The Slice Tower Hamlets autumn/winter 2022

ISSUE 03 AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

GOING OUT

SHOPPING

HERITAGE

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CULTURE

TOWER HAMLETS

Inside Repton Boxing Club LAST GREASY SPOONS STANDING THE CAMPAIGN THAT SPAWNED AN LGBTQ+ MOVEMENT

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A family sewing machine that tells the rag trade story.

Our guide to Christmas in Tower Hamlets T H E S L I C E M A G A Z I N E .C O. U K

SWITCH ON PARTY! 16TH NOV 3PM - 5PM

CHRISTMAS 2022 AT OLD SPITALFIELDS MARKET 16th Nov - 24th Dec Shopping, Street food, Workshops and Wreaths www.oldspitalfieldsmarket.com

CONTENTS ISSUE 03 AUTUMN/WINTER 2022

United we stand.

U

from the editor

nity. It’s a word we’ve heard a lot recently. Over the period of national mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II commentators spoke repeatedly of the ‘soft power’ the Queen wielded that helped bring unity to a divided world. More recently, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s rallying cry to ‘unite or die’ expressed a need for harmony to steer Britain through choppy waters.

Perhaps unity is most resonant in times of most fragmentation. After three years of forced separation during the pandemic, the mobilisation of millions of people to come together in mourning demonstrated a yearning for collective experience. And with the world facing a cost-of-living crisis as well as a global war, politicians are determined to find unity; a united team is a stronger team.

Closer to home, we have seen divided opinions in Tower Hamlets over controversial topics such as the Truman Brewery development and low traffic neighbourhood schemes.

Divisions are a natural result of a gloriously diverse world made up of different genders, races, religions and ideologies; without division we would lack the impetus to find the solutions we need to evolve.

What I find to be a constant source of inspiration about the human spirit is the unconquerable desire to unite in spite of divisions. When faced with hardship we never fail to come together in support of each other.

And nowhere is this more apparent than in Tower Hamlets. It’s something we hold dear at The Slice and in all our online titles, Roman Road LDN, Bethnal Green LDN, Poplar LDN and Whitechapel LDN. In this issue we see how during the Wapping Printers’ Strikes in 1986 the community united to protect its neighbourhood; how Repton Boxing Club has provided an inclusive space for the marginalised; how the Friends of Joiners Arms campaign group has turned adversity into an opportunity to unite the LGBTQ+ community, and how a simple sewing machine has united generations of a family forging a new life in our borough.

This year we won’t hear the Queen’s take on the Christmas speech, which for decades has focused on a message of unity, harmony, service and duty.

But we can take comfort from knowing that the power of unity flows from within each and every one of us.

Tabitha Stapely Editor-in-Chief

Inside this issue

CONTENTS

ABOUT US The Slice is an independent news and culture magazine for Tower Hamlets published by Social Streets C.I.C, a social enterprise building a new model of local journalism.

We are powered by our members who contribute to our content. We also provide opportunities in the creative and media industries to local people including trainee schemes.

Our online platforms include Roman Road LDN, Whitechapel LDN, Bethnal Green LDN and Poplar LDN. Want to be part of your local community? Email us at hello@theslicemagazine. co.uk.

MASTHEAD Editor-in-Chief Tabitha Stapely Commercial Assistant Ellen MacInnes Designed by Katie Wilde @Detailsbylil Published by Social Streets C.I.C.

CONTACT US TheSliceMagazine.co.uk Social Streets C.I.C 470-480 Roman Road London E3 5LU 020 3972 4988 hello@theslicemagazine.co.uk

FOLLOW US

04 / WHAT’S ON 08 / LAST GREASY SPOONS STANDING 12 / ASMA BEGUM’S SEWING MACHINE 14 /WAPPING PRINTER STRIKES 28 / THE FRIENDS OF JOINERS ARMS 24 / GUIDE TO CHRISTMAS IN TOWER HAMLETS THE SL ICE  03

What’s On

19 NOV 22 7 JAN 23

Cinderella

THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST Stratford East’s Cinderella tears up the rulebook and turns this classic story on its head, making it relevant to the local community and beyond. Set in the ancient home of Sphynx cats, pharaohs and the empress Cleopatra, expect show-stopping original music and laugh-out-loud comedy alongside magical sets and costumes in this must-see Christmas pantomime.

Visit Stratfordeast.com for more info.

24 NOV - 31 DEC 2022

The Wind in the Willows Wilton’s WILTON’S MUSIC HALL

Set in modern-day London, this brand-new adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved Wind in the

18 DEC 22

Winter Wonder guided walk TOWER HAMLETS CEMETERY PARK

Admire the ivy, holly, red berries and robins while rambling through

Grand Union Youth Orchestra Winter Concert RICH MIX

Grand Union’s ensemble of young musicians has been rehearsing throughout the autumn to bring you their Winter Concert of jazz and world music held at Rich Mix.

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16 DEC 22

18 DEC 22

Baby Broadway Christmas special POPLAR UNION

Sing, clap and dance along to seasonal show tunes from hit musicals and well-known songs from Christmas films, all performed

by West End singers.

Everyone from newborns to grandparents will enjoy this one, and all are encouraged to wear festive fancy dress.

Visit Poplarunion.com for more info.

Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and be rewarded with festive food and warm mulled wine (or apple juice if you prefer). The perfect way for the entire family to get out into nature this festive season.

Visit Fothcp.org for more info.

Presenting musical traditions and techniques from Turkey to Africa, this free concert reflects the diversity of the society the young musicians are growing up in, promising to be a spirited performance.

Visit Grandunion.org.uk for more info.

Willows by children’s author Piers Torday sees our favourite heroes tackling today’s climate issues.

Expect songs and puppetry from Ratty, Mole, Badger and Toad to entertain the whole family.

Visit Wiltons.org.uk for more info.

31 DEC 22

Cirque Du Soul X NYE TROXY

Troxy will be transformed into a wild jungle playground as it kicks off its Road To El Dorado tour and welcomes in the New Year. Presented by Cirque Du Soul, a travelling collective energy of colour, magic and dance, this promises to be Troxy’s most extravagant party to date. Lock in those New Year’s Eve plans now before tickets run out.

Visit Troxy.co.uk for more info.

TOWER HAMLETS

Urban Makers ECOLOGY PAVILION

Now in its 7th year, the annual festive makers market will welcome 50 different designers each day selling everything from Christmas gifts and decorations to homewares,

jewellery, art, candles and clothing.

Food and drink will also be on offer, so you can enjoy a mince pie while picking out stocking fillers and festive ornaments ready for Christmas.

Visit Urbanmakers.co.uk for more info.

