Wharf Life, Apr 27-May 11, 2022

Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

+ Humble Grape selects a trio of roses to herald warmer weather Page 8

how Freeweaver Saori Studio gives people pause on the Isle Of Dogs Pages 30-31

take a breath and

inside issue 62

Ian Berry - David Galman - Puzzles Cheap Eats - Amy French - Natasha Maddison Southmere - Baltimore Tower - Yapix - Hacks Rom Valley Gardens - Canada Water Market Chocolate Ice Cafe - Woolwich Works - Sudoku Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World

celebrating the best of Canary Wharf, Docklands and the new east London people - events - treasure - property - foolishness

Image by James Perrin – find more of his work at jamesperrin.com or via @millerjamesperrin on Insta

Fast, affordable, conveyancing services Call our team on 020 7205 4021 or email cmiller@kiddrapinet.co.uk, ypatel@kiddrapinet.co.uk or mzvarykina@kiddrapinet.co.uk

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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feast your eyes on these

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Museum Of London Docklands West India Quay TALK | In Conversation With Old Friends Poet Hannah Lowe will read excerpts from her new book Old Friends – a collection inspired by distant memories of London’s original Chinatown.

May 22, 3pm, £6, museumoflondon.org.uk

Welcome to Wharf Life. Our 62nd issue has a textile theme running through it – discover Freeweaver Saori studio’s mindful classes on the Isle Of Dogs and hear from artist Ian Berry who creates work from donated denim. There’s also plenty of food, drama and places to go – we hope you enjoy.

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Dine out and eat lunch for less with our cheap Wharf eats

Where?

Crossrail Place Roof Garden Canary Wharf

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DANCE | Spring Rose Garden The Space Theatre presents a showcase of talent from students at the Cairo Rose belly dance studio – expect improv and a chance to join in.

May 21, 2pm, free, canarywharf.com

Artist Ian Berry on making work from denim in Canary Wharf

Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG | Johnny Hates Jazz Clark Datchler and Mike Nocito bring their 1980s stylings to the venue’s stage – expect hits including Shattered Dreams and Turn Back The Clock.

May 12, 9.30pm, from £19, boisdale.co.uk

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Why the CEO of the trust that runs emerging culturual powerhouse Woolwich Works can’t wait to see its extensive facilities animated with shows, events and weddings

flash back

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How Level39 is working to boost inclusivity among its members

the joy of six

38 Wine bar and restaurant Humble Grape , which has a branch at Mackenzie Walk in Canary Wharf, has been working hard to level up the food it serves to match its range of hard-to-find tipples – just don’t expect brunch humblegrape.co.uk Scan this code to read our interview with executive chef Dana Barnard at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

We catch up with one of the stars of a new musical at Stratford East

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How a Canary Wharf company is set to transform Romford

Every issue Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 29

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Editorial email info@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300 Advertising email jess.maddison@wharf-life.com call 07944 000 144

Our editorial team works hard to ensure all information printed in Wharf Life is truthful and accurate. Should you spot any errors that slip through the net or wish to raise any issues about the content of the publication, please get in touch and we will investigate

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

need to know

£15

Open from May 4, Capital Karts go-karting track will see Wharfers get to chuck their rides into fearsome bends in a Canary Wharf car park. Booking is open now and prices start at £32 with experiences suitable for those aged 14 and over capitalkarts.com

30 We’re not sure when exactly, but personal trainer gym brand Ultimate Performance is set to open a branch at Wood Wharf, bringing its total count in London to five. Expect some seriously tough programmes from its trainers ultimateperformance.com

Try four wines on a Tuesday at Humble Grape with a mini flight costing £15 for this regular weekly offer. No need to book, just waltz in and imbibe humblegrape.co.uk

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Weave a story for youself – it’s all down to Erna on the Isle Of Dogs

Discover the crisp, cool flavours of Yapix in Canning Town

subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox each week for free

£25

32

Squid launches Canada Water Market as a sister operation to its Wapping business – here we catch up with company founder Will Cutteridge and fill our shopping basket

Get £25 off any repair – phones, iPads and MacBooks at iSmash in Crossrail Walk off Canada Place. Just use code AFFREP4 when booking or at the till ismash.com

work with us to promote your business to our audience

email advertising@wharf-life.com to find out how we can help you reach our audience through our 15,000 papers or our digital platforms

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

banticipate verb, fake, from Latin

To become obsessed with looking forward to the next Bank Holiday while rejoicing over the large number of days out of the office yielded by booking a comparatively small quantity of annual leave

style it

words you don’t know you need

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●

●

write me

●

● Zara Tailored Buttoned Blazer + Trousers in fuchsia

tacenda

● Maje Knit Skirt With Braided Trim in light pink

●

noun, real, from Latin

● Reiss Gigi Leather Biker Jacket in taupe

Things that should not be spoken about or made public. In the case of recent public life, these might include fixed penalty notices, downstreaming services and Netflix growth predictions. Oh, and Elon Musk

● Zara Golden Elastic Butterfly Belt in gold

S

pring has sprung, and a new season means a new wardrobe, right? Well, perhaps not a whole new wardrobe, but I’ve been on the hunt for some key on-trend pieces to propel my existing clothing into spring/summer 2022. Having pored over the catwalks of London, Paris, Milan and New York I’ve been excitedly waiting to see how the high street has interpreted the designer styles and here are my picks on the Wharf. >> An easy way to update your look is with a hefty injection of colour. Juicy pops of raspberry, tangerine, and lime green were all over the Valentino and Halpern shows. Zara in Cabot Place stocks a Tailored Buttoned Blazer in fuchsia for £69.99, which goes perfectly with a white T-shirt and trainers for a weekend brunch with friends. Or, go the whole shebang and pair with the matching Francoise Full Length Trousers priced at £32.99, for a statement look at the office. >> Miniskirt mayhem was in play at the Chanel, Versace and Miu Miu shows. I’m a firm believer in this being a trend anyone – any size and any age – can own. Wear a mini with flats and a crisp white shirt for a more casual look, or with stilettos and lipstick for high octane glamour. Maje in Jubilee Place has an array of miniskirts and mini-shorts too. My favourite is the Knit Skirt With Braided Trim in light pink for £199 – very Chanel.

Have you helped your loved ones to help you?

>> Spring/summer in this country means a jacket is still needed, so I was very happy to see the iconic biker look on the runways of Acne Studios and Alexander McQueen. My go-to spring look has become a leather biker jacket worn over a floaty floral dress, mixing the tough and the feminine. Try Reiss in Jubilee Place for its Gigi Leather Biker Jacket in black or taupe, for £350. It will serve for years as a wardrobe staple.

Health conditions can change your future and your capacity to make decisions but creating a Lasting Power of Attorney ensures you control who makes decisions on your behalf should you be unable to do so.

Download our FREE Guide to Making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

>> Picture Paris Hilton in the 2000s – that look was all over the Blumarine catwalk show. Low-rise jeans, butterfly crop tops, statement belts, and body chains. For a bit of nostalgia I found a gorgeous little gem in Zara. Its Golden Elastic Butterfly Belt at £19.99 is so sweet and could be worn on the hips with washed out jeans, or higher up to cinch in an oversized shirt. Now, where is my old velour tracksuit?

kiddrapinet.co.uk/understandinganlpa

It’s great to see there’s certainly lots of fun on the fashion cards this season – it's something I’m sure we’re all here to embrace. Enjoy.

Natasha Maddison @pazzanatasha on Insta

Your options can start here.

Download our free guide or book a free consultation with our private client team. Call 020 7205 2896 or request an appointment online at kiddrapinet.co.uk

AY L E S B U RY

FARNHAM

HI GH W YCOM BE

LO N DO N

M A IDE N H E A D

S LO U G H

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

50% off

Count Brogues, £375 Paul Smith, Cabot Place paulsmith.com

Easter at Charbonnel Et Walker, Cabot Place Lower Level

We're thinking of starting a movement – the kind with meetings and pamphlets.

We'll call it the Two Week Revolution and campaign to celebrate major holidays 14 days after everybody else. Why? Well it's the cost, see. Take this selection box of Easter eggs – before the big day it cost £36 but now it's £18. We saw the same at Christmas, will we ever learn? Visit Charbonnel Et Walker soon to take advantage of its half price sale – on while stocks last.

