East2 2014

East2

I’m free – please take me!

The Insiders’ Guide to Bethnal Green 2014

People • Places • Life • Cafes • Pubs • Shops • Community • Culture • Heritage

Welcome to the Insiders’ Guide to Bethnal Green

EAST2 People – meet some Beth

At Oxford House we ♥ Bethnal Green.

We want to share the love and so decided to produce the inside guide to what makes Bethnal Green so special. This Insiders’ Guide is the result of a ten-week community journalism course in late 2013 organised by Oxford House, our tutors Graham Barker, Una Purdie and Penny Atkinson, and a group of local residents. It was generously funded by the Big Lottery Awards for All programme.

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I hope you like it. I hope you find out something new about Bethnal Green. Oxford House celebrates 130 years in Bethnal Green in 2014 and we still have the bug. See you in 2144.

John Ryan, Chief Executive, Oxford House

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Life – take a glimpse into

Published by The Oxford House in Bethnal Green, 2014.

We’ve tried our level best to ensure the content of this Insiders’ Guide is accurate and up-to-date and apologise for any bloomers, blips or oversights. For further copies, email news@oxfordhouse.org.uk

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EXPLORED nal Greeners doing extraordinary things

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enes and get the inside track on local hotspots

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the cultural life of Bethnal Green

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Eastenders

We pounced on some poor unsuspecting locals to ask about their life in the East End - and what does it mean to be a Cockney?

Mary, retired laundry worker

Malcolme, retired publican

“I’ve lived in Bethnal Green coming up 70 years. I’m 93, so I’ve seen a few changes.

It’s very homely. They are all nice people, they’re friendly, they muck in, they help you out.

“I was born in Columbia Road, at the Royal Oak Pub. For 35 years I ran pubs up and down the country but no matter where I was I used to travel home every Wednesday just to have a drink with my friends.

I suppose I speak like a Cockney, don’t I? Rough and ready! If people don’t like me as I am, they can lump it – that’s my opinion!”

I wear my heart on my sleeve. Cockney people are honest about themselves because there’s a trust in each other. There’s still a lot of us about.”

Ray “Sparra” Everingham, Cockney Heritage Trust

I'd like to think being a Cockney is a broad church. There's the linguistic side of it, you know the way people drop their H's and all that – but we don't always speak in rhyming slang.

And there’s this myth – you've got to be born within the sound of Bow Bells. Let's just bury that one; how many people are born within the sound of Bow Bells nowadays?

A lot of Londoners identify themselves as Cockney.... Part of it’s a sense of humour, almost innocent, a bit rude but tongue in cheek” www.cockneyheritagetrust.com

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people: around and about Harry, Edman Farm

“I’ve been here over 20 years. For me it’s kind of my home town you know, I’ve been living here so long. Everybody knows me – in some families I know four generations of people. Sometimes you can get them all in here. I love that!

But now I’m fighting to stay. Tax has gone up, rates and rent has gone up – but I’ll keep fighting.” (“Oh e’ll stay” pipes up a customer)

Shafiq, Zari

“I've grown up in the East End, I've been here since 1989, before that I was in north London.

I like everything about here. Anything I don't like? When I was growing up most of the people round here were brought up here. Now they've moved out, they've rented their places and you always see new faces. It's less of a community.

Do I plan to stay here? Yeah for the rest of my life.

I definitely class myself as an Eastender, but I wouldn't say a Cockney.”

Eva, Oxford House “I came to London almost three years ago and I can say without

hesitation that Bethnal Green feels like a home now. After moving a few times around the city, I have found, here in the East, the place to live, work and enjoy.

Do I miss Spain? Of course I do! But surely I have a good balance between the Spanish way of life and the excitement that living in London means!”

Yakip, White Horse Kebab

“My home is here. Sometimes I go on holiday to Turkey, but I live here, I like London. I like the people, my customers, they’re friendly. When I came to London 15 years ago - you saw customers outside, you said hello, how are you. But every year that’s gone more.

There used to be a lot of crime and trouble. But now there are no problems – it feels safer now.”

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THE ART OF THE COMMUN There’s a lot more than worship going on at St John on Bethnal Green. Liz Baume meets the Rector, Father Alan Green.

There can’t be many tube stations where the first sight that greets you as you emerge from the gloom is a Grade I listed church. And there can’t be many parish priests who combine the Anglo-Catholic tradition with a love of contemporary art, a strong sense of social justice and the occasional DJ-ing session.

Father Alan Green has been rector of St John on Bethnal Green for 15 years.

Along with changes to the actual building – a new roof funded by English Heritage, the Stations of the Cross art work by Chris Gollon – he has also seen changes to St John’s congregation. The older generation of worshippers who generally attend church once a week are gradually being replaced, as they go “either to Heaven or Essex”, by a different type of congregation, one that fits church around other commitments.

The other main change Father Alan has seen is that Bethnal Green is now a Muslim majority parish. Chair of Tower Hamlets Inter Faith Forum and No Place for Hate, he has become a highprofile public face in the borough as the English Defence League have tried to stamp their views on Tower Hamlets.

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people: Father Alan Green

UNITY Father Alan believes that “the EDL have spurred the need for unity in our diverse community. They are not just attacking the Muslim population but all of Tower Hamlets.”

St John’s engagement with modern art brings together the two strands of worship and community. “The Stations of the Cross especially are a statement about the overlap between worship and art,” he explains. “Our film screenings, art installations, live music and exhibitions at the church are included in the Whitechapel First Thursdays listing and people often pop in to look at whatever we have going on as they make their way from the tube station to Vyner Street.”

There is both a serious and a more fun side to Father Alan. This is a rector who has been a DJ at the Florist’s Arms in Globe Road, loves the TV programme ‘Rev’ but who has also preached twice at St Paul’s, in his role as Prebendary. He found the latter disconcerting as it was hard to see, let alone connect with, the congregation - it was also the first time he’s ever written his sermon down. And, though firmly rooted in the old traditions of the church, Father Alan is also a modernist, believing that women should be ordained as bishops and remaining ‘unconcerned’ about people’s sexuality.

Sir John Soane designed St John’s, which was built in 1828, as a church that should be available to everyone in the parish. Father Alan continues that tradition with a church that engages with the local community in several different and important ways.

DID

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During the Great Fire of London in 1666, Samuel Pepys rode in his nightshirt on a cart to Bethnal House (where the library now is) with his money, his plate and – most importantly – his diary.

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A blue plaque in Paradise Row commemorates Daniel Mendoza, boxing champion of England 1792 – 1795 who lived there for 30 years.

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Public executions took place in the 18th century outside the pub which is now the Salmon and Ball.

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In 1850 Paradise Dairy was behind Paradise Row. It had 16 cows and 20 pigs.

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One of the flower beds in Museum Gardens is planted with herbs in the summer.

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A chatter of parakeets can be heard in the tree behind The Camel in Globe Road.

They’re usually there between 9 and 10am; their evening get together depends on the time of year.

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St John’s Church hosts courses on mosaic making, screen printing, stained glass making and stone carving.

www.stjohnonbethnalgreen.org East2 2014 | 77

The inside track:

Data Green and Sophia Parveen go roaming round the Roman.

The Larder Thinking of going vegetarian and wondering where to start? Give the Larder a go. Tempting aromas and a warm atmosphere welcome you.

