Why looking within is vital to altering our actions
Page 28
inside issue 134
Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition
EBRD Literature Prize - Crossword
Sudoku - Toni&Guy - Sushi Daily
Dear Loll - Secret 7” - Fabwick
Bromley-By-Bow Gasworks
cross many rivers to how Orbit Clipper is set to carry passengers between Canary Wharf and Rotherhithe as the first all-electric ferry on the Thames Page 26
celebrating the best of Canary Wharf, Docklands and the new east London people - events - treasure - property - foolishness
Call our team on 020 7205 4021 or email cmiller@kiddrapinet.co.uk, ypatel@kiddrapinet.co.uk or mzvarykina@kiddrapinet.co.uk
Dancing For Parkinson’s Stratford High Street Chris Ezekiel Fast, affordable, conveyancing services
Call our team on 020 7205 4021 or email cmiller@kiddrapinet.co.uk, ypatel@kiddrapinet.co.uk or mzvarykina@kiddrapinet.co.uk
Image by Jon Massey
Where?
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf Cabot Place
GIG | Grey Goose Presents Mel Blatt
DJs Ben and Lonyo are set to be joined by the All Saints star for a special set in the venue’s rst oor Hine Bar. Expect to hear Never Ever from 10.30pm. Apr 24, 7pm-1am, from £5, boisdale.co.uk
India Quay
SEE | Secrets Of The Thames
The museum’s latest exhibition washes up on West India Quay, focusing on the practice of mudlarking on the river’s foreshore. Features 350+ objects. Apr 4-Mar 1, daily, from £16, londonmuseum.org.uk
EVENTS | The Big Egg Hunt
Where? Across Canary Wharf Join The Hunt
Welcome to issue 134 of Wharf Life. This paper has a strong avour of past into present, whether it’s Toni&Guy marking 25 years on the Wharf, novelists from around the world re ecting on history in their work via the EBRD Literature Prize or rediscovered letters forming the basis of a play. Look back..
How English National Ballet’s Dancing For Parkinson’s initiative has grown from a strong evidence base into a platform for performance and further study 24
For those who haven’t noticed, the estate has been strewn with chunky eggs designed by artists. It’s part of a London-wide trail in support of a charity. Until Apr 27, daily, free, canarywharf.com
a warm welcome and plenty of stone lions dintaifung-uk.com
Raining money for charity, Secret 7” unveils its latest exhibition
Building on gas: We take a look at St William’s east London schemes 28 13
on the radar
Phew, that was quick. Shortly after Clinton Cards shut its doors, news emerged it was to be replaced by Accessorize, returning to the Wharf after some time away. Expect, well, plenty of accessories and inexpensive goods at its new Canada Place store accessorize.com
Canary Wharf is set to welcome a new branch of O ce Shoes at Canada Place in a blizzard of recent retail lettings that has included the likes of Lina, Vision Express, Next and Søstrene Grene. In the meantime check out its styles online so you know what to try on... o ce.co.uk need to know
Dive into ancient Egypt as Excel hosts the story of a pharaoh
A conversation rediscovered: How Dear Loll at Wilton’s Music Hall takes letters between a husband and wife to shine a light on the history of the Second World War
TRIED + TESTED
Menu Three Sushi Sushi Daily, Waitrose sushidaily.com
Let’s be clear, Sushi Daily is still a much better option than grabbing one of those tired, desiccated pre-packed sushi selections from the refrigerated shelf of a convenience store.
But somehow the recent Menu Three is not quite the deal it once seemed. The application of wasabi in the eight nigiri (four tuna, four salmon) is thuggy.
The California rolls aren’t quite as liberally coated with sesame seeds as they used to be. Even the maki seem hastily put together.
But worst of all, the tuna doesn’t feel great in the mouth. It looks a little tired, draped over its oblong of rice, exhausted perhaps at the state of the world. Fair play, the salmon is good stu and also looks the part – perky, a punch orange and succulent on the tongue. You’ll need a second tray to adequately feed two people and by then you may as well be coughing up £29 for an in nitely superior takeaway from Yuhoki on the Isle Of Dogs. Biked over, it comes at room temperature (as sushi should) and is very good. Of course, if money is no object, just book yourself a table at Roka and go for it. ★★✩✩✩ Jon Massey Sushi Daily’s Menu Three costs £11.75 for 14 pieces
doing the deals
get more for less on and around the Wharf
Get a free burrata topping and up to 10% o every visit when joining Scarpetta’s Goodfella Lunch Club. Terms and conditions apply, naturally scarpettapasta.com
How Fabwick is set to host a classic car themed morning in Hackney Wick
subscribe to our Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly <£13
Well, £12.50 actually, is what Pergola On The Wharf is charging for its express lunch on weekdays from noon-4pm. Covers a main and a soft drink pergolacanarywharf.co.uk
subscribe to our FREE Wharf Whispers newsletter and get our content in your inbox fortnightly
write me words you don’t know you need
jadey
noun, fake, from American
The kind of person who drives a verbal cart and horses through any sense of alliance, security or goodwill wherever they go. Likely to be schooled by the Pope on their approach to Catholicism despite being a supposed follower
widdiful
adjective, real, from Old English
This insult should be aimed at those who deserve to be hanged, deriving originally from “withy” the word for a exible branch that came to refer to the intertwined cords of an executioner’s noose. Use on bad sorts...
Immigration Solicitors
As featured in the last issue of Wharf Life, The Flower Club has o cially opened its doors in Harbord Square on Wood Wharf o ering a vibrant collection of bouquets and arrangements. Wharfers in need of fresh cut owers can visit the new shop from 10am-6pm on weekdays, from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and from noon-5pm on Sundays. Expect sweet scents.
diary dates, listings and ideas to make life in Canary Wharf sweeter..
Move fast: Sofar Sounds shows often sell out well in advance, so early booking is advised to avoid disappointment
You know the warmer months can’t be too far away when Sofar Sounds announces its latest collection of gigs.
The brand has made a great success of its model, which involves staging performances in unusual locations for audiences who don’t know either who they’ll be seeing or exactly where they will be seeing them.
view that will deliver what the organiser is calling “summer feels”.
Billed as a “rooftop show”, audiences can expect a number of acts in a location that will be revealed to ticket-holders 36 hours before the performance. Seating is on a rst-come, rst-served basis, with those attending free to bring their own snacks and drinks (including alcohol), making it a walletfriendly evening out.
key details
In contrast to organisations such as Secret Cinema which has abandoned the dash of mystery that gave it its name, Sofar has continued to embrace surprise as a key selling point.
Consequently, all we can really tell you about these gigs is that they will be hosted somewhere in Canary Wharf with a nice
Sofar Sounds’ next gigs in Canary Wharf will take place on Wednesdays, from 7.30pm with tickets costing £24.
Performances have been scheduled for June 11, July 16, August 20 and September 10. Early booking is advised as similar shows have often sold out well in advance. Duration, three hours.
SCREEN TIME
Toddler Club: Peter Rabbit (PG) Everyman Canary Wharf everymancinema.com
Beatrix Potter’s classic creation gets a comedic outing on the silver screen as mischievous bunny Peter attempts to pilfer vegetables from Mr McGregor’s garden. But will he and his sisters and cousins outwit the human as he tries to defend his produce? Catch it on April 18 at 9.15am. Tickets for an adult and toddler (including a hot drink, slice of cake or small popcorn) cost £16.90
Image by
Sofar Sounds
TAKE PART Tree Of Life
Jubilee Place
canarywharf.com
As part of its annual programme of faith-based events, Canary Wharf is hosting a Tree Of Life.
