A sizeable chunk of the centre of the Isle Of Dogs is set to be developed following the approval of a planning application by Tower Hamlets Council.
Mastmaker Court, a joint venture by landowner Pirin Ltd and developer Fifth State, will see two towers built on a site just off Mastmaker Road.
two towers?
That’s right. One will rise to 43 storeys and the other to 27. The larger one will contain 843 co-living apartments, while the other will house 153 affordable homes.
They have been designed by Squire And Partners architects, also known for Landmark Pinnacle locally.
The scheme includes landscaping at ground level – image by Fifth State
co-living?
Essentially the larger block will be rental only following a wider trend in the residential development market.
The offer is typically self-contained flats with communal facilities to encourage socialising.
These are usually marketed to young professionals and key workers.
While Fifth State has built out a couple of office blocks in Shoreditch, its projects in Bermondsey, Hampstead, Croydon, Southwark, Deptford, Hornsey and Leicester Square – spanning co-living student accommodation and affordable housing – have yet to be completed.
Its website promises that accommodation includes a shower room, a kitchenette, a double bed, storage space, high speed broadband and flexibility on length of stay with a three-month minimum.
While details of its Mastmaker Court scheme have yet to be released, the company says its projects include wellbeing studios and facilities with a programme of classes and events for residents such as seminars and debates, cooking classes, brunch and supper clubs, guided group meditation, circuit and weights workouts and more.
co-working?
Again, while specifics have not been released, Fifth State says co-creating spaces lie at the heart of its schemes with facilities such as artists studios, private desks, communal workspaces, recording studios and conference walls to be expected.
The scheme features Squire And Partners – image by Fifth State
what about the affordable housing?
For its Isle Of Dogs scheme, the affordable tower will house 121 properties for social rent and 32 earmarked as intermediate homes, which may be offered as below market rent or shared ownership apartments.
Around two thirds of the social rent flats will have three or four bedrooms aimed at families.
a new school?
Two existing warehouse buildings will be knocked down to make way for the towers.
At ground level the affordable housing block will include a 161sq m community facility facing onto a new 1,500sq m park located in the south-west corner of the site.
The plans also include outline permission for a new alternative provision school for up to 100 pupils in the north-west corner of the site, which could deliver up to 4,510sq m of educational space.
key details: Mastmaker Court
Planning consent has been granted for the two-tower scheme at Mastmaker Court.
“Our first students are in their last few months of the course,” said Dr Yahaya Alhassan, head of academic operations at the University Of Sunderland In London.
In line with the university’s consistently practical approach, the programme was developed after Yahaya spotted a gap in the market.
“It was while I was working as an external examiner for another institution that I realised people were offering trading courses,” he said.
“Some were delivering fintech elements, but these were usually add-ons to finance courses dealing with things like online banking.
“My understanding of fintech is that it relates to specific technologies – things like artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrencies and machine learning – and how you apply those to finance.
“I couldn’t find a programme like that, which also included trading so, following some market research, I decided to develop a course that would bring the two together.
“I defy anyone to find a similar offering – as of today we are unique.”
Based at the University Of Sunderland In London’s Isle Of Dogs campus at Harbour Exchange, the one-year course features a dedicated Fintech Lab created in partnership with the London Stock Exchange.
The London Stock Exchange Group Fintech Lab at the University Of Sunderland In London – image supplied by UOSiL
putting practice at the heart of the course
“The approach we adopt with the delivery of this programme is hands-on, practice-based, with a small number of students to ensure we give them a very good level of experience,” said Yahaya.
“We work with a number of prestigious partners, with those on the course also receiving certificates from them as part of the programme.
“Students learn how to trade and invest in stocks – which are doing well and which are not?
“But the reason we combine this with fintech is so they can use technology to make predictions based on the data flowing into the lab.
“In the past, traders have made decisions based on their own experience while looking at such information.
“But with technologies such as AI, once you have a lot of data, you can use it to start forecasting whether the price of a stock will rise or fall.
“With blockchain and machine learning, our students are taught how to model and to build apps, enabling them to potentially create their own fintech businesses.
“We also work with companies to ensure our courses are delivering what employers, such as those at Level39 in Canary Wharf, expect from someone with an MSc from this university.
“We also constantly look at the needs of the students and changes in the market.
“Our programmes come up for review every five years, which is when they get revalidated.
“But with technology developing so fast, we can’t wait that long so we’ve adopted an enhancement plan where we look at our programmes every two months to make sure we’re flexible and giving the market what it needs.”
The University Of Sunderland In London is based at Harbour Exchange on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
from Ghana to London via Sunderland
Yahaya himself is a good case study for the way in which education and exposure to new ideas can have a profound impact on the direction of a person’s life.
Originally from Ghana, he began his career in the higher education sector at the University Of Development Studies in Tamale not as an academic but as a member of its support staff as an assistant accountant.
“One day I was in the vice chancellor’s office and I saw an advert in a magazine for an MBA course at the University Of Sunderland,” he said.
“The VC had been in the UK himself, studying and working in Nottingham before he was recruited back to Ghana.
“I’d never thought about travelling abroad in my life, but I decided I might give it a go – I applied and then, honestly, I forgot about it.
“About two months later, a letter arrived containing a provisional offer to go on the course.
“I was supposed to pay £13,500 but it was a lot of money and I had no idea where I would get that from.”
In the end, Yahaya’s employer awarded him a scholarship to go on the course and he wound up bound for the North East and arrived improperly dressed for the weather.
“Arriving in Sunderland was the first time I’d seen snow in my life and I didn’t have a proper jacket,” he said.
“I didn’t know how to get to the university campus and I couldn’t understand the accent of the first man I met.