10 DEC 22

26-27 NOV / 10 -11 DEC 22

Christmas Fair STEPNEY CITY FARM

After its biggest-ever event last year, Stepney City Farm’s annual Christmas Fair returns with 35 stalls offering seasonal produce and festive crafts. The farm’s resident

artists will be opening their studios for the day, and food will be provided by street vendors and the onsite cafe, The Allotment Kitchen. All that plus mulled wine, a brass band and farmyard animals - what could be more Christmasy?

Visit Stepneycityfarm.org for more info.

11 DEC 22 11 DEC 22

Santa Run

QUEEN ELIZABETH OLYMPIC PARK

Winter Market

Don’t forget your festive costume for RunThrough’s annual Santa Run, taking place this year through the grounds of North Park in Stratford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

A flat, fast and inspiring course, you can decide between a 5k or 10k route on the day. No matter which one you choose, there will be a themed medal and mince pies waiting for you at the finish line.

Visit Runthrough.co.uk for more info.

BOW ARTS

Bow Arts Winter Market will offer locally-made unique gifts and artworks from a selection of over 20 different stalls. This one-day event will include a free, drop-in art workshop for kids, and all the mince pies, mulled wine and hot chocolate you could want, available to buy from the Nunnery Cafe.

Held in Bow Arts’ Victorian courtyard, discover Bow’s best local artists while celebrating the festive season.

Visit Bowarts.org for more info.

Moving bodies, Moving images

P HOTO S S U PPLI E D BY I N D I V I D UA L CON T R I B UTO RS

WHITECHAPEL GALLERY This free exhibition features a selection of short contemporary films projected throughout the galleries exploring the intersection of dance,

choreography and moving image. Performing bodies enact individual experiences and collective storytelling, delving into timely topics from gender and politics to desire and personal healing.

Visit Whitechapelgallery.org for more info.

12 OCT 22 8 JAN 23

Winter Festival

MUSEUM OF THE HOME From Diwali to Hanukkah and Christmas to Lunar New Year, many communities have cultural celebrations punctuating the winter months.

Celebrate them all at the Museum of the Home with a programme of talks, creative sessions, supper clubs and live performances to fill this winter with a little bit of cheer.

Visit Museumofthehome. org.uk for more info.

22 OCT 22 28 JAN 23

 THE SL ICE  05

HOW CAYLEY PRIMARY SCHOOL HAS ATTRACTED GENERATIONS OF PUPILS The East End school that has former pupils returning as adults to be governors and teachers If you could, would you relive your school days?

This question can provoke a marmite reaction. For some it is a resounding no while for others they are some of their happiest days For 31-year-old Rezaul Hussain, he places himself in the latter camp.

Such are Hussain’s positive memories of his time at Cayley Primary School that 20 years later, he became a school governor.

The youngest of eight, Hussain and his siblings grew up in Stepney Green, and attended Cayley from the late 1980s to 2002. From a young age he appreciated the school’s dedication to centering itself around ‘community and family values.’

Cayley Primary School’s Headteacher Graham Clifford speaks of the importance of allowing pupils to take ownership of such values. Last year pupils were asked to vote on the values they believed to be the most important. The top one was ‘I am dedicated to my community’.

Pupils are gifted ‘reward cards’ for their acts of service to others, which are recognised every week at a Rewards Assembly. Service can be saying a kind word to a new pupil or cleaning up classrooms unprompted. Clifford says that ‘recognising the worth of something they’ve done is part of being community-minded’.

This helps forge enduring friendships, something which Hussain recalls fondly. Twenty years on, his group of Cayley friends ‘still has that very strong bond’, and celebrate life’s milestones together.

Sima Rahman, a Cayley nursery teacher and teaching assistant of 25 years, and whose four children attended the school, also cites the friendships her children developed at Cayley and, because of this, ‘they always loved to come to school.’

It is a testament that her eldest son, Javad Sarwar, now 28, returned to the school with his six-month-old baby boy and introduced him to Clifford. She said her son wanted to take him back to a place that made him feel ‘supported, safe, and secure’; attributes that make it feel like home. For Rahman, she calls Cayley ‘my second home’.

Unlike most schools, Cayley’s famed summer fair is open to the neighbourhood ‘to show that it doesn’t stand in isolation but is a feature of the wider community’, explains Clifford.

T HE S L ICE  0 6

“I'm really proud that my kids came here. If your base is not solid, how do they achieve in the future? What my kids have achieved, it all started from Cayley.”

Cayley’s location in residential Aston Street gives it a cocooned village feel; low-rise, butter-hued Victorian housing lead to the school’s green gates and fulsome trees hang peacefully over its large playground.

Its reception is airy and decorated with William Morris floral wallpaper.

It’s a deliberate choice and something that Clifford feels is important. He explains Morris’ key role in the arts and crafts movement and how it introduces pupils to history, design, and the environment.

The building blends 19th-century architecture with 21st-century design. In 2014, the school opened a three-storey extension that provided the school with eight additional classrooms, a larger nursery, wide

PARTNER CONTENT

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P H OTOG R A P H S TOP SC HOOL R UN BOT TOM A PL AYG ROUN D FOR T HE IMAG IN AT ION

lifts for disability access, and floor-toceiling windows.

The extension won Silver at the 2014 Considerate Construction Awards for having significantly improved local communities, the workforce, and the environment. It was designed by East London-based architect firm Rivington Street Studio, which has worked on leading schools in the country, including Harrow and Gordonstoun.

While the extension was not there when Hussain was a pupil, his desire to return to Cayley as a governor was because he felt Cayley equipped him with a solid foundation.

Although now in Essex, Hussain says that if he had the opportunity he would send his children to the school.

Rahman also says that her elder daughter’s choice of career was because of her time at Cayley. Realising the benefits that a supportive learning environment can have on a child, motivated Rahman’s daughter to train as a primary school teacher, undertaking her training at the worldclass University College London.

Rahman says: ‘I’m really proud that my kids came here. If your base is not solid, how do they achieve in the future? What my kids have achieved, it all started from Cayley.’ THE SL ICE  07

The best greasy spoon

CAFES NEAR ROMAN ROAD

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Who doesn’t love a greasy, hearty, proper British cafe breakfast, but what makes a greasy spoon cafe a greasy spoon?

T HE S L ICE  0 8

ROMAN ROAD

Mapp’s Cafe

Starlight Cafe

BEST FOR THE EARLY RISERS MAPP’S CAFE, 13 CHAPMAN ROAD, E9 5DW.

You can’t get more traditional than this – and it’s the only spoon that serves bubble. Hussein Husseiyn (better known as H) has been running Mapp’s Cafe for the last thirty years, after moving to the East End in the 70s. The cafe is decorated with football memorabilia as Husseiyn is a huge Liverpool FC fan.

