Wharf Life Jan 5-19

Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

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inside issue 54

Humble Grape picks three vegan wines to drink during January Page 10

Third Space - Kidd Rapinet Bullards Spirits - Winter Lights 2022 The Sporting Club - Alex Neil East End Community Foundation London Square Bermondsey - Hacks David Galman - Caffe Concerto GCDA - Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim Momtaz Begum-Hossain Puzzles - Creative Space

Creative director and founder of The Happiness Cartel, Taskin Muzaffer has brought Cornish produce to Canary Wharf with a southern California twist

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how The Happiness Cartel has found space for a trio of venues under a single banner in One Canada Square’s marbled lobby Pages 10-11

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

three in

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

Fast, affordable, conveyancing services Call our team on 020 7205 4021 or email cmiller@kiddrapinet.co.uk, ypatel@kiddrapinet.co.uk or mzvarykina@kiddrapinet.co.uk

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read

feast your eyes on these

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Cineworld West India Quay WIQ

FILM | Bill Murray’s New Worlds The actor is joined by cellist Jan Vogler, violinist Mira Wang and pianist Vanessa Perez for a mix of music, literature and poetry at the Acropolis.

Feb 2, 7.45pm, £15.50, cineworld.co.uk

Welcome to Wharf Life and Happy New Year. Our 54th issue combines charity, fitness, indulgence and just a few places to eat and drink to ease you through the earliest weeks of 2022. And if you’re struggling through January turn to Page 36 for a burst of colour designed to lift the spirits

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Get a free mini bottle of Bullards with every full-size one purchased

Where?

Canada Place Canary Wharf

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LAST CHANCE | Don’t Cry Over Spilt Milk There’s still time to catch Eve De Haan’s exhibition of neon artworks in the shopping centre. Grab a few selfies (or don’t) and ride a see-saw.

Until Jan 31, 10am-6pm, free, canarywharf.com Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Canary Wharf

EVENT | Burns Night Less one day, more like five evenings, but you can’t blame a Scottish restaurant for taking a punt.

Expect haggis, a piper and a noggin of whisky.

Jan 25-29, 9.15pm, dinner from £69, boisdale.co.uk

flash back

Floating restaurant and bar combo Hawksmoor and The Lowback have opened up at Wood Wharf and are waiting to welcome diners and drinkers to their lavishly appointed halls from Tuesday to Saturday thehawksmoor.com Scan this code to read our interview with the men behind the food and drink at the Canary Wharf venues want more? @wharflifelive

Mashmallowist is set to

Why even Third Space instructors invest in personal training

make a return to the estate for Winter Lights 2022

darkness destroyed Winter Lights 2022, Jan 19-29 5pm-10pm, across the Canary Wharf estate, canarywharf.com

by Jon Massey

T

he best thing about January is back – Winter Lights makes a triumphant return to Canary Wharf with a total of 27 artworks and installations to find on its trail through the estate.

Free to attend, the festival features new pieces by the likes of Nathaniel Rackowe, Anastasia Isachsen and Hamza Mrabet with several old favourites to revisit including Julius Popp’s magical Bit.fall and the illuminated scarlet ring of The Clew

by Ottotto. Taking in each one is

a great way to explore the whole estate from Bank Street Park to Wood Wharf and beyond.

Visitors can also expect street food and drink pop-ups as well as the chance to toast sweet treats over a fire pit with Marshmallowist.

Guides to the full route will be available from event stewards across the estate.

Scan this code to find out more about Winter Lights 2022 in Canary Wharf

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Shutters is open and filling Wharfers with Cornish produce

the joy of six Every issue Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 12

get in touch

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Editorial email info@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300 Advertising email jess.maddison@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

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Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

need to know

1P

We’re itching for Emilia’s Crafted Pasta to open at Wood Wharf. The third branch of this flavourful chain is expected to throw wide its doors towards the end of January, but keep a watch on its website for an exact opening date and plan a trip emiliaspasta.com

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Buy a course of 10 sessions of laser hair removal at Therapie Clinic at Jubilee Place and get a second area treated for 1p. Offer ends March 31 therapieclinic.com

34

Incoming chair of EECF looks to boost Life Chances Campaign

Canary Wharf’s East Wintergarden is set to welcome back the glass court of the Canary Wharf Squash Classic from March 13-18.

Expect top quality action from the players and get your tickets early for this event which typically sells out canarywharfsquash.com

Catching up with the work of the GCDA as it celebrates 40 years

50%

12

How personal training at The Sporting Club in Wapping offers a wealth of facilities and experience to help anyone who walks through the door achieve their fitness goals

Visit Hobbs in Canada Place for up to half price off a range of dresses, knitwear, tops, trousers and more. Naturally T&Cs apply – ask in store for details hobbs.co.uk

Fresh, Fast.

Delivery, Dine in or Click & Collect

OPEN NOW

Wednesday to Sunday - 12pm-10pm As a welcome into 2022, Gallio are giving

50% OFF FOOD

The Atrium Kitchen, Level 2, Cabot Place

*T&C’s: 50% off food until 31st January 2022

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.

write me

Blue Shirt With Stripes, £92.50 The Kooples, Canada Place thekooples.com

words you don’t know you need

anuary

We all love a sale – a little money off to brighten the first dark days of the New Year. The Kooples is currently offering up to 50% off (while stocks last) both online and in store so you’ll need to be quick.

We like the look of this shirt.

It’s the perfect way to bring a PJ vibe into the office and luxurious enough (thanks to a little silk in the mix) to scrub up for those smarter situations.

noun, fake, from German subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox each week for free

Stick a word on the front of this and you’ll have a new 31-day craze. Think Veganuary is good?

Try Bikanuary (only getting about by bicycle), Bookanuary (only reading printed novels) or Swimanuary (a daily dock dip)

Bottles of Bullards gin cost £40 and, in the month of January, come with a free 5cl miniature, usually priced at £8

fract

verb, real, from Latin To break, shatter of violate. It’s January so this word may be best used in relation to bad habits one has – I fracted my desire to smoke or I fracted my compulsion to award government contracts to friends without due process

Help your loved ones to help you

buy Bullards gin in store and get 5cl free

by Jon Massey

W

hether you’re doing Dry January or not, it’s the perfect month to purchase a bottle (or refill pouch) of Bullards gin. Buy in store at Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place on or before January 31 and the spirits brand will give you one of its 5cl miniatures.

With four flavours in its core range to explore – the London Dry, Old Tom, Coastal and Strawberry And Black Pepper – the offer means canny shoppers can purchase their favourite and take a taster of something Scan to find out more about Bullards

else to try in the privacy of their own home.

Prices start at £35 for refil packs in any flavour – ideal if you’ve already bought a bottle and have run out.

New 70cl bottles cost £40. The small taster bottles normally retail for £8.

The Canary Wharf store stocks a full range of the company’s spirits and offers free tasting. It also offers gift packs, cocktail hampers (with all the ingredients needed to mix the drink) and scented candles inspired by the botanical flavourings.

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 rica o n arie today on 020 7 or email e o n arie@kiddrapinet.co.uk

The Canary Wharf store in Cabot Place stocks the brand’s full range as well as gift hampers and scented candles

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Canary Wharf

Mixed Bowl, Enjera, £7 Red Tent, South Quay Street Food @redtentethiopia on Insta

diary dates and ideas to make your Canary Wharf life a little bit sweeter

Rope Design Waistcoat, £115.50 Gant, Canada Place gant.co.uk

GIG | Boney M Original member Maizie Williams is joined by three singers to present the sounds of this remarkable band including Rasputin, Sunny, Daddy Cool, Rivers Of Babylon, Mary’s Boy Child and Brown Girl In The Ring.

Jan 21, 9.30pm, from £49 boisdale.co.uk

FILM | NT Live: Leopoldstadt Head over to Cineworld at West India Quay for a screening of the National Theatre production of Tom Stoppard’s most recent play. A company of 40 actors represent every generation of a family across half a century.

