Wharf Life, Jul 6-20, 2022 by wharf-life

+ David Lefebvre Sell on spiders, maths and the wisdom of deep breaths Page 34

Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

discover how the Liberty Festival in Deptford puts the spotlight on disabled and neurodiverse performers with a multitude of talents Pages 32-33

inside issue 67

Genomics England - Trinity Buoy Wharf Knight Dragon - David Grindley - Puzzles Alanis Morissette - Tufayel Ahmed Urban Space Management Drag Syndrome - Azimut Notting Hill Genesis Capital Karts Vaseem Khan Wharf Hacks Chris Ezekiel Sophie Goddard

work showing the

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

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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Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

read

feast your eyes on these

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? Canada Square Canary Wharf

GIG | Grandmaster Flash x Festival14 The expert manipulator of the wheels of steel is set to play the main stage for the first night of Festival14 in Canary Wharf (see below for more). Jul 21, 8.15pm, free, canarywharf.com

Welcome to the 67th issue of Wharf Life. If anything, the pages of this paper are dedicated to the power of ideas and creativity with novelists and scientists found within. It’s also a celebration of determination, featuring a diverse collection of performers and artists, all on stage locally. Enjoy.

Wharf Life Hacks to make your time on the estate a bit sweeter

Where? Westferry Circus Canary Wharf

THEATRE | Hamlet x Festival14 Fancy the Bard’s most famous play, but can’t be bothered to sit still for a long time? Enter 440 Theatre with its 40-minute version. Jul 21, 6pm, free, canarywharf.com Where? Various locations Canary Wharf

rd Ha y r e 9 -V 4 on i t 6 1 3 lu o 1 ss 8 7 5 8 7 iou v 5 e 2 6 4 2 3 Pr 1 7 9 4 9 3 3 2 6 6 1 5 9 7 5 1 8 5 2 8 2 8 8 5 4 2 7 3 6 9 4 9 6 9 4 8 7 4 6 7 3 2 ard 5 3 6 1 3 8 bo h 1 5 e 2 1 9 4 th suc ox 2 b fill We test out Capital Karts’ underground race track that allows 7 1 4 9 7 u, to 9 3x3 . k o 1 ly d d 5 Wharfers to whizz around at up to 40mph in eco-friendly electric 3 8 u rs an ue e S mbe mn uniq t vehicles. Deals are available for kids and families to have a go s, 6 e tip pl nu olu er nd om ring w, c umb a c ts To ente h ro ry n hin s, i.org by t eac s eve Whyietaking like tha tain teg uwik ly pps public l a a r n A st dok co l re s, ny .stransport u u’l zzle .com a o ts r m w can help u y pu ok ther .str8 Fo it ww dclimate fi ght u o s w S r vi ike d ou it ww u l change s n i o a V If y r8ts’ ks. ‘St d boo an

32 With more than 50 performances planned across the estate over four days, Festival14 promises big names in music and comedy. Most events are free, although some require pre-booking, so check full listings online canarywharf.com Scan this code to read our interview with two of the people organising Festival14 to find out more want more? @wharflifelive

We catch up with Drag Syndrome ahead of their Liberty Festival gig

get in touch

we want to hear from you Editorial email info@wharf-life.com call 07765 076 300

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Every issue Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary . ue issWharf to bring you the t x best of what’s going on Don’t miss our sudoku ne and crossword puzzles, in the beyond the estate re supplied as usual From Page 12 e h

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KIDS | Family Activities x Festival14 Theatre, music, face painting workshops and more will all be available throughout Saturday and Sunday in celebration of Festival14. Jul 23-24, times vary, free, canarywharf.com

Why Genomics England is moving into One Canada Square

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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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Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

on the radar

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

need to know

2-4-1

Those passing through Wood Wharf may have spotted a few signs and, while we don’t have an opening date yet, it’s clear the estate is set to get a new hotel soon. Tribe is likely to have a bar and restaurant, plus room options to suit a bunch of budgets mytribehotel.com

34 Cranking up the rumour mill again, we’ve heard that Middle Dock is soon to become an open water swimming venue with sessions run by Love Open Water, which already operates at Royal Docks. Apparently the water quality is “excellent” loveopenwater.co.uk

An oldie, but a goodie. In times of climate crisis, remember Brewdog at Churchill Place offers two-for-one on all vegan and veggie mains on a Monday brewdog.com

How seeing Alanis Morissette at The O2 was the ideal premium gig

free

David Grindley has decided he’s going to star in a play at The Space theatre on the Isle Of Dogs and there’s very little anyone can do to stop him, even if they wanted to

Newly arrived Chopstix at Canary Wharf DLR is offering five mini vegetable spring rolls for free to anyone who signs up to its app. Roll with it chopstixnoodles.co.uk

Read an extract from Tufayel Ahmed’s debut novel This Way Out

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Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

write me

Pocketed Denim Jacket, £19.99 Mango, Canada Place mango.com

words you don’t know you need

gegnome

A wardrobe staple, this classic denim jacket is ideal for those summer evenings where a chill suddenly creeps into the air. Mango currently has an up to 50% sale on and has reduced this simple, timeless jacket down from £35.99. Part of the brand’s Committed range, the company promises it’s produced using sustainable fibres or processes to reduce its environmental impact. Available in six colours.

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

The complete DNA sequence of base pairs for a gnome. Not especially useful as gnomes tend to be fictional although ideal if you’re trying to trap someone from Genomics England in a confusing conversation.

diary dates and ideas to make your Canary Wharf life so much sweeter...

barghest

noun, real, from English folklore A mythical (probably) monstrous black dog with large teeth and claws – although also possibly a house elf or a ghost – that in northern English legend kills those that confront it leaving inhuman marks upon its victims.

GIG - Imagination Featuring Leee John Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, Jul 22, 9.30pm, from £19 boisdale.co.uk The Cabot Square venue is set to host an act that sold 30million records as Imagination celebrate the 40th anniversary of Just An Illusion, which first hit the airwaves in 1982, going on to reach No. 2 in the charts. Having recently released their first album in 25 years, the band are back on the road and audiences can expect renditions of Body Talk, Flashback, Music And Lights and Changes in their set.

bite idea

Chopstix, Vegetable Noodle Box, £7.50 Did someone say new noodles? Should that be newdles? Either way, this issue’s top tip for a quick dinner is a large box of vegetable noodles on which you get three toppings. Don’t be a fool, follow our lead with sweet ‘n’ sour chicken, salt ‘n’ pepper chicken and pumpkin katsu (you know, because it’s healthy) Find Chopstix at Canary Wharf DLR. Go to chopstixnoodles.co.uk

Have you helped your loved ones to help you? Health conditions can change your future and your capacity to make decisions but creating a Lasting Power of Attorney ensures you control who makes decisions on your behalf should you be unable to do so. Download our FREE Guide to Making a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA)

kiddrapinet.co.uk/understandinganlpa

KIDS - Mini Yoga Explorers Museum Of London Docklands, Aug 1, 5, 8, 11am, free (ticketed) museumoflondon.org.uk

Your options can start here. Download our free guide or book a free consultation with our private client team. Call 020 7205 2896 or request an appointment online at kiddrapinet.co.uk

AY L E S B U RY

FARNHAM

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Aimed at children aged 2-5, these 40-minute sessions are run by Butterfly Kids Yoga Club. Inspired by the buildings that house the Museum Of London Docklands, participants will be encouraged to recreate life in the warehouse through movement. All equipment will be provided and siblings are welcome. All children must, however, be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

hot list

Hawaiian Flowy Shirt, £25.99 Mango, Canada Place mango.com

There are still tickets available for all three comedy gigs set to be held at Westferry Roundabout as part of Festival14. Spots must be pre-booked for £11 per head for the shows that will feature Milton Jones and Jessica Fostekew (July 21), Reginald D Hunter and Jo Caulfield (July 22) and Paul Sinha and Felicity Ward (July 23). Start times vary for these evening performances and full listings are online now. Go to canarywharf.com

Are you at that stage in your life when it seems like a good idea to purchase a shirt covered in pineapples? If so, Mango can help and its up to 50% off sale will make that acquisition all the sweeter with this piece down from £35.99. A little more muted than some Hawaiian numbers, you might even get away with this in the office – you know if you work in tech or a racier investment bank.

