Wharf Life, Aug 9-23, 2023

Image by Jon Massey

Where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

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Welcome to the 94th issue of Wharf Life. There’s a health and wellbeing theme to this issue, whether it’s eating great food at Fish Game, looking your best at Jon Hala, getting a full snapshot of your internal workings with Randox Health or Suzan Altay’s crucial reminder to keep self-checking for lumps

The Incognito singers descend on the Cabot Square venue for an evening of hits such as Purpose, So Well, Ready 4 Love and Are You Getting Enough?. Aug 31, 9.30pm, from £19 (show only), boisdale.co.uk

Where?

Museum Of London

Docklands West India Quay

EVENT

The museum has invited the Essex-based artist and activist to respond to its Sugar And Slavery gallery with a disruptive intervention. Booking essential. Sept 1, 4pm, free, museumo ondon.org.uk

Where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG

Original vocalists Chris Amoo and Dave Smith, both celebrating more than 45 years in the industry, are set to perform two shows packed with smooth hits. Aug 23-24, 9.30pm, from £29 (show only), boisdale.co.uk

Get ready for a very special event at Sharkbait

Indulge in a host of free events at West eld for The Summer Social 2530

GIG | Cherri V + Natalie Duncan

| The Real Thing

| An Evening With Elsa James

The Greenwich + Docklands International Festival is back and it’s set to be a blockbuster year with a wealth of free events across east and south-east London

on the radar

need to know

The Canary Wharf co ee scene is set to get a new player when Blank Street opens up in Crossrail Walk between Atis and iSmash. Hailing from Brooklyn, the chain has spread rapidly in London since its 2022 debut with 17 branches already operational blankstreet.com

Dance all night as DJs spin in honour of Enigma’s 5th birthday

Catch I Wish My Life Were A Musical at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping

For those who thought the arrival of Coco Di Mama meant we’d seen the back of Pure, guess again. The bowl brand has moved into a bigger unit in Cabot Place opposite Paul and Wasabi to ply its trade in smoothies and baked goods. Opening soon... pure.co.uk

Why personal trainer and Yoga and Pilates instructor Suzan Altay is sharing her experience of breast cancer to encourage women to self-check to make sure tumours aren’t missed

LADIES CUTS FROM £75 MENS CUTS FROM £50 + AESTHETIC TREATMENTS

June may have been Pride month, but celebratory marches are ongoing into August and September. In recent years, we’ve seen many retailers jumping on the bandwagon. While some retailers are, naturally, keen to show genuine support to the LGBTQIA+ community – with a percentage of their pro ts being donated to relevant causes – others have been accused of rainbow-washing.

Diversity and inclusion are big topics in marketing campaigns these days, which is great – but how do you tell which brands actually believe in what they’re saying, and which are doing it for a quick nancial win? I’ve done my research and sought out some Pride-friendly retailers in the area, so you can be sure you’re supporting good causes.

● US beauty giant Sephora is set to open a store at West eld Stratford City in November. The brand stocks London-based skincare brand Dr Botanicals, a proud LGBTQIA+ owned business, making vegan skincare products. Its website says the company will always support movements for equality like Black Lives Matter, True Colors Fund and Stonewall, because there’s still work to be done. The range includes facial serums, hand cream, oil di users and even gentle baby products. My favourite is the Dr Botanicals Pride Edition Lemon Superfood All-In-One Rescue Butter 50ml, priced at £14.90. It’s great for hydrating skin and smells divine.

● Asda is to donate £100,000 this year to support charity Diversity Role Models in a bid to end LGBTQIA+ bullying in schools, through inclusion workshops in classrooms across the UK. The supermarket has also partnered with the organisation to create a Pride-themed clothing range under its George brand, consulting with its own LGBTQIA+ employees to help design the collection. Asda sources the range’s products from suppliers in countries with laws protecting equal rights. Find the range (it includes both adult and children’s styles) in its Isle Of Dogs store o East Ferry Road. I adore the unisex Adult Disney Mickey Mouse Love Is Love Pride Pyjamas, £18.

● Who doesn’t love a visit to BrewDog in Churchill Place? The beer giant is partnering with LGBTQIA+ charity MindOut to help raise awareness of its mental health services and provide access and support to sta and customers. It has launched a 4.5% guava-infused Pride lager with 50p from each sale going directly to the charity. BrewDog is also o ering 100% of pro ts from the sales of pronoun pin badges and Pride T-shirts to further support MindOut’s. The pin badges are available to purchase from the brewer’s website, priced at £5 each.

Natasha Maddison @pazzanatasha on Insta

CHARITY - Action For Kids

Beach Volleyball

Canada Square Park

September 4-28

canarywharf.com

After a four-year absence, AFK Beach Volleyball returns to Canary Wharf with two full-sized courts and 200 tonnes of sand to help raise money for the charity. In addition to a championship competition, the facility will be available to book on a pay-toplay basis. Wharfers can register their interest in the corporate competition by emailing beach@afkcharity.org – Ken costumes optional

TRY - Fave Coffee

Crossrail Place

Daily, 6.45am-4.30pm

@favecoffee1 on Insta

Get caffeine and positive vibes in equal measure from this recently opened coffee truck right outside the eastern exit of the Elizabeth Line station in Canary Wharf. The light green vehicle dispenses hot drinks to Wharfers in cups with upbeat messages to remind them to put themselves first, find purpose in what they do and generally spread a bit of kindness about the place. These are small things, but crucial in an often unforgiving world

diary dates, listings and ideas to make your Canary Wharf sweeter...

beauty review

Signature Pedicure + Gel, Townhouse, Jubilee Place, £49

by Jess Maddison

Life imitates art, art imitates fashion and vice versa. We haven’t had such a prominent film influence the way we dress since Alexander McQueen’s skull scarves during the launch of the first Pirates Of The Caribbean movie.

It makes sense, then, when picking colours for my pedicure at Townhouse, Canary Wharf’s newest manicure and pedicure offering, I choose the most Barbie-like colour I can. That is high pigmented glitter in a slight, shimmering shade of pink – picked up perfectly in the sunlight but not on newsprint or Instagram, unfortunately.

Anastasia, who is from Moldova, performs my pedicure and is warm and friendly throughout – keeping up a pleasant stream of conversation for the duration, in addition to giving me advice on my nail care.

There’s lots of checking to make sure I’m happy with the length and shape of my nails before moving on to the gel, with Anastasia using a thin brush to ensure my toes are painted with precision. It’s one of the most accurate pedicures I’ve had.

