Village Raw - ISSUE 12

APRIL TO JUNE 2021
FREE
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
The Show Goes On: How performers and arts venues are adapting / The Archive of Daydreams: How lockdown led
to daydreams / The Power of Protest: Locals fighting for the environment / The Sculpted Garden: Artist Ben
Wilson’s garden / #CreativeBlock: Finding our lockdown creativity / Nature Calls: The healing power of nature.

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CONTENTS
THE SHOW GOES ON
With arts venues closed how are
they, and the performers, adapting?
THE ARCHIVE OF DAYDREAMS
How lockdown led to the creation
of the Archive of Daydreams.
#CREATIVEBLOCK
Is it possible to be creative
during Lockdown?
FINDING YOUR VOICE
DURING A PANDEMIC
Presenting ourselves
in the digital landscape.
NATURE CALLS
The healing power of nature.
THE SCULPTED GARDEN
A visit to artist Ben Wilson’s garden.
EDITORIAL
Chaos. This is the challenging state we’ve found ourselves in over the past year.
And while we’ve lived through many variations of chaos, essentially it’s still chaos.
We can’t deny it been a bumpy ride for Village Raw but sadly it’s been a bumpy
ride for many of us, and in some instances that’s putting it mildly. There is a glimmer
of hope though. We’ve seen the community develop, come together, new
beginnings, innovations, adjustments… As the writer Henry Miller stated: “Chaos
is the score upon which reality is written.”
So as we come out of lockdown3 and emerge into the spring sunshine (and
unexpected snow as we write this) we carry that sense of the ‘new normal’ with
us – and it’s up to us to define what that is. What’s working? What isn’t working?
What would we like to see change? This issue of Village Raw considers some of
the community developments, new beginnings, innovations, adjustments - and
future opportunities. There are so many features in this issue we’ve had to temporarily
remove the Noticeboard section – which is a shame as we had more than
enough to fill that space. And there’s so much more to deliberate as we move
forward – together – step by step – into the known and the unknown. If you’ve
got something for the magazine that you’d like to have considered, or would like
to discuss, then please email us.
Luciane and David
hello@villageraw.com / www.villageraw.com
By subscribing you’ll not only be supporting Village Raw,
but the community as well. You’ll also receive the magazine
delivered to your door every three months.
www.villageraw.com/subscribe
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WHAT DOES LOCAL LOOK LIKE?
How the experience of the pandemic
intersected with our sense of place.
THE POWER OF PROTEST
The locals fighting for the
environment.
FUTURE FOOD -
ENGAGING LOCALLY
An invitation to feed back on
how our food system operates.
REINVENTING THE MENU
Local chefs adapting their XX
THE WOOLF IN THE KITCHEN
Launching a new business during
lockdown.
A TALE OF TWO FOOD BANKS
How local foodbanks have operated
during the pandemic.
THE INBETWEEN
Mentally preparing ourselves as
the lockdown restrictions ease.
VILLAGE GREEN
Richard Green’s Atmosphere Plants.
EDITORS
Luciane Pisani
David Reeve
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Luciane Pisani for Studio Moe
COPY EDITOR
Julie Tang-Evans
ADVERTISING
hello@villageraw.com
COVER IMAGE
Daniel Bridge
CONTRIBUTORS
Kaspar Althoefer, Lito Apostolakou, Zoe Bee, Steve
Best, Daniel Bridge, Thomas Broadhead, Sally Davies,
Nancy Hocking, Kate Kuzminova, Antje Lang, Miki
Lentin, Maia Magoga, Becky Lima-Matthews, Richard
Miller, Carla Parks, Sophie Shaw, Anna Souter, Emma
Svanberg, Julie Tang-Evans, Kate Wilson, Dominique
Woolf, Reuben Wu, Emel Yasar.
THANKS TO:
Lito Apostolakou, The Arthouse, Dorothy Barrick,
Sarah Berlingieri, Bounds Green Food Bank, By Cecil,
Cindy Blaney, Claire de Boursac, Rachael Booth-
Clibborn, Jez Bond, Ceramic Justice, Cecilia Child,
Crouch End Candles, Sally Davies, Jeffrey Duckett,
Gregory Evans, Rosaling Freeborn, Paul Handley,
Clare heal, Cllr Kirsten Hearn, Shiri Kraus, Glenys
Law, Karen Leason, Miriam Levin, Giovanni Lozzi,
Mark Maier, Mary Mason, Victor Mason, Victoria
Midwinter, Sarah Moore, Muswell Hill Food Bank,
Sam Neophytou, Tamar Nigogossian, Kim A. Page,
Papershades, Queenie, Rangoon, Paul Ranson,
Ellie Rees, Steph Rubbo, Kelly Shearer, Rex Siney,
Samantha Sweet, Seaming To, Janine Young, Ben
Wilson, Michele Wyckoff Smith
PRINTING
Printed in East Finchley by JG Bryson on chlorine
free paper produced by an EU Ecolabel certified
mill from FSC and PEFC regulated forests.
Village Raw April to June 2021.
Designed and published by Studio Moe Ltd.
© 2021 Studio Moe Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any contents of Village Raw
magazine without prior permission of the
publisher is strictly prohibited.
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03

VILLAGE RAW
THE SHOW GOES ON
With the various lockdowns closing arts venues across the UK, we look at
how some local arts spaces and performers are adapting.
Words by Becky Lima-Matthews.
At the time of writing, it has been almost a year since the first
lockdown when the lights went out in arts venues. Many haven’t
opened at all in the intervening months. Some never will. But as
the UK prepares for a phased easing of current restrictions - the
creative industries are looking towards recovery. Village Raw
spoke to local creatives, performers and venues to find out what
they’ve been doing throughout the past year, and what they hope
might come next.
Last year the £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund distributed
grants to venues and organisations across the country including
The Bernie Grant Arts Centre in Tottenham and The Park Theatre
in Finsbury Park, with a further £300 million announced in
the spring budget. But many smaller organisations, artists and
freelancers have been left behind by government relief packages.
Recently, the creative industry union BECTU and ITV published a
report finding that 40% of London’s theatre and arts workers have
been made redundant since the start of the pandemic.
So what will the arts and culture scene look like as we emerge
from the pandemic? Before attempting to answer that it is worth
noting what’s at stake for all of us. The arts and culture sector has
a significant role to play in the UK’s economic recovery. According
to data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in
2019, the arts and culture industry contributes £10.8bn a year to
the UK economy and generates 363,700 jobs.
At the time of publication indoor entertainment is a few weeks
away from reopening on 17 May - subject to four conditions being
met, including the continued success of the vaccine rollout and
control of infection rates. But if (big if) those conditions are met,
could this summer be the start of a creative recovery?
Adapting to changing rules around entertainment opening and
Covid-19 compliance is challenging for all venues, especially for independent
cinemas and live venues like The ArtHouse in Crouch End.
“We were closed from March until August last year. Cinemas
could open earlier but it wasn’t in our interests. There were no
films, distributors weren’t releasing anything, It was a difficult
time - just keeping staff morale up and preparing to open again,”
says Sam Neophytou, Managing Director.
But audiences are hungry to experience entertainment outside
of their homes once again. And for venues like The ArtHouse
which also has a live space, staying in touch with the community
even when the doors were shut for months has been crucial, as
Sam explains: “It started off a bit quiet but then all the social media
hit and people were saying how wonderful we were. We kept
in touch with our customers because we’re always very active on
social media. We do lots of things like create bits of artworks and
share them - which people love.”
Running at a reduced capacity, fewer shows mean venues have
to turn to other income streams to keep going. After making several
major productions available to stream during the first lockdown,
the National Theatre has just launched a streaming service
where viewers can pay per play, or as a subscription. Streaming live
events is something The ArtHouse has been doing for a while and,
according to Sam, there will be plenty more to come.
“The easier thing to do now is to film and show performances
- we could start doing that, like filming a local band or a singer.
That’s when live streaming works, like with Fleabag. It was really
popular and we could put it on at different times which is what
made it viable. In these situations something innovative will come
out, there is a desire for new work whether it’s film, theatre, comedy,
music - art always finds a way.”
PHOTO COURTESY SEAMING TO.
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VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
PHOTOS BY STEVE BEST.
The UK’s vaccine rollout is well under way and indoor entertainment
venues might be open again in a few weeks. But it’s going
to take a long time to get back to any kind of normality - for
artists and venues alike. The Park Theatre was one of the recipients
of the Culture Recovery Fund and has raised money through
donations - but there have been many months of uncertainty
since March 2020, as Artistic Director Jez Bond tells me: “In the
early days we were all in the dark and some people had already
liquidated or made people redundant, or taken decisions that will
in some cases be impossible to reverse.”
The furlough scheme and recovery grants help to keep buildings
running and keep staff on the payroll of London theatres but
the vast majority of the UK cultural workforce is freelance, many
of whom didn’t qualify for the self-employment support scheme.
More than 70% of the theatre workforce alone is freelance and
the industry relies on them.
“We can’t have a theatre that opens and doesn’t have our accomplished
lighting designers, costume designers, actors, directors,
stage managers - and other crew,” say Jez. “They’ve moved
out of London as they can’t afford it now - and I know people in
that situation. I think there’s been a fundamental lack of understanding
about the way the arts operate, its ecosystem and the
value of the arts to other sectors and the economy.”
However, despite the adversity, Jez says the theatre has taken
some time to focus on making changes. “If one can find a silver
lining to this - it’s been a time to deeply reflect on who we are
as an organisation and on how we operate. I’m looking forward
to reopening with a new purpose and passion.” As we go to print,
The Park hasn’t announced when it might reopen and, while some
venues have suggested they could be operating at capacity by
June, Jez thinks it could be several months before The Park will be
returning to shows without social distancing.
Live performance is comedy’s lifeblood - filming a stand-up
in a room with no audience won’t work the way it can for music
or theatre. Some of the UK’s major venues like the Pleasance and
Underbelly - and bigger London clubs like Soho Theatre and Up
The Creek - have received some relief grants. But smaller comedy
nights like Bald Faced Comedy in East Finchley, run by local comedian
and writer Mark Maier, are hanging on for restrictions to lift
again. Mark is looking forward to resuming monthly Sunday night
gigs at The Bald Faced Stag pub. Past lineups booked by Mark include
the likes of Alan Davies, Stewart Lee and Tom Allen.
“I started my own gig because it’s nice to have a regular gig
and I was working in and around Muswell Hill, and the running joke
is that I’ve played every space in the area, including the back of
a skip at Sainsbury’s! I’ve tried out different places - restaurants,
pubs, bars. But I found a home at the Bald Faced Stag because the
restaurant area is a good space for comedy. I’ve set up lights and
a curtain. It’s not just a man in a room talking. It’s a nice atmosphere
and I try and keep a local feel. We have a running section
where we read out comments from the Next Door website which
is a rich source of comedy!”
“Work has massively depleted but there is some work online.
Although I think I speak on behalf of most comedians when I say
it’s not ideal because you want that immediate response, and the
interaction and the feel of the room.”
Opening image: Musician Seaming Toe.
This page: Two of Mark Maier’s pet portraits.
Opposite page: (top) Comedian Al Murray
and (bottom) Mark Maier comparing at a Bald
Faced Comedy night.
06 07

VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
Rangoon performing in Pond Square, Highgate.
Portrait of musician Seaming To.
Over the long winter of lockdown, Mark has also been doing
pet portraits for people and is looking forward to restarting Bald
Faced Comedy on 23 May, with a set from Marcus Brigstocke to
kick off the new season. And he can’t wait. “This is looking very
positive. I think people are keen to get back to relative normality
which hopefully means going out and having a laugh again.”
Along with comedians, musicians have all spent much more
time indoors, having to rethink how they create and perform.
North London band Rangoon has been playing its mix of blues,
jazz, folk, country and rock around the capital for 20 years. They
are all part-time musicians, playing mainly for love and enjoyment
of music, which they have continued to share by playing socially
distanced shows while venues have been shut, as bass player
Richard Harrison tells us.
“We have missed live gigs but have managed to do some recording
and given various outdoor performances. We did around
10 performances in Highgate Woods and Pond Square over the
summer in a very stripped down, unplugged form. These were
very well received both by friends and new fans who had seen
us at other shows - everyone said how much they appreciated
hearing live music again. But what is keeping us motivated is the
opportunity to work on new songs and new arrangements.”
Rangoon has also been busy recording new material, including
a video called Being Let Down - about a generation facing the
climate crisis and the fallout from Covid-19. Richard explained the
opportunity to spend more time recording has kept him and the
others going. But the band is optimistic about performing again in
the spring and summer, including going back to Highgate Woods,
Clissold Park, Pond Square and possibly the Pavilion Cafe at Albert
Road Recreation Ground.
Someone else who has refocused her energy from live performance
to recording is experimental musician Seaming, aka composer,
vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Seaming To. Seaming is
based in Muswell Hill but spent time living in Manchester and has
worked with the likes of Robert Wyatt and Punchdrunk Theatre,
as well as performing live film scores at the Barbican and Queen
Elizabeth Hall.
Seaming grew up in a family of professional musicians and has
collaborated with her mother, concert pianist Enloc Wu in recent
years. She explains: “I used to tour more prior to children and I
toured with my mum actually, just before my first child was born.
And I was commissioned to compose for her and write about my
grandmother while I was pregnant. So I interviewed my grandmother
and created this piece that we toured, including the Purcell
PHOTO COURTESY OF RANGOON.
PHOTO BY REUBEN WU.
Room on the Southbank in 2013 - which is also where I saw my
mum play many times when I was growing up. So that was quite a
beautiful project.”
Although she is missing live performance, Seaming has kept
busy making music at home. She’s just finished a soundtrack for
American filmmaker Cam Archer’s film, His Image, which will have
a virtual screening at MoMA next month, and is putting the finishing
touches to a new EP which will come out on O Sing at Me / The
state51 Conspiracy.
“I’ve had to have a different focus and not get too bogged
down in what’s happening in the world. I’ve used it as an opportunity
to record at home, and I’ve got two little children. I’ve recorded
some solo music that I’m looking forward to releasing and
some stuff with an old collaborator called Semay Wu - we have a
duo called Mayming. I teach singing too - so I can do that online
from home.”
As for what comes next, Seaming knows it’s hard to know how
live performance will recover and who will be able to keep working.
“Some things will have to be put on hold. I think it’s really important
to be kind to oneself but it’s really, really unknown. I think I
read that the music industry could be cut in half because of the
pandemic.” But performances and more collaboration may be on
the cards in the coming months. Seaming hopes to travel to Scotland
to work with Semay Wu, and perform as part of a project with
clarinettist Arun Ghosh in London, in September.
The future is uncertain - some people have quit London altogether.
But one thing that has kept going throughout the past year
is a need for connection. And that’s not going away.
While no one can predict what the future of the arts and
culture - especially live culture - will be, one thing all people we
spoke to share is a drive to keep creating and connecting. The
dreaded phrase “these unprecedented times’’ may have been
one of the most overused in 2020 but there are precedents for financial
crises and recessions, for example in the 1970s and post-
2008. Arts and culture suffered badly during those times too. But
they were, and will be part of how the economy and public morale
can heal too.•
To find out more about The ArtHouse visit: www.arthousecrouchend.co.uk
To find out more about The Park Theatre visit: www.parktheatre.co.uk
To find out about Mark Maier visit: www.markmaier.co.uk
To listen to music from Rangoon Band visit: www.rangoonband.com
To listen to music from Seaming visit: www.seaming.co.uk
08 09

