Greenwich Peninsula Archives

January 27, 2025January 27, 2025

Silvertown Tunnel set to open in April with charges and changes

Wharf Life’s handy explainer on what to expect with the Blackwall Tunnel also tolled plus free bus journeys, DLR trips and a cycle shuttle

The Silvertown Tunnel is undergoing final testing and should open in April

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what’s going on?

The Silvertown Tunnel is set to open on April 7, 2025, assuming Riverlinx and TfL’s carefully laid plans come to fruition.

what’s that?

It’s a new road crossing under the Thames between Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsula, named for the neighbourhood in the former where its twin bores pop up.

isn’t that the route of the Blackwall Tunnel?

Not quite. That one runs between the Peninsula and, well, Blackwall.

but there’s quite an impact on both isn’t there?

Correct. From April 7, tolls will apply for drivers in both tunnels.

This is to fund the construction of the new link and ongoing maintenance of the two crossings. It also avoids pushing drivers towards one tunnel.

go on, how much?

Charges will apply between 6am and 10pm. At peak times (6am-10am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays) cars and small vans will pay £4 for each crossing, large vans will pay £5.50 and lorries £6.50.

At weekends and from 10am-4pm and 7pm-10pm on weekdays, the charge is £1.50 per journey. There is no charge between 10pm and 6am for any vehicle.

In contrast to the Congestion Charge and the fee for the Dartford Crossing, motorcyclists and moped riders are not exempt with peak journeys charged at £2.50 and off-peak at £1.50.

how do I pay?

The best option is to sign up for TfL Auto Pay, which also administers the Congestion Charge and LEZ and ULEZ levies in the capital.

Users register their details online and can choose to pay by Direct Debit or card.

Those not using this system pay peak charges via phone or online at all times when using the tunnel.

are there any discounts?

There are. Drivers on low incomes can get 50% off if they live in the boroughs of Barking And Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest. This will be available for at least the first three years.

The link features a dedicated bus lane, with most road users charged to drive through it

what about businesses?

Small businesses and charities based in Greenwich, Newham, or Tower Hamlets can register up to three vehicles for a £1 discount per off-peak journey for at least the first year of the tunnel’s operation. This discount applies to Auto Pay only.

Vehicles with a disabled tax class, taxis licensed by TfL, Blue Badge holders and certain other exempt vehicles will be able to use the crossing for free.

what are the benefits?

TfL says the tunnel should help reduce congestion, delays and queues, help tackle pollution and improve the resilience of the road network by providing alternatives for drivers when either tunnel needs to close.

In addition to boosting road capacity, the opening of Silvertown Tunnel will provide new public transport routes.

so more buses?

Yes, at peak times, the crossings will see the number of buses rise from six to 21 per hour thanks to the introduction of Superloop SL4 between Grove Park and Canary Wharf and an extension to the 129 from Lewisham to London City Airport and Great Eastern Quay.

These join existing services on the 108 through Blackwall Tunnel.

TfL says cross river services will be free for the first year to encourage people to use public transport through the new links.

wait, free?

Yes, there’s more too.

For the first 12 months, those making journeys between Island Gardens and Cutty Sark or Woolwich Arsenal and King George V on the DLR will also find their journeys refunded as TfL works to tempt people to swap their cars for alternatives.

The discounts only apply to pay-as-you-go journeys between the stations listed, not longer trips.

anything else?

There’s good news for cyclists too.

The Silvertown Tunnel will have a Cycle Shuttle Service, free for the first year and operating for at least three years, running between Seagull Lane in Royal Docks and Millennium Way on the Peninsula.

This will run every 12 minutes every day from 6.30am to 9.30pm.

are the kids alright?

A puzzle. At the time of going to press, it looked like drivers under the age of 18 – moped riders aged 16+ and car drivers aged 17 – might have to pay the maximum peak toll for crossing through either tunnel at all times.

That’s because off-peak discounts on the charges are only available when using TfL Auto Pay, a service that says it’s only available to those aged 18 or over.

No discounts apply for payments made by phone or online, which are the only other options to make payment.

At off-peak times, that means mopeds riders and motorcyclists would pay an extra £1 per journey and car drivers an extra £2.50.

A TfL spokesperson told Wharf Life: “We are currently looking at how we can ensure that those aged 16 and 17 with a registered vehicle can access TfL Auto Pay to benefit from off-peak user charges for the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels and will provide an update in due course.”

It said vehicles registered with TfL Auto Pay under a parent or guardian’s account would benefit from the discounts.

It has now altered its web page to clarify that only vehicles registered via an adult’s account will get the discount.

Fine for those aged 17 and under with access to a willing parent or guardian…

key details: the Silvertown Tunnel

More updates and information on the Silvertown Tunnel, which is set to open on April 7, 2025, as well as all the services that are due to come into effect once it does can be found on TfL’s website here.

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January 24, 2025January 24, 2025

Greenwich Peninsula set for day of Lunar New Year celebrations

Events to mark Year Of The Snake include dragon and lion dances, craft workshops and plenty of street food from noon-4pm on February 1

Lunar New Year celebrations will come to Greenwich Peninsula on February 1, 2025

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Greenwich Peninsula is set for a day of events to mark the arrival of the Year Of The Snake on February 1, 2025.

Celebrations for Lunar New Year will run from noon-4pm with a host of free and paid-for activities scheduled.

Those attending can expect workshops, cultural performances, a paper lantern installation and dishes from Asian street food vendors in addition to offerings from Canteen Food Hall And Bar.

“We’re excited to see Greenwich Peninsula once again transform into a hub of celebration for Lunar New Year,” said Greewnich Peninsula director, Laura Flanagan.

“Our riverside neighbourhood is the perfect destination to experience art and creativity, and this year’s programme has something for everyone.

“With themes of connection, prosperity and renewal, we’re delighted to collaborate with so many talented performers, artists and experts to bring these experiences to life.”

Highlights on the programme include the return of the traditional dragon that will once again weave its way through the area as well as lion dance performances – new for 2025.

Through acrobatics, puppetry and rhythmic drumming, these spectacles aim to chase away bad fortune and welcome good luck for the year ahead.

A range of workshops and activities will be on offer

celebrating on the Peninsula

“Greenwich Peninsula boasts an unrivalled offer for anyone looking for a London less ordinary,” said Visit Greenwich chief executive, Barrie Kelly.