Intended as a place for re ection and gratitude in the run-up to Easter, the pop-up represents “full and ourishing life” and aims to re ect the symbolic place trees occupy in Christian scripture and tradition.
Wharfers are invited to visit the installation and add a leaf to its branches, sharing future wishes, expressions of thanks or cherished memories of loved ones.
The tree will be in place from April 14-28 and visitors will be able to add messages to the tree from noon-6pm.
We should all read more right? Why not grab a free extract from Canary Wharf’s Short Story Stations?
IN PRINT Earth And The Environment Short Story Stations
canarywharf.com
In a world of information overload and constant demands on your attention, the printed word can be a delightful balm on the soul. You should know, you’re reading this publication. Canary Wharf Group’s ongoing partnership with Penguin Books continues, with its latest season available through the estate’s Short Story Stations at Crossrail Place Roof Garden and Jubilee Place.
There, at the touch of a button, Wharfers can get print-outs of passages from the publisher’s books completely free of charge. Until May 1, readers can access extracts from George Monbiot’s This Can’t Be Happening, Dara McAnulty’s Diary Of A Young Naturalist, Chris Van Tullekens Ultra-Processed People, Gaia Vince’s Nomad Century and Hannah Ritchie’s Not The End Of The World from Penguin’s its Earth And Environment collection. Makes sense that they’d be worried about the ice caps melting...
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The 370th Clergy Support Trust Festival brings together three world-class choirs under the magnificent dome of St Paul's Cathedral, on Tuesday 13 May 2025, 5pm.
Book your free tickets for this majestic afternoon of performances at: www.clergysupport.org.uk/wharflife
Books on the EBRD Literature Prize shortlist, which was recently released. The winners will be announced on June 24
translation found in
how the European Bank For Reconstruction And Development Literature Prize celebrates the work of authors and translators
by Jon Massey
Maya Jaggi has spent much of her career making space for international writers in the UK.
After studying PPE at Oxford and international relations at LSE, she began her journalistic career in current affairs.
“I was in my 20s and it was a fairly academic journal, but I started a literature section,” she said. “Whenever I was doing anything about international politics, I was always thinking about where the cultural aspects were.
“They always make everything so much richer – history, memory and imagination are the building blocks of fiction – and that’s something that gets left out.”
It was a niche she explored in greater depth through her extensive work at The Guardian, reviewing novels by overseas authors and interviewing a great many for the publication.
Apt then, that having spent so much of her career championing writing from around the world, that she should be chair of the judging panel for this year’s
European Bank For Reconstruction And Development Literature Prize. First, a bit of background.
what is this bank?
The EBRD is owned by some 75 shareholders – namely countries spread across five continents as well as the EU and the European Investment Bank. Set up in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall, it supports primarily private sector enterprise in democratic states, helping foster the transition to open market systems in those territories.
While initially it was set up to support eastern European countries in the wake of the Soviet Union’s collapse, its work has since broadened and spread to more than 30 nations over three continents, with €210 billion invested in more than 7,400 projects. In 2022, it moved its headquarters to 5 Bank Street in Canary Wharf.
tell me more about the prize... The EBRD Literature Prize was first awarded in 2018 as an initiative aimed at engaging the bank’s staff in cultural activities relevant to its work.
Now in its eighth iteration, publishers are invited to submit works of fiction that have been
from countries where it invests
translated into English from countries where the institution invests.
A panel of judges then goes through these, producing a shortlist before three finalists are revealed. The overall winning author and translator split a prize of €20,000 equally between them, while the other two finalists split awards of €2,000. For 2025, the prizes will be awarded on June 24 at EBRD’s Canary Wharf offices.
who decides?
The bank invites a panel of independent judges to pick both the shortlist and the finalists.
This year Maya has been joined by writer and editor Selma Dabbagh, translator and associate professor in Ukrainian and East European culture at UCL, Uilleam Blacker and writer and foreign correspondent for BBC News, Fergal Keane.
“I was invited to be a judge two years ago, so this is my third stint and, as chair, I get to suggest people to be on the panel, which has been a great pleasure,” said Maya. “What I wanted were good readers, experienced readers and that’s what we have.
“There’s no long list and we don’t disclose how many continued on Page 8
Images by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
The panel have selected a total of 10 works from seven countries for the 2025 ERBD Literature Prize shortlist
The judging panel from left, Fergal Keane, Selma Dabbagh, Uilleam Blacker and Maya Jaggi
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from Page 6
submissions we’ve had for the prize, although they have been growing year-on-year and 2025 has been a bumper crop.
“All of the books go to each of the judges and we’ve been in contact with one another since December, discussing them.”
standing apart
“This is not a prize for literary translation, it’s a prize for the book,” said Maya. “The author and translator are equally rewarded in recognition for their contribution to the work as published in English.
“As judges we’re looking for many things. You want to be surprised by something you haven’t read before and the wonderful thing about this prize is you find that in spades.
“During the judging, Fergal mentioned vigour, quality, originality and experimentation. This year there has been a lot of competition for those 10 shortlist slots.
“I’m always looking for originality and therefore how much you’ve read as a critic and a writer is relevant. The other thing is authorial voice – whether direct or indirect. Can you sense the presence of the author?”
a skilled rendering?
“It has to be a good book, but you’re also looking for a good translator,” said Maya. “There’s the question of all the registers – how formal or informal the language is and how well the translators get that.
“Then there’s the whole question of slang or how dated the language is. Capturing all of that is a huge skill. As judges we have to consider whether a text has been flattened into uniform English. Does it capture the nuances?”
a showcase of innovation
“The nature of the prize and the countries where the Bank is investing means you find a lot of innovation,” said Maya.
“For example, where there’s a war, to capture the reality of things like bombs going off or a sense of being threatened, authors create new styles. In my experience, that extremis is something that comes out in new forms of writing.
“One of the books on the shortlist, My Women by Yuliia Iliukha, has been translated from the Ukranian by Hanna Leliv and it’s something the author calls flash fiction. It’s formal, it’s honed, but it’s, in some way, unfiltered – more raw, more emotional. It’s about anonymous women in war, and it’s very like poetry.
Years since the EBRD Literature Prize began recognising the work of authors and translators
“Another thing that’s going on in central and eastern Europe is a reckoning with ultra-nationalism, and that’s something we noticed as a thread through some of the books.
“Celebration by Damir Karakaŝ, translated from the Croation by Ellen Elias-Bursać, is about the rise of the far right.
“It’s a subtly ironic title about the moment in 1941, when Croatia became independent for the first time in 1,000 years. That was the moment when, on the back of an alliance with the Nazis, it became a country – so it’s a very doubleedged thing. There’s this thinking about history and memory.
“It’s 30 years since the end of the Yugoslav wars and the book is looking back to the Second World War, but that kind of nationalism rose again. It’s another very important thread.
“While judging we talked a lot about fact and fiction. What you get through literature rather than through news reports may be mundane human interaction but it’s just as interesting.”
looking forward
“The prize was set up to recognise the diversity of the cultures and languages in the places the bank
operates,” said Maya. “There’s still a competition for staff to review any book on the shortlist and we’ll be announcing the winner of that at the ceremony too. The EBRD isn’t just sponsoring this, it created it and it’s grown to be a prize in its own right. It’s important because you don’t want to think about people in mass metric or statistical terms.