And the friendly staff are on hand to help those with gluten-free and vegan tastes. Enjoy a coffee and pastries, buy some fresh bread, or their veggie fry with chilli and coconut milk for lunch 241-3 Globe Road, E2 0JD

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Florist Arms Hanging baskets flourish outside the Florist’s Arms.

Inside, £6 stone-baked pizzas, monthly guest ales, and live DJs make this freehouse a popular joint among a youngish local crowd. Always cosy, sometimes rammed, the crowd spills onto the pavement outside in the warmer months.

255 Globe Road, E2 0JD

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Prick Your Finger This yarn shop is run by Rachael Matthews, a knitting artist, writer and founder member of the Cast Off Knitting Club for Boys and Girls. Learn to knit socks, try your hand at macramé or crochet, or find out how to use a pattern to make the garment of your dreams. There are eco-wools, knit-a-lipstick kits, and handy tools on sale for crafty afficionados.

260 Globe Road, E2 0JD

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places: ROMAN ROAD Brian Roberts Have a butchers at Brian Roberts, a traditional shop priding itself on knowledgeable and friendly service. As well as chops and steaks, you’ll find piri piri chicken, Mediterranean meatballs, osso buco, and game in season.

Forget the meat fridges in the supermarket chains and join the queue of regulars here.

195 Roman Road, E2 0QY

Simply Fresh The name speaks for itself: a mini-mart that stocks organic fresh foods and other groceries, adding a splash of colour to the Roman Road. Inside you’ll find baskets stacked with tomatoes, aubergines and garlic, and a bank of self-service olive oil dispensers.

There’s locally-sourced produce and a dedication to community development: they support local primary schools and raise funds for cancer research 201-9 Roman Road, E2 0QY

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Victoria Fish Bar You’ll feel at home as soon as you step into this family-run fish and chip shop. It’s a traditional, old school kind of place with friendly service and 70s decor.

The chips are hand-cut and fried while you wait, and there’s time to chat with the Italian owners as your fish is being cooked.

111 Roman Road, E2 0QN

London Buddhist Centre Take time out to meditate and restore your health and wellbeing at the London Buddhist Centre. Located at the corner of Globe Road, it’s a place of pure peace and beautiful architecture. Locals and those from further afield head here in search of spiritual growth, meditation, courses and talks.

51 Roman Road, E2 0HU East2 2014 | 9

Child’s Play

Eve Rozmus goes behind the scenes at the Museum of Childhood.

With over 400,000 visitors a year, Bethnal Green’s Museum of Childhood is a hot spot for anyone wanting to re-live their childhood. Amongst the display cases you’ll find Action Man, Kerplunk, dressing up outfits and board games. As a youngster, I came here.

Now, I’m exploring behind the scenes, guided by deputy director, Robert Moye and collections assistant Sophie Sage.

Opened in 1872, the Museum originally housed various collections including food and animal products. “We also had the Wallace Collection of paintings for two or three years,” explains Robert, “and Vincent van Gogh paid us a visit.”

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nd i h Be e th … nes e c s

Curator Arthur Sabin introduced children’s displays from the 1920s. Yet it wasn’t until 1974 – over a century after it opened – that the Museum re-focused firmly on childhood. Since then, as part of the V&A, it has become the national collection of toys, games and childhood artefacts.

Upstairs, I spot King Charles I’s rocking horse. Further along, there’s a homemade wooden car, lovingly played with by three generations of one family. “Our donors range from Royalty to people who find something interesting in the loft,” Robert explains.

The building has been transformed since my own childhood visits; the central hall has been cleared, and a café, packed lunch area and buggy parking have been introduced – important considerations for the mainly schools-and-families audience.

The front has been extended, lifts fitted, and display cases have low-level glass enabling young ones to see.

places: museum of childhood In the collections rooms downstairs, Sophie encourages me to pull out drawers – tin cars, teddy bears, marbles and Meccano, it’s an endless stream of childhood delights.

a child’s eye view

The Museum has over 4,000 dolls – “one of the jewels of our collection” – and the dolls’ houses are a mustsee. The earliest – the Nuremburg House – dates back to 1673. “Dolls’ houses didn’t used to be play things, they were generally made for very rich ladies,” explains Sophie. A more recent addition – the architectdesigned Kaleidoscope House – has designer furniture inside. It’s a taster of the Museum’s upcoming dolls’ house exhibition opening in late 2014.

With a remarkable building, a family-friendly style, and an emphasis on storytelling, the Museum of Childhood is a place to rediscover your younger self. www.museumofchildhood.org.uk

DID YOU KNOW •

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‘My favourite is the Lego desk top and Star Wars’ George Liveridge, 7 ‘I like looking at the different displays and the dressing-up section’ Isabella Stephenson, 9

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The three cast-iron bays that form the Museum’s central structure were originally put up in South Kensington in 1856, after the Great Exhibition, and were known rather disparagingly as the Brompton Boilers. Ten years later, they were taken apart and reconstructed in Bethnal Green piece by piece - like a huge Ikea flat-pack!

Mosaics outside depict scenes from the arts, sciences, industry and agriculture. And inside, the marble mosaic floor – in a black and white fish-scale pattern – was made by women prisoners from Woking Goal.

‘The trains display is the best’ Thomas Liveridge, 5 ‘Upstairs has the best toys and activities’ Luna Clearly, 3 ‘I like the Sensory section’ Georgie Charttern, 6 ‘The Transformers, sand pit and rocking horse are my favourites’ Moomin Anwar, 5

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the inside track: cafes and pubs

Healthy and hearty, trad or trendy - here are a few places to grab some grub or whet your whistle

E Pellicci

What is there left to say about the famous Pellicci’s?

This stylish Italian caff, with its yellow vitrolite sign, formica tables and art deco wooden panelling, is an unpretentious East End classic in a world full of corporate chain coffee shops.

Run by the same family since 1900, Pellicci’s has been consistently serving up cheap and cheerful home cooked grub - fry ups, spag bol, bread puddings - to regulars and many passing celebrities over the years. It’s part of the fabric of Bethnal Green, and was the first cafe to get Grade II listed by English Heritage for its classic interior.

Packed with punters at weekends, Mama Maria still prepares the food while the kids Nev junior and Anna are there to serve up the good-humoured banter that brings folk back time and again.

Be prepared to share a table and just go with the flow.

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332 Bethnal Green Road, E2 OAG

life: FOR THE PECKISH

Cafes Gallery Cafe With a small terrace out front and a relaxing garden at the back, this veggie notfor-profit café offers tasty home cooking that soothes the troubles of the day away.

Long tables are dotted with laptop wielding clients pretending to work, while in the evening the cafe is abuzz with music, film, literature and craft events. Walls are adorned with a different exhibition each month.

21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL

Frank’s Coffee A special mention goes to Frank’s long-established booth outside the tube entrance. Grab a tasty, nononsense coffee without spending all your lunch money. He may not have seating but there are lovely squirrel-view benches in the nearby gardens.

Outside St John on Bethnal Green, Cambridge Heath Road Hurwundeki An unusual mix of vintage clothes (be careful where you hang your coat), Korean food and haircuts is on offer in this small and scruffy (sorry, shabby chic) cafe next to Cambridge Heath station.

Who doesn’t want to slurp a bowl of udon noodles as you wait for your barnet to be chopped? Vegan options and BYOB available.

