Celebrating its fifth anniversary in London the floating show will be hosting a special day of sailings on July 19, 2025, including an appearance by Horrible Histories author Terry Deary
Audiences are treated to a tour by an enthusiastic student and a history teacher – image by Terrible Thames
London’s historical river tours with Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames are set to return from July 12, 2025.
The floating show, which takes in the capital’s riverside sights while showering audiences in horrifying, funny and shocking tales of days gone by is also celebrating its fifth year on the waterway.
To mark that anniversary, passengers are being invited to book sailings on a special day of celebration on July 19, 2025, where they will meet royals and reprobates.
The likes of Queen Boudica, King Henry VIII, Queen Anne Boleyn, Guy Fawkes, Captain Kidd, Olaf The Viking and Julius Caesar are expected to be lurking near the tour’s point of embarkation – Tower Bridge Quay – during the event.
Also visiting on the day to meet fans will be Terry Deary, author of Horrible Histories, the series of gore-soaked books that not only sparked a passion for the past in the minds of countless youngsters, but also inspired the Terrible Thames theatrical tour.
The show itself is performed on the top deck of Silver Sockeye, a ship in Woods Silver Fleet, which takes a 45-minute route right through central London beginning and ending just east of Tower Bridge.
Audiences can expect to see Cleopatra’s Needle, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Houses Of Parliament, the London Eye and dive into the stories of Execution Dock, Jack The Ripper and the bloody goings on at the Tower Of London amid a multitude of harrowing tales.
Passengers are guided in their journey by a teacher and pupil on a trip to the capital awarded as a prize for excellence in history – but quite who is schooling who becomes a matter for debate.
Unique on the Thames, the show changes with the tide, which alters the time taken to sail up and down the river for each performance, meaning the actors have to constantly adapt the tour to suit the progress made.
It is performed by members of the Birmingham Stage Company, known for its adaptations of Deary’s works including The Best Of Barmy Britain, returning to the Apollo theatre this summer.
The show takes place aboard Silver Sockeye, part of Woods Silver Fleet – image by Terrible Thames
your chance to win
>> For a chance to win a family ticket (one adult and three children or two adults and two children) to see the show this summer simply answer this question: Who wrote Horrible Histories?
To enter email your answer to info@wharf-life.comwith the subject line Terrible Thames Competition.
>> Prize is tickets only, subject to availability. Transport to Tower Bridge Quay is at the prize winner’s expense.
There is no cash alternative. Entrants agree to have their data shared with Terrible Thames.
The closing date is July 23, 2025and the editor’s decision is final.
The tour lasts 45 minutes and takes in the major London sights along the river – image by Terrible Thames
key details: Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames
Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames is taking bookings from July 12 for daily sailings until September 3.
Adult tickets cost £25 while children aged 3-15 cost £15 each. Family tickets cost £70 with two adults and two children or £60 for one adult and three children.
Following the expiry of the current agreement, the charity looking after the land is in limbo and wants Tower Hamlets Council to grant it a 30-year term
Mudchute Park And Farm’s lease expired in June 2024 – image by Jon Massey
In the 1970s, the tract of land now occupied by Mudchute Park And Farm was earmarked for a high-rise housing development.
Under that deal it would have been handed off to the Greater London Council by the Port Of London Authority, which had realised Millwall Docks’ days were numbered.
Instead, local residents rose up and fought a successful campaign to ensure the 32 acres would become public open space.
There are very few living locally who would argue that the park, farm and allotments – which have served generations in the community five decades – are anything other than a source of enormous social benefit to those living and working locally.
There’s also the farm’s work to support and nurture rare breeds and its efforts to preserve and enhance the natural environment.
It’s free, fun and accessible to all.
While there’s always room for improvement, it’s a site that rightly attracts plaudits as one of the borough’s gems.
Sue Mortimer, chair of the Mudchute Association – image by Jon Massey
an expired lease
However, it’s also an operation that’s currently hobbled.
The charity that runs the farm and looks after the site it sits on – the Mudchute Association – has been in negotiation with Tower Hamlets Council (which owns the land) to renew its long-term lease on the site since 2019.
However, that process has not yet resulted in an agreement between the two parties and the existing 20-year lease ran out in June 2024.
The charity currently has the right to continue operating on the site while it works to reach an agreement thanks to the Landlord And Tenant Act 1954, but this leaves it in a tricky position.
While the day-to-day operation of Mudchute Park And Farm continues, plans to improve and develop its offering for the future are severely impacted by the delay.
“We can’t apply for grants and funding because we have no lease in place – that’s especially a problem for large capital projects,” said Sue Mortimer, chair of the board of trustees overseeing the Mudchute Association.
“As a charity, we are heavily reliant on fundraising and volunteers – the farm is totally free at the point of delivery, a community asset that benefits everyone who lives, works and visits the area.
“We welcome 250,000 people every year, including more than 10,000 school children, care for rare breeds, offer volunteer training programmes and provide access to beautiful green space.
“The income we receive – from letting space to Muddy Boots nursery, for example – goes on feeding and looking after the animals and running the farm.
“Since the lease expired, we live hand-to-mouth.”
The land the park and farm sit on was originally earmarked for development – image by Jon Massey
a lease of 30 years for Mudchute Park And Farm?
Sue said the farm would like to agree lease of at least 30 years with the council to enable the charity to apply for funding to further improve the farm and open up new revenue streams from developers locally.
“Mudchute is one of the few areas in Tower Hamlets where organisations engaged in construction can offset the loss of flora and fauna by investing in new habitats resulting in biodiversity net gain,” said Sue.
“But we have to have a lease in place in order to benefit from those arrangements.”
