Blending funk, soul and jazz, the band return to Boisdale for a potent hit- lled show including the likes of Midnight At The Oasis. Smooth... Jun 27, 9pm, from £102 (with dinner), boisdale.co.uk
Where?
Everyman Canary Wharf Crossrail Place
FILM | Clueless
With a free drink and popcorn in hand (this is a Throwback screening) step back in time and revel in the antics of Alicia Silverstone and co. Jun 29, 3.15pm, £17.60, everymancinema.con
| SUP + Kayaking
Where?
Eden Dock Canary Wharf
Welcome to issue 139 of Wharf Life. This issue is all about taste and possibility. We welcome new arrivals Barbarella and Signorelli to the estate, revisit Six By Nico and test out the o ering at Brother Marcus while saving room for new trains at Stratford International and an appeal from a vital charity
Why ongoing nancial support for Richard House Children’s Hospice and the essential work it does in east London is needed now, more than ever 28
Take to the water on stand-up paddle boards and folding kayaks as the dock’s waters open up in partnership with Dragon Boat Events Ongoing, times vary, £15 per hour, canarywharf.com
luxury health club, there’s more in the pipeline with a Hyrox training space coming thirdspace.london
Welcoming Italian bakery and cafe Signorelli to the Wharf
Teaming martial arts with kids activities, we stop by Wutian and Kidwise
on the radar
Looking bright and breezy in its new home, O ce has o cially opened its new Canary Wharf store o ering smart and casual footwear for those working exibly or back in, well, the o ce on a more regular basis. Find it in Canada Place o ce.co.uk
Another day, another brand returning to the fold. Accessorize has launched a new branch at Canada Place packed with fashionable bits and bobs. Expect a range of clothes, hats, bags, jewellery and other ephemera at reasonable prices accessorize.com need to know
27
Check out the full line-up for Greenwich Comedy Festival
12
Why the table-busting deliveries of food at Brother Marcus when you let the sta decide what you’re eating make it the best deal on the Wharf right now...
TRIED + TESTED
Chicken Schwarma
Natural Fitness Food Third Space, Canada Square
Right, so you’ve done your workout, emerged from the changing room red-faced, mildly perspiring and somewhat smug.
But you’re hungry. What to do? You don’t want to lose that hard-won sense of virtuous living so quickly. Brie y you consider a protein shake designed to ape the taste of a Snickers, but it’s too much like betrayal.
No, instead you gravitate to Natural Fitness Food’s “lean” range. While the expectation might be forkful after forkful of hair shirt, the reality turns out to be considerably more pleasant.
The Chicken Schwarma costs £8.50 at Natural Fitness Food in Third Space Canary Wharf
doing the deals
get more for less on and around the Wharf
£20
Head to Humble Grape in Mackenzie Walk on Saturdays between noon and 4pm and get a juicy lamb burger with harissa aioli plus a glass of bold Bordeaux for £20. humblegrape.co.uk
£10
23
Head to Marceline in Water Street from noon-4pm on Tuesdays and get an oyster and a glass of zz for £10. Then it’s £2 per oyster from 4pm until they’re gone... marceline.london
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See 28 Year Later with Danny Boyle at St Anne’s Limehouse on June 25
At £8.50, the outlay for a mere 274 calories seems steep, but this ain’t about the width. Instead it’s all on avour and this little punnet of animal protein, cauli ower rice, sumac yoghurt and pomegranate seeds is a machine as carefully calibrated as any on the gym oor.
Richly spiced, this is a lling, satisfying portion that is packed with so much avour you barely notice the size of the carton.
Sated, you even get to savour the delicious possibility you might have done yourself some good...
Jon Massey
me words you don’t know you need
subscribe to our FREE Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly
noun, fake, from German
The cold, unforgiving season each government enters when it’s forced into something of a humiliating u-turn on something it really should have known better than to do in the rst place. See also winter and fuel...
noun, real, from Dutch
This term for the smallest possible amount of money derives originally from a 20th of a guilder but has since come to mean coinage of the tiniest quantity. Perhaps handy to refer to the next state giveaway...
HEAR IT
The Sugarhill Gang / Furious 5 Boisdale Of Canary Wharf boisdale.co.uk
The most original of hip hop’s OGs are set to say hello when Master Gee and Wonder Mike celebrate 45 years of Rapper’s Delight – the recording that started it all – at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf on June 20. Those attending can also expect a set from the grittier side of the tracks as the Furious 5 deliver The Message Tickets for the gig start at £45 for music only with various hospitality packages available.
Immigration Solicitors
dates, listings and ideas to make life in Canary Wharf sweeter..
LISTEN UP
Dockside Sounds Eden Dock canarywharf.com
Running on Fridays until August 29, Eden Dock will be welcoming a succession of live musicians to entertain the crowds waterside. On the nal day of each week two sets will be performed at the raked seating, the rst from noon-2pm and the second from 4.30pm-6.30pm. All shows are free to attend. Expect to see Ann McGuire and Daisy Chute on June 20 and Omar Rios and The Urban Cellist on June 27...
Our immigration team has earned its strong reputation for providing expert legal advice and practical support on a wide range of immigration issues. Trust us to help you make the right application.
020 7205 2896 kiddrapinet.co.uk
Want to nd out more about renting a property with Vertus on the Canary Wharf estate? This special event is set to take place on July 3, with the company’s leasing team o ering apartment tours before guests are invited to enjoy canapes and a wine reception from Kricket. Those attending will be able to view a selection of properties as well as the building’s extensive facilities and discover the community of residents nurtured through communal events such as wine tastings and book clubs.
FILM REVIEW - Contains Spoilers
A Working Man (15)
Amazon Prime 116mins
Canary Wharf and Docklands have a long, storied history as filming locations for both movies and TV, so in a new semiregular column, we thought we’d review some of the productions that have called east London home.
First up is A Working Man, released earlier this year starring Jason Statham. With a screenplay penned by Sylvester Stallone (who once celebrated his birthday at Bella Cosa restaurant on the Isle Of Dogs – true story), it’s an adaptation of Chuck Dixon’s 2014 novel Levon’s Trade and purports to be an “action thriller”.
Stath is well-liked construction foreman Levon Cade who is (you guessed it) also a former Royal Marines Commando, or something. He lives in a truck and you know he’s a good-un because he really cares about his little daughter Merry. He’s battling his fatherin-law for custody of her, following his wife’s suicide, after all.
We also know he’s a good egg because his workers love him – one offers him lunch cooked by his wife especially and he’s more than happy to beat on some ruffians who pop over to the construction site to bother the worker with the tupperware over debt, drugs, whatever. It doesn’t really matter.
This is the good bit for Wharf viewers. Chunks of Wood Wharf do a good job standing in for a Chicago building site.
Further positive character development occurs when Stath pops into the site office to make it quite clear he has a deep, respectful relationship with the Garcia family whose project it is, especially daughter Jenny, who’s in college. Their love for Levon is a little odd given he fights on their site and that this is pretty much the last time in the film we see the working man actually doing any work because, all of a sudden, Jenny is kidnapped on a night out while celebrating the successful completion
Look, behind Jason, one of Vertus’ new residential towers does a more convincing job playing a building in Chicago than most of the cast can manager with their own roles in this hokey action flick
of her first term. Stath turns down cash from the Garcias to rescue their missing daughter as, presumably, they know his background extends beyond punching people on workdays.