Jan 27, 7pm, £15.50 cineworld.co.uk

While it’s a few steps off the estate – probably a pretty good thing if you’ve resolved to boost that step count every day in 2022 – Red Tent is well worth the journey.

Serving vegan Ethiopian food just across the South Quay bridge from a vintage Citroen H Van, this street food stall has to be a contender for best value in the Canary Wharf area.

Pay £7 and get a bowl overflowing with red lentils, brown lentils, spinach, carrots and potatoes and chickpeas, perfectly offset by sour enjera, rice or cous cous.

It’s sale season and Gant is offering up to 40% off selected items in store and online. We’ve picked out this waistcoat, down from £165, featuring a subtle rope pattern and taking its cues from vintage tailoring and Italian weaving.

Pair it with matching wide leg trousers (£122.50 down from £175) for a formal look or mix and match it with jeans, trousers, shirts and T-shirts for a retro look.

HATE THE HARD SELL? HATE HAGGLING? HATE CAR JARGON? HATE BAD COFFEE? HATE LONG, CONFUSING BILLS AND HIDDEN COSTS? HATE TEST DRIVES WITH A STRANGER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT? HATE BEING PRESSURED INTO A CHOICE? HATE PAYING OVER THE ODDS? HATE OLD, JANKY WEBSITES AND CHEESY BROCHURES? HATE THINGS TAKING FOREVER FOR NO GOOD REASON? HATE COMPROMISING? WELL, YOU’RE REALLY GOING TO LOVE IT HERE. NOW OPEN. ONLINE & AT CANARY WHARF ONLY.

ROCKAR. LOVE GETTING THE CAR YOU LOVE. Rockar Jaguar Landrover, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf, E14 4QT.

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Canary Wharf

how personal training at Third Space can keep you on track for tackling all those fitness resolutions

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Discounted personal training sessions for new members at Third Space in Canada Square

by Jon Massey

I

t’s January, the time when for reasons more traditional than functional, people take stock of their lives and pledge to make changes for the better. But how to make those resolutions stick once the novelty value has worn off? Wisdom is generally gained from experience, so a good starting point in any fresh venture should be to seek out the thoughts of those who are already pretty good at what you’re trying to achieve.

With the festive bloat at maximum, increased exercise is generally bobbing around the top of people’s lists. But motivation can wane rapidly, so I sat down with Eve Powell of Third Space in Canary Wharf to discover her tips for sticking with the programme and how she personally stays in shape and maintains her enthusiasm.

A certified Pilates coach and group exercise lead instructor, Eve has been described as “the superwoman” on Trustpilot by a gym member who praised her “meticulous performance on the gym floor and in classes”.

Having first qualified as a trainer while at university, Eve initially embarked on a career in the film industry before realising she got more out of her weekly combat class at the weekend than five days spent on set.

“That’s when I made the transition to thinking I wanted to do it full-time,” she said. “The main thing is the job satisfaction because we’re lucky to have endorphin-high, sweaty people telling us how great they feel at the end of a class.

“It’s a job where you help people and now, having got into Pilates, that’s even more the case. I’d never practised it before I joined Third Space – I’d done Yoga and thought it was basically the same – but my boss here asked if I wanted to go on a training course and I said yes because I thought it would be another skill to have.

“I’m so glad, because it changed my life and the way I train completely. Not knowing anything about it, I thought Pilates was good if you had a bad back, or if you were a bit older and your Continued on Page 9

Pilates and group fitness instructor at Third Space, Eve Powell, went straight to a personal trainer when she decided to take up Olympic weightlifting

focused Image by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

keeping you

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View our processes and example pricing Your purchase kiddrapinet.co.uk/purchaseinlondon Your sale kiddrapinet.co.uk/sellinginlondon

Request an online estimate or call 020 7205 4021

Fast, transparent, conveyancing services

Expert knowledge of the area Competitive, fixed fees A dedicated lawyer until completion A secure personal service

Contact one of our expert property lawyers on 020 7205 4021 or email property@kiddrapinet.co.uk

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25%

legal matters

by Graeme Bellenger

Off your first treatment at Third Space’s spa for new members

Eve says learning Pilates has changed her life as it has given her a whole new approach to exercise through the focus on The minute a deposit is taken, the clock is ticking for a landlord to properly register it

discipline and precision

I

was recently asked whether a landlord must take a deposit when renting their property? Legally speaking, they do not, but most do so as comfort in case a tenant damages the property or fails to pay rent.

If property damage or unpaid rent exceeds the amount of the deposit, the landlord can seek a County Court Judgment against the tenant.

Tenants should avoid having a CCJ registered against them, as it will affect their credit rating.

If a landlord sues for damages of under £10,000, the matter will be allocated to the Small Claims Court, which hears modest value claims and often parties are unrepresented by lawyers. Win or lose, the general rule is that each side pays their own legal costs.

If a landlord takes a deposit, it is critical to register it in a tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days of receipt and serve the deposit certificate on the tenant, If a landlord takes a together with the prescribed information. deposit, it is critical If the landlord does to register it with not do so, then the tenant can make a a tenancy deposit claim against the scheme within 30 landlord.

There is no defence days of receipt to a valid claim and Graeme Bellenger, Kidd Rapinet the landlord will be ordered to repay the deposit and compensation between one and three times the value of the deposit. The tenant may be awarded their legal costs even if the claim is for under £10,000.

So it’s prudent to take a deposit, but protect it immediately, or be prepared for your tenant to make a claim against you.

Properly managing your property, an expensive asset you have worked hard to acquire, shouldn’t be handled casually. It’s important to have a well-drafted Assured Shorthold Tenancy Agreement agreement and to serve all the information required by statute.

“

Graeme Bellenger is both a litigation solicitor specialising in residential and commercial property and employment law and the managing partner of Kidd Rapinet Solicitors at Harbour Exchange.

Scan this code to find out more about the full range of legal services available at Kidd Rapinet’s Canary Wharf branch

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

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Canary Wharf

from Page 6 physio told you that you needed to do it. But I really fell in love with the history of it, the discipline and practice. It’s conditioning, building that strong, solid foundation for other exercises so you can run, lift weights and do Crossfit.”

Another key element to Eve’s approach to fitness is seeking out one-on-one expertise, especially for those new to the gym or branching out into new areas.

“Using myself as an example, I’m a coach, but when I decided to take up Olympic weightlifting I went to a personal trainer because was a total beginner ” she said.

“I had a bit of a head start because of the endurance fle ibility and mobility I’d built up with Pilates, but I needed someone with that experience.

“For people who are new to the gym, maybe they don’t even know what their goals are, so I’d recommend having a session with a trainer and trying lots of different things.

“That’s why Third Space is a great place to start because there’s so much to choose from here. Then we have so many great trainers it’s easy to work one-on-one with someone on general fitness or on something specific.

“With weightlifting, it was a brand new skill to me and it’s so technical knew would benefit from having the time and eyes of a coach.

“It’s also easier to commit and to work on smaller short-term goals in pursuit of what you’re trying to achieve.

“The trainer I see is on me to hit those targets. If you’ve got a good coach, invested in you, and you’re investing in yourself, it’s amazing.

“I have that one hour where it’s me and her and I’ve got a goal – snatching a particular weight or focusing on my hip mobility in my overhead squat.

“Whatever it is, it’s my time with that person and I call it my therapy. In between sessions we stay in touch – I send her videos of my progress and I really miss it if I can’t make a session. It really helps with motivation.

“It also helps me from a professional standpoint because my trainer will use cues and commands while I’m exercising that find can use.

“Even though the Pilates classes I coach aren’t the same, something that works for weightlifting might also work for me when I’m doing banded overhead squats with a group.”

From the other side Eve said one-on-one sessions gave trainers the chance to go into great detail with individuals.

She said: “You have more time to really look at a person’s body.

“

Eve says one-on-one sessions are beneficial

I’m a coach but when I took up Olympic weightlifting I went to a personal trainer because I was a total beginner

for both clients and their trainers

Eve Powell, Third Space

You have time to ask the client questions and get their feedback, to find out where someone is feeling something and what it feels like for them. nitially trainers use their first sessions to see how their client is moving, what their core strengths are and if they have any imbalances to address.

