Wharf Life Dec 18-Jan 2

eS M O n i Lo tran aga e A ns m ge zin nd id Mr on F e T e To d C ale Lon ive B is di off Of do a su wa ee C n nk e la - C har - N St 2 ’s Ki ody lie C ewh reet 3 tc he Do hap am - M n ck lin Pa thr -P B n uz urn And the zle s rs S s - Nig tan Off ht La Pi - Fi ure st it l e

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to

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N av th ew ery go yo e ne Year mer od u de xt 1 from ry C w i th sire 2 m th hris ll e w a on e tm to ay nd ths Wh as a – w a fe br arf an ll e c w l ing Life d a an ittl yo te ha ’t e l u e am pp wa ux v y it uri ery , ma to es th y ge al ing t.. on . g

Chris Ezekiel on the miracle of light and its role in our lives Page 12

+ Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

celebrating the best of Canary Wharf, Docklands and the new east London people - events - treasure - property - nonsense

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

read

fortnightly find

this issue’s Tiger Treasure

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place

feast your eyes on these

It’s absolutely not that we’ve done too much shopping before Christmas that we couldn’t be bothered to select a product from amongst Tiger’s plethora of options. No, quite the opposite in fact. Everyone likes surprises. Well, most people. Some anyway. Just imagine the look of joy (and confusion) in the eyes of your loved one when you present them with a mystery gift on December 25.

Surprise Bag, £4 Go to uk.flyingtiger.com

06

GIG | Elvis 85th Birthday Special Hear all of The King’s hits as Boisdale turns its stage over to Suspiciously Elvis for a celebration to mark the anniversary of Presley’s birth.

Jan 8, 9.15pm, from £25 (no dinner), boisdale.co.uk

The Wharf’s first ever green wall is set to be unveiled in Bank Street

where?

Museum Of London Docklands WIQ

10

DANCE | Sleeping Beauty Ruggieri Dance Academy perform their version of the classic fairy tale with a cast of semi-professional adults who share a love of dance. Returns only.

Jan 4-5, 1.30pm, free, museumoflondon.org.uk

A closer look inside those cabins at Off Piste in Canada Square

where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place

sharp eyes GIG | Celebrate Kool And The Gang (a tribute) Whether it’s Ladies Night, Too Hot, Get Down On It or Celebration that gets you going, experience the sounds of Kool and his brothers on the Wharf.

Jan 11, 9.15pm, from £15 (no dinner), boisdale.co.uk

to do before January 1

The Museum Of London Docklands invites families for its Frost Fair Festival weekend of fun from December 22-23 recreating the magic of the days when the Thames froze over.

Expect arts and crafts. From noon, free museumoflondon.org.uk

Goldfinch Portrait by Derek Bezuidenhout, overall winner The winners in the Canary Wharf Wildlife Photography Competition 2019 have been announced and congratulations are due to Derek Bezuidenhout for scooping the overall prize.

Taken in Crossrail Place Roof Garden, his image Goldfinch Portrait also won the Wildlife And Water category.

He said: “ Walking through the roof garden, I was charmed by the ‘beep beep’ chatter of a group of Goldfinches.

“Over a few days I established there are at least a dozen birds that frequent the Garden, and they may even be nesting there.”

Open to all amateur photographers, the competition celebrates the diversity of flora and fauna across the Canary Wharf estate, challenging snappers to capture images across two junior categories and four adult categories.

For its fifth iteration, 30 shortlisted images were displayed in an exhibition at Adams Plaza Bridge before the winners were announced earlier this month.

Wharf Life will celebrate the other winners with a showcase of their work in our next issue, due out on January 2.

Go to canarywharf.com Jon Massey

get in touch

correct us

Editorial email stories@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300

we want to hear from you

12

How Fiit might get you up and active just by wearing a wire

the joy of six Every fortnight Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 36

need something fixed?

Head to Shake Shack for a classic, American burger in Park Pavilion shakeshack.co.uk

Advertising email advertising@wharf-life.com call 07944 000 144

Our editorial team works hard to ensure all information printed in Wharf Life is truthful and accurate. Should you spot any errors that slip through the net or wish to raise any issues about the content of the publication, please get in touch and we will investigate.

want more? @wharflifelive

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spot check one to try

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

3

Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

need to know

free

In case you’d forgotten and our front page didn’t jog your memory, it’s New Year’s eve soon. Humble Grape in Mackenzie Walk will be open until 1am on December 31 and it’s free to book a space.

Toast the arrival of 2020 with a decent glass humblegrape.co.uk

42 Look out for an exciting programme of live Music In The Malls across Canary Wharf, running from December 20-24 and featuring the likes of Lucy May Walker, pictured. All performances are free to attend. Go online for full listings canarywharf.com

Forget excitable dragons, it’s all about the sweet little penguins. Hotel Chocolat in Canada Place is offering free tastings until Christmas hotelchocolat.com

47

How we opened Magazine London on Greenwich Peninsula

Looking ahead to Burns Night at Cody Dock for a wee dram

20% 44

How Jonathan Lofulo is giving back to his community after turning a corner in prison, pursuing education, earning two degrees at UEL and founding a kids football club

Get down to Gant in Canada Place to get 20% off selected wool and cashmere knits.

You’d better not delay though, offer ends on December 22 gant.co.uk

JANUARY SALES AT THE GUN! DISCOUNTED MINIMUM SPENDS AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE MONTH

Enquire via the website www.thegundocklands.com

27 Coldharbour, London, E14 9NS gun.events@fullers.co.uk 0207 515 5222

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

words you didn’t know you need

bope

buy me

this fortnight’s must-have item

noun, fictional, from German A feeling or expectation and desire that someone you give a book to will enjoy the same connection you have with it.

Bopes are often dashed as such emotions are highly dependent on external factors

bucket list

write me

Make this festive season about experiences and go for a cheeky game of shuffleboard

ensorcell verb, real, from Old French

To enchant or fascinate as though one’s head were turned by the powerful incantations of a sorcerer. While a touch 16th century, just think how colleagues will admire your usage of it in reference to presentations

● Board List One of the hottest new bars on the Wharf, Electric Shuffle is open for business under the colonnade on the north side of Cabot Square featuring a 21st century, techie take on classic tabletop shuffleboard. Ideal for parties and groups of up to 16 round a single table, it’s fast, slippery, pizza-fuelled fun with flashing lights, neon and Tesla patents for the geeks electricshuffle.com

Animal Jacquard Jacket, £95 Waitrose, Canada Square ● Bottle List If the exploration of wine is your thing, but people just get in the way, try the pre-pay machines at Vagabond – somewhere between a bottle shop and a bar full of vending machines. Find those taps south of Cabot Square vagabondwines.co.uk

This statement from Whistles is great for standing out in a crowd (despite the camouflage) and ideal as part of an outfit to watch the new Jumanji movie

● Bar List The rich golden hues of The Alchemist in Reuters Plaza are a real temptation for the festive season.

Do yourselves a favour and order a Mad Hatters Tea Party between two with all the dry ice you’ll ever need thealchemist.uk.com

read me

or give me to someone for Christmas The Remains Of The Day, £8.99 Waterstones, Cabot Place Kazuo Ishiguro won the Booker Prize for this novel set between the wars in a great English house. His central creation, Stevens, is the ageing butler of Darlington Hall – a heart-aching portrayal of a man consumed and defined by duty and service – who embarks on a leisurely holiday that will take him deep into the countryside to confront a relationship that never blossomed anew. A novel of pain, beauty and lost opportunities waterstones.com

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

hangover cure

breakfast time

we sample the classics at Dockland Diner near West India Quay

A

t a time when festivities can very easily overtake common sense and a few too many units of hard liquor imbibed, the problem of the hangover emerges.

Some might place their faith in mitigating supplements such as Survivor, others in the time-honoured ritual of gulping down a raw egg with a chaser of sugar and salt dissolved in warm water.

But at Wharf Life we prefer our remedies cooked and predominantly made from parts of the pig.

A trip to Dockland Diner at Cannon Workshops is in itself a treat. There’s fresh air, the beguiling waters of the dock and the proud bricks of the listed warehouses to enjoy en route from the Wharf.

As proper caffs go, it’s certainly the closest to the estate and attracts a mixed crowd of suits and construction workers. The hi-vis crew behind me cycle through the merits of Thatcher, Corbyn and Netflix smash Stranger Things before tucking into their order.

At £5.70 plus £1.20 for a hefty chunk of black pudding, my Brunch Two set breakfast is as welcome a feed as anyone’s ever had of a morning.

The furious and constant activity (the fixed chairs of Dockland Diner are much in demand) in the kitchen is testament to the consummate cookery in action as plate after plate flows out.

The staff have selected excellent produce and know how to cook it. The bacon is crisp without being crunch, the sausage is tender and juicy and the black pudding has a delicious crust and a soft centre. You can feel the restorative effects as you consume.

A word of warning. If you’re walking over, make sure you take cash otherwise you’ll be back out in the fresh air to source some readies. It must be one of the last places in E14 not to accept cards.