Nevertheless, his moral compass kicks in and everything goes rapidly John Wick. Enlisting the help of his army buddies, including a reasonable turn from David Harbour as blind weapons-nut Gunny Lefferty, Stath sets about tracking down the bad-uns who have snatched Jenny. It’s all part of a plot to traffic young women into sexual slavery for dodgy millionaires with greasy grey ponytails.
The whole thing is run by cartoonish
Russian Mafia bosses in silly couture outfits, with Stath initially employing a bunch of nonsensical bluffs, drug deals and feints before he just simply decides to kill everyone between him and Jenny. Cue stabbings, grenades, heads being blown off and some sort of testosterone-off with the leader of a biker gang. It’s pretty clear the baddies (and there are a lot) have one fate – to be dispatched by Levon in bloody fashion with Jenny even getting in on the act right at the end when she discovers a talent for neck snapping with her thighs.
The mistake here is that A Working Man attempts the impossible. It starts off looking like it’s about a real person – a man who grafts, cares about his daughter and lives his life by a moral code.
But it tries to marry that with caricatures of villains who clearly come from a comic book-style reality. Stath looks out of place against these glossy 2D pop-ups and talents like Emmett J Scanlan are wasted on dime store dialogue before inevitably being, well, brutally wasted.
To be clear, silly action movies can be great – see John Wick. But this is all minimum deliverable product stuff – ham acting, plot holes and absurd writing. Wood Wharf’s towers, cast as the Windy City, play their parts more convincingly than most of the actors in what is a mostly preposterous mess.
★★✩✩✩
Jon Massey
Floors Barbarella will be spread over with the space above intended as a more intimate dining experience
A jungle of foliage in glossy green pots has arrived outside YY London as Barbarella prepares for its June opening
Members of the Barbarella team pose for a promo shoot at Bokan on the Isle Of Dogs – the new restaurant won’t itself have a roof terrace as it’s on the lower two floors of YY London. It’s also unlikely Canary Wharf’s towers will be decorated to reflect the photoshopping in the image, but you never know...
Image by Jon Massey
Image by Haydon Perrior / Big Mamma Group
how Barbarella is set to deliver Roman cuisine in a cinematic world of silver and chrome
by Jon Massey
In 1968 sci-fi flick Barbarella, Jane Fonda’s eponymous character is at one point entombed in the Exsexsive Machine – a contraption intended to kill her with orgasmic waves of pleasure when some kind of diabolical tune is played by its creator, Durand Durand on his futuristic musical keyboard. Fortunately, Barbarella proves too much for the dubious device, causing it to burst into flame to the profound disappointment of its creator.
When first broadcast on the BBC, a decade after its creation, the film was potent enough to immediately prompt a nascent pop trio in Birmingham to name themselves Duran Duran in honour of the antagonist and his piano-wielding ways. While they’ve so far failed to kill anyone with the pleasure of their output (at least to our knowledge), it’s a demonstration of the movie’s power to inspire. Even 57 years after it first hit the big screen it remains a cultural icon with some clout. How do we know? Well, Canary Wharf is about to get its very own Barbarella.
Located on the lower two floors of the YY London building in Reuters Plaza, the venue is set to open its doors on June 20 and already there’s a playfulness about proceedings.
Part of Big Mamma Group – which operates the likes of Ave Mario, Jacuzzi, Gloria Shoreditch and Carlotta in the capital – there’s a sense the east London venue will be every bit as larger-thanlife as the camp classic that inspired its identity.
A conversation with Enrico Pireddu, managing director of Big Mamma’s operations across Europe, does little to suppress that notion.
Born in Sardinia, he studied electrical engineering before falling into hospitality and “going on an adventure in France”. Joining the company in its early days, he grew with them, taking charge of East Mamma in Paris in 2015.
“Then, in 2018, I went to London to open our first restaurant there, moving with my Argentinian wife who I’d met in Paris and my French cat,” said Enrico, who has since added “a beautiful English daughter to the mix”.
“Then I started as operations manager for the UK, London has been the biggest adventure of my life.
The idea for Barbarella is to re ect the golden age of Italian cinema and its eccentricities. It’s a world we want people to step into Enrico
“There are so many brilliant professionals and you can learn a lot. When I became managing director in the UK, I tried to bring everything I learnt to it. The key is to know your market and knowing what to do to make a difference.
“It has not always been easy and I’ve made a lot of mistakes, but I’ve learnt a lot about business, leadership and I’m still learning every day.”
Big Mamma feels very much on an upward trajectory. Canary Wharf will be its 30th restaurant, having already seen venues open beyond the capital in Birmingham and Manchester. But rather than stick to replication, the group’s approach relies instead on tailored offerings.
“The restaurants are all different and we’re very site driven, so we have to feel the vibe,” said Enrico. “Barbarella is on
Big Mamma Group’s Enrico Pireddu is still on the adventure he left Sardinia for with its latest chapter set to be written partly in east London
chandelier, silver curtains, a mirrored reception desk, a chromed lounge and a gold-framed open kitchen. The latter will be the domain of Roman chef Marco Rastelli, hailing from the same city where producer Dino De Laurentiis built his original studios, home to Barbarella and countless other vivacious shoots.
“The food is a very important story,” said Enrico. “Everything is homemade and we’re very proud of it. We might have an idea what we want to do, but we also change depending on the chef. We take inspiration from everywhere.”
Diners can expect a series of “twisted classics” including the likes of Italian tomato tatin with Parmigiano cream and a pizza selection that changes daily.
Secondi include buttered Cornish lemon sole filleted tableside to share and a selection of steaks from butcher Phillip Warren, ranging from a tender fillet to a 1.2kg T-bone.
“Personally the first thing I’ll be ordering is the metre-long spaghettone,” said Enrico, praising the extra-thick version of spaghetti that’s perhaps set to be the restaurant’s signature dish.
the waterfront – it has two floors and there are many things that make you feel it’s a great opportunity. The idea for the restaurant is to reflect the golden age of Italian cinema and its eccentricities. It’s a world we want people to step into.
“Canary Wharf is a fascinating area – it changes very fast, it has a lot of life and culture. We’ve been watching its transformation and a lot of our chefs in London have lived in the area. Many have asked to come and work in Barbarella.”
At this stage, we can neither confirm nor deny the presence of an Exsexsive Machine on the premises. It’s also unclear whether the playlist will include all of Duran Duran’s back catalogue, or just a few of the hits.
What we do know is that there will be chocolate brown silk walls, a mirrored bar, a three-metre wide amber
“We also have a big wine list, all Italian, with a lot of big-name labels. To round things off, I’d probably have the tiramisu with a pistachio espresso martini.”
Even though much of the branding is slanted towards the sexy, glam 1970s camp of the kind of film that inspired its name, Barbarella also aims to be a welcoming environment for all.
“You can definitely bring your whole family here,” said Enrico. “We will provide everything you need when you’re out with the family at the weekend.
“For example, Sunday lunch is inspired by when your grandmother invites you and everyone else over – that long table with the whole family sitting together.
“We have a lot of families on Sunday in our restaurants and we love them, whether that’s a booking for three people, four, seven, eight or even 50.”