“It starts with identifying a goal – what the client wants to get out of their time with a coach.

“That might be to lose some weight to increase their fitness to tackle an injury or some pain they’re getting or to improve their posture.

“Then the trainer will come up with an individual programme tailored to achieve that. In general that will be a 360-degree approach that delivers a full body workout as a way of delivering those goals.

“It’s also great for trainers because after I’ve had a session with someone I’ve always learnt something. veryone has a different body.

A cue that might work for one person might not work for another so you have to be very adaptive.

“It’s a process of discovery, you have to make sure you’re using the right language.

“You might have a client who spends all day working at a desk and has no knowledge of the fitness industry so you have to find a way to communicate that makes sense to them.” l Membership of Third Space Canary Wharf costs £180 per on a rolling monthly contract.

Personal training rates at the club are available on request, with a discount for new members on their first two sessions. roup wide membership for all clubs including City and Tower Bridge costs £210 per month. New members get two guest passes, a meal or shake at atural itness ood off their first treatment at the Canary Wharf spa and an ongoing discount of 5% as standard.

Go to thirdspace.london

Scan this code to find our more about Third Space in Canary Wharf

Personalise your customer self-service.

Benefit from proven & reliable results.

Contact the Conversational AI Experts: www.creativevirtual.com info@creativevirtual.com | 020 7719 8332

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grape expectations

by Nico Trevisan

3

Distinct venues combine at Shutters in One Canada Square

how Shutters presents Wharfers with a place they can return to over and over again throughout the day

January equals Veganuary for many and there’s always a huge debate about whether wines can be vegan. While winemakers often use animal protein to clarify the liquid before bottling, there are tons that don’t – great news for vegan wine lovers. Here are our vegan January picks... l Dominio De Punctum Uno De Mil, Tempranillo And Petit Verdot, 2016, Spain £31.75 This may be called “One In A Thousand”, but it’s truly one in a million. Rich and earthy with lush notes of cherry, blueberry, violets, and a hint of tobacco leaf. Sounds like a bloody good red wine, right?

Pop that cork and you’ll be hit with smoky, layered flavours on the nose. Pair it with a vegan miso mushroom lasagne, a vegan mushroom and chestnut risotto, or a warming goulash with smoked tofu. The bad news? We didn’t get all of the thousand bottles – just six cases – so order quickly if you want a bottle.

by Jon Massey

Tempura lobster tacos, £11 Tuna tataki with pistachio, £9.50

l Winzer Familie Gregor Schup, Riesling, 2017, Austria, £32.25 This is a stunning Riesling from a family deep in the heart of the Austrian Wienerwald. This beauty is full of stone fruit and pineapple with an underlying, delicate white blossom. It is typically high acid like a great Riesling should be, but kept in balance. And what to have it with? A pumpkin risotto, a vegan Thai green curry or a vegan lentil, sweet potato and chickpea stew. l Mea Šipon Petnat, NV, Stajerska, Slovenia, £26.50 A great alternative to a Prosecco, this light, delicate and zesty wine is genuinely joyful to drink. It’s naturally sparkling – a very old way of making wine with the bubbles forming from the fermentation process. The winemaker hand-harvests 43-year-old vines at the crack of dawn, before squashing them for 22 days in a clay amphora.

Because of the funky winemaking process, no two bottles are the same – each has its own individual personality. Absolutely stunning paired with sun-kissed fruit or even a luxurious, vegan key lime pie.

Nico Trevisan is personal wine specialist and tasting host at Humble Grape, which operates five bars and wine shops in London including one in Canary Wharf All of the wines featured in this column are available to buy from Humble Grape in store or online – scan this code to find out more

The main bar at Shutters Tanks of Meantime beer

O

rganised crime syndicates are in my mind, having just binge-watched the latest series of etfli drugsploitation epic Narcos: Mexico. Fortunately The Happiness Cartel, which recently opened Shutters across two sites in the lobby of One Canada Square, bears little resemblance to the brutal mobs of Sinaloa, Juarez, Tijuana and Guadalajara.

But its creative director and founder askin u affer does want Wharfers to keep coming back for more. It’s one of the reasons why the group’s latest establishment is really three venues in one.

Firstly, Shutters itself has taken the shell of what was ETM’s One Canada Square, stripped out the walls, opened up the windows and painted everything white to form a welcoming, accessible restaurant and bar.

Secondly, head up its diagonal stairways and there’s Cartel – a separate bar space tucked away on the mezzanine, specialising in spirits and cocktails.

Finally, look round the corner and there’s a cafe space called SuperNatural that shifts seamlessly from breakfast bar and lunch joint to wine bar after 5pm.

That means there’s something available at all hours to keep Wharfers in a state of temptation, something that’s also down to the brand’s lineage.

“We started as a group in London, and, like most people, had a bit of a revelation in lockdown,” said Taskin, who previously worked for Drake And Morgan around the time it opened Shutters’ near neighbour, The Parlour, in 2009. ur first venue was Pedler in Peckham in 2014 and we have always got a lot of our produce

“

Shutters was born in Cornwall as it’s the restaurant for our hotel there and we wanted to bring a slice of that back to London Taskin Muzaffer, The Happiness Cartel

from Cornwall and Devon – in fact most of our fish came up from Cornish day boats on the back of a bike, so there was always that love affair with that area.

“In 2017, we started looking for a site there and finally opened the Unicorn On The Beach at Porthtowan in August of 2019.

“That ran really well until March 2020, when everything had to close. We decided we would keep the sites shut in London over last summer and the other members of the Cartel and myself moved to Cornwall, reopened the Unicorn and worked it as hard as possible last summer.

“Then the opportunity came up for us to purchase The Godolphin hotel in Marazion, which we renovated and briefly opened in December 2020, then properly in April 2021.

“We were very fortunate that both the Unicorn and The Godolphin had large outside areas so that was amazing when people could only be outdoors.

“Shutters was born in Cornwall as it’s the restaurant for our hotel there and we wanted to bring a slice of that back to London.

“We’ve come to Canary Wharf with that service mindset. We essentially view anyone who passes by or who is working in the o ces above at ne Canada Square as a hotel guest. We want to be somewhere people can come back to multiple times a day.

“We’ve brought down the walls of the old restaurant and e panded out into the lobby, creating what we call a library area that is almost a co-working space.

“People can sit there with their laptops and have a breakfast or a lunch. It’s not bookable, it’s walk-ins only.

“On the other side of the lobby, SuperNatural serves our own Happiness coffee blend hand roasted in Cornwall, as well as fresh juice and smoothies.

“In the morning you’ll see pastries and croissants – all those breakfast things – until 11am when salads with different proteins like smoked chicken or smoked trout appear. hen at about pm it flips and becomes all about natural and low-intervention wines and build your own nibbles. pect cured duck or venison done a bit like Parma ham, all made in Cornwall.”

While the produce is Cornish, Shutters’ core menu has a pronounced American flavour to

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Canary Wharf

Right and below, tables in the restaurant and bar at Shutters

Supernatural at One Canada Square

shutters opening

Creative director and founder of The Happiness Cartel, Taskin Muzaffer says Shutters gives Cornish produce a southern Californian twist Images by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

it, with dishes such as crab nachos and the Vegan Cali Sur burger.

“We wanted to give everything a kind of southern Californian twist,” said Taskin.

“Cartel, for example will be doing nibbles and tacos.

“Down in the restaurant we’ll be serving a lot of seafood dishes with those west coast flavours.

“Personally I like the crab cakes – it’s the kind of thing you’d see on menus years ago but they’ve kind of disappeared. We’ve brought them back with a little twist – bois boudrin sauce, burnt leeks and anchovy mayo.

“I also really like the nachos, which come with a light cheese, scallions, pickles and a lime sour cream. They’re really, really good.

“As for drinks we have tankfresh beer from Meantime, brewed about a mile away as the crow flies.

“Otherwise we’re very much about cocktails at a reasonable price. Good value is something we’ve always tried to offer as a brand.