“Fortunately, I found someone who showed me where to go. I completed my MBA and returned to Ghana in 2003.
“That was part of the agreement for my scholarship but, after about nine months I was feeling discontented.
“Everything was so slow.
“When I came to the UK people were working from 8am, but I realised in Ghana it was going to be difficult for me because of the difference in pace.
“I told my boss I had to go back to England, and he said he understood, so I moved to London in 2004.
“My first job was at a college in Greenwich, teaching English in 2005 and I remained there until 2011.
“That’s when I saw that the University Of Sunderland was opening a London campus and I decided to apply.
“At first I was working 10 hours a week, then 20 and, after a couple of months, full-time – teaching on its MBA programme.
“After a year, the programme manager was leaving and so I applied and got that job in 2014 before going on to become assistant head of academic operations.
“Now, as head of academic operations, I make sure all the teaching and learning at the London campus goes well, dealing with quality assurance and making sure everything is done in line with our academic regulations.
“I am part of the senior managers team as well and I am responsible for the day-to-day running of the London-based academic programmes.
“The courses are led from Sunderland and run down here, which is why our campus has programme managers rather than leaders.
“I never thought I’d be working where I am now. I even told my friends in Ghana I would be coming back in a year.
“I still have that vision, to return one day, perhaps to follow my father in a political career.
“When I’m teaching, I say: ‘Who knows, maybe I’ll be president one day’.”
In the meantime, Yahaya’s passion is continuing to help develop the university’s offering with a BSc in Fintech And Digital Finance now available.
The intention of this three-year course is to act as a pipeline for those seeking to study the MSc, providing them with the relevant skills and knowledge to prepare them for the postgraduate course.
Earwax. Right now, if you’re reading this, it’s slowly, imperceptibly flowing out of your ears.
The movement of our jaws and muscles in our faces is usually enough to create a gentle current that renews and refreshes this essential substance, whose role is to protect and sanitise our ear canals.
However, for a range of reasons, this smooth and natural process can go wrong.
Drainage fails and build-up occurs, potentially leading to hearing loss, earache, tinnitus and even vertigo.
“I was seriously ill with leukaemia and in hospital for about eight months,” said Tim Galvin, co-founder and director of EarLab.
“Sometimes I would wake up during that period and I wouldn’t be able to hear.
“When I was up, the wax would shift and I’d be able to hear again.
“I’m OK now, but one of the lasting side effects of that period is that my ears still block up quite regularly.
“While I was in hospital, a good friend of mine – David Walker – came to visit me.
“He happens to be an ear, nose and throat surgeon and he said I needed to get my ears micro-suctioned to remove the wax.
“He described the process as using a miniature vacuum cleaner to clear the ear canal.
“It’s the modern alternative to syringing – squirting warm water in there and hoping for the best – and it’s much safer.
“With the older technique, some people’s ears can be quite damaged by the pressure.
“I couldn’t get them suctioned in hospital but, when I got back home I tried to get it done locally but had to travel for the procedure.
“When I had it done, it was instant relief.
“I hadn’t realised that my ears were basically dirty, I’d just lived with it.
“Suddenly I could hear clearly.
“There was no muffling, it was just fantastic.”
EarLab co-founder Tim Galvin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
the birth of a business
A couple of months later, Tim saw David again at a barbecue and the two got talking.
The NHS no longer provides syringing as a core service and GPs tend to advise using drops to tackle troublesome ear wax, but this does not work for all cases.
In some areas referral for micro-suctioning may be possible but long waiting times can be involved.
“Together, we realised there was a gap in the market,” said Tim.
“David had the medical qualifications and the expertise, but no time to handle a side business.
“I have a background in IT and experience in property, so we formed a 50-50 partnership, starting in 2022.”
It’s now set to open a branch at Canary Wharf in facilities at Cabot Place.
“We’ve found people are happy to pay £85 for an instant service and that’s what we’ve built our business around,” said Tim.
“Hearing is really important. Without it people can feel really isolated.
“Some of our clients tell us they feel like they’ve got their lives back after the treatment.
“One elderly gentleman said he couldn’t hear conversations but, once we’d removed the wax, it turned out he didn’t need hearing aids after all.
“We have lots of wonderful stories like that.
“When you wake up in the morning and you can’t hear, it’s horrible – you don’t want to wait six months, you want to get it done as soon as possible. That’s what we offer.”
EarLab is not the only business to offer private micro-suctioning, but Tim believes the service it provides has some key benefits not found elsewhere.
“The first is that our clinicians use surgical microscopes to look inside the ears and guide the procedure,” he said.
“These give you the best possible view inside the ear canal. The equipment provides binocular vision at a very great magnification under a very bright light.
“It doesn’t touch your body at all and it doesn’t hurt in the slightest, but it allows the practitioner to see everything they’re doing and to have both hands free.
“We use a small funnel-like device called an ear speculum that allows us full access to the ear canal, which is curved.
“Together with the microscope, this enables us to be very precise with the suctioning and to ensure we don’t touch the ear drum, which is very delicate, and to make certain we remove all of the wax.
“With the average case, there will be some build-up of wax there, but it might not be completely blocked.”
David clears England Rugby captain Maro Itoje’s ears – image supplied by EarLab
why EarLab employs medical professionals
In addition to precision, EarLab prides itself on the level of expertise its practitioners offer, employing qualified nurses and doctors to carry out the procedure.
“We’ve grown the business organically, often expanding when we’ve found a clinician to work with,” said Tim.
“Our criteria have always been that we offer these services in an excellent medical environment with good transport links so people can access it easily.
“With David’s background and reputation, we’ll never cut corners on the service we provide.