With a plastic menu on the wall, metal tables, and a tiny TV playing lunchtime re-runs on the wall, there is no doubt Mapp’s Cafe is a traditional greasy spoon.

Mapp’s Cafe is open, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 4:30am every day (except Sunday where it’s closed) and 4am on Saturdays. You’ll find early workers or those coming back from a late night at Hackney Wick enjoying £1 teas and £1.50 coffees.

What would we recommend? The £8 full English Mapp’s Special, which includes eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes, chips or bubble, bread or toast, and tea or coffee. A customer favourite, it has remained at the top of the Mapp’s menu for years. Loved by all the tradies of the East End, this cafe is a much-loved treasure.

‘We aim to please’ is Husseiyn’s catchphrase.

BEST OUTDOOR SEATING STARLIGHT CAFÉ,108 ROMAN RD,

The Wick Cafe

BEST FOR HOT LUNCHES THE WICK CAFE, 28 FELSTEAD ST, LONDON E9 5LG.

Run by Yusuf Yinmaz for the last twelve years, this café is fitted with the classic checked floor, mirrored walls and iconic metal greasy spoon chairs.

Frequened by tradies and bobbies alike, Yinmaz’s specialty is the meat omelette, with ham, bacon, and sausage, as well as the £6.50 English breakfast, with eggs, chips, bacon, sausage, mushrooms and beans.

What makes a café a greasy spoon caff? One that also sells niche lunch dishes. The Wick Cafe is a master of this, serving homemade Chilli Con Carne and Chicken Curry. Regulars recommend the homemade Chilli, which is served with rice, chips or salad.

Yinmaz says, ‘it’s rewarding seeing customers happy’.

GLOBE TOWN, LONDON E2 0RN

Starlight Café has lived on Roman Road for over 30 years. In the last three it has been run by Kenan Koksil, who has worked in restaurants for the last 22 years since he was just sixteen.

Starlight is the perfect example of a classic greasy spoon. £8.50 full breakfast, tea for £1, and laminated menus. It continues to pay homage to its East End roots but with a slight Turkish twist of Mediterranean breakfasts and a new chalk menu board showing some daily specials.

For a fiver you can grab a tasty, quick, greasy spoon fry up in a modernised, yet classic cafe. The spirt of its three-decade reign remains the same, with its tradie customers and long-time local residents to match.

Koksil says he ‘was thinking to update more, like trendy cafes’ but instead chose to ‘stay in the middle with nice food but a reasonable price’. Originally published on Romanroadlondon.co.uk

THE SL ICE  09

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ON HER FAMILY’S ‘HOLY GRAIL’

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Relics of the rag trade: T HE S L ICE  1 2

ASMA BEGUM

POPLAR

How Asma Begum’s battered family sewing machine found its way to the London Museum

I

. ‘t’s amazing, dad would be so proud’. Asma’s face lights up as she remembers her father Ashab, an emigrant to London from Bangladesh. Ashab arrived with his wife and eldest daughter in the mid-1970s, among a wave of South Asian migrants, finding work in the garment factories of Brick Lane.

Not long after arriving in England, the family acquired an object that would stay by their side for more than four decades. Avocado-green in colour, the metallic sewing machine, with its staunch cast iron base and humming mechanisms, became the family’s livelihood, a sturdy and reliable companion as they navigated life in a new country.

On the top floor of their block of flats on Quaker Street, just off Brick Lane, Asma’s mother Anwara would work long into the night at the whirring machine, piles of fabric and colourful rolls of thread around her, the room filled with the pungent smells of leather.

Now, fifty years on from the family’s arrival in Britain, the machine is going on display at the London Museum.

Alongside stories and photographs of the family, it will help to tell the tale of the East End rag trade, and the Bengali community who made London their home.

W O RD S Z ACH A RY SW E EN E Y- LY N C H

CASTING OFF

When Ashab and Anwara arrived in England in 1974, East London was a hub of textile manufacturing with factories lining the streets around Brick Lane.

The work was hard and the days long, and Ashab often worked 70-hour weeks to support his young family.

In time, the family acquired a leather workshop on the upper floors of a terraced house opposite the famous Brick Lane Beigel Bake, and opened a showroom on Kensington High Street.

While Ashab was employed in the factory, Anwara worked from home, using the family machine to sew the intricate linings of jackets.

‘We used to live at the top of a fivestorey building’, she says with a wry smile. ‘I would carry bags of wadding up on my back, and once I reached the

PHOTOGR A P H S FRO M A SMA B EG UM’S FA MILY AL B UMS. A BOV E AS HAB UDDIN (CENT R E ) AT THE FA MILY ’S LEAT HE R AND SUE DE S HOP ON KEN S I N GTON HIGH ST R E E T, C .1 9 72 LEF T A N WA R A B EG UM AT WOR K ON T HE S E WIN G MAC HIN E

top of the stairs, I’d fling myself into them like they were bean bags.’

Asma’s mother’s bedroom was a workshop of its own, with biscuit tins overflowing with sewing paraphernalia, and the avocado-green machine humming away at her fingertips. ‘I grew up watching my mother working on the machine’, Asma reminisces fondly, ‘it was our livelihood, our bread and butter.’

As the garment factories of Brick Lane closed one-by-one, the family kept hold of the machine, and Anwara used it to teach friends and neighbours to sew. ‘My mother would say, don’t ever throw it away, it’s my lucky charm’, Asma recalls.

In the autumn of 2018, both Ashab and Anwara passed away. Going through their belongings, one item stood out.

Once a blur of needles and thread, the sturdy metallic machine, on which Asma and her siblings had learned to sew, had fallen silent.

‘My brother and I used to say it’s a treasure, a relic. The word we use is “Holy Grail”’, Asma says. ‘We knew right away that we couldn’t just dispose of it, we needed to preserve the memories and the history’.

The ‘lightbulb moment’ came when a friend suggested Asma contact the Museum of London, which enthusiastically agreed to take the machine into their 1948-2012 collection.

For Asma, the machine represents not only a family heirloom, but a historical object.

‘On one hand it’s about the story of my mother and father settling in a foreign land and the things they experienced trying to do their job and raise a family.

‘But also, it’s telling the story of a prominent time in East End history that many people like me – second generation British Bangladeshi – can relate to.’

Asma describes herself as the ‘translator’ between her Bengali parents, and her children who have grown up in Britain, and she is acutely aware of the need to preserve the memory of her parents’ generation.

Forty years on, Asma is proud to continue her parents’ legacy. Now based in Poplar, she runs sewing workshops for local people.