Go to charbonnel.co.uk

diary dates and ideas to make your Canary Wharf life sweeter...

Indulge your inner Elvis who – according to Scouting For Girls, at least, isn't dead – with these marvellous brogues from Paul Smith.

Always reliable, the designer has included enough nerdy little details to make anyone wearing them stride about with confidence including a Brit-boosting Union Jack sole and man-of-the-world maps on the insole. Something for the office peacock.

subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox each week for free

GIG - Scouting For Girls Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, May 26, 9.30pm boisdale.co.uk Expect This Ain't A Love Song, She's So Lovely and Elvis Ain't Dead from this group who first exploded onto the music scene in 2007 to widespread commercial success. While it's fair to say the group's name has not really aged well – getting creepier as the years pass by – they're still worth a listen.

SEE - Cornucopia One Canada Square, until June 10, daily, free canarywharf.com Discover the vibrant, potent sculptures of artist, ceramicist and painter Patricia Volk in Canary Wharf over the next few weeks.

This free exhibition takes the role of a major retrospective for its creator and features more than 40 works that span 30 years of her career including some that have never been seen in public before.

Each is a one-off ceramic creation, worked in clay, fired and then decorated with painstakingly mixed shades of acrylic paint in a celebration of form, line and colour.

Fringed Handbag, £69.99 Mango, Canada Place mango.com Go on, you deserve a bit of fun and that starts right here with this brightly coloured bag.

Swish it around on a night out at Pergola or pack it in your suitcase and take it to the beach on a short, sun-kissed break.

Either way, every time you look at its fringe swaying in the breeze, you'll be reminded not to take life too seriously, to kick off those shoes and dig your toes into the grass.

Summer is on its way.

Give your customers the digital self-service experience they want with help from the Conversational AI Leader

www.creativevirtual.com info@creativevirtual.com | 020 7719 8332

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

how artist Ian Berry is set to use denim to create a new piece of work in Canary Wharf

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Layers of denim used to create some of Ian’s artworks Look closely - you’ll see all of Ian Berry’s work is created from denim

by Jon Massey

A

rtist Ian Berry wants his work to be seen in real life – so apologies to anyone reading the next couple of pages.

These reproductions might give you an idea of the kind of pieces he creates but 2D reproductions on paper or digital screens just don’t cut it.

Based in Poplar, but hailing from Huddersfield via High Wycombe, Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands, the constant in Ian’s life is also his medium – denim. Cutting, layering and gluing, he creates images and installations using a palette of jeans, constantly pushing to make the material accurately depict all manner of scenes, lighting effects, substances and surfaces.

The reason you’re looking at one of the pieces from Ian’s Behind Closed Doors series is that he’s just embarked on a project in partnership with Canary Wharf Group. With used clothes donated at Jubilee Place last week, he’ll be stripping out the denim and using it to create an artwork, which will be unveiled on World Environment Day – June 5.

“My work needs to be seen in real life to be understood,” said Ian, who works from a studio overlooking the Limehouse Cut canal. “I don’t really feel like a real artist to those who haven’t seen my work in that way.

“I’d spent the pandemic having seven different shows in other countries – most of them solo and that was tough with all the quarantines and shipping issues.

“I’d just got back from Chile when I got an email from Canary Wharf asking about this project.

At first I thought it would be great just because I could walk there rather than having to take pieces on aeroplanes.

“I walk through the estate when I catch the Jubilee line, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my work seen by more people in real life.

“But it also sounded interesting because of the estate’s sustainability credentials – it’s something that’s taken very seriously whereas some other places just continued on Page 8

it’s all in the

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

7

ice creams water gardens cocktails, tea cakes, pizza + a giant sandpit

we'd love to see you there

a great place to hang out at the weekend republic.london

by East India DLR station

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

grape expectations

by Nico Trevisan

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Shows Ian’s work was featured in over the course of the pandemic

Summer is well and truly upon us. It’s time to soak up the sunshine with a crisp glass of rose and fire up the barbie with friends and family.

This issue, we’ve got our top rosés and BBQ wines to keep you going all summer long. Cheers to warmer days and longer nights... ● Domaine la Colombette Rosé, France, 2020 - £17.25 This Grenache oozes summertime. Get your nose into it and it smells so good it’s hard to pull it back out again. It is redolent of strawberries, raspberries, and watermelon, topped with a little fresh cream and a twist of pink grapefruit juice.

Crisp and refreshing, the Colombette Rose has a very long finish on the palate. The winery was started in 1890 when blacksmith Louis Pugibet fell in love with a winemaker and she gave him his first hectare of vines as a wedding present. Enjoy it with your love on a warm summer evening. ● Girolamo Russo Etna Rosato, Sicily, Italy, 2018 - £37.50 There are only 5,000 bottles produced per year of this wine from Giuseppe Russo – one of the most acclaimed winemakers on Mount Etna.

Fine and complex, this Sicilian beauty has notes of peach, orange skin and light summer berries. From the oldest part of Giuseppe’s vineyard, this rosato is juicy and refreshing thanks to the clean cut of minerality running through it brought in by the volcanic soil. Bellissimo. ● La Liquiere, Les Amandiers, Rosé, France, 2020 - £20.25 As much as these vines struggle in the scorching Tramontane and Marin winds in the Languedoc, Les Amandiers vines are planted along the highest slopes in Faugeres. With a temperature that is the equivalent to a hairdryer at full blast, the altitude helps the 40-year-old vines retain their thirst-quenching acidity, which makes the strawberry and cherry flavours stand to attention. Shaded by an almond tree, the end result is a rose with cherries, strawberries and raspberries with a kiss of fudge at the finish line.

Artist Ian Berry is set to create a piece from jeans donated in Canary Wharf

The Game

from Page 6 use it for marketing. I’ve not spoken much about sustainability in the context of my work. Others have – as recycling or upcycling – but when I started 16 years ago it wasn’t the buzzword it is now.

“The project I’m doing with Canary Wharf Group re ects sustainabilit and the environment – denim’s terrible in its impact at the end of the day – but there are also good things happening in the industry.

I don’t believe there’s a material that better re ects contem orar times, good or bad.”

That really is the crux of things for Ian. While we talk it becomes clear there are all sorts of tensions at work between the artist, his medium and the subjects he chooses. He tells me denim stands for freedom, democracy and the West to the point where it was banned in Russia and Belarus, where it’s still worn symbolically by dissenters.

Then again it’s also the clothing of capitalism, excess and greed, with designer jeans selling for astronomical sums.

“I’m interested in people and in the denim industry, in workers’ rights,” said Ian. “I know everyone in the sector and there’s a lot of greenwashing going on – a lot of lying and they even tell me what their lies and exaggerations are. It’s frustrating.”

While Ian’s pieces are neces-

Scan this to find out more about Ian Berry’s art

Nico Trevisan is a personal wine specialist and tasting host at Humble Grape, which operates five bars and wine shops in London including one in Canary Wharf All of the wines featured in this column are available to buy from Humble Grape in store or online – scan this code to find out more

The Roosevelt, LA

sarily shot through with such issues – how noble attempts to pass on clothing to do good can come unstuck as second-hand garments wind u ooding foreign markets or simply get dumped overseas, for example – the denim he uses is also, im ortantl , ust the stuff he uses to capture the world.

“I use it literally as my paint to represent contemporary life and issues you see every day,” he said.

“I have struggled for 16 years to know what to call them – they’re not paintings, they’re collages, but using just one medium.

“In some there are 16 layers of denim, so they are very sculptural, 3D pieces, and they can be ver effective, with the te ture of the denim as well. All that gets lost if people look on their phones or laptops.

“The magic in my work is finding the gradients in the denim, the fades, the cat’s whiskers – where it goes from indigo to lighter shades. You can connect them together and get quite a photo-realistic piece.

“Sometimes I achieve that too well and people don’t realise it’s jeans, but you need that ‘aha’ factor for people to connect.

“It happens in America especially, where people look for a while and then get closer and closer and, at about 50cm away, they say: ‘Oh, my God, it’s blue jeans’. I don’t want it to be seen as a gimmick, though.

