E1 Life - Issue 8 - Spring into Summer by RC Publishing

ISSUE 8 MAY/JUNE 2017

Take me, I’m yours

HIDDEN GEMS OFF-THE-RADAR RESTAURANTS FABULOUSLY FURTIVE FASHION FORGOTTEN PHOTOGRAPHY & MUCH MORE

IT’S SHOWTIME

Why all of East London is a stage BUSINESS

A RT

FOOD

DRINK

MUSIC

P R O P E RT Y

SOCIAL

BE GOOD TO YOUR TASTE BUDS Discover the flavours of East Village visiteastvillage.co.uk

contents

P 10 E1ife hits the dizzy heights

P 16 Business not as usual

P 20 The East’s always loved to party

P 26 Bringing old buildings to life

P 30 Meet Marawa, she’s amazing

P 38 Style with a Shoreditch edge

P 46 Dining that slips under the radar

P 54 Heavy Meta at the Shacklewell

P 62 Why Penzance is peak

PUBLISHER: RC Publishing EDITOR: Kelly Beswick CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Nicky Acketts ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Nicola Euesden ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Ed Gibbs FOOD & DRINK WRITER: Liam Barker FEATURE WRITERS: Eric Woollard-White and Aileen Murphy SUB-EDITOR: Gemma Rollason Published by RC Publishing Ltd: 0203 011 1194; 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.

S I LV E R J E A N S . C O . U K

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Only the hottest and most happening make the grade

1. DRAWING A LINE They say that if you remember the swinging 60s you couldn’t have been there, but Brian Sanders most certainly was, as his evocative illustrations bear witness. His work, commissioned by many of the top magazines of the day, perfectly mirrored the fashion and music of the era. Indeed, such was his reputation, Stanley Kubrick invited him on the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey to capture the movie’s making. As a tribute to Sander’s pioneering style and to also celebrate his 80th birthday this June, Lever Gallery on Goswell Road is holding the first-ever exhibition dedicated to his work. About time too! levergallery.com

2 2. GET INTO THE ZONE… Or should that read Zona, a charming new dining establishment that’s just opened up on Stoke Newington High Street. Initially the focus is on brunches, and jolly lovely they are too. From the relatively healthy hipster classic, avocado on toast, but here given a delicious twist with the addition of minted goat’s cheese, to the thoroughly indulgent salt beef Benedict, served on a croissant, topped with hollandaise and sliced gherkin, the menu has been designed to cater for all tastes. A regional Italian wine list and ‘goldfish bowl’ gin and tonics will further ensure that your brunch goes with a bang, with Zona planning to also open up for evening service a little later down the line. zona-n16.com 3. OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS Famed for it’s documentary-style photography books, Hoxton Mini Press’s latest offering is something of a departure, being an unashamedly biased guide to the local area, suggesting over 50 places to eat, sleep, shop and drink (some of which will be a revelation to even the most seasoned East Ender). Called appropriately East London: An Opinionated Guide, and priced at £9.95, the author is Sonya Barber, an East Londoner born and bred and whose love of the area shines throughout, while Charlotte Schreiber’s photography brings each suggestion stunningly to life. hoxtonminipress.com 4. COME TOGETHER It might be the festival season but the one that will be taking place in Off Quay, E14, over the 20 and 21 May is unlike any we’ve ever encountered. Billed as an intimate festival of human connection, Togetherness’s aim is

to explore the importance of relationships and how they can link us at a time when the world feels increasingly divided. A series of workshops will cover such diverse topics as deep listening, self pleasuring (yep, you read that right), rebirthing and nude photography. Just don’t expect a piss-up and jigging around to dodgy bands! togethernesslondon.com 5. GIN AND BEAR IT Once known as mother’s ruin, and seen as an out-dated tipple for a bygone generation, gin has in recent years undergone a massive reinvention and couldn’t be more bang on trend. Heck, there’s now even a World Gin Day, and in celebration of this fact, Junipalooza, the ultimate global gathering of gin makers, returns to Tobacco Dock on the 10 and 11 June. As well as stands hosted by the distillers themselves, giving out cheeky samples to try either neat or

4 with a mixer, there will also be masterclasses, music, food and a cocktail bar. Get yourself along, but beware, it’s gonna be thirsty work! ginfoundry.com 6. AN UNTOLD TALE Ever heard of Suzy Solidor? Thought not. Despite being one of 30s Paris’s most sexually daring entertainers, having a string of hit records, owning her own cabaret club and leading an openly bisexual life, she is today largely forgotten. All that’s set to change however with All I Want is One Night, an intoxicating play with songs, starring Jessica Walker as the fading star recounting her fascinating story. The setting of Wilton’s Music Hall further adds ➦

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to the intimacy of the piece, which will run from 27 June to 1 July. wiltons.org.uk

7. RAY OF HOPE If you find yourself Dalston-way late at night in search of a decently made cocktail, you could do far worse than to head to Ray’s Bar (below renowned pizza joint Voodoo Ray’s), a subterranean, atmospheric drinking den that’s just 7 introduced an exciting new cocktail menu. As previously the drinks have been categorised into different sections, including Aperitifs, Mains and To Finish, but this time with the addition of The After Party, with the likes of a Sweet Virginia (Beefeater Gin, Belsazar rose vermouth, raspberries and lemon) and  La Vida Loca (Vida Mezcal, Amaro Montenegro, Maraschino, lime, Velvet Falernum and green tea) there to keep you company into the wee, small hours. Hic! raysbarlondon.com 8. BEATS, BARS AND BEACH LIFE Summer must be coming because the much-loved Last Days of Shoreditch is back for a seventh year, offering three marvellous months of street food, art, music and more every Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the corner of Old Street and Great Eastern Street. Highlights include hosting nights with Artwork, Anjunadeep and Maribou State, while food comes courtesy of Nanny Bills (the mac and cheese is to die for) and Belli Freschi, a new veggie venture from the team behind Bottega Prelibato. lastdaysofshoreditch.co.uk 9. STEP THIS WAY The sun is starting to shine, so how better to celebrate the change in season than with new summer 8

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shoes? Not that you need an excuse to purchase a sexy pair of sandals or elegant espadrilles when they come as stylish and comfortable as those by Peponita. The Columbia Road-based cooperative of designers, artists and all-round shoe lovers has just taken stock of its latest offerings, with all styles rooted in an edgy East London aesthetic but lovingly crafted in Italy. And in honour of the country of manufacture, the shop also serves fabulous coffee. Shopping for shoes while sipping espresso – what’s not to like? peponita.com

10. WELL FANCY As if proof of Shoreditch’s ever growing gentrification was needed, the imminent opening of Nobu Hotel is probably it. Situated just off of Great Eastern Street, the 143room, seven-suite purpose-built establishment has been designed to reflect the area’s urban avantgarde vibe (think overhanging floor slabs and cantilevered steel beams) while inside promises to be an oasis of tranquillity, reflecting Nobu’s signature east-meets-west sensibility. The restaurant is already being touted as offering an ‘iconic dining experience’, while the spa promises to take pampering to a whole new level. Interestingly there’s also a pocket garden that, in an effort to give something back to the area, the hotel will be opening to the public. nobuhotelshoreditch.com 11. AL-FRESCO FEEDING Nothing suggests summer in the city more than a picnic in the park, and, in recognition of this fact, The De Beauvoir Deli has just launched two new hampers named after two of East London’s finest green spaces, Victoria Park and London Fields. The Victoria Park is priced at £35 and includes everything you need for a high tea, from finger sandwiches and Scotch eggs to brownies and flapjacks. The London Fields, meanwhile, will take you to BBQ heaven with burgers, chicken drumsticks, brioche buns and pale ales some of the delights, priced at £37. thedebeauvoirdeli.co.uk

London Square Spitalfields is a stylish collection of one, two and three bedroom apartments set around the beautifully landscaped grounds of Mallon Gardens and Grade II listed Toynbee Hall. Intelligently designed and well-appointed, each apartment has a private balcony, winter garden or terrace and all benefit from daily concierge services. With easy access to the best of the City and Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrant East End, London Square Spitalfields also enjoys outstanding transport links from both Aldgate East and Liverpool Street.

Prices from ÂŁ695,000 To make an appointment call 0333 666 0110 The Sales Suite, Commercial Street, London, E1 7SA, open Tuesday - Saturday.

0333 666 0110

www.londonsquare.co.uk

External computer generated images depict London Square Spitalfields, internal computer generated images depict Apartment 10 at London Square Spitalfields and are indicative only. Details and price are correct at time of going to press, April 2017.

party party

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The one and only E1IFE CELEBRATES ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY Happy birthday to us, we’re a year old. No, we can’t believe it either – they say time flies when you’re having fun, and that 12 months has just whizzed by. To mark the occasion we took over the Urban Coterie Lounge at the M by Montcalm and invited all our favourite people. Ronnie Herel took to the decks, playing such smooth tunes that we were all soon in the party spirit. That and the copious amounts of fizz that was consumed made for a fun-packed evening. Dancing, flirting and even a bit of snogging – we at E1ife sure know how to let our hair down. Sore heads the next day? You bet!

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Everyone loves loves an Everyone anoffer offer Introduces

ELO

EASTLONDONOFFERS

LAUNCHING SOON…

Buy yourself some new strides or dinky doos Forget your worries with a ruby murray “Don’t tell a dicky bird but we’ll let you take an inch with offers you’ll want to pinch, Fancy a tipple or three at the rub-a-dub BuyOr yourself strides, or dinky more havesome thenew hairdresser seedoos, to there’s that always barnet! than meets your mince pies – You certainly won’t lose.

We’llForget save you lots of bees & honey with our East London Offers your worry with a ruby murrey or have some grub, a tipple or two at the rub-a-dub.

LAUNCHING SOON

Never be alone, pick up the dog and bone. We’ll save you lots of bees and honey.

www.e1ife.com l 020 3011 1194 @e1lifemag E1 Life Magazine

In your space

Top tweets, pics and postings, plus gadgets, apps and openings with a digital edge

BLUE SKY THINKING

Forget the selfie stick, that’s so 2014. Today’s ultimate selfsnapping gadget is the AirSelfie, a pocket-size flying camera that connects with your smartphone to enable you to take endless images of yourself, your mates and your life, all from above. It’s turbo fan propellers means it can reach up to 20 metres high, taking the selfie to a whole different level. airselfiecamera.com

Know-it-alls

Cat among the pigeons… Well among the doll’s house furniture actually, and one of our favourite Instagram pics of recent weeks. Okay, so a cat image is always going to go down a treat, but one that also makes us feel all nostalgic for that cult Sixties sci-fi series, Land of the Giants, has to be a winner!

