Wharf Life Oct 9-23 by wharf-life

Martin Gettings on the power we can wield as one Page 12

Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

inside issue 18

No 35 Mackenzie Walk - The Moon - Let’s Take This Outside Jollof Wars - MCM Comic Con London - Half Moon Creative Virtual - Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair Puzzles - Trinity Walk - Tap Room - Third Space

sweet something

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

how Maitre Choux wants to turn heads on the Wharf with its high-end pastries Canary Wharf – Pages 6-7

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

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

read

fortnightly find

this issue’s Tiger Treasure

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 7 where? Museum Of London Docklands West India Quay SAMPLE | After Hours Tour And Rum Tasting Wharfers are invited to discover the history of rum and sugar after the doors to the museum have closed. Tickets include a cocktail and rum tasting. Nov 6, 6.30pm, £32, museumoflondon.org.uk

feast your eyes on these

This delightful little kit can transform any table into a miniature court to settle that age-old problem in the office – just who is the best whiff-whaff player around? Or should that be gossima? Had the current prime minister checked his facts (apparently not his habit), before speaking in Beijing in 2008 he’d have discovered Jaques Of London pinged and ponged first Table Tennis, £4 Go to uk.flyingtiger.com

Transitions is one of 10 works installed at seven

How Maitre Choux is geared up to deliver a little of what you fancy

Elizabeth line stations

where? East Wintergarden Canary Wharf

SPORT | Canary Wharf Rowathon Team and individual challenges will run during the day in aid of Hope And Homes For Children. Sign up now, get fundraising and train away. Nov 7, from 11am, £20-£100, canarywharf.com where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place

GIG | Horace Andy The reggae star returns to the Boisdale stage. Known for his colourful style, quavering voice and collaboration with Massive Attack it’s rewind time. Oct 23, 9.15pm, from £12.50 (no dinner), boisdale.co.uk

to do before October 23

With Spitting Image returning, political satire is riding high. Boisdale Of Canary Wharf is set to welcome impressionist Rory Bremner to its stage on October 14 at 8pm for blasts of Boris and Trump. Tickets start at £20 boisdale.co.uk

Why No 35 Mackenzie Walk is the new name for Wharf’s bar lovers

station installation

Transitions by Michal Rovner, Crossrail Place, Canary Wharf A 16m-long digital artwork has arrived in Canary Wharf as part of The Crossrail Art Programme. Michal Rovner’s Transitions is now in place at the estate’s Elizabeth line station, funded jointly by Canary Wharf Group and the City Of London Corporation who commissioned the work with the support of the Pace Gallery. The artist said: “I wanted to encapsulate, to summarize this place, London with the mystery of fog, the rich theatre, literature and architecture. A mixture of present and past, a world full of monuments, testimonies of a dramatic and grand history. “I hope that my work in this place will remind travellers that the time they take for granted, going from one place to another, and the space between, is actually very meaningful. By moving from one place to another,

they are part of the magical human flow in time.” Every silhouette featured in the film has been filmed by Michal in a bid to depict individualism and humanity – a visual depiction of the tide of people that flows through the capital each day. Canary Wharf Group’s Camille Waxer said: “As a long standing supporter of the arts, we are delighted to provide this highly visible location for Transitions. “Michal’s work captures the energetic movement of people through London in general and Canary Wharf in particular as they head to their different destinations. “We hope that Transitions will cause the public to take a moment to pause and consider the artist’s vision of London and Londoners.” Go to canarywharf.com Jon Massey

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How Chris Ezekiel scaled up to take on the biggest tech companies

the joy of six Every fortnight Wharf Life covers six areas surrounding Canary Wharf to bring you the best of what’s going on beyond the estate From Page 49

need something fixed?

A decent place to sit for a drink or a pasta, find Obica in the West Wintergarden obica.com

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Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

words you didn’t know you need

pranger

buy me

this fortnight’s must-have items

noun, fictional, American The disproportionate level of fury felt when trying to print out a document and your printer is, for unknown reasons, not functioning properly. Pranger increases exponentially as deadlines for the printed material approach

bucket list

write me

Sweat By BXR offers a range of workouts including VersaClimber cardio sessions

dripple

verb, real, early modern English One dripples when dribbling a wet substance briskly. While sources on usage are few, there are suggestions it relates to whisky. The drippling of water into this celebrated spirit could be a sign of overindulgence

When it comes to meetings and events, our team is dedicated to ensuring we stay in line with your budget. With our all-inclusive room hire offer Autumn Price Lock, you can book with us and enjoy the following:

● Boxing List Recently opened at Crossrail Place, Sweat By BXR offers Boxing Skills, Sweatbox and Climb To The Beat classes as a spin off from its Marylebone mothership. Introductory offers include four of the first two classes above for £40 or three cardio sessions in its VersaClimber studio for £30 with the intention of getting Wharfers hooked on its offerings sweatbybxr.com

Statement Blouse, £45 Monsoon, Canada Place ● Body List Strong Island returns from October 18-20 with Strut Summit, Day Party and Food And Lycra at the East Wintergarden. Friday 7pm-10pm and noon-5pm at weekends Tickets are free but book early on canarywharf.com

A subtle celebration of the equestrian lies at the heart of this elegant blouse, ideally worn with a long leather skirt or trousers so black you disappear at night

■ A choice of seven newly refurbished meeting rooms ■ Natural daylight in all meeting rooms and networking areas ■ Complimentary Wi-fi throughout the hotel ■ Unlimited tea and coffee throughout the day ■ Wireless presentation technology with interactive presentation technology ■ HDTV with a Bluetooth sound bar (not applicable to Docklands Suite) ■ Newly fitted BRITA Filter Fountain to help you reduce your use of plastics ■ A team of event experts to oversee your booking ■ A selection of mouth-watering menus (additional cost)

● Book List Why not acquire a copy of The Colour Purple by Alice Walker, a tale of separation, sisters, race, love, sex and feminism. Published in 1982, this Pulitzer Prizewinner takes the reader back to 1930s Georgia to focus on the life of African-American women in America’s southern states. Yours for £8.99 waterstones.com

eat me

to get you through the day Gluten-free chicken katsu, £7.45 Leon, Cabot Place

All requests are subject to availability. This offer is applicable for new inquiries only The meetings must take place from 10th October 2019 – 31st December 2019 Quote Autumn Offer upon making your request to claim Limited number of meeting spaces available. Contact us via email on sales@cpdocklands.co.uk or call 020 7055 2000 Find us online at www.cplondondocklands.co.uk

Quite what the breadcrumbs are surrounding the sizeable chunks of chicken in this GF main course is beside the point. Typical of Leon, this is a keenly priced box of hearty, flavourful meat on a bed of brown rice with the usual crunchy slaw on the side. This brand’s genius lies in not overcomplicating its dishes. Take a forkful of this in your mouth and we defy you to feel anything other than pleasantly sated. leon.co

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Image by NASA

Canary Wharf

on the radar need to know

We’re late to the party, but Wharf Kitchen Quizzing on October 14, November 11 and December 9 looks just the business to test the estate’s brains. Teams of six will battle it out for £100 gift card and a half dozen meal tokens. Free to enter, book online canarywharf.com

47 Art lovers should look out for a collection of works by Igor Mitoraj in the lobby of One Canada Square from October 14-November 16. With works on display across Canary Wharf including giant bronzes, this should prove an exciting, potent show canarywharf.com

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

241

Head to Brewdog at Churchill Place on Mondays and get two-for-one on vegan and veggie main courses. Craft beers cost extra, of course brewdog.com

Why The Merchant is the ideal place to hold your Wharf party

50% 54

Why not host your festive bash at The Moon exhibition in Royal Greenwich’s National Maritime Museum? After all, Buzz Aldrin’s cap is only in town for a limited time

Visit Dune in Cabot Place and get up to 50% off selected lines as the footwear brand engages in a seasonal sale. Terms and conditions apply, naturally dunelondon.com

Comic Con returns to Excel in a celebration of all things pop culture

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey

anary Wharf is not in want of sugary snacks. With recent arrivals such as Crosstown Doughnuts and Joe Blake’s, visitors to the estate have never been in a better position to frost their sweet teeth, even if the latter has stopped serving its epic cruffins. Maitre Choux, which recently started trading in Canada Place on the way to the Tube from HSBC, isn’t quite like the other offerings, though. Its pristine racks of primped, perfect eclairs are more jewellers’ window than bakery. Some are even dusted with fluttering petals of edible gold leaf. To find out more, we caught up with co-founder Jeremie Vaislic who created the business with partner Marina Nadirova after meeting established French chef Joakim Prat.

eclair well, we do

we catch up with Maitre Choux’s co-founder following its Wharf opening I was in ﬁnance for quite a long time, as co-founder and COO of West Point Derivatives. I’d worked in acquisitions and left after a couple of years to start my own company –a brokerage business for investments and hedge funds in London. All my former clients were in Canary Wharf. I didn’t love it enough to keep going, however, so I sold the business and that’s how the natural

Tell me about the brand This is a choux pastry niche. It’s a very versatile product but it’s not something that has been very much looked at traditionally, probably because it’s a bit more complex to work than other bases.

