Village Raw - ISSUE 2

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2018
FREE
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
The Village Within The City: Profile on Albert Rec Pavilion’s Robby Sukhdeo and chef James Taylor / The
People’s Theatre: Photographers Lawley and Bridge capture the restoration of the Ally Pally Theatre / Hot Buzz:
Uncovering the hidden world of bees / Craft (T)ale: The north London brew masters serving up the perfect pour

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THE RAW: The latest local
happenings and things to do
I, STORY: How story is an
essential part of our daily lives
I KNOW WHERE MARK NEVIN
LIVES: Interview with the
Highgate musician
INHABITING OUR BODIES:
Mina Aidoo discusses
embodiment and how it
affected her life
HOT BUZZ: Uncovering the
hidden world of beekeeping
UPCYCLE RECYCLE: Reclaiming
disused materials for a
sustainable future
THE PEOPLE’S THEATRE:
Photographers Lawley and Bridge
capture the restoration of the
Alexandra Palace Theatre
THE VILLAGE WITHIN THE
CITY: Building a community hub
with Robby Sukhdeo
TENNIS AND GAZPACHO:
Affordable and accessible
cooking with chef James Taylor
CRAFT (T)ALE: The north
London brew masters serving up
the perfect pour
It’s been an amazing summer so far and we hope the content of this second
issue of Village Raw reflects that. We’ve got bees, honey and a whole lot of green.
In Highgate Wood we came across musician Mark Nevin, who performed a beautiful
track from his latest album, and we fell in love with the Priory Common Orchard;
while it’s small there’s so much to explore and discover (check the photographs on
www.villageraw.com). Places like this are designed for people to come together, to
help out, and put the world to rights. Which leads us on to exploring the importance
of story and its role and influence on our everyday lives. We found inspiration in the
Albert Rec Pavilion Café with Robby Sukhdeo and chef James Taylor who discuss
their model of accessibility and affordability. Our regular press club section seems
to have been infiltrated by poets, we reflect on the philosophy behind Fun Palaces,
and the Village Essay considers the art of witnessing. Mina Aidoo’s essay from the
first issue, Learning to Feel Human Again, piqued our interest and wanting to know
more we met with her to find out about her work. We take a look at some of the
work that’s gone into the renovation of the Alexandra Palace Theatre. And we were
so delighted the Muswell Hillbillies were granted permission for their taproom we
thought it’d be a good idea to explore the local beer and lager scene. We’ve got local
upcyclers that make furniture and bug houses, which leads us back to the bees
that we share our community with.
We had such a fantastic time launching the first issue. Massive kudos to
Crouch End Festival, Fair in the Square and East Finchley Festival for putting
their trust in us - and the cafés and other spaces who’ve supported us. We’ve
been bowled over by the response and hope you enjoy this second issue – all
feedback very welcome: hello@villageraw.com
Luciane and David
www.villageraw.com
EDITORS
Luciane Pisani
David Reeve
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Luciane Pisani for Studio Moe
EDITORIAL ADVISER
Patrick Steel
CONTRIBUTORS
Laura Alvarado, Aimee Charalambous, Highgate
Wood School, Julia Hines, Katrina Mirpuri,
Charlotte Nash, Carla Parks.
Tweet us twitter.com/VillageRawMag
Like us facebook.com/villageraw
Follow us instagram.com/villageraw
Contact us hello@villageraw.com
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Village Raw August/September 2018
Cover image by Lawley and Bridge
Designed and published by
Studio Moe Ltd.
This magazine is made by the community, for the community.
By subscribing to Village Raw magazine you’ll be supporting
the community you live in.
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THE GENIUS IN EVERYONE:
Everyone an artist and everyone
a scientist at the Fun Palace
PRESS CLUB: Poetry from
Highgate Wood School
VILLAGE ESSAY: The Art of
Witnessing by Laura Alvarado
THE VILLAGE GREEN: Priory
Common Orchard
ILLUSTRATION
Lynnie Zulu
Emily Medley
PHOTOGRAPHY
Lawley and Bridge (www.lawleyandbridge.com)
Dan Bridge (danbridgephotography.co.uk)
Kate Kuzminova (katekuzminova.com)
David Reeve (designstudio.moe)
ADVERTISING
Emma Withey
ads@villageraw.com
PR
Julie Bland - Family PR
PRINTING
Printed in East Finchley by JG Bryson
© 2018 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:
Mina Aidoo, James Atkinson, Ana Attlee, Belmeis,
Bob, Alan Briggs, Charlotte Broadribb, Nichola
Charalambou, Mart Dude, Nicky Grace, John
Hauxwell, Csaba Kiss, Joel Korn, Zdenek Kudr, Emily
Lambert, Alex Lewis, Caroline MacAskill (The Lab),
Mark Nevin, Claire Pearce, Pistol Pete, Nell Phoenix,
Alicia Pivaro, Joan Podel, Marek Průša, Muswell Hill
Creatives, Julie Parker, our Kickstarter backers,
Pedro Redig, Helen Rogers, Rochelle Salamon,
Petr Skocek, subscribers and supporters,
Robby Sukhdeo, James Taylor.
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03

