and Malaysian cuisine
Lai Kopitiam
Images by Ong Lai Kopitiam
Hainanese Chicken Chop will be available at Ong Lai Kopitaim
Kolo Mee with Ayam Goreng
from Page 6
Robert embarked on the lengthy training necessary to qualify as an architect but then the Credit Crunch dealt a double blow.
The family business suffered a serious financial hit and Robert took a break from his studies to work as an architect’s assistant. By the time he returned to education part-time, he realised the recession had damaged the industry to an extent that made finishing his training financially unattractive.
Instead, after a brief flirtation with estate agency, he went back into architecture working his way up in computer aided design to run a team of five people, rounding off the first decade of his career.
“I’d always been creative but that working environment wasn’t,” he said. “People were coming in, doing the hours and getting paid silly amounts, but the environment was quite toxic. I needed a different outlet.
“I came home everyday hating my life and myself. My wife, Mel, got the worst of it – hearing me complaining. She said I should quit my job and start my own food business.
“The lowest point of entry was street food so I went all-in and spent about £7,000 getting a van and gazebos – I did everything properly, buying all the right equipment and created a decent brand. That’s how it all started.”
Co-founded with his wife, Eat Lah began serving Nasi Kerabu, a dish built around vibrant blue rice flavoured with herbs and spices that originated in Mel’s native Kelantan in Malaysia.
Following a steep learning curve that has included street food markets as well as spells at Boxpark in Croydon and Canteen at Design District, the brand now operates around a professional prep kitchen, allowing it to trade at multiple locations as well as at events. It’s a regular at Canary Wharf’s Thursday pop-up Lunch Markets, for example.
Positive feedback from customers on the quality of the food, plus a desire to offer something more complex than street food setups can has driven
We will be serving an elevated version of Nasi Kerabu in the restaurant but we’ll be doing much more than that
Robert Ngo, Ong Lai Kopitiam
Years
since the couple began their search for a restaurant space
Egg Tarts
Malaysian Fried Chicken Wings
Ayam Goreng Berempah with the blue Nasi Kerabu, which gets its colour from the butter y pea ower
the couple to establish Ong Lai. Menu experiments in Croydon and, more recently, at a pop-up in Canning Town, proved the viability of the concept and Robert and Mel began searching for a space in 2024.
“We looked all over, but mainly in east London and then we were approached by an agent for Canary Wharf Group who was looking for independent businesses for Wood Wharf,” said Robert. “We wanted somewhere that we could build the new concept from the ground up.
“Ong Lai means: ‘Prosperous fortune come my way’, but it also translates as ‘pineapple’ in Chinese. At New Year they have big pineapples as decorations, so we’ve used the fruit in our branding.
“The reason we created that name is that Malaysians and Singaporeans know what it means – it’s an inside joke. For people who don’t know, it’s a good conversation starter. The design is based on a traditional kopitiam with interior design by a Malaysian agency.
“Ong Lai is about being creative,” said Robert. “Doing festivals, markets and office catering, Eat Lah always revolves around the blue rice, but we’ll be doing much more than that in the restaurant.
“We will be doing an elevated version of it as well as Kolo Mee – noodles flavoured with soy sauce and shallot oil, Hainanese Chicken Chop and Malaysian Fried Chicken Wings. We’ll also be serving really good pork.
“The name shows we’re leaning more towards the country’s Chinese food – we didn’t want to be a Malaysian restaurant that tries to do everything.
“But this will be somewhere people can come in for an Egg Tart or Kaya Toast with a coffee. The beverage side of Malaysian cuisine is not that celebrated over here, so we really wanted to do that.
“We’ll be serving the Kopi black with sugar or with condensed or evaporated milk as well as Teh Tarik. These are wonderful flavours that I drink every day when I’m visiting Malaysia.”
key details
Ong Lai Kopitiam is set to open soon at Harbord Square in Wood Wharf. The restaurant will seat up to 30 diners and will be open daily. Go to onglaikopitiam.co.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Ong Lai Kopitiam
Ong
Below, the restaurant will o er plenty of vegan options, including Kolo Mee
Food images by Ong Lai Kopitiam
Eat Lah and
Lai Kopitiam co-founder Robert Ngo stands outside his 30-cover restaurant that’s soon to open in Harbord Square
with tofu and okra Image by Jon Massey
Kopi being poured
how AFK Beach Volleyball raises money to help fund equipment and opportunities for disabled youngsters
by Jon Massey
what’s this?
Where have you been? This is the AFK Beach Volleyball court in Wood Wharf’s Union Square.
what’s that?
It’s a pay-as-you-play facility for anyone who fancies bashing a ball around while diving about on sand to use.
what do I need?
Court hire is for four or more people on an hourly basis and costs £15 per person – £60 minimum. Volleyballs and guidance on the rules are provided, so players just need to turn up in kit that’s appropriate to play a game or two on the sand.
when can I book?
The court is already in place and will be in Canary Wharf until August 10. Bookings are available Tuesday-Sunday although some slots may be unavailable due to special events.
why should I play?
