Wharf Life, Mar 22-Apr 5, 2023

Where? Montgomery Square Canary Wharf

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Welcome to the 84th issue of Wharf Life. This paper is dedicated to creativity and endeavour, whether it’s the creation of a fashion brand, work to bring the historic House Mill in Bromley-By-Bow back into working order or a brilliant vision to set up studios at Wood Wharf – read on...

PLAY | Minigolf By Craig And Karl

Free, brightly coloured minigolf returns to Canary Wharf with the vibrant course designed by Craig Redman and Karl Maier back for another season. From Apr 6, noon-6pm, free, canarywharf.com

Where?

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Square

GIG | Brand New Heavies

Not quite as brand new as the band that emerged in the 1980s, the acid jazz and funk out t return for a trio of gigs on the Cabot Square stage . Apr 12-14, 9.30pm, from £24 (show only), boisdale.co.uk

Where? East Wintergarden Canary Wharf

EVENT | Wharf Talks: Steven Bartlett Canary Wharf Group has teamed up with the social media entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den star for a series of talks with thought leaders. The rst is with him. Apr 5, 5pm, £16.50 (proceeds to charity), canarywharf.com

How The Qube is creating a quiet revolution in Wood Wharf as content studios arrive on Park Drive – oh and there’s a bar with DJ nights open three evenings a week to all-comers

Bromley online at wharf-life.com

Why the House Mill wants its wheels to spin once again

How Greenwich Millennium Village has evolved over 20+ years

on the radar

need to know

Check out independent retailer of clothing, toys and other rarities

One Touch Collective, trading now in Cabot Place. Amongst other things, this shop stocks leather jackets by cult artist Exhibit 69 and a host of other premium niche brands @onetouchcollective

29

Canary Wharf Group has applied for planning permission to build a new private school and nursery as part of its Wood Wharf development. The plans feature a nine-storey building that could accommodate around 400 pupils canarywharf.com

Artistic Change Leaders are to take over Art In The Docks

24

How

doing the deals

get more for less on and around the Wharf

the Isle Of Dogs

20% 20%

Newly opened bar and restaurant Oysteria in Bank Street is celebrating its launch by o ering guests 20% o their entire bill all day, every day until Mar 31 oysteria.co.uk

27

Canary Wharf workers are invited to enjoy 20% o cuts or colour services at Seanhanna in Jubilee Place. Company ID required to access o er seanhanna.com

subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox free, every two weeks INVITATION

Dear Neighbours,

Tramshed in Woolwich prepares to host a production of The Heights

We are excited to announce the opening of our new oyster bar and seafood restaurant, Oysteria. We wanted to extend a warm invitation to join us at Oysteria for a dining experience you won’t forget.

A la Carte Lunch

Special discount of 20% off your entire bill until the end of March.

Canary Wharf

Adaku Parker went from barrister to entrepreneur and designer with her African wax print fabric business, Dovetailed London, based on

subscribe to our newsletter and get Wharf Life content in your inbox free, every two weeks

write me

words you don’t know you need

crisless

noun, fake, from Ancient Greek Actions intended to minimise the chances of a full blown crisis that nevertheless seem to fuel the re simply by virtue of everyone talking about them all the time. Especially useless when dealing with nancial turmoil

skin spot

pregret

verb, real, from modern English

Not a word for a pregnant egret, but instead regretting an action you have yet to perform, even though you know full well you’re going to do it anyway and hang the consequences. Perfect for the constantly guilty

street food freshly baked bread local crafts

house plants artworks cheeses

hot coffee market wines craft beer

watercolour by Ed Bucknall - edjbucknall.com

Every Saturday 10am -4pm

This month I turn 38, and I must admit I’m struggling a little with the narrative ingrained in me by society that visible signs of ageing are not good. On the other hand I see women much older than me in the media who are “ageing gracefully”, look fabulous, and are at the peak of their careers. That said, does the concept of ageing gracefully mean one cannot use lotions, potions, Botox or llers? I believe everyone ages in their own way and, frankly, I love pampering my skin. I began applying moisturiser to my face when I was 12, although my skincare routine has advanced a lot since then. Here are some favourites

l My mother introduced me to this moisturiser and it’s a product I keep coming back to. It’s very lightweight and perfect for sensitive skin. Olay Beauty Fluid Moisturiser

Normal/Dry/Combo Skin 200ml is available for £6.49 at Superdrug stores in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, Cutty Sark, or Hallsville Quarter. The price has gone up a little since I rst used it, but it’s still great value.

l I also try to invest in good cleansers to keep my skin clear and am currently using CeraVe Blemish Control Face Cleanser with 2% Salicylic Acid And Niacinamide For BlemishProne Skin 236ml, available from Boots in Jubilee Place or Canada Square for £13. CeraVe products are developed with dermatologists so I know I’m in good hands with this brand. Salicylic acid has antibacterial properties and also works as an exfoliant to remove dead skin cells whereas niacinamide can help ease redness from eczema, acne or other in ammatory skin conditions.

l Moving on from the face, I use a body product on my arms, legs, and chest to help improve the appearance of pigmentation and scarring. Me+ Niacinamide Body Gel Cream 250ml is discounted to £5.99 at the moment, usually costing £7.99. It’s from Superdrug’s own skincare line and is formulated with 5% niacinamide. It’s non-greasy, doesn’t feel sticky and I have been seeing improvements in my skin clarity when used with my Brushworks Micro Needle Derma Roller for £9.99.

l For a real treat, I’ll enjoy a long bath with Sea Magik Salted Himalayan Spa Salts 1kg, sold at Holland & Barrett in Canada Square or Jubilee Place at £5.99. I noticed when on holiday in Italy, after swimming in the sea, my skin would always feel soothed. So this is my at-home version, and apparently these natural salts contain 84 di erent minerals. They also help me relax and de-stress from everyday life, which – as we all know – is the real key to looking and feeling amazing.