VILLAGE RAW
THE RAW
VILLAGE ALLSORTS: Things to look out for in the neighbourhood include a
world music bar, a bike repair café, and a ceramics gallery. Words by Katrina Mirpuri.
MARKET FOCUS: A short guide to the markets in the Village Raw area.
This list will evolve over time and we’ll keep it updated on our website.
Alexandra Park Farmer’s Market
The largest farmer’s market with more
than 40 stalls offering up a range of fruit
and veg, drinks, delicacies, crafts, street
food and more. You can find the market
every Sunday at the Muswell Hill entrance
to Alexandra Park, or at Campsbourne
School, 10am-3pm.
www.weareccfm.com
Archway Market
Every Saturday from 10am-5pm you can
find a mix of fruit and veg, street food,
varying speciality traders and a neighbourhood
stall for community facing organisations
and projects. Archway Market
is in Navigator Square by the tube station.
www.archwaymarket.org
Avenue Mews
A community of vintage shops, art spaces
and a brewery/tap room open Saturdays
11am-5pm, with the taproom open
from 12pm-10.30pm (as well as Friday
evenings). Keep an eye out for events
and pop-ups. Muswell Hill, N10 3NP.
www.facebook.com/avenuemews
Blink Pop-up Makers Market
A curated local makers market, which takes
place on the first Saturday of every month,
often including jewellery, textiles, yarn
work, ceramics, artwork, and other disciplines.
After the summer break the first
market will be 1 September, 12pm-4pm, N8.
www.facebook.com/BlinkPopUpArts
Hawker Union
A new street food market for Wood Green
by Street Feast. Hawker Union consists
of a range of indoor and outdoor bars and
eateries with pool tables, trampolines
and lots of neon and lights. Families and
dogs welcome. Opens 5pm Friday, 12pm
on Saturday and Sunday, N22 6TZ.
www.streetfeast.com/hawker-union
Muswell Hill Creatives Market
A collective of local artists, designers
and makers who come together several
times a year for curated markets and
pop-up events. The next market is Saturday
29 September, 10.30pm-4.30pm in St.
James’s Square, N10.
www.muswellhillcreatives.com
Myddleton Road Market
The first Sunday of every month sees a
variety of market stalls on this street
that also enjoys a range of excellent
bars, cafés, and is renowned for its Greek
food. Markets can be themed differently
with August’s focus on vintage and brica-brac.
11am-4pm, Myddleton Road, N22.
www.myddletonroadmarket.co.uk
Stroud Green Market
Alongside the fruit and veg, you’ll find
music, street food, and the produce of
local chefs and makers in this market
infused with personality. There is also
free bike servicing every fortnight. 10am-
3pm, Stroud Green School, N4 3HB.
www.stroudgreenmarket.com
Vegan Route
Every Sunday, throughout the summer,
a vegan market sets up in Blue House
Yard (see photo). It will run weekly until
the end of August with additional special
dates throughout the year. Sundays 12-
6pm, Blue House Yard, N22 7TB.
http://veganroute.co.uk
PHOTOS: ENZO CERRI (BELMEIS) , THROWN (THROWN), DAVID REEVE (CAPPUCHINO AND BLUE HOUSE YARD).
Cappuchino Belmeis Thrown
This family run café does a lot more than
just serve coffee. Named after Italy’s
much loved caffeinated drink, Cappuchino
(spelled to reflect the molecular formula
for caffeine C8H10N4O2) offers a
multifaceted service for the community.
In the café they sell a handful of baked
treats like muffins, pastry and cakes in
addition to hot food such as their famous
cooked breakfast which costs a mere
£5. Also on the menu are freshly made
sandwiches, smoothies and milkshakes.
Secondly, the shop doubles up as a bike
workshop which is useful for cyclists
wanting to enjoy a treat while getting a
repair. If bike repairs and a fully functioning
café aren’t enough, this multitalented
business also acts as its own mini garden
centre with potted plants and flowers
available to buy on site. They even have
a personalised bouquet service where
flower arrangements can be ordered for
all occasions. It’s also worth noting that
Cappuchino has joined the war against
plastic by using paper straws. They seem
to be ticking all the boxes!
50 Cressida Road, N19 3LB
www.facebook.com/CappuchinoRchway
Combining music, food and cocktails, this
new bar offers Muswell Hill a relaxed new
hangout with a twist - they’ll be putting
on live music with a focus on the more
underplayed genres which fall under the
umbrella of world music. With the recent
closure of music venues across London,
music lovers will be pleased to discover
and enjoy genres such as Brazilian bossa
nova, jazz and Afghan rubab in this exciting
new establishment. Along with the
entertainment, there’ll be a selection of
small creative culinary plates celebrating
European cuisine with a seasonal
focus. They arguably boast one of north
London’s most wacky cocktail menus,
created by Jack Charlton - a former no
5 Hertford Street bar manager. Creative
concoctions such as bacon infused bourbon
and chilli infused tequila are only a
few of the weird and wonderful creations
featured on the cocktail menu. Belmeis
is perfect for parties, or simply for those
looking to try something new in the area,
with a range of indoor and outdoor seating
options.
488 Muswell Hill Broadway, N10 1BT
www.belmeis.com
Stemming from the fascination of artistic
form and process, Thrown is a gallery
space inspired by art in all colours,
shapes and sizes. With a specific focus
on ceramics, Thrown is a Mecca for contemporary
ceramics with endless varieties
promising styles to match a range
of tastes. Work by over 30 guest artists
and painters are on display for the public
to enjoy and buy, and they work with
the artists to help them achieve future
commissions. Their ethos challenges
the traditional white wall gallery setting
and instead encourages workshops and
events to occur in the space. In addition
to featuring artist exhibitions, Thrown
offer a number of services such as interior
design projects, valuations, art consultancies
and commissions. The gallery
has become a thriving hub for artists and
admirers and celebrates independent local
art. Stay up to date with their website
to follow their workshops, guest speaker
events, exhibitions, and find details of
their Summer Supper Clubs - the next of
which are 4 and 5 August.
26 Highgate High Street, N6 5JG
www.throwncontemporary.co.uk
04 05

VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
I, STORY
Even if we don’t realise it, story is an essential part of our daily
lives. To explore this interaction, we met with a storyteller,
a creative writer, and a counsellor.
Words by Charlotte Nash. Photo by Kate Kuzminova.
Story is a huge part of our lives. We communicate with one another
by swapping stories about things that have happened
to us in the past, or things we’ve heard. We find out about the
wider world in the form of news stories, either read or watched.
And we discover more about our past from the stories that have
been handed down through the generations to become histories
and traditions.
The way we use, consume, and tell stories is constantly
evolving, but there are still pockets of people who share stories
in a traditional way. Nell Phoenix is one of those people. Nell is a
professional storyteller based in Muswell Hill who tells long-established
tales of folklore, fairy tales, myth and legend. She
spends her days performing these stories, often in a theatrical
space, to audiences made up of both adults and children.
The enjoyment of hearing a story remains the same whether
the audience knows the ending or not, Nell has found. “Listening
to a story told, not read, is a cinematic experience for our imagination,”
she says. “Each listener sees their own film reel played
out in the mind’s eye - the storyteller directs the close-ups and
the wide shots but the listener creates the image of the hero’s
face or the detail of the forest or the glint in the wolf’s eye.”
Nell also tells me that she receives lots of interest from people
who would like to tell stories themselves. Many are mental
health professionals, parents, teachers, priests, and so on, who
are eager to learn how story can be used to enhance their work
and the lives they touch.
This is no surprise, as immersing yourself in and telling stories
can be incredibly cathartic. I learnt this for myself when I
participated in Words and Wine, a social writing workshop run
by Nichola Charalambou at The Green Shed in Muswell Hill. All of
Nichola’s workshops run with a strict no-feedback rule, allowing
participants to write freely and without self-censorship.
During the course of the evening, Nichola reminds us that
our own stories will always find their way into our writing. “The
more we spend time writing, based on random prompts, the
more we will notice a few consistent themes coming up,” she
says. This unconscious sharing proves that as humans, we have
an innate desire to share our own stories.
Joel Korn, one of the other participants at Words & Wine, is
a counsellor who agrees that interacting with one’s own story
is crucial, and watches this interaction play out for his clients.
Joel tells me that often his clients unconsciously develop a sto-
ry about themselves and the events they have gone through.
In some cases, these stories are holding the person back from
getting over a trauma and living their life fully.
Through the work that Joel does with his clients, whether it’s
encouraging creative writing or creating a safe group space in
which they can explore their own ideas, he is able to watch as
their perceptions of their own stories change. “They are often
able to see more clearly the patterns of the story they are creating
about themselves,” he tells me.
Joel also mentions the work of a 1950s psychoanalyst called
DW Winnicott, who believed play is an essential part of life -
even for adults. Somehow, in our daily lives, we have lost the
childlike desire for make-believe that can help us discover more
about ourselves.
The work of people like Nell, Nichola, and Joel can open us
up to rediscoving this incredibly important aspect of our lives
and reintroduce us to the wonder that is story. After all, as Nell
says, “We are storytelling creatures - if we don’t tell stories, we
somehow wither; if we share stories we have an increased capacity
to thrive.”•
Opposite page: Nell Phoenix. This page: Nichola
Charalambou with her Words and Wine workshop.
You can find out more about Nell at: www.nellphoenix.co.uk
For more details about Nichola’s workshops visit: www.creativewrites.co.uk
You can read more about Joel and his services at: www.joelkorncounselling.co.uk
PHOTO: DAVID REEVE (WORDS AND WIINE WORKSHOP).
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07

