E1 Life Feb 2018

ISSUE 12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Take me, I’m yours

Feel The Fear

How to square up to your deepest doubts EVENTS

SOCIAL

BUSINESS

ART & CULTURE

FOOD & DRINK

NIGHTLIFE

HEALTH & BEAUTY

INTERIORS

TRAVEL

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19/12/2017 14:22

Contents p07 Sexy, sophisticated, socialite: on our radar

p10 Steak well-done: Hawksmoor

p19 Contemporary montage illustrations: Patrick Boyer

p24 Street art: Ant Carver

p30 Time to kick your internet habits?

p44 Go your own way: DJ Ronnie Herel

p51 Secret enclaves for drinks and dancing: out out p53 Fearless in sport: Paralympian Claire Harvey

p61 Spa spotting: Travel

EDITOR: Rosie Coxshaw SUB-EDITOR: Nancy Larman EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Sarah Euesden PR & PRODUCTION ASSISTANT: Toby Harris ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nicola Euesden DESIGN: Total Design Works Ltd BUSINESS WRITER: Eric Woollard-White FOOD & DRINK WRITER: Liam Barker MUSIC WRITER: Ronnie Herel FEATURES WRITER: Lily Robinson Published by RC Publishing Ltd: 020 3011 1194 Contact Essex Love: info@essexlove.co.uk Contact E1 Life: info@e1ife.co.uk While every care is taken, RC Publishing Ltd cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, omissions or errors. Prices correct at time of going to press. All rights reserved.

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Be fearless Tune into our podcast at e1ife.com/podcast

Follow us at... @e1lifemag / @essexloveonline

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E1 Life Magazine / Essex Love Magazine

INTRODUCTION: BE FEARLESS

C

“

an you remember a time in your life when you had to overcome a challenge?

Perhaps it was with a romantic relationship, a work dilemma or family saga. Sometimes it can feel as though you’ve got everything under control; other times, it seems as though all that lies ahead on the horizon is a sea of obstacles, making you feel deflated before you’ve even begun. It’s at this point that you have two choices: to throw in the towel, or to power through and achieve what you once thought was the impossible.

I find that it helps me to regard these obstacles as little more than the fear generated in my own mind.

That way they seem surmountable, since we all have the ability – if we really put our minds to it – to conquer that which scares us most and reach the other side.

Confidence, courage, belief and a burning desire to succeed are the tools we need to supersede any such anxiety. Even when things are out of our control, there is always to a way to mentally compartmentalise the hindrances that surround us.

Every day I wake up with fear. The fear of failure. The fear that I’m not good enough. The fear that I’m not ahead of the game. It’s a fine line between letting that emotion create the kind of internal stress that can overtake our ability to focus on our goals and channelling it as a catalyst to get out there. If we nurture the fear within us, we can use it to our advantage, realise how strong we are and never look back.

In this month’s edition we’ve asked a number of local luminaries to share their own personal experiences of dealing with fear throughout their careers. It made me realise that regardless of what stage of life we’re at, all of us can feel afraid at any time. In turn though, we can usefully harvest that experience for the good to become who we are today and to know that with the right attitude, fear need know no impediment.

If we nurture the fear within us we can use it to our advantage, realise how strong we are and never look back

With peace and love, Rosie x

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ON OUR RADAR Only the hottest and most happening make the grade

Gin House Burlesque

Internationally renowned burlesque performers Miss Betsy Rose, Jolie Papillon and Missy Fatale join forces to create an unparalleled interactive experience. Inspired by the prohibition era and 1930s Art Deco, this event packs all the hedonistic punch of the golden age of jazz. In addition to high-end burlesque, the show will also present snake charmers, fire-eaters and mind-expanding spectacles.

17 February ginhouseburlesque.com JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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The Candle Light Club

Step back in time to the romance of the jazz age at the Candlelight Club, a clandestine 1920s speakeasy that pops up once a month. The location is a secret, revealed to ticket holders two days before the event, but the main venue is an old warehouse in EC1, lit entirely by candles, where guests – who all dress in period costume – are entertained by live jazz bands, cabaret performers and DJs spinning vintage vinyl. There is also a dining option or you can reserve a table with champagne. So pull on your flapper dress and get ready to Charleston.

Next event dates: 9 and 10 March thecandlelightclub.com

Essex Vegan Festival

There’s something for everyone at the Essex Vegan Festival. This everpopular annual event will include a feast of mouth-watering food over 100 fantastic stalls; expect world food caterers, cookery demos, inspirational talks, interactive workshops, yoga and children’s activities throughout the day. There will also be a great selection of non-edible wares, from fashion and footwear to candles and crafts.

3 March facebook.com/VeganEventsUK Tickets available via Eventbrite

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EVENTS: ON OUR RADAR

Craft Beer Rising

February can be hard going, but a three-day craft beer festival showcasing 175 of the world’s best breweries should wash those winter blues clean away. At Craft Beer Rising punters can expect a dizzyingly huge line-up of street food, DJ sets and over 1000 different craft brews to taste.

22-24 February craftbeerrising.co.uk

Paper Dress Vintage

Hackney-based Paper Dress Vintage is a vintage clothes shop like no other. By day it sells clothing hailing from the 1920s right up to the 1980s, thus offering covetable creations for every body shape and personality. By night it transforms into a live music and events space, stocked with local beers and tasty cocktails. The latest addition to the lifestyle business? A yoga studio next door (what else?) paperdressvintage.co.uk

Chelmsford Restaurant Festival

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March The Chelmsford Restaurant CH ELM SFO FEATU RIN RD ’S NEW CU LIN Festival is a brand-new event AN D ME G A MIX OF UN ARY CE LEB RATIO IND EPE NDNU S FRO M TH E IQU E EXP ER IEN CEN, ENT AN D S Y’S LEA NATIO NACIT L RES TAUR DIN G curated by Chelmsford City AN TS Council’s award-winning events team. Taking place in a multitude of restaurants throughout Chelmsford City Centre and surrounding area, the aim of the festival is to highlight Chelmsford’s ever-growing food and drink scene, whilst offering local residents an opportunity to try new cuisines and restaurants.

1-10 March chelmsford.gov.uk/chelmsfordrestaurantfestival ww w.c helm

sfor d.go v.uk

/Ch elm sfor

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

City Events

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High

steaks

Best mates since school days, Will Beckett and Huw Gott turned a passion for food that began in Shoreditch into one of the UK’s most admired steak restaurants. Now, New York beckons for the latest and most challenging expansion of their Hawksmoor chain.

Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw Words: Eric Woollard-White 10

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S

teak may be one of the most consistently popular menu choices for diners, but the quest for a perfectly cooked rendition of the classic can prove hit and miss.

For Will Beckett and Huw Gott, New York’s famous steak houses offered all the inspiration they needed to open their first Hawksmoor outlet in east London’s Spitalfields Market in 2006.

More than a decade later, the chain has expanded, with six restaurants in London, one in Manchester, and one set to open in Edinburgh this summer. Next year their journey is about to come full circle when the pair will make their return to New York. But this time, rather than tasting what’s on offer elsewhere, they’ll be opening a new Hawksmoor in the New World Trade Centre and, according to Beckett, it’s a daunting prospect.

“It’s going to be very exciting but it’s also the biggest challenge we have ever undertaken,” he enthuses.

“We have a great reputation here in London, but that is nothing in New York, which is arguably the home of the steak restaurant, so it’s going to be fun to see how that goes.”

The Hawksmoor recipe for restaurant dining has been well

BUSINESS: MADE IT

refined by Beckett and Gott since their early days. For those unfamiliar with Listen to the experience, there’s th Podcas e no whiff of stuffiness t a t e1ife.c in the now extensive o.uk/po d cast operation; an eminently relaxed affair (employees wear their own clothes, for example), all Hawksmoor restaurants are, nonetheless, tightly run ships. As Beckett points out, “anyone who works at Hawksmoor is passionate about what they do and at the very top of their game.

We are the weirdest combination of casual and professional. We opened 12 years ago on a shoestring really; I often say we did it on an eBay account and a credit card.”

For anyone considering such a venture, he’s not joking. “Huw’s parents had to mortgage their house to help out. It really was done on the cheap. We didn’t know what we were doing, but we ran that business for four years. Customers kept coming back and we had the same staff for a long time – we learned that that wasn’t necessarily the case elsewhere in the industry.”

By 2010, Beckett and Gott had opened a second restaurant in the heart of west London: Hawksmoor

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BUSINESS: MADE IT

Seven Dials in Covent Garden.

“We were among the first people to expand from the east London to west Listen to at London,” Beckett recalls. t s Podca cast d o “It’s funny looking back /p k o.u e1ife.c because nobody wanted to open in Covent Garden at that time because it was a kind of a restaurant wasteland, but we found an amazing site which was cheap.”

With each new opening, Hawksmoor has made minor changes to the menu and restaurant design to reflect the local area but it has maintained a strict consistency with the quality of food. In part this has been about careful productsourcing from trusted suppliers based on relationships built up over time, initially primarily from farmers in North Yorkshire and later in other parts of the UK. “But it’s always British,” Beckett confirms with conviction, adding: “We think a lot about the life the animals lead – from the birth to the moment it comes on to your plate.

