March 2016

LOVEEAST 

M A G A Z I N E 

March 2016 ISSUE 25 Free 

your 

F R E E 

award-winning 

magazine 

Style & Substance 

Photographing East Enders with Lady Ray 

Model boating in Victoria Park 

The women in woodwork 

Your East London – What's on – Food – People

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Our clients vary from: artists 

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we aim to make their lives a 

little easier. 

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Chartered Accountants • Registered Auditors 

9 The Shrubberies, George Lane, South Woodford, London E18 1BD • Tel: 020 8532 9843 

www.alanpatient.com • Alan Patient & Co @alanpatientco Alan Patient & Co

Welcome to your local magazine 

Dear neighbours 

This time two years ago E9 Magazine was born. 

Time has flown by and there have been some 

changes to the content and style of the magazine, 

but the relaunched and redesigned LoveEast has 

found its feet and grown into a well received and 

useful local resource. Twenty five issues and one 

award later, the magazine is continuing to evolve, 

with lots of great new content each month. 

This issue, I'm happy to introduce you to Lady 

Ray, a very talented local photographer who is 

producing the new Style & Substance page (see 

cover and p10). Every month, she'll be producing 

beautiful portraits of people who live and work 

here and who are part of what makes East 

London great. Emily Hollands has fun in the pub 

with Norman Lara, the chairman of the oldest 

model steam boat club in the world (p4). Our East 

London makers series continues with Christine 

Preisig's visit to an all-female furniture-making 

studio in Stratford (p8), and I meet the women 

behind Echo, the skills trading platform where 

time, not money, changes hands (p16). 

There are also our great advice columns, 

including fitness, legal, gardening and health and 

wellbeing, and we say hello this month to our new 

accountancy experts, Alan Patient & Co (p18). 

Have a very happy Easter. 

Julie 

Julie Daniels 

T: 07752 288405 

E: julie@nutshellpublications.co.uk 

www.nutshellpublications.co.uk 

C O N T E N T S 

4 

Local model boating 

going back a 100 years 

10 

Lady Ray photographs 

the East Enders with 


22 

Easter eating with 

Hackney Pearl's 

James Morgan 

24 

Eating out at Ellory, 

another fine East 

London restaurant 

30 

The history of the 

ancient mounds of 

London 

Facebook: facebook.com/LoveEastMag 

Twitter: @LoveEastMag 

Cover portrait by Lady Ray 

To advertise in LoveEast please call 07752 288405 or email julie@nutshellpublications. 

co.uk for further information. Deadline for April edition is 5 March (please allow an extra two 

days if design is required). Nutshell Publications cannot be held responsible for any errors 

or omissions, or endorse companies, products or services that appear in this magazine. 

©LoveEast all rights reserved. Magazine design, www.ilkadickens.com. No reproduction can be 

made without permission. Please recycle. 

LOVEEAST MARCH 2016 3

East life 

Photos courtesy of Travis Elborough 

Clockwise from top left: Norman Lara; members taking time out; a model boat and her owner; behatted at the regatta 

Emily Hollands chats to Norman Lara, chairman of Victoria 

Park's model steam boat club 

Sitting down with Norman Lara for a pint in The 

Little Driver pub in Bow is a complete treat for 

anyone with an interest in the East End. Norman 

is chairman of the Victoria Model Steam Boat 

Club, a position he has held for more than 30 

years, and a club that people travel to from across 

the globe. 

Besides being a member there for 52 years, he 

has, for decades, owned a large chain of East 

London shops, is treasurer of his local model 

planes club and works full time as community 

access worker at the Blue Skies Project care 

centre in Arnold Road, Bow. 

There’s not much he doesn’t know about the area. 

Thankfully he doesn’t put my historical knowledge 

to the test. 

The steam boat club is officially the oldest of its 

kind in the world, celebrating its 112th birthday 

this year. Launched in 1904, the concept remains 

very much the same – turn up on a Sunday 

morning at the Boating Hut beside the running 

track in Victoria Park, have a chat and a cuppa and 

sail a boat (either your own or the club’s) on the 

lake. And there’s a wide selection of boats on view 

from traditional steam to modern power boats, 

some of which are built by Norman himself. 

4 LOVEEAST

East life 

There is an eclectic mix of members at the club. 

Pitching in at over 60 people, the club’s oldest 

surviving member is 80 years old and has plenty 

of stories and photos to prove it. The club's 

history was explored in depth last year as part 

of writer Travis Elborough’s Chisenhale Gallery 

Victoria Park Residency. Elborough collaborated 

with director Paul Kelly on a short film The Ace of 

Clubs, which investigated the importance of the 

park as a recreational space for leisure clubs. This 

prompted a lot of interest in the club, especially 

among youths and families living in East London. 

Besides fulfilling a hobby, the club is tremendously 

social. There are regattas and events with other 

clubs and some group members are serious 

competitors. Norman himself has travelled 

the world as a top speed world and European 

champion on several occasions; his own 

hydroplane reaching a record speed of 135mph. 

He is currently second fastest in the world and 

British champion for tethered hydroplane racing. 

To apply for a place at the club, simply turn up 

on a Sunday at the Boating Hut (East side of the 

park) between 8.30am and 9am. There’s a small 

annual charge of £12 to cover club costs and 

boat insurance. The club starts again, hopefully 

with the sunshine, on Easter Sunday and will go 

through to October. 

What's your favourite place to drink? 

It’s been knocked down! It was The Moulders 

Arms pub in Bow. The locals called it the Rocks 

and Boulder, slang for the Moulders. I’m sure 

there’ll be bars under the nearby railway arches 

soon, though. 

East London’s best-kept secret? 

The few East End pubs like this one (The Little 

Driver) that are still standing in this area and play 

sports. And the chicken shop across the road. You 

can’t miss the chicken shops round here. 

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East life 

Photo courtesy of Keith Reynolds 

Victoria Model Steam Boat Club as it was in 1937 

Is East London a big part of your life? 

As far back as I can remember. I’m a born and 

bred East Londoner and was practically brought 

up in Vicky Park. I went to the boating club as 

a 10-year-old child with my mother, father and 

sister. I was born with no ankle bones so was in 

hospital for a long while. My mum and dad used 

to take me in my wheelchair to the park every 

Sunday and it was great. My dad would race boats 

and my mum would knit with the other mums. All 

the men would be in bowler hats on the boating 

lake. Back then the Boating Hut was an adventure 

playground. What was a chore soon became a 

regular family day out and it’s stayed that way for 

52 years. We stayed in the area to raise our son 

and daughter and run a successful chain of shops, 

one of which was based in Chrisp Street market, 

which has changed a lot over the years. Now I 

spend time taking the people I care for at Blue 

Skies out to local cinemas, cafés and parks. 

Does the area influence the group? 

The area is all about families and that’s what the 

club is about, too. We have lots of generations 

spending time together. A lot of curious locals 

stop by in the park on a Sunday to ask what we 

are up to, especially on days where we run the 

tethered hydroplanes. And of course we are tied 

in with the history of Victoria Park and the lake 

itself is famous, and listed. I’d always help out 

anyone in the area should they want to build or 

hire a boat for the lake. 

Any other hobbies? 

I travel the country throughout the year, going to 

a lot of boat and engineering shows in Kingsbury 

and Birmingham. The club visit a lot of shows such 

as Sandown. I also fly both real planes and model 

ones with the Two Tree Island club in Essex. I also 

try and attend as many of the Victoria Park events 

as possible – I thought Winterville was brilliant. 

The club occasionally get asked to help out 

productions with boating props, most memorably 

on Run, Fatboy, Run with Simon Pegg in 2007. 

Most memorable East London moment? 

With the boat club, it would be reaching our 

centenary year in 2004. We had a fantastic twoday 

party at the boat house. But for me, it was 

winning a club raffle prize of a pair of tickets to copilot 

a plane. I gave my spare ticket to one of the 

men with special needs I care for at the Blue Skies 

Project, knowing he loved aeroplanes and had 

always wanted to fly. As we flew over the Thames, 

I felt very happy watching someone achieving a 

long-term goal like that. 

6 LOVEEAST

East life 

Photo courtesy of Keith Reynolds Photos courtesy of Travis Elborough 

Clockwise from top left: 21st-century model boat; a family affair; club members from a bygone age (date unknown) 

And there was the time I met Frank Sinatra at one 

of my Poplar stores after he’d done a gig in the 

Isle of Dogs. 

East London in a word? 

Changing. 

For more information on the Victoria Park Model 

Steam Boat Club visit the website, below. 

onthewire.co.uk/vmsc1.htm 

Are you feeling the chill? 

