Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9

Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

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inside issue 32

Why Virginia Woolf’s The Waves is worth picking up from a book seller Page 4

Third Space - Level39 - Essential Therapie Fizzy Living - TwelveTrees Park - Alex Neil Blue Eye Osteopathy - Forest London - NASSA Pimp My Ramen - The Lord Morpeth Waterstones - The London Mural Festival Crossword - Sudoku - Nonsense

nice and nippy

bike repair and servicing shop NipNip is open and raring to fix up your ride

Canary Wharf - Page 6

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

Image by Holly Cant – find more of her work at hollycant.com or via @hollycantphoto on Insta

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

kiddrapinet.co.uk

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

read

fortnightly find

this issue’s Tiger Treasure

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Museum Of London Docklands West India Quay BOOK | Bronze Age Worlds: Life And Landscape A diary date for you – this is the first in a series of four talks running alongside the museum’s Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery exhibition.

Oct 6, 7pm, £12, museumoflondon.org.uk

feast your eyes on these

Something sustainable – these serving bowls are made from coconuts, ideal if you want to demonstrate your love of the environment at your socially distanced social function. It’s probably best to stick with salad, rice or something vegetarian. Dumping piles of industrially produced beef in them from the cheap BBQ pack you bought risks shattering the illusion Serving Dish, £3 Go to uk.flyingtiger.com

soon to change

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How Third Space is ready to help you get back in shape

Where?

Cabot Square Canary Wharf

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PLAY | Ping Pong A pair of colourful tables have popped up on the recently astro-turfed area outside Cabot Place.

Equipment will be provided by a steward.

Open daily, noon-6pm, free, canarywharf.com

Levelling up: Amy French takes charge at Canary Wharf’s tech accelerator

Where?

Electric Shuffle Canary Wharf The Adams Plaza Bridge is set to be wrapped in Camille Walala’s artwork BOOK | Ready For Reopening The tables are waxed, the pucks polished and the social distancing measures are in place. Electric Shuffle is all set to reopen on the Wharf.

From Sept 17, electricshuffle.com

and in the arts

Watch the estate burst into life as Dancing City takes over its outdoor spaces for the 25th Greenwich And Docklands International Festival. Performances take place on September 5 and are free. Full listings online festival.org Scan this code for more full listings of Dancing City at Canary Wharf want more? @wharflifelive

D

arling of Instagram, Canary Wharf’s Adams Plaza Bridge is set to get a makeover as part of the London Mural Festival.

Artist Camille Walala has been commissioned to transform the structure with an installation in September that will then become a part of the estate’s permanent art collection.

Born in France and resident in east London for more than two decades, Camille’s installations have graced pub-

lic spaces in the likes of Hong Kong, New York and Mauritius.

She said: “East London means so much to me. I have lived here for more than 20 years and my project in Shoreditch launched my career. Now I’m excited to put my own stamp on the iconic Canary Wharf. This is my first bridge. It is a fascinating structure so I wanted to use what was there as a canvas.

“The architecture of the long tunnel-like bridge is really inspir-

ing and I wanted to accentuate the feeling of this exaggerated perspective.

“The palette and patterns create a sense of movement and surprise. I hope it brings a smile to all of the people that will pass it every day.”

The London Mural Festival runs throughout September, with more than 150 artists painting over 40 large scale walls across the capital.

Go tolondonmural festival.com

12

Refresh and relax - how Essential Therapie offers calm and respite

the joy of six Every fortnight Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 12

get in touch

correct us

Editorial email stories@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300 Advertising email advertising@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.

Go to wharf-life.com for more information

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Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

need to know

60%

Plateau in Canada Square is set to reopen its doors from September 2 and is now taking bookings.

Its brunches will return from September 5 – noon-3,30pm – with two courses for £20, three for £25 and freeflowing fizz for £20 plateau-restaurant.co.uk

30

This isn’t an up-to, it’s an everything – hit LK Bennett in Jubilee Place and get just under two thirds off. Terms apply, ask in store for full details of the sale lkbennett.com

36

We talk Covid, the NHS and osteopathy with Glenn Sontag

The Museum Of London Docklands is set to open its latest major exhibition – Havering Hoard: A Bronze Age Mystery runs from September 11 until April next year. Entry is free with timed tickets that must be booked in advance museumoflondon.org.uk

How NASSA is battling through the pandemic to support its members

50% 32

How business is blooming for Deptford Market Yard house plant business Forest London as people discover the joy of growing and caring for greenery indoors and in pots

This is an up-to – visit Space NK in Cabot Place and find products on offer at up to half price, perfect if your bathroom cabinet needs restocking spacenk.co.uk

don’t let poor marketing be a barrier to your success

email advertising@wharf-life.com to find out how we can help you reach our audience through the 15,000 copies we distribute every fortnight

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

words you don’t know you need

crapsule

noun, fictional, from German A selection of items of clothing put together to form a capsule wardrobe that on later inspection (on holiday, say) are revealed to be completely unwearable resulting in disappointment and panic in their owner

book it

write me

“

This book never fails to give you a phrase, idea or feeling that will rattle around in your head for the rest of the day Oli Hunt, Waterstones

Wharf Life has teamed up with Waterstones in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place to offer fortnightly book recommendations by staff Oli Hunt senior book seller

fletcherize verb, real, Americanism

To chew one’s food slowly, deliberately and thoroughly so as to extract maximum nutrition and energy from it while simultaneously evading the prospect of indigestion or painful trapped wind

ON The Waves

by Virginia Woolf paperback, £7.99 published by Vintage Publishing

Help your loved ones to help you kiddrapinet.co.uk/understandinganlpa

You can’t control what the future holds, but you can control who makes decisions on your behalf.

Download our FREE guide to MAKING A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY (LPA) Book a consultation with Gemma Hughes today on 020 7205 2896 or email ghughes@kiddrapinet.co.uk

P

icking the best book from an author like Virginia Woolf is something of a futile gesture, but this is my favourite book, bar none – Woolf or otherwise.

As much a poem as it is a novel, The Waves charts the lives of six friends from childhood to old age, their differing viewpoints weaving around each other to at times present the friends as different, shimmering facets of one being.

A paean to the power, endurance, and occasional

confusing hell of lifelong friendships, I read this book every year and always find something new.

This book can be taken with you anywhere – to work, on holiday, to parks or to read quietly on the Tube.

It never fails to give you a phrase, idea, or feeling that will rattle around in your head for the rest of the day, and change the way you feel about what happens around you.

What more can a novel hope to do?

Go to waterstones.com

skin deep

testing those products TonyMoly I’m Tomato Sheet Mask, £5 Boots, Canada Square If you’re anything like me you’ve learnt the hard way that putting on make up en route to your sociallydistanced-but-still-socialevents is a thing of the past.

Neither walking, riding a bike or wearing a mask are conducive to smooth, even application and rocking the natural look requires skin that’s at its best.

So I’ve turned to Korean beauty and skin brand TonyMoly’s I’m Tomato Sheet Mask, mainly because the pack looks quite fun.

Open it up and the mask isn’t the bright red I was expecting but it’s a good fit and stays in place for the requisite 30 minutes.

The cooling effect is particularly good the

morning after lengthy Zoom drinks, prolonged by nobody knowing how to leave the meeting.

After half an hour, my skin looks plumper, more hydrated and the pores have shrunken away.

The rest of the gel sinks into my skin leaving it soft and smooth.

It feels like people will be admiring my skin even at more than two metres. I’m happy and you can’t ask more than that for a fiver.

Go to boots.com for more information Mary Tadpole

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J O I N N O W A N D E N J OY N O J O I N I N G F E E + £25 CLUB CREDIT + 2 PT SESSIONS FOR £50 BECOME A MEMBER T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N / E X P E R I E N C E

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

ride rapid care for your

20%

Discount available on servicing at NipNip - ask in store for details

how NipNip’s range of servicing solutions has commuters covered from its new Canary Wharf branch

by Jon Massey

I

f you’re not sure whether your bike needs servicing, we always say just bring it to NipNip – we’ll give it a free safety check and can then advise you if anything needs doing or if any components are wearing,” said Matthew Farr.

“It won’t cost you anything and if something does need replacing, the quicker you get it changed, the more money you will save in the long run.”

The bike servicing company recently opened its second shop in Canary Wharf’s Westferry Circus after its first permanent location in Borough. It’s planning another branch in Shad Thames, set to launch mid-September.

“NipNip started seven years ago with the intention to bring the service to the customer,” said director, Matthew.

“Initially we set up NipNip Mobile. Rather than running across town fixing punctures, we thought: ‘How can we service and repair bikes en masse?’.

“That led us to target the prime commercial office buildings in London. Our first was Tower 42 in the heart of the City.