“I hope people appreciate the craft, the love and attention to detail and they are amazed that the piece is made out of denim. I do set myself technical challenges – how to depict shiny, metallic objects or water using this matt

The magic in my work is finding the gradients in the denim, the fades, the cat’s whiskers Ian Berry, artist

● IN STORE The perfect place to enjoy these wines is in the sunshine at Humble Grape’s outdoor terrace overlooking Middle Dock

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

Secret Garden material. But the main thing is the subject. With the Behind Closed Doors series I wanted to depict this busy city we’re living in, which can be lonely.

“That really connected with people – two out of three were saying: ‘Wow, that’s me’ – and it was kind of special.”

Ian, whose granddad was from east London, said he wasn’t sure what kind of piece he would create from the jeans donated in Canary Wharf.

He said: “Hopefully the piece I create will cause discussion and make people think.

“I can’t give too much away at this stage in case the idea changes but I think it’s going to have an element of my hanging Secret Garden, which turns plants into cotton, into jeans and then back into plants again.

“There’s a nod to sustainability in that – it’s nice because we can make something permanent out of the jeans.

“If you wear a pair for 10 years and then throw them away, it might be just about OK, but now we have a world where people buy them, wear them two or three times and throw them out.”

Ian’s piece will be added to the Wharf’s permanent collection.

Go to canarywharf.com

Scan this to find out what’s on in Canary Wharf

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

6

Places to eat for less on the Canary Wharf estate

tackling the cost of

as the cost of living crisis bites, we hunt deals in Canary Wharf’s malls While the savings Wharfers can make by making their own sandwiches or cooking their own lunches at home and bringing them into work are pretty much unbeatable, there are cheap options for those who fancy a bite from a supermarket or even a hot lunch from a restaurant on the estate...

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The cheapest supermarket sarnies available

take-out

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Dishes to eat in Wharf restaurants for less than £5

eat-in

Free Range Egg Mayo, £1.55 - 295kcal Watitrose, Canada Place waitrose.com

Kamaage, £3.45 - 350kcal Marugame Udon, Atrium Kitchen, Cabot Place marugame.co.uk

You can save yourself a packet on Pret and Greggs by heading to a supermarket (both offer a comparable sarnie for £2.35, albeit the former with cress) and this take on the classic is pretty decent. There’s a reasonable quantity of filling between the two slices of oatmeal bread – naturally classed as an essential in the aisles of Waitrose. Don’t expect your tastebuds to be blown away by seasoning, but the flavour of fresh egg is certainly inoffensive enough for most.

The cheapest dish on the menu at Marugame turns out to be a squat wooden barrel filled with udon noodles in water, plus a fish dashi to dip them in en route to your mouth.

Nothing about this feels modest – the portion is decent and the copperbound vessel marks diners out as purists, committed in their pursuit of simplicity and minimalism in the mouth.

Tuna Crunch, £1.40 - 323kcal Tesco Metro, Cabot Place tesco.com

Veggie Burger 2.0, £4 - 453kcal German Doner Kebab, Atrium Kitchen, Cabot Place germandonerkebab.com

The cheapest sandwich available on the Wharf and, head and shoulders above its peers. This marriage of tuna whipped smooth and pebble-dashed with sweetcorn and red pepper beats the rest on flavour and mouth-feel despite the sweet, bland white bread it’s on. Mind you, arguably the best value at Tesco is in the meal deal for Clubcard holders, which gets you pretty much any sandwich, a snack and a drink for £3.

This hearty bap comes packed with vegetables, and feels no need whatsover to ape meat in its presentation or taste.

Priced at a competitive £4, its contents are well-seasoned, with a hint of curry on the tongue. All items on this chain’s Doner 2.0 menu cost £5 or less and another great tip for a cheap bite is the Doner Quesadilla – four delicious triangles filled with slices of chicken or beef, plus sauces to dip as standard.

Farmhouse Cheddar Cheese, £1.85 - 432kcal M&S, Jubilee Place marksandspencer.com

Brazilian Black Bean Rice Box, £4.49 - 412kcal Leon, Cabot Place leon.co

This isn’t just a cheese sandwich... Well, actually, it is. For the best part of £2 you get two bits of bread, spread and two slices of Cheddar. Oh, and they’ve thrown in the word “farmhouse” too, as though it’s been lovingly made on an ancient wooden table in a Cotswold barn by someone with floury forearms and ruddy cheeks.

The look and feel is one of sadness as you buy it – Percy Pig will look down on you – but surprisingly the taste of the cheese is pretty good.

A former colleague of mine once described Leon’s food as “like soil, but in a good way”. I’m assuming he meant nourishing and wholesome because it’s always held that place in my head reserved for a bolt-hole serving good, reliable, healthy food. The cheapest rice box on its menu is no exception, rich in flavour and just the right amount to fill up at lunch.

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

£1.61

Starting price per journey

The Uber Boat by Thames Clippers network is set to expand to Barking

advertising feature

A

lthough they may not know it, over 1.6million Londoners live within a 15-minute bike ride of an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier (uberboatbythamesclippers.com).

This means that much of London’s workforce has access to a commute that promises beautiful views, fresh air and, perhaps most importantly, a speedy route directly into the heart of the capital.

Almost one in every five Londoners –18% – living outside of central London (west of Vauxhall St George Wharf Pier and east of Canary Wharf Pier) have easy access to London’s river bus service. Unlike other routes into the city, gliding in by river offers commuters a guaranteed comfortable seat either in a light, climate-controlled, spacious cabin or on the outside back deck, onboard barista service and views of London’s glorious riverside landmarks.

The London borough with the highest number of potential commuters living in accessible distance to the piers is Tower Hamlets, which has 279,437 of its population living within 15

how Uber Boat by Thames Clippers is the perfect way to glide around London

commute into the city by

minutes’ cycle of an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier.

The London Borough of Newham boasts 121,233 potential river commuters.

Spring is the perfect time to discover this new commute; it promises fresh air at every step of the journey. An early morning cycle or stroll makes for an excellent beginning to the day and is a great source of exercise – enjoy a treat from the onboard café bar without the guilt.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers vessels offer storage for up to 14 bicycles (significantly more for folding models), allowing commuters to bring their bikes

into the heart of the city, and continue their smooth and stressfree commute right to their office door.

The number of Londoners within a 15-minute bike ride of an Uber Boat by Thames Clippers pier will only increase over the coming weeks as the service expands eastward with the opening of its 24th pier at Barking Riverside.

This comes as the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers fleet grows, with the launch of two hybrid highspeed passenger boats planned for autumn 2022, and spring 2023.

Uber Boat by Thames Clippers commuter services have departures from as early as 5.30am, and

call at major London transport hubs every 10-20 minutes.

The high-speed catamarans transport workers quickly and onboard Wi-fi and comfortable leather seating offers the perfect opportunity to get a head start on those emails.

Flexible carnet ticketing is available for hybrid-workers, and season tickets provide regular and semi-regular river bus users with considerable savings.

Season ticket travel can work out as little as £1.61 per journey with the annual season ticket option – based on two journeys across 261 working days of the year, travelling on an East Zone annual season ticket (between Barking Riverside and Canary Wharf).

Flexible, adhoc travel starts from £3.86 per journey – based on a Flex 20 Ticket Carnet (20 pre-paid journeys for the price of 16). ● Learn more about a river commute, and find the nearest pier to you at thamesclippers.com/ commuters Scan this code to find out more about Uber Boat by Thames Clippers

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

84% another level

by Amy French

W

hat does inclusion mean for you in your workplace? Is it feeling welcome in your office and among your colleagues, or not being afraid to speak up when something isn’t right? Or perhaps it’s being able to use accessible facilities that meet your personal needs. As director of Level39, a space that supports fast-growth tech companies at its base in Canary Wharf, I not only feel a responsibility to ensure all members of my team are happy, but also to provide a collaborative, welcoming environment and an inclusive community for our members here.

Our people, and the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion, are at the core of everything Level39 and Canary Wharf Group do.

We offer training and talks to highlight and discuss issues in these areas, and empowering individuals with tools can often be a practical next step.

In early 2020, I met the lovely Rosie Turner from InChorus – a research and data business – who introduced me to the firm’s Inclusion Slackbot.

In layman’s terms, this piece of software is a chat function, embedded in your company’s Slack messaging channel that enables individuals to anonymously report experiences of day-to-day microaggressions.

