Village Raw - ISSUE 16

MAY TO JULY 2022
FREE
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
Creating Communities: An interview with Marilyn Collins / A Journey into Highgate’s Literary Past:
The celebrated writers associated with N6 / In a Time of Its Own: Muswell Hill’s W Martyn / The Meals
That Keep Giving: Community food projects / On the B-Line: Local initiatives to help our pollinators.

CONTENTS
EDITORIAL
04
06
10
12
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
Festivals, events and openings.
CREATING COMMUNITIES
Artist Marilyn Collins on her work,
community and the natural world.
THE WILD COLLECTIVE
A collaborative exhibition nurturing
creative responses to nature.
A JOURNEY INTO HIGHGATE’S
LITERARY PAST
A who’s who of the celebrated
writers associated with the area.
Welcome to the 16th edition of Village Raw. Over the last few years of printing the
magazine we’ve witnessed a steady increase in costs. Brexit caused a jump, Covid-19
caused supply issues but we weren’t expecting the 40% hike in paper costs
between the last issue and this. So if you enjoy this magazine and would like to
see another issue, then please go on to our shiny new website www.villageraw.com
and subscribe – or if you’d just like to donate that is also possible.
This issue is about breathing again, as spring turns to summer, with the hope
that we are better equipped to deal with Covid-19 and that the numerous events
and opportunities that are scattered throughout this issue’s pages all get to go
ahead. We’ll be at some of them and are looking forward to meeting you in person.
Until then, enjoy the content of this magazine which looks back to the past
and asks questions of the future. What kind of world do we want to live in? How
can we make it better?
Luciane and David
hello@villageraw.com / www.villageraw.com
16
STRINGS FOR LITTLE FINGERS
Margie Jammie and the wonders
of the ukulele.
18
IN A TIME OF ITS OWN
W Martyn has been trading
since 1897.
MAY TO JULY 2022
VILLAGE RAW
STORIES FROM CROUCH END, EAST FINCHLEY, HIGHGATE, MUSWELL HILL AND SURROUNDING AREAS
FREE
24
26
30
THE ART OF ESTATE AGENCY
How Brickworks has defined
its role in property, interiors
and community.
THE MEALS THAT KEEP GIVING
How community food projects
have become a valuable lifeline.
THE BIG PLASTIC COUNT
Chris Packham discusses
our plastic waste problem.
EDITORS
Luciane Pisani
David Reeve
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Luciane Pisani for Studio Moe
COPY EDITOR
Julie Tang-Evans
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Alison Evans
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.
Village Raw February 2022 to April 2022.
Designed and published by Studio Moe Ltd.
© 2022 Studio Moe Ltd. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any contents of Village Raw
magazine without prior permission of the
publisher is strictly prohibited.
Creating Communities: An interview with Marilyn Collins / A Journey into Highgate’s Literary Past:
The celebrated writers associated with N6 / In a Time of its Own: Muswell Hill’s W Martyn / The Meals
that Keep Giving: Community food projects / On the B-Line: Local initiatives to help our pollinators.
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
32
34
36
38
ON THE B-LINE
Local initiatives to help
our pollinators.
SINGAPORE-STYLE CHILLI
TOFU
Recipe from the winner of
The Great Cookbook Challenge,
Dominique Woolf.
ASK OLA
Advice for women who
are perimenopausal.
A SPECKLED WOOD
Chancing upon a Speckled
Wood butterfly.
COVER IMAGE
Photo by Kate Kuzminova
CONTRIBUTORS
Anna Batchelor, Dan Bridge, Hannah Duncan, Sharon
Goldreich, Kate Kuzminova, Becky Lima-Matthews,
Zoe Norfolk, Ola Nwakodo, Carla Parks, Claire Pearce,
Julie Tang-Evans, Alys Tomlinson, Caroline Watson,
Dominique Woolf.
THANKS TO:
Revd. Kunle Ayodeji, Caroline Beashel,
Shira Bernstein, Julie Bland, Kate Brown, Cee,
Drew Clode (the Coleridge Trust), Marilyn Collins,
Tamineh Dhondy, Fiona Doyle, Ruth Emery,
Nicole Gross (Highgate School Archive),
Ruth Hazeldine, Magnus Hetzscholdt, Julia Hines,
Margie Jammie, Karen Leason, William Martyn,
Piers Mason, Juliet Munro, Vincenzo Napoletano,
Chris Packham, Tom Pink (Highgate Literary
and Scientific Institution Library), Ellie Rees,
Rex Siney, Clare Roels, Beth Sinden, Rod Slater
(JB Priestley Society), Giuseppe Sollo, Ezra van
Wilgenburg, Terry Yoshinaga.