“In preparation for our first visit, we liaised with the building

management and the companies based there. There were 40 people queueing up on that morning to get their bikes repaired.

“At that point, we were riding around town on an orange Vespa with a few tools underneath the seat and a bike stand underneath the arm.

“We had to phone up a local mechanic we didn’t even know on the day to come and help but we got through it, working until 8pm.

“Obviously it was a huge success. Tower 42 booked another visit in for two weeks later and again there were another 30 people lined up.

“From there, it snowballed and today we work with 300 corporate buildings in London and a fleet of mechanics.”

As the business has grown it has diversified, targeting regular consumers as well as those working in large buildings and developments.

“We have three sides to our business,” said Matthew. “Firstly there’s NipNip Mobile, where we look after the corporate buildings.

“Then we’ve got NipNip Hub – that’s our bricks and mortar retail spaces. We opened in Borough in 2018 and, from that day, there’s been a queue out of the door.

“The concept we have works. We don’t sell bikes, we fix bikes. We’ve

NipNip’s Canary Wharf branch can be found at Westferry Circus

now got Canary Wharf, taking us up to 16 staff. We’re picking up that concept and putting it into different locations around London.

“We also have NipNip Collect, which is a service where we can pick customers’ bikes up, take them to a hub, service them there and then deliver them back.

“There’s every option there for a customer to use our service if they’re within our area of operation.”

A keen cyclist himself, Matthew commuted by bike from Woodford to Liverpool Street when working in finance. His experiences formed part of NipNip’s genesis.

“I wanted to bring a new concept to the high street, to turn the traditional bike shop on its head,” he said. “I didn’t want to sell bikes, and servicing is something the internet can’t touch.

“Being in the industry for many years, what we’ve often found with bike shops is that 80% of the shop floor is full up with bikes

to sell and somewhere in the back or in the basement there’s a secondary business for servicing.

“I could never get my head around that – as a cyclist, I used to take my bike into those shops and often the service would be pretty poor with uninterested staff who weren’t really very keen and then there would be issues with my bike – it would have to go back to the shop and I’d be back on the train again.

“That’s where the idea of a dedicated company that specialised in bike servicing and repairs came from – that’s why we created NipNip Mobile, to go to companies and offer that service to time-poor commuters.

“That concept has obviously grown into what we’re doing now. I’ve always known there’s a massive cycling community in Canary Wharf and we can’t wait to start working with them.”

Perhaps chief in NipNip’s formidable arsenal of selling points

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

Matthew, right and the Canary Wharf NipNip team

Matthew decided his business should offer courtesy bikes to keep Londoners on two wheels while they’re having their rides serviced

A mechanic works on a wheel at the recently opened Canary Wharf shop Images by Holly Cant – find more of her work at hollycant.com or via @hollycantphoto on Insta

is a system for keeping cyclists on the road even when they’ve left their bike with the mechanics.

“We have a fleet of courtesy bikes in our stores, said atthew. “ ustomers can leave their bike with us, ump on a courtesy bike, head off home or go to work and then, when they’re finished, their bike’s ready to go when they come back.

“That allows our customers to keep moving and, given the current climate, it’s more important than ever to keep them on the road on two wheels.

“Out typical customer is a commuter so we have extended opening times – 7am-7pm – set to coincide with the working day and their needs.

“Everything is paperless now and done on i ads. That allows us to track our customers’ servicing history and repay them via our integrated loyalty scheme. “ very time someone uses ip ip, they get some money back to use against their next service.

While NipNip closed its doors in the early days of lockdown, it reopened after five weeks with ovid-secure procedures in place. atthew said he’d been impressed at the focus and investment in cycling in the capital and that he expected more people would now commute by bike.

“I think we’re definitely on the road to following places like msterdam, he said. “I think it’s amazing what the Government has done how much money is being

“

The concept we have works. We don’t sell bikes, we fix bikes. We’re picking up that concept and putting it into different locations around London Matthew Farr, NipNip

put into cycling infrastructure in London.

“I think most routes I do in the capital now are on cycle paths.

There are very few where I feel any danger. It’s easy to get from one side of the city to the other.

“We’ve been told, talking to the landlords that we work with through ip ip obile, prior to ovid-1 about 10% of the workforce was cycling to work.

“They’re expecting as much of 30%-40% could be commuting to work by bike.

“Cycling was always going in this direction but I think the pandemic has accelerated its growth and the last three or four months for us have been extremely busy but also very rewarding.

“We know lots of businesses are suffering and we really feel for them – we are one of the few industries that might benefit due to the increase in the number of people riding bikes.

“There are so many benefits to cycling – the cost savings and the

health benefits totally outweigh any negatives.

Nip Nip servicing starts at £35 at its hubs and staff can also service e-bikes offering mechanical checks on all makes and full servicing for those with Bosch or Shimano motors. urrently the company is offering a 20% discount on its services. atthew said: “If there are any Wharfers who want to bring their bikes in, we’d love to see them.

We’ve got an amazing workshop with a full-on tool board.

“The Government have recently pledged to supply 00,000 vouchers for 0 so that people can get their bike serviced.

“NipNip Canary Wharf and orough are both registered shops for the scheme. The vouchers are being released gradually so if people follow us on Instagram ip ip ycling, we’ll keep everyone up to date on when the next release will be.

“There’s still another 4 0,000 vouchers to be released following the first phase and they get snapped up very uickly. ip ip also offers fleet servicing, bike storage solutions, bike maintenance courses and cycle training. ind out more online or call 020 164 640 .

Scan this code for more about NipNip or to book a service

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

easing back

return to the gym exercise programme Tim has put together a programme of five exercises designed to help those returning to the gym get back into training without injury. He recommends lifting at a similar level to before lockdown, initially with fewer sets for a gentler start

return making the

how Third Space has brought in a plethora of measures so members can safely enjoy all the benefits of training

by Jon Massey

1

2

Dumbbell Goblet Squat ● Week 1 - 10 reps, 2 sets ● Week 2 - 10 reps, 3 sets ● Week 3 - 12 reps, 3 sets

Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift ● Week 1 - 10 reps, 2 sets ● Week 2 - 10 reps, 3 sets ● Week 3 - 12 reps, 3 sets

P

hysical and mental health, whether there’s a pandemic on or not, are an essential component of one’s general wellbeing.

Combine that with evidence from the Government that obesity puts people at greater risk both of serious illness and death from Covid-19 – nearly 8% of critically ill patients in intensive care units have been morbidly obese compared with 2.9% of the general population – and there’s arguably never been a better time to get in shape.

Offering a comprehensive package, Third Space has spent a great deal of time ensuring its facilities are Covid-secure. Its Canary Wharf branch, often hailed as the largest gym in western urope, benefits both from the extensive deep-cleaning measures and management procedures the business estate has implemented and the plethora of strategies it’s introduced, enabling existing members and new joiners to train safely.

“It’s probably the most hygienic space in London right now,” said elite personal trainer Tim Hart.

“Essentially the reasons for getting exercise are the same as they were before lockdown.

Healthier people are better able to cope with disease but I think the pandemic has also revealed some other benefits of going to the gym.

“While you can train at home, it’s not at the same level. Here you’ve got all the equipment, the freedom and the space. Even putting a weight above your head can be an issue in some apartments. It’s knowing you can just go for a jog or jump into a Yoga class. Then there’s the social factor – the opportunity to see people you haven’t seen for a while and train with them.

“It also acts as a refresher. People can come at 7am, exercise and then prepare for work whether that’s in the office or at home. It breaks up

“

While you can train at home, it’s not at the same level. Here you’ve got all the equipment, the freedom and the space Tim Hart, Third Space

the day. As soon as you leave your house, that’s it – you’re going to the gym and you will exercise. If you’re at home it’s easy to watch a bit of TV instead. People have also told me their commute has been absorbed into the day, working 8am-8pm or even longer. Going to the gym helps break up the day mentally and healthier people tend to have better concentration levels.

“The productivity boost after exercise is certainly one of the benefits we see people are more focused and less stressed.”

Third Space has introduced a booking system for both gym sessions and all classes so numbers can be easily controlled. Members are screened using thermal cameras when they arrive before they can gain access and both hand sanitiser and disinfectant wipes are plentiful.

“I can understand some people will be nervous,” said Tim. “I felt the same way when I first came back. But Third Space in Canary Wharf is probably the most comfortable environment I’ve been in post-lockdown.

“The number of people coming into the club is monitored in contrast to say a supermarket.

“The amount of cleaning is unbelievable. While that’s the club’s responsibility, I’ve also seen the habits of members change.

“The biggest bane of everyone’s existence in a gym – not just for the staff is not putting weights away, but now I haven’t seen a single person leave them out. Everyone’s also cleaning equipment both

before use as well as afterwards.

