Specifically, The Photography And Video Show is set to arrive at Excel London for the first time over four days in March.
what’s it all about?
Professional and amateur photographers plus film, video and content creators are invited to the east London exhibition centre in Royal Docks to check out the latest kit and techniques.
what brands will be there?
The major players will all be present including the likes of Canon, Sony, Nikon, Fujifilm, OM System, 3 Legged Thing, Pentax, Tamron, Lowepro and Sigma.
In total more than 250 brands will be showing cameras, lenses, equipment and accessories, with visitors able to try out kit and purchase it at the event.
Retailers such as Wex Photo Video, CameraWorld and London Camera Exchange will also be present, offering exclusive show discounts and trade-in finance options.
New for 2025 will be exhibitors such as Tilta, Imagen AI, Viltrox, Tiffen, Nya-Evo and Sandisk.
there’s more?
Education is a major component of the event, with a range of talks and demonstrations on offer across six stages and theatres.
Photographers participating in sessions include Lindsay Adler, David DuChemin, Joel Grimes, Colin Prior, Andy Gotts, Julieanne Kost, Scott Kelby, Sarah Edmunds, Kelly Brown and Belinda Richards.
On the moving image side, Teja Lisjak, Libby Penman, Mandy Celine, Dan Thorburn and Dean Sherwood will be sharing insights and tips for making films and capturing video.
and for content?
The show has invited content creators Oliver Howells, Kym Moseley, Tati Kapaya, Tamara Gabriel, Andy Burgess, Ellis Reed, Bax Mundoba and Courtney Victoria to share their expertise on its Creator Stage.
Visitors will be able to try out all the latest kit – image by The Photography And Video Show / Future Publishing Events
discover the latest kit at The Photography And Video Show
beyond the stages?
Many of the brands exhibiting will also be hosting their own programmes to demonstrate kit and skills on their stands.
Adobe will be running an education programme at its hub, while the show will also host the Nikon School, Canon Spotlight, Fujifilm School and offerings from Sigma and Digital Camera World.
places to play
The Photography And Video Show has partnered with Creativity Hub Events to offer visitors interactive shoot sets where they can practise their skills and try out their purchases.
The Creator Playground will also return for a third year with attendees told to expect giant garden gnomes, illusion tunnels and much more besides.
they say…
Event director, Ruth Folkard, said: “The Photography And Video Show isn’t just ‘another trade exhibition’, it’s far more than that.
“It’s a date for the diary for anyone who loves to be behind the camera.
“This is the event’s debut in London and we’re really looking forward to welcoming thousands of tech geeks and creative artists alike.
“Beginner or pro – it really doesn’t matter, there’s something on for everyone and we’re family friendly too.”
More than 250 brands will be participating in The Photography And Video Show – image by The Photography And Video Show / Future Publishing Events
key details: The Photography And Video Show
The Photography And Video Show is set to make its debut at Excel London from March 8-11, 2025.
Open from 10am-5pm each day, standard tickets cost £18.95 with discounts available for multi-day access.
That’s where Thaisa Uchoas first contacted personal trainer, Ilona Drob, with the idea that their fledgling businesses might collaborate.
She also wanted to book some gym sessions.
“I was going through some issues with my body at the time, feeling it was not mine any more and I wanted to get back into fitness,” said Thaisa, who started a massage therapy business in 2022.
“I signed up for a programme with Ilona, which really helped me get back into shape.
“It was during those gym sessions in March 2023 that we got talking about how running a business on your own was like.
“We were sharing our thoughts about how lonely it can be and wondering if there were other women locally who might want to help each other in the same way we were.
“We’d started sharing clients and supporting one another, so we thought it might be possible to create a community.”
Before starting their businesses, both women had worked in corporate roles in the recruitment sector.
Ilona, originally from Poland, had supported herself through university in London before forging a career at a “fantastic female-led company”.
She said: “I really enjoyed that, but my goal was to have my own business.
“My parents had always told me from an early age that, if I wanted to get ahead, I’d need autonomy – to be in charge of my own destiny.
“They always encouraged me to pursue my studies and try things on my own.
“My dad was a small business owner and my mum worked at a hospital doing day and night shifts, for many years.
“She had four kids, so it was really hard.
“She was the one who told me to continue to study and put myself out there, so I wouldn’t have the same fate as her.
“That’s what sparked the desire in me to take charge of my career.”
Ilona is founder of Your Vegan Trainer and co-founder of both BeThriving Wellness and Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs
giving up the day job
Having long had a passion for health and fitness, Ilona left her job to become a personal trainer at Gymbox in December 2018, simultaneously founding Your Vegan Trainer to deliver exercise programmes and plant-based nutrition for private clients.
“I’d had a few health problems and I wanted to heal – I did a lot of research around nutrition to get myself stronger,” she said.
“I’d been working very long hours in recruitment. I loved the buzz, but it had an impact on my wellbeing.
“I went on a course and decided to take a chance, say goodbye to my salary and start my business.
“It was scary at first, but it was worth taking the risk.”
She’s since gone on to co-found a second company with Raffaela Kestel, inspired by working in the gym with people in corporate careers.
