Those who don’t drive to Canary Wharf are unlikely to have made it to the glamorously named Level -3 of Canada Place’s car park.
But Wharfers who have recently descended so far via the lifts to the right of Waitrose may have been surprised to find a vibrant splash of orange in the deep.
Car rental firm Sixt has joined UFO Drive in offering vehicles for hire on the estate – and it’s created a glossy, disco ball of a space, all vibrant colour and shining LEDs.
In celebration of its arrival the company offered to lend Wharf Life a car for a couple of days to demonstrate the process. So I accepted.
Stepping through the glass doors of the brand’s richly kitted out unit – complete with bright orange desks, a sliver of bustling flatscreen and smiling staff – it was easy to forget I was in a car park.
Everything inside was clean, shiny and new.
Inside Sixt’s latest opening at Canary Wharf
Due to poor organisational skills, I’d managed to turn up a month early for my booking, but the patient staff simply made a few calls and sorted things out with minimal fuss.
I’d been expecting a lucky dip economy car – a VW Polo or similar – but was also offered an upgrade to Tesla’s long range Model Y.
A chunky all-wheel drive electric, it’s capable of zipping to 60mph in less than four seconds from a standing start.
The staff took me through the rudiments of the vehicle which, after some jerky pulling away, I managed to pilot gingerly out of the car park avoiding any bumps.
My plan was simple. First, survive the journey home. Then decide on a destination out of the smoke to find some winter fresh air – nothing fancy, just a jaunt.
Both went entirely to plan. The Tesla turned out to be almost too easy to drive.
Its lack of dials was a little peculiar at first, with a large touchscreen in the centre of the car handling all necessary read-outs.
Bristling with cameras to aid manoeuvring and a curious video game-like graphic of the position of other motorists, cyclists, traffic lights and traffic cones, it was a vision of the self-drive future yet-to-come.
The Tesla Model Y on its travels
Indeed, there was a sense of the car already becoming self-aware.
I felt it intervene at least once while driving on the motorway to prevent us wandering into another lane.
No bad thing, perhaps, but the wheel moving independently was a little disconcerting.
The Tesla – firm of ride – managed the country bumps well enough and I found myself rapidly delivered to a place less than an hour from London, but also worlds away.
Run by a voluntary, charitable trust, the reserve comprised the remains of the gardens attached to the long ruined house, the family home of Edwardian horticulturist Ellen Willmott.
It was a beautiful spot in the February sunshine, liberally coated in daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses.
While not completely impossible to access via public transport, the only alternative to a car would be to catch a train to Brentwood and arrange taxis to and from its location.
The Essex Wildlife Trust proved a welcoming bunch, albeit a little over sensitive on the health and safety front.
Cheery warnings were imparted as I walked through the gate about keeping to the path lest terrible peril befall the unwary.
This proved to be very much the theme of my visit as fresh terrors were regularly depicted by scary yellow signs flagging deep and dangerous water in every pond, unstable walls and the ever-present threat of CCTV surveillance.
A view towards London from Warley Place Nature Reserve
But despite a flash of hailstones and the fearful cacophony of the warnings, I was charmed by the place.
Clearly loved by its volunteer army, who keep its ramshackle beauty in good order – enough to attract a multitude of birds and other wildlife.
It was the ideal antidote to the formality of the city, although a view of a distant Canary Wharf did pop up from one vantage point.
As for the car itself, it was more or less effortless to drive after getting used to its curious lack of forward crawl.
Unlike standard automatics the Model Y doesn’t creep forward when the brake is released but waits until its accelerator is pressed.
It also brakes when it is released, more akin to a manual petrol car and a feature that essentially lends itself to one-pedal driving.
This was my first experience of renting an electric and proved seamless enough with a full battery supplied on collection.
The only minor faff was having to ensure an 80% charge on return of the vehicle, which took about 15 minutes on one of Canary Wharf’s Level -3 Tesla Superchargers.
Then it was simple to park up, drop the key in the slot and go about my morning.
Sixt also rents petrol cars and hybrids – still its main area of business – with prices for the same length of hire starting at £32.66 per day for an entry level vehicle.
FACT FILE – TESLA MODEL Y LONG RANGE
Cost: £74.66 per day (from Sixt)
Minimum hire: 3 days (from Sixt)
Range: 331 miles
0-60mph: 3.5 seconds
Top Speed: 135mph
Equipment: 15” Touchscreen
Seating: 5 Adults
Hire from UFO Drive of a Tesla Model Y Long Range was £102 per day at the time of writing
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
“Anyone and everyone can wear Lycra,” said Laura-Louise Erasmus, founder of Wolf Rayet.
She creates catsuits, swimsuits, leggings, meggins (for gents), Yoga shorts, playsuits and sports tops – manufacturing the garments from her workshop at The Trampery Fish Island Village in Hackney Wick.
“I make super-jazzy festival wear which also can also be worn for the gym,” she said.
“These clothes are something to be silly in – to dance around in, have a great time and look incredible.
“Anyone can wear these clothes.
“I’ve taken them to hen parties, and made everyone put them on – whatever their size – and, at the end of the night, everyone just loves them.”
She also designs a new print each year in time for Christmas, and makes pieces for her entire family to wear, ready for a festive walk through the countryside.
Laura-Louise Erasmus, founder of Wolf Rayet in her workshop – image Jon Massey
“My parents are my biggest fans – they live in Blakeney and, when they go out walking in Wolf Rayet, other people in North Norfolk people are like: ‘Why aren’t you wearing normal clothes?’,” said Laura-Louise.
“But my designs are like costumes – they completely change people’s personalities in a really nice way.
“That’s especially true for people who would never normally wear this kind of thing – they put a catsuit on and feel great.
“I’ve been going to festivals since I was 16 – I love it, especially the dressing up. I think it’s a British thing.
“I’ve been to festivals in other countries where I’ve been really dressed up and no-one else is.
“Clothes make you feel more confident – basically I make big elastic bands that people can dance, have a lot of fun and be free in.
“After a few drinks you can usually get people into some Lycra.”
Laura-Louise first came to London as a student to study fashion at Central Saint Martins but, following a mugging and a series of negative experiences decided to transfer to Bristol to study instead.
She then returned to the capital as an intern in the fashion industry, quickly falling out of love with the idea after spending a year unpaid, while making ends meet by working in a bar at night.
“We were treated really badly and I didn’t want to be part of that, so I thought I would make my own way and do my own thing,” she said.
“That’s when I started doing screen-printing, then I tried jewellery with a grant from The Prince’s Trust.
“From those experiences I realised I had a love of print design, catsuits and jazzy festival outfits.
“At the time there were not many people making these, so I decided to create my own, outfits that people could go crazy in.
“That’s where it all started – officially in 2016.
“Friends started wearing them and then more and more people.
“Covid completely changed my business, because people were online all the time and they wanted to look cool on their Zoom calls, so my sales went from normal to crazy.
“With the pandemic receding I started doing gym wear as well.”