Ashab Uddin and Anwara Begum’s sewing machine will be on display when the London Museum reopens at its new home in West Smithfield in 2026. Originally published on Poplarlondon.co.uk

THE SL ICE  13

THE PRINTERS STRIKE:

When Wapping was transformed into a ‘mini-police state’ In 1986 Wapping became the arena for a monumental political struggle that brought death and mayhem to this peaceful corner of Tower Hamlets.

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ooking out at the tranquil Thames from any of the district’s waterfront boutique restaurants and bars, one may find it difficult to envisage Wapping as a scene of mass disorder.

But in 1986, this small area of land on the north bank of the Thames became the setting for a violent conflict between Rupert Murdoch, with the backing of then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s police force, and 6,000 print union workers.

WAPPING PRINTERS DISPUTE On the 24 January, 1986 Rupert Murdoch made 6,000 workers redundant by moving production for his media News International conglomerate, which produced papers such as The Times and The Sun, from Fleet Street to a new plant in Wapping.

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The new plant became known as ‘Fortress Wapping’ on account of its high walls, razor wire, high tech security systems, and general likeness to a penitentiary. ‘Fortress Wapping’ boasted the era’s most up to date computer systems, rendering print workers redundant to the newspaper production process.

To protest their redundancy, the print union workers organised pickets on Virginia Street, aiming to block distribution of the newspapers, as well as mass demonstrations which usually converged on The Highway in southern Wapping.

The workers’ pickets often ended in clashes with police. During the strike there were over 1200 arrests made and over 500 police officers were injured.

On 5 February 1987, the strikers were eventually defeated, the workers having failed to stop a single night of

production.

Murdoch, owed his victory to the support of the anti-union policies of Thatcher who was at her zenith, and who deployed a large-scale police operation to ensure the plant could operate effectively.

Much has been written on the ramifications of the strike; how its failure led to the adoption of modern printing practices, the demise of the Union as a powerful force in British politics, and the bolstering of Murdoch’s media empire.

However, there has been little discourse about how Wapping’s community life suffered during this landmark ideological battle.

COMMUNITY LIFE IN THE ‘MINI POLICE-STATE’ In 1986, Wapping was still a largely working-class community and home

WHITECHAPEL

to 3,500 people. It was transformed into a ‘mini-police state’, as Thatcher sought to defeat the unions which she called, ‘the enemy within.’

Throughout 1986 and early 1987, the police regularly set up roadblocks across a wide area of up to a mile from the News International plant.

The roadblocks effectively sealed off the Wapping area so that cars could only come through one entrance from Tower Bridge.

Trade was strangled in the area with pubs, clubs, restaurants and taxi firms reporting massive losses of earnings, and fears of loss of trade.

Local residents in cars and on foot were regularly stopped throughout the week, sometimes several times a day. Residents reported losing hours trying to get home with the roadblocks in place. The bus service into Wapping was also restricted, further exacerbating the isolation of the community.

P HOTO G R A PHS : T HE N EW S LI N E

Over 1200 arrests were made and over 500 police officers received injuries.

There were several reports of cars being moved without the owners’ permission to ensure News International lorries could bypass pickets. There were also reports of bumpers being ripped off as cars were towed to accommodate the lorries.

However, one of the biggest sources of concern among local residents was the speed at which the lorries left ‘Fortress Wapping.’

Locals reported lorries thundering down narrow side streets, driving over double the speed limit in their efforts to avoid disgruntled print union workers.

The life of one member of the community, Michael Delaney, was tragically lost in the dispute; the young man was killed by a speeding lorry carrying the papers of Murdoch. The killing was deemed unlawful by the coroner’s jury verdict but no action was ever taken.

The National Council for Civil Liberties (NCCL), after receiving a litany of complaints, set up an investigation to examine the impact of the policing of the dispute at News International on the community.

The report found that the police’s

actions were ‘manifestly oppressive’ concluding that they had been ‘unlawful’ in restricting freedom of movement.

According to the NCCL report, police gave priority to ensuring the passage of News International lorries rather than protecting the rights and safety of local residents.

It was not just Wapping’s people, but also its historic face that was to be a victim of the dispute. Wapping High Street was described by the chair of the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDCC) as ‘one of the most fascinating streets in England.’

Despite the chairperson’s assertion, and against the advice of an inspector who had conducted a public inquiry into the area’s development, the LDCC proposed to widen the high street. This would ‘destroy its character’ according to local historian and lifelong Wapping resident Madge Darby.

It later became clear that the high street, despite its historical importance, was being sacrificed to provide space for a backdoor escape out of “Fortress Wapping’’ so that Murdoch’s lorries could avoid pickets on Virginia Street.

COMMUNITY RESPONSE

By May, anger was mounting among the local people of Wapping who decided to hold a march to News International and hand a petition to Rupert Murdoch ‘for being a bad neighbour and bringing all the police down Wapping.’

Five hundred and seventy locals, almost one fifth of Wapping’s population, marched to the plant, led

The march to ‘Fortress Wapping’ was the last stand of workingclass Wapping. by a labour MP and two vicars.

However, their efforts were essentially fruitless and the waterfront district remained a battleground for print workers, and a police force often described as ‘hostile’ by local residents.

In February 1987, the strikers were defeated, bringing one of Britain’s most militant industrial disputes to a close and allowing daily life in Wapping to return to some form of normality.

But for the year of 1986 Wapping was another community sacrificed on the altar of Thatcher’s anti-union policies.

The march to ‘Fortress Wapping’ was the last stand of working-class Wapping. The community was soon to be displaced by skyrocketing house prices aided by the neglect of a council that Madge Darby lamented, ‘could not understand the deep feeling of belonging of people who lived where their ancestors had lived.’

Walking through the peaceful cobbled lanes of Wapping nowadays, an area that has been significantly gentrified in the interveening years, one could be forgiven for not noticing the ghosts of a working-class community that haunt its every corner. Originally published on Whitechapellondon.co.uk

THE SL ICE  15

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MAE+HARVEY Homemade food, effortlessly cool design, and cosy living room vibes - that’s Mae + Harvey. Come for our breakfast and lunch menu, weekend brunch and our midweek dinner menu on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

414 ROMAN RD, BOW, LONDON E3 5LU. MAEANDHARVEY.COM

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WANT TO ADVERTISE IN OUR NEXT ISSUE? T HE S L ICE  1 6

TUCK SHOP Tuck Shop is a consciously curated grocer, butcher, bottle shop & cafe rolled into one. Join us for coffee and freshmade sandwiches at lunch, a wine or beer in the evening, before grabbing the best local produce around for dinner.

