Urban Village March-April 2020

Local Stories | Gig Guide | Music | Art | Culture | Food | Fashion & Community

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TIM RITCHIE "Photographer of Emptiness" ATYP WORKSHOPS OPEN IN SURRY HILLS

New Digs for

GIANT DWARF EASTER POETRY FESTIVAL SURRY HILLS LIVE KICKS OFF

Nomad’s

Jacqui Challinor WORK/LIFE BALANCE IN THE KITCHEN

M a r c h /A p r i l 2 0 2 0

No. 12

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Also

Look out for

heads

up!

25A THEATRE SERIES AT THE BELVOIR Now until 12 December: A series of low-cost independent productions from emerging artists, running throughout the year at The Belvoir Downstairs theatre – the perfect intimate space to experience shows up close. More info: belvoir.com.au.

ART MONTH 6-29 March: March is Sydney’s Art Month: Surry Hills events include Golden Age screening outrageous art world satire The Square (directed

by Ruben Östlund), described by The Guardian as “performance-art cinema”, and Paramount House Hotel showcasing ceramics by Glebe’s kil.n.it studio. More info: artmonthsydney.com.au.

P—TCODE:2010 FESTIVAL 10-12 April: Poetry Sydney presents the inaugural inner-city Sydney poetry festival in the postcode of 2010, extending to Darlinghurst and Surry Hills. Program to be announced. Visit poetrysydney.org for info and local poetry reading events.

ALFRESCO FESTIVAL 2020 15th March

Save

the Date

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Join us at the best tables in the neighbourhood: We’re bringing the finest local dining experience to Devonshire Street’s Ward Park for a summer long-lunch afternoon.

Featuring Brix Distillers, Four Pillars, Yulli’s Brews, Serendipity, Soul Dining, The Essential Ingredient, The Winery, Tilly May’s and Yulli’s, as well as roving performers and entertainment, dine Alfresco style and be part of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct’s inaugural Alfresco event.

For info and tickets head to: shcp.org.au

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SYDNEY COMEDY FESTIVAL 20 April-17 May: Every April and May, hundreds of the world’s funniest comedians take to stages across Sydney. The Festival kicks off with lavish gala events: the Sydney Comedy Festival Gala at State Theatre, Enmore Theatre, The Concourse Chatswood and Riverside Theatres in Parramatta.

More info: sydneycomedyfest.com.au.

VIVID SYDNEY 22 May-13 June: Sydney’s biggest festival of lights, music and ideas returns this May. Full program of local events to be announced. More info: vividsydney.com.

From the

Editor

Lachlan Colquhoun lachlan@urbanvillage.com.au

J

acqui Challinor was sitting opposite me, positively radiating good health after a holiday scuba diving in the Maldives.

Was I really in the presence of one of Sydney’s leading executive chefs? In my experience, this genre of human rarely sees the light and has a countenance

Editor Lachlan Colquhoun Words Tess Scholfield-Peters, Grace HarrisGalbraith, Dave Mash, Sean Masters, Angela Stretch, Glen Hare, Mike Galvin, Jimmy Wong, Dean Francis, Luke Wood, Rodney Henton, Alina Camiller and Dr Nima Rahmani

eroded by the hard living which comes as a response to mega hours spent in the kitchen.

It may have been her recent return from holidays, but Jacqui struck me as atypical when it comes to chefs.

Her focus not only on her own well being but that of her team was more like that of an enlightened corporate leader concerned with fostering a healthy culture. It was as refreshing as her signature Ceviche.

And its not as if the culture at Challinor’s restaurant Nomad hasn’t had a few challenges.

They’ve endured a fire which destroyed the kitchen at their previous venue, and – truly Nomad like – had to relocate in a big hurry to the former Long Grain premises on Commonwealth Street.

Fortuitous of course that the venue became available

just at the right time, because otherwise Jacqui and her team would be sitting around twiddling their thumbs sweating on the repairs at their original Foster Street location. That would be good for nobody on any side of the restaurant equation: staff, suppliers, or diners.

It’s a great story of resilience which leads what could loosely be our “food edition”, which also includes new ideas from Jimmy Wong, and covers community eating events such as last month’s successful Picnic in Ward Park, and the upcoming Al Fresco.

As we all know, our part of the world is a culinary (insert adjective here: mecca, oasis, haven, revelation), so we are pleased to raise our glasses, pick up our knives, forks, spoons or chopsticks, and get eating, or even reading this edition of Urban Village.

Urban Village is published in by Urban Village Media Pty Ltd with co-operation from the Surry Hills Creative Precinct, Potts Point Partnership and the Darlinghurst Business Partnership. Our purpose is to strengthen relationships and co-operation between the business community, residents, visitors and workers of Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Potts Point and the surrounding neighbourhoods. While all efforts are made to ensure information is accurate, Urban Village Media and our co-operating chamber partners, take no responsibility for errors or omissions.

Images James Ervine, Sean Masters, Tim Ritchie, Walter Maurice, Jimmy Wong

Design & Layout Ben Eckersley Publisher Urban Village Media Pty Ltd ABN 68 623 934 609

Cover Terry Serio Cover Photo Walter Maurice All Enquiries Tel: 02 7904 5979 Email: info@urbanvillage.com.au Office: PO Box 644 Surry Hills NSW 2010 ISSN 2208-6242

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Sydney Premiere performance event screening of Text Messages from the Universe, Directed by Richard James Allen and produced by The Physical TV Company 2019.

Inaugural inner city

Poetry Festival arrives this Easter Poetry Sydney presents the inaugural inner city Sydney poetry festival, P - - tcode: 2010, taking place in the postcode district of 2010 (Darlinghurst and Surry Hills) over the Easter weekend.

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ith events taking place over three days at several venues, P - - tcode: 2010 will see a variety of performances ranging from open readings at the Hollywood Hotel to spoken word accompanied by music at the East Sydney Creative Arts Centre (ESCAC).

“We are going to celebrate poetry in all its forms, as an art form with robust conviction from the participating poets, local businesses, those who create arts and culture, community and poetry lovers from across Sydney and NSW,” said Angela Stretch, festival creative director and curator of the poetry program at the Brett Whiteley Studio at the Art Gallery of NSW. “We are keeping it local, with poets from the city and NSW on the program, including programs curated by convenors of the various poetry events throughout greater Sydney.”

Festival Headquarters (HQ) is at Disorder Gallery, the official poetry book and merchandise sales station and reading green zone. Coffee, wine and refreshments are available.

Throughout the Festival poets featured are programmed for short intimate readings.

“Throughout the Festival, members of the public can interact with poetry about life in the inner city and postcode 2010. We’ll be making certain excerpts available so people can Instagram a 2010 postcode location as a response to those selected verses,” said Ms Stretch.

The inaugural P - - tcode 2010 opens at 7pm on Friday 10 April, with readings and events on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 April. The full program will be launched in March.

To keep informed register to the Poetry Sydney newsletter at www. poetrysydney.org Festival highlights: Opening night Gala on Friday 10 April, 10-20, features 10 poets reading for 10 minutes. Poets include: Alise Blayney, Peter Boyle, John Carey, Anne Casey, Toby Fitch, Andy Kissane, David Stavanger, Bjorn Stewart, and Ali Whitelock. Live Poets Society celebrate 30 years, Brook Emery will be in conversation with the Convener Danny Gardner. The evening showcases a musical performance by composer and

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pianist Anton Koritni.

Romantics is the Australian premiere of The Crumbling Mansion

by Charles Freyberg; Tragic Romantics is a concert performance of original music by classically trained composer pianist Anton Koritni, inspired by the great poets of the Romantic period at ESCAC. Curator Djon Mundine OAM, presents a series of three performances in a first nations song cycle that explores media poetics and language art.

Multiplicity is a one-hour feast of multilingual poetry in Hindi, Russian, Turkish, Urdu and English

by Tatiana Bonch-Osmolovskaya, Halee Isil Cosar and Neera Handa.

Australian Poetry presents a curated members reading of poetry written on life in the inner city and postcode 2010. Excerpts from selected poems will be available to the public to find a place in the 2010 postcode, photograph and upload to Instagram.

Sydney poets on the Australian psyche will read poetry from the anthology, To End All Wars, Puncher and Wattman 2018.

Poets include: Susan Adams, Seber Aydjinlik, Maragret Bradstock, H Isel Cosar, Anna Couana, Andy Kissane, Bota Krili, Cervet KÖrdeve, Chris Mansell, Norm Neill, Mark O’Flynn, Brenda Saunders, Willem Tibbens, Saba Vasliyi and Les Wicks.

A panel discussion on publishing projects presented by Verity La chaired by Michele Seminara and co-editors from specialised themed publications: Alise Blayney, Clozapine Clinic; Brenda Saunders, Black Cockatoo; Tricia Dearborn, Out of Limbo; Gaele Sobott, Disrupt and Saba Vasefi, Discoursing Diaspora.

