West India Quay company offers cooking and cruising on its BBQ Boats, relaxed exploration on its Hot Tub Boats and contrast therapy aboard its Sauna Boats
As the weather warms up, Skuna is gearing up for barbecue season with its BBQ Boats at West India Quay in Canary Wharf – image supplied by Skuna
Summer party season is rapidly approaching as the weather warms and Wharfers turn their thoughts to socialising in the sunshine.
Whether organising a full-blown corporate event or something smaller, the key to success is often opting for a memorable venue – a place that offers an experience like no other.
Operating from West India Quay, Skuna does exactly that.
First there are its BBQ Boats, offering gentle cruising on the waters of the dock for up to 10 diners.
These come complete with a central grill where guests can cook their own ingredients or indulge in a range of packages.
Then there are the Hot Tub Boats, craft filled with heated fresh water that can be sailed widely in the canals and basins that make up the West India Dock complex.
Finally, there are three Sauna Boats offering communal or private contrast therapy with spaces heated by wood-fired stoves and cold plunges on the roof of the main vessel.
All are available for hire in a multitude of ways, with Skuna even offering parties the opportunity to combine experiences across its extensive fleet.
Each vessel can take up to 10 passengers with a maximum of 100 across the BBQ Boat fleet – image supplied by Skuna
cooking together
“It’s National Barbecue Week at the end of May and in celebration, we’re launching a whole array of new food packages for our BBQ Boats,” said Stuart “Tommo” Thomson, Skuna’s founder.
“These include the British Barbecue with hot dogs, beefburgers and a variety of sides such as potato salad and slaw all prepared in-house.
“Then there’s the Mediterranean package with incredible wraps, lamb, garnishes, dips, grilled aubergine and a halloumi hot dog.
“We’ll also be introducing our Surf And Turf, with tuna steaks, king prawns, chicken and sirloin steaks.
“We have 10 boats so we can have 100 people on the water at any one time.
“Across the whole business, we can accommodate about 160 guests for a multi-boat event including hot tubs and saunas.
“Barbecue is a great way to cook together and also a wonderful way to collaborate making it perfect for corporate events.”
Skuna’s Hot Tub Boats have become a familiar sight in Canary Wharf’s waterways – image supplied by Skuna
an immersive experience
Skuna is now in its eighth year hiring vessels in the waters around Canary Wharf having started with its hot tub boats – a familiar sight in the area.
Tommo said: “They’re still my favourite experience – they really put a smile on people’s faces.
“This will be our fifth season with the BBQ Boats and they’re growing and growing in popularity.
“We love large group bookings and we’ve had companies hire the whole fleet for summer parties in the past – it’s the ideal summer activity where people can combine, socialising, sailing, dining and drinking in one.
“Sauna Boat is our latest offering. Designed in Scandinavia, they have large glass walls so people can enjoy the heat while looking out over the dock. It’s really relaxing.
“We have one large one and two smaller ones that can accommodate up to six people each.”
The business also offers contrast therapies aboard its Sauna Boats – image supplied by Skuna
for individual or group hire
All of Skuna’s boats can be hired individually or booked in blocks to accommodate larger parties, events or celebrations including birthdays, anniversaries and even weddings.
“During the colder months, the business converts its BBQ Boats into Igloo Boats and serves fondues.
“We’re currently looking at expanding our existing fleet and we’re always on the lookout for new water-based experiences we can bring to our customers,” said Tommo.
“For me, the more that happens on the water, the more interesting Canary Wharf becomes as a place to visit, have fun and entertain.”
There are cold plunge facilities on the sauna’s roof – image supplied by Skuna
Making memories are what summer socials are all about.
As the mercury climbs, the great outdoors provides an ideal change of scene from the office or the home – a backdrop to shared experiences.
For those seeking something just that little bit different, Skuna’s BBQ Boats are all set for 2025’s summer months.
Based at West India Quay, these self-drive electric craft come with built-in BBQs offering Wharfers “an unforgettable way to eat, drink and spend time with others”.
BBQ Boats hold up to 10 people, with cruises lasting 100 minutes
BBQ Boats offer 100-minute cruises
The experience begins with a quick briefing before guests take the helm for 100 minutes of cooking and relaxing on the tranquil waters of North Dock.
Each boat holds up to 10 people, who can either bring their own food to grill or pre-order from Skuna’s freshly prepared food packages.
Drinks can be purchased from the on-site bar, which also sells captains hats for those who want to take a turn at the tiller.
“Our BBQ Boats offer the perfect dining on the water experience for summer,” said Stuart ‘Tommo’ Thomson, founder of Skuna.
“They are great for team bonding experience as you cook and sail yourself around the beautiful docks of Canary Wharf.
“This is a world away from the ordinary BBQ in the park or back garden – it’s summer dining, but not as you know it – and a bucket list activity to enjoy with friends and colleagues alike.”
The craft are a popular option for summer parties in Canary Wharf
key details: Skuna BBQ Boats
Skuna’s BBQ Boats are available during the summer months from their home on West India Quay.
Prices and details of the various food packages available can all be found on Skuna’s website, as well as booking links for its Sauna Boat and Hot Tub Boat experiences – also based in Canary Wharf.
There’s quite possibly a dash of Viking DNA in Stuart “Tommo” Thomson.
Where others see stretches of under-used water, he sees opportunity, just as Scandinavian raiders once did.
He’s also a fan of flames afloat.
First there came Barge East, a culinary powerhouse of a restaurant opposite Hackney Wick on the western edge of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and a flotilla of wood-fired hot tub boats with electric cruising engines.
