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WEEKENDER February 20 2019 www.weekender.co.uk
GREENWICH & lEWISHAM
Tango time at the Halls
2 February 20 2019
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Pick of the week Sci-Fi Sundays and Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons By Holly O'Mahony
THE ALEXANDRA PLAYERS TAKE ON AYCKBOURN’S DROWNING ON DRY LAND
Editor: Laura Burgoine
T
he Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender is an independent weekly newspaper, covering the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.
We publish every Wednesday, covering every postcode sector of the borough, and boasting, by far, the highest weekly circulation in Greenwich. Each week, we deliver to homes in every Greenwich neighbourhood, with further copies stocked at convenient public stands. We are also the highest distribution newspaper in Lewisham. You can also view each edition online, as well as daily news and events, on our website: www.weekender.co.uk The Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender covers all aspects of life in the boroughs, including music, theatre, comedy, film, events, and food and drink, as well as all your community events and campaigns. We would love to hear from you, so if you’re holding an event, launching a business, championing the needs of your local community, or just want to tell us about something that’s happening in Greenwich or Lewisham, feel free to get in touch.
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SCI-FI SUNDAYS PRESENTS: ARRIVAL Head to Deptford Cinema on Sunday afternoon to watch Academy Award-winning sci-fi drama Arrival (2016). The film follows what happens when linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is brought in by the military to attempt communication with other-worldly beings after alien spacecrafts start to appear across the world. After the screening, a sci-fi film quiz is being held in the cinema bar. Deptford Cinema, 39 Deptford Broadway, SE8 4PQ. February 24; screening at 3.30pm, quiz at 7pm. Admission: £6/£4.50 concessions. www.deptfordcinema.org
Amateur theatre company Alexandra Players are performing Sir Alan Ayckbourn’s Drowning on Dry Land at the Alexandra Hall in Charlton. Through the fictional story of celebrity and nationaltreasure-without-a-talent Charlie Conrad (played by Adam Alexander), Ayckbourn’s play examines our obsession with celebrities – and how they can be destroyed as quickly as they’re made. The Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, SE7 7HX. February 20 - 23, from 8pm - 10:30pm. Admission: £9/£8 concessions. www.alexandraplayers.org.uk
A TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS
If a Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons album is among your go-to repertoire, now’s the chance to hear the band’s best-loved songs live. Sort of. Touring tribute act Big Girls Don’t Cry is performing at the Churchill Theatre this Friday. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons took the world by storm in the 60s and 70s, with hits including ‘Sherry’, ‘December 1963 (Oh What a Night)’ and, of course, ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry’. Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA. February 22, at 8pm. Admission: £24. www.churchilltheatre.co.uk
Editorial: Michael Holland; Holly O'Mahony News reporters: Katherine Johnston; Josh Salisbury Design Manager: Dan Martin Design team: Ann Gravesen Finance: Em Zeki Managing & Commercial Director: Chris Mullany Managing & Editorial Director: Kevin Quinn
BLACKHEATH HALLS PRESENTS: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Offices at: Unit A302, The Biscuit Factory, Drummond Road, SE16 4DG. Printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge Ltd – www.iliffeprint.co.uk News: 020 7231 5258 / news@weekender.co.uk Ads: 020 7232 1639 / ads@weekender.co.uk Web: www.weekender.co.uk Twitter: @weeknder_life Facebook: @weeknderSL Instagram: therealweeknder Issue: GW94
CHAMBER MUSIC WITH A TWIST Infuse your Friday afternoon with a three-hour performance of innovative chamber music, performed as part of Trinity Laban’s CoLab festival. CoLab Chamber Twist is free to attend, no advanced booking required, and is taking place at the Old Royal Naval College. Trinity Laban’s CoLab festival is all about creativity and bringing people together from different performance disciplines. The festival aims to to reach beyond artistic boundaries, try out new ideas without fear of failure and share a creative journey. Old Royal Naval College Chapel, King William Walk, SE10 9NN. February 22, at 1:05pm. Admission: free. www.trinitylaban.ac.uk/
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Tenor Stuart Jackson is performing in the Recital Room at Blackheath Halls, accompanied by Jocelyn Freeman on piano. Audiences can expect to hear Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnets, Britten’s Canticle 1 and colourful romances by Rachmaninov. Recital Room at Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, SE3 9RQ. February 24 at 3pm. Admission: £10/£8 concessions. www.blackheathhalls.com
February 20 2019 3
Spotlight
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nternational dance show Spirit of the Dance is hot-shoe shuffling into Bromley… the Weekender finds out what life is like on the road from a member of the cast, writes Holly O’Mahony...
