Poplar Archives - Wharf Life

September 10, 2024September 10, 2024

Boat Sales by Aquavista offers vessels with permanent moorings

How marina operator has a wealth of boats for sale in Limehouse and Poplar that are ready to move onto

Image shows house boats on residential moorings at Limehouse Marina — Fancy living here? Boat Sales by Aquavista can help those seeking a permanent mooring a Limehouse Marina

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“Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing–absolutely nothing–half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats”.

So says the Water Rat to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s classic The Wind In The Willows.

It’s a quote that would well resonate with Richard Hogarth, broker at Boat Sales by Aquavista.

The company operates and manages the largest group of inland marinas in the UK, including Limehouse Basin and the joint waterways of Poplar Dock Marina and Blackwall Basin in east London.

But it also sells vessels, complete with residential moorings, for those seeking a life afloat.

“I’ve always been involved with boats from about the age of five onwards,” said Richard.

“I grew up in a tiny village between Fleetwood and Lancaster near the coast and friends of mine went sailing, so I started racing at the age of 10, going on to compete nationally.”

While pursuing a career in automotive sales, Richard continued sailing in his leisure time so, having spent some time living with his family in Paris, it was a natural move to join Aquavista on their return to the UK.

“That was about four years ago when the company was starting up its Boat Sales operation and I’ve found I really enjoyed working with boats as well as sailing them as a leisure activity,” he said. “You meet a fascinating variety of people.

“Last year I sold £6.5million worth of boats and we’re already on track to supersede that this financial year.

“We’ve progressed from selling just used boats to marketing new ones – I thoroughly enjoy it and it’s led me in a roundabout way to get involved in the design of them too.”

Image shows broker at Boat Sales By Aquavista, Richard Hogarth. A man with short grey hair wearing a blue polo shirt — Broker at Boat Sales By Aquavista, Richard Hogarth

a lifestyle choice

Boat Sales by Aquavista currently has vessels available for between £33,000 and £297,500 at its east London marinas – but what’s really involved on giving up life on dry land for the water?

“It’s really a lifestyle choice, a bit of an adventure,” said Richard. “It’s not really an economic decision.

“First and foremost, living on a boat is something very different.

“But at our marinas you’ve got all the features and benefits of life ashore as well as the excitement of being able to move around and the wonderful floating communities of Limehouse and Poplar.

“People buy boats here from all over the world – we’ve sold them to clients from Australia, America, Canada and France over the last 12 months alone.”

Image shows house boats moored at Poplar Marina in Blackwall with residential tower blocks in the background — Aquavista also operates Poplar Marina in Blackwall

the practicalities: Boat Sales by Aquavista

But what about the practicalities – what kind of lifestyle and costs can those who opt to live on a boat expect?

“Driven by the pandemic, with people sitting at home and thinking about alternatives, continuous cruising in London has exploded,” said Richard.

“That’s where people sail up and down the canals, moving every two weeks.

“That really is a lifestyle decision, given the practicalities and you have to want to do it.

“Having a residential mooring in a marina is different and we’ve seen an increased demand for it.

“The only way to get a boat into our London marinas is to buy one that already has a mooring.

“We’re massively over-subscribed and Limehouse is the most central marina in the capital where you can live full time on a residential mooring.

“St Katherine Docks, for example, only has leisure moorings.”

Image shows a bedroom aboard a house boat at Limehouse Marina — Many house boats feature chic interiors and are ready to move onto

a permanent home

While buying a boat and hoping for a slot is a non-starter, the existing moorings are transferable with vessels already moored at Aquavista’s facilities and there are plenty of new and used craft on the market to consider.

A mooring in a marina also takes the headache out of searching for services while cruising.

Richard said: “With us, your boat literally plugs into the mains and tap water is supplied.

“We have a laundry room for boat owners, toilet and shower suites and we take people’s post to a letter box on your pontoon.

“Our facilities are accessible 24-hours and we have a parcel room as well to take in deliveries.

“We sell used boats and new ones that are 70ft long and 12ft 6” wide so there’s plenty of space inside.

“What is refreshing is that more people buying boats here are actually using their boats, going out on the canal network and enjoying them, and that’s good to see.

“One of the benefits of Aquavista is that we have a reciprocal mooring scheme where boats can book into other marinas at no extra cost around the country.

“Your mooring back home stays empty and ready for you when you return.”

