Village Raw - ISSUE 9

JANUARY TO MARCH 2020
FREE
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Double Take: Noma Bar, the illusionary storyteller / The Collodion Way: John Hoare, rediscovering a 19th
century photographic technique / The North London Cheese Hunt: Exploring local cheesemongers / Plant
Power: The Handmade Apothecary / With. Not For: Wave Cafe, changing attitudes.

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26
CONTENTS
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
Things to do and community notices
DOUBLE TAKE
Noma Bar - the illusionary storyteller
SOUNDS FROM THE CITY,
SOUNDS FROM THE SEA
Singer-songwriter Austel
on her musical journey
MR TOMMY HILL KNOWS
A new project from the artist
previously known as WILLIAM –
I know I know
THE COLLODION WAY
John Hoare – reintroducing the
19th century back to Crouch End
with his photographic portraits
WITH. NOT FOR.
Wave Cafe – pushing boundaries
and changing attitudes
BRIGHT ORANGE TILES
Revisiting Hornsey Town Hall to see
how the restoration is progressing
WHERE THERE’S A WILL,
THERE’S A WAY
Planting trees for the future
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the ninth issue of Village Raw. As the UK enters ever stranger times
and prepares to go it alone, we have to reflect on what this means for us. There’s
a cohesion to local community life that perhaps isn’t reflected in the wider populace
– especially in these divisive times. But do we really have that much say in
local decision making? Guardian columnist, George Monbiot recently wrote about
the notion of political rewilding - arguing that communities could have more say,
working out together “what their communities need and how to make it happen,
refusing to let politicians frame the questions or determine the answers.” Do
our local councils involve us, or do we feel estranged and disenfranchised? How
can we engage with local government in a way that works better for the whole
community? If anyone would like to explore this for the next issue of Village Raw
then please get in touch via: hello@villageraw.com.
For this issue of the magazine Lito Apostolakou reflects on the life and work of
Highgate Wood and negative space explorer, Noma Bar, who discusses losing his
language and the need for diversity - his cover image somehow seems appropriate
at the moment. John Hoare photographs locals using a 19th Century technique.
Kate Wilson visits Muswell Hill’s Wave Cafe which provides a welcoming environment
for people with and without learning disabilities to socialise and have fun
together. We revisit Hornsey Town Hall to see how the restoration is proceeding,
while Katrina Mirpuri goes on a slightly cheesy trail of the neighbourhood. Carla
Parks considers the power of plants with Handmade Apothecary and also attends
a composting workshop at OmVed Gardens. Emma Svanberg looks at how to break
past parenting patterns and Chris King considers the urgent need for local tree
planting. While Emma Ross takes a break with her new baby, we bring in a new regular
seasonal recipe column, starting with one from Dominique Woolf. For the essay
Miki Lentin engages with some creative non-fiction - which has inspired us to open
up a new short story column for the next issue. The sound track for this issue is
provided by multi-instrumentalists Tommy Hill and Austel.
David and Luciane
hello@villageraw.com
www.villageraw.com
By subscribing you’ll not only be supporting Village Raw,
but the community as well. You’ll also receive the magazine
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32
34
39
41
42
PLANT POWER
The healing power of plants
with Handmade Apothecary
A GREAT WASTE OF TIME
Creating a compost lasagne
THE NORTH LONDON
CHEESE HUNT
Meeting the local
cheesemongers and producers
VILLAGE RECIPE
Korean-style cauliflower
with Asian sprout slaw
BREAKING PAST PATTERNS
When we become parents
we reconnect with our own
memories of being parented
ESSAY
Reflections on Being Lost
EDITORS
Luciane Pisani
David Reeve
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Luciane Pisani for Studio Moe
COPY EDITOR
Julie Tang-Evans
ADVERTISING
Emma Withey
hello@villageraw.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Lito Apostolakou, Noma Bar, Dan Bridge, Thomas
Broadhead, Sarah Deane, Alison Evans, Mischa
Haller, John Hoare, Chris King, Kate Kuzminova,
Miki Lentin, Lobster and Pearls, Becky Mathews,
Jennifer McCord, Katrina Mirpuri, Carla Parks,
Tevona Purcell-Matthews, Sindri Swan, Emma
Svanberg, Francis Ware, Samantha J. Webb,
Kate Wilson, Dominique Woolf.
COVER IMAGE
Pop Art by Noma Bar
PRINTING
Printed in East Finchley by JG Bryson on chlorine
free paper produced by an EU Ecolabel certified
mill from FSC and PEFC regulated forests.
Tweet us twitter.com/VillageRawMag
Like us facebook.com/villageraw
Follow us instagram.com/villageraw
Contact us hello@villageraw.com
Subscribe villageraw.com/subscribe
Village Raw January to March 2020
Designed and published by Studio Moe Ltd.
© 2020 Studio Moe Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any contents of Village Raw
magazine without prior permission of the
publisher is strictly prohibited.
THANKS TO:
Dana Bar, Noma Bar, Seb Barre, Simon Bear, Julie
Bland, Naomi Boxall, Claire Brady, Gillian Bull, Andrea
Coaro, Vicky Chown, Meletios Evdokias, Christian
Eldershaw, Diane Firth, Johanna Green, Tommy
Hill, Augusta Hull, Regine Kandan, Doris Lam, Karen
Leason, Caroline Macaskill, Andrew Major, Morgan
McGlynn, Michael Moore, Rosha Nutt, Lucy Pilgrim,
Joe Pitt, Joan Podel, Piers Read, Annie Rew Shaw,
Freja Smith, Kelly and Andrew Shearer, Elisabetta
Tonazzi, Kim Walker, Angela Walsh.
03

