Wharf Life Jan 15-29

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Chris Ezekiel muses on tech, drugs and ways to change your mood Page 12

Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

inside issue 25

how the likes of Royal Docks CrossFit , Third Space and F45 can help you achieve your fitness goals as 2020 gets into gear

Ruby’s Of London - Puzzles The Yoga Room - The Silk District Building 10 - Allegra - Draper & Dash Winter Lights - The Tower Of London Island Poke - Wellness Summit 2020

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Get a free drink at The Gun with lunch

heavy ready for the

lifting

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

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

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

read

fortnightly find

this issue’s Tiger Treasure

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

Museum Of London Docklands West India Quay

feast your eyes on these

Learn all about the perils of growing too fast and too far without a solid foundation with Klodsmajor, the stacking tower game. This, of course, bears no resemblance to Jenga – a game in which you remove wooden blocks one at a time from sections stacked in threes and place them on top of the structure while seeking to avoid collapse. No, these blocks are coloured. It’s totally different Stacking Tower Game, £8 Go to uk.flyingtiger.com

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EVENT | Chinese New Year Families are invited to celebrate the Year Of The Rat close to London’s original Chinatown – Limehouse.

Expect martial arts and craft workshops.

Feb 8, 11am, mostly free, museumoflondon.org.uk

How Third Space can help its members reach next level fitness

where?

Notes Crossrail Place

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GIG | Live Jazz Live music returns to the coffee shop-cum-wine bar as the brand works to attract more drinkers and nibblers to its evening sessions.

From Feb 5, 6pm, free, notescoffee.com

Why data is the answer to helping hospitals process patients

Island Poke’s

where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place

Vegan Ahi looks the part, but is it necessary to fake fish?

taste test GIG | Boney M The iteration of the superstars featuring Maizie Williams comes to the Wharf bringing Daddy Cool, Rasputin and Rivers Of Babylon with it.

Jan 31, 9.15pm, from £145.50, boisdale.co.uk

to do before January 29

For some Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights festival is about the art (see Page 14 for more on this).

For others it’s about tasting something great while having a stroll round the attractions.

Look out for Bites street food Jan 16-25 canarywharf.com

Vegan Ahi, Island Poke, Crossrail Place - £8.85 As a fair weather January vegetarian I’m hardly qualified to write with much authority on the topic. But one thing that has struck me is the amount of time and energy restaurants spend on making veggie and vegan dishes that ape those traditionally involving the flesh of animals.

The Vegan Ahi from Island Poke, for example, features plant-based tuna.

I’ve no idea what the small, reddish cubes are, but they’re a pretty good visual approximation of raw fish.

Poked with a chopstick, there’s some give but not too much. When eaten with the other ingredients atop the brown rice, it’s not a bad fake

texture-wise and has little flavour of its own. Alone, however, the stuff simply appears to be watermelon – weak and tasteless.

My question is why bother going down this path at all? Wouldn’t it be better to focus on creating dishes out of the wealth of ingredients that are both acceptable to vegans and vegetarians without trying to imitate that which they’ve chosen to avoid.

The bowl is a satisfying experience because of the flavourful ingredients around the faux fish. It could be even better with a tasty, nakedly vegetable substitute.

Go to islandpoke.com Jon Massey

get in touch

correct us

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

we want to hear from you

14

It’s back - Winter Lights takes over Canary Wharf from January 16

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 37

need something fixed?

Far too much plastic, but Wasabi’s sweet chilli chicken bento is tasty wasabi.uk.com

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.

want more? @wharflifelive live

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spot check one to try

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Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

need to know

free

The ever popular Wharf Kitchen Quizzing is set to return to the food court on February 24, March 30 and April 27, 6pm-9pm. Contests are free to enter but teams (max six members) must register. Top prize is a £100 Canary Wharf Gift Card and six meals canarywharf.com

44 Burns baby, Burns.

Celebrate Burns Night on January 23 at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf with Frank And Dean’s Hootenanny, a piper and the address to the haggis. Tickets with no food start at £25.

Ideal for homesick Scots in need of a feed boisdale.co.uk

Book your first class at Awakn in Jubilee Place using promo code Janmotivation9 – offer available to new customers in January only. Terms apply awakn.co.uk

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How Royal Docks CrossFit can help get you in shape for 2020

Why F45 takes the hassle out of planning your regular workouts

free 42

We chat to Ruby’s Of London founder Ruby Amarteifio about creating great cakes that just happen to be vegan and growing her business from a market stall in Greenwich

Brewdog in Churchill Place is offering unlimited free refills on any of its Alcohol Free beers in January. Warning beer contains some alcohol brewdog.com

#RunToTheGun For Lunch!

Book via the website www.thegundocklands.com

27 Coldharbour, London, E14 9NS gun.events@fullers.co.uk 0207 515 5222

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

buy me

words you didn’t know you need

this fortnight’s must-have item

boastuary

noun, fictional, from Middle English A person who claims to have given up pretty much everything during the month of January only to secretly continue indulging in all of their vices behind the backs of their friends. Boastuaries are also self-professed abstinence experts

bucket list

write me

Each pair of Barker Shoes is hand-made in Earls Barton in Northamptonshire

stiver

noun, real, from Dutch Although this is a Dutch coin, its archaic meaning is the smallest possible amount of something.

Useful when falling off whatever January wagon you’re on with phrases such as: “I merely had a stiver of alcohol m’lud”

● Brogue List Check out the chic and shiny pairs at Barker Shoes on the lower floor of Cabot Place.

Manufactured in a dedicated factory at Earls Barton in Northamptonshire, each shoe goes through more than 200 processes before it’s ready to be shipped to customers. Styles start at £60 but budget £200 for a pair of welted brogues and more for exotic finishes barkershoes.com

Blouse, £49 Monsoon, Canada Place ● Brunch List There’s no real reason you couldn’t have this for breakfast, but the no-egg mayo baguette from Veggie Pret’s vegan range is worth nibbling on. It’s not the same as the real thing, but the plant-based lumps of protein are tasty enough in their own right with a dash of smug thrown in pret.co.uk

Ride out into 2020 in this semigeometric horse print from Monsoon – perfect for injecting a little pizzazz beneath an otherwise unexciting jacket

● Bootcamp List You’ll have to be quick, but full marks to Barry’s Bootcamp, which is raising funds to help the Australian bushfires relief effort on January 17 at 2.30pm – book into the class and the Canary Wharf studio will donate all proceeds to Australia Wildlife Fund and WIRES barrys.com

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

read me

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

for the Gatsby in your life I’d Die For You And Other Lost Stories, £9.99 Waterstones, Cabot Place From the man who wrote The Great Gatsby and The Diamond As Big As The Ritz comes this collection of unpublished works by F Scott Fitzgerald, gathered together and published in a handy grab-and-go format. Unlike an iPad or a Kindle it doesn’t require charging, is relatively cheap and can be given as a thoughtful gift to a loved one after use. Contains 18 tales and untold inspiration for its readers waterstones.com

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

CANADA PL ACE, LONDON E14 5ER

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T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey

W

working out at another

triathlons and even in one case trek across the Antarctic.

He said: “The diversity of the trainers we’ve got is what sets Third Space apart. Whether you’re into martial arts or anything like that, for example, we’ve got boxers, kick boxers, mixed martial artists – we’ve got world champions. We’ve got such a diverse group of trainers who specialise in different areas that we cover pretty much everything our members want. We’ve also got a really good education system in place, so our spectrum of learning, is far in advance of other gyms.

“Our academy is basically aimed at turning fitness coaches into personal trainers (PTs), and for part of that they have to go through education programmes.

“Then when they become PTs, they have to go through more sessions to be able to move up the ranks, which is why we have different tiers of PT.” And it’s one-to-one training sessions that Alfie recommends for those looking to take their fitness ups a notch.

“People can train themselves, and I’m more than happy for them to do that, provided they have a good understanding of what they’re doing and why they’re

level

how personal training and classes at Third Space can help maximise fitness gains

hile the first months of the New Year is traditionally time for beginners to hit the gym, what about those looking to take their workout regimes to the next level?

We asked Alfie Wren, an elite personal trainer at Third Space in Canary Wharf’s Canada Square, how members could shake off the festive season and break through their plateaus to reach their goals.

The Poplar-born footballer and ironman triathlete specialises in strength training for endurance athletes, helping those who want to run marathons, compete in

“

PTs come into their own because we take control of making sure everything’s safe and calculating what a person should do Alfie Wren, Third Space

doing it,” he said. “The main issue people have is with plateaus or getting injured, usually because they don’t have correct lifting technique or they don’t understand how to organise their training into the right cycles.

“Suppose we’re at point A right now and your end-goal is at B – what do we have in between that?

Those are our cycles.

“If, for example, you wanted to get stronger, we wouldn’t waste a lot of time just trying to lift heavy, because you might initially get strong or stronger and then you’ll start to plateau.

“Instead we divide the time into cycles to progressively overload your body, allow it to recover, then progressively overload it

again. That way you’re constantly making improvements instead of hitting plateaus.

“Overloading is a technical term we use to measure how much load a person has lifted, or how much volume they’ve done.

“Overloading is doing more volume than they typically would, as long as they do it within safe parameters.

“That’s where PTs come into their own really, because we take control of making sure everything’s safe and calculating what a person should do.

“We’ll tell you why we’re doing it but we take the hassle out of trying to figure out what to do – we just show people why something is going to be beneficial.