Another attraction at Townhouse is that, if any chips occur in the first

week of painting, they are corrected free of charge.

The results speak for themselves – I feel a warm glow of excitement every time I look down. That’s lucky because the weather provides only chill winds when I take my well dressed toes to the beach. Unlike Barbie, I, sadly, do not live in a dream world. Go to townhouse.co.uk for more information or to make a booking

get two cocktails per person & 90 minutes of video gaming in your own private booth

Nails fit for Barbie at the beach by Townhouse in Canary Wharf

by Jon Massey

On the one hand

Fish Game is a mildly bamboozling cacophony of stuff. There’s the cling-film wrapped head mural of a man apparently consuming credit cards, a private room decorated with images of Mafia bosses and an unopened bottle of rosé placed on an ornate, five-foot high pedestal but tucked nearly out of sight in a corner – a relic, perhaps, of a party whose atmosphere hasn’t quite been tidied away yet.

There’s a cocktail menu graded by a system of chess pieces, an extensive selection of agave-based spirits that none of the staff mention and a wine list so long it might take an hour to read in detail.

In short, Wood Wharf’s newest restaurant is a singular kind of place – an addition to Water Street that is across the road and worlds away from the carefully thoughtthrough Dishoom or the glowing plant-based abundance of Mallow.

Its premise is simple, dishes of fish and game cooked primarily on a grill with fire, ash and charcoal – a process overseen by head chef Matt Colk (formerly of The Gun in Blackwall, incidentally).

Opened by Roberto Costa, known for his six-strong Italian meat-focused restaurant chain Macellaio RC, it’s billed as a hymn to the British produce the entrepreneur has encountered since coming to the UK.

And what a siren song Matt cooks up. Walk past and you might only see the octopuses, giant fish floats and Ferrari-branded planters. But once you’ve tasted the food, you’ll only be thinking about the next time you can make a reservation.

We visit on an evening and discover the venue has backed away from one eccentricity –listing its dishes in streams of game and fish – in favour of the more trad small plates, starters, mains and sides so diners actually know what’s what.

This mild concession to organisational sanity does nothing to dull the pleasures of the deep fried game arancini, £7.50 – two

skill on the plates

perfect crispy spheres with a game-to-rice ratio that makes us wonder whether the kitchen is running out of risotto. They’re rich and glorious when smeared with a punchy whisky ketchup.

Equally deep fried, if more subtle in taste are three little croquettes packed with rabbit, black olives, potato and thyme (£8.50) that bathe happily in a zingy marjoram and lime zest mayo.

Moving on from small plates to starters – because that’s how we roll – a pair of Roman tigella bread pockets appear, stuffed with offal and more rabbit, this time identified as meat from Windsor Great Park, and flavoured with parsley, garlic and lemon juice.

For £9.50, they are substantial, bready and filled with hearty, earthy flavours and textures.

A performative showstopper arrives, as my companion opts for venison tartare with bone marrow and a parsley salad. Chopped at the table for £15, it comes with just enough sourdough to satisfy

and a gentle warmth of fresh chillies to offset the cool depth of the meat.

Taken as a whole, the opening dishes offer a reassuring solidity to things, firm anchors in the swirling currents of the restaurant.

But they are as nothing to what comes next. I don’t say this lightly, but the Cornish monkfish and butterfly sea bream are among the best seafood dishes I’ve ever eaten. At £29 and £50 respectively, they’re not cheap, but what an investment.

Both are relatively spare in presentation. The line-caught monkfish is served with a serrated knife for its dissection and comes dressed with rosemary, lime and sea salt. It is butter-smooth, perfectly cooked in ash – the kind of dish where you cut tinier and tinier pieces in a feverish effort to make the experience last that little bit longer.

Then there’s the bream. Spread wide, shot through with the flavours of charcoal and buried in just the right amount of olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and basil. Again, it melts. It’s a plentiful portion and could be shared as a main although it’s quite clear from the first mouthful there’s never really going to be enough. The only reasonable solution is to start planning an imagined follow-up visit to soften the blow of finishing.

An honourable mention also goes to a bowl of bombastic new potatoes that, for a mere £5.50, are a fabulous, chilli-wielding side.

And then all that’s left is dessert – a tiramisu whipped up at the table with components served from a stove-top espresso maker and all for £6.50.

There’s more than a dash of crazy at Fish Game. To start we try odd cocktails in curacao electric blue and Fernet Branca brown – both delicious – and a grassy Sicilian Grillo holds its own against the barrage of exquisite flavours flowing from the kitchen. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the star of the show is the exactingly cooked ingredients brought together with deeply rooted skill by Matt and his team.

l In addition to a la carte, Fish Game offers a two-course set lunchtime menu for £16 and a Candy Game burger where diners have a chance to win their lunch for free by eating candy floss, naturally. Both are available on weekdays

Go to fishgamerestaurant.co.uk

Canary Wharf - West India Quay

how Fish Game cooks top quality produce with delicacy and care amid a dose of sparkling insanity

Price of a two-course lunchtime set menu at Fish Game in Wood Wharf, available on weekdays

Butterfly sea bream at Fish Game

Cornish monkfish

Filled tigella bread from Rome

Years this October since Jon Hala opened his eponymous salon in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place

by Jon Massey

Jon Hala has worked hard to establish the salon that bears his name in Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place. Opened the October before the first lockdown, the business came into its own as shaggy Wharfers sought solutions to their creative attempts at home haircare.

It’s since gone on to build up a loyal, ever-growing clientele of local residents and workers as well as some more unusual fans such as the Arsenal Women’s Football Team and the female mixed martial artists of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Having built up the salon to a staff of 20 alongside his wife

Violeta (who oversees beauty services) Jon said a somewhat unexpected future now beckoned with his daughter’s increasing involvement.

“Jon Hala was never especially meant to be a family business,” he said. “It really happened by accident. During the pandemic, we had some members of staff return to their homes overseas.

“At the same time my daughter, Jada, decided to take a gap year after finishing school. There was a lot of pressure on my shoulders at that time because, while I had worked in and run successful salons, when it’s your own business it’s different – there were managerial aspects I’d not handled before so getting to grips with that was a big learning curve.

“Jada started working with us as a receptionist but before long, I started to give her more responsibility. Now we sit and do all kinds of things together – the VAT and the rotas – she’s involved in every aspect of the business.