Tweet us: twitter.com/VillageRawMag
Like us: facebook.com/villageraw
Follow us: instagram.com/villageraw
Contact us: hello@villageraw.com
Support us: villageraw.com/subscribe
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3

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE NOTICEBOARD
THINGS TO DO
After a few years of postponements and cancellations there are numerous festivals
and events to look forward to over the coming months, alongside some new openings.
We list some of them here but keep an eye on our social media for others.
THE WILD COLLECTIVE
The Wild Collective is a collaborative
exhibition nurturing creative responses
to nature that opens at OmVed, N6, on 12
May. www.wild-collective.com/about
STROUD GREEN FESTIVAL
Stroud Green Festival, North London’s
quirkiest and friendliest festival returns
for three weekends in 2022. The launch
weekend is 13-14 May, with other events
taking place on 26-29 May (Mayfest)
and 21-25 July + 8 August.
www.stroudgreenfestival.org.uk
MUSWELL HILL CREATIVES MAY FAIR
Creatives from N10 and the surrounding
area will gather in St James Square in
Muswell Hill for the May Fair on Saturday
21 May. www.muswellhillcreatives.com
THE BIG GREEN FAIR
Showcasing a range of eco-friendly
products, services and businesses, The
Big Green Fair will take place on 29 May at
Hornsey Parish Church. mhsgroup.org
FAIR IN THE SQUARE
On Saturday 11 June Highgate brings the
bunting out and the community together
for one of the area’s most popular free
events. There will be live entertainment
from the Pond Square stage, roving
stilt walkers and jugglers, a dog show,
fairground rides and the Kids’ Tent where
Mini Mozart will be running creative and
musical activities. Some 100 stalls will
be selling crafts, plants, clothes, books
and world street food or showcasing local
activities and societies to get involved
in. In addition St Michael’s Church will be
running its cafe and 52-step tower tours
offering stunning views over London.
www.fairinthesquare.co.uk
HIGHGATE FESTIVAL
The Highgate Festival, now in its 5th year,
takes place from 11-19 June. The festival
celebrates the breadth and variety of
Highgate - its residents, businesses,
gardens, buildings, art, history, music,, literature,
dance, local talent, sustainability
and creatives. www.highgatefestival.org
CITIZENS ART MARKET
The aim of Citizens Art Market is to bring
truly accessible art events to communities
and, in doing so, give new and
emerging artists the opportunity to
show and sell their work. The next event
is at Blue House Yard on 12 June.
citizensart.market
EAST FINCHLEY FESTIVAL
East Finchley Festival returns to Cherry
Tree Wood N2, on Sunday 19 June. With
a full programme of music and performance,
festival-goers can also enjoy
storytelling, arts and crafts, tennis and
basketball and – new for this year – laser
tag in the woods. Over 60 local creatives
will be selling their wares in the central
market place and there’ll be a diverse
range of food stalls, serving everything
from vegan Caribbean fare to deep-fried
ice cream. Muswell Hillbilly Brewers will be
on hand to quench your thirst. And if you
need to wind down, the wellbeing zone
will be offering yoga, breathing workshops
and a range of therapies.
www.eastfinchleyfestival.org
CROUCH END FESTIVAL
Always full of inspiring performances, the
Crouch End Festival will include music of
all kinds, alongside art, craft, photography,
film, storytelling, poetry, drama,
fringe, comedy, workshops, a community
picnic and lots of activities for kids.
Although centred around the weekend
of 8-10 July, events and exhibitions will
be running during the weeks either side.
www.crouchendfestival.org
KALEIDOSCOPE FESTIVAL
Following 2021’s triumphant, sold-out
spectacular, Kaleidoscope Festival will
return on Saturday 23 July. Alexandra
Palace announces a stellar line up that
promises more crowd-pleasing live music,
DJs and comedy at London’s highest
festival. Highlights include Orbital, The
Magic Numbers, DJ Yoda, Craig Charles
Funk and Soul among others.
kaleidoscope-festival.com/
HIGHER GROUND FESTIVAL
Nestled on the rolling hills of Ally Pally
park, with exquisite sweeping views
behind the main stage, Higher Ground
Festival will take place on Sunday 24 July
with the “godmother of punk” Patti Smith
headlining. higherground.london
HORNSEY HILLBILLY
A new Hillbilly is here! The Hornsey Hillbilly
Pop-up Taproom is now open at 40
Tottenham Lane N8 (opposite Hornsey
train station). The Hornsey Hillbilly will be
hosting markets, music, food and more.