Isn’t it time you did some exercise? In all seriousness, beach volleyball is a fantastic sport and an ideal way to get some fresh air. Also, every single thwack of the ball helps raise money for AFK, a charity that helps children who are disabled or neurodiverse live more independent, fulfilling lives.
tell me more
Corporate partnerships manager at AFK, Lyn Prodger said: “It’s an amazing small charity and this event is a big shop window for us. “We wouldn’t be speaking to
the likes of JP Morgan, Barclays and Accenture without it and the support of Canary Wharf Group.
“We provide mobility equipment for disabled children and young people all round the country and we also fund the maintenance of that equipment which is vital and not something all charities do.
“It’s no good if you have a £2,000 wheelchair that’s your whole life but you can’t use it for the sake of a £200 repair.
“But it’s not just about buying some equipment and saying goodbye, it’s an ongoing dialogue and opportunity.
“We’ve also started providing work placements in London because we’re based in the capital.
“We support anything that fosters independence and wellbeing and that includes helping people into work.
“We realised quite early on that many of the young people we work with aren’t ready for employment, so we have an outreach team that supports them to help change that.
“When you’re in a special school, for example, no-one ever asks what you want to do when you leave. The employers we work with are like gold dust – they raise confidence and aspirations.
“What we say to them is that we’re not bringing a problem, we’re bringing an amazing group of talented young people who are ready for work.
“We also put our money where our mouth is by giving young people paid employment roles with us. Some of them help with this event and they really are amazing.”
Money raised by AFK Beach Volleyball since the charity started hosting the event in 2009, not including funds from this year £750,000
Summer ‘25 Summer‘25
@ The Space @TheSpace Theatre Theatre (June - October) (June-October)
The unprecedented pace of change has resulted in ‘organisation rush’ as companies strive not to be left behind Chris
virtual viewpoint
by Chris Ezekiel
The technological revolution started in the 20th century and the arti cial intelligence (AI) revolution started at the end of the 20th century. But it’s only in recent years that we have seen a stepchange in the pace of development and innovation. We are currently experiencing two revolutions – AI within wider and ongoing technological progress.
Businesses, especially large enterprises, are nding it almost impossible to keep up – but keep up they must if they are to remain competitive. Smaller companies are not immune either. Some startups are nding their business models destroyed literally overnight.
This unprecedented pace of change has resulted in ‘organisation rush’ – fevered activity as companies strive not to be left behind. This is not without its consequences.
Too many organisations are diving into AI adoption without rst creating the right environment so that it can be successfully adopted, scaled and sustained. This is coupled with the fact that there is often widespread organisational misunderstanding about AI’s capabilities, and so inevitably there is often huge disappointment in the outcomes.
The tendency for many organisations has been to focus primarily on the tech itself and, of course, this is extremely important. However, AI should not really be approached as ‘tech’ but as a business enabler.
Organisations need to take a strategic, multi-dimensional approach to AI and reshape their infrastructure, processes, talent and culture, at the same time as considering their technological options. When this happens, the AI promises of e ciencies, innovation and more e ective decision-making will be realised and the true value of the technology will be delivered.
While AI advancements are speeding up, it is in the best interest of organisations to slow down when it comes to adopting these systems. Getting AI right is highly dependent on organisational readiness.
Importantly, organisations should engage with experienced, quali ed, and proven partners to ensure they are expertly guided. The best solutions to meet speci c business needs can then be deployed and the entire organisation can engage in the AI journey.
Chris says rather than rushing to implement AI, companies should slow down and consult on the options
Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square
Image by Pixabay
Ezekiel, Creative Virtual
review: how Luna Omakase shoots for the moon with fine cooking but falls short on value for money
by Jon Massey
What you want, when spending a significant amount of money on a meal in a restaurant is an experience that will burn itself into your memory. It should be an something that continues to touch you years after you sat at that table and tasted those dishes. That’s what makes paying those hefty sums worthwhile – it’s the essence of value in fine dining.
For such an outlay, the expectation of perfectionism is a given. Price is important because it allows restaurants to calibrate the expectations of diners. The tariff is a deceleration of quality (albeit a completely insufficient one) but probably the best customers can expect as a rough guide to navigating radically different offerings across the city.
There are currently six restaurants in London with three Michelin stars. At two of them you can pay £225 per head for a tasting menu. Luna Omakase charges £200 per head for its offering. That’s a broad brush stroke advertisement to customers – it promises a level of quality at a venue that has yet to be recognised by the guide.
Of course, what a tyre manufacturer believes is of merit should always be taken with a pinch of salt and a generous dollop of caveats, but that price point is a bar this restaurant has chosen to set itself.
In short, the experience is as follows. Luna Omakase sits within Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant Los Mochis at Broadgate Circle. It is a 12-seat private room with a central prep area. Here chef Leo Tanyag and his team deliver dishes to guests directly who sit up at the counter overlooking the cooks. Mostly the food is delivered on fancy ceramics, but occasionally straight into diners’ hands.