“Its Lunar New Year festival is just one of the brilliant cultural offerings enjoyable year-round, bringing community together through creativity.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with them and can’t wait to get involved with all the amazing events on offer.”

The area’s Lunar New Year programme is part-funded by the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund and supported by the Greenwich Council and the Mayor Of London and in partnership with Visit Greenwich.

Activities will include workshops from Yi Crafts, offering visitors the opportunity to try bamboo weaving, Chinese knot-making, woodblock printing and paper cutting.

There will also be an opportunity to learn or master Mahjong, guided by experts from Dear Asia language school.

Its free sessions at Bureau in Design District will also cover the game’s history and explore various strategies available to players.

Greenwich Peninsula is easily accessed from across east and south-east London thanks to North Greenwich Tube station, the London Cable Car and the Uber Boat By Thames Clippers river bus service.

The area boasts a wealth of attractions including the diverse architecture and creative businesses of Design District, the restaurants, shops and venues in The O2 and plentiful parks.

Visitors will find plenty of places for refreshment and entertainment including the independent street food traders at Canteen, Firepit Art Gallery And Studios and Oxygen Active Play and Hollywood Bowl at The O2 for kids.

There’s even the opportunity to try indoor skydiving with iFly’s 170mph vertical wind tunnel, for those seeking a thrill on their trip to the area.

Visitors will be able to try woodblock printing at Greenwich Peninsula

activities for Lunar New Year at Greenwich Peninsula

As Lunar New Year approaches, here’s a run down of Greenwich Peninsula’s activities and attractions on February 1, 2025, so you can plan your visit and avoid missing out…

>> when? Noon

Brut Tea Tasting – £5

Join Brut Tea founders Joyce and Raphael for an intimate tea-tasting session showcasing four blends from the company. Book online for this session at Design District’s Salon

>> when? Noon, 12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm

Chinese Knot-Making – £6

Yi Crafts will welcome visitor’s to Design District’s D4 building for a series of 30-minute interactive workshops exploring this intricate art form. Participants will create decorative ornaments. Pre-book online.

Dear Asia will be hosting two sessions of Mahjong

>> when? 12.30pm, 2.45pm

Play Mahjong – FREE (book)

Dear Asia will lead two 90-minute sessions where participants will play and learn about this ancient game. Ideal for beginners. Book a spot in advance for a game at Design District’s Bureau restaurant.

>> when? 1.30pm, 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm

Paper Cutting – FREE (book)

Take half an hour to immerse yourself in the delicate and festive art of paper cutting with Yi Crafts workshops. Participants will create decorative pieces during the sessions. Book ahead.

>> when? 1.30pm, 2.15pm, 3pm

Lion Dance – FREE

Perhaps the heart of the celebrations will be a pair of dances performed one after the other in Peninsula Square. First up, a dynamic lion dance will chase away bad fortune with vibrant costumes and powerful drumbeats.

>> when? 1.45pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm

Dragon Dance – FREE

After the three lion dances, a traditional dragon dance will follow with the creature winding its way through the crowds under the careful guidance of the performers. The dragon is said to bring luck, prosperity and renewal for the year ahead.

There will be lots to see and do to welcome the Year Of The Snake

>> when? 2pm, 3pm

Bamboo Coaster Weaving – £10

These two workshops by Yi Crafts will see participants discover the techniques behind this traditional practice. Participants will use sustainably sourced bamboo strips to make their own coaster. The hour-long workshops, at Design District building D4, should be booked in advance.

>> when? 2pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 3.30pm

Woodblock Printing – FREE (book)

Also run by Yi Crafts at D4, these half-hour sessions are intended for those seeking “a creative and meaningful” Lunar New Year experience with those taking part learning traditional techniques to create their own printed works.

key details: Lunar New Year at Greenwich Peninsula

Lunar New Year celebrations at Greenwich Peninsula are set to take place on February 1, 2025, from noon-4pm.

While much of the festival is free to attend, some activities require pre-booking, while others are paid.

Find out more about the activities here

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December 4, 2024December 4, 2024

iFLY At The O2 indoor skydiving is like stepping into another world

How the indoor skydiving attraction on Greenwich Peninsula allows you to fly in 170mph winds

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There exists at The O2 an opportunity to literally step into another world.

Inside iFLY, four massive jet engines – two at the top and two at the bottom – pump air through a vertical cylinder to create winds of around 170mph.

The walls of the chamber might be transparent, but the conditions within are completely different to anything else at ground level.

It’s a place where physics no longer makes sense to one’s body, where extraordinary things are possible. It’s a complete rush for the senses, the mind and the muscles.

Apt then that the concept of indoor skydiving is a paradox.

Obviously it’s not possible to fall out of a plane while in a building.

But iFLY’s facilities offer the next best thing – an opportunity to experience some of the sensations of free fall without the need for an aircraft.

More than that, its flights don’t require parachutes, significant prep or, crucially, the massive time sink and expense of jumping out of actual planes.

There’s also a comparatively tiny risk of death.

Heading down to the Greenwich Peninsula to give it a go, I’m nervous.

It’s not often I’m invited to step out of my comfort zone in quite such a literal sense.

Having signed a waiver and headed up stairs the first thing I see is the wind tunnel itself – a glass tube inside which an instructor is watching a participant apparently defy gravity.

There’s that paradox.

The vertical wind tunnel allows those entering to float on the updraft and perform acrobatics

Even through the soundproofing, the roar of the air is constant.

After a quick safety briefing, during which our instructor reveals he’s a veteran of some 250 actual sky dives, we don helmets, goggles and baggy flight suits – loose to create more drag and make the flying easier.

In contrast our instructor is in a sleek, skin-tight number for maximum control and minimum drag.

It’s his job to stand, impervious to the wind, and guide the paying guests into the air.

Once we’re through the air lock into an antechamber, the noise makes talking impossible. Communication is via hand signals and I’m beckoned forth for my flight.

The directions are clear – flop forward into the wind, legs out and try to relax with outstretched arms.

That’s easier said than done with the relentless buffeting of the wind and the noise.

But there’s a strange feeling of lift and I’m basically hovering when, quite clearly, I should be falling to the floor.

It’s like no other sensation.

