MARYLEBONE JOURNAL P.44 INSIDE THE WORKERS CLUB: JAPANESE DENIM, EXORBITANT ZIPS AND THE ONGOING HUNT FOR PERFECTION
P.14 DESIGNER CORIN MELLOR ON CUTLERY, LONGEVITY AND WHY SHOPS STILL MATTER P.24 A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN MARYLEBONE
ISSUE NO.102 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE AND THE PORTMAN ESTATE
MARYLEBONE JOURNAL ISSUE NO.102 BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOWARD DE WALDEN ESTATE AND THE PORTMAN ESTATE Cover: looks from The Workers Club’s new collection, photoraphed by Will Morgan
Marylebone Journal marylebonejournal.com Marylebone Village marylebonevillage.com Instagram: @marylebonevillage Twitter: @MaryleboneVllge Portman Marylebone portmanmarylebone.com Instagram: @portmanmarylebone Publisher LSC Publishing lscpublishing.com Editor Mark Riddaway mark@lscpublishing.com Advertising sales Donna Earrey 020 7401 2772 donna@lscpublishing.com Contributers Jean-Paul Aubin-Parvu Tom Bradley Ellie Costigan Clare Finney Orlando Gili Emily Jupp Viel Richardson
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
Events, exhibitions, film, music, shopping, talks, theatre and walks
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
3 A CLOSER LOOK
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Q&A: 14 CHANTAL COADY
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Food, style, home, wellbeing and healthcare
The creative director of David Mellor Design on timeless designs, the beauty of small differences, and why shops still matter
The founder of Rococo Chocolates on cocoa, creativity and the brand’s 40th anniversary
Q&A: 44 CHARLOTTE & A FOOD WRITER’S 24 ADAM CAMERON GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS The co-founders of The
Owned and supported by The Howard de Walden Estate 23 Queen Anne Street, W1G 9DL 020 7580 3163 hdwe.co.uk annette.shiel@hdwe.co.uk
Clare Finney on the intimate traditions that make each family’s Christmas food experience unique – and the Marylebone shopping trips that lie at the heart of hers
Workers Club on Japanese denim, exorbitant zips and their ongoing hunt for perfection
The Portman Estate 40 Portman Square, W1H 6LT 020 7563 1400 portmanestate.co.uk rebecca.eckles@portmanestate.co.uk
THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS
Simon Watkins of Labour and Wait on a redesigned classic that sums up the brand’s philosophy
Design and art direction Em-Project Limited mike@em-project.com
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Tom Acres, community lead for Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster Mind
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ANATOMY OF A DESIGN
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HOPE MONTESSORI SCHOOL 3 Cramer St (Corner of St Vincent Street) Admin@HopeMontessoriSchool.com +44 (0) 7919 84 48 53 HopeMontessoriSchool.com
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE EVENTS EXHIBITIONS FILM MUSIC SHOPPING TALKS THEATRE WALKS
1. V ijay Ayer, Wigmore Hall 2. Untitled, 1974 by Vlassis Caniaris, The Hellenic Centre 3. Kintsugi workshop, The Malt Lounge & Bar 4. Bonnie Berman by Patrick Demarchelier, Atlas Gallery
WORKSHOP 23 NOVEMBER, 12pm IKU NISHIKAWA: KINTSUGI WORKSHOP The Malt Lounge & Bar 50 Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7FD theprinceakatokilondon.com
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Kintsugi, a traditional Japanese craft, gives new life to broken ceramics using lacquer mixed with precious metals. Born in Kochi, Japan, Iku Nishikawa is a master of the art. Her workshops will be accompanied by canapes and Japanese-inspired cocktails.
MUSIC 16 NOVEMBER, 7.30pm VIJAY IYER Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk Vijay Iyer, an American composer, musician and producer described by The New York Times as “a social conscience, multimedia collaborator, system builder, rhapsodist, historical thinker and multicultural gateway”, performs a selection of his works for piano. EXHIBITION UNTIL 18 NOVEMBER VLASSIS CANIARIS: SELECTED WORKS 1960S–1980S The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
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A rare chance to explore the work of Vlassis Caniaris, one of the most important Greek artists of the 20th century and creator of what he called ‘almost sculptures’: sculptural works made with plaster, paper, wire mesh and everyday objects such as clothes and toys. EXHIBITION UNTIL 18 NOVEMBER AMY STEPHENS: OBJECTS OF WONDER The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
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During her residency at Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre in Cyprus last year, British artist Amy Stephens created this series of photographic and mixed media artworks in response to artefacts found in the Cypriot landscape.
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EXHIBITION
Patrick Demarchelier, whose work with American Vogue brought genuine artistry to the world of fashion photography, passed away last year. This exhibition, his very first major UK solo show, evinces his unequalled eye for both fashion and portraiture. UNTIL 18 NOVEMBER PATRICK DEMARCHELIER: LEGACY Atlas Gallery 49 Dorset Street, W1U 7NF atlasgallery.com
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
1. Crimes of the Future, The Hellenic Centre 2. Napleon, Regent Street Cinema 3. L awrence Power, Royal Academy of Music 4. Chiltern Street Christmas Shopping Evening 5. Bayley & Sage Christmas Tasting Event 6. T he Chuffed Store
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FOOD 23 NOVEMBER, 5-7pm BAYLEY & SAGE CHRISTMAS TASTING EVENT Bayley & Sage 33-34 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QD bayley-sage.co.uk
EVENT
Enjoy samples of Bayley & Sage’s finest Christmas foods, sourced from a wide range of specialist producers, and hear the stories behind their creation. During the event a 10 per cent discount will be available on anything from the shop’s Christmas dinner range.
The independent retailers of one of London’s most picturesque streets join forces to provide a special evening of shopping and music. Shops will host in-store events and exclusive offers for one night only while a roaming choir provides a festive soundtrack. 23 NOVEMBER, 4.30-7.30pm CHILTERN STREET CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENING portmanmarylebone.com
MUSIC 21 – 24 NOVEMBER, 7pm ROYAL ACADEMY OPERA: ARIODANTE Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk In a production directed by Olivia Fuchs and conducted by David Bates, Academy students present one of Handel’s darkest operas. Prince Ariodante and his beloved Ginevra, daughter of the king, find themselves enmeshed in a treacherous web of deceit. Will their love survive?
FILM 23 NOVEMBER, 6.30pm CRIMES OF THE FUTURE The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
MUSIC 24 NOVEMBER, 1pm O ALBION Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
FILM FROM 24 NOVEMBER NAPOLEON Regent Street Cinema 307 Regent Street, W1B 2HW regentstreetcinema.com
David Cronenberg’s typically discomfiting science fiction film Crimes of the Future (2022), starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart, was filmed in Athens. This special screening at the Hellenic Centre will be followed by a Q&A with Chris Rodley, author of Cronenberg on Cronenberg.
Renowned violist, recitalist and concerto soloist Lawrence Power directs Academy string students in a programme of music by four British composers past and present, anchored by O Albion from Thomas Adès’s Arcadiana, a work that aims to evoke in the listener the sense of an imagined paradise.
Ridley Scott’s epic retelling of the vertiginous rise and crashing fall of Napoleon Bonaparte (Joaquin Phoenix) brings to the foreground the emperor’s volatile relationship with Josephine. The intimacy of their tale stands in contrast to some of the biggest, most dynamic battle scenes ever set to film.
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HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
POP-UP
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POP-UP
Celebrating the skill, creativity and eccentricity of British craftspeople, The Chuffed Store is a treasure trove of handmade clothes, accessories and objects. Among the more than 50 artisans whose wares are sold by the store, which is popping up in Marylebone for the festive season, are jewellers, ceramicists, weavers, hand knitters, dyers and printmakers. Highlights include the much-coveted Yetton vest, a cropped sleeveless jumper made from Yorkshire wool on a hand-operated knitting machine; beautiful jewellery made in Brighton by Holly Elder, inspired by historic objects uncovered using metal detectors; and the Bagasaurus Backpack from Notch Handmade in Wales, a leather school bag that manages to look like the face of a dinosaur while also being oddly stylish. UNTIL 20 DECEMBER THE CHUFFED STORE 20 Seymour Place, W1H 7NH thechuffedstore.com
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HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
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1. Praxis 8: A Festival of Modern Greek Theatre, The Hellenic Centre 2. L aurence Osborn Day, Wigmore Hall 3. T he Bikeriders, Regent Street Cinema 4. River Girvin by Straiton by James Fullarton, Thompson’s Gallery 5. A Celebration of Cy Coleman, Royal Academy of Music
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THEATRE 25 NOVEMBER, 1-9.30pm PRAXIS 8: A FESTIVAL OF MODERN GREEK THEATRE The Hellenic Centre 16-18 Paddington Street, W1U 5AS helleniccentre.org
MUSIC 1 DECEMBER, 1pm SIR WILLARD WHITE AT CHRISTMAS Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
The Praxis theatre company aims to introduce contemporary Greek plays to an Englishspeaking audience. This day-long festival at The Hellenic Centre presents rehearsed readings of eight striking and highly diverse new plays, performed in Greek with English subtitles.
Sir Willard White, one of the world’s great bass-baritones, performs an uplifting afternoon programme, perfect for the festive season, including songs by Leonard Bernstein, Richard Rodgers and Samuel Barber, and a selection of African American spirituals.
MUSIC 25 NOVEMBER, 11am, 3pm & 7.30pm LAURENCE OSBORN DAY Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
FILM FROM 1 DECEMBER THE BIKERIDERS Regent Street Cinema 307 Regent Street, W1B 2HW regentstreetcinema.com
Across three concerts in a single day, Wigmore Hall celebrates the work of British composer Laurence Osborne, including some of his best-known work and two new commissions, presented by Solem Quartet, Marian Consort and Britten Sinfonia, and Mahan Esfahani.
Premiered to glowing reviews at the London Film Festival, Jeff Lynn’s 1960s-set motorcycle movie traces the tempestuous relationship between Johnny (Tom Hardy), founder of a hard-edged Chicago biker club, the club’s wildest member Benny (Austin Butler), and Benny’s strong-willed wife Kathy (Jodie Comer).
MUSIC 1 DECEMBER, 1pm EDWARD GARDNER CONDUCTS THE ACADEMY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk Edward Gardner leads the Academy Symphony Orchestra through an exciting programme that features Andrea Tarrodi’s Zephyros, inspired by the Greek god of the west wind, and Sibelius’s Fifth Symphony, which depicts the beauty of swans. 6 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
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EXHIBITION
To mark the 25th anniversary of his first exhibition with Thompson’s Gallery, James Fullarton presents a selection of typically powerful new paintings inspired by his travels across the UK, his native west coast of Scotland, and views of France. 15 NOVEMBER – 2 DECEMBER JAMES FULLARTON Thompson’s Gallery 3 Seymour Place, W1H 5AZ thompsonsgallery.co.uk
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HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
MUSIC 5 DECEMBER, 2.30pm & 7.30pm A CELEBRATION OF CY COLEMAN Royal Academy of Music Marylebone Road, NW1 5HT ram.ac.uk
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One of America’s most prolific and beloved theatrical composers, whose music gave life to Barnum, On the Twentieth Century, City of Angels and Sweet Charity, is celebrated by the Academy Musical Theatre Company in a performance directed by Matt Ryan.
WORKSHOP 6 DECEMBER, 12pm AKEMI LUCAS: CALLIGRAPHY WORKSHOP The Malt Lounge & Bar 50 Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7FD theprinceakatokilondon.com Akemi Lucas, also known by her artist name Koshu, meaning ‘autumn’, is a Japanese calligraphy master and sumi painting artist. She is running a series of hands-on workshops accompanied by canapes and Japanese-inspired cocktails.
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
Q&A: PETER NOTTON
The owner of Notton Gallery on his pop-up space, his relationship with artists, and the importance of letting the artworks sing Interview: Ellie Costigan
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Q: You started your career in fine art printing. How did you get into that? A: I’d always been artistic, from a young age. I started helping out at Pratt Contemporary in Kent as a summer job, putting freshly printed screen prints into a drying rack. After developing an eye for the process, I started to introduce my own knowledge and experience of digital design suites, combining digital imagery with more traditional printmaking processes. This involved a lot of development and experimentation, with many different artists, including Ana Maria Pacheco. I helped her complete some sculptural installations that were shown at the National Gallery and then as part of a touring show at institutions around London. I ended up being technician for that as well. It was good fun. Q: What prompted you to make the leap to opening your own gallery? A: I was at Pratt Contemporary for 10, 11 years before moving to Hamiltons Gallery in Mayfair, where I was operations manager for a decade. Having been exposed to everything from the production of artwork, through to the display and marketing and gallery experience, it was the next logical step to open my own gallery. I wanted to work with artists 8 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
I was particularly drawn to, who I felt shouldn’t go unnoticed, and provide a platform for them to showcase their work. And I wanted to do so in a way that was in keeping with what I’d learned over the past 20 years. Namely, that presentation is very important. That’s what I’ve tried to do with my little gallery in Marylebone. Q: How do you go about making sure the artwork is presented in the best possible way? A: It’s important that the artwork is allowed to really sing. Less is more: a lot of people try to utilise every inch of wall space, but I think paring it down and being very selective is key, because it means you’re really allowing those pieces to command the space. You also need to think about aesthetic considerations like framing and lighting, which really add to the overall sense of how that object should be viewed. The aim is to complement all the hours these artists have put into creating the works. Q: Tell us about the artists you work with. Is there a common thread? A: The common thread is their ability to stir an emotion within me. If they can do that, it’s a good foundation for me to connect these works with other people. I’ve purposely selected four artists who are intrinsically
quite different in terms of output, but I wanted these four exhibitions to create a collective experience – a journey through different processes and styles. We started out with abstract figuration in Jamie Gallagher’s Hyperphantasia show, followed by Muscle Memory, an exhibition with a Swedish iconographic artist called Henrik Delehag, whose background is typography. After that we had Marzena Ablewska-Lech, a Polish artist who works very much within the realms of fantasy and dream. Her exhibition, Unearthing, was a little darker and more macabre, very fitting for the time of year. In November, I’m showing an artist called Joanna Bailey, who does rather beautiful, large, abstract paintings. The title of the show is Irreducible Forms – that is, breaking things down until you can’t any further. She’s created a series of emotional landscapes and forms that are really seductive – powerful pieces that you have to stand in front of to get a real understanding of what’s going on. It was important to me to have a physical gallery space, rather than just online, to give people that platform to really engage with the artworks – to stand in front of it and see every facet and nuance within the texture of the canvas; to smell the oil paints and get a real sense of what the artist has to say and their language.