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE ART & CULTURE SOUNDS
I KNOW WHERE
MARK NEVIN LIVES
Mark Nevin has been an active member of the music circuit since
his band Fairground Attraction hit the scene in 1987.
We sat down with him in Highgate Wood to talk about music,
life and everything in between.
Interview by Katrina Mirpuri. Photo by David Reeve.
Your latest EP release which came out
in February has four tracks on it. Were
these the chosen ones out of a larger
pot of songs?
Well I made the album My Unfashionable
Opinion, which came out last year, and I
just kept writing - I couldn’t stop. And
then I thought, “oh, I’ll just do another
album,” but then I changed my mind.
Everything used to be about the album,
but now with Spotify and everything it’s
just not so important to have that - you
can just put out the songs. I’ve just done
four, which we’re about to mix next week,
which we’ll do as another EP and have it
later this year or next year - and eventually
put them into an album.
You seem to release an album every
three years or so. Do you have a specific
approach to writing an album?
To me it’s just writing a blog, because if
there’s something I want to say or that
amuses me in one way or another - there
we go, you know. Sometimes I’ll do that
thing where I’ll say, “ok, today I’m going to
get up and I’m going to write.” And then
I’ll do it. But in one sense I don’t need to
do that, because there’s no deadline that
I’ve gotta come out with an album by a
certain date.
There’s a lot of instrumental input. Do
you write these parts as well?
I tend to do demos where I play the instrumental
parts roughly. But I’ve worked
with these guys for a long time, so as
soon as we get back into the studio it
all falls into place, and they will add their
ideas and work with me to make it better.
What’s it like having the number one hit,
Perfect, under your belt?
It’s fantastic. And that was during the era
of Top of the Pops and The Old Grey Whistle
Test - when everyone was interested
in music and everybody was waiting for
Thursday at 7pm. It was like Christmas
once a week and that’s how you knew you
made it because it’s where all the David
Bowie’s and people like that were.
Do you think the charts are as important
as they were?
Certainly not to me. It’s not the same.
There’s so much stuff now and they’ve
kind of replaced the importance of pop
music - and that’s all we had. Nowadays
there are so many other things you can
get into and enjoy, and social media gives
you your own identity, whereas then your
identity would be what record you bought.
Now anyone can make music, and you can
just click play and listen to it.
With music becoming more easily accessible,
do you think you’ve welcomed
more fans?
Well there’s people that have followed me
from back in the day, which I rely on, but
it’s great when new people follow you. I
don’t have some massive audience like
George Ezra or Ed Sheeran, but I do what
I do because I love it, and if more people
come along then that’s great.
You’ve collaborated which some amazing
people like Ringo Starr. If you could collaborate
with anyone now who would it be?
A band called This Is Kit.
You latest album is called My Unfashionable
Opinion. What is your most unfashionable
opinion?
Well there’s so many people having so
many opinions all the time now, because
everyone’s got such a fantastic opportunity
to have them, that I believe that
opinions are eating themselves. People
are getting increasingly more paranoid
about having an opinion that’s not the
same as everybody else’s.
Your songs seem to tell little stories
about people. My favourite one is I Know
Where Ray Davies Lives. Is that a true
story?
Well the first half of it is. When I first
moved here I went to the Duke’s Head to
watch the football, and I sat down, and Ray
Davies literally came and sat down next to
me. Now The Beatles, Ray Davies and David
Bowie were like my gods, so the fact
that he’d just come and sat next to me
meant I couldn’t just say, “hey Ray.” So I
watched the football with him, just pretending
I didn’t know who he was, chatting
about some penalty. Then I did the song.
They asked me to play it at Fair in the
Square, in Highgate, which I thought was
a bit close to Ray’s house. He might hear
his postcode being sung over the lawn, so
I was a bit nervous about playing the gig.
And when I got there he was standing right
in front of the stage. Someone told him I
had the song, and he stood there listening
to it and laughing.
Highgate is a small place. Where’s your
favourite place to hang out in the area?
The Boogaloo.
Where do you like to eat?
The Gatehouse does a good Sunday
lunch, and I like Cocoro on Archway Road
- it’s a great Japanese place.•
You can find out more about Mark on his website:
www.marknevin.com
We filmed live acoustic versions of Uncertainty and
A Ghost of Summer Past which you can view on our
website at: www.villageraw.com/marknevin
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09

VILLAGE RAW
WELLBEING
INHABITING OUR BODIES
A search for the “more” in life led artist Mina Aidoo to discover a
new way of connecting with herself and the world.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos by Kate Kuzminova.
Mina Aidoo is an accomplished dancer and choreographer and one
of a handful of people in the UK openly teaching and practising
embodiment and non-linear movement. Developed about 20 years
ago, this technique works with the nervous system to promote a
healthier and more pleasurable way of inhabiting our bodies.
“The way we live is very harried and very stressed,” says
Mina, who, incidentally, appears to be a picture of calm and exudes
positivity. Modern life, she says, can leave us feeling numb
and disconnected from the world and our own bodies. Embodiment
can help to restore your sense of wellbeing so that your
body is less of a burden and instead has more vitality and joy.
“Rather than letting everything take you up into craziness, you
are able to feel it and then let it go,” she says.
Mina is the first to admit that articulating embodiment and
how it works is not that easy. “The whole practice is non-choreographed,”
she explains. “It’s all based on you allowing and giving
your body time to do what it needs to do – there’s no moves to follow.
The practice is created so that people’s bodies don’t get overwhelmed.
Your body will only give you as much as you can handle.”
During a session, Mina will sit and observe to make sure that
everyone is okay, steering the session through verbal prompts
and adjustments to the music. The practice is undertaken with
eyes closed so participants don’t feel self-conscious. “When
someone is looking at you, what your body will allow is different,”
Mina says. “It’s also so you stay in your process. There are some
people it really resonates with. Other people not so much.” But,
slowly, she sees a culture shift happening. “As people realise
that how they are living isn’t contributing to a healthy emotional
landscape, I think more will start to understand it.”
Mina discovered embodiment during a period of feeling disillusioned
and depressed. “There was something flat,” she recalls.
“It wasn’t necessarily just my job, but the job wasn’t helping me to
feel really fulfilled in my body and myself.” Ironically, one of the triggers
for feeling this way was being selected to dance in Stomp, the
West End musical. Instead of feeling elated, Mina started to question
the direction her life had taken. “It gave me a strong push to
try to work out what I really wanted to do to be happy.”
What followed were three years of experimentation with plant
medicine, workshops and training, all with the simple goal of feeling
better. She even wrote some poetry – published last year – during
this phase of soul searching, a collection called Inky Black Woman.
Then she came across an interview with Michaela Boehm,
the woman credited with developing the Non-Linear Movement
Method® (NLMM) in the United States, of which embodiment is
a part. The words resonated with her. Reputed benefits of NLMM
include: awakening sexual energy and sensation; emotional
wellbeing; easing anxiety; treating sleep and stress issues; relaxation;
and helping people who feel numb, flat and estranged
from their bodies.
Mina received formal training in Amsterdam in 2016 and
makes the method part of her daily routine. She hesitates to
use the word religious but she says it’s spiritual. “Inhabiting the
body connects you to everything, so there’s a really beautiful
connection and joy that comes as you practise,” she says.
Mina, who lives in Wood Green, is developing some online embodiment
classes, has workshops in Hackney and is always on
the lookout for suitable studios to partner with. That’s not to say
she’s given up on performing and dancing. “I am doing it in a more
revived way. The work feels deeper and more vital,” she smiles.•
To find out more about Mina and to contact her, visit: www.minaaidoo.co.uk
You can view some video of a session online at: www.villageraw.com/mina
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11

SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
HOT BUZZ
There is a network of hobbyist beekeepers attending to hives at this
time of year – and it’s not just the bees who are busy.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos by Kate Kuzminova.
It’s a bright and warm day, a summer afternoon
full of promise, and I’m standing
on a roof in Highgate enjoying an incredible
view of London. In the far distance
I can see the London Eye and the Shard
jutting into the sky.
But what I’m here to see is not the
view, it’s the bees, and this roof is their
home. A few of them buzz near me in jittery
circles, making me nervous. Next to
me, completely at ease, is Helen Rogers,
who has been keeping hives after receiving
her first one as a birthday present from
her husband a few years ago. Dressed in
a bee suit, she demonstrates how you
check the hives, pulling out fresh honey to
sample. It’s incredibly sweet and pure.
“This time of year [April to September],
beekeeping can feel like a full-time
job,” Helen tells me. “Each week I have to
go through every hive carefully and then
if there’s honey to extract, that needs doing,
and then it needs jarring, labelling and
selling. It’s not just looking after the bees.”
A structural engineer and mother of
two, Helen’s beekeeping is only a hobby,
but it has the makings of a small business.
She uses social media, has a website
called Highgate Honey, and makes
candles, soaps and beautiful waxy cloth
wraps, as well as jarring honey with labels
she’s designed. It takes a lot of time and
effort, but she wants to make full use of
the bees’ hard work and she considers it
a crime to throw the wax in the bin.
Helen is one of approximately 170 people
belonging to the North London Beekeepers
Association, which has been in
existence since the 1930s and has members
in a clutch of London boroughs.
According to education officer Julie
Parker, numbers in north London have
been going up over the last 10 years and
there’s a high density of beekeepers in
the area. It’s hard to get consensus from
beekeepers about whether this is a good
thing. You might ask a question of four
people and get four different replies.
Julie, who once had a hive in the West
End behind a theatre, explains that the
density of the hives can spread disease
more easily. On the other hand, an urban
setting provides a lot of forage for about
nine months of the year.
In rural areas, this isn’t the case. Bees
might be relying on single crops such as
rapeseed fields and won’t fare as well as
their city cousins. In fact, recent research
from Royal Holloway, University of London,
found that bumblebees – a species under
threat – exploited urban settings to their
advantage. But colonies in rural settings
broke down more often and had fewer reproductive
offspring and workers.
Worldwide, numbers are in decline
and it’s not just bees, of which there are
about 270 species, 35 under threat of
extinction, according to Friends of the
Earth. Other pollinators, including butterflies,
have seen numbers dwindle. In
this country, 97% of flower-rich meadows
have been lost since the 1930s, while intensive
farming and the use of pesticides
are also factors.
But there are people working to reverse
or slow this trend. Emily Lambert and
Ana Attlee are two conservation scientists
formerly from Aberdeen University. They’re
the co-founders of Seedball, a business
started from their living room in Muswell
Hill. Its purpose is to help people grow
wildflowers successfully – proven to help
pollinators – by selling seeds encased in
a clay ball. This makes them less prone to
being eaten by insects and birds and gives
them a better chance of germinating.
Ana and Emily first heard about the
clay method while researching sustainable
ways of living. Several years of development
followed, including selling seed
balls at festivals and markets.
Their clever use of social media grew
their customer base substantially and
they now employ 14 people and have offices
in Green Lanes. They also have a
conservation arm called Project Maya,
which aims to buy up urban land that can
be turned into nature reserves. The money
they make from the commercial side
of the business is ploughed back into
Project Maya.
Emily estimates that they’ve sold
about 2m seed balls, and the company
now has collaborations with the likes of
the Wildlife Trust and the Royal Society
12 13

VILLAGE RAW
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
beekeeper who fell ill. He’s been looking
after them ever since and gives the office
workers some of the honey produced
every year. He also keeps bees at St
Pancras and Islington Cemetery in East
Finchley and adjacent to a home in Highgate,
discreetly hidden behind a fence.
It’s amazing to think that so many
hives can be dotted around London, with
people seemingly oblivious to their existence.
But keeping bees is not as straightforward
as it used to be. Varroa, a mite
that weakens bees, was introduced to this
country in 1992. “Beekeeping was simpler
before varroa,” says John. The national average
of losses is about 20% per year, he
tells me, more during long winters.
More recent threats include the Asian
hornet, common in France but also in
smaller numbers in the UK; and the small
hive beetle, currently as close as Italy.
Both can destroy honeybee colonies. Despite
these challenges, there has been a
surge of interest in beekeeping since John
took it up. He doesn’t see this as a problem:
“It’s really good that we are training
more people to look after bees sensibly.”
Training is advised for anyone who
might want to keep bees, whether on
roofs, allotments or gardens. Lucie Chaumeton,
who lives in East Finchley, keeps
some at the bottom of her garden and is
still a novice. This is her third season of
keeping bees after doing some training in
Barnet, where there is a teaching apiary.
“It’s therapeutic to be around them,” she
says, adding that she finds the hobby intellectually
stimulating.
“It’s fascinating,” Helen agrees. “The
more you look into it, the more obsessed
you get.” And, of course, the payoff is
the honey and a sociable network of local
beekeepers. “I’ve never met a nasty
beekeeper,” John says. His bees that
swarmed this year, incidentally, are now
thriving on Helen’s roof.•
North London Beekeepers is running taster
sessions on 15 September.
Book via www.beekeeping.org.uk
You can see more bee photos on our website:
www.villageraw.com/bees
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
• Grow more flowers, shrubs
and trees. Cyclamen and
mahonia shrubs are good
for winter months.
• Plant window boxes.
• Weed and cut grass less
often; let your garden
grow wild.
• Keep a pot of moist moss
outside that bees can use
for hydration.
• Ask your council to
adopt a pollinator action
plan. Friends of the Earth
has a petition you can
put your name to: www.
friendsoftheearth.uk/bees
“Each week I have to go through every hive carefully and then if
there’s honey to extract, that needs doing, and then it needs jarring,
labelling and selling. It’s not just looking after the bees.”
HELP THE BEES
MAKE YOUR OWN MEADOW
for the Protection of Birds. She’s proud of
the part they’ve played in making a positive
impact. “Planting wildflowers is absolutely
essential in helping the local bee
population,” she says.
In the world of beekeeping, John
Hauxwell is one person who has certainly
made an impact. A former chairman
of the North London Beekeepers Association,
John has been keeping bees for
about 40 years, as well as training others
in the art. We meet in Archway on a street
so clogged with traffic we have to pause
our conversation every few minutes.
It was in a similar urban setting that
John, who works as a swarm collector, was
called out to deal with a swarm of bees in
Camden earlier this year. They’d settled on
a bicycle outside a pub and were all around
the pedal and wheels. “People were walking
by all the time and there I was, all kitted
out,” he says, laughing.
Swarms are most common in May
and June but can occur in months on
either side. Put simply, this occurs when
a queen leaves the colony with a large
group of worker bees to set up a new colony;
half the bees will stay behind in the
original hive with a new queen. During
swarm season, a beekeeper does weekly
checks to see if queen cells are forming
inside a hive. If they are, it’s a sign that
bees will swarm. A rule of beekeeping is
that whoever finds the swarm gets to
keep it. Helen, for instance, was called to
a swarm in Kentish Town and used it to
replace one of her colonies that had died
over the winter. In a twist, this swarm
came from one of John’s hives, kept on
the grounds of a construction company.
John has had these bees for about 15
years and inherited them from another
Win a Seedball Bee Mix
tin and My Wildflower
Mix bulk bag
Post a photograph of Village Raw
magazine, open on any page of this
bee feature, to social media with
#savebees #villageraw and the
winner will be selected at random.
14 15