See @hornseyhillbilly on social media
for details. Their Muswell Hill taproom (on
Avenue Mews) remains open both inside
and outside, and for takeaway and collections
of bottles, cans and growlers.
www.muswellhillbillybrewers.co.uk
LUDO’S IN BLUE HOUSE YARD
Ludo’s has now moved into Blue House
Yard’s big red bus and we’re looking
forward to a summer of festivities and
events. Follow them @ludoslondon for
further details.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KALEIDOSCOPE, MIKE COLES (EF FESTIVAL) AND HIGHGATE’S FAIR IN THE SQUARE.
Above: Groove Armada at Kaleidoscope in 2021. Below left: Relentless MC at East Finchley Festival.
Below right: Highgate’s Fair in the Square.
4 5

VILLAGE RAW
CREATING COMMUNITIES
Local multidisciplinary artist
Marilyn Collins works with figurative
sculpture, communities and the natural
world. If you’ve ever walked along
the Parkland Walk then you’ve probably
been greeted by her sculpture of the
Spriggan – the mischievous-looking
creature nestled into an old railway
arch - which was commissioned in 1993.
We chatted to Marilyn at her home
studio about her art, community
and nature.
Words by Becky Lima-Matthews.
Photos by Kate Kuzminova.
Early influences and becoming an artist
I’ve done all sorts of things over the years, including permaculture
work (developing agricultural ecosystems to be sustainable
or self-sufficient) and being a Shiatsu practitioner. But I suppose
it began when I was five and my parents moved out of London to
Gloucestershire. I used to go and watch Walt Disney films with the
boy next door who was a couple of years older. He was just brilliant
at drawing and could draw all the characters from memory. It was
knowing him that first got me involved in wanting to learn to draw
and to make things. I think I was more into making things and he
was more into drawing. There was no concept that anyone could be
an artist in the world I lived in, so I focused on sciences and I didn’t
go to art college after school. I spent a year studying Philosophy at
King’s College London but didn’t get on with it. Then I did loads of
different jobs during my 20s but couldn’t settle to any of them and
did a lot of travelling. When I came back, I started studying art at
what was then The Cass in Aldgate (now School of Art, Architecture
and Design) - so it went on from there.
Art, performance and feminism
I’m trying to give a voice to all things in the world that can’t speak
in my work, and I’m particularly interested in trees and insects. I
used to be a beekeeper. My recent exhibition The Blue Light Was My
Baby at Mayfair Library featured sculptures and films I made during
lockdown - and earlier pieces including a film about restoration of
London’s rivers.
But there’s a feminist aspect to my work too. Eight years ago I
did an MA in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts and, as part of the
graduation, I made this large ceramic piece - called Horizontal Herstory
- of a woman covered in phrases from feminist history including
“Virgin Mary mother of god - become a feminist” by the Russian
activist musicians Pussy Riot, and “Boys will be boys and girls will
be feminists” which a friend of mine, Leah Wooding, used to shout
out. It comes apart in sections and I also made a performance film
of the pieces being reassembled, then I lay down and put my arms
around her.
Another piece of work that is about ten years old but was in my
show in February is Negative Spaces. I had been asked to make a
sculpture for one of my activist friends who was creating a seasonal
calendar celebration and I made a “triple goddess” of maiden,
mother and crone out of cardboard that slotted together. It was
carried down the Parkland Walk in a procession and burned on a
bonfire. I liked it and made another one from more durable material.
I was reflecting on the discarded shapes and started thinking
about all the daily experiences and internal images of ourselves
that we reject and dismiss to protect our self-image.
