Sit with George Mills for any length of time and you’ll be left in no doubt that there are two things he’s especially passionate about – cleaning and the environment.
I confess, when I arrived to interview him as the managing director of east London-based AEG Cleaning Services, I was expecting to hear the story of the business, perhaps a bit about him growing up in Limehouse where he still lives and then a rundown of the kinds of things his organisation offers.
Instead I found a man driven to improve the world around him by demonstrating a different way of doing things.
“Traditional cleaning services are among the worst polluters – they typically use so many chemicals, it’s so harmful,” he said.
“I saw a gap in the market for an eco-friendly, carbon neutral cleaning company and thought that would be a good place to be.
“My dad and my aunt had run a cleaning business, so I had some knowledge of the sector.
“When I was a young teenager I’d go with my dad at weekends to clean banks and offices and that was a valuable experience although my approach to the industry is different.”
“For me, it’s about where the next generation is going to be.
“We have to do something about climate change and the way we’re treating the planet and AEG is doing that.”
Launched in 2021, George’s business has expanded across the capital in response to demand – but the company’s core ethos remains the same.
“We’re really going back in time – before all these chemicals were around, people made their own cleaning products,” he said.
“We started off doing that, although we now have a supplier of eco-friendly products because of the quantities we need to use.
“However, for every single job that needs to be done, there is a natural or non-polluting alternative to chemicals.
“And the results are the same. It might take a little longer to achieve, but there is no difference in quality at all.
“We also try to educate our customers on the kinds of products they can use or even make themselves – it’s so easy to do.
AEG offers a range of services including carpet cleaning
“That goes for businesses too. They have a real problem because they need to be cleaned all the time – just imagine a deep clean of a restaurant and kitchen.
“With a traditional firm the amount of chemicals used is crazy.
“We did one the other day – completely carbon neutral – and the result was the same.
“It’s vital we take this approach now, so that future generations can benefit.
“We even have a calculator on our website so people and businesses can see what they are saving in CO2 emissions by using our services.
“When I started the company, I wanted to do something that meant something to me and that would help people on Earth in the future.”
The company offers fixed fees from £180 for end-of-tenancy and Airbnb cleans, while carpet cleaning starts at £5 per sq m.
The latter is a good example of George’s other passion – the cleaning itself.
Having cracked the problem of cleaning limescale without harsh chemicals, his focus now is very much on carpets with a complement of trusted, trained contractors handling much of the company’s core workload.
“My background is in customer service and the way I run AEG is always – for me and the people I work with – to look round and put themselves in the customer’s shoes to ask whether they are happy with the job,” said George.
“If the answer’s no, then we need to fix whatever isn’t right. If that means staying extra time, then that’s what we do.
“We always start by asking people what kind of clean they are looking for and then we check on the job to make sure the level they have picked will achieve what they want.
“We do a basic clean, a seasonal clean and a deep clean as well as bio-hazard levels. Our prices include all the products we use.
“We really like the deep cleans, which is when we get into every nook and cranny and people come in and go: ‘Wow’.
“That gives me a real sense of achievement – people call me ‘Magic George’ quite a lot, for some reason.
“When I started the business I began small, often making my own products because I wanted to learn exactly what worked.
“It’s been the same with the carpet cleaning. I did training to ensure the hot water cleaning we offer delivers the best results.
George advocates using eco-friendly ingredients in cleaning products such as lemons
“Attention to detail is very important – you need to know what the carpet and backing are made from.
“Then we pre-spray and aggregate it with a special tool before using the machine to rinse it. We use hot water because it dries much more quickly and that means you can get the furniture back in faster.
“You can see the change in the carpet right away – it’s very satisfying because it comes up like new and we don’t use any harmful chemicals.
“I had one customer who had a carpet that was 10 years old and thought they would need to get a new one fitted.
“But after one clean they decided to keep it because it had come up so well. Cleaning is hard work.
“I take my hat off to anyone working in the industry because to do it properly, it’s a lot of effort and long hours.
“But both me and the people AEG works with get real pleasure from the job, especially when you see the difference it can make in people’s lives.
“We’ve won some awards and to get that recognition for the company is great – but it’s important people understand why we do things the way we do.
- 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
‘Intensely practical’ is the best way to describe Circle Collective.
Sure, to people strolling through Jubilee Place it’s a striking shop filled with neon, skateboards and the kind of clothing you don’t really see elsewhere in Canary Wharf.
Aside from the inventory, a chic customer picking up a new look will likely not find too much different in the retail experience.
Knowledgeable, youthful staff will be on hand to offer information on the products and then collect payment at the till – pretty much like any other store on the estate.
But Circle Collective isn’t like any other shop on the Wharf.
It’s the public facing tip of a much larger mission that the customer will, wittingly or unwittingly, have played a role in.
Go behind the scenes and you’ll find a vast space dedicated not to stock, but to skills.
That’s because the shop is a social enterprise that exists in symbiosis with a charity of the same name, entirely dedicated to giving young people work experience and finding them employment.
Having recently opened its third dual site at Canary Wharf, founder and CEO Turly Humphreys said it would be impossible to have one without the other.
“It’s two organisations that have to work together,” she said.
“A lot of organisations have asked whether you need both because they are usually only interested in the training.
Circle Collective founder and CEO Turly Humphreys
“But the magic of what we do is that we do an employability course and it’s wrap-around. Participants get real work experience related to all aspects of the shop alongside mentoring and really practical information about things like how to do an interview and write a CV.
“We work with corporate partners and take them into workplaces so they can see a real working environment. We get them ready for that, building confidence and resilience.
“It’s about constantly pumping them with sensible information and, when necessary, telling them some really strong home truths – that the bus wasn’t late, they were.
“This is not volunteering – their shifts in the shop are treated like a job. If they come in and they’re not on time, for example, then they’re taken to one side and the implications are explained to them.
“That might be an increased risk of shoplifting because we’re short-staffed, which is obviously not acceptable.”
Circle’s focus is on preparing young people for the realities of work and then supporting them into paid, permanent employment with its programmes typically lasting between five and eight weeks.
So far, it’s helped more than 1,000 into jobs in myriad fields.
Turly said: “We believe that any young person who wants to work deserves a job.
“We’re generalists – we’ll take any young person aged 16-25 who wants to work and is eligible to do so – recruiting them through job centres, social media and walk-ins.
“They can’t be in education or training but we welcome people straight from school alongside graduates from university.
“They might be refugees or neuro-diverse – we’ll work with anyone.
“Then they become a peer group, work together and support each other.
“My aim for Canary Wharf is to match the people on our programmes to vacancies on the estate.
“That will be a challenge because there are lots of companies here and those jobs are not all gathered at a single point, so we need to collaborate with HR departments and businesses so they can understand the benefit of hiring from a diverse pool of people who want to work.