These could be instances of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. It also encourages individuals to recognise and report inclusive behaviours.

The Inclusion Slackbot was created as a result of InChorus research aimed at understanding bias and harassment experienced by individuals working in fintech – a sector close to our hearts at Level39 – which revealed some alarming results: ● 85% of workplace harassment in fintech is gender based with high incidents of “everyday sexism”. ● 84% of sector employees have been harassed more than once. ● 10% of incidents were instances of “unwanted physical contact” such as groping.

So how can a tool like the Inclusion Slackbot help tackle this problem? Level39, and other communities, operate on openness, creativity, and a willingness to collaborate.

This software and other similar tools encourage a “speak up” culture in the workplace that enables individuals to identify and report problematic behaviours, as well as celebrate inclusive ones.

That’s why we decided to integrate it into our team and member Slack channels at Level39.

With a community of more than 180 companies operating in fintech, cyber, smart cities and more, it’s absolutely vital that we provide a working environment where individuals feel empowered and diverse talent thrives.

You can follow us using the info below or contact us via enquiries@level39.co to hear more.

Amy French is director at Level39 in Canary Wharf – follow @Level39CW on Instagram and Twitter and @Level39CanaryWharf on LinkedIn

Of employees working in fintech have been harassed more than once according to research by InChorus

Scan this code to find out more about InChorus and its work

It’s absolutely vital that we provide a working environment where individuals feel empowered and diverse talent thrives Amy French, Level39

Level39 has installed the Inclusion Slackbot on its messaging platform to allow users to anonymously report microaggressions and also recognise and report inclusive behaviours

fostering an

Go to level39.co for more information about the One Canada Square-based tech community Scan this code to find out more about Level39’s work and the activities of its member companies and tech startups

environment for all

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£4.50

Cost of a slice of freshly made honey cake at Chocolate Ice Cafe in Wapping

Mary tried a toasted

what’s on

bagel, an iced coffee with

things to do, places to go, people to see

salted caramel syrup and a chunk of honey cake

Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

THEATRE | As You Like It An elaborate game of fluid identity takes place in Shakespeare’s comedy which has been retold by Northern Broadsides for its 30th anniversary.

May 10-14, 7.30pm, £11-28, wiltons.org.uk Where?

Troxy Limehouse

honey a taste of

how lunch at the Ice Chocolate Cafe is one of the sweetest experiences to be found around Wapping

by Mary Tadpole

T

he Chocolate Ice Cafe has two entrances – the first tucked away down a walkway off Wapping Lane and the other a garage door from Sovereign Close.

A jolly blackboard outside the former states: “Yes! We are open! Just push the door hard!” – so I do just that and find myself in a busy room, with tables full of people chatting away and eating their lunch. I close the door behind me with an accidental slam, I turn to apologise to the staff and a woman shouts: “It’s OK – I know you’re not angry, it’s just the wind!”.

I order an iced coffee with salted caramel syrup (£3.50), a smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado bagel (£4.50) and am upsold some honey cake made the night before (£4.50). It’s the size of a brick.

Up Town Girl plays on the radio, huge pieces of art hang on the walls and I settle in with my treats. The quality of the coffee shines despite my sweet-toothed insistence on the syrup. The bagel is toasted and generously filled with perfectly ripe Scan this code for more on the Ice Chocolate Cafe

avocado, melted cream cheese and richly flavoured smoked salmon – a breakfast indulgence.

But the bobby dazzler here is the honey cake. It ‘s topped with three different types of fruit and has a layered texture – light fluffy sheets of cake, with a cream filling.

Each mouthful bursts with honey, cream and hints of ginger and cinnamon. It’s so large that it’s impossible to finish – so into a takeaway box it goes. A real treat.

Open weekdays, the cafe was nearly full on a Friday lunchtime. Also selling birthday cards and crockery, it’s easy to see why locals flock to this friendly little spot.

Go to chocoicecafe.com

MUSIC | Lubo Kirov The Bulgarian singer, composer, artist, musician and mentor on The Voice will perform his biggest concert on foreign soil featuring hits and new tracks.

May 22, 6.15pm, from £39.70, troxy.co.uk Where?

Tower Of London Wapping

TALK | Platinum Jubilee Talk With Kate Williams A members-only talk exploring the historic 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II, by the Professor of History at Reading University.

May 16, 7pm, £35, hrp.org.uk

flash back

Born in lockdown, Marina Simoes and Marcio Yokota created Pop Skewer in Wapping to bring Brazilian street food to passers-by on Cable Street. Find it tucked away beneath the railroad tracks Follow @popskewer on Insta Scan this code to read our interview with Marina to find out more about this fledgling business want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

how Freeweaver Saori Studio is making a session at the loom both functional and mindful

by Laura Enfield

D

ecompressing after a hard day at work used to be about sweating at the gym or partying in bars. But, post-pandemic, people have been seeking out gentler ways of relaxing – sitting at a loom, for example. Freeweaver Saori Studio at Craft Central is fast becoming a haven for those who want to embrace a slower pace of life, even if only for a few hours.

“Half my students are fashion students and the other half come for the mindful aspect of it,” said Erna Janine, owner of the Isle Of Dogs-based business.

“Stressed out businessmen from Canary Wharf want to do something relaxing that’s totally off the grid with no screens It s rhythmical and a mindful way of gathering your thoughts while doing something with your hands to create a simple piece of cloth.”

Erna will be hosting two workshops during London Craft Week (May 9-15) – one to introduce the technique of Saori weaving and the other showing how to integrate the cloth it produces into existing items of clothing.

She is also reinventing the pinstripe for the event and the finished result will be on dis la at Craft Central in Westferry Road.

The 45-year-old, who grew up in Holland, discovered the Japanese technique of Saori seven years ago. Instead of following a rigid repeating pattern like traditional weaving, the freestyle method encourages weavers

to use their creativity to create totally unique pieces of cloth every time they weave. For Erna, it was a revelation.

“Weaving is in my family, “ she said I alwa s felt an a nit with it through my maternal grandmother, who made all her own clothes and wore traditional costume. Weaving was also part of the curriculum at my schools.

“When I was 18 I got an apprenticeship in Iceland to be part of a weaving workshop in the remote highlands for a few years, then I did a textile degree in Iceland.

“It has just always been part of my life. But that was very formal with mega big looms that took days to even set up.

“When I found this Japanese way of weaving, I found myself as a contemporary weaver.”

Erna travelled to Japan to study Saori – invented by Misao Jo 50 years ago as a reaction to the country’s technological boom.

“There was this throwback where people started questioning their relationship with technology,” said Erna. “She was one of the people who made a stance against it by weaving her own clothes in a way that you could see they were handmade.

“She was 99 when I met her and died aged 104, as something of a cult figure in a an he said the human being was full of creativity and playfulness and that should be visible in the things we surround ourselves with. They should be based on the innovation around us, but also the joy of making things.

“I thought she captured that so well in the design of her equipment, which allows everyone to express themselves uniquely.

“With a traditional weave, you follow instructions, but this is the opposite. It’s about fun, making something new and trying things out. It is a vehicle for creativity.

“I immediately loved it and found it very liberating because I had spent so many hours at school weaving samples and, if a small mistake showed, the cloth would be cut off and thrown awa Erna said Saori was much more welcoming for beginners and she

1k

students have passed through the studio doors since it opened in 2017

Founder Erna Janine says everyone is welcome at her studio in Craft Central, pictured bottom left

flow let it

Images by James Perrin – find more of his work at jamesperrin.com or via @millerjamesperrin on Insta

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31

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Craft Central Westferry Road

Some of the garments and products Erna has created, above, and a work in progress on her Saori loom, below, at her Craft Central studio on the Isle Of Dogs knew straight away she wanted to teach it.

“I could be a regular weaver in London and make scarves, but you can only make so many,” she said. “It’s so much more interesting to teach people how to make these simple things themselves.”

In 2017, Erna landed at Craft Central, a charity set up 50 years ago to support makers, after getting permission to teach Saori in London.

“I liked the area and its proximity to Canary Wharf and Greenwich and the maritime history,” she said. “It’s enveloped in the history of this area and it’s nice to be by the river.