2 CASINGS WAY, LONDON, E3 2TH. TUCK-SHOP.CO.UK

JUNGLE ELECTRIC Fully vegan coffee shop serving amazing coffee, teas, cakes, smoothies, food and more. We hold live music and other live events, please follow us on Instagram for our events info. Also available for private hire.

467 ROMAN ROAD, BOW. E3 5LX INSTA: @JUNGLE.ELECTRIC

CHISENHALE GALLERY Show Me The World Mister is an exhibition by artist Ayo Akingbade. Comprising two new films, shot on location in Nigeria, the exhibition builds upon her interest in history, place-making, legacy and power. Sun-Mon 12-6pm 64 CHISENHALE RD, LONDON E3 5QZ. CHISENHALE.ORG.UK

E3 VEGAN Fabulous cafe open for weekday lunches, weekend brunches and roasts. Weds-Fri Buy One get One HALF PRICE. Seven course fine dining supper club now taking Christmas bookings for £50pp. Open: Weds-Sun 11am5pm plus private bookings on request.

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COMMUNITY GROUPS ROMAN ROAD TRUST Working to improve the Roman Road area for the benefit of residents, businesses, and regular visitors. Also transforming The Common Room into a new community building for Roman Road - volunteers needed.

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BOW FOOD BANK Bow Foodbank supports over 700 Tower Hamlets families every week with emergency food for those in crisis. More than 300 volunteers are vital to running our foodbanks at Bow and Bethnal Green. We welcome support via LocalGiving and donations of food are welcome.

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BUCKS BARBERS Independent walk-in barbers. Bucks Barbers offer good music, a friendly team and quality haircuts. Just rock up when you’re in need of a decent trim, get your haircut whilst looking out on the canal and enjoy a free beer on arrival.

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AURA ORGANICS SPA Beauty and fitness specialists with a focus on handmade natural skincare, exercise classes and organic cosmetic products. Enjoy a beauty treatment at the spa, take part in one of the amazing wellness classes and indulge in some guilt-free self-care.

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THE BREAKFAST CLUB Positioned along the banks of the peaceful Lee Canal, The Breakfast Club serves up big, bright and delicious food and drink, all served with a heavy dose of feel-good warmth and hospitality.

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GOTTO TRATTORIA Independent and family-run, Gotto serves a daily-changing menu of pizza, hand-rolled pasta, quality British fish and meat, and seasonal Italian ingredients. It is a little slice of the Italian Riviera on Canalside.

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THE LOCK INN The Lock Inn is a proper Hackney Wick neighbourhood pub, offering a warm welcome, great home-cooked food, delicious cocktails and stunning beers. Muddy boots and friendly dogs are always welcome.

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FOOD & DRINK RANDY’S WING BAR Randy’s Wing Bar is an award-winning gourmet chicken wing restaurant and bar. Conceived from a mutual love of chicken wings and good times, their incredible food and unique flavours leave you spoilt for choice.

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THE SL ICE  17

S E H T

V L A

F O N O I T A

BOXING

T HE S L ICE  0 1

FFERED

BETHNAL GREEN

BY

RE

ANDREW LEO’S SEARINGLY BEAUTIFUL PHOTO ESSAY CAPTURES THE SPIRIT OF THE LEGENDARY BOXING CLUB

WORDS L ILY WA K E L E Y

O N

THAT WAS HIS SALVATION DURING LOCKDOWN.

PT

PHOTOGRA P H Y A N DR E W L EO

G CLUB

A BETHNAL GREEN

Andrew Leo’s behind-the-scenes photographs of Repton Boxing Club bring out the blood, sweat and tears as well as the moments of gentleness of Bethnal Green’s boxing giants.

Shot on a Canon 5D Mark IV DSLR camera, Leo uses the geometric edges of the club venue - particularly the ropes of the ring - to frame the drama.

Going deep on contrast and saturation the images assault the viewer with their explosive vibrancy.

Leo first discovered the club while assisting a fashion photographer on a shoot at the venue 13 years ago. He was bowled over by the beauty of the building. Formerly a Victorian Bath House on Cheshire Street, the space hasn’t been touched for half a century.

It retains a film noir feel making it an irresistible movie set for the likes of Guy Ritchie’s Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

During the pandemic, he turned to the club as a way to help with the isolation during lockdown. To this day, he trains with the club every Wednesday morning and says it has been his salvation. He is also a big advocate of starting children young with boxing and wishes he had tried it earlier in life himself.

‘Boxing helps release any anger in a controlled way, as well as gain confidence and respect at school (no one bullies a kid who boxes!), and become part of a gang of mates who compete together. There’s great sportsmanship around it too’ ‘I think there is a stigma attached to it that you're just going to turn into a bruiser. I think I would have actually had less fights growing up if I had taken up boxing,’ says Leo. Having got to know the crew at Repton they welcomed his request to document the training sessions.

‘There were a lot more women and younger kids than I expected, which is great’ says Leo. ‘And I really got to see

T HE S L ICE  2 0

PHOTOGRA P H S BY ANDR EW L EO

“ Formerly a Victorian Bath House on Cheshire Street, the space hasn’t been touched for half a century.

It retains a film noir feel making it irresistible for movie directors”

 Contemplation found in preparation

Sparring partners.

 A helping hand.

how dedicated, skilled and disciplined these kids are.’

Walking into a boxing gym with his camera for the first time, Leo thought ‘they’re gonna hate me’ but he couldn't have been more wrong.

‘It’s a real mishmash of people but everyone is so friendly and appreciative of what you're trying to do. I mean, if I was in that sort of shape I wouldn't mind someone taking some photos of me either!

‘It's also so much harder than you think, it's a proper skill and there's so much to learn. I used to think you would be good if you were big and could punch hard, but I couldn't have been more wrong. It's like a dance.’

As the club’s motto says in Latin, Non Viscara...

NonGloria – No Guts...No Glory. Originally published on Bethnalgreenlondon.co.uk

T HE SL ICE  21

High Street HOME

ON THE

Discover the best independent shops and eateries near you.

1

THE ORANGE ROOM BURDETT ROAD, MILE END

Tucked away on the unassuming Burdett Street, The Orange Room is a taste of Lebanon in the heart of Mile End. Set up by owner Abbas 17 years ago, the restaurant serves up simple, authentic Lebanese dishes. Inside, wooden tables line the terracotta walls leading to an open kitchen. Grab a window seat to look out over Mile End Park and order their solid lunchtime deal: £6.95 for three vegetable dishes, rice, salad and a drink, or £9.95 for the meat options. The food is flavoursome, filling and affordable. Along with eat-in and takeaway, the restaurant offers catering for events. .