“Rather than you stressing about what you’re going to do next week, and the week after and how long your cycles are, our PTs will take charge of that.”

With Wharfers often toiling at desks for long hours, Alfie said the gym could provide help to combat the aches and pains generated, provided people were exercising intelligently.

He said: “You see people with very tight hips and chests who have been doing their jobs for a long time. They can get a form

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

Canary Wharf

of hunchback, called kyphosis, because they’re bent over.

“Being able to open that up has a massive knock on effect on what e ercises they can do. They will get the endorphins from working out and feel fitter and stronger. “ ou find people end up prior itising the gym a little bit more, when they get the bug for it.

“That s when you can tell it really clicks, because they start to really engage with what you re doing.

“It can be little things. Typically you find people are lifting too little weight and doing it badly in the gym without a good under standing of their body position.

“Just by making small changes, you can often make a drastic difference in how heavy someone can lift. Then they get a better understanding of their own body.

“Most of the time people struggle with lifting heavier weights or are afraid to try because they’ve got some form of imbal-

ance. That’s a typical consequence of sitting at a desk. “ howing them how to improve that and the positions they need to get in gives them a better understanding and they know that they can go and do a lot more without that fear of hurting themselves.”

Alfie said that in addition to personal training, classes at Third pace were a great way to make progress.

He said: “People may think that Continuted on Page 8

Have your say on cycling and walking improvements between Greenwich and Woolwich We have developed proposals for cycling and walking improvements between Greenwich and Woolwich. Our proposals would: • Improve road safety • Make the A206 Woolwich Road more pleasant, with new and improved crossings • Encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport

Alfie says personal trainers can help people understand how to train better on their own and help them avoid fitness plateaus

To have your say and find out more visit tfl.gov.uk/Greenwich-Woolwich Please submit your views by Sunday 16 February 2020

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

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Outset personal training sessions are included with membership at Third Space

“

Prime position: Alfie says learning how to lift weights properly

I advocate strength training for endurance athletes. The more force you can produce, the easier it is for you to move your own body

is essential to tackling heavier loads

Alfie Wren, Third Space

from Page 7 certain classes are easier and others hard, but if you’re working within your capabilities, any session can be tough.

“I typically teach bodyweight classes, which people might view as a relatively beginner-level activity but you see a lot of more advanced people who come because this kind of workout is very much overlooked.

“While there are ways to make these exercises easier, there are also ways to make them much more di cult have been called sadistic many times.”

Alfie, whose favourite e ercise is the burpee, said exercising was vitally important not only for physical well being, but also for mental health. He said people, irrespective of age or fitness level should look to get out of their comfort zones, engage with a PT and find out how to use the equipment in the gym to avoid being intimidated by it.

He said: “A good example of breaking out, and something I advocate now, is strength training for endurance athletes.

“Most of them are scared to death of going near weights, because they think they’re going to put on too much muscle or that by boosting their strength, they risk losing their endurance.

It’s completely the opposite way round. Instead, they get really strong, which has a massive impact on their ability to compete.

Alfie, seen here pushing a weighted sled, says mastering a few simple techniques with a PT can see members push or pull a great deal more

“The more force you can produce or the heavier you can lift, the easier it is for you to move your own body. Running or cycling or swimming at their own intensity becomes easier and they get faster. Guys at the top end in any sport are now in the gym and they are lifting heavy. People are finally coming round to the idea that this is really beneficial.”

All classes are included in the membership fee and, while a few need to be booked via an app in advance, most operate as walk-ins.

Membership at Third Space in Canary Wharf costs £170 per month for individuals. Group membership allowing access to all of the brand’s sites is £205, covering facilities in the City, Soho, Marylebone and Tower Bridge.

Prospective members can sign up online for a free tour of the Canary Wharf gym, including a Natural Fitness Food shake.

Those joining receive two free guest passes, two personal training “outset” sessions, a Natural Fitness ood meal or shake, off their first spa treatment as well as off at The Pearson oom.

Go to thirdspace.london

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

£10

The lowest price ticket available for Wellness 2020 in Canary Wharf

Wellness Summit 2020 will feature a dedicated Yoga room as well as talks, workouts, workshops and beauty treatments

wellness a festival of

by Jon Massey

H

ere’s one for the diary. The Canary Wharf PA Club has teamed up with professional assistant, event booker and HR association Miss Jones to organise a day of fitness, relaxation, beauty, discovery and workshops.

Wellness Summit 2020 is set to take over Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden and CCT Venues on February 29, offering a range of treatments, talks, workouts and activities.

If it’s exercise you’re after, brands involved so far include Third Space, Barry’s Bootcamp, Sweat By BXR, Move Studios, The Model Method by Pilates PT, Secret Sunrise, Ten Fitness And Pilates and Maia Well Co. Speakers will include life coach Deeba Anandan, cognitive hypnotherapist Jessica Boston, Richie Bostock – The Breath Guy, performance strategist Abigail Ireland and Yoga and mindfulness teacher Jessica Leonard.

Craft workshops will be hosted on the day by the likes of Zing Events, MYO, Brown’s Florist and Pollen And Grace. Beauty treatments will be available from Blow Ltd.

Founder and director of The Canary Wharf PA Club, Alice Scutchey says the day will be upbeat and positive

The Canary Wharf PA Club’s founder and director Alice Scutchey said: “The Wellness Summit 2020 is open to all but has a focus on PAs, HR professionals, office managers and event organisers – anyone who has an interest in corporate wellness – as well as those who are simply interested in improving their lifestyle.

“It’s a whole day event with fitness classes in the main hall at East Wintergarden and three rooms at CCT. These will be for meditation, Yoga and the workshops.

“When people buy a ticket they download an app

and build their own agenda for the day, picking which workshops and classes they want to do.

“Miss Jones had done something similar before but on a much smaller scale in the City so I got in touch with them and said: ‘I’d really like to bring that to Canary Wharf – would you like to partner on it?’. There’s such a focus on wellness at the moment – how companies should be doing more and putting more things in place. We’re hoping for about 500 people. Personally if I was planning my day, I love fitness stuff so if I could do all the classes we’re offering on one day I would.

“But I’ve also always been interested in floristry – how they construct such amazing bouquets, so I’d probably pick that workshop, topped off with some Yoga. We’re aiming for a positive, upbeat atmosphere that makes people think about what they are doing for themselves and what their companies are doing. It’s also an opportunity to make connections with others and local firms.

Tickets range in price from £10-£60 with goody bags worth £60 and up for those paying £20 or more. Registration is at 8.30am and classes operate on a first-come, first-served basis. Ticket holders will be able to get discounts on food from some Canary Wharf shops.

Go to wellnesssummit2020.sched.com

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

virtual viewpoint

by Chris Ezekiel

how Draper & Dash is helping hospitals in the UK and beyond use patient data to improve their services

by James Drury

Doors of perception: Chris says he prefers exercise as a way to alter his mind rather than using drugs

A

friend recently told me he was considering attending a legal magic mushroom retreat in order to reset his mind. He had read the book How To Change Your Mind: The New Science of Psychedelics by Michael Pollan and I hasten to add this was something of a surprise as neither of us take drugs.

I believe the premise of this book is that not all drugs are the same. In the case of psychedelic drugs like LSD and magic mushrooms, it claims they can even have genuine positive effects in helping people fight depression and break bad habits.

My friend is in his 50s and is neither depressed or trying to break a bad habit – he just wants to change the routine of his life.

There are other routes to rewiring the mind – meditation and intense exercise. I run regularly and also use Barry’s Bootcamp in Canary Wharf’s Crossrail Place, which certainly qualifies as the latter.

Running and working out helps me with business and life’s conundrums.

The convergence My friend’s point is that such routes take of technology and more time than using medicine has led to psychedelics.

That’s true, but exerimplants. How long cise and meditation before we can have so many other benefits. And, despite choose our mood? claims such drugs are Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual not habit-forming, I’ve seen cases where good people have been lost to the vicious spiral of addiction and crime.

The convergence of technology and medicine has led to implants that can already change our bodies. I have another friend who has an implant for back pain relief, for example.

I wonder how long it will take for implants to be readily available that enable us to choose our mood at the touch of a button. The US at least, with its opioid prescription drug epidemic, will be a big market for such devices, I’m sure. Personally, I’ll stick with the exercise method for now.

“

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Cannon Workshops on West India Quay Go to creativevirtual.com or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

L

ife has a funny way of pushing you in directions you might not necessarily have thought of. ou can find yourself doing something totally unexpected, and making a huge success of it.

Orlando Agrippa was planning to quit his job in healthcare to set up a business making “the Christian Louboutin of ties”. He’d even come up with a name for the new firm raper ash partly named after one of his heroes, Mad Men character on raper which sounded suitably avile Row. But just as he was preparing to get things off the ground, Orlando was asked by a couple of hospitals that were in trouble to come in and help.

He agreed, and asked them to pay his fee into the new company.

The work led to a lightbulb moment and the tie firm pivoted to health tech. Today it’s one of the leading companies offering predictive analytics in healthcare. “ ometimes you get into stuff and you don’t think it’s going to be your thing,” he said from his base at Canary Wharf’s One Canada uare, where a he s member of tech accelerator Level 39. “It’s like running, you go to the gym get on a treadmill and realise: ‘I like this’. Before you know it, you’re running marathons. That process is not dissimilar to how I got into healthcare.”