While much of Barbarella remains under wraps for now, the potted jungle that has arrived outside is a statement of intent –a wild counterpoint to the comparatively neat Eden Dock. This place could well be a riot.
key details
Barbarella is set to open at YY London in Canary Wharf’s Reuters Plaza on June 20. Those seeking more details should subscribe to Big Mamma’s newsletter for further updates. You can also find details of the group’s other restaurants in London on its website.
Go to bigmammagroup.com for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about
Pireddu, Big Mamma Group
Barbarella
Image by Joann Pai / Big Mamma Group
how Six By Nico is rolling back prices in honour of a sextet of tasting menus, back by popular demand Tues-Thurs
by Jon Massey
what’s happening?
The Six Club Summer Series midweek dining festival has arrived at Six By Nico Canary Wharf.
what’s that?
For a period of 12 weeks, the restaurant will be revisiting some of its most popular tasting menus, sprucing them up and presenting them as five-course midweek options for diners to enjoy.
tell me more...
Each menu will be served Tuesday to Thursday for a fortnight at the Chancellor Passage venue, which overlooks the waters of the recently rechristened Eden Dock.
what’s the incentive?
The restaurant is offering all of its Six Club menus at the rate of £35 per person, with the option to add on a sixth course for a supplement.
The offer is ideal for office lunches, midweek catch-ups or dates on a school night as we enter summer socials season.
what’s on o er now?
First up is a reimagined version of the menu that helped Six By Nico make its name. The Chippie is a celebration of the UK’s national dish, with takes on chip shop classics.
Diners will start with Chips, Cheese And Curry Sauce before sampling Monkfish Scampi, Steak Pie and Smoked Sausage with the sweet conclusion of Deep Fried Mars Bar. There’s also the option to add-on Fish Supper, which includes salt and vinegar scraps as the extra sixth course. A flight of wines, with glasses from Chile, Austria, Portugal and Italy, is available alongside the dishes too.
and to look forward to?
While final announcements haven’t been made, other menus
These menus helped de ne who we are and we’re thrilled to bring them back in a way that’s accessible, a ordable and packed with avour Nico Simeone, Six By Nico
coming to Canary Wharf may include New York, Guilty Pleasures, Tokyo, Down The Rabbit Hole and Amalfi Coast. Follow @sixbynico on Instagram for the latest updates or head to the restaurant’s Facebook page.
they say...
“Canary Wharf has embraced Six By Nico since day one and the Six Club is our way of giving something exciting back,” said the restaurant chain’s founder and CEO, Nico Simeone.
“These menus helped define who we are, and we’re thrilled to bring them back in a way that’s accessible, affordable and packed with flavour.”
key details
The Six Club Summer Series dining festival runs at Six By Nico Canary Wharf until September 2, with menus changing every two weeks. The Chippie will be available until June 19 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The five-course menu costs £35 with the option to add a sixth course for £8. Wine flights, cocktails and snacks are also available at an extra cost.
Go to sixbynico.co.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Six Club
celebrating the
£35
Cost of a ve-course menu at Six By Nico’s Six Club Summer Series, available TuesdayThursday at its Canary Wharf restaurant
Six By Nico specialises in tasting menus with its Six Club festival showcasing some of its most popular, including The Chippie
Images by Six By Nico
Signorelli venues in east London with four branches in Stratford including the brand’s Bakehouse and Coffee House. Wood Wharf is the latest to open
how Signorelli is serving up toasties, pastries, biscuits, cookies and cakes from its
new branch in Wood Wharf
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Wood Wharf is enjoying a potent injection of energy. 8
Harbord Square has seen nail specialist Awe London, stylist Wayne Hairdresser Salon and florist The Flower Club all open their doors in recent months.
But these arrivals are very much in the vanguard of a cascade of launches to come. With Union Square acting as a wide boulevard through to the eastern edge of the estate – picnic and ping pong tables already attracting a healthy flow of Wharfers – it’s perhaps the ideal time for Signorelli to arrive in the neighbourhood.
The people need refreshment and this Italian bakery and cafe business is here to provide it, opening daily from 7am to 7pm.
“The message is simple,” said Rebecca Rosmini, CEO of Signorelli, which she founded with husband Alberto a little over 10 years ago. “We do great coffee, pastries, focaccia, cakes, cookies and biscuits.
“In Italy, you have places where you buy your croissant and your coffee, have a chat with a neighbour and then go on with your day.
“Our recipes are Italian-inspired – the ethos is very much from Alberto’s mum’s way of cooking – but we’ve adapted them for the UK market.
“Our coffee is fantastic, Italian blends and roasts, different to much of east London where there has been a trend for darker roasts.
Our espresso is really lovely.”
Wood Wharf will be the fifth branch in what has become a finely tuned east London operation. However, Signorelli’s genesis was not without its learning curve.
“My background is as a surveyor in commercial real estate,” said Rebecca, originally from Hartlepool.
“My mum started investing in residential property in the 1990s and needed a mini-me to go around building Ikea furniture for her.
“I still like doing that – it gives me a very tangible before-andafter feeling and you can see the results immediately.”
Joining the Tesco graduate scheme having mastered the allen key, Rebecca forged a career with
We
are so much about getting people together, getting them off their phones and getting them to talk to one another
Rebecca Rosmini, Signorelli
the supermarket giant before a move to Sainsbury’s property team. She then founded RSR, her own commercial real estate advisory company, that has since worked with the likes of Deliveroo, Asda, Boots and local authorities.
“After starting the business, I met Alberto, an agronomist – he moved to London to look for a job because it wasn’t the right time for me to relocate,” said Rebecca. “Then he started baking at home. He can be very obsessive and it got a bit out of control.
“We started giving out baked goods to our neighbours, then we started doing picnics and having big dinner parties at home in our tiny flat in Camden.
“People started joking that we should have our own catering company. One day, an Italian pizzeria company approached me to find a site in London and they were looking for a manager, so I put my husband forward.
“We went on a journey with them and went through the process of finding locations but we discovered they wanted to import frozen food from Italy and defrost it here to serve. That wasn’t what we wanted, so we parted ways.
“Alberto was so disappointed. He’d spent six months developing recipes and was really down, so we thought: ‘Stuff it, let’s do it ourselves’. I knew that East Village in Stratford was launching retail units and thought we should go and have a look. I hadn’t been back since my time at Sainsbury’s and it was October 2014, windy, cold and empty. There could have been tumbleweed.
“There was no transport hub, no retail – I just didn’t see it. But Alberto thought it was perfect. He said I should imagine it, that it was just like Italy – pedestrianised with water and trees – that it would all be about people walking, talking and interacting.
Find Signorelli Wood Wharf on the corner of Union Square
Freshly baked and filled focaccia
Images by Jon Massey
Rebecca Rosmini, CEO and co-founder of Signorelli, has brought the Italian bakery to Wood Wharf’s West Lane on the ground oor of the newly opened Vertus Edit aparthotel
“I made peace with it. We designed the unit ourselves, it immediately felt like home and we had friends popping in to help. The Ikea skills came back too and then the vinyls came down, even though I didn’t really feel ready to have people in.
“It was carnage. We had no idea what we were doing and, before we opened, I suddenly decided we were going to do scrambled eggs, because that was what people needed. We looked up how Jamie Oliver did them and then we opened.
“We forgot to hire people, so we had a queue out of the door and people came to help us. We had lawyers and accountants, some vegetarian, cooking sausages – we didn’t even know that you had to prep food ahead of service.
“We were cooking like you would at home – we just thought it would be the same.