While Sue and Mudchute are at pains to stress there are currently no plans to close the farm or to alter how it operates, just continuing with the status quo will increasingly cause the charity problems and potentially force it to make hard choices.
That could mean charging for services and activities or even entry to the farm.
Negotiation between the council and the charity is seemingly at an impasse.
Free at the point of delivery, the farm is popular with local residents and visitors to the area – image by Jon Massey
However, there is provision in that policy to accommodate longer leases for organisations “where there is an opportunity to seek grant funding from organisations outside the council e.g. Big Lottery Fund” where those applications can only be made on longer leases, typically 25 years or more.
On the face of it, this may apply to the Mudchute Association and the council’s current position on the matter is unclear.
As the only 32-acre farm in the borough (one of the largest city farms in Europe, for that matter) it could well be considered a special case.
“I don’t really understand what the council’s position is, apart from the fact that they don’t like to give long leases to any organisations,” said Sue.
“That seems a bit short-sighted in my view, considering what we do here.
“There’s also been the suggestion that we pay rent for the first time in our history, beyond the peppercorn levy of our old lease.
“We are a charity and we don’t have a lot of excess money, but that’s something we may have to look at – the important thing is we have a fair offer from Tower Hamlets.
“We can’t agree to a rent that in five years time could go up exponentially and we can’t afford to pay.
“But we will look carefully at any offer we get.”
The farm supports rare breeds and has sheep, goats, pigs and cows – image by Jon Massey
ongoing negotiations
Sue and the charity are hoping to resolve the matter with the council through negotiation, but given the past lease’s expiry and the slow pace of dialogue, they are also preparing to go to court over the matter if necessary.
They have launched a fundraising campaign to generate £75,000 with the intention of forcing a renewal – likely a 15-year term, at most.
The charity has also garnered extensive local support – expressed in a petition of more than 6,000 signatures – to raise the matter at a council meeting on July 16, 2025, to address both the lease extension and the principle of charging the charity rent for the first time.
Sue said: “We’d love to have this settled amicably without going to court. We’re all so passionate about the farm and, with a long lease, we could do so much more.”
Nobody from Tower Hamlets Council was available for interview for this piece, however the authority did send a statement.
A spokesperson said: “We remain committed to reaching a fair and sustainable lease agreement with the Mudchute Association that supports their work and benefits the community and we are engaging through the appropriate legal processes to ensure a fair outcome.
“As part of this ongoing dialogue, our chief executive and our corporate director of housing and regeneration will visit the farm to help move discussions forward.”
The Mudchute Association is keen to negotiate a new lease with the council as soon as possible – image by Jon Massey
key details: Mudchute Park And Farm
You can find out more about Mudchute Park And Farm and its campaign for a new lease online.
The Tower Hamlets Council meeting on July 16, 2025, will take place at 7pm in the Council Chamber at the Town Hall in Whitechapel, for those wishing to attend.
The Argentinian dancer and dance teacher suffered a slipped disc and turned to the exercise system to help her recover and strengthen her body.
“I’ve always been interested in movement and I have a degree in musical theatre, jazz dancing, singing and acting and I trained in New York at the Broadway Dance Centre,” said Sol.
“I’ve been working as a dance teacher since I was 21 and living in London for 12 years now.
“It was when I started to do Pilates after that injury that I discovered it was wonderful, not just for me but for everyone.
“As a dancer, I train very intensively, but I don’t like the anxiety that comes with training hard in the gym.
“I found Pilates very calming and mindful – you’re connected and you train very directly in every way.
“It’s not just about being strong.
“It helps you to walk, to stand, to be flexible, to be mobile.
“It doesn’t matter what age you are, or what your fitness level is, there’s always an option for you in a class.”
Founder Sol Bouille – image by The Island Studio
founding The Island Studio
After qualifying as a Pilates instructor, Sol built up her class load until she was full time.
Then after a number of years working in studios she realised she was dispensing advice to other instructors and started thinking about starting her own business.
“I wanted to have better ambience, better music and a better space in general,” she said.
“Initially, I wasn’t a hundred per cent sure about opening my own studio, but a space became available, right next to where I live,” said Sol.
“It was spacious and airy, with beautiful natural light and, when I walked in, I knew it was for me.
“Many studios in London are underground or don’t have many windows, so I was lucky to find this place.
“It was perfect, so I started with just nine beds for Reformer Pilates.
“The classes are small and there’s so much you can work on. It’s an intimate experience, so I now have a lot more friends.”
Classes feature dynamic movements based on the classical Pilates system – image by The Island Studio
growing the business
Opened in November 2022, Sol started as the only instructor, carefully building up the business, discovering the appetite for Reformer was strong in the predominantly residential community at Hackney Wick.
After hiring more instructors, her attentions turned to the future and growing the business.
While pregnant, a walk round Wood Wharf inspired her to get in touch with Canary Wharf Group, which was seeking Tower Hamlets-based companies to expand their operations in its newest neighbourhood.
Having also expanded to Kentish Town, Sol’s third studio has opened at Brannan Street, close to Union Square, this month.
“I’ve done all that and had a baby five months ago,” she said. “But I’ve always been creative beyond dancing – with colours, design and choreography.
“I’m doing everything at The Island Studio, I’ve created the role I always wanted.
“In Canary Wharf, just as at our other branches, we are offering small group Reformer Pilates classes.
“These are dynamic, following the principles of classical Pilates but with a modern approach.
“Each class is a full body workout based on flexibility, strength and mobility.
“We plan the classes in such a way that everyone is welcome, so you don’t have to be strong or flexible, you just have to be there.
“You can train at the level you want.
“The advantage of training in a small group is that the instructors can personalise exercises and modifications to your needs – similar to what would happen in a private one-to-one session, but more affordable.”
what to expect at The Island Studio
Reformer Pilates is unquestionably having a moment with studios opening across London and group classes at gyms consistently fully booked.