Wharf Life’s Jess Maddison takes to the air in iFLY At The O2

The instructor grasps me round the waist to start with and positions me in the rushing air, adjusting my position before gradually releasing me completely.

I’m flying, even if I’m unstable and have no control or ideas about how to manoeuvre.

After what seems like minutes, but is probably seconds of sensory overload, he pushes me back out of the tube and my feet hit the floor.

The adrenaline is surging. I’m euphoric. I understand why people want to go back again and again to taste that strangeness.

At the end, the instructor offers a showcase.

Bobbing up and down in the tube, he effortlessly executes flips and headstands, shooting up and down apparently at will.

It’s breathtaking and a tantalising display of the proficiency that can be achieved in this otherworldly realm.

Wharf Life Verdict: 4/5

key details: iFLY At The O2

iFLY’s current Black Friday 2024 deals mean an entry-level Kick-Start experience costs £32.99 per person.

The normal cost is £109.99. This includes two flights (lasting the equivalent of three real skydives), equipment hire and a flight certificate.

Numerous other packages are available including virtual reality at The O2 facility.

The most popular is currently £43.19 per person and includes photos and videos of four flights. This is normally £149.99.

Find out more about the experience here

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October 4, 2023October 4, 2023

Greenwich Peninsula: How Björn from ABBA welcomes Antony from Blue to Mamma Mia! The Party at The O2

Ulvaeus and Costa talk music, Greek heritage and performance as a new Nikos arrives at the venue

Antony Costa and Björn Ulvaeus at Mamma Mia! The Party in The O2

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Björn Ulvaeus is in a jovial, reflective mood – surprising, perhaps, for a global megastar who’s already spent much of his morning being interviewed by a merry-go-round of journalists at The O2 before I get to him.

He’s at the Greenwich Peninsula venue to mark the arrival of Antony Costa – best known as one quarter of boy band Blue, who has just joined the cast of Mamma Mia! The Party, which has been playing in its own dedicated space within the giant tent since 2019.

There’s a feeling of serendipity about the whole thing.

ABBA – namely Björn, Benny Andersson, Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad – reportedly gave their first impromptu performance on a beach while on holiday in Cyprus.

Antony has Greek Cypriot heritage and is the first person in the London run directly connected with the culture to take on the role of taverna owner Nikos, whose establishment is the setting for the immersive show.

Sat in the vast space, completely transformed into a restaurant on Skopelos with hundreds of seats, it’s impossible not to wonder what moments of fresh serendipity might take place under the lights as Antony and co dance, sing and entertain the expectant crowds.

Who might be inspired? What might they do?

“Everything with ABBA was so organic, it happened by chance,” said Björn.

“Benny and I happened to meet each other, then we happened to meet those ladies and they happened to be singers.

“They could easily have been something else.

“We never thought about forming a group until two or three years into our relationships – we were just two couples.

“Then, again by chance, Agnetha is a true soprano, and Frida is a mezzo – it’s when she strives to get up to where Agnetha is and they sing in unison, there’s a strange kind of metallic, longing sound which you can hear from miles away.

“That is the sound of ABBA. It has a quality that, when the song is a bit sad, in a minor key and the lyrics are dark, the voices seem to be jubilant, so happy and sad at the same time.

Performers sing and dance among the audience

“It’s very Nordic and it was probably very exotic to the rest of the world.

“Then, at the same time, Benny and I were determined to become very good songwriters and to record our music as well as we could.

“ABBA was the most wonderful vehicle to communicate those songs though, so it was a combination of all of those things that led to our success.”

One of the best-selling groups in the history of popular music, next came Mamma Mia! the jukebox musical, a film adaptation – then a second – each adding fresh waves of popularity and further cementing the presence of hits such as Dancing Queen, Super Trouper, The Winner Takes It All and Waterloo in the public consciousness.

Mamma Mia! The Party, however is different.

Conceived after a visit to Skopelos to see the film set, Björn set about creating an immersive experience that would serve as a sequel to the movies – initially opening in Stockholm – before bringing the show to London.

The show takes place in a giant Greek taverna

“That’s the thing about this – it’s so real,” he said.

“It’s a real restaurant. The audience are eating, it has an owner, he’s called Nikos and the family are working here.

“The movies are fiction, but this is real and that’s what people feel when they come.

“People would stand up, sing and dance at the end of the stage musical and I wondered how we could make this immersive.

“It feels great because you can see people enjoying the music, singing all the words and it’s real.”

Antony, who hails from Barnet in north London, said: “The idea is that people leave their troubles at the door, they just enjoy the vibe, the music and the story.

“Nikos and his wife Kate (Gemma Maclean) have had this idea that they will make some money off the back of the movies.

“ABBA is popular, so they decide to use the songs.

“They trade off the taverna as a location and that’s how the story begins. It’s my second immersive show and it’s amazing.

“You have to be in character but you can go up to the tables and ask the guests how their food is.

“They’re always sending their compliments to the chef, they love it.

“My dad’s family are all Greek-Cypriot, so when I lived in Cyprus as a kid, I used to see it all the time – gran peeling the potatoes, dad smoking and cooking the barbecue – and that makes it real.

“I was actually a bit emotional that someone had taken the trouble to write something set in the motherland.

“It really brought me back to living in Cyprus as a kid and going to the taverna with the whole family.

“I feel very honoured to be performing these songs and to have Björn watching and for him to say: ‘Well done’ – I can die happy. I saw his face light up and that was better than any applause.”

Following the establishment of Mamma Mia! The Party, the eastern half of the capital is busy with the band’s footprint thanks to ABBA Voyage – a holographic concert venue featuring avatars of the four members – that opened in 2022, not far away in Stratford.

Guitarist Luke Higgins performs on a Bouzouki

“London is where all the infrastructure and talent is, so it was a no-brainer to bring the party here in 2019 after Stockholm,” said Björn.

“There’s a huge audience here, all prepared to try something new – an experiment, which this is, in essence.

“From here, we’re going to take it to other places around the world – perhaps New York and Sydney.

“Seeing Antony as Nikos was very special because he gives his own interpretation of the role.

“As the first person to play the role in London who comes from a Greek background, he completely understands who Nikos is and that is great – I loved seeing it.”

Mamma Mia! The Party runs Wednesday to Sunday at 6.30pm with noon matinees at weekends.