The importance of affordable housing
and community
Two main things have really helped me to continue my work. I live
in a housing co-op and having truly affordable housing has been so
important. The other thing that has meant a lot is community and
supportive friends. One of them was my old neighbour Alpay Torgut,
who sadly died in 2020 just before the lockdown. The building I live in
is near the Parkland Walk and Alpay was going to the first permaculture
course in London, run by a man called Andy Langford, and went
on to help set up Naturewise in 1991 teaching permaculture - and
there were lots of offshoots from that in this area. He was a close
friend and a huge influence on me. I didn’t work for Naturewise but
I got involved with making posters and I used to do artist’s work in
schools too. I was keeping bees at the Alexandra Palace allotments
where I met Kate Allardyce, one of the founders of Meadow Orchard,
which I later got involved with after retiring from being a Shiatsu
practitioner for 20 years.
Another friend I’d like to mention is the sculptor John Sommerville
who I met in my 20s. His sculpture of Spike Milligan was
unveiled in Finchley in 2021. When I was about 26 and working full
time, he gave me a piece of wax and a modelling tool and I spent
6
07

VILLAGE RAW
ART & CULTURE
Previous page: Marilyn Collins with The Spriggan - the sculpture was installed on the Parkland Walk in 1993.
Above left: Marilyn next to her work The Blue Light was My Baby. Above right and next page: Works from The Amazing
Disgraces series.
many evenings playing around with it. Later, when he ran a busy
studio, he offered me work when he had big commissions, as well as
occasional studio space - and I learned a lot about mould making
and casting of sculpture from him. I like engaging other people in
things and making collaborative projects. I don’t really see myself
as an artist with a capital ‘A’. I see myself more as part of a community
that can create something.
Working with Meadow Orchard
and river projects
Nature has always inspired me. I used to love walking in the countryside
and being in the woods and places where everything was
wild. I used to get quite high on it. Until recently, I was a core group
member of the Meadow Orchard, helping to make decisions and
that sort of thing. And I’ve also been a site leader which means you
open and close up on a Saturday when it’s open to the public and
introduce new people and show them things they can do if they
want to. Tasks and that sort of thing. But I’ve had my fingers in lots
of pies there, including growing, and even playing music. Restoring
London’s water courses is important to me too. The meadow is
situated on a small tributary of the Moselle, Haringey’s river, with a
catchment area around the hills surrounding Crouch End, with its
outfall at the River Lea. It’s so important for Londoners to be able to
see and understand how water flows through the landscape. Volunteers
from Meadow Orchard have also been involved with Haringey
Rivers Forum which has been meeting for a few years to increase
the visibility and quality of the Moselle.•
You can see one of Marilyn’s more recent sculptures as part of the River Markers
Sculpture Trail, a collaborative project by volunteers at the Meadow Orchard.
Find out more about Marilyn’s work at: www.marilyncollins.co.uk
To find out more about Meadow Orchard, visit: meadoworchard.org
8

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
THE WILD
COLLECTIVE
The Wild Collective is a
collaborative exhibition nurturing
creative responses to nature.
Words by Claire Pearce.
It seems fitting that an exhibition about nature should be slightly
out of anyone’s control. The Wild Collective, opening at Omved Gardens
this May, is a collaborative exhibition formed from the results
of an open call - a hand-picked selection of submissions from artists
and makers all over the world.
A collaboration between Omved Gardens, specialist craft gallery
Thrown and floral artist Alice McCabe, the exhibition aims to
“nurture creative responses to nature”, bringing together each of
their distinctive views on this theme. Following on from their material-led
Gatherers (2020) to the reflective Growth (2021), this is their
third collaborative exhibition curated for the Chelsea Fringe, hosted
amongst the impressive glasshouse and green spaces of Omved
Gardens, Highgate.
With submissions open to artists in all media and at all career
levels, the final selection presents an impressive spectrum of original
art, design, craft and everything in-between, responding to the
natural world around us. Expect to see a strong representation of
contemporary craft today with work by established and emerging
names in ceramic, wood, glass and textiles, leading you through the
glasshouse and gardens. The work of multidisciplinary textile artist
Vivian Ge, for example, will be found in the glasshouse - her creative
use of colours, textures and forms drawing on the philosophy
of “dwelling poetically on the earth”. While following Omved’s flowing
path through the garden, you will find the hanging installation Cosmic
Circle by Maria Alvarez Echenique - exploring the circle as a form
found in nature.
The collective will be formed by over 50 artists and makers in total,
alongside chefs, musicians, poets, dancers and more in a series
of workshops and events dotted throughout the exhibition dates.