“We went on a three-year learning curve and there were so
“We chose Canary Wharf for our latest expansion because it’s about 15 minutes from the bakehouse by cargo bike for deliveries. In lockdown, my husband, me and our little boy came to E14 a lot – we used to do these really long walks along the canal. Both Alberto and I grew up by the sea, so being close to the water felt familiar.
“Our strategy now is about creating mini pods of branches to grow Signorelli and we’d love to create one in Canary Wharf.
“It’s always been my husband’s dream to recreate the town squares of Italy in the UK, bringing people back to the table, to conversation. The Wharf allows us to share that energy.
“We are so much about getting people together, getting them off their phones and getting them to talk to one another. It requires patience and you can’t go into it expecting a quick turnaround.
“It’s a journey that you go on with the landlord, with the community, and everyone needs to work together to make it come alive.”
Signorelli’s arrival in Canary Wharf also brings with it catering services and celebratory cakes, all delivered with a consistent focus on sustainability and healthy ingredients.
growing
many terrible stories along the way. I think it was the community that made us survive – we had so many people rooting for us.
“People wanted us to succeed and I was blinded to how crap we were. It took a long time.”
In the end, the pandemic was part of the solution. The first lockdown provided a forced stop, time to rest, regroup and rethink.
“I always say we’ve had two businesses – the crap one from 2015 to 2020 and then 2.0,” said Rebecca. “We decided we were determined to fight for Signorelli – we had put so much into it and we weren’t just going to kill it.”
Salvation began with a serendipitous decision taken in 2019 to install a serving window out onto the street. This reopened in April 2020 to serve pastries and coffee. People queued in socially distance fashion.
Back as a small team, with Alberto – as ever – baking overnight, Signorelli had two
baristas serving and Rebecca doing deliveries in her trusty 25-year-old SEAT. It was a fresh foundation. Suffering “PTSD” from the smell of burnt eggs, they resolved never to offer brunch again and set out on a new path –baked goods, coffee and alcoholic drinks for later in the day.
The arrival of the couple’s second child prompted another change as Signorelli opened its Bakehouse, centralising production in part to allow Alberto to work fewer antisocial hours.
Instead, the new direction was the catalyst for creating the current shape of the business, allowing greater capacity for more staff and the founders to step back a bit from the day-to-day.
“No-one in our baking team trained as a baker – they have all learned in our business and they’re doing an amazing job,” said Rebecca. “It’s like a perfect symphony – you just watch them and everyone knows their role.
“The Italian philosophy is to have really good raw produce from rich soils, then you can create something really amazing from just three or four ingredients,” said Rebecca. “We’re not about cutting costs to produce a better margin. We’re really happy to accept less profit on our baked goods to deliver better quality.
“My rule is that if I wouldn’t feed it to my three-year old, then I will not feed it to my customers.
“We guard massively against ultra-processed foods, although we haven’t yet found an alternative to Nutella, so there is one naughty thing.
“We also monitor our waste really carefully. We’re always looking to re-use anything that goes unsold, but is still delicious.”
key details
Signorelli Wood Wharf is located at 5 West Lane off Union Square and is open every day from 7am-7pm.
The bakery and cafe operates a “once it’s gone, it’s gone” policy to minimise food waste with customers seeking pastries advised to visit before noon for the full range. Go to signorelli.co.uk for more
Scan this code to nd out more about Signorelli
why Brother Marcus should be top of your list when planning your next Wharf catch-up
by Jon Massey
There’s a lot of bullshit in the world right now isn’t there? Much of social media is trying to sell you stuff –everything is perfect, ideal, a must, not flawed, cracked reality. It’s always been there, but perhaps AI is heightening the desperation as it regurgitates the dross we’ve already created, sometimes nonsensically with extra adjectives.
The word imitation is, after all, only a letter away from limitation. It’s why historical replicas, no matter how good, are always disappointing stand-ins, even on museum shelves. Fakes are no substitute for the genuine article.
That’s why one chap promoting an art fair didn’t turn my head with a pitch that rested on the event being a “great alternative for those who didn’t get tickets to Glastonbury” because it happened to fall on the same dates.
Seriously? We’re supposed to believe buying prints is qualitatively similar to passionately dancing around a muddy field in the mass shared worship of The 1975? Who thought that would actually fly?
Fortunately, the mental drag of all this nonsense means, when one does encounter a real gem, it shines ever so much more brightly. Undoubtedly, Brother Marcus gleams.
I had high expectations. Mentioning it in conversation, people who’d been to other branches expressed excitement that one was to open at the YY London building in Canary Wharf’s Reuters Plaza.
Its co-founders, in interview, had a sense of irrepressible fun about them – the kind of attitude where the important things are taken seriously but without pretension. Frankly, it’s delightful to attend as a diner and see the meat on those bones.
The first thing I like is the staff. They’re welcoming, down-toearth and laid back in exactly the right kind of way. Our waiter
hitting the
gives off the impression that he’s only just tried the dishes on offer and has experienced multiple revelations. It isn’t a studied performance but genuine enthusiasm and it’s charming. This brings me to the second thing I like. For £42 per head, Brother Marcus will take away the chore of actually making decisions on ordering and just bring a selection of dishes, tailored to preference and dietary requirements.
My usual aversion to small plates – which are too often skewed to the restaurant’s benefit, with over-ordering the desired outcome rather than dining pleasure – never extends to mezze. The East Mediterranean great gift to the world has been sadly distorted by many venues trying to up their spend per head.
Not so at Brother Marcus. Our waiter takes over and swiftly delivers tap water and a platter of soft pitta breads coated with the zingy herbs and spices of za’atar. Along with these come continued on Page 21
Cost per head of Marcus’ Choice at Brother Marcus, where you leave the ordering up to the staff and relax into their choices
The start of so many very good things, the rip and dip platter at Brother Marcus, £19.80
Halloumi, £10.40
from Page 12
dishes of vibrant dips, all dusted with bright and colourful things, plus a little bowl of chilli-laced olives. The smoked aubergine baba ghanoush is destined at some point to become a controlled substance, given its dangerously addictive properties.
One of the pleasures of opting for Marcus’ Choice, is not really knowing what’s going to happen. To help cope with the uncertainty, I order signature cocktail the Marvo Daiquiri (£12.50), a blend of rum, blackberries, ginger juice and lime.
It’s a bouncy character, a little like a Moscow Mule that’s had a dose of spice and burst through a hedgerow on its way to freedom, a potent libation that makes the ensuing cascade of dishes even more amusing.
And come they do. There’s a Greek salad, pan fried halloumi, a whole grilled bream, lamb saddle souvla and a sliced onglet steak, with baklava to nish.
To help us through, we order wine on tap at a mere £29 for 75cl. It comes in a plain bottle from Attiki in Greece and lends weight to the fantasy that we’ve stumbled into a popular taverna. In fact the terracottas, textured walls and open kitchen all contribute to this feeling.
Yes, we’re in Canary Wharf, but it’s not too hard to dream that beyond the warmly lit walls, just outside, azure waters are lapping at rocky island shores.
I’m further transported by the food itself. The cooking here is skilled. The Greek salad is sharp and salted with a dollop of whipped Feta. The halloumi comes piled with sweet watermelon and seeds, dressed with a minty sauce.