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
Q: How do you find your artists? A: Some of the artists I represent I have followed from afar for many years and collected their work. Now that I have a platform to showcase them, I’ve approached them with an exhibition proposal. The relationships I have with the artists have really grown. You can’t rush a relationship with an artist, you have to nurture it. You need to establish trust and common ground when putting on a show. Q: What’s next? A: In December I want to put on a group show – a mixture of different artists, predominantly working in the realms of print. I want to go back to my roots, and show prints by more recognisable, established artists, alongside as-yet-unseen contemporary artists. It takes a bit of time for any new business to get established, especially a gallery, but having this space has been really important in getting myself – and, more importantly, the artists – more recognised and giving them the platform to show in a physical space, in the real world. It’s been very rewarding, for me and for them. I’ve got this space for four months, to really kickstart the whole gallery experience. I’m currently looking for another venue, so this won’t be the end of Notton Art. It’s just the beginning. UNTIL 2 DECEMBER JOANNA BAILEY: IRREDUCIBLE FORM Notton Gallery 16 Seymour Place, W1H 7NG nottonart.com
1. Notton Gallery 2. Bicycle 2021 by Joanna Bailey, Notton Gallery 3. Ice Blue Gaze by Stephanie Rew, Thompson’s Gallery 4. Fairytale on Church Street, The Cockpit
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EXHIBITION 5 – 23 DECEMBER STEPHANIE REW Thompson’s Gallery 3 Seymour Place, W1H 5AZ thompsonsgallery.co.uk In her most recent work, Edinburgh-based artist Stephanie Rew has begun incorporating gold leaf into her highly detailed figurative paintings, a painstaking process that allows her to explore the relationship between the reflective, decorative allure of gold and the richness and depth of the oils. THEATRE 8 – 30 DECEMBER FAIRYTALE ON CHURCH STREET The Cockpit Gateforth Street, NW8 8EH thecockpit.org.uk
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There’s trouble on Church Street. The Big Bad Wolf wants to level the place to build luxury flats, Robin Hood has misplaced his arrows, and someone keeps breaking into houses and eating all the porridge. In Kathryn Gardner’s modern fairytale, what Marylebone needs is a hero.
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MUSIC 31 DECEMBER, 7pm LES ARTS FLORISSANTS Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk For this New Year’s Eve concert, Les Arts Florissants, a renowned Baroque music ensemble based in France, presents a programme of works drawn from the other side of the Alps: from Monteverdi to Vivaldi to Antonio Caldara, all the featured composers were natives or residents of Italy.
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
1. Anastasia Kobekina, Wigmore Hall 2. Erase and See by Masaomi Yasunaga, Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation 3. A i Weiwei, Lisson Gallery 4. A Sherlock Carol, Marylebone Theatre 5. Quatuor Danel, Wigmore Hall
EVENT 15 NOVEMBER – 31 DECEMBER LETTERS TO SANTA 24 Seymour Place, W1H 7NQ portmanmarylebone.com For the duration of the Christmas period, the exterior of 24 Seymour Place is being transformed into a sparkling installation that acts as a festive backdrop for photographs. It’s also a place for children to post letters to Santa. A beautiful letter template can be collected from local businesses or downloaded from the website above. For a chance to win a personalised experience in the area, include your email on your child’s letter.
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Santa himself will be putting in an appearance on Thursday 14 December, 4-7pm, to collect the letters posted and greet children on site, with the opportunity to take photos before he returns to the North Pole. Visitors to the area can also enjoy a roaming choir and festive treats from local businesses such as T by Tamara and So French.
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MUSIC 9 JANUARY, 7.30pm ANASTASIA KOBEKINA Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk Russian cellist Anastasia Kobekina is joined by French pianist Cédric Tiberghien to perform a programme featuring works by Debussy, Shostakovich, Myaskovsky and Marin Marais, as well as The Town Romance, a piece written by her own father, the composer Vladimir Kobekin. 10 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
EXHIBITION 15 NOVEMBER – JANUARY AI WEIWEI: BRICKS AS MORTARS Lisson Gallery 27 Bell Street, NW1 5BY lissongallery.com The Nord Stream pipeline explosion, the spy balloon shot down off the US coast, the tragic sinking of a migrant boat off Lampedusa: these are among the internet images recreated by Ai Weiwei in a form that resembles huge pointillist paintings, but is made entirely from Lego bricks.
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HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
THEATRE
A Sherlock Carol is a festive family treat. A disillusioned Sherlock Holmes meets a grown-up and not-so-Tiny Tim Cratchit who implores him to investigate the mysterious death of his reformed benefactor, Ebenezer Scrooge. Once again, the night is haunted by the spirits of the past, present and future. 24 NOVEMBER – 7 JANUARY A SHERLOCK CAROL Marylebone Theatre Rudolf Steiner House 35 Park Road, NW1 6XT marylebonetheatre.com
EXHIBITION 15 NOVEMBER – JANUARY MASAOMI YASUNAGA Lisson Gallery 67 Lisson Street, NW1 5DA lissongallery.com
MUSIC 12 JANUARY, 7.30pm QUATUOR DANEL Wigmore Hall 36 Wigmore Street, W1U 2BP wigmore-hall.org.uk
Japanese sculptor Masaomi Yasunaga is known for his unconventional ceramic vessels, which focus on emotion and sentiment over pure function. He uses glaze as his primary material, then layers on raw materials from rocks to metal and glass and displays the finished pieces on beds of gravel.
French ensemble Quatuor Danel is famed for its bold approach to the string quartet cycles of Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, Shostakovich and Weinberg. This concert sees them performing their singular interpretations of three Soviet-era works by the latter two composers.
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EXHIBITION UNTIL 25 JANUARY SUMI KANAZAWA: ERASE AND SEE Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation 13-14 Cornwall Terrace, NW1 4QP dajf.org.uk This exhibition by Japanese artist Sumi Kanazawa includes Drawings on Newspapers, a work created by using a black 10B pencil to excise printed words and images from newspapers, leaving intact only those that appealed to her.
HAPPENINGS IN MARYLEBONE
1. Event Horizon 30 by Kacper Kowalski, Atlas Gallery 2. International Velvet by Glenn Brown, The Brown Collection 3. Classroom Window, Wales by unknown photographer, RIBA 4. Scarborough Castle: Boys Crab Fishingby JMW Turner, The Wallace Collection
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EXHIBITION UNTIL 21 APRIL TURNER AND BONINGTON: WATERCOLOURS FROM THE WALLACE COLLECTION The Wallace Collection Manchester Square, W1U 3BN wallacecollection.org This free, one-room exhibition brings together 10 watercolour landscapes by JMW Turner and Richard Parkes Bonington – the first time the works have been on display in 17 years – with subjects ranging from Scarborough beach to the Doge’s Palace in Venice.
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EXHIBITION
Polish photographer Kacper Kowalski produces stunning aerial imagery of his home country. Shot from high above the ground, scenes of city and country become almost abstract in their composition. 24 NOVEMBER – 27 JANUARY KACPER KOWALSKI Atlas Gallery 49 Dorset Street, W1U 7NF atlasgallery.com 3.
EXHIBITION UNTIL 31 JANUARY EDWARD JENNER: A LIFE IN LETTERS Royal Society of Medicine Library 1 Wimpole Street, W1G 0AE rsm.ac.uk
EXHIBITION UNTIL 24 FEBRUARY WIDE-ANGLE VIEW RIBA Architecture Gallery 66 Portland Place, W1B 1AD architecture.com
Drawn from his personal correspondence, this free exhibition in the RSM Library provides an extraordinary insight into the life and thoughts of Edward Jenner, creator of the world’s first vaccine and an attendee at the inaugural meeting of the RSM.
In the 1960s, the Architectural Review magazine created a bold new approach to architectural writing and photography. This free exhibition shows off over 70 photographs from the magazine’s groundbreaking Manplan series, which explored architecture’s impact on people and society.
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EXHIBITION UNTIL SUMMER 2024 THE LEISURE CENTRE The Brown Collection 1 Bentinck Mews, W1U 2AF glenn-brown.co.uk This new exhibition combines Glenn Brown’s own works with those of artists past and present whose paintings and sculptures have become part of his personal collection. The title, he says, questions not so much what a leisure centre is but where the centre of our leisure might be found.
@nottonart
IRREDUCIBLE FORMS New Paintings by Joanna Bailey 09 November-2 December 2023 16 Seymour Place, Marylebone, London W1H 7NG nottonart.com
Open Tuesday- Friday 11-6pm and Saturday 11-4pm
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
IN PROFILE
CORIN MELLOR The creative director of David Mellor on timeless designs, the beauty of small differences, and why shops still matter Words: Mark Riddaway Images: Matt Bell, Phil Grayston, Helen Mellor, Paul Raeside, Carol Sachs, Greg Thurtle,
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IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
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IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
At first glance, it seems obvious that the little round stickers identifying the contents of each of the hundreds of small boxes waiting to leave the David Mellor cutlery factory have been churned out from a big printer elsewhere in the building. Granted, the words have been set in a particularly naturalistic script font – one of those curly typefaces designed to look like handwriting – but common sense insists they’ve been formatted on a computer and then printed by the dozen. For all its embrace of pre-digital methods and machines, the factory isn’t short of modern tech. And there’s no way someone has sat down and handwritten all those sticky labels. That would clearly be insane. Except that’s precisely what someone has done. “We have a calligrapher who writes them all by hand,” says Corin Mellor, the company’s creative director, quietly delighted by my bemused reaction. “She’s been doing it for us since the 1970s, the same lady.” Of all the things Corin shows me as we wander through the David Mellor headquarters in the rolling countryside of the Peak District – a complex that includes a museum, a cafe, a shop and the Mellor family home as well as the brand’s factory, offices and warehouse – the box
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labels aren’t the most central to his story, but they may be among the most revealing. Corin is among the most ruminative people you’ll ever meet, so if something exists in this place, he’s considered it from every angle. If a calligrapher is being tasked with painstakingly composing box labels, there’s a good reason – and it won’t have anything to do with sentiment or nostalgia. His factory uses some very old techniques to create some of the most beautiful cutlery made anywhere in the world, but Corin isn’t running some kind of Industrial Revolution re-enactment society. “The way cutlery is produced is quite archaic; fundamentally, it hasn’t really changed since 1900,” he says. “But I’m not obsessed with the past. I like to think we’re moving on, so I don’t think a factory should be a museum. I like technology, I like what you can do with technology – it’s made my life a lot easier. What’s the point of clinging to the old ways if the world has moved on? You’re wasting your time.” So why commission a calligrapher to hand-write the labels? For the same reason he employs the men who are currently hand-polishing individual silver spoons with the gossamer touch and intense concentration of a heart surgeon
repairing a ventricle. A machine simply couldn’t do the job to the same standard, he tells me as we watch the polishers work. In their form, any two pieces of that silver cutlery will be identical. But in their finish, it’s the infinitesimal inconsistencies created by human tactility that will give them life and character. That’s why he employs skilled people, pays them properly – a regular salary rather than the piecework rates typical of the sector – and cares whether they’re happy in their work. Central to all this is the fact that while Corin is a brilliant designer, first and foremost he’s a man who loves the physical act of making stuff. “I’m a maker,” he says. “I love tools and materials. I love having an idea and turning it into something solid.” To him, a design begins and ends with a functioning object. It’s here, at a workbench in the centre of the factory – a circular, single-storey building flooded with sunshine from the vast skylight that radiates out from the crown of its dome – that he turns his rough sketches into solid prototypes that can be held, inspected and used. Only when he has something truly satisfying in his hands will he and his fellow designer James enlist the power of computer software and sophisticated
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
“The way cutlery is produced hasn’t really changed since 1900. But I’m not obsessed with the past, so I don’t think a factory should be a museum. What’s the point of clinging to the old ways if the world has moved on? You’re wasting your time.”