The preamble has some of the characteristics of a theatre performance. Guests gather at the main restaurant’s bar and enjoy views of St Paul’s from its ninth floor position while sipping aperitifs. Then, at the appointed time
Per head cost of food at Luna Omakase, with drinks flights costing roughly £100 on top
serving by the
we’re collected and led to the private space decorated with a dozen circular paintings by Oms Rocha. These symbolise “life’s perpetual rhythm”, apparently.
As they’re lit from behind, they also have the pleasing effect of giving diners glorious halos at certain angles. It’s as though we’re all characters immortalised in Byzantine iconography.
Here’s what happens in the room. First it’s time to decide on drinks. These all come at an additional cost with a wine flight, a sake flight and a non-alcoholic flight all on offer. Service begins with a gong and we’re treated to around 12 courses (oddly we count 14), expertly finished in front of us plus four drinks that are poured at various intervals. At the end, one of the diners is invited to bash the gong again and the formalities are over.
Then follows the inevitable selfie session for those who wish to partake.
Overall, there are things I really like about Luna Omakase, but others that, given the punchy cost, are underwhelming. The set up is very much for a performance – a shared experience for 12 lucky people to indulge in together.
But the various couples are shown to our allotted seats around three sides of the rectangular prep area and there’s nothing to break the ice.
Things do warm up a little as the evening gets going, but serving each course in turn creates the effect of silos at the counter. Different chefs talk to and serve different people, sometimes in
The result is I feel mild guilt eating a piece of delicate nigiri under the envious gaze of a diner at the other end of the counter, knowing they won’t get theirs for several minutes.
By the time they’ve been served, we’re moving on and the opportunity for any shared conversation on what we’ve just eaten is lost.
Partly because the 12 courses are small and often eaten in a single bite, this lends a disjointed feel to things rather than cementing the idea of a coherent, well balanced evening.
Further jarring is achieved with a sommelier who is given the impossible task of detailing three separate drinks flights when our glasses are refreshed. I don’t care about the characteristics of a glass of Bordeaux someone else is enjoying at the counter, just as they have no interest in the sake I’m sipping. At any one time, the lengthy intro to each pouring is at best of interest only to a third of those present at the lecture, with two thirds of the eyes round the table wandering.
As there are only four glasses continued on Page 27
Fish, scallops, fresh wasabi, crab and caviar are presented by chefs at Luna Omakase as they prepare for service in the private room at Los Mochis in Liverpool Street
Clockwise from top left, amberjack with ponzu, caviar with tuna, king crab nigiri and yellowtail with aioli, Serrano chilli and truffle
from Page 14
and 12-plus radically different dishes, the flights’ relevance to the actual food is also debatable and the sommelier doesn’t attempt to relate the “matches” preferring instead to stay in the safer territory of citrus notes and wet pebbles.
There’s also a question about how well the whole evening is framed. The 12 seats and paintings echo the new moons in a year – this appears to be a convoluted way of saying the menu changes with the seasons, which isn’t especially ground breaking. But we’re also promised “12 stories” and that the menu “follows the rhythm of the moon – birth, growth, change and renewal”.
There’s confusion here rather than the pure clarity of lunar light on a clear, cloudless night. The show tries to do too much and gets in a bit of a muddle.
The setup suggests a performance – and there are moments when blowtorches are waved and dry ice comes wafting out of black orbs – but the chefs are cooks rather than natural entertainers. Their interest is in delivering on the plate rather than in showing off in front of an audience.
Expensive meals that become etched in our brains cut into them with the clarity and precision of a perfectly honed knife.
They are choreographed, timed, rehearsed and yet feel natural, relaxed and astonishing. For me, these include Cuisine Minceur and warmth from Michel Guérard, the molecular insanity of Marc Veyrat, deconstructed apple crumble from Richard Corrigan, ice cream overhanging the Royal Festival Hall with Daniel Clifford and broth drizzled over Jean-Luc Rocha’s sliced cuttlefish.
The overall experience at Luna Omakase doesn’t get there, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to praise. Chef Leo is engaging. Scared of the ocean (because of all the fish he’s cut up over the years), we learn his family are mostly cooks save his dad who’s an engineer.
There’s serious skill on the plate too, with dishes often drawing on
Mexican flavours and weaving them into his Japanese creations. It’s an unlikely marriage, perhaps, but one that works with tacos and chilli tricking up the plates.
The fish served is, as expected, exceptional whether it’s king crab, amberjack, sea trout or black bream seared with an improbably hot rod of charcoal.
But it’s when we get beyond the sushi that things really take off including yellowtail with aioli and truffle and a sweet potato hard taco flavoured with sal de gusano – a condiment made from the dried ground red maguey worm more commonly found in bottles of mezcal.
Here is invention and verve, with chef Leo at his best holding forth on food and flavour –especially when those stories are plainly personal.
There’s plentiful freshly ground wasabi too, even in the ice cream served alongside a stunning miso caramel soufflé. This is a cook unafraid to tame and balance complex flavours.
Tellingly though, my favourite dish is a delicately cut sandwich of wagyu beef seared on Himalayan salt and placed between slices of white bread with wasabi leaves.