Blood in the Water is the Australian premiere of a multimedia documentary work which investigates the space between thought and action, the poetic and the political; where the individual and public self overlap. The work comprises film, song and installation was written and produced by Geoffrey Datson and Annette Hughes as artists in residence in Hungary at Art Quarter Budapest 2018- 19.

A screen event of video poetry and performance in collaborative

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exposition from Girls on Key curated

by Anna Forsyth and Poetry Sydney.

Video art by JD Young produced for Sydney Writers Festival productions City Nightfall by Kenneth Slessor and Love at the Bar 2008, 2009 and 2010, will be exhibited at Disorder Gallery.

The Big ‘O’ and Festival wrap party on Sunday 12 April, showcases original music and spoken word

by Suburban Bukowskis, Adam Gibson and Datsun Hughes at the Hollywood Hotel. Spot prizes include a night at the Hollywood Hotel. It is also the Festival big open reading with MC Benito DiFonzo.

To register in the open read: mail@ poetrysydney.org Poets include: Richard James Allen / Seber Aydnjinlik / Susan Adams / Alise Blayney / Margaret Bradstock / Anne Casey Tatiana Bonch Osmolovskaya / Peter Boyle / John Carey / Anna Couana / Halee Isil Cosar / Geoffrey Datson / Tricia Dearborn / Benito DiFonzo / Brook Emery / Anna Forsyth / Toby Fitch / Charles Freyberg / Danny Gardner / Adam Gibson / Annette Hughes / Neera Handa / Bota Krili / Andy Kissane / Cervet KÖrdeve / Chris Mansell / Djon Mundine OAM / Norm Neill / Mark O’Flynn / Gaele Sobott / Brenda Saunders / David Stavanger / Bjorn Stewart / Willem Tibbens / Saba Vasefi / Saba Vasliyi / Ali Whitelock / Les Wicks Musical performances include: Adam Gibson / Anton Koritni / Datson Hughes / Peter Urquhart / Suburban Bukowskis Media Poetry include: Datson Hughes / JD Young Poetry Festival dates: 7-10pm Friday 10 April 2020 | Gala event opening | East Sydney Creative Arts Centre 11am - 10pm Saturday 11 April 11am - 9pm Sunday 12 April 2020 Festival HQ: 11am-6pm Saturday and Sunday 11-12 April 2020 | Disorder Gallery Poetry Venues include: Lord Roberts Hotel, Rydges Sydney Central, East Sydney Creative Arts Centre Disorder Gallery Hollywood Hotel More to be announced.

Giant Dwarf to re-open at 280 Cleveland On the eve of the sold out Goodbye 199 show, Giant Dwarf Theatre is pleased to announce that - just 10 days after a rent hike forced it out of 199 Cleveland Street (its home since 2014) - the theatre will re-open on Friday 20 March just up the road at 280 Cleveland Street.

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iant Dwarf Theatre has secured a short term lease to the premises vacated in late 2019, after a decade in residence, by Sydney’s only artist-run live music venue Venue 505 (which continues to operate in Newtown as part of the Old 505 Theatre).

“This lease is a lifeline for Giant Dwarf Theatre,” said co-founders Nikita Agzarian and Julian Morrow. “We thought we’d have to close forever, but now we’ve got a few months to try and keep GD alive as a supportive home for comedy, music, storytelling, theatre, podcasting - and all sorts of new and exciting content - in Sydney.”

Agzarian and Morrow are hopeful that the wave of affection and support which came after news of the rent hike at 199 Cleveland Street, and a new landlord more supportive of the arts, will make it possible for 280 Cleveland Street to become Giant Dwarf Theatre’s permanent home. “The plan is to stay here long term and to be the live venue which is Sydney’s best incubator of emerging talent, not Coronavirus” Agzarian and Morrow said The new Giant Dwarf Theatre will open its doors at 6pm on Friday 20th March, ahead of FREE public grand slam heck of an opening show starting at 7:30pm which

will feature an array of impressive Sydney artists to be announced soon.

Giant Dwarf plans to continue hosting jazz and other music events at the venue, continuing the tradition nurtured by Venue 505 operators Kerri Glasscock and Cameron Undy over the last decade.

The GD team is working on hard programming the new venue, and is accepting shows from 21 March onwards.

Venue inquiries should be directed to bookings@ giantdwarf.com.au.

Shows at Giant Dwarf will continue to be listed at giantdwarf.com.au, and the new line-up includes crowd favourites such as Story Club, Queerstories, Dragon Friends, and Generation Women. Some of the first new shows you’ll be able to catch are gigs such as the Sydney exclusive of Rob Carlton’s new one-man show; a brand new storytelling event called Flame Nights, Drag King shows, stand up gigs, and so much more.

For more info contact: Hannah Watkins Publicity on 0411 362 727 or email: hannah@hwpublicity.com.au.

Zelda Chambers on 0433 590 204 or email: zelda@ hwpublicity.com.au

Local Rewards: it’s coming!

Here’s a callout to merchants and consumers to get involved in Local Rewards, the locally focused rewards scheme which launches across Surry Hills, Darlinghurst and Redfern in April 2020. Go to www.localrewards.com.au to express your interest. The new scheme promises a win for consumers who are loyal to local merchants and offers merchants a new way of inspiring loyalty from their customers. Local Rewards is an initiative of the Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Urban Village media with leading fintech partner Open Sparkz, with initial support from the City of Sydney.

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oyalty schemes are everywhere, but most of the benefits go to the scheme operators, and most of these are large national corporates with no connection with local markets.

Spend thousands at a national grocery chain, and the best result from their loyalty scheme is maybe a new sandwich maker.

As for airline schemes, who hasn’t been ultimately frustrated at seeing the number of points you need for the flight you want?

So…enter Local Rewards, a new communitybased program created by the Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Urban Village with the aim of creating a win-win for local consumers and merchants and fostering a more vibrant and innovative business eco-system in our own backyard.

Local Rewards has some fundamental differences from other schemes.

First of all, there are no special cards or tokens.

All a consumer has to do is go to the Local Rewards website www.localrewards.com.au and register the MasterCard of their choice (other scheme cards will follow the initial rollout).

Then, when they go into a merchant who is a Local Rewards participant, they will receive an automatic 10 percent ‘cash-back’ on the price of any purchase above $20.

All of this happens in the background. The consumer doesn’t even have to mention that the

card is registered with Local Rewards – the system recognises the card and credits the discount reward back to the cardholders account.

If the cardholder wants, those rewards can also be allocated to the benefit of local schools, charities or community groups.

You want to donate to a local primary school?

You can do this through shopping locally and using Local Rewards.

For merchants, there is no point of sale integration or staff training involved. Once again, it happens automatically in the background.

Local Rewards is using technology from award winning Sydney fintech company OpenSparkz, which is being rolled out in much larger schemes across South East Asia and Australia.

The Surry Hills Creative Precinct and Urban Village are partnering with OpenSparkz to explore what can be achieved in a locally focused community based loyalty scheme, so Local Rewards is something of a first in Australia.

Local Rewards will also help fund the Surry Hills Creative Precinct, so benefits will be shared through the local business community.

More details will be released in coming months as the scheme is rolled out, and information will come from www.localrewards.com.au and from Urban Village.

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At the recent Picnic event in Ward Park at the end of February, everyone was on picnic blankets with the exception of one group, who had tables, tablecloths, and even knives and forks.

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I saw people talking to people they didn’t know and I saw them wandering off after lunch together as friends, it was great to see...

it didn’t stop him getting involved with some of the younger locals at the Picnic event.

The VW Kombi façade was a popular spot for photos through the day, and was particularly popular with kids.

“There was a basket with Hawaiian leis, and the kids got hold of them and it became a bit of a game,” he said.

“Kids came from every corner of the park and congregated and gathered around the Kombi.”

The Picnic event, he said, was a success because it brought out so many locals and was a great opportunity for Surry Hills people to meet each other.

“It wasn’t just the seniors, it was locals from all age groups engaging at all levels,” he said.

The Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre offers monthly bus trips for seniors. Be at the Centre on the first Tuesday of every month by 8.30 am and check into the office.

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Local

ot that this group was especially privileged, it was more a question of practical comfort.

This was the group enjoying the senior’s lunch put on by the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre, which used support from the NSW Government to provide a free hot lunch with drinks and a dessert for local seniors.

Over two sittings seniors enjoyed their day in the park, with the group comprising some of the regulars who enjoy the Neighbourhood Centre’s seniors activities, with some newcomers who found the invitation too good to refuse.

Neighbourhood Centre volunteer Emmanuel, who has worked at the Centre for around ten years or so, said it was a great opportunity for local seniors to catch up, with some making new connections.

“I saw people talking to people they didn’t know and I saw them wandering off after lunch together as friends, it was great to see,” he said.

“Some of our local seniors are quite isolated in their lives, so it was a great opportunity for them to get out and about.”

The Neighbourhood Centre ran a program of events for the NSW Seniors Festival in February, and also offers regular monthly bus trips free of charge to destinations such as the Central Coast, the Blue Mountains and the South Coast.