“I was seeing how amazing people are when they’re in the gym, but hearing that they were not fulfilled and happy in the office.
“So we decided to see how we could change this through consultancy, by installing a culture of health and wellbeing within organisations so it’s at the forefront of what they do.
“That means the employees are very well looked after, happy and fulfilled, which is one of the most important things a company can do for its sustainability and to make it an attractive place to work.”
Thaisa is founder of The Massage Space and co-founder of both Her Sanctuary and Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs
a journey to wellness
Thaisa’s journey to business ownership was also through personal experience.
Coming to the UK from Brazil aged eight, she’d grown up in Hertfordshire, studied in Birmingham and moved to London “working crazy hours” in recruitment.
“I always felt I needed to do something different,” she said.
“I wanted a job where I would have more impact working with people on a more personal level and I decided I wanted to make people feel better – but didn’t know how.
“In 2020 me and my partner were starting a family – we were going through IVF and there was lots to think about.
“I went on maternity leave and that’s when I was having some health issues and started seeing an amazing massage therapist who helped me through my pregnancy – she was my inspiration.
“Those sessions made me feel so good and I decided to retrain.
“I was still in my job, but I wasn’t fulfilled, so I handed in my notice in December 2022 to take massage therapy seriously.
“I took on clients, initially working from home. Then I met Ilona.”
starting Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs
In addition to supporting each other, the two entrepreneurs decided to see what appetite might be out there for other women in business to network in the local area – Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs was born.
“We felt there was a real need to connect with others after the pandemic,” said Ilona.
“That’s what made us look to see if there were others like ourselves who were feeling like that.
“We created a Facebook group – in the beginning it was five of us having a coffee.
“After a few weeks we started to become more active on that page and more people started joining.”
Thaisa added: “Then we thought about a monthly meet-up and we started doing that in October 2023 in a corner of the bar at the Marriott West India Quay because it was free and the staff are lovely.
“I think there were 12 of us including Michelle, who’s now an ambassador for the group.”
Since then things have grown.
The group’s monthly meet-ups have grown to an average of 85 attendees, now hosted at Republic next to East India DLR station.
The events are ticketed with entry starting at £5, with the February gathering starting at 6pm for welcome drinks and introductions.
As well as the networking, events typically feature a guest speaker who shares their entrepreneurial journey – the highs, the lows and any tips they want to pass on.
The February session also features a prize draw with various benefits available to win before things wrap up at 9pm.
telling the story of Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs
“Our aim right now is for more people to know about our network,” said Ilona.
“We’d love to think that every aspiring female entrepreneur locally would want to come to us to meet other people who have done it, so they can start sooner and get their business off the ground.
“It’s about tapping into people who do have a dream, even those who have the idea as a side hustle.
“For us, it’s about creating an ecosystem where everyone who comes to one of our meetings will find value.
“Absolutely any kind of business is welcome.
“We’re also aspiring to boost diversity and inclusion, so we want people with differing backgrounds to be included.
“There is so much to learn from people with different businesses from our own.
“Even though we’ve grown, it’s still about women coming together to collaborate – we now have a team of nine ambassadors to help organise what we do.
“It’s about women checking us out and actually getting support with what they want to do.
“We are a friendly group – people are so accessible.
“We’ve found there are so many powerful women who have had successful careers in the corporate world coming into entrepreneurship and finding they have no-one to turn to for advice.
“It’s so important to have people to bounce ideas off.”
As one of the original attendees, Isle Of Dogs-based businesswoman and senior leader, coach and mentor at Tropic Skincare, Michelle Buchan, has become one of the group’s ambassadors.
“A friend said I should go – my background is in the corporate world and I’ve often felt men dominate the conversation in that setting,” she said. “You often come up against egos. A group of women produce a different atmosphere – more supportive and collaborative.
“It’s a different kind of networking. There may be a lot of women sitting at home thinking they’ve got an idea, a scheme, but that it’s only them struggling with those problems.
“This group really wants to help them through those struggles because we know it’s easy to feel isolated.”
making space for women
Thaisa, who recently started offering massage therapy services at One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, said: “We wanted to create a space for women and for them to have a voice in this area.
“It’s about education, co-working and networking and it’s really worked.
“Initially we ran it for free but we needed it to cover its costs which is why we now charge a fee to attend.
“This is because it takes time and effort for us to organise the network, to sustain it and to grow the group.”
Thaisa is also now a serial entrepreneur, herself, having co-founded Her Sanctuary with founder of E14YogaCoach Sharon Osu.
She added: “One of the most important things about this group is for our members to collaborate with each other and to get work out of it.
“I’ve collaborated with Ilona, of course, and it’s important that this is a part of it.
“We know it’s not always simple to make sales or to find clients.
“That’s why we ask a key speaker to share their story each month.
“It’s good for people to see that the journey isn’t always easy and for them to hear that in language that they can understand.”
key details: Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs
Canary Wharf Female Entrepreneurs is open to women who have started their own business or are hoping to do so.
The group is not restricted geographically, despite its name, and welcomes women from across Canary Wharf, east London and beyond.