In addition to selling her pieces online, Laura-Louise has a stall at Wilderness Festival and is hoping to be at Glastonbury this year.
Having originally made her pieces from her warehouse home in Hackney Wick, she also recently took the plunge and moved into a unit at The Trampery in anticipation of further growth, sharing the space with other local makers.
She also plans to use the sizeable space for her main profession – a separate creative endeavour.
“Wolf Rayet has always been a side hustle for me – the main thing I’ve done in recent years has been set design for TV, film, advertising and live events,” she said.
“I’ve lived in Hackney Wick for 12 years – in warehouses – and many of the people here are musicians, often making music videos, so I got involved.
“Although fashion is creative, set design is even more so because you get to build so many wild things.
Glitch and Pink Animal Catsuits, £105 each
“Say you want some giant soup bowl to sit in with a load of life-size noodles – that’s the type of challenge that I want to do.
“From doing that kind of thing – making all these weird and wonderful pieces – I started assisting people and getting more work.
“With Covid, I got a lucky break – a few people knew I did sets, so they gave me their entire projects to design and that’s now my main job.
“It’s an amazing thing to do, really exciting and every day is different.
“I worked as the art director on a film called In Too Deep, for example, looking after every aspect of the set on a boat in Cornwall and making sure that every single thing is in the right place.
“I get quite seasick on boats, so it was quite challenging.
“But it’s fun, it’s creative and I love being able to do Wolf Rayet as well.”
Inspiration for her prints comes from all around with Animal, for instance, actually based on the iron casting on top of a storm drain in London.
“I started by seeing the water and the ripples, then put loads of colour in to completely change it from the original,” said Laura-Louise.
“I draw out the design, bring it into Photoshop or Illustrator and then send it to be printed at a factory in Manchester.
“I use two different fabrics that are like Lycra, but made from recycled bottle tops and plastic waste.”
Wolf Rayet is named for a kind of massive star that burns brighter than our sun – a little like Laura-Louise’s clients in their catsuits on the dance floor.
But make no mistake – her brand is not about making throwaway clothes for a single moment of radiance.
Black Confetti Leggings, £62 and Sports Top, £40
Fiercely environmentally conscious, her pieces are high-quality hand-made garments for repeated wear, designed to stand up to the rigours of dance and exercise.
“I want to be as sustainable as possible,” she said.
“I try to make everything to order, so there’s very little waste and the offcuts are kept and turned into bum bags, bikinis and so on.
“I do make some stock for the shops at festivals, also so people can come and see pieces in Hackney Wick and try them on. Having this space is great.
“But if people don’t feel they fit in my size range, they can easily give me their measurements so we can make a custom order.
“People can also have any of the prints mixed and matched – whatever they want.”
Future plans include looser fitting pieces featuring Wolf Rayet prints and the steady growth of the business, as Laura-Louise continues making clothes and building sets in east London.
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
The latest retailer to arrive in Canary Wharf is both a brand with decades of history while also shining out of its new store in Canada Place with a cool blast of chic modernity.
Even before officially opening its doors, the footwear and handbag shop’s wall-size visual display was drawing attention in the mall.
But step into the pale wood, brass and bronze interior and the atmosphere has a subtle flavour of the brand’s pedigree to it, with golden metal and minimal displays showing off the products to luxurious effect.
“We have a 140-year-old family owned business that looks to entertain its customers with a modern shopping experience and offers a wide range of products for men and women manufactured in Italy, Spain, Portugal and Northern Europe,” said Andrew Bromley, CEO of Russell & Bromley.
“We blend modern styling with longevity and quality through long-term partnerships with factories, including some that my grandfather worked with.
“I knew him well – he was around for a long time. I’ve taken over from my father, having apprenticed with him 25 years ago and he took over from his.
“My brother’s now doing what my uncle did, and he did what his uncle did.
“Originally the Russells and the Bromleys were both shoe purveying families.
“The Russells were manufacturers and the Bromleys were in sales
“George Russell got together with Julia Bromley, and George Bromley got together with Liz Russell.
“There’s a huge thread that runs through it all.
“Today my brother, my cousin and I are now all working in the business and the wider family are sill linked in too – especially with what the brand is doing and where we are going.
“For us, it’s about balancing that heritage with modernity and the passion we bring to the business.”
Family business: Russell & Bromley CEO Andrew Bromley – image Jon Massey
In 2023, Russell & Bromley is very much a forward-looking, high end retailer focused on building and continuing to develop and market products under its own brand.
Its 1,300sq ft Canary Wharf store sees the brand operating in more than 33 stores worldwide including a recent opening in Dublin.
“The Canada Place shop is a new concept, which we’ve built to further engage customers,” said Andrew.
“We’re data-led as a business so we see how customers interact with our stores and what they require. It’s the balance of online and in-store shopping.
“People like to try shoes on in person. There’s nothing like walking out of a shop with a pair you know will fit.
“Buying online works too and that’s a big part of our business – customer satisfaction is about wearing fashion that’s comfortable, modern, puts a smile on your face and gives you confidence.
“Shopping in a store is a different experience, but still incredibly relevant.
“When customers come in to see us they will find a team with great expertise, knowledge of the trends we’re offering and the outfits they can be worn with.
“We love people to feel welcome and that comes from the environment we’ve created, the skills of the team and the general ambience.
“The most exciting thing for us is to see a customer’s face when they walk out of the shop happy.
“We aim to create a family environment in our stores and in the company as a whole.
“That binds us together and adds an element of the personalities of all those involved in the journey.
The Canary Wharf store features plush upholstery and plenty of brass
“The store team in Canary Wharf will add their piece to the story while also having the knowledge passed down from the buying and marketing teams, so they know what fits with what our customers are after.”
While Andrew and the team are unquestionably focused on the business side of the brand’s operation, there’s a real sense of enjoyment at the prospect of engaging with customers on the Wharf – a place that’s long been on the firm’s radar as a possible location.
“Black is, of course, one of the main colours, but coming out of the pandemic we’re seeing people really wanting some colour,” said Andrew.
“One of the big things we look for when selecting products is that glint in the eye – shoes where the customer can have a bit of fun trying them on, then going out for dinner or heading out to meet friends.
“We have really important relationships with our manufacturers – we don’t own a factory ourselves, but work with different suppliers.
“What people see in the stores is a very carefully considered, curated edit.
“The customer is always in our minds and the data we have from them is central to the whole process. It’s about presenting people with what we feel they need.
“I could easily say that it’s the opening of the Elizabeth Line that has led us to Canary Wharf, but there’s been a constant increase in interest over a much longer time.
“We had success at Westfield White City and we always felt our brand would do well in Canary Wharf.
“It’s a huge community which has developed beyond just office spaces.
“There’s a lot of lifestyle options here, a lot of residents and a lot of hospitality businesses.
“People are living their lives in Canary Wharf in a way that perhaps they didn’t before, so we felt now was the right time.”
As for the future, the brand’s latest store is right at the forefront of its increasing integration of digtal and traditional retail.
