Urban Fox - January 2020

TA L E S F R O M S O U T H L O N D O N January 2020

Issue 6

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January 2020

Issue 6

TA L E S F R O M S O U T H L O N D O N

The big cheese

Three decades of Bhanuprasad Rao’s Lordship Lane institution

HideawayLambethWE13DEC.qxp_Layout 1 11/12/2019 20:20 Page 1

HIDEAWAY

THE SOUL OF LIVE MUSIC IN THE HEART OF SOUTH LONDON

HIL ST SOUL

MAD PROFESSOR

The stunning neo-soul and jazz grooves of the wonderful Hil St Soul return to Hideaway for two nights.

“One of the UK’s most quietly-consistent soul music exports to the US” Blues & Soul Magazine

The dub legend celebrates forty years of mixing and producing some of the classic albums of the genre with this exclusive show.

The Professor will be joined on stage by a full live band as he live mixes classic dub cuts from his vast archive.

FRIDAY 10th & SATURDAY 11th JANUARY

SATURDAY 15th FEBRUARY

THE JONES GIRLS FRIDAY 21st & SATURDAY 22nd FEBRUARY

DON-E SATURDAY 29th FEBRUARY

FOR OUR FULL EVENT LISTINGS, TICKET BOOKINGS AND OUR GREAT OPTIONS FOR HOSTING PRIVATE EVENTS AND PARTIES, PLEASE VISIT:

GENERATIONS featuring FRED WESLEY SATURDAY 14th MARCH

www.hideawaylive.co.uk 020 8835 7070 Hideaway, 2 Empire Mews, Streatham, London SW16 2BF

12-13: Still Bhanuprasad from the Block

19-30: 2020 Vision: planning the year ahead

Editor’s Letter Laura Burgoine

W

elcome to the January edition of the Urban Fox, our monthly love letter to south London.

Locals Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn have

been at the helm of London’s last paid-for independent local paper, the Southwark News, since 2002. The Fox is their latest creation.

In this issue, Cara Cummings talks to the Extinction Rebellion co-founder Clare Farrell (from Peckham Rye) about the urgency of taking action to address the global climate crisis. We stroll down Lordship Lane to meet Bhanuprasad from the [Cheese] Block. And we start the New Year with a fresh look at health, wellbeing and decluttering, and goal-setting.

As always, we go out on the town with Brixton Buzz’s

7-8: Meet the climate change activist: Extinction Rebellion co-founder from Peckham

Mike Urban, into the garden with Jackie Power, and into the deep recesses of our minds with life coach Carrie Brooks.

5 Home Secretary: Our curated pick of the month

Follow the Fox as we bring you all the latest stories and 7 Local Faces: Rebel with a cause Clare Farrell goings on around town.

About us Editor Writer Cover Photography Marketing

Laura Burgoine Cara Cummings Hakob Muradyan Tammy Jukes, Clarry Frewin, Lorraine Wood, Katie Boyd, Samantha Ratcliffe

Media Partnerships Anthony Phillips Design Aurelio Medina, Ann Gravesen Finance Emrah Zeki Managing Directors Chris Mullany, Kevin Quinn Contact us Email enquiries@urbanfox.london Phone 020 7231 5258 Printed by Iliffe Print Published by Southwark Newspaper Ltd

11 South London Larder: Food news, cheese and bread

16 South London Hemisphere: Greenwich astronomer looks at the solar system

19 2020 Vision: Your guide to the new year

20 Wellbeing: A wholesome approach to resolutions

30 Family: January fun with the kids

36 Home Turf: Jackie Power prepares for the next season

37 Homeward bound: Property, homes and gardens Our next issue hits the streets in February. Contact us to get involved: enquiries@urbanfox.london or 0207 232 1639

START THE DECADE RIGHT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS GO TO THE CINEMA MORE OFTEN Come and catch all the Oscar favourites, latest blockbusters, gripping documentaries, the best of independent cinema and even National Theatre live specials!

VEGANUARY/DRY JANUARY amazing vegan options all year delicious selection of mocktails and alcohol free beers.

Cheers to that!

SUPPORT INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES MORE Catford Mews is home to 5 local food vendors; Daun’s Deli, Fuse, and Patty Man. world right on your doorstep!

LAUGH MORE! After the roaring success of last we will be hosting it every month.

Join us on January 9th at 7.30PM Tickets £5

32 Winslade Way SE6 4JU Catford.

Find us by the iconic big black cat in the Catford Centre.

Home Secretary

The local line-up for your diary VAULT Festival returns for the sixth time this month - and promises to be the biggest extravaganza of theatre, cabaret, comedy and late-night parties yet. With a focus on new and emerging talent, it’s your chance to say “I saw them before they were famous, in a tunnel underneath Waterloo.”

28 Jan-22 March, various venues. www.vaultfestival.com

Music fans: head to The Honor Oak pub in Forest Hill, where Sundays are now dedicated to all-thingstunes. Expect live music on the 4th, open mic performers on the 11th, a music quiz on the 18th and an evening of spoken word on the 25th.

1 St. German’s Road, SE23 1RH.

Vault Festival

Shimmy into a new decade with weekly dance classes at Balham stalwart The Bedford. With salsa on Mondays and lindy hop - the original swing jive - taking over the ballroom on Tuesdays, there’s never been a better time to dust off your dancing shoes.

There’s still time to catch Rob da Bank’s spectacular Travelling Circus at Mercato Metropolitano, with it’s wow-inducing, fairylit lineup of live music and elite circus performers. But be quick, because come February, the world’s smallest festival moves on…

77 Bedford Hill, SW12 9HD. £8-£12. www.thebedford.com

What’s not being said about Peckham? That’s the question young creatives aged 14-20 with a connection to the area have been challenged to answer for a new exhibition at the South London Gallery Fire Station.

Check out works inspired by the question from 22-29 January.

42 Newington Causeway, SE1 6DR. From £22.15.

Travelling Circus

Kickstart the new year with a new hobby courtesy of Dulwich’s Bell House, whose January programme of events covers everything from pattern cutting for beginners, to kimchi fermentation workshops and practical sessions on how to use Instagram for business.

82 Peckham Road, SE5 8PS. Free.

The Brixton 10K is back on Sunday 26th, with 600 runners already signed up to pound round Brockwell Park. With panoramic views across London from the top of the route, it’s ideal for seasoned sprinters and New Year resolution-ers alike.

Sunday 26 Jan, 9.30am. £22. www.runthrough.co.uk

Various dates. 27 College Road, Dulwich, SE21 7BG. www.bellhouse.co.uk/allevents

Bell House

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Read more at brixtonbuzz.com

SOUTH LONDON SOUNDS DJ, Brixton Buzz/Urban75 founder, drummer and Dulwich Hamlet die-hard Mike Urban shares his selection of south London sounds Fri 3rd Jan, SW2 Riot Jazz at Blues Kitchen 40 Acre Lane, Brixton, SW2 5SP, 9pm-2.30am, £6 Billed as a “9-piece northern powerhouse of brassy joy,” Riot Jazz will be huffin’ and puffin’ up a gusset-ripping storm of dancefloor bangers, ranging from funk to pop, jazz to soul and reggae to drum’n’bass. Shimmy up to the stage in the small hours will be resident band Atlantic Soul Orchestra, with the house DJ spinning vintage dance sounds ‘til the lights come up.

Fri 10th Jan, SW9 David Bowie 1970s Brixton Party Night at the Dogstar

89 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-1am, Free It’s a no-holds celebration of alespillking, arm-flapping, roar-along pop anthems at this hugely popular night set in a former Conserva-spit! club. Expect anything from The Cure to Katy Perry to Green Day.

Dogstar, 389 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, 9pm-1am, £6 Here’s another chance to drink, dance and celebrate Brixton’s favourite son, the magnificent David Bowie, with this special night at the Brixton Dogstar, with all profits going to local charities. Focussing on Bowie’s incredibly prolific 1970s period, DJs will be playing his monster hits, great album tracks and some notable obscurities, as well as mixing in tracks from some of his musical influences and the artists he inspired (Velvet Underground, Mott The Hoople, Chic, Kraftwerk etc). There will also be videos, slideshows and a Bowie makeup artist. Fans are invited to dress up in the Bowie look of their choice, with free shots dished out to the best efforts. This show sells out every year so bag your tickets quickly!

Sat 4th Jan, SW9 Hip Hop at the Phonox

Fri 10th Jan, SW11 Friday Night at the Clapham Grand

418 Brixton Rd, Brixton, SW9 7AY, 9pm-3am, £10 Apparently “embodying London’s forward thinking approach to music,” resident DJs Skinny Macho, Tommy Gold, Bossy LDN and P-Rallel wheel in their brand of cutting edge hip hop, with guest spots from fast rising South London rapper, Scuti, radio host JD Reid and Theo Motive.