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
THINGS TO DO
The following venues tend
to update their event
listings regularly so
please keep checking in.
ART/MUSIC/CULTURE
ALEXANDRA PALACE
Music, theatre, sports and various seasonal
events all come together in this huge venue.
The newly restored theatre is also definitely
worth a visit. Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY.
www.alexandrapalace.com
AVIVSON GALLERY
A small gallery showcasing an impressive collection
of contemporary art. 49 Highgate High St,
N6 5JX. www.avivsongallery.com
DOWNSTAIRS AT THE KINGS HEAD
One of the oldest and best known comedy clubs
in the UK. 2 Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, N8 8AA.
www.downstairsatthekingshead.com
HIGHGATE CONTEMPORARY ART
An independent artist-led gallery that specialises
in contemporary British and European paintings,
sculpture and ceramics. 26 Highgate High
St, N6 5JG. www.highgateart.com
HIGHGATE LITERARY
AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE
HLSI hosts numerous events, screenings, courses,
talks and exhibitions. 11 South Grove, N6 6BS.
www.hlsi.net
HIGHGATE SOCIETY
Various events for members and the general
public. 10A South Grove, N6 6BS.
www.highgatesociety.com
JACKSON’S LANE
A multi-arts venue in Highgate specialising in
circus, theatre, performance, and dance, while
also hosting a wide range of courses. 269A Archway
Rd, N6 5AA. www.jacksonslane.org.uk
JEALOUS NORTH
Jealous is a contemporary gallery specialising
in print. It runs two spaces, one in the east of
London, and Jealous North in Crouch End. 27 Park
Road, N8 8TE.
www.jealousgallery.com/exhibitions
KENWOOD HOUSE
Free to visit, a Georgian House with an impressive
art collection which includes works by Rembrandt,
Turner, Gainsborough and Vermeer. Also
hosts events. Hampstead Ln, Highgate, NW3
7JR. www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/
kenwood
LAUDERDALE HOUSE.
Hosts a range of events, classes, music, performance,
and art exhibitions. Waterlow Park, Highgate
Hill, N6 5HG. www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk
LUX
An organisation that promotes artists’ moving
image practices, LUX runs a regular public programme
of screenings, talks, exhibitions and
other events. Waterlow Park Centre, Highgate,
N19 5JF. www.lux.org.uk
OFFSHOOT GALLERY
Offshoot offers space to emerging artistic and
curatorial practitioners across all media, with a
range of exhibitions. 162 High Road, East Finchley,
N2 9AS. www.offshootartspace.com
OMVED GARDENS
A unique space in Highgate that offers a range
of events and courses. The creative space between
people and nature. Townsend Yard, Highgate,
N6 5JF. www.omvedgardens.com
PARK THEATRE
Intimate theatre with two stages to programme
new dramas, musicals and experimental productions.
Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4
3JP. www.parktheatre.co.uk
PICKLED PEPPER BOOKS THEATRE
At the back of the book shop is a space that
runs children’s theatre, events and other activities.
10 Middle Lane, Crouch End, N8 8PL.
www.pickledpepperbooks.co.uk
THE RED HEDGEHOG
An independently run concert and theatre
space that hosts a variety of courses, perfromances,
and indoor markets. Archway Rd, Highgate,
N6 5BS. www.theredhedgehog.co.uk
THROWN CONTEMPORARY
A contemporary art gallery with a focus on ceramics.
Look out for their supper clubs. 26 Highgate
High Street, N6 5JG.
www.throwncontemporary.co.uk
UPSTAIRS AT THE GATEHOUSE
A fringe theatre with a varied programme of
drama, musicals, comedy and other performance.
1 North Rd, Highgate, N6 4BD.
www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com
FESTIVALS AND MARKETS
ALEXANDRA PALACE FARMERS’ MARKET
40 farmers, baristas, bakers and craftspeople.
Every sunday at Alexandra Palace Park or Campsbourne
School – check website for details:
www.weareccfm.com/alexandra-palace-market
BLUE HOUSE YARD
Hosts a range of markets and events across the
year and is also a great place to go plastic free
and fill up on beer. 5 River Park Rd, Wood Green,
N22 7TB. www.bluehouseyard.com
EXTRAORDINARY ARTISANS MARKET
A quarterly market presented by Duck Pond at
Lauderdale House, featuring arts and crafts,
homewares, clothing, food and ethical businesses
etc. Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, N6 5HG.
www.duckpondmarket.com/highgate
HIGHGATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
Regular quarterly exhibits from members, with
plant and produce stalls, as well as tea and cake.
United Reformed Church, South Grove, N6 6BA.
www.highgatehorticulturalsociety.org.uk
MUSWELL HILL CREATIVES
Work on sale from local artists, designers and
makers from Muswell Hill and surrounding areas.
You’ll find ceramics, jewellery, art, homewares,
clothing and more.
www.muswellhillcreatives.com
MYDDLETON ROAD MARKET
Grab a bite, beer, wine, unique gift, fresh produce,
vintage items and clothing – the first Sunday
of every month. Also runs larger summer and
winter fairs. Myddleton Road, N22.
www.myddletonroadmarket.co.uk
STROUD GREEN MARKET
Growers, picklers, cheesemongers, coffee roasters,
cider brewers, street food, bughouse builders,
clarinet players, bike fixers, beekeepers,
washing-up-liquid refillers… Every Sunday. Perth
Road, N4 3HB. www.stroudgreenmarket.com
WOLVES LANE HORTICULTURAL
AND GARDEN CENTRE
Host of a range of community markets and
events. A unique space that’s well worth a visit.
Wolves Ln, Wood Green, N22 5JD.
www.wolveslane.org
ZERO MARKET N22
Local producers, street food, re-fill stalls, arts
and crafts with a ban on single use plastic. First
Sunday of the month. Blue House Yard, N22 7TB.
www.zeromarketn22.co.uk
ARTWORK BY ROSHA NUTT (#FAKENEWS). PHOTOS BY CHRIS KING (PLANTING TREES), MISCHA HALLER (MIDDLE
LANE MARKET) AND SUJAN NANDANWAR (COMMUNITY AFTERNOONS) AND DAVID REEVE (MHFGA).
#FAKENEWS
From 5 to 8 March Offshoot Gallery, in East Finchley, will stage an ArtCan exhibition called
#FakeNews. A group of artists will investigate, visualise and interpret contemporary society,
probing language and identity, consumer culture, sustainability, climate change,
inequality, and immigration. There will also be a range of performances, workshops and
sitting protests. The exhibition is curated by locals Lisa-Marie Price, Rosha Nutt, Holly
Collier and supported by ArtCan. They’d love to get other locals involved, using the space
for workshops and talks that fit the theme. Contact: studio@roshanutt.com
The Muswell Hill and Fortis Green Association
has been working for the community
since 1948. Run as a membership organisation,
the MHFGA prints six newsletters
a year alongside regular email updates.
They also host events which are open to
the public. Upcoming dates include talks by
Muswell Hillbilly Brewers, and Haringey’s Arboriculture
Officer. www.mhfga.org
Fortnightly taster workshops offering a variety
of crafts, seasonal and charity projects.
Sessions are for socialising and wellbeing.
Themes have included sewing, Japanese
bookbinding, crochet, origami, sashiko
(mindful stitching), quilting etc. Adults of
all ages welcome and sessions are free on
purchase of food or drink from Aladdin’s, N19.
Instagram: @communitycrafternoons
PLANTING TREES
In his feature on p26 Chris King discusses
the benefits of tree planting. If you know
of an active programme in north London
then please get in touch. If you would be
interested in working with Village Raw in
establishing a tree planting initiative, then
get in touch at: hello@villageraw.com.
STRENGTH THROUGH UNITY COMMUNITY CRAFTERNOONS MIDDLE LANE MARKET
Born out of a dream to own their own shop,
Middle Lane Market was brought to life by
wife and husband team Kelly and Andrew
to serve the local area with high quality
cheeses, wines, kefir, and groceries. They
also run a variety of workshops in the
shop including seasonal cheese tastings
and kefir fermentation. Read more on p34.
www.middlelanemarket.com
04 05

VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
DOUBLE TAKE
Graphic designer, illustrator and artist Noma Bar challenges conventional
wisdom through a play with visual perception.
Words by Lito Apostolakou. Artworks by Noma Bar.
PHOTO BY SARAH DEANE.
There is an irresistible lure in Noma Bar’s bold, minimalist imagery.
It ensnares the viewer’s gaze in a constant perceptual reversal.
Within what the eye perceives as one image lies another
one which exists in opposition to the first. Together they create
a unity of opposites. Yet we cannot see both at the same time.
Our gaze shifts from one to the other in a journey of discovery
of parallel - or conflicting realities. Noma uses negative space to
produce striking images whose interpretation requires a double
take. He has been called a “master of visual illusion,” but it is not
for their illusory qualities his illustrations are sought the world
over - they tell powerful stories.
“I am not interested in any visual trickery,” says Noma. “I am
interested in the story. We are in a reality that has two sides. We
are born into conflict.” In his native Israel Noma became aware
very early on of the polarisation and intransigence that conflict
generates as each side becomes entrenched in its own beliefs
and unable to entertain the other’s views. The ever present Israeli-Palestinian
conflict has been part of his life. And conflict is
what his illustrations engage with but without becoming inflexible
propositions or monolithic aphorisms. Noma deploys negative
space to depict alternative versions of reality and perspectives
not apparent at first glance. His illustrations contain two images
interlocked with each other - forcing the mind to alternate
between interpretations. Both images cannot be seen at once,
and this tension and unity of opposites opens up conversations
about social and political issues.
Looking for images within images, Noma discovers: “things
that do not exist and yet they are around us.” Shapes and forms
that you perceive with unseeing eyes every day - taking them for
granted - hide something else. Then, one day you make the discovery.
“If you look at places people don’t look at, you become
more aware, more sensitive to things, to social and political problems,”
says Noma. It is through this process of discovery and conscious
looking that a script is created and a story is built. The
process of discovery is essentially a painstaking process of distillation:
“to take the complexity of a political problem and to distil
it to one thing, one element.”
If Noma’s artworks initially produce a visual punch with their
bold colours and economy of line, they also compel the viewer to
read them. They are wordless narratives. The eye peels off their
layers and reveals the story they are telling. Noma’s idiom has
been partly a product of his experience as a young designer moving
to London some 20 years ago. Away from his country of birth
and with English far from fluent, he struggled with the new world
he threw himself into. His Hebrew type design expertise didn’t get
him far and, as his wife recalls, he grew especially quiet. “I lost my
language,” he remembers. Yet this uprooting acted as a powerful
creative force. Noma developed a visual vocabulary and created
a new “silent” language that needed no dictionary. The distance
from his native environment enabled him to see beyond the familiar,
to overcome the unconscious prejudices of custom and
convention, crafting a visual language that cuts through cultural
and linguistic barriers.
Noma’s art dislodges conventional ways of seeing and brings
together recognisable forms to propose a different take on reality.
This intellectual leap requires a space where the mind can
distance itself from the mundane and discover what hides in
plain sight. This space Noma finds in Highgate Woods, the ancient
20 07