Three things not to miss in Canary Wharf between July 20 and August 3

Round out the Saturday Crossrail Place Roof Garden Acoustic Sessions in style on July 30 with a set from artist Jide Kuti. Fresh from releasing his debut single Rooftop, the singer songwriter will be playing a free set, guitar in hand in association with Busk In London from 1pm-5pm. No booking is required. Can’t make it? Check out Jide’s tracks via Instagram @jidekutimusic. Go to canarywharf.com

Comedian Jessica Fostekew

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One to entertain the kids for free – Canary Wharf’s Family Film Club is set to screen Encanto (PG) on the newly installed big telly at Union Square on Wood Wharf. There the audience will be treated to the magical tale of the Madrigals and their many, many talents. This free event will take place on July 31 at 11am – parents will need to bring along smartphones and headphones for audio. Go to canarywharf.com

Look Beyond Today Apply Now 0330 135 9000 NCCLONDON.AC.UK

Wharf Life 268 x 170mm wave 1.indd 1

13/06/2022 15:46

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

500+

The current number of people employed by Genomics England, which is growing rapidly as its work with the NHS and researchers expands

dna changing the

Genomics England CEO Chris Wigley is presiding over the business’ relocation to Canary Wharf as it joins a burgeoning cluster of health organisations

how the arrival of Genomics England shows how Canary Wharf is continuing to evolve by Jon Massey

ight, so this headline is a bit disingenuous. Genomics England doesn’t, in the course of its operations, alter anyone’s DNA. In fact, it captures whole human genomes, sequences them and uses the data for both personal NHS diagnoses and wider research. However, its arrival in Canary Wharf is part of a bigger picture as the estate continues to grow and diversify. Tropes about steel towers full of bankers are outdated, lazy stereotypes that

nevertheless persist. But perception often lags reality, which in turn can lag big announcements. Earlier this year, Canary Wharf Group unveiled a project with Kadans Science Partner to create a 750,000sq ft, 22-storey, wet lab-enabled building in the ﬁrst phase of its development of the North Quay site next to West India Quay DLR. The scheme is at the forefront of the estate’s emerging vision to bring more health and life sciences businesses and organisations to the area – creating a cluster to rival those in Oxford and Cambridge. However, the building is not set

to be delivered until 2026 – these things take time. Much quicker in the timeline, will be the arrival of Genomics England. Announced last month, the government-owned business is expected to take up residence on the 21st ﬂoor of One Canada Square in the autumn. The Wharf is already home to Barts Health NHS Trust, the Medicines And Heathcare Products Regulatory Authority, Medical Defence Union, General Pharmaceutical Council, NHS Transformation Unit and NHS Digital’s London oﬃce. The addition of Genomics England adds further weight to that group, making east

London an increasingly attractive destination for those operating in the sector. “If you look around us, we’ve got an incredibly rich health and life sciences community in Canary Wharf,” said Chris Wigley, CEO of Genomics England. “When we were thinking about where we wanted to be, somewhere with those kings of organisation, that vision, where we can bring people together easily was really exciting. “It’s also very close to Whitechapel, where the Royal London Hospital is, and to many universities. “We have all the ingredients continued on Page 8

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

London City Airport is consulting on its plans for the future and wants to hear from you Following the publication of its master plan in 2020, the airport is now seeking views on proposals to meet increasing passenger demand over the next ten years or so, supporting London’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and making best use of its existing runway and facilities. The proposals being consulted upon include changes to the airport’s existing planning permission to allow it to welcome up to 9 million passengers a year (currently limited to 6.5 million). The airport is also inviting views on additional flexibility to operate on Saturday afternoon and potentially into the evening, but no later than 10pm, as well as six additional flights in the first half hour of operations from Monday to Saturday, and some increased flexibility for delayed departures and arrivals in the last half hour of operations. The proposals do not involve any change to the existing 8-hour night curfew, or the operating hours on Sunday or the number of annual flights permitted. No new infrastructure or development is proposed, other than what is already consented.

consultation.londoncityairport.com

Have Your Say The 10-week public consultation will commence on 1 July and run until 9 September 2022. We want to know what you think of the plans and are hosting a series of in-person events where you can discuss them with us.

Scan to visit our website to access more information and content

Newham Britannia Village Hall Tuesday 12 July 3:30 - 7:30pm 65 Evelyn Road, E16 1TU 4 mins from West Silvertown st.

Tower Hamlets

Lewisham

City of London

Bernie Cameron Community Centre

St Mary's Centre

Dutch Church

Wednesday 13 July 3:30 - 7:30pm

Thursday 14 July 10am - 2pm

Thursday 14 July 3:30 - 7:30pm

32 Merchant Street, Bow, E3 4LX

37 Ladywell Rd, SE13 7UT

7 Austin Friars, EC2N 2HA

3 mins from Bow Road st.

2 mins from Ladywell st.

5 mins from Bank st.

Redbridge

Greenwich

Waltham Forest

Redbridge Central Library

Clockhouse Community Centre

Priory Court Community Centre

Monday 18 July 3:30 - 7:30pm

Tuesday 19 July 3:30 - 7:30pm

Friday 22 July 3:30 - 7:30pm

Clements Road, Ilford, IG1 1EA

London, SE18 5QL

11 Priory Court, E17 5NB

6 mins from Ilford st.

4 mins from Woolwich Dockyard st.

17 mins from Blackhorse st.

You can visit consultation.londoncityairport.com for more information, to respond to the consultation online or to download forms. Forms can also be found at our public consultation events. Freepost is available.

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

from Page 6 here to do something special. What we saw during the pandemic was that, when our whole system pulls together, we can really lead the world in pathogen sequencing, genome sequencing and clinical trials, and we want to keep that sense of collaboration. “Of course, very pragmatically, as a government-owned company, value for money is something we have to be pretty serious about too.” Genomics England was originally set up by the Department Of Health And Social Care to run the 100,000 Genomes Project, following an announcement by then prime minister David Cameron at the 2012 Olympics. “That was only about a decade after the first whole human genome had been sequenced, which took millions of dollars and thousands of scientists,” said Chris. “You used to have to sequence DNA base pair by base pair, and there are something like 3.2trillion of them so it took a very long time. “With the various changes that have collectively been

30 Chris says Canary Wharf will be the nerve centre of Genomics England’s operation

Photography Competition 2022 Win up to £1,500 in Canary Wharf Gift Cards Photographers of all ages and abilities are invited to enter the Canary Wharf Photography Competition, with the chance to win up to £1,500 in Canary Wharf Gift Cards. There are four adult categories this year – Art & Architecture, Transport & Travel, Up Close and Personal with Nature & Wildlife and Water. There are also two Junior contests for ages 5–11 and 12–17 with gift card prizes of £250 plus a camera. The deadline for submissions is 16th September at 5pm. Go to canarywharf.com/photography to enter

You used to have to sequence DNA base pair by base pair so it took a very long time. You can now do the sequencing in under an hour Chris Wigley, Genomics England

made around next-generation sequencing, you can now do the sequencing in under an hour – although for a clinical case where we have an actual patient, we’d do that 30 times because even if the process is 99.999% accurate, when there are 3.2trillion results you need to be able to spot those errors. “With DNA the numbers are huge, but if we do it 30 times we can be confident we’ve picked up any inconsistencies.” Having sequenced 100,000 genomes by 2018, Genomics England is now engaged in two main areas of operation. Chris said: “The first big thing we do is that we partner with the NHS to use whole genome sequencing to diagnose and make good decisions about patient treatment. This is the first health service on the planet to offer this, so that’s a genuine world first for Britain, which is great. “Those insights are most relevant if you’ve got cancer or rare diseases, because those are things that we know are principally driven by changes in your genome. “If you’re looking at the DNA, you can spot all of these areas where each of us is individually different from each other. “So we’ve now got a catalogue where you can look up those changes, so we can see that if you’ve got them in your DNA, you may have a rare disease or a particular aspect of a cancer, for example, which we can then do something about. “The second big thing is that we can anonymise all the data, put it in a separate environment and make it available to researchers from academia, from pharmaceutical companies and from biotech firms. “It is still very sensitive data, though, so we have this model where the researcher has to come into our environment to look at it. We sometimes talk about being an aquarium, not a fish shop, where people can come in, study what we have, admire the fish and go away again. Crucially, they can’t take the fish with them – that’s how we protect the data.” Chris knows all about protecting data. With a back-