machinery to start turning those scrap-metal models into perfectly engineered domestic products. The son of the eponymous David Mellor, Corin has spent his entire life in the company of tools, machines and craftspeople. David was one of 20th century Britain’s most influential designers. The standard traffic light design, so familiar now as to be almost invisible: that was David Mellor’s. There were streetlights and bus shelters, post boxes and bins, toast racks and candlesticks. Most notably, though, there were knives, forks and spoons. David’s first cutlery collection, Pride, inspired
by Scandinavian modernism and designed in 1953 while he was still a student, was an immediate success, as were the many collections that followed, including the grandiose Embassy range for British diplomatic missions and the utilitarian Thrift range for hospitals and government canteens. It was on cutlery that the business – and a dynasty – was built. David, the son of a Yorkshire toolmaker, believed in the benefits of living and working in the same space, so Corin’s first home – in Sheffield, the traditional heartland of English metalwork – sat cheek by jowl with workshops and studios. In 1973, when Corin was seven, his father took over the city’s historic Broom Hall building, “a huge, great manor house that he bought as a derelict wreck and spent 15 years restoring. It had a large Georgian wing that was actually our home, quite a grand sort of house, and then you’d go through the cleaning cupboard, open a door and be greeted with the factory and all the machines.” Spending his childhood surrounded by blanking presses and grinding machines, it’s no surprise that Corin became adept at making things. “You’d find me there, fiddling on the lathe and the bandsaw,” he says. It was over the construction of model boats and other youthful
projects that he bonded with his dad and with the taciturn chaps who manned the machines. “I suppose I’ve always been around tradespeople who in themselves might not be so good at talking but are very good at making, so you can learn from them. I think they quite liked it, because I was interested in what they did. I mean, I’m sure I was a pain in the backside too, because I didn’t always clean the machines down, but I’m hoping they thought I was fun to have about.” There was never any doubt that Corin would end up making things for a living. “It’s what I found relatively easy to do,” he says. “I was never very good at writing and not brilliant at maths. Making things is what I enjoyed, and I think if you enjoy something you’ve got a much better chance of being good at it.” After studying furniture and product design at Kingston-uponThames, where the family name would elicit the occasional jolt of recognition from a dazzled tutor, Corin’s first job was in London, working for an architect on projects at Angel tube and Heathrow Airport. “I was just doing a little bit of a bigger process,” he recalls, “and I suppose I didn’t really feel fulfilled. I was creating, but only a bit of the creation. Which is probably why Left to right: Cutlery boxes waiting to be shipped from the David Mellor Design factory, complete with handwritten labels; The Round Building, the company’s cutlery factory; Polishers at work in the Round Building
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IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
Left: A knife and fork from the Chelsea collection (2011), Corin’s first cutlery design after taking over as creative director Bottom left and right: Corin’s new Liner cutlery collection
now I’m in bliss, because I’ve got the whole creation in my hands, from start to finish.” Before long, the gravitational pull of his father’s business proved too strong to resist. After a period managing the David Mellor warehouse at Butler’s Wharf in London, Corin returned to the north to work alongside his dad. He would formally take hold of the reins in 2006 after a gradual transition necessitated by the slow creep of his father’s dementia. “As he got more and more ill, he retreated to the factory, to the actual making, to the polishing and the sanding. Right at the end of his life, he would have been sitting there polishing some spoons.” Even as everything else fell away, what remained at the end was the Mellor family’s deeprooted instinct to make things. Corin’s first solo collection of cutlery, Chelsea, was introduced in 2011. His second, Liner, a design inspired by the Art Deco flamboyance of early 20th century transatlantic passenger ships, has just been released. If that 12-year lag suggests some kind of creative block, nothing could be further from the truth. “I could easily design a new cutlery range every year, but that’s not going to really help my customers, so I’ve had to find other things to amuse myself with,” Corin says. The simple 18 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
LINER NOTES Liner, Corin Mellor’s new cutlery range (right), was inspired, he says, by the “grandeur and flamboyance of transatlantic travel in the early 20th century”. With its Art Deco styling, it’s the most decorative of the brand’s cutlery ranges but is still imbued with all the usual David Mellor elegance and subtlety. It’s comprehensive both in its range (“for people who want a cake fork and a butter knife and a fruit spoon”) and in the scale of its individual pieces, whose heft adds to the sense of grandeur. Afficionados of the brand will be particularly surprised by the generous size of the serving spoon. “My father was notorious for designing very small serving spoons,” says Corin. “I think he was quite tight with his portions!”
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
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IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
reason for taking such a lengthy pause between collections is that David Mellor cutlery lines are almost never discontinued. The brand’s philosophy is that if you’ve spent heavily on handmade cutlery, you should be able to keep adding to it for the rest of your life. That’s also why the pieces are sold individually as well as in sets. If all you do is lose a single teaspoon (an item that, like the individual sock, has a puzzling tendency to vanish into thin air), Corin wants you “to be able to go in and buy that one teaspoon 10 years later,” he says. Thankfully, one of the many characteristics Corin inherited from
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his dad is versatility. “There’s this slightly jokey phrase we use about my father: ‘From traffic lights to teaspoons’ – and I suppose I’ve tried to continue that,” he explains. “I think if you’re a designer, provided you’re familiar with different techniques and different materials, the scale is bit irrelevant. In its essence, designing a bridge is not that different to designing a coffee spoon.” Corin tested this hypothesis in 2016 by designing a 20m bridge to join two buildings within the Sheffield Hallam University campus. The bridge looks beautiful. It’s still standing. Point proved.
He’s been commissioned to design a bench for the Duke of Devonshire and a candelabra for Sheffield Cathedral. He designed the parts of the David Mellor complex that accommodate the cafe, the museum and the shop. Most prolifically, he’s designed domestic products whose style and function complement the brand’s cutlery – from cafetieres to pepper pots, to wine glasses. These, he and James turn from sketches to prototypes to minutely detailed designs, always applying that same meticulous but highly tactile approach, but rather than being made in the factory – which is purely
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
“I think if you’re a designer, provided you’re familiar with different techniques and different materials, the scale is bit irrelevant. In its essence, designing a bridge is not that different to designing a coffee spoon.”
devoted to cutlery – they’re produced by small, specialist manufactures elsewhere in the world. As far as Corin is concerned, there is only one real limit to his output: “I’m not comfortable at all when it comes to soft materials,” he says. “I couldn’t make a cushion. Absolutely not. No, that terrifies me. I’m fine with hard things but soft things scare the life out of me.” We all have our terrors. His are made from cashmere. Whenever Corin is designing a product, it isn’t just with this year’s Christmas campaign in mind – it’s in the hope that people will continue to
“tbc.”
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Three of Corin Mellor’s least cutlery-like designs (clockwise from left): The cafe and museum at the brand’s Hathersage HQ; Charles Street Bridge at Sheffield Hallam University; A privately commissioned red sculptural bench
be drawn to it long into the future. “I do believe very strongly that good design can stand the test of time, so the way we design things is with a timeless quality in mind,” he says. “I don’t think I’ve done a good job if a product I’ve designed looks dated in five years’ time. I think I’ve failed if I’ve done that.” That means steering clear of any flirtation with the zeitgeist. “I’m trying to avoid fashion,” says Corin. “The last thing I want to do is look at this year’s trends. The type of design I do is very understated, so it doesn’t shout too loudly at you. I want it to still be whispering to you 10 years later. It’s not making a big statement; it’s a much more subtle conversation. It’s quiet design.” That quality of timelessness isn’t just about the look: “There is the visual timelessness, but then can it technically stand the test of time? Or will it break?” David Mellor designs are made to be used, not looked at. Many of them are expected to function every day, often several times a day, so if the materials and engineering aren’t of the very highest quality it doesn’t really matter how enduring the aesthetic might be. “Perhaps we would sell more if our pieces had to be replaced after five years, but I don’t think that’s very fair,” says Corin. One of the consequences of deliberately avoiding fashion is that fashion will sometimes come sashaying over to you. Individual David Mellor designs catch new waves of enthusiasm as each successive generation’s tastes circle back on each other. “My father’s first cutlery design, Pride, was obviously incredibly popular in the 50s, and then it slowed off,” says Corin. “Then, in about the last four or five years, it’s actually crept up to being our biggest-selling design again, which is amazing.” Another design that’s had a peculiar revival is the highly distinctive Provencal cutlery range. “That’s the one with the brass rivets with the black handle, which > to me is very 1970s, 1980s bistro,
IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
and that design has just gone mad, particularly in California and South Korea. Ten years ago, we didn’t sell much of it at all.” The brand’s long-term approach is made possible by the near certainty that we’ll always need homewares and that their essential form will never really change. Despite the excitable soothsaying of 1980s Tomorrow’s World presenters, food in pill form hasn’t yet come to pass, and probably never will. What doesn’t feel quite so certain, in this era of clicking and couriers, is that we’ll always need shops. David Mellor has a perfectly
functional online store, but the brand remains heavily invested in physical retail. Online, you’ll never be able to fully appreciate the elegance of Corin’s three-cup cafetiere or understand how the light reflects from the hand-polished blade of a butter knife. In the Marylebone store, you’ll be dazzled by both. As a result, Corin is as obsessed with his shops as he is with his factory and spends almost as much time in them. “I think the built environment is terribly important to a product and how good that product is,” he says. “I suppose that goes for the building that the product is made in and the Left: The David Mellor shop in Marylebone Below: Corin’s cafetiere alongside a toast rack recreated from his father’s orginal 1961 design Right: The shop at the brand’s Hathersage HQ
retail space it’s sold in. To me, it’s all indivisible. We built our own factory. We build all the interiors of our shops. And they’re never static. I think of it as a theatre, and there’s a new show that starts every six weeks. You can’t just leave a shop, or it’ll die. You have to keep feeding it.” So hard does Corin find it to think of the products and shops as anything other than two symbiotic parts of the same system, he refuses to sell through other retailers in the UK. You can’t walk into any British department store homewares section and find David Mellor products on display, however much that would expand the brand’s reach. “I’m just not interested in their environment,” he insists. Like favouring a calligrapher’s hand over the simple utility of printed labels, this is a choice that, viewed through a hard commercial lens, might seem wilfully perverse. But spend about 10 minutes with Corin – a man who cares so deeply about the objects we surround ourselves with, what they look like, how they function and how they make us feel – and everything about the David Mellor way makes perfect, silver-plated, hand-polished sense. DAVID MELLOR 14 New Cavendish Street, W1G 8UW davidmellordesign.co.uk
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IN PROFILE: CORIN MELLOR
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A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
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A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
Clare Finney, author of Hungry Heart, on the intimate traditions that make each family’s Christmas food experience unique – and the Marylebone shopping trips that lie at the heart of hers Images: Tom Bradley
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A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
Opening spread: Bayley & Sage From left to right: Bonne Bouche, The Ginger Pig, Bayley & Sage, La Petit Poissonnerie
Ask a marketing manager when Christmas starts, and they’ll say July. Ask a vicar, and they’ll say Christmas Day. Ask a Marylebone resident, and they might say the day the lights are switched on in November. Though nominally Christian and famously commercialised, our interpretations of Christmas are so personal even its start times vary according to who you are. And some of the mostly hotly contested variables of all are those surrounding food and drink. Researching festive feasts for my recent book about food and love, Hungry Heart, I found Christmas food to have a particularly mnemonic quality. Christmas dinner is a meal that manages to be comfortingly generic and yet completely specific to one’s heritage. Those annual rituals of stirring, basting and feasting serve as a multisensory portal to all the Christmases that went before and the people who were with us then – which is why we cling to them with a borderline religious zeal, and why we’re so intrigued by other people’s traditions: they say so much about us and our families. Are you trifle devotees? Do you eschew turkey for another bird or beast? Do you start drinking before or after breakfast? Like an advent calendar window, each answer reveals a little more of the person beyond the façade – from their values to their taste in cheese to their relationship with their in-laws. At best, such revelations can charm; at worst, they provoke incredulity bordering on disdain. Let’s hope my Christmas revelations tend toward the former. 26 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
For me, the Christmas period begins in the second week of December in Bonne Bouche with my mum. Every year we shop together, and every shopping trip starts the same way: with two teas and two bowls of porridge. We make a list and check it thrice: with stepparents and stepsiblings, there are 12 members in our immediate family alone, and most years will find at least eight of us – mum, dad, stepmum, stepdad, myself and my three brothers – together on Christmas Day. Our shopping day is long, but it’s as studded with treats as a Christingle orange: coffee at Daisy Green, afternoon tea back at Bonne Bouche, a glass of wine at 108 Marylebone Lane to end the day. Mum will return to home, her tote bags straining at their seams, and I will rush back to buy whatever it was I’d spied her admiring earlier, hoping my brothers have seen and agreed to my surreptitious photo message. December dances along in a whirligig of dinners and drinks until the 21st – the day before heading ‘homehome’ as us millennial flat-dwellers call it. Being a food writer, I’m tasked with bringing the food that’s so good you can’t find in a supermarket. That means sausage meat and slow-reared Bronze turkey from The Ginger Pig, and cheese from La Fromagerie next door, bought first thing in the morning before the mob descends. At that time of day, La Fromagerie’s cheese room feels like a temple: a hushed, reverential place, in thrall to dairy. There’s nothing novel in our selection: a blue, a brie, something
A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
Scottish for my Scottish father, and something hard, nutty and Alpine for me. But tasting them, pondering them and finally choosing them always feels as revelatory as discovering cheese for the very first time. That’s the joy of shopping for food in real, offline life; it’s a tangible, multisensory experience. You can buy speciality goods online, of course, but smelling fresh oranges, trying a sliver of cheese, perusing wood-scented wine racks for something a little recherche, none of this can compare to clicking their avatars into a digital basket. I’m biased, but Marylebone is a particularly pleasing place to purchase such things. The streets are inherently smart, and the Christmas decorations are pretty and creative, but not over the top. Independents abound, most of which are run and staffed by the same people year in, year out, making shopping with them all the more personable. Come December, you’re as likely to find La Fromagerie’s Patricia Michelson bustling around the store as you were in 2002, when it first opened. Few people leave La Fromagerie without being tempted by other things, and I’m not one of them. Crackers, cornichons and quince paste all go in my basket, so as to complement (read: bulk out) the cheeseboard for when my dad decides to embark on one of his infamous Christmas wine tastings. Quite what we’re tasting for varies: it could be grape varieties, regions or vintages, and I should stress that none of us are vinophiles; that’s part of the fun. What never changes is the quality and quantity of wine. For that we 27 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
have Le Vieux Comptoir and Philglas & Swiggot to thank: independent wine merchants boasting carefully sourced wines from small, interesting producers. After noisily devising his tasting in secret, dad cloaks the bottles in clean (we hope) socks, and we write our highly amateurish notes on the back of his former firm’s stationery. Then it’s on to Rococo for chocolates, and to Bayley & Sage for kumquats (those small, bright, bullet-shaped citrus fruits) and beautiful Don Bocarte anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea. The latter are an example of how our Christmas traditions evolve, even while the day seems to remain static – how what we eat tells a tale of Christmases past, of parents’ childhoods or grandparents’ childhoods or three Christmases ago when we forgot to buy brandy butter and found it was much nicer (read: boozier) homemade. My friend Gurdeep has a trifle every year simply because the house his family moved into had a trifle bowl. What started as a dusty discovery at the back of a cupboard has transformed into a ceremonial affair: “Every December we have a big discussion about which trifle to have,” he tells me. So too in our house, with the anchovies. During the Covid Christmas, I decided – having nothing better to do with my time – that we should make canapes using whatever we found in the cupboards. We made the best of what we had: palmiers with cheddar and tinned crab; homemade blinis with beetroot and creme fraiche; gildas with olives and tinned anchovies. Remarkably, post Covid, this practice has remained – but
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A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
CLARE’S CHRISTMAS SHOPPING ROUTE
Philglas & Swiggott
BAYLEY & SAGE Purveyors of everything from fresh fruit and veg to cheese and charcuterie, to sweets and treats. 33-34 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QD bayley-sage.co.uk BONNE BOUCHE Bakers of fresh baguettes, pastries, cakes and biscuits. A true Marylebone stalwart. 2-3 Thayer Street, W1U 3JD bonnebouchemarylebone.co.uk DAISY GREEN An Australian coffee shop transposed to London, offering first-class coffee. 20 Seymour Street, W1H 7HX daisygreenfood.com LA FROMAGERIE One of the country’s finest cheese rooms, plus a cornucopia of other carefully sourced produce. 2-6 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW lafromagerie.co.uk LA PETITE POISSONNERIE All the sustainably sourced fresh fish you need for a traditionally fishy Christmas Eve. 19 New Quebec Street, W1H 7RY lapetitepoissonnerie.com LE VIEUX COMPTOIR A glorious selection of underexposed French wines sourced from small producers. 26-28 Moxon Street, W1U 4EU levieuxcomptoir.co.uk PHILGLAS & SWIGGOT One of London’s most respected independent wine merchants, with a wide-ranging repertoire. 22 New Quebec Street, W1H 7SB philglas-swiggot.com ROCOCO CHOCOLATES Inventive, creative chocolates and truffles made using the very best ingredients. 3 Moxon Street, W1U 4EP rococochocolates.com THE GINGER PIG Meat and poultry sourced from small farms with unimpeachable standards of quality and ethics. 8-10 Moxon Street, W1U 4EW thegingerpig.co.uk
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“After noisily devising his Christmas wine tasting in secret, my dad cloaks the bottles in clean (we hope) socks, and we write our highly amateurish notes on the back of his former firm’s stationery.”