Read the full review by Zachary

2

3

CAFÉ 338 BETHNAL GREEN ROAD

Read the full review by Cormac Kehoe in Whitechapellondon.co.uk

Originally opened to take the overflow of customers from neighbouring E. Pellici, Bethnal Green’s Café 338 is now a favourite establishment among locals.

It’s really an all-day breakfast menu with all the English classics, such as cheese omelettes and tuna melts, most of which cost £5 or under. The go-to is the ‘Full English’ and for the veggies there’s the ‘Bethnal Green’. It also offers Americanstyle panckage combos for those with a sweet tooth. At the weekend you’ll be queuing alongside young couples in search of a carby, salty remedy for their hangovers. Ironically, Café 338 has now become so popular that it often has a longer line than Pellici’s.

Read the full review by Niahm O’Neill on Bethnalgreenlondon.co.uk

T HE S L ICE  2 2

4

TOWER HAMLETS

AL KAHF VINE COURT, WHITECHAPEL

Tucked away down a narrow passageway, towards the bottom of Whitechapel High Street, Al-Kahf is not the easiest place to find, but it is worth the search. The restaurant is a community hub for Whitechapel’s Somali community but all get a friendly welcome.

Food is plentiful, tasty and affordable; for just £8 you get a plate of Beef Suqaar, diced beef with cubed potatoes, vegetables and rice. The jewel in the restaurant’s crown is Xaniid (see recipe opposite) a slow baked, lamb shoulder paired with spicy basbaas (green chilli sauce), flavoursome bariis iskukaris (Somali rice) and a generous cut of toasted flatbread.

Sweeney-Todd in Poplarlondon.co.uk

Taste

CHIPPING WHARF OLD FORD ROAD, BOW

Old Ford Road welcomes a return of a traditional fish and chip shop, Chipping Wharf.

Few know that Old Ford was home to the UK’s first ever chippie, Malin’s that opened in 1860 and closed a century later in 1970. Now a fish and chip shop has returned to the road. Owner Mustafa Has, of Café East fame, has taken inspiration from a bygone era of seaside cafés; the shop has Victorian features, brass fittings and a chequered tile flooring. Fish comes from Billingsgate Market and potatoes from Essex. Located just opposite Victoria Park, it’s a perfect option for enjoying your fish and chips in the park, or you can take a pew on one of the outdoor benches on their side terrace.

Read the full review by Victoria Miller on Romanroadlondon.com 

XANIID – SOMALIAN LAMB SHOULDER Xaniid is the jewel in the crown of Whitecahepel Somali restaurant, Al-Kahf. It comprises a slow baked lamb shoulder paired with basbaas sauce served on bariis iskukaris rice. Traditionally shared by a group of people, this is ideal for a dinner party.

I N GRE DI E N TS: • 1 lamb shoulder • Rice • 4 cardamom pods • 3 cinnamon sticks • 2 tbsp paprika powder • 9 garlic cloves • 2 tsp coriander powder • Soy sauce • A whole cabbage • A small handful of raisins • Basbass sauce (or chilli sauce) ME THOD: 1. Simmer a shoulder of lamb in a pot of water for 1 ½ hours 2. Remove the lamb from the pot and place it on a tray lined with heavy duty oven foil.

3. Add all of your spices (cardamom pods, cinnamon, paprika powder, garlic cloves and coriander powder) to the lamb cooking water and cook on a medium heat for three minutes.

4. Pour this broth over the lamb, and seal your tray with the foil so that no air can get in.

5. Place the lamb in the oven on 180°C one hour and 40 mins.

6. Take the lamb out and put it in a frying pan on a high heat until all sides are crispy on the outside, remaining tender on the inside, adding 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

7. To make the bariis iskukaris, fry rice with chopped cabbage that has been boiled for five minutes and then fried until crispy, and a small handful of raisins and three sliced tomatoes.

8. Serve with a salad of chopped onion, lettuce, cucumber, lemon juice, salt pepper and olive oil.

9. If you like things hot, serve with a dash of basbaas sauce (this can be substituted with other chilli sauces).

TOWER HAMLETS  East London Toy Appeal

CONTENTS

THE GIFT OF GIVING this FESTIVE SEASON Ways we can help make this the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ despite the cost of living crisis.

WORDS VICTO R IA MILLER

T

he holiday season is the time for sharing cherished moments with loved ones, usually over hearty meals in cosy homes. But, with food prices and energy bills rising, and inflation at a 40-year high, the reality for many is their festive season will look very different this year.

To help support those in greater need, here are some suggestions on ways to donate time, money, or gifts to make the lives of those facing challenges a little easier and brighter this season.

Children are often the hardest hit in times of crises. That’s why East London Toy Appeal was set up to give disadvantaged East End children a happier Christmas.

Demand for its services is at an all-time high; it has already received requests for 19,000 toys this autumn alone compared to 18,000 at Christmas time last year. If you can help and donate a toy to the appeal, get in touch with Smera Nadeem at smera. nadeem@elba-1.org.uk.

Festivities and food go together like Vicky Park and the canals. But with food prices rising, many are turning to the likes of Bow Foodbank to help them get through the winter. Bow Foodbank has seen a 115% increase in its service users this autumn. As 90% of its food is sourced, it is looking for monetary donations to go towards its weekly £5,000 food bill, which feeds 650 clients a week. For more info about donating visit Bowfoodbank.org.

Alternatively, if you have a few spare pounds and pence rattling around in your pocket, head to Roman Road’s vegan restaurant E3 Vegan which has set up a money jar for Bow Foodbank.

There is also the option to donate food to the foodbank. Better Gyms has food drop-off points at all seven of its locations in the borough. Other food drop-off points include SimplyFresh on Roman Road, Maks News on Columbia Road, and Waitrose on Thomas More Street.

If you’re headed to Urban Maker’s Christmas Market on 10 or 11 December at Mile End Ecology Pavilion, you can support Tower Hamlets’ youth charity Streets of Growth who have been given free stalls.

Be the one who causes joy by volunteering at Ayoka during the holidays. St. Margaret’s House’s charity shop in Old Ford Road, Ayoka (a Nigerian name that means ‘one who causes joy’) is looking for festive shop volunteers to serve curious browsers and savvy buyers on the hunt for bargains stocking fillers.

