Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4

+ Why you need a cup of Pamban faluda in your life Page 4

Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

inside issue 36

Camille Walala - Wanyoo - Wolford Live At Limehouse - Bob Weston - Sudoku London Square - Tailor & Forge - Excel National Maritime Museum - Little Faith Tim Patrick - Crossword

theatre for the new normal

we talk bubbled casts, virtual reality and masks with ThickSkin as they bring Petrichor to life online and live at Stratford East - Page 38 celebrating the best of Canary Wharf, Docklands and the new east London people - events - treasure - property - foolishness

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Subscribe to ou fortnightly newsle r to be in with a ch tter ance of winning Hiver beer for a year Page 6

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

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read

fortnightly find

this issue’s Tiger Treasure

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Museum Of London Docklands West India Quay

feast your eyes on these

Tiger may have missed a trick here. This delicious looking drumstick is being marketed as an amusement for ravenous domestic animals. Surely, given the precarious nature of Christmas plans its sales execs need to pivot. Voila, I give you the Festive Stress Reliever. Whenever your thoughts turn to the complexities of seasonal arrangements or the sadness of perhaps missing out on a juicy leg this year, have a good old gnaw on this Pet Chew Toy, £1 Go to uk.flyingtiger.com

MAKE | Brilliant Bronze: A Jewellery Masterclass Learn about lost wax casting – a technique that dates back to the Bronze Age – and make your own ring over two days with Fable Jewellery.

Nov 14, £160, museumoflondon.org.uk

masking up

Where?

Bank Street Park Canary Wharf

Lace Mask

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A chance to win beer for a whole year from craft brewery Hiver

Wolford, £30

LAST CHANCE | Minigolf Wharfers have until the end of October to best this year’s course and, with some bright autumn weather coming, there’s no reason not to.

Until Oct 30, noon-6pm, free, canarywharf.com Where?

Reuters Plaza Canary Wharf

DRINK | Bar Bolivar Cuban drinks, Venezuelan street food – what’s not to like? This new joint has popped up in a prime location offering rum and plantain chips aplenty.

Open daily, barbolivar.co.uk

hot deals

Get a little more for your money on the Canary Wharf estate with many businesses offering between 10% and 25% discounts.

Our favourite has to be 50% off bottles of Prosecco at The Grandstand Bar canarywharfoffers.com Scan this code to access a range of offers and promotions across the Canary Wharf estate want more? @wharflifelive

I’m in love. I think I would wear this even if it wasn’t a legal requirement.

It’s an intricate little thing, reversible, with a beautiful lace flower design for special evenings out and a black side for a more subdued look.

It’s so silky and beautiful, I keep getting it out and touching it before I’ve even worn it, like it’s a piece of jewellery.

On the night of its test drive, just before leaving the house, I quickly see what it looks like with the rest of my outfit – something I’ve not done with a mask before.

Wearing it is pure romance. I’m at a masquerade ball, dancing all night before stealing a moment with my lover to breathlessly remove our face coverings, I’m the crafty highway robber whose identity remains a mystery or the phantom of the opera concealing a terrible scar (or, a pimple). All the world’s my stage.

So I’m a little bit surprised nobody cares as I unmask myself in the restaurant. My companion – excused as he has seen my face before – seems similarly underwhelmed. I suppose everyone’s either over the mystery of the mask or embroiled in their own fantasies. But this covering, available in Jubilee Place, offers more scope for imagination than most.

Go to wolfordshop.co.uk Mary Tadpole

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our verdicts

mouth-tested for a day Style ★★★★★ Covid-security ★★★★✩ Practicality ★★★★✩ Value ★★★★✩ Star ratings are Wharf Life’s opinion and are in no way robust or scientific

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How esports has been brought to the Wharf by Wanyoo in fine style

Camille Walala talks colour and architecture on Adams Plaza Bridge

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

get in touch

correct us

Editorial email stories@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300 Advertising email advertising@wharf-life.com call 07944 000 144

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

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

need to know

20%

French baker Paul is set to get a new Gallic neighbour in Cabot Place – Cojean is expected to open this month offering Wharfers the likes of bacon and comte scrambled eggs and vegetable bourguignon. It donates 10% of profits to charity cojean.uk

12

Get 20% off selected colour services at Jon Hala in Jubilee Place until Dec 31.

Simply quote code JHDM20 when booking.

Naturally, terms apply jonhala.com

32

Building a comedy scene at The Star Of The East in Limehouse

If you’d rather get your nourishment internally, prepare to get hooked up at Get A Drip in Cabot Place.

Scheduled to arrive in December, the brand offers vitamins straight into your blood and booster shots. Pick from 22 treatments getadrip.co.uk

Finding a Little Faith in a taproom in Deptford’s Creekside

£10

30

How artist Tim Patrick is immersing himself in life at Trinity Buoy Wharf, chatting to passers-by and creating work in the small hours of his residency, boosted by Radio 4

Off your appointment at Adam Grooming Atelier in Cabot Place.

Offer applies to new customers booking using code CW10 before Nov 15. Terms apply adamgroomingatelier.com

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

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

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Canary Wharf

write me

book it

words you don’t know you need

gussed

verb, fake, from High German To get caught between two clear paths, such as opting for a circuit-breaker lockdown or not, through indecision or dithering.

From the uncomfortable feeling of a foot catching on the gusset that divides two trouser legs

“

This wildly exciting story is full of humour and is bound to leave the reader in suspense – pure adventure Thoiba Choudhury, Waterstones

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

ravelin

ON

noun, real, from Italian A triangular fortification located in front of a fortress intended to divide an assaulting force enabling the defenders inside the ravelin to fire upon their enemies.

An ideal tactic when tackling those vulnerable to splits

The Explorer Katherine Rundell paperback, £6.99 published by Bloomsbury

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

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

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

T

he Explorer by Katherine Rundell is a real page-turner – a beautifully written and captivating adventure story for children.

Growing up in Zimbabwe heavily influenced Rundell’s decision to explore an exotic location within her writing – in this case the Amazon rainforest.

Each character has a different function. We come across practical Fred, sharpwitted Con, caring and reserved Lila and Max, Lila’s younger brother.

Themes of friendship, human nature, love, loss and survival run throughout the book.

Fred, Con, Lila and Max journey to Manaus using little Max’s plane, which, all of a sudden falls from the sky.

From the beginning, it is clear to see how the characters have strikingly different personalities

but learn to manage and survive.

Lost and confused they use their survival instincts to source basics such as food, water and finding shelter.

Together the children explore a hidden city, only to find bees, caimans, sloths, snakes and everything in between.

The wilderness of the Amazon rainforest represents the untamed nature found within children.

This allows Rundell’s characters to grow, adapt and improve their personalities along with the surroundings and readers will see similarities with Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.

This wildly exciting story is full of humour and is bound to leave the reader in suspense. Pure adventure.

Go to waterstones.com

cool refreshment

something a bit different Faluda Pamban, Canada Place, £3.50 Easily the prettiest thing on the menu, this drink is made from rose milk and, with rose petals sprinkled on top, looks like something busy fairies would drink on their breaks.

I’m not normally a milk or milkshake drinker, but this is sweet, fragrant and difficult to put down.

While it would be a treat by itself, the scoop of ice cream gives it the feel of a sophisticated knickerbocker glory. Pamban also adds chia seeds and ground pistachio (after double checking you aren’t allergic), so you can pretend to your Instagram followers that it’s all part of your new post/pre-lockdown diet. With so much going on right now, it’s important to appreciate little joys in life. If that includes making it socially acceptable to consume an indulgent pink ice cream drink, at your desk, count me in.