“Every time I’m a bit tired I can walk there and have a stretch – there’s so much space and it has so many textures – I always come back inspired.”

She has about 40 regular students who she has taught to weave who now visit the studio for sessions on a loom.

“They come in by the hour – a bit like a gym – and make what they want to make,” said Erna.

“They just want some time with other people doing something creative in a beautiful setting.

“It’s not too heavy on the technical and is really more about enjoying the colours and textures and just coming to terms with these simple techniques that surround us from birth.

“Everything we wear is textiles and most of it is woven, so it’s a good way to connect with our

With a traditional weave you follow instructions, but this is the opposite.

It’s about fun, making something new and trying things out Erna Janine, Freeweaver Saori Studio

MAKE | Make Your Own 3D Paper Rose Campbell Workshop will demonstrate how to use crepe paper, tweezers and scissors to create a flower inspired by a Pierre Joseph Redoute illustration.

May 14, 10am, £55, craftcentral.org.uk/events Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

distant ancestors as well, who had to create them by hand.”

Classes are held most weekdays and one weekend a month. She also organises the biannual Japanese Textile And Craft Festival with other makers and the Festival Of Natural Fibres (May 28-29) in conjunction with the Gandhi Foundation. This year, silk spinners will be over from India to talk about their techniques.

“People are looking at objects and the things around them in a different wa , said rna e see it with food – people being more picky – and I think fashion will be the next thing where people start to choose with more care.

“People should see fast fashion as pollution. I have travelled to India extensively as I work with organic cotton farms and silk spinners. It’s horrible to see the river bright pink because it’s in this season. I don’t think severe change is necessary, though – just slow progress because people need employment.”

Erna does her bit by avoiding acrylic yarns and using recycled materials saved from landfill She splits her time between Deptford and Stroud, where she has a home studio in an old textile mill. She also weaves outside and forages in the forest.

I created m first clothing collection there in lockdown,” she said. “People often ask if I go home and weave after teaching a whole day. I answer: ‘Yes of course, it’s so relaxing’.”

Go to freeweaver.co.uk

London Craft Week

DANCE | IRIE! Dance Theatre A takeover by the New Cross company including traditional African dance and a dance fusion masterclass featuring Caribbean and urban styles.

May 12-14, from £3, poplarunion.com

what’s on at Craft Central ● May 10 - Rework Your Garment Using Creative Sewing And Saori Weaving ● May 11 - Saori Weaving With Natural Fibres + Bengala Dye ● May 11 - Sewing A Japanese Komebukuro Rice Bag ● May 13 - Ikebana Japanese Flower Arrangement ● May 14 - Make Your Own Botanical Illustration Inspired 3D Paper Rose ● May 14 - Paint Your Own Ceramic ● May 14 - Pyrography Fire Drawing Workshop ● May 14 - Makers Market 10.30am-5.30pm.

A wide range of items will be on sale at Craft Central including interior products, jewellery, prints, textiles, fashion, ceramics, and woodwork. ● May 15 - Jesmonite Casting

Scan this code to find out more about Saori Studio

Where?

The Space Westferry Road

THEATRE | The Dalton Sisters A whodunnit style play which explores burlesque, the late 1960’s liberation through sexualisation, sisterhood, LGBTQIA+ and the female experience.

May 10-14, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk

flash back

Inventor Garry Moore has water waste in his sights as he trials his latest air-flushing toilet on the Isle Of Dogs. His company, Velocity, has created a domestic product to help people save this vital resource in their homes velocity-wc.com Scan this code to read our interview with Garry and find out all about his revolutionary loo want more? @wharflifelive

32

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

how Squid Markets has extended its operation from a successful foundation in Wapping to provide street food, crafts, refreshment and fresh produce to customers in Canada Water

by Jon Massey

Scan this code to find out more about Squid Markets and its operations in Wapping and Canada Water

N

ot to be confused with South Korean ultraviolent et i henomenon Squid Game, uid ar ets has reached a milestone n the first birthda of its first successful ro ect a ing oc lands ar et at russels harf it unveiled a second, this time south of the hames ven for its first iteration on aster unda A ril , it was clear anada ater ar et is the right thing in the right lace es ite hordes of ondoners heading off to see fami lies, the traders, street food vendors and refreshment stalls were doing bris business at eal orter uare something that will doubtless continue as the mar et is set to run ever unda outside the librar from am until m It offers visitors a head blend of live music, cuisines from around the world, erman beer, wine, ba ed goods, fresh roduce, crafts and art a lace to sho , but also to meet, eat, drin and be merr as the sun s ar les on the waters of the nearb doc he divide created b the hames itself was indirectl the ins iration for uid s latest venture a h sical obstacle that ondoners have been wor ing to overcome somewhat unsuccessfull for hundreds of ears hile revious generations have tried tunnelling to connect a ing and otherhithe, for uid founder ill utteridge the solution was sim ler ta e what alread wor s in one location and re licate it in another e now at a ing oc lands ar et that the ma orit of our customers come from north of the river, he said o I thought we should have a mar et south of the hames but in relativel close ro imit to our first o eration hat wa we re able to start to grow the brand both in east and south east ondon hat s when I started loo ing for sites literall on oogle a s, ooming into o en s aces ecause ondon is so densel ac ed, if there s a large o en s ace it s rett obvious and I began loo ing in otherhithe and eal orter uare seemed the obvious lace to do it it was the right sort of area for what we re offering ith swathes of regeneration alread com leted and a great deal more in i eline the eninsula has seen a stead increase in o ulation with new businesses and ventures arriving in the area o what is uid bringing to that mi anada ater is, li e a ing, rimaril a food mar et, said ill e want eo le to come and do their wee l sho with us, get all their fruit and veg, their bread and all the standard items, while also grabbing a coffee and catching u with their neighbours ne of the most e citing things that we ve seen at a ing is that it has brought the local communit together eo le who live in the same building, right across the corridor from each other and have never

bringing the

s o en, have met at the mar et, and I thin that s the o of something li e this hat s e actl what we want to create at anada ater something that brings eo le together in an old fashioned wa I thin that s im ortant in this da and age, because eo le don t tal to each other in ondon ver much and the mar et rovides a friendl environment where the can ou go to the su ermar et, ic u a bunch of carrots and ut them in our bas et, and it s not ver immersive or interactive If ou bu a bunch of carrots from our hegworth alle stall, the team running it all live and wor on the farm the ic the fruit, lant the seeds, and ou re meeting the eo le who grow our food ou have a dialogue with them, come bac ever wee and it s alwa s the same eo le e also have a small craft section in all our mar ets, because we tend to find that there s a lot of local eo le who have a side gig ma ing things or e am le, we have a a gu who hand ma es all his terrariums lant And erson which is uite cool Hosting those itches is a great wa to get local businesses to the mar et, and it rovides a bit of variet in addition to the food itself “We also have a local artist d uc nall who sells his wor s, and one lad who ta es all of our em t bottles from the wine stall at the end of the da and uses them to ma e candles treet food is, of course, a critical art of our o era tion visitors to the mar et can do their sho ing and then listen to some live music, have a beer or a glass of wine and then grab a i a, some curr , stea or a wide variet of Asian food here s also a gu selling ortuguese sandwiches and vegan aribbean food from o s aribbean usion, so there s a lot to choose from ur lan is to have a total of traders here, which is enough to rovide a reall good mi of food, roduce and services we re alwa s on the loo out for new traders, so an one interested should get in touch e might have re branded, but we remain hugel assionate about sustainabilit it s incredibl chal lenging but it s something we remain focused on ne of the wa s in which uid does this is to find small businesses through its mar ets and hel them build their brands nationall we re alwa s see ing reall interesting food roducers that we can go into artnershi with Go to squidmarkets.co.uk

●

Above, Squid Markets founder Will Cutteridge and, below, Canada Water Market, early on the day of its launch as customers began to arrive

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

33

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

7 ●

Things you can buy at Canada Water Market

shopping trip

what’s on

find all these products and more at Canada Water Market, every Sunday ● Nutella Doughnut, £3 Galeta Bakery galeta.co.uk

● Tofu Rice Bowl, £8 Joy’s Caribbean Fusion @joys_caribbean_fusion on Insta

● Mini Cactus, £2 (for 3) Plant And Person plantandperson.co.uk

● Original Painting, £375 Ed J Bucknall Of Wapping edjbucknall.com

● Apple & Raspberry Juice, £3.50 Chegworth Valley chegworthvalley.com

● Spinach Sausage Roll, £4 Rodgis Bakery rodgis.com

● St Felicien Cheese, £7 The French Comte thefrenchcomte.co.uk

● Krafty’s Blondie, £4 Krafty Braumeister kraftybraumeister.co.uk

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

The Albany Deptford

If you buy your carrots from our Chegworth Valley stall, you’re meeting the people who grow your food

TALK | The Women Of Jamestown And Plymouth This illustrated talk, part of a series on the history of the Mayflower, sees Jennifer Potter and Rebecca Fraser consider the importance of women in its story.