Although the festive season is a time for fun with family and friends, the season can also prove to be one of the loneliest times, particularly for the elderly. East London Cares seeks to change that by bringing together young and old with its Love Your Neighbour programme, a friendship match-making scheme. The team is looking for young volunteers this season, and is particularly keen to hear from people in Bow. East London Cares is also organising holiday social events, including a jazz evening at Bethnal Green’s Oxford House on 25 November and, and a winter party in Bethnal Green on 10 December. Anyone who wants to volunteer or attend events needs to sign up first at Eastlondoncares.org.uk/ get-involved-1 Hope is often a word used around this time; hope for brighter and better days. Spitalfields Crypt Trust (SCT) is looking for people to contribute a message of hope to its new winter brochure. Head to one of its six shops and ask for a ‘Hope’ postcard where you can write or draw what hope means to you during the winter season. SCT will collate all the finished postcards and include the messages in its winter brochure, which will be published at the end of November. Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

T HE SL ICE  23

Christmas

You don’t have to leave the borough to enjoy the best that the city can offer at Christmas.

WORDS PO LLY NAS H

in Tower Hamlets T HE S L ICE  2 4

TOWER HAMLETS

Whatever your religion, Christmas is a great time for making the most out of our darker winter months, and Tower Hamlets does it in style with panto, ice skating and the best choice of pine trees in the capital.

Where to buy your Christmas tree: What would Christmas be without a beautiful Christmas tree? Cheaper, for a start, but the smell of fresh pine, spruce and fir is hard to resist once the festive season is in full swing.

There are plenty of places to bag a great tree from your local corner shop or posh grocery store. Simply Fresh in Globe Town and Whole Fresh in Bow are both good options for easily transportable trees that won’t shed their needles before Father Christmas arrives.

If you’re after a tree that touches the ceiling, Pines and Needles in Victoria Park will sort you out with a colossal 12 footer. This pop-up Christmas grotto sells a range of indoor and outdoor trees in all shapes and sizes so you can choose one that fits your home the best. They also offer a delivery service and sell accessories so you can make your tree look as fancy as you wish. The more glitz the better, don’t you think?

After selecting your tree, pop into the Royal Inn on the Park for an obligatory Christmas tipple. Be it a hot toddy or a cup of mulled wine, they’ll sort you out with any festive favourite.

A Christmas outing in itself, pick up a fir from Columbia Road Flower Market on Sunday where they have an excellent choice of trees during the festive season. While you’re there, it’s hard not to be enticed by Columbia Road’s selection of independent shops which are prime spots for stocking stuffers and unique gifts.

But if the bustle of market day becomes too much, Columbia Road is hosting late night Wednesdays for four weeks in the run up to Christmas where shops stay open into the evening and carollers take to the streets. Not your conventional carol concert, last year even saw a grand piano rolled out into the road. With energy costs biting it might be tempting to skimp on the decorations, but there are still cost-saving ways to keep those fairy lights shining.

Take a leaf (or a pine needle) out of the Council’s book whose festive light displays use energy efficient LED bulbs turning off automatically at midnight and saving 40% of the energy used.

The best pubs for Christmas roasts: Long gone are the days when an East End pub roast dinner meant dry slices of beef drowning in Bisto. Oh no. From wood pigeon, to pickled grapes and Chantilly mousse (not at the same time, don’t worry), our local boozers have upped their food game. Serving Christmas dinners that blur the line between hearty pub nosh and sophisticated fine dining, this might just be the year to hang up your apron and leave it to the experts.

Just off Tredegar Square, The Morgan Arms is known for its gastro food credentials, and its Christmas day sittings - at 12pm and 3pm - are booking up fast. Brimming with treats from venison wellington to roast cod, visit the Morgan Arms’ website for a look at their bounteous four-course menu priced at £80 per person.

P H OTOG R A P H S LEF T C HR IST MA S DIN N E R AT T HE G R E E N G OOSE R IG H T OL D SPITA L FIE L DS MA R K E T L IG HTS

The Waterman’s Arms on the Isle of Dogs is offering a three-course festive meal at £40 per head, complete with a glass of prosecco or mulled wine. This recently renovated Victorian pub is closed on Christmas Day, but why not squeeze in a festive dinner after some ice skating at Canary Wharf in the runup to Christmas? Afterall, no one ever said that pigs in blankets can only be eaten on the 25th.

Another pillar of the gastropub scene is the Green Goose in Bow, offering four different festive menus and taking bookings for Christmas Day. And the festivities don’t have to stop there. After a strapping boxing day walk in Victoria Park, step back in time to the 1950s with a drink at the Grade II listed Palm Tree pub on Grove Road. With no neighbours late-night knees-ups can get lively.

Christmas shops and markets Head out to your favourite independent businesses on Saturday 3 December to celebrate Small Business Saturday and support local. The East End Trade Guild have created a handy little map to celebrate their 10th anniversary and help Christmas shoppers find all their local members. The maps will be distributed among all of their member stores, so look out for them when you’re shopping for jewellery at Tatty Devine on Brick Lane, or next time you’re having a day out at Spitalfields City Farm.

Rich Mix will be hosting the Christmas Independent Ceramics Market on 11 December, featuring four floors of independent ceramic artists, a sound system and festive food and drinks. Sounds like a party to us.

Bow Arts’ Winter Market and Urban Makers at the Ecology Pavilion are bursting with unique products to score you one of a kind presents while helping small retailers fight back against high-street chains.

Old Spitalfields Market is always a must at Christmas.

This original Victorian East London marketplace features guest markets over the festive period including an antiques market every Thursday, and Bow-founded Urban Makers every Wednesday of the season.

So don your hats, scarves and gloves and get stuck into our local Christmas events this winter. ‘Tis the season after all.

Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

T HE SL ICE  25

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THE JOINERS ARMS: From dive bar to a movement fighting the closure of queer spaces in East London

Friends of The Joiners Arms is pioneering accessible and inclusive queer spaces against the backdrop of the ongoing mass closure of LGBTQ+ venues.

WORDS N IAHM O ’N E IL L

Jon Ward went to The Joiners Arms one evening in late 2014 for drinks with a group of friends. A queer pub on Hackney Road, the Joiners was a short walk from Hoxton overground station and just above the west end of Columbia Road. After chatting to somebody at the bar in the ‘normal sort of boozy, friendly way of the Joiners’, Jon was told that the space would soon be closing down.

‘I was pissed off that a queer space was going to be lost for a luxury hotel,’ Jon says. ‘Hackney Road was super gentrified already, it’s not what the local community wanted or needed.’

There was a strategy meeting being held at the pub to decide on the best way to campaign against the developers, which Jon joined.

Between 2006 and 2016, 58% of LGBTQ+ venues across London closed down – a number that is still rising. The lazy rhetoric around the disappearance of these spaces, says Jon, is that there’s not enough demand.

However, as a UCL research project indicates, the reasons behind the closures point towards the wider T HE S L ICE  2 8

effects of gentrification: the negative impacts of large-scale developments on venue clusters, rising business rents, and changing ownership impacted non-LGBTQ+ clientele.