Number of times a genome is sequenced to weed out errors

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

Genomics England was first created to sequence 100,000 genomes – a target it reached in 2018

ground as a business analyst and diplomat, his CV includes the role of chief operating officer at tech startup Quantum Black – a machine learning and AI company. “I often use the word career as a verb rather than a noun,” he said. “I’ve done a number of things. I had a small scale startup in web design mostly putting tartan on Scottish companies’ sites. I spent time at the BBC doing analog to digital transitions and setting up their radio player and iPlayer. “Quantum Black was originally building applications to solve complex problems for a range of clients including in Formula 1 to help the cars win more races and then taking that approach to aerospace, offshore wind and other advanced engineering firms. “Then we realised that the same techniques could be applied to banking or to life sciences. So we ended up with a third of our work for pharmaceutical companies, on drug discovery and clinical trials. “It was lots of big data sets and complex models and then taking the outputs from them and explaining them in a way that humans could do something with.” Having accepted the job at Genomics England just under three years ago, he’s now presiding over a period of growth and change. “Throughout the pandemic we did a huge amount of research on Covid, working with the NHS, Health Education England and others, on how understanding our DNA might help us to understand Covid better,” said Chris. “We’ve kicked off a bunch of other new programmes as well, so we’ve grown a lot in terms of numbers – we’re now about 500, and we have a space in the Sanger Centre in Hinxton – we’ve just opened another office in Leeds as well. “We may also open a fourth location, but broadly we’re now thinking of ourselves as a national network of people across the whole of England. “The base here in Canary Wharf will be the nerve centre. The way we’ve thought about the space here is less about banks of desks and terminals and more about collaborative space, community space, social space, and also library space for people coming in to do deep work. “For a lot of our people it’s a new part of town with new things to explore. I think a lot of people have a vision of Canary Wharf from the early 2000s – but as we’ve brought more people over here, they can see it’s really changed.” The move is also preparation for the increasingly central role that our understanding of DNA

will play in our healthcare as time moves on. “We’re gradually learning more and more about how our DNA aﬀects our health,” said Chris. “The ﬁrst wave of discoveries was in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, – rare diseases caused by a single change in your DNA such as sickle cell anaemia, for example. “We now understand that cancer is really a disease of the genome, where unregulated growth of DNA causes cell growth that we we call tumours. That helps us to treat it. “Then, as new techniques have come in, like machine learning, we can start to understand more complex relationships between what’s happening in our bodies and what’s happening in our DNA. “For example, a combination of 75 changes, when combined with external stimulus such as smoking or not smoking could explain why a certain disease occurs. “We’re getting more and more into areas like infectious diseases and understanding how DNA, makes RNA, which makes proteins that do everything in our bodies, and how that causal chain has certain outcomes that we can understand. Then, hopefully, we

can intervene when necessary. We’re just in the process of launching a programme at the moment that we’ve been working on for a number of years, where we’ll be oﬀering to sequence the whole genome of new-born babies to look for about 250 diﬀerent things. “That’s in addition to the current heel prick test that looks for about nine. If there is something that is early onset and treatable then the NHS can immediately address that so the patient will get the best outcome. “Of course, we think a lot about the ethics of what we do. Our fundamental belief is that we shouldn’t be making decisions about people’s care – the people whose data it is and whose lives it is should be doing that. “Our job is to be completely transparent, to help people understand what we’re doing so they can make the right choices for them.” Go to genomicsengland.co.uk

Scan this to find out more about Genomics England

bullards pineapple, ginger & lime gin

Find us on Mall Level -1, Cabot Place, Canary Wharf for a free gin sample

bullardsspirits.co.uk

@bullardsgin

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

£28.50

virtual viewpoint by Chris Ezekiel

Starting price of an adult race per person at Capital Karts in Canary Wharf, which offers a range of packages for groups

No cause for celebration: Litter affects wildlife across the waterways of east London

e are so lucky to have all manner of beautiful waterways on our doorstep. The magnificent River Thames of course, as well as the docks, the River Lea, the Regent’s Canal and various basins and creeks. But as I go on my walks and runs, the amount of rubbish is striking and inevitably much of it ends up in the water. It’s particularly bad at this time of the year with picnic season. And it’s sad to see the wildlife, particularly our feathered friends, building nests with plastic wrappers and polystyrene and the young hatchlings trying to feed off it. The Canary Wharf estate has more regular cleaning, which obviously helps and creates a stark contrast with the surrounding area. As we go about our busy lives, we seem to have become immune to all the rubbish around us. Most people don’t throw their litter in the street, but it’s also true that most of us Many will remember don’t think for a second about picking up those iconic 1970s somebody else’s litter. There comes a time and 1980s Keep Britain when an issue that we Tidy TV adverts. We are mostly oblivious to becomes so bad that it need to reinvigorate breaks through to our that campaign consciousness. This happened to me Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual recently on one of my runs when I saw a plastic food wrapper just about to blow into the river. It took just a few seconds to put it into one of the many bins in the area. If we all did this at least once a week, then think of the millions of plastic items we would stop from polluting our waterways and harming our wildlife. Sometimes it’s the simple things that make the biggest difference. Many of us will remember those iconic 1970s and 1980s Keep Britain Tidy TV adverts. We need to reinvigorate that campaign. After all, a clean country and healthy wildlife are fundamental attributes of a civilised society.

“

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at West India Quay’s Cannon Workshops Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

Capital Karts’ 800m track is located in the depths of Canary Wharf on a level formerly used as a car park beneath Cabot Place mall

the need for

how a racetrack carved out in a former car park by Capital Karts offers Wharfers plenty of fast corners by Jon Massey

apital Karts is very much the embodiment of the current atmosphere in Canary Wharf. On a level far beneath the bustling mall of Cabot Place, a space that once held cars sitting silent and mostly immobile is now animated. That even this subterranean, hidden place is a hive of activity, says something about the estate’s commitment to delivering attractions. Opened earlier this year,

the business offers racers an 800m track with poky, rechargeable electric karts capable of top speeds of 40mph to throw round its tight corners. Adult races start at £28.50 with options for juniors (aged 7-13) and families. Karting is a Marmite affair. You’re either the kind of person who relishes chucking a small wheeled vehicle into a corner and then speeding off repeatedly or you’re not. I’m in the latter camp – however, having driven the circuit at what can only be described as a leisurely white-knuckle pace, there is something

satisfying about hurtling around a hidden space while oblivious Wharfers go about their business above. Capital’s Canary Wharf location doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to karting as a sport, but it provides a technical, fast track with plenty of slips and slides to thrill. Open daily until 10pm or 11pm. Go to capitalkarts.com Scan this code to find out more about Capital Karts

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

100%

Proportion of Canary Wharf Group’s energy that comes from renewable sources, something that has been the case since 2012

getting greener

by Sophie Goddard

n my last column, I took a deep dive into climate change and carbon commitments at an organisational level. This time I want to look at what we can do individually to minimise our impact on the environment. At times, the scale of the climate problem can make it seem as though our personal choices will make little difference to this global issue. However, reducing individual environmental impact is a crucial part of creating a world where people and nature can thrive. At Canary Wharf Group, part of our mission is to create sustainable places and make it easy for our visitors, residents, and staff to make climate-friendly choices. In the UK, transport makes up the largest proportion of emissions. Canary Wharf is linked to two railways, the Tube, six bus routes, the Uber Boat By Thames Clippers river bus service, and numerous walking and cycle routes. Both the Jubilee line and the Elizabeth Line connect the estate to central London in under 15 minutes. Choosing a train over a car can also reduce a traveller’s emissions by between 60% and 80%, having a radical impact on their personal carbon impact. Achieving a greener lifestyle also means becoming a more conscious consumer. Our Green Guide highlights the best spots around Canary Wharf where the fashion, food and drink are produced and packaged with zero waste and minimal carbon impact in mind. Finally, a large proportion of our personal impact comes from the electricity we use. Canary Wharf has proudly purchased 100% of electricity from renewable sources since 2012, which means that by using our spaces you are automatically tapping into a sustainable energy network. We are also integrating sustainable choices into the design of our buildings, many of which can be mirrored in our homes. For example, installing efficient appliances and LED lighting, integrating smart meters and ensuring we have the appropriate insulation. To tackle the climate crisis, we must take action together, as businesses and individually to succeed.