FOLLOW US Twitter: @E1lifemag Instagram: @E1lifemag Facebook: E1 Life Magazine Website: e1ife.com Email: info@e1ife.co.uk

Got a skill and are not afraid to share it, or maybe you need expert advice yourself? Whether you’re a provider or seeker of a certain type of know-how, 121with… could be just the platform for you. Launched last month, it provides an online showcase for people with expertise in and passion for a wide variety of topics (law, fitness, cooking, plumbing, violin playing – just about anything goes) who wish to sell and share their knowledge via one-to-one sessions with those seeking it. The sessions are conducted via integrated live video or audio, offering instant access to people in the know. 121with.com

SMOOTH OPERATOR

Danish design doesn’t come more sleek and stylish than the award-winning ZIPP wireless speaker range from Libratone. And now it has upped the ante by introducing two new colourways, pastel blue (shown) and nude, with the aim of reflecting the bright and sunny season ahead. The product has substance as well as style, offering the very latest sound technology, enabling music to be played throughout any space. libratone.com

WE NEED YOU! Tag your pics on Instagram for a chance of appearing on this page MAY/JUNE 2017

E1LIFE

MADE IT

Hip to sip Providing fine wine and good-value seasonal food in an informal, vibrant environment, Vinoteca is revolutionising wine bars. Aileen Murphy spoke to co-founder Brett Woonton about seeing the brand expand way beyond its original Farringdon site

Running five wine bars keeps owner Brett Woonton very in demand. After attending meetings and replying to the obligatory emails, he heads over to visit the sites, interacting with staff to get feedback and also completing wine training to keep them well informed. However, Vinoteca is not your average wine bar, its ethos is to deliver quality wine without the pretension, creating a friendly, buzzing atmosphere. New Zealand-born Brett’s career modestly began working at McDonald’s, while he was still at school. An early interest in the hospitality industry later led him to Mayfair’s Regent Hotel, where he studied management and began working at the hotel’s finedining restaurant, Longchamp. Brett’s appreciation of food stemmed from childhood, but his love of wine grew here. “When I was young I loved the fact you could make

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something taste great with basic, sometimes uninspiring ingredients. It wasn’t until I started in hotels that my interest in wines took hold.” He said the best wine he’d ever had was “a taster of 1963 Cheval Blanc when I was doing hotel training. I had no idea what I was tasting, but it left a lasting impression on me that took me to where I am now.” Brett then went on to working at the Conrad hotel and casino on the Gold Coast of Australia, which he credits with teaching him the “art of gueridon wine and food pairing”. The following years included stints here in the UK, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands before returning to his native New Zealand. Brett said, “In New Zealand we have a relaxed but professional attitude to hospitality. I trained there and then came to the UK via different parts of the world where I honed my skills in restaurants and worked in the wine trade.” With more than 30 years of international hospitality experience under his belt, Brett embarked on a new venture. After a chance meeting while working at Liberty Wines in 1999, Brett and Charlie Young hatched a plan to resurrect wine bars and bring them into the 21st century. Brett says, “When the opportunity came I decided to put my experiences together by reviving the wine bar but stripping away the stuffiness.” Co-founder Charlie Young, who grew up in Sheffield, also has extensive experience in the global hospitality industry, including launching The Frog and Princess brewpub in Paris and running a high-profile wine bar in Adelaide, South Africa. Alongside silent partner Elena Ares, they opened the

Brett and Charlie’s passion for wine has taken them far

Brett’s Little Black Book BEST PINT IN EAST LONDON:

The Palm Tree pub – a quirky canal-side pub with jazz and a car park.

NIGHT OUT IN EAST LONDON: first Vinoteca in Farringdon, back in 2005. Since then four more wine bars have popped up in Soho, Marylebone, Chiswick and Kings Cross. Inspired by the wine bars of Spain and Italy, Vinoteca has a strong emphasis on the quality of its wine and offers a large variety of great-tasting food to soak it up. Each site has a unique menu created daily by the head chef and has a continuously evolving selection of 25 wines by the glass, ensuring you’ll never run out of choice. Brett was inspired by many people in the trade, but says: “I remember my art teacher once saying never take yourself too seriously, and this is how we run our restaurants.” Unlike some wine bars, Vinoteca offer something for everyone regardless of connoisseur level, from well-chosen entry-level tipples all the way up to the more pricey stuff. The Spanish word Vinoteca translates directly as ‘collection of wines’, which hits the nail on the head of what is on offer. As well as the wine bars themselves, Vinoteca has an extensive selection of 285 wines to buy at retail prices from its online shop. Running a successful business for over ten years is quite an achievement, however Brett is most

proud of the company’s environmental influence. “The figure I love to talk most about is that since we introduced bag in box and keg wines to our wine list in 2010 we have been saving 15,000 glass bottles a year,” he says. It also offers a deal that if you take the bag in a box home with you, you’ll get £1 off the refill on your return. Aside from the countless years of experience and contacts collected over his career, Brett suggests the key to running a success business is the effort you’re willing to make. “The more work you put into your business the more you get out of it. Talk to as many people as you can who have had businesses so you can get information, good or bad. Have a good accountant and make sure you have time for yourself – you don’t want to burn out,” he says. Vinoteca is going from strength to strength: what started as a passion, has turned into a successful chain, with a sixth bar expected to open this year. In honour of English wine week, Brett and Charlie are running a tasting session on Tuesday 30th May, offering six free samples of home-grown English wine. Tasting Tuesday is on from 5.30pm to 7pm at Vinoteca Kings Cross.

Broadway Market – so many options for a beverage.

FAVOURITE PLACE IN EAST LONDON:

‘After hours’ at the Whitechapel gallery refectory, a wine bar from the 10 Greek St crew.

GO-TO-RESTAURANT: Rochelle Canteen: quality seasonal dishes and BYO.

SECRET GEM:

St Dunstan Church garden, a medieval church in the middle of the city.

BEST PLACE TO SHOP IN EAST LONDON:

Columbia Road Market on a Sunday.

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MAKING IT

Little Miss Dynamite Razor-sharp intelligence, an adventurous spirit, a desire to disrupt and a shrewd entrepreneurial eye all make for an explosive combination, so who better to blow up the boring old world of business events than Rupa Ganatra? BY KELLY BESWICK

A few weeks back, the Truman Brewery played host to Millennial 20/20, a business event like no other. Instead of stultifying seminars and corporate crowing, Millennial 20/20 offered a series of exciting and original immersive showcases, designed to engage all the senses, in a bid to help companies really get under the skin of today’s customers. Coupled with energetic and engaging speakers from some of the world’s most innovative and ground-breaking businesses, the event bore no similarities to a traditional trade show, being more akin to a particularly raucous networking party. The co-founder of Millennial 20/20, Rupa Ganatra, is also something of a one-off. Petite and attractive she may be, but here is truly a force to be reckoned with. As she fires off the thinking behind the venture, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the vision and drive that’s seen the concept flourish from a trial event in London last year to becoming an international phenomenon, taking in Singapore, New York and now Sydney along the way. “The idea really started with the realisation that today’s consumers have this millennial mindset, which is changing everything from the way they shop and the way they interact with brands, to how they consume content, their decision-making processes, just about everything really,” says Rupa, who speaks at such a break-neck pace you quickly get the impression she does everything full throttle. “The world is moving so fast. No matter who you are, whether you’re a large corporation, a Unilever or PepsiCo (both Millennial 20/20 partners incidentally), or a small start-up or retailer, everyone is facing the same opportunities and challenges. You can’t stand still, you have to continue to evolve to stay relevant,” 16

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she continues. But when Rupa and her partner, Simon Berger, looked around for business events addressing these issues, they realised none existed. “That’s when we thought ‘why not create our own?’,” says Rupa, laughing. However, neither was keen to go down the traditional trade show route. “Simon has more than 30 years experience in the events industry and for him it was all about creating the next generation of events,” Rupa explains. “So we started thinking about what would really grab people’s attention and keep them coming back and that’s when we realised it needed to be an experience.” And thus Millennial 20/20 was born. Whether visiting the retail outlet of the future or taking a virtual-reality tour of travel in ten year’s time, Millennial 20/20 manages to be informative and engaging. No wonder its key partners and sponsors were keen for the concept to be rolled out to other territories after the incredible success of the inaugural event last year. “The demand has grown beyond all expectations,” says Rupa, who started out as an investment banker until a burning desire to do something entrepreneurial got the better of her. This year’s recent event moved from Holborn to Shoreditch, which Rupa initiated, viewing East London to be a more natural fit with the Millennial 20/20 ethos. “We’re really excited that the Truman Brewery is our new London home,” says Rupa. “There’s this amazing mix of creativity, technology and entrepreneurialism here and many of the success stories you see on our stages began in East London. Also it’s great to bring our corporate audience to the area so they can discover the newest and most innovative of what’s happening. We hope Millennial 20/20 will become an established part of the East London scene.”

RUPA’S TOP TIPS FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL SUCCESS

DON’T BE AFRAID TO TRY VEERING OFF YOUR BUSINESS MODEL. There’s always a fear about launching a business and then changing tack. But a trial and error process is required. If your business model is failing, try something else. I think sometimes pivoting you business model can be the smartest thing you can do. We speak to so many incredible start-ups and companies and the ones that succeed aren’t necessarily what they started as.

RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA. One of the things we have today that entrepreneurs didn’t have 15 or 20 years ago is the opportunity to use data – it’s a business’s best friend. It will enable you to understand how you’re doing in the online landscape, establish what’s happening in a real-time environment and can be used to drive more growth. We can understand our customers better than ever before, but unless you know how to use the data and apply it, it’s useless.

FIND A MENTOR. When I first sought a mentor I was quite afraid to ask for their help, but you’d be surprised at how willing people are to offer assistance and advice. Also mentoring can be about giving as well as taking. Something that’s really interesting are all these young, disruptive entrepreneurs who are launching businesses where their mentors are learning as much as they are giving out.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK BEFORE YOU NEED IT. This is a piece of advice I received when I was starting out and it’s proved invaluable. Just get out there, whether your business is up and running or not. I went from having a very senior role on my business card to giving out my gmail address, and I’m sure people thought ‘who are you?’, but I spoke to as many people as possible as you never know who you might call on later. I actually met my business partner about a year before I got back in touch with him.

5 Rupa is shaking up the business events world, and is looking to the east of the city for her UK base

BE WILLING TO STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. It’s really competitive out there. Everyone’s got the ideas but it’s all about the execution. So push yourself as an entrepreneur, embrace uncertainty and always look for new opportunities. If you’re not uncomfortable, then you’re not really innovating and trying.

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?$!

OPINION

E R B

TE D I C X

? D E T S U HA BREX =

Whether we like it or not, the political map of Europe is all set for change since the UK voted to leave the Union. But just how Brexitproof is your business or workplace? BY ERIC WOOLLARD-WHITE

We sent Eric Woollard-White with a flask of tea and some biscuits (strictly no croissants) to get the lowdown on what Brexit really means for the East London business community. Prime Minister Theresa May has been keeping us guessing about whether Brexit will be hard or soft. But there is little doubt leaving Europe is going to have some impact on your career or entrepreneurial journey. And now, with a General Election looming, the political make-up of Britain, and the potential for a Parliamentary majority for the Conservative Party, means the Prime Minister’s mandate to negotiate our destiny could be unchallenged by any meaningful Opposition in the House of Commons. At this point, for legal reasons, we are obliged to inform you there are other political leaders of other political parties, all with equally clear-as-mud policies 18

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for what Brexit might mean to us now that Article 50 has been triggered, which sets in motion a two-year journey (described by some as a ‘divorce’) towards the UK’s exit from the EU. All that said, Brexit doesn’t need to be confusing, or even scary. Some people have been keeping a close eye on what the future could hold. Enter Ian Parkes, Chief Executive of the East London Business Alliance (ELBA), who offers a more practical and encouraging perspective on the whole issue. ELBA, founded in 1989, is a social regeneration charity based in East London. Working with more than one hundred City and Canary Wharf companies, it facilitates corporate involvement and investment in community organisations, education and employment across the East London boroughs. The organisation is politically agnostic.

+$ According to Parkes, the emergence of Brexit has raised three very specific challenges for businesses to wrestle with:

Uncertainty

“What happens in uncertain times is that people start to push back on making decisions, but you can’t keep pushing back forever,” he explains. “In my opinion, after the General Election, businesses will start to make the decisions they may have been postponing, things like investment, recruitment or business relocation decisions. You just can’t hold off on these things for two years.” Parkes alludes to recent rumours about large banking and financial institutions considering leaving their London bases because of Brexit. “I believe we're likely to see some clarity around this speculation in the weeks after the election,” he says. What is vital in uncertain times is good leadership, he says – but employees may need to get used to reading between the lines of what they are told. “The stance that business leaders take is going to be very important,” he adds. “On the one hand, you need to give some certainty, but on the other you need to keep your options open. In short, everyone is going to need to learn to cope with a lot more ambiguity in the workplace during this time and the people who can rise to that challenge will be the winners in the long-run.”

Crossrail

The Crossrail development, which will deliver the new Elizabeth Line through central London to the East, is due to open in 2018. According to Parkes, as Brexit potentially starts to deter the recruitment of talent from across Europe, the new Crossrail travel link will open valuable new commuter routes, particularly into the City and Canary Wharf. “We will see south-east London opened up thanks to Crossrail, with places such as Abbey Wood and Thamesmead both within short commutes from the City,” he explains. “This is significant, because it will give employers in the City and Canary Wharf new talent pools to tap into – a workforce that can be at their desks within 15 or 20 minutes from home.” “We could be about to see the emergence of

a whole new set of dynamics for the employment market in East London,” Parkes adds.