298 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9HA

Pubs Cafe 338 Just down the road from the better known Pellicci’s, Cafe 338 is a busy weekend hangout for the hungover.

Worth a mention for its hearty full English or American style pancake breakfasts and freshly squeezed orange juice.

338 Bethnal Green Road, E2 OAG

The Star of Bethnal Green A boozer frequented by the younger and more hipster brigade of Bethnal, and a pitstop for those lost en route to Shoreditch. Hosts a quirky mix of events from film nights to weekend DJs of some repute, open decks and disco nonsense. There’s a karaoke booth, a Tuesday night quiz and pizzas.

359 Bethnal Green Road, E2 6LE

The Approach Tavern A gem nestled away on a lovely tree-lined street near Victoria Park. It’s usually possible to find a seat except perhaps on a sunny day when the benches in its sizeable beer garden are packed with a cheerful crowd. Classic design, serving decent Sunday roast to a friendly mish-mash of locals and more arty types who frequent the gallery upstairs.

47 Approach Road, E2 9YL

The Carpenter’s Arms The classic darkwood decor of this cosy escape from Brick Lane - infamous for being run by the mother of the Kray twins - is brightened with fresh flowers and a scattering of fresh faces. Chose from with a wide range of beers.

73 Cheshire Street, E2 6EG The Dundee Arms When the gentrification gets too much head for this friendly and unpretentious pub with a cosy beer garden.

Good prices, music nights, no frills but plenty of chat.

Footie may be blaring when a big game is on, and it’s close to York Hall for boxing fans.

339 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9LH East2 2014 | 13

If this building could talk...

Oxford House will be 130 years old this September. Yet the programme of arts, volunteering and community activities shows no sign of old age.

We cornered the man with the plan, CEO John Ryan to find out what’s going on.

What’s the first thing you do each morning when you sit down at your desk?

Well there’s two things in quick succession. My morning coffee fix, and then I go online and check the bank account – I think any person who runs a small organisation would do that, or if they didn’t they must have loads of dosh.

If money was no object what would happen in Oxford House?

Probably more of the same, but the building would be fixed so we wouldn’t have to worry about a leaking roof. The theatre would have a booming programme of activities that it would be known for around London. And in my own little fantasy world, there’d be some of the best unplugged gigs here, where my favourite bands would just want to come, never mind the fee. I would love more things to be going on.

I heard there are some changes to the fabric of the building going on - and a pocket park outside? Can you tell us a bit more about them?

The pocket park was an idea I originally hatched with Luke Greysmith, a landscape architect, to create small bits of green on urban landscapes. In the cul-de-sac behind the building there will be a little garden 14 | East2 2014

area, with a new cycleway, path and recycled water for our roof feeding a new rainwater garden – all planted out. It’s been designed to have a cafe area with seating outside overlooking

places: Oxford House other organisations and I thought, oooh, we must be able to find a way to deal with the financial crisis OH faced and make this work somehow. I think we are on the way to achieving that. I suppose we sit somewhere as a bridge between community life and professional life. OH supports community life in many ways.

Where do you want to take it to?

Weaver’s Fields – although we’ll have to do lots of fundraising first. The pocket park work outside will be completed by April and we aim to launch it as part of Chelsea Fringe Festival in May. What was the concept of Oxford House in the very beginning?

It’s part of a Victorian idea of the ‘settlement’ movement. In the 19th Century the city had grown massively - and so had poverty, with people living in terrible situations. The idea was to get Oxford University students to ‘settle’ in the area and then, working with local people, design answers to the problems of poverty.

Clearly there’s a vision driving Oxford House – where does that come from?

I came here because I wanted a challenge. It gets under your skin this place, I think, in a nice way. This place has got a life – it’s gone through almost 130 years, it has had ups, it has had downs. It’s got a brilliant mix of lovely old building, theatre, gallery, a bunch of

When Oxford House is self sufficient – when it’s invested in, so the fabric is solid, and it’s being really well used and we’ve got the diversity of use which we do - then I think it’s probably working. We can do more – this building is not fully used, this theatre is not fully used – that’s the drive. www.oxfordhouse.org.uk www.heritageoxfordhouse.tumblr.com

DID YOU KNOW? • Oxford House once owned a cinema – the Excelsior in Bethnal Green – which screened a variety of silent films.

• During World War II Oxford House sheltered 600 civilians from the Blitz.

• The civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi visited Oxford House in 1931 and gave a speech to a crowd of 3000 people.

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THEATRE OF East End photographer Sarah Ainslie captures extraordinary images through unconventional methods. Jane Miller takes a closer look.

Sarah’s inclusive style developed during her work with fringe theatre groups. On a Theatre Nomad trip to South Africa in the late 90’s her own project (Waza Mama) became a township collaborative when she gave local women Kodak disposable cameras to photograph each other and tell their stories: “That was a key thing… feeling that you’re not just going into somewhere, taking pictures and going away and using them… but, as a reciprocal thing - that makes people feel ok.”

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sidestep weathered doors to ascend to Sarah Ainslie’s light-filled warehouse studio deep in Ezra Street, off Columbia Road.

Born in Wiltshire, Sarah is a prolific photographer who has been inspired by, and worked in, the East End for over 30 years, although says she is “still, obviously, an outsider”. Sarah’s camera was first drawn to Brick Lane in the 80’s and since then she has firmly established herself through her diverse work with unique groups in local settings.

Her extensive portfolio includes work with the East End Somali community, working women in Hackney and teenage mums in Whitechapel.

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That ‘throwaway’ approach led the way for a project with visuallyimpaired, elderly people at Blackfriars Settlement. At first the participants didn’t see the point of taking pictures if they couldn’t see them, but it proved to be a very powerful experience: “One

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people: Sarah Ainslie

of the women took pictures of her friends, then when she looked at them under a magnifying glass, she could see what they were wearing – she’d had no idea what they looked like, or that her friends wore earrings… she had actually seen something that she’d never seen before. The pictures were moving because of that.”

Sarah’s stills of Burlesque artistes at the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club indicate that performance photography has remained a passion. In fact, it was she who encouraged the club’s transition from single act to ‘a whole night of Burlesque’ at a time when such performance could create shockwaves.

Since 2011, her contributions to Spitalfields Life and The Gentle Author’s London Album have included collections of dog walkers, chicken shops, ghost pictures of the Lord Mayor’s Show, together with many individual portraits. But, whilst digital may rule the commercial world, Sarah’s personal projects are often black and white, and she is interested in old processes like cyanotypes and pinhole cameras.

I feel I have met a master experimenter, observer, constructor, listener... an astute ‘bringer together’ of all things photographic – for, ultimately, the legacy of people. www.sarahainslie.com

Top: from Dinner Guests at St James the Less (a project with homeless people at Less Open Door Meal Project, Pimlico) Above: from Somali East End Portraits Opposite bottom: from Blackfriars Settlement project Opposite top: Sarah Ainslie in her studio with Jane Miller. Photo Alan Drew

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Step inside St Margaret’s House Settlement began in 1888 when a Miss Anson distributed a leaflet around Oxford for a ladies’ mission. The following year the ‘Bethnal Green Ladies Committee’ was born, based in a house with 15 rooms on the Museum Green. The settlement moved to the current premises on Old Ford Road in 1903.

