LoveEast.57

Sept/Oct 2020
ISSUE 57
Free
Anyone who thinks
fallen leaves are
dead has never
watched them dancing
on a windy day.
- Shira Jamir
Your East London: People | Food | Culture

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| Your East London: People, Food, Culture
Hello East London! How's everyone doing?
As we head into Autumn and the nights begin to draw in,
it seems the right time to highlight some good reads with
three soon-to-be published books that caught our eye.
The Bank Job chronicles the story of Hoe Street Central
Bank: a thought-provoking read, to say the least. On a
lighter note, Towpath is full of delicious recipes, and then
there’s the eagerly awaited Tube Mapper project - an
absolute delight.
We also have an interview with music duo Tale of Two
and meet the producer of the acclaimed short film
Stationary.
Roger Love shares some Autumn fitness tips; The Gentle
Author has some great images of Tessa Hunkin's new
mosaic in Haggerston; Sean Gubbins walks us through the
Boundary Estate in Shoreditch and Michele Scarr provides
some great tips on freezing all that fruit and veg that
many of you have grown over the summer.
And, of course, some yum for the tum from Central Park
Cafe's Sophie Downer, while Mark Wincott samples
Caribbean street food cooked and delivered by Zara's
Treats.
More seriously, in the current climate it’s touch-and-go for
the future survival of many businesses, and that includes
LoveEast. We need at a minimum to break even to cover
production costs, including print. And to do that, we
rely on advertising revenue. We are incredibly grateful
to those who have been able to stick by us but, at the
moment, we are struggling to meet our costs, so if you
are able to advertise with us please get in touch.
We may be pared down these days but at least we're
still here - for now. With your support, long may that
continue.
Cheers,
Kaz
Inside
East Life
4
8
Mark Wincott sits down with
music duo Tale of Two
James Al-Mudallal meets
Walthamstow filmmaker
Jonathan Caicedo-Galindo
Paper Ships
12
14
20
The Bank Job: The story
behind Hoe Street Central Bank
Ian Chambers meets The Tube
Mapper
Culinary delights from
The Towpath
Et Cetera
10 Michele Scarr on nutrition
18 The Gentle Author
22 Sean Gubbins Walks Hackney
23 Roger Love on Fitness
24 Food, glorious food
26 Parting shot
Editor
Karen ‘Kaz’ Ay
Copy editor
Yolanda Powell
Crafted by
chomp.me.uk
Printed in East
London by
Premier Print Group
Contributors
Ian Chambers
James Al-Mudallal
Mark Wincott
Michele Scarr
Roger Love
Sean Gubbins
Sophie Downer
The Gentle Author
Tod Kavonic
Cover image: Vitalijs Barilo via Unsplash
This page and page 26: Tod Kavonic
How to get in touch
E: karen@chomp.me.uk
T: 07590 609 557
Socials
W: loveeast.london
T: @LoveEastMag
IG: @loveeastmag
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business; we offer affordable rates and we reach 12,000
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End Trades Guild.
THE SMALL PRINT
LoveEast Magazine is produced and published by Chomp
Creative Limited. While every effort has been made to
ensure accuracy, we do not accept liability for any errors
or omissions, nor do we endorse companies, products
or services that appear in this magazine. ©2020 Chomp
Creative Limited. All rights reserved. No reproduction can be
made without permission from Chomp Creative Limited. Be
kind to the planet; please recycle.
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 3

| East life
Tale of Two:
a musical
torch for
dark times
and dark
places
Tale of Two are a dark folk duo: Alfie Jackson (ex-
Holloways frontman turned songwriter/producer) and
multi-talented writer and performer Gemma Rogers.
Think broken-hearted lyrics citing famous poets meets
eerie music with classical leanings to create a rich and
intoxicating soundscape. Mark Wincott finds out what's
behind the name.
Afternoon, how did Tale of Two begin, where did
you meet and what was the first session together
like?
G: Afternoon Mark, thanks for having us. We
met at a gig in Islington several years ago now,
watched each other play, went for chips and a
cider and, after chats and maybe a second cider,
decided we wanted to work together. Alfie now
lives in Austria and I’m in London so a lot of our
writing is done remotely.
A: Yeah, we met at The Old Queen’s Head near
Angel. Clicked straight away. First session we
wrote ‘Broken’ and the next day ‘Angels’… so
pretty good.
Describe your music. What makes you unique?
A: Our music is dark folk. We sing together man
4 LOVEEAST
and woman and we sing against each other man
and woman. We make an internal and external
critique of the world and its inhabitants with a
strong sense of right and wrong, diluted with
determination and hope.
Your debut EP is out, tell us the story behind the
creative process, where was it recorded?
G: We wrote the first two tracks of Angels and
Demons from the same room when Alfie was in
London and the next two when he was back in
Austria and I was here. The ideas were bandied
back and forth via Googledrive and Evernote. Alfie
lays down the music at his home studio and then I
lay down my vocals with whoever of my pals with
recording facilities I can rope in. I send that back
to Alfie who then weaves in the magic and Bob’s
your uncle.