“We’ve got a big project to enhance customer experience – joining up online and in-store to make things seamless,” said Andrew.
“It’s bringing the storytelling of what we do and why we’re doing it to both places.
“About 80% of customer journeys start online, and yet nearly 70% of our business is in-store.
“There’s always going to be a need – a lot of brands that started online are now seeking physical space. Our message is that wherever you want to buy, we’re here for you.”
THE WHARF LIFE EDIT
Six styles picked out from the brand’s current range for Wharfers to consider:
R&B says: “Cleopatra is a contemporary reimagining of our bestselling loafer.
“Crafted from smooth nappa leather in a bold pink hue and set on a lightweight contrast sole, this style has been adorned with a chunky gold three-ring chain trim, structured piping detail and a subtle plaited welt, offering chic finish to a cult classic.”
R&B says: “Bringing back the Y2K kitten heel, Slingpoint is a comfortable way to wear the heeled slingback trend.
“Crafted in Italy from metallic pink leather, this chic pump has been set on a vintage-inspired kickback flared heel wrapped in matching pink metallic leather.”
R&B says: “Add the preppy refinement of collegiate style to your outfits with Oriel.
“Crafted from butter-soft tan-brown suede to a round-toed frame that contrasted with sleek leather panels, piping and tassels, and set on comfy gum soles, they’re the perfect week to weekend shoe.”
R&B says: “Hove M is a luxurious yet laid-back lace-up derby designed to walk you through the everyday.
“Crafted from rich double-faced calf leather in a glossy brown hue, this style boasts a buttery soft, sumptuous feel from top to toe, whilst a statement square toe detail has been accentuated by enlarged piping and intricate stitchwork.
“Finished on a translucent, leisure-inspired gum sole creating a clean elevation, Hove M offers both style and durability with each step.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
“You can never run out of things to paint in London,” said Ed J Bucknall.
While he doesn’t say so explicitly during our interview, it’s clear the Wapping-based artist has a deep passion for the city around him – a deep connection to and endless fascination with the very fabric of the place.
“A lot of the inspiration for me is derived from the Thames – the changing light and the changing skyline – because London’s being constantly reconfigured,” he said.
“My works are almost snapshots to record this decade of London expanding.
“I always carry a sketchbook with me, so I’m often seen locally, sketching and drawing in pubs in winter and outdoors in summer.
“I do as much of my work as I can on location, including painting.
“I work in pen and ink, watercolour, acrylic and oils on paper, canvas and even marble.
“I’m self-taught and the nice thing is that I haven’t been moulded to a particular style or technique. I paint what I want to paint and people either like it or not.
“Over time, I’ve learnt techniques that work for me and I take inspiration from generations of amazing artists.”
Detail from Canary Wharf In Mist by Ed J Bucknall
Originally Ed trained as an architect in Leeds, before moving to London in 2011 and continuing to practise his chosen profession.
While drawing was one of the things that first attracted him to architecture, he increasingly found the digital side of his work less satisfying, which prompted a change in direction with the arrival of the pandemic.
“From an early age I’d always painted and drawn for pleasure,” he said.
“When I started as an architect, it was all rooms full of drawing boards, but with computer aided design, you hardly see anything like that now.
“I was having some success with gallery shows and selling art alongside my career as an architect and the lockdowns were the catalyst for me to move into making art full-time.
“I started selling paintings at Wapping Docklands Market at Brussels Wharf in 2021 on Saturdays and then, last year, at Canada Water Market in Deal Porter Square on Sundays.
“I was the first non-food trader at the former and that’s now brought in a lot more crafts, which have been very popular.
Detail from Great Jubilee Wharf by Ed J Bucknall
“At the same time, I exhibit full time at Skylark Galleries on the South Bank.
“Between those three, it’s been great for exposure and I’ve had a lot of success with ongoing commissions including pub signs and bespoke cards for Greene King to sell in their pubs.
“I’ve also had some of my images appear in worldwide publications.
“Art has always been my passion, but I never thought I would make ends meet as an artist.
“One of the things that has surprised and encouraged me since going full time is that it’s possible to make a living making art in London.
“Fortunately for me, my work strikes a chord with a whole range of different people – locals who have lived in the area for many years and are delighted to see an artist draw and paint what they see and experience, people moving into the area, some moving out and tourists visiting.
“I think what appeals is that my pieces are quite traditional but they are not just photos. They are my take on whatever I see inspired by a particular view or the light.”
While Ed’s work often features familiar landmarks, he’s always looking to bring a fresh perspective to the places he draws and paints.
Detail from Shadwell Basin, Wapping by Ed J Bucknall
“Low vantage points always inspire me,” he said.
“When the tide goes out and you’re down on the Thames foreshore, you see buildings and the whole of London in a different way.
“I used to kayak on the Thames, so I was privileged to see unusual views, and that’s part of my mindset. It’s escapism from the hustle and bustle of the city.
“You can be in central London, or in Wapping, just down by the water and it gives you a sense of tranquillity – although you have to be aware of the tides of course, which can also change the view as boats rise and fall.
“The sketches I do on location are much better than photographs, which can distort things – so they are my crib-sheet for working on the finished pieces in the studio.
“I find the paintings just happen – some are happy accidents and some come through skills that I’ve picked up by trial and error.
“Some of my pieces are painted on reclaimed marble, which is quite unusual.
“They look almost three dimensional and have a connection to the history of London.
“Some of the marble I use is recycled Thames ballast that would have been dumped in the river in the 18th and 19th centuries after ships had taken on cargo.
“It has natural patterning and colouration from its time in the river and that’s something I work with.”
A sketch by Ed of the interior of The Grapes pub in Limehouse
As a registered mudlark, Ed has a physical link to both the subject of his paintings and, with the marble, the medium he works with.
“I don’t dig or scrape on the foreshore, I just pick things up from the surface,” he said.
“Anything of archaeological significance is recorded and reported to the Museum Of London.
“The Thames is like a washing machine – items just get churned up and uncovered.”
Trading at the market is another point of connection, where visitors can browse his works or chat with their creator.
“It’s been a steep learning curve but one that I’ve really enjoyed,” he said. “It’s lovely to meet both fellow traders and the general public.
Detail from Ed’s painting of Canary Wharf on reclaimed marble
“I think it’s important that people have an opportunity to speak to artists and I’ve had lovely stories of young people being inspired by my work.”
As for the future, Ed intends to continue balancing the work he wants to paint with commissions from commercial clients and individuals.
Ed’s work is available to buy online with an extensive range of signed prints from £35 and greetings cards and postcards also available. Prices for the latter start at £2.
Readers can also find Ed at Wapping Docklands Market, which runs at Brussels Wharf from 10am-4pm on Saturdays and at Canada Water Market at Deal Porter Square on Sundays at the same times.
Detail from Ed’s painting of St Paul’s on reclaimed marble
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
A niche is what every entrepreneur needs for their business to be a success and that’s what Karyna Sukha spotted while working in the fashion industry.
