Wharf Life Sept 15-29

Where?

Montgomery Square Canary Wharf

sign uphere to get Wharf Life’s free, weekly newsletter in your inbox

EAT | Lunch Market

With stalls curated by Karnival, this regular pop-up o ers Wharfers a taste of something di erent beside Morag Myerscough’s Sun Pavilion. Thursdays until Oct 28, noon-3pm, canarywharf.com

Where?

Crossrail Place

Roof Garden Canary Wharf

WORKSHOPS | The Fandangoe Whip

Curated by graphic artist The Fandangoe Kid, this series of sessions and talks marks World Mental Health Day on October 10. There’s ice cream too. Oct 8-10, various times, donations, canarywharf.com

Where? Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Canary Wharf

Welcome to the latest issue of Wharf Life. Canary Wharf is busier than it has been at any time since March 2020 and there’s a ton of activities and new arrivals for those returning to get their teeth into, not least a free taster class at Sweat By BXR and a new menu at Six By Nico – enjoy

bite

Bolla Al Cioccolato, £5.80 Cafe Brera, Canary Riverside, Jubilee Place, Cabot Square

Discover the Bolla Al Cioccolato at Cafe Brera’s three branches in Canary Wharf

05 06

GIG | Toploader

Fancy a bit of late 1990s nostalgia? Expect all the tunes including Achilles Heel and, inevitably, the band’s smash hit cover Dancing In The Moonlight Oct 7, 8pm, from £34.50, boisdale.co.uk

ash back

For a while now I’ve been meaning to include something sweet from Cafe Brera in Wharf Life. The longstanding Canary Wharf chain has been quietly raising its patisserie game in line with its vibrant rebranding and now o ers an exquisite line of indulgent desserts.

Go to its branches at Jubilee Place, Cabot Square or Canary Riverside and you’ll nd a plethora of options for your sweet tooth. There are the aesthetically pleasing ones – the turban twist of the Cupola Di Limone or the tight curled glossy fruit of the Rosa Di Mango.

But, proudly crowned with edible chocolate branding, it’s the Bolla

Al Cioccolato that demands further investigation. This dark, re ective dome sprinkled with gold conceals a secret. While the chocolate mousse is expected, dig deeper and the diner is rewarded with a burst of passionfruit at its heart. Built on a hazelnut base and topped o with a raspberry it’s a rare treat.

Go to cafebrera.com

Jon Massey

Scan this code to see Cafe Brera’s full range of desserts and order them to go

Looking for lunch? Urban Greens is now open on the Wharf at Bank Street in the West Wintergarden, promising salads with elevated avours thanks to pickles and preparation aimed at maximising crunch urbangreens.co.uk

Scan this code to read our interview with co-founder Houman Ashrafzadeh at wharf-life.com

the joy of six

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

Page 39

Hacks

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta is set to open at Wood Wharf in November German Doner Kebab is serving

at

Cabot

on the radar

need to know

The reassuring return of Ice Rink Canary Wharf is promised from October 23 to February 26 next year, meaning there’s plenty of time to get pro cient on those skates. Sessions on the ice will be available daily with a rinkside bar on hand to aid relaxation canarywharf.com

46London City Airport celebrates its rst public art commission

In celebration of Black History Month, Canary Wharf Group and the Association Of Photographers are set to host Black Culture In Britain at Crossrail Place Roof Garden from October 1-31. The exhibition will be free to look round aopawards.com

Theatre Royal Stratford East artistic director on the thrill of bringing Conor McPherson’s haunting play Shining City to the east London stage with a truly Irish cast

doing the deals

get more for less in and around the Wharf

free

Buy ve cupcakes at Lola’s Cupcakes in Canada Place and get one free (scan the code below to access the voucher). Who doesn’t like free cake? lolascupcakes.co.uk

scan

Design District opens its doors on Greenwich Peninsula

Businesses across the Canary Wharf estate are currently running a selection of discounts

Find a wide range of o ers online at canarywharf.com/exclusiveo ers or wave your phone over this code to view them instantly

email advertising@wharf-life.com to find out how we can help you reach our audience through our 15,000 papers or directly via letterbox

gliddy cervicorn

style it

We may be experiencing the last days of summer, but the fashion gods have an eye on autumn/winter as the new collections have started to drop into clothing stores. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the summer, but there is something magical about a fur collar, knee-high boots and a snuggly knit. The fashion houses displayed their collections for this season back in February, so I took a closer look at the latest high street collections to see how they have interpreted the catwalk trends.

Cosy knits were big on the catwalks of Chloe and Proenza Schouler, in the form of midi and maxi dresses, and I spotted a great version in Reiss . The Kara Knitted Bodycon Dress in Neutral is £188 and comes in a luxurious wool-cashmere blend. It’s available at their store in Cabot Place branch and is a fabulous staple piece for the season.

Floral prints are usually a spring/summer hit, but designers at Acne Studios and Yuhan Wang translated these over to the colder season in the form of charming antique style orals, which were seen on dresses and even draped statement outerwear. Claudie Pierlot in Jubilee Place has a Recycled Polyester Long Dress for £329 with ru es in an orange and red botanical print that works for the o ce or a day out shopping.

Browsing Hobbs in Canada Place, I came across the fantastic leopard print Short Heather Pu er for £169, which reminded me of pieces by Isabel Marant and Louis Vuitton. It may sound a little scary but it works beautifully with a pair of black jeans and leather knee high boots for a chic, o -duty look.

For the more amboyant of my readers, you may be interested to know that logo-mania has returned. The trend, rooted in 1980s excess, was seen on the catwalks of Chanel, Versace and Gucci.

You may think that this may be a difcult trend to bring to the high street, but check out the new collection from Maje in Jubilee Place. They’ve monogrammed everything from chi on blouses and dresses to oversized sweatshirts. We love the Clover Canvas M Tote for £219

Maddison

on Insta

Guilty Pleasures Tasting Menu, £37 + £33 for wines Six By Nico, Chancellor Passage

From September 20, recent arrival to Canary Wharf Six By Nico is set to change its six-course tasting menu from The Chippie to Guilty Pleasures. Expect the Glaswegian chef’s take on lamb kebab (pictured), spag bol, tuna straight from the can, fried chicken, a sh supper and Nutella and wa es. Booking advised.

drink

Herb Tonic, £7.10 (takeaway) Joe And The Juice, Churchill Place

The faceless individual Joe And The Juice has picked as its logo looks a little grumpy to me even though he’s devoid of any features that convey his displeasure.

I can relate. Order at the Churchill Place branch of the New York chain and it seems to take an age for my Herb Tonic to arrive. But the powerful zing of this blitzed blend of tumeric, ginger, pineapple, red pepper and apple feels like a powerful restorative.

Maybe it’s the black pepper seasoning, or the last of the summer sunshine, it feels like it’s doing me good, which it should, for more than £7.