“Having highly qualified professionals working for us means we can offer the complete procedure in 20 minutes because the people doing it are so experienced.
“We’ve expanded to Canary Wharf for two reasons.
“Firstly, I knew the area because I used to work here and also one of our existing doctors recently relocated to Lewisham and said he would love to host a clinic here.
“We prefer to grow like this and the demand is obviously there.
“When we started, we honestly thought a few hours a week would be enough, but that quickly became multiple days as word spread and people came.
“Friends tell each other and we have husbands and wives coming together to get their wax removed.
“Over the four years we’ve been going, we’ve had some people who have come 12 times during that period.
“It’s a very personal business and we have a phone line which is answered by a human being.
“Everything can be done online, but some people like to call and ask questions.
“We pride ourselves on being able to offer that reassurance.”
David and Tim with England Rugby’s Sam Underhill – image supplied by EarLab
clearing the ears of the England rugby squad
EarLab also has quite a significant claim to fame as it provides its service to the England Rugby Union squad, having been approached through the team’s full-time doctor.
“We’ve been to Twickenham three times now after David was asked to set up a temporary clinic there,” said Tim.
“The first time, we were expecting 10 players, then 20 were listed, but we ended up doing many more than that during the course of the afternoon, including the likes of Maro Itoje and Sam Underhill.
“Being able to hear clearly is an essential part of the game and they’d never had this done before.
“As a business more widely we have been surprised by the demand for our services, although there are things people do that can cause wax to build up.
“Normally, when your jaw moves during the course of a day it flexes the ear canal slightly and this creates a system where little flakes of wax are gradually expelled naturally and imperceptibly.
“That’s the natural order of things and, in a normal healthy person that’s exactly what happens.
“However, if you do anything to impede that process – using ear plugs or in-ear headphones – you interrupt that flow.
“The more you do it, the less wax can get out and the more likely you are to get a build up.
“It can get to the point where, when you’re putting the ear plug or headphone in, you’re pushing wax back down the canal towards the ear drum.
“We’ve also seen people who do a lot of swimming are prone to wax issues and others just have naturally narrow ear canals.
“Everyone is different, we’re all unique and just the shape of your anatomy can, unfortunately, cause problems for some people.
“Putting things in the ear like cotton buds is definitely not a good idea and, similarly, practices such as ear candling and using small plastic screw-like devices can be really dangerous.
“It’s so easy to cause damage with these methods because you can’t see what’s in there and you’re going in and experimenting.
“The ear is incredibly delicate and should always be treated with the utmost care by people who know what they’re doing using microscopes to guide them.
“At EarLab, we keep things simple.
“We just offer micro-suctioning and also expert advice because we can see what’s going on in the ear.
“We’re now right at the heart of Canary Wharf meaning people working or living in the area don’t need to travel to have this procedure.
“As it only takes 20 minutes, it’s easy for people to have it done in their lunch hour or even a break.
“That’s plenty of time to take the medical information we need and then to complete the treatment.”
key details: EarLab
EarLab is set to run a clinic in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place, initially on Wednesdays, with scope to expand depending on demand.
A 20-minute treatment costs £85 and includes micro-suctioning in both ears.
Stories of Cleopatra VII – the last ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom Of Egypt – have long echoed down the years, spun into great romances and decorated with Elizabeth Taylor’s vibrant eye shadow.
But, while Cleopatra: The Experience – an immersive exhibition that’s set for a 15-week run at Excel’s Immerse LDN in Royal Docks from March 26 – has its genesis in her enduring popularity, it’s been created with the aim of revealing the person at the heart of those tales.
“She’s a pop icon and there’s a legend behind her, but we wanted to show the real woman, drawing on what contemporary sources and classical authors said about her,” said Nacho Ares, scriptwriter and curator of the exhibition for its producer Madrid Artes Digitales (MAD).
Nacho, a broadcaster and Egyptologist isn’t new at this.
He first worked with MAD on Tutankhamun: The ImmersiveExhibition, which enjoyed a run at Excel last year and has now been seen by more than 2million people.
In similar vein, the new show uses technology – holograms, virtual reality, 360º projection and even scents – to bring Cleopatra and her world to life for visitors.
“I’ve been interested in Egyptology since I was a young teenager,” said Nacho.
“I read a history of archaeology – Gods, Graves And Scholars – and I fell in love with the history of the tomb of Tutankhamun.
“I was interested in anything related to ancient Egypt.
“I first visited in 1991 at the age of 21 and it was incredible. I became involved with MAD in 2022 through a friend who is a member of the Spanish Egyptology Association in Madrid.
“They were looking for a writer with experience of TV and so on – back then it was a company of four people and now we have 30.
“It was a dream to bring our Tutankhamun exhibition to Britain, the home of Howard Carter, who discovered his tomb – that was a lovely moment in my life.
“I think Cleopatra will also be a great success because there are so many mysteries and she’s an amazing character.
“We still don’t know where her tomb is – many people have looked around Alexandria and they are still searching today.
“She remains very popular and we’re here to present her biography.”
The exhibition aims to bring her story to life – image supplied by MAD
Cleopatra: The Experience – unlocking an audience
Part of the exhibition’s mission is to bring that story to a new audience.
Dr Chris Naunton, is a British Egyptologist, writer and broadcaster, acting as official ambassador for Cleopatra: The Experience.
He said: “I worked for the Egypt Exploration Society from 2001 to 2016, and was its director for the last few years of the period.
“My work nowadays is mostly writing, some of which has informed the content of this exhibition, which is a great honour for me.
“I think the technical side of it is amazing.
“It’s important for Egyptology to use whatever methods there are to reach a wider audience and Cleopatra is an obvious subject for that.