Originally from Ukraine, she came to the UK to study some 13 years ago.
“I did my degree at the London College Of Communication in graphic design and illustration, but I always wanted to work in fashion,” she said.
“My parents thought I should study architecture or interior design, so graphic design was somewhere in between.
“It’s something that gives you a wide range of skills.
“After university I started working for fashion companies such as Tata Naka, House of Holland, Alexander McQueen and Tateossian.
“I was mostly doing graphic design including print, textiles, photography, editing and that journey eventually led me to become a studio production manager
“That involved a lot of work with manufacturers to develop the collections and that’s when I first thought about starting my own company.”
Fabrika is based at Design District on Greenwich Peninsula
The challenge for Karyna and the designers was the traditional approach of the makers when faced with fresh ideas.
“At that time, communication was difficult and it was causing problems with both design and manufacturing,” she said.
“So I thought it would be great to set up a company that would understand the new generation of designers.
“I was a young graphic designer at the time – I had so many friends who were finishing their degrees in fashion and needed someone they could relate to and have their designs produced by.
“I bought a machine, started making garments for them and that was the start of Fabrika.
“After about three months we got our first client – a bigger brand – and we’ve now been working together for more than six years.”
Originally operating from North London, the business – which produces garments for Richard Quinn, Phoebe English and Matty Bovan as well as smaller labels and startups – recently moved to Design District on Greenwich Peninsula.
The business has grown to a team of 13 with further expansion planned
Occupying a lofty triple height space in one of 6A Architects’ steel, glass and marble cheesegrater-like buildings, Fabrika today is a team of 13, having grown its pool of skilled machinists to meet demand.
“We specialise in working with small designers producing anything from one to 300 pieces depending on their needs,” said Karyna.
“They might come to us with a drawing or a pre-made sample and we will then help them develop the design, produce a paper pattern and then continue to make reproductions for however many items they need.
“Our current turnover per month is 600 garments and we’ve moved to Greenwich to expand – we want to push things a bit further this year.
“I’ve developed with the company – I was in my early 20s when I started and I’m 30 now.
“It’s been a long journey to get where we are now.
“The more clients we got, the more people started talking about what we were doing because of the quality we were able to achieve.
“We expanded with machinists and some freelancers working from home.
“About two years ago I employed a studio manager and that really helped because before that I was doing everything myself.
“There have been ups, downs and lots of nice times over the past few years.
“But it’s always interesting to grow and develop, to try new things and to meet new people. Every challenge is a good challenge.
“There is definitely a demand for garments made locally and sustainably.
Karyna created Vavi Studio as a creative outlet for her own fashion ideas
“We’ve always tried to build strong relationships with the clients we work with – we love when they come down to see how their garments are made.
“Moving to Design District was about growth, but also about breaking the stereotype that manufacturing takes place in large spaces with no natural light.
“Here we have a beautiful space that is comfortable for our workers.
“We are trying to be as open as possible to show that manufacturing is not something scary that happens in the background but something people can see.
With the core business on a stable footing, Karyna has turned her attention to a fresh, albeit complementary venture, in recent years.
“I got a scholarship to study for a masters degree in international fashion business at Polimoda in Florence, which led me into thinking about what other ways there might be to develop Fabrika,” she said.
“We’d got to the point where everything was working without me having to be in direct control – I didn’t have to worry 24 hours a day anymore.
“So I stepped back a bit and tried to decide what other options there might be.
“I’ve always been creative and I wanted to put a little bit of creativity back into my business.”
The result of that thought process is Vavi Studio – her own label, named for her younger sister.
It’s a creative outlet for Karyna’s own designs, which are then made to order by Fabrika in Greenwich.
“I wanted to develop clothes for the everyday, busy woman,” said Karyna.
“The collections are based on interchangeable garments, which can be mixed and matched and are appropriate both for a working environment and then going out in the evening.
“Each piece is made to order so there is no waste.
“I think sustainability is increasingly important – especially manufacturing in London where a lot of people expect this in the production of the garments they buy.
“We are making clothes locally rather than overseas, so that cuts down on transport emissions and a lot of our clients also try to source fabrics in this country.
“Many ask for the offcuts too so they can recycle them.
“Right now, the plan is to expand, to grow the team and to start working with bigger brands to bring more production back to the UK.
“It does cost more but it’s good for the environment and for people to have longer lasting garments rather than ones they just wear once or a few times and quickly wear out.
“I hope that people will be thinking about these things in a more environmentally positive way in future especially as the industry has not been so good in the past.
“A lot of people are talking about it and brands should too.
“We do our best, but a lot depends on the designers too.
“Many are now interested in using recycled materials and that’s great.
“We also recently worked with a designer who was using silk that was produced without the silkworms being harmed – normally they die in the process.
“I think there should be more educational content produced so people know how things are made to enable them to be more responsible as consumers.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
“Yes, nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed. 100% success rate,” said Lee Anderson, the Tory MP for Ashfield, in response to being asked whether he would support the return of the death penalty, during an interview with The Spectator.
The former Labour politician, who was recently appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, had made the comments shortly before getting the job.
His apparent stance was subsequently disowned by current prime minister Rishi Sunak and his government.
However, it’s sobering to think such ideas continue to circulate in the upper echelons of public life.
After all, it’s a little over a decade since Priti Patel, then the relatively new Conservative MP for Witham, advocated for the return of the death penalty as “a deterrent” on BBC Question Time.
At the time, she seemed bemused at the idea that innocent people might inadvertently be put to death by the state following miscarriages of justice.
She went on to hold high office, including the position of home secretary under Boris Johnson.
It’s been nearly 59 years since the last hangings in the UK took place – incidentally three years before Lee, now 56, was born – although final abolition didn’t come until 1998 when the country signed up to the 13th Protocol of the European Convention On Human Rights.
This is all very interesting, but what have the extreme views of two Conservative politicians got to do with this part of east London?
Well, perhaps Lee, Priti and anyone else with an interest in formulating a view on state sanctioned killing would do well to pop over to the Museum Of London Docklands.
Its latest major exhibition Executions is in place at the former sugar warehouses on West India Quay until April 16 and acts as an in-depth examination of some 700 years of public capital punishment in London.
Granular, macabre and fascinating, it’s a potent, sensitive and poignant exploration of the extreme things humans find excuses to do to one another in the name of justice.
Its primary focus is on the first recorded and last public executions to take place in London between 1196 and 1868.
Museum Of London curator of social and working history Beverley Cook – image Jon Massey
“We wanted to focus on where we had evidence,” said Beverley Cook, curator of social and working history at the Museum Of London.
“The first was recorded at Tyburn, which became the main site for public executions in the city until it closed in 1783 and then moved to Newgate Prison.
“The exhibition is quite traditional in that it relies very heavily on material and visual culture, which we have interpreted to tell the wider story.
“Where we don’t have objects, we’ve used some audio-visual elements to present content with a design that’s very strong and atmospheric to tackle a potentially challenging subject and deal sensitively with the difficulties of bringing that to an audience of the general public.”