It’s a delicious and touching homage to chef Leo’s mother and the lunchboxes she sent him out with as a kid. This dish honours the gifts of a parent, who should be very proud of the level of skill her son has achieved. While we’re eating it, nobody mentions the moon.
key details
Luna Omakase is located within Los Mochis’ London City restaurant in Broadgate Circle on the ninth floor. Food costs £230 per head including service charge. All drinks are extra including water, sake, wine and non-alcoholic pairings. Go to luna-omakase.com
Seats up at the counter in Luna Omakase, which is available for one sitting at 7pm, Tuesday-Saturday
at Luna Omakase such as otoro with aioli, citrus and capers, above, and black bream, are often one or two bites, although blood orange granita, below left, lasted longer thanks to a tiny spoon
Scan this code to nd out more about Luna Omakase
Below from left, callop with tru e sauce, miso caramel sou é with wasabi ice cream and the deeply personal lunchbox sandwich with wagyu and wasabi leaves
Courses
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
EVENT | FMG London Pro/Am
Where?
Troxy Whitechapel
Bodybuilders promise to fuse muscle with glamour as they blend “physical excellence” with “unmatched presentation”. Low body fat percentage a must... Aug 16, 10am, £76.56, troxy.co.uk
Where?
The George Tavern Whitechapel
GIG | Taiga Live In London
From the grasslands of Inner Mongolian and Xinjiang to the warehouses of Chengdu, this duo crafts bass-heavy, live sets for audiences to enjoy. Aug 8, 11pm, £10, thegeorgetavern.london
Where?
Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping
COMEDY | A Particularly Nasty Case
Former Amateur Transplant and NHS doctor Adam Kay promises a murderously funny evening as he chats to Konnie Huq about his whodunnit... Aug 29, 8.45pm, from £34, wiltons.org.uk
The Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames tours have returned to Tower Bridge Quay with plenty of gory tales of London’s history crammed into a 45-minute cruise to Westminster and back. Ideal for the kids terriblethames.com
Scan this code to nd out more about the show and how to book onto this central London must
how the Thames
River Police Museum carries a wealth of tales and artefacts in glorious abundance
by Jon Massey
Gabriel Franks was fatally shot just outside what is today Wapping Police Station. The murder took place during a riot on October 16, 1798 and, at the age of 22, he became the first ser ing officer to be killed in the line of duty anywhere in the world.
Today, Gabriel continues to be honoured by the Metropolitan Police’s Marine Policing Unit through the name of one of its fast res onse essels. is is ust one of a mountain of stories to be found in the Thames i er olice useum a room stuffed to bursting point with artefacts, curios, models, weapons, uniforms and documents piled high o er the more than 200 years that the world’s oldest police force has looked after the water.
Unfortunately, apart from the odd open day, it’s not an especially easy collection to access because Wapping Police Station is a working building. Its website still recommends that interested parties send a letter with a stamped, self-addressed en elo e so the curator can re ly. Thankfully, there is also an email address to contact.
en during a brief isit, howe er, it s ossible to get a sense of the depth within. There are oil aintings de icting officers olicing the ri er, a handsome portrait of magistrate Patrick Colquhoun, who was instrumental in the force’s establishment, and innumerable pictures of sports teams competing from its ranks o er the years.
There are handcuffs, cutlasses and a rocket ro elled de ice to fire a ro e o er the water not to mention plenty of information about the arious craft o erated by officers o er the years.
But then there are deeply human stories – a newspaper article celebrating Marion Dutton, the only female di er in the Met’s Marine Policing Unit” from The London Paper in 200 .
There’s a signed portrait of Jack Warner as Sgt Dixon of Dock Green, addressed to the unit’s chief superintendent plus a menu from the Catering Department from a time when a pork sausage would ha e cost a eckish policeman all of 18p.
ust abo e is a cartoon with the
look of Punch about it poking fun at the ri er co s as the senior ser ice with officers en oying a snooze in a boat on the Thames.
But there’s tragedy here too among the painstakingly crafted models of boats created by former constables. On the wall there’s a la ue recognising officers efforts to sa e li es in the aftermath of the Marchioness Disaster as they rescued 50 of the 0 sur i ors after the ship sank with 131 passengers and crew on board following a collision with another essel.
There s also a finger rinting kit with a strip of red tape reminding officers that it s suitable for helping to identify dead bodies.
The death of Gabriel Franks in the year the force was established is a stark reminder of the challenges and often grim parts of the job. While Gabriel lost his life due to the unpopularity of the principle that those stealing cargo from ships docked in London should perhaps be stopped, the ri er has also seen its fair share of iolent crime and tragedy.
The museum neither shies away from this, nor sugar-coats it, sim ly resenting e ents cheek by-jowl with the reality of the men and women tasked with looking after the safety and security of those on the water.