The whole industry has really got on top of it and we’ve provided so many cleaning products you can’t walk more than a few metres without bumping into it.

“Training people as a PT hasn’t changed much – we’re just using verbal cues instead of the odd occasion where we’d have used physical touch. I haven’t had any trouble programming exercises at all.”

Tim, who has a background in sports nutrition, said people should not feel daunted in going to the gym for the first time.

“We’re all in the same boat,” he said. “Everyone to some extent is worried about how they look to everyone else but nobody is really looking at anybody else. Once you’ve been a few times you find that those worries fade. I find the gym quite an introspective place.

Everyone is there for the same reasons with the same motivations to get healthier and progress.”

For those returning after a break, Tim also had some advice.

“One of the things that people run the risk of when they’re training, coming back to the gym, is doing a little bit too much in the first session, getting that incredible soreness and having to take a week off training immediately, he said.

“There’s no need to reduce the weight you lift when you return but consider dropping the number of sets so you get less volume for the first week. ou should feel you haven’t quite done enough to enable you to continue to train – something that’s challenging but that doesn’t leave you with crippling soreness.”

Details or how to join and the Covid-secure measures Third Space has put in place can be found online. Alternatively call 020 7970 0900 for more information.

Scan this code for more about Third Space in Canary Wharf

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Canary Wharf

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Sets of 10 reps that Tim suggests starting with, for exercises in your first week back at the gym

3

Half-Kneeling Shoulder Press ● Week 1 - 10 reps, 2 sets ● Week 2 - 10 reps, 3 sets ● Week 3 - 12 reps, 3 sets

4

Bent Over Row ● Week 1 - 10 reps, 2 sets ● Week 2 - 10 reps, 3 sets ● Week 3 - 12 reps, 3 sets

Tim says increasing exercise gradually is a good way to mitigate the risk of pain and injury Tim says going to the gym can result in improved productivity whether people are working at home or in the office

5

Prowler Sled Push ● Week 1 - 10 metres, 2 sets ● Week 2 - 10 metres, 3 sets ● Week 3 - 15 metres, 3 sets

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

6

Years since Amy joined the team she now leads at Level39

how the head of Level39 wants to make the tech accelerator the best connected community in the world

by Jon Massey

C

ollaboration is the word on the lips of Amy French. Promoted to head of Level39 at Canary Wharf in April, her fiefdom has been unusually quiet since lockdown, for obvious reasons – although some members of the tech accelerator are breezing around its cafe space (albeit in an appropriately distanced manner) when we meet for this interview.

“We’ve been very flexible with our members to make sure that we can support them and retain them through this key time – that’s been our main focus,” said Amy, who joined Level39 in 2014 as its events and marketing coordinator.

“The key thing for me is that Level39 is still active, still welcoming new members, and we’re still collaborating in the physical space as well as digitally.

“We can’t get complacent. We need to make sure that flexibility, value and communication are there. During this time we’ve made sure that we’ve stayed in really close touch with our members.

“We’ve run surveys to ensure that we know what they need, to understand their unique challenges and to do everything within our power to support them, whether they’re coming into Level39 now, or whether they’re preparing for their return.

“The amazing thing is we are seeing more and more people coming through our doors again and I’m looking forward to welcoming even more.

“There’s a real appetite among our members to return to Level39 for many different reasons there’s the opportunity for collaboration and making sure that their teams are getting the chance to see one another in person.

“For some it’s about touching base more frequently or the leadership element – just making sure that they have one centralised hub where brainstorming, innovation and creativity happen.

“In the future, they may become more flexible and there might be a blend of working from the office and working from home.

“I think it’s so important to make relationships at work in person.

People need to feel that they can come and talk to you if they’ve got problems, or if they’re stuck somewhere.

“Perhaps working from home,

people may not be so comfortable sharing.

“The Level39 team are all back in the office it’s something we worked really closely with Canary Wharf Group on. We wanted to demonstrate that we’ve done this with our team and we’ve prepared a very comprehensive ‘Return To Operations’ pack, which has been shared with all our members and tenants, so they know what steps are being taken and what measures are in place to make this a Covid-secure environment.

“It’s fantastic to have all of our team back – it feels like it’s a return to some kind of normality. Even with social distancing, it’s amazing to have everyone back.

“While things won’t be going back to how they were 100%, we have to be there to support people when they’re ready to return.

“One of the positive changes is that anyone who didn’t have a work-from-home strategy before, now does, and they realise they can trust their employees to be productive, to make sure projects are done and to communicate their objectives and their milestones.

“Working from home can be good for wellbeing and the pandemic could lead to a better work-life balance for some, as employers know their staff can be trusted to spend some days at home if they’d like to.

“But I think it does vary from company to company and from person to person. If you’ve got kids, for example, you may not be as productive working from home.

“People also need a good environment in which to work and not everybody has that where they live. We were operating through lockdown for our members who needed access to the office and, for them, being able to come in and get on with their work was a way of preserving those boundaries.”

B

orn of a drive to make Level39 the most connected community in the world, the accelerator’s recently launched Digital39 initiative rapidly took on a fresh role as the pandemic took hold.

Established as an online platform for members to stay in touch with each other, to express their experiences and offer advice and insights wherever they were in the world, its podcasts, blogs and interviews have, unsurprisingly, been focused on dealing with the situation at hand.

level another

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

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Canary Wharf

Amy says a combination of returning to the office to meet in person and online tools will be key to the Canary Wharf facility’s ongoing success

“

There’s a real appetite for our members to return to Level39 for many different reasons including opportunities for collaboration Amy French, Level39

“Whereas we were providing physical space and access to opportunities that were typically here, we had to move everything online,” said Amy, who went from a degree in geography to working as PA to the CEO of a software company before joining Level39.

“Digital39 was key to that. I have seen so many of our members and organisations all over the world moving to online ways of communicating, making sure there’s a lot more video and audio content out there so people can still feel they are connecting with others.

“That’s where our podcast came from – basically having conversations with our entrepreneurs, over Zoom. I’d love to start doing that in person, but while we’ve been working from home, it’s been good to still have those discussions and to talk about challenges that we’ve faced – being realistic and pragmatic about what people have done over the last few months and what their plans are now.

“To startups I would say, more than ever, the need for collaboration, for building their own networks and creating opportunities for partnerships is key.

“A lot of the companies here started small and what they look to do is team up with other organisations that allow them to scale more organically, to develop their customer base, their investor base as well and to start getting introductions to people who could be really beneficial to them as they grow. It’s really about leveraging that network.

“We’re still doing events, we’re still running opportunities for anyone that is not yet part of our community to learn more. That’s what Digital39 is.

“There you can listen to the entrepreneurs who are already doing it. They are facing challenges, and they will continue to, in addition to the challenges of Covid.

“You can hear how they have come through them and learn from their experiences.

“I’d say to any tech startup: ‘Come and have a chat with us and hopefully we’ll introduce you to people who are doing similar things.

“The vital thing about Level39 for me has always been added value. Of course we provide infrastructure, space and support for these teams over three floors at One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, but how do we continue to connect people globally?

“We already have 48 different nationalities represented here – such a wealth of expertise and knowledge from both our member communities, our mentors, our investors, our partners, people we’ve worked with and curated over the years. How can we make that the most connected community, no matter where you are in the world?

“Moving forward, it would be great if Digital39 continues to develop in that direction.

“It’s another platform on which we could amplify the amazing things that entrepreneurs are doing worldwide, not just here.”

Amy also wants to see more women moving into tech and leading tech-based companies.

“I’ve been very lucky because I’ve always had extremely

supportive leaders and teams.

The former head of Level39 – Ben Brabyn – gave me some incredible opportunities and I can’t thank him enough for everything he did to support me on my journey here.

“It’s the same with my former manager, Adizah Tejani who empowered me to think creatively, make suggestions and run with them.

“She now works for HSBC and has hosted events here so I catch up with her relatively frequently.

“I’d say to women looking at getting into the industry: ‘Run with something that might not be within your remit, but do things that you’re passionate about and see how you can add value. Don’t be scared to want more and don’t be afraid to ask questions’.

“I’m no wizz in some areas, but I love to learn and I want to empower myself by knowing about different areas of business you don’t have to know everything about tech. I didn’t when I joined Level39, I was a sponge – everything that people were telling me I was writing down.

“Give yourself small milestones and then look back to see how far you’ve come. I definitely didn’t think I’d be in this position when I arrived six years ago.”

Deliver better customer support with chatbots, virtual agents & live chat powered by the AI industry’s smartest solution yet

Scan this code for more information about Level39

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

12

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

Sara Thompson, left, and Paula Thistlethwaite are welcoming clients back after lockdown

by Jon Massey

I

it’s fair to say Sara Thompson and Paula Thistlethwaite are delighted to be up and running again. Together, the pair run health and beauty salon Essential Therapie, tucked into the corner of a square in Limehouse’s Three Colt Street as well as its sister business in the ity ust off leet treet.