The group holds regular monthly meet-ups with the next set to take place at Republic on February 28, 2025, from 6pm-9pm. Tickets start at £5.
Premium memberships, which include full access to CWFE’s regular monthly events are also available.
Woolwich Works is set to be steeped in spirit when Whisky Live London returns in March, 2025.
This year the tasting event is celebrating its 25th anniversary complete with a makeover and an extensive array of brands.
The basic format of the show is simple enough.
Visitors pay about £50 for which they get a guide, entry, a Glencairn tasting glass and the opportunity to sample unlimited pours from the various distilleries and organisations featured.
Scotland dominates, of course, however there’s also a World Whiskies Awards 2025 stand offering ticket holders the chance to try expressions from around the globe.
Beyond exploring the exhibition, which will be arranged in the Fireworks Factory, the Woolwich venue’s largest space, a range of add-on experiences such as masterclasses and tutored tastings can be booked.
The show takes place over two days at Woolwich Works – image by Chris Sharp / sharp-pictures.com
excitement building for Whisky Live London
“I’m so excited for this year’s Whisky Live London, especially as it celebrates the 25th anniversary of this magnificent event,” said Bradley Weir, the editor of Whisky Magazine who will be hosting tastings at the show.
“I realise I’m very privileged to have the opportunity to pick the brains of industry leaders and master distillers, but what is so special about this event is that it allows everybody to talk whisky with those who pour their hearts into it every day as a profession.
“Also, let’s not forget the sheer volume of product that is available to sample from all over the world, some of which can be extremely difficult to source.
“It’s such a special event to see so many distilleries come together under one roof all with the common goal of educating, entertaining, and hopefully making even more fans of their brands.
“I can’t recommend it enough to anybody with an interest in whisky and fine spirits, from beginners to aficionados — and I hope to meet some of you at my tasting masterclasses.”
Prices for Bradley’s tastings start at £15.83, while visitors can also learn to blend their own whisky in sessions with his colleague, Christopher Coates for £46.88.
Beyond the basic ticket, the show offers a Classic Experience and a Premium Experience at £71.72 and £102.77 respectively.
The former offers five hours of access to the show, while ticketholders for the latter will be able to roam the stands for six hours, get access to a premium lounge with complimentary refreshments and a token to use at the show’s street food vendors.
They will also receive two tokens to try rare and award-winning whiskies at the World Whiskies Awards Premium Stand and get a tote bag to carry any purchases they might make.
All visitors to the event will be able to enjoy live entertainment and street food and to make purchases from Parisian whisky shop La Maison Du Whisky – the event’s official retailer.
The event features a range of different packages for visitors – image by Chris Sharp / sharp-pictures.com
key details: Whisky Live London
Whisky Live London is set to run at Woolwich Works from March 28-29, 2025.
Tickets start at £51.02 for three hours access to the show including a tasting glass and unlimited pours.
Now in its third year of operation, the stately pleasure dome of Phantom Peak – decreed in Canada Water by Nick Moran, Glen Hughes and their team – recently launched a fresh season.
The fully immersive townscape, complete with canals and platypuses, has welcomed some 83,000 guests to its 30,000sq ft playground.
Part role-playing game, part escape-room, part platypus, the show has seen visitors wind their way through more than 100 storylines split into 11 seasons with live actors and digital counterparts on hand to weave the pleasant fictions.
Having recently celebrated its 400th show, the venue is currently hosting JonaCon.
Its 12th season sees the town all shook up with the arrival of buff and marvellous Jonas, founder, director and celebrated figurehead of JONACO, the company that runs pretty much everything in a completely unsinister way.
Despite being the townsfolk’s supposed saviour, this is the first time Jonas has appeared in person at Phantom Peak’s actual performances and visitors will quickly pick up on the tensions, unrest, secrets and rebellious fervour.
Indoors, outdoors, Phantom Peak is a whole world to explore including a network of black canals – image by Alistair Veryard Photography / alistairveryard.com
a world to discover
Mysteries that demand examination abound.
The latest season includes 10 new stories to explore as JonaCon features exclusive Q&A sessions with key figures, teasing tales such as The New Adventures Of Jonas and The Real Househubbies Of Phantom Peak.
As ever, performances start with a grand opening ceremony and close with a finale performance.
In between, visitors are free to explore the open-world environment, taking advantage of the attraction’s various hospitality options as they see fit.
There’s a reason Phantom Peak has won a multitude of awards since opening, with many guests returning time and again to discover fresh stories, puzzles and silliness.
The experience is ideal for groups and inquisitive minds – image by Alistair Veryard Photography / alistairveryard.com
key details: Phantom Peak
JonaCon will run at Phantom Peak in Canada Water until May 11, 2025.
The attraction is open from 6pm-10pm on Thursdays and Fridays, from noon-4pm and 6pm-10.30pm on Saturdays and from noon-4.30pm on Sundays.
Tickets start at £42 per person. Wharf Life readers can get 10% off with code WHARFLIFEat the checkout.
An opportunity for attendees to expand their networks, to connect with more than 120 exhibitors and to boost the skills they use in their careers.
who’s exhibiting?