| East life
A: The creative process just means us getting
together and writing freely with the guitar, on the
street and in the pub and over faceskypetime app.
We never question what we do. We feel and think
something and carve it out very quickly. Most of it
has been recorded in our bedrooms.
What can we expect from this EP and where can
we buy it?
G: Four tracks: ‘Angels’, ‘Broken’, ‘Lovelust’ and
‘Demons’. Listeners might journey with us on a
lyrical path via relationship dissections and painful
truths. But there is a possible light in the moody
darkness. It’s a sort of aural
equivalent of a succulent
peach at the end of a very
stodgy risotto. You can buy
it on Bandcamp.
A: Yeah, Bandcamp needs
your money. You can expect
sadness, despair, imagery,
atmosphere, warnings,
twisting haunting melodies,
hopeful outcomes, strength
and resolve.
Who directed the music
video for ‘Demons’ and
why was it the last single
released from the EP?
G: Alfie actually put the
montage together for
‘Demons’. He is the clever
lad - with the patience of a
saint, I might add. It’s the
last track of this EP because we felt it had the
same foundations as the previous three tracks.
The next four are different; we wrote them with
changed mindsets.
A: Like most things we do - not planned as such
but we just follow our heart.
Do you have any particular lyrical themes?
G: We pontificate about our relationships, love,
lust and hate and all the grey areas in between.
We talk about our place on Earth, we write about
clinging on to the right and the wrong but also
about how hard that is sometimes. Hope is a
recurring theme too.
A: Honesty. Life. Death. Depression and despair.
Climate. Politics and its lack of soul. Gambling.
Poetry references. Historical references.
Mythology. Infidelity. War. Secrets. The city.
Favourite lyric you have written and also by
someone else?
A: “if we leave our lovers, then we’ll leave each
other too” – ‘Lovelust’ - Tale of Two
“At my most beautiful, I count your eyelashes
secretly” – ‘At My Most Beautiful’ - REM
G: "You follow the piper but he’s turned his back,
the captain jumped shipped long before all the
rats.” ‘Demons’ - Tale of Two
"What makes a house grand, oh, it ain't the roof or
the doors, If there's love in a
house, it's a palace for sure.”
‘House Where Nobody
Lives’ - Tom Waits
It’s just true isn’t it? I’ve
lived in many different
homes but I can honestly
say that where I am now is
the best I’ve been in and I
feel very grateful.
What is the first song you
both remember as a child?
G: Got to be something
by The Carpenters or Cat
Stevens. ‘Top of the world’
or ‘Peace Train’. Both
immediately transport me
back.
A: One I started singing that
I made up when I was old
enough to stand - ‘singing
round the mushroom tree’.
Who are you both influenced by, in music and life?
A: Music - Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Bowie,
Beach Boys, Smiths, Cure, Smashing Pumpkins,
Radiohead, Supergrass, Strokes
G: Musically I’m into energy, the feeling you get
off the artist. I like lyrics that tell you stories, I like
poetic writers. I’m into Patti Smith and Tom Waits
and Ian Dury and Leonard Cohen. I’m listening
to The Idles at the moment, discovered them at
Glastonbury 2019. They remind me of my teenage
years and it gives me this nostalgic adrenaline I
dig. I’m influenced by loads of things.
Images: opposite: Ben Donoghue, top: Adam Rogers, bottom: courtesy of Sofa Sounds
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 5