21-25 St John's Hill, Clapham, SW11 1TT, 9pm-2am, £10 Get ready to sweep, strut and sashay in the direction of the dancefloor and jiggle your vertebrae to an uncomplicated amalgam of crowd-pleasing party classics, with resident DJs spinning Hip-Hop to House, Disco to R&B.

Sat 4th Jan, SW2 Ese & the Vooduu People Upstairs at the Ritzy

79 Gipsy Hill, Upper Norwood, SE19 1QH, 8pm-1am, free Live music night at this recently refurbished pub formerly known as the Gypsy Hill Tavern. Now part of the same group who run the Great North Wood in West Norwood, the swishified boozer offers a bigger menu, a decent selection of grog and a blooming massive back garden. ‘Frizzante Friday’ dispenses cheap plonk with a DJ pouring old skool, garage, funky house, RnB and floorfillers.

Fri 3rd Jan, SW2 Brixton Buzz party night at the Effra Social

Brixton Oval, Brixton, SW2 1JG, 8pm-1am, free South Londoner and Brixton Buzz favourite, Ese Okorodudu learnt her craft busking on the mean streets of Brixton, where she fine-tuned her punchy and original rock/blues sound inspired by acts such as Jimi Hendrix, Amy Winehouse and The Isley Brothers.

Be sure to catch her at this free show!

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Fri 10th Jan, SE19 DJ Night at the Great Southern

Sat 11th Jan, SW9 Burlesque at Courtesan

Fri 17th Jan, SW2 Gruppo Lokito at Hootananny

69-73 Atlantic Road, Brixton SW9 8PU, 10pm, Free Tucked away in Atlantic Road, Courtesan’s striking interior recalls a backstreet Shanghai bar from the 1920s. Serving as a dim sum restaurant during the day, the venue transforms into an artistic speakeasy at night, hosting cabaret, live music, and a club night, with Felicity Furore your exotic entertainer for the night. We suspect that’s not her real name.

95 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-3am, £5 Movimientos returns to Hoot with big band outfit Grupo Lokito hauling in their bag of blistering Congolese grooves and outlandish Latin dance moves.

Nine-strong support, the Voodoo Brass Band, mash up New Orleans and modern styles, with DJ Zooverano thumping out the Latin bangers on the decks.

Sat 11th Jan, SE15 Dusty Groove at Canavan's Peckham Pool Club

Royal Vauxhall Tavern, 372 Kennington Lane, SE11 5HY, 9pm-4am, £8 Hosted by the effervescent Amy Lamé, this packed night mashes up indie/pop dance with weird and wonderful cabaret acts. Taking to the stage tonight is Thick and Tight and the Mystical Femmes.

188 Rye Lane, Peckham, SE15 4NF, 10pm-4am, £7 Dennis Ayler and Lewis J. Force from Sounds of the Universe sonically dovetail with house-loving resident DJs in this splendid pool hall-cum-bar in downtown Peckham. Get there before 11pm and you can gorge yourself silly on £3 pints and £2 shots. Waheey!

Sat 11th Jan, SW9 Hackney Colliery Band at at JAMM 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LH, 10pm-4am, £13.45 Brick City Funk host this Funk, Soul & Disco special headlined by the Hackney Colliery Band backed by DJs keeping the dancefloor moist till close.

Fri 17th Jan, SE27 Alt Burns Night Ceilidh at Portico Gallery 23A Knight's Hill, West Norwood, SE27 0HS, 7pm-11pm, £12 Kilt raising capers abound at this former music hall where Charlie Chaplin once performed. As it’s a Burns Night special, there will be dancing, pipes, haggis, neaps, tatties and much whisky golloping, with The Ceilidh Tree gang providing the stomping fiddles, accordion and expert caller shouting out the dance moves. Expect all the classic dances including Dashing White Sergeant, Gay Gordons and Strip The Willow, plus some raucous new ones to help you “get your reel on,” whatever that means.

Fri 17th Jan, SW2 Pop Party Night at the Effra Social 89 Effra Road, Brixton, SW2 1DF, 9pm-1am, free It’s the biggest pop party in town as well-oiled DJs rev up the decks with floor-crunching party anthems and arm-waving bangers till 1am, backed by amusingly odd dance visuals. Expect dancefloor mayhem to a fun soundtrack of Cyndi Lauper, Beyonce, Bon Jovi, A-Ha, Fleetwood Mac, Cher, Dolly, Whitney, Queen, Bowie, Madonna and more.

Sat 18th Jan, SE11 Cabaret and DJs at Duckie

Sat 25th Jan, SW9 The Big Disco at JAMM 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, SW9 6LH, 10pm-4am, £15 Announced as an “outrageous, glittering dance encompassing disco, house and everything in between,” The Big Disco returns to JAMM to throw down a glitterball-fuelled feisty set of disco and house, courtesy of the Crazy P Soundsystem.

Fri 31st Jan, SW9 Funk & Swing at Cafe Cairo 88 Landor Road, SW9 9PE, 9pm-2am, £5 With its futuristic electric dancefloor, magic tent and abundance of fascinating curiosities across multiple levels, stumbling into Cafe Cairo is like finding an undiscovered corner of a festival. Expect a friendly crowd with the bijou dancefloor recoiling and rebounding to a toe-tapping onslaught of funky bass and psychedelic swing.

Fri 31st Jan, SE5 Bassology at The Old Dispensary 325 Camberwell New Road, Camberwell, SE5 0TF, 9pm-2am, free This monthly bass-worshipping night in our favourite Camberwell boozer sees DJ Tony Moody Boyz Thorpe and guests throw down a lager oscillating mix of Jungle DnB and garage till close.

Fri 31st Jan, SW16 DJ at Pratts & Payne 103 Streatham High Road, SW16 1HJ, 9pm-2am, Free Named after the two most memorable landmarks from Streathams past; the now destroyed Pratts department store and Luncheon Voucheraccepting Madame Cynthia Payne, Pratts & Payne hosts live bands and DJs every Friday night.

Local Faces

“WHAT CAN PEOPLE DO ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? BE IN OPEN REBELLION AGAINST THE STATE.” Cara Cummings meets the Extinction Rebellion co-founder from Peckham Rye

I

t’s no surprise Clare Farrell describes the last eighteen months as “a bit of a whirlwind”. Since Extinction Rebellion launched in October 2018, its activists have brought London to a standstill, twice; blocked roads, ports and runways across the UK; poured fake blood over Downing Street, gone on mass hunger strike and glued themselves to planes, trains, and even the House of Commons viewing gallery - naked to demand action on climate change.

And that’s just in this country.

The movement’s headline-grabbing, non-violent tactics have brought the climate crisis to national attention and ensured it stays there. Clare didn’t predict XR’s rapid rise - “Did I expect it take off to this extent? No, of course not!”

- but its pacey expansion reflects the severity of the crisis at hand.

“If we don’t do anything,” she explains, “we’re committed to a 3-4 degree warmer world by the end of the century at a minimum.

It’s questionable whether human

beings can adapt to even two or three degrees, especially at the pace it’s going to come. Some think we’ll hit 1.5 this coming decade, which is supposed to be the limit. You can’t just press a button and go ‘oh s**t, we’re there now, turn it off’”.

The straight-talking former fashion designer doesn’t mince her words on what a warmer world could entail. “Potentially big sea level rises - by 2050, loads of London underwater. Loads of where I grew up in the north east underwater. A Welsh coastal village, Fairbourne,

is being decommissioned already.

The World Bank said that 140 million people could be displaced by mid-century. People are going to lose their homes in Brighton, in Hull, in Plymouth. Where the f*** are they going to go?

“There’ll be no business continuity, no predictable weather. Roger [Hallam, XR co-founder] has been criticised for saying that six billion people will die this century. That’s an atrocity worse than anything in human history. The lowest estimate I’ve heard from scientists is about 4 billion. Look at South Africa right now: the drought that’s there [the worst in 100 years] is destroying people’s homes, livelihoods, crops. I saw a message that said people are drinking out of animal troughs and shooting each other over access to water. That’s now.

“I think in ten years’ time, people are going to look back at this moment and think: why weren’t millions of us in the street demanding that something happens?”

Continues overleaf

URBAN FOX 9

Local Faces

““

Read about it.

Stare it in the face.

Get upset - then dry your eyes and get organised

10 URBAN FOX

Clare went through that thought process - “the ‘dark night of the soul’ when we realise we’re totally f**ked” - before co-founding XR with fellow activists. “I felt like an insane person,” she explains, “because the rest of the world was acting like this isn’t real. That’s the pain of living in a system that doesn’t want to change: you can see what’s coming down the road and there’s no collective response. To meet people and start doing action was cathartic; a way of doing the right thing, resisting what is morally unacceptable for me.”