“It’s about companies realising that there’s a real benefit to diversity and that you can hire people for many jobs such as front-of-house in hospitality without them needing three years of experience.”
Turly started the charity and social enterprise after being inspired by her son’s sporting activities – initially looking at that as a way to help young people.
“He was 16 and a sports scholar at the time – playing cricket, rugby and football all around the country,” she said.
“Once young people were on the pitch, it didn’t matter what anybody’s background was.
“So I started by trying to get more people into sport, but then I went to a job centre and saw how disillusioned the young people were – the lack of ambition they had.
“It was so sad because they never expected to do better than their parents – to own a house, for example.
“I come from a commercial background and I’ve always run my own business. I had a flagship store for corporate printing in the Strand, then I had a studio in Tottenham Court Road.
“I looked at those young people in the job centre and thought: ‘This isn’t rocket science’.
“I got some of them into the shop, some of them into the office and, out of those first nine recruits, I got seven of them into work.
“I’m still in touch with them today.
“One lad’s father was a farmer and there wasn’t enough for another income on the farm, so I got him a job as a welder, which was perfect.
Circle Collective stocks a range of clothing and skateboards
“Then there was a lovely girl who had hearing problems.
“I managed to send her on an away week and she came back much more confident. She’s been running a big bingo hall now for years.
“None of it was especially complicated – it was all about being practical. That’s the ethos we still run Circle Collective with.
“I work on partnering with the corporates and run the shop and we have Matthew Lewendon who has a charity background and is our director of operations who handles the charity – it just works.”
Circle’s Back Your Future programme is very much tailored to individuals and features one-to-one mentoring sessions, work experience in the shop, motivational workshops, a chance to meet employers and access to job vacancies.
“But it’s more than that – once brought into the fold, the charity offers ongoing support to those it finds jobs for as long as they need it to ensure everything is going to plan.
“The aim is that participants feel they belong to a community they can rely on.
“First we sit down with them and find out if they have any barriers to work and to identify any transferable skills they have – which many do,” said Turly.
“So they start off with the charity and then they have an induction on the shop floor, where health and safety and safeguarding is explained to them.
“They get a sheet with a list of things we teach them and on the first day they’re taught cash handling and taking credit cards, at the till.
“Then they’re taught how to approach customers and learn product knowledge – they may have to go and research that.
“When they first come to us and say that they want to work in a shop or in an office – it’s our job to teach them about all the different sectors and how they might find roles within them.
“We use the shop to give them experience in relevant areas.
“If somebody’s creative, for example, we often get them involved in merchandising – we aim to use the skills the young people have got, whether it’s handling websites or using their creativity.
“One girl we had came from prison and she’s now doing merchandising in Primark, which is exactly what she wanted to do.
“Then I’ve got a lad who was a refugee, hardly spoke English and was homeless – he’s now a chartered accountant.
“We have a graduation every year and you can’t bottle the atmosphere.
“The young people come back, get a certificate and they all do a fashion show.
“The corporate supporters come and everybody’s in tears.
“At first nobody wants to talk, but then someone grabs a microphone and they all thank everybody.
“It’s wonderful. It’s about getting people into work, but it’s so much more than that.”
Circle needs both funding to continue its work and a larger pipeline of corporate partners to help it find roles for the young people it supports.
“The people who come to us often have a lack of career advice, work experience or role models and may also be suffering from anxiety and mental health issues,” said Turly.
“There’s also a lack of awareness of the realities of work, which is why it’s so important to take them into workplaces where they can hear from people doing the jobs.”
Turly said Circle would love to hear from businesses locally who can help with similar visits or provide entry level jobs in and around Canary Wharf.
The organisation is also looking for sponsors to help it continue its work.
The other aspect to Circle that is of benefit to Wharfers is the shop itself, with all profits fed back into the charity.
“It’s thanks to Emma Warden and Jane Hollinshead at Canary Wharf Group that we’ve been able to open here.” said Turly.
“The shop is like bringing Shoreditch to Jubilee Place – we stock a mixture of retro brands and vintage clothing including some high-end pieces from labels like Burberry.
“One of our trainees asked if we could do skateboards so we wrote a business plan and I gave him £200, which he turned into £400.
“Now everyone who comes on our programme is taught how to build a skateboard. We’re not a specialist skate shop but we do sell boards and if people need their bearings fixed then they can come in.
“We also have a lot of skate clothes that people can buy and four of our staff are skaters.
“We also stock products that are locally made and would like to find more makers who want to sell through us.
There’s a real sense when you visit Circle Collective that people who wind up in its orbit keep coming back for more.
Alex Emerson-Arfstrom is a good example – finding his way onto one of its programmes and then returning to work part-time at the organisation while studying.
He said: “When I left college I was looking for work.
“I took a gap year, but the catch was I didn’t have much experience on my CV outside of projects – I didn’t have any work experience.
“My friends referred me to a place called Circle Collective and I started off as a trainee on its Back Your Future programme.
“I was there for about two months, getting some basic retail experience in the Dalston store.
“I was born in Haringey – I’ve lived there my whole life.
“Then I received a job offer, but this was the place I wanted to be, so I’ve been here for six months on a kickstart scheme, training people like myself and using the skills I had learned.
“I was inspired by the training and became a supervisor myself, to train young people.
“I was working part-time and then I got into university to study cyber security. It’s way more than just working in a shop.
“There are so many opportunities we can give young people.
“They can shadow the staff here and build their skills – there are so many areas to get involved with – administration, IT and customer service.
“I’ve been here for about two years now, and it’s very rewarding when people get jobs – they’ve done their training, get employment and come back and talk to me about how they feel.
“I do keep in contact with a lot of them and seeing their confidence grow over time is amazing.
“I wasn’t the most confident person at the beginning.
“My preconception was that it was going to be very structured, but it was a much wider spectrum of things I was taught.
“On my second day I was helping to create a social media project, and then I was going out to stores, talking to people.
“There’s such a wide range of things to get involved with.
“I’ve gained more skills than I can count from Circle.
“It gave me the opportunity to do some really great IT work – hands-on experience. It’s been great that they have shown that trust in me.
“I’d always been a creative person and the programme allowed me to spend time working with social media and that turned into managing websites, setting up deals with brands and designing things on the IT side.
“While I’d always had an interest in cyber security before I came to Circle Collective, what the organisation has done is allowed me to develop those skills such as managing its website.
“I’m not sure what I will do in the future but it will be within the cyber security sector – it’s such a broad area.”
Circle Collective’s Angela Brown
STAFF SPOT – Angela Brown
“I’m the partnership manager at Circle Collective,” said Angela Brown.
“As an organisation we can educate, encourage, support and create some fantastic fresh talent for an organisation.