Two supper club events by Hoxton-based restaurant Gilvic will bring
together a communal table of 30 on each Thursday night of the exhibition,
the first joined by artists from the collective, introducing their
work and ideas with each course. The second, entitled Good Place:
A Series of Interventions inspired by Thomas More’s dinner scene in
Utopia, will include performances and additions to the table by Amy
and Ben McDonnell, Joshua Phillips, Eva Sajovic and Alice McCabe.
There will also be the opportunity for an evening visit on Friday
27th when the exhibition will host The Gathering, wild collective music
making led by improvising vocalist Maggie Nicols. Musicians are
welcome to bring their instruments to join in the event and everyone
is invited to join in or just stand back and listen.
Other ways to experience the exhibition include artists’ tours
each Saturday morning, and a personal introduction to the work on
show by one of the exhibiting artists, as well as the collective’s Slow
Sundays, a series of low-key events in which drawing materials and
clay will be on hand to encourage responses to the work, ideas and
the site around you.
Open Tues-Sat, 10am-6pm, and Sundays 11am-5pm, The Wild
Collective opens at Omved Gardens from Friday 13th May until
Sunday 29th May. Visit the specially created exhibition website
www.wild-collective.com for more details and the full event programme.
Please note, many of the events are ticketed to keep a
watchful eye on numbers and some involve a ticket cost. The exhibition
is a selling exhibition and full details of all artwork involved
will be available to view online from Friday 13th May at 10am via
www.wild-collective.com.•
Opposite page: A Piece
of Garden, 2021, Vivian Ge.
This page: Cosmic Circles
Installation 2, 2019, Maria A.
Echenique (Top); Bracken,2015,
Vladimir Guculak (bottom).
Exhibition dates: 13th - 29th May 2022. Location: Omved Gardens, Townsend
Yard, Highgate, London, N6 5JF
10 11

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE PICTURES
A JOURNEY INTO
HIGHGATE’S
LITERARY PAST
A who’s who of the
celebrated writers
associated with
the area
Words by Sharon Goldreich.
For centuries, literati have flocked to Highgate to visit the final
resting places of eminent writers such as George Eliot, Christina
Rossetti, Radclyffe Hall, Douglas Adams (whose devotees leave
pencils by his grave), Alan Sillitoe, Beryl Bainbridge and Andrea Levy.
Yet a considerable number of notable authors also lived,
worked, wrote or were educated in Highgate. In the 16th century
the area gained popularity, rising above the stench and bustle of
the city and offering clean air and sweeping views of London and
beyond. In the second half of the 17th century, the metaphysical
poet, satirist and politician Andrew Marvell, whose garden imagery
is prevalent in several of his poems, inhabited a cottage in the verdant
grounds of Waterlow Park.
Highgate School itself boasts a prestigious literary history. In
1688 Nicholas Rowe, poet, dramatist, writer and first critical editor
of Shakespeare’s works (published in 1709), completed his studies
at the school. He would be appointed poet laureate in 1715 by
George I, three years before his untimely death. Another student,
poet and Jesuit priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins, began composing
verse in his teens while boarding at the school, winning a poetry
prize and leaving for Oxford University in 1863. Little known during
his lifetime, Manley Hopkins is considered the most innovative
of Victorian poets, abandoning traditional metre in favour of his
own “sprung rhythm” which mimicked natural speech. He is seen
as the harbinger of modernist poetry. A key figure of modernist
literature and winner of the Nobel Prize for his poetry in 1948,
TS Eliot also shares a connection to Highgate School where he
taught French and Latin for three terms in 1916. Among his pupils in
the Junior School who referred to Eliot as “The American Master”,
was John Betjeman who began writing poems while growing up in
his childhood home at 31 West Hill, Highgate. Betjeman would go on
to become a successful writer and broadcaster and serve as poet
laureate from 1972 until his death in 1984.
Also affiliated with the area was the pre-Raphaelite poet
Christina Rossetti who spent a significant amount of time between
1859-70 volunteering at the St Mary Magdalene Penitentiary
(or House of Charity) - part of a church-founded movement
aimed at rehabilitating “fallen women”. Her experiences are echoed
in poems such as Goblin Market and Cousin Kate.