Insta @wappingdocklandsmarket

Brussels Wharf Glamis Road Wapping, E1W 3TD squid.org.uk/visit when are you visiting ?

Natasha Maddison @pazzanatasha on Insta

Creste Di Gaollo Sausage Ragu

Zizzi, Cabot Place - £16

Ok Zizzi, it’s been a long time, but come on, give me the best you’ve got. Big Italian chains used to be ubiquitous in London. But the Stradas and Prezzos are dying back, possibly due to the arrival of punchy high quality outlets like Emilia’s Crafted Pasta, Scarpetta and Pasta Evangelists. Zizzi, however, recently reopened on the Wharf, having relocated from Canary Riverside to Cabot Place. But is the food any good?

Well, the most expensive pasta on its menu promises sausage but delivers what appear to be lardons. It tastes fair to middling, but the heavy texture is a reminder there are many better options out there. taste value

diary

hot list

rumours tips and rankings

NEW STUFF

How will the most expensive and cheapest pasta’s on Zizzi’s menu fare when pitted against each other?

Spaghetti Pomodoro

Zizzi, Cabot Place - £10.95

GIG - Tony Christie

As eaten by Jon

Massey

Before I say anything else, they’ve done a really nice job with the decor at Zizzi. Lights are strung on ropes, there’s a silly fake tree and it’s a pleasant place to sit. Unfortunately the only good things about the cheapest pasta dish on its menu are that it’s served in stylish surroundings and that it comes with a lump of decent Mozzarella – that’s where the star for taste is awarded. Beyond the borders of the cheese, however, the thin red sauce barely clings to the limp strands of pasta and tastes like an unadulterated can of budget chopped tomatoes. Don’t waste that tenner, get down to Emilia’s and pay £10.50 instead. taste value

Lovers of the rich avours and aky pastry purveyed by Ole & Steen, rejoice. The brand recently opened its 25th branch in Jubilee Place meaning Wharfers to the south of the estate will no longer have to journey to the Elizabeth Line station for a x. In other news, Jubilee Place is also set to welcome a branch of social enterprise Circle Collective selling skate, streetwear and vintage items...

OUR PICKS

If you do nothing else in Canary Wharf this fortnight, consider indulging in the below:

1. Check out luxurious hand washes at Aesop’s newly opened Cabot Place store – aesop.com

2. Catch a gig at The Pearson Room, which is now hosting live music every other Friday evening from March 24 – thepearsonroom.co.uk

3. Last chance to see blockbuster exhibition Executions at the Museum Of London Docklands – use code Wharf25 to get 25% o tickets until March 31 –museumo ondon.org.uk

Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, Mar 28, from 5.30pm, from £19 (show only) boisdale.co.uk

Ever wonder what Tony Christie is doing these days? He’s on his 80th birthday tour, which will include a stop at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf, presumably on the way to Amarillo. The Yorkshireman will be playing live from 9pm-11pm with a set expected to feature the likes of Avenues And Alleyways, Walk Like A Panther, Las Vegas and I Did What I Did For Maria amongst many others. Tickets are selling fast...

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

Studios at Qube East which will all be available to members of The Qube. In addition, some spaces can be hired by non-members to work on projects

and rehearsals in progress

The Qube is set to launch Qube East in Canary Wharf on March 24 on the first floor of 9 Park Drive at Wood Wharf

how The Qube is bringing a c o ntent generation revolution to studios in Wood Wharf

by Jon Massey

The ever increasing numbers of people strolling though Wood Wharf will likely remain mostly unaware that a revolution is taking place on the first floor of a Park Drive office block.

It’s not that Canary Wharf hasn’t welcomed creative endeavours in the past. It hosted a TV station in the 1990s – Live TV, complete with eponymous show Canary Wharf, a sort of soap operameets X-Files affair with a woeful budget and acting to match.

It’s served as a backdrop to numerous films including both 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later as well as Welcome To The Punch with James McAvoy and Mark Strong facing off as a grizzled detective with a gammy knee

and a notorious, violent criminal respectively.

Its Tube station stood in for the Death Star in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, with Adams Plaza popping up again in TV show Andor as part of an evil Imperial base.

With the exception of the odd media company, however, what Canary Wharf has never had is a series of spaces dedicated to creative content generation.

Enter Amin Hamzianpour –musician, music producer and former Morgan Stanley analyst, who is bringing The Qube to the estate. In a nutshell, it offers flexible, plug-and-play studios for rehearsal and recording 24 hours a day. But it’s also much more than that and here’s how it happened.

“I have a bit of an eclectic background,” said Amin. “I did a degree in human sciences at Oxford and then, encouraged by

my parents, I went to work in investment banking at Morgan Stanley, ironically in Canary Wharf.

“I didn’t like it at all. I liked being around hard-working, ambitious, intelligent people, but the work wasn’t what I wanted to do. I’d always created things – I was a musician, I played, wrote songs and also made animations when I was young.

“Working in banking felt as though I wasn’t making anything, so I eventually quit to pursue a career as a songwriter.

“My parents knew how hardworking I was, so they were very supportive. With finance, if you wait around long enough, the money gets so good that it’s difficult to leave and I could see that happening to me.