“At present we have a particular focus on equality, diversity and disability and how corporates can embed that within their operations.
“At present, we feel businesses are doing it but maybe not as authentically as they could be.
“For example, we’re currently working with Landsec who will be taking on young people as kickstarters.
“I’m working with them to ensure that those young people are understood and supported by their managers as businesses are often used to graduates or people who come from a certain background.
“It’s really important that everyone is talking the same language so the young people have a chance to shine.
“I’ve been with Circle Collective for five years and am currently training as a therapist which I feel plays into my current role.
“There’s a therapeutic element to what we do and I think young people need that kind of support to take the pressure off their coaches.”
- 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
Seafood in Canary Wharf often plays second fiddle.
With the possible exception of sushi and black cod at Roka and Nova Soctian lobster at Big Easy, few venues spring to mind as places to find dishes with fish and crustaceans as the main ingredient.
This might be a bit of a disservice to Boisdale, although despite the smoked salmon and shellfish platters it’s always seemed a restaurant that’s more turf than surf at heart.
Those who enjoy eating the fruits of the sea can rejoice, however, because the estate now has two places that put them front and centre.
And then there’s Oysteria, which popped up next to the Canary Wharf end of South Quay Bridge earlier this year.
Oysteria’s interior features sea foam green upholstery and bubble lights
While Fish Game has found talent in a cook formerly working at a Blackwall venue, Oysteria represents a wholesale move for a family well-known on the Isle Of Dogs.
The Topkayas – father Mustafa and his children Jamie and Felicity – ran Italian spot Capeesh on the ground floor of Pan Peninsula next to South Quay DLR for seven years.
Having identified a vacant unit in Canary Wharf during the pandemic, they’ve now crossed the dock with Oysteria the core focus, having recently sold Capeesh as a going concern.
Jamie, who is spearheading the new venue, said: “We’d seen this place as a completely vacant unit but initially we weren’t going to take it on.
“Then we saw a gap in the market.
“Oysteria was really a good opportunity that came out of Covid.
“We spoke with Canary Wharf Group and they did a survey, which found there was a lack of seafood restaurants in the area and that they would really like to change that.
“We knew from running Capeesh that people locally really like their seafood – we’d been there a while and we thought it was time to jump over the water and onto the estate.
“I’ve always been a fan of oysters and we’ve managed to find an award-winning head chef to make the magic happen in the kitchen.”
Oysteria head chef Tacim Yetis
Before guests taste anything however, it’s worth taking note of a few things.
Astonishingly, Oysteria is the first restaurant in the Wharf’s history to face out over West India South Dock.
This strip of quay boasts a chunky colonnade to the rear of Bank Street, gets the sun pretty much all day and benefits from views down the dock.
Oysteria has tables right beside, sheltered from above, as well as a glass all-weather seating area for when things inevitably get a bit chillier.
Inside, the restaurant boasts minimal decor aimed at subtly recalling the deep.
“We’ve tried to remind diners of the sea,” said Jamie.
“There’s wooden cladding that’s similar to the deck of a boat, lighting like bubbles in the water and a light green colour scheme.
“It’s a bit like the restaurant under the sea.
Prawn risotto at Oysteria
“Outside, of course, guests can enjoy seafood right next to the water and we have heaters for colder weather.
“At Oysteria, people will find a good atmosphere, good food and good service – we’re very focused on looking after our customers.
“We want to put a smile on everyone’s faces.”
Key to that will be the food. The menu is about 70% seafood with burgers and steaks available for those who prefer land-based flavours.
The dishes are mainly Italian with influences from other parts of the Mediterranean – all overseen by head chef Tacim Yetis.
Named best chef in the UK at the 2022 Kebab Awards, he mostly does his talking on the plate, but did let slip that his personal recommendations were for the tuna with pistachio, salad and soy sauce, the monkfish with saffron gel, crusted polenta and spinach or pan-fried scallops with wild mushrooms, celeriac puree and salmon roe.
“On the drinks side, we are focusing on cocktails, including some that come with an oyster,” said Jamie.
“We have a Gin Martini and a Bloody Oysteria, which both come with one – the former features an oyster liqueur.
Fresh oysters – what else – at Oysteria
“The latter is a Bloody Mary-style drink, which goes perfectly with the shellfish thanks to the Tabasco sauce.
“We source much of our seafood from Billingsgate, which is only a stone’s throw from us, with some oysters coming from Jersey and Poole as well.
“It’s been an amazing learning process, discovering how to tell if they are fresh by tapping them,
“We serve them very fresh and there’s nothing better.
“If I was personally ordering a meal, I’d always start with a dozen and then follow it with the tuna.
“With the Italian influence, we offer a lot of pasta and risotto dishes too and those are always tempting.
“Then we have a fantastic pistachio tiramisu for dessert, which is perfect with a Limoncello.
“We’ve been getting busier and busier as we’ve built it up – taking on a unit that was just an empty shell at the beginning and turning it into a restaurant.
“We’re planning to introduce a two-for-one cocktail offer soon as well as a happy hour.”
In the meantime, Wharfers looking for a deal can get lunch for £11.90 for a main pasta or risotto and a soft drink or £14.90 with a house wine or beer on weekdays from noon-3pm.
“We pride ourselves on delivering quick service,” said Jamie.
“At lunchtime we know people want to be able to sit down, eat and leave within 30 minutes and this is already proving popular.”
Oysteria has tables by the water and also in a weatherproof section outside its premises
- 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
Now all of that tiresome admin is out of the way, why don’t we have Felix (see Part One) tell us what impact he hopes the show will have on those who see it?
He said: “I would like people to feel that childlike awe and wonder that you get as kid when you go and explore your grandfather’s attic.
“You’re told you’re not allowed, but you know that serious wonders lie up there and you brave it anyway.
“You’re by yourself, you open the door, it’s very dark and full of clutter. There’s something in the far corner and you venture over there.
“It’s thrilling, terrifying, exhilarating and it’s full of magic. That’s our aim.
“As adults, much of the magic has been removed from life because of our responsibilities. We’re trying to give that back to our audiences.”
Read Part Three for a bit of history and a smattering of inspiration
Punchdrunk founder and artistic director Felix Barrett
START READING HERE
>> PART ONE <<
This isn’t exactly a typical article structure.
But then its subject matter isn’t a typical show.
Since it opened in March 2022, more than 200,000 people have seen theatre company Punchdrunk’s latest offering – its first at Woolwich Works, the organisation’s permanent global home.
The Burnt City is a sprawling creation.
Masked audience members are free to explore around 100,000sq ft of warehouse space, transformed for the production into an enormous, intricately detailed set in which the show’s multitude of performers appear and disappear.
Founder and artistic director of Punchdrunk, Felix Barrett said: “The show is based on the fable of the fall of Troy and the collapse of that mythical metropolis.
