Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2

+ Chris Ezekiel muses on what a giant space mirror might mean for us humans Page 10

Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

personal trainer Darren Bruce talks discipline, safety and making the most of what Third Space in Canary Wharf has to offer Page 10

inside issue 55

Marugame Udon - Ice Rink Canary Wharf Joy’s Caribbean Fusion - The Albany Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-Long Lightship95 - An Unfinished Man London City Airport - Wharf Life Hacks Three Waters - Belvedere Gardens David Lefevbre Sell Puzzles - Creative Space

train ready to

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

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

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

kiddrapinet.co.uk

2

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

sign up here to get Wharf Life’s free, weekly newsletter in your inbox

read

feast your eyes on these

what’s on

support your local institutions Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Canary Wharf

GIG | The Brand New Heavies Returning to the Canary Wharf stage, the party pioneers will likely perform material from forthcoming album TBNH (Acid Jazz).

Feb 9-10, 9pm, from £39, boisdale.co.uk

Welcome to Wharf Life. Our 55th issue has the flavour of entertainment and indulgence about it – there’s theatrical noodles at Marugame Udon, a good old knees-up with Tom Carradine and spirituality with Dipo Baruwa-Etti, plus Joy’s Caribbean Fusion and Third Space to keep you healthy

04

Hacks and diary dates to make your Wharf Life that bit better

Where?

Museum Of London Docklands WIQ

EVENT | Lunar New Year 2022 Pop over to West India Quay, and drop into the museum for free performances and activities celebrating its connection with this festival.

Feb 5, 11am, free, museumoflondon.org.uk Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Canary Wharf

COMEDY | Jongleurs Comedy Club Hal Cruttenden, Mike Gunn, Mark Palmer and Stephen Grant are the acts on the bill for this monthly collaboration with the stand up brand.

Feb 8, 7.30pm, from £19, boisdale.co.uk

flash back

Find out what Taskin Muzaffer of The Happiness Cartel had to say about opening the doors to Shutters – three venues in a single establishment – in the lobby of One Canada Square shutterscanarywharf.com Scan this code to read our interview with Taksin and discover how the venue brings Cornwall to the Wharf want more? @wharflifelive

06 Skates lit with

How Marugame Udon is set to woo Wharfers with noodles

LED’s on the rink inset, Jenna

illuminated blades

Ice Rink Canary Wharf, until Feb 26 Canada Square, open daily, £11.95 (kids) £17.95 (adults) icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk

by Jon Massey

W

inter Lights 2022 might have been cancelled just after we went to press for our last issue – but take heart, there’s still a way Wharfers can brighten up the dark days at the start of the year.

Ice Rink Canary Wharf has introduced illuminated skates fitted with coloured LEDs on the bottom for the remainder of its run in Canada Square.

In celebration the venue teamed up with photographer Curtis Padley and Team GB skater Jenna McCorkell

to demonstrate the sorts of visual effects that can be created with them, you know, for the ‘gram.

Jenna said: “I had a great time on the ice, it’s genuinely the best outdoor rink I’ve ever skated on. The skate lights are brilliant too – they add to the lovely experience and are a simple way to brighten up the dark nights.”

Scan this code to find out more about light skates at Ice Rink Canary Wharf

10

Darren Bruce on boxing clever with his Third Space clients

the joy of six Every issue Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 33

get in touch

correct us

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

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

Go to wharf-life.com for more information

Email info@wharf-life.com

we want to hear from you

need something fixed?

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

3

Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

need to know

50%

Turns out Dry January’s a great time to stock up – Bullards in Cabot Place is offering free 5cl bottles of gin with any large bottle or eco friendly refill pack purchased in-store or online. You can also try all the flavours in-store before you buy bullardsspirits.co.uk

38 For all those not doing Dry January – Pergola On The Wharf at Crossrail Place Roof Garden is offering glasses of house red, house white and Prosecco plus pints of Camden Hells for £5 – consider doing Dry Ferbruary instead? pergolacanarywharf.co.uk

Get food for half price (and the pizzas are well worth trying) at Gallio right at the top of Cabot Place, near Nandos and that. Offer celebrates its opening until Jan 31 gallio.uk

34

‘Av a banana skin curry, or learn how to make it at least with Tescha Joy

free

36

‘Av as many bananas as this guy can throw – we catch up with Tom Carradine as he celebrates six years of his Cockney Sing-A-Long at Wapping’s Wilton’s Music Hall

Brewdog Canary Wharf at Churchill Place has a bunch of offers on, but our favourite has to be free refills on pints of all its alcohol free beers throughout January brewdog.com

HATE THE HARD SELL? HATE HAGGLING? HATE CAR JARGON? HATE BAD COFFEE? HATE LONG, CONFUSING BILLS AND HIDDEN COSTS? HATE TEST DRIVES WITH A STRANGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT? HATE BEING PRESSURED INTO A CHOICE? HATE PAYING OVER THE ODDS? HATE OLD, JANKY WEBSITES AND CHEESY BROCHURES? HATE THINGS TAKING FOREVER FOR NO GOOD REASON? HATE COMPROMISING? WELL, YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO LOVE IT HERE. NOW OPEN. ONLINE & AT CANARY WHARF ONLY.

ROCKAR. LOVE GETTING THE CAR YOU LOVE. Rockar Jaguar Landrover, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf, E14 4QT.

How the guys at Lightship95 work hard to capture that sound

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

4

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

.

write me

Padded Jacket, £139 Hugo Boss, Cabot Place hugoboss.com

words you don’t know you need

grayve

adjective, fake, from Old Etonian subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox each week for free

Something is grayve when it is in a state yet to be determined by second permanent secretary to the cabinet office, Sue Gray.

Examples include the location of Sue Gray’s socks and whether the PM was obviously at a party

It’s sales all round at this time of year and Hugo Boss is no exception.

This bright, overstuffed puffa includes backpack straps inside for adaptable styling on the go and is currently down 50% on its £279 list price.

It’s perfect for snuggling down into during cold snaps, with a deep funnel neck. And best of all, nobody will miss you in a crowd.

deamflum noun, real, from French

The calm state experienced while one is listening to the flow of a waterfall. It’s a summer’s day, the light is dappled through fresh, green leaves. Breathe it in, it won’t be long until spring arrives and the cold recedes

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

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

Download our FREE guide to MAKING A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY (LPA) Book a consultation with rica o n arie today on 020 7 or email e o n arie@kiddrapinet.co.uk

Wallace Chan’s sculptures will be on display in Canary Wharf from February 14 including Titans III, 2020

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

5

Canary Wharf

The Book Of Dust, Feb 17 Cineworld West India Quay, £18 cineworld.co.uk

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

see the art

Wallace Chan - Titans: A Dialogue Between Materials, Space And Time Feb 14-Apr 8, Free, One Canada Square Lobby, canarywharf.com Chinese multidisciplinary artist Wallace Chan is set to display 10 sculptures, including three new pieces, in Canary Wharf from Valtentine’s Day. Most well known as a jewellery artist, maker and designer, Wallace in fact began his career as an apprentice sculptor when he was 16.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Henry Moore – whose

PIZZA,

work one of his pieces will stand close to in Cabot Square as part of this exhibition – he has been driven throughout his life to explore and create with different materials.

His Titans series uses titanium and iron in juxtaposition with one seemingly impervious to the ravages of time while the other rusts.

Go to canarywharf.com

Kristian Goodyear Boots, £99 Jones Bootmaker, Canada Place jonesbootmaker.com

Settle into a cinema seat at 7pm to watch a live screening of the National Theatre’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Book Of Dust - La Belle Sauvage.

Set 12 years before the epic His Dark Materials trilogy, this gripping tale revisits the author’s fantastical world where the waters are rising and storms are brewing.

Two people and their daemons find themselves caring for a tiny child, Lyra Belacqua, whose fate is set to determine the future, but who is already the subject of a terrifying manhunt. Stirring stuff from director Nicholas Hytner.

With its winter sale in full swing, now’s the time to pick up some serious footwear at Jones for the 12 months ahead. Why not take this opportunity to inject a little colour into your ankle game with the Kristian Goodyear Welted Full Brogue Boots – currently down from £165 and available in a rich sea green. Their superior construction means the sole can be replaced in the years to come.