As for Emmanuel, although he was helping out with the Seniors lunch

Laughs

Seniors Picnic day in Ward Park

With the Sydney Comedy Festival fast approaching, we’ve compiled a (by no means) definitive list of where to catch the best local and international comics around the neighbourhood, every night of the week.

Mondays at Café Lounge The Comedy Lounge showcases stand up every Monday night from 8pm. 277 Goulburn Street Surry Hills.

Tuesdays at The Chippo Hotel Tuesday Tonic Comedy features $5 G&Ts and stand up every Tuesday from 7:30pm.

Wednesdays at The Forrester’s The Forrester’s Stand Out Comedy is a mix of improv and stand up every Wednesday from 7:30pm. Cnr Foveaux and Riley St Surry Hills.

Thursdays at Friend in Hand Mic in Hand comedy night presents stand up every Thursday from 7:30pm. 58 Cowper Street Glebe.

Fridays at Staves Brewery Catch Powerbomb Comedy night every Friday from 7:30pm. 4-8 Grose Street Glebe.

Saturdays at Bat and Ball Hotel 10 Comedians for $25 is a line-up of comics 10 strong, every Saturday night from 7:45pm. 495 Cleveland Street Redfern.

Sundays Stanley’s on Stanley Stand-up and a live podcast in the outdoor courtyard every Sunday from 6pm. 79 Stanley Street Darlinghurst.

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Green light at Surry Hills Village F

abrizio Perilli describes the Surry Hills Village project as a “city changing project”.

“This is a rare opportunity.

Surry Hills is famous nationally and internationally and we are really excited to be able to revitalize the area with a development which will bring a modern perspective commercially and aesthetically, and also make a contribution to the community,” he says.

The Surry Hills Village project on the corner of Cleveland and Baptist Streets combines high end residences with extensive retail and commercial premises and outdoor space.

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Leading Australian developer TOGA Group has received approval for its development of the Surry Hills Shopping Centre site, which will be reborn as Surry Hills Village.

The residential component comprises one, two and three bedroom apartments in addition to luxury penthouses and terraces.

Around 12,000 square metres of the development will be for retail and commercial spaces and there will also be densely landscaped green areas and a new 517 square metre public park.

“As one of the most celebrated areas in Sydney, Surry Hills Village is surrounded by a melting pot of the city’s finest restaurants, bars, art music and culture,” says Fabrizio Perilli.

“The precinct we are creating pays homage to this great

community’s significant history while helping shape its next chapter. We’re very proud to be leading the revitalisation of this iconic site.”

TOGA will retain ownership of much of the development after the construction, meaning the company will be a long term stakeholder and participant in the Surry Hills Community.

The company has a long history in the area, having redeveloped the former Crown Street Women’s Hospital into the Adina Apartment Hotel in 1994.

Fabrizio Perilli said he believed that a vast majority of people in

The precinct we are creating pays homage to this great community’s significant history while helping shape its next chapter.

We’re very proud to be leading the revitalisation of this iconic site...

Surry Hills wanted to see the shopping centre site updated and developed for the 21st century, and his company was “passionate about the area and honoured to be involved.”

Construction will begin in the second half of 2020 and the development is set to open from late 2023.

TOGA is currently taking expressions of interest from purchasers, and the display suite is open for bookings by appointment. Interest can be registered at: www.surryhillsvillage.com.au

Photo: Tim Ritchie

Surry

Hills & Valleys Telling the Stories of People in Our Community Meropi Kehagiadis: Toy shop owner

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was born here in the early 60s on Bourke Street (just on the southside of Cleveland Street) and lived here until about 1969, I then moved to Kensington and returned here about 2012.

I remember as a youngster, at about four years of age, I used to sit on the doorstep and watch the neighbourhood. My family, my community, they were loving, they were caring, they laughed with you in joy.

Growing up, I discovered there was much beauty in the world, but there was also a darker side. Living close to the pubs the locals would sometimes get a little bit violent.

They used to come and fight and get drunk.

Living next to a delicatessen, they used to put the milk crates out with the bottles. I thought it was amazing we got milk delivered to us, and milk went out. But

sometimes they used the bottles in fights. Generally it was not as safe as I feel it is now.

In some ways Surry Hills has changed, and in some ways it has not. Now definitely it is a more diverse community.

There are still a few of the older generation (from my father’s era) that are around. They go to the local church, and they pop in to the shop to visit. I was never really away from here at Surry Hills, because my father had an office, and I used to work there, and so everyone knows me.

Now that I have re-established

my home here I feel very much on a new path.

Me and my cat, my friends, family.

I think everyone’s temperament has changed because the world has changed. I really believe it takes an individual to have a life, a family to develop it, but a community to support it. I think that’s what we need in the world. I know Surry Hills is just a pocket in a massive place (the earth) but every pocket matters and every person matters.

I’m not a strong believer that we have to go through a difficult time to be a better person.

I think everyone’s temperament has changed because the world has changed. I really believe it takes an individual to have a life, a family to develop it, but a community to support it. I think that’s what we need in the world...

I have had some individual traumas and some health scares.

I am, and have been on my own most of my life but my friends and family have been a great support.

Especially my sister.

I also have one of my best friends who taught me that whilst things may be very hard, to reach out and that people do care.

I’m a solicitor by profession and I still practice, but my sister (who gave me the inspiration to open the toy shop) felt it would help alleviate some of the more ominous things in life.

Running a toy shop is excellent. I

have eight nieces and nephews under five. The best thing about running a toy-shop is that the children and the adults understand that fun is important. People smile and have fun, that in turn gives me joy.

About surryhillsandvalleys.com We are a group of local storytellers who want to showcase the stories of people in Surry Hills. We think stories have the power to transform and impact us, helping us to see our common humanity.

We want this to be a space where people can share their real stories.

Pizza Fritta: a centuries-old first for Sydney New Italian joints are popping up weekly in postcode 2010, and you won’t hear any complaints from us. The latest to open its doors is Crown Street’s Pizza Fritta 180 by Via Napoli’s Luigi Esposito, whose Neapolitan flash-fried pizza is a first for Sydney.

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nyone who was out and about in Surry Hills on Mardi Gras weekend would have seen the swathes of party-goers spilling out of the eatery, which corners Crown and Foveaux Streets.

I caught up with Esposito the following week. When I arrive at Pizza Fritta he’s in his chef whites, a tea towel hangs from his back pocket and he carries himself with infectious, gleaming energy.

Hanging above the bar is a framed photo of an eleven-yearold Esposito cooking next to his grandmother back in Naples.

“That’s the way I grew up. I would take pizza orders door-todoor. Back then there were no lifts so people in high buildings used to lower a bucket on a string and I’d deliver it that way.”

From the streets of Naples to the epicentre of Surry Hills, this new venture is a way for Esposito to pay respect to his grandmother and to introduce Australia to flash-fried

pizza, a culinary tradition that dates back two hundred years.

His fresh organic ingredients are sourced locally, but the main ingredients – the Caputo flour, the cheeses and the tomato – are imported straight from Italy.

“In my experience I’ve found that the food is important, but the overall experience is more important. We want to create an easy, casual dining experience.”

I tried the pizza fritta Allegra ($13): ‘nduja, ricotta cheese, caciocavallo cheese and tomato. It was delicious, and pairs perfectly with the aperitivi, all priced at the very welcome $10 mark.

With the flagship now open for business, Esposito has plans to expand into Newtown and beyond.

It’s safe to say that pizza fritta won’t stay a novel concept for long.

By

Tess Scholfield-Peters

Pizza Fritta 180 428 Crown Street Surry Hills @pizzafritta180

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Meet Em Manager at The Shakey

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Meet the

Shopkeeper

BUDDHA

I

SHAH

work in customer service here at Maloney’s. I’ve been here for nine months and before that I was working as a chef. In a restaurant the pressure is different, it’s so busy.

I think I prefer cooking at home. I like experimenting with food, doing fusion with English and Indian food and using spices to give a different taste.

I’m more into music than cooking. Back in Kathmandu I was vocalist in a black metal band.

The metal scene there is actually huge, and its growing drastically.

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Society used to see it as bad but it’s changing, people see that it’s better to put our aggression into a song.

When I moved to Sydney two and a half years ago the band broke up.

Now I’m just playing guitar solo, jamming at home.

If I wasn’t working here I think I’d want to still work in customer service. I love the people, especially here in Surry Hills. I’ve got a few favourite customers. One is Alex, he comes in with his guitar sometimes, he plays in a bar around here and we talk about playing together one day.

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e’re sitting at a small table in the front bar of the Shakey and Em tells me this is Nola’s spot. I see Nola’s name written on a reserved sign Em says is permanent.

“Nola is ninety and she lives across the road, she’s been a local forever. This spot is reserved for her all the time, that’s her seat,” says Em. Nola is one of the many locals that make up the big Shakey family.

Em’s been at the pub for five years and has been managing the pub for eighteen months now. Before that, it was one of the first spots she took her girlfriend on a date.