Today the work for the community continues, albeit in a very different form, including a cracking veggie cafe, as well as the Ayoka boutique charity shop and The Create Place which runs workshops in arts and crafts. Here we meet three of over 30 community organisations based in St Margaret’s House. www.stmargaretshouse.org.uk

Karen Fitzpatrick meets London City Steps...

Mixing the rich history of London with the enthusiasm and specialist knowledge of locals, this social enterprise is creating tailored tours with a difference. Unemployed people of all ages are trained as guides, and given the key skills needed to set themselves up in business. Founded four years ago under the inspired guidance of Angela Brivett and Loona Hasarika, this vibrant organisation encourages trainees to concentrate on areas of personal interest, thereby offering their tourist groups unique ‘insiders’ guides into the fascinating history of the East End. www.londoncitysteps.com

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life: SOCIAL STORIES

More than just tea and a chat Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours Making a big impact in the Bethnal Green community - particularly for isolated people in the older generation - is Tower Hamlets Friends and Neighbours (THFN), an independent charity based at St Margaret’s House which has been running for over 60 years.

The services THFN provide include reflexology and seated execise, help with written forms, appointments and correspondence - as well as lifeenhancing day trips.

Experienced, trained and reliable befriending workers and volunteers visit people in their own home, helping them to stay independent and healthy, in body and mind; depression is one of the most common mental health problems amongst older people.

Eve Rozmus meets Mrs Pearce, 92

… and the East End WI The East End Women’s Institute welcomes all women to share, learn and enjoy good company. They’re dab hands at creating delicious Victoria sponges, but this is not your traditional Jam and Jerusalem brigade.

Each month there are two meetings at St Margaret’s House – discussing a range of stimulating topics – as well Knit & Natter sessions, a book club, craft classes and coffee mornings. Get in touch with president Colleen Bowen to find out more, or simply savour their cakes at one of many local fetes or festivals. www.eastendwi.blogspot.com

Q. How has a befriender visiting you at home helped?

A. I am only too glad of the company. Being the age I am, we have plenty to talk about because I have been through a lot – such as the war and how times have changed. I have seen it all.

Q. What services other than a befriender does THFN provide?

A. General advice such as other services that I can get the most use out of. Also THFN provide good day trips such as visits to Kew Garden and trips to the seaside.

Q. How would you feel if the befriending service stopped?

A. I would be at a loss. I would not have anyone to talk to or visit me. I can't get out much and my befriender is the only source from the outside world. www.thfn.org.uk East2 2014 | 19

Columbia Road author Linda Wilkinson talks about life beyond the flower market with Karen Fitzpatrick Linda Wilkinson is keenly aware of the myths that have grown up around the old East End - the cheeky, cheerful Cockneys, the Krays, the murders - but born and bred here, and now living again in the street of her birth, Linda sees it as her personal and authorial mission to dispel those myths. Her latest book, Columbia Road: A Strange Kind of Paradise is, she says, “the memoir of a street”, without sentiment, but as authentic for her readers as it felt for her growing up there.

The book charts the history of Columbia Road from its earliest times to the present day. From times of grim poverty, overcrowding and disease through the garment and furniture making eras, and the setbacks of the two World Wars, to its gradual evolution into what is now a gentrified and thriving area of London.

The mythical East End however differs from Wilkinson’s account, which is firmly grounded in research and 20 | East2 2014

“I think what is familiar is very intoxicating. Most people only moved if they had to...”

people: Linda Wilkinson personal experience. Linda is frank when she talks about the poverty she knew as a child yet it was only when she went to secondary school that she realised there were things she might not have. Despite this, Linda cites, “I wasn’t jealous because you’ve got what you’ve got.”

She feels proud of her roots, tracing her father’s side of the family back to a Wapping shipwright in 1540 and the French Huguenot immigration, and her mother’s side including Dutch Jews from the 1830’s. The East End was a melting pot, but as Linda warmly remembers, the Columbia Road of her childhood was a community: “Everything was here, you could get anything you needed. It functioned as a society in its own bubble.” Although many families moved out to Essex for a variety of reasons, her family for the most part stayed in the area. “I think what is familiar is very intoxicating. Most people only moved if they had to.”

that day she sat in the Royal Albert pub and burst into tears, overwhelmed by the feeling that “I have to come home, I have to come back. It was that simple.”

So in 1986, Linda moved back to the street of her birth with her partner, and found to her surprise that people remembered her. She has no plans to move elsewhere.

It is inspiring to meet someone with such a strong sense of place. Linda was, in a way, produced by Columbia Road and represents in her speech and her writing a continuance of the old community spirit she witnessed as a young girl. She keeps this alive in her books and through her heartfelt and gritty expression of what it means to be from the East End. lindawilkinson.org

Linda herself went to university, travelled widely, lived abroad and then moved to North London. She pursued a highly successful career in medical research, but is now primarily and happily spending her time writing. Linda’s epiphany came one day when she was visiting the Columbia Road Flower Market from Barnet with some friends. She had avoided visiting for no obvious reason, but on

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Safe in Faith ind Beh e th … nes sce

Data Green and Sophia Parveen meet local architect, Shahed Saleem at the new Shahporah Masjid and Islamic Centre.

Located at the corner of Hackney Road and Treadway Street, there’s a remarkable building spanning two centuries of local life; Bethnal Green architectural firm Makespace has recently extended Tann’s former safemaking works to create the Shahporah Masjid and Islamic Centre. It’s a successful juxtaposition of the old with the new.

At first sight, it’s hard to believe this is a place of worship. From the front, it appears to be a Georgian villa.

Step around the corner and there’s a colossal inscription advertising “John Tann’s Reliance Locks, Fire & BurglarProof Safes, Iron Doors, Rooms &c.” But look behind and you’ll find a newlybuilt mosque, picked out with white Portland stone and a giant metallic mesh.

“The pattern on the mesh was sampled from the window pattern work at the Woking mosque,” explains architect Shahed Saleem, founder and director of Makespace. “That was the first mosque built in Britain in 1889 by W I Chambers, an English architect.”

From their studio in Derbyshire Street, the Makespace team have carved 22 | East2 2014

life: FAITHFUL STORIES themselves a niche as community and mosque specialists. Shahed – who also teaches architecture at the University of Westminster and is an English Heritage Commissioner – is currently working on local projects at Sceptre Road Mosque and the Somali Community Centre on Mile End Road. Each incorporates a dynamic façade design, something of a trademark for the firm.

Back at Hackney Road, we delve for some historical background. Tann’s located here in 1814, having set up almost twenty years earlier as an iron chest manufacturer on the City fringes.

Making all manner of security devices – including gunpowder-proof locks and fixtures for Chubb – the firm prospered through several generations, until moving out to Old Ford.

Fast forward to 1996 when the Georgian building, then in a state of disrepair, was acquired by the Shahporah Masjid committee. A garden marquee was added to accommodate the growing congregation, but it was clear that a more permanent solution was needed.

Some 15 years later, and after a

fundraising campaign, the new mosque was given the go ahead.

As Shahed explains, “Anyone can build a mosque, there is no hierarchy, there isn’t an overall religious organisation, you can just have a group of people come together and decide that they want to build one.”

Many mosques are built along traditional lines but the Shahporah Masjid is modern and sleek, yet it fits in perfectly with the other buildings on the street.