Executions examines the mechanics and practicalities of the killings – what methods were used to end the lives of the condemned and where these acts took place.
Over the course of the 700 years people were hung, drawn and quartered, burnt alive, hanged and beheaded – the latter being a fate mainly for convicted members of the nobility.
Two poisoners (one a chef) were even boiled to death in separate incidents.
“In the earlier period, with governments and the monarchy being more unstable, you find more people being executed for things like treason, rioting, rebellion and of course heresy,” said Beverley.
“When you move to the 18th century, you start to see it becoming more urbanised, with more emphasis on property – governments are more stable, so you start to see more people being executed for crimes that we might be more familiar with today, such as crimes against the person or against property.
“There was this bizarre thing called the Bloody Code where every sort of offence mainly against property was added to the statute book.
Methods of public execution and a scrolling list of crimes the punishment was – image Museum Of London Docklands
“That meant that there were more than 200 crimes – many similar to one another – where people could in theory be condemned to death, as that was one of the only forms of punishment at the time.
“There are some very strange ones, such as impersonating a Greenwich Pensioner – presumably to get certain privileges – which was a capital offence. We don’t know whether anyone was actually executed for it.”
While my assumption before visiting the exhibition was that people would primarily be killed for committing serious crimes of violence, it turns out many were put to death for relatively minor offences.
Coin clipping – slicing silver off the edges of coins to be melted down and sold – one of the main forms of fraud in the Mediaeval period did, however, see offenders put to death.
“We know this was a crime that Jewish people were often executed for,” said Beverley.
“This was part of the discrimination against the Jewish community at the time, and in the exhibition we show how they were more likely to be executed for this than members of the Christian community – even though there were probably more Christians committing that crime.
“Between 1278 and 1279, 600 members of the Jewish community from across the country were sent to the Tower Of London and 279 were hanged at Tower Hill.
“That’s in contrast to 29 Christians.”
The exhibition only sets out to deal with executions carried out in public to examine their impact on Londoners’ lives.
“In the centre of the capital, you’re never more than five kilometres from a site of public execution,” said Beverley.
“Although people think of Tyburn, Newgate and maybe Smithfield, there were multiple execution sites throughout London.
“The reason for that was partly because people were often executed close to the site of their crime.
“It was seen as important to have visible justice in a local area, so people couldn’t ignore the fact that this was the punishment for a particular crime.
The former door of Newgate Prison – image Museum Of London Docklands
“For very serious or high profile crimes people were often brought to London for execution – such as William Wallace who was hung drawn and quartered at Smithfield – and over time you get the press, printers and publishers all focused on London.
“Like today, if something happened in the capital, word spread very quickly.”
A substantial chunk of the exhibition is given over to telling the stories of the condemned.
Dressed to represent a cell at Newgate Prison, where those sentenced to death at the Old Bailey would have been held ahead of their execution, it tells the stories of those pleading for mercy and final letters from the prisoners – some saying farewells and others maintaining their innocence.
“When Newgate was demolished in 1902, the museum acquired some of the relics such as the bolt from a condemned cell,” which we’re able to display,” said Beverley.
“Those convicted at the Old Bailey next door might have been held for a few days or a few months but everyone had the right to petition for mercy – not exoneration but to commute the death sentence to imprisonment.
“We have petitions on display from the national archive including one from a man named Joseph who argues he was led astray by a gang of youths who got him drunk before he stole from someone.
“His mother signed his petition with a cross because she was illiterate.
“People would try to get as many signatures as possible but Joseph didn’t have many supporters so his petition failed.
“He was described as ‘dreadfully distressed’ at the time of his execution. It’s quite shocking. He was only 18.”
The exhibition includes the door from Newgate through which prisoners passed on their final journey.
It’s a solid, iron-bound touchstone linking all who visit to those put to death.
Executions also looks at how public killings were received, publicised and attended – including a mock up of the three-cornered gallows at Tyburn.
“We have a representation of the procession from Newgate to Tyburn, which was a few miles, and the crowd would line the streets,” said Beverley.
“The prisoners were taken in carts, and in the cart was the coffin they would be put in – their arms would be pinioned so they would be allowed to pray, but that was all.
“The nooses were put around their necks while they were in the cart, the horses would be driven away and that’s how they were executed.
“There was no science behind it – there are accounts of people taking half an hour to die.
“One story we highlight is about a man called John Smith, who had the noose around his neck.
“The horse was driven away and he was reprieved suddenly, so he was cut down and revived.
“People were then asking him what he’d seen close to death, because they were very religious at that time.”
Such sudden changes to the expected outcome could be problematic as printed accounts of executions were big business and widely sold – often before the killing had actually taken place.
The exhibition includes many examples – telling the stories of crime and death in lurid detail – including one of a man who was never actually killed despite the description of his execution.
He actually wound up being transported to Australia instead – an example of fake news.
In contrast there are the forensically accurate sketches of the dead – complete with rope marks on the neck – from the Royal College Of Surgeons where bodies were often sent for dissection.
This constituted an extra punishment as it was thought the process would prevent resurrection in the afterlife.
Perhaps the most powerful part of the exhibition is a simple scrolling list of those executed – their names, the date of their death, their age and their crime.
There are 16 and 17-year-olds featured. Many were executed for crimes such as theft, burglary and fraud.
It’s impossible to do full justice to the rich and deep vein of tragic stories that Executions brings together in a single article.
While the exhibition offers no overt comment on the death penalty, it is chilling to think many of those put to death over 700 years were doubtless innocent of their often minor offences.
We must never repeat that crime
The vest is on display as part of Executions – image Museum Of London Docklands
ROYAL REMINDER– Possibly the vest of King Charles I
One of the key exhibits at Executions is a sweat-stained knitted silk vest, reportedly worn by King Charles I at his beheading.
“This would have been worn under his shirt, which would have been plain white according to illustrations of the scene,” said Beverley.
“We know it was a bitterly cold day, 30 January 1649, when he was executed in front of Banqueting House, and he did ask for a second vest, because he didn’t want the crowd to think that he was shivering from fear.
“It is an amazing story and we have done some analysis on the stains. We believe that they are bodily fluids, but we can’t prove that they have been there since 1649.
“At the time it came into the Museum Of London’s collection with this story attached, there was no reason to disbelieve the claim, although now as curators we are rather more cautious in our approach.
“What we do know is that it is correct for the period – it’s fine knitted silk, which wouldn’t have been generally worn by the public.
“It’s an amazing story and we have been doing further tests to uncover more evidence.”
King Charles I was executed for treason in front of a large crowd at the culmination of the English Civil War.
In line with custom, the identity of his executioner was never revealed to the public.
Executions runs at the Museum Of London Docklands until April 16, 2023. Standard tickets start at £12. Wharf Life readers can get 25% off adult ticket prices when visiting before April 1, 2023, by using promo code Wharf25.