| East life
What is the hardest part of being a musician…and
the best?
A: The wages are the hardest part and the fact
that people take music for granted and don’t
want to pay for something that brings them joy
everyday but they’ll happily pay £5 a pint.
The best? Writing songs. Music is pure magic.
G: The best thing is that there's no right or wrong.
I love being able to combine satisfying melodies
with lyrical themes that are relevant and ending
up with something I feel proud of. Music and
writing lyrics help me to make sense of what I’m
feeling. Hardest thing I suppose is that, if you’re
not gigging and you’re just putting music out
without being able to see the whites of people’s
eyes, you don’t get that instant response which
helps drive the energy into new projects.
What have you both learned about yourself during
this time, also what are you doing to keep sane
during these isolation periods?
A: I am darker than I thought. I have experienced
worse than I let on. I am lucky I can address my
dark side for art and communication of necessary
messages but remain happy.
G: I can spend entire days doing not much at all
but the minutes and hours still pass by. I've been
reading and listening to podcasts and tackling
a piece of writing I’ve been working at for four
years which is very satisfying. I’ve set up online
workshops for kids, which is helping me to
maintain some sort of routine. I’ve also learnt that
I can easily sleep 12 hours a night, but I think I
knew that anyway to be honest.
In physical life you played Sofa Sounds a few
times, what’s the experience like?
G: They’re great gigs. Quiet and intimate, which I
think adds to the intensity of some of our themes.
A: Amazing. Superb. A dream. I just wish the love
on the night carried over into people becoming
addicted fans on our socials.
Any plans to do an online gig?
G: I did a solo gig recently that I live streamed
through Facebook for the Strummerville
Foundation. That was cool but Alfie and I live
in different countries, so a bit harder without
all the software in place, however. Did you see
Alfie’s clever ‘transnational pre-recorded live
performance’ he did for ‘Demons’? Go watch it –
6 LOVEEAST
it’s the closest thing we have so far. We do plan to
do more so watch this space.
Favourite East London music venue and your goto
place for food?
G: I enjoyed a night out at EartH on the Stokey
road before the shutdown and for food I’ve got to
say Tayyabs – easily the best curry house in East
London.
A: I live in Austria now. I’d say Macbeth for
nostalgia. Food… hmmm… I get pissed first and
go to that chicken and burger place between Old
Street and the Kingsland Road.
G: I’d just like to add that I’m NEVER with him
when he frequents that fast food establishment
Future plans?
A: World domination. Release more music and
album. Tour. Be recognised for the great act that
we are, making original and challenging music,
and being two very honest performers.
G: Our second EP has four brand new tracks
we’re very excited about, so we’ll put that out
this year and we’ve started working on a musical
we discussed when we first met. With more time
on our hands, we figured it was time to start
exploring what that might look like.
TO FIND OUT MORE
W: taleoftwoband.tumblr.com
E: wearetwotheband@gmail.com
FOLLOW
T: @taleoftwoband
IG: @taleoftwoband/
FB: @taleoftwoband/
WATCH
YT: youtube.com/channel/
UC2BlIW3X4OMjVKEl30mPgiQ/featured
LISTEN
Spotify: Search for Tale of Two
Bandcamp: taleoftwoband.bandcamp.com
Mark Wincott is a born and bred East Londoner. A
recovering grunger, music gives him peace of mind. He's a
lover of pie mash liquor, likes the smell of rain and has written
articles on music, MMA, Pro Wrestling and dealing with
anxiety. "I'm unique and different just like everyone else".
Follow Mark on twitter @Tattooed_Ginge
and Instagram @tattooed.ginge

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LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 7

| East life
James Al-Mudallal gets under the hood with
Walthamstow filmmaker Jonathan Caicedo-Galindo,
to talk about the short film Stationary
Images: Daniel D. Moses
Recently I enjoyed having the opportunity of
interviewing Jonathan Caicedo-Galindo, a 27-yearold
who helped produce the acclaimed short film
Stationary.
Colombian-born Jonathan, who was raised in
Walthamstow, has a background of documentary
filmmaking for the BBC, Channel 4, Sky Arts and
a number of online platforms, and has always had
a keen interest in filmmaking. He began his career
after completing a degree in Film Studies at the
University of Winchester.
Back in 2017, while attending a networking event
for short film makers, he met Louis Chan who told
him he was in the middle of writing a short drama.
“We did the usual thing of swapping details at the
event,” said Jonathan.
“A few months later, I got an email from Louis
saying that he’d now finished the script and, if
I liked it, would I come onboard to produce the
film.”
8 LOVEEAST
“Up until Louis’ email, I’d always been more
involved in documentary making. But when I read
the script for Stationary, I knew this would be a
really interesting project so I had to get involved.”
Jonathan met Louis at a Colombian restaurant
in Seven Sisters, where the pair talked about the
filmmaker’s script and how they could shoot it.
What followed was a kickstarter to raise film
production funds and a speedy month-long
casting process whereby they took on actors
Aaron Thomas Ward, Rebekah Murrell and Xavien
Russell as the three lead characters, Jimmy, Che
and Gino.
Stationary is a film both small in duration and
actual location, with most of the action based in a
parked car. However, this London drama, written
and directed by Louis, has a surprisingly complex
and enthralling script.
During the course of one afternoon, the audience
follows the progress of Jimmy, a reformed drug
dealer, now recently returned from university.

| East life
Against the backdrop of an atmospheric sound
track, Jimmy confronts Che, his former drugdealing
partner in crime, and her younger brother
Gino, in an attempt to make Che realise the path
she’s going down can only lead to bad things.
Talking about the drama, Jonathan said: “Me and
the others in the crew couldn’t directly relate to
the situation Jimmy, Che and Gino are in, but we
could see that there are moments in all our lives
when we’re in our early 20s where things happen,
with us maybe making certain mistakes that we
sometimes live to regret. Stationary is a good
example of people learning from their mistakes
before it’s too late.”
The film was shot in Kilburn in a dead-end street
and, according to Jonathan, “was actually fairly
quick” with the 12 minutes all being wrapped up in
“about three days.”
But Jonathan explained that although filming
was “painless” and “there was always a good
atmosphere on set,” post-production the film had
to deal with a new challenge.
“We started our festival run at the end of 2019 but
then in February/March, the world stopped with
Covid, so there was a level of uncertainty after lots
of film festivals were postponed, cancelled or just
silent.”
It was then that Jonathan, Louis and the rest of the
team decided to put Stationary online, and since
June the film has already gained several award
wins and nominations and was selected for film
festivals in Ireland, LA, London and Wales.
“When it came to releasing Stationary online, there
was a kind of anxiousness about it, with us all
wondering, will people get it? Will they understand
it? But it’s been up for over a month now and it’s
had a good reception.”
The film has now had more than 127,000 views
online, rising daily. Aaron Thomas Ward and
Rebekah Murrell have both won awards for their
parts in it.
As for the future, Jonathan now hopes to both
produce and direct his own film sometime
between the end of 2020 and early 2021.
TO FIND OUT MORE
W: stationaryfilm.com
T: @joncaigal
IG: stationaryshortfilm
Showreel: vimeo.com/253503524
WATCH THE FILM
youtube.com/watch?v=WSvsRe4hqCs
James Al-Mudallal is a freelance writer, DJ and
journalist for East London Radio. He's also a massive
creative and motion picture addict who is always
interested in film news from Britain to Hollywood.
T: @Jamesalmud
IG: james.al
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 9