Having trained in beauty together in their native Somerset, Paula went on to open her own salon there before relocating to London and launching a business, opening Essential Therapie in Whitefriars Street in 2008.

Meanwhile, Sara had pursued a career teaching beauty and worked as an examiner – a role that frequently took her overseas.

Between trips she started helping out at Essential Therapie, eventually deciding to go into partnership with Paula to grow the business.

“The examining board I worked for was international,” said Sara, who lives in Greenwich. “I was travelling all the time and it just became too much. I was away for long periods, constantly on a plane.

“It got to the point that I didn’t have any down time – I was either working at Essential Therapie or travelling and it was a case of: ‘What did I want to do moving forward?’.”

One Bank Holiday while cycling into town, ara turned off the busy Thames path, taking a route down Three Colt Street to avoid the crowds.

“I’d never been down there before,” she said. “I saw everyone outside at Cafe Vesuvio and spotted a place in the corner of the square. It looked like it had been a salon but it wasn’t open.

“I asked in the cafe and found out it was the same landlord so they gave me his details. I just cold called and it went from there. It was completely by chance.

“We opened Essential Therapie here in 2018 and had our two-year anniversary during lockdown.

“It’s all about the local community – they were really lovely and supportive

“

We’re going above and beyond what the Government has stipulated and it’s worked.

Clients feel safe and it’s not so sterile that they don’t feel it’s a relaxing environment Paula Thistlethwaite, Essential Therapie

treat ready to

and welcomed us in when we started up.

That’s where our client base is in Limehouse and it’s been our saviour – it has a very different feeling to the ity.

The pandemic has hit the beauty industry hard. Stringent restrictions meant salons were unable to offer a full complement of treatments until August 15 and confused messaging from the Government has left business owners repeatedly frustrated.

While Canary Wharf’s malls and open spaces are seeing increased activity, many workers in the City have yet to return, leaving businesses based there facing challenging trading conditions.

“We’ve been very fortunate with our landlords,” said Paula, who lives on Greenwich Peninsula. “In the City we’re owned by the Corporation Of London. If they hadn’t helped us out as much as they have, I don’t think we’d have been able to open there full stop.

“Our landlord in Limehouse has been really good too – they’ve helped out and the salon has more or less picked up where we left off, although obviously until recently we’ve only been able to offer limited treatments.”

Sara said: “As an industry we’ve had it tough. Of course everybody has, but at least other sectors were able to open fully.

“The restrictions made no sense.

The beauty industry has always been extremely hygenic.”

“It’s the foundation of your training,” Paula added. “You’re taught about sanitisation, cross contamination – making sure everything is kept clean as well as taking care of your personal hygiene.

“We were quite insulted by the restrictions really, especially as in the Government guidelines hair and beauty were always together and then they were suddenly separated. It was very confusing.” or aula and ara, one of their key goals since reopening has been to preserve the relaxing, calming atmosphere of their salons while ensuring clients feel safe.

“We’re leaving 15-minute gaps between each client and sanitising everything in between including ourselves,” said Paula.

“That does reduce our capacity – it’s not so bad if you have someone who is coming in for several treatments, but it does take a couple of hours out of the day

Scan this code for more information about Essential Therapie

if you have lots of clients coming in for shorter slots.

“I think we’re going above and beyond what the Government has stipulated and it’s worked.

“Clients feel safe and it’s not so sterile that they don’t feel it’s a relaxing environment where they can enjoy their treatment. That’s very important.

“We’ve made aprons that are wipeable but aren’t the throwaway type so we don’t look like we’re working in a hospital ward and I think that’s key. The salon has always had that feeling of calm. There are lots of textures and natural materials.”

“It’s that feeling of actually being pampered – the music, the candles,” added Sara. “It’s a refreshing environment and it’s a break, especially for those who are working from home.

“One of the consequences of that is that people don’t feel they can get away.

Calls are getting later and later, people are always on and their posture is suffering, so we’re starting to see greater demand for massage. We all need time to rest and recuperate.

“It’s also not something you can buy on Amazon. People can try these treatments at home, but it’s never going to be the same.

Continued on Page 29

Image by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

how Essential Therapie in Limehouse offers a chance to relax and renew

12

Years since Essential Therapie opened in the City – the Limehouse business was launched in 2018

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

29

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£65

Price for an hour-long Swedish Massage at Essential Therapie

Paula digs in for maximum intensity

four focus

during a Swedish

support your local institutions

Massage

DRINK Tobacco Dock Wapping

EVENT | Junipalooza The meet-the-maker gin festival is set to go ahead with Covid-appropriate measures in place including much distillery-made hand sanitiser. Bottoms up.

Sept 19-20, times vary, from £25, ginfoundry.com COMEDY The Star Of The East Limehouse

“I think one of the other things to come out of lockdown is that people want to support local businesses.

“They’re looking at who’s behind the company and how they treat their staff when they’re deciding where they want to spend their money.”

Essential Therapie’s team of four therapists offers a wide range of treatments including massage, facials, lash extensions, manicures and pedicures. range of ovid-secure measures is in place so those visiting can do so with confidence including staggered appointment times, plentiful hand sanitiser, cashless payments and arbicide ovid-1 Hygiene ertification training for all staff.

“Our plan for the immediate future is just to keep doing everything as we always have,” said Paula.

“We aim to keep those standards high and to survive. We’ve been in business for 12 years and the key reason for that is our approach. To us the client is the most important person. It’s all about what they want and we’re not happy until they are.”

Sara added: “Our mission statement has always been that we will do everything to the highest standard and the best of our abilities – no corner cutting, ever.

“One of the things that kept us going during lockdown was how supportive our clients were.

“They were messaging us throughout, wanting to help. They bought their retail products from us and we got on our bikes and delivered them. We’re really grateful for that. Now we’re ready to welcome them back and to see new clients in the salon as well.”

Those wishing to contact the salon, which is located a 10-minute walk from Canary Wharf, can email canarywharf@ essential-therapie.co.uk or call 020 3 3 18 for more information or to book an appoitment.

Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

from Page 12

Treatments are available at the Limehouse salon

treatment test

Swedish Massage, 60mins, £65

H

aving spent months obsessively avoiding close proximity to pretty much everyone, it’s a little strange to go somewhere with the expectation that someone will touch you.

Then, inexplicably, when I arrive for my hour-long treatment, I opt for maximum intensity on areas where I am holding onto stress.

Paula begins by soothingly working into my back to locate any tension. It’s surprisingly easy to relax.

I have a knot around my right shoulder thanks to marching around with heavy tote bags and she expertly distracts me with friendly chatter so I’m oblivious to the force she’s exerting.

In other parts of the massage I’m left to relax in silence and appreciate the circulation in my body being given a boost.

I even feel my skin is firmer as Paula works her magic.

Walking home in the rain I feel calm – there’s no need to rush. My body feels as though something has been fixed, even though I wasn’t aware anything was broken.

Less than an hour later I find myself gazing out of the window, warming my hands on my coffee cup and closing my eyes as a wave of contentment rushes over me. Maybe everything is going to be alright after all.

Jess Maddison

GIG | Live In Limehouse Expect a socially distanced, outdoor audience for sets by Vix Leyton, Rich Wilson and Jen Brister with more to be announced in the secret garden.

Sept 9, doors 6.30pm, £20, eventbrite.co.uk VISIT The Prospect Of Whitby Wapping

PUB | Stop In For a Pint It might be the noose, the dark wood of the interior or the threat of occasional flooding, but whatever it is, it’s thoroughly piratical and worth soaking up.

Open daily, times vary, greeneking-pubs.co.uk

check this

Somehow, outdoor croquet strikes us as the ideal sport for social distancing – find it at the reopened Skylight bar that occupies the roof of one of Tobacco Dock’s defunct car parks.

Best enjoyed in clement weather tobaccodocklondon.com Scan this code for more information about Skylight or to make a booking want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

2

Days of intensive sessions at The O2 to become an AHP for the NHS

care trained to

and ready in reserve

Glenn, who holds consultations at the Docklands Medical Centre, spent part of lockdown training as an Associate Health Professional at The O2 and remains in reserve for the Nightingale Hospital

Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

how Isle Of Dogs-based osteopath Glenn Sontag stands ready should a second wave arrive

A

s someone whose treatments require physically touching other people, the arrival of lockdown and subsequent need for social distancing have been a challenge for Glenn Sontag and his business. But behind the mask he’s wearing when we meet, there’s an unmistakeable smile in his eyes and positivity in his voice.

