Village Raw - ISSUE 8

OCTOBER TO DECEMBER 2019
FREE
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Delicate Balance: Stephanie Buttle’s performing ceramics / Second Hand Mews: Cha Cha Cha, a place for vintage
and community / Material Species: Kate Amery’s imagery - where plastic and nature intertwine / Have Your Cake
And Eat It: How two N8 businesses are dealing with food waste / Good Vibrations: The London Lucumi Choir

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CONTENTS
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
Things to do and community notices
DELICATE BALANCE
Stephanie Buttle’s
performing ceramics
A WORK IN PROGRESS
HTH Arts Centre update
GOOD VIBRATIONS
The London Lucumi Choir
SECOND HAND MEWS
Cha Cha Cha, a place for
vintage and community
NOSING AROUND
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Exploring the dynamic
offerings of Stroud Green
MATERIAL SPECIES
Kate Amery’s imagery - where
plastic and nature intertwine
ONE STEP AHEAD
David Barron - 50-years on
GETTING PHYSICAL
Finding motivation
with a personal trainer
EDITORIAL
Welcome to the eighth edition of Village Raw. Since we began the project just
over a year ago, we’ve seen high street shops and cafes come and go at quite an
alarming rate, and we thought we’d take a look at several different brick and mortar
businesses, new and old, to consider their different approaches to operating
within the community. The Leafy Bean Co. coffee bar has quickly become a community
staple for the Bowes Park area. Well established vintage emporium Cha
Cha Cha has been integral to the development of Avenue Mews as a centre for
alternative culture. Harking back even further to when vintage was high street
fashion, Muswell Hill’s Barron hair salon celebrates 50 years in business and owner
David reflects on what has made it a success. We also take a look at the plans
for Hornsey Town Hall, at the variety of experiences that Stroud Green offers and
consider how two Crouch End bakeries approach food waste.
Plastic waste is high on the agenda for visual artist Kate Amery, who fuses
natural and synthetic materials into ‘new species’. Chris King considers how we
respond to climate crises and, in the newly-restored essay section, Molly Lipson
discusses how climate change has the greatest impact on the poorest and
most marginalised people in the world. Emma Ross looks at how we can reduce
our household emissions by changing our washing habits and, with all the political
upheaval going on at the moment, Emma Svanberg’s advice on dealing with
anxiety is worth reading. Another way to reduce stress levels is singing and we
met with the London Lucumi Choir to hear them sing beautiful melodies with
hypnotic Afro-Cuban drums. We also spoke to artist Stephanie Buttle, whose
work opens a conversation on the politics of intimacy, while Karen Leason reflects
on the support offered to mothers-to-be. We hope you enjoy the read.
David and Luciane
hello@villageraw.com
www.villageraw.com
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PLATFORM ONE, TEA FOR TWO
Making a success out of
inspiration - Leafy Bean Co.
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HAVE YOUR CAKE AND EAT IT
How two N8 businesses
are dealing with food waste
EMERGENCY ON PLANET EARTH
With the declaration of a climate
emergency, why we must act
REBEL FOR LIFE
The time to act is now –
extinction rebellion
LOW WASTE LAUNDRY
Looking at five tips to cut laundry
waste and CO 2e emissions
A GOLDEN FABRIC OF LIGHT
Empowering mothers-to-be
PARENTING IN
AN IMPERFECT WORLD
Dealing with anxiety
in the modern world
VILLAGE GREEN
Barnwood - a community forest garden
EDITORS
Luciane Pisani
David Reeve
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Luciane Pisani for Studio Moe
COPY EDITOR
Julie Tang-Evans
ADVERTISING
Emma Withey
ads@villageraw.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Laura Alvarado, Kate Amery, Lito Apostolakou, David
Barron, Zoe Bee, Daniel Bridge, Mike Coles, Gavin
Durrant, Alison Evans, Mischa Haller, Chris King, Kate
Kuzminova, Karen Leason, Molly Lipson, Lobster
and Pearls, Andrew Major, Becky Mathews, Rosha
Nutt, Carla Parks, Lucy Pilgrim, Emma Ross, Emma
Svanberg, Sadie Wild, Kate Wilson, Dominique Woolf.
ADVERTISING
hello@villageraw.com
PRINTING
Printed in East Finchley by JG Bryson on chlorine
free paper produced by an EU Ecolabel certified
mill from FSC and PEFC regulated forests.
Tweet us twitter.com/VillageRawMag
Like us facebook.com/villageraw
Follow us instagram.com/villageraw
Contact us hello@villageraw.com
Subscribe villageraw.com/subscribe
Village Raw October to December 2019
Designed and published by Studio Moe Ltd.
© 2019 Studio Moe Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any contents of Village Raw
magazine without prior permission
of the publisher is strictly prohibited.
Cover image by Kate Amery
THANKS TO:
Manoj Ambasna, the Barnwood community,
Seb Barre, Stephanie Buttle, Nicolo Catalano,
Chris from Tony’s Continental, Diane Firth,
Dunns, Lewis Freeman, Margie Gianni, Intrepid
Bakers, Tom Hoyland, Gus Hull, Mary le Comte,
Caroline Macaskill, Laura Monk, Ben Pearson,
Luiza and Sofia, Joan Podel, Piers Read,
Daniela Rosselson De Armas, Duncan Sones,
Megan Stevenson, Ruth Syratt, Loick Tyson,
Angela Walsh, Akil Wilson, Professor Ed Hawkins.
03