Sophie Goddard is director of sustainability at Canary Wharf Group and can be contacted via sustainability@canarywharf.com Go to canarywharf.com or breakingtheplastichabit.co.uk Scan this code for more information on sustainability in Canary Wharf

Travellers could reduce their personal carbon emissions by between 60% and 80% by using public rail links

making an individual

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£10

Cost of a Margarita at Azimut in St Katherine Docks near Wapping

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

BUY | Pop-Up Vintage Fair This annual event features evening shopping, live entertainment from the Miss Jones Trio and plenty of retro fashion, jewellery and accessories. Jul 21, 4.30pm-9.30pm, £5, wiltons.org.uk Where? New College Of The Humanities Wapping

TALK | SKD History Community Event Discover the history of St Katherine Docks with associate professor of history at NCH, Olly Ayers, and how its past has shaped its present. Jul 14, 6.30pm, free (registration), nchlondon.ac.uk Where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

FILM | Nosferatu 100 Composer and pianist Dmytro Morykit returns to Wilton’s to play live music alongside the 1921 classic film, ruled to have plagiarised Bram Stoker’s work. Jul 27-28, 7.30pm, from £9, wiltons.org.uk

still time

dockside Food, drinks and views at Azimut in St Katherine Docks, no yacht required

delightful

why Azimut Cafe And Bar is a secret worth sharing by Mary Tadpole

There’s still time to catch Floating Film Festival which takes place between July 12 and 24 with screenings of films including Mamma Mia, King Richard and House Of Gucci. Performances take place at 7.30pm and 2pm, tickets cost £15 skdocks.co.uk Scan this code for more information about events at St Katherine Docks including the festival want more? @wharflifelive

drinks

have a secret and, since I’m awful at keeping secrets, you now have one too. It’s Azimut, my new favourite bar at St Katherine Docks – right on the water and a sun trap, to boot. Finding it is tricky. You have to walk down a path that looks prohibitive unless you are trying to recall where you last parked your yacht. The building and terrace were previously occupied by a Starbucks that eventually closed, which tells you a bit about the footfall this place gets. When I visit, on a sunny Friday afternoon, it strikes me that it should be a great

deal busier. But then, this is a hidden gem. The waitress gives me a table in the sun, right by the water. I order a Margarita (£10), with some bread and aioli (£5) as a snack. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. On the sound system, Des’ree tells me I gotta be bad, bold and wiser. The Queen’s barge – Gloriana – is normally moored beside the terrace but has alas been moved to another part of the docks for the Jubilee, so I content myself with looking at some Thames sailing barges. My Margarita arrives, half the rim crusted with salt – just how I like it. The bread and aioli follow soon after – a generous portion of focaccia,

a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil topping things off perfectly. I’m a sun worshipper so I was always going to be sitting outside but I’ve heard rumours of a lounge above the cafe with 360º views. The drinks are great, the price is good and, probably, if you hang around here long enough, carry a log book and go on about what a faux pas it is to wear stilettos onboard, people will believe you actually own a yacht. Go to azimutcafe.com Scan this code for more about Azimut Cafe And Bar

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU Tough

2 4

7 1 6 9

6 3 1 9 7

2 9

SUDOKU

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

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The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Cryptic Across . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Down . . . . . . . . . . . .

Jun 22-Jul 6 solution Previous

9 4 6 7 5 8 3 2 1

9 1 9

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

last issue’s solution

Tough

3 2 5 6 1 9 4 8 7

1 8 7 4 2 3 6 9 5

8 3 1 9 7 2 5 6 4

5 9 2 3 4 6 1 7 8

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edium

4 5 8 2 6 7 9 1 3

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No.

Crossword - Sudoku

and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Quick Across . . .

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. . . . . . . . .

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Set by Everden

Across:1 Sapper; 4 Create; 9 Psychosomatic; 10 In haste; 11 Drone; 12 Gloss; 14 Plain; 18 Anger; 19 Toccata; 21 Decomposition; 22 Relays; 23 Joiner. Down: 1 Sophia; 2 Psychological; 3 Ethos; 5 Remodel; 6 Authorisation; 7 Eschew; 8 Aspen; 13 Scrumpy; 12 Wander; 16 Strop; 17 Tanner; 20 Chico.

Cryptic Solution Across: 1 Stifle; 4 Fatten; 9 Perambulators; 10 Essence; 11 Cable; 12 Cones; 14 Tones; 18 Ensor; 19 Clapham; 21 Abbreviations; 22 Pleats; 23 Unused. Down: 1 Supper; 2 Irresponsible; 3 Lemon; 5 Ajaccio; 6 Troubleshoots; 7 Nosier; 8 Mules; 13 Earnest; 15 Revamp; 16 Acrid; 17 Amused; 20 Acton.

Quick Solution

Notes

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

how new comedy David’s Play is set to delight with tales of anti-charity mounted police, an ambulance stopping for last orders at The Space and life as an actor with cerebral palsy by Jon Massey

dam Hemming joined The Space in 2004, subsequently stepping up to the role of artistic director a couple of years later. Not that it’s a competition, but David Grindley has been involved with the Westferry Road venue for longer than that – about 19 years, in fact. “I get a lot out of it,” said David, whose speech and movement is affected b cerebral palsy. “It saved my life. When I was in a home, I was shut away a lot, but when I came here, I could do drama.” Now the Isle Of Dogs resident has decided, as an original member of in-house company SpaceWorks, that he’s going to star in a production and that there’s really nothing Adam or anyone else can do about it – even if they wanted to. Actually, they’re complicit. “This is the second play that we’ve done with David,” said Adam. “The first was ’s The Man Who Found His Freedom, which was about a period in his life when he was in a care home and how he escaped to live a more independent life in east London. It was quite a hard-hitting drama.” Whatever David’s Play turns out to be after the machinations of writing, rehearsal and devising, it won’t be that. Audiences are in for laughs. “With this show we wanted to have a bit more fun,” said Adam. “It’s a backstage comedy based on the last 10 years of David’s life – his time at The Space and the adventures he’s got up to since he’s been here.” David’s disability hasn’t deterred him from consistently pursuing starring roles, something that’s key to the forthcoming show. “The main thread of the story is that David is a part of our company Space-

the starring

Adam added: “It’s Works, where local quite a rare thing to see people take part in someone like David creating theatre,” said on stage, but we’ve Adam. When I was in a laughed a lot in creating “At the end of each the show and doing the production we would home I was shut read-through, so we’re talk about what we away a lot, but hopeful people will find were going to do next, it funny. and David’s suggestion when I came to “David keeps telling was always My Left me off because keep Foot – I’d always shut The Space, I could trying to do serious him up. do drama acting.” “There are compliThe Space has raised cations around staging David Grindley, David’s Play cash to help put the My Left Foot, which was show on – partly a book originally, then through a crowdfunding campaign a film with aniel a ewis, but avid – with David suggesting on the accompawas always suggesting it so that he could n ing video that, should su cient mone be the star of the show. become available, it would allow him “In the end we decided that, rather to hire a better director than Adam. The than doing that production, we should Space is still accepting donations for the create a play for David, which he could show, although it’s unclear if this could then star in, so that’s how it all began.” affect dam’s position. David’s Play will be directed by Adam, n some wa s, the fundraising efforts David and deputy artistic director at The feel apt, given David’s own commitment Space, Matthew Jameson, who all appear to generating money for the charity that on stage as versions of themselves. runs the theatre. “Nothing can go wrong,” said David. “ ’ve worked on the bo o ce, been “ think we’ll feel better with the first on various committees and done a lot of night done, but I’m sure it will be alright fundraising,” he said. – I hope people like it.”

From left, Adam Hemming and David Grindley discuss their forthcoming production at the Westferry Road venue

“I recently did my annual sponsored walk across the Isle Of Dogs, which I’ve been doing for 10 years.” “David takes his fundraising very seriously and he’s very good at it,” said Adam. “David has 24-hour care and this is one place where he can come without his carer and get involved in what’s going on. “He’s seen more shows here than I have, but he’s also organised lunchtime music recitals as well as creating work like this – it’s a mutuall beneficial relationship. “David’s participation with SpaceWorks has helped to raise understanding about what someone with cerebral palsy is capable of. “As a condition, it’s not that wellknown, but he’s built up quite a good network of friends. He had a group of people go with him on his sponsored walk and then we had a barbecue fundraiser here before some other friends took him on to a pub quiz at The Ship – it was a pretty full-on day. “The number of people supporting him during the day is a pretty good indication of how well-liked he is. “One of the stories that we’ve used in David’s Play is about the year we decided to do a sponsored walk in Greenwich. I wasn’t with him that year and it turns out there are strict rules there about what you’re allowed to shake a bucket for. “You have to have advance permission – it’s a bit different to the sle f ogs. Anyway, some people asked David to stop and he didn’t take too kindly to that and in the end some mounted police became involved. “Another story that’s featured is that there was an unfortunate incident where David fell down some stairs coming out of a pub so an ambulance had to be called and, on the way home, he asked the ambulance to stop outside The Space so he could get a drink before last orders. “About 10 years ago David decided to stop drinking and hasn’t had a drop of wine since.” David said: “My life has improved a lot since then. I don’t think I’d be here now if I’d carried on drinking.” Created by David, The Space’s literary manager Mike Carter and the company, David’s Play is set to be performed at The Space from July 26-31 with shows at 7.30pm Tuesday to Saturday and 2.30pm on Sunday. Tickets for the shows cost with off for bookings made b ul so get in quick). Anyone who would like to donate to support the production or The pace can find contact details online. Go to space.org.uk