| Wellness
Freezing fruit and veg: what you need to know
It seems we are a nation of gardeners and during
lockdown many have turned their hands to
gardening and discovered green fingers! And for
once we have a summer of glorious sunshine to
give us a glut of fruit and vegetables. Here’s some
tips on how to freeze your harvest and avoid food
waste.
• Most raw veg won’t freeze and defrost very well
so it’s best to steam, braise, roast or blanch first
to ensure a better result. Cool completely before
freezing.
• Separate florets, berries, beans etc and spread
them out on a tray before freezing then you can
bag them up together once frozen and just take
out what you need rather than a big clump.
• Your frozen veggies will keep for about three
months.
Potatoes, roots and squash
• Mash freezes really well and can be frozen in
useful portions. This goes for potatoes, parsnips,
swede, celeriac, carrots, sweet potatoes or
squash. Defrost and reheat gently in a pan or
use for fishcakes or pie toppings.
• Blanch and steam in chunks or chips and freeze
individually on a tray ready to be bagged up
once frozen.
Cauliflower, broccoli, beans, courgettes, peppers
and peas
• Cut into florets and slices or pod, and steam or
blanch in boiling water for a couple of minutes
until tender, then plunge into cold water to stop
the cooking process and keep that lovely vibrant
colour. Once cooled, dry and lay out on the tray
to freeze.
Cabbage, kale, chard and spinach
• Freezing kale or spinach raw is ok to throw
into a smoothie (for extra fibre) but they will
crumble. For cooking, trim and prepare the
tougher leaves and stems to be blanched in
boiling salty water until wilted. But look out,
10 LOVEEAST
this can take just moments for the tender leafy
greens (a bit longer for the thicker leaves).
Plunge into cold water to stop them cooking
and then squeeze them to remove as much
water as possible. Then portion or chop and
freeze until you are ready to add to bolognese,
soups or curries.
Tomatoes and mushrooms
• Tomatoes are best cooked into a sauce first
and, likewise, mushrooms are best cooked then
frozen, ready to be added to a vegetable chilli,
soup or pie.
Whilst you can freeze your fruit raw ready to be
popped into smoothies and cakes, you can lose
the textures of some fruits in the process, so here’s
some fruit freezing tips:
Bananas
Simply peel and freeze them whole (they are easy
to break in half from frozen) or slice and freeze
so they are ready to throw into the blender for
smoothies, ice creams or mousses.
Berries, grapes, kiwis, melon, pineapples
Peel, slice and freeze on a tray to prevent sticking
together, then bag up ready for smoothies, sorbets
and juices.
Stone fruits, apples, pears
These can be sliced and frozen on a tray or stew
with some cinnamon, ready for a crumble or
compote (extra beneficial for your gut health too!)
Make sure it is cooled down before freezing.
Rhubarb and gooseberries
Best stewed before freezing with a little stevia,
xylitol or cinnamon to your taste.
Citrus
Zest or juice oranges or lemons and freeze into
handy ice cubes. Let’s not forget to slice and
freeze lemon and lime for those gin and tonic
sundowners.
Michele is a registered Nutritionist, Health Coach and Lecturer.
To book a complementary health and nutrition session go to
nutritioneast.london/contact and choose a convenient time.
W: nutritioneast.london FB: @nutrition.east.london
E: nutritioneast@gmail.com IG: @nutrition.east.london
Image: Tristan Gevaux via Unsplash

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LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 11

