Wharf Life, Feb 8-22, 2023

how

Pages 6-10

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

Chris Ezekiel on the joys of a drink while doing a weekly shop

Image by Jon Massey

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what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? Temple Of Art And Music

MMy Wood Wharf

GIG | Friday Jazz In The City

The OGs play this evening of bop and groove with Patrixx Tenyue leading the band. Entry is free but attendees can choose to pay in support. Feb 24, 7.30pm, free, tam.tv

Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG | The Manfreds

Fronted by original Manfred Mann lead singer Paul Jones, audiences can expect plenty of 1960s hits from this beat combo. Do Wah Diddy Diddy... Feb 22, 9.15pm, from £19, boisdale.co.uk

Where? The Boathouse Harbour Quay Gardens

GIG | Live Jazz Thursdays

The Boathouse has partnered with Ninety One Living Room to deliver a series of gigs featuring So a Grant, Grifton Forbes-Amos and Tucan. Feb 9-23, 7pm, £28, dice.fm

Welcome to the 81st issue of Wharf Life. While the major focus of this issue is the ongoing project to build a second bridge over West India South Dock, it’s also a celebration of culture with an artist, dramatist and lmmaker all in the mix – plus a little bit of education, surely a good thing...

Final homes go on sale at Arena Tower on the Isle Of Dogs

Third Space master trainer Clare Walters encourages people hitting the gym to nd balance in their exercise regimes. She believes training should be a lifelong practice that has a functional bene t to people’s lives thirdspace.london Scan here to read our interview with Clare about the physical and mental bene ts of working out

The Space’s Matthew Jameson on bringing Ten Days to the stage

Limehouse-based lmmaker, writer and director Mark AC Brown chats about his latest feature Dead On The Vine, winner of three awards at Kevin Smith’s inaugural Smodcastle Film Festival

on the radar

need to know

Finally Ca’puccino has opened in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place. Keen watchers of the estate’s hoardings will know this has been in the pipeline for years, so the arrival of coffees, filled croissants sweet treats and grown-up drinks, is most welcome @ca_puccino on Insta

The Queen’s House is set to host an exhibition of the Van De Veldes’ work

The former Canary Wharf Estate Pass Issue Office, located beneath the DLR tracks at Frobisher Passage is set to become a branch of steak-driven restaurant chain Blacklock. Looks like Hawksmoor, M and Gaucho will soon have some fresh competition theblacklock.com

How Deptford-based artist and writer Alice Gur-Arie creates artworks by digitally painting the photographs she takes around the world

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

40% £36

Pedler in the lobby of One Canada Square is currently offering 40% off food from noon until 3pm – be quick though, the discount expires after February 15 pedlercanarywharf.com

The Harris Science Academy East London looks to the future

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Roka in Canada Square’s Park Pavillion is offering a selection of starters followed by a main course for £36 to lunchtime diners on weekdays rokarestaurant.com

Canary Wharf

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hot list

rumours tips and rankings

NEW STUFF

Canary Wharf is set to welcome gaming venue Platform, shoe and bag brand Russell & Bromley and sustainable plant-based restaurant Mallow – a sister brand to vegetarian powerhouse Mildred’s in Soho. Recent arrivals, now up and running, include nursery school Wood Wharf Kindergarden and media studio for hire The Qube, also in Wood Wharf...

OUR PICKS

If you do nothing else in Canary Wharf this week, consider indulging in the below:

1. Take the Art And Soul Valentine’s trail for a bit of culture. Find it at canarywharf.com

2. Visit Wharf stalwart Nicolas in One Canada Square and sample some wines – winebarnicolas.co.uk

3. Last chance to skate at Ice Rink Canary Wharf – until Feb 25. More at icerinkcanarywharf.com

Million people visited Canary Wharf during the recent Winter Lights festival

Big Daddy BLBC, Reuters Plaza - £6.50

Having discovered the Brick Lane Bagel Company doesn’t appear to have an awful lot to do with the actual Brick Lane and its muchlauded bagels, I was initially sceptical about what would come out of the black concertinaed kiosk near the Tube station’s main exit.

But the warmth and unapologetic Essex charm of the lady serving up this breakfast heavyweight won me over. Packed with sausage, bacon, egg and potato latke, it’s essentially a full fry up crammed into a bready, satisfying bagel – a tasty amount of food for the price that comes from a place of generous honesty. It’s big, it’s clever. Who’s the daddy?

In the latest of our Cost Of Whar ng match-ups, we taste two newcomers to the estate to nd out which o ers the best bang for your bucks

Chicken Pho Pho, Jubilee Place - £10.95

While pho in Vietnam is commonly eaten as a breakfast food – thus making it at least vaguely comparable to a bagel full of pork products – newly arrived Pho doesn’t open its doors until noon.

Occupying a narrow patch of Jubilee Place’s food court, it o ers a bustling table service to those who need to order, eat and depart rapidly.

The pho itself is reassuringly warm and friendly – a clear, fragrant bath of chicken breast, noodles and veg plus a plate of lime, chilli, beansprouts and herbs to make things more interesting. It’s decent. But paying £16.76 (including a lemonade plus service charge) just feels a bit much.

Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 NOTICE UNDER ARTICLE 15(3) OR ARTICLE 16 OF APPLICATION FOR PLANNING PERMISSION ACCOMPANIED BY AN ENVIRONMENTAL STATEMENT

Application Number: 22/03045/VAR

Proposed Development at: London City Airport, Hartmann Road, Silvertown, London I give notice that Quod acting on behalf of London City Airport Limited is applying to the London Borough of Newham for planning permission for the proposal below:

Section 73 application to vary Conditions 2 (Approved documents) 8 (Aircraft Maintenance) 12 (Aircraft Stand Location) 17 (Aircraft Take-off and Land Times) 23, 25, 26 (Daily limits) 35 (Temporary Facilities) 42 (Terminal Opening Hours) 43 (Passengers) and 50 (Ground Running) to allow up to 9 million passengers per annum (currently limited to 6.5 million) arrivals and departures on Saturdays until 18.30 with up to 12 arrivals for a further hour during British Summer Time (currently allowed until 12.30), modifications to daily, weekend and other limits on flights and minor design changes, including to the forecourt and airfield layout attached to planning permission 13/01228/FUL allowed on appeal

APP/G5750/W/15/3035673 dated 26th July 2016 which granted planning permission for;

“Works to demolish existing buildings and structures and provide additional infrastructure and passenger facilities at London City Airport”

This application is accompanied by an Environmental Statement for the purposes of Environmental Impact Assessment under The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017 (as amended) Members of the public may inspect copies of;

•The application

•The plans

•The environmental statement

•And other documents submitted with the application

Online at: www.newham.gov.uk/pa or at Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, E16 2QU (London Borough of Newham) by prior appointment only: email Liam.McFadden@newham.gov.uk. Hard copies of the ES (Volume 1), Technical Appendices (Volume 2) and Transport Assessment (Volume 3) can be purchased at a cost of £300 each (excluding postage and packaging) or on CD Rom/USB for a cost of £15. These documents can be obtained on request to

Pell Frischmann the address below:

Pell Frischmann, 5th Floor, 85 Strand, London, WC2R 0DW

Anyone who wishes to make representations about this application should do so online at www.newham.gov.uk/pa or write to the Council at Newham Dockside, 1000 Dockside Road, E16 2QU (London Borough of Newham) within 30 days of the date of this notice.

diary

dates and ideas to make your Canary Wharf life a little bit sweeter

The mental health charity celebrates its fourth birthday with a celebrity-studded fundraising dinner at the Cabot Square restaurant. Hosted by DJ Eddy Temple-Morris, guests can book places on tables with the likes of Chris Evans, Je rey Archers, Jayne Middlemiss, Darren Gough and Gail Porter. Tickets include a three-course dinner with wines, the chance to win prizes, a live auction and close-up magic

EVENT - My Black Dog Presents The Big Bash Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, Mar 2, 6.30pm, from £295 boisdale.co.uk

style it

Asculpted, chiselled visage is a coveted look these days, so it’s no surprise contouring is so popular. Makeup can work like magic to give the illusion of perfect facial structure in minutes. For a more permanent e ect, there are always llers.