Mary Tadpole

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Servings of beer will be delivered to the winner over the course of a year

Hiver is made with urban and rural honey

The prize will be delivered in quarterly drops from November

bee

subscribe to our e-edition newsletter for a chance to win free Hiver beer for a whole year

you’ve got to

W

Scan this code to sign up for Wharf Life’s e-edition

in it to win it

harf Life has teamed up with Bermondsey-based Hiver to offer readers the chance to win the brand’s money-can’t-buy Beer For A Year prize.

Promising to keep the winner satiated with natural and fresh brews for a full 12 months, the prize will see quarterly drink drops delivered from November 2020.

These deliveries will include all of the beers from Hiver’s range as well

as new releases such as artisanal English lager from Fabal and the odd branded goody or two.

The winner will be drawn at random from all those who have subscribed to Wharf Life’s e-edition newsletter on or before November 4.

Simply scan the QR code on this page and enter your details. The winner will be notified by email on November 5.

Please note that this prize can only

Hiver is made with raw honey from UK producers including Bee Urban in Kennington

be delivered to those aged 18 or over and equates to six servings of beer per month for a 12-month period. In the event that the winner is aged 17 or under, a responsible adult may be nominated to receive the prize. There is no cash alternative and the editor’s decision is final.

Hiver is a sustainable producer of quality beers using urban and rural honeys as a key component.

Founded in 2013, it takes its name from the word for someone who gathers bees and places them in a hive and builds on the many hundreds of years that women and men have been using honey as a brewing ingredient.

The brewery boasts a taproom in Bermondsey – ideal for those who like to sample beers or buy honey – and also offers beekeeping experiences (from £42) where guests can meet the bees, learn more about honey and try the brews.

Hiver is also now sold in branches of Waitrose, including its Canary Wharf store, and a wide range of products are also available direct from the brand’s own website – shop.hiverbeers.com For more information about Wharf Life go to wharf-life.com

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

£5

Price to play in the main room at Wanyoo, per person, per hour Wanyoo’s Canary Wharf store is filled with top gaming equipment to satisfy even the most dedicated players

why Crossrail Place is the place to be for the fastest, most exciting gaming experience on the Wharf Canary Wharf - Pages 8-9

players ready for the

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

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

how Wanyoo’s Canary Wharf branch brings joy and a cuttingedge to esports in east London

10m

Members of Wanyoo worldwide, served by more than 1,200 stores in 50 cities

by Jon Massey

W

alk past Wanyoo in Crossrail Place and you might be forgiven for thinking the brightly-lit, pale wood space was simply a cafe, albeit one that screens computer games on its walls.

It’s a light and welcoming space, with stylish upholstery and bubble tea on the menu, all presided over by a cartoon killer whale. But a closer look at this marine mammal reveals an intense glint in its eye – the kind of determination found in many of Wanyoo’s customers.

This isn’t just a place to grab a bite to eat and a drink, it’s a place to have fun and seriously compete, for downstairs from its entrance lies a generously appointed space filled with the colourful glowing lights of gaming tech.

This, in 2020, is what a cuttingedge esports studio looks like – the first in Canary Wharf, and Wanyoo’s third in the UK. And despite launching just ahead of the pandemic, its Covid-secure facilities are already tapping into a local audience of gamers.

While Wanyoo is relatively new to the UK, the company, which was founded in 1998, has risen to become the world’s largest esports studio chain with more than 1,200 stores in 50 cities around the world serving its 10million members.

“Canary Wharf is a brand new concept for Wanyoo in this country,” said Anita Luo, marketing manager for Wanyoo UK. “There are so many working people here who don’t have much time for entertainment, but it’s so important for them to have a way to relax.

“The UK is the second biggest esports market in the world – people are really keen on video games so we’re bringing these facilities into Canary Wharf.”

Wanyoo’s kit is impressive.

Descend to its gaming floor and there’s a glass-walled room of servers flickering away to itself, on-brand neon, rows and rows of high-end PC screens – each complete with almost frictionless mice, glowing keyboards and red-lit headsets.

A Wanyoo customer concentrates, intent on his game of Overwatch at the Canary Wharf store

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

Everywhere at Wanyoo, the colourful lights of high-end gaming tech glow and pulse in the facility

Tariffs for an hour’s play in the main area start at £5 with options for private duo rooms – currently restricted to bubbles or single households – private rooms feature higher-spec gear and two battle rooms with the very top levels of tech.

Unencumbered by the PCs themselves, which are all accommodated in the server suite, the main room is spacious and comfortable. Each gaming station features a call button to summon staff for refreshment orders and a branded gaming chair designed for maximum comfort.

Gamers are also free to order Deliveroo from anywhere they like to keep themselves sustained while they play.

But if you’re already an enthusiastic gamer with a house full of equipment and a decent internet connection, why bother heading out to Wanyoo at all?

“The most popular esports game in the world is League Of Legends,” said Anita. “Its gameplay basically involves teamwork – each character has a different function and they have to work together.

“If you’re really into gaming, you’ll probably buy some professional equipment for your home.

“At Wanyoo we’re offering something very different. All of our gaming chairs are very comfortable, very flexible – when you sit on them you really feel that. We’re also using the top-end screens as well – everything has

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

“

There are so many working people in Canary Wharf who don’t have much time for entertainment, but it’s so important for them to relax Anita Luo, Wanyoo

A five-person private room at Wanyoo in Canary Wharf

Scan this code for more on Wanyoo in Canary Wharf

a really fast reaction time and you need that, especially if you’re playing a first person shooter.

“If you want to play a game that requires teamwork, though, our private rooms have been specially designed for that.

“League Of Legends, for example, needs teams of five and that’s why those rooms have five Cs. “Even though you might have great equipment in your house you won’t be able to replicate the feeling of communicating with your team members immediately.

There’s no lag in connection.

“We also have the duo rooms, which are perfect for couples or friends to play with privacy. The equipment in those is still very good and you have a curtain that makes you feel like you’re in your own space rather than in a shared environment. With the headphones on, you can be completely in your own world.

“Each of our battle rooms has six seats and those are perfect for tournaments. These have our best gear and are used by professional teams and gamers.

Wanyoo is on the march. aving launched in the UK in 2019 with its Charing Cross branch, the brand opened a second store in Coventry before launching in Canary Wharf.

With more than 20,000 gamers already registered and plans for a presence in Westfield, it’s on a mission to connect gaming communities throughout the UK and boost the esports sector here.

Right now that looks like a smart move. n the years since ebecca eineman won the pace Invaders Tournament held by Atari in , things have come on a bit.

In 2013 – seven years ago – online streaming platform Twitch, which routinely streams esports, saw viewers consume 12billion minutes of video with its two most popular broadcasters being League Of Legends and Dota 2 – both cooperative multiplayer games.

With audiences in the millions and a sustained campaign to get esports into the Olympic Games, this is a sector that is likely to develop and grow. And Wanyoo wants to be at the heart of that.

That means continuing to host events such as its League Of egends Cup, which has been

running for eight years with more than 500,000 participants and an audience of more than . million.

The bright, clean lines of its Canary Wharf branch will certainly help. The venue is anything but the grotty, dingy internet cafes of old. This is a well e uipped, laser focused operation and it’s packed with Covid secure measures to help anxious gamers feel more relaxed including tempera ture testing facilities.

Anita said: “In the cafe we have social distancing and all our staff wear . We also have face masks if people haven’t brought one, hand sanitiser, wipes and cleaning after every use.

While spacing gamers out at every other station means the private rooms are currently hobbled in capacity, that won’t quell the anticipation for when restrictions are relaxed and gamers can get their hands on the Cs, five handed in splendid seclusion.