“While her story is superficially well known, that has more to do with her legend.
“There was a real woman and this exhibition grounds audiences very well in what the evidence really shows about her life.
“What people will see isn’t made up, it’s based on historical sources.
“The trouble with trying to present a story like this in a conventional way is that there are so many gaps.
“It’s difficult to tell the story of Cleopatra through objects, because we have so little – except classical sources, which were often written by her enemies, and aren’t all contemporary accounts.
“Sometimes they were written with particular intentions in mind.
“The exhibition treads the line very well.
“It’s not dry, which just presenting the evidence we have, might be.
“My sense is that the video game generation will not be engaged by a traditional exhibition.
“But what this exhibition gives us as Egyptologists, is the opportunity to reach people who would never leave their sofas to visit a museum.”
What we do know is that Cleopatra VII’s story is remarkable – one of finely balanced power and intrigue.
Audiences can expect a number of different experiences including chair-based virtual reality – image supplied by MAD
a skilled politician
“She ruled at the end of a period of 300 years, during which Egypt was run from Alexandria by a family of Macedonian Greek origin, descending from Ptolemy I,” said Chris.
“He was one of Alexander The Great’s generals. During this period, the kingdom was influenced to some extent by Greek culture – the Greek language and script became the administrative language, for example – but it was still very much the Egypt of its traditional gods.
“Cleopatra comes in at the end of this dynasty, ruling initially alongside her brother, at a time when Egypt was very much part of an international scene.
“By the end of the Ptolemaic period in Egypt, Rome has become the most important power.
“The versions found in the movie and Asterix tell a story of a richly drawn character, a wily, beautiful woman.
“What all the ancient sources agree on is that Rome is increasingly important, exerting more influence on Cleopatra and her family.
“In making allies of Roman leaders Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, regardless of any romance that may or may not have happened, she was undoubtedly doing the right thing for Egypt.
“I think we can certainly say she was extremely skilful politically and she was a great survivor.
“It was a time of great in-fighting in the Ptolemaic family, a time of great intrigue.
“Her relationship with her brother, Ptolemy XIII, doesn’t work out very well – there’s a war – then her relationship with Caesar is disrupted by his assassination in Rome.
“Her relationship with Antony is only brought to an end by the irresistible force of Octavian, who defeats them.
“The threat of Rome taking over the whole of the Mediterranean had been coming for decades, something that could be seen as having been held back by her for quite a long time.
“There is a fascinating story to tease out, which I think is historically valid and goes beyond the Hollywood version.
“My take is she was a very successful politician.”
The story even includes the death of Caesar in Rome – image supplied by MAD
key details: Cleopatra: The Experience
Cleopatra: The Experience is set to run at Immerse LDN on the southern edge of Excel from March 26 for 15 weeks.
Tickets are on sale now, from £29 for adults and from £24 for children aged 4-15. Group packages and school bookings are available.
The experience lasts around 90 minutes and is open every day from 10am.
“Choir Boy absolutely resonates with me,” said Tatenda Shamiso, co-director of the show that’s set to arrive on Stratford East’s stage later this month.
“I grew up in the US, in a Catholic school and I’m queer.
“To be a queer person in a rigid and hyper-traditional religious environment makes it very difficult to discover who you are when you’re discouraged at every turn.
“The show dates from 2008, but it gets updated every time it’s remounted and it feels all the more pressing at the moment, even from when we revived it in 2023.
“It can be hard to be black and queer in an environment that tries to force-feed you the idea that there is no space for you.”
Tatenda’s role has grown from associate director to co-director for the new show.
He frequently runs the rehearsals, with Nancy typically in the West Country as the production is updated for its run in the capital.
Choir Boy co-director, Tatenda Shamiso – image supplied by Stratford East
a struggle to access softness
“Choir Boy is about an all-boys black preparatory school in upstate New York in the US,” said Tatenda.
“These boys are under immense pressure to understand what it means to be the black leaders of tomorrow – the black men of the future – and to hold onto the labels and duties we associate with masculinity and black excellence.
“It’s a struggle to access any softness in this environment and to identify how to step into your real self when there isn’t any room for it.”
The show follows the story of Pharus (Terique Jarrett), a gifted singer who has earned his position as a soloist, but falters when his pride is sullied by one of his peers, forcing him to question what it means to be a young, black, openly queer man in such an institution.
“We’re taken on this journey with a really beautiful score of a capella gospel music, sung by the boys,” said Tatenda.
“Choir Boy is hilarious – definitely expect to laugh – but it’s also deeply joyful and cathartic.
“Whether you believe in something or not, the spirit will move through you when you hear these boys sing. It’s beautiful and very tender.
“One of the big changes we’ve had is two new cast members – Rabi Kondé playing Bobby and Freddie MacBruce as AJ – which has given us a really great opportunity to refresh the whole show.
“We have a star-studded team in the cast and backstage and it’s still very much a family affair.
“It’s really great to bring fresh talent into the piece.
“One of our former cast members said that while he was sad to leave, he was really happy to pass the gift of being able to play the role on to someone else who needs it.
“In Bristol, we had five weeks to prepare the show for the stage and this extra time has given us an opportunity to maybe deepen our thoughts.
“With the cast a couple of years older now, we’re asking what it means to be a teenager right now?
“I hope we’re offering audiences a cornucopia of things to take away.
“I hope they leave with greater empathy and compassion for the people they’ve been watching and those around them, perhaps a softness and a strong urge to sing.”
Kalid Daley is back in the role of JR – image by Camilla Greenwell
echoes of Choir Boy
As a director, writer, performer and artist, Tatenda’s own theatrical journey began at school.
He said: “Children’s hobbies are taken ridiculously seriously in California and I started off as a performer in musicals.
