they’re building up to hosting live events again with literary talks on Wednesdays, live music on Thursdays as well as upcoming poetry nights, and a film club designed around movies adapted from books. Jonathan is even planning to sponsor Zimbabwean poet Philani A Nyoni to be a poet in residence for a few months. “He’s a genius. I did a book tour in Zimbabwe for my book The Other Things, because two of the characters come from there. There’s such a wealth of talent in Africa,” he says.

The business has benefited from offering a diverse range of products and services. “It’s difficult running a bookshop and making it profitable,” Jonathan says. “Beer is very useful because you drink a beer in half an hour, whereas you read a book in a month. During the day the shop’s quiet and it’s a lovely space to work so we’re opening that up as a co-working space again. We’ve put in ventilation and we’ve always been able to open up the whole front so there’s fresh air coming in.”

Morocco Bound also stocks wine from a vineyard in Kent and local brand kombucha and soft drinks. “It’s all locally made. Morocco Bound is a celebration of local,” Jonathan says.

Visit Morocco Bound is at 1a Morocco Street, SE1 3HB. Open 10am-11pm. www.moroccobound.co.uk

OPEN

Meet & t suppor l ca your lo s trader Rob Turner Mugs

R & R Chown Jewellery

Panache Ice Cream

ARTS CRAFTS VINTAGE STREET FOOD Nearest Station DLR Cutty Sark

#greenwichmarket

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www.greenwichmarket.london

SUMMER 2021

food and drink

Hop to it Bermondsey Beer Mile is back open for business Laura Burgoine

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outhwark Brewing Company is welcoming beer-lovers back into its taproom with a busy social calendar and a season of new open mic nights. “We’ve been back to normal since July. We survived and are welcoming people back through the doors and supplying regular pubs, which has been great,” says co-founder Peter Jackson, who runs the company with lifelong friend Andy Nichol. “The pub trade is still very difficult with no city workers.

We had to adapt during the lockdowns because 90 percent of our business was selling barrels to pubs, so

we rather cleverly built home filling kits – like I used in my early brewing lessons in the garage.”

The brewery hosts the Running Club of London every Tuesday, they have a pool table and five pool teams who play mainly on Thursday. On the first Friday of the month they have a pub quiz, and as of September they’re launching open mic nights for musicians.

Peter and Andy started Southwark Brewing Company in 2014, after looking for a site for around 18 months. “We were looking specifically

around Bermondsey and Southwark,” Peter says.

“The Bermondsey Beer Mile hadn’t been invented yet. I had no preconceived ideas until I read a book my friend Pete Brown wrote called Shakespeare’s Local, which is about pubs but mainly it’s about the social history of Southwark. I knew of Courage Yard brewery by Tower Bridge but I didn’t know about Barclay’s Brewery on Borough Market. Brick Lane wasn’t actually the centre of London brewing; it was Southwark.”

“I don’t think people travel to London just for the Bermondsey Beer Mile but if they are interested in beer and London, it will be part of the itinerary,” Peter continues.

Prior to launching the brewery, Peter had never actually brewed beer before but he’d been in the biz his entire career, working in sales and marketing for some of the UK’s biggest breweries between 1981 and 2012, including Marstons in the Midlands (where he still lives), Whitbread, and Allied Breweries (which became Carlsberg-Tetley). “That’s why I wanted to build my brewery in London, not

in the Midlands, because London had been slow to adapt to craft ales and microbreweries,” Peter said.

“It’s because of the ownership structure of pubs, big pub companies had huge estate being sold off, and they also controlled supplies to pubs. There’s very few free-houses in London.”

The brewery has a core range of five beers, and a couple of one-off specials, and also does a single hop - like a wine single varietal- where it’s the same beer every month but made from one hop, which is always popular, Peter says. “Beers normally are 2-4 hops, so on a single you get a true taste of what that hop is like.”

“A brewer should be called a cleaner who occasionally brews,” Peter says. “You clean every piece of equipment after every brew, that’s around 3-4 hours, then the equivalent amount afterwards, and then again the next morning. It’s an intensive process!”

Visit Southwark Brewery Company at 46 Druid Street, SE1 2EZ. Phone: 020 3302 4190. www.southwarkbrewing.co.uk

Grow your own food no matter your space or experience Monthly deliveries, perfect for beginners, with everything you need to grow your own urban, edible paradise.