Above, a PC lights up as it is activated at Wanyoo. Left, Anita Luo. Below, the main gaming space in Canary Wharf

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15

Years Camille Walala has spent working as an artist and designer

“

I did a lot of installations and street art originally – illegally to start with. I liked the excitement and the forbidden part of it Camille Walala, artist

Camille’s installation, titled Captivated By Colour has become part of Canary Wharf’s permanent art collection

joy

bringing the

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

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

how Camille Walala turned the heads of Wharfers with her bright, colourful art installation

by Jon Massey

C

amille Walala has had a major impact on Canary Wharf. Her Adams Plaza Bridge installation, part of the first ondon ural Festival and now added to the estate’s permanent collection, has turned the heads of innumerable Instagrammers. ven in lieu of the thousands of Crossrail commuters it was built to carry from the li abeth line station to ne Canada uare, her artwork has made it an essential stop on any visit to the area. Only seldom is Captivated By Colour visible without somebody taking a picture of it or using it as a background for a selfie.

“It was really nice to do a project here in response to the architecture – had an m long bridge to play with, said Camille, on her first visit to the installation.

“I got my inspiration from the space and when first saw this canvas, I wanted to make something with a really strong perspective point. wasn’t able to come to the site before designing this so had to use a lot of pictures and create a digital render to see how it was going to look. It’s really nice to see the result in the flesh.

Camille herself fits perfectly with the work, dressed in the bright primaries it uses, there’s a sense that if you lined her up correctly she might disappear. “ ’ve been referred to as both designer and an artist – it’s confusing – but think ’m more the latter,” she said.

“I’ve developed an aesthetic and I stick to it, whereas designers are more accommodating to a brief.

“I always respond to what want. As an artist, you don’t compromise, you have your idea of what you’d like to do and you stick to it. “ ’m influenced by auhaus, onia Delaunay – who is my favourite painter – and emphis Design, which is really bold. “ love working with public space – making art in these locations is a nice easy way to make people smile and bring a bit of joy into the city when most of the time commuters are ust going to work.”

While her works now take up serious real estate in cities across the world – a second commission for the ondon ural estival currently decorates arts centre ich ix in horeditch – Camille’s ourney began with a move from France. “ live in east ondon and came here more than 20 years ago,” she said. “I feel I’m more of a ondoner than someone from rovence near Avignon. grew up in a tiny place, beautiful, but not much was happening there so it was nice to come to the UK. “ didn’t become creative until later in my life. When first came to ondon was working in restaurants as a waitress. “ couldn’t speak nglish properly so I didn’t have the opportunity to do much work. “ ventually did a lot of courses to explore different creative directions.

“I did drawing, painting and stitching – for a while thought wanted to be a fashion designer. “ tried uite a lot and realised enjoy patterns and graphics. I did a textile degree at righton niver sity – that’s my background. “ started out selling cushions and fabrics ’d designed but realised that was a bit boring and that wanted to push things a bit further.

“I did a lot of installations and street art originally – illegally to start with. y ex boyfriend was doing that at night-time and I liked the excitement and the forbidden part of it as well.

“That was about years ago – I looked for commissions and opportunities to do legal installa tions and ended up doing a lot of murals and larger pieces such as benches. like it when people can interact with my artwork.

“I think it’s great to make art accessible. was uite lucky, my parents took me to museums when was younger but that’s not normal for everyone. It’s nice to have art in the street and it can have a really positive impact.

“I love the idea of working on council estates where people live and the buildings need a bit of love.”

Camille’s success was hard won, re uiring years of toil to reach the position she’s in today. “ t’s been a long process, going from street art to the kind of work I do now,” she said. “ t was a lot of frustration for years – making a living as an artist takes time. The last five years have been really good, but the years before that were hard. t feels like

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

Adams Plaza Bridge is seldom seen without someone photographing the art I deserve what I’m getting now.

It feels really good to make a statement and to get recognition as an artist. f could go back in time, I’d tell myself to persevere – that it was going to be good – and to not be too impatient. think when you’re young, you ust want everything immediately. “ ooking back, ’m really happy

with the process. I think the struggle has made what have now even more en oyable.

“When things start to happen as an artist, when you start to get paid for your work, that’s such a nice feeling.”

A full map of works created for the London Mural Festival can be found at londonmuralfestival.com

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

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

100

Gigs Vix Leyton set herself the target of performing at for her first year in stand-up comedy

bold being

and triumphant

Vix overcame her fear of public speaking via a stand-up course and went on to found a comedy night in her native Limehouse

how Vix Leyton’s Live At Limehouse has built a fresh home for comedy in east London

by Jon Massey

I

was a show off as a kid, said ix eyton, stand up comedian and self proclaimed east ondon and Welsh dual citi en. “ used to put on my own shows, going door to door and selling tickets to my neighbours – was a nightmare really. “ ater, did C Drama, which really en oyed as well as any opportunity to speak, like reading aloud in my nglish class. don’t know what happened to me – there’s nothing can point to – but started to get nervous as an adult. ix’s anxiety around public speaking built to a point that it was starting to affect her day ob – working in in the car industry – but it also proved to be her route to the stage. “ t was more of a phobia, a wiring thing, rather than something that happened to me to trigger it, she said. “ t went from ’m a bit nervous speaking’ to a point a couple of years later, where if knew had to speak in a meeting at work, my leg would be

shaking under the table and my eyelid would be twitching – wouldn’t be in control of it. “ o did a stand up comedy course to help overcome it. was going to a lot of conferences in my day ob and finding that was too scared to speak. thought that had to be part of the solution. “ o made a ew ear’s resolution at the start of to do this course and really en oyed it, even though it was scary, because it pushed me right out of my comfort one. “ tweeted about it afterwards to say Did this stand up comedy course, which was really, really cool,’ and the comedian, ark Watson, who follows me, was doing a hour charity show, asking people to do challenges to raise money for dementia. “ e tweeted me and said Do you

Scan this code to make a booking for Live At Limehouse at The Star Of The East

want to learn stand up comedy in hours at my show ’. was, like This is one of my favourite comedians and he’s asking me to do something, so ought to do it’. t was terrifying. There were about people there. “ t was at The leasance in slington, which is like one of the oly rails of comedy, and loved it. Technically, that was my first gig and it had all happened inside a month. got to be on the main stage and got a real taste for it. aving made connections through that event, ix – who lives in imehouse with her husband and their two cats The Captain and The ombardier – set herself the goal of breaking into comedy. “ ne of the people ’d met ran a night in oho and did my first gig there a couple of weeks later in ebruary last year, she said. “ t was terrible, but everyone was so nice. “ eople kept telling me that you weren’t really established, even on the open mic circuit, unless you’d done gigs. o thought d do that to supercharge myself.

“ ut couldn’t get gigs – people didn’t really know me. was getting some open mics, but it wasn’t really the volume wanted.

The solution was simple – put gigs on and host them herself. ix teamed up with her local pub – The tar f The ast in Commercial oad – and Live At Limehouse was born. “ t was a real triumph for being bold, she said. “This pub is the kind you daydream about, as a woman. ou can come in here with your laptop and work on your own, which is uite a rarity. There’s a female landlady and she’s designed it with that in mind.

They really got behind the comedy night.

The gigs, prior to lockdown, took place in the The tar’s upstairs room and have since been a mixture of indoors and outdoors. nside, social distancing means an audience of about , roughly a third of normal capacity.

Tickets regularly sell out, thanks to the following ix has generated by managing to book serious names such as eann Walsh, ark Dolan, en rister Continued on Page 29

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

Live At Limehouse takes place either indoors or outdoors at the pub

from Page 12 Sarah Keyworth and Bec Hill as headliners for the fortnightly gigs.