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step out of that world happened. I wanted to do something different. My partner, Marina and I met chef Joakim when we were having dinner in his former restaurant – he was executive pastry chef at L’Atelier De Joel Robuchon – and we got talking after the meal. We kept throwing ideas around and then we fell upon choux pastry – you can create different shapes, different textures, and you can fill it with different things. It’s a very light and airy base. It’s not heavy, like a sponge or bread dough. Also, traditionally it’s the most sold pastry in France. Market-wise it’s quite an interesting product to work with, but at the same time, we didn’t want to be limited to selling one thing. So that’s how I created the brand, because in France ‘maitre’ means master and teacher, so calling the business Maitre Choux positions us as being the reference point for choux pastry, which we are. On the back of that, we have a range of products. What do you offer? We do eclairs, both sweet and savoury, and we also do choux which are a bit different. Where the former are long, the latter are round and we add a layer of a mixture of butter, flour and sugar onto the raw dough, then put it in the oven. The butter melts and drips

Maitre Choux’s Canary Wharf branch serves Monmouth coffee from 7am Lush Designs

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“

Our products are priced above average so, naturally, we cater for a crowd where people are a little wealthier and can afford to treat themselves Jeremie Vaislic, Maitre Choux

down, and the sugar will caramelise around the dough. This creates a crust with a nice texture, and it’s filled with different types of cream inside. It’s quite a simple product but we use very high-end raw ingredients. The creams are quite intense and flavoured, so if there’s a flavour you’re interested in, the choux will bring it out. Then we offer chouquettes (£1.50 each) – piped on a baking tray and then baked in the oven. In France, it’s what kids eat after school as a snack, so you buy them in bags. You also do savoury options? You could have lunch with us by eating a couple of savoury choux and one sweet, or, when catering for receptions, it’s quite nice to have eclairs on trays, in a meeting room. They are better than boring sandwiches. All of our products are made by Michelin star chefs, and everything is very high end. When it comes to our savoury products, you have a bit of texture, way more complex flavourings and colours. My personal savoury

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

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

Branches of Maitre Choux are now operating in the UK following the Canary Wharf opening

Jeremie Vaislic co-founded Maitre Choux in 2015

occasion (Prices start at £90). They are ﬁlled with ﬂowers, with a hole in the middle for the eclairs and they look very opulent – a great gift for a partner or a spouse.

average so, naturally, we cater for a crowd where people are a little wealthier, enjoy treating themselves and can aﬀord to treat themselves. So we need to be where these type of people live and work. Canary Wharf is a natural extension to our other branches in Bicester Village, Soho and the King’s Road. What should I buy for the office or a special occasion? We have two types of gift boxes and we sell them by two, four or eight, which are standard boxes, but also nice to give. e also have ﬂower gift boxes, that need to be ordered in advance, and these are for a very grand

Maitre Choux offers a wide range of eclairs including this Persian Pistachio filled with a mousseline cream, all yours for £5.20

Is running Maitre Choux how you imagined it would be? No, you can never be really prepared for something you start and you know nothing about, so it’s a learning curve, and you never stop figuring things out. Your relationships with your employees and suppliers are quite different from the world of finance. You need the same mindset that would apply to any business, but in addition, you deal with people who come to you for something nice and cute. In finance you have a very different relationship with your customers. Where will you take the business? We’d like to open abroad and in other places in the UK. Maybe we’d like to expand the product range, perhaps adding more savoury pastries. There’s quite a wide range of possibilities with choux pastry. Initially we started with eclairs, choux pastries and chouquettes, but at some point it will be time to expand what we do. Go to maitrechoux.com

This Customer Service Week show your customers some

LOVE

favourite is the smoked salmon and cream cheese eclair (£5). It has a bit of a tang, soft cream cheese, the smoked salmon, and it has texture. Where do the recipes come from? Joakim comes up with them. A lot of the time, when you have normal bakery products or a normal sandwich, you will often ﬁnd that something is missing. For me, what’s important, is the look, the taste and the texture. Often, when you end up with a generic product, one or more of these elements will be missing. We try to keep all three of them in mind with everything we do, because they are all of equal importance. You could have something with amazing texture and taste but, if it doesn’t look

very nice, you won’t buy it. Which eclair should I try first? My favourite is the Paris-Brest (£5.80). It’s a French traditional dessert that normally comes in a round shape. It’s filled with ha elnut paste, caramelised almonds and, on top, whipped cream and hazelnut cream, and a flat top of caramelised almonds. It’s beautiful to look at and it tastes absolutely amazing. My favourite choux is the vanilla and raspberry filled one (£ . 0 . We buy all our vanilla from Tahiti, and we make our cream with that, then add an injection of raspberry cream inside. Canary Wharf is your fifth branch since opening in South Kensington in 2015. Why here? Our products are priced above

with our award-winning chatbot, virtual agent and live chat solutions. info@creativevirtual.com 020 7719 8332

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Canary Wharf

how Darwin And Wallace will inject something a little bit different into the Wharf’s bar scene

October is the target opening date for No 35 Mackenzie Walk Mel Marriott has opened a string of bars across London that build on her experience in the industry, each with its own identity

By Jon Massey

‘m labouring under a misconception when I meet Mel Marriott in Canary Wharf. Somehow I’ve got it into my head that she’s opening a bar called Darwin And Wallace on the estate. It turns out, however this is just the name of her holding company for a string of seven bars she already operates across London. The eighth, in keeping with her other sites, is to simply be named after its address – No 35 Mackenzie Walk – or to Wharfers with a less than comprehensive grasp of the estate’s map, the space by the dock formerly known as Cafe Rouge. It would be wholly wrong, however to discuss what Mel’s bringing to the estate as part of a chain. Each of her bars is named for its exact location and designed to serve the people who work and live there. It’s a sharp contrast to one of her former roles that also saw her engage with Canary Wharf professionally. “Years ago I was brand manager for All Bar One, having joined the business when there was only one branch,” she said. “I never thought I’d be opening a site just along from it. “I was involved in the opening of the Reuters Plaza branch. It’s bizarre to think about – at that point All Bar One didn’t open for breakfast, it opened at noon. From when we ﬁrst came to Canary Wharf, the landscape has utterly changed and that brand has evolved too since my day. “I’m really grateful that I’ve got the opportunity to open No 35 – it’s really exciting.” There’s a clear sense however, that despite a natural modesty, Mel has made her own luck, building a business over half a dozen years on the foundation of her experience and knowledge. “Six years ago now, having stayed at home for some time, with two young children, I thought that, if I didn’t go back to work then, I never would,” she said. “I had this idea about what I thought I could do – the evolution of what a pub could be. It’s still a social place, but embracing all of the behavioural changes in society – people getting up early, socialising over breakfast and mums with prams. “So the whole still works as a pub, as a meeting space, but it changes over the day. I was also interested in Australian cafe culture. I was fortunate enough to ﬁnd funding for the business, supportive shareholders, and a chairman who understood what I was trying to achieve.

pub evolving the

“

I’m really grateful that I’ve got the opportunity to open No 35 Mackenzie Walk in Canary Wharf – it’s really exciting Mel Marriott, Darwin And Wallace

e opened the first site at 11, Pimlico Road and each is named after its own address, with a bit of poetic licence. If you closed your eyes and tried to think of a pub, you might think of a more traditional space, but this is a bar and it’s also a kitchen where we sell lunch, dinner and breakfast.” Mel’s bars are design-led, rooted in their environment and linked more by shared values than anything else. I’ve always tried to find and work with like-minded individuals,” she said. I found aravan offee when they had their first site, loved what they were doing, so we’ve always served

their products, and now they train our baristas. “The intention was always to have good food, really gorgeous drinks in the recognition that the whole cocktail scene was huge, but over the last six years things have moved on. People are drinking less, so it’s important to have a really interesting soft drinks range, as part of what you do – low-alcohol and no-alcohol. “The other thing which was very important to me from the get-go was the whole intention to have the smallest environmental footprint possible as a Continued on Page 10

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Canary Wharf

business. It’s become such a big thing that everyone’s got to be sustainable, but we’ve been doing this from the start. “For example, deciding to separate waste in a business like mine is a big commitment but we did it and we have a supplier who takes away and responsibly recycles all of our rubbish. “The intention, as far as possible, is to be ero-waste to landfill. e’ve achieved three stars from the Sustainable Restaurant Association – its top rating – and we’re the only bar group in London to have achieved that. “In terms of food waste, for example, most operators will offer you burger and chips for £14, and the very simple thing that anyone can do is to just offer a burger and give people a choice about the chips. So you sacrifice your immediate £4, but if people want to order chips at £3.50 they can do, it’s a conscious choice. It’s amazing just how much food gets wasted because people didn’t want it or were never going to eat it. e also desiccate the garnishes for our drinks. Back in the day you’d chop up all your lemons and limes and put them in a row behind the bar. They’d sit there and then the unused ones would get chucked away. “If you sit down at No 35, someone will bring you a glass of tap water. ou will not be offered still, sparkling or tap, so that removes that awkward conversation and we’ve sacrificed that revenue stream of bottled water. e do stock it, but we don’t offer it, customers have to ask. ll of the cooking fat goes off to become biofuel, so we have to lock it away because it has become quite a valuable commodity now. “These decisions come from being aware as a human that, in this world where we live, something’s got to give. e’re making such a huge impact by unconsciously consuming stuff without giving a thought. “Maybe it was kick-started by being a mum. If you’re reading and aware and are thinking about your impact, there are so many ways you can make small changes. hat I say to my children is, you don’t need to give yourselves a label or a ridiculously difficult challenge, you need to make small choices and see how you feel.”

s for her anary harf bar, workers and locals can expect a dramatic change from the tired old wood of Cafe Rouge. Mel is determined to make the most of its dockside position, delivering something she hopes will appeal to the market. “Design is a huge passion of mine, so we’ve created a really cool bar for the site,” she said. “The obvious way to do bars is to stick in a big long back bar, so we’ve ﬂipped that on its head and we’ve created a horseshoe bar that will open out onto the walkway.