Suppliers will be represented from the fields of business travel, corporate gifting, workplace solutions, event planning services and many more.
what about activities?
There will be a range of opportunities including speed networking sessions and the return of The PA Show Passport, an initiative that encourages delegates to visit suppliers for the chance to win prizes and collect a goody bag. This year it’s sponsored by Thorntons.
how about on stage?
The Keynote Theatre is free to attend on both days, with highlights on the programme including Lifting Your Potential: Strongwoman Stories To Help You Say Yes To Success from coach and speaker, Zoë Thompson, and Lead Up: How To Move From PA To EA And Beyond by keynote speaker, trainer and coach at The Like Me CIC, Jasmine Mbye.
The event will offer plenty of networking opportunities
CPD-accredited content
that’s not all is it?
No. The event is well-known for its CPD-accredited sessions, which can be accessed at the event for an all-inclusive cost.
Firstly there’s the Tech Theatre. Running both days, highlights include Crafting Precision: Advanced ChatGPT Prompts For Proactive Assistants with Paul Pennant of Microsoft MVP and Using AI To Supercharge Your Social Media from Kati Noakes, founder of KN Comms. The event will also host a Personal Development Theatre on both days.
Then, on the first day the show will also host the VA Content Stream for virtual assistants including VACT Limited’ s VA trainer and mentor, Amanda Johnson with a talk entitled Be The Boss Of Your VA Future and Shelley Fishel, founder of Tomorrow’s VA on Saving Money And Boosting Efficiency With Microsoft Tools For Virtual Assistants.
The second day will see the event host the EA Leadership And Progression Conference Stream offer sessions on Mastering Business Skills For Growth And Leadership from Clare Lucas of UK Ducks In A Row Ltd and From Uniform to Suit: Boot Camp For Executive Assistants by Claudine Martin, senior EA at BNY Pershing.
Marketing director at Mash Media, Charlotte Fewlass
register for The PA Show now
they say…
“We’ve added a theatre stream specifically designed for executive assistants aspiring to leadership roles,” said Charlotte Fewlass, marketing event director at Mash Media, organiser of The PA Show.
“These sessions will equip attendees with the strategic thinking, resilience, and communication skills needed to excel in today’s evolving workplace.”
who’s supporting?
In addition to Thorntons, the event’s 2025 headline sponsor will be train travel specialist SWR Business Direct.
It’s also supported by meeting and event space provider Convene and business travel management firm Corporate Traveller.
anything else?
The show’s sales and event director, Lisa Farnfield, said:
“The PA Show offers unparalleled opportunities for skill development, networking and career growth.
“Our exhibitors provide cutting-edge solutions tailored to executive support professionals, ensuring attendees leave with actionable insights and valuable connections.”
Sales and event director at The PA Show, Lisa Farnfield
key details: The PA Show 2025
The PA Show Spring 2025 is set to take place at Excel in Royal Docks from February 26-27, 2025.
Exhibition and Keynote Theatre passes are free for PAs, EAs, VAs and office managers.
Full access including all CPD-accredited content costs £199 for one day or £239 for two ex VAT.
Group discounts of 20% for five+ delegates are available.
The tale of retired pirate-turned-babysitter Orpheus Clinker, who descends on the unsuspecting Terrapin family with his mates for a riotous party, is clever, funny outlandish and overblown.
In some senses it’s a good metaphor for the whole topic of piracy.
We love the hyperbole in it.
Disney’s to blame, of course, for casting alcoholic rake Robert Newton to gurn his way through Treasure Island as the gravelly-voiced, one-legged Long John Silver in 1950.
It was such a popular turn he wound up getting the starring role in Blackbeard The Pirate in the film of the same name, before returning as Long John for another movie in 1952 and a miniseries.
Then you have the fierce passion and dashing acrobatic brilliance of Burt Lancaster in The Crimson Pirate, also in ‘52.
More recently there’s been the entertainment giant’s lucrative decision to employ a Keith Richards impersonator to carry a lacklustre franchise based on a theme park ride to financial success.
These glamorous portrayals are unsurprising.
Pirates have long been drawn as swashbuckling adventurers associated with lush islands, flamboyant dress and buried treasure.
But what’s the truth?
John Ryan’s cartoon Captain Pugwash first appeared in print in 1957 after 12 rejections – image by Isabel Ryan / Estate of John Ryan
Pirates promises to “deconstruct these myths and illuminate the realities” of life for the likes of Edward “Blackbeard” Teach, Anne Bonny, Mary Read and William Kidd – who ended his days at Execution Dock in Wapping and is immortalised in the name of a pub on the Thames.
Taking in stories from across the globe, the exhibition will look to the Caribbean and beyond with tales from the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and the coast of North Africa.
Visitors will be able to see nearly 200 objects including loans from the National Archives, V&A and BFI.
The exhibition will be presented in sections with the first looking at the image of pirates in fiction and considering the impact of characters such as Captain Hook and Captain Jack Sparrow as well as Long John Silver.