Disruption-focused tactics have earnt XR a notorious reputation and exposed the movement to significant criticism. But for Clare, it’s a necessary evil. “Unless you create significant disruption, nothing changes,” she says. “Two million people marched against the war in Iraq. It’s been super disheartening for a whole generation of activists to live with that level of mobilisation being completely ignored.”

Not that XR’s strategy is always easy to action.

“Getting nicked is frightening,” Clare admits, “But when you’re sat in a police cell it’s like: what else can I do? It feels like something, when the world is doing nothing.”

XR has also been accused of lacking empathy for society’s least well off, following a disastrous rush hour tube protest at Canning Town. “There’s a conversation to be had about whether we’ve tried hard enough to do outreach in London,” says Clare. “The low-hanging fruit is often people who are middle class. We have a socioeconomic issue here, which is the conditions under which we’re working. I’d prefer to say: yes, we’ve f**ked it up and we’ll go and fix it. But it’s not easy to fix, so I don’t want to answer like that because it’s

not simple. All we can say is: we’re trying. But we have to do something now, in the conditions society is in. Perhaps that’s the best way, because society is really unjust and in theory this is a great leveller - climate change is coming for everyone. It doesn’t matter how rich you are.”

What can people do now about the climate crisis? “Be in open rebellion against the state,” Clare says simply. “Something’s gotta give - the political system won’t do it. Look at transition towns and people who’ve taken control of local politics; there are a few cases in the UK. Stop flying, eating so much meat and driving private cars all the time. Stop building things out of concrete; it’s got a huge carbon footprint hardly anyone talks about. Stop deforestation. Some of it’s quite simple really; stop doing the harm.

“Also, read about it. Process it; stare it in the face, because it’s not possible to deal with this unless you really try to accept it. I still sometimes fall apart. Get upset - then dry your eyes and get organised.

“Greta Thunberg said: you get hope through action. There isn’t much hope knocking about at the moment, but you can earn it.

That makes me sound like an idiotic optimist, but most people have got it in them.”

HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz Monday 27 January 2020 IWM London and Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, SE1 6HZ The Worshipful the Mayor of Southwark, Councillor Sandra Rhule, invites you to participate in a joint commemorative act to remember the Holocaust and other genocides.

11:00am Wreath Laying at the Soviet War Memorial & Holocaust Memorial Tree, Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park. Arrival from 10:45am Indoor Ceremony 12:00 noon, Roof Terrace, Imperial War Museum (IWM) London Please be seated by 11:45am Supported by the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, Holocaust Educational Trust and Soviet War Memorial Trust

Soviet War Memorial Trust W E

S H A L L

R E M E M B E R

T H E M

RSVP The Mayor of Southwark’s Office on 020 7525 7303 or mayors.office@southwark.gov.uk by Friday 17 January 2020.

South London Larder

FOOD NEWS 400 Rabbits

Pub in the Park

By Cara cummings South London pizza heroes 400 Rabbits have taken over the Brockwell Lido cafe and launched one helluva brunch menu. Expect Portugese eggs, green shakshuka and smoked salmon with goats curd all atop their legendary sourdough, plus an epic coconut and fig granola with earl grey poached plums.

Brockwell Park, SE24 0PA.

Love Kudu, aka one of Peckham’s greatest restaurants? Brace yourself: the South African super restaurant is getting a cocktail-focused sister joint this month. Smokey Kudu - named after Kudu’s signature whiskey cocktail - will open under the bridge on Queen’s Road. Cheers!

133 Queens Road, SE15 2AY

Hit the slopes - without leaving south London at Archer Street Ski Club, a new apres-themed night at experiential bar Archer Street SW11. Glug winter cocktails and get your groove like snowbody’s watching.

16 January, from 8pm. 3-7 Northcote Road, SW11 1NG. Say g’day to Butcher and the Farmer at The O2, a new farm-to-table focused restaurant opened by two winners of an Aussie TV cooking show. Pizza, pasta, rotisserie chicken and fish tacos are on the menu, with a healthy dose of Australian hospitality.

Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX.

Beloved pop-up Dandy has opened its first permanent site on Maltby Street - and beer is big on the menu, with 12 local brews on offer and an onsite brewery planned for later in the year. Perfect to pair with chef Dan Wilson’s “seasonally-driven, comforting dishes”.

Soot Sprite

35 Maltby Street, SE1 3FF.

TV chef Tom Kerridge’s Pub in the Park food festival will pop up in Dulwich Park this summer, showcasing dishes from some of the UK’s best food pubs alongside chef demonstrations and chart-topping live musicians, from 3-5 July.

Detox deliciously at Veganuary, a special edition of the East Dulwich Supper Club run by catering queen Suzanne James. Enjoy a fully vegan threecourse meal, organic vegan prosecco and a goody bag from sponsors Filippo Berio Olive Oil.

The London Beer Lab

16 January, 7pm. Fifty Seven, North Cross Road, SE22 9ET. £40.

Love craft beer? The London Beer Lab are running two beer making workshops this month. Join head brewer Bruno Alajouanine to cook up five favourite styles - and sample some of London’s best small-batch brews. Tickets include equipment for your own 5-litre homebrew.

Sunday 5 and 26 January, 1pm. Arch 41, Railway Road, SW9 8BP. £80.

URBAN FOX 13

South London Larder Photo by Hakob Muradyan

14 URBAN FOX

South London Larder

Bhanuprasad Rao has run East Dulwich institution The Cheese Block at 69 Lordship Lane since it opened its doors in 1991. The deli stocks specialty European and British produce and hundreds - yes, hundreds of cheeses from around the world, many handpicked

by Bhanuprasad himself.

I

Interview by Cara Cummings ’ve been in the food business for most of my life. I started The Cheese Block because I wanted to open something different. I used to live in Manchester; my uncle worked in one of the offices on Lordship Lane and saw that one of the businesses was going for sale. He told my father that this was the right place for me to come. My family actually has two businesses on Lordship Lane - the other one is SMBS Foods at number 75. We opened that in September, 1978, and we’re still a family business involving five members from several generations. I went into business initially with my brother and it’s never been difficult; we’ve been brought up together and we carry on like that.

We stock 270-300 different cheeses from across the European belt and the UK. The belt starts from Holland and France, and covers Spain, Italy, Switzerland and some Greek products; with the UK, we look for specialty cheese. We also have high quality snacks, breads, chutneys, jams, olives and olive oil and charcuterie. That’s always been very popular; it’s the perfect match for cheese.

It’s hard to pick my favourite cheese - if I went through the list, we’d be here all day! I gorge on cheese when I find one that I love. Many of our cheeses are well known but we try to source unexpected or different products that people might not be aware of. That process has been

going on for many years. If you have a really good knowledge about your products, you can make a food business better and better; it just evolves. Business isn’t about buying and selling, it’s about trying to find quality products to bring to people. For me, it’s become a way of life.

Thirty years ago there were offices, workshops, everything you can imagine on Lordship Lane.

Now, it’s mostly residential around here - but that means you get to know everyone in the area. And everyone knows you! We have people who’ve been coming in since 1991, when we opened. Then the next generation, and even the one after that starts to know you too.

I have wonderful memories from the last 30 years. They happen every week. The best are compliments from customers, when they come and love the shop. That’s why I carry on.

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South London Larder Photo by Hakob Muradyan

Family of bread winners on us all the time about bulbs.

We have a whole technical spec sheet of which lights do what!

How did you get involved with the family business?

Charmaine Wasif is the Managing Director of Eco Group, a family-run food business behind some of south London’s favourite restaurants including Eco, Esca and The Pepper Tree in Clapham and Absolutely Starving in London Bridge. She chats to the Urban Fox about working with family, how her parents helped set up Franco Manca and the mysterious power of bread...

Interview by Cara Cummings

How did your family get started in the food business?

My parents ran Pizzeria Franco in the 1980s as their first business venture. Dad [Sami Wasif, also cofounder of Hakkasan] came from Egypt in ‘76 and didn’t speak English; he was the child of a shoemaker, part of a really big family and didn’t know anyone in the UK when he arrived. He worked his way through the ranks and then in 1989, he bought Pizzeria Franco in Brixton from Franco himself. That became what is Franco Manca today.

Mum [Laura] and dad grafted they washed the dishes, they made the salads, did everything from

16 URBAN FOX

scratch and built it up enough that there were queues around the block.

Franco taught my dad to make pizza and dad evolved his understanding from there about how climate affects the dough, how the human being affects the dough; the flour, the water, the temperature - all of the elemental life force affects dough. He built his own recipe from that. Thirty years down the line, it’s still being used here at Eco - a thirtyyears-evolved recipe of dough. Dad is still very engaged - he writes all the menus with me and tastes all the food. The food is the way it is because of him and his passion. If a chef’s not producing the standard that he’s created, he’ll know!