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
THINGS TO DO
The following venues tend
to update their event
listings regularly so
please keep checking in.
ART/MUSIC/CULTURE
ALEXANDRA PALACE
Music, theatre, sports and various seasonal
events all come together in this huge venue.
The newly restored theatre is also definitely
worth a visit. Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY.
www.alexandrapalace.com
AVIVSON GALLERY
A small gallery showcasing an impressive collection
of contemporary art. 49 Highgate High St,
N6 5JX. www.avivsongallery.com
DOWNSTAIRS AT THE KINGS HEAD
One of the oldest and best known comedy clubs
in the UK. 2 Crouch End Hill, Crouch End, N8 8AA.
www.downstairsatthekingshead.com
HIGHGATE CONTEMPORARY ART
An independent artist-led gallery that specialises
in contemporary British and European paintings,
sculpture and ceramics. 26 Highgate High
St, N6 5JG. www.highgateart.com
HIGHGATE LITERARY
AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE
HLSI hosts numerous events, screenings, courses,
talks and exhibitions. 11 South Grove, N6 6BS.
www.hlsi.net
HIGHGATE SOCIETY
Various events for members and the general
public. 10A South Grove, N6 6BS.
www.highgatesociety.com
JACKSON’S LANE
A multi-arts venue in Highgate specialising in
circus, theatre, performance, and dance, while
also hosting a wide range of courses. 269A Archway
Rd, N6 5AA. www.jacksonslane.org.uk
JEALOUS NORTH
Jealous is a contemporary gallery specialising
in print. It runs two spaces, one in the east of
London, and Jealous North in Crouch End. 27 Park
Road, N8 8TE.
www.jealousgallery.com/exhibitions
KENWOOD HOUSE
Free to visit, a Georgian House with an impressive
art collection which includes works by Rembrandt,
Turner, Gainsborough and Vermeer. Also
hosts events. Hampstead Ln, Highgate, NW3
7JR. www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/
kenwood
LAUDERDALE HOUSE.
Hosts a range of events, classes, music, performance,
and art exhibitions. Waterlow Park, Highgate
Hill, N6 5HG. www.lauderdalehouse.org.uk
LUX
An organisation that promotes artists’ moving
image practices, LUX runs a regular public programme
of screenings, talks, exhibitions and
other events. Waterlow Park Centre, Highgate,
N19 5JF. www.lux.org.uk
OFFSHOOT GALLERY
Offshoot offers space to emerging artistic and
curatorial practitioners across all media, with a
range of exhibitions. 162 High Road, East Finchley,
N2 9AS. www.offshootartspace.com
OMVED GARDENS
A unique space in Highgate that offers a range
of events and courses. The creative space between
people and nature. Townsend Yard, Highgate,
N6 5JF. www.omvedgardens.com
PARK THEATRE
Intimate theatre with two stages to programme
new dramas, musicals and experimental productions.
Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4
3JP. www.parktheatre.co.uk
PICKLED PEPPER BOOKS THEATRE
At the back of the book shop is a space that
runs children’s theatre, events and other activities.
10 Middle Lane, Crouch End, N8 8PL.
www.pickledpepperbooks.co.uk
THE RED HEDGEHOG
An independently run concert and theatre
space that hosts a variety of courses, perfromances,
and indoor markets. Archway Rd, Highgate,
N6 5BS. www.theredhedgehog.co.uk
THROWN CONTEMPORARY
A contemporary art gallery with a focus on ceramics.
Look out for their supper clubs. 26 Highgate
High Street, N6 5JG.
www.throwncontemporary.co.uk
UPSTAIRS AT THE GATEHOUSE
A fringe theatre with a varied programme of
drama, musicals, comedy and other performance.
1 North Rd, Highgate, N6 4BD.
www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com
FESTIVALS AND MARKETS
ALEXANDRA PALACE FARMERS’ MARKET
40 farmers, baristas, bakers and craftspeople
come together every Sunday – either at the
Muswell Hill entrance to Alexandra Palace Park,
or Campsbourne School – check website every
week for location details:
www.weareccfm.com/alexandra-palace-market
BLUE HOUSE YARD
Hosts a range of markets and events across the
year and is also a great place to go plastic free
and fill up on beer. 5 River Park Rd, Wood Green,
N22 7TB. www.bluehouseyard.com
EXTRAORDINARY ARTISANS MARKET
A quarterly market presented by Duck Pond at
Lauderdale House, featuring arts and crafts,
homewares, gifts, vintage, clothing, food producers
and ethical businesses. Waterlow Park,
Highgate Hill, N6 5HG.
www.duckpondmarket.com/highgate
HIGHGATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
Regular quarterly exhibits from members, with
plant and produce stalls, as well as tea and cake.
United Reformed Church, South Grove, N6 6BA.
www.highgatehorticulturalsociety.org.uk
MUSWELL HILL CREATIVES
Work on sale from local artists, designers and
makers from Muswell Hill and surrounding areas.
You’ll find ceramics, jewellery, art, homewares,
clothing and more. They have regular
seasonal markets and pop-ups - check the
website for details of upcoming markets.
www.muswellhillcreatives.com
MYDDLETON ROAD MARKET
Grab a bite, beer, wine, unique gift, fresh produce,
vintage items and clothing – the first Sunday
of every month. Also runs larger summer and
winter fairs. Myddleton Road, N22.
www.myddletonroadmarket.co.uk
STROUD GREEN MARKET
Growers, picklers, cheesemongers, coffee roasters,
cider brewers, dairy farmers, street food
cookers, bughouse builders, clarinet players,
bike fixers, beekeepers, washing-up-liquid refillers…
Every Sunday. Woodstock Rd, Stroud Green,
London N4 3EX. www.stroudgreenmarket.com
VIBE MARKET // FRENCH MARKET
Vibe Market organises a variety of markets in
St. James Square, Muswell Hill – including the
French Markets. For more details check:
www.muswellife.com/whats-on-in-st-jamessquare
WOLVES LANE HORTICULTURAL
AND GARDEN CENTRE
Host of a range of community markets and
events. A unique space that’s well worth a visit.
Wolves Ln, Wood Green, N22 5JD.
www.wolveslane.org
ZERO MARKET N22
Local producers, street food, re-fill stalls, arts
and crafts – all with a ban on single use plastic.
First Saturday of the month. Blue House Yard, 5
River Park Rd, Wood Green, N22 7TB.
www.zeromarketn22.co.uk
SEASONAL EVENTS
AND FAIRS
There will be a huge
number of winter fairs
and events coming up.
Join our mailing list
for up to date listings
at: www.villageraw.com
HANDMADE IN HIGHGATE WINTER SHOW
Held in the Highgate Literary & Scientific Institution,
Handmade In Highgate features some of
the UK’s finest and most exciting designer/makers.
11 South Grove, N6 6BS.
www.hand-made-in-highgate.com
IT’S A WONDERFUL MUSWELL
Muswell Hill’s annual winter celebration takes
places in St. James Square on Saturday 7 December.
For more info check:
www.muswellife.com
N22 OPEN STUDIOS
Check out the work of local painters, photographers,
print-makers, designer-makers, jewellers,
sculptors and ceramists. Entry is free, and children
are welcome. 12pm to 6pm 9/10 November.
Wood Green. www.n22openstudios.com
MYDDLETON ROAD WINTER FAIR
A huge market with a free Santa’s Grotto, fun
fair rides, live music, carols and the ever-popular
lantern parade. 11am to 5pm, Sunday 1 December.
www.myddletonroadmarket.co.uk
STROUD GREEN WINTER FAIR
Hosted by The Stapleton Tavern, and raising
funds for Mind in Haringey, there will be vintage,
craft and Christmas gift stalls. 12 to 5pm, Saturday
30 November. www.stroudgreenwi.co.uk
COLLAGE VOICES
Collage Arts is running a new programme for eight to 18-year olds, called Collage
Voices. It is a programme designed to spark and nurture an interest in the arts,
and encourage pathways into the creative industries. The aim is to help and support
children and young people to enjoy fun, enriching, creative activities that
will build up their self-esteem and general engagement, team work and communication
skills. Sessions include creative writing, performing arts, singing/songwriting,
multimedia and cost £2 a week for a 90-minute session. For further info
check: www.collage-arts.org/collage-voices
FROM OVERSEAS?
Village Raw contributors Dan Bridge
and Alison Evans are creating a new
project that aims to tell the story of
those that have come to our community
from overseas and they would love
to hear from you if you have a story to
tell. They are aiming to share human
stories that unite and inform through
photography and text. Contact Dan via
Instagram @danbridgephoto or:
www.danbridgephotography.co.uk
GIFTED LOCAL
A new online shop helping the community
find unique gifts while supporting
and championing local creative talent.
Available in N6, N8, N10, N17 and N22,
products include ceramics, cushions,
jewellery, artwork, clothes, and gifts.
Sellers are encouraged to hand-deliver
by cycling or walking, reducing pollution
and congestion. Minimal packaging
is also promoted. For more info
check: www.giftedlocal.com
04 05

ART VILLAGE & CULTURE RAW
DELICATE BALANCE
The work of Stephanie Buttle doesn’t stand still. Her pieces
almost dance. If ceramics are meant to sit quietly on display,
hers exist in a state of tactile, choreographic exuberance.
Interview by Lito Apostolakou. Portraits by Kate Kuzminova.
Seeking the balance between controlled pushing of the medium’s
limits and letting it transform on its own, Stephanie captures
emotional and physical movement. Her ceramics perform.
In her Are You Going to Leave That There installation (2015)
objects made with clay of the same weight as the artist are suspended
with ropes and ribbons, allowing the viewer to interact
within a structure of tension, balance and fragility. A series of
stoneware produced in 2016 comprises fluid objects, capturing
the movement of their maker as she danced with the still wet clay
forms. In Position 6 (2017) Stephanie performs alongside her ceramic
work - an abstract figurative structure held in tension with
ropes and pulleys. The work opens a conversation on the politics
of intimacy and the intricacies of relationships in an unrehearsed
interaction between the artist and her creation. Position 6 was
also a short film directed by her, as was Throwing my Weight
Around, produced in 2015.
Stephanie’s making process is informed by skills and mindsets
acquired from a life in dance, performance and film making. She
studied ballet and all aspects of theatrical art in Hertfordshire
and London, where she moved at the age of 19. During the 80s and
90s she danced with the National Ballet of Portugal, worked with
choreographers Arlene Phillips and Bruno Tonioli and appeared in
pop music videos with the Pet Shop Boys, Scritti Politti and Mike
and the Mechanics. Throughout the 90s she worked in the theatre
and film industry in movies directed by Genevieve Jolliffe
and Stephen Poliakoff. Among other acting credits, she has been
supporting actress to Juliette Binoche and William Hurt in Chantal
Akerman’s Couch in New York (1998). She has directed short
films Wet Man, and Fourth Wall, as well as arty commercials for
Martini and Cinzano. But her life took a different direction when
in 2012 she embarked on a BA in Ceramics/Design at Central St
Martins. It was a radical decision prompted partly by the fact that
PHOTO BY JULIA BIRO (THIS PAGE).
06 1