Scan this code to find out more about David’s Play

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

Performances of David’s Play are scheduled at The Space from July 26-31 David Grindley is set to star in David’s Play, which he co-created with other SpaceWorks members,

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see

at The Space theatre

Where? Poplar Union Poplar

on the Isle Of Dogs

FILM | Ron’s Gone Wrong Pop to Poplar Union for Pop-Corn Presents, a free screening of this charming tale of Barney and his malfunctioning digitally connected device. Cute. Jul 29, 10.30am, free, poplarunion.com Where? The Waterman’s Arms Isle Of Dogs

EVENT | Pub Quiz Embrace The Waterman’s Arms, a revived Grade II listed pub, in the best way possible by testing your grey cells at its pub quiz. Top prize is a £50 bar tab. Tuesdays, 8pm, £2, thewatermansarms.co.uk Where? Poplar Union Poplar

STAGE | Tales From The Shed This vibrant, interactive show from Chickenshed theatre is aimed at children aged up to seven, with plenty of audience participation. Kids tickets are £3. Jul 31, 10am, 11.30am, £5, poplarunion.com

diary dates

Two workshops are set to take place at The Prince’s Foundation at Trinity Buoy Wharf, one aimed at preparing portfolios for A-Level art students and another at photographers aged 18 and over. Both run July 18-22 trinitybuoywharf.com

Images by James Perrin – find more of his work at jamesperrin.com or via @millerjamesperrin on Insta

Scan this code to find our more about the two courses at Trinity Buoy Wharf and other events taking place want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Shows Drag Syndrome are set to perform over the course of 2022 Scan this code to find out more about Drag Syndrome

From left: Justin Bond Lady Mercury Lady Francesca Davina Starr Nikita Gold

by Laura Enfield

n hour before we speak, performance group Drag Syndrome is named an Icon In The Making by TikTok. Founder and creative director Daniel Vais is bubbling over with pride and is very clear that its aim is world domination. The group, whose members all have Down Syndrome, is booked two years in advance and he said: “Society and culture have to know we’re here to stay. We’re not a fad. “What these artists are providing is really extraordinary to culture. It’s valuable. We have been blowing up for the last four years, but it’s now reaching stardom where we have partnered with brands like Milk Makeup, Instagram, O2 Music – real movers and shakers. “People with learning disabilities are leading campaigns now. “It’s about damn time.” It quickly becomes clear he is the drag group’s biggest fan. In fact, he sees its members as examples of how we should all be living. “People with learning disabilities make the world a better place,” said the 50–year-old. “The are magnificent people

– much kinder. They go through so much and they have more compassion. I see them as gurus. “They are a leading example of the amazing human being and we have to learn from them. It’s very humbling to work with them.” The group was born in 2018 from his company Culture Device Dance Project, which works with elite artists with Down Syndrome. They were invited to perform at LimeWharf in Hackney so he and dancer Sara Gordy went to check it out. A drag artist was performing and Sara was bowled over and immediately wanted to try it. Drag Syndrome was born in that moment. The group is made up of six drag queens and one drag king and had its first show at ogue Fabrics Dalston (now VFD) a small, avant-garde queer space. “It was magical, amazing, powerful, fresh, new,” said Daniel. “They loved it and they wanted another show. It was the best night ever because we understood we had created something amazing. “The second show sold out in minutes and then we were on ITV and since then we have been as busy as Rihanna and Beyonce.” In four years the group has gone from performing to crowds of just 50 in east London, to 15,000 at Montreal Pride, where they

were introduced to Canadian president Justin Trudeau. They’ve appeared at Ru Paul’s DragCon, and featured in a video for Vogue alongside Lady GaGa and Billy Eilish. During June they completed a European tour and, on July 23, will perform at The Albany in Deptford as part of Liberty Festival. “ ewisham is the first place came to when I arrived in London – so, personally, this is a very emotional gig,” said Daniel, who moved to the UK from Isreal. “It is a top notch festival. The whole programme is super so we’re very grateful to be part of it.” ver show is different, with lots of improvisation. Daniel said: “I work with the best artists. They blow minds. You see it in people before and after the show.” They knew from the start the group would be a huge success and have intentionally done it all on their own to stay in control of the narrative. “Everyone who understands art and culture and sees the show understands they are masters,” said Daniel. “They are oozing star energy. They know they’re big stars but they are also very professional and some of them are adamant that they would like to achieve things in art and culture. They are ambitious. “They have very clear ideas

Daniel says the artists blow people’s minds with their performances

People with learning disabilities are leading campaigns now. It’s about damn time Daniel Vais, Drag Syndrome

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Rotherhithe - Deptford - Bermondsey

celebrating the new what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? Fourpure Brewing Co Rotherhithe New Road

how the queens and king of Drag Syndrome are breaking down boundaries, changing perceptions and taking space about where to perform, where to appear and how to grow.” There has been controversy. In 2019, a Republican congressional candidate in America declined to host the performers, questioning whether they could give their “full and informed consent.” Daniel said they have to deal with constant negative comments, but know what they’re doing is opening gates for others. “The negativit is a re ection of what people with learning disabilities go through every day,” he said. “I talk to the artists about it and they say: ‘This is how we grew up. People say whatever they think to our faces and that we’re not good enough, we are pathetic, stupid’. Unfortunately, they are used to it. “But we are coming, taking space and changing that. A lot of people with learning disabilities are learning from these artists to have boundaries and to understand it is not right to accept that somebody will think you’re stupid or you can’t do this or decide for yourself.” Daniel said they answer their critics by being “capable as fuck”. He added: “Whatever the misconception is, we don’t fight it. We don’t have to answer to anyone. “They’re independent artists. They have international careers and the support around them from parents and siblings is amazing – that’s why it’s working. “We take our space and don’t ask permission, we just do our thing. That’s what I wanted from this project and the artists did it. “They went from stage-to-stage, studio-to-studio and worked their arses off to achieve this success with no charity or support – no nothing. They have success because of their talent.” Drag Syndrome are set to perform at The Albany on July 22 at 6pm. The performance is free but booking is required. Go to thealbany.org.uk for more information

Joel Brown

what’s on

Liberty Festival, July 22-24

and Eve Musto in 111

The free event is a celebration of deaf, disabled and neurodiverse artists. Some events are drop-in and some need booking, but all allow audiences to leave, reenter and move around. There will be British Sign Language interpreted shows, audiodescribed installations and chillout areas. The festival is set to kick off with the unveiling of Freedom by artist Yinka Shonibare CBE in Deptford. Across the three days, visitors will be able to book one-hour sensory walks with Mapping in Lewisham, exploring how the local environment is shaped by sound, smell and terrain. Captioning Lewisham will be a trail of sound captions along Yinka Deptford High Shonibare Street and Mixed Reality Hub (Deptford Lounge, various times) is a collection of digital art and virtual reality work by renowned disabled and neurodivergent artists.

Jess Thom

● Friday will see speakers at the Liberty Symposium (The Albany, 10.15am-6pm) explore topics such as how the media represents people with a disability. In the evening there will be an outdoor performance by Deptford’s Heart N Soul (Griffin Square, 6pm-8pm) and stand-up from Jess Thom Touretteshero (The Albany, 8.15pm) ● Saturday will include the launch of Manifesto for 2.8million Minds (Lewisham Shopping Centre, 2pm-5pm), a project looking at how we can better support young people’s mental health. ● Sunday will feature 111 (The Albany, 2.30pm) a physically integrated performance from paraplegic dancer Joel Brown and former principal dancer Eve Musto. Kat Hawkins will perform Object Permanence (The Albany, 4pm) exploring her relationship with assistive devices. Leave The Light On For Me (Griffin Square, 3pm and 5pm) will be a joyous outdoor look at climate change and justice and Who Plays Who (The Albany, 6.30pm) is a powerful satire by Stephen Bailey, exploring disabled actors navigating Hollywood casting.