Skills

While Crossrail potentially solves one challenge with regards to accessing new recruitment talent, the post-Brexit workforce will need to have the skills employers need so that supply meets demand, Parkes points out. He says: “In Tower Hamlets, for example, there are more jobs in the borough than there are residents of working age – but of those jobs only 15 per cent are filled by local residents. This mis-match and others like it needs to be looked at.” Parkes adds: “Brexit puts a really interesting twist on future recruitment because the level of European nationals working in the City and across London generally is huge. While their employment rights may possibly be enshrined within any Brexit deal so they can continue working here, this leaves the future recruitment needs of employers up in the air.” As a result, Parkes believes, skills and skills development is one of the most important challenges employers will need to face up to in the next three-tofive years, especially as the impact of Brexit kicks in. He concludes: “As an organisation, ELBA has a particular angle on that. We are constantly challenging employers to look at talent pools they are currently ignoring, such as graduates and workers from diversity backgrounds, where there are people with great energy, drive and enthusiasm – this is a message we will keep trying to hammer home.”

!?$

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HISTORY

Back in the day

For a taste of East End life in the late 40s and early 50s Nigel Hendersonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s evocative images speak louder than words

Street party to celebrate the coronation on Gernon Road, Bow

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Pet stall on Bethnal Green Road, Spitalfields

Feeding time for these hungry horses drawing a cart down Bethnal Green Road

Teenagers outside W&F Riley newsagents, Bethnal Green

Nigel Henderson was an artist and photographer whose work had a profound influence on British art in the 50s and 60s. He was introduced to the art world by his mother, Wyn Henderson, who managed Peggy Guggenheim’s gallery in London and had friends in the Bloomsbury Group. He went on to establish himself in a circle that included Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamp, Alberto Giacometti and Eduardo Paolozzi. Known as the Independent Group, these were the godfathers of British Pop Art. For them, the image was key – ‘multi-evocative’ and ‘non-hierarchical’ – reflective of a visual plenitude encompassing fine art and mass culture. The beginnings of this stance can be seen in Henderson’s photographs of East London, which he began taking in 1949, having only started to experiment with the medium two years earlier. Henderson was living in Bethnal Green at the time, with his wife, Judith Stephen (daughter of Adrian Stephen, brother of Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf), and their two daughters in a house on Chisenhale Road. He took to wandering the neighbouring streets and boroughs documenting working-class life in the area. His photographs depict a post-war landscape of austerity but also a world where a deference for the old order was starting to be dismantled. The texture of the streets he depicts – details of brick, mortar, cobblestone ➦

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HISTORY

and tar – are scarred and pock-marked, blistered and scratched, and speak not just of decay but also of the vulnerabilities of life and the sense of time passing and moving on. Henderson innately knew how to turn a street into his own theatre and he understood the simple strength of documenting those of East London, with their players, dramas and characters. Above all, however, his photographs have the directness born of the connection between him and his subject. 22

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Henderson’s photography of the East End began as part of his wife’s anthropological work on a project entitled Discover Your Neighbour. Run by a local sociologist, it was intended to gather information on the behavioural habits of the local community. It was believed this would be useful to professionals such as doctors, priests and probation officers, giving them a greater understanding and better able to do their work. ➦

A young schoolboy enjoying a glass of water in a Bow café. Note the Victoria Park circus poster

@crateloughton

HISTORY

At the same time, Henderson – discharged from the wartime service as a pilot in Coastal Command because of mental fatigue – enrolled at the Slade School of Art and started experimenting with photography. He’d originally worked on a Leica borrowed from one of his tutors, but then switched to a Rolleicord II, a present from his wife’s mother. It was that same camera he employed to take these images, initially under the guise of assisting his wife’s work. And while it certainly created the opportunity for him to get out on the streets and start photographing, it wasn’t his true motivation. He actually recorded very little about the subjects of his photographs – not the place, not the time, nor even identifying many of he people he pictured. For him, these were first and foremost ‘images’ and he alighted on them with the eye of a collagist. Now more than 150 of his evocative, fascinating photographs of an East End way of life that would very soon disappear, have been collated into a book called Nigel Henderson’s Streets (shop.tate. org.uk, £24.99), a must-buy for lovers of the area, and its inhabitants, past and present.

Kendow the Strongman, off Petticoat Lane, Spitalfields, in 1952

Wig stall on Petticoat Lane in 1952

A young man getting a tattoo in a parlour in Shoreditch, when such body adornments were more the preserve of seamen

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POSTGRADUATES EARN MORE

Postgraduates can expect to earn £5,500 more a year, on average, or £200,000 more over their working lives than undergraduates (Sutton Trust, 2013).

Where Managers Become Masters

The University of East London has a diverse range of courses at postgraduate level. If you’re thinking about how to change direction, enhance your career or even earn more, then a visit to an Open Evening is a great opportunity to find out more. Muhammad Khan, who recently completed his postgraduate studies at UEL, says, ‘I decided to study the MSc Professional Accounting after coming to a UEL open evening. The course really met my needs and the atmosphere at UEL is awesome. The guest speakers on my course were very relevant and interesting. I also received a scholarship which was amazing. It meant I had less pressure because I have two kids, and at the time was working full time as an Assistant Finance Manager. UEL’s courses are designed by leading professionals and in partnership with employers. Many courses come with additional professional accreditation which provides added value and a route to advancing your career to management level or to becoming a specialist. When Muhammad started his postgraduate course he was working as an Assistant Finance Manager. However, that soon changed when in the final semester of his course he received an offer from a construction company to work as their Finance Manager - a position he held for four months. Muhammad goes onto explain. ‘When I finished the course I was made Group Finance Manager which I’ve now been doing for the past six months. ‘What’s been great about the MSc is I’ve been able to apply what I learnt in the assignments to the work I now

do. For example I learnt how to tackle deadlines and solve problems and now I have the confidence of doing this in my new role. Whilst you study, the tutors give you practical scenarios to work on such as taxation, financial planning, business law, auditing and how to manage clients. It’s been really helpful in my job. ‘I would definitely recommend the course. The tutors on the course were very, very supportive and helped particularly around assignments and exams. They were there around the clock on email, text and WhatsApp. I made some good friends on the course and two months ago I actually got a fellow student a job at my company. We all network on social media. ‘The course is accredited by the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and CIMA) (Chartered Institute of Management Accountant), which is really important.’ UEL has a long track record of training professionals such as teachers, social workers, physiotherapists, psychologists and early years practitioners. And are also leaders in the creative and digital industries, training the professionals who are driving the transformation of east London. To find out more, join UEL at their next Open Evening on Wednesday 19th July 2017, 5-8pm, University Square Stratford. To book a place and for further information visit uel.ac.uk/PG

ARTS SPACE

Saving the East Historic spaces are ripe for rescue and refurbishment – if you can save them in time. Three campaigners reveal how it can be done. WORDS BY ED GIBBS

Various stages in The Castle’s life as a cinema

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When Asher Charman first visited The Castle in 2015, its illustrious past as a purpose-built single-screen cinema had long been forgotten. Built in 1913, the picture house had eventually shut its doors to film lovers in 1958, initially to become a bingo hall, then a shoe factory, before being reappropriated as a snooker hall for the next 30 years. Today, the fortunes of the venue appear quite different. Gone is its rather notorious past reputation of ill repute. In its place, a freshly restored, family-friendly cinema, comfortably seating 80 and screening everything from blockbusters (Beauty and the Beast) and breakout thrillers (Get Out) to arthouse documentaries (I Am Not Your Negro) and kids’ flicks (Moana). Parent and baby sessions happen on Tuesdays, with matinee screenings on most days. It’s an increasingly common picture: of old, forgotten spaces being revitalised for modern use. “We’d been running pop-up cinemas since 2012, both locally and around the country, and were looking for a more permanent home,” the 32-year-old tells E1ife, of the search he and his partner Dee undertook to find their dream space. “We’d had some frustrations with our pop-ups, with venues disappearing as they were being turned into flats or simply being knocked down. The combination of the history of the place, coupled with the opportunity to restore it to its original purpose just felt right.” Tapping into their existing cinema database, the pair launched a crowd-funding campaign through Kickstarter last March to restore the building, raising £57,000 in one month. After a

year of hard work, drawing on supporters for help with planning and restoration, both technical and logistical, the pair’s dream cinema is a smart Art Deco feature in Clapton, serving the community with first- and second-run feature films. They’ve even connected with local film emporium Umit and Son, off Mare Street, whose customers include director Quentin Tarantino, no less, to help them set up 35mm screenings. “We are offering something different,” Asher explains. “We often play first-run films a few weeks after the fact. We have 80 armchairs and a lovely big bar. We aren’t trying to compete with the multiplexes. People can genuinely walk to

us from home. We are trying to be a community cinema, catering for everyone.” Oxford House, in Bethnal Green, was also devised as a community space by its Victorian architects. Built in 1884 as part of the Settlement Movement, which encouraged volunteers from privileged backgrounds to work in areas of extreme deprivation, the multipurpose venue’s ever-shifting role mirrors the changes that have transformed the population of the East End over the years. Since its beginnings, it’s managed local facilities, offered pro bono legal advice, provided a youth club, been a place of worship and, today, is home to dozens of charities and organisations. ➦

Oxford House hosting one of the many popular events in its ground

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ARTS SPACE

“We’ve got to be viable. We have to be imaginative and mindful of the community”

Its chief executive, John Ryan, is thrilled that the venue’s own crowdfunding campaign, which was promoted by local denizen, actor Eddie Marsan, has easily surpassed its £25,000 target (it raised closer to £31,000 last month), in order to save the venue’s third-floor Grade II-listed chapel, which had a badly leaking roof (the venue’s still on the at-risk register until it’s completely fixed). Once the chapel is secured, John says, there is more ambitious work planned (due to kick off early next year, funded by English Heritage), which will see a new entrance providing facilities such as a café, a lift to a renovated roof terrace area, a revamped space for theatre and performance, and more. “We’ve got to be viable,” the 55-year-old says of the venue’s predicament in 2017. “We don’t get a core grant – and it looks like austerity is going to continue for the foreseeable future. So we have to be imaginative, and be mindful of the community. We have 1,400-1,500 people come through here every week, and many have been visiting for years. Others are more recent. We cater for every type of group you can think of – from Bangladeshi and Somali associations to adults with dementia and young actors – hopefully the Eddie Marsans of the future.” John is philosophical about the redevelopment of the East, and the shifts in population and rising costs that come with it, pointing out that “Oxford House changed from being a residential organisation to an air raid shelter during the Blitz in World War II, then after the 1970s it morphed again into office space. Now, we have community and office space. The 2004 extension, which was a gallery, is now a dance space. We have a

Wilton’s caters to the local community

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theatre. With less grant money around, we have to use our space carefully. We’ve got the asset of the building, and the locals get cheaper rates. London is in a boom, and so is the East. I think we do what we do very well – and hopefully, we’ll continue to develop and grow in the years to come.” Wilton’s in Whitechapel, another Grade II-listed building, had to campaign for decades before finally being restored to its former glory as the oldest surviving Victorian music hall in the world. Originally opened in 1859, the historic performance space came close to being demolished on several occasions. Its archive manager, James White, admits to discovering that some wacky ideas were mooted for the use of the space as well. “There was a plan to build a Disneyland ride here in the 1980s, underneath the car park next door, which was pretty out there,” the 30-year-old admits. “At one point in the 1970s, they wanted to knock it all down and move it down to the river, because they thought it would be nicer there. We’ve some really bizarre ideas. Thankfully, none of them came off.” James’s role as the venue’s archive custodian means he’s constantly in touch with its staff and patrons, seeking out ideas and digging up old stories to help promote and publicise the place. The East, he says, has always been the most diverse part of London – and Wilton’s programming is designed to reflect that. “It’s been in constant flux – in the early days, there was a very strong Danish and Norwegian contingent. The old bar, which Wilton’s sort of grew out of, was called The Prince of Denmark, because of that. There’s been Jewish, West African and, more recently, Pakistani communities. Because of the docks, there’s been all this migration. Now, there is again. I can see a new tower block going up outside my office window. It’s constantly changing.” Wilton’s success over the past 18 months – the venue programmes everything from cabaret and comedy to drama and live bands – shows how venues are catering to communities that, its campaigners would argue, remain as diverse as ever. Yet the East’s historic venues remain under threat every day – and often, in the case of Spitalfields Fruit & Wool exchange, only their facades will survive. Community action groups can have success fighting development plans, but clearly, commercial nous is as vital as the desire to protect the area’s heritage. Historic spaces can be saved and used effectively in serving the communities of the future – bringing us closer together, in the process.

Wiltonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Whitechapel, a Grade II-listed building

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FOCUS

Cock a hoop

Marawa the Amazing has every reason to feel proud of herself, having started a hula-hooping business that now stretches across East London to the United States. Not bad considering as a child she couldn’t hula to save her life WORDS BY KELLY BESWICK

Once, on a trip Down Under, I met a young girl called Rebel, who was such an unprepossessing and conventional child, it was as if the fates had convened to make her the polar opposite of what her name implied. I was therefore feeling a slight trepidation at encountering the self-styled Marawa the Amazing, also originally an antipodean. What if she also singularly failed to live up to her lively moniker? Well, I needn’t have worried, Marawa isn’t just amazing, I’d go as far as to say she’s spectacular, with a flamboyance, drive and passion that has put hula hooping not just firmly on the East London fitness map, but has also led to a successful merchandise business based Stateside, where she now divides her time. Oh, and did I mention she holds eight world records for her phenomenal skills and has been known to hula 133 hoops simultaneously while wearing high-heeled roller skates? But before you conclude that Marawa was one of those girls in the playground with a hoop permanently attached to her waist, wowing her classmates with her hulaing (if that’s even a verb), think again. “I was rubbish at it as a child,” laughs the Melbourne native, whose half Australian and half Somali on her dad’s side. ‘It’s an image that’s stuck, me being the kid who couldn’t keep it going. I think that’s why I was so keen to conquer doing it later in life.” And conquer it she most certainly did by indulging her love of performance and showmanship and running away ➦

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Ring master: Marawa the Amazing and her hoops

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FOCUS

to the circus. First she toured circus schools in China, an experience she says “blew her mind”, before discovering to her delight that circus skills had become a legitimate degree in her home city. However, her application for a place at the National Institute of Circus Arts (NICA) to do a bachelor degree was initially rejected, but she reapplied for the following year and thankfully got in. Initially her heart was set on becoming a trapeze artist. “But I quickly realised you have to dedicate your life to doing it,” she says. “You always need to be hanging off things because aerial fitness can be lost very quickly. Then you have to have the right equipment and space to practise. It’s just a lot more complicated than hula hooping where you just put your hoop in a bag and go.” At the same time as acquiring her hula-hooping skills with NICA’s world-renowned trainer, Marawa was also honing her incredibly glamorous showgirl style (think 40s starlet but with more glitter, pompoms and attitude). When asked about her distinctive look, she lets out a guffaw. “I remember one of my trainers rolling her eyes because I always needed to know what costume I was wearing and what music I was using before I could put the routine together. This is a backwards approach and unlike how most people work. But in the end she accepted that was my way and would say: ‘go on, off you go, there’s no point in you practising until you know how you want it to look’.” Upon graduating Marawa did indeed put her hoop in a bag and go wherever she wanted, performing and teaching her skills in such farflung places as Nepal, North Korea, Zagreb, Poland and Mexico. But then she landed in one location that immediately felt like a home from home, and that was East London. “It was an area that just clicked with me,” she recalls. “The people got me and I got the people, so I decided to settle for a while, still doing shows abroad, but also running classes locally.” At the time Marawa was still a one-woman band, but all that was to change in the build-up to the Olympics. “I got approached by the Round House in Camden. It was putting together entertainment for the torch relay and asked whether I’d be interested in organising a project. So I started to audition for local people to come hoop with me and I got it down to 12 girls. We trained for three months and created a piece to accompany the torch.” Such was their chemistry, however, that they couldn’t bear to part when the performance was over. “They were all like, ‘what do we do now?’, so we decided to carry on,” says Marawa, which is how her Majorettes were born. They’ve since become a leading fitness team and international performance troupe. “Prior to the Majorettes, I was working solo, and while I loved it, I now get to go as 32

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Marawa’s stunning costumes and props are a crucial part of her act

MARAWA’S TOP TIPS FOR HULAHOOPING FITNESS

Okay, so you might have been great at hula hooping as a child, and then had the trauma of realising you’ve lost the ability as an adult, which can feel like losing a piece of your childhood. Don’t panic, the explanation is simple. You are using the wrong-sized hoop. Most adults when they attempt to hula hoop again try with a child-sized hoop. Even I can’t hoop with a kid’s hoop. You need a hoop that comes up to your hip. Just try it with a big hoop and I bet you’ll be able to do it.

2 part of a team, which is much more enjoyable,” she enthuses. Better still, Marawa’s Majorettes are on hand to take workshops and fitness classes in her absence, with Chief Majorette Obi Pearl running three classes a week in Shoreditch Town Hall (Tues, 18.30pm, Sat 1pm and 2pm, visit marawatheamazing.com/hooptone/). “It’s getting like a franchise,” says Marawa. “The plan is to expand and get the other girls doing classes and also bringing it into schools.” Then of course there’s the merchandise business, most of which is conducted online (everything is made in the US which is why Marawa spends a good deal of time there), but should you wish to purchase your hoop, bag, etc, in person, then head to Hoopermarket in Gillett Square, Dalston, where free taster sessions, known as Hoola Schoolas, are also run. As Marawa’s website boldly attests: Conquering the world with hoops. And, with her charisma, skill and business brain, it just might be possible!

Stop overthinking it. Don’t over-analyse what you’re doing and just do it. We’ve done a few corporate training days, one recently for Nike and another for Sweaty Betty, and the only people in the class who couldn’t do it were the CEOs. They were so frustrated because they are clearly competitive, super-powerful people. But they were faced with this challenge that they couldn’t help over-thinking while their employees got on with it.

To really get a proper workout you need to know the technique. Even if you come along for just a few classes, you’ll realise that just spinning the hoop, while great fun, isn’t going to give you the workout you want. It’s mainly about how you stand, keeping your feet parallel, and not rodeoing and putting one foot in front of the other. Basically, it’s all about using your core muscles, a bit like Pilates, but a lot more fun.

Once you’ve got your adult-sized hoop and understand the technique, all you need to do to keep a basic level of core fitness is practise about ten minutes a day. I recommend that when you get up in the morning do one song in one direction and another song in the other. This will wake up your core muscles and it means that for the rest of the day, while you’re running around, picking things up and so on, all your movement is led from your core.

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FITNESS

YOU’RE OFF

So you want to start running? Well congratulations, you’ve already taken your first step to becoming a runner. Below are ten more strategies to get you going. So on your marks, get set...

erhaps you’ve decided to take up running as a means to begin exercising or as an addition to your current fitness regime. Or maybe you’ve signed up for a race to raise money for charity and the reality of what you’ve committed to has just started to sink in. Whatever your motivation, running will seriously improve your life, both physically and mentally, so come on, let’s go.

First, invest in some decent kit. It doesn’t have to be massively expensive or cutting edge, the prime consideration is that it’s comfortable. Obviously trainers are most important, and you might want to go to a specialist fitter, who will put you on a treadmill to ascertain your running style and recommend a trainer to suit. But don’t get too hung up on everything being just so beforehand. You’ll better able to know what you need and what works best for you after pounding the pavement.

Get over yourself. Yes, that’s right, one of the biggest obstacles to starting running is self-consciousness. But remember, most people really won’t be interested in your exploits, they’re far too wrapped up in their own.

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Okay, now’s the time to start. A local park or perhaps a towpath are ideal for first-timers. You might want to recce the area beforehand to make sure you’ll feel safe and even inspired by your surroundings.

Begin by gradually increasing a gentle walk to 30 minutes. This can be done every day or every other day. Once there, insert segments of 5-10 seconds of running, every 1-2 minutes, every other day. If you want to exercise every day, walk only on the day between run-walks, otherwise, use it as a rest day. If all is well after three or four sessions, increase the running segments by five additional seconds each week. When you are able to comfortably run for 30 seconds and walk for 60 seconds, gradually decrease the walking amount by five seconds each week.

If you experience any pain, inflammation or loss of function in the feet or legs, stop the run immediately. With the right (conservative) amount of walking, you can reduce injury risk to zero.

To prepare for a 5K, increase the distance of one of your run-walks each week by 5-10 minutes. Keep the ratio of running

to walking (run 10 seconds/walk 50 seconds). When you have covered four miles on your long one, you are ready for a 5K.

To prepare for a 10K, increase the distance of the long run every other week by 10 minutes. On the shorter long-run weekend, you can cover half of the distance of your current long run. When you have covered 7 miles on the long run, you are ready.

Don’t drink or eat very much before a run. Eating 100-200 calories of simple carbohydrate after a strenuous run will speed up the reloading of muscle fuel.

Run and walk slowly enough that you can carry on a conversation – even at the end. If you’re huffing and puffing, you went too fast. Also, remember to slow down and walk more when it’s hot. The best time to run/walk on hot days is before the sun is up.

Find ways to enjoy every run, perhaps through creating motivational soundtracks to listen to or shaking up your route on a regular basis. Some people like running in a group or with a friend, while others prefer solo. It’s whatever works for you.

Running will improve your mind, body and spirit, and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll wonder how you ever lived without it

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HEALTHY LIVING

All is well

Life in the throbbing heart of the metropolis is often lead at a break-neck pace, and as the famous poem goes, ‘We have no time to stand and stare’. But our new columnist and meditation expert, Emma Mills, is set to change this. Read on for her great tips…

MEDITATIONS TO TAKE THROUGH THE DAY UPON RISING: (3 mins) Simply close your eyes and place one hand over your heart and one over your tummy. Take ten conscious breaths, in and out, through your nose, gently. Feel your breath happening now, and welcome yourself gently into the day. OVER BREAKFAST: (5 mins) Read an inspiring poem or leaf through a beautifully illustrated book. It’s good to start the day by reading or looking at something that reminds you of who you are, and what really matters. AT WORK: (15 mins) Often, our style of thinking at work is focused and calculated. It can be a nice change then, to introduce a little light heartedness and a sense of spontaneity into our day. Why not go for an aimless walk during your tea break? While wandering, you’re not trying to achieve anything or get anywhere, just strolling about, feeling free. You never know where you’ll end up, or who you’ll meet. AFTER WORK: (5 mins) Spend a little time this evening getting familiar with your sense of hearing. That might be simply listening out for the wind in the trees or the sound of the coffee machine, or perhaps listening patiently and without motive to your friend or colleague as they tell you about their day. Listening to what’s happening here and now can really help you to feel more in the moment, as well as developing your interpersonal skills.

