Trinity Buoy Wharf Archives

November 20, 2024November 20, 2024

Emily Jo Gibbs embarks on artist residency at Trinity Buoy Wharf

How silk organza and thread are worked into portraits and pictures that depict the people she meets

Artist Emily Jo Gibbs - image Jon Massey — Artist Emily Jo Gibbs – image Jon Massey

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There’s a clear sense you get when talking to Emily Jo Gibbs that making work is simply a natural response to the world around her.

For the next six months, she will be artist in residence at Trinity Buoy Wharf and aims to capture something of the place and those who call the Leamouth creative hub home.

“I’m hoping to meet other people, see the things that are going on here, hear stories and make work about them,” said the Forest Hill resident.

“I’ve already met the guys who are restoring the SS Robin and heard about their backgrounds in blacksmithing, cabinet-making and carpentry.

“That research will evolve into finished pieces and there will be an exhibition of those.

“Part of the project is also to run workshops too, although those are still being arranged.

“What is certain is that I’ll be hosting Stitch And Talk sessions at The Orchard Cafe.

“It’s about being here, meeting people, drawing, stitching and seeing what comes out of that.”

The stitching is key to Emily’s practice as she uses appliqué embroidery and silk organza to create her pieces.

Taught to sew by her mother, it’s a style that’s emerged from her background as a crafter.

Emily Jo Gibbs at work on one of her pieces — Emily at work on one of her pieces

a journey through materials

“I grew up in a family of makers and designers and I was passionate about art and making growing up,” she said.

“I actually went to study wood, metals and plastics at Wolverhampton University and it was only in the third year of that course that I started making fashion accessories in textiles and metal.”

Unsure what direction she wanted to pursue, she dabbled in leather work and shoe-making but ultimately found the processes restrictive after the comparative artistic freedom of her university course.

Building on the success of her degree show she managed to secure funding to start a small business making high-end handbags in London.

“That really took off and it was very exciting,” she said.

“It was ironic because I’d been quite intimidated by fashion students when I was doing my degree.

“But I did well because I was interested in materials.

“My bags were featured in Vogue and other magazines, travelling to Paris and Japan.”

After a decade of making, Emily changed direction when she had children, taking a “convenient” admin job.

While the handbag trade was unpredictable, she realised how important having a creative outlet was to her and began making work about her family.

“I used silk organza that I had from making the bags, initially for my own pleasure – portraits in what I call flat-work because they weren’t three dimensional like the accessories,” she said.

“That evolved as well. I went on to do portraits of kids who lived in our street.

“Through Craft Central in Clerkenwell I reconnected with Bridget Bailey who had been on the fashion scene making hats and was repositioning herself as an artist too.

“We got chatting about doing a collaborative project and I wanted to make a portrait of her, but she was quite shy about that.

“That got us thinking about other ways you could depict an artist, so I made a self portrait of her and me by depicting our pin cushions.

“I then did a whole project with seven contemporary makers, meeting them, talking to them and making portraits of them through their tools.”

Emily's art combines embroidery with translucent layers of silk organza — Emily’s art combines embroidery with translucent layers of silk organza

making work

Emily’s practice involves the combination of delicate stitches – each done by hand – with the translucent, ethereal finery of her chosen fabric.

“It feels really good to say that I’m an artist – I’ve now been doing it longer than the time I spent making the bags,” she said.

“It’s lovely to meet other makers and make work about them.

“There are a lot of artists in the world who may not be working in contemporary craft, who may be quite hidden, and I’m interested in those people.

“I did a nice project with a boatyard in Lymington because it had a really interesting apprenticeship scheme.

“There I took photographs of the people and talked to them, and made work about them.

“Since doing that, I’ve been trying to get a project where I’m embedded and get to know the people better, and see how the work evolves.

“That’s how I came to apply to Trinity Buoy Wharf – they really liked my work and the projects I’ve been doing and selected me for this residency.

“Here I feel there’s lots going on behind closed doors, and I’d like to know what that is.

“The really exciting bit is not knowing exactly what’s to come and what I’m going to make while I’m here, engaged in this project.”

A piece depicting a tradesperson's tools — A piece depicting a tradesperson’s tools

key details: Emily Jo Gibbs

Emily Jo Gibbs is artist in residence at Trinity Buoy Wharf for the next six months, culminating with a display of her work during London Craft Week in May.

Dates are yet to be confirmed.

Emily will be hosting drop-in Stitch And Talk sessions from 10am-noon on Tuesdays in November 2024 at The Orchard Cafe in Trinity Buoy Wharf.

These are for anyone interested in creating some art or finding out more about her practice and are free to attend. Materials and ideas provided.

Follow the artist on Instagram for details of future projects or find out more via her website

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition 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

September 18, 2024September 18, 2024

Uber Boat By Thames Clippers hosts live comedy and music shows

Trinity Buoy Wharf-based river bus service is also selling New Year’s Eve fireworks sailings

Image shows an Uber Boat By Thames Clippers river bus sailing past the houses of Parliament at Night — Uber Boat By Thames Clippers has unveiled a programme of special sailings

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When is a river bus not a river bus?

Perhaps when it’s hosting stand-up gigs, or maybe when it’s a live music venue.

Or how about when it’s offering cruises for New Year’s Eve?

There’s nothing new about Uber Boat By Thames Clippers’ vessels being used for diverse purposes.

The rapid craft have long been hired out to clients who typically use them to transport people to or from events.

The Trinity Buoy Wharf-based business also offers Illuminated River Official Boat Tours so people can experience the capital’s bridges and buildings lit up from the water.

But 2024 brings something new.

“Our normal river bus service is our core business – and always will be – but we’ve also been looking at the evening time to see how we can engage with some of our customers,” said Adrian White, head of marketing and communications for the Clippers.

“So we’ve set up a series of comedy and music nights. Audiences will arrive at our recently opened Clipper Lounge at Embankment Pier.

“They’ll be able to get a drink there and board their boat.

“From there, they’ll sail up and down the river – London is really beautiful at night – enjoy the performances and then return to Embankment.

“If people have never used one of our services before, hopefully this will be a great introduction to find a different way of travelling in the capital, either for a commute or as a tourist.”

Image shows comedian, a man with short dark hair, in a bright floral shirt covered with roses — Comedian Michael Legge will feature on the second of three comedy cruises

comedy aboard Uber Boat By Thames Clippers

While this is something new for the Clippers, demand has already seen two comedy nights become three after the first date on October 4 sold out.

That show will feature the talents of Ben Norris, Sarah Kendall and Tim FitzHigham, who once raised more than £10,000 for Comic Relief by sailing a paper boat 160 miles down the Thames.

“With that history, we thought he would be absolutely perfect and clearly we’ve seen there’s a demand for this kind of event,” said Adrian.

“Tickets are already going fast for the second show and we’ve only just made the third date live.

“We’ll also look at doing more of these events in future, especially during the darker months of the year.

“We’ll showcase the best that London has to offer in terms of lights and sights, while people listen to comics that will put a smile on their faces.”