ART & CULTURE
Opening image: Pointed Sense at BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Oposite page: Mr Spock, cover for Esquire, 2009.
This page: Image from a sketchbook and Noma at home.
PHOTO BY DAN BRIDGE (TOP RIGHT).
woodland which borders his house in north London. Retreating
into it emulates in a way an uprooting from the familiar and helps
to usher the artist into an expansive mindset. “I wouldn’t be able
to live in an isolated wood,” Noma says, “but this environment
feeds me. I feel I need to go in the wood for the ideas to flow.”
Noma spends more than half of his working time there - brainstorming.
The wood for him is a live-in studio. “Something opens
up in the wood,” he says. It’s his inspiration.
“You don’t see nature in my work,” says Noma, who spent his
childhood in forests. His father worked for the Jewish National
Fund planting trees, and Noma was in contact with the natural
environment from a young age. However, his relationship with the
forest is conflicted. He felt he needed to escape from that hardworking
life to a city, yet he finds inspiration inside the woodland.
Displacing himself from the comforting haze of the mundane, his
mind awakens to the extraordinary which lies within the commonplace.
He needs a distance. “Part of what I do is criticising and
looking at things from the side, with objective eyes, and if you
are too involved it starts to get tricky – there is something about
distance that works.”
He places a lot of weight in the process of creating which,
he says, “is more important than the result. Most of the time, I
am looking for ideas and solutions to a problem. The execution is
faster than the process.” His process starts with him sketching
in black and white, with pen and pencil. Colour is secondary. It is
rather a tool to help the viewer understand the meaning of the
image. “I don’t like colour so much – the main thing is the message.”
He has tried lots of colours but often goes back to red: “It
is part of my history,” he says. “You can’t manipulate red - there is
something about red that feels right in many places.”
Noma’s work evolves step by step. He keeps discovering new
things. He has done numerous illustrations and 90% of his output
used to be editorial, which he loves because it is current and
effective. He has also worked with sculpture which he sees as
comparable to his 2D work in that it is based on a narrative. Then
he discovered animation which recently took over. His illustrations
have appeared in major publications, including the New York
Times, Empire, Wired, The Guardian, Amnesty International and
Time Out - and he has taken numerous commissions from advertising
and private clients. Working with production company Dutch
09

VILLAGE RAW
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
This page: Images from the Cut the Conflict exhibition, Rook & Raven Gallery, London 2013.
Opposite page: Flora, the Cut It Out image-making machine.
Uncle, Noma has created animation pieces for clients who seek his
visual and narrative style “to get people to understand high technical
and abstract concepts.” His clients include New York-Presbyterian
Hospital (on new cancer treatments), GloboNews Brazil
(on corruption), Mercedes Benz (on safety systems), World Food
Programme (Stop Hunger), The Testaments (Atwood’s book cover
animation) and Stand Up to Cancer.
Noma thrives on the diversity of London and it is here he met
and had a conversation with a London-based Iranian – a conversation
that would never have happened had they stayed in their
own countries. From that meeting of two “opposites” came the
concept of Cut the Conflict which saw Bar’s die cut machine in
action in the Rook & Raven gallery in west London. People from
nations engaged in conflict were asked to send him any material
they felt represented their countries, like maps, photos, newspaper
cuttings, posters. His “Cut It Out Machine” was fed with materials
coming from only two countries in conflict at a time, like India
and Pakistan or the US and Cuba. What came out were images
of peace. The compositions Noma created were about common
ground. “I started out to show how different these countries in
conflict were but realised they are very similar. You look inside
something that looks like a negative and you discover the love,
the peacefulness.” One of Noma’s compositions for “Cut the Conflict”
is of a handgun bearing the colours of the Israeli and Palestinian
flags: look again and you see a dove flying.
Noma Bar likes to be “an outsider, someone who is not in the
centre of events. That keeps me fresh,” he says. On some level,
he longs for the time when “everything was unfamiliar, different. I
don’t like to know too much, you lose all the surprises.” When one
knows things in depth and can identify their source, one loses
“this flat surface when you don’t know, you are still hungry like a
child who discovers things. And I try to maintain it and I think maybe
part of being drawn to the woods has to do with that – staying
a little bit out of society in a way. Imagination is more important
than knowledge.”•
Noma Bar is represented by Dutch Uncle. You can keep up to date with his work on his
Facebook page: @NomaBar. Prints are available from: www.outline-editions.co.uk
PHOTOS BY FRANCIS WARE.
10
23

WELLBEING
SOUNDS FROM
THE CITY,
SOUNDS FROM
THE SEA
Austel, aka multi-instrumentalist Annie Rew Shaw, makes dark electronic and ethereal
music that wouldn’t be out of place in Twin Peaks. Her 2018 debut EP, Unfold, was
critically acclaimed by BBC Radio 6 Music and online magazine The Line of Best Fit.
Words by Becky Mathews. Photo by Jennifer McCord.
How did you start making music as Austel?
About two years ago I had always performed under my own name
and played in bands. But my sound was changing quite a lot from
being a singer-songwriter at the piano to something more electronic.
The name Austel is kind of based on St Austell, Cornwall. I
grew up in Devon but I went to Cornwall a lot in the summer, so
it’s taking a link from the past and turning it into something new.
Did you move to London specifically to pursue music?
Devon’s a beautiful place to grow up but it’s quiet. It’s such a cliché
but it was always my dream to come to London and make music.
I moved here at 19 instead of going to university and was really
lucky to start working with some amazing musicians straight
away as my education. But I really appreciate Devon and its natural
beauty and I visit my family a lot. It’s nice to have both worlds.
Your video for Lost At Home featured you in different parts of
London, including the Parkland Walk. How much do your surroundings
influence or inspire your music?
A lot. I spend so much time walking, it’s really therapeutic. I walk for
about two hours every day and I’m a big dreamer. The video features
lots of places in London that were significant for me when I
first moved here. I’ve found my own little home within the city and
that’s what I love about north London and this area - there are
mini villages and towns within it. It’s inspiring and peaceful.
You’ve played Glastonbury as part of Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly
and toured with Fleet Foxes in Lyla Foy’s band - do you like
travelling with music?
It’s been amazing, especially as a young musician. These experiences
have taught me so much and given me the confidence
to do it myself. I haven’t travelled as much as Austel as I’m hoping
to - it’s expensive but inspiring. I write a lot on journeys. You
get a new energy when you go to different cities. I did a Sofar
Sounds gig in Berlin last year and it was just the most incredible
experience of meeting new, like-minded people and visiting new
places through music.
What have been the highlights of playing as Austel - and what
are you looking forward to next year?
Some of the headline shows in London with the full band -
they’re my best friends and it’s great to bring the production to
a live stage. I love playing solo shows too because of how you
can connect with the audience. The big thing is a headline show
at The Victoria, Dalston on 12 February to celebrate the release
of my 2nd EP, Cold Love.•
Find out more about Austel at: www.austelmusic.com
12 13