ART & CULTURE
COMMUNITY
Opening page: Position 6
(2017).
This page (left): Re:pair
(2019). Sound, film
installation, Port
Eliot festival.
This page (right): One thing
more (2019). Porcelain,
beech, oiled cord.
Opposite page: Thrum (2019).
Black SW clay, Porcelain,
beech, oiled cord.
the commercial advertising industry she was involved in at the
time left her unfulfilled. Stephanie found the intellectual rigour of
academia allowed her not only to acquire new expertise and gain
a thorough understanding of other artists and other mediums but
also to channel her life skills into her artwork.
Being drawn to the idea of creating an entire experience with
the work central to it stemmed from her previous involvement
in different aspects of performance. Her spatial awareness, her
knowledge of the movement of the body in space and her ability
to collaborate and communicate with a team informed and enriched
her art. Embracing the language of all the art forms she
has moved through was also instrumental in challenging the
conventions of her medium. The process of making and installing
her ceramic pieces came to involve performance. Stephanie embedded
movement in essentially still objects, making the space
around them visible. Nowadays she doesn’t have to “come up and
do the pirouette,” as she says. “The performance is now utterly in
the materials and the form and this real need and desire in me to
create work that moves in situations.”
Trying to find the essence of the narrative within her work,
Stephanie pushes her materials to breaking point. The soft
unfired clay gets stretched to its limits before control is relinquished
to the high temperatures of the kiln which further alters
the work. It is a conversation with the material and with the self
which seeks a balance and effects a transformation. “There is always
a conversation about the idea of balance; it keeps coming
up. It is always that ability of something that needs to be pushed
or held. When something is off balance, is it being supported or
is it being held?” says Stephanie. “The connection between the
dance and the balance of things is something very personal, very
emotional and part of a larger conversation.”
There is a risk. “What’s really important - especially when you
come from different disciplines - is to allow yourself to fail,” she
says, “because that’s where the magic potentially lies. Not in what
you estimate but what you didn’t anticipate could happen and the
ability to respond to that and take it a bit further. I think that’s the
instinct that has carried me through all the different parts of my
creative life.” Stephanie is prepared to risk developing ideas publicly.
She treats the site where she installs her art as a space which
is both personal and public. She coexists with her work, responding
to it without knowing the outcome. She embraces the ephemeral.
Part of a kinetic ensemble, her ceramics refuse to assume fixed
positions. There is this sense of an ongoing dialogue with herself,
with the material, with the viewer - a stream of consciousness.
The four years since her graduation from Central St Martins
have been filled with lots of opportunities, learning and hard
work. Stephanie has exhibited in Lethaby Gallery London, Pangolin
Gallery, Messums Wiltshire, Hauser & Wirth Somerset, Cork St.
London and the Port Eliot Festival. She has been teaching at Central
St Martins and Morley College while running artist-led workshops
in various venues. She still wants to study thoroughly what
performance in art means for her as an artist and as a viewer.
Her intimate collaboration with her partner and multimedia artist,
Tim Gray, features large in her current creative work. Both artists
PHOTOS BY STEPHANIE BUTTLE (THIS PAGE).
are attracted to the natural state of clay and wood, translating in
a tactile way concepts of intimacy and the complexities of relationships.
They are “caught up in the politics of intimacy – how we
relate to each other, who are we and how we affect each other.
We are caught up in this conversation.”
The attraction of lens-based media is still strong in her. Re:pair,
a Stephanie Buttle and Tim Gray installation in the 2019 Port Eliot
Festival was a site-specific piece comprising a caravan wrapped
in hand-stitched felt where a sound installation ran by day and an
8mm film was projected by night. Currently she’s involved in 22
Hands, an “exhibition, performance, workspace and intervention”
which is part of the British Ceramic Biennial 2019. It takes place
at the World of Wedgwood in Stoke and is inspired by the work of
Stoke-born sculptor Glenys Barton, artist in residence at Wedgwood,
1976-78. Together with Duncan Hooson, Tim Gray and a host
of other artists, Stephanie transformed an unused courtyard with
structures, soundscapes and performances. The site becomes an
immersive experience filled with moulds, slip pools, clay tunnels,
sounds and dance. In this five-week residency, the artists think, rehearse
and create publicly. Stephanie, who has also stage directed
the space, responds to the gestural movements of ceramic making
and the Laban dance practice which influenced Glenys Barton.
What influences Stephanie Buttle’s work? “It has to be a freedom
and a spontaneity in the way I work,” says Stephanie. “Whenever
I felt a dogma of the medium, I’ve left. There is a continuous
line of conversation going - what I’ve learnt from this piece and
the piece before is coming with me. There is a stream of consciousness.
The main inspiration is the continuing of the conversation.”
Collaboration is a big part of her creative work. She compares
it with acting and ballet dancing, where you have to support
each other in a team or trust your partner in a pas de deux. She
gets really engrossed in her research and also in the ever-present
politics of intimacy. “Politics has to come into your practice,” she
says. “It is your responsibility as an artist to be listening.” She is
intrigued by the opportunity of being given a site to fill and aspires
to work on a large scale with installation-type pieces. But
after years of intense work and being creatively on the move, she
feels the need to slow down. She wants to give herself time to
reflect and respond intelligently to where she is going next.
The creative forces that drive Stephanie Buttle’s art take
her work into a space between disciplines where the tension
between the languages of different art forms gives birth to one
richer language. A space where a ceramicist’s gesture can evolve
into a dancer’s port de bras and a solid object can seem ephemeral,
where ‘throwing’ can refer to forming clay, tossing an object
to the floor or propelling one’s body into space. She crafts forms,
choreographs materials, captures concepts, transforms corporeal
acts to communicative overtures. Stephanie’s work is pushed
to the brink where the boundaries between ceramics and performance
seem to dissolve and the conversation of what it means
to be human can begin. •
For further information on Stephanie Buttle’s work check: www.stephaniebuttle.com and
www.instagram.com/steph_buttle
08
09

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
Opposite page: A mural depicting some
of the historical highlights of Hornsey
Town Hall by @InkBetweentheLines.
through to the numerous iconic performances which took place
in the Assembly Hall (acts including Queen, The Kinks and Electric
Light Orchestra). In more recent times, the Town Hall has been
used as a location for many high profile film, television and music
video productions, including, Bohemian Rhapsody, Killing Eve and
ex-One Direction star Louis Tomlinson’s recent release, Two of Us.
HTH Arts Centre Reception Open
While the building work gets underway, the TIME + SPACE Co. team
who operate Hornsey Town Hall Arts Centre, will retain a presence
in a brand new reception, adjacent to the FEC Marketing Suite and
show home. The team will be on hand to answer any questions
about the plans for the new Arts Centre, the types of spaces that
will be available when the building reopens, and will begin taking
enquiries about future bookings. The reception will be open from
late September and you can book an appointment by emailing
hello@hthartscentre.com or drop in for a chat.
Homage to HTH History
Did you work at Hornsey Town Hall when it was the Haringey Council
offices or attend one of the early concerts by Queen or The
Kinks? We are calling for anyone who has any physical artefacts
or objects relating to the history of Hornsey Town Hall to bring
them in to the Arts Centre reception to add to our ever-growing
collection. We would also love to hear your stories and memories
relating to the Town Hall for an ongoing heritage project. Get in
touch by contacting hello@hthartscentre.com or tagging your
memories with #HTHheritage on social media.
Coming up...
We’re very pleased to announce that the next edition of Village
Raw will feature a joint interview with representatives from Far
East Consortium, Ardmore Construction, The TIME + SPACE Co.,
Historic England, MAKE Architects and Haringey Council.•
If you would like to stay informed with all the latest news about Hornsey Town Hall Arts
Centre and the restoration project then follow us on social media at: @HTHArtsCentre or
join the mailing list at: www.hthartscentre.com
A WORK IN PROGRESS
As Hornsey Town Hall enters a period of restoration
the operators celebrate the building’s colourful history,
while looking to the future.
Words by Lucy Pilgrim and Andrew Major. Photo by Dan Bridge.
Restoration Works Begin
If you’ve been past Hornsey Town Hall recently you’ve probably
noticed that the hoarding is up and Ardmore Construction has
started the extensive restoration of the building. This process will
see its iconic Art Deco features restored to their former splendour,
and the building transformed into a mixed-use arts centre
and venue with a programme of performances and events across
a number of versatile spaces. These will be available for community
and private hire, alongside flexible workspace and places to
eat, drink and socialise. The work is scheduled to be completed
in 2021.
The HTH Story
As we look to the future of Hornsey Town Hall, we continue to tell
its story, looking back at its diverse and remarkable history. Visit
the Hornsey Town Hall timeline, opposite the FEC (Far East Consortium)
Marketing Suite and show home at the front of Hornsey
Town Hall for a glimpse into the rich heritage of the building. The
timeline takes you from the 1920s, when Hornsey Council purchased
a plot of land which would eventually become the site
of Hornsey Town Hall (designed by young New Zealand Architect
Reginald Uren), to the first general election result to be broadcast
on live television from the Committee Room balcony in 1950,
10 1
11