Tickets start at £108 off peak with various upgrades available.

You can find out more about Mamma Mia! The Party here.

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

May 18, 2023May 18, 2023

Greenwich: How Kinaara delivers authentic Indian cooking with a modern twist

Head chef Imamuddin Khan takes inspiration from his mother’s kitchen and mentor Vivek Singh

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If your mouth isn’t watering by the end of this article, I haven’t properly reflected the passion that Imamuddin Khan has for the food that he cooks and the cuisine that he grew up with.

As a boy of eight or nine he was fascinated by the apparent magic of the way his mother prepared dishes in the kitchen.

First he started watching, then questioning her before starting to help with the cooking himself.

“I had so many questions – all the time I’d be asking her why she was using particular ingredients, why some things were shallow fried and others deep fried,” he said.

“I was curious. I always wanted to know what the reasons were.

“For example, take onion seeds – the kalonji.

“If you eat them with no preparation, you don’t taste or feel anything. There’s no taste.

“But when you sauté them, they release their aroma and flavour into the oil. Then, when you cook your vegetables or meat in it, you will get that aroma and texture.

“When I learnt these things from my mother it was amazing.

“I’d be going into the kitchen, tasting spices and not getting much.

“But when she explained how they worked in recipes it made me say ‘wow’.”

These were the first sparks that lit the fire of a lifelong passion for cooking that finds Imamuddin today residing in Dagenham and working as head chef at Kinaara.

Named for the Hindi word for being on the shore, the principal restaurant at InterContinental London – The O2 boasts some of the city’s best views over the Thames towards the capital’s skyline.

The Greenwich Peninsula venue is a rich environment of deep blues, purples, golds, thick carpet and everywhere the river flowing past its expansive windows.

But all this is just a backdrop to the food, and that has its roots firmly planted overseas.

“About 35% of the flavours on the menu come straight from my mother’s kitchen,” said Imamuddin.

“I was born and brought up in Delhi. It’s the capital of India, so there is so much to eat, so much to see.

“Every culture in the country is in that one place – it’s very diverse and so I learnt cuisines from all over the country there.”

After training in the culinary arts, Imamuddin came to England at the behest of celebrated chef Vivek Singh of The Cinnamon Club on the recommendation of his brother, also a cook.

“Vivek taught me many techniques to give classic Indian dishes a modern twist,” said Imamuddin.

“After working with him on several restaurants, I went to the North East to open Haveli in Ponteland near Newcastle.

“But London for me is my home town and I was homesick so I came back to the city, working in hotels again before this opportunity came up.

“I came to the InterContinental and found it very tempting.

“The place was beautiful and the views were amazing. It’s one of the best locations in central London, so I said yes straight away.

“For me the challenge was to live up to the views with what I create on the plate, drawing on my background and all the experiences I’ve had as a chef.”

Spend any amount of time with Imamuddin and it quickly becomes apparent that the spices he uses are the backbone to all of his dishes.

It’s a palette of subtle tones and shades that he uses with the aim of transforming good ingredients into something more.

Food at Kinaara blends traditional flavours with progressive techniques

“At Kinaara, we are serving recipes with deep roots but modified into dishes that reflect progressive Indian food,” he said.

“Some people have the perception that Indian food is always hot or spicy. Here we have a hint of spice, but the flavours we use are aromatic.

“Take our halibut dish with mangosteen and curry leaf, for example.

“If you can’t taste the delicate fish then there’s no point to eating it.

“It’s all about enjoying the tastes, textures and the ingredients in balance.

“I want to create memories for people.

“This is a fine dining, destination restaurant and that gives us a lot of opportunity to make dishes with beautiful ingredients.

“All of the time our suppliers help us.

“We have very good relationships with them and they’re always bringing us the best ingredients that are in season.

“Then we work with the spices to create the dish.

“Knowing the spices and how they work together is very important.

“Then the ingredients we receive give a body to the food.

The restaurant serves a selection of small plates

“We use a lot of turmeric. I remember my grandmother saying to me that it makes the body soft – which is why it’s put on the couple’s skin during weddings – and that’s how we use it too.

“We cook it with meat to keep it tender and to give it flavour.

“We eat with our eyes too, so we use Kashmiri chillies, which have no flavour but such a beautiful colour and a wonderful aroma that will keep meat very red and shiny.

“Then there’s nutmeg. That helps lend a completely unique essence to food.

“That’s true of saffron too, which we use in our biryanis.

“We cook rice and meat together from scratch with royal cumin, covering the ingredients with a dough lid, which is edible too.

“It’s quite similar to a pie in that respect.

“Then you have the star anise, they will give a flavour and sweetness and will work with anything sweet for dessert.”

Although Imamuddin isn’t averse to a bit of fusion and complexity – with gruyѐre and truffles both finding their way into some dishes – in the end he always returns to his roots.

“I think we can say the Dal Makhani is my favourite dish on the menu – the black lentil,” he said.

“It’s one of the simplest dishes on the menu, but also one of the best.”

Kinaara serves a selection of small plates, starting at £10, from the grill and tandoor on its a la carte menu, while main courses start at £16.

One of the most popular options is the pre-show set menu served between 5pm and 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday. Diners get three courses at Kinaara for £75 per head plus a cocktail at Eighteen Sky Bar. This menu is ideal for those seeing a show at The O2, or who simply want to enjoy an early meal.

Bookings for Kinaara can be made via this link.

Imamuddin prefers gentle aromatic spice to let his ingredients shine

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

April 20, 2023April 20, 2023

Greenwich: How Outrivals creates a place to train with community at its very heart

Founder Matt Lo’s gym on The Tide offers workout facilities, small class sessions and personal training

Outrivals is located on Greenwich Peninsula

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Matt Lo’s vision is one of community.

Having dropped out of university, bored by his business course and keen to avoid getting into debt, the entrepreneur tried his hand in various sectors.

Following stints in estate agency, stockbroking and helming a failed website business, fitness beckoned.

“I fell into personal training,” he said. “I was always sporty – basketball, football and athletics at school and basketball for my county, Essex.

“But then you get into standard living, so it was nice to get back into fitness.

“What I learnt from the website business was that I wanted to gain some experience for a few years and earn my stripes before launching something.

