NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR PRIMROSE HILL PEOPLE
MAY 2018 | ONTHEHILL.INFO
COOKING WITH COLOUR
Jennifer Ploszaj talks to ceramicist Julia Landes
THE WHIPLASH LINE
The Mole on the Hill in conversation with Johnny Dewe Mathews
PRIMROSE HILL LECTURE SERIES The 2018 line-up
Produced by Primrose Hill Community Association
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May 2018 On The Hill On The Go
CONTENTS & PREVIEW
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Keep up with the latest news and happenings on our social media channels.
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Editor’s Letter 05 On The Street 07
@onthehill_mag @onthehillinfo
Keturah Brown goes digital, Summer Fair and the PHCC lease, a conversation with Dame Janet Suzman and all your local news and views and more!
What’s On 16
Things to do in May
@onthehillinfo
Primrose Hill Lecture Series 2018 18 This year’s line-up
onthehill.info
Silk Road Memories 19
Graham and Irene Francis travel the Silk Road
Primrose Hill Entrepreneurs 20
Local Elections on 3 May
Sean Hawie talks about his business
27 Who do you want to manage local affairs?
Poem and Collage 21
Cartoon 28
Cooking with Colour 22
Marketplace 29
The Whiplash Line 24
Primrose Hill Eats 30
Jennifer Ploszaj talks to ceramicist Julia Landes
The Mole on the Hill in conversation with Johnny Dewe Mathews
Library Talk 26
Florence Robinson in conversation with author Katie Ruth Davies
Contact details for local services
Smoked Salmon Tartines with pickled cucumber & wasabi cream from My Primrose Hill Kitchen
Hello, Primrose Hill! 32 Spring at last!
Sales £2,495,000
020 7043 4433 £2,495,000
Share Of Freehold
Freehold
Primrose Hill, NW3
Primrose Hill, NW1
This exquisite property is situated in an imposing period residence offering approximately 2078 sq ft of flexible living accommodation with a superb 21 ft kitchen/dining room leading directly into a private garden. The ground floor comprises a separate reception room with direct access to a patio and a cloakroom. Situated on the lower ground floor is the principal bedroom with a large walk-in wardrobe and 2 further double bedrooms with en-suite shower rooms.
An outstanding 5 storey Grade II listed freehold house, forming the end of a picturesque and distinguished terrace on a prominent corner plot in Gloucester Crescent. In the same family ownership since 1961, the property covers a substantial 2391 sq ft (222 square metres), built on an East/West axis, with large open-plan rooms to ground and first floors. The building is currently arranged as 3 flats; a good-size 1 bedroom lower ground floor, a raised ground floor studio flat formed and a fabulous 3 storey maisonette from the remaining upper 3 floors.
Energy Efficiency Rating - D67
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3
Lettings £1,950* pw
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Energy Efficiency Rating - Listed
3
020 7043 3333 £3,500* pw
Unfurnished (£8,450 p/m)
Unfurnished (£15,167 p/m)
Primrose Hill, NW3
Primrose Hill, NW1
An exceptional split-level garden apartment occupying the entire raised ground and lower ground floors of a well maintained Victorian semi-detached house in a much sought after location moments from Primrose Hill Park. The raised ground floor features a large double aspect reception room which opens into a family dining room and a magnificent eat-in fitted kitchen/ diner with exceptional storage and exposed brickwork. On the garden level there are 4 further bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (2 of which are en-suite) and a charming and larger than average South West facing patio and lawn garden.
A stunning and recently refurbished 5 bedroom, 3 bathroom family home ideally positioned within a short walk to both Primrose Hill and Regents Park. The house comprises 4 reception rooms, a spacious and fully fitted eat-in kitchen, a principal bedroom with a dressing room and en-suite bathroom, 4 further double bedrooms, 2 further bathrooms and a well-manicured private garden. This family home has been decorated in neutral tones boasting wooden and parquet flooring. Further benefits from modern and contemporary fixtures and fittings.
Energy Efficiency Rating - D68
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3
Energy Efficiency Rating - D55
5
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Set fees apply for all tenancies: £180.00 administration fee per tenancy + £48.00 referencing charge per Tenant/Guarantor. For variable charges and deposits explained please visit www.g-h.co.uk
CAMDEN OFFICE . 114-118 PARKWAY . CAMDEN . LONDON NW1 7AN . RESIDENTIAL SALES
020 7043 4433 . RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS
020 7043 3333
www.g-h.co.uk
3014 OTH Monthly Sales & Lettings Ad - MAY 2018.indd 1
17/04/2018 12:20:03
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The Team Editor
Maggie Chambers editor@onthehill.info
EDITOR’S LETTER
Editorial Group
Dick Bird, Doro Marden, Phil Cowan, Pam White, David Lennon, Mole on the Hill, Micael Johnstone, Andrew Black
What’s On Editor Julie Stapleton
Social Media and Website Editor Jason Pittock
Subeditors
Brenda Stones, Vicki Hillyard
Photographer
Sarah Louise Ramsay www.slrphotography.co.uk
Cartoonist
Bridget Grosvenor
Welcome to May
Primrose Hill Eats Vicki Hillyard
Design
Luke Skinner agency-black.com
Advertising Sales
David Jeffries 0208 150 5293 djeffries@onlymedia.co.uk Melissa Skinner 0208 386 1933 07779 252 272 mskinner@onlymedia.co.uk Special thanks to all our contributors.
This publication is created by the community and for the benefit of Primrose Hill on behalf of your local charity, the Primrose Hill Community Association (PHCA). All proceeds from this publication go directly to fund the charity. We hope you enjoy. www.phca.cc Disclaimer: the views in the magazine are not necessarily the views of the PHCA. This magazine is printed on FSC® certified paper. The trees used are sourced in an environmentally friendly, socially responsibly and economically viable manner.
I feel very ancient when I look at the age of some of our recent contributors to On The Hill. Our Haverstock School young journalists are going from strength to strength. This month they’ve interviewed Dame Janet Suzman in a piece which will be as instructive for young actors as it must have been for the young journalists. We also introduce 13-year-old Florence Robinson, who recently conducted an interview in the library with Katie Ruth Davies, a Young Adult author based in Tbilisi. There’s a whole new generation of talent emerging in the neighbourhood, so watch your backs. For those of us over 18, the local elections will be held on 3 May and we’ve given you a potted digest of our Camden Town with Primrose Hill ward. Labour has dominated in this area for years, so we’ve included some biographies as to who those candidates are. Also in this issue are features on the artist Johnny Dewe Mathews, ceramicist Julia Landes and the news that Keturah Brown are taking their silk and lace creations into the digital age. After an extended winter I’m sure many of you are anticipating your first glass of Pimms or an ice-cream. Please put 9 June in your diaries as the annual Summer Fair in Chalcot Square is fast approaching. Enjoy your read as you soak up some of the sun’s rays in the park. Remember to check out our What’s On guide for activities to do throughout the merry month of May.