Come down the blue, as we say locally, to see what’s on offer,do shopping and enjoy a munch or coffee in one of the many eateries or just chill out. Thank you for supporting our local business community and we hope to see you soon here in The Blue.

Head to boxandsprout.com and use discount code BISCUIT for 35% off your first box, and support a Bermondsey-based biz! boxandsprout.com or scan the QR code

2A Crucifix Lane | Bermondsey | SE1 3JW

Summer 2021

IN ASSOCIATION WITH TEAM LONDON BRIDGE

Taking care of business

LONDON BRIDGE COMMUNITY

Bermondsey Bravo beer, Bratwurst & bingo at London’s newest German beer hall we caught up with the team at the bermondsey bierkeller earlier this month to get the lowdown on the hottest new venue in town So, what is Bermondsey Bierkeller? What can people expect?

The Bermondsey Bierkeller is London’s newest, authentic Bierkeller based in the heart of London Bridge. If you are looking for traditional German Beer accompanied with freshly made German Street food all served in traditional Munich inspired Beer Halls then look no further! Take on your friends in darts, shuffle board, pool, table football or ping pong in our games halls or hire out our exclusive VIP area “The Brewers Yard.”

Hosting everything from live music nights, Drag Queen Bingo, Bottomless Brunches and sports, we are the perfect venue for all occasions.

What kind of beers will you have on tap?

We have 6 beers on tap including Paulaner Munich Helles, Hacker Pschorr Munich Gold and our very own house special Pilsner – Bermondsey Bravo. If beer is not your thing we are also serving Stein Cocktails including Pornstar Martinis and Blue Lagoons!

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What’s on the menu?

We are serving traditional German street food, so think imported Bratwurst and Currywurst sausages, chicken and pork schnitzel and our B3 (Big Boy Bierkeller) sharing platter. We also have pub staples such as burgers, chicken wings and ribs. We do offer vegan options, as well as gluten free options also.

How much does it cost? Do I have to book ahead of time?

We recommend reserving a table or games area in advance by calling 0207 403 6333 (Option 1) or by visiting our website www.bermondseybierkeller.co.uk We also welcome walk in guests.

For any enquiries guests can also email us at info@bermondseybierkeller.co.uk

When does it open? Is it a summer pop-up or hanging around longer?

Is there a dress code? Will people be dressed up in Lederhosen?

We’re open now! We open Monday – Wednesday at 4pm and Thursday – Sunday at 12pm until late. We are open permanently.

We don’t have a specific dress code for guests but feel free to join in the party atmosphere and come along in your Lederhosen if that’s your thing! Our staff are also dressed in traditional Beer Hall outfits.

How do I get there? Is it part of London Bridge Experience or in another space within that building?

We are located at 2–4 Tooley Street, directly under the south side of London Bridge. We share an entrance with The London Bridge Experience but are a separate space within the building.

Bermondsey Bierkeller, 2-4 Tooley Street, SE1 2SY. Phone: 0207 403 6333. www.bermondseybierkeller.co.uk

food & drink

Summer 2021

Love grows where my Rosemary goes Laura Burgoine

Find your inner farmer with this home-grown Bermondsey start-up

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f the lockdowns have taught us one thing, it’s that you can do almost anything from the comfort of your own home. Born out of the pandemic, Bermondsey start-up Box and Sprout home delivers complete plant kits that allow you to grow your own food in small spaces.

Owners Rob Ford and Charlie Chappatte, who met in 2019 on a start-up accelerator course at Escape the City, started the business in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “We started working together in March/ April last year, selling potted vegetables and delivering to Londoners, then we moved onto house plants and there was a huge appetite for it. We were struggling to fulfil orders,” Rob told the Biscuit.

“We saw there was a growing desire to reconnect with nature, which you can’t do that often from city spaces.

That’s been building for a few years; it’s not purely a lockdown dynamic.”

Box and Sprout has customers as far as Scotland and Northern Ireland, but 80 percent are in London.

“We started with potted vegetables: tomatoes, runner beans, chilies, peppers, herbs, lettuce, Pak Choy, and we were driving around London delivering them in large pots,” he continues. “We had some funny moments as we learned the logistics of this; we were covering everything within the M25 so it was a big old route. We launched a new version in January that’s predominantly seeds, but we still do deliveries ourselves.”

Box and Sprout works on a monthly subscription.

A full system is delivered each month with everything you need: pot, fertiliser, seeds, and plant feed. There’s no contract, and you can pause your subscription when you go on holiday. Depending on your space, you can order 1, 2 or 3 plants a month.

There’s two kinds of set-ups: indoor or outdoor. All crops need four hours of direct sun every day. Most fruiting crops are heavy feeders and need lots of energy from the sun. But you can get plenty of light on an indoor spot; a window sill is enough for tomatoes, chilli, courgettes, and herbs. “If you’ve got a balcony that faces west, south or east you’ve got loads of options,” Rob says.

It’s designed on a 12-month calendar, optimised for the London microclimate. “Our growing season is way longer than other parts of country and we don’t have to worry about frost in the same way,” Rob says. “Members are always sowing and harvesting something seasonal.

This month it’s Swiss chard, chicory, and baby gem lettuce.”

Rob and Charlie have gone to great lengths to ensure the supply chain is eco-friendly. “All the components in our kits are recycled and recyclable,” Rob says. “The pots are made from recycled plastic bottles, we’ve designed our own recipe for potting mix, which is peat free and uses seaweed powder, Worm Cast, and organic fertiliser.

We created this mix that comes alive. Our seeds are from organic suppliers in the UK.” When growing, micro greens are a “quick win”, according to Rob, as they sprout within 3-4 days and are ready within 10 days. Radishes can take 3-4 weeks, and the bigger more impressive plants come in around 8-12 weeks. “You’re looking after 2-3 months of veg in one go, then harvesting 2-3 a month,” he says.

“Doing it once demystifies it a lot,” Rob says. “It’s super fun, and super accessible. Growing vegetables can feel intimidating but we’ve done all the planning and created the system for you.”

Prices start from £8.40 per month.

Boxandsprout.com Use code BISCUIT for 35% off your first box.

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Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ~ William Morris

Engage Katherine Blackler to help you to consciously create a calm, welcoming and organised space to live or work in 3 key steps Declutter your physical space We’ll tackle the jobs you’ve been hiding from; whether it’s organising one cupboard, one room or the entire house.

Get involved!

There are lots of ways for people who live in council managed homes to have a say about their home and estate and to hold the council to account.

We know our residents lead busy lives and so it is important that everyone who lives in a council managed home can get involved in a way that suits them.

Visit southwark.gov.uk/getinvolved to find out how to: • • • •

Set up or join a Tenants and Residents Association Attend your Local Housing Forum(LHF) Apply for funding for a local project Join our online residents’ panel

Organise & store your belongings We’ll create systems and processes that work for you and your family. We’ll optimise your space by devising space-saving storage products or display solutions.

Redesign your head space By focussing mindfully on redesigning your environment, you can gain clarity on what’s important in your life and what you can let go of.

Or, come along to your next local housing forum online meeting: North East LHF

Wednesday 1 September 2021, 6.30pm

North West LHF

Thursday 2 September 2021, 6.30pm

East Central LHF

Tuesday 7 September 2021, 6.30pm

West Central LHF

Thursday 9 September 2021, 6.30pm

South LHF

Tuesday 14 September 2021, 6.30pm

For more information and to register for your local housing forum visit our website at the following link: https://www.southwark.gov.uk/housing/housing-getting-involved/localhousing-forums If you have any questions, please call 020 7525 3326 or email resident.participation@southwark.gov.uk

Get in touch today: katherine@sortmyspace.co.uk 07914 612531 | sortmyspace.co.uk @sortmyspaceuk Quote BISCUIT for 20% off your consultation

DESIGN

Myth busting about organising and decluttering

SUMMER 2021

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any of us have found ourselves rethinking and tinkering with our home environments during lockdown as we’ve been using our spaces differently. Bermondsey-based Certified Professional Organizer (CPO®) Katherine Blackler of SortMySpace Ltd explains why things don’t always come together like they do on the TV shows or social media and why we might be left feeling a little deflated with our attempts to get more organised...

Truth #2: It doesn’t have to cost the earth Some of the shows wheel in inordinate amounts of new matching containers and, whilst these can look stunning in place, they aren’t always a necessary investment. Katherine cautions against buying ANY storage or organising solutions until you’ve reviewed and decluttered first to know what volume of each category of items you’re likely to need to house – and where. “If you buy beautiful containers in advance you’re more likely to keep unnecessary items in them to justify their purchase.”

Most households have plenty of suitable containers kicking about so rally up any delivery boxes, shoe boxes or ice cream containers etc to help with the initial sort-out to gather like-with-like.

“What it does cost you is the initial time and thought reviewing your space, how you use it and evaluating what’s occupying the space that could perhaps move onto a new lease of life instead.”

Truth #1: It takes time (spoiler alert!)

Home makeover shows have a hidden army of assistants and are filmed over days but the edited highlights are compressed into a 30-minute show.

Timelapse videos taking us through a process are particularly mesmerising as we get to enjoy the transformation without going through any of the potential emotional pain points of facing our own stuff. Even the before / after photos on social media are a very curated, staged version of a situation which the account holder is prepared to share and often doesn’t reflect their daily reality. All this gives a false illusion about the effort that went in to achieve it.

Katherine reassures “Spending time upfront to evaluate your surroundings and identifying the things that are truly needed or wanted, will save you time and stress on a regular basis. I know it’s not everyone’s idea of fun but your household will reap the benefits.”

Join the creative community at Greenwich Peninsula’s Design District

Truth #3: It needs to be maintainable!

One of the biggest difficulties with the inspiration we see on screen is that aesthetics can sometimes outweigh practicalities. This doesn’t add long-term value to your house and family’s routines.

Eg A rainbow bookshelf looks beautiful and fun but if you have more than a couple of shelves worth, the chances of you recalling the colour of the spine to retrieve a specific book is slim. Equally the trend for using glass jars in the kitchen involves an ongoing commitment. Katherine advises: “Unless you find filling the jars a therapeutic activity, think through the ongoing practicalities such as. · Does each jar hold the right volume of a product?

Otherwise you’re left with the remaining plastic bag to store anyway. · Do you want to fully empty the jar every time to ensure the food is in date (in which case you’ll probably have an unopened replacement plastic bag waiting in the wings) · Do you and your household need to know any cooking instructions, expiry dates or nutritional info etc? If so, will you cut off parts of the packet and stick to the jar side / under the lid to retain that.

If it seems daunting or is too emotional reviewing your belongings with loved ones, Katherine Blackler, CPO® Certified Professional Organizer at SortMySpace Ltd can help.

Contact katherine@sortmyspace.co.uk or 07914 612531.

Quote “BISCUIT” for a 20% discount on your consultation.

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©©Ruth Ward

eople on the hunt for creative working solutions need look no further than Greenwich Peninsula’s Design District, which now offers a variety of workspace arrangements and affordable rent, including a members’ club open for business from September.

Tipped as a permanent home for the creative industries, Design District comprises 16 buildings, designed by 8 pioneering architects, one minute from North Greenwich tube station. Creatives can rent a floor, or an entire building, for just £5 per square foot rent for the first 12 months.

Design District recognises the importance of creative industries in London, and the architects behind it were given the brief of designing a space they would like to work in. The result is high ceilings, and light-filled rooms that are all naturally ventilated.

For freelancers, small businesses and people looking for more flexible arrangements, members’ club Bureau allows access to the creative eco-system, with memberships starting from £80 per month. It’s designed to help creatives thrive, offering space to collaborate and do focused work.

The club offers nine meeting rooms and a range of events spaces, including a forum and restaurant that can be used for talks, networking and launch events. Bureau members also have access to the rooftop basketball court.

Bureau gives freelancers and smaller businesses a chance to be closely connected with other creative businesses. With memberships starting at just £80+VAT a month, Bureau offers lounge, hot-desk and fixed desk membership for freelancers, entrepreneurs and consultants. And for smaller businesses, Bureau offers Studio spaces for 4-8 people.

The district also boasts a rooftop basketball court,

which members of the public can hire by the hour from September onwards, an outdoor canteen and green space with food vendors serving Venezuelan, Italian and Malaysian cuisines amongst others, and a bar.

Design District is there to support people and businesses working in and with the creative industries.

Using the Creative Industries Federation’s definition, this includes anyone working in Advertising and Marketing, Architecture, Design, Publishing, Crafts, Film, TV, Radio, photography, IT, Music, Museums, galleries and libraries. Further, the district has expanded the Creative Industries definition to include Food & Beverage, Beauty and Wellness, as well as opening the district to anyone servicing the creative industries.

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Permanent tenants already in place include Ravensbourne University, footwear innovation platform ConceptKicks, LGBTQ+ led arts, culture and social action charity Queer Circle, and social enterprise Love Welcomes, which makes home products out of upcycled life jackets and blankets, creating jobs for refugee women.

Make Design District your home.

Visit https://designdistrict.co.uk/ to find out more about the workspaces. Or explore Bureau membership at https://bureau.club.

Design District is located at the Gateway Pavilions, Peninsula Square, SE10 0SQ. Phone: 020 3981 2426.

books

The tale of Tommy and Sebastian Michael Holland

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ith Millennials born into an era of Britney, Spice Girls, Eminem, Blue, Oasis, Blink 182 et al you’d think they would have a good and broad appreciation of their generation’s music. And I’m sure most of them do. But then there is Sebastian Lassandro, who says: “I was born in 1992 and spent a lot of time with my Nan and Auntie and through them enjoyed the likes of Al Jolson, Max Bygraves, Elvis Presley, Matt Monro, Joe Longthorne, Vera Lynn, etc.” Sebastian had me at the mention of fellow Rotherhithe man, Max Bygraves.

Master Lassandro grew up with Max singalongs and WW2 compilation CDs, through which he discovered Gracie Fields. He reveals that “she quickly

became a passion” and since that time Sebastian has become a respected authority on Fields, building up one of the largest collections of memorabilia, and has been a consultant on many projects on ‘Our Gracie’.

His admiration led to a two-volume biography detailing her life and career, with research done both here and in America. Then, in 2005, “Auntie let on that she used to be in the Tommy Steele fan club – a name I’d never even heard of… I was given a ‘Best of ’ Tommy cassette and from that moment on I was hooked!”

And it is Tommy Steele who now fills Sebastian’s world. Like his Gracie archive, his Tommy collection is continually growing. “This year,” he says, “I compiled a CD of ‘Hits and Rarities from my own Tommy archive of rare and unreleased live recordings and studio material.” (https://www.amazon.co.uk/ Hits-Rarities-Tommy-Steele/dp/B091DWS42T) I was amazed at how this young man, born on the outskirts of Manchester, who became an English teacher, has such an obsession with someone many of us in Bermondsey grew up knowing about. We know he has a block of flats named after him and a Blue Plaque in the Dickens Estate where he once lived, and that is how we should treat our local legends.

Sebastian’s fervour is, for me, intriguing for one so young, for someone who says, “I’m just a teacher with a passion, with a story to tell.”

There is nothing more mesmerising than listening to a person talking about their great passion, with great passion. Tell me more, I pleaded.

“Since I first met him in 2006 I’ve followed his shows up and down the country – seeing them as many times as possible. I know I’ve missed out on 60 plus years of his career live on stage so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do!”

Tell me more.

“Tommy himself considers me as his go-to archivist – which is an absolute thrill and privilege.

When I suggested that I might write his complete career chronicle to celebrate his 65th anniversary, he graciously gave me the go ahead as I know so much about it. He said “you’re the person to do it if the story’s going to be told.”

And that is where Sebastian is right now. His book Tommy Steele: A Life in the Spotlight is released this month. He says “I’ve been very lucky to speak with many people who have worked with and known Tommy, been given access to rare

39

and previously unpublished archive material and, along with thousands and thousands of newspaper articles, reviews, programmes, documents, have been able to collate them all together to tell the complete career chronicle of Britain’s greatest ever showman.”

Continuing in this vein, his dedication hits the extremes with bold statements about Fields and Steele that I’m sure he would argue are undoubtedly true. “They’re both easily the two greatest performers this country has ever produced… They possess a ‘star’ quality which cannot be matched…” I wasn’t going to argue.

Sebastian went on to describe how the Bermondsey Boy diversified within a year of being the first UK Rock ’n’ Roller into becoming a family entertainer, and moved into musical films; Little White Bull and Half A Sixpence crop up now and again on Talking Pictures TV. He told me of how Tommy was still trying something different in lockdown with two new online audio-stories: Breakheart (a WW2 thriller), and a Christmas tinsel-tale, The Christmas Mystery of Muchhope. “I was absolutely honoured to be asked by Tommy to help with the production

and promotion of these new ventures; a real “pinch me” moment when someone you’ve idolised rings up and asks for a favour!”

Tommy Steele: A Life in the Spotlight includes a foreword written by Tommy-fan Sir Tim Rice and contributions from Dame Judi Dench, Petula Clark, Elaine Paige, Paul Nicholas, Lesley Ann Warren and many theatrical colleagues and costars.

You can read about Tommy dancing with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire; working with greats such as Walt Disney, Alec Guinness, Judi Dench and John Gielgud, breaking West End theatre records, his OBE, his Knighthood, his squash playing, his sculpting, and a list of every single performance and venue Tommy has starred in from 1956-2021!

And more. This leaves me little else to say, except: Sebastian’s book is the culmination of 15 years of serious fandom and research and deserves to be read.

Tommy Steele: A Life in the Spotlight is out now , price £25. Available at all good bookstores and online at Amazon or from the publishers directly at Fonthill Media.

memory lane

Summer 2021

Campaign trailblazer Michael Holland

A lifetime tirelessly devoted to the people of Bermondsey and Rotherhithe has taken Coral Newell from working for the Labour Party to running the Beormund Community Centre

F

rom post-war Downtown to 21st century Beormund Centre, Coral Newell has been campaigning for those worse off from an early age, and she is still going strong now.

Coral was born in St Olave’s Hospital and grew up on the Amos Estate. Her parents and immediate family were also from Downtown but her greatgrandfather came from Russia. She went to St Paul’s School, then Aylwin and on to Credon Road when it was a girls’ school. “I liked school,” she begins, “but was a bit Bolshie,” adds the lifelong campaigner, giving an insight in to her motivational traits. “I was always for the underdog.”

Of her early years she remembers, “my dad was a

stevedore and mum unfortunately died when I was 6. We found space to play cricket and football and skipping on the estate, and the parents used to bring chairs to watch us play.”

But then the war came. “I was evacuated to Newport Pagnell, to a policeman’s house, which I didn’t like… my brother was elsewhere and “loved as the son they never had”, while I was being Bolshie and complaining about everything I didn’t like!”

From a start that included war and a mother dying at such a young age, life could not have been easy for young Coral. Perhaps it was those formative years that laid the foundations for what came after.

“I got involved with community work when I was about 15 when we set up our own youth club on the estate,” she recalls. “There was no help from the council but Bob Mellish was really good.”

Bob Mellish was one of Bermondsey’s longest serving MPs and an inspiration to the young activist.

“He was one of my icons because he was a real man.

He looked after my generation because he saw us as the ones that would be taking over from him. He used to take us to the House of Commons and the first time I went I didn’t realise exactly what it was, but looking back now I know it was Bob Mellish and what he did for young people that took me into politics.”

Coral joined the Labour Party. “I was a local activist to begin with but campaigned wider for the NHS because the Tories were running it down badly,” she says. This was the time of the docks and

related industry dying, which gave eager activists like Coral a real purpose. “As an elected councillor I had a wonderful time; the London Docklands Development Corporation was set up to bring work back to the borough and we wanted their money,” Coral says excitedly. “An awful lot of money was needed from them to make improvements - I got us about £20 million.”

With Councillor Newell doing incredible work it was no surprise that her skills were desired. “I came to the Beormund Centre 41 years ago as a trustee and later became the Chair,” she says, “but when only about 400 people were coming through every year the building came close to closing and we began looking for someone to come in and manage it properly. Everyone said I should do it although I’d retired by then. “You can get us going again,” they said, and talked me into it. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Coral gave me a rundown of what goes on at the centre. “You’ve got the leisure side, plus the schooling, the training programmes: basic skills right up to accountancy. We hire rooms out for meetings and conferences, and local residents use it more. We have won many community awards and now have almost 30,000 people a year use Beormund.”

After 20 years in her role I asked about the highlights. “One of the best things we did was working with the European Social Fund (ESF).

The ESF hierarchy came to Beormund to see how we were spending their money and they were very

40

pleased with what we do.”

Coral Newell has every right to feel proud.

“When I came there was no money - and I actually put some of my own in - but now we have a quarter of a million pounds coming in every month.”

As well as her day job, Coral arranged the annual Christmas dinner for the area’s lonely pensioners.

“I started it with my husband 41 years ago, and my daughter, who was only a little girl then, has also done 41 years, bless her heart… It was a lovely thing because those people that we brought in had rarely been outside their houses, but we gave them a thoroughly enjoyable day from morning ’til night.”

The guests were entertained, royally fed, and local dignitaries would pop in to say hello. At the end they would all take home a goody bag and some money.

Coral has handed over the reins now as ill health has restricted what she can do, but the special day lives on.

When Coral Newell began her work in the community all those years ago she was aiming to improve the lives of local people in regards to healthcare and education, but there seems to be more problems for the poor now, more work for the Beormund Centre to do, and that is as well as Covid-19 destroying life as we know it. And now, when it is needed perhaps more than ever, funding has come to an end.

And so, after 41 years working for the community, Coral does not know what the future is for Beormund.

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the last word

Summer 2021

Bermondsey has a really good side.

There were so many pubs in this area. When my Dad was running the restaurant the closing time was 2am to cater to the pub crowd. Then Bermondsey started becoming cooler in the ‘80s.

As told to Laura Burgoine

Suhel Ahmed was destined to continue his family’s legacy running one of the oldest Indian restaurants in London -Tower Tandoori’s address is even on his birth certificate! He talks to the Biscuit about his new bar and the charcoal oven that hasn’t been turned off in 44 years.

Tower Tandoori started life as a neighbourhood restaurant, in one unit.

In 1987, when I was born, my Dad decided to expand the restaurant across two units. It was reaffirming the fact it was a neighbourhood restaurant, it was doing very well, anybody who knew Indian food knew Tower Tandoori. Then in 2000 we had another big refurb and changed the look to more open plan with outdoor seating. That’s lasted 20 years. During that time, it became more of a tourist restaurant.

“My Grandad, Israaf Ali, bought this business, at number 76 Tower Bridge Road, in 1977 from a gentleman who still lives in Long Lane today.

It was called Dreamland Tandoori; before that it was Star of India. Grandad rebranded it in 1978 to Tower Bridge Tandoori to capitalise on the location.

He bought it with his partners because it was too risky to buy it alone. My Dad, Shab Uddin, and my Uncle were helping out, but as a young business it wasn’t great at the beginning. It was a working class area; Bermondsey had a bad aura about it and was known for being racist. So it was a tough time to do an Indian restaurant. But the great British love affair with Indian food was always there, and after their rebranding, it gained customers. It was the only Indian restaurant in south east London. The food was good, service was good, and it built upon what it had. My Dad and my Uncle bought partners out and decided to take over.

It was difficult initially to get tourist customers to come to this part of Tower Bridge Road.

They’d come in by coach, go to Tower Bridge and Tower of London and then leave. We made friendships with the hotels so they started sending us customers. We started getting good reviews on google and Trip Advisor, and won awards, which really helped us boost our following. We also became part of tour companies’ itineraries.

Before Covid we were hosting about three coaches

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a day, with around 40 guests per coach. Most are Indian customers, and they were coming in every lunchtime. We also work with German, French, Spanish, Italian and American destination management companies. We try to be as accessible as possible. We even have menus in other languages.

When people are visiting from abroad they’re guests in our country, so we want them to feel special.

A good curry house in London is on people’s bucket list for when they visit the city.

There’s more curry houses in London than anywhere in the world, outside of India. People come for the Tandoori cuisine in general. We’ve been making the same Tandoori for 44 years in a charcoal oven that has a mind of its own. The oven has never really been turned off.

We get celebrities coming in, though we try to just respect their privacy and not bother them.

David Beckham has come in, we’ve had lots of Bollywood stars, we’ve had Cliff Richard. Miloco Studios is nearby so we’ve had every rap artist, people like Dizzee Rascal.

I don’t see my job as work; it’s more like a hobby.

I’ve grown up here. I was born in Guy’s. Even on

the last word

my birth certificate, it’s got the address of the restaurant. I know 2 or 3 generations who’ve grown up with me, so it’s like the ultimate home and because of that attachment I have to come in every day, even on my days off. I live in Lee Green but if I don’t come to this part of the world, I feel like I’ve done something wrong! I’m an obsessive character, and I enjoy it. I went to uni but I was still coming back to the restaurant every evening to help out. Then I said I wanted to take over. Dad’s quite busy now as a CEO of a hospital in Bangladesh; he still lives in London but spends 3-4 months a year over there.

“There were so many pubs in this area. When my Dad was running the restaurant the closing time was 2am to cater to the pub crowd”

Now we’re expanding the restaurant again to cover three shops.

We’re opening an Indian influenced bar with a new layout. The restaurant will still have the traditional feel but the bar will be more James Bond-y. Covid has given us a shake-up. This expansion plan is about five-years-old but Covid pushed us in the right direction.

Visit Tower Tandoori at 74-76 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TP. Phone: 020 7237 2247. www.towertandoori.co.uk

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