Essex Love - Issue 4 - The Balance Issue

ISSUE 4 MARCH/APRIL 2018

E1OVE E S S E X

Take me, I’m yours

LOIS

Winstone

L O V E

Actress, artist and musician: is there anything this renaissance woman can’t do?

In the balance Find your work-life equilibrium

EVENTS

SOCIAL

BUSINESS

ART & CULTURE

FOOD & DRINK

NIGHTLIFE

HEALTH & BEAUTY

INTERIORS

TRAVEL

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Contents p04 Party people: seeing and being seen in E1

p06 On our radar: what’s hot right now

p08 Slim pickings: meet the founder of Protein Haus

p18 Renaissance woman: Lois Winstone’s got the love p23 The writing’s on the wall for GSA’s Lee Bofkin

p32 BDQ: food for every whim

p39 Out out: the after-hours hot pick

p53 Town and country: the best of both worlds

p42 The good fight: in the ring with Charlie Duffield

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

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“Thanks again for everything, I’m still smiling”

“Thanks for having me down.

I really enjoyed myself and that crowd was super, pure energy, passion and love for the music. A DJ’s dream” 4

MARCH/APRIL 2018

SOCIAL: FUNKY DORY

“Had a fab time. Always such a good crowd”

What’s the story, Funky Dory?

The crowds turned out to throw some serious shapes as Funky Dory hosted its second event, this time at Cafe 1001 on Shoreditch’s Brick Lane. Over 400 party people danced the night away across two rooms of eclectic music, from boogie and disco to old soul deep, soulful house and nu grooves. The DJs delivered the music; the crowd brought the pure energy, passion and oldfashioned love for the tunes. Funked up.

Check out @FunkyDoryLove for more Images: Wein Williams www.foto-genix.net

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Skylight

Skylight returns for a summer dedicated to that most apposite of fair weather things: fun.

The rooftop spot at Tobacco Dock will reopen its three floors for a cornucopia of street food and live entertainment, plus there will be a platform bar that’s doubled in size since last year. Sports fans (and who doesn’t love sport in the summer?) take note: there will be big screens to watch the World Cup and Wimbledon on, and if you’re keen to get in on the sporting action yourself, you can grab a mallet and play a round of croquet on the skyhigh lawn. Tournaments will be held over the summer months, including a football penalty shootout and prizes will be awarded to the best players. A friendly reminder: ensure to be a good sport at all times – we’re Brits, after all.

Tobacco Dock, E1W 2SF; www.skylightlondon.com

On our radar Only the hottest and most happening make the cut

What the funk?

If you’re an avid reader of E1 Life or Essex Love, you’ll know all about our friends who host Funky Dory (no? where have you been?) Taking place on Brick Lane in the heart of Shoreditch, fun is guaranteed at its third event.

Mix with kindred spirits across two rooms as a stellar line up of DJ’s – including Ricky Morrison, Paris Cesvette, Brian Power and DJ Coxy – do their thing. Expect a selection of deep and soulful house as well as soul, funk and boogie classics from Paul Trouble Anderson, Gordon Mac, Martin Infullswing and John Mustoe and Jumping Jack Frost. Don’t even think about missing it.

Cafe 1001, 83 Brick Lane, E1 6QL; 5 May, 9pm-4am Tickets available through Eventbrite @funkydorylove

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EVENTS: ON OUR RADAR

All Points East Festival

All Points East is a brand new ten-day event in east London’s beautiful Victoria Park. Head along for a three-day music festival, a community-focused programme of midweek entertainment and a trio of huge APE Presents headline shows.

Victoria Park 25 May – 3 June allpointseastfestival.com

Love, Fame, Tragedy

Incredibly, this is the first-ever solo Pablo Picasso exhibition at Tate Modern.

Showing more than 100 of the pioneering Cubist’s paintings, sculptures and drawings, mixed with family photographs and rare glimpses into his personal life, it proves the great man’s point that “everything you can imagine is real”.

Three of his extraordinary paintings featuring his lover Marie-Thérèse Walter are shown together for the first time since they were created over a period of just five days in March 1932. ““My mother said to me, ‘If you are a soldier, you will become a general. If you are a monk, you will become the Pope.’ Instead, I was a painter, and became Picasso.” So said the artist; don’t miss this show, which will explode the myths that abound and reveal the man and the artist in his full complexity and richness.

Bankside, SE1 9TG; until 8 September; tate.org.uk

United Against Knife Crime

The knife crime rate in London is spiralling out of control. That’s why Hackney Wick Football Club has invited top UK rap and grime stars to give hope to the younger generation through football, community and music. Expect an all-star line-up including Yxnx Bane, Dave, Kojo Funds, Not3s, Headie One and Dappy, with music, challenges and family fun. What more incentive do you need to have and #savetheyouth at the same time? This event will be supported by The Wickers Charity and club sponsors Aitch Group Tickets (£6 – £20) via eventbrite.co.uk; 29 June

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

Slim Pickings

Inspired by a trip to L.A, personal trainer Carli Wheatley set up Protein Haus, whose mission it is to feed time-poor professionals nourishing high protein, low calorie meals. Just don’t ask her to relax Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw Words: Nancy Larman

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BUSINESS: MADE IT

I

“

t is appropriate that we meet Carli Wheatley, founder of leading fitness company Protein Haus, by St Paul’s.

Not only is this part of the City full of gyms and exercise centres, but the great ecclesiastical building around us reminds us that the body should be treated, at all times, as a temple.

Such is the philosophy on which Wheatley, has founded her business.

To continue the metaphor, Protein Haus is a broad church; as Wheatley says, “we are primarily a diet shop, and cater for all regimens, whether it’s gluten-free, high protein or a weight-loss plan. The idea should be that someone should feel safe coming to us; we’re offering something a bit different to what’s on the high street.”

I don’t actually like being around people that much, so I found it very taxing! I’m a positive, goal-oriented person, who’s always looking for the next and bigger thing

“

She’s catering for a big, busy market – as she puts it, “I don’t know anyone who eats breakfast at home any more.” The key to this is to offer healthy, homemade food for those who are time-poor but want to eat well. She’s very conscious, given her background in personal training and fitness instruction, that diets can be difficult: “I was frustrated that I had to take out a big bag of food every day, because London didn’t have the range of options when it came to eating that other big cities did. I spent some time in Los Angeles with my mum, and was amazed

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BUSINESS: MADE IT

“

at the choice out there, where it’s easy to stay in shape. Everyone is drinking vodka and slimline tonic, or not drinking at all.” She’d been sporty as long as she can recall and always planned to go into the fitness industry, but it was only after that eye-opening trip that she began thinking about it in business, as well as health, terms.

After teaching fitness concepts in gyms across London, it was soon time for Wheatley to set up on her own. “I started making my own meals first.

Then I began making them for my clients, and it escalated from there.

Within a year, we had a big kiosk in the middle of Canary Wharf. I’d always wanted to do my own thing; in fact, I’m probably unemployable in a conventional job, because I’m happy to work from midnight to five in the morning, and personal training can often take you from 6am to 8pm.

I don’t actually like being around people that much, so I found it very taxing! I’m the a positive, goal-oriented Listen to at t Podcas dcast person, who’s always o.uk/po looking for the next and e1ife.c bigger thing.” She works with a couple of business partners, former restaurateurs who bring the operational nous that she needed, and is all set on making her operation bigger, better and more successful than ever.

How, then, does Carli Wheatley relax? “I smoke shisha every now and then. But I also try to lie down on the floor and scream, or try to go to sleep. I’ve certainly had problems in relationships, because I feel that I’m doing everything by myself. On the other hand, I was never going

I smoke shisha every now and then. But I also lie down on the floor and scream, or try to go to sleep. I’ve certainly had problems in relationships, because I feel that I’m doing everything by myself

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to do anything else, so I’ve got to crack on and get things done.” These ‘things’ include developing her range of food, which, as she puts it, “is intentionally plain. We sell sauces to complement it, or you can add salt and pepper. But the plainer you can get used to eating, the leaner you’ll look. I wouldn’t describe what we’re doing as ‘recipes’, as the food is quite straightforward, but I’m pleased with the low-calorie cakes. They don’t quite taste the same as the real thing, but they’re near enough.”