The Island Studio offers Wharfers a range of ways to experience its services.
“We have packages and memberships – the more you buy, the cheaper it is,” said Sol.
“When clients enter the space they will be greeted by an instructor.
“Then they take their shoes off and find their machine – the space is very clean and airy.
“People can buy grip socks from us or use their own.
“Then it’s simple, you don’t have to remember anything – the instructor will tell clients everything they need to perform every exercise and offer modifications where needed.
“There’s nothing to worry about.”
key details: The Island Studio
The Island Studio is now open in Wood Wharf’s Brannan Street.
A three-class intro offer is available for £48.
Full details of classes and packaged can be found online.
Pittagoras’ name is a fantastically neat way of summing up the Greek restaurant and takeaway, which recently opened up amid the street food businesses at Wharf Kitchen in Jubilee Place.
Co-founder Ilias Georgatos smiles gently as I explain that I’ve worked out the clever pun on Pythagoras (he of the theorem, the hypotenuse and all that half-remembered learning in dreary classrooms).
But, as with everything at Pittagoras, there’s an extra level – a deeper layer that comes together from multiple ingredients.
“There is the wordplay with Pythagoras,” said Ilias.
“But the name also showcases what we are doing. Our first location was in Tooting in a market and we serve our gyros on bread.
“Pitta is bread and, in Greek, the word for market is ‘agora’ – literally selling bread in the market.”
Pittagoras co-founder Ilias Georgatos – image by Jon Massey
the origins of Pittagoras
In similar fashion, the ingredients list for its signature pork gyros – meat in pitta with garlicky tzatziki, tomatoes, red onions, parsley, oregano and fries – only tells a fraction of the story and, for Ilias, it’s a tale that goes back to his roots.
“I’m originally from Kephalonia in Greece and I’m the third generation of my family to be doing the exact same job,” he said.
“My grandfather brought souvlaki to the island in 1956 and by the age of 10 I was helping my dad in the kitchen.
“After I finished school I didn’t study, I stayed next to my father, but at some point I realised I was sick of the job. That’s one of the main reasons I decided to come to London seven years ago.
“But then I was working in kitchens over here and managing restaurants and I realised the thing I’d decided I hated the most was actually the thing I loved the most.
“It was at that time I found my business partner – Gianni Perillo – who had a pizzeria in Tooting Broadway and he wanted to invest in my experience and my family’s heritage.
“That’s how we started out with Pittagoras, about three and half years ago.
“Now we have four locations in Hackney Wick, London Fields, Tooting and at Canary Wharf.
“This latest opening is the next step for us, the biggest operation and we’ve been doing great here – it’s been very busy right from the beginning.
“The beauty is that it works at all times of the day – we know how much customers love our food.
“Most British people have been in Greece at least once in their life so they are familiar with our food.
“It’s also a healthy option – you get a complete meal with the salad and the meat.”
Pittagoras operates at Wharf Kitchen in Canary Wharf – image by Jon Massey
detail in dining
You don’t have to spend long with Ilias to realise Pittagoras is all about detail.
The meat for its chicken and pork gyros is expertly grilled on large vertical skewers and only shaved with a miniature circular saw when the Maillard reaction has transformed the flesh closest to the heat into crisp, unctuous morsels.
Then it’s all about combining the harvest with the right balance of accompaniments in the soft, welcoming embrace of the pitta.
“The first thing to get right is the meat, the bread and the yoghurt, so we bring them all from Greece, although we do use a butcher here in London too,” said Ilias.
“We also make sure we buy the best vegetables we can for maximum taste.
“It can be hard to find the right quality of tomato in the capital, but we have a trick – we buy them on the vine and then leave them out of the fridge to ripen and get a little sweeter.
“For me, the most important thing is what I learned from my father.
“It’s the secret of what he does – he thinks that if he doesn’t like what he’s cooking then he can’t sell it.
“When I’m cooking, the question is: ‘Would I eat it?’. The answer must always be yes.
“To make good food, you need good quality meat, and a simple seasoning – salt, pepper – and for it to be cooked properly.
“In gyros, nothing can hide, there’s no filler, no restaurant sauces to mask tastes.
“My father is very proud of what we’ve achieved here, especially when I appeared on national TV in Greece.
“One Sunday, for a TikTok video, I made a giant gyros and it went viral and I was invited to appear. For a month, I went on every channel and it was madness.
“For someone to appear on TV from the island of Kephalonia, it’s a big thing – a great celebration.
“Growing up with my father, we had our ups and downs but we both love what we do and he still has a restaurant on the island.
“He took a little place from his dad and grew the business to 10 locations before the crisis in Greece.
“Now he has one location but makes about the same revenue as four shops because it’s very popular and people queue.
“He only does a few things – specialising in pork souvlaki – but people really like it, they wait 30 minutes.
“When I take my family over there in August, the restaurant is so busy we don’t get to spend much time with him so I was actually there last week to catch up.
“I ended up working next to him and that’s the way to spend time with my dad.
“It’s very interesting because, after seven years in London, sometimes you forget where you started and you need to get back to those traditional recipes.”
Freshly made pork gyros at Pittagoras – image by Jon Massey
open daily
Open every day, Pittagoras serves up its flavours in boxes for a little over £15 and in wraps for around £11. It also offers loaded fries for about £12.50 and salad boxes for around £10 or £14 with meat.
The restaurant doesn’t serve pork souvlaki as the charcoal necessary to cook it properly (in Ilias’ view) is a complex ask for a unit in the depths of a shopping centre. However, chicken souvlaki is available.
With Ilias’ partner looking after the business side of things, he’s free to focus on his passion – the cooking and the people.