When she’s not at the Shakey

Em plays soccer in the Premier League 2, the third highest tier in NSW. “I just love it. Been playing all my life, twenty-five years. Two of my team mates actually work here too, Anna and Nicola.”

“I think women’s soccer has more exposure in the media now, but like, all men at our level get paid and not every woman at our level gets paid.”

“What I love about the Shakey is the strong community vibe, everyone looks out for each other and everyone is welcome.

There’s an eclectic mix of people that drink together here. It doesn’t matter where you’re from you’ll always bump into an old mate or make a new one - It’s diverse and vibrant, but still maintains its old school charm “This pub is owned by women, the licensee is a woman, I don’t know any other pub like it.”

What’s next for Em? “My partner is having a baby, our first baby, in like six weeks. Then hopefully I’ll finish my nursing degree.”

Photo: Yianni Aspradakis

One for the country, Robert!

By

Tess Scholfield-Peters

Hawkie’s beer legacy.

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’m sitting in the upstairs terrace of The Clock with Nathan Lennon, one of the two founders of Hawke’s Brewing Co. It was at the bar just beyond us that Bob Hawke himself poured the inaugural schooner back in 2017.

The idea of Hawke’s Brewing Co. emerged in a moment of homesickness, when Nathan and his work mate, David Gibson, found themselves in a freezing New York winter dreaming of Australian summer and imagining who, out of anyone, they’d most want to have a beer with. Bob Hawke was the unanimous choice.

“Bob Hawke was our childhood hero. He believed in a better Australia and made Australia believe that we could take on the world.

But it was the way he genuinely

connected to people – yes, often over a beer – that endeared him to our nation. Talk about Bob Hawke long enough (or in our case, 30 minutes) then the idea of building a beer company with him seems pretty obvious.”

When the pair decided to approach Bob Hawke with the project, they’d already quit their advertising jobs and told their boss that Bob had given the go-ahead.

“When we turned up at Bob’s house with our pitch, we were nervous but also very excited. We heard his voice before we saw him and tingles ran up our spines. I kept thinking, ‘that’s Bob Hawke, we’re in his house, this is crazy!’”

Nathan recalls that Bob was incredibly disarming and warm. The meeting was conducted at Bob’s

kitchen table, amidst masses of newspapers.

“After about ten minutes of what we planned to be a thirty-minute pitch, Bob said ‘I want you to give me an honest answer, don’t bullshit me now. Why is this going to work?’”

“I replied, ‘Mr Hawke, with all due respect, this has to work because we’ve already quit our jobs and told our boss you’ve agreed.’ He laughed and replied, ‘well I’d be a bum if I said no then, wouldn’t I.’” Mr Hawke gave his blessing for Hawke’s Brewing Co to license his personality rights on the proviso that 100% of his royalty share be used to support a charity partnership with Landcare Australia, an environmental not-for-profit he established in 1989.

“Once the endorsement deal was

Photo: Ingvar Kenne

signed and sealed, our meetings always felt very informal. I think Bob wanted it that way.”

“We’d go to his house and chat about business for 5-10 minutes, then we’d spend another 45 minutes listening to his stories and jokes.

Sometimes we’d just sit on the patio in silence, and he’d be looking out over the Hawkesbury. He was very retrospective at that stage of his life.”

Three years on from their launch and Hawke’s are producing their namesake Lager, the Patio Pale and the Underdog Mid-Strength. The hunt is on for their own brewery and Nathan’s sights are set on Marrickville, aka Sydney’s craft beer belt. The brewery will be an Aussie

Nathan, Rob & David

The idea for Hawke’s Brewing came from homesickness.

Nathan and Dave found themselves in a freezing New York winter dreaming of Australian summer and imagining who, out of anyone, they’d most want to have a beer with.

time capsule, he says, and a tribute to Bob and his legacy. A place that might make expats and travellers feel homesick.

“I think right now Australians are yearning for a leader with a voice like Bob’s,” reflects Nathan.

“One of the things I loved most about Bob was that he was always adamant that with matters of the heart, of what he felt was right as a human, he would not be swayed.”

Hawke’s Brews is now pouring locally at Trinity Hotel, The Clock, The Dove & Olive, The Shakey and The Strawberry Hills Hotel. Visit hawkesbrewing.com for more info about Hawke’s story and their work with Landcare Australia.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

11

Jacqui and the wandering Nomad Nomad restaurant has – accidentally - lived up to its name, and has been something of a wandering tribe in the Sydney restaurant scene. Beginning in Foster Street, Surry Hills, Nomad was in limbo after a fire destroyed much of its previous home but fortuitously the former Long Grain in Commonwealth Street became available last October. As Nomad prepares to return to Foster Street later this year, Lachlan Colquhoun caught up with executive chef Jacqui Challinor

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Lachlan Colquhoun

ith a Maltese mother who loved cooking, food was always a centerpiece in the Challinor household as Jacqui Challinor grew up.

As a kid, Jacqui would be “screaming and fighting” over the last piece of mortadella on the table at family gatherings, so she had a natural attraction to a restaurant like Nomad with a big charcuterie program.

The Maltese heritage also gave her a pan-Mediterranean perspective which exerted a subtle influence when she became executive chef at Nomad, a restaurant which made its early

www.urbanvillage.com.au

reputation with a style of cuisine which was more Middle Eastern in its inspiration.

“I might have shifted it a little bit towards the Mediterranean, but Nomad still has those values which attracted me here in the first place,” she says.

“It’s the charcuterie, the handson process, the generosity and honesty of the food and the cooking over a fire, which is something we did really well at Foster Street and helped differentiate us.

“Food is something that is done with love and for me it’s all about big bold flavours which punch you in the face, and that’s how I

cook and what I’m 100 percent passionate about.”

As Challinor chats with Urban Village in the – “pop up” – Nomad in Commonwealth Street she exudes a bronzed and healthy glow not always associated with people who live their lives in restaurant kitchens.

“I’m just back from a diving holiday in the Maldives,” she laughs, and this kicks off a conversation about kitchen culture, which can be notorious for its long hours and hard drinking and partying.

A veteran of 15 years of so in the restaurant industry, Challinor has seen it all and done some of it too, but now the focus is not just on her health but on the health of her staff and the culture of the workplace she leads.

“I used to work for Merivale and we were working at the Ivy which was the hottest club in town, and we could go there for free,” she says.

“You would finish work and the party would start, and then you would just go to sleep on the lounges downstairs and get up to go

to work the next day.

“It would be like this Thursday night to Sunday morning, every week.”

Ultimately, however, the charm of this lifestyle faded.

“You end up exhausted and you realise you are sick of the hangovers and also having no money,” she says.

For Challinor, it came after a period when she wasn’t leaving her house, and despite working in a top restaurant was not cooking for herself.

“It wasn’t a nice place to be so I decided to take better care of myself, I started exercising and seeing a counsellor and things changed and I just started to feel a whole lot better,” she says.

The realisation led to a change of focus and lifestyle which she is keen to impart to her team at Nomad.

The restaurant has instituted a strict 45 hour a week contract for staff, and there’s an emphasis on work/life balance, something very rare in an industry where people are used to living their work.

“It got to the point where I didn’t

I stay away from trends because I think that people who follow them end up nowhere when the trends run out, but I don’t think the shift towards focusing on food waste is going to change... want to do those hours any more myself, and its not fair for me to say ‘hey I’m the boss screw you’ so it has to be policy for everyone,” says Challinor.

“For me it means that if I come to work half an hour late because I’ve gone for a run and made myself breakfast, then so what. It makes me more productive.”

The move is also a smart way of differentiating Nomad as a place

to work in an industry which is struggling for talent.

“This is a highly competitive industry, so we needed to put ourselves at the forefront of what we are offering potential employees, and we wanted to offer something that other’s weren’t offering, and that was a better work life balance for our team,” says Challinor.

Working in restaurants is something of a team sport, and morale and culture are crucial to make it harmonious and to make a good product.

While Challinor hasn’t seen people fighting and throwing things in her time in kitchens she has had to deal with some large egos, so as a leader she is in favour of collaboration rather than confrontation.

“I’ve seen some big egos, and you have to take the attitude that it’s a benefit to work with them because it teaches you what not to do,” she says.

“As my Dad used to tell me, it might be rubbish to work with these people but all you can do is witness it and learning from it, and make sure you don’t act like that when you are in that position yourself.”

Her collaborative approach extends to suppliers, and she takes the view that loyalty to them will mean they stay loyal to the restaurant.

Boutique and niche suppliers are also part of giving a restaurant a distinctive identity, but given the fragility of the industry – and recent natural disasters – suppliers need

nurturing and support.

“It’s been a tough few months, and one of our suppliers had to stop supplying because he had nothing to supply,” says Challinor.

“So we continue to support that in any way we can. If we start dropping off they lose their livelihood and we won’t have Australian farmers and great produce any more, so its important for us to maintain it.”

Another focus is on minimising waste, both for ethical reasons and to maintain profit margins, and this can lead to some interesting innovations.

The current menu has mud crabs sourced from North Queensland, and once the meat is picked out the shells are used to make an infused mayonnaise and an infused butter.