VILLAGE RAW
RAW MATERIAL
UPCYCLE
RECYCLE
With the march towards a
more sustainable future,
we speak with Alan Briggs
and Pedro Redig, two
upcylers who recycle and
reclaim disused materials
and turn them into
furniture and houses –
that is bug houses.
Words by Charlotte Nash.
Photos by David Reeve.
In today’s world of fast fashion and consumer
goods, it can be hard to find pieces
that are sustainable and unique. Yet
there are some artisans who are creating
just that, rejecting the notion of throwaway,
and instead embracing the lasting.
Environmentally conscious makers are
creating pieces by upcycling old items, or
reclaiming tired bits of material, to build
something new.
There are many everyday champions
of upcycling out there, diligently saving
jars to turn them into pen pots or altering
old clothes to give them a new lease
of life. It isn’t exclusive to small items
though; recently, there’s been an emergence
of beautiful, upcycled furniture
and decorative pieces made out of reclaimed
wood and other items.
The makers of these kinds of items
lovingly restore the old material, turning
it into something charming and new. The
added bonus is the sustainability of this,
and the satisfaction that comes from
creating something using recycled materials
- you can be pretty sure that it is
totally unique.
At the forefront of the upcycling revolution
are some of our very own north Londoners.
Alan Briggs has been running Briggs
Bughouses for almost three years. He uses
cutting edge technology like 3D printing,
along with old materials such as Victorian
floorboards, to create fun, functional, and
above all, sustainable bug houses.
“I want to encourage people
to understand, learn and
change their attitudes
towards bees. Their lifecycle
is fascinating and
solitary bees will swiftly
make use of bug houses.”
What started as a project for design
and technology students at the school
where he worked has now become a real
passion for Alan. His bug house designs
range from the traditional to the quirky,
such as the Bug Tardis, and provide
homes for all sorts of insects. Most of
the houses come complete with a green
roof for growing plants. He hopes they
will encourage Londoners to get more
involved in nature and plant low maintenance
plants, ultimately making London a
greener, more wildlife-friendly place.
Bees are of particular interest to Alan.
“Bees are in decline. Even in the UK, certain
species of bee have become extinct
in the last few decades,” he says. “We
wouldn’t be here without them! I want to
encourage people to understand, learn
and change their attitudes towards bees.
Their life-cycle is fascinating and solitary
bees will swiftly make use of bug houses.”
Alan goes on to tell me how wonderful it
is to watch bees build their nests in a bug
house, lay their eggs, then wait to see the
adults emerge the following spring.
He’s had great success so far, delighting
market-goers with his explanations
and the occasional, novelty themed
Opposite page:
Alan Briggs and his
bughouses at Stroud
Green Market.
This page: Pedro Redig
dismantling a pallet
after receiving an
order for a table.
bughouse. In the future, Alan plans to
increase his range of products to include
bin and garden stores with green roofs,
as well as larger wildlife homes.
For Alan, it’s important that his products
stand the test of time and can provide
a home for wildlife for years to come.
He avoids single-use plastics and new
materials in his designs, instead opting
for biodegradable fibre pots, discarded
wood, timber offcuts, copper from hot
water cylinders and offcuts of acrylic.
Pedro Redig, the founder of Planet
Pallet, applies similar thinking to bespoke
pieces of furniture. He’s proud to create
unique items that will last a lifetime
and that help the environment too. Using
old pallets, Pedro creates anything from
kitchen shelving to coffee tables and
benches. He takes bespoke orders too and
has made television stands, kitchen units,
patio sets and other items of furniture.
“I feel an immense
satisfaction to see a final
piece all nicely sanded,
after knowing it could be
in a skip full of other
industrial waste.”
For most of his career, Pedro has
worked in journalism, and he applies the
skills he used as a journalist to making
furniture too. “Improvisation and flexibility
are key,” he tells me, because restoring
pallets can be full of surprises. Often, he
discovers new ways of working while he
is in the middle of producing a piece, and
adapts to make sure his finished product
is the best it can be.
Like Alan, Pedro’s business began
almost by accident when he had some
leftover pallets in his garden. Instead of
throwing them away, Pedro decided to
use them to make stands for his plant
pots. A month later, he was “making all
sorts of things out of pallets.” And now,
he can’t stop upcycling pallets, despite
the challenges the old wood poses.
“Working with pallets is very demanding,”
Pedro tells me. “Dismantling the pieces
is a hard process and can be frustrating
when some of the wood splits. But when
you have all of your material ready and you
start assembling it, the adrenaline runs
high and you just can’t stop it. At the end,
when it is all done, it looks a bit like a miracle.
I feel I am blessed to have discovered
this new skill at this time in my life.”
Pedro takes pride that he is able to
create products from rubbish. “I feel an
immense satisfaction to see a final piece
all nicely sanded, after knowing it could be
in a skip full of other industrial waste.” The
demand for these kinds of upcycled products
is clear high. Pedro talks about the
joy people feel when relaxing in his lounge
chairs and benches as they sit and enjoy
the handmade vibe. When he visits festivals
with Planet Pallet, people who see his
pieces in the flesh fall in love. He’s hoping
to travel to even more festivals this summer
to spread the word further.
Alan and Pedro talk with such enthusiasm
about their crafts and sustainability.
Both create their beautiful pieces in the
hope they can encourage their customers
to save the planet by taking home something
that is truly well-crafted and unique.•
You can find out more about Alan’s bughouses by
visiting: www.etsy.com/shop/BriggsBughouses
And you can take a look at Pedro’s huge range of pallet-made
furniture by visiting: www.planetpallet.co.uk
16 17

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE IN PICTURES
THE
PEOPLE’S
THEATRE
Photos by Lawley and Bridge.
18
19

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE IN PICTURES
Alexandra Palace opened on 1 May 1875, and one
of the main attractions was the state of the art
3,000-seater theatre. While a programme of large
scale pantomimes, farces, and plays captivated
the audiences, competition from other venues
saw the theatre run into financial trouble. Over the
years it was variously used as a cinema, a chapel,
a music hall, and finally a prop store for the BBC in
the 1930s. After laying largely dormant for 80 years,
and undergoing an extensive restoration, it will
open its doors to the public in December with a full
programme of music, comedy, discussion, and an
answer to the original Victorian panto season with
a Horrible Histories production. These photographs
by Lawley and Bridge capture the scale of the
theatre and restoration work.
There is still time for you to be part of the restoration of The People’s
Theatre. Find out more at: www.theatre.alexandrapalace.com/support-us
20
4
21