So if you want a Hawksmoor ribeye, then one of our farmers has thought very carefully about the rearing of that animal to deliver the very best quality meat.”

Despite the zeal for a great

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cut, Hawksmoor is not just a carnivore’s paradise. Vegetarian options are given the same careful consideration, as evidenced by an anecdote which appears in Beckett and Gott’s acclaimed book published last year: Hawksmoor: Restaurants and Recipes.

Says Beckett: “The book tells a story of Huw taking his wife to a restaurant in New York, back during the time when we were trying steak restaurant after steak restaurant. His wife was getting a bit fed up with

it all and so went for a vegetarian option and Huw describes what turned up at the table as a ‘f**k you’ on a plate. When he came back to the UK, he was very clear that he never wanted somebody to come to a Hawksmoor restaurant as a vegetarian and get a ‘f**k you’ on a plate. We want them to get a really, really good plate of food that they are as happy with as somebody who comes in and wants a steak.”

The anecdote is typically illustrative of Beckett and Gott’s attention to restaurant detail, but also reveals much about their special working relationship, a union that was forged from the age of 11. Beckett expands: “We grew up in St Albans and I lived two roads away from Huw. I was in and out of his house a lot because we were dropped off from school by bus, and his house was nearer to the bus stop. We grew up together and lived in each other’s pockets.”

It’s a charming best mates story that blossomed into a life-long business partnership with their first venture in 2003 with the opening of bar in Shoreditch called The Redchurch. “As it turned out, we weren’t very good at running bars but we were very good at running restaurants.” New York watch out: Beckett and Gott are coming for you.

Victoria’s

secret

There’s nothing half-baked about Victoria Yum, or its ‘chief cake girl’ Kiersten Donohue. Even the Rolling Stones can’t get enough of her sweet satisfaction. By Eric Woollard-White 14

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

I

t’s an unusual career leap from personal trainer to cake maker (since, presumably in the former incarnation she spent some time steering her clients away from the produce of the latter), but in the ten years since she started Victoria Yum, Kiersten Donohue has not looked back. Mostly, as she says, because she’s barely had a moment for such luxuries as reflection.

I caught up with the entrepreneurial baker at the end of a busy Friday after a 4am start in the week before Valentine’s Day. “Everyone’s gone cake crazy for Valentine’s Day and so it’s been an especially busy time,” she enthuses. “This is a seven-day-aweek operation and on a Friday I like to get in early so I can see off our delivery driver at 5am and check everything’s OK.” Given the mouth-wateringly

inviting Victoria Yum cake range, Kiersten’s infectious enthusiasm for both business and baking is both palable and absolutely justified.

“My product is my business and, as corny as it sounds, you really are only as good as your last cake,” she explains. The confections – which include cupcakes, layer cakes, brownies and bespoke numbers for any celebration – are reliably excellent. And as if to underline that point, last year the business became a supplier to Harrods’ Foodhall, which takes around 400 cakes in three deliveries every week – and whose every beautifully presented morsel represents the crème de la crème of British and worldwide produce. It is an accolade indeed.

Rock royalty the Rolling Stones are – it is strongly suspected – also fans. The last time the band played London’s Hyde Park, Kiersten was the official ‘cake girl’ with a special edition cupcake bearing the band’s iconic red tongue image.

“We had a stand there for 10 days and sold our entire stock of 3,500 cakes in one night,” says Kiersten.

“The runners kept on coming to us to take cakes backstage, and so I like to think the band were eating

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

and enjoying them too.”

Heady moments at major music events and supply agreements with the likes of Harrods are a long way from the nascent days of the business, which started almost by accident, according Kiersten.

“It began in earnest after my first child was born and I eventually began baking for school functions.

It kind of grew from there,” she explains. “I didn’t know how to sell cakes at first, but then a coffee shop in Broadway Market asked me to make some for them, and that was like a lightbulb moment for me. I had assumed that cafés and shops would be buying from huge companies, but in fact there was a

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market for a smaller company with a passion and a personal touch. That coffee shop in Broadway Market has a lot to answer for,” she laughs.

These days, explains Kiersten, the business employs three staff – “Michael our amazing delivery driver, Maxine who keeps everything ticking over, and Emily who is the perfect right-hand girl” – and boasts more than 80 clients, including a number of cafés and galleries.

Sales are split 50/50 between wholesale clients and Victoria Yum’s own retail business, the main outlet for which is the so-called ‘cake castle’: a three-by-three metre bedsit-sized purpose-built cabin based at London Fields.

The business is mainly focused on serving the London and Greater London areas, although clients from Essex, Kent and Watford have cottoned on to Victoria Yum – as well as a few further afield too.

“We get sent amazing photos of our cakes in all sorts of far-flung destinations,” says Kiersten. “My favourite was a customer who took a cake back to Paris – the city of the pâtisserie. That felt really great.”

One of the big turning points for Victoria Yum was the Harrods opportunity, Kiersten believes. “That really changed everything for us as a business and it made me take a long, hard look at how we were operating and making sure we were doing our very best.”

She adds: “I’m very lucky to have an amazing team and great support from my family. My husband has been my project manager all the way through in every business development – and he even took two weeks’ holiday from his work to come and help out when we were at the Rolling Stones gig.”

What, then, does the future hold?

Despite the long hours and hard work, Kiesten says she’s in it for the long-haul. “I’ve never really been interested in creating a big commercial concern and then selling it on or anything like that. I’ve cared for the business and nurtured it and I love all we’ve achieved; it is as much a passion as it is a business.”

She adds: “One of my biggest selfcriticisms is that I’m prone to taking little steps forward in business. But one day we are going to get that new big unit; that’s the dream.” It can’t be long before it’s in reach.

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Design for life ARTS & CULTURE: PATRICK BOYER

Contemporary montage illustrator, Patrick Boyer, shares his dreams, aspirations and little black book

What inspired you to become a designer?

I never really intended to become a designer. I just happen to have gravitated towards design through photography and odd creative jobs.

What’s the most fascinating project you’ve worked on?

Each project usually brings something interesting to the table. I know that’s the “proper” answer, but I do get to work on some really creative stuff. Anything that pushes me to do something new or to re-invent what I’ve been doing ends up being the most fascinating.

Design as an umbrella term covers many disciplines – where do your design strengths lie?

I think my forte is in diversity. In the industry it is good to have a particular style, but I do enjoy having several.

Who do you aspire to most and why?

That’s a hard question because my heroes always seem to change. It wouldn’t necessarily be another designer; sometimes it’s a writer, a musician or just meeting a certain person at a time when I most need things to be shaken up a little.

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Anything that pushes me to do something new or to re-invent what I’ve been doing ends up being the most fascinating.

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ARTS & CULTURE: PATRICK BOYER

Interesting Facts Favourite food? Fresh fish caught on the beaches of Thailand Favourite market? Camden Market in the 1990s

What does your vision look like as a designer?

Long term, who knows? I’ve been at it long enough.

Perhaps a return to photography and a simpler style of design. More travel and more photography would be great.

What is your biggest dream?

I guess becoming successful at what I enjoying doing most is a good start.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I’m fortunate enough to say that I’ve lived in many places. My passion has always been travel. I guess now my dream home base would be a self-sustaining cabin by the water that enables me to continue exploring the world.

Favourite coffee shop? Some fantastic cafe I stumbled on while exploring Tuscany... the name escapes me. It also involved several bottles of wine Favourite way to chill? Mountain biking or a hike with a posthike beer (or three) on an outdoor patio with a view of the ocean) Favourite escape? Well, I’m in Vancouver right now. Escaping seems like something I do best Favourite area outside of east London? Storm watching in Tofino in the far west of Canada Describe yourself in a word? Non-advance planner (that’s two-ish...sorry) If you could have dinner with one person, dead or alive, who would it be? A toss up between David Bowie, Leonard Cohen and myself, 20 years in the future

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his unique tattoo convention will host 150 of the finest tattoo artists from selected studios within Britain and Ireland.

Some of the biggest names in the tattoo world will be heading to Brick Lane, including one of London’s original tattoo pioneers George Bone, as well as Dublin-based Remis of Remis Tattoo and awardwinning travelling tattooer, Sam Barber.

Alongside these remarkable artists, The Tattoo Collective presents an exclusive gallery area with specially curated artwork which embraces the skill of tattoo art and culture, with the opportunity to purchase original artworks or limited-edition prints.

Exhibitors include British editorial photographer Mark Leaver, who will display his powerful new ‘Tattoos’ series, focusing on heavily tattooed individuals and the stories behind their ink.

London’s leading figurative artist

CREATIVE THINKING The Tattoo Collective returns to Brick Lane 17th-18th March for a buzzing weekend celebrating the best of British and Irish tattoo art Chris Guest will be unveiling his brilliantly bright works which utilise classical drawing and oil painting techniques, along with a live painting workshop where visitors can watch these paintings come to life.

The Japanese Gallery will be attending with a range of original Japanese ‘ukiyo-e’ prints, alongside Norwich-based woodcut printmaker Lacey Law, who will be presenting her exquisite works along with a workshop for a lucky few to learn the tricks of the trade.

This year, The Tattoo Collective are thrilled to have joined forces with Gretsch Guitars, who have engaged five exceptionally talented tattooers to produce hand-painted artworks on their latest models. These beautiful

guitars are a must-see for any tattoo or guitar enthusiast.