A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
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A FOOD WRITER’S GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS
La Fromagerie
with upgrades to reflect that we’re no longer locked in our homes. The homemade blinis now come with smoked trout, sourced from La Petite Poissonnerie; likewise, the crab in the palmiers is fresh rather than tinned. The anchovies are still tinned, of course, but they’re posh now, as are the (Perello) olives. Serving canapes with pre-dinner drinks – or PDDs, as we call it – around the tree on Christmas Eve is my favourite time of the day; arguably my favourite time of Christmas. The glug-glug-glug of the wine, the passing around of the canapes, my dad singing the wrong words to Wham! Predinner drinks provide the moment where everything is still to come, a time rich with anticipation. Christmas Eve drinks lead to my stepmother’s fish pie, laden with fluffy maris piper potatoes and laced with peas, which we fight over when serving steaming spoonfuls onto our plates. They swim in a creamy bechamel that bubbles up through the buttery mashed potato topping, sprinkled with tangy, salty shavings of cheddar cheese: Cathedral City when we were growing up, but these days La Fromagerie’s Pitchfork cheddar. Christmas Day dawns, and five hours later breakfast begins: the cumulative result of our getting carried away on Christmas Eve, and there being one shower between eight adults. My granny’s grapefruit and dried apricot salad has been our Christmas breakfast for as long as I recall and though she passed away when I was 17, that dish brings her to our table. Every year my mum or my stepmum take it in turns to remove all the pith and skin 30 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
of the grapefruit (an arduous task) and mix it with the requisite rosewater, apricots and pine nuts. Though my profession makes me a passionate advocate for homemade dishes and treats, I concede some things are better shop bought – and mince pies are one of them. The mincemeat must be deep, boozy and rich, untampered with chocolate, cheese or any other such newfangled ‘twist’. The shortcrust pastry must be so buttery it almost melts into the mincemeat when the pies are warm. Finding the Platonic ideal of a mince pie is a life’s work – there’s a reason people go wild for Which? magazine’s annual ratings – but it’s hard to beat Daylesford’s traditional mince pies, which are exactly what they say on the packet. We have these with coffee (Daisy Green beans) after our morning walk. For dinner, we make cranberry sauce by the bowlful – both my dad and stepdad are obsessed – and at least three types of stuffing, studded with more apricots, more cranberries and sage snipped from the garden. Every year we make the red cabbage weeks in advance, to defrost and reheat on Christmas Day; and every year we forget it until halfway through the meal – by which point it will be caramelised and fudgy, which is how we’ve come to like it. The jewel-like kumquats from Bayley & Sage are another of my granny’s legacies. She grew up in America, where they had them at Thanksgiving. Simmered with caster sugar to make a quick compote, they act as the perfect foil to the turkey, pigs in blankets and various stuffings. Because one of my brothers is the director of music at a cathedral, we don’t eat until late: our record is around 9pm, which is bedtime for most people on Christmas Day. Yet being a family of food lovers, we enjoy the prep almost as much as the dinner itself, especially after a few rounds of my brother’s sturdy gin and tonics. Dinner ends in flames. Practice has yet to make perfect my father’s ability to set fire to the pudding without jeopardising the tablecloth, so we all keep one hand on our water glasses while we sing. By the time we’ve cleared up, it could be as late as 11pm – but with my brothers now delving into the darker, dustier parts of the spirits cabinet, it rarely stops us pitching our parents and stepparents against each other in endless rounds of the hat game. Of course, the picture I’ve painted here was not made overnight. Like Christmas, our family is a cobbled, chaotic affair that’s been years and hard work in the making. But just as the best traditions are the product of multiple people, their eclectic personalities and pasts, so too are the best kind of relationships, be they family or friends. And Christmas really starts with those people, whoever you are and whatever you’re eating. Clare’s book, Hungry Heart: A Story of Food and Love, is available now from Daunt Books
Celebrating Christmas at St. Marylebone Parish Church with King Edward VII’s Hospital Tuesday 5th December 2023, 18:30
CENTRE FOR VETERANS’ HEALTH KING EDWARD VII’S HOSPITAL
Join us for King Edward VII’s Hospital Christmas Carol Concert this December for an evening of carols, readings and music. We’ll be joined on the night by Sir Derek Jacobi, Victoria Smurfit and a number of other special guests to celebrate the festive season. All proceeds go towards funding King Edward VII’s Hospital Centre for Veterans’ Health’s ground-breaking Pain Management Programme and 100% Military Grants. This promises to be a very special start to the Christmas period. We look forward to seeing you there. Tickets are priced at £25 per person, or £40 for a 2-ticket bundle and include mulled wine and mince pies.
To book tickets scan the QR code or go to https://tinyurl.com/yc2n2shp Alternatively, you can search King Edward VII’s Hospital on the Eventbrite website. SCAN ME
Reg. Charity No. 208944
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at christmas
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. CHILTERN STREET CHRISTMAS SHOPPING EVENING
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THURSDAY 23 NOVEMBER 4.30-7.30PM AN EVENING OF SHOPPING, WINTER WARMERS AND CAROLS
THE CHUFFED STORE 7 NOVEMBER - 20 DECEMBER A CURATED CHRISTMAS POP UP ON SEYMOUR PLACE
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LETTERS TO SANTA
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15 NOVEMBER - 31 DECEMBER POST YOUR LETTER AND CHRISTMAS WISHES TO SANTA AT HIS SEYMOUR PLACE POST BOX
SANTA ON SEYMOUR THURSDAY 14 DECEMBER 4-7PM JOIN US FOR CAROLS AND A VISIT FROM SANTA ON SEYMOUR PLACE
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TO DISCOVER WHAT’S ON IN PORTMAN MARYLEBONE THIS CHRISTMAS SCAN THE QR CODE @portmanmarylebone #portmanmarylebone
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THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS
THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS Introducing the people behind central London’s vital charities and community organisations: Tom Acres, community lead for Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster Mind Interview: Jean-Paul Aubin-Parvu Portraits: Orlando Gili
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Brent, Wandsworth and Westminster Mind (BWW Mind) is a local mental health charity, and though we’re affiliated with the national Mind charity we source our own funding and deliver our own services independently. We support adults and young people and provide training and consultancy to organisations and companies, talking about different topics related to mental health and trying to increase awareness and reduce stigma. As community lead, my role is to manage community support programmes for adults across Brent and Westminster. We provide a wide range of activities that enhance people’s mental, physical and social wellbeing, help them to develop skills, offer pathways into employment and volunteering, and connect them to their communities. Let’s start with employment support services. Our employment coach comes in once a week to meet with our participants, who are looking to get into either employed or voluntary work. We support them through that journey by, for example, helping with the job search, CV writing and interview preparation, or offering online training to help develop the necessary skills. We can also signpost them to adult education courses and help them find work experience. And it doesn’t have to end when they get a job. Going into a new workplace can be daunting and stressful, with lots of new challenges to face, so we continue to offer support while they’re working. Physical health and mental health are completely interlinked, and we often find that when people become unwell and start to struggle, they become increasingly isolated and inactive. Giving people the chance to engage in exercise and sports programmes is a great way to help them build self-esteem, improve their mood, manage anxiety and stress and increase energy levels. We offer supported gym sessions, yoga and boxercise classes. We also have a Sports at Lord’s programme, which is run in partnership with the MCC, which involves sports such as cricket, netball, ultimate frisbee, football and real tennis. We run psychoeducational and life skills workshops, including ones on nutrition, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, meditation, managing anxiety and managing emotions. We recently had a workshop based around service user voices in mental health care and the importance of getting input from the people who access our services. This has kickstarted a quarterly service user forum to ensure that we listen to the people who we’re trying to serve and that the services we provide are relevant. We have three creative wellbeing programmes. Creative > wellbeing is something that I’m particularly passionate
THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS
“A clinical psychologist once said that expression is the opposite of depression – what comes out of your body doesn’t make you ill, but what stays in there does.”