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

from Page 8

Mel once worked as brand manager for All Bar One when it had a single branch and was involved in opening its Canary Wharf site just down the dock from No 35 Mackenzie Walk

“There will also be a bar outside with some really lovely lounge seating coming over from Belgium. “It will be comfortable – the kitchen will be visible and therefore it will be a reminder that we’re serious about our food. There will also be a ﬁreplace. There are points where you can stand by the bar, some tables more suited to standing at and drinking and other softer areas which could tempt the private dining crowd. “Our menu begins at breakfast and it’s all scratch-cooked on the premises we make everything ourselves. “It changes across the group four times a year – we’re just doing an Autumn refresh at the moment – and the food and drink menus run through the business so that we can change them every 12 weeks. e don’t rest on our laurels. e

“

People should come because it will be a beautiful bar, we serve amazing drinks, we’re a friendly lot and change is good Mel Marriott, Darwin And Wallace

have five-grain porridge, for example, with a seasonal fruit topping, avocado, eggs, breakfast bowls that are full of grains, which are delicious, and you can customise them. “If you’re a vegetarian or a vegan, there are other options too or meateaters also indulge in a steak or a pie. “I think there are some classic dishes – there’s a burger to our own recipe as well as an halloumi burger and a vegan burger. Then there’s delicious fish sustainably sourced, but we don’t deep-fry it, so there are twists. “As for soft drinks, we look around London, we talk to people, and you can have a really gorgeous one, such as Karma Cola, which is more ethical and tastes completely different. e make our own house lemonades, so we squeeze lemons and layer on top either ginger or watermelon. There’s lot to have if you don’t want beer, wine or cocktails. e have lots of classic cocktails but then we might have different mixers with really lovely quality spirits. “There will be a gin card with all sorts of different expressions alongside a range of different whiskies. e try to find an interesting selection, so it’s not entirely the usual suspects. “People should come because it will be a beautiful bar, we serve amazing drinks, we’re a friendly lot – and change is good.” Go to no35mackenziewalk.co.uk

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33%

Canary Wharf Group’s reduction in energy use since 2007 despite the estate’s increase in size

getting greener

by Martin Gettings

alone Martin believes in the power of collective action in tackling climate change

training wheels

not going it

ast week saw millions of people around the world marching in the Global Climate Strike, with 100,000 people taking to the streets here in London, demanding urgent action on the climate crisis. Seeing people of all ages and backgrounds uniting for climate action serves as a powerful reminder that we’re all in this together. No individual can fix this alone. Collective action – all of us working towards a common goal – is the key to enacting positive change. Canary Wharf Group recently signed the Better Buildings Partnership Member Climate Change Commitment, committing to publishing a net zero carbon pathway and giving regular updates about our progress in carbon reduction. Together with the other signatories across the property sector, we aim to transition to a zero carbon economy, sharing our journey and encouraging other businesses to follow in our footsteps. I want to stress that we’re not starting from zero. Canary Wharf Group has been focused on sustainability since its inception in 1987. Since 2007 the company has reduced energy use by 33%, despite adding more buildings to the portfolio every year. We’ve been procuring 100% renewable electricity across all our operations since 2012 and we have sent no waste to landfill from our estate since 2009. We’re very proud of all the progress we’ve made so far, but we’re certainly not going to stop there. Our 2030 vision includes achieving biodiversity net gain, becoming carbon net zero, and continuing to align our business with the UN’s Sustainable

Development Goals. But we can’t achieve these goals alone. If the climate protests have taught us anything, it’s that we need to work together if we want to create meaningful change. If we all make small changes – whether in our home lives or our professional lives – we can have a collective positive impact and drive change on a personal, professional and global level. This could be as simple as carrying a reusable water bottle, switching to a renewable energy tariff, or choosing to shop locally. We always want to hear from our community, to learn how we can better support your own sustainability journeys. If you have questions, or want to get involved, please contact the Canary Wharf sustainability team at sustainability@canarywharf.com.

Martin Gettings is group head of sustainability at Canary Wharf Group Go to canarywharf.com or breakingtheplastichabit.co.uk

floating free

what it’s like to become a member at Third Space in Canary Wharf

ne of the unexpected rediscoveries I’ve made during the two and a half months I’ve been going to Third Space is swimming. With a base level of fitness only marginally above that of the committed couch potato, it would have been impossible for me to hit the gym every day without the cumulative aches and pains becoming intolerable. So I purchased a pair of goggles and resolved to head to the pool, intending to use swimming alternating with Yoga as the fixative in my body’s development – something lighter that would reinforce the hard yards made

in classes and following gym programmes. My first swim was tough. A 30-length stint in the 23m pool felt like a marathon, my strokes erratic and thuggy. Repetition has paid off, however, and slowly, metre-by-metre my movements have sharpened. My stamina has improved too, sessions stretching first to 40 then 50 and now 60 lengths with fewer and fewer rests and quicker times. And while my backstroke is still woefully slow, my crawl and breaststroke are now much more akin to the forms my hapless swimming teachers tried to impart all those years ago.

Third Space’s pool is a tranquil escape

While each swim feels increasingly productive from a fitness point of view, crucially the pool offers something else. Never too busy, it’s a complete physical and mental escape from the world. That first length launching into the low-chlorine crystal water is a burst of freedom – as close to flying as humanity can come. It’s a refreshing way to clear the mind before reaching the end and realising there are another 59 to go. Monthly membership at Third Space Canary Wharf costs £170 per person. Go to thirdspace.london Jon Massey

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Canary Wharf

Regular passengers Bennon Maina, left, and Sophie Bradley (with fellow boat enthusiast Amber), right

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hen you think of your commute, do you think of fresh air, a comfortable seat and a view of one of the world’s most beautiful skylines? For most people, the answer is no. However, east London residents living around Woolwich, the Royal Docks (with its new Royal Wharf Pier opening this month); the Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, the Isle Of Dogs, Surrey Quays and Rotherhithe are enjoying all of this and more with every morning and evening commute. Those choosing to travel aboard Thames Clippers, glide to and from central London on its RB1 and RB6 routes, and make the most of the stunning views from the River Thames while enjoying a fresh cup of coffee (or something stronger) from the onboard bar. With east London piers at Woolwich (Royal Arsenal), Royal Wharf, North Greenwich, Greenwich, Masthouse Terrace, Greenland (for Surrey Quays), Doubletree Docklands and Canary Wharf, Thames Clippers commuters can travel comfortably and easily to key business areas in London such as Westminster, Waterloo, London Bridge and the City. Meet some regular Thames Clippers commuters travelling from Woolwich to central London: Bennon Maina travels to Embankment every day with Thames Clippers; a direct journey of 59 minutes. He says “It’s a different way to commute! I’ve been travelling with Thames Clippers for five years and it’s really comfortable.” Bennon makes the most

Season tickets within the East Zone start at £27 for a weekly pass

why commuting with Thames Clippers is a quick and calm solution to getting across the capital for Londoners

work the way to

of his commuting time to “organise my thoughts and get ready for work”, creating the perfect mindset before arriving at the office. Another aspect he enjoys is how much he saves, which he rounds up to “about £800 a year on a season ticket”, compared to other modes of transport.

Sophie Bradley travels three days a week to London Bridge with Amber, her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who’s already a celebrity amongst other passengers and members of staff. She praises how relaxing it is to commute on the river: “It’s a really calm way to come into work and you get to see the lovely scenery.”