Find Dockland Diner on Facebook or better still, walk on over there Jon Massey

Above, the Brunch Two set menu with added black pudding is available at Dockland Diner in Cannon Workshops

SPECIAL LUNCH OFFER A CHOICE OF PASTA, FILLED PASTA OR PIZZA WITH A SOFT DRINK FOR 11.99 WITH A PINT OF AMSTEL OR 175ml HOUSE WINE 14.99 PANINI WITH A SOFT DRINK 8.50 WITH A PINT OF AMSTEL OR 175ml HOUSE WINE 9.99

FOCACCIA ROSMARINO 5.50 FOCACCIA MOZZARELLA 6.00 ITALIAN BURGER 9.90

At Capeesh we do things differently. We are one of the finest restaurants in Canary Wharf and we serve fresh and authentic Italian food. The freshest ingredients go into every dish in our Italian restaurant to compliment the exquisite setting in which our establishment is situated. Unwind in our adjoining Lounge in absolute luxury with friends and family; the perfect spot for drinks to finish the working day.

If all that wasn’t enough, Capeesh boasts a unique Sky Bar in Canary Wharf (one of the highest bars in London) to take you amongst the dizzying heights of Canary Wharf’s towering skyscrapers with panoramic views of London. This is 21st century Italian dining done right in incomparable and inimitable style in Canary Wharf, London

WWW.CAPEESH.CO.UK 020 7538 1111 - events@capeesh.co.uk instagram/facebook @capeeshlondon

Address: 4 Pan Peninsula Square, Isle of Dogs, London E14 9HN - Right besides South Quay DLR Station

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

170m

green

2

how plants in the wall installed by Biotecture are helping improve the environment in Canary Wharf

by Jon Massey

A

s large, ice-cold droplets of water begin to pour from the sky, I feel a stab of guilt.

But Richard Sabin, managing director of Biotecture, and Martin Gettings, group head of sustainability at Canary Wharf Group, are unperturbed by the weather. There are bigger things on the agenda than a little dampness in the air – specifically the sea of vegetation behind them, its fronds waving in the wintry breeze.

I’ve brought them together for a conversation to mark the installation of Canary Wharf’s first ever green wall at One And Five Bank

is the colour

Street. Its panels, installed and designed by Biotecture, coat the south side of the building’s lower level, overlook the dock and are soon to be unveiled to the public.

It would be easy to completely fill these pages with sustainability stats about the estate’s latest office building – one of only three commercial developments in London to achieve a BREEAM 2014 Outstanding rating when it was assessed and a structure sensibly decked out with solar panels to generate its own clean electricity, cycle spaces and showers to encourage cycling, a grey water recycling system and low-flow sanitaryware... The list goes on.

But sometimes the angels are in the detail – the leaves and roots of the recently planted 170sq m of green wall, for example.

The size of the green wall at One And Five Bank Street in Canary Wharf

Richard We were approached by Canary Wharf Group about Bank Street on the back of work we’d done designing and installing living walls at 20 Fenchurch Street (also known as the Walkie Talkie) in the City.

They asked whether we would like to consider putting a living wall on the south elevation, which

Help your loved ones to help you kiddrapinet.co.uk/understandinganlpa

You can’t control what the future holds, but you can control who makes decisions on your behalf.

Download our FREE guide to MAKING A LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY (LPA) Book a consultation with Gemma Hughes today on 020 7205 2896 or email ghughes@kiddrapinet.co.uk

Images by Matt Grayson – find his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

7

Canary Wharf

Biotecture managing director Richard Sabin, left, and Canary Wharf Group’s Martin Gettings brave the ice-cold December rain to showcase the estate’s first living wall

into that urban ground, but now we’re going up walls – bringing in another dimension, so we hope that this is the first of many.

Richard We think of it as designing in nature. The urban environment is a very important space – which is at a premium both literally and financially – so the more you can have nature as part of the fabric of a building the better. reen walls provide lots and lots of plants and dynamic biological systems without taking out any floor space and give people a sense of place. t’s very difficult just through same-old, same-old architectural design to do that. ature is something we always want to be in we always want to be associated with we want to see to walk in and be a part of. When you bring it into an urban environment like Canary Wharf it’s uite striking how much of an impact it can have. When this wall is seen from over the water for e ample it ust makes you smile at that sense of biology coming into the city.

Martin t’s all about integrating it in the urban fabric. We were one of the first developers in the to

“

Nature is something we always want to be in, we always want to be associated with, we want to see, walk in and be a part of Richard Sabin, Biotecture

launch a biodiversity action plan in the early s and we’ve ust refreshed it. n we relaunched it for the ne t decade but what we did picking up on this theme of integration was that we didn’t create it in isolation. ur plan has three core elements – it absolutely has the biodiversity but it also looks at how any piece of green infrastructure can be integrated into our developments that not only benefits the ecology of that location but will also bring a degree of climate resilience and also – the important bit – enhance human health and wellbeing. ne of the key elements on the ecological side is the measuring and enhancement over time so we’re looking at the net gain

principles. We’re already working in line with the ondon lan. t looks like it’s going to be a net gain over the lifetime of the development. ut the culture here at Canary Wharf is to take legislation as a minimum standard.

Let’s not aspire to legislation – let’s use that as entry level and see what else we can do. We realise the value of nature and biodiversity as an attractive factor for what we do.

Richard nd green walls can last indefinitely. lants are biology. We were working on a massive pro ect up in eeds and the council was trying to put some numbers together in terms of what success meant and what failure might be. t one point had to say to them ll plants will die at some stage. There was an aghast silence. ut it’s biology we will all die at some point.

With the green wall of the plants will be replaced each year and we’re also looking for ecological progression as well so we want the plants to get bigger and do more. ou’re also creating a green industry where people are tending and caring for plants you’re creating environmental Continued on Page 8

Sound Insulation Scheme The airport offers eligible properties located within its noise contours the opportunity to have works undertaken as part of its Sound Insulation Scheme. To be eligible, properties need to be in the contour and meet criteria relating to the date planning permission was granted for the construction of your property.

Our noise contours are re-assessed annually and newly eligible properties falling within the First, Second or Intermediate Tier are automatically contacted by the Airport.

No application to the Scheme is necessary.

overlooks the water so there are short vistas and some long vistas to it. That was three or four years ago and we’ve been working on that and developing it ever since – making sure it integrates with the rest of the building’s design.

Martin This is the first green wall that we’ve installed on the Wharf.

We worked on enchurch treet which was massively successful and that’s been in use now for a good number of years.

We wanted to emulate that here on the estate. We approached iotecture through another sub-contractor – these guys are the market leaders in this type of installation so it was great to have the opportunity to build that into one of our developments. t signals a bit of a change in the e pectation of our tenants – they want to have more and more interaction with nature in these urban settings. ow Canary Wharf has led the way for the last years in terms of bringing greenery

London City Airport Second Tier Intermediate Tier First Tier For those already treated under the Sound Insulation Scheme 10-year check-ups are available for properties which have had either secondary glazing and/or mechanical acoustic ventilators installed.

For further information, or to view the latest noise contours, please visit the London City Airport website at https://www.londoncityairport.com/corporate/Environment/Sound-insulation.

Alternatively, you can contact the Sound Insulation Administrator on sound.insulation@londoncityairport.com

8

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

from Page 7

5%

Proportion of the plants in a green wall that need to be replaced on an annual basis

stewardship, where people are looking at the walls and thinking perhaps they’d like to buy some for their own house or being reminded about climate change and air pollution, prompting action.

We’re really trying to reconnect people with nature, and we feel that a lot of the stu that we do when we bring nature into cities – a lot of it’s about reawakening people to the fact that they like the natural world and that it’s important. That will turn their minds to what’s happening to the climate.

We’ve designed the system so that it is a piece of botanic art, but it’s also part of the building. It is a cladding system and it’s passed all the necessary tests including a fire assessment. But we also want it to be more than that – we want it to have a biological impact.

No other cladding system can reduce air pollution, increase biodiversity, reduce surface air temperature and make us feel better. It replaces other materials because you’d have had to have something on the outside of the building, it’s not just stuck on.

Take an ecology-first viewpoint and the panels that are in the wall contain plastic cells and they are 100% recyclable. They’re manufactured in the UK from plastic collected by local councils, so that’s important for us from the point of view of sustainable resources.

Martin t’s all about values and redefining what a value is. For so long, society looked at the bottom line as being the prime meridian of what value is.

I think that, in the last decade certainly, we’ve seen a lot of redefinition. More people are becoming less and less materialistic and appreciate a more balanced life.

With things like access to information, access to alternative ways of doing things, there’s more diversity in society.

People are starting to realise that what good looks like is not what good looked like a decade or 20 years ago.

I think we’re starting to see value in di erent ways and bringing it back to a business context, I think

The green wall at One And Five Bank Street. Below, it’s made up of a range of different species

“

Our first green wall signals a bit of a change in the expectation of our tenants – they want to have more and more interaction with nature Martin Gettings, Canary Wharf Group

businesses are absolutely doing that. The ones that think holistically, they’re the ones that are not just going to survive, but thrive in the future.

I can say that Canary Wharf, for the last 30 years, has had that culture of wanting to be ahead, of understanding where that commercial market was going – it was thinking about air quality, water quality and safety and security decades ago.

We’re looking to attract the next generation of tenants, commercial, retail, but also residential and, when you bring residential into the mi it’s a completely di erent set of criteria you have to o er. have a great deal of hope for the future you have to. We can’t be beaten. ● With an e tensive list of benefits for the environment and those using it, it’s a fair bet we’ll be seeing more green walls in Canary Wharf and beyond over the coming years.