“Then, one day, she told me she wanted to be a hairdresser, which was music to my ears. My father taught me my craft and now I’m in the process of teaching her.”

Jon grew up in his father’s salon in east London’s Leyton, sweeping floors and making teas and coffees for customers from a young age.

“It was a very tight-knit immigrant community of Turkish people,” he said. “My dad had always been a hairdresser, learning his skills from his uncle and he had a very good reputation, opening six days a week and sometimes on Sundays too, especially for weddings.

“You have to be a sociable person – it’s long hours, but it’s a people job. I really enjoyed the attention I got from both my dad’s staff and the clients – I was this cute kid, running round making

the drinks. It also seemed like the ideal job because if I liked a girl at school I could offer to cut their hair. There were a few mess ups at the start but that’s how you learn.”

Jon went on to train at Vidal Sassoon then spent around 16 years at Nicky Clarke in Mayfair before launching his eponymous salon in Canary Wharf.

“You have to dream a bit,” said the Isle Of Dogs resident. “You never know what will come of it. Opening this business in Canary Wharf was a dream and we’d love to expand, perhaps to another site on the estate.

“Naturally my dream for Jada would be for her to manage part of the business. You can always rely on family members, so that would be a really good position to be in. Right now my focus is on passing on my skills.

“She already has a head start because she’s grown up around the industry. With a family business it’s a different atmosphere to a chain – you can offer a more personal service and really look after your clients. But we

how hairdresser and aesthetics salon

Jon Hala is looking to the future as daughter follows father in the industry

Family business: From left, Violeta, Jon and Jada Hala all work together at the Jubilee Place salon in Canary wharf

also make sure we look after the people we work with – nobody gets forgotten here. The team has grown and it would be amazing to expand to take some of that extra volume. Ultimately my dream for Jada would be for her to take over – to drive the business forward even further in the digital era.” That’s further down the line as Jada is currently focused on her training.

“Growing up, going into the industry was never really on the table,” she said. “People would ask me if I would follow in dad’s footsteps and become a hair-

dresser, but I was against the idea – I wanted to break the tradition.

“But then I finished school just after Covid, which was all a bit of a mess. I was confused about what I wanted to do and what my options were and so I took a gap year. But rather than sit at home all day, I wanted to get a job.

“I was looking at vacancies and then my dad mentioned he was down a receptionist and suggested I could come and work for him. I don’t know why I hadn’t really considered it, because I had worked on Saturdays in the salon while I was at school. But I’d not thought about working there full-time.

“I was really only meant to do it for a year, but I quickly started taking on more than the reception duties. Having been around salons since I was about four, I knew what was entailed in growing and operating the business.

“So I started working as a junior in the salon and developed a real interest in how the various products worked and the science behind them. More and more, I

wanted to be helping out with the physical work of the salon rather than just running reception. I found it came quite naturally, doing more things like blow dries for clients.

“So I’ve since started my training in earnest – I already knew the basics, but my dad is now passing on his skills to me and I’ve just finished my first colour course with Wella.

“As it’s a family business, I’m really here to support my dad. It’s up to me to keep things running smoothly when he’s not there. I’m naturally protective of the salon –it’s not just any company but one he’s worked so hard to establish.

“If another site were to open, I’d love to take the reins – it would be my dream. For me it’s really the end result for the client that’s important. When you make them feel good, you get the satisfaction of doing your job well and that’s amazing.”

Go to jonhala.com for more information or bookings

Scan this code to nd out more about Jon Hala

Jon Hala o ers hair, beauty and aesthetic treatments with options including a VIP room for clients to enjoy services in complete privacy

You have to dream a bit. You never know what will come out of it. Opening this business in Canary Wharf was a dream

Jon Hala, Jon Hala London

by Jon Massey

They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but not half so bad as a lot of ignorance,” wrote Terry Pratchett at the opening of his 1987 novel Equal Rites. There he was referring to a bumbling wizard keen to secure his magical legacy before his inevitable death, but the sentiment nevertheless remains broadly true.

We are passengers in our bodies. Whatever it is that passes for our consciousness, if handed full control, would last perhaps a few seconds before being overwhelmed by the astonishing complexities of breathing, pumping blood, interpreting nerve signals and digesting food before rapidly dying.

To jump on the current cultural zeitgeist, Dr Robert Oppenheimer astutely pointed out in one of his Reith Lectures for the BBC that even the best of us toiling for a lifetime perhaps only manage to do one or two things really well.

If faced with operating the systems of the body, the poor sentient parts of our brains would be next to helpless.

That’s not to say, of course, that we can’t notice things that might help out or improve the way we work. Human life has steadily been getting longer precisely as the species has got better at preserving it through medicine, diet, health and safety measures and, generally speaking, killing one another less.

One of those ongoing, incremental revolutions is the rise of monitoring – the collection of data about ourselves, our health and the ways we might use that information to improve things.

While our phones measure our steps, the number of floors we’ve climbed and our sleep, it’s become increasingly commonplace to see

A brief summary of Jon’s results from his Discovery tests –basically, could do better

people in the gym wearing heart rate monitors and patches continually measuring blood glucose levels. The idea is that the mostly unseen secrets of our bodies could hold the key to radical benefits for our short and long-term wellbeing. Who wouldn’t want to know, right?

So, when Randox Health offered me the chance to sample its £195 Discovery package I jumped at the opportunity. With branches across London, including one recently opened in Canary Wharf, the company is the consumer-facing arm of Randox proper, a Northern Ireland-based global health testing business with revenues in the hundreds of millions.

The appointment arrived on a fresh July morning. I hadn’t read the instructions properly –glancing through them in Third Space’s changing room, following an unusually strenuous morning Yoga session, I realised too late that I was supposed to have avoided exercise prior to the tests. Having feverishly consumed about three litres of water in a desperate bid to rehydrate, I nevertheless marched into the Cabot Square clinic to be met with reassurance that we could still go ahead.

Clinical lead Patricia Veres then took me into a consultation room where I was quizzed on the general state of my health, my

Price for the Discovery package at Randox Health. Better value is Everyman or Everywoman, which gives you double the testing for £100 more

times testing

During the appointment, six vials of blood are taken to be sent away for testing

how Randox Health offers in-depth testing to help clients make lifestyle changes that could benefit wellbeing

Patricia was the model of slick professionalism, delivering a minimal sharp scratch in seconds and rapidly filling six vials

Jon Massey, Wharf Life

medical background and lifestyle choices. The experience then split into three parts.