However, I’ve noticed a trend happening recently where celebrities and in uencers have openly stated that they’ve dissolved their llers, speci cally in their cheeks and jawline. The problem with injectables is that they can build up and even migrate resulting in a very unnatural look. But what’s the alternative?

There are facial exercises and Gua Sha massage you can do at home, of course, but more people are turning to non-invasive salon procedures, such as the Cinderella Facial, which uses Forma’s radiofrequency technology to tighten the skin and reduce the usual signs of ageing.

I booked an appointment at Jon Hala in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place to experience the treatment for myself. Therapist

Violeta Hala explained the bene ts, saying the facial would improve my dry winter skin, reduce pu ness and water retention in my face and that I could expect the e ects to last around 48 hours.

I was concerned that I had an event to go to later that day and didn’t want to be walking around with a bright scarlet face, but I was assured that any reddening would be minimal and short-lived.

My face and neck were washed, then exfoliated to remove dead skin cells. Following this, a serum containing high levels of hyaluronic acid and vitamin C was massaged into my skin to hydrate it. Then a handheld tool was passed over my face delivering radio waves intended to lift the skin and aid in the absorption of the serum’s nutrients. This part – aimed at stimulating collagen production – tingled, but was painless.

Violeta next used LED light therapy, billed as an e ective way to treat acne and blemish-prone skin, pigmentation, rosacea, and even eczema. As well as having dry patches, I also had a few pimples (lucky me). So I was treated with blue light rst, which is antibacterial, and can be calming for sensitive, problematic skin like mine. Then came the red, again used to promote collagen production, improve circulation and assist in the penetration of active ingredients. The light was delivered via a device that was placed over my face, which I can only describe as like a miniature sunbed for my head.

The whole process was very relaxing, and lasted an hour.

I was impressed that the facial was tailored to me and my needs, and could be adapted to suit each client. I looked in the mirror post-treatment and was surprised to see that I was not glowing red, just plumped, pink and looking pretty healthy and awake. My face felt rmer, and de nitely not pu y. Violeta gave me a sheet face mask to take away and apply the next morning as, apparently, anything I applied to my skin 48 hours post-treatment would be absorbed in greater quantities than normal.

Later in the day, my sister who I hadn’t seen for some time, asked me if I’d lost weight. I hadn’t. I now consider myself a Cinderella Facial convert, and I urge everyone to book in with Violeta – my Fairy Godmother.

Natasha Maddison @pazzanatasha on Insta

springter

Health

rgun

noun,

The facial Natasha tried is available at Jon Hala in Jubilee Place and costs £95, dropping to £80 per session for a course of four plus

a new place to

bit of a bodge. Originally twice its current length its graceful S-shape was sliced in two when development narrowed the dock and it wound up sitting uncomfortably high at the point it arrives on the Wharf.

Anyone who’s braved the journey at peak times knows the little stone stairs do nothing to help the awkward flow of pedestrians on or off the estate – a rare planning error in an area that’s otherwise mostly frictionless for walkers.

by Jon Massey

East London has a bit of a problem with bridges. Crossings are proposed, ideas generated and fancy images created. But few make it as far as actual physical existence. Notably none of the various schemes to cross the Thames east of Tower Bridge have, partly because of the scale and cost of such a project.

The latest proposal for a new crossing across West India South Dock does, however, appear to have momentum and purpose with it. Planning permission for Knight Architects’ design for

South Dock Bridge was granted in December, detailed design work is now ongoing and construction is expected to start this year. Tower Hamlets Council is behind the scheme and is currently working to acquire the appropriate chunks of land necessary and permission to build over the waterway.

A long time coming, the project is needed due to the creaking capacity issues of South Quay Bridge. This swinging silver crescent moon, with its rattling aluminium planks and dramatic cable suspenders might have provided a dramatic backdrop for zombie horror 28 Days Later and spy flick The Constant Gardener, but functionally it’s always been a

The case for a new crossing is obvious. The Isle Of Dogs has an ever growing population meaning demand for routes into Canary Wharf as residents walk to access its amenities is on an ever upward trajectory.

So what of the new proposal, which will connect South Quay Plaza with Upper Bank Street?

Knight Architects’ design, which will be built for the council in partnership with engineering firm Arcadis Consulting and moving bridge specialist KGAL Consulting, is the result of responses to a previous outline design.

“South Dock Bridge was an atypical brief for us because we got involved in 2019 at the second stage,” said Knight design director Hector Beade-Pereda. “In this case, many decisions, including where to cross, had already been made and had partly gone

through a consultation process. We built our understanding of the site on the outcome of that process and designed a different bridge in response to that.

“There are some things that are the same. Our design is also a bascule bridge with the moving portion of the bridge towards the north.

“The position across the dock is the same, but the bridge is different because the public suggested we should consider various factors and almost start from scratch in agreement with the council. That’s what we did.”

When finished, South Dock Bridge will be Knight’s second crossing over the waters of the West India Dock complex.

Canary Wharf Group hired the firm to design its Water Street road bridge, which links the older portion of the estate with Wood Wharf, just around the corner from the proposed site of the new bridge.

“South Dock Bridge also has a section that is a bascule bridge that can be raised,” said Hector. “While the two won’t be seen together, they can be experienced by walkers on the same journey, so we wanted to do something similarly understated to that design. They both have to respond to the water and to the Canary Wharf buildings around them.

“In form, the designs are actucontinued on Page 9

how Knight Architects’ design aims to respect the water below and the history of the area in which it sits

An artist’s impression showing the South Dock Bridge as it will look from the Canary Wharf side when construction is complete

Pedestrian bridges over West India South Dock when the latest crossing is built

virtual viewpoint

by Chris Ezekiel

Since Waitrose in Canary Wharf opened, more than 20 years ago, I’ve always been baffled by its wine bar. On many occasions, as I went about my grocery shopping, I would wonder why on earth people would want to combine the drudgery of picking up their spuds and toothpaste with a glass or two of wine.

I was especially perplexed considering the abundance of lovely bars in such close proximity.

But it’s remained consistently busy and the penny finally dropped the other day. It was a few days after my wife and newborn son arrived home from the hospital.