Undoubtedly, the museum in its current form is a treasure –there’s something wonderful in its haphazard presentation that re ects the layers of sur rising history within. Walking its narrow pathways between old blue lamps and di ing suits is a singular, unpretentious experience. t is a shame, howe er, that more people aren’t able to see this stuff. erha s the useum Of London Docklands should mount a special exhibition if taking charge of the collection on a more permanent basis would be impossible.
key details
The Thames i er olice useum is currently only a ailable to iew by appointment or on occasional open days such as the annual Wapping Shindig. For more information go to thamespolicemuseum.org.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the museum
Since a police force was rst established on the Thames, the oldest of its kind in
A corner of the museum piled high with exhibits
The view over working boats from Wapping Police Station
The museum is currently tucked away
how KintsÜgi helps people who are struggling to reset their relationship with their phone
by Jon Massey
During lockdown, I was averaging nine and a half hours a day of screen time on my phone, mostly on Instagram,” said Isle Of Dogs resident Lizzie AarynStanton. “I was posting, then constantly checking for likes and affirmations.
The portable communications devices that have become a seemingly essential part of modern life have a darker side to them. We live in an attention economy. The enormous organisations that create and hone the a s we stuff our hones with want our time and our eyes – not because they’re really keen to improve our lives, but to show us as many adverts as efficiently as ossible.
To do this, teams of developers work tirelessly to design better and better ways to keep us looking, with one of their most powerful tools being simple counters. The work of creating posts is not rewarded financially, in the main, but instead via something much less tangible – engagement. The social media companies know it feels good to be seen and keep users hooked by showing how many likes, views and shares their post has attracted. It’s fun, exciting even. You can watch in real time.
But it’s also a system of diminishing returns. Over time our brains get used to the little pops of dopamine released when we imagine the positive thoughts of others as those counters tick upwards. Eventually, our heads get wired to those numbers and the rewards they create in our brains. We need them just to keep functioning and our phones are there to feed us more and more of what we crave. We sit there anxiously refreshing our screens desperate for the smallest indication that someone has noticed us or something we’ve done.
It’s available all day, every day at the tap of a screen and it’s free. Little wonder, really, that many people struggle to have a healthy productive relationship with a device that ironically was conceived to ease our lives through communication.
Lizzie knew what was happening to her wasn’t healthy. Spending an average of 66 hours or more a week was taking its toll and she decided she wanted to do something about it, not just for herself but for other people too.
“I was absolutely miserable at that time,” she said. “I would turn my phone off or ut it in a drawer and then, fi e minutes later, I’d be checking something on it again. There was no need at all, but I was going back time after time, re-editing images on Instagram.
“It was deeply vain and it came from a lack of self-worth – something I was trying to get from my phone but that it was never going to give me.
“I’ve been an actress for the last decade and so at the time of my phone addiction, I saw posting on social media as part of
my career. There was a lot of TikTok in those nine and a half hours as well and I realised scrolling through videos had even more of a grip on me than Instagram. I knew that was really something I shouldn’t do.”
Determined to break the cycle, Lizzie started by Googling advice on how to get off her hone and began trying things out.
“As an actress, I’ve always been good at inventing games and exercises to help actors unlock characters,” she said. hene er need to do that, ll find a way to make it fun.
“I was having all these ideas about how it might be possible to help others in similar situations. Then I realised that I needed to create something on the phone itself so people could reshape their relationship with the device.”
This was the genesis of Lizzie’s app, KintsÜgi, a recently released app that aims to coach users on establishing and nurturing healthier phone behaviours. Before going into more depth on the software, first a bit of conte t.
“I’ve done a lot of deeper work into addiction since I started this journey and I’m not marketing the app as a cure for addicts,” said Lizzie. “I am an addict of multiple forms and I realise now that the phone was an accessory for a deeper issue – a love addiction.
“I’ve completed the 12 steps through Sex And Love Addicts Anonymous and am doing the 12-step programme with Co-Dependents Anonymous, both of which are based on the AA model.
“I had a break-up in 2022 that brought me to my knees. I was only with the guy for a month, but it took me a year and a half to heal from that relationship.
“I was convinced that he was the person I was going to marry and have kids with – that it was going to be all ‘happy-ever-after’. I was caught up in very binary, love addict thinking.
“I began working with a therapist who helped me realise that I was addicted to the feeling of falling in love. Flash forward and I understood that my Instagram use was a way for me to get little hits of love when I didn’t have somebody to fall in love with.
“Unlike other addictions like alcohol or drugs, as a love addict you’re forced into withdrawal more often than you’d like to be because you can’t control other people. I was using social media to help deal with that.
“Through therapy, I’ve gained a deep understanding of who I am. Doing the 12-step programmes has also given me knowledge of how addictions are formed and why we’re addicted to things but also how to get yourself back to a place where you can start to put your life back together again.
“That’s how the name of my app –KintsÜgi – came about. It takes its name from the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. When a bowl smashes, it’s a very slow process, because you have to put one bit back at a time, paint it gold and then move on to the next bit until you re finished.
“Eventually the idea is that the end result is more beautiful because of that healing journey.”
The contrast for i ie is that fighting many forms of addiction involves abstinence. However, in the same way she’s not shutting herself off from ersonal relationships, KintsÜgi’s aim is to change its users’ interactions with their phone.