Dance-led musical Spirit of the Dance has enjoyed international success for the last 22 years, virtually since it debuted at the Bristol Hippodrome in 1996. The love child of theatre mogul David King, the show combines Irish dance with other styles from around the world, including Latino tango and Spanish salsa. Today, it’s played to 30 million people in 20 countries across the world, and won Global Awards including ‘Best Choreography’ and ‘Best International Production’. David credits Spirit of the Dance for making his career. Back in 1996, he was struggling to find success in the entertainment industry. But a trip to see Bill Whelan’s Irish dance musical Riverdance showed the savvy producer the huge appetite there was at the time for Irish dance shows, inspiring him to create his own: Spirit of the Dance. Today, David’s international production company ‘Spirit Productions’ has roughly 24 shows on global tours, with David employing around 500 dancers, singers and technical crew at any one time. Furthermore, David has made a name for himself as ‘the working man's Andrew Lloyd Webber', who has ‘brought musicals to the masses’. Ahead of Spirit of the Dance coming to the Churchill Theatre in Bromley this Saturday, February 23, the Greenwich Weekender speaks to Bromley-based cast member Alison Parsons to find out what life is like behind the scenes and on the road. Alison has worked as a professional dancer since graduating from college in 2012. She worked on cruise ships, performed in pantomimes and played the lead in Irish musical Essence of Ireland before joining the 16-strong ensemble of Spirit of the Dance in 2015.
Holly O’Mahony: When did you first start dancing? Alison Parsons: I began doing ballroom and Latin dancing when I was seven, then did a bit of Irish when I was 10, but it was never my main focus. In fact, I hadn’t done that much Irish dancing before I got the job with Spirit of the Dance. We’re all professional dancers though, who’ve been trained in all different styles. HOM: Is dancing in Spirit of the Dance a full-time job, or do you combine it with other work on the side? AP: I’m self-employed, so when Spirit isn’t touring, I do other contract work as a dancer or singer. I often do one-off corporate gigs, for example a St. Patrick’s Day event, and I do some modelling on the side, too.
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Spirit of the Dance comes to Bromley
HOM: How would you describe Spirit of the Dance to someone who hasn’t seen the show before? AP: It’s a show with a complete mix of dance styles – from Spanish to Scottish. This makes the show quite different from Lord of the Dance [Irish-American dancer and producer Michael Flatley’s Riverdance spin-off], which is primarily Irish trad and tap. It’s high energy and audiences seem to love it. HOM: Has the show changed much since its debut in the mid-90s? AP: The show has definitely evolved over the years and certain numbers have been given a bit of a revamp to make them feel more contemporary. That said, Spirit of the Dance is still very traditional: the Irish, Scottish and Spanish numbers reflect the traditional styles of dancing from those countries, which are timeless. If you tried to modernise them, you’d run the risk of making
the traditional dance forms unrecognisable. HOM: What does a typical day look like for you when you’re touring? AP: We typically begin the day with a bus ride between venues. We usually get into our dressing rooms by early afternoon, then head out to get some food before our call time for blocking on stage, which usually takes about an hour. There’s a lot of pattern changes with Irish dancing, so we need to make sure we know exactly where we should be standing on the stage. As we perform in different venues most nights, our blocking changes depending on the new space. We have a lot of quick costume changes throughout the show, so we pre-set our costumes to the side of the stage before the show starts. Then it’s hair and makeup before the show begins at 7:30pm. The curtain comes down at around 9:45pm, then we pack away our costumes, ice any parts
of our bodies that are hurting from a show – there’s a bucket of ice we all stand in to do that – and head back to the hotel for an early night before doing it all again the next day. HOM: What have been your highlights from touring with Spirit of the Dance so far? AP: The best part of it for me is when we visit the hometowns of performers in the company. The audiences are always amazing and the show usually sells out. The atmosphere is totally different when you have family and friends in the audience. Everyone’s on their feet by the end of the show. HOM: On the other hand, what’s the toughest thing about being on tour with the show? AP: Irish dancing is tough on your body so it can be painful. But we’re one big team; everyone gives each other massages on our days off and tries to help each other as much as possible.
We each know all parts of the show; if someone is injured and can’t do a particular move or scene, someone will always offer to jump in and help. HOM: You’re based in Bromley when you’re not touring. How do you feel about bringing the show home? AP: I’m really excited about it. I’ve seen lots of shows at the Churchill in the past but I’ve never performed there before. Others in the company are also from nearby so lots of us will have our friends and family in the audience – everyone’s really looking forward to it. It’s the penultimate night off the tour, too, so we’ll be ending on a high. Spirit of the Dance is on at the Churchill Theatre, High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA. February 23, at 7:30pm. Admission: £28.50/£26 concessions. www.churchilltheatre.co.uk/ Online/default.asp
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Blackheath High School students' passion for fashion Students at Blackheath High School GDST strutted their stuff at their annual Fashion Show.
Falling just before London Fashion Week, the students were involved in every aspect of making and showcasing an ambitious collection of chic individual garments and innovative motifs. The annual exhibition, which was originally opened by Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, featured creative contributions from over 80 students across the school in roles of designers, models, performers, film makers, hair and make-up artists and technical support. The annual Fashion Show provides girls with an opportunity to showcase their creativity in areas of fashion design and textiles, the latter of which Blackheath High is a specialist in teaching. As part of this focus the school has on occasion welcomed designers such as Jane Bowler to run workshops with the students. Using the skills attained at the school as a launching pad, many students have gone on to study at world-renowned arts and design college Central St Martins in recent years. Imogen Gilbert, Art Teacher at Blackheath High School said: “The Fashion Show provides a great opportunity for the girls to use their
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creativity in harnessing the skills they have picked up in their Art and Textiles classes. “Every year the designs are of a high standard but this year the girls really blew me away in terms of their ambition and execution.” Head, Carol Chandler-Thompson, said: “One of the great outcomes from our recent £18 million school redevelopment was the creation of the new art and textiles studios. "It was wonderful to see the students take advantage of the new state-of-the-art resources you’d normally expect to find at a university at their disposal and put on such a brilliant show.”