VILLAGE ART & CULTURE SOUNDS
The discerningly
different
estate agency.
we’re mr and mrs clarke.
We’re not like other local agents.
We’re different. Discerningly different.
We know all great plans are made over
a beverage, so whether you fancy a good
old fashioned cuppa, or even a proper Old
Fashioned, we would love to learn about you,
your property and your hopes for the future.
Give us a call on 07778 778136
or visit us at www.mrandmrsclarke.com
CEldershaw
Christian Eldershaw, Partner
MR TOMMY HILL KNOWS
Tommy Hill is a one-man band with a flair for Prince-like guitar
solos. He plays, records and produces his own music and is launching
a new project, I know I know.
Cascading Styles
for creative individuals and
small businesses
• web design
• graphic design
• private tutoring
• Publish, share or document a piece of work
with our original web page templates
• Set up an attractive website with a
one-to-one tutorial to get you started
• Custom web and graphic design services to
cover all your design needs
• Newsletter design and distribution
• Private tutoring to learn graphic design and
website maintenance skills
• Expert advice and ongoing support
• Free website hosting for all clients (save
~£100/ year!)
• All websites powered by renewable energy
Cascading Styles is a small graphics and web design
agency based in Wood Green, N22. Our services are
especially suited to artists, artisans and small businesses
whose unique aesthetics could be better communicated
online and across other media.
The company was founded by artist and designer Freja
Smith. Having grown up in Ealing, she has lived and worked
in London for most of her life. She graduated from Central
Saint Martins with a BA in Graphic Design in 2014; she has
since developed her professional and artistic practice to
include a wide variety of design, practical and business
skills.
Freja is particularly fascinated by the visual and emotional
effects of translating materials, objects, spaces and
experiences to the digital realm. She takes inspiration from
the natural world, with its intricate and wild beauty, and
enjoys working within the confines of 2 dimensions,
bounded by straight lines.
Mention Village Raw before 1st May 2020 to
receive £25 off your first invoice.
cascading-styles.com
freja@cascading-styles.com
07740966430
@cascading.styles
Words by Becky Mathews. Photo by Tevona Purcell-Matthews.
Haringey has a pretty rich musical history - do you like recording
and playing here?
Yeah, I have a studio in Finsbury Park. There’s a lot of music heritage
though that’s not particularly why I live around here. I find
it inspiring because I see people who have way less than me but
also people who have much more than me, it’s a melting pot. I just
love it, the leafy vibes and sense of community - there’s a bunch
of other musicians that live in the area and I’ve got friends up in
Muswell Hill like ChaChaCha - it’s a cool scene. I never really had
that in places I’ve lived in London before - and I love that there is
nature and big green spaces.
You played in lots of bands before going solo - how did that come
about?
About three or four years ago I was in a band and it was going
pretty well but I left and moved back to my mum’s in Brighton.
There was a lot of stuff going on in my life at the time, and I didn’t
have anywhere to live and I felt like I had to do my own thing. While
I was there I made music by myself, playing, recording, producing
- no compromise.
Was that as WILLIAM?
Yeah, I made some demos and then put out one song, Blindside,
in 2017 as WILLIAM (it’s my middle name) which kind of went viral.
It was pretty crazy, I got a quarter of a million streams in a week
and was on New Music Friday on Spotify. I don’t know how it happened,
it was amazing but I didn’t know how to follow it up. There
was some interest but people had different ideas of how to do it.
WILLIAM was a bit of a false start but I’ve spent a few years just
getting songs together that I’m really proud of.
What’s the next musical chapter?
I’ve kind of rebranded and I have a new project which is I know I
know - and I’m gonna put something out in February. I have a band
- we’re a trio. I play guitar and loop pedal and sing and add some
ambient stuff too - and there is a drummer and bass player - but
it’s a lot more raw live, it doesn’t have to be exactly like the record.
Do you have exciting things planned for 2020?
I just want to get my music out. I feel like I’ve been sitting on this
for ages, so I want to put it out and see what happens. Once I’ve
put the first stuff out there, I’ll play live too. I’d love to go somewhere
remote for a month on my own with my equipment to finish
the record. •
Follow I Know I Know on Instagram: @iknowiknowofficial
14
15

VILLAGE RAW
WELLBEING
THE COLLODION WAY
Photographer John Hoare is reintroducing
the 19th Century back to Crouch End.
Words by David Reeve. Photos by John Hoare.
16 17

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE IN PICTURES
Opening images: Sophie Rivers
(left), Simona Mannu (right).
Opposite page page: Kayla Forrester
This page (from top left to right):
Karen Eyo, Dictynna Hood, Isher
Sahota, John Cunningham, Martha
Hanington, Dennis Bury.
John Hoare is a director of photography for film and television, who
became fascinated by the 19th century chemical technique wetplate
collodion photography. He bought an 8x10 bellows camera,
some antique lenses, constructed a shed and a bespoke lighting
rig, and began taking photos. A glass plate is coated with collodion,
sensitised in a bath of silver nitrate, and then placed in the camera
in the dark. With the low sensitivity of the process the sitter has to
be still for five seconds while John holds the shutter open. Once
taken the plate is developed before being fixed in a curious process
which sees the negative image transform into a positive one. The
people in this set of photographs are all local to the area. •
You can find out more about John’s collodion photography on his website:
www.collodion.co.uk
18
19

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
WITH.
NOT FOR.
Pushing boundaries, changing
attitudes, building an
accessible creative space
for all. Wave Cafe, a social
enterprise that promotes
inclusivity is widening
its reach.
Words by Kate Wilson.
Photos by Sindri Swan.
Wave Cafe - an acronym for “We Are (all) Valued Equally” - is a
social enterprise reframing our attitudes towards learning disabilities.
The project provides an opportunity to develop friendships
with one another, often through the arts, crafts or music,
and embrace people as part of a group in an inclusive relaxed atmosphere
with no pressure. The aim is to feel free to be together
naturally and valued equally - all of the time.
Attending a Wave Cafe event at the recently renovated United
Reformed Church in Muswell Hill, the level of interaction was immeasurable.
As I spoke with Ben Sudell, Development Director of
the organisation, it was hard to ignore the positive impact which
he, his co-workers and volunteers were having on the numerous
people attending - and vice versa. Many of the visitors were
weaving in and out of our conversation - popping their heads in to
make their presence known. A shared appreciation of the experience
was felt all around.
Stephanie Buckingham, who was attending the event, reinforces
this: “Wave Cafe is just what our family was looking for. It is
a very friendly and inclusive space which means that my severely
autistic son can take part in activities alongside his brothers. We
can all just be ourselves without needing to worry about others’
reactions. Wave Cafe is a ray of hope, breaking down barriers.”
Ben explained more about the organisation: “’Cafe’ is the
name but it’s really a community. The cafe is the vehicle by which
we are doing it - coffee, food and the creative activities. But really
it is all about bringing together people with or without learning
disabilities.”
In society it is common for people without any learning disability
to help others. There are, of course, needs that require
specific attention and these services are clearly necessary. But
alongside this Wave Cafe aims to provide a space to do things
together, where people from every part of society get something
back. Unfortunately, this can sometimes prove to be difficult.
Ben explains: “One of the real challenges we have is attracting
people without a learning disability or who have no experience of
learning disabilities. People can often feel nervous or have preconceptions.
Perhaps we are also working against their previous
experiences of ‘inclusion’ being much more ‘us and them’.”
Running for two years, Wave Cafe has taken its vision into the
wider community - currently holding weekly art workshops on
Thursday evenings at the Birchwood Centre, N10 and a series of
pop up events at various venues while welcoming local artists and
crafters to lead enjoyable, original and creative activities. These
include mosaics, screen printing and clay sculpture. A daytime
community arts cafe will also be running at the United Reformed
Church every Thursday from 23 January until 12 March 2020.
Still being established, Wave Cafe would like a permanent
space to be able to grow and offer a drop in while still maintaining
the creative activities, workshops and events. “Being visible,
having a face. That’s what we want to change,” says Ben.
Administrators, trustees, treasurers and volunteers already
operate a successful business model but money remains an
issue for the viability of Wave Cafe. Ben says: “It’s the thing we
are learning about. Applying for grants, pitching at funds where
money is pledged. To maintain what we have we must balance between
the charitable work and something sustainable.”
Wave Cafe is open to all ages and all capabilities, with or without
learning or physical disabilities. Sitting in the midst of such
company evokes an incredibly powerful atmosphere. Another attendee
concludes: ”It is the people at Wave Cafe that keep me
coming back. It was the craft activities that got me there and the
people that keep me there. It’s as simple as that!”•
You can find out more about Wave Cafe on their website: www.wavecafe.org
20
21

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THAT DOESN’T COST AN ARM AND A LEG.
£20 PER HOUR
pilateswithnaomi@gmail.com
07557 223191
LONDON