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East London makers 

They also makes smaller objects 

like candlesticks and wooden 

bowls, which they turn on the 

lathe and bring into form by 

hand with a chisel. 

Emma and Rhiannon met in 

2012 when they signed up for a 

two-year Fine Woodwork course 

at the Building Crafts College 

in Stratford. They were both 

a world away from furnituremaking 

– Emma had worked in 

the film industry and Rhiannon 

had studied to be a psychologist 

– but they quickly found a 

common passion for beautifully 

made things and an urge to 

work with their hands. 

Rhiannon Wilkey, left, and Emma Leslie, right, at work 

Christine Preisig meets Emma Leslie 

and Rhiannon Wilkey, the duo behind 

furniture makers Studio LW 

Keen to pass on their skills, 

Emma and Rhiannon have 

started The East London School 

of Furniture Making, where they 

teach courses at all levels. 

Home tutoring courses are also 

on offer and it's hoped that 

people will be encouraged to 

make things at home with a 

few simple tools and without 

the need for a fully equipped 

“I wanted to work with wood 

because it felt quiet – sort of 

Zen,” Emma says and Rhiannon 

nods in agreement. 

You wouldn’t believe that when 

you first enter the massive 

workspace full of enormous, 

noisy machines. They share 

this space in a converted shed 

on Stratford High Street with 

Turner Prize-winning architect 

collective "Assemble”. 

Studio LW have their own 

workshop located in a separate 

little room and it actually does 

feel serene and peaceful there. 

8 LOVEEAST 

So are the furniture pieces 

they make. Clean, elegant lines 

are mixed with subtle details 

such as a different colour for a 

drawer-front or an unexpected 

way of strutting the legs of 

a chair. It’s the quality of the 

craftsmanship combined 

with simple yet original and 

functional design that makes 

each piece stand out. 

Studio LW produce all kinds 

of furniture – from individual 

bespoke commissions, to their 

own design collection (see 

their webshop), as well as artist 

collaborations. 

Tools of the trade

East London makers 

workshop. 

Being able to help other women 

learn the craft is something 

that is particularly important to 

them. Even though the number 

of females in the profession has 

gone up, the ratio is still very 

small. To make woodworking 

more accessible, Studio LW 

have set up a free workshop for 

women on low or no income. 

If you're interested in learning 

more, head to the website, 

below. 

East London School of Furniture 

courses: 2-day stool-making class, 

10-13 March; Evening classes, 

6-week book rack class, 9 March 

to 13 April; 10-week box-making 

course starting 19 and 20 April. 

studiolw.co.uk 

Clockwise from top: at the lathe; three-legged stool (which can be made in the stool-making workshop), and curved cabinet 



Tinsel Edwards is an artist & 

co-founder of A-side B-side gallery. She was 

recently handpicked by Banksy to showcase 

her work at Dismaland. 

What's important to you? 

Equality, fairness & justice, family, friends 

and painting. 

What do you love about the East End? 

The people, the diversity and the creativity. 

I love cycling along the canal tow path, 

past lovely narrow boats & the big trees 

in Victoria Park. Also riding past the 

gasometers near to Broadway Market. 

Dom Cools-Lartigue the founder 

of Street Feast & all-round visionary is 

looking forward to opening a new venue 

he's been dreaming of for 10 years. 

What's important to you? 

Honouring the opportunity I have to push 

things forward by helping people, local 

businesses or areas raise their potential. 

What do you love about the East End? 

Openness to new ideas, which takes bravery 

in a community and shows its strength. It's 

why I've made it my home and chosen to 

raise my son here. 

Interviews & portraits by Lady Ray 

10 LOVEEAST

Life coaching for 

modern lives 

Fast, 

strong, 

fearless 

www.millerandlove.com 

Hackney E8 

ROGER LOVE 

Personal training 

1:1 studio or park 

www.hackneypt.com 


What's on in March 

MON TUES WEDS 

Weekly 

8.10pm: Hatha 

yoga, Victoria Park 

Community Centre, 

5 Gore Road, E9. (No 

class 28 March). Nadia 

missbocheva@gmail. 

com 

6.30-8.30pm: Life 

drawing classes. at 

Vout-O-Reenee's, 30 

Prescot St, E1 8BB. £7. 

vout-o-reenees.com 

7 

6pm. FREE Hula Hoop 

Fitness for all ages 

at Queen Elizabeth 

Olympic Park. Meet 

at the Timber Lodge 

entrance (North of the 

park). Sign up at 

ourparks.org.uk 

7 

8-11pm. FREE entry. 

Thomas Cohen plays 

at The Moth Club. 

mothclub.co.uk 

14 

10am-4pm. £5 for a 

Wellbeing treatment: 

manis, pedis, massage, 

reflexology. Victoria 

Park Community 

Centre, Gore Rd, E9. 

Sylvia 020 8985 6571, 

masonsylvia@hotmail. 

com to book. 

14 

8pm. FREE. James And 

The Ultrasounds play at 

The Shacklewell Arms 

Shacklewell Lane, E8. 

12 LOVEEAST 

Weekly 

Ballet for children at 

Hackney Forge. Call 

Mafalda on 07550 722 

693 for details. 

10.30-11.30. Mums 

and babies yoga at 

Hackney Forge. 

10-11.30am. Rollers 

and Crawlers Drop-Ins 

for under ones at the 

Ann Tayler Children's 

Centre, Triangle Road, 

E8. learningtrust.co.uk 

10am-11.30am. FREE. 

Storytime for under 

5s at Victoria Park 

Community Centre, 

5 Gore Road, E9. (No 

class 22, 29 March.) 

1 

7.30pm. New comedy 

I Am Not Myself These 

Days. Love in 90s 

New York. Shoreditch 

Town Hall. £15. 

shoreditchtownhall.com 

15 

6.30pm. FREE. Drama 

In The Mix, celebrating 

the creativity of East 

London school pupils 

Live showcase of 8 

fantastic radio plays. 

richmix.org.uk 

15 

8pm. Launch of The 

Yard Theatres new 

play Made Visible. 

£12.50, £10 conc. 

theyardtheatre.co.uk 

Weekly 

6.30-7.30pm. 

Beginners Iyengar. 

£8.50 yogabodycentre. 

co.uk 

2 

6-9pm. FREE. Grafik 

Bites workshops, St 

Margaret's House. 

Photoshop/Illustrator. 

stmargaretshouse. 

org.uk 

2 

6-7pm. World 

Book Day Teenfest, 

Stratford East 

Picturehouse, 

hosted by author 

Lemn Sissay. £3. 

picturehouses.com 

16 

10.30am-12.30pm. 

Coffee morning, Vic 


Centre, Gore Road, E9 

16 

Be a trailblazer in St 

Joseph’s Hospice's 

first ever firewalk. Full 

training on the night. 

Register at stjh.org.uk/ 

fundraisingevents 

23 

7.30pm. Check 

out Real Lies at 

Oslo. Tickets £11, 

oslohackney.com 

THURS 

Weekly 

1pm-3pm. FREE. Knitting 

at Victoria Park Comm 

Centre, Gore Road, E9. 

3 

10-11am. Vortex in 

Dalston hosts Tots 

Tunes, a popular music 

session for 0-5 yr olds. 

vortexjazz.co.uk 

3 

6-7.30pm. World War 

One exhibition in Tower 

Hamlets Local History 

Library ideastore.co.uk 

17 

4-5pm. FREE. 

Chatterbooks Reading 

Dragons, reading group 

for 8-12yr-old boys, 

Hackney Central Library 

24 

Letting In The Light 

exhibition, centre of 

Stratford. How art can 

illuminate understanding 

mental distress 

24 

12pm to 3pm. Easter 

Eggstravaganza. Egg 

Hunt and arts and crafts. 

Meet at V&A Building. 

Victoria Park. 

31 

7.30pm. Americana in 

concert at Stratford 

East theatre. £10-22.50. 

stratfordeast.com 

Continued on page 31

Faraday School 

Independent Prep School 

7 Trinity Buoy Wharf London E14 0FH 

Tel: 020 7719 9342 

Pupils' attainment “is judged to be well above 

national age-related expectations” ISI Inspection Report 

Ÿ Creative, independent preparatory school 

Ÿ Strong academic foundation, teaching Core Knowledge 

Ÿ Rigorous approach to learning 

Ÿ Outstanding pastoral care 

Ÿ Confident and articulate pupils 

Ÿ Unique riverside location in a creative hub 

Ÿ Small Class sizes 

Fee for the Academic Year 2015/16 £2,930 per term 

To find out more, or to register, please contact 

admissions@faradayschool.co.uk- T: 020 8965 7374 

Late Care Until 5.30pm 

Daily School Bus Run (including south of the river) 

Boat charter available (from North Greenwich Pier) 

www.faradayschool.co.uk 

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Sophie's world 

Photo: Claire Lawrie 

There's hidden vitality and inventiveness going 

on behind every dilapidated ancient facade. 