The next show is scheduled for November 18 (Covid permitting) and will feature Helen Bauer, Josie Long, Jen Brister and Shappi Khorsandi among others. Doors open at 6.30pm and tickets cost £15 with online streaming available for £3.

“Having pros come and do it alongside the semi-pros and the people on the open mic circuit makes it more exciting for everyone,” said Vix. “Creating Live At Limehouse has been a bit like being in a video game – this new path illuminated itself, which I didn’t realise was possible.

“A year ago I was only doing open mic stand up stuff, thinking that this was a fun hobby that would get me out of myself. But then I had a reason to finish work on time because had somewhere to be.

“In the role of comedian, I wasn’t compulsively checking emails, and it changed my behaviour and my habits for the better.

“Long term, I haven’t really got a plan. I love this pub and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“You’ve got a room full of people committed to be in for the three hours, so it’s great for the pub, great for me because I get to run a quality night, and great for the audience, so everybody wins.”

Vix, whose material is predominantly observational drawing on her “French farce of a life,” deliberately champions female comedians via Live At Limehouse.

She said: “It’s getting better to be a woman in comedy, but it’s hard. There are far fewer of us – everyone’s got different theories as to why that is.

“From my experience, just from

talking to my friends, women are more inclined to think they might be bad at stand-up and they won’t do it, whereas the men I speak to who are desperate to get into comedy, are fairly sure they’d be good at it, even if they’re not.

“All my girl mates that I’ve invited to come and do comedy nights are waiting until they have those perfect five minutes that they could do.

“But comedy is always evolving, there’s no such thing as perfect and you have to do all the work on stage. Sitting at home doesn’t work because my cats have no useful feedback for me at all.

“There are a lot of barriers to entry that are not just socially constructed. I don’t see it as men keeping us out – it seems like there are a lot of moving parts such as being out late at night on your own and anti-social hours – so setting up a night like this is really exciting.

“Live At Limehouse has a lot more women on the bill than men, but it’s a good mix. Unless promoters work to get that balance, it’s easy to fill a whole bill with men because there are so many available.”

While ix’s first dinburgh ringe show had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, in addition to her live work in Limehouse, readers can also hear more from her, literally, as her podcast – Comedy Arcade – has just launched.

She said: “It’s a panel show that I started running during lockdown. ach episode features three comedians competing to tell the best story around a topic randomly generated via an old-fashioned arcade bingo ball machine.

“There are some absolutely brilliant comedians on it including seasoned regulars syllt ears and Thom Tuck as well as Sikisa, Sara Barron and Maureen Younger. It went live this weekend.”

Go to vixleyton.co.uk

“

A year ago I was only doing open mic standup stuff, thinking that this was a fun hobby that would get me out of myself

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

£15

Cost of a ticket to see Live At Limehouse – online streaming costs £3

four focus

support your local institutions MEET The Turk’s Head Wapping

PUB | Space To Congregate While we’re all still allowed to gather in parties of up to six outside, consider a trip to this cafe bar and kitchen, which boasts plenty of exterior space.

Open daily, theturkshead.co.uk BOOK Il Bordello Wapping

EAT | Italian With cross-household meeting indoors banned, now’s the time to support places like this by taking the bubble out for some garlic mushrooms.

Open daily, ilbordello.com OUTDOORS Tobacco Dock Wapping

Vix Leyton, comedian

BAR | Igloos, Games And Drinks While times remain tricky, rooftop bar Skylight is doing its best to put a brave face on things with a range of attractions for its winter incarnation.

Until Jan 31, Thurs-Sun, tobaccodocklondon.com

out and about

Vix in full flow, hosting Live At Limehouse at The Star Of The East in Commercial Road

With visitor numbers still low, why not pop over to the Tower Of London with your bubble and check out its Torture At The Tower exhibition, which tells the story of the horrors visited on past prisoners. Free with entry hrp.org.uk Scan this code for more information Torture At The Tower or to book a ticket want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

How painter Tim Patrick has found a safe haven where he can spread his artistic wings

6

months is the length of the artist’s residency at Trinity Buoy Wharf

by Laura Enfield

M

any of us have never spent so much time at home.

But a residency at Trinity Buoy Wharf has given artist Tim Patrick the chance to escape his four walls. Until now the 31-year-old painter has mostly focused his brush on capturing interiors and everyday objects such as beds, curtains and laundry.

But after moving to the Docklands site in August, he has spread his wings and started working in public for the first time.

He has spent hours sketching and painting wharf life at locations such as The Orchard Cafe and My Little Panda.

Having his creative process witnessed and commented on by passers-by has added an exciting dimension to his work.

“Before I was painting literally in isolation,” said Tim, who previously lived in a flatshare in Hackney Wick. “This seems like a good way to move my painting into a place I’m not familiar with.

“I thought there would be growth if I challenged myself to be out among people doing it. It’s like taking your private space into public and being OK with that.

It’s a real test of my mettle as an artist.”

Tim, who teaches at Camden Arts and Draw in Brighton, said he is a “gregarious” person but having to interact with people while working was a “learning curve”.

“It’s making me go places I wouldn’t normally go with my painting,” he said. “The act of painting can be so engrossing and engaging and can be like a chase

“

I had to work out how to respond to this place for real... and it’s helping me find a deeper confidence in the things I’m looking for Tim Patrick, artist in residence

The painter is working from a studio in Container City Two and will exhibit his finished collection in mid- January

storm a safe port in the

when it’s good – like I’m pursuing something. But sometimes it takes a long time for the painting to find the right feel.

“Before, I had a degree of privacy, but now the process is more warts and all.

“That’s a challenge for me coming from luxurious privacy to having to put myself out there.

“It’s made me think hard about where to stop when I’m making a painting.

“It’s putting me in a position where have to rea rm the things I’m looking for.”

Tim, who trained at Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, the University of Brighton and the Royal Drawing School, was

among dozens of artists who applied for the 2020-21 residency.

He was awarded space at the riverside studios alongside Daniel Harris and William Alexander.

Tim will be working there until the New Year, outside and in his new studio in Container City Two. He said: “You’re turning up with yourself and saying: ‘This is how I explore’. It’s quite an open brief.

“With my work especially, a lot of it is to do with being in place somewhere and, over time, you end up making a literal picture but also getting a feel for what the place is and your experience of it.

“That’s what’s asked for – that you are in an environment – and you discern what attracts you.”

e also moved into a flat across from his new studio, to fully immerse himself in the area and create better work.

“It’s forced my hand in terms of looking at my identity and what I am, relative to a place,” said Tim. “It’s like when you go on holiday and are new to somewhere and have the freedom of it. Here I’m new to it, but have a task at hand and my whole back catalogue in my head of who I am and what I do.

“It took a while for me to realise I couldn’t just do a Tim Patrick. I had to work out how to respond to this place for real, not just get out a quick win, but earnestly seek what this place is. t’s helping me find a

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

31

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

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

deeper confidence in the things ’m looking for.

When not in front of a canvas Tim goes running along the Thames to unwind and discover more of his new home. “ t goes from the meta scale to human scale very uickly across a street, which is really interesting to be around and doesn’t really feel like ondon, he said.

“Trinity uoy Wharf in general has a really good welcoming spirit. eople are always up for a chat and haven’t found that so much in other parts of ondon – this place has more of a village feel. oving to a new area in the middle of a pandemic, with no plan for where he will live when it comes to an end, might sound daunting. ut the ondoner, who previ ously lived in ondon ields and Wimbledon, said his new home had been a safe port in the Covid storm.