“I was doing about three shows a year for most of my time in school. I was a really shy child, but there was something about being a performer, being something bigger than yourself, that really appealed to me.
“You can enrapture an audience and take them on a journey.
“For me it was like a mission to learn how to be an extrovert, which was really lovely.
“It got me out of my shell and introduced me to a beautiful community of people who were as strange as I was, which was a very joyful experience.
“That’s the core theme, whatever I’m doing, which keeps me in theatre now.
“It’s the ritual of transformation you go through as a company, but also what you’re bringing to those who are watching.”
Martin Turner as Mr Pendleton and his pupil, Pharus – image by Camilla Greenwell
from performer to writer and director
After moving to Europe as a teenager, Tatenda’s path began to broaden while at university.
“I fell in love with directing while I was training at Goldsmith’s,” he said.
“When I wasn’t on stage, I spent the time figuring out what everyone else was supposed to be doing, so I ended up doing a lot of different tasks.
“I turned that into a career as a writer. As far as directing goes, I started off as an assistant director on other shows, then directing my own work and performing it at fringe venues.
“My first big show was assisting on A Streetcar Named Desire, back in 2022 at the Almeida Theatre, before going on to work on productions in the States and getting the chance to contribute to Choir Boy.
“I’ve developed a really beautiful working relationship with Nancy and a friendship too. She’s such a generous collaborator.
“I’ve been really moved by this show.
“It’s quite rare in this role to see yourself in what you’re making and what’s being put on stage.
“It feels incredible when you see a message being communicated so beautifully by this cast.
“Every creative steer you give them, they multiply it ten-fold with their bodies, their spirit, their minds and their voices.
“What they bring to these characters, these experiences, is almost overwhelming.
“One of the amazing things about seeing live theatre is that you get to have a collective experience, that the audience is going to be roughly in the same place emotionally as they watch.
“That’s something you don’t get in the digital world and I do think people are hungry for that kind of connection.”
Daon Broni as Headmaster Marrow – image by Camilla Greenwell
key details: Choir Boy
Choir Boy is set to run at Stratford East from March 26 until April 25, 2026.
Performances are typically at 7.30pm with shows at 2.30pm on selected Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets start at £10.
“The best thing about running Wapping Docklands Market is being able to connect people in a world that’s more and more isolated,” said Will Cutteridge, founder of The Market Network.
“It’s also having the ability to offer grassroots enterprises access to audiences and to get that instant feedback.”
Brussels Wharf was, in 2020, a disused car park – an irregular pentagon of earth, cobbles and quayside jutting out into Shadwell Basin, nominally described as a park.
But Will, having spent half a decade learning the ropes of commercial real estate before leaving that world to sell cheese on a market stall, saw an opportunity – a site that might be put to better use.
Wapping Docklands Market opened in 2021 and is now set to celebrate its fifth birthday in April, 2026.
There might even be a cake.
Wapping Docklands Market hosts a wide range of hot food traders throughout the year – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
creating a community
“The thing that’s really great is the community we’ve got here – the regular customers who come back week to week– that’s what really keeps us afloat,” said Will.
“They just happen to be lovely people, and it’s a nice place to be every Saturday.
“We have evolved over the years but hot food – which has always been the primary driver for us – has become more popular and we have live music and a pop-up pub.”
As we talk, pleasant jazz wafts over the assembled crowd played by gentlemen in attractive woollen hats.
Tables and benches are full despite the 6ºC February weather, with visitors keeping out the chill with toasty dishes from the food traders and mulled cider from the bar.
On the lower level of the site, traders sell fresh produce, plants and crafts, adding to the mix.
“It’s morphed over the years – we have up to 12 hot food vendors in the summer months and eight in winter,” said Will.
“One of our mission statements is to empower new and small food enterprises and, as we move towards spring, we typically get a lot of new businesses applying for pitches.
“Firstly what we’re looking for is passion – a reason that someone is doing what they’re doing that isn’t the money.
“Our newest food trader is Tito Vito serving Bocadillos, filled baguettes from the Canary Islands.
“Vito was persuaded by his partner because of his passion for cooking – she’s good with graphic design and created a brand for the business – and you could tell from day one that the food was amazing, that this was something he’d always wanted to do.
“That’s what we’re looking for.
“Then there’s Bahaa, a Syrian refugee who, along with his mother, runs Sojok.
“He serves up toasties filled with spiced minced meat and a savoury yoghurt drink called ayran on the side, which is made with water and salt.
“When he first started, he wasn’t doing so well but he’s evolved his product over time because he knew the market was busy so it was something he was doing that needed changing.
“Now when he’s not at the market, people ask where he is because the stall is so popular.
“My advice is to dunk the toastie in the drink – you won’t regret it.
“It’s also always a good tip, if you’re struggling to decide what to have, to know what the staff on the market enjoy for breakfast.”
Musicians entertain the crowds at the market – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
access to the Wapping Docklands Market audience
Community is really at the heart of everything Will does, ably supported by long-term operations coordinator Fabiana Da Cunha.
Together, they provide the foundation, marketing, support and curation that allows Wapping Docklands Market to continue, providing a platform for commerce, employment and interaction.
“It’s such a good feeling when you’re able to offer people with passion a way to get access to an audience,” said Will.
“I’ve learnt over the last five years that it’s unbelievably hard to run a business but also not to get so stressed and that everything will be fine.
“It’s really great when we see familiar faces coming here or when you spot people who meet at the market and then are back three weeks later having a beer together.
“We’re giving people the chance to get out of their houses and talk to each other.
“These are things that are important in the world and I wish we could do this more, in more places.