I'm not talking about the City, though there is 

undoubtedly all sorts of creativity in accounting 

going on behind those glass doors, but to what 

end? I suppose it enables the people of younger 

Chelsea to exist another day to argue with their 

neighbours over their much-needed basement 

pool extensions, thus making them feel busy. The 

idle rich from Russia to Paris (see War and Peace) 

have always been good at appearing occupied. 

But when will they understand that going to the 

hairdressers or telling someone else to cook 

their dinner Is Not Work, however exhausting it is 

having a personal trainer? 

Real work is what people do in the courtyards 

and old warehouses along the canals of Hackney 

Wick and Bethnal Green. There are the craft 

beer brewers and gin distillers with matching 

bars crammed with people loving the real thing. 

There's the Yard Theatre, ice cube producers, 

engineering works, salmon smokeries, couturiers 

– small businesses old and young beavering away 

to a waiting audience. The life-drawing classes 

for professional artists or ogling amateurs, or the 

supper clubs serving dinner to half-naked bathers 

in hot tubs might be hilarious to watch, but 

somebody loves these mad ideas. 

Sophie at her East End club, Vout-O-Reenee's 

The inventiveness and 

vitality of the East End is 

something we must hold on 

to, says Sophie Parkin 

Walking through this hive of industry last week 

in the sunshine reminded me that the Chelsea 

I knew when I was growing up was like this, 

too. It's now drained of energy and full of gated 

communities. 

Poverty might be the mother of invention, but 

keeping the inventions coming and keeping 

the poverty away is the answer to securing the 

energetic hub. Remember, it's the things you 

don't start-up that you regret. 

Be careful what you wish for. Like all things for 

sale, Made in Chelsea comes with an expensive 

price tag. 

I love throwing a great birthday party. We do a lot 

at Vout-O-Reenees. My mum's 84th will be a great 

bash of fun. One thing I've learnt from parties is 

that youth is nothing to do with appearance, and 

that's what I love about old East London, too. 

Sophie Parkin is an author and owner of 


14 LOVEEAST

JAMES’ STORY 

“I am the LAST person you will 

ever find in a gym. I’m fat, drink very 

heavily, sometimes smoke, eat awful unhealthy food, 

sit on my backside most days and lean on the bar 

counter in the boozer. 

But London Fields Fitness is not a gym; it’s a social 

club with exercise. I started coming here last January 

when my wife threatened to install a gastric band or, 

much worse: ban me from the pub. 

to be continued... 

£30=100 

classes p/month 

fitness classes - spin - personal training 

FIND OUT MORE AT 

londonfieldsfitness.com / @londonfieldsfit 


Local heroes 

them identify that," explains Sarah. "Whether it's 

help to grow their business or to learn a new 

skill – or whether they just want to meet people in 

their local community." 

So whether you're a dog-walker or web designer, 

a van driver or a videorapher, you can trade your 

time and skills with others. Each service is valued 

at the same price, so trading doesn't have to be 

like for like, and the possibilities are endless. 

Networking at one of Echo's social events 

Sarah Henderson and Alex 

Gilbert talk to Julie Daniels 

about Echo, a skills trading 

platform where time, not 

money, changes hands 

Being a Hackney resident, I tend to look at things 

from a local perspective and there's no doubt that 

Echo (short for economy of hours) definitely has 

that creative, left-field East End vibe. 

The cynical among us may ask how members 

know they'll get proper value from the system. "It's 

all based on trust," says Sarah. "Every time they 

do a trade they give each other feedback, which is 

stored on the online platform. We trust members 

to be honest and deliver good quality work and 

because they buy into the ethos of Echo, the 

community-mindedness of it, they have a positive 

experience." 

That certainly seems to be true for the members 

whose stories can been seen on the newly 

designed and very easy to navigate website. 

"When trading with Echoes it just feels more 

fair, all help is help, at one price," says one Echo 

member Rustic Roots. "No one claims to be worth 

more than anyone else." 

Research from Echo shows that around 10 per 

cent of members have also gone on to receive 

paid work or employment from being part of 

platform, so there is proof that it can bring 

benefits of the monetary kind, too. 

If you're looking to give a bigger boost to your 

business, there's Echo++, the business accelerator 

It's a locally-based enterprise – mostly funded by 

the London Legacy Development Corporation – 

and an online marketplace for skills and services. 

A place where no money changes hands at all. 

Rather than using old-fashioned hard currency, its 

2500 members trade in "Echoes", where one Echo 

equals one hour of work. So far, so East End, and 

I find it hard to imagine that it could have been 

created anywhere else. 

It's the job of Sarah Henderson and Alex Gilbert, 

two of the team behind Echo, to find out what it 

is that members can offer each other. "We help 

Sarah Henderson, Echo's director of operations 

16 LOVEEAST

Local heroes 

programme – a specific support system for 

sole traders, start-ups or micro-businesses. It 

brings the benefits of a business development 

programme to those who want to grow at their 

own pace and in their own way – a networked 

approach, connecting local businesses and 

experts through masterclass workshops, 

mentoring, and networking. Again, no money is 

involved; members pay in Echoes. 

"I've worked in man jobs working with startups," 

says Alex Gilbert, the Echo++ programme 

manager. "This is the one programme where 

everyone has been so genuine and sincere and 

always willing to help and support other people 

where they can, and that's something I haven't 

really seen anywhere else." 

There are regular events for Echo++ members, as 

well as social events which are open to everyone. 

They also encourage members to create their 

own events. "Our focus is to make Echo as 

collaborative as possible and as owned by our 

members as possible," says Sarah. 

Alex Gilbert, Echo++ programme manager 

The best thing about Echo? "I just like the people. 

You're getting to meet the network, talk to them, 

find out what they're doing on the platform, 

says Alex. "That's what I enjoy about it." Sarah 

agrees. "Seeing how people are able to develop 

their skills, especially where they have lacked 

confidence... they're the really satisfying stories." 

To find out more about joining the Echo platform, 

head to economyofhours.com 

WORKSHOP 

Caroline makes stoneware mugs, 

bowls, plates, dishes, cups, 

saucers, jugs, teapots, drizzlers, 

butterdishes, salt pots, jam pots, 

cutlery drainers, cake stands, 

candleholders, planters, vases... 

...and takes commissions. 

Fast, effective and 

permanent results 

77A Lauriston Road, E9 7HA 

020 8986 9585 

carolinebousfield.co.uk 

Personal training with Michelle Crawford 

Children welcome if you can't get childcare 

Fighting Fit Studio, 15 Bow Wharf, E3 5SN 

michellept.wordpress.com 

07805 612127 


Money matters 

We do of course deal with 

all aspects of audit and 

accountancy, and our clients 

range from individuals and small 

fledgling businesses, through to 

larger well-established firms. 

As well as helping businesses, 

it's also important to us to 

help the community, and we 

have taken part in a number 

of charitable events, from cake 

baking for Macmillan Cancer 

Support, to running with 

superheroes for Run4Cancer. 

These were very successful 

and well supported by the local 

community. 

Advertorial 

Alan Patient 

Finally, and most importantly, 

the first consultation is free – 

plus we make a lovely cup of 

tea and have a great new drinks 

and nibbles menu. 

Alan Patient & Co offer a friendly 

solution to your accountancy worries 

Alan Patient & Co 

9 The Shrubberies, George Lane, 

South Woodford, E18 1BD 

020 8532 9843 

Alan Patient & Co are a local 

firm of chartered accountants 

who have been based in South 

Woodford for the past 22 

years. We're opposite M&S and 

because of our handy location 

we often find that people will 

ring the bell on impulse and 

take the first steps towards 

sorting out their financial 

worries – which usually involve 

tax in one way or another. 

We are a friendly firm and once 

through the door you will be 

made very welcome. The staff 

realise that for many people 

tax can be a major source of 

concern and anxiety. 

18 LOVEEAST 

As Alan Patient says, "simply 

doing something rather than 

just worrying about it can be 

extremely liberating in itself, 

and speaking with an expert can 

really lift the weight from your 

shoulders." 