KTAILS

COC & S D A L SA

veroo, li e D a i v y Deliver lick and Collect C Dine in or

OPEN NOW Monday to Sunday - 12pm-10pm As a welcome into 2022, Gallio are giving

50% OFF FOOD Order online for delivery

The Atrium Kitchen, Level 2, Cabot Place

Gallio.uk | www.gallio.uk

*T&C’s: 50% off food until 31st January 2022

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

6

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

£3.45

Cost of a simple bowl of udon noodles with a dashi dipping sauce at Marugame

Freshly cut noodles are collected ready for a dip in hot water

by Jon Massey

M

arugame Udon is the latest restaurant to open its doors among a clutch of new arrivals around the rotunda at the top of Cabot Place’s escalators.

It’s located opposite Gallio, German Doner Kebab and what’s soon to be Neat Burger – so there’s certainly plenty of choice in the area Canary Wharf Group has decided to dub Atrium Kitchen.

But a few things make the massively successful Japanese brand stand out.

It’s not the smiling welcome (somehow communicated despite the face mask), it’s not the fancy strip lights hung to look like drying strands of noodles, it’s the sheer attention to detail being paid second-by-second, minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour by those running the place and producing the food.

Embarking on its 22nd year, the business has grown from one restaurant to around 800 in its native Japan with 1,250 now trading worldwide.

Canary Wharf is its third branch in the UK – following launches at Liverpool Street and The O2, with St Christopher’s Place already in the pipeline and many more to follow. Away from the invevitable talk of roll-outs and bottom

udon we know

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

something

know

how an absolute focus on the details of each and every dish served at Marugame Udon is the secret of the brand’s success lines, however, the key ingredient for the brand’s European CEO, Keith Bird, is fun.

“You could stand and watch this kitchen all day – I feel like I’m Willy Wonka in the udon factory,” he said.

“I love hospitality, it’s in my blood. When I was doing an MBA, a guy called Tony Hughes came in and did a talk about retail, restaurants and leisure. I’d spent my

time in telecoms and banking and from what he said, hospitality sounded like the area I wanted to work in.

“The principle he was talking about was very simple – that if you look after your team, they are going to look after the guests. If the guests are happy, they’ll come back more frequently, and then the siness o rishes it rows and you keep investing in that virtuous circle. Sometimes businesses that struggle lose sight of that.

“You need to make sure that your team live the values, understand the

business, really want to be here, so recruit them well, train them well and treat them well. Even with our delivery drivers we make sure we have a place they can fi their ott es eca se they’re carrying our precious cargo.

“In the restaurant it adds up to a special element you can’t really codify.

It’s something about the energy – if people are happy in a great environment, guests want to be a part of that.

“So when customers go down our line with a tray it’s show time – you get the theatre of seeing everything being made and served in front of you.

“We want people to have lots of fun – that’s why you’ll hear the shouts as ingredients are prepared, but it’s somethin that can t e forced the sta have to want to do it and that’s what great hospitality is all about.

“That’s fundamental for Marugame – we want to serve delicious food, but also want to lift people’s lives a bit.”

With calls of “Fresh Udon” peppering the air in the kitchen, the theatre of cracking sous vide poached eggs into bowls and pints of Asahi beer that mirac o s y fi from eneath via a Bottoms Up machine, there are plenty of acts to observe. But that’s not to say things aren’t taken seriously.

“We’ve got our Udon master, who has come over on a one-way ticket from a an he s here for at east five years and probably longer,” said Keith, who has worked with brands including Wasabi, Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Continued on Page 8

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

7

Time is of the essence when you are buying or selling a property.

At Kidd Rapinet we believe a timely conveyancing transaction is only truly successful if the process and cost to you is completely transparent.

View our processes and example pricing Your purchase kiddrapinet.co.uk/purchaseinlondon Your sale kiddrapinet.co.uk/sellinginlondon

Request an online estimate or call 020 7205 4021

Fast, transparent, conveyancing services

Expert knowledge of the area Competitive, fixed fees A dedicated lawyer until completion A secure personal service

Contact one of our expert property lawyers on 020 7205 4021 or email property@kiddrapinet.co.uk

kiddrapinet.co.uk

8

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

3

Ingredients that go into the dough used to make Marugame’s noodles

from Page 6 Flight Club. “The point is to make sure that the udon is absolutely perfect. We take it to the point of obsession that the ratio of o r sa t and water is correct “We go through a real process of ma in s re it mat res so yo et the f avo r ven the hardness of the water is meas red on the ar ca e e have a rea y so histicated water a ity system to ma e s re every ortion of noodles is absolutely perfect.” hat eve o session has res ted in a s ecia vac m machine that s c s a very s ecific amo nt of moist re o the noodles after cooking – aimed at he in them to ic the avo r of the roth or sa ces they re t with o can have the nood es in their rest form amaa e which are served strai ht from the ot with either a sweet smo y dashi di in sa ce or a ve an version for 5 said eith r yo can have them in a i ht fish or ve an roth for 5 hen we ve got loads of exciting dishes including a hic en ats rry don for 5 and a hic en aitan a so for 5 which is s iced ieces of chic en thi h in a rich chic en so with a oached e that s coo ed so s vide in its she and crac ed into the ow hen we have a i eef i tama with carame isd onions in a sweet smo y roth and an e for 5 hat s ro a y my favo rite it s really satisfying and the ingredients a ance rea y we with the don Seeing the shell crack open and a cooked egg drop out is sensational.

“Then there’s our range of tempura – deep fried in front of the customers. We o er oads of di erent ieces inc din rawn and chic en and it s reat for eo e on a ve etarian or ve an diet eca se we have sweet otato m in red e er as ara s and courgette.” em ra dishes ran e from 5 5 with c stomers a e to serve themse ves as they ma e their way to the ti eith said ve he ed loads of amazing businesses in my career but the di erence with this one is yo have an o er that is for everyone don is for the rich the oor the yo n and o d it s hea thy ama in va e and we have a team here that

Udon is for the rich, the poor, the young and old – it’s healthy, amazing value and we have a team here that want to make your experience the very best Keith Bird, Marugame Udon

The recently opened Cabot Place restaurant

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

9

Canary Wharf

Freshly cooked: Noodles are dipped into a bubbling vat of water

Marugame Udon European CEO Keith Bird is excited for the future

want to make your experience with us the very best it can be.

“This is one of Japan’s super brands for a reason and to make it accessible to people here is really exciting. There was a survey in the country ranking all the top brands and Marugame came in at number 14 – one above the iPhone.

“We chose to open in Canary Wharf for our third restaurant because it’s a place where people work, but also where they live – and that’s important for us.

“There’s a solid population and a good Asian community as well and many know the brand already. Like any restaurant serving food from a particular country, you know it’s going to be good if there are people of that nationality there.

“That makes a good foundation for us, but it’s also about the people who will discover Marugame – Europeans who haven’t been to Japan.

“The Wharf is fantastic, it’s growing and ever-changing with housing going up on the estate and around it. We did this deal during the darkest times of Covid, but we believed that if you go to a great place that has always done well, with a great reputation and great shopping it will work. Workers are important, of course, but it’s the resident population that’s the key.”

Visitors to Marugame can also rest assured the brand is doing its bit for the environment. n addition to eer fi ed from the bottom – which is great theatre, we have wine in cans which is better for the environment,”said Keith.

“We’ve got good green credentials.

One of our key values is doing the right thing. All our packaging for takeaway and delivery is recyclable, so there’s no plastic in there, and we’re trying to minimise everything we possibly can.

“We practise the fundamentals of reduce, re-use, recycle – a simple but very e ective messa e “You come in and there’s a bowl that gets used and then re-washed, and will be used hundreds and hundreds of times, and that helps as well.

“It’s important for our team as well, because they want to work for a place they believe in – the faith we put in them and they put in us, to do the right thing, keeps this journey going.

“We want to make Canary Wharf proud of us. We want to do something really special here and we think the brand can go in many other locations in the UK. It’s on the money and we’re delivering for customers.”

For more information go to marugame.co.uk

Scan this code to find our more about Marugame Udon in Cabot Place

A warm welcome awaits at Marugame Udon at the very top of Cabot Place in Canary Wharf

Make a resolution to deliver personalised customer self-service in 2022 with help from the Conversational AI Leader.

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

10

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

20

virtual viewpoint

by Chris Ezekiel

Years since Darren began coaching Wharfers – first as a class instructor and then as personal trainer

train at the highest levels

The James Webb Space Telescope is now on its way to its destination to look at the cosmos

W

hat makes us unique as a species is our ability to wonder and explore the big questions like how the universe began, and how matter sparked into life. There’s no better recent example of humankind’s imagination and scientific and technological endeavour, than the launch on Christmas Day of the most sophisticated space telescope ever built.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the successor to Hubble and is named after the person who led the agency during the glory years of its Apollo missions.