Wheatley, is aware that what she’s offering might not be for everyone – “some people stick to it all the time, whereas others dip in and out” – but she believes that her target audience is “anyone who wants to follow some sort of diet but who doesn’t want to cook.” The future is all about building the business and getting as many people as she can on board.

As she says, “I have a burning desire to succeed inside me, and it’s not a choice; I can’t just be like a normal people and turn off. I don’t know how.” For the sake of anyone who wants to look great, let’s hope that Carli Wheatley never loses her drive. proteinhaus.co.uk

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

Hats Off Joanna Goad is a stylist-turned-entrepreneur who imports fairtrade hats from Colombia and sells them around the globe. She tells us about her biggest business – and philanthropic – dreams Words: Nancy Larman Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw

the Listen to at t Podcas dcast o.uk/po e1ife.c MARCH/APRIL 2018

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W

hen Joanna Goad was three, her family traded London – her native city – for Cali, Colombia’s third largest city, and her mother’s motherland. They stayed for five years, before returning and subsequently ricocheting between the two disparate worlds throughout her teenage years. The exposure to these dichotomous urban landscapes proved formative and while Goad now remains rooted to Essex, her work is almost entirely informed by the traditions of Colombia.

Bridging the gap

After graduating in fashion and marketing – with an onus on the ethical side of retail – Goad consciously decided to spread herself thin in an effort to divine where her passion lay. As such, she interned at glossy magazines, was a sales assistant in a high-end boutique and began work as a stylist. Though she loved all three strands, it was the latter that stuck and she spent years working to make celebrities and actors look at their best.

But all the while, she clung on to a dream that had been simmering away on the backburner for years.

“I always found myself wanting to bring my own products into the boutique,” she laughs. “And it would always be something from Colombia that I fantastised about. So that got me thinking about designing my own products.

I love working with people and getting to meet as many brands as possible. What I’m doing now is all my passions rolled into one. But if I hadn’t done everything I’d done, I wouldn’t be doing this now.”

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BUSINESS: MAKING IT

The manifestation of that dream is Joyis (after Goad’s childhood nickname), her online and pop-up (next stop, Wanstead, 6th May) retail business, whose products are also stocked in resort wear shops in St Bart’s, Barbados and the south of France. Right now the main thrust of the business is hats, on which Goad works with traditional Colombian communities to design, create and import, bringing a slice of the country whose colours, music and fashion she sees as the most joyful in the world.

“I saw a gap in the market for products that kept their authenticity,” she explains. “I’ve always been inspired by people making things byhand. I think I picked it up as a child when we would travel about Colombia and meet traditional Indians. I was interested in indiginous communities and seeing that they make things as amazing as what you find in Harrods.

I wanted to bridge that gap.”

“He’s amazing!” she enthuses. “He travelled around South America, he spotted a pair of shoes, saw the potential in them and made his little dream a reality. He’s now stocked globally and the most important thing is his message: you buy a pair of shoes and he gives another pair away. He gives away free eye tests, he helps people with their education.

And he travels around America to tell kids what he does and inspire them.

That’s what I would like eventually – to be able to give back to the Colombian artisans I work with.”

stocked at Selfridges and Net A Porter. She’s learned the hard way that to make it in Listen to business, you have to “be th Podcas e hard on yourself”, perhaps t a t e1ife.c countering your natural o.uk/po dcast tendencies (in Goad’s case, towards being very laid back). And she warns against any temptation to be friends in commerce, noting with the weight of hard-won experience that, “when you’re too nice, people can take advantage. It can be hard to get to the point that you’re strong,

Giving back

The challenges are, she says, mostly in balancing quality consistency with celebrating the idiosyncratic nature of the handmade. “You have to keep a level of standards,” she advises. “And working with local communities, that’s always going to be the big issue. Nothing is ever going to be exactly the same. But I think even big brands are beginning to realise that you can work with artisans beyond Paris and Italy. I’m really conscious of things being perfect but sometimes I have to relax and realise that often the beauty is in things not being flawless.”

At present, she works with two traditional Colombian communities, of which there are six across the country. Her aspiration is to eventually collaborate with all of them – and other artisans from across the world. To her undying credit, Goad’s biggest dreams is to ape the philanthropic model so successfully carved out by Blake Mycoskie who set up the unstoppable TOMS Shoes.

Made with love

Her USP lies, she believes, in her experience as a stylist. “Coming from a styling background, I would never put something on someone else that I wouldn’t wear myself. If you buy a hat, it’s been designed by me and created with care. You’re buying from the communities that make them but also from someone who has created this thing with love and added to it to make it even more special.”

Though she doesn’t discount the idea of one day opening her own shop, for now, her ambition is to sell at pop-up mecca, Box Park in Shoreditch, and eventually to be

and perhaps not as friendly. There are boundaries.”

For now, she lives and dreams little but Joyis, which she hopes will expand beyond hats to the full complement of accessories and garments.

One day, she dreams of getting back to Colombia, where her mother still lives and where her heart lies.

“In Colombia I feel at my most creative. I wish I had the guts to live there but I haven’t reached that point yet.” Joanna Goad and Joyis have far too much to do on this side of the pond just yet. joyislondon.bigcartel.com

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ARTS & CULTURE: GLOBAL STREET ART

E H T F O T R A R E T T A M t Art, an e e r t S l a b ders of Glo for their work n u fo o c e one of th l platform is a g in le k a f o s t B is t mmunity r o a c Lee t d e n e r a t s e c s at give of commer e c n la initiative th a b l an artfu and strikes

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@agwa_tb

c

A

fter gaining a PhD in Mathematics and Evolution from Cambridge, a career in urban art hardly beckoned. But cofounder of Global Street Art, Lee Bofkin, has fused his business-savvy mind with his artistic passion to establish a unique creative platform.

Founded in 2012, Global Street Art strives to bring art to urban environments. The platform showcases thousands of artists from around the world, it organises community projects and supports itself through commissioned projects. It is responsible for organising around 2,000 legal murals in London, including more than half of those in the Brick Lane

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ARTS & CULTURE: GLOBAL STREET ART

@vovazom

b

@johnbeij

area since 2012. It is also active on housing estates and building sites around the capital. And with over 200k followers on Instagram, and half a million followers across all platforms in total, GSA is big on social media too.

Prior to setting up, Bofkin was a national break-dancer, but an injury forced him to develop other passions, one of which happened to be photographing the competitive subculture of graffiti. Now, his work promotes the ways in which street art and graffiti can build communities by engaging people and stimulating conversations. “It’s important to normalise art and I

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think it gives people a reason to stop and talk with each other,” Bofkin explains. “Public art encourages people to slow down, which leads to conversations and over time that supports communities.” he explains.

“Imagine you’re on a bus, you look out of the window and you see a mural… maybe it lifts your journey by some tiny amount. Cumulatively, given the number of people who see it, that’s a significant impact. That’s part of the power of public art.”

The organisation has struck a fine balance between its community work and commercial viability.

Having recently finished a project for Fendi in Rome, the agency works with some of the world’s leading brands yet, as Bofkin explains, “ninety per cent of the things we organise and support are non-commercial.” It is, he says, sustainable because “all the paint that’s left over from our commercial projects gets given back out into the community to help support painting in the housing estates, so it works well.”

The co-founder of GSA explains

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“ @autone1

Public art encourages people to slow down, which leads to conversations and over time that supports communities.” he explains. “Imagine you’re on a bus, you look out of the window and you see a mural… maybe it lifts your journey by some tiny amount. Cumulatively, given the number of people who see it, that’s a significant impact.

That’s part of the power of public art.