Inhale, Exhale, Repeat by Emma Mills is priced at £9.99, published by Ryder Books

BED TIME: (2 mins) Trouble getting off to sleep? Try this little humming exercise, it can really feel quite lovely. Once laying down in bed, take a nice easy breath in through your nose, and on your out breath let out a little humming sound… ‘hmmmmm’. Try it out over the course of three or four breaths, nice and gently, and see where this leads you... MAY/JUNE 2017

E1LIFE

FASHION

Step back in time into Joe Corré’s East London office

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JACK THE JACK THE LAD

In a conveyor-belt kind of fashion world, the inimitable Joe Corré, and his ‘cheeky’ clothing line, A Child of the Jago, sell a unique style out of Shoreditch, and beyond INTERVIEW BY CATHERINE HUDSON It’s the first real sunny day of spring when I head to Farringdon to interview businessman Joe Corré. His East London office is above the London headquarters of Illamasqua, the make-up business he has been at the helm of for the past 18 months. After checking in with the beautifully made-up girls at reception, I hike the three floors to the office of Joe’s A Child of the Jago, his purposely small-scale clothing line, which, behind a heavy black door, is somewhat like stepping back in time into a Dickensian workshop. Creaking wooden floors, mannequins swathed in brown tartan, rows of tailored trousers on wooden hangers and a scruffy, yet loveable, little

mutt, scurrying around my feet. Hiroshi, Joe’s graphic and production assistant, asks me to wait on a worn leather sofa. I spy Joe, on the phone and pacing his light and airy office. As soon as I sit, Joe’s dog, Alban, jumps onto my lap, and when I head into the office, he sits by my feet, licking my toes. “He must like you!” laughs Joe. Joe Corré, the man behind lingerie juggernaut Agent Provocateur, which he opened in 1994 (and left in 2009), is undoubtedly fashion and punk rock royalty. His father was Malcolm McLaren, manager of the Sex Pistols, and his mother, fashion designer, Vivienne Westwood. Not that this defines him, but it has undeniably had an influence on his political stance and interest in the fashion industry, hence the creation of A Child of the Jago clothing. Just don’t call him a fashion designer… “I don’t really do ‘fashion’,” he explains, “I can’t call it fashion because it isn’t trendy. I ‘do’ specialist dandy wear.” Not that Joe is shy of talking about his parents and his childhood surrounded by ‘fashion’. “When I was a little boy, my father, and my mother had a shop, the name of which changed multiple times ➦

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but which was last called World’s End, at 430 Kings Road, where they sold Teddy boy-style clothing, so called because it was inspired by what dandies wore during Edwardian times. They created pieces from scratch, as well as selling vintage things.” Joe began helping in the shop, when it was called SEX, around the age of 16, and although it was located in Chelsea, the family looked to East London for inspiration. “East London has changed an amazing amount,” he laments. “My father, who was himself a ‘Teddy boy’ during the Seventies, took me to Brick Lane every Sunday. There was a big rag warehouse there, which used to have massive bales of rags. Old Jewish guys would buy a bale, and split it open on the market streets. My father and I would rummage for Edwardian clothes, fancy waistcoats and things like that.”

East London influences

Joe chats with ease. And, the reasons why he created an East London ‘dandy’ fashion brand quickly become apparent. “I read A Child of the Jago, Arthur Morrison’s 1896 book, years ago,” he says. “I always liked the part where the child character of Dickey Perrott is told by an older man to look at how well dressed criminals and the spivs are. The message was that if you want to get out of where you are, you’re going to have to dress your way out, otherwise the only way out, is in a wooden box. It was that kind of attitude that inspired me.” His wholesale brand, Jack Sheppard, was named after the notorious thief who undertook a spectacular prison escape, and is from whom we get the term ‘Jack the Lad’. “I use references from characters in past times to create my designs, because I find them inspiring. People liked Jack Sheppard because he was a cheeky cockney. Every time he escaped, he would stick his nose up to the police, like, ‘come to get me again ʼave ya?’” The sparkle in Joe’s eye as he recounts the story

“I use references from characters of past times because I find them inspiring”

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tells me he has some of that Cockney spirit himself. Given his punk roots, I wonder how he feels about consumer culture. “People are desperate to have something authentic,” he says, “something they can hold on to. But the things they’re after have become completely plastic, with no originality, like red phone boxes or Routemaster buses. Nothing is authentic any more.” He identifies that this hasn’t just happened in retail, but, sadly, in the streets of London themselves. “Lots of areas have become like theme parks. That’s what has happened to the East End. Look at Soho, it’s had the guts ripped out of it. Everyone in East London has got a beard now! And wears Converse with the tightest jeans that look like they don’t fit your arse properly. Terrible style.” Joe can see the issue, here: “When you end up with design ideas that have been born in London

but are made in China, or end up on the high street, then you really lose the character of the designer, and you lose part of London.”

Creating limited editions Male or female, Joe has something for the flamboyant dandy in everyone

But, fighting to keep individuality, Joe’s innovative business model means he buys up quality end-ofline fabric from designer fashion houses, meaning everything at A Child of the Jago is limited edition, and he can offset the manufacturing and labour cost. “The only problem with that, of course, is that I can’t wholesale Jago. Because if I buy say 60 metres of a fabric, it might make 10 suits, but when I run out, it’s gone. My clothing is not cheap, but it’s not expensive. It’s all relative. People have become accustomed to not understanding quality. They understand price, but not value. you have to make a choice about what you want to support.” And support the brand, they do. It attracts many flamboyant customers, unashamed to show their character. “It has that handwriting all over it,” Joe continues, “and we are small enough to be able to react. For example, Congolese rumba music star Papa Wemba died while on stage, wearing one of our hats. So we seem to have become the Mecca for his fans, who are all after the same hat! They all dress up in the sapeur style that originated from the Democratic Republic of Congo.” Joe is all for secondhand clothes, too. “Adjust them, make something interesting,” he says. “With punk, all you needed was a packet of safety pins! We need to stop this conveyor belt of consumption, which makes everyone look like sheep.”

JOE’S EAST LONDON IN THE SEVENTIES The front part of the Brick Lane market used to sell animals, opposite where Beach Blanket Babylon is, now. There were snakes, monkeys, every kind of cat, birds, parrots, you name it. But there were also animal activists on the other side with placards, shouting at people who bought them. The area was mainly Jewish and white English East Enders, very poor people trying to make their own way in life. I remember a guy trying to sell me one shoe. Trying to tell me how good the leather was. What was I going to do with one shoe? I’ve got two legs!

There were still loads of bombsites everywhere, from the war. There would be groups of meth drinkers Finding hidden gems sitting in them, burning tyres Clearly, his parents influence shines bright. and plastic, sitting on some “My mum used to take me around London a lot. old sofa. The smell was We’d always be in the East End buying garment pungent. They drank meths components, then go to the factories, where mixed with milk in a pint people would make the clothes.” Is there anything bottle, which would turn the remaining from that heyday? “I still see the guys at Crescent Trading (a Quaker Street cloth merchant). milk blue. I would ask my mum if I could drink the blue But as for the rest? The trade has gone, because there is no real local business chain to support it.” milk. Of course, she said ‘no!’, and now I understand why! A Child of the Jago and Jack Sheppard fly the flag for great British quality and personality, which is what makes the kooky Great Eastern Street shop and the Charing Cross Road shop such destinations. “They represents something authentically ‘London’,” he says. And the fabric he is leftover with? I can’t help but think of the Brick Lane clothing bundles Joe and his dad would rummage through… “We put all of our leftover bits in the basement of the Shoreditch shop. It’s all about finding that little gem.”

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MAGIC IN A BOX

FOOD & DRINK

BDQ

B R U N C H LQ U I R K Y LD I N N E R

Our hot-right-now dining guide to suit all occasions

DINNER GLOWINGLY GOOD EMBER

WORDS BY KELLY BESWICK

QUIRKY TACOS A GO GO DF MEXICO Monday nights aren’t always the most exciting of evenings. But thanks to this hip and happening fast-food joint based in the Truman Brewery, the start of the week has just got a darn sight more tasty. Specialising in all things south of the border, with a few from the north thrown in for good measure, DF Mexico (named after Distrito Federal, what locals call Mexico City) has set all of Monday aside for half-priced tacos. Knowing how eye-wateringly wonderful they are already, we decided to bag ourselves a bargain. Opting for the pork pibil and buttermilk chicken, both of which were stuffed to spilling, these tacos managed to elevate the humble tortilla to a lip-smacking new level. With sides of DF slaw and pinto beans we couldn’t have been happier, although a couple of classic frozen Margaritas certainly added to the jollities. If you want to get your week off to a flying start, you now know exactly where to come. WHAT & WHERE: Old Truman Brewery, Hanbury Street, E1 6QR dfmexico.co.uk

‘Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what’s for lunch’ ORSON WELLES

Tucked downstairs on a corner of Pudding Lane, this place is that rare thing, a City bar that’s cool, calm and collected, with a brilliant ambience, helped in no small part by a fabulous interior design. Named after the Great Fire of London, which is believed to have started on the very spot, Ember not only serves serious cocktails and wines by a knowledgeable sommelier, it also offers the most divine pan-Asian cuisine. On our visit, on an early mid-week evening, most tables were occupied and there was even a wine tasting going on in the private dining room at the back. Despite being busy, our waiter couldn’t have been more attentive, bringing us a glass of Champagne and a delicious amuse bouche while we perused the menu. For starters we opted for prawn and coconut ceviche and confit of duck leg and orange blossom labneh (like a Greek yoghurt), both of which packed powerful flavour punches, definitely a signature of head chef Jonathan Villar. Similarly, with our mains of weeping tiger fillet beef and Thai green curry the clever use of herbs and spices made both dishes stand out. Of course, being a bar renowned for its wine, we allowed the sommelier to chose us a fragrant bottle of red (St Chinian Le Secret des Capitelles, Languedoc-Roussillon) that proved to be the perfect accompaniment to a perfect meal. WHAT & WHERE: 1a Pudding Lane London, EC3R 8AB ember.london ➦

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FOOD & DRINK

BRUNCH

ITALIAN AT ITS BEST WOLF A bustling Saturday afternoon on Stokey’s High Street, which is awash with all manner of colourful characters, while a police siren can be heard blaring in the distance. A typical early summer in the city, but for us, ensconced inside this wonderful local eatery, we are being transported to Italy through food of such flavour and authenticity washed down, appropriately, with a fine Italian red. So what did we eat that had such transformative powers? Sampling the brand new brunch menu, I opted for the hake, which came on a bed of butter beans accompanied by wild garlic pesto and agretti (also known as monk’s beard – grassy, slightly saltytasting greens that grow on the sandy shores of the Mediterranean basin). The dish was truly superb, the fish cooked to perfection, enhanced by the silky beans and zinging pesto. My companion meanwhile had chosen strozzapreti with fennel sausage, Tenderstem broccoli and toasted breadcrumbs. The hand-rolled pasta, whose name means ‘priest choker’ in Italian, certainly didn’t have that effect on my companion, with the glistening pork-enriched twirls consumed with unbridled ease. On the day of our visit Wolf seemed to be pulling in the punters, many of whom were happily wading through the cocktail menu. The atmosphere is unstuffy and fun, but the food and drink should be taken very seriously indeed. WHAT & WHERE: 110 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7NY wolf-restaurant.co.uk

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QUIRKY MEAT AND GREET DIRTY BONES Having visited Dirty Bones when it first took over the Grade II-listed building once occupied by Les Trois Garçons for a rather splendid Sunday roast, I was intrigued to try its weekday lunchtime offering. Since my last visit the menu has been updated to offer (alongside the signature naughty and nice fare) a smattering of healthier, lighter dishes, such as grilled chicken and kale salad and spiced roast veg salad, both of which still looked hearty and appetising from the evidence of the diners on the opposite table. My companion and I, however, were here for the meat, the Shoreditch Signature in my case (tender lamb cutlets served with tangy jalapeño sauce) and the beef short rib in his (tender beef short rib with burnt onion & ale barbecue sauce, crispy shallots and spring onions). With crunchy slaw and skinny fries as sides, we tucked into our very indulgent feast with gusto. My cutlets, cooked perfectly pink, were meltingly tender, while the sauce was just the right side of hot and great for dipping my lamby lollipops in. As for the ribs, the superlatives were coming out of my companion’s mouth almost as fast as the beefy loveliness was going in. After such a pig-out (or should that be lamb-and-cow-out?), you’d think we would have called it quits there. But we were on a roll, so coffee and donuts it was to share, with the gelato and freshly sugared rings bringing our waist-expanding luncheon to a suitably sweet end. WHAT & WHERE: 1 Club Row, E1 6JX dirty-bones.com

Old Spitalfields Market, London E1 6EW 020 7377 6443 info@cafe-caribbean.co.uk Catering enquiry: 0800 858 858 Opening times Every day 10am - 7.30pm

FOOD & DRINK

eat streets

We love those slipping-in-under-the-radar eats

WORDS BY LIAM BARKER, EMMA WINTERSCHLADEN & TESSA O’NEILL

Photography by Richard Massey

Rochelle Canteen

The Hive Quietly nestled on bustling Cambridge Heath Road sits the perfect example of a multitasking business. An organic café by day and natural wine bar by night (which also has an on-sight skincare boutique), The Hive of Vyner St is, true to its name, the epitomise of wellbeing. From its calm and airy interior to an elaborate superfoodladen drinks menu – it’s hard to decide which coldpressed juice, smoothie or coffee to go for. And that’s before you’ve even looked at their food menu, with its lovely selection of enticingly veg-centric dishes. The Hive burger, made with mushroom, courgette and pumpkin seeds, is full of flavour and moreish – as are the chunky chips on the side. It also boasts an exclusively organic and biodynamic wine menu, which, if you’re visiting in the evening, is best enjoyed with their delicious aperitivos. DON’T MISS: The Hive’s two special veggie dishes on the menu for Vegetarian Week, offering a free aperitivo plate of raw pizza bites for anyone who buys a bottle of wine that week. WHERE: 286-290 Cambridge Heath Road, corner of Vyner Street, E2 9DA thehivewellbeing.com