SOCIAL | Daschund Pup Up Cafe Mingle with other dogs, enjoy unlimited dog treats and puppuccinos, pose for photos, compete for prizes and play in ball pits, tunnels and with props. Jul 24, 10am-4pm, dogs free, humans £9, pupup.cafe Where? The Birds Nest Deptford

MUSIC | Joli Blon Cajun Band Traditional toe-tapping Lousiana dance tunes brought to you by a core trio of women playing accordion, fiddle and guitar in a pub Jul 30, 8pm-11pm, free, thebirdsnestpub.co.uk Where? Creekside Discovery Centre Deptford

NATURE | Wildflowers Pop Up with Invertebrates Explore the incredible urban wildflowers and their interactions with invertebrates with entomologist Richard Jones. Wear comfy shoes and clothing. Jul 20, 6pm-8pm, free, creeksidecentre.org.uk

flash back

Be quick and you can still see Sun And Sea at The Albany. This opera uses 10 tonnes of sand to transform the venue into a beach with audiences gazing down to listen to the performances. Until July 10. thealbany.org.uk Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with the three women who created Sun And Sea want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

take a breath

by David Lefebvre Sell

how Alanis Morissette produced a storming set at The O2 to celebrate 25 years since the release of Jagged Little Pill by Jon Massey

Juggling terror: David says facing one’s fears is important, so we’ve chosen this to help him out

have a love of quotations. One of my favourites is: “Do one thing every day that scares you” which is attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt – good advice, that. The normal fear reactions of fight, flight or freeze are well known, but it is especially the tendency to freeze up that’s a problem when we are trying to expand our horizons. Some of our fears are completely logical and understandable, like my fear of spider juggling. Some are based on bad experiences and some are based in bad messaging that we’ve received. How many people tell themselves that they’re bad at maths only because they’ve had bad maths teachers? Thanks a lot Mr Bell, you wanker. If you have a fear of sharks, or spider jugglers, you can probably avoid them just fine and never have to face that fear – unfortunately, avoidance itself can easily become a habit that rules our lives. A fear of flying, or swimming in the ocean will impact the kind of Facing a fear is always life experiences you about controlled, can have, for example. But if your fears are regular exposure. We more social, then the result might be just have to do the loneliness and isolathings that scare us tion. Fear builds walls around us and our lives again and again – sorry can become very small David Lefebvre Sell if we’re not careful. So we come back to the quote. Avoidance doesn’t work. Believe me, I wish it did. If we are to regularly face the things that scare us, then the first requirement is for self compassion – some of your fears will have very real causes that need to be acknowledged. One thing to master is good breathing. Taking slow, rhythmic, belly breaths helps to turn on your relaxation response. Shallow, upper chest breathing tends to keep us in fight or flight mode. There is heaps of scientific evidence backing this up now – bad breathing habits affect your mental and physical health. But in the end, facing a fear is always about controlled, regular exposure. We just have to do the things that scare us, again and again – sorry.

David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf Follow @davetheyogi on Twitter and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist

was 13 years old, wedged into a seat on a hot, airless coach filled to over owing with bored school kids on our way for a week of water sports in France. I slotted the newl bought cassette into my Sony Walkman, pressed play and gazed out of the window as the sound of a mouthorgan cut through, soaring above the bouncing beat of All I Really Want b lanis orissette – the opening song on her newly released album Jagged Little Pill. For the next 57 minutes and 30 seconds I only stopped staring into space once – to ip the tape over for side two – my mind completely transported. hen it finished, turned it over and started from the beginning again. I listened to it over and over with a teenage focus that bordered on the obsessive. ere was rage, se , profanit , vulnerabilit , o and the kind of adult wisdom, candour and maturity I naively assumed got handed out at adulthood. had no idea who orissette actually was, even less that she was only 21 – among the youngest people to win a Grammy. Jagged Little Pill collected five, going on to sell 33million copies worldwide and garner widespread critical acclaim. What I did know, was that despite her clear warning in One Hand In My Pocket that: “What it all comes down to, is that I haven’t got it all figured out ust et – she did in fact know pretty much everything and that the 13 tracks that I had on repeat for more or less a whole summer were packed with salient notions and valuable lessons that should be absorbed and celebrated. Perhaps I’d over-listened to it, or ma be ever thing that clutters up a teenager’s brain is destined to be cast aside, but eventuall moved on musically and the tape went the way of many physical recordings – to the bottom of a dust bo and oblivion. evertheless, the bold l rics and the feel of the album had woven themselves into my head and remain part of m fabric to this da .

I don't know what the 21-year-old would have been like to watch, but I doubt she could have outdone the 48-year-old Jon Massey, Wharf Life

Power and polish: Morissette is an artist at the height of her abilities, note-perfect and passionate That's why, when the chance to review The ’s premium offering came up, the obvious choice was to see lanis’ tour, dedicated to marking 25 years since Jagged Little Pill's release. The arena offers a plethora of high end options to gig goers, be it stage-side seats to whole private suites that can be booked for groups. I don't know what 13-year-old me would have thought about the prospect of valet parking, access to the pre and post gig merican press Lounge and seats in a shared suite with a head-on view of the stage, but imagine he d have been prett e cited. dult me felt spoilt b the in venue burger, dedicated barman and an e quisite view over the bowl of the arena. Despite my fascination with Jagged Little Pill, m interest in orissette s work waned quickl , overtaken b the explosion of Britpop. I'd never so much as seen a video of her performing live. This was the 1990s, after all, and with no internet, serious organisation and money would have been required to make that happen. In some ways that lack of expectation made her performance all the more special. I don't know what the ear old would have been like to watch, but doubt she could have outdone the 48-year-old. ith blonde hair and bagg T shirt ing, lanis walked out to a video montage that delivered a blistering snippet of what her breakthrough record had meant to her and so many other people around the world. Then came the voice – as crisp, powerful and defiant as it was when the recordings were first committed to tape. Barely speaking to the audience between numbers, she let the songs do the talking and, with a packed arena, that's all that was necessary.

The songs sounded fresh, as though she d ust plucked them out of the air and was pro ecting the words with newly felt emotion. Cradled in a throne of light, she powered through number after number, bounding up and down the stage and headbanging to the beat of the drums in barrage after barrage of bright white light. lmost more impressive than the unrelenting physical performance was the reaction from the audience. The arena is a big space, but her presence made the gig feel intimate. Watching with the crowd rippling in the man rows before me, don t doubt ever seat holder felt each note was being sung ust for them. or lanis, it must have felt like an enormous echo chamber as ever word was fired back at her from thousands of mouths, mine included. testament to the qualit of the material is that even after 25 years, I still knew most of the songs. While some might have preferred to exercise their lungs from the front rows, there was something particularl special about seeing the whole crowd on its feet belting out the l rics from the elevated position of a suite. There s been much discussion about whether ir aul cCartne should have played more Beatles tunes in his recent lastonbur set, with Penny Lane, The Long And Winding Road and many others conspicuousl absent. orissette, however, stuck faithfully to the script ripping through the familiar numbers with onl a sprinkling of off album material. Such was the power in her voice and the warmth of the reception that a date on the Pyramid Stage at Worthy farm must surel be in the pipeline. Note-perfect, her performance was a much loved album brought to life b an artist at the height of her powers, albeit one who remains an enigma with little banter on the mic. Instead, her music and the wellscripted visuals behind her helped convey her messages, illustrating the approaches of creepy men in Right Through You and her own, well documented struggles with eating disorders in Mary Jane. It was enough to bring the tears. The arena remains a superb venue – there's a reason it's the most popular on the planet – and the premium offering is unquestionabl peak gig going. ven escape via the ubilee line is quicker than ou think. onl criticism is that support act eth rton – another brief teenage obsession of mine – was poorl served b the sound crew, her breath vocals left mudd and indistinct b an inadequate mi . Go to theo2.co.uk for event listings

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

note hitting every single

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? The O2 Arena Peninsula

GIG | Haim The Californian sisters are set to perform their biggest shows to date on The One More Haim Tour with plenty of tracks from their latest album. Jul 21, 6.30pm, from £37, theo2.co.uk Where? Woolwich Works Woolwich

GIG | Alice Russell Known for her collaborations with Mr Scruff, Quantic and DJ Yoda as well as solo releases Pot Of Gold and My Favourite Letters, this singer is one not to miss. Jul 30, 7.30pm, from £29, woolwich.works Where? Greenwich Park Greenwich