Having a 19-month-old as well, we suddenly realised we were in a pretty exclusive club – two under two. A few days into our lovely chaotic new life, a trip to Waitrose suddenly felt quite exciting.

With a spring in my step I put on my noise cancelling headphones, some relaxing music and the experience felt completely different to normal – more like a trip to a health spa.

Oblivious to the mundanities of my shopping trip I suddenly stumbled upon the bar. And that’s when realisation dawned. I was in my personal spa, and the idea of a glass of Champagne amid the shoppers made perfect sense.

I was just about to indulge when I remembered I was going for a run later, so I resisted. But I’m counting down the days until my next spa trip for that glass of fizz. It made me realise that, although I wouldn’t change the chaos of being in the two under two club for the world, that we all need a regular trip to our own personal spas to recharge our batteries. When my wife calls, I’ll just say: “I’m still in Waitrose.”

Bridge designer Hector Beade-Pereda of Knight Architects grew up wanting to create crossings – he is leading the team that is designing the South Dock Bridge

Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

Years the South Dock Bridge should last if properly maintained 120

Chris enjoys a well-earned glass of fizz in the “spa” at Waitrose in Canary Wharf

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at West India Quay’s Cannon Workshops

One of the things that came out of the original consultation was that the bridge should pay tribute to the area’s past, so we thought quite a lot about that

Hector Beade-Pereda,

Knight Architects

Chris’ sons: Matthew with his new brother

from Page 6

ally pretty different. Water Street is a straight line, whereas South Dock uses more organic-looking, curved shapes. What we wanted to do was design something that would be respectful to the dock.

“We wanted something low profile that wouldn’t compete in scale with the buildings around it or the other existing bridges over the dock. We have made a big effort to make it slim, slender, elegant and attractive whether it is open or closed.

“It is a two span bridge. It has a pier in the centre of the dock. Before, the plan was to have more piers, but we wanted to have the minimum number to respect the water as much as possible.”

Another potent influence on the design was the heritage of the local area – reflected by the form of the bridge in two ways.

Hector said: “One of the things that came out of the original consultation was that the bridge should pay tribute to the area’s past, so we thought quite a lot about that.

“We could have designed something that was triangulated, quite industrial but that would have been impossible if we were to keep the bridge slim and slender.

“So we looked at the shapes of the cranes that were used in Docklands – many of which were curved and elegant – and took inspiration from them. They looked like the contemporary industrial designs we see today.

“At the Museum Of London Docklands, we also saw the curved hooks that were used by dockers to help unload cargo from ships. They are the most beautiful things – really, really lovely – and that is reflected in the design.

“We will also make the surface of the bridge feel like the deck of a ship using angles and steelwork to convey that.

“This is why South Dock will have a different design language to the Water Street bridge even though they both stem from some common principles.

“South Dock will be cantilevered with counterweights so, from a sustainability point of view, it will need less energy to raise it. The curved forms also help the bridge respond to its internal forces quite strictly and that means you can use less material to build it, meaning it weighs less and requires less force to move.

“In finding a form that harmonises those forces, we have also found a design that responds to the history of the area and the council has been a very supportive client.”

continued on Page 10

they say client statement: the London Borough Of Tower Hamlets

>> The London Borough Of Tower Hamlets cabinet member for regeneration, inclusive development and housebuilding Cllr Kabir Ahmed said: “We are delighted that the strategic development committee has resolved to grant planning permission for the South Dock Bridge – there is no doubt a need for this project as significant new development around the docks on the Isle Of Dogs has increased pressure on pedestrian routes and connections in the area.

“This pressure is particularly acute at South Dock, which separates the significant housing growth area from the commercial centre and transport connections at Canary Wharf.

“Along with this development, the addition of the new Elizabeth Line station will attract more pedestrians and there is also a need to improve access to South Quay DLR station.

“The existing bridge is currently approaching its capacity at peak times in terms of comfort levels.

“We know through our consultation that construction of the bridge is welcomed by residents of the Island and, of course, our residents are at the forefront of this decision.

“The bridge will help to reduce congestion on the DLR

and link new development at South Quay with Canary Wharf and Wood Wharf. It will be designed to accommodate projected pedestrian flows well into the future.

“Further to this, the bridge will greatly improve access to public transport links, which will aid connectivity and support access to jobs, retail, and other services at Canary Wharf.

“The pedestrian aspect will promote active travel, with its associated health benefits, and encourage a shift from less active travel behaviours.

“In resolving to grant planning permission, the Strategic Development Committee noted that the new bridge was a highquality and elegant design that is considered appropriate to its contemporary surroundings.

“I echo this sentiment and anticipate that the bridge will be a positive addition to the area and encourage continued interest and investment in the Isle Of Dogs and surrounding areas, bolstering our local economy, and creating a place that’s accommodating for residents and visitors alike.”

Knight’s design aims to be respectful of the water it crosses while reflecting the history of the area

Knight’s Water Street Bridge

South Dock Bridge’s gap guides walkers round an emrgency exit from a car park on the Wharf side

by Amy French

Years Hector has spent designing bridges in Spain and the UK 22 another level

In my first column of 2023, it seems appropriate to reflect on the innovations and successes we witnessed at Level39 in 2022. We closed out the year having grown our community to include new companies across the health and life sciences sector, including The Cancer Awareness Trust, Congenica, and Sanius Health. We delivered more than 100 hours of ecosystem sessions and introductions to our members and welcomed just under 70,000 people to Level39 in 12 months.

As a tech community here in Canary Wharf’s One Canada Square, we’re always on the lookout for technology and innovations that will shape how we live. Most recently, I’ve been introduced to advanced AI chatbot ChatGPT that has the potential to challenge the way we engage with information online. It interacts in a conversational way, answering follow up questions, admitting mistakes, challenging incorrect premises, and rejecting inappropriate requests.

As we look to the future and question what we can expect from the year ahead, we asked ChatGPT what trends we should be looking out for in 2023.

Interestingly, AI was top of the list. ChatGPT suggests that artificial intelligence and machine learning will make even more inroads into various industries in 2023, streamlining processing and improving efficiencies.

Amy French, Level39

It expects that more and more devices will be connected to the internet, creating more data for companies to analyse and use to improve their products and services.

And ChatGPT’s final prediction was an even greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental responsibility, with an increasing focus on the impact of technology on the environment and designing products with sustainability in mind. Even though it’s in its infancy, having been launched in November 2022, I look forward to seeing how ChatGPT is used across industries over the coming months.

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

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

from Page 9

Designed to last some 120 years with proper maintenance, the new bridge will be exclusively for pedestrians – an extension of the existing pedestrian spaces at either end.

Hector, who has been designing bridges for 22 years, moving to the UK from Spain eight years ago, said: “My understanding is the focus for cycling will be on improving routes on the edges of the Island.

“The existing bridge is already thought to be the second busiest pedestrian bridge in London so this one will get a lot of use.

“The new bridge has been designed to cope with a high level of traffic and will probably be more used than some of the other bridges we have designed.

“That’s something to be really proud of. I have been designing bridges for more than two decades and it’s still always a very special moment when something becomes reality – when you can see the full structure at the end of several years’ work.