“There’s nothing better than fiction for how people see themselves and their own realities – their problems, hopes and dreams.”
key details
The winners of the EBRD Literature Prize are set to be announced at its Canary Wharf headquarters on June 24 with authors and translators in attendance.
Members of the public will be able to register to attend the reception and ceremony closer to the time.
Go to ebrd.com or scan below for more information
Scan here to nd out more about the prize
Image by Jon Massey
Images by Ale Di Padova/EBRD
Panel chair Maya Jaggi says there’s ‘nothing better than ction for how people see themselves and their own realities – their problems, hopes and dreams’
The panel deliberate while choosing the nal 10 books for the EBRD Literature Prize shortlist at its Canary Wharf HQ
short list
The key mission of the EBRD Literature Prize is to bring works from the countries the bank invests in to wider attention. While the winner won’t be announced until June, we’ve reproduced the full shortlist here so Wharf Life readers can peruse those in line for the prize, get hold of books that take their fancy and make their own minds up. As Maya says: “All of them are incredibly gripping reads.”
The Ukraine by Artem Chapeye
translated from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins published by Seven Stories Press UK
>> “It’s based on a lot of real events – one of the things that’s very strong is a love of country, but it’s not at all nationalistic,” said Maya. “He’s looking warts and all through stories – some more journalistic than others – there’s a whole range.
“There’s a moment where there’s a family argument about Russian propaganda. One of the tactics of propaganda is to cast doubt on everything, so you can believe nothing and therefore also believe everything. This kind of book is a counter to that.”
Life After Kafka by Magdaléna Platzová
translated from the Czech by Alex Zucker published by Bellevue Literary Press
>> “This looks at Kafka’s real letters to ‘F’ but through the eyes of her descendants,” said Maya. “It’s a sceptical look at the cult of Kafka from the point of view of the family of a woman who appears in his work and it looks at how women are seen in his work.
“It moves between fact and ction, and there’s an article that tells you what’s real and what’s not. We were comfortable with that demarcation.”
The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
translated from the Polish by Antonia Lloyd-Jones published by Fitzcarraldo Editions
>> “This book is set in a sanatorium or health resort in Poland,” said Maya. “It’s funny and grim, like a horror story. It’s also gothic and full of misogyny.
“There’s an afterword about where these ideas came from – a who’s who of western culture.”
Olga Tokarczuk is the winner of the Nobel Prize In Literature
Engagement by Çiler İlhan
scan this code for links to all of the works on the shortlist via publishers’ sites
translated from the Turkish by Kenneth Dakan published by Istros Books
>> “This is based on fact, but a ctionalisation of an event,” said Maya. “It’s set in south-east Turkey and tells of a blood-feud between two villages in 2011.
“It’s a massacre during an engagement party and the author is looking at what happened and why between Kurds and Turks. It’s about masculinity and women’s su ering.
“The whole novel covers just 16 hours, building up to this event. You learn about the repression of Kurdish culture and how Turkish is beaten into people in those parts.”
Celebration by Damir Karakaš
translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać published by Selkies House Limited
>> “This is partly about masculinity through the eyes of a man who was in the far-right militia, allied with the Nazis, and then re-emerged in the 1990s” said Maya. “I believe this writer was a ghter himself. He has taken a look at how people were persuaded by nationalism.
“It’s also a beautifully written novel about the land, about farming, about the countryside. It’s an expression of love of country that is not nationalistic.”
Too Great A Sky by Liliana Corobca
translated from the Romanian by Monica Cure published by Seven Stories Press UK
>> “This is ction based on fact too, looking at something not very well known globally or even within Romania itself,” said Maya.
“It’s about the carving up of the country from the end of the First World War and the Sovietisation, and the deportation of many people, including women and children after the Second World War to Kazakhstan on trains, with terrible gruelling journeys. It’s also about syncretism between Catholicism and paganism.”
Sons, Daughters by Ivana Bodrožić
translated from the Croatian by Ellen Elias-Bursać published by Seven Stories Press UK
>> “This book features a character who has locked-in syndrome and her partner who is trans,” said Maya.
“It brings up questions of sexuality and identity, with parallels between people who are locked in their own bodies in some way.
“We were completely bowled over by the language and a very unusual subject. One of the lines is: ‘Our body, our worst hell’.”
My Women by Yuliia Iliukha
translated from the Ukrainian by Hanna Leliv published by 128 LIT
>> “This writing is very poetic, very punchy and raw and could apply to anyone,” said Maya. “That’s something that’s accentuated by the anonymity of the women who go through their stories without being named.
“It’s looking at the experience of women in wartime and it’s very powerful.”
Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai
translated from the Hungarian by Ottilie Mulzet published by New Directions Publishing
>> “This is really immersive storytelling about a character similar to Lennie in Of Mice And Men,” said Maya. “He’s a gentle giant who becomes used by the far-right in Germany.
“He’s obsessed by quantum physics and is convinced the world is ending. The author is incredibly stylistic in what he does with language and people will be interested in how he depicts the far-right.”
László Krasznahorkai won the Man Booker Prize in 2015
Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk
translated from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins published by Bullaun Press (Ireland) / Liveright (USA)
>> “Maljartschuk looks at two characters separated by 100 years– now and and a century ago in Ukraine,” said Maya. “It’s about memory and history, and the e ort to obliterate history in that country.
“She writes in Ukrainian, talks about the Soviet era, the killing of history and the ban on memory.
“It’s a wonderful reactivation of the past, which becomes an act of resistance.”
Years since Toni&Guy was founded by two brothers in Clapham – Toni and Guy Mascolo, sons of celebrated hairdresser Francesco Mascolo
Ready to relax: Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf has had a total refit, complete with reclining chairs
The salon’s new look was inspired by Louis Vuitton
Carl and the team have gone for a lighter, airier feel
how Toni&Guy is celebrating 25 years of styling Wharfers with a full refurbishment and an eye on the future to come
by Jon Massey
While he might well be too modest to admit it, sitting across from Carl McCafferty, there’s little doubt he can pick a winner. It’s fair to say the managing director of Toni&Guy’s Canary Wharf salon in Cabot Place took a risk in opening on the estate in the year 2000.
But it’s a move that has paid off, the start of a business that recently celebrated trading for a quarter of a century.
“I’m the son of a pig farmer from Northern Ireland and grew up in a small town called Enniskillen,” said Carl. “I moved to Belfast when I was about 18, saw an advert for Toni&Guy and joined them in London in 1998. I was 19.
“The world of hairdressing really appealed to me – salons are a nice environment to be in. First I worked in Sloane Square and then Covent Garden.
“With the business, there are really two directions to go –you can either work to become an art director or you can have your own business and that’s what I wanted.
“At that time, Canary Wharf was set to become the new financial district, which was very attractive to me. I was advised to grab it as a franchise,so I did.
“As the Jubilee line extension opened, we launched in Canada Place in March 2000. Opening was a bit overwhelming, but the salon quickly became number one in the group.”
While the Wharf had yet to see many of the towers that dominate its skyline today appear, the area was nevertheless feeling the benefit of
the new transport link’s arrival, which saw workers and organisations arrive in ever greater numbers.