Having conquered Canary Wharf, Skuna shored up its presence with a fleet of gently bobbing BBQ craft, popular in the summer months.
Last year, these were retrofitted with igloo-style roofs for winter to allow cold weather fondue sailings.
But it’s the latest arrival that speaks to the raw fire and ice existence of the northern tribes.
Built (appropriately) in Sweden, and believed to be the only self-propelled vehicle offering hot and cold therapy in the country, she’s currently moored for static service at West India Quay.
The boat has two icy plunge pools on its roof – image by Skuna
hot, then cold at Sauna Boat
The proposition is simple.
Her lower deck boasts changing facilities and a smart, wood-fired sauna allowing guests to get suitably toasty while gazing out of a large plate glass window overlooking the waters of North Dock.
There’s even a see-through hatch in the floor for views down towards the deep.
Once hot enough, a walkway round the structure and a wooden staircase take guests up to the roof where two icy plunge baths sit, complete with a high-tech cooling and water purification unit.
After the shock of a refreshing dip, the liquid chilled to a brisk 7ºC (or cooler, if desired), guests can then relax on comfy sofas with Canary Wharf’s towers to the south and the listed historic sugar warehouses of West India Quay to the north.
The temptation, of course, is to then do it all again to maximise that endophin high.
Skuna founder and CEO, Stuart ‘Tommo’ Thomson – image by Jon Massey
messing about in boats
“As a company, we’re interested in anything unusual you can put on a boat,” said Tommo.
“We want to provide all sorts of different experiences for people and we feel Sauna Boat is a natural progression from our hot tub boats.
“Saunas are booming across the country at the moment and there’s a wealth of health benefits to hot and cold contrast therapy – a boost for physical and mental health and it improves sleep dramatically.
“Since it arrived I’ve been in it every day and I’ve never slept better.
“The concept of taking a sauna has been around for thousands of years but it wasn’t really a popular thing to do in the UK until five or 10 years ago.
“Now it’s attracting people who are looking for something different, to relax and catch up with friends, or meet new people.
“That’s what Sauna Boat is all about. People come in, get changed – some may stay in the heat for 10 minutes, others for longer.
“Then it feels fantastic to step outside onto the deck and get some air on your body.
“Then they can enjoy the plunge pools, enjoy some time on the roof and go back inside for some more warmth and another cycle.”
The craft was built in Sweden and is now located in east London
a Sauna Boat from Sweden
Tommo and the team first came across the Swedish craft in 2018 in Oslo while searching for floating experiences to bring to the UK.
Initially Sauna Boat will be a static experience at West India Quay, but the plan is eventually to cruise the craft in the dock in similar fashion to the way they operate in Sweden.
Two further craft are expected to join the flagship in due course.
“It’s taken us a little while to get the first one over here, but we knew we loved the Scandinavian tradition of sauna,” he said.
“They are places of wellness and relaxation, but also somewhere to socialise with friends.
“We have music on-board and Friday evenings might be more upbeat, but Sauna Boat will always be a place to relax, rejuvenate and enjoy time spent with others.
“Floating on the water is an amazing place to have a sauna experience.
“Through the glass wall you can see other boats, ducks and geese going past.
“It’s all about tranquillity and the design means you can be snug in the sauna while looking out on Canary Wharf’s skyscrapers or relax on the top deck.
“Since we launched the hot tub boats here in 2018, West India Quay has changed so much – there’s an incredible array of bars and restaurants here and in Canary Wharf so this is the perfect place for our latest boat. It feels fantastic to have brought this here.”
Sauna Boat is moored at Skuna’s West India Quay base – image by Skuna
key details: Sauna Boat
Sauna Boat is located in West India North Dock with access from West India Quay where Skuna’s hot tub and BBQ boats are also based. It’s officially open from May 1, 2025.
Shared sessions start at £15 on Thursdays and Fridays and cost £20 at weekends.
These last 60 minutes, including changing time.
Sauna Boat accommodates up to 15 people, with exclusive private hire also available.
The tide has washed over the space set aside for major exhibitions at London Museum Docklands and left behind it a rich haul of finds, information and art.
Unveiled this month, Secrets Of The Thames is a hymn to the capital’s longest archaeological site – the river’s foreshore – and those who prowl the edges of the water in search of its treasures.
The exhibition, which runs until March next year, is a celebration and revelation of the long-observed practice of mudlarking – raking through stretches of land that are exposed as the tides reveal London’s beaches and mudflats twice a day.
To that end, curators have combined a vast array of finds with a recreation of the exposed riverbed, artworks and a technical window into how the museum works with the beachcombers to catalogue and preserve historic pieces rescued from the depths.
Today mudlarking is popular – it’s regulated by the Port Of London Authority, which issues 4,000 permits for enthusiasts each year.
It has suspended new applications at present due to a waiting list now exceeding 10,000.
But while 21st century archaeologists, artists and social media producers are driven to dig in the soggy stuff for a variety of lofty motivations, those who went before were often simply scratching a living.
The exhibition includes a recreation of the Thames foreshore for visitors to explore – image by London Museum
the story in the mud
“We tell the whole story from the earliest mudlarks who were first recorded in the 18th century” said Thomas Ardill, curator of paintings, prints and drawings at London Museum.
“It was probably going on long before that too.
“These people were just searching for useful things to sell – bits of coal and steel, for example.
“They were scavengers, sometimes children, sometimes women – but as they were finding useful objects, they were also digging up historical pieces.