“So I worked for Virgin Active in Moorgate, spent all my spare time studying, did my personal training qualifications in 2013 and that was it.”

From those beginnings, Matt started hosting outdoor fitness sessions in east London parks before successfully crowdfunding and opening his first physical gym in Old Street in 2016.

“I took my personal training clients, went freelance and that’s how things evolved,” he said. “Walking through those doors on opening day was beautiful, but also so stressful.

“We had plumbing problems – the changing rooms leaked into the gym floor and when we first opened I was there for several nights in a row lifting floorboards with water gushing out.

“I didn’t know what to do, but that’s part of the game – the unexpected stuff, the random scenarios. If you don’t want those challenges, then you shouldn’t run a business.”

With the leaks stopped, his first gym performed solidly up until the pandemic when, like many businesses, its model was upset by unprecedented circumstances.

When the Old Street gym closed permanently in 2021, buffeted by lockdowns and home working, the next chapter in Matt’s story was already unfolding.

“I first saw the space on Greenwich Peninsula about five years ago – but we couldn’t get funding for it back then,” he said.

“So I reached out to developer Knight Dragon as it was still empty and they said they were looking for an operator.

“We came in and opened in 2021 – I feel we’ve created something really solid for the community here.”

That something is Outrivals – a health and fitness space located on the Thames with its entrance facing elevated public space The Tide.

“When the agent showed me the unit in 2018 it looked really promising – especially with everything the developer was doing to create a community, building it up from scratch,” said Matt.

“I wanted to be a part of that. Outrivals has been set up as a place where people can come together to make friends and connections through fitness.

“Essentially, it’s a community-based gym.

The gym offers a range of membership options

“We offer small group classes and personal training with a team of people who are all specialised in their fields.

“It’s down to them that we have got where we are today.

“We’ve tested many different classes – sussing out exactly what people like.

“We wanted it to be a very strong facility, where people come knowing that they’re getting excellent training from very good staff, but having fun at the same time.

“We do strong-man and strong-woman classes where people lift 50k balls – stuff you wouldn’t be able to do at home on your own.

“We do an hour and a half endurance class and we have a leg-day on Monday.

“So we’ve worked on what we want to be about, but at the same time made these things fun for the people who are doing them.”

Memberships at Outrivals start at £30 per month for gym-only access – available for anyone who works, studies or lives in Greenwich.

Standard open gym memberships are £55. Small Group Training memberships start at £60 per month for four classes with eight session and unlimited options also available.

One-to-one personal training packages start at £99 per month with three hour-long sessions included.

“We also offer dedicated packages such as our 12-week strength, weight loss or post-natal programmes,” said Matt, who also runs Choy House, an Asian street food restaurant now based at Design District’s food hall Canteen, a little further south on the peninsula.

“We feel we’re on a really good journey here at this gym.

“When I first came here, there weren’t many buildings – the community was very new. Since then lots of people have moved in and lots has been built.

Outrivals overlooks The Tide park and the Thames

“To help boost that we create events, summer socials and charity challenges that help bring people together, not just in the gym but outside it as well.

“Personally, I understand the importance of fitness although I admit I’m hit and miss with how much I train.

“When I miss a session, though, I really feel it both mentally and physically, so I know what an effect it can have.

“Ultimately I’d like to grow the brand, launching in other new developments so we can widen out the community and bring even more people together – whether that’s in London, other cities or even internationally.”

Outrivals has a number of offers for those considering taking out a membership.

Prospective clients can try out the gym’s facilities for three consecutive days, including open access to training spaces and small group classes.

Members can also get up to £50 cashback for referring new clients who then take out a membership.

On the personal training front, in addition to packages for individuals, Outrivals offers sessions for couples or people who simply want to train together.

A £150 per month fee covers two sessions for two people with an Outrivals coach. Packages covering more sessions are also available.

For individuals who need more flexibility, the gym also offers blocks of personal training that can be used over a two-month period instead of the usual one-month expiry date.

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

April 6, 2023April 6, 2023

Greenwich: How Wizard Works sew a little magic into all their bike packing bags

How co-founders Veronica Lowe and Harry Major run an open-hearted manufacturing business

Harry and Veronica in their workshop at Design District on Greenwich Peninsula

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The author Alan Moore, creator of Watchmen, V For Vendetta and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen maintains magic is very real.

It’s just that it lives in our minds rather than the real world.

A visit to Wizard Works at Design District on Greenwich Peninsula, however, does a little bit to confound that notion.

On the face of it, co-founders Harry Major and Veronica Lowe and their team hand-make a range of bike packing bags for cyclists in a bright and airy ground floor workshop.

Wizard Works is now a team of six at Greenwich Peninsula

But look more closely and there’s a little bit of magic running through the thread on every seam.

That’s because everything this company does has a purpose – design that stems from a real world problem or a lived experience.

When I arrive for our interview, Veronica seems buoyant.

A Crowdfunder prize draw she’s set up is gaining some traction and it’s for a cause close to her heart.

She and Harry had travelled to her native New Zealand at Christmas – the first time she’d been able to see her family for four years, due to the pandemic.

Sadly, not long into their trip, her father died suddenly. The couple extended their stay to be with family before Harry flew back, with Veronica set to follow on.

But then, in February, Cyclone Gabrielle hit, devastating the Esk Valley where she was staying – the floodwater rising so rapidly she and those in the household where she was staying had to take refuge on the second floor, before being rescued by boat the following morning.

In a blog post she wrote: “Eventually the rain eased, the water stopped rising and in the morning I was rescued.

“I cried as I was jet-boated to safety, through the vineyards I worked in as a teenager, the valley Dad spent his whole life cultivating, completely engulfed by the little river we grew up playing in.

“The devastation is heartbreaking, there are people and families that have lost everything, including their lives.

“My dad’s house, with all his special things, that only days before we’d organised and lined up in his hallway to collect – reminders of our lovely father – all totally destroyed.”

I mention this deeply traumatic set of events because Wizard Works’ reaction to it says everything about this small, independent company.

It’s created an AllBlack collection of bags with 50% of net sales donated to the Hawke’s Bay Foundation Cyclone Relief Fund and set up a prize draw to contribute to the relief effort for a disaster that killed at least 11 people, displaced some 10,000 and left homes, businesses and farmland in ruins.