The onglet is hot, sexy pink in the middle and doused with chives, while the bream swims in a lime green sea of almond and dill gremolata. Then there’s the rich and gamey lamb, bounding
over its spinach dressing and coated with ouzo and anchovy. It’s a lot, but everything feels special – a treat to share rather than a problem to divide.
One bite is enough to turn me into an evangelist for each dish, a building crescendo of enthusiasm my poor dining partner has to endure. But really, it is that good...
Brother Marcus’ mission was to bring a genuine sense of Mediterranean hospitality to London – relaxation, carefree dining and, most importantly, bold, moreish dishes. It does this in ne style. With its weatherproof terrace now open, this should be the hit opening of the summer.
The avours are excellent, the service faultless and the interior a gentle pleasure on the senses, but is Brother Marcus good value? Well, at £84 for two, Marcus’ Choice yielded an impressive £145 worth of a la carte choices – basically a discount of 40%. I was promised a groaning table and, while the furniture was complaining loudly, I certainly wasn’t. This discount may not be replicated exactly on all occasions –dishes and house decisions vary with Marcus’ Choice – but the quality and variety here makes a compelling case for any Wharfer who cares for their stomach to visit and to do so urgently.
key details
Brother Marcus is located at the base of the YY London building in Reuters Plaza, Canary Wharf. The venue is open from 7am-11pm on weekdays, from 9am-11pm on Saturdays and from 9am-9pm on Sundays. Go to brothermarcus.co.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Brother Marcus
The cost of a bottle of on-tap house white all the way from Greece
a note on dessert... At £8.50, the baklava sandwich, lled with rich pistachio ice cream was less a way to round things o and more the climax to the whole meal. Despite the abundance of syrup and honey cream, this was a showcase of the power contained within these little green kernels and pulled o the di cult trick of using the sweetness as a backdrop to the main event rather than letting it dominate proceedings. Superb.
Bream, £30
Marvo Daiquiri, £12.50
Greek salad, £9.60
Onglet, £31
Summer ‘25 Summer‘25
@ The Space @TheSpace Theatre Theatre (June - October) (June-October)
Limehouse - Wapping - Whitechapel - Tower Hill
Starting price for tickets to the screening at St Anne’s on June 25 at 8pm
by Jon Massey
It’s been 23 years since Cillian Murphy wandered into St Anne’s Limehouse to nd an infected congregation and a rather bitey, red-eyed priest in Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later
The 2002 horror movie set new standards in the zombie genre with its spare, spooky brutality. Later on the action returned to east London with Canary Wharf playing a central role in 28 Weeks Later, albeit with a di erent auteur at the helm.
Boyle has returned for the third movie in the trilogy and, in celebration of the release of 28 Years Later, the lmmaker will also be back in Limehouse to host a special screening of his
latest work, along with a live Q&A. Following on from the story of the rst instalment, the new feature stars Jodie Comer. Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ralph Fiennes and Jack O’Connell, with Cillian expected to return in a further sequel to be released in January 2026.
For now though, ticket holders will get to see the new work a few days after its general release with the man who made it in attendance.
The event is being held in support of Care For St Anne’s Hawksmoor300 restoration project, which aims to save the church from Historic England’s “At Risk” register and establish a landmark centre for Arts, Culture and Community in Limehouse alongside its Christian mission.
The screening will take
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Ryan Castro
why St Anne’s Limehouse is set to host a very special evening with 28 Years Later director Danny Boyle
place in the nave of the church with 360 tickets available. A bar will be open throughout the evening for refreshments. Presumably these will take the edge o the horror somewhat.
key details
Danny Boyle is set to host a screening of his new lm, 28 Years Later at St Anne’s Limehouse on June 25 from 8pm. Tickets start at £25 with limited £30 premium tickets also available.
For more information go to careforstannes.org or scan the code for tickets on Eventbrite
Scan this code to nd out more about the screening
Where?
Troxy Whitechapel
Colombian superstar and the “El Cantante Del Ghetto” brings his biggest show to London. Expect a bevy of hits including Wasa Wasa, Jordan and Monastery. Jul 12, 7pm, £55.75, troxy.co.uk
Where?
Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping
STAGE | Still Alive (And Kicking)
Survivor of the July 7 terrorist bombings in London, Gill Hicks brings her soulful jazz voice and projected artworks to Wilton’s for a visual, sensory feast. Jul 9, 7.30pm, from £13, wiltons.org.uk
KIDS | Three Little Vikings
Where?
Half Moon Theatre Limehouse
Tickets are selling fast for this show, which follows three little viking girls who save the day despite the indi erence of the chieftain. For ages 3+. Jun 28, times vary, £8, halfmoon.org.uk
Residents of Tower Hamlets, Southwark and the City Of London can explore all Tower Bridge has to o er for just £1. Tickets include access to the exhibition, walkways and the crossing’s engine rooms towerbridge.org.uk
Scan this code to read our interview with Tower Bridge’s Amy O’Rourke online at wharf-life.com
Image by Jon Massey / DNA Films
The church as featured in 28 Days Later
how Wutian Martial Art Institute and Kidwise foster growth and confidence
by Jon Massey
For Jai Chan, growing up in Limerick, martial arts was an escape. As the only Chinese person in her school, she was a target for bullies, but found empowerment by throwing herself into the discipline of Jiujitsu training as a teenager.
“My family came from Hong Kong and we moved to Ireland when I was eight months old,” said Jai, founder of Wutian Martial Art Institute, based at South Quay Plaza on the Isle Of Dogs. “They were business owners running restaurants and takeaways the usual stuff.
“I was always into martial arts because my dad’s side of the family were all policemen and they were all into self defence.
“I had a bit of a struggle, because they didn’t expect a girl to be interested in martial arts – my background was very traditional – but I really wanted to do it. I’d been doing a bit of Kung Fu at home and I didn’t start in a club until I was 13 – I took it seriously and paid for all my training myself. I even had to walk half an hour to get the bus.
“In martial arts, it doesn’t matter what culture you’re from, what your background is or whether you’re rich or poor. I found I had a talent for it – if someone showed me a move, I could repeat it immediately, so the instructors loved teaching me. It only took me two years to become an assistant instructor.”
With instruction in Hong Kong mostly taking place on an informal basis in private apartments, Jai’s parents warned her against pursuing a career in martial arts, but by 15 she was already teaching children and adults. A storied journey of training in multiple disciplines, competition and growth eventually led Jai to London with the aim of opening her own martial arts club.
However, her dream was initially deferred, as soon after arriving, she fell ill with Tuberculosis. But Jai wasn’t ready to give up, taking on three jobs and launching her club, initially on a part-time basis.
personal on the Island
Wutian
Business partners
Valerie Shao, left, and Jai Chan
We’ve created something complementary to the school curriculum. Formal education is one-size- ts-all but we go beyond that
Valerie Shao, Kidwise
Having successfully built her business over a decade, today Wutian is located on the Isle Of Dogs at South Quay Plaza.
“We offer kickboxing and Jujitsu sessions for children and adults and, when students reach higher levels, they also train with weapons,” said Jai.
“My instructor was the martial arts choreographer for the movie Ip Man and they have come over to help us with that sort of stuff too.
“We also offer a life skills programme to help children build confidence and develop their character. Parents love it because it deals with things like manners and cleanliness.”
However, this is not just a story about Wutian, there’s a second strand to the South Quay facility. Having trained as a lawyer and developed a successful legal career, Jai’s business partner, Valerie Shao, had started to become more involved.