“I thought that because I was working such long hours in continued on Page 8

Rehearsal studios come complete with mics, drum kits, amplifiers and mixers. Also on offer is a Dolby Atmos-equipped studio to allow the creation of work in the immersive sound format

from Page 6

banking, that, if I applied that effort to music, I might get 50% less money, but I would have a much more fulfilling life.

“I was quite naive about how difficult it was to build a career in the music industry. I rented a basement room from a friend and tried to soundproof it, but it was a bit of a disaster.

“Still, I started making music every day, emailed every single blogger and every single label, trying to get my name out there.

“After about six months someone very well connected on the blogging scene miraculously reached out and said they really liked my stuff. So I met with him, made one house record, he sent it out to the blogs and we made the alias quite anonymous.

“ The blogs picked it up and it exploded online, and the next thing I knew, I was getting offers from every major record label. It went from one day when nobody knew who I was to me having meetings with Universal, Sony, Warner, which was the dream.

“Having now had a career in music for five or six years, I now realise how ridiculously improbable that was, and it was a probably a bad thing, because at the time I thought that was just how easy it was. I signed to Spinnin’ Records – a Dutch label –and Polydor picked it up and put it online.

“It got something like a million plays, which at the time was quite good. So I built my career thereafter and became a house artist when electronic music was really flying.

“I released quite a few singles on different labels – Ministry Of Sound, Universal, Polydor – and while nothing was majorly successful, I was making a living.

“Then I started writing and producing for loads of different artists.”

It was at this point Amin discovered how difficult it was

£75

Monthly cost excluding VAT of a House membership at The Qube, which includes 60 credits to use on booking studio time. Various individual memberships are on offer and company deals start at £499 per month for three membership cards and 520 credits

Co-founder of The Qube, Amin Hamzianpour was inspired to create the business after struggling to find affordable, high quality studio space in the capital

Every startup is an experiment. Everyone involved with The Qube is creative and we’re developing products that we would want to use Amin Hamzianpour, The Qube

Qube East in Canary Wharf offers a range of studio spaces and a bar, open to non-members on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 11pm

to find good studio space at an affordable price with the only offerings seemingly £1,000 a month contracts for a year or substandard dingy basement rooms with non-existent soundproofing. Then he met co-founder of The Qube, Nick Sonuga, who was building studio spaces that would fill up immediately due to demand.

“Initially, I thought that if I did one or two studios with him, I could make a base salary and then continue making music,” said Amin. “One of the most frustrating things about being a musician is the variability in income, which could be 300% either way, with no way of predicting it. That was difficult as I was starting to get older.

“So I started talking to Nick about finding solutions to these problems. How could we come up with a space that provides everything creative people need, that is affordable, flexible and provides a community?”

The pair came up with the blueprint for The Qube, found a warehouse in west London and put down their joint life savings as a deposit before going out to investors to raise £2million. Launched in 2020, it houses 40 studios designed for everything from creating music to podcasts and photography.

The spaces come fully furnished with equipment with members paying between £75 and £2,000 a month for varied levels of credits that are translated into studio time.

“It’s open 24 hours a day and it did really well – miraculously it turned a profit within six months, which was quite staggering,” said Amin. “I think it was a testament to how much people want this product and there’s no-one really doing this apart from us. While it is challenging to serve all the different markets – the podcasters, vloggers and musicians – we have a team of really experienced people from all walks of life to look after them.

“Every startup is an experiment. Everyone involved with The Qube is creative and we’re developing products that we would want to use. We’re trying to stay true to that. We think there’s a huge opportunity here – already if you’re a YouTuber, a podcaster or a music producer your parents will more likely be telling you to go for it than laughing at you.

“These people will need places to go and create work and wherever they want to do that there should be a Qube in their nearest city.”

On that path to global domination, Amin and Nick selected

Canary Wharf as their second site due to the ease of travel in and out and the safety of its environment.

Amin said: “The obvious choice would have been Hackney or Shoreditch but we wanted to give people the best experience possible.

“What we noticed about Canary Wharf is how unbelievably well connected it is, and that makes a huge difference, because people from all over London can get here quite easily.

“We also like the fact that we’re so different to other businesses here and can be an oasis within a totally different culture.

“Canary Wharf Group has been unbelievable in helping us get to the point where we can offer affordable pricing and build our dream as we wanted.

“While people love our west London warehouse because it feels organic, we’ve spoken to our creators – many of whom are women – and we are aware they can feel genuinely uncomfortable accessing some spaces, especially at night. It’s a huge problem, but here it’s so safe. A lot of our members are using these facilities at night, starting at 9pm and leaving at 4am.”

It’s perhaps because community is so central to The Qube’s model that this is one of the driving factors in its decision to open in Canary Wharf.

“We are a members club and we curate every single application that comes in,” said Amin. “At the moment we reject around 70% and we take people purely on the basis of talent – whether we think they have high potential and are creating high quality content.

“It has nothing to do with how many social media followers someone has and it is somewhat subjective – would you be happy being stuck in an airport lounge with them for an hour – but that means membership isn’t just about the value of the studios, it’s about every other person you meet and knowing that they’re going to be doing something really cool. We’re trying to filter out all that pretentiousness and bravado in the industry – we hate that. It also means our bar will be a great place to be and we’ll be opening that to non-members on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights until 11pm with an open deck policy on Thursdays and a resident DJ on Fridays.”