onthehill.info
ISSN 20-6175
Cover Sarah Louise Ramsay
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MAY 2018
PRIMROSE HILL NEWS, VIEWS, CULTURE AND LIFESTYLE
Keturah Brown goes digital p8
Summer Fair & PHCC lease p9
Primrose Hill Postcards p 10
Dame Janet Suzman: a conversation p 11 AND MORE
Keturah Brown goes digital Continued on p 8 ď ľ
PHOTOGRAPH BY Christina Jansen
hool
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ON THE STREET
Keturah Brown goes digital By Ylwa Warghusen On The Hill had a chat with Keturah Brown boutique owner and designer Goug Wilcox, and Celyn Cooke, responsible for the brand’s new digital strategy. Regent’s Park Road, with its stretch of charming, independent shops and restaurants, is unique in the capital, a throwback to village life of yesteryear. One of the most iconic in the area is Keturah Brown, which first opened its doors in 1980. The boutique has the intimate feel of a studio, where Goug has her sewing machine set up right next to the rows of gorgeous silk creations. She has even been known to make up petticoats on the spot for forgetful clients on route to chic events. Bespoke service indeed! It is a shop with a history and a veritable treasure trove of stunning pieces in silk and lace. Keturah is Goug’s middle name, and it is no coincidence that it sounds like couture. Goug has been making her signature silk camisoles and bias cut slips and half-slips since 1974, when she sold her first collection to Harrods. “I started at the top,” she jokes. The shop showcases Goug’s own delicate designs, drawing inspiration especially from the elegance of the 1930s, as well as outside design labels such as Simone Pérèle and Wolford. The ultimate luxury is the made-to-measure service that Goug offers: a dedicated following of clients will attest to her exquisite craftsmanship, ensuring a perfect fit. Celyn Cooke is orchestrating the brand’s new digital presence. She has a background in fashion and visual arts and is a designer herself, creating hats and headpieces for her label Itty & Fee. The Keturah Brown website is already up and running. The web shop will focus on Goug’s own designs. All items are made to order, and international as well as domestic shipping is offered. There is also a dedicated bridal collection. The website is essentially ‘the icing on the cake’, as Goug says, reaching new customers further afield and those who may prefer the ease of internet shopping. Recent weeks and months have seen a big push for Keturah Brown: a feature in the Financial Times’s ‘How to Spend It’ supplement, and an article in Vogue, all on the back of the brand’s expanding digital presence. As far as possible, the small team is looking to keep everything in-house. The photos on the website are mainly by Celyn herself, or by local photographer Christina Jansen, whose work is currently on display at popular Primrose Hill eateries Greenberry Cafe and Sam’s Cafe. This is all part of their ethos of promoting the local community. In addition to the in-house web shop, the brand is also starting to sell on Etsy, the renowned e-commerce website. As Celyn explains, “This platform fits well with who we are. Etsy specialises in hand-made pieces, tradition, vintage. People log on to search for one-off pieces, preferably with a story behind them. It’s a more personal shopping experience. We even found some vintage Keturah Brown pieces on the site!” Celyn admits that Etsy represents “a bit more work, there’s more competition, but as you get a track record and customers post feedback, you move up in terms of visibility”. On a strategic level, the increased web presence is also aimed at appealing to bloggers. “There are a lot of lingerie blogs out there which are hugely influential.” Although production of many items, including high street lingerie, has shifted to China and other low-cost locations
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since the 1990s, recent years have witnessed a counter trend whereby production is brought back to Britain. Quality and handicraft are valued above a minimal price tag. “Buying quality is actually more economical in the long run. One customer came in recently for me to make a small adjustment to a piece she had owned for twenty years,” Goug says with pride. The shop is busier in summer as crowds descend on the open spaces of Primrose Hill and explore the local shops. Still, Goug and Celyn admit, it is not an easy climate for retailers right now. “We have to innovate,” says Goug; “turn shops into theatre spaces. My motto is that the customer should walk out of the shop happier than they walked in, but I don’t believe in the hard sell. By putting therapy into retail, you’re doing your job.” Goug certainly knows the luxury business intricately and has an impressive success rate at correctly guessing a customer’s bra size. Keturah Brown has found its true home in Primrose Hill; like the area it is stylish, unique and quirky. Goug believes in the importance of community. “I live in Primrose Hill, know people here and support other local businesses and organisations such as St Mary’s church.” Recently Goug was invited to speak on ‘The Advantage of Age in Business’ by Next Door (https://nextdoor.com), a private social network where local residents come together for everything from business gatherings to finding a reliable plumber. “It all helps you feel part of the community.” You can follow Keturah Brown on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. www.keturahbrownlingerie.com
MAY 2018
Summer Fair 2018
Primrose Hill Community Association (PHCA) Summer Fair is taking place in Chalcot Square and Chalcot Road on Saturday 9 June 1.30–‒5pm. Enjoy the entertainment on the stage, participate in the sideshows in the square and browse the colourful stalls selling a variety of items. Lots of food and drinks available, and proceeds from the Fair help the PHCA fund its various activities and services for local people. To rent a stall, volunteer to help at the event or donate a prize, please ring the PHCA office on 020 7586 8327. We look forward to seeing you all at the Fair.
Update on Primrose Hill Community Centre lease This time last year, On The Hill reported that the Primrose Hill Community Association (PHCA) hoped to buy a long lease on the Centre, which would potentially save rent of nearly £1 million over the 25-year lease period. In order to achieve this, a payment of £250,000 would have to be made, for which fundraising was expected to start many months ago, as soon as the lease had been signed. For good reasons, there has been a serious delay to the signing of this lease. To ensure that PHCA did not take on a lease which might prove unexpectedly costly, surveys of the building were made by both the Centre’s surveyor and Camden’s. This was vital, as the Centre must be returned in as good a condition as it was at the start of the lease period. As a result, the Council has carried out some important structural improvements, which will mean that there should be less repair work for PHCA to carry out during the period of the lease. Additionally, the surveyor recorded that the Centre had suffered from subsidence, and if this recurred it could be very costly for PHCA to underpin and repair the building. Positive discussions have been held to determine the most economical way to get cover against the possibility of such a serious event, and it is currently hoped that the lease will be signed within a few weeks.
To order a prospectus and book your tour, please Visit:
020 7435 1868 9
ON THE STREET
POSTCARDS FROM PRIMROSE HILL
King’s College Road Not much is left of this road, which once had a bustling stretch of shops. You might wonder where it lay: it used to run between Eton Avenue and Fellows Road, going as far down as Adelaide Road. It was built in the 1870s, but most of it was demolished in the late 1960s. King’s College Road once housed a chemist at no 1, on the corner, as you can see on this postcard. In 1911 it was run by 35-year-old William
Brown and his wife Elizabeth. They lived at the property with their two young sons, and could even afford a servant, 17-year-old Emma Gant. The locals in those days did not need to go anywhere else for their basic shopping needs. Trading in this street were a tailor, fishmonger, greengrocer, draper, baker and butcher, among others. Then no 28 was home to Leonard Walker (1877‒–1964), a well-known stained glass artist, whose work
can be found in the V&A. He trained at the St John’s Wood Art School, and in the 1911 census the 34-year-old is listed as an ‘Artist Painter and Instructor in Art’, living in the property with his wife Amy and Nina, a boarder artist. Walking round there today, seeing the Burnham Tower, part of the Chalcots Estate, it’s hard to imagine it was once the location of this pretty road.
@old_primrosehill_postcards
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MAY 2018 INTERVIEW
Dame Janet Suzman: a conversation Children from Haverstock School’s journalism course interview Dame Janet on playing Sheila in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg by Peter Nichols and Cleopatra in Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra
DJ: The difference between a mother who has a child that is very, very sick and a queen about whose children we know nothing is a very great difference, but what do they have in common? Us: Mothers. They love their children… DJ: Well, I have no proof that they don’t, but I would be looking for their differences. If you only like people who are like you, maybe that’s a bit limiting in life? [Pause] You’re not able to answer that; but perhaps sometimes it’s important to meet people with whom you disagree? So that you can hear how they think. Actors are taught to speak the words that a writer wrote on the page as if they have thought of them themselves. You bring somebody else’s words to life. And you do that by …? Have a guess. Yasmeen: If it was a happy line, I would have a happy mood; but if it was a stressful line, I would be as if I was stressed and think: what faces would I make? DJ: So that’s acting from the outside. But I would like you to think about acting from the inside: your feelings, rather than how something looks. For instance, have you ever seen somebody say, with no smile on their face: [emanating sadness] “I feel really happy today”? Us: No… DJ: Well, perhaps you haven’t noticed, maybe. Or somebody goes: [becoming a puppet] “Oh, I’m so sad! Oh, I’m so happy!” Because that is very, very boring! Anybody know what antithesis is? Us: No… DJ: Something pulling in an opposite direction. Antithetical things happen a lot in poetry. Somebody like Shakespeare would say: “I see cold fire!”
Yasmine: Gets ’em thinking. Dame Janet on her OBE: DJ: I went to Buckingham Palace and I was as smart as I could be. I am not really smart today. For the Queen you have to. When my name was called out, I had to walk straight towards a dais and turn and face the Queen. Somebody had a cushion, and on it was a wonderful enamelled medal. I already had a little pin fixed to my coat, so then the Queen smiled at me, picked up the medal, leant forward and hooked it onto that pin, Yousuf: [performing] In the name of God and St George, I knight you. DJ: Well, I think she does that for the gentlemen, but a sword on a lady’s shoulder would be a bit odd. Yousuf: Our research said you played the Mother Superior in Nuns on the Run. DJ: Well yes, she was really funny. [Noticing Yousuf’s copy of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra] DJ: So what did you get out of this? Yousuf: Well, I’m not going to lie. I haven’t read all of it yet. [Being Cleopatra with silly high voice] “Oh tell me, he hasn’t married Octavia, and I will give you gold!” DJ: [chuckling] Oh, the Whipping Boy speech. I think we should read it together! [She finds the scene] [to Yousuf] This is very, very scary news. Don’t give anything away. Don’t move your face. Because she is the Queen [as Cleopatra]: Bow. [Yousuf bows] No! Really bow a deep bow. Respect! Aren’t you taught to respect your elders? You respect your Granny and your Grandpa? Don’t you? You respect Cleopatra and you don’t know how she is going to behave. So she says: “Ram thou thy fruitful tidings in mine ears. That long time have been barren.” Yousuf: [as Messenger] “Madam, madam…” DJ: He can’t say anything else
because he doesn’t know what to say. He thinks, I’ll just keep quiet. So she leaps to a conclusion: [as Cleopatra] “Antonius is dead!” You know that’s not true, so that’s OK. But there is worse to come. Why? Yousuf: Because Antony has got married to Octavia. DJ: That’s really bad news; but that’s really bad news. [Silence] So he just says: “Madam, madam.” Maybe he gives a secret smile: “No, he’s not dead.” Don’t show it… Let’s see it in your eyes. Yousuf: I can’t act… DJ: Yes you can. Everybody can act. It’s about your imagination. Acting is what we do in life: it is self-preservation to save your own pride and dignity. Yousuf: “Good Madam, hear me.” DJ: But you still can’t bring yourself to say what has happened, so she says: “There is no goodness in that face.” He is letting the news out, very slowly, bit by bit… Yousuf: “First, Madam, he is well.” DJ: Lovely. You used an upward inflexion. He is thinking – it is coming that I haven’t told the whole story yet. Cleopatra is a very powerful lady and she loses her temper with him. I can’t do this in the library, it will be too noisy. The character goes into himself. Self-preservation. Think about that. “How can I best make myself safe?” You don’t want to be bullied in the playground. Do you understand that? Yousuf: Yes… DJ: So this is another slant on acting. Why? Because human beings are complicated, so fictional human beings are also complicated. Well done! Well done! Was that a bit scary? Yousuf: Yes… Us: Thank you, that was great.