In addition to the cost of the boat, buyers pay 7.5% (plus VAT) as a one-off fee to take over the mooring. They’ll also need a survey to assess the craft’s condition.

Ongoing costs for owners include an annual mooring fee based on the size of the boat (£14,522 for a £33,000 narrowboat, for example) and council tax in Band A.

Other costs to consider are regular blacking to protect the hull, boat insurance and the cost of a safety certificate.

Image shows a master bedroom in a newly built house boat at Limehouse Marina, for sale with Boat Sales by Aquavista — Prospective buyers can tour boats at Limehouse Marina on September 14

catch Boat Sales by Aquavista’s Limehouse Open Day

For those interested in learning more, Boat Sales by Aquavista is set to host an Open Day at Limehouse Marina on September 14, 2024.

Running from 10am-5pm Richard and staff from Aquavista will be on hand to talk visitors through the process of buying and owning a boat in east London.

“People can just drop-in, but we’d love them to get in touch beforehand so we can find out what they’re potentially interested in and make their visit as relevant as possible,” he said.

“There are so many options.

“If I was a single man, I’d probably just be looking at narrowboats.

“I also love the new wide-beam boats we have for sale – they come with everything.

“You can just move on board and get on with your life just as you would in an apartment.

“Also the charm of the Dutch barges – some of which are more than 100 years old – is compelling.

“They have so much history associated with them and many have been beautifully fitted out.”

A Greenwich house boat moored at Limehouse Marina, available through Boar Sales by Aquavista

case study: new boats at Limehouse and Poplar Marinas

Guide: £297,500

Boat Sales by Aquavista is currently selling a number of new boats that come with residential moorings in east London.

These 70ft, wide beam barges come with two bedrooms, a bathroom with shower and bath and an expansive, open-plan living area.

Built by Waterspace Living, the Greenwich boasts the kind of interior features usually found in luxury apartments such as a wine cooler, underfloor heating in the bathroom and a skylight to flood the craft with natural light.

Viewing is highly recommended.

Image shows the interior of a Greenwich house boat on sale with Boat Sales by Aquavista — The wide beam barge offers plenty of living space

key details: Boat Sales by Aquavista

Keen to view? Richard and his team will happily show prospective buyers the options at Limehouse and Poplar Marinas by appointment.

Call 020 7308 9930 or email richard.h@aquavista.com to arrange a viewing.

Find out more about buying a boat with a permanent London mooring 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

January 26, 2023February 8, 2023

Poplar: How Canary Wall is offering climbing sessions from £6 near Westferry DLR

London Climbing Centres’ east London bouldering facility includes a training room and Yoga studio

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“New climbers are always surprised by the warmth of the climbing community – spend an evening on the mats and, if you’re ready for a chat, after an hour you’ll have made a bunch of friends,” said Sara Petersen, manger of London Climbing Centres’ (LCC) Canary Wall.

Located near Westferry DLR station under a series of railway arches, the facility offers an extensive range of bouldering walls including one outdoors.

There’s also a training room, a Yoga studio, a cafe and a gear shop on-site.

Bouldering is a sub discipline where climbers take on short, often demanding challenges using holds on walls that are less than four metres high.

Deep crash mats underneath provide safety instead of ropes and harnesses, allowing complete freedom of movement.

Fitness-wise, climbing offers a comprehensive all-body workout helping to build strength, flexibility and endurance.

Then there’s the mental challenge of working out the best ways to move to reach the top.

The complexity of the challenges, which are typically colour-coded and graded for difficulty, also has another benefit.

“In bouldering, climbs are trickier, both physically and mentally, to complete than in roped climbing,” said Sara.

“That’s why we call them ‘problems’. You’ll need to rest and assess each climb before tackling it, which is when conversations with those around you typically strike up.

“Usually you’ll end up working out the problem together.”

To help foster that community Canary Wall, which opened its doors in August 2020, offers a calendar packed with social climbs, induction sessions and friendly competitions.

“For work colleagues and businesses, the centre also offers social events, team building and corporate membership deals.

Sara said: “We’re always thrilled to introduce climbing to those who’ve never tried it before.

“It’s always so exciting to watch someone discover their new favourite sport during their first ever climb and know that we’ve helped grow the community just that little bit more.”

Standard adult day passes at Canary Wall cost £15 at peak times, £11 for off-peak and £6 for super off-peak (9am-11am on Sundays).

First-time climbers receive a discount card that can be used to claim 50% off a second visit and half price shoe hire, a five-entry pass for £47 including shoe hire and 10% off climbing shoes at LCC shops.