@jameschuter @saidokins

“

ARTS & CULTURE: GLOBAL STREET ART

that demand for painted cities has grown in recent years. “About six or seven years ago there weren’t many people helping street artists find walls, so they had to do a lot of their own administration, especially if they were a visiting artist from another country. It’s difficult to make a living in street art but there are growing opportunities.”

Puerto Rican artist, Gabriel Nieto, 27, has been featured on GSA’s online artist profile, which has grown his creative network and allowed his art to reach wider audiences. He explains the benefits of GSA: “Exposure is great for artists like me because often times my artwork is only seen by those who live locally.”

Based in NYC, Nieto complements his commissioned work with community projects. As a professional painter, he crafts murals for brands across the United States, while his social efforts seek to revive local neighbourhoods. He says: “Every day my work is changing – [it] has evolved from tagging graffiti on the streets of New York, to creating fine art for galleries.”

GSA finds balance in a myriad of unexpected ways: from sharing physical street art with a large digital audience to uniting landlords, artists, big brands and community-building projects. Global Street Art demonstrates just what can happen when you fuse great minds with creativity and the power of people. www.globalstreetart.com

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MARCH/APRIL 2018

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External computer generated image depicts London Square Spitalfields and is indicative only. Interior photography depicts The Show Apartment at London Square Spitalfields and is indicative only. Details and price are correct at time of going to press, March 2018.

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ARTS & CULTURE: GABRIEL NIETO

Art Attack E1 Life cover artist Gabriel Nieto opens his New York little black book

ISSUE 13 MARCH/APRIL 2018

Take me, I’m yours

R EXE

DI

CIS

ET

E

BALANCE

WOR K

TH AL

HE

FAMILY

It’s all in the mind The art of balancing

EVENTS

SOCIAL

BUSINESS

ART & CULTURE

FOOD & DRINK

work and life

NIGHTLIFE

HEALTH & BEAUTY

INTERIORS

TRAVEL

FAVOURITE RESTAURANT… Tres Hermanos taqueria in Bushwick, NY FAVOURITE MARKET… Smorgasburg Market NY FAVOURITE COFFEE SHOP… So many to say, so a top 5 would be; Don Ruiz coffee (Puerto Rico) Variety Coffee (NY) Wycoff Starr Coffee(NY) Blue Bottle (NY) Caficultura (Puerto Rico) PLACE TO CHILL… Rio Blanco (Puerto Rico) My Studio (NY) NYBG MET Museum My home town Caguas, Puerto Rico DESERT ISLAND FOOD...

Quesitos Empanada de guayaba Brazo gitano Pan de Mallorca

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“I can’t believe I still have to protest this shit”

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FOCUS: MODERN WOMAN

Time’s Up

I

Introducing Modern Woman, a new multi-media brand celebrating women in business and the workplace brought to you by RC Publishing

can’t believe I still have to their work takes them on adventures Rosie Coxshaw, Founder protest this shit...those were around the globe, or leads them into the simple, powerful and the great outdoors; whether they are disbelievingly world weary new to business and commencing words emblazoned upon their career journey, or whether their a baby boomer protester’s work is of a philanthropic nature; placard at the women’s march of whether their business is carved out 2016, held in response to the arrival of a desire to juggle domestic life of the unthinkable: the election with children and other life-balancing and inauguration of misogynist-inpursuits, or whether they’re wholly chief, President Trump. It’s the single-minded, Modern Woman is banner that everyone remembered, a place that offers a portrait of the because it eloquently expressed the real lives of successful ladies in the nexus of new wave feminism with workplace. It exists to empower, to the feminism that our mothers and influence and to support, and as a grandmothers fought for: an idea sounding board to breed confidence Modern Woman launches of equality. Our forebears fought among our highly able readership. on Thursday 10th May valiantly and achieved unprecedented In giving a platform to women Subscribe for the latest results, but to today’s warriors, blazing a trail in business, Modern news at modernwoman.co equality means more than securing Woman aims to address those rights to the vote, to take the pill or pressing issues at the core of new to call out sexual harassment. Today, wave feminism: that in the 21stequality means just that: equal pay and opportunities century, women in the workplace are still striving to for women as for men, and a world in which no one has be respected and have the equal rights; that a gender to say #MeToo. pay gap still exists; and that many women continue to That societal context is why 2018 felt like the be derailed from roles in which they would thrive were right moment to launch Modern Woman, a brand they given a chance. Not only in the United Kingdom accessible via a bi-monthly digital and print magazine, but also acknowledge other suppressed countries podcasts and events aimed at giving a voice to women which still have opportunity to further women’s rights. in business working in diverse industries to share Modern Woman launches Thursday 10th May, 2018 their inspiring stories and insight. Representing a and will be accessible as a digital and print magazine, cross section of powerful womenfolk, Modern Woman online news and podcasts followed by a series of celebrates that success comes in many different guises networking events.

– whether those women features are entrepreneurs; whether they do 80-hour weeks at a desk; whether @modernwoman_int

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LOIS

Winstone

Photography: Jack Alexander Stylist: Steve Vyse Jacket: Krasimira Stoyneva leggings: Rain Fashion UK. Sunglasses: Aldo Makeup: Jo Sugar using DHC Skincare, Mineral Air and NYX Cosmetics Hair by: Desmond Murray using matrix Special thanks: Motion Photo Studio and Pop PR

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Actress, artist and musician, is there anything this renaissance woman can’t do?

Podcast: Rosie Coxshaw Words: Nancy Larman

MUSIC: LOIS WINSTONE

the script. “The Game of Thrones sets are beautiful, the work that goes into them and the costume. I had to learn a monologue before because the script is so top secret.

And they put rice crispies on my face and gave me syphilis – lovely!”

Despite their shared screen time, her approach to her craft is, she explains, born of different motivations to those of her father. “Where I look at acting creatively, for him he goes to work. I can’t say that I’ve ever enjoyed working with my Dad because I’d rather work on my own in a way, though Hot Potato was good because we filmed in Brussels and spent a lot of time together in this beautiful place. But now I’m going to stick with what I’m good at: music.”

“

We made a lot of mistakes, now it feels like we know what we’re doing – not just with the music, but understanding the industry

You get the sense that while she expresses her creative impulses through a myriad of outlets, for Winstone, music will always be the imperative in her life. Now she’s back as the front woman of her band Lois and The Love after a period exploring work with orchestral metal band Wychhound, and with Mr. Psik, a producer and tattoo artist. “When I was little, I would always be hopping around to Annie Lennox and saying ‘Watch me!’ My parents were like, ‘Oh here we go, we’ve got another little diva. Go to bed!’ I’ve always known that I wanted to sing or dance and write poetry.”

Now seems like the moment for Lois and The Love and that she feels it too is palpable. “I feel very positive. We made a lot of mistakes, now it feels like we know

“

L

ois Winstone may hail from an East End acting dynasty, but you’d never guess from her demeanour that her family inhabit so stellar a world.

She arrives for our interview bestowing kisses and is all apologies and enquiries after my wellbeing. “Hi hun, you okay? So sorry I’m running late…don’t worry about showing me the questions, let’s just keep it natural.” And with that breezy introduction, she sets the stage for a matey and meandering chat devoid of the preciousness those well-acquainted with fame can be prone to.

And she is a proper East Ender too, having been born at St Bartholomew’s and grown up in Enfield. “I’m a little street urchin,” she jokes, her crescendoing raspy laugh fantastically dirty. “I had the best years of my life on my council estate up on Lavender Hill. It was the 90s, the kids could leave their doors open, there was good music about. We then moved to Roydon to a house, which we felt really lucky for.”

And as for all proper East Enders, family is at the heart of Winstone’s life. “We are a strong unit,” she enthuses. “My Mum is the inspiration for us all, she’s really the artist of the family. She’s the best mum in the world, my best friend and all-round hero.

I feel blessed, going from rags to riches, though we always had riches in our hearts.”

Elaine Winstone, materfamilias of the Winstone clan, studied at art school, while, famously, father Ray’s trajectory saw him go from humble beginnings to hitting the silver screen, typically in ‘hard man’ roles.