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ON THE STREET
NEWS & VIEWS
La Ferme opens in Primrose Hill Welcome to La Ferme, which recently opened on Regents Park Road, replacing Negozio Classica. Run by restaurateur François Guerin and his chef stepbrother Guillaume Dunos, the Primrose Hill restaurant follows in the footsteps of La Ferme’s first opening in Farringdon. The mezzanine has been turned into a champagne lounge, which also offers wines and cocktails. The food
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menu focuses on rustic bistro-style eating, featuring modern and classic French dishes, made with the finest produce. A variety of menus are available to suit every mood and budget, with brunch available at weekends. Dogs are also welcome! 154 Regent’s Park Road Tel: 020 7837 5293 bookings_primrosehill@lafermelondon.com
MAY 2018
Complimentary tickets to the London Original Print Fair The London Original Print Fair runs at the Royal Academy of Arts each spring, and this year’s dates are 3–6 May. In celebration of the Early May Bank Holiday, they are hosting a child-friendly fete in the RA’s courtyard on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 May. There will be hands-on printmaking workshops, live music and food trucks, all
with Sir Peter Blake’s Art Bus as the focal point. The Fair organisers are offering On The Hill readers complimentary tickets to the family-friendly events on 5–6 May. Email info@londonoriginalprintfair.com or ring 020 7439 2000 quoting ‘On the Hill’. www.2018.londonoriginalprintfair.com
Top of the Hill quiz This year’s Top of the Hill quiz evening will take place at the Community Centre on Friday 18 May. Dick and Sue Bird will be running it for the fifteenth successive year. Sharpen up your brains and come and join us. There will be a mixture of hard and silly questions. Bring a table of friends or neighbours (maximum 8), or come as an individual and join up with others. All welcome, but best to book first via the Community Association. ADDeams 1-2 pp_On The Hill.qxp_d4s
Lanah P’s ‘Pistol in My Pocket: The Erasure Mix’ This release celebrates a complete recording and brand new remix by Vince Clark and Andy Bell of Erasure, including new vocals on this fresh new offering of disco classic Pistol in My Pocket whilst maintaining all the magic and magnificence of the original. There’s no getting away from it, Lanah is a genuine original who is often imitated, but never duplicated! Out on 28 May.
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ON THE STREET
Waterstones awards prize to book inspired by Primrose Hill A former Primrose Hill resident has been named winner of the Younger Fiction category at the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2018. Australian Jessica Townsend lived in Primrose Hill for several years and was inspired by her time in the capital to write her debut novel. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow is the first book in a new series, rooted in the tradition of Harry Potter, and creates a magical world full of adventures for younger readers. It has proven so successful that a film version is currently in production. Townsend may be Primrose Hill’s very own JK Rowling!
Primrose Hill Social May 2018 Step Hen comments on Facebook in response to last month’s article, ‘Primrose Hill to Hollywood’: I was born in 1957 in Chalcot Square and can remember two movies made there in the early 1960s. Allez France! aka The Counterfeit Constable was an Anglo-French farce starring French comedian Robert Dhéry and a host of British comic actors and Diana Dors. Dhéry played Henri, a French rugby fan who through a series of mishaps impersonates a policeman. Two scenes were filmed in and around Chalcot Square. Us local children were used in one scene where we had to sit on the church wall in Berkeley Road and watch the actors run up the road. We were all given ice creams from a local Italian restaurant to eat as they ran past. Another scene was shot just on the corner of Chalcot Square. I spoilt the first take by walking into shot to join my friend, who had been positioned to be in the background. Another film made around the same time starred Harry H. Corbett – better known for Steptoe and Son. The Rattle of a Simple Man followed the exploits of a group of northern football fans who went on a coach trip to watch a Cup Final in London. Filming took place in and around 38 Chalcot Square, where my older brother was ‘trapped’ inside whilst a scene was completed.
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Local elections Ahead of the local elections, One Housing is organising a hustings event for the Camden Town with Primrose Hill ward. Readers can meet the local candidates from different parties and ask them questions. The event is free and open to the public, but you will need to register via Eventbrite: www.eventbrite. co.uk/e/housingcrisis-hustingstickets-44798002030
Belsize Music Festival The popular Belsize Music Festival returns in May and showcases chamber music and jazz, with a children’s concert that encourages participation. All concerts will take place in St Peter’s Church, 53 Belsize Square NW3 4HJ. Dates are as follows: Friday 11 May 7.30pm – Classical music Saturday 12 May 4.30pm – Family concert Sunday 13 May 7.30pm – Jazz concert Tickets are available on the door or online, priced £10 for the classical and jazz events and £5 for the family event. Admission price includes cake and a glass of wine. www.belsizefestival.co.uk
PHCA Getaway Gala Evening Primrose Hill Community Association is hosting a fundraising getaway auction on Tuesday 25 September. We are looking for people kind enough to donate a week/weekend in their holiday home, or other experiences. It’s a brilliant way to support your buzzing community centre, and a fun evening with live entertainment. Many thanks to the generous locals who have already donated a stay in their holiday homes. It promises to be a hugely entertaining evening, and who knows whose home you may end up staying in? For more information: info@phca.cc 0207 586 1751
MAY 2018
Local author’s latest novel set in Hampstead
Letter to the Editor Dear Editor,
H, March) imrose Hill Past’ (OT Susan Greenhill’s ‘Pr Amis on ley gs Kin g ries of seein brought back memo . ad Ro rk Pa s Regent’ his daily stroll along ... cient eye to the future However, with an an Taylor and all, Rizal, Yeats, Fenton, Sylvia Plath, Engels, t Dame But who’ll be the firs
Primrose Hill writer Amy McLean has released her latest novel, setting the story in the heart of Hampstead Heath. We Are Lucifer employs the thriller genre to explore protagonist Amber Quigley›s struggles with depression and jealousy. “Like many of my other novels, it’s a study of the human mind in relation to mental health,” McLean explains. We Are Lucifer is not the first of McLean’s novels to be set in Hampstead, as the area has proven to be a huge influence on her life and work. McLean shares her passion with gratitude: “To wake up every morning in the place that most inspires my writing is a surreal dream.” She first visited Hampstead in the spring of 2013 when she sought out the grave of inspiring writer and feminist Eva Gore-Booth at the parish church of St-John-at-Hampstead, and confesses that she immediately fell in love with the area. She elaborates: “Initially it was the architecture, the scenery, the trees; visually inspiring, Hampstead is unrivalled. Over time, I learned more about the area, and it quickly became apparent to me that virtually every street oozes with history of literature and the arts. I could think of nowhere more incredible to live and write than the former haunt of such inspirations as Daphne du Maurier, Lytton Strachey, John Keats and Constance Hill.” Referring to her decision to set the majority of her works in Hampstead, McLean explains that “Hampstead was always going to be the perfect setting for me in my writing. It harvests its own stories in abundance. It’s rich in literary and cultural history, with such beautiful leafy scenery. It offers solitude and freedom to be at one with life; it is the only place I have ever felt at home.” Set in the heart of Hampstead Heath, We Are Lucifer offers a contemporary character study into mental health and human behaviour as a response to heartache and rejection. McLean’s fifth novel is published by GJB Publishing, and is available from Primrose Hill Books. Twitter: @McLeanAmy www.mcleanamy.co.uk www.YouTube.com/amymclean13