Terms and conditions apply. The offer is only valid on visits on or up to March 31, 2023. Only adult tickets are covered and the discount will be applied during the checkout process. The offer applies to max four reduced tickets per customer and there is no cash or credit alternative.
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
Tucked away behind glass and green steel just off Millharbour lies the Lanterns Studio Theatre.
The venue, which boasts a vast, 3,000sq ft plus, sprung dance floor, is generally used by major production companies as a rehearsal space – one of the few capacious enough to accommodate the really big shows.
These sessions are typically held behind closed doors away from the eyes of the public. Lanterns, however, is starting to open up to audiences, thanks to Jamiel Devernay-Laurence.
Building on Ballet Nights, a show he hosted there in October 2021, TheIgnition Platform is set for a public performance at the Isle Of Dogs venue on March 4, 2023.
Jamiel essentially grew up at Lanterns – run by his mother Janet Viola – and following a dance career with Scottish Ballet, it’s where he’s decided to base his newly minted venture, Jamiel Laurence Creation.
“I’ve worked all over the UK,” he said. “I’ve lived in Glasgow, London and spent the past year working in Cardiff, bringing quality dance performances to that city.
“When that came to an end and I was thinking about what to do next, I decided to put on a new intensive programme at the Lanterns Studio Theatre – which is no stranger to new and exciting things, although often there isn’t a performance output.
“We rehearse, without doubt, every major production company in the UK and now some in Europe as well – we’ve just had Theatre Du Chatelet, who were preparing for their production of 42nd Street.
“After spending a decade learning how to put on those shows and seeing the companies in action, I decided it was my go.
“The first thing I did in January was to launch an intensive programme for professional dancers and the response to that was hugely overwhelming – there’s a real gap right now in contemporary dance for professional development.
“I hadn’t realised how big the need was – it was exactly the right time – and off the back of that I reconnected with Kennedy Junior Muntanga who performed at Lanterns as part of Ballet Nights.
Kennedy Junior Muntanga is set to perform at Lanterns Studio Theatre
“Chatting with him about his ambitions was a powerful moment because it made me aware young choreographers are really feeling the pinch.
“There are lots of cuts to the arts right now and that means there are fewer opportunities out there.
“I’m a doer, so I decided to launch Ignition in response – a platform to put work by young choreographers up on stage.
“The first level of that is what audiences will see on March 4. Our budget might be minimal, but what matters is that the dancing will be anything but.
“It’s about showcasing a really big voice in dance that needs to be heard on the Isle Of Dogs – not an area that’s traditionally known for these things.
“I’m very confident there will be an appetite for this locally so that’s stage one – the plan in future will be then to come back with a bigger production the next time.
“Hopefully the third time will be an all-singing, all-dancing, hologram-showing extravaganza.
“The idea is that Ignition will allow choreographers themselves to make a case for why their work should be on stage – then we make it happen for them.”
“The performance itself will consist of a 30-minute trio from A Death Has Occurred, which is a piece that Kennedy has written, taking inspiration from his faith to explore themes of destiny, identity, spirituality and truth.
“It follows the story of Nebu, a young journalist obsessed with the idea of being his own helmsman, as he struggles to offer himself to God’s plan for his life.
“Reporting as a war correspondent, Nebu is given a vision that prophesies a city abandoned and left to crumble to the wrath of war.
“Nebu’s interpretation of the dream leads him to reject God in protest at what he sees. Kennedy uses fiction to bring to the forefront his learning and understanding of accepting a plan much greater than his own, even when suffering prevails.
“He plans one day to turn the piece into a full 90-minute show.
The Ignition Platform will include a trio from Kennedy’s A Death Has Occurred
“After that, we’re going to have a solo dance by Kennedy himself, created exclusively for Ignition.
“There will also be a Q&A with the choreographer following the performances.
“It’s really exciting that I can take someone like him and give him a platform.
“His dancing is not any recognisable contemporary technique or format, his movement is really from a new place – it’s very contact-heavy.
“The word you see about him in every review is ‘visceral’, and that tells the tale – his work features very muscly, athletic men and women in contact with each other.
“He lives in Finsbury Park, but spends much of his time in Greenwich as the artistic director of Trinity Laban’s Youth Dance Company as well as Kennedy Muntanga Dance Theatre.
“What he does that’s really interesting is that he puts on classes for free every Tuesday night, and they are his practice in action – that’s how he’s refining his voice.”
Jamiel said the March 4 performance would also help to make the case for further events at Lanterns and beyond.
“The Ignition Platform is really about support and what I want to do is build an audience who feel like they’re the home crowd for dance,” he said.
“My philosophy is that I don’t think dance on stage is broken as a model – that’s not where the problem is. Instead, it’s the pastime of going to see dance.
“For example, people on dates might go to the cinema or a show and have a meal first – they’d know how to navigate that. But with dance theatre it’s different.
“Would it be a long show, a short show? Would there be time to eat? Is it expensive or affordable?
“I’d like to achieve for dance what stand-up has for comedy – to have artists practising their craft and audiences getting a raw, accessible version of the work.
“Right now there are too many dancers and not enough opportunity.
“Long term, the goal for Ignition would be to build our own touring circuit – we’d very much like events to be exportable.
“That might be to other venues in London, but we’d also like to connect with Scotland, Wales and other towns and cities in England as well.
“Further afield from this, I would love to have work that could tour internationally. That’s for the future.
“Right now I believe there’s a huge opportunity in Docklands – a place that’s become a growing residential community.
“Lanterns can provide something for people locally where they don’t have to travel to the West End to see high quality performances – it’s right here on their doorstep.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
It’s a venue the Limehouse-based filmmaker knows well – a grand palace of a place on Commercial Road filled with comfy leather upholstery where he can often be found working away on scripts.
The smile is not down to the welcoming atmosphere, however. It’s because his second feature film as writer and director recently won best drama, best actor and best ensemble at the inaugural Smodcastle Film Festival on its world premiere.
Dead On The Vine, which is set for its UK debut later this year, is a film that was never meant to exist.
Originally from Yarm, a town nestled in the bend of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, Mark grew up wanting to make movies.
“I always wanted to be a filmmaker since about the age of three, when I saw lots of great films like The Wizard Of Oz, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Jason And The Argonauts,” he said.
“I also got to see a huge number of inappropriate movies thanks to my aunty and uncle, including Deliverance because he liked the banjos.
“It wasn’t easy in the North East when I was growing up. There wasn’t a film industry or even the possibility to dream really, but I kept it in my head and just watched endless movies.
“I made a few films with my brother and my friends, but that was it until I went to university in Liverpool where I tried to do it a bit more.
“I was on a general media course, not specifically about making films, though – a huge error on my part – and I was useless at it.
Dead On The Vine is set on a vineyard
“I meandered through, enjoying life but not doing anything significant. I was just lazy, I had no motivation.
“I passed by 2% and that was only because I did really well in the parts related to making films or writing them.”
Having moved back to the North East, he tried a different course and made some films with people he met there, one of which won an award and spurred him on to move to London.