“My top concern is the food, but also our staff,” said Ilias. “I spend much of my time in our branches and I love talking to our staff and customers. We need to see the impact of what we’re selling.
“It’s a passion. We work seven days a week and I take advice from my father who says that if you do everything the right way, then the money will come.
“I think that’s where many people go wrong and fail – as soon as the numbers become more important it’s a problem.
“The day we employ someone who thinks that way is the day I return to Greece.
“That’s my retirement plan, actually.
“I would open a little restaurant in Kephalonia and do the exact same thing.
“My wife thinks I’m crazy, but in some ways this is a hobby for me. I still feel like I’m not really working.
“Pittagoras’ growth has been organic so far – we don’t have investors or loans, just the money we put in.
“We would like to find another location this year to open, which seems about the right pace.”
Chicken gyros salad at Pittagoras – image by Jon Massey
key details: Pittagoras
Pittagoras is located at Wharf Kitchen on the lowest level of Jubilee Place.
The business is open daily from 11am-10pm, with delivery available on the usual platforms.
Certain Blacks’ Ensemble Festivalis set to return to Royal Docks for two days of “excitement, entertainment and a bit of education” over the last weekend in July.
“Right now it’s quite hectic,” said Clive Lyttle, artistic director at Royal Docks-based Certain Blacks, which curates the event.
“We’ve got two new directors on board and we’re training staff to work on the festival.
“We’ve got 10 young people who we recruit locally for the event – we try not to use volunteers because we know those living in the East End don’t necessarily have the ability to say they’ll do it for free and we want to give as many people as possible a bit of experience working in the arts.”
That focus on diversity is at the core of Ensemble Festival. Returning for a sixth time, the event is an outdoor celebration of circus, dance, physical theatre and street art – free at the point of delivery and as accessible possible.
Clive Lyttle, artistic director of Certain Blacks – image by Jon Massey
entertainment and education
“The festival represents everything we’re about at Certain Blacks,” said Clive.
“There’s education alongside the shows and hopefully visitors will find out some new things and they’ll be mesmerised and entertained while that happens.
“Everyone needs a bit of a smile with everything that’s going on at the moment, and we hope they’ll get out and enjoy the wider area as well.
“This year, we’re working in partnership with the Royal Docks Team, which will be launching its free Summer Splash lido on the Sunday.
“The festival itself is going to have a bigger footprint too including performances outside City Hall on the greens so we’re growing it. We’ve got some really fantastic shows and I’m very excited about it.”
Certain Blacks is part of a network called Without Walls, a national consortium of more than 35 organisations presenting arts outdoors to people in towns and cities across England.
It works to commission and develop new work each year that can then tour the country and is supported by the Arts Council, where Clive worked for many years with a special focus on Newham.
He’s also a local resident, living opposite Excel in the Flying Angel, a former seaman’s hospital for more than a century before its conversion to apartments.
Holy Dirt – image by The Clay Connection
how Ensemble Festival draws visitors to the docks
“While we’re a festival for locals, we also attract people from across London – that’s one of our big aims,” said Clive.
“We always try to book the best, diverse artists available.
“The biggest show will be Tell Me, a whole programme from Without Walls about the experience of being diagnosed with HIV and living with that.
“It features circus artists and really large red cubes – the acrobatics are spectacular.
“It’s presented by the Sadiq Ali Company and features breathtaking Chinese pole work.
“We also have Waiting Song from Mish Weaver, where two trapeze artists perform to live music.
“The two artists ask the audience what they are waiting for in the workplace and they chat to each other.”
The latter, billed as a “lyrical exploration of how anticipation shapes our emotions and actions” as the acrobats engage mid-air in “a melodic conversation about their hopes for the future” exemplifies the physical nature of many of the shows.
Other highlights include Hug by Levantes Dance Theatre, with an artist soaring about the docks on a sway pole, Holy Dirtby Vidya Productions and David Glass, which blends live percussion and Indian performance styles with modern physical theatre and NoMo by Tiago Fonseca – a clown show about addiction to screens featuring juggling and body language.
Palais De Dance – image by Big Feast / Malcolm Hart
a sense of fun
Ensemble Festival is often about radical movement then, but also a bit of a laugh.
“When the Mayor Of London moved in, they were a bit cautious about having shows right outside City Hall,” said Clive.
“But we’re working with the Royal Docks Team, which is based inside and this time we’ve got a great water installation that’s going to take place on the grass right next to the beach area.
“If the weather’s as hot as it has been recently, it’s going to be really amazing summer entertainment.”
Artizani and Tenderfoot Theatre’sHydropunk promises a chance for the public to get up close to the wet stuff as a “chaotic, yet playful water machine cranks into motion”.
The show is intended as a metaphor where everyone participating must work together to recycle the liquid and keep the fun flowing.
“We’ve also got quirkier acts, such as Palais De Dance,” said Clive.
“This show looks back to the Festival Of Britain, the 1950s and the whole dancehall culture, which we hope will speak to more of our older audiences.”
Presented by Olivier Award-winning live artist Miss High Leg Kick, aka Francesca Baglione, the spectacle promises a multi-sensory flashback with a twist to an era of celebrity appeal and the excitement of teenage nights out both then and now.
Other shows presented include The Hide, by Tilly Ingram, an installation and audio experience led by the artist that takes inspiration from birdwatching and reflects on hidden disabilities and Roots To Rise, a combination of poetry, movement and music that represents a call to ecological action from Nandita Shankardass.
Then, rounding things off, there’s Truth from Ramshacklicious and Hijinx, which will only be performed on the Sunday.
This “joyful street revolution” features a mixed cast of disabled and non-disabled performers and promises a riotous show that combines clowning with physical theatre and original music in an interactive, partly improvised happening with a message of hope.