First I was measured and underwent a body composition scan to assess muscle and fat quantities and ratios.

Next I was dispatched to do the awkward dance of the urine sample – somewhat welcome given my enthusiastic efforts to hydrate. Patricia told me it should be mid stream, but did that mean I should stop or simply resign myself to a certain amount of splashing? Suffice to say, pot filled and on to the next adventure.

The final act was the blood test itself. Having been rejected as a plasma donor during the pandemic thanks to my deeply buried veins, I was dreading this part – but Patricia was the model of slick professionalism, delivering a minimal sharp scratch in seconds and rapidly filling six vials. With my various liquids and measurements dispatched, ready to give me 150 pieces of information about my body, Patricia took time to answer every one of my questions.

The feel of the whole business was medical but shot through with a welcoming warmth intended to relax and allay customers’ fears. It worked, I left feeling reassured in the knowledge that in a few days I’d have some fresh insights land in my inbox.

What happens next is just that. A little less than five working days later, I received a link to the various reports. These come presented in three documents. The first a summary of any headline issues picked up during the tests, covering various systems in the body. The second is a copy of the body composition scan which you get to see and discuss in the initial appointment and the third is the detailed results themselves.

Randox also sends out a paper copy of the latter, although quite why in 2023, is anybody’s guess. Perhaps some people like to frame them. For want of a more technical explanation my summary was fairly simple – 82% of the test results were normal or optimal, 4% were a little off and 14% were of some concern.

Some of the report’s conclusions were of little surprise. I’m clinically a bit overweight and could certainly do with shifting a few pounds. I knew that anyway. But the value here is really in getting glimpses of what lies beneath the obvious. There were bursts of relief – my prostate shows no signs of concern right now, ditto my liver and kidneys. My diet is apparently working to

provide adequate levels of almost all essential nutrients (vitamin D supplements are my secret, especially given the so-called summer we’ve had to date).

But then there’s my phosphorus levels, something possibly a bit questionable with my thyroid function, a bit too much bad cholesterol and an over-abundance of fat-carrying triglycerides in my blood.

With the exception of the weight, I’m currently asymptomatic so none of these issues would likely have seen me beating down my GP’s door. Now I know, however, I well might.

It’s important to note that a Discovery report is not a diagnosis. The point is to deliver data that may allow people to take action to head off any issues that might be creeping up. My thyroid function, for example, is completely normal at present. But the presence of certain antibodies suggests that might not be the case in future so it’s worth keeping an eye on.

It’s also worth noting that a test on a single day is simply a snapshot of the body in a particular state at certain time. It’s likely the harsh sweaty shapes I’d spent part of the morning bending my unwilling body into will have had some impact on the results – my triglyceride levels, for example.

But others are quite clear. It’s reassuring to know that my diet is broadly delivering what it should albeit with a side of too much saturated fat. That’s an easy fix.

Tougher is finding enough phosphorus to eat. After getting the report I later leave Waitrose with a basket overflowing with pumpkin seeds, kefir, mackerel and sardines. My salted butter days may be behind me, but there’s no shortage of delicious alternatives that should help keep my skeleton in bones.

I will also be seeking a phosphorus supplement, at least in the short term, because while my levels are catastrophically low, its a mineral you have to be careful not to top up too much.

In the end though, the proof will be in the pudding. While Discovery offers a snapshot, Randox’s most popular packages are its Everyman and Everywoman offerings. For £295, you essentially get two Discoveries six months apart to help track the impact of any changes you’ve made. Just don’t go too radical –after all, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

Go to randoxhealth.com

Randox Health is located in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place, opposite Space NK Apothecary and just down from Moleskine – a few seconds from the DLR station

getting greener

by Sophie Goddard

If you’ve been reading the news over the last few weeks, you will have seen some alarming stories about our planet. We have seen global temperature records broken day after day during the month of July. The week of 3-10 was the hottest ever recorded on our planet and wildfires have been raging across the Mediterranean.

It may feel a little doom and gloom, but we do have a chance to act. As Sir David Attenborough said: “There has been no species that has been as remotely clever and ingenious as homo sapiens – let us live up to that name.”

These types of news stories continue to show us the real impact that the climate crisis is already having – the dangers that we face unless we act now. Rapid decarbonisation is the only way of preserving a liveable planet and every fraction of a degree of warming that we can prevent means avoiding untold amounts of human suffering.

So, what does decarbonisation mean and what does it really look like? Understanding how to reduce your emissions, as an organisation or an individual, means you need to start looking at where your biggest sources of greenhouse gasses are.

For Canary Wharf Group, we know that its biggest sources of emissions are in the buildings it manages, the materials and services it purchases and the activities of its tenants and customers.

For other organisations, it may be the impact of their investments or their franchises. For an individual, it might be the car they drive or the electricity they purchase for their home.

As a developer, Canary Wharf Group has a big part to play – we have reviewed our emissions as a business to understand our biggest impact areas and have a plan in place to reduce them. We hold ourselves to

Sophie

account by annually reporting our progress within our sustainability update.

If you would like to know more about your biggest impact areas, there are lots of resources available to get started. The WWF has a footprint calculator, which can help individuals understand where they can take steps to reduce their emissions. For businesses, organisations like the Carbon Trust have carbon calculator tools that can be used to get started.

The types of news stories we saw throughout July can be incredibly difficult to read, but it is vital for us to understand the impact that climate change is already having and the threats it poses as the crisis worsens. Though the news and the climate science are very worrying, we have seen incredible innovations coming to the market and the drive for action is stronger than ever before.

Sophie Goddard is director of sustainability at Canary Wharf Group and can be contacted via sustainability@canarywharf.com

Go to canarywharf.com or breakingtheplastichabit.co.uk

Scan this code for more information on sustainability in Canary Wharf

There is cause for worry, but organisations are working to decarbonise their operations

it’s not all and gloom

Although the news and the climate science are very worrying, we have seen incredible innovations coming to the market and the drive for actions is stronger than ever before

Goddard, Canary Wharf Group

Image shows detail from Giles Penny’s Two Men On A Bench at Wren Landing in Canary Wharf

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£15.50

Starting price to see I Wish My Life Were A Musical at Wilton’s Music Hall in August and September

The production promises a comic inside take on the world of acting, singing and dancing for a living

making a song and

how I Wish My Life Were A Musical is set to lift the lid on the scandalous, petty world of stage shows

by Jon Massey

Set to come to east London direct from its third run at the Edinburgh Fringe, I Wish My Life Were A Musical promises a look behind the scenes at the world of song-driven theatrical performance.