Eco’s sourdough pizzas are

legendary. What’s the secret?

As a family, we have a whole breadrelated lineage that’s really incredible. Back in Egypt at the Spring Equinox, dad’s grandfather would take live yeast to the town, bless it and distribute it as mother dough to the villagers. Bread is Egypt is called ‘eish’ - eish means life force, and if you can make bread then you can make anything.

For us, food is all about people that’s what he brought from Egypt, and what he’s always told me. He has to see them sat there happy, relaxed, comfortable and enjoying themselves. If they’re not, then we’ve got trouble!

Why do you think the family business has flourished so much?

There are lots of elements at play when you sit in a really fantastic restaurant concept. It’s the sound, the acoustics, the temperature, the smell; plus the atmosphere. When you come into one of our places, you get immersed in the family, the staff, all the connections we have and that heritage. That’s already there in the atmosphere - the family dynamic. Then you have the lighting; dad’s obsessed with lighting! He’s

My whole life education is these businesses and watching my mum and dad do this. I studied architecture and started working in a practice, but when I was 23, I thought - oh no, this isn’t what my heart is telling me I should be doing.

I said to dad: “Dad, I think I’ve made the wrong decision. I really want to come and work with you and mum and understand what this is all about.” I’ve been here ever since.

What’s it like working with family?

Mum and dad, my sister and several cousins all currently work within the business. It’s very rewarding.

For the fifteen years that I’ve worked with my parents, the main challenge is working with a dad who’s meticulous and not taking it personally - I’ve been killing my ego off for fifteen years! It can be challenging because he’s a nononsense perfectionist, but that also makes it really fantastic to be part of.

We’re also lucky enough to have staff who’ve stayed with us for many, many years - Roberto, who worked at the original Pizzeria Franco before dad bought it, still works there on Saturdays and other staff have been with us for twenty plus years. They are our extended family. It’s a bit like the mother dough fermenting and working its magic - this vision grows and grows. I can see my nephews being interested in becoming a part of it and I’m happy to hold this for as long as it takes for them to feel ready.

Absolutely Starving is at 51 Tooley St, SE1 2QN. Phone: 020 7407 7417. www.abstarv.com

Start your New Year with a creative resolution Classes designed for all levels of experience: from beginners to more experienced artists.

“Great class and expertly taught. The small group meant we each got plenty of attention from Michelle, a talented artist and co-owner of the studio. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”

YOUR NEW VILLAGE BUTCHER IS HERE! We would like to thank everyone for their support so far it’s great getting to know you all. We are your fully free range butchery stocking meat and poultry from sustainable farms across the country along with some fantastic cheeses, fresh bread, a range of condiments and kitchen cupboard essentials. We use whole carcass animals and are committed to the highest quality. All of our award winning sausages are hand made and gluten free and we aim to keep all of our products as natural as possible.

Linocut Taster Saturday 15 February 2020, 1.30– 4.30pm Learn how to draw, cut and print a linocut in black and white.

Etching Course: Sugar Lift Thursday 20 & 27 February 2020, 6.00– 9.00pm Learn how to make an etching using sugar lift and aquatint techniques to make a painterly tonal print.

Drypoint Saturday 29 February, 11.00– 4.00pm Learn how to achieve a range rich black and grey lines and tones using non-toxic drypoint techniques.

Painterly Monoprint Sunday 1 March 2020, 11.00– 4.00pm A great start to printmaking- an easy printmaking process that looks like painting.

Linocut Printing: Layers of Colour Thursday 5, 12, 19, 26 March, 6.00– 9.00pm Inspired by Picasso’s linocuts, learn how to make your own multicolour linocut and print a small edition.

Woodcut Taster Saturday 14 March 2020, 1.30– 4.30pm Learn how to draw, cut and print a woodcut in black and white.

You can find us at 86 Dulwich Village on the zebra crossing.

Keep up to date via our website : proudsow. co .uk

@proudsow

We look forward to serving you !

Oliver ~ Butcher and Owner

For more information about our courses and how to book please see our website

slaughterhaus.net info@slaughterhaus.net

SLAUGHTERHAUS

Vincent’s Yard 23 Alphabet Mews London SW9 0FN

P R I NT STU D I O

Have your say on landlord licensing in Croydon Remnants Rita Fabrics (Basement of ) 209 Lordship Lane SE22 8HA @remnantsrita

Our landlord licensing scheme is coming up for renewal. Should we continue to licence private rented properties in Croydon?

www.croydon.gov.uk/betterplacetorent Consultation closes 9 March 2020

InterIor fabrIcs and leather - upholstery curtaIns - soft furnIshIngs By appointment only Telephone 07807 313070 Email - remnantsrita@gmail.com

South London Hemisphere

A protostar is born Royal Observatory Greenwich astronomer Emily Drabek Maunder talks us through the solar system, Protostars and exoplanets

How do planets form?

The planets in our Solar System are about 4.5 billion years old, around the same age as our Sun. Both stars and planets form inside nebulae in our Galaxy. A nebula is like a swirling cloud of dust and gas in space.

Eventually, gravity will cause the dust and gas to clump together and collapse in on itself, which forms a baby star or ‘protostar.’

Planets form when the gravity of the star pulls on the dust and gas that surrounds it in the nebula. The dust and gas will orbit the star and flatten out into a disc-shape around the new star. It is from this disc of dust and gas that everything else in a solar system will form - planets, moons, dwarf planets, comets, asteroids.

What is an exoplanet?

An exoplanet or an extrasolar planet is a planet that is outside our Solar System. This means that exoplanets orbit other stars that we can see when we look up at the night sky.

Can we live on exoplanets?

In short, we don’t know! Astronomers have

18 URBAN FOX

found about 4000 exoplanets to date. These exoplanets are incredibly far away and the only way we can study them is by using telescopes. We know that some of these exoplanets have a similar size to Earth and are in the habitable zone around their stars (the distance from a star where the temperature should be right for liquid water to exist on the exoplanet), but we are also trying to understand what their atmospheres are made of, the pressures on their surfaces, etc.

Can we go to an exoplanet?

The closest exoplanet to our Solar System is called ‘Proxima b’ and orbits our nearest star Proxima Centauri. This exoplanet is a rocky planet (like Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars in our own Solar System), it is around the same size as the Earth and it is in the habitable zone around Proxima Centauri. However, Proxima b is 4.25 light-years from our Solar System, or around 40 trillion kilometres (40 million million kilometres)! Even with the fastest spacecraft that has ever been built, the Parker Solar Probe, it would still take over 6000 years for us to reach this exoplanet! So at this point, we don’t have the technology to reach Proxima b.

CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING

Real Christmas trees can be recycled using your garden waste collection.

The Nice List

We produce more waste over Christmas than any other time of the year.

Please do your bit for the environment by recycling the following items:

Simply remove any decorations and the plant pot or stand and place your tree next to or inside your garden waste bin or garden waste sack.

Alternatively, if you are not subscribed to the garden waste service, both real and fake trees can be brought to the Reuse & Recycling Centre off Old Kent Road. Please ensure that all decorations and stands are removed. For more information on recycling your Christmas tree, please visit southwark.gov.uk/greenchristmas

Glass bottles and jars

Food and drink cartons e.g. Tetra Paks

Food tins and drink cans

Plastic bottles, pots, tubs and trays

Go green this New Year!

Fight festive food waste

Paper and cardboard

Donate excess food to your local food bank or community fridge.

For more information on fighting food waste, please visit southwark.gov.uk/greenchristmas

Planning a New Year’s clear out?

Recycling is the gift that keeps on giving; give a second life to your pre-loved items and bring them to the Reuse and Recycling Centre off Old Kent Road. Here, you can dispose of a wide range of unwanted household items, such as old clothes, broken fairy lights, electronics and batteries.

Opening times: 8.30am to 4.30pm Open all year round except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Residents using vans to bring items to the centre will need to book in advance.

11142 - Southwark_Christmas Ad Tree Recycling 265x325mm v3.indd 1

The Naughty List

Most of us in Southwark recycle, but are we doing it right?

These festive items cannot be recycled:

✗

Glitter and foil wrapping paper

✗

Polystyrene and bubble wrap

✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Tinsel

✗ ✗ ✗

Plastic bags and film

Baubles Glittery Christmas cards Christmas crackers

Ribbons and bows Food wrappers and packets

02/12/2019 14:10

2020

VISION

INSIDE: fitness, new hobbies, life coaching, decluttering and more...

2020 Vision

New Year, New You?