“This was in a period when antiquarians were starting to get interested in London’s history and mudlarks found they could sell artefacts.
“In the exhibition we’re showcasing not just what objects were found, but also the people who found them.
“The earliest mudlarks were entrepreneurs, and they were creative and inspired by what they found.
“Some were conning the art world by creating fakes, but that also showed their creativity and ingenuity.
Thomas Ardill, curator of paintings, prints and drawings at London Museum – image by Jon Massey
“A lot of the mudlarks today are fantastic artists and it’s an exhibition that you see through their eyes.
“It’s about the joy of discovery as much as it is about the objects.
“About five years ago, we touched on mudlarking a bit and realised it had potential – Secrets Of The Thames has been a long time in the making.
“We’ve been working closely with Stuart Wyatt, London Museum’s finds liaison officer, whose job it is to record the finds made by mudlarks with permits.
“One of the things I really like in the exhibition is the finds desk. It reveals how we record objects and will feature rotating exhibits.
“At the moment, there’s an Italian ceramic water vessel, which is one of four or five discovered in a particular spot on the Thames over the years.
“There’s definitely something interesting going on in that location.
“Stuart thinks what might have happened is a box containing a shipment may have been broken and been dumped over the side of the ship that was carrying it.”
London Museum curator Kate Sumnall – image by London Museum
connecting to London’s history through Secrets Of The Thames
With brightly-lit cabinets full of deeply personal items – false teeth, rings, bones and even phallic fertility symbols – it’s also a chance for Londoners to get a sense of the city’s former inhabitants.
“We are lucky in London to have this amazing tidal river environment that has preserved so much of our past,” said London Museum curator Kate Sumnall.
“It is the longest archaeological site in the capital and here we find an unbelievably rich selection of finds, from beautifully worked prehistoric arrowheads to a small, ivory sundial used to tell the time.
“Thanks to the dedication and expertise of today’s mudlarks, we are constantly uncovering new objects that inform our understanding of history.
“Above all this exhibition is an exploration of love and desire, faith and loss, migration, community and culture – the stories of generations of people who have visited the city or called it home.”
With many mudlarks using their finds to create art, the museum has chosen to embrace their creativity and showcase their talents as part of the exhibition.
Printmaker, sculptor and artist Amy-Leigh Bird – image by Jon Massey
a mudlark’s tale
Amy-Leigh Bird is a printmaker, sculptor and artist who regularly scours the foreshore in search of inspiration and materials.
One of her pieces is included in Secrets Of The Thames.
She said: “I started mudlarking as a kid, inspired by going to see an exhibition by artist Richard Long at Tate Britain.
“There was a beautiful piece he’d made out of red bricks and so I went down onto the foreshore with my dad and made my own little piece there – that was my first work.
“Then I went to university and started collecting in the rivers in Glasgow, collecting ceramic and glass objects. I also found a gun.
“When I came to London, it just seemed instinctive to go mudlarking.
“At first I was just aimlessly collecting – stuff I was interested in, but that did include bones and teeth, and this grew more into my practice.
“Other mudlarks were looking for coins, pins, garnets and cameos – which are all beautiful and exciting – but I like objects that are uglier.
“We’re all made of bones and teeth come from the mouths of living, sentient beings.
“Animal bones and teeth in the river might have come from meat markets that would feed the people of that time.
“They link back to us, which is really beautiful.
“Coming from a small town, I find that London can be an assault on the senses – it’s relentless.
“When you go mudlarking, there is this wonderful moment, highlighted in the exhibition, when you leave the chaos and noise behind.
“Once you’re on the foreshore, the sounds are different.
“It’s the the waves lapping, the gravel beneath your feet. I end up being there for hours and the time just flies.
Amy-Leigh Bird’s Ancient Ruins 2020 – image by Jon Massey
“Finding something feels euphoric. It’s personal, it’s mine. I lost a lot of my childhood toys in a house move, which was sad.
“So when I find something mudlarking it’s a sign to me that the object has in some way chosen me, which is a beautiful experience.
“My favourite object in the exhibition is a neolithic bone.
“It’s such a simple object but it’s made me wonder how many of the bones I’ve picked up for my collection are neolithic.
“I originally started making work by finding things and making prints out of them.
“I’d put bones, clay pipes and things together, photograph them and then translate that image into a photo-polymer etching.
“In lockdown, when I couldn’t go out or mudlark, I was stuck at home with a big box of bones and started to think of how I could create work differently.
“That was a shift in my work as an artist, to go from 2D work to sculpture.”
Amy-Leigh’s piece, Ancient Ruins, 2020, is included in Secrets Of The Thames.
Mudlark Alessio Checconi explores the Thames foreshore at low tide in search of treasures washed up by the ever-churning waters – image by John Chase / London Museum
key details: Secrets Of The Thames
Secrets Of The Thames will be at London Museum Docklands until March 1, 2026 and is accessible during normal opening hours.
Tickets are cheaper if booked online in advance and start at £16 for adults.
Next time you’re in an office or a workspace of any kind, just stop for a minute and take time to notice its design.
The colours, the furniture and even the layout will have likely been chosen and combined by someone like Maz Mahmoudi, founder and director of 3equals1 Design.
The company moved its clutch of creatives to Cannon Workshops, adjacent to Canary Wharf, a year ago, relocating from Waterloo to build on nearly a decade and a half in business.
“We were based at an old city farm in Waterloo for seven years before moving here, but developers got their hands on it,” said Maz.
“I looked around and was trying to think what the good transport links would be.