VILLAGE RAW
BRIGHT ORANGE TILES
Village Raw visits Crouch End’s Hornsey Town Hall, the UK’s
first major modernist building, to check in on the restoration
and construction work.
Words and photos by David Reeve.
In our time in the Town Hall we grew to love the building – even
with its numerous leaks and broken toilets. We were sad to leave
at the end of June 2019 and have been wondering since how the
works are proceeding. We had the chance to visit last November
- just as a meeting and site visit with Haringey Council, Historic
England and the developer’s project team was coming to an end.
The meeting had taken place in the committee room where
there was already evidence of the work underway. For example, a
small patch of the chamber’s wall was brighter than the surrounding
veneer. “Back in the day, when it was council offices, everyone
used to smoke,” says Joe Pitt, construction director for contractor
Ardmore. And it’s not only the wall that has been tested: “We
cleaned a small section of cork flooring about a month ago – totally
different. It’s about what it was like back in the day,” says Joe.
As they continue to explore and investigate architect Reginald
Uren’s building the team are constantly discovering new
things. Whether it’s the realisation of how the veneer in the
assem bly hall was not prefabricated but cut and applied in situ,
the discovery of a hidden room containing a safe (nothing in it),
or how the wooden counters of the cashiers’ booth (which was in
the Ply Gallery) concealed the original bright orange tiles. As Joe
reminds us: “The intention is not to change anything…”
Haringey Council and Heritage England are on site to examine the
progress. “Prior to the work proceeding everything has to be signed
off by the London Borough of Haringey and us,” says Claire Brady
of Historic England. The council’s conservation officer Elisabetta
Tonazzi agrees: “These meetings are to ensure that works are carried
out sympathetically.”
“We think there’s going to be around 200 methodologies,” says
Joe. “Stone, cork board, different variances of the timber work.”
This stage is going to take approximately 12 months to complete
which means the building work hasn’t begun in earnest yet. “At the
moment it’s 90% planning, discussion and methodologies, and 10%
construction - and slowly that will turn the other way,” says Joe.
FEC’s Project Director Doris Lam has also sat in on all the
meetings. “The building is on the ‘at risk register’,” she says. “And
in order to de-risk it, it’s not only about refurbishing, it’s also looking
at how the building can be looked after and can sustain itself
going into the future.”
Last year Historic England granted permissions for the change
of use to a mixed use scheme comprising an Arts Centre, a hotel,
food and beverage facilities, community uses and co-working
space. Works also included the rebuilding of the east wing roof
extensions to a new design and the erection of new residential
blocks at the rear of the Town Hall.
With the restoration taking the building back to its former glory,
we wondered how the additional elements would fit in. Make Architects
were keen to point out that the hotel interiors would take
inspiration from the 1930s Art Deco features within the Town Hall.
“A simple materials palette of timber, metal and stone,” explains
Regine Kandan, the lead architect. “The hotel rooms will also feature
herringbone patterned parquet flooring, sympathetic to the
flooring in other areas of the building.”
The plan is for the hotel to operate in synergy with the other
aspects of the building - the Arts Centre, restaurant and co-working
spaces. “Guests will enjoy and participate in many of the arts
centre’s programmed uses such as shows in the theatre, events
in the supper room or a wedding in the council chamber,” says
Andrew Major, Head of Space + Community for the Arts Centre
operator, The TIME + SPACE Co. “The restaurant and rooftop bar
will be open to all - guests and visitors alike - creating a dynamic,
vibrant and diverse environment.”
And for us, still looking for suitable and affordable office
space since we moved out in June, it seems there will be a combination
of new offices and co-working spaces alongside a loft
workspace. The pricing will be announced in early 2020. While we
won’t be able to return to our old office, which will now be a part
of the hotel, we’re looking forward to learning more about the
spaces and opportunities as the renovation progresses and the
building moves closer to reopening.•
If you would like to stay informed with all the latest news about Hornsey Town Hall Arts
Centre and the restoration project then follow @HTHArtsCentre on social media and join
the mailing list at: www.hthartscentre.com. If you want to enquire about the residential
development call the marketing suite: 020 8341 4664
Clockwise from top: Hornsey Town Hall encased in its
protective wrapping; the project team (left to right) -
Paul Botten (Ardmore), Anusha Le Vasan (Fulkers),
Regine Kandan (Make Architects), Simon Redfern
(Ardmore), Nerius Rimkevicius (Ardmore), Joe Pitt
(Ardmore), Claire Brady (Historic England), Doris Lam
(FEC), Trevor Upright (Ardmore) and Norman Fitzpatrick
(Ardmore); parquet floor patch, cleaned and revived.
24
25

VILLAGE RAW
WHERE THERE’S A WILL,
THERE’S A WAY
In the absence of government leadership and action on climate
change, we have little option but to take matters into our own hands
- let’s start by planting more trees.
Words and photo by Chris King.
Many attempts are being made to create scalable carbon capture
and storage technologies to suck CO2 from the air, store it
and then use it. But within nature there already exists a means by
which this can be achieved that’s easily scalable. Planting trees
represents one of the most effective, affordable and attainable
means of tackling anthropogenic climate change, by capturing
and storing CO2 and locking it in the soil. Research has shown
that a worldwide tree planting programme could remove around
two thirds of all the human-generated greenhouse gas emissions
that currently exist within the atmosphere.
Of course the benefits of planting more trees, unlike carbon
capture and storage technology, does not stop at potential atmospheric
CO2 reduction. Trees can offer a defence against
flooding, landslides and soil erosion; they can help cool down cities;
they help maintain and support greater biodiversity; and can
help establish natural corridors for animals and insects to move
along. There are numerous other benefits from planting more
trees and we have all the knowledge and tools to move forward
with the programme today and reach the necessary targets in the
required timeframe.
The UK needs a net increase of 30,000 hectares of woodland
every year over the next 30 years in order to reach net zero carbon
emissions by 2050, according to the Committee on Climate
Change (CCC). Or 50,000 hectares if other reduction targets are
not met. That means planting at least 1.5 billion trees.
If we are to reach net zero carbon by 2030 - which many local
councils, including Haringey, have set as their target - then we
need to be planting 150 million trees every year. This may seem
a lot but is by no means unachievable - it simply requires the political
will to make it happen. We are in the midst of a crisis and
with the need for the trees to reach maturity in order to maximise
their full CO2 capture and storage potential, we must move forward
with this now.
But political will has been conspicuously absent within our
government. Over the past five years a total of just 44,900 hectares
has been planted, which is woefully inadequate and reflects
a general lack of engagement on the issue of climate change by
this Conservative government. If they stick to the pledge in their
latest party manifesto of “30 million trees a year” - and there are
no guarantees they will - that’s still 20 million trees a year less
than required to meet the minimum recommendations of the CCC
- the government’s own advisory body.
The recent election result will have an incredible impact on
the path and progression towards achieving the goals set out in
the Paris Agreement - and obtaining carbon neutrality. We will be
lacking the leadership necessary at government level to take immediate
and meaningful action in order to confront and mitigate
the impact of the unfolding climate crisis.
Business as usual - or indeed even less regulation and a continued
unwavering belief that the market will deliver the climate
action needed in a just and timely manner - is simply not an option.
However, while the government’s actions will most likely hinder
the pursuit of a carbon neutral society, we - the people - can
influence what legislation is written. It’s not only about how we
vote at an election that dictates how things progress but how we
vote through our actions - or lack of action - every single day.
Our economic and political system is broken and needs fundamental
changes but this will take time that we don’t have to
spare. So - in the absence of a government that represents the
needs of its citizens, that doesn’t ignore national and international
advisory committees and is willing to take the steps necessary
to avert the worst impacts of the climate crisis - we must
create local, citizen-led tree planting and rewilding initiatives.
Let’s stand up and do all we can - as if our lives and those of
our children and grandchildren depend on it - because they do. •
If you know of an active tree planting programme in north London then please get in touch
and we will share it with our readers. If you would be interested in working with Village
Raw in establishing a tree planting initiative, then get in touch at: hello@villageraw.com.
You can also read guidelines on how to plant trees in your garden or school here:
www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/urban-tree-manual
26