It’s so large that it had to be intricately folded into its launch vehicle, the Ariane 5 rocket. It has been 30 years in the making at a cost of $10billion.

After a successful launch the JWST is now on a journey to its final destination roughly a million miles from Earth, unfurling its sunshield and A new year brings 6.5-metre mirror as it travels through space. new hope and let’s All these mechanical hope the JWST will processes must work flawlessly for a help us answer some successful deployment. of the great mysteries The universe started about 13.8billion years of the universe ago and one of JWST’s Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual main goals is to see the infrared light coming from the earliest stars and galaxies. Its other main goal is to look for Earth-like planets and try to capture images of them.

A new year brings new hope, and let’s hope JWST will help us answer some of the great mysteries of the universe such as are we alone?

With the trillions of stars and billions of galaxies in the observable universe, it’s easy to make a mathematical case for many other planets supporting life.

But I believe the mystery of life transcends mathematics, and that as we get closer to solving these mysteries, we will see the convergence of science and religion, and realise the true miracle of our existence. Happy New Year.

“

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

As a professional boxer Darren has all the skills to train clients safely in the ring if that fits with their goals

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

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

11

Canary Wharf

how expertise helps personal trainers at Third Space in Canary Wharf coach their fitness clients

by Jon Massey

L

earning to move in the right way is crucial to avoiding injury and achieving your goals through exercise. So says elite personal trainer at Third Space in Canary Wharf, Darren Bruce.

If anybody knows, he certainly ought to. Typifying what the massive gym in Canada Square o ers arren has a wea th of expertise, having competed at the highest levels as a sportsman. As a boxer he was a challenger for the IBO Welterweight World Title and is a former British kickboxing champion and county champion long jumper.

But he’s also spent nearly 20 years helping gym-goers achieve their own aims.

“I actually started working here when it opened in 2002 as Reebok Sports Club,” said Darren. “I was being sponsored by a construction company at the time – I’d go to work for half a day and then box at a gym in south London.

“I’d had lots of breaks in my career but I’d decided I needed to think about doing something else, so I saw the marketing suite for the gym and went to see what it was all about.

“I already had a personal training a ification t they said they didn’t need trainers at that time so I started out taking boxing classes. That was pretty much brand new to me but I ended up having the busiest class at the club – that was my foot in the door.”

Two years later Darren got a job as a personal trainer after another mem er of sta left and has never looked back. t first ma in the transition from athlete to trainer was awkward – I’d trained at the highest level, so I realised I needed

to gear things down, but in no time at all I got it,” he said.

“Personal training is about getting that relationship with the client right, getting them to believe in you and knowing your craft.

“I’ve worked beside some really great coaches over the years so I stuck close to a couple of those guys, learnt from them and studied.

“My skills developed from there and they’re still developing – I’m always trying to evolve what I do, but I’ve stuck to my principles since starting personal training in 2004, and I still use the same approach. afe e ercise is first and foremost. You don’t want to injure your client – it’s a bad experience for them and they’re not going to come back.

“Then, everything is about sound movement patterns. Many people who come to me have desk-bound jobs and the best thing is to get them moving.

“If I can make them feel that they are moving better and they’re getting stronger, then they’ll keep coming back and progressing – I sti have the first c ient that came to me at this gym and she’s fantastic.”

Everything starts with a thorough assessment before Darren creates a bespoke series of exercises. he first time someone comes to me, we’ll do an evaluation,” he said. “I’ll ask them what their goals are, what their previous training history is like and whether they have any injuries.

“From that process, I will go about devising a programme that’s dependent on that client’s goals and what they need to achieve them. Then we’ll work through it together.

“I think people should aim to train for a minimum of twice a week with a personal trainer helping them.

“People shouldn’t make the mistake of thinking they can do this on their own. Our personal trainin c ients at hird ace find they can get an extra 10% out of themselves with a coach.

“People generally don’t know how to improve themselves – that’s why we’re here to coach continued on Page 12

“

Personal training is about getting that relationship with the client right, getting them to believe in you and knowing your craft Darren Bruce, Third Space

Darren Bruce has 30 years of sporting achievements under his belt and uses his skills to help gym-goers get what they want from their workouts

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

GATEHOUSE SCHOOL Gatehouse School

Awarded “Excellent in all areas” ISI inspection 2021 Awarded “Excellent in all areas” ISI inspection 2021

U P P E R J U N I O RS

O P E N DAY Friday 11th February 2022 9.30 am to 11.00 am

YEAR 3 TO 6 FOR SEPTEMBER 2022

To book your place, please call 0208 709 5223 or email admissions@gatehouseschool.co.uk www.gatehouseschool.co.uk

12

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

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

15

Professional wins in the ring for Darren Bruce over the course of 22 bouts

from Page 11 them in those movements.

That’s important for safety too – if someone wants to do a high impact class they’re much better o seein a trainer first eca se their movement patterns might be pretty poor and that’s something we can work on. That’s why it’s best to see a trainer more than once a week as progress is faster.”

As a trainer, Darren is able to draw on the countless hours of expert coaching he’s received over the years.

“Discipline is the most important thing,” he said. “You have to learn to focus and realise that progress doesn’t come overnight.

“When it comes to coaching boxing we can do the drills I used to do, but just spend less time on them so the client is always learning and progressing.

“Obviously it’s great when you have c ients who want that s ecific combat expertise – if people want to spar we can do that in the ring here in a safe manner because I’m a professional. That’s one of the things that sets me apart because

Darren says training as a professional boxer taught him the importance of discipline and that progress doesn’t come overnight – both lessons he passes on to his personal training clients at Third Space

it’s not an easy thing to do. But the discipline of training for boxing is a so reat for enera fitness “The great thing about Third Space is there is so much of it – so much room – and the facilities are first c ass here s no waitin around, even at peak times, and it has everything you need.” ● Membership of Third Space Canary Wharf costs £180 on a rolling monthly contract. Personal training rates at the club are available on request, with a discount for new members on their first two sessions ro wide membership for all clubs including City and Tower Bridge costs £210 per month. New members get two guest passes, a meal or shake at at ra itness ood 5 o their first treatment at the anary harf spa and an ongoing discount of 5% as standard.

Go to thirdspace.london

Scan this code to find our more about Third Space in Canary Wharf

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

33

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

2

Courses running at The Albany in Deptford covering technical skills and live event production

what’s on

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

The Albany Deptford

GIG | Tomorrows Warriors: Loucin Hear music from the London-based vocalist and songwriter whose music grows from the roots of Erykah Badu, Cleo Sol and Jill Scott.

Feb 13, 7pm, pay as thou wilt, thealbany.org.uk Where?

Where indeed?

Deptford

career

HELP | Find A Home For Deptford Cinema Having left its home at Deptford Broadway due to the pandemic, the cinema is searching for new premises. Get in touch if you’re able to help.

Ongoing, deptfordcinema.org

Whether it’s the intricacies of designing lighting and sound for a performance or producing the whole thing, The Albany in Deptford is seeking young people with an interest in backstage roles

Where?

Brunel Museum Rotherhithe

turn passion into a

how The Albany has put two courses and a day-long workshop together to get people into arts production

by Jon Massey

A

double bill of training courses is set to run at The Albany in February and March, aimed at young people who want to break into a career behind-the-scenes in the arts.

Aimed at those aged 16-30, Lights, Sound, Skills And Knowledge will run alongside Producing Live Events with sessions running on Monday evenings from 5.30pm-8pm.

The courses are free, although those who sign up should be able

to attend on all dates, starting February 14.

The technical course will be run by industry professionals and covers all aspects of lighting and sound.

The production course is intended to give participants all the skills necessary to become a producer of live arts events.

Topics covered will include music festivals, theatre productions, art gallery openings, concerts and gigs.

Both courses are billed as possibly leading to opportunities for paid work at The Albany and as a way to connect with Lewisham’s year as the Mayor

Of London’s Borough Of Culture 2022.

Participants may also be interested in the Technical Takeover – a hands-on workshop at The Albany which has been postponed due to the pandemic.

When it takes place later this year it wi o er yo n eo e a chance to explore backstage work at the theatre over a period of seven hours.

Scan this code for more information on The Albany

KIDS | Picture The City Meet the people who changed the face of the Thames and learn to master the arts by creating a watercolour wonder (like Marc Brunel).