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE SOUNDS
GOOD VIBRATIONS
If you’ve spotted a merry band of singers, dressed in white,
performing in Queen’s Wood and wondered who on earth
they are, read on. Village Raw finds out what makes this
choir so special and how to join them.
Words by Zoe Bee. Photos by Gavin Durrant.
Scientific evidence has proven that singing is good for our mental
and physical health. It strengthens our immune systems, reduces
stress levels and it’s fun! These benefits are all enhanced when
singing in a group.
Singing beautiful melodies with hypnotic Afro-Cuban drums,
the London Lucumi Choir produce a refined sound that is decidedly
their own. The choir, based in Muswell Hill, is a diverse group
attracting people from all backgrounds.
Its director, Daniela Rosselson De Armas, has sung in lots of
bands. She says: “I started the choir (with Martha Galarraga and
Dave Pattman) because I love choral music. I wanted to use the
beautiful songs that are sung within the Lucumi tradition and
make interesting choral arrangements for all to share.”
Lucumi is a term given to practitioners of an Afro-Cuban
spiritual path which has its roots within the Yoruba nation. The
name identifies the group as performing songs from the Lucumi
(sometimes known as Lukumi or La Regla De Ocha) tradition. They
are ‘praise songs’ to Orisha who are deities that mediate between
people and God. The choir is open to all, however, and is a cultural
expression of the spiritual tradition.
Daniela says: “This is not a pop choir, it is not a classical choir,
it is not a gospel choir. People should join if they feel connected
and if the music makes them feel happy. The choir welcomes people
of all faiths and no faith.”
The choir rehearse and perform with Afro-Cuban drums called
batá drums. Timing and rhythm carry the same importance as
melody and harmony and the best way of connecting with the
drum is through movement. If you join, you have to be open to
moving with the beat although complicated dance steps are
not required. The songs are mainly sung in an old Yoruba dialect
(brought over to Cuba during the trans-Atlantic slave trade),
Spanish and occasionally in English.
Members come from London, Oxford and Bristol and rehearse
twice a month in Muswell Hill. They have even practised in Queen’s
Wood. Daniela says: “When it’s really hot, the woods can be a cool
place to rehearse. We have also rehearsed in the snow. Singing in
the woods has a magical vibration, I think it’s the acoustics provided
by the trees.”
The choir always welcomes new members, particularly men
who seem a little hesitant about singing. Children are welcome
too but need to be able to focus and join in.
London Lucumi Choir has achieved a lot since it began in 2006,
including producing four albums, performing in theatres across
the UK and in Cuba and opening for great stars such as Buika and
Buena Vista’s Eliades Ochoa.
Singing in a choir is powerful, uplifting and community orientated.
If you’d like to try it but think you can’t sing, Daniela offers
advice. “Most people who tell me they cannot sing can sing perfectly
well but just lack confidence - or have been told they can’t
sing,” she says. “A choir is a place where you can perform without
feeling that the attention is on you. You can add your voice without
feeling exposed.”•
To listen to London Lucumi Choir, find out about performances and how to join check:
www.londonlucumichoir.com
The London Lucumi Choir are launching their fourth CD Fire and Water on Bandcamp:
www.lucumichoir.bandcamp.com
You can also find out about other local singing groups at: www.villageraw.com/sing
1
13

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
SECOND HAND MEWS
Ruth Syratt and Megan Stevenson opened Cha Cha Cha on Avenue Mews
in 2004. Since then, their vintage clothes and furniture shop
has grown into a collaborative community space. We spoke to
them about life on N10’s creative side street and their film,
TV and advertising production work.
Interview by Becky Mathews. Photos by Dan Bridge
14

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
How did you two meet and start working together?
Megan: We met through friends locally, in 2004. I opened the shop
with a woman called Karen and we sold vintage furniture. Then I met
Ruth and she was trading with a friend of hers, selling clothing. We
had them in to do a pop-up, then decided to have upstairs for clothes
and downstairs for furniture which we did for about five years. Our
partners went off to do other things so it was the two of us.
What is a day in the life of Cha Cha Cha like?
Ruth: It really varies. On Saturdays we open at 11, chat to people
all day, then suddenly it’s five o’clock and the day’s over. During
the week, we take photographs to list products online or we might
be filming or set designing, getting a wardrobe together or buying
props. It’s quite diverse, that’s what I love about it. We’ve done
more production work in the last four years which has made it
more interesting and means we don’t have to open every day.
How did you get into working on wardrobe, art department and
props for TV, film and advertising - and how do you balance it
with running Cha Cha Cha?
M: Someone we met through the shop got us in on a job for a
make-up brand called NYX. There was no budget for set design
and the theme was a Victorian circus. We constructed an old
tent inside the shop which we filmed in - and everything we put
in there was from upstairs. Variety is good - we’re a mix of a prop
house, a vintage shop and an online shop.
There is a very creative, collaborative spirit on Avenue Mews and
you’re a big part of that. What does being based there mean to you?
R: We’ve built a community around what’s happening here. My
husband now co-runs the Muswell Hillbilly Brewers Taproom. They
brew their beer next door, there are artists working here, there’s
Can’t Buy Me Love, the other vintage shop. We pull together to do
events on the mews which have been really successful - almost
too successful which is why we haven’t done one for a while!
M: People have to come and find us here, and I think the sort of
people that come here are curious - especially if they’ve stumbled
upon us. They look at Avenue Mews and wonder what’s down
there. They’re interested in alternative culture.
You’ve hosted events like gigs, film screenings and supper
clubs. What made you want to do something different with the
shop and what other events would you like to put on?
M: We don’t do those to make money. It’s about saying, “look at
the amazing people that live in our neighbourhood”.
R: We’ve met everyone who’s performed here through the shop,
it’s been such a joy to be part of that and to support these people.
It gives you more of a sense of purpose than just selling. There’s
something deeper going on. We like the idea of doing something
quite relaxed like still life evenings. We’ll do another big event
here soon, we’re open to new possibilities and ideas.
What do you love most about running Cha Cha Cha?
M: My favourite job is looking for treasure. It lights me up, it’s the
best thing ever. I love that whole exchange - and selling online
connects you with people all over the world. I love the production
work too, and problem-solving.
R: There’s something magical about this place, we’ve done things
we never would have otherwise. We made a short film about the
shop and how we time travel to get our stuff. Now someone wants
PHOTOS BY RUTH SYRATT (MIDDLE AND RIGHT).
to commission it as a feature - that’s just a crazy side project,
who knows if it will happen.
M: I’ve always loved vintage. As a student, furnishing my home
and buying secondhand clothes because it was good value. But
also because it was interesting and over the years that’s become
more important to me, especially the whole eco-friendly thing -
reusing what’s already been made with no imprint on the environment.
And with the clothes - the fabrics used and made in the UK
are cotton, which doesn’t really exist now. To find a nice cotton
dress on the high street now is quite rare - it’s usually a synthetic
blend, made in China and shipped. That doesn’t last, it won’t be
here in 40 years.
R: And has a huge carbon footprint.
M: As I’ve got older, thinking about these issues has become more
relevant. And style never goes out of fashion - if something’s
good it’s gonna be good forever. That’s what we trade in.
It’s a tough time for the high street and small businesses, what
are some of the challenges you’ve faced?
R: People have reached a saturation point of consuming - they
have everything they need. That’s actually a good thing. As a retailer,
obviously we want people to buy stuff but at least we’re
selling sustainable things that already exist. It’s not throwaway
fashion or interiors. But that’s a challenge.
We also have to keep the maintenance of the place up - the
other week Megan was up a ladder trying to fix the gutter.
What advice would you offer for anyone starting a business now?
M: Start with what you love, something that naturally sparks that
feeling of excitement! Do your research, find out who your market
is, who you’re trying to sell to and why. In five years is it still going
to be relevant?
R: Do people need it? Or want what you’re selling? I don’t want
to come across as negative - but I think a lot of people have a
fantasy of what running a shop is like, and they don’t really have
an idea of the work and underlying stress that goes into having
a space that’s public and open. I mean I didn’t understand what
was involved to begin with… Even within a high street shop. All
your rates are higher because you pay business rates, so your electric
bill is high, etc. I anticipate the high street dwindling even more
because rates are going up. So is rent - everything is reaching a
crisis point, I think, so I really don’t know what the future of the high
street is. But if people want shops they need to support them.
What are some of your favourite local places to hang out?
M: I love Ally Pally. I walk there every day and have picnics there
in the summer.
R: Yeah, it’s awesome, and there’s the farmer’s market and gigs
there. It’s one of our biggest treasures in the area.
M : I really love The Prince pub in Wood Green. It’s got a really nice
vibe, relaxed - and great beers and food.
R: On Saturday nights, we’ll usually pop next door to the taproom,
and often people spill over into here which is really nice. But my
favourite thing to do in the area is to go walking - Parkland Walk,
Highgate Woods, Queen’s Wood, Hampstead Heath. We’re so lucky
to live here. •
You can visit the Cha Cha Cha Vintage at 20-22 Avenue Mews, Muswell Hill, N10 3NP on
Saturdays from 11am - 5pm. For more info on products, events or to contact them about
production work visit: www.cha-cha-cha.co.uk
16
17