Applications for memberships at The Qube are open now. Qube East is set to launch on March 24. Go to theqube.com

Scan this for more about The Qube or to apply for membership

l Many sides of The Qube:

A total of 24 studios make up Qube East in Canary Wharf including spaces dedicated to DJs, recording, rehearsal, video production and podcasts

l Fully equipped: The studios come fully kitted out with tech including decks, desks, drum kits and high end microphones so creatives only need to worry about pressing record. Digital files are then sent to them after their session

legal matters

by Graeme Bellenger

I‘m a tenant living on the Isle Of Dogs and my landlord’s agent has recently emailed me to say they want to increase my rent by a substantial amount. Can they do this?

The relationship between you and your landlord will be governed by a tenancy agreement. It will set out the parties’ obligations, most of which will be telling you what you must do and not do.

Landlords naturally become agitated if a tenant does not comply with their obligations. Why?

Acting in breach of a tenancy agreement has the potential to place a landlord’s most substantial investment at risk.

Usually such agreements are for a set term – 6 or 12 months, for example. It is typical that the rent will remain the same throughout the term. If so, your landlord cannot change the amount of the rent during that time.

If the tenancy agreement states the rent will increase during the term, then you must pay the new rent from the date set in the agreement.

At the end of the initial term, the parties are free to negotiate new terms. It is prudent that your landlord starts to negotiate well in advance of the end of the tenancy’s term otherwise they will be stuck with the existing rent until either terms are agreed or the tenancy comes to an end.

Alternatively, a landlord could serve a notice under section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 to change the rent. You must respond to this notice if you disagree with the level of the proposed rent. If you do not do so, then the rent will be increased from the next rental period. If you dispute the rent then you will need to request that the First Tier Property Tribunal determine what the new rent should be.

In the past it has not been particularly common for landlords to serve section 13 notices. However, with rampant in ation, it may become more common. Tactically a landlord who wishes to raise your rent should serve a section 21 notice (the no fault eviction procedure) and a section 13 notice. Why? It is a direction to the tenant to either agree to the new rent or leave.

Hopefully you and your landlord can communicate and agree terms amicably. If this does not happen, it is likely that your landlord will bulldoze through the new rent. Namely because if you don’t like it, they will bring your tenancy to an end, rather than have the matter determined in a tribunal.

In conclusion, a landlord cannot increase the rent during the initial period of your tenancy. Thereafter they can do so.

Be the perfect tenant and maintain an excellent relationship with your landlord and they may be more amenable to continuing your tenancy on favourable terms.

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 nd out more about the full range of legal services available at Kidd Rapinet’s Canary Wharf branch

Saving on four items from Pret when buying a £3 Magic Bag for breakfast using Too Good To Go and saving 3kg of CO2 into the bargain, according to the app

How we roll: The four items were served warm, just as you’d normally expect from Pret and proved perfect for brightening up a grey Monday morning. In addition to the help with the cost of Whar ng, the app is also a great way to try new products with the veggie roll a new favourite getting it for

by Jon Massey

With many feeling the pressure from a rise in the cost of living, what if I told you I could take £3 from you and bring you food worth more than ve times that amount while helping to combat waste?

Too Good To Go is an app that works with food businesses to mop up leftover products by selling them in “Magic Bags” at reduced prices that must be collected from outlets at speci c times. Obviously, if you’re trying to save money the cheapest option will always be to bring your own lunch into the o ce. In Canary Wharf, the app o ers deals with the likes of Cafe Brera, Tribe, Chopstix, Tortilla and Starbucks among others. You don’t get to pick

what you get, but you do get the satisfaction of helping save the planet while tucking in. To test out the service, we ordered a £3 bag from Pret for breakfast. Picked up between 10.30am and 11am from Pret at South Quay Plaza, the bag contained two ham and cheese croissants (£4.30 each) and two veggie breakfast rolls lled with egg, mushroom and roast tomatoes (£3.99 each), making the bag worth a total of £16.58. There is an element of luck – such a massive saving won’t be replicated every time – but if you don’t care too much what you eat or exactly when, this app is a winner.

or

Go to toogoodtogo.com

Scan this code for more information about Too Good To Go or to download the company’s app

Be the perfect tenant and maintain an excellent relationship with your landlord and they may be amenable to favourable terms

Graeme Bellenger, Kidd Rapinet

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

£49.99

Price of a day ticket to London

Luxury A oat at St Katherine Docks, running from April 18-22

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

Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

the

High-end yachts are set to descend on east London

GIG | Songs From The Sea

Join hearty vocalists The Salts for a marine-themed evening of classic shanties. Expect plenty of rounds of Blow The Man Down and Drunken Sailor. Apr 13, 7.30pm, from £12.50, wiltons.org.uk

Where?

Half Moon Theatre

Limehouse

KIDS | Club Origami

Perfect for ages 0-5, this interactive dance show features quite a lot of paper to encourage audiences to think and play in entirely new ways. Apr 1, 11am, 2pm, £7, halfmoon.org.uk

Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

by Jon Massey

St Katharine Docks is set to be stu ed full of even more expensive vessels than usual as London Luxury A oat arrives at the marina. The ve-day event showcases high-end sail and motor yachts with products from the likes of Sunseeker, Oyster, Princess, Falcon and Talos featured. The organisers promise product launches with a selection available

to view alongside on-shore exhibitors. Tickets for the event, which is set to run from April 18-22 cost £49.99 per day, allowing access to the boats and exhibitors. The organisers say details of VIP packages will be released in due course. Go to londonluxurya oat.com for more information

Scan this code for more about the show or to book

STAGE | One Track Minds

The latest iteration of this music-focussed discussion show features novelist Monica Heisey, comedian Hatty Ashdown and writer Dorothy Koomson. Apr 12, 7.30pm, from £7, wiltons.org.uk

ash back , a regular trader at Wapping Docklands Market (10am-4pm at Brussels Wharf on Saturdays) and a man committed to capturing London’s building and the Thames on canvas, paper and marble edjbucknall.com

Scan this code to read our interview with Ed, a former architect online at wharf-life.com

want more? @whar ifelive

don’t be surprised to see some fancy ships heading up the Thames for London Luxury Afloat in April

selling

by Jon Massey

Walk into Adaku Parker’s studio at Craft Central on the Isle Of Dogs and it’s impossible to miss the core element of business. Everywhere there are metal shelves piled high with vibrant African wax print fabrics. Every glance takes in a rainbow of bright, iridescent hues.