With parents like those, it seems inevitable that both Lois and her sister Jaime would gravitate towards the creative, though for Lois the urge spans the artistic gamut, from acting to music to fine art. With the former, it has been to her father that she has naturally looked for encouragement; she has acted alongside him multiple times, in Gary Oldman’s 1997 film, Nil By Mouth, as well Last Orders (2001), Everything (2005) and Hot Potato Listen to th (2011), while her latest acting role Podcas e t at e1ife.c was in that mine of great British o.uk/po dcast actors: Game of Thrones, for which she went out to Belfast without even having been allowed to peek

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what we’re doing – not just with the music, but understanding the industry. The tour of the UK should happen this summer – and then on to America. We’ve already got an album, which has a very American sound, which we produced with Youth, Martin Glover from Killing Joke. It’s quite Blondie. It’s uplifting. It’s raw.”

Whilst she has many musical heroes, she feels that empowered positive women are currently underrepresented. “I’ve always wanted to be a solo performer but Lois Winstone in Game of Thrones Lois Winstone and sister Jaime Winstone I think there’s something lacking with women in the music industry at Lois Winstone and dad, Ray Winstone the moment. People like Courtney Love… I always loved Nirvana but there’s more to women performers than that seedy, heroin side. I look up to Debbie Harry, Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks – I love their power.”

It’s rare that Winstone isn’t busy making work, whether she’s writing on the spot to a beat a producer has sent her (“if you write from the soul it comes naturally”), playing her guitar, making sculpture or drawing charcoal portraits of her wide circle of friends. Her big musical heroes growing up are, she says, now ‘mostly dead’, before reeling off a list of some of the greatest-ofe all-time rock gods that th Listen to at spans Prince and David t s Podca cast Bowie to Johnny Cash to d o /p k o.u Nirvana, while nodding e1ife.c to a few talents that are still kicking, including Lois Winstone and sister Lois Winstone and best Fleetwood Mac (“they have Jaime Winstone friend Steve Vyse heart and soul beyond belief”) and Madness. She rails against the vogue for reliance on computergenerated sound. “I see a lot of producers becoming lazy,” she laments. “Let’s just throw away our computers – why use a drum machine when you can just play the drums? I love digital but we need to think for ourselves more. As human beings, we need to keep it more raw, go back to vinyl. MP3 squeezes down and loses the soul – this is why I don’t use Soundcloud.”

In earlier years, Winstone garnered

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I look up to Debbie Harry, Kate Bush, Stevie Nicks – I love their power

“

MUSIC: LOIS WINSTONE

a reputation as a party girl. These days, she says, she’s happy to be booze-free and work-focused. “I’m getting my nut down for the minute, grafting. Time slips away, so we have to cherish the moment we have.”

“The most truthful people in my life are my sisters, Jaime and Ellie-Ray. They to me are my role models, they are out there man. My sister Jaime is she’s fearless. Her baby, Raymond, is my world.”

Although she describes herself as a tomboy, it is ultimately to women that Winstone looks for strength. “Women are the warriors of the world, we are the heart. A lot of religions put women down, I’m a very spiritual person. We have to spread the positivity.” Staying positive is something that comes naturally to Winstone. She reflects: “Everyone has and does suffer to a certain degree. But there are people being bombed in this world and I always think when I moan that I’m acting like a spoilt brat. We must remember what we have.” And what we have, she believes, we should share. “We are all immigrants, our ancestors were immigrants. This idea of building walls. Around what?” This impulse to share is entirely worthy of Lois Winstone: open-hearted, talented, strong and above all, a product of her extraordinary family.

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MAKING IT: JESS HARRIS

Meet Jess Harris: illustrator, founder of Jessicards and aspirant empire builder

What inspired you to become an artist?

I’ve always been arty and as a child I was forever making things.

If I wasn’t learning how to knit a teddy bear, I was designing the next season’s outfits! I get excited by the idea that anything really can become a piece of art – just look at Tracy Emin’s Unmade Bed. Art creates so many discussions. Art can be beautiful, controversial, abstract, simple, as well as many other things.

I hope that my drawings bring some happiness, colour and design into someone’s home.

How would you describe your work?

A mix between illustration with a hint of fine art perhaps. I use pen and collage predominantly and sometimes add a bit of watercolour if a drawing needs it.

Who do you aspire to meet and why?

I don’t think I can name one person.

I love mixing with all types, and some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met are just ‘ordinary’ people who have faced a situation and dealt with it. On a superficial level, I’ve always wanted to meet Ellen Degeneres – she’s a writer, a

producer, an actress and an LGBT activist. She’s an all-round talent as well as supporting various charities.

I’d love her as a dinner party guest.

What is your biggest dream?

It may sound cheesy, but my number one dream is to be happy. After that, my next dream is create a Jessicard brand. To be able to go to a department store and see makeup bags, cards, wallets and mugs all for sale with my name on them would be amazing. I want to see people using a Jessicard tote bag for their shopping. I want to have an illustration empire.

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

London is where my family and friends are. It’s the city I grew up in and that has helped me become the person I am. Besides, London is where it all happens: the West End shows, the art, the fashion, the restaurants. I love travelling, but I will always come home.

Follow Jessicards: Instagram @jessjessicards jessicards.co.uk

Black book Favourite restaurant?

Anything Thai. I love chicken satay and a green chicken curry. I just love eating out and food too much to choose one place.

Favourite market?

Portobello. I like looking for bargains and treasures. There’s a bit of everything there too. I also have some good memories of going there with my Dad last year.

Favourite coffee shop?

The Coffee Cup in Hampstead. It is small, cosy, old fashioned and I have had many happy snacks and meals there with friends and family.

They also do a great raison toast with salty butter.

Place to chill?

The sofa. Either at my best friend’s flat, my brother’s flat or at my parents’. Nothing like a sofa and a cup of tea.

Place to escape?

Anywhere with a pretty high street, some water and some greenery. I do like Brighton for the independent coffee shops, the vibrant vintage shops and the beach. You get a bit of everything, especially when the weather is decent.

Favourite area beyond the east?

Hampstead/ Kenwood and Hampstead Heath.

Desert island food?

Bread, peanut butter, Pink Lady apples and lots of delicious mango.

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Breakfast

BDQ

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

Our hot-right-now dining guide to satisfy every food whim Merchants Tavern Merchants Tavern, right in the heart of Shoreditch, is a veritable palace of simple pleasures. Although nothing in this old Victorian warehouse comes cheap, every element – both of the menu and the room – is beautifully designed. The exquisiteness of the food is thanks to supreme duo, Angela Hartnett and her partner Neil Borthwick, who together make this a powerhouse of culinary confidence, minus any try-hard gimmicks, tricks or fads. Dinners here are legendarily good (the mashed potato has reduced some critics to tears of grateful joy), but we’re here for brunch – and a finer place to langorously set oneself up for the day can scarcely be

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imagined. The classics are all accounted for, from porridge and granola to poached eggs with avocado, while more indulgent options include a dirty bacon, sausage and egg sandwich or deep-fried chicken with waffles.

We took the chicken schnitzel and mushrooms, spinach and artichoke for a test drive; suffice to say, our usual full English may not cut it again for quite some time.

36 Charlotte Road, EC2A 3PG www.merchantstavern.co.uk

FOOD & DRINK: BDQ

Quirky

Dinner Grand Trunk Road Within its first year of operation, South Woodford’s Grand Trunk Road had become one of the culinary stars of 2017, with head chef Dayashankar Sharma busy at the helm creating stunning dishes for diners to enjoy within an elegant, relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Inspired by the chronicled stretch of land built for traders in the 16th-century, Grand Trunk Road’s menu is a culinary tribute to the evocative flavours of Indian history. Our favourite is the chicken thighs with fresh spinach, coriander and green chillis, but the whole menu is exceptional. This vibrant newcomer will certainly become a road well travelled in our manor.