VILLAGE RAW
NOSING AROUND
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD
Stroud Green has flourished into a thriving area full of independent
shops, cafes and restaurants. Village Raw sampled a few.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos David Reeve.
For many years, one of the main selling points of Finsbury Park
was how quickly you could get from there to somewhere else.
But things have changed and that includes neighbouring Stroud
Green, an area just north of the train station. Full of quirky independent
shops, cafes and restaurants, it’s now a destination to
explore. I start my journey at MoseyHome, a shop selling vintage
homeware and furniture with a focus on the 20th century. Owner
Mary le Comte welcomes me inside and explains about her love
of objects and the stories behind them: “I love the way they are
passed on, reused or repurposed.”
Mary opened the shop five years ago and admits it has been
a massive learning curve. “When you own your business you feel
passionate about it and so the difficulties make you feel low but
when it’s going well, it feels fantastic. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster.”
She hopes to offer an “emotive experience” to customers that
can’t be equalled online - the thrill of finding an object and falling
in love with it. She can also source items, help style a home and
puts on occasional events. A local herself, Mary loves the area
and says it’s full of potential. “You can eat here, you can drink, it’s
becoming a place where you can hang out.”
Perfect for just that type of activity is Common Ground, a stylish
and bright cafe with a large courtyard out the back. Opened
by Lucy Jones in 2018, this newcomer features a changing menu
that leans on different influences, whether Asian, Middle Eastern
or antipodean “This is my passion project,” says Lucy who was
inspired by the cafe culture in Melbourne. “I wanted to create a
lovely, informal dining space where food is simple and affordable.”
As part of its ethos in promoting conversation, the cafe is
screen-free at weekends. Some of the other great cafes in the
area include Front Room and Coffee Fruit, each with a different
atmosphere, as well as being stockists of Village Raw.
A cheerful mural marks the entrance to Pretty Shiny Shop,
with a range of items at affordable prices from jewellery through
to cards and bags. “We want to be a place you step into, knowing
you will find things you’ll love or the perfect gift to give - and
leave with your magpie sensibilities satisfied,” says owner Georgina
Black. It’s also a great place to find prints by local artists who
take inspiration from the neighbourhood.
My pitstop for lunch is the Deli at 80. With fresh bread, a selection
of handpicked cheeses and handmade sandwiches (mine
is avocado, hummus and harissa), it’s not your average deli counter.
There’s a focus on sustainability too - you can refill wine and
olive oil bottles plus shampoos, detergents and soaps. It also
hosts regular evening events including gin tasting.
It’s not quite cocktail hour but the trail leads me to Oak N4, a
wine store and bar. Laura-Jamie Edginton has worked there almost
since it opened three years ago. “People often say: ‘I live
in the area but didn’t know you were here’. We’re trying to make
the bar more of a destination.” That includes having live music on
Sundays and open house wine tastings where suppliers bring 40
to 50 different wines to sample. A new event is ‘wining and whining’
- for local parents who have babies and small children and
deservedly need a glass of wine. There’s a large selection with an
emphasis on biodynamic, organic and natural wines.
As I make my way up the street, I see a sign for Stroud Green
Market. Started by Edmund May in 2017, it focuses on supporting
local businesses and English farmers and it’s become a focal
point of the community on Sundays. Plenty of other places look
interesting too: Mento (a florist where you can stop for a coffee
and cake); Bacchus N4 (a new wine shop); Volume (for live music
and food); and Pizzeria Pappagone (a buzzy Italian that’s a favourite
with locals).
I am curious to stop into Em’s Barbershop, just before Stroud
Green turns into Crouch Hill. Run by Em Militello and his partner
Anne, it’s where my husband gets his hair cut and I almost feel
like I know them. “We try to foster an idea of crafted haircuts,”
explains Em. “Every person is treated like an individual.” I also
meet team member Mike, who has heard a lot about me too. What
I really like about Stroud Green is how it feels such a welcoming,
creative community. When you live in a large city like London that
can sometimes be hard to find - but it’s alive and well here. •
You can follow the places we mention on Instagram at: @moseyhome
@commongroundlondon @thefrontroomcafe @n4coffeefruitn4 @prettyshinyshop
@the_deli_at_80 @oak_n4 @stroudgrmarket @mentoflowersandcoffee @bacchusn4
@volume.london @pizzeriapappagone @ems_barbershop
18 1
19

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE IN PICTURES
MATERIAL SPECIES
Kate Amery is an East Finchley based visual artist who
works with recycled and found materials to raise awareness
of the impact humans have on the environment.
Words by David Reeve. Imagery by Kate Amery.
Her series The Plastic Revolution points a finger at the global
plastic waste crisis. Plants become overtaken by - and entwined
with - collected plastic and wrappings to create a new set of
species. “The plastic species is a futuristic view of what our
natural environment could look like if it were to merge with the
colossal amounts of plastic waste we have created worldwide,”
Photos says Kate. by The Dan sculpted Bridge. works are photographed and reworked
by mirroring, and adjusting the colour and contrast to produce
a surreal effect – bringing out the sculpture’s sensory details.
The resulting photographic works trip into worlds of dreams and
fantasy. The artist’s other work has included biodegradable bottle
tops that contain seeds, flowers sprouting from warped plastic
and the pairing of natural objects with manmade artefacts not
normally found together. “I intercept or disrupt what is around
me, just as man intervenes with nature.”•
You can see more of Kate’s work on her website: www.kateamery.com
20

VILLAGE RAW
HISTORY
ONE STEP
AHEAD
Hairdresser David Barron
has been in business for
50 years, with influences
that include music and
the Swinging Sixties.
Words by Carla Parks.
Photos courtesy of David Barron.
This page: One Step Ahead salon
in Muswell Hill circa 1973.
Opposite page: One Step Ahead salon in
Muswell Hill circa 1975 (left); David
Barron with Alvin Stardust in 1975 (right).
London, July 1969. David Barron was an ambitious 19-year-old
when he saw The Rolling Stones perform their decade-defining
free concert at Hyde Park. Only two months later he opened his
first hair salon on Middle Lane in Crouch End and decided to paint
the entire place black. He says he was inspired partly by listening
to Paint It, Black. The decision was also a practical one - he’d spent
£275 pounds taking over a business that was then called Ted’s Barbershop
and he only had £25 left over for a job lot of black paint.
One Step Ahead, as implied by the salon’s name, was intended
to be ahead of its time and it certainly had a different type of
image from the start, not only because of its stark surroundings.
David’s vision was to do for men’s hairstyling what Vidal Sassoon
had done for women’s - he wanted to revolutionise it. He started
by giving men haircuts that women wanted. Once again, David’s
approach was influenced by music and, in particular, The Beatles. “I
wanted to be part of the [cultural] change that was happening and
I liked their music and their floppy hair.”
“We were coming out of this grey, post-war period and London
- all of a sudden - stopped being drab. Colour came into it: Carnaby
Street, Mary Quant, David Bailey and pop music.” David was almost
immediately successful and he soon bought a second, bigger salon
in Muswell Hill to cope with demand: “I didn’t know what I was doing
but I was having such a good time.” This salon was located near the
old ABC cinema and became a bit of a local hangout for some of the
area’s better-known personalities.
Among some of its regulars was musician Long John Baldry,
who reached number one in 1967 with Let the Heartaches Begin,
and who was recognisable for walking a goat on a lead on the suburban
streets. “Muswell Hill was a special place in the 70s,” the
hairdresser recalls. “It’s very different from how it is now. It was
more transient, lots of students, and there were always quirky people
coming in [to the salon].”
Eventually, David opened Barron Hair and Health, where he began
to experiment with hair treatments and started making his
own products without the use of chemicals. He also became a photographer,
using a small studio in the salon to produce high-quality
images that, today, document the 50 years he’s been in business.
Some of these photographs were published in journals and magazines
and David was asked to run seminars for Kodak and Fuji.
Barron Salon is the latest incarnation of David’s business and
it caters to clients who range in age from 9 to 90. His motivation
comes from “making a connection” with them and people in the
community. But he doesn’t believe that’s why he’s been successful.
“I think I’ve been clueless about business most of my life. I was
just a kid who’d saved up £300. You could never do that on a shoestring
now. Times were different.” He adds: “I also like what I do and
I have good people working for me. That’s important.”•
For more information visit: www.barronsalon.com
24 1
25