Then there’s Adaku herself, eyes glowing and dressed in a blue and yellow Camille dress from her new ready-to-wear range, set to launch later this year.

Colour is Dovetailed London’s business – an operation with many strands to it. Adaku imports and sells the fabrics she uses, with pieces available from as little as £3.50, with scrap bags and charm packs also available to minimise waste.

For those inspired to sew for themselves, she produces patterns for crafters to recreate her creations and offers monthly subscription boxes so customers can build their collection of fabrics, thread and haberdashery.

A sequel to her first book Sewing With African Wax Print Fabric is due out in the autumn and she also runs weekend and Monday night workshops where participants can learn to work with the brightly coloured materials and make some of her designs.

It’s a business that has grown from a chance encounter with an episode of The Great British Sewing Bee in 2016.

“I’d wanted to be a barrister since I was 14 – I went to a school where we were encouraged to aim quite high,” said Adaku. “Being brought up in a Nigerian home, I was expected to be either a barrister, a doctor, an engineer or an accountant – to enter a profession which was safe, secure, where you were guaranteed an income and you could look after yourself and your family.

“So I started on that route. I went to university to read law, went to law school, entered pupillage and was taken on as a criminal barrister and practised for about 15 years.

“I did a lot of white-collar crime – fraud, confiscation, money-laundering – and I really enjoyed that, because the numbers can never really lie, I liked the certainty in that.

“I have no background in sewing or fashion, but when I went on maternity leave in 2016, I just knew that I wanted to try

something new. I was channel hopping and there was The Great Pottery Throw Down, but that wasn’t for me, so I kept on going and saw what was literally the final of the Sewing Bee. I liked that there were professionals on it – people who worked with their creativity and that was really attractive to me. I thought that if they could be interested in sewing, then maybe I might be too.”

So Adaku began dipping her toe into the fashion and textile world, taking courses and experimenting.

“I did about 20 different classes – tailoring, garment alteration and decorative techniques – and I would always take along African wax print fabric. I could see the tutors thinking: ‘Oh no,’ because pattern matching and things like that can be quite tricky.

“But I took to sewing really quickly and it didn’t take me long to get quite good at making things I liked – bags and skirts, for example.

“It gave me a real boost. I feel passionately about the fact that a human being can do many different things even though we often narrow ourselves and go down certain paths. Many skills are transferable, and I’d always felt that deep down, but I’d never experienced it, even though I knew it to be true.”

Dovetailed as a business emerged incrementally from those beginnings.

“I was making for myself, but then family and friends wanted things, too, and they were commissioning projects and items that they could buy from me,” said Adaku. “Then I had the idea to take some to a small market to see what would happen.

“It felt amazing and so affirming, that somebody would part with cash for something I’d made by hand.

“I hadn’t grown up in that environment, I’d just bought things in shops never really thinking about who had made it. I’d never sewn on a button before I did that first workshop. Then in 2018 I was on maternity leave for the second time and was really thinking

about doing something other than the law – that’s when I committed to really running the business. Now sometimes I have to pinch myself – I do really big fabric shows around the country in London, Birmingham and Surrey. I’ve been on shopping television and Dovetailed was featured on Kirstie’s Handmade Christmas with Kirstie Allsopp.

“I sell online through my website and I’ve been featured in magazines – it’s really been amazing. Appearing on shopping television and telling the story of African fabric was that seminal moment for me – Dovetailed was no longer a hobby.

“Navigating the journey to becoming a business that pays for my lifestyle and employees is exciting and I’m having a great time doing it.

“Dovetailed curates a range of African wax print fabrics that are produced using a very specific process – a mechanised form of batik. I buy them from Ghana, Nigeria and Holland with a focus on quality. You can get very inexpensive African fabrics but they will look and feel cheap, so I prefer to import and sell really good quality material.

“There’s a density and a weight to it and it looks very different – people just love it. The designs make colour very wearable, it’s about finding what suits you and matching the right fabric to the project.

“My designs just come to me. Although I haven’t had a background in fashion, I’ve always been quite fashionable and I love colour and dressing up, I’ve never really stopped. Even when I was a barrister I loved passing on what I know. I really enjoy encouraging and inspiring people – writing the books is part of demystifying the craft of sewing.”

To that end Dovetailed is set to launch a series of six week workshops on Monday evenings, starting on April 10, running until May 15. Participants can choose from a selection of projects including dresses, tops, trousers and pinafores. See prices online. As for the future, Adaku has big ambitions for her brand.

“My ultimate dream would be to have my ready-to-wear garments on sale in Selfridge’s,” she said.