Entering inside, there’s a different feel, it’s transformed into a place of worship. In the main prayer room, the carpets are aligned towards Mecca, focused upon the corner minbar from which the Imam preaches his sermons. The basement of the Georgian building incorporates a dedicated area for wudhu, the ritual ablutions required of the faithful.

And upstairs, there’s further space for prayer or community activities.

Shahed is keen to show us the slender windows giving skyline views over the neighbouring streets through the metallic fretwork. It’s a remarkable glimpse into Bethnal Green, old and new. www.makespace.co.uk

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The inside track: Bethnal Green

Art and Soul On the first Thursday each month, art galleries around Bethnal Green are abuzz; scores of studios and showrooms open up late for a free monthly art fest.

It’s a chance to chat with artists, hang out with the hip crowd, and enjoy a free beer or two as you study the artworks.

Organised under the auspices of the Whitechapel Gallery, First Thursday has become a landmark on the East End art scene. The sheer density of venues around Bethnal Green means there’s something fresh to see each month; hot spots around E2 include Cheshire, Redchurch and Vyner Streets.

During a recent First Thursday, I encountered ceramics and canvases by street artist Malarky, a group exhibition of sculptures, watercolours and oils at Espacio Gallery, subtle abstracts at Hada Contemporary, and Laura Fishman’s viscous paint pools at Degree Art. Prices span from £5 badges to sculptures in the thousands, but if money is tight you’ll still bag a free drink as you mosey around. There are free bus tours and walking tours too – see the website for details.

First Thursday, late night art in the East End 24 | East2 2014

www.firstthursday.co.uk

for free Outdoor gym at Wennington Green Forget about expensive membership fees as you head to the free open-air gym located off Roman Road. Shoot some hoops in the basketball area, or exercise on the fitness bike, chest press, cross trainer and treadmill; it’s a chance to lose a few pounds without spending any.

Roman Road and Grove Road, E3 5TG Bethnal Green Gardens and Library Sit on a park bench and watch the world go by, or nip into Bethnal Green Library to browse the bookshelves, newspapers or internet. Either way, it’s easy to spend a few hours – and no money – amusing yourself here.

Cambridge Heath Road, E2 0HL

Cycle training at BikeWorks If you live, work or study in Tower Hamlets you can get free one-to-one cycle training with a qualified instructor. From wobbly beginners to those keen to move their cycling confidence up a gear, it’s worth taking a look.

138-140 Cambridge Heath Road

life: on a budget

St Matthew’s Church St Matthew’s provides a peaceful enclave, tucked away off Bethnal Green Road; take a moment to escape the daily rush, pause and reflect. Surrounded by greenery, you’ll find a surprisingly light, bright interior – rebuilt post-Blitz within the original 1740s building – and Rev Kevin Scully is often on hand for a friendly chat.

St Matthew’s Row, E2 6DT www.st-matthews.co.uk

Regent’s Canal Forget expensive day trips away and instead navigate your way along the Regent’s Canal towpath. The ‘green corridor’ setting provides a habitat for ducks, swans, coots and cormorants, and colourfully painted narrow-boats puff out wood smoke. Follow the towpath southwards to Mile End Park, the (free) Ragged School, and Limehouse Basin, or head the other way for Victoria Park and Broadway Market.

Access points at Pritchards Road, Cambridge Heath Road, Victoria Park and Roman Road

Weavers Fields For big skies and open space, pop over to Weavers Fields – a green lung breathing fresh air into the neighbourhood.

Workout on the exercise stations around the park’s perimeter, wander through the woodland walk, and look out too for the free firework displays and other community events here.

Derbyshire Street, E2 Spitalfields Life Sign up for this free blog and every morning you’ll receive a beautifully crafted, heart-warming story about the East End. The mysterious Gentle Author has undertaken to write a daily post for 10,000 days, so your in-box will be brightened up for years to come with profiles of local traders and residents, and potted histories of East End landmarks. www.spitalfieldslife.com Action for Happiness Based at the Young Foundation, Action for Happiness brings together people from all walks of life to focus on creating a happier society. Their tenpoint plan includes ‘keep learning new things’ and ‘be comfortable with who you are’. Free online resources and budget-friendly events will help you ‘Join the movement, be the change’. www.actionforhappiness.org

East2 2014 | 25

Spooning Liz Baume meets the man causing quite a stir in Bethnal Green.

In amongst the familiar of the Hackney Road – traffic, wholesale shops and yet more traffic – lies something completely unexpected: Barn the Spoon, an intriguing name for an intriguing craft retail concept.

The ‘Barn’ is Barn Carder, a 30 year old who’s been carving wood since he was 12 and “fell in love with the material”.

And you don’t need me to tell you what he carves. So far, so Shoreditch. But Barn and his shop are very far removed from the hipster culture of East London.

First of all there’s the shop which is nothing more or less than a workshop; Barn and his apprentice sit carving

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people: BARN THE SPOON wooden spoons, the floor covered with cleansmelling wood chips and off-cuts, and with alder and sycamore trunk sections waiting their turn.

Barn gets quite a few stares from passers-by and bus passengers. He believes that, apart from the practicalities of being the best use of a small space, the fact that you actually see the spoons being made gives people an insight into the manufacturing process.

As he says, “why shouldn’t there be skilled people in shop fronts?” He might even give you a wave.

The shop is a real change for Barn who, after serving an apprenticeship to a furniture maker, spent three years living in woods and selling in markets before moving last year to Bethnal Green.

Secondly, there’s Barn himself, an affable and skilful craftsman who has a deeply-held connection and regard for the tools he uses, with the wood being “absolutely core to my life.” The shop draws in the occasional passer-by but it’s basically a destination shop for people who recognise and appreciate Barn’s values. He’s not a ‘mega business’ but someone who prefers to “hang out in the woods for weeks on end and is a strong proponent of the wood renaissance culture we’re having at the moment.”

Thirdly, and most importantly, there are the spoons themselves, often made from wood from Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park or Victoria Park. He sees spoons as “being an amazing vehicle for accessing knives and a new way for humans to engage with axes and knives. We’re not going to go back to the days when the vast majority of people had axes and knives but I’d love it to be more like knitting.

Everyone knows someone who can knit; everyone should know someone who can carve with an axe and a knife.”

Barn’s future, he hopes, lies in buying a small patch of land and selling the spoons on the internet.

“There is something really cool about running a shop but it’s the expected thing to do.” Which brings us back to where we started - the unexpected. barnthespoon.blogspot.co.uk East2 2014 | 27

Liz Baume and Jane Miller take a crafty look around Columbia Road.

The Golden Girls Based at the Sundial Centre, the Golden Girls spend their Wednesday afternoons knitting.

In their seventies, eighties and even nineties, they produce shawls, baby clothes, scarves and mobile phone covers. All the money raised in selling their beautiful knitted goods helps fund excursions for the elderly at the centre. To buy, or to join them, pop in on Wednesdays 2 – 4pm; they also welcome donations of wool.

Sundial Centre, 11 Shipton Street, E2 7RU

Milagros Linger here for hand-made Dolores Hildalgo glazed terracotta wall tiles – and a whole lot more. Myriad colour and quirky forms in handblown, recycled glass and other materials take this far beyond a tile shop. All goods are sourced from independent makers and small workshops in Mexico. Total inspiration, friendly service and ever-new stock, one visit is never enough.