Alan is always happy to meet 

new clients, and glad to count 

amongst the team his tax 

manager, who used to work for 

HMRC, and is perfectly placed 

to understand the workings of 

the tax inspector’s mind. He 

firmly believes that it's not what 

you earn, it's what you keep 

that counts – and we think any 

business owner would agree 

with that. 

alanpatient.com 

The team, from left: Chris James, 

Svitlana Matviychuk and Alan Patient

Culture corner 

Museum of Childhood 

Opening Saturday, 19 March – explore the 

magical worlds of The Clangers and Bagpuss in 

a new exhibition. Created by Oliver Postgate 

and Peter Firmin, and filmed in a barn in rural 

Kent, these characters brought new life to 

children’s television. Clangers, Bagpuss & Co will 

be the first major retrospective of Smallfilms – 

Firmin and Postgate’s influential and muchloved 

production company – and include films 

not seen for decades. 

Postgate’s voice and Firmin’s puppets and 

artwork are cornerstones of 20th century 

British culture and their quirky and inventive 

Bagpuss © Smallfilms image © V&A Museum, London 

programmes shaped the childhood memories 

of millions. As well as telling the story of 

Bagpuss and The Clangers, the exhibition goes 

behind the scenes of some of their other 

creations, such as Pogles Wood, Noggin the Nog 

and Ivor the Engine. 

Friday 25 to Sunday 27 March, 2pm–4pm 

Easter is early this year and showing alongside 

the exhibition will be a Small Films Marathon, 

when visitors can see back-to-back screenings 

of Peter Firmin and Oliver Postgate’s animated 

classics including The Clangers, Bagpuss, Noggin 

the Nog and Ivor the Engine. Drop-in. All ages. 

Workshops and drop-in activities will run 

throughout the spring holidays. 

V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath 

Road, E2. For details: vam.ac.uk/moc/whatson 

A mini literature festival 

Inspired by the success of our annual Town Hall 

Tales children's literature festival, Story Habit 

kicked off 2016 with valuable enrichment activities 

at Daubeney Primary School in Hackney. Over a 

week, six children's authors took part in a wholeschool 

reading-for-pleasure festival. 

Author Alex Milway explored the magical world of 

Operation Robot Storm with Year 4, where secret 

Yeti agents are the last hope to communities in 

the Welsh Mountains, besieged by mysterious 

blizzards and ice storms. 

There was also, author and 

illustrator Hilda Offen with her 

book Rita and the Romans, perfect 

for Year 2 kids. Through her 

adventurous and brave character 

Rita, the kids learned about the 

power of their imagination. 

Andrew Weale’s 

books are ideal for Nursery 

and Reception, in particular his 

rebellious and greedy character 

Nora, where the children laughed 

about a little girl who bit off more 

than she could chew. 

Writer of novels and scripts for the BBC Catherine 

Johnson introduced Year 5 students to Nest of 

Vipers, through which the children learned about 

the power of transformation and belief. 

Roland Chambers explored his 

nautical world of Nelly and the 

search for Captain Peabody with 

Year 3 students. 

And for the older children Philip 

Womack's The King's Shadow 

explored the possibilities of 

creating worlds beyond our own. 

You might want to try these wonderful stories with 

your own kids. 

Jo de Guia, storyhabit.co.uk 


MON TUES WEDS THURS 

1 

2 

3 

Ballet for kids p12 

Storytime, under 5s p12 

Baby yoga p12 

Comedy p12 

Beginners Iyengar p12 

Grafik bites w/shop p12 

World book day p12 

Knitting/natter, p12 

Tots' Tunes p12 

WW1 exhib p12 

7 

8 

9 

10 

Hatha yoga, p12 

Hoola Hoop fit, p12 

Life drawing p12 

Thomas Cohen p12 

Ballet for kids, p12 


Baby yoga p12 

Rollers & crawlers p12 



14 


James & The 

Ultrasounds, p12 

£5 beauty p12 


15 



New drama at Yard p12 

Baby yoga p12 


Drama at Rich Mix p12 

16 


Coffee morning p12 

Fancy firewalking? p12 

17 


Chatterbooks p12 

21 

22 

23 

24 





Baby yoga p12 



Real Lies, Oslo p12 

Letting in the Light, p12 


Eggstravaganza p12 

28 

Easter Monday 

29 



Ballet for kids p12 

Baby yoga p12 

30 


31 

Americana in concert 

p12 


20 LOVEEAST

FRI SAT SUN 

4 

Networx computer skills at 

Vicky Park Comm Centre, p31 

Thomas Mailaender exhib, p31 

Toy Library & Play drop-in, p31 

11 

Indie pop band Flowers, p31 


Networx computer skills, p31 


5 

Evening of song & improv, p31 

Dance classes 2-11yrs, p31 

DJs host Mister Saturday, p31 

Baroque singing workshop, p31 

Fairtrade breakfast, p31 

12 


Hackney Museum's 'Our 

Stories', p31 

6 

Mother's Day 

Live music, Marksman, p31 

Mother's Day bubbles, p31 

13 

Midcentury Modern show, 

p31 


18 

The Crucible, Arcola, p31 




19 


Clangers, Bagpuss & co, p31 

Beauty for a fiver, p31 

20 


Sport Relieve Games, p31 

25 

Good Friday 




Make your own clothes, p31 

26 


Kids' film club, p31 

Ink hand-lettering workshop, p31 

Richard Blackwood & Danny 

'Slim' Gray, Hackney Empre, p31 

27 

Easter Sunday 

Model boat regatta p31 


Go see a Goat Race, p31 

50 children 50 artists, p31 

Art events 

General events 

Outdoor events 

March 


Eating in 

Method 

Illustration: rachelgale.com 

When planning an Easter menu the 

first thing that comes to mind is 

usually lamb. But Easter also marks 

the beginning of spring, and for me the 

most exciting thing about spring is the 

arrival of the new season's vegetables: 

radishes, pea-shoots, samphire, 

spinach, watercress and eventually, 

Jersey Royals & asparagus. That said, 

Easter is early this year so the best 

of British spring may not quite have 

broken through the soil, but with all 

this crazy weather, who knows? 

This delicate fishy broth is a lovely way 

to honour their arrival. It takes a little 

bit of time, but rewards the effort. 

Ingredients (serves 4) 

The broth 

2 cups good quality fish stock 

½ cup white vermouth 

1 shallot, sliced 

A small selection of spring vegetables (3-4 

different varieties is about right), such as:. 

4 radishes and their leaves, washed & 

quartered. If radish leaves are unavailable or 

too bruised, substitute for another leafy green 

such as sorrel, rocket or pea shoots. 

8 medium English asparagus spears, tough 

ends removed and cut into 5cm pieces, then 

blanched in salted boiling water until just 

tender and refreshed in icewater 

OR 8 stems of tenderstem broccoli or 

sprouting broccoli trimmed to a similar size 

OR 12 small florets of broccoli. 

50g samphire (available from Jonathan 

Norris when in season) blanched and 

refreshed as above. 

4 small Jersey Royal or Cornish Early potatoes 

scrubbed (not peeled) and quartered, gently 

boiled until tender then refreshed. 

The fish 

12-16 palourde clams OR mussels OR 16-20 

cockles (they’re smaller), shells cleaned and in 

the case of mussels, beards removed. 

4 boneless fillets of lemon/dover sole OR any 

other seasonal fish (gurnard, salmon or dab) 

The relish 

20 mint leaves 

2 small or one large spring onions 

Zest of half a lemon 

2 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar 

1 tbsp caster sugar 

1 tbsp Sunflower, Canola or another light 

salad oil. 

Salt & Pepper 

1. Put the stock, vermouth and shallot 

into a medium saucepan and cook at 

a simmer until the liquid has reduced 

by one third. 

2. Strain out the shallot. 

3. Meanwhile make the relish: Add sugar 

to vinegar and stir until sugar has 

dissolved then whisk in the oil. 

4. Chop mint leaves and spring onions, 

then combine along with lemon zest. 

5. Dress the herb mixture with just 

enough of the sweetened vinegar 

dressing to cover then stir and allow to 

steep for 5 minutes. 

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste 

then set aside. 

7. Now to assemble the dish: Arrange the 

vegetables in warmed serving plates 

(large pasta bowls work well) 

8. Return the broth to the stove and 

bring back up to a simmer then throw 

in the clams. Cover with a lid and cook 

until the shells have opened, then 

transfer clams to the plates, leaving 

the broth in the pan to stay warm. 

9. Meanwhile, line a frying pan with 

baking parchment (this will prevent the 

fish from sticking), then place over a 

high heat and add a little cooking oil. 