Deirdre McGettrick commutes from Woolwich to London Bridge

Sophie can’t recommend it enough as it’s a “really stressfree way of travelling. You can get on with your work and get a freshly made cup of coffee in the morning”. Deirdre McGettrick is an entrepreneur working in London Bridge. For two years Deirdre has enjoyed the direct 45-minute commute from Woolwich to central London “without being stuck under someone’s armpit! You always have a seat and can enjoy the beautiful skyline. The staff are super friendly and the opportunity to do some work on board is absolutely invaluable”. Thames Clippers is the leading River Bus service on the Thames with services running every 20 minutes from key London piers. Services run seven days a week from Woolwich on RB1/ RB5 and additionally RB6 from Canary Wharf, Monday to Friday, serving piers such as Embankment, London Bridge City, Blackfriars and Battersea Power Station. Season tickets within East and from East to Central Zones are available and start from a very affordable £27 for a weekly season ticket, and £77.95 for a monthly season ticket (Woolwich (Royal Arsenal) Pier to Canary Wharf Pier would be an example journey). Passengers considering ad hoc river travel are also able to use contactless payment and Oyster pay as you go with Thames Clippers, or should consider a carnet (10 tickets for the price of nine) via the Thames Clippers ticketing app, making river travel even easier. For more information visit thamesclippers.com/ commuters or follow @ThamesClippers on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

by Jon Massey

he so-called digital unicorns and challenger banks in Canary Wharf using technology to upset the established pre-digital order in so many sectors would do well to look ust off the north-west corner of the estate. There, nestled in the honeyed brick of Cannon Workshops at the far end of West India Quay, they’ll find reative irtual – a company that lists the likes of HSBC and Lloyds Banking Group as clients and competes with names such as Microsoft on a global stage. Founded by east London-born Isle Of Dogs resident Chris Ezekiel in 2003, the business started trading a year later, expanding steadily to win a five-year ueen’s ward For Innovation in 01 and be named among the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 last year as one of the fastest growing technology companies in the UK. arlier this year, reative irtual was recognised by growth strategy consulting and research firm Frost nd Sullivan, winning its European AI-Enhanced Customer Self-Service roduct eadership Award. Frankly, it would be possible to fill the ma ority of these pages with the company’s accolades and trophies. That’s testament to the hard work of Chris and his team, a man who is both filled with bright-eyed optimism and firmly grounded in the relentless pressures of business. “If I look at all those things, obviously the ueen’s ward is the one that stands out,” he said. “But being called a product leader independently by Frost And Sullivan is ust incredible and we make a big thing about that too. “When I hear people say: ‘You’re a leader in the industry, where is the validation for that ’ – that provides a lot of the backing for that claim.” With a tagline of “the science of conversation reative irtual offers tools and services to businesses and organisations that automate parts of their interactions with customers and employees by combining the talents of humans with artificial intelligence. “We deploy an automated way for a chatbot to answer questions and even have conversations, said Chris. “It can handle all of your account service enquiries, for a bank, for example, in a very natural conversational way. “If it can’t answer a question, it can also seamlessly escalate that enquiry to a person in the contact centre. The system also learns from how the humans then answer the questions. “It’s a unique combination of artificial intelligence and natural

The number of languages Creative Virtual’s employees support across the globe

Founder and CEO Chris Ezekiel started Creative Virtual in 2003 and has gone on to carve out a leading position in the chatbot and customer service market

how Creative Virtual has built a global empire while staying true to its East End roots

conversation developing the science of

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

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Innovation

language processing, with the real people in the contact centres who are answering calls or replying to emails – we’ve joined those two things up. The automated system, the chatbot, constantly learns from the human element, and I’m sure people will appreciate this saves companies a lot of money by automating more and more enquiries but it also improves their customers’ experience, especially when you consider people like the Millennials. “The last thing they’ll think about doing is picking up the phone and calling a company – they’re on Facebook or WhatsApp and they want to contact ﬁrms in that medium, in that channel – that’s what we do across multiple channels. People want to be able to speak too, whether it’s through one of these smart speaker systems, like Amazon’s Alexa or Google Home, or into a messenger app and engage with the company just like they engage with their friends – this is really key today for all organisations. “It improves the customer experience, because people can get answers to questions via the channel of their choice, and there is normally a route through to a human if you need one.

020 7519 0070

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It’s really great to build a company where people think differently from each other. That’s what has made us a success Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual

“Triage is a good way of describing it – we’re set up to answer a set of questions but the more complex ones need the human in the loop as well. “It’s not all or nothing. That’s where the mistakes are made by some companies that put this in place when they think it’s going to replace the human element altogether. It’s not, it’s complementary. With the money-saving as well, it’s really win-win

fter ﬁrst encountering BBC Micro computers while a student at George Green’s School on the Isle Of Dogs, Chris went on to indulge his passion for technology

and innovation by embarking on a career in software. He worked initially in development before rising to run much of his US employer’s European business, giving him experience in sales and marketing and an appreciation of what would be needed to create his own business. “Back in 2000, during the dot com bubble, there was an opportunity to start looking at doing my own thing,” said Chris. I first came across chatbots at that time but there wasn’t a big need for the technology from organisations at that point – we adapted it to answer simple FAQs, which there was a need for. “I think it’s taking the technology and making it work for business – this is what we’ve been good at over the years. “I started Creative Virtual at the end of 2003, started trading in 2004 and I’ve really based the company around innovation and passion. “It’s really great to build a company where people think differently from each other and we really encourage that and are open to new ideas, and that’s what has made us a success. All the people who joined me at that time, like Peter Behrend, our chief technical officer, and ich Mason, who

merchant@fullers.co.uk

heads up our innovation department – they’re still with me today. “They’re from a technical background, like myself, but when we started, they were doing what I was doing – cold calling and bringing in leads – we all focussed on that. “It’s got a bit better in this country, but there’s a long way to go, if you compare our company’s start to places in the US. It’s still very difficult for firms to get off the ground and it was tough getting our first customers on board.” erseverance paid off however, and the team signed a contract with Lloyds Banking Group in its first year. “I am proud to say they are still one of our major clients today and that says everything about the company,” said Chris. “I believe clients stay with us because of the people and the experience that we’ve got as an organisation. One of the guys that works on their system has been doing it for many years and he’s an expert on their products and services. He’s a very valuable part of what we deliver to that company. “People focus a lot, on the Continued on Page 16

themerchantc anar y whar f.co.uk

Wharf Life Sept 11-25, 2019 wharf-life.com

Innovation

from Page 15 technology, especially in the chatbot and customer experience sector, but actually I think the people are more important. “I think that’s the reason why we’ve got Lloyds and other customers, who have been with us for years – like HSBC, for example, and also charities like the RSPCA and AgeUK. “I’m really proud those organisations are part of our company, and we see them as partners more than customers. “Long-term partnerships are good. As a business, we haven’t got lots of investors or venture capital – people who may be in it for the short-term – so we can take a longer term view. “That’s strategic. I don’t have the pressure to sell or to bring in other investors for people needing exits. “I’ve grown this company and I’ve no intention of selling it. That gives us a very different outlook and planning framework, because we don’t have to be so focused on the short-term, as some of our competitors are to please their shareholders. “It’s very unusual in the technology sector, because most companies are on a route to sell or to float within three to five years – we don’t have that.”

hris said he saw plenty of opportunity within Creative Virtual’s market, not least through his firm’s current campaign offering to rescue companies’ failed chatbot projects. “This week is actually Customer Service Week (October 7-11), so this is quite good timing,” he said. “Every industry you look at is so competitive globally, and we’re in the age of differentiated customer experience. There are all sorts of surveys and reports that show people will pay more for a product, if the customer experience is correct and, equally, they’ll leave that company and ditch that product, if it isn’t. “For us, having 15 years of experience is one of our biggest differentiators – we’ve won new companies on the basis of them having tried new technologies and failing with other companies. “So we’ve launched a chatbot rescue mission, which is all about organisations taking their failing projects and sorting them out using our expertise – keeping everything they’ve already done, but making it work. “Often, while there’s some technology involved, it’s a consulting service and we’ve won some really great business recently on the back of that. “There’s no commitment that we

Years since Creative Virtual first started trading following its foundation

In addition to leading Creative Virtual, Chris writes a column about technology and innovation for Wharf Life, appearing every other issue

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You’ve always got to stay real when you’re doing what you’re doing. I love the quote from physicist Richard Feynman: ‘The first principle is you must not fool yourself, because you are the easiest person to fool’ Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual

need from them, just a few hours of their time to help them understand where the project’s going wrong and turn it around for them. “They can use the information that they get out of that workshop to go off and do it themselves, to pick another company or to work with us. “With experience over the years, you find out what hasn’t worked and what does. Obviously we’ve made mistakes and done things that have not worked, but we’ve used that to establish best practice. “You end up developing whole sets of these that are sector-focussed – so we work with financial services, telecommunications (BT is one of our big customers in the UK, for example) and many other areas. “That experience means we can combine humans and artificial intelligence effectively around best practice for a specific industry and people really appreciate that.”

think we’re at the tip of the iceberg in terms of potential for growth in this industry,” said Chris. “When you look at the future, – the internet of things, people using their voice to talk to devices whether it’s a fridge, a TV or a smart speaker system ask about the weather or to play their favourite radio station – there’s that natural conversational interaction and behind that there has to be an engine that

understands your intent and produces an outcome. “Irrespective of whether that’s a business outcome or a personal one – turning the lights down or the heating up – there’s that human-machine interface, and that’s what we’re in the middle of.” Having already expanded the business into employee assistance – chatbots that deal with HR or IT enquiries – for the likes of the Ministry Of Defence and with offices in the S , ustralia, India, Singapore, Hong Kong and Germany competing against giants in the technology sector, Chris remains committed to east London. “We’re adjacent to Canary Wharf,” he said. “I’m proud of where I come from – my mum, my aunt and my family, friends and loved ones all still live in the area, so it offers me a lot on a personal level. “But I also think it’s a fantastic place. We’re very lucky to have all that it has to offer – I’m a runner and this area has some of the best routes in London – as well as customers like HSBC, with their headquarters on the doorstep, it’s just wonderful. “When I started Creative Virtual, I dreamt we would create a global company that would compete against some of the biggest firms like Microsoft and Google and we are doing that today. “What I didn’t imagine was being in Buckingham Palace in 2017, winning the Queen’s Award For Innovation, meeting the Queen, Prince Philip and Princess Anne, along with Peter, our CTO – that was amazing. “You’ve always got to stay real when you’re doing what you’re doing. I love the quote from physicist Richard Feynman: ‘The first principle is you must not fool yourself, because you are the easiest person to fool’. “I always keep that in mind, because we have had tough times over the years and, even in the good times, you’ve got to keep reminding yourself that you’ve got to try harder, to do more. “It’s essential to keep in mind that you’re not fooling yourself as you grow a company. You’ve got to put everything in perspective. “Because we’re always on our phones, the word ‘contemplation’ seems to have got lost from our vocabulary, and I think you do need an element of that to keep things real. e all have different ways of doing it – mine include running and supporting West Ham, which normally brings me back to reality because they’re typically not doing that well. “You have to start with yourself before you try to keep the company real.” Go to creativevirtual.com for more information