While born of adversity, this latest project is perhaps emblematic of the open-hearted way Harry and Veronica run Wizard Works – a business that grew from a passion for cycle touring adventures, a bout of miserable winter weather and a desire for a creative outlet.

The couple’s business was born of cycling adventures

“We met in London,”said Veronica. “I was on a working holiday and my visa expired in 2011, by which time we’d been dating for a while and so he said he’d come with me when I left.

“We were not strangers to hare-brained schemes, like going round the world with someone you’d only just started dating.”

“We’d been in Melbourne for a few months and we did our first big ride together – maybe one and a half miles from a neighbouring suburb to have brunch in a cafe,” said Harry.

“We realised we’d ridden from there to here – it felt like we could do anything. We thought we might get a rainbow-coloured tandem and cycle round the world.

“Although we prefer two bikes, the feeling of that conversation stuck with us and we planned our first multi-day cycle around Mornington Peninsula.

“It was awesome and my first time camping – Veronica was the outdoors person.”

Hooked, the couple began planning – reading blogs and making lists – as they set their sights on a year-long journey by bike from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur.

Although they didn’t know it, their experiences on that trip were the foundation for what would become Wizard Works.

Wizard Works makes bike packing bags for commuting and adventuring

“After that trip we got holiday visas and moved to Vancouver to stay with a friend we’d met in Melbourne who told me we were going to need an indoor hobby because the winters in Canada are shit,” said art school graduate Harry, who grew up in London.

“He was right, it rained every day that October.

“So, having spent most of our trip around Asia talking about the gear we wish we’d had, we decided to do something about it and we bought a little Singer sewing machine and started making bags.

“I thought it would be easy, but it wasn’t – everything I made was terrible, but it was mesmerising.

“I loved that combination of technical problem solving and creativity. We started off making bags for ourselves and they slowly got better.”

The hobby turned into a side hustle with Harry and Veronica back in London gradually increasing the time they were spending on the business.

Finding success through online sales, they hired staff to cope with demand and took space in Peckham before outgrowing that and moving to Design District.

Today, Wizard Works is a team of six producing a collection of core products as well as custom-made bags.

The bags it makes are inspired by the Bike Packing movement, which aims to place luggage within the frame of the bike rather than having to rely on unwieldy panniers.

But it’s not just about function.

Veronica said: “Something that really felt difficult when we were buying things for the trip was that everything was black or brown.

“You could buy bags that were fun, but they were at the lower end of the quality spectrum.

“We wanted to do something which was more colourful and that fitted with our brand name.”

“Right from the beginning we just wanted to make the bags that we wanted ourselves,” said Harry.

“The name partly comes from Veronica’s older brother who used to say: ‘You’re a wizard, Harry, and a thumping good one at that,’ when he saw me because that’s what a British ‘Harry’ is.

“Wizard Works got a name and went from being a hobby to being a business – but we were always coming at it as the end user.

“We knew what worked, but we wanted it to have an aesthetic that lined up with the kind of bikes we were riding and the stuff we were wearing.

“In about 2017 and 2018 there was a kind of culture around kooky bikes – things people had built themselves. We wanted to be the luggage brand to go with that type of cycling.”

As you might be able to guess, there’s an enormous amount that won’t fit in this article – Wizard Works’ tireless battle to make its Cordura bags more sustainable, for example – but suffice to say it’s a brand well worth checking out.

A SELECTION OF WIZARD WORKS’ BAGS

Shazam Saddle Bag

Ideal for adventurers or commuters who carry larger loads – £195-£205

Alakazam Basket Bag

This bag easily expands and comes with straps for bigger loads – £148-£215

Lil Presto Barrel Bag

Mounts either to saddles or handlebars, ideal for the light packer – £68

All Wizard Works’ bags are made by hand in Greenwich

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

February 23, 2023March 8, 2023

Greenwich: How Karyna Sukha created Fabrika to serve fashion designers’ needs

The Greenwich Peninsula manufacturer also produces garments for Vavi Studio, her own label

Fabrika and Vavi Studio founder Karyna Sukha

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A niche is what every entrepreneur needs for their business to be a success and that’s what Karyna Sukha spotted while working in the fashion industry.

Originally from Ukraine, she came to the UK to study some 13 years ago.

“I did my degree at the London College Of Communication in graphic design and illustration, but I always wanted to work in fashion,” she said.

“My parents thought I should study architecture or interior design, so graphic design was somewhere in between.

“It’s something that gives you a wide range of skills.

“After university I started working for fashion companies such as Tata Naka, House of Holland, Alexander McQueen and Tateossian.

“I was mostly doing graphic design including print, textiles, photography, editing and that journey eventually led me to become a studio production manager

“That involved a lot of work with manufacturers to develop the collections and that’s when I first thought about starting my own company.”

Fabrika is based at Design District on Greenwich Peninsula

The challenge for Karyna and the designers was the traditional approach of the makers when faced with fresh ideas.

“At that time, communication was difficult and it was causing problems with both design and manufacturing,” she said.

“So I thought it would be great to set up a company that would understand the new generation of designers.

“I was a young graphic designer at the time – I had so many friends who were finishing their degrees in fashion and needed someone they could relate to and have their designs produced by.

“I bought a machine, started making garments for them and that was the start of Fabrika.

“After about three months we got our first client – a bigger brand – and we’ve now been working together for more than six years.”

Originally operating from North London, the business – which produces garments for Richard Quinn, Phoebe English and Matty Bovan as well as smaller labels and startups – recently moved to Design District on Greenwich Peninsula.

The business has grown to a team of 13 with further expansion planned

Occupying a lofty triple height space in one of 6A Architects’ steel, glass and marble cheesegrater-like buildings, Fabrika today is a team of 13, having grown its pool of skilled machinists to meet demand.

“We specialise in working with small designers producing anything from one to 300 pieces depending on their needs,” said Karyna.

“They might come to us with a drawing or a pre-made sample and we will then help them develop the design, produce a paper pattern and then continue to make reproductions for however many items they need.

“Our current turnover per month is 600 garments and we’ve moved to Greenwich to expand – we want to push things a bit further this year.

“I’ve developed with the company – I was in my early 20s when I started and I’m 30 now.

“It’s been a long journey to get where we are now.