Tell Me – image by Primo Video Productions
key details: Ensemble Festival 2025
Ensemble Festival is set to take place from noon-8pm on July 26 and 27, 2025 at Royal Victoria Dock.
All performances and activities are free to attend and no booking is required.
Precise times and locations will be available online prior to the festival and event stewards will be on site to guide visitors.
Hiraeth, a Welsh word, has no direct translation in English.
It’s used to express a deep longing for a home or place that’s become idealised in the mind – a kind of yearning nostalgia tinged with melancholy. It expresses connection.
Last year I was lucky enough to travel to Japan and experience just a few of its wonders.
The trip included a visit to an area riddled with hot volcanic springs – onsen – that the locals bathe in and use to gently boil eggs.
These are left bobbing in specially built pools by the side of the path with passers-by welcome to take one and pay via an honesty box system.
The memory was just one of a heap of glittering jewels from that trip, but one that rose to the surface sat in a recently opened restaurant in Stratford upon seeing the words “onsen tamago” as part of the accompaniment to its wagyu beef.
The trip to Japan was taken in the wake of my mother’s death and in grief we look for signs.
The flash of hiraeth came both from the recall of place but also that the meat’s place of origin – Miyazaki – is the surname of the director who made one of her favourite animations, the joyful My Neighbour Totoro.
While these are deeply personal coincidences, I mention them because the dishes of chef Daisuke Shimoyama at Kokin are so beautifully put together, so finely honed in fire that they are more than capable of living up to the kind of perfection hiraeth expects.
Miyazaki wagyu beef with tamago at Kokin – image by Kokin
simply perfect
On the plate – a piece of fine white porcelain softly glistening with a pattern based on ice crystals – the wagyu is simply perfect.
A delicate huddle of flesh and vegetables bathing gracefully and butter-soft on the tongue, it’s deep, rich and savoury.
This really is cooking of the very highest quality and, like any restaurant at that end of the scale, Kokin has the power to dance with emotions – and dance it does.
Our meal actually begins not with beef but with extraordinary joy – quite probably the prettiest platter of starters available in east London (or perhaps the whole city).
This tray of wonders includes oysters snuggling under a blanket of apple and jelly, single bites of steaming tofu, grilled tuna with egg yolk curry sauce, smoked mackerel sushi and chawanmushi – a wonderful savoury custard.
The tastes and flavours are as bright as the garland of flowers decorating the tray.
It’s a thrill of a platter, each little bowl revealing new dimensions to the world, different textures and colours.
Daisuke is a subtle chef.
His dishes are simple on paper, beautiful to look at but astonishingly complex on the tongue.
While the presentation may appear chaotic at times, there’s little doubt that every ingredient, each little ferny leaf of garnish, is present intentionally and is part of the palette in a wider painting.
Three types of tuna plus salmon roe waiting to be made into sushi by diners – image by Jon Massey
celebrating the tuna
Wild bluefin tuna from Portugal is the star of the show.
We eat it as sashimi, on the bone in a dish of the fish’s collar and in Temae – a make-your-own sushi course with three cuts blended in a kind of salad with the orange pearls of salmon roe.
Time and again we’re transported as plates arrive.
Flavours and smells evoke memories and stir feelings of fun and excitement that confound the expectation of straight-laced fine dining.
Wood-fired ice cream bamboozles the senses in a lake of fermented raspberries.
A tray of “chef’s desserts” land somewhere between afternoon tea and jelly for a kid’s party.
Throughout, the staff are faultless, rapid and smooth delivering these culinary wonders with accuracy and dedication.
Kokin is not cheap, but it is exceptional value, so worth saving up for.
Set lunch menus start at £26, but with cooking of this quality it’s worth setting aside a budget and really going for it.
With an open heart, you won’t be disappointed.
5/5 *****
The collar of tuna served on the bone at Kokin – image by Jon Massey
key details: Kokin
Kokin is located on the seventh floor of The Stratford hotel in east London and is open from noon-2pm for lunch and from 5pm for dinner every day except Mondays.
The work of the Modulus Quartet comes with significant, literal depth.
They’ve performed down mines and in natural caves as well as down Sir Marc Brunel’s Thames Tunnel shaft at the Brunel Museum in Rotherhithe and on floating nightclub Thekla in Bristol – taking newly wrought music out of concert halls and into unusual spaces around the UK.
“Our whole project is to champion composers who are writing for string quartet and want to get their music heard – that’s our core ethos,” said Craig Stratton who plays second violin in Modulus.
“We like to perform in unusual venues to keep that contemporary feel.
“We also feature film in our concerts, which accompanies much of the music and is specific to the pieces we’re playing.
“Rather than having programme notes in the audience’s hands, we also like to showcase the composers themselves on video describing their pieces.
“It gives people a personal connection with the composer – we like our concerts to really be a team event featuring the composers, the filmmakers and us.
“We rehearse the pieces with the composers before we play them and develop these collaborations and connections.”
Modulus Quartet are set to performa at Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Theatreship
Modulus Quartet: a platform for new music
Modulus comprises Craig, Jonathan Truscott on violin, James Hogg on viola and nick Allen on cello, with the ensemble releasing its first album – 12 Seconds Of Light in 2017.
“The four of us have known each other for a few decades, having graduated from music colleges around the world.
“I was in Prague, John was in Romania, Nick was in London and I met James on a course in Vienna in the mid 1990s,” said Craig.
“We’ve all known each other in past endeavours and concerts, but I guess we formed Modulus because we all have a similar outlook.
“We thought: ‘There are plenty of quartets out there playing Beethoven and Mozart, why don’t we play music people haven’t heard?’.