“We’re generating opportunities for new businesses, with our traders often living locally and we’re employing people.
“We have a 17-year-old working for us who lives locally and gets the London Living Wage because we believe that’s the right thing to do.
“We also pay our musicians, who need opportunities to play because venues are cutting live entertainment at the moment.”
Will’s journey has not been without its headwinds.
Operating markets can be a precarious business with limited security on short licences, predicated on the whims of landowners.
Wapping’s sister operations at Tower Hill and Canada Water have both closed, the former in favour of a Padel Tennis court and the latter due to a licensing dispute.
With the late winter sun beating down through the bare branches of the trees, finely crafted improvisation stealing over the crowd and traders serving queues of eager diners, it seems perverse not to support such endeavours.
The market is open weekly at Brussels Wharf – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
key details: Wapping Docklands Market
Wapping Docklands Market is open on Saturdays from 10am-4pm at Brussels Wharf on the edge of Shadwell Basin.
The location is around seven minutes’ walk from Wapping station on the Windrush Line or about 10 minutes from Shadwell DLR.
Wapping Docklands Market offers people the opportunity to support its operations by becoming a patron.
Friends pay £18 per month, which includes a number of perks including reserved seating at the market.
Members can pay £30 per month, getting all the same perks plus 10% discounts at The Market Tavern and Wapping Roots And Fruits grocery stall.
This is Stories Wharf by Hyde New Homes, located overlooking the Thames in North Woolwich.
The development offers a collection of properties available to buyers on a shared ownership basis.
With construction work now complete, buyers can move straight into them.
tell me more
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments are all available at the scheme.
Buyers can purchase an initial share of 25% or more of a home, then pay rent on the rest. They are free then to increase that share until they own 100% of the property.
One of the advantages of this scheme is that for those taking out a mortgage on the share they purchase, deposits are much smaller than those required to buy a property outright.
When combined, mortgage payments, rent and service charge on a shared ownership home typically come to less than it would cost to rent an equivalent property in the same area.
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom properties are all available at the east London development – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
what’s the area like?
Royal Docks is undergoing a period of regeneration that, even by the standards of east London, is profound.
Billions of pounds of investment are pouring into the area with flourishing communities emerging alongside more established neighbourhoods.
That means more housing, amenities and facilities locally, including plans to relocate Billingsgate and Smithfield fish and meat markets to Royal Albert Island and a scheme to give the waters of Royal Victoria Dock a significant facelift, both recently announced.
The area is already home to City Hall.
With exhibition and conference centre Excel London newly extended and extensive plans for further commercial regeneration, prospective buyers can look forward to moving into a part of London that’s set for at least a decade of improvement and attention.
The development features a communal podium garden – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
why Stories Wharf?
Hyde’s scheme is itself an attractive proposition.
Apartments come with fully fitted kitchens, integrated appliances, tiled bathrooms, a private balcony or terrace and built-in storage.
Communal facilities include a garden, a children’s play area and a rooftop terrace.
The scheme benefits from its own solar panels, designed to power public areas as well as secure cycle storage and the option for buyers to purchase parking spaces on selected properties.
The properties use open-plan design to maximise the use of space – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
what’s the transport like?
Stories Wharf is in a very singular position in the capital.
It’s close to King George V DLR, putting it one stop from both London City Airport and Woolwich Arsenal (a short walk from the Elizabeth Line station).
But in addition to those links to international travel and rapid transport across the capital – Canary Wharf is eight minutes from Woolwich – Hyde’s development has a location few residential schemes can match.
Its proximity to the northern end of the Woolwich Foot Tunnel and the northern dock of the Woolwich Ferry mean it also benefits from unrivalled free access across the Thames on foot or by vehicle.
It’s also well served by buses.
and the local area?
The scheme is located within easy walking distance of Royal Victoria Gardens with the wider area offering a growing blend of cultural attractions at the likes of Immerse LDN and Silverworks Island.
The docks themselves offer a range of watersports including open water swimming, wakeboarding and an invigorating dockside sauna facility.
Further afield, the development is within easy reach of Woolwich, Canary Wharf, Stratford and the City all offering a succession of attractions.
Apartments at Stories Wharf feature private outdoor space – image supplied by Hyde New Homes
key details: Stories Wharf
Studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments are now available to move into at Hyde New Homes’ Stories Wharf scheme in North Woolwich.
Properties are available on a shared ownership basis with prices starting at £74,000 for a 25% share of a studio based on a full market value of £296,000.
It’s been 45 years since the Royal Docks ceased to function for their intended purpose.
Having survived the Second World War, they’d become the busiest facilities of their kind in the 1960s only for containerisation to render them redundant as global trade demanded deeper and more accessible ports.
Since their closure in 1981, they’ve lain relatively vacant as land around them has found new purpose as exhibition and events space, a university campus, housing and a home for businesses.
While the development of London City Airport in the late 1980s saw some of the water lost under its runway and, more recently, its new taxiway and aircraft stands, bar the odd pop-up and vessel of interest, little advantage has been taken of the surface of Newham’s largest liquid asset.
Royal Victoria Dock as it is today – image supplied by RDW
what are the plans?
In short, there are three main uses proposed for the 12 hectare stretch of water adjacent to City Hall – floating wellness, a floating park and floating homes.
Plans for the first include a lido, sauna, spa and expanded support for open water swimming in the dock.
The park will comprise a floating green space, art installations and cultural programming with the possibility of future expansion.
The homes will be provided via residential moorings and floating dwellings.
It’s unclear what will happen to existing watersports and hospitality facilities in the area including the Oiler Bar and WakeUp Docklands.