of fame Whose blue plaque l wall? Adorns a Primrose Hil Yours faithfully, Howard Richards
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What’s On May NEW THIS MAY TUESDAY 1 MAY Film Show at the Library Cria Cuervos (1976). The end of Franco’s Spain watched by a child, directed by Carlos Saura, with subtitles. PHCL. 7.15pm. £8, including a glass of wine, in cash, in advance at PHCL or on the door. WEDNESDAY 2 MAY Blue Sky Thinking Buckle up in first class for a talk on Primrose Hill’s aviation heritage. PHCC Open House. 2pm. Free. THURSDAY 3 MAY Local elections to determine your Ward Councillors for the Camden Town with Primrose Hill ward PHCC. 7am–10pm. Voters are invited for tea and biscuits on Mezzanine level. WEDNESDAY 9 MAY Charmed Lives in Greece British Museum Room 5, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG. 2pm. Open House. Transport from PHCC, let office know in advance. Free. THURSDAY 10 MAY Plastic Free Primrose Hill meeting Join Transition Primrose Hill to brainstorm and plan ways to reduce single-use plastics in Primrose Hill. All welcome. Princess of Wales, 22 Chalcot Road, NW1 8LL. 7.30pm Contact transitionprimrosehill@gmail.com SATURDAY 12 MAY May in a Day A fun-filled family festival. CSH. 1–4pm. £9 adults, £7 under 18s. WEDNESDAY 16 MAY Spanish and Portuguese folk dances With opportunity for participation PHCC. Open House. 2pm. Free. THURSDAY 17 MAY Meditation yoga with Ellen Emmet PHCL. 6.30–7.45pm. Contact ellenemmet@outlook.co.uk for prices. FRIDAY 18 MAY Top of the Hill quiz The 15th consecutive Top of the Hill quiz evening. A fun quiz evening with a mixture of taxing questions and silly ones. Recruit a table of up to 8 neighbours, or just come yourself and join in with a team. PHCC. £10 per person (which includes a glass of wine). Book your team in early on 020 7586 8327 SATURDAY 19 MAY Redhead Day UK An all-day event for redheads and their appreciators. CSH. 12–10pm. £9 adults, free under 12s. SUNDAY 20 MAY Through the Seasons: The Music of Morris and Folk Dance A unique and powerful music experience in English culture tradition and history. CSH. 7.30–9.30pm. £15, £10 under 26s. TUESDAY 22 MAY Author talk: Kate Summerscale Author of The Suspicions of Mr Whycher, on her latest novel, The Wicked Boy. PHCL. 7pm. £2 on the door. Contact 020 7419 6599
TUESDAY 22 MAY Hampstead Music Club PHCL. 8–9.30pm. Contact claire_crescendo@hotmail.com WEDNESDAY 23 MAY Stained Glass Art Rachel Mulligan’s Seven Ages of Man panels inspired by her father’s life. With Rachel and Jim Mulligan. PHCC Open House. 2pm. Free. WEDNESDAY 30 MAY Film The Post. The true story of attempts by the Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers. PHCC Open House. 2pm. Free. THURSDAY 31 MAY Meditation yoga with Ellen Emmet PHCL. 6.30–7.45pm. Contact ellenemmet@outlook.co.uk for prices THURSDAY MAY 30, FRIDAY MAY 31 Circus Glory half-term workshop PHCC. 10am–3pm. £50 per day, £90 for both days. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com
PLAN AHEAD COMING SOON TUESDAY 5 JUNE Film Show at the Library The Philadelphia Story (1940) Hollywood’s most wise and sparkling comedy, directed by George Cukor. PHCL. 7.15pm. £8, including a glass of wine, in cash, in advance at PHCL or on the door.
FOR KIDS MONDAY Ready Steady Go ABC classes Fun and educative groups for toddlers and babies aged 6–18 months with their parents and carers. PHCC. 9.30–11am. £120 per term (pro-rated when joining), trial classes available. Contact 020 7586 5862 to register or for more information Rhyme Time Library Rhyme Time for under 5s. PHCL. 10.30–11.15am. Suggested £2 donation. Contact 020 7419 6599 Circus Glory Trapeze for ages 3–12. All levels welcome. PHCC. 3–6.30pm. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com Homework Club Do your homework in the Library with a qualified teacher. PHCL. 4–6pm. Free. Contact 020 7419 6599 TUESDAY Hartbeeps Baby Sensory Multi-sensory class of mini music productions for the very young. PHCC. 1.30–5.15pm. Classes £8. Contact Clare 07528 688 734 Monkey Music Award-winning music classes for babies and toddlers: music, movement, percussion, bubbles and fun. Contact 020 8438 0189 for a free trial class
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WEDNESDAY Ready Steady Go Yoga Baby and Me, age 6 weeks–9 months, with Lily. PHCC. 9–10am. £60 for 5 weeks (first class free). Contact yoga@readysteadygo.org to register or for more information Circus Glory Trapeze for ages 3–12. All levels welcome. PHCC. 2.30–6.30pm. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com Primrose Hill Children’s Choir Learn to sing, enjoy fun songs and games. Ages 4–11. St Mary’s Church, NW3 3DJ. 4–5pm. First time free, then £8 per week. Contact Matthew 07817 234 925, www.primrosehillchoirs.com Homework Club Do your homework in the Library with a qualified teacher. PHCL. 4–6pm. Free. Contact 020 7419 6599 THURSDAY Drop-in for under 4s Drop in and take part in a variety of activities. PHCC. 11.15am–1pm. Term time only. £2.50 to include snack, tea and coffee for mums. Contact 020 7586 8327 Catherine’s Ballet, Chalk Farm School of Dance for under 5s Ballet classes at PHCC. 4–5pm. Contact info@ chalkfarmschoolofdance.co.uk, www.chalkfarmschoolofdance.co.uk Mini Mozart Musical story time. PHCL. 9.30am for young children; 10.15am for babies. Contact hello@minimozart.com First Class Learning English and Maths tuition. PHCL. 3.30–6.30pm. Contact primrosehill@firstclasslearning.co.uk FRIDAY Mothers’ Mornings Meet other mothers while your children play. PHCL. 10.30–11.30am. Free. Contact 020 7419 6599 Circus Glory Trapeze for ages 3–12. All levels welcome. PHCC. 2.30–6.30pm. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com Pitta Patta Funky dance classes. Ages 4–16. PHCC. 4–7.15pm. Contact Juliet 07971 916 174, Juliet@pittapattadance.co.uk, www.pittapattadance.co.uk SATURDAY Jingle Jam Music Music classes with a jazz flavour. Babies of 3 months to walking at 10.10am; walking to 5 years at 11.10am. Contact Emily Dankworth 07905 979 024, www.jinglejamkids.co.uk SUNDAY Drama, dance and singing classes A unique mix of drama, dance and singing to bring out every child’s true potential. Ages 4–7. PHCC. 10–11.30am and 11.30am–1pm. Try a free class. Contact 020 7255 9120, enquiries@perform.org.uk, www.perform.org.uk
FOR ADULTS MONDAY ACOL Bridge Club PHCC. 1.45–3.45pm. £3. Contact Maureen Betts 07919 444 187 Bridge Class Join us in the Library for a game of bridge. Beginners/intermediate. PHCL. 6.30pm. Contact jojarrold@gmail.com Chilled Strings Small amateur string chamber orchestra, guided by professional tutor Kwesi Edman. PHCC. 6.30–8.45pm. £10 for each evening. Contact sueandhercello@gmail.com Primrose Hill Community Choir Love to sing? Try us out! All welcome. PHCC. 7.30–9.30pm. £6. Contact Matthew 0781 723 4925, www.primrosehillchoirs.com Circus Glory Trapeze for adults. All levels welcome. PHCC. 1.30–2.45pm. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com Neighbourhood Information Centre Drop-in advice centre. PHCL. 2–4pm. Free. Contact 020 7419 6599 Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) New drop-in class to release chronic tension patterns and return the nervous system to balance. PHCC. 4–6pm. £15 per class, or 5 for £50. Contact Tim Kirkpatrick, www.back2base. co.uk TUESDAY ESOL Class Learn English at the Library. PHCL. 12–1.30pm. Free. Contact jojarrold@gmail.com Keep Fit for over 60s PHCC. 3–4pm. Free. Contact 0207 586 8327 Laban Movement Workshop To practise and explore Rudolf Laban’s Scales and Efforts. PHCC. 12–1pm. £10. Contact 07970 536 643, jennyfrankel.laban@gmail.com Morris Dancing Learn lively Cotswold Morris dancing with handkerchiefs and sticks, led by tutor Andy Richards. No experience necessary. CSH. 6.30–9pm.