Go to biotecture.uk.com or canarywharf.com for more information

Images by Matt Grayson – find his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

9

AN EXCITING NEW ALPINE EXPERIENCE IN THE HEART OF CANARY WHARF

Whether you’re looking for a beautiful new place to meet or a memorable venue for your next gathering, book one of our log cabins, created with The Office Group (TOG).

All five cabins are made distinctive by design to reflect TOG’s network of buildings. Enjoy the incredible interiors, user-controlled music systems and food and drinks from the main bar menu.

Italian sourdough pizza made here every day from organic flour, sourdough (natural yeast), 24 hours to rise, seasonal toppings.

A lighter tasting pilsner from the brewers of Staropramen. Pravha has all the iconic, bold flavour of a high-quality Czech pilsner but is unexpectedly crisp, refreshing and light tasting.

Info: offpiste.bar

@offpistecanarywharf

@offpistecw

VISIT US AT CANADA SQUARE PARK, CANARY WHARF, LONDON E14 5AB

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

how The Office Group is working with a Canary Wharf bar to showcase its locations

5

Cabins at Off Piste themed to represent a selection of The Office Group’s buildings The images shown on Off Piste’s massive screen give the bar the feel of a wintry oasis in Canada Square

by Jon Massey

M

any Wharfers will already have spotted the arrival of Piste on the estate.

The bar makes a powerful statement at the western end of Canada Square Park. Billed as an alpine escape, it’s clad in rustic logs, features an extensive decked terrace area complete with fiery heaters and recalls an après ski lodge inside with enough space for a sizeable crowd.

Both interior and exterior are fully flavoured by a huge screen displaying sublime vistas of snowy mountains, the soft majesty of the Northern Lights and clouds blowing over stunning arctic scenes. Its projections help light the venue, giving it the feel of a wintry oasis amid the glass and steel skyscrapers – fortunately blankets are provided, should the temperature actually plunge.

There’s also plenty of refreshment on o er to warm guests up.

Alongside beers from Prahva and spirits from acardi iste is working in partnership with Radio Alice, which has installed a pizza oven on-site delivering a choice of four toppings.

The brand, which operates a restaurant in Jubilee Place, is selling its Porky Blinders, Super4Cheese and Margherita for £10 and a Spicy Calabrian for £12, ideal for the point in the evening where food becomes a must.

Look a little deeper though, and there’s something unexpected at the heart of iste. wner Grandstand Events has teamed up with The ffice roup T ) to deliver five log cabins perfect for seasonal events but also designed to showcase its partners’ services, especially those recently arrived on the estate.

“The number one reason we’re sponsoring the cabins is because we have just opened a brand new TOG building in One Canada Square,” said TOG’s Lorna Perrin. t’s the first building we have opened in Canary Wharf, so it’s a new market for us to a certain extent and this is very much a brand-building and awareness exercise for us. The timing is literally as perfect as it could be as

delights discover

the

of Off Piste

Beer from Prahva and spirits

Pizza from Radio

from Bacardi are top of the list at

Alice is served at Off Piste

the well-stocked bar

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

11

Canary Wharf

Scott House, Waterloo

Off Piste’s cabins all have Orion House, Covent Garden

One Canada Square, Canary Wharf

Summit House, Holborn

One Lyric Square Hammersmith

different interiors, left, and can be booked online we launched in November. This brand purpose is to improve the was an opportunity to get very way people work. That’s our line involved in the concept and design and we’re continually striving to of the cabins. find better ways of working to ne of the T ’s core o erings support our membership base,” for our membership base is that said Lorna. you may take an office in one of We do that with an o ering our buildings, but as a that is incredibly distinctive member, you get access by design in terms of our to all of our buildings building selection and across London. design. We focus on The space at ne really iconic buildings Canada Square is – amazing addresses our 39th building – so we needed to in the capital and launch in Canary members have Wharf at ne Canada access to all of them.

Square. ll of our facilities “This gives us the Lorna Perrin are designed di erently opportunity to talk to a new and to sympathise with the audience.” architecture of the buildings they With more than million s ft of are in and to be sympathetic to the space across 51 buildings – each local community and the demowith a uni ue design – T o ers graphic of the people who will use a very wide range of facilities to them. its members – certainly something t iste the interior of each to talk about. And its partnership of our cabins has been designed to represent one of our buildings in London. For example, we have a sky garden at ne yric uare in Hammersmith so that’s represented in one and the cafe culture sharing desks at rion ouse in Covent arden along with its beautiful dark blues and greys are there in another.

“The partnership was also an opportunity to indicate what makes us di erent in the market.

“Typically our members are businesses that have a home office and then get access to all our other buildings although we also o er co-working.

“We have a huge network of offices in the capital as well as in Bristol and Leeds and, in the summer, we’re opening in ermany so we’re growing continually, although London is very much our hub.” n addition to ne Canada uare orna said T was looking at other buildings in the area. The business has already signed up to lease s ft of space at Wood Wharf as the estate expands to the east. ur business purpose and our

with randstand has enabled it to reach out.

The feedback from the cabins has been absolutely phenomenal – about people in the last five or six weeks and some amazing companies to get our brand in front of said orna.

“These big organisations may not be considering fle -space at the moment, but it’s an opportunity for us to broaden their hori ons for when they are.

“We have an amazing product, and a lot of our big corporate clients have satellite offices with us even if we don’t host their whole head office. aving these spaces is incredibly important and we provide that opportunity for firms to have them in the right locations.”

Go to offpiste.bar for bookings or more details about the bar. For information about The Office Group’s services go to theofficegroup.com

Fiery heaters help keep the log-clad terrace warm

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

virtual viewpoint

by Chris Ezekiel

how Fiit could be the antidote to failed resolutions to get fit and healthy as the New Year arrives

by James Drury

The light fantastic: The Sun converts 4million tonnes of matter into energy every second

M

ost of us are familiar with the Book Of Genesis in the Bible. In it, God creates the Heaven and the Earth and then the light and divides it from darkness.

I consider myself a spiritual physicist, and a Christian even though I don’t attend church frequently. But I do at least go regularly once a year – to midnight mass on Christmas Eve. I find it a refreshing escape from all the commercialisation around the celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. I’m the one the vicar refers to when he looks up at a packed congregation on December 24th and comments about how nice it would be if this many people attended every Sunday.

Through my spirituality and interest in physics I often contemplate the universe’s beginning – how life started, whether there’s a purpose to it all mapped out by a God or whether our existence is just random coincidence.

I also wonder about the miracle of light.

Light is everywhere – it gives us life and makes the world a beautiful Through my spirituality place. and interest in physics Light is electromagnetic radiation – the I often wonder about same as radio waves the miracle of light. It – in the portion of the spectrum that can is everywhere and it be perceived by the gives us life human eye.

Light is mysterious Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual as it simultaneously behaves like a particle and a wave. We call the elementary particle of light a photon.

The existence of nearly all life on Earth is fuelled by light from the Sun. Our nearest star produces most of the light we see through nuclear fusion, converting 4million tonnes of matter into energy every second.

Light has been harnessed by humankind, to illuminate our homes and cities and for entertainment.

I often wonder if the world will run out of photons one day. As we light our Christmas candles and decorate our trees with lights, give thought to the light fantastic.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all readers.

“

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Cannon Workshops on West India Quay Go to creativevirtual.com or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

A

s you read this, your body might be taking a bit of a hit thanks to all the parties, mince pies and generous helpings of Quality Street. Sure enough, as the decorations come down next month, you may be performing the well-worn ritual of joining a gym, only to use it for a few months before consigning that membership card to a new role as an occasional coaster.

One east London company reckons it has the answer to the perennial issue of keeping people excited about exercising, where most other places fail. escribed as the etfli of fitness apps iit aims to make exercise addictive by combining in-demand trainers e cellent music and an element of gamification to keep people using it regularly. t won’t break the bank either. Through Fiit’s app, users select on-demand fitness classes led by popular trainers, covering cardio, strength and rebalancing.

So far, so much like the thousands of other fitness apps out there. What makes iit di erent however, is by connecting the app to the company’s wearable monitor, you can track your heart rate, calories and reps as you work out. The company said using its £45 device (a £25 ‘lite’ version is also available) around your chest during classes means you not only push yourself 22% harder during classes but work out twice as frequently.

The secret to these impressive stats is the game element. As well as aiming to beat your own personal bests, there’s the option of joining a leaderboard while working out and competing against friends or others.

Sitting in the shared spaces of tratford tech hub le al where Fiit has its studios and accompanying offices it seems appropriate that such a firm is based at the former media centre of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The company was founded in by friends an hellard an McCaig and Sammi Adhami. an and an already had one startup success under their belts with Qubit, which uses data to

understand how people shop online and enables retailers to personalise people’s experiences.

“But after seven years we wondered if this was going to be our life’s work,” said Dan. The three are passionate about fitness. an said he was particularly into rowing, while football is Dan’s thing. Sammi is currently training for an ronman triathlon. Their shared love of activity inspired the concept of Fiit.

“We felt it was the right time because we noticed there have been three key shifts said an.

“The impact of social media influencers on fitness – oe Wicks rose to become one of the biggest selling authors in the – the e plosion of bouti ue fitness such as 1Rebel and Barry’s Bootcamp, which o er e perience-led classes and the concept of cool, interactive fitness that combines hardware and software to create an immersive e perience – such as eloton.