Greenwich life coach Carrie Brooks shares her tips

Carrie on… a more wholesome approach to New Year’s resolutions

22 URBAN FOX

elcome to a brand-new year! How do you behave around this time? Do you bury your head in the sand and feel oh so guilty about not changing the things that bug you in your life?

Or do you try to embark on New Year resolutions that work for about a week or two and then you give up in frustration with the sheer effort of it all?

The main challenge with this time of year is the pressure we out on ourselves, there’s incessant talk about New Year’s resolutions and how this is the time to make the changes to improve all aspects of your life. With all this pressure is it surprising that the majority of these hopeful resolutions don’t last beyond February?

I would like to suggest a more wholesome way of embracing the New Year, namely take some time out for reflection. Think about last year, what you felt you achieved and what went well, this will immediately put you into a positive frame of mind which will better help you to negotiate the coming year. When you’re in this good place, identify three areas in your life that you would like to improve, it could be your health, your relationships or your career, it’s entirely up to you.

Once you have successfully identified the three areas you would like to improve, decide and focus on one simple step, which would be the first towards a positive improvement. For example, if the area you would like to focus on and improve is your health, the first step might be walking more and taking the stairs instead of a lift, it might be taking food into work so you can avoid the usual sandwiches for lunch. Small simple steps are the key. If for example you have never done much exercise, launching yourself into a strict gym routine might be too big a step and result in you giving up before you’ve even

started. How many of us know about expensive gym memberships that are never being used!

Once your focus is on small steps, you can begin to slowly increase the amount of exercise you do and pay more attention to the food you eat, it’s the little wins that encourage us and give us a sense of moving forwards towards the health and happiness we want.

If the area you would like to improve is your relationship with your partner, start with the first step of having a regular date night where, and this is most important, you don’t discuss logistics like whose picking up the kids on Wednesday or when is your next dental appointment! Make a pact to talk about how you feel, enjoy each other’s company and make it a fun time. As date night becomes a more regular occurrence then you can go on to date weekends and enjoy much more fun and connectedness.

There is one really important point that I feel I need to make here regarding New Year resolutions and that is you need to really want to make a change. Most people are deciding to give up this and to start doing that because of external obligation, essentially, we feel like we ought to be making positive changes but honestly deep, deep down we don’t want to. This is a good a time as any to be acutely honest and to seriously have a heart to heart with ourselves. Why do we want to give this particular thing up? Why do we want to start doing this new thing? The point to remember here is that we are in reality very powerful and when we fully put our minds to do something, we can seamlessly instigate the changes we want, but only if we really want to.

With all these resolutions what we are really talking about here are habits. Habits are simply repetitive thoughts and behaviours and the brilliant thing about habits is that you can always replace one habit with another. When you start something new, it’s the constant repetition which will develop it into a new habit.

So start thinking about the small steps you can start taking to encourage new positive habits and watch your life change for the better.

The beauty of starting positive habits is that you begin to feel so very, very good. Every little step feels like a victory and will build momentum towards achieving anything you want.

Right over to you, what is it you really want to change in your life? Choose it, take charge and take the first step!

ADVERTORIAL

HELP US HELP YOU STAY WELL OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD

Think you need medical help right now? NHS 111 is available to offer advice on the best thing to do.

NHS 111 allows you to have access to advice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by phone and online and, if necessary, they can arrange for you to speak to relevant healthcare professionals, including nurses, emergency dentists, or even GPs.

The advisors can also arrange face-to-face appointments, and if you are assessed as needing an ambulance, one will be sent directly.

NHS 111 provides you with a convenient way to get the right help or advice when you need it.

Whether over the phone or online, NHS 111 will ensure that you get the right care, from the right person, as quickly as possible.

So, if you think you need urgent medical help, call 111 or go online at 111.nhs.uk.

EXTRA GP AND NURSE APPOINTMENTS available at two locations in Southwark

PHARMACY OPENING TIMES FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR IF YOU feel unwell this winter, your local pharmacy is the best place to start for health care advice and remedies.

Your pharmacist is a qualified healthcare professional who can recognise common winter illnesses like coughs, colds and sore throats, and recommend medicines to help.

They can advise on things you can do at home to help yourself and will tell you if your problem is more serious and you do need to see your GP. You can visit your pharmacy at any time during opening hours, without needing to book an appointment.

You can also get your flu jab from your pharmacy.

PHARMACY NAME

ADDRESS AND PHONE

CHRISTMAS DAY

BOXING DAY

NEW YEAR’S DAY

MORRISONS PHARMACY

Aylesham Centre, Rye Lane, SE15 5EW 020 7639 0483

CLOSED

10am to 4pm

10am to 4pm

BOOTS THE CHEMIST

Units 8-11 , Hays Galleria, Counter Street, SE1 2HD 020 7407 4276

CLOSED

10am to 6pm

11am to 5pm

LLOYDS INSIDE SAINSBURYS

80 Dog Kennel Hill, SE22 8BB 020 7733 6195

CLOSED

9am to 5pm

9am to 5pm

ASDA PHARMACY

464-504 Old Kent Road, SE1 5AG CLOSED 020 7500 7910

9am to 6pm

10am to 5pm

BOOTS THE CHEMIST

11-13 Surrey Quays Shopping Ctr, Redriff Rd, SE16 7LL 020 7252 0084

CLOSED

11am to 5pm

CLOSED

BOOTS THE CHEMIST

20 Rye Lane, SE15 5BS 020 7639 1544

CLOSED

11am to 5pm

11am to 5pm

BOOTS THE CHEMIST

289-291 Walworth Road, SE17 2TG 020 7703 4356

CLOSED

11am to 5pm

11am to 5pm

V.E.LETTSOM

84 Vestry Road, Camberwell, London, SE5 8BQ 020 7701 9250

8.30am to 8.30pm

8.30am to 8.30pm

8.30am to 8.30pm

HARFLEUR PHARMACY 107 Tower Bridge Road, London, SE1 4TW 020 7407 0051

8.30am to 8.30pm

CLOSED

4pm to 8pm

JAMAICA ROAD PHARMACY

8.30am to 8.30pm

8.30am to 8.30pm

8.30am to 8.30pm

Pharmacies in Southwark are open every day over the festive period, including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Find your local pharmacy and check its opening hours at www.nhs.uk/service-search or see below for Christmas and New Year opening times.

AM

PM

Seven days a week Contact your GP surgery to book an appointment If your surgery is closed, call 111.

The Extended Primary Care Service (EPCS) provides extra GP and nurse appointments at these locations: Lister Health Centre Peckham, SE15 5LJ

Spa Medical Centre Bermondsey, SE16 4BN

You need to be registered with a Southwark GP to use this service.

This service covers most of the things you’d normally see your GP or nurse for.

If you’re not sure whether the Extended Primary Care Service is right for you, ask your surgery.

Find out more at www.southwarkccg.nhs.uk/8to8

182 Jamaica Road, North Southwark, SE16 4RT 020 7237 3483

For more information about how to stay well this winter, please visit: www.nhs.uk/staywell URBAN FOX 23

2020 Vision

Reboot your life

Two women have lost a combined three stone in just 12 weeks and become life-long friends and training buddies, thanks to a Guy’s and St Thomas’ weight management programme

24 URBAN FOX

G

uy’s and St Thomas’ Local Early Intervention and Prevention Service run 12-week community-based weight management courses in Lambeth and Southwark for people referred by their GP. The weekly classes include diet and nutrition workshops and an hour-long physical activity session with the option of discounted gym membership on completion of the programme. The service has supported around 18,000 people with obesity and other longterm conditions since it began in 2011.

Dawn Robinson-Fennell, 55, from East Dulwich, was referred to the community team by Talking Therapies Southwark, Changes for Health group in March 2019 due to anxiety. The group supports people who are overweight and experiencing low mood, worry or stress.

Dawn said: “I was 16 stone and 5 foot 6. The weight had been creeping on for many years as I was doing night work and it was quicker to get fast food rather than cook a meal. Sitting for long periods led to leg ulcers and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I also had chronic stress after giving up work to look after mum who has dementia.

“The classes with Bobby Ellington, the physical activity specialist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, are excellent. They give the right information so you can make healthy choices and gives a foundation to work from.

“You learn how to keep a food diary and plan

ahead for the food you will eat. I eat more veg and less of the fatty stuff now. And I’ve found a very good friend in Anne Davis, who also joined the course. Now we’re training buddies and go to the gym together. If she falls off the wagon, I encourage her to get back on and vice versa.”

Anne Davis, 67, a social worker from Peckham, said: “I’d lost my husband unexpectedly in December 2017 and then mum and dad became ill. I started stagnating and eating too much and putting on the weight. I was 14 stone at my heaviest. The classes are great as you are able to talk about why you are over eating, what you can eat in moderation and lots of different exercises like ‘The Plank’.