VILLAGE RAW
THE ARCHIVE OF DAYDREAMS
Lockdown forced artist Lito Apostolakou to reconfigure her home
which led to the creation of the Archive of Daydreams.
Words by Anna Souter. Photos by Kaspar Althoefer (portrait) and Lito Apostolakou (stills).
Inside a terraced house, behind Alexandra Palace, there is a world
of tiny rooms. This assemblage of sculptural spaces, by artist Lito
Apostolakou, was on display as part of last autumn’s Artists Walk
initiative, which invited artists to show their work in the windows
of their homes while galleries were closed during lockdown.
Lito has an academic background in history with a PhD from
King’s College London and started focusing on her creative practice
in 2015. Her first installation was shown in the Creative Histories
Conference at the University of Bristol in 2017. Since then she
has exhibited in London, Bath, Sussex and Amsterdam galleries
and venues, and in the Cinema Museum. Lito’s work explores narratives
of space and memory using the archive as a medium and
blurring the boundaries between art and history.
She explains how she had to give up her studio in Deptford
Foreshore when the first lockdown was imposed and instead reconfigured
her house to set up a studio at home. She began to
use packaging materials from deliveries to create her sculptures.
Gradually the small room-like structures she constructed from
cardboard and found materials took over her studio. Before long,
she says, she was “living inside an installation - or a library - or the
basement of an archive!” She has also made a series of haunting
moving images in which these spaces are brought to life through
light and soundscapes. The work is rooted in Lito’s ongoing interest
in domestic spaces, archives and memory but it took on a new significance
at a time when so many of us were confined to our homes.
Lito believes that domestic spaces are closely linked to our
memories. She says: “They are sites of daydreaming; they are
archives of fictional and real memories. When we remember the
spaces we used to live in, we also remember them in the way we
used to dream in them.”
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VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
Opening pages: (left) The Sleepover, mixed media structure from the Archive of Daydreams based on a memory
of F.H.; (right) Under the Bed (detail) mixed media structure from the Archive of Daydreams based on a story
by L.A. This page: Lito Apostolakou inside her Archive of Daydreams installation in her studio. Opposite
page: Room 7081, cardboard structure from the Archive of Daydreams based on the story of D.A..
Whereas the work was initially an autobiographical project,
Lito has since expanded it by inviting members of the public to
send her a memory of a domestic space, which she uses as a
starting point for a structure. The Archive of Daydreams was born.
When asked to talk about a remembered domestic space
people often turn to childhood recollections, planning an escape
route from a balcony perhaps, or fearing what might be lurking
under the bed. Lito sees memory as a “selective recollection of
fragments of the past. It may be inconsistent or unreliable but
it provides the building material of the narratives or myths we
live by.” In her sculptures, memory offers a fluctuating bridge between
reality and fiction, past and present.
The works in the Archive of Daydreams resemble - and are
often constructed from - cardboard boxes. This association is
evocative of archives, both professional and personal - reams of
paper neatly labelled or old toys and keepsakes put away under
the bed. Boxes become receptacles for our memories and emotions.
You could even say we use them to offload some of the
feelings we don’t have space for in our everyday interactions.
“We think of archives as holding the proof that the past existed,”
Lito writes. “We think of them as repositories of evidence
and facts that, if interpreted ‘objectively’, would give us the truth.
We think that we can recapture the past. But how do we interpret
the evidence? Whose truth do we reveal? Ultimately, in our quest
for the reality of the past, we create narratives that make sense
in the present.”
The Archive of Daydreams is intended to awaken viewers’
personal memories and prompt them to look inside themselves
and their experiences. As the project grows, Lito is seeking new
stories about the places we return to in our daydreams. You can
be part of the installation by sharing your memory of a room and
see an interpretation of your story materialise and take its place
inside the archive.•
To find out more and how to share visit: www.litoapostolakou.com/archive-of-daydreams.
You can also follow or contact the archive on Instagram: @archiveofdaydreams and follow
Lito’s work at: @inklinks
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VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
#CREATIVEBLOCK
Is it possible to be creative during Lockdown?
Words by Miki Lentin.
As a writer, at the start of Lockdown 1 I couldn’t wait to get typing
and capture the impalpable yet momentous event we were all experiencing.
I ran to my desk -my fingers ready. But nothing came.
Mmm, I thought. It’s just a blip. I stayed off the lockdown booze for
a few days. Nothing. I went on long walks. Nothing. I stopped doing
Zoom quizzes and read. Nothing.
I began to realise that since I’d started writing, so much of
what I wrote about I had personally observed - stories about the
refugees I volunteered with, the barista in my local coffee shop,
conversations overheard on the bus. But all I was left with now,
in this strange type of house arrest, was trying to fashion something
out of my own surroundings.
Meanwhile on Twitter, other writers using #amwriting eulogised
over how they’d reached 40,000 words since the lockdown
began. I despaired. Then I read this by the writer Rosemary Jenkinson:
“During the outbreak it’s more important than ever for
writers to stop boasting about how much they’ve written. They
need to keep their productivity porn to themselves.” Was it just
me who was struggling to come to terms with this lack of inspiration
or were other creatives feeling that their free thinking was
being buried alive?
As Lockdown 2 kicked in, I spoke to Crouch End based hand
weaver, Cecilia Child (By Cecil) about her lockdown experiences. As
we talked, I could almost hear the rhythm of Cecilia’s loom clacking,
shuttle on warp beam, threads unrolling. It felt as if her loom
- an extension of her, like an extra limb - was now all of a sudden
missing. Family priorities took over for Cecilia during lockdown. She
found it hard to be creative with the one hour that was left every
day, often late at night - and even began to question what ‘being
creative’ was. She said: “I craved time at my loom with my sketch
books. Weaving is very grounding for me, for my mental health. It
keeps me steady. I wanted once again to work without intention.”
As Lockdown 3 kicked in, Cecilia changed her pattern of work.
She gave herself permission to let go of constraints and be
more playful, and concentrated on her wellbeing by running. She
changed her view of her business and how to run it, and spoke
to her mentor who said: “You’ve got to figure out why you do
what you do, and be grateful for that.” Importantly, she says she
“stopped trying to work at full pelt and slowed down.”
Cecilia feels that spending time not doing very much and being
quieter probably helped her take the creative pressure off
herself. She seems hopeful for the future, saying: “I am back to
weaving again now and feel like the idea that is brewing might be
something interesting. I am massively behind schedule but I am
resisting the urge to rush headlong back into ‘productivity’ - to
give this project time to breathe. It will mean some late nights and
early mornings later in the year but will, hopefully, result in some
successful fabrics.”
For some though, the creativity didn’t stop. The artist and
owner of Papershades, Rosalind Freeborn, is someone who likes
to tear paper. Lots of it. She describes the physicality of ripping
and tearing newspaper, wallpaper, tissue paper as having a structural
feel. Using her fingers, she destroys things so that she can
create the new. Perhaps it’s no surprise that, as an eerie silence
swept over London, Rosalind found solace in destroying things.
With time on her hands she decided to tear things up by travelling
in her mind and began making paper lampshades with depictions
of places she has been to and loved - but couldn’t go to now. To
Rosalind it was: “as if I had to find a visual way of expressing my
thoughts, without realising what I was really doing.”
PHOTOS BY MIRIAM LEVIN.
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VILLAGE RAW
Lockdown 3 in January brought new challenges: the cold,
rain and isolation of winter. But Rosalind entered her studio with
a “new fury and energy”. Trying to fill the void of missing Christmas
with family and the usual hubbub of her studio packed with
willing paper rippers, she decided to bring the literary heroes
from her youth and childhood into the studio - making portraits
for lampshades of Shakespeare, Jane Austen, the Brontë Sisters,
Lewis Carroll and Virginia Woolf - evoking powerful memories.
For now Rosalind is mostly looking forward to welcoming
people back into her studio: “After we’re all free to get out again
there will be a whoosh of interest in opportunities to spend time
together and experience something different in a safe and creative
environment.”
Now that we’re just about out of lockdown and, from speaking
to Cecilia and Rosalind, I wonder if it’s these new experiences
that could make us more creative even if we are restricted to our
homes for the time being. As we emerge, slightly bleary eyed into
the spring, maybe over time we’ll discover a difference we can all
hold onto.•
Follow Miki Lentin on Twitter: @mikilentin, By Cecil: www.bycecil.com,
and Papershades: www.papershades.co.uk
Opening page: Miki Lentin at his desk. This page: (top)
Cecilia Childs modelling one of her hand woven merino wool
scarves; (bottom) Rosalind Freeborn in her studio.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF CECILIA CHILD (TOP) AND ROSALIND FREEBORN (BOTTOM).
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As we’ve all willingly - or begrudgingly - become ensconced in
the world of Zoom meetings, webinars, Teams meetings or Google
chats we’ve found ourselves having to develop a new range
of skills. Sometimes those skills come naturally, and sometimes
painstakingly. Crouch End local Kim A. Page has been hosting online
meetings since the first lockdown, helping people to discover
and present their authentic selves online - to find their voice,
communicate and navigate their way through the pandemic.
To an extent we’ve always had to present ourselves - how we
dress, how we hold ourselves, how we adjust our ‘performance’
to different company and situations. Sometimes we’re comfortable
and sometimes uncomfortable - socialising can be a minefield
for many. But when you place a couple of screens between
people -with our senses deprived - communication can feel far
more challenging. Watching your friend or colleague can be like
watching a poorly lit, low-fi news channel with an anchor who
failed to make the grade. So how are you coming across? How do
you translate digitally?
“Many people have what I call a vocal wound,” Kim says when
we meet with her in Highgate Woods. She goes on to explain how
there’s a period between the ages of eight to 12 when you’re figuring
out how you belong: “If someone is saying at that time ‘well
that’s great but not too loud…’, people can close down. They stop
listening to their voice and they stop using it.” It can lead to the
inhibitions that many of us try to resolve as adults.
Kim is a communication trainer, speaker and vocal coach, with a
TEDx presentation under her belt. Along the way she’s helped thousands
of people come out of their shells and discover the power of
their voices - from local organisations to multinationals. She’s also
worked with prisoners, addicts and people with special needs.
“When the pandemic rolled out, I wanted to contribute.” The
Zoominar series she created is a safe space for professionals
from all walks of life. “What we’re craving is connection. We’re
longing to meet new people in real conversations.” And this is
what ‘The Right Kind of Loud in COVID times’ offers - each session
exploring a communication topic in dialogue format. “The ability
to communicate well has gone from nice to have, to a necessity,”
she adds.
Kim is there to help us find our voices with her course and
book, The Right Kind of Loud. “When we find our right kind of loud
the impact is like rings on the water. Sure, you feel better yourself
and so does everyone who is logging on to listen to you.”•
For more details on Kim’s courses and sessions check: www.rightkindofloud.com
18
19