Feeling unfulfilled by the law, she decided to make a change, quitting without a concrete plan. Then, inspired by the after-school clubs she attended growing up in Hong Kong, an idea came together.
“I always enjoyed them, perhaps more than school –learning music and art skills, for example,” said Valerie.
Together she and Jai created Kidwise in 2023, which offers holiday camps and an after school programme from the South Quay Plaza base, intended as a supplement to children’s time in the classroom.
Working with business mentors in the US, the duo spent time developing their offering.
“We’ve created something complementary to the school curriculum,” said Valerie. “Formal education is a framework where one size fits all, but we go beyond that. Our programmes for kids aged five-12 are not just about having fun, they’re also about learning new things.
“For example, we have a partnership with waterside market Canary Garden where the children can try running a stall to learn about business, understanding marketing and creating things they want to sell to parents and
friends. There’s also the chance to specialise in sports including martial arts, dance, gymnastics, dodgeball, rounders, football and more and we employ specialist coaches to run those sessions – it’s essential they are high quality.
“Our approach is the same with other activities. I was a bit shocked to hear that arts and crafts at some camps were not well supported.”
“We are constantly surprised by how creative the kids are,” added Jai. “One of the tasks is we give them lots of materials, put them into groups and challenge them to make boats that can hold marbles while afloat.
“In one session, the oldest team put everything together and it held about 20 marbles. The middle group only used tinfoil and elastic bands and their craft held 60.
“But the youngest kid built a boat just from folded baking paper only and it held 90. Not only was it a great design, but she was also able to convince her team that it would work and they should try it.”
And that’s really at the core of everything Wutian and Kidwise do. The aim is to equip those attending sessions with skills they’ll be able to use throughout their lives. But there’s fun to be had too, as well as lessons in how to conduct themselves.
“At Kidwise, children can earn free time to play board games, classic Gameboys or Nintendo through exemplary behaviour,” said Jai. “We call it cave time and we have a room filled with activities.
“If there’s poor behaviour, we always start with warnings – we never want there to be bullying in our sessions.
“Some children don’t know they are doing it and we help them understand the effects their behaviour can have on others.
“As someone who was bullied, I want to make sure all the children in our care are safe at both Kidwise and Wutian. That’s our first priority.”
key details
Wutian Martial Art Institute and Kidwise are based at South Quay Plaza on the Isle Of Dogs and offer a wide variety of services including date night childcare and birthday parties.
Readers can find full details of classes and activities plus prices online. Go to wutianmartialart.com and kidwisecamp.co.uk for more
Scan this code to nd out more about what’s on at Kidwise
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
Where?
Poplar Union Poplar
EVENT | Introduction To Cyanotype Printing
This workshop run by a print designer and educator uses sunlight and everyday objects to create art on fabric and paper with vibrant indigo. Jun 28, 10.30am-1pm, £16, poplarunion.com
Where?
The Space Isle Of Dogs
STAGE | Shotz
Enjoy all-new short plays forged in the pressure cooker of theatrical creativity to re ect the gender, aged, race, sexuality and politics of Shotz’ participants. Jul 4, 7pm, 8.30pm, from £10, space.org.uk
Where?
Theatreship South Quay
Scan this code to read our interview with Matthew and nd out about his plans for The
Images by Wutian / Kidwise
FILM | Canary Wharf: The Rock Opera Australian composer Nicole Skeltys has conceived and lmed a rock opera about London’s nance industry, screened here in the hope of promoting a live show. Jul 10, 7pm, £7.85, theatreship.co.uk
Matthew Jameson has been named as co-CEO and artistic director of The Space theatre and arts centre on the Isle Of Dogs. While he’s not a new face at the venue, there’s change in the air and whispers of a pantomime space.org.uk
Space going forward
Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Colectiva
Where? Corner Corner Canada Water
Billed as latin jazz pioneers, this group promises a set of tunes that re ect on sisterhood and female empowerment. De nitely one not to miss. Jul 4, 8pm-11pm, free, cornercorner.com
Where?
The Albany Deptford
EVENT | Arty Farty Makers Market
Browse local artists’ wares from cards to zines, clothing, ceramics and more. The market will be spread across two rooms. Drop-in any time. Jul 12, 11am-5pm, free, thealbany.org.uk
Where? The Pen Theatre South Bermondsey
COMEDY | Katie Tranter + David Hoskin
This double bill will see Katie present The Great Divinator: Touched By Spirits before David explores A Haunted House. Think fake moustaches and horror. Jun 27, 7.30pm, £16.96, thepentheatre.com
ash back
This is James Ross, co-founder of Badger Badger, a pub for the 21st century in Deptford High Street, which features board games, Japanese-American fusion food, co-working, craft beer and a warm welcome badgerbadger.org
Scan this code to read our interview with James and nd out more about the south-east London venue
Weeks Storehouse will be showing at Deptford Storehouse at Convoys Wharf
16 handling the
Scan this code to nd out more about Storehouse
nd
a
how
Storehouse promises to invite audiences into a world of uncertainty born into a former paper repository
by Jon Massey
Subtitled “Truth Lies
Here”, new immersive show Storehouse is welcoming its rst audiences. It’s hosted in a massive space once used to hold blank rolls of paper that would eventually become issues of The Sun, The Times and the News Of The World and promises ticketholders “one of the most artistically ambitious, largescale immersive theatre events ever to be staged in the UK.
The show is produced by Sage And Jester, a company founded by former Georgian TV station CEO, Liana Patarkatsishvili, with involvement
from ex-Punchdrunk and Secret Cinema talent.
Created within Deptford Storehouse at Convoys Wharf, audiences can expect to uncover a sprawling, hidden archive, built to house every news story, message, memory and meme ever transmitted across digital networks the world over.
The show posits the idea that “since the dawn of the internet in 1983, these have been gathered and meticulously catalogued by an underground collective, in the belief that if all humanity’s stories are brought together, they will reveal a higher, universal truth”.
But with its only remaining founder fading fast and narratives beginning to compete, a
successor is desperately needed to decide what’s preserved, rewritten or destroyed. The show features voiceover work from the likes of Toby Jones, Meera Syal, Kathryn Hunter and Billy Howle as well as a live cast.
key details
Storehouse is taking bookings for shows Wednesday-Sunday, until September 20. Tickets start at £37.50 for adults. Times vary. The show lasts around 90 minutes and takes place at Broadwick’s Deptford Storehouse venue, around a 15-minute walk from Deptford station.
Go to sageandjester.com for more information or to book tickets
Images by Sage And Jester
Audiences will
themselves inside
vast archive. Below, behind the scenes at Storehouse
Comedians are set to perform at the festival with each show featuring ve acts
Scan this code to nd out more about the festival
how Greenwich Comedy Festival is set to deliver a septet of shows at the Old Royal Naval
by Jon Massey
The line-up for the Greenwich Comedy Festival 2025 has been unveiled. Once again pitching its tent in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College, the event will see seven mixed bills take to its south-east London stage over ve days.
Festival co-founder Cass Randolph said: “We have legendary acts that have reached the top of their game and keep surpassing it alongside trail-blazing names that are the headliners of the future.
“Each show o ers sets that are slick, surprising, silly, sublime and everything else in between. Combine all this with great food and drink
in one of London’s prime locations, it’s going to be a treat.”