Go to dovetailed.co.uk for more

how Dovetailed London is on a mission to bring bright hues into people’s wardrobes

Dovetailed curates a range of African wax print fabrics that are produced using a very speci c process – a mechanised form of batik

Adaku Parker, Dovetailed London

Scan this code to nd out more about Dovetailed London

Dovetailed sells a wide selection of fabrics

Adaku’s designs can be bought as sewing patterns

Fabrics are sourced from Ghana, Nigeria and Holland

Adaku makes Dovetailed’s garments at Craft Central

colour full, vibrant

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

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

Where? Poplar Union Poplar

FILM | Zootopia

Poplar Union is set to host an Easter lm screening of Walt Disney Animations Studios’ tale of the rst bunny to join Zootopia’s police force. Apr 16, 10.30am, free, poplarunion.com

Where? Poplar Union Poplar

GIG

The latest edition of Jordan O’s Soul Sessions features singer and lyricist Yesha who aims to awaken minds and Durag, a poet and performer. Apr 14, 7pm, free, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE

See up to 12 new 20-minute plays (a single ticket covers all performances) as the festival takes over the whole building in a celebration of fresh work. Apr 8-15, times vary, £20, space.org.uk

wine update

Riverside pub The Gun is set to host regular wine tastings on the last Friday of each month with tickets costing £35. Wharf Life recently attended a warm-up event and was delighted by the breadth and consistency of the bottles thegundocklands.com

Scan this code to see what we thought about the warm-up event or for more details on forthcoming tastings

want more? @whar ifelive

| Act II Festival

| Yesha + Durag Michael

Adaku Parker is the owner of Dovetailed London, based at Craft Central’s Westferry Road hub The Forge on the Isle Of Dogs

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

Where?

Printworks

London Canada Water

£29.95

Cost of an early entry ticket (before 2pm) to The Hydra: That’s How It Is at Printworks on April 10

CLUB | The Hydra: Fabric Presents Exodus Tapping into the club that was central to the London scene for so long, The Hydra presents appearances by Anna Wall, Dusky, Amaliah and Josh Ca e. Apr 6, 7pm-2am, from £24.50, printworkslondon.co.uk

Where?

The Albany Deptford

KIDS | I Want My Hat Back

A bear has lost his hat and is keen for its return from the sh who stole it and the pair of turtles who both desire it. Suitable for ages 3-6. Apr 12, 1pm, 3pm, £8.50, thealbany.org.uk

Where? The Albany Deptford

GARDEN

| Come ‘N’ Grow

The Albany is running free gardening sessions for adults (Thursdays) and those aged 60+ (Tuesdays) from April 11. Get a bit of veg in the ground. Tues + Thurs, times vary, free, thealbany.org.uk

concert dates

by Jon Massey

Beats and sounds from the 1990s are set to ll Printworks London as The Hydra brings back That’s How It Is. Kicking o in 1993, the club night ran for a decade and is resurrected here through the picks of tastemakers Gilles Peterson and James Lavelle.

Roni Size and long-time collaborator and creative partner Krust.

This is Lizzie Holmes, founder of classical music promoter Debut, which is hosting a series of monthly “secret concerts” in the Brunel Museum’s Thames Tunnel entrance hall with dates in April, May, June and July debut.org.uk

Scan this code to nd out more secret concerts from Debut in the Brunels’ Thames Tunnel

want more? @whar

Tickets are still available for the 11-hour event, which runs from noon until 11pm at the Canada Water venue and features a barrage of wellknown names.

In addition to Peterson and Lavelle, there will be sets from Unkle-Ronin, Bonobo, Kurder & Dorfmeister, Carl Craig and Nightmares On Wax.

For lovers of drum and bass, there will also be a set from

Billed as having a genrebending music policy, the organisers promise a full line-up that’s an unmissable nod to London’s club culture, curated by two men who have been nding sounds and showcasing artists for 30 years. With other shows in The Hydra series already sold out, this is a last opportunity to attend with a few early entry spots left for £29.50. Go to printworkslondon.co.uk for more information or to book

Scan this code to nd out more about The Hydra at Printworks

Roni Size will be performing with creative partner Krust

how The Hydra is channelling the spirit of a decade-long party by bringing back That’s How It Is at the Printworks

Printworks London is set to host an 11-hour roll call of 1990s club culture in Canada Water

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

Where?

The O2 Arena Peninsula

Cost of a ticket to see The Heights by Tramshed Young Company in Woolwich on April 15

GIG | Andy C Presents Alive 2.0

One of the most enduring and popular gures in dance music is set to ll the tent with the biggest indoor drum and bass event the UK has ever seen. Apr 7, 4.30pm, from £37, theo2.co.uk

Where?

Now Gallery Peninsula

ART

| What You See Here, What You Hear Here

Darryl Daley takes over the exhibition space with four lmic works. Expect spectacular storytelling with a blend of moving images and photography. Mar 23-Jun 11, daily, free, greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

Where?

Beanfeast Woolwich Works

telling those

GIG | Lokkhi Terra + Bajabaah

Arsenal Of Sounds returns, this time taking audiences to Bangladesh and Nepal with two Londonbased groups re ecting the capital’s in uences. Apr 7, 6.30pm, from £10.50, woolwich.works

be quick

how a young theatre company are set to perform work by Derry Girls creator as The Heights comes to Woolwich

by Jon Massey

Tramshed Young Company is gearing up for a pair of performances in Woolwich of Lisa McGee’s play The Heights. Best known as the creator of Derry Girls, Lisa’s writing spans stage and screen, with this play focused on the hapless Lillie.

But are her creations just in her head or is there more to them than that?

Created in collaboration with National Theatre Connections, the production features a cast of teenage actors directed by an emerging director with opportunities also created for aspiring technicians in lighting and sound.