“Waitrose hadn’t opened yet, the only shop at the time was Tesco – but there were 76,000 people working on the estate,” said Carl. “It was mainly bankers and most would come in every three or four weeks for haircuts.
“The Jubilee line changed everything. When Waitrose did open it quickly became very popular and the whole Canary Wharf area has now become very residential with lots of apartments.
“When I first moved to London, I did east and west. First I lived in Leyton and then moved to Richmond before I found a flat near East India Dock in a beautiful old building. I’ve always preferred walking to public transport, so I wanted to be close to work.
“Now around me in that area alone there are thousands of apartments at London City Island and Goodluck Hope.
“In the salon, when we started, weekdays were key, while weekends were really dead. Now Monday to Friday is busy, but the weekends are even stronger. “
Having weathered the pandemic with solid support from the parent brand, Toni&Guy Canary Wharf set its
It definitely feels like the start of a new chapter. Getting another new look has been a really exciting process
Carl McCafferty, Toni&Guy
beginning a new
sights on the future and has just reopened following a full refurbishment.
“It definitely feels like the start of a new chapter,” said Carl. “Sometimes you don’t realise you needed a refit until you’ve done it.
“My first shop here was beautiful and lasted for nearly 13 years and moving to our current location in Cabot Place was a great opportunity for a new fit-out.
“Getting another new look has been a really exciting process. We’re the flagship of the brand, the benchmark and the design we’ve got now is going to be the blueprint for other locations.
“One brand we looked at for inspiration was Louis Vuitton – we were just blown away by their retail offering.
“The design we have is great with glass and perspex – everything in the main areas is bright and airy. We’ve also changed the colours for a more spacious feel. Before everything was white but now we have more organic tones, with browns and greys along with a change in lighting to make the main part of the salon feel brighter.
“We’ve also used low lighting, similar to a spa, to help people switch off from work along with hair therapy treatments and massages.”
Visitors to Toni&Guy today will find a welcome desk in shades of brown, with gold accents and a display of brightly lit products.
The salon floor itself features branded mirrors, columns of foliage and vibrant orchids, while the sinks for washing customers’ hair are located off to the side and come with hi-tech chairs and muted lighting.
continued on Page 11
Managing director of Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf, Carl McCafferty
The salon has won 35 awards over the years
Awards won by Toni&Guy Canary Wharf during its 25 years in business
The salon’s new decor makes much use of mirrors, with planting and foliage to break up the spaces
from Page 11
Striking lightboxes, complete with House Of Toni&Guy branding complete the look, a reminder of the brand’s strong links to fashion and the sta ’s extensive training.
“Those who want to work with us apply for an apprenticeship and we train them at the Toni&Guy Academy for two years,” said Carl. “Then after 18 months on the oor, you get a very good job with status.
“The academy is really the pulse of the brand – where it all happens. Recruiting can be a challenge, we don’t take on just anyone, but this area has been good for attracting sta .
“I’m proud of the team and what we’ve achieved here. We’ve won more than 35 awards, which is a big thing for me because they are really competitive.
“Running a franchise has been great. Toni&Guy has always moved with the times –we’ve been the o cial partner of London Fashion Week for 20 years – so we have lots of ngers in pies. Canary Wharf is the same, it’s really continued to develop over the time I’ve been here.”
key details
Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf is located directly under One Canada Square. The salon is open on weekdays 8am-8pm, on Saturdays 8am-6pm and on Sundays 9am-6pm, o ering a comprehensive range of cuts, colour treatments and styling for men and women.
Those interested in careers with Toni&Guy can nd a wealth of information or apply to become an apprentice via the brand’s website. Go to toniandguy.com for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Toni&Guy in Canary Wharf
Below, the salon celebrated its 25th birthday in style
We are about to embark on the fth wave of enterprise software platforms, which will completely disrupt today’s large platform vendors. It is no surprise that the primary catalyst for this is AI. The emergence of Agentic AI and Neuro-symbolic AI is heralding this new wave, displacing the monolithic approach built up over the prior four waves.
Initially, businesses ran on standalone applications and systems. They then shifted to a joined up system with the rise of integration between di erent systems. With the onset of the cloud revolution, Software As A Service (SaaS) models emerged as dominant, allowing businesses to access programmes over the internet without needing to manage infrastructure.
Today, we are in a time where AI and machine learning integrates into enterprise software. This allows for better data-driven decision-making, automation and personalised experiences.
We see large-scale SaaS platforms being used for running functions like customer relationship management and contact centres. However, over the years these applications have become overly complex and require expensive customisation – a result of catering to the requirements of many types of organisations, across many industries.
Today, we are in a time where AI and machine learning integrates into enterprise software
Chris Ezekiel, Creative Virtual
This top-down approach is highly ine cient and becomes dicult to maintain, especially when the main application is updated.
The AI revolution has seen the large application platform vendors scramble to bolt-on AI capabilities such as conversational AI.
This has created several undesirable consequences for businesses – the added components are typically not best-in-class and the design covers a generic set of business functions that makes it di cult for a company to di erentiate their customer experience.
Also the products don’t tend to integrate well with the organisation’s wider ecosystem and the inherent architecture and business model removes the exibility for organisations to easily swap out individual components that are underperforming.
The fth wave that is now upon us takes advantage of the more advanced AI technologies that are now widely available, accessible and becoming more mainstream.
The current monolithic platform approach is now being upended by these latest advancements in AI. For example, in the world of conversational AI, advances enable the creation of smaller, bespoke autonomous agents that can reason, learn and adapt. Businesses can select best-of-breed AI components and quickly deploy them.
This newly evolved model enables organisations to concentrate on being creative and project their customer experience aligned with their brand values in order to stand out from the crowd.
Making use of the latest AI technologies means that there is no need for organisations to commit to large platform contracts that lock them in for many years.
agile being
Chris says the winners in the fth wave of enterprise software will be those able to quickly adapt to the ever-changing technology and business environment
The winning vendors will, therefore, be those that build platforms that can harness collective human and machine knowledge and intelligence and quickly adapt to the ever-changing technology and business environment.
They will be able to provide real-time AI-driven data insights and recommendations, all within a framework built on data privacy, security, and ethical AI processes.
Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square
Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on X
virtual viewpoint by Chris Ezekiel
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Milange
Where?
The George Tavern Whitechapel
The Scottish Music Collective and In nity Farm present Glasgow band, Milange, topping a bill that also includes Idlework and Oscar Mic. Apr 26, 8pm, £6, thegeorgetavern.london
Where?
Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping
| The Brian Clemens Jazz Orchestra
Join the pianist, composer and band leader for what’s billed as “an unforgettable evening of music and glamour”. Expect well-known tunes. Apr 23, t7.30pm, from £10, wiltons.org.uk
| Fat Dog
Where? Troxy Limehouse
Riding high o debut album Woof, the Brixton ve-piece who no longer live healthily or eschew sax players are ready to rouse a rabble. Apr 26, 7pm, from £30.09, troxy.co.uk
A new exhibition about the history of St Katharine Docks has gone on show across the marina. Until April 17, visitors will be able to see a number of free-to-view boards telling the area’s story skdocks.co.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the exhibition at St
how Dear Loll at Wilton’s Music Hall offers a window into wartime life via a married couple’s correspondence
by Jon Massey
Like a lot of people, my journey into the past is through my family,” said Matthew Fay. “When my parents were moving house, a box emerged from the attic that my dad had kept his whole life, but never opened.