Monthly memberships cover access to all walls run by LCC with prices for off-peak deals starting at £55.

Punch card packs are also available with £240 for 20 climbs, bringing the price down to £12 per session.

Canary Wall, which is located on Trinidad Street in Poplar, is open weekdays 6am-11pm and 9am-9pm at weekends.

Canary Wall is located under a series of railway arches

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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

January 13, 2023January 13, 2023

Poplar: How SJ Cycles brings bike maintenance right to its customers

Stefan Johnson created a pedal-powered business to help encourage people to care for their rides

SJ Cycles founder Stefan Johnson – image Matt Grayson

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Stefan Johnson cuts an athletic figure on his cargo bike.

Sourced from a Danish company via the Netherlands, it has to be robust to carry the 60kg of equipment and tools he uses for business.

Raised in Mile End and Forest Gate, the east Londoner created SJ Cycles to bring bike repairs, care and servicing to clients at their convenience via the power of his legs.

“I’m trying to encourage people to maintain their bikes more often,” he said.

“A lot of people run their bikes into the ground and then have big bills of £200 or £300 or they just buy new ones, which can also cost them a lot of money.

“I’m trying to offer something in between – there are benefits to the customer and to the environment.

“Depending on usage, having a service every six to eight months and cleaning the bike makes a big difference.

“It’s not just about how your bike looks. Grit and muck on the road can get into the mechanics – the chain, the braking system – and it slowly wears away the metal.

“That can cause long-term damage, which equals new parts and that means big bills.

“It’s also wasteful, so I’m trying to prevent that happening – maintaining your bike more often will save you money.”

Stefan originally wanted to be a car mechanic before turning to bikes – image Matt Grayson

Stefan began riding himself while studying car maintenance at Hackney Community College – now part of New City College.

“I was planning on being a car mechanic, and after four years of study I went into an apprenticeship, but unfortunately I didn’t find any opportunities in that industry,” he said.

“Instead I got my first job as a sales assistant at my local bike shop – Halfords.

“There was a mechanic there who was willing to teach me after hours about working on bikes so that’s how I started.”

Stefan went on to work at a number of independent bike shops but felt he was often recruited in a bid to broaden their customer base as they attempted to attract customers from a wider range of backgrounds.

A pattern of mistreatment and broken promises left him wondering what to do.

“Being a Christian, I decided to pray about it and start again,” he said.

“Was I going to accept this behaviour in the industry or would I set new standards?

“I took a positive leap to be passionate about what I’m doing without sacrificing my humanity.

“My faith definitely played a big part in that.

“I knew about 10% I could get to the point of launching SJ Cycles – making a Facebook page, announcing I was doing it.

Stefan carries all the equipment he needs with him on a custom cargo bike – image Matt Grayson

“The other 90% was faith that I could sustain it, live off it and make it a part of my life.

“Even though I had less confidence in myself and more confidence in God, I took it forward, made it happen and I’m here now.

“I’d started working as a bike courier, which was a very flexible thing to do and allowed me to make enough money to live on.

“It was very hard work but it made the money so I could buy all the tools and equipment to start the business in 2017.”

Stefan offers a general Tune-Up Service for £45, which lasts about an hour and a half and includes diagnostic checks, brakes and gears tuning, tyre maintenance and a deep clean of the frame and various systems, delivered either at a client’s home or office as convenient.

SJ Cycles also offers a Puncture Repair Service for £25, which includes a new inner tube and the option to be taught how to change one.

While merchandise is also available online, world domination is not on the agenda.

“I’m a very simple man, so I’m not looking to be a big entrepreneur and expand with different branches and many employees around London,” said Stefan.

“This business is about encouraging people to maintain their bikes more, for me to live off it and remain in east London, take care of my wife and earn a modest living to make it sustainable.

“If anyone needs support in maintaining their bike, I post a lot of tips on Facebook and Instagram, such as advice on security.

“That’s just to let people know that when they own a bike they’re not alone and can talk to me about it on social media.

“I would definitely encourage people to get a bike.

Stefan can service bikes at customers’ homes or offices – image Matt Grayson

“It’s very convenient – one purchase, you buy your bike and you can go wherever you want. It’s great for fitness as well.

“You can jump on a bus and pay, but for some people – when you add that up – it’s as much as a bike over one year.

“I understand why people may be hesitant, because of the infrastructure of the roads, which may not be the safest, but it’s come a long way since I started.