VILLAGE RAW
NATURE CALLS
From forest bathing to swinging through trees or enjoying a simple walk
in the woods, Zoe Bee looks at some of the ways we can enjoy the healing
powers of the green spaces we’re lucky enough to have in north London.
Words by Zoe Bee. Photos by Sophie Shaw, Emel Yasar and Janine Young.
Highgate Woods is a joy to explore in the spring and no two journeys
along the same path are ever alike. The 28-hectare area of
ancient woodland has more than 50 species of trees and shrubs,
over 350 fungi species, over 400 moth species and more than
320 beetle species. Hundreds of other invertebrate species have
also been recorded in the woods since 1985.
Marshland followed by woodland ecosystems have been
evolving in Highgate Woods for some 12,000 years, following the
release and flow of torrents of glacial meltwater that scoured the
land and diverted the path of the River Thames to its current position
- at the end of the last ice age. The ground still shows signs
of having been a seabed and then a river bed with its sandy clay
and pockets of pebbles.
Cindy Blaney, who has been a forest keeper in Highgate Woods
for 28 years, leads free guided walks about trees, birds and bats
as well as the history of the woods. She says: “I have loved trees
and being in woodlands all my life. I couldn’t believe my luck that I
got to live in the woods as part of my job! I love the beauty of the
canopy in Highgate Woods, with the old characterful oaks and the
tall arching hornbeam trunks creating a very special atmosphere
at all times of year. I love the bird song - especially robins, blackbirds
and song thrush - and the woodpeckers’ drumming.”
“Spring is my favourite time in the wood. It is such a joy to see the
leaves emerging, both from early spring flower bulbs in the ground
and all the different trees, with catkins preceding the leaves. A real
feeling of coming back to life, with insects re-emerging, especially
the mining bees - and bats coming out of hibernation.”
Janine Young, who is Head of Adventures at Wild About Our
Woods, runs sessions for families and Haringey and Barnet
schools in our local woods. She says: “Springtime is the season
of renewal and new beginnings for me. I love to see trees budding
leaves and the re-emergence of green and other colours in the
woods. The days grow longer and the temperature rises so it’s a
perfect time to get outside and explore our local woodlands.”
For anyone who would like to spend more time in the woods,
Janine suggests visiting a place you may have been to before
but, this time, stopping to absorb your surroundings. It can be
tricky to initiate a connection with nature - Janine’s observation
game is a fun way to engage with what’s around us. You can play
the game on your own or with others.
PHOTOS BY (THIS PAGE) JANINE YOUNG, (OPPOSITE PAGE) SOPHIE SHAW.
20

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
Opening page: Willow catkins. Previous page and this page: A Wild About Our Woods children’s session with Janine Young.
This page: Moving with skill, freedom, sensitivity and pleasure - Paul Ranson and his Move with Nature sessions.
Janine’s 5,4,3,2,1 game
• Start with five things that you can
see and share them with other people.
Children can shout out things. You can
spot the small things - they can spot
even smaller things.
• Four things that you can hear - even if
they’re unnatural sounds such as cars
or a plane. The important thing is taking
time to observe those senses.
• Three things that you can touch - such as
rough bark, a wet leaf or a soggy stick.
• Two things you can smell - digging
something up, like the earth, and
smelling it.
• One thing you can taste. It can just
be swirling stuff around your mouth - or
make a straw funnel shape with your
tongue and blow it in and out and taste
what’s on the air. If people want to
actually taste things that are in nature
they can, as long as it’s not berries,
unknown plants or fungi.
Janine says: “People feel they have to keep walking when
they are in green spaces but just that moment of stopping really
boosts so many things - and you might find that people who are
normally reluctant actually go back to the woods again.”
Most people intuitively think being outdoors is good for you
and now hard science proves it. Dr William Bird (a Berkshire GP and
founder of Intelligent Health) has set up schemes to encourage
people in the UK to exercise in order to promote good health. In
2009 he was nominated by the Independent on Sunday as one of
the top 100 people making Britain a happier place. He says: “MRI
scans have shown that the hippocampus and amygdala - the
parts of our brain which operate our behaviour and our learning
- actually increase in size and develop more when we experience
physical activity and being outdoors. The other part that also increases
is our relaxation part, creating alpha waves. These waves
usually disappear when we go into urban environments with cars,
traffic and stress and our brains become less functional.”
Many of us enjoy being calm and quiet among the trees,
breathing in the phytoncides which generally means the ‘scent’
of trees. Studies have shown that our blood pressure falls around
oak trees. In her book How to Think Like A Tree, Sarah Spencer
suggests this intuitive reaction could be a throwback to ancient
times when the safety of different types of woodland was relevant
to human survival. The simple relaxation method of observing
nature around you while breathing deeply is known in Japan as
PHOTO BY SOPHIE SHAW.
PHOTO BY EMEL YASAR.
‘shinrin-yoku’, where it developed in the 1980s, Literally translated
it means ‘forest bathing’, as we know it in Britain.
Claire de Boursac is the founder of Nature as Nurture and runs
forest bathing workshops in Queen’s Woods and Highgate Woods.
Scientific research shows that a two-hour forest bathing session
can help reduce stress and anxiety (lowering the heart rate and
cortisol levels), reduce depression, enhance wellbeing, stimulate
empathy and creative thinking, and support the immune system.
But it’s not just our physical body that benefits. Claire says: “Participants
are often surprised by how a forest bathing session
can shift their sense of themselves and their place in the world.
Insights often arise during mindful meandering among the trees
and many experience a sense of belonging, of interconnectedness
with the more-than-human world which can ease feelings of
isolation and also encourages us to treat nature with more care.
Best of all...it’s really enjoyable.”
Paul Ranson who grew up in Wood Green, is a sports scientist
who runs workshops in Highgate Woods, Queens Wood and
on Hampstead Heath to promote whole body mobility and awareness.
His Move with Nature sessions are for people of all ages and
adapted to suit individuals’ needs.
A typical session may develop natural movement skills such
as jumping, falling and rolling, hanging, vaulting and balancing -
using nature. For example, balancing along a fallen tree, swinging
from a branch, jumping then landing with precision and then rolling
underneath a low branch. These movements tackle problem
areas such as those that are acquired from hours of sitting. Paul
finishes each class with a moment of calm and appreciation for
nature - ours and the external.
Paul says: “My classes provide a complete shift in perspective
to what the mainstream fitness models represent. They
focus on moving with skill, freedom, sensitivity and pleasure
as opposed to smashing and grinding away doing monotonous
robotic movements.”
We are fortunate in our pocket of north London to have so
many woods and green spaces to explore. The love for these
beautiful open spaces is palpable and you can sense the history
of philanthropy. It can feel like an effort to get outside sometimes
but being out in the fresh air strengthens our immune systems
and enhances our decision-making abilities. It’s the movement
that’s important rather than fitness. People who are regularly active
- even for 10 or 15 minutes a day - have a stronger sense of
purpose and experience more gratitude, love, hope and connection
with the community.•
You can find out more about future bat walks, nurturing and exercise sessions through
the following links: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/things-to-do/green-spaces/highgatewood,
www.wildaboutourwoods.com, www.natureasnurture.com, www.facebook.com/
MoveToEvolve
22 23