The former chief information o cer at arts ealth Trust said his experience working in hospitals around the world helped him realise he has a particular passion for patients getting access to care in a more human way. “ raper ash was founded on the back of those principles, but broadly on the idea of helping hospitals provide better access, better ow and better processing of patients,” he said.

The company offers hospitals software tools designed to take patient data and use artificial intelligence to predict patient ow and demand, meaning they can plan and allocate resources more effectively freeing up precious bed space as quickly as possible.

Orlando says if he were creating a company today he would still look to work within healthcare as it’s only half there in addressing the issues it faces

care delivering

Image by James Grimshaw - find more of his work at jamesgrimshaw.co.uk or @j.grimshaw on Insta

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Innovation

“Imagine you turn up at A&E with a sprained ankle, you get triaged, then processed and admitted,” said Orlando. “You go into a bed and have a number of tests that will indicate how likely you are to stay in that bed.

“Our software picks up volumes of people like you from the front door and predicts what will happen to them.”

More than 20 hospitals in the UK, USA and Australia have adopted Draper & Dash’s analytics platform and it’s the market leader for children’s hospitals in the UK. But hospitals and other healthcare practitioners are notoriously reluctant to adopt new tech. The sector is littered with failures, such as the NHS patient record system which was abandoned, costing the taxpayer £10billion. Why does Orlando think there have been so many problems – and what will that mean for Draper & Dash?

He said: “We believe in the mission of helping people run hospitals better. We understand that administrators and clinicians want to do the right thing – their jobs are not the easiest or the best-paid.

“But the inability to adopt technology is unnatural. The reason for that is simple – I remember

working for a decade where I was in the car by 5.30am to get to the hospital and not leaving until 11.30pm. The issue is no-one has the capacity to do things outside of the ‘let’s just do more’. If you say to these people: ‘Let’s put in this great technological solution which we think can help , their first response is that it can’t transform what we’re doing rapidly enough for us to stop what we’re doing the way we’re doing it.

“So the way we’ve approached it is we provide the technology but we also provide a process of change management to help.”

C

iting the common problem of “stranded patients” – the people that can’t move on, out of a bed, for a variety of reasons – he said some hospitals in the US took to renting out hotel rooms for these patients.

“But we’re not as adventurous in the UK, so we want to help get patients out of hospital quicker,” he said. “Our technology helps predict how long people will be in, so we wrap around a change team whose sole existence is to come into a hospital and identify from the software where those gains are. The only real way to tackle

“

We believe in the mission of helping people run hospitals better. We provide the tech and a process of change management Orlando Agrippa, Draper & Dash

the problems of a slow take-up of digital health is by putting in additional capacity, in order to help organisations make the most of the software we provide.”

Before founding Draper & Dash, Orlando invested his own money in health tech firms, fashion marketplaces and fintech compa nies – with varying results. As a result, he’s seen London’s tech investment sector up close.

He said in his experience, there was a particular problem in the UK with a lack of help to expand internationally.

“The help that’s out there isn’t supported by people who’ve taken businesses internationally, it’s supported by civil servants who are good at writing templated forms,” he said. “Startup and

growth stage firms still need a lot of support.”

So, what does the future hold for healthcare tech? Orlando said he was proud of the strong progress Draper & Dash had made, although admitted that as CEO his drive meant he was never satisfied.

He said: “For the sector in general, I believe there’s a sea of firms who have come up with great stuff, but they ve been capped at how big they can get in healthcare, whereas in the US there’s less of that. Over time we’ll start to see some of these companies throw in the towel, which will present a great opportunity to consolidate really great pieces of tech and people and customers into a really strong company.”

So, looking back to that moment when life set him on a different path to the one he had planned, would Orlando do it all again?

“If you asked me now if I had the opportunity to set up a new company, what sector would it be in, it would still be in healthcare because the one thing I’ve learned from meeting hundreds of hospital executives is healthcare is not even 50% there in terms of solving the issues that the sector faces.”.

Go to draperanddash.com for more information

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Canary Wharf

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artworks to discover between January 16-25 at Winter Lights – find a complete map of locations in Canary Wharf at canarywharf.com

hunting the

highlights

Mountain Of Light Angus Muir Design Wren Landing

as Winter Lights returns we chat to an artist trying to slow everything up

by Elisabeth Newfield

A

Sky On Earth Uaii Studio Columbus Coutyard

Desire, Uxu Studio, Crossrail Place

Bring your 2020 customer engagement strategy into focus with our expert team and innovative chatbot, virtual agent and live chat solutions. info@creativevirtual.com 020 7719 8332

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rtist Parker Heyl is here to remind us that rushing forwards does not always get us where we want to go.

He has designed an interactive sculpture for this year’s Winter Lights festival, which will run in Canary Wharf from January 16-25, that asks people to slow down and think about whether technology is actually making our lives better.

His installation 16 Bits may sound computer-centric but it was actually inspired by ancient folk toy Jacob’s Ladder.

Instead of precise controllers and digital sensors it uses wooden cogs, analogue electronics and unpredictable mechanical systems.

“It’s part parody, part critique of interactive art,” said Parker, who is taking part in the 10-day festival for the first time.

“The idea is to sort of expose the data structure all computers use as being really reductive compared to our messy world of humans and esh and real people.

“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while – interactive sculptures that are not relying on computers. Interactive art is really huge and means a lot of things but it typically means having a computer sense your motion or some sort of digital sensor and the artwork responds to that. I wanted to do this with all analogue electronics and mechanical pieces.”

His piece is one of 26 installations that will transform the estate during Winter Lights, which will include an illuminated cloud of foam, a mountain of light with

“

The idea is to sort of expose the data structure all computers use as being really reductive compared to our messy world Parker Heyl, Winter Lights artist

computerised graphics, projections on a giant water screen and light painting.

Instead of relying on computers, Parker’s piece invites visitors to step forward and break art’s “look but don’t touch” rule by icking a series of switches that control columns of mirrors and trigger a cascade of motion and shimmering re ections. ike the ipping wooden blocks of the toy it is based on, the 4m-high display will create an illusion, appearing from a distance to be a ickering computer screen but up close revealing its true nature with random judders and clatters.

“I’m hoping people will collaborate and make suggestions on how to toggle the switches,” said Parker. “It’s a bit of an experiment to see if people will work together.

“I feel like they will have to because it’s quite crowded and it will probably be one person per switch and so each person will end up being reduced to a single bit of memory – the smallest amount of information stored on a computer.

That is sort of a parody for me.”

The idea grew out of the thesis project he did for his masters degree at University College London’s Bartlett School of Architecture. The American came across the pond in 2018 to study at its new space in Here East on Straford’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

He now works there two days a week as a technical tutor in the interactive architecture lab on its design for performance and interaction post-graduate course.

“When I moved to London I had a background in mechanical engineering and robotics and was then surrounded by people with an art and design background,” said Parker, who previously studied in Boston.

“I saw this huge fascination architects and designers have with technology and the way people over-prescribe technology to design. They want to synthesise the body and human experience into the digital. That’s where my rejection of digital started to evolve and this idea was born.”

Parker said he loved living in Hackney Wick, where he knows Continued on Page 35

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Canary Wharf

from Page 14 all his neighbours and can rub shoulders with so many creative people, but knows that friendly vibe will soon be swallowed up by the tide of regeneration.

“London is such a connected digital city and is always the first to get the newest things like contactless cards – it’s always speeding up the pace,” said Parker.

“It made me start to question the negative effects of digitisation and the dangers of the on-screen world and the way we fetishise technology – that maybe when it comes to architecture and smart buildings and the internet of things and digital connectivity, the benefits of the technology may be offset by a lower quality of life, especially in regards to mental health.”

His thesis Analogue Future questions the emerging technologies in contemporary music, art, and architectural practices and how translating the chaotic natural world into a simplified series of ones and zeros removes the aura or presence of an object.

The artist, who was drawn to London because of its music scene and dreams of designing kinetic sets for bands, wants people to think about how we can take the best things from digital tech and

ignore all the negative side effects.

“I was born after the time when you would have to write down an address and wait there for two-hours and then someone wouldn’t show up,” said Parker, who was when the first iPhone launched.

“I romanticise that time a lot because I’ve never experienced it. These days everything goes so quickly and is sequential from one thing to the next. It feels like we’re working harder and harder.

“In the UK people are really starting to pay attention to the mental health crisis and the role of digitisation is undeniable, the role smartphones play. Do I need to be answering my emails on the Tube?

Should I be working on vacation?”

D

espite its analogue aesthetics, he did use a computer to design 16 Bits and a laser cutter to make it but has questioned his own motivations.

“I can design this sculpture three times as fast on a computer than by hand,” he said. “But why do I need to do it at that speed? Do we want to be producing things faster and consuming them faster?

“When I was doing robotics in Boston we were doing industrial

Artist Parker Heyl questions whether the speed technology brings is of benefit to humanity

Above: 16 Bits Parker Heyl Jubilee Place Stratum Studio Chevalvert Westferry Circus

Absorbed By Light Gali May Lucas Cabot Square

Below: Squiggle Angus Muir Design Jubilee Park

automation stuff and the point of all this technology is so that humans don’t have to do the manual labour – machines have taken over. But instead we’re sitting at desks and working relentlessly, nine hours a day sending emails back and forth and that’s really crazy to me.

“In the 1970s they predicted that by 2000 we would be working a 20-hour week because we would be so productive. We have become that productive but people are working longer hours so something isn’t right. I guess it comes down to economic systems and corporations always expecting to earn more money than the previous year. Those are the issues of capitalism and growth that can’t really be sustainable.”