Jon Massey

H Forman & Son Smoked Salmon Pate, 225g, £4 Waitrose, Canada Square

Get a true avour of east London in your lunchtime sandwiches with this little pot. Made with Scottish salmon, smoked at Forman’s Fish Island factory near Hackney Wick, it’s available at Waitrose in Canary Wharf. The supermarket also stocks the brand’s hand-sliced London Cure Smoked Salmon, with 100g priced at £6

tness

Sweat By BXR, Third Space Crossrail Place, Canada Square

Back to work? Get back on it with these promotional o ers

THIRD SPACE

EAT | Sunday Lunch

Spend the last day of the weekend the right way with Boisdale Of Canary Wharf in Cabot Square, which is o ering three courses and live jazz for under £40. Expect roasts, burgers and plenty of seafood as well as sticky to ee pudding, fruit crumble or a selection of cheeses to nish. Sundays, from noon, £37.50, boisdale.co.uk

The brand is o ering membership with no joining fee for a limited time – take a tour of the facility

Scan this code to nd out more about membership deals at Third Space

SWEAT BY BXR

Sign up and get a voucher code to try a complimentary class at the Crossrail Place venue, which o ers Climb To The Beat, Sweatbox and Strengthbox sessions in its studio spaces

Scan this code to sign up for a free session

Wave your phone camera over the code and all we’ll need is an email address

No Time To Die Opening Night

Join in the fun at Everyman Cinema in Crossrail Place as Daniel Craig makes his nal outing as James Bond. Audience members are encouraged to dress for the occasion which promises glamour, cocktails and canapes as well as the screening. Black tie optional, no Walther PPKs Sept 30, 7.45pm, £50, everymancinema.com

Eat Caribbean food, sip rum and listen to tunes spun by DJs Musclehead, Sean M, Victor V and Sir Allan Brando as they play a selection of reggae, dancehall, afrobeat, r’n’b, soul and garage with a set that stretches until 1.30am at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf in Cabot Square. Saturdays, 7pm, free entry, boisdale.co.uk

GIG | Saxon Sound DJs

diary dates and ideas to make your life in Canary Wharf just that little bit sweeter

sign uphere to receive more of this sort of Wharf Life’s newsletter

by Jon Massey

Five years ago, Andrew Macleod opened the first branch of Emilia’s Crafted Pasta at St Katherine Docks in east London.

Following its success he opened a second, larger establishment in Aldgate in 2019.

Born of a passion for good pasta and a desire to bring it to Londoners freshly made, served with a punchy array of sauces and at a reasonable price, the brand continue to grow.

Now Andrew and his team are preparing to launch Emilia’s largest flagship restaurant at Wood Wharf, with the doors expected to open in November.

That will place his dishes within easy walking distance of the whole Canary Wharf estate, not to mention much of the Isle Of Dogs, for the first time.

“Wood Wharf is an evolved concept,” said Andrew. “Part of

what we do at Emilia’s is to keep everything simple and fresh. That’s what we stand by in terms of our food, our business and how we run stuff.

“Whenever we go into an area, we want to be part of it, not impostors. So, what we’ve done with Wood Wharf is to have half the restaurant as more of an all-day bar – for example, there will be a tabletop version of bocce, an Italian game similar to French boules.

“Wood Wharf is going to be a neighbourhood where people come to work, live and enjoy themselves, so what we wanted was the space to be tailored to that.

“For me, that means I want people to walk in, play a bit of bocce, have a drink, a coffee and a catch up, or for them to be hanging out, sitting on a beautiful terrace overlooking the water and the park, eating pasta and drinking cocktails.

“The idea is that you’re coming into a bustling trattoria in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy – a place the whole concept pays homage to, both its food and the techniques used to make it.

Emilia’s makes the pasta it serves to customers

fresh every day with shapes carefully paired to sauces for maximum taste

anticipating the

Emilia’s Crafted Pasta family, when Wood Wharf opens

doors

how Emilia’s Crafted Pasta is set to open a flagship restaurant with a playful edge at the heart of Wood Wharf sauce

What we’ve done with Wood Wharf is to have half the restaurant as more of an all-day bar Andrew Macleod, Emilia’s

“

“For me, the vision is that we want to bring 100% natural, affordable, fresh pasta to as many people as possible, in a way that respects those traditions, and feels very casual and Italian

“The more we can spread that, the happier I’ll be. We’re not in a rush, we’re not here just to open other branches – we just want to make this one right.”

The new restaurant will be located on the ground floor of 12 George Street, overlooking Harbour Quay Gardens and the boardwalk along West India South Dock. Inside visitors can expect rustic wooden furniture, plenty of marble and hand-painted tiles.

New dishes are promised, alongside Emilia’s core menu, which offers bowls of pasta costing between £8 and £14 – the Canary Wharf bar is also expected to offer a range of cocktails based on locally sourced fruits and Italian spirits.

At full capacity, the restaurant will be able to accommodate 100 diners with 70 inside and 30 outdoors.

Andrew said: “For me, launching a pasta restaurant never had anything to do with trends. When I was at university, I loved pasta, but I was really disappointed, because I’d moved out of home and was trying to find good places that did it and the only ones were big chains.

“About 10 years ago most of it was just frozen and horrible and places were charging £15 a bowl. You could pay £20 and get something a bit more high-end but I felt that didn’t really represent pasta in the way it was traditionally consumed in Italy, informally.

“I thought if Emilia’s could make pasta that was significantly better than what people were having at home in the UK, then we would be in with a shot as a brand.

“At the heart of Emilia’s, from day one, has always been that all our food is 100% natural.

“We make it on-site, start to finish, and anything we source, comes from people who are suppliers of food that I would eat every day at home myself and be proud to do so.

“That’s how we’ve built it, and we’ve never stepped away from that. We started in St Katharine Docks in November 2016. We had some nights in the early days without a single customer, but slowly people discovered us and we built up a following.

“Then we got so busy we decided to expand. Aldgate came in 2019 and now we have this fabulous opportunity to open in

Wood Wharf. We want to be at the forefront of showcasing that, as a young brand, without much funding, you can, with tight cost control, a good team and a good culture, build something very meaningful, and we’ve grown organically from day one. Each of our restaurants comes off the back of our previous operation.

“For us, the key thing is that, if you do something sustainably, it should be able to continue for a very long time without damaging the world or the people who are with you.

“Most of our managers have been with us for more than three years. When Covid hit, we didn’t sack anyone, we paid furlough and topped up people’s wages because that’s who we are.

“Emilia’s is like a family, it lives on. It’s got to be that people are coming to work happy, doing their shift and going home happy. That’s our company culture.

“It’s about being able to see that you’re leaving the world a better place for all the people who have been part of the journey – that’s what sustainability is all about.

“When a business is built, you create jobs, livelihoods. You develop people, help them grow and, hopefully, the soil somewhere is better because it gets properly kept as farmers are following sustainable agriculture and processes to make it better. That’s what it’s about, and that’s what we strive towards.