The UK’s finest resonator guitarists will take to the stage throughout the weekend, including guitar maestro John Fairhurst, hailed as ‘one of the top 3 resonator guitar players worldwide’.

The Tattoo Collective weekender also hosts an array of pop-up stores selling limited edition and unusual tattoo related apparel and goods.

There will be plenty of expert advice on tattooing as well as tattoo competitions, a pop-up barbershop and food and drink throughout the weekend.

Join the The Tattoo Collective at The Old Truman Brewery, March 17th18th, to celebrate a lifestyle in ink.

Advance Day Ticket Prices: Sat: £25 Sun: £20 2 Day Pass: £35 On the Gate Day Ticket Prices: Sat: £30 Sun: £25 On the Gate 2 Day Pass: £45 Opening times Saturday: 11am - 10pm (Advanced ticket Holders) 12.00 - 10pm (On the gate ticket Holders) Opening times Sunday: 11am - 8pm (Advanced Ticket Holders) 12.00 - 8pm (On the gate ticket Holders)

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ARTS & CULTURE: ANT CARVER

Portrait of the artist

Hackney Wick-based artist Ant Carver started out as a graffiti artist before specialising in portraiture. He tells us about his roots, his heroes and his biggest dreams

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ARTS & CULTURE: ANT CARVER What inspired you to become an artist?

I’ve always been interested in art, but it wasn’t until I got into graffiti when I was about 13 or 14 that I became really obsessed with it. I realised pretty quickly that letters weren’t my thing, so I started painting more figurative- and portrait-based work and discovered about the more traditional side of art. Ever since then it’s been my dream to be an artist.

What’s the most fascinating project you’ve worked on?

I think one of the best things about producing work outdoors is getting to go to different places around the world to do it. A couple of years ago I went the east coast of America to paint some walls in New York and Philadelphia.

That was an amazing experience – to paint in New York, the place where I’d seen all the photos of my graffiti heroes’ work, was pretty special.

Where does your artistic forte lie?

In portrait painting, definitely. I’ve always been drawn to portraiture and from quite early on I knew that was what I wanted the focus of my work to be. I still naturally find myself drawn to portraiture over any other type of art – more specifically, portraits created using oil and spray paint. I also use acrylic paints when I’m working outside, but the majority of my work is produced using oil and spray paint and that’s what I spend the most time practicing and trying to improve.

Who inspires you most?

It’s too hard to pick out one person.

I’m inspired by lots of artists, but Rone, Conor Harrington, Lucien Freud and Jenny Saville are always on the list.

What is your biggest dream?

Being able to do what I love everyday was the original dream and I’ve been lucky enough to make that happen. I think to keep pushing myself, trying to improve and being as happy as possible with myself at the end of it has to be the main goal.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?

I don’t think there’s anywhere else I’d rather be than London. I love New York, Barcelona and Amsterdam and there’s loads of places I’d like to visit, but anywhere I go I’m always happy when I get back here. antcarver.com

Black book Favourite restaurant? Dishoom Favourite market? Victoria Park market Favourite coffee shop? I’m not a big coffee drinker but it would have to be the amazing Tina We Salute You in Dalston Favourite place to chill? Either Victoria Park or The Approach Tavern in Bethnal Green Favourite place beyond the east? Peckham Desert island food? Chicken wings

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Do something you love Short Courses at The Cass RIBA CPD courses Architecture Interiors Fashion Textiles

Photography Fine art Printmaking Furniture Upholstery

Graphics Illustration Jewellery Silversmithing Instrument making

Restoration Conservation Digital design Software 3D printing

londonmet.ac.uk/thecassshortcourses | @cassshortcourse | +44 (0)20 7320 1842

Feelthefear

ARTS & CULTURE: ALICE STEVENSON

and do it anyway

Writer, illustrator and educator Alice Stevenson is no stranger to fear. She advises how to channel that inner panic and use it for the good

F

earless is not an adjective I would use to describe myself. I have worked as a freelance illustrator and, more recently, as a writer for close to 12 years now and fear remains my constant companion: fear that I’ll stop getting commissions; fear that my work won’t be good enough; fear that a new creative endeavour will fail.

The list goes on.

But something that the years have taught me is that being brave is not a case of living without fear but of accepting it as an inevitable part of life, acknowledging its uses (an entirely caution-free life would probably end in disaster) and ultimately, not letting it stop you.

There have been plenty of times in my career when I’ve been terrified of what could go wrong but have carried on regardless. Most of these situations have ended happily. For example, when I was commissioned to write my first book, Ways to Walk in London, I was terrified to the point of paralysis that I wasn’t up to the task, not considering myself a writer. However, I persevered and I’m so glad I did; the book and its sequel are two of the things I’ve done in my life that I’m proudest of.

Nothing is more inspiring than

the courage of others and I have no better evidence or constant reiteration of this than in my work as a teacher in adult education. I am continually amazed by the bravery of my students. As friendly and inclusive as the courses are, there is no escaping the fact that starting a beginners’ course in a new creative skill means putting oneself in a vulnerable situation. The older we get, the harder it is to be a beginner and to learn and develop new skills, especially those that can be so deeply personal as drawing and visual art.

Nothing is more rewarding than seeing a student, with very little confidence in drawing, persevere and improve over the weeks and finally begin to really enjoy and take pride in their work, overcoming their inner saboteur and exploring their fullest potential.

So when my old friend fear tries to talk me out of a new creative venture, or self-doubt wants to persuade me not to bother getting out of bed to tackle a problematic illustration or chapter, I think of my wonderful students who turn up, week after week, and persist in developing their illustration skills in spite of their doubts and I feel humbled. And then I sit down at my desk, pick up a pen and begin.

Try something new this year by signing up to one of Alice’s illustration short courses at The Cass, London Metropolitan University; londonmet.ac.uk/ courses/short Alice’s book is available from alicestevenson.com

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FEATURE: CUT THE ADDICTION

Unplugged: kicking the Internet habit

Toby Harris considers the rise of the smart phone and how to manage our 24/7 connectivity addiction of your mate riding elephants in Thailand… and a niggling thought pops in: “Their life looks better than mine.” Comparing our ordinary lives to those who are doing something worthy of a post is bound to make us feel inadequate, irritable or jealous,

“

The immediacy of digital communication brings countless benefits but, as we become increasingly plugged in, depending on it can be dangerous as social media amplifies the good times and subtracts the unglamorous parts. This isn’t to suggest that we should delete our social media accounts, but about recognising that it keeps us connected by sharing curated snippets, rather than holistic depictions of real life.

The immediacy of digital

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ur increasingly digital world makes it harder to escape the clutches of smartphones and, by extension, social media.

But managing how we interact with these tools is essential to our wellbeing.

Despite the many benefits of being connected, there are risks from excessive use. But it’s not an all-ornothing game; as ever, moderation is key.

In day-to-day chat, people often joke that they’re addicted to their phones, but medical opinion is divided as to whether Internet addiction is actually a mental disorder, or whether it’s an expression of pre-existing mental or behavioural conditions. However, for the sake of argument, Internet addiction can be understood as a compulsive need to surf the web to the extent that it interferes with other aspects of daily life.

Just as munching too many cakes can pile on the pounds, compulsively scrolling through endless feeds of filtered images can, unsurprisingly, have negative effects. We’ve all been slumped on the sofa, eating icecream, scrolling through Instagram, only to be confronted with a picture

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FEATURE: CUT THE ADDICTION

The urge to check our phones may be tied to the fact that sharing personal information has similar effects on the brain as sex and food

communication brings countless benefits but, as we become increasingly plugged in, depending on it can be dangerous. Now, networks are faster, inboxes relentlessly refill and there are bottomless feeds of text, images and auto-playing video. Ninety-two per cent of teenagers own a smartphone and the growth of live Instagram and Snapchat stories offer perpetual temptation to watch, and vicariously live, other people’s lives rather than to live our own. The result is that it’s harder to detach from our devices, with 66 per cent of teenagers checking their phones during the night and 44 per cent using their phones moments before going to sleep. And it’s not just young ones whose lives are being affected. More than half (53 per cent) of 18-75 year olds talk while they walk. Tech companies, like other businesses, obviously have a vested interest

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in developing products that sell.

However, similar to the self-restraint required to resist the biscuit aisle in the supermarket, discipline is required to temper the lure of technology.

The urge to check our phones may be tied to the fact that sharing personal information has similar effects on the brain as sex and food.

It’s what the experts call, ‘selfdisclosure communication’ and it fires up the pleasure centres. This might shed some light on the roots of social media addiction. An estimated 5 to 10 per cent of Internet users are thought to experience media cravings stronger than those for cigarettes or alcohol. Researchers at Harvard University scanned people’s brains while they talked about themselves and found that they enjoyed it so much that they were even willing to forego money to continue.

Looking to the future, digital

communication doesn’t seem like it’s going anywhere, so we need to be able to manage technology rather than be consumed by it. It’s not about going cold turkey, but differentiating between productive and counter-productive usage. Dr Kimberly Young has a tasty idea: digital nutrition, which categorises a digital diet. For instance, working on the computer is a different ball game to playing video games all night. It’s a way of learning new behaviours, like limiting when and how often we consult our devices, in order to achieve sustained improvements to our quality of life.