“Selfishly, I wanted somewhere I could get to my home in Kidbrooke from, as I have a baby.
“We looked at a place in Mile End, but it was a bit sketchy and then noticed a ‘To Let’ notice as we were going past Cannon Workshops. We saw this unit and loved it.
“The move allowed us to reimagine our own workspace.
“We did the flooring, all the painting, the wiring and the electrics.
“I like that it’s on two levels and we love the community aspect of being here too.
“I had no idea this whole world even existed – the dock, the nice little pubs and London Museum Docklands.
“This was the first time I’d signed a five-year lease, which felt very grown up – we need to keep the business going for at least that long.”
3equals1 Design is now based at Cannon Workshops next to Canary Wharf
a history in design
Maz is energetic, interested and interesting, suggesting that another few years won’t be much trouble to achieve.
Having originally trained as a furniture designer, she initially embarked on a career as a maker and found herself the only woman on the workshop floor.
“I had a great time,” she said. “But furniture making is physical.
“By 30 a lot of the guys were having back problems and I found myself at a crossroads trying to decide what I wanted to do.
“I did a bit of set building for movies and some art direction, before going on to work at a furniture dealership.
“I’ve always loved furniture. People identify with it.
“There’s comfort and longevity there – history and craftsmanship too.
“A dining table might be used for Christmas dinners or summer parties, but it’s also where the kids do their drawing.
“Dealers curate pieces for architects and it was mostly workplace stuff.
“I was made redundant in the 2008 credit crunch and then went on to work for a design-and-build architecture firm, learnt a lot about that sector and was then made redundant again.”
The company has taken on a diverse range of projects in its 14 years
founding 3equals1 Design
While dreaming of relocating to New York, but with limited visa prospects, Maz decided to start her own design business with two friends.
Her partners went on to pastures new, but she stuck with 3equals1, evolving the company as new work came in.
“I started it in London at my kitchen table and it’s really changed,” she said.
“Initially my customer base was all furniture dealers.
“I’d get floor plans and made sure furniture fitted the spaces.
“Then I’d get work from design-and-build companies that didn’t have their own in-house designers.
“There wasn’t any huge strategy, just a lot of interest – going out, networking and speaking to the right people.
“I’d meet clients who would ask me to come back and do more work and now we work with a few asset managers when they are trying to get tenants into their buildings.
“After Covid, nobody wanted to be in a workspace with desks and boardrooms, everybody wanted to feel places were personalised – a home away from home.
“Then there’s sustainability to consider.
“We really have grown organically.
“Today we are predominantly commercial interior designers for workplaces, hospitality venues and some residential properties for developers.”
Maz’s firm always aims to design a space for the people who wil use it
interrogating the space
Whatever the project, understanding how a space will be used by those inhabiting it is crucial to Maz and her team’s process.
“I couldn’t do any of this without the people around me – having different designers with their own ideas is what keeps us varied as a business,” she said.
“Each of us challenging each other is what makes design really exciting and organic and prevents it from becoming stale.
“It’s especially important when we’re designing an environment for lots of people not to be a lone ranger – you need different voices to make sure you’re catering for the different people you’re designing for.
“When a client comes to us with a space, we try to understand the demographic of the people working in the company.
“How do they dress? Are they in suits, smart casual or jeans?
“We need to create an environment where they will feel at home.
“ Everyone says that most of our lives are spent in work – so to have a comfortable space allows people to be productive.
“We look at everything, from the flooring to the architecture of the building we’re working with and we try to give a nod to that.”
3equals1 Design recently designed Fleurie wine bar in Bermondsey Street
a sustainable approach
“We also look at longevity – we typically don’t want to do overly fashionable design that’s cool for a year and then everyone would feel deflated.
“For me, a big part of sustainability is how long the materials you put in will last.
“It’s about getting the right stuff in – timeless design that doesn’t shout.
“It’s also about speaking to people. But it’s not about what I or the team want for their office.
“It’s about what the client wants. They have to be happy where they are.”
3equals1 Design is eager to collaborate with more companies in Canary Wharf and east London and there’s one particular project on Maz’s wish list.
“I really want to design a pub,” she said.
“It would be great to really rethink what the space could be. I have this idea that it could be a co-working space during the day and then turn back into a drinking den in the evening.”
The wine bar’s warmly-lit interior
key details: 3equals1 Design
3equals1 Design is a workplace interior design company based at Cannon Workshops near West India Quay.
Maz and her team offer a range of services to transform and refresh spaces for all kinds of organisations and businesses.
- 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
Enter Skuna Boats and Wharf Life’s second prize draw for a chance to win an exclusive Hot Tub Boat or BBQ Boat hire experience in Canary Wharf, worth more than £300.
Whether you’re seeking relaxation or adventure, Skuna Boats offer the perfect blend of luxury and excitement.
Don’t let this opportunity sail away – enter now for a chance to create lifelong memories with your loved ones..
The winner can choose from either a Hot Tub Boat experience for up to seven people lasting 75 minutes, or a BBQ Boat Experience for up to 10 people lasting 100 minutes – both worth over £300.
Booking will be by arrangement with Skuna Boats.
The winner will be selected by Wharf Life and contacted on June 26, 2024.
There is no cash alternative and the editor’s decision is final.
- 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
The docks may have closed 40 years ago but that doesn’t mean they’re entirely defunct as a part of the import and export sector.
The Isle Of Man is currently on a mission to boost its foodie exports, including seafood, alcoholic beverages, salt and cheese, as it attempts to shift the balance of its economy and bring greater prosperity to its inhabitants.