“We want people to come to us for breakfast, come back for a drink after work, meet their mate or a girlfriend or boyfriend for lunch and come back and have dinner.

“Maybe during the week you’ll have a glass of wine and only one course or a little nibble.

“Perhaps you’ll come back towards the end of the week and have three courses with a cocktail before or after. It’s all about creating different areas different spaces, to make it exciting. You could be here having a chat with me now, then you might go and work over in the library this afternoon. Maybe then you’ll go over to SuperNatural tonight and meet friends and have a glass of low-intervention wine and a couple of nibbles on the board.

“Tomorrow you’ll maybe come in for breakfast or for lunch, or you might stick around for dinner.

Then we have Cartel, which specialises in tequila and mescal with a range of 28 so far. There are some really special bottles to try.

“We’ve tried to create something going on at all times, whether you want a quiet little corner just to get on with something, or you want to be a bit raucous.”

Shutters is set to reopen from January 9 followed by SuperNatural on January 17. Check opening hours online.

Go to shutterscanarywharf.com

Scan this code to find out more about Shutters in One Canada Sq

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

so much more than a

gym What our clients report after they start training with us is a general feeling of wellbeing Tim Keleher, The Sporting Club

Founder of The Sporting Club, Tim Keleher, demonstrates a squat with one of a multitude of specialist bars designed for extra safety The clean, white facade of The Sporting Club faces onto Garnet Street in Wapping close to New Crane Wharf

by Jon Massey

J

anuary is traditionally the month of knee-jerk reactions to the excesses of the festive season. Alcohol is shelved, meat nixed, diets started and resolutions to walk thousands of steps more a day than last year enthusiastically begun.

It’s not peak time for sign-ups at The Sporting Club in Wapping, however.

That usually comes in February as e pert help is sought in the fitness field when it becomes clear abstinence and good intentions aren’t quite going to be enough to generate the honed body of desire. While its personal training programmes aren’t cheap – a one-to-one session costs £80 for 60 minutes – founder Tim Keleher can promise a highly tailored service that has seen around 30% of clients working out with him or his trainers for more than 10 years.

“We’re realistic with people right from the start,” he said. “We set sensible goals that change over time. If people say they want a six pack then I’ll be honest with them and ask whether they’re willing to train six times a week, clean up their diets completely and not go out on a Saturday night. For many that’s a step too far.

“What our clients report after they start training with us is a general feeling of wellbeing. It might be that their sleep improves, their concentration at work is a little bit better or that they feel energised and are more likely to do healthy activities outside the gym.”

Originally from Melbourne, Tim made the journey to London from Australia at the invitation of his brother Jamie, who had more work

how The Sporting Club in Wapping stands ready to welcome clients at all levels with its high-end facilities and top personal trainers than he could handle as a personal trainer. While Jamie moved on from Wapping to Wimbledon, Tim stayed in east London, steadily building up his business at John Orwell Sports Centre before moving into his own premises, tucked away at Sovereign Close looking out onto Wapping Woods.

Seeking more footfall and greater prominence he’s now relocated the business to premises over two floors in Garnet Street, which has generated a stream of interest from passers-by, one of whom stops by during our interview.

“We are coaching based – that’s the fundamental difference between us and a mainstream gym,” said Tim. “Our clients come and they are always getting coached – this isn’t a gym where

you can come and do a workout on your own and we have to be clear about that.

“Predominantly people train here in one-to-one or two-to-one settings with a trainer. We also offer semi private sessions for up to three people with a focus on strength training and classes, at the moment, for up to eight people.

“That allows us to bring in a few different things such as oga bo ing and circuit training. Our clients will come in and do one or a combination of a lot of those. he first thing to say is we can train people of all levels but our typical client is someone who doesn’t have any specific athletic goals.

“Most have busy lifestyles, stressful

jobs and perhaps they haven’t been doing enough exercise and would like to lose a few pounds.

“But my youngest client is the 12-year-old daughter of a friend across the street who is doing some strength training with us and our oldest is a local councillor who is in her late 70s and we have everything in between.

“Most people who start with us stay with us, they love training and are loyal to us as a local business and I think that s a good reflection of the service we offer.

“We have about 90 clients who are doing personal training with us and of those, 25 have been with us for more than a decade. still have the very first client I started training at John Orwell.

“We always ask clients to commit to at least 12 weeks of training. It’s not a cheap thing to do, but if you want to get the most out of it there has to be an investment of both time and money.

“Generally, getting people to commit financially is a good way of getting them to do the work they need to in the gym. We do offer a bit more fle ibility with our semi-private classes and group classes where session packs are available and people can purchase single sessions too.

“For the group classes we also do an introductory offer of three sessions for £30. Ultimately I think we’re a good place to train, but we won’t be everybody’s cup of tea. For that type of session, I want people to try one out and see if it fits with what they re looking for.”

The Sporting Club’s core focus, though, is on personal training, with personal programmes created for each client according to their needs and individual goals.

Continued on Page 29

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

30%

Of personal training clients at The Sporting Club have been with the gym for more than 10 years

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Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

“I think what sets us apart is the quality of the trainers we have here,” said Tim, who grew up playing a range of sports before discovering a passion for weight training in his late teens.

“Unfortunately the quality of personal trainers in the industry as a whole is not very high – it doesn’t take much to get your certificate and you have providers of those courses who want to make it as easy and accessible as possible to get those qualifications.

“But what you learn in many of those courses does not give you the skills to be a personal trainer. t s a first step and everyone has done it, but learning the process of becoming a trainer, knowing how to read clients and to write really good programmes for each individual – that takes time.

“A statistic that is probably a little old but still rings true is that two thirds of personal trainers are out of the industry within six months. They get their certificate they try to make a living out of it and within six months they can’t and then they’re out. It’s a massively high turnover.” taff at he porting Club are selected based on personal connection or recommendation and have to go through a rigorous interview process, which includes writing a programme for Tim and coaching other trainers under scrutiny.

“That enables me to see what their skill sets are like and how they work,” said Tim. “It also ensures that I’m comfortable for them to start seeing clients. We currently have six other trainers here apart from myself, including Justin Lam who I’ve been working with for more than 10 years after meeting him on a course.

“That expertise is essential because, having worked eight years in a public gym my opinion is that most people don’t know enough about exercise to do it by themselves and get results.

“They might have the best of intentions but don’t know how to put exercises together to get the most out of their workout.

“For a lot of our clients, having a set time in their calendar when they’re accountable not just to themselves but to us, is motivation enough.

And that s the first step. ou have to show up every week – it’s a game of consistency. Then we’re very good at designing programmes, asking what a client’s capabilities and goals are and bringing the two together for them.”

Part of the service is having a facility and equipment capable of delivering and from its clean, white shopfront to its banks of free weights, cable machines and basement studio, The porting Club is comprehensively kitted out.

“I like my toys,” said Tim. “Take our set of bars, for example. We have a lot of different ones that you would not see in a mainstream public gym.

“They will probably have a standard Olympic bar and nothing else. Mainstream gyms are usually a little behind

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

from Page 12

17

Years since Tim came over from Melbourne to work as a personal trainer in London

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Half Moon Theatre Limehouse

KIDS | Dommy B’s Best Adventure Ever Cbeebies Rhyme Rocket poet Dommy B explores the challenges and triumphs of making new friends using only words and his imagination.

Jan 22, 11am, 2pm, £7, halfmoon.org.uk Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

STAGE | Could It Be Magic?

Paul Aitchison (playing four finalists in a conjuror competition) presents a comedy magic show billed as original, hilarious and ambitious.

Jan 21-Feb 10, 7.30pm, from £7, wiltons.org.uk Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

Tim demonstrates the track at The Sporting Club, used for pulling and pushing weighted sleds to build leg strength

The Sporting Club boasts a wide array of equipment

what studios like us are doing. But the reason we have these things is to ensure we can safely do different types of exercise with a wide range of clients.

“Our latest piece of kit is called a belt squat machine, made by a company called Primal. Because you’re loading around your back this is a really easy and safe way to coach squats.