As director of Blue Eye Osteopathy he caters for humans – primarily via consultations at the Docklands Medical Centre on the Isle Of Dogs’ Spindrift Avenue – and animals, either at their homes or at Medivet in west London’s Connaught Street.

When lockdown measures were first imposed he, like many others, suddenly found himself with an empty diary.

“From a human perspective, when lockdown arrived, there was a sudden drop – all my slots were cancelled – and that was the most worrying phase,” he said. “ I was left wondering: ‘What do I do now?’

“I had to respond, taking government advice – asking: ‘What was it safe for me to do?’. But that didn’t help patients in pain ringing me up.

“The problem was that a lot of the NHS physio services were put on hold at that time, so there was an increase in my patients calling me up, to see

if they could see me instead. I tried online Zoom consultations, which I did for a reduced fee because it wasn’t the full service I would normally offer, but I didn’t feel I was giving my best so, after two weeks, I cancelled that.”

As a former NHS cardiac technician, Glenn heeded the Government’s request for assistance and remains on call for the Nightingale Hospital at Excel in Royal Docks should the

Scan this code for more information about Blue Eye Osteopathy

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

31

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

number of Covid-19 cases rise again meaning the facility reopens.

For him, training as an Associate Health Professional (AHP) had echoes of an earlier pandemic he’d been involved in tackling.

He said: “I used to work in HIV research at Chelsea And Westminster Hospital for the NHS as a cardiac technician.

“Covid is a little bit like when HIV appeared and the fear around that, when everyone was wearing gloves.

That’s partly why I wanted to train as an AHP, because I remembered the fear surrounding the virus back then and I didn’t want anyone with Covid to go through that same kind of feeling – that they couldn’t be loved, cared for, touched or just generally nursed back to good health.

“The training was four or five days online and then a very intensive two-day session at The O2. I was so pleased that I got to experience it because, while in a way it was eerie, I felt that this was the right thing to be doing.

“There was a really good movement behind it, a lot of organisation and management.

“The training was extremely good you had all these different stations that you went round in small groups in rotation.

“They covered things like donning PPE, learning to prone patients (placing them on their fronts), how to do CPR in that position, simple nursing care, eye care, mouth care, drip care, intravenous line care, urethra care and how to wash patients. There was also a lot on communication because in full PPE – gowns, gloves, visors and full kite-mark masks – you can’t really hear people, so we were taught hand signals, many of which took their roots from undersea diving. It was fascinating to learn how to communicate in really testing times.

“There are also the mental health aspects of the job. We were prepared to be given four-hour shifts followed by a break. Even in the exercises, trying not to scratch your mask or your face or touch things is tough – you became very aware of how you use your hands, which are potential sources of contamination.

“The Nightingale is closed at the moment but I’m in reserve to be called up as an AHP if needed.

“If it happens, I’m ready to go. one of us want a significant second or third wave, but if it does happen, it’s what I’ve been trained for and, with my background experience, I’m used to dealing with infectious agents and distressing environments.

“It’s all about the team and pulling together to help the patient and doing our best in difficult times.

Glenn’s route to becoming an osteopath – going on to build a practice where he’s treated the likes of Sir Ian McKellen, Alaistair McGowan, Richard Dreyfuss and even Graham Norton’s dogs – began after a diving accident.

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support your local institutions PUB The Watermans Arms Isle Of Dogs

Glenn typically wears basic PPE when treating patients but can easily deal with more complex individual arrangements if necessary

“

I remembered the fear around HIV back then and I didn’t want anyone with Covid to go through the same kind of feeling – that they couldn’t be loved, cared for or touched Glenn Sontag, Blue Eye Osteopathy

He said: “I’d always craved self-employment. Being part of a really huge machine in the NHS wasn’t really me, so 20 years ago I left to become a sports massage therapist.

“One day I went for a swim, came off the diving board and landed badly in the water. I didn’t break my neck, but I wrenched it really badly, so I went to see an osteopath, something I’d never heard of before. He got me better in a couple of sessions and I thought he was a miracle worker.

“I was so impressed by the work that this guy did that I thought I would learn to do this myself. “ I did five years training, two part-time and the last three full-time, because there are a lot of clinical hours you have to do.

“Six years ago there was a chance to do a masters in the animal work, so that’s when I did a year on horse therapy and a year on dogs – the latter was a research project on greyhounds, testing a device that is effective on humans to see if it would work on animals.

Right now, Glenn is focused on making the experience he offers to patients as natural and relaxed as possible within the current restrictions. “ or me, there’s a fine balance between personal comfort and not appearing to be out of some kind of a movie about a toxic agent at large, he said.

“If someone is shielding, for example, and they’re in a lot of pain,

I’d go to their house wearing full visor and PPE. “I tend not to wear the visor for my regular consultations because it’s really uncomfortable to practise in, so I have basic PPE with mask and apron. There’s no two-metre distancing in my job, so a level of PPE is always required in the work that I do, whether it’s animal or human.

“The rule here is to look at each individual patient coming through and to be selective about what PPE you use and the precautions that are appropriate. It’s also a two-way process. When I screen my patients, I also screen myself in the morning and I know I’m safe.

“For example, I cancelled an appointment yesterday. The patient phoned me up and said: ‘I’m feeling unwell, with a temperature’, so I had to cancel. It’s about being safe but not being too alarmist about the situation and dealing with everyone on a caseby-case basis.

As for the future, Glenn’s keeping his options open given the obvious uncertainty.

“I just want to do the best for today because you really don’t know what’s round the corner – I might be working in the Nightingale in two weeks’ time, he said.

“In terms of where I’d like to go in future, I’d like to expand the type of animal work I do and that actually helps my human work.

“An animal can’t tell me what’s wrong with it, so I have to use my human eyes to see potential problems, hear what the vet says, hear what the owner says and feel with my hands what the animal says to me in terms of the tissues and the information that gives me.

“Learning that process has definitely improved my human work, because I can literally see stuff with people, even when they’re walking down the street.

Consultations at Blue Eye Osteopathy start at £60 for 30minutes.

Those attending must complete a brief Covid-secure screening process including a temperature check.

BOOK | Or Simply Walk In The rebirth of this watering hole has come at a tricky time for the hospitality industry. Expect a warm welcome and some chilled pints.

Open daily, thewatermansarms.co.uk SHOW The Space Isle Of Dogs

BOOK | How To Survive The Cherpocalypse Only cockroaches and Cher will survive the apocalypse, apparently. Bookings are being taken for this show which asks what wisdom she can bestow?

Sept 10-11, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk DINE Il Bianco Blackwall

BOOK | For Dinner Find fantastic pizza and pasta served with lashings of Parmesan at this restaurant. Expect decent wines at low prices and an authentic Italian feel.

Open daily, times vary, ilbianco.co.uk

get some exercise

Poplar Union is hosting Pilates classes with Vicky Busby every Thursday on its Instagram Live channel. Sessions last 30 minutes and start at 12.30pm. Participants will need their own mats but no other equipment poplarunion.com Scan this code to link up with Poplar Union’s Instagram and Vicky’s classes want more? @wharflifelive

32

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

How the women of Forest London in Deptford are helping the houseplant trend bloom and evolve

150

is the number of plants Fran has in her East Dulwich home

Fran, left, is thrilled daughters Alice, centre, and Maddie want to take over the reins and help the next generation

by Laura Enfield

of plant owners

G

reen fingers abound in ailey women. In fact, they have botany running through their veins. um ran, 3, has worked with plants all her life, ust like her father and now daughters lice, 28, and addie, 24, who help her run orest London.

Their shared expertise saw business bloom at the house plant specialists during lockdown as Londoners filled their homes with greenery. ales more than uadrupled and now their shops in eptford and ast ulwich are back open and busier than ever.

“I wasn’t sure at the start if it was ust a trend but now I’m convinced house plants are here to stay, said ran, who founded the business in 2013 off the back of her first venture The resh lower ompany.

“It’s not ust about fascination with them but also the health aspect of having plants in your home. “ eople are realising, particularly after ovid, that having plants cleans the air of pollutants and actually improves the environment and that will never go away.

The award-winning horticulturalist who has written three books, the latest entitled The Healing Power Of Plants said plants helped combat toxins from cleaning products, paint and soft furnishings and that caring for them had mental health benefits.

House plants will feature at the H helsea lower how for the first time next year and ran will be one of four exhibitors showcasing their beauty.

“I’m really excited and it will be another chance for me to meet other house plant breeders and talk about what the trends are and what the next big sensation will be, said ran. aughters lice and addie have also followed in her literary footsteps with their book The Green Indoors, due to be published next spring. It offers advice on how to choose the right plant for specific spaces in the home. oth spent their childhoods helping out with ran’s floristry business at weddings and events, but she never dreamt they would follow in her footsteps.