“So we wondered: ‘How do you put these three things together?’.” nitially self-funded the group put together “a hacky prototype” and showed it to investors which led to them securing seed funding from the nnocent moothie founders.

Capital Ventures then provided £2.4million to build the product that launched in 2018. Going from concept to launch in a year is pretty quick, but Dan said as second time founders, they had learned from previous mistakes, plus their significant investment meant they could accelerate quickly. ondon is a di erent place for tech startups since they created Qubit in 2010. an said etting hold of tech capital is easier now. There weren’t many funds then. Now there are more funds, but at the same time there’s more competition.” an said f you compare it to Silicon Valley and the appetite for risk, what’s interesting in our space is there’s been a couple of fitness tech startups come out of the East Coast that have raised silly money – like million or more.

“Here’s it’s much harder to raise those sorts of sums because the appetite for risk is lower – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Now we’re seeing investors are

“

We’ve always had our eye on building a long-term business rather than purely pursuing growth for the sake of it Dan Shellard, Fiit

200k

Users signed up to Fiit since its launch in 2018

Ex Google employee Dan Shellard, left, is the CEO of Fiit, which he co-founded with Ian McCaig, right, and Sammi Adhami

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Innovation

really looking for sustainable businesses. We’ve always had our eye on building a long-term business rather than purely pursuing growth for the sake of it.”

So far, more than 200,000 people have signed up for an account, which Dan said had given the firm confidence in the product as well as the excellent reviews it’s received – averaging 4.9 stars out of five from more than users on the App store.

“The feedback we’ve had shows people like the fact that Fiit is convenient because you can take it anywhere,” said Ian. “The best experience is using it on a big screen at home. But if you’re struggling to work out there because you live in a shared flat for example, you can take it to the gym and work out there.

“People also like the fact they can take it with them if they’re on holiday or travelling for business.

“The other thing people tell us they like is that it’s motivating.

We focus not only on high quality trainers who motivate you, but also wearing the Fiit device chest strap during workouts means you can see your metrics in real time, such as heart rate and calorie burn.

The gamification pushes you to beat your personal bests - and you

fiit for purpose

Images by Holly Cant – find more of her images at hollycant.com or via @hollycantphoto on Insta

Fiit is currently based at tech hub Plexal in Here East, the former media centre for the London 2012 Olympics in Stratford

can have friendly competition with others if you want.”

With a firm foundation in the UK, the company now is looking to expand. The app recently launched on Android and it’s now available in 50 international markets.

“The plan for next year, having done the heavy lifting of making sure people like it, is growth,” said Dan. “We’re doing interesting partnerships in 2020 and we’ll be in more physical spaces.

“For us there are lots of potential collaborations we can do with brands. Fitness and wellness is one of the most interesting categories to be in at the moment.”

Fiit subscription packages start at £12 a month for a year.

Go to it.tv

14

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Creative Space

this space is yours

design your emergency wrapping paper, use it to cover something you like and give it to someone you love – share it with @wharflifelive or #keepittoyourself

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

why the stage at Wilton’s Music Hall is set to be overrun by a wordless homage to screen legends

7

Performances of The Strange Tale Of Charlie Chaplin And Stan Laurel are scheduled over five days

by Jon Massey

T

he Strange Tale Of Charlie Chaplin And Stan Laurel is set for a series of performances at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping from January 14-18. But, as its title suggests, those with an appetitie for strict biographical dramatisation need not apply for tickets – while the work is inspired by reality it’s content to “play fast and loose” with the facts in the name of entertainment.

Created by Told By An Idiot and presented as part of the London International Mime Festival, it’s an attempt to bring the comic fun of the silver screen to the stage.

Writer and director Paul Hunter said: “It’s based on a true story of the time when Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel were both young men and both performing with Fred Karno’s music hall troupe, which was the biggest of its type in Britain and went on to tour internationally. Charlie was about 21 and Stan a bit younger.

“Charlie was already established as the star in the group. He’d created the role of an aristocratic drunk who everybody loved.

“Stan came in to do small bits and basically to understudy Charlie. One of the famous tales occurred when they were playing somewhere like Darlington and Charlie wasn’t very happy with the material, so he had an argument with Karno and stormed out. They put Stan on as the understudy and he did amazingly well.

“The next night Charlie comes back and says: ‘I’ll do it’. He recognised something in Stan and thought: ‘OK, maybe I need to keep an eye on this guy and make sure I’m top of my game’.

“They then went on in 1910 to sail to America and shared a cabin for six weeks before touring around America for 18 months.

“Charlie then went out to California when the movies were starting, and within two or three years became the most famous man in the world.

“Stan went back later and met his soulmate, Oliver Hardy, and went on to form the famous double act.

“The thing that made me want to make this show in a way was that Stan talked about Charlie all his life.

“Even when Stan was an old man, he was constantly talking about him – saying he was the greatest of us all,

Amalia Vitale as Charlie Chaplin and Jerone Marsh-Reid as Stan Laurel

stan when

met charlie

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

37

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

the greatest clown. Then when you read Charlie’s autobiography which goes into immense detail around this period in particular he doesn’t mention tan once by name. thought that was really interesting. We don’t know why that was – Charlie had a terrible childhood but went on to find an incredible level of fame and success. ome people say that because he was that driven he was very wary of anybody else he saw as a threat. aybe there’s something in that.

That story forms the basis of the show although what was very clear about was that had no interest in telling a straightforward bio-drama – there are many of those things and you can see them in books and films. wanted something that was so much more fantastical. lthough all of that is true as a starting point our piece departs into complete fantasy. or e ample there’s a scene in which it appears that Charlie has killed tan on the ship and thrown his body overboard. t departs into wild areas of fantasy at times and in no way does it attempt to reveal a truth.

We show a completely fictitious encounter where tan bumps into llie by mistake.

We also look at the moment when Charlie at the age of si went on stage for the first time to save his mum who was being booed o in the music hall.

With the casting of malia itale as Charlie and erone arsh- eid as tan neither performer looks e actly like the historical character they’re portraying – a simple visual reminder perhaps that this is a piece of theatre that’s paying tribute to rather than recreating the past. n a cold anuary if people come to Wilton’s usic all that week they’ll see something highly entertaining very funny very poignant and completely original said aul.

The show is told completely in the manner of a silent movie so not a word is spoken.

There are snatches of song we have live piano accompaniment and drums and percussion and so far audiences absolutely love it. t is so refreshing to go into a world that feels very di erent – in some ways a nod to the past – but it also feels very contemporary. n theatre terms when you see work without words it’s usually dance or mime. urs is neither of those – ours is a play complete with situations and relationships. t ust happens that the characters don’t speak.

Theatres don’t really do this kind of thing so it does feel very di erent but it’s a properly entertaining story.

The two young actors who play Charlie and tan are terrific. We’ve cast a brilliant young woman in the role of Charlie. The difficulty is who do you get to play Charlie Chaplin or me it’s about not trying to do the reality of it. ou can never do

Charlie – it’s impossible – he was a one-o . o thought it would be more interesting to capture the spirit of Charlie and saw malia in a show at the nicorn Theatre where she didn’t speak and she played a dog rather brilliantly. thought he’s fantastic’ and invited her to come along and spend a week with us e ploring the notion of his character. lso when you think of Charlie one of the things people often commented on was that he had immense grace and almost a femininity in the way he moved.

When the great dancer i insky saw him his first words were Where did you train as a dancer ’ Charlie replied that he hadn’t. malia brings something of that as well. n not uite such an e treme way erone a mi ed-race actor who ’ve cast has something of the naivety of tan combined with some brilliant physical skills. e trained in break-dancing when he was younger and the two actors are ust a fantastic combination. t’s about the spirit of something rather than trying to recreate it which is for me always a reductive e ercise.

That’s why in the play there are no reconstructions of routines from any of the films. We created all our own original routines in the show because as soon as you try to do the bread roll dance in The Gold Rush you might ust as well watch the movie.

Creating new material was one of our biggest challenges. irstly it’s about finding the right situation to allow the actors me my comedy movement consultant and our choreographer to work on. When we’d stumbled on the right situation we were often then capable of creating

Writer and director Paul Hunter

“

I was very clear I had no interest in telling a straightforward bio-drama. I wanted something that was so much more fantastical

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

Paul Hunter, Told By An Idiot

our own stu . There’s a se uence of course a complete fantasy where they’re on this boat and it so happens that liver ardy is on the boat having been playing golf in urope and cotland. e’s on the way back to merica so he’s practising his golf – he’s obviously uite good – on board the ship and tan comes along and gets in the way while he’s carrying a tray of drinks. uddenly a physical routine develops which is very tan and llie. ome people have said to us What film’s that from ’ nd we say it’s not from any film we ust made it up. was really thrilled that some people thought it was taken from a film. t’s also about allowing the performers space – it’s very important that they have that to play with.

P

aul said audiences could e pect an evening of diversion and amusement at the core of what he and the company have created – itself a philosophy that pays homage to the greats of the silver screen. come back to the word started with – entertainment he said. think that sometimes within theatre people think that it is a slightly dirty word. ut think it’s a wonderful thing to do – to entertain an audience – and see no contradiction between being genuinely e perimental and genuinely entertaining. itchcock is a brilliant e ample of someone who does that on film and Charlie is as well – that’s what we’re striving for. hope people go away from the performance having been thoroughly entertained and having been moved.

There’s a real poignancy around the relationship between tan and Charlie. lso suppose on one level for me it’s about what it means to be young.