Feb 14-18, from 1.30pm, £10, thebrunelmuseum.com

flash back

Back in the New Year and trading again – we can’t recommend Sharkbait ‘n’ Swim at Deptford Market Yard highly enough. Superb seafood, great vegan dishes and a strong performance from the open kitchen @sharkbaitandswim on Insta Scan this code to read our interview with chef Steve McClarty online at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

34

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey what’s on

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

Poplar Union Poplar

EXERCISE | Vinyasa Flow Yoga Join teacher Sarah Anderson for this class that will introduce attendees to the fundamentals of Yoga and how to activate the body in its poses.

Mondays, 7.45pm, £5, poplarunion.com Where?

The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Room Adapted from Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own, this production promises a witty, relevant and provocative interrogation of injustice.

Feb 8-12, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk Where?

The Space Isle Of Dogs

LAUNCH | Spring Season 2022 Catch cold water swimmers, suffragettes and a sinking island at this preview event for productions set for performance between February and June.

Feb 3, 7pm, free, space.org.uk

flash back

The East End Community Foundation has launched its Life Chances Campaign, aimed at distributing £5million to local charities and groups. Chair Bronek Masojada is laser focused on making it a success eastendcf.org Scan this code to read our interview with Bronek at wharf-life.com and find out more about EECF’s work want more? @wharflifelive

T

here’s a moment during my interview with Giles Barrett and Dave Holmes when the waters of the Thames sweep into the mouth of the Lea and lift the entire venue we’re sat in, gently o the river ed t it s not the s t e nd ation of the i id eneath that these two are primarily interested in – they spend their days tuning into and capturing waves of sound created y a diverse stream of m sicians owin thro h the recordin st dio they r n Now moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf, i htshi 5 was ori ina y i t as a oatin i htho se art of a eet of simi ar y st rdy vesse s ca a e of ho din osition in a weathers Owner Ben Phillips, a producer and en ineer o ht her after she d left active service and conceived and undertook a two-year project to turn her into a recording studio – an alternative to the pressures and ncertainty of i din one on and e ran the siness until 2017, when Soup Studios relocated to the vesse from a e treet in imeho se In 2021 Soup moved ac onto dry and t Giles and Dave – two of its crew mem ers o ted to remain a oard launching their own partnership under the name Lightship95 and continuing to record d een r nnin small studios in London since 2005, when rad ated t the weird coincidence for me a o t this shi is that I could see it from where I grew up in Kent,” said Giles who takes the role of Lightship95’s studio mana er “It was working as a lightship on the Goodwin Sands and I could see it on the horizon pretty much every day, so it’s quite strange to

sound capturing that

how Lightship95 offers musicians high quality recording aboard a big red boat

e on it now he reason m here now is tied in with the reason that Ben decided to i d a st dio on the shi in the first ace ve i t and then een ic ed o t y entrification very ic y from a n m er of st dios in ondon over the ast years hat s what ha ens artists o in they i d somethin it s a nice i din and then the and ords rea ise it s time to raise the rent hat s di c t when yo re tryin to r n a st dio “Soup wasn’t kicked out of our last studios in a e treet t we never had any sec rity there eca se there was a yearly rolling lease, so yo re terrified of the and ords the who e time he rea y ood thin a o t Trinity Buoy Wharf is that it has written into its lease an o i ation to ma e a certain section of its income from cultural activities and that’s a rare thin in ondon Dave is Lightship95’s senior engineer and didn’t see the vessel growing up, on account of doing that in ew ea and He said: “I came over in 2011 after a couple of years ac ac in in Europe and SouthEast Asia and thought I would have a look around and see what was happening on the other side of the wor d “Initially I was freelancing, doin its and ieces for a o t a year, mostly at the Royal o e e f sic efore a

Left and above, the live room set up for a session and equipment at Lighship95

mutual contact put me in touch with i es in 5 hen started han in aro nd at o rin in my micro phones and other equipment over from ew ea and it y it “We worked hard to grow the st dio and the c ient ase and then we fo nd o t the shi was avai a e t was a it of a ris t o r c ients fo owed s so it aid o he andemic has een di erent to norma o vio s y t it has iven s the opportunity to refocus and get this siness the way we d ima ined it

W

ith a control room contained inside the ship’s former diesel tank, its live space occupying the former engine room and a voca ooth nest ed etween the two i htshi 5 o ers a wea th of e i e faci ities and e ertise to its c ients “The lion’s share of what we do, a art from ma in ood co ee is to allow people to forget what is normally invading their conscious minds and come and do what they’ve oo ed the ace to do said ave t s a o t oo in after o r re ation shi s with o r c ients eca se we want them to come ac t s o r o to nderstand what they’re trying to do, what their set-up is so we can arrange the live space in the est ossi e way “There are lots of little things – like the sounds of the instruments in the room, the sight lines and the monitoring so that when we take them into the control room and play it ac eo e say hat s what we re oo in for here s a h e amo nt of e erience and now ed e which is hard to rea down that oes into i din what that so nd is “But I quite like the idea that our clients aren’t really aware of that – we want them to focus on what they’re doin and not e worried a o t the technica st Giles added: “We make records in ots of di erent ways and one of the things that we do in a studio of this si e is to enco ra e who e ands to come and record to ether “Lots of records get made in a layered, computerised way – one instr ment at a time and that s fine t it s reat to enco ra e m sicians to come and play together to get that interaction that ive fee in

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

35

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

£350

Cost of 15 minutes of tape for Lightship95’s 1980s tape recorder

Giles Barrett, left, and Dave Holmes run recording studio Lighship95

on side di erent recordin set s i htshi 5 is e i ed with a ewi derin array of tech oth di ita and ana o e i es said rom a techno o ica oint of view this is the est time to e ma in m sic e ve one thro h the time when everyone ch c ed o t their ana o e ear ro ht in the di ita st and rea ised that a ot of it wasn t ood eno h t now we can ma e a record on st a ac ini and cha en e anyone to te whether it went thro h ana o e or di ita hen we sti have a the ana o e ear which we can se as creative ins iration and with tota e i i ity eca se it can e inte rated into a di ita environment ave added ome of o r microhones are years o d and we have a ta e machine from the s which was the innac e of ana o e he mi in oard is ana o e too the ast mode efore the com any went tota y di ita he ea ty of di ita is that it s s ch a c ean res t yo mi ht want a s sty e itar and yo can et an instr ment from that era se a micro hone that wi ive it that co o r and then di ita ca t re of that wi e erfect

Lightship 95 is moored at Trinity Buoy Wharf Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

Scan this code to find out more about Lightship95

Some of our microphones are 80 years old and we have a tape machine from the 1980s, which was the pinnacle of analogue Dave Holmes, Lightship95

t s a so the e i i ity of havin so many in ts and o t ts that means yo re never short of wor s ace the com ter ower is ridic o s hi e the e tensive so nd roofin revents anythin m ch ein heard o tside the oat itse f i htshi 5 has hosted a sorts of c ients many on the modern a scene as we as the i es of host oet i e inner and oots an va t s a rea y e citin time to have a st dio siness said ave e want the ace to e sed we ve een ite crafty in that we have a these thin s we i e to se t it s sti a orda e and that s im ortant his is o r ife as we ve rown o r c ients have rown at the same time and it s een rea y e citin to see the s ccesses of eo e we ve een wor in with for for many years i htshi 5 costs er day to hire with disco nts for oc oo in s ates inc de se of instr ments e i ment and an en ineer

36

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey what’s on

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

Wapping Secret Location

WALK | Wapping Ghost Exploration Dress warmly and expect plenty of chills on this spooky stroll around the narrow alleyways and over the ancient cobbles of Wapping.

Feb 14, 7pm, £10.50, designmynight.com Where?

Troxy Limehouse

CLUB | The Gardens Of Babylon Join Jan Blomqvist, Viken Arman, Amine K and Elif as the promoter takes over the east London venue for a day of music, dancing and spectacle.

Feb 12, 2pm, from £34.20, troxy.co.uk Where?

Brussels Wharf Wapping

SHOP | Wapping Docklands Market Returning for 2022 the sustainable local market is set to welcome vendors and customers back on Saturdays at its dockside location.

From Feb 5, 10am-4pm, free to visit, zeroomarkets.co.uk

flash back

The Sporting Club has relocated within Wapping to Garnet Street and boasts a lavishly kitted out gym perfect for its offering of coached exercise, whether that’s one-on-one sessions or classes thesportingclub.co Scan this code to read our interview owner Tim Keleher online at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

6

Years since Tom began performing his sing-a-long show at Wilton’s

T

om Carradine is adamant that he doesn’t have a cockney bone in his body.

But anyone who’s seen him levitate and click his heels, grinning from ear to ear couldn’t fail to doubt that more than a little East End magic courses through his lithe and dapper frame.