Boasting some 35 ve-star reviews and three award nominations, the show takes audiences through the trials and tribulations of training for, then making it on, the stage.

Over England and Murder

On Air – the production is directed and choreographed by Matthew Parker, the former artistic director of The Hope Theatre.

The show aims to lift the lid and expose the backstage world of theatre as audiences meet characters such as the wide-eyed drama student, the brattish diva, the past-it chorus member or the bitter has-been.

to create magical moments in the limelight. This version of the show stars Jennifer Caldwell, Sev Keoshgerian, Rhidian Mark and Julie Yammanee.

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

The George Tavern Shadwell

GIG | Pet Grotesque + The Gatherning Doubt

This double bill features the musical stylings of a man called Calumn from West Yorkshire and the solo project of Pleasure Complex’s Scott Rimington. Sept 4, 7pm, £5, thegeorgetavern.london

Where?

Tobacco Dock Wapping

EVENT | Meatopia

Expect re, music, food and drink at this celebration of feasting on esh. See more than 70 chefs cooking on the ames and sample all sorts of dishes. Aug 31-Sept 3, from £25, meatopia.co.uk

Where? Tower Of London Tower Hill

MEET | Trailblazers: Women At The Tower

Visitors to the Tower will have the chance to meet Leonora Cohen, Alice Tankerville, Phillus Weatley and Catalina Of Motril. £1 for local residents. Until Sept 3, daily, with entry, hrp.org.uk

Written

by

Alexander

S Bermange

– a composer and lyricist for the likes of Spitting Image The Musical, Plague

Awful auditions, debilitating dance routines and mid-performance mishaps are also likely to make an appearance alongside backstage backstabbing, superfans and harsh critics – all things performers must contend with while trying

I Wish My Life Were A Musical is set to run at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping from August 29 to September 9. Shows are typically 7.30pm with matinees at 3pm on Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets start at £15.50. Go to wiltons.org.uk for more information

Scan this code to nd out more about the show

Parliament and back from Tower Quay Pier every day during the summer with adult tickets starting at £25 – a Horrible Histories o shoot terriblethames.com

Scan this code to read our review of the show plus interviews with two of its current stars

want more? @wharfwhispers

by Jon Massey

Icannot emphasise enough the importance of self-checking your breasts,” said Suzan Altay. “I was lucky that I found the lump because, five months before, it hadn’t shown up on the mammogram or MRI.”

Suzan, who lives on the Isle Of Dogs and works as an elite personal trainer and Yoga and Pilates instructor at Third Space in Canary Wharf, was no stranger to having scans as part of a high risk group.

“I’d been going for check-ups twice a year since my early 20s because of fibrocystic breasts – cysts in the tissue,” she said. “They call them lumpy breasts, so I’d go for the regular appointments and trust that process.

“It was just before I was due to go for a scan that I realised something was wrong. I was doing my stretching exercises one Sunday morning, when I suddenly discovered something that wasn’t there before. It was about the size of a pea and it wasn’t moving. Because I was on the priority list, I got an appointment immediately –I was referred for a biopsy, which confirmed that the lump was cancerous.

“Then they had to decide what kind of treatment I was going to have. The first biopsy suggested I should have a lumpectomy, where they just remove the tumour and the tissue around it.

“But a further MRI showed another mass, meaning I would need a mastectomy. I was given the option to have one or both breasts removed and for safety I decided to have both.

“It was supposed to be just the surgery because it was local, but during the surgery they check the lymph nodes, and found out that the cancer had spread to them too. Five months earlier, the scans hadn’t picked anything up and

then all this. It was horrible, I was terrified. You put your trust in doctors, machines and so on – I’d not missed a single appointment in 20 years – and then all of a sudden you start questioning what was missed? Did I eat too many grapes? Did I not drink enough water?

“You want to make sense of it to protect yourself, but you have to accept that, with these kind of things, nobody really knows the cause.”

Because the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes, doctors recommended an aggressive approach to the disease.

“I think the hardest part of the whole treatment was the chemo therapy and losing my hair was part of that,” she said. “It took them a month to decide what kind of drugs would be necessary.

“During the surgery I’d had breast reconstruction and I was lucky to preserve my nipples – so I’d had a month getting used to my new body when I started losing my hair from the cocktail of medication I was given.

“I had 16 sessions and then radiotherapy, which took about 11 months in total. It happened just after the pandemic, so while lots of people were going back to work, I didn’t for about a year. When you’re on chemo, the drugs make you feel sick but you also take medication to stop you throwing up – that was just a horrible feeling and you’re tired all the time.

“I was really fortunate with the radiotherapy I didn’t have a rash or anything, and I kept asking the nurses if it was really working, because I had no effects at all. I was even able to go back to teaching so I would go for treatment in the morning and then take classes afterwards. Then, on February 1 last year I was given the all clear – I had a bottle in the fridge all ready to celebrate and then I got Covid. It’s been more than a year now, everything seems fine and I’m good.

“I’m on daily medication and every three months I have to go for injections but my check-ups are now scaled back. I do get tired and sometimes a low mood, but physically and mentally I’m building up my strength again.

“The reason I wanted to tell my story was to raise awareness so women keep checking themselves and keep pushing if they find something they think isn’t right.

“Around one in three women in

In seven women in the UK will be diagnosed with 1

how Suzan Altay wants women to learn from her breast cancer and to not just rely on regular screening

The reason I wanted to tell my story was to raise awareness so women keep checking themselves

Suzan Altay, Elite Personal Trainer

the will get cancer and finding it early is really important. I was lucky – when I found my lump the cancer had already spread and I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t found it then.

“I knew of a lady at one of the gyms I worked at who’d had cancer and was fine. Then she suddenly disappeared and I later discovered she had passed away – she was younger than me. Each day I think of her because my story could so easily have been

“Even though the treatment can take a lot out of you mentally, as well as physically, breast cancer has a high survival rate because it is relatively easy to treat.

“In my life I’ve jumped from planes and dived with sharks – I was fearless, but now I realise I can be afraid because life can be taken away just like that.”

Cancer can come for anyone. Those who have attended one of Suzan’s classes (myself included) will have been struck by her apparently boundless levels of energy and infectious passion for both Yoga and Pilates.