He has railed against this by crafting 16 Bits mostly by hand using sustainably sourced timber to create the cogs, that would typically be made from metal or acrylic.

“We should be planting more trees, building more from wood,“ said Parker. “Sadly it isn’t used much these days in architecture, probably because of the cost with the skilled workers – it’s more of a craft.”

His fascination with carpentry was sparked as a teenager growing

Affinity Amigo & Amigo Montgomery Square

up in Newhaven, Connecticut, where he studied carpentry at the Eli Whitney Museum, named after the inventor of the cotton gin.

“There was a guy there who introduced me to woodworking as a kinetic medium,” said Parker.

“We were designing toys and experiments to teach the kids. The director was really big on teaching kids who maybe weren’t doing well in school but you put them with tools and a paintbrush and they would do amazing things.

Sort of like Leonardo Da Vinci who was famously bad in school.

“I think it’s really important in these global cities like London that we don’t lose the connection to hand skills like being able to repair your own car and fi your own home. Those skills are disappearing but if you are serious about sustainability, you need to have them so you can repair things and not just keep buying new ones.

“When you buy something online these days all the traces of labour have been removed and it just magically appears hiding all the hands that have gone into it.

That also feeds into 16 Bits.”

Parker believes the fact crafts are being overshadowed by software skills is not necessarily progress.

“Young people are learning to code but that’s useful within the virtual world – most of our problems aren’t virtual problems,” he said. “ o while it s profitable it’s not actually that great for humanity to have all of these software skills.

“But these days so much is made on circuit boards with silicone and you can’t open it up and see how it works. I have a projector from the 1940s that I had to repair the other day and I just opened it up and could see everything there and figure out how to replace things.

“When you make everything on a circuit board it strips the average everyday citizen of the ability to repair it and be in control of their own things.”

He is excited to see how visitors take control of 16 Bits, which he hopes will stick out amongst the glass and concrete of the estate.

“Canary Wharf is all glass and new commercial buildings and luxury apartments and then there will be this handmade wooden Industrial Revolution-looking object with toggle switches that will be there next to the Starbucks,” said Parker.

“Maybe it will invoke a nostalgia and get people to breathe and slow down a little bit and maybe it will show that it doesn’t have to be a one off thing and that the whole city can start to slow down.”

Go to parkerheyl.com or canarywharf.com for full Winter Lights listings and a map showing where artworks can be found on the estate

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Creative Space

this space is yours

keep track of Dry January with this booze diary complete with true and official statistics – share it with @wharflifelive or #keepittoyourself

units taken

units taken

This one’s for your actual drinks

This one’s the one you show your doctor

00 00 grand total

grand total

units

units

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

9

days Knight School will run at the Tower Of London during the February half term

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

STAGE | A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Watermill Ensemble deliver more Bard with this take on his classic, blending Shakespearian language with Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.

Jan 29-Feb 15, times vary, from £12.50, wiltons.org.uk where?

Troxy Limehouse

Kids aged five-12 can work their way through Knight School at the Tower from page to squire to knight

how the Tower Of London brings arms and armour alive

by Jon Massey

W

ith many taking the turning of the year as inspiration for personal renewal and improvement, adults across east London will be enrolling on courses at night school.

But what of their kids? How can they acquire extra skills outside their regular schooling?

Fortunately the Tower Of London has come up with something for the first half term in 2020.

Knight School is set to return to the palace beside the Thames from February 15-23, offering youngsters aged five-12 the chance to work their way up the ranks.

Set in 1471 at the height of the Wars Of The Roses with the houses of York and Lancaster at loggerheads, the activities offer participants the chance to train as a page, then a squire before ultimately attaining the top rank.

In the shadow of the White Tower, families will be able to explore all the essential skills necessary to become a knight including manners, martial skills, fitness, etiquette and entertain-

Knight School takes place in the shadow of the White Tower ment. A team of battle-hardened tutors will take their charges on a journey of heraldry and valour that culminates in a knighting ceremony featuring medieval characters such as Elizabeth Woodville, matriarch of the House Of York and wife to King

Edward IV, as well as her brother Anthony, the Second Earl Rivers, dressed in full plate armour and wielding a broadsword.

Knight School is intended to bring the extensive Royal Armouries collection to life, working as a prelude to a tour of the White Tower where kids can see real-life arms and armour such as the Line Of Kings display featuring outfits worn by the likes of King Henry VIII, King Charles I and King James II In addition, the Tower will also be running a series of drop-in activities for kids including an opportunity to design a heraldic family crest, a chance to handle some armour and a workshop for building catapults.

Knight School is included in the price of general admission to the Tower. Activities take place at various times between 11am and 4pm.

Adult tickets for the Tower cost £24.70 online. Children aged five-15 cost £11.70 with under-5s free. Family tickets are also available.

Tower Hamlets residents who hold an Idea Store or Tower Hamlets Library card can visit the Tower for £1 so long as they take proof of address when buying tickets.

Go to hrp.org.uk/towerofLondon

STAGE | Party Like Gatsby: Cabaret Noir Enter the secret world of 1922 prohibition, set to fill the Art Deco splendour of Troxy, as Jay Gatsby invites Londoners to play for one night only.

Feb 8, 9pm-2am, from £20.87, troxy.co.uk where?

Jamboree Three Colt Street

GIG | The Blue Bottle Club Rum Buffalo frontman Jake Alexander Stevens hosts the regular get together, this time featuring folk singer-songwriter Niki Stevens.

Feb 3, 7pm, £5, jamboreevenue.co.uk

to do before January 29

Will Macbeth ever get that blood off? Find out as The Watermill Ensemble’s production of the Scottish Play arrives at Wilton’s Music Hall complete with Johnny Cash and the Stones.

January 22-February 8, from £12.50 wiltons.org.uk

spot check worth a visit Try Ping Pong’s Lazy Sunday bottomless offer in St Katherine Docks for £26 pingpongdimsum.com want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

riverside recipes

by Matt Colk

J

anuary can be a dark and unforgiving month, so this brightly-coloured dish is ideal for lifting people’s spirits. The richness of the duck combines with the orange flavour and sweetness of the fig for a plate that tastes great and looks very inviting.

higher

45

Minutes is the length of each workout offered at F45 in Blackwall

function

Impress friends and loved ones with Matt’s pan-fried duck breast with mushroom duxelle, orange-glazed carrot and pan-fried fig Ingredients (for one portion) 1 duck breast ½ a large carrot (cut lengthways) 1 fig 200g button mushrooms 100g chopped shallot 10g chopped chives 2 sprigs thyme 1 clove of garlic 100ml good red wine

100ml orange juice 80 vegetable oil 50g creme fraiche 60g double cream 10g salt 2g cracked black pepper For the carrot puree (six-eight portions) 300g carrot 250g onion 100g butter 12g salt

Method First make your carrot puree. Slice the carrot and onion very thin then cook them in melted butter till soft, add the seasoning then blitz in a food processor. You may need to add a drop of water.

Load into a piping bar for serving, once ready.

Then, for the main, get all the ingredients prepared. Dice the mushrooms, shallots and garlic clove into small cubes.

Heat up half the vegetable oil then lay the carrot flat in the pan on a medium heat. Cook for around eight minutes until golden. Then turn it, add the salt, pepper and orange juice and simmer for 10 minutes. Take off the heat and leave in the pan for later. The thickness of the carrot may affect the cooking time.

Now heat up the rest of the oil and fry the mushrooms, shallot and garlic for 10 minutes.

Add the thyme and some chives, then the double cream and simmer for 10 more minutes. Add the creme fraiche, leave for a minute and then bring to a simmer and cook until thick. Set aside.

In a hot dry pan add the scored duck breast, skin side down, and render the fat down until golden. Turn the breast cooking on all sides for around two minutes each side, leave to rest on a rack.

De-glaze the pan with the red wine and add the orange juice from the carrots to the pan and reduce by half until thick. Now add the sliced fig and cook for one minute, then plate your dish.

Matt Colk is head chef at The Gun in Coldharbour, Blackwall. Owned and operated by Fuller’s, it offers dining, drinking and relaxation by the Thames Go to thegundocklands.com or follow the @thegundocklands on Instagram and Twitter

how former rugby player George Crook went from insurance to owning his own F45 fitness studio

by Jon Massey

G

eorge Crook looks at home. Stood amid the red, blue and white livery of F45, which he’s recently opened as franchise owner at Republic in Blackwall, the former professional rugby player is a welcoming presence – the embodiment of the atmosphere he wants to create for his members.

The smile could be down to the knowledge that after 14 months of gestation, the studio is up and running. But it’s also that, having left the insurance industry behind, he is once again focused on something he feels a real passion for and that gives a fresh direction to his life.

“In rugby you’ve got a huge amount of structure to your day,” said George who played for Worcester Warriors and for England Under 18s before a back injury forced him into retirement in 2010 at the age of 22.

“There are training sessions in the morning, lunch meetings, afternoon analysis and then you go home and rest. You’re not expected to move around too much, so you might be in bed by 3pm. Then you wake up for your evening.

“You’re always leading up to something – whether it’s a game, a big match, a season, an off season – there’s always a target.

“When you don’t have that, you lose the structure of the day. remember being in the o ce at 3pm in the afternoon, thinking: ‘Why am I not in bed?’. That structure was something I craved.

“What I ended up doing to compensate was to enter into things, like white collar bo ing, marathons or Arctic treks.