“I’m very excited to be opening this restaurant and that we’re continuing our mission in one of London’s most exciting developments in a beautiful setting surrounded by green spaces and water.”

Scan this code to nd out more about Emilia’s Crafted Pasta

“The vision is that we want to bring 100% natural, a ordable, fresh pasta to as many people as possible in a way that respects those traditions and feels very casual and Italian

Andrew Macleod, Emilia’s

Years since Andrew created Emilia’s Crafted Pasta at St Katherine Docks in Wapping

Andrew Macleod founded Emilia’s after spotting a gap in the market for reasonably priced, good quality pasta inspired by his travels around the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. After opening in St Katherine Docks, the business expanded to Aldgate and now to Canary Wharf

Parmesan, Pecorino and basil pesto with casarecce

The restaurant and bar will feature a custom-built table bocce game

Above, Emilia’s papardelle, served with Bechamel Bolognese that’s slow-cooked for four hours

Canary Wharf

An artist’s impression of how Emilia’s Crafted Pasta at Wood Wharf will look when work is complete

meats would like two

after German Doner Kebab opens its doors in Cabot Place we sit down with the chain’s MD

by Jon Massey

Much change is afoot at the top of Cabot Place’s mighty cylinder of escalators. Ride to the top and you’ll nd hoardings abound as a fresh crop of restaurants moves in to Canary Wharf. Lewis Hamilton’s plant-based Neat Burger is soon to arrive as is Marugame Udon, which promises to supply oodles of noodles.

Already open though is German Doner Kebab as the chain continues its roll-out across the UK. Canary Wharf is its 71st branch in this country with a further 26 in the pipeline worldwide this year. We called up the chain’s managing director for UK and Europe, Daniel Bunce, to nd out what Wharfers can expect from this emerging power house of fast food.

what is GDK?

Our brand was born in Berlin in 1989 and expanded at the end of the century into the Middle East to Dubai. Then we came to the UK in 2015. We had six restaurants here at the end of 2017 and Canary Wharf is our 71st opening.

There is a ght about whether Germany or Turkey invented this kebab concept. Germany laid claim to it in 1971. What we o er is di erent from a Turkish kebab.

We serve beef and chicken – you’ll notice I didn’t mention lamb. That’s where we di er. Both our beef and chicken skewers contain 93% pure lean meat with the rest seasoning and binding – that’s probably double the meat content you’d nd in a standard kebab.

what should people try?

We’d always recommend you start with our Original German Doner Kebab with either meat or a mixture.

It’s such a great product – that combination of the bread, the sauces, the salad and the meat. It’s the right one to go to.

what other options are there?

We have an option called the Doner Box, which contains all the ingredients in a kebab and fries but allows you to avoid the bread – that’s great as Continued on Page 12

Eagle-eyed Wharfers may have already spotted the striking GDK logo outside its 71st branch at the very top of Cabot Place opposite Nando’s

£11.07

a lunchtime snack. We’re famous for a product we call the Boss Box, which has a rather large and grand feel. It was conceived during lockdown, originally for click and collect but it’s proven to be a huge hit with customers.

You get a choice of kebab, sauces and a choice of fries – we do di erent kinds such as spicy aming fries, cheesy fries and curry fries.

We also have a home-grown product, which we invented called the Doner Spring Roll. We take our meats, add some jalapenos and a spring roll pastry, so you get a full meal in a box, with a drink, which you could eat outside, if the sun is shining, or it’s very handy to take back to your o ce and it’s not going to create a mess. It’s proving very popular.

what else are people ordering?

We do a selection of burgers with kebab meat in a brioche bun. We launched the Doritos Crunch Burger as a limited o er but it’s proved so popular it’s become a staple part of the menu.

Basically it’s our standard burger jazzed up using Doritos crisps and some melted cheese, which gives us another avour.

We also have healthier options like the gym box which has up to 44g of protein and no carbs.

why Canary Wharf?

It’s a prime real estate – a really prestigious venue and the consumer here is very much our target demographic.

We’ve opened up in very nearly every major city in the UK and we know that our customers are young professionals, although our products are also eaten by families at the weekend.

what’s the restaurant like?

We don’t look like a kebab shop – we’re very bright with lots of colours and our kitchens are all behind glass.

We don’t hide anything from our guests. All the veg that we use is prepared in the morning, or during the day, depending on the levels of business.

We don’t carry any skewers of meat or any of our salad into the next day. So if you look into our kitchens last thing at night or rst thing in the morning, there’s no leftover food – everything’s fresh and every single order is prepared in front of the customer. We’re very proud of that. We like to say that we serve quality food done fast.

what about sustainability?

We operate with very little waste – we use the meat from our kebabs in your spring rolls and our vegetables are prepared on a day-to-day basis and we top up later in shift if we need to.

We shave our meat very thinly so our products need to be wrapped up well to ensure everything is kept in the best possible condition, but we’ve made a conscious e ort in the last couple of years to reduce the amount of plastic we use.

We want to do more and it’s de nitely something we’re working on as well as with our suppliers to overcome the challenges that are presented by a business of our scale.

Scan this code to nd out more about German Doner Kebab or to place an order online for its takeaway products

Cost of an Original German Doner Kebab lled with beef, melted cheese, jalapenos and pickles with aming fries on the side plus a Sprite

The Canary Wharf branch of German Doner Kebab is located at the top of Cabot Place’s escalators

Not a press shot: An Original German Doner Kebab as served at the Canary Wharf restaurant

taste

Putting all the talk of protein and low-carbs aside, you probably don’t go to German Doner Kebab in Canary Wharf if you want something healthy. There are plenty of options for that, especially given the recent explosion of new-wave salad outlets that’s recently arrived. I’m looking at you, Kaleido.

No, you go for comfort food – a great pile of meat that’s full of avour, wrapped in a hunk of bread with enough vegetable matter on the side to convince yourself the esh mountain you’re polishing o isn’t going to be too detrimental to your life expectancy.

The restaurant is modern, grey, orange and attractive. Lit by warm lights it has a premium feel that’s a cut above the standard burger chains.

Ordering can be done either at the counter or on a series of self-service terminals that once appro

priately programmed grant a print-out. We want to eat in, but oddly this isn’t an option at check-out. Next comes a lengthy period of awkwardly hanging out near the counter until our number’s up. It’s strange restaurants haven’t really worked out a better system for this yet. Perhaps things will speed up as the team beds in.

My Original German Doner Kebab comes in a cardboard triangle and bursts open in a profusion of meat as it’s unwrapped. The avours, while glorious, could be further improved by better mixing the salad, which cowers at the back, with the beef.

My companion’s Doritos Crunch Burger isn’t much to look at and is light on molten cheese but is nevertheless a revelation in the mouth. It’s easy to see why it’s a bestseller.