“I’ve only had it for four months but it’s quickly become the most versatile and most-used machines we have because it allows people a greater range of motion.

“We also have our track – a must for personal training studios if you have the space. It’s where we load up push sleds or pull sleds and you just get people dragging weights, which is a great way to build leg strength.”

To find our more about The Sporting Club go to thesportingclub.co.uk

Scan this code to find out more about The Sporting Club

COMEDY | OneTrackMinds Writers, thinkers and musicians select a single piece of music that changed their lives in a bid to leave a lasting impact on yours.

Jan 21-Feb 10, 7.30pm, from £7, wiltons.org.uk

trading up

Wapping Docklands Market is set to reopen on January 15 at its pitch beside the Glamis Road bascule bridge – expect the usual blend of food stalls, sustainably sourced produce, treats, gifts and clothing zeroomarkets.co.uk Scan this code to read our interview with market founder Will Cutteridge at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

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£5m

Fundraising target for the East End Community Foundation’s Life Chances Campaign

deliver a plan to

why incoming East End Community Foundation chair Bronek Masojada wants support from firms

by Jon Massey

W

hen I was approached about joining the East End Community Foundation, I thought it answered a problem that I’d had as a CEO,” said Bronek Masojada, who has spent the last 28 years at the helm of insurance firm Hisco . here is a lot of desire among staff at companies to get involved in charitable activities close to where they work and that’s great, but the question then is what, precisely? he answer to that question is a navigation service for organisations that identifies what those needs are which are the most effective charities to support and how to make sure any donation is put to good use. m not going to pretend to understand what the needs of individuals are in deprived areas – nor do my colleagues. hat navigation service also needs to show how staff can be involved to a limited e tent because from my e perience people s desire to play a part is much greater than the reality when dates are in the diary and free time and weekends have to be given up to do that. he C provides a service that addresses all those issues, for anybody who would like to try to make a difference a clear solution to a clear problem. he fact it also gives away a substantial amount of

Our Life Chances Campaign is trying to address real needs. The average salary in Tower Hamlets is £80k but household income is £25k Bronek Masojada, EECF

its own money every year means the team has every incentive to make sure it is done so effectively.”

Bronek joins EECF as chair, having taken over from Canary Wharf roup s Howard awber towards the end of last year, his arrival coinciding with the launch of the charity’s Life Chances Campaign to raise and distribute £5million to help deprived communities in east ondon recover from the effects of the pandemic. he money will be distributed to organisations in ower Hamlets ewham Hackney and the City with the three aims of improving the wellbeing and employment prospects of young people, tackling digital e clusion and reducing poverty and isolation among older people. Pledges of have already been made.

B

ronek said About . million will go on the first of these about £1million on the last and the balance on digital connectivity. hese areas all slightly overlap – what drives elderly isolation is lack of digital connectivity in today’s age, not just access to things like iPads but the competency to use them. t s not ust about giving people a bit of kit but also providing support.

My mother and my mother-in-law in outh Africa are both big silver surfers, because they are driven to enjoy connectivity with their children and grandchildren, and that s fantastic. y mother has been self isolating, but probably speaks to my children more often than me, through digital means. t will be the same for people in east London – if you can’t get out because of Covid, you should still be able to connect with people. oom and other platforms are free, if you know how to use them. here is

some reticence.

I can remember when I put my grandmother in front of a Space Invaders game, she just froze, but nowadays you don’t have that choice. ife Chances is trying to address real needs. he average salary in ower Hamlets is a year but the average household income is . hat s understandable, but pretty e traordinary when you think about it.

What we re trying to do is to appeal to the people and the firms that employ them in the area to help those who are resident locally. recently read youth unemployment in London is four times the national average and Life Chances is about helping people into work. ot everyone s going to be an investment banker – I get that – but firms like Hisco and employers in Canary Wharf need a huge range of skills and capabilities.

Clearly good educational achievements make

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Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

things easier, but even for those who don’t have them we can make a real difference by helping them get entry-level jobs.

“I have friends in the insurance industry who grew up within earshot of Bow Bells, but who have done unbelievably well. hese companies do offer people who are smart, even partly educated, the ability to rise through the ranks and that’s what they want.

“It was a surprise to learn about the disparity between income versus household income. It’s pretty apparent if you travel through the four boroughs and listen to what’s going on.

“I was also surprised when the EECF’s CEO, Tracey Walsh, told me there were 5,000 charities and community groups active in those areas – that gives you a sense of the size of the challenge and the need for navigation.

“If there’s a corporate wanting to get involved, how do you find and pick an organisation to support? Which are effective and which make a difference?

“Often that choice is made because of individual connections, partners or friends, but to my mind that’s not the best way to choose a charity.

“The EECF applies rigour – groups have to apply for grants.

They have to explain what their outcomes are going to be and then assess whether their aims were achieved or not. That’s a powerful process.

“The other thing about the EECF is that some of the grants are quite small in monetary terms – £2,000 or £5,000, for example – but they can make a real

East End Community Fund chair Bronek Masojada

difference to a particular community group or charity.

“It’s hard for big companies, who might want to give say £50,000 – which is the top level we ask organisations to commit to – and to then break that down into grants themselves. Hiscox, for example, wouldn’t be able to do that.

“EECF is a well respected organisation. It’s seen as independent, fair and transparent and those are great things to build on. It has its own money to give away and full credit to Howard and Tracey for building that up.

“My ambition is to continue the work they and the other trustees have been doing for many years and make the Life Chances Campaign a success. We don’t need a revolution – there’s a very clear plan of how we can make a difference and improve people’s lives.

“It’s a good programme and, if we can just deliver on that, then that’s a job well done. The more successful we are with Life Chances, the more we may have to increase staff numbers and so on, but that’s an outcome rather than a goal.

“I think that the other thing we’d like to move to with the campaign is to say to those getting grants that we’ll give them a certain amount each year for the next three years, so they can plan rather than having to put their energies into constant fundraising.

“An ambition has also got to be to augment the million or so we give away every year. If we can get to the £2million mark every year for the ne t five that would be pretty awesome.”

F

or Bronek, the decision to become chair of EECF follows on from a long line of extramural activities undertaken while working at Hiscox, including the position of deputy chairman of Lloyds Of London for seven years.

“I’ve always thought that a business and a person succeeds if they are involved in more than one thing,” he said.

“The beach is really very nice to relax on, but you have to have something to relax from – when you’re there all the time, it’s no longer relaxing.

“I feel the idea of stopping work and allowing the skills and knowledge that I’ve managed

We don’t need a revolution – there’s a very clear plan of how we can make a difference and improve people’s lives

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

Bronek Masojada, EECF

to accumulate to dissipate would be a waste. My hope is I can use them instead to make a beneficial and positive impact on the wider community. n terms of the difference can make, clearly there’s the day-to-day governance of the organisation and I’ve had a fair experience of that.

“Hiscox was a lot smaller when I started there in 1992 and I’m used to us going into new countries, opening o ces with no staff and then slowly over a decade building a physical presence and a good business.

“The fact that EECF has a dozen staff is really great because it s small, it’s informal – you don’t manage an organisation like that the way you manage a UK business like Hiscox, which employs well over 1,000 people.

“I also have a reasonable address book and I’m not scared to go and ask people for things, so I can help the team with the opening doors part of fundraising.

“They then have to close the deal, but I know that the hardest thing when you’re raising money is knowing who to talk to and then actually getting to speak to them.

“Even if they say no, that’s better than not talking to them, because you’re building awareness.

“Of course, there’s no certainty that we will succeed with the campaign, but it’s my view that it’s always better to try and to fail rather than not to try at all.”

Organisations that would like to support the Life Chances Campaign or charities and community groups interested in applying for EECF grants can find out more at the foundation’s website.

Go to eastendcf.org for more information

Scan this code for more information about EECF’s Life Chances campaign

wants to make the charity’s Life Chances Campaign a success

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

DANCE | Anatomy Park: Gut. Heart. Brain Dancer and choreographer Joel O’Donoghue presents a trio of pieces inspired by tea and cake, knitting and bad cabaret, all focused on the body and its functions.