They’re both young men at this point getting o the ship in ew ork – the hopefulness of being young and trying to realise your dreams and hope those watching take that kind of optimism away with them. erformances of The Strange Tale Of Charlie Chaplin And Stan Laurel take place at various times during its run.

Tickets start at .

Go to wiltons.org.uk for more information or to book tickets

APPLY | Music 4All Technical Training Scheme As part of its preparations for a festival of emerging musical talent in May, the venue is offering free training for under-30s to work on the event.

Deadline Jan 10, 6pm, free, wiltons.org.uk where?

Troxy Limehouse

GIG | Wurlitzer Showcase Revel in the musical stylings of Simon Gledhill as he explores the limits of Troxy’s cinema organ and its collection of nearly 2,000 pipes. Mighty indeed.

Jan 4, 6pm, £16.50, troxy.co.uk where?

Jamboree Three Colt Street

GIG | Crete And Beyond The Cretan Players deliver an evening of wild, unpredictable music from the Mediterranean island. Expect stomping rhythms and dancing.

Jan 15, 7pm, £5, jamboreevenue.co.uk

to do before January 1

See in 2020 at Jamboree in Three Colt Street with The Antic Follies – a blend of music and cabaret from the likes of Heavy Metal Pete, Crazy Pony and headliners The Bohemianauts.

December 31, doors 8pm, £25 jamboreevenue.co.uk

spot check worth a visit Investigate the work of Half Moon Theatre to divert the kids in Limehouse halfmoon.org.uk want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

how Mthr intends to serve up a little bit or a lot of exactly what you fancy, at a pace to suit you

by Jon Massey

Feast on delicious slabs of paneer tikka at Mr Todiwala’s on the Isle Of Dogs

why the small plates at Mr Todiwala’s are a smart buy

A

little under a year ago, I tried the tasting menu at Mr Todiwala’s – the Indian restaurant at the then newly-opened Lincoln Plaza London hotel.

It cost £70 but was a wholly satisfying barrage of dishes on small plates – an opportunity for the kitchen to show off the range and depth of its dishes. While mid-January might seem like an odd time to launch a menu, this establishment under chef Cyrus Todiwala is soon to do just that

– bringing those small plates out into the open as a tapas menu.

Diners will be able to try the likes of chicken tikka, paneer tikka, masala dosa, beetroot and coconut samosas and dahi sev chana poori without having to shell out on the extensive tasting menu.

Dishes range from £6-£12 each and can be ordered on their own or with sides of naan, rice and sauces.

Eating beneath brightly polished copper vessels and within the gaze of a

large wooden elephant adds a certain glamour to proceedings and the creation of a light bites menu is a smart move, allowing guests to indulge their tastes without stressing their wallets – ideal for the hotel crowd too.

Especially good are the rich, sweet samosas stained red by the potent filling. Worth purchasing a small plate or two with a beer when you’re next on the Island.

Go to lincolnplaza london.co.uk Jon Massey

F

or its executive head chef, in one important sense, opening Mthr is a step down. While the restaurant and bar is perched on top of Isle Of Dogs co-living development The Collective – making it one of only three venues in the Canary Wharf area to o er significant height and panoramic views to its guests – it is a full floors lower than one of the main restaurants on Arnaud Delannay’s extensive CV. The Frenchman, born in Provence, fell into cooking as a teenager and “never stopped”, arriving in London in 2005 for four years at Galvin Bistro De Luxe.

Stints at The Square in Mayfair and the Aviator hotel in Hampshire followed before his first brush with east London, following then head chef Allan Pickett to Plateau in Canary Wharf as senior sous chef before taking command of the kitchen at Sauterelle in the Royal Exchance.

His next role as head chef at Darwin Brasserie at Sky Garden – the restaurant on top of the Walkie Talkie, coincidentally constructed

by Canary Wharf Group – took him up high for four years at the heart of the City.

But it’s his current role we’re concerned with. The creation of a restaurant and bar designed to appeal to both The Collective’s residents, a crowd used to palatial shared facilities to supplement the studio rooms they inhabit, as well as the wider public.

“We’re trying to do something completely new,” said Arnaud.

“The idea is to bring people together – almost like a family feast with a sharing menu and all di erent si es of dishes from very

“

The food is a little bit of everything. The idea is to have at least one item on the menu that makes each of our guests feel at home Arnaud Delannay, Mthr

The dahi sev chana poori are filled with a blend of yoghurt, potatoes and chick peas

small items like snacks that could either be enjoyed at the bar with a drink or also at the table as nibbles, with small plates and large plates, which would be the equivalent of main courses.

“Basically you have the full menu and you order everything that you want, coming as you want it as well. The guest decides.

“The food is a little bit of everything. Our guests or members of The Collective are mainly students or professionals – people that travel a lot from all around the world.

“The idea is to have at least one item on the menu that makes each of them feel at home.

“It’s something The Collective is trying to do as it grows around the world. We’re opening in New York as well, there are a few more sites in London too as well as Ireland and Germany. But this building on the Isle Of Dogs is what I would call the flagship of the company and we’re going to create the image of The Collective here.

“In development, the focus was always to keep a very a ordable price range – good quality food, but not too fussy.

“We’ve got members who are staying all year round and they can’t a ord a restaurant every day so this is where the sharing comes in. Where we can, we try to please all the di erent crowds.

“Healthy food is very trendy at the moment and so is comfort food. It’s about giving people what they want.

“For example, we have a Christmas-themed menu, running until the end of December – so, we’ve got turkey stuffing – and we also do traditional dishes from di erent countries.

“I’m from the south of France, so mussels are on the menu – something from my place of origin. We also have a coq au vin, which has surprised me by being a real hit.”

Currently open for breakfast and dinner thr also o ers a brunch at weekends with a bottomless drinks option and rumours of a Bloody Mary cart.

A comfortable space with a lightly industrial feel, dominated by its views over the Island to Greenwich, the space is also set to play host to live music and a New Year’s Eve party featuring sounds from Goodboys (standing tickets £45). On a more everyday note, its cocktail bar o ers selected drinks on a two-for-one basis between 5pm and 7pm daily.

Arnaud said: “It’s a great space and we’ve been busy so far. We’re also looking into the possibility of opening for lunch in the coming weeks.”

The chef, who also oversaw the opening of Vivi near Tottenham Court oad o ered advice to would-be diners based on the season.

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

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Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

high dine

taste test

sampling the flavours of Mthr

A

rnaud Delannay does exactly what he promises on the plate. Dining at Mthr is an affair of warmth and comfort.

Cauliflower pakoras come with a vegetal balm of green chutney. Coq au vin is a sticky, reduced soup of rustic flavours and coconut panna cotta comes dressed with passion fruit and roasted pineapple beneath a garnish of edible flowers.

It’s solid, well-flavoured cooking that pairs the venue’s commanding views with a decent collection of uncomplicated favourites. There are plenty of free-from, vegetarian and vegan options on a menu where main courses are typically priced in the mid-teens. The service is superb.

At the bar, there’s a rare bum note during the evening, my Beet Generation cocktail (£9) – an unpleasant alliance of rum, sherry and beetroot shrub – is barely drinkable, but quickly soothed away with a competent Espresso Martini thereafter. All in all, well worth a visit.

He said: “In terms of small bites would definitely order the Camembert croquettes with cranberry am or sardines on toast with some Basque peppers for a panish side to it and some dry olives – they’re very very good.

We’ve also ust started o ering a braised ham hock. n terms of main courses ’ve already mentioned the co au vin but we also do a very good burger and in terms of fish we have a very good cod gently baked in the oven with chorizo and white beans. t’s very hearty and very wintery – a beautiful dish.

There are also the sharing dishes people should try – do a five-spiced pork shoulder that has been braised for 14 hours and we serve it so you have to break down the pork yourself to eat it in buns.

The sta will do it for you if you’d prefer of course. ost restaurants you go to will have one kind of cooking so this is something we try to avoid try to mi it up try to make everyone happy and give a little bit of everything to our guests.

While the th floor location delivers views including The Collective’s swimming pool on the north side of the building at the same level, it does present some challenges behind the scenes. rnaud said t’s all about being organised and it is di erent from a ground-floor restaurant in terms of delivery storage and pretty much everything. p here the kitchen is not big so we have to work from ground level because we can’t store everything upstairs.

“At the same time we have the cafe kitchen downstairs, which I operate myself although at the moment it’s only open in the morning and at lunchtime. a ing out over the lights of ondon as the sun goes down – a view protected by mature regeneration schemes it’s easy to see why rnaud has never sought another world city to ply his trade.

“In 2005, I was supposed to come and work in a new restaurant in Britain but when I arrived, the owner couldn’t take me as it was the dead season he said.

To avoid losing me he found me a position with his friend who had ust opened a place in ondon – that was Chris alvin. haven’t left since.

“I love it here – the culture, the people. The only downside is the weather. s a chef ’ve learned so much in this country and particularly in this city.

“The food scene in the last 15 years has developed so much. ow have the opportunity to work on this fantastic pro ect and so far it’s all coming together as planned.

For more information go to mthrlondon.com or thecollective.com

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Poplar Union Poplar

LEARN | Spark Poetry Course Poet and writer Michelle Mangal leads this series of sessions aimed at helping participants create their own original poems. Runs until Feb 26, six sessions.

Jan 15 onwards, 6.30pm, £35, poplarunion.com where?