10. Season the fish fillets then press them 

into the pan skin side down (if there 

is any skin) and hold the fillets down 

for about 10 seconds to prevent the 

fish from curling. Turn the heat down 

to medium. 

11. As soon as you can see that the fillets 

are cooked 2 thirds of the way through 

flip them over to cook the other side. 

Then rest for a moment on kitchen 

towel to remove excess oil. 

12. Pour some of the hot broth carefully 

over the vegetables and clams then 

top with the fish fillets. 

13. Finish off with a dressing of the mint 

and spring onion relish. 

James Morgan 

thehackneypearl.com 

22 LOVEEAST

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23 LOVEEAST 

LOVEEAST FEBRUARY 2016 23

Eating out 

Ellory 

I was looking forward to meeting 

up with a couple of friends who 

I hadn’t seen for a while. They 

picked Ellory, a great choice. 

I know Netil House from my 

pilates classes and could walk 

there – always a bonus. This 

used to be a nightclub and 

it was a big night out for me, 

having been swamped since 

January in a new job. I was 

looking forward to letting my 

hair down and put on my silver 

lamé top. 

Clearly, I was in the nightclub 

vibe, but here the sartorial code 

is a little more plain. A black 

polo neck would match the 

décor, which is dark and all a 

bit spare with concrete floors, 

bare bulb lighting, bench seats 

and some rather nice bentwood 

chairs. Here, it’s a man’s world; 

24 LOVEEAST 

we were the only women there 

and it felt slightly humourless. 

They describe this place as 

an informal, convivial modern 

neighbourhood bistro. Well, 

it’s a bit more très sérieux than 

that. For a start they have a 

tasting menu (I’m no fan of 

those), but you can go à la carte 

– our choice. Want even less 

than that? Then sit at the bar. 

Chef Matthew Young was 

previously at Mayfields in Wilton 

Way and the sadly deceased 

Wapping Project, and works 

alongside sommelier Jack 

Lewens, (the River Café and 

Spring). All service here is 

charming and handsome. 

The food is very good. The 

portion size is somewhere 

between a starter and a main. 

and for those of you who know 

me well, you’ll understand that 

I needed a wee snack when I 

got home. I like to eat. A lot. 

Generous portions are my 

thing. 

Before my late night snack I had 

an extremely delicious octopus 

salad, followed by brill served 

with bergamot butter and 

January King cabbage. Again, 

beautiful and totally delicious. 

Each item on the plate was a 

matching Kelly Hoppen beige 

colour. 

Those of us not on a regime 

ended with the sorrel ice cream 

with honeycomb. An acquired 

taste and not universally loved. 

Personally I’m a big fan of sorrel 

– as well as the lamé. 

Menu from £7 to £16 per dish. 

Susan Birtwistle 

Ellory, Netil House, 1 Westgate 

Street, E8 3RL. ellorylondon.com 

Ellory's sommelier Jack Lewens, left, 

and head chef Matthew Young

Easter plants 

or Mother's 

Day bouquets, 

only the best 

will do 

www.agpriceflowers.co.uk 

217-219 Well Street, E9 6QU 

020 8986 0250 

From Anatolya . . . 

. . . to hackney 

Delicious chargrilled Turkish food 

/scoffs grill 020 3489 3359 scoffscafe 

Fully licensed restaurant. LoveEast readers will receive 10% off the bill. 

Scoffs Grill,355-357 Wick Road, E9 5DH 


Gardening 

The owners requested a formal arrangement 

of Yorkstone flags to match the existing path. 

We laid reclaimed pavers to frame a central bed 

featuring floriferous white rose "Winchester 

Cathedral" with white foxgloves, all snugly 

bordered with box hedging. 

Advertorial 

The box border repeats elsewhere to add 

structure, whilst along the front railings glossy 

winter box sweetly scents the spring air. 

The Middleton Road garden after its makeover 

London Fields and Gardens 

can transform your outdoor 

space, as well as lifting your 

spirits, says Izi Glover 

Whether you are wearily heading home after a 

long day, or gingerly stepping out on a Monday 

morning, your front garden or doorstep can do 

much to lift your mood. Sturdy evergreens, curling 

ferns, wafting grasses and, of course, flowers will 

soothe a troubled brow. Combined with a smart 

pot or a neatly edged border, you have a thing of 

beauty that’ll really lift your spirits. 

Help is at hand with London Fields and Gardens. 

We're a small and local garden and landscape 

team. We transform forlorn and neglected 

gardens – front and back, large and small, big and 

little budgets – into cheery and welcoming places. 

We worked closely with the owners of a local 

garden, pictured here, on a design sympathetic 

to their early Victorian house on Middleton Road. 

The garden was overgrown and lacking purpose, 

so we removed old pebbles and concrete paving, 

but retained the fig tree for its good height and 

volume, as well as a jolly Salvia x jamensis "Hot 

Lips" shrub. 

Outside the lower window, plants give year-round 

interest, from velvet purple hellebore flowers in 

winter, to zingy acid green euphorbias and fringed 

parrot tulips in spring, to mauve thistle flowers 

of perennial cornflowers, lofty yellow umbels 

of golden lace and crimson bobbles of bistort 

in summer. Starry white wood asters will lead 

the garden back to autumn, then the evergreen 

hellebores and euphorbias, box and winter box 

will quietly resume their sculptural lead roles. 

Izi Glover is a Hackney gardener at London Fields 

and Gardens: londonfieldsandgardens.com 

March things to do and see 

Anticipate summer by adding perennials to 

borders, pots and window boxes. Plants like 

bistort Persicaria amplexicaulis "Inverleith", 

pheasant’s tail grass Anemanthele lessoniana, and 

Mexican fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus are longflowering 

and, once established, relatively tolerant 

of neglect if you treat them right in the beginning, 

so use good compost and water in well. 

Visit gardens for inspiration. There's great planting 

to see for free on our doorstep at the Queen 

Elizabeth Olympic Park. 

queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk 

The garden before its transformation 

26 LOVEEAST

Local heroes 

St Joseph's 

Hospice makes a 

real difference to 

people with lifelimiting 

illnesses. 

You can, too, by 

signing up to Run 

Hackney 

Judith Cam with her son, Ian 

Judith Cam was 62 when 

she was diagnosed with an 

aggressive brain tumour. She 

wanted to be cared for at home 

so her husband, Ian Senior, 

gave up his job to look after 

her, and her daughter, Molly, 

took a year out of university 

to be at home. Her son Ian, a 

PE teacher, worked round the 

corner at Stoke Newington 

School so he was also on hand 

to help out. 

The family were happy to 

ensure that Judith remained 

comfortable at home but they 

also realised they needed some 

help. They were put in touch 

with St Joseph’s Hospice, where 

Judith received complementary 

therapies, massage and 

emotional support, while still 

being able to stay at home as 

she wanted. They knew that 

someone was always on the 

end of the phone if they needed 

help or a visit from one of the 

Community Palliative Care 

Team. They regularly called the 

24/7 line for advice and they 

knew if they needed help they 

only had to ask. 

Ian would bring his mum to St 

Joseph’s for her complementary 

therapy appointments, and on 

one visit he saw an advert for 

Run Hackney. He decided to 

run it for the hospice as he was 

really happy with the care his 

mum was getting. He did lots 

of training and finished in less 

than two hours, raising almost 

£2,000. 

Judith sadly passed away a year 

later but Ian said they were 

able to make the last year of 

her life special, although they 

couldn’t have done it without 

the support of St Joseph’s 

Hospice. He ran again last year, 

raising another £2,000 and with 

St Joseph’s Hospice being a 

local partner for Run Hackney in 

2016, Ian decided to challenge 

himself and run it a third time in 

Judith’s memory. 

"St Joseph’s Hospice is a magical 

place," Ian said. "I only visited 

a handful of times with my 

mum, but each time I felt such 

lovely energy there. When you 

step through the main doors, 

wherever you are going in the 

hospice, it is so accommodating. 

It really is a special place. 

“I know that there are families 

who will need help and support 

like we did and I will continue 

to do Run Hackney, I reckon for 

another 40 years, until my legs 

give up.” 

If you would like to take part in 

Run Hackney, contact Anna Lee at 

a.lee@stjh.org.uk 

Visit Ian's Just Giving page, here: 

justgiving.com/Ian-Bruce9 

Ian, running for St Joseph's Hospice 


What to do with the kids 

Stories 

Storytime for the under 5s at Victoria Park 

Community Centre every Tuesday from 10am to 

11.30am. 5 Gore Road, E9. FREE. 