Four Freaks From Iowa, performed by The Roan Theatre Company is set to run at Greenwich Theatre from March 22-25, telling the extraordinary story of Vaudeville’s most vili ed and highest paid act greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about the production or to snap up some last-minute tickets online

want more? @whar ifelive

A resident of the Heights Estate, where nothing ever happens, she never goes out but sits making up stories in her bedroom on the sixth oor of her tower block.

While watching people go by outside she makes up tales – some happy, some sad, some funny. Playing catch with a loaded gun, murdering a twin brother, giving birth to a baby made of glass.

The Heights will be performed at The Tramshed in Woolwich on April 15, with shows at 3pm and 7pm. Tickets cost £6, with those under 16 getting in for free. Go to tramshed.org for more

Scan this code to nd out more about The Heights at Tramshed

The Heights is the work of Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee

The Heights will feature a cast of teenage actors in collaboration with the National Theatre

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

Hours the ACL Community Art Day is set to run at Art In The Docks’ gallery in Royal Docks 8

Artistic Change Leaders are a diverse group of students all studying MA International Fashion Business at the University Of East London in Royal Docks

Royal Docks - Canning Town

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

Where? Fold Canning Town

CLUB | Transmissions: Curated By Objekt

Excpect a core of techno with ashes of acid, electro and house at this party. The line-up includes mi-el, CCL, Shackleton and, of course, Objekt himself. Apr 14, 10pm-6am, £25, ra.co

Where? Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | Star Wars Celebration Europe

Don a Wookie costume, dress the kid as an Ewok and get down to Excel to be with your people in a galaxy far, far away. But who has the best lightsaber? Apr 7-10, from 10am, from £65, starwarscelebration.com

Where? Riverscape Silvertown

EVENT | Fun At The Farm

Families are invited to come down to Ballymore’s development to meet ponies, lambs, goats, chicks and bunnies with feeding and petting available. Apr 16, 10am-2pm, free, eventbrite.co.uk

ashing lights

by Jon Massey

Agroup of MA International Fashion Business students are set to hold an event aimed at building a new creative community in Royal Docks. Artistic Change Leaders (ACL), whose members all study at the University Of East London, plan to host a Community Art Day on April 29 from 10am-6pm.

Hosted at Art In The Docks’ gallery space at Royal Albert Wharf, the event promises a host of free activities and workshops, performance art, newspaper art (the best kind, obviously), origami and petal art as well as displays from selected local artists.

Attendees will even be able to make reusable tote bags and enjoy entertainment from a DJ.

ACL says its vision is “to inspire and motivate creative spirit in the local neighbourhood and showcase amazing

talent in Royal Docks” with a focus on exploring ways of living sustainably. While tickets for the Community Art Day are free, they should be pre-booked via the code below. Follow @artisticchangeleaders on Instagram for more information

Scan this code for more about ACL’s event

Open until June 4, Thin Air lls The Beams venue at The Factory Project with a series of light-based art and sound installations. O -peak tickets for the show start at £20, open Wednesday to Sunday thebeamslondon.com

Scan this code for more information about Thin Air or to book tickets for an illuminating visit

want more? @whar ifelive

how Artistic Change Leaders aim to enrich the Royal Docks with a Community Art Day at RAW

celebrate and an event to

by Jon Massey

Ijust think this plucky building really deserves to survive – it’s been through so much,” said Beverley Charters. We’ve just ascended an ageing wooden staircase and squeezed through a small wooden portal to pop out onto the roof of the House Mill, a Grade I listed structure that straddles the River Lea in Bromley-By-Bow.

To stand on the duckboards in the v-shaped channel that runs between the roof of the building’s twin peaks is a rare privilege. It’s not on the official tour for various health and safety reasons, but it does provide a place to locate this extraordinary hub of historic industry in east London.

Beverley points out all the areas and activities that the mill would once have supported, including a vast pig farm with the animals fed on waste products from the site.

Today it’s a sea of regeneration with Sugar House Island and many others, all set to bring new homes and businesses to the area as progress marches on.

Under our feet, however, some 247 years of history await. Today two mills remain standing at Three Mills although the site has a history of tidal milling that dates back to the Domesday Book in 1086 – the earliest recorded examples of such activity.

Originally Three Mills produced our, notably for the celebrated bakers of Stratford-Atte-Bowe, with the number of mills dropping to two in the 16th century. The site later pivoted to grind grain that was used to distil alcohol and the area became a major player in the production of London gin. Today the House Mill, built in 1776 on foundations dating to 1380, and the Clock Mill, rebuilt in the early 19th century, still stand. While the latter currently houses the Harris Science Academy East London, the former continues on a journey of restoration and preservation that started in the 1970s when this glorious building nearly became a at e panse of tarmac

“It could have been destroyed by bombs during the Second World War like the neighbouring Miller’s House or destroyed by developers who wanted to turn it into a car park – but it wasn’t,” said Beverley – a trustee of the House Mill Trust, which looks after the building and

who, alongside volunteer eoff Cosson, shows me round. “What we ultimately want is a working building that offers all manner of opportunities to educate people so they can see the wheels turning again.

“This is the world’s largest tidal mill, it’s an extraordinary building and it’s our dream to make it fully functioning and sustainable – a place with real purpose.”

Even without the waters of the Lea turning the wheels, the building is remarkable. Filtering down through its levels –following the route that would have been taken by the grains on their way to the grinding stones and the sacks waiting for the our on the ground oor – everley and eoff release a steady ow of anecdotes and facts about our surroundings. Mostly constructed from wood, the place is a ba ing maze of hoppers, stores and production oors where the grain would have been sorted, cleaned and fed into the whirling stones whenever the tide was providing the power, day or night.