“I stay away from trends because I think that people who follow them end up nowhere when the trends run out, but I don’t think the shift towards focusing on food waste is going to change,” she says.

“There’s no point in spruiking sustainability and not doing what you can to practice it, and I think our guests also expect that.”

Challinor says she believes that the majority of Nomad’s guests understand this and understand the commitment to suppliers, and how this justifies the price point of the food.

Their support and understanding, she says, it why the restaurant has been able to survive a fire, a brief closure and the move to Commonwealth Street.

This is a highly competitive industry, so we needed to put ourselves at the forefront of what we are offering potential employees, and we wanted to offer something that other’s weren’t offering, and that was a better work life balance for our team...

By June, Challinor hopes she and her team will be back in Foster Street, and that the guests will follow them back “home.”

“We had the fire, and then we were in limbo for six weeks and then this site came up,” she says.

“But we had ten weeks between getting the keys here and opening, so that was crazy.”

Foster Street, she says, will be like going home but there will be improvements: a bigger kitchen and a private dining room for example.

“So there are silver linings in what has happened, but I am certainly looking forward to getting back home,” she says.

www.urbanvillage.com.au

13

ATYP moves into On the move the Hood

Respected and long-running theatre company the Australian Theatre for Young People has moved their popular workshops to Surry Hills, into the Eighteen80 Hall, just off Crown Street.

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entrification isn’t always bad. Sometimes the building leaks, and contains more biodiversity than Mardi Gras has mirror balls. In fact, sometimes development is not gentrification at all. In this instance, for example, the Recordstore, Darlinghurst, after 16 years in the same location, is on the move to bigger, brighter digs up on Crown Street. And the City of Sydney wisely insisted that the new development be commercial and retail. No residential, so that should deliver a few more non-gentry bods to the area.

But in shocking news, the Recordstore is bidding farewell to Darlinghurst and moving a whole Suburb away to Surry Hills.

However, due to what was obviously a very drunk cartographer, the border between Surry and Darlo runs up Goulburn, down Crown a block and up Campbell. And there, not at all coincidentally, do you have almost the exact coordinates of Recordstore 2.0.

It’s situated snugly on the corner of Crown & Campbell Streets all of 90 metres from the old store, right next to Oscar & Friends bookstore, directly across from Storeroom Vintage and diagonally opposite Rosie Campbells on one of the sweetest street corners in town.

You’ll note a distinctive feel as you walk through the door, because other than a fresh lick of paint, a lot of added rack space and a MUCH BIGGER mirror ball, everything else is just about exactly the same. Regular House & Techno imports as well a new and pre-loved classic Rock & Indie, Funk, Soul, Jazz, Hiphop and plenty of $10 crates to dig through.

Recordstore, 34/277 Crown St, Surry Hills.

LOCAL Business Profile

Urban Village welcomes ATYP into the neighbourhood, and got an update on the company from Artistic Director Fraser Corfield and Workshops Coordinator Claudene Shoesmith.

Can you give us a quick outline of the company’s history and some of its key achievements?

Fraser: ATYP was founded by a collection of professional artists back in 1963. The story as I know it was that they were concerned about the future of theatre and the danger of no longer being relevant to young people following the introduction of television. By coincidence, ATYP was founded in the same year as Sydney's first professional adult theatre company, The Old Tote. Within the year the two companies were working together.

Then in 1978 when the Old Tote was declared bankrupt it nearly took ATYP under with it - the two companies shared offices and facilities and ATYP inherited many of the debts. As a result, ATYP had to cancel the production program and instead focus on the workshops with young people to trade itself out of trouble. The company has been dedicated to putting young artists on stage ever since. In 2014 ATYP produced the fully professional production, Sugarland by Rachael Coopes, involving a cast of young actors that went on to win a Helpmann Award for 'Best Touring Production'. It was the first time the

Luke Wood

company had staged its own fully professional show since 1978. Now the company stages at least one fully professional show each year and is regularly touring state-wide and nationally.

Tell us about your 2020 program?

What are the highlights?

Fraser: The program this year is a testament to partnerships. All the shows involve a connection between ATYP and companies around the country. I'm particularly excited to be connecting with Riptide, a company from Mandurah in Western Australia. Three years ago Riptide and ATYP co-commissioned Western Australia playwright Chris Isaacs to craft a piece looking at the interaction of young people and technology.

The play that resulted is a truly exceptional piece of writing.

I'm also looking forward to our co-production with Brown's Mart from Darwin come to Sydney this year. This exceptional new Australian play dances that difficult line between tragedy and comedy. The young characters involved are the kinds of kids we just don't see on professional stages. They're rough around the edges, awkward and shy of the spotlight. Bringing them centre stage suddenly offers a surprising and powerful theatre experience. This is one of the strongest young ensembles of actors that will grace an Australian stage this year.

It is on a theme of “growing up”?

Can you tell us more?

Fraser: The process of transitioning from a child to adult is an extraordinarily complex, frequently joyous and often fraught time in our lives. Discovering independence, taking responsibility and learning the emotional landscape that we have to inhabit as adults is rich territory for theatre. Because so many of the questions we begin wrestling with as children and teenagers are questions that stay with us throughout our lives. Questions around falling in love, maintaining friendships, working out who can be trusted with our secrets, hiding our fears and trying to decide what we want our lives to be.

How can young people reading Urban Village get involved with ATYP? Are there workshops and courses they can get involved with?

Claudene: ATYP runs a range of exciting courses for 5-26 years olds at the Eighteen80 Hall in Surry Hills. You can choose from a weekly, or school holiday course (or why not try both :) across a range of different styles from short film making, musical theatre, monologue and scene work and even performance and theatre-making skills.

Check out: www.atyp.com.au

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MONKEYFOODZ: Serving up healthy meals for locals!

ounder of Monkeyfoodz and fitness expert, Luke Wood is a local fitness professional offering nutritious meals prepared by leading Sydney chefs. The delicious and gourmet ready-made meals are cooked to order, in a real restaurant kitchen and delivered straight to your door.

All produce and poultry used in the Monkeyfoodz kitchen is organically sourced ensuring the highest quality meals, free from synthetic chemicals and pesticides. With the use of blast freeze technology, Monkeyfoodz maintains the freshness and nutrient level of the meals, without the use of preservatives.

“I wanted to create a meal-prep service that offered good value, great food and a means for consumers to track their macros as part of their training programs”, says Luke.

The key to success is a customised meal plan range according to your nutritional goal, be it weight loss, maintenance, a plant-based focus, or performance meals.

Monkeyfoodz meals start from just $10. For those wanting a healthy but tasty meal prepared for guests at their next party, Monkeyfoodz provides extensive catering options from the meal prep menu.

Packaging used is also eco-friendly, biodegradable and recyclable. Monkeyfoodz also offers to all their customers a reward recycling scheme called ‘the green monkey’ providing bonus incentives on the monkey credit system for customers to give back their insulated lining and gel packs so they can be reused again. Clever monkey!

For more information visit: www.monkeyfoodz.com.au

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www.urbanvillage.com.au

Sydney’s Photographer of Emptiness After a successful career as a radio presenter and ABC executive Tim Ritchie is forging a new career as a photographer, but the transition came about almost by accident. He explains it all to Lachlan Colquhoun

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t all began a few years ago when Tim Ritchie, at 50, was by his own admission carrying a little extra weight.

Not only that, but he had been diagnosed with diabetes, despite his best efforts at doing the 10,000 daily steps which other experts told him would keep him healthy.

“My daughter was also a little sedentary at the time and to get her more active I asked her to teach me how to ride a bike, because I’d never learnt as a kid,” he says.

So the two of them repaired to the lane behind their Surry Hills home, his home since the 1980s, and Ritchie went the first cautious metres on his newly purchased second hand tredley.

“I just enjoyed the feeling of power when you put your foot down and went go,” he says.

“Back then, I had a senior executive position and I was really tired at the end of the day, so I’d get up really early in the morning and go riding.”

It was then that things began to change. Ritchie went back to see his doctor and his test results were significantly better. The explanation was that pedaling up Sydney’s hills was a lot better for his health than 10,000 steps on the flat.

And around the same time, he’d begun taking photos with his phone while he was out on his excursions.

This being – only - a few years ago, phone cameras were not as developed as they are now, so Ritchie bought a camera because “I wasn’t showing the beauty I could see in the early hours.”

It all clicked into a new gear and changed when Ritchie left the ABC. He realised that as a manager he had stopped doing the creative things he’d done as a program maker, and the photography was a new outlet.

So instead of cycling to keep fit, and take a few photos along the way, now that he was fit he was cycling to take photos. And as he kept posting them on various social media his

photographs were attracting positive attention.

“If I could have designed something for my mental and physical health I couldn’t have done it better, and yet this is just something which has evolved,” he says.

Today, it’s become a complete vocation and Ritchie has just finished exhibiting in a group show at ROOM 205 on Oxford Street as part of the Artists of Postcode 2010 series.