| Paper ships
Bank Job: art as activism
May 2019. In the shadow of the towers of London’s financial
centre, Canary Wharf, a golden Ford Transit van explodes.
With this single act, £1.2 million of high interest ‘toxic debt’ is
cancelled for a London community.
Artistic strategies as a form of protest and as a
way to effect change have been used by many
over the years. Contemporary artists Jane and
Louise Wilson's 1999 Turner Prize nominated video,
Gamma, and the Greenham Common women
themselves come to mind, as does The Children
of Don Quixotes' red tents along the Seine, the
Occupy movement, Extinction Rebellion and Bob
and Roberta Smith, to name but a few. After all,
part of an artist’s gift is to reimagine and represent
ideas for us to contemplate and consider,
and Bank Job does exactly that.
The book tells the white-knuckle adventure story
of a London-based couple who were fed up with
an economic structure that pushed creative people
to the fringes.
Influenced by the Strike Debt movement in the
US, which opened their eyes to the dark heart of
the financial system, they set up a printing press in
a disused bank in Walthamstow and printed their
own banknotes.
The faces of local unsung heroes in their
community replaced the traditional historical
figures we are used to seeing on bank notes, and,
when the notes were sold as Art, half the proceeds
went to these local stalwarts and half for the
purchase and destruction of local high interest
debt.
The movement engaged a wealth of both local and
global support, showing in no uncertain terms the
widespread desire to free everyday people from
the opaque language and corrupt traps of loans, in
a country where it has become harder and harder
to pay bills on time. In the UK, one in eight civilians
is classified as working poor.
Both a daring tale and a deeply personal memoir,
this book opens with honest reflections on the
authors’ own experiences of debt through the
eyes of their childhood to their own adult life, and
goes on to examine the wider impact of a society
12 LOVEEAST
that for generations has entangled the concept of
money with a person’s identity. Furthermore, for
many readers it will be an empowering education
about money.
Dan and Hilary write in the book, ‘If 85% of
our politicians don’t understand how money is
created there is an urgent need for some farreaching
economic education not only to help us
understand the system as it is but to take the next
step in reimagining it.’
Whatever political mast you pin your colours to,
this is a thought-provoking read.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Hilary Powell’s work ranges from audio-visual
epics, supported by Acme and Henry Moore
Foundation, to print works collected by V&A
and MoMA. She has a track record of involving
diverse communities in making art - from public
participation in the production of a pop-up book
of the Lower Lea Valley to large-scale print
collaborations with demolition workers and material
scientists as Artist in Residence at UCL Chemistry.
Dan Edelstyn is an English documentary filmmaker,
screenwriter and singer with The Orchestra of
Cardboard.
GET THE BOOK
Bank Job
by Hilary Powell & Daniel Edelstyn
Publication date: 17 September 2020
Paperback original • £14.99
Pre-order through your favourite local bookshop
TO FIND OUT MORE
W: https://bankjob.pictures
T: BankJobPictures
FB: @bankjobfilm
Image: Ethan McArthur via Unsplash

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LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 13

| Paper ships
Meeting the
Luke Agbaimoni is
project capturing p
and transport netw
calendar and soon,
met him to find out
Saffy The Cat Waits - Brockley
How did this all start?
I went to art school and studied graphic design
because I thought that would be a wiser route,
financially, than the traditional art route and I
became a graphic designer, working from an
office near the Excel centre, next to Royal Victoria
Dock. I fell in love with the docklands – it’s one
of the nicest places to experience the sunset in
14 LOVEEAST
London, because you’re surrounded by open
water. Especially Royal Victoria Dock, with a bridge
across from where you can see incredible sights.
It was around that time that I got into
photography. I’d walk around in my lunch break,
with a camera, taking picture of the docklands.
I very much like reflections, juxtaposed with
buildings and water at night – you get nice neon

| Paper ships
Tube Mapper
the photographer behind a
hotos of London Tube stations
ork, culminating in a website,
his first book. Ian Chambers
more.
colours and a weird representation of something
that’s very familiar.
At that time, there was a competition run by the
DLR with the theme “real views”. I entered the
competition and, luckily, I won. The prize was
an Olympus camera – my first serious camera.
It pushed me in the direction of taking it more
seriously.
Do you still use that camera?
I love Olympus, but that was a long time ago and
technology has moved on; I now shoot with a
Sony. But as the saying goes, the most important
camera is the one you have on you. If you spend a
fortune on some crazy gear, but you never take it
out, what’s the point? So, you buy something that’s
comfortable for you to carry.
My first child was on the way about four years
ago and I realised my free time taking pictures
of sunsets was probably going to disappear, and
I needed a new project to fit around my new
lifestyle, and the TubeMapper project was born.
I realised I could take pictures on my daily
commute, taking different routes to and from
work, and make a collection of photos.
What sort of response did you get to the
Tubemapper website?
I put the site up and wasn’t sure what interest this
would have. I assumed rail enthusiasts, architects
and historians might be interested. The tube
network is like a living museum that you’re walking
through, and then you’ve got the contrast of
modern architecture. You normally have five million
daily users going through these places every day,
sharing these daily experiences - there’s beautiful
tiling, staircases, symmetry, the colours. When
I post a picture, it’s amazing how many people
recognise it and say, “yeah, I love that”.
People who wouldn’t normally even talk to each
other on the Tube were responding to me and
telling me great places to go to get a picture.
Someone told me that at Embankment you can
stand in a particular place and see the London
Eye arching over the Underground roundel. These
places have great, deep meaning for us.
I see in your photos you love reflections and
symmetry in particular?
I quite like to capture a different perspective
on something, like lower down, from a child’s
perspective. When it’s raining, I think it’s amazing,
especially at night in the city, you start to see
things by shape and effect. It becomes more
powerful and abstract.
Is there a particular “perfect shot” which you were
really pleased to get?
“Perfectly central at St Paul’s” - it has old red
and white tiling and so, if you time it with the
train in the middle between the pillars, you get
the abstract image of alternate red/white/red/
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 15