“The more clients we got, the more people started talking about what we were doing because of the quality we were able to achieve.

“We expanded with machinists and some freelancers working from home.

“About two years ago I employed a studio manager and that really helped because before that I was doing everything myself.

“There have been ups, downs and lots of nice times over the past few years.

“But it’s always interesting to grow and develop, to try new things and to meet new people. Every challenge is a good challenge.

“There is definitely a demand for garments made locally and sustainably.

Karyna created Vavi Studio as a creative outlet for her own fashion ideas

“We’ve always tried to build strong relationships with the clients we work with – we love when they come down to see how their garments are made.

“Moving to Design District was about growth, but also about breaking the stereotype that manufacturing takes place in large spaces with no natural light.

“Here we have a beautiful space that is comfortable for our workers.

“We are trying to be as open as possible to show that manufacturing is not something scary that happens in the background but something people can see.

With the core business on a stable footing, Karyna has turned her attention to a fresh, albeit complementary venture, in recent years.

“I got a scholarship to study for a masters degree in international fashion business at Polimoda in Florence, which led me into thinking about what other ways there might be to develop Fabrika,” she said.

“We’d got to the point where everything was working without me having to be in direct control – I didn’t have to worry 24 hours a day anymore.

“So I stepped back a bit and tried to decide what other options there might be.

“I’ve always been creative and I wanted to put a little bit of creativity back into my business.”

Sapphire Dress, £195, and Opal Top, £100, by Vavi Studio

The result of that thought process is Vavi Studio – her own label, named for her younger sister.

It’s a creative outlet for Karyna’s own designs, which are then made to order by Fabrika in Greenwich.

“I wanted to develop clothes for the everyday, busy woman,” said Karyna.

“The collections are based on interchangeable garments, which can be mixed and matched and are appropriate both for a working environment and then going out in the evening.

“Each piece is made to order so there is no waste.

“I think sustainability is increasingly important – especially manufacturing in London where a lot of people expect this in the production of the garments they buy.

“We are making clothes locally rather than overseas, so that cuts down on transport emissions and a lot of our clients also try to source fabrics in this country.

Spinel Jacket, £285 and Moonstone Shirt, £185, by Vavi Studio

“Many ask for the offcuts too so they can recycle them.

“Right now, the plan is to expand, to grow the team and to start working with bigger brands to bring more production back to the UK.

“It does cost more but it’s good for the environment and for people to have longer lasting garments rather than ones they just wear once or a few times and quickly wear out.

“I hope that people will be thinking about these things in a more environmentally positive way in future especially as the industry has not been so good in the past.

“A lot of people are talking about it and brands should too.

“We do our best, but a lot depends on the designers too.

“Many are now interested in using recycled materials and that’s great.

“We also recently worked with a designer who was using silk that was produced without the silkworms being harmed – normally they die in the process.

“I think there should be more educational content produced so people know how things are made to enable them to be more responsible as consumers.”

Gatsby And Daisy Polo, £250, by Vavi Studio

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

October 26, 2022October 26, 2022

Greenwich: How Bureau offers space and connection for creatives on the Peninsula

Helen Arvanitakis on why Design District has dedicated buildings to freelancers and small firms

Design District director Helen Arvanitakis – image Jon Massey

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When I was a boy, on visits to my grandparents’ house, one of the highlights was an ancient bureau.

This may mark me out as a peculiar child, but this dark, mysterious piece of furniture, with its polished wood and an infinite number of drawers, nooks and pigeon holes, held a universe of possibilities and secrets.

In reality, it contained old gas bills and bits of unused string. I wasn’t to know.

I mention it because it shares some qualities with Bureau on Greenwich Peninsula – itself a multifunctional place of possibility.

Spread across two buildings at Knight Dragon’s Design District, the creative industries co-working space, membership club, bar and restaurant does many things – like that antique piece of furniture.

But its myriad spaces are anything but dark and mysterious, even if the pale grey fluting on one of the buildings has something of the roll top desk lid about it.

Instead both blocks, designed variously by Architecture 00 and HNNA, are light, airy and functional.

“It’s somewhere for freelancers, gig workers, start-ups and small businesses that want to stay small – it’s secure, professional and very good-looking,” said Design District director Helen Arvanitakis.

“To give it some context, these two buildings are occupied entirely by Bureau, with the interior design created by Roz Barr Architects.

“It was important for us to have a single company doing that because even though the two buildings look different, people should get the sense in both that they are still in Bureau.

“From the outside, one feels quite angular and macho with a lot of exposed concrete, while the other has an undulating facade with more exposed timber and windows that punctuate the walls, creating pockets of light throughout the building rather than big, open expanses.”

Access to Bureau comes at many levels, with day passes available for £15 plus VAT, covering use of a desk from 8am to 8pm.

Monthly hot desking costs £125, fixed desks are £230 and serviced studios start at £280 per desk, all plus VAT.

Helen said: “We do vet applicants to some extent, although we’re fairly relaxed.

“We broadly follow the government definition of the creative industries – which is a really wide group, everything from heritage, museums and galleries, through to fashion, advertising and so on.

“However, we’ve expanded that a little bit, because we’ve found that there’s real value for our members and tenants to have businesses that are on the periphery of the creative industry.

“For instance, we have a specialist in intellectual property law, and that comes up a lot in the sector – it’s something that adds value to the community.”

That word – community – is at the heart of the Design District project and Bureau is much more than a co-working silo with some interesting looking neighbours.

“As a member, the benefits include being in a professional environment with someone on reception and lots of spaces you can use within the buildings,” said Helen.

“There are phone booths, meeting pods, bookable rooms with big screens and all the kit for doing video-conferencing, presentations and so on.

“We also have a totally fantastic restaurant with a brilliant team of chefs, which is open into the evening as a full-on bar.

“Then we also have an events programme with a good mix of stuff designed to inspire people and to educate them on particular aspects of the creative industries.

“But there’s also a lot of interaction between Bureau and the tenants in the other buildings at Design District.

“We wondered when we were setting it up whether we would be able to achieve that, because the temptation is to hang out with Bureau members.

“So we regularly host social events and work hard to introduce businesses and individuals where there’s cross-over.

“For example, one of our members is a company that designs beautiful books.