These included the likes of shellfish from its sustainably managed King Scallop Fishery – available at a selection of top London restaurants, dairy produce from the Isle Of Man Creamery and hand-harvested sea salt from the Isle Of Man Salt Co.
Rick Dacey of Outlier
It’s especially apt that a space in a listed former sugar warehouse on the edge of a dock that was once a major receiver of imports should be used in this way– better still that one of the products on show should be a rum.
It buys-in cane molasses, but otherwise uses exclusively local ingredients to create its products.
Available in Harrods or to buy online, it is at present still a small concern.
“Hoolie is our 41% white rum and it’s the first one made in the British Isles to be sold at the department store,” said co-founder Rick Dacey.
“That’s not bad going for a couple of guys working in a shed on a farm.
“We’re called Outlier because we are that, both philosophically and geographically.
“We’re doing our own thing – we’re not interested in producing millions of bottles.
“We want to have fun with it and we’re happy to be quite polarising.
“Some people don’t like our bottles and I’m happy about that because at least they have an opinion.
All milk produced on the Isle Of Man is processed by a cooperative
“The way we produce it is laborious – two middle-aged men in a Rocky montage chopping wood and throwing it in the still – so it’s a proper craft product.
“We make it from scratch. The Isle Of Man has very clean air and water which is good for the booze and it’s going down well with the rum crowd so why deviate from that?
“The Isle is a small place, but it has some great producers so it’s great that it’s getting some government support.”
“We’re a cooperative of 28 dairy farmers on the island,” said Findlay Macleod, its managing director.
“We bring in all of the milk that’s produced there and process it into cheese.
“On the Isle Of Man, our cows are out eating grass for a minimum of 200 days every year, which means they’re enjoying a natural diet.
“That makes for a healthier milk and provides a better base for our award-winning cheese that regularly wins national and international recognition.
“We export to Canada, the USA, Australia and the UK as well. We’re hopeful to find further distribution in London in independent stores and in top restaurants.
“My favourite is our Vintage Red Leicester – it goes with anything and it’s a beautiful cheese. A really wonderful product.”
Isle Of Man Creamery’s Grass Fed Vintage Red Leicester
- 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
Museum Of London Docklands’ immersive exhibition takes visitors into boutiques and ateliers
This image from 1917 shows workers at Schneiders Garment Factory in Stepney. The clothing industry dominated the Jewish East End – Image from the Museum Of London
“It’s been 20 years since the Museum Of London had a major fashion exhibition and this is the first time we’ve hosted one at Docklands – it’s also the first time we’ve done a major exhibition with London’s Jewish population at its centre,” said Dr Lucie Whitmore.
“The Museum Of London Docklands is the perfect place to share this story, because it’s about migration and creativity blossoming at the heart of east London.”
Lucie is curator of Fashion City at the West India Quay institution, a special exhibition that explores the impact of Jewish Londoners on global style, that will be in place for visitors to enjoy until April 14, 2024.
“It’s a celebration and recognition of the contribution that these individuals have made to the industry.
“We’re thinking about this in a very broad sense.
“We wanted to go beyond the stereotypes or what we think people might expect about the relationship between Jewish people and making clothes in London.
Fashion City is on show now at Museum Of London Docklands
“We aim to encourage people to really think about how diverse our garment industry is and how many people are responsible for making the capital a fashion centre with an international reputation.
“To do this we’re taking our visitors on a bit of a journey.
“The exhibition is not structured chronologically, as people might expect, but geographically.
“So we have an East End and a West End and the places and spaces of London inform our structural approach.
“There are a lot of misconceptions and stereotypes – and sometimes anti-Semitic thinking – about Jewish people in the east of London, what is known as ‘sweated labour’, for example.
“That’s the idea of Jewish people either being poor and persecuted without agency, working in horrible conditions, producing cheap clothes in the East End.
Museum Of London curator Lucie Whitmore – Image by Jon Massey
“At the opposite end of that scale, there are misconceptions about wealthy Jewish people profiting from the work of others.
“We really wanted to dig into Jewish life and work in the East End, and show that it wasn’t like this.
“Obviously there were people who were treated very badly in the trade, but there were also people who had amazing agency and set up their own businesses, not just in tailoring, but also in accessories, leather-work, dressmaking – there’s a lot more to the story.
“We also wanted to show just how important Jewish makers and retailers have been in the West End, which has a glitzier reputation.
“People think about grand department stores, high street chains, couture, the pinnacle of London fashion – and Jewish makers are really important in that story as well.
“Although we don’t go into it in great depth, I was really keen for people to know that there was a big and really important resident Jewish population in the West End.
“People had settled there for quite a long time, particularly in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Gold kaftan and maxi smoking dress with beaded panels by Mr Fish – Image from the Museum Of London
“Soho and Fitzrovia were predominantly Jewish areas, and a lot of people don’t necessarily know that.
“The other reason for structuring Fashion City this way was that it allows us to examine different pockets of the industry by place, bringing together designers who knew each other and worked together or, perhaps, who were around at different times but did similar things.
“Visitors will be able to walk into an East End tailor’s workshop, step into the luxury of a couture salon and have a bit of a dance in our Carnaby boutique.”
While fashion is the core of the exhibition, there’s a thread of music running through things too.
The playlist includes the likes of the Mamas And Papas, The Beatles, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds who all wore clothes by designers featured in the exhibition.
“There’s Adam Faith too, who was a great customer of menswear shop Cecil Gee and we’re really excited to be featuring them all in Fashion City,” said Lucie.
Men wearing dresses by Mr Fish – Image by Jimmy James/ANL/Shutterstock
“It was also irresistible to include designer Mr Fish, who was in the spotlight in such a huge way in the 1960s.
“He was extraordinarily creative, known for his flamboyant menswear.
“He starts in Colette’s department store in Shaftesbury Avenue, moves around various retail jobs and eventually becomes established as a shirt maker.
“Then we get this classically trained designer who has developed all his skills and plays with the designs – subverts them, and then puts his creations in front of a different audience.
“He also invents the kipper tie.
“He gains the attention of several high-profile customers, such as Sean Connery and Barry Sainsbury, of the Sainsbury family, who goes into business with him.
“They open a boutique on Clifford Street between Jermyn Street – the traditional home of shirt making – and Carnaby Street.
“It’s the peacock revolution, with young, stylish customers – musicians, sports stars and actors – it’s also a place to hang out.
A wedding dress by Jewish designer Neymar, dating from the 1970s – Image from the Museum Of London
“There’s a story that an Italian film crew came to London to film in Mr Fish’s boutique, because they saw it as the downfall of British society and they wanted to capture the end of it.
“They saw Mr Fish as a beacon of change.
“He was doing skirts and dresses for men and felt that the male body was better suited to them – he called the garments powerful and virile.
“He wasn’t the first to do that, but the spirit behind his clothes was fascinating and heartfelt.
“Some people want to dismiss him as a bit of a novelty, but actually the quality of the design and the creativity, and how much he believed in it shows it wasn’t frivolity – it was fashion.
“The skirts and dresses were very popular and worn, very famously, by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. We also have a wonderful picture of an Arsenal footballer wearing one.”
The exhibition is filled with glamour. There are evening dresses, high-end hats and exquisite couture pieces.
The exhibition includes a coat by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon worn by Princess Diana and another by EastEnders royalty Dot Cotton in tweed by Alexon.
But Lucie and her team were keen to showcase the stories of real Londoners alongside the glamour.
The exhibition opens with the story of the 200,000 Jewish migrants arriving in the capital between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries through personal artefacts.
More than 50% would come to be involved in the fashion, clothing and textile trade.
Items include a small travelling case used by a child who came to London on the Kindertransport – the rescue effort to send children out of Nazi-controlled territory from 1938-39.
More than four years of research has gone into Fashion City and Lucie said one of the reasons she and collaborator Dr Bethan Bide of the University Of Leeds has wanted to explore the topic was the high level of resonance.
“We’d both done quite a lot of talking about it publicly and there was a lot of personal interest in the subject matter,” said Lucie, who began her career as a designer and became increasingly interested in the history of fashion.
“People who came to our talks recognised their own family stories and would feel quite emotional and proud of them.”
This coat by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon – Image from the Museum Of London
That’s partly true of Lucie herself, whose own family feature in the exhibition.
“They were Jewish refugees from Vienna,” she said.
“I should make it clear this isn’t a biased move on the part of the curator.
“We really wanted a story about leather goods and bags, and we didn’t have those objects already in our collection, but the story of my family fits perfectly in the narrative of the exhibition.
“The material was reviewed anonymously by an external reviewer for suitability before I put my great-grandfather in there.
“The family had already made one big move from Ukraine to Austria where they westernised their names.
“In Vienna they set up leather goods business Molmax, which was initially a big producer of sportswear, Alpine skiwear and leather goods.
“Then they moved into luggage, and they won a really big reputation internationally.
“But in 1938, after the German invasion, my family survived at great risk.
“Because my great-grandfather was a businessman, people would phone them and warn them when there was going to be a raid on their buildings, so they needed to be away.
Detail of the Molmax brand created by Lucie Whitmore’s family
“There’s an extraordinary story, which we do touch on in the exhibition, where some Nazi officers knocked on the front door of their home and demanded to be taken to the factory immediately.
“They took my great-grandfather and great uncle there in a van and took pretty much all their stock with no payment, nothing.
“Then they took over and Aryanised the factory.
“My grandmother and her brother left on the Kindertransport and my great grandfather managed to obtain a business visa which was how he managed to escape.
“My great grandmother was left to pack up the family home and make her own way over, and they were very lucky that they all reached Britain safely.
“There they re-established the business in London, starting off in Holborn.
“My great uncle, who was only 16, was the only one who spoke English and so he was doing all the work of translating and finding producers and places to work.
“They got it going and moved to Quaker Street, just off Brick Lane.
This silk evening gown by Rhavis dates from 1952 and is one of the key pieces in the exhibition – Image from the Museum Of London
“They managed to grow another international business, with offices in New York, exporting all over the world, before it closed in the early 1980s.”
There is, of course, more.
There’s the Rahvis sisters who designed clothes worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell.
The flamboyant hats of Otto Lucas and an exploration of the connections between the Jewish community and other immigrant populations from the Caribbean and Bangladesh – seamstress Anwara Begum’s sewing machine is on display, which she used to make garments for local businesses at her home in Quaker Street.
In fact, there’s far too much on show to truly do the exhibition justice here – you’ll just have to go and see it for yourself.
Then for even more depth, you can dip into Lucie’s book, written with Bethan, to accompany the exhibition.
Standard entry to Fashion City costs £12 for adults and £6 for children.
Designer Raemonde Rahvis, who worked with her sister Dora to create pieces worn by the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell – Image by George Harris/ANL/Shutterstock
- 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
Recently opened in Crossrail Place between Flying Tiger and Island Poke, at first glance it’s not immediately clear what this new arrival is.
There’s a little box office structure as you go in that has a distinct Wes Anderson vibe – a shelter, perhaps for a concierge.
Then there are the glowing pink and yellow lights on the ceiling and the unmistakable sugary aroma of popcorn being made.
The sensory effect is that of walking into some kind of timeless future cinema that’s scrambled all of the best bits of going out to see a movie and come up with something highly refined, a little like the sweetener on the snacks.
But Platform isn’t a movie theatre or a place to physically beat on senior executives, it’s a place to play video games in comfort with snacks and drinks.
Platform offers semi-private gaming areas to duos or groups
“I place us somewhere between competitive socialising operators, who are doing things like ping pong and darts, and a traditional cinema,” said Tomaso Portunato, co-founder and CEO of Platform.
“When you go and see a movie you’re consuming content with friends – having food and drinks and it’s much the same here.
“We have popcorn, a bar and we serve pizzas.
“I’m originally from Geneva in Switzerland and I came here to study economics and politics about 10 years ago.
“Before starting Platform I was doing event management for game companies and helping student associations out, but I never really had a job after university.
“The idea was to start small and to make something out of it.
“We began as a pop-up – putting on events, selling tickets and generating funding for about a year.
“We had gaming sponsors from doing that and decided, with my co-founders Lucas Weintraub, Jo Highfield and my brother Nicolo, that if we could afford a commercial property, then we would go for it.
Booths can accommodate up to eight people
“When I was working in Old Street, I used to go to a pizzeria for lunch – count the customers and try to estimate how much they would spend.
“I was trying to build a business model.
“Then the pizzeria went bankrupt and we took it over for the first Platform.
“Shoreditch is now in a really good spot – we have a loyal customer base and we do a lot of gaming events there – but we were also testing the ground.
“It’s still our baby and it’s doing great, but the Canary Wharf branch is closer to our finished concept.
“Shoreditch was an opportunity to see what we could do with little capital and a vague understanding of what we were doing.
“We tried everything – racing simulators, retro gaming, console gaming and PC gaming.
“We learnt a lot about our operating model and the type of experience we wanted to be focusing on.
“That’s why Canary Wharf is based on next generation console gaming and how we create a really fun experience around that.
“It’s streamlined and it’s simpler to operate – you don’t have issues like customers changing the language and alphabet on a PC and then not changing it back.
“But most importantly, we also feel that console gaming offers the most social experience of the lot.
The Mario from Platform, complete with Mushroom Kingdom mushrooms
“It caters for the crowd who want to go out and enjoy themselves, to play, have some food and some cocktails.
“Plus operators like Nintendo have made it really fun even if you lose – and that’s important.
“We want to make sure anyone coming to Platform, whether they are an experienced gamer or not, has a really good time.
“That means we’re careful about the games we select and how we present what we’re doing.”
While the pink glow and sweet aromas of the bar are ground level temptations, the business end of Platform is subterranean.
“Customers follow pulsating neon arrows downstairs to a surprisingly spacious bar area beyond which are located a series of semi-private booths of varying sizes.
These come equipped with Nintendo Switch and Playstation 5 consoles, a handy neon light to attract staff and plentiful sofa space.
Booths at Platform are ideal for date night
“We have about 30 games to choose from including racing, and sports titles, with big names like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Call Of Duty and Fifa.
“But we also have cooperative games like Overcooked and Moving Out, which I think are great.
“If you’re out on date night, you might want to play more cooperatively rather than competitively.
“Our larger booths can accommodate up to eight people but we can easily arrange tournaments for our guests and take corporate bookings for up to 60.
“Most of our customers pre-book online, but people can just walk in too and we’ll do everything we can to accommodate them.
“Typically people book 90 minutes (£13.50 per person) and can always top that up if they would like to stay longer.
“After that, they are welcome to hang out in the bar, of course.
“We also offer packages such as £28pp for two cocktails and gaming or bottomless brunch for £35pp, which includes a pizza or nachos for each person and bottomless beer, Prosecco or Mimosas for 90 minutes.
“A lot of people want to get together to play games and the traditional way of doing that would be to meet at someone’s house on a Friday.
“Platform allows a larger group to meet with all the latest games in a comfortable environment.
“For some it will be a pit-stop when they’re out in London.
“But equally it could be a place to go with mates from work or on a date.
“For businesses it’s a way for colleagues to have fun and we can offer whole-venue booking for corporate customers with drinks, food and unlimited gaming.”
Following the success of the Shoreditch branch, Tomaso and the team were already looking at Canary Wharf as a place to open in 2019.
“I initially thought it was interesting because of the corporate scene,” he said.
“But since then Canary Wharf Group has done an amazing job of developing the area – picking the right operators to attract people.
“The deciding factor for us was the Elizabeth Line and the area is seeing massive footfall during the week and at weekends.”
Gaming at Platform starts at £5 for sessions off peak on Mondays.
A screenshot of the action in a typical Moving Out level
GAME REVIEW
>> Oh God. What’s going on? I just threw a chair through a window, my head is a toaster and it’s just fired two charred pieces of bread into the air.
Now a giant turtle is repeatedly slapping me. Worse still, I can barely move this fridge by myself…
These are just a few of the thoughts likely to run through your head as you and your friends take on Moving Out.
Published by Team17 and developed by some clearly very disturbed Swedes and Australians, this 2020 “cooperative moving simulation game” pits players against that timeless foe – moving day.