"I used to put things like that in my diary, which meant I had some

thing that I was doing – a reason to get up at 6am and train, to eat healthy and scoot off after work.

“I was doing more and more crazy things every year to a point where I felt that I couldn’t keep it up. Then I dreamed up the idea of doing something on my own.”

Inspired by his wife’s decision to uit the world of finance and become a nurse in the NHS, George kicked various ideas around, eventually pursuing , an Australian fitness brand he’d become aware of during his playing days before latterly becoming a member himself.

“A few of players I knew were from New Zealand and Australia, and F45 was quite big out there,” said George, 31. “ n the off season they used to go home, see their families, and they used to train there so it hit my radar 10 years ago.

“After moving to London I found it was where my friends had been training, so I kept a close eye on it. There was one near me and I just started training there and began to feel part of a little community. That’s when the seeds were planted really, although I didn’t have any intention to own a gym at that time.”

F45 delivers a constantly changing programme of circuit style training where participants work their way through exercise stations over the course of 45 minutes.

Guided by video screens and at least two trainers per session, its focus is predominantly high intensity interval training.

All equipment is provided and laid out ready before each class so all members have to do is turn up and follow the instructions they’re given.

“The main thing that drew me to F45 to start with was the fact you come in here to train with the same people and the same coaches every session – that just drives the community,” said George, who lives in Greenwich.

“London can be quite a lonely place to live. You might have work friends but not know your neigh bours. Lots of people between the ages of 25 and 45 aren’t necessarily playing sport in teams so they don’t have that camaraderie.

What these gyms do is create that feeling – you see it at the end of the workout.

F stands for Functional: The workouts at George’s studio are always different thanks to the huge number of exercises in F45’s library and are split into cardio, resistance or hybrid sessions combining both

George Crook says his favourite part of owning an F45 studio is the friendships it creates

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Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

“

My members are friends and it's my favourite bit of the session – when you just watch them chatting afterwards.

That's wicked

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

Poplar Union Poplar

George Crook, F45

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

F45 workout

Republic, Blackwall, E14 2BE

tried tested

A

rriving at F45 for its 7am session (tough enough in January, although there’s a 6.10am for the truly hardcore), everything is smiles and handshakes.

Bags are stowed, pleasantries exchanged and then it’s onto the venue’s blue sled track to listen.

The trainers demonstrate the exercises and then we all head to our starting positions.

It’s four sets of 20 seconds with 10 seconds' rest at each station (arranged in blocks of three) repeated twice, before moving on to the next trio of challenges. After picking up a medicine ball and throwing it onto the ground over and over, I lose all sense of where I am and what’s going on.

Fortunately trainer Bash is on-hand to join in, offer bursts of encouragement and point out what's already in front of me on

the screens. While all the trainers are upbeat, positive and invigorating, he seems especially adept at tuning in to my mental state – joining me on the mat for press-ups when burpees become too much near the end.

Breathless and bamboozled, the sense of achievement at the end of the gruelling session is literally tangible, coming in the form of highfives.

It's clear what George means about the community feel. With endorphins flowing, members are chatty and friendly. F45 is ideal for those who want to challenge themselves with a sense of shared purpose.

Jon Massey

"My members are friends and it’s my favourite bit of the session – when you just watch them chatting afterwards. That’s wicked.

It’s what pulls people in and keeps them here.

“We do all the programming so people can turn up, put their stuff in their lockers, get warmed up and go through a session without having to plan or prep and that works well, especially in London as people have got really hectic and busy lifestyles.

“You can be a complete beginner and that’s the draw for me at F45 – you can be a professional athlete or it might be the first time you ve ever walked into a studio.

"We don’t have mirrors or anything like that – we’ve tried to make it a non-intimidating space, somewhere nice and friendly to come and work out.

“We’ve had a number of members come through the door and say: ‘Listen, this is the start of my fitness journey and I’m a bit nervous’.

"We ask people to work through the stations. Even if they just have a go at each one, it gets them used to how the screens work and, all of a sudden, they start getting a bit of confidence.

“That’s one of the things I really like. Our members can be different ages, from different walks of life and at different fitness levels.

“But they can work out at a station and both have the same experience, because they’ve both pushed themselves in a really positive way.”

Those interested in trying F45 can sign up for a free week’s trial at George’s Blackwall studio.

Foundation membership starts at £185 per month.

Go to f45training.co.uk/blackwall

GIG | Nihilism The London-based jazz band bring the funky, experimental sounds to Poplar in celebration of the opening of Jim Aindow’s photography exhibition.

Feb 1, 7.30pm, £5, poplarunion.com where?

The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Two Fest Split into three programmes, The Space has commissioned 13 short plays for its brand new duologue festival. Book, go, see, hear...

Feb 11-22, mostly 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk where?

The Chainstore Trinity Buoy Wharf

SEE | Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2019 View 68 drawings by 62 artists, accompanied by a programme of events (including multiple drawing sessions). Group visits can be arranged.

Jan 18-Feb 1, 11am-4pm, free, trinitybuoywharf.com

to do before January 29

Investigative journalist Lucinda Borrell’s Us Two is set to explore the consequences for women on the fringes of stories we see in the media at The Space from January 21-25.

Performances at 7.30pm, tickets £15 space.org.uk

spot check Young and in Tower Hamlets?

Investigate Spotlight’s Langdon Park facilities wearespotlight.com want more? @wharflifelive

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Capacity of The Yoga Room, a number chosen to allow members a decent amount of space

whether beginner or advanced practitioner, The Yoga Room in Deptford’s classes are open to all

member view

Kevina Sakurdeep The Deptford resident, who works in a freelance capacity fighting money laundering, began visiting The Yoga Room after it opened.

“The first time I tried Yoga was about 10 years ago and I fell asleep in the class – I never did it again,” she said. “My neighbour decided to join and said: ‘Come and try, there’s a great offer and there’s no reason not to’. I felt I couldn’t fight it so I joined and I’m loving it.

“It’s really something I would recommend. I even gave up my gym membership.

“I do all the classes that I can. At the moment I’m between jobs so I can come to the 9.30am classes “Before I was doing Hiit and always laughing at Yoga. I thought they were hippies and none of them would like me.

“But I feel stronger, my arms have more definition than they’ve

by Jon Massey

Kevina practises Yoga five times a week ever had. I sweated so, so much in my first class. Also, everyone’s super-friendly here. You come in and people talk to you. It’s like a family I’ve exchanged numbers with so many people, we talk, we meet and have coffee.

“I feel energised after a class and I do it at least five times a week.

When I’m working I’ll come to the evening ones.”

Charlotte teaches Vinyasa Flow and Creative Flow at The Yoga Room

instructor insight

Charlotte Bicliffe - @charlottebilcliffe_yoga on Insta Charlotte got into Yoga initially as a way of managing injuries sustained through her career as a dancer. The Forest Hill resident became involved with The Yoga Room two years ago and teaches classes there twice a week.

“The Yoga Room is definitely the most welcoming studio I’ve worked at. We’re quite a community, coming in and chatting with each other. When there are new people, we get them involved straight-

away and introduce them to everyone. We’re very inclusive.

“I teach dynamic Vinyasa here with lots of variations – easier ones and harder ones.

“After a session, people can expect to feel a lot more peaceful.

“On the simplest level I want my students to feel happier. It’s about changing your mental state and you get addicted to feeling good. Then you start coming more and more, and naturally your body changes a bit.”

F

ollowing relocation to its current home at Deptford Market Yard last summer, The Yoga Room is fast establishing itself as the place for the bendy and the not so e ible to strike a posture or two.

For those who’ve resolved to get more active in , it offers many types of Yoga including Rocket, Mandala Vinyasa, Yin, Power, Restorative and even high intensity interval training.

While founder and teacher Angie Brand was out of town on honeymoon when we visited, helpful yogi owan o was on hand to guide us through what the studio offers and its story.

“Angie started the studio by teaching individual classes in and around Deptford, in strange locations such as shops and cafes,” said Rowan.

“She’s been running it for nearly three years and I started attending sessions at that point and then she moved to her first studio. That was a much more intimate space in the ingfisher uilding where we could only fit a ma imum of people – it was very crowded. “ ere the ma imum capacity is we could s uee e one or two e tra mats in, but we d rather not. We try and keep it so there’s enough space for people to move around.

“We don’t like turning people away, but at the same time it’s about the uality of the e perience as much as the uantity of people we can get in.

“Angie was especially concerned when we moved here that we didn’t lose the feeling of community that we’d always had.

“The most important thing for her with the instructors who come to teach the classes is for them to maintain that and create a sense of inclusivity – and I can’t emphasise this enough – a sense that this is for everybody. “ f you re ama ingly e ible, and want to do cra y splits, the instructors will lead you in that direction. But if you’re brand new and want to do child’s pose for most of the class, that s fine too.

“Our message is simply to come and be part of it. We run regular

beginners’ courses throughout the year but none of our classes are defined as e clusively for beginners or for the more advanced.

“I often say to beginners that it’s not so much what you can physically do, it’s how comfortable you feel coming to a class. “ f you re a confident person, you could come to any class and, if you don’t mind being the one who can t do a move, that s fine we certainly don’t mind – as long as you’re comfortable.

“We don’t want people to ever feel uncomfortable. If you want to start your body off very slowly, we offer more gentle classes in is particularly good.

“It’s not a particularly easy class, but you re doing specific movements and you’re holding them for a long period of time and those are really good.