What’s On May Pilates PHCL. Dynamic sessions, 9am and 10.15am; gentler session 11.30am–12.30pm. £12 per class, £100 for 10 classes. Contact lizacawthorn@gmail.com
Primrose Hill Yoga Strengthen, stretch, relax and re-energise. PHCC. 5.30–6.30pm. £11 drop-in, £50 series of 5, student and unemployed discount available. Contact carolineshawyoga@gmail.com
General Yoga PHCC. 6.30–8pm. Contact Catriona 07958 959816, cat.b1@blueyonder.co.uk
Yoga for Seniors PHCC. 7–8pm. Free. Contact 020 7586 8327
Hatha Yoga An open-level class combining mindful flow with alignment-based instructions and breathing techniques. PHCC. 1.30–2.30pm. Contact Emma 0780 855 3599, emma.lecoeur@gmail.com WEDNESDAY Feldenkrais PHCL. 10.30–11.30am. For price, contact info@somaticcircles.com Circus Glory Trapeze for adults. All levels welcome. PHCC. 1.15–2.15pm. Contact Genevieve 07973 451 603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com English Folk Dance Club Camden Great fun for dancers of all abilities or none. No partner needed. PHCC. 7.30–10pm. Drop-in charge £6. Contact camdenfolkdance@yahoo.com Open House A regular activity (film, talk, performance) followed by tea, cake and chat. PHCC. 2pm. Free. Contact 020 7586 8327 THURSDAY Pilates All abilities welcome. PHCC. 8–9am. £12 dropin or £60 for 6. Contact Sue Johnson 07815 130 883, suejohnson22@hotmail.com English Country Dancing Learn English country and ceilidh dancing with tutor Mike Ruff. Musicians welcome to join the band led by Ian Cutts. No need to bring a partner, no experience necessary. CSH. 7.30–10pm. Life-drawing Beginners to professionals, just drop in! PHCC. 7–9.20pm. £8 or £6 concession. Contact 020 7586 8327, phlifedrawing@gmail.com, www.meetup.com/Primrose-Hill-Life-DrawingLondon, Instagram: @lifedrawingph Narcotics Anonymous PHCC. 1.30–3.45pm. Free. Mother and Baby Postnatal Pilates Activate your pelvic floor, tone your tummy, strengthen your back and improve your posture. PHCL. First class, 10am; second class, 11am. Book your place on the next course at pilateswithpaulette@gmail.com, Facebook.com/pilateswithpaulette/reviews Gentle Pilates Gentle but effective Pilates class. PHCL. 12.30–1.30pm. £10 per session. Contact annie@mactherapy.org Pregnancy Yoga An open level class helping mums-to-be to stay healthy in mind and body during pregnancy. PHCC. 5.15–6.15pm. Contact 07808 553 599, emma.lecoeur@gmail.com
FRIDAY Dynamic Pilates Strengthen core, prevent back pain and improve posture. All levels and abilities welcome. Own mat needed. PHCC. 8–9am. Contact Natalie 0770 954 3581, natalienicollfitness@gmail.com Aerial Pilates Pilates exercises with the support of an aerial hammock. PHCC. 10–11am. See www. circusbodies.com for more information
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Mothers’ Mornings Meet other mothers while your children play. PHCL. 10.30–11.30am. Free. Contact 020 7419 6599 Circus Glory Trapeze for adults. All levels welcome. PHCC. 1.30–2.45pm. Contact Genevieve 0797 345 1603, gmonastesse@googlemail.com SATURDAY Primrose Hill Market St Paul’s School playground, Elsworthy Road, NW3. 10am–3pm. Contact www.primrosehillmarket.com SUNDAY Hopkinson’s Bar Meet for a drink with your neighbours. All welcome. PHCC. 12 noon–2pm. Contact 020 7586 8327
CONTACT DETAILS PHCC Primrose Hill Community Centre 29 Hopkinsons Place (off Fitzroy Road) NW1 8TN Contact: info@phca.cc 020 7586 8327 PHCL Primrose Hill Community Library Sharpleshall Street, NW1 8YN Contact: events@phcl.org 020 7419 6599 Please submit entries for our May issue by Friday 4 May onthehillwhatson@phca.cc
Cecil Sharp House (CSH) 2 Regent’s Park Road NW1 7AY Contact: info@efdss.org 020 7485 2206
Submit your details to onthehillwhatson@phca.cc to be featured and reach 35,000 Primrose Hill residents and visitors each month
OnThe Hill onthehill.info
05/09/2016 10:03:51
Primrose Hill Lecture Series 2018 Wednesday 6 June Nick Crane: The Making of the British Landscape How much do we know about the place we call ‘home’? The British landscape has been continuously occupied by humans for 12,000 years, from the end of the Ice Age until the twenty-first century. It has been transformed from a European peninsula of glacier and tundra to an island of glittering cities and exquisite countryside. Nick Crane, President of the Royal Geographical Society, presenter of the BBC Series Coast and Great British Journeys (among others) and author of The Making of the British Landscape (2016), will take us on a geographical journey through time, revealing the ancient relationship between people and place and the deep-rooted tensions between town and countryside. As Britain lurches from an exploitative past towards a more sustainable future, this is the story of our age. Wednesday 13 June Rowan Williams: A Christian Response to the Refugee Crisis According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2017 65.6 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence of human rights violations. How should we respond to this unprecedented crisis? How do we balance human compassion and tolerance with genuine concerns about increasingly stretched resources and attacks on Western values and traditions? Former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, will provide his thoughts on a Christian response to the refugee crisis, speaking about the Biblical approach to strangers and wanderers, the spiritual need for openness of the stranger and the risks of exclusive nationalism. Wednesday 20 June Miranda Seymour: In Byron’s Wake: Women of Science In 1815 Annabella Milbanke married the notorious Lord Byron; the following year she left him, taking their baby daughter, Ada. Eight years later, Byron was dead. The women, however, lived on: Annabella did pioneering work in education and social reform, becoming one of the most progressive reformers of Victorian England; Ada (the future Ada Lovelace), introduced to mathematics as a young child, predicted our modern computer age and became a passionate astronomer, employing Faraday’s experiments with light refraction to explore the analysis of distant stars. In the bicentenary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, often regarded as an early example of science fiction, literary
critic and biographer Miranda Seymour will speak about these three women of science, drawing on the scholarship of her new book In Byron’s Wake and her reissued biography of Mary Shelley. Wednesday 27 June Mike Brearley, in conversation with Ed Smith: On Form? Or Off? What is being ‘on form’? How does it relate to being ‘in the zone’? Are these states in the laps of the gods, a matter of which side of the bed we got out of that morning? Or is there anything we can do to make their arrival more likely? From time to time we all take wrong turnings on our journeys. Although we miss the safety of the already known, this is not all bad. Form and change often grow from loss and difficulty. Losing our way is an opportunity for serendipity. Former England cricket captain, now psychoanalyst, Mike Brearley discusses his new book On Form with Ed Smith, fellow cricketer, author and Test Match Special commentator. Wednesday 4 July Clemency Burton-Hill: Music Every Day Have you ever heard a piece of music so beautiful that it stops you in your tracks? Or wanted to discover more about classical music but had no idea where to begin? According to Clemency Burton-Hill, presenter of Radio 3 Breakfast, the Proms and Young Musician of the Year, ‘the only requirements for enjoying classical music are open ears and an open mind’. Clemency joins us to talk about her new book, Year of Wonder, in which she chooses one piece of classical music for each day of the year. Wednesday 11 July Helen Pankhurst: The Story of Women’s Rights: How Far Have We Come? In 1918 some women won the right to vote. A century later, how far have women come? How much have women’s lives changed? And where might women aim to be by 2028, the centenary of equal franchise? Helen Pankhurst, women’s rights activist, great-granddaughter of Emmeline Pankhurst and granddaughter of Sylvia Pankhurst, leaders of the British suffragette movement, joins us to talk about her new book, Deeds Not Words: The Story of Women’s Rights, Then and Now. All talks begin at 7pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm. Ticket prices: £12 individual; £60 series (Concessions: £10 individual; £50 series; under-16s free) www.stmarysprimrosehill.com/concertsevents/summer-lectures
Silk Road memories Graham Francis gave a talk for the PHCA Open House in March on the particular parts of the Silk Road that he travelled with his wife Irene. Graham graduated in Architecture from Manchester University, where he met Irene while she was studying Biology. After doing the trail overland to India and Nepal, Graham got a job at Ahrends, Burton and Koralek, the highly regarded designers of Trinity College Dublin and the British Embassy in Moscow. Back in 1973, ABK, as they were commonly known, operated from Utopia Village. Graham worked there for ten years before moving to Sheppard
A very warm welcome to North London Wine School. We are a local, independent wine education school who specialise in fun and informal wine tasting in London and also run professional wine courses from WSET. We love our wines and spirits and we know that there are lots of you out there who share our passion. We have a great range of tasting experiences and courses designed to suit all tastes and interests.
Robson in Parkway, where he spent the rest of his career until retiring ten years ago as Chairman. Graham’s local was the Engineer, and both firms used to play soccer and softball in Regent’s Park every week. Graham and Irene both enjoy nature, wildlife and architecture, and are particularly interested in less frequently visited destinations. Their photos showed the huge contrasts they witnessed along the Silk Road. They were taken with an eye for the architecture and culture: exquisite mosques, tiled domes, gleaming minarets, as well as Soviet housing blocks and a monstrous statue of Genghis Khan.
Contact Us Venue address for our wine tastings and courses: London Irish Centre, 50-52 Camden Square, London NW1 9XB. For further information on any of our courses please contact us: Tel.0203 2863998 or 07493 482911 Email: info@northlondonwineschool.com
Why not take a look at our events page at www.northlondonwineschool.com to see what we have coming up.