Fourth Tuesday of each month, Chatterbooks 

reading group for 8-12yrs, quizzes, competitions, 

prizes. Dalston CLR James Library. 

Music 

Piccolo music for babies and toddlers, Mondays, 

Wednesdays and Fridays in the V&A building 

in Victoria Park. Toddler class 10am, baby class 

11am. Just drop in. Stefanie, 07708 451 314. 

Museums 

Free drop-in activities every day at The Museum 

of Childhood, including arts and crafts, tours, trails 

and storytelling. For ages 3-12 years. Cambridge 

Heath Road, E2. Plus: check out p19 for this 

month's extra activities. 

Want to be a Geffrye Explorer? There is lots of fun 

to be had between 12.30pm and 4.30pm every 

Saturday at geffrye-museum.org.uk 

Cinema 

Hackney Picturehouse Kids’ Club is for ages 

3-12 years. picturehouses.co.uk/cinema/Hackney_ 

Picturehouse 

Swimming 

London Fields Lido offer swimming lessons 

and they’ve started giving stages 3-8 swimming 

classes again. Go to betterlessons.org.uk for details 

and booking. Plus of course, there's Mile End 

Leisure Centre, York Hall in Bethnal Green and 

the gorgeous Aquatics Centre, QE Olympic Park. 

Farms 

At city farms in Hackney, Stepney, Spitalfields and 

Mudchute. stepneycityfarm.org, hackneycityfarm. 

co.uk, spitalfieldscityfarm.org, mudchute.org 

Award winning classes for 0-5 yrs 

At Gymboree our focus is on encouraging 

and nurturing your baby in every aspect of their 

development, with you right by their side. We 

offer a variety of fun and sensory led 

classes from newborn to 5years. 

Gymboree classes are designed by experts 

in early childhood development to 

help young children learn as they play. 

Book your FREE trial class today! 

Gymboree Bethnal Green 

bethnalgreen@gymboree-uk.com 

020 7537 2901 / 07966 227583 

59-61 Roman Road, London, E2 0QN 

gymboree-uk.com 

Children's Centres 

Wentworth on Cassland Road (wentworth. 

hackney.sch.uk), Gainsborough on Berkshire Road 

(gainsborough.hackney.sch.uk/childrens-centre), 

and Morningside on Chatham Place (morningside. 

hackney.sch.uk/childrens-centre). Meath Gardens 

Children's Centre, 1 Smart Street, E2; Mile End 

Leisure Centre, The One O'Clock Club (Vicky Park); 

Overland Children's Centre, 60 Parnell Road, E3. 

Yoga for babies... and their mums 

Yoga for Mums and Babies, every Tuesday 

at 10.15am with tea and biscuits afterwards. 

Hackney Forge, E9. 07958 645 978 or email 

clare@clareday-yoga.co.uk 

Dancing 

Wiggly Jigglers at Rich Mix. Creative movement 

for 0-2yrs. Call 020 7613 7498 to book. Ballet, 

Street Dance and Musical Theatre classes. at the 

Hackney Forge. hackneyforge.com 

Activity times may change, so please check on times/ 

availability via the websites or phone numbers 

28 LOVEEAST

A New Nursery In London Fields 

Elena Mackey and Rachel Munro-Peebles are both mums who understand choosing childcare for your 

child can be an anxious time… which is why they designed this unique bespoke environment, to feel like 

a home from home. Part of Fount London, which is the Family Lifestyle Concept Space. Eat, Shop & 

Play, Fount Nursery is seen as the heart of the concept. 

They have been careful not to use over-bright colours. The result is a calm relaxing space, with a warm 

natural palette mixed with an eclectic vintage feel. Furniture and resources have been sourced to match 

their ethics on reuse, reclaim and recycle. 

Elena and Rachel have created a truly unique nursery that will make your little one's journey a special 

one. If you would like to find out more about enrolling at Fount Nursery, please do get in touch 

New Monthly Spring Time Fees!!!! 

Age 3mths - 2yrs (extra day £85.00) 

5 days: £1,395.00 per day £65.00 

4 days: £1,115.92 per day £65.00 

3 days: £975.00 per day £75.00 

2 days: £650.00 per day £75.00 

Age 2-5 yrs (extra day £80.00) 

5 days: £1,191.66 per day £55.00 

4 days: £953.33 per day £55.00 

3 days: £780.00 per day £60.00 

2 days: £520.00 per day £60.00 

*terms and conditions do apply, contact us for further information regarding the offer, 

offer expires August 31st 2016. 

Contact: Fount Nursery, Westgate St, London E8 3RN Tel: 020 7241 5341 

info@fountnursery.com 

www.fountnursery.com

History hangout 

Whitechapel mound, to make 

way for new buildings. 

Possible uses could have been 

sighting points for cutting new 

roads across the vast forests 

surrounding London. It is 

possible, too, that they were 

used as defence look-out posts. 

Stephen Selby investigates the ancient 

mounds of London 

The first sight of the print, 

above, usually comes as a great 

surprise. Published before 1850 

in the Illustrated London News, 

on the left is the façade of the 

present Royal London Hospital 

in Whitechapel. When I first 

moved into the area in 1973, to 

"see you up the mount" was still 

in common use as a meeting 

point for local people. 

Whitechapel Mount is sadly only 

remembered by a little backstreet 

called Mount Terrace. 

These mounds were also called 

Tots, as in Tottenham, and 

Toots as in Tooting. 

in the 18th century to help 

grow the roses in Catherine the 

Great’s Hermitage palace. 

Next to the southern border of 

Hackney was Holywell Mount, 

directly opposite Shakespeare’s 

Curtain Theatre. Holywell’s vast 

mound of earth towered above 

the cityscape and could have 

been more than 100ft high, 

topped with trees, while being 

used as a plague pit. It was 

eventually removed, like the 

An extract from a 16th-century 

manuscript republished by the 

London Topographical Society 

describes Brutus the Trojan as 

the founder of London around 

1,130BC. The information 

comes from various sources, 

including the histories of 

Gildas, Nennius and Geoffrey 

of Monmouth’s The History 

of the British Kings. In these 

legends, it was mentioned 

that the mounds or tots were 

first witnessed by Brutus after 

arriving in Britain at Totnes. 

Were most of us aware of the 

many stories behind these 

legends, some of which appear 

in our literature – Shakespeare’s 

King Lear and Mallory’s King 

Arthur – collective interest 

in British history would be 

considerably enhanced. 

Next month: Anne Boleyn and 

Hackney 

Many were great rubbish tips 

and not to be associated with 

those built from topsoil. In 

particular, some like those at 

Whitechapel Mount, Mount 

Pleasant, Holywell Mount in 

Shoreditch and Kings Cross 

had been built from rich earth. 

Indeed, the King’s Cross mound 

was shipped to St Petersburg 

John Rocque’s 1746 Map showing the circular Holywell Mount, Shoreditch 

30 LOVEEAST

FRI SAT SAT SUN 

What's on in March 

Weekly 

10-12pm. Toy Library 

and Play Drop-in for 

0-5 yr-olds at the Ann 

Tayler Children's Centre 

on Triangle Road, E8 

learningtrust.co.uk 

1-3pm. Networx 

computer classes, VP 

Community Centre, 5 

Gore Road, E9 

11am-7pm. Thomas 

Mailaender: Gone 

Fishing on display at 

Roman Road art gallery. 

romanroad.com 

4 

Hoxton Hotel can't wait 

for the 2020 Tokyo 

Olympics. Pop-up sake 

bar while screening 

original footage from 

the '64 Tokyo Olympics 

11 

7.30pm. Indiepop band 

Flowers play at The 

Sebright Arms. £6 adv 

tickets sebrightarms. 

co.uk 

18 

7.30pm. Arcola Theatre, 

Dalston The Crucible. 

Tickets £12, conc £8. 

arcolatheatre.com 

25 

4pm. Make Your Own 

Clothes, for ages 50+ at 

the Wayside Community 

Centre in Lower 

Clapton. £3 a session. 

destinationhackney.co.uk 

Weekly 

9.45-1pm. Dance 

classes,, 2-11yrs. £5-6. 

chisendaledancespace. 

co.uk 

5 

10am-1pm. Join a 

professional choir for 

a Baroque singing 

workshop, Geffrye 

museum. Tickets £25 

geffrye-museum.org.uk 

5 

8pm: Jane by Dufy, 

with Kate Westbrook. 

An evening of song, 

theatre music, improv. 