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Remember the old bike shed at school? Well it was nothing like this one, I assure you! You’ll find Rochelle Canteen nestled away in this Victorian-era school building right besides the old playground. Ring the buzzer to enter and inside you’ll find a sleek dining room, almost Scandi in its minimal design. The simplicity doesn’t stop there; it’s apparent throughout the seasonal British menu. Ingredients are left to speak for themselves, with no fancy presentation or cheffy twists. The Canteen is open only on schooldays, and the owners here sure will teach you a thing or two about just how good simple modern, British dishes can be. You can also bring your own bottle of booze too for a fiver! WHERE: Rochelle School, Arnold Circus, E2 7ES arnoldandhenderson.com

George Pub

On the corner of, and part of, the Andaz Hotel lies the George Pub. You wouldn’t know it was there, but through the bustling bar, to the recently renovated dining room lies the perfect hideaway for a varied and interesting meal, day or night. The menu is eclectic and provides ample choice for all tastes. You can indulge in the small plates: Scotch eggs, chipolatas, whitebait or – a must try – the inventive Craft and Crackling menu, which is the only one of its type in the UK, comprising locally sourced beers, some from literally round the corner, with a range of Parmesan and polenta, pork, Parma ham and chicken crackling. The main menu ‘Spring @The George’ is more upmarket than basic pub grub and very reasonably priced. The choice ranges from signature fish and chips to lamb rump to goat’s cheese and beetroot tart fin. Vegetarians are also well catered for. Trying to find room for the gorgeous puddings is the challenge – but beware the Alien Brain! All delicious and highly recommended. WHERE: 40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN

Ask For Janice

Surrounded by a sea of Pret a Manger and upscale restaurants, many have tried and failed on this stretch where the City meets the creative hub of East London. Ask For Janice combines the vibe of laid-back bar with comfy restaurant, making it as easy to stop by for lunch as it is a few drinks and snacks. The emphasis is very much on local produce and with Smithfield across the street, expect some cracking

meat dishes such as steak on bone marrow toast. All the small plates are designed for sharing. And if gin is your thing, then this is definitely one for you – there are no fewer than 50 different bottles on the shelf to choose from, as well as a selection of local unfiltered craft beer, so there’s pretty much something for everyone. A great place to start your night out. WHERE: 50-52 Long Lane, EC1A 9EJ askforjanice.co.uk

londonliverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com Craft and Crackling at the George Pub

Mangal I

Not to be confused with Mangal II, which is right around the corner. Mangal I is a real chef’s favourite. Just off the main drag of Kingsland High Street, you could easily miss it. It’s THE PLACE for kebabs – heck, they’ve been doing it for 25 years, so believe me they know their way round a charcoal grill. The Adana kebab is their bestseller, with good reason. Instead of using minced meat, they chop the lamb, ‘old style’, which makes the kebab more juicy and flavoursome, and it’s BYOB bottle, too. Service can be a bit hit and miss, but it’s not fine dining – it’s kebabs done the proper way. WHERE: 10 Arcola Street, E8 2DJ

mangal1.com

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FOOD & DRINK

The Hornbeam

On a busy street filled with fast food and phone shops, The Hornbeam café captures the true spirit of local community. It serves up a daily changing vegetarian menu made with organic produce grown right down the road in Chingford by OrganicLea (where you can get your own fruit and veg boxes delivered from just a fiver a week). And not only is the veg local, but the bread is too – organic sourdough loaves baked just a few doors down by Today Bread to be precise. In the post-Brexit era, places like this are only going to grow in stature, with a focus on sustainability and zero-waste practices. Head over for lunch and go home with a change for a tenner – who can argue with that? WHERE: 458 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 9AH hornbeam.org.uk

Serving up an ever-changing veggie menu at The Hornbeam

Needoo

If you’ve ever dined out in Whitechapel it’s more than likely you know all about Tayyabs and its queues and of course its lamb chops. Just round the corner is Needoo grill, serving up classic Punjabi cuisine against a Bollywood backdrop. Don’t let the exterior fool you, inside there’s plenty of space and for the most part you can usually just walk in and get a table. The starters read a carnivore’s dream, with a mixed grill (yes, a mixed grill for starters) consisting of lamb tikka, chicken tikka and lamb chops all served up sizzling on a platter. To be hones, grab a garlic naan and that’s enough for one. Some say the lamb chops are better than Tayyabs. Some say not. Well, there’s only one way to find out… WHERE: 85-87 New Road, E1 1HH needoogrill.co.uk

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Primeur

Set in a residential street just off of Green Lanes, the sign out front of Primeur still reads Barnes Motors, the only remnant from the car garage this place once was. If you didn’t know the restaurant was here, you could very easily walk straight past it. The actual name Primeur originates from the French term ‘en primeur’, whereby investors buy young casks of wine years before it’s bottled, in the hope that the contents will mature into something valuable and sought-after. So the emphasis is on the wine here just as much as the food. The menu at its core is British, but takes inspiration from France and Italy and changes daily. Its website uses the word ‘Bistronomy’ to sum this place up – it basically means a mix of casual décor but quality food… And you’ll certainly find no arguments with that here. WHERE: 116 Petherton Road, N5 2RT primeurn5.co.uk

Popolo Shoreditch is an independent restaurant specialising in Italian, Spanish & North African dishes. We serve small sharing plates, a little like a tapas. Enjoy the kitchen theatre at the bar, or sit in our cosy upstairs space. E: info@popoloshoreditch.com L: +44 (0) 2077294299

Popolo Shoreditch 26 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3DU (a few mins walk from Old Street Station) e: info@popoloshoreditch.com l: +44 (0) 2077294299 w: popoloshoreditch.com f: popoloshoreditch t: @Popolo_EC2 I: popoloshoreditch.com

OPENING TIMES: Tuesday – Saturday 12pm – 3pm Tuesday – Wednesday 5.30pm – 10:30pm Thursday – Saturday 5.30pm – 11pm

FOOD & DRINK

Whatchya got cookin’? As part of Airbnb’s new ‘experiences’ offering, where you can spend a day with a local host doing all manner of fun and informative activities, our food and drink writer, Liam Barker, dons his apron and flings his kitchen door open to let us in on his Eat Like A Chef experience Tell us about where the idea for your experience came from? The idea actually came from a cooking class I did a few years back in Marrakech. It was just five camping stoves and ten people making fresh bread and tajines. The vibe of togetherness was amazing. To finish we all sat down together to enjoy our food at one huge table. I loved going to the spice market there too, because it’s an experience like no other. They literally talk to you and take you on a journey through all the blends and what they’re used for. It’s a chef’s dream. I just thought to myself I’d love for someone to show me their ingredients and how they cook with them. So there we have it – Eat Like A Chef. One-third shopping experience, one-third cooking class and one-third supper club. What are the most rewarding aspects of being a host? It’s seeing the look on people’s faces when they realise the UK produces wine. Or even more when they taste and realise how damn good it is. Or just seeing how pleased they are with themselves when they sit down proudly with a plate of food they never thought they could put together. I love the fact people leave with the knowledge that Brits are not just about fish and chips. Also, for me, the fact I’m meeting people from all over so get to learn about different food cultures is great.

From shopping to plating up – learning to eat like a chef

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What do people tend to love the most? Seems like we’re all big kids at heart, as we do some recipes that involve the use of blow torches which always light up the evening. Also there’s the whole dining atmosphere. People end up making friends, and often it can be hard to get everyone to leave at a respectable hour once the wine and conversation is really flowing.

How do you break the ice with shy guests? The great thing is, food is like a universal language. Someone has always been somewhere and tried something they’ve never forgotten. When all the guests meet, I get them to share their desert-island dish. Everyone has one, or even more than one, and that’s all that’s needed. It’s a natural transition to go on to talk about a previous holiday or how to make something. Also I think I’ve been really lucky that every one so far really loves their food so there’s always something in common. Any awkward moments? I did have one where a guest had slightly too much to drink and the debate got a little heated. Luckily I managed to diffuse the situation with the arrival of dessert, which involved Marmite truffles. They were always going to be a talking point! The great thing is people aren’t afraid to speak about serious issues at the dinner table. I love that people can share their views with strangers. So lesson learned! Always have Marmite truffles on hand. Where can people find more information? Chefliam.co.uk is a new project of mine where you can see some of my recipes and writings, as well as a link to the experience, which is also found on the Airbnb app.

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NIGHTLIFE

Insta ready Sushisamba

OUT OUT

If the mercury touches 20 it’s officially that time… Sushisamba 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY

You’ve probably seen the trademark orange tree lit up all over Insta already. Visiting the west terrace bar at Sushisamba is an experience in itself. The glass lift up to the 38th floor is one hell of a ride and the views inside only get better with floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides of the building.The cocktails are on point here, but they will cost you a small fortune! No need to book for drinks only, just head over early before it gets too busy.

sushisamba.com

Dalston Roof Park 18 Ashwin Street, E8 3DL It’s Dalston’s worst-kept secret nowadays, but on a scorching summer’s day there are few places like it. Newly refurbished for 2017, Dalston Roof Park now has two bars, and a state-of-the-art retractable roofing system to protect against the unexpected rain. Of course, this is still Great Britain. The Astro Turf here has been graced by the likes of Rudimental, Jessie Ware, and Disclosure

in the past so keep your eyes peeled for its events this summer. Or just head over for a lazy, chilled afternoon on one of the huge beanbags and in all likelihood it will go on well into the evening.

bootstrapcompany.co.uk

Golden Bee Singer Street, EC1V 9DD Fresh from its recent face-lift, Golden Bee has a brand new terrace for you to enjoy overlooking Shoreditch. They’ve also gone and weather proofed it with a retractable canopy and plenty of heaters because, well… you know how it is. There’s a menu full of playful martinis too if that’s your thing. Try the Mozart chocolate martini: vodka; white chocolate and dark chocolate liqueur and cream, or maybe a lychee rose: lychee puree; lychee juice; rosewater and grenadine. Don’t worry there’s plenty of comfy sofas around, heck just try ’em all.

goldenbee.co.uk

The Verandah at Dishoom 7 Boundary Street, E2 7JE Like you needed another excuse to visit Dishoom apart from the bacon naan. Well, you can hit the Verandah for some well-made stiff cocktails, like a chai paanch

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WORDS BY LIAM BARKER

or if you’re feeling brave a Bombay Presidency punch – a recipe first written down by General Sir John Gayer, Governor of the East India Company’s Bombay Presidency. Sir John’s predecessor warned: “The usual effects of that accursed Bombay punch involves its consumers The Verandah at Dishoom besotting themselves with drunkenness, and then quarrelling, duelling and committing any number of other acts, to the shame, scandal and ruin of our nation and religion.” Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

dishoom.com

Crate 7, The White Building, Queen’s Yard, E9 5EN A brewery set in an idyllic waterside location with stone-baked pizza. It’s basically, if Carlsberg... I mean if Crate did pub gardens! Crate serves up a variety of brews, from its one-off micro batches to its core Crate lager, pale and IPA offerings that are all freshly brewed on site. The vibes are enough to keep you here all day and night, with an innovative pizza menu and DJ on hand. This is definitely the place for one of those all-day sessions.

cratebrewery.com

2 floors of Party Classix & Nu Grooves: funkydory Good times, party vibes

The Love Floor Soul / Funk / Boogie Disco

The Happiness Floor Deep and soulful House

in association with

Dalston Roof Park

Enquire Now: 020 3011 1194

Launching November 2017

A chance to see a new side to Kiefer

THE POWER OF ONE

Model behaviour from Betsy

Thanks to the success of solo stars like Adele and Skepta, there’s never been a better time to go it alone. Check out these hot names, coming to a venue near you soon… WORDS BY ED GIBBS

15 MAY BETSY

22 MAY KT TUNSTALL

Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette Street, E9 6NU. Hailing from Pembrokeshire in Wales, the farmer’s daughterturned-model-turned dedicated muso has had to knock down doors to be heard by the major labels – and now the hard work is paying off. Signed by Warners and play-listed by Radio 2, the pouty songstress counts Billie Holiday, Grace Jones and Annie Lennox as key influences. She may have traded in geese for grooves, but she’s still a country girl at heart. Find out why at Moth Club. mothclub.co.uk

Barbican, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS. Edinburgh’s finest is back, with a new album, KIN, to showcase – and a spread of old favourites to share. The Barbican’s main hall seems like a suitable place to become immersed in the lady’s fine melodies. Whatever goes down, it’s likely to be a special, intimate night. barbican.org.uk

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24 MAY GABRIELLA COHEN Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB. Touring the world in support of her fine debut long-player Full Closure and No Details, the Brisbane singer-songwriter

mines an infectiously melodic cool that nods to the psycho candy of Jesus and the Mary Chain, while never failing to enrapture the gathered throng. We can’t recommend this Aussie minstrel enough. Get there early. shacklewellarms.com

24 MAY NARU Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 3PQ. She has been rightfully compared to Lauryn Hill and The Roots with her funky brand of hip-hop and rap – and here the Connecticut native brings her multi-instrumental sixpiece band to the East’s Village Underground for one funky night of irresistible groove.