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Creative Space

this space is yours

in honour of Maitre Choux’s opening, here’s a chance to design your own eclair – share your doodles with @wharflifelive or #keepittoyourself (our preferred option)

WORKING TITLE

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

where would you like your brand to be seen

delivering to Docklands

15,000 copies every fortnight

Image by Victor Huang

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Festive Celebrations

Rotating taps of craft beer are available at The Merchant in Canary Wharf

The team at The Merchant are waiting to welcome Wharfers

party putting the

A wide range of food and drinks packages for events of all sizes is available at The Merchant

in the pub

why The Merchant is the perfect venue for between two and 220 to relax and unwind advertising feature

ith Britain having over 1,500 craft beer breweries (that’s more per head than anywhere else in the world!) there’s good reason to get to know your beer and there’s no better place to do it than here! The Merchant, the stunning dockside pub nestled in its own little corner of Canary Wharf, has recently celebrated its second birthday and is proud to have settled in as an established destination of the Wharf. But their 18 rotating taps of craft beers aren’t the only reason to visit, Jo, their friendly general manager says and is delighted to explain why there’s plenty to look forward to in the coming months...

The bar at The Merchant

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We’re keen to work with customers to deliver their perfect event General manager Jo, The Merchant

“When it comes to ingredients for the perfect pub, I’m proud to have had an extensive history on what makes things tick!" she said. “And one of my key focuses is always team and service – which is why we have an amazing gang here who really ensure that there is a personalized home-from-home atmosphere every day of the week. “Whether it’s Tom giving you the run down on our latest local brewery tap takeovers or Nada sharing her favourite dishes from our super menu, they’ll work hard to make sure each and every customer feels welcome. “Keren is our awesome events manager whose passion in life is planning a party and boy, does she do it in style! And, with Christmas coming she’s already enjoying making sure each event has a

personal touch and delivers exceptional results. We’re a versatile space too and keen to work with customers in order to deliver their perfect event. “With mouth-watering party food menus and an extensive drinks list we can cater for anything up to 220 people, but pride ourselves on putting just as much effort into a table of two! “So whether you want to pop in for a pint and a bite to eat at lunch or talk to us about planning your perfect Christmas party in one of the most idyllic spots in Canary Wharf, we invite you to pop down, meet our friendly team and really enjoy everything The Merchant has to offer.” Go to themerchantcanarywharf.co.uk call 020 7519 0070 or email merchant@fullers.co.uk for more information or to make a booking

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Minutes each performance of Arthur’s Dream Boat will run at Half Moon Young People’s Theatre

After the show, Long Nose Puppets will invite audience members onto the stage to meet the puppets used in its production of Arthur’s Dream Boat

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell

sail setting

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6 where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

STAGE | Sinatra Raw The improbably glossy Richard Shelton uncovers the story of the man behind the music following, told his way after one too many for the road. Oct 22-Nov 2, times vary, from £14.50, wiltons.org.uk where? Troxy Limehouse

GIG | Jazzu The Lithuanian artist is set for an appearance in London to deliver her hear-warming pop with electronic influences to the British public. Oct 27, 5pm, from £29.70, troxy.co.uk

how Arthur’s Dream Boat could spark the imagination of your children with performances at Limehouse’s Half Moon Theatre by Jon Massey

ooking for something to entertain the kids with in Limehouse? Having moved to White Horse Road in the 1980s, Half Moon Young People’s Theatre oﬀers a wide programme for all ages including puppetry, dance, music and storytelling Top of our watch list is Arthur’s Dream Boat, which is set for a pair of performances on October 19. Based on a book by Polly Dunbar and presented by Brighton-based theatre company Long Nose Puppets, the show tells the story of a little boy who wakes up with a boat on his head – a condition nobody seems remotely interested in, including his dog. But with the unusual vessel growing in size, it’s not long before Arthur is bouncing from wave to wave – possibly attracting the attention of his family. The production, which features music from Tom Gray of Mercury Music Prize-winning band Gomez, is suitable for children aged two-to-eight. Co-founded in 2006 by Katherine Morton and Polly Dunbar, Long Nose Puppets aims to create

inspiring, inventive and colourful shows for very young viewers. The duo make puppets to tell these stories from a wide selection of materials including, but not limited to latex, wood, found objects, socks, old umbrellas and the odd lampshade. Their characters range in size from hand-held rod puppets to full body costumes. As part of the production, audience members young and old are invited onto the stage to meet the puppets following on from the performance. Half Moon director Chris Elwell said: “We are delighted to welcome back Long Nose Puppets to Half Moon Theatre with their captivating show. “With its imaginative range of puppets, and a not to be missed opportunity to meet them after the show, this is a colourful family production that will send your imagination soaring.” Performances of Arthur’s Dream Boat will take place at 11am and 2pm. Tickets cost £7. Call 020 7709 8900 or go to halfmoon.org.uk for more details

where? Tower Of London Tower Hill

alternative date

Drag Queen Story Time Also gracing the Half Moon’s stage is Drag Queen Story Time, which comes to the Limehouse venue for two performances on October 12. Suitable for all ages, drag artist The Nightbus promises to read I’m A Girl by Yasmeen Ismail and They She He Me by Maya Christina Gonzalex and Matthew SG with “glamour and flair. The 30-minute shows are intended to celebrate childhood’s gender fluidity and to give children a positive queer role model, confounding archetypes and providing a space for play and discovery with appropriate frolics and glitter. Tickets are priced £7 and the shows start at 11am and 2pm.

LIVE | Wicked Women Find out all about Elizabeth Barton and Alice Wolfe (weekdays) and Catherine Howard and Jane Boleyn (weekends) in these live performances. Oct 28-Dec 23, 7pm, free with entry, hrp.org.uk

to do before October 23

Do you dare discover The Mystery Of The Raddlesham Mumps – Murray Lachlan Young brings his gothic performance to Wilton’s Music Hall from October 14-16 with co-performer Joe Allen. Tickets from £5 wiltons.org.uk

spot check worth a visit Vesuvio Italian Caffe is a gem, a few minutes’ walk from Canary Wharf vesuvio.letseat.at want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Writer and actor Gail Egbeson on rice, roots and fleshing out her first play to a full three acts by Elisabeth Newfield

raig David has nothing on playwright Gail Egbeson. The singer may have boasted about how quickly he wooed a woman in hit song Seven Days but it took east Londoner Gail just four days to write the genesis of a culture clash comedy after finding her muse. “I had the idea on a Monday, went to ardiff on ednesday and had the play by Thursday,” said the 25-year-old who wrote the original 10-minute scratch while working as an extra on the set of Casualty. Jollof Wars is her first ever play and sets out to examine the similarities and differences between Ghanians and Nigerians through the lens of who makes the better dish of traditional jollof rice. And after catching the eye of theatre company Purple Moon Drama it has now been expanded into a full length play and is set to arrive at Poplar Union on October 23 as part of Black History Month. “The Nigerian and Ghanaian jollof wars are big and all over social media,” said Gail. “The play explores what this war is really about and the cultural clashes. “Even if someone is your friend it doesn’t mean they will like certain things in your culture. “At the time I wrote the play I was dating someone Ghanaian and the conversation did come up with my mum. She said: ‘You know they are a bit different ’ Jollof Wars presents the life of a young Black British couple, Kojo Mensah and Kelechi Kalu who find themselves unable to agree on which type of rice should be served at their wedding. After failed deliberations with friends and family they take their disagreement to court as a final resort to save their union. Gail said: “The play really brings up the question of, if we are saying something is wrong, someone’s jollof rice from a certain culture, are we saying that culture is wrong That they and their way of life is wrong “If we are saying these people are wrong then what’s the connotation of that The play draws heavily on Gail’s own background as, although

born in Peckham and now living in Barking, she was sent to live in Nigeria at age 11. It deﬁnitely brings together my background,” she said. “It’s very important for me to call myself a British Nigerian because Nigeria is my root and that shouldn’t be kept out of who I am. Both are part of that.” Gail was inspired to pen Jollof Wars after coming up with a modern spin on the age old argument over the African one-pot dish. Gail said: “I was watching a lot of Paternity Court by Lauren Lakes on YouTube because someone had posted it on Snap and it seemed ridiculous. But then I found myself hooked on it after one episode. “I had this rule where my food had to be ready beforehand and had ordered rice from UberEats but it wasn’t that amazing. “I was very disappointed. The restaurant hadn’t put any plantain in it. It just wasn’t right to me and it triggered me. “I put out a tweet asking if it should be served with plantain and it had everyone in uproar asking why I would say that and arguing it didn’t need it. “It was really interesting how all of a sudden people were interacting. It was the most DMs I’d ever had. “It made me think about how deep jollof rice actually is to us. nd I thought hy don’t I bring it into a court ’ Her idea went from bubbling to boiling after she performed the piece at three scratch nights including Evolution 2019 at the Lyric Hammersmith. It was picked up by new writing company The Upsetters and performed at oﬀ- est nd theatre The unker in June 2019. From there Gail was commissioned to write a full length, three-act version by Purple Moon Drama with support from Lakesha Arie-Angelo, associate director at Soho Theatre. Gail, a graduate of Identity School Of Acting said the original scratch just poured out of her. “The voices were in my head and I just typed, typed, typed,” she said. But evolving it into a one-hour play was not so easy. ith the original I had not written anything before and didn’t really know what to expect,” she added. “For some reason I just threw myself in there. It was in my head and I didn’t want it to be just another idea that I didn’t get out and let go away. hen it got picked up and commissioned it was almost unbelievable and a real shock. “I didn’t expect it at all. “I felt excited but also wasn’t sure how I would make it work