VILLAGE RAW
WELLBEING
THE SCULPTED GARDEN
Photos by Dan Bridge. Words by David Reeve. Follow Ben: @benwilsonchewinggumman.
Ben Wilson’s garden is a garden of two halves,
linked by a winding path. The first half is a wild
garden, planted by Ben with sunflowers, nasturtiums,
goldenrod, Michaelmas daisies, roses and
a riot of other flowers – inspired by his mother’s
garden where he began to find his green fingers
from the age of five. The second half is a space
of workshops and other outbuildings all made by
Ben from reclaimed materials, and sculptures of
giant wooden figures dwarfed only by the trees.
Both halves of the garden, in various ways, are
created through a meeting of Ben and nature.
“It’s a living working environment,” says Ben.
“It’s alive - constantly changing and evolving.”
It’s a space to find calm and curiosity - as well
as a habitat friendly to wildlife.
24 25

VILLAGE RAW
26

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
WHAT DOES LOCAL LOOK LIKE?
One year on from the start of the pandemic, OmVed Gardens wanted
to understand how the experience of it has intersected our local
community’s sense of place, and undertook a research project.
The following is a short summary from the forthcoming publication:
What Local Looks Like - London in Lockdown.
Words by Antje Lang. Illustration by Maia Magoga.
Humans are storytelling animals. We seek to make narrative out
of uncertainty. It’s an important part of coping in challenging
times and also helps us to understand the world around us and
our place within it. While we must be sure not to cling too tightly
to the stories we create, they can also be a powerful force in
moving us through experiences and creating a vision for what we
want on the other side.
It was with this mindsight that OmVed Gardens undertook a set
of surveys and interviews of people in and around north London,
and a few slightly further afield. We sought to understand people’s
experience of their environment during the pandemic and how it
may or may not have shaped their understanding of themselves,
others and our planet.
The uniqueness of the pandemic compared to other harrowing
life events is that it has affected us all universally, albeit to
different degrees. The pandemic has not happened in a vacuum.
In some ways it has provided a sense of quietude that has allowed
many of us to see more clearly the chronic stressors that underlie
the act of being.
On a macro level, we’ve seen the intersection of multiple systemic
and climatic challenges including the Black Lives Matter
protests in June, the largest recorded California wildfires in September
and Typhoon Goni in Oct/Nov - the strongest landfalling
typhoon on record. On a micro level, we’ve seen it in parents suddenly
becoming full-time educators, carers and workers - and in
the lack of stability in jobs and earnings globally.
Ultimately 2020 was a year of extremes but it is critical that
we understand - to some extent and particularly with climate
change - this state of being is becoming more embedded in our
lives. The question is: how do we structure ourselves and our
societies in a way that can mitigate and accommodate the extremes
and still support people and the planet to thrive.
Our research unearthed several ways that some participants
had started to conceptualise this in their own lives, and how they
would like to see things going forward.
The pandemic instilled new questions, or accelerated existing
questions about the ways in which we operate in our environment
and relationships. One of our interviewees discussed taking daily
walks in lieu of their commute time and watching the waterbirds
hatch and grow: “It made me feel like I’d been missing stuff. It
made me feel like - oh my god, these little baby birds have been
coming every year and I’ve never seen that before. And it made
me feel like I didn’t want to keep missing stuff.”
This extended to ideas about how we consume things. When
I asked one interviewee about what they want to see going forward,
they responded: “I want us to see the value of not getting
pleasure from buying stuff. Finding other ways of being happy.
Buying stuff doesn’t make us happy.” Another talked about the
need to combat the mainstay of instant gratification that has
permeated our society over the last two or more decades.
One other touchpoint was that of connection of all kinds. “I want
to take forward ... being more human in all your relationships,” said
one participant. Another discussed establishing a meditation practice
in their life. “It reminds me of a wider sense of being that’s running
through everything. It’s good to have that awareness.”
And, of course, participants consistently highlighted the
nourishment of nature. Whether that was visiting their allotments
more frequently (“sweetcorn, the seedlings are beautiful - it’s
just joyous!”), learning to grow on a small scale using spaces
they’d never considered before and exploring favourite or newly
discovered stomping grounds.
To be sure, this is an ever-evolving story but our research has
provided insights into what people want to take forward, and what
they want to leave behind. And these stories can help us build
many visions of what we - individually and collectively - want to
be working towards.•
For updates on the full report’s publication sign up to OmVed’s mailing list at:
www.omvedgardens.com or follow their social media: @omvedgardens
28 29

VILLAGE RAW
THE POWER OF PROTEST
Activism is alive and well in north London, where several local groups
are using a groundswell of support to fight for the environment.
Words by Carla Parks.
Elie Wiesel, the famous political activist and writer, once said:
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice,
but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” The
right to peacefully protest has defined what it means to live in
a democracy. Even now - during a pandemic - it’s not easy to
silence those who feel an injustice is being done. For several
groups in north London the environment is a top priority, yet
they believe that local actions are threatening progress on green
issues. Determined to have their voice heard, they are proving
that there is power in protesting.
A few months ago, there was a victory for a small group of
determined local activists who campaigned to save four mature
oaks in Queen’s Wood. It was a win against the odds too, as it
pitted local people against one of the goliaths of the insurance
industry - AXA. When the insurer determined that the trees were
the cause of one home’s subsidence, Haringey Council agreed to
have them cut down.
Glenys Law, one of the activists who led the protest, sought
expert advice about the insurer’s findings and received a
conflicting opinion. Two independent surveys found there was
nothing to be gained from having the trees destroyed. One even
suggested it could lead to ground heave which could have more
severe consequences. With these results, Haringey Council and
AXA agreed last November to monitor the house for a further 12
months before deciding the best course of action.
The campaign led to the birth of SHIFT, a group formed to
prevent home insurers from unnecessarily cutting down trees.
Its remit has recently widened to include protecting local nature
reserves and woodland. The organisation’s aims have picked
up some urgency because of recent work undertaken on The
Parkland Walk that has proved hugely controversial. Most of the
complaints concern the number of trees that have been cut down
as part of council maintenance work.
Haringey Council claims that this work was planned and
communicated to residents – and it was necessary to carry out
ongoing repairs to some of the bridges between Finsbury Park and
Muswell Hill. “Engineers have found the trees’ roots are causing
dangerous structural damage to the bridges we are currently
repairing and replacing,” said Cllr Kirsten Hearn in a statement to
Village Raw. The Cabinet Member for Climate Change, Equalities
and Leisure added: “I hate the idea of cutting down trees. We
have no choice but to remove those within five metres of the
footbridges and the underpasses affected.”
Giovanna Iozzi, who lives locally, has just formed a new group
- the Haringey Community Tree Protectors - to campaign about
environmental issues. She is seeking some accountability over
what happened to The Parkland Walk and is in conversation with
the council to find a compromise over any remaining work. She
walked along the roughly four-mile path with Jeffrey Duckett,
Emeritus Professor of Botany at Queen Mary University of London.
They counted the loss of 171 trees and only 22 that apparently
fell within five metres of bridges - figures that are in dispute. The
council says they cut down approximately 80. Together with SHIFT
the group has started a petition asking the council to suspend
the non urgent felling of trees because of the climate crisis.
On this point protestors believe that these recent actions
contradict Haringey Council’s own Climate Change Action Plan,
which emerged from declaring a climate emergency in 2019. The
main aim of the plan is for the borough to become net zero carbon
by 2041. But another complementary aim is to protect existing
PHOTO BY SALLY DAVIES.
30