This includes original illustrations from hapless cartoon pirate Captain Pugwash, by artist and writer John Ryan, who began life in a comic strip before starring in a children’s TV show.
Detail from Davy Jones’s Locker by William Lionel Wyllie – image by National Maritime Museum
dispelling the fiction
“Real Pirates” will go on to investigate tales of specific outlaws and their exploits on the high seas, inspired by A General History of the Pyrates by Captain Charles Johnson first published in 1724 as the golden age of piracy came to an end.
Then visitors will see “Global Pirates” with objects selected to showcase piracy around the world including the story of Chinese captain Shap Ng-tsai who was active in the mid-19th century.
Eventually Shap’s fleet of 27 junks was destroyed in a joint action by an Anglo-Chinese squadron under Captain John Charles Dalrymple Hay and Major General Hwáng in 1849.
There’s also a focus on Barbary piracy and the Bombardment Of Algiers in 1816, when a British-Dutch force attacked the city in an attempt to resolve the problem of naval crime in North Africa.
The action resulted in the release of 3,000 Christian captives, but came at a cost, as it was more deadly than the Battle Of Trafalgar.
While the exhibition might not rise to heights of a rumbustification, nor the need to pore through a dictionary to see which words are made up, it nevertheless promises to be a blockbuster.
Apt then that Orlando Bloom’s costume from the first Pirates Of The Caribbean flick will be on show.
The first edition of Treasure Island, which came out in 1883, featured a treasure map drawn by author Robert Louis Stevenson – image by National Maritime Museum
key details: Pirates at the National Maritime Museum
Pirates is set to open at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich on March 29, 2025, and will run until January 4, 2026.
Adult tickets cost £15 and £7.50 for children. Entry for Royal Museums Greenwich members is free.
Cast of three will play some 19 roles as Jane Austen’s classic tale of love between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy arrives in east London
Sarah Gobran, Luke Barton and April Hughes disport themselves on stage in Pride And Prejudice – image Mark Dean
Over the course of a mere two hours, Luke Barton, April Hughes and Sarah Gobran will take on 17 roles, plus significant nods to a further two as the trio perform the tale of Pride And Prejudice on stage.
Coming to Wilton’s Music Hall mid March, the Guildford Shakespeare Company (GSC) is touring its 2024 adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel following the show’s successful debut last February and a run at the Jermyn Street Theatre in London last summer.
“It’s been one of those little gifts,” said Sarah, co-founder at GSC and one third of the multi-role cast. “I think it’s captured people’s hearts and that’s special.
“We did it first at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford and then in London – we’ll be in Ipswich this week, back to Guildford for two and then at Wilton’s before we take it on board the Cunard Queen Victoria cruise liner to Bermuda and then to an off-Broadway venue in New York.”
Tickets are already selling fast, so what’s the enduring appeal both of Austen’s story – published 225 years ago – and the company’s presentation of it?
GSC co-founders Sarah Gobran and Matt Pinches – image Matt Pereira
the parts of Pride And Prejudice
“You’d think playing so many parts on stage wouldn’t work,” said Sarah, who adapted the book for the stage along with her fellow GSC co-founder Matt Pinches and director Abigail Pickard Price.
“But the idea came from the balls, where all these young people are constantly meeting and coupling off.
“However, in those days, you always had to have a chaperone present – people were never quite alone.
“That’s where the idea of the cast of three came from.
“It felt like an idea that might work – a circular feeling with the cast constantly swapping characters as they dance.
“Then we worked on turning it into a play and there’s something beautiful about the way it works.
“It’s a story that so many people know and we’ve been very true to the original language in the book – there are so many famous quotes and that’s because of how robustly Austen draws her characters.
“They are so clearly defined that it’s easy to dance across the ballroom, swap a bit of costume, adopt a different mannerism and suddenly become a different character.
“There’s one scene, for example, where I go from Caroline Bingley to Charlotte Lucas with scarcely a step across the stage.
“They are so different – Caroline is such a huge snob, very gregarious and very much a member of the upper class, whereas Charlotte is a modest young woman, not at all romantic, who simply seeks a marriage to someone with a comfortable home.
“It’s a real joy to be able to switch between all those characters, and you see the audience relish it.
“The book is very witty, very sharp – so there’s already so much humour in there, but having three actors play all the roles does have a comic element to it as well.
“That said, it’s about playing these roles with truth rather than sending the characters up.
“We’re in Regency costume in keeping with the setting, so it’s a nice blend of nostalgia and a story that reaches people’s hearts.
“I would like to hope it’s genuine feel-good theatre, which is true to the period but keeps things fresh.”
Sarah and April share a moment – image Mark Dean
from open air to the stage
The Guildford Shakespeare Company was formed 19 years ago after Sarah came up with the idea of putting on an open air show in the gardens at Guildford Castle and asked Matt to help put on the show.
Both actors, they’ve continued producing work and expanding GSC into a registered charity that stages productions and works extensively with young people.
Matt said: “We still lead the company and are, in the old-fashioned sense, actor-managers as we still appear on stage.
“We began with a very simple mission, to create exceptional theatre in extraordinary places, often working in a site-responsive way and typically not in theatres.