Following a seven-day free trial, the programme costs £5.99 per month and offers users daily tasks and challenges with the intention of helping them achieve this outcome.
“When I was glued to my phone, I turned first to my de ice for hel and then started writing notes on it,” said Lizzie. “That’s why I knew this had to be on the phone. My dad’s in Kenya and my mum’s in Spain, so, without my it, I wouldn’t have a decent relationship with them. When users log in there’s a three art elcome ack and the first thing to do is to get a pen and a notebook and start being nice to yourself.
“When people are locked into problematic behaviour, they’re often at their lowest – at or close to rock bottom. When you’re there, the person you hate most is yourself and you can’t start a healing journey unless you start to change that.
“Then we go into a week of changing how you react to your phone. There are
The rst thing to do is to write out the positive and negative things about your phone. Then it’s about how we can relate to ourselves and each other in a healthy way
Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton, KintsÜgi
visual things, like cleaning your screen, turning off notifications and changing the ways it steals your attention.
“Then there are some pretty tough habits that I encourage people to adopt such as keeping their phones hidden, not wearing them and never having them on the table when eating or in public. Then there’s sleeping with your phone out of the bedroom. Watching the screen before you go to bed is not helpful for rest.”
After completing the three-day Arrive sessions, users move on to seven days of Reframe followed by seven days of Retrain to complete the Welcome Pack. They are then free to explore the app’s other content, with packs created by Lizzie to help address myriad issues. She said: “Wherever you are and whatever pack you’re on there’s either a written lesson or a voice note from me setting a challenge for the day.
“That might be about reconnecting to yourself or engaging with an o ine hobby. There are packs that cover working from home, the maintenance of good habits, gambling, adult content and social media. Realistically, our phones are the gateway to a lot of problematic behaviours. How people progress within the app is up to them and what they need.
“Ultimately KintsÜgi is a way for people to get to know themselves a bit better. t starts as a way to get off your hone, but the benefits are wider than that. The people I want to reach are those who need it most, to stop living the rat race, nine to fi e, and take time for themselves.
The first thing to do is to write out the positive and negative things about your phone. Then it’s about how we can relate to ourselves and each other in a healthy way so we don t need it to fill the ga .
key details
KintsÜgi is available to download for Android and IOS phones. The app offers a se en day free trial with a 5.99 subscription allowing access to all content thereafter.
Go to ugitribe.com for more information
Hours on average Lizzie was spending on her phone scrolling through Instagram and TikTok
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
Isle Of Dogs resident Lizzie Aaryn-Stanton has developed KintsÜgi, an app aimed at helping phone users develop healthy habits
EVENT | Poplar Picnic 2025
Residents and visitors are invited for an afternoon of live music, food, drink and the grand opening of Cotall Street Market on the edge of Bartlett Park. Aug 9, noon-4pm, free, poplarunion.com
The Space Isle Of Dogs
STAGE | Snoligoster
Dive into this heady blend of Florida folklore, cult deconstruction and Jimmy Bu et dance breaks as the swamplands arrive on Westferry Road in full force. Aug 13-16, 8pm, £12, space.org
Theatreship South Quay
Continuing its run of free Wednesday lm screenings with the ick kept under wraps until it isn’t, ticket holders are invited to take pot luck and indulge... Aug 13, 7pm, from free, theatreship.co.uk
Mudchute Park And Farm is currently ghting for a long lease on the land it manages, a process that has now been dragging on since 2019 and is inhibiting the charity’s ability to access funds for growth and development mudchute.org Scan this code to nd out more about the campaign to extend the lease at Mudchute online at wharf-life.com
FILM | Free Mystery Cinema
Image by Jon Massey
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Don Pipkin
Where?
Corner Corner Canada Water
The London-based pianist and singer brings his All Star New Orleans Trio to the food hall and vertical farm for an evening of smooth grooves. Aug 9, 5pm-8pm, free, cornercorner.com
Where? Brunel Museum Rotherhithe
HEAR | Summertime - Two Concerts
Enjoy 45 minute sessions of seasonal classics from St Martin Voices Underground in the cool of the museum’s Thames Tunnel shaft Bar opens 5.30pm Aug 14, 6.30pm, 7.45pm, £10, thebrunelmuseum.com
PLAY | Board Game Social
Where? Badger Badger Deptford
Come alone or in a group for an evening of play, with expert games sta on hand to break the ice and ensure everyone has a pleasant evening. Aug 13, 6.30pm-11pm, £8, badgerbadger.org
Gareth Gardner Gallery in Deptford is hosting Danilo Murru’s exhibition of images shot in his native Sardinia. The Furthest Point Was Home will be on show from July 26-27 from 2pm-6pm or by appointment garethgardner.gallery
Scan this code for more information about The Furthest Point Was Home and Danilo
freeCost of attending the workshops run by Froglife for kids aged 8-12 at The Albany
PRINT ADVENTURE
Zine Making With Froglife The Albany thealbany.org.uk
Unsurprisingly, at Wharf Life we’re fans of printed media and are thus supportive of any activities likely to indoctrinate (make that enthuse) the coming generations of its bene t.