“It’s a future noir sci-fi thriller, told across 120 rooms, which audience members are free to explore in their own time.
“It’s part haunted museum, part real world living movie and part adult adventure playground.”
Audience members wear masks immediately marking them out from the performers who go about their business without acknowledging the watchers.
Audiences are free to explore the show in whatever order they choose
“Most of our performers are contemporary dancers and there’s a big soundtrack, so it’s like you’re inside a movie,” said Felix.
“It’s a gestural, physical language, rather than the intellectual side of your brain having to process it, so it transcends language.
“It takes at least 200 people to run a performance.
“There’s a big cast, a big group of front-of-house stewards, the stage management team, all the backstage departments – design, costume, lighting and sound.
“It takes a village, that’s for sure, but that’s what’s necessary to create single moments for the audience members.
“Different people in the same building will have different experiences.
“I want people to treat the show like a gallery or a museum but one where everything has come alive at night.
“It can have a clear story if you follow a single character but there are myriad narratives to uncover.
“We don’t want to prescribe a certain way to do it, and there’s no right or wrong way to watch the show.
“The reason why you enter through the bar is important, because that’s your safe space, so, if it all gets too much, you can go back, have a nice drink and watch the band.”
Read Part Two to find out why booking sooner rather than later would be wise
The Burnt City features an enormous cast of contemporary dancers
>> PART THREE <<
“At The Globe theatre in Elizabethan times, if you didn’t like the show, you could throw a cabbage at the performers and leave – I thought that was empowering,” said Felix.
“I created Punchdrunk in 2000 because although I’m a theatre buff and I love it, I was a bit disillusioned with the stuff I was seeing.
“So I asked how we might give the audience control and tried to set out to create something where they were the epicentre of the work.
“Ideally I wanted to create something which could bring the hairs up on the back of the neck.
“What I’m interested in is trying to flip audience expectations and to give audiences a night out which they wouldn’t easily get elsewhere.
“I always want to break the rules of conventional theatre – to try to make sure that there are secrets to unlock.”
For Felix, that process is rooted in the bricks and mortar of the places Punchdrunk performs.
“The company’s shows have called disused warehouses, private houses, an old school and tunnels underneath Waterloo Station home.
“It has made work in locations as far flung as Shanghai and New York.
“A theatre is a blank canvas, but a building is already quite detailed, so we look at all the architectural detail and how we can harness that power, accentuate it and make it stronger for the audience,” said Felix.
“First of all I walk the building, let myself be guided by it and then chalk out the safest place and the most threatening part.
“You’re left with a beautiful, existential tour of a space, and then we start to put a story across it, with the source material.
“Then you start to dream about the environments and the worlds.
“We definitely do world building before we do narrative arc – we’re closer to a video game than a play.
“The word ‘immersive’ came from that genre of entertainment originally.”
Read Part Five for a look into the future
The Burnt City is based on the fable of the fall of Troy
>> PART FIVE <<
“We’ve been nomadic for 23 years, and although we’ve got buildings we can settle into in New York and Shanghai, we’ve never had that in London, where we’re from,” said Felix.
“To have a home base is extraordinary, so I’m excited about us starting to break new ground, asking questions about the future of the theatre – how we surprise our audience so that we can create something nobody has seen before – that’s our main objective.
“We’re going to start playing with and experimenting with new projects. In a computer game, you can often take your character and go anywhere you want in a world.
“I think the future is taking that empowerment and applying it to real live shows.
“It took us six or seven years to get into our home in Woolwich and open our first show.
“Now it’s almost hard to imagine us not being in Woolwich – we absolutely love it.
“We’re hungry to make more work. This really is a new dawn for Punchdrunk”
No. There was no Part Four
Find out more about Punchdrunk’s The Burnt City via this link
Punchdrunk’s permanent home is at Woolwich Works in Woolwich
- 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
Having taken the decision to focus much of its summer arts and events programme into four days last year, Canary Wharf Group (CWG) has extended the 2023 iteration by a day, packing the calendar for July 26-30.
“We’ve really built on our programme from 2022,” said Camilla McGregor of CWG’s arts and events team.
“In addition to Winter Lights in January, Festival14 is an anchor event in our season.
“It’s trying to combine all the things that we do, like outdoor theatre, classical music concerts and dance so that people can come down and experience them on a single visit or over a few days.
“The amazing thing about the format is that everything is happening on the Canary Wharf estate within walking distance.
“Someone coming down might see some Shakespeare, take part in a workshop at the Fandangoe Discoteca then see a performance in Canada Square Park.
“Most of the festival is free because it’s important to make it accessible to the local community and as wide and audience as possible.
“We are charging for some events where there is limited space but the tickets are very reasonably priced.
“In planning the programme it’s also been important for us to create an inclusive festival with artists and acts from a diverse cross section of society in London.
“Whichever genre – theatre, comedy or music, for example – everyone should be represented.”
Buskers will be performing in Jubilee Park throughout the festival
With events and performances taking place from 11am or noon each day, there will be big name acts alongside less well-known attractions spread across six main venues.
“We’re incredibly excited to have Soul II Soul to headline Friday night in Canada Square Park because they are world famous and we’ve wanted to host them for a long time,” said Camilla.
“On the comedy side we have performers like Mark Watson, Lou Sanders and Shaparak Khorsandi at The Monty Tent in Montgomery Square.
“The Comedy Club will run in it for four nights with comedy for kids on the Sunday.
“Personally I’m looking forward to Big Fish, Little Fish Family Rave – a two-hour party designed for parents and kids to celebrate life with bubbles and balloons.
“Then on the main stage there are sets from Craig Charles and Norman Jay who are both household names and have been on the London circuit for years – they’re both amazing.
“Over the years our summer concerts have appealed to the community and we have a strong returning audience so for Festival14 we wanted to create a line-up suitable for our loyal fans and new audiences alike.
Westferry Circus will host a number of plays
“That’s why we have chosen jazz, soul and r’n’b.
“For example, we will have Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Orchestra who are very well established and more contemporary sounds from Laura Misch, both on the Sunday.
“Canary Wharf has a long tradition of engaging with the local community too so we will have theatre programmed by The Space on the Isle Of Dogs and a performance from the Docklands Sinfonia in the mix too as well as artists who grew up in east London.
“There will be loads for kids and families to do too with the Crossrail Place Roof Garden the venue for many of these kinds of events.”
So, diaries out – the festival is only two weeks away but there’s still plenty of time to plan those must-sees.
Don’t forget the street food from Karnival in Montgomery Square, daily from noon, either.
- 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‘m aware that there aesthetic clinics where people are in it to make money, but I’m involved in this field because I want to improve people’s mental and medical health,” said Dr Shaan Mahmood.