Jon Massey

“

Canary Wharf is prime real estate – a really prestigious venue and the consumer here is very much our target demographic. We’ve opened up in nearly every major city in the UK and we know that our customers are young professionals

Daniel Bunce, German Doner Kebab

Original German Doner Kebab, £11.07 (with fries, extras and a Sprite) German Doner Kebab, Cabot Place

virtual viewpoint by Chris Ezekiel

The world will be celebrat ing Customer Service Week during the rst full week of October. At Creative Virtual, we’ve started to prepare for our annual blog post celebration, so I’ve been thinking more about my own cus tomer experiences.

As a new dad, I have been realising the parallels between being a parent to a young baby and serving cus tomers. There’s anticipating his every need, learning the signs and acting proactively before reaching the esca lation stage (crying). Then there’s reading between the lines when the real need or issue isn’t immediately clear and providing care when and where he needs it, all day, every day. You get the picture.

Always being available to your cus tomers is the most important thing. Technology plays a big part in this – a virtual agent can hold consistent, personalised conversations with millions of customers at the same time, leaving the human agents free to deal with the more complex enquiries, meaning fewer queries and hopefully a more satisfying job.

Sometimes issues can’t be imme diately or simply solved and that’s where communication and empathy play such an important part.

Humans certainly have an advan tage over virtual agents, at least today, in that regard. So the compa nies that are best at customer service are the ones who deploy technology and humans to work in harmony.

Consider your own organisation’s attitude towards customers. Are you nurturing them with the same atten tion you would a baby?

Keep in mind that, unlike babies, your customers can easily choose new connections if they’re not happy. It may not work as an o cial tagline, but you should be following this customer service mantra – treat your custom ers like a newborn.

the principle of

Follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on Twitter

Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual

Pay close attention:

Customers, unlike babies can easily go elsewhere if they don’t like the way they’re being treated

nurture

Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at West India Quay’s Cannon Workshops

“

You should be following this customer service mantra – treat your customers like a newborn

Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual

Cost of a Vegetarian Feast at the Two

the place for portions

substantial how the Two Magpies Cafe in Limehouse delivers on taste, experience and quantity for those in need of a bite

by Jon Massey

The nursery rhyme would have you believe that it’s one for sorrow, two for joy – and the way the Two Magpies Cafe on the corner of Commercial Road and Bromley Street in Limehouse delivers that elation is through the medium of food.

Established in 2009, it’s little wonder it’s packed when I visit on a Sunday.

Given the size of the colossal portions it’s possible the business strategy has simply been to give everyone so much of what they want that they’re physically challenged when it comes time to leave. But to imply that quantity is the only reason for visiting would be wrong.

At the last minute I veer away from the Suncatcher – an alliance of poached eggs, rye bread, smashed avocado and chorizo – in favour of the Vegetarian Feast.

Always go with your gut, it knows you better than you know yourself. This £12.90 marathon of mostly plant-based treats arrives

on an enormous plate. At its heart, a fried egg’s bright yellow yolk shines, seemingly making the mushrooms, chips, baked beans, veggie sausage, toast, grilled tomatoes and sautéed spinach glow.

There’s also a hash brown (because one form of potato is never enough) and a little pot of strawberry jam, presumably intended as dessert with a buttered slice rather than as a condiment.

The quality is high, the cooking competent and our little booth –

created by the anti-Covid screens between each table – is soon the scene of committed, relentless consumption.

Somehow, despite the size of the meal, it doesn’t feel heavy – something I put down to the doubtless potent digestive effects of a ginger-laced strawberry and citrus smoothie.

This fresh, pink concoction proves the ideal pairing for the plate of fried goodness.

Taken both together they’re the proof of the cafe’s claim that much of its menu has been created through years of experimentation with the sole aim of pleasing its customers.

Those visiting right now are receiving the fruits of around 12 years of labour all wrapped up in a delicate, eggshell blue and exposed brick package. No wonder there weren’t any tables available when we arrived.

Scan this code for more information about the Two Magpies Cafe

four focus support your local institutions

Where? Tobacco Dock Wapping

EVENT | La Piñata

Responsibly sip agave spirits, with all the very best expressions of tequila and mezcal on o er. Samples and a tasting glass are included in the entry price. Sept 25, 11am-8pm, from £25, tobaccodocklondon.com

Where?

Troxy Limehouse

FILM | The The: The Comeback Special Book your seat at the Limehouse venue for the première of a lm chronicling The The’s triumphant return to the Royal Albert Hall. Q&A included. Oct 1, 7pm, £28.70, troxy.co.uk

Where? Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

STAGE | Roots

Presented by the 1927, this medley of rarely-told folktales features tyrannical ogres, magic birds’ hearts and very fat cats. Expect some animation. Oct 5-30, times vary, from £12.50, wiltons.org.uk

diary date

more?

Scan this code for more about Family Folk Show where Megson will perform songs from their albums

whar ifelive

Aimed at kids aged up to eight, Half Moon Theatre in Limehouse has booked musical duo Megson for a Family Folk Show with two performances on October 16 at 11am and 2pm. Tickets cost £7 – expect to sway and dance halfmoon.org.uk

The Two Magpies Cafe can be found on the corner of Commercial Road and Bromley Street

It’s hard to comprehend the size of the Vegetarian Feast

by Jon Massey

Rhiannon Williams is well used to the principle of using exercise to help deal with pain. Having moved from North Yorkshire to London to train as a dancer, she discovered Pilates from the professional ballerinas training her.

“I actually had a lower back issue, which is how I got into Pilates myself,” she said. “I was in a lot of pain and when I was breathing, I could feel pain in my lower back. Pilates is the only thing I’ve done since then which has nulli ed it, so I don’t have any issues any more.

“That’s why I had it in my head that I wanted to make Pilates my speciality.

“I quali ed rst as a personal trainer about four years ago, but I never found my niche. Now I live and breathe Pilates.”

Rhiannon’s role at Myoset is Pilates instructor and, alongside other duties, will take charge of the group classes at the venue.

She said: “Clients can expect to come into a comfortable environment and learn why their body is doing what it’s doing.

“I think that what is key is that everybody’s body is di erent. Yes, you may have a similar posture, but even if you had the same posture as the person next to you, there’s something di erent.

“What people will learn here, for example, is why they feel tightness in their right shoulder rather than their left and what they can do when they’re not in the clinic to address it.

“I have a very analytical eye, and I analyse people from the minute they walk in, nding those little things and homing in on them.

“It’s a studio space here, with between six and eight in a class so people can get that one-to-one feeling.

“I love that because you can get up close and personal – you can really get into the nittygritty of what people are doing.

“I think for me, once I’ve gone through a Pilates session with someone, they’ll come out and say: ‘How I feel now compared with how I started is great’.

“No-one ever says that they feel worse – they always feel better.

“I know that it’s something that has worked for me, so I know it will work for other people too and I really think it’s something everyone should try.

“A lot of people ask me: ‘Is it like Yoga?’. I feel it’s an exercise method that’s not known about as much as it should be – what you get from it and where it came from is fascinating.