“I’m quite excited as I’ve lost about a stone and a half since August and four inches off my waistline. I’ve gone down a dress size!

My mood is so much better and I’m not so breathless. I’m more energetic, go out for walks and do more things indoors like decorating the hall. I’ve got more get up and go!”

Catherine Kironde, early intervention and prevention service manager at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: “Some people who join our classes have conditions like diabetes or issues such as high cholesterol levels. The aim is to keep them well and healthy now so they become more confident in looking after themselves and avoid hospital in the future.”

If you would like to join Guy’s and St Thomas’ weight management programme contact your GP to make a referral or call 020 3049 5242 or email: gst-tr.referralsLEIPS@nhs.net for more information.

FAQ’s with your local Audiologist Lindsay Stride (RHAD) (BSHAA) (FdA) Director & Consultant Audiologist with Regain Hearing.

How often should I get my hearing tested?

We recommend an annual hearing test. As with other preventative health screening, deterioration can be picked up quickly and dealt with. Should a hearing loss be detected treatment ensures you prevent further deterioration of your hearing. Many people don’t realise a hearing loss which is untreated will continue to decline over time so it pays to act early.

What are the less noticible implications of hearing loss?

Untreated hearing loss is related to a number of health concerns such as short term memory loss, dementia, loss of balance and the increased risk of falls. It can have a profound effect on confidence in social environments often leading to isolation and depression. Not only is hearing loss an inconvenience to the sufferer but is frequently reported as a source of strain on relationships often leading to not to mention missunderstandings!

I think my ears could be blocked with wax, are you able to help with this?

Ear wax or cerumen is there to protect your ears but if it isn’t naturally migrating out of your ear canal and becomes stuck or compacted it can cause unpleasant symptoms such as deafness, tinnitus and balance issues.

Using a simple and safe proceedure known as microsuction we can remove the wax and restore the patients hearing health. It usually takes no more than half an hour and is done by appointment.

What should I expect from my appointment with the audiologist?

You should expect your audiologist to spend time with you, provide you with a comprehensive hearing consultation and explain the results in clear, understandable language. If your hearing results demonstrate you would benefit from hearing aids they should consider your hearing loss, budget and lifestyle before making any recommendations. Most importantly, you should expect on-going support from your audiologist and regular check-ups to ensure your ‘hearing journey’ is progressing well. At Regain Hearing we recognise the relationship with our patients only just begins with their first visit!

I can get hearing aids from the NHS, why should I pay for private ones?

The funding available to the NHS can mean extended waiting times and older, more limited innovation. For those who are able to seek private care they can access immediate support and a wider range of options. As independent audiologists we can tailor-make solutions for each patient.

Why not test us on our specialist subject contact Regain Hearing today for a free consultation!

0800 028 6763 Broadstairs Practice 78 High Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1JT - 01843 210 581 Eltham Practice 201 Eltham High Street, Eltham, London SE9 1TS - 0208 859 6630

info@regainhearing.co.uk • www.regainhearing.co.uk

2020 Vision

An organised New Year Is 2020 the year to get yourself organised?

Productivity coach and life organiser, Karen Eyre-White, from Peckham, shares her top tips for starting the year off on the right foot

I

love this time of year. Once I’ve had my fill of Christmas indulgence, I like nothing more than a fresh beginning and the momentum which the start of a new year brings. It’s a time when we think about what we want to change in our lives; what we want to bring with us from last year and what we want to leave behind. We have the perspective and energy to set off on a new path.

As a productivity coach, I hear a lot from people who want to get themselves organised.

They feel on a constant treadmill of work, never-ending life admin and household chores. They know there is more to life than this, but they don’t know how to find it.

As the pace of modern life quickens, more than ever we need ways to keep on top of everything without getting overwhelmed, balance the different areas of our lives in a way that works for us, and make space for the things we love.

Here are my top tips for getting started.

Take yourself and your notebook out for a coffee.

The to do list (mental and physical) stays at home. Open a blank page and brainstorm what it is that really matters to you in your life. Underneath all the jobs and things to do, what is it you really care about?

Return home to the to do list. Take a long, hard look at it. What jobs don’t tie back to what you really care about? If you can’t trace a clear line back to what matters most to you, take it off the list.

Find an empty week in your diary. Allow yourself to dream and design what your ideal week would look like. How would you be spending your time? Keep your brainstorm in

mind and make sure to find pockets of time for the things you love. Your aim is to move closer to this ideal week over the course of the year.

Buy time. Time is our most precious commodity, and we squander it far too quickly. If you can afford it, take any opportunity you can to outsource jobs you don’t want to do, at home and at work. Cleaning, dog-walking, ironing, life admin, projects. There are people willing to help you do it all, if you’ll let them.

Schedule your chores. Unfortunately, there are normally always things we don’t want to do which need to stay on our list; things to tidy up, dishwashers to load, food to buy.

Schedule these in to specific times of your day and week. They will soon become habit, relieving the mental load of doing them.

Set clear boundaries. No-one will protect your time if you don’t. Keep your ideal week in mind, be clear with yourself and others about when you work and when you don’t, and be prepared to say no. It’s the only way you can say yes to the things that matter the most.

Above all, be kind to yourself as you make these changes. There will be mis-steps, wrong turns and dead ends along the way, but eventually you’ll find a way to a balance that works for you.

Karen Eyre-White is the founder of Go Do, a time management business which helps busy, ambitious small business owners in London to get more done. www.godoproductivity.co.uk.

Karen is a member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO), the UK’s membership association for decluttering and organising professionals with over 380 members across the UK and beyond. www.apdo.co.uk.

URBAN FOX 27

Advertorial

Intelligent training

For more info or any enquries, visit fitnessspace.com/surrey-quays or email the team on surreyquays@fitnessspace.com

Fitness Space Surrey Quays couldn’t be further from a ‘traditional gym’. Their light-filled, design-led environment & unintimidating ethos provide a ‘head-space & training-space’ for their members.

With technology at the crux of their coaching, their results-driven, yet community-focused approach has helped hundreds of members (many of them brand new to fitness) make progress every month & get the results they wanted.

Set up by former international long jumper, Matt Burton, along with his team of industry-leading coaches, they apply methods & technology usually found within elite sport to help educate & empower their members, ensuring accountability &, ultimately, amazing results.

DNA Testing is used at the start of a member’s journey to find out what genetic predispositions they may have. The DNA Test is combined with a body composition analysis on the first day of their membership journey.

The body composition analysis provides crucial data for their coaches, in order to help set attainable targets with the member from day one. Body Weight, Muscle

Mass, Body Fat %, Hydration Levels and Metabolic Age are just a few of the metrics that are broken down by the coach with new members.

Body Composition Analyses are then done on a monthly basis to track progress & ensure the individualized plan is working for each member.

The coaching team recruited by Matt have over 50 years of experience between them - they include one former & one current International athlete & one former National League Rugby Player.

They combine their knowledge of the industry with the Fitness Space app & state-of-the-art Technogym™ equipment to ensure that all of their clients know exactly what they are doing when they walk through the front door. By uploading a bespoke programme onto a member’s app, they never feel lost or unsure as to where to start or what to do – a fear that is so common in most commercial gyms.

With more than 50% of their members having never used a gym before or having had a negative experience, they pride themselves on empowering those that want to get results & guiding members stepby-step to where they want to be.

reach new heights in peckham

Flying Fantastic is an aerial fitness school with a brand new shiny studio in the heart of Peckham. They offer classes in a variety of circus disciplines, including aerial silks, hoop, trapeze and many more.

They believe that everyone should get to experience the exhilaration of being upside down and do everything they can to ensure they’re catering for all types of customer no matter how fit, strong or flexible they are. There’s no previous experience required – promise!

In a typical class you’ll be learning amazing new skills and working alongside other students of your level. Classes are sociable and supportive – and also really exciting! The fact that you’ll be getting fit at the same time is a bonus! You’ll be so focused on what you’re doing, that you’ll not realise you’ve been working out (until the next day!)

They offer classes for adults, kids, (and big kids!)

You can go along and try one class and see how you get on. Aside from the cost of the class, there’s no onward commitment, and no registration fees to pay.

So what are you waiting for? Go and get your 2020 off to a flying start!

www.flyingfantastic.co.uk T 020 7928 2093

URBAN FOX 29

Advertorial

Tooth whitening now only £199 for a professional Philips at-home whitening kit!

Looking for a high-quality NHS dentist?

If you are looking for an NHS dentist you can trust to deliver first-class treatment, look no further than Colosseum Dental practices.

Plus, make the most of our tooth whitening special offer for a limited-time only!