Opening the festival will be Ed Gamble, Tom Davis, Lara Ricote, Rosie Jones and Chloe Petts. The following day, Nish Kumar, Tim Key, Rhys James, Ivo Graham and Kiri Pritchard-McLean take over proceedings.
Then it’s the turn of Fern Brady, Sarah Keyworth, Michael Odewale, Bridget Christie and Jen Brister to take things into the weekend.
The rst of three Saturday shows will feature an all-women line-up of Sara Pascoe, Nina Conti, Jin Hao Li, Kerry Godliman and Laura Smyth, followed by Phil Wang, Lucy Beaumont Sindhu Vee, Thor Stenhaug and Amy Gledhill.
Saturday night will see Sam Campbell top the bill,
Rounding things o will be Frankie Boyle, Jamali Maddix, Fathiha El-Ghorri, Fin Taylor and Esther Manito.
Audiences can expect the usual mix of street food and bars featuring the likes of Brewdog, Most Wanted, Funky Elephant, Duck Frites and Emilio’s.
key details
Greenwich Comedy Festival 2025 is set to take place from September 17-21. There are evening shows at 6pm on the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, with three shows on the Saturday at noon, 3pm and 6.15pm.
Tickets are on sale now and cost £29.50 per person.
For more information go to greenwichcomedyfestival.co.uk
Image by Lloyd Winters / Greewich Comedy Festival
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
RAVE | WAH In The City
Where?
Silverworks Island
Royal Victoria Dock
Worried About Henry return for 10 hours of music in Royal Docks. The three-stage festival will feature Hybrid Minds, Hedex, Sub Focus, Charlie Tee and more.. Jul 6, noon-10pm, from £45, silverworksisland.com
Where?
Excel London
Royal Victoria Dock
EVENT | IGB Live 25
The online gambling industry is set to arrive at Excel with 15,000 people expected to attend this gathering of operators, tech vendors and delegates. Jul 2-3, times vary, registration, excel.london
EVENT | NASSA’s Next Generation
Where?
Brick Lane
Music Hall
Royal Wharf
Celebrate 20 years of the Newham charity ghting knife crime through the discipline of sport at this gala evening. Networking and a musical extravaganza... Jun 18, 6pm-midnight, £220, nassasports.org.uk
shifting risks
A deal has been announced between The Crown Estate and Lendlease, which will see the monarch’s property management business enter into a joint venture in all of the Aussie developer’s UK schemes thecrownestate.co.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the deal and what it means for east and south-east London
Richard House
Childrens Hospice
CEO Paul Richards wants to grow the charity’s o ering as it battles tough economic headwinds
Years since Richard House Children’s Hospice was established in Beckton to serve young people and their carers in east and north-east London 25 making every day
by Jon
Image
how Richard House Children’s Hospice is reaching out for support in the vital work it carries out locally
by Jon Massey
There’s a lot of laughter here, a lot of light within the building –it’s not a sad place,” said Paul Richards, CEO of Richard House Children’s Hospice. “The ethos of the organisation is to make the most of every day.”
For the last quarter of a century, the charity has been caring for children with life-limiting conditions and their relatives from east and north-east London via its base in Beckton and increasingly in their own homes.
It was founded in 2000 by Anthea Hare, a paediatric nurse at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel who witnessed first hand the struggles faced by young people and their carers and resolved to create a place where they could find respite, support and joy.
“She thought the children and their families deserved better,” said Paul. “Without any prior experience of hospices, buildings, finance or planning, she learnt all these things very quickly, and managed to raise money to buy a plot of land just behind Royal Albert Dock.
“Our building opened 25 years ago this month, providing five residential beds for children. More recently we’ve been growing our community service to look after children at home too, which is increasingly popular.”
However, the hospice is under constant pressure, balancing what it wants to do with the money it receives.
“Running any charity like a children’s hospice is always very challenging,” said Paul, who joined as CEO seven months ago having spent much of his career in advertising with the likes of Saatchi And Saatchi.
“We are very fortunate in that we receive some money from the NHS. But for every pound in statutory income, we have to raise three or four pounds. The services we provide are delivered at a loss, because the tariff we’re able to charge doesn’t reflect our true costs.
“With the recent change of government bringing increases in national insurance and the like, our payroll has increased by about £100,000 a year.
“To keep Richard House going for the next 25 years, we are
The hospice o ers a wide range of services for children and carers
In this nancial year we need to nd just under £2million to continue what we are doing. We have to reach out
Paul Richards, Richard House
looking constantly at raising funds. n this financial year we need to find just under 2million to continue what we are doing. We have to reach out.”
While the charity enjoys support from organisations such as Excel, London City irport, B ellon, lifford Chance, HSBC, St James’ Wealth Management, West Ham United and many more in Royal Docks, Canary Wharf and beyond, there remains an ongoing need, especially as Richard House intends to grow beyond its current offering.
“We currently have just under 190 on our case list at the moment but we want to expand as the demand is obviously there,” said Paul. “In 25 years I would like Richard House to be celebrating its 0th year as ondon’s first children’s hospice and I’d like to be talking about 500 cases on our books, celebrating the successes of the children we’ve supported to live longer, better lives despite the conditions they have.
“We are on a bit of a mission to explain what services are available, so people understand.
“When parents receive a diagnosis, they believe their child is going to die – and the support and services we offer at the end of a child’s life is part of our function – but we do so much more to support the children.
“We have activities, music therapy, sensory equipment – we’re very centred on each individual child.
“Hospices aren’t just about palliative and end-of-life care. With advanced medical care children are surviving far longer than they might have done in the past.
“A lot of our work is to enable children to come in and be supported while their parents have a short break.
“For example, families might come in, stay in one our flats and then go out for a rare night on
their own while we do the heavy lifting. We provide support not only to the child but also the parents.
“We host events – art days, baking days – and the children come in with their carers and enjoy a party. It’s good that parents can meet together and we also employ two parent partners who have experienced our services to support families with their insights – that’s so valuable.
“Running a children’s hospice is something I really wanted to do. I’m a bereaved parent, as is my wife and when we lost our respective children, neither of us had the opportunity to engage with the services Richard House is able to provide.
“I had spent six years as a trustee at another large regional children’s hospice, five of those as vice-chair, which gave me an insight into the huge impact that these services can have, not just on the children they care for, but on parents, carers and siblings.
“My daughter died at 23 weeks and my wife’s daughter died at the age of five. t changes you as a person and I have a far greater understanding and greater empathy for the parents I meet day-to-day. I don’t share my lived experience with our parents because I’m there to support them, but it absolutely informs my approach to what we do.
“We have a world-class clinical team and I know that the support we offer is uite literally secondto-none. Right now, the future of the hospice is about how we can meet unmet need and that’s a commercial issue – raising the money, awareness and spreading the word.
“We need financial support but we’re also always looking for volunteers. We operate six shops people can work in and there are jobs to be done around the hospice too. We’d love people to get involved in raising money on our behalf. Attending events and talking about the work we do is also important to us. The work of our patrons, Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter is enormously important too but we need to reach out and engage with more people if we’re going to deliver the services people deserve.”
key details ou can find out more about Richard House Children’s Hospice, the work it does and ways to support the charity on its website.