PROFILE
TENNIS AND GAZPACHO
When he’s not consulting on a robotic kitchen, exploring the tastes
of the world, or playing tennis, you can find chef James Taylor
cooking at the Pavilion Café in the Albert Road Recreation Ground.
Interview by Luciane Pisani and David Reeve. Photos by Dan Bridge.
His culinary journey began at university, where his brother
taught him to cook salmon and he found he enjoyed cooking for
his housemates. After university he spent several years working
in restaurants, which he hated. The 12-hour days, with little time
for a break, took their toll. “I was working for a chef who wasn’t
particularly nice,” he says. “I was tired all the time – even tired
on my days off. I wasn’t getting to spend quality time with anyone.
But you do learn a lot. I think it’s the best way to learn,
unfortunately, and, compared to Michelin starred restaurants,
12 hours is quite an easy day.”
James grew up in Whitby, surrounded by world class fish and
chip establishments. One of James’ first jobs was working on a
seafood stall in the summer where they arranged the perfect
gift – kippers by post. Fish is very much a part of his cooking at
the Pavilion. “A lot of people are pescatarian, cutting down on
meat,” he says.
It was when he first tasted jollof rice that he began to take
in more international influences. “It was through a friend whose
parents are Ghanian,” he says. “It was the first time I tasted
food like that and it really stood out as something different. If I
put jollof rice on the specials board, people don’t know what it
is but when they taste it they love it.” James doesn’t just bring
those global influences in to tantalise the British palette. Last
year he travelled to a summer camp in Zambia where he taught
them how to make eastern European pierogis.
As a change from restaurant work, or his subsequent job
cooking for the star players at Tottenham Hotspur Football Club,
James found the laid-back atmosphere of the Pavilion a breath of
fresh air. “I always find I’m uncomfortable going to more formal
places where they ask you to taste the wine and put a napkin on
your knee,” he says. And working at the Pavilion also gives him the
flexibility to take on other opportunities such as operating as a
private chef, consulting on a robotic kitchen (he’s signed a confidentiality
agreement) and taking advantage of the tennis courts.
James creates a menu of a couple of different dishes every
day. His philosophy matches that of Pavilion founder Robby
Sukhdeo (see page 22), to make healthy food that is accessible
and affordable. “Last year I did a macrobiotic cookery course in
Spain,” he says. “It’s based on the Chinese philosophy of only
eating balanced foods. One end is yin, the other end is yang.”
The belief is that if you eat one end of the spectrum you crave
the other end. If you’re eating red meat then you crave alcohol -
but if you eat down the middle, such as whole grains, vegetables
and food without too much sugar, then that’s a healthier state
to be in. “I put a lot of that into my cooking here and that seems
to be going down well,” he says.
25

VILLAGE RAW
Another aspect of working in the Albert Rec that James appreciates
is the teenagers that drop by to work or help. “They
haven’t experienced a lot of the type of food I like to cook,” he
says. “I’ve noticed more and more of them starting to enjoy it.
A lot of kids, who we work with around here, have had quite hard
lives. Here they’re fine.”
James is learning how to manage these kids, some of whom
have been kicked out of home or expelled from school. They’re
used to people answering back so James’ response is to show
them kindness. “To be nice,” he says. “Just by working with them
you can see the difference it can make and a lot of them are
drawn to cooking. They like the creativity.”
And the kids assist with parties at the Pavilion. “One of the
evenings I had someone help me, we did 50 people at three
courses, and with this guy who hadn’t any experience - and he
just loved it. I’ve never seen him with so much energy. And now
I hear him mentioning ingredients I’d never thought he’d have
known.” And then there’s the parents who come in asking why
their daughter is asking for kale at home. “It makes you want to
do it more and think how to develop it – so that’s something I’m
thinking about at the moment.”
Over the years he’s been cooking at the Pavilion, James has
developed quite a reputation and a following. “I get a lot of comment:
Why don’t you go on MasterChef? Why don’t you go and
work in a proper restaurant in London? Why did you leave Tottenham
Hotspur for this mad place? I enjoy it more. I want people to
appreciate it’s a choice.”•
For more information check: www.instagram.com/jbtthechef
You can find more photographs and a short video on our website: www.villageraw.com/jbt
26

VILLAGE RAW
PROFILE
The Pavilion Café, at the Albert Road Recreation Ground,
has transformed a derelict building into a community hub,
thanks to Robby Sukhdeo.
THE VILLAGE
WITHIN
THE CITY
Interview by Luciane Pisani and David Reeve. Photos by Dan Bridge.
The Albert Rec, as it is known locally,
occupies a site between Muswell Hill,
Bounds Green and Alexandra Park. The
heart and soul of the park is the Pavilion
Café, a vibrant community hub offering
up a plethora of opportunites and activities
(see pages 24-26). Before it was
converted into a café, the building was
derelict. In 2001 Robby Sukhdeo received
permission from the council to transform
the building into a café space as a part of
a new tennis and sports facility.
There was a gang problem in the area
and there were 250 incidents of vandalism
recorded against the Pavilion in its
first year. “There’d be 30 kids in the park
and they’d be lobbing rocks at customers,”
says Robby, who had remortgaged his
house several times to invest in the business
and knew there was no turning back.
Having come over from Guyana when
he was four, and then brought up in Brixton
and Wood Green, he was prepared to face
the problem head on. “This was the park
we used as a kid,” he says. “I used to play
tennis and football here. I had a dialogue
with them and said the park is for everyone,
and they said the park is ours.”
The whole area was under siege and
a public meeting was called in the local
library – all in all 200 people came along,
including the gang. They said there was
nothing for them to do and the council
began to put some support in for them
with youth workers.
Robby’s approach was to employ
them. “I identified the ring leaders and
got them involved,” he says. “The next
thing you know you’d get one of them
walking through the park and a five year
old he was coaching would be: “Alright
Connor, how are you?” And from that day
the trouble was gone.” The 250 incidents
went down to just one, and there hasn’t
been anything since.
“If you take one of those kids who
goes off the rails, how much is that going
to cost our society?” says Robby. “We’ve
got kids chucked out of school, chucked
out of home...” In the summer they employ
30 kids on the tennis and football
camps. “I know it influences them big
time,” he says. “The amount of kids that
use this park through the weekend. We’re
talking nine and 11-year-olds hanging
about knowing that we look after them.
They get a good discipline.”
Part of the secret to the success is
making the sports accessible. Tennis has
long been considered the preserve of the
rich, with numerous private tennis clubs
setting membership fees beyond the
purse strings of many. Robby’s philoso-
phy is to make it affordable and accessible.
“We give out rackets, we give out
balls… Free tennis courts, table tennis
bats, basketballs – we’re always here for
the kids, adults, whoever. We’re like a tennis
club but also a community venue that
everyone can access.”
Word of mouth spread and in 2007 the
club was visited by Sue Mappin of the Tennis
Foundation. She’d been looking for a
model for how she wanted to take tennis
forward and found the answer with Robby.
“She said she’d sort out a grant for us and
where we were only getting 20% it went up
to 100%,” he says. The grant allowed the
club to modernise the courts and facilities.
Despite the numerous awards received
over the years, Robby still only
considers that they’re halfway there. He
believes that the real success story is in
the number of kids who use the park. “We
can keep going and do more – making it
better and better. It’s not the awards,
it’s the fact you see the kids growing up
as decent human beings.” He says. “It is
the whole community, and partners like
the Friends of Albert Road Rec, the Lawn
Tennis Association, and Haringey Council
that is making it - I’m the person who
triggers it. I like to think of it as a village
within the city.”•
Pavilion Sports and Café, Albert Road Recreation
Ground, N22 7XL
For further information check: www.psandc.co.uk
22
23

VILLAGE RAW
FOOD & DRINK
Opposite page: Muswell
Hillbilly Pistol
Pete at the taproom.
This page: Alex inside
Earth Ale’s bus in
Blue House Yard.
Next page: Bohem Chief
Tapster Marek Průša.
There’s no denying it, we’re in the midst of
a beer renaissance. The London brewery
scene continues to grow at a breath-taking
rate. From half a dozen a decade ago,
there are now nearly 116 active breweries
across the capital. And, if you add in
the cuckoos, those making use of other
brewer’s equipment, the number is closer
to 140. Beer hobbyists everywhere are
taking the plunge and going legit, bringing
their artisan brews to the masses and
luckily for us there are some great options
right on our doorstep.
CRAFT (T)ALE
The north London brew masters serving up the perfect pour.
Words by Aimee Charalambous. Photos by Dan Bridge.
Fancy a pint?
In the middle of Muswell Hill, nestled in
Avenue Mews, you’ll find the Muswell Hillbilly
micro-brewery and taproom. Inspired
by the neighbourhood, and with a nod to
famous N10 locals the Kinks, Pistol Pete,
Mart Dude and Bob are the enthusiastic
hobbyists bringing local flavours to your
neighbourhood.
With just over 52 years combined
tenure, the Hillbillies are certainly justified
in calling themselves local. But what
really makes them special is their commitment
to sourcing home-grown ingredients.
“Each and every batch contains N10
hops harvested in local gardens,” says
Pete. “We source the coffee in our Fortis
Green Breakfast Stout from the historic
W Martyn on the Broadway, and we like to
pay homage to the place we call home by
giving each of our brews a local name.”
Adopting a natural brewing process,
the beer is not only free from preservatives
but it’s also unfined (unfiltered to
us non-brewers) giving it a milky cloudy
appearance. Adopting such a method not
only intensifies the flavour and aromas
but also means it’s vegan.
As Pete puts it, “The Hillbilly philosophy
of beer is to keep it simple and keep
it real. We don’t add fancy stuff just to
make it fancy.” Everything the Hillbillies
do is well considered and purposeful. Anything
added is only there to make the
beer taste better such as blood orange
hand squeezed into each batch of Palace
Sunset, or Mart Dude’s bergamot plant
which takes a starring role in the Tetherdown
wheat beer saison.
It’s clear that each and every beer is
brewed with love, then bottled, capped
and labelled by hand in a room no bigger
than your bedroom. Those bottles
are then shared in the taproom and enjoyed
by friends, new and old, in what has
quickly become a buzzing new local. Open
Friday 5pm-10.30pm and Saturday 12pm-
10.30pm why not pop by, take a spin (literally
a 360° turn) around the brewery,
and taste the full range of Hillbilly brews in
their taproom in Avenue Mews, Muswell Hill
N10 3NP. Keep an eye on their website for
extra open days, events and appearances:
www.muswellhillbillybrewers.co.uk
Still thirsty?
Then why not try Alex Lewis, founder of
Earth Ale, who brings something new and
decidedly gentrified to the scene. An acronym
for Eco-friendly, Artisanal, Rural,
Terroir, and Health, Alex’s beers draw on
seasonal, foraged and often medicinal ingredients
transforming an industrialised
product into a gourmet specialty that can
rival fine wine. Alex, a Michelin-trained
chef, wants to change the way people
perceive beer.
After testing the water with a few online
recipes Alex had an epiphany. “I’ve always
been inspired by what I see growing
around me,” he says. “My job as a chef had
me making use of foraged ingredients to
add texture and flavour, so I started experimenting
with my brews too. I wanted to
make beer that was loyal to the local terroir
and captured the wild taste of nature.”
Alex’s experimentation has seen him
28
29