The Allegory The Allegory is the latest site to join Drake & Morgan’s exciting and burgeoning portfolio. Based on the ground floor of the Brookfield’s building on Worship Street and geared towards a young City crowd whose office doorsteps it sits on, this restaurant-bar is the place to be if you’re hungry from an all-nighter – either in the office or the nearby bars. It offers breakfast, dinner and everything in between. We love it for a its mouthwatering pastries, freshly ground coffee, sharing platters and smashing cocktail menu (we really could stay all the sybaritic live long day, even if they had to roll us out of the door by the end). The outdoor terrace will be a huge draw over the summer months, while inside you can find cosy candlelit corners, even though the main bar is capacious and open-plan. Our top menu tips are the heritage beetroot with whipped goat’s cheese and walnuts, and the pan-fried salmon with tenderstem broccoli, both of which we wolfed down with greedy gusto.

1A Principal Place, Worship Street, EC2A 2FA 020 3948 9810; www.drakeandmorgan.co.uk/the-allegory

219 High Road, E18 2PB; 020 8505 1965 www.gtrrestaurant.co.uk

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Cafe_caribbean Front 12x3inch Red & Orange 2+3 of 3

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

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FOOD & DRINK: EAT STREETS

Arepa & Co

EatStreets WORDS: LIAM BARKER

From Peruvian to Venezuelan and back to the good old English Caff: cuisine doesn’t come more international than E2

The newly opened second outpost of Arepa and Co delves even deeper into exemplary Venezuelan cuisine. Arepas are just the tip of the iceberg. At Paradise Row you will find small plates of ‘pastelitos’, light and fluffy puff pastry parcels; ‘hallaquitas’, steamed corn dough balls; and ‘tequenos’, cheese-stuffed pastries. There are also new fillings to accompany the restaurant’s

Song Que If you want a proper Pho ‘or Fuh’ as it is properly pronounced, Song Que is the place to go on the Pho Mile. Make no mistake; this isn’t fine dining, and nor is the service exemplary, but it’s all about the food. Expect big bowlfuls of warming pho and bun, which just hit the spot. The broths are flavourful, bold, and aromatic just as they should be.

If it’s your first time don’t be scared by the tendon or tripe on the menu – they make for the best soups.

signature arepas, such as tamarind and chipotle glazed crunchy fried chicken, and roasted aubergine and tahini with pineapple and coconut chutney. Set yourself up for the day with its Latin American style brunch: a big plate of scrambled eggs with fried peppers and onion, black beans, fried plantains, shredded beef, cheese and avocado.

songque.co.uk 134 Kingsland Rd, E2 8DY

arepaandco.com 254 Paradise Row, E2 9LE

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FOOD & DRINK: EAT STREETS

Andina Where do you take someone on a health kick for dinner without compromising on taste? (A clue: there’s a reason Andina is never empty). Its menu is packed full of fresh Peruvian flavours and vibrant veg. There are so many different types of corn, potato and grains, that you’ll never look at a quinoa salad the same way ever again. Of course, being Peruvian, there’s plenty of fresh ceviche too (fyi, tiger’s milk is the name for the basic ceviche marinade made using lime juice, sliced onion, chilies, salt, pepper).

Go for the recently rolled out brunch menu, which features some next level granola. andinalondon.com 1 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, E2 7DJ

E Pelicci

It’s that time of year again when we can finally start going al fresco again.

Where better to celebrate springtime than at Rochelle Canteen, with its daily menu of seasonal British cooking? Right now you’ll find wild game, fresh British vegetables, and classic desserts. It’s not fancy or cheffy – just beautiful, simple food. Rochelle Canteen is quite literally a hidden gem – it’s genuinely hard to find, given its location in the canteen of an old primary school. But it’s absolutely worth getting lost for.

Purveyors of the finest English breakfasts you’ll find anywhere – not just in east London – E Pellici is quite rightly an institution. Run by the same family that opened the doors back in 1900, not much has changed inside the Grade II-listed building over the last hundred years. A fry up only costs you six quid, and there are daily grills and Italian specials which are simple and comforting too. It’s the perfect spot to take friends or family looking for an affordable and authentically historic dining spot in London. The best way to start the day.

rochelleschool.org/rochellecanteen Rochelle School, Arnold Circus, E2 7ES

epellicci.com 332 Bethnal Green Rd, E2 0AG

Rochelle Canteen

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Spitalfields “Intensely good food”, Grace Dent on Canto Corvino

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Canto Corvino, 21 Artillery Lane, Spitalfields, London E1 7HA 020 7655 0390

www.cantocorvino.co.uk

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*Set menus from £24.50. See online for further details. Expires 30/11/17

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NIGHTLIFE: OUT OUT

Sushi Samba

Out out WORDS: LIAM BARKER

As we serve up our top EC2 bars, post-work tipples are always a goer, even on a school night!

It may not quite be pub garden weather, but thanks to a smattering of outdoor heaters and a plentiful supply of blankets, it’s definitely worth whizzing upward in London’s most famous lift for a few al fresco cocktails and an eyeful of unrivalled city views at Sushi Samba. Don’t forget to snap the classic Insta-shot of the prettiest tree in the capital and do try the exemplary sake; made to be sipped, it’s perfect to warm you up if it gets chilly out. sushisamba.com/london Heron Tower, 110 Bishopsgate, EC2N 4AY

Babble City Anywhere that extends the customary happy hour (singular) to the power of four gets our vote. Spread over three floors, the Crystal Bar is the place for celebratory drinks. Upstairs in the moodily lit Crimson Club, DJs spin tunes till the early hours, while The Boudoir is best left to the imagination (suffice to say, it’s best to ready yourself with a giant Pornstar Martini).

Bierchenke

On the capacious and industrial ground floor of the Montcalm London House Hotel, Burdock’s bar features four huge overhanging copper beer tanks, each filled with craft beer from London brewery, Long Arm Brewing Co. Have a go on the huge shuffleboard; we left none the wise as to the rules, but more sporting types may like to glance at their website, where you can find them in all their byzantine detail.

The summer of football is almost upon us and Germany, as ever, teeters at the top of the favourites to win. To get in das Deutsch spirit with an authentic Bavarian beer house experience (Oktoberfest – minus the hefty price tag), head to Bierschenke, which is as traditional as it gets outside of Munich. The golden stuff comes from a family-owned craft brewery in Bavaria, and is served in steins by staff dressed in Lederhosen and Dirndl – naturally. The place for drinking your own body weight in beer and then soaking it up with an outsize currywurst. Don’t miss the party for Eurovision on May 12th.

burdocklondon.com Montcalm Royal London House Hotel, 22-25 Finsbury Square, EC2A 1DX

bierschenke.co.uk London Wall Buildings, 4 Blomfield St, EC2M 5NT

babble-city.co.uk 45 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HU

Burdock

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A fine Balance

Cutting the addiction: Toby Harris instructs how not to allow striving for equilibrium tip the balance into creating stress of its own

P

ressure abounds.

Pressure to keep busy, to stay healthy and finally an often intolerable pressure to remain happy at all times in the process. Advice as to the necessity of achieving a balance between work and lifestyle is bandied around as if there’s a prescribed formula, yet there is no one-size-fits-all solution; we need to make it our own. For me, equilibrium comes naturally when we’re engaging with what we want to achieve, prioritising when we want to achieve it and recognising that life’s demands change from day to day. While the idea of work/life balance can be constructive, it can also induce a burden of its own. As priorities shift, excess in the short term might be necessary, so succumbing to a vice from time to time isn’t always such a bad thing either.

People often romanticise the idea of not having a care in the world, but research shows that low-to-moderate time pressure actually produces the happiest people. This is because having nothing to care about might get rather boring, while being ridiculously busy isn’t fun either – it induces stress and stifles creativity.