5 

5-11pm. DJs Eamon 

Harkin & Justin Carter 

host Mister Saturday 

at St John at Hackney 

church. £16.50 tickets 

online at ents24.com 

5 

7.30am-11.30am. Enjoy 

a leisurely, light and 

Fairtrade breakfast 

at the Victoria Park 

Community Centre. 

Suggested £3 donation 

to Fairtrade 

12 

10am-5pm. FREE 

Hackney Museum's 

Our Stories, 

culmination of 6 weeks 

of creative museum 

workshops 

19 

10am -5.45pm. FREE. 

Show your little ones 

the programmes 

you watched as a 

child. The Museum of 

Childhood puts on The 

Clangers, Bagpuss and 

Co. from today until 9 

Oct. vam.ac.uk/moc 

19 

11am- 5pm. £5 for a 

Wellbeing treatment: 

manis, pedis, massage, 

reflexology. Victoria 


Centre, Gore Rd, E9. 

Call or email Brigette, 

0208 985 6012, 

bmts2@tiscali.co.uk 

26 

7.30pm. Richard 

Blackwood and Danny 

'Slim' Gray are Bad 

Boys from today at 

Hackney Empire. 

Tickets £15-27.50 

26 

2.30-4pm. FREE. 

Children's Film Club 

at Dalston CLR James 

Library. Classic and 

new children's films 

for all the family. With 

free popcorn. 

26 

10.30am-1pm or 2.30- 

5pm. The Ace Hotel in 

Shoreditch is having a 

Meticulous Ink Hand 

Lettering Workshop. 

£46.93.acehotel.com 

Weekly 

7-10pm. Marksman, 

Hackney Rd Sunday 

night music sessions 

6 

Mother's Day bubbles 

at Brooksby's Walk, 

Homerton 

13 

10-4pm: Midcentury 

Modern Show at 

Haggerston School. 

60 top dealers for the 

home under one roof. 

modernshows.com/ 

the-shows/haggerstonmar-2016 

20 

Sainsbury's Sport Relief 

Games in The Olympic 

Park. sportrelief.com 

27 

1pm: It's the Boat Race 

– and the Goat Race. 

Spitalfields farm. £10, 

book: thegoatrace.org 

27 

Miracles UK: 50 

Children 50 Artists 

exhib in Whitechapel. 

ideastore.co.uk 

27 

10.30am. Victoria Park 

Model Steamboat Club 

Easter Regatta on the 

boating lake 


Fitness 

biceps. You need to build your 

energy systems – your brain’s 

ability to know what muscle 

fibres it needs to recruit for 

a job – and your connective 

tissue, such as ligaments (that 

link bone to bone) and tendons 

(muscle to bone). You can do 

this by lifting weights lower than 

your maximum with perfect 

form to build strength (and an 

athletic body). 

The Strong Lifts 5x5 system 

(stronglifts.com) works this way. 

You do 5 reps for 5 sets (with 

90 secs between sets) in big 

compound exercises that work 

more than one major muscle 

group at a time. You take the 

weight up a little each session. 

Roger Love, a local personal trainer, 

continues our A-Z of fitness with... L 

Long Runs – This is a specific 

term used in training for events, 

particularly half-marathons 

and marathons. As the name 

suggests, it should be your 

longest run of the week. It 

should be at a steady pace (so 

you can hold a conversation) 

and is to build up your 

aerobic fitness, efficiency and 

endurance. 

Lats – The latissimi dorsi (to give 

them their full name) are like 

wings on both sides of your 

back. They are vital for posture, 

strength, calorie-burning and, 

generally, looking good, but are 

often neglected by gym rats 

who concentrate more on arms 

and chest. 

Great exercises to develop the 

lats (and lots more besides) are 

pull-ups (hands away from you) 

and chin-ups (hands towards 

you) on a bar, such as the ones 

to be found in London Fields, 

Well Street Common and 

Victoria Park. 

To get started at home, 

you could use methods 

recommended by Mark Lauren, 

the American bodyweight guru 

(marklauren.com). He suggests 

using anything stable enough 

to pull yourself up from lying 

flat on floor, such as a table 

or a pole between two raised 

surfaces. Alternatively, hang 

from the doorknobs with your 

feet either side of the door. 

Check those hinges first! 

Ligaments – When building 

strength, we often concentrate 

just on muscle. But there is 

more to power than just bulging 

You will also do Easy Runs (no 

longer than 40 minutes to help 

your legs recover from hard 

training and which should be 

enjoyable); Tempo Runs (harder 

than long runs and for 20mins 

or 30mins), and Speed Work, 

when you run fast (but not 

sprint) for bursts mixed in with 

slower intervals. 

Roger Love is a personal trainer 

based in Netil House, Hackney. 

hackneypt.com 

32 LOVEEAST

Drama and story-telling 

classes for under 5s 

Has your little one 

got the acting bug? 

Join Sam Seager 

(Bobby from Cbeebies 

Me Too!) and her team 

First class is FREE 

Come explore one 

of Hackney’s last 

independent high streets 

Market every Sunday 11-4 

Shops, bars and restaurants 

7 days 

chatsworthroade5.co.uk 

Homerton overground | E5 0LS 

Every Wednesday morning at 

Hackney Forge, 243a Victoria 

Park Road, E9 7HD 

Email Sam at info@actingbugs.co.uk and 

get your child's imagination buzzing 

www.actingbugs.co.uk 

Your safety is 

our concern 

The most comprehensive lock-based service available 

www.empiresecuritylondon.com 020 8986 7921 

8-20 Well Street, London, E9 7PX 


Dental health 

○○ 

Enjoy the hunts, find the Easter eggs, but 

restrict eating them to mealtimes. 

○○ 

Reduce the temptation for children to keep 

snacking on chocolate snacks, distract them 

with games. 

Advertorial 

○○ 

Slip green, orange, and yellow vegetables and 

fruits into fillable plastic Easter eggs (available 

from shops such as Hobbycraft) to help 

children get their vitamins. 

○○ 

Use a family fluoride toothpaste to brush at 

least twice a day. 

○○ 

Night-time brushing is especially important. 

If you spit without rinsing last thing at night, 

the fluoride toothpaste works on repairing the 

damage done to enamel by sugars through the 

day. 

We are giving away free mini tubes of fluoride 

toothpaste to all children who come in during the 

Easter holidays, so do schedule an appointment 

and make sure you pick up some of our toothfriendly 

Easter treats. 

Children up to the age of 18 are entitled to free 

dental care on the NHS. 

A happy, tooth-friendly 

Easter, from the team at 

William Place Dental & 

Cosmetic Practice 

Wishing you a happy Easter from all of us at 

William Place Dental & Cosmetic Practice. 

You can find us at William Place, London, E3 5ED. 

williamplacedental.co.uk 

It’s nearly Easter and we are sure you are looking 

forward to all those fantastic Easter fairs, egg 

hunts, and a never-ending supply of chocolate. 

It's a time of great fun for all the family, but we 

know that many parents worry about the sugar 

intake and, of course, the increased risk of tooth 

decay is a dentist’s nightmare. Here are some 

helpful hints to get you and your family smiling 

healthily through the Easter period. 

34 LOVEEAST

Wellbeing 

The glass is half full 

When we are joyful, energised and in a good 

space, everything else in our life improves. 

We think better, we communicate better, we 

can manage our time better and we deal with 

difficulties better. We are better parents, partners, 

children, carers, friends, colleagues, leaders. 

Did you know that examination of our average 

daily lives shows that for every negative 

experience, we encounter three or more 

moments of joy? The secret is to notice them 

more and to dwell in them. 

I’ve heard parents advise kids to look for the 

simple joy in things, and yet they often don’t 

follow this advice themselves. 

Advertorial 

Many of us have lost the 

ability to see the positive 

side of life, writes life coach 

Karen Liebenguth 

We often struggle to see the joyful things in our 

day. The stuff that tends to drag us down often 

gets all our attention. 

This way of thinking can be attributed to the 

"negativity bias" (a brain which focuses by default 

on negative information). Our brains evolved from 

our hunter-gathering days, when life was all about 

anticipating and avoiding danger. 

Although it seems we’ve evolved a brain that 

routinely tricks us into overestimating threats and 

underestimating rewards and opportunities, the 

brain is highly plastic. It can change and adapt; it 

can be rewired. By focusing on pleasure, we can 

encourage the parts of our brain that notice and 

create sensations of joy, happiness, appreciation, 

to grow and to become stronger. We can rewire it. 