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
Previous page: Tree protector Flo. This page: The ‘funeral for our trees’ took place on International Forest Day, 21 March.
This page: The felling of mature trees on Parkland Walk.
ecosystems. It reads: “Our ecosystems and species are also
impacted by the climate emergency, so protecting our natural
environment is as important as reducing our greenhouse gas
emissions to fight against climate change.”
As a leader of SHIFT, Glenys has drawn up a list of 10 demands
for the council. Top of the list is a full investigation into The
Parkland Walk works, with findings to be published on the council’s
website by June this year. Another demand is to appoint a tree
officer who is embedded within the planning department - to
oversee any plans that might have a negative impact on trees in
the area.
While these are local demands, Glenys tells Village Raw
that the issues are of national importance. “Everyone knows
we have a climate crisis, everyone knows we have to act fast.”
She reasons that preventing trees from being felled is a quicker
fix than planting saplings for the future. As part of the Climate
Change Action Plan, for example, the council intends to plant
about 800 trees in the borough this year using what it calls the
“right tree in the right place” approach. But this is unlikely to undo
the immediate damage of removing older trees.
At the time of the Queen’s Wood protest, Glenys consulted
Professor Duckett about the potential impact of losing the four
oaks, estimated to be 150 years old. Because the trees had grown
up in woodland, he observed they have thin, high-reaching trunks
which provide an extensive canopy and perform a vital function
for the biodiversity of the area. He also estimated that each oak
has a carbon capture equivalent to 60 pounds per year - or a total
of 240 pounds. By contrast, he concluded, you’d need to plant
nearly 2500 saplings, each 10 years old, to reach the same level
of carbon capture.
Glenys doesn’t dispute that trees, on occasion, need cutting
down. She understands that they can cause damage to existing
bridges and to homes. However, the environmental activist
believes that insurance companies and local councils often
look for the most obvious options without doing extensive
investigations that can cost more time and money.
“You get the results you want according to who does the
testing,” Glenys argues. It’s why SHIFT is demanding that
subsidence claims should automatically go to a reputable
third party company for a second opinion when council-owned
PHOTO BY NANCY HOCKING, COURTESY TAMAR NIGOGOSSIAN.
PHOTO BY TOBY GERBER, COURTESY GIOVANNA IOZZI.
trees are involved. The pressure group would like the council to
implement this policy by September.
The small triumph at Queen’s Wood last year has inspired
a near identical protest in Coldfall Wood. It’s another dispute
involving AXA and Haringey Council over the cause of a house’s
subsidence. In this case, seven oak and hornbeam trees are at
risk. A petition asking for an independent review has drawn nearly
70,000 signatures and there has been a temporary pause in
cutting down the trees but it’s unclear for how long.
Victoria Midwinter, who is a member of the Friends of Coldfall
Wood and Muswell Hill Playing Fields, says that subsidence can
be caused by many things, including complex and unstable soil.
It’s worth noting that a couple of 200-year-old oaks have already
been removed as a result of this claim and, Victoria adds, it
appears to have made little or no difference. The group is pushing
for an independent geology report. A small survey of the area has
already suggested the soil - a mixture of silt and sand with clay
mixed in - could be to blame.
All the protestors and local activists are united in their belief
that there needs to be a more considered approach to cutting
down trees across the borough. Certainly, campaigns are a
good way of drawing attention to issues that can too easily be
dismissed. The Queen’s Wood protest, for instance, demonstrates
how community pressure can lead large companies and local
government to rethink their plans.
Tamar Nigogossian was one of the campaigners who spent
weeks at the campsite set up to protect the Queen’s Wood oaks.
“I think the most touching part was how quickly the community
responded,” she says. “It was a lovely coming together of people
with different politics and different life views.” In forming the
Community Tree Protectors, Giovanna would like to capitalise on
the momentum - to see it become the start of a more sensitive
tree strategy - in Haringey and further afield. “We hope our small
steps here will spread to other tree groups, in other boroughs
across London and the UK.”•
Follow SHIFT on Twitter: @SHIFTHaringey or Instagram: @shiftharingey. You can also join
the Community Tree Protectors (Haringey) group on Facebook, which includes details of
the petition to the council over felling trees.
32 33

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
FUTURE FOOD -
ENGAGING LOCALLY
OmVed Gardens invites you to join the conversation about
how our food system operates.
Words by David Reeve. Photo by Thomas Broadhead.
OmVed Gardens in Highgate, north London, will be hosting a Food
Systems Summit dialogue on 26 June, and we want to hear from
local people who would like to join the conversation about how our
food system operates. Our engagement will then form part of a
wider dialogue informing September’s UN Food Systems Summit.
The events of the past year have reverberated around the
world as crisis became chaos, affecting everyone on Earth. The
crisis will shape our lives for years to come but, through the chaos
and through the suffering and terrible effects of the virus, there
are also the seeds of hope.
It might seem like a long time ago now but you will remember
how you may have struggled to find basics like flour during the first
lockdown, how it became a struggle to book an online delivery and
how local food delivery organisations quickly reached capacity.
The fragility of the food system was exposed during that time
and, while many things have returned to “normal” since, it’s apparent
that some sort of change is necessary. Globally, 30% of
food production is wasted every year while one in 11 people go to
bed hungry every night. The system is broken and fault lines run
across global, national and local supply chains. What we put on
our plate in north London has an impact across the world.
In September, the UN is convening the Food Systems Summit.
The summit will launch five action tracks, based on the UN’s
sustainable development goals - to transform how food is produced
and consumed globally. The UN is looking for consumers,
producers, activists and scientists from all over the world to join
the conversation, whether through the online community pages
or local summit dialogues.
The dialogues are an opportunity for anyone to have a seat at
the table, to feedback their perspectives on the action tracks and
thoughts on food and the food system. OmVed Gardens will be
convening a dialogue for north London, looking to ask questions
such as: do people in north London have access to healthy, nutritious
and affordable food? Can we make improvements and what
do we want to see this picture look like in 10 years’ time?
If you are a food grower, producer, food bank, mutual aid
society, food distributor or shopper concerned about accessing
healthy nutritious food then we would like to hear from you.
Capacity is limited so please register your interest by emailing:
hello@villageraw.com.
Subject to Covid restrictions, the event will take place at
10am to 12.30pm on 26 June at OmVed Gardens, Townsend Yard,
Highgate, London N6 5JF.•
Check the website for details: www.omvedgardens.com
Follow: @omvedgardens on Instagram.
34

VILLAGE RAW
FOOD & DRINK
REINVENTING THE MENU
Unprecedented times and economic uncertainty forced changes
for many. Amongst these are our local chefs and caterers,
who were thrown a curveball and went with it.
Words by Kate Wilson
36 37