Studies show that our minds can wander just as easily when we’re busy as when we’re idle. A

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FEATURE: CUT THE ADDICTION

“

psychology report in 2010 assessed 2,250 adults to find out what they were thinking as they carried out various activities. It found that 43 per cent of participants found their minds wandering to pleasant thoughts, while 27 per cent strayed to some darker issues. The rest were somewhere in between. Even when thinking happy thoughts, participants were no happier than when they were fully engaged in their activity. All this suggests that being busy without being rushed enables us to produce our best work and it demonstrates how, if we

People often romanticise the idea of not having a care in the world, but research shows that low-to-moderate time pressure actually produces the happiest people

“

engage with what we do, we’re likely to be happier than when we let our minds go astray.

It can be difficult to achieve balance at work, but leisure time is short-lived and riddled with pressures too. There are a lot of balls to juggle between catching up with family, going out and keeping fit. And it becomes especially difficult when exercise and boozing hardly go hand-in-hand.

For me, the key is to actively engage in order to maximise the present, whether for work or for play. That might mean sometimes doing just the thing we feel we shouldn’t or cutting ourselves a bit of slack when we stray from a path we feel obliged to follow. It is all about perspective because we can only do one thing at a time… and there’s always a big picture to balance.

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“

Get used to hearing the name Charlie Duffield over the next few years. He will be a household name alongside the great stable of British boxing names that adorn our television screens, that include Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte MARCH/APRIL 2018

“

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SPORT: CHARLIE DUFFIELD

THE GOOD

FIGHT

In the ring with Charlie Duffield, the boxer who overcame adversity and realised his dreams to turn professional. By Alasdair Carpenter

C

harlie Duffield looks like exactly what he is: an unforgiving warrior who doesn’t know what a backward step is, let alone how to take one.

And while his opponents may not get a glimpse of it, underneath the tough guy exterior is one of the most genuine and personable young men you’ll ever have the pleasure to meet.

Duffield grew up the hard way, an all too well-worn trajectory for aspirant young boxers. At just 11 years old he joined West Ham boxing club as an outlet to enable him to escape the maelstrom of street fights and violence in his area. That he channelled his talents in the ring says a lot about his character; his performance within it, speaks for itself. It requires no embellishment to say Duffield took to boxing like the proverbial duck responds to its first experience of water. By the time he hit his sixteenth birthday, he had scooped the UK Schoolboy Boxing Championships; at 21, having made the finals of the ABA championship, a glittering amateur boxing career beckoned tantalisingly.

That was until fate cruelly intervened. Aged just 22, he tore his

rotator cuff, and just like that, the talented young fighter was forced to shelve his professional boxing aspirations. It was a devastating knock to a young man who was widely tipped to be the next big British boxing sensation. And it was a serious blow, both to Duffield, and to the wider sport. In the amateur ring, he had amassed over 80 fights; he lost only a handful, his record boasting wins over and above those of recognised professional fighters, such as world champion Lee Selby.

Duffield is very open and candid about how this grave disappointment led to a long hiatus where, in his own words, he began to ‘walk the wrong path’. It took the persuasive powers or his girlfriend, Carly, to convince him that if he didn’t chase his dreams, he’d be destined to live a life of regret. At the age of 27, after 5 long years in the wilderness, Duffield stepped out from the shadows and back into the ring with one aim: to turn professional.

As it transpired, Duffield’s early reputation as

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SPORT: CHARLIE DUFFIELD

a fearsome pugilist was justified: he won all three of his first professional fights by knock out. But despite the success, tragedy was once again waiting in the wings. His older brother Dean, the younger Duffield’s lifelong hero, succeeded after numerous attempts to take his own life, snuffing out a promising life that has been marred by drug and alcohol addiction. From a young age, the brothers had developed an unbreakable bond; for most of their lives they were inseparable.

Duffield received the hardest blow – harder than any received on the job – just as he was about to step into the ring for his fourth professional fight.

It went ahead as scheduled but Duffield’s heartbreak had dampened his enthusiasm for boxing; it would be his first and only professional loss.

He found himself at a crossroad, a familiar place throughout his life and career.

The choices were binary: to give up and call it a day or to use the pain caused by his brother’s struggles and death to fuel his desire to

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become a world champion.

Duffield displayed the true grit you’d expect from a champion. He immediately split from his trainer and signed to the world famous Mark Tibbs, under whose guidance he eats, sleeps and breathes boxing. He is the consummate professional and feared by everyone in the light heavy weight category. Charlie marked his return back to the ring under Team Tibbs for his fifth professional fight in spectacular fashion. He knocked out well-regarded prospect, Matty Parr, in the first round, sending a clear signal to everyone in the division: there will be no more wasted opportunities, no time off, and nothing and no one is going to stand in the way.

Get used to hearing the name Charlie Duffield over the next few years. He will be a household name alongside the great stable of British boxers who grace our television screens, including Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte. That he is a fighter is clear before the first punch has even been thrown.

Charlie’s next fight is on the 28 April at the Brentwood Centre; www.brentwood-centre.co.uk

2017

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: LONDON SQUARE

Fair & Square London Square sets a new standard in city living

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ward-winning residential developer London Square has unveiled London Square Spitalfields, a striking collection of 49 contemporary one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on iconic Commercial Street. Perfectly placed for both the City and vibrant east London, the development is set around the landscaped Mallon Gardens and Grade II-listed Toynbee Hall. The central location is just moments from Aldgate and Aldgate East stations, and is equidistant to the Crossrail stations of Whitechapel and Liverpool Street, offering outstanding connectivity.

All apartments are appointed to an exceptional specification, with features including timber flooring in the main living areas, stylish SieMatic kitchens with integrated appliances and wine coolers, spacious bedrooms and sleek bathrooms, appealing to the most discerning of City buyers. Landscaped outdoor spaces and a concierge service are additional luxuries for busy professionals living in such a central location.

Launched just last month, the stylish two-bedroom 874 square foot show apartment offers prospective buyers a taste of what could be. The interiors are designed by SUNA Interior Design with urban influences in mind, combining monochrome tones and gold hues, with industrial-inspired features reflecting the rich history of the local area. As with all apartments at the development, the show apartment boasts private outside space in the form of a versatile winter garden, ideal for entertaining friends for post-work dinner and drinks.

With a home in the heart of E1, residents at London Square Spitalfields have a host of cool eateries, shops and cultural hubs on their doorstep.

Gastropub, The Culpeper, is situated close by, with local cocktail bars such as Boundary offering some of the city’s best mixology. Iconic restaurants Duck & Waffle, Sushi Samba, Hawksmoor and Wright Brothers all provide fine dining options within easy walking distance, whilst Brick Lane is host to some of the city’s best independent eateries.

Old Spitalfields Market hosts a range of fashionable independent fashion

labels, while renowned art galleries, The Whitechapel Gallery, Red Gallery, Signal Gallery and Transition Gallery all call Spitalfields home.

Prices start from £699,950 for a one bedroom home.

Apartments will be ready for occupation from this winter.

To find out more please visit www.londonsquare.co.uk

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Something old, something new It’s a common misconception that contemporary kitchens are only suited to correspondingly contemporary homes.

Urban Myth demonstrates how modern aesthetics can breathe new life into period homes

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ADVERTISING PROMOTION: URBAN MYTH

I

n the UK we have a rich heritage of period and historic homes, but when it comes to designing the interiors old does not have to mean traditional.

At Urban Myth we believe that modern kitchens should not be restricted to contemporary homes. In fact, our very name originates from this common misconception. So often we find that period homes benefit greatly from the addition of a state-of-the-art new kitchen, with the contrast between sleek, minimal design and characterful original features really bringing a space to life.

Older properties may have structural elements that can’t be moved, but that doesn’t have to mean that a contemporary style kitchen won’t work for anything that isn’t an open, minimal and modern room. However, there are several ways that such original features can be incorporated into a design or, if necessary, concealed.

There are many design choices that can be applied to ensure the combination of old and new is seamless. For example, incorporating a wood veneer style cabinet can echo wood accents within your room and bring warmth to your scheme. In other scenarios, you can accentuate the differences by adding recessed lighting to highlight cornicing or original beams.