| Paper ships
Double Decker Trains - Canning Town
Waiting For Trains - Liverpool Street
white… It’s powerful because of
its simplicity, but also a difficult
shot, to get it when the train is
exactly in the centre.
So, you went from a website and
social media to a calendar for
2020?
It was requested by many
people and, being a graphic
designer, I could put it together
myself. The hardest thing
was choosing just 12 pictures,
but it was well received, and
meant I was interacting with
people about the pictures,
about the ones they like, about
their favourite station. So, for
instance, the August picture is
Saffy, the cat living at Brockley
station, who seems to be waiting
for a train! It’s quite nice to have
people enjoy these big parts of
London. The Underground is the
heartbeat of the city.
After the memorable 2020
calendar, there’s another
planned for next year, and a
book too?
It was always an idea that
could happen, and it has just
happened organically. I thought
about a book for each line, but
then I thought collections of
types of photos; so, for the first
book – reflections, covering
different stations. I’ve also
got poetry in there too, which
people submitted to me online.
Ian Chambers FRSA is a long-time resident of East London and has been
a charity trustee and school governor. In 2013 he established East London
Radio, the area's first ever radio station run by and for the local community,
giving a positive message about our area.
To find out more: yes@eastlondonradio.org.uk
Images: Luke Agbaimoni
TO FIND OUT MORE
W: tubemapper.com
T: @tubemapper
IG: @tubemapper
The Tube Mapper Project
is due to come out at the
beginning of October and will be
available at all good bookshops.
16 LOVEEAST

P R O J E C T G R E E N T H U M B
07453 421 377
T H E ' U R B A N G A R D E N '
S P E C I A L I S T S
www.projectgreenthumb.co.uk
Coaching for
lifestyle,
career
and fitness
thebestmeproject.com
@projectgreenthumbuk
Project Green Thumb
M ICHELE S C ARR
CNM DIP NUT CNHC mBANT
I help people struggling with
energy, hormones, weight &
and attractive again.
www.nutritioneast.london
nutritioneast@mail.com
(+44) 7984 149089
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 17

| The Gentle Author
Tessa Hunkin’s
new mosaic
in Haggerston
18 LOVEEAST

| The Gentle Author
Tessa Hunkin and mosaic expert Walter Bernadin at work.
Tessa places the final mosaic tile
Images courtesy of The Gentle Author
you are seeking a destination for your
daily walk you can do no better than
direct your footsteps towards Haggerston
where Tessa Hunkin and the Hackney
Mosaic Project‘s largest ever mosaic was
recently completed on the Acton Estate.
Eight months of work by Tessa and her team
reached its spectacular culmination in late June as
mosaic specialist Walter Bernadin laboured from
early morning to install their latest masterpiece
before the sun reached its full heat. Funded
by the developers who have redeveloped part
of the post-war estate, the mosaic forms the
centrepiece to the shopping parade at the heart
of the neighbourhood, which takes its name
from Nathaniel Acton who owned the land in the
eighteenth century.
Drawing inspiration from Haggerston’s rural past,
Tessa’s design evokes the natural world, illustrating
the farm animals and fruit trees that once were
here. A closer study reveals hidden initials of local
people who were each responsible for different
aspects of the work – the animals, plants and birds.
Once the new mosaic was installed, a small crowd
of residents gathered to admire it, appreciative of
its lyrical finesse and elegant detail, which alleviate
the surrounding acres of paving, concrete and
brick. In such grim and lonely times in the city,
everyone was heartened and uplifted to witness
this flourishing of creativity and community spirit,
enhancing the urban environment for years to
come. It is a symbol of renewal.
The mosaic can be found outside 224 Haggerston
Road, E8 4HT
THE HACKNEY MOSAIC PROJECT is seeking
commissions, so if you would like a mosaic please
get in touch: hackneymosaic@gmail.com
The Gentle Author writes daily about the culture of East
London at spitalfieldslife.com.
You can also follow @thegentleauthor on twitter.
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 19

| Paper ships
Regent Canal's hidden gem, Towpath has a book
Walk along Regent’s Canal from November to February and you will pass four mysterious,
shuttered kiosks, adorned with large, painted coots, lying dormant in the inhospitable winter
months. As spring approaches, the shutters open to reveal one of the most prized hidden gems in
London – Towpath, a waterside eatery that, even in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the
world, has no website, no phone and no takeaway; yet it thrives.
Towpath: Recipes & Stories, by founders Lori De Mori and
Laura Jackson, captures the ebb and flow of the restaurant’s
ever-changing menus and waterside community, with Laura's
distinct, seasonal recipes alongside beautifully written stories
by Lori and photography that captures the vibrancy of
Towpath throughout the arc of a season.
Started ten years ago, the restaurant first gained a reputation
for its exceptional cheese toastie, which was cooked at Lori’s
flat across the canal. Laura, who trained at Rochelle Canteen,
has a passion for seasonal food, jams and chutneys, and Lori,
who had previously made a career as food writer, turned
her attention to the carefully considered ambience and
experience at Towpath.
Stumbled upon by newcomers and held dear by the
community of regulars, Towpath has become a unique and
beloved destination. If you haven't been, check it out and, in
the meantime, get the book when it comes out in October. It
deserves a prominent place in the kitchen not only as a recipe book but a reminder of what is truly
important in life - good food, face-to-face conversation and a quiet place to disconnect and watch
the world go by.
GET THE BOOK
Towpath: Recipes and Stories
By Lori De Mori and Laura Jackson
£25.00 - Publication date: 1 October, 2020
20 LOVEEAST