Jan 29, 7.30pm, £10, poplarunion.com Where?

The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | The Highwayman Based on Alfred Noyes’ poem this production brings the treacherous moors of 18th century England to the Island, red-lipped landlord’s daughter and all.

Jan 25-29, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

STAGE | Nevergreen The Wonderful, a multidisciplinary collective of artists, tell the tale of scientist and writer of Silent Spring, Rachel Carson in an urgent, hopeful piece of theatre.

Jan 12-Mar 30, 6pm, £8, poplarunion.com

flash back

Artist and illustrator Vicky Phillips runs Lightship Print Shop from a cabin inside Lightship 95 at Trinity Buoy Wharf, producing vibrant, playful designs for use on all sorts of things as well as products to buy lightshipprintshop.com Scan this code to read our interview with Vicky online at wharf-life.com and find out more about her work want more? @wharflifelive

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Creative Space

doodle whatever you like

the possibilities of a blank sheet of paper are mind-boggling – we'd love to see what you use it for. Tag us via @wharflifelive on Insta

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

£7

Entry level price for a small plate at Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim in Deptford Market Yard

Dishes at Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim including a special of whole dressed, barbecued crab ready for cracking

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Crol & Co Bermondsey

EVENT | Whisky And Live Blues Burns Night Join Felipe Schrieberg and Paul Archibald for an evening of live music, an open whisky bar and the odd stanza of Scottish poetry for a lateish Burns.

Jan 28, 7.30pm, £65, therhythmandboozeproject.com Where?

Dock X Canada Water

cooking the

fruits of great

how chef Steve McClarty’s Sharkbait ‘N’ Swim serves up exceptional food at unbeatable prices under a brick arch

by Jon Massey

S

teve McClarty’s Instagram feed for his Deptford Market Yard seafood restaurant – Sharkbait wim is filled with superlatives. Normally, it would be reasonable to wonder whether anything on his plates could live up to the hype.

But that would be a jaded response born of “carefully curated” social media floes giving the appearance of coherent branding while at the same time presenting as a great mass of irrelevant dross.

No, Sharkbait’s digital output is an exact, honest representation of the place itself – a restaurant that’s excited and passionate about the food it serves.

With skills honed by countless

hours working high-end kitchens and, more recently, catering for Google in London, Steve is a powerhouse in the open kitchen of this small, bright and engaging venue.

Front of house is high wood tables, ably managed by Steve’s fianc e aria who also oversees a covered terrace outside.

Frankly it’s a brilliant recipe. iercely flavoured small plates of everything from skate to mussels, king prawns, sardines and mackerel pate fly through the pass as ingredients are fried, barbecued, grilled and flamb ed at speed.

Prices range from £7 to £14, which is astonishingly reasonable given the level of craft and thought involved.

Everything is twisted, seasoned, flavoured and pimped to the ma .

There isn’t a bad dish on the menu, which also features some punchy,

unashamedly vegan offerings such as the sublime whole smoked aubergine with mirin, yeast mayo and pickles.

The spirit of invention is everywhere, right down to the seaweedlaced fries and the decision to tart up deep fried cauliflower florets with the sour zing of tamarind.

And that’s why I’ll keep going back because Steve is a restless chef – always working, always prepping and creating specials.

On my last visit it was a whole dressed crab served in a gravy of its own brown meat with the punch of chilli. Messy, theatrical and completely satisfying.

Scan this code to read our interview with Steve McClarty

SEE | Titanic The Exhibition See more than 200 objects from the ill-fated ship, discover life-size recreations of its interiors and learn the stories of those on board her maiden voyage.

Ongoing, from £19.90, titanicexhibitionlondon.com Where?

The Albany Deptford

TRY | Albany Theatre Technical Takeover Those aged 16-30 are invited behind the scenes for a series of hands-on workshops. Ideal for curious folk or those looking for a career in the arts.

Jan 22, 10am-5pm, free, thealbany.org.uk

shop local

The annual Illustration And Print Open may be over at Deptford Does Art, but there are still plenty of reasons to visit this independent shop, bar and gallery in Deptford High Street – usually open Wednesday through Sunday deptforddoesart.com Scan this code to find out more about Deptford Does Art and upcoming events at the shop want more? @wharflifelive

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Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

how GCDA knits enterprise together with local needs to help borough’s community thrive

by Jon Massey

G

reenwich Cooperative Development Agency this year celebrates 40 years since its creation. It was founded with a stated central mission to support the establishment of community owned, democratically managed cooperatives to boost employment, improve local economic opportunities and protect or provide local services.

In short, it’s spent four decades working to make the lives of people in the Royal Borough Of Greenwich better and there’s much more to come.

For the last 20 years, Claire Pritchard has worked for the organisation, taking over as director in 2010.

She said: “In our 40th year we really want to celebrate and highlight what we do. It’s still very much about community development.”

That might seem like a pretty open-ended statement, but Claire deserves some sympathy, because e ciently conveying the sheer breadth of GCDA’s activities is no easy task.

It supports, trains, educates, connects, sells, communicates, promotes and gives a platform to a Chinese Women’s Association to perform fan dances. It runs a community centre, a shop, markets and a commercial kitchen.

It hosts Yoga, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Mencap, a Vietnamese Women’s Group and provides space for a nursery and a domestic violence drop-in service. t offers courses in starting businesses, community development, catering, feeding kids, crafts

“

Our strategy as an organisation is about looking at and celebrating what and who we’ve got in the borough Claire Pritchard, GCDA

and horticulture, among others.

Oh, and later this year it intends to open an art gallery.

It’s a complex web of industry, with threads woven right through the borough connecting entrepreneurs, makers and residents through the likes of GCDA’s operations at Woolwich Common Community Centre, Made In Greenwich and Greenwich Kitchen.

“This is what we’ve grown into,” said Claire, who joined the organisation in a role focused on food in the borough. “There was a big change about 15 years ago when we had to go from being a grant-funded organisation to one that could fund all of its own activities.

“That was really tough, but it enabled us to go back and see what we really wanted to do – what people’s needs were and how we could respond to them.

“For example, six years ago we found Woolwich Common Community Centre, which was one of the lowest occupied venues of its kind in the borough, located in one of the poorest wards in London. It was an area where people wouldn’t go in the evenings – but now it’s fully occupied.

“We really responded to what people asked us to do, so now there’s everything from table tennis to food growing, boxing training and much more.

“We’ve also always wanted to celebrate small businesses and support them.

“We wanted to do something called Made In Greenwich as a platform for local artists and makers that was sustainable.

“We’d been looking for years and eventually managed to secure a shop right in the centre of Greenwich.

“We now stock products and works of art from more than 100 makers in the borough – supporting fledgling businesses who don’t have the money to market themselves so they can grow and refine their operations.

“Made In Greenwich has just won the 2021 award for retail at the Best Of Royal Greenwich Business Awards and it’s a brand we really want to develop.

“Our strategy as an organisation is not necessarily about us having practical projects, but about looking at and celebrating what and who we’ve got in the borough – to promote those businesses and their sustainability because that’s how you create local wealth.

“Now we’re pursuing a gallery space, which is in a prime position just around the corner from our shop, because exhibitions are a great way to make campaigns whether it’s around equality, refugees or any other topic. We hope to open that in the autumn.

“What we’ve worked out is that,

40

Years GCDA has been operating in the Royal Borough Of Greenwich

more and so much

in the pipeline

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

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Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

Food, social enterprise and sustainability – Claire Pritchard reflects on four decades of GCDA activity and what’s coming in the future

being local and knowing where we work is really important – we want people who work with GCDA to be part of that community.

“We also know that in the future we don’t want to get much bigger as an organisation.

“The way to achieve what we want is to have a series of buildings where that work can come from – a gallery, a community centre, a shop or even a pub – so we can curate more activities to serve the needs of local residents.

“We have developed a very particular model for doing this, and we d like to find a way to support other areas to do it too – not doing it ourselves because we don’t want GCDA itself to get really, really big.