In his 20s he was writing furiously while working in Wetherspoons to support himself.
With people he met through a writing course, he created a company called Joined Up Writers, creating plays for the Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington – “tickling success” when BBC radio offered to mentor him.
“I was struggling in my head at the time and thought they didn’t mean it so, after a couple of meetings I didn’t follow it up,” he said.
Returning to film, he wrote scripts for shorts and found fresh success in an industry that often moves at a glacial pace.
“One of the shorts was screened at the Raindance film festival and I got noticed by a producer who asked me to write an 18th century drama about the first black boxer in Britain,” said Mark.
“It’s called The Gentleman, but the producer who was involved was also producing The Expendables, which became an unexpected success, so they went off in that direction and my film didn’t get made.
“There was lots of promise, lots of fun, but I was sad because, had it come out, I’d have been paid a lot more.
“I currently have four different versions of it – a play, a six-part TV series, the film and a monologue in my desk.”
Further successful writing jobs followed, before Mark decided he wanted to get back behind the camera.
Mark and the Dead On The Vine team receive their awards from Kevin Smith
“I had always wanted to be a director first, rather than a writer, but I had to write my own scripts because no-one else would, so I fell more into writing,” he said.
“In 2015 I made a short film called Corinthian, which did well at festivals and I liked doing it.
“We did that on a tiny budget and through that process I worked out how to shoot a feature in 10 days.
“So I called up my mates, told them I’d write parts for all of them and they all said yes.
“That was my debut feature Guardians – shot in the house in Limehouse, where I live, and featuring St Anne’s Church and the Queen’s Head pub, where we shot from 11pm-4am.
“It was a very silly comedy and won quite a few awards, which set me on the path I’m on now.
“Through that film I met my producing partner Laura Rees.
“Our next project was a film called Limpet and then the pandemic arrived and just killed our plans dead.
“Fortunately I’d got a couple of writing jobs, which tided us over a bit but as soon as they finished, I was going crazy with nothing to do.”
He called Laura up, who suggested doing something with a small cast in a vineyard where she was staying.
Plucking an idea about two suspicious guys who break down and end up on a farm from his archive, the pair set about assembling a bubble of cast and crew for what would become Dead On The Vine.
Mark said Dead On The Vine was inspired by Fargo
“We got together this crew of incredible people who were desperate to do something,” said Mark.
“They liked the script and Laura called in some old favours, so we had this amazing crew – being in a vineyard in the middle of summer was also quite appealing.
“It was 77 acres, you could be outside, socially distanced and in an incredible environment. The film almost has the feel of a western about it – Fargo was a big influence.
“Theses two chaps, one of whom has had an epileptic seizure and is unconscious for the first 20 minutes, come to a vineyard where the two women owners are preparing for a make or break wine tasting evening to save their business.
“Certain things happen, bits of violence pop up, some revelations occur that cause everyone involved to make some very important life choices and moral choices about how they want the rest of their lives to go – do they want to save their businesses, their lives or each other? It’s a darkly comic thriller – certainly not grim.”
With work nearly complete, Mark and Laura entered the film in writer and director Kevin Smith’s first Smodcastle Film Festival in New Jersey.
“Two people who saw it there randomly described it as if Reservoir Dogs had been made by the BBC,” said Mark.
“Kevin Smith has been an inspiration to me – his film, Chasing Amy, was one of those movies that gave me a boost when I was at university.
“I saw it and thought: ‘I want to write like that’.
“I first met Kevin while he was walking his dog in the small town where the festival was held, and I was completely nervous about approaching him.
“My friend David had no such qualms and went right up to him – he was lovely.”
Dead On The Vine won in three categories including best actor for Tom Sawyer and ensemble cast – including Mark’s partner Victoria Johnston who he lives with in Limehouse, close friend and frequent collaborator David Whitney and Sheena Browne.
Filming took place under Covid restrictions
“I am one of those people who gets disappointed if I don’t win at awards ceremonies,” said Mark.
“At Smodcastle, the reaction the film received at the festival made us believe we might take something home.
“But you still can’t be prepared for the moment when you win. When we got best ensemble, we sat back, pleased. Then when Tom won best actor it was even better.
“But then we won best drama and I was in a daze and didn’t realise what was happening.
“The rest of the cast had legged it up to the stage, and I was right behind them: ‘This one’s mine’.
“Then I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to be a sycophant, so I just garbled some pleasantries about the crew deserving the thanks because were all in a bad place and they really stepped up, coming into an unknown situation – then a legend like Kevin Smith had said what we made was good, and it made it all worthwhile.”
Dead On The Vine is set to get its UK premiere in east London later this year although exact dates and times are yet to be confirmed.
Readers can watch Mark’s first feature Guardians via Amazon Video.
Meanwhile, Laura and Mark continue to work on the production of Limpet.
He said: “Dead On The Vine was never really meant to exist – we see it as a bonus film because it gave us purpose and saved our sanity over the lockdowns.
“It really shows off what I can do as a director and Limpet is a bigger film so hopefully people might trust us with a bit more money with that on the CV.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
“I’ve been writing since I could first hold a pencil and dabbled in various things when I was a teenager in school,” said the artist, currently based at Art Hub Studios in Creekside, Deptford.
A career as an advertising creative and then manager of agencies saw her work first in her native Canada, then North America, Europe and India.
“I’d done what I set out to do – to work internationally in a multi-country environment and I was successful,” she said.
“I wanted to go back to my creative roots – that was 10 years ago – and so I got myself a little studio in Deptford and started to take pictures.
“I also had a lot of photographs from my travels – but I didn’t want to be a straight photographer.”
Instead, Alice taught herself to paint her photographs digitally with the aim of creating something new.
The body of work she has created is varied and extensive, with images that are colourful, monochrome, three dimensional, two dimensional, photographic and almost entirely abstract.
Red from Alice’s Love On The Rocks series
“I never change the composition of the original photograph – it is what it is, it’s like a canvas,” she said.
“When choosing the ones to paint, I have a vision in my head – sometimes I achieve that and sometimes I can’t.
“Sometimes I can do it in several different ways – it’s always possible to repaint images.
“Each time I create an image, it goes back to being a writer, because I’m telling a story. There’s no absolute point where they’re finished.
“I just have to ask whether I’m satisfied with it and whether it says what I want it to say.”
The word, perhaps, for Alice’s creativity is “instinctive”. She looks at a photograph or a collection of objects and imagines what they could become.
“I have a series called Love On The Rocks,” she said.
“I took the images in Iceland – it was cold and raining while I was taking photos and my husband said he was going for a walk.
“There was a volcanic hill behind us and I took pictures of him as he walked along the ridge. He couldn’t see it, but I could see the outline of a woman in the shape of the hill.
“For another series, I’d always wanted to do something with layered hills.
“In Portugal I got to a summit and just saw this amazing vista in front of me.
Eastern Hunt from Alice’s series The King’s Lodging
“So I started snapping away and, after I’d painted them digitally, I realised there was a romantic story in there, so I called the series The King’s Lodging.