“It’s really great to have them on-board, she said. “They have thrown themselves into the industry and helped me develop the business. It’s been an intergenerational thing, which is lovely. ran’s passion for all things botanical came from her own parents. Her utch father was from a large flower growing region in Holland and set up his own cut flower nursery and garden centre in orkshire. ran grew up surrounded by glasshouses. he said: “ e and my brothers would

growing with the family

spend the school holidays pricking out seedlings, watering plants or helping in the garden centre behind the till.

“I have a really strong memory of a massive hoya, which blooms with really beautiful scented flowers and as kids we used to go and lick the nectar. ow in his 0s, her father still loves gardening and ran said he was “very proud the girls are continuing the tradition . graduate of the Welsh ollege of Horticulture, ran’s botanical career took off when she moved to London as a freelance florist in her 20s.

“I worked some fantastic events at

the atural History useum and the ational ortrait alley, the uildhall and t auls athedral, she said. “It felt very special coming to London and having access to these historic buildings from behind the scenes. t 2 she bought a floristry event business from one of her former employers and struck out on her own.

Today The resh lower ompany, which opened in ast ulwich in 2006, specialises in ritish-grown blooms from small suppliers.

It suffered during lockdown, but sales at orest London, which opened in ast

ulwich in 2013 and eptford arket ard in 201 , boomed so uickly the family struggled to cope.

“We had furloughed eight staff from our shops but because it’s a family business and two of my daughters live with me and the third in eptford, we began working as a bubble, said ran.

“We thought between us we could manage but then it went really mad with orders and it was busier than when we were open. “ efore lockdown, internet sales probably represented 10% of the business, but we ended up taking more than we

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

33

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

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

had previously from the web and shop combined.

“Now it’s steadied out – online sales represent about 40% of the business and I feel that is going to stay there.”

It’s hard to walk past the Deptford shop without going in, and when you do it really is like entering a forest with greenery such as ferns, palms and succulents covering almost every spare inch.

“The market yard is an amazing space and we really love being there,” said Fran.

“Since we reopened we’ve been busier than the same time last year.”

So what are people buying?

“There’s a trend now for more leafy tropical plants like calatheas, philodendrons,” said Fran.

“House plants started as an interiors thing, every time you opened a magazine or looked on Pinterest there were models with house plants next to them. And it was popular with the 30s-40s age group.

“But as people could get their hands on nice plants it has shifted to people in their 20s and 30s.

“While they love that they make rooms look nice, it’s now also about an interest in the plants themselves and trying to get their hands on new and more interesting varieties than you can get at Ikea and B&Q. People start with two or three and then want a whole collection.

“We have a lot of loyal customers and love talking to them and finding out what they are after. At the moment people go absolutely crazy for variegated monstera and will pay £20 for a leaf.” ran’s own ast ulwich home is filled with around 150 plants and her outdoor garden abounds with vegetables, hanging troughs for salad and a flat roof with tomatoes and basil.

“Any space, anywhere I will try and grow something, “ she said. “My top tip is to go vertical if you have a lack of space.

“And also, be brutal. My favourite thing is pruning and I always have a pair of scissors in my pocket. If you have a small garden you need to hack stuff back.

“People can be very precious about plants. If they move in somewhere and there is a horrible plant, they feel like they have to keep it because it’s been there for 20 years. That’s a real English disease.

“You should just dig it out and put in three things you really love.

beginners’ tips advice from Fran

research “Talk to your local plant shop about the space you have and ask for recommendations. It’s heartbreaking when plants die in the wrong corner and it’s a waste of money and time.” buying “If the roots are all coming out of the bottom it is pot bound and won’t be very happy. Plants that have yellow or spotting leaves might be diseased – check for little bugs on it like little spiders or flies.”

fran’s favourites three of the best

Philodendron Phil are fantastic “These trailing plants and grow incredibly quickly so make people feel very green-fingered”

String Of hearts “These are very sweet looking and also grow so quickly”

Pilea “One of my absolute favourites. They send out little pups so you can get dozens to propagate and pass on to friends”

location anxiety “When a plant is moved to a new space it needs time to settle in to the new environment and adapt. But it can take a few months. So if you get a plant home and it starts shedding leaves don’t panic, just give it time.” most common mistake “Overwatering. We see it so often – people will come in with very limp yellow plants and their soil is like a swamp – the roots have just drowned. They have killed it with kindness. You need to look at your plant and learn when it needs watering. If it is

It’s the same with a house plant, if it is covered in pests and has three leaves left, just chop it up and concentrate on the healthy ones.”

Fran said being an expert with three books under her belt and a fourth in planning did not guarantee that even she always gets it right.

“I still kill things,” she said. “We have recently been getting caladiums which are really pretty and Maddie challenged me to a competition to see whose would do best.

“Hers is in the upstairs bathroom and is really happy and mine is downstairs and was the saddest looking thing.

“But that’s the joy – you are always learning. There’s always new varieties, and it is a fascinating subject.”

With her daughters bursting with ideas to push the business forward and ready to take over the reins in London, Fran is keen to get back to where it all began – growing.

“My new partner and I are looking for land to set up a little flower farm where we would like to grow flowers on a small scale,” she said.

“The ritish flower market was really big when I was a kid and all the florists sold nglish flowers.

“In the 1980s and 1990s, everyone started importing from Holland because they were cheaper but now there’s a movement called Flowers From The Farm with hundreds of small scale growers. It’s similar to people wanting locally grown and seasonal food.

“With house plants, there aren’t many nurseries growing them and I would love to get some polytunnels and for us to grow some of our own produce.

“I would love to develop it into a community site so the public can come and walk around and learn how to propagate and cut flowers and to make a bouquet – an inclusive space where people can learn.”

Forest London delivers nationwide with 10% off customers’ first orders use code FORESTFIRST at the checkout.

Scan this code for more information about Forest London

four focus

support your local institutions FOOD The Greenhouse Deptford

CAFE | Ethical Eats Support local at this art-filled cafe in New Cross Road with arguably the very finest bread available with an opulent, expansive breakfast.

Mon-Sat from 10am, greenhousedeptford.co.uk TRY Midnight Apothecary Rotherhithe

COCKTAILS | Wild Botanicals Find a series of extraordinary cocktails served in the garden at Rotherhithe’s Brunel Museum. Expect two-hour slots, social distancing and herbal notes.

Thurs-Sun, from free, themidnightapothecary.co.uk EAT WH Wellbeloved Deptford

BUY | Takeaway Pies Made on the premises every day, this butcher’s pies are a true taste of south-east London and are available at very reasonable prices.

Mon-Sat, from 7.30am, 020 8692 3679

and in the arts

drooping or the soil feels dry give it a good soaking. If it feels wet, leave it.” bugs “Don’t use chemicals. A common pest with the hot humid weather is mealybug that looks like white fluff in the nooks and crannies. Use diluted vodka, one part to 50 of water, or tea tree or neem oil and a cotton bud to physically remove the pests and squish them. Isolate the plant because pests spread quite quickly. Sometimes bugs thrive if there is a lack of air so open windows or put the plants outside. Cold will kill bugs.”

As the pandemic rumbles on, The Albany continues on its march to reopen its buildings to the public in September, while supporting the arts online. In the pipeline is a programme of special events in the autumn thealbany.org.uk Scan this code for more information about The Albany’s work to reopen want more? @wharflifelive

34

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

Creative Space

this space is yours

with the Adams Plaza Bridge about to be transformed by Camille Walala, draw your own work on its interior here – share it with @wharflifelive or #keepittoyourself

working title

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

35

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

ramen rejoice in

how Pimp My Ramen smashes together flavours from all over the world to deliver something truly unusual in buns

four focus

support your local institutions KIDS National Maritime Museum Greenwich

ACTIVITY | Outdoor Family Trails A pair of self-led outdoor trails are available to help families explore the grounds of the museum. The Birds and Sailor School routes can be downloaded.

Ongoing, daily, rmg.co.uk DINE Ardoa Peninsula

BOOK | For Cheese, Meat And Pintxos Discover this wine-driven, Basque country establishment, tucked away on The Tide complete with supper clubs and plenty of tastings.

Open Tue-Sun, ardoabyvinotheccompass.com SHOW The Pilot Peninsula

Top, Cajun fries and, above, the Indian Veggie

The good stuff : Pimp My Ramen do their thing behind the Covid-security of plastic screens

by Jon Massey

T

here’s probably no better time than now to visit Greenwich Market and support its hot food traders who are, reportedly, facing a rent hike for their pitches on top of everything else.

But where to purchase your food from? The choice is enormous. Ethiopian, roast beef, empanadas, hot dogs, vegan salads.

Street food, at its best, is a voyage of discovery. A chance to try something out of the ordinary, to go beyond one’s comfort zone.

Ramen is the antithesis of this.