“They recently worked on a knitting guide written by Tom Daly and used a post-production company based at Design District as a venue to do the photography shoot with him.

“Having that proximity was really helpful. I know we can all do things remotely, but creatives work better collaboratively when they are face-to-face.”

Helen first worked on the Peninsula project in her capacity as managing director of product designer Tom Dixon’s studio.

It played a major role in kitting out the gallery space and the now (sadly) closed Craft Restaurant as well as some of the Upper Riverside apartment buildings.

She said: “I’d always enjoyed working with Knight Dragon and stayed in touch with them after I left Tom Dixon.

“I went on to work with lots of small creative firms on the business side.

“The reason Knight Dragon was keen for me to work on Design District was because of that experience, I had an insight into the sector and understood what would motivate those small businesses to take a particular space.

“We have 14 buildings, soon to be 16. There’s one block where we’re looking for a tenant and a couple of smaller spaces, but the whole development is basically let.

“Bureau gives us that entry point for individuals and smaller companies.

“We offer a warm, welcoming environment and we’ve worked hard to fix our energy costs so we won’t be putting up our prices for the foreseeable future.”

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com

October 14, 2022October 14, 2022

Greenwich: How Made By Manos offers everyone the chance to make ceramics

Manos Kalamenios hosts taster and workshop sessions at his Design District studio space

Manos Kalamenios of Made By Manos on Greenwich Peninsula

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The world of ceramicist, alchemist and experimental creator Manos Kalamenios is filled with impossible things.

I was going to use the word littered, but thanks to a relentless focus on sustainability, there’s practically no rubbish in his bin.

His sink even has a filter that allows him to recover particles of clay for recycling in future projects.

And what projects they are. Made By Manos, his ground floor studio space at Design District on Greenwich Peninsula, is filled with finished pieces.

Its shelves are strewn with exotic vessels in bone china, porcelain and earthenware – pieces that light up and even ones made from ceramic foam, shaped and then solidified to give the appearance of a fossilised sponge.

There are improbably thin pieces, delicate as paper, and shards of material that seem perfectly solid until light shines through their translucent forms, radically altering their appearance.

When I arrive, the table is filled with ghostly white Christmas baubles which are just being removed from their moulds.

Everywhere there are trial pieces, innovation and work – either Manos’ own creations or those of his students. It’s much more than just a showroom.

Manos’ studio is on the ground floor at Design District

“Experimentation is paramount for me because it keeps me sane,” he said.

“It would drive me mad if I had to do the same thing for the rest of my life, so that’s why everything is different.

“Of course, if someone really likes something then I will make another one and I’m always happy to try new colours or textures. I never say no to anything.”

A Greek who grew up in Athens, Manos originally came to the UK in pursuit of his dream to become a chef at a Four Seasons hotel.

Working first in Greece, then Spain, he achieved his aim, cooking at the brand’s Canary Wharf hotel from 2003 to 2005.

But the long hours took their toll and he left hospitality, initially to live with friends in the Isle Of Man.

With the intention of pursuing a career as an artist (having never touched clay) he enrolled on a foundation course where he first encountered ceramics and a new passion.

Further study led to a degree in fine art and then an MA in ceramics and glass at the Royal College Of Art as well as the chance to collaborate with an old friend.

One of the pieces Manos created for Lima

“When doing my MA, I met up with a man I used to work with at the Four Seasons in Canary Wharf – Robert Ortiz – who had become head chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Lima, in Fitzrovia,” said Manos

“We decided to do this collaboration with the restaurant’s menu on my tableware and it was magical.

“When I was a chef I was always excited by using unusual plates, so it’s nice to see pieces designed for food and not the other way around.”

Having worked out of a studio locally, Manos saw a sign on the door of Design District – Knight Dragon’s project to fill a plot with workspaces created by numerous architects – and applied for a studio.

Manos removes a Christmas decoration from a mould

“In the past, I was making work for myself, for clients and commissions,” he said.

“But when I moved here, I found the potential was not just for me.

“My aim would be to see this place buzzing – I have the space to offer workshops, to teach and to help people with their projects.

“My tag line for Made By Manos is: ‘If you can’t find it, come and make it’.

“I want people who live or work locally to come because using clay is so nice, so relaxing – you can just get away from stress.

“It’s great to have something you’ve made or to give it as a gift – I want people to come here and to feel happy at that feeling of achievement.

“You can be a complete beginner, someone who has never touched the material before, and then leave with something you have made.

“For me, it’s amazing to pass something on and to give back to the community.

“This isn’t that old mentality of not sharing a secret glaze or something.

“I think you can only make progress by sharing what you know.”

Tiles made by participants on a taster session

Manos is constantly developing his own practice, blending ingredients in different ways to create new materials and approaches.

His pieces have been widely exhibited and used, including pieces for Canary Wharf’s Winter Lights Festival in 2018, tableware for Tate Modern’s members club and work for Four Seasons Hotels And Resorts in Athens.

“About 99% of my work is slip casting, so I don’t have the mess with a wheel spraying the clay everywhere,” he said.

“I also find the wheel very restricting because everything you make has to be round.

“With slip, I have the ability to get any shape I want, any size, any height and any finish.

“I love lighting and working on a big scale – I also like collaborating, doing things outside my comfort zone with glass, jewellery and metal.

“My favourite is probably working with bone china – I’ve even found a way to make it into a foam by adding extra air.

“As a student I was taught air was imperfection and my instinct is always to go completely the other way. That’s the most exciting thing to do.

“When I was making the foam, I was told I was looking for trouble but once you know the limits you can adapt it to what you want.

“I was also told never to add glass and I wound up making pieces for James Dyson after doing that, so I think you should listen to your gut and go with it.”

For those who want to have a go themselves, Manos offers one-hour taster sessions at his studio for £30 per person, where small groups learn ancient techniques to hand-build vessels in stoneware clay.

He also offers three-hour themed workshops for £80, where participants in groups of five work on specific projects such as building mugs or cups or making Christmas decorations such as paper porcelain baubles for the tree.

One-to-one coaching and mentoring are also available on an hourly basis as well as a firing service for people who have made pieces but lack a kiln to finish them.

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- Jon Massey is co-founder and editorial director of Wharf Life and writes about a wide range of subjects in Canary Wharf, Docklands and east London - contact via jon.massey@wharf-life.com