VILLAGE RAW
PLANT POWER
Two modern-day apothecarists are helping to reintroduce people to
a knowledge of plants that we’ve lost over time.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos by Kate Kuzminova.
Imagine being on a remote island in Denmark and cutting your
hand, leaving a wound that requires stitches. The closest hospital
is four hours away and you need to take a boat to get there.
Luckily, your companion is a trained medical herbalist who knows
that binding the cut with birch polypore mushroom (found nearby)
will act as a natural plaster and slow the bleeding. A few days
later, all that is left of your deep cut is a scab. Vicky Chown is
telling this story in a pub in central London, explaining how she
has helped treat many friends over the years with the knowledge
she has acquired about plants.
Vicky is one half of Handmade Apothecary, a pair of medical
herbalists who have written two books about the power of plants
in treating numerous conditions, from skin ailments to chronic allergies.
It’s ancient knowledge that was once handed down orally
but which has been lost over the years. “We’ve had to pay for a
degree to learn what most European grannies commonly know
[about herbs],” says Kim Walker, Handmade Apothecary’s other
half. Kim contends that we have lost our connection to nature
and the power it has to heal. “We try to introduce people to the
idea that this knowledge has always existed,” she explains, “and
there’s just been a hiccup with people remembering it - and so we
show people how to reconnect with nature.”
This reconnection includes foraging for plants in local woods,
as well as running apprenticeship workshops from spaces such
as OmVed Gardens in Highgate. Participants learn basic skills in
holistic herbalism – identifying edible and medicinal plants and
making herbal preparations to help treat the body over different
seasons. Vicky believes these workshops empower people to help
themselves and have additional benefits for the planet: “Once
you start to identify those plants and put importance on them,
it means there is an importance on them socially which means
we are more likely to protect them.” Such has been the interest
in what they do that these types of workshops are often sold out.
Both seem a bit surprised by their success, particularly with
their first self-titled book, still a bestseller after nearly three years.
“We put our hearts and souls in it,” says Kim, who grew up on the
west coast of Scotland. Vicky adds: “When we did our university
degree there wasn’t a lot of emphasis on foraging and growing. We
wanted to have a connection with the whole process and as we did
that, we thought, hey, other people may want to learn about this.”
But the process of writing the book was fraught and both acknowledge
that they “nearly killed each other” to meet the publisher’s
deadline. Fortunately, they can now laugh about it and
seem to have forgiven each other for past differences: “We love
each other really,” smiles Vicky. “It’s quite sisterly.”
Sitting down to talk to the pair - who met at the University of
Westminster - is a bit like being at a raucous family dinner. They
complete each other’s sentences, interrupt one another and occasionally
disagree. Despite having a lot in common on the face of it,
including near-identical birthdays, they are actually very different.
While Vicky likes people and runs herbal medicine consultations
for clients, Kim makes it clear that she prefers plants. A medicinal
plant researcher, she is currently studying for her PhD at the Royal
Botanic Gardens in Kew. Her interest lies in rediscovering historic
medicines, often rooted in plants, to solve modern problems.
One person’s weakness is often another’s strength which
makes for a good partnership. Kim, for example, admits to being
organised and IT savvy, while Vicky is less likely to sit in front of
the computer answering emails. Both, however, agree that they’re
not cut out for an office job. For Vicky, her “office” could be said
to be Queen’s Wood, where she runs the community gardens and
teaches about permaculture, and food, herb and medicine growing.
Although she grew up in north London, her goal is to find a
patch of land outside the capital and largely be self sufficient.
28

HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Previous pages: Kim (left) and Vicky (right) in the Queens Wood community garden. This page: Photos from a herbal tea
and body scrub workshop held at The Postal Museum.
For now though, both have a business to run and they’ve seen
in terest increase, particularly when it comes to foraging. They partly
attribute this to what they call the “Instagram life” - millennials
being more health conscious in general and more likely to embrace
veganism and drink less alcohol. “People are naturally converting
to other things that would help their life,” argues Kim, “so I definitely
think there has been a resurgence in herbal medicine as well
as other lifestyle choices.” Vicky agrees that trends have changed:
“When I was a teenager you got an alcopop and sat in the park. Now
they are all in Planet Organic with their smoothies.”
Both - reassuringly - are drinking red wine as they say this
and you get the impression that they’re not advocating an entirely
hermetic existence. Up next is a short break for Vicky who
wants to escape the winter, potentially in Morocco. Kim, however,
isn’t bothered by the dark days and the cold, which is fortunate as
she has 20,000 words to write for her thesis. Later this year they
will offer some of their popular workshops from their narrowboat,
bought and renovated together. The renovation is another experience
that nearly drove them to the brink of despair but which has
seen hard work pay off. “We’ve done some good stuff,” reflects
Vicky. “We never seem to remember that when we are sitting in
the woods looking at mud,” Kim replies. At that, they both laugh. •
To find out about workshops run by Vicky and Kim, check their social media accounts
or sign up for their newsletter at: www.handmadeapothecary.co.uk
Follow them on Instagram: @handmade_apothecary
ELDERBERRY SYRUP
Vicky and Kim swear by elderberries as a
natural way to help boost the immune system.
This remedy is perfect for combating flu,
winter colds, coughs and sore throats.
INGREDIENTS
400g fresh or 250g dried elderberries / 1
thumb-sized piece of ginger root / 1 cinnamon
stick / 2 star anise / 6 cloves / 6 cardamoms /
6 peppercorns / Zest of 1 unwaxed lemon / 500ml
water / Approx. 500g sugar / 1 tsp citric acid
per 500ml
METHOD
Place the elderberries, spices, lemon zest
and water (if using dried elderberries add an
extra 100ml of water) in a pan. Bring to the
boil and simmer uncovered for 20-30 mins until
water has reduced by 1/3. Strain the berries
through a muslin-lined sieve into a measuring
jug. Measure your liquid and return to the pan.
For every 100ml of liquid, add 50-100g of
sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir until
thick and glossy. Stir in the citric acid and
pour into bottles, label and date. Lasts up
to 1 year in a cool, dark place. Once opened,
keep in the fridge and use within 1 month.
Take 1 to 2 tsp as necessary or stir 2-4 tsp
into hot water for a soothing drink.
31

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
A GREAT
WASTE OF TIME
OmVed is introducing more garden
workshops in the spring that will
teach everything from growing
food to composting waste.
Words by Carla Parks.
Photos by Thomas Broadhead.
Tucked away behind Highgate High Street, down an alleyway
that appears to lead to nowhere, is OmVed Gardens. It’s a green
space dedicated to re-establishing our connection with nature
in the middle of a dense city. A light-filled greenhouse with a
minimalist kitchen acts as a focal point for events, workshops
and occasional exhibitions open to the community. It’s from
here that Vicky Chown sips tea on a bright winter’s day, a dome
of delicate blue sky arched overhead. I join a small group of people
gathered around her, braving the bitter cold to learn more
about composting.
It’s OmVed’s last workshop of the year but the plan is to introduce
more in early spring - to be led by Vicky who is a trained medical
herbalist and runs the community gardens in Queen’s Wood.
Blinking into the morning sun, Vicky tells us that we learn best by
doing, so we are going to be building a compost and mucking in as
much as possible.
Karen Leason, who runs OmVed Gardens, joins us and explains
some of their ambitious plans that include building a community
seed bank and utilising the new kitchen garden growing below
the greenhouse as much as possible. “My feeling is that people
are keen to grow things, but some of us actually don’t even have
the basics,” Karen says. She envisages OmVed as a collaboration
between humans and nature. Vicky has been brought on board
because of her extensive knowledge of plants and her collaborative
approach.
32
Vicky says that the focus of the workshops will be on learning
about where our food comes from, based on the seasons. One
aim is to grow a variety of crops, so there will be an emphasis
on slightly more unusual UK-based plants and keeping a regular
diary to record how well certain plants respond. “We want people
to learn the process of gardening, from composting to sowing
seeds, to harvesting and saving seeds - and to just get everyone
to do as much food growing as they can,” she explains.
Composting, Vicky continues, has big benefits that include
knowing your waste will not be going to landfill, as well as providing
a nourishing environment for plants to grow. “All the scraps
are going into the garden to be composted and put into your
plants again. You can then enjoy them as flowers, vegetables, a
healthy lawn or fruit trees. It’s a nice, closed loop cycle,” she says.
There are different methods for composting but we’re learning
about an open compost. The general rule is to have a ratio
of one part green waste to two parts brown waste. Green waste
adds nitrogen to the compost pile, encouraging microbe activity.
Brown waste provides structure and is carbon rich. You alternate
your green and brown layers, ensuring each one is about three to
six inches deep, making a “compost lasagne”. You leave this for a
few weeks and then turn or aerate the pile. In the summer you will
need to do this more frequently than in the winter months.
It’s surprisingly physical work since we need to move a huge
pile of leaves. We add some of our green waste and that can in-
33
clude coffee grounds, nettles, grass clippings and raw kitchen
waste. Our brown pile consists of old lavender twigs, cardboard
and dry leaves. We also see a ‘bokashi’ compost, a Japanese
method that uses fermentation and can be kept inside. After two
hours we’re ready to call it a day, warming ourselves with another
hot drink and admiring our compost pile.•
VICKY’S DOS AND DON’TS FOR COMPOSTING:
Do make the compost pile as big as possible.
The bigger it is, the faster it will break down.
Do add in a variety of mixed things as you would
with your own diet.
Don’t put perennial weeds in your compost pile.
The weed roots will spread to your garden.
Don’t put cooked food on an open-pile compost,
but you can add cooked food to a bokashi system.
OmVed will be running a series of workshops starting in the spring, including composting.
Check the website for updates and sign up to their newsletter at: www.omvedgardens.com
or follow: @omvedgardens on Instagram