“That way we’ve been able to showcase the work of budding composers and established writers who don’t get enough performance time on stage.”
more than a concert
Modulus are currently working on a second album, Evolutional, set to be released later this year, which includes pieces by Eliot Lloyd Short and Veera Lummi – composers whose work will also be played by the quartet during their first performance at Theatreship – Modulation #1 – on July 18, 2025.
This will also feature music by Nicholas De Carlo, Malcolm Lindsay and Siobhan Connellan.
“I’ve actually just interviewed Siobhan for the video that will be used as part of the performance and in promotional material in the run-up to the concert,” said Craig.
“We’ll be playing her piece August on the night.
“Another highlight will be a work by South African composer Eliot Lloyd Short – it’s in three movements and is really great, slightly minimalist but music that goes down well.
“Audiences can expect not just to sit down and listen, but to have an experience in an unusual venue with film and composer interaction.
“All your senses will be stimulated in what is an intimate venue – we like to talk to our audiences too.
“We want to build a community of composers and listeners that we hope will turn into something really interesting.
“We felt Theatreship itself would be a great venue for that and we’ll be doing at least two concerts there, this one in July and another in October.
“We have plenty of music to show the world and then we’d love to have an ongoing residence at the venue in the future.”
key details: Modulus Quartet at Theatreship
The Modulation #1 programme is set to be performed at Theatreship on the Isle Of Dogs by Modulus Quartet on July 18, 2025, from 8pm-9.30pm.
Tickets cost £23.66 and are on sale now. The second concert, Modulation #2, will take place on October 17, 2025.
The vibrant hues of the tartan carpet that greets visitors to Boisdale Of Canary Wharf are a direct link to its owner’s heritage – as potent a visual flavour as its oxblood red walls for locating the mind in a space dedicated to hospitality and relaxation.
There’s always been a solidity about the place, which owes a not inconsiderable debt to the generations of Clanranald Scots who came before and begat its singular owner, Ranald Macdonald.
It’s perhaps one of the reasons the restaurant is celebrating 15 years since opening its doors on the estate.
Appropriate then, that Bosidale has chosen to partner a brand that also boasts significant lineage to garland its outdoor space in recognition of the anniversary.
Flor De Caña has been making rum in Nicaragua at the base of the San Cristóbal volcano for five generations and lends both its flavours and decals to Boisdale’s Tropical Garden Terrace – now open to drinkers and diners.
“We’re lucky to have an extraordinary florist who has helped us create the look,” said Tony Havin, general manager at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf for the better part of eight years.
“Rum felt like the right flavour and then the idea of frozen cocktails came alongside the decision to offer tapas and a menu that’s not so full-on because it’s summer and guests want something lighter.
“The terrace is really a tropical paradise.
“I love Boisdale, it’s so much more than a restaurant.
“The only other place I’ve worked at for this long was at Mirabelle for Marco Pierre White.
“In Canary Wharf we offer such a lot – there’s a thousand whiskies, a great wine list, the food in the restaurant, the live music, the cigars and, of course, the terrace.
“It’s the diversity that first made me excited to work here.
“Not all amazing places have an outside space and the terrace is so important for us.”
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf bar manager Malika Kirchel-Sharper, left, and general manager Tony Havin – image by Jon Massey
icy refreshment at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf
Playful as ever, the terrace menu includes four rum-laced Daiquiris and a pair of Rooster Rojo tequila Margaritas all served frozen to take the edge off the heat for £14 a pop.
There’s a kiwi juice-based mocktail too for £10.
Light bites come in the form of tapas with salt cod doughnuts, black bean and corn empanadas, ham and cheese croquetas, crispy smoked haddock tacos, prawn ceviche and crispy fried whitebait available.
The Jacobite Lunch Menu offers Wharfers one course for £15 or two for £19 with the option to upgrade to a carafe of wine with
the latter for an extra £10.75. But perhaps the most compelling offers come further down the menu.
For £29.95 per person, pairs of diners can order the Surf’n’Turf sharing platter with a whole lobster and a 600g sirloin steak to fight over.
Then, in celebration of the restaurant’s 15th birthday it’s turned the clock back to 2010 price-wise with its classic burger and Scottish margherita pizza both available for just £8.
Executive head chef at Boisdale, Andrew Donovan – image by Jon Massey
creating the food
Andrew Donovan, executive head chef at Boisdale, is the man marshalling the pans behind the scenes to deliver flavours on the plate.
He said: “I’ve been working here for more than 10 years and the Wharf has changed. Boisdale was always an oasis in what was quite a sterile, corporate environment back then.
“But now, as the area has become more residential, it’s been humanised.
“There’s open water swimming, go-karting and rooftop gardens where once there was barren concrete.
“Our terrace has never been more beautiful and that’s because every venue here has had to step up its game.
“Boisdale Of Canary Wharf has always been about being true to itself – an eclectic collection of things that shouldn’t necessarily work together but do.
“We want people to come here and enjoy it whether it’s for a cocktail, some tapas or a three-course meal. You can have all that here and more.
“My favourite dish on the terrace menu is the haddock tacos.
“We take the fillets and trim them down to little goujons that are deep-fried and then served in the little wraps – built so you can enjoy all the elements and the garlic aioli comes through.
“What’s better than a fish finger sandwich?”
Surf ‘n’ Turf: Boisdale is offering diners a whole lobster and a 6oog steak for £29.95 per person – image by Boisdale
mixing the drinks
Dirty vodka Martini devotee Malika Kirchel-Sharper is responsible, as Boisdale’s bar manager, for the refreshment of those frequenting its terrace.
She said: “The highlights are the frozen cocktails including the sweet Manzana Loca, a pineapple and apple daquiri made with Flor De Caña sever-year-old rum.