NEW GROWING
COMMUNITY IN
HACKNEY WICK.
CHECK IT OUT
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 21

| Walk Hackney with Sean Gubbins
22 LOVEEAST
Walk the Commute
we emerge from lockdown, do we
risk catching the dreaded virus using
public transport or find another form
of getting around? Much is being
made of the opportunity lockdown offers to
increase cycling. But, however much the benefits
for ‘cycling and walking’ are uttered in the same
breath, riding a bike does not suit all. Walking,
of course, has one advantage over cycling: apart
from good shoes, it requires no financial outlay on
special equipment. Walking too is physically good
for us, counting towards the WHO’s recommended
150 minutes of weekly moderate-intensity
exercise. In walking, we use almost every muscle
in the body: leg muscles to initiate and control
movement; core muscles to stabilise the body.
Walking for extended periods of time with low
impact offers minimal risk of injury.
Getting to places on foot is a reliable form of
transport. Working in Croydon, I knew I could walk
from my Hackney home to the platform at London
Bridge in 55 minutes exactly! How long would the
bus take? Yes, it was a long walk, but it cleared
the head in the morning, gave me time on my
own to think, get familiar with the local area, be
intrigued by its history and architecture, notice it
changing and make memories: never will I forget
the first time my commute by Shanks’s pony took
me through the striped, circular splendour of the
Boundary Estate.
Walking from Hackney to London is nothing new.
As a young man in 1715, Dudley Ryder, future
Solicitor General in Robert Walpole’s government,
used to walk to and from his home in Homerton
to London more than once per day. In the 1850s,
if they did not take the daily omnibus from The
Swan next door, the men of the Neilson family,
West India merchants, would often walk to the City
from their house, now the site of Summit Estate
opposite Clapton Common.
According to a report brought out in 1855,
400,000 people (14% of Londoners at the time)
walked to the City daily. The number far exceeded
every other means of travel into London; this was
before there was the
Underground or trams.
This figure was unearthed
by David Harrison of
Living Streets, founded
91 years ago as The
Pedestrian Association,
to represent the rights of
pedestrians and promote
In walking,
we use
almost every
muscle in
the body
road safety. With the launch in September
of Central London Footways, Living Streets
(livingstreets.org.uk) is prompting Londoners to
return to walking as the most enjoyable, efficient
and healthy option for getting around our city.
Central London Footways is a network of quiet and
interesting streets for walking, laid out in a map
created by Urban Good. If you look at this map
(footways.london/) you will see that a number of
routes are suggested through Hoxton, Shoreditch,
Haggerston and De Beauvoir. Maybe with time,
Living Streets will produce supplements covering
the rest of Hackney as well as other surrounding
boroughs.
Due to current social distancing guidance, Walk
Hackney’s walks have been suspended until
further notice. Please check for resumption at
walkhackney.co.uk
Imaage: Sean Gubbins

| Roger Love on Fitness
Six ideas
to keep your fitness-drive going this autumn
Image: Marcus Ng via Unsplash
Take this push-up challenge.
Start a timer. Do 1 push-up
during the first minute; do 2
push-ups during the second; 3
during the third, 4 in the fourth,
5 in the fifth and so on until you
can't go on. It will take between
7 and 30 minutes, I reckon. It
sounds a bit silly with 1 push-up
in the first minute, but it does
really work. A client did it the
other day and failed on the 13th
push-up in 13th minute... Good
luck.
Read Fast Asleep by Dr Michael
Mosley. The BBC doctor who
wrote the Fast Diet turns his
attention to sleep, offering
practical, nutritional and medical
ideas in his unique down-toearth
style. I find that when I
am tired, others things - such
as exercise and nutrition - get
harder. I am low on energy and
make poorer decisions. So,
this was the first book I read in
lockdown and now refer back to
it regular. A great primer.
Do short, fast, intense cardio.
Try a Tabata, a four-minute
training method that is great
for improving your fitness. It
involves eight sets of maximumeffort
intervals, with 10 seconds
of rest in between. It brings
tremendous increases in aerobic
fitness and it torches calories
for hours afterwards as it
sends your metabolism into
overdrive. Sprinting, mountain
climbers, squat jumps, jump
lunges, kettlebell swings, tuck
jumps, burpees or clap pressups
would be perfect. You need
a programmable timer that
bleeps to tell you when to start
and stop without you having to
look. There are plenty of apps
available.
Find inspiration with former
Labour MP Tom Watson’s book
Downsizing. He tells how he
lost 8st (50kg) and went from
a unhealthy, unhappy diabetic
to man who is embracing his
50s. Take it as a case study
and guidebook as he reflects
on successes and failures and
what he found to work. Truly
inspirational. Here is the man
who should be the nation’s
fitness tsar as we trying to
become a fitter country after the
pandemic.
Swim in London Fields Lido
to build endurance, muscle
strength and cardiovascular
fitness. It was a long wait but it's
open and now bookable online
or via our Better UK app.
Keep those park training
sessions going. It was amazing
to walk around Well Street
Common in the early days of
lockdown. I had never seen
so many people doing squats
in one place (including when
I worked in gyms!). Here’s a
routine to keep them going. Pick
a point and run - fast there slow
back - maybe about 25 metres.
Then, do 12 squats on a ratio of
10 normal and 2 jump. Then run
again for four more rounds, with
the squats in between going 8
jump and 4 normal, 6:6, 4:8 and
finally 2:10.
Roger Love Is a personal trainer based in Netil House E8.
rogerlovept.com | thebestmeproject.co.uk
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 23