“Then I didn’t have a lot of confidence in my abilities, but I was very aware of my surroundings, how the traffic flows and where to position myself – my confidence grew over time – it became quite natural to me.

“I do ride for pleasure but it depends on how much I’m working – the business can be quite busy, especially in the summertime.

“After a day of working on people’s bikes I like to go skateboarding, which is my second hobby, as well as bouldering – indoor climbing.

“I’m quite a physical person, so the bikes I ride aren’t electric – that and having a strong metabolism, definitely doesn’t make the food bills easy.”

SJ Cycles’ services can be booked online via the business’ Facebook page.

You can find “the mobile bike mechanic that’s always on the move” on both Facebook and Instagram @sjcycleslondon.

He offers a range of services to help people keep their bikes in order – image Matt Grayson

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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

September 29, 2022September 29, 2022

Poplar: How London Firefighter tells the story of Stephen Dudeney’s 31-year career

Book by former borough commander for Tower Hamlets and Hackney is available now

Firefighter Stephen Dudeney has published a book about his 31-year career

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There’s a circle to this story – it begins and ends with the printed word.

Stephen Dudeney grew up in Poplar, just down the road from its fire station.

As a boy in the 1970s, he was fascinated with the fire engines, even chasing them on his bike when he was old enough to ride.

“I loved them,” he said. “When I was about 12 I started going to the big library in Mile End to look at picture books full of them.

“Then, one day, I saw a book with a really bright cover – loads of flames and fire engines. I pulled it off the shelf, and it was just full of text.

“I was disappointed, but I started reading it and found I quite liked it.”

It was an encounter that fed what was already a growing passion and Gordon Honeycombe’s Red Watch about firefighers in Paddingtonand Denis Smith’s Report From Engine Co. 82 about a fire crew in New York added further fuel to the flames.

Stephen said: “Gordon, who was then an ITN newsreader, had done a lot of charity work with the London Fire Brigade, and his book was a best-seller.

“It’s known as the book that launched a thousand careers because a lot of people – a bit older than me – had read it and decided to join.”

While Stephen had always been fascinated by fires, once harassing his dad to take him to see a big blaze in Wapping, his journey to becoming a firefighter really began aged 14 when he and a friend volunteered to help out at Poplar fire station.

“We turned up on bonfire night because we knew it would be busy and offered to make the tea and cook some dinner for them,” he said.

“We both expected them to tell us to go away. I remember them saying ‘Thank you very much’ and we were expecting a ‘but’.

“Instead, they said: ‘We’d love you to. Come on Thursday night, about six’. So we did.

“It was a different time, that’s not something that could happen now – just imagine, an unaccompanied 14-year-old at the station.

“Looking back, I expect they thought I was a poor kid, which I wasn’t really.

“I don’t think they thought I’d end up as a firefighter – I probably didn’t seem intelligent to them.

“But I’d join in with all the banter and I used to go down the pub with them – fancy being given a pint at that age.

“It was a good time. It changed me at school too – I started using that banter at school and the other kids probably thought I was a bit of a live wire.

“I was probably fairly bright and had been doing well with my studies but I know I was a bit of a disappointment to my parents because, having been put in the advanced classes with good reports, at that time I decided I didn’t need to worry about all that because I was going to be a fireman.”

Stephen joined the brigade in 1987, with his first shift the day after the King’s Cross fire that claimed the lives of 31 people.

His 31-year career saw him serve at all the fire stations in Tower Hamlets, rising first to training officer and then station officer before going on to become station commander and then borough commander for Hackney in 2013.

Then, as Tower Hamlets had been placed in special measures, he returned to the area where it all began for him, finishing his career as borough commander in 2018, based at the new Millwall Fire Station on the Isle Of Dogs.

London Firefighter is available from Amazon, priced £11.99

While that completed the circle career-wise for Stephen, he’s since gone one step further, publishing London Firefighter, a book that aims to give readers a sense of the evolution of the London Fire Brigade during his more than three decades of service.

“The changes have been massive over that time,” he said. “When I joined, it was still very much the fire brigade of the post-war era.

“The big changes came through the 1990s and into the 2000s, and it’s now completely unrecognisable.

“We used to do a lot more of a lot less – it was fires, car crashes and the occasional flood.

“When you look at what’s done now – all sorts of things such as water rescue and animal rescue – the firefighters have got equipment and procedures that are so different.