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THE DIFFERENCE MAKERS
about. I heard this quote once from a clinical psychologist who said that expression is the opposite of depression – what comes out of your body doesn’t make you ill, but what stays in there does. That really stuck with me and made me think about the importance of creative expression as a therapeutic outlet. Portugal Prints is our therapeutic arts project. We have a studio where participants explore different forms of art making. We collaborate with artists, galleries, art institutes and colleges. We currently have projects running with the National Portrait Gallery and the Westminster Adult Education Service. We see amazing results through that programme. Some of our artists have even gone on to sell their work. Music in Mind is a music production project delivered by our music facilitator, Karl King. Karl came through our employment support programme after having a difficult time with his own mental health. Afterwards, he wanted to use his knowledge and skills in music production to help others. I am so proud of what Karl has managed to achieve and the impact that he’s had. He is very inspirational and has a wicked taste in music. He motivates people to be creative and express themselves through music, while also using his own lived experience to help them see that there is always hope. Earlier this year we launched a 12-week collaborative filmmaking project run in collaboration with Wondering Minds. We taught 14 participants how to make a short film centred around their own unique mental health story. It was a transformative experience for many of them, allowing them to deal with some of the things that maybe they’ve ignored or not spoken about. As a celebration of their hard work, we held an incredibly moving film screening to over 150 people for World Mental Health Day. Jas, our community befriending coordinator, manages a team of befrienders who offer support on a one-to-one basis, helping people connect with their community. For example, they might meet for a coffee, go to the cinema or the theatre, visit a market or go shopping. Sometimes it might mean bringing them along to some of our groups and activities. We deliver a number of eco-therapy programmes. I think that many of us are experiencing what we might call a nature deficit disorder, and the consequences of this are a lot of stress, anxiety and depression along with loads of physical health conditions. We’re all much happier and healthier when we feel connected to our natural surroundings. Our Green Minds project is delivered in collaboration with The Royal Parks. Each month we visit a natural space in or around London and engage in activities 35 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
such as bird watching, learning about insects or tree identification. Many people who come to us are isolated, and when you become isolated it becomes difficult to leave the house and enjoy the nature on your doorstep. The aim is to give people the confidence and the knowledge to explore these beautiful spaces within their city. The Fig Tree Gardening Club was set up about 18 months ago thanks to funding by The Howard de Walden Estate. The programme is run in partnership with Look Ahead and takes place in the back garden of one of their premises. Each week our therapeutic horticulturist, Julia, delivers a gardening session. She knows everything about gardens! Anybody who shows a real passion and interest in gardening has the opportunity to join our supported volunteer programme at ZSL London Zoo’s allotments, growing herbs, fruit and vegetables for local food banks. By using their skill and effort to contribute to their community, these volunteers get a real sense of purpose and meaning. BWW Mind is one of The Howard de Walden Estate’s charity partners, and their fundraising support is pivotal. We’re a charity and it’s becoming more and more difficult to get hold of funds through the grants system, so that bit of financial security makes a huge difference to us when we’re setting up a programme. I did the Two Moors Way walk with my dad and my brother in the summer of 2022, and we managed to raise around £1,200 for the charity. I grew up in Devon and had been talking about getting back and doing a walk with my dad for years, so last summer we decided to walk across Dartmoor and Exmoor, starting on the south coast and finishing up on the north coast. It took us nearly a week to walk around 120 miles. It was a beautiful experience. You really feel connected to nature when you’re washing in a river, hiking through the countryside and wild camping under the stars. It also allowed me to connect with my dad and my brother. We were trying to raise money for the mental health charity that I work for, but through that process we also spoke about our own mental health struggles. Most people have challenges at some point in life, and it was good to be able to open up and talk. Talking openly about mental health is not something that I did when I was younger, but I believe that as a society we’re slowly getting better at doing that. As I said earlier, expression is the opposite of depression. Getting something off your chest is a problem halved. BRENT, WANDSWORTH AND WESTMINSTER MIND 23 Monck Street SW1P 2AE bwwmind.org.uk
A CLOSER LOOK FOOD
A CLOSER LOOK FOOD » 36 STYLE » 44 GIFT GUIDE » 59 HEALTHCARE » 62
FOOD » 38
FOOD PHILOSOPHY
Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie, co-owners of Uli, on neighbourhoods, teamwork and ‘the breath of the wok’ STYLE »44
Q&A
Charlotte and Adam Cameron of The Workers Club on Japanese denim, exorbitant zips and the ongoing hunt for perfection STYLE » 56
ANATOMY OF A DESIGN
Simon Watkins of Labour and Wait on a redesigned classic that sums up the brand’s philosophy
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Q&A: CHANTAL COADY
The founder of Rococo Chocolates on cocoa, creativity and the brand’s 40th anniversary Interview: Mark Riddaway Portraits: Hoda Davaine, Mark Ellidge
Q: Forty years ago, when you founded Rococo Chocolates, you went from being a textile design graduate to an artisan chocolatier. That’s not a well-trodden path. What took you down it? A: I suppose I just loved chocolate. I really loved it. I’d been obsessed since I was a child. But as I was getting older I was becoming a bit more sophisticated – it wasn’t just about Cadbury’s Creme Eggs anymore. I worked in Harrod’s chocolate department when I was a student, so that gave me a pretty good idea of what was out there. They were importing from France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland. They also had some very traditional English chocolates, like Bendicks Bittermints and rose and violet creams – those English classics that have been around since Victorian times. Those felt a little bit dusty to me, not so exciting. It was French chocolate that excited me. I loved this idea that you could go into a small shop in France and someone there would have actually made the chocolate themselves. For me, that was the pinnacle. Q: When you opened your first Rococo shop on King’s Road in 1983, were you making your own chocolate right from the start? A: No. It took me a few years to become a chocolate maker. At that 37 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
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time, very few people were making chocolate themselves in this country. There might have been moments where the odd person did something, but then Health and Safety would come and close them down. I won’t mention any names! But I could get very good chocolates made for me by people just outside London and I could import things. At first that’s what I did. Q: What led you to start making your own? A: A couple of Belgian guys who were doing these beautiful bars for us, flavoured with things like black peppercorn and chilli, announced out of the blue that the chocolate had just been a side hustle for them while they were studying to do something else. They told us that when they qualified, they wouldn’t be doing this anymore. “But you can buy the moulds and the recipes and you can do it yourself,” they said. “It’s easy.” So that’s what we did.
Q: The name of the brand is very evocative – particularly with The Wallace Collection, a treasure trove of Rococo art, just moments away. How did the idea come to you? A: I did this mini business course – maybe three weeks in the classroom and then seven weeks where you write your plan. I was asked what the business was going to be called, but I was a bit paranoid, and I didn’t want to tell them the name I’d planned. So they said: “For god’s sake, just make something up for this purpose.” At that moment, it literally just came into my head: Rococo. And they all went: “Well, that’s brilliant. You have to call it that.” Afterwards, I looked it up in my dictionary and it said: French word, derived from ‘rocaille’, which means shell and scroll work, and the last thing it said was, “florid to the point of bad taste” and I thought, well, that gives me license to do exactly what I want, to have fun and be a bit irreverent.
Q: How would you summarise your approach to chocolate? A: We came up with the words ‘pleasure’ and ‘provenance’ quite early, and I think that still sums it up. Chocolate should be a joy for every sense: eating it, looking at it, even the sound of it. But you also need to know that it’s come from the right place. That’s the first priority: to find out where the beans came from, who grew them, and what the flavour profile is. Like with wine, different varieties grown in different places have a different flavour. Then every step of the process makes a difference. After being harvested, the beans need to be fermented very carefully. After that, you dry them, then roast them. That’s where it’s a bit like coffee. If it’s a really good bean, you don’t want to over-roast it, you want to bring out the really lovely, mellow characteristics. And then it gets ground up and that, again, will affect the texture and the flavour. Every part of the process is important. It all needs to be done with love and care.
Q: The visual design of Rococo’s shops and chocolates is anything but bad taste. The look of the brand clearly shows the influence of your training as an artist... A: There have actually been three distinct design phases. The first was quite punk and new romantic, when I had pink hair and the shop had a sugar chandelier, stippled walls and cherubs on the ceiling. Then after that we went in more of a creativesalvage period, working with people like Tom Dixon and André Dubreuil. And then for the final phase, a bookseller brought me this old catalogue. It was blue, printed on paper which must have been cream originally but had gone quite yellow. I took the pages – and this is where my textile design comes in – I cut off the edges and the page numbers and laid the pages out in this random,
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ULI
Graham Rebak and Adam Wilkie, co-owners of Uli, on neighbourhoods, teamwork and ‘the breath of the wok’ Interview: Ellie Costigan Images: Charlie McKay
Adam: We used to go to the original incarnation of Uli on the All Saints Road in Notting Hill. We just loved it – it was a real hidden gem. But we went away on holiday one summer and came back to find it’d shut up shop completely. We were devastated! So, I tracked down the number of the guy who owned it, Michael Lim, and we ended up helping him re-open it – with a facelift. All the locals were delighted. Graham: Michael is still very much involved. He’s part of the furniture and everyone knows him. His is a face you just associated with Uli. We love having him here and the guests love him, too. Adam: Marylebone has a very similar village feel to Notting Hill. Going further
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for clean minimalism, as well as for detail. He understands our exactness with lighting, sound, acoustics. We have a huge amount of respect for him. Adam: We know we’re only as good as our last meal and that we’re only here because our customers want to come back. For that reason, we make sure every single guest is given the most memorable experience possible. That’s paramount. into the West End would’ve felt like a departure from that neighbourhood feel that we like. It’d make it more of a destination, which is not what we’re striving to become.
comprises the greatest hits – of an entire continent! There’s no rocket science to it: we are giving people what they want, done really well, in a clean way.
Adam: Seymour Place is such a beautiful street. There’s not one view of it that isn’t charming. And it’s starting to become a really vibrant dining street. It’s like an antidote to Oxford Street.
Adam: I think a Thai green curry is only authentic if it has pea aubergines in it. They’re quite bitter – it’s a unique taste that people seem to either love or hate.
Graham: The nice thing about the menu is, it’s all feasting. The best experience you’ll have here is in a group, with lots of dishes in the middle of the table, so you can try many different things.
Graham: We have three top chefs, who all used to work in Notting Hill. We gave them the opportunity to take over and launch this site with us. But we couldn’t just rely on their ability; we had to make sure we gave them the best kitchen – the best equipment, the best wok, the right steamers and fires. The kitchen has all got to be laid out in a particular way.
Adam: We draw influences from across Asia, but the wok is the common denominator that links them together. Our menu
Adam: There’s one skill that is really important – and is typically ingrained in people who’ve always cooked in this style – which is called ‘wok hei’. It roughly translates as ‘the breath of the wok’ and it’s what gives this kind of food that charred, barbecued flavour, which you can only get if you’re cooking at intense heat, on a metal wok that’s been well-seasoned. When they’re cooking, they’re constantly turning the food around, so that it’s catching the breath of the wok. That takes years of training. Graham: This is a bigger site than our previous restaurant, but we wanted it to still feel cosy – not a big, cavernous space. We worked with RIBA architect Jonathan Clarke to design it and he’s got a great eye
repeating design. I spent four years learning how to do that at art school and then it took me about 10 minutes to actually put it together. It was very instantly distinctive and wrapping it round almost any shape works really well. It’s been an enduring thing.
Left: Chantal today Above: Chantal 40 years ago, at the opening of her first store
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Q: You’ve always been highly inventive and a little subversive with the flavours and shapes of your chocolates. Is there something about British food culture that lends itself to that kind of creativity? A: I think the difference between us and continental Europe is that we had an industrial revolution which spread
Graham: With a restaurant, it’s all about the people. It’s like making a movie: the directors, the actors, you’ve got to have the right people in every post. If the guy who’s chopping vegetables doesn’t chop them correctly, they might be wasted. It they cut the beef too thick or too thin, it’ll frazzle or be chewy. Everything needs to be exactly right, all the way through. Adam: We look for staff with brilliant personalities. You can train anyone, but if you haven’t got the right personality to give guests a memorable experience, you can’t instil it in them. We only employ team members who we’d want to have dinner with. ULI 15 Seymour Place, W1H 5BE ulilondon.com
across every sector, but particularly food. It’s about producing as much food as cheaply as possible to feed people. You look at somewhere like France, there’s always been much more of a tradition of farm-to-table, buying at markets, not processing things in the same way. As a result, tradition is so much more important to them. I once had a debate with a French chocolatier that I knew. I gave him a box of fresh chocolates and he said: “I have to tell you. They’re too acidic and this is not right with chocolate.” He was coming from this very traditional French place. And I said: “Actually, that’s how I want them to be.” For him, it was like, no no no, you’ve crossed a
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line there. There are lots of problems with British food culture, but one of the good things is that we’re free to be a bit more experimental. You can have a bit of fun. Q: Where does inspiration for those creative leaps come from? A: It can come from anywhere. I’ll taste something – it might be a flavour in a Thai restaurant – and I’ll think, “Yes, let’s try that with chocolate.” It doesn’t always work, but often it does. In 1998, I was walking along the beach in Cornwall with my little boy, and we had ice creams. And as I was licking the ice cream, I got these little salt crystals that had just formed on my lips and I thought, wow, that’s an amazing sensation, the sweetness and creaminess of the ice cream and the salt. Back then, no one did a milk chocolate with sea salt. As soon as I got back, I made the recipe and put it into production. I can date it exactly because I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time, and I think that perhaps heightened my senses as well. That chocolate is still one of our absolute best sellers. Q: In 2019, you lost control of Rococo to an investor and were edged out of the business. Now the brand has been bought by Gruppo Illy, the Italian coffee and food group, and you’re back as creative director. How did that happen? A: A few years ago, the Illy group bought Prestat, which is one of the really old-fashioned English chocolate shops, started by a Frenchman 120 years ago. I met the young woman, Micaela Illy, who was running the business and we had a nice chat. Then one of my friends sent me this Italian newspaper clipping which said that Micaela had now bought Rococo. Immediately I reached out and congratulated her and said: “I’m really, really pleased that it’s in safe hands and if there’s anything I can do to help just let me know.” That progressed into a conversation about joining the board of directors. 40 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