“It’s a full body workout, where you are lengthening the muscles, strengthening them and solidifying the foundations of your body

“People can leave knowing that they’ve learnt something about themselves as well.”

Follow @rhialign on Insta for more

how Myoset looks to shake up sports and performance therapy with an holistic approach to client wellness

by Jon Massey

There’s an energy about Tim Kayode, a determination to progress. Perhaps that’s not surprising given his background. Born and raised in Hackney, he began playing football as a kid, winning a place at West Ham’s Academy.

“I thought that was all I was going to do,” he said. “I played professionally, travelled abroad and played in Germany, Japan and Australia.”

But at 22, disaster. A dislocated kneecap, two years in rehab and then, a crushing blow.

“The doctor was very honest with me – I was going to struggle to play into my 30s,” said Tim. “So, I had to decide – feel sorry for myself, or figure out what I’m passionate about and just do it.

“I had good support around me, a family who encouraged me, including my sister who gave me a good kick up the backside – I was broken, but she asked why if I’d been successful in one field, I couldn’t be successful in another?”

While still playing, he began studying sports and performance therapy straight away – a natural move given his extensive experience of professional sport. After qualification he closed the door on football and launched a freelance practice.

“I found myself very fortunate, because I built a big, strong client base in a short period of time,” said Tim. “I started working with elite athletes straight away, and my first big client was the WBA super-flyweight boxing champion, Kal Yafai who had also won silver for Great Britain at the 2008 Olympics as a flyweight.”

A slew of high profile clients followed, but the need to travel

Tim switched to sports and performance therapy after an injury ended his footballing career

with them, often for months, meant, as a freelancer, Tim was finding it increasingly difficult to find time to treat those left back home.

“My normal clients were getting frustrated with me because they needed to be looked after too,” said Tim. “That was when I realised that I needed to expand, find a team of like-minded people I could trust who would work with me.

“The day the first lockdown started, was the start of this process. I had to pursue my goals and dreams. I had to go for it.”

That process has resulted in the creation of Myoset, which opened its doors to paying customers this week at the Republic development in Blackwall.

Tim, along with co-founder Qasim Shah and five other staff members, has created a one-stopshop dedicated to helping people do the things they want to do, moving without pain or encumbrance.

“The sports and performance therapy industry is quite outdated in terms of the ethos, the methods and techniques that are used,” said Tim. “I feel that, with Myoset, we’re going to shake things up, to push the envelope, change things and give it an update.

“Ultimately it’s all about making people feel better. That’s what we want – people to be healthier, and to do what they like doing pain-free whi

le moving better – that’s the aim.

“What we wanted to do was to create a space where people could come in and benefit from an overall wellness service.

“Not only will we be running massage, sports massage, manual therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic services, we will also have a recovery lounge, where we’ll be using the latest, cutting edge recovery tools and we’ll also have a nurse in, doing IV drips.

“In addition we’ll be offering classes and next year we’ll have a full body cryotherapy chamber as well.

“It’s all in one place and it allows us as practitioners to put our clients in the best possible position to succeed.”

Those are

Myoset co-founder

You take your car for an MOT and a service even if it’s not damaged – we should be looking after our bodies at regular intervals in the same way so we can future-proof ourselves against getting injured

Rhiannon is a quali ed personal trainer and Pilates instructor who will lead classes and see clients as part of her role at Myoset

Tim Kayode has opened the rst branch of Myoset at Republic in Blackwall

“

Tim Kayode, Myoset

TRAINER PROFILE

Rhiannon Williams Pilates Instructor Myoset

at the levels

telling words, as Myoset’s ethos is very much geared towards ensuring individuals are approaching their lives and exercises in a healthy manner.

“There is never a wrong time to see a sports and performance therapist,” said Tim. “The biggest problem that I have as a practitioner is that somebody will come to me when they’re six months into the injury.

“My question is, why do we wait until we are hurt before we decide to look after our bodies?

“This is something that we should be doing anyway – you take your car for an MOT and a service, even if it’s not damaged – we should be looking after our bodies at regular intervals in the same way so we can fine tune and future proof ourselves against getting injured. That’s what we’re trying to do here. Myo means muscle and that’s what we’re doing, setting and re-setting your muscles, your body, your alignment and, as a result, the way you feel. Everything we do is for that purpose. For example we’ll be offering ilates because I can get you out of pain as a therapist but the reason you’re coming in the first place may be down to a lack of strength or that your posture needs correcting. The way to do that is through ilates, which we consider to be movement therapy. We want to educate as well, and empower our clients so they feel confident enough to do stuff in their own time when they’re at home – that’s how they will sustain and maintain their bodies.”

Tim said he fell in love with Republic after one of his clients in Canary Wharf suggested he take a look at the area.

“The key thing for me over here is the community, and that’s what we’re keen on,” he said.

“I don’t want people to feel like they’re going to the dentist when they come to Myoset for treatment.

“This is somewhere clients can come in, train, get treatment, do a class, get an IV drip and recover, all in one place. In a few years time I would like this to be the go-to practice in the country, and I would like our ethos and methods to change the industry, particularly in the UK. I plan to open at least two more practices around London. We have a great team here and we can achieve what we want.”

First appointments start at £95 for an hour long assessment with follow-ups at £75 and £50 for an hour or half-hour respectively. Membership options covering a range of services are also available.

this code to nd our more about Myoset or to book a session

four focus support your local institutions

STAGE | Timeless

GIG | Three The Hard Way

step up

Scan this code to nd out more about Felix’s Kitchen or to apply to be a volunteer

This single-hander starring John Rayment is a moving, sometimes funny, account of how shortterm memory loss a ects the life of a London cabbie. Oct 5-9, times vary, £15, space.org.uk

SEE | Sonic Ray Jem Finer and Artangel’s installation will project the sound of Longplayer through a beam of light across the Thames to Slice Of Reality at Greenwich Peninsula. Sept 30-Nov 21, times vary, £7.50, trinitybuoywharf.com

Three performers – Reme, Rafeelya and Delroy Pinnock – take to the stage for an evening of music curated by singer Lyn Gerald. Reggae vibes. Oct 9, 7pm, £5, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

Where? Trinity Buoy Wharf Leamouth

Where? Poplar Union Poplar

Poplar-based Felix’s Kitchen is looking for volunteers to help it cook up to 6,000 meals a day from food that would otherwise go to waste to be distributed to those in need via charities across east London and beyond thefelixproject.org

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

PAPER LOVES TREES

European forests, which provide wood for making paper, paper packaging and many other products, have been growing by 1,500 football pitches every day!

what lurks

a guilty pleasure, but the bubble tea and bakes at Lai Cha in Deptford High Street are worth ingesting in moderation

by Jon Massey

Stroll into Lai Cha, nestled at an angle beneath a massive grey RSJ and you’ll find a blend of clinical white, charming cartoons on the wall and an almost austere chipboard counter.

aving transferred from its original home in a shipping container at Artworks Creekside, the bubble tea shop may only be open Wednesday to Sunday at present, but there’s no question it’s arrived.