“If I’d joined in 1957 and left in 1987, I would have recognised everything.

“Leaving in 2018, the only thing that was the same, was the water and the hoses. I hope this book shines a light on the modern brigade and how firefighting is a bit of London history.

“I want people to come away thinking we’re not a bad bunch.

“I’d always had the idea that I wanted to write a book and I’d kept notes over the years – moving files over from computer to computer.

“Then, when I retired, I thought I would do something about it.”

While the book offers vivid first-hand accounts of what it was like for Stephen to tackle ferocious fires up close, it also offers a wider perspective on the sheer complexity of organising the service and its multitude of functions.

For example, during his career Stephen played his part in the response to such major incidents as the 1996 Docklands bombing by the IRA at South Quay on the Isle Of Dogs and the Buncefield fire – the biggest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe – when an oil storage facility exploded in 2005.

“You expect to see and experience some things as a firefighter,” he said.

“I was called out to Grenfell Tower and it remains the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

“From a mental health point of view, I’ve largely survived the fire brigade in terms of the awful things that I saw over the years, but Grenfell really affected me.

“Since I left the service, I’ve started a company that consults and advises on fire safety and I was recently on my way to do a survey of a building when I passed the tower.

“I thought I was OK, seeing it again, but later on I couldn’t get it off my mind.

“Even though I wasn’t there over the night, when it was at its worst, it’s had a tangible effect on me and I think there will be a generation of firefighters who will feel the same, who will never forget it.”

That’s also the point of Stephen’s book.

To set down what happened and who it happened to, so those events and people aren’t forgotten.

London Firefighter by Stephen Dudeney is published by Austin Macauley Publishers and is available from Amazon priced £11.99.

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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

June 8, 2022June 8, 2022

Poplar: How Take Stock Exchange want people to take time to stop and reflect

Storytelling company are set to bring You, Me, The World And This Moment to Poplar Union on June 19

From left, Olly, Anna and Nick of Take Stock Exchange – image James Perrin

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BY LAURA ENFIELD

After a two-year pause, it feels like the world is suddenly surging forward.

But are we ready to face the future when we’ve barely processed the past and are scrambling to keep up with the present?

Take Stock Exchange is offering a chance to reflect on this extraordinary moment in time, which we are all experiencing but in wildly different ways.

The community storytelling company, consisting of Nick Cassenbaum, Olly Hawes and Anna Smith, has been out in Poplar talking to older LBGTQIA+ men, gardeners and young people about what they are feeling as they try to get on with their lives.

They will combine the stories with others from across London for You, Me, The World And This Moment – a free event set to be held at Poplar Union on June 19, 2022, from 12.45pm to 3pm.

“Previously our projects have really been strictly location-based,” said Olly. “But this one is focused on the experience of the pandemic and of living right now.

“We got the feeling that straight after lockdown people were going to be told: ‘Move on now. We have to get back to normal’.

“But we want to provide a space for people to reflect on this moment in time and experience what they need to.”

Anyone can get a ticket, go along to the event, share a meal, and watch a performance crafted from the stories the collective has gathered, accompanied by a live musician.

Nick said: “We believe the arts can be something everyone participates in and benefits from, one way or another.

“What that means for us is trying to talk to as many different people as we can, with as wide a range of experiences as we can.

“Then we enable those people to reflect, to develop their own ideas, share them with other people and use that to help them move through their lives but also make that community stronger. I hope we’re going to see more work like this in the future.”

Drama graduates Olly and Nick met at Exeter University and formed the company in 2013. They wanted to do something involving the arts that had a direct impact on people’s lives.

They started with a grant of £250 for their first project You, Me, The World And Wanstead and have gone on to work on 12 large projects and numerous smaller ones across east London.

Of course, it’s not as simple as rocking up somewhere, putting on the kettle and sitting down for a heart-to-heart.

Anna joined as a producer a few years ago and is the one who finds the pathway into communities, organises the meet-ups and applies for funding.

In the past, they have worked with The Yard Theatre, Stratford Circus, Rich Mix, Culture Mile, The Barbican, Barnsbury Housing Association, Poplar HARCA, Poplar Union, Artsdepot and Vision Redbridge.

Anna said: “We always have one key partner in the area we’re working in that already has some connections to local groups.

“We will start having conversations with people and perhaps get a tip-off about another group. It’s a lot of word-of-mouth and following that chain of people who know people.

“It’s about embedding yourself, even though it’s for a short period of time, in a particular area and getting to know the connections and the networks that exist.”