61 Columbia Road, E2 7RG

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Queenie and Ted AKA Linda Gray and Kally Laurence, who specialise in upcycling pre-loved clothes through the use of applique and machine embroidery. Find a one-off piece among the dresses, skirts, jackets and knitwear, in sizes from 8 up to 18+ or bring along your own garment or fabric. Gaining in popularity with the Japanese and French, their clothes are also popular with people who have to look smart for work but want to customise their look.

53 Columbia Road, E2 7RG

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The inside track:

places: COLUMBIA ROAD

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The Future Mapping Company Here’s a different way of looking at the world… including landmass and tectonic plates in saturated colour, without a political boundary in sight. And unique Sinn-Mollweide equal area maps. And city/cycle aerials. And… all designer-led and immaculately finished. Paper or magnetic. Framed or not. In shop or online. Feast your eyes.

148A Columbia Road, E2 6QQ

Kay Symons For ‘Saddlery & Leatherwork’ read stunning, hand-crafted leather bags, belts and accessories with fine attention to detail. Kay’s studio and shop are both tucked away upstairs. and the aroma of tanned leather will lure you in.

144 Columbia Road (1st floor), E2 7RG

Beyond Fabrics The craft of patchworking and quilting is the core of this specialist shop run by Eduardo Hirschfeld and Silvana Brasil. Stock ranges from kits for beginners to contemporary and retro fabrics and examples of quilts made by Eduardo and Silvana. They also run classes, including how to use a sewing machine for beginners; making your own lampshade; and, of course, quilting and patchwork.

67 Columbia Road, E2 7RG

Angela Flanders Find natural ingredients in alluring bottles and jars at this exclusive perfumery dedicated to the creation of individual fragrances.

You’ll find scent food for body and home in this Aladdin’s Cave of quiet intoxication.

96 Columbia Road, E2 7QB East2 2014 | 29

Bethnal Green: the old champ of boxing..

Matthew Shelley gets a round of reality when he drops by the famous Repton Boxing Club.

The grand Victorian Bath House peering down on me, I turn into a small alleyway just off Cheshire Street, dark and jarringly secluded at 5.15 on a Friday evening. The door, black and half open with specks of paint peeling off and the renowned Gary Barker’s name stretched out above, leads into a dank hallway.

Inside, ashen, once cream-coloured, ceramic tiles appear to be falling off the walls. A humid air sweeps a gymnasium filled with the odour of sweat and the rhythm of East End aggression. A pair of stony-faced trainers, eyes overwrought with suspicion, guard the main ring whilst sussing out this interloper.

Welcome to the Repton Boxing Club.

“Don’t talk bollocks, d’ya wanna box or what?” Head coach, Tony Burns, speaks with a thick rasp and signals for an additional pair of gloves.

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Amidst the sound of competitive jousting and cockney camaraderie lies an historic boys’ club.

Justifiably claiming to be “the most famous boxing club in the UK” and “very much part of its original Bethnal Green roots”, the Repton has trained names as far ranging as Maurice Hope, Audley Harrison, Ray Winstone and the Kray twins down the years. Indeed, it has been no stranger to world champions.

Set up to help the poor and needy of the East End in 1884 by a public school in Derbyshire – from which it takes its name – the Repton is a picture of time frozen. The boys of its current junior team are clad in grey tracksuits, electric in their brashness and cutting humour; it’s an eerie echo of the area’s past.

A second trainer jabs a young protégé with some words of wisdom: “You keep going and you can knock them all out, mate. But don’t you dare fuck around.”

‘No guts. No glory.’

life: SPORTING STORIES

. . .the new face of tennis

Liz Baume discovers a sporting success story well away from the manicured lawns of Wimbledon.

Critics might be out about the effect the Olympics had on increased participation in sport but there is no doubting the exponential rise in popularity of tennis in Bethnal Green.

being used by players who have booked ahead and paid £6 for the court. But Peter is adamant that the booking system is an integral part of the increased popularity of tennis in the borough.

Run by Tower Hamlets Tennis, a social enterprise, 6,000 people booked courts in the 18 months after the courts (in Victoria Park, Bethnal Green Gardens, King Edward Memorial Park and Poplar Rec) were refurbished in spring 2012.

“Booking absolutely raises participation; we have the figures to prove the link”, he explains. “Many people are too busy to want to turn up on spec in the hope there might be a court. And the revenue raised allows us to offer an hour of tennis for children for £2. We’ve had more than a thousand kids attending courses and taster sessions.”

“We’re local, inclusive tennis,” says Peter Smith, one of two voluntary directors of Tower Hamlets Tennis, who volunteered his business and marketing skills to help run tennis in the borough with the aim of “reducing delivery costs so that tennis can remain accessible in London’s poorest borough.”

The only controversial aspect of this success story was the introduction of a booking system for courts. Although in theory you can just turn up and play, you’ll only be able to do so if a court is not

Plans for the future include adding four more local students to the volunteering and coaching programme; increasing the number of courts in the borough; and installing a hitting wall in Victoria Park. It’s the new face of tennis in Bethnal Green. www.reptonboxingclub.com www.towerhamletstennis.org.uk East2 2014 | 31

Pulling out all the stops In an old school building, tucked beside St Peter’s church, nestles the wonderful world of Mander Organs.

Fatima Ali and Eve Rozmus tune in.

When first established in 1946, Mander Organs worked with the Diocese of Westminster to restore and return organs back in to churches after the war.

Since then, their workshop building has changed little and stills feels like a long gone village school, belying the intense and concentrated work that has taken place here for the past 68 years.

Upon entering we lose a sense of time and place. It’s a chance to witness intensive craftsmanship being carried out, almost meditatively, in each room, by hands that chisel, hone and shape on instinct. Throughout the hush of the carpeted corridors the smell of wood 32 | East2 2014

pervades, reassures and seduces so much that we feel compelled to visit a church to listen to an organ in its natural setting.

The son of the founder, John Mander tells us more about this unique family business.

How did the Mander family become involved in organ making?

My father’s mother was an organist and family legend has it that we are descended from George Biking.

I became managing director when my father retired, having served my apprenticeship in Hamburg.

What is your greatest achievement?

An interesting one. St Ignatious Loyola, a Jesuit church in New York. It is the largest mechanical organ a British company has ever produced – that was very much a technical challenge – and based on a 19th century Romantic organ.

life: TRADING STORIES

What are your current projects?

We have just finished an organ for an Anglican church in Japan and are currently restoring a couple of organs in the UK. Depending on the size, it takes one to one and a half years to make an organ.

What makes a good organ builder?

combination of skills – such as metal work, wood work, pipe-making and the ability to fuse all of these skills together to produce the final product.

Apprenticeship is the best option; it takes three years of training to become an organ builder. www.mander-organs.com

No two organs are the same. A good organ builder brings together a

East2 2014 | 33

! p u pop

Data lley and e h S w e . Matth into town s e m a n the big shipping is k r a p Box

The concept Having popped up in 2011, Boxpark is a five year project, one of the first of its kind, which aims to support small businesses whilst complementing the surrounding areas of Shoreditch and Bethnal Green.

We’re welcomed into a quirky office based in one of the many shipping containers, from which Boxpark is constructed. We pull out a long, wooden bench to speak to Karen Turner, Marketing and PR Assistant.

Sporting a cool scarf acquired in the mall itself, Karen has a fresh and relaxed manner, much a reflection of Boxpark’s opening agenda.