PARTNER VILLAGE CONTENT RAW
GETTING PHYSICAL
Motivating yourself to get fit can be hard - so that’s why
a personal trainer might be the answer.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos courtesy of The Lab.
We all know that regular exercise is important for staying fit and
healthy. But new research indicates that there’s more to it than
that. In a recent study, the British Medical Journal concluded
that middle-aged and older adults can gain “substantial longevity
benefits by becoming more physically active”. This includes cutting
your chances of dying from cancer and heart disease.
Nicolo Catalano, a personal trainer at the Laboratory Spa and
Health Club in Muswell Hill, agrees that there are dangers in our
increasingly sedentary lifestyle. He often sees people go to the
gym as part of a New Year’s resolution and then quickly lose motivation.
“My job is to find the trigger point that makes that person
truly committed. If a person is investing money in me, I need to
make sure to be on top of my game,” he says.
We are in the gym, surrounded by equipment that some might
find intimidating - including me. While I’m no stranger to exercise,
I tend to avoid weights and machines. As a result my upper body
is weak and I could do with better muscle tone. Nicolo listens
carefully to my fitness goals and goes about setting exercises he
believes will help me get results. His approach is to focus on a set
of exercises and then gradually increase the weight or repetitions
over time.
Nicolo is one of several personal trainers at The Lab, each with
a different set of specialisms. The service is tailored to the individual.
“Every single person has different needs, a different story
and background, and that includes their psychological state as
well,” he explains. “It’s very important to sit down and understand
their goals.” Some might only use a personal trainer for 12 weeks,
others for longer. But everyone, he argues, tends to perform better
when someone is pushing them.
Because of a recent foot injury, he advises that I start with
simple lunges, dumbbell press-ups and use the Roman chair to
strengthen my core. A second session is more extensive, using
different machines in combination with weight training. We focus
on building up the strength in my lateral muscles (something we
lose as we age), using weights and doing some leg isolation exercises.
Afterwards, I feel more confident about using the gym
equipment (and also a bit sore).
As for the financial cost, Nicolo is convincing: “The cost of
doing nothing is far greater than the cost of investing in your own
health.” These are not just empty words. Nicolo was once a bartender
working in luxury hotels but the lifestyle took its toll. When
he had a panic attack, he knew it was time to make some drastic
changes. He switched careers, invested in his fitness and training
and says he now feels motivated and positive. As we wrap
up our session, Nicolo tells me that I have “enormous potential”,
which I gather means I have work to do. At least now I know what
that entails and have something to aim for.•
To find out more about The Lab’s personal training programme and becoming a member,
email: enquiries@labspa.co.uk or call: 020 8482 3000.
TAKE YOUR PLACE IN HISTORY
HORNSEY TOWN HALL, CROUCH END
A collection of 1,2 & 3 bed apartments, together with an
arts centre, a new hotel and an improved public square
set around this iconic Grade II* Listed building.
020 8341 4664
INFO@HORNSEY-TOWNHALL.CO.UK
WWW.HORNSEY-TOWNHALL.CO.UK
Hornsey Town Hall, The Broadway, Crouch End, London N8 9JJ
Computer-generated images (CGIs) are indicative only and should not be relied upon as depicting the final as built development or apartment.
26 1

VILLAGE FOOD & DRINK RAW
PLATFORM ONE. TEA FOR TWO.
Whichever size you take your coffee, take a shot on
the Leafy Bean Co. coffee bar - a small space with an abundance
of flavourful opportunity.
Words by Kate Wilson. Photos by Mischa Haller.
Before the train leaves the station - and beyond the daily commute
- lies the expectation of the day ahead. At Bowes Park Railway
Station, on platform one, is a speciality coffee bar that far
surpasses my expectations, named the Leafy Bean Co. A small
space making a big impression.
The owner, Laura Monk, greets me with a cheery disposition.
Over an oat flat white we delve deeper into the aspirations Laura
has for her previously disused space.
Whilst working as a scenic carpenter in theatre, Laura felt her
passions lay elsewhere. So began the story of the Leafy Bean Co.
Selling her own speciality tea at markets and online, the tea brand
was just a stepping stone to her long-term goal. Laura says: “I
wanted somewhere where things would happen. People, coffee
and food do that. A place where people can just talk to you. Somewhere
to go when you feel lonely. Somewhere to sit and stay.”
Aware that a station is a great place to meet people, she originally
put in an offer on a space at nearby Bounds Green tube. But
it was not to be. “I felt disheartened and went back to work. After
a particularly bad day, I stepped off the train at Bowes Park and
saw the ‘To Let’ sign on a small disused space. I had three days to
prepare a presentation!”
After being told “you’re a bit of a risk”, her optimism and passion
shone through. On 1 August 2017 the keys were in her hands.
Setting herself a six-week deadline, Laura single-handedly prepared
the premises.
The biggest challenge? Nothing could be put on the platform
itself. No materials or tools. Everything had to be constructed
within a 3 x 5 metre space. “I was working around the clock, 8am-
10pm most days.”
Using natural materials, scrap from skips and squirrelling for
offcuts, it was finally transformed. Revamping a disused space
and breathing soul into a business - not just another station cafe.
Becoming a social hub and hosting regular events including Spanish
lessons, LGBTQ+ brunches, a musical tea for little ones, and
starting up board games and beers at a later closing time. She
also keeps connections flowing by using independent small companies,
not big distributors.
Her next venture? Laura explains: “You can’t just take, take,
take. What are we giving back?” Working on a social enterprise
- reinvesting profits into the community. Identifying those who
are unable to leave their homes and bringing the tea and conversation
to them. I will find a way - that’s my long-term giveback.”
Laura puts her trust in the community. You can even text your
order through in advance. Coffee brewed, kettle on, at your convenience.
“We are really passionate about what we do and about
changing perceptions of coffee,” says Laura finally. The next customer
walks in the door and the fluid conversation continues.•
You can find out more about Leafy Bean and the events on their website:
www.leafybeancompany.com
28 1

SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE RAW VILLAGE
HAVE YOUR CAKE
AND EAT IT
One third of the food produced worldwide goes to waste.
Dominique Woolf examines the consequences of food waste and
how two local businesses are playing their part.
Words by Dominique Woolf. Photos by David Reeve.
Strolling through the bustling high street of Crouch End, I’ve often
paused to admire the window displays of the various cafes and
bakeries. Glossy artisan pastries, cakes and breads piled high - doing
their best to lure me in. With such an abundance of choice in
the area, supply must surely outweigh demand and I’ve often wondered
what happens to unwanted produce at the end of the day.
Food waste is a hot topic at the moment - and with good reason.
According to sustainability charity WRAP (responsible for
the Love Food Hate Waste campaign) we waste over 10 million
tonnes of food in the UK each year, with a value of over £20 billion.
However, money is not the only issue. Arguably, the most significant
impact is on greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste was
a country it would be the third largest emitter behind China and
the US, so its contribution to climate change is immense. Add to
that the decline in landfill capacity in the UK and the increasing
prevalence of food poverty - together with the lost opportunity
of turning it into renewable energy - and it is clear that reducing
food waste is crucial.
Although the majority of food waste comes from households,
the retail and food service industries still have a valuable role to
play. The redistribution of surplus food via charitable routes has
increased significantly in the UK in the last few years.
Dunns Bakery in Crouch End, for example, has several charitable
schemes in place. Owner Lewis Freeman explained that the
bakery carefully monitors its production because waste is costly.
Surplus bread is repurposed where possible, for example as bread
pudding but as this doesn’t use up all the leftovers, Dunns works
with local charities to redistribute the rest. “There are a number
of charities that collect on different days,” says Lewis. “They
are spread throughout the week so people get what they need.”
These charities include the YMCA kitchen in Crouch End and St
Peter-in-Chains Church, where they use the bread to make sandwiches
for the homeless. “It helps people within our community
who need it the most,” says Lewis.
Technology is also helping businesses manage their waste.
The Intrepid Bakers, a cafe and bakery on Hornsey High Street,
uses apps to distribute its surplus produce, after first repurposing
where possible. For example, using bread in toasted sandwiches
and biscuits for crumble toppings. Too Good To Go, an app
that connects businesses with customers who pay a discounted
price for leftover goods, is the first port of call and the cafe also
plans to work with Olio, a food sharing app that first launched in
Crouch End four years ago.
It’s heartening to discover that local businesses are taking
food waste seriously and now, when I pass those delicious window
displays, it’s reassuring to think that unsold goods are likely
to have a happy ending.
The same can’t be said for my fridge, however, which is full of
odds and ends that need urgent attention. Sadly, I’m not alone. As
a nation we still have a long way to go in reducing our food waste.
Awareness of the environmental impact is certainly making me
more mindful about it and better meal planning and upcycling of
leftovers is high on my agenda. Between you and me, I’m secretly
glad of that half-eaten baguette in the corner. Bread pudding
here we come. •
This page: Inside the kitchen at The Intrepid Bakers.
Opposite page: Crouch End staple Dunn’s Bakery.
For Dominique’s bread pudding recipe, as well as another for savoury French toast with
gruyere, check: www.villageraw.com/reducingfoodwaste
Are you a local business taking steps to reduce your waste?
Get in touch with us at: hello@villageraw.com
30 1
31