The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Feeling Lonely At Parties This story without words takes the audience on a journey from mania to melancholy en route to an uplifting conclusion. For the physical theatre fans.

Jan 14-18, 7.30pm, £12, space.org.uk where?

Poplar Union Poplar

SCREEN | El Terremoto del Tiempo This documentary explores the impact of the introduction of the concept of linear time on the indigenous people of Chile.

Jan 12, 2pm, free, poplarunion.com

to do before January 1

Welcome the New Year at Capeesh’s Skybar on the Isle Of Dogs on December 31 with a Masquerade Party – expect stunning views, DJs, live entertainment and refreshments.

Doors 7pm, from £75, masks provided capeesh.co.uk

spot check Stroll down to English National Ballet at London City Island for some lessons ballet.org.uk want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

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delivering to Docklands

15,000 copies every fortnight

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Rotherhithe - Bermondsey - Deptford

£5

Price for either a bacon or sausage sandwich at Lomond Coffee Lomond Coffee is located under an old railway arch in Deptford Market Yard

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Sands Films Studio Rotherhithe

TALK | An Illustrated Talk On David Jones Jeremy Carlisle explores the work of the poet, known for In Parenthesis, one of the great accounts of the First World War, and his links to Rotherhithe.

Jan 11, 6pm, donations, sandsfilms.co.uk where?

Surrey Docks Farm Rotherhithe

why the thick hunks of bread at Lomond Coffee in Deptford make a trip there worthwhile on their own

by Jon Massey

F

orget the coffee – although it’s pretty decent – the story at Lomond Coffee in Deptford Market Yard is the breakfast sandwiches. Unjustly tucked down the bottom of the menu, they’re priced at £5, which might seem like a lot for a couple of slices of bread and filling – but they’re served in an exposed brick railway archway at a place that roasts its own beans.

And on arrival, all thoughts of money disappear as two gigantic doorsteps, one packed with sausages, the other bacon, are set down before my companion and I. The toast (sourced from top bakery St John Bread And Wine) is critical here. I’m three bites in and I honestly believe I’d be happy crunching through the gorgeous, doughy wrapping with nothing but butter in the middle.

That isn’t to say, however, that the rich, tangy bacon, laced with just the right amount of red sauce aren’t welcome or the pungent, herbal notes of the sausage don’t cut through. It’s just that the bread is so good it’s reason enough to make the trip to Deptford on its own.

Besides, Lomond is a pleasant place to spend some time. It’s small but well thought-out with a bar along the back and bench seating along its walls. Tap water stands ready (as it should) on all tables and the service is jovial.

When we visit, Bob Dylan is grinding out poetry – another reason to make the trip – and I reflect after we’ve filled ourselves with breakfast that while there may have once have been blood on the tracks above the railway arch, there’s certainly now ketchup beneath them.

Go to lomondcoffee.co.uk

VISIT | Surrey Docks Farm Get up close and personal with urban farming at its finest along with a chance to see food-growing gardens and to purchase produce on-site.

Ongoing, 10am-4pm, free, surreydocksfarm.org.uk where?

Deptford Cinema Deptford

FILM | Timbuktu This 2014 film explores the tragic consequences wrought on a family in Mali following an accidental killing and the application of strict Sharia law.

Jan 11, 7.30pm, £6, deptfordcinema.org Trust us: This is one of the best bacon sandwiches in London. Below, the snug little bar at Lomond Coffee

to do before January 1

See a pair of live performers and a host of digital characters deliver a festive twist to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen on December 20-21 at Canada Water Theatre. Times vary, tickets £12 thealbany.org.uk

book check worth a read Chuckle at Arthur Smith’s 100 Things I Meant To Tell You for £12.99 buy it online want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Indigo At The O2 Peninsula

SPORT | BDO World Professional Darts Moving on from The Lakeside after four decades, the arrows and their throwers pitch up on the Peninsula as the championship hits 2020.

Jan 4-12, daily from 11.30am, from £26, theo2.co.uk where?

Greenwich Market Greenwich

EVENT | Park It In The Market See a succession of vintage cars and motorcycles parked, well, under the roof of the market. Stalls will be trading ahead of the event from 11am.

Jan 1, 2pm-6pm, free, greenwichmarket.london where?

Old Royal Naval College Greenwich

LAST CHANCE | Art Club Annual Exhibition Pop by the ORNC’s visitor centre and see Making Waves – the yearly showcase of works by members of its art club, which encourages depictions of marine life.

Until Jan 4, 10am, free, ornc.org

to do before January 1

Dance the square under the Cutty Sark on December 22 at its Christmas Ceilidh featuring a barrage of Scottish reels, whisky, mince pies and tasteless jumpers. Beginners and experts welcome. Doors 7pm, tickets £25 rmg.co.uk

spot check one to try Give the short courses at Ravensbourne University a go in early 2020 ravensbourne.ac.uk want more? @wharflifelive

T

here’s an ease and flow in the way imon Tracey talks about aga ine ondon. t’s an enthusiasm and e citement borne of years working in the events industry and having the opportunity to apply that e perience to the creation of a venue. s C of ibration roup imon is at the very top of the organisation responsible for taking a barren piece of land beside The and transforming it into a facility purpose-built to handle guests. aga ine opened its doors earlier this year to do ust that.

We were aware of night ragon – the developer regenerating reenwich eninsula said imon. t’s building lots of retail leisure and accommodation there and we made an approach to them because the land that we’re standing on was basically wasteland with ama ing riverside frontage – it was an incredible opportunity to create something really special.

They’d had some success in attracting events but the issue was that you had to have uite deep pockets to activate the site – you are looking at a piece of land with nothing on it. rganisers had to bring in all the infrastructure. We suggested to make the space really work you’d need to see an actual structure in place and that is the first chapter of the story – that’s how aga ine was born. riginally we were looking at putting temporary structures in place but due to building regulations we’ve ended up with a purpose-built venue.

Walking up the slight slope from orth reenwich Tube station to the wide black oblong of againe everything feels solid and permanent. nside the slickness of the building’s design becomes apparent – at once a functional space well laid out to perform activities such as guest welcoming and coat storage and a blank canvas for organisers to paint their dreams all over. nside the decor is a mi ture of black-stained wood panels polished concrete and steel including a pair of cantilevered staircases that allow access to me anine areas.

To call the first of the two event spaces an antechamber risks implying that it isn’t very big. This would be entirely the opposite of the truth. esigned to house bars food stalls or whatever really it’s a chunky piece of real estate in its own right with vast windows o ering views over the Thames to

Canary Wharf as well as access out to aga ine’s showground – itself capable of handling people. t’s also an e cellent staging post for the main hall easily accessed through a si eable portal and itself e uipped with e tensive facilities such as a full lighting and sound rig and a finishing kitchen space able to deal with serious uantities of food. o wonder imon’s smiling. ince opening the venue has already played host to events such as tylist ive u e the nternational Travel nd Tourism wards ay Times onours and the ifa remiere. pparently is on course to be busy too at a venue imon believes hits a sweet spot in terms of si e and location – able to work in partnership rather than in competition with cel for e ample while eclipsing hotel facilities in terms of scale. e said ondon has a shortage of event spaces. lthough we’ve seen a lot come to market in the last couple of years there is a need especially for this capacity so there’s still space for a few more. t is really nice to have the freedom of a purpose-built space. lthough this is the first we’ve created of this type it definitely won’t be the last because we’ve learnt a lot along the way. We were very keen to get this one right. t’s all been designed so you can turn the space around really uickly – you can have one event one day and something totally di erent the ne t.

We definitely love found spaces as well – it’s not that we’ll stop looking for them – but when

Vibration Group CEO Simon Tracey is ‘particularly pleased’ with Magazine

“

Because of its proximity to Canary Wharf we’ve already hosted several big companies from the estate and I think we’ll see more of that in 2020 Simon Tracey, Vibration Group

you’re trying to create an event that’s bespoke it’s good to be able to have input into the design.

We’ve tried to pool all the knowledge we’ve gained over the last -plus years into creating the perfect venue. There’s obviously fundamental things you need to get right in terms of capacity power access and all that sort of thing. We also tried to create something that while being a blank canvas people could come to and use their imagination. t works for lots of di erent types of activity. Commercially the more things you can make work in the space the better it is for filling the calendar.

That’s partly where the brand came from. f you think about it maga ines are an all-encapsulating piece of media – we’re doing that from a venue perspective. ’m particularly pleased with the result. aga ine has real kerb-appeal – from the moment you get o the Tube at reenwich it’s uite imposing. t has been very well received by everyone that’s come into the space. o far we’ve been really lucky in that we’ve had everything from Christmas dinners to big brand launches. aga ine was constructed in about days and ibration has a nine-year lease on the site although its future is open ended and success could well see the operation endure beyond a decade.

The company which runs a stable of venues and supplies a wide range of events services across the also operates rintworks in otherhithe which continues to host sell-out music events amid the presses that once produced the Evening Standard the Daily Mail and the The Metro. any of the lessons learnt in establishing that venue have fed into the design and creation of aga ine which looks to have a bright future ahead.

We’ve had an incredibly busy as a business said imon.