“Inside there were letters from my grandfather and my grandmother, written during the Second World War – hundreds of them. They pretty much wrote every day for four years.
“My dad died very soon after that, so he never read them, but I decided to keep them, without really being sure what to do with them. During lockdown, I started to get a bit curious about them and the story they told.”
Matthew’s grandparents were Manchester Guardian journalist Gerard Fay and his wife Alice, who he addresses as Loll – short for Lollipop. While “Ger” was called up to fight in and spent much time in military training across the country, Loll remained at home in the north of England. While apart, they communicated pretty much solely by letter, writing once or sometimes twice a day.
“I thought the letters were absolutely fascinating,” said Rosanna Greenstreet – a freelance journalist who has compiled Saturday Guardian’s celebrity Q&A column for more than three decades. She’s also Matthew’s wife.
“They were all jumbled up in the box, sometimes with just the day of the week written at the top, so I set about trying to put them in order using references to events in the war, his army stories, her domestic stories and his rise through the ranks to ultimately become a major. Then I digitised them.”
The couple then released the first si onths of letters as an e-book and Rosanna published a piece in The Guardian about the rediscovery of Ger and Loll’s correspondence, before being inspired by a trip to the theatre.
“We went to see a fabulous production of Red Sky At Sunrise with Anton Lesser and Charlie Hamblett playing Laurie Lee the older and younger,” said Rosanna.
“It was a biographical work with music from an on-stage orchestra and we felt it was so moving. I thought we should
approach the director, Judy Reaves, and do something similar based on the letters, so I wrote to her and she went for it.”
The result is Dear Loll – A Wartime Marriage In Letters, which is set to play at Wilton’s Music all on the th anniversary of VE Day. Adapted by the couple and starring Charlie Hamblett as Ger and Daisy Waterstone as Loll, the play is a tale of physical and mental survival, of the experiences of ordinary people during wartime, of the loneliness of separation.
“For the show, it was a question of finding the narrative arc, said Rosanna. “There’s so much of interest in the letters. Loll is looking after their toddler, Matthew’s father Stephen, they then have another daughter and she moves into her own home.
“Then you have Ger’s military career, which reaches a climax when he takes part in D-Day and is wounded.
“They row in the letters too and we were very excited when we found the sex, discussion of contraception and pregnancy.” Matthew, who works as an academic and teacher, added: “We’d actually been to see another show based on letters from the same period, but they were a lot more formal. These aren’t like that, they’re very modern, which I was a bit surprised at given my
Katharine Docks
GIG
GIG
Image by Suzi Corker
Starting price for tickets to see Dear Loll at Wilton’s Music Hall
Alice and Gerard with their son, Stephen, Matthew’s father, during the Second World War
Rosanna Greenstreet and her husband, Matthew Fay, have worked together to adapt his grandparents’ story for the stage from their wartime letters
preconceptions about the era. As we have both sides of the correspondence, audiences get two very different e periences of the war and I think that’s something very special.
“The letters are a conversation so the adaptation was about sharpening and highlighting that interaction for the stage.
“One of the things the producer asked us to do was to have a section in the play where it was almost like dialogue, with much shorter e tracts fro the letters to give it more of a feeling of two people talking.
“The drama is inherent in what they wrote, so it was a question of shaping that and making it clear that there were tensions in the relationship because they were apart and then the joy when they were reunited.
“They were also trying to understand each other’s e pe riences of the war as he’s trying to learn to be a soldier and she’s learning how to survive as a parent on her own.
“Part of what the audience will e perience is a fresh, perhaps myth-busting look, at what it was like to be in the army and also what it was like living in Manchester over those four years.”
The letters contain a wealth of cultural references, which Matthew and Rosanna have both taken delight in getting their teeth into and the play will feature music from the period played by the Le Page Orchestra on violin, cello, clarinet, bass and harp.
Rosanna said: “They write about all the books they’re reading, the fil s, ballet and all the musical concerts.
The letters are a conversation, so the adaptation was about sharpening and highlighting that interaction for the stage
Matthew Fay
“They’re cultured, but they’re ordinary people – not the rich writing about the war – and that’s what makes this story so unusual.
“They also both have strong social consciences and they are very aware of what’s going on, and don’t want things to go back to where they were before the war.
“ or e a ple, oll tries to find out if she can donate blood, and she’s also very interested in the Beveridge Report, about family allowance, and she’s asking why the family allowance should be given to the husband. One quote from her is: ‘I hope the country can be saved from the upper classes, not for them’.
“At one point, Ger goes on a course with the Dragoon Guards and he’s very dismissive of them and all their horses.”
Matthew added: “I think it’s going to be very interesting and moving to see my family on stage. I didn’t know my grandparents as they died very young, within a year of each other.
“Ger was a very big character who became the London editor of the Manchester Guardian. The war was part of his rise from very humble origins.
“He had this very successful career, but his legacy is quite complicated in some ways. He travelled everywhere as a journalist, wrote books, but he struggled hugely with alcohol too, so there’s a real bitter-sweetness about that story. The trauma of the war was so widespread, people didn’t really talk about it.
“When he was in the army, he was articulate – in his prime – and it’s really nice to be able to put that story on stage.”
key details
Dear Loll is set to be performed at Wilton’s Music Hall on May 30 at 7.30pm and on May 31 at 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Tickets range from £17-£22, running time two hours. Go to wiltons.org.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Dear Loll
Gerard Fay - Ger
Alice Fay - Loll
Image by Gail Fogarty
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
CHILL | Relaxation Soundbath
how the English National Ballet hosts Dance For Parkinson’s as a way to help manage the movement disorder
Hours each Dance For Parkinson’s sessions at English National Ballet in east London lasts
Poplar Union Poplar
Lay back and immerse yourself in a complex instrumental sequence designed to produce an altered state of consciousness. Lasts 45 minutes. Apr 27, 6pm, £18, poplarunion.com
Where?
The Space Isle Of Dogs
EVENT | Enter The Shadows: Goth Night
Enjoy an evening of gothic and symphonic metal set against the splendour of the former church as “history breathes and the music reigns supreme”. Do you dare? Apr 26, 8pm-midnight, £5, space.org.uk Where?
STAGE | Oceans Apart
Where?
Theatreship South Quay
Playwright Kaustubh Jalundhwala brings a tale inspired by the life of his late uncle Dr Melattur Kalyanram to the stage. Apr 22-27, 7.30pm, £11.01, theatreship.co.uk
Mining giant Fortescue’s vessel, the Green Pioneer, is in West India Docks in a bid to convince the International Maritime Organisation to lean towards ammonia as an alternative fuel for global shipping zero.fortescue.com
her crew and nd out more at wharf-life.com
by Jon Massey
It was as a teenager that leur erbyshire o first experienced the power of a big organisation reaching out. She attended a special day at English National Ballet (ENB) for those interested in pursuing a career in dance.
“I remember my knees knocking when I went into that class,” she said. “Then someone asked me if I’d thought about going into full-time training, which is what I then did.”
It was an experience that left her with a life-long drive to ignite similar sparks in others and something that’s central to her role as director of engagement at ENB.