“Over the last 19 years we’ve used castles, galleries, museums, quarries, lakes, West Horsey Place, where they filmed Ghosts for the BBC and even a Boeing 747.
“Wherever it is, we encourage the audience to engage with the space and its history so the shows we produce are more than just something to watch.
“Originally Pride And Prejudice was performed in a Georgian Church where audiences felt they were like guests at the various weddings that take place.
“While Wilton’s will be different, we’ll be working hard to create that same kind of feeling in east London.”
“Our shows are also our shop window, the other part of the work we do is our outreach education, which works with 24,000 people – young and old, across our region in a variety of different settings.
“A large part of that is about engaging socially excluded and least advantaged groups in our community.
“Projects range from primary after-school clubs to families with teenagers living with mental health challenges.
“We have a young carers programme and last year ran a knife-crime awareness project called Put Up Your Swords around our production of Romeo And Juliet.”
The actors all play multiple parts in the production – image Mark Dean
playing favourites
And who wouldn’t want an evening of fun in support of an organisation engaged in such laudable activities?
After all, Pride And Prejudice is a richly satirical comic blast and while Sarah revels in the rudeness and snobbery of playing Caroline Bingley, there’s one character she especially enjoys inhabiting.
“It’s Mrs Bennet,” she said. “She’s such a treat. Her house is always so chaotic and filled with noise.
“She’s a whirlwind, bombastic and loud, but we have to understand she also has five daughters none of whom stand to inherit their father’s house.
“She has to think about what will happen to the family should Mr Bennet die.
“She’s got to get their children married and that ambition is perfectly understandable, given the way things were.”
key details Pride And Prejudice
Pride And Prejudice is set to be performed at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping on March 10 and 11, 2025, at 7pm.
For many Londoners, escaping the smoke is the dream.
The idea of cashing in and leaving the city behind for more space and a better quality of life is a potent temptation.
Developer Stonebond is currently urging those in a position to do so not to delay.
The company is currently marketing three schemes, one at in Hertfordshire, just up the M11 and two in Cambridgeshire about an hour from Canary Wharf by car.
Why the urgency?
Well, on April 1, 2025, Stamp Duty is set to rise both for first-time buyers and those already on the ladder, presenting a window of opportunity.
Stonebond said those purchasing their first home would be hardest hit with an extra £6,250 payable thanks to a drop in the threshold when tax becomes payable from £425,000 to £300,000 and a 5% charge for homes priced between £300,001 and £500,000.
Other buyers will see the threshold halved from £250,000 to £125,000 increasing the cost of moving home across the whole market.
However, those able to buy and move into a home before March 31, 2025, can beat the tax rises and Stonebond has properties that are all ready to go.
The developer is currently marketing homes at three locations
places to purchase with Stonebond
Closest to east London is Woodbanks, a scheme in Takeley near Bishop’s Stortford.
The development benefits from 11 acres of green space and is located a six-minute drive from the M11, offering rapid journeys into Canary Wharf.
Homes available include The Gosfield, a four-bedroom house extending to some 1,497sq ft and on the market for £599,999.
Somewhat further out is Waterbeach, a scheme just north of Cambridge off the A10. Properties on offer include apartments offered through the Discount Market Sale scheme.
For those who’d prefer a house, The Newbury is a three-bedroom detached home with two terraces and a private garden priced at £625,000.
There’s also The Beckett, a four-bedroom townhouse with two en suites and a top floor terrace for £685,000.
Finally, Wintringham, close to St Neots, promises a “thriving new community” and a range of four-bedroom homes with prices starting at £485,000.
All three schemes have properties that are ready for buyers to move into before the end of March.
Stamp Duty is set to rise in April 2025
a buyer’s feedback
Waterbeach buyer Karen Wong, who recently purchased a property at the development said: “I’m thrilled to have purchased a three-bedroom home.
“From the moment I first visited, I was captivated by the peaceful, natural surroundings, and now I can’t wait to move in and start enjoying everything this incredible location has to offer.
“My new home is characterful, with a cosy and beautiful courtyard garden and two terraces, giving me the perfect spaces to take in and enjoy in the breathtaking and scenic views.
“When I learned about the tax thresholds changing, I started my property search earlier than I initially planned.
“The adjustments could potentially have cost me an additional £6,000, so I knew I needed to start looking for a new home quickly.
“The Stonebond team have been brilliant, guiding me through every step of the process and ensured I could complete ahead of the deadline, even with purchasing off-plan.
“Their support has been invaluable.”
Stonebond sales and marketing director, Annette Cole, added: “We’re pleased to be providing an unmissable opportunity to our customers, allowing them to take advantage of the savings that come with completing before the adjustments set in.”
Stonebond’s schemes offer countryside living
key details: Stonebond
Find our more about Stonebond’s developments on the company’s website or call 01245 377 299.
Lebanese restaurant Byblos Harbour has a long history of serving up colourful, flavourful dishes on the edge of Millwall Inner Dock.