Having come to the UK in her early 20s from Cyprus, she initially studied sound engineering, before going on to work in the field.

Having long practised Yoga, she chose to train as a teacher after breaking up with a boyfriend and deciding to do something for herself – making the switch to the fitness industry and later going on to qualify as a Pilates instructor and a personal trainer.

“It’s an important time in your life when you find yourself, she said. “I loved sound engineering when I was doing it, but when I’m on the mat I feel I have more confidence – I know what I’m doing and it gives me pleasure.

“Once I started learning more about Yoga it gave me something – I didn’t realise what that was until I started teaching, but it was what I’d been missing in my previous career.

“It can be demanding, but I never feel tired in the classroom. The benefits of practising both Yoga and Pilates are really good and have helped me recover.

The body is such an amazing machine, but is so important to be aware of it – everyone should keep checking themselves because things can go wrong.”

Go to learnyogalondon.com or thirdspace.london for more Scan

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | A Health To The Company

This show promises to blow the myth of the golden age of piracy out of the water as swords are crossed, timbers shivered and history uncovered. Aug 22-27, times vary, from £8, space.org.uk

Where?

Poplar Union Isle Of Dogs

TRY | Relaxation Soundbath

This immersion, beginning with Himalayan Bowls before moving onto gongs, promises participants deeply relaxing percussion and altered states. Aug 27, 5pm, £15, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Three Things That Are Never Seen

This show blends music, myth and movement, inspired by Celtic mythology and the places where past and present overlap. Expect storytelling. Aug 29-Sept 2, times vary, £15, space.org.uk

Charity For Children honorary chairman and Isle Of Dogs resident – who is raising awareness of the organisation’s activities and looking to boost funds so it can do even more ltcfc.org.uk

Scan this code to read our interview with Antony and to nd out more about the charity’s work

want more? @wharfwhispers

Suzan Altay is a personal trainer and Yoga and Pilates instructor who lives on the Isle Of Dogs

● The Dockland Settlements aims to provide support to local communities who live close to our centres in Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets.

● As a charity we provide sporting, social, recreational and educational activities as well as low cost playcare to help parents go back to work or remain in work.

● The Calder’s Wharf centre opened its doors on the Isle of Dogs in January 2020. It hosts playcare services and its halls are home to a variety of activities for the community including sporting, social, recreational and educational activities. The centre also has a spa room which is used for massages and beauty related activities. Its halls are also available for hire.

Cost of the six-course, six-wine event at Steve McClarty’s Deptford restaurant

The Summer

cooking specials for the

how Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim is set to host a six-course special event at its Deptford Market Yard space

by Jon Massey

Deptford seafood restaurant Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim continues to make waves on the food scene. Hot o the back of a glowing review from The Guardian’s Jay Rayner, chef Steve McClarty is set to host The Summer Of 69 Bank Holiday Bonanza on Sunday, August 27.

The Deptford Market Yard venue is currently taking bookings for 3pm and 5.30pm sittings for the event, which will feature six courses and six wines (from Max, The Bearded Wine man) all-in for £69.

Scan

Dishes will include the likes of Sichuan Pounded Hake Ceviche with pu ed rice and music sheet bread matched with Akemi White Rioja, 24-hour Marinate Kiwi Calamari with kiwi mayo paired with Petit Chablis and a KFC Skate Wing with Laotian jeow mak len with German Spatlese.

The sixth course will feature three mystery ice creams (set against St Petroni White Vermouth) and guests who are able to correctly guess the avours will be entered into a tombola for a bit of added theatre. This is one not to miss despite the likelihood of Bryan Adams. For bookings of 2-4, email info@sharkbaitandswim.com

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Albany Deptford

GIG | Brilha, Baque Luar

Expect roof-raising percussion as the drum and vocal collective return home to south-east London with debut record Brilha, which means ‘to shine’. Aug 25, 7.30pm, £12, thealbany.org.uk

Where? Hiver Bermondsey

TRY | Bermondsey Beer Mile Tasting

Enjoy an 80-minute honey beer and Fabal tasting to start your exploration of the craft brewers locally including a map of food and drink businesses. Sept 2, 11.30am, £25.50, madeofengland.co.uk

Where? Matchstick Piehouse Deptford

GIG | Steam Down

Head under the arch for a weekly evening of jazz, fusion and improvisation from this collective of musical artists, born in Deptford. Sept 6, 6.30pm, £9.38, matchsticktheatre.com

sweet treats

Not much to look at outside, but head into the Watch House at Shad Thames and you’re in for a treat at this cafe and bakery. While a small chain, it has the feel of an independent and features excellent value brunch dishes watchhouse.com

Scan this code to nd out more about the Watch House or to make a booking

want more? @wharfwhispers

Of 69 Bonanza will be hosted by chef Steve McClarty, left, and Max, The Bearded Wine Man

KFC Skate Wing will feature on the menu

hope

of 2023’s Greenwich + Docklands International Festival season

by Jon Massey

The soles of Tatiana Mosio Bongonga’s feet will be the focus of the audience as the Greenwich + Docklands International Festival (GDIF) returns to central, east and south-east London.

Crowds will gather in Woolwich’s General Gordon Square at 7pm to watch the tight-rope walker inch along wire drawn taut by 12 people from the local community. Her one-night-only performance of Open Lines, high above the heads of her audience, marks the opening of the festival, while also acting as a signpost to its overarching theme.

“It’s an act of everybody coming together to make an impossible act of hope possible,” said Bradley Hemmings, founder and artistic director of GDIF. “The performance will be accompanied by live music and it just feels like a lovely way of opening the festival by introducing our theme this year.

“Obviously all our eyes will be up on the high wire, but it’s lovely to think of those 12 people playing their part.

e’ll also be making a film with those individuals, inviting them to think about what acts of hope they’ve observed in their day-to-day lives and how they can contribute to hope in the local community.”

This year will see the 28th iteration of GDIF spreading art, creativity, dance, theatre and spectacle all across this quarter of London with the overwhelming majority of performances free to attend. The various events roughly break down into 11 – all set to take place between August 25 and September 10.

This year these will take place in locations as diverse as St Paul’s Cathedral, Stratford, Royal Docks, Canary Wharf, Woolwich and, of course, Greenwich, where Bradley and his team are based.