The company moved out east in 2019 and, while its base at the Mulryan Centre For Dance on London City Island isn’t primarily a venue for public performance, it is the epicentre of ’s efforts to connect with those outside its doors. Locally it hosts dance classes for all, companies of younger and older dancers as well as a progra e for those suffering from dementia and coordinating activities across the country.
“The move to east London has been exciting and has opened up new opportunities for us,” said Fleur. “When I took up this post in 2007, which was then called director of learning, what really attracted me was that it was about change.
“It was ENB recognising that to be a re ective organisation it needed to build on its engagement programmes. How would people know if they were interested in dance if they didn’t get a chance to find out hat’s been the purpose of my role.”
Rather than try to encompass the totality of ENB’s myriad collaborations, initiatives and partnerships, we’ve decided to focus on one.
“Dance For Parkinson’s was a ong the first progra es we
One of our dancers said they would never have come to a dance class let alone thought they would perform in front of 200 people
Fleur Derbyshire-Fox, ENB
brought over to our new home,” said Fleur. “The more you enliven the building, the more you’re engaging people. You have to bring them in, to reach out and that’s an ongoing process.”
Dance For Parkinson’s has been running through ENB since 2010. Those living with the neurodegenerative condition, which affects sufferers’ ove ent leading to symptoms such as tremors, stiffness and physical slowness, are invited to participate in regular classes inspired by the company’s classical and contemporary repertoire.
“It was originally inspired by work done in the US by the Mark Morris Dance Group and began as a 12-week pilot programme, working with Professor Sara Houston of Roehampton University,” said Fleur.
“ er findings were ground breaking and started our evidencebased approach. That was very important if we were going to be perceived as not being woolly.”
From there, grant funding allowed the roll out of the programme across the country via partnerships with the Royal Albert Hall in London, DanceEast in Ipswich, Liverpool Hope University in Liverpool, Oxford City Council and MuMo Creative in Oxford and the National Dance o pany Wales in ardiff.
“ he benefits for those with Parkinson’s are multi-faceted,” said Fleur. “It helps with both the motor and non-motor symptoms of the disorder. Dance brings communities together, so it also helps with positivity and wellbeing.
“Because the classes are structured as ballet classes, all the exercises we do at the barre help with the posture, e ibility and uidity of gait as well as giving people the tools for when their symptoms freeze movement.
“The classes have live music, which is fundamental because the musicians can respond to the participants and the exercises tap into that internal rhythm.
“The message is that you may be living with Parkinson’s, but this is a dance class where you are expressive – you’re a dancer in your own right – and you’re dancing with others, improvising as well as learning repertoire.
“All of these elements, plus the social element – the chat, the tea and, of course, the biscuits afterwards – make for a very strong community and that has given
Image by Laurent Liotardo
English National Ballet director of engagement, Fleur Derbyshire-Fox
initiative to
confidence to individual dancers to go on and oin other groups.
“ arkinson’s is very individual in its sy pto s, so it ay take people uite a while to co e to ter s with it. We have chats when people are diagnosed about what happens ne t, what they can do, where they can go for help.
“ bove all, we provide a oyous e perience. hose co ing along can e pect a lot of s iling people. We start with a war up, seated, and we have our dance artists and usicians in the space.
“ he ove ents we do are linked to the dance phrases we look at later. here will be lots of different rhyth s, lots of different usic threaded through the session.
“ here’ll be a voice war up as well, so that the uscles in the face can be loosened up. t’s designed to free inhibitions. he artists ight notice that so e slower ove ents will be needed, and then we’ll do so e different rhyth ove ents as well.
“ hen we co e to standing, and for those who need ore support, there will be diversification within the class, so the ove ents can also be perfor ed seated.
“We’ll do so e partner work and i provisation and then we’ll start learning so e aterial, so there’ll be a sense of achieve ent. t the end of the session there’ll be a cool down and we’ll have a linking of hands to congratulate ourselves for the class and our artistic endeavours.
“We have such wonderful people taking part, it’s really great to bring everyone together. n so e ways it’s a passion pro ect. ’ve poured y heart into this, as has y tea at . owever, ance or arkinson’s has continued to be ore than a therapeutic endeavour. has been working with rofessor ay haudhuri of ing’s ollege ondon, a specialist in arkinson’s isease to better understand the effect of the classes.
“We conducted a rando ised trial over three years, said leur. “We’ve had interi findings and the research is currently being peer reviewed before final publication later this year.
“ ut certainly the indications are that dancing in this way has benefits for all stages of arkin son’s. he advice if you have the disease is to do as uch e ercise as you can. Over the years we’ve had
physiotherapists co e in and ’ve watched what they do. With that approach, so eone ight be given a series of e ercises, but we’re replicating those ove ents in a oyous, artistic way.
“What we’d like to do is e bed what co es out of the study into the various care pathways, so we can raise awareness with clinicians.
“Wouldn’t it be great if you could say to everybody with arkinson’s that there’s a pathway using dance they can try for weeks to see how they benefit he collaboration with ing’s, which cul inated in a perfor ance for friends and fa ily, has also taken the progra e in a fresh direction.
“We had people saying they wanted to do a bit ore of this, so now we have a uch faster paced class, said leur. “ t’s perfor ance focused and we held our first show last year, with two ore since.
“ he production values are very high they have to be at . We believe that whatever we do, it needs to be on a par with what we put on the ain stage.
“So we now have this other vehicle, and what’s so good about this co pany is they’re all advocates they want to be seen and heard.
“ was speaking to one of our dancers recently, who said they would never have co e to a dance class, let alone thought they would perfor in front of people, but they love it and want to continue doing ore of it. hat’s really wonderful to hear.
key details
he ne t ance or arkinson’s sessions are set to run at nglish ational allet’s ulryan entre or ance on ondon ity sland fro pril until uly . lasses are on Wednesdays e cluding ay fro a p and cost for the week ter . ance or arkinson’s erfor ance o pany’s su er ter runs fro pril to uly on Saturdays e cluding ay with sessions fro a p and costs for weeks.
Go to ballet.org.uk for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Dance For Parkinson’s
Image by ASH
Image by ASH
Dance For Parkinson’s Performance Company in action at RePlay, a recent showcase at ENB
The company celebrates after their performance
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
Where?
Deptford Lounge Deptford
FILM | Priscilla Queen Of The Desert
The amboyant Australian queer road movie gets an outing in south-east London, so dust o your bell bottoms and make it fabulous. April 25, 7pm, donations, thealbany.org.uk
Where?
The Albany Deptford
GIG | BPM: Block Power Music
Albany associate artist Kwake Bass presents an evening of live sequenced music aimed at creating a cipher of new and exclusive sounds. Apr 17, 8pm, from £6, thealbany.org.uk
Where?
The Pen Theatre South Bermondsey
COMEDY | Coco The Time-Travelling Slut Max Norman pulls up his stockings to inhabit the titular character as she struts her way through an experimental tour of the history books. Apr 30-May 1, 7.30pm, £9.38, thepentheatre.com
open call
Visual arts festival Deptford X is inviting creatives to participate in its 2025 edition, including an opportunity for people of colour from Lewisham to win a commission. Applications need to be in by April 13 deptfordx.org
Scan this code to nd out more about Deptford X
how Orbit Clipper will provide allelectric, zero-emissions travel with automated docking on the Thames
by Jon Massey
Orbit Clipper isn’t quite ready yet. But it won’t be so very long before she’s carrying passengers and cyclists from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf and back. When that happens, it’s not an overstatement to say London’s public transport will have entered a new era – one where vessels on the river are powered by electricity.