The establishment serves a cuisine described by owner Aboud Grimesty as similar “to Turkish food” thanks to 400 years of occupation by the Turks, “but more refined” from a period of French influence and control from the early 20th century.
It’s been attracting diners to the Isle Of Dogs since opening its doors in 2008.
“We had a good plan and the financial crisis hit, but things got better until Covid came,” said Aboud, who lives in Canning Town.
“However, we carry on and we’re in good shape.
“When we opened, there was no authentic restaurant serving proper Lebanese food in east London, so I thought I’d give it a try.
“It’s a varied cuisine – after the occupation by the Turks, there was huge poverty so there’s lots of vegetarian food – people had to do a lot with a little.
“The menu is compact to keep things under control – you can order a range of starters and then a main course.
“My personal favourite is the mixed grill with chicken and lamb.”
Restaurateur Aboud Grimesty
a new look for Byblos Harbour
It’s clear when I pop in to interview Aboud that his connection to his customers is paramount.
The consummate host, he’s unfailingly attentive and frequently stopping to chat to regulars and newcomers alike.
On leaving, he presses a bottle of Lebanese red into my hands, telling me the country has the best wine in the world – how does he know?
It’s where Jesus pulled his infamous party trick with the water.
This closeness with his customers and the importance of his homeland sit perfectly in explaining the reason for my visit.
The restaurant has been refurbished recently
To cap off Byblos Harbour’s refurbishment, which has included the construction of a covered, heated and sheltered terrace for diners and shisha enthusiasts, Aboud called on a regular for some assistance with the interior of the restaurant.
“I came here about six months ago, and Aboub showed me his empty walls,” said Kyrsten Perry, an artist and Isle Of Dogs resident.
“He said he wanted to celebrate Byblos – the city from which the restaurant takes its name – so I asked him what the stand-out features of the city were and we went from there.
“It’s a port that’s been operating for about 7,000 years.
“I researched the history, found out all about its connections to the Egyptians, the ancient Greeks, the Phoenicians and its Roman ruins.
“These include an amphitheatre overlooking the ocean, but there’s also a 5,000-year-old pier with many restaurants nearby, which inspired Aboud initially.
“That’s how the collaboration began.”
Stuffed vine leaves at Byblos Harbour
creating the paintings
Kyrsten set about creating a series of watercolours from images of Byblos, with the collection recently unveiled at the restaurant.
“I wanted to capture what it must have been like in Roman times,” she said.
“Initially I thought I’d do a semi-aerial view, but it didn’t look right.
“I also didn’t want to do one of those big murals.
“It was really a collaboration. I’d send Aboud images and he’d like some and not others.
“We talked extensively about how the culture of the country has affected the food, the people and the whole atmosphere.
“To me, it was something uplifting and joyous.
“There have been so many awful things happening in that part of the world, I thought it would be great to create something positive.
“Aboud supports multiculturalism – people coming together.
“It’s been a real privilege to work with him because I can see what he’s trying to do.
“He brings people together with good food, good wine and good times.”
Isle Of Dogs artist Kyrsten Perry
inspired by the water
Born in Cornwall, Kyrsten was brought up in Australia before returning to the UK, gravitating to the Isle Of Dogs after a stint running a venue in Islington.
In addition to her full-time job working for a Labour MP, the former Tower Hamlets councillor is a practising artist working from a studio in Roman Road.
“During the day we deal with a lot of people who are acutely desperate and in need of support,” she said.
“The art is a good counterbalance to that.
“Some friends and I share the studio and I’m absolutely in my element when I’m painting.
“I’ve really enjoyed the process of working with Aboud – I trust him and he’s got really good taste.
“When you’re in that creative process, trying something new, that’s really important.
“I’ve done lots of things in the past – I have two art degrees – but I’ve only really taken it seriously in the last couple of years.
“I’ve been doing the art class at the Shadwell Centre in Whitechapel and that’s how I met the friends I share the studio with.
“Something happens in that creative space which is very precious and I’ve felt that doing this project with Aboud.
“I’m certainly up for more commissions as I’ve finally got my website and Instagram sorted.
“I’m definitely looking for more opportunities to collaborate, but I’ll be doing my own thing as well.
“I really have to take my hat off to Aboud.
“Byblos Harbour is always reliable – my mum, who is originally from Streatham loves coming here with her friends when she visits from Australia.
“You know you’re getting good quality food and that it will be a fabulous day.
“Aboud has had to be creative over the years, to reinvent his restaurant but always with what the customer needs and wants in mind.
“I’ve known him for 10 years and I’ve always loved the food – having been a councillor, I know how much restaurants struggled over the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, so it’s fantastic that he’s adapted and is still delivering that quality.
Another of Kyrsten’s paintings for Byblos
key details: Byblos Harbour + Kyrsten Perry
Byblos Harbour is open Monday-Saturday, from noon to 11pm and on Sundays from 1pm to 10.30pm.
Takeaway options include Deliveroo and Uber Eats for those who prefer to dine in their homes, although you’ll be missing out on the artwork.
Over the coming weeks and months, Harbord Square – recently connected to the rest of Wood Wharf by the opening of the snowdrop-laced gardens and benches of Union Square – will be welcoming an influx of independent businesses for Wharfers to discover.