“The quality of the syrups we are using to make these is really fantastic.
“I’ve been here since 2019 and it’s a brilliant place to work.
“After university I began my career working in pubs including the one that was used to film Bridget Jones in Borough.
“It was lovely, but didn’t really offer cocktails so I came to Boisdale to explore that.
“I love making Martinis, although I’m not a fan of a Pina Colada.”
There are sharp options with maraschino and grapefruit, bitterness with pomegranate and Campari and even a fiery chilli-laced tipple that’s billed as “like snogging fire”.
Frozen daquiris enjoy the sun on the venue’s Tropical Garden Terrace – image by Boisdale
a tempting Tropical Hour…
All can be enjoyed before 7pm on weekdays at double the volume during Boisdale’s Tropical Hour where it’s buy-one-get-one-free on frozen Daiquiris and Margaritas – two for £14.
“We wanted to create something that felt like a true escape,” said Ranald Macdonald, founder of Boisdale.
“The Tropical Garden Terrace captures the essence of summer – sun, flavour, music, and good company – right in the heart of Canary Wharf.
“This is our way of celebrating the summer and our 15-year milestone with the people who’ve made it all possible.”
There are few better ways to escape than via a frozen tipple or two.
In celebration of its 15th birthday, Boisdale Of Canary Wharf is offering diners 2010 prices, £8 each for its Scottish pizza and its standard burger – image by Boisdale
key details: the Tropical Garden Terrace at Boisdale Of Canary Wharf
Boisdale Of Canary Wharf’s Tropical Garden Terrace is now open, overlooking Cabot Square from the restaurant’s lower level.
For Jai Chan, growing up in Limerick, martial arts was an escape.
As the only Chinese person in her school, she was a target for bullies, but found empowerment by throwing herself into the discipline of Jiujitsu training as a teenager.
“My family came from Hong Kong and we moved to Ireland when I was eight months old,” said Jai, founder of Wutian Martial Art Institute, based at South Quay Plaza on the Isle Of Dogs.
“They were business owners running restaurants and takeaways – the usual stuff.
“I was always into martial arts because my dad’s side of the family were all policemen and they were all into self defence.
“I had a bit of a struggle, because they didn’t expect a girl to be interested in martial arts – my background was very traditional – but I really wanted to do it.
“I’d been doing a bit of Kung Fu at home and I didn’t start in a club until I was 13 – I took it seriously and paid for all my training myself.
“I even had to walk half an hour to get the bus.
“In martial arts, it doesn’t matter what culture you’re from, what your background is or whether you’re rich or poor.
“I found I had a talent for it – if someone showed me a move, I could repeat it immediately, so the instructors loved teaching me.
“It only took me two years to become an assistant instructor.”
A session at Wutian Martial Art Institute on the Isle Of Dogs – image by Wutian and Kidwise
the student becomes the teacher, then a founder
With instruction in Hong Kong mostly taking place on an informal basis in private apartments, Jai’s parents warned her against pursuing a career in martial arts, but by 15 she was already teaching children and adults.
A storied journey of training in multiple disciplines, competition and growth eventually led Jai to London with the aim of opening her own martial arts club.
However, her dream was initially deferred, as soon after arriving, she fell ill with Tuberculosis.
But Jai wasn’t ready to give up, taking on three jobs and launching her club, initially on a part-time basis.
Having successfully built her business over a decade, today Wutian is located on the Isle Of Dogs at South Quay Plaza.
“We offer kickboxing and Jujitsu sessions for children and adults and, when students reach higher levels, they also train with weapons,” said Jai.
“My instructor was the martial arts choreographer for the movie Ip Man and they have come over to help us with that sort of stuff too.
“We also offer a life skills programme to help children build confidence and develop their character.
“Parents love it because it deals with things like manners and cleanliness.”
Kidwise offers a wealth of activities for participants in its programmes to engage with – image by Wutian and Kidwise
creating Kidwise
However, this is not just a story about Wutian, there’s a second strand to the South Quay facility.
Having trained as a lawyer and developed a successful legal career, Jai’s business partner, Valerie Shao, had started to become more involved.
Feeling unfulfilled by the law, she decided to make a change, quitting without a concrete plan.
Then, inspired by the after-school clubs she attended growing up in Hong Kong, an idea came together.
“I always enjoyed them, perhaps more than school – learning music and art skills, for example,” said Valerie.
Working with business mentors in the US, the duo spent time developing their offering.
“We’ve created something complementary to the school curriculum,” said Valerie.
“Formal education is a framework where one size fits all, but we go beyond that.
“Our programmes for kids aged five-12 are not just about having fun, they’re also about learning new things.
“For example, we have a partnership with waterside market Canary Garden where the children can try running a stall to learn about business, understanding marketing and creating things they want to sell to parents and friends.
“There’s also the chance to specialise in sports including martial arts, dance, gymnastics, dodgeball, rounders, football and more and we employ specialist coaches to run those sessions – it’s essential they are high quality.
“Our approach is the same with other activities. I was a bit shocked to hear that arts and crafts at some camps were not well supported.”
“We are constantly surprised by how creative the kids are,” added Jai.
“One of the tasks is we give them lots of materials, put them into groups and challenge them to make boats that can hold marbles while afloat.
“In one session, the oldest team put everything together and it held about 20 marbles.
“The middle group only used tinfoil and elastic bands and their craft held 60.
“But the youngest kid built a boat just from folded baking paper only and it held 90.
“Not only was it a great design, but she was also able to convince her team that it would work and they should try it.”
Kidwise specialises in sport and physical activity – image by Wutian and Kidwise
equipping individuals with skills
And that’s really at the core of everything Wutian and Kidwise do.