“In the future, I would love to design a bridge over the Thames –that would be a good one. For me, the important thing is designing bridges that are needed, that really serve a purpose.”

With east and south-east London continuing to experience population growth and regeneration, perhaps he’ll get his wish.

Go to knightarchitects.co.uk for more information

Scan this code to find out more about Knight’s bridge project

We asked ChatGPT what trends we should be looking out for in 2023. Interestingly AI was top of the list

Will AI change the way we find and absorb information online?

An artist’s impression showing the approach to Canary Wharf from South Quay Plaza via the proposed new bridge

how east London lmmaker

Brown has won recognition for his latest feature in New Jersey

by Jon Massey

ark AC Brown has a smile on his face when we meet at The Star Of The East pub. It’s a venue the Limehouse-based filmmaker knows well – a grand palace of a place on Commercial Road filled with comfy leather upholstery where he can often be found working away on scripts. The smile is not down to the welcoming atmos phere, however. It’s because his second feature film as writer and director recently won best drama, best actor and best ensemble at the inaugural Smodcastle Film Festival on its world premiere.

Dead On The Vine for its UK debut later this year, is a film that was never meant to exist. Originally from Yarm, a town nestled in the bend of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, Mark grew up wanting to make movies.

“I always wanted to be a filmmaker since about the age of three, when I saw lots of great films like The Wizard Of Oz Chitty Bang Bang and The Argonauts,” he said. “I also got to see a huge number of inappro priate movies thanks to my aunty and uncle, including because he liked the banjos.

“It wasn’t easy in the North East when I was growing up. There wasn’t a film industry or even the possibility to dream really, but I kept it in my head and just watched endless movies.

“I made a few films with my brother and my friends, but that was it until I went to university in Liverpool where I tried to do it a bit more. I was on a general

the

media course, not specifically about making films, though – a huge error on my part – and I was useless at it. I meandered through, enjoying life but not doing anything significant. I was just lazy, I had no motivation.

“I passed by 2% and that was only because I did really well in the parts related to making films or writing them.”

Having moved back to the North East, he tried a different course and made some films with people he met there, one of which won an award and spurred him on to move to London. In his 20s he was writing furiously while working in Wetherspoons to support himself. With people he met through a writing course, he created a company called Joined Up Writers, creating plays for the Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington – “tickling success” when BBC radio offered to mentor him.

“I was struggling in my head at the time and thought they didn’t mean it so, after a couple of meetings I didn’t follow it up,” he said. Returning to film, he wrote scripts for shorts and found fresh success in an industry that often moves at a glacial pace.

“One of the shorts was screened at the Raindance film festival and I got noticed by a producer who asked me to write an 18th century drama about the first black boxer in Britain,” said Mark.

“It’s called The Gentleman, but the producer who was involved was also producing The Expendables, which became an unexpected success, so they went off in that direction and my film didn’t get made. There was lots of promise, lots of fun, but I was sad because, had it come out, I’d have been paid a lot more. “I currently have four different versions of it – a play, a six-part TV series, the film and a monologue in my desk.”

Further successful writing jobs followed, before Mark decided he wanted to get back behind the camera.

“I had always wanted to be a director first, rather than a writer, but I had to write my own scripts because no-one else would, so I fell more into writing,” he said.

“In 2015 I made a short film called Corinthian, which did well continued on Page 25

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

Kevin Smith has been an inspiration to me – his lm, Chasing Amy, was one of those movies that gave me a boost when I was at university

MMark AC Brown, Filmmaker basking in

Image by Jon Massey

from Page 12

at festivals and I liked doing it. We did that on a tiny budget and through that process I worked out how to shoot a feature in 10 days. So I called up my mates, told them I’d write parts for all of them and they all said yes.

“That was my debut feature Guardians – shot in the house in Limehouse, where I live, and featuring St Anne’s Church and the Queen’s Head pub, where we shot from 11pm-4am.

“It was a very silly comedy and won quite a few awards, which set me on the path I’m on now. Through that film I met my producing partner Laura Rees. Our next project was a film called Limpet and then the pandemic arrived and just killed our plans dead. Fortunately I’d got a couple of writing jobs, which tided us over a bit but as soon as they finished, I was going crazy with nothing to do.”

He called Laura up, who suggested doing something with a small cast in a vineyard where she was staying. Plucking an idea about two suspicious guys who break down and end up on a farm from his archive, the pair set about assembling a bubble of cast and crew for what would become

Dead On The Vine

“We got together this crew of incredible people who were desperate to do something,” said Mark. “They liked the script and Laura called in some old favours, so we had this amazing crew – being in a vineyard in the middle of summer was also quite appealing.

“It was 77 acres, you could be outside, socially distanced and in an incredible environment. The film almost has the feel of a western about it – Fargo was a big in uence. Theses two chaps, one of whom has had an epileptic seizure and is unconscious for the first 20 minutes, come to a vineyard where the two women owners are preparing for a make or break wine tasting evening to save their business.

“Certain things happen, bits of violence pop up, some revelations occur that cause everyone involved to make some very important life choices and moral choices about how they want the rest of their lives to go – do they want to save their businesses, their lives or each other? It’s a darkly comic thriller – certainly not grim.”

With work nearly complete, Mark and Laura entered the film in writer and director Kevin Smith’s first Smodcastle Film Festival in New Jersey.

“Two people who saw it there randomly described it as if Reservoir Dogs had been made

by the BBC,” said Mark. “Kevin Smith has been an inspiration to me – his film, Chasing Amy, was one of those movies that gave me a boost when I was at university. I saw it and thought: ‘I want to write like that’.

“I first met Kevin while he was walking his dog in the small town where the festival was held, and I was completely nervous about approaching him. My friend David had no such qualms and went right up to him – he was lovely.”

Dead On The Vine won in three categories including best actor for Tom Sawyer and ensemble cast – including Mark’s partner Victoria Johnston who he lives with in Limehouse, close friend and frequent collaborator David Whitney and Sheena Browne.

“I am one of those people who gets disappointed if I don’t win at awards ceremonies,” said Mark. “At Smodcastle, I thought there was a significant difference in the reception our film got compared to other entrants and I thought we might take something home.

“But you still can’t be prepared for the moment when you win. When we got best ensemble, we sat back, pleased. Then when Tom won best actor it was even better.

“But then we won best drama and I was in a daze and didn’t realise what was happening. The rest of the cast had legged it up to the stage, and I was right behind them: ‘This one’s mine’.

“Then I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to be a sycophant, so I just garbled some pleasantries about the crew deserving the thanks because were all in a bad place and they really stepped up, coming into an unknown situation – then a legend like Kevin Smith had said what we made was good, and it made it all worthwhile.”

Dead On The Vine is set to get its UK premiere in east London later this year although exact dates and times are yet to be confirmed. Readers can watch Mark’s first feature Guardians via Amazon Video. Laura and Mark continue to work on the production of Limpet

He said: “Dead On The Vine was never really meant to exist – we see it as a bonus film because it gave us purpose and saved our sanity over the lockdowns. It really shows off what I can do as a director and Limpet is a bigger film so hopefully people might trust us with a bit more money with that on the CV.”