PRIMROSE HILL
Local digital start-up entrepreneur Petar Savic talks to some of the start-ups and small businesses running from Primrose Hill. This month he meets Sean Hawie. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME AN ENTREPRENEUR?
The first boss I ever had allowed me to do things my way, and when I made a mistake she knew how to make sure I wasn’t discouraged by failure. That set a standard for me with regard to creativity and responsibility. I learned a lot very quickly, and since then struggled to find a role that wholly satisfied me. So I suppose that it all comes from a desire to really enjoy what I do. I want to be fulfilled, and not just live a 9–‒5 life where you wait for Fridays and dread Mondays.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT PRIMROSE HILL?
I’ve grown up in the area most of my life. My parents used to take my sister and me to Lemonia when we were kids, and it’s still exactly the same. There’s a strong independent spirit on the high street also, thanks to the community committee who work hard to keep it that way. My perfect evening would probably be dinner at Oka then drinks in one of the pubs.
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
My latest venture, Oculizm (www.oculizm.com), is an online platform that allows retailers to use social media content in their own advertising and eCommerce channels. It started out as a way for fashion brands to create ‘shop the look’ galleries on their websites, matching outfits worn by their fans to actual in-store products. We didn’t appreciate at the time that the concept could be rolled out to food retailers, children’s toys and more. So it’s a pretty exciting time for us right now.
HOW DID YOU GET FUNDED?
I’ve always been terrible at asking people for money. I focused on product and instead used my network if I needed help building a pitch or a slide deck. With Oculizm, I knew I’d developed something of value, and I knew who my customers would be. So I started contacting fashion retailers directly. I was pitching to Nobody’s Child, a fast fashion brand, unaware that the owner was an investor in earlystage fashion tech businesses, so it went from there. That kind of opportunity doesn’t come unless you get out there and knock on a lot of doors.
ANY ADVICE FOR ANYONE THINKING ABOUT BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Go for it. If you can’t wait for the week to end, or you dream about doing your own thing one day, or if you’re not quite sure if your venture will work, you owe it to yourself at least to try. Just make sure you give it your absolute best shot.
64 Belsize Lane, London NW3 5BJ Wed - Fri: 11am - 6.30pm, Sat: 10am - 6pm, Sun: 10am - 4pm (also by appointment) t: 020 7443 5990 e: info@sylvesterfineart.co.uk www.sylvesterfineart.co.uk
PASSIONATE ABOUT
ART AND POTS Alistair Grant, Empuriabrava, a Canal Scene, oil on canvas
27718 Sylvester Fine Art On The Hill Advert 210x99.indd 1
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16/04/2018 15:05
The Rokeby Venus A poem by Sue Greenhill For goodness sake Cupid give me a break, stop staring and smirking – I’m not that old, and stop flapping your wings for heaven’s sake they’re creating a draught, making me cold. I’ve got an itch on the end of my nose, my shoulder is stiff and my arm’s gone dead, how much longer must I hold this pose? ‘Only take ten minutes’, Velázquez said. I wonder how well he has painted me, in the mirror I look haggard and dark, will I look beautiful? Can’t wait to see, or will he add every bruise and pockmark? Seems like centuries I’ve been lying here, while millions of people giggle and leer. www.soundcloud.com/susan-greenhill-poetry
Primrose Hill collage A collage by Pam Walker looking down on Primrose Hill from Hampstead Heath
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PHOTOGRAPH BY Sarah Louise Ramsay
Cooking with Colour By Jennifer Ploszaj
For thousands of years ceramics have played an integral role in archaeology, helping us understand the cultures and behaviours of peoples of the past. The practice of creating objects and artefacts dates back to 24,000 BC, when ceramic figurines were first used for ceremonial purposes. The most extraordinary archaeological survivors are the Nok terracotta figures from north-west Nigeria, which are estimated to be over 2,000 years old. Fast forward to 2018, and we discover that ceramics remain a celebrated, ever-evolving contemporary art; and one that has seen a resurgence in recent years, particularly in Britain, where there are now dozens of studios across the country and throughout the capital where people can explore and try out pottery and ceramics.
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From textiles to ceramics Julia Landes, founder of Studio77 London in Primrose Hill, discovered her love of ceramics ten years ago, following a casual introduction by another ceramist friend. “It’s a fantastic medium to work with; the possibilities are infinite, and my experience with printed textiles gave me a very different physical connection with the material of clay.” Her creative path began at the Brighton School of Art, where she studied textiles. Julia has since moved on from her successful career in the fashion business: she now weaves her love of textiles, materials and colour into her ceramic art. “I love playing with textures and colours: there is a real magic in working with glazes. The excitement of opening the kiln to see how my colour combinations have worked is a really fantastic experience. When working with ceramics, you have to be open to the unknown.” The essence of Julia’s ceramic creative process combines two approaches. First, there are her extraordinary ‘London life’ and travel-inspired drawings, collected as sketches in her drawing books. She then applies the essence of these drawings onto hand-built ceramic pieces that use the clay as a background instead of paper. Then the ‘lost and found’ collections and Julia’s ‘jewel’ range are more focused on the use of texture and glazes. The lost and found idea uses objects, such as pen lids, postage stamps and picture hooks, which she imprints into the clay to create a pattern. This patterned clay is then transformed into a fabric-like material, producing ultimate shapes that are built using clay, as opposed to how one would weave a pattern into fabric. The jewel range is about the alchemy of the glazes. Combinations of glazes, some that include pieces of glass, are layered in different combinations to create jewel-like patterns on a coloured background. From drainpipes to Apple watches Ceramics is a highly nuanced and expansive art form. There are thousands of different clay bodies and glazes – all of which produce different results. This makes it one of the most flexible art forms and gives the artist infinite creative possibilities to explore. The material itself is renowned for its durability and heat-resistant properties. It is widely used today in products ranging from the Apple Watch and NASA
trip to Columbia has been celebrated in a series of drawings transferred onto ceramic plates, featuring some of the street vendors in Bogotá, life in Cartagena and the country’s dazzling array of hummingbirds.
“I love playing with textures and colours: there is a real magic in working with glazes”
space shuttle to Sir Henry Doulton’s pioneering salt-glaze stoneware used as drainage pipes during the country’s sanitary revolution. Julia has also recently started using stoneware in her hand-painted work, which enables her to produce a highly subtle finish because the colours absorb more readily into this kind of clay. However, she chooses earthenware clay for her transferred drawings, most of which feature delicate and delightful scenes of London life. Earthenware clay produces a clearer, more defined colour when it’s fired. Interestingly, while Studio77 London focuses purely on Julia’s ceramic art, her drawings are equally alluring and stand alone as a beautiful collection of work, and one that allows the viewer to recognise Julia’s distinctive hand. “I’ve always loved drawing, and I’ve combined that and brought it into my ceramics.” Julia’s inspiration comes from London as well as her travels. “I think you see so much more of a place by drawing. You engage much more and take in all the details.” Her recent
Inspiration from Primrose Hill Closer to home, Julia finds inspiration all over the capital, from our own Primrose Hill to Regent’s Canal, the West End, Marylebone and Hampstead Heath. “These parts of London are just gorgeous. They each have their own identity.” Julia’s next series of ceramics will feature the different seasons on Primrose Hill, based on drawings she’s been doing over the last year, along with a series of different views of the Heath and one featuring Regent’s Park. Another potential series to anticipate from Julia is one on dogs. “I love drawing dogs. There are so many mad, amazing, characterful dogs in Primrose Hill. If only they’d stay still just a little bit longer for me. That’s part of the challenge, capturing the moment of their joy and energy.” There is something intimately authentic and captivating in a drawing. As with all art, people connect with it on an emotional level, and Julia explains that most of her clients fall in love with pieces that feature a special, familiar place, or the colours she chooses for her glazes. In the meantime, Julia continues to create her bespoke ceramics, with an ever-growing body of work that will perhaps, like the Nok terracotta figures, be discovered by archaeologists someday, hundreds or thousands of years from now. I asked Julia what she would want the people of the future to think about our life in Primrose Hill in 2018 if they were to discover her ceramics. “I’d hope that they’d think what a magical place it was; how charming and lovely. And let’s hope that it would still connect, that it wouldn’t be changed at all.” You can see Julia’s work at her next show, which opens 17 May and runs for three weeks. KJ’s Laundry, 74 Marylebone Lane, www.kjslaundry.com To commission Julia or discuss a project, visit www.studio77.london Follow Julia on Instagram @julialandesstudio_77.london To explore the art of ceramics, check out the newly reopened Clay Time in Hampstead, formerly Well Walk Pottery, for a drop-in taster session. Or try the Ceramics for Beginners course at the Camden Arts Centre, 25 April–4 July.