FOOD & DRINK
THE NORTH
LONDON
CHEESE HUNT
With cheese consumption growing
we take a look at some of the
local cheesemongers and producers
– including a vegan option.
Words by Katrina Mirpuri. Photos Mischa Haller.
It was a sunny Monday afternoon in April when I found myself
waiting to meet a complete stranger at Hornsey Station. I stood
by the railway bridge with a few crumpled five pound notes in my
pocket ready for the exchange - but it’s not what you think. Yes,
it sounds like the beginning of a dodgy deal in a mafia film but
actually I was there to collect something much stronger and just
as addictive as illegal substances. Cheese.
Word was going around about an independent vegan cheesemaker,
based in Haringey, who went by the name of Honestly
Tasty. Like many, the one thing that undermines my resolve to be
vegan is cheese. I’d been experimenting with vegan cheeses from
the supermarket but they weren’t cutting it so, in an attempt to
reduce my dairy intake, I met with the owner of Honestly Tasty
to buy some of his produce and see if this freshly made vegan
cheese would be any good. It is.
Studies have suggested that cheese has similar effects on
the human body to Class A drugs. Cheese contains casein and casein
fragments called casomorphins which are highly addictive as
they attach to the same brain receptors as heroin and morphine
in the process of consumption. As Dr Neal Barnard (author of The
Cheese Trap) says: “They are not strong enough to get you arrested
but they are just strong enough to keep you coming back
for more, even while your thighs are expanding before your very
eyes.” Nutritionally, cheese is still a source of fat, calcium, vitamin
A, protein and B12. However, people are now consuming less
dairy for health and environmental reasons.
Vegan cheese sales are quickly rising and with regard to the
planet it’s proven that a plant based diet has the biggest impact
in reducing your carbon footprint. Whilst going totally plant based
is too big a step for some, it’s important that we look at the greater
picture and consider sustainability and ethics as a whole when
purchasing foods such as cheese. Elements such as packaging,
importing and animal welfare are all important factors when buying
fresh produce.
34
35

VILLAGE RAW
FOOD & DRINK
So, if cheese is so addictive and in high demand, it raises the
question: how can we be more ethical about our cheese choices?
When purchasing cheese from a supermarket, consider the
long process involved in getting it on the shelf. Luckily, following
in the footsteps of craft beer, many of us now prefer to buy
our produce from smaller independent sources rather than mass
produced cheese from the supermarket, as it’s fresher, contains
less waste and tastes better. In the pursuit of cheese that fits
this criteria, I embarked on a serious cheese hunt to find the best
produce in the area.
North London suburbs Muswell Hill, Crouch End and Hornsey
stand out as cheese positive hotspots, boasting some of the
finest independent cheese shops. An obvious place to start is
Cheeses in Muswell Hill. The shop is wedged between a string of
boutiques on Fortis Green Road, just off the Broadway - and it’s
been a reliable local cheesemonger for 39 years. Yellow bitesize
cubes are placed on a table outside the shop to lure cheese lovers
in, like mice to a trap. On entry, a selection of jams, quince
and pickles sits on top of a counter containing wheels of yellow
cheese. The shop sets itself apart by supporting small cheese
producers, buying directly from suppliers instead of wholesalers.
Owner of Cheeses, Morgan McGlynn, spends one month
out of the year individually picking the cheeses she stocks in
the shop. She told us: “It’s really important to me to know exactly
where it’s coming from, the family that’s producing it, the
way that they’re making the cheese, the herds they’re using.”
With regard to the farms they buy from, many producers that
they work with use their own sheep, cows or goats which means
they’re not buying the milk in.
Referring to sustainability, Morgan says: “In terms of the shop,
everything we use is biodegradable, including all the bags and the
cling film.” A unique solution to saving energy comes in the form
of an old war bunker which the shop uses to mature the cheese.
It uses zero refrigeration because it’s so damp and built into a hill
and is just another way that they reduce energy use. Keeping food
miles in mind, Cheeses relies on a single person to collect and
deliver the cheese on a weekly basis, instead of having several
trucks making deliveries around London. On the rare occasion of
there being any leftover cheese, it is given to a local food bank.
It’s safe to say that when it comes to buying sustainably, Cheeses
makes it very easy.
Meanwhile - just down the hill in Hornsey - is Middle Lane Market
which offers a variety of specialist foods, including a selection
of about 40 different farmhouse and artisan cheeses. The shop’s
owners, wife and husband team Kelly and Andrew Shearer, focus
largely on reducing waste and offer sustainable purchase options
such as refill services on beer and wine - in addition to selling
ethical brands in store. When purchasing cheese at Middle Lane
Market you’re in the hands of a professional as Andrew previously
worked for five years at the famous cheesemonger, La Fromagerie
- before opening his shop in Hornsey. Kelly tells us: “We keep
our selection of cheese not too big so that we can make sure
everything is in good condition.” Whether you’re buying a wedge
or wheel, the cheese comes wrapped in parchment paper which
keeps the cheese fresh and offers a more sustainable packaging
than single-use plastic. Not only does this process help to reduce
plastic waste but it also allows you to buy the correct quantities
while enjoying a better taste, as plastic contains chemicals which
affect the taste of the product.
It’s no secret that wine and cheese go hand in hand and there’s
no better place to enjoy both of these things than The Crouch End
Cellars. No two visits can ever be the same because their cheese
selection is forever rotating due to a focus on seasonal cheeses.
The Crouch End Cellars offers predominantly European produce,
with the majority of their 45 cheeses coming from France and Italy
and the rest from the UK. Owner Andrea Coaro told us: “Many of
these cheeses come from very small cheese producers who use
milk from their own dairies.” The Cellars have a good relationship
with both wine and cheesemakers which means there’s often a
great tale behind each purchase and the staff are brimming with
new recommendations. The Cellars doubles up as a deli or a place
to relax, with a courtyard garden at the back which makes enjoying
a glass of wine and cheeseboard feel a lot like being abroad.
It’s clear that the demand for artisan cheese is picking up and
other local shops, such as Provisions on Holloway Road and Wildes
Cheese in Tottenham (a well-known regular at Alexandra Palace
Farmers Market) are making a name for themselves. By supporting
these independent food businesses we are actively contributing
to sustainable farming and cheesemaking whilst reducing waste.
There’s no better way to celebrate artisan cheese than by popping
into your local cheesemonger and buying some of the good stuff.•
Previous pages: The new kid on
the block – Middle Lane Market.
These pages (left to right): A large
cheese wheel at Muswell Hill’s Cheeses
shop. Morgan behind the counter
at Cheeses. Andrea cutting a wedge
of cheese at The Crouch End Cellars.
Find out more about the cheese shops at:
Cheeses of Muswell Hill, 13 Fortis Green Road, N10 3HP. www.cheesesonline.co.uk
Middle Lane Market, 226 Middle Lane, N8 7LA. www.middlelanemarket.com
The Crouch End Cellars, 55 The Broadway, N8 8DT. www.thecrouchendcellars.com
You can find Honestly Tasty cheeses at Harmless Store, 79 Tottenham Ln, N8 9BE.
www.harmlessstore.co.uk / www.honestlytasty.co.uk
36
37