The founder of Royal Wharf Clinic created the business – based in Cunningham Avenue near Pontoon Dock DLR station – with two clear aims in mind.
“I’d noticed that, because of things like social media, people are much more concerned about their image than they used to be,” he said.
“I wanted to offer individuals a holistic approach to aesthetic issues but also with their wider health.
“The idea was born out of frustration at not being able to provide the care for people that I wanted through my role as an NHS doctor working in a hospital.”
Initially Dr Shaan spent time pursuing medical research, gaining a masters from the University Of East Anglia’s Norwich Medical School before realising he preferred interacting with patients on a more personal level.
“I remain very interested in the science of medicine, but I like to have human contact as well,” he said.
“I prefer speaking to people to get information from them.
“There’s a lot of data inside our heads that can’t be measured, so you have to talk to people to access it.
“That’s why I moved on to doing hospital work, graduated and then, eight months later, the Covid pandemic arrived which was very tough to start with.
“Normally, as a junior doctor, you are assured that your senior colleagues are there for you and that your job is to absorb the experience and the protocols rather than to make serious decisions.
“In the pandemic, many of the older doctors were shielding and so the juniors had to step up.
“That experience accelerated my development as a doctor because it taught me to quickly clarify my thought processes, made me better as a worker and a member of a team and showed me that regardless of how you feel, the work needs to be done – so you crack on and do it.
“It was a really tough period and the burn-out rate among colleagues was high – but it resulted in me becoming a far better doctor than I might otherwise have become in that time.
“However, it also highlighted a lot of problems in the system. I love the NHS – having healthcare that is free at the point of delivery is very important and that’s why I continue to work for it.
“But what I didn’t enjoy was saying to patients that they would get an outpatients’ appointment in two weeks and then getting a call from them two months later when that hadn’t even been scheduled.
“I found I couldn’t guarantee what I was saying to people.
“That’s what Royal Wharf Clinic is about. When I say to people who come here that we can do something, then we can.
“If someone has an issue that we can’t address ourselves, then we will know someone who can help.”
Royal Wharf Clinic is located on Cunningham Avenue
On the face of it, Royal Wharf Clinic is divided into two areas of service – medical and aesthetic.
But as we talk, it becomes obvious Dr Shaan sees them as feeding into a single mission – how to help someone feel better, both physically and mentally.
To that end the clinic is fully equipped with a variety of consultation and treatment rooms and is currently constructing an on-site lab to bring wait times for test results down to a minimum.
“On the medical side, we do a lot of investigations that are primarily preventative,” said Dr Shaan.
“We offer blood tests, scans and consultations about nutrition and lifestyle – such as sleep, work and stress levels – and we try to pinpoint what a person’s goals are in life for their health and wellbeing.
“It’s not up to me to decide what will make someone better. It’s for me to ask what that is and then create a strategy to help people get there.
“A client might want to feel more energetic, for example, to reduce their stress levels, lose weight or gain some muscle.
“Of course, we can treat people if there is a medical problem or refer them to a specialist if necessary, but I’m a big proponent of preventative blood work to identify any deficiencies in the body.
“We have created a number of bespoke tests to address common complaints – tiredness for example.
“Our test will screen for certain conditions and 95% of time it’s likely to be one of those that is responsible.
“Another is iron deficiency – a person’s levels will be low three or four months before they develop anaemia but they may feel fine.
“If we identify that early then we can improve a person’s levels to head off any problems.
“My job is really to keep people out of hospital – to be their guardian angel. People can tell me what they want and we’ll give them advice on how to get there.”
Dr Shaan’s approach when it comes to aesthetic treatments is similar, following Royal Wharf Clinic’s tagline of “beauty carefully considered”.
The clinic’s Styku scanning room plus Emsculpt Neo
“The background knowledge I have from doing complex surgery contributes to the level of service we are able to offer clients,” he said.
“Overall there’s an emphasis on a more natural look in the field of aesthetics now.
“For example, many people prefer skin boosters rather than changing the shape of the body.
“People’s reasons for seeking aesthetic treatments are deeply personal but they always stem from a perception that there’s a problem to be fixed.
“There are two types of aesthetic treatment – preventative, such as washing and moisturising, and reactive where we’re trying to correct something.
“We will never look at a client and tell them what we think they should have done. It’s always up to the client to tell us what they think the problem is.
“For example, they might think they dislike the size of their nose or certain skin blemishes.
“Then I will make an assessment because some people suffer from dysmorphia and see a completely different person when they look in the mirror.
“As a doctor, it is my responsibility to look after their health so I’m not obliged to agree with a client’s assessment if treatment is unnecessary or might be detrimental to their health.
“This is something we take very seriously – because of social media we’re constantly exposed to images of others and can easily make unfavourable comparisons, which is more to do with a person’s mental health than their physical appearance.
“However, there are, of course, genuine deficiencies such as scarring, dry skin or areas damaged by acne that are causing misery and that we can get sorted.
“Then there are anti-ageing treatments. You can’t stop Father Time, but you can definitely slow him down.”
In addition to the medical services it offers, Royal Wharf Clinic boasts an extensive range of options to improve the appearance of or remove the likes of warts and verrucas, body hair, visible blood vessels and scars.
It also offers Emsculpt Neo treatments to help eliminate stubborn fat deposits.
You can find out more about Royal Wharf Clinic via this link
A treatment room at the clinic complete with 3Juve Laser
- 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 can come here – it’s an amazing place to go out on the water whether you’re an adult or a kid,” said Leila Moore, sailing instructor at the Docklands Sailing And Watersports Centre (DSWC) on the Isle Of Dogs.
“I grew up on the Island and was nine when I first tried out sailing, windsurfing and kayaking at the centre – I’m 22 now and I’m still here.”
Leila remains a part-time instructor at the centre while studying for a degree in ocean science and marine conservation at the University Of Plymouth.
“I love the water and I always wanted to be a marine biologist, so sailing has given me a chance to be out on the dock and ocean a lot,” she said.
“I think the DSWC is something not many people expect to find in London and it’s a great facility.
“I really enjoyed all the watersports I tried when I was a kid, but then the weather started to get colder so I stuck with sailing, which was on the water rather than in it.
“By the following summer I was racing and I loved it.
“At the centre, kids have the option to become volunteers if they are doing well at the age of 14 and can start shadowing instructors on courses.
“That’s what I did, which was quite interesting as sometimes you’re teaching adults while still a teenager.
“At 16 I did my instructor’s course, which then gave me a job that I really enjoyed and gave me even more opportunities to be out on the water.”
Leila now works at the centre whenever her studies allow, helping children and adults discover sailing and develop their skills.
The centre is located on Westferry Road on the Isle Of Dogs
“The minimum age is eight for our sessions and we run a youth club on Monday evenings and Sunday mornings as well as sessions in the holidays and over half terms,” she said.