“She’s the first of her kind, not just for us, but in the country and, when considering the way she operates, possibly in Europe and perhaps even the world,” said Sean Collins, CEO and co-founder of Uber Boat By Thames Clippers.
“Orbit Clipper is designed as a double-ended ferry, which is nothing new – it’s a well established method for loading and unloading vehicles, passengers and cyclists.
“What’s different is that when she’s in operation, the route will feature automated docking on both sides.”
This innovation is essential. One of the things limiting the wider adoption of electricity as a power source for boats is the battery capacity. In order to perform effectively, Orbit needs to top up her reserves each time she reaches a pier, disengaging her engines and effectively plugging in.
When Thames Clippers’ other vessels visit a pier, the captain holds the craft steady against the currents of the river using its engines which, in combination with ropes, allow gangways to be lowered, passengers to get on and off and then a speedy departure.
“To work properly, Orbit has to be fully secured so power can be disengaged,” said Sean. “There will be an arm that extends and pulls her into the dock, which gives the batteries some downtime and that’s what allows us to operate over a full day before she recharges fully overnight at Canary Wharf.
“While Orbit will depart and arrive from the piers automatically, a captain will be in command of the vessel as she travels across the river. At present we still need that although there may be a time in the future when that’s no longer the case. It’s a challenge because there are so many other vessels on the water and with the navigational rules we have, the ferry doesn’t have the right of way.”
The plan for Orbit is that she will cross the river every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes at weekends. This is similar to the service level provided on the route by the previous ferry, but the new boat offers a considerable increase in capacity.
“She caries a lot more people and there’s room for 100 bikes too, so the boarding may take slightly longer,” said Sean.
“I think the demand will be there for this route – you have to build for the future.
“Looking at the way the world has changed – the amount of food deliveries that are now being done by push bike, for example – there’s so many more opportunities around zero-emissions transport.
“As part of this project, we’ve improved access to the pier at Doubletree By Hilton London Docklands Riverside with a bridge over Nelson Dock that connects to Southwark’s cycle network.
“We’ve reduced the gradient of the walkways down to the river and passengers will be able to access the ferry from Rotherhithe Street.”
Supported by Innovate UK and built on the Isle Of Wight, Orbit is the latest project for Thames Clippers in its ongoing pursuit of environmentally friendly transport
Number of bikes Orbit Clipper is able to take on a single journey over the Thames
Orbit Clipper features central bays with leaning posts for cyclists – seen here as she gets her nal t-out at Trinity Buoy Wharf
emissions by 2050 and a 50% reduction by 2035, the company recently launched its third hybrid boat, Mars Clipper, as part of its river bus eet.
urrently, Orbit is finalising her fit out at rinity uoy Wharf before a programme of testing between Rotherhithe and Canary Wharf can begin.
As the automated docking system is completely new, Sean and the team need this time to ensure everything is working as it should before their first ero e is sions craft welcomes members of the public.
“ he ferry route was an obvious one on our network for us to look at converting to an all-electric craft,” said Sean.
“Each journey across the river is just over a minute long and electrical power works well for that sort of duration. It’s the right thing to do for the environment.
“At the moment all-electric operation would not work for our longer routes as each vessel would have to fully recharge for an hour for every loop.
“ he a ount of batteries we’d
I see systems like this as being of national, even global signi cance, as a way to cross rivers without impacting the free navigation of vessels Sean Collins, Thames Clippers
need to carry would also make the boat very heavy, which would have repercussions for stability and safety. At the moment we turn boats round in 10 or 15 minutes between loops – charging just wouldn’t work commercially.
“However, I see systems like the one we’ve developed for Orbit as being of national, even global significance, as a way to cross rivers without impacting the free navigation of vessels on them.
“When you look at bridges that lift to allow boats under, they create significant delays for tra c and pedestrians and the boats can’t go on their way unless they’re raised.
“ unnels are often di cult to access, especially if elevators have broken down.
“We’ve got to be thinking about getting people out of their cars and onto public transport and boats like Orbit provide a really great alternative for people who need to cross the river on foot or by bike.
“She has multiple doors at either end so people can walk their bike on, stand next to it and then push it off when they reach the other side.
“We’re ai ing to launch it in the spring or summer, but the system is a completely new design, an engineering first, so it does need testing thoroughly.
“We’re really thankful to nnovate , anary Wharf Group, and the Port Of London uthority as well as ower Hamlets and Southwark Councils for supporting us to get this project underway.”
key details
Orbit Clipper is expected to start ferrying passengers between anary Wharf ier and oubletree y ilton ondon ocklands Riverside in the summer.
She will carry foot passengers and cyclists, who can use contactless to pay via the piers’ Oyster machines.
Go to thamesclippers.com for more information
Scan this code to nd out more about Orbit Clipper
Uber Boat By Thames Clippers co-founder and CEO Sean Collins
Orbit Clipper will dock automatically when she starts carrying passengers later this year
Images by Jon Massey
take a breath
by David Lefebvre Sell
David says self examination and self acceptance have to balance each other
People can be really weird sometimes. I don’t mean, “how can you eat that?” weird, more like where there’s a disconnect between the circumstance and the way that a person reacts. Maybe being enraged by something objectively minor going wrong, or being overcome with sadness by good-natured, negative feedback.
Obviously, such behaviour is never weird on the inside – to the person behaving that way, it makes perfect sense. We are all engaged in a constant conversation with our insecurities, expectations, and emotions and all of that can make it much harder to respond in a sensible way.
All the more so when it’s happening in a largely unconscious way. This is partly why therapy is helpful – we seek to make the unconscious stu more conscious, so that we’re less surprised by it. Meditation can also be a wonderful tool for self awareness. We’re bound to learn some things just sitting and watching our minds.
Noticing, examining and correcting our negative thoughts and behaviours is hard work and takes time. Meditation alone doesn’t necessarily make you a better person, of course – just look at Russell Brand. We also need accountability. The worst person you’ve ever met probably has no trouble justifying their behaviour to themselves, while the best people often su er for their self examination.
When you catch yourself reacting very strongly to something, try to take yourself out of the situation and get curious
David Lefebvre Sell
There’s the rub. Self examination and self acceptance have to balance each other. When you know better, you should do better, but at some point you’re doing enough. Discipline without compassion is just abuse. So, when you catch yourself reacting very strongly to something, try to take yourself out of the situation and get curious.
What are you feeling? Why is this e ecting you so strongly? Is it touching on something from your past? How does it make you want to react? Self awareness is tough. Putting it into practice is tougher.
David Lefebvre Sell is a Greenwich-based psychotherapist and Yoga instructor who teaches at Third Space in Canary Wharf
Follow @davetheyogi on X and Instagram and @DavidLefebvreSellYogaAndPsychotherapy on FB
Scan this code for information about David’s work as a transpersonal counsellor and psychotherapist
Records have been created with one-of-a-kind sleeves to raise money for War Child
700 records for the
how
War Child Presents
Secret 7” is making a return to Greenwich as it raises cash for the charity’s efforts
by Jon Massey
Acharity that works to support children impacted by con ict across the world is set to leverage mystery as it opens an exhibition on Greenwich Peninsula. War Child Presents Secret 7” is set to go on show at Now Gallery from April 11 until June 1. The exhibition is the culmination of its Secret 7” initiative, a project that combines music and art to generate funds for the cause.