Just as pouring that additional glass of wine might be a cause for concern, so too is that itch to stream, scroll or swipe. It’s about striking a balance – so while we need to watch how and what we interact with online, there’s nothing wrong with the occasional tipple…

122 NEWGATE STREET LONDON EC1A 7AA T: 020 7600 0026 W: scottcity.co.uk E: property@scottcity.london

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A Superb refurbishment of a Type 21 two bedroom apartment in Speed House. Fantastic Re-Fitted kitchen with Miele integrated appliances , Re-Fitted Shower/Bathroom, poured resin floor, dropped ceiling incorporating spotlighting and speaker system, extensive built in storage & new wardrobes, highest refurbishment.

BRETON HOUSE, BARBICAN EC2 For Rent £350 per week

THE LODGE HOUSE, ST ANDREWS ST EC4 For Rent £525 per week

On the first floor of BRETON HOUSE in the BARBICAN is this large style STUDIO FLAT ( type F2A ) featuring a WEST FACING BALCONY. The property has been improved to include a re-fitted shower room and recently redecorated throughout. The property offers a good size studio room, original Barbican kitchen and a balcony.

The property comprises a detached former Lodge House to St Andrew’s Church constructed in the 19th century and retains many of its original features. The property offers reception room, double bedroom good storage, kitchen with all appliances. There is also a fully tiled shower and single W.C.

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Old for Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EW We cater Weddings, Parties and Funerals 020 7377 6443 info@cafe-caribbean.co.uk Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EW Catering020 enquiry: 73770800 6443 858 858 info@cafe-caribbean.co.uk times 858 858 Catering Opening enquiry: 0800 Every day 10am - 7.30pm Opening times Every day 10am - 7.30pm

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12/09/2016 08:31

FOOD & DRINK: LIAM BARKER

Standing the heat Liam Barker cut his culinary teeth in London’s Michelin-starred kitchens after leaving school and working in McDonalds. The key?

Never be frightened to look silly, he says

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FOOD & DRINK: LIAM BARKER

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hen I dropped out of college, aged 16, with absolutely no plan for what to do with my life, my parents were livid. Really, properly fuming. It felt like standing on the edge of an abyss, and I soon realised that I’d need some sort of anchor to keep me upright. I had no choice: I would have to get a full-time job – pronto.

That’s how I found myself flipping burgers at McDonalds which, though far from glamorous, actually turned out to be one of the most fun jobs I’ve had.

Cool it may not be (especially when you’re standing next to a hot grill all day) but working in a kitchen surrounded by people the same age as you is a not a bad place to be. There was team spirit in spades.

I decided I want to be a chef in earnest when I was 21. I had a dream, but no experience, apart from cooking at home and in McDonalds. Convention dictates that would-be chefs should enrol at a school to learn their onions. But convention has never been my thing, so instead I wrote a letter to every Michelin star kitchen in London asking for a trial.

I’ll never forget my first-ever day in a professional kitchen. I spent every minute of that induction peeling shallots and feeling very, very small – but we all have to start somewhere.

It also happened to be the same day that the Michelin Guide came out and this particular

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restaurant had found out it had lost its star. The atmosphere was terrible and the chefs were rebuked for losing the ultimate accolade. I’d never seen anything like it but I’ve since learned that some kitchens are highly charged places, with egos and emotions all over the place.

After very little sleep I started a 15-hour shift the next day, and got to experience my first dinner service.

It felt momentous when the kitchen served up the desserts I had made.

Sure, some may have needed to be done twice, and service was a bit slower than usual, but I was offered a job there and then. I haven’t looked back since.

It’s my belief that to overcome your fear of anything you have to ‘get comfortable with being uncomfortable’. And always remember that all experts were once beginners. Those are my two favourite bits of advice, because they are words to live by. If you can accept that you will look silly and make mistakes, you’ll find that eventually you’ll get where you need to be.

The hours chefs do in London are crazy. You really have to love what you do. And there is an upside: in the lowest paying jobs I ever had, I saved the most money I ever saved because I was always at work. If you want it you need to work for it.

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A taste of Harlem in the heart of Shoreditch Legendary chef Marcus Samuelsson’s first UK restaurant, Red Rooster, is open for lunch, dinner, after-work drinks and even Gospel Brunch, with live music seven days a week!

Take advantage of our Early Bird Special, offering 2-4-1 drinks and a special snack menu, every week from 5-7pm, Monday-Thursday.

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Red Rooster at The Curtain | 45 Curtain Rd | London | EC2A 3PT | 020 3146 4545 | thecurtain.com

Dinner

BDQ

B R E A K FA S T L D I N N E R L Q U I R K Y

Our hot-right-now dining guide to satisfy every food whim Gallery Mess Gallery Mess, situated right in the heart of Chelsea, is adjoined to the Saatchi Gallery on the edge of Sloane Square. As one might expect from such an aesthetic environment, everything is served up in a beautiful and quite surprisingly large space, with vaulted ceilings and exposed brickwork. Contemporary yet old school in all the right ways, it is the perfect retreat from the cold in the winter, whilst in the summer, diners can enjoy their repast al fresco in the square, enjoying the exquisite view of the lovely town houses that line the square.

Service is attentive and genuinely friendly, as one might expect from the sort of establishment that welcomes a mix of local

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well-to-do regulars and art loving newbies to the gallery alike. The food is as good as the service – roast sea bass comes with the creamiest of parsnip mashes and the steak frites is tender and packs a flavour punch – particularly when washed down with a well chosen crisp Pouilly Fume from the Loire. We were in the mood to make a night of it, and so ordered a couple of glasses of port from the Douro. It was so good we went home, ordered more to oil our fantasy that we live in a Chelsea townhouse. Sigh. saatchigallery.com/gallerymess King’s Rd, Chelsea, SW3 4RY

FOOD & DRINK: BDQ

Breakfast

Quirky

The Good Egg A slice of Tel Aviv in the heart of Stoke Newington, The Good Egg is an all-day, Jewish-inspired restaurant that also offers a fine selection of craft beers, natural wines and American cocktails. Star of the brunch menu is the Mediterranean shakshuka - a hearty portion of baked eggs, tomato, peppers and an indulgent dollop of lemon yoghurt. A close second place goes to the generous, Jerusalem medley, which can either come veggie or meaty, complemented by fudgey eggs and marinated aubergine. Absolutely delish – it’s now time to waddle home. thegoodegg.co 93 Church St, Stoke Newington, N16 0AS

The Literary Hour The Literary Hour is a supper club inspired by the marvellous minds and creations of its chefs’ favourite authors. They’ve delighted diners with a Feast in Narnia, disgusted them with Dr. Lecter’s brain fritters, and divided the crowd with Willy Wonka’s three-course dinner chewing gum. This February, these high-minded folk will race across the globe in a culinary adventure inspired by Around the World In 80 Days, with flavours from hustling Hong Kong to bustling Bombay, we’ll wager. theliteraryhour.com Rose Lipman Building, 43 De Beauvoir Rd, N1 5SQ

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

39

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199 Cottis Lane, Epping, Essex CM16 4BL

Restaurant opening times: Monday: Closed | Tuesday: 12pm-3pm & 5pm-10pm | Wednesday: 12pm-3pm & 5pm-10pm Thursday: 12pm-3pm & 5pm-10pm | Friday: 12pm-3pm & 5pm-10pm | Saturday: 12pm-3pm & 5pm-10pm Sunday: 2pm-9pm | Bar is open between 3pm – 5pm

www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com www.sai-saki.com | info@saisaki.co.uk www.sai-saki.com | info@saisaki.co.uk www.sai-saki.com | info@saisaki.co.uk www.sai-saki.com | info@saisaki.co.uk www.sai-saki.com | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk | info@saisaki.co.uk 199199 Cottis 199 Cottis 199 Lane, Cottis 199 Lane, Cottis Epping, 199 Lane, Cottis Epping, 199 Lane, Cottis Epping, 199 Lane, Cottis Essex Epping, 199 Lane, Essex Cottis Epping, 199 CM16 Lane, Cottis Essex Epping, CM16 199 Lane, Cottis Essex Epping, 4BL CM16 199 Lane, Essex Cottis 4BL Epping, CM16 Lane, Essex Cottis Epping, 4BL CM16 Lane, Essex Epping, 4BL CM16 Lane, Essex 4BL Epping, CM16 Essex 4BL Epping, CM16 Essex 4BL CM16 Essex 4BL CM16 Essex 4BL CM16 4BL CM16 4BL4BL