VILLAGE RAW
FOOD & DRINK
Previous page and above: (opening) Kosher Arayes DIY box,
(above) Chraymeh fish cake DIY box, Maghreb London.
Sycamore Smyth’s Mother’s Day collaboration with Crouch
End’s urban farm shop Fridge of Plenty.
Ham and cheese endives from Dots Cooking.
Fresh pappardelle with spinach and ricotta sauce from
Sarah in the Kitchen - Deliziosa.
Social distancing and lockdown. Words that any budding restauranteur
or passionate chef do not want to hear. Cooking in the
hospitality industry is motivated by the desire to make others
happy. Texture, taste and presentation activate the senses and
release a healthy dose of dopamine to the brain - often enjoyed
in the company of other people. Lockdown and restrictions meant
this was no longer possible, prompting many caterers and chefs
to change their business model. Covid has led some down a new
career path but many, through a critical rethink, retained the core
objectives for their businesses.
One business Maghreb did just that. Inspired by the traditional
foods of the northern coast of Africa and the Levant, Maghreb
describe themselves as the type of kitchen that brings people
together. Top chef Shiri Kraus explains how, alongside business
partner Amir Batito, they changed their business model more
than once. “Our original model was to cater for private events,
anywhere between 10-100 people,” says Shiri. “Our concept was
serving innovative Mediterranean food - farm to table style.”
When larger events were put on hold by lockdown, concepts
and pricing had to change. Then, during the lessening of restrictions,
a smaller crowd could be accommodated but Maghreb had
to change again with the tier system. Shiri says: “We’ve had to
redesign our business model from scratch and bring it to life in
a viable way. So we designed a DIY cook at home, with fierce flavours
in a box. It’s basically two chefs cooking at your home - but
within a social distance!”
Everything from ordering to production and marketing had to
be rethought. Despite the haste and uncertainty, fortunately for
Maghreb the food boxes turned out to be more of a success than
they could ever have imagined. It’s something they will continue
doing - even post lockdown. “We believe there will still be a strong
demand for this type of food going forward,” says Shiri. Maghreb
have now expanded their selection with vegetarian, vegan and
kosher options - and have also begun to deliver nationwide.
As with Maghreb, Clare Heal from Sycamore Smyth failed to
qualify for any government funding. This triggered a reappraisal of
her business model and a sudden redirection for her working life.
“Until March I was running a small, one woman catering company
and teaching at various London cookery schools - from which
most of my income came. But with lockdown both disappeared
overnight.”
With lots of people in the food industry adapting to the pandemic,
Clare admired their ability to think on their feet. Describing
herself as “being a bit ponderous”, she was left with no excuse
not to push for the side of the business she had always wanted
- getting her ready meals to a wider audience. “When everyone’s
world shrank, food became such a focus for people. I was happy
to provide them with something good to eat.”
This also made Clare realise she couldn’t go it alone, so she
is working with Crouch End based branding duo Salt + Pepper on
a redesign, and with business coach Carina Tillson. Moving production
into the new, shared Karma Kitchen in Wood Green, Clare
went on to launch a delivery supper club, providing a four-course
dinner on the last Friday of every month. The first went out to 53
people at the end of February. She says: “ I’m very proud of my
ready meals but this was a chance to do something more creatively
ambitious and to give people something that felt more like
an event.”
Finding creative solutions to food dilemmas, chef Dorothy
Barrick loves to create beautiful and tasty dishes. So beautiful
that they are screen worthy. Pre-pandemic, Dorothy’s main focus
was food styling for television and films but lockdown had
a substantial impact on the arts and media with production either
postponed or cancelled, even though the industry picked up
somewhat later in the autumn.
With uncertainty still about the end to these restrictions Dorothy,
with her repertoire of food knowledge and recipe development,
concentrated her time on cooking fridge fillings for her client
- a family. “I learnt how to make the maximum amount of food
to provide one family with a week’s worth of meals. Unprocessed
food , including greens and a mainly whole foods diet.”
Dorothy told me how incredibly grateful she felt to have this
family and looked forward to each Saturday when she would cook
for them. “I developed recipes that would be beneficial and nourishing.
A week’s worth of food: mains, sides, protein - including organic
chicken rolled in ground almonds and slow cooked salmon.
All stacked on a trolley and taken over or picked up once a week.”
If you’re searching for different options look no further than
Facebook group Crouch End Home Cooks, set up by Andy Fenichen,
a trained chef who was furloughed from his job. Linking
with other chefs through Facebook, Crouch End Home Cooks now
boasts more than 30 chefs with an alternating menu, collected
or delivered to your door. The options are endless, for example an
authentic Thai menu, Bulgarian dishes or a Moroccan feast.
Another chef who has adapted is Sarah Berlingieri. Her first
business Deliziosa centres on fresh pasta and sauces with a
focus on health and sustainability. The business, born during
lockdown, has proved indispensable for Sarah. “In 2017 I was diagnosed
with thyroid cancer. I spent my recovery in the kitchen
finding out ways to nourish myself, and mindful of getting back
to my old ways. It was a form of therapy which led me to blogging
about food and then an internship at MOB Kitchen.”
With an Italian heritage, Sarah leans towards Mediterranean
cuisine and a desire to cook fresh pasta using traditional techniques.
“Lockdown gave me the time to practise, practise, practise!
I started my own fresh pasta business from home. Local,
independent, simple and delicious. Family based, garden to table
cooking. Delivered on a bicycle - by me!”
Also offering collection as an alternative, Deliziosa‘s ethos
is heavily angled towards sustainability and care. Recyclable,
reusable and plastic-free packaging - with vegan and vegetarian
options - Sarah will continue to be committed to the environment.
She elaborates on the changes lockdown has made to
her business model: “Dinner became more important and meal
times comforting. People also wanted to support local businesses.
Deliziosa meals come as a package - a present to yourself.”
There are handwritten notes and recipe cards included in your
sustainable box - all things appreciated by Sarah’s customers.
“People have said thank you,” she says with a grateful smile.•
You can find out more about the culinary opportunities detailed in this feature through
these links: www.maghreblondon.co.uk, www.sycamoresmyth.com, www.dotscookin.com,
facebook.com (search Crouch End Home Cooks), www.sarahinthekitchen.co.uk
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VILLAGE RAW
WELLBEING
THE WOOLF IN
THE KITCHEN
During a pandemic lockdown
might not seem the best
time to launch a new business
– but that’s exactly what
Crouch End local Dominique
Woolf did.
Words by Dominique Woolf.
Two years ago I found myself at a career crossroads. Having had
three children in quick succession, I had no set career to fall back on
and was desperately seeking The Big Idea. After much soul searching
I realised I wanted to start my own business in food which had
always been a huge passion of mine. My Thai auntie’s vibrant sauces
were the inspiration and The Woolf’s Kitchen was born.
I started developing the recipes in the autumn of 2019 with the
aim of having three products ready to take to Ally Pally Farmers’
Market that December to test the concept. I sold 250 bottles over
two dates and felt positive that I was on to something. The next
stage was branding and design, with a pop-up supper club at The
Maynard Arms planned for the launch on 1st April.
Unfortunately, like everything else in the UK this was cancelled
with the first lockdown. At that point starting a new business
was the last thing on my mind. I was anxious about what lay
ahead and, despite having 1,000 bottles of sauce already made
and sitting in a warehouse, I put the business on hold indefinitely.
Looking after my children while schools and nurseries were
closed and dealing with the constant uncertainty had become my
priority. Thankfully, a couple of months later I felt ready to start
the process again and launched properly in June 2020.
My first retail customer was The Maynard Arms which had
temporarily turned into a deli. With my first sale under my belt I
gained confidence and started approaching other local retailers,
delivering the stock myself, often with my kids in tow. One thing
lockdown has shown me is the importance of the local community
- the support has been incredible. Local Facebook groups
have been invaluable in creating awareness of my products, not
to mention the wealth of positive comments I’ve received. I also
run two north London Facebook networking groups - Creative
& Entrepreneurial Woman and Crouch End Food People - which
have provided constant encouragement and undoubtedly helped
spread the word in the local area. In the absence of being able to
meet in person, these groups have been a lifeline - places to get
advice and share the victories, no matter how small.
Starting a business during a pandemic has been tough in
many ways, from having no childcare to not being able to sample
my products in store. Some shops have also experienced
less footfall than usual and buyers are often not browsing for as
long as they would normally - which means less visibility as a new
brand on the shelf.
However, with tiny footsteps and persistence I have been
able to grow sales from a few shops in north London to being
stocked in 70+ retailers across the country, and will be launching
in Selfridges soon.
Focusing on the local area has undoubtedly been a crucial
part of the journey - and something I would strongly recommend
to anyone thinking of setting up a new business. As for being your
own boss, it can be challenging and downright exhausting - there
is no such thing as an ‘off button’. But the satisfaction of seeing
your ideas come to fruition makes it all worthwhile.•
For more details on Kim’s courses and sessions check: www.rightkindofloud.com
40 41