May 25, 7.30pm, £3.75, thealbany.org.uk Where?

Canada Water Theatre Rotherhithe

Will Cutteridge, Squid Markets

STAGE | No Place Like Home A solo performance of a work in progress, this new play explores gay club culture and the places we can call “home” as a tragic odyssey unfolds.

Apr 28, 8pm, £10, canadawatertheatre.org.uk

●

Where?

The Bird’s Nest Deptford

GIG | Dread Messiah Expect an evening of hardcore and metal with a punk edge as the Hackney outfit are joined by Non Profit, Eskorputas and Nuke On Route.

May 13, 7pm, free, thebirdsnestpub.co.uk

●

flash back

● ● The Rotherhithe Peninsula is set to get a new set of workspaces as Art-Invest brings forward its Canada Water Dockside scheme on the edge of the dock, promising to build the offices of the future art-invest.de/en

● Canada Water Market traders sell a wealth of different products

●

Scan this code to read our interview with Art-Invest’s Luka Vukotic online at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com Image by Timothy Soar

34

what is Woolwich Works?

James confessed at the start of our interview that, despite having been in post for nearly three years, he s et to find a ra id wa of answering this question – testament, perhaps to the sheer scale of the project he’s steering.

“Woolwich Works is physically five buildings on the o al Arsenal iverside develo ment in south-east London,” he said.

“They’re all former military buildings and are Grade II or Grade II* listed. The site overall is about 20 years into its redevelopment by Berkeley Homes.

“With Woolwich Works, Greenwich Council wanted to achieve a number of things. Fundamentally the beginning of this project was looking at these historic buildings and their situation and taking the view that it was important to preserve these spaces in public use for the benefit of ever one in the borough and beyond.

“A decision was made to develop the focus of these buildings as being around an arts and culture offer ltimatel that s how we’ve got to where we are.

“Three of the buildings, all joined together – The Cartridge Factory, The Laboratory and The Carriage Works – are home to phenomenal immersive theatre company Punchdrunk, which has ust launched its first show at the site and is also resident at Woolwich Works.

“The spaces have been joined together and audiences walk into a whole world and navigate themselves around it.

“Then, on the other side of No. 1 Street, there’s our main building, which has four wings around a

what’s the intention?

“Woolwich Works is a multi-arts venue with lots of different s aces so we can present a varied performance programme,” said James.

“We have the resident companies and they will contribute to that as well as running various creative and community initiatives that offer o ortunities to eo le living locally.

“These might be in schools or, for example, in our recording studio which will be the last thing to open here. We have world-class facilities and resident companies, but we’re also community focused, so if you’re someone who lives nearby and who wants to di their toe into music, film or design, then we’ll facilitate that with formal training alongside mentoring, coaching and the chance to work with professionals. nder inning ever thing we do is that we’re a catalyst for collaboration. The aim is to create an ecosystem and we’re already seeing people working together.

Our role at the trust is partly to cultivate that.

“The aim is that the professional, the community and the emerging all come together – whether through work experience, jobs, volunteering or performance opportunities – to help build pathways and open up the arts to everybody. We want to bring those opportunities to people who may be under-represented or who think they can’t access them.” what’s coming?

“The near future is rooted in the fact that we’re looking at a horizon where things are relatively stable,” said James. “We’ve never had that before and, next month, the building starts to get

The main building at Woolwich Works houses a range of performance spaces at Royal Arsenal Image by Chris Morgan

A

ctivity” is the word buzzing around the lips of James Heaton as we sit in Beanfeast – one of the magnificent exposed brick spaces that form part of the vast Woolwich Works complex. For the CEO of the Woolwich Creative District Trust – set up to independently o erate the site on a not for rofit basis – it’s a welcome change, given the challenging stop-start conditions of two years of pandemic restrictions.

Now though, even largely empty on a sunny Wednesday morning in April, there’s a life about the place – the vibration of possibility in its walls.

That’s something James and his team intend to nurture and feed as the months roll by until its performance spaces, rehearsal studios, recording facilities, cafe, bar and o ces are all humming with the industry and pulse of cultural creation.

central courtyard. That houses a number of venues, rehearsal studios, a recording studio and o ces e also have s ace in he Academy building next door.”

In addition to Punchdrunk, Woolwich Works is also home to the National Youth Jazz Orchestra (NYJO), the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Protein Dance and Chineke!, an orchestra of predominantly black and ethnically diverse classical musicians.

Alongside the cafe, performances typically take place in either the 1,504sq m of the irewor s actor a e ible auditorium that can be set up in an number of configurations or Beanfeast, a smaller, narrower venue on the first oor with views over the Thames.

Main venue the Fireworks Factory can be laid out in any number of configurations to fit different events

show time

The Burnt City, Punchdrunk at Woolwich Works

I

mmersive theatre company Punchdrunk has opened its show at Woolwich Works, with tickets now booking into December. The Burnt City transports audiences to the Trojan War with two distinct, detailed worlds to explore packed with mysterious characters to meet.

Troy is reimagined as a dense sci-fi city with an aesthetic inspired by Fritz Lang’s Mertropolis, while Greece is a wasteland filled with jaded soldiers and eerie memories of The Burnt ancient gods. Presented as a promeCity nade performance, ticketholders are free to wander these environments at will, interacting with the characters over 100,000sq ft of space The production is the company’s first show in London since 2014 and its most ambitious to date, reuniting the team behind Sleep No More including original cast members from that show. Performances last up to three hours, with six arrival times at 10-minute intervals.

Shows on Tuesdays-Fridays start at 6.30pm, Saturdays 1.30pm and 6.30pm and Sundays 4.30pm.

Tickets typically cost £66 with limited “rush tickets” available for £25 Scan this for every performance through Time code for Out. more on The Go to punchdrunk.com Burnt City Image by Timothy Soar

by Jon Massey

Scan this code to find out more about Woolwich Works

The Fireworks Factory works as a large auditorium and can also be used for weddings and banqueting

really busy. Almost everything gets going in May and stays running.

“We have what was our festive cabaret – The Grotteaux – opening as a springtime show instead and that looks bonkers, fantastic and eclectic.

“Our comedy, music and family programmes will continue throughout, and we’re really looking forward to the whole site being animated at the same time.

“Then, in July, we’re launching what I’m hoping will become an annual festival here called Woolwich Words And Sounds. For that we’ll be programming the whole building with all sorts of different live music, comedy, literature and spoken word performances. e ll have singer Alice ussell and also an amazing jazz saxophonist called Bob Mintzer who’ll be playing some of his big band repertoire with NYJO covering the last 40 years.

“Part of the thing that’s exciting about Woolwich Works is that its layout really lends itself to a festival model – there’s a big area of outdoor space and we want to have some food, drink, deckchairs and free music out there for people to listen to.” open for business?

“The trust is a true not-forrofit, which means it has to sustain itself and look after the buildings through earned income,” said James. “That means we do commercial hire for events – dinners, conferences, private celebrations and meetings – all the things you’d expect a big venue to cater for.

“We’ve had a few weddings and, of course, we’d like a few more. But we’re also here for the creative community with lots of rehearsal space available. The sector as a whole needs these spaces and the aim is to be available to artistic companies that aren’t based here.

“The idea is that doing this will also contribute to the ecosystem because when we have companies in residence for four or five wee s, inevitably they will meet other, like-minded people in the cafe or around the building.

“Creative people become more creative when they’re in touch with other artists.

“In the end, our success will be seen in the people who have progressed through Woolwich Works and who have gone on to do great things.