Restaurant Restaurant Restaurant opening opening Restaurant times: Restaurant opening times: Monday: Restaurant opening times: Monday: Restaurant opening Closed times: Monday: opening Restaurant Closed | Tuesday: times: Monday: Restaurant opening Closed | Tuesday: times: Monday: 12pm-3pm Restaurant opening Closed | Tuesday: times: Monday: 12pm-3pm opening Restaurant Closed | Tuesday: times: Monday: &12pm-3pm opening Restaurant Closed 5pm-10pm | Tuesday: times: Monday: &12pm-3pm opening Closed 5pm-10pm | Tuesday: times: Monday: &12pm-3pm opening Closed 5pm-10pm | |Wednesday: Tuesday: times: Monday: & 12pm-3pm Closed |5pm-10pm |Wednesday: Tuesday: times: Monday: &12pm-3pm Closed 5pm-10pm | |Wednesday: 12pm-3pm Tuesday: Monday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm Closed | |12pm-3pm Wednesday: Tuesday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm |Closed & |Wednesday: 12pm-3pm Tuesday: 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm |5pm-10pm &Wednesday: |12pm-3pm Tuesday: 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | &Wednesday: 12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm |& 12pm-3pm Wednesday: 5pm-10pm & |5pm-10pm &Wednesday: 12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm & |5pm-10pm &Wednesday: 12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm |&12pm-3pm Wednesday: 5pm-10pm |&12pm-3pm Wednesday: 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm & 5pm-10pm & 5pm-10pm Thursday: Thursday: 12pm-3pm Thursday: 12pm-3pm Thursday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm Thursday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm Thursday: &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: Thursday: & 12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: Thursday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: Thursday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm |5pm-10pm Friday: Thursday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: & Thursday: 12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: & Thursday: 12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: & 12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Friday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &| 5pm-10pm Friday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm |5pm-10pm Saturday: &| & 5pm-10pm Friday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: |&Friday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: |&Friday: 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: & 12pm-3pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &12pm-3pm &5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &12pm-3pm &5pm-10pm | 5pm-10pm Saturday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | Saturday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm | Saturday: &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm &12pm-3pm 5pm-10pm & 5pm-10pm & 5pm-10pm

FOOD & DRINK: EAT STREETS

EatStreets WORDS: LIAM BARKER

Blanchette Brick Lane

Inspired by the late night open-air canteens found across Thailand, the east London instalment of Smoking Goat is a social dining affair. ‘Aharn Glam Lao’ (Thai for ‘drinking food’) is the concept and it roughly translates to: order a bunch of small plates and share with friends over plenty of drinks. If, like us, you’re a spice fiend, do ensure to order more than one of the barbecue Tamworth pork skewers; it’s the only way to avoid a food fight. And if you’ve never tried larb, don’t leave without righting that wrong; a dry aromatic fried dish, ours was made with finely chopped liver and duck hearts and was sensational. The showpiece dish is a barbecued goat and turmeric massaman curry.

Gone are the days you could open a classic French bistrot and sit back as it was proclaimed a smash hit. So the fact that the original Blanchette pulled exactly that off in Soho deserves extra kudos.

Now, as the restaurant launches a second site at Brick Lane, no one is resting on any laurels, however welldeserved. Instead, they’ve ramped up operations yet further and to sensational effect. Immediately your attention is drawn to the beautiful Parisian Belle Epoque-style bar and the seductive mural of a curvaceous woman reclining behind it, already the star of many an Instagram post.

North African flavours dominate here. Don’t miss the exquisite Merguez sausage roll; lamb sausage is perfectly spiced with cumin and paprika, wrapped in a sweet onion confit and puff pastry. Then, there are the gratifyingly gooey cheese beignets with yet more confit onion (something of a theme at this irresistible haunt). This is comfort food at its best and Blanchette has all the hallmarks of a new favourite neighbourhood restaurant.

smokinggoatbar.com/shoreditch 64 Shoreditch High St, E1 6JJ

blanchettebricklane.co.uk 204 Brick Lane, E1 6SA

; we’re munching our French, Italian, Korean and Portuguese g the E1 postcode way around the world – without leavin Smoking Goat

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FOOD & DRINK: EAT STREETS

The Frog You may recognise the chef behind the pass here from Masterchef: The Professionals. Adam Handling’s The Frog offers up a playful menu showcasing his signature experimental cooking style, which is highly theatrical with drinks parings and even house-made Kombucha.

Don’t miss the smooth, salty chicken skin-infused butter with bread, or the cheese doughnuts (just a couple of the lighter snacks). And if you really want something controversial there’s the carrot steak dish (M&S’s recent ‘cauliflower steak’ fiasco, anyone?).

At £50 for an 11-course tasting menu it’s excellent value and with vegetarian and vegan tasting menus too, there is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to choice. thefrogrestaurant.com 2 Ely’s Yard, Old Truman Brewery, E1 6QR

Taberna Do Mercado

Vegan Yes As fusion cuisine goes, Korean and Italian isn’t the most obvious of combinations – especially when everything on the menu is animal productfree. Yes Vegan is one of those restaurants revolutionizing vegan food, not by trying to apologetically emulate meat, but by lavishing the greatest care and creativity on everything it does. Take, for example, the ToppoGnocchi, a mix of gnocchi and topokki (Korean rice noodle/cake); served up in a sixhour slow-cooked tomato sauce and spiked with gochujang (fermented red chilli paste), it is a revelatory flavour sensation. Make space for the dark mocha, a rice ball with a red bean paste center coated in dark chocolate.

Sounds dubious, tastes delicious. Seriously, who needs meat? veganyes.uk 64 Brick Lane, E1 6RF

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If you want pedigree, chefs don’t come more thoroughbred than Nuno Mendes, alumnus of El Bulli and exec chef at Chiltern Firehouse. His latest, Taberna Do Mercado couldn’t be further from the famous celebrity hotspot – in the best possible way.

It’s intimate, understated and the kind of neighbourhood restaurant we have but dreamt of – until now. Settle in for a long Sunday lunch with a bottle of Portuguese red and stack up the small plates. Do try the Bifana sandwich; it’ll have you hopping on the next flight to Portugal. tabernamercado.co.uk Old Spitalfields Market, 107b Commercial Street, E1 6BG

PURVEYORS OF FINE TRADITIONAL PUNJABI CUISINE SINCE 1972

Much-loved Punjabi restaurant serving aromatic, spicy dishes in a no-frills, contemporary interior.

OPEN ALL DAY 12AM – 11:30pm Seven Days a week 83-89 Fieldgate Street, London, E1 1JU 020 7247 6400 www.tayyabs.co.uk @1tayyabs

“

The experience you gain by putting in the work and stepping out of your comfort zone builds the kind of selfassurance you can’t fake

“

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MUSIC: RONNIE HEREL

N A C U YO

GO

N W O R YOU

Y A W

d xtra an e 1 C B B ormer nts Drive Tim f , l e r e H e n Ronnie resenter, pres GRnBShow o p BI g Radio 1 alist slot #The Life why bein ci E1 key to and spe adio. He tells e h t s i s g lR Mi Sou o try new thin t unafraid and success ity original

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MUSIC: RONNIE HEREL

S

tarting a new venture can put the fear of the man upstairs in you, particularly if you get that crucial break to perform your chosen craft on the big stage. Whether you’re making a speech with all your peers in attendance; providing the catering for a massive event; or, like me, you’re DJing in front of a daunting 5,000 people chomping at the bit for the best party night of their lives, it’s best to be prepared when the opportunity arises. It’s your time to shine.

I know what it is to overcome fear in an array of musical scenarios. I make no great distinctions between my work as a DJ, a presenter or as a music producer, since they’re all connected. Whatever you do in the entertainment world, you have to present a certain edge to stand out from the crowd. When you’re trying to find your path, you’re likely to be listening to a ton of other artists who already do what you want to do.

As an aspirant club DJ, I watched loads of DJs mixing in clubland and wanted to be able to mix like them.

I now know that when I DJ in clubland, I have my own unique style.

I’m not pigeon-holed; I’m respected

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for being able to create an emotion on the dance floor, delivering a moment that people can talk about and reminisce about on YouTube for years to come.

Similarly, as a music producer, I spent a lot of time watching producers and engineers do what they do in the studio. I heard legendary producers on record and wanted to make music that sounded like the stuff they were creating. Through my DJ travels and experience, the music I have produced, (Quartz – Meltdown, and It’s Too Late to name a couple), has stemmed from moments sparked in my own imagination. Because of that, I don’t emulate other people’s work, although there are, of course, influences. To be original in your approach puts less pressure on you and what is expected of you.

As a radio presenter, I listened to a ton of other presenters and wanted to sound like them. But I soon learned that you’re way more likely to experience fear if you try to imitate those who came before you; holding up comparisons puts an unnecessary pressure on you to be both as good, as well as different enough from the legend you’re emulating. That’s not to say you shouldn’t draw influences from those who have set an example of

excellence, but I believe we become increasingly confident and fearless by putting our own stamp on what we’re trying to achieve.

The experience you gain by putting in the work and stepping out of your comfort zone builds the kind of self-assurance you can’t fake.

As someone who has spent over 15 years on radio, I’ve learnt to enjoy sounding like me, and creating my own presenting style; who knows, these days there may even be wouldbe presenters coming up who might want to imitate me.

Music is a universal language. It can unlock emotions we never knew were within us. Being fearless in trying new things isn’t always safe.

Your ventures might not always work out, but having the balls to try and stand out will always make a bigger mark than something that is copied. The key is in practicing and learning to be the best possible at whatever you want to excel in. You may feel butterflies when having to perform on the big stage, but that’s healthy. It means you’re alive and have a pulse and really care about what you do. Success is more likely to come your way when you create your own niche, building your own following by trying new ideas or by constructing a team that sings from the same hymn sheet as you.