To recognise those simple joys, we need to slow 

down. Savour that first cup of tea or coffee in the 

morning, look out for things to appreciate on our 

way to work (a smile from a neighbour, blossom 

on the tree or a warm greeting from a colleague), 

and take a proper lunch break to help keep 

perspective of your day. 

I also advise clients to keep in touch with their 

passions, and not to put off the simple things they 

enjoy so much. 

Once you practise noticing and appreciating the 

good things, pause for a moment, dwell on the 

pleasure, and really let the experience in. You will 

not only register it in your brain but also sense 

it in your body. The body then sends a signal of 

wellbeing back to your brain, and the more we 

work that "brain muscle" the greater the sense of 

wellbeing we will feel. 

So the next time you feel that life’s a drag, it’s 

really only half of your experience. 

Karen Liebenguth offers 1:1 coaching while 

walking in Victoria Park, 1:1 mindfulness 

training & courses for the workplace & 

mindfulness for stress and chronic pain. 

To book a free taster coaching session email 

karen@greenspacecoaching.com or call 

07815 591279. For more information visit 

greenspacecoaching.com 


Legal eagle 

relationship, and professional advice will provide 

you with options and understanding. 

A living together agreement can record what 

you both intend to put in financially, how you 

live together, who is responsible for what and 

ultimately who takes out what in the event of 

separation. 

Advertorial 

Getting Married 

People continue to get married and to many it 

remains the ultimate promise to make. Couples 

are marrying later in life; in some cases more 

than once, and it can often mean that they bring 

"baggage" with them – the physical results of what 

can be years of hard work. 

Whether you are living 

together or married, a 

financial agreement is 

essential, says Sarah Stace 

It's a fact of life that most decisions have financial 

implications. The decision to share your life with 

someone, whether you marry or not, can carry 

some of the biggest. 

Living Together 

The popularity of couples living together without 

marrying continues to rise and, in a world of ever 

increasing living costs, has become a normal and 

almost necessary step. Despite this, it comes as a 

surprise to many that living together, regardless 

of how long, does not automatically give you 

rights over the assets of your partner. Nor will it 

provide you with financial protection in the event 

of a separation. 

There are, however, steps you can take to 

ensure that you get what you intended from the 

People are unsurprisingly nervous. Not just 

about entrusting their hearts, but also their 

valued possessions, with one another. Prenuptial 

agreements, which document how assets are 

to be divided in the event of separation, are 

becoming the tonic to premarital nerves. Once 

approached with caution, nuptial agreements are 

becoming increasingly popular. Recent case law 

continues to support the trend to allow people 

autonomy in how financial affairs are dealt with if 

happily ever after does not work out as intended. 

A prenuptial agreement can legitimately and 

responsibly protect a family business or property 

acquired prior to the marriage. 

It's never too late, however, and those who are 

already married can enter into a postnuptial 

agreement at any time. 

Far from being romance killers, financial 

agreements encourage couples to be frank and 

honest with each other from the start. They 

provide a building block for your lives together 

and result in a shared understanding of what 

each expects of the other. 

Sarah Stace is a family lawyer at TV 

Edwards. For further information contact 

her on 020 3440 8048, or at 

Sarah.Stace@tvedwards.com 

tvedwards.com, 35-37 Mile End Road 

London, E1 4TP 

36 LOVEEAST

Letterbox Listings 

T H E H A C K N E E Y Y B B U U I L I D L E D RE R 

property refurbishment & & renovation 

E: thehackneybuilder@icloud.com 

If you would like to take out a small ad 

on the Letterbox Listings page, prices 

from just £17.50 per month 

POP Beauty UP treatments TEA STOP for – 10.30am-noon a fiver! Victoria every Park 

Wednesday Community Centre, at Prideaux 9 Gore House, Road. 10 Call Church Sylvia 

Crescent, 020 8985 6571 E9. All or welcome. masonsylvia@hotmail.com 

020 8986 6000 

Experienced, reliable dog dog walker. walker. Fully Fully 

insured, references supplied. supplied. For more For more details 

call details Annabel call Annabel on 07960 483570 on 07960 483570 

Travelling abroad and want to see some art? 

I can advise you on how to see the very best. 

www.douglas@darkstream32.fsnet.co.uk 

MINDFULNESS FOR HEALTH 

8-week Breathworks course starts 25 Oct 

E8 £65 facebook/anasamindfulness 

If you would like to take out a small ad 

on the Letterbox Listings page, prices 

from just £17.50 per month 

I’m an illustrator who who makes beautiful beautiful screen- 

screen-printed bags, postcards, bags, postcards, T-shirts, etc. T-shirts, Take a 

look: etc. Take www.rachelgale.com 

a look: www.rachelgale.com 

THE EVOLUTION LAB 

ARE YOU USING YOUR BODY 

TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL? 

THE EVOLUTION LAB IS A NEW PERSONAL TRAINING FACILITY IN HACKNEY 

WITH A UNIQUE AIM: TO HELP YOU MOVE YOUR BODY THE WAY NATURE 

INTENDED SO YOU CAN GET STRONGER, FASTER, MORE FLEXIBLE, AND MORE 

PHYSICAL. 

WE’VE WORKED WITH PRO ATHLETES ON DEVELOPING SPORT-SPECIFIC 

PERFORMANCE, ACTORS NEEDING TO SHAPE THEIR BODIES FOR FILM ROLES, 

AND PEOPLE FROM ALL BACKGROUNDS LOOKING TO LIVE HEALTHIER LIVES. 

WHATEVER YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS GOALS MAY BE, WE WANT TO HELP 

YOU ACHIEVE THEM. 

WWW.THEEVOLUTIONLAB.CO.UK 

INFO@THEEVOLUTIONLAB.CO.UK | 07765 525655 


Useful numbers 

Police 

Emergency 999 

Non-emergency 101 

Safer Neighbourhood 020 8721 2937 

Utilities 

Gas - emergency 0800 111 999 

Electrical - power loss 0800 404090 

Thames Water 0872 435 5973 

Health 

NHS Direct 111 

Homerton Hospital 020 8510 5555 

Royal London Hospital 020 7377 7000 

Clockwork Pharmacy 020 8985 1717 

Borno Pharmacy 020 8981 0600 

Hackney Council numbers 

General number 020 8356 3000 

Council tax enquiries 020 8356 3154 

Parking enquiries 020 8356 8877 

Waste removal 020 8356 6688 

Tower Hamlets Council numbers 

General number 020 7364 5020 

Council tax enquiries 020 7364 5002 

Parking enquiries 020 7364 5003 

Waste removal 020 7364 5004 

Local councillors/MP 

Local councillors (Victoria) 020 8356 3373 

MP (Meg Hillier) 020 7219 5325 

Library 

Hackney Central Library 020 8356 4358 

Bethnal Green Library 020 7364 3492 

Victoria Park 

Park Services (24/7) 020 8985 5699 

Victoria Park rangers 020 7364 4172 

Travel 

National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950 

Congestion Charge 0343 222 2222 

Transport for London 0343 222 1234 

Vet 

Goddard's, Well Street 020 8986 3918 

PDSA, Bow 020 8980 5011 

Wanstead Veterinary 020 8989 7744 

Hospital 

The Hackney Vet 020 8533 6554 

LoveEast is proud 

to support local 

businesses. If 

you do contact 

someone after 

seeing their 

advertisement 

on these pages, 

please mention it 

to them when you call. 

Why advertise with us? 

Every month the magazine is delivered to 

10,000 households in E9, E8, E2 and E3, as 

well as to local shops, restaurants and cafés in 

Victoria Park, Hackney Wick, Broadway Market 

and Roman Road. Readership runs into many 

thousands more (between 25,000-30,000). 

The magazine is full of great articles and 

essential information and is a handy guide 

to local businesses and services, as well as 

giving details about what’s on in the area. It’s 

something to keep through the month and 

is unlikely to go in the recyle bin along with 

doordrop leaflets. It's therefore a very effective 

way to promote your business to a targeted, 

local audience. 

If you would like to advertise, please contact 

us at: 

07752 288 405 

sales@nutshellpublications.co.uk 

Twitter: @LoveEastMag 

Facebook: facebook.com/LoveEastMag 

Next issue – April 

Copy deadline – 5 March 

38 LOVEEAST

VITALITY RUN HACKNEY 

8TH MAY 2016 

SIGN UP AT 

WWW.STFH.ORG.UK/HACKNEY 

@STJOHOSPICE 

TEL: 020 8525 3200 WWW.STJH.ORG.UK

The east end has changed 

So should your estate agent 

daveystone.com 

Estate Agents for the East End

March 2016

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