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THE WHIPLASH LINE By The Mole on the Hill
The old granddad was talking. “One day I saw Queen go into that house down there at the bottom of the hill.” “What was she doing there?” “Not the Queen. Queen. ‘We are the Champions’. ‘We will Rock You’. ‘Hungarian Rhapsody’.” So let’s start there. Queen did indeed go to Johnny Dewe Mathews’ studio to be photographed: part of a procession of celebrities, among them Terence Stamp, Pete Townshend and Bryan Ferry. And why St George’s Terrace? Because after Johnny left school, his father insisted tht he had to do something practical, so he studied architecture for six years at the Central London Polytechnic. There’s filial obedience for you. His tutor had a flat in St George’s Terrace and told Johnny there was a flat going downstairs. He took it at £14 a month and he is still there, now the owner, fifty years later. “I’ve been offered a fortune for the flat, but I’ll never leave. It’s where I am. It’s where my identity is.” Now the flat is Johnny’s studio. He no longer lives there. Instead he is in
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Little Venice with his wife, the portrait painter Emma Foale. After qualifying, Johnny decided he had missed the excitement of the 1960s so he took himself off to Rome in 1974 for four months. Nonchalantly he says he worked as an extra in films by Fellini and Vittorio de Sica. Then it was off to New York, working as an architect, and then travelling in Mexico and Guatemala. “When I came back from my travels, a friend of mine, Andrew Logan, asked me if I would take photographs of some of his friends. Andrew later became a celebrated artist in the style of, but way before, Grayson Perry. Even then Andrew had a rich variety of friends, including David Hockney. I had bought a camera in New York, but I had never really used it. I had nothing to lose, so I took the photographs; then in 1972 Andrew organised an exhibition of them at the New Arts Centre, run by Madeleine Bessborough.” This was a coup. The New Arts Centre, then in Sloane Street, now in Roche Court in Salisbury, was and still is where the world’s most
eminent sculptors exhibit their work. There were some good reviews. On the whole, people thought the photographs were quite good, not technically perfect perhaps, but with a naivety and charm. “I used to develop my photographs in the bathroom and pray that they would come out. Perhaps they were not technically brilliant. But I took them round to David Bailey, who lived in Gloucester Avenue. He was completely dismissive. He said they were crap. At the time Odette’s was a drinking hole for all kinds of celebrities. It was mainly food people and chefs like Peter Lanyon, Richard Shepherd and Albert Roux. I used to meet Patrick Proctor there. He was a very good watercolour artist and, more importantly, he introduced me to Roy Strong, the director of the National Portrait Gallery. Roy said my photographs were “Absolutely charming, innocent, marvellous. You have a good eye and compose nicely.” The outcome of that meeting was that Johnny was the first photographer to be exhibited at the NPG. One in
the eye for David Bailey. It was twenty years before Bailey was given an exhibition there. Back to Queen One of Johnny’s father’s patients was the manager of Queen; he suggested that as an aspiring photographer Johnny should photograph the band, which he did, both in his studio and backstage at the Rainbow, Finsbury Park in 1974. And the proof is the blackand-white portrait of the band on the cover of Absolute Greatest. And then Johnny ended his threeyear career as a photographer, just like that; he sold all his equipment except for one camera, and bought pencils, brushes and paints. He was to become an artist. “I decided I didn’t want to be a photographer. You are serving the people you’re photographing. You need them more than they need you. I never saw myself in that light. I didn’t have the courage to go to Vietnam like Don McLean. And I was too shy to be a street photographer. I suspect that if I’d stayed a photographer I’d probably have turned into an extremely unpleasant, wealthy rake.” The artist in the kitchen Instead, Johnny found a new career in the kitchens of great chefs, using watercolour and pencil to capture, with whiplash lines, the movement, the energy, the moment and the intensity of individuals working together with honed skills to produce something – a work of art even. “Simone Green, who owned Odette’s, asked me to go to the restaurant and draw people as they were eating. I’d just settled down when I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was the chef, Mario Lesnik. ‘The real world is down there in the kitchen.’ The heat was unbelievable. After one and half hours, I was drained. I asked if I could come back. ‘By all means. But you cannot leave until I have shown you my art.’ I was presented with a glass of vintage Krug champagne and a delicious meal that, even then, must have cost £150.” Johnny went back often. Mario Lesnik introduced him to Michel Bourdin, the chef at The Connaught, where he drew all through the 1980s. Then he was made official artist to the Académie Culinaire de Grande Bretagne, of which Michel Bourdin was president. In 2013 Johnny’s stepson, the celebrated sculptor Conrad Shawcross, curated a show of his kitchen paintings, Behind the Scenes. This was an especial delight for Johnny, because Conrad, the son of William Shawcross and Johnny’s first
Johnny Dewe Mathews’ cut-outs on canvas: Kahn, Tilt, Bedroom Window View, Piano de Cuisine
wife Marina Warner, went on to be the youngest ever member of the Royal Academy; one of his massive sculptures can be seen outside the Crick Institute. Johnny attributes Conrad’s success to the outstanding intellects of both his parents and the imaginative influence he had on the boy as he was growing up. From the age of four, Conrad loved to spend time in the studio with the paints and pencils. A touch of the sacred The greatest influences on Johnny seem to have been his parents and the Catholic public school, Ampleforth. “My father used to say to me that there is no difference between a man who bakes a loaf of bread and one who designs a great building, or writes a symphony, or creates an incredible work of art. Learn your craft and, whatever you do, do it to the best of your ability. Ampleforth gave me a very strong sense of the sacred. My housemaster was Dom Basil Hume, who was later to become Cardinal. In the 1970s I abandoned my religious belief, but it came back to me and I have been a practising Catholic since 1978. I don’t think I would have survived as an artist without this sense of the sacred.” At the moment, Johnny is working on abstract collages, arranging on
canvas cut-out paper shapes painted in acrylics and oils. When you know what you’re looking for, you can see the references to the movement of the chefs. He has given these abstracts titles like Cadence, Flirting, Pendulum, Zigzag. But they are not allegories. What you see is what you get. Buy a second-hand car in America, and on the windscreen you will read AS IS. That’s like Johnny’s work. It’s visceral. It reminds you of Henri Matisse. It might be about sensuality or play. But it is Johnny Dewe Mathews. “I don’t suppose I’ll be able to stand around in a hot kitchen in my eighties. But I’ll carry on. It’s not conceit, but I have an innate confidence that when I leave this planet, there will be a body of work that will make people say, ‘My God, that guy’s work has joy and it celebrates life.’” An exhibition of Johnny Dewe Mathews’ work will be held at at 5 St George’s Terrace, NW1 8XH (ring the middle bell). It will run from Wednesday 30 May to Saturday 9 June, from 11am to 6pm every day.
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Library Talk with author Katie Ruth Davies By Florence Robinson (aged 13) When Rob first asked if I would do an interview at Primrose Hill Library with Katie Ruth Davies, the up and coming author of Angel, I quickly accepted, reassured that it was several months in the future. It was only as the day dawned and nervousness set in that I feared I had been foolhardy as I had no idea how to conduct a public event. I was interviewing a real author from the republic of Georgia who had come all the way to Britain to launch her book, and she was starting her tour right here in Sharpeshall Street.
It is true that this event could not really compare to the Henley or Hay literary festivals, where I have watched Philip Pullman and Mary Berry answer questions about their books in front of audiences of hundreds. Yet I was still nervous when the pair of us sat down in front of the audience, which included best-selling authors such as Sinclair McKay and Kate Summerscale, who wrote The Suspicions of Mr Whycher. Katie grew up in England but is a restless traveller, having spent the last twelve years living in Spain, New Zealand and Georgia. She teaches English, is the editor of Georgian newspapers and has three children, and yet she still finds time to write. For many authors the infinite ideas for plots and characters in one’s head would make having another full-time job impossible, and the prospect of having three simply mad.
Obviously this is not the case for Katie who, having already finished her Blood Omen series has embarked on Dark Wings, of which Angel is the first part. Katie maintains that she believes the story is always there, just behind a metaphorical wall that she must break down. She explains the feeling of knocking down the wall, brick by brick, until she can visualise the whole plot. Moving on to Georgian culture, Katie revealed the relevance of her clothing. Her robe was traditional warrior dress, fitted with bullet holders that could do very well for pens, I thought. I also asked Katie about the inevitable presence of socialist ideologies in Georgia, which after all was the homeland of Joseph Stalin. Using her husband’s parents as an example, she said that much of the older generation of the country looks back with nostalgia on the times when they could rely on the government for healthcare and education. Young Georgians, Katie assured the audience, understand that they have to work for the things they want. Audiences at literary events like to be part of the action so I had agreed with Rob to throw open the final minutes to questions. Katie and I were lucky that the library regulars seemed genuinely interested in the book and in life in Georgia, so the session ended on a high note with their penetrating questions and Katie’s answers. All the time we had been speaking I hadn’t realised how I had forgotten to be nervous. Katie’s kindness had put me at my ease and, though I was glad to get out of the limelight to sample some of the Georgian food she had brought, interviewing Katie is probably one of the most interesting things I have ever done.