Age playwright Gail returned to London after living in Nigeria

rice

and relationships

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

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Isle Of Dogs - Poplar - Blackwall

Gail Edbeson’s first play Jollof Wars is set to be performed at Poplar Union as part of Black History Month

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The Nigerian and Ghanaian jollof wars are big and all over social media. The play explores what this war really is and the cultural clashes Gail Egbeson, Writer

because I had to add more characters and make it more diverse all from one scene. There was a lot of brainstorming on my little white board but then the ideas clicked quite quickly.” She added: “This whole thing has been a learning process so I have had to reflect a lot. hen we did the first read-through of the script it was amazing to see how a cast can connect the dots and ask questions you may not have even known were in the play.” The original one-scene comedy was set in a courtroom with the couple arguing about which rice is better. The full length version moves deeper down into their lives with characters inspired by real people in Gail’s life including mum Charity, who she lives with in Barking. She’s definitely the biggest influence on my life, said ail. “She’s always been my safe space and, in a way, my best friend. She is very funny and always finds a way to make me laugh. She has the best little gossips ever. “Sometimes we do have our moments and clash because we are so alike. But she has taught me how to keep my head up and go for what I want.” Her biggest lesson was to send Gail away to Nigeria from 2005 to 015 to keep her from going off the rails. “My mum got a bit worried about the way of life here so she sent me to Nigeria and that’s where I did my secondary school and degree,” said Gail. “To be fair, I don’t think I would have done as much school if she hadn’t sent me because it really put my head down. Here I don’t think I would have made it past college. “I was misbehaving quite a lot. I was living in a little bubble and I think my mum sent me there to understand what life really is. I’m the youngest with three brothers so my siblings were my heroes but they were learning themselves and making mistakes so my mum said if I was just going to follow them I would make mistakes with them rather than learning a different way. “So her sending me away was a huge lesson. And now I can practicalise it.”

Fittingly, perhaps, ail’s first and lingering memory of Nigeria is the food. “I remember everything tasting different, she said. It was a huge weight on me because I was so used to British food and I stopped eating. “But then knew I had to survive and had to adapt quite fast and immerse myself where I was. hen I went there I didn’t know what to expect. I hadn’t really thought about my Nigerian background before. But since I’ve come back I’m more aware of my roots and celebrate them more.” She returned to London aged 21 after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in international law and diplomacy but was determined to follow her childhood dream to be an actress. “I knew my degree wasn’t what I wanted to do, it was just what I needed to do to get back to London,” said Gail. “I wanted to act, that was my main focus. “From a child I had always wanted to be an actor and I think that’s another reason why my mum sent me because she thought it meant I wouldn’t go to school. “I think she’s really happy about it now because she sees I’m doing stuff and is proud I’m taking the necessary steps, especially with this play. I feel like she gets it now. “I never had an idea I would write but I’m really glad I have because it’s made me aware of how I can create opportunities for myself and not just sit around waiting for others to do it.” Gail is also proud the play provides others with an opportunity to see themselves reflected by the theatre. “I see Black History Month as a celebration of our blackness and think that should be the only thing it’s about, not any other issues,” she said. “I see it as a way to bring about awareness of our history and culture and whoever needs to learn about us is given the opportunity. “I feel it will always be necessary to have that celebration because in this world we live in we are still fighting, so until everyone is accepted and normalised, especially black people, it’s totally necessary. “I feel Jollof Wars does give us that celebration. It also dives into parental influence in frican and black cultures and the things we are accustomed to just because we have learnt them. “The thing I love about the play is the black audience will be able to see themselves on stage which is not something we commonly get to experience. I’m really excited to see how the audience receives it.” Jollof Wars runs at Poplar Union from 8pm-9pm on October 23. Tickets start at £9 online. Go to poplarunion.com/

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6 where? Poplar Union Poplar

MUSIC | Roots In Rhythm Workshops The Grand Union Orchestra, pictured, wants young musicians aged 12-18 to take part in workshops ahead of a live performance on October 26. Oct 24, times vary, free, poplarunion.com where? Craft Central Isle Of Dogs

TRY | Hand Engraving This introduction for beginners sees Angus McFadyen take participants through the tools and techniques of engraving metal. Materials are included. Oct 26-27, 9.30am-5pm, £310, craftcentral.org.uk where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | Get Happy Anna Nicholson and four madcap characters take the stage as they all go about the business of getting some happiness in their lives. Nov 3, 8pm, £14, space.org.uk

to do before October 23

Catch London Oktoberfest’s second weekend on the Isle Of Dogs from October 10-12. Steins of beer, bratwurst and schnitzel will all be on offer with free entry for some sessions. Book online. Prost london-oktoberfest.co.uk

spot check Pop for a traditional pint at The Ship in Westferry Road, a pub with pizza and rooms theshipcanarywharf.co.uk want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Rotherhithe - Bermondsey - Deptford

£9

The cost of a chorizo pizza at The Taproom by Hop Stuff brewery in Deptford Roast peppers with chorizo, mozzarella and red onion is a delicious counterpoint to Peckham Pilsner by Brick Brewery

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6 where? The Albany Deptford

STAGE | The Powder Monkey Chukwunenye, an African boy of the Igbo people, is the powder monkey born on a slave ship and now one voyage away from buying his freedom... Oct 31, 7.30pm, £14, thealbany.org.uk where? The Albany Deptford

STAGE | Evros: The Crossing River This immersive play aims to bring the audience into tales of families in crisis as they seek refuge. Expect a blend of music and physical theatre. Nov 5-6, 7.30pm, £14, thealbany.org.uk where? Finnish Church Rotherhithe

GIG | Karim Chaya Born in Algiers, the singer and guitarist formed band El-Gafla (caravan of the desert) in Paris and is set for his UK debut in Rotherhithe. Sombre, vibrant. Oct 30, 6.30pm, £14, tunedin.london

to do before October 23

The Hydra presents Outlier at Printworks in Rotherhithe on October 12 from noon-11pm with the likes of Bonobo, Clap! Clap!, Auntie Flo, Omar-S and Tash LC on the bill. Tickets are on sale now for £30 printworkslondon.co.uk

spot check worth a visit Check out Hawker House in Rotherhithe for a wide variety of street food streetfeast.com want more? @wharflifelive

how The Taproom provides the ideal mixture of craft beer and pizza to tempt in Deptford’s locals by Jon Massey

op Stuff brewery’s Deptford outpost is a study in carefully structured minimalism. Ahead of the Marie Kondo curve, it’s as though somebody decided there would be nothing in The Taproom that wasn’t either functional or loveable. While its sparse, wry decor might suggest those behind this venue aren’t overly imbued with feelings of fondness for material objects, it somehow comes together as a warm and inviting environment that’s regularly stuffed with 20-somethings and 30-somethings worshipping at the altar of craft beer. But the taps flowing with potent and alco-light beverages such as Brick Brewery’s Rhubarb Sour, Tiny Rebel Brewing Company’s Stay Puft Porter and Wilde Child’s North/South Divide IPA, are only part of the story. The hard, industrial interior is also host to a fine pizzeria as well as a bar offering a decent selection of wines and cocktails. Attend on a Friday night, as we did, and you’ll find it crowded without being rammed to the point of impossibility. The £9 chorizo pizza ordered was a good size and, more importantly, came within a few minutes of ordering – clear evidence of telepathy between the bar staff and those slaving over the oven in the corner. The soft, spongy base was generously covered with an acceptable quantity of sausage as well as roasted peppers for a bit of extra depth. As a partner to my pint of Peckham Pilsner (another Brick Brewery creation, ordered chiefly because of the peppers on the pizza picked and the irresistible possibility of alliteration), it fared well,

Simple and instructive – the industrial decor at The Taproom is a perfect backdrop

delivering just enough hearty flavour to match the crisp, inviting lager. That this drink is available as part of The Taproom’s core range is welcome. One of the issues craft beer bars can fall foul of is an over-reliance on excessively hopped IPAs – so sour they turn the inside of your mouth out before you’ve indulged in a second sip. Fortunately this Deptford Market Yard joint has enough alternatives to make it hot stuff as well as Hop Stuff. Go to hopstuffbrewery.com

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

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Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6 where? Indigo At The O2 Peninsula

GIG | BluesFest Presents Raphael Saadiq The Grammy Award-winning musician brings his talents to London. He’s written for the likes of Mary J Blige, John Legend and D’Angelo Oct 26, 7pm, from £46.15, theo2.co.uk where? Greenwich Theatre Greenwich