“It’s a really good mix… you’ve got the more established brands sitting alongside some really exciting, relatively unknown brands. The

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criterion is we just want something that’s different, something that’s engaging, something that a Boxpark customer will like. Brands that are doing a lot with not that much money.”

At £5,000 for three months, or £20,000 for a year’s rental, locating at Boxpark is not cheap. But in the context of London, and for experimentation purposes, there is definitely a strong appeal here. The success reported by staff in all of the shops we visited is testament to this and the opportunity for a short-term experiment means that many small, independent groups can try it out with the option of extending their lease once the initial three-month period is up.

As Karen exclaims, “It’s all really new to everyone. I’ve never worked on a project like this before…no one has!”

estigate.

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places: BOXPARK

The shops Stroll down Bethnal Green Road and you’ll be lucky to find a single, wellknown clothing brand until you reach this mall, right on the fringes of Shoreditch. With a range spanning the globe’s biggest brands (Nike, Puma), established names without another base in London (Farah) and new, independent stores (Urbanears, Tush, Egon), Boxpark appeals to a market barely touched in Bethnal Green.

However, Boxpark is not dominated by big names and thus feels far less commercial than Westfield in Stratford, say. Brands such as Farah and Onepiece might be less familiar, catering to a more specialised market than the big, brash labels. Yes, Nike, Puma and Samsung do make an appearance but you are unlikely to ever find a TopShop or Primark here.

Indeed, the Boxpark shops try their hardest to offer something different and to blend in with the quirky crowd.

“Farah is absolutely Shoreditch” asserts a staff member. What’s more, Nike has carefully selected a very particular range of trainers to offer here so that they offer apparently more than sportswear.

Fusing designer branding with a sense of autonomy, the products you might pick up at Boxpark feel newer and smarter than anything from the vintage shops down the road, but remain sufficiently unique to make a Shoreditch statement. www.boxpark.co.uk

East2 2014 | 35

The inside track:

Maison Trois Garcons This stylish lifestyle café has refreshments as original as its eclectic stock of furniture, home accessories and original gifts. Teas, coffees, fresh cordials, pastries, great cakes and deli items.

Just browsing is pretty wild, too.

45 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ

SHOREDITCH HIGH ST

Jane Miller samples a taste of Brick Lane culture.

Rich Mix Check in here for live music, film, dance, theatre, comedy, spoken word and endless creative activities for people of all ages. It’s home to 20 social enterprises and has gallery space, a bar, cafe and wifi.

35-47 Bethnal Green Road E1 6LA

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The Old Truman Brewery Enjoy exclusively independent shops and bustling markets? Setting up a creative business? Want to rent an exhibition space (or see what’s in one)? The 18th century Black Eagle Brewery is now a sprawling mix of many things, with a bohemian buzz.

91 Brick Lane, E1 6QL

Taj Stores Look no further for authentic Indian, Bangladeshi and Pakistani ingredients.

Spices, seeds, nuts, grains and lentils of every description. You’ll find Halal meats, frozen foods and an extensive range of fresh produce, including some more exotic fruits-n-veg, all reasonably priced.

112 Brick Lane, E1 6RL

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places: BRICK LANE

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Beigel Shop and Beigel Bake Billed as the oldest and best beigel shops in London, these rival 24/7 bakeries produce thousands of beigels a day.

Hearty hot salt beef and other delicious kosher fillings. Stacks of overflowing pastries and fresh-baked bread.

155 and 159 Brick Lane, E1 6SB

CHESHIRE ST

HANBURY STREET

The Brick Lane Gallery Opened in 2006, this contemporary gallery makes a point of supporting new or unrepresented artists – both local and international. Its two-week exhibitions offer ever-changing opportunities for artists and buyers alike.

196 Brick Lane, E1 6SA

Brick Lane Bookshop A hero’s approach to events and writers’ groups, independent publishers, schools and outreach. Next-day orders or elusive items are sourced with a smile. Unwind in this Aladdin’s Cave of books and other treats; resist if you can.

166 Brick Lane, E1 6RU

Atlantis Students and artists may already be regular customers at Atlantis, but here’s a warehouse of goodies to spark any creative’s imagination.

68-80 Hanbury Street, E1 5JL

East2 2014 | 37

nd i h Be e th … nes e c s

Urban oasis Karen Fitzpatrick gets a backstage tour of Spitalfields City Farm – and meets one of the luckiest cows in the world.

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eymour the cow is a ham. He’s clearly enjoying himself as he uses his muzzle to nudge a big blue bucket around his enclosure trotting after it like a frisky colt. Seymour is one lucky young steer growing up on Spitalfields City Farm, a wondrous two-acre urban oasis just east of Brick Lane. While Seymour is the star of the show it is rather the hard work of Mhairi Weir and her staff that gives Seymour something to star in.

Mhairi, the manager of the farm and Rosanna Leal who heads up events are keen to convey all the learning opportunities that the farm offers to the local community: “It’s everybody’s farm, it’s a shared space’ says Mhairi. There’s the large community garden, family DIY days, children’s clubs and much more - including a whole calendar of innovative special events drawing people from every walk of life.

Two of the most popular days are the Goat Race, held on the same day as the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, and the Chilli Festival.

Last year’s debut of the Chilli Festival saw 3,500 people enjoying stall after stall of delicious chilli dishes, culminating in the Chilli cook-offs. Local restaurants provided some of their best dishes, including Shanaz Khan from the Chaat Cafe who told us, “Well into the night, I was running back and forth to the farm from my kitchen to keep up with the demand!”

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places: SPITALFIELDS City Farm

It might come as a surprise for anyone riding by on the London Overground train to learn that the thriving farm spread out below them was once a giant slum and a disused rail depot.

Zimbabwean, Turkish, French and Bengali local communities come to grow vegetables, many of them from their native lands. “They come to share their knowledge and celebrate the space that Spitalfields Farm offers them,” says Mhairi.

While the farm is not strictly organic, having been built on waste ground, the vegetables are grown in raised beds and the farm is pesticide-free.

An urban farm of happy, healthy animals, abundant vegetation, a community centre rich in diversity and innovative ideas and a staff whose devotion to the land’s rural roots is clear to see. The farm’s no-slaughter policy means that Seymour is ensured a long and happy life. Looking further to the future, Mhairi encourages anyone with a good idea to come and discuss it with her. She says, “I can see this place flourishing for at least the next 35 years.” www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org East2 2014 | 39

TEA & A chAat

On Redchurch Street, Shanaz Khan’s tearoom provides Bangladeshi home cooking. Eve Rozmus gets a taste.

How long have you lived in the East End?

I have lived here for the past 13 years, I married a local East End boy.

Where did you learn to cook?

I come from a family of cooks – my grandma down to my aunts – and I was

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basically brought up in a curry house.

I used to experiment with things, ask family members for recipes. I’m a bit of a fraud, I learnt on the job if I’m honest.

Why did you go into the restaurant business?

I’ve always been passionate about cooking, always knew about food - it allows me to tap in to my creative side.

I used to run restaurants for Giraffe; at the time only five or six were open.

I got to understand the business side which is a really important learning experience. Then I decided to work for myself and I opened Chaat in 2007.

people: SHANAZ KHAN What advice can you give to anyone starting a business?