“At the beginning of lockdown, people were buying art more and supporting artists, he said. “ t’s more worrying the second time around because my teaching has been cancelled and now, where will support come from “That’s why coming on the residency is a real gift because it’s something proactive.

“With the current climate ’ve learnt to be dynamic rather than have a plan, that’s the safest way to be, think.

“This has carved out a real solid period of time to have some stability in a moving situation. “ ’m really grateful for that.

That’s my focus for this time rather than floating and being battered by the winds of things changing.

The omsey raised creative almost chose an arguably much more stable career. “ y dad was a lieutenant commander in the avy and that played a big part in potential futures, he said. “When was looked at being a pilot but then did an about face and ran straight into painting. “ o one else in my family is

four focus

support your local institutions LEARN Poplar Union Poplar

a painter, but can see the same spirit of what goes on for me in the studio, in my family.

“Whether it was mum doing a post mortem on her own cooking or dad, who is very good at singing or my two older sisters who are good at writing. “ can see the same strain in everyone and ust found myself with a brush in my hand.

Although he favours oil on canvas for his larger pieces, much of his time is spent sketching in pencil pastel and ink. e said having “fresh little discoveries every day helps with the bigger ourney. “ did a good month of ust ink drawing on paper, he said. “ ou can’t skip it. t really matters and is a way of resetting and refreshing. “ f ’m struggling with a painting, go out to the cafe, sit and do some drawing and it’s a way of reminding myself about the whole making of the art. t’s not making paintings, full stop, it’s also about how well ’m experiencing. “ t’s about trying to keep myself open. f try to control it too much it looks forced, but if it is in a spirit of this is what ’ve found’ then it’s honest. “ really like paintings where you can really tell that the artist was standing in front of the sub ect, not ust painting from a photo.

Tim’s residency will culminate in an exhibition in mid anuary and he said visitors would get to see the “whole shebang . “ t’s like chiselling a sculpture and the drawings are like the little bits of marble that drop off, said Tim. “They are still part of the whole and help you get to the bigger picture. “ ven the scrappy things have some bearing – even if it is that’s where don’t want to go’. lus it has a slightly democratising power, you see the way in.

Tim has found his new perspec tive by working when everyone else has gone to bed.

Tim has spent time inside and outdoors sketching and painting local life

DANCE | Thursday Blast Classes by Both Dance take place once a month at Poplar Union. Two teachers offer separate styles or co-teach the three-hour sessions.

Nov 5, 6.30pm, £17, poplarunion.com BOOK Grand Cholan Blackwall

DINE | A Table For Dinner Enjoy exquisite flavours beside the dock at this recent addition to the Isle Of Dogs’ dining scene. Top tip: Order the sweet potato chat to start – it’s immense.

Open daily, grandcholan.com EAT Bokan Isle Of Dogs

“ ’m painting a lot at night and have shifted my body clock to be a night owl, said Tim, who relies on “natural enthusiasm and adio to keep him awake.

“The darkness makes everything feel very new. There is the public facing part of it in the day with everyone milling around, but at night you get this sense of belonging. “ ou have the freedom to look at things because no one is looking back at you, a freedom to explore.

The light is totally different and transforms everything ’m becoming familiar with in the day.

“And it makes me feel it’s worthy of a sub ect to paint because it might show people an interesting side they don’t normally see.

Go to timpatrick.co.uk or trinitybuoywharf.com for more

For more about Tim Patrick or to see his work scan this code

RESTAURANT | Bokan The rooftop bar and restaurant on top of the Novotel is back up and running, still featuring some of the finest views on the Island.

Weds-Sun, bokanlondon.co.uk

for Halloween

The London Chainstore Massacre is set to take over Parkour Generations at Trinity Buoy Wharf on October 31. Expect a full day of physical and mental challenges. Will you preserve your three lives and be victorious? parkourgenerations.com Scan this code for full details of the event or to book a £45 ticket. It’s for over-16s only want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

2

Years since Little Faith opened its taproom at Artworks Creekside

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support your local institutions ONLINE The Albany Deptford

DIGITAL | 2020 Vision A series of commissions from Sounds Like Chaos Collective spanning many genres is set to be released with artists free to experiment.

Nov 9-14, daily, free, thealbany.org.uk ONLINE Sands Films Studio Rotherhithe

FILM | Cinema Club Watch something a little more unusual as Sands Films’ club takes to the internet for regular screenings. Previous shows remain on demand.

Tuesdays, 8pm, free (donation), sandsfilms.co.uk SEE The Albany Deptford

STAGE | The Cocoa Butter Club Expect burlesque, sideshow, spoken word, live music and voguing (at least), as the collective go on a mission to “decolonise and moisturise”.

Nov 13, 8pm, from £10, thealbany.org.uk

style selection

Check out the work of Deptford-based duo Michael and Jenni whose sustainable fashion label Edy & Bridge produces high-quality, limited edition garments. They even make face masks and donate 20% to charity edyandbridge.com Scan this code for more information about Edy & Bridge or to purchase the label’s range online want more? @wharflifelive

Chris says Little Faith Taproom has something for everyone, whether that’s the brand’s easy-drinking beers, Indian street food or wines and spirits Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

33

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

by Jon Massey

T

he Little Faith Taproom presents a bit of a paradox.

Tucked away into the Artworks Creekside building in Deptford, it manages the di cult trick of being both cosy and airy. It has high ceilings and depth, thanks to views into a hydroponic farm complex growing micro herbs beyond the bar. But these are juxtaposed with plenty of warm wood, battered automotive memorabilia, film posters and soft lighting.

Created by Alex Woods and Henry Pescod – founders of craft beer brand Little Faith – to showcase their products and sell merchandise, the bar also serves brews from other producers as well as wines and spirits. In August, 2019, Chris Peacock was brought on board to oversee its operation.

“I’ve worked in pubs and restaurants since I was 16 – that’s 20 years,” he said. “There was a university degree in business thrown into the mix too, but pubs and beer are in my blood.

“My dad grew up above a pub in iverpool, and my mum got me my first job in the industry. My brother and sister have also worked long term in hospitality, so it’s kind of a family business. “ nce ’d finished my degree at the age of did go off into the world of business and I ended up sitting at a desk all day. I quickly realised that wasn’t for me, so I got back into the world of hospitality full time. I’ve always loved it.

“I was working for Mitchells And utlers when my interest in beer first developed – that was about 2009 when the craft scene was starting to take off in the UK. Having got my grounding in pub management I moved on to Graceland, a pub company that’s quite widely regarded in beer circles.

“We’d have brewers visiting and that gave me my base knowledge in the craft beer world, including introducing me to people I would probably never have met otherwise.”

Chris’ connections led to an introduction to Alex, whose day job remains brewing for Bermondsey-based brand The Kernel. He and Henry were looking for someone to take on the Little Faith Taproom.

“They’re great guys, great bosses” said Chris. “I was brought in to steady the ship, put all the right functions in place, and get it running as a well-oiled machine.

“We like to think we’ve got something for everyone. The Little Faith beers themselves are, for the most part, easy drinking. Three-quarters of what we’re serving are brews that you could have three or four pints of an afternoon. “ ou might feel a bit s uiffy, but you won’t be falling over. That’s what people in this area want – to go to a normal bar and drink a normal pint. We don’t want to go completely down the craft beer route.

Scan this code for more information about Little Faith Taproom

“ beer belief in the

I’m a beer nerd – I spend whatever free time I have thinking about beer and searching it out. This is one of the more unusual taprooms Chris Peacock, Little Faith

how Little Faith is delivering craft beer, food and a warm atmosphere at its Deptford bar

orange peel. It’s a style that myself and Alex are both big fans of and something we always wanted to brew. It’s proving to be one of the fastest moving beers that we’ve had on the bar.