Doors for the comedy shows open at 6pm with sailing at 6.30pm-8.30pm. Tickets cost £20 per person and are available for events on November 8 and December 5.

The former will feature Mike Gunn, Jimmy McGhie and Michael Legge, while the latter stars Keith Farnan, Jenny Collier and Funmbi Omotayo.

Image shows a Sofar Sounds performer, a violinist, playing to a crowd. The company has partnered with Uber Boat By Thames Clippers — Sofar Sounds specialises in gigs at unusual locations

mystery performances by Sofar Sounds

Uber Boat By Thames Clippers has also teamed up with Sofar Sounds for a pair of live music dates in the autumn.

Typically those attending the brand’s gigs don’t know the location of the concert, but in this instance ticket holders will know where they’re going.

They won’t, however, know who they’ll be listening to until they arrive.

“London is probably the music capital of the world – everyone comes and plays here,” said Adrian.

“Sofar Sounds is the perfect partner.

“We provide an interesting venue and they have a customer base that are intrigued by the proposition.

“Again, if they prove popular, we’ll put more on.”

Like the comedy nights, audiences will embark at Embankment Pier with boarding at 7.15pm for sailing at 7.30pm.

Tickets for the two scheduled events on October 31 and November 14, cost £41 per person.

The identity of performers will remain secret until the gig, but there will be three acts to watch.

Image shows bridges over the River Thames in central London lit up in bright colours at night — Uber Boat By Thames Clippers offers the Illuminated River Official Boat Tour

a new spot on the river

The opening of Clipper Lounge brings a number of benefits to the business.

Open on Embankment Pier to all-comers whether using the boats or not, its current hours of operation are 11am-9pm Monday-Wednesday and until 11pm Thursday-Saturday.

It serves light bites alongside a drinks menu that ranges from Dom Perignon to bottled beers and boasts views of central London from its position on the Thames.

“It means we have use of the pier, so if a client is hiring one of our boats privately, they can use the Clipper Lounge as a place to meet before they get on board,” said Alison Murphy, head of sales at the Clippers.

“It also means organisations have much longer to get their group together in comfort before they get on board and people can hire the venue itself for an evening too.

“As a company, we’ve always operated elements in addition to our river bus services.

“But these latest additions take that and move it to more of a public offering – using our vessels in a different way.”

Image shows a couple toasting with Champagne on board Uber Boat By Thames Clippers — Uber Boat By Thames Clippers also has a series of special New Year’s Eve cruises to watch the fireworks in central London

sailing into the New Year

In a similar vein, Uber Boat By Thames Clippers has just unveiled its offering for New Year’s Eve, where guests can join sailings to watch the fireworks.

“People will board one of four vessels, enjoy a welcome drink, snacks and music from Sofar Sounds,” said Alison.

“After a cruise, the vessels will moor up to give those on board an unrivalled view of the fireworks.

“At midnight there will be Champagne and then the boats will return to the piers they left from.”

Cruises leave from Putney, Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf at 10pm.

For those further to the east or south-east, there will be a sailing from Gravesend at 9pm stopping at Barking Riverside and North Greenwich as it makes its way into central London.

Tickets for all options cost £180 per person.

key details: Uber Boat By Thames Clippers

There are tickets still available for comedy nights on board Uber Boat By Thames Clippers on November 8 and December 5.

They cost £20. Sofar Sounds gigs take place on October 31 and November 14. They cost £41.

Sailings for New Year’s Eve take place from Gravesend (stopping at Barking Riverside and North Greenwich), Putney, Battersea Power Station and Canary Wharf.

Tickets cost £180.

Find out more about special sailings here

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here

- 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

July 25, 2024July 26, 2024

Goodluck Hope offers tranquil homes with excellent connections

Ballymore’s Goodluck Hope development at Leamouth offers apartments and houses for sale almost completely surrounded by water

Goodluck Hope is seen with the rivers Thames and Lea surrounding it and The O2 just across the water — Goodluck Hope sits on land where the rivers Lea and Thames meet

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“Goodluck Hope is unique in London,” said James Boyce, associate regional sales director at Ballymore.

“It’s in Zone 2, but it doesn’t feel like that – it’s very tranquil, on a bend in the Thames, overlooking The O2.

“There’s this big expanse of water in front of you but, because it’s built on a peninsula, nobody passes through.

“That means people there can live really close to the action – Canary Wharf is just a short journey away – but it’s a sanctuary, almost completely surrounded by water.”

Increasingly a destination in its own right, the development is coming of age with a thriving community of residents enjoying an emerging crop of local businesses.

Layers Bakery serves coffee and brunch, while Taylor’s Of Goodluck Hope trades in farm fresh produce and recently opened a wine bar and deli in a second unit at Orchard Dry Dock.

There’s expectation that Hum Yoga + Meditation is set to expand its east London operation with a second studio at the development overlooking the Thames, as well as the cultural appeal of Trinity Art Gallery, so it’s clear the area’s attractions are only growing.

Little surprise perhaps, as buyers discover what’s on offer.

Image shows Ballymore associate regional sales director James Boyce, a man in a suit jacked and white shirt with grey and black hair — Ballymore associate regional sales director James Boyce

Goodluck Hope: available properties

“We’ve got something for everyone,” said James.

“There are studios – with sliding doors to divide up the space – one, two and three-bedroom apartments and two and three-bed duplexes with living spaces on the top floor that have amazing views.

“Then there’s a row of 19 townhouses along the main street, all painted in different colours, which gives the area a Scandinavian feel.

“These have really brought the ground level to life and they’ve been really popular – we’ve only got two left.

“They are three-storeys high and have either three or four bedrooms.

“Buyers get water views and access to the podium gardens at the rear. East London has surprisingly few houses and I think that’s why they’ve been so sought after.

“A lot of people have been brought up in houses, either in London or further out, so to live in one is quite a significant thing.

“Then there’s the fact you can walk out of your front door, cross the road to the bakery for a freshly-baked croissant and coffee, then go and sit by the river or chat to your neighbours.

“All of these things make Goodluck Hope a fantastic place to live.”

The property is on the market for £1,199,000 at Goodluck Hope — This three-bedroom home at Goodluck Hope is on the market for £1,199,000 and is accessed by its own private bridge

history + tranquillity

This has not come about by chance. Following the success of Ballymore and EcoWorld’s London City Island project, a few minutes’ walk away, Goodluck Hope was conceived to complement its amenities.

“We knew we had to elevate Goodluck Hope because it needed to be something special,” said James.

“Delving into the history of the area, the East India Company’s use of the nearby dock complex and its role as a major stopping off point for ships carrying goods in and out of London gave us a starting point.

“We wanted to celebrate the maritime heritage so, whereas most new-build developments were featuring full height glazing and standard facades, we built warehouse-style with Crittall windows and pitched roofs as well as really intricate brickwork that recalled the buildings that once stood on the peninsula.

“The development also benefits from being next to Trinity Buoy Wharf, which has long supported arts and culture in the area – providing space for artists, businesses, a school and one of the smallest museums in London on the site where Michael Faraday conducted his experiments with electricity.”

The home features three bedrooms including this one — The property boasts some 1,136sq ft of internal space plus a 236sq ft terrace

neighbouring amenities

Then there’s the ongoing interplay between City Island and Goodluck Hope, with buyers able to enjoy fitness amenities at both developments meaning access to both indoor and outdoor pools.

“Goodluck Hope has a residents’ clubhouse alongside its concierge facility,” said James.

“Within that you’ve got a co-working space, a Scandinavian sauna, a plunge pool, a swimming pool and a cinema, which has an Everyman feel to it.

“There’s a studio where the Ballymore fitness team run 20 classes a week including boxing and spinning as well as offering personal training sessions.

“Then there’s the Lantern Room, which is on the 29th floor – design-wise it references the Thames lighthouse at Trinity Buoy Wharf nearby, especially when it’s lit up at night.

“Exclusively for Goodluck Hope residents, we opened it in 2022 and it’s been really popular. It’s used as a work lounge during the day, which complements the facilities on the ground floor.

“In the evening the space is open for residents to host dinner parties, or for people to just take a couple of drinks up there and enjoy the sunset.

“It’s probably the tallest building within a kilometre of where it is and boasts views in all directions across London.”

The living area of a loft apartment at Goodluck Hope features open-plan design and a private terrace — The apartment is on the sixth floor and has an open-plan living area with a fully fitted kitchen

Goodluck Hope: a strong connection

“Another key attraction for buyers considering a move to Goodluck Hope is that the strength of the community has blown us away,” added James.

“It’s hard to describe, but there’s something about living on what’s effectively an island.

“It’s a place where you know your neighbours, whether that’s to say good morning to or just to make friendly eye contact.

“You know you’re an islander and there’s something really good about that.

“In contrast to more high-rise areas, where you probably won’t see many of your fellow residents, Goodluck Hope doesn’t have that density, so there really is a strong community.”

Again, this is not coincidental.

Ballymore has worked hard to foster an environment where those living locally get to know each other.

It’s part-way through its current events programme, which offers activities running though to September.

“That’s important for us because if people come and enjoy themselves, they will bring their friends and that’s really how you make a place,” said James.

“We did a survey of the residents at the beginning of the year, asking them what they wanted from the area.

“That’s why we have Workshop Wednesdays where residents can learn new skills such as croissant decorating, cheese and wine tasting, pottery or even singing.

“Then we have Thirsty Thursdays for people who want to socialise over a few drinks and enjoy some live music.

“Together with Film Fridays and Social Saturdays, there’s something new each week.

“The residents are very active, they attend a lot of the events.

“Together with our retailers, all of these things have made this place what it is – something special.”

key details: Goodluck Hope

Properties available at Goodluck Hope include suites, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, lofts and townhouses – all available for buyers to move into immediately. Prices start at £425,000.

Find out more about the development here or call 020 3797 1669 to arrange a viewing

Image shows Hum Yoga + Meditation founder Oriana Shepherd, a woman in a beige jumper with long brunetter hair — Hum Yoga + Meditation founder Oriana Shepherd

building a community

Having opened Hum Yoga + Meditation at London City Island nearly three years ago, Oriana Shepherd is now looking to expand her business to Goodluck Hope to keep up with demand.

“I initially came across the development while looking for accommodation for my son for university – it was just after Covid so a lot was happening and it just seemed like a really exciting area,” she said.

“I noticed, however, that there wasn’t a Yoga studio and so that’s where the idea came from.”

Oriana had spent much of the preceding 15 years teaching Yoga in Wales, a career she’d embarked on after more than a decade working for Virgin Atlantic.

After having children, she decided to pursue fitness alongside meditation breath work and aromatherapy closer to home, teaching and working in various roles including as a clinical therapist in palliative care.

“Having taught for so long and led Yoga retreats, opening Hum felt like a natural progression,” said Oriana.

“When I visited the island and saw the community here, there wasn’t access to these kinds of practices for residents on their doorstep and I thought it was maybe something I could offer.”

People adopt Yoga poses in Hum's London City Island studio — A class at Hum’s London City Island studio

escaping the hustle and bustle

“Hum is a space where people can come and escape the hustle and bustle of the city,” added Oriana.

“It’s an opportunity to explore something different in a really safe, relaxed, non-judgemental place.

“Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned practitioner there’s something for everybody.

“We also do lots of retreats and socials too so it’s a place to meet like-minded individuals.”

Now full to capacity, the plan is to open a second site at Goodluck Hope overlooking the Thames.

“We’re hoping to have a bigger space there, which will give us the opportunity to host corporate wellness events,” said Oriana.

“We also offer Yoga teacher training and we’ll be able to offer more of that too.

“The intention has always been to enjoy the process and to support as may people as possible and opening the business has done just that.

“I love it and I feel very privileged to do this kind of work and to share it with so many people in London and from all over the world because people who live in these developments come from many different countries.

“We have such a wide, varied community and seeing people come together is really precious.”

key details: Hum Yoga + Meditation

Hum Yoga + Meditation offers a range of Yoga, Pilates and meditation classes.

New members can get 50% off their first month with unlimited classes for £54.

Standard membership costs £108 per month with several other options available.

Find out more about Hum here

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here

- 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 11, 2024January 11, 2024

Leamouth: How the SS Robin has returned to within 150m of her London birthplace

Historic ship’s move is the start of the latest chapter as Trinity Buoy Wharf prepares her for opening

The SS Robin, moored at her new home at Trinity Buoy Wharf – image Harry Dwyer

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So there she sits, resplendent in her red and black livery, atop a specially constructed pontoon and ready for the next chapter of her life.

The SS Robin has, after some 133 years, returned to within 150m of the shipyard where the iron plates of her hull were first riveted together.

She might be smaller in size than the Cutty Sark and HMS Belfast – but make no mistake – as historic ships in London go, she’s deserving of attention.

And following her most recent relocation from Royal Victoria Dock to Trinity Buoy Wharf, the story of the only surviving Victorian steam ship in existence is a big step closer to getting appropriate prominence.

It’s a move that’s been a long time coming.

Having spent a chunk of her retirement (1991-2008) at West India Quay opposite Canary Wharf, the Crossrail project saw her moved to Suffolk, with funding secured for restoration.

That saw her lifted from the water and mounted on a pontoon in 2010, with the intention of returning her to Docklands for public exhibition.

But plans to open her as a museum ship in Royal Victoria Dock faltered so, while she has been moored near Millennium Mills since 2011, she’s remained mostly closed to the public and inaccessible.

Nearly there – passing the cable car over the Thames – image Simon Richards

Schemes were mooted, plans made and locations suggested, but in more than a decade, Robin failed to find a permanent home.

A site was not forthcoming in either the Royals or West India Docks, amid the ironically choppy administrative waters of the bodies managing these vast human-made lakes.

Eric Reynolds is founding director of Urban Space Management, which runs Trinity Buoy Wharf.

He is a man who makes things happen. London is strewn with projects he’s had a hand in – Camden Lock Market, Gabriel’s Wharf on the South Bank, Greenwich Market and Merton Abbey Mills, to name a few.

After becoming involved with the SS Robin and growing frustration at the failure to open her to the public as promised, he’s now overseen the relocation of the vessel to the mouth of the River Lea, where she will have a permanent home among the growing historic fleet at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

“The original intention was to keep going with the project and leave Robin where she was in Royal Docks,” said Eric.

“But eventually I gave up – I just couldn’t get any of the organisations to get off the fence.

“So instead we turned to the Port Of London Authority to get a licence to drive two piles into the riverbed at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Heading through the Thames Barrier on her way to Trinity Buoy Wharf – image Simon Richards

“The ship and her pontoon probably have a combined weight of about 600tonnes, which is not something I’d want to moor directly against the listed river wall as it would pose some risk.

“So, instead, it’s held between two giant ‘knitting needles’, which weigh 17 tonnes each. There’s a seven-metre rise and fall of the tide, so Robin will demonstrate that every day.”

That change in level also presents the last significant stumbling block to opening the vessel to the public.

A 40m gangway is set to be installed over the next couple of months that will go up and down with the level of the water, providing access at a suitable gradient.

Then, members of the public will be able to tour the vessel and view a wealth of information about her past and why she’s been preserved in this way.

“The driving idea is to make that information and Robin herself available to people who live here and know the area, as well as newcomers to it,” said Eric.

“There’s a population the size of Swindon scheduled to move in – a whole new town is being created.

“Shipping is still the major way by which the world trades with itself and London is here because it was driven by this tidal river and the trade that took place on it.

“Robin is the very last complete trading vessel of the period in the world with its original method of propulsion still in place.

“She was sold reasonably early in her life to the Spanish who operated her on a bit of a shoestring, so they didn’t do what nearly everyone else did, which was to take out the steam engine and put in an easily operated diesel.

“When you look at the ship and see the small size of the rudder and the huge propeller, you realise she’s relying on torque rather than revs.

Urban Space Management’s Eric Reynolds – image Jon Massey

“I really take my hat off to her crew – operating her in a crowded dock. With modern vessels you have bow thrusters and they can turn on a sixpence whatever the weather.

“With Robin you’d have had to spend 12 hours just getting steam up – their lives were so hard. We have a lot of material about her working life so we’ll be able to tell people all about it – the crew on her maiden voyage, for example.

“What we won’t do is commercialise her in any way – the whole point about this ship is she looks and feels like one that would carry coals from Newcastle and salted herring from Aberdeen.

“That should be respected and the entire idea is to create a free access open museum, along the lines of Blists Hill in Shropshire, where people can come to learn.”

Trinity Buoy Wharf plans to work with a cross section of organisations including schools, artists and musicians to explore and illuminate the vessel’s heritage as a jumping off point for study, not least in the fields of science and technology.

It also intends to tell the story of the ship’s construction at the yard of Mackenzie, MacAlpine And Company in Blackwall.

“That’s really quite amazing,” said Eric.

“With health and safety now, we could never imagine a 14-year-old boy throwing lumps of red hot metal up for someone else to catch in a shovel.

“The majority of the ship is original, and when we cut some of the metal and sent it away, the people said that you couldn’t get iron like this any more.

“It was probably made by some process that you wouldn’t be allowed to do now.

“For young people it’s a window into a lost world – an educational asset rather than a tourist attraction.”

In time, Trinity Buoy Wharf plans to bring all the historic vessels in its collection together with row barge Diana and the tugs Knocker White and Suncrest connected to the SS Robin, so visitors can tour all of them.

Watch this space for an opening date for the historic vessel.

Find out more about the SS Robin at Trinity Buoy Wharf here

Read Wharf Life’s e-edition here

Subscribe to our free Wharf Whispers newsletter here

- 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 5, 2023October 5, 2023

Leamouth: How Uber Boat By Thames Clippers is cutting emissions of the river

CEO Sean Collins on the launch of hybrid vessel Earth Clipper and forthcoming cross-river services

Uber Boat By Thames Clippers CEO Sean Collins

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The passenger craft Sean Collins has been running on London’s great river have always had a futuristic edge to them.

Starting with three Hydrocats in 1999 – each able to carry 62 people from Greenland Pier in Rotherhithe into the City – the zippy little twin-hulled craft helped carve out an image of Docklands’ modernisation that boosted the area’s ongoing regeneration.

As Canary Wharf, east and south-east London have grown and developed – so too has the river bus service, now based at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

Today, the vessels in Uber Boat By Thames Clippers’ fleet are larger – long slender craft that hug the water as their engines blast them rapidly along.

While to the untrained eye, the sleek lines of the 220-passenger vessels might appear similar, don’t be fooled.

There’s change afoot – a journey that started with the arrival of Venus Clipper in 2019 as the service targeted green improvement.

The next step on that path, somewhat delayed by the pandemic, was the recent launch of Earth Clipper – a vessel that is aesthetically similar to the rest of the fleet, but is also completely different.

Earth Clipper runs purely on battery power in central London

Firstly, at 40 metres long, she can carry an extra 10 passengers.

But this is a mere tweak in comparison to the main difference – the way she is propelled. Earth Clipper uses a hybrid combination of electric power and biofuel power to slice through the brown waters of the Thames.

In central London, she uses only an electric motor with a biofuel engine kicking in out east to recharge her batteries and push water through her jets.

“Earth Clipper has been just under three years in the making.

“We started working on the specification in 2019,” said Sean, CEO of Uber Boat By Thames Clippers.

“We needed extra capacity, to be able to serve our routes with the expansion down to Barking – the increasing volumes that were there and those in the pipeline, such as Battersea.

“We’d just commissioned their predecessor – Venus Clipper – and we were already focused on reducing weight and therefore power in that vessel.

“That was already a 20% emissions improvement on the core boats in our fleet for the same carrying capacity.

The boat is similar to other vessels in the fleet but produces 90% less CO2 emissions

“With that one, we were asking how we could make the boat lighter while providing an enhanced level of comfort and all the facilities our passengers expected.

“We worked on that whole design with 123 Naval Architects and came up with Venus.

“From that, we decided we had to move it on to the next level.”

The drive to do that came from the company’s goal to cut carbon emissions by 50% by 2030 and to achieve net zero for the overall business by 2040.

Sean said: “Boats have to last 25-30 years – they haven’t got a similar shelf life to most other above ground vehicles.

“With that in mind, to reach our sustainability goals, we realised we had to have a significant step forward.

“We looked at the options, took a lot of data from the operating profile of Venus and used it to establish what might be achieved by using a hybrid model.

“From that, we realised we were not going to be able to achieve 100% battery power at high speeds, but that we could when going more slowly, as we do in central London.

“We formulated a specification and went to the shipyard that had built our previous five vessels and signed contracts to move on with building Earth Clipper.

She has a biofuel engine that charges her batteries and provides power outside the centre of London

“It does exactly what we wanted it to do.

“The model has resulted in a 90% reduction in our CO2 emissions and a 65% drop in oxides of nitrogen and sulphur.

“Those are figures based on measurements we’ve taken during actual running on the Thames.

“There are two more in build – Celestial and Mars – which will both have joined the fleet by spring 2024.

“We all have a duty of care and a duty to deliver on improving the environment.”

There are other benefits too.

Earth and its two sister ships hail from the Wight Shipyard Co on at East Cowes on the Isle Of Wight – a boost to the local economy with 65 people involved in their construction, including 14 apprentices.

There are also other operational benefits closer to home – welcome news as passenger numbers are already exceeding levels seen in 2019.

“Earth is significantly quieter and smoother on battery and that’s even the case when the engine is running,” said Sean.

“From a noise perspective, it’s a significant improvement and there’s absolutely no compromise at all from the customer’s point of view.

“The seating is also an upgrade in design – we’ve managed to make all 230 lighter, improving the efficiency of the vessel.

“We had to add nearly nine tonnes of additional weight with cabling, batteries and the motor to enable us to use this method of powering the boat.

“So that’s a process we’ve been through with every component.

“When stepping on Earth Clipper, we feel a sense of achievement.

“We’re really inspired by feedback from the public and also the crews that are working on the boat.

“They really love it – the technical advances and the sense of having taken that step forward.”

The use of battery-only power in central London equates to an extra 16.5% reduction in emissions in comparison to using the biofuel engine alone.

In the future, Sean said hydrogen would likely provide further cuts in emissions as electrical power was currently impractical as a way to deliver high speed services on the river, given the charging times needed.

Earth Clipper can carry 10 extra passengers

A Rotherhithe – Canary Wharf Crossing

However, Uber Boat By Thames Clippers is also pressing ahead with plans for an all-electric cross-river service for pedestrians and cyclists.

The aim is to have this up and running on the company’s Rotherhithe-to-Canary Wharf route by spring 2025 and then use it as a template for similar services elsewhere.

Sean said: “We’re committed to delivering that as part of our plans to invest £70million in new boats up to 2030.

“There are also opportunities between Silvertown and Charlton as well as Thamesmead and Barking in the east.

“We’re also aiming to add more stops including a pier that has planning permission at Blackwall Yard, which the developer will hopefully build over the next few years.

“One of the things that happened over the pandemic is that more people discovered the river and we’ve had three record days this year.

“Our figures for 2022 were higher than 2019 and Canary Wharf, for example, is thriving. The footfall at that pier is exceeding pre-Covid levels.”

Find out more about Uber Boat By Thames Clippers 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 31, 2023May 31, 2023

Leamouth: Why June 30 is the deadline for Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize entries

Annual award is appealing to artists to submit their work to be in with a chance of winning £10,000

Submissions are now open for the 2023 prize

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People have been drawing for a long time.

Hand stencils have been found in caves dating back around 64,000 years but the act of making marks on a surface has perhaps never been as widely celebrated as it is today thanks to innumerable social media time lapse videos.

Things were very different in 1994, however, when artist and academic Anita Taylor set about founding a drawing competition.

“I founded it when I was working in higher education at an art school in Gloucestershire because it was hard to teach drawing without showing students contemporary examples,” said Anita, who today is professor at and dean of Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art And Design at the University Of Dundee.

“What was then the Rexel Derwent Open Drawing Exhibition was one way of supporting artists who draw by giving them the opportunity to show their work.

“But it was also a great opportunity to give students the chance to see the work of artists who made drawings and were drawing now.

“Contemporary drawings were difficult to see other than in museums up to the 1990s, so the exhibition has grown from there.

“It has become very popular and there has been a very big submission.

“Through that we’ve built a lovely community of artists who want to test their work through the format of an exhibition.

Dean of Duncan Of Jordanstone College Of Art And Design at the University Of Dundee, Professor Anita Taylor

“It also works to further education in terms of being able to share drawings and discourse about them with schools, colleges, universities, researchers and the public, of course.”

The competition has been through several iterations since it was founded, including some 16 years as the Jerwood Drawing Prize with funding from the Jerwood Charitable Foundation.

Today the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize has been in east London for the past six years – supported by Eric Reynolds and the team at Urban Space Management in Leamouth.

Attracting more than 3,000 submissions, it culminates in an exhibition of some 65 works, which starts off in east London before touring the country.

A panel of selectors is responsible for choosing the shortlisted entries and awarding four prizes – first and second place for £8,000 and £5,000 respectively, a student award of £2,000 and the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award of £10,000, which is given every other year.

There is also a separate submission and selection process for working drawings with a prize of £2,000.

All submissions from the UK need to reach the selectors by June 30, 2023.

“Drawing is hugely important to everybody as a vital means of communication and expression,” said Anita.

“It’s something that we all do, but it has become a very sophisticated language and something that enables us to see where we are in the world – to understand what it is to be human and to communicate effectively.

“It covers the whole range of languages, medium, purposes. We’re looking for drawings that are different in their form, intent, content and execution.

Anita founded the prize to provide a place to see drawings other than in museums

“It might be a performance drawing, a diagram, an expressive drawing – we don’t define what a drawing is, but we do ask people to consider what a drawing is.

“Then, it’s for the panel to decide what a good drawing is and find a good drawing they can agree on.

“It’s a very broad field and this is part of our discussion about what a drawing is today. That’s why we have a series of experts reflecting on this.

“We’ve had works entirely found, works that have been performance drawings and works that are beautifully executed – more conventional drawings.

“We’ve had fantastic things and amazing artists in the show.

“We’ve had phenomenally well-established artists, either at the beginning of their career and also later in their career.

“It’s a great thing where people feel open to test their own drawings.

“We see works by students, by various published artists and people who draw but may not be artists – engineers, for example.

“It’s the panel’s decision whether to include digital work, but if it’s original work, then some argue it shouldn’t be reproducible – but it really depends what its purpose is.

“David Hockney’s digital drawings are really amazing, for example, so we think we will see drawings that reflect that interest, but it will be down to the selectors to see which ones they want to include in the exhibition.”

The exhibition will be in Trinity Buoy Wharf from September 27, 2023

The 2023 panel making those decisions for the main prizes will be Laura Hoptman, executive director of The Drawing Center in New York, Dennis Scholl, collector, arts patron and president and CEO of Oolite Arts and British artist Barbara Walker.

It will be their deliberations, which result in the content of the exhibition, which is set to launch on September 27, 2023, at Trinity Buoy Wharf.

“I hope people who come and see it will be excited by drawing – that most humble of activities,” said Anita.

“It’s something that appeals to everyone. I hope they will see that drawing is really inclusive.

“It’s an extraordinary space that explores and reflects all sorts of different approaches to drawing, to see marks on paper, on the ground, on film, on tracing paper – testaments about being alive in the world today.

“I should like visitors to take from it that everyone can draw, and we’ll include everybody.

“We’ll also have a fantastic education pack and we’ll be encouraging schools and colleges – everybody – to get involved.

A panel will draw up a shortlist of entries, which will be exhibited

“The exhibition is set to finish on October 15 at Trinity Buoy Wharf before it goes on tour everywhere.

“It’s something people all over the country can really enjoy because drawing can help them deal with complex issues in a way that can engage others.

“That’s one of the beautiful things about it – it can take people on a journey without them feeling that it’s complicated.

“It’s perhaps less frightening and more inviting than other kinds of art.

“The space at Trinity Buoy Wharf is so welcoming, so open and so reflective.

“Anyone is welcome to submit work, but we would recommend that people are over 18.

“There’s no age limit as such – we don’t want anything that would stop work being submitted.

“So if you think it’s a drawing – a good one – and it’s a drawing you want to test in this kind of way, then it’s a fabulous opportunity to get your work seen by a really distinguished panel.”

Submit entires via this link.

Also coming up at Trinity Buoy Wharf is We Two Were Lovers – The Sea And I, a concert featuring singer Catherine Hooper and harpist Nicolette Chin.

The programme will include works by Haydn, Wagner, Dvorak and Coleridge-Taylor as well as readings of poetry by Emily Dickinson and Carol Ann Duffy.

The concert is set to take place on June 18 from 2pm-3.45pm with tickets costing £14.25.

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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

August 3, 2022August 3, 2022

Leamouth: Nashville Meets London returns with fresh acts and a new East End venue

Two-day festival of emerging USA and UK country talent arrives at Trinity Buoy Wharf, partly by boat

Shy Carter will headline the first day of Nashville Meets London

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Nashville Meets London (NML) is back in the East End with a fresh line-up of country talent from the UK and the USA in a new location.

Taking place at Trinity Buoy Wharf on August 24 and 25, 2022 (plus a river cruise on August 19), the festival promises cutting-edge sounds and a good ol’ country welcome.

“One of the key things we’ve proved is that NML seems to be a taste-maker for identifying artists, particularly from the US, who are about to break in the UK, Europe and beyond,” said Peter Conway who co-founded the festival.

“Russell Dickerson, for example, has gone on to become a major artist and Laura Elena is now massive in America and her profile is very wide in Europe too.

“For this year, we’ve got headliners in Shy Carter and the young Priscilla Block, both of whom have a huge fan base already.

“We always want to break a new artist too and we have Manny Blu playing exclusively for us both at the opening night party and in a major slot on the Wednesday.

“He’s really starting to make waves in America and all his socials are growing exponentially.

“On the UK side, we’re delighted to be offering The Wandering Hearts who are based in Hackney and are one of the top three country bands over here. They’re a stunning act and we are predicting great things for them.”

Shy – the main act on the first night of the festival on August 24 – is full of excitement when we connect on zoom between London and Tennessee.

He’s primarily worked as a songwriter, having been discovered by Nelly and his manager Courtney Benson, before going on to create a string of hits with other artists.

Now the 37-year-old is making a name in his own right on the country scene and can’t wait to take the stage in London.

He said: “I put so much time into being in studios, it’s a breath of fresh air to be able to get in front of an audience and see all these different people who come out and really appreciate the music.

“I really engage with the people when I do my shows – I walk into the crowd, get a handshake and make up a song with that person’s name.

“I do a lot of freestyle, it’s real free and a lot of fun, and anything can happen. I sing some hits, some new songs, and it’s really heartfelt.

“Something about being on stage just makes me feel good – if there are people out there, it makes me feel even better.

“If they’re moving to something you’ve created, it’s one of the greatest experiences and one of the best feelings I’ve had in this life. It’s party time and it also helps me as a songwriter.”

Shy has worked with a plethora of artists, including co-writing Someday, a No. 1 hit for Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20, and songs for the likes of Keith Urban, Jamie Fox, Jason Derulo, Billy Currington and Charlie Puth.

Born and raised in Tennessee he was “always around music” at home and in church, learning his first chords as a child and developing a love for r’n’b before recording his first song aged 16 at a home set-up in a friend’s apartment.

He said: “I was addicted to the process – hearing my voice on a CD. From then on I continued making music all the time and tried to find a way to make music my career.

“Now it’s a real blessing to put my own soul and my own flavours into the music. It’s good to write for others, but this lets me be a little bit more myself.

“I don’t think it really matters, but I’d say my music is country because the songs are no different to the ones I’ve written for artists in that genre.

“As a person of colour, my songs might sound a little blacker – but that’s what I’m trying to do, to bring country music to people who don’t normally listen to it. At its heart, it’s storytelling.

“Being on stage makes me a better writer because it helps me to see what songs people connect with most.”

Day tickets for Nashville Meets London cost £34 and can be booked here.

A selection of VIP packages are also available for Nashville Meets London. The Festival VIP Ticket costs £150 and includes entry for the festival on both days at Trinity Buoy Wharf, access to the VIP backstage area and the VIP bar from 2pm and access to the meet and greet area.

The Premium Nash Pass costs £200 and includes all of the above, plus a ticket on the NML River Cruise and entry to the invitation-only Opening Night Party at Pizza Express Holborn on August 22, which will feature performances by Juna N Joey, Kaitlyn Baker, Robbie Cavanagh and special guests.

Ticket holders for Nashville Meets London can travel directly to the festival via Uber Boat By Thames Clippers as a special request stop at Trinity Buoy Wharf has been arranged. Journeys on the river bus service must be booked in advance to take advantage of this offer.

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Nashville Meest London's DJ Hish — Nashville Meets London’s DJ Hish

THE LINE-UP – NASHVILLE MEETS LONDON

NML Country Music River Cruise

Aug 19, doors 6.45pm, £45-£560

Billed as a “voyage down England’s longest river” this trip along the Thames sets off from Bankside Pier for an evening of music hosted by Absolute Radio Country presenter Matt Spracklen. Expect performances by Kyle Daniel, Vicki Manser and a set by DJ Hish (pictured).

Nashville Meets London Day One

Aug 24, doors 4pm, from £34

The first day of the festival at Trinity Buoy Wharf will see performances from Sarah Darling, Manny Blu (pictured), Ruthie Collins, Arbor North and Matt Hodges. Shy Carter will headline the first night, with music selected by DJ Hish between sets.

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Priscilla Block is set to headline Day Two

Nashville Meets London Day Two

Aug 25, doors 4pm, from £34

The second day of the festival, now enjoying a renaissance following a two-year break, will be headlined by Priscilla Block (pictured) with artists Kyle Daniel, Candi Carpenter, The Wandering Hearts, Tebey and Essex County also taking to the stage in east London.

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Peter Conway co-founded Nashville Meets London

REFRESHING THE FESTIVAL

Cut a slice through Docklands culture over the last 40-plus years and you’ll find Peter Conway woven through the rings of the tree.

His CV includes stints at the Half Moon Theatre, a decade as principal arts officer at Tower Hamlets Council before going on to arrange music events at Cabot Hall – a former venue in Canary Wharf in a space now occupied by Boisdale.

After that was closed for redevelopment, he went on to run Blackheath Halls on the other side of the Thames, before returning to Canary Wharf in 2000 to programme outdoor music events on the estate, creating the Canary Wharf Jazz Festival and more recently Nashville Meets London in 2016 – relocated to Trinity Buoy Wharf for 2022.

“It was a moment of serendipity in Nashville in 2015,” said Peter.

“I bumped into Jeff Walker of AristoMedia and from that meeting came the idea for the festival – an event to promote the best of emerging country music talent in both Nashville and the UK.”

Sadly, Jeff died suddenly later that year, but his daughter Christy Walker Watkins and son-in-law Matt Watkins, who worked with him, joined forces with Peter to make their vision for the festival a reality.

After four years in Canary Wharf’s Canada Square and a two year break due to Covid, NML is back at a new venue in east London.

“This is a kind of new beginning for the festival – we’ve got a great person supporting us in terms of Eric Reynolds at Trinity Buoy Wharf,” said Peter.

“We’re using the Chainstore as the main venue and the building it’s attached to as a VIP area and artists’ dressing rooms.

“Then you have the wonderful terrace outside that looks over the Thames and the Lea where we’ll be having food and bars.

“Each day there will be shows running from 5pm to 11pm with non-stop music – we want people to come down and experience the joy of country music, get converted and help us on our journey to build and develop this festival into a much bigger event over the coming years.

“I’m very keen to foster a sense of country community and to make this a real East End event.”

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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

July 6, 2022July 6, 2022

Leamouth: How Trinity Buoy Wharf could combine a river crossing with flats

Living Bridge would join agreed Hercules plan over the Lea to connect Newham and Tower Hamlets

An artist's impression of USM's Living Bridge idea — An artist’s impression of USM’s Living Bridge idea

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It starts with an idea. The concept of people living on bridges isn’t new – they’ve been doing that for hundreds of years all over the world.

But Urban Space Management’s (USM) “aspirational” suggestion for a residential crossing at Trinity Buoy Wharf, spanning the mouth of the River Lea still feels a little bit visionary.

There’s something inherently attractive about inhabiting structures over water. Looking back, we have the historical romance of the Old London Bridge and the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, for example.

Flowing forward, there’s author William Gibson’s sci-fi vision of a jerry-built, self-governing shanty town clinging to the steel bones of San Francisco’s Bay Bridge.

This imaginary leap into a near future – where a ribbon of infrastructure is repurposed by a passionate, vibrant community of squatters, reacting to the pressures of insufficient housing and oppression – is a flash of what necessity and collaboration might be capable of. It’s counter-cultural, haphazard and seductive.

USM’s plan for a Living Bridge has something of both examples.

It’s a functional proposal – a connection to Royal Docks for pedestrians and cyclists that would ensure a flow of traffic through the existing site.

But it’s also the root of a future community, with around 70 properties suspended from the steel arch that would support the entire structure – brought to life in Cartwright Pickard’s illustrative designs.

Access to the river would be preserved for taller vessels with a section of the bridge able to lift to allow safe passage.

Planning permission has already been granted for one crossing in the area – Hercules Bridge over the Lea on the northern edge of Ballymore’s Goodluck Hope development.

If built, this would connect to both a footpath towards Canning Town station as well as to the Lower Lea Crossing flyover for access to Royal Docks.

USM is currently gathering feedback on a range of ideas to improve connectivity in and around Trinity Buoy Wharf, with a consultation running until July 20, 2022.

Its plans aim to help overcome barriers such as roads, rivers and railways to make journeys that are complicated now, simpler in the future.

USM founding director Eric Reynolds said: “Right from the beginning, I thought the problem for this whole bit of London was that it is disconnected from itself in every way.

“Standing on the roof of the building that’s now occupied by Faraday Prep School at Trinity Buoy Wharf in the late 1990s, it was clear we should be doing something about this.

“Our outline planning application for the site allows us to build a bridge as a continuation of Orchard Place because it always seemed to me that the Lea should have more than a road bridge over it – there should also be something for pedestrians and cyclists.

“We should be connecting people, not just for us, but also for people living north and east of here – in Canning Town for example.

“They should see the river as part of their back or front garden, not something that’s just hidden away.”

A rendering of the Living Bridge by night

The case for a second bridge becomes increasingly clear when future development is taken into account.

The Thameside West scheme is expected to deliver some 5,000 new homes just across the river as well as a new DLR station, a school and industrial and creative workspaces.

“One of the things we did achieve years ago was to persuade the DLR planners to leave a straight bit of track on that land to allow potential for that station,” said Eric.

“It didn’t make sense then, but, with thousands of homes and a new town centre coming, it does now.

“Regarding the bridge – it may be that we put homes on it, we don’t know yet. We think there are two good reasons for doing it.

Firstly it creates new land and a new opportunity for a community.

“Secondly, in doing that, it offsets the cost of the bridge – so there’s an economic and a social argument.

“The Living Bridge would also be a big signpost to the importance and value of the River Lea, which was a vital part of the transport of this area – a line of power and industry – before it silted up. It deserves that recognition.

“Imagine coming up the Thames and seeing this out-of-scale bridge, all lit up with people living inside it.

“I really think it would appeal to Londoners – every building along the river is worked so as many properties as possible have views of the water.

“Here it would be right underneath – with no risk of anyone building in front of or behind you.”

An artist’s impression of the Hercules Bridge proposal

But does an area that is already connected to Canning Town via London City Island’s bridge and, potentially the already agreed Hercules Bridge really need another crossing?

“At the moment, the existing bridge takes you to the top of London City Island but we have an awful lot of walkers, dog owners, cyclists, hikers and so on who come to Trinity Buoy Wharf and would really like not to have to go back on themselves,” said Eric.

“The Hercules Bridge gives people the chance to do something different – to walk round the edge of the Lea and follow the river north.

“What the Living Bridge would do is to make it much easier to follow the Thames along the southern edge of Royal Docks as far as Barrier Park.

“It increases the potential for pedestrians and cyclists to reach these areas.

“It’s also in some ways an attempt to re-invent a community that was here in the past.

“There was a small fishing community and a school here, which was wiped away when local authorities decided that slum clearances were the thing to do.

“There also used to be a little ferry that took people across the Lea because the Thames Ironworks and Orchard Wharf needed to get their workers to work.

“During the Crossrail Works, the foundations for that ferry were found, so this has grown partly out of what we perceive as a respect for the past and an aspiration for the future.”

At present Trinity Buoy Wharf is a dead end for walkers and cyclists

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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

March 30, 2022

Leamouth: Faraday Prep School seeks pupils to apply for supported place

Fishmongers Faraday Award covers up to 100% of fees at Trinity Buoy Wharf-based independent

The Fishmongers Faraday Award application deadline is April 18

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Children in Years 2 or 3 who show academic promise are being encouraged to apply for the Fishmongers Faraday Award by April 18.

The scheme, now in its fifth year, is open to candidates who would not otherwise be able to afford an independent education and covers up to 100% of school fees for one place at Faraday Prep School at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Leamouth.

Funded by the Fishmongers’ Livery Company, the award may also contribute to the cost of after school clubs, the school bus and school trips. The current scheme will support a place for a child to attend Faraday from September 2022.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to join a growing and exciting prep school for those who might not otherwise be able to attend,” said head Lucas Motion.

“We want the children who receive it over the years to reap the benefits of what we offer here at Faraday.

“We’re a small, independent school, with just over 100 children. All of our systems are geared around individual attention so that we can really nurture, inspire and give children more support when they need it, and provide some stretch and challenge where they need that.