“I did present to Tower Hamlets the other day, for example and Greenwich University have some funding in place to work with North Kent council to replicate our community centre model around food, social enterprise and sustainability.

“Where we have been successful in supporting communities, we would like to support other organisations to replicate this in the next 20 years.

“In Greenwich we want to help our communities thrive socially and economically, whether that’s by creating a nicer environment for people, training them in cooking skills, helping them access affordable fruit and veg or campaigning for more social housing and to protect public assets.

“In the 20 years I’ve worked here, one of the things that has made me most proud has been how everyone involved in GCDA has responded to the pandemic, turning our services on their head in a single day after the first lockdown and working out how to care for the very vulnerable, something we’re continuing to do.

“We’re a small organisation – there are fewer than 40 of us – but I think we’ve provided more than a million meals to those in need and we continued to support the traders at our markets, local businesses and our makers.

“If people would like to get involved, they can look at our website or find us on social media but they can also come and see us at Made In Greenwich or at one of our markets.

“We’re always interested to talk to people and you can always join as a member. It’s through talking to those using our services and our members that we ll define what we do in the next two decades.”

Scan this code for more information about GCDA Image by Matt Grayson – find more of his work at graysonphotos.co.uk or @mattgrayson_photo on Insta

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support your local institutions Where?

Visitors Book Cafe Woolwich Works

GIG | Joe Browne Hear the sounds of the saxophonist and composer with his new trio featuring Myra Brownbridge on double bass and Matthew Holmes on drums.

Jan 23, 2pm, free, woolwich.works Where?

Beanfeast Woolwich Works

GIG | Myele Manzanza The drummer, composer, producer and beatmaker brings his quartet to Woolwich for an evening of genre-bending jazz, electronica and world music.

Jan 28, 7pm, from £15.50, woolwich.works Where?

Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Jarman This vibrant new solo play, written and performed

by Mark Farrelly, tells the story of film-maker, painter and gardener Derek Jarman.

Jan 31, 7.30pm, £17.50, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

spirited stuff

Not everything about January has to be dry – discover a world of flavour with Greenwich Gin, which draws on botanicals from across the globe and takes its inspiration from nations and people working together greenwichgin.uk Scan this code to read our interview with Greenwich Gin creator Gonzalo Ruiz, online at wharf-life.com want more? @wharflifelive

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Image by Alexandre Pichon

7

Tips from Momtaz on how to bring a little more colour into your life for the winter months

Royal Docks-based author and colour expert Momtaz Begum-Hossain offers tips on incorporating vibrant hues into your life to help banish the winter blues

by Momtaz Begum-Hossain

S

hort days, grey skies, and cold weather can make the winter months feel overwhelmingly bleak.

But you don’t have to wallow in the winter blues. I wrote my latest book, Hello Rainbow: Finding Happiness In Colour, because I believe it’s important to immerse yourself in the joy of colour. That’s true during winter, more than any other season.

Colour is an instant moodbooster. It can lift our spirits, guide decision-making, communicate with our emotions and inspire our creativity, but it doesn’t always get used to its full potential.

By welcoming colour into different aspects of your life you ll e perience its full sensory benefits.

We don’t just see colour, we feel it too. Here are my seven suggestions for bringing more vibrancy into your life:

spinach leaves. These go with all dishes and will complement the flavours and e cite your mind. light up Mood lighting and coloured lighting create atmosphere. Hang up fairy lights or, switch to smart bulbs so you can change the colour of a room instantly.

Notice how you feel under different lights red blue green purple or white, and experiment with switching between them. f you e perience easonal Affec tive isorder A a condition where people feel depressed during the dark days of winter invest in a A lamp. hese simulate natural daylight, boosting serotonin levels making you feel naturally happier, although it’s advisable to check with a doctor before you start using one.

Also, don’t forget to visit this year’s Winter Lights festival in Canary Wharf (which runs from January 19-29) for a burst of colour after dark.

wear it Whether your job requires a uniform, or you work from home, wearing a pop of colour will have a mood boosting effect on you.

An accessory is an easy element to start with. Reach for colourful gloves when you’re outside and cosy, patterned slipper socks indoors.

Your choice of scarf and even your face covering all involve making decisions about colour, so use them as an opportunity to experience new shades.

bring it to work As a child having a pencil case filled with novelty erasers high lighter pens and multi-coloured biros was a high point of going to school but somewhere along the line, this natural instinctive pleasure for getting excited about colour can get lost.

Get that joy back by swapping out ordinary desk stationery for fun items opt for a colourful re-usable drinks holder and make sure your notebooks come in a variety of hues.

consume it Though we’re in the season of craving warming, comforting soups, stews, and hotpots which typically fall into an autumnal colour palette of oranges and browns, aim to add unexpected shades to your meals.

Visually enticing food tastes better, so engage all your senses by adding colourful touches. Salad ingredients that are normally associated with summer are ideal.

Swap green garnish for chopped up beetroot, sliced tomatoes or

go on a rainbow hunt Put aside an hour and dedicate it to seeking out and appreciating

colour. Keep an eye out for new colours you’ve not seen before, shades that make your heart sing and tones you’d like to incorporate into your life. Do this when you’re out and about at lunchtime.

Time spent appreciating colour by slowing down in a mindful way, is good for your overall wellbeing. try a colour meditation Deep breathing helps the body calm down, relax and think more clearly.

Meditating on colours will help you harness the energy of particular hues to help you with situations you’re dealing with and is a common practice in colour therapy treatments.

For example, green is a naturally balancing colour so if you’re looking to become more balanced in your life you could meditate on the colour green by breathing in green light and sending it around your body.

Blue, on the other hand, is the colour of communication so if you’re preparing for a job interview or giving a talk, meditating on blue light will help open up your communication channels ensuring you give your best performance. embrace nature n winter it s hugely beneficial for your mental and emotional health to witness as much natural daylight as you can.

One way you can channel light energy is by watching sunrises and sunsets as often as you can. If you struggle to find the time think of it like taking a coffee or screen break make it part of your routine.

Winter walks are satisfying for the soul. Take a weekend trip to the sea to observe grey skies blending into grey seas it s ust as beautiful as when the water glistens under summer sunlight.

After rainfall, look for dewdrops on blades of grass and observe how evergreens command attention when you’re in your local park.

Whether you have five minutes or a whole day, there is joy to be found in nature by slowing down, observing changes, and taking a moment to absorb its colourfuelled energy. l Hello Rainbow: Finding Happiness In Colour by Momtaz Begum-Hossain is out now, published by Leaping Hare Press, priced £14.32

burst bright

Momtaz Begum-Hossain is a colour expert, presenter, journalist and modern colour theorist as well as being the founder of Hello Hue, a seven-point manifesto for how to use colour to boost mood and wellbeing. Hello Rainbow is her third book

find

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

37

Royal Docks - Canning Town

Image by Nick Shasha

see

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Royal Docks Fitness Royal Victoria Dock

Scan this code to find out more about Momtaz or to order her book

TRY | A Free Fitness Class This Crossfit-inspired independent gym is offering free introductory sessions to see whether its training suits. Expect a wide range of workouts.

Ongoing, royaldocksfitness.com

Above, watch those sunsets Left, wear a pop of colour

Where?

Jake’s The Silver Building

Below left, bring those hues to the office

wear

Below right, invest in some serious mood lighting

Hello Rainbow by Momtaz BegumHossain is available to buy now

illuminate

Where?

Online + Thames Barrier Park Silvertown

KIDS | Glisten And Glow’s Winter Magic Discover a magical tale with this downloadable booklet written and illustrated by Oliver Wallace of Patchlarks. Then follow the trail in the park.

Until Jan 31, royaldocks.london

work consume

meditate

ORDER | A Handmade Shirt Need a fresh injection of style? Support a local business and order an Ivy League-style buttondown from Jake’s, made by Jake Wigham himself.