Lots of people gave me advice and I think 80-90% was advice I should have ignored. Just stick to your own instincts.

What made you choose Redchurch Street?

This area use to be my stomping ground and my cut through to Brick Lane and Hoxton. I had a friend in Redchurch St. and she mentioned that there was a cafe available.

What food do you provide?

Bangladeshi home cooking. I take inspiration from my culture. The food is a lot lighter and fresher than regular curries. We were brought up to share our food; dishes are laid out on the table, sometimes still in the pan it was cooked in, both my mum and aunts would compare recipes. I try to emulate that family experience by offering dishes like a meze, which we do at home.

EAST END TRADES GUILD “the beating heart of the East End” In addition to running her business Shanaz is a regular spokesperson for the East End Trades Guild.

Set up in 2012 by Chrissy Nicolson, the East End Trades Guild is a co-operative with over 200 members that helps small independent traders across Tower Hamlets, Hackney and other parts of the East End work together to tackle issues that threaten their survival, such as soaring rents and incoming big businesses.

Arguing that the colourful variety of small local traders is part of what makes the East End such an appealing place to live and work, the Guild allows small traders to discuss the challenges together – and have a say in their future. www.eastendtradesguild.org.uk

What are the most important ingredients in Bandladeshi food?

Love and passion. Healthy ingredients: root vegetables and freshwater fish, ginger and garlic, no ghee.

Is the food sourced locally?

Yes, in Bethnal Green. I am quite lucky I can pick up my fish and vegetables locally. I can get my Halal meat from the local butchers shop too. I also employ local people. www.chaatlondon.co.uk East2 2014 | 41

40 years ago, old and unloved clothes were sold from the pavements around Brick Lane; today, vintage shops in the area reflect a changing retail environment. Liz Baume investigates.

If your idea of vintage heaven is scooping up cheap and cheerful clothes, maybe for that Seventies themed party on Saturday, look away now.

If, however, your idea of retail therapy is Cos in Westfield, with everything beautifully presented, knowledgeable but not pushy staff, and high quality merchandise at reasonable prices – then House of Vintage in Cheshire Street will be paradise.

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Managed by 30 year old Canadian Marcia Cooper, the shop illustrates how far the vintage market has moved on: in the 1970s vintage buyers from other parts of the country would buy clothes from the pavements in Brick Lane to take back and sell in their own shops and stalls.

Now House of Vintage customers, both national and international, follow the stock arriving – and departing – on Instagram, Facebook and in its online shop being launched shortly.

life: VINTAGE STORIES One of at least a dozen vintage shops in the Brick Lane area, House of Vintage has been open as a vintage boutique for three years. Specialising in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s (but not excluding other decades), almost all of the stock is from North America.

All the clothes are hand-picked, and they’re often hand-made. “We have another brach in Toronto, but the London market is very different to Canada. Toronto is very similar to New York, very rock-and-roll, a little bit more sloppy in a chic, rock-and-roll way and they’re really into the 60s, 70s and 80s,” says Marcia.

“In the UK, people really appreciate and understand the history behind the garment, whether it’s from the 20s or the 50s. They’re also more tailored: as gorgeous as the 1940s women’s tailored blazers are, they would sit on the shelf in Canada - here they fly out of the shop. The clothes are beautifully made, and hard to find, especially the men’s wear which is often very rare. It suits the more eclectic style of the English.”

“As we sell the items that are harder to find, we treat it accordingly,” explains Marcia. “You need to clean it, you might need to mend it and you present it with the attention it deserves.”

It’s all a long way from the pavement selling of the 70s. And expect the retail evolution to continue: this year sees House of Vintage’s vintage bridal shop and high-end designer boutique on the corner of Old Street and Shoreditch High Street, this time exclusively for women and by appointment only. The only pavement to be seen will be through the shop window. www.houseofvintageuk.com East2 2014 | 43

Not just Warren Dent, curator at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, balances a little suave with much exotic, as Jane Miller finds out.

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places: BETHNAL GREEN WMC

for working men Established in 1954, Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club in Pollard Row has become popularly known for its iconic Banksy artwork - a protest to double-yellows outside. But there’s an alternative protest happening in the building’s tardis like core, where stage performances and other events are predictably unpredictable.

BGWMC’s first-floor venue features everything from poetry to cabaret, philosophy to exotic. Recently, a 35-piece orchestra; another week, Bike Smut (already a passing phase?).

Burlesque may be shockingly old hat; taxidermy’s had its day; will Sink the Pink, tranny or ballet be the new big thing? It’s in the wings.

I meet Warren in Wong’s Happiness Diner on the top floor. It’s a pilot collaboration with Kitchenette, offering young, talented chefs a chance to run their own business. “They were looking for a space, so we teamed up,” explains Warren. The Wongs have a 3-month stint at running their restaurant. Others may follow.

In terms of risk and originality, Warren’s ‘teamed up’ approach reflects a firmly established model for the first floor club venue: trial and error, adjust to succeed, and support authentic new acts. “Bob Monkhouse and Bruce Forsyth started in working men’s clubs,” observes Warren. “Life’s about people.”

“We pride ourselves on finding different and

interesting things, and I think we’ve actually changed the London scene by doing that. The whole cabaret thing’s developed here.”

For Warren, authenticity is paramount – so he’s wary of copycat acts that social media may encourage, although Facebook ‘liking’ of BGWMC events is clearly good for a venue that’s off the beaten track. And how could anyone not comment on “…amazing costumes, brightness, colour, glitter!” As Warren says, “You notice those elements.”

And so they draw them in. “It works as a team. You know there’s an opportunity for you – there’s a space here… and we let you rehearse for free”. There’s that ‘team’ word again. “Originally, working men’s clubs were about education… now, everything we’re trying to do is as a supported community thing – like the restaurant upstairs.”

It’s all about risk, encouragement - and giving talented people a chance. www.workersplaytime.net

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Capturing the Inside Stories of Bethnal Green As a group of local residents, we ventured out from Oxford House in late 2013 to try our hand at community journalism.

This Insiders’ Guide brings together a selection of our discoveries.

Some of us were first-time reporters, others more experienced. Together, we met foodies and fashion experts, urban farmers and organ builders. Each had their story to tell, a reflection of life in Bethnal Green.

We’d like to thank all of our interviewees, the Oxford House team, Paul Lindt at Academy Design, and others who supported us along the way.

Thanks too to Awards for All for making the project possible.

Graham Barker, Una Purdie and Penny Atkinson Project coordinators

MEET OUR ROVING REPORTERS

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Top row: Eve Rozmus, Data Green, Jane Miller Middle: Liz Baume, Karen Fitzpatrick, Sophia Parveen Bottom: Fatima Ali, Matthew Shelley

our project photographers

From the top: Julia Yeo, Alan Drew, Christine Hall

Photo credits Alan Drew (pages 6-7, 16, 22-23, 24-25, 28, 38-39, 44-45, 46-47), Christine Hall (pages 13, 32-33, 36-37) and Julia Yeo (pages 4-5, 8-9, 10-11, 15, 18, 20, 26-27, 34-35, 40-41, 42-43, 46-47).

Thanks also to Natalie Clarke (front cover), Truman’s (page 13), Sean Pines (page 14), Sarah Ainslie (pages 16-17), Mike Askew (page 18), East End WI (page 18), Columbia Road traders (pages 28-29).

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