While the real-life process of relocating from one home to another is generally said to be amongst the most stressful things a person can do, playing Moving Out is curiously liberating.
Despite the oddness – you can play as a humanoid toaster, a unicorn or even a person – the simple act of frantically battling exaggerated physics against the clock to stuff a van with furniture and other ephemera is curiously relaxing.
True, you can be painstakingly careful (breakages are penalised to some extent) and go for a high score.
But the game doesn’t seem to mind too much if you decide that tossing a sofa through a plate glass window is a better way to expedite its journey to a new home.
There’s a cooperative element too. Heavier items must be carried with a pal and there’s an obvious temptation to invoke the sacred mantra of the Chuckle Brothers.
Failing that, keeping a selection of expletives handy is advised for the inevitable time your colleague is less than useful.
There are plentiful obstacles to contend with – rakes, ghosts, fires, a giant turtle – that serve to make the experience of play richer and more bizarre.
Fans of Overcooked (also on offer at Platform) will doubtless find this a silly, frantic blast with an unhealthy toaster obsession.
- 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
On June 10, 2023, the chimes of the bells at St Mary-Le-Bow will ring out to mark 20 years since the late Queen officially opened the West India Quay institution.
Running from 7pm-10pm on the Saturday evening, the event will feature Hackney Showroom’s Bobby Dazzler outdoor stage with a line-up of live music acts and performances to entertain revellers.
Other attractions will include a makers market featuring products from Craft Central creatives, street food stalls and pop-up bars as well as an East End-themed pub quiz.
The museum’s galleries will also stay open late to host a range of talks, tours and film screenings including a focus on the origins of street parties in the capital, the history of the Notting Hill Carnival and the other festivities that have brought Londoners together over the years.
Museum Of London Docklands managing director Douglas Gilmore
The latter is something Museum Of London Docklands managing director Douglas Gilmore is very much hoping the street party will do.
“There will be film, dance and lots of activities and we’re really excited about it,” he said.
“We want to be diverse and to make sure everyone who might want to come to the museum can and for people who haven’t visited to feel that they can too.
“We’ve done these kinds of events before, so local people are used to them, but we also want people to come from further afield to grow our audience.
“Our research has shown some people think Docklands is hard to get to but we know it isn’t – there are five stations across three different lines within five minutes’ walk of us and most museums can’t say that.”
While the party, like Vanity Milan, is the headline attraction, the museum’s 20th birthday has also become the focus of a sequence of events taking place throughout the year.
The Queen opened the museum on June 10, 2023
“We’ve been open for two decades on this site,” said Douglas.
“We want to use that and incorporate it in our new strategy, which we’ve entitled Moving Centre Stage, because with the Museum Of London temporarily closed for its relocation to Smithfield we are now the centre.
“Our strategy has three main pillars – the first is to grow our audience, both in terms of numbers and diversity, the second is to improve our content, both in what we have and what we show and the third is the efficiency of how we operate.
“Our anniversary will be used to feed all of those. June is really our party month and, in addition to the main celebration there will be activities for both adults and children.
“Then, our next big month will be September when we’ll be organising a mudlarking festival.
“Ideally we’d like to grow that into an annual event, starting small but talking about it in the same way the Natural History Museum does Wildlife Photographer Of The Year, which has become an international event.
“We plan to run foreshore tours with an expert from the British Museum to assess items found on the banks of the Thames.
“There’s a lot of interest in mudlarking and part of what we do as a museum is to tell the story of the Thames though the Port Of London Authority’s archive and things found in the river.
“It’s a part of our identity with our Mudlarks Gallery for kids, which is hugely popular.”
The museum is seeking to boost the diversity of its audience
Whatever the museum does, Douglas is focused on making sure that as wide a range of people participate in its activities as possible.
“Museums are famously un-diverse,” he said.
“Ours is actually one of the best with 23% of visitors coming from diverse backgrounds, which is great because most national museums wouldn’t get anywhere near that.
“That’s partly because of where we are – the local boroughs around here are quite diverse – but also because we are one of only three museums in the country that has a permanent display about the slave trade, which is a diverse subject in terms of the audience it affects.
“These are the main reasons we’re doing so well already. However, we want to improve because the Museum Of London has an ambition to represent the city in terms of both our staff and the people who visit us.
“London’s population is around 40% diverse, so while 23% is good, it is only about half way to where we should be.
“The way we want to do that is partly through what we show here.
“This month we have a new display called Indo + Caribbean, and that’s very relevant for us as we tell the story of migration and Indian indenture.
The street party will feature live music and entertainment
“In October we’ll be opening Fashion City here as part of the 20th anniversary, which is a different thing for us to do and hopefully will bring in a new audience.
“The strap-line is how Jewish Londoners shaped global style, telling the story of how immigrants came to the East End and started making clothes here, with some moving to the West End to start couture houses.
Follow the journey of dal puri across space and time, from indentured workers from India’s Gangetic Plain in 19th-century British and Dutch Caribbean colonies, to today’s global Indo-Caribbean community.
Join The Urban Rambler, Nick Collinson, for an afternoon jaunt through the streets of Limehouse stopping at queer-friendly and owned pubs along the way
Listen and sing along to the sounds of the inimitable Tom Carradine as he brings a family friendly version of Carradine’s Cockney Singalong to the Museum. Expect plenty of ivory tinkling and bananas.
Join folk singer and researcher Vivien Ellis for a musical walking tour focusing on the rich history of street vendors and others who used song to make a living on the streets. Learn about unsung heroes of the East End and discover how music brought communities together.
- 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