The aim is to equip those attending sessions with skills they’ll be able to use throughout their lives.
But there’s fun to be had too, as well as lessons in how to conduct themselves.
“At Kidwise, children can earn free time to play board games, classic Gameboys or Nintendo through exemplary behaviour,” said Jai. “We call it cave time and we have a room filled with activities.
“If there’s poor behaviour, we always start with warnings – we never want there to be bullying in our sessions.
“Some children don’t know they are doing it and we help them understand the effects their behaviour can have on others.
“As someone who was bullied, I want to make sure all the children in our care are safe at both Kidwise and Wutian. That’s our first priority.”
Safety is the top priority for both businesses – image by Wutian and Kidwise
key details: Wutian and Kidwise
Wutian Martial Art Institute and Kidwise are based at South Quay Plaza on the Isle Of Dogs and offer a wide variety of services including date night childcare and birthday parties.
“There’s a lot of laughter here, a lot of light within the building – it’s not a sad place,” said Paul Richards, CEO of Richard House Children’s Hospice.
“The ethos of the organisation is to make the most of every day.”
For the last quarter of a century, the charity has been caring for children with life-limiting conditions and their relatives from east and north-east London via its base in Beckton and increasingly in their own homes.
It was founded in 2000 by Anthea Hare, a paediatric nurse at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel who witnessed first hand the struggles faced by young people and their carers and resolved to create a place where they could find respite, support and joy.
“She thought the children and their families deserved better,” said Paul.
“Without any prior experience of hospices, buildings, finance or planning, she learnt all these things very quickly, and managed to raise money to buy a plot of land just behind Royal Albert Dock.
“Our building opened 25 years ago this month, providing five residential beds for children.
“More recently we’ve been growing our community service to look after children at home too, which is increasingly popular.”
The charity offers care for children with life limiting conditions and their families – image by Richard House Children’s Hospice
Richard House Children’s Hospice: significant challenges
However, the hospice is under constant pressure, balancing what it wants to do with the money it receives.
“Running any charity like a children’s hospice is always very challenging,” said Paul, who joined as CEO seven months ago having spent much of his career in advertising with the likes of Saatchi And Saatchi.
“We are very fortunate in that we receive some money from the NHS.
“But for every pound in statutory income, we have to raise three or four pounds.
“The services we provide are delivered at a loss, because the tariff we’re able to charge doesn’t reflect our true costs.
“With the recent change of government bringing increases in national insurance and the like, our payroll has increased by about £100,000 a year.
“To keep Richard House going for the next 25 years, we are looking constantly at raising funds.
“In this financial year we need to find just under £2million to continue what we are doing. We have to reach out.”
Richard House is based in Beckton near Royal Albert Dock – image by Richard House Children’s Hospice
reaching out for support
While the charity enjoys support from organisations such as Excel, London City Airport, BNY Mellon, Clifford Chance, HSBC, St James’ Wealth Management, West Ham United and many more in Royal Docks, Canary Wharf and beyond, there remains an ongoing need, especially as Richard House intends to grow beyond its current offering.
“We currently have just under 190 on our case list at the moment but we want to expand as the demand is obviously there,” said Paul.
“In 25 years I would like Richard House to be celebrating its 50th year as London’s first children’s hospice and I’d like to be talking about 500 cases on our books, celebrating the successes of the children we’ve supported to live longer, better lives despite the conditions they have.
“We are on a bit of a mission to explain what services are available, so people understand.
“When parents receive a diagnosis, they believe their child is going to die – and the support and services we offer at the end of a child’s life is part of our function – but we do so much more to support the children.
“We have activities, music therapy, sensory equipment – we’re very centred on each individual child.
“Hospices aren’t just about palliative and end-of-life care.
“With advanced medical care children are surviving far longer than they might have done in the past.
“A lot of our work is to enable children to come in and be supported while their parents have a short break.
“For example, families might come in, stay in one our flats and then go out for a rare night on their own while we do the heavy lifting.
“We provide support not only to the child but also the parents.
“We host events – art days, baking days – and the children come in with their carers and enjoy a party.
“It’s good that parents can meet together and we also employ two parent partners who have experienced our services to support families with their insights – that’s so valuable.”
The charity offers a wide range of services including respite care to give parents and relative a break – image by Richard House Children’s Hospice
a personal connection
“Running a children’s hospice is something I really wanted to do,” said Paul.
“I’m a bereaved parent, as is my wife and when we lost our respective children, neither of us had the opportunity to engage with the services Richard House is able to provide.
“I had spent six years as a trustee at another large regional children’s hospice, five of those as vice-chair, which gave me an insight into the huge impact that these services can have, not just on the children they care for, but on parents, carers and siblings.
“My daughter died at 23 weeks and my wife’s daughter died at the age of five.
“It changes you as a person and I have a far greater understanding and greater empathy for the parents I meet day-to-day.
“I don’t share my lived experience with our parents because I’m there to support them, but it absolutely informs my approach to what we do.
“We have a world-class clinical team and I know that the support we offer is quite literally second-to-none.
“Right now, the future of the hospice is about how we can meet unmet need and that’s a commercial issue – raising the money, awareness and spreading the word.
“We need financial support but we’re also always looking for volunteers.
“We operate six shops people can work in and there are jobs to be done around the hospice too. We’d love people to get involved in raising money on our behalf.
“Attending events and talking about the work we do is also important to us.
“The work of our patrons, Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter is enormously important too, but we need to reach out and engage with more people if we’re going to deliver the services people deserve.”
Richard House currently works with 190 children and wants to grow its operation – image by Richard House Children’s Hospice
key details: Richard House Childen’s Hospice
You can find out more about Richard House Children’s Hospice, the work it does and ways to support the charity on its website here.