“The kids learn how to sail from scratch – the parts of the boat and how it works.
“We teach them all the way from Royal Yachting Association stage one to stage four, which covers everything from the very beginning to starting to race.
“The RYA certificates are recognised globally and are evidence of how much sailing a person can do.
“For adults we do something similar with levels one to three available, although most people only do up to level two, which is what’s generally necessary to hire a boat.
“If someone has done level one with us then we’re happy for them to go out sailing on our boats – then we have open sessions all day, every day apart from when we’re hosting private events.
“Anyone with an RYA Level Two, or equivalent experience can go out sailing without instructors.
“Annual membership is £150 for adults and only £30 for children so it’s very good value.
“There’s also family membership for £300, which includes two adults and four children.
“Of course, anyone can come and hire a sit-on kayak or a stand-up paddleboard for an hour so long as they are water confident.
“We get all kinds of people who come to try things out – passers-by who didn’t know we were here, locals who want to get out on the water, tourists who have found us online and workers who regularly travel to this part of London for work.
Watersports take place on Millwall Outer Dock
“We believe in safety all day, every day and we always have instructors on or watching the water.
“Our safety boats are always rigged and ready to go so we can get from one end of the dock to the other in under a minute if we need to, although it’s very rare for kids or adults get into a situation that they can’t sort out themselves.
“Everybody wears a buoyancy aid and there are no exceptions to that rule apart from the open water swimmers who are also based here.
“The water itself is very clean – we check it regularly and I can confirm I’ve been in and out of the water since the age of nine and have managed to survive.
“For me it’s close to home, of course, but the reason I keep coming back is that the people are really lovely – it’s a great environment.
“Some of our adult racers have been coming for many years too – I was racing against them when I was a kid – it’s just such a nice place to be.
“We’re very reasonably priced and, compared to similar places nearby, we have the greatest variety of boats and offer the most sessions on the water.”
While an injury at 16 curtailed Leila’s solo career she has since moved on to sailing racing yachts as part of a team.
In addition to competition and recreation, her experience with boats has also opened doors for her academically.
“As an ocean scientist, the sailing has helped me a lot,” she said.
“I spent all of January and most of February on a yacht in Turkey doing some research and I only got that opportunity because of my skills as a sailor.
“The project was for people doing PhDs, but they needed somebody who could handle a boat and there have been a few things like that.
“A surprising number of people who study the ocean don’t have sailing skills, so it’s been really useful.”
It costs £15 for non members to hire sit-on kayaks at the centre for an hour
Leila has started taking her nieces and nephews out at the centre too in the hope that they might follow in her footsteps, admitting that her siblings are not water people.
However, while there are all kinds of craft piled high in its yard, DWSC is about more than the activities on the dock itself.
“We have a bar upstairs that’s usually open from 5pm on weekdays and from 1pm at weekends as well as a Tiki Bar downstairs, which is very exciting,” she said.
“We also have a space that can be hired for weddings and birthdays or any kind of party along with the bar.
“We do corporate events too such as team building, where companies can hire the whole site – we do activities such as dragon boat racing, which is a great thing to do with colleagues paddling together.”
Sit-on kayaks and paddleboards can be hired for £15 for non-members and £5 for members.
A full list of activities and prices can be found on the centre’s website alongside booking links.
- 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
In contrast, Fish Game is the rock dropped into the serene waters of Wood Wharf.
Here there’s a giant artwork of a man apparently eating credit cards with his head wrapped in cling film, tree stumps supporting glass tables, colourful fishing floats and flailing squid hanging from the ceiling and a private dining room decorated with images of Mafia bosses.
The restaurant, which recently opened its doors is the latest creation of Roberto Costa – the man behind Macellaio RC, a chain of six establishments named in honour of the Italian word for butcher plus his initials.
These feature butchery as theatre and plenty of Italian produce and dishes as befits a son of Genoa.
Fish Game, however, is different again – a bamboozling, hedonistic sort of a place that nevertheless rests firmly on four pillars – bread, veg, fish and, naturally, game.
To ensure those pillars are well founded, Roberto has turned to head chef Matt Colk – who returns to E14 having previously spent eight years cooking at The Gun (a little further to the east and right on the Thames) before a brief flirtation with Soho and then Fish Game.
It’s some distance from his start in hospitality.
“I began cooking when I was 14 in a little chip shop in North Lincolnshire,” he said. “I went on to do graphic design at college but my part-time job in the kitchen was much more fun.
“When I was 18 I came to London and first of all worked at Christopher’s Restaurant And Martini bar in Covent Garden before moving on to Roast in Borough Market.
“Then I worked at the RAC Club in Pall Mall, winning Worshipful Company Of Cooks’ Young Chef Of the Year in 2013 before joining The Gun in 2015.”
Rabbit Croquettes with marjoram and lime zest mayonnaise at Fish Game
The approach at Fish Game, however, strikes a contrast with his previous roles.
Having impressed with two dishes he served Roberto during a cook-off, he got the job and then discovered things in his new restaurant would be quite different.
“Roberto wants everything rustic, a bit more rock ‘n’ roll – everything natural,” said Matt.
“He wants to change people’s idea of what food is – to try all the good bits that people normally get rid of.
“In the beginning it took time because I was making dishes the way I used to, but Roberto didn’t care for recipes or classics. Everything had to be different.
“That took a bit of time to get used to but I sought inspiration and had a few ideas.
“We’ve broken the menu down into four sections with bread, veg, seafood and meat. If you need advice the waiter or storyteller will come and advise you what to have.
“It can all come together or separately – that’s how people enjoy eating.
“They can share and there’s never any rush.
“Diners can have small plates or big plates, whatever they want, and then order more if they are still hungry.
“It’s simple food cooked well. Roberto loves the diversity of England’s produce and wants to showcase that.”
Early signs seem to indicate that’s something customers are eager to experience.
While only open a short time, bookings have been strong with Matt and his team of chefs working furiously to satisfy full services.
Roman Tigella bread withe rabbit and offal at Fish Game
The menu is certainly a singular creation with ingredients cooked primarily on the ash and charcoal of Fish Game’s bank of grills.
“We’re in the middle of four really good restaurants here, but I love that this isn’t a chain,” said Matt.
“The feedback has been really good so far and people are getting used to the food.
“There are dishes on the menu that have taken two months to create, but the one everyone loves is something that took me five seconds to whip up.
“Roberto turned to me and said he wanted a squid dish on the menu – I asked when, and he said: ‘Now’. So I looked in the fridge, found a few ingredients and made the one that’s on there now.
“It’s charcoaled squid served with fermented chilli and fried cavolo nero – it just works. There’s a little bit of sugar and salt in there against that chilli sauce.”