A singular individual, clad in sharp vintage clothes, he’s a man perfectly suited to the niche he inhabits – showman, entertainer, crowd pleaser.

More than that, he’s an education, a smuggler of facts in with the bonhomie, such that audiences attending Carradine’s Cockney SingA-Long, will leave having absorbed a smattering of knowledge A regular Thursday night performer at Mr Fogg’s Tavern in Covent Garden, he’s a regular name at venues across east London and is celebrating six years of sell-out shows at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping with gigs on January 20, 22 and February 8. It all started, of course, with biochemistry.

“I was born in Coventry, in the Midlands, and grew up there,” said Tom. “To cut a very long story short, I was told by the careers advisors not to be an actor or a musician and that I needed to get a proper job.

“I’d always been fascinated by London – I’d pored over maps of it as a kid and knew the Tube lines inside out. My mum and dad had trained at the teacher training college in Roehampton, so I was always fascinated by the history of the city – its ghost stories and all that kind of st e d o a co e of times a year to see shows and I’d always wanted to live there since I was tiny.

“I ended up doing a biochemistry degree at Imperial College London, that’s when I moved to the city.”

It was while at university Tom realised music had a bigger pull for him than test tubes and Bunsen burners. Having always played piano, he became involved with the student operatic society.

“I met West End musicians that way and gradually I was being asked to play for things like cabaret concerts, auditions and rehearsa s he said finished o my degree as joint honours with

“

The show was lots of different things coming together. There was my love for London and oldtime music and developing my own vintage style Tom Carradine, performer

business studies and then spent time doing fringe theatre and touring as the keyboard player in shows such as Blood Brothers – living out of a suitcase for about eight years. Then I decided to hang up my touring shoes and was playing a bit for Les Miserables in the West End. While I was doing that, I was introduced to the London cabaret scene.

“Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-Long was ots of di erent thin s comin together. There was my love and fascination for London and old-time music. Even though there are no Cockneys in my family, I was involved with Scout gang shows back in Coventry growing up and through

that I learnt a lot of music hall and wartime songs. Then on the London cabaret circuit and the vintage scene I was starting to develop my own vintage style. I discovered as an adult you can do what you want and wear what you want.

“I was playing with a 1920s-30s band called Champagne Charlie And The Bubbly Boys. We were playing at a vintage festival in Bedford – actually ased at the airfie d where and eader enn i er too o from on his ast i ht when his ane crashed and he was lost.

“After the show we ended up in an old Nissen hut, which was a pub, with a battered old piano. Half the keys weren’t working and it was completely out of tune.

“But my friend Dusty Limits, who was hosting one of the stages, tipped

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

37

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

Tom leaps into the air outside Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping where he is set to perform in January and February Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

how Tom Carradine is celebrating six years of good old Cockney knees-ups at Wilton’s with another few

songs singing the

in fine style

me the wink and said: ‘Play some of the old songs’. So I did My Old Man Said Follow The Van and Knees Up Mother Brown – all the songs I knew from childhood and took requests.

The pints kept coming and I kept playing. Then we did the same the night after. I didn’t really think about it again until we went back the following year and people saw us on the way and asked if we were doing the sing-a-long again. The rest is history. Now I make a full-time living pushing around my mobile piano – Kimberley – and driving my van all over the country.”

Ticket holders for Tom’s shows can expect a blistering array of sing-along classics from British and, often American, pens including tunes so well known over this side of the pond many assume them to be native.

“It’s a good old-fashioned knees-up,” said Tom, who these days operates from a base in Tonbridge.

“It’s my job to whip the crowd up and then we’ll go through maybe 200 songs you never knew you knew. The lyrics are projected on the back wall and it’s all about audience participation – bringing back those memories with tunes people haven’t heard for years.

“It’s fast-paced – there are medleys – and you can buy a ticket for anywhere in the theatre, but I get to be in the best seat in the house, which is right in the middle of everyone when they sing.

“As much as anything the show is exploration and education as well as entertainment.

“I like to try and link things together in medley – for example, last time I was at Wilton’s I did one based on tramps with Burlington Bertie From Bow – about a man dressed above his station in ife as an er c ass to – echoed by Ralph McTell’s Streets Of London with the old man in the closed down market. m a firm e iever that son s from the 1890s to the 1950s need to be performed and shouldn’t sit as dusty old sheet music whether it’s the better known ones or the others.

“People will know Daisy, Daisy and I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles, the latter written in America. But will they know The Postman’s Holiday or It’s a Great Big Shame? Unless we sing them and pass them along, they’re just going to die out.”

Audiences can also expect to be delighted by Tom’s wardrobe as well as his moustache.

He said: “When you have facial furniture like this, it’s hard to wear anything but vintage. It’s very rare I’m ever seen outside the house without a collar and tie on, even when I’m putting the bins out.

“I completely appreciate vintage purists, but I mix and match if only so the really precious pieces get a longer life. For this shoot my trousers are 1950s, the spats are modern but to an Edwardian pattern, the waistcoat is 1960s and the jacket is 1920.

“The collar and shirt are new – thankfully there are companies that still make these kinds of clothes. I wear clothes that make me feel good.”

Performances at Wilton’s start at 7.30pm with tickets from £9-£18.

Audience members should bring a pair of lungs and expect to work them enthusiastically.

Go to carradinescockneysingalong.co.uk

Scan this code for more information about Tom’s shows at Wilton’s

38

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

take a breath

by David Lefebvre Sell

cook it

banana skin curry While most of Tescha’s recipes remain secret, she’s happy to help people cut down on waste by sharing this one – perfect for using up that unwanted peel...

how Tescha Joy has created a street food business that blends Caribbean flavours with a host of vegan ingredients

by Jon Massey

Go easy, January is the Monday of the year

I

was speaking with someone recently about the general blues that can affect so many people at this time of year. We came to the conclusion that January (and probably February too) is basically the Monday of the year. It seems strange then that New Year’s resolutions are even a thing.

I’m sure some people wake up at the start of the week and can’t wait to smash their goals, annihilate their intentions and brutally murder their to-do lists – but we can all agree they’re weird. For most of us, self improvement of any kind is a bit of an uphill battle against our own habits and it becomes even harder when we are hovering too close to burnout.

The most popular flavour of burnout these days is emotional burnout. This occurs when we are kept in a constant state of sadness or anxiety without resolution for too long. It’s no wonder so many people would For most of us, self like to pretend the improvement of any pandemic is over.

They are perhaps kind is a bit of an uphill responding to their own need to move on battle against our own emotionally. habits – even harder It’s somewhat ironic that a personal close to burnout situation that demands David Lefebvre Sell change can also make change more difficult, but the very nature of chronic stress means we are much more reactive and less able to adapt. The fight or flight response is, after all, about automatically reacting to things.

When we’re under such stress, we are much more likely to fall back on avoidance and tried and tested self-soothing behaviours like eating, drinking and inviting a hundred (or so) friends around to a garden party.

Such behaviour is perfectly understandable from a psychological perspective, but less helpful if you’re trying to get six pack abs or, say, convince the public that you aren’t a lying, privileged, haunted haystack of a man. My point is, go easy on yourself. Discipline should always be tempered with self compassion.

David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf Follow @davetheyogi on Twitter and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist

Ingredients (serves three-four) 4-5 large ripe banana skins 1 cup peeled, diced potato 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp curry powder 1 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp fennel seeds 1/4 tsp cumin seed 2 cardamom pods 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp ground coriander 1/3 tsp chopped scotch bonnet chilli pepper (optional) 3 tbsp vegetable oil 1 large onion finely (chopped) 1 tbsp fresh thyme (chopped) 1 tbs curry leaves (optional) 2 tbsp fresh coriander (chopped) 1 cup water 1/2 cup coconut milk Method Thoroughly wash the banana skins, remove the rigid woody end at the top and dark spot at the end.

Add lemon juice to the skins to stop them going dark while chopping (they will still be edible, even if this happens, so don’t worry).

Use a spoon to scrape out the inner lining and discard the scrapings. Depending on your preference, finely or roughly chop the skins. Then add the diced potato to them and combine with salt, curry powder and turmeric.

In a pestle and mortar, place the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pod, garlic, ground coriander and chilli. Grind into a paste. Add the paste to the banana skins and potatoes and mix in well.

Add chilli here if preferred for a spicier dish.

Add the oil to a frying pan, heat and turn down. Add the chopped onion and stir until softened and then tip in the chopped banana skin mix. Increase the heat and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, water, thyme, curry leaves and fresh coriander to the pan. Cover and leave to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add an extra 1/4 cup of water if you prefer a more moist curry.