The group reinforces this by always travelling to meet their subjects.

Anna said: “I think that allows people to feel comfortable enough to open up more than they would do if they were invited to a random conversation in an unfamiliar location.”

Take Stock Exchange have created You, Me, The World And This Moment – image James Perrin

Olly and Nick are the ones who then go out and talk to people and begin to build a sense of what conversations need to be fostered.

“A lot of the time we’re working in quite unpredictable situations,” said Olly.

“Sometimes we’ll turn up to a place and we don’t know if there are going to be three people there or 30.

“We don’t know if they are going to be happy that we’re coming or not. So we have to have quite a clear plan in mind, but then be really, really flexible.

“One of the real strengths of the project is it allows people to have the experience they want. It reveals stories that want to be revealed.

“These conversations are already bubbling, but perhaps haven’t been connected to one another or haven’t been shown to be part of a wider whole. “

Olly said he and Nick often spent hours discussing the conversations and how they related to each other and the wider world.

“The idea is that we build a dialogue through difference,” he said.

“The end result is people get a little bit of an insight into the lives of people they share a geographic space with, but who they might not necessarily interact with in their everyday lives.

During lockdown they took their conversations to Zoom, launching a podcast to share the results.

The trio also completed a location-focused project in Poplar during the pandemic and said it felt important to return.

The event will take place at Poplar Union – image James Perrin

Olly said: “Lockdown gave some a moment of calmness and peace but we were still in the midst of this really disorientating experience.

“And we’re still not out of that. We’ve just moved to a different stage of it.

“Giving people the chance to sit and reflect is something that has almost universally been appreciated at every workshop we’ve done.

“One of the most common things that we’ve heard is people saying: ‘I still I don’t know what to make of all this.

“I feel like my world has changed massively, but I still can’t really work out how’.

“We’ve heard that from primary school kids and much older people and every age bracket in between, from people in a variety of different circumstances.

“Our job now is to take all that material and create stories that are based on these events and communicate them in a truthful, clear way. That’s the big challenge of this project.”

They began holding workshops for You, Me, the World And This Moment in the Spring after receiving funding from the Arts Council and Poplar Union.

Nick said having the pandemic as the theme has enabled people to connect more quickly.

“When we’re focusing on location, people can tend to keep it very light and not go into the personal,” he said.

“So there is learning here for us that I think will definitely filter into future projects.

Olly said: “When we first started doing this work, it was in response to the idea that despite the fact we live in a world that is seemingly more connected, people feel a sense of disconnection more and more. We were trying to remedy that.

“Now, we live in a world that has been turned upside down by the pandemic. And that uncertainty is at the heart of this project.

“The pandemic has been this unifying experience but everyone has had really diverse experiences within it that we’re trying to connect.

“So, in our own small way, we’re trying to reunite this part of London.”

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- Laura Enfield is a regular contributor to Wharf Life, writing about a wide range of subjects across Docklands and east London

April 28, 2022April 28, 2022

Canary Wharf: How Ian Berry is set to create a new artwork from donated denim

The Poplar-based artist’s piece will be unveiled on the estate for World Environment Day on June 5

Artist Ian Berry, pictured surrounded by jeans in Cabot Square

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Artist Ian Berry wants his work to be seen in real life – so apologies to anyone reading the this.

These reproductions might give you an idea of the kind of pieces he creates, but 2D reproductions on paper or digital screens just don’t cut it.

Based in Poplar, but hailing from Huddersfield via High Wycombe, Australia, Sweden and the Netherlands, the constant in Ian’s life is also his medium – denim.

Cutting, layering and gluing, he creates images and installations using a palette of jeans, constantly pushing to make the material accurately depict all manner of scenes, lighting effects, substances and surfaces.

The reason you’re looking at one of the pieces from Ian’s Behind Closed Doors series is that he’s just embarked on a project in partnership with Canary Wharf Group.

With used clothes donated at Jubilee Place last week, he’ll be stripping out the denim and using it to create an artwork, which will be unveiled on World Environment Day – June 5.

Detail for one of Ian's pieces for his Behind Closed Doors series — Detail for one of Ian’s pieces for his Behind Closed Doors series

“My work needs to be seen in real life to be understood,” said Ian, who works from a studio overlooking the Limehouse Cut canal.

“I don’t really feel like a real artist to those who haven’t seen my work in that way.

“I’d spent the pandemic having seven different shows in other countries – most of them solo and that was tough with all the quarantines and shipping issues.