LOUGHTON

CF UHN DAR RA I IS TI NYG

DAY

“IT WAS TRULY WORTH IT AS THE TEAM RAISED A STAGGERING £809.37” ON THE 3RD OF FEBRUARY 2018, MR BARBERS LOUGHTON DECIDED TO PUT THEIR SCISSORS AND BAKING SKILLS TOWARDS A GREAT CAUSE, AND RUN A CHARITY DAY FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN. EVERY HAIRCUT, SHAVE AND FADE WAS FREE, ALL THAT WAS ASKED YOU DONATED - AND DONATE PEOPLE DID! THIS WAS A FULL ON DAY WITH LOTS OF RAIN AND DRIZZLE BUT DESPITE THE WEATHER IT WAS TRULY WORTH IT AS THE TEAM RAISED A STAGGERING £809.37 FOR SAVE THE CHILDREN. THERE WAS A FANTASTIC TURN OUT ON THE DAY WITH MANY LOCALS STOPPING BY FOR CUTS AND ALSO TO BUY YUMMY CAKES. SAVE THE CHILDREN, IS AN INTERNATIONAL NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATION THAT PROMOTES CHILDREN RIGHTS, PROVIDES RELIEF AND HELPS SUPPORT CHILDREN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES. IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1919 IN RIGHT ORDER TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF CHILDREN THROUGH BETTER EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS PROVIDING EMERGENCY AID IN NATURAL DISASTERS, WAR, AND OTHER CONFLICTS. SAM PRIOR - FOUNDER AND CO. OWNER SAID, “WE WAS THRILLED TO BE RUNNING THE EVENT IN AID OF SAVE THE CHILDREN. KNOWING THE MONEY WE RAISED WILL BE USED TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE UK IS THE BEST PART OF ALL. THIS IS JUST ONE OF MANY EVENTS THAT MR BARBERS HAVE ORGANISED TO RAISE MONEY FOR NATIONAL CHARITIES AND WILL BE HOLDING ANOTHER FUNDRAISING EVENT @MR. BARBERS ‘BISHOP’S STORTFORD’ TO RAISE FUNDS AND AWARENESS FOR AIR AMBULANCE ON SUNDAY 18TH AN FEBRUARY 2018.

TO SUPPORT/ FOLLOW MR BARBERS, PLEASE VISIT WWW.MRBARBERS.CO.UK INSTAGRAM/FACEBOOK: @MRBARBERS

MR.BARBERS | TRADITIONAL BRITISH BARBERSHOPS BARNET | BRAINTREE | BURY ST EDMUNDS | B.STORTFORD | CAMBRIDGE | CHELMSFORD | C O L C H E S T E R | C H E S T E R | E LY | E N F I E L D | H A V E R H I L L | H I T C H I N | I P S W I C H W A T E R F R O N T | I P S W I C H C E N T R A L | LO U G H TO N | N A N T W I C H | N E W M A R K E T | N O R W I C H | S A F F R O N W A L D E N | S TA N S T E D | S T O W M A R K E T | S U D B U R Y W W W. M R B A R B E R S . C O . U K

I N F O @ M R B A R B E R S. C O. U K

@ M R B A R B E R S

Dream

TEAM Named ‘best salon team’ at the Essex Salon Awards, most team members started their career ten years ago with Tikadi and remain there today

T

ikadi has been welcoming clients to their salons since 2007. Their recently refurbished flagship salon in Theydon Bois and the Ongar salon are both located in surroundings full of character and charm. As well as being a multi-award winning Essex salon brand with a relaxing salon environment, their friendly team are well known for excellent hairdressing work in creative cutting and styling as well as expert colour, extensions and a full menu of treatments.

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: TIKADI Why Hairdressing: A career I always wanted to explore, especially for the social side and the diverse opportunities.

Why did you start working at Tikadi? When I went for the job, Tikadi had recently launched, so I felt I could grow with the business.

Name: Hannah Age: 29

What is the training like? We’ve had exciting and invaluable education from Andrew Collinge, Schwarzkopf Young Artistic Team just to name a couple. In fact nothing is ordinary about Tikadi training, every opportunity is awarded to us to build exciting careers in the profession.

How long have you worked at Tikadi? 11 years One best reason for working at Tikadi? Our team and our owner. We’ve all grown together since day 1 at the salon.

Is hairdressing a good career? Yes and I love my job!

Best advice for any new aspiring hairdresser: Keep focussed.

Why Hairdressing: Always had a keen interest Why did you start working at Tikadi? I was a client beforehand so I knew they were a good salon from many perspectives, including the way they treat their clients and staff.

What is the training like? I’ve just graduated from the apprenticeship with Alan D training academy, which offer lots of one to one training compared to other hairdressing schools.

How long have you worked at Tikadi? 3 years One best reason for working at Tikadi? The team have been really supportive since I started and I am exceptionally fortunate to work alongside excellent stylists with untold experience from who I am constantly learning from.

Is hairdressing a good career? Well I’m a junior stylist and I’m now looking to build my clientele and trying new ventures within Tikadi.

Best advice for any new aspiring hairdresser: Keep training to build knowledge and accreditations and continue to work hard.

Name: Georgia Age: 19

Name: Hayley Age: 26

Why Hairdressing: I like meeting new people and the satisfaction of transforming someone once you’ve finished their hair.

Why did you start working at Tikadi? I was looking at various hair salons to work for but Tikadi has an outstanding record of winning awards and competitions.

What is the training like? I qualified at another salon, however I’ve gained so much experience at Tikadi, I’m now able to oversee training for our own team. This is unique, so everyone learning has more time with myself.

How long have you worked at Tikadi? 8 years One best reason for working at Tikadi? The team, everyone is so supportive and helps each other.

Is hairdressing a good career? Yes, absolutely, there are numerous creative opportunities outside the salon you can enjoy from working at London Fashion Week to creative competitions, I love it.

Best advice for any new aspiring hairdresser: Take every opportunity that arises.

To find out more information about starting an apprenticeship programme at Tikadi, please contact 01992 815 700 or email: info@tikadi.co.uk For more information visit us tikadi.co.uk

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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KINDRED

CUSTOM TATTOO STUDIO AND ART GALLERY INK

•

ART

•

COMMISSIONS

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EVENTS

• CUSTOM TATTOO • BODY PIERCING & JEWELLERY

KND ART GALLERY

• BESPOKE FRAMING • GRAPHC DESIGN

& PRINT SERVICES

I53 - I55 HIGH ROAD SOUTH WOODFORD LONDON, EI8 2PA T: 0208 506 0826 STUDIO@KINDREDTATTOO.CO.UK WWW.K I N D R E D T A T T O O .CO.UK

NIGHTLIFE: OUT OUT

Winterville

Out Out

WORDS: LIAM BARKER

Ale to chocolate milk: where to drink in EC1

Ever wondered how anyone keeps score on those boozy darts matches you see on TV? Us too. It’s not a problem at Flight Club, where no one will require alcohol-addled brains to perform any such feats of mental arithmetic since it installed a real-time scoring system designed by an actual rocket scientist. Far be it from us to question how it works, especially when there’s plenty of other things to occupy us: namely the fantastic array of lagers, ales and wheat beers served up to make us feel like proper darts players. And if you do want to keep a clear head to keep score, there are alcohol-free and gluten-free beers on tap too. flightclubdarts.com 2a Worship St, EC2A 2AH

Brewdog Did you know the east once teemed with distilleries and breweries?

Somehow it makes the appearance of Brewdog in the heart of old Dickensian London feel like a homecoming. There are 18 craft beers on rotation – and that’s before you get to the bottle collection and guest beers. Soak it up with proper hot dogs, the menu for which includes vegan options too.

Clerkenwell Grind

When it comes to hump day and we’ve already worked a 40-hour week, we know it’s time to unwind with a chocolate milk. City favourite, Forge, does highly slurpable rendition – but don’t be fooled, there’s nothing innocent at play here: they’re made with Jagermeister, Baileys, vanilla syrup and double cream. Next head downstairs for more cocktails from Wednesday to Friday, when it’s open until 3am. After all, Wednesday is the new Thursday in the City.

As all good caffeine connoisseurs know, Clerkenwell Grind is more than just a buzzing coffee house. After dark, as the clock strikes eight, those superior granules are put to arguably even better use in the ultimate night time pick-me-up: espresso martini.

It’s the perfect spot for an all-day catch-up with friends. After a few cocktails, when you’ve twisted one another’s arms that you haven’t had a proper night out for way too long, head downstairs to the handy subterranean dancing den that stays open until 2am. Expect even more cocktails and music spun by Grindapproved collaborators and guests from its own on-site recording studio.

forgedinlondon.com 24 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND

grind.co.uk/clerkenwellgrind 2-4 Old St, EC1V 9AA

brewdog.com/bars/uk/clerkenwell 45-47 Clerkenwell Rd, EC1M 5RS

Forge

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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www.johnladbury.co.uk

Tel: 01707 262 966

Beautiful Traditional and Contemporary Kitchens Design • Build • Installation 40 years of excellence Showroom: Unit 11 Alpha Business Park Travellers Close, Welham Green AL9 7NT

SPORT: CLAIRE HARVEY

the Listen to at t Podcas dcast o.uk/po e1ife.c

Tackling

Adversity Claire Harvey is Great Britain’s Paralympian sitting volleyball captain. She shares with us how after an accident halted her career as a professional rugby player and left her in a wheelchair, she channelled her devastating injury into Olympic triumph

Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw Words: Toby Harris JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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Have you always been a sports fan?