Her support, suitably blending jazz, funk and blues, is south London’s Poppy Ajudha. villageunderground.co.uk

29 MAY RON GALLO Shacklewell Arms, 71 Shacklewell Lane, E8 2EB. Already declared “the sound of an excellent night out” by The Guardian, the former frontman of Philadelphia outfit Toy Soldiers brings his show to the Shacklewell, fresh from his adopted home of Nashville. Don’t think he’s going all twangy on us, mind – his new LP is pure, unadulterated garage rock. We believe – and so should you. shacklewellarms.com

MUSIC

He’s back...

Clockwise from above left: KT Tunstall; JP Ruggieri; Gabriella Cohen; Ron Gallo

22 JUNE KIEFER SUTHERLAND

9 JUNE MARNIE

13 JUNE SEAN NICHOLAS SAVAGE

Oslo, 1a Amhurst Road, E8 1LL. These days, she’s based back in her native Glasgow, after years spent in London, which makes this very welcome headline show from the former Ladytron star a treat to savour. Her new album Strange Words and Weird Wars showcases her trademark electronica aesthetic with powerful, infectious and stirring results. We’ll see you there. oslohackney.com

Moth Club, Old Trades Hall, Valette Street, E9 6NU. The French-Canadian singersongwriter has been hailed as one to watch amongst Quebec’s blossoming indie scene – and judging by the sweet, funky grooves of Disco Dancing, we’re sold on the idea already. Check out, too, the droll doppelganger visual delights of You Changed Me. Save the date for the man. mothclub.co.uk

Islington Assembly Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD. Yep, the very same – the star of TV’s 24 and cult classics The Lost Boys and Stand by Me gets in touch with his sensitive side, aged 50, in this ultra-rare musical outing, in neighbouring N1. The mighty Kiefer’s cut an album’s worth of tunes, entitled Down in a Hole, with musical partner Jude Cole – and he’s eager to share them, apparently. Curious? So are we. islingtonassemblyhall.co.uk

23 JUNE Robbie Williams London Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, E20 2ST. Barring a last-minute ‘secret’ gig, this is the only London date for the Robster, who wraps his European tour at the new home of West Ham United – which this summer is proving a serious

contender to Wembley’s concert crown (Depeche Mode and Guns N Roses are also playing the Olympic venue in June). Robbie also happens to be, fittingly, the first solo artist to headline the London Stadium (with 1980s synth kings Erasure supporting). Stratford will go off. london-stadium.com

26 JUNE JP RUGGIERI The Waiting Room, 175 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 0LH. New York singer-songwriters don’t come around often enough in our book, so it’ seems fair to wrap up this issue’s picks with Monsieur Ruggieri, visiting us from the Big Apple with his own brand of folksy melodies, perfectly tuned for the world-weary among us. Stokey’s winning room will no doubt help work up a vibe nicely. waitingroomn16.com

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LONDON CITY ISLAND London City Island

CREATIVE WAREHOUSE STYLE OFFICE UNITS TO LET ONE OF LONDONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEW LEADING CREATIVE DESTINATIONS Unit sizes vary from 1,832 to 2,948 sq ft 5 minute walk to Canning Town Station

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INTERIORS Code 12-Light Pendant, £270, darlighting.co.uk Deco Marble Shelving Unit, £649, atkinandthyme.com

Trend Trophy Bull Skull and Horn, £411.02, ksi-living.fr

Pink Pineapple Ice Bucket, £29.99, totally-funky.co.uk

Gold Bird’s Leg Candleholder, £65, miafleur.com

MIXING IT UP

Pink Handblown Glass Cups, £38.57 for two, comptoirazur.fr

Are friends eclectic? Well our interior picks most certainly are

Mary P Sultan Sofa in Green, £2,675, wawa.co.uk

Arne Jacobsen Station Table Alarm Clock in Petrol Blue, £109, black-bydesign.co.uk

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ADVERTORIAL

URBAN MYTH:

A Kitchen Legend

Urban Life Supermatt Cashmere and French Grey Veneer Handleless Kitchen

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A company that truly understand the importance of the most important room in the house WORDS BY ERIC WOOLLARD-WHITE

A new kitchen comes top of the list of improvements for most people looking to make a personal mark on their home. It can add value to a property and create a space that combines function, form and, increasingly, fun – whether you’re a wannabe Jamie Oliver cooking up a feast, kicking back and relaxing with family, or entertaining friends. But, for consumers and developers alike, choosing the right company to design, build and fit a high-quality dream kitchen can be something of a challenge. Urban Myth, a proud-to-be British company that manufactures its own kitchen units as well as importing carefully selected ranges from Germany and Italy, has a reputation for excellence stretching back 30 years. The company designs and installs stylish, premium kitchens for consumers and developers across London and Essex, and has increasingly been making its mark on the East London map. In fact, Urban Myth has provided more than 2,000 kitchens in the East London area alone in the last two years, many of which are within the area’s stunning high-rise developments. Working with some of the biggest names in property development, including Telford Homes PLC, Higgins Homes and Anderson Group, the company offers a wealth of experience in the city apartment market, ensuring clients receive high-quality, high-specification kitchens that satisfy the particular demands of homebuyers in the capital. General Manager John Young has a very hands-on approach to the business and ➦

“Every kitchen we install meets the very highest demands in terms of design”

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ADVERTORIAL

has put a huge emphasis on developing the Urban Myth brand. The company’s Urban Life range of kitchens is manufactured by experts in their factory in Essex. He said: “There’s more to this than simply saying ‘Made in Britain’. If the products we offer don’t meet the levels of quality our customers expect, if they aren’t current in design and competitive in price, people simply wouldn’t buy them, regardless of where they are manufactured.” As well as its own in-house kitchen brand, Urban Myth offers bespoke designer kitchens from Pedini and Systemat. John added: “Every kitchen we install is individual and we have partnered with suppliers who offer the quality and material options that meet the highest of demands in terms of design and function.” Urban Myth’s designers follow a process that matches customer needs with optimum use of available space and budget. It’s a process that has won the company many fans and means Urban Myth’s word-of-mouth recommendations continue to spread rapidly. To make an appointment to visit the showroom, call 0208 531 3413 or visit urbanmyth.net

URBAN MYTH: THE CUSTOMER’S VIEW Mum-of-three Mrs McNally from London, E11, told E1 Life that finding a kitchen company she and her husband felt they could trust was daunting – but then they met Urban Myth.

very impressive. “As a result, we did not have to micro-manage the process and this helped keep our stress levels down – not a statement I make lightly given we had a baby and two young children at She said: “While the kitchens are the time! head and shoulders above the competitors, the service is also “This really is Urban Myth’s USP second to none. Every question because sadly, in our experience, was answered in a timely many companies lack this fashion, every action point was basic professionalism and we followed up and the attention have often found ourselves to detail shown by not only the almost doing their job for them. designer but also the fitters was We believe that Urban Myth’s service is good value because there was never any need for us to follow up on particular points or to speed things along. In short, we completely trusted the team and this trust came as quickly as our first meeting.”

Urban Theme Terra Oak & White Gloss Handleless Kitchen

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Mrs McNally added: “The whole team are professional, courteous and approachable and we really believe that we built a nice relationship with everyone along each step of the process. It honestly was a pleasure dealing with Urban Myth, so much so that I have recommended them to my parents. High praise indeed.”

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

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TUDOR ROSE COURT, BARBICAN EC2 £465,000

BARBICAN APARTMENTS, EC2 from £520,000

Retirement development ( minimum age 60 ) located between the Barbican and Golden Lane Estates in a quiet traffic-free cul de sac. Well-presented one-bedroom apartment on the third floor and offers entrance hall, reception room , fitted kitchen, bedroom and bathroom with a north easterly aspect overlooking the church and Fann Street.

Scott City Residential are an independent Estate Agency specialising in the CITY of LONDON ( The Square Mile ) with a special focus on the Barbican Estate. We have a number of Barbican Flats for sale please visit our web site at scottcity.co.uk

HOSIER LANE, WEST SMITHFIELD EC1 FLORIN COURT, CHARTERHOUSE SQUARE EC1 FOR RENT £350 per week S I LV E R J E A NFOR S . C ORENT . U K £310 per week Exceptionally well designed studio apartment in this exceptional development in the heart of the City near St Pauls and Chancery Lane tube stations (Central Line). This well presented apartment is ideal for those working nearby in the City who wish to walk to work and also provides easy access to all areas of London. Fifth Floor. 24 Hour Porter.

Located in the historic and extremely charming area of Charterhouse Square is this amazing Art Deco building named Florin Court, it may be more famously known as the fictional home of the T.V detective Herclues Poirot. The LARGE STYLE STUDIO apartment that we are offering is situated on the fourth floor of the development and is furnished throughout.

CITY FLIT PENZANCE

Clockwise from left: The Chapel House hotel; take a stroll along the Penzance prom; the hotel hallway

It’s a Shore-thing. Penzance is a destination on the rise – with its quirky restaurants, shops and community-led celebration of art, sculpture and live music, you’ll feel home from home! Do not delay, book the GWR Night Riviera Train with sleeper cabin, leaving Paddington on a Friday at 11.45pm to Penzance. It’s one of the last two remaining sleeper services in the UK, introduced in 1877. Cheaper than the Orient Express, but just as romantic. On arriving close to midnight at your platfom, your awesome 1964-built diesel Brush Traction engine is ready to whisk you off along the Cornish riviera, so you can awake to see St Michael’s Mount as you arrive early the next morning.

stay

The boutique gem of a hotel, Chapel House, formerly the Penzance Arts Club, lies opposite a church in one of the most picturesque streets in the old part of Penzance. It’s a vast Georgian red-brick townhouse facing the sea with generously sized, high-ceilinged rooms that have been lovingly restored by owner Susan Stuart. With sea views from many of the windows you’ll feel at the heart of the town, on top of the world and at one with the

sympathetic, contemporary design that takes its cue from the sea. The hall and main living rooms double as exhibition spaces for exquisite pieces from the Newlyn School of Art that are available to buy. In every stunning bedroom – which are individually designed – a cafetière and freshly baked biscuits are provided, along with an ipad for you to use during your stay. Susan is very relaxed and flexible about breakfast. She cooks a fresh breakfast menu, together with a choice of freshly squeezed juices. Along with the most delicious and heavenly omelette I’ve ever tasted (a green omelette with spinach and tarragon), Susan has turned Chapel House into a relaxing and stylish place to stay and it will remain one of my favourite destinations I will revisit and continue to recommend to friends and family. Rooms priced from £150 per night. chapelhousepz.co.uk

out & about

You’ll not tire of Penzance with its coastal path, subtropical gardens, breezy prom and the stunning Art Deco lido, the Jubilee Pool. While in the town, be sure to stop for a top cup of artisan coffee at mobile van The Tube. No visit to Penzance would be complete without a trip to the Admiral Benbow, one of the oldest drinking houses in the town, dating from the 17th century. It’s been popular with famous faces including Gregory Peck and the Rolling Stones. The pub is home to a fascinating collection of maritime artefacts rescued from numerous shipwrecked vessels that floundered on the rugged Cornish coast during the last 400 years.