National wildlife conservation charity Froglife is set to host a pair of workshops at The Albany in Deptford on August 13, where participants will explore the
Scan this code to nd out more about the workshops
plants and animals living in our ponds.
They will then go on to use techniques such as collage, printing and painting to turn their scienti c observations into creative works, binding them together as zines. Both sessions will be led by Rianna Badesha, a nature conservationist and educator. As a Visitor Engagement Ranger for London Wildlife Trust and a freelance Creative Facilitator for Froglife, she works with diverse communities to foster appreciation for the
natural world. Carers will leave children in the hands of sta for the duration of the workshops.
key details
Zine Making With Froglife is set to take place on August 13 with two-hour sessions starting at 10am and 1pm. These are suitable for youngsters aged 8-12 and are free to attend, although donations to The Albany are welcome. Places must be booked online in advance.
Go to thealbany.org.uk for more information
Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey
Youngsters will use a variety of creative techniques to produce zines focusing on pond life
Image by Chris F / Pexels
Years of the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, which is celebrating its anniversary with the launch of a book
This year’s festival will open with Above And Beyond featuring perfromers from Les Arts Bleus who will use buildings in Woolwich to present
how the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is marking three decades of free, outdoor shows
by Jon Massey
Agiant zoetrope of skeletons punting across the Styx, a vast chandelier with jazz musicians for candles swinging from a crane, huge trebuchet-like bells swinging too and fro, a slick of multicoloured foam, acrobats, dancers, performers, weird installations and cups of tea.
These are just a tiny fraction of the things the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival has brought to east and south-east London, almost all free to watch and thrillingly vibrant.
But don’t take my word for it.
To mark the 30 years organisers have been pulling this remarkable annual event together, large format coffee table book Above
And Beyond by Fiona Hughes is set to go on sale to coincide with the launch of this year’s festival.
Frankly, I don’t envy the author. Even with 160 pages to play with, boiling down the sheer quantity of shows performed over three decades must have been a tough assignment.
The team members behind GDIF, led by festival founder and artistic director Bradley Hemmings since the event’s inception, are not strangers to tricky issues, of course. Yet somehow on a yearly basis they ull off a owerful rogramme of shows, finding funding, commissioning artists and emerging victorious over the organisational bothers.
“It’s been very interesting and sometimes challenging, but the festival is in some way a mirror of people’s social and cultural lives over the last 30 years,” said Bradley. “If you think back to the 1990s, you’d be hard-pressed to find a lace where you could ha e a meal on the street or in a public space outside.
“There has been such an explosion of alfresco cultural experiences and there’s now a real appetite for doing things together in the open air. If you think of spaces around London, like Canary Wharf, they’re now designed for outdoor conviviality.
“That’s the journey we’ve gone on in a very distinctive way and we’ve thought a lot about that during our time producing the festival. For what we do it’s about informality – people can come and see GDIF, meet up with
We are living in anxious times, so the idea of ‘Above And Beyond’ is that there are no boundaries or walls to de ne outdoor arts
Bradley Hemmings, GDIF
friends and relax. It’s completely accessible. It’s something you can have a conversation about, not something where you have to sit in silence in a row.
“Above And Beyond contains gorgeous photographs and very interesting storytelling by Fiona to highlight some of the companies and people who have worked with us over the years. I’m so proud of them all.”
“Above And Beyond” is also the theme for GDIF 2025, which kicks off on August 22 with a performance of the same name at 6.45pm in Woolwich’s Beresford Square. We are living in anxious times, so the idea of ‘Above And Beyond’ is that there are no boundaries or walls to define outdoor arts,” said Bradley. “There’s a continuity and it can happen anywhere – an inn, a park, a town centre, next to a dock, on a roof, or even, as this year, up in the sky.
“The opening night will feature a specially commissioned production with eight French performers from Les Arts Bleus who will create an incredible, heart-stopping Parkour presentation that will take over landmark buildings in Woolwich.
“The climax will feature a collaboration with the Greenwich-based Citizens Of The World Choir made up of sanctuary-seeking people, who’ve done all sorts of exciting things including performing at Glastonbury and recording with Ed Sheeran.”
GDIF has consistently changed and evolved over the years, taking root in all kinds of locations depending on availability and funding. For its 2025 iteration, performances are in the main s lit o er fi e chunks one in Greenwich, one on Greenwich Peninsula (home to Bradley and the organisational team) one in Woolwich, one in Thamesmead and the last in Stratford.
Parkour
First up, Greenwich Park is set to host Greenwich Fair from August 23-24 with performances at various times in the area across the two days.
Bradley said: “It’s a fantastic event but quite hard for us to resource so we had to take a break last year. However, we’re delighted to be working with Royal Parks and Greenwich Park, to bring it back to its original home.
“The location is where the 19th century Greenwich Fair used to happen and we’ll be bringing together a programme of street art, dance, circus and installations, with a very family-friendly character at the top of the park in celebration.”