KIDS | Greenwich Park Discovery Day: Minibeasts Families with kids aged 16 and under can get involved with nature's smallest creatures thanks to sweep netting and bug hunting. Jul 27, 10am-noon, free, royalparks.org.uk

flash back

Scan this code to find out more about premium seating at The O2 On its feet: Almost the whole audience at The O2 Arena stood for Alanis Morissette's full breathtaking performance of Jagged Little Pill

Scan this code to listen to Jagged Little Pill on YouTube

It’s been 15 years since The O2 opened its doors, so we interviewed a man who’s been on-site from the start. Matt Botten looks after hospitality at the venue and has seen things grow and evolve under the tent theo2.co.uk Scan this code to find out more about The O2 and why it’s the little things Matt really cares about want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

by Laura Enfield

air to say Vaseem Khan’s parents were not thrilled when he declared his intention to be a novelist. They wanted their son, born in Newham Hospital, to concentrate on textbooks and have a “respectable career”. “My father was a labourer in an industrial bakery and not an educated man,” said Vaseem, who now lives in Canning Town. “He didn’t really understand the need for fiction books. would get one treat a year, which was to go to the Newham Bookshop in Plaistow. “ t is still there and run b the same lovely lady – Vivian Archer – and it’s been a wonderful journey for me to come back, 40-odd years later, and become really good friends with her and do events and things together.” is thirst for fiction was fed through weekly visits to Plaistow Library with his mum, back when you could only borrow four books at a time. “The libraries were the instigator,” said Vaseem, who will be returning to two local libraries this month to give talks as part of Newham Word Festival. “Without them wouldn’t be a writer toda . “ n m teens, fell in love with Terry’ Prachett’s Discworld series and thought: ‘This looks easy’. o wrote a comic fantas , sent it to some agents and was duly rejected because – of course – it was terrible. fter that first novel told m parents wasn’t going to universit – was going to be rich and famous as a writer. You can imagine their faces.” To keep them happy, the boy who had been born in one of London’s most deprived boroughs went off to one of the world’s best universities – the London School Of Economics – to study accounting and ended up becoming a management consultant. “ ’m glad did, because it was through that career got the chance to go to ndia and live there for 10 years,” said Vaseem. “ f hadn’t, couldn’t be writing the books that have finall led to a successful literary career.” His debut The Unexpected Inheiritance Of Inspector Chopra is about a retired detective in Mumbai who is landed with a baby elephant and the case of a drowned boy. t secured aseem a four book deal (with Hodder And Stoughton) and went on to be a Times bestseller. He has gone on to write The Malabar House Series, set in the 1950s and featuring ndia’s first female police detective. The first book, Midnight At

Vaseem uses his crime fiction to explore the complex past and rapidly changing present of India

puzzle solving the publishing

Canning Town crime novelist Vaseem Khan on his 20-year journey to find literary success

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Royal Docks - Canning Town

Malabar House won the CWA Historical Dagger and was shortlisted for Theakstons Crime Novel Of The Year. “When the childhood dream finall comes true, ou feel elation, relief and vindication that ou haven’t wasted ears of our life, said aseem. “ hen got the news let out a sort of strangle shriek. t’s been a wonderful ourne since, that couldn’t have predicted at all. t had taken ears of gut wrenching failure to get him there, labouring over si novels of different genres, all of which were firml re ected. “To climb the mountain and write a novel, which took about three ears back then – and to get a whole bunch of re ections from different agents – was quite soul destro ing,“ he said. “ ut ou have to pick ourself up off the oor, find a new idea and go with that. aseem finall hit on his winning ticket after being given the chance to work in umbai for a compan building five star, environmentall friendl hotels. wept awa b the da ling pace of change happening across ndia, his three month visit turned into a ear sta . “India was making the transition from being a sort of almost pre industrial econom to the global near superpower that we think of it as toda , said aseem. “ t was incredible to see and, et at the same time, it was a countr that had legac problems, like incredible povert , slums, caste pre udice and religious intolerance at times. hen he finall returned to ngland to spend time with his mother who had cancer, he found his decade abroad turning into an idea for a book, capturing the good and bad of modern ndia. Cautioned b his earlier failures, he didn’t rush, starting a ob with niversit College ondon’s epartment f ecurit And Crime Science and taking ears to complete a first draft. e was unsure if it would ever be seen in print. owever, that and future novels have gone on to be published around the world in numerous languages. aseem said the were modelled on the golden age

The publishing industry is very risk averse, which makes it difficult for people coming from a different background like mine Vaseem Khan, author

200

Rejection letters sent to Vaseem before he found success

word up

events at Newham Word Festival

● Women MAKE Stories Mindfulness Workshop Explore courage, what it means to you and how you can connect with it through a series of prompts and exercises. Jul 16, 10.30am, Wonderful Things, anyone identifying as a woman

● An Evening With Ben Okri The Booker Award-winning Nigerian novelist, poet, essayist and short story writer will talk about his work. Jul 8, 6.30pm, Stratford Town Hall, adults

● Story! Story! - Iroko Theatre An interactive, vibrant African show using drama, music, movement, songs and chants. Jul 16, 4.30pm, Custom House Library, ages 7+

● Kasim Ali And Ayanna Lloyd Banwo In Conversation The debut writers discuss their work and their experiences of being first-time novelists. Jul 12, 6.30pm, The Silver Building, adults

of crime fiction, focusing on solving the pu le rather than on slaughter, se and swearing. “ believe most crime fiction readers have intellectual vanit , he said. “The believe the can solve the murder before ou tell them the answers. That’s the kind of reader ’m catering for. e is not surprised crime fiction has become the world’s best selling genre. “ t’s that whole idea of good versus evil, he said. “ t’s the intellectual challenge of solving a murder from the comfort of our own sofa and following these dark deeds that other people are doing. That appeals to people of all colours, creeds and countries. n insomniac, he writes in the earl hours of each da before heading to C where he has now worked for ears – a uggle requiring discipline. “ hen was ounger would take ears to finish a novel – now have to deliver one ever ear, said aseem who will release his third alabar ouse book The Last Man Of Bombay in ugust, with a fourth alread written. have to be reall organi ed to get m ideas down, do m research and plan ever thing meticulousl in three months and then write , words a da . So how was it that Indian crime fiction that finall saw him fulfil his teenage dream? “The publishing industr is ver risk averse, he said. “The like to publish more of the same, which then makes it di cult for people coming from a different background like mine. was one of the first people in the to publish a crime novel set in ndia – that’s started off a bit of a trend. “ t takes someone to break down the idea that ou can’t take risks and, hopefull , ’ve inspired a lot of other people to tr and write those kinds of different books – the publishing industr is now more receptive to them. adl his mum didn’t live to see his success and his father has also passed. ut aseem remembers taking him his first novel. “ went to the old house, all e cited to show him, he said. “ e took one look at it, upside down, and said: ell, this is great, but now can ou get me m kebab roll ’. aseem will be hosting talk and qui Gandhi In Newham on ul at anor ark ibrar and crime fiction panel The Perfect Murder on ul at ast am ibrar . For more, go to vaseemkhan.com or newhamwordfestival.org

Scan this code to find out more about Newham Word

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? Art In The Docks Shackleton Way

ART | Into The Labyrinth Three female artists from different cultures create an exhibition based on their individual and collective interpretation of Susanna Clarke’s novel Piranesi. Until Jul 23, noon-6.30pm, free, artinthedocks.com Where? Queen’s Square Royal Docks

EVENT | Queens’ Roar! Celebrating the Women’s Euro with a dance performance, an online anthem created with schools and football kits designed by local students and players. Jul 23, time TBC, royaldocks.london Where? Various venues Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | Ensemble Festival A performance on a rotating hourglass, dancing with clay, a gay disco on a bike and stories of loved ones lost to Covid-19 will all feature at this event. Jul 23, noon-7pm, free, certainblacks.com

flash back

Recently launched wall Rise Climbing at Caxton Works in Canning Town offers two levels of bouldering problems, a traversing wall and even a cafe with cake, coffee and craft beer – find out more on their site rise-climbing.com Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with creators Conor Skillbeck and James Skinner want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