“When people come here they can expect good quality but normal beer with no fuss and no nonsense.

“I’ve been here 15 months and we’ve had two new members of staff, but the core team have all been here longer than I have. That means people come in and see the same faces behind the bar and that we’ve got enough experience to be able to talk customers through the menu and guide them to the right places.”

C The Little Faith Taproom sells the brand’s beers, guest beverages, Indian fusion street food from Thumka and associated merchandise “We have taps overall, with five in our outside area, which are essentially the same as the first five indoors.

“One of the two core Little Faith beers is The Americano Dream, which is a coffee and oatmeal stout – we brew every batch in partnership with a different coffee roaster so the flavour is always changing.

“That ethos comes from The Kernel where Alex brews full-time – they will brew the same base beer each time but tweak it with different ingredients to make it taste that little bit better.

“That’s kind of how the world of beer has developed over the last few years – there isn’t a huge number of breweries doing a full core range any more, it’s about constant development because people want to try something new when they come to a place like this with the old favourites there to fall back on.

“We’re currently brewing a new batch of the stout with Old Spike roastery in Peckham, which is a social enterprise that invests a lot of their profit back into the community. For example, they train homeless people as baristas and coffee roasters – that was quite a big thing for us in choosing to work with them this time.

“ ur other flagship beer is ew Colours, a pale ale that’s a development of our original True Colours, using two different kinds of hop rather than one.

“We also have Most Triumphant IPA, which is a West Coast-style with a lot more bitterness – citrus, grapefruit and

hris said the atmosphere and consistency of service had kept people coming to the taproom despite the blight of Covid and that, with table service and outdoor space, the bar was well-placed to serve its customer base of local residents. To keep guests fed as well as suitably hydrated, Little Faith recently began serving street food by Thumka, a pro ect from long term staff member George Habgood, bringing pakoras, bhajis and lamb skewers to drinkers.

“We’ve just had our soft launch as we really wanted to get the ball rolling,” said Chris. “The brand name is from a Hindi word that means the movement of the butt from one side to the other and it comes from Bollywood.

“George used to help out on a food truck in Leadenhall Market and the concept has just grown from there.

“It’s basically Indian fusion street food with a spin on it. She gets all the split pea flour from a lady she used to work with and we’ve incorporated some of the Little Faith beer into the menu as well. The batter is made with ew Colours.

“Personally, I think beer and Indian street food go hand-in-hand. You’ve got lots of spices and aromatics, and those flavours work really well with the flavours that you get in beer, particularly our beer.

“She uses lamb from butcher WH Wellbeloved in Deptford and the plan, when Minicrops are fully up and running in the space next to us, is to use their herbs too.”

For those who prefer to do their drinking off site, ittle aith is also available in crowlers (cans) that can be pre-ordered online and collected from the taproom – after all, it’s worth a visit.

Chris said: “I’m a beer nerd, I spend whatever free time I have thinking about beer, going to breweries, drinking beer, or searching it out. This is one of the more unusual taprooms, it’s layout, the quirky nature of the bric-a-brac on the walls – there’s no pretentiousness.”

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

sea seeing the

four focus

support your local institutions SPORT The O2 arena Peninsula

TENNIS | Nitto ATP Finals In line with current restrictions, the 2020 tour finals are likely to be played behind closed doors. Tickets will go on sale in limited numbers if permitted.

Nov 15-22, times vary, theo2.co.uk ONLINE Design District Peninsula

how photographs of seafarers at the National Maritime Museum are set to go on display

by Jon Massey

DESIGN | Meet The Architects Now Gallery cultural curator Jemima Burrill (virtually) sits down with the nine architects behind the area’s forthcoming Design District.

Oct 23-Nov 6, greenwichpeninsula.co.uk SONG Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Call Mr Robeson Tayo Aluko stars as actor, singer and civil rights campaigner Paul Robeson, taking a socially distanced audience through the radical’s life.

Nov 26, 7.30pm, £16, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

go and see

The Peter Harrison Planetarium has reopened to visitors, offering a range of films to enjoy while socially distanced with your household or bubble. Tickets cost £10 for the attraction at the Royal Observatory rmg.co.uk For more information and full listings of the shows available at the planetarium, scan this code want more? @wharflifelive

P

owerful, restful, intimate and thrilling images of the oceans and the people who work under and on their surface are set to be brought together at the National Maritime Museum in its forthcoming exhibition.

Exposure: Lives At Sea features the work of six photographers who have captured scenes from across the planet, collectively intended to offer a snapshot of the lives of contemporary mariners.

Corey Arnold, a commercial fisher, takes pictures that contrast the harsh chill of the Alaskan seas with the camaraderie of life on board as the crew battle to land their sustainably sourced catch.

Peter Iain Campbell’s work takes a look at the people who work to pump oil from under the sea bed and the rigs they call home.

Even more remote are the people and scenes captured by Michał Krzysztofowicz’s lens – the frozen wastes surrounding the British Antarctic Survey’s Halley IV Research Station and the isolation of the 13 researchers as they deal with eight months alone after the supply ships leave for winter.

Visitors can also watch out for icha ’s teddy Asystent – a gift from his partner before their separation – who pops up in his pictures, a code to let her know he’s thinking of her.

Popescu Cezar Gabriel’s work deals with isolation and remedy – especially apt as he was forced to spend an extra three months at sea unable to dock in Brazil due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

He captures moments of joy among crew members as they

swim on a flooded deck and laugh during traditional celebrations marking the crossing of the equator.

With climate change an everpresent threat in the marine environment, conservation photographer Jennifer Adler dives beneath the waves to record the feats researchers accomplish underwater.

Octavio Aburto’s contribution chronicles and questions how it’s possible to balance ecotourism and development.

His work, charting the health of a reef in Mexico presents a picture of healthy, diverse and abundant marine life as he aims to use science to influence conversation in the region.

Exposure: Lives At Sea is the first to be curated by Lloyds Register Foundation Public Curator: Contemporary Maritime Laura Boon at Royal Museums Greenwich, and was created during the UK’s Covid-19 national lockdown.

She said: “The importance of seafarers has been brought into sharp focus during the pandemic.

“They are keyworkers and helped keep our supermarkets stocked, and yet hundreds of thousands of them have been stranded at sea.

“This exhibition will hopefully help bring recognition to the important role these people play.”

The exhibition is set to run from November 20 with appropriate social distancing in place. Free, timed tickets need to be booked ahead of arrival.

Getting to the National Maritime Museum is easy either on foot via the Greenwich Foot Tunnel of by public transport via Cutty Sark DLR.

6

Photographers’ work will feature in Exposure: Lives At Sea at the National Maritime Museum

Dark Seas by Corey Arnold and right, a selection of other images set to be featured in the exhibition

Scan this code for more info about the exhibition

“

The importance of seafarers has been brought into sharp focus during the pandemic.