STAGE | Humble Pi Stand-up comedian and mathematician Matt Parker explores numerical near-misses and statistical anomalies live on stage. Nov 2, 7.30pm, £16, greenwichtheatre.org.uk where? Kidbrooke Coderdojo Greenwich

KIDS | Coder Dojo Children aged seven-17 can code and create projects in Scratch and HTML. Experts and beginners are welcome at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre. Nov 2, 10.30am-12.30pm, free, zen.coderdojo.com

to do before October 23

See Ridley Scott’s Alien as never before, projected onto the ceiling of the Peter Harrison Planetarium at the Royal Observatory on October 12. Show starts 6pm, tickets £12 rmg.co.uk

spot check one to try Pop to The Elementary Beauty Company for all-natural products elementarybeauty.com want more? @wharflifelive

“

talks and tours

We’re open to being experimental and having fun in creating events with our clients so they don’t end up with just drinks and canapes

can be arranged

Sophie Linin, Royal Museum’s Greenwich

“After a drinks reception, we’d invite you into The Moon exhibition and that would take around 45 minutes to an hour. “While we’re not allowed food or beverages within the exhibition, we can have refreshments ready as soon as guests come out.” Beyond the standard packages, with food and drink from approved suppliers Benugo and Clerkenwell Green, there are numerous options for event organisers to consider. Sophie said curator tours, private shows at the Peter Harrison Planetarium, astronomy using portable telescopes next to the Queen’s House after sunset or even a trip up the hill to see and help operate the Great Equatorial Telescope at the Royal Observatory could all be arranged. She also said organisers could theme the food and drink around the exhibition, giving a lunar flavour to the cocktails and canapes on offer. “Basic hire for the Moon Exhibition space itself would start at £1,500 plus VAT,” said Sophie. “One of our top packages at the moment, for 25 guests, would be £2,000 and that includes a private tour and food and drinks by Benugo, for two hours starting at either 5.30pm or 6pm. That includes four canapes and two glasses of wine or soft drinks per person. “Alternatively there’s the Clerkenwell Green Package, which is for 50 or more guests at £95 per head plus VAT and includes three canapes per person and drinks available throughout from 6pm-8pm. “But there are so many options for events, and that is a benefit and a curse, because so many people tend to be divided into two camps – they’ll either get into contact with us and say: ‘I know exactly what I want and in what venue’, or they’ll say: ‘I want to do something, but I don’t really know what it is’. “Whatever your requirements, we’re here to help. First and foremost, what we ask of our events team is that they are personable. “I get a lot of comments about how they expected us to be very stuffy or that we’d say o, you can’t do this, you can’t do that.’

El Anatsui’s CadmiumVermillion Eclipse (detail)

El Anatsui, October Gallery, London and Factum Arte Madrid

14 days later

ophie Linin is buzzing with excitement when we meet. The events business development manager for Royal Museums Greenwich has something special to talk about. As if spaces at the Queen’s House, the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the Cutty Sark and the National Maritime Museum weren’t enough of a portfolio, until Janaury 5 there’s an opportunity for businesses or individuals to use The Moon exhibition in the Sammy Ofer Wing of the latter for private events. With a multitude of options available – either hosting a standalone celebration or combining a tour with the use of other venues in the collection – it’s a chance to bring something truly rare to the table. “The exhibition is a journey through our relationship with the Moon,” said Sophie. “It coincides, of course, with the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, so there are elements of that. “But it also looks at the space race and our relationship with our nearest satellite through art, mythology and science. “It considers all sorts of things that the Moon aﬀects today and what the future may hold. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to see these exhibits, some from our collection and others loaned to us by the likes of NASA and The Smithsonian.” Perhaps most extraordinary among the objects on show is the communications cap worn by Buzz Aldrin as he walked on the Moon, something guests can admire through the thickness of a single piece of glass. “The exhibition is only on for a limited time, which means that you’re only going to be part of a limited group of people seeing it,” said Sophie. “When visitors see it during normal opening they have timed tickets, but if you are looking to come out of hours you can do anything from a private tour to a full event with food and drinks. “It might be a business hosting their staﬀ or clients – guests can really take their time looking at the exhibits. “For a typical event, we would welcome you in by the private entrance. If you’ve got, say, 20 people, we’d set up a bar downstairs in what we call The Well, which is the space directly outside the exhibition. “If you had more people, I’d keep you up in the Sammy Ofer Wing next to some of our other galleries in the National Maritime Museum.

A range of

Food can be themed National Maritime Museum, London

by Jon Massey

Months left to book an event at The Moon exhibition in the National Maritime Museum

Detail from John Russell’s pastel drawing of The Moon

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Rare opportunity: Those hosting events at The Moon exhibition in Greenwich can get up close to Buzz Aldrin’s communications cap worn on the Apollo 11 Mission that saw the first men land and walk on our nearest satellite

why companies and individuals should consider The Moon exhibition at the National Maritime Museum as a blockbuster venue for their autumnal and festive events

event a place to host an

like no other

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum / NASA

Greenwich - Peninsula - Woolwich

“I’m very proud that the whole team are very eager to assist, and to make sure that whatever the event, from every angle, it is as seamless and straightforward as possible. “We have a number of accredited suppliers, who have been hand-picked over many years and that we know will look after all the elements of an event, whether that’s production, catering, floristry or providing a band or . “We’re open to being experimental and having fun in creating events with our clients so they don’t just end up with drinks and canapes. What I’m also very keen on is that all the venues have their own identity. “We are under the umbrella of Royal Museums Greenwich, but the client who hires the National Maritime Museum for 500 people is very different from the client who hires the Peter Harrison Planetarium, the Cutty Sark, the Queen’s House or the Royal Observatory. “What this opportunity with The Moon exhibition really personifies is our love of experience. “I don’t think that having a unique and beautiful venue is enough any more – it’s what you can offer a client beyond that – what they and their guests will take away with them forever. “There are many, many beautiful venues in London and the surrounding areas, but what I think our five venues have is a number of different ways to enhance and personalise an event, so that clients or colleagues have never done anything like it before. “When companies say to us that they want their guests to be hash-tagging on Twitter and Instagram, we have added really great suppliers to our list like Smith And Sinclair that does deconstructed cocktails –Mojitos you inhale – Wow Grass that provides real grass you can lay like carpet with no dirt and Twilight Trees that do these ama ing faux floral installations and trees, so our clients get a far greater response, not only from people who came, but from people who didn’t come, but could engage with them digitally. “In terms of organising events, there’s a lot that people are not aware of or would never have thought of. They might think that something’s probably possible, but that it would cost a bomb – that an event would cost an absolute fortune, thousands and thousands of pounds. But they don’t. “We are a national collection, and it is our responsibility to make these spaces available to everyone.” Those interested in events at Royal Museum Greenwich should go to rmg.co.uk/venuehire email events@rmg.co.uk or call 020 8312 8517

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

by Florence Derrick

f event manager Josh Denham is to be believed, coulrophobes should take their fear of clowns anywhere but this season’s MCM Comic Con London 2019. “I’m expecting to see lots of kids with red balloons and people dressed as Pennywise the Clown everywhere,” he said. “We’ve got three of the kids from the latest It film making guest appearances, and with Halloween around the corner too, it’ll all be a little bit creepy.” Welcoming some 130,000 TV, film and comics fans to xcel in Royal Docks from October 25-27, the ’s foremost fan fiction event is as much a hotbed for cosplay as it is for meeting and greeting pop culture stars. “The biggest name we have for film and T this year is Simon Pegg – not that he needs any introduction, but of Star Trek, Shaun Of The Dead and Spaced,” said Josh. “It’s timed for Spaced’s 20th anniversary. He’ll be on the stage on the Saturday. “Then we’ve got George Perez for the comic fans, who’s a legend in the comic field. “He’s been huge in Marvel history, he created many characters for the Avengers and worked on Wonder Woman – and this is one of the last conventions he’ll be doing. e’ve also got im Shooter, who’s former editor in chief of Marvel – he was there during the Stan ee era. “Outside of comics we’ve got some incredible voice actors, like Detroit: Becoming Human stars Bryan Dechart and Amelia Rose Blaire. “For that reason, this year we’ll see a lot of cosplay around that and, of course, Shaun Of The Dead. “If we announce guest names early enough we see a higher number of costumes related to them. “But certain cosplay will always be there – anime, and Marvel and DC characters. You’ll always have Superman, atman, oker and Deadpool. “On each day of the event the last panel on the main stage is cosplay competition finals.