Ongoing, from £145, jakesldn.com

Above, try a colourful chai latte Left, contemplate a single shade

show case

Discover the work of the Anna Fiorentini Theatre And Film School at its Variety Performance at Greenwich Theatre on January 23. The Royal Docks-based school caters for kids aged four-18. Tickets cost £17 afperformingarts.com Scan this code to find out more about the show or to book tickets for the performance want more? @wharflifelive

38

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory - Classified

find our advertisers’ messages here Kidd Rapinet Solicitors print Pages 1, 4, 7, 13 online kiddrapinet.co.uk

Galliard Homes print Page 28 online galliardhomes.com

Gallio print Page 3 online gallio.uk

Simon Bradford print Page 38 online handyman-services-london.co.uk

Rockar print Page 5 online rockar.com

Burtons Blooms print Page 38 online @burtonsblooms on Insta

Creative Virtual print Page 9 online creativevirtual.com Alex Neil print Page 20 online alexneil.com L&Q print Page 21 online lqgroup.org.uk NU Living print Page 23 online nuliving.co.uk My London Home print Pages 24, 25 online mylondonhome.com Landmark Estates print Pages 26, 27 online lmlondon.com

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

FLORISTRY SERVICES

MAKE A GRAND ROMANTIC GESTURE

PRE-ORDER BY FRIDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2022

IMPROVE YOUR HOME

Wharf Life is published by Massey Maddison Limited and printed by Iliffe Print Cambridge. Copyright Massey Maddison Limited 2021 In regard to advertising material submitted by third parties and printed in Wharf Life, each individual advertiser is solely responsible for the content of such material Massey Maddison Limited accepts no responsibility for the content of advertising material, including, without limitation, any error, omission or inaccuracy therein

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

39

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

102

Years since the first Caffe Concerto opened its doors in Italy

four focus

support your local institutions Where?

Discover Children’s Centre Stratford

KIDS | Fairy Tales Enter the immersive world of Fairy Tale Town, designed by illustrator David Litchfield and author Ross Montgomery. Best for kids aged 0-8.

Until Jan 31, from 10am, from £9.50, discover.org.uk

Above, croque monsieur from Caffe Concerto at Westfield Stratford City, pictured left

reassurance

Where?

Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

FILM | Leopoldstadt Screened live from the National Theatre, Tom Stoppard’s play features a company of 40 actors and follows a Jewish family across half a century.

Jan 27, 8pm, £22, picturehouses.com Where?

Copper Box Arena Stratford

a croque of

how Caffe Concerto serves ups expensive but welcome comfort amid all the uncertainty that 2022 is set to bring

by Jon Massey

I

t’s 2022 and things are in a state of flu . A tired bamboo led nation is shaking off the effects of ew ear s ve and wearily preparing itself to face whatever the ne t months will bring.

With fuel shortages labour short ages cancelled pantos all too close for comfort in recent memory and the third wave of the pandemic generating alarming statistics that could be more or less anything. o best take comfort in familiar things where we can. Caffe Concerto may be a chain but there s something reassuring in its high camp profusion of chande liers and continental crockery. ts newest Westfield tratford

City branch wasn t opened all that recently and may occupy a building that looks more like an ma cinema than a place to get a bite to eat. ut the presence of uniformed staff who appear to know one end of a teacup from the other offers a pleasant flavour of formality too often sneered at by more cutting edge establishments. t s deliberately old fashioned unconcerned that its staff aren t inked in the appropriate fashion. he food it serves is similarly traditional. espite being an talian chain can t resist the croque monsieur which at over is boldly overpriced . ut somehow the fact it s served with a haystack of rocket topped by a cherry tomato and is garnished with a vibrant edible

pansy lessens the blow of the preposterous tariff. ost importantly the sandwich itself is the same marriage of ham cheese and bread found in the pavement cafes of Paris.

Whatever else is going on in the world the continued availability of such reliable warming staples is enough to transport the diner for a moment and leave a lasting impression that perhaps things aren t that bad after all. Perhaps it s even su cient to ignite the light at the end of the tunnel.

Scan this code for more information on Caffe Concerto

SPORT | Hockey Super 6s Finals See the culmination of a month-long battle as teams in the Premier League, Division One and Division Two fight for the title on finals day.

Jan 30, times vary, price £TBC, englandhockey.co.uk

fund raising

Cody Dock has embarked on a drive to raise cash for the second phase of its visitors centre project. This will act as the engine room for the site providing a shop, a canteen and a kitchen to serve all those who arrive codydock.org.uk Scan this code to read our interview with Simon Myers, who is heading up the regeneration the dock want more? @wharflifelive

40

Wharf Life Jan 5-19, 2022 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

No. 1394

Very Hard

1

3

1 5 2 3 9 4 1 8

Previous solution - Tough

4 2 6 9 3 8 5 7 1 Sudoku 1 a7break 5 from 4 6 that 2 phone 9 3 8 Take 3 9 8 5 1 7 6 2 4 How 2 to4 play 3 6 5 1 8 9 7 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 9 such 2 7 4 row, 1 5column and 3x3 box one6 to8nine that3each contains every number uniquely.

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

5 7 9

SUDOKU

1 5 2 3 9 If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other 4 puzzles, Apps 1 8 and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Very Hard

3

7

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org

9

Across

Down

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Notes

4.

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3 6 1 5 7 9 2 8 4

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Quick Across 1. .

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The elderly seamstress takes care of her money Lighting a candle makes it thinner (5) The colour of old film Shout when you see Archbishop Tutu (6) Reading about a South American choir (8) Strange that this should be left over (7) What the grocer always does (13) Marketplace barrow owner looks a bit stoned (8) Hither males of approval perhaps he coughed her way in illegally perhaps (6) Finish the fourth prayer to make it better (5) ndicate that the first thought was best (4)

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Down

Set by Everden

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19.

. Clumsy person Greek poet (5) Appearance (4) Texan city (6) Fixed (8) Most greasy (7) eatles song Burns (8) Digs (7) French port (6) Dance (5) See 1 down

Across: 1 Alarm; 4 Lift off; 8 Unswear; 9 Salvo; 10 Lope; 11 Adhere to; 13 Boon; 14 Meat; 16 Cerebral; 17 Acme; 20 Icons; 21 Ashanti; 22 Assists; 23 Pearl.

Down: 1 & 19 A bull in a china shop; 2 Aesop; 3 Mien; 4 Laredo; 5 Fastened; 6 Oiliest; 7 Fool On The hill; 12 Combusts; 13 Burrows; 15 Calais; 18 Conga.

.

3.

9 4 5 6 2 8 7 1 3

Cryptic Solution

8.

2.

6 5 8 3 9 1 4 7 2

Across: 1 Baton; 4 Diploma; 8 Napkins; 9 Rodeo; 10 Okra; 11 Prospect; 13 Clef; 14 Gnat; 16 Gameplan; 17 Lath; 20 Agent; 21 Kittens; 22 Deduced; 23 Tides.

Down: 1 Bank of England; 2 Taper; 3 Noir; 4 Descry; 5 Perusing; 6 Oddment; 7 Apostrophises; 12 Despotic; 13 Commend; 15 Hacked; 18 Amend; 19 Stet.

.

The conductor continues his innings (5) other is qualified kind of to take a bow (7) Oddly plural relatives use these to snooze (7) Change the fifth door on horseback (5) The Sun God is fine with these vegetables (4) This view moves the coppers to a T (8) It almost splits the musical notes (4) Confuse the taste of this insect (4) An outline of an entertainment (8) Get the order to stop wrong and you’ll get the stick! (4) Mr or Mrs 10%! (5) The decimal gears are rather cute (7) Worked out how to squee e the lemon we hear (7) These won’t wait for anyone (5)

2 7 9 4 8 5 3 6 1

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The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic

4 1 3 2 6 7 5 9 8

5

crossword The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

last issue’s solution

Previous Dec 8-Jan 5 solution - Tough

© 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

1

1

contains every number uniquely.

Notes © 2020 Syndicated Puzzles

2

9 8 2 6 8 3 1 8 6 7

No. 1394 that each row, column and 3x3 box

Quick Solution

3

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