It wasn’t his first show – he had some work exhibited at the Venice

Biennale for example – and there are plans for more.

Today, Ritchie is out on his bike at around 3.30 am six or seven days a week.

He loves taking pictures of Sydney before the city wakes up, and says his ambition is to recognised as Sydney’s “photographer of emptiness.”

“My work shows a love of Sydney, but it’s a very selfish love but its unshared with anyone else,” he says.

“I feel so spoilt. I get to own Sydney by myself every morning.”

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15

Photo: Will Rivers at babylikestopony

Vessels of the Soul

I really got attracted to the idea of people wearing your art, and I loved sculpting but I could never afford to sculpt in a major way so I learned to sculpt in a tiny form (laughs) and people can wear it..!

Photo: Battlecat Photography

Swiss/Australian Sofia Fitzpatrick is an artist and jewellery designer world renowned for her small skull motifs, and other designs. She’s had numerous group exhibitions and has a solo show coming up soon. Sofia talked to Rodney Henton about her work.

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Rodney Henton

ofia was surrounded by art and music growing up, so learning different mediums and techniques “is all connected for me.”

“It was natural to move between areas,” she says “I really got attracted to the idea of people wearing your art, and I loved sculpting but I could never afford to sculpt in a major way so I learned to sculpt in a tiny form (laughs) and people can wear it!”

Her technique is called lost wax casting, basically the hard type that you carve and whittle with a knife.

There is also the Soft Type which is malleable with your fingers.

The jewellery, hand made for both men and women, is rough and raw and imperfect and yet strangely beautiful solid silver and the opposite of mass produced work.

After several years working and travelling abroad Sofia resettled in Sydney at the age of 20 knowing very few people but two years later met rock n’roll legend Ian Rilen,

and they married three months later.

“I’d experienced some tragedies and stuff around and close to me and I know I was pretty intense and trying to find myself really and we just clicked. He was a special guy, sometimes we’d sit and draw together,” she says.

“I couldn’t play an instrument but we wrote a few songs together, he was really creative but that was a lifetime ago! (laughs).”

Two of these songs were recorded Rilen’s album “Love is Murder” and one was played at Rilen’s funeral.

Fitzpatrick is involved in many projects and collaborations with other artists, such as a new line of hand painted boots yet the skull motifs loom large.

“It’s part of our existence, skulls have been used in art throughout the ages and will continue to capture our imaginations, it’s a truly beautiful object to me. I know

Book Review: By

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www.urbanvillage.com.au

up surrounded by them. She still is, but today the art is of her own making.

Sofia Fitzpatrick has some drawings in an upcoming group show called “KRVNW- Wild Hearts” at King Street Gallery from March 20.

Another very different show exhibiting her jewellery begins on March 25 at “Jewels on Queen”, 40 Queen Street Woollahra. The exhibition is called “La Petite Mort – Jewels to Die For.”

THE SOUND

Grace Harris-Gailbraith

he Sound is a delightful melding of mystery, science fiction and fantasy. Our endearing characters Sing and Oggi get right into unravelling a series of the peculiar events occurring in Woop Woop. This is the Australian fantasy adventure we have been waiting for. The narrative voice is distinct and engaging, which makes the silliness of Frogbottom accessible to a wide range of ages.

The creative passion in this book is obvious in the vibrancy of the world. It takes some risks with some footnotes

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it once contained a unique and individual experience within it,” she says.

“It represents both creation and destruction, it’s not the heart but the skull that is the true vessel of the soul and to me they have a positive meditative influence.

“Western culture has often viewed skull imagery as threatening and menacing, so of course the image has been conversely used by some as an expression of rebellion and freedom from conservative thinking.”

Fitzpatrick is a believer in sharing knowledge and skills and showing others the techniques if they wish to learn.

“I’m not really good with words. I can’t really express myself other than with my work and if it resonates with others I’m really happy but if it doesn’t that’s ok too,” she says.

Sofia’s emphatically in love with and open to all the arts as she grew

that at first are a little jarring, but as you read on it definitely grows on you and becomes an integrated part of the experience.

This book is refreshingly light-hearted and has some of the flair for science fiction that is so loved in the books of Neil Gaiman. It has The Secret Garden’s enigma and intrigue, and the childlike wonder of discovering a whole new world that is so beloved in books like Harry Potter. Ultimately though, it is its own creature. It offers up some fresh blood for Australian

Fantasy and will leave you with a distinct impression of the world and of the author, S.R. Győry.

The most engaging element of the story is its mystery and intrigue. The reader’s own eagerness to discover the inner workings of the story is reflected in the characters Sing and Oggi. They set upon unravelling the layered secrets, showing themselves to be courageous and intensely loyal. Amongst a bizarre and otherworldly setting, you’re rooting for Sing and Oggi, a couple of kids that

could have grown up in any Aussie neighbourhood. They just want to make sense of things. It is a pursuit of truth amongst a lot of confusion, and that is a pretty timelessly relatable desire.

It’s fantastic to see such high calibre creative work from a Surry Hills local. If you like adventure, mystery and a healthy dose of quirk, you’ll love this book.

Available at Ariel, Galaxy, Gleebooks Glebe, Recordstore, Amazon

Why I Love My Home Mike Galvin

Want to share with locals why you love where you live? Contact Mike Galvin at: info@urbanvillage.com.au

From the

Cotswolds to Postcode 2010 Meet former Cotswoldian, now Surry Hills local, Dave Marsh.

How long have you called Surry Hills home?

Dave: I moved to Surry Hills 12 months ago. Previous to that, I had arrived from the Cotswolds and spent time in Bundaberg. I wanted to live centrally in Sydney within walking distance to my work. Easy access to public transport and the eastern beaches was also important.

What do you enjoy most about living here?

Dave: Living and working in Surry

Hills has a homely-like feel of a small town in comparison to the hustle and bustle of Sydney CBD. It feels very local and the Postcode has a relaxed culture that belongs to its people.

Coffee or tea?

Dave: Definitely coffee.

A favourite would be Cuckoo Callay on Crown Street. They have insta-worthy artistic takeaway coffee cups and a brunch menu to die for, you can’t go wrong. I recommend the “Sir Hogs-worth”.

What does a typical day look like?

Dave: Up at 5:30am, the day is filled with coaching clients at Fitness Playground, Surry Hills.

I’m lucky to be able to provide a service to locals in the community that involves bettering them. I use a combination of strength and conditioning techniques, nutritional programming, calisthenics and movement.

My favourite restaurant: Dave: I love Thai food so I would have to say Spice I Am on Wentworth Ave. The crispy chilli and basil chicken is exceptional as is the Pad Thai.

The last meal that left me salivating was: Dave: Tequila mockingbird. The slow cooked lamb is a must and if you’re a tequila fan then this spot is definitely for you with an extensive selection and cocktails made to your taste.

A local business I love is: Dave: Saltie on Devonshire which serves up tasty takeaway bowls. The onset-bowl with grilled chicken and sesame sauce is the perfect balance of nutrition meets taste. I’m also lucky to live near Maloney’s Grocer where I’m a regular.

My favourite green space: Dave: Centennial Parklands, escaping the noise and taking in a sunset or sunrise stroll through the beautiful parklands is a perfect spot to unwind or take a jog around.

LOCAL With Alina Camiller Artist - 44spoons So how did it start, you doing paintings with spoons?

Alina: I began painting to keep sane while at home with a little one.

It soon became my required outlet to drown parental anxiety when 1 little one became 2.

Why 44 spoons?

Alina: I chose spoons initially as it allowed me to have fun and to not be pressured to be a ‘proper’ artist. The spoons allowed me to drip and splat and the effect was playful, bold and textural and now I love my collection of paint splattered metal spoons.

Your paintings often feature masked animals.

What was the inspiration for that?

Alina: Over the years my style has varied from large scale abstract works to smaller, 3D whimsical scenes and to now where most of my commissions are puppy dogs.

The Masked Rascals series was created for an exhibition at The Sydney Children’s Hospital and was influenced by my youngsters and our beautiful and crazy community.

Each masked animal was quirky and amazing in its own right and the aim was to give every child the awareness that they are super heroes in their own right.

What are some of the more interesting commissions you have done?

Alina: I love creating the memory boxes for families which are whimsical little scenes that tell a specific little story told through little critters. I even wrote a book to accompany an artwork a few years ago and that was a lot of fun. Another fabulous opportunity was creating a ‘Surry Hills’ mural for a local cafe. This was painted with brushes which was new for me but I loved the opportunity. Sadly, the cafe changed hands and the mural is now behind a wall of white paint but fun while it lasted.

People should visit my suburb of Surry Hills because: Dave: it has an extensive choice of brunch spots, quirky bars and restaurants and is home to two of the best gyms in Sydney.

My ideal weekend is: Dave: getting up early and heading to Bondi for sunrise. It’s a quiet time at the usually busy spot where you truly see the natural beauty that attracts millions each year. Take in a coastal walk or run, then brunch at one of my favourite foodie spots back in Surry Hills.