Go to markacbrown.com for more

Scan this code to nd out more about Mark’s work

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Troxy Limehouse

The American rockers bring their black leathers and latest concept album – The Phantom Tomorrow – to Limehouse. Support is from Lilith Czar. Feb 25, 7pm, from £41.45, troxy.org.uk

Where?

Half Moon Theatre Limehouse

KIDS | Gift

This love song to nature for babies and their grown-ups explores the interconnectedness of life on the earth. Suitable for those aged 0-2. Feb 24-25, times vary, £7, halfmoon.org.uk

Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

Pianist Tom Marlow plays along live to the Buster Keaton classic as the great comic performs more than an hour of hilarious stunts on the big screen. Feb 28, 7.30pm, from £8, wiltons.org.uk

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This is Kul Acharya, chairman and founder of Holy Cow which has just opened its second dine-in restaurant on Limehouse’s Narrow Street – a fusion of Nepali, Indian and British cuisine. Check it out holycowonline.com

Scan this code to read our interview with Kul and to nd out more about Holy Cow in Limehouse

want more? @whar ifelive

Above, scenes from Mark Brown’s Dead On The Vine – shot under lockdown conditions during the pandemic

The team collect their awards from Kevin Smith (red jacket) at Smodcastle Film Festival in the US

GIG | Black Veil Brides

FILM | Steamboat Bill Jr

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

by Jon Massey

STAGE | The Blue Whale

Loser in love Lewis meets a girl online. Eager to prove himself he takes on a series of challenges set by her and nds himself in a high stakes game. Feb 23-25, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk

Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

COMEDY | The Breakup Monologues

Comedian Rosie Wilby presents a live recording of her podcast as she and her guests look back at their best and worst romantic breakups. Feb 23, 7.30pm, £10, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | The Wolves

This coming of age drama focuses on nine adolescent female athletes as we follow the team’s unfolding story. Based on Sarah DeLappe’s novel. Mar 4-11, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk

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This is Nadia Piechestein, creator of TLZ Movement – a clothing brand that repairs and reworks much loved garments. Working from Craft Central on the Isle Of Dogs, she customises pieces and teaches sewing tlzmovement.com

History isn’t something that exists trapped between the pages of dusty books, for Matthew Jameson. The playwright, actor and director doesn’t just see echoes of the past in the present – for him, it’s much more immediate than that.

So his forthcoming production at The Space on the Isle Of Dogs may be the story of what happened between February and October 1917 as the Tsar was overthrown and the communists rose to power. But it’s something else as well.

“I didn’t want Ten Days to be a piece of historical theatre, something that happened more than 100 years ago, which we can only learn lessons from,” he said.

“These kinds of things are ongoing around us, so I wanted the play to be in a contemporary setting – Europe 2023 – scarily close to where we are now.

“The characters are in modern dress and we have a diverse cast who will better re ect our own times than Russia in 1917. We also have a lot of video and tech to help to convey some of the scale of the events we want to portray.”

The production is set to run on various dates at the east London arts centre from March 14-25 with performances at 7.30pm and a pair of Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Matthew said: “People should look forward to something epic – it’s a story that covers the breadth and scale of the overthrow of Russia’s ruling family,

the establishment of a provisional government and the eventual rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

“It has a cast of 10, of which I am one, and we’ll all be playing multiple roles. Among others, I’ll be Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko the unlikely leader of the assault on the Winter Palace – a slightly ba ed, befuddled and depraved man.

“

Ten Days is something I’ve been working on for about a decade. I completed a masters in dramaturgy part-time over the last couple of years and the focus of that was on creating a play as a final project – this was the vehicle to complete it.

“It’s gone through various iterations and I’d never uite finished the draft, but through doing the course, I’ve now completed the whole thing – redrafting, streamlining and editing to re ect the ongoing chaos the world seems to be experiencing.”

Matthew isn’t new to putting real events from the past on stage. Raised in the North East, he’d always wanted to be a performer and became involved with a company called the Heretical Historians whose play The Trial Of Le Singe brought him to The Space for the first time in 201 .

“That was as a visiting actor, but I really enjoyed being part of this institution,” he said. “The play was about the story of the Hartlepool monkey and we were doing this post-Brexit, re ecting the idea of a con icted, anti-European England. That’s when I first found The Space and I’ve never really left.

“A lot of the Heretical Historians’ stuff was telling previously untold true stories from history

nomination time David’s Play gains recognition from O West End awards

The Space’s 2022 production of David’s Play – inspired by the life of Isle Of Dogs resident David Grindley has been nominated for an O e in the awards new Access category.

Produced by the east London arts centre and starring David himself, the show joins 11 others on the shortlist including work from the National Theatre and the Barbican.

“‘To have been recognised with an award nomination is a great accolade for The Space and David, we wanted to celebrate this by releasing the digital version of the show we performed last summer,” said Adam Hemming, artistic director at The Space.

David’s Play will be available on demand until March 26 for £12. Go to space.org.uk

Years Matthew has been working on Ten Days, set to get its debut at The Space in March

where is it?

Scan

and bringing them to life for a modern audience. Ten Days like an extension of that. It’s a new company – BolshEpic Theatre – and it’s all about bringing the truth of history to life and making it accessible.

“A lot of my previous work was focused primarily on comedy and entertainment. Now I feel there’s a lot of stuff happening in the world that requires our response to be a bit more measured and serious.

“Within that, telling the story of the Russian Revolution is something that is directly relevant to the present.

“Although there’s a lot of entertainment in the story we’re telling, there are also more serious parallels we need to explore, and you can’t do that simply through comedy, although it does help the medicine go down.

“There is the war in Europe at the moment and the apparent collapse of some democracies across the world – it’s been exhausting to keep up with what’s been happening while writing.

“What I want is for audiences to be able to take a look at what it means to live through a crisis and to ask: ‘What hope can we have for democracy?’.

“Ten Days doesn’t give a definitive answer to that, we just present what happened. In Russia back then there was mass indus-

how Ten Days uses the lead up to revolution in Russia as a re ection of turmoil in contemporary world events

down counting the days

Russia had four heads of state in the space of a year. We’ve had three prime ministers and two monarchs in the last 12 months

Matthew Jameson, BolshEpic

trial action and it feels like we’re getting close to a general strike now. They had four heads of state in the space of a year. We’ve had three prime ministers and two monarchs. I don’t know whether that’s a cause for optimism that things can change, or a cause for worry that things could get worse.

“I think that in Russia in 1917 they really didn’t expect a revolution and that was one of the fundamental things that caught everyone by surprise.

“It’s not something that tallies with the Soviet version of history – a planned uprising of the people – or the rightist take – a wellcalculated palace coup.

“The revolution was something in between, which was messier and muckier and, as a result, far more real and funny.

“What we’ve found is people don’t necessarily know that in the period between the Tsar and the Bolsheviks there was an elected government, where Russia could have turned into a European-style

Ten Days, we take things chronologically with a Sergei Eisenstein-style short film sequence showing the story as you think you know it – Lenin comes in and chucks the Tsar out, resulting in freedom for the people. That isn’t what happened but you need to see it as a

“There’s something about the truth of history that fiction never quite matches up to. As a writer you can aspire to be as absurd and ridiculous as you like, but as soon as you write something as silly as the truth people often won’t

“Hopefully, people will see our posters and think: ‘Lenin – OK, let’s see what this is about,’ but they may not know the other figures so it’s a way of introducing them to the audience.”