Following on, Greenwich Peninsula will host Turning Worlds on August 30 and 31.
e e mo ed our offices here, in the Design District and it’s a really invigorating place to work,” said Bradley. “There are wonderful businesses and phenomenal architecture here, and there are great public spaces too. For Turning Worlds we’ve taken ideas of performance and engineering and it will feature a giant metal spiral, a device that enables a performer to walk on a wall and a show that involves exchanges between an acrobat and a giant robotic arm. Robopole, especially, is a phenomenal creation.”
On September 4, it’s Woolwich’s turn with Fragments Of Us and Go Grandad Go set to both be performed twice in General Gordon Square.
“The former is a piece we’ve co-commissioned with Talawa from dance company Fubunation and director Sonia Hughes. It’s going to be very inspiring and thought-provoking, which will invite people into the lives of a cast of black performers who are creating and presenting the work.
“It’s a piece that will challenge traditional assumptions about black masculinity and reveal beautiful moments of poetry, and the brotherhood and connections between the people in the show.
“Then, Go Grandad Go is
commission from fantastic dancer and choreographer Dani Harris-Walters. It’s hip-hop – very family-friendly and feel-good – and takes audiences into this world of relationships across the generations. It’s really fun and very relatable and engaging.”
Completing this year’s series of spectacles in south-east London will be The Weight Of Water, a giant tipping staircase of a stage where six performers will dance while battling gravity as their oating erformance s ace.
“It’s from a Dutch company, who have created a wonderful piece of ingenious engineering, that in ol es a oating stage which can actually tip and change position in response to the movements of the acrobats and dancers on it.
“The show is very much urging us to be aware of the climate crisis and the impact of political indecision. There’s live music, dance and circus. It’s nail-biting and an incredibly surprising show which has toured widely across Europe. We’re thrilled we’re able to bring it to Thamesmead on September 6 and 7.”
Also taking place that weekend will be Dancing City, an extensive programme of performances on the Saturday held in various locations for the second time in Stratford. We’ll preview this event more extensively in a future issue of Wharf Life
key details
Greenwich + Docklands International Festival 2025 is set to run from August 22 until September 6 at various locations in south-east and east London. Full listings are available online.
Above And Beyond, published by Unicorn, will be released on August 22 and is available to purchase at GDIF 2025 events and in selected bookstores.
Go to festival.org for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about GDIF 2025
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
The singer songwriter brings his On The Road Again tour to London as he celebrates 10 years of playing live and ve albums of material. Aug 16, 6.30pm, from £77, theo2.co.uk
Peninsula is set to be packed with attractions and activities all through the warmers weeks as Peninsula Summer arrives. Expect pop-ups, festivals and street food with full listings online greenwichpeninsula.co.uk
GIG | Shawn Mendes
EVENT | Rhythm Of Hope Performers Etana and Teejay are set to top the bill at this fundraising concert in support of Food For The Poor, the largest charity in the Caribbean. Aug 10,7pm, £35, woolwich.works
Epiphytes will be part of Greenwich Fair
Greenwich Peninsula will host Turning Worlds
Weightless will be at Greenwich Fair
Robopole features acrobatics and a machine
The Weight Of Water will be at Thamesmead
Do some meditation, go pet a dog or touch some grass. Go meditate in the park with a dog while touching some grass. After you’ve cleaned the grass and dog hair o your trousers, start on your task
David Lefebre Sell
take a breath by David
Lefebvre Sell
There are many di erent ways that we can get trapped into cycles that are unhealthy for us. We might use alcohol or food to self soothe from depression, in a way that feeds back into the causes of that low mood, we can get into codependent cycles in our relationships and, my personal favourite, we can get trapped into cycles of anxious avoidance and procrastination.
The unhelpful belief that some people have about procrastination is that it’s just laziness. But, usually it is a sign of overwhelm and a lack of self belief. If you are under chronic stress, or if you really believe that things won’t turn out well, then putting things o is actually an act of self defence. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that way.
So you might nd yourself doom scrolling or watching endless videos on your phone, in a desperate quest for dopamine – all the while becoming more and more anxious about the work you’re avoiding. This then feeds back into the feeling of overwhelm that you’re running from in the rst place.
The fact is that your amygdala, the part of the brain that’s responsible for threat detection, isn’t coping very well with modern life. It has a hard time telling the di erence between having to build a spreadsheet and being attacked by a pack of wild dogs.
So how do we break this cycle? The rst thing is to recognise what’s happening, and notice your emotional state. What are the negative beliefs that might be leading to procrastination?
Those beliefs might not be true, and are being ampli ed by your stress. Develop self compassion and try to be understanding with your di culties, especially if you feel no one else is. Next, get your stress levels down. Exercise, do some breath work or meditation, go pet a dog or touch some grass. Go meditate in the park with a dog while touching grass.
After you’ve cleaned the grass and dog hair o your trousers, start on your task. Repeat as necessary.
David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf
Follow @davetheyogi on X and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB
Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist
