Wapping Archives - Wharf Life

November 13, 2024November 13, 2024

Club Pilates brings comprehensive fitness offering to Wapping

London Dock development welcomes American chain as the business expands to the UK

Club Pilates' Wapping studio can host classes for up to 12 participants and boasts a wealth of equipment for people to use — Club Pilates’ Wapping studio can host classes for up to 12 participants and boasts a wealth of equipment for people to use

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It would be nice to think that those living in the prosperous capital of a G7 country would have access to pretty much the best stuff in the world.

But it’s clear London is lagging behind in some areas.

A recent visit to Tokyo left me agog at its bullet trains, spotless streets and high quality cuisine.

Its urban planning makes the City look like a rather unambitious provincial backwater.

Then there’s the astonishing level of hygiene facilities – plentiful and mostly free – in a culture that really wasn’t content for the evolution of the toilet to essentially stop with the invention of the manual flush in 1596.

A trip to Wapping made something else plain – that the UK is also behind on certain health and fitness trends.

Pilates is clearly starting to have a moment in London.

Visit Third Space in Canary Wharf and you’ll find its Reformer Pilates classes consistently oversubscribed.

It’s really the extra kit that makes the difference.

Mat-based Pilates sessions are not so rare in community centres across the country.

But studios that allow groups of people to stretch and strengthen their bodies on equipment such as the spring-loaded reformers, Pilates chairs and springboards are far less common.

Club Pilates has opened its third UK branch at London Dock in Wapping

seeing an opportunity

It’s a niche Club Pilates is looking to fill.

Founded in San Diego in 2007, the business has expanded to more than 1,000 locations globally via a franchising model.

With a target of 50 clubs for its initial UK roll out, it recently opened its third location in the capital at London Dock in Wapping.

Offering classes for up to 12 participants, the Gaughing Square facility is packed with Pilates paraphernalia and offers locals a range of classes to cater for all fitness levels and ages.

Jada-Rae Poku, master Pilates instructor and director of sales, marketing and education at Club Pilates

Club Pilates: a one-stop shop

“It’s an all-inclusive, one-stop shop for all your Pilates needs,” said master Pilates instructor and director of sales, marketing and education at Club Pilates, Jada-Rae Poku.

“We’re an American company, founded in California by Allison Beardsley whose mission was to bring Pilates to the masses.

“Historically, it wasn’t accessible to many people, so, by having more equipment, she could have more people at one time and that brought the price point slightly lower.

“It’s about community and bringing people, who might not otherwise take part, into the practice.”

Jada-Rae is currently splitting her time between the States and the UK, having been with the business for seven years.

“At school I did track and field, and my first experience of Pilates was in rehab from an injury – I was a high jumper,” she said.

“I was planning to become a physical therapist, but found Club Pilates along the way, and now I’m involved in the management of the business as well as teaching the practice.

“Having started on the sales team, I was working to open up branches on the coast of New Jersey, then in Irvine, California.

“I also run a certification course at Wapping for people wishing to become instructors themselves.

“We offer a fully comprehensive Club Pilates certification for everything you can see in our studios and those who complete a course can take those skills wherever they like.”

Of course, with a further 47 branches of Club Pilates expected to create some 900 jobs across the UK, those 500-hour programmes could well be a route to employment with the company as it grows.

Jada-Rae takes a class at the Wapping branch of Club Pilates — Jada-Rae takes a class at the Wapping branch

a little history

That interest in this country is increasing feels especially apt given the exercise system’s roots.

Born in Germany, Joseph Pilates had overcome childhood asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever thanks to a passion for exercise and martial arts.

Having become a gymnast and bodybuilder, he moved to England in 1912 and earned a living as a circus performer and a self-defence instructor for the police.

However, when the First World War broke out he and many other German citizens were imprisoned through the Government’s policy of internment, first at Lancaster Castle and then on the Isle Of Man.

It was during these periods of incarceration, teaching his fellow inmates wrestling and self-defence, that he developed the fitness regimen of mat exercises that evolved into Contrology, the basis of modern Pilates.

He taught thousands of men his methods during these years.

While the evidence is inconclusive, the spring systems used to create resistance in his Reformer machines may have been inspired by those in the frames of the hospital beds he helped to rehabilitate injured prisoners of war on.

He returned to Germany after the war but decided to emigrate to the USA, meeting his future wife on the crossing and dedicating his life to teaching his method and spreading its benefits from their base in New York.

Club Pilates shares that mission as it expands to the country where the exercises it teaches had their genesis.

Exercises on the Reformer are often performed on the back making them accessible to people of all abilities

a warm welcome at Club Pilates

“People can expect super-friendly, smiling faces, here to make sure they have the best experience,” said Jada-Rae.

“There is a lot of equipment and it can be overwhelming, but we’ll make sure you have a full-body workout – that you move your spine, feel good and get stronger – in every class.

“You’ll always be working on the stabilisation of muscles, mobility and flexibility, which are all needed for proper functional movement.

“I go to a gym as well and, when I have a solid Pilates practice, I’m not getting injured as frequently and I’m getting stronger more quickly, because I’m rehabbing my muscles in the Pilates classes.

“You’re able to push more if your muscles are more limber, so it’s great for any movement practice.

“Pilates is life-changing. It’s great for rehabilitation, it’s low-impact, so literally everyone can do it.

“The method is a very controlled and precise way of moving your body – we’re very focussed on the mind-body connection.

“The more you do it, the better you get.

“It’s about engaging every single muscle, so there’s a lot to take in when you start, but it becomes easier and easier.”

key details: Club Pilates in Wapping

Club Pilates is located in Gaughing Square at Wapping’s London Dock development.

New clients can take advantage of an early Black Friday offer and purchase three classes for £30 via the link below.

Membership options are also available with prices ranging from £150 to £299 for unlimited classes.

One-to-one training options are also available.

Find out more about the studio here

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

October 31, 2024October 31, 2024

The Pirates Of Penzance all-male show set for Wilton’s Music Hall

Gilbert and Sullivan classic gets a fresh revival at the Wapping venue, directed by Sasha Regan

The Pirates Of Penzance, complete with an all-male cast, is set to run at Wilton's Music Hall until November 23 — The Pirates Of Penzance, complete with an all-male cast, is set to run at Wilton’s Music Hall until November 23

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BY LAURA ENFIELD

“Close your eyes in the darkened auditorium of Wilton’s Music Hall this autumn and you will truly believe there are virginal Victorian women on stage,” said Sasha Regan.

But, once you open them, you will actually see young men dashing about as swarthy swashbucklers one minute, then fluttering across the stage as petticoated ladies, the next.

We’re talking about Sasha’s all-male version of The Pirates Of Penzance, a reimagining of the beloved Gilbert and Sullivan operetta that debuted as a concept some 15 years ago.

Her new production is set to run at the Wapping venue until November 23, 2024, and challenges its cast to sing everything from falsetto to bass.

“When they become girls, there’s no drag, wigs or fake boobs,” she said.

“They have these little white corsets and skirts and it’s about trying to keep it very innocent and fresh.

“You have to steer them away from the RuPaul idea of what a woman is – really sexualised and quite overt.

“These women are good girls and when they meet these sexy pirates for the first time, that clashing with the innocence is a really lovely moment.

“We had to teach them to walk with books on their heads, like the old days of etiquette and be very dainty, which is where the humour comes from.”

an all-male The Pirates Of Penzance

She got the idea for the show as a 20-something running The Union Theatre in Southwark, a venue she set up in 1998 using a Prince’s Trust loan and that still exists today.

“I think it came from the fact I’d done an all-female version of HMS Pinafore at school when I was about eight,” said Sasha.

“I was trying to find interesting things to do and the beauty of Gilbert and Sullivan is there’s no rights to it any more, so you have freedom.

“I was thinking about how to take something a little bit dusty and refresh it, to bring out the humour. I imagined what it would be like if a boys school put on a production.”

That inaugural show, first performed to an audience of 50, drew gasps of horror from the traditionalists.

“We had Gilbert And Sullivan Society members coming in sitting with scores on their laps and there was a bit of an uproar,” said Sasha.

“But we won them all over and now we’re in their newsletter.

“I think if you respect something and do it well, people can’t complain too much.”

Acclaimed all-male productions of HMS Pinafore and The Mikado have followed and the 52-year-old was recently awarded the Special Achievement Award at the Off West End Awards for her contribution to musical theatre.

The Pirates Of Penzance, the show that started it all, still has a special place in her heart and cast members have returned again and again over the years to return it to the stage.

However, this new version by Regan De Wynter Williams Productions – the company Sasha has co-run since 2008 – will feature a line-up of fresh blood, including many recent graduates.

“This is the first cast with only one person that’s been in it before – David McKechnie who plays the Major General – so it’s a whole bunch of newbies,” said Sasha.

“We always do availability checks on previous cast members because it’s a bit of a family but they’re all working right now.

“It wasn’t a choice but it’s really refreshing, because we have almost started from the beginning and brought new ideas in.”

The production is currently running at the Wapping venue

casting the show

Finding actors who were up to the challenge was no easy task.

“They need to be able to play multiple characters – the pirates, the policemen and the sisters- and be able to sing in falsetto and bass and dance, because we treat it like a musical rather than an old fashioned operetta,” said Sasha.

“It means we have to search a little bit harder but casting director Adam Brown did the rounds of the performing arts schools and he had a list of agents it was advertised through.

“When we did the workshops we had them do quite simple things like: ‘You’re these Victorian girls and there’s a muddy puddle and you’ve got to get over from that side of the room to this one’.

“It was quite funny because they were all so high-pitched and I had to tell them we’re not all like that as woman.

“Falsetto was a lot less common when we started, but now it’s part of the voice that people do at drama school, probably for things like Jersey Boys.

“It is getting easier to find men who can do it.

“Sam Kipling, who played Mabel last time and is now in Les Mis, has been popping in and helping this cast and handing down his tools of the trade to the next generation.”

In these days of equality and equity and women fighting for more time on stage, why not stage an all-female version?

“With all-male we can get the full vocal range,” said Sasha.

“If you close your eyes, you wouldn’t know that they’re not girls, which is quite stunning. They are singing top Bs.

“Most of our creative team has been female and mums. We’ve got Lizzy Gee as a choreographer.

“Her baby was about six weeks old when we first created the show and the designer – Robyn Wilson Owen – is now a children’s illustrator and has got children.

“My little one was three when we started.

“So it is a female team looking after their own kids and dealing with childcare at the same time as creating something with a room full of men.

“It is a fun dynamic.”

Men play all the roles, including the women

evolving The Pirates Of Penzance

Sasha said the show had definitely evolved over the years and, this time around, Lee Greenaway from the original cast was working as associate choreographer to help avoid stereotypes.

“Back when we started it was just all a bit bonkers.” she said.

“Some of the boys were wearing pearls and earrings because that was their idea of what a woman should be.

“Now it’s much more refined and less ridiculous.

“The Pirates Of Penzance is already physically funny and then if you’re a male identify person in a white corset, long dress and ballet shoes, that is funny in itself.

“So then you don’t really have to pretend to be that gender or it becomes like Carry On and actually not funny.”

The set is also pared back, using just wooden blocks and imagination to create a pirate ship, with the auditorium as the passageway the sisters take through the Rocky Mountains into the spotlight – Sasha’s favourite moment of the show.

“You can hear them before you can see them,” she said.

“When they all arrive on the stage sometimes we have to stop for a moment to let the laughter finish because the vision of all these boys in skirts is so magical.”

The Pirates Of Penzance is by Gilbert and Sullivan

going against the grain

How does she imagine the late great writers themselves would react if they were in the audience?

“I think they would laugh,” she said. “We totally respect their score and script and they were satirical and poked fun at the government and went against the norm.

“I’ve definitely gone against their norm and I think they would respect that and enjoy it.”

This is by no means her first time at Wilton’s having toured there almost every year since 2010.

But Sasha hopes to attract a new generation to the “magical” theatre with this production.

“I would love to think that when people watch it, they don’t realize they’re watching a really old fashioned piece of theatre written in 1879 because it’s so fast-moving and physical,” she said.

“We do get a lot of return customers.

“People bring their kids or grandkids, because it’s very innocent, old fashioned fun.

“That, for me, is an achievement of knowing these shows aren’t going to die out.

“I haven’t become bored with them yet and our audiences haven’t either so I’m hoping this time we get more young people coming in because we have this younger cast and we can introduce them to Gilbert and Sullivan’s work.”

key details: The Pirates Of Penzance at Wilton’s Music Hall

The Pirates Of Penzance will be at Wiltons Music Hall until November 23, 2024, with shows at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Tickets start at £10.50.

Find out more about the show here

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 11, 2024September 11, 2024

Hamro Maya Nepali street food startup founded on passion

South Bermondsey-based business trades at Canada Water Market, Wapping Docklands Market and Tower Hill Market

Image shows a selection of street food from Hamro Maya on a wooden table in cardboard bowls — Nepali dishes cooked up at Hamro Maya – image James Perrin

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BY LAURA ENFIELD

There is a reason we have so many songs about supporting the one you love – Wind Beneath My Wings, You Lift Me up, Lean On Me. I could go on.

It is because following your dreams can be scary, endlessly exhausting and surprisingly confusing.

Those who succeed almost always have someone cheering them on along the way.

For Laxmi Gurung, that person is her partner Kiyam Lin.

“I’ve always had this passion of having my own restaurant or cooking, but he was my backbone and gave me the confidence to do it,” said the founder of fledgling food startup Hamro Maya.

The business can currently be found at Canada Water Market in Deal Porters Square, every Sunday serving up “under-represented Nepali cuisine”.

“Hamro Maya means ‘our love’ in Nepalese and the business really did start from that, as cheesy as that sounds,” said Laxmi.

Born in Nepal, she moved to the UK with her family aged 12. Kiyam was born in Hong Kong and came here aged two.

The couple, both 31, met in September 2020 and bonded over a “shared passion for food” but were quickly parted again due to the Covid lockdowns.

Love still managed to flourish, however, and Kiyam said it was clear from the start where Laxmi’s future lay.

Image shows Kiyam Lin, left, and Laxmi Gurung of Hamro Maya – a man and woman wearing a grey hoodie and a white top and black apron, respectively — Kiyam Lin, left, and Laxmi Gurung of Hamro Maya – image James Perrin

Hamro Maya – born of a passion for food

“When we first met, I could see she was so passionate about food and suggested she should start a business,” he said.

“But she said: ‘No, I definitely don’t want to’. So, I left it on the back burner.

“But after a while it became really obvious that she really loved making amazing food for all of our friends.

“Every time they came around, she’d make something new and, over time, she realised this was actually a thing that she could really do.

“She’s got the ability, the talent and the passion for it, so I said she should just give it a go.

“Sometimes you need someone else to tell you to just go for it.”

He was also starting his own new chapter, beginning a research fellowship job at UCL in April after studying theoretical physics and completing his PhD.

Laxmi said: “He’s been supporting both of us.

“I left my job in January so I could attend courses and get the business going and I was at the point of breakdown at times.

“I wasn’t sure if I could do it and he’s just been there to support me so well.”

While this encouragement was key, it was that little voice inside Laxmi that finally prompted her to change career.

“I worked in a homeless department at the council and had to talk and listen to people every day about their sorrow – what they’re going through,” she said.

“It made me feel that I am more privileged and also lucky enough to be where I am, just thankful.

“One day I realised I needed to do something about my life.

“I already had what I wanted to do in the back of my head and I just knew I had to make it come true.

“It just hit me that I needed to go ahead and grab that idea and proceed with my passion.”

Hamro Maya trades at three markets in east and south-east London – image James Perrin

from the pans of the father

Her love of making food came from her father, who was previously in the Indian Gurkha army and moved his family to the UK “for a better future”.

“My dad was the main cook of our house,” said Laxmi who grew up in Plumstead.

“Whenever we came home from school or wherever he would be asking: ‘What do you want to eat? What kind of food do you want?’.

“We would pick and he would make it for us.

“He taught us to respect food and what we have been given.”

Laxmi began experimenting with cooking when she went to University in Bath to study biology and business management and then a masters in human resources management.

She went on to work for McDonalds and then Greenwich Council.

Once she decided to leave her office job, she began looking into how to start a business and discovered a free course offered by the Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA).

“It was really eye-opening and helped me develop what my aim was, my values,” she said.

“It helped me understand my own business and my own idea better.”

Her menu was developed from home at first, but then she stumbled across Karma Kitchen, which provides space for food production and delivery and has a facility in South Bermondsey where Laxmi lives.

Since July she has been using its shared kitchen space for four days a week to create her dishes, with the aim of transporting customers from the snowy peaks of the Himalayas to the aromatic spices of hillside treats and the bold flavours of the Terai Here.

They include a range of handmade dumplings known as Momo – based on her mum’s recipe – and classics such as chowmein, fried rice and chatpate, inspired by what her dad taught her.

market traders

Hamro Maya launched at The Market Network’s three markets at the start of August – Tower Hill Market, Wapping Docklands Market and Canada Water Market.

Laxmi said the business had quickly become a seven-day job and she was already considering hiring more staff.

“Canada Water is probably the most popular because we have a lot of people from the South Asian community there,” she said.

“But its also been a real pleasure to introduce what Nepali cuisine is to new people.”

Some of her biggest fans are, of course, her parents.

“They’ve been raving about it and bringing their friends and family,” said Laxmi.

“My dad approves my food, but always wants it be more spicy. We do offer our spicy sauce on the side – not everyone can handle it.”

Then there is Kiyam, who had never even tried Nepali cuisine before he met Laxmi.

“Going down to the markets and seeing people paying money for her food and loving it is honestly so crazy,” he said.

“I feel so proud that it’s successful.

“She is flourishing in this new way she’s never done before and it’s amazing.”

key details: Hamro Maya

Hamro Maya is at Tower Hill Market from 11am-3pm on Thursdays, Wapping Docklands Market from 10am-5pm on Saturdays and Canada Water Market from 10am-4pm on Sundays.

Find out more about the business 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

August 26, 2024August 26, 2024

Artist Ed J Bucknall teams up with The Space Bar to show works

Visitors to the arts centre can now view and buy paintings and prints by the Wapping-based creative

Image shows a painting of The Space arts centre, a converted church made of yellow bricks with a red door by Ed J Bucknall — Ed J Bucknall’s painting of The Space in Westferry Road

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Serendipity played a part in bringing Ed J Bucknall’s art into The Space Bar.

Specialising in capturing views of east London, his native Wapping and especially the Thames, he’d painted The Grapes pub for co-owner Sir Ian McKellen, a work that now hangs in the actor’s riverside watering hole.

That same image caught the eye of Andrew Finnegan, bar board chair at The Space Bar, who saw it on Ed’s stall at Wapping Docklands Market next to Shadwell Basin and decided it would make the perfect present for a friend.

“He drinks regularly in The Grapes and he’s a keen cyclist,” said Andrew. “The painting had a bike outside the pub, so it was the ideal gift.”

Having made the connection and, keen to forge local partnerships for mutual benefit, Ed was duly invited to exhibit some of his work at The Space Bar – the hospitality arm of the Westferry Road arts centre on the Isle Of Dogs.

Completely coincidentally, its patron is Sir Ian.

Image shows Ed J Bucknall sketching in The Space Bar – a man in a red T-shirt with grey hair — Ed is often to be found sketching around Docklands

an amazing building

“It’s an exciting venture for me because The Space is such an amazing building and one that’s not particularly well-known outside the area,” said Ed.

“The bar now has some of my original works on the wall as well as prints that are available, framed or unframed.

“People are buying about one a week at the moment.

“With this collaboration, what I’ve tried to do is capture the local area – pubs, the historic cranes, Millwall, the dock and the Docklands Sailing And Watersports Centre as well as other locations along the Thames.

“My watercolour of The Space itself has already sold and prints have gone off round the world.

“I’ve got loads more pictures in the pipeline and – working in this area, I’ve been introduced to other buildings and other pubs – so this is the start of something that I hope will continue to be a real success.”

Image shows Ed's painting of Millwall Outer Dock with Canary Wharf's towers in the background — Detail from Ed’s image of Millwall Outer Dock

from architecture to painting

Originally an architect, Ed found the increasing digitisation of the profession less than satisfying and began selling his paintings at Wapping Docklands Market in 2021.

He also trades at its sister markets in Canada Water and Tower Hill and sells his paintings through Skylark Galleries on the South Bank, working full time as an artist.

“My work appeals to different people – locals who have lived in the area for many years, people moving into the area, those moving out and tourists visiting,” he said.

“Commissions are a big part of my income too.

“Only this morning, I was talking to a boat-owner about doing a painting of their boat, which is fantastic.

I also recently delivered a big order to Tower Bridge’s gift shop, which is their fourth in the last couple of years, so it’s all going really well

“Thanks to social media I’m now selling work internationally, which I never thought would happen. I’m always out drawing and painting with my sketchbook.

“It’s like when you’re out walking a dog, people come and talk to you and you get a lot of feedback that way.

“I’m planning to do more panoramic views of the Thames which are popular and have already painted the oldest pub on the Isle Of Dogs – The Ferry House – and places like Burrells Wharf, which is where Brunel’s ship The Great Eastern was built and launched from.

“That sold within 24 hours of going up at The Space.”

Ed’s signed prints start at £50, with original paintings available from £295.

These can be purchased at The Space Bar or online via Ed’s website.

Image shows Ed's painting of The Ferry House pub on the Isle Of Dogs, available to buy at The Space — Detail from Ed J Bucknall’s painting of The Ferry House pub on the Isle Of Dogs

key details: Ed J Bucknall at The Space Bar

You can find out more about Ed’s work here and more about The Space Bar, which incidentally does the most incredible chicken burgers, 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

June 5, 2024June 5, 2024

Magician Ben Hart gears up for astonishment at Wilton’s Music Hall

Illusionist prepares to dazzle audiences at a pair of London dates at the Wapping venue in July

Image shows magician Ben Hart, a man with short dark hair covering one eye with a brightly coloured peacock feather — Magician Ben Hart began performing magic as a child

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As he’s a magician, it is – of course – impossible to completely trust anything Ben Hart says.

It’s a grey day in London when I call him on a cruise ship in Mykonos where he’s performing.

He assures me the weather is equally crap off the Greek island.

Maybe it is, maybe he just wants to make me feel better.

Making people feel things is Ben’s trade.

At 16 he was awarded The Magic Circle’s Young Magician Of The Year in 2007, having started practising tricks as a kid.

One of 300 members of the organisation’s Inner Magic Circle, his career since leaving school has seen him perform all over the world.

He’s been a finalist on Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent: The Champions as well as teach the likes of Tom Cruise close-up illusions for the latest Mission Impossible.

He’s set to appear at Wilton’s Music Hall in his latest show, Jadoo, with performances on July 15 and 16, 2024.

While we chat about his return to London, he casually mentions he’s just been helping Russell Crowe and Rami Malek accrue skills.

These have been used in their forthcoming movie Nuremberg, for a scene where US military psychiatrist Lt Colonel Dougals Kelley shows Hermann Göring a coin trick.

Images shows a man in a white shirt with sand running through his fingers from an unseen source above — Ben aims to astonish his audiences

Ben Hart – teaching the teacher

“I really enjoy teaching other people,” said Ben.

“Part of my work is consulting, and it wouldn’t be possible for me to be a performer if I wasn’t still teaching because the process really teaches me.

“These people are titans – I’ll be showing them a simple piece of magic and suddenly I’ll see something I didn’t expect – weaknesses or strengths that I can incorporate into my own work.

“With movies, I’ve been really interested in when people blink.

“Actors rarely do it because their faces can take up so much space on a screen that movement can be a big statement that might not be necessary.

“In my own work I’ve realised that I blink all the time – even when I’m doing something sneaky, which is a bit of a tell.

“That’s the kind of lesson you learn. Then, when I’m designing work for other magicians, their creativity informs what I’m doing in a symbiotic way.

“Any artist has to collaborate at some level.

“By tradition, magic is very solitary and that’s detrimental to it as a form.

“By collaborating, I’ve broken down some of the self-inflicted barriers I’ve made for myself.”

Image shows Ben with his fingers steepled, surrounded by light bulbs — Magician Ben Hart says he finds it easier to interact with an audience when there’s a script

Ben Hart – an outsider

Nevertheless, Ben paints himself as a an outsider.

On the cruise ship he tells me he goes for breakfast with his cap pulled down: “The audience is a bit too captive.

“There’s nothing worse than being famous and having an audience that can’t leave.

“They just want to chat but, like any performer I rely on my scripts and I don’t like environments where I can’t do that”.

It’s part jest, but also part truth.

He paints a picture of a man “trapped” by his own talent and early success – at once fascinated by the research and plagued by the ideas for tricks that will take years to realise or perhaps will never be performed.

Should we take him at face value, or is his apparent honesty all part of the patter?

Image shows Ben Hart with symbols painted on his hands running sand through his fingers — Ben says he aims to unlock people’s sense of wonderment through his performances

why magic is a painful process for Ben Hart

“Making new work can be quite a painful process,” he said.

“What happens is, you think of an impossible idea – anyone can do that – and then you do research to see how you can edge yourself closer to that becoming a trick.

“That process for me now takes longer and longer – it can be years.

“There’s usually no light bulb moment.

“A magic trick is a synthesis of compromises – magic is not possible, so you have to make accommodations and work out how the audience can see them as I want.

“It’s also a process that’s difficult to talk about, because the magician’s canvas is the bit nobody sees – that they shouldn’t even be aware of.

“My job is to host an evening of entertainment – all of my choices are about making sure the audience’s experience is amazing.

“I’m not interested in how hard it is to fool them, it’s more about getting them to a place where they can go on the journey.

“I’m like a tour guide who can take them somewhere where they might be able to experience something amazing.

“As a magician I want to reveal to the audience a feeling of astonishment which is already inside them.

“Everyone knows we’re capable of feeling wonderment, but it’s infrequent that we get to do it. I create this environment.”

That’s exactly what audiences at Wilton’s can expect when Ben takes the stage, albeit with limited props.

Image shows Ben wearing a white suit jacket with his wrists crossed in shadow play — Ben says he insisted on performing at Wilton’s Music Hall as it’s his favourite venue in London

a special venue

“It’s really one of my favourite venues in the whole world,” said Ben.

“I’ve been lucky enough to perform all over the place, but having a venue that’s old and full of atmosphere is incredible – I really love it.

“It’s also a very good venue for magic in terms of audience sight lines.

“Because it’s so stripped back, there can’t be any feeling that there are people hiding anywhere.

“My show is rooted in storytelling and I hope the magic I do has a bit more power behind it than people might have experienced before.

“I have stripped back all the cheesy Paul Daniels stuff.

“There are no sequins – I don’t insult the audience’s intelligence by getting them to think that a box is empty or anything like that.

“Coming at it from a contemporary stance, I’ve managed to create the kind of magic show you might have seen 100 years ago, but you would seldom see now.

“Almost everything I do depends on objects borrowed from the audience, so they know they’re legitimate – not fakes.

“I think magic is an incredibly direct and creative form.

“I can get a gasp of amazement from an audience within 60 seconds of the show starting and that’s amazingly efficient theatre.

“The audience goes on a sort of magical rollercoaster during the show – it’s like a theme park level of emotion.

“An object you thought was there, isn’t, or that something isn’t what you thought it was.

“Magic is a kind of mind-hacking, really playing with people’s perceptions and how they remember things – it’s fascinating stuff.

“It reminds us that you can’t trust everything in the world.

“Magicians can hold a lot of emotional power, which can be neglected.

“We need to remember we’re all living in an illusion and this is a magical thing.”

creating new tricks

As for the future, Ben says he has at least 10 tricks that he’s continuing to slave over, although that number just represents the ones where there’s a chance of completion.

“There are loads of things I’d love to do in front of an audience,” he said.

“Most are miles away from being finished.

“I’ve also got a list of stuff I’ve been working on since I was a kid, which I don’t think will ever be performed.

“I’d especially love to do a version of an old Indian street magic trick called the Mango Tree Illusion.

“A seed is planted and – over the course of a 30-minute show – it grows into a tree, complete with fruit.

“The magician then cuts the mangoes off so people can see they’re real.

“The traditional secret is to swap out the trees when the audience isn’t looking.

“There have been many takes on it and I’ve been working on mine for years but whether I’ll ever solve it, I don’t know.”

key details: Ben Hart at Wilton’s Music Hall

Ben Hart: Live is set to be performed on July 15 and 16, 2024, at Wilton’s Music Hall in Wapping.

Both shows start at 7.30pm and last 90 minutes plus an interval.

Tickets start at £12.50.

Find out more about the show 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

February 21, 2024February 21, 2024

Wapping: How Puddle Jumpers has opened a new site in east London

Nursery school expands its operation, bringing a former church school back into educational use

Puddle Jumpers new nursery is in a former church school

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Puddle Jumpers isn’t just the name of a brand, it’s a statement of intent.

The company recently opened a second nursery in Wapping, expanding on the success of its first site in Limehouse.

The new facility brings a building that once housed a church school back into educational use and, while the walls might date to 1871, what’s inside is firmly rooted in the here and now.

With the refurbishment of its ground and first floors mostly complete, the nursery is now welcoming its first children and the place is starting to buzz with life.

It’s warm and welcoming with plenty of wood used to create furniture, flooring and a cosy reading area with London landmarks crafted from oak.

All in all, it’s a substantial setting for the Puddle Jumpers themselves as they explore and discover the world under the guidance of staff.

Senior nursery manager Lucy Prew-Ajayi has spent the last 27 years working with children and young people in a multitude of settings and leads the team at the new location.

The building is undergoing a complete refurbishment and is now accepting children

“As a career, it was a no-brainer from me – I was one of those privileged people who knew what I wanted to do as I went through secondary school,” she said.

“My mother was a headteacher and a childminder when she was on maternity leave, so we were always surrounded by little people.”

Her professional life has seen her work at international schools in Berlin and study play therapy, working with young people who had suffered traumatic events before coming back to early years education at Sure Start centres before the Government closed them down.

She’s spent the last 12 years working for NGOs, family clubs and nursery schools as a manager and director and has now arrived in Wapping.

“I chose Puddle Jumpers because of the organisation’s vision,” she said. “That’s for children to think for themselves and teaching them to be brave.

“For me it’s as it was 27 years ago – we’re here for the children and they are here to thrive.

The nursery has a lending library, complete with London landmarks

“Life can be turbulent and children need to understand that crises can happen.

“Mental health issues are on the rise, so we believe in giving children the opportunity to be courageous and to develop resilience.”

Learning through play is very much at the core of Puddle Jumpers’ offering, with children encouraged to make, participate and create during their time at the nursery.

“As an early years, foundation stage nursery, we follow best regulatory practice and the curriculum guidance, but we also take inspiration from the theories of Rudolf Steiner and Loris Malaguzzi, who developed the Reggio Emilia approach,” said Lucy.

“These approaches are all about creativity, the arts and the power of language expression. We interpret those through the facilities we have.

“For example, we have a living kitchen where children do botany and cookery classes and that includes a lovely little herb garden, which is magical and great for sensory education.

“Upstairs we have an art atelier where imagination is brought to life – it’s about children putting what they see in their minds down on paper.

The nursery’s living kitchen is designed for kids to get involved

“Later this year, we’ll be opening a sensory room where children will be supported in self-regulation.

“This will also be a place to introduce them to technology without it being a screen, so that from a young age they learn how to cope with it.”

The main play spaces, a lending library – where parents or staff can read with children – and an area for music, complete the picture inside.

“We also have our fabulous garden, which is truly beautiful and has been designed to be very inspiring,” said Lucy.

“We are puddle-jumpers, so we believe in going outdoors in all weathers, which is also really calming for the children.

“It allows them to be free, to be themselves and then experiment.

“Outside, we have a big sensory area, a magnificent water station – where children can experience different types of movement and positioning, with lever pulling.

The nursery has plentiful outdoor space with a climbing frame in the pipeline

“There’s a big pirate ship – which is a sandpit – and we have mud kitchens that are great physical play areas.

“Later in 2024, we’ve commissioned a Tower Bridge climbing frame for the children to enjoy.

“Throughout their time here, we believe in a challenging curriculum for all ages and this includes our Ambitions programme, which is designed to keep children stimulated and to help them identify what they might like to try on the extra-curricular list, when they get to primary school. It really helps with that transition.

“We are here for every single child – to challenge them, celebrate them and to meet their needs.”

Lucy was also keen to stress that Puddle Jumpers’ approach was very much about working with parents.

She said: “After registration, we get in touch and invite them to come and look round.

“At the moment we have two open days a week, and it’s nicer if you’re in a group together, because it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re alone.

Find out more about Puddle Jumpers here

Puddle Jumpers’ senior nursery manager Lucy Prew-Ajayi

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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

“A nursery school must work for the family first – adults also need to feel safe and secure. We’re very open-door.”

She said the nursery worked to help build networks among parents and to help equip them with skills to help their child learn, develop and grow.

“Over the course of the year we have a number of events for parents and families, so they can come and socialise together,” said Lucy.

“We do have a couple of evenings just for our parents to let their hair down and talk about things they have in common.

“Some parents want to talk about their children – others about what’s going on in the world. We’re giving them that link, which is very important in a part of London with an international community, where people may not have immediate family nearby.

“We also run a free programme called Parents As First Educators, helping them understand behaviour and how to manage it.”

Puddle Jumpers is open for registration of children.

A minimum of two full days per week applies.

The nursery is also currently recruiting staff for its new location.

December 15, 2023December 15, 2023

Wapping: How Tower Bridge Studios and The Nest are looking to the future

Cherryduck in Sampson Street is set to return to its original name as co-working space seeks clients

Co-founder of Tower Bridge Studios and The Nest, James Vellacott

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All businesses evolve and change as the market moves and demand shifts.

So wanderers through Wapping may notice over the coming weeks that Cherryduck Studios in Sampson Street has returned to its original name.

“It was a fun name, but ‘Tower Bridge Studios’ says where we are and what we are,” said co-founder James Vellacott. “It’s time for a change.”

The move is very much a return to focusing on the company’s core operation – hiring out five studio spaces and a plethora of equipment for photographic and video shoots.

“We’ve seen a big push now for higher end shoots coming back to the studio,” said James.

“During Covid people were using their mobile phones for user generated content and the apps like TikTok and Instagram are great for that.

“But bigger organisations are back using the studios for press days, shoots, photography and video.

“This week we’ve had two studios hired for a rugby team with a photographer and camera crew on site.

“We’ve also had a live streaming company that likes to broadcast to its clients.

“Then a national newspaper has taken one of our studios full time, as of next year.

“They shoot a lot of fashion for a weekly magazine with lots of celebrities and they’ve moved here because of our video capability.

“They want to create in-house content but didn’t have the set up that we do and we have all the equipment they need, ready to hire off the shelf.

“We’re seeing the studios really pick up which is brilliant as 2023 has been tough.

Five spaces are available at Tower Bridge Studios

“The writers’ strike in the US has meant that places like Pinewood and Shepperton, which would normally be producing film and television, were empty – so commercial clients could hire them at a much reduced rate.

“This may have been an urban myth, but the lull has certainly picked up now and we’re busy up until Christmas.

“We generally run at around 65% or 70% occupancy although clients typically want to shoot on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

“We are in central London, but we have parking right outside so the convenience factor is there. It’s even possible to drive vehicles into two of the studios.

“We’ve tightened things up here and we’re confident we’re ready for whatever 2024 brings us.”

The business was set up in 2008 by husband and wife team James and Michelle, who own the studio spaces they rent out together.

In 2016, the pair invested further in Wapping, buying a neighbouring property and converting it into shared office space and launching it as The Nest in 2018.

The Nest co-working space boasts an interior designed by Gensler

“It took a couple of years to refit,” said James.

“It had been run as residential housing by an old-fashioned family who used a rent book and took cash.

“It definitely wasn’t compliant with building regulations. When we got in, we found the gas meter had been bypassed – that sort of thing.

“We got it running and initially it was a place for creative businesses.

“We were really busy and then Covid came and nobody wanted office space.”

This has meant a change of approach, with The Nest now changed into a co-working space for companies and locals.

It boasts interiors by Gensler – known for working with major corporations and Silicon Valley giants – and includes a fresh air system, a screening cinema, breakout spaces and plenty of walls made from rope. That’s a nod to the building’s history on the site of a former hemp warehouse.

There’s also a full barista set-up for those who prefer their coffee frothy, superfast wi-fi and lots of exposed reclaimed timber to lounge against.

“My personal opinion is that some home working can be good for some businesses – especially for more senior people,” said James.

“But to make a company succeed you have to have drive.

“People who come here, typically want a more collaborative element in their work.

A wide range of spaces are available at The Nest

“It’s not about trusting people to work remotely, it’s about communication – getting people around a table and asking what we’re going to do next, how we’re going to push things forward.

“We can accommodate businesses of various sizes, including people who just want to work on their own and fancy a change of scene.

“Working from home can be a bit laborious, especially if you’re sharing the space with a partner. People coming here get free tea and coffee and they can swipe in and out to come and go as they please.

“We’ve started to get a lot of locals in and we have various firms that use the space – some for three days a week and others more.

“We’d love the space to be a bit busier and currently offer a daily rate of £25 for people who just want to come and work for a day.”

Those doing so might well bump into actor and local resident Dame Helen Mirren, who regularly uses The Nest’s sound recording facilities for her projects.

But even without an A-list appearance there are plenty of attractions, including a firefighters’ pole to slide down and themed meeting rooms that are available on a flexible basis.

“We’re currently re-strategising as a business to ensure we’re nimble and able to go after growth,” said James.

“I’m massively enjoying the hands-on side of the businesses.

“Drive is what we need right now. We’re in every day, meeting clients and helping them with their set-ups in the studios.

“This might be helping to build a set, arrange lighting or sorting out lunch.

“Then, at the end of the shoot, we’ll help them pack down, check the equipment back in and help them out to the cars.

“Then we’ll repaint the white shooting area if needed.

“With The Nest, it’s a great space to be. I love being in there and making the coffees – talking to people and finding out what kind of business they’re in.

“It’s great when it’s buzzing – it has a really nice atmosphere and we’d love more people to come down and check it out.”

Desk rates at The Nest start at £25+VAT with various packages available including full time permanent seats.

Find out more about the studios here and The Nest here

Facilities at The Nest include a screening room

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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

December 1, 2023December 6, 2023

St Katharine Docks: How Dockside Vaults delivers premium event space underground

Former Medieval banqueting experience has been reimagined as a blank canvas for all kinds of uses

Dockside Vaults is located at Ivory House in St Katharine Docks

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The legacy of global trade has left its mark across east London in vast spaces created to handle the wealth of cargo that once flowed up the Thames.

There were huge docks to safely berth the ships, wharves to unload them and warehouses to store and protect the goods and commodities.

The ongoing regeneration of Docklands has seen this infrastructure repurposed in myriad ways – as housing, accommodation for yachts, bars, hotels, restaurants, watersports centres and many more.

With many of the spaces being of a significant size and well connected to the rest of London, several have been reimagined as events venues.

The latest of these to launch is Dockside Vaults, a 10,000sq ft underground space beneath Ivory House in St Katharine Docks.

Built in 1852, the building is the only original warehouse still standing in the area and is today filled with residential apartments and restaurants at ground level.

Apt, perhaps, that its brick vaulted basement, which was once used to store imported barrels of wine is once again being used for hospitality and entertaining, having been the site of a Henry VIII-themed Medieval banqueting experience for decades.

“Funnily enough they were doing an immersive show long before the likes of Secret Cinema and those theatre concepts,” said Ben Gamble.

“The banqueting started in the 1970s with a fine dining, silver service dinner – but by the time it closed it certainly wasn’t that.

“It had become a tourist trap – all you could eat and drink for £30.”

SPECIAL OFFER - 50% OFF VENUE HIRE
Dockside Vaults is offering Wharf Life readers 50% off venue hire for events of 50 to 450 people that are booked and held before the end of 2023 – perfect for last-minute festive celebrations. The venue still has some availability before Christmas 2023. T&Cs apply. 

Go to docksidevaults.com for more information or to book

The space, however, was what interested Ben.

Having initially locked on to a career as a fighter pilot with the RAF, a shortage of training places prompted a rethink and he fell into the events industry after landing a job with the London Film Museum, having hawked his CV around the capital in search of gainful employment.

After establishing it as a venue for corporate shindigs at County Hall on the banks of the Thames, he left to start his own events business shortly after its relocation to Covent Garden.

“Having been involved with the owners to launch that and at a point I was just about to be earning good money, I handed in my resignation to start by own business,” he said.

“During my time at the museum I’d met a lot of events companies and had realised they were the ones with the big clients, big budgets.

“It seemed, as venue finders, all they would do is come round with the client and talk about the blooming obvious, which of course is not how it is at all.

“But I’d built up enough contacts, spoken to a few of them and told them I was thinking of doing my own thing.

“I asked them if they would trust me to find their venues.

“So that was the initial idea – it seemed like there was a gap in the market.

“I realised that everyone had been everywhere, so there was a need for a company that specialised in finding venues that had never been used before.

“So that’s what I did for seven years and then the pandemic shut down the industry.”

His company, Shout About London, worked across the capital often as a pioneer at venues such as Southwark Cathedral, the Archbishop Of Canterbury’s private library and at the Leadenhall Building, making a point of aiming to be the first company to bring clients into a space.

Gradually the business shifted to representing venues for longer periods of time and working with well-known institutions such as the V&A to create events around new exhibitions or attractions.

The evolution continued as Ben’s firm shifted into creative production and wound up managing several venues exclusively in the run-up to Covid.

“I actually signed a lease with a nightclub in January 2020 in London Fields, which was bad timing for me – it’s no longer there,” he said.

“Then the pandemic happened, so I went to UCL and did an MBA for two years.

“With hindsight, it was a perfect use of my time as I’ve been able to employ that knowledge in my new events and venue consultancy Nylon Pie, and now Dockside.”

The 450-capacity venue opened in September and features 10 alcoves all joined by an expansive central concourse, which can be used for events with 50 guests or more.

The venue is a blank canvas for clients to use

“I first saw the venue when I started Nylon Pie and I really liked the space,” said Ben.

“It was still full of mediaeval gear for the banquets so it needed emptying and modernising. Now it’s 10,000sq ft of premium event space with 150-year-old exposed brickwork.

“Tower Hill is synonymous with the old and the new – you have the Tower Of London and Tower Bridge with The Shard in the background.

“We’re from the same period as Tobacco Dock but we’ve got large TVs at the end of each of our alcoves and lighting where the colours can be changed at the touch of a button.

“Having great audio and visual tech is important and we have in-house microphones if people want to do speeches, too.

“The idea is that everything is plug-in and play.

“Of course, if you’ve got a big budget, we can do projection mapping on the brickwork and go all out – but if you don’t, we can operate on a minimum spend basis at the bar.

“We’re a cashless venue, but we’re also the largest venue in London to take payment in Bitcoin.

“So far we’ve done about 20 events including screenings of things like the Rugby World Cup – we had 450 South Africans here for the final.

“First and foremost we’re a corporate events space, however, and we’ve worked with Identify – one of the best events management companies in the UK – on a two-day conference.

“That showed a good use of the space, for smaller immersive events with 150 to 200 people.

“The alcoves can be used as breakout spaces and can easily be given a personal touch with branding, signs or logos.

“We’re also keen to be a part of the local community – not a closed door – and we’d love people to get in touch.”

Find out more about Dockside Vaults 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

November 16, 2023November 16, 2023

Wapping: How Urban Baristas has opened its largest branch with a coffee lab

Brunch cafe offers flat whites and space to work at London Dock’s Gaughing Square

Urban Baristas cafe and coffee lab is now open in Wapping

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“Oat flat white,” is Huw Wardrope’s instant response when asked his preferred coffee order. It’s not a surprise.

The Australian co-founded Urban Baristas in response to the disappointing cafe scene in London that he and his mate from uni in Sydney – Jono Bowman – endured while working in the finance industry.

The plan was to recreate a bit of Aussie hospitality and, crucially, quality, on this side of the world – and it all started in Bounds Green.

“In 2016 it was very difficult to find retail units from landlords who were willing to give space as a startup,” said Huw, who worked for Canary Wharf-based firms HSBC and BGC Partners.

“I had a business plan and everything – I was sending it out to people. But they wanted Caffe Nero or Pret.

“Then TfL said they had a site in Bounds Green – to be honest I didn’t even know where that was.

“But we went up there and said: ‘Let’s do it’. From day one it was a massive success.

“There was a line out of the door – people were saying that we’d increased their house prices.

“Then we knew we had a good product and that we were onto something.”

Today things are a little easier on the real estate front.

Urban Baristas recently opened its latest branch in Wapping’s Gaughing Square – part of property developer St George’s London Dock scheme.

It’s the brand’s 12th location – and also the largest – offering brunch, coffee and even a training space for enthusiasts keen to sharpen their brewing skills or to help staff to develop professionally.

“We’ve expanded over the years and we moved to the Wapping area partly because I live locally,” said Huw, who left finance to open three 24-hour gyms, before co-founding Urban Baristas.

“We have a kiosk at Wapping station, a branch on Wapping High Street, one at Devon House in St Katherine’s Way and one at Thomas More Square.

“It makes things easy operationally when we can move people around the different sites. Growing a brand is also easier if you’re focused in one area.

“The kiosk model is a good one because the staff costs are low and it’s easy to manage – it’s just coffee and pastries.

“When we opened at Wapping High Street we decided to add a bit more of an Aussie vibe with smashed avos for brunch and things like that on the menu.

“We’ve now decided to focus our food operation at London Dock because it’s a bigger space – 2,000sq ft.

“When you’re talking about that kind of size, I think you have to offer a little bit more than just coffee and pastries.”

Specifically, that means customers at the newly opened branch can expect the likes of Eggs Benedict (from £12.50), a Full Aussie (£14.50), Parmesan Folded Eggs (£10.95) or Green Goodness – a melange of kale, peas, broccoli, avocado and micro herbs – for £12.50.

There’s also an Avo Bar, offering three types of the ubiquitous bashed up toast topping to choose from, starting at £10.95.

The new branch is Urban Baristas’ largest site

“People will find what we think is the best flat white in London when they visit – it’s a happy place to come and chill out with your friends or maybe work a bit,” said Huw.

“We offer people a little bit of happiness in their day. It’s a tough time at the moment, especially with the economy and the cost of living crisis – but you can still go out and grab a coffee with a mate and have a catch up.

“Our house espresso is from Brazil – which is also where my wife is from.

“I’m lucky because I get to go out quite a bit and source the beans, meet the farmers and check the working conditions to ensure they are producing ethically.

“I’ve just booked a trip in February for two months.

“We also have a rotating series of coffees for the filters and the V60 Drippers – we have some Colombians and Guatemalans, but they rotate due to the seasons.

“We make sure we buy really special coffees from smaller producers.

“Brazil is the biggest coffee producing nation in the world and, for our shops, we need a steady supply.”

Urban Baristas’ latest branch is about more than just eating and drinking, however. It’s also about education.

Huw said: “The Coffee Lab is a new addition to the brand. I’ve always wanted to have a place to train staff.

“This is the biggest space we’ve taken and I was looking at the design and thinking about what to do with it.

“We hosted our first course just last week and we’re getting quite a bit of interest already – especially from corporates.

“I think companies are looking for alternatives to the pub.

“Not everyone drinks, organisations are looking for activities to do with their teams and I think it’s going to be a good place for that.

“We also have more than 70 staff who constantly need training on our different coffees.

“Eventually we want to be recognised by the SCA – the governing body for the speciality coffee industry – to give professional level classes for clients and our staff as part of their development.

Urban Baristas’ latest site is located at St George’s London Dock scheme in Wapping

“We’ve just started franchising as well, so the lab will also be a training hub for franchisees. That’s really future-proofing the business.

“Participants on our public courses will be learning how to make flat whites, espressos and latte.

“There’s also different brewing methods – V60 Drippers, Aeropress and filter.

“They cover all the basics – quantities of coffee, temperatures and how to do a heart on a latte.

“People should go home with an idea of how to replicate the quality they get at Urban Baristas.”

Huw said that while the coffee business was tough, especially given the pressures of the current labour market, he much preferred working for himself to his career in finance.

He said: “We’ve made mistakes along the way – there’s been a lot of trial and error, but we think we now know the formula and the positive is you meet great people along the way in this industry.

“I’d like to thank St George for supporting us to open at London Dock – we’re definitely in it for the long term as the area continues to develop.”

Find out more about Urban Baristas 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

July 27, 2023July 27, 2023

Wapping: How Terrible Thames is part river tour, part anarchic theatre show

Co-written by Terry Deary of Horrible Histories fame, the boat trip departs daily

Terrible Thames lasts 45 minutes and sails from Tower Bridge to Parliament and back

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REVIEW

There’s real depth to Terrible Thames.

I’m not just talking about the part of this touring play that deals with Julius Caesar crossing the river with an elephant when the whole body of water was much wider and shallower.

I’m referring to the sheer displaced tonnage of gruesome facts and aquatic curiosities that Horrible Histories author Terry Deary and Birmingham Stage Company actor manager Neal Foster have filled this 45-minute show with.

The former is well known for celebrating the brutal and shocking as a way to engage minds young and old in the study of the past.

The latter has long been a partner in bringing his written works to the stage.

But this collaboration – running every day over the summer holidays – is truly something different, seating its audience on the top deck of a boat and taking them on a cruise through the landmarks its inspired by.

Passengers take to the top deck of Silver Sockeye – part of Woods Silver Fleet – for a trip up the river to the Houses Of Parliament before heading back to Wapping and returning to base at Tower Quay Pier.

The show itself rests on the premise of a long-suffering teacher taking an excitable and enthusiastic student on a trip up the Thames as a treat for winning the school history prize.

The twist in the tale, of course, is that the teenager knows far more about London and the river’s horrific history than the teacher – thanks, it seems, to a suspiciously high number of informative relations who have all played their parts in the city’s story over the years.

From the audience’s point of view, it’s a hectic barrage of information. Dozens of anecdotes and morsels bubble up to the surface as the two performers coordinate their material with the passing sights.

The show takes place on the top deck of a boat

We learn about executions, plague, fire, suicide and even a boating disaster, in all their gory details as London slips by.

Perfectly timed sound effects provide aural punctuation as the actors dice and slice imaginary victims to the obvious delight of both adults and children.

And while there’s an inevitable focus on the violent and terrifying, there’s a lot more to this show than just blood and guts.

For example, Cleopatra’s needle is revealed to be nothing to do with its namesake but rather an obelisk carved in the time of Thutmose III.

Similarly, we also learn that Waterloo Bridge was largely built by women during the war in the 1940s and that Vikings led by King Olaf of Norway (probably) pulled down a wooden iteration of London Bridge using cables and longships to help beat the Danes who had taken control of the city.

The flow of information is thicker than the Thames would have been during the big stink and even printing these spoilers doesn’t make a dent in the overall experience.

It’s a trip that works on many levels. For the kids there’s poo, songs, rude words and an irreverent youngster showing up his teacher.

The show takes place on board Silver Sockeye, part of Woods Silver Fleet

For adults there are plenty of political references and opportunities to groan in a knowing way at the odd heavy handed pun.

For the tourists it’s a breathtaking barrage of information and tales that would never find their way into scripts for more staid, serious tours.

Then – crucially, for Londoners – there’s such a wealth of stories that there’s almost certainly going to be several tales they haven’t heard before – a new way to see the river that for so long provided the lifeblood of the capital and remains its twisting backbone.

It’s also a testament to the writers that they haven’t tried to shy away from anything.

In addition to the gore and heads on spikes, there’s a poignant reminder that so much of London’s wealth and prosperity rests on Britain’s enthusiastic, mercenary appetite for the slave trade with slavers compensated for their losses when abolition eventually arrived.

All in all, this is a truly refreshing way to see the city with fresh eyes – oh, and there’s a good old shanty to round things off.

Tickets for Terrible Thames start at £25 for adults and £15 for children aged 3-15. Babies and toddlers go free. Shows take place daily over summer 2023 and tickets can be booked here

James plays the role of Billy The Student in Terrible Thames

CREWING THE SCENERY – James Elliott, Billy The Student

“I really enjoyed Horrible Histories – the books and the TV shows – as a kid, so I was buzzing when I got an audition for Terrible Thames in 2021,” said James, who plays boisterous 13-year-old Billy in the production.

“They asked me to film an interactive horror tour around a London flat, so all my housemates helped out and we ended up with a really funny video that got me the job and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

Having attended Stagecoach, James went on to attend drama school in Guildford, graduating into an acting world ravaged by Covid.

“There was nothing much going on, so I spent a lot of time sitting on my thumbs for the first year before this role came along,” he said.

“The Thames is such a gorgeous place in the summer with the light shining off the water – it’s really magical. I really like that Billy gets to do a couple of songs during the show.

“There’s one about poo, which the kids really love, so I direct it at the adults who don’t quite know where to look, which is also good fun.

“Of course there are lots of other cruises and history tours on the river, but there’s nothing else like this. It’s fun, fast-paced and super informative – a show that’s great for kids and adults.

“It’s a play while also being a tour – audiences will learn about so many things from Execution Dock in Wapping all the way up to Parliament, two miles up the river.

“The reaction I’ve had from family and friends is that they’ve learnt so much about London from going on the trip.”

Jake plays the role of The Teacher in Terrible Thames

CAST OFF – Jake Addley, The Teacher

Playing the role of The Teacher, Jake Addley is a member of the current rotating cast of Terrible Thames.

Essentially the more sensible and serious of the two characters, whose pomposity is constantly pricked by his exuberant student.

Jake said: “I started off as a child actor, appearing in Shakespeare plays and pantomimes from about the age of 10 at an arts centre in Bracknell.

“Then I got an opportunity to attend the Brit School when I was 16 and my career went from there. I wanted to be a dancer for a long time, so I was in a contemporary dance group.

“From the age of 18, I was appearing professionally.

“About two years ago I was performing in another show and got asked if I wanted to audition for Terrible Thames – I did so and got the part.

“Having the river as your set is amazing, especially if it’s a nice sunny day – cruising up and down between all these iconic buildings and historic monuments.

“However, because the tide goes in and out the speed of the boat up and down stream can change completely so as performers we have to alter what we’re doing depending on that.

“Performing with James is great because initially I was coming into it new whereas he’s an old hand – when we’re chopping and changing things he’s a real pro.

“My favourite fact on the tour is that the Ministry Of Defence building still has Henry VIII’s wine cellar underneath it, which I had no idea about.

“I’m also embarrassed to say that before I got this role, I had no idea Cleopatra’s Needle was on the Thames, despite living in London.”

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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