Hundreds of thousands have been stranded at sea Laura Boon, Royal Museums Greenwich

By kind permission of artist and made possible by the National Geographic Society © Jennifer Adler

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

35

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

By kind permission of artist © Corey Arnold

Artisanal Restoration by Octavio Aburto

By kind permission of artist © Corey Arnold

Diving Among Giants

by Octavio Aburto Playground by Octavio Aburto

Handstand by Corey Arnold

By kind permission of artist © Octavio Aburto

By kind permission of artist © Corey Arnold

Searching For The Hidden Half

by Jennifer Adler

By kind permission of artist © Octavio Aburto

By kind permission of artist and made possible by the National Geographic Society © Jennifer Adler

Self Portrait Stacking Pots by Corey Arnold

Left, Precious Cargo

by Jennifer Adler

By kind permission of artist © Octavio Aburto

By kind permission of artist and © from left Peter Iain Campbell (first and last), Octavio Aburto, Michał Krzysztofowic and Jennifer Adler (made possible by the National Geographic Society)

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory

find our advertisers’ messages here Kidd Rapinet print Pages 1, 4, 13, 20 online kiddrapinet.co.uk TfL print Page 5 online tfl.gov.uk Creative Virtual print Page 9 online creativevirtual.com Perfect Waxing print Page 11 online perfectwaxing.uk City & Country print Page 21 online cityandcountry.co.uk Alex Neil print Pages 22, 23 online alexneil.com My London Home print Pages 24, 25 online mylondonhome.com Galliard Homes print Page 28 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 and printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2020

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

37

Royal Docks - Canning Town

virtual embracing the

four focus

support your local institutions VISIT The Windjammer Royal Wharf

PUB | Book A Table With views over the Thames Barrier, this Fuller’s pub offers plentiful beers, wines and cocktails alongside a menu of pub classics. Cosy.

Open daily, windjammerlondon.co.uk SHOP Corinthian Square Royal Wharf

Excel’s new hybrid facility can hold up to 30

TRADE | Farmers’ Market Expect freshly harvested produce, hot food, vegan options and plenty of PPE all round. The next market is set to take place on November 8.

Every second Sunday, 10am-3pm, royalwharf.com

socially distanced delegates

FEAST Gaylons Gallions Point

how Excel is updating its offering, ready to help shows and events increase their reach when they can return

by Jon Massey

W

hile the live events sector remains hobbled by the lack of a start date – something of a paradox when shopping centres with less space are able to trade – venues are continuing to campaign for more support and some certainty around when they might reopen. They’re also finessing their facilities in readiness to do business in the new normal.

Excel in Royal Docks, which hosts shows that contributed around £4.5billion to London’s economy each year and supported 37,600 jobs prior to lockdown, has just unveiled a hybrid event studio.

The facility, developed in partnership with audio visual firm Anna Valley, now stands ready in a self-contained area at the east London venue.

Complete with digital backdrop, full lighting rig, sound system

and multiple video cameras, the studio is capable of delivering broadcast-quality feeds for online platforms such as Zoom, YouTube and Facebook.

It also has space for up to 30 delegates socially distanced in line with Government guidelines and is aimed at event organisers keen to broaden and diversify their reach by supplementing traditional content with digital engagement.

Excel CEO Jeremy Rees said: “During this challenging time, we remain committed to providing our customers and guests with the best possible experience.

“This new state-of-the-art hybrid event studio supports us and them in our shared ambition of delivering world leading events.

“While nothing beats meeting face-to-face or being amid the buzz of an auditorium, this studio

For more details on Excel’s wide range of facilities, scan this code

will enable organisers to deliver exceptional audience experiences whether the event is attended in person or remotely.

“And once larger, face-to-face conferences, exhibitions and events can return, this studio will act as a great addition for organisers seeking to reach a much larger audience.”

Anna Valley managing director Peter Jones said: “We are delighted to be working with xcel to offer a superb virtual events studio within the venue.

“With our heritage in broadcast and reputation for providing live event and entertainment technology, we’re ideally suited to helping event professionals reinvent their physical shows as digital experiences and we’re really looking forward to working with Excel’s clients in this respect.”

While Nightingale hospitals in other parts of the country have reopened, at the time of going to press there were no plans to put the NHS facility at Excel on standby despite London being placed under Tier 2 restrictions.

DINE | Gorge On British Cooking This dockside gastropub promises a modern twist on traditional food in a building that dates to 1881 and once housed a hotel for ships’ passengers.

Open daily, galyons.co.uk

and in the arts

Excitement continues to build for Join The Docks 2020 with the programme for the arts festival now released. While dates have yet to be confirmed, there are plenty of goodies to look forward to including walks and films royaldocks.london Scan this code for more information about the 20 projects that make up the festival want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

lose view of our work and adapt. It was it’s so lovely to be there for this new is like the drought and them finding each joyful to be back in a room doing what beginning.” other is like a new beginning.” we do but also terrifying because we “The impact of Covid is pretty bad.

Ayesha a al and Dominic Coffey star hadn’t done it in seven months.

We have seen our whole year of work as strangers who live in a reality where “When we left the whole team, we disappear and it’s tough not to panic. excitement and happiness has been were devastated it was over because “That’s why this project has been a traded for a world without suffering. who knows when we will get to do that saviour and we have pushed so hard to They meet by chance and forge a again?” make it happen, otherwise things connection that sends ripples The final show will give every audi could look quite bleak.” through the ordered world ence member the “best seat in the house” They both revelled in and begs the question: in the centre of the cube with their gaze the filming of the show, could there be more guided towards important moments by a which took place to life than this? It’s soundtrack composed by Neil Bettles. over two weeks at a concept that has onnie said “ t is a mad mix of film Waterside Arts also sent shockand theatre colliding together but for me Centre. waves through its

by Laura Enfield it is definitely still a theatre experience.

The set was a creators.

“You can see the lights and set and six-metre cube Jonnie, 29, said: we put you in a performance space and with the actors “We had just play set in a muted, managed haven’t tried to hide the edges of things. sealed inside in done the story of world where every single day But it is undeniably a hybrid, using the “isolation” and an asylum seeker is the same? Sounds like it best of both worlds to make something animation back arriving in the UK was dreamed up for a disenunique, exciting and new.” projected onto the and as a company chanted Covid crowd, right?

Petrichor is the first in Thick kin’s walls to create their we were building on But Petrichor actually started new Matchbox series, which aims to world. the idea of escape and life last year with the idea of introducing engage a range of audiences with theatre, t was filmed in small new beginnings. virtual reality into theatres.

Filming Petrichor including young people and non-tradichunks over two weeks, “We started exploring the It is the brainchild of award-winning tional audiences. following a fortnight of rehearsals. idea of a video game-esque world Manchester company ThickSkin, to The show will include creative Jonnie said they stuck to a strict following the tropes of sci fi films like encourage a more diverse range of captions for the hearing impaired and schedule to make the project viable in Logan’s Run and The Fifth Element. people to engage with the stage. the company will provide over 200 free terms of safety and to ensure they could “The aesthetic and scale has grown Associate artistic director Jonnie tickets to young people who are currently get it completed. exponentially since then. Now the show Riordan said: “When Coronavirus hit and least engaged with theatre.

“There was a risk at any point we is about human connection and the ache theatres started closing, we were lucky Jonnie said it was more important than could descend into a local or national and desire to be in a world where we can that we were quite far along with this ever that creatives embraced new techlockdown,” said the Manchester resident. embrace and look at each other in the project, but it created some new possibilinology and ways of reaching audiences.

They implemented safety regulations same space again. ties for how it would be created.

“The main thing this project stands to from T and film and said it was a “That’s blown our minds slightly “It suddenly became a full virtual show everyone is that artists are always “full-on operation” to make it work. because we could never have reality experience and dialled adapting to any situation and this is “The actors very kindly agreed up the technology.” realised it was going to proof, there are other ways we can still be to isolate beforehand and, for those be so resonant to the Jonnie and co-digiving people the joy of theatre and art two weeks, lived away from friends rector Jess Williams world we are living and music,” he said. and family and only interacted had to invent a new through.”

“It’s not easy, but there is with each other,” said Jess.