Remove from heat once the banana skins and potatoes are soft. Serve with rice of your choice, a flatbread or on a bed of salad.

Tescha Joy

T

aste and waste is what Tescha Joy is all about.

Driven by a desire to create sustainable, eco-friendly, avo rf food she created Joy’s Caribbean Fusion – a street food brand that had its debut at Bexley’s Wasteless Market two-and-a-half years ago.

Since then she’s gone on to establish herself at RARE Farmers Market at Royal Arsenal Riverside and recently started a residency every Thursday from noon-8pm, at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke Village, just by the station.

Her food is vegan and contains only plant-based ingredients, cooked with Caribbean spices to create dishes that attract longer queues at the markets she serves than stalls selling meat. And it all started with some banana skins.

“I’m a public health nurse and work three days a week in the NHS,” said escha y first dish was anana skin curry – I was at work one day and everyone was throwing away their banana skins and I asked them to give them to me instead.

“I hate waste so I took those skins and created a dish with them. There’s ots of iron fi re and many other nutrients in them. The whole point of the dish was that I wanted to show people that you don’t have to throw away certain ingredients.

“I showed you can create a nice meal from them and that’s where I got the idea for the business – it’s the dish I took to the Wasteless Market and it’s the only recipe I’m happy to share because I want people to recreate it at home. I want to have it printed in this paper so readers can use it rather than throw away their banana skins.

“We’d normally throw them away in the Caribbean too – people over there are amazed when I tell them.

“I’d decided to go vegan for environmental reasons – I think we eat too

Look for the blue and yellow: at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke

My first dish was banana skin curry – everyone was throwing them away and I asked them to give them to me instead Tescha Joy, Joy’s Caribbean Fusion

much meat in this country. I’m not anti-meat, but I think it’s important to cut down.

“Climate change is important to me because I want a better future for my children – I want them to grow up in a world where we waste less food.

“I know what it’s like to be hungry.

The majority of people in this country don’t know what that’s like and we need to cut the amount of food we throw away.

“I’ll literally make a dish from nothing – some potato peelings can be put in the oven with olive oil and you have some crisps.”

Tescha’s banana skin curry remains a firm favo rite on the men at Joy’s, joined by a host of core dishes intended to delight diners with both avo r and te t re She said: “Cooking is also my passion and it’s in my blood. My parents owned a restaurant in the Caribbean. I would have to just get changed after school and go and help whether I wanted to or not.

“My brother owns a restaurant in Catford and I have another brother who is in America and has a restaurant there. There’s a long family tradition of cooking, but I’m the only one who does vegan.

“Normally you’d have jerk chicken and jerk pork – quite meaty dishes. I wanted to e ore di erent ty es of food sin ari ean avo rs “Also, I think it’s good for my children to see that vegetables can be really tasty and it’s better for the planet.

“On the classic menu, I have chic ea c rry with at read it s really naughty because it’s deep fried – and that’s served with mango chutney, which I make from scratch before every market, tamarind sauce and pickled onion, red cabbage and cucumber.

“In the Caribbean we call it doubles because you get two smaller breads, but I do it as one large one, just to be a it di erent “We also do rice bowls with toppings of barbecue jerk mushroom, er tof and ca i ower ites

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

39

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

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

£6.50

Price of chickpea curry and flatbread or rice bowls at Joy’s – her combo bowl costs £8 “My best seller is the combination bowl where you get a bit of everything including the chickpea curry and the at read t a comes with the same toppings – the ch tney and the ic es “Then we do specials such as ve an fish which is made from jackfruit or banana blossom with plant-based marine ingredients to give it that fishy avo r “People can be a bit hesitant to try ve an dishes t once they do they usually come back and say they don’t need the meat catered for a weddin in December and the bride told me some of the guests thought they’d need to go to the local burger shop after they d eaten the food t she ca ed me back later and told me nobody had gone – they all were amazed at the texture of the dishes and the di erent avo rs ve i t a i fo owin in the areas where trade at in oo wich have a e e which is on er than the meat e e and thin eo e are ecomin more aware of veganism and meat-eaters are also cutting down and having ant ased food instead

N

food Nurse Tescha Joy launched a street food business after being inspired to create a dish from her colleagues’ discarded banana skins

doing good with

ew dishes undergo strict a ity contro from Tescha’s children who taste all of her dishes before they’re allowed to ma e it onto the sta Her ambition is to keep growing the business to the point where it can operate more widely and be her sole foc s m sti wor in as a n rse which is somethin ve een doin for years she said d ove to have oy s in m ti e ocations to train people up to run those stalls and serve the food t the moment my oa is to et a van so the business can be more mo i e “This really is my passion – it’s somethin want to deve o now make and sell my own sauces too – ca ed s and ri e “People kept coming and asking me for my recipes and my husband said: on t te them st t it in a ott e t comes in medi m hot and e tra hot hey re a ve an too and are ite di erent to a ot of sa ces out there because you can use them as a marinade a dressin and as a condiment t s not the hottest sa ce aro nd eca se m more into the avo r than the heat – customers can come down and try it Follow Joy’s Caribbean Fusion on Insta @joys_caribbean_fusion

Scan this code for more information about Joy’s Caribbean Fusion

what’s on

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

Indigo At The O2 Peninsula

GIG | Jazzu The Lithuanian singer, best known for her work in the field of electronica, takes over the tent’s smaller venue to present some of her solo work.

Feb 5, 6pm, from £33, theo2.co.uk Where?

Fireworks Factory Woolwich Works

COMEDY | Phil Wang Phil Wang headlines this evening of stand up, which also features the talents of Nick Helm, Ivo Graham and Sophie Duker with more to be announced.

Feb 12, 7.30pm, from £21.50, woolwich.works Where?

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Alarms And Excursions Greenwich Theatre picks Michael Frayn’s comic take on modern technology as its spring production – eight plays in one hilarious evening.

Feb 11-Mar 26, times vary, £11 greenwichtheatre.org.uk

flash back

This year sees Greenwich Cooperative Delivery Agency turn 40 and it’s set to spend the next 12 months celebrating the extensive work it does across the borough, not to mention opening an art gallery gcda.coop Scan this code to read our interview with Claire Pritchard who’s been at the helm for more than a decade want more? @wharflifelive

40

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory - Classified

PUBLIC NOTICES

find our advertisers’ messages here

LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS LICENSING ACT 2003 NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR A PREMISES LICENCE Notice is given that: ZERO0 UK LTD has applied to London Borough of Tower Hamlets Licensing Authority for a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003.

Third Space print Wrap online thirdspace.london

L&Q print Page 22 online lqgroup.org.uk

Kidd Rapinet Solicitors print Pages 1, 4, 7, 13 online kiddrapinet.co.uk

Legal & General print Page 23 online landgah.com

Rockar print Page 3 online rockar.com

Hamptons print Page 24, 25 online hamptons.co.uk

Gallio print Page 5 online gallio.uk

Galliard Homes print Page 32 online galliardhomes.com

Anyone who wishes to make representations regarding this application must give notice in writing to: The Licensing Section, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, John Onslow House, 1 Ewart Place, London, E3 5EQ. Website: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk Tel: 020 7364 5008. Representations must be received no later than 16/02/2022.

Creative Virtual print Page 9 online creativevirtual.com

Simon Bradford print Page 40 online handyman-services-london.co.uk

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

Gatehouse School print Page 11 online gatehouseschool.co.uk My London Home print Pages 13, 26, 27 online mylondonhome.com

Premises: Wapping Docklands Market, Brussels Wharf, Wapping Wall, Wapping, E1W 3SG. Licensable activities and timings are: Sale of alcohol and performance of live/recorded music every Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and additional days during summer and Christmas markets.

It is an offence under Section 158 of the Licensing Act 2003, knowingly or recklessly to make a false statement in connection with an application and the maximum fine for which a person is liable on summary conviction for the offence is up to level 5 on the standard scale (£5,000)

NU Living print Page 20 online nuliving.co.uk London Square print Page 21 online londonsquare.co.uk

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

IMPROVE YOUR HOME

Wharf Life is published by Massey Maddison Limited and printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2021 In regard to advertising material submitted by third parties and printed in Wharf Life, each individual advertiser is solely responsible for the content of such material Massey Maddison Limited accepts no responsibility for the content of advertising material, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

41

Royal Docks - Canning Town

714k

Number of passengers that used London City Airport in 2021, although 638,785 did so in the second half of the year

what’s on

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

Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | MCN London Motorcycle Show Discover all things two-wheeled and motorised as the Excel is taken over by a barrage of bikes plus a tribute to MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.