London’s current appetite for bubble tea seems insatiable. Sweet and colourful concoctions abound laced with edible pearls, some chewy, others that burst with fresh flavour when consumed.

Lai Cha’s menu is extensive, with milk teas, fruit teas, ice teas and fruit lemonades. To truly

test its mettle though, I ordered a rown Sugar Milk Tea from the specials list presided over by a smirking panda in dungarees.

Laced with dark brown boba, this sweet concoction proved a balanced, varied libation as pearl of tapioca rushed up the deliberately enlarged straw.

I imagine it’s possible to find healthier options on the menu, but let’s be honest, like junk food, nobody goes for bubble tea because it’s going to do them good.

It’s a sugar hit, pure and simple and there’s something about the way the well-brewed tea interacts with the sweetness that’s extremely beguiling.

And if that’s not enough they also serve cinnamon doughnuts for an extra hit.

Now, if only the industry will stop using quite so much plastic, it might be possible to return less guiltily to this welcome addition to Deptford igh Street.

focus

local

DANCE | Babylon

Quang Kien Van presents a work in progress for free – expect dance, music, love, romance and feisty polemics. Booking required.

3, 4pm, free (ticketed), thealbany.org.uk

POETRY | O The Chest Hosted by poets Ella Dorman-Gajic and Iftikhar Latif, this inclusive open mic night celebrates original voices and has transferred from Mile End. Sept 30, 7pm, donations, canadawatertheatre.org.uk

FILM | Attack The Block

John Boyega and directed by Joe Cornish, this comic sci- caper sees teenage boys defend their south London estate against alien creatures. Oct 2, 6.30pm, £5, deptfordcinema.org

Where?

Albany Deptford

Canada Water Theatre Rotherhithe

there

Bermondsey-based honey beer brand Hiver is holding an homage to Oktoberfest over three evenings on September 17, 24 and October 1. Hiverfest will take place at its Stanforth Street taproom with live music and plenty of food madeofengland.co.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about Hiverfest or to book your place for some beers and sausage

Lai Cha is tucked away next to Our Lady Of The Assumption church in Deptford

Lai Cha’s Brown Sugar Milk Tea

What’s going on?

The Design District on Green wich Peninsula is open – billed as a “bold, ambitious move to support an ecosystem of 1,800 creatives”.

With some sort of network of automatic sprinklers?

No. It’s a collection of 16 build ings designed by eight di erent architects and commissioned by developer Knight Dragon, which is building about 15,000 homes in the area.

Oh, right. You mean it’s some o ce space?

It’s a bit more than that, although workers that need anything from a single desk to an entire building have been catered for with rents starting at £5 per sq ft for the rst year, rising to £7 after 12 months.

Are you trying to sell me something?

Not really, but I do know space has already been taken by Queercircle – an LGBTQ+ led non-pro t – that will open a gallery, library and project studios for LGBTQ+ artists.

What else?

Social enterprise Love Welcomes, which provides training and employment for refugee women, will also be moving in as well as Concept Kicks, a footwear research project and publication focused on the sneaker industry, which will be designing new trainers on-site.

Called the Greenwich Pumpninsula?

Really, that’s actually the best you can do?

Moving on...

The Design District will also be home to Peninsula-based Ravensbourne University’s new Institute Of Creativity And Technology, which will provide vocational training for students in a range of elds including product development, making art and digital design.

Is there anything I can get my teeth into?

Design District Canteen will probably be the biggest public draw on-site with six operators o ering global avours.

Now you’re talking, let’s do lunch. But where?

There’s Eat Lah, founded by husband and wife team Robert and Melanie to bring the avours and colours of Malaysian cooking to the UK, speci cally a rice dish called Nasi Kerabu.

There’s also Ehla...

Hang on, isn’t that the rst one again but with a few letters missed out?

No, it’s the Arabic word for “welcome” (or for “come over” in Greek, for that matter) and it will o er dishes from around the Mediterranean including bulgar pilaf bowls and chicken shawarma.

Which one’s hotter?

Seriously? You went there?

The other four are Guasa for Venezuelan cuisine, Sugo for Italian, Raastawala for north-east Indian and Toasted for warm sandwiches.

Shawarma sandwiches?

Just stop.

What do they say about Design District?

Well, Knight Dragon CEO Richard Margee said: “We’re driven by a ruthless determination to do things di erently, and better; that’s what keeps us going.

“A place like Greenwich Peninsula, ambitious in scale and twice the size of Soho, deserves bold, fresh, new thinking that constantly challenges the status quo. Not that the creative industries are new. Quite the opposite.

“They have de ned what is great about the UK and London for centuries. In no small part they have made London the global city and tourist destina tion it is today.

“Yet starved of cash and quality places to create, the sector has become a di cult

career choice for so many. So, we are going to play our part in changing that, by providing a ordable workspaces with exible leases. Not temporary. Not tokenistic. Not cynical.

“The Design District is a real place for real people to take their ideas and create real things.”

Anything else?

And Design District director Helen Arvanitakis said: “Since day one, long term support for the creative industries has been at the core of Design District.

“This support extends from the intricacies of the design of each building and versatility of the spaces on o er through to the on-the-ground and digital experiences that those who work here will experience.

“Design District is a thriving ecosystem that nourishes the long-term success of individuals and teams in the creative industries in a new and inclusive neighbourhood.”

This all sounds thrilling, is there some sort of club I can join?

Naturally – 2021 is the year of membership after all. Bureau is the name that’s been picked and it aims to bring together a network of creatives who will bene t from spaces, services and facilities to meet their needs.

What does that mean?

Well, in part, it means members can lease space at Design District for one-to-three days a week instead of full-time with a team on hand to make sure everything is set up for each tenant before they arrive.

Knight Dragon says it o ers the ability to rent fully tted spaces without the hassle or commitment of maintaining them, and at a competitive rate.

Do say The complex interplay of the di erent architectural styles is all the fuel my creativity needs.

Don’t say

Tell me more about this nour ishing sprinkler system you’re installing on the Peninsula.

“

We are playing our part by providing a ordable workspaces with exible leases. Not temporary. Not tokenistic. Not cynical Richard Margee, Knight Dragon

Scan this code for more information on Design District

by Jon Massey

how Knight Dragon’s regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula has resulted in Design District – a cluster of buildings that will house many creative businesses, students and artists

Public facing: The Design District Canteen will have six food outlets including Venezuelan out t Guasa

designed by

make

spaces creating the

focus

your local institutions

Where?

O2 Arena Peninsula

GIG | Nothing But Thieves

The Southend ve-piece bring singles such as Real Love Song and Is Everybody Going Crazy? to the tent –expect rich anthemic, grandiose music. Oct 8, 6.30pm, from £25, theo2.co.uk

Where?