The Shore restaurant 62

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The Bedford Lodge Hotel

Whether you’re a keen equestrian or just indulge in the odd flutter, you’ll enjoy a stay at this luxurious Newmarket retreat stay

BEDFORD LODGE HOTEL

Artisan coffee at The Tube

eat & drink

Don’t let the opportunity to visit The Shore restaurant pass you by. It is owned and run by Bruce Rennie (former head chef at Rick Stein’s Porthleven restaurant), who is firmly placing Penzance on the gastronomic map. Each course was a revelation; thick John dory fillets, piping hot and cooked perfectly; hake seared and caramelised on one side but perfectly translucent right through to the other. How is that even done? Both dishes came with distinctive sauces that enhanced the delicate flavour of the spankingly fresh fish. No pretence or flashy marketing is needed here, Bruce is a genius, and if you love fish, go Shore-side!

getting there

GWR sleeper train prices start from £110 return. Go to gwr.com

Situated in what is known by the locals as ‘millionaires’ row’ Bedford Lodge is set in beautifully manicured grounds and is just a short walk away from Newmarket town centre. Upon arrival we were greeted by a very friendly, helpful receptionist and shown to our Superior King room. It was in the perfect position for the horsey inclined, as it overlooked the racing yard. These was also a well-stocked fridge, excellent tea and coffee facilities and lavender biscuits that were to die for! Plus the luxurious bathroom came complete with Molton Brown toiletries. Oh, the simple pleasures. The hotel’s recently built, peaceful and tranquil spa offers a good range of treatments with highly qualified, professional members of staff. Make time to visit the well-equipped gym and light-filled indoor pool, too. The elegantly decorated champagne bar created the perfect ambience for a relaxing aperitif before dinner. Dishes made from the highest quality ingredients, all well presented, together with an excellent wine menu ranging from very

reasonable to very expensive! An extensive breakfast buffet greeted us the next morning, providing plenty of fuel so we were ready to take our Discover Newmarket, Tattersalls Tour.

out & about

Upon arrival at Tattersalls, we were greeted by our tour guide Larry Bowden, an ex-jockey and very knowledgeable – what he didn’t know about the racing industry or Newmarket wasn’t worth knowing! We were taken to trainer Phil McEntee’s yard, shown around, introduced to the animals and given an insight into his day-to-day life training the horses, along with a short walk to one of his turnout fields that has one of the best views over the racecourse. Next was a trip to the July racecourse, where the horses were having their ‘breeze ups’ – this is where they are galloped a short distance for prospective buyers to view their speed and stamina. This was amazing to watch so close up. The National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and sporting art is set around a beautiful courtyard housing

a larger-than-life size statue of the famous Frankel. Everything from when horseracing was born to the current day lies within this museum and the race horse simulator is a must do. Across the road is the Palace House, three floors of magnificent sporting art masterpieces. Lunch in Tack Room Cafe had a good selection of freshly cooked meals at very reasonable prices. We were pleasantly surprised when Frankie Dettori walked in for his lunch, which apparently is a common occurrence during the week! After eating, we headed back to Tattersalls for a tour around the stables and the famous Tattersalls sales ring. We viewed hundreds of young horses due to be sold that day, but as entries were low the sales were put back to the following day. Larry gave us an interesting insight into what buyers and agents are looking for when they make a purchase. Larry was a great guide and a pleasure to spend the day with. Whether you’re horsey or not, it’s a fascinating tour. IN THE KNOW: An overnight stay costs from £180 per room (two sharing), including full English breakfast and use of the leisure facilities. Contact Pride of Britain Hotels on 0800 089 3929 prideofbritainhotels.com.

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Staycation

bothboth

It might be a stone’s throw from the chaos that is Oxford Street, but The Arch manages to offer calm and grown up, dog-friendly glamour in a gorgeous five star setting

super-rich & famous THE ARCH HOTEL

Fast making a name for itself as an exclusive location for the super-rich and famous, five-star boutique hotel The Arch lies a few minutes’ walk from iconic Marble Arch. Its very understated elegant Georgian entrance leads to a modern reception area that immediately feels intimate and homely, and is where a warm welcome awaits. The hotel spans seven Grade II-listed townhouses and two mews homes to create an 82-roomed haven of total peace and unbridled luxury, despite being just a short stroll from the maddening crowd that is Oxford Street. At every turn there are pieces of modern art, with the hotel priding itself on showcasing emerging talent. Every bedroom is individually designed and the attention to detail (the wallpaper in our room was breathtakingly beautiful, being hand-painted in Italy) creates a truly impressive space. There is even a state-of-the-art flat-screen TV hung at the foot of the bath tub. Nothing could be faulted. The Arch’s prime location offers an excellent base from which to explore London’s sights and attractions, most of which are either on the doorstep, a short tube or taxi ride away. If the crowds and chaos of the busy streets are too much for you, then tuck up in bed to watch some of the hotel’s DVD library consisting of every Oscar-winning film since 1945. At the hotel’s intimate Hunter 486 restaurant you might well find

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Deluxe Room and a state-of-the-art flatscreen TV hung at the foot of the bath tub

beef croquettes with horseradish mayonnaise and mushroom consommé with truffle tortellini. All absolutely excellent. For my main course I chose airdried ham wrapped monkfish with lentils and button onions from the yourself bumping into pop stone oven, while my companion queen, Madonna, whose London opted for the Hunter fish stew, residence apparently lies directly saffron and garlic mayonnaise. opposite the hotel. Sumptuous While we were pretty content high-sided leather booths with with our fill at this stage, we were curtains make it the perfect spot urged by the friendly waiter to for celebs trying to hide away from try dessert; chocolate fondant, all the glamour and fame. salted caramel ice cream, peanut A Champagne bar at one end brittle and sticky toffee pudding, and an open kitchen with a wood caramelised banana ice cream, burning oven at the other, we which of course we did as it would were seated in a comfortable have been a shame to miss! booth, perfect for observing all Breakfast is offered until a that was going on. civilised 11am, allowing time Sharing starters with my for my appetite to recover. My companion, as we couldn’t decide eggs Florentine was cooked from the compact but mouthto perfection, which I ate with watering menu, we opted to try smoked salmon from the extensive dressed Dorset crab with apple and breakfast buffet alongside. fennel and curry mayonnaise, salt Undoubtedly, The Arch is a

genuine five-star gem, where no expense has been spared in ensuring that guests feel appreciated and pampered while receiving the very best in hospitality. IN THE KNOW: Prices at The Arch London start from £350 for a Deluxe Room and from £420 for a Suite. Dogs £15 per night extra, dog beds provided and dog sitting on request. thearchlondon.com

HUNter 486 is perfect for peaceful and delicious dining

Laid-back luxury where your dog, big or small is also welcome

Dine with your canine in the martini library MAY/JUNE 2017

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I was born in Islington and raised on a housing estate in Hornsey in North London. I was always drawing (mostly horses) and was always pretty certain that I wanted to be an artist. My mum was creative, but had to leave school at 15 to work in a bank, so I don’t think that she ever got the chance to express that side of herself. She was a real thinker and a reader though, and went to Middlesex Polytechnic while I was at nursery and then worked as the student welfare advisor at UCL. My mum really encouraged me to make my art and had unwavering confidence in me.

A new series of conceptual art events, Skip Gallery, kicked off in Hoxton Square to considerable acclaim and now others are planned around the country, and perhaps the world. But for co-creator Catherine Borowski, it’s the freedom and support that’s offered to artists in the East that keeps her rooted here

Catherine’s Little Black Book RESTAURANT: Radio Alice Pizzeria in Hoxton or The Good Egg on Stoke Newington Church Street are great for lunch. Andina on Redchurch Street for dinner.

STREET: Kingsland Road has it all going on. SHOP: Pak Hair on Ridley Road is a treasure trove of weird and wonderful products.

COFFEE SHOP: Origin Coffee on BUILDING: The Barbican Charlotte Road is the best. because I’m a fan of Brutalist architecture. PLACE TO BAG A BARGAIN: Any of the fruit and veg stalls in GREEN SPACE: Clissold Park. Ridley Road Market. Whether you have children or not, I’d encourage a visit. PLACE TO TAKE A TIPPLE: I love the underground cocktail OUT-OF-TOWN TREAT: bar Original Sin, on Stoke Kemptown in Brighton – on a Newington High Street. good day it feels like the South PLACE TO WANDER: It’s got of France (well kind of). to be the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. 66

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I did my foundation course at the top of Brick Lane – at what was formerly known as London Guildhall University. But it was only after attending a Georges Braque and Picasso show at the Royal Academy that I realised how an artist can evolve. This led me to study for a Fine Art BA at Nottingham Trent University and that’s where I discovered conceptual art. It’s fair to say that the course blew my mind. In 2014 I had my first solo show in Dalston. I was a bit slow (although I had done a successful group show previously) because I had to juggle my art practise with running an experiential events business and being a single parent. The show was called Concrete Communications and featured 2,000 plaster casts of individual mobiles phones. Then last year my mum died suddenly in Mecca in Saudi Arabia. As a Muslim it was my mum’s dream to be buried in Mecca, so I gave my permission. Instead of meeting my mum at the airport I had to meet her handbag and her suitcase when it arrived off her flight. The image of meeting a suitcase packed full of presents for friends is one that I cannot shake off. Six months later I did a group show in Hoxton. I sketched and designed my piece called Design Process (and the Working Class), which featured 550 white staircase spindles and was about growing up in a council flat in North London and the lack

of decorative detailing in our family home. It was after this that I started researching graveyards in Mecca. I couldn’t attend my mum’s burial and all I have is a handwritten set of co-ordinates of where her grave is. The more I looked at the images of these graveyards the more I saw how similar they looked to my installation with the hundreds of white spindles placed in a grid formation. It was shortly after that it dawned on me that to be a truly successful artist I needed to tell the truth of my story. So I did, I admitted for the first time that I grew up in a Muslim household and that my mum wore a hijab and was a strong independent feminist because of, and in spite of, her conversion to Islam. The first Skip Gallery piece was called “Na, I Don’t Want None of That Again”. It acted as a kind of memorial, a send-off to my mum in a very personal, public and also very London/cockney fashion (we had an empty Victorian hearse pulled by black stallions walking around Hoxton Square as part of the work). The beauty of Skip Gallery is that it can be picked up and dropped off anywhere. A skip simply needs a permit and we can then bung the gallery down wherever we want – it makes the exhibitions truly accessible and relatively affordable. Along with my art partner, Lee Baker, and a couple of other people we’ve decided to do a year-long curated programme of artists. The intention is to show high-quality site-specific contemporary art in a quick, nimble, supported execution. I love the freedom and support that artists have felt over the years in East London. But although it’s undeniably brilliant and vibrant, there are questions and critiques about gentrification, regeneration and so on, and that’s one of the reasons that Skip feels so relevant. The new developments will not stop, they will only increase, so we are finding a way to work around the lack of affordable space for artists, we’re doing it for ourselves and making it happen.

INTERVIEW: KELLY BESWICK

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LAST WORD

SOME RISE BY SIN TO LOVE SHOREDITCH IS TO LOVE LIFE – SO BE GENEROUS WITH YOUR AFFECTIONS AND TRUST THE STAGE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A HOME AND LIFESTYLE YOU’LL ADORE. CHOOSE FROM IRRESISTIBLY DESIRABLE SUITES, APARTMENTS AND PENTHOUSES. WHAT MORE COULD YOU POSSIBLY DESIRE? FITNESS CLUB AT THE STAGE 3 YEARS FREE MEMBERSHIP – ONE PER APARTMENT –

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SUITES, ONE / TWO BED APARTMENTS & PENTHOUSES AVAILABLE –– PRICES FROM £685,000 Call the team on 020 3409 6337 or email us at thestage@galliardhomes.com THESTAGESHOREDITCH.COM/E

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