“We have small class sizes, with an average of 14 children.

“From Reception all the way up to Year 3, we have a teacher and a teaching assistant in each class, so we have a high ratio of adults to children to support that ethos.

Faraday Prep School head Lucas Motion with two of his pupils

“We put a lot of emphasis on high-quality interaction between staff and children, and having smaller class sizes really helps us to move them along.

“In terms of our vision and our values, they are all around nurturing children and delivering a good value education.

“I would also mention our broad and creative curriculum, which sets us apart and is certainly unique to Faraday.

“We teach much of the National Curriculum alongside a core knowledge curriculum and we have five specialist subjects, which are taught from Reception all the way up to Year 6 – French, music, dance, drama and sport.

“For example, we have a dedicated specialist sports teacher who is with the children all through their time at the school so they have the benefit of that – it’s a great model to help inspire them.

“An emphasis on high-quality English and Maths is always essential, and I think that, for that reason in primary, sometimes, the more creative subjects can take more of a back seat, but we’re committed to keeping them in the timetable throughout.”

Average class sizes at Faraday Prep School are 14 pupils

Lucas, who was born in Hackney and now lives in Leytonstone, arrived at Faraday in January this year, having previously held the post of deputy head at its sister institution – Maple Walk Prep School in Harlesden.

He said: “I came across when the previous head, Claire Murdoch, became head at Maple Walk, so essentially we swapped over. That’s made the transition quite smooth and natural because the values and ethos of the two schools are the same.

“Faraday is in an unusual situation – our playground is on a bend of the River Lea – but a real highlight in my first term here has been reaching out to the community at Trinity Buoy Wharf – it’s such a collaborative and creative place.

“I want to continue the work Claire has done here, because she’s done an amazing job. I want to build on that.

“We’re currently a one form entry school except in our current Reception class, where we have two – we’re on a journey of growth – and I feel really excited about where that might lead.”

Selection for the award will be based on interview and references.

Children will be asked to provide their most recent school report and will be asked to undertake a range of activities and assessments.

Appointments to visit the school before applications are made can be arranged. Help with filling out the means testing element of the application is also available.

Those who would like more information can call the school on 020 8965 7374

The school is based at Trinity Buoy Wharf in Leamouth

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March 16, 2022

Leamouth: Typewriter artist James Cook set for Trinity Buoy Wharf exhibition

Workshops will also be on offer for those who want to have a go at typing out their own pieces

James Cook will be showing his artwork at Trinity Buoy Wharf

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When I was a young child, my parents gave me an old typewriter to play with. I loved hitting the keys, hearing that distinctive, hypnotic clacking sound, twisting the knob that made the roller revolve.

But I couldn’t really comprehend what it was for. Even though this was the 1980s, by the time I came of age to make marks on paper, computer keyboards had already replaced the old mechanical machines with their inky ribbons and staccato rhythms. Fun for a kid – a relic of a bygone age, perhaps – but nothing more.

It’s fortunate James Cook didn’t have that experience.

While studying A-Level art in 2014, he developed an interest in inventive ways to make marks, drawn to David Hockney’s iPad paintings.

“Then I came across Paul Smith, who had used typewriters,” said James. “What really caught my attention was his story.

“Born in 1921, he suffered with cerebral palsy his whole life. At the age of 11, his parents gave him a typewriter because he couldn’t hold a pencil.

“But, instead of writing, he ended up creating drawings, which was his passion. He only learnt to speak and walk as an adult, but at the age of 11 he was already creating these amazing pictures – drawings of the Mona Lisa and it fascinated me that it was even possible to do such a thing.

“Immediately after I had read about him, I started trawling around charity shops trying to find a typewriter – at first without much success.

“Then an elderly couple in one of the shops overheard that I was looking for a typewriter and told me that they had one belonging to the man’s late mother.

“It had been sitting in the attic for about 40 years, not being used, and they suggested that I could come round and collect it.”

After a few squirts of WD40, James got the mid 1950s Oliver Courier going and began to experiment.

“I was lucky I picked that typewriter up and that I didn’t give up straight away,” he said. “As time has gone on, I’ve discovered that there are some models that just don’t work for this kind of work.

“But what I had was a very expensive, very mechanically precise machine. If this hadn’t been the case I might not have stuck with it.”

Perseverance paid off however and James now makes his living generating work on his collection of 40 typewriters, painstakingly using them to tap out artwork, either from life or photographs.

It’s exacting work, with drawings typically taking between a week and a month to complete.

“Usually the typewriters have 44 keys, so I have those parameters to work within and choosing the characters to use is one of the most interesting parts of making these drawings,” said James.

“I’ve been doing this for about seven years now, mostly part-time, and more recently full-time, and I’ve learnt by trial and error which particular character works.

“If I’m drawing a portrait, and I need to recreate someone’s skin complexion, most people want to be seen in the best light, so even skin tones require a character that has a large surface area, like the ‘@’ symbol.

“That’s also good for shading, which can be achieved by hitting the key more softly.

“If someone has dimples or freckles, then I might use some asterisks, because it’s a much sharper mark, whereas the underscore is a perfect shape for drawing horizontal lines in an architectural drawing, like the bottom of a window sill, or doing brickwork.

“Achieving curves is very difficult, especially if you’re working across multiple sheets, because they all have to line up.

“Typewriters inherently want to go from left to right so they’re great for straight lines, but not so good for verticals and curves.

“So what I’m doing is using my left hand to ever so slightly twist the paragraph lever by a minuscule amount while I’m typing to create a curve, like the roof of The O2, for example.

“I can’t think of any other way of drawing that requires you to use both hands in this way. Your right hand is on the keys and your left hand is responsible for making sure you stamp that mark on a very precise point.

“Once it’s been made that’s it, there’s no way of undoing it – I won’t use Tippex so mistakes become part of the drawing.

Every drawing is made by painstakingly typing to make marks

From April 1-10, the largest ever exhibition of James’ work ever gathered together is set to be held at Trinity Buoy Wharf, with many of the pieces created at the east London location in Leamouth. Entry is free.

“Visitors will see the biggest collection of my work to date,” said James.

“It’s mostly pieces from London locations, usually drawn on site with views of places like Greenwich Park, the Thames Path and Trinity Buoy Wharf itself.

“What’s also important for the work is to add a second layer of information, so the drawings are not just about piecing together various characters, they also contain concealed messages or hidden lines of text.

“I’ve often done that more recently when I’ve been working on location and I’ve spotted something, or when a thought pops into my head, especially if it’s the middle of winter.

“I did some of the drawings in January and it was pretty cold outside, so a lot of the messages are me complaining how cold it was.”

James draws many of his pieces on location

Every weekday during the exhibition, James will be hosting free workshops for those who’d like to try creating their own typewriter art.

He said: “When people look at my art, usually it’s not enough, they want to know how it’s made.

“The idea is these groups of about five will get to sit in front of a typewriter and have a go.

“It won’t be creating finished masterpieces, but hopefully we’ll have some fun and it will be a start.

“They can bring along pictures to inspire their typing or I can provide them for reference.”

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