My ideal weekend away: Dave: escaping the city, heading to Byron or Noosa. Fresh air, surfing, relaxing and enjoying destinations in the big backyard that is Australia.

Tell us about you and Surry Hills. How would you describe your relationship?

Alina: We have lived here now for 14yrs and we love it. Our dunny lane backyard provides so much amusement from lizard hunting to a game of cricket to an impromptu art studio. I love that you can be who you want to be here and how the parks are everyone’s backyard and we all enjoy it in harmony.

A couple of favourite places to go, things to do?

Alina: Ensuring kids are happy and amused whilst parents can chat and eat and laugh is so important.

Our Friday haunt is La Panchina.

Luca is gorgeous and the pizza is the bomb. My morning coffee favs are Kawa and Suzie Q. Facebook/Insta 44spoons

www.urbanvillage.com.au

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4

reasons your financial New Years’ Resolutions will fail

By Glen

Hare

We all kick off the New Year with the best of intentions.

From signing up to an 8-week fitness challenge at the gym to promising we’ll meal prep our lunches every Sunday, setting ambitious resolutions may seem like the perfect way to get the New Year off to a productive start.

But what happens next? It is March after all! Discover the top four mistakes that could be sabotaging your chances of hitting your financial goals in 2020.

Your goals aren’t SMART Creating New Years’ resolutions is about more than just writing a list and hoping everything will fall into place. Whether you’re looking to finally pay off your credit card debt or saving to buy your first property, setting financial goals is all about planning with an end point in mind.

One of the best ways to set effective money goals is to follow the SMART method. Whatever you want to achieve for your

finances in 2020, make it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound.

Instead of setting the goal to “start investing”, try creating a SMART goal such as “work with a financial adviser to invest $10,000 in a share portfolio by June to start generating passive income”.

Your goals aren’t aligned to your values or motivations Consider what’s most important to you in the long term and assess whether your goals match up with these core

values. If owning your own home is a top priority, reassessing your budget and getting serious about investing might need to be your focus for the year ahead.

You write your goals down without a plan of action You wouldn’t turn up for dinner at Chin Chin on a Saturday night without booking ahead, so why set a New Years’ resolution without a plan of action? Once you’ve clarified your ‘why’, the next step to hitting your financial goals is to create a roadmap of actions to get you there. Break down big goals like “saving $50,000” into weekly and monthly actions such as setting up automatic transfers to match your pay cycle and create realistic weekly budgets. The golden rule? Hold yourself accountable by scheduling regular check-ins thorough the year to assess whether or not you’re on track.

You are not prepared for setbacks or roadblocks Unfortunately, life doesn’t always go to plan. No matter what the year ahead throws your way, being prepared for stumbles and setbacks is essential. From your car breaking down on Oxford Street to forking out for a new phone after a mishap in the pool, expect the unexpected and be ready to adapt to roadblocks that may pop up throughout the year.

And most importantly, get back on the horse Even when unexpected challenges arise, remember you can always find a way to get your finances back on track.

Instead, use these hurdles as motivators to help you pivot, readjust your approach and take proactive steps towards meeting your financial goals for 2020.

Contact Glen and Jessica at www.foxandhare.com.au

By

Dr Nima Rahmani

Pet Advice Heartworms are parasites that live in the main blood vessels of the lungs and heart of affected pets.

They can grow to over 30 centimetres long and their population can go over 200 individuals in each affected animal!

How does my pet get heartworm?

Mosquitos are intermediate hosts for this parasite. The disease can be easily transmitted by mosquito bites. It all starts from when the female mosquito has a blood meal and bites an infected animal. Then the parasites go through further development in the host insect’s body before the infected mosquito injects the heartworm larvae into the next animal’s (victims) body.

How do heartworms make my pet sick?

Adult heartworms block the major blood vessels, and interfere with the heart function, depriving the internal organs of oxygen and vital nutrients which can lead to organ failure.

Prevention: Preventive treatment should start from when your pet is around 12 weeks old. These treatments are available in different forms and some are combined with other parasiticides. One of the most popular option is the annual injections that your pet can receive at the vet.

What Happens When You Fall off the Fitness Bandwagon

What happens to your body after Do you EVER wonder what happens when a day skipped at the gym becomes a week, you stop training a month, or even a year? Will you lose all the gains you’ve already made? will largely depend Neuromuscular Adaptation Loss that help to coordinate muscle feel like a trek. Cardiovascular on what you’re Basically, the connection between contractions. fitness is quick to go, and you’ll If you’re sedentary, you’ll see see declines after the first two doing while you your brain and muscles – and the involvement of neural pathways in strength declines in as little as weeks absence. aren’t training contributing to strength gains – two weeks after ditching your gym You’ll find regaining cardio certain changes will weaken, slow, or both. membership. fitness levels takes longer You’ve likely experienced this The good news is that, unlike than when you lost it – a are universal, here before – it’s tied to that ‘off’ cardio training, you can regain common reason so many are the main 5... feeling you get when you return lost strength relatively quickly as people fail to get back on the from vacation only to come back to the gym and realise that your lifts don’t feel as good.

While it’s fast to go, it’s fast to come back, too. After a few sessions back at the gym, your lifts should feel normal again.

Loss of Muscle Strength The degree and speed at which you lose your strength will largely depend on what you do when you are away from the gym.

Are you sitting all day long without much activity, or are you on your feet, moving around?

If it’s the former, expect to experience strength losses at a faster rate. The key to maintaining your muscle strength is making sure that tension is being placed on the muscle, and that you’re still activating the motor units

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muscle memory kicks in.

bandwagon.

Metabolic Decline Working out consistently positively increases both your reliance on fat oxidation (using fat for energy) and your insulin sensitivity whereas during periods of de-training, the body turns to carbohydrates for fuel and relies less on the breakdown of stored fat.

Since lean mass has the greatest influence on resting metabolic rate, once you start to lose the muscle you worked so hard for, your metabolic rate will taper and you’ll burn fewer calories at rest.

Degraded Insulin Sensitivity Physical activity increases the action of insulin throughout your body therefore when you decide to take a break, your insulin sensitivity will decrease potentially leading to a variety of health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

With the same amount of carbohydrates coming in, less energy being burned off, and a lower overall metabolic rate, you’ve created the perfect scenario for gaining fat.

Loss of Cardiovascular Fitness As your time away from the gym continues, your previous warm-up mile on the treadmill will start to

Dave Marsh is a Surry Hills based fitness professional. Get in touch with him via Insta @movable.muscle or www.movablemuscle.com/

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Celebrating with something special Jimmy Wong WITH

It may be your turn to bring something special to an occasion like a birthday, family gathering, baby shower or simply having friends over for afternoon tea.

Celebrations are always better, in my opinion, with cake.

M

By

Jimmy Wong

Jimmy Wong is a past MasterChef contestant on season 8, food creative consultant, photographer, cook and longtime resident of Surry Hills.

Instagram @jimmywongeats Photography by @jimmywongeats

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aking a cake is not as scary as you might think and choosing the right cake can often be tricky. Well, I have a simple recipe for you¬. It’s a sure fire winner for these special occasions. It’s my saffron-infused carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. This cake is a refreshing change from your basic sponge cake and best of all it is sensationally simple to make.

The beautiful thing is that it keeps well for days, so you can make it well in advance, no more running around in the last minute. This cake is not too sweet and has the right proportion of cream cheese frosting to cake which I think is the secret to why so many people I’ve served this to have really loved it.

Made with only a few simple ingredients so you will most likely have the ingredients already at home. If not, do not fret, as Joe at Crown Street Grocer and The Essential Ingredient will have you covered. I do hope you enjoy making this cake and hope you will be celebrating with something special this coming month.

Saffron infused carrot cake with cream cheese frosting Equipment 7 inch round baking tin Spatula Piping bag KitchenAid Stand mixer / mixing bowl Grater Piping bag

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Carrot Cake Ingredients 1 cup sifted flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 pinch of saffron (8-12 strands, soaked overnight) 1 tsp bi carb soda A pinch of salt 1.5 cups grated raw carrots 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 eggs 3/4 cup canola oil Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients 300g cream cheese 190g unsalted butter 1 cup caster sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla paste Method • First line the 7-inch round cake tin with baking paper by spraying the tin with a bakers spray and using cut baking paper to line.

Preheat the oven at 180c.

• Sift all dry ingredients into your mixing bowl, using the flat beater on low, start adding the canola oil, then eggs one at a time. Add in the saffron, vanilla paste, then the carrots and mix for 1 minute.

Lastly add in the walnuts for 10 seconds to break down some of the whole walnuts in the mixer.

• Place the mix into the lined cake tin and into the oven for 50 minutes, ensuring you test that the cake is thoroughly cooked by using a skewer in the centre of

the cake.

• While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In the mixing bowl, put the softened cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl, using the flat beater again. Mix until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla paste and slowly add in the sifted caster sugar. Mix until sugar is well dissolved.

• Place just over half the mix into a piping bag. The remainder will be spread in the centre of the cake.