| Eating in with Sophie Downer
Pappa al Pomodoro
A Tuscan bread soup
My favourite soups usually have bread in them and this soup
is perfect for this time of year, as there’s a glut of tomatoes
about and basil is at its best.
INGREDIENTS
2 cloves of garlic
1 tin of tomatoes (400g)
500g fresh tomatoes
chopped or torn
A tablespoon of olive oil
and a good glug more to
finish
Sea salt and black pepper
A big handful of fresh
basil
Half a loaf of good bread,
preferably stale (I use
sourdough of course), torn
into chunks
METHOD
1. Thinly slice the garlic and cook in olive oil
in a fairly heavy saucepan, till just turning
golden.
2. Add all the tomatoes, tinned and fresh.
Cook gently for 20 or 30 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until thick.
3. Stir in the torn bread till bread has fully
absorbed all the delicious tomato sauce.
You can add a splash of water if needed; I
like my soup thick like stew.
4. Tear in the basil leaves and stir in with lots
of sea salt, pepper and good olive oil.
5. Serve in a bowl with even more olive oil
on top.
Serves 4
Sophie is a trained chef and runs the Central Park Cafe in East Ham's Central Park. Follow Sophie on Instagram:
@breadclub1 and on Facebook: @easthambread.
24 LOVEEAST
Images: Sophie Downer

| Mark Wincott orders in
Mark Wincott expands his palette beyond
Pie and Mash with some food from Zaras Treats
During lockdown, our lives changed
dramatically and those everyday
blessings of sitting in a coffee shop
or ordering a bit of food from the
local eatery stopped. Cafe owners,
restaurant proprietors and the
street food gang had to re-think
their product.
One evening, I noticed a photo
on social media of homecooked
Caribbean food by East London
resident Zara Lewis, owner of Zara’s
Treats. After reading the reviews, all good
I might say, I thought, I’ll have some
of this. I sent Zara a message via
her social media page, asking for
Mutton Curry and Roti. It was
pretty simple; Zara took my
number and sent me the invoice
to pay via bank transfer, which
I did, otherwise, I wouldn’t have
eaten.
Zara kept in touch throughout her
evening deliveries, telling me the time
she was hoping to get to me. It was raining
hard that evening but she still greeted me with a
wonderful smile on her arrival. She handed over
the scran and off she went, to carry on the rest of
her deliveries.
The smell. I loved the smell. It felt like date night
on my own; I should have played some Luther
Vandross or Paolo Nutini or maybe a little Machine
Head in the background, as I eagerly placed the
meat on my plate, surrounded by cucumber relish,
Channa and Roti resting in the corner. It was
homely, the flavours were ridiculously wonderful
and the portion size was spot on. When I had
finished, I felt quite satisfied.
The delivery was quick, the food fresh, and
lovingly made by someone who cares to feed the
masses. I enjoyed it and will be purchasing again.
I’m interested in the mac and cheese and I have
still not tried plantain - mainly because I keep
eating too much pie and mash.
Images: Zara's Treats
I called Zara to thank her and asked how
she got into this. She told me that
her cooking skills were taught by
watching her grandparents cook
and that she used to work in the
city. After being made redundant
she began making cupcakes
for delivery, which went down
a storm. She then moved on to
food stalls, making fritters and
pastries, and events catering for
weddings and birthday parties. all the
while using biodegradable cutlery.
Zara was thinking about starting a
supper club with a chef, and also
about creating a meal on wheels
service for the elderly, making
stew with mash, which will be
easier for them to eat. But plans
to expand her business have
been put on hold due to the
pandemic.
If you are interested in supporting
local companies such as Zara’s, then
get in touch. You won’t be disappointed –
I certainly wasn’t.
TO FIND OUT MORE
Zara’s Treats
Caribbean Street Food
Pop Up and private events catering.
Currently doing street food to your door service due
to Covit19
Free delivery to E11 E10 E17 E4 E15 E7 E20
T: @zarastreats
FB: @zarastreats
Tel: 07541 171855
E: zarastreats@yahoo.co.uk
LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 25

| Parting shot
26 LOVEEAST

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LOVEEAST Sept/Oct 2020 27

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