Absolutely. I was the kind of child who, whenever there was something to be climbed on or jumped over, I was there, climbing and jumping! I never sat still for long. I loved every sport, irrespective of whether I was any good at it or not. I’ve always loved the keeping busy and trying new things.

You started out as a rugby player – why that particular sport?

My family has Scottish heritage and I was brought up in a household of rugby fans, so it was always around.

Then I went to my dad’s club and they had a women’s team starting.

And at 14, my mum said to me: “Whatever you do, I don’t want you to play rugby.” So, of course, that’s exactly what I was going to do. I just love it. I love the fact that you can make the game your own, whatever the circumstances; you don’t need equipment; you can practice anywhere and I just love the physicality. But mostly I love the team sport focus.

e

the Listen to at t Podcas dcast o /p k .u 1ife.co

Can you tell us about the day that changed your life?

I was playing rugby at the time but had retired from high level rugby and was just playing locally for fun.

Then I had an accident that changed my life and left me as a wheelchair user. I had to rethink everything.

I spent time in hospital; I had to relearn how to do a lot of things; it was a real rollercoaster. I have an incomplete spinal chord injury, so they weren’t sure whether I’d regain full ability to walk or no ability to walk, or somewhere in the middle.

At the very start, I heard: “You’ll wake up and be absolutely fine.”

That isn’t what they said, but that’s absolutely what I heard. Every day I expected to get better. I lived – probably for about year – hanging on to that thought, so every day became a disappointment. I realised that I had to do something different.

Tell us about your path to becoming a Paralympian?

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SPORT: CLAIRE HARVEY schools. We need to make sure that we reach every young person who needs us, and continue to fit the needs of schools and students, which is an ever-changing feast. If we can get to every young person to grow up realising they are wonderful just the way they are then we will be in a better place for it.

As I was going through that repairing system, I realised that sport had left a huge hole in my life, not just in terms of the physical activity, but in terms of the friendship and the sense of achievement. So, I went to a talent identification day. This was at the back end of 2009, focusing on the run-up to the Paralympics, trying to get people with a disability to try lots of different sports. I went fairly determined I wasn’t going to like anything because I had lots of preconceptions about what disability sport was. I tried lots of things, fairly disappointed by them all. Then, at the last turnaround, I tried sitting volleyball; it’s fast, active and a real team sport. That was the starting journey to then becoming the Paralympic Captain.

Can you tell me more about your role as CEO of Diversity Role Models?

DRM is a super cool, small charity and we have been set up to ensure that school is a place where young people feel absolutely safe, valued and have a sense of belonging. We work with schools to ensure that they value and celebrate difference. By doing that we prevent bullying from happening.

How do you plan to make a difference?

The charity is in a really great place in terms of positive impact from

It’s a 100 years since women won the right to vote, what do you think the future looks like for women in business?

I’m both enthusiastic and nervous for the women in business space, partly because it’s something that’s got a huge amount of conversation and focus at the moment – and that can only be great – but the fact there are only seven CEOs in the FTSE100 is just ridiculous.

The system is broken, there’s no doubt about that. For me, the key is to stop talking about diversity and start talking about inclusion.

Stop reminding people that they’re different and start thinking about the things that draw people together.

How would you define success?

Leaving something in a better state than you found it. If you can go to bed and know that you’ve done your best – and we can all be honest with ourselves and know when we’ve done that – and if you can think: “Today, I’m going to do something, no matter how small, something better than I did it yesterday”, then, for me, that is success. I’m not bothered about outcomes. I’m much more bothered about process.

Do you have a life mantra?

I probably have two. One is: “When nothing’s going right, try going left.” You have to go sideways sometimes but always focus on where you’re trying to go.

And the other one is: if we don’t consciously include people, we will always subconsciously exclude them in our behaviours, so let’s make sure we recognise the world is much more beautiful when everybody’s happy.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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Open your door to

Free Property Management throughout 2018

Lourdes is an award winning agent with an excellent reputation for selling, letting and managing property in the City, Docklands and East London. We always ensure that we provide an enviable level of customer service to all of our clients. Throughout 2018 Lourdes will be offering all new landlords in the E1, E1W and E2 postcodes a free property management service. *terms and conditions apply

Lourdes Estate Agents is one of the few agencies who are fully accredited by:

Contact us now for your free valuation:

City Office Tel: 020 7377 5788 Email: city@lourdes-estates.com

www.lourdes-estates.com

ADVERTISING PROMOTION: URBAN MYTH

S

tudies show that the average UK resident will own just three homes during their life cycle and this figure is falling as home ownership becomes less achievable.

Buyers just stepping on the property ladder will be excited with this new phase in their lives, but the second or third move becomes more stressful as there is usually a house to sell which can be difficult and costly.

Jane and Michael Crouch, 55 and 57, were experiencing this frustration when they found their ‘perfect’ fourbedroom house by Bellway in Mascalls Park, Brentwood. The couple were keen to move quickly, but frustrated by a series of issues when it came to selling their three-bed house close to Havering.

Bellway came to the rescue by offering the couple a solution in the form of its Part Exchange scheme. The obstacles that were in the couple’s way simply disappeared and the move progressed with speed.

Jane Crouch said: “We found a house that we desperately wanted, but we were finding it hard to sell our current home. When Bellway suggested their part exchange scheme, it seemed like a no brainer and from then on the move really was plain sailing.”

The painless Part Exchange package is designed by experts to help make buying and moving simple and it’s a totally free service. Bellway provides a fair offer for the seller’s home based upon an independent valuation and there are no estate agent’s fees or advertising fees to pay – it really is a totally stress-free move and can save home buyers thousands of pounds.

Mascalls Park is a contemporary development of three, four and fivebedroom new homes in Brentwood, set in the grounds of a former hospital and surrounded by beautiful woodlands and farm land.

The Crouch’s were attracted to this development because of the low density of the estate and the access to the countryside on their doorstep.

Jane explains: “We were looking for a new home

SmoothMove Bellway helps Essex buyers with painless part exchange that is an easy commute to central London, I work long hours in the City and needed a good commuter location – Brentwood is ideal for this. I also wanted somewhere with access to the outdoors and Mascalls Park couldn’t be better. Once the final few houses are completed, we will have a footpath from the back of the estate that takes us all the way to Great Warley Country Park. I have a grandchild and will love being able to explore the area with him as he gets older.

“Michael and I were also attracted to this development because of the low density – so many new developments are crammed together but Mascalls Park is not like that at all – you have a real feeling of space as you move around the estate and no one is overlooking anyone else. To be honest my new house is just perfect!”

The homes at Mascalls Park are designed to appeal to a variety of audiences, including families and professionals working in London, it also features an abundance of greenery,

open spaces and a woodland walk.

For families there are some wellregarded schools near the development including Warley Primary School and Holly Trees Primary School for younger children, and Brentwood County High School for older pupils.

In contrast to its lush countryside setting, Mascalls Park is just a fiveminute drive from Brentwood town centre, where residents have access to a great selection of independent and chain stores along High Street and in the Baytree Shopping Centre.

Mascalls park is a comfortable 20 minute walk from Brentwood Railway Station and from there regular services run into Stratford and London Liverpool Street in as little as 33 minutes.

With a selection of five bedroom homes left available at Mascalls Park prices start from £1,350,000 to £1,550,000. For further information, please visit www.bellway.co.uk or call 01245 259989.

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New kitchen?

NEW YEAR

After resolving that you’ve hosted your last Christmas in your old kitchen Urban Myth reveals some top tips to make the process of planning a new kitchen as stress free as possible

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: URBAN MYTH

Start with your existing kitchen It’s always a good idea to think about what you currently have and, of that, what works and what doesn’t. Why do you need a new kitchen? Is the style outdated? Has your lifestyle changed?

Do you need more storage? Do think about what you love and be sure to tell your designer; you don’t want to eliminate something that works for you.

Gather ideas/Inspiration You may already have a definite idea of what you want your new kitchen to look like, but if you are not sure it really helps to collect images from magazines or websites, such as Houzz. It helps, at this juncture, to make a note of materials and surfaces you’ve seen that work well together.

An appointment with one of our designers is a great place to start to discuss ideas. Urban Myth has an extensive showroom in East London with over 15 lifestyle kitchen displays and one of the widest ranges of door colour and fixture samples to inspire you. Since our kitchen ranges are manufactured in our factory in Essex, we are able to tailor any of our kitchens to your bespoke needs and tastes.

Measure accurately Urban Myth covers everything from design to installation, ensuring that you make the best potential use of your space.

Once you’ve ordered your kitchen with us, we’ll take all the responsibility for taking the necessary measurements (even the ones you haven’t thought of) to give you total peace of mind.

Look at the whole picture If you are considering more than just a kitchen remodel and your project is part of an extension or other building works, you’ll want to liaise with your builder and your kitchen designer at the beginning of the project to ensure that you consider the full picture. Aesthetically you’ll want the positioning of doorways and windows to enhance the look of your kitchen. From a practical point of view, precise placement of plumbing and electrics ensures the installation runs smoothly.