“We knew that with this link in place, people would be able to walk down to the area from Canary Wharf and through Wood Wharf, so we’ve been looking at how we could make it a real destination,” said George Chapman, senior retail leasing surveyor at Canary Wharf Group.
“With 10 retail units, we thought we’d start with 8 Harbord Square which, I must admit, is my favourite building over there with its fully open-plan apartments.
“It’s just stunning.”
However, rather than simply open up those spaces to all-comers, George and the team decided to take a different approach.
8 Harbord Square, right, is set to be home to 10 businesses on its lower levels
an expansion of cool: 8 Harbord Square
“Wood Wharf is already really cool – you have the likes of coffee shop 640East, Dishoom, Mallow and many more,” he said.
“With 8 Harbord Square, we wanted to create a community vibe.
“There’s so much talent in Tower Hamlets, just outside Canary Wharf – we thought it would be great to bring some of that in.
“In the past, local operators might have wanted to open a business on the estate but may have been unsure how to do it.
“The larger units can seem daunting, so we’ve simplified the leases with these to get the best local companies in and help build the neighbourhood.
“We’ve partnered with Tower Hamlets and gone out to local residents and businesses and have a number of tenants lined up – we wanted best-in-class operators, with a nail bar, a hair salon, a flower shop and a juice bar coming.
“We’ve helped the operators who need it apply for alcohol licences to make the process as smooth as possible.
“I can’t wait for all the tenants to move in and start trading.”
Canary Wharf Group has worked hard to attract independent businesses to the building
a new dimension at 8 Harbord Square
The arrivals will certainly bring a new dimension to Harbord Square.
“The area is already home to a GP surgery, a convenience store, a vet and a multi-purpose sports hall, but the new street level offering will broaden its appeal and include places for Wharfers to hang out.
It’s also a part of Wood Wharf that’s set to see much residential change both in the short and medium term, with aparthotel Vertus Edit’s launch earlier this month offering extended flexible stays.
More rental homes to the south of the square are coming in the not so distant future.
With units ranging in size from 235sq ft to 786sq ft on five-year leases, the new commercial tenants at 8 Harbord Square will benefit from Canary Wharf Group’s ongoing support as more and more people visit and discover the area.
Union Square’s opening now allows Wharfers to easily walk to 8 Harbord Square
scouring the borough
For George, it’s about creating a buzz to delight those living and staying locally.
To that end, the team scoured social media and hit the streets locally to find top operators that would be suitable for the project.
“There’s times where I’ve simply gone out for a coffee and found a place, then had a conversation about bringing a business to the estate,” he said.
“We’ve also had direct approaches.
“This is the first time we’ve done this as a business, but I’m of the view that if it’s successful, then we’d look to roll it out in other locations.
“I’d like to walk down to 8 Harbord Square in two years’ time and see the tenants happily trading in a place where everyone knows each other, that has a bit of an old East End feel to it and people look out for one another.
“That would be perfect.
“As other buildings welcome residents around 8 Harbord Square, there will be even more people coming to this part of the Wharf.
“If I was staying in a studio at Vertus Edit, I’d love that just downstairs there’s a buzzy salon and a juice bar with a running club.
“These amenities will help people meet each other and make for an area visitors and residents really love.
“It’s what we want – a place for the community with people walking their dogs and taking their kids to the park.
“The tenants at 8 Harbord Square will all be a part of that.”
the pull of the Wharf
The mission to bring talent into Canary Wharf – with many not realising what opportunities the area might hold for them – isn’t dissimilar to George’s own story.
While he couldn’t see its towers directly growing up in west London, they nevertheless exerted an irresistible pull.
“I’ve been working here for nearly eight years, having started as a finance apprentice at Canary Wharf Group’s tech community, Level39,” he said.
“I did my professional qualifications there and, after about two years, joined the accountancy department.
“Then an opportunity came up to move across to the investment team and from there I was working on the retail side of the business a lot.
“I got the chance to work alongside the retail team and I thought it was something I’d love to do, so I’ve now been there about three years.
“Growing up, I was always seeing Canary Wharf in the news and I remember thinking I’d love to work among the towers one day – there was a real excitement around it.
“I had my interview for the apprenticeship and then phoned my dad who’s a black cab driver.
“He told me to go to one of the bars on the estate and soak up the energy.
“It was on a Thursday and I did exactly that. That’s when I knew I’d really like to work in Canary Wharf.
“It’s been worth crossing the line from west to east London and it’s still definitely where I want to be.
“Numbers and accountancy are very important – fine in moderation – but I get a real kick out of meeting people on a day-to-day basis in my current role. It’s a lot more personal.
“It’s such a privilege to get to know people, to find out why they get up in the morning and what makes them tick. You don’t get that same buzz from a spreadsheet.”
Full details of the businesses opening up at 8 Harbord Square will be released in due course.
However, we can reveal they will include nail specialist Awe London, hair salon Wayne Hairdresser and flower and plant retailer The Flower Club.
There will also be a hospitality offering, or two. Watch these spaces