VILLAGE RAW
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
Annual global temperatures from 1850-2017. The colour scale represents the change in global temperatures covering 1.35°C.
EMERGENCY
ON PLANET
EARTH
Chris King considers
the response to an
environmental crisis
of the past, relating
it to our engagement
with ongoing issues
around climate change.
Words by Chris King.
Image by Professor Ed Hawkins.
I remember as a child in the 1980s getting caught up in the furore
over the depletion of the ozone layer and how we had managed
to make big holes in it over the polar regions. The enemy was the
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in our fridges and aerosol cans. All
countries came together in an unprecedented show of collective
will to address this issue by passing the Montreal Protocol in 1987
- a legally binding agreement to phase out the use of substances
that deplete the ozone layer. Two years later it came into force.
The Montreal Protocol has been heralded as one of the most
effective international agreements to date. Ozone levels stabilised
by the mid-90s, with recovery beginning to show in the 2000s. However,
latest estimates from NASA state it will take until somewhere
between 2060 and 2080 before pre-1980 levels are restored.
The protocol, even with subsequent amendments and refinements,
has been far from perfect. The use of hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs) as an alternative to CFCs within air conditioning was discovered
to be contributing to climate change and happens to be
tens of thousands of times more potent than carbon dioxide as
a greenhouse gas. The most recent change to the protocol - the
Kigali Amendment - will see the richest countries reducing their
production and use of HFCs this year but some of the hottest
countries aren’t scheduled to do the same until 2028.
Flaws aside, it represents an unprecedented collective political
will and focus in creating legally binding legislation, and was the
first and one of only a handful of universally agreed-upon UN treaties.
This is despite intense lobbying by those with vested interests,
such as the Alliance for Responsible CFC Policy, an association
founded by Du Pont, representing the CFC-producing industry.
The political landscape - both globally and within most countries
- may have changed significantly since the late-80s, with
nationalism growing at a frightening rate and meaningful international
co-operation seemingly an antiquated notion consigned
to the history books. However, the Montreal Protocol remains a
precedent that can inform discussions and decisions on how best
to mobilise all nations to take collective and effective action to
mitigate the consequences of the current environmental crisis
and reduce the potential for a complete climate breakdown.
In anthropogenic climate change we are faced with a far
greater, more complex challenge than ozone depletion, requiring
far greater interventions than a few tweaks to a handful of different
consumer products. It requires a fundamental cultural shift
and systemic changes in the way our societies function. We must
achieve this while political leaders like Trump, Bolsonaro, Johnson
and their cohorts are at the helm, seemingly all too willing to gamble
away everything for the sake of a quick buck and maintaining
their positions of power and influence.
While many national governments are failing to act on climate
change, satisfying the insatiable appetite of vested interests
over the fundamental needs of their citizens - and the environment
that sustains them - there is an upswell of engagement at
a local level. Councils across the UK (Haringey included) have declared
a climate emergency - 220 councils to date out of a total of
408. Many are also setting themselves the task of going net zero
carbon by 2030 - 20 years ahead of the UK government’s recently
declared target.
While these declarations are an important first step, they
must be followed up with meaningful action - especially in the
absence of effective leadership at a national level and any effective,
legally binding international treaties. We don’t have time
to waste and we cannot sit by and tolerate hollow declarations
and false promises. So let’s engage with our local councillors and
MPs - let’s hold them to account - and let’s ensure they strive to
meet these targets. The more noise we make on our doorstep, the
more likely Westminster and other halls of government will pay
heed and fall into line. •
If you would like to find out more about what’s happening on our doorstep, the Cabinet
Member for Climate Change and Sustainability in Haringey is Councillor Kirsten Hearn
- kirsten.hearn@haringey.gov.uk - and Caroline Russell is the Chair of the Environment
Committee within the London Assembly.
32 33

ESSAY
Words by Molly Lipson. Illustration by Lobster and Pearls.
Anyone who studies the American prison system will very
quickly grasp that it is one of the most powerful mechanisms
for creating and reinforcing structural racial oppression
by the state. I became fascinated and horrified
in equal measure with the system in my late teens - and
have spent the last ten years as a campaigner and activist
for reform and abolition. As I noticed talk around
climate change and environmentalism becoming more
mainstream about five years ago, I couldn’t understand
why anyone cared so much about animals and plants
when people were being oppressed, tortured and executed
in such extreme ways.
I care very much now. In fact, two months ago I quit
my job to volunteer full time with Extinction Rebellion, a
social movement using nonviolent civil disobedience to
demand that our governments take action on the climate
and ecological crisis.
I’m often asked how I got here. My tipping point was
hearing Cory Booker, a current Democratic candidate for
President, articulate the concept of environmental racism.
He described huge industrial pig farms that occupy
great expanses of land in rural North Carolina. Faecal
waste is dumped in open troughs and, as the wind and
rain spread it to surrounding areas, both the air and water
become highly polluted. This pollution causes health
problems for those living nearby, including higher blood
pressure, asthma and other respiratory problems.
Most of these communities are predominantly inhabited
by poor people of colour. Their complaints are ignored,
they can’t afford to move away and, quite simply,
no one cares. This would never happen in a white, wealthy
area. Don Webb, former pig farmer turned activist, says of
the corporations who own and run the farms: “They say
they love America but they really love something else...
It’s green. How many hog pens have you found next to a
country club?”.[1]
This is just one example of environmental racism. The
reality is that the climate crisis first, and worst affects
the most marginalised, historically discriminated against
and poorest people in the world. As a person of privilege,
I won’t hesitate to point out that the main perpetrator of
this crisis is the West.
Many of us already know the effects of climate
change – increased natural disasters, mass displacement
of people, crop failure and global food shortage
leading to war. Those who can must use their privilege to
demand change. We are running out of time - the time to
act is now. •
[1] Hellerstein, Erica / Fine, Ken (20 September 2017): A million tons of feces
and an unbearable stench: life near industrial pig farms, The Guardian, London.
You can join the rebellion: www.rebellion.earth. There is also a XR Haringey
meeting every Monday: www.rebellion.earth/event/xr-haringey-weeklymeeting-5
Subscribe to Where the Leaves Fall magazine. For details visit:
WWW.WHERETHELEAVESFALL.COM
34

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FIVE TIPS FOR LOW
WASTE LAUNDRY
Words and photo by Emma Ross.
I’m not sure when it happened that hanging out your washing
on a line became a way to de-stress but here we are and
I’m rolling with it. Because - like it or not - washing clothes
is a huge component of family life, not least when you add
in cloth wipes and nappies, napkins and any other fabric reusable,
as well as clothes. So, here are some tips to ensure
that your laundry is as energy efficient as possible.
Use chemical free detergent
I’m a big fan of the Eco Egg laundry egg, which uses two
types of mineral pellets encased in a recyclable egg. We
use it for everything, including cloth nappies. You just
pop it in the main drum of the washing machine on top
of everything with no need for any extra powder, liquid or
fabric softener. Then just buy pellet refills when needed.
Others like to use soap nuts - a natural cleaner that can
be used in cold water - or you can, of course, try making
your own washing powder.
Wash less
Yep, you read that right. No one wants to go around with
Weetabix hanging off their jumper but it’s worth questioning
whether you’re washing clothes more often than
Wash at a Low Temperature
Modern washing machines operate just as well at 30°
and simply switching from 40° to 30° uses around 40%
less electricity while also reducing CO 2 e emissions. You
can also wash in cold water - just use a detergent specifically
formulated for cold water. This also helps prevent
fading and keeps clothes looking new for longer. Of
course, if clothes are heavily soiled, you may want to use
a higher temperature.
Also look for machines that have an ‘Eco’ option which
can significantly reduce energy consumption by washing
at a lower temperature but for a longer time period.
Always wash a Full Load
Make sure you always wait until you have a full load before
doing a wash in order to save money, water and electricity.
You can check if yours is full by putting a clenched
fist above the laundry in the drum - you shouldn’t have to
squash your clothes.
Say No the Tumble Dryer
wherever possible
Remember the general rule of thumb that the more heat
an appliance generates, the more energy it takes to run.
To give you an idea, a laundry load washed at 40° and dried
on a line creates 0.7kg CO 2 e; a load washed at 40°and
tumble dried in a vented dryer uses 2.4kg CO 2 e - so nearly
three-quarters of the carbon footprint comes from the
drying rather than the washing. Ultimately, tumble drying
is incredibly energy intensive - a household running a dryer
200 times a year could save nearly half a tonne of CO 2 e
by using a washing line or clothes rack. If I didn’t have the
space for a line or rack - a suspended pulley dryer would
be my dream! Strangely, I find hanging up laundry a surprisingly
relaxing activity and, come rain or shine, I get my
washing out there.
I hope these tips help reduce your family’s carbon
footprint that little bit more.•
Follow Emma on her social channels: @mamalinauk
* This article draws on text and numbers from How Bad Are Bananas?
The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee
37