Quality care

We are committed to providing the highest standard of clinical care. We do this by ensuring our dental teams have all the training and experience they need to help you achieve the smile you’ve always wanted. We have also just refurbished our practices to create stunning, state-of the-art clinics you will enjoy visiting (our Norwood clinics will relocate in early 2020).

We aim to provide treatment that is as quick, efficient, pain-free and affordable for you as possible. We offer a full range of NHS dental services, as well as some additional treatments that you or your family may be interested in. For example, why not make the most of our current offer…

Giving back

One of the things that sets Colosseum Dental practices apart from others is our dedication to charity. Our business is backed by Jacobs Holding – a globally respected investor – which directs all profits into the Jacobs Foundation.

30 URBAN FOX

This charity provides young people around the globe with the opportunity to gain an education, giving them a brighter future.

It is our way of giving something back to communities that need a little extra support.

Get in touch today!

Ultimately, we are here to help you achieve a healthy and beautiful smile you can be proud of.

Whether you are looking for an NHS dentist or are interested in our fantastic tooth whitening offer, give your local Colosseum Dental practice a call today or visit colosseumdental.co.uk

We have six established locations across South East London: Creekside (Deptford) – 0208 692 0468 Selhurst – 0208 653 6068 Oval – 207 582 2737 Peckham – 207 703 4388 Norwood Road – 0208 766 7430 Norwood High Street – 0208 761 7776

See what our patients say Of course, we don’t expect you to just take our word for it. Here’s what our patients have said about our practices in South East London:



Patrick, Norwood High Street Dental Clinic “I would give more stars – dentist, receptionist and nurses all are awesome. Willing to help and support all they can. Met the manager, good man!”



Stef, Oval Dental Clinic “I have been attending this surgery for years and have always had a positive experience here.

The staff are lovely and friendly, but at the same time very professional. I am normally quite nervous about visiting the dentist but here I always feel welcome and comfortable.



Roberta, Creekside Dental Clinic “I really loved the care of this clinic. I was attended

by Dr. Greg, who gave me a lot of security and seriousness, explaining me step by step all the procedures. The clinic has been completely renovated and the equipment is brand new.

The manager always caters to everyone with a lot of friendliness and helpfulness.”

NEWAM H PECK DIO ST U

COME FLY WITH US!

LET YOUR KIDS FLY!

ELEVATE YOUR WORKOUT!

AERIAL CIRCUS SKILLS CLASSES

Drop in aerial fitness classes for adults and children in Aerial Silks, Hoop, Trapeze, Slings, Rope, Straps and more.

Absolutely no previous experience needed - We promise!

Get your kids airborne in our weekly youth circus classes and holiday workshops in hoop, trapeze and silks.

Aerial birthday party packages also available!

NEW VENUE LAUNCH OFFER – x5 CLASSES £65*

TRIAL SESSIONS AVAILABLE FOR ALL CLASSES

Flying Fantastic, 1 Bellenden Rd (Next to Lidl), SE15 5BA 020 7639 2556 or peckham@flyingfantastic.co.uk www.flyingfantastic.co.uk

Classes available for ages 4-6, 7-12 and 13-16 years 1 Bellenden Rd (Next to Lidl), SE15 5BA edel@flyingfantastic.co.uk / www.ffyc.co.uk

love to swim are a family run swim school launching a new course of swimming lessons from January in the leonardo royal tower Bridge hotel, 45 Prescot st, e1 8gP

Adult lessons

Children’s

swimming lessons from Aged 3 yeAr

(4 people max. per class)

(5 children max. per class)

9 week Course Starting monday 27th January Each lesson is 45 mins.

Course price £180

12 week Course Starting saturday 6th January Each lesson is 30 mins.

Course price £138.

PrivAte lessons Also AvAilABle.

Upstairs at Arch 49, Ropewalk, Maltby Street, London. SE1 3PG.

07376 523067 castrosbarbershoplondon@gmail.com castrosbarbershoplondon

sAve 10%

By uSing thE vouChEr CodE

‘leont’

valid until 6th January 2020

Bookings are through our website:

www.lovetoswim.co.uk Click on the 'Book now' button and follow the drop down menu.

Family

Looking for something new to try with the kids this January? Make the most of the New Year with these fresh ideas for family fun.

©©Alejandro Tamagno

Art Sundays

Bach to Baby

A Jolly Wassail

The Horniman Museum

Bach to Baby Family Concert

Hands On Horniman Explorers

Art Sundays at Dulwich Picture Gallery

20 January, 10.30am. Calton Avenue, SE21 7DG. From £11 (kids go free).

11am-12.30pm, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ. Free.

Gallery Road, SE21 7AD. Free.

Treat your mini-Mozarts to a classical concert at St. Barnabas Church in Dulwich Village that the whole family can enjoy. With virtuoso guest musicians, coffee before kickoff and a ‘toddler roaming encouraged’ policy, you’ll appreciate a whole new side to famous symphonies.

Family Yoga at Peckham Levels

The family that oms together, stays together - so get stretchy with the kids at this special class lead by instructor Siobhan Power. Mixing mindfulness with trust games, acrobatics, music and visualisations, this is yoga designed to boost bonding, creativity and physical interaction between parents, children and siblings.

11 January, 11am-12pm. Level Six, 95a Rye Lane, SE15 4ST. £15 (one adult, one child), suitable for ages 4+.

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Diddy David Attenboroughs will love The Horniman Museum’s ‘hands on’ sessions on Saturday and Sunday mornings, where you can touch exhibits, try on clothes, draw and play music. January’s sessions will focus on flying animals, and Chinese New Year.

What’s better than strolling around a gallery?

Making art in a gallery! Drop into family artmaking workshops every Sunday throughout January at Dulwich Picture Gallery, with different themes for your pint-sized Picassos to explore each week. Plus, a memento to take away at the end of the session.

A Jolly Wassail at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses

Family Cycle Skills

18 January, 2pm-4.30pm. Brockwell Park Greenhouses, SE24 0PA. £3.50, under-2s free.

www.cycleconfident.com/courses

Everyone needs a hand waking up in January including Brockwell Park’s fruit trees. Join the community gardeners for a magical, folklore-inspired afternoon of instrument making, crown crafting and wassail singing to herald a good harvest.

Brush up on your two-wheel skills with free family cycling classes for Southwark and Lambeth residents. Whether you’re complete novices or just need some advice on safely navigating specific routes, instructors will work with the whole family for two hours in a park or location of your choosing.

12 D AY S O F JAM - PA C K FUN ED

Imag ne 12 – 23 Feb 2020

C H I L D R E N ’S F E ST I VA L WIT LOAD H SO FREE F EVEN TS

Imagine characters © Jon Burgerman

SIXTH FORM COLLEGE

OPEN DAY

Please visit our website for more information Register at www.sfx.ac.uk/event 10 Malwood Road, Balham, SW12 8EN

020 8772 6072 admissions@sfx.ac.uk

SFX6thForm

we are... family

Award-winning nursery group opens a new, all-inclusive nursery in Zone 1 Caring for little ones aged 3 months to 5 years Close to Elephant & Castle Tube and Overground Stations All-inclusive provision: all nappies, wipes, pull-ups, creams and formula milks Nutritious menu, including snacks – which can be tailored to dietary requirements Enrichment activities included

Book a visit and meet our team hello@littlebearsnursery.co.uk or call us on 020 7358 7860

OPEN EVENT Saturday 1 February 10am - 2pm Clapham Centre, SW4 9BL Come and find out about the wide range of exciting opportunities available to you at Lambeth College.

Our open event will allow you to get careers advice, learn about courses, talk to teachers and get a feel for our facilities, learning environment and family.

FREE TO BE CREATIVE

Register online for fast-track entry lambethcollege.ac.uk/events 020 7501 5010

OE Jan_URBAN FOX - 286mm high x 221mm wide V3.indd 1

18/12/2019 12:55

Home Turf

Planting seeds and planning for the season ahead

Jackie Power is a horticulturalist and herbalist who lives in Southwark

©©All pictures: Christian Fisher

N

ew year weather can be very changeable moving quickly from low temperatures to mild and wet conditions. In the run up to the winter Solstice on 22nd December there would have been an average of just seven hours sunlight each day.

But if weather and time permit there is still work to be done in the garden come January. Seasonal jobs include continuing to clear leaves (add some to the compost bin). Clean slimy, slippery patches on paths and paving by either scrubbing with a broom or using a pressure washer. Prune fruit trees to maintain an open, even structure and also to encourage next season’s fruit production.

Grape vines can also be pruned at this time.

For a useful addition to the garden - plant blueberries. They have white bell shaped flowers, delicious berries and fiery red autumn foliage.

They prefer acidic soil and so are often happier in containers where conditions can be controlled.