Join Pegasus Opera on a musical voyage to celebrate Black History Month featuring the rich sounds of operatic greats inspired by the diaspora. Oct 1-2, times vary, £12, greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Factory Woolwich

The writer, presenter and poet comes to Woolwich Works in celebration of National Poetry Day 2021 to read from his collection Gold From The Stone Oct 7, 6.30pm, from £19, woolwich.works

read

Scan this code

out

On The Go or how to

about

EVENT | An Audience With Lemn Sissay

OPERA | Arise: Legacy And Hope Concert

Made In Greenwich curator Mary Jane Baxter has published Sew On The Go – both escapist travelogue and crafting guide – telling the story of her journey across Europe in an upcylced Bedford Bambi van

a copy of Mary Jane’s book

Huddled

art on

arrival

how London City Airport’s first public art commission by Anne Hardy is ready to welcome international travellers to the city

by Jon Massey

The Thames connects us literally to the past, and to the trade and people who have travelled here over its surface,” said Anne Hardy. Work by the east London artist is now one of the first things people see when they arrive from other countries at London City Airport.

For the next two years Destination London will greet those visiting and returning to the UK as they walk down the hub’s West Pier arrivals corridor.

Intended to convey a message of “optimism and positivity from nature” the work is the airport’s first public art commission and comes at a time when people are starting to travel abroad more frequently in the wake of successful vaccination rollouts across the world.

Taking the form of four large photo grams – images made without a camera, but using photographic techni ues in

a darkroom through the manipulation of light on paper – the piece aims to communicate “a vivid sense of the layered histories of London”.

In order to achieve those goals, Anne spent time gathering flora from the airfield itself, literally picking flowers growing beside the runway for use in her creation as part of a celebration of the life flourishing beside the start and end point of millions of journeys each year in normal operation.

She said: “The surrounding landscape of tidal flows and post-industrial develop ment forms a kind of archaeology in flux, which holds within it a parallel botanic universe of international plants.

“Many of these were brought here by people for food and connection to home cultures, as well as for trade and botanic research.”

The commission was arranged by The Line – a public art walk running up the River Lea from Royal Docks to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park that features many works for explorers to discover.

Its co-founder and director Megan iper said: “We are delighted to have curated this commission with Anne Hardy, which has transformed the international arrivals corridor for inbound travellers and welcomes visitors to London.

“The international origins of the local flora reflect the diversity that is a defining feature of the city, which is important to celebrate now more than ever.”

Anne was selected from a shortlist of east London-based artists by a panel of local stakeholders.

Internationally recognised for her largescale sculptural installations at locations such as Tate Britain and Leeds Art Gallery, she is set to become artist in residence at the Chianti Foundation in Marfa, Texas in 2022, when she will also show her work at the Merz Foundation in Turin.

London City Airport marketing director Neil Dillon said: “Anne’s work brings a new and exciting cultural dimension to our International Arrivals corridor, with its vibrant colours giving off an air of calm and projecting feelings of wellbeing

The surrounding landscape of tidal ows and post-industrial development forms a kind of archaeology

Anne Hardy, artist

and positivity from nature, as we emerge from the pandemic. The plant life featured in Destination London was carefully collected by Anne herself from locations around our airport.

“It is representative of flora native to many parts of the globe, very fitting for an international airport in the heart of London – a truly global destination.

“We really hope that, over the next two years, international arriving passengers embrace this unique and memorable welcome to east London from the moment they touch down at the airport.”

The airport welcomed another new arrival on September 2 – the first Embraer E190-E2 jet to make a commercial flight into Docklands, as Helvetic Airways Flight L 456 touched down.

London City Airport COO Alison Fitzgerald said: It demonstrates how we are collaborating with manufacturers and airlines to introduce more low-emission, low-noise aircraft to our airport.

“Our ambition is to be one of the most sustainable airports of our size in Europe, and it is my expectation that we will be welcoming more of these aircraft with more airlines as the industry recovers.”

Scan

London

Airport

Two of Anne Hardy’s four photograms that make up Destination London at London City Airport

four focus support your local institutions

Where? Rathbone Market Canning Town

GO | Rathbone Roots

Part of the Newham Unlocked festival, this event will celebrate the area’s diverse communities through music, dance, street arts and food. Oct 9, 1pm-5pm, free, newhamunlockedfestival.org

Where? Excel Royal Victoria Dock

EVENT | International Franchise Show

With 10,000 visitors expected and 250 exhibitors, this is the place to be if you’re thinking of franchising. Expect to prove your vaccination status on the door. Oct 1-2, 10am-4pm, from free, excel.london

Where?

The Thames Royal Wharf Pier

Anne spent time collecting botanical samples from the air eld to use in the creation of her large-scale photograms

Take Uber Boat By Thames Clippers in its east zone with a newly launched unlimited hop-on, hop-o river roamer from Canary Wharf to Woolwich. Daily, £9.80 (£4.90 concessions), thamesclippers.com

tness fanatics

International tness competition Hyrox is set to arrive at Excel on September 25 with around 3,000 participants tackling eight gruelling exercises interspersed with eight 1km runs. Single entry costs £74 per person hyrox.com

Scan this code to read our interview with Hyrox co-founder Mo Fürste and for more info on booking

TRAVEL | East Zone River Roamer

by Jon Massey

Ikeep joking about this, but going to the theatre really is the cheapest form of group therapy you will ever have,” said Nadia Fall. Theatre Royal Stratford East’s artistic director sounds as though she’s in a buoyant mood as I catch her on the phone while she’s striding towards a rehearsal room.

Within, the four-strong cast of the venue’s forthcoming production – Shining City – presumably await. It’s a week before the first night and, as director, Nadia is deeply immersed in the process of production.

Written by Irish playwright Conor McPherson and starring Curtis-Lee Ashqar, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Fox and Rory Keenan, the show will run from September 17 to October 23.

Nadia said: “It’s set in Dublin in the early 2000s and it’s about a recently bereaved middle-aged guy who’s not one to talk about feelings, not someone to go to a therapist, but he’s absolutely desperate.

“He walks into this therapy session and starts to tell his story, but there’s something more to his tale – he’s having visions of his wife. So it’s an ode to Dublin, but it’s also a story about how men hold their pain and how they don’t talk about it.

“Even now we talk a lot about mental health in men and how it’s not the thing to do to express pain. The play investigates that a bit as well.”

Coyle, best known for his role as valet Mr Bates in Downton Abbey, takes on the lead role of John. He’s also no stranger to McPherson’s work, having won an Olivier Award for his supporting role in the playwright’s hit The Weir “Conor’s work is very celebrated in theatre,” said Nadia. “As a fan watching the original outing of this play back in 2004, I really remember it as one of those plays that gets under your skin, it’s really ripe for revival.

“I thought there might be a whole load of people in east London who might not have seen the original production, so for them it would be a new work.