Warm, comforting, fortifying. A bowl of steaming noodles isn’t exactly edgy.

Fortunately Pimp My Ramen

offers all the spice and edge necessary. Its ramen burgers sit between buns made from compressed noodles.

Unfortunately the Filipino pulled pork version (£7) has sold out so another fusion option beckons in the form of the Indian Veggie (£6) comprising a spinach and lentil patty, cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce and spicy sauce.

Add in a side of heavily spiced Cajun fries (£3) and you’ve got yourself a meal for less than a tenner. The flavours are punchy and the textures – especially the gelatinous curls of the buns themselves – deliver them perfectly. A

Scan this code for Pimp My Ramen’s Facebook page

confusing, enriching, burst of taste on the tongue.

It’s pure invention, a smashing together of ingredients from across the globe into a single, foilwrapped parcel of joy that’s ideal for enjoying sprawled on the grass at the Old Royal Naval College.

It’s the kind of experience that makes you wonder why you’d ever bother going to Five Guys or Shake Shack again and pay the same or more for a grossly inferior product. On top of that, you get the theatre of the two staff working in perfect sync to build each burger with a rapidity that has to be seen to be believed.

So eschew the big chains, delete Deliveroo, leave your home and go and get some fresh air and extraordinary food, all while helping secure the future of small local businesses. You’ll miss them if they go.

THEATRE | The Tempest Open Bar present a socially distanced performance of Shakespeare’s tale of love, forgiveness, betrayal and magic. Billed as informal and raucous.

Sept 1-2, 7.30pm, £18, pilotgreenwich.co.uk

and in the arts

Greenwich Picturehouse has been open since July 31 offering a programme including recent releases, classics and independent cinema.

Now’s the time to get out and support the screen. Face coverings should be worn picturehouses.com Scan this code for more information about Greenwich Picturehouse want more? @wharflifelive

36

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey

T

he impact of the Covid pandemic has been enormous on the work of Newham All Star Sports Academy. At the time of writing, 11 of its members had lost close relatives to the virus.

With the total cessation of its regular sessions over lockdown, the young people it works with had, until a few weeks’ ago, been denied physical access to its training programmes and all the benefits they bring.

While basketball is at the heart of what NASSA does, its focus has always been on inspiring young people to achieve their potential through education and ualification – mentoring its members to help them reach their goals in life.

As lockdown arrived, the charity moved swiftly to support its community.

Founder and chief executive Natasha Hart said: “It’s been really tough especially the first couple of weeks. We had lots of phone calls and messages from our members saying: ‘What’s happening now, coach?’.

“A lot of kids got really scared.

Isolation had a huge impact. The challenge was mental health – not just for the children, but their whole family.

“The kids were saying they’d do anything to go to school – even those who had skipped it in the past or who didn’t want to go training. “ t first it was a shock, then came the switch, and we started asking: ‘What can we do? How can we adapt?’. First we started

sessions online through NASSA‘s social media channels on Facebook and Instagram and set exercise challenges.

“Within two or three weeks, each of our coaches was mentoring 20 kids a week. They would have group meetings on Zoom followed by study – that’s a must. At the end of the day, you need your grades.

“We even had some new kids joining us – our members would talk to their friends during lockdown and they’d ask us what we were doing and whether they could take part.

“It’s very hard for kids to motivate themselves. For those that lost their parents, their brothers and their sisters – I can’t even imagine what they’re going through.

“But now we’re running sessions again – when they come here, they know we won’t ask them any questions, we’ll just be there to support them.”

The morning I meet Natasha is the first time has been able to get more than five individuals on court at a time since lockdown.

With outdoor courts closed in Newham, members travel all the way to Goodmayes Park in Ilford, to make use of public courts as a stopgap until Basketball England’s rules change. It’s some distance both physically and in terms of quality from NASSA’s usual home at the University Of East London’s SportsDock.

Covid-security is taken extremely seriously. Players and staff are temperature checked before participating and numbers are strictly limited, so conditioning work is handled by a second coach. After the physical work, the members take part in a workshop with a former et police officer, this time on County Lines drug gangs and how to avoid becoming one of the victims.

“These boys are not from Ilford,” said Natasha. “At the moment they have to travel from Tower Hamlets, Newham and Redbridge all the way here.

“Obviously we can’t demand the basket, so our coaches set up early. We can’t use courts indoors at present and Basketball England has said we can only have up to 15 players on a court at once.

“We’ve been running sessions since July, but we were previously limited to six and that was bizarre.

“You couldn’t play the game, you could only do the skills and that was very hard because many of these players wanted to get rid of their frustrations, to challenge each other on the court. But they’re getting fresh air and it’s what we have right now.

“At the moment, the leagues we play in are all suspended, but we’re waiting for an announcement on that in September.

“Hopefully they will start up

15

Maximum number of players currently allowed on a court

by Basketball England

Natasha is now seeking funding for two more coaches at NASSA

back bouncing

how NASSA supported its members through the lockdown and is now getting them out on court

In training: NASSA members participate in a conditioning session Images by James Grimshaw - find more of his work at jamesgrimshaw.co.uk or @j.grimshaw on Insta

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

37

Royal Docks - Canning Town

“

For those that lost their parents, their brothers and their sisters – I can’t even imagine what they’re going through Natasha Hart, NASSA

again, but it could be January. Even then, there will be fresh challenges as players can’t all travel in a minibus together – they will have to get to games individually.”

As an organisation, Natasha is looking to secure funding for two more basketball coaches so the charity can continue to grow its work.

“It’s been a tough time for the charity,” she said. “From Sport England we’ve had sanitiser, masks and gloves as well as the opportunity to give out nearly 100 basketballs. They’ve also provided funding for online courses and we want to continue supporting our members to get ualifications both in basketball and other areas.

Six of them engaged with free Open University courses during lockdown, for example.

“The major thing I also have to say is thank you to Excel, for organising and creating our new website, which recently launched.

They’ve done a really amazing job – it’s great.”

The site features extensive information on NASSA’s work, including its history and campaigns such as Carry A Basketball Not A Blade founded by Natasha’s son Anthony Okereafor.

Aimed at tackling knife crime and gang activity in Newham, the education programme reaches more than 2,000 children and young people in the borough every year. Anthony created it in 2008 in response to the fatal stabbing of two of his friends within weeks of each other.

It’s ’s ability to find solutions to serious social problems and to support its members through education and personal development that demands attention and support. As Natasha says, the basketball is simply the core around which a much more complex and sorely necessary organisation sits.

Wharf Life will be running a series of articles in 2020 and 2021 about its work and the programmes it runs.

Scan this code to learn more about NASSA and its work

helping young people find clarity, focus and drive

by Jon Massey

A

nother unexpected consequence of the pandemic for both Natasha and NASSA has been the return of her son Teddy Okereafor to the UK. A member of Team GB since 2015, the professional basketball player was released by his club – Gymnastikos Syllogos Iraklis Basketball Club in Greece – towards the end of February as uncertainty gripped the world, returning to the UK just in time for lockdown to arrive. With restrictions relaxed, he’s been able to get more involved with NASSA, participating in sessions and mentoring members.

“I’m enjoying this process – having the longest break I’ve had from the sport so I can talk to the kids,” said the 27-year-old.

“It’s been a chance to come back and settle – to be with family. I’m not thinking too far in the future.

“I left when I was 17. I’m Team GB, I played in America for six years, went to university over there, but that doesn’t matter as much as the next generation. They need to figure things out because we still have a lot of work to do.

“I don’t think I’ve figured it out yet. I think I’m still trying. That’s the beauty of it. The kids teach us as much as we teach them.

“You learn something from everybody. Giving back is also gaining something and it’s great, you have the opportunity to give back to the same demographic you grew up in.

You get to see it progress.

“NASSA started in the park, outside, finding any way to be active and productive, turning that into something positive and even something profitable.

“That’s what we’re trying to teach kids how to do. For me it’s a mental thing as much as it is a physical challenge.

“You have to clear your mind and be focused and disciplined and have the right influences around you. They say it’s the

Teddy says mentoring gives him peace of mind – the satisfaction of giving back

company you keep and the focus and disciplines you have. If you have a schedule you can keep to, a routine you can follow, it’s easy to get stuff done.

“When you don’t know what you’re doing you can get lost and go anywhere and that can lead to trouble.

“For me, mentoring means peace of mind, the satisfaction of giving back. It’s gratitude, paying your respect to the game of basketball.

“The best way to do that is through young people, education and teaching them how they can become successful, whatever the definition of that is. I hope they get some clarity, focus and some drive.

“I think they need a direction – something to aim for – and something to replicate. It can’t just be focused on basketball, it has to be broader than that.