The importance of a guarantee Investing in a new kitchen is a serious commitment and one that can add significant value to your home. By choosing Urban Myth you can be assured that the quality of our workmanship will guarantee enjoyment of your kitchen for many years to come – and our membership of the KBSA and Trustmark is testament to our enduring commitment to quality.

To find out more about Urban Myth or book an appointment to visit our showroom call 020 8531 3413 or visit urbanmyth.net

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EXPLORE COSTA RICA WITH G ADVENTURES

(0) 20 8989 9445 abbottstravel.com

1080

ABTA No. Y6125

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TRAVEL: SPA BREAKS

Bathing Beauties Checking into two of the most luxurious spa destinations set in the English countryside

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Cliveden House, Buckinghamshire

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By Lily Robinson

here can be few hotels steeped in such a chequered history – and indeed such scandal – as Cliveden House, former home of the first female MP, Lady Nancy Astor. Set within its own woodlands and formal gardens, the resplendent stately home exudes glamour and decadence at every turn, whether in the sweeping main entrance hall where diners take high tea, or in the fine dining room, with its panoramic views over the spectacular parterre.

If, like us, you’re in search both of Cliveden’s most relaxing quarters and its most scandalous secrets,

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do repair to the spa, with its indoor and outdoor pools, the latter of which is where John Profumo’s mistress, would-be 19 year old model Christine Keeler once swam; it was their illicit encounter in this very setting that would go on to bring down Harold Macmillan’s government in 1963. We can see why the place might have proved seductive _ and even more so now than then, since the spa is somewhat more luxurious today than its sixties incarnation is likely to have been. The space is brand new and comes complete with an indoor pool, hot tub, steam room, sauna and beautifully appointed

changing rooms. There is also a heated outdoor pool and hot tubs in a beautiful patio area, all confined within a quintessentially English walled garden. My beautician, Amber, administered the best facial I’ve ever had; so relaxing was it that her soporific attentions actually sent me to sleep. All the products used are Cliveden branded, created from natural ingredients; they felt and smelt divine. Afterwards, we repaired to the café, which is light, airy and modern with a on-trend bar, serving a rainbow of salads.

Perfection. clivedenhouse.co.uk

TRAVEL: SPA BREAKS

Lifehouse Spa and Hotel, Essex

By Nicola Euesden

Y

ou’d be forgiven for forgetting that you are in the heart of Essex here, so Nordic in sensibility is Lifehouse Spa and Hotel. After being whisked around the hotel to get our bearings, we were shown to our double room, which was spectacular in every regard not least thanks to its view of the picturesque lake and gardens. A glass of welcome Prosecco did nothing to dampen our already high spirits.

We plumped for the couples’ package, which included a massage a deux, an hour of complete bliss.

Suitably distressed, we then

retired to our spacious bedroom and ordered room service (being pummelled and pampered is surprisingly appetite-inducing). A club sandwich hit the spot nicely, and reinvigorated us for a couple of hours in the sauna, spa bath, pool and steam rooms. Don’t neglect to visit the bar area with lovely views of the historic Listed gardens, close, before sating your appetite with some brasserie-style classics (think seafood stew and pork loin saltimbocca) at the Lifehouse Restaurant, which offers similarly beautiful views over the gardens. lifehouse.co.uk

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: ABBOTTS TRAVEL

Fearless Beaches and biodiversity, Costa Rica is a land of volcanoes, rivers, and jungles that teem with exotic fauna

T

hrow in the friendly Ticos (as Costa Ricans are known) and you can see why they dub living in Costa Rica pura vida — the “pure life.”

If you’re looking for a taste of Costa Rica’s highlights but want to keep things spicy with a sampling of hidden treasures, we have an actionpacked 16-day trip that tops the menu.

Curiosity piqued? Here’s some of the highlights, put together with our friends at G Adventures.

More than a quarter of the total land area is protected and the country’s tropical ecosystems are home to some of the most diverse flora and fauna in the world. One of the most thrilling ways to experience such a place is in the footsteps of conservationist, researcher, and animal advocate, Dr.

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Jane Goodall.

More than a half-century ago, Dr. Goodall began her pioneering research with chimpanzees in Tanzania, and her legacy has left an enduring mark on scientists and wildlife lovers alike.

The Jane Goodall Collection offers travellers the rare opportunity to visit the planet’s wildest places for close-up, larger-than-life encounters with animals — while ensuring that their natural habitats are protected. G Adventures follow a strict Animal Welfare Policy as an essential part of their commitment to responsible tourism.

For fun non-animal adventures, Costa Rica is packed with tons of exciting activities. Boat rides, zip-lining, jungle walks, kayaking, coffee farm tours, cooking classes, rafting, and waterfall rappelling — not to mention simply relaxing in a pool, hot springs, or a

comfy hammock — are all on the agenda.

Manuel Antonio is often considered one of the most biodiverse parks in the world, with a population of 109 types of mammal and 184 types of bird, among other species.Visitors are also likely to spot capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, sloths, coatis, raccoons, iguanas, toucans, dolphins and, sometimes, even migrating whales.

This 45-year-old park is a direct result of Costa Rica’s burgeoning tourism industry — but not in the way you might think. At the time the park was created, foreign businesses were interested in building up the area as a major tourist centre, but locals were worried this would mean they’d lose out on enjoying the landscape and incredible biodiversity. So, they pressured the government to protect the region, leading to the park’s creation in November 1972.

Manuel Antonio’s incredible biodiversity doesn’t just comprise of animal life. There are 346 plant species to be found within its borders, and several different types of habitat, from lush rainforest, to beautiful beaches, to volcanic-sedimentary rock formations.

The park even extends into the Pacific Ocean, adding another 250 km2 of marine landscape to its area.

This includes 12 small islands and a number of coral reefs, making it a top

snorkeling destination too.

Looking for something more adrenaline-boosting? Scuba diving is a big draw here, try spending some time underwater with some of the most intimidating and fascinating creatures of the sea: sharks.

An eco-tourist’s dream, Costa Rica has become synonymous with all that an unspoiled tropical paradise can be.

Rarely does reality measure up to hype, but Costa Rica certainly comes close.

Abbotts Travel work closely with G Adventures, an adventure travel pioneer, offering the widest selection of affordable small group tours, safaris and expeditions to more than 100 countries on all continents. Their award-winning trips embrace authentic accommodation, exotic cuisine and local transport putting travellers on a first-name basis with the planet’s people, cultures, landscapes and wildlife.

This intimate and sustainable approach to small-group travel introduces the highlights of a destination whilst offering the freedom to explore it independently.

For further details on this Costa Rica trip or any G Adventures small group tours, please book an appointment, drop in to our store or contact us at: Abbotts Travel 134 George Lane, South Woodford E18 1BA 020 8989 9445 info@abbottstravel.com www.abbottstravel.com

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

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LAST WORD: GEORGE GLADWELL

Eastender

For many, George Gladwell is Columbia Road Flower Market. He tells Toby Harris how he never gets despondent if he’s surrounded by his flowers and why you can’t beat a good old pansy You’ve been here for 70 years now.

How did you first get into flowers?

A distant memory is when I was seven years old and my mother gave me a plot of land to grow something on. I grew pansies, dug them up when they were in flower, put them in a box and sold them for tuppence each on the side of the road.

What are the challenges of being a market trader?

Knowing how to speak to people, I think. I believe in never being negative when dealing with customers.

The more positive you are, the more we tend to get along with it. I think we’re quite popular actually.

Why are you so well loved?

Well, we have ways of speaking to people. We cross stories in the few seconds we have serving, we make a few jokes, or we’re humorous about plants.

And we treat our plants e th Listen to at as humans. We get some t Podcas dcast nice back chat – speaking o.uk/po with people keeps the job e1ife.c interesting and makes the days go quicker.

What is your favourite flower?

A pansy. I can look at a pansy and see every other flower in existence – the colours, the shape, the cheekiness of it and even the sadness of it.

It’s the first flower I ever sold. That’s going back decades now.

You’ve described Columbia Road as a happy place to be. What makes it so?

I think it’s happy because to sell plants and to garden are happy occupations, aren’t they? As far as the market is concerned, there are so many plants here, so many rare plants, that you can’t walk around looking miserable. We get a few moans and groans. I don’t like that quite a bit of swearing goes on. To me, that doesn’t go down well.

Has the gentrification of east London and the market’s growth as a tourist attraction helped or hindered?

It’s generally helped. I mean, what can be more beautiful than coming to a street and seeing it absolutely loaded with plants? Some of them are up to fifteen feet high, for 300 yards down the street. The colours

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are never the same week by week.

Even if the traders have got the same plants, they’ll put them in different places, so it creates something new all the time.

Is there a secret to managing the early mornings?

I don’t believe there’s a secret. It’s just a habit you have to get into.

Various jobs I’ve had started early.

I used to drive for a living and that started at two in the morning – or any time during the night.

What advice would you give an aspiring trader?

Never get despondent. If you can’t handle that, then don’t do the job but you can teach yourself not to get down. There are lots of things in life that are bright and happy and cheerful and one way of selling things is to communicate to the public that whatever they’re buying, they have to have it because it’s cheerful and happy, it’s bright, long lasting and, most of all, it’s value for money. columbiaroad.info

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...more than a kitchen

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