“We offer two classes in the morning and two or three classes in the evening. In addition to that we run workshops – we have the most fabulous restorative massage workshop that runs every couple of months where you come and do very gentle Yin poses while people come round and give you little massages. That’s followed by a glass of something bubbly.”

“

We don’t want people to ever feel uncomfortable. If you want to start your body off very slowly we offer more gentle classes Rowan Fox, The Yoga Room

“The instructors are here to guide you, to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, to encourage you and to let you work at your own pace. It’s about being present, breathing and taking five or minutes to just be.

“The shavasana or corpse pose at the end can be the hardest or the easiest.

“I’d really recommend giving Yoga a go. I’ve found that if I’m in a stressful situation outside – at work, for e ample, with deadlines coming. I’ve learnt to breathe, to stop and to give myself a moment, before immersing myself in that stress. That’s been a real change and improvement.

“I think The Yoga Room is really re ective of eptford. ve lived owan, who works as a here for 20 years and the area has self-employed graphic always had this weirdly inclusive designer and web thing going on because of the developer, came to be historic dockyards, the different involved with The Yoga communities that live here and the Room through a friend’s market. recommendation as she sought “ ou ve got this definite sense of a form of e ercise that would be everybody being welcome and The kinder to her body.

Yoga Room has that atmosphere.

“I used to do a bit of dance and “For Angie, it’s very much a aerial movement as well – silks labour of love, not a massive and ying trape e but ended profit maker. t s not about making up injuring my shoulder about lots of money, being a franchise, three years ago, so I was looking being a brand, selling T-shirts or at something that might be more leggings. It’s about the Yoga. gentle,” said the Deptford resident.

“There’s a range of options for “I don’t like the gym – it’s very those who want to try it. We have boring. I had a friend who was an introductory offer for people doing Yoga and she said: who’ve not done Yoga with us ‘Come along, it’s really before, which is £25 for 20 good’. That turned into days of unlimited classes. two sessions, then three “You can come to and then membership. every single one for a try “Now I’m helping out and that gives people an as well. In terms of the opportunity to see whether classes, I really like they like the studio and hand-balancing. which types of Yoga “I like that kind they like so it’s a of challenge, good deal. but e ually, “Then it s coming to for a single a Yin class class or packs is really are available. fabulous “Our too for current offer improving on memberyour e ship is £75 ibility, and per month the meditative – it’s normally aspect of it as and that well. It’s all about gives access to one the breathing – it’s class per day.”

Helpful yogi so important that you For more details go to come and breathe. theyogaroom.london Rowan Fox

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Rotherhithe - Bermondsey - Deptford

14 days later

sp ac et o

str et ch ou t

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12

Instructor Charlotte Bicliffe

where?

Canada Water Theatre Rotherhithe

STAGE | A Bellydance Odyssey See both one woman’s journey into bellydance and a modern interpretation of the art, complete with rich choreography and vibrant costumes.

Feb 1, 7.15pm, £22.50, canadawatertheatre.org.uk where?

The Albany Deptford

KIDS | Mimi And The Mountain Dragon Aimed at ages 3+ this is the tale of a girl who finds a baby dragon in the woodshed and embarks on a quest to return him to his mother.

Feb 2, 1pm and 3pm, £7, thealbany.org.uk

assumes the position

where?

Deptford Cinema Deptford

at The Yoga Room in Deptford

FILM | If Beale Street Could Talk Directed by Oscar-winner Barry Jenkins, this film follows a young couple as they fall in love and start a family amid the racial tensions of 1970s New York.

Feb 9, 2.30pm, £6, deptfordcinema.org

to do before January 29 Images by James Grimshaw - find more of his work at jamesgrimshaw.co.uk or @j.grimshaw on Insta

A Light In Your Heart And The Way Back Home is a collection of stories about the human pursuit of inner light and life. See it at Canada Water Theatre on January 17 for free. Doors open at 7.30pm canadawatertheatre.org.uk The studio offers warm and welcoming facilities, located next to Deptford station

spot check worth a visit Find fine brews and doorstep sandwiches at Deptford’s Lomond Coffee lomondcoffee.co.uk want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

taste test

Greenwich Grind, SE10 9JB

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

The O2 Arena Peninsula

how Ruby’s Of London grew from a Greenwich Market stall to supplying cakes across the capital

by Jon Massey

GIG | Jonas Brothers Those wholesome brothers are back. Having managed to stay together through 2019, they come to the UK to tour album Happiness Begins.

Feb 2, 6pm, from £57, theo2.co.uk

The breakfast burrito with its nonspecific yellow sauce

T

where?

Blackheath Halls Blackheath

MUSIC | Idunnu Munch And Iain Burnside The mezzo-soprano performs a programme with her pianist set to include Schumann’s Frauenliebe Und Leben in The Hearn Recital Room.

Jan 31, 7.30pm, £10, blackheathhalls.com where?

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | The Duck This play tells of a woman who grew up fascinated and confused by the world and makes sense of the misunderstandings after an autism diagnosis.

Feb 4-5, 7.30pm, £13, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

to do before January 29

he first thing you’ll notice if you pop to Greenwich Grind to sample its vegan breakfast burrito is the sauce that comes on the side.

On Sunday the joint is buzzing – reservations were certainly necessary for any hope of a table beneath the restaurant’s vast glass roof out back.

But, for all the chatter and hum of a packed establishment, the loudest thing in the place is the small dish of nuclear yellow cream that accompanies my avocado-filled wrap.

It screams above the din like a hi-vis vest, the Gilet Jaune of the condiment world. And thank God for its inclusion. Without it, all I’d have got for my £9 (the same price as a meat-filled tortilla, by the way), would be a bland, sausage of avocado, mushroom, hash brown, spinach and tofu light on flavour and texture as though fearful of abrading the soft, delicate mouths of newly born vegans.

Spread with the unspecified, chive-topped substance however, the weak wrap is strengthened – elevated to a level beyond its impotent parts.

Whatever’s in it – tumeric, bananas, yellowcake uranium – it makes the whole thing worthwhile even if parity with the meat option on price feels like a bitter pill for helping the planet Go to grind.co.uk Jon Massey

Watch decent sequel Blade Runner 2049 at The Peter Harrison Planetarium in The Royal Observatory for a dose of bleak sci-fi on January 18 at 6.45pm. Tickets cost £12, a small price for this epic spectacle rmg.co.uk

spot check helping hand Seek psychotherapy from David Lefebvre Sell if it all gets a bit too much davidlefebvresell.com want more? @wharflifelive

Buzzing: Greenwich Grind on a Sunday morning

V

egan shouldn’t mean compromise. That’s the message that comes across loud and clear at Ruby’s Of London as the bakers toil, icing is piped and bright red fruits are crumbled over a dazzling array of cakes, doughnuts and brownies.

A decade old this year, the seeds of the business date back to its founder’s early life. A childhood allergy to eggs and dairy meant uby Amarteifio, despite being a mud pie enthusiast, was often left with uninspiring free-from options– only able to look longingly at others’ birthday cakes.

“It’s amazing how things that happen in life shape your whole journey,” said the Islington-born entrepreneur. “I turned veggie when I was 11. I’d gone to Africa to stay with my Grandpa, because he thought it was important to see how they did things over there and he bought me a goat for my birthday, but I didn’t realise it was to eat.

“It was alive and I loved it and then it was killed, so I came back very slim because I’d become vegetarian – that’s the true story.”

A move away from the Upper Street area to Dorset meant the rest of her childhood was spent growing up as “a country girl, in a way”, but London continued to exert a pull.

“I always knew I wanted to come back, because I have a real love for the city,” said Ruby who lives in Lee near Blackheath.

“I think that London is the most amazing city. I know it has its challenges, but with the energy here and the food movement, it’s a great place.

“I moved back here when I was 26, 10 years ago and started the business soon after – the last decade has been a whirlwind.

“I was working as a nursery teacher and I started making cakes for children privately and someone said: ‘Your cakes are really good, you should try and do the summer fair’. So I thought I would give it a go and it went amazingly well.

“It was always vegan from the beginning and I thought that maybe I could bake as a job. I have no training – just a real passion

for food and a real passion for cooking. That’s me really – I never see anything as: ‘I won’t be able to do that’. I know that I won’t have the knowledge today, but with commitment and dedication I can get there.

“The way I look at it, if someone else can do it, I can too. It might take me longer and I might have a lot to learn, but I’m not arrogant – if someone else has managed it, it just means I have to learn those steps to get me to that point.

“And I’ve had to learn some serious steps, not having any kind of background in business or cooking. It’s a real passion project and the whole thing is built from that really.

“The first thing did was the stall in Greenwich Market. I started on a Wednesday in November 2010 – it was really hard to get a stall, because it’s really competitive.

“After a couple of months they said: ‘OK, have a stall on a Wednesday’. So I started trading and after about six months they offered me the weekend and then decided to do it full-time.

“I took on a tiny little space in Tooting – there’s never been any investment in the business from the early days, no money behind it.

“I literally bought a small oven, then one whisk at a time. Every cake I sold, I thought: ‘I’ll buy a mixing bowl or a new piece of equipment’. It really was like that.

“It started as a vegan cupcake business, which was all the rage back then. I was doing everything – baking, decorating, driving, delivering, trading – the lot.”

Ruby’s business has continued to grow ever since with a booming wholesale operation that’s seen her continually upgrade her bakery facilities at Angerstein Business Park to the point where she’s taken over a sizeable space that was once occupied by the gym she attended.