May in a Day! Saturday 12 May 2018, 1–4pm
At the heart of English Folk 2 Regent’s Park Road, London, NW1 7AY
Celebrate the spring at our fun-filled family festival, packed with activites for all the family. £9 adults | £7 under 18s | £2 under 2s
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cecilsharphouse.org/mayinaday | 020 7485 2206
Local Elections on 3 May: Who do you want to manage local affairs? By David Lennon If you care about local issues such as housing, education and environment, then turn up at the polling stations on Thursday 3 May to cast your vote for who you want to run local affairs. Labour has dominated Camden’s 18 wards for decades, but our oddly named ward, ‘Camden Town with Primrose Hill’, elected at least one Liberal Democrat to the council in four out of the last five local elections. This year the Labour Party is presenting the voters in the Camden Town/Primrose Hill ward with the opportunity to re-elect the three sitting councillors, while the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives and Greens are offering wholly new slates. A YouGov survey published in February showed Labour on course for a major local election triumph in London’s local elections, with 54 per cent of voters saying they would vote for Labour, compared to just 28 per cent for the Conservatives. Lib Dems trailed at 11 per cent.
Conservatives also must be worried by the Ashcroft report in March saying that they will lose ground because “many Londoners plan to use their votes to punish Theresa May and the national government for Brexit and spending cuts”. The Lib Dems’ manifesto says that its main priority in Camden is to create 1,000 social rent homes “by building on disused sites, together with a proper repairs programme to bring existing council homes up to a good standard”. While Labour proclaim themselves supremely confident of another clean sweep, they may be in for some surprises after voting in February to raise council tax in the coming financial year by 4.99 per cent, the maximum increase the council can propose without holding a referendum. This will be the second time in as many years that council tax has gone up. Councils are responsible for providing local services and facilities,
including Housing, Education, Environment, as well as Planning, Parks and Social Services. Camden Council said that the tax increase is essential because of central government cuts to council budgets since 2010. The Labour candidates are their three sitting councillors: Patricia Callaghan, Richard Cotton and Lazzaro Pietragnoli (see biographies below). The Conservative candidates are: Peter Horne, Catherine McQueen and Joel Roberts. The Liberal Democrat candidates are: John Lesley, Lawrence Joseph Nicholson and Anne Maria Wright. The Green Party is offering two candidates: Rik Howard and Mark Milaszkiewicz. The three candidates with the highest number of votes received are elected for the next four years. Turnout in 2014 was 38 per cent. Remember, you don’t need your poll card to vote. Just turn up.
Labour Candidates
Pat Callaghan
A former nurse and a councillor since 2002, Pat is the lead member for Tackling Health Inequality and Promoting Independence in Camden. An advocate of good social housing and effective health services, she regularly lobbies for funding to tackle inequality. Pat enjoys living in a diverse, vibrant part of London and says her family have benefited from being in a borough which cares for its citizens. She is seeking a sixth term.
Richard Cotton
Elected for the first time in 2014, Richard has lived in Camden for nearly 30 years. As outgoing Mayor of Camden, Richard has raised money for a local homeless project, prior to which he was a regular volunteer at Primrose Hill Community Library. He has served on the Planning, Licensing and Housing Scrutiny Committees and has been a Co-Chair of the Carers’ Forum.
Lazzaro Pietragnoli
Lazzaro was born in Venice and settled in Camden in 2003, winning a seat on the council in 2014. He was the chair of the Council’s Working Group on Brexit. Before becoming a councillor he helped set up Primrose Hill Community Library. As a councillor he has taken a particular interest in planning, environmental issues and protecting services for local communities.
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Primrose Hill LAUGHS
“What on Earth is Billy doing?” “He has a tutor on Saturdays; they want to get him into the Hill Training Class.”
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Marketplace
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Beauty & Wellbeing SHAMPOO HAIR & BEAUTY 63 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8XD 020 7722 9594 alinashala@hotmail.co.uk Tu–Sa 09.00–18.00 Su 10.00–16.00 NISHIHARA & CO 42 Chalcot Rd, NW1 8LS 0207 483 2417 nishihara.london@gmail.com Tu–W 09.00–19.00 Th–F 10.00–20.00 Sa–Su 10.00–16.00 (alternative times available upon request) www.nishihara.co.uk
Eating & Dining L’ABSINTHE (ALL DAY) BRASSERIE 40 Chalcot Rd, NW1 8LS 020 7483 4848 absinthe07@hotmail.co.uk M 08.00–16.00 Tu–F 08.00–22.00 Sa 09.00–22.00 www.labsinthe.co.uk
GREENBERRY CAFÉ 101 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8UR 020 7483 3765 info@greenberrycafe.co.uk Tu–Sa 09.00–22.00 Su–M 09.00–16.00 www.greenberrycafe.co.uk
Home CAVE INTERIORS 29 Princess Rd, NW1 8JR 020 7722 9222 georgina@caveinteriors.com M–F 09.30–17.30 www.caveinteriors.com PRIMROSE INTERIORS 55 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8XD 020 7586 6595 info@primrose-interiors.com S–F 10.00–17.00
Specialist PRIMROSE HILL DENTAL 61a Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8XD 020 7722 0860 / 07845 0088 240 primrose.dent@gmail.com M, W, F 09.00–17.00 Tu, Th 09.00–20.00 Sa 09.00–13.00
PRIMROSE HILL BUSINESS CENTRE The oldest in the world 110 Gloucester Avenue, NW1 8HX 0207 483 2681 info@phbcoffices.co.uk M–F 09.00–18.00
Fashion SWEET PEA 77 Gloucester Ave, NW1 8LD 020 7449 9292 mail@sweetpeajewellery.com M–F 10.00–18.00 Sa 10.30–17.00 www.sweetpeajewellery.com
Community PRIMROSE HILL COMMUNITY CENTRE 29 Hopkinson’s Place, Fitzroy Rd, NW1 8TN 020 7586 8327
OnThe Hill onthehill.info
PRIMROSE HILL COMMUNITY LIBRARY Sharples Hall St, NW1 8YN 020 7419 6599 M 10.00–18.00 W 13.00–19.00 F 10.00–18.00 Sa 10.00–16.00 POST OFFICE 91 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8UT M–Su 06:00–22:00 CHALK FARM FOODBANK Revelation Church c/o Chalk Farm Baptist Church, Berkley Road, NW1 8YS 0207 483 3763 Th 10.30–12.00 www.chalkfarm.foodbank.org.uk
PRIMROSE HILL SURGERY 99 Regent’s Park Rd, NW1 8UR 020 7722 0038 M–W 09.00–18.00 Th 09.00–12.30 F 09.00–18.00
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Primrose Hill EATS
Smoked Salmon Tartines with Pickled Cucumber & Wasabi Cream This tartine recipe is a ramped-up remodelling of smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels and is a great combination of tangy, sweet, savoury, crunchy and creamy. You need to make the pickled cucumber and onions in advance, but they are beyond easy (the onions will keep for a few weeks in the fridge). They are great as a dinner party starter or a quick lunch. 1.
To make the pickled pink onions, thinly slice the onion (a mandolin is quicker, but a knife will do). In a glass or ceramic bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients until the salt is dissolved. Place the onion in a jam jar and pour over the vinegar mixture to the top, then put the lid on. Place in the fridge for at least a day before using.
2. Strip the cucumber with a potato peeler or mandolin on a fine setting. Place the strips in a jar with half a teaspoon of salt, the maple syrup, the vinegar, a tablespoon of the dill (chopped) and a grinding of pepper. Leave to steep in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. 3. Whip the wasabi into the cream cheese. 4. Toast six slices of the rye bread and when cooled spread them with a layer of the whipped cream cheese mixture. Next place a piece or two of the drained cucumber on each slice. Fold over a slice of smoked salmon, followed by a few baby leaves, some pink pickled onions, teeny sprigs of dill and the lemon zest. Finish off with a grinding of pepper, a little salt and serve with a wedge of lemon for squeezing over the top (optional).
www.myprimrosehillkitchen.com
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FROM My Pr imros e Hill Ki tchen
Ingredients • 1 loaf of rye bread • 150 g cream cheese or dairy-free vegan cream cheese (at room temperature) • Baby salad leaves • 100 g smoked salmon (or use avocado) • Half a cucumber • Small bunch of dill • ½–1 tsp wasabi (to taste) • 2 tsp maple syrup • ¼ cup white wine vinegar • 1 lemon plus its zest • Salt and pepper For the pickled pink onions: • 1 medium red onion • 1½ tsp salt • 1 cup warm water • 3 tbsp maple syrup • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
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Hello, Primrose Hill! Spring has finally arrived. Enjoy some local shots. PHOTOGRAPHS BY Vicki Hillyard
32 G&H On The Hill Back Page UPDATED V2 (PRINT).indd 1
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