“The festival has always set out to try to re ect the unfolding story of Greenwich and east London,” he said. “When we started it in 1996 and I looked across the river to Canary Wharf and there was only one tower, that was it.

People from the local community will pull Tatiana’s wire tight as she walks across it, high above her audience

how

is at the heart

Tightrope walker Tatiana Mosio Bongonga will mark the start of GDIF 2023 with Open Lines in Woolwich

Rozéo

Cygnus

The Air Between Us

“Things have changed massively since then. But it’s not just the physical environment, it’s also the stories of this place.

“One of the most painful is the murder of Stephen Lawrence 30 years ago and we’ve commissioned a production to mark that. It doesn’t go over the story itself, but is an optimistic piece that speaks of that moment and what the legacy of Stephen Lawrence means to young black people in this part of London.

“It’s called The Architect and audiences will travel on board a red double decker bus – the kind Stephen wasn’t able to board that night in 1993.

“I think this will be the emotional centrepiece of this year’s festival – a symbol that GDIF couldn’t take place anywhere else and of how it works to make this a better and more hopeful place to live and work.”

Tickets for The Architect – one of the few paid-for events at the festival, running September 6-10 – have sold out online, although more may become available with interested readers encouraged to follow @GDIFestival on social media for details.

“In their feedback, people often talk about their experience of being with other people, having conversations and enjoying spectacles they have never seen before in public spaces,” said Bradley.

“This year, there will be plenty of opportunity to do all those things – a good example being Cygnus at Royal Docks.

“From August 31-September 3, after darkness falls, a series of robotic swans that change colour and emit sounds and music will light up Royal Victoria Dock.

“Then, over at Greenwich Peninsula, there will be this wonderful performance – Rozéo – from a French company, which will take place on 10-metre high sway poles next to the Thames from September 2-3 at 2.30pm and 5.30pm.

“Our aim is always to programme lots of visually arresting things so people can share what they’ve seen with their friends and families. My hope is that the festival is one of the ways people will remember their summers – a landmark each year in the calendar.”

One of the key dates within GDIF is undoubtedly Greenwich Fair – a whole day of events held among the buildings of the Unesco World Heritage site from 1pm-7pm on August 26.

“We couldn’t do a GDIF without Greenwich Fair and we’ll be introducing a whole range of performers and family entertainment to audiences this year,” said Bradley.

“The whole thing will take

Bradley Hemmings is the artistc director and founder of GDIF and has overseen every one of its 28 iterations

Bradley Hemmings, GDIF

place across the Old Royal Naval College, beside the Cutty Sark and this year in Greenwich Park too.

“We’re really excited about that and we’re working with them in a more ambitious way for the first time – focusing on arts created by abled, disabled and neuro-diverse artists, so there’ll be a festival within the festival – loads to enjoy.”

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? Indigo At The O2 Peninsula

GIG | King

The Indian rapper and storyteller is set to come to the tent’s second venue with a showcase of his latest album Champagne Talk. Expect a ton of romance. Sept 1, 7pm, from £44 theo2.co.uk

Taking place daily from August 31-September 2 at 6.15pm, one of the most iconic buildings in London will see American company Bandaloop take over its facade for a series of half-hour, free aerial performances.

“They specialise in amazing abseil performances on sensitive buildings and at world heritage sites,” said Bradley.

“We’re using the south transept of the cathedral, so audiences will be looking at it from the Millennium Bridge side. There will be road closures there to accommodate large-scale audiences.

“The piece takes inspiration from the inscription on that side of St Paul’s – Resurgam – which means ‘I will rise’ and refers to the cathedral, which was born out the ashes of the Great Fire of London.

“It stood throughout the Blitz in the Second World War, so it’s a symbol of hope and resilience so it will resonate with everyone in these di cult times and speak to optimism.”

Events will include The Air Between Us, an aerial performance featuring disabled artist Rodney Bell at 1pm and 5.30pm and Teabreak, a journey through the history of tea making with fresh brews from a hand-painted Tuk Tuk at 2.35pm and 4.45pm. Animaltroniek from 2.30pm stars roaming robotic creatures. In total there will be 15 shows or performances to enjoy on the day.

“Another highlight of the wider festival for me will be Woman, Life, Freedom! at Stratford Park at 8pm on August 26,” said Bradley.

“We’re working with the brilliant, award-winning Ameena Hamid Productions on developing this work with a team of Iranian artists who wish to remain anonymous.

“It celebrates the voices and music of women following the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran almost a year ago.

“In that country, those voices can’t be heard, so the idea is to share with our audience this rich culture, which is very much what people are fighting for there.

“Again, it’s another act of hope – standing in solidarity with those women and what they are aiming to achieve.”

Dancing City at Canary Wharf is also set to return this year as part of GDIF, following its cancellation after the death of the Queen in 2022.

A full preview of the many events taking place on the estate over September 9-10 will follow in the next issue of Wharf Life For full listings and further details of all GDIF events and accessibility information go to festival.org

Scan this code to nd out more about GDIF 2023

Where? Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

EVENT | Bridgerton Late

Dress up, dance and watch live watercolour painting to the strains of a classical pop quartet, all inspired by the Net ix show – lmed at the venue. Aug 25, 5.30pm, £40, ornc.org

Where? Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Cinderella

This beloved fairy tale gets a makeover in Greenwich as Cinders is forced to contend with her horrible step siblings before donning some glass footwear. Aug 18-Sept 3, times vary, £12.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

diary dates

Weekends throughout August are being taken over by Summer Sessions on Greenwich Peninsula with music, food and outdoor cinema all still to come. Get those diaries out and plan some dates greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about what’s in store from August 11 onwards and to book tickets if needed

want more? @wharfwhispers

The festival has always set out to try to re ect the unfolding story of Greenwich and east London

city side Resurgam, St Paul’s Cathedral

Starting price for a ticket to Enigma at Fold in Canning Town £8

melodies

pumping out the

Royal Docks - Canning Town

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? Social Convention Canning Town

how Enigma at Fold in Canning Town is set to deliver through-the-night techno to celebrate its half decade

by Jon Massey

Resident Advisor’s club in Canning Town is set to host seven hours of techno when Enigma celebrates ve years of party promotion.

Kicking o at 11pm on August 26, Fold will be lled with energy and rhythm by ve acts that promise a smorgasbord of distorted bass lines and hypnotic melodies.

The night will be headlined by producer and electronic music performer 7XINS (or

Seven Crossin’s), who hails from a post industrial town in South Wales and draws on his background in mechanical engineering and electronics to create his sound.