• To assemble the cake: Take the cooled cake and with a sharp knife cut horizontally in the centre of the cake. Spread the cream cheese frosting in the middle.

• Now for the frosting on top, cut 5mm wide at the tip of the disposable piping bag (if you don’t have piping bags, use your large Ziploc bags) and start piping teardrops to the top of the cake. For the remaining frosting smear to the side of the cake and using a small spatula going from bottom in an upward motion naked frost the cake. Finally finely chop up some walnuts and sprinkle to the top of the cake.

Chill and serve.

For this recipe and more, head to JimmyWongEats.com.

Giveaway Alert!

I also have some very exciting news, in collaboration with KitchenAid Australia we are giving you a chance to win your very own KitchenAid Stand Mixer with 2 bowls. For the terms and condition on how to enter, head to www.instagram.com/ jimmywongeats and submit your best dish for your chance to win. Happy cooking!

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How To: Look Busy

If you’re not perceived as being busy you will be socially ostracised.

Everyone in Sydney must, I repeat must, be busy at all times. That’s why the Surry Hills Times’ resident expert on cool is here to help, and with these simple tips you can give the impression you’re cool (read busy) in no time.

1: Walk as fast as you possibly can.

If you walk at normal speed you will not be perceived as busy. Everyone looks busy when they walk fast, so this is a must.

2: When you’re at a cafe make sure you constantly look at your phone, exhale loudly and rub your forehead in frustration like it’s all getting too much.

3: Never just walk: talk on the phone through headsets, whilst texting, sipping coffee and hailing a cab.

4: Whenever you talk to anyone mention how busy you are several times. Once a minute at least.

Non-Tinder Date in Surry Hills It was a typical midweek evening at one of Surry Hills’ iconic bars. The usual scene, awkward couples on Tinder dates struggling to make conversation. But

in the corner of the balcony something extraordinary was happening: a date that did not begin online.

To find out more visit surryhillstimes.com

‘Fitness Fifth’ to Open in Surry Hills A radical new honest approach to fitness is set to launch in Surry Hills Founder of ‘Fitness Fifth’ Billy Johnstone, said, “In the real world fitness doesn’t come first, after extensive research that included lie-detector tests, the priorities of Sydneysiders were ranked as the following: 1) Drinking, 2) Sex, 3) Eating, 4) Sleeping, 5) Fitness.

And so a revolutionary new trend in fitness was born. The first floor is an extensive open

It’s been confirmed nonactivated almonds have been sold and eaten in several cafes throughout Surry Hills. A support line is being set up to field calls from distressed residents. Clover Moore issued a statement earlier in the week calling for calm at this difficult time.

To find out more visit: www.surryhillstimes.com

planned bar. The second floor is a series of romantically themed rooms. The third floor is an upmarket restaurant. The fourth floor features a series of individual ‘sleep pods’. Finally, the fifth floor features a mini tramp, a pair of dumbbells and an exercise bike.

To find out more visit surryhillstimes.com

Woman’s Hair Foils Receive AM Radio A local woman enjoying a dart as her hair foils did their thing encountered something entirely unexpected this morning. Berice Grainer was minding her own business when all of a sudden the savagery of the Ray Hadley Morning Show on 2GB filled her head.

The typically placid woman was whipped into a hysterical lather and returned to the hairdressers full of venom.

“It’s like she was a different person,” said Sally 23, colourist.

Ms Grainer is now facing multiple lawsuits for bullying from all seven staff members of the hairdressers.

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WARNING: NonActivated Almonds Found in Surry Hills

To find out more visit surryhillstimes.com

Distraught Parents Forced to Entertain Children As Playground Destroyed “Oh my God! I have to entertain the kids MYSELF? STUFF THAT!” wept an emotional Areal, 32, as her children tried to console their distraught mother.

“It’s okay Mummy, we’ll just play at home,” said an innocent-eyed Tabitha, 3, at which point Areal broke down in tears, as did all parents who were in Shannon Reserve witnessing what will be an ongoing home-based nightmare.

In the Hood with

Mike Galvin

Mike is a Postcode 2010 local, founder of the Darlo Darlings Facebook Group, former Chef and a keen food writer www.mikeygalvin.com | Insta: @mikeygalvin

Lumiere lights up Surry Hills in more ways than one Since 2005, Lumiere Cafe has been offering locals the perfect people watching position on beautiful Bourke Street. Owners Effie and George are passionate restauranteurs who’ve brought their own uniqueness to Lumiere.

The perfect ‘meeting spot’ - Lumiere is nestled just behind Taylor Square in the heart of Postcode 2010. The great hospitality and atmosphere is thanks to the way Effie and George, together with their Manager Kon engage with their customers.

Lumiere is a local institution where everyone feels at home.

Recently launching a 2 hour bottomless brunch, you can select from any main course that is complimented by bottomless Mimosa’s or Sparkling Rosé. $59 - the sidewalk view of trendy Darlo Darlings parading by is free.

The Vibe - with the backdrop of bustling Bourke Street and the historic former St Margarets Chapel, Lumiere is the perfect place to meet friends, take in a business meeting or catch up on your emails over a coffee or two. Always a great atmosphere, you can be guaranteed a great local experience.

The Food - it’s OK to have favourites and I have quiet a few on the Lumiere menu.

The drool-worthy scrambled eggs topped with shaved pecorino and a drizzle of truffle oil comes with a side of grilled chorizo, I usually add asparagus. Continuing on the drool wagon, you can’t go past Lumiere’s Famous Made in the USA Burger. I’m also partial to “getting chicky with it” a chickpea based salad with walnuts, feta, beetroot, baked pumpkin and your choice of protein. The new Reuben sandwich is also a must, the beef brisket is cooked in-house overnight for 8 hours!

The Service - I’ve stopped looking at the menu and I let Effie do the ordering for me these days. She knows what I like and that sums up the feeling you get when hanging out at Lumiere. If you love great customer service, and being treated like one of the family, skip across the rainbow crossing and over to Lumiere for a big dose of authentic local hospitality.

Visit Effie, George, Kon and the team - 7 days a week, 7am - 4pm. 425 Bourke Street Surry Hills. Website - www.lumierecafe.com.au

Surry Hills Live:

Bringing Music Back From The Dead

T

here was a time when the live music scene in Surry Hills was the envy of the world. Venues like the Hopetoun Hotel on Bourke St and The Excelsior on Foveaux St helped create a generation of household name Australian artists, many of whom went on to international success.

But then the music died… Not all at once, but gradually under the weight of intense over-regulation, coinciding with the rise of the pokies and digital disruption. The nail in the coffin came in 2014 with the lock-out laws, which cost Sydney $16 billion per year over six years and were finally scrapped after mass community protest.

In 2020, Surry Hills is getting its groove on again and turning

the neighbourhood live in a big way. Surry Hills Live is a coalition of venues, artists, promoters and filmmakers collaborating to drive attendance at live music venues and showcase the benefits - both economic and cultural - of inviting musicians back into pubs.

Musician and promoter Rob Alexander, who puts on live acts around Surry Hills, is motivated by more than just a deep passion for live music.

“I don’t think there’s any better mechanism to pull people together than music.” He said recently at the Shakespeare Hotel as a 7-piece blues band played to a crowed front bar.

“We’re seeing a lot of different faces, people are meeting each other from

the neighbourhood. Its eliminating things the things that divide us” Surry Hills Live is a partnership between Rob’s non-profit Music For Trees, the Surry Hill Creative Precinct and local production company JJ Splice. It will use digital media to get the community out of their homes and into live venues.

“There’s a whole generation of young people who grew up under the lock out laws, and they’re not used to night culture or live music. They’re on Netflix and Instagram instead” says JJ Splice CEO Dean Francis.

Over the next few months the dial will be set to eleven for quality acts playing in local pubs and events will be captured for instant digital distribution. “By getting live music

By getting live music onto the online platforms where people congregate these days, we can show them that human, creative interaction in the real world can be much more satisfying...

onto the online platforms where people congregate these days, we can show them that human, creative interaction in the real world can be much more satisfying”.

Acts coming to Surry Hills are from an impressive pedigree. “We have veterans of the Australian music scene. We have The Cruel sea, folks from Machine Gun Fellatio and plenty more. There are people who have been around for a long time who are so enamoured with playing in the corner of a pub again and have their

music bounce off the old tiles and the wood. It is so unique to Surry Hills” says Rob. Australian musicians have a proud track record not only of connecting local communities but also working promoting global causes, especially climate change. A portion of proceeds from Music For Trees events goes to LandCare and helps trees get planted around the world. “The world needs more trees, music builds communities and communities make things happen” says Rob. Next time you’re wondering what to watch on Netflix on a Thursday evening, head to the pub instead.

Shows happen at the Shakespeare Hotel on Devonshire St from 8pm and down the road at the Strawberry Hills Hotel from 11pm. And they’re free.

The Surry Hills Live initiative, co-funded by the City of Sydney, will produce weekly shareable documentary content to add momentum to Surry Hills’ new wave of live music. Check it out at https://surryhills.live

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