£8.99

The recommended retail price of This Way Out by Tufayel Ahmed

the writer

Tufayel Ahmed

Bow-based journalist, editor and author Tufayel Ahmed’s debut novel was published on July 1 – and to give readers a flavour, he’s kindly allowed Wharf Life to print an extract. Based on his own experiences of living with grief and the South Asian and LGBTQIA+ communities in east London, This Way Out tells the story of Amar who finds love in the arms of Joshua. There’s just one problem – he hasn’t told his strict Muslim Bangladeshi family that his partner is a man – and not a Muslim. So, what better way to announce you’re getting married (and gay) than on your family’s WhatsApp Group? The novel also tackles themes of loss, with Tufayel partly driven to write by the death of his mother after a long illness. “In a lot of South Asian families, we aren’t taught to discuss or express feelings, so I didn’t really have a way to channel my grief. I ended up writing a similar story arc for Amar in the novel – he, too, is consumed by grief and falls into depression,” Tufayel said. “Writing about his grief, putting my own feelings down on paper, was quite cathartic, and writing out the ways in which he might resolve his grief – such as therapy – was almost like a roadmap on how to deal with my own. I began seeing a therapist too, and between that and writing the novel, I really was able to, if not overcome grief, at least feel at peace with it.” This Way Out is published by Lake Union and is priced at £8.99. At the time of going to press it was available on offer with amazon.co.uk for £4.99 in paperback. Go to tufayel.co Scan this code to find out more about the author and This Way Out including ways to order a copy

I haven’t been back home to Mileson Street for a few months. Not since last Eid. That was the last time the family were all together, huddled around the kitchen table eating korma and pilau. The kids were running around the house, showing off their new presents, and li smeared chocolate on his pristine new jumper. There is joy and electricity when we all reunite now that ever one is off in their own little worlds, with their own wives, husbands, children and households. I didn’t eat all day before arriving at Dad’s that Eid, saving myself for Mina’s lamb samosas and Shuli’s prawn bhuna. “You’re going to pass out if you don’t eat,” Joshua had said, waving a piece of toast with Nutella in my face that morning. Then he’d taken a mammoth bite of it right in front of me, teasing me with the irresistible crunch of a perfectly toasted slice of bread. “I’m saving myself for later!” I cried out, standing firm. id is alwa s a big affair in our famil . ina and Shuli usually split the cooking duties – whipping up industrial si ed batches of saffron scented pilau with uic , fall off the bone pieces of chicken in it – and mira alwa s makes at least three different desserts. This Eid she made extra-gooey chocolate brownies, a banoffee pie, homemade rasmalai, and mango lassi to wash it all down. We feasted until we could barely move, rice and meat threatening to return the same way it went down. After our late lunch, we gathered in the living room for tea and dessert. I felt so noxiously full that even a bite of mira’s banoffee pie would have tipped me over the edge. “Do you remember when we were kids, shopping for Eid clothes in Green Street? ne of ou lot would alwa s cr : don’t want to be dressed up like him’,” Mina said playfully, smiling at Asad as she basked in the memories. “You could never dress like our big brother: e’s not cool ’ “Mum and Dad always had to make sure you two had different outfits. od forbid ou matched. ou were worse than us girls.” “Well, he wasn’t cool,” Asad said, laughing at Abed. “ e still isn’t. had a reputation to uphold, oka “ h eah, what’s that s one of the bad bo s of the estate?” Abed teased him back. “What was it you and your mates called yourselves? The Globe Town Krew? Yeah, you looked real hard tagging the side of the library!” “Could never get your hair cut with him, either,” I said, joining in. “Remember his Beckham curtains? The barber had to spend an hour on them, and I’m just sitting there waiting for my No. 1 side and back.” We all broke into laughter, reminiscing about the adventures of our youth – when our problems were trivial and life felt simple. As the evening wound on, the photo albums came out, as they always did when we got together. Photos of Mina, Abed and Asad as children, posing with long-slaughtered cows during a holiday in Bangladesh, before Amira and I came along. Photos of the five of us dressed up in garish outfits at ina’s wedding. The suit I’d worn was too big. The trouser legs were twice the width of my legs. Abed, Asad and I all had all worn pinstripe black suits with hideous silver waistcoats. In our defence, it was the turn of the millennium and we were foolishly led to believe this was cutting edge. “Amira, you were so chubby,” Mina said, pawing at a photo of Mum in hospital holding Amira just a day after she was born. Three-year-old me can be seen lying on her hospital bed, as if insisting I was still a baby, too. “You two were the heaviest out of all of us!” Mina

Tufayel wrote This Way Out in response to grief at the death of his mother and his experience of being Muslim, of Bangladeshi heritage and coming our as gay

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

the impact of

what’s on

things to do, places to go, people to see Where? Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

read an extract from newly published novel This Way Out by Tower Hamlets-based author and journalist Tufayel Ahmed continued, looking between me and Amira in mock horror. “I don’t know how Mum did it.” “Thankfully, not chubby any more!” Amira laughed, surreptitiously glancing over at Asad, who was starting to develop heft around his stomach, just like Dad. “Oi, I’m not fat. I’m just big-boned!” he hit back. The laughs continued well into the night, by which time we were ready for second helpings of food. Still, there was more than enough for everyone to take home containers of leftovers, which I savoured for days after. No matter how much I try, I can never replicate the taste of home. As I walk down Globe Road, cutting through the children’s playground near our street, I revel in my childhood memories. Mileson Street is the next left turn, a tucked-away, homel cul de sac onl a five minute walk from Whitechapel High Street. o fewer than three blocks of ats stand in front of and behind our street, which is filled with modest three-storey semi-detached houses. Before Amira and I were born, the family bounced around estates just like this all around east London. For a time they lived adjacent to Victoria Park, tales of which I listened to with envy as a child. Then, when I came along, the council moved them into 18 Mileson Street – a real house, with a garden and a front lawn. mira was ne t and the house was filled to capacity, but there was no need to move again. As I turn the corner on to Mileson Street, I slow my pace to take in the old area. It looks much the same, and yet I feel like a stranger. We were lucky to live on Mileson Street; despite the inner-city locale, high crime and poverty rates, our area always felt oddly safe and suburban. Everyone always looked out for each other. It was like a mini Bangladeshi village at times, especially in summer, when kids from across the estate would play football or hopscotch in the streets carefree, only being wrangled into the house at sunset. The road looks the same as always, but now the kids we used to play with have kids of their own. Sometimes I hear about so-and-so from one of my brothers, who still keep in touch with some of the boys from the neighbourhood. But I never really formed the same friendships. For one thing, I didn’t like playing football every Saturday like they did. Also, I was never any good at football, so was never picked for any teams. The Spice Up Your Life

dance routine, however, I knew inside out. I’ve taken the long way round, hoping that the walk will keep me calm, but as I get closer to the house, my stomach muscles tense. Stopping, I lean against a wall adjacent to the street and call Joshua. I want to hear his reassuring voice one last time before I cross the threshold, before I meet my family face-to-face. And maybe I will suggest he send out a search party if I don’t make it home tonight. His phone rings several times. Each ring is shrill to my already ragged nerves. No sign of Joshua. I nearly give up, but then he finall answers and sigh in relief. “Hey,” Joshua says, his voice deep and calm. “Hi...,” I reply a little shakily. “I’m here at my dad’s. Just getting ready to go in.’ “Oh.” “Yeah. Oh.” “ don’t want to sa it’ll be fine because ou’ll shout at me, so I’ll just say I love you.” >> I close my eyes and wish I could bottle up the comfort I find in his voice and take it inside the house with me. My heart swells in my chest. It is precisely what I need to hear right now <<

EVENT | Wingfest This new play from Stratford East Young Company sees youths conscripted in a time of war until one cohort refuses to go. But what happens then? Jul 28-30, times vary, £8, stratfordeast.com Where? Rule Zero Hackney Wick

COMEDY | Garrett Millerick The monthly new material night returns featuring headliner Garrett alongside the funny stylings and glib gags of Kate Lucas and Nick Elleray. Jul 20, 7.30pm, £5, rulezero.co.uk Where? Stratford Picturehouse Stratford

FILM | The Deer King Japanese animation where a host of characters find themselves in a life and death struggle with the deadly Black Wolf Fever. Don’t miss this epic. Jul 27, 8.30pmpm, £7.50, picturehouses.com

last chance

Stopping, I lean against a wall adjacent to the street and call Joshua. I want to hear his reassuring voice one last time before I cross the threshold, before I meet my family face-to-face Tufayel Ahmed, This Way Out

Lanre Malaolu’s play Samskara has returned to The Yard theatre in Hackney Wick for a limited run until July 23, with some special performances and banquets for black male audiences. Full details available online theyardtheatre.co.uk Scan this code to read our interview with Lanre and discover his thoughts on masculinity and Nando’s want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Jul 6-20, 2022 wharf-life.com