“

Everyone accepts each other for who they are and who they want to be. It’s a safe space for fans and that’s something we really pride ourselves on Josh Denham, MCM Comic Con

“But we’ll see Cyberpunk costumes too because of the gaming offerings. This is the big news for MCM Comic Con London 2019 – its expanded section for gamers. “One big thing this year is that we’ve got a sister event taking place the week before the show – a dedicated gaming event called from ctober 1 - 0, said Josh. “We’re working with them to bring added gaming content to the show. Playstation’s coming with some exclusive looks at Call Of Duty, Dreams and a Death Stranding experience. “We’ll have screening rooms for Cyberpunk 2077 which is a highly anticipated game. And space for table-top gaming too – anything from Dungeons And Dragons to your basic Jenga game. There’ll be something for casual gamers and more hardcore ones too. “In terms of panel talks, we’ve got Rob Liefeld of Youngblood fame on the Friday where he’s discussing his newly released comic. We’re really excited to have him. “We’ve also got a sing-a-long on the Friday, Nightmare Before Christmas, where we’ll be screening the film. e hope this will tie in nicely with both the run up to Halloween and Christmas.” But underlying the events’ flashier attractions is the omic Village, where independent and up-and-coming comic artists set up stands to flaunt their wares. “The identity of Comic Con is ever-changing and focused on pop culture, but at the heart of it all should be the Comic Village and comic artists,” said Josh. “That’s where it all grew from all those years ago when Comic Con was first invented. It’s important for this to be a platform that celebrates artists. “Overall it’s the acceptance that makes Comic Con so special,” said osh. veryone is there to have a good time and a good time around one another. veryone accepts others for who they are and who they want to be. It’s a safe space for fans and that’s something we really pride ourselves on. “It’s a weekend escape from people’s day-to-day lives. And it hopefully offers something they can get nowhere else.” Tickets for MCM Comic Con London start at £17.50 for Friday entry. ach adult ticket also allows access for two children aged 10 or under. tickets start at £15. Go to mcmcomiccon.com or egx.net for more information

Days MCM Comic Con London 2019 runs at Excel in Royal Docks

The last panel on the main stage on each day is cosplay competition finals

Comics are still a major component of the three-day event

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Canning Town - Royal Docks

with the likes of Simon Pegg, George Perez and Jim Shooter on the bill MCM Comic Con London has lined up the thrills

culture

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6

the home of pop

returns to the Royals

where? Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | World Travel Market The leading global event for the travel industry returns to Royal Docks welcoming a host of colourful delegates from around the planet. Nov 4-6, 10am, registration needed, excel.london where? Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | RootsTech London 2019 This three-day event is dedicated to celebrating family and discovering family histories. Donny Osmond and Dan Snow are on the bill. Oct 24-26, 9am, from £49, excel.london where? The Royal Standard Silvertown

Acceptance: There’s even a place for Jawas at MCM Comic Con despite C3PO’s assertion that they are ‘disgusting creatures’ in Star Wars IV A New Hope

EVENT | Halloween Party The recently re-opened Royal Standard is now under new management and invites Dockers in fancy dress to celebrate with DJ Gsmallz. Nov 1, 7pm-midnight, free entry, royaldocks.london

Attendees often

to do before October 23

pose in front of Excel’s main entrance

Kids can get into the show for free with adults

Get into New Scientist Live for less with the debut of its Friday Lates session. Use code Wharf241 for £10 tickets when attending on Oct 11 with a pal. The evening starts at 5pm and features a wide range of talks newscientistlive.com

spot check worth a visit Fancy some spice? Try the Bollywood Grill just outside Excel’s entrance bollywoodgrill.co.uk want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Advertising Directory - Acknowledgements

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Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

Stratford - Bow - Hackney Wick

Dates Adam Kammerling’s Shall We Take This Outside is set to play a Stratford Circus

14 days later

plan your life from Oct 23-Nov 6 where? Theatre Royal Stratford East Stratford

DANCE | Ballet Black: Triple Bill To celebrate its 18th anniversary the company perform Ingoma, Pendulum and Click! under the artistic direction of Cassa Pancho. Nov 6-9, 7.45pm, from £10, stratfordeast.com where? Stratford Circus Stratford

violence

The show features Adam alongside dancers Si and Emma

poetic

how Adam Kammerling is using spoken word, music and physical theatre to explore the effect of heroes’ behaviour by Jon Massey

poken word artist, MC, producer and theatre-maker Adam Kammerling is set to bring his extensive CV to east London for a show exploring the eﬀect of heroes’ behaviour in cultural works on real-world attitudes to violence. Shall We Take This Outside is scheduled to hit the stage at Stratford Circus on October 25 and 26, featuring Adam in the driving seat while two acrobatic dancers animate his words. The production, which also examines male mental health issues, promises to take audiences through the “myriad ways that violence bleeds into everyday real-life, from hierarchies in the classroom, pub and street, to ﬂippant re ections of any social

movement deemed a threat to the status quo”. roduced by ro ects and supported by Arts Council England, The Albany, Apples And Snakes and Calm, the show features a soundtrack that is “equal parts classic pomp and heroism, and electronic, grime-inspired instrumentals” referencing both the content on stage and dam’s background as an MC. The dancers featured are Si Rawlinson, artistic director of Wayward Thread, and Emma Houston, who has performed and choreographed Adidas Originals commercials and at East London ance’s Identity Festival. The performance forms the ﬁnal dates of a tour of the piece, which has also seen Adam work with local schools and pupil referral units around the country, playing to boys aged 11-16 and running workshops to investigate

“

STAGE | Quincy Single Mum A single father tells the story of a working class family dealing with loss, emotional change and economic issues as he tries to hold it together. Oct 27, 7.30pm, £20, stratford-circus.com where? Lee Valley Velopark Stratford

EVENT | Track Attack Whether new to track cycling or an established pro, this is a chance to learn new skills and follow in the pedals of Olympic champions. Zoom round... Oct 24, 10am, £15, visitleevalley.org.uk

to do before October 23

The soundtrack is equal parts classic pomp and heroism and electronic, grime-inspired instrumentals Adam Kammerling, OX Projects

the theme of toxic masculinity and violence through spoken work. He hopes to build on this to create a Manifesto For Masculinity informed by young people. Performances of Shall We Take This Outside start at 7pm. Tickets cost £15 or £13 for concessions including Newham residents. Go to stratford-circus.com for more information or to book

Head to Cody Dock on October 26 for its Family Halloween Party from 5pm-9pm. Attractions include live music stage, a fire sculpture, monster disco, puppet show and carved pumpkin contest. Entry is free codydock.org.uk

spot check worth a visit Grab a coffee amid the wood of Timber Lodge at East Village timberlodgecafe.com want more? @wharflifelive

Wharf Life Oct 9-23, 2019 wharf-life.com

SUDOKU

Crossword - Sudoku

3 9

3 7 6 5 7

8 5

5 1 4

7 5 4 8 9 3 1 6 2 Sudoku 3 a9break 8 from 1 6 that 2 phone 5 7 4 Take 6 1 2 5 4 7 9 8 3 How 4 to2 play 5 9 7 6 3 1 8 To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 7 such 2 that 5 8each 6 row, 4 9column and 3x3 box one1to3nine contains every number uniquely. 9 8 6 4 3 1 2 5 7 4 find 1 strategies, 3 2 5 hints 7 9and6tips online You8can at sudokuwiki.org 2 6 9 7 1 4 8 3 5 5 to 7 play 3 6 8 9 4 2 1 More

6 8

Previous solution - Tough

8 9 2

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

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

Very Hard

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

crossword Down

5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Mother will hang about and waste a doctor’s time (8) Continent, as I am to start with (4) Give out when it’s time to come back (4) Fit as a lithe cat may be (8) Entangle wool and express displeasure (5) Bitterly continues a row with the French (7) Paper clip, perhaps, to keep things secure (5,8) It’s quite fair to sing about wine (8) Look for support in return (4) He’s particular about his fare (7) Suitable tobacco for Oliver? (5) Ties for position (4) They’re important to one’s standing as a rider (8)

Notes

3. 4. 6. 7. 8. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

She gives patient advice on social problems (7) Limits in rents, perhaps (7) Amusement for which I rent men a tent, perhaps (13) Prepared scheme – for winning a game of tennis? (3,4) He charges a couple of hundred to the employer (7) Aircraft at the end of the ﬂight in the sky ( Have the company of constables on a ship (7) One of those selfexpressive types (7) Begin to put the plan down on paper (3,3) Authorise a rising Middle East nation (7) Balances used in eleven supermarkets (5,2)

Quick Across 1. 5. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.

Clumsy (8) Unhearing (4) Fail (4) Inclination (8) Sum (5) Apparent (7) Judgment to execute (5,8) Check (8) Inform (4) Put on trial (7) Fundamental (5) Neat (4) Reputation (8)

Down . 3. 4. 6. 7. 8. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.

ﬀensive ( Moment (7) Couturier (5-8) Exaltation (7) Tiredness (7) Admit (6) Latent (7) Pledged (7) Terrible (6) Take out (7) Vocation (7)

Across: 1 Unwieldy; 5 Deaf; 9 Miss; 10 Penchant; 11 Total; 12 Seeming; 13 Death sentence; 18 Restrain; 19 Tell; 20 Arraign; 21 Basic; 22 Tidy; 23 Prestige. Down: 2 Noisome; 3 Instant; 4 Dress-designer; 6 Elation; 7 Fatigue; 8 Accept; 13 Dormant; 14 Assured; 15 Horrid; 16 Extract; 17 Calling.

Across

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

Cryptic Solution

Cryptic

beating the

Across: 1 Malinger; 5 Asia; 9 Emit; 10 Athletic; 11 Snarl; 12 Rankles; 13 Press fastener; 18 Sporting; 19 Peek; 20 Epicure; 21 Twist; 22 Site; 23 Stirrups. Down: 2 Almoner; 3 Interns; 4 Entertainment; 6 Set plan; 7 Accuser; 8 Planet; 13 Possess; 14 Egotist; 15 Set out; 16 Empower; 17 Evens up.

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Quick Solution

No. 830