Matthew has been working at The Space since 2019 in various roles and is currently deputy director and interim bar manager

Ten Days start at £5 and are sold on a pay-what-youGo to space.org.uk for more

Scan this code to nd out more about Ten Days

how Alice GurArie turns her photographs into artworks by painting them digitally

by Jon Massey

Alice Gur-Arie has always been creative. “I’ve been writing since I could first hold a pencil and dabbled in various things when I was a teenager in school,” said the artist, currently based at Art Hub Studios in Creekside, Deptford.

A career as an advertising creative and then manager of agencies saw her work first in her native Canada, then North America, Europe and India.

“I’d done what I set out to do – to work internationally in a multi-country environment and I was successful,” she said.

“I wanted to go back to my creative roots – that was 10 years ago – and so I got myself a little studio in Deptford and started to take pictures.

“I also had a lot of photographs from my travels – but I didn’t want to be a straight photographer.”

Instead, Alice taught herself to paint her photographs digitally with the aim of creating something new. The body of work she has created is varied and extensive, with images that are colourful, monochrome, three dimensional, two dimensional, photographic and almost entirely abstract.

“I never change the composition of the original photograph – it is what it is, it’s like a canvas,” she said. “When choosing the ones to paint, I have a vision in my head – sometimes I achieve that and sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I can do it in several different ways – it’s always possible to repaint images. Each time I create an

When choosing the ones to paint I have a vision in my head – sometimes I achieve that and sometimes I can’t

Alice Gur-Arie, artist

Digital books Alice has created of her works, both available for free online

Artist and photographer Alice Gur-Arie works out of Art Hub Studios in Creekside

Red, from Alice’s Love On The Rocks series Entering Periyar – Alice’s painting from India that took 10 years to complete

image, it goes back to being a writer, because I’m telling a story. There’s no absolute point where they’re finished. I just have to ask whether I’m satisfied with it and whether it says what I want it to say.”

The word, perhaps, for Alice’s creativity is “instinctive”. She looks at a photograph or a collection of objects and imagines what they could become.

“I have a series called Love On The Rocks,” she said. “I took the images in Iceland – it was cold and raining while I was taking photos and my husband said he was going for a walk.

“There was a volcanic hill behind us and I took pictures of him as he walked along the ridge. He couldn’t see it, but I could see the outline of a woman in the shape of the hill.

“For another series, I’d always wanted to do something with layered hills. In ortugal I got to a summit and just saw this amazing vista in front of me. So I started snapping away and, after I’d painted them digitally, I realised there was a romantic story in there, so I called the series The King’s Lodging

“Each piece within it has its own title and the idea was to tell a story by displaying them together so the viewer could create the narrative in their head.”

Alice’s latest project has been to create a second digital book of her work, based on the Chinese Zodiac.

“I have a friend – John Vollmer – who is an Asian scholar,” she said. “He sent me a picture of a snake from some archive in celebration of the year of the snake and I thought we could do a better job.

“We started collaborating for the year of the horse – I painted a photograph of the animal and he wrote the text. I wrote a story to go with it and once I’d done that I knew I wanted to do all 12 animals. It took a number of years, but the result was my first book Twelve: Shengxiao Zodiac Creatures In Art and Words featuring 2 images and 12 short stories.

“Then John told me about five, which is an important number in Chinese philosophy. That led me to create Five: Wuxing Elements In Art And Words with a foreword by him.”

Alice’s latest digital book features 81 artworks, about 25% of which were made specifically for the project.

“While there are no stories in the book, I have written a poem for each of the elements. I want readers to really respond to the

. I love landscapes and seascapes and ‘seeing’ is important to me. I want people to see things in a different way – familiar, but

“It’s fantastic to have people look at and talk about your work because they see things in it that you don’t. For example, I made a piece from a photograph of the tailpiece of a stringed instrument and people saw a boat in the final work.”

While the majority of Alice’s work is created digitally, she also creates sculptures, including recent pieces using found objects.

“I don’t like sitting at a computer all day long, but my paintings don’t get made if I don’t do some of that,” she said. “I’ve always loved working with my hands and I have an idea that I will also make collages from my finished digital paintings.

“With the wall hangings, I had some different kinds of rope and just started to play.

“The fairy stones – ones you find that have natural holes – are from the Mediterranean and Ramsgate. I’d had them for years, having collected them, and I thought I’d do something with them that has different textures.

“I’m fascinated by texture in all my work. I try to make a big thing of that in my paintings because we live in a world that’s anything but at.

“First, it’s about the photography. I have to go out and take the image. If I didn’t do that, you wouldn’t have the picture. Then the paintings sit within a range – a set of dimensions. That means I can achieve results that are more photographic while others are more in the middle or much more abstract.

“I often strive for the sweet spot between those two things that combines them both, but sometimes the painting won’t let me go there.

“They take varying amounts of time – it really depends on the picture and on me. I have a painting from India that took me 10 years because I kept going back to it.

“It wasn’t saying to me what I wanted it to say, so I put it away and would bring it out every couple of years and try again until it was finally complete.”

Alice’s works are available for sale online.

Go to alicegur-arie.com

Scan this code to nd out more about Alice’s work

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Canada Water Theatre Canada Water

EVENT | Reconnecting With The Body

This creative writing workshop with theatre maker Kat Lyons invites participants to focus on bodily experiences. Inspired by Kat’s work Dry Season. Mar 1, 6pm, donations, canadawatertheatre.org.uk

Where?

Canada Water Theatre Canada Water

STAGE

| O The Chest

This evening of poetry and spoken word o ers open mic slots to all those keen to get something said in front of an audience. Everybody is welcome. Feb 23, 7pm, £5, canadawatertheatre.org.uk

Where? Buster Mantis Deptford

EAT | Thursday £6 Plates

Hit this fabulous little hang-out underneath the railway arches on a Thursday for £6 small plates and a trio of cocktails. Booking is essential. Thursdays, £6, bustermantis.com

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This is artist Nicola Rae, co-curator of Space Lab – a set of some seven collaborative experiments between artists and scientists that is set to go on show at APT Gallery from February 16-March 5 thealbany.org.uk

Scan this code to read our interview with Nicola about Space Lab online at wharf-life.com

want more? @whar ifelive

Alice also creates physical sculptures including this piece made from a nautical rope thimble and naturally eroded fairy stones

From top, Nightlife In Blue, Rebirth, Noon At Beach Point, Eastern Hunt and Looking Glass

take a breath

by David Lefebvre Sell

Savour each and every one – David recommends slowing down to appreciate the crisps

Ever since the start of the pandemic I’ve thought that someone needs to do a study on the therapeutic potential of crisps. I’m being serious here. Have you ever noticed that crisps taste like the world isn’t falling apart?

Obviously, they’re terrible for you in many ways, but that brief respite from existential dread is really moreish. Maybe crisps aren’t your thing though. Maybe, for you, it’s spending time with a loved one or being in nature. I mean, it takes all sorts to make a world. My point is that it’s often little things that help us to keep our balance, little things that are too easily forgotten.