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Schools
February 20 2019 5
Arts
TANGO TIME
A
udiences at Blackheath Halls this Saturday are being transported to the steamy dance floors of Argentina with the help of Tango Siempre, one of the leading tango companies in the UK, writes Holly O'Mahony... Their show Tangomotion is a plunge back into 1930s and 40s Buenos Aires, particularly into the music of 20th century composer Astor Piazzolla – and the dances it inspired. Piazzolla is credited for revolutionising the traditional tango into a new style, nuevo tango, which incorporates elements from both jazz and classical music. Following his death in 1992, American music critic Stephen Holden described Piazzolla as “the world’s foremost composer of tango music”. As well as playing their own compositions, the Tango Siempre band – who tour as a quartet or seven-piece tango orchestra – play transcribed arrangements of
Piazzolla’s compositions, as heard on historical recordings. Audiences watching this latest performance by Tango Siempre can expect two hours of traditional tango dance performed to a fusion of classical, jazz, tango and roots. Tango Siempre have been touring tango music and dance productions across the UK since 1998. The group created the musical score for the Olivier-nominated Midnight Tango, seen by half a million people across three national tours and two West End runs. The group have also appeared on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing; 1996 film Evita (starring Madonna); and Sally Potter’s Covent Garden production of Carmen.
Tangomotion is on at Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ. February 23, from 7:30pm - 9:30pm. Admission: £15/£13 concessions. www.blackheathhalls.com/
Theatre
Uk’s only Cantonese children’s theatre company
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very special children’s theatre company is coming to the Greenwich Theatre, writes Holly O'Mahony... Called Little Bean Theatre, it’s the UK’s first and only Cantonese children’s theatre. The company perform in a mixture of Cantonese and English, hoping to make the process of learning Cantonese more enjoyable for UK-based children of Cantonese-speaking parents. Little Bean Theatre are performing their latest show, Boh Boh Finds Home, at Greenwich Theatre on Saturday, February 23. The show is an interactive adventure through space that promises to have little ones singing, dancing and expanding their
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Cantonese vocabulary. Little Bean Theatre was founded by Bonnie Chan and Gigi Chiying Lam, who are also the company’s co-artistic directors. Bonnie and Gigi have spent years collaborating together, both in Hong Kong and London. Between Bonnie’s background in children’s theatre and Gigi’s as a music teacher, the pair discovered that Chinese families in the UK struggled a lot with passing on their mother tongue to their children. “We wanted to combine our skills and came up with the idea of using music and theatre to make learning Cantonese more enjoyable,” explains Bonnie. “Cantonese is our focus not only because it’s our mother language, but also because
it’s the most spoken Chinese language in the UK,” she points out. “According to government statistics, there are actually more Cantonese speaking residents than Mandarin speakers in the country.” Much of the work produced by Little Bean Theatre is inspired by the imaginations of the company’s young audience members. “We love to observe how kids play among themselves and with parents,” says Bonnie. “We hope to help them learn Cantonese based on their very own ideas and imagination. During our creative process, we try to leave space so we can allow our audiences to input and interact with us.” Like most of the company’s shows, Boh Boh Finds Home is interactive, and filled with music, songs and puppetry. “We sing and dance with the children; the show also features a range of activities with sensory elements,” reveals Bonnie. “We encourage parents to interact with their little ones instead of just sitting back and watching the show.” While Little Bean Theatre productions are performed bilingually in English and Cantonese, Bonnie and Gigi adjust the ratio of the two languages according to the demographic of each individual performance. “For venues and festivals where
we expect more non-Cantonese speakers, we perform with more English, but we keep key phrases and songs in Cantonese,” explains Bonnie. “In this way, everyone can enjoy the show and take home some basic Cantonese – which is apparently one of the most difficult languages to learn!” So far, Little Bean Theatre productions have been a success, with the company finding grateful audiences each time they’ve staged a show. “So far, we’ve only put on performances in London, but we’ve already had queries from families from other parts of the UK – even as far as from Scotland – about the possibility of bringing our show to their hometown,” says Bonnie, with a smile. “We’ve been approached by audience members following a show saying that they came all the way from Reading and even Brighton just to see us,” she adds. We are always thrilled when we receive messages from parents saying their children loved the show and are starting to sing and speak more in Cantonese.” After playing at Greenwich Theatre, Little Bean Theatre are taking Boh Boh Finds Home to ongoing VAULT Festival – London’s answer to the Edinburgh Fringe. Having heard about the festival – which takes place in the arches beneath Waterloo Station