VILLAGE RECIPE
KOREAN-STYLE
CAULIFLOWER WITH
ASIAN SPROUT SLAW
The best veg you’ve ever tasted
The humble cauliflower is arguably
one of our most versatile vegetables.
It lends itself brilliantly to strong
and spicy flavours - not to mention
lashings of cheese sauce.
Recipe by Dominique Woolf.
Photo by Samantha J. Webb.
Call your local veg man Simon on 0208 509 2436 riverford.co.uk
This dish puts cauliflower centre stage alongside gochujang
- a sweet and spicy, yet umami-rich Korean chilli paste.
Combined with honey, soy and garlic it makes an incredibly
addictive sauce you can use as a marinade or drizzle over
noodles and rice dishes. (You can buy gochujang easily online
and from Asian and larger supermarkets.)
Brussels sprouts - although synonymous with Christmas
- are actually in season from around October to
March and make a zesty slaw which complements the
caramelised cauliflower perfectly.
And whatever you do, don’t bin the cauliflower leaves.
Bake these in oil and sea salt (you may need to halve the
thicker ones) until crispy - for a tasty chef’s treat.
INGREDIENTS
For the cauliflower
1 whole cauliflower, cut into florets
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt
For the gochujang sauce
3 tbsp gochujang paste
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
For the slaw
150g Brussels sprouts, stalks trimmed and finely sliced or
shredded in a food processor
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 red chilli, finely chopped and deseeded if preferred
1 clove of garlic, crushed
Juice of a lime
1 tsp brown sugar, or to taste
To serve
Spring onion, sliced
Steamed rice
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas mark 7.
2. Place the cauliflower on a baking tray. Toss in the oil
and salt, then roast for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the gochujang
paste, honey, soy and garlic. Set aside.
4. Now for the slaw. Place the sprouts in a large bowl. In a
smaller bowl, mix together the soy, vinegar, chilli, garlic,
lime and sugar. Add the dressing to the sprouts.
5. After 15 minutes, remove the cauliflower from the oven
and place in the large mixing bowl with the gochujang
sauce. Mix well, ensuring all the florets are covered.
Place back on the baking tray and continue cooking for
another 20 minutes or so, until starting to colour and
caramelise.
6. Serve with rice and scattered with spring onions. •
Follow @thewoolfskitchen on Instagram. Check: www.villageraw.com for recipes.
39

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HEALTH & FITNESS
BREAKING
PAST PATTERNS
Words by Dr Emma Svanberg.
Illustration by Lobster and Pearls.
Remember when you said you wouldn’t turn into your parents?
And yet - all of a sudden - you find yourself repeating
the exact same phrase your mum/dad/caregiver said
to you when you’d done something you weren’t meant to.
Maybe you have other sympathies with them too. You
now understand why they were always so tired at the
weekend. Why they sometimes had to cook dinner instead
of playing with you. Why they worried about money.
But there may be other things from your childhood
that you can’t understand quite so easily. Things they said
or did which you realise - having your own children now -
you would never do. Ways of thinking that you just can’t
relate to. Attitudes you don’t share.
In early parenthood and often throughout our
child-rearing years, these similarities and differences
with our own parents can suddenly feel quite raw. Feelings
that previously seemed resolved come back with a
vengeance. A relationship with your own parents or caregivers
that had been going fairly smoothly might become
fraught. Memories of being a teenager return, with
new feelings of resentment or anger. And there might be
new issues with other parental figures in your life – inlaws,
grandparents, aunts and uncles – whose opinions
become so much more loaded when your new baby, or
child is involved.
Why does this happen? Child psychoanalyst, Selma
Fraiberg, wisely wrote: “In every nursery there are ghosts.
They are the visitors from the unremembered past of the
parents; the uninvited guests at the christening.”
When we become parents we reconnect with our own
memories of being parented. There’s something about
holding our own babies in our arms which brings back long
forgotten feelings from when we were babies – what Joan
Raphael-Leff has called “the baby self.” And this continues
throughout our babies’ development into children
and adolescents. Any difficult feelings they raise in us are
often more related to our own experiences at the same
age than to their actual behaviour. We talk about our own
“baggage” – and this is it. The unresolved memories, the
difficult relationships, the unwanted feelings we carry
around and which burst open when we become parents.
Often we know that something is being played out
unconsciously when we react in a way we don’t expect.
When we lose our temper for no reason, or react strongly
to something when we are usually patient. It can feel difficult
to tease apart our feelings but it’s important to try and
figure out what belongs to our children – and what actually
belongs to us. It’s only by dealing with our own baggage
that we can really help our children unpack their own. •
For more details about Emma’s work and online courses, and to sign up to her
newsletter, check: www.mumologist.com
41

ESSAY
A FEW REFLECTIONS
ON BEING LOST
Words by Miki Lentin.
Illustration by Lobster and Pearls.
I moved to London in 1996. I was excited, numb, confused
by the enormity of it all. There was a tube strike and London
boiled in a heatwave. The bus became my friend. Countless
changes, endless stops, seats upstairs, downstairs, a cord
to ring the bell - but with every day came a new perspective.
Over the last 20 years my London homes have varied.
As I moved from place to place and entered employment it
was important to know how to get from home to work, work
to home, home to gym and home again. It was easy – I rarely
ventured off the beaten track. The thought of anything
disturbing that routine raised anxiety - I wasn’t one to deviate.
If I did, I might find a part of me I didn’t want to find.
I’ve travelled the world extensively, often alone for days
on end in far flung lands - Mexico, China, Kazakhstan - with no
phone reception, without a care. I was sometimes reckless
but never afraid. And yet, whenever I came home I’d revert to
type. It made me question - what was I afraid of here? What
was the feeling about getting lost in foreign lands that disappeared
when I got home? Why didn’t I stop to look around?
Walter Benjamin, the German cultural critic and philosopher
wrote in his essay, A Berlin Chronicle (1932), that:
“not to find one’s way in a city may well be uninteresting
and banal. It requires ignorance - nothing more. But to
lose oneself in a city - as one loses oneself in a forest -
that calls for quite a different schooling.” Rebecca Solnit
quotes Benjamin in her book, A Field Guide to Getting Lost,
explaining: “to be lost is to be fully present, and to be fully
present is to be capable of being in uncertainty and mystery.
And one does not get lost but loses oneself, with the
implication that it is a conscious choice, a chosen surrender,
a psychic state achievable through geography.”
Solnit goes on to explain that the origin of the word
“lost” comes from the Old Norse los which means the disbanding
of an army - a truce, as she says, with the wide
world: “I worry now that many people never disband their
armies, never go beyond what they know.” I pondered what
truce I might be after and whether it was with myself or my
surroundings as I walked one morning to the Park Road Lido
for an icy early morning swim. I crossed Tottenham Lane,
walked down Elder Avenue and stopped - a concrete bollard
had been placed across the road. People stood with
clipboards monitoring something.
Elder Avenue had become an “avenue” once again. It
seemed wider - I could now follow its curve. My head wanted
me to wander aimlessly across the road but the muscles
in my legs held me teetering on the edge of the curb.
Could I cross? What was I waiting for? Approval, reassurance,
a flashing green person? A dog peed in the middle of
the crossroad. A cyclist rode down the centre of the road.
Two runners pounded the street. The clipboard officials
scribbled notes. “What’s going on?” I asked. “We’ve closed
the roads. It’s a two-week trial,” he said.
Over the coming days Middle Lane became my artery to
the rest of Crouch End. My eyes rose to the trees and lowered
to the detail of the Victorian carvings on manholes. I
heard the rush of water below, the chatter of people sipping
coffees, front doors opening and closing, rubbish bins
click-clacking on the pavement - there was even a street
party and the smell of curry wafted from somewhere at
night. For a brief period, I thought I was somewhere foreign
and it felt fine to be open to the uncertainty and directionless
pleasure of being lost in my own backyard.
Over time the air lifted. Things seemed clearer. I’d made
a short-term truce with the wide world and others followed
- some on foot or on bicycles, some with dogs or kids, some
alone. A trial separation had been agreed to see if a truce
could last. For a brief while there was no army. It had been
disbanded. It had surrendered to a beautiful, mysterious,
present “wide world”. •
The roads were closed in October 2019 as a part of Haringey Council’s £4.8m
Liveable Crouch End scheme that aims to encourage walking, cycling and the
use of public transport for residents, businesses and visitors, reducing car
journeys and improving health and air quality. For further information visit:
www.pclconsult.co.uk/liveablecrouchend
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42