The plans feature a floating lido and sauna facilities – image supplied by RDW
they say
Scott Derben, managing director of Royal Docks Waterways, said: “This vision represents the biggest step change in the management and development of the Royal Docks since they were closed to commercial shipping at the end of 1981.
“Now, 45 years later, our goal is that the docks that used to feed London will be used to nurture its inhabitants.”
The proposals aim to encourage open water swimming – image by Emma Nathan
what now?
Naturally it’s consultation time.
RDW is seeking to engage with stakeholders and members of the public to help shape the detail of the plans as it begins to establish partnerships with organisations that will deliver them.
Britannia Village Hall will host exhibitions of the proposals on March 4, from 3pm-6pm, so people can view them and discuss the ideas.
Online sessions will be held on March 3 and 12 at noon and 6pm for those who can’t make it down in person.
Then, on March 7-8, Thames Sailing Barge Will is set to be moored at Royal Victoria Dock West.
Open from 10am-3pm each day, the 100-year-old vessel will be carrying a cargo of information boards and plentiful post-it notes for people to jot ideas onto.
At 100ft long, she’s the largest of her kind ever built and is well worth a visit in her own right.
Following the public engagement events, there will be further workshops and opportunities to get involved with – details to be disclosed at a later date.
RDW is also looking to have private meetings with local stakeholders and businesses. Interested organisations should email rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com to set up dates.
A floating park would be open to the public – image supplied by RDW
then what?
Following the consultation, feasibility studies and other administrative gubbins, the first elements of the plans are expected to be delivered by 2030.
In some ways, his journey to becoming an entrepreneur reads typical.
He manned his parents’ corner shop as a kid, made extra cash selling sweets in the playground and graduated to tickets for parties.
He studied management science at the London School Of Economics, went to work in the states and then returned to the capital for a couple of years at consultancy giant McKinsey.
“I guess I’ve always had a passion for business,” he said.
“I’ve been building them my whole life.
“When I was creating my second company – a consulting firm – I knew it was going to be hard work.
“I know people see it as cool and sexy, but underneath, it’s tough.
“That was the first time I could afford a personal trainer, a massage therapist and a physio – I got first-hand experience of what impact the idea of holistic health can have on your life.
“It wasn’t just about looking good to go on holiday – it affected my energy and how I felt.
“Before, I’d thought holistic health was a fallacy.
“But in building that business, I saw the opportunity to create Until.
“As I explored health and wellness, I found that the existing operating model for practitioners in the sector was to spend some years learning their craft, often while being paid relatively poorly.
“Going freelance was seen as taking a risk, so the majority were still working for companies with others choosing to set up on their own.
“In this sector, typically, you don’t learn business skills when you’re training as a doctor or a physio.
“The idea for Until was to build an infrastructure that would help practitioners create their own businesses and unlock their potential.
“I thought it might attract more people to their services and be a cool journey to go on.”
In short, Vishal’s concept was to collect a diverse set of practitioners in a single location to both support their operations and to foster collaboration between them.
Until co-founder Vishal Amin – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
a place that fosters collaboration
“It is a practitioner-first business, where we wanted to allow top-rate people to be able to collaborate and build multi-disciplinary teams,” said Vishal who co-founded the company in 2021 and is currently CEO.
“In doing that, we’ve created locations where you can get all your services instead of having to shop around with different postcodes and different waiting rooms.
“We provide a very integrated experience.
“The practitioners join the ecosystem and, for a membership fee, they can service their clients at our clubs.
“Consumers come to us with a specific need or problem and we’ll help to provide a team of people to help.
“Gone are the days when only professional athletes access these services.
“High performance comes in many different forms and we need a team to support that.
“What we do is help consumers build that team.”
Opening initially in Soho with coaches and trainers, Until has since branched out to host medical professionals.
It’s gone on to launch clubs in Liverpool Street and Marylebone and is gearing up to unveil its Canary Wharf location at YY London in the spring.
“Every day there is new learning, especially with how to get practitioners to work collaboratively,” said Vishal.
“We haven’t nailed it yet, it’s not straightforward, which is probably why it wasn’t there before.
“Step one was building environments which practitioners can work from.
“Step two is helping them to access the customers, so we have to find ways to get people to use the services.
“The idea is that we will act as both landlord and referrer.”
Until has won the backing of investor, entrepreneur and podcaster Steven Bartlett who joined the business in 2023 as marketing co-founder.
Its expansion to Canary Wharf, taking space in a building where it will count Revolut and Deutsche Bank as neighbours is something of a statement of intent.
Until’s club will offer fitness facilities for personal trainers to use – image supplied by Until
bringing Until to east London
“Canary Wharf has always been part of our vision,” said Vishal.
“Health and wellness isn’t just aspirational any more, it’s essential.
“Since the pandemic, everyone has their eye on it.
“The great thing about Canary Wharf is it allows our practitioners to build their brand.
“The transport connections here mean we can serve a wider area – you really feel you’re in the city centre.
“This will be our largest club and the first where we have all five facilities available – train, treat, coach, medical and dental.
“I’m most excited about the combination of expertise we’ll be offering here.
“It’s going to be a beautiful club to visit in a fantastic location.
“Once all of our practitioners come together, it allows consumers to experience how their services join up.
“Once that happens, they begin to understand the deeper benefits.
“For example, we offer dental services because oral health is connected to brain health.
“Adding in medical services is really important to what we’re doing.
“Also there are huge businesses around here and they all want to help their employees to get healthier.
“Many have facilities within their premises, but they’re just not activating them. It’s not inspiring.
“I’d like to help them to put programmes together, some of which could be delivered within their buildings and others outside.
“We have a community of practitioners in London who could come and leverage that.
“So we want to build corporate relationships. We’re here to add value to the estate.