“I’d just got back from Chile when I got an email from Canary Wharf asking about this project.

“At first I thought it would be great just because I could walk there rather than having to take pieces on aeroplanes.

“I walk through the estate when I catch the Jubilee line, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to get my work seen by more people in real life.

“But it also sounded interesting because of the estate’s sustainability credentials – it’s something that’s taken very seriously whereas some other places just use it for marketing. I’ve not spoken much about sustainability in the context of my work.

“Others have – as recycling or upcycling – but when I started 16 years ago it wasn’t the buzzword it is now.

“The project I’m doing with Canary Wharf Group reflects sustainability and the environment – denim’s terrible in its impact at the end of the day – but there are also good things happening in the industry.

“I don’t believe there’s a material that better reflects contemporary times, good or bad.”

Detail from Ian's Secret Garden — Detail from Ian’s Secret Garden

That really is the crux of things for Ian. While we talk it becomes clear there are all sorts of tensions at work between the artist, his medium and the subjects he chooses.

He tells me denim stands for freedom, democracy and the West to the point where it was banned in Russia and Belarus, where it’s still worn symbolically by dissenters.

Then again, it’s also the clothing of capitalism, excess and greed, with designer jeans selling for astronomical sums.

“I’m interested in people and in the denim industry, in workers’ rights,” said Ian. “I know everyone in the sector and there’s a lot of greenwashing going on – a lot of lying and they even tell me what their lies and exaggerations are. It’s frustrating.”

While Ian’s pieces are necessarily shot through with such issues – how noble attempts to pass on clothing to do good can come unstuck as second-hand garments wind up flooding foreign markets or simply get dumped overseas, for example – the denim he uses is also, importantly, just the stuff he uses to capture the world.

“I use it literally as my paint to represent contemporary life and issues you see every day,” he said.

“I have struggled for 16 years to know what to call them – they’re not paintings, they’re collages, but using just one medium.

“In some there are 16 layers of denim, so they are very sculptural, 3D pieces, and they can be very effective, with the texture of the denim as well. All that gets lost if people look on their phones or laptops.

“The magic in my work is finding the gradients in the denim, the fades, the cat’s whiskers – where it goes from indigo to lighter shades. You can connect them together and get quite a photo-realistic piece.

“Sometimes I achieve that too well and people don’t realise it’s jeans, but you need that ‘aha’ factor for people to connect.

“It happens in America especially, where people look for a while and then get closer and closer and, at about 50cm away, they say: ‘Oh, my God, it’s blue jeans’. I don’t want it to be seen as a gimmick, though.

“I hope people appreciate the craft, the love and attention to detail and they are amazed that the piece is made out of denim.

“I do set myself technical challenges – how to depict shiny, metallic objects or water using this matt material. But the main thing is the subject.

“With the Behind Closed Doors series I wanted to depict this busy city we’re living in, which can be lonely.

“That really connected with people – two out of three were saying: ‘Wow, that’s me’ – and it was kind of special.”

Ian, whose granddad was from east London, said he wasn’t sure what kind of piece he would create from the jeans donated in Canary Wharf.

He said: “Hopefully the piece I create will cause discussion and make people think.

“I can’t give too much away at this stage in case the idea changes but I think it’s going to have an element of my hanging Secret Garden, which turns plants into cotton, into jeans and then back into plants again.

“There’s a nod to sustainability in that – it’s nice because we can make something permanent out of the jeans.

“If you wear a pair for 10 years and then throw them away, it might be just about OK, but now we have a world where people buy them, wear them two or three times and throw them out.”

Ian’s piece will be added to the Wharf’s permanent art collection.

Detail from The Roosevelt, LA, by Ian Berry

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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

September 3, 2021September 3, 2021

Poplar: How Felix’s Kitchen is cooking thousands of meals for those in need

Food charity is looking for more volunteers and donations so it can help feed more people

Staff and volunteers portion up meals at Felix's Kitchen — Staff and volunteers portion up meals at Felix’s Kitchen – image Matt Grayson

Felix’s Kitchen does an incredible thing. Recently opened on an unassuming industrial estate in Poplar the 4,400sq ft facility is ramping up production with the aim of eventually producing 6,000 meals a day using surplus ingredients from supermarkets, wholesalers and restaurants – most of which would be thrown out as they near their sell-by date.

Those meals are then distributed to people who need it for free, via a network of organisations and charities across London.