– several years ago, Bonnie and Gigi were intrigued to learn the hip, underground venue had introduced a family theatre programme. “We are thrilled to be able to bring our work there,” says Bonnie, adding that she hopes to encourage Chinese families who wouldn’t typically go to the theatre to see the show at VAULT Festival. “Bringing them into the theatre and exposing them to more amazing arts events is one of our goals.” Following VAULT Festival, the company plan to tour Boh Boh Finds Home to other UK cities with a large Chinese population. Bonnie and Gigi are already in talks with community groups and theatres in Manchester, Bristol and Glasgow. For Bonnie and Gigi, the ultimate goal with Little Bean Theatre is creating cultural cohesion wherever they take their shows. “We love seeing audiences from different cultures playing and having fun together, alongside learning to appreciate the Cantonese language,” concludes Bonnie. Boh Boh Finds Home is on at Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES. February 23, at 11am and 2pm. This show is aimed at children aged 2 - 7-years-old. Admission: £13/£6.50 children. www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/
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Film
sing along to bohemian rhapsody – ahead of the oscars G reenwich Picturehouse is hosting a sing-along screening of 2018 Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. The film follows the life of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, from his joining the band in 1970 to their Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The screening is taking place on Sunday February 24, just hours before the film may or may not win the five Academy Awards it is nominated for, writes Holly O’Mahony…
Bohemian Rhapsody suffered a troubled production period. The film was first announced in 2010, with Sacha Baron Cohen cast to play the lead role of Mercury. But Cohen backed out of the project in 2013, citing creative differences with the producers. It wasn’t until November 2016 that the role was recast, this time with Rami Malek. The production suffered further problems still; director Bryan Singer walked out before filming was complete, officially because of a family health matter but unofficially because of a falling out with the cast. Singer was replaced by director Dexter Fletcher but has retained sole director credit for the film, as per Directors Guild of America guidelines. Fletcher, meanwhile, has received an executive producer credit. Singer has since been the subject of sexual assault allegations, a factor contributing to many people’s contempt over the film’s success. Bohemian Rhapsody was received with mixed reviews on
its release in October 2018. It just about scraped favour on Rotten Tomatoes, receiving a 62% rating. Many publications gave it a middle-of-the-road three-star review, but criticised its inaccurate portrayal of Mercury and his fellow band members, and the glossing over of his sexuality and death due to AIDS-related complications. However, the Guardian and the Times each gave the film just two stars, with the Guardian’s Steve Rose deeming it a “Queenproduced rock slog with a troubling moralistic subtext,” adding: “A bolder film might have explored the relationship between Mercury’s hedonism, his mostly closeted sexuality and his on and off-stage personas in a more nuanced way.” Despite underwhelming the critics, Bohemian Rhapsody smashed box office records and is currently the highestgrossing music biopic of all time. Furthermore, it’s been nominated for no less than five awards at the 91st Academy Awards, which are being held in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on February 24 (the evening of the afternoon screening at Greenwich Picturehouse). The controversial film is up for: Best Picture, Best Sound Mixing, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Actor for Malek. The 37-year-old had his breakthrough role in American drama series Mr. Robot, in which he plays Elliot Alderson, a cybersecurity engineer and hacker with social anxiety disorder. Following the nomination, Malek tweeted: “Thank you to the Academy for recognizing the work of so many from the cast and crew
who made all of this possible. I have absolutely treasured playing Freddie Mercury and I am so profoundly humbled and thrilled to honor him this way.” Malek has already won the BAFTA for Best Actor and Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for his portrayal of Mercury. Bohemian Rhapsody also won the BAFTA for Best Sound and Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture at the respective ceremonies earlier this year. It was even reported by Variety that, in absence of a host for the Oscars (following the dismissal of comedian Kevin Hart after the resurfacing of homophobic jokes from his past), the Academy approached Queen with an offer to open the ceremony with a live performance. Queen reportedly turned down the request. Politics aside – and regardless of whether Bohemian Rhapsody’s depiction of Mercury’s life is real or just a fantasy – if you’re a slave to Queen, the sing-a-long screening at Greenwich Picturehouse is a chance to belt out your favourite hits. Bohemian Rhapsody is showing at Greenwich Picturehouse, 180 Greenwich High Road, London SE10 8NN. February 24, at 2:30pm. Admission: £14.50/£13.50 concessions/£8.10 children. www.picturehouses.com/ cinema/Greenwich_ Picturehouse
Arts Sounds of the World returns
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usicians from two very different parts of the world are performing at the Tramshed in Woolwich this Saturday, writes Holly O'Mahony...