Feb 11-13, times vary, £19, excel.london Where?

Wonderful Things Canning Town

travel London City Airport, seen here in a shot from 2018, saw strong recovery in passenger numbers in the last half of 2021 and is predicting the trend will continue over the next 12 months

BODY | Wonderful Things Opening spring 2022, Wonderful Things is a Yoga studio with ambitions to grow into a space with meditation and workshops for all.

Ongoing, times vary, wonderfulthings.space Where?

Royal Docks Royal Docks

a return to

why London City Airport is expecting passengers to return in numbers as routes open up and restrictions ease

by Jon Massey

L

ondon City Airport is predicting pent up demand will fuel a surge in growth as it recovers from the e ects of the andemic A combination of new routes from airlines and the return of suspended destinations will see assen ers in y to more than three quarters of the destinations served re ovid in Its route to Milan, for example, which saw 275,000 travel through the airport to Italy in 2019 is set to be reinstated this year, while Barcelona will return to the departure

oard for the first time in near y a decade alongside new destination hessa oni i London City’s passenger numbers for 2021 were down 86% on 2019 but saw strong recovery in the latter half of the year as restrictions were ifted CEO Robert Sinclair said: “At the start of the pandemic we made a conscious decision to work with and support our airlines, as we recognised they were facing the same cha en es as we were Investing in these relationships in the hard times has facilitated what we believe will be a strong o nce ac ast year was to h however, we did see the emergence

WRITE | Scribers Hive This partnership between the Royal Docks Team and YouPress aims to give young people aged 16-30 the tools to express themselves. Creative souls apply.

Jan-Mar, youpress.org.uk

show case

of positive business travel trends, which we believe will continue in “While we are not out the woods yet, the signs from governments across Europe are that we are earnin to ive with ovid am optimistic restrictions that remain today will be eased and so we can return to the simple and a orda e ways of yin efore the andemic

Scan this code for more information about flying from London City

Royal Docks-based author and colour specialist Momtaz Begum-Hossain recently released her latest book Hello Rainbow: Finding Happiness In Colour, all about bringing vibrant hues into your everyday momtazbh.co.uk Scan this code to read Momtaz’s suggestions for incorporating colour into you life as 2022 begins want more? @wharflifelive

42

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

12

Episodes of teenage TV drama Secrets, Lies And Deceit that Dipo wrote after deciding to become a writer, age 15

by Jon Massey

O

n a chilly January morning, playwright, poet and filmmaker Dipo Baruwa-Etti stands on a boundary in Southwark. Two things are true. He is standing in front of a red wall.

He is standing in front of a blue wall. Neither statement tells the whole story, but neither is false.

To his right the property is painted a vibrant scarlet. To his left, an expanse of eggshell stretches away. He’s on a line between two places, two different ways of looking at the world.

His positioning is fortunate because his latest play – An Unfinished Man, set to run for a month at The Yard Theatre in Hackney Wick – is an attempt to explore how conflicting viewpoints can coexist and be equally valid, and his physical positioning in front of the camera is a convenient visual metaphor.

Audiences going to see his work may wish to reflect that the theatre is also close to a divide – the line between Tower Hamlets and Newham, the borough where Dipo was born and grew up, living first in North Woolwich and then in Stratford where he’s based today.

“The play is about a man called Kayode who’s been unemployed for seven years, and

Sometimes I believe Kayode is in a mental health situation and sometimes I believe it’s a curse. I don’t think you can ever fully know Dipo Baruwa-Etti, playwright

his mum and a pastor come in and tell him he was cursed as a child, and that’s why he’s unemployed, so they set about reversing the curse through a prayer ceremony,” said Dipo.

“His wife thinks he’s just going through a mental breakdown and that the ceremony is going to make it worse.

“So it becomes a clash between Western and West African views on his mental health and his situation and, in the middle is Kayode, who’s trying to find out what the truth is and what his path forward should be.

“I have Nigerian heritage and in Yoruba culture if there’s something wrong or not happening in your life, you pray or sometimes have dreams about it and I found that spirituality really interesting.

“I believe in it, but to what extent is there still truth in it? How much is it society and how much is it a spiritual battle?

“Everyone around Kayode has all these answers about what he should be doing and what he’s going through. I guess the question I’m asking is whether there’s a true answer when it comes to mental health, unemployment, faith, spirituality, visions and witchcraft in particular?

“That’s what prompted me when I spoke to Jay Miller (artistic director at The Yard) about the idea in 2018 and I’ve been working on it since then.”

An Unfinished Man was originally scheduled for performance in 2020, but the pandemic delayed things. On the morning we meet, Dipo tells me rehearsals, which are now in full swing at the Jerwood Space, should have started 665 days ago.

In the meantime however, he’s been busy, working as Channel 4 Playwright on attachment to the Almeida Theatre and, more recently, seeing his work The Sun, The Moon, And The Stars

Scan this code for more on the play An Unfinished Man Juju exists, spirits battle, and the witches and wizards of Lagos chant loudly in east London.

Written by Channel 4 playwright bursary winner Dipo BaruwaEtti, and directed by Taio Lawson.

Feb 12-Mar 12, times vary, from £13, theyardtheatre.co.uk

performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East in June last year.

Softly spoken, with a wellspring of considered, creative energy bubbling through him, he said he wasn’t one for detailed plot planning. I tend to go straight into the writing process – I don’t research around what I’m writing until after a first draft,” he said.

“For An Unfinished Man, what I did immediately was write something based on instinct, on who I knew these characters to be and the situation.

“Then, after that I started having conversations with people who are working on it with me, through a series of workshops with actors, bringing people in to talk about the idea, about the concept and the questions they may have. All those questions and thoughts continue to challenge my perspective on what I think the story is.

“Not many people read the first draft – just Jay at The Yard and two friends. I think now rehearsals have begun we’re on draft 12.

“So I’m constantly letting the story evolve, based on questions I’ve had and thoughts that people have given me.

“That might be

from comments that actors have made even if they don’t know they’re making them, if it triggers me to have a new thought.

“Because there has been this two-year gap, we’ve had the chance to interrogate and live with the material for a bit longer than usual.

“Mostly in this case that’s about making cuts – we’re in a good place with it. The play hasn’t changed that much since 2020, but it’s got tighter and tighter and that’s been great.”

Dipo is prolific, regularly working on multiple projects at once. As a writer-director his film The Last Days (BFI Network/BBC/ Tannahill Productions) starring Adjoa Andoh and Amarah-Jae St. Aubyn had its UK premiere in August and he has projects in devel-

truths telling the

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

43

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

opment with Blueprint Pictures, ITV Studios and Duck Soup Films.

“There was one day when I said I was going to be a writer, – my mum asked: ‘Why?’.” he said. “I was 15, I hadn’t written anything, but I loved reading stuff and watching TV and films, although I hadn’t seen that much.

“But that’s what I said I was going to do. I was part of a drama club in secondary school, so I was always aligned with creative theatre, but I performed in stuff rather than wrote it, because you don’t really do that then.

“The first thing I wrote was a TV script. I got my mum to buy me a bunch of screenwriting books, read them all and then

how playwright Dipo Baruwa-Etti aims to give audiences plenty to think about with his latest production – An Unfinished Man work seen through sending it out, submitting pieces to competitions. But I’ve also done lots of behind-thescenes work in theatres and TV where I got to know people and took their advice. It’s often really about who you end up knowing and who can help you.

“If you’re writing by yourself without anyone challenging you or questioning what you’re doing, then it’s really hard to improve.”

While Dipo is engaged in many different kinds of writing, he’s especially drawn to the stage.

“What’s exciting is that live interaction with the audience – making them feel part of the narrative,” he said.

“That’s so important to me – that they are suspending their disbelief in such an interesting way and how you can play with the form.

“While I was interested in film before theatre, I’ve realised that plays are the medium at its purest and you don’t have to fit the conventions in the same way.

“I only ever write for myself – it’s an outlet – so if a play doesn’t happen it doesn’t really upset me. It’s not important whether someone sees it or not.

“But when an actor says the words I’ve written, it changes.

It becomes something bigger, something I want an Dipo grew up in North audience to see, Woolwich before moving to more than just Stratford where he now lives words I wrote12 episodes of a show, called Secrets, Lies And Deceit – a drama, set in London, about a group of teenagers.

“My first five years of writing was really training – no-one ever saw the scripts. I wrote maybe 50 in that time because I just wanted to learn how to do it. That’s when I started writing plays, five years after deciding to become a writer.