Chilli is a big ingredient for Fish Game. In fact the restaurant is certainly the only place in Canary Wharf that boasts a tasting menu dedicated to the plant’s spicy fruit.
This offers diners the opportunity to taste peppers from Italian farm Vivi Piccante ranging in heat from a prickly 100,000 to 2.3million units on the Scoville Scale.
For contrast, a supermarket Jalapeno is around 2,500 units.
While Matt isn’t afraid of some spice, his dishes are designed to delight rather than melt guests, often focusing on less frequently used ingredients.
“I’m proud of the ox heart, which is marinated for 12 hours in garlic and chilli plus olive oil, that we source from near Roberto’s home in Italy,” said Matt.
“Then it’s seared on the charcoal and served with a crunchy carrot salad, with red onion, salt, pepper and lemon juice.”
Sea bream at Fish Game
Other offerings include a gamey take on an Italian classic in hare arancini, a dish of smoked duck breast and duck leg, a venison tartare with bone marrow and rump of mutton with fresh mint and mustard.
Game dishes range from £6.50 to £52 for a beef ribeye off the bone with bone marrow.
On the aquatic side, there are oysters (£6 for two), langoustines with samphire, mussels with venison nduja and monkfish with rosemary, lime and sea salt.
Dishes range in price from £6 to £50 for a butterfly sea bream served with olive oil, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts and basil.
“If I was ordering, I’d start with the Tigella bread from Rome (£9), which is served with rabbit and offal cooked over ash and finished with parsley, fresh garlic and lemon juice,” said Matt.
“Then, of course, I’d have the squid (£9). Sometimes the people are right.
“They even rave about the potatoes we serve but they’re just crispy new potatoes with chilli, garlic, chives and lime.”
In addition to the skill of the chef – after all Matt used to write a recipe column for Wharf Life when he was at The Gun and we don’t let just anyone do that – key to the success of a restaurant is the produce it has to work with.
Fish Game promises to regularly change its menu to fit in with what’s in season, whether that’s meat, fish or vegetables.
“It’s a little early for game season at the moment, but come August 12 we will have grouse on the menu and we also plan to feature partridge, pheasant and quail at the right time,” said Matt.
“We’ll be sourcing our game from the Windsor Park Estate, which is pretty local to us.
“In fact, if they turn the menu over, diners will be able to see where we get all of the fish, meat and game that we use within the UK, which is a nice touch.
“For Roberto it’s important that we serve things that stand out.
“That includes the fact we only offer two desserts – a tiramisu that’s made at the table and a lemon tart with seasonal fruit.
“We’ve also got an ice cream machine that we’re going to use to make a gelato with olive oil and sea salt. It sounds ridiculous, but it’s really good.
“I’ve been here two months, but as for the future I’d love to win a Michelin star and then perhaps see if we can expand to another site or two.”
Venue owner Roberto Costa with Matt
So there you have it, the Wharf’s latest arrival packed with unusual produce, dishes, decor and verve.
Fish Game is, Matt tells me, currently looking for talented chefs – who wouldn’t want to chance their arm at a project that aims to stand out and get noticed?
Oh, and before I forget to mention it, as if potent art, a chilli menu and plenty of food isn’t enough, the Water Street restaurant also distinguishes itself by offering drinks served from its extensive Agave Bar.
Specialising in Tequila, Raicilla and Mezcal (with a single Sotol on the list too) this promises to add a potent note to any dinner.
And there certainly isn’t time to go into a cocktail list that’s classified by a system of chess pieces.
You’ll just have to head down to Wood Wharf, bag a table and work your way through them, by which time the whole enterprise might make some kind of sense.
- 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
“If people really want to change, then there is hope,” said Janos Verebes-Weisz. “I strongly believe in that.
“Anybody who is fed up can benefit from thinking through what is between them and change – that process on its own is part of changing.”
There’s a warmth, kindness and curiosity to Janos. It’s in the timbre of his voice, the rhythm of his speech and the way he gently turns topics over in his mind to examine and explore them as we talk.
That’s unsurprising. The founding director of Leo Weisz Therapy has spent his life helping people – initially working as a paramedic and intensive care nurse in Hungary before moving to the UK in 2004.
As a person in therapy himself, he determined to train as a psychotherapist and found a place working in the NHS with offenders in a medium secure unit in Hackney.
There he spent seven years using group sessions to help those with personality disorders.
Since then he’s worked in the NHS in east London as well as in private practice and has spent time as a visiting lecturer, teaching the next generation of therapists at Queen Mary University and Greenwich University.
He founded community interest company the Community Psychotherapy Network (CPN) in Bethnal Green to offer accessible and affordable group therapy.
“Traditionally psychotherapy has a very strict structure – clients have a time when they must turn up,” said Janos.
“It’s usually a requirement. Through our work with CPN, even before the pandemic, we realised that there was a group of people who need a little bit more flexibility.
“They can afford therapy but, because they are working like mad, they cannot always get to the sessions.
“That’s why we created Leo Weisz. We specialise in long-term, in-depth therapy and that’s what we offer to people with speed and flexibility.
“When Covid came, it overwrote much of what we thought about what’s needed to do psychotherapy work effectively.
“This means if you have someone who is leading a business and struggling with an eating disorder, for example – a person whose hectic lifestyle makes it very difficult to attend sessions – we can still help them.
“When the pandemic came and we had to put everything online – life shows you that you can adapt.”
The organisation is based in Bethnal Green, with access to premises in Canary Wharf in the pipeline.
Leo Weisz Therapy provides services to individuals and companies keen to look after their employees’ mental health
“My background is in dealing with personality disorders, which we see as a developmental illness,” said Janos.
“Some people say it’s untreatable, but we know that’s absolutely not the case.
“With maturation and development, things can be much better – but it takes time and that’s why we work with clients long-term.
“The benefit of our approach is that we are not working to change habits – we’re promoting in-depth change.
“That’s the most difficult thing – there is often a lot between a person and the change they want to make.
“We have to ask how we can understand the resistance to it and then go towards the desired outcome of a client’s therapy.
“In that sense, more often than not, we find trauma inevitably comes up.
“Things that people have gone through will, one way or another, have influenced their development.
“As a result they suffer with different symptoms.
“Those might include anxiety, depression, an eating disorder, self harm, addiction or complex destructive or risky behaviour.
“Here we’re not working only to address those symptoms – it’s about what they are communicating.
“The phrase we like to use is ‘immature defence structure’.
“Often people are at a particular age or stage in their life and they didn’t get the right amount of support at a particular time.
“They may also have been directly traumatised.
“Then their development arrested and we try to pick up at that point and support them into a direction they would like to go.”
Leo Weisz Therapy is in the process of opening a facility in Canary Wharf
To that end, Janos and his colleagues aim to offer services that will fit in with a client’s life, while also working to address the issues they are experiencing.