Now employing 16 full-time staff, uby s f ondon supplies products to Leon, sells a wide range of cakes and doughnuts online and continues to sell its wares every weekend at Greenwich Market.

“The online side of the business is where we take care of the bespoke orders,” said Ruby. “That might be for weddings, birthday cakes, corporate gifting – all those things. There is a 48-hour notice

“

I had to cover the market stall over Christmas and I realised just how much I missed it. The customers give you a real grounding Ruby Amarteifio, Ruby’s Of London

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

43

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich Ruby’s cupcakes start at £30 online for 12 mini Hello Pretties

Ruby says customers should not be able to tell if a product is vegan or free-from by its taste

treat sweet

period and we can deliver across London.

“That’s great because it covers loads of different kinds of occasion.

“It’s also really great for the customer, because they can come to the market and try a slice, because you don’t necessarily want to spend money on a whole cake before you’ve sampled it. You can buy things individually and you can have that confidence that it may be vegan, but it’s still great cake.

“That side of the business came in about seven years ago - quite quickly after I started trading at the market. About a year and a half ago we were approached by Leon, who were looking to revamp their cake counters, and that was a massive transformation for us.

“This is the fourth unit I’ve been in at this trading estate and I’ve been here seven years. The current bakery used to be my gym and I took on the lease after we got the contract for Leon – that was huge for us. They’ve got 70 stores – it was almost like starting a new business. We needed more space and we had to scale up our operation, with new systems in place to service that kind of customer.”

While Ruby has some “exciting things” in the pipeline, currently under wraps, the most important thing to her is maintaining the quality of her products and keeping that link with her customer base – one of the reasons she’s set to return to the market stall in 2019.

hot spots

other vegan bites In celebration of Veganuary, Greenwich Market has released a series of tips for those seeking plantbased products at its shops and stalls. Here are some of its suggestions, shamelessly cribbed: DRINKS Try Turnips for freshly squeezed juices or Ideal Espresso for coffee with oat or soya milk FOOD Dine on the exquisite, spicy fare sold by Red Tent Ethiopian Vegan, or swing

by Vegan Garden London for crunchy fresh vegetables. There’s also Plant Powered Pizza LDN selling the obvious or the Plant Burger from Honest Burger for the patty fans DESSERT The Fudge Patch offers hemp seed milk-based slabs and Dark Sugars offers vegan, hand crafted chocs Go to greenwich market.london

A selection of Ruby’s Of London’s Image by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

vegan doughnuts

She said: “I had to cover the market stall over Christmas and I realised just how much I missed it. That’s why I’m going back.

The customers give you a real grounding – they’re honest, say what they like and what they don’t and all of it’s valuable.

“But I love where we are now.

I’m not looking to turn into the next bakery chain. I’m really open to what comes and I’ll consider anything that comes my way.

“The wholesale side of the business is really growing and we have a lot of potential and space here to meet that demand.

“It will be great if we can get more of our products out to the general public – someone who wouldn’t necessarily order a cake from us online but might go to a cafe and try a slice of cake.

“I can understand some people might be sceptical because the word ‘vegan’ can have connotations of other times, but things have moved on massively in the last two years. on t be put off, just because something’s vegan – you shouldn’t be able to tell. For me, it has to be a great cake first.

“We do cupcakes, cookies, brownies, desserts, birthday cakes, layer cakes, and they all have a Ruby’s twist to them.

“What I’ve always focussed on for the business is that the product has to be delicious to start with.

“It has to be a great product and the fact that it’s vegan, free-from or whatever, is secondary to that.

“My range was always vegan and then we moved into glutenfree, naturally sweetened and soya-free options. As the trends changed and our skill-set grew, we started to bring in new products to match that demand.

“There’s been a lot of experimentation over the years – that part of the business is my total passion, the innovation side of things.

“When I work with a bride, for example, building something that she’s looking for, or when I engage with the bigger wholesale customers, they will have a brief and we have to work with that – I love putting things together to make that happen.

“It comes with real trial and error. I get asked a lot what I use instead of eggs and it depends on lots of different things the product and what you’re making.

“We use a lot of fruit purees to replace eggs, which work really well. Every recipe has been a labour of love. I’m really lucky to have found passionate people to join the business. It’s quite a small group and I’ve really loved that side of the business, working with the team and seeing them learn, grow and improve. They’re all on this journey with me and they go above and beyond, they really do.”

Go to rubysoflondon.com for more information or to order cakes

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

what Royal Docks CrossFit offers those keen to get in shape by training for general physical preparedness

6

Years since Royal Docks CrossFit opened its doors as the brand’s 10,000th affiliate gym

by Jon Massey

O

pened in 2014 by former professional rugby player David Marshall, Royal Docks CrossFit was the brand’s 10,000th a liate gym. ocated at Warehouse K close to Custom House and cel, the “bo ” offers all the the equipment and space necessary to engage in a wide range of high intensity workouts. After showing us a few moves, gym manager and coach Ben Breen gave us a run down of what people new to the fitness regimen could e pect.

What’s CrossFit all about?

CrossFit is an organisation that started in the States – we license the name from it and operate as an a liate. ach gym is individual but we follow a format that CrossFit promotes. t s defined as constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.

We all follow that methodology, but each gym has its individual programming – we’re left to our own devices in how we want to put that model to our members.

What do people get out of it?

CrossFit’s success lies in its community. ou are not ust turning up to a gym where you’re going to be left on your own to decide your own routine, programming and the e ercises you want to implement. ere, that s all done for you. t may be global programming, but it’s that class environment that makes it successful – it’s like-minded friends together and it keeps people accountable. ou are more likely to stick to something you en oy than something you don t. oing to the gym can be a burden but CrossFit becomes quite the opposite, something people look forward to at the end of their day. f you re had a crappy day at work and want to come and let off some steam, or you went out last night and indulged – as most of us do – then you can come here and get that balance.

What exercises can people expect?

We train for PP general physical preparedness – where we look at every single aspect of fitness, in any way, shape or form.

We don t ust focus on one thing,

Gym manager and coach at Royal Docks CrossFit Ben Breen says routine is the enemy when it comes to fitness

intensity maximum

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

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

45

Canning Town - Royal Docks

The Royal Victorial Dock gym carries all the kit needed for a tough workout

like a distance runner or a power lifter might. We’ll be doing rowing, skipping, running or structural work, then go into gymnastics, bodyweight air squats, push-ups, jumping on boxes, Olympic lifting and power lifting.

The workouts change every day, because routine is the enemy. Some days we can come in and it’ll just be rowing, other days it ll be five by five back s uats and then we ll finish with a five to minute workout.

That variation is key to CrossFit’s success in getting people what they want. ne day will be totally different from another.

The beauty of CrossFit is you also have benchmark workouts. These are known by female names (inspired by the US National Weather Service’s practice of giving storms women’s names because CrossFit’s founder felt the exercises were so physically demanding they were like being hit by a storm).

You could go to any CrossFit gym worldwide and ask any member: “What’s your Fran time?” and they’d know exactly what you’re talking about.

What’s in a Fran?

It’s barbell thrusters and pull-ups, 21 of each first, then and then nine.

It’s one everybody’s done, everybody hates and everyone has a fond memory of.

Is CrossFit suitable for beginners?

Everything is scaleable. With our members, we know everybody is an individual in terms of their exercise history, their age, their sex and their exposure to certain activities, so we’re not going to put everyone into one group and say: “This is it, go, go, go”.

Depending on which person I have in front of me, I’d assess them and find out what their capabilities are, and then scale the workout accordingly – for example you might substitute a ring roll for a pull-up.

Even for new members who may have an athletic background, I would still scale them back slightly at first because the intensity of CrossFit can be quite severe. We want to keep people happy and make it fun.

What can I expect as a new member?

First you’ll do an induction and we’ll run you through the majority of exercises that you will do with us.

That gives a coach a chance to assess you – how you move, how you respond to different cues and then you’ll be let into the class. Each one is an hour long.

You’ll gather around the whiteboard at the beginning, the coach will ask if anyone has any injuries and outline the workout for the day – our intentions and how we will execute them.

Then we’ll take the class through an introductory warm-up. If there’s a skill element or a strength element, we’ll go through that as a class.

Then we may break down into little teams and go from there. Then we come back at the end and we’ll

“

People will typically experience a lot of gains in the first six months.

You start to see changes in yourself physically and mentally

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

Excel Royal Victoria Dock

Ben Breen, Royal Docks Crossfit

do the bread-and-butter of CrossFit, like metabolic conditioning, where everyone’s running around, moving weights from one place to another.

There will be loud music and, for the first few classes, it s going to feel like chaos, but you’ll enjoy it. At the end you ll see fist bumps ying around and then that’s it.

What benefits are likely in six months?

People will typically experience a lot of gains. You start to see changes in yourself physically and mentally.

A lot of people do feel that this fuels the fire for e ercise even more.

The hardest bit for us in the first si months is that people want to pile on the weight they’re lifting because they’re feeling a lot stronger, a lot fitter.

From the coach’s point of view it’s about managing that load so they don’t increase too fast too soon.

Obviously some people who come into CrossFit do far too little beforehand and then suddenly doing a great deal of exercise can cause injury.

It’s our job to do our best to prevent that. We want to encourage sustainable progression – tough enough that it s di cult, but not so tough that it breaks people. That would be like starting at square one again.