VILLAGE RAW
ESSAY
A GOLDEN
FABRIC OF LIGHT
Words by Karen Leason. Photos by Sadie Wild.
In the ancient city of Verona in Italy, I was awestruck by a beautiful
image of the Madonna and Child in the Castelvecchio Museum.
Visiting the city for a wedding, the celebration of love
and anticipation of future happiness was heavy in the air.
Suddenly, the light of love in the gaze shared between
mother and child caught me and invited me in. I wondered
at this most primal of relationships. Mother and child - their
gaze and embrace - a seemingly exclusive relationship held
delicately within a golden fabric of light that encircles them.
This strong and powerful relationship resides within a fabric,
a community.
The city of Verona is famous for being the home of Romeo
and Juliet and, indeed, the popularity of that story inspires
most tourists to visit Juliet’s famous balcony where I would
have been, if not for the throng. Instead, I found myself at
the museum gazing at love in another expression, and contemplating
how communities can make or break our personal
ability to love.
How do we enable women to give birth in such a way that
the process honours who they are and enhances their feeling
of being confident, capable and supported? Pregnancy
and childbirth follow a natural process that guides the wom-
an and from which she is not separate; a process that binds
us to the animal world with no one participant in control. We
can prepare for the unfolding of this event by gaining a comprehensive
knowledge of childbirth and a support network of
other women and couples expecting babies - where doubts,
fears and questions can find a home.
Being there, under the glimmer of this painting of the Madonna
and Child took my thoughts further east, to a resonant
image - polaroid snaps of mothers and newborn infants on
the walls of Swa-Choithram*. Under the initiative of Dr Usha
Ukande at Choithram Hospital in central India - together with
a team of midwives - I was part of a project to set up a natural
childbirth centre called Swa (‘Swa’ stands for ‘swayam’, meaning
‘self’). The impetus behind the initiative was the high rate
of caesarean sections taking place in private hospitals in India,
and the desire to support women who wanted the choice
to be active participants in their pregnancy and childbirth.
While the number of women seeking natural childbirth continues
to increase, there are not enough trained midwives or
doctors willing to place on pause their experience of clinical
intervention and allow the birth process to take its natural
course. Medical research increasingly suggests that the design
of a woman’s body and the baby’s health are intricately
complementary and primed for vaginal delivery. Therefore the
rising rate of c-sections worldwide is causing concern.
Why are women in some countries like Brazil, Egypt, Turkey
and metropolitan India facing C-section rates above 50%
whilst other countries in Africa have rates below the recommended
safety level? Worldwide we have a combination
of over-used medical intervention (pain medication, episiotomies
and c-sections) and at the same time inadequate
access to appropriate and life saving medical interventions
and underused support and care for the woman. Putting the
care of the mother-to-be at the heart of maternity care recognises
that it’s not so much doctors that deliver babies but
mothers who possess the power to give birth. How do we enable
women to receive the help in child birth that they need
including c-section and how do we enable mothers to experience
their own power? Can we collectively allow women to
enjoy their own power?
My brief sojourn in Verona was an emotional one, suffused
with a sense of vulnerability and tenderness, seeing
the intimate depiction of a mother and baby - and a couple in
love, playing a small part in the creation of a fabric of support
and protection for their relationships.•
Karen Leason is the founder of OmVed Gardens and a nondual healer. For events
and enquiries see website: www.omvedgardens.com
*Swa-Choithram’s Natural Child Birthing Centre: www.facebook.com/naturalbirthingcentre
Madonna and Child by unknown artist at Castelvecchio Museum: museodicastelvecchio.comune.verona.it
Sadie Wild is a London based Birth & Motherhood Photographer and NHS Breastfeeding
Support Worker: www.sadiewildphotography.com
38
39

VILLAGE FAMILY
PARENTING IN AN
IMPERFECT WORLD
Words by Dr Emma Svanberg.
Illustration by Lobster and Pearls.
Every day I read the Evening Standard. The hot topic of
the paper at the moment is the increase in knife crime in
London. If I look at Facebook, I read worries about the perceived
increase in muggings in our area. And, of course,
there’s Brexit and an increasingly chaotic government.
Every day I speak to someone about climate change. And
then there’s world politics.
Just take a moment now that you’ve read that to
check in with your body. Has your heart rate increased? Is
your breathing a little faster? Are you feeling tense?
This does feel like a particularly anxious time but in
every generation there have been times of high anxiety
– and often a particular threat. What were you most
worried about in the world when you were growing up? I
remember lying awake in bed sure that Yeltsin was about
to start a nuclear war. There was the threat of acid rain.
The poll tax riots.
There have always been moments of disquietude in
the world – often feeling catastrophic at the time. What
makes this era different is that it can be very hard to escape
from all the anxiety provoking information.
A word here on what anxiety actually is. Anxiety is a
really useful evolutionary tool we have to ensure that we
keep safe. We perceive a threat, our bodies respond by
entering into fight or flight mode, raising our adrenaline,
pumping blood around our bodies - getting us ready to
fight off an assailant or run away. Our frontal lobes go offline
- those parts of our brain responsible for planning,
expressive language and reasoning - so we become driven
entirely by our emergency system. We literally cannot
think straight.
When we become parents, our levels of anxiety naturally
rise further – again for evolutionary reasons. Our brains
change during pregnancy and at least up to the first two
years of early parenthood, in those areas related to social
cognition which can increase our sense of threat. We develop
a pinpoint focus on our infant (which Donald Winnicott
called ‘primary maternal preoccupation’ but can be
seen in fathers too). There are also increased pressures on
modern parents and the drive to meet unrealistic expectations
can lead to increased anxiety… and heartache.
But once we understand where our feelings are coming
from we can decide whether we allow them all the
way in, leading us into a spiral of anxiety. Or whether we
choose to manage them. How is your heart rate now? How
is your breathing? See what happens if you take a long
deep breath in through your nose, and a longer slower
breath out through your mouth. This quick trick tells your
body that you are safe and switches off that fight or flight
response. You might want to do this a few times or to experiment
with it – sighing out of your mouth instead of
just breathing, or ‘pushing’ the air out of your body audibly
- or letting out an almighty roar! Your kids can join in with
this too and, in times of stress, that last one can not only
alleviate anxiety but replace it with laughter.
Think too about how much you are allowing anxiety
into your day - it comes through in newspapers, on TV, on
our phones… and we often take our phones into bed so
that anxiety follows us around wherever we go. Can you
set a limit on what you’re reading and hearing about?
What do you gain from being up to date with the news?
And what do you lose?
Anxiety may be a part of our daily lives - especially at
the moment - but it doesn’t need to take over.•
Emma does regular anxiety reducing exercises on her Instagram account:
@mumologist
40

VILLAGE GREEN
THE SLEEPING
BEAUTY AWAKENS
Words by Laura Alvarado.
Photos by Mike Coles.
Barnwood, a community forest garden, is taking
root in East Finchley. A space that was
overgrown with brambles and locked up for 20
years has been transformed into a sanctuary
for everyone to enjoy. Over the coming years
the aim is to plant different perennial plants
and trees that will provide an array of wild food
sources, herbs and spices for cooking and medicines
- alongside natural materials for crafts.
With support from Barnet Council and Grange
Big Local, and working alongside Harington, the
project is a registered charity set up to promote
social cohesion in the multigenerational, multicultural
and multifaith community. Volunteers
are welcome and the trustees hope for the community
to take pride in seeing this piece of forgotten
land turn into a garden of abundance and
peace for people and wildlife alike.
Email: n2barnwood@gmail.com if you would like to get
involved, and follow the project on Instagram: @our_barnwood
Mention Village Raw and get 20% o ff
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ARTWORK ‘AUTUMN VASE’ BY ROSHA NUTT @ROSHANUTT.