“I actually went through and deleted all of the scripts I wrote as a teenager last year – although I have a record of the titles – because I don’t want anyone to ever see them. I think they’re just terrible.

“For anyone who’s considering becoming a writer, the only advice I have is to find stories you’re actually interested in telling because the path is really hard. I got my

I’ve put on a page. It feels like a story that’s important to the room and the people who are listening to it.

“Actors bring my work to life and they put their own interpretation on it.

It becomes something physical and that’s when I want people to see it.

“With An Unfinished Man, we did the first workshop in May 2019 and one of the actors said to me that the play made them want to start a conversation about the themes and questions it raises.

“That’s the response I want. I hope people watching the play will start to think about the ideas – in this case about explorations of faith and spirituality alongside mental health and depression.

“For me it’s about people having those conversations, particularly among the black community, saying: ‘This is what I believe – can our beliefs align? Are we going to be on the same page?’. It’s about the interrogation of those questions. Sometimes I believe Kayode is in a mental health situation and sometimes I believe it’s a curse.

“I don’t think you can ever fully know and that’s what’s interesting.

Both explanations are true. I’m not trying to give answers and I never want people to think that the writer’s view is the right one.

“It’s about what the audience thinks and however they respond to the play.

“What’s important to me is to keep making the work that I want to make, that’s truthful to my voice. I’m not too fixed on what I want to create, but I do want to be proud of the body of work.”

For more info go to dipobaruwaetti.co.uk

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

what’s on

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

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

STAGE | After The End Dennis Kelly takes an acidic look at what it takes to survive an apocalypse. Work colleagues Mark and Louise attempt just that after a nuclear blast.

Feb 25-Mar 26, times vary, from £10, stratfordeast.com Where?

Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

FILM | Belle Mamoru Hosoda’s film follows high school student Suzu as she is increasingly drawn into a virtual world where she is a singing megastar.

Feb 16-17, times vary, £7.50, picturehouses.com Where?

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stratford

RUN | Chase The Moon 5k And 10k Pick a distance and run in the dark at this event that features routes through the park, post race goodies and chip timing for participants.

Feb 16, 7pm, £24, runthrough.co.uk

eat out

In times of confusion and disquiet, seek solace in familiar things. Caffe Concerto at Westfield Stratford City offers a bite or two of refinement with its chandeliers, uniformed waiting staff and continental cuisine caffeconcerto.co.uk Scan this code to find out more about Caffe Concerto and its 102 years of history as a brand want more? @wharflifelive

44

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Medium

8 9 4 6 5

9 5

Previous solution - Very Hard

7 2 6 1 9 3 4 5 8 Sudoku 1 a5break 8 from 4 2 that 6 phone 3 9 7 Take 4 3 9 7 5 8 1 6 2 How 5 to4 play 1 8 6 2 9 7 3 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 2 such 3 that 7 4each 5 row, 1 6column and 3x3 box one9to8nine contains every number uniquely.

6 7 3 5 1 9 8 2 4 7 strategies, 2 4 1 hints 6 and 8 5tips online You3can9find at sudokuwiki.org 2 6 4 9 8 5 7 3 1 8 to 1 play 5 6 3 7 2 4 9 More

1 3

5

9 2 1 6

7 3 5

No. 1395 that each row, column and 3x3 box

4 7

1

9 2 1 3 8 6

8

contains every number uniquely.

Notes © 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

3

SUDOKU

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

9

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

8 9 4 6 5

5

If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

beating the 3 7

1

9

Across

Down

7.

1.

8.

10.

11.

12.

13.

17.

18.

22.

23.

24.

25.

7 3 5

2 5 3 4 8 7 9 6 1

6 8 9 1 2 3 7 4 5

1 4 7 8 3 5 2 9 6

9 2 5 6 7 1 4 8 3

3 6 8 2 4 9 1 5 7

4 3 1 9 5 8 6 7 2

5 9 6 7 1 2 8 3 4

8 7 2 3 6 4 5 1 9

To complete Sudoku, fill the board

by entering numbers 1 to 9 such whether you’re each row, column and 3x3 box 4 that containssleuth every number cryptic oruniquely.

9 synonym For many strategies, solverhints inand tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org it for quick wins, 8 If you like Sudoku you’ll really like and oursatisfy other puzzles, Apps this ‘Str8ts’ should

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic

Mrs Sharples and a Spice Girl paint together (6) Name of a baby bear (6) The confused goddess cannot mask hilarity (7) See 9 Opportune sewing avoids this (4) A sort of poet enjoys the ice (5) Solve the other puzzle before you can say this (5) Find a space and tie up (4) Handel had one (5) Give them to Murgatroyd! (7) Stay by the seaside, sort of (6) Employ rearranged rubbish to make a work of art (6)

2 1 3 8 6

7 1 4 5 9 6 3 2 8

3

5

2 1 6

Jan5-19 Previous solution - Very Hard

1

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

last issue’s solution

Medium

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

No. 1395

and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Quick Across 7.

8.

10.

11.

12.

13.

17.

18.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Refuse to set out parts of a noun (7) 2. Almost missing a monarch (7) 3. Allow him to forget the river (5) 4. Support anger as a means of verification (7) 5. Pooh mis-labels his jar (5) 6. Bathsheba, the queen, finds a way to wash (5) 9 & 11 across. Best choice of grape (4,2,3,5) 14. Loosen a lace and come to a bad end (7) 15. Woods where the D’Urberville girl lived? (7) 16. Had an accident and stayed the night (7) 19. Says nothing about seafood (5) 20. French brother Jack (5) 21. Savour culture (5)

Made fast (6) Mechanical controls (6) Handled (7) Ancient language (5) Period (4) From when (5) Mark (5) Nil (4) Short poem (5) Closest (7) Royal residence (6) Winter sport course (3,3)

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

9.

14.

15.

16.

19.

20.

21.

Weather (7) Stage setting (7) Overhang (5) Ignore (7) Slow (in music) 5) Deploying (5) Sums (9) Stem (7) Thin layers (7) Happy (7) Buys (5) They are alive! (5) Corrects (5)

Set by Everden

Across: 7 Enamel; 8 Ursula; 10 Lakshmi; 11 (9 down); 12 Nine; 13 Skate; 17 Knife; 18 Moor; 22 Largo; 23 Heavens; 24 Marine; 25 Statue.

Down: 1 Decline; 2 Lacking; 3 Lethe; 4 Probate; 5 Hunny; 6 Bathe; 9 Pick of the bunch; 14 Undoing; 15 Forests; 16 Crashed; 19 Clams; 20 Frere; 21 Taste.

Cryptic Solution Across: 7 Locked; 8 Levers; 10 Managed; 11 Latin; 12 Term; 13 Since; 17 Stain; 18 Zero; 22 Haiku; 23 Nearest; 24 Palace; 25 Ski Run. Down: 1 Climate; 2 Scenery; 3 Ledge; 4 Neglect; 5 Lento; 6 Using; 9 Additions; 14 Staunch; 15 Veneers; 16 Content; 19 Shops; 20 Hills; 21 Marks.

Quick Solution

Notes

find Wharf Life inside this special cover

Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

J O I N T O DAY W I T H NO JOINING FEE

01/12/2021 16:58

SPECIAL COVER

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

UNLIMITED ACCESS TO OVER 350 CLASSES PER WEEK LONDON’S LARGEST M U LT I - P U R P O S E T R A I N I N G S P A C E S TAT E O F T H E A R T C O M B AT A R E A 1 3 M H I G H C L I M B I N G WA L L THE UK’S LARGEST F R E E W E I G H T S PAC E

S TA R T TO DAY CA N A DA P L AC E , L O N D O N , E 1 4 5 E R | T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

THI1084_CW_Newspaper Wrap_artwork_211201.indd 3-4

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

SPECIAL COVER

UNLIMITED ACCESS TO OVER 350 CLASSES PER WEEK LONDON’S LARGEST M U LT I - P U R P O S E T R A I N I N G S P A C E S TAT E O F T H E A R T C O M B AT A R E A 1 3 M H I G H C L I M B I N G WA L L THE UK’S LARGEST F R E E W E I G H T S PAC E

S TA R T TO DAY CA N A DA P L AC E , L O N D O N , E 1 4 5 E R | T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

01/12/2021 16:58

SPECIAL COVER

Wharf Life Jan 19-Feb 2, 2022 wharf-life.com

S TA R T TO DAY CA N A DA P L AC E , L O N D O N , E 1 4 5 E R | T H I R D S PAC E . L O N D O N

THI1084_CW_Newspaper Wrap_artwork_211201.indd 1-2