If you don’t specialise in anything – if you haven’t got a sport that you compete in then rossfit is a great, all round fitness and strengthening regime with many health benefits.

How did you get into CrossFit? I started in 2012 when I was in the Royal Air Force, working as an avionics technician. I was introduced to it by one of the fitness instructors.

I left the RAF to become a chiropractor and I’d known David from school and he had an opportunity to work in Royal Docks so I took it.

I came down to London in 2017 after finished my masters in chiro practic. My plan now is to work as a chiropractor in Kent while continuing to work at CrossFit here as well. ● oyal ocks ross it offers free introductory classes to those considering joining. Book online to access.

Flexible monthly memberships start at £129 per month for two classes a week up to £184 per month for unlimited sessions. Annual memberships start at £117 per month for two classes a week.

Go to roya dockscross t.com

EVENT | ICE Totally Gaming The benchmark event and driver of the businessto-business gaming industry’s international growth returns to Royal Docks for its latest event.

Feb 4-6, 10am, free (register), excel.london where?

The Crystal Royal Victoria Dock

TALK | Changing Places Join New London Architecture for a breakfast session to explore and discuss community participation in urban planning and regeneration.

Jan 29, 8.30am, free (register), royaldocks.london where?

Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | Intelligent Health This event brings the AI and health communities together for a day designed to advance discussions on how to apply the former to the latter.

Feb 5, 7.30am, from £129+VAT, excel.london

to do before January 29

See products (clearly) from more than 200 exhibitors at 100% Optical – set to come to Excel from January 25-27. Expect opticians, experts and speakers galore Doors 10am, free (ticketed) excel.london

activity check worth investigating Check out NASSA - helping young people achieve through sport nassasports.org.uk want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory - Acknowledgements

find our advertisers’ messages here Chase Evans print Pages 1, 28, 29 online chaseevans.co.uk

Creative Virtual print Page 14 online creativevirtual.com

The Gun print Page 3 online thegundocklands.com

Telford Homes print Page 21 online telfordhomes.london

Kidd Rapinet print Pages 4, 15 online kiddrapinet.co.uk

Berkeley Homes print Pages 22-23 online berkeleygroup.co.uk

Third Space print Pages 5, 11 online thirdspace.london

Vantage Properties And Management print Page 24 online vantage-uk.com

Capeesh print Page 6 online capeesh.co.uk

Peabody print Page 25 online peabody.org.uk

TfL print Page 7 online tfl.gov.uk

Landmark Estates print Pages 26-27 online lmlondon.com

The Office Group print Page 9 online theofficegroup.com

My London Home print Pages 30-31 online mylondonhome.com

London City Airport print Page 13 online londoncityairport.com

Galliard Homes print Page 34 online galliardhomes.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, printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge and distributed by Willis News Distribution. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2020

Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

47

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

£35

The price per head for Allegra’s weekend lunch set menu Left, leek hearts with cheese custard Below from top, the tower in which Allegra sits, gnocchi Parisienne and rhubarb and custard vacherin

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 29-Feb 12 where?

Bow Arts Bow

SEE | Lightboxes And Lettering This Rendezvous Projects exhibition examining and documenting the pre-digital print industry, the role east London played in it and its influences.

Jan 17-Mar 29, daily, free, bowarts.org where?

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

why Allegra is worth investigating on the seventh floor The Stratford’s stylish tower

by Jon Massey

A

llegra seems a little bit in denial.

Patrick Powell’s restaurant is a long, L-shaped space on the seventh floor of the striking cantilevered tower that holds The Stratford Hotel and Manhattan Loft Gardens. But its semi-transparent blinds are drawn at all windows, as though it doesn’t quite want to admit that the views are of E20 rather than EC1.

Its location, a fair stroll from Stratford station hasn’t put off the diners. By the time we leave – having opted for an early noon booking to try its recently launched long lunch menu – the place is bubbling with chatter and people. It’s what it needs.

For all the talk of Scandinavian farmhouse chic, it’s essentially a riot of beige with soft neutrals the absolute rule – a backdrop rather than a statement, albeit with planters full of greenery.

The service is polite and, pleasingly light touch, with staff happy to vary the set menu as we’re vegetarian for January.

The format is slightly odd, however. The starters aren’t for selecting, acting more like a tasting menu for the restaurant than an introduction to a main.

Our selection of vegetarian versions arrives, one dish momentarily flummoxing a waiter as he struggles to comprehend the fish course without its salt cod. The tastes on show are, in the main impressive.

Roasted farm carrots capture the carbonzing of the oven, while the house bread is soft, smooth and delicious pimped with its unimaginatively named “green sauce”.

Curiously, only the true veggie dish of leek hearts and cheese custard is underpowered.

The main that follows – gnocci Parisienne

STAGE | The Gift Billed as an outrageous play about imperialism, cross-racial adoption, cultural appropriation and tea, expect Queen Victoria and plenty of sponge.

Jan 29-Feb 15, times vary, from £10, stratfordeast.com where?

Copper Box Stratford

The angular, clipped environs of Allegra’s terrace will thrive in the warmer months with gorgeous wild mushrooms, tarragon and aged cheese – is a small affair but a comforting one despite the overpowering mustard dressing on its accompanying salad.

Best of all is my rhubarb and custard vacherin housed in a miniature turban of meringue. Split open, this is a delicately balanced triumph – a classic combination that’s sweet, creamy and just a little tart.

Throughout, the dishes look superb.

There’s a flair for presentation and some unusual bursts of flavour underneath the pomp that make Allegra worth investigating – especially the citrus explosion at the bottom of the starter that would have featured the fish. Quite why they need to charge £10 for a non-alcoholic cocktail, though, is beyond me.

Go to allegra-restaurant.com for more information

GAMING | Call Of Duty League See 12 teams from around the globe compete on Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare as the Royal Ravens host the only UK leg of the esports competition.

Feb 8-9, from £58.07, queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

to do before January 29

Shake off the January blues at Cody Dock for its Burns Night Community Ceilidh on January 24. Tickets include food, dancing and a wee dram on arrival. The haggis will be piped in at 9.30pm. Doors 8pm, £20 codydock.org.uk

spot check worth a visit Get a top vegan breakfast in Balans Soho Society at Westfield Stratford City balans.co.uk want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jan 15-29, 2020 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Tough

4 6 1 3 9 5 2 7 8 Sudoku 9 a2break 5 from 8 6 that 7 phone 4 3 1 Take 7 3 8 4 2 1 5 9 6 How 5 to1 play 4 9 8 6 7 2 3 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 2 such 5 that 7 3each 1 row, 8 4column and 3x3 box one6to9nine contains every number uniquely.

8 7 3 2 1 4 6 5 9 5 find 6 strategies, 7 4 9 hints 8 1and2tips online You3can at sudokuwiki.org 1 8 9 6 5 2 3 4 7 2 to 4 play 7 1 3 8 9 6 5 More

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

© 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

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

Previous solution - Medium

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.

9.

10.

11.

13.

15.

17.

20.

21.

22.

23.

Crustacean sometimes caught in a row (4) Dressings show how old the orchestra players are (8) A theologian circumventing the mud is much liked (7) Big glare (5) Dance for doctor? (8-4) How many have less feeling? (6) 100 are less polite, and altogether coarser (6) Part-time deed was planned beforehand (12) I had one to return to fool (5) The prospect for the sentinel (4-3) Use hands to make a parasol (8) A match for a noble lord (4)

Notes

2.

4. .

6.

7.

8.

12.

14.

16.

18.

19.

Delightful, but damaging to 100 (8) Neither limbless nor weaponless (5) Eager to change a trend (6) ature re ection leads to half the side being given release (12) Mutilated clothing came first Get rid of the hut (4) Contest between insects? (7,5) Director is owed money (8) Graduate smashed train from another planet (7) Rotten - dad twisted and came first Eastern harbour looks up a figure of speech (5) Spinster can’t be a hit

Quick Across 1.

3.

9.

10.

11.

13.

15.

17.

20.

21.

22.

23.

Headland (4) Maternal (8) Spectacle (7) Horrify (5) Building (12) Holding (6) Money-chest (6) Conducive (12) Snow-house (5) Glut (7) Greeting (8) Diminished (4)

Down .

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

12.

14.

16.

18.

19.

ce Heathen (5) Production (6) Candid and intimate (5-2-5) Censure (7) Howl (4) Very skilful act (12) Bishops (8) Perplexity (7) Beginning (6) Topic (5) Row (4)

Across: 1 Cape; 3 Motherly; 9 Pageant; 10 Appal; 11 Construction; 13 Tenure; 15 Coffer; 17 Instrumental; 20 Igloo; 21 Surfeit; 22 Respects; 23 Less.

Down: 1 Capacity; 2 Pagan; 4 Output; 5 Heart-to-heart; 6 Reproof; 7 Yell; 8 Masterstroke; 12 Prelates; 14 Nonplus; 16 Outset; 18 Theme; 19 Tier.

Across

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

Cryptic Solution

Cryptic

beating the

Across: 1 Crab; 3 Bandages; 9 Admired; 10 Large; 11 Medicine-ball; 13 Number; 15 Cruder; 17 Premeditated; 20 Idiot; 21 Look-out; 22 Sunshade; 23 Peer.

Down: 1 Charming; 2 Armed; 4 Ardent; 5 Deliberation; 6 Garbled; 7 Shed; 8 Cricket match; 12 Creditor; 14 Martian; 16 Addled; 18 Trope; 19 Miss.

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Quick Solution

No. 837