Also on the bill will be Annechoic – half of the now defunct label Audiofugitives – who typically runs the gamut from soft ambient sounds to darker synthetic creations.

These two are joined by Dahraxt – a co-founder of Enigma, who specialises in experimental soundscapes, and broken rhythm master Hurtado. Rounding out the line-up is Sunil Sharpe, billed

as Ireland’s pre-eminent techno DJ.

Hailing from Berlin, Enigma promises an inclusive atmosphere where dancers can simply lose themselves in the music.

Tickets for the night, which runs until 6am the following morning, start at £8 with the most expensive second release set at £11. Go to ra.co for more details

Scan this code for more information on Enigma

DANCE | Finity Fiesta

Fashion brand Finity hosts a celebration for its fans, customers and allies complete with games, a DJ and prizes for those dressed in its clothes. Aug 23, 6.30pm-10.30pm, free, nitylondon.com

Where? Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | The Big London Tattoo Show

The Royal Docks venue is set to host more than 400 world class tattoo artists plus an alternative market, fairground rides and vaudeville experiences. Aug 26-27, 10.30am, £27.50, biglondontattooshow.com

Where? Thames Barrier Park Silvertown

TRY | Wheel Style BMX Workshops

Participants aged 3+ will be encouraged to swerve in and out of cones, duck limbo sticks and learn basic BMX tricks during these sessions. Bikes provided. Aug 23-27, 10am-6pm, free, royaldocks.london

travel plan

Transport for London has announced plans to o er cyclists transport through the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels when complete and is looking for feedback on its proposed schemes before September 10 t .gov.uk

Scan this code to learn more about the proposals or to have your say on the ideas that have been put forward

want more? @wharfwhispers

Enigma promises distorted bass lines and hypnotic

Days of free events are set to take place from August 19-28 at West eld Stratford City under The Summer Social banner

how The Summer Social activities at Westfield Stratford City offer a range of free diversions in August

by Jon Massey

Westfield Stratford City is hosting a free programme of activities, aimed at drawing people into the east ondon shopping centre this month. unning from ugust, 1 , The Summer Social offers a broad range of attractions from isco Yoga to sessions teaching cheeseboard selection, at The rena, located on its first oor near the orld Food Court. iss F s si and atchstick will warm visitors up with sets from pm on ugust 1 before the activities begin in earnest the following Saturday.

From ugust 1 itself, The rena will be giving out dult Colouring ooks until ug , hosting adults and kids isco Yoga sessions until ug and putting on Floristry orkshops until ug 1 .

It is open daily from 9am-9pm

The Summer Social is designed to appeal to a diverse audience, o ering a wide range of free events that reimagine the British summer experience

Katie Wyle, Unibail-Rodamco-West eld

Then, from ugust , a series of dance classes will be held for those eager to learn pop, ody arty and ideobeat moves.

For those more into avour than movement, ugust 1 sees the venue host ombucha aking workshops – for those keen to create something drinkable and fermented. n ugust , rape

nd Fig is set to host two Cheese board asterclasses, aimed at giving participants the chance to to come up with the ideal combi nation of cheeses and accompani ments to suit any occasion.

ugust sees a selection of activities arrive for those who prefer creativity and art. These include Candle ainting, Sip ’ aint working on canvas with a

top pick if you can only go to one...

Only able to attend a single event at The Summer Social?

Don’t worry, we’ve done the thinking for you and reckon Grape And Fig’s Cheeseboard Masterclass is the one to prioritise. This has nothing to do with Wharf Life’s philosophy that cheese is one of the greatest inventions ever created by humanity. Sessions run at noon and 2.30pm on August 23 and last an hour

drink in hand and ournalling aimed at helping participants unlock their writing abilities. longside these, a ood Tea aking orkshop will also take place with visitors able to create their own soothing blend. atie yle, head of shop ping centre management at nibail odamco estfield, which runs Stratford City, said The Summer Social is designed to appeal to a diverse audience, offering a wide range of free events that reimagine the ritish summer e perience. e can’t wait to welcome visi tors at estfield Stratford City to immerse themselves in a curated e perience of creativity, wellness, sports and entertainment.

● Full listings for all the events mentioned, including times and further details can be found online.

Go to westfield.com for more information

Scan this code to nd out more about The Summer Social

West eld Stratford City is located at Mont tchet Road, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London

The Summer Social activities include oristry, journaling and painting

what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Copper Box

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

EVENT | Revolution Pro Wrestling

The promotion returns to the Copper Box, promising an evening of non-stop action and entertainment complete with battles, rivalries, heroes and villains. Aug 26, 3.30pm, from £36.30, reveloutionprowrestling.com

Where? Cart And Horses

Stratford

lling the

GIG | LA Cobra

All the way from South Africa, the heavy metallers are joined on the bill by sleaze metal kings Nasty Ratz from Prague and the UK’s Star Circus. Aug 28, 8pm, £12, cartandhorses.london

Where? Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

STAGE | An Evening Of Soca Carnival Live Join Triniboi Joocie for an evening in celebration of carnival. Audiences are invited to dress bright and bring their dancing shoes for live music. Aug 25, 7.30pm, from £10, stratfordeast.com

ash back

The Las Vegas Sphere is built and operational, giving east Londoners a glimpse of the venue Madison Square Garden hopes to build in Stratford – but should it be allowed? Take a look at the video and make your mind up london.msg.com

West eld Stratford City o ers a multitude of attractions both indoors and out including bars, restaurants and a wide range of shops

Scan this code to see a video of the Las Vegas Sphere in operation – is it right for east London?

want more? @wharfwhispers

Sudoku

How to play

To complete Sudoku, ll the board by entering numbers one to nine such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

More to play

You can nd more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection of other brainteasers available to download for free at puzzles.ca

Notes

crossword

Cryptic Quick Down

1. You’re at his mercy now! (8)

. You will find graduates in aluminium (6)

3. Able to be murdered first if mi ed up

4. Finding fault is serious (8)

5. Immobile electricity? (6)

6. Breaking game? (4)

11. Oil to make the gearings move (8)

13. In short, Edward made the opera work (8)

1 . cavating things with fingers

17. Cut back a lost secret (6)

19. Sounds like a naughty measurement! (4)

21. End of cricket? (4)

beating the whether you’re cryptic sleuth or synonym solver in it for quick wins, this should satisfy