This is the thing people often get wrong about mindfulness as a practice – you probably already know how to do it. The little rituals and pleasures that make you feel calmer and more centred are mindfulness practices, the problem is partly that we forget to prioritise them and partly that modern life is ruining our ability to focus.

Have you noticed this in yourself? Do you never seem to just do one thing at a time?

Are you always listening to a podcast when you walk (guilty)?

David Lefebvre

Do you pull out your phone the instant you have to wait for something? There are any number of di erent ways you might compromise your ability to enjoy the little things.

The great shame is how we come to shovel back our experiences without ever really tasting them at all. We just take a photo, post it to social media and continue on as if nothing has happened.

This is one of the positive things about the lockdowns. According to many people I’ve spoken to, they enforced a slower pace on everyone. They certainly made me appreciate my crisps more.

So, just in case you need the reminder, slow down occasionally. Put your phone away. Do one thing at a time, leave the headphones at home, watch a sunset on a walk. Savour those crisps.

David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf

Follow @davetheyogi on Twitter and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB

Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist

by Jon Massey

Scenes of epic maritime drama and royal pomp are set to go on show at the Queen’s House in Greenwich. The Royal Museums Greenwich venue is set to host The Van De Veldes: Greenwich, Art And The Sea from March 2 until January 14 2024.

The exhibition will showcase pieces from the National Maritime Museum’s collection of work by both Willem Van De Velde and his son of the same name.

Billed as the most important marine painters of the 17th century – attracting attention from the likes of Cosimo De Medici who visited the elder’s studio alongside Rembrandt’s, on a trip to the Netherlands.

The pair relocated to England at the invitation of Charles II, following the invasion of the Dutch Republic by France in 1672.

Awarded a salary on a par with his principal painter, Sir Peter Lely, and a studio at the Queen’s House in Greenwich, they promptly set about founding the English school of marine painting.

The elder Van De Velde was a self-taught draughtsman who used a technique called “pen painting” to capture the vivid appearance of ships in great detail. His work includes pieces sketched from life as he worked to record naval actions such as the Battle Of Solebay.

His son worked extensively in oils, often using his father’s sketches as source material to create more dramatic, atmospheric pieces that appealed to the English market and inspired the likes of JMW Turner.

“The Van De Velde collection at Greenwich is remarkable, not only for its sheer size, but for what it reveals about how a 17th-century artist’s studio functioned,” said Allison Goudie, curator of art pre 1800 at Royal Museums Greenwich.

“This exhibition celebrates this extraordinary aspect of the Van De Velde collection here, and the unique connection it now has with the Queen’s House – the location of the Van De Veldes’ studio for more than 20 years.”

The Van De Velde collection at Greenwich is remarkable,

only for its sheer size but also for what it reveals Allison Goudie, RMG

Scan this code to nd out more about the exhibition

One of the highlights will be the younger Van De Velde’s newly conserved painting, A Royal Visit To The Fleet. At nearly four metres across, it was the largest seascape the artist had produced at the time of its creation, and was worked on during the 1670s at the Queen’s House.

Also on show will be the freshly restored tapestry The Burning Of The Royal James At The Battle Of Solebay, 28 May 1672 – a vast work based on designs by the elder Van De Velde.

The exhibition is free to visit with entry to the Queen’s House. Slots can be booked online. Go to rmg.co.uk for more information

In addition to paintings and tapestries by the Van De Veldes, a selection of works from an archive of more than 1,400 drawings will also go on show.

Recently, Royal Museums Greenwich – which comprises the Queen’s House, the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark and the Royal Observatory –announced it would host multiple events creating a Season Of Drawing from March to June to celebrate the discipline across its collection. You can find full listings via the QR code below.

Scan this code to nd out more about the Season Of Drawing

Metres wide – the width of the younger Van De Velde’s painting A Royal Visit To The Fleet, which will be displayed at the Queen’s House

There are any number of di erent ways you might compromise your ability to enjoy the little things

Sell

not

how the Queen’s House is set to be filled with works by a father and son which inspired generations of artists

17th century marine drama

Willem Van De Velde, the elder, far left, and the younger, left, worked in Greenwich in the 17th century

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

The O2 Arena Greenwich Peninsula

SHOW | The Graham Norton Variety Show

The TV presenter and comedian hosts a line-up that includes drag queens Bianca Del Rio and Danny Beard and Strictly Come Dancing star Jayde Adams. Mar 3, 5.30pm, from £53, theo2.co.uk

Where? Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Fox

This brutally honest exploration of motherhood in an isolating society is inspired by real events. Expect sharply observed drama and sensitive subjects. Mar 1-2, times vary, £12.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Where? Woolwich Works Woolwich

CHARITY | Pass It On Quiz Night Fundraiser

Teams of up to six are invited to compete at this charity fundraising event that will allow the venue to o er locals £1 tickets for future events. Mar 1, 7.30pm, £200 per table, woolwich.works

panto readings

Storied dame Mama G returns to Greenwich to tell tales to youngsters at local libraries. Performed by Robert Pearce, the free sessions (until Feb 17) are part of the borough’s LGBTQIA+ history month celebrations royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about Mama G’s performances and other events to mark the month

want more? @whar ifelive

Detail from the younger Van De Velde’s A Royal Visit To The Fleet

English Ship Lying-To In Gale

Detail from The Solebay Tapestry which has been restored for exhibition

A selection of the artists’ drawings will also be on display

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PUBLIC NOTICES

LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS LICENSING ACT 2003

NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE

Notice is hereby given that: Simmer Huang Restaurant has applied to London Borough of Tower Hamlets Licensing Authority for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003

Premises: 30 Limeharbour Road, E14 9RH

Licensable activities and timings are: The sale of alcohol by retail for consumption on the premises. Play recorded music. Late night refreshments.

10:00hrs-23:30hrs - Monday-Thursday and Sunday

10:00hrs-00:00hrs - Saturday

Anyone who wishes to make representations regarding this application must give notice in writing to: The Licensing Section, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Mulberry Place, 5 Clove Crescent, London E14 2BG or email: licensing@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Website: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk

Tel: 020 7364 5008.

Representations must be received no later than 23/02/2023

The Application Record and Register may be viewed between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday during normal o ce hours at the above address.

It is an o ence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum ne for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the o ence is up to level 5 on the standard scale (unlimited ne)

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Royal Docks - Canning Town

Cost of a ticket to a lm screening at Social Convention £6 on the

The screenings include The Rocky Horror Picture Show

how Canning Town venue Social Convention hosts screenings of cult movies for strictly adult audiences

by Jon Massey

Canning Town venue Social Convention on Caxton Street

North, is set to host a series of lm screenings over the coming weeks.

The bar, intended as a place for creative and simply curious people to hang out, is gearing up to show a selection of movies to entertain and provoke thought in its audiences.

The run starts with a muchloved cinema classic, 1975’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show on February 15.