People are hungry in the capital and cannot afford to buy food. The hard work of staff and volunteers at the kitchen goes some way to addressing that, but The Felix Project – the largest food redistribution charity in London, which operates the kitchen – expects a spike in demand in the autumn as furlough comes to an end and potential benefit cuts bite.

It’s 2021. The UK was the fifth largest economy in the world in January.

That such organisations exist at all is a damning indictment of those managing our society.

That more and more people are expected to need their services is a shameful failure of that governance.

But there are mouths to feed right now and those doing the hard practical work to achieve that end deserve our support and admiration for spending their time on this planet compassionately helping others.

Head of Felix's Kitchen Leon Aarts — Head of Felix’s Kitchen Leon Aarts – image Matt Grayson

Take Leon Aarts, for example. Having “rolled into hospitality by accident” at age 19, the Dutchman became a chef, rising through the fine dining world to win Michelin stars before moving to London to start a high-end food wholesale business for top restaurants in the capital.

A change of direction followed in 2008 when he decided to close that business and create a charity with an initiative that saw diners pay 15p extra in a restaurant to feed a child in a developing country.

He went on to cook for thousands of migrants in the camps at Calais.

Just before lockdown, he set up Compassion London to cook for those without food in the capital as the pandemic hit, eventually using Wembley Stadium to produce around 5,000 meals a day.

The team create meals out of donated food – image Matt Grayson

Having joined up with The Felix Project, right now he’s in Poplar, cooking with 12 staff and a group of volunteers as head of Felix’s Kitchen – located next door to parent charity’s latest warehouse and distribution centre.

“It’s terrible that people live in food insecurity, but we can’t let anyone go hungry while those who have the resources are figuring it out – whether that’s the Government or companies,” said Leon.

“I think we can solve this problem if we work together and it’s a disgrace that so much perfectly good food goes to waste.

“The Felix Project gets surplus food from more than 500 businesses, whether that’s small shops or Amazon, Hello Fresh and Ocado.

“It’s really good produce, often close to its ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date, which means you can’t sell it any more. But that doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it. It’s then distributed to almost 1,000 charities all around London who give it to people who live in food insecurity.

“For example, many workers just before Covid were made redundant – people who were living from pay cheque to pay cheque.

“You can see, as you drive round east London, that so many people fall outside the system, and we allow it to happen – with ridiculous wages, not giving people any sense of security.

“Many people in the capital get paid really, really, well, but a lot of people don’t – it’s almost impossible to live in London on a wage of £7 or £8 an hour.

“A few weeks ago I had a charity kitchen doing what we do here and, in talking with The Felix Project, we found funding to create this purpose-built kitchen in Poplar – we’re building up to do 6,000 meals a day, but it takes time.

“I have very experienced chefs, so they look at what comes in and they make meals out of it. We always try to do a variety – it’s crucial we do both nutritious and delicious meals.

“That’s very important to me because when people are not in a very good state, they tend not to eat so well – if you have mental health challenges, eating is not at the top of your list of priorities and they don’t even realise it, so we will be working with nutritionists to help us improve what we produce. We always make sure that there’s protein, whether meat, vegetarian or vegan.

The meals are then distributed to charities – image Matt Grayson

“We’re also guided by the surplus we have – one of our remits is that no food should go to waste, which is a very interesting challenge.

“Right now we are actively looking for volunteers, especially local people, because we serve the local community.

“Also, if local companies have surplus food, then they should get in touch with us because we don’t want any food to go to waste

“We can put it to good use, re-purpose it and give it to the people who need it. We have the resources for that – warehouses, where we can collect the food, sort it and turn it into meals.

“We get black crates from Amazon, for example, that have all different things, and we separate it out. If you’re a small business, then give it to us rather than put it to waste.

“Bigger companies that produce food for supermarkets often have a lot of waste – often it’s not their own fault. For example, if it’s going to be good weather, a firm might make a lot of barbecue packs and then it rains and suddenly they don’t sell anything. But if they don’t put it in the bins and bring it to us we can do something with it.

“We talk to our suppliers, of course, to ask if they have any of a particular ingredient but we’re especially short of staples – rice, pasta, tins of tomatoes – that sort of thing.”

The Felix Project was created in 2016 by husband and wife Justin and Jane Byam Shaw, inspired by the compassion of their late son Felix, who died suddenly from meningitis in 2014.

You can find out more about the charity and volunteering in east London online at thefelixproject.org.

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