Blueberries will only tolerate rain water. Raspberry canes can be planted now whilst they are dormant.

Lightly dig over empty borders; pile well-rotted manure on top and let the worms and weather work to break up the soil.

Plant bareroot native hedges such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel and Field Maple; this will encourage wildlife and create attractive natural boundaries for gardens and communal/open spaces.

Check tree ties and stakes to ensure that trees are still secure following the autumn winds (tighten or loosen ties as necessary). Cover compost bins with a piece of old carpet or plastic sheeting to prevent the compost becoming too cold and wet (to rot down).

For quick and easy indoor veggie gardening – grow sprouting seeds on a window sill; choose Wheatgrass, Alfalfa, Chickpeas, Mung beans, Broccoli or Red cabbage. There are packets of mixed seeds available; they will produce a nutritious and tasty crop in three to five days for use in salads and stir fries.

If the weather is just too cold or wet to do any of the seasonal tasks – plan the vegetable garden, flower borders and/or window boxes for next year. Think about crop rotation to avoid a build up of pests/diseases. Order your seeds, trees and shrubs bearing in mind what worked well this year and what did not. Sites to visit for inspiration – The Organic Gardening catalogue at www.organiccatalogue.com ; for perennials, grasses, ferns and some herbs see www.kelways.co.uk and for fruit trees and bushes Ken Muir at www.kenmuir.co.uk

38 URBAN FOX

Property

Homeward Bound

New builds, luxury flats, affordable housing and what’s up your street

Bermondsey Square showcase unveiled Living area interior, London Square Bermondsey

URBAN FOX 39

Property

A Taste of Bermondsey - made in SE1

B

ermondsey has become a hotspot for independent businesses and start-ups – where the dreams and ambitions of designers, food and drink producers and artists have flourished into successful businesses in the heart of SE1.

The Sunday Times has chosen the district as one of the best places to live in the capital for the past five years - celebrating its warehouse vibe and its quirky maze of historic streets and arches, with galleries and independent retailers in spectacular former industrial buildings.

At the centre of this exciting district, London Square Bermondsey, a new £220m neighbourhood of former industrial warehouses and new buildings, is taking shape close to fashionable Bermondsey Street, a 12-minute walk to London Bridge station and the Thames, with Jubilee, Northern lines and national rail, Thames Clipper commuter boats, cycling routes and good bus links.

London Square is hosting a Love Bermondsey event on Saturday 8th February from 12 noon until 4pm in the sales suite at 58 Grange Road, to showcase some of the best of independent SE1 - with delicious food

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stalls, craft gin, funky live music and authentic fashion. Visitors will get a taste of the lifestyle on offer at London Square Bermondsey.

Rebecca Littler, Sales and Marketing Director, London Square, said: “Bermondsey is the heart and soul of SE1 and its authenticity and amazing energy is what makes people want to live and work here. We are surrounded by these incredible businesses and we want to support them.”

The tantalising smell of freshly baked bread and patisserie will be on offer at the event from Comptoir Gourmand, a family-run company which started in 2010 under the arches in Maltby Street, Bermondsey.

Flakies Fashion specialises in using handmade authentic Ankara prints in contemporary, stylish and funky clothes and a collection of designs will be shown at the event.

Also taking part will be Tower Tandoori, one of London’s oldest Indian restaurants, established in Bermondsey in 1978. Today, the business is run by the third generation of the family, with menu influences from Parsi, Goan, Bengali, Nepalese and Gujarati cooking styles.

Jensen’s Bermondsey Gin uses only traditional gin botanicals and will be served at the event, along with craft tonic from The Bermondsey Mixer Co. Bermondsey Fayre, a boutique selling locally made clothes

and independent designers’ works, plus yoga studio, will be showcasing its products.

Brassbound will be providing the soundtrack at the event, with an amazing live set of soul, funk, jazz, reggae, afrobeat and calypso.

Now 70% sold, the first phase of London Square Bermondsey is The Tannery and The Crosse Buildings, designed by Coffey Architects, featuring a striking new building, and the restoration of the original Tannery warehouse, to create apartments and townhouses. The 4.6 acre former industrial site was also the home of a Crosse & Blackwell Branston Pickle factory, being converted into stunning homes, with galleries and studios for Tannery Arts, a charity which works with emerging artists.

Tannery Arts will be supporting the Love Bermondsey event.

The new buildings and the original Tannery building are arranged

around a leafy garden square.

London Square is selling a collection of stylish one, two and threebedroom apartments, including a number of highly individual apartments with quirky, stand-out interiors which retain the character of the old tannery. There is also a range of townhouses, all with excellent specification and detailing.

Buyers who reserve in January will have the opportunity to choose from a range of materials for the interior design. Apartments and townhouses offer a choice of timber flooring, Siematic fitted kitchens with Siemans appliances, underfloor heating and audio systems with speakers in the living room and master bedroom. Many are dual aspect, and in some cases, triple aspect, maximising light and space, with some apartments enjoying fabulous views across the capital, with open plan living areas for entertaining. All apartments have private outdoor space, balcony or a private terrace, with concierge and an on-site gym, equipped with the latest cardio and conditioning machines. The neighbourhood will have extensive landscape green spaces, squares and walkways, opening up the site for the first time.

London Square Bermondsey is the showcase scheme in the wider regeneration for the wider Old Kent Road area, set to bring two new tube stations for the Bakerloo Line extension.

Apartments are from £625,000 and townhouses from £1,140,000. For more information about Love Bermondsey event and to find out more about the latest sales information, call London Square Bermondsey on 0333 6664343. www.londonsquare/ bermondsey #Lovebermondsey #londonsquarebermondsey

Advertorial

Do you have a 2020 vision for your property?

Independent London.

New Year, New Estate Agency

i

f you’re a landlord you need an informed and cost effective agency. Independent London set up a Central London office in 2008 to try to bridge the gap between High Street agents and Internet advertising options. Since then they’ve established themselves as a landlord friendly, knowledgeable and reliable Estate Agency using a fair fee structure and the latest technology to enhance the landlord’s experience. They stay on the edge of technology and were using online signing back then in 2008 when nobody else was.

As of June 1st 2019 the Government banned the charging of all Administration fees to tenants.

This means that your estate agent can no longer charge administration fees to tenants moving into your property. They cannot charge for references or a check in or a check out.

Do you know exactly what the Tenant Fee Ban means to you? Is your letting agent passing on the fees to you? Has the Government relabeled Tenants’ Fees and called them Landlord Fees? Independent London is taking a pragmatic approach to the Fee ban. If you are confused by what your agent is telling you then call Independent London now for free advice and information regarding the ban.

Does your property need an additional House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence? Southwark council requires a licence for a property with three unrelated tenants. Even a couple and a

44 URBAN FOX

single person living in a two-bedroom property would require an additional HMO licence.

Are you legal? Is your tenancy legal? Ask the experts at Independent London and you could avoid a large fine. The agency is also experienced in winding down HMOs and finding families to rent larger properties, thus avoiding the requirement for an HMO License.

Do you know how to set up a Special Purchase Vehicle to buy your investment property with a Limited Company so you can claim mortgage interest back in your tax return? Could you qualify and incorporate your property portfolio?

This could save a landlord with five properties or more thousands in tax and stamp duty.

Giving landlords expert advice is what Independent prides itself on. There are plenty of low fee charging run of the mill agencies out there taking fees for with little or no experience in the industry.

Independent London backs up their experience with: • A legal mentor • Cast iron contracts • Up to the minute paperwork backed by software providers Goodlord and Painsmith Solicitors.

This provides peace of mind for the agency and its clients. Everything is done online to save time and money.

Tenants are given all legal documents at the

start of the tenancy including the gas certificate, Energy Performance Certificate, the Deposit Scheme Prescribed Information, all of which they’re required to sign as part of their Tenancy Agreement.

Independent London currently has no rent arrears on their whole managed portfolio. They provide an online log in portal for landlords at no extra cost, which means landlords have access to their accounts and paperwork at the touch of a button. No need to call or chase for a missing invoice. Independent London can also provide an end of year tax roundup for your accountant.

The agency understands the challenges facing landlords in the modern lettings industry because they are landlords. Their objective is to save landlords money at every turn while guarding them always against punitive aggressive litigation from current or former tenants.

If you feel like you are not being properly advised or that you are paying too much tax or you simply don’t understand recent legislation or how it will affect your property or your income then give Independent London a call.

Independent London charges 5 percent for a let- only service and an additional 5 percent monthly for management service.

Independent London is at Studio 1, 197 Long Lane, SE1 4PD. Phone: 0207 940 7303 Or email: info@independentlondon.net

DHFC_SouthwarkNews_XmasJan.pdf

9

18/12/2019

16:05

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR @

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