“Then the job’s done and we can continue learning and figuring things out but a foundation has to be set. That’s an amazing feeling, you get to see somebody who isn’t confident or doesn’t have the right motivation develop it.

“People should come to NASSA because they will have fun and they’ll learn.”

four focus

support your local institutions WHERE? Thames Barrier Park Silvertown

WALK | Fire Garden Explore a magically transformed riverside park as trees glow with fire and flowers blossom into flames. Part of the excellent GDIF 2020 festival.

Sept 11-12, 8.10pm, free (ticketed), festival.org WHERE? Royal Victoria Dock Royal Wharf

CONTEST | Dock2Dock Swim Suitable for experienced swimmers, this event offers a bunch of distances up to a maximum of 10k to Royal Albert Dock and back (twice).

Sept 12, from 7.30am, from £30, dock2dock.co.uk WHERE? Silvertown Quays Silvertown

HEAR | Fire Garden Giant bell-like speaker cones, a team of bellringers, electronic tones? It can only be another of GDIF 2020’s superb installations from artist Ray Lee. Sept 11-12, hourly from 2pm, free (tickets), festival.org

support local

The Oiler Bar at the fashionable end of Royal Victoria Dock is back up and running, serving pizza and craft beer outdoors with table service for up to six. No reservations. Check Instagram for opening times @theoilerbar Scan this code for more information about The Oiler Bar so you can plan your trip want more? @wharflifelive

38

Wharf Life Aug 26-Spet 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory

find our advertisers’ messages here Kidd Rapinet print Pages 1, 4, 28 online kiddrapinet.co.uk Third Space print Page 5 online thirdspace.london Creative Virtual print Page 11 online creativevirtual.com Higgins Homes print Pages 16, 17 online higginshomes.co.uk JG Chatham print Page 20 online kitchenerbarracks.com Notting Hill Genesis print Page 21 online nhgsales.com Alex Neil print Pages 22, 23 online alexneil.com My London Home print Pages 24, 25 online mylondonhome.com

be part of the Canary Wharf conversation To advertise in Wharf Life call 07944 000 144 or email advertising@wharf-life.com

Wharf Life is published by Massey Maddison Limited and printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2020

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

39

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

flavour a revolutionary

how the Lord Morpeth is still serving the kind fuel that generates social revolutions, as it did in Pankhurst’s day

four focus

support your local institutions ORDER Doh Hackney Wick

PRODUCE | Veg And Fruit Box Pay £12.50 to the excellent people at Doh and they’ll give you a whole box full of fruit and veg that you can eat and cook with. Support local.

Daily from 8am, £12.50, doh.life TRY Thingy Cafe Hackney Wick

CAFE | Coffee And Food Discover this hidden cafe buried deep in a music recording, engineering and production studio in Trowbridge Road. Dig deep, the food is there.

Open daily, times vary, thingycoffee.com CINEMA Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

The Geezer The Lord Morpeth’s western elevation features a tribute to former regular Sylvia Pankhurst

by Jon Massey

A

little bit of social history lurks in Bow. Approach the Lord Morpeth from the west and you’ll be left in no doubt that this was once the favoured watering hole of suffragette ylvia ankhurst and her confederates.

A substantial mural takes up almost the entirety of one exterior wall in celebration of her achievements, welcoming potential customers who’ve made it across the Hartford Union Canal from ictoria ark up Old ord oad. omewhat off the beaten track it’s a well-heeled venue with plenty of craft beer on tap, stripped wood window frames and a ceiling of shiny white s uares that reflect the suitably tasteful decor.

Inevitably there’s sourdough pizza that’s pricey but substantial.

A little like the pub, there’s a sense that fashions and flavours have collided to forge something singular and worth seeking out.

Everywhere does a Calabrese, a Diavola, a Margherita. But only (as far as I know) the Lord Morpeth does The Geezer, advertised with a poorly rendered likeness of Del Boy and promising an unholy blend of pizza with “proper salt beef, pickled gherkins, sweet mustard dressing and crispy shallots”. At a menu-topping premium of £14.50 it demands to be sampled if only in the category

Scan this code for more on the Lord Morpeth in Bow

of dishes one can boast one’s tried. urprisingly it’s uite pleasant, as though someone, for no particular reason at all, has decided to smuggle the flavours of a decent salt beef sandwich into my mouth with a Margherita.

I can only speculate that its genesis involved a freshly purchased sarnie and an unfortunately placed banana skin in a pizza kitchen.

That said, the whole thing is both filling and surprisingly satisfying – the kind of tradition that begins as a mistake and is repeated because nobody objects.

Its ingredient list certainly adds up to some serious fuel, exactly the kind of sustenance revolutions are built on. It would be nice to think the next wave of social change could be generated on such fare.

They might just need to drop the price a bit.

WATCH | Break The Silence: The Movie The Korean superstars hit the big screen, featuring footage of their ground-breaking Wembley Stadium performance. Expect personal stories.

From Sept 10, times vary, £9.50, picturehouses.com

tipple tasting

Back open and doing a brisk trade, the bar and restaurant of the East London Liquor Company at Bow Wharf offers a leafy, herbal spot away from the busy pubs of Victoria Park to chill out and sip a spirit with tonic eastlondonliquorcompany.com Scan this code for more information about the East London Liquor Company or to buy their products want more? @wharflifelive

40

Wharf Life Aug 26-Sept 9, 2020 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Tough

Previous solution - Medium

1 8 7 4 6 9 2 3 5 Sudoku 2 a9break 6 from 7 5 that 3 phone 4 1 8 Take 3 4 5 8 2 1 7 6 9 How 6 to2 play 4 9 8 5 3 7 1 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 3 such 1 4 5 row, 8 6column and 3x3 box one9 to7nine that2each contains every number uniquely.

5 1 8 3 7 6 9 4 2 3 find 9 strategies, 2 1 8 hints 6 and 5 4tips online You7can at sudokuwiki.org 8 5 2 6 3 4 1 9 7 4 to 6 play 1 5 9 7 8 2 3 More

2 2

5

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

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

Notes

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

3 4 9 2 8 4 9 2 5 5 6 1 2 8 9 7 3 1 7 8 8 3 4 9 4 1

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

crossword Down

1.

1.

3.

8.

9.

11.

13.

14.

17.

20.

21.

22.

23.

Drinks to the return of a good man (4) A drop of water (8) A double round to celebrate (4) A game involving more of us (8) Getting into deep water? (7,5) Team the Spanish get even with (6) Mark of an oarsman (6) He may have stacks of work to do! (7,5) A busy worker sent in for a truant (8) It’s in the front row when the game begins (4) Each person in the very one-sided event (8) Untie a reef knot (4)

Notes

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

10.

12.

15.

16.

18.

19.

No more to discuss? (4,4) He cares for others (7) Refrains from being so avid, perhaps (6) An entertaining job for a woman who likes travel (3,7) Add beauty to a new day, we hear (5) A growing source of fuel (4) Notes or coins for the newsboy? (5,5) Possibly press one for an answer (8) New opera in natural setting (4-3) Lower cleric got round me (6) Has tea without a feeling of urgency (5) Punishment for a murderer, we hear (4)

Quick Across 1.

3.

8.

9.

11.

13.

14.

17.

20.

21.

22.

23.

Quote (4) Scatter (8) Burden (4) Famished (8) Directions (12) Distance (6) Homicide (6) Sweat (12) Dexterously (8) Engrave (4) Emblem (8) Poke (4)

Down 1.

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

10.

12.

15.

16.

18.

19.

Coal mine (8) Lintel (7) Untouched (6) Special (10) Rule (5) Rim (4) Objecting (10) Soaked (8) Wanderer (7) Column (6) Incorporate (5) Heroic story (4)

Across: 1 Cite; 3 Disperse; 8 Load; 9 Starving; 11 Instructions; 13 Remote; 14 Murder; 17 Perspiration; 20 Adroitly; 21 Etch; 22 Allegory; 23 Prod.

Down: 1 Colliery; 2 Transom; 4 Intact; 5 Particular; 6 Reign; 7 Edge; 10 Protesting; 12 Drenched; 15 Drifter; 16 Pillar; 18 Enrol; 19 Saga.

Across

whether you’re cryptic sleuth or synonym solver in it for quick wins, this should satisfy

Cryptic Solution

Cryptic

beating the

Across: 1 Tots; 3 Cataract; 8 Laud; 9 Foursome; 11 Outward bound; 13 Eleven; 14 Stroke; 17 Chimney sweep; 20 Absentee; 21 Pawn; 22 Everyone; 23 Free.

Down: 1 Talk over; 2 Trustee; 4 Avoids; 5 Air hostess; 6 Adorn; 7 Tree; 10 Paper money; 12 Response; 15 Open-air; 16 Demean; 18 Haste; 19 Cane.

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Quick Solution

No. 933