Starring Tim Curry as Transylvanian transvestite, Dr Frank-N-Furter, it follows sweethearts Brad and Janet as they discover his eerie

mansion and the weird and wonderful characters within, including Meat Loaf as a rocking biker and the lm’s writer Richard O’Brien as creepy butler Ri Ra . Screenings cost £6, start at 6.30pm and include a short lm as well as a chat in the bar afterwards.

Also coming up is an evening featuring John Waters’ genre-stretching Pink Flamingos, billed as an exercise in bad taste and starring countercultural drag queen Divine.

Originally only screened after midnight due to the extreme content of its narrative, Waters’ 1972 work has since been preserved by the Library Of Congress in recognition of its cultural, historical or aesthetic signi cance. The lm will be screened at Social Convention on March 8.

Later in the month – on March 29, to be exact – the venue will show Alejandoro Jodorowky’s El Topo. This Mexican acid western art lm follows a black-clad gun ghter played by the director himself as he makes his way through the desert on a quest for enlightenment.

Audiences can expect extreme violence, bizarre characters and hefty doses of religious symbolism in equal measure. You’ll never look at geometric objects or beehives in quite the same way again. Go to socialconvention.org for more information

Scan this code for more info on the screenings

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? Fold Canning Town

CLUB | NYXX

Expect everything from classic sounds to techno from Sunil Sharpe, with support from Imogen, Riva and Irish music journalist and DJ Niamh. Feb 24, 10pm-6am, from £12, ra.co

Where?

Excel

Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | London Muslim Shopping Festival

Billed as the world’s biggest pre-Ramadan shopping festival, this event promises modest fashion, halal dining and more than 250 exhibitors. Feb 25-26, 10am, from £8, muslimshoppingfest.com

Where? Good Hotel Royal Victoria Dock

SEE | Feeding Edwardian London

This immersive experience o ers a virtual reality tour exploring how long distance trade helped feed London’s population of 7million people. Mar 4-5, 11am-5pm, free, royaldocks.london

ash back

This is Jon Wong, founder of Royal Docksbased bakery Breadmeister which operates out of The Factory Project. He bakes bread and sweet and savoury pastries daily, selling them online to locals breadmeister.business.site

Scan this code to read our interview with Jon about the challenges of running his foodie business

want more? @whar ifelive

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Lee Valley Velopark Stratford

by Jon Massey

Change is under way at Three Mills Island.

Number of sites operations at the Harris Science Academy East London are currently spread over 2

RUN

| Lee Valley Velopark Race

The event returns o ering participants the chance to run a range of distances from 5k to half marathon. There’s also a free kids’ mile for young ones to enjoy. Feb 25, 9am-noon, from £10, runthrough.co.uk

Where?

Stratford

Picturehouse

Stratford

KIDS | Fantastic Mr Fox

Strictly for kids and their carers, this screening of Wes Anderson’s animated take on the Roald Dahl classic was partly made in east London. Feb 25, 12.30pm, from £3.30, picturehouses.com

Where?

Cart And Horses Stratford

GIG | Sidious

The black metallers headline the latest Retribution Alive at the birthplace of Iron Maiden with support from Tableau Mort and Andracca. Plenty of su ering. Feb 24, 7.30pm, from £7.50, cartandhorses.london

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In September last year, the East London Science School joined the Harris Federation – a trust comprising more than 50 primary and secondary schools in and around London.

Originally founded as a standalone free school in 2013, the newly named Harris Science Academy East London has become part of a much wider family of institutions and has its eyes firmly on the future.

The ultimate plan for the academy is a move just across the Channelsea River into purposebuilt premises as part of Berkeley Homes’ vast TwelveTrees Park. This development will see some 3,800 homes and other amenities constructed on land between the River Lea and West Ham station.

In the meantime, however, the academy remains based across two sites – The Clock Mill and Lock-Keepers – for Years 7-9 and 10-11 respectively, having last month opened a new sixth form facility at Three Mills.

Principal Mark Taylor said: “The new building is called Custom House and was historically used for checking goods coming in and out of the area.

“The academy was previously on three sites with the sixth form based in facilities at Eastlea Community School. The opening of Custom House means we can bring those students back to the Three Mills site, which is very important.

“Sixth formers should be the leading students in any school. From the point of view of unity and the vision of the school it’s perfect. It brings us together and helps to create a common purpose

in terms of what we’re trying to do here. Having those sixth formers on this site shows our younger students where they can get to – it really makes a difference if they are visible.

“The building itself has been renovated to a high standard by the film studio that’s based next door to us and, as it became clearer that relocating the sixth form would be beneficial, the Harris Federation team secured it for us and set it up properly for our staff and students.

“It has some beautiful, traditional features and a lovely layout but with modern facilities. We are expecting Lord Harris to open it on March 9, which will also mark the o cial launch of the Harris Science Academy East London.”

Joining the Harris Federation is a big change in itself for the institution. The organisation educates tens of thousands of pupils in the capital and employs thousands of teachers.

“Primarily what the federation brings to us is the organisational infrastructure to support what we are doing – something that can be challenging for an academy on a temporary site like we are,” said Mark. “It has the resources to ensure that we have everything that’s appropriate to a modern school setting in terms of safeguarding and in areas of compliance.

“The federation also offers an enormous amount of teaching support. It has subject consultants to help our staff deliver the best education to our students that they can and to help teachers as we continue to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

“The federation has a wealth of experience that we can draw on to ensure our students get the best outcomes possible and has a strong track record in doing that. This includes a focus on the

education on a

foundation

how the Harris Science Academy East London is looking to the future as a new chapter in its story begins

Harris Science Academy East London is based at The Clock Mill at Three Mills Island

The newly opened Custom House building opposite The Clock Mill

An artist’s impression of how the new school building could look at TwelveTrees

Harris Science Academy

East London principal Mark Taylor says the Harris Federation gives the school a strong organisational foundation and a wealth of support for teaching sta

features and a lovely layout with modern facilities

Mark Taylor, HSAEL

progress of every child to make sure they are doing the best that they can.

“We are distinctive in offering three science subjects all the way through the school for as many children as possible and we hope to maintain that approach. But we also have a really strong humanities offer including Latin, Mandarin and modern languages.

“Right now, our focus is on exam performance and ensuring students are getting the right results. We know what assessment data our students come to us from primary schools with and what that means they are capable of and it’s our job, through good teaching, support and experience, to help them achieve that.

“What the Harris Federation gives us is a really solid foundation for the academy so that we can make that happen.

“We look different to other schools in the area – we aren’t surrounded by fences and we’re currently based in historic buildings – and we want to stand out.

“We offer a great range of subjects and last year we held our first week of enrichment activities since the pandemic. This is time for all students off timetable to go on trips and visits and pursue activities over and above their normal school work. We are hoping to run that again this year, this time for a fortnight.”

Looking further into the future, the vision for a 1,000-student capacity building to house the academy at TwelveTrees remains a tantalising prospect.

“The plan is for a modern school with a really strong identity,” said Mark. “The plans look amazing and for parents and students coming into the school it’s something that is going to be great.”

For now though, there’s a sense of shared purpose and the buzz of change in the air at Three Mills as a new chapter opens.

For more information go to harrisscienceeastlondon.org.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about the academy

Our newly opened Custom House building has some beautiful traditional

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