VILLAGE RAW
SUSTAINABILITY
A TALE OF TWO
FOOD BANKS
Local food banks have been
on the frontline during
the pandemic.
Words by Julie Tang-Evans.
The term ‘breadline’ was born in New York in 1876 when bakery owner
Louis Fleischmann noticed a crowd of hungry vagrants outside and
offered bread to one of them. A line soon formed and he committed
to giving bread to every hungry person who came for it. Before long
as many as 500 loaves were being handed out daily, with coffee on
winter nights. When the philanthropist saw a man hurry off with his
loaf he had him followed and subsequently aided the man’s family.
Soon there were breadlines popping up all over the city.
We’re used to TV images from impoverished countries of people
(homeless due to war, racial conflict, drought, famine) queueing
for handouts of rice and bread - subsistence rations at best.
What’s difficult for many of us to appreciate is what it’s like to live
in a rich country yet always have too much week left at the end of
your money. In the UK there are more than 14 million people living
in poverty - 4.5 million of them are children.
Fleischmann’s outstanding example of humanity was over 140
years ago, yet phrases like ‘breadline’ and ‘poverty trap’ are heard
nearly as often in 21st century Britain as they were during historical
periods of economic depression. Philanthropy is certainly
nothing new, be it founded on age-old religious traditions – “love
thy neighbour as thyself” - or the simple instinct of humans to
help each other through difficult times. Long before Covid hit
us the need for food banks and organisations like Edible London
were on the increase. From April 2019 to March 2020, the Trussell
Trust network provided 1.9 million food supplies to people in crisis,
an 18% increase on the previous year. In the past year food
banks have been more in the news than ever.
I’ve volunteered at Muswell Hill Food Bank for around three
years, helping run our ‘cafe’ where clients could have a hot drink,
homemade cake and chat while waiting, and talking through their
list of food needs before packing their bags. Sadly, the cafe and
chat had to go with the first lockdown forcing us to drastically
reduce the number of people allowed inside the building. Clients
now wait outside and we pack bags of food essentials in advance,
adding items like toilet roll, nappies, toiletries and sometimes pet
food, as requested.
Victor Mason initially approached the Trussell Trust in November
2016 - offering space (two church-owned buildings on
Pembroke Road) and his free time to open a food bank. The Trust
was enthusiastic and Muswell Hill Food Bank became one of the
1200 they now support across the UK. Managing the food bank
had already become a full-time job (alongside caring for his three
children and studying for a degree) and since March there has
been even more to do: keeping it open three times a week but
adding twice weekly delivery runs to people who were shielding
or couldn’t travel to the food bank - for whatever reason. He was
also able to supply breakfast/lunch parcels for local children
during the 2020 summer break in lieu of free school meals, and
contributed to supplies for people staying at Centrepoint. During
the autumn half term, when the government turned its back on
schoolchildren who rely on free school meals, a local parent-led
group swiftly raised money and pulled together lunch hampers
which we delivered to Haringey families.
While welcoming assistance - from public donations - for
those who need it, Victor says: “The Trussell Trust campaigns
and constantly presses the government to step up and meet
the needs in society. Their goal is to see an end to the need for
food banks because the government is providing adequate assistance.
Who knows if that vision will become a reality.”
Victor has seen a greater diversity of people using the food
bank and is worried there will be a big increase when the furlough
scheme ends. “There are tough times ahead of us. The food bank
volunteers and all our amazing supporters have been so generous
with their time and donations - I’m confident we’ll be able to
meet the need.”
Bounds Green Food Bank is a newcomer, opened in May 2020
by members of Mutual Aid - a community response to the rising
needs of local people due to the Covid pandemic. Initial funding
came from Haringey Giving and London Community Response
Fund and they accept donations of fresh food, staples and nonfood
essentials from local suppliers and residents. Although their
remit is essentially the same as Muswell Hill, they operate differently
in that clients don’t need a referral or voucher.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF BOUNDS GREEN FOOD BANK.
I talked to Mary Mason, one of the main organisers. Mary’s
background is developing and running projects on domestic and
sexual abuse and she has 30 years’ experience working in community
organisations. She told me there are some 150 volunteers
involved, with a few main organisers spending two or so days a
week on it. “Bounds Green Food Bank was started in response to
Covid - to help people with no recourse to public funds, including
migrants. And Universal Credit doesn’t meet the criteria of a
system which offers a safety net. Poverty was here before the
pandemic and although the need for food banks is wrong, they are
answering a need that should be met by the state. We need the
political will to do this - in the sixth richest country in the world.
The problem is - as ever - the distribution of wealth and the government
needs to solve that. In the meantime our local community
is making sure no one is hungry. The need to campaign for a
change in the system is overwhelming.”
While we can - and should - continue to put pressure on the
government to address poverty in the UK in a meaningful way, the
need has inevitably increased because of the pandemic. Food
banks - and philanthropy - are here to stay. Or maybe ‘community
spirit’ is a better description - as so many people who donate to food
banks are not the richest themselves.
At Muswell Hill we’re sad we are no longer able to spend time talking
to our clients, especially those who live alone or want to talk about
their circumstances. Sometimes people need a little more than just
food supplies. It’s ironic that just as the pandemic has helped create
many new bonds in our communities, we’ve had to restrict our
contact with people at the food bank. But we know how appreciative
people are. The personal touch may have gone for now but hopefully
we’ll be able to sit down with people again before too long. •
If you’d like to donate food, money, or register your interest to volunteer for local food
banks check:
Muswell Hill Food Bank, 68 Pembroke Road, N10 2HT. www.muswellhill.foodbank.org.uk
Bounds Green Food Bank, St Michael’s Hall, 37 Bounds Green Road, N22 8HE.
www.boundsgreenfoodbank.org
Hornsey Food Bank, Middle Lane Methodist Church, Hornsey N8 7JN.
www.hornseyfoodbank.com
Finchley Food Bank, 279 High Rd, East Finchley, London N2 8HG.
www.finchleyfoodbank.org.uk
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43

VILLAGE FAMILY
third lockdown to ask about the ways in which people
were numbing out. My very unrepresentative sample
reported that:
British Cheese Selections
Award Winning Charcuterie
Cheese Lover’s Gifts
Contactless Doorstep Deliveries
To place an order please visit:
www.themicrocheesemonger.co.uk
@themicrocheesemonger
THE INBETWEEN
Words by Emma Svanberg.
Illustration by David Reeve.
ARE YOU READY?
Things are opening up again! Have you planned visits to
gardens for the next few weeks? Looked on Airbnb for
an essential get away? Started cleaning up in preparation
for visitors coming again? Cleaned up your body
too after three months of enforced hibernation?
Perhaps you’re excited - and raring to go into this
next phase. But perhaps you’re noticing a bit of anxiety
too. What is it going to be like? Is it going to last?
How do I make conversation again? How do I book a
hair appointment? How do I begin to get over the intensity
of these past few months?
As a psychologist, one of the most striking things
about this pandemic for me has been witnessing the
mixed messages we’ve been given. Daily case rates
have become part of our everyday life and stories that
instil fear have become commonplace. Simultaneously,
we’ve been told so often about our infamous Blitz mentality
- with that ‘keep calm and carry on’ narrative. So
which is it to be? Are we to be stoic - or terrified?
What often ends up happening is that we choose
denial, which might look a bit like stoicism. We push
away all of the difficult feelings which have come up
at this time, and just… well, crack on. Exactly as we’re
being encouraged to do. We don’t think too hard about
it and when some difficult feelings creep in, we find a
way to numb out. I used my social media during this
• 96% have been zoning out by scrolling
more than usual.
• 88% have experienced changed eating
habits (either soothing feelings with comfort
eating or numbing them by not eating).
• 83% have experienced disrupted sleep
(this demonstrates that we are holding
anxiety in our bodies without always being
aware of it).
• 88% described mental problems like feeling
foggy-headed, having memory loss or
word finding problems (this demonstrates
that we are processing our experience in a
state of high stress).
But the tricky thing with feelings is that when we
try to suppress them, they pop out in other ways.
Like snapping at your partner because they bought
the wrong milk. Or muttering swear words under your
breath during yet another Zoom meeting. And we have
to work really hard not to feel those feelings, so we
can end up with the sense that we’re not quite present
in our bodies and our lives.
Have you considered what this past year has
meant to you? Like, really paused to think about it?
What has changed for you this year? How have you
coped? Have you stopped to think about the resilience
you’ve demonstrated? The skills you learned so
quickly that you haven’t yet acknowledged?
When we don’t recognise what we’ve been through
we can start to forget how important it has been to
us. And then when – inevitably – we feel the impact of
this, we start to wonder what is wrong with us.
Instead, perhaps we can ask ourselves: what have
we been through? What am I carrying? What do I want
to carry with me into this next phase; and what am I
ready to leave behind?•
To help you take a pause and process some of the emotions you might have
been holding on to Emma has created an online course ‘Locked Down’ currently
available via: www.mumologist.com
44
45

VILLAGE GREEN
RICHARD MILLER –
ATMOSPHERE PLANTS
Highgate resident Richard Miller’s personal training and triathlon coaching business
came to an abrupt stop when the first lockdown began. Before that he had
quickly shifted location to the Pembrokeshire coast where a walk on Cardigan
beach yielded lots of interesting-looking weathered driftwood and cork. Richard
began collecting them. Using these, and an assemblage of foraged Thames
shells, tar, clay pipe stems, bones and rubble, he began thoughtfully combining
the objects with Tillandsia (air plants). “These plants are fascinating,” says
Richard. “They have no roots and extract their moisture and nourishment from
the air and are extremely easy to look after at home. They originate from Central
and South America and there are over 600 species.”
You can view more of Richard’s lockdown creations on his Instagram: @atmosphereplants
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