The facility will also have treatment and consultation rooms – image supplied by Until
key details: Until Canary Wharf
Until currently operates clubs in Soho, Marylebone and Liverpool Street, with Canary Wharf set to open this spring.
You can find out more information, including a list of practitioners working from its sites via this link.
Until’s clubs are intended as a one-stop-shop for health and wellness – image supplied by Until
Corporate travel platform has designed-in green tools to help firms report on their carbon footprint when using the railway across the UK
Taking a train to Woking from London Waterloo saves about 5.71kg of carbon emissions compared to driving there in a diesel car – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The town – a rapid 23 minutes by direct train from London Waterloo – is hot on sustainability.
That makes it an ideal setting to talk about the increasing importance companies and their suppliers will be putting on assessing, logging and publicising their emissions, given new reporting standards that are coming into force across the UK.
Travel on SWR’s network to the destination and you’ll have generated an estimated 1.47kg of CO2 per traveller.
This is a marked reduction on riding a motorbike there (4.72kg) or taking a car powered by petrol (6.76kg) or diesel (7.18kg).
One of the benefits of the operator’s Business Direct service is that such data is instantly available for all journeys at the point of booking, enabling easy comparison and reporting.
The ideal place to grab a quality coffee at Woking station – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
why Woking?
So why travel to Woking?
The area has long been a hive of human activity, with archaeological remains dating back at least 4,000 years.
Listed in the Domesday book as Wochinges, the town was home to King Henry VII’s mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, author HG Wells, while he was writing The War Of The Worlds and welcomed its first train in 1838.
Today, Woking is a base for a wealth of businesses including the UK headquarters of Japanese brewing giant Asahi, the main location for high end car manufacturer McLaren Automotive and a key site for power firm ABB.
It’s serious about green issues too, with both the local borough council and nearby horticultural powerhouse of RHS Wisley aiming to be carbon neutral or better by 2030.
Such forward thinking is why it’s also home to The Living Planet Centre – headquarters of the World Wildlife Fund’s UK operation and an ecologically sound structure that provides extensive events space within easy reach of the station.
The Living Planet Centre in Woking – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
green space and attractions
Woking is both close to London and in touch with nature, thanks to the likes of Wisley and the historic Horsell Common, making it well placed to welcome guests with numerous hotels for longer stays.
There’s also a vibrant hospitality and cultural scene with regeneration attracting names such as Gordon Ramsey as well as a succession of independent operators to serve the needs of locals and visitors alike.
The centre also features theatres and cinemas, plenty of shops and a spacious library.
The Lightbox Gallery in Woking – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The Lightbox Gallery, opened in 2007, acts a museum and creative space at the heart of the town for those who prefer to take things at a slower pace, presenting regular exhibitions and core collections.
All-in-all, this is a destination that’s well worth exploring beyond the confines of pure business travel.
At a mere 30 minutes from Canary Wharf (via the Jubilee line to Waterloo), it’s an intriguing prospect for a half-day outing, a place to stage an event away from the smoke or a venue for a working lunch that rolls over into the afternoon and then the evening.
The Gosling offers top quality service and delicately cooked food – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
The Gosling Restaurant And Bar
>> Set a short taxi or bus ride from Woking station, this cosy, modern restaurant delivers on flavour and value.
Perfect for a business lunch, it offers a three-course set menu for £30, including a choice of dishes from the the likes of gently curried cauliflower soup, pan-fried sea bream, corn-fed chicken breast and Madagascan vanilla pannacotta with spiced winter berries.
Set on the edge of Horsell Common, this is a must-visit locally and diners should give serious thought to indulging in the rock oysters for £3.80, neatly shucked and dressed on a bed of ice.
Marvellously ramshackle: Cellar Magnifique is close to the station – image by Jon Massey / Wharf Life
Cellar Magnifique Wine Bar And Café
>> Tucked away on Church Path a few steps from Woking Station, this quirky venue includes a table supported by a bicycle, a chair suspended from its roof and an improbably large collection of wine bottles behind its sprawling bar.
Ideally placed for those catching trains back into London or travelling further afield, the menu extends to vintages by the glass, carafe and bottle, craft beers, ciders, spirits, liqueurs, cigars and cocktails as well as coffees and teas.
There’s even a selection of snacks, savoury platters and sweet treats to enjoy while the clock ticks onwards.
SWR’s Joe Thurgood says SWR Business Direct makes reporting on travel’s carbon footprint easy for companies – image supplied by SWR
on track with SWR’s Joe Thurgood
Q
With mandatory UK Sustainability Reporting Standards coming into force for 2026/27, how can SWR Business Direct help large companies, and those supplying services to them, keep track of their carbon footprint when booking travel?
A
Now businesses will need to report on their carbon footprint, South Western Railway Business Direct can take the headache out of the paperwork and get your carbon house in order.
Carbon tracking might sound a bit daunting, so we’ve built the tools directly into the booking process to make it feel like second nature.
When your team logs on to book a train, they aren’t just seeing times and prices, they’re seeing the real-time CO2 impact of those journeys.
It turns a mandatory requirement into an easy, everyday choice.
Because we use industry-standard benchmarks (aligned with the Rail Delivery Group), organisations can trust that the data is “decision-ready” for official reports.
No more messy spreadsheets or best-guess estimates at the end of the financial year, the data is available with just a couple of clicks and you have a full report at your fingertips, plus comparisons to other modes of transport.
For suppliers, it’s a total win, too.
When your clients ask what the carbon footprint of the team you’re sending to us is, users can give them an exact, professional answer.
SWR Business Direct essentially acts as your sustainability sidekick, capturing all those miles and converting them into the clean, audited data the new UK standards demand.