“Each piece within it has its own title and the idea was to tell a story by displaying them together so the viewer could create the narrative in their head.”
Alice’s latest project has been to create a second digital book of her work, based on the Chinese Zodiac.
“I have a friend – John Vollmer – who is an Asian scholar,” she said.
“He sent me a picture of a snake from some archive in celebration of the year of the snake and I thought we could do a better job.
“We started collaborating for the year of the horse – I painted a photograph of the animal and he wrote the text. I wrote a story to go with it and once I’d done that I knew I wanted to do all 12 animals.
“Then John told me about five, which is an important number in Chinese philosophy. That led me to create Five: Wuxing Elements In Art And Words with a foreword by him.”
Alice’s latest digital book features 81 artworks, about 25% of which were made specifically for the project.
Rebirth from Alice’s series The King’s Lodging
“While there are no stories in the book, I have written a poem for each of the elements. I want readers to really respond to the art in Five.
“I love landscapes and seascapes and ‘seeing’ is important to me. I want people to see things in a different way – familiar, but unfamiliar.
“It’s fantastic to have people look at and talk about your work because they see things in it that you don’t.
“For example, I made a piece from a photograph of the tailpiece of a stringed instrument and people saw a boat in the final work.”
While the majority of Alice’s work is created digitally, she also creates sculptures, including recent pieces using found objects.
Nightlife In Blue
“I don’t like sitting at a computer all day long, but my paintings don’t get made if I don’t do some of that,” she said.
“I’ve always loved working with my hands and I have an idea that I will also make collages from my finished digital paintings.
“With the wall hangings, I had some different kinds of rope and just started to play.
“The fairy stones – ones you find that have natural holes – are from the Mediterranean and Ramsgate.
“I’d had them for years, having collected them, and I thought I’d do something with them that has different textures.
“I’m fascinated by texture in all my work. I try to make a big thing of that in my paintings because we live in a world that’s anything but flat.
“First, it’s about the photography. I have to go out and take the image. If I didn’t do that, you wouldn’t have the picture.
“Then the paintings sit within a range – a set of dimensions.
“That means I can achieve results that are more photographic while others are more in the middle or much more abstract.
“I often strive for the sweet spot between those two things that combines them both, but sometimes the painting won’t let me go there.
“They take varying amounts of time – it really depends on the picture and on me.
“I have a painting from India that took me 10 years because I kept going back to it.
“It wasn’t saying to me what I wanted it to say, so I put it away and would bring it out every couple of years and try again until it was finally complete.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
History isn’t something that exists trapped between the pages of dusty books, for Matthew Jameson.
The playwright, actor and director doesn’t just see echoes of the past in the present – for him, it’s much more immediate than that.
So his forthcoming production at The Space on the Isle Of Dogs may be the story of what happened between February and October 1917 as the Tsar was overthrown and the communists rose to power. But it’s something else as well.
“I didn’t want Ten Days to be a piece of historical theatre, something that happened more than 100 years ago, which we can only learn lessons from,” he said.
“These kinds of things are ongoing around us, so I wanted the play to be in a contemporary setting – Europe 2023 – scarily close to where we are now.
“The characters are in modern dress and we have a diverse cast who will better reflect our own times than Russia in 1917.
“We also have a lot of video and tech to help to convey some of the scale of the events we want to portray.”
Matthew said: “People should look forward to something epic – it’s a story that covers the breadth and scale of the overthrow of Russia’s ruling family, the establishment of a provisional government and the eventual rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.
“It has a cast of 10, of which I am one, and we’ll all be playing multiple roles.
“Among others, I’ll be Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko the unlikely leader of the assault on the Winter Palace – a slightly baffled, befuddled and depraved man.
“Ten Days is something I’ve been working on for about a decade.
“I completed a masters in dramaturgy part-time over the last couple of years and the focus of that was on creating a play as a final project – this was the vehicle to complete it.
“It’s gone through various iterations and I’d never quite finished the draft, but through doing the course, I’ve now completed the whole thing – redrafting, streamlining and editing to reflect the ongoing chaos the world seems to be experiencing.”
Matthew isn’t new to putting real events from the past on stage.
Raised in the North East, he’d always wanted to be a performer and became involved with a company called the Heretical Historians whose play The Trial Of Le Singe brought him to The Space for the first time in 2017.
“That was as a visiting actor, but I really enjoyed being part of this institution,” he said.
“The play was about the story of the Hartlepool monkey and we were doing this post-Brexit, reflecting the idea of a conflicted, anti-European England.
“That’s when I first found The Space and I’ve never really left.
“A lot of the Heretical Historians’ stuff was telling previously untold true stories from history and bringing them to life for a modern audience.
Ten Days is set to run at The Space from March 14-25, 2023
“Ten Days feels like an extension of that. It’s a new company – BolshEpic Theatre – and it’s all about bringing the truth of history to life and making it accessible.
“A lot of my previous work was focused primarily on comedy and entertainment.
“Now I feel there’s a lot of stuff happening in the world that requires our response to be a bit more measured and serious.
“Within that, telling the story of the Russian Revolution is something that is directly relevant to the present.
“Although there’s a lot of entertainment in the story we’re telling, there are also more serious parallels we need to explore, and you can’t do that simply through comedy, although it does help the medicine go down.
“There is the war in Europe at the moment and the apparent collapse of some democracies across the world – it’s been exhausting to keep up with what’s been happening while writing.
“What I want is for audiences to be able to take a look at what it means to live through a crisis and to ask: ‘What hope can we have for democracy?’.
“Ten Days doesn’t give a definitive answer to that, we just present what happened. In Russia back then there was mass industrial action and it feels like we’re getting close to a general strike now.
“They had four heads of state in the space of a year. We’ve had three prime ministers and two monarchs.
“I don’t know whether that’s a cause for optimism that things can change, or a cause for worry that things could get worse.
“I think that in Russia in 1917 they really didn’t expect a revolution and that was one of the fundamental things that caught everyone by surprise.
“It’s not something that tallies with the Soviet version of history – a planned uprising of the people – or the rightist take – a well-calculated palace coup.
“The revolution was something in between, which was messier and muckier and, as a result, far more real and funny.
“What we’ve found is people don’t necessarily know that in the period between the Tsar and the Bolsheviks there was an elected government, where Russia could have turned into a European-style democracy.
“In Ten Days, we take things chronologically with a Sergei Eisenstein-style short film sequence showing the story as you think you know it – Lenin comes in and chucks the Tsar out, resulting in freedom for the people.
“That isn’t what happened but you need to see it as a reminder.
“There’s something about the truth of history that fiction never quite matches up to.
“As a writer you can aspire to be as absurd and ridiculous as you like, but as soon as you write something as silly as the truth people often won’t believe it.
“Hopefully, people will see our posters and think: ‘Lenin – OK, let’s see what this is about,’ but they may not know the other figures so it’s a way of introducing them to the audience.”
- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com