The event, Sounds of the World 7, is part of a series produced as a partnership between Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) and Ganga Thapa, a musician and promoter from southeast London. “I strongly believe that music is one of the strongest ways to
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connect people and bring together a community,” says Ganga. “We live in a remarkably diverse society, but sometimes we forget to consider our wider community because of [what we perceive as a] lack of time.” Saturday’s event is the seventh installment in the series and features a performance by multi-instrumentalist and singersongwriter Aga Ujma, whose folk music draws on influences from both Poland and Indonesia; and the
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Afrik Bawantu Band, an orchestra producing African rhythm-driven music with traditional roots, formed by Ghanaian vocalist and djembe drummer Afla Sackey. Aga’s music mixes her classical upbringing with folk influences from Poland and music from her studies at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts in Surakarta. A solo performer, she focuses on exploring and connecting Indonesian, Polish and English folk music, using the accompaniment
of unique Indonesian instruments. Aga has previously performed at the British Academy Awards (in 2017) and the Tate Modern Exchange (in 2018). Meanwhile, Afrik Bawantu’s original compositions are a cross-cultural collaboration, blending highlife from West African percussion with funk and rock. The result is a powerful Afro-Funk sound with the kind of energy that has a reputation for driving its audience to the dance
floor. The group headlined Trafalgar Square’s Africa on the Square festival in 2015 and have previously performed at other major UK festivals including Shambala, Secret Garden Party and Green Man. “I think people will enjoy hearing music which they’ve never heard before,” says Ganga, adding that audiences are invited to stay for a Q&A session after the performances to learn more about the performers’ artistic journeys and musical styles. Nepalese dishes from local traders Yak Bites will also be available to purchase at the event. Sounds of the World 7 is on at The Tramshed, 51-53 Woolwich New Road, London, SE18 6ES. February 23, from 7pm - 11pm. Admission: £10/£7 concession. www.glypt.co.uk/shows/sounds-ofthe-world-7/
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Family WOODLANDS FARM GOES CRAZY FOR COWS Head to Woodlands Farm to meet the resident moos and find out how they spend their winter on the farmyard. You’ll be taken on a guided trail around the farm before making your very own cow mask to take home. The Woodlands Farm Trust, 331 Shooters Hill, Welling DA16 3RP. February 21, from 10am - 12pm. Admission: £3 per child. www.thewoodlandsfarmtrust.org/
NORWICH PUPPET THEATRE COMES TO BLACKHEATH Goody and Storey have partnered with Norwich Puppet Theatre to present a colourful retelling of the classic Grimm’s fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. With first-rate puppetry, music and dynamic scenery, this is a production to tickle your eyes, ears and taste buds. Recital Room at Blackheath Halls, 23 Lee Road, Blackheath, London SE3 9RQ. February 23, from 11am - 12pm & 3pm - 4pm. Admission: £8.50. www.blackheathhalls.com
HEAVE HO AND AWAY WE GO Take a trip to Cutty Sark this half term for Heave Ho and Away We Go, a week-long programme of drop-in children’s workshops. Help the kids build winches and learn about how the precious cargoes were loaded onto the ship. Or, learn how to keep the oceans clean by building and coding a mini LEGO sea cleaner with Engineering Minds. The events vary day-to-day so check the website to help plan your visit. Cutty Sark, King William Walk, London SE10 9HT. February 18 - 23, from 11.30am - 1.30pm and 2pm - 4pm. Admission: FREE with entry to the ship. www.rmg.co.uk/ A MISCHIEVOUS TAKE ON AN AGE-OLD FAIRYTALE You and your little ones are invited to be guests at Snow White’s wedding in this mischievous take on the classic tale. Told through lovable puppets, spirited storytelling and sign language interpretation, Mirror Mirror is an accessible production for all the family. Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, SE10 8ES. February 22, at 2pm. Admission: £13.50/£11 concessions/£8.50 children. www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk/
CALLING ALL KEEN SPACE EXPLORERS Prepare to join intrepid space explorers Jude Starbeam and his sister Major Nix who are setting out on an adventure to find the mythical Sunstar plant. When the mission goes wrong, leaving the pair in disastrous circumstances, they’ll need all the courage and imagination to make it back home. Jude Starbeam and the Shadow Planet is a story about love enduring change, told through shadow puppetry and song. The Albany, Douglas Way, SE8 4AG. February 20 - 22, at 11am & 2pm. Admission: £7. www.thealbany.org.uk/
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GO ON A SAFARI AT ELTHAM PALACE You don’t have to travel far to be an explorer this half term. Globetrotters’ Safari at Eltham Palace and Gardens is a chance to scout out the grounds of the palace as you search for the exotic animals loved by the Courtaulds – such as their Madagascan pet lemur Mah-Jongg. Visitors will also have the chance to join in with games in the Great Hall and show off their knowledge of the ins and outs of safaris. Eltham Palace and Gardens, Court Yard, Eltham, Greenwich, SE9 5QE. February 18 - 22, from 11am 3pm. Admission: £15/£13.50 concessions/£9 children. www.english-heritage.org.uk/
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February 20 2019 11
Food & Drink
Sparrow
Sparrow takes flight
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mall plate restaurants are no longer the reserve of trendy neighbourhoods in central and north London, writes Holly O'Mahony...