Now in its ninth year, seven artists have contributed tracks for its 2025 iteration. Each work has been pressed onto 100 limited edition 7” vinyl records. These will be decorated with etched artwork by Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori.
Meanwhile, a host of creatives have designed unique sleeves for each record, resulting in 700 distinctive pieces of art.
These will form the basis of the exhibition at the south-east London gallery before they are auctioned o online. Only after the nal sale will the sleeve designers’ identities be revealed.
While this year’s contributors are under-wraps,
Scan this code to nd out more about Secret 7” or go to nowgallery.co.uk
designs have previously been contributed by the likes of Sir Anish Kapoor, Yoko Ono, Sir Peter Blake, David Shrigley and Ai Weiwei.
What we can tell you is the music on the 7” pressings is by The Cure, Frank Turner, Gregory Porter, Jessie Ware, KEane, Scissor Sisters and Sophie Ellis-Bextor (who has recorded a new song speci cally for Secret 7”).
During its run, the initiative has produced and sold 5,600 records, raising more than £700,000 for a range of charities.
key details
War Child Presents Secret 7” will be on show at the Now Gallery from April 11 until June 25. The exhibition is free to view although booking a slot online is a wise move.
All the records will be sold via online auction to raise cash for War Child’s operations
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
GIG | Ghost, The Skeletour
If ABBA had nicked Kiss’ makeup box and combined jaunty poppy tunes with lyrics from heavy metal orthodoxy it might look like Ghost. Not He-man. Apr 19, 6.30pm, from £79, theo2.co.uk
STAGE | Sni
Enter the claustrophobia of a toilet cubicle as two strangers’ worlds collide complete with hidden truths and dark connections. Addictive stu . Apr 30-May 2, 7.30pm, £16, greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Woolwich greets the self-styled president of the Greeters Guild, known for his online vids alongside Laura Smyth, Josh Pugh and Ania Magliano. Apr 26, 6.30pm, £20, woolwich.works
be quick
If you pick this up soon after publication, there’s still time to catch Franz Kafka’s The Hunger Artist at Greenwich Theatre – on stage until April 5. This one-man spectacle considers fasting as entertainment greenwichtheatre.org.uk
Scan this code to nd out more about the show or to book tickets to see it, which cost £16
COMEDY | Troy Hawke
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
CLUB | A Very Very Good Friday
Where? The Cause Silvertown
More than 20 DJs from the UK and across the world are set to play for 12 hours in seven rooms of the Royal Docks venue. Includes Todd Terje and Eikka. Apr 18, 8am-10pm, from £13.60, ra.co
Where?
10 Royal Wharf Royal Victoria Dock
TRY | Riverscape At Home With Wanderlust Wine This wine tasting event will feature a selection of rose, red and white wines sourced from riverside vineyards. Proceeds go to Richard House Children’s Hospice. Apr 23, 6.30pm, £20, royaldocks.london
CLUB | Night Service
Where? Fold Canning Town
Yanamaste, Rebecca Delle Piane, Bailey Ibbs, Mosai and Paige take on DJ duties for an evening of techno at the east London venue. Hours of beats Apr 25, 11pm-8am, £20, fold.london
ash back
The bridge will roll, workshops will be hosted and, most importantly The Barn visitors’ centre will be unveiled as Cody Dock holds its Spring Forward event. Free to attend, expect a wealth of feel good activities codydock.org
Scan this code to read Wharf Life’s interview with Cody Dock’s Bella Quirin to nd out more about the event
Royal Docks - Canning Town
how Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition pledges to transport visitors right back to the land
by Jon Massey
The boom in immersive experiences continues in east London with the recent arrival of an installation based on ancient Egypt.
Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition has opened its doors in Royal Docks for a limited run to the end of June. The show combines genuine artefacts, replicas and eight metre-high projections, static virtual reality and augmented reality.
There’s also a hologram room depicting the mummi cation process of the world’s most famous pharaoh. Billed as a “groundbreaking exhibition”
the attraction has welcomed some 1.8million visitors worldwide. Naturally, there’s a gift shop and an AI photo booth where visitors can pose as ancient Egyptians.
The exhibition is located at Immerse LDN in Royal Victoria Dock, Excel’s suite of dedicated spaces for public-facing attractions, which has already welcomed a million visitors since launch.
It’s currently also hosting The Friends Experience: The One In London and will welcome Elvis Evolution The Immersive Experience in May.
Fans of ancient Egypt in east London may also wish to check out Horizon Of Khufu, a virtual reality experience hosted at West eld Stratford City with
of the pharaohs
visitors free to walk around in their headsets.
key details
Tutankhamun: The Immersive Exhibition is on show at Immerse LDN in the Excel centre and runs until June 29. It’s open every day with visiting slots from 9am and, at the time of writing, there were tickets available on all dates. Entry starts at £22 and should be booked online.
For more information go to tutankhamunexperience.com
Scan this code to nd out more about the exhibition
travelling to ancient
The exhibition features an array of technology including eight metre-high projections for visitors to peruse
Hours the East London Car Club event is set to last at Fabwick
what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see
Expect live DJ sets and performances as the “unapologetically queer, electric celebration of east and south-east Asian excellence” returns to The Yard. Apr 26, 10.30pm-3am, from £10, theyardtheatre.co.uk
| The Giant London Flea Market Held in the park’s multi-storey car park, this giant market is set to feature more than 100 traders selling vintage and pre-loved goods. Going for old... Apr 27, 10am-5pm, £3.20, hackney eamarket.com
how Hackney Wick venue Fabwick is set to celebrate internal combustion with a morning event this April classic vehicles
by Jon Massey
Hackney Wick venue
Fabwick has teamed up with the East London Car Club to deliver a morning of classic vehicles. On April 20, the venue will welcome enthusiasts for a showcase of cars and bikes.
Starting at 9am, the vehicles will be on display for three hours with hot and soft drinks and snacks available throughout and alcoholic beverages from 11am. Great for anyone who’s not the designated driver.
Vehicle owners are invited
to bring their own cars down, although parking will be subject to the usual rules locally as the event has no dedicated spaces.
Despite celebrating the vehicles of yesteryear, East London Car Club is a relatively new organisation, having been established this year.
Founded by car and bike enthusiast Henry Waugh as a side hustle to his career in events management. He’s supported by his sister Frankie, a multimedia artist and photographer, Pierre Moreau.
The club intends to feature local businesses and individuals to generate a free guide to east London from behind the wheel.
nterested readers can find out more at eastlondoncarclub.com.
key details
A Classic Car Sunday with the East London Car Club is set to be held at Fabwick on April 20 from 9am-noon. The display is free to view and those interested in displaying their own vehicles should contact the club.
Go to fabwick.co.uk for more information
| The Royal Tenenbaums Get a free drink and popcorn at this screening of Wes Anderson’s tale of family and sibling con ict at the recently opened Stratford cinema. Apr 20, 8.30pm, from £16.60, everymancinema.com
this Visit UCL Marshgate to see A Place Of Our Making: A Multisensory Exhibition About East London, featuring works created by artists, researchers and local community groups. Open until April 13, free to visit ucl.ac.uk
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Notes
crossword
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Cryptic Quick
Across
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