“I think what’s unusual in this field is that we offer flexibility,” said Janos.
“Needless to say, of course, we’re also extremely confidential.
“One-to-one sessions will work for some people, while group therapy is also highly effective, because it puts people into context.
“It works as an analogue for the wider community.
“While many people experience fear when they wonder whether they will be getting time for their issues in this setting, it is actually training for the ego where we can place our problems beside those of others.
“People start finding words for their feelings when they experience commonality in a group.
“These words become a common experience and language that enables group participants to express themselves much faster than they would if they were on their own.
“Being in a group can be extremely freeing – they understand that they are not alone.
“In a group there are often people at different stages.
“Imagine, for example, someone who is suffering with bulimic attacks and then they’re sitting with someone who already left this kind of behaviour behind after years of therapy.
“Then they start talking about it – why they do it, what it means for them and how they can find words that express those things.
“Then we start to realise these are universal experiences and that we don’t have to act out these behaviours – we can verbalise them instead.”
Leo Weisz Therapy also stands ready to help businesses with an approach that aims to offer practical, beneficial results for their employees.
“In the corporate world you often have people working under enormous pressure and they need a release,” said Janos.
“We are always learning from our clients but we absolutely take a practical approach.
“For example, there will be elements of behavioural therapy that come up in group sessions.
“It’s a repetitive process. We talk about these developmental cycles and we identify symptoms, but it’s easy for people to regress too.
“Then we keep doing the work and change happens over time.
“It’s mind-blowing what can happen. I haven’t seen anyone change for the better in as little as three months – that’s because to do it, you have to reshape internal constructs, to tackle internal defence structures.
“People can be very fragile inside but they can be like medieval knights covered in very rigid armour that rejects closeness and flexibility.
“You can’t just remove the armour, you have to work to put muscles on the arms and legs so the person can gradually take it off piece by piece.
“Then, underneath they will be strong enough not to collapse without it.
“I’m always very moved when that happens – people come to us and make themselves vulnerable.
“It’s a privilege to work with them.”
Find out more about Leo Weisz Therapy’s services via this link
- 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
Walk down the side of Woolwich’s Jobcentre Plus and you’ll find a recently installed mural decorating a once bare brick wall.
Ellen Strachan’s Work In Woolwich mural is one of five artworks commissioned by the council to brighten up the area and showcase its heritage.
“My piece looks at the past, present and future of work locally,” said Ellen, a former physics teacher who lives in Abbey Wood and decided to pursue art full time after the birth of her daughter three years ago.
“There are three large panels that have those themes and two others that were created based on the stories and creations of local residents who participated in workshops about that theme while I was developing the work.
“Some told me about their lives, while others created their own paper cut outs for inclusion in the piece.
“I hope my mural makes viewers think a little bit about the people around them – how we are reliant on each other and that everyone’s work helps us as a community.
“I’d like them to think a little bit about the past and all the people who have contributed to where we are now, the future and where we are going.
“It’s a time of such change, with more technology coming and jobs changing quite a lot and it was interesting to look into that.
“Environmental considerations are also very important – since we’re going to need to make a huge change in how our economy works with regard to everything from transport to heating.
“If people look at the mural, I hope they wonder why I’ve chosen the things that are featured and ask themselves what they would choose if they were creating a piece.”
Welcome To Woolwich by The Collective Makers on Powis Street
Ellen’s work in this instance comes as printed vinyl, although she usually works in lino cut or using cut-out paper collage, which was the basis for the mural before it was digitally scanned.
“I like those techniques – I’ve always used a pair of scissors,” she said.
“Both make you think about the positive and the negative – where something is either printed or it’s not.
“The artwork for this mural has been created using paper, which makes me simplify what I’m doing and create something quite bold.
“It feels really good to have the piece finally unveiled.”
The council commissioned the piece as part of its Woolwich Mural Trail – a series of works by local artists created with local residents, schools and community organisations.
It joins Welcome To Woolwich by The Collective Makers on Powis Street, Your Woolwich in Beresford Square by Paige Denham and Foxfield Primary School, Woolwich Scenes in Myrtle Alley by Marc Drostle and Area Of Prosperity in Barnards Close by Haffeera Cader Saul and Nightingale Primary School, to complete the trail.
Area Of Prosperity in Barnards Close by Haffeera Cader Saul and Nightingale Primary School
“These stunning murals tell the personal stories and aspirations of our community, bringing creativity and colour to Woolwich town centre,” said Greenwich Council cabinet member for equality, culture and communities, Cllr Adel Khaireh.
“It’s fantastic to see how proud the artists and the school pupils are of their artwork, and to see Woolwich’s rich history brought to life.
“On behalf of the council, I’d like to thank all the different artists, community groups, schools and people who got involved and shared their memories and ideas. I hope they will all be enjoyed for many years to come.”
“I actually found out about the mural trail through Made In Greenwich’s May Jane Baxter,” said Ellen.
“Working with them has been really great. Initially when I gave up teaching, I was very isolated as an artist until I went to Made In Greenwich – they’ve really made me feel like I’m part of a community.
“I started by doing surface pattern designs using lino cut prints.
“I’d take them and turn them into textile designs for products, which I’d sell through the shop.
“Then I got the chance to design the Christmas windows for Made In Greenwich, which turned out to be quite important.
Work In Woolwich by Ellen Strachan in Calderwood Street
“Greenwich Council held an open call for artists to do the Woolwich Mural Trail and so I had that as an example of working at a large scale.
“Since then, I’ve had a few more large pieces of work commissioned – I’ve just been working for the past couple of weeks on a mural in Walthamstow for Crate, which is going to open a new food hall in the central shopping centre there.
“My piece will be on the back of one of the kiosks where people enter the space and it will welcome them.
“Working with Made In Greenwich has allowed me to build up my portfolio to apply for this kind of project.
“For example, I have another temporary mural coming up in Woolwich for the Woolwich Stories Cultural Trail, which is going to be taking place in August with some art installations and performances.
“That mural, entitled Woolwich Treepreciation will be on a disused shop front and will focus on trees – it’s showing an appreciation of the street trees in the area with hand prints and thumb prints making up the leaves.
“Local people’s words about the trees will also feature – lettering being a common feature in a lot of my work.”
Woolwich Scenes in Myrtle Alley by Marc Drostle
THE COUNCIL SAYS
>> “I’m so impressed with these special artworks and how they have instantly brightened up empty spaces in the town centre,” said Cllr Aidan Smith.
“Alongside wider improvements, which will get under way this summer, they help make Woolwich a more attractive and vibrant place for residents, businesses and shoppers.
“The upcoming works will provide improved facilities for traders in Beresford Street market including fully accessible public toilets, as well as new planting, better seating, lighting and play spaces throughout Beresford Square and Powis Street.”
- 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