“It will be the stories of those people who found their opportunities here and were supported to find their life within the arts

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

35

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

3

Weeks of events for Woolwich Words And Sounds, running from July 15-31 at the Works

Image by Jon Massey

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Fireworks Factory Woolwich Works

SHOW | The Grotteaux Immersive party makers Shotgun Carousel promise a cabaret circus spectacle transposed to spring after their Christmas shows were postponed.

May 18-Jun 4, 8pm, from £15.50, woolwich.works Where?

Now Gallery Peninsula

ART | Feeling Good Enjoy the visual art of Joy Yamusangie whose installation aims to conjure up the atmosphere of a jazz club with a series of specially designed spaces.

Until Jun 5, daily, free, greenwichpeninsula.co.uk Where?

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

James trained as an

Our success will be in the people who have progressed through Woolwich Works and gone on to do great things

orchestral percussionist before opening pubs and then moving into the arts with stints at Camden Roundhouse, The Guardian and Nimax theatres

finding that

STAGE | Vixen This original story by Matt Grinter is about a young girl who is turning into a fox and is suitable for children aged 7+. Beauty in unexpected places May 10-11, times vary, £16.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

flash back

James Heaton, Woolwich Works

for the spaces how Woolwich Works is looking to get in its groove as a future free of unexpected disruption fills with tantalising opportunities

The roof of The O2 may already be watertight again, but what did it take to get to that point and when will the final section of Icon At The O2 be open for business again? Spoiler alert, probably early May theo2.co.uk Scan this code to read our interview with those handling the repair and reopening of the Greenwich venue want more? @wharflifelive

36

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37

Royal Docks - Canning Town

£9

Cost of the manager’s pick at Yapix when Mary visited

Chilled 2020

what’s on

Grillo at Yapix

things to do, places to go, people to see

in Canning Town

Where?

RA Fold Canning Town

CLUB | Transmissions Bringing a touch of Yorkshire and Berlin to Canning Town, DJ Youandewan will join Andrew James Gustaz, KRN and Sugar Free for this house party.

May 21, 11pm-6am, from £10, ra.co Where?

RA Fold Canning Town

unwind with

CLUB | NYXXX There’s lots of secret guests on the bill for this new platform celebrating dance music from across the world. We do know Etapp Kyle will headline.

May 14, 11pm-6am, from £18, ra.co Where?

Excel Royal Victoria Dock

food and smiles how customers can expect a warm welcome from staff at Yapix, serving tastes blown in from Italy

by Mary Tadpole

W

alk into Yapix and you can expect to be greeted with a big smile and a genuine enquiry into how you are. The overall impression is that the owners and staff spend all day chatting with customers while cheerfully bringing round food and drinks.

Nestled on Minnie Baldock Street in Canning Town, Yapix is an independent Italian coffee and wine bar, named for the term used by the ancient Romans to describe the warm wind blowing in from the south of Italy.

I sit at a table next to a rack full of wine bottles and listen to other customers speaking Italian. A member of staff is telling them Yapix has Italian olive oil sent over especially for use in its food.

Because I am an idiot, I have already eaten and so I’m here for the wine. There is a varied selection, but I choose the Manager’s Pick from the menu – a 2020 Grillo from Sicily. Waiting for my drink I see another table’s food order go by – all cheese, salami and fresh bread. Cursing myself, I Scan this code to find out more about Yapix

resolve to come back with an empty stomach.

Two men sit at the bar talking to, presumably, one of the owners. Another man sits opposite me using a laptop.

The atmosphere is relaxed, very friendly and rather cool.

The bare walls, which mirror the partially constructed development outside, are hung with paintings for sale.

My wine arrives, chilled and exquisite with crisp with notes of citrus and peach on the finish. Music plays. I can’t wait for the warm weather so I can return, sit outside, close my eyes and pretend I’m in Italy. Yapix, which also serves cocktails and hosts live music and comedy nights, is open daily.

Go to yapix.co

EVENT | Digital Construction Week Join thousands in the business and discover how technology can be used to build and manufacture structures and products smarter.

May 18-19, from 10am, free registration, excel.london

check it

It’s back open and the people of Royal Albert Wharf are already flocking to The Well Bean Co Cafe as the venue, freshly decorated after a fire, delivers a new menu of plant-based treats. Our tip - try the mushrooms on toast wellbeanco.com Scan this code to find out more about this cafe and chocolate factory in Royal Docks want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

Star Christina Modestou tells us about the female power from throughout her life

by Laura Enfield

T

he 1990s may be back in style, but thankfully Girl Power never went out of fashion.

It has been given an empowering new spin in musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, which is set to run at Theatre Royal Stratford East from June 15-July 17. ased on a boo b uffragette descendant Kate Pankhurst, it celebrates often forgotten women from history such as Rosa Parks, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Frida Kahlo, Jane Austen and Pankhurst’s own relative Emmeline, all seen through the eyes of inquisitive schoolgirl Jade.

They are brought to life by an all-female cast and a creative crew who have worked with the likes of Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue, Miley Cyrus and Beverley Knight.

We asked part-Welsh, partGreek star of the show Christina Modeastou to tell us about the fantastic women who have inspired her. the matriarch My mum Lula is one of the biggest role models in my life.

She has always been 100% behind me with anything I wanted to try as a child and critiqued me in a healthy way.

My mum was a hairdresser and she loved her job – having a parent who loves what they do reall rubbed off on me I used to go and help on a aturda and witness it first hand Looking back, I see how everyone there encouraged me. I used to write stories and act things out as customers were waiting for their perms to set. It was one of the customers who said I should go to a drama class as it made me really happy. the teachers I started classes with Irene Ho ins when I was five he was m first singing teacher and had a massive impact on me.

She had this wonderful knack for bringing out your best qualities and encouraging you to ourish in what ou were good at. I never liked classical music, I always found passion in pop and jazzy sounds.

Instead of putting me in a box I didn’t want to be in, she stretched me, found m air and leaned into that. She didn’t try to mould me into anyone else.

She still comes to see every show I do and will send me a card. There’s still that level of support. My dance teacher Jackie Bristow was also pivotal. I honestly don’t think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for her.

16

Women make up the cast and creative crew of the show, which aims to bring heroines from history to life

the character My claim to fame is being in the choir scene in Love Actually and the year I graduated I did We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre.

But the pivotal role in my career was playing Nina in In The Heights at Southwark Playhouse.

That was an experience I still hold very dear. She comes from a working-class community and goes away to university but, in trying to work and learn, she has to drop out because her grades are slipping and she has to go home and tell her family she has failed.

It’s something quite common in our industry. People say you’ve got talent and put you on a bit of a pedestal and the thought that going home is a failure is hard.

Exploring that was really exciting. the fantastic women This show has a really special place in my heart because I wish I had seen something like this growing up.

In musicals there are historically four types of women – the unrequited love interest, the princess, the matriarch and the whore.

Even in Les Miserables, that’s how women are portrayed.

In our musical, we get to show who women are without men and be silly and funny, serious, loud, quiet, sensitive and strong – so man different things I was as ed to audition after I played Anne Boleyn in the original cast of Six. I have been involved since the original workshops and it’s been amazing to see how it has snowballed. It’s a very physical show and you are representing real women.