Over the past few years, a smattering have opened in zone 2 boroughs south of the river – from Deptford’s Marcella and Peckham’s 200 Rye Lane, to Brixton’s Naughty Piglets, Salon Brixton, and Smoke and Salt. It’s therefore understandable that the trend has spread to Lewisham – a neighbourhood regarded as being on the verge of becoming seriously hip. Fulfilling the small plate dream in this neck of the woods is husband-and-wife team Terry Blake and Yohini Nandakumar, whose restaurant Sparrow has been open for just under two years. Terry and Yohini were no newbies to fine dining when they opened Sparrow, boasting previous experience at Bao, St. John, Pollen Street Social and The Square between them. At Sparrow, the small plates draw on flavours from the Middle East and Southeast Asia as well as traditional British fare. Sparrow’s positioning on busy Rennell Street means guests
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seated next to its floor-to-ceiling length window look out onto a view of fast-flowing traffic – which is unfortunate. Meanwhile, the restaurant itself is housed in a single-storey building with non-descript, black exteriors, giving it the outward appearance of a faded nightclub, save for the warm glow behind the misted windows. This makes stepping inside Sparrow all the more appealing: the buzzy eatery is lit by candles and low-hanging lights, and furnished with neatly cut wooden tables, an open kitchen and home-style shelving with what looks like recipe books in reaching distance of the pans – as if the chefs might grab one for inspiration as they cook. I’m shown to my table by a very attentive waiter who asks me twice whether I want the menu explained before my companion even arrives. When she does, we dive straight in: she orders the apero of the day and I, opt for the cocktail. Sadly, both of these here-today-gonetomorrow drinks were let down by their sickly sweetness. My cocktail – a mango gin sour – had a synthetic taste to it, like drinking a liquid gummy sweet. The apero – a turmeric bellini – seemed to have a ratio favouring
2 Rennell Street SE13 7HD. www.sparrowlond on.co.uk/
syrup to prosecco. We opted to share a bottle of wine next – a dry Accadia Consono Verdicchio di Jesi – which righted both wrongs. To the food: we were advised that five small plates between two of us should suffice and that the dishes grew in size (and price) the further down the menu we ventured. A side note: once we’d ordered, the plates arrived one at a time, allowing us to fully dissect and discuss each dish before the next arrived – an ideal set-up when you’re in foodie company. First up was a plate of olive tapenade with lemon zest flat bread. It was, in short, sublime. The swirl-shaped flat bread so light, thin and fluffy you could scoff several and still crave more. Meanwhile the tapenade was zingy, lemony and perfectly oily. My only regret is that we didn’t stop our waiter taking away the remainder of the tapenade once we’d finished the bread – it would have made a far more sumptuous accompaniment to the Bermondsey frier, a slab of crispy, mouth-watering fried cheese that itself came with a bland romesco sauce. A plate of Jerusalem artichoke
salad was complemented by its creamy, salty hazelnut pesto. Less impressive, though, were our two larger plates: braised lamb shoulder with duck fat potatoes; and beef cheek pie. The lamb of the former was generous in size and simply dressed, but ‘duck fat potatoes’ promise, in my mind, a crispness which was not delivered in these spuds that came drowned in a watery gravy. Meanwhile, the potently meaty beef cheek pie left us wishing we’d ordered something green to accompany it, or perhaps gone with the day’s special, a beef mass A plate of char siu pork belly (usually £5) arrived on the house, perhaps from a kitchen concerned with our choice of dishes. These little chunks of 50/50 fat-to-pork came lightly glazed in sweet sauce and proved themselves to be a menu highlight not to be missed. Of the two desserts we shared, the baked cheesecake with rum raisins was pleasant but a little eggy and ultimately forgettable. The affogato, on the other hand, was the best I’ve ever had. The coffee was deep, bitter and rich, and offset impeccably by the salty, caramelly condensed milk ice cream. I’d fly back in
a heartbeat just for another spoonful. The plates might not be perfect, but one thing that is undeniable is the fact Terry and Yohini are doing wonders for Lewisham’s culinary scene with Sparrow. This is a restaurant worth flocking to.
the damage Olive tapenade, lemon zest flat bread £4 Bermondsey frier, romesco sauce £8 Jerusalem artichoke, hazelnut pesto £7.50 Braised lamb shoulder, duck fat potatoes £18 Beef cheek pie £16.50 Condensed milk ice cream affogato £4 Baked cheesecake, rum raisins £7.20 Apero of the day £5.80 Cocktail of the day £8 Bottle of Accadia Consono Verdicchio di Jesi £27.50
TOTAL: £107.50
Food (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Ambience (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Value (1-5) 0 0 0 0 Disabled access YES Disabled toilet yes Booking YES
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P UBLIC NOT IC ES ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH The Greenwich (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. 9) Order 2019 The Greenwich (Charged-For Parking Places) (Amendment No. 9) Order 2019 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich on 18th February 2019 made the above-mentioned Orders under section 6, 45, 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended. The Orders will come into operation on 25th February 2019. 2. The general effect of the Orders will be: (a) in Combedale Road, on the west side, outside No. 22 Combedale Road, to shorten a Zone W permit holders parking place by 2.8 metres and provide a cycle hangar; (b) in Commerell Street: (i) on the south-east side, opposite No. 37 Commerell Street, to remove 2.8 metres of single yellow line ‘controlled hours’ waiting restrictions and provide a cycle hangar; and (ii) on the south-east and south-west sides, opposite Nos 37 to 41 Commerell Street and the vehicle entrance to No. 47 Commerell Street, to provide approximately 13 metres of double yellow line ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions; (c) in Devonshire Drive, on the north-east side, opposite The Guildford Arms public house, to shorten a Zone G resident permit holders parking place by 2.8 metres and provide a cycle hangar; (d) in Fingal Street, on the east side, outside No. 1 Fingal Street, to shorten a Zone W permit holders parking place by 2.8 metres and provide a cycle hangar; and (e) in Greenwich High Road, on the south-east side, approximately 10 metres north-east of Burgos Grove, to remove 2.8 metres of single yellow line ‘controlled hours’ waiting restrictions and provide a cycle hangar. [Note: Each cycle hangar will store up to six bicycles. There will be a charge for storage space for a bicycle in the cycle hangar and this will be arranged through Cyclehoop.] 3. Further information about the proposed Orders may be obtained by telephoning Strategic Transportation on 020 8921 4901. 4. The Orders and other documents giving more detailed particulars of the Orders are available for inspection during normal office hours until the end of six weeks from the date on which the Orders were made, at the Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills, Strategic Transportation, Royal Borough of Greenwich, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ. 5. If any person wishes to question the validity of the Orders or of any of the provisions contained therein on the grounds that they are not within the powers conferred by the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, or that any requirement of that Act or of any instrument made under that Act has not been complied with, that person may, within six weeks from the date on which the Orders were made, apply for that purpose to the High Court. Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 20th February 2019
ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH HIGHWAYS ACT 1980 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council proposes, under section 90A of the Highways Act 1980, to construct the type of road hump known as a “speed table” across the full width of the carriageway in the section of Old Dover Road situated north of the island site fronting Nos. 177 and 179 Old Dover Road, the speed table having a length of 14.6 metres, including the gradients, with the approximate location of its centre line being at the common boundary of Nos. 179 and 181 Old Dover Road. The Speed Table would be an elevated section of carriageway with a flat top, 75 millimetres higher at its highest point than the surrounding carriageway. The gradients would each have a length of 1.5 metres. 2. A copy of documents, including a map, giving more detailed particulars of the road hump are available for inspection during normal office hours until the end of six weeks from the date on which this Notice is published, at the Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills, Strategic Transportation, Royal Borough of Greenwich, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ. 3. Further information may be obtained by telephoning Strategic Transportation on 020 8921 4320. 4. Any person who wishes to object to or make other representations about the proposed road hump should send a statement in writing by 13th March 2019, specifying the grounds on which any objection is made, to the TMO Team, Project Centre, Unit 2 Holford Yard, London, WC1X 9HD, or by email to GreenwichTMOconsultations@projectcentre.co.uk (quoting reference PCL/TMO/JP/1000005416). 5. Persons objecting to the road hump should be aware that in view of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, this Council would be legally obliged to make any comments received in response to this notice, open to public inspection. Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 20th February 2019
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 – SECTION 14(1) THOMAS STREET PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER) 1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich intends to makes this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Thames Water who need to carry out repair works to a main. 2. The Order will come into operation on 18th March 2019 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However the works are expected to take 7 days. The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State for Transport. 3. The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering, exiting, proceeding or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading. outside 1 Thomas Street and remove the one way in Love Lane at the junction of Wellington Street allowing access only by two way with the North East and South East footway closure. 4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via Wellington Street, John Wilson Street, Grand Depot Road and Vice Versa. Prohibitions remain in force, pedestrians are not affected and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible. 5. Nothing in this Notice will apply to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or traffic warden, to emergency service vehicles, or to vehicles being used in connection with the works. 6. The restrictions described above will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by traffic signs as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. 7. Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340. Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 24/01/2019
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P UBL I C N OT I C ES Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (AS AMENDED) Town & Country Planning (Development Management Procedure)(England) Order 2015 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (AS AMENDED) Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990 (AS AMENDED) Notice is hereby given that application(s) have been made to The Royal Borough of Greenwich in respect of the under mentioned premises/sites.You can see the submissions and any plans at http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/planning.
Anyone who wishes to comment on these applications should be made in writing to Development Planning within 21 days of the date of this notice. Please quote the appropriate reference number.
If development proposals affect Conservation Areas and/ or Statutorily Listed Buildings under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 (As Amended) this will be shown within the item below.
Date: 20/02/2019
Publicity for Planning Applications. Applicant: The Edition Group 18/4530/F Site Address: RAVENSBOURNE WHARF, NORMAN ROAD, GREENWICH, SE10 Development: Demolition of existing buildings and construction of a 26 storey building (plus basement) comprising 111 self-contained residential units (Use Class C3), 791sqm of co-working office floorspace (Use Class B1a) and 64sqm of café floorspace (Use Class A3), public realm improvements, hard and soft landscaping, communal amenity space (including child play space), secure cycle storage, car parking spaces and car lift, provision of access for a permanent mooring for public use on Deptford Creek, and other associated works. (THIS IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN) Applicant: Mr Aman Virk Papa John's (GB) Ltd 19/0233/F Site Address: 3 ODEON PARADE, WELL HALL ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 6BZ Development: Change of use from Estate Agents (Class A2) to a Hot Food Takeaway (Class A5) with installation of a new shopfront and an extract grille, condenser unit and extraction flue. (The development may impact on the setting of the Grade II Listed Building - Coronet Cinema). Conservation Area: adjacent to Progress Estate Applicant: Mr Syzov 19/0242/HD Site Address: 19 Dickson Road, Eltham, London, SE9 6RE Development: Construction of a single storey rear extension, Roof terrace over new extension with screening and new canopy over front door.