“It’s a very well crafted play

back in the

room

4Actors will perform Shining City –Brendan Coyle, Michelle Fox, Curtis-Lee Ashqar and Rory Keenan

how Shining City is a beacon of theatre, set to attract audiences back inside Stratford East

Theatre Royal Stratford East artistic director

Nadia Fall in rehearsal for Shining City with Brendan Coyle and Rory Keenan

Images by Marc Brenner for Theatre Royal Stratford East

that really fits in our venue – a haunting story in our old Victorian theatre.

“I wrote a love letter to Conor to say how much the play meant to me, and we were very lucky to get the rights to do it, because it’s one of those plays that half the theatres in the land would want to revive.

Everybody who saw it remembers it.

“It’s a great ensemble piece and we have a genuinely Irish cast, so I feel it’s really lived-in and authentic.

“While it’s a play about grief and loss, it’s got some gallows humour in it and some really uplifting moments.

“Audiences certainly won’t leave on a downer. I really hope people will want to talk about it in the bar afterwards.

“Conor is a master craftsman. Shining City deals with a macabre subject matter but leaves people on a thrilling high.

“I feel that people, for very different reasons, have had a really tough year with the pandemic. While the last thing I want to do is to suggest people shouldn’t talk about it, sometimes they just don’t want to, they want to be uplifted and be distracted.

“Theatres have an extraordinary way of processing life, which you can’t get by watching the television at home. We do need to get behind our gorgeous venues, or we will lose them – it’s as plain as that.”

Nadia, who was just embarking on her second season at Stratford East when the pandemic hit, having previously spent three years at the National Theatre as an associate director, said she was uietly hopeful audiences would return to watch live performances.

“I think people need it and there’s an appetite,” she said.

“ eing in the rehearsal room, even when things are hard because it’s a di cult play, is just so joyful – you remember why you do the

“Theatres have an extraordinary way of processing life, which you can’t get by watching the television at home Nadia Fall, Theatre Royal Stratford East

work, and there’s no substitute for that.

“As well as Shining City, this year finally, finally, because it had to be cancelled last year, we’ll have our panto, Red Riding Hood, from November 27.

“Yes, it doesn’t seem like high art, but for so many people it’s their first taste of a theatre, and it’s such an e ualiser, bringing all generations, all creeds and colours together.

“It was such a moment, having to cancel that, because it brings all our staff and families together and it’s such a buzz.

“There’s a noise in the building from morning till night when it’s panto season, with young people, and families in the evening – I’m really looking forward to it this Christmas.

“Then, after Christmas, we have the great Lyndsey Turner directing Dennis Kelly’s bitter comedy After the End, which was supposed to be this summer but was delayed due to Covid restrictions.

“It’s an incredibly dark and exciting work that’s both post-apocalyptic and chilling, set in a city that’s just been hit with a nuclear weapon.”

The opening night of Shining City, will be an occasion with a different sort of intensity, as the community of audience and staff once more gather together in a single location for a performance, just as humans have been doing for thousands of years.

“First nights never get any easier,” said Nadia. “In fact, I think I might get more nervous over time. I’m the worst person to sit next to and I’m very superstitious.

“I try to sit next to my brother – he’s the only person I usually invite, poor man.

“ e doesn’t work in theatre, he’s nothing to do with it, and I’m digging my sharp nails into his thighs. I watch the productions I’ve directed like I’m watching a cup final – I feel I’m up there with them.

“This time will be a bit different though. Even with staff in the building, we’ve tried to be as cautious as possible.

“ pening up again will be very emotional. We haven’t all seen each other for a long time, whether that’s staff or regular audience members.”

Tickets for Shining City start at £10. Some performances will be socially distanced. Check with the box o ce when booking.

Scan this code to nd out more about Shining City or to book

four focus support your local institutions

where?

The Pavillion

IQL Stratford

OPEN | Haugen

High-end restaurant chain D&D (Plateau, Le Pont De La Tour) has opened this Alpine-inspired cafe, restaurant, bar and rooftop in Stratford. Open daily, haugen-restaurant.com

where?

Cody Dock Bow

VOLUNTEER | Brickwork Restoration

Help the ongoing project to bring Cody Dock back into use by repairing its brick walls ahead of re- ooding. A healthy, outdoor activity. Mons, Weds, Suns, some Sats, free, codydock.org.uk

where? Stratford Across the area

FASHION | Fashion District Festival

Discover a host of events at West eld, the British Council, The Stratford and The Pavillion at IQL, all aimed at boosting fashion and design locally. Sept 22-26, various times and prices, fashion-district.co.uk

fresh coat

The lunatics’ decorations of the building may have gone, the craft beer may be the big business sort, but The Lord Napier And Star in Hackney Wick is still worth a visit for KraPow’s potent Thai food, if nothing else lordnapierstar.co.uk

Scan this code to nd out more about the pub, which has had a fresh coat of gra ti for reopening

Actor Brendan Coyle gets to grips with the part of John during rehearsals for the production

Scan this code to visit Paige's website

THE ARTIST

This piece has been created for Wharf Life by print designer Paige Denham.

Having graduated with a First from Loughborough University in 2019 with a specialism in printed textiles, she went on to win Cockpit Arts' Make It 2020 award and is currently based at its Holborn studios, screen printing and creating new print designs to sell under her own name.

Her style is personal, expressive and often explores her love of culture and people’s stories.

You can nd out more about her work by following her on Insta @paigedenhamprints

WHEN YOU'VE FINISHED...

Anyone taking a fully coloured-in version of this page to Made In Greenwich at 324 Creek Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 9SW, 11am-5pm, Wednesday to Saturday, will receive a FREE gift of ve of Ellen Strachan's Seed Of Hope colouring-in cards, worth £3 each, which come with a pack of mini coloured pencils to nish them o . Check out her work on Insta @pigeonloftprints

● Also, we'd love to see your e orts – tag @whar ifelive and @migreenwich in any you post on Insta

Made In Greenwich is part of Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (gcda.coop), which has been supporting communities to be healthy and sustainable since 1982

this code for more on Made In Greenwich

Greenwich

shop stocking pieces by artists and makers from the borough – to give readers a creative colouring-in challenge

Creative Space

nd

Sweat By BXR

Wrap Front

Kidd Rapinet Solicitors

Canary Wharf Group

Page

My London Home

Weston Homes

Page

Notting Hill Genesis

Ballymore

Ecoworld

be part of the Canary Wharf conversation

To

in Wharf

Wharf

Hamptons

Pages

Poplar Harca

Page

Legal & General print Page 33

Alex Neil

Page

Galliard Homes

Page

Handyman Services

Dermot Cox Counselling

play

strategies, hints and tips online at sudokuwiki.org

to play

can nd more Sudoku puzzles and a wide selection

complete Sudoku, fill the board

others available in apps and books at str8ts.com. This

SUDOKU

numbers 1 to 9

is supplied by Syndicated Puzzles.

beating the

Sudoku, fill the board

entering numbers

you’re

to 9 such

each row, column and 3x3 box

sleuth or synonym solver in

every number uniquely.

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

Sudoku

really like

and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

Quick Down

NO MORE