We’ve launched si venues this year – more than anyone else has done – so will be a combination of bedding down those facilities and continuing. We’re far from finished. or aga ine we’re blessed in that we’ve already got a busy calendar of events planned

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

43

how Magazine London brings a wealth of experience into its design

Normally a blank canvas, Magazine was in the process of being transformed for a festive party when we visited

space creating a

to style

The first and smaller of Magazine’s event spaces acts as an antechamber and boasts views of Canary Wharf

for . or e ample we’re doing a really cool, immersive children’s experience, in partnership with Nickelodeon, where we’re creating escape rooms for kids with green screens where they can be part of their favourite children’s show.

“There’s a distinct lack of activities for kids in 2020 in London, so tickets for that are on sale now.

“We’ve got some really cool exhibitions here next year too, with music events in February and in amongst that brand events and dinners as well as more shows.

“The beauty of an event space is that it becomes its own entity.

There are certain things I know are going to happen in the space, but there are other things I don’t even know about.

“As we’ve been conducting this interview, we’ve got new people

The venue and, below, themed for festivities

coming in seeing the space for the first time.

“That’s what’s really exciting about an events venue – it takes on its own identity its own being.

“Because of its proximity to Canary Wharf, we’ve already hosted several big companies from the estate and I think we’ll see more of that in 2020 as the space becomes more established.

“From Magazine’s point of view, the future’s really bright – we’ve got lots of interest already, and I can only imagine that growing.

Nickelodeon Big Base Camp will take place at Easter, from April - aimed at children aged - .

Tickets start at £15 with a range of options available.

Go to magazinelondon.co.uk for more information, listings or details on touring the venue

Lead images by Holly Cant – find more of her images at hollycant.com or via @hollycantphoto on Insta

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

44

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

how Jonathan Lofulo uses his experience of crime and prison to help the next generation find an alternative

1

Year since Jonathan set up Newham Panthers for boys and girls who want to play football UEL graduate and co-founder of Newham Panthers Jonathan Lofulo says an epiphany while serving a prison sentence for burglary set him on a path to learning and success and now he wants to give back to his community

by Jon Massey

R

unning Newham Panthers football club is just one of the ways Jonathan Lofulo is giving back. To describe the 31-year-old’s life as a roller coaster would be to engage in crass understatement. Born in the Democratic Republic Of Congo, he fled the war-torn country aged 12 with his older brother, eventually arriving in east London as a child refugee.

“I came to this country in 1999,” he said. “It was challenging, painful and difficult at times and felt like I wished I could go home. But then, thinking: ‘What’s home?’.

We were fleeing war lives were torn apart. I didn’t know where my mum was – my father had passed away many, many years before. I didn’t even know what he looked like.

“So in the UK, I had to adapt quickly because I was not able to communicate e ectively in nglish.

“My brother did his best and got me into a local school, so that was my opportunity. At that time I was living in Hackney and then we moved to Newham and I went to Rokeby School in Canning Town – that’s where things became a tale of two sides.

“I was quite good academically, and, when I had to participate, I could. I also loved football and participating in sport.

“I was bullied quite a lot for not being able to speak nglish – laughed at in class – and with that frustration, sport gave me a way out. So, when it came to the 100m, I used to say: ‘You laughed at me, well I’m going to beat you in a race’.

“I had a very wonderful schoolteacher called Mr Lampard. He took me on board. He saw some sort of talent in me and gave me an opportunity to play for the school team.

“I was really, really pleased and I didn’t let him down. Then I started playing for ewham and for sse .

“From there I was scouted for West Ham and then by Arsenal – that’s where things really started to happen.

I remember the day West Ham came to knock on the door at midnight for me to sign a contract.

“But unfortunately this is where the other side of the story takes over. I lost my way, I lost focus. The friends that I had from school were not so good.

“Coming to this country at a young age, I’d never really had any family,

education how it’s

that delivers salvation

Images by Holly Cant – find more of her images at hollycant.com or via @hollycantphoto on Insta

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

45

Canning Town - Royal Docks

apart from my older brother, and he had to go out to work to provide for us – he was in his late 20s or early 30s when we came over.

“He had his mind in the right place, but he wasn’t around most of the time, so I was raised by the streets.

“They took hold of me, and the streets of Newham became my arena to commit all sorts of evil. As a consequence football wasn’t going too well, as you can imagine.

“My mind wasn’t even on football any more. I was more interested in going out with girls and clubbing.

“Football was really a missed opportunity and then things got worse for me.”

J

onathan, who had become involved in a gang and in taking drugs, eventually wound up in prison for burglary – sentenced to three years, he served half. It was while he was incarcerated that he had an epiphany.

“When I say these things, it’s painful in my heart, but I think it’s really important because it demonstrates remorse on my part and that I’ve gone past it,” he said.

“In prison something came over me – I don’t know really how to describe it. I said: ‘Jonathan, how long can you sustain this way of life for?’.

“When I was in prison my son was about two years old, and I thought to myself: ‘No, for the sake of my son, I must try and do something di erent’.

“I’d had problems with drugs and anger management – that’s what led me to this path. I was a very angry person, quick tempered – anything could get me going and I had to do something about it.

“In prison I learnt about anger management, substance misuse and I started working as a chaplain. That gave me an opportunity just to calm down and get humanity back in me.

“Working as a chaplain, not just as a Christian but for all faiths, gave me an opportunity to reflect on my own life – that is where I was, this is where I am now and this is where I’d love to be.”

Jonathan realised it was education that was holding him back so, on his release, he set about rebuilding his life starting with basic ualifications so he could get on a course at the University Of East London in Royal Docks.

“I wrestled my way through those beginners courses and came out with high grades – that just fuelled me with fire he said. applied to and they gave me the opportunity. It transformed my life.” e graduated with a first in education studies in 2016, before returning and completing a masters in refugee studies earlier this year.

Having worked for Japanese Tobacco International in Canary Wharf before his he’s now a field sales e ecutive for office supplies giant Lyreco Group.

But it’s his activities outside the

workplace that concern us here. You only have to sit with Jonathan for a few minutes to feel the warmth of his humble nature and his genuine passion for helping others avoid the pitfalls that destroyed his hopes of a career in football and led to his prison sentence. And that’s what Newham Panthers is all about.

“It is a local football club, founded by the community for the community,” said Jonathan.

“It was created a year ago by fellow Newham dad Zia Ahmed and myself.

Our children used to play for one of the local teams, but unfortunately things did not work out well. They were rejected and told they weren’t good enough, so that gave us some motivation. We thought: ‘Why don’t we start our own club?’

“We decided not to base it on ability, just on pure fun – somewhere kids can come and enjoy playing.

They don’t have to take it seriously, but we provide the opportunity for those that want to do that too.”

The club is about more than just playing football. believe young people can benefit from and learn lessons from my past experience of football and crime,” said Jonathan. “What I want to do is to make my misfortune become a fortune for somebody else.

“So, I’m saying to parents, when you come to Newham Panthers, the ethos is that the kids will learn about a game, they’ll participate, they’ll have fun. My son Junior, who is 10 years old, plays for the team, as does Zia’s son. Children can also come and learn about morality in the sense that my personal experience leads me to volunteer my time to teach them and to show that there is an alternative way rather than getting involved with crime.

“Newham has one of the highest crime rates in London and I believe I can use this opportunity to educate the boys and girls that play with the club to help prevent them going down that path. I want to show them that when they see a fellow human being, they shouldn’t see them as a threat but as a potential partner, somebody they can collaborate with and cherish – someone that has value.

“I hope Newham Panthers will become successful in terms of transforming young people’s lives, in terms of young people understanding that they have friends, regardless of where they come from, their colour, their religion and teaching them that they need to treat each other like human beings – that’s my message.

“Behind the football, education comes first and this is something I always tell the parents.

“We won’t let any

“

I believe young people can benefit from and learn lessons from my past. I want to make my misfortune become a fortune for somebody else

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15 where?

Royal Victoria Dock Terminal Royal Docks

Jonathan Lufulo, Newham Panthers

of our players participate if they are not doing their homework – we don’t want football to overtake education.

“This is a hobby and, even for those who are talented, they must understand that education comes first.

“In fact, my older brother once said something very important to me: ‘Your legs, you’ll never have them forever – what if something happens to your legs, can you still play football? But your brain, your education, no-one can take that away from you’.

That’s a really strong message.

“It’s also something I’ve taken from UEL, which has been instrumental in my success, if I can call it that.

They’ve been very, very helpful.”

Registration with the club costs £20, which goes straight back into running Newham Panthers, who currently practise in East Ham. Jonathan said he and Zia were always looking for sponsorship and potential partnerships beyond their own investment to allow the club to do more.

“We believe in the project and that it has great potential,” said Jonathan.

“If we could get some helping hands, it would be much better. It’s been running for one year now. At the moment we’ve got one team that is registered with the league and that’s the under-11s.

“Last season they won the cup, so I’m coaching champions. Our plan is to have a girls’ team as well.

“We’ve got quite a few girls signed up, but we can’t register them for this year because the times have overlapped, but for the coming 2020 season we will definitely have a girls’ team.

“If the club continues to establish itself, I want to go back to prison – not as a prisoner – but to share my testimony, and give some hope to youngsters in there. In prison you shouldn’t think your life is over, but that it’s what you do from that moment going forward that determines the life and the future you can have. I believe that will be powerful message.”

For more information go to newhampanthersfc.com or uel.ac.uk

TRY | Emirates Air Line Take a ride on the cable car across the Thames and back again for remarkable views of London and Docklands – remember to use Oyster.