Christina stars as Gertrude Ederle, right, Jane Austen, below left, and Mary Anning, below right

meet the

women who

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

39

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

the brawn I play Gertrude Ederle, who was the first woman to swim the nglish hannel and bro e the world record I didn t now her stor but she is incredible he had measles as a child and b her s was almost deaf he taught swimming to deaf children and, when she noticed eo le were drowning, she hel ed o en ools in oor areas so eo le could learn to swim he was as strong as a man, won gold at the l m ics as art of the first female swimming team and invented the two iece bathing suit I admire her strength and resilience and warmth he was una ologetic about what she could achieve and was alwa s hel ing others the wit ost eo le now ane Austen I love la ing her in this show because she comes bac around the age she died, in her earl s and befriends rida ahlo he are chal and cheese but give each other a wonderful latform he thing that im resses me most is her wit he was such an observer and wrote characters and comed so well the intellect ar Anning was an nglish fossil collector and alaeontolo gist who discovered the ichth o saur when she was twelve ears old and uncovered s eletons of the lesiosaur, terosaur and lots of other e things I get the im ression she lived a ver hard life he got struc b lightning as a bab and ever one else near her died he was one of children, but onl she and one other made it to maturit he also lost her wor to men, who didn t give her credit for her discoveries here is a real isolated sadness to her, which I find fascinating I thin she homed in on the o in her wor In the musical, we meet her with ar eacole and arie urie and the become this su erhero trio o she has learnt how to wor as a team in our world, which has a magical vibe as if all these women had come bac to life

Christina takes on three roles in the production

In musicals there are historically four types of women, the unrequited love interest, the princess, the matriarch and the whore. In this we get to be many different things Christina Modestou, actor

the co-stars I have never been in a rehearsal room with so man women oing this show has been a real collaboration and we have had some ama ing discussions about gender, diversit , and disabilities I ve never e erienced a room as o en as this and it has o ened m e es to a lot of bias I didn t now about It is also about the fact feminism isn t about women being better than men, it s about being fair e don t want the oung men in the audience to feel the should

be controlled b women e want them to be ins ired b these women eminism isn t about vengeance hows li e Emilia, with an all fe male cast, have aved the wa for this In that, women la men, which is something we rarel see It s bon ers, because men la women all the time in anto and on stage In Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, we see these icons through the e es of a oung woman of colour and that is wonderful e wanted to ma e sure there was diversit as we tour the show we want to ma e sure as man children are re re sented as ossible the body It s not ust about re resenting ethnicit , it s about bod sha e he first time I saw a bod I recognised as being li e mine was in Mad Men I saw hristina Hendric s and was li e hm god, finall , a curv woman I have to wear a unitard in this show, which was uite e osing for me, but the ower of going out there nowing I can be a si e or and be roud of it and ho efull ins ire others, is une lainable ften I get told I don t loo elsh enough I sit right in the middle of a lot of categories I m elsh but with a ree riot bac ground I m not oung, old, tall, short, thin or fat I once got told I wouldn t have a career until I m older as I didn t fit a categor and I thought crew that the stars I would love to wor with livia olman, hoebe aller ridge or mma hom son enna ussell is ama ing and I would wor with her again and again e did Urinetown together at he A ollo and then I managed to ut on a cabaret at outhwar la house during the andemic and she did that with me too he is a class act I admire eo le who ut the wor first and are sel ess enough to tell the stor which sometimes means giving u our moment to shine hat s what ins ires me herself omeone as ed us in a A who we would be if we could be an women for a da and m colleague, ade, said I would be me hat a cool thing to feel that ou ust want to be ou and no one else Go to stratfordeast.com

Scan this code to find for show dates and tickets starting at £10

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where?

Rule Zero Hackney Wick

COMEDY | I Love Comedy Head downstairs at the venue for this regular evening of stand-up hosted by comedian Kevin J who once presided over Tinie Tempah’s Pool Party.

May 28, 7pm, from £15, rulezero.co.uk Where?

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

DANCE | Ballet Black: Double Bill See performances of a piece by South African choreographer Gregory Maqoma plus a work by the company’s artistic director Cassa Pancho.

May 11-21, 7.45pm, from £10, stratfordeast.com Where?

ABBA Arena Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park GIG | ABBA Voyage The band might not be getting back together, but you can see Benny, Bjorn, Anni-Frid and Agnetha, who have been motion-captured for these gigs.

May 27-Dec 31, times and prices vary, abbavoyage.com

flash back

Kebab restaurant BabaBoom has opened a branch at Westfield Stratford City serving up a blend of comparatively healthy fast food, friendly service and running-based special offers including free food some Sundays bababoom.london Scan this code to read our interview with founder and elite runner Eve Bugler online at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

40

Wharf Life Apr 27-May 11, 2022 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Medium

6 2

6 4 7 4 6 3 5 9 2 9 3 2 7 3 5 2 5 9 7

SUDOKU

You can find more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection ofTo others available in apps and books at str8ts.com. This complete Sudoku, fill the board Sudoku is supplied by Syndicated Puzzles. by entering numbers 1 to 9 such

No. 1401

that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

Notes

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

5

6 3 9 7 2 4 1 5 8 Sudoku 8 a4break 5 from 3 1 that 9 phone 6 2 7 Take 1 7 2 6 8 5 9 4 3 How 5 to9 play 4 2 6 7 8 3 1 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 such 5 that 9 8each 4 row, 7 6column and 3x3 box one3to2nine contains every number uniquely.

7 8 6 1 4 3 2 9 5 7 strategies, 8 5 2 hints 3 and 6 4tips online You9can1find at sudokuwiki.org 4 6 3 9 7 1 5 8 2 2 to 5 play 8 4 3 6 7 1 9 More

8 7

Medium

6 3 9 7 2 4 1 5 8

3 8 7 845319627 1 7 2 6 8 5 9 4 3 For many strategies, hints and tips, 8 4 5 5 9 4 2 6 7 8 3 1 visit www.sudokuwiki.org 3 2 1 5 9 8 4 7 6 7 8 6 1 4 3 2 9 5 5 6 If you like Sudoku you’ll really like 9 1 7 8 5 2 3 6 4 ‘Str8ts’ and our other 6 puzzles, Apps 2 4 42 65 38 94 73 16 57 81 29 and books. Visit www.str8ts.com 7 4 6 3 5 9 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such you’re that each row, column and 3x3 box beating 2 9 the 3whether containssleuth every number cryptic oruniquely.

2 7 For many strategies, synonym solverhints inand tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org 3 5 2 it forIf you quick wins, like Sudoku you’ll really like and oursatisfy other puzzles, Apps this ‘Str8ts’ should 5 9 7 and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

crossword The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic Across

Down

6.

1.

Agree with a scam by email? (7) 7. Why a small hut for two? (5) 9. We have a strange perfume, sort of (5) 10. Being there to take care of something (7) u cient for Henr before the battle? (2,3,6) 14. Three men in a vote? (11) 18. Cruel within a person (7) 19. It’s hot for George or Robert (5) 21. Messing up components catches something (5) 22&17dn. Perfect joints for apiarists, perhaps? (3,4,5)

Quick Across 6.

Where aristocrats play cricket? (5) 2. Clever of ‘you’ to taste (6) 3. New and singular, in a way (3) 4&5 Greyhound race was a washout (4,2,3,4) 8. True character of cardiac surgeon (2,5) 11. It’s unimportant where three roads meet (7) 13. Storehouse for nanny? (7) 15. The confused Russian cat takes over (6) 16. Clumsy digits? (6) 17. See 22 across 20. Almost tentatively avoid? (3)

7.

9.

10.

12.

14.

18.

19.

21.

22.

Soldiers on horseback (7) Pay money (5) Newspaper (5) Alleyway (7) In addition (11) Family groups over time (11) Stays (7) Whist, say (5) Thin cables (5) Nevertheless (7)

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

Set by Everden

5.

8.

11.

13.

15.

16.

17.

20.

Busy (5) Cake (6) On behalf of (3) Electronic surveillance (6) Makes lovable (7) Native to (7) Exerts (7) Inherited (7) Avoids (6) Closer (6) Mathematical snake? (5) Precedes ‘com’ (3)

Across: 6 Consent; 7 Bothy; 9 Odour; 10 Attends; 12 We are enough; 14 Triumvirate; 18 Inhuman; 19 Burns; 21 Traps; 22&17 The Bees Knees.

Down: 1 Lords; 2 Astute; 3 One; 4&5 Gone to the dogs; 8 At heart; 11 Trivial; 13 Granary; 15 Usurps; 16 Thumbs; 20 Shy.

Cryptic Solution Across: 6 Cavalry; 7 Spend; 9 Times; 10 Snicket; 12 Furthermore; 14 Generations; 18 Remains; 19 Cards; 21 Wires; 22 However.

Down: 1 Manic; 2 Gateau; 3 Pro; 4 Spycam; 5 Endears; 8 Endemic: 11 Strains; 13 Genetic; 15 Evades; 16 Nearer; 17 Adder; 20 Dot.

Notes

last issue’s solution

Previous Apr 13-27 solution - Very Hard

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

3 8 4 5

Previous solution - Very Hard

Quick Solution

No. 1401