You can also take elements from traditional kitchens and combine them with a modern look; this kind of transitional style is becoming increasingly popular. Shaker kitchen doors can be defined by their recess panelled fronts and are often used in country style kitchens; however, the simple clean lines of their design can also work well for a contemporary space and by choosing a slim profile for your worktop, you will give your design more of a modern twist.

Of course, when designing a kitchen, the process is a balancing act between aesthetics and functionality which is why it is always a good idea to enlist the help of a kitchen designer at the start of your project.

When starting a new kitchen project, it is good to be open to new ideas that your designer may suggest. New colours, textures and layout options which you might not have thought of could be exactly right for your needs and your home.

At Urban Myth we believe that every kitchen is unique and as individual as you are. Whatever the age and style of your property, your kitchen should be designed around your lifestyle and your tastes – not the building it’s in.

To book an appointment with one of our designers call 020 8531 3413 or visit urbanmyth.net

MARCH/APRIL 2018

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La Isla Bonita Indulge your senses at Grand Portals Nous, Mallorca’s brand new boutique hotel, to create lasting memories in a place where anything can happen

T

he Grand Portals Nous is an adultsonly boutique venue in beautiful Mallorca, recently opened in March 2018. Just outside Puerto Portals, one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious marinas, the hotel is just 11km from Palma de Mallorca, with direct access to the beach.

Every aspect – the terrace restaurant with its views of the bay, the enchanting gardens, the luxurious spa – has been planned to comprehensively immerse guests in an atmosphere of calm, designed to elevate a place to stay to a place that stays with you.

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The interior of the hotel is the work of top Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, internationally renowned for his iconic interiors. All 66 exclusive rooms reflect his unique and playful sense of style, featuring a perfect mix of transparencies, shades of white and reflective surfaces that converge to create a warm and open space. He has skilfully converted the entire hotel into a work of art that is guaranteed to surprise and delight guests in search of pleasure and luxury on the shores of the Mediterranean.

On arrival, guests will be greeted with a butler service endorsed by the prestigious British Butlers Guild. Room choice spans executive doubles right

through to penthouse doubles, which come with a private terrace, jacuzzi and massage treatments in guests’ rooms. All accommodation features a Nespresso coffee machine, Bulgari Blue Tea amenities and a media hub.

There’s more.

Selected suites are designed to provoke endless pleasure for the senses, created around five themes: Naughty, Stargazer, Games, Heritage and Spa. The Naughty Suites are ideal for imaginative fun, with leather and silk textures, oversized beds, ceiling mirrors and much more.

The Games Suite houses a pinball machine, table football, games console

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and a putting green on the terrace.

The Stargazer Suite is perfect for admiring the constellations in the most luxurious setting: under a Swarovski starred ceiling with access to a professional telescope and a laser guiding you to the stars.

Penthouse suite guests have the keys to a BMW hybrid that is theirs to use throughout their trip.

When – indeed, if – you want a change from 24-hour room service, grab a table at Astir, a gourmet restaurant with an exclusive supplier: Bodega El Capricho. Its meat is considered among the world’s best, and can be enjoyed alongside breath taking views of cliffs and rugged coves that

form a sharp contrast with the beaches lining the Malllorcan coastline. Culinary delights are paired to perfection with an extensive and meticulously selected wine list.

Indulgence is balanced by wellness or, rather, the world’s first Wellness & Beauty Institute. Pick from an extensive range of luxurious facial and body treatments at the Beautysphere, a collection of five treatment rooms, including one double, a manicure and pedicure studio and a hairdressing salon.

The Wellnessphere is free for guests and has a Finnish sauna, biosauna, Turkish bath, contrast pool, ice fountain and six different types of showers.

The services include free facial, body, nutrition and lifestyle assessment, as well as free access to the fitness room, which is fitted with state-of-theart Technogym equipment, ideal for programming personalised sessions.

These services are the perfect complement for golfers who will enjoy playing on any of the seven courses situated within easy reach of the hotel, such as the Bendinat Royal Golf Club, whilst sea lovers will be able to try their hand at a range of water sports.

The hotel’s Guest Experience Service will ensure you get the best of the island, organising anything you want from queue-jumping at top restaurants to a personal shopper, nightlife advice and last-minute boat or helicopter reservations.

Guests can also enjoy access to the trendy Puro Beach Club’ via an exclusive transfer service from the hotel. The Grand Portals Nous invites you to sample luxury at its finest. Get in touch for further details and to book: Abbotts Travel, 134 George Lane, South Woodford E18 1BA 020 8989 9445 info@abbottstravel.com www.abbottstravel.com

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A delight for the senses.

ABBOTTSTRAVEL.COM

INFO@ABBOTTSTRAVEL.COM

Call the number below for further details

0208 989 9445

TRAVEL: TOWN & COUNTRY

Town

&

Country

Balance is everything. After a restorative stay in Bath Spa, we head for more of the same in the country, courtesy of the sublime Chewton Glen

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Town

The Gainsborough Bath Spa, Bath

W

hile its gleaming Georgian façade exudes polished grandeur, there is no hauteur about the welcome at Bath’s newest five-star hotel, right in the middle of town, which is all warmth. We’re soon on first name terms with all the staff, who’ve checked us in and whipped away our bags before you can say ‘spa break.’

And yet those are surely the words on every guest’s lips, thanks to the fact that the hotel’s name refers to more than just its spa town location.

Offering all the well-documented benefits of Bath Spa’s healing waters, extolled since Roman times, the hotel’s refreshingly contemporary take on age-old rituals allows guests to take a circuit of three natural

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thermal plunge pools, all housed within a resplendent glass atrium.

After which restoral and renewal, relaxed guests can dip in and out of the saunas, steam rooms and even an ice alcove, the waters of which are all supplied by Bath’s original thermal spring. Treatments are influenced by Malaysian healing customs, though it is thanks to a Swedish massage that we emerge unwound and smelling of neroli, rosemary and pine. As befits a member of the Leading Hotels of the World group, this sets high standards for the operation as a whole – and then exceeds them. In a town that has always been a big draw for visitors, this excellent 2015 addition has raised the game.

On the third floor, our luxurious lodgings offer stunning views over Bath through elegant sash windows, allowing us to see everything from the Abbey to the fields beyond.

Lovely touches abound, from the welcome bottle of Billecart-Salmon and selection of sweet treats to the gloriously comfortable bed.

Chef Dan Moon, who himself hails from the West Country and thus understands what it is to cook locally, is behind the restaurant that bears his name, where guests can choose from the a la carte to

a creative six-course tasting menu.

Thanks to his own links to the area, expect to sample seasonal examples of the cream of the west, from Creedy Carver duck and the wild garlic that proliferates in the countryside to Bath Blue Cheese and Mendip lamb, as well as Wye Valley asparagus. But what makes the evening so special is that the staff give every impression of wanting you to have the best time possible.

This newcomer is reassuringly excellent in all regards, making guests’ stay a sybaritic pleasure. You won’t want to leave. thegainsboroughbathspa.co.uk

y r t n Cou

TRAVEL: TOWN & COUNTRY

Chewton Glen, Hampshire

T

here is little, in a sense, that needs to be said about the doyen of England’s luxury hotels, the great Chewton Glen.

The ethos is, and has been for decades, of sophistication, of luxury without bling and of creating a home-from-home.

Yet Chewton Glen, like everywhere of its calibre, has to innovate.

People with deep wallets and expensive tastes are highly selective, and expect 21st-century luxury of a calibre equivalent to any newly built five-star behemoth. A few years ago, this took the form of opening uberluxurious treehouse suites within the grounds, complete with al fresco hot tubs, welcome bottles of Taittinger and the ‘breakfast boxes’ delivered to one’s room for a lavish picnic.

Now, the latest innovation is a more food-oriented one. The celebrity chef James Martin differs from many of his peers in firstly being a hands-on presence in his restaurants. Thus, it comes as something of a boon that he has

worked with the hotel to open a new and decidedly exciting restaurant and cookery school, The Kitchen.