Ongoing, times vary, various prices, tfl.gov.uk where?

RAW Labs By Bow Arts Royal Albert Dock

STRETCH | Weekly Yoga Classes Puravi Joshi leads regular, relaxing Yoga classes on the mezzanine at RAW Labs. Mats are provided and payment is accepted on cards in the modern way.

Sundays, 9am, £10, bowarts.org where?

Britannia Hall West Silvertown

TRY | Karate Discover whether Shotokan Karate is for you at these regular sessions. The first is free with fees of around £30 a month. Kids sessions also available.

Fridays, 7.30pm, free (first session), alfa-karate.co.uk

to do before January 1

In this case, literally minutes before – book in for New Year’s Eve at Sunborn Yacht Hotel from 5pm on December 31 for a Great Gatsbythemed bash. Tickets start at £95 and include a three-course meal and cocktails. sunbornhotels.com

spot check worth a visit Check out Triple Two Coffee at Royal Wharf for a seriously decent brew tripletwocoffee/royalwharf want more? @wharflifelive

46

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory - Acknowledgements

find our advertisers’ messages here Chase Evans print Pages 1, 22-23 online chaseevans.co.uk

Vantage Properties And Management print Page 21 online vantage-uk.com

The Gun print Page 3 online thegundocklands.com

Berkeley Homes print Pages 24-25 online berkeleygroup.co.uk

Harley Street Fertility Clinic print Page 4 online hsfc.org.uk

My London Home print Pages 26-27 online mylondonhome.com

Capeesh print Page 5 online capeesh.co.uk

JG Chatham print Pages 29 online kitchenerbarracks.com

Kidd Rapinet print Pages 6, 14, 15 online kiddrapinet.co.uk

Galliard Homes print Page 34 online galliardhomes.com

London City Airport print Page 7 online londoncityairport.com Grandstand Events print Page 9 online offpiste.bar Creative Virtual print Page 13 online creativevirtual.com

be part of the Canary Wharf conversation To advertise in Wharf Life call 07944 000 144 or email advertising@wharf-life.com

Wharf Life is published by Massey Maddison Limited, printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge and distributed by Willis News Distribution. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2019

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

47

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

plan now for Burns Night with a twist at Cody Dock in Bow Burns Night tickets can

14 days later

plan your life from Jan 1-15

also be

where?

Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

purchased as a gift for Christmas

SCREEN | Met Opera Encore: Wozzeck See this new production of Berg’s pre-First World War opera featuring baritone Peter Mattei in the leading role and Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts.

Jan 14, 1.30pm, £22, picturehouses.com

sonsie fair fa yir honest

by Jon Massey

A

pparently there are some celebrations coming up in the next few days. Something about the birth of a saviour and the end of a decade.

However, we’re gazing further into the future than that, to the traditional celebration that matters in the glum depths of January – Burns Night.

Cody Dock is set to hold a ceilidh in honour of the great Scottish poet’s birth, albeit a day early on January 24, to raise cash for charity the Gasworks Dock Partnership (GDP), which is regenerating the area.

“One of the things I love about living in Newham is it’s so multicultural and really well integrated,” said Julia Briscoe, who as events, projects and campaigns manager at GDP, is organising the celebration.

“I’ve been to Eid parties and we have cultural exchanges at the school – it’s great – but there’s nothing Scottish and I grew up in Fife.

“I thought it would be fun to

“

We’re about the dancing rather than the formality.

The band has a really great caller – even if people have never tried before, it doesn’t matter Julia Briscoe, Gasworks Trust

bring a little Scottish culture to Newham for the ex-pat Scots.”

And so Burns Night at Cody Dock was born. Now in its third year, the 2020 iteration is set to feature plentiful haggis (meat and veggie versions), neeps, tatties, whisky, smoked salmon and as much dancing as participants can handle thanks to music and calling from Cut A Shine.

“The tickets sell out, it’s so much fun and it’s really nice how the local community come and have a go,” said Julia.

“It’s really lovely how the ex-pat Scots pop up in their kilts ready to dance too.

where?

Village Vanguard Stratford

SHOP | VV Quiz Coconut Burn some serious brain cells while drinking and dining at this East Village establishment. A great way to ease towards the weekend.

Thursdays, 7.30pm, free, villagevanguarde20.com where?

Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stratford

face

“The end of January is so dark and dismal, it’s post-Christmas and it’s awful.

“So having some fun with everyone dancing together – young and old in a group – is a lovely antidote to that.”

Rather than a formal Burns Night, the ceilidh is more a twist on traditional celebrations and will include the address to the haggis.

“We’ve got a friend who we’re hoping will be able to pipe in the haggis on her home-made set made from plumbing supplies and a rubber glove – she’s a bit of a genius,” said Julia.

“We’re about the dancing rather than the formality. The band has a really great caller – even if people have never tried these dances before, it doesn’t matter.

“Full instructions are given and everyone gets into it really quickly. It’ll warm you up and cheer you up.”

Tickets cost £20 and include a welcome drink of Glenfiddich whisky or Drambuie as well as the hot buffet. Doors open 8pm.

After party concludes at 1.30am.

Go to codydock.org.uk

SPORT | QEOP 10k Take on the flat, smooth course to start your running year, following in the footsteps of the Olympic greats and joining hundreds of runners.

Jan 4, 9.30am, £19, queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

to do before January 1

Twas The Fight Before Christmas and all through the Copper Box, not a creature was stirring apart from Daniel Dubois and Kyotaro Fujimoto, heavyweights who will clash on December 21 at 3pm. Tickets £44 queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk

spot check worth a visit Have a festive blast at Dick Whittington– on until Jan 11 at Straford East stratfordeast.com want more? @wharflifelive

48

Wharf Life Dec 18, 2019-Jan 2, 2020 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

Easy

4 9 7 5

4 9 8 3 1 2

3

2 9 6 1 5 4 7 3 8 Sudoku 3 a1break 5 from 2 7 that 8 phone 9 6 4 Take 4 8 7 3 9 6 2 5 1 How 7 to2 play 8 4 3 9 5 1 6 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 3 such 6 that 1 5each 8 row, 7 2column and 3x3 box one9to4nine contains every number uniquely.

6 5 1 8 2 7 3 4 9 7 find 4 strategies, 9 6 2 hints 1 8and3tips online You5can at sudokuwiki.org 1 6 9 7 8 3 4 2 5 8 to 3 play 2 5 4 1 6 9 7 More

3 5 8 2 4 1 7 5 8 4

6 7

You can find more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection ofTo others available in apps and books at str8ts.com. This complete Sudoku, fill the board Sudoku is supplied by Syndicated Puzzles. by entering numbers 1 to 9 such

that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

Notes

© 2019 Syndicated Puzzles

4 2 1

Previous solution - Very Hard

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

crossword Down

7. Big racial issue? (6) . oreign office ) 10. He may be in a car or under a coach (7) 11. Beautiful girl one may ring, we hear! (5) 12. Stop a baby crying with a sweetmeat (4) 13. Guard marking time (5) . greed to lose a selfish characteristic (5) 18. Jets don’t need this support (4) 22. Jack found in church, we hear (5) 23. A coach who makes many coaches hesitate (7) 24. Posers seldom resolved (6) 25. Though in decay, the vehicle is still strong (6)

1.

Notes

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

9.

14.

15.

16.

19.

20.

21.

Get cleared in order to follow the Customs fficer’s advice ) More can be made of this a air ) Goes on stage (5) Delayed, so returned to one’s starting position (3,4) Kingdom that’s genuine to many (5) Rigid measure (5) They add grace to manners, perhaps (9) Sea-lord orders trials (7) One never knows what it may hold for the present (4-3) Stimulating apparitions (7) Be niggardly in a task, impatient too (5) Robust novelist (5) Adult in uniform (5)

Quick Across 7.

8.

10.

11.

12.

13. .

18.

22.

23.

24.

25.

Fractured (6) Out of breath (6) In name (7) Slobber (5) Irritation (4) Perfume (5) nfle ible ) Swimming pool (4) Banquet (5) Heavenly (7) Die (6) Protect (6)

Down 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

9.

14.

15.

16.

19.

20.

21.

Refrain (7) Touch (7) Answer (5) Obligatory (7) Moron (5) Grown-up (5) Workable (9) Misrepresent (7) Handled (7) Yield (7) Tender (5) Contented (5) Concur (5)

Across: 7 Broken; 8 Winded; 10 Titular; 11 Drool; 12 Itch; 13 Scent; 17 Rigid; 18 Lido; 22 Feast; 23 Angelic; 24 Expire; 25 Defend.

Down: 1 Abstain; 2 Contact; 3 Reply; 4 Binding; 5 Idiot; 6 Adult; 9 Practical; 14 Distort; 15 Wielded; 16 Concede; 19 Offer; 20 Happy; 21 Agree.

Across

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

Cryptic Solution

Cryptic

beating the

Across: 7 Exodus; 8 Bureau; 10 Learner; 11 Belle; 12 Rock; 13 Watch; 17 Greed; 18 Prop; 22 Knave; 23 Trainer; 24 Models; 25 Robust.

Down: 1 Declare; 2 Romance; 3 Turns; 4 Put back; 5 Realm; 6 Ruler; 9 Ornaments; 14 Ordeals; 15 Bran-tub; 16 Spirits; 19 Skimp; 20 Hardy; 21 Major.

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Quick Solution

No. 835