First established in 1997, the Joiners Arms was more than just a pub – it was an LGBTQ+ space that welcomed people from all walks of life including the gay Bengali community too.

The campaign group lobbied Tower Hamlets to keep the Joiners Arms open, fighting to keep this stalwart of East London’s queer community alive.

Despite their efforts, they were unable to save it.

The Joiners Arms was a part of a triangle of LGBTQ+ venues in the area, with the Nelson’s Head near Columbia Road, and the George and Dragon also on Hackney Road. Sadly, all three venues closed in early 2015.

Although they were unable to stop the Joiners from closing, the campaign group managed to achieve ACV status, rendering the Joiners an ‘Asset of Community Value’. This meant that the council recognised the Joiners Arms had been of ‘real use’ to the local community.

This was key in being able to leverage power; as the developers caused a loss of a community asset, they had to make sure it was replaced.

The actual building of the Joiners went through many difficulties concerning planning permission: the developers’ plans were initially

 The Friends of The Joiners Arms

rejected and then the pandemic hit. The building itself currently remains empty.

Undiscouraged, the Friends of the Joiners Arms started to think bigger and better. They were curious as to what else could be created, as well as how to build a queer community and logistically build what they considered to be important in queer venues.

‘The idea was to take the spirit of the group who were bemoaning the loss of the Joiners,’ Jon says, ‘whilst also talking about larger issues, like gentrification and the broader loss of queer spaces across London.’

‘The campaign is now about queerness in all its glory; the complete diversity of the queer and trans community coming together,’ says Izzy The group has been delivering a programme of events at nearby venues (including Lèse Majesté held at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club) to help create engagement with the campaign while they worked on getting a

PHOTOG R A P H PROVIDED BY T HE FR IENDS OF T HE JO IN ER S A R MS

BETHNAL GREEN

permanent space.

As the Joiners Arms played a central role in east London’s queer community, they are keeping the area at the heart of the campaign, and aim to find a new place to serve the same geographic community.

Commited to complete inclusivity and diversity they noticed the scarcity of venues that are accessible.. They started working with LGBTQ+ homeless shelter Outside Project, to run sober Lèse Majesté nights, free of charge for those who who are hesitant about going out to such venues.

This kickstarted their journey into becoming more accessible. ‘We started to understand how to deliver to people with access needs that we don’t share’ says Izzy.

From there, they’ve worked with Quiplash who do accessibility training and consequently employed BSL interpreters at their events. They’ve also been trained in providing for people’s accessibility needs, such as giving information on how many steps there are into the venue, or letting people know where to find parking.

The last eight years have been incredibly challenging for the campaign group, as they have battled developers and navigated the hostile environment of the constantly gentrifying city.

‘The campaign started as “let’s save this one gay bar”, and then it turned into “let’s save queer spaces,” Izzy tells me.

‘Now we’ve realised that your struggle is my struggle and we’re all facing the same challenges.’

Since writing this feature, Friends of Joiners Arms has successfully raised £127,735 in Community Shares to open the UK's first community run LGBTQI+ venue. For more info visit Friendsjoinersarms.com. Originally published on Bethnalgreenlondon.co.uk

THE SL ICE  29

HOME

This is Home:

What item in your home best connects you to your heritage?

A silver bowl from which we drink milk. Milk is a very respected beverage in Mongolia because it symbolises purity and welcomeness.

We drink it when we see elderly relatives, at Lunar New Year or when getting married.

The oldest male in the family drinks first.

It’s so respected that, when I was little, if I dropped milk on the floor, my mum would take some and put it on my forehead. I think it means God bless you, or something.

Our silver bowl has a drawing on the inside of an elephant, monkey, rabbit, and pigeon. Back in Mongolia, it’s a wellknown picture. I don’t know how to translate it, but it’s meant to be brothers and, even though they’re very different, that’s just a way of showing empathy and unity.

What is your first memory?

I was born in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia and came here when I was two. My first memory is living in Stratford with my two Bow Road teenager Burte Gerelt-Od speaks aunts, their families, to us about British and Mongolian school and my family in one small apartment. It systems and why the East End is comforting. was very noisy but I grew up playing with What is the best way my cousins. to bridge cultural We would watch TV a lot, like Disney then do one big exam and like your divides between people?

Channel, and pretend we were in High whole life depends on that.

At my school in London, we did Culture School Musical. I was always the male The teachers, here, help you more Day. People share foods from their character, Troy, and my sister was because they understand you; it’s more culture and walk down a fashion Gabriella. like a friendly relationship which is catwalk in their cultural outfits. There All the cousins would sleep in bunk different in Mongolia – whatever they was so much happiness on people’s beds, and we to bring in chairs to fit say is correct; it’s more hierarchical faces and you saw other sides of around the table. It was very warm. and a bit old-fashioned. people that you don’t see every day. It was really eye-opening.

You were schooled in Mongolia until What meal do you associate with 15. What was your school life like? home?

What does the East End mean to you?

School in Mongolia, I would say, it’s Khuushuur. It’s a flat dumpling and it’s It’s humble and I would say it’s more competitive than here. I went fried. I have good memories with that nostalgic. Nostalgic because I’ve sort of to a maths and physics specialised because I associate it with cooking grown up here. school and there were kids getting with my mum and my grandma, And then I think it’s humble because gold medals at the Olympiads. I was especially making it over Lunar New it’s not as prestigious as other areas in more artsy and prefered singing and Year.

London, but it’s also not in a bad way. dancing, but I ended up doing A-Level You have to roll the dough and then Because you would feel intimidated maths, chemistry, and biology. put in the fillings, such as onions and when you’re in other parts of London, I feel there’s less pressure here. Back beef or lamb, and assemble it. When like west London. But when you come in Mongolia, you would do a big test I was really little, I couldn’t do any here, it’s comforting and welcoming. I every term and then, at the end of the of that, so I just stacked them on the feel like this is the perfect place. year, you would have a mean grade. board and counted them out, ready to But here, you study for two years and be cooked by my grandma.

Originally published on Romanroadlondon.com

BURTE GERELT-OD, a Mongolian in Bow

T HE S L ICE  3 0

P HOTO G R A PH: S O C I A L ST REE TS C . I.C.

 Burte Gerelt-Od at her home in Bow

W O R D S V IC TO R I A M I LLE R

B

urte Gerelt-Od is an 18-yearold Bow teenager.

She moved from Mongolia to Stratford when she was two with her family but spent much of her childhood moving between her home country and East London.

She recently left Draper’s Academy in Romford and is now studying biomedical engineering at City, University of London.

While waiting for her course to start, she worked as a waitress at her mum’s sushi bar, Ona’s Bento Sushi Bar.

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