Jess, 36, said way of working. still hope in there and if “Because they did that collaborating with They spent this story is anything they were allowed Ben had really hours on Zoom to go by we will get to not wear masks “stretched” their and collaborated out of this and be and make physical creativity and led with animator stronger at the end contact.” them down new Ben Walden by the things we She and Jonnie paths. to create a do now.” were allowed to “The characters 360-degree show So, given the interact with the set inside a world have chosen a pandemic, would performers more muted, managed life drawn from their they ever make closely with masks where all their deciimaginations.

Ayesha Fazal and the Petrichor on while the rest sions are made for them,” Petrichor is set to be trade? of the cast kept two she said. “They don’t feel performed at Theatre Royal Dominic Coffey Jonnie said: “The metres away, wore pain but also don’t feel any joy.

Stratford East from December pain and suffering masks and sanitised “They chose it because the real 7-13 with audiences able to view it and stress of day to everything. world was too di cult to deal with. in-theatre in a socially distanced manner Jonnie and Jess day life only exist to “We were worried it can understand more and more why using state-of-the-art headsets, or at make the highs even higher might change the atmossomeone might choose that.” home via the internet. directing in masks and I think you need a mix of phere of the creative process,” She was working at Stratford East Jonnie said: ”Sometimes people think both.” said Jonnie. “But after a couple of days when Covid hit and everything shut.

VR is out of reach but if you have a smart Jess: “I think it’s worth living life on everyone just absorbed the information “That was a tragedy,” said the creative device you already have a virtual reality the full spectrum, through the colours. and did what they needed to do. It just who moved from Stratford to Manchester device in your hand.

At the risk of sounding cheesy, things became like any rehearsal room. a few months ago.

“People can order a goody bag that are easier together and being connected Jess added: ”I’m so glad we went for it “Now I’m back at the theatre, hopewill include a cardboard headset to create to people, however you can, physically and made that extra effort with the actors fully as everything is starting again, so at home which a phone slots into. or online, it makes everything that is because it was so moving to see people “Or you can drag the image around di cult easier to deal with. moving in a space like that, making on your computer or hold up your Petrichor is supported by Arts Council contact again.” phone and move it around wherever you England, Backstage Trust, November Filming was done in chunks of a few want to view the show from. There are Productions, Oculus and Waterside Arts minutes and the directors watched their different entry levels depending on how Creative ndustries Trafford. n theatre creation unfold on multiple monitors, digitally curious people are and how It’s blown our minds slightly tickets cost £7.50 and at-home £6-£12. giving directions for each take via much they want to immerse themselves because we could never have microphone or through the cube walls. in the world of Petrichor.”

Jonnie said: “Filming and directing The show’s name means the smell of realised it was going to be so from Scan this behind a screen is something quite the earth after the first rain following a code for more new for us.

The cube started as just a long dry period. resonant to the world we are information or to steel frame and then we had three walls “It felt like a huge metaphor for what make a booking living through on and then we had that terrifying the characters go through,“ said Jonnie. moment when we had to seal the box and “They go from a harsh, grey world that Jonnie Riordan, ThickSkin

how virtual reality theatre experience Petrichor is set to show that people find hope in even the bleakest situations

A

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Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

39

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

2

Weeks was all the time the team had to film the show due to Coronavirus rules

connect a new way to

four focus

support your local institutions VISIT View Tube Pudding Mill Lane

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The cast followed strict safety measures to allow them to perform without masks

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40

Wharf Life Oct 21-Nov 4, 2020 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

edium

1 3 9 2 4 3 7 5

1 3 1 4 8

2 5 7 5 8

SUDOKU

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

No. 930 that each row, column and 3x3 box

4 For many strategies, hints and tips, 6 visit www.sudokuwiki.org 9 If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other 2 puzzles, 7 Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com 4 5 beating 9 1the 8 5 2

Very Hard

8

2 6

9

1.

9.

10.

12.

15.

18.

19.

21.

22.

Notes

2.

3. .

5.

6.

11.

13.

14.

16.

17.

20.

People of an earlier age roughly drawn aside (10) Is in too much hurry to use the letter-opener? (5) Customs in various estates (4) A hanging affair Walter rings about a decisive meeting (8) Stop being loyal (7) He hasn’t got his car and needs a trip out (10) His work as an artist is deeply impressive (8) Plead for a fairy-tale? (7) Strip of Dundee origin (6) Shelter with me in an affray He may be on hand (4)

7 2 1 6 3 4 5 8 9

3 9 5 7 2 8 4 1 6

4 6 8 9 5 1 3 7 2

2 8 9 4 6 5 1 3 7

6 3 4 1 9 7 2 5 8

1 5 7 2 8 3 9 6 4

To complete Sudoku, fill the board

by entering numbers 1 to 9 such whether you’re each row, column and 3x3 box 7 that containssleuth every number cryptic oruniquely.

1synonym For many strategies, solverhints inand tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org it forIf you quick wins, like Sudoku you’ll really like and oursatisfy other puzzles, Apps should 6 this ‘Str8ts’ and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Quick Across 7.

8.

9.

10.

12.

15.

18. .

21.

22.

Excessive (5) Touch (7) Percolate (7) Afterwards (5) Competitor (10) Lowest (10) Build (5) Certificate Magnify (7) Pursue (5)

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

11.

13.

14.

16.

17.

20.

Food (10) Own (5) Search for (4) Tone of voice (6) Surrounds (8) Biased (7) Made reprisals (10) Upset (8) Spire (7) Enrage (6) Sum (5) Select (4)

Across: 7 Undue; 8 Contact; 9 Trickle; 10 Later; 12 Contestant; 15 Nethermost; 18 Erect; 19 Diploma; 21 Enlarge; 22 Chase.

Down: 1 Sustenance; 2 Admit; 3 Seek; 4 Accent; 5 Encloses; 6 Partial; 11 Retaliated; 13 Overturn; 14 Steeple; 16 Madden; 17 Total; 20 Pick.

7.

8 4 2 3 1 6 7 9 5

Cryptic Solution

Down

8.

3 7

5 7 3 8 4 9 6 2 1

Across: 7 Dregs; 8 Adapted; 9 Arrests; 10 Equip; 12 Well-placed; 15 Armageddon; 18 Sol-fa; 19 Nuclear; 21 Portend; 22 Arena.

Down: 1 Edwardians; 2 Tears; 3 Uses; 4 Tassel; 5 Waterloo; 6 Staunch; 11 Pedestrian; 13 Engraver; 14 Implore; 16 Denude; 17 Melee; 20 Chap.

Across They shouldn’t be drunk, for example, when doctors are around (5) Converted work into play, perhaps (7) Checks the work of police (7) Sally follows a direction to arm (5) A spa located in a good position (4-6) A battle in the last war (10) After a tonic, people may sing it (3-2) An explosive type of reaction (7) Left before the end to give a warning (7) Ring for matches (5)

3 4

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic

9 1 6 5 7 2 8 4 3

1

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

last issue’s solution

Previous solution - Tough Oct 7-21

3

contains every number uniquely.

Notes © 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

9 8 2

3 8 9 1 6 4 2 5 7 Sudoku 5 a7break 6 from 8 2 that 9 phone 4 1 3 Take 1 4 2 3 7 5 9 8 6 How 9 to6 play 7 2 5 1 8 3 4 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 3 such 6 4 7 row, 9 1column and 3x3 box one2 to5nine that8each contains every number uniquely.

4 1 8 9 3 7 5 6 2 9 find 1 strategies, 7 8 2 hints 3 and 4 5tips online You6can at sudokuwiki.org 8 2 5 4 1 3 6 7 9 7 to 3 play 4 5 9 6 1 2 8 More

© 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

2 8 8 9 4

Previous solution - asy

Quick Solution

No. 9 8