That force was provided by four massive iron waterwheels, harnessing the green energy of the Lea and distributing it through the building via huge drive shafts.

The overall plan is to restore the House Mill to some degree of working order with the waterwheels spinning once more with the tide, although these will be used to generate electricity to power the building and give it an income, rather than to grind grain.

With much work done internally in the 1990s, including the rebuilding of the bombed out Miller’s House as a cafe, visitor and education centre, a substantial amount of work has already been achieved.

But the trust faces big bills to keep operating and fundraising for a challenging project to dam the river, so work can be done on the wheels to bring them back into use. It’s also having to contend with increasingly frequent ooding of the mill s ground oor, possibly as a consequence of measures upstream to control the level of the waterways in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which prevents the incoming tide owing as far up the river Nevertheless, there’s a sense of fight and optimism, with the ne t pro ect aimed at weatherproofing and protecting the rear of the building to match the recently renovated facade. We wanted to

Years since the House Mill’s current building was constructed on foundations dating back to 1380

how the House Mill in BromleyBy-Bow aims to get its waterwheels turning in the tidal Lea once again

House Mill Trust trustee Beverley Charters and volunteer Geo Cosson on the roof of the building

complete it pre-lockdown, but it s finished now and we think it looks rather fabulous, said everley ow we re somehow going to fundraise for the back and repair some storm damage we ve had to the roof before returning to the main pro ect of getting the building working again e hope it will be possible and we think we can do it ut why bother e pending all this effort to conserve and celebrate a historic building at all “I ust think buildings like this are fantastic, said eoff, a former teacher who became involved with the pro ect after moving back to the Isle f ogs from yprus and visiting the ouse ill with his wife “ here s also a degree of connection because both my grandparents were from this area – my grandmother lived in airn treet ust down the river and got married on hristmas ay at the registrar s office in romley- y- ow, which is still there “I wanted to be involved with something that wasn t ust about ogling things, where there was a bit of history

Alongside that link to the history of the area, there s also a ma or part that the mill can play in east ondon s ongoing story “ e have been in a period of recovery following the pandemic, but we were busy pre-lockdown with weddings, qui nights, gin tastings and other events, said everley “ hey might not relate to the history of the mill directly but once people are here we smuggle the heritage in “ hat we ve found is that once people come through the door and see the si e of the machinery they ust love it and we have lots of stories we can tell them he ouse ill rust is currently seeking funding and volunteers to continue its work. he building will be open on undays in summer for guided tours costing 0 including a guide book and a hot drink Go to housemill.org.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about the House Mill project

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

Where?

Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

STAGE | Village Idiot

Samson Hawkins’ audacious comedy promises to drag city audiences to the country for a farcical family feud at a fair. Expect a meat ra e. Apr 13-May 6, times vary, from £10, stratfordeast.com

Where?

Rule Zero

Fish Island

COMEDY | The Just Us League: Jammin

Billed as the UK’s premier nerd comedy duo, the league present an evening of improv with spots for those who want to try their hand on stage. Apr 19, 7pm, free, rulezero.co.uk

Where? London Aquatics Centre Stratford

SPORT | Arena Games Triathlon

See top athletes including the likes of Georgia TaylorBrown (the most decorated female Olympic triathlete in the sport’s history) at this epic contest. Apr 8, 5.30pm, from £12.50, superleaguetriathlon.com

ash back

This is Laura-Louise Erasmus, creator of vibrant clothing brand Wolf Rayet, which produces its brightly patterned garments by hand in Hackney Wick – ideal for peacocking at festivals or in the gym wolfrayet.co.uk

Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with Laura-Louise and for more on Wolf Rayet

want more? @whar ifelive

This is the world’s largest tidal mill, it’s an extraordinary building and it’s our dream to make it fully functioning and sustainable Beverley Charters, House Mill Trust

Next on the agenda is the renovation of the back of the House Mill The interior contains much original machinery including, top, wooden blanks used to cast replacement parts in iron

The House Mill and Miller’s House, above, for part of the Three Mills complex in Bromley-By-Bow

Sudoku

How to play

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

More to play

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

Notes

crossword

Cryptic Quick Down

Take a break from that phone Across

1. Mixing gold with iron mildew makes zodiac sign (6)

4. The line that once was but now isn’t (6) 9. European shoestrings make everything good (13)

10. Literally confuse to make a minus? (7)

11. Your share, almost, in proportion (5)

12. Al’s in a hole about hair braids? (5)

14. Laid back approach to deception? (5)

18. Mom can punctuate the beginning of this clue, we find 19. Tailored loungewear for tailored feline? (7)

21. Clone antiques to follow on (13)

22. Ye poet makes a spineless cactus (6)

23. Clueless doctor wonders about new events, we hear (6)

1. Turn a GI into a codebreaker (6)

2. Liz’s best rejection for old Fitzwilliam’s proposal (13)

3. Trade union’s zero score up to the time? (5)

5, 13, 16. Useless radio detective’s apology? (2,5,1,6,1,4)

6. Trunk damage? (5,8)

7. Finding a station is tenuous (6)

8. The ultimate detective code? (5)

13. See 5 down.

15. Frozen headgear for polar regions? (6)

16. See 5 down.

17. Last in? No, Russians have had more leaders (6)

20. Its very tall queen was once famous (5)

Mooring (5)

beating the

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