Victoria Geoghegan Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control
Conservation Area: PROGRESS ESTATE Applicant: ALDI Stores Ltd 19/0266/F Site Address: 241 Kidbrooke Park Road, Kidbrooke, SE3 9PP Development: Sub-division of existing unit to provide two retail units (Class A1), alterations to front facade with various cladding, provision of a trolley park and construction of a single storey side extension to provide delivery pod. Applicant:
Mr C Baker
19/0276/HD
Applicant:
Mr & Mrs Goebel 19/0302/HD
Site Address: 277 Westmount Road, Eltham, SE9 1NR Development: Construction of a single storey rear extension. Conservation Area: adjacent to Progress Estate
Site Address: 11 Lizban Street, Blackheath, London, SE3 8SS Development: Construction of a single storey rear infill extension. Conservation Area: RECTORY FIELD Applicant:
Site Address: Development: Conservation Area: Applicant:
Ms Martin
19/0311/HD
Mr Marciniak
19/0317/HD
13 Bushmoor Crescent, Plumstead, London, SE18 3EG Replacement of existing garage doors to a glazed window. SHREWSBURY PARK ESTATE
Site Address: 21 DICKSON ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 6RE Development: Installation of 3 conservation style roof lights to rear elevation. Conservation Area: PROGRESS ESTATE
ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH The Greenwich (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) (Amendment No. *) Order 201* The Greenwich (Charged-For Parking Places) (Amendment No. *) Order 201* 1. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich (hereinafter referred to as “the Council”) proposes to make the above-mentioned Orders under sections 6, 45 46, 49 and 124 of and Part IV of Schedule 9 to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended. 2. The general effect of the Orders would be: (a) to remove a disabled persons ‘blue badge’ parking place for one vehicle in each of the following locations: Ancona Road, the west side, outside No. 162 Ancona Road; Southspring, the south-east side, outside No. 4 Southspring; and Tormount Road, the east side, adjacent to No. 49 Tormount Road; (b) in Abbey Grove, to remove disabled persons ‘blue badge’ parking places and replace them with Zone AW permit parking space on the south side: (i) outside No. 10 Abbey Grove; and (ii) outside No. 100 Abbey Grove; (c) to provide disabled persons blue badge parking places, each for one vehicle, in the following locations: Alderwood Road, the west side, outside Nos. 46 to 62 Alderwood Road; Charlton Dene, the north side, outside No. 63 Charlton Dene; Godstow Road, the east side, opposite No. 4 Godstow Road; Granby Road, the east side, outside No. 63a Granby Road; and the spur road on the south side of Woodcroft, the south-east side, opposite No. 24 Woodcroft; (d) in Eastcombe Avenue, the east side, outside Nos. 74/76 Eastcombe Avenue, to shorten the free parking place by 6.6 metres and provide a disabled persons ‘blue badge’ parking place for one vehicle; (e) to remove double yellow line ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions from the following locations: Dunvegan Road, the north side, outside Nos. 75 to 79 Dunvegan Road so that they extend 10 metres west of Grangehill Road; and Marmadon Road, the south side, outside Nos. 210 to 222 Marmadon Road; (f) in Bloomfield Road, to provide single yellow line ‘controlled hours’ waiting restrictions on the east side, between 9 metres north of the common boundary of No. 132 and 134 Bloomfield Road and a point 17 metres north of that common boundary and remove 3 metres of WB permit holders / 1-hour free parking space to accommodate the extended waiting restrictions; (g) in St. Alfege Road, to replace single yellow line waiting restrictions with double yellow line ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions: (i) on the north side, for 12.7 metres west and 11.9 metres east of Beacham Close; and (ii) on the south side, for 13.5 metres outside Nos. 5 and 7 St. Alfege Road; (h) in Craigerne Road, to remove 3 metres of free parking space and replace it with double yellow line ‘at any time’ waiting restrictions on the north-west side, outside No. 43 Craigerne Road; (i) to update the map tiles attached to The Greenwich (Free Parking Places, Loading Places and Waiting, Loading and Stopping Restrictions) Consolidation Order 2018 and The Greenwich (Charged-For Parking Places) Consolidation Order 2018 so as to reflect the provisions referred to in sub-paragraphs (a) to (h) above; and (j) to amend the list of properties eligible for WD CPZ permits so as to correct a drafting error in The Greenwich (Charged-For Parking Places) Consolidation Order 2018. 3. A copy of the proposed Orders and other documents, including maps, giving more detailed particulars of the Orders are available for inspection during normal office hours until the end of six weeks from the date on which the Orders are made or, as the case may be, the Council decides not to make the Orders, at the Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise and Skills, Strategic Transportation, Royal Borough of Greenwich, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ. 4. Further information about the proposed Orders may be obtained by telephoning Strategic Transportation on 020 8921 4901. 5. Any person who wishes to object to or make other representations about the proposed Orders should send a statement in writing, specifying the grounds on which any objection is made, to the TMO Team, Project Centre, Unit 2 Holford Yard, London, WC1X 9HD, or by email to GreenwichTMOconsultations@projectcentre.co.uk (quoting reference PCL/TMO/JP/1000005383), to arrive by 13th March 2019. 6. Persons objecting to or making representations about the proposed Orders should be aware that in view of the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985, this Council would be legally obliged to make any comments received in response to this notice, open to public inspection. Assistant Director, Strategic Transportation The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ Dated 20th February 2019
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