Now I’m creative director and brand ambassador. To be honest, it’s a bit unbelievable to be back doing the role that I was doing before. I love it. Q: How are you finding working within a large organisation rather than running a small one? A: It’s very different! Of course, there are a lot more people now with very specific roles – the finances, health and safety, compliance. I don’t get involved in any of that; I leave that to the experts. To be honest, it’s quite nice to be involved in the way that I am now, doing all the parts that excite me without having to worry too much
about the other bits. It’s about new flavours, new collections of chocolate, new collaborations. I’m free to be creative. We’re working with some exciting couvertures like Domori, which was started by a young guy who was going to Venezuela and finding fantastic cocoa – very, very rare varieties. He has some of the finest flavoured cocoas in the world, perfect for turning into truffles with not too many ingredients. The flavour profile can really come through. ROCOCO CHOCOLATES 3 Moxon Street, W1U 4EP rococochocolates.com
NEW ARRIVAL
Florencio Pizza An Argentine chef opening a pizza restaurant? Sounds like a recipe for heated arguments about authenticity – until, that is, you hear how Italian migration helped shape the wildly diverse food culture of Diego Jacquet’s homeland. Pizza is, as a result, as much a fixture of Buenos Aires as it is of Bologna, a fact celebrated at Florencio Pizza, the new restaurant from the team behind the much-loved Zoilo grill. Expect 48-hour fermented dough, loads of exceptional ingredients and no shortage of South American passion. FLORENCIO PIZZA 14 Seymour Place, W1H 7NF florenciopizza.com
NEW
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ANATOMY OF A DISH
DAD’S KOFTAS WITH TAHINI & POMEGRANATE SEEDS
Limor Chen, co-founder of Delamina, on a dish that features in her debut cookbook, My Tel Aviv Table
In nutshell This is my personal take on the Middle Eastern kebab. Nostalgic, wholesome and filled with rich flavours, it’s a wonderful barbecue dish that can also be cooked in the home kitchen. It should be served alongside a dip such as tahini, hummus or a yoghurt-based sauce, as well as plenty of pita bread to scoop it all up with. Adding a fresh salad will create a delicious, balanced meal. The inspiration My dad was a barbecue king back in the day, famous for his homemade koftas. As soon as summer started, he found any excuse to host abundant barbecues. My childhood is filled with memories of family and friends gathering to eat his delicious food, with these koftas being the stars of the show. Everything he grilled was made from scratch and cooked to perfection. The purpose There was never a recipe to follow, so I had to recreate this a few times until I felt the flavours matched my memories. It’s a dish that’s both nutritious and meaty, without being heavy, so it was important for me to bring it back to life. It’s always on the menu in the restaurant and it just had to make its way into the 42 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
book! At times I replace the tahini sauce with pumpkin hummus, or aubergine and beetroot yoghurt, as well as harissa oil. The technique You can use minced lamb, beef or venison – and you can even mix the meats, something I often do. I add to this mix a long list of spices, along with diced or grated onions and crushed garlic. I also add lots of very finely chopped herbs, usually coriander, parsley and dill, giving it an extra depth of flavour, a layer of freshness and a nutritious kick. I then mix it all by hand (it’s okay to use gloves!) as that’s the only way the flavours combine together properly. The secret You can cook it in the pan or the oven, but my favourite way is to cook it over the flame on a barbecue, giving it the smoky flavour I remember as a child. To prevent the meat from sticking to the surface, stick a fork into half an onion and brush the griddle with the cut side of the onion. It works really well, picking up any grease or debris. Keep brushing as you work your way through all the koftas. DELAMINA 56-58 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2NX delaminakitchen.co.uk
My Tel Aviv Table by Limor Chen (Nourish) is out now
A GLASS APART
Cameron Jardine of Philglas & Swiggot on a unique red wine produced on the slopes of one of Europe’s largest active volcanoes Interview: Viel Richardson
Etna Rosso, produced by the Tenuta delle Terre Nere (‘black earth estate’) winery is playing a part in the rejuvenation of an entire wine region. Wine production in the vicinity of Mount Etna, the huge active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, had been allowed to wither away and was in danger of being lost forever, certainly in terms of meaningful production. Then Marc de Grazia, whose company promotes and exports the wines of small Italian producers, made it his mission to revive this style of wine, based around the traditional grapes of the region. The Marc de Grazia business is based in Piedmont in the north of Italy, but back in the early 2000s he looked at the unique grapes and geographical qualities of Etna and saw an opportunity to create something truly special. His team spent a lot of time and energy travelling around the area sampling and testing the soils and investigating microclimates on the northfacing slopes of the volcano. The idea was to pick the very best sites for their vines: they wanted vineyards that were protected from the harsh Sicilian summers but benefitted from Etna’s volcanic soil. The grapes used in Etna Rosso are a combination of 43 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccio, grown at altitudes of over 500 metres. The nerello mascalese gives the wine the body, depth and intensity while the nerello cappuccio gives it colour, subtle fruit and a touch of acidity. It’s a lovely combination that produces a unique and really quite wonderful wine. When I first tasted it, I was struck by the fact that it felt like a rich big-bodied wine, but at the same time has this light freshness to its nature. There are notes of brimstone and strawberry and often hints of tangerine and blood orange. It has a pale colour which can make the richness, depth and nuance of the wine a little surprising at first. This is a wine that can be enjoyed on its own in the late evening or paired with food earlier in the day. Thanks to those rich volcanic soils, this wine definitely benefits from being decanted and left to breathe for about half an hour before drinking. Etna Rosso isn’t as well-known as it should be, but for those who find it, it quickly becomes a firm favourite. PHILGLAS & SWIGGOT 22 New Quebec Street, W1H 7SB philglas-swiggot.com
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Q&A: CHARLOTTE & ADAM CAMERON The co-founders of The Workers Club on Japanese denim, exorbitant zips and the ongoing hunt for perfection
Interview: Emily Jupp Images: Department Two, Dan Choppen, Will Morgan
The Workers Club (TWC) opened a new store on Chiltern Street in August. The eight-year-old menswear brand, known for uncompromising quality, was founded in rural Oxfordshire by married couple Adam and Charlotte Cameron. Adam was formerly the head of design at Dunhill and Charlotte worked as a consultant for high street fashion brands. Their flagship London store opened in Marylebone this autumn. Q: You’ve been at the TWC store on Chiltern Street for a couple of months now. How are you settling in? Charlotte: Being on that street for us was always the dream for the brand. And we still can’t quite believe it, but it feels so right... Chiltern Street sets a great level of quality that you can expect. Q: What was your approach to designing the space? Adam: So we gave the brief to the architect Jonathan Martin. He brought things to the table that we wouldn’t have come up with. Charlotte: All the furniture is modular and the wall in the shop is an organic meadow that’s grown in Sweden. Everybody touches the wall and wants to sniff it. It’s a really bizarre thing, Q: Does it have a particular smell? Charlotte: It does – of cut grass. It was at its strongest when we’d just put it up. 45 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
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Q: Are you often in the shop? Charlotte: I’m in there most days and Adam comes in whenever he can, so that the customers get to meet us. We think that’s really important. Because we design everything, we source all the fabrics and we work really closely with our factories, I can literally tell a customer where it was made, what it’s made of, where the buttons were made. Everything, really. Q: How would you describe the aesthetic of TWC? Adam: It’s definitely timeless. It’s understated, it screams quality. We’re not interested in doing fleeting, trend-driven fashion pieces. We almost don’t consider ourselves a fashion brand. It’s a lifestyle product. Charlotte: We use a lot of technical fabrics, but we also honour British and Japanese tradition, where we believe the quality is really exceptional. We have at times called ourselves ‘perfection hunters’ because we don’t want to compromise. As a brand, we’re eight years old now. Those values are still really important. Q: TWC is known for denim and outerwear. Tell us about the denim first – it comes from a denim village in Japan. Adam: It does. Japan, for both of us, like most designers, is a rich source of inspiration. Q: Why is that? What’s so unique about it? Adam: They’re meticulous about the retail experience and there’s a sense of tradition. A ceremonial thing. Like, when you go into the fitting rooms, you take your shoes off before you enter, then there’ll be a little rug to stand on. Charlotte: We’ve got to get a rug in the fitting room. Adam: Okay, yes, that’s a good call! So, the Japanese boom of denim brands happened in the nineties with the likes of Evisu. They call them the Osaka 5: five denim brands who were reproducing high-quality, 1950s-style 46 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
Above: Looks from the TWC autumn / winter 2023 collection
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American-made denim. I first went to Japan in 2007 and got to see all these brands in situ. And then I got to go to denim factories in Japan, because I started developing a Japanese denim jean for Dunhill. That was the first time that I actually got to work with these Japanese manufacturers. Q: What was that like? Adam: It was amazing! I got to go to Okayama, in western Japan, where the Denim Village is – and an hour outside is where all of the mills are based. All of the good makers are based there. So that was kind of the testbed for me.
Charlotte: Adam would go to Japan two or three times a year and come back with all this denim that he was really excited about. But the fits of the jeans just didn’t work on a western body. Adam: But I just kept buying them because I loved them so much. That was kind of the trigger, really. I started thinking that I would like to use their manufacturing process but make a jean that’s more applicable to a western body. Q: What motivated you to start TWC in 2014? Charlotte: What really kind of spurred
DINNY HALL Dinny Hall, founder of the
that goes into the tiny inclusions to make it look greener than it really is. We get ours from Namibia. They’re not mined, they’re from the ocean bed, and the main factory we use is carbon neutral. But we can always do better – and we will keep doing better.
Dinny Hall jewellery brand, on design, gemstones and staying relevant Interview: Ellie Costigan
My first jewellery transaction was almost criminal. I stole my mother’s engagement ring and swapped it for a Barbie doll. I was only four and I was already a magpie. By the time I was nine or 10, I loved going to jumble sales with my mum. At one of them, I picked up a 1920s Cartier brooch made from ebony, with diamonds and rubies. I bought it for 4p or something. I had that kind of eye. I love designing – clothes, the inside of houses. But it was a love of gemstones that led me to go to art school and then choose jewellery as my subject. After my degree at Central Saint Martins, miraculously, Liberty bought all the jewellery from my student showcase. That was a bit of a rockstar moment. It wasn’t an easy trajectory from that point, but it was an amazing start. 47 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
on TWC was that we didn’t want to compromise anymore. We started by designing the ultimate coat, which actually came before the jeans. We’d moved out to the countryside and we wanted something that would really perform... Adam: ...and not look like you were wearing country garb. It needed to work in the city as well as it did in the countryside. Charlotte: We designed a three-part component jacket. We call it The Works. It’s a shell jacket with a gilet and a bomber jacket that both kind of zip in. So that’s what we launched the brand with.
What was simple and right in the 1990s is not necessarily simple and right today. If you’re plugged in enough to the zeitgeist, you can carry on designing forever. But if you start not liking what young people are wearing, you’re in for a problem! I love fashion, so that probably gives a longevity to what I do. Designing jewellery is the same process a chef goes through with a recipe. You find something you love, then you rework and evolve it. The whole thing is quite circular. Miners are cleaning up their acts, but it’s a long process. Improvements in certification have helped. In the past, you wouldn’t necessarily know if a ruby had been injected with red glass, or an emerald had been rubbed with a special oil
FKA twigs came into the shop recently. I thought, am I cool?! Surely, I’m too old to be cool. It was great. We never approach celebrities to wear our jewellery, but we have had many famous faces wear it over the years. It’s a privilege. I am never without hoops in my ears. I’ve got a little collection, which I rotate. I tend to wear gold these days because if I leave them in at night, who cares? That’s my go-to. We have a collection called bamboo, which I first designed in 1994. As a child, my mum had a Gucci handbag with a bamboo handle – she still has it in her cupboard. I always felt that I wanted to design some earrings to go with that. I like to take an idea and play with it but also, less is more – I’ll play with scale, but I’ll always bring things down to the brush stroke or the element. I don’t like really busy design. All gemstones work in different ways. You have to understand, when you’re putting colours together, how a particular
gemstone works with another, in that size and in that cut. You’d think that simplicity is easy, but it isn’t. Lab-grown diamonds are really fun, especially to create that multiple-earrings-in-yourear look, or a tennis bracelet. But if I wanted a diamond to be given as a commitment from somebody, I wouldn’t want it to be manmade. The meaning is all in the real thing. If a jewellery brand says it’s sustainable, it’s greenwashing. No one is completely sustainable. It’s a massive subject and my belief is that we need to talk about it openly and move forward with positive steps. It was pretty cool being on All That Glitters on the BBC – I did pinch myself then. I thought, I can do this not because I’m a TV star, but because I know my business and my trade and this artform so well. It takes a long old time to learn, and I’ve put in the hours. I have always wanted an emerald ring, so I designed one. I have just got it and I love it. It’s a mega, MI gold ring and I feel like you need to be in your fifth or sixth decade to have a ring like that. I’ve earned it. DINNY HALL 66 Marylebone Lane, W1U 2PF dinnyhall.com
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Q: How was that first experience of designing together? Adam: We clashed over the colour and finish of the zip. And if it had just been me, the zip would not be gold. But that was very much Charlotte’s input and now it’s part of our signature. Charlotte: This zip alone costs more than one of the dresses I would have designed for a high street brand! Adam: It’s from a company called Riri, which is a Swiss company. They’re basically the best zips in the world. I wasn’t able to use them at Dunhill because they were too expensive.
something. But obviously we’ve been together as a couple for like 23 years. As cheesy as it sounds, having worked with lots of people, I’d much rather work with Adam. Adam: Which is unbelievable, because I’m incredibly grumpy! Charlotte: The thing is, we have a shared vision. It’s just so uncomplicated. We know each other’s tastes, we trust each other. That’s a big, big thing in our industry – having that level of trust and respect.
Q: Was it nerve-wracking to make the leap from such a secure position at Dunhill? Adam: Yes, but I felt compelled and propelled to do it. I had the belief that if I did leave this bubble, there would be new opportunities out there.