Unlike the more formal main hotel’s dining room, the emphasis here is on keeping things family-friendly and at a reasonably accessible price point. Thus, a small toddler might be placated with pineapple and pancetta pizza (which, frankly, her parents looked at with growing envy as she happily wolfed it down) and a scoop of delicious Laverstoke Park Farm ice-cream, while aforementioned grown-ups might feast on mussels and local chorizo to start, followed by panzanella salad and (very good) rib-eye steak.

The wine list, by standards of five-star hotels, is a steal, with a bottle of light and delicious English wine costing a mere £25. Even the cocktails, at a tenner apiece, represent excellent value, compared to what you might expect.

James Martin’s presence in the adjacent cookery school is keenly felt, as underlined by a life-size portrait of him in the lobby. He hosts a dozen classes a year, which are announced at relatively short notice, and allow the lucky ten who can book the chance to have an intimate experience with one of Britain’s most beloved chefs. Yet

even if you’re not attending one of those, there are plenty of other treats, such as events with guest chefs including Duck and Waffle’s Dan Doherty, and a variety of classes aimed at everyone from the aspirant Fanny Craddock to the most limited of novices. Even children can get in on the fun, with a ‘Junior Chef’ class aimed at the eight to twelve year olds. Expect mess, fun and the chance to get one’s son or daughter to whip up an award-winning soufflé upon returning home.

We stayed the night in the beautifully furnished ‘Croquet Room’, which has a vaguely baronial air, thanks to the tartan armchairs, tastefully muted wallpaper and sense of refined comfort; the complementry half-bottle of champagne made for a splendid accompaniment to a post-prandial muse, uninterrupted except by the gentle slumbering noises of a replete small child. Which was, to be fair, much how her parents felt the next day, after an excellent breakfast in the main hotel. Parting is such sweet sorrow, as Juliet might have told Romeo, but the hope with Chewton Glen is, forever, that it is ‘adieu’ and not ‘au revoir’. chewtonglen.com

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TRAVEL: GLAMPING

CARRY ON

GLAMPING Summer’s on the horizon and the call of the wild beckons. Get back to nature with this trio of glamping destinations (after all, there’s getting back to nature, and then there’s doing it in style and comfort) Crafty camping

Set in the glorious West Dorset countryside, this adult-only (sorry kiddies) luxury glamping experience is the perfect get away for nature lovers who also happen to be comfort lovers. Situated in its own private woodland, the almost unbelievably peaceful accommodation is found in beautifully appointed hand-crafted cabins, from where you can listen to the sound of chirruping birds – while clinking glasses on your private balcony. The brainchild of Guy Mallinson, the onus is on style here; so much so, in fact, that the Woodsman Treehouse scooped the RIBA’s Small Project of the Year award, as well as winning plaudits from both George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces show and from Grand Designs.

All the accommodation features king-sized beds, and each tent has its own private clearing or deck,

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ensuring privacy and total seclusion.

Expect proper flushing loos, famous ‘tree showers’ and sauna-in-a-yurt, as well as access to wi-fi in the kitchen and communal yurt. Feeling especially crafty? Try your hand on a green woodworking course, available at various times throughout the year. mallinson.co.uk

Lawrenny Glamping

Relative newbies to glam camp, Amber and her husband are nonetheless doing it with all the panache of old hands. That’s probably because, although they’ve only been glamping hosts for a year, they’ve been running their stunning farmhouse B&B for far longer. In a bid to welcome those who prefer to take their forty winks al fresco, the duo has built spectacular a walled garden, which provides a large expanse for additional tents – which in turn means that you can bring

the whole family en masse. After all, who wouldn’t want to experience this astonishingly beautiful landscape, set above the River Cleddau in Britain’s only coastal national park? Within walking or cycling distance of the village shop and two great local pubs, there is a whole network of footpaths around the estuary too. A slipway and boatyard just a mile away is the perfect launch point for the Milford Haven Waterway for kayaks, dinghies and powerboats. Don’t fancy camping?

Just opt for the main house, which is as comfy and cosy as it comes. knowlesfarmhouse.com.

Cuckoo Down Farm

Cuckoo Down Farm is set in beautiful Devon countryside near the spectacular World Heritage coastline at Sidmouth and its beautiful – not to mention safe – beaches. There are four beautifully decorated safari lodges – some with hot tubs for those inclined to blissful repose – and two gorgeous yurts, which provide relaxed and easy glamping, designed with couples and families in mind.

It’s a great place to bring the kids; not only is there a veritable farmyard of creatures to pet, including ponies and chickens, there are campfires to sing round, thirty acres of unspoilt meadows and eve a Forest School with a plethora of activities in our three-acre oak and bluebell wood.

One thing’s for sure; the smalls will sleep well here. Expect all the comforts of glamping, with hot showers, wood burning stoves to cosy up to, sofas, rugs and double beds.

The most joyfully magical place for a family getaway. cuckoodownfarm.co.uk

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LAST WORD: E.PELLICCI

Eastender

Meet Anna from E.Pellicci, whose family has been serving some of the best breakfasts in town for 120 years. The secret? Love, actually

Nevio junior, Maria and Tony in 2012.

Image by Colin O’Brien. E. Pellicci cafe & restaurant has been awarded Grade IIlisted status by English Heritage

E

. Pellicci is an east London institution that’s been serving up a fine English breakfast for almost 120 years.

Priamo Pellicci proudly opened the doors to his café on Bethnal Green Road in 1900, which he managed with his wife, Elide.

It has remained in the family ever since. Three generations later, we caught up with Anna, who now runs the family business with her mother Maria and brother Nevio Jr. You’re Italians who happen to make the best English breakfasts in the capital. What’s the secret?

I think that the most important thing is that you need to want to be there; it makes everything you do better.

As corny as it sounds, what we eat needs to be made with love – that’s the secret ingredient.

As rents rise, how do you balance that with keeping your prices down?

We’re incredibly lucky that we own our small building. It was bought by my grandparents when the East End was a slum, and it wasn’t worth much at all. We probably would not be able to do so today.

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Can people really start their day with a proper cooked breakfast and still stay in good shape?

Of course they can. Opt for poached eggs, grilled tomatoes and bacon, maybe add some spinach and top the tomatoes with olive oil and basil.

It’s probably better for you than most of the sugary breakfast cereals out there!

You’re an institution in east London.

We saw that Ray Winstone popped in the other day. Which other big names have been through your door?

We’ve served the likes of Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Frank Lampard and Idris Elba. There are lots more but I can’t recall them all now.

We have a celebrity album book at the café. Ray Winstone is one of our own though.

Is there a lot of pressure working for a business that’s been in your family for 120 years?

Of course, there has been 120 years of hard work to build up a reputation. We’re extremely grateful for what we’ve inherited but it also comes with a responsibility to carry on the good name and to honour the hard work that our parents and grandparents put in before us.

What are the biggest challenges of running the business?

The pressure of price increases, constant new competition, all the extra paperwork and making sure everything is kept up-to-date. Every week something seems to go wrong, like the fridge breaks, or the coffee machine fails.

Families argue at the best of times,

Alfie, Maria, Tony and Nevio 1990. Image by Colin O’Brien. Maria’s son Nevio Jnr., daughter Anna and cousin Tony are the present team that run the E. Pellicci cafe business

so what’s it like working with your siblings and cousins?

When we were younger, my brother and I would argue a lot but since both having children, it’s made us appreciate how and why our parents worked so hard. I think we’re both on the same page now. We do argue sometimes but it’s quickly forgotten. It’s great but it’s hard work and often tiring, and sometime a worry, which can affect ‘life-life’.

Is someone already lined up to be the next head of the family business?

Nev and I run it together with Mum. It would be lovely if one of our kids wanted to run it, but I don’t know if they want to do it. We would never force them. It’s hard graft.

Who cooks at Christmas?

I bloody cook at Christmas!!! Well, Mum prepares the most wonderful meat-filled tortellini and broth that we have for our first course. I do the roast… and my mother-in-law usually prepares the puds, so it really is a family affair, much like in the café.

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

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

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