Go to richardhouse.org.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about Richard House
Massey
Richard House is seeking support so it can continue its vital work
Images by Richard House Children’s Hospice
how Gemini Trains is hoping to start running services from Stratford to Paris and Brussels with departures from 2029
by Jon Massey
Could Stratford International station finally live up to its name?
Plans for Eurostar services to stop in east London never came to fruition and no other operator has thus far come in to offer overseas destinations to passengers.
However, all that could be about to change thanks to an EU directive which aims to ensure equal access to tracks and stations for third parties looking to run services. While this doesn’t alter the state of play in the K, it does apply to routes across the continent, including infrastructure in France owned by state operator SNCF, which runs Eurostar – the only company running international services from Britain.
The change in European law, as well as a relaxation of the rules around what kind of trains can run through the Channel Tunnel, have paved the way for new ideas – something that has long been the foundation of the regeneration of east London.
Enter Gemini Trains – a company led by chair ord ony Berkeley, public affairs manager of Eurotunnel during the undersea link’s construction and a former chair of the Rail Freight Group, and CEO Adrian Quine, a journalist, broadcaster and co-founder of Alliance Rail Holdings. aving recently signed a co-branding partnership with ber, the firm wants to run trains from Stratford International to Paris and Brussels.
“We’ve spent two years modelling new services through the Channel Tunnel to see where the opportunities are – looking at stations that haven’t been used, have been mothballed or, in the case of Stratford, were never used for international services,” said Adrian. “With all the growth in east London it seemed sensible to look at creating something a bit new rather than trying to emulate what’s already at St ancras.
“Stratford itself is now the second busiest station in Britain with the Elizabeth Line plus the DLR, Jubilee, Central and Overground making it the most connected in London.
“ t’s a hugely important area and it’s where the growth is you see all these businesses moving east and we feel there’s a great opportunity. Stratford
International is also a bit of a blank canvas for us. It’s easier to manage than St Pancras, which has major issues in boarding at the lower level, although these are now being addressed.
“ hat’s why we’ve commissioned an architects’ report – a full feasibility study to look at how we can manage the passenger flow because Stratford International was originally designed as an intermediate station and not as a terminus.
“We believe Stratford is definitely achievable but we need to wait for the report to confirm the station can cope with 500 passengers you couldn’t, for example, operate with a single escalator with that number of people, so we have to be sure.”
emini says its plans fit with capacity already available on the high speed tracks that go under the English Channel. Its proposal – to launch in 2029 – was further buoyed by a report from the O ce Of Rail nd Road ORR , which said on June 5 that Temple ills nternational epot had capacity for either urostar to grow its operations at the site or for another company to come in alongside it at the facility.
ORR is now inviting Eurostar and other companies to provide details of their plans so it can decide what will happen at TMI.
“The growing appetite to provide international rail services is great news for passengers,” said artin Jones, deputy director, access and international at ORR.
“We now need operators to set out more detail on their proposals at pace, and will work uickly and as thoroughly as possible to determine the best use of capacity at TMI.”
For Gemini, the case for Stratford International is about offering something different to urostar an alternative way to travel overseas out of London and at a lower cost, primarily coaxing passengers off aeroplanes to travel into Europe.
“I do draw parallels with ondon ity irport,” said drian. “ here you have a small operation, more manageable than Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.
“ t’s a pleasure to fly from, because it’s well organised – we really want to get Stratford International to work along similar lines.
“We’re absolutely looking to
Years until Gemini Trains plans to start running services between Stratford International and European destinations
ready and waiting
Gemini Trains CEO Adrian Quine wants to run services to Paris and Brussels from Stratford
Stratford International currently o ers no services to destinations outside the UK, but all that could be about to change
We think the capacity isn’t there on these routes at the moment but the demand is. We think this will create a market shift
Adrian Quine, Gemini Trains
offer cheaper fares too. We’ve modelled our business on a 20 lower yield and a high utilisation of the rolling stock, which means the trains will do more trips per day and we can get our seat price down.
“ he trains will be carrying more passengers so we can pass that saving on to travellers.
“We think this will create a market shift, particularly from aviation. We’re not trying to poach passengers from urostar they are often overbooked and full on most trains in any case.
“We think that the capacity isn’t there on these routes at the moment but the demand is people are currently flying because they can’t get an affordable train fare unless they book far in advance.”
drian said emini’s plans would also benefit the local area, with the services attractive for residents and pulling in travellers to boost business.
“While Stratford nternational is not physically linked directly to the main station, it’s only a short walk and the R connects the two as well,” he said.
“Some passengers will wish to walk through Westfield Stratford ity if they feel they have time.
“ s soon as the feasibility report comes back, we’ll be looking to engage with local people and organisations. his could be a massive growth opportunity for east ondon.”
ltimately the ORR will be responsible for deciding which operator gets access to the line, thus deciding the fate for emini and ber’s plans. here are competing operations.
erhaps the regulator will heed the words of politicians and companies down the years who have all called for Stratford nternational to fulfil its intended purpose as a way of supercharging the growth and prosperity of an area that’s driving east ondon regeneration. Go to geminitrains.com
Scan this code to nd out more about Gemini Trains
Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
EVENT | STL X Split Street Party
Promising “a huge summer day party” details are sketchy on exactly what will occur, but those attending can expect some gorgeous beats. Jun 28, noon-10pm, £12.50, fabwick.co.uk
DANCE | Sisyphus
Featuring specially commissioned choreography by Sadler’s Wells’ Alesandra Seutin, The Herds will move through Stratford as dancers try to stop them... Jun 29, 3.15pm, free, theherds.org
| Iron Maiden
Promising their most spectacular show ever, the metal legends, born in Stratford, are set to return to their roots in the area’s largest venue. Jun 28, 6pm, resales/hospitality, london-stadium.com
opened Kokin, a new Japanese restaurant on the seventh oor of The Stratford in east London. Diners can expect exacting avours with ames and smoke used as ingredients kokin.co.uk
Scan this code to read our interview with Daisuke and nd out more about the o ering at Kokin
GIG
A Eurostar train waits in Stratford with no passengers able to board
Sudoku
How to play
To complete Sudoku, ll the board by entering numbers one to nine such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.
More to play
You can nd more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection of other brainteasers available to download for free at puzzles.ca
Notes
crossword
Down
Take a break from that phone Across 1. A speedy-type satire (8)
beating the whether you’re cryptic sleuth or synonym solver in it for quick wins, this should satisfy
Cryptic Quick
5. Mix up over secondhand debts? (4)
9. Accident with cars may give you this (4)
10. Lawyer to deal with injured leg joint? (8)
11. ngry fit at the top, we hear (5)
12. Sounds like it was burnt in Somerset town (7)
13. They give chances to make patterns from a crash, we hear 13
18. This army HQ is insulting (8)
1 . fixed company
20. Retired academics merit i.e. are deserving (7)
21. US citizens plead this to keep quiet (5)
22. Greek letter comes between Catherine and Jones (4)
23. Words in this could add up to a long time (8)
2. A US confused AI witch may live here (7)
3. Wealth made by composing music? (7)
4. Against a knowledge of time going backwards? (13)
6. Parts of the UN catch the heat (7)
7. Goddesses lacking water? (7)
8. The pattern of an Old Testament leader (6)
13. Confused bloke from New Zealand is in Germany (7)
14. Rats leg could be the biggest (7)
15. Mediterranean sloping text (6)
16. Incomprehensible rule puts you in the wrong (7)