NEW ARRIVAL
Q: Tell us how Kingsman, the 2014 spy comedy film, played a part in the TWC story. Adam: I got to work with the costume team and develop clothing for the film. I then went on to create a commercial collection with the film’s costume designer, Arianne Phillips, which was launched by Mr Porter. TWC and Kingsman launched at the same time. These other facets all help with customer trust – if someone comes into the shop, I can be like: “Hi, I’m Adam. I designed Kingsman.” Q: You first met on a fashion design course at university. Was TWC an idea even back then? Adam: We talked about it when we were sewing our final collection. Charlotte: It feels like a lifetime ago! Yeah, we were together then, but we were friends first and we were always the ones cramming it late into the night on the sewing machines and we used to talk together about what we’d do one day. I knew that our career paths were going to be quite different, but that at some point we would get together and do 48 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
THE WORKERS CLUB 58 Chiltern Street, W1U 7QZ theworkersclub.co.uk
NEW Ganni Founded in Copenhagen in 1999, Ganni was a tiny Nordic cashmere brand until Ditte Reffstrup got involved in 2009 and, a few years later, joined forces with her husband Nicolaj to buy out the business. Since then, with Ditte as creative director, the brand has soared into a different stratosphere creatively and commercially, with its practical but playful designs winning devotees around the world. Now, Ganni has arrived in Marylebone, adding to the area’s increasingly cosmopolitan selection of desirable womenswear and to its burgeoning ranks of certified B Corps – companies with a proven commitment to raising social and environmental standards. GANNI 69 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5JJ ganni.com
A CLOSER LOOK STYLE
THE LOOK
NEW ARRIVAL
NEW Derek Rose Derek Rose, arriving on the high street in time for Christmas, makes luxurious, elegant loungewear and sleepwear. In 1975, the eponymous Derek, the son of a garment maker, began making pyjamas under his own name in the Cheshire town of Congleton, where the company continues to produce its beautiful collections for men, women and children. Everything sold by the brand is designed to be timeless – Derek’s son Sacha, now in charge of the family business, believes that buying true quality once is far more sustainable than “repeated fashion-led, quality-agnostic purchases at much lower price points”. After many years of selling through carefully selected stockists, Derek Rose opened its first retail store in 2016. The Marylebone branch is only its fourth. DEREK ROSE 39 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QQ derek-rose.com
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TOWN AND COUNTRY
James Priestly of William Crabtree & Sons on a look that aims to be both urban and rural
Since opening on New Quebec Street three years ago, we’ve built a collection that’s meant to be worn in both of the environments between which we split our lives: the town and the country. Everything we make has this in mind. The look shown here begins with luxurious, warm cashmere socks, knitted in Scotland. Just putting them on makes for such a lavish start to the day, but they also provide practical comfort during colder weather. The tobacco cords, cut in Italian needlecord, incorporate side-strap adjusters and a tapered leg, introducing a touch of city style to what is usually country attire. The sportshirt jumper is knitted in Hawick, the capital of the Scottish knitwear industry, and perfectly embodies our desired blend of luxury and functionality. The striped poplin shirt is another adaptable essential that can transition from a casual open-necked style to a more formal look when paired with a tie, making it suitable for any setting. Finally, there’s the sports jacket,which is crafted in Italy, but with Yorkshiremade cloth. Countryside charm with an urban edge. WILLIAM CRABTREE & SONS 15 New Quebec Street, W1H 7RT williamcrabtree.co.uk 51 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
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THREE OF THE BEST
SCARVES It’s almost sinister how much difference a simple scarf makes to one’s body temperature – as if necks are conspiring with the cold air and slipping them our heat in secret. Even a thin, loosely tied silken number can be the difference between being comfortable and feeling a bit ‘on the edge’. Fortunately, good scarves are easy to come by in Marylebone, be they snake-like drapes, fashion statements or the sartorial equivalent of bear hugs. These are three of our favourites.
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1. CLASSIC SCARF THEORY, £165 uk.theory.com A lot of thought and creativity goes into the naming of garments. How do you find a name for a scarf that captures its essential essence and differentiates it from all the other scarfs? That’s the conundrum with which fashion brands wrestle. This time, the process appears to have been simpler than usual. “Well, it’s just kind of classic, isn’t it?” they said. Long and straight with a beautifully defined fringe. Available in either black or ivory. No pattern, no distinctive detailing, no playful toying with the fundamentals of the genre. Made from 100 per cent pure cashmere, as warm as it is soft: lovely, for sure, but hardly revolutionary. “Let’s just call it Classic,” they said. Job done.
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2.LIBERTY PRINT SILK CHIFFON SCARF BRORA, £45 broraonline.com It’s not often in this fickle world of ours that clothes provide a source of endless consistency, but silk scarves and Liberty prints are exceptions to the many fashion rules that come and go. They never go out of style, and they can be worn in every season by multiple generations in multiple ways. Some mavericks don’t even wear them as scarves, preferring instead to style them as headbands, belts or wrist warmers. Brora’s luxurious silk chiffon pairs perfectly with vibrant new Liberty print designs that lend themselves just as well to these different looks as they do to a bare neck on a chilly day.
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3. HOWLIN’ A UNIVERSE FROM NOTHING SCARF: INTERGALACTIC TRUNK, £105 trunkclothiers.com Wondering where in the world the name for this scarf came from? So are we. The brand – based in Antwerp, Belgium – is called Howlin’. The style is called A Universe From Nothing (also the title of a famous book about quantum physics). The colour palette is called Intergalactic, and very lovely it is too. The most important thing to know, though, is that the scarf is knitted and hand finished in Scotland with Scottish lambswool, and it’s so warm it could quite feasibly keep you cosy in the depths of space. The variegated stripes, meanwhile, make it infinitely adaptable and universally cool.
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THE EDIT COLD WEATHER COOL
MABEL BLOUSE KJ’S LAUNDRY, £110 kjslaundry.com
KEMBER SUNGLASSES CUBITTS, £125 cubitts.com
SUNSPEL X ANNA MAC SILK SCARF SUNSPEL, £115 sunspel.com
PLEATED COTTON VELVET SKIRT TOAST, £185 toa.st
HEIRLOOM RING MEJURI, £548 mejuri.com
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TANKS CARDIGAN BA&SH, £300 ba-sh.com
MOLA SASA BABA SABAH, £305 uk.sabah.am
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ANATOMY OF A DESIGN
FRENCH WORK JACKET
Simon Watkins of Labour and Wait on a redesigned classic that sums up the brand’s philosophy Interview: Viel Richardson
The requirement When we opened in 2000, we identified straight away that the French work jacket was the kind of classic, stylish, utilitarian item that we wanted to sell. From the very beginning, we would pick through mountains of old, worn jackets and find ones that were nicely faded but still robust enough for use. The need to develop our own jacket arose because of changes in the trading environment. It has become extremely difficult to find the quality of vintage garments that we need. When you do find something sellable, the prices have rocketed and the process of importing them has become so much more time consuming. We decided that if we wanted to continue selling these wonderful jackets, we had no choice but to make our own. The inspiration We wanted an authentic re-creation of the iconic French jacket, which is why we partnered with Le Mont St Michel, who’ve been making hardwearing workwear since 1913. For the design, sorting through thousands of jackets over the years had given me and my co-founder Rachel WytheMoran a very clear idea of what we wanted. We knew the collar shape we liked, we knew the pocket details we weren’t that keen on. Even so, creating that first design had its challenges. We wrestled with things like the space between the buttons, the height of the collar, the size and style of the pockets. There were so many details that had to be specified. But this was our opportunity to create a jacket that had all of the features that 56 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
we liked, to create what for us would be the perfect work jacket. The process We thought it would be quite a simple project, but it ended up taking us a year to finalise the design. We struck lucky, as one of our team previously worked as a garment technologist. Once you have created the basic design, there are processes like working out the grading increments between the sizes and creating specification sheets for the manufacturer – all of this is quite technical, so his help was hugely appreciated. Once we had the specifications prepared, we sent them over to France and waited for the samples to come back. I remember that the button spacing wasn’t quite right on those first samples, so we respaced them. Also, the collar was too shallow on the back neck, so it wasn’t covering the collar stand properly. We also changed the position of the pleats on the cuff. We ordered samples in different sizes and measured each against the specifications, then tried them on various people to ensure that if you normally took a large or a medium-large, our sizing fitted. We then gave the manufacturers our comments to apply to the next samples. This continued until we had the finished design. The materials Finding the right material was actually quite tricky. We were determined to be authentic to the original jacket, and that original jacket turned out not to have used a conventional twill. Twill is one of the three major types of weave used in textiles,
and while there are various standard twills, this jacket did not use any of them. To this day, I still don’t exactly know what the name of the traditional work jacket twill is! We just had to examine lots of material swatches until we found one that had the type of weave, the weight and even the shade of blue that we liked. It was very hard to find and there may still be some issues with sourcing it, going forward. But it was the only one that felt right to us, so we went with it. The philosophy I think the guiding principles we apply to all our products are authenticity and timelessness. Also, when it comes to clothing, we try as far as possible to be unisex. I can remember very early on, just after opening our first shop, we had some vintage work jackets on a rail. A lady came, who I think was in her 70s, tried one on, said it was the perfect thing to wear while gardening and bought one. Then literally within half an hour, a trendy young guy of about 20 bought exactly the same jacket as part of an outfit. We were absolutely delighted, because this summed up exactly what we wanted – for Labour and Wait to be a place selling high quality, classic items that appeal to all different kinds of people. However challenging it was at times, we have really enjoyed creating this jacket, as it has allowed us to put our stamp on an item that really sums up what we are about as a company. LABOUR AND WAIT 48 Dorset Street, W1U 7NE labourandwait.co.uk
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A CLOSER LOOK GIFT GUIDE
AMIE CHAIN BRACELET KIMAÏ, £495 kimai.com
GIFT GUIDE CARTHUSIA A’MMARE EAU DE PARFUM COLOGNE & COTTON, £100 cologneandcotton.com
BAGUETTE EAR CHARM POWER HUGGIE EARRINGS MONICA VINADER, £140 monicavinader.com
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CHARLOTTE TILBURY MINI HOLLYWOOD BLUSH & GLOW SPACE NK, £25 spacenk.com
JUNGLE SOAP SET ORTIGIA, £32 ortigiasicilia.com
PROTECTIVE BASE & GLOSSY TOP LONDON GRACE, £22 londongracepolish.com
BERGAMOT PERFUME PERFUMER H, £130 perfumerh.com
SPINEL STATEMENT RING COX & POWER, £6,250 coxandpower.com GERANIUM LEAF BODY SCRUB AESOP, £29 aesop.com
A CLOSER LOOK GIFT GUIDE
HANDMADE CERAMIC POMEGRANATE MOUKI MOU, £55 moukimou.com
SANTAL 26 CLASSIC CANDLE LE LABO, £65 lelabofragrances.com
LEUCHTTURM1917 X MONOCLE WEEKLY DIARY 2024 MONOCLE SHOP, £26 monocle.com COCINA MEXICANA COOKBOOK BY ADRIANA CAVITA CAVITA, £22 cavitarestaurant.com
STAINLESS STEEL TEAPOT, 0.5 LITRES DAVID MELLOR, £99 davidmellordesign.com
DIPPED VASE IN TEAL THE CONRAN SHOP, £185 conranshop.co.uk
JOHN DERIAN BUTTERFLY STUDIES PARCHMENT CUSHION DESIGNERS GUILD, £100 designersguild.com HONTANE DESK SCISSORS NIWAKI, £89 niwaki.com
DIAMOND RHINESTONE TRAVEL MUG KOIBIRD, £40 koibird.com
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LAPTOP SLEEVE SABAH, £120 uk.sabah.am LEATHER SIGNATURE STRIPE CREDIT CARD HOLDER PAUL SMITH, £140 paulsmith.com
ESPRESSO CUP MUD AUSTRALIA, £55 mudaustralia.com
A CLOSER LOOK GIFT GUIDE
HOODED LOUNGE DRESS THE WHITE COMPANY, £129 thewhitecompany.com
JACQUARD WOOL MITTENS TOAST, £49 toa.st
SHEEPSKIN HOT WATER BOTTLE DAYLESFORD ORGANIC, £65 daylesford.com
LONG SOCKS SLOWEAR, £28 slowear.com
INIS MEAIN RIB HAT GREY FLANNEL, £95 greyflannel.co.uk CINNABAR OMBRÉ SCARF DASHING TWEEDS, £205 dashingtweeds.co.uk TEMBEA XL HARVEST TOTE BAG TRUNK, £200 trunkclothiers.com
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A CLOSER LOOK HEALTHCARE
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A CLOSER LOOK HEALTHCARE
ANXIOUS WEIGHT
James Earl, a psychotherapist at All Points North, on how psychotherapy can help lighten the load of anxiety Interview: Viel Richardson
Q: What is the definition of psychotherapy? A: Surprisingly, it doesn’t actually have a legal definition in the UK. Unfortunately, a person here can call themselves a psychotherapist and start ‘practicing’ without any training, which is not the case in some other countries. Rather than create a legally enforceable certification, it has been left to the individual professional bodies like the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) to regulate the field. However, there is an ongoing debate about this approach, as some believe it can cause confusion for the public. Broadly speaking, a psychotherapist is anyone who treats people with mental health conditions using a talking therapy. I would call that a ‘family term’ that encompasses a wide range of talking therapies, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalysis and others. Q: So what’s the difference between psychotherapy and psychiatry? A: The main difference is that a psychiatrist must have a medical degree before they start to study psychiatry, which itself takes several years. Beyond that, I do think we approach things differently. If we take anxiety, for example, a psychiatrist would diagnose that as a disorder and prescribe medication if they thought it appropriate. So, psychiatry is about 63 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
diagnosis and prescription, based on medical training. In psychotherapy we don’t diagnose, we interpret. We interpret our patients’ feelings and thoughts from their reports about their behaviour. If I felt that somebody could benefit from medication, I would refer them to their GP or a psychiatrist. The key thing is that they are not mutually exclusive; they can be complementary, and you will find people who are trained in and practice both. Q: What is your role if you’re not providing a diagnosis? A: I would say we need to look at the word ‘diagnosis’. If you go to a doctor to see if you have pneumonia, the diagnosis would be a yes or no. If it were yes, they would prescribe medication, because just diagnosing the condition doesn’t treat it. Psychotherapy is different. If a couple are constantly arguing in a way that looks to me like a parent-child transaction, my interpretation of their arguments is clearly not objectively true or false. But it might offer a profound insight into an aspect of their relationship. Once I have shared that interpretation, many couples find that they can’t argue in quite the same way the next day. They’re too aware of what’s happening, and this opens the door to exploring more equitable ways of approaching a disagreement. The interpretation – and our exploration of it – is the treatment.
Q: What training does a registered psychotherapist go through? A: It’s usually a minimum of three years. You start with a Level 2 NVQ qualification, which gives you basic training in the principles of mental health. After this, Level 3 training starts delving deeper into those principles. You then do two years at Level 4, which is usually at a placement where you can start to see clients under supervision. At the end of Level 4, you have engaged with psychotherapy both academically and practically and will be considered a trained psychotherapist. At this point you could apply for a job or go into private practice. However, some people go on to specialise in a particular field, such as addiction or eating disorders. In my case, it was relationship counselling, and I worked with Relate for two years. I think this is the time where you really establish what issues you want to work with and the approach you feel most comfortable in. That’s why I think it is best practise to specialise after that initial training. Q: What would your approach be to someone with anxiety? A: My feeling is that anxiety is often a condition that has arisen from a form of watchfulness that the person developed early in life in response to their environment. Children become watchful if there is a degree
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of inconsistency in their background. I’m not talking about overt abuse or trauma, more a normal family background where things are a bit heightened: a father who sometimes drinks to excess and sometimes doesn’t, a mother who is sometimes depressed and sometimes not, family members who are sometimes angry and sometimes loving. The important thing is that there is no discernible pattern, so the child constantly tries to determine which version of the adult they are going to face, and therefore how they should behave. In cases like that, I’m not treating a pathology. Q: If it’s not a pathology, how do you categorise the condition? A: I call this behaviour an adaptive response. It’s a way in which the child manages their own feelings and tries to understand the feelings of those around them. The upside of this is that the child grows up extremely emotionally intelligent. They can read a room straight away and they’re very good at sensing how a person feels, which can make them very compassionate. The downside is that it’s not possible to be this watchful and become this good at reading people without a degree of anxiety. That person grows up constantly looking out for what I call ‘tigers’ – those situations where they feel the need to protect themselves from possible conflict. This is not a great way to live. Q: Does that kind of protective behaviour always work? A: No. If the environment is too chaotic, leaving them with an ‘I just don’t know how to make you happy’ kind of feeling, this can lead to a pulling back, a sort of psychic withdrawal to protect themselves. Some forms of depression can be seen as protective withdrawal and usually have roots laid similarly early in life. This usually occurs after watchfulness has been tried and failed, as the environment was just too difficult to navigate. This is why anxiety and depression are not only strongly related, but why anxiety very often precedes depression. 64 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
Q: So, is dealing with this adaptive response key to treating anxiety? Yes it is. The way I work with anxiety is to remind the client that they’ve moved on from that environment. The anxiety was part of the process of getting out, so in some ways it has been a positive thing. I call that process an act of transcendence, but it does have costs. They may feel edgy all the time, or be experiencing panic attacks. What I tell them, and more importantly what they themselves feel on some deep level, is that their adaptive response has worked. They are now a functioning adult, and that response is part of what has got them here. It may not be perfect, but they’ve done okay. I also reassure them that the plan is not to strip it all away. That idea is likely to cause extra anxiety, as it means removing a defensive mechanism they’ve relied on for most of their lives, leaving them exposed. My aim is to guide them through a second act of transcendence; find a way to hang on to the good aspects of that protective mechanism that has served them well but get rid of the negative aspects. The idea is to take their anxiety and put it back where it belongs, so you acknowledge its presence but realise that the protective response no longer needs to be a large part of your life. The message is that while we are products of our past, we are not prisoners of it, so we don’t have to maintain the same kind of behaviours. But this is not always easy to accept when you’ve been living this way for years. Q: So, you’re trying to manage, not root out, the cause of the anxiety. A: Yes. That adaptive response is ingrained in us. It’s part of who you are, but it’s having negative consequences that need to be addressed. We don’t want to remove the response completely because some level of anxiety is necessary. It’s not about telling people to love anxiety or depression but about reevaluating the root causes. Patients get better when they realise that they haven’t done anything wrong, it wasn’t
them being stupid, it isn’t their fault, just the natural response of a child to their environment. Q: What do you see as success? A: Success is where the client reports that the anxieties that were having such a negative impact on their life have lessened to a level they can comfortably live with, or if they were suffering from panic attacks that these have stopped. Some level of anxiety is always going to be part of everyday life, but you don’t want it to be ever-present or at a level that is ruining your ability to enjoy living. Q: What do you enjoy most about what you do? A: Psychotherapy is the single most optimistic view of humanity I’ve ever come across. The core belief is that we are products of our past but not prisoners of it, so all of us can change. I find that idea incredibly inspiring. It doesn’t matter what situation you are in or what you have experienced in the past, things can change for the better. It won’t always be easy. In fact, sometimes it is incredibly difficult. But it’s always possible. Working within that intellectually optimistic framework is what I love most about being a psychotherapist. ALL POINTS NORTH 12 Upper Wimpole Street, W1G 6LW apnlondon.co.uk
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SIGHT FOR SORE EYES Professor Ananth
Viswanathan of the London Eye Diagnostic Centre on advances in the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts Words: James Rampton
“It can be quite profound when you see the effect our work has on people,” says Professor Ananth Viswanathan, a consultant ophthalmologist at the London Eye Diagnostic Centre. “There was a gentleman who at a relatively young age had quite nasty progressive glaucom. Luckily, it was caught early. I had to operate on both his eyes. Fortunately, both operations were successful, so he can still do his highflying job in the City. He can drive, he can do all the things he wants to do.” But there was a sting in the tale. “When he was out of the woods, he said to me: ‘I need to tell you something. Glaucoma is in my family. My older brother has it. A few years ago, he went out to do some shopping, and when he came back to his car, his vision had gone from day to night. Someone had to drive him home. He was then diagnosed with end-stage glaucoma, and he’s now got a lot of problems that he’s having difficulty navigating.’” The patient thought the same was going to happen to him. “We managed to stop him suffering the same fate as his brother,” says Prof Viswanathan. “It’s why you do this job.” Prof Viswanathan, a pioneer in the field of glaucoma and cataracts, has been greatly helped by the enormous advances that have taken place in ophthalmology in recent years. “There have been so many improvements on the technical and surgical side,” he explains. “The bread and butter of ophthalmology, cataract surgery, has changed out of all recognition. When I began as a junior ophthalmologist, you’d make an incision of 13mm or so 66 — MARYLEBONE JOURNAL / ISSUE NO. 102
along the top of the eye. You’d pop the lens out like you were popping out a watermelon seed. Then you’d put in a replacement and sew the eye up.” These days, he continues, “it’s all keyhole surgery. The incision is so small, it almost never needs any stitches. Now it’s a local anaesthetic day-case. Rehabilitation is much quicker, and we get better results.” Another massive leap forward has been in the application of AI. “We are now much better placed to analyse large volumes of data. One of the big projects I’m part of is trying to make sure we can train AI to get the best information to help care for our patients, but in an ethical and legally correct way. It’s a moral imperative. AI can extract information that even expert humans can’t. For instance, AI can look at a person’s biometric data
and decide what that means for their risk of eye disease. But we’ve got to be responsible about how we use it.” The professor is eager to underscore the importance of going for regular testing, particularly glaucoma, which is known as “the silent thief of sight”. He says: “If a lot of the conditions that you develop, particularly as you get older, are spotted early, you have a chance to do something about them. That’s vital because a lot of conditions are irreversible. If you take glaucoma as a whole, it is the commonest cause worldwide of irreversible blindness.” As tends to be the case, prevention is better than cure. This is especially true if you have diabetes. Prof Viswanathan explains: “What’s good in the UK is that we’ve got a national diabetic retinopathy screening service. So, if you’re diagnosed with diabetes, your GP will make sure you have photographs of the back of your eyes taken every year. That’s really important because diabetic retinopathy really needs to be treated. If it isn’t, and it’s progressive, it can cause a type of secondary glaucoma, which is particularly difficult to treat and very unpleasant. You want to try and head that off.” Prof Viswanathan offers a tremendous sense of reassurance to patients who are beside themselves with primal terror at the possibility of losing their sight. “When patients first come to see me, they may have read about glaucoma on the internet, and they’ll be terrified. You can almost always say: ‘That’s not going to happen’, or you can quickly implement things to avert catastrophe.” He closes by stressing how privileged he feels to do this work. “Seeing patients who have either got their vision back, or who, having been in a slightly precarious position before, are now pretty much in the clear – watching that weight being lifted from their shoulders is very gratifying.” LONDON EYE DIAGNOSTIC CENTRE 25 Harley Street, W1G 9QW ledc.co.uk
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42 Upper Berkeley Street London W1H 5QL
Portman Square, Marylebone, W1H Guide Price £950,000 A well laid out two bedroom apartment for sale in this attractive Art Deco block in Portman Square. Jaffray Estates are pleased to offer for sale this two bedroom home which benefits from excellent proportions throughout. The property is situated on the first floor with a lift and would make an ideal pied a’ terre. Leasehold: 37 years
Portman Square, Marylebone, W1H Guide Price: £2,250,000 A spacious four bedroom apartment with garden views, and a quiet position within the block. The property consists of four bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which are en-suite. The apartment is offered in very good order throughout, and offers a spacious living area with dining room and a separate kitchen. Leasehold: 99 years
If you are looking to buy or sell and would like advice on the current market or a free market appraisal contact: Nicholas Jaffray 07515 777 634 Nicholas@Jaffray-Estates.co.uk www.Jaffray-Estates.co.uk
THE LIGHTING OF THE MARYLEBONE CHRISTMAS TREE PLEASE JOIN US FOR A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
Concord London Developments and Westminster Council are bringing the Marylebone Community together to enjoy Christmas Tree Lighting and Christmas Carols in the Park. Sparkling Entertainment | Performances by St Vincent’s RC Primary School Mulled Wine | Hot Chocolate | Delicious Festive Food Paddington Street Garden, W1U 5QA | Tuesday 5th December 2023 | 3.30pm – 6.30pm
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MAKE MARYLEBONE HOME A stunning collection of 1, 2, 3 bedroom and penthouse apartments, carefully chosen boutiques and restaurants, and a versatile community hall. Visit the Marylebone Square Marketing Suite for further information: 79 Marylebone Lane, London W1U 2PX www.marylebonesquare.com | +44 (0)20 3598 8888 | info@concord-london.com
020 7486 6711
A unique personal service in interior design The largest stockists of Flamant furniture in the UK Bespoke rental packages for staging homes for sale or rental We offer free local home visits by our design team Visit our showroom at 108-111 Crawford Street, Marylebone, W1H 2JA Monday to Saturday 10am-6pm www.mcglashansinteriors.co.uk follow us on Instagram @mcglashansinteriors 108 Crawford Street, London W1H 2JA
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CRUSADER HOUSE, PALL MALL, SW1Y
£1,250,000 STC
A newly decorated flat in this impressive Grade II listed building which has lovely floor to ceiling windows which lead to a small balcony, offering south facing open views along the length of Pall Mall. Living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, lift, porter, Ground Rent - £500 pa, Lease expires 10/10/2121.
107 CRAWFORD STREET, LONDON W1H 2JA For tenancy Info please refer to the website
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MARYLEBONE PROPERTY AGENCY
E S TA B L I S H E D 1 9 8 1
MARYLEBONE PROPERTY AGENCY
E S TA B L I S H E D 1 9 8 1
DEVONSHIRE PLACE, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, LONDON W1 A unique apartment that is rarely available in the Marylebone village, spanning over two buildings. The apartment is approximately 1,788 sq ft (166 sq m). Comprises of two double bedrooms both with en suite bathrooms, cloakroom, reception room and kitchen with access to a west-facing terrace. Devonshire Place is conveniently located moments from Marylebone High Street together with the open spaces of Regent’s Park. The building is located on the west side of Devonshire Place close to the junction with Devonshire Street. Unfurnished
£2,350 PER WEEK
HARLEY STREET, MARYLEBONE VILLAGE, LONDON W1 A rarely available apartment situated in this impressive Georgian converted house. This apartment is approximately 1,078 sq ft (100 sq m) and benefits from an abundance of natural light through floor to ceiling windows with exceptional ceiling height of 3.80m. The apartment comprises of an entrance hall, grand reception room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. This Grade II listed building is located on the east side of Harley Street at the junction with New Cavendish Street. Both Oxford Circus and Bond Street underground stations are within close proximity. Share of Freehold
£2,100,000
jeremyjames@jeremy-james.co.uk
020 7486 4111
www.jeremy-james.co.uk
jeremyjames@jeremy-james.co.uk
020 7486 4111
www.jeremy-james.co.uk
Chiltern Street Marylebone W1G
Guide price: £1,500,000
Charming first floor apartment in a wonderful location on sought-after Chiltern Street, moments from the amenities of the street itself and Marylebone High Street. 2 bedroom apartment • 2 modern bathrooms • Wooden flooring throughout • First floor • Original features • Modern finish • Prime Marylebone location • Leasehold
Marylebone & Regent’s Park 020 7486 8866 samuel.richardson@carterjonas.co.uk
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