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
“...we’re here to
remind people what
lager should taste
like by breathing
new life into an old
favourite.”
make use of dandelion root, lemon verbena,
coriander seed and elderflower
yeast. He also found success last year
with a meadowsweet and pear witbier – a
collaboration with Solvay Society, Boxcar
and Kill the Cat, the beer won Mother Kelly’s
Battle of the Beer Shops.
With a new brewery opening at the N22
Chocolate Factory, Alex hopes to continue
to run a series of pop-up dinners where
each course will be paired with a specially
selected beer or beer-based cocktail.
“I make beer to be drunk with food,” Alex
says. “Sure, a nice red has its place, but so
does a creatively-brewed beer.”
You can check out the latest venture
- Earth Ale’s taproom bus in Blue House
Yard, Wood Green, N22 7TB. It’s open
Thursdays 4pm–12pm, Fridays 4pm–1am,
Saturdays 2pm–1am and Sundays 2pm–
9pm, and at other times you’ll find board
game café pop-up Cakes and Ladders at
the helm. For details of their beer range,
events, and opportunities keep an eye on
their website: www.earthale.com
One for the road?
Near Bowes Park, in an intimate spot on
Myddleton Road, you’ll find Bohem - the
north London home of true Czech-style
bohemian lager. Founded three years ago
by Petr Skocek and Zdenek Kudr, the Bohem
Brewery draws on the longstanding
tradition of Czech pilsner.
“70% of beer consumed in the UK is
lager,” says Zdenek. “The vast majority
is mass produced and lacks taste. It’s no
surprise the craft beer industry is dominated
by IPAs and stouts. But we’re here to
remind people what lager should taste like
by breathing new life into an old favourite.”
Using only Czech ingredients, including
the noble Saaz hops, Bohem use a unique
double decoction mash, lagering each of
their eight beers for up to 10 weeks.
Czech tradition not only reigns strong
in the recipes but also in the way the beer
is drawn. Marek Průša, the brewery’s Chief
Tapster, has spent more than half his life
pulling lagers and has achieved celebrity
status as a certified Pilsner Urquell tapster.
Well versed in the ritual of the Czech
pour, Marek ensures that each and every
glass that passes across his bar has the
perfect amount of head, helping the flavours
and refreshing carbonation of the
beer shine through. After all, as Marek
says, “The most important thing about
lager is the foam.”
It’s clear Bohem have got the formula
right with various local pubs hosting permanent
taps, and the Great Northern Railway
Tavern in Hornsey even commissioning
a bespoke collaboration - Thor, a lovely
session India pale lager. To try the drinks
for yourself, head to Bohem Taproom,
120a Myddleton Road, N22 8NQ, which is
open Monday to Thursday 5pm–11pm and
weekends 4pm–11pm. Check their website
for details of their latest news and brews:
www.bohembrewery.com
Alongside a flourishing micro-brewery
scene there is also a great selection of
brew pubs in the area. Keeping it local and
independent we’re lucky to have six such
institutions including The Bull in Highgate,
whose new beer garden backs onto Landlord
Rob Laub’s Gorgeous Brewery, and
a little further afield, Bohemia in North
Finchley which boasts 10 house beers.
And for those times when your companion
has other tastes, there’s the Dukes Head
in Highgate. Not only do they have a fantastic
selection of independent keg and
cask beer, they’re also home to the Sacred
Gin Bar, Highgate’s very own gin-distillery
– something we can all toast to!•
THE GENIUS IN EVERYONE
“We believe in the genius in everyone, in everyone an artist and everyone
a scientist, and that creativity in community can change the world for the
better. We believe we can do this together, locally, with radical fun – and
that anyone, anywhere, can make a Fun Palace.” Fun Palace Manifesto
Words by Julia Hines. Illustration by Emily Medley.
Fun Palaces are a pretty naff name for what is actually
a lovely idea. They were originally dreamed up by the
theatre director, Joan Littlewood, and the architect,
Cedric Price, back in the 1960s, as a way of putting culture
in the heart of communities, and communities in
the heart of culture. Littlewood never really succeeded
in making her “laboratory of fun” and “university of the
streets” happen, but Fun Palaces were realised in 2014
by Stella Duffy OBE, on the centenary of Littlewood’s
birth, as an annual weekend of free local festivals with
the tagline “Everyone an artist. Everyone a scientist.”
Every Fun Palace is different, because they are
about people sharing their passions and talents with
their neighbours, whatever those might be. Anyone can
hold a Fun Palace, anywhere, on any scale. A quote that
sticks in my mind about Fun Palaces is that, whilst arts
venues spend a lot of time preparing a banquet and
inviting people to enjoy it, Fun Palaces are more like a
picnic where you announce the time and place and see
what everyone brings. If you know what is going to happen,
it isn’t a Fun Palace.
There is nothing for sale at a Fun Palace, so you really
can turn up without a penny in your pocket. Over half
happen in places that are in the 30% most deprived areas
in the country. They are not about demonstration
or performance – they are about having a go, being inspired,
and learning something new. Fun Palaces give
people permission to do arts and science, and to own
them. While many Fun Palaces take place in libraries,
they have also happened in museums, caravans, fields,
theatres, garden sheds, and even a lido.
This October will see East Finchley’s second Grange
Big Local Fun Palace. It will be a hodge-podge of activities
including cognitive neuroscience, giant bubble blowing,
searching for life on other planets, calligraphy in Farsi,
dancing, painting, music, and sports. It coincides with the
80th birthday of East Finchley Library and we will combine
the Fun Palace with a story building project, collecting
memories of the library and its place in our community over
its history. Fun Palaces, like libraries, value the local, value
learning, and are for everyone – all ages and abilities.
Grange Big Local Fun Palace will be on Saturday 6
October, from 12-4pm in East Finchley Library, 226 High
Road, N2 9BB and Martin School field next door.•
For more information about Fun Palaces visit: www.funpalaces.co.uk
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PRESS CLUB
VILLAGE ESSAY
If you’d like
your school to
write and design
a press club
page please
email us
LAND OF THE GREY
By Talia Bunting
QUEEN OF HEARTS
By Zoe Street
Maybe I should make a too long overdue confession
I admit, I didn’t make the greatest first impression
Often stereotyped to be the woman yelling “Off with their head!”
I’d apologise but all my enemies are dead
You see
My personality is limited to shouting
But I’m prepared to change my ways
If you would understand
As a child my dream of being queen didn’t go as planned
I’ve always been, and always will be, the lesser of the two
My dear sister, it was like a war with me and you!
But you were father’s favourite
So why on earth should he
Bother putting up with such a loathsome child as me?
I wanted everything, even wonderland itself,
A tiara placed upon my head, and eternal wealth
But when my sweet, shining, sacred sister came along
I realised any glint of hope for me was gone
The people - my father - blown away
Her natural innocence and looks
I shook with fury
I couldn’t see
Beyond this red screen of jealousy
She’d stolen everything I had:
My father’s love, attention, trust
I couldn’t help but frown in disgust
I’m ugly, clumsy, greedy, rude
If I was queen, they’d have me sued
So I’ll resort to power now
Then and there, I made my vow
Never again would I be looked down upon!
No more princess - I will be queen!
The Queen of Hearts
The Queen of Broken Hearts
For the second issue of Village Raw, Highgate Wood School
happily broke free of the notion of a press club, with the
year nine students choosing to focus on poetry inspired
by the work of Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy. You can find
additional poems written by Kathleen Archbold and Alice
Jenkins on our website at: www.villageraw.com/hws
I remember it like it was yesterday’s eve,
The lakes and the sun and the grass and the trees,
A place so damn pure I refuse to believe,
Their justifications to force us to leave,
They came with their pitchforks, stamped fields to mud,
They damned up our rivers and forced them to flood,
While we begged for mercy they lusted for blood,
So we ran from our land, the land we so loved,
We ran and we ran from our beautiful land,
To a place that was ugly and dismal and bland,
And while back in our land, they sunbathed and tanned,
We got through the pain of our loss and we planned,
We planned for our vengeance, we planned for an end,
To their joy and their love and their comfort and then,
As they’d banished us we would banish them all,
For they’d meddled with us and for that they must fall,
But till then we are here and here we must stay,
In the miserable cold bitter land of the grey.
WHEN I WENT AWAY
By Eliza Buckton
I looked at the grave,
Grief flooded my face.
I promised I would protect
My daughter while you were away.
In comes the new bride,
With two shadows in her wake.
A fresh start is what we need
To keep the tears at bay.
Away I go,
Into the night
I leave my princess behind
With her mother’s successor.
When I return
I see, my daughter in tears in front of me
She’s been mistreated, misunderstood
But now the bad lucks all turned to good.
THE ART OF
WITNESSING
Words by Laura Alvarado.
Illustration by Lynnie Zulu.
Future generations will look back at this period of history
and realise that many spent their childhoods running
on the achievement treadmill. Why are we so obsessed
with moulding, shaping, and training our children? Why
do we spend so much money and so many hours ferrying
our children to and from scheduled activities? Have we
forgotten that life itself carries and embeds so much
meaning for a young child? I believe that the first seven
years of a child’s life is such a precious time, where
experience shapes their beliefs, behaviours and inner
voice. Despite, the enormous amount of information
being processed about the world around them and the
relationships they are building, we try to fill them with
more. What foundation are we building for our children?
One built on excess, busyness and often stress?
Fast forward to when a child is more present in the
world. What I hear from so many teachers and parents
from primary and secondary schools, in and around London,
is how schools have changed. The increased pressure
due to performance-related management, difficulty
of exams, lack of special educational needs support,
shortage in funding - the list could continue. I shudder
knowing that the rate of London’s suicides of those aged
between 10 and 19 have more than doubled in the last
five years, four times the national average. As parents
and carers, we need to do all we can to counterbalance
and prevent our children from falling prey to a dangerous
level of stress. According to research by Harvard’s
Center on the Developing Child, toxic stress early in life
can damage the architecture of the developing brain
and increase the likelihood of significant mental health
problems that may emerge either early, or years later.
We have much of the control as parents to protect
and make healthy choices for our children. We can
take a holistic approach to their health and education.
We can demonstrate and sink into the bliss of stepping
off the revolving treadmill and teach our loved ones that
we have enough - that we are enough. We can do this
by allowing our children to have plenty of time to rest,
and be at home with time to potter around, or just partake
in activities for the pleasure of doing - not for the
outcome. Best of all is spending regular time outside in
nature, allowing our children to forge a deep connection
to the natural world. We might then raise children who
do not incessantly consume in order to fill the void born
out of lack of connection. Instead our children may grow
to be the adults that have preventions, inventions, and
solutions to the damage we are doing to ourselves and
the rest of the natural world.
Let’s learn the art of witnessing not measuring - it
need not be our job to continually praise or assess our
offspring’s efforts. Often, they just want to be seen. If all
we give is praise, we will condition our children to base
their sense of worth on achievement and fundamentally
on something external to their being. Let’s channel the
openness and sense of exploration we gain while travelling
through our daily lives and allow our children the
space and freedom to play in and re-imagine the world
around us. Our families deserve authentic connection
and we can appreciate our children for who they are, not
what they do or who we long for them to be. For with our
love and protection, they can blossom.•
Laura Alvarado is the founder of: www.tomatotutors.com
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33

VILLAGE GREEN
Village Raw magazine is designed and published
by Studio Moe. If you have a challenge,
opportunity, or need help with a graphic
design project across print, digital or film,
email us at connect@designstudio.moe
designstudio.moe
34

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