You may well have come across two blue plaques, diagonally
opposite each other on North Road. At number 92 Charles Dickens
and his family, hoping to recuperate in a pleasant and green locale
from some ailments (or possibly escape Dickens’ creditors), lodged
in cramped conditions for a fortnight in 1832. Conveniently located
next door was The Red Lion pub (demolished in 1900) where Dickens
- as he wrote to a friend - hung out. Five years after this brief
sojourn, Dickens published Oliver Twist in which Noah Claypole and
the servant Charlotte stagger through the Highgate archway towards
the lights of London - and the despicable Bill Sykes scarpers
up Highgate Hill after killing Nancy. David Copperfield, in the eponymous
novel of 1849, visits the Steerforths in Highgate. Dickens
certainly demonstrated a familiarity with the area.
Across the road, at Byron Cottage (number 17), the poet AE
Housman resided from 1885-1905. At this leafy address he composed
the majority of his first popular collection of 63 poems, A
Shropshire Lad (published in 1896). Housman, having not visited
PHOTOS COURTESY PETER O’CONNOR (THIS PAGE) AND MARC HILL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO (OPPOSITE).
12 13

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE PICTURES
Opening page: The Highgate house where Samuel
Taylor Coleridge and JB Priestley lived. Previous
page: Letters written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
(pictured). This page: Beatrice Lillie and JB
Priestley at an ‘authors vs. actresses’ charity
cricket match held at Highgate’s Athlone House
(then called Caen Wood Towers) on 12 July 1938.
Shropshire apparently, was inspired by the rural ambience of Highgate
and its vicinity, abundant with farms and sheep-grazing fields
on which London had begun to encroach.
Highgate’s most evocative literary address, however, must be
3 The Grove. Set in an elegant row of 17th century houses this address
was home to the Gillman family and their distinguished lodger,
the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge whose famous works
include The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan and Christabel.
Coleridge’s health had been deteriorating due to his opium
consumption and he was referred to Dr Gillman, a physician who
specialised in addiction. An initial meeting in 1816 resulted in an
invitation to be cared for “in house”, and so Coleridge moved into
the Gillman home, Moreton House on Highgate Hill - relocating with
the household to The Grove in 1823. Building works were eventually
undertaken to transform the attic into a spacious study-bedroom
with a vista of the garden, meadows and woodland for “the Sage
of Highgate”, as he became known after Thomas Carlyle’s vivid description.
“Coleridge sat on the brow of Highgate Hill…looking down
on London and its smoke-tumult, like a sage escaped from the
inanity of life’s battle…” A throng of intellectuals and admirers, including
Carlyle, William Wordsworth and even Ralph Waldo Emerson
called on him and salons were held in the house, where he would
launch into lengthy, often abstruse monologues - as he did on encountering
a young John Keats on Millfield Lane by the Heath. Following
this chance meeting in 1819, Coleridge uncannily remarked:
“There is death in that hand.”
Coleridge wrote prolifically during his final 19 years in Highgate,
completing his major prose work, the Biographia Literaria, numerous
poems, religious, philosophical and other writings. He died in
1834, aged 61, and was initially laid to rest in the local church where
Highgate School’s chapel is now located. His wife, daughter, sonin-law
and grandson were later interred with him, yet the grave fell
into disrepair and the family’s remains were moved to the derelict
crypt of nearby St Michael’s church in 1961. Coleridge’s local
church, it was completed two years before his death and was visible
from the front door of his home. The bricked-up family vault
was only rediscovered in 2018 and a fundraising effort is currently
under way to transform the crypt into a commemoration and study
centre, befitting the great writer.
Almost a century later, in 1931, 3 The Grove was again inhabited
by an illustrious writer who chose to retain Coleridge’s attic abode
as his study. JB Priestley had recently shot to fame as a novelist
with his bestsellers The Good Companions (1929) and Angel Pavement
(1930). He subsequently turned his attention to writing for
the theatre, following his first play Dangerous Corner (1932). One
cannot help but wonder if he knew his neighbour at 9 The Grove, the
poet and playwright John Drinkwater, who lived there from 1930-34.
Priestley had mentioned Drinkwater in an essay in 1922, following
the latter’s big success in 1918 with the play Abraham Lincoln, on
both sides of the Atlantic.
Priestley added another string to his bow as a writer when, in
1933, he was commissioned to travel throughout England during
the Great Depression and record his experiences and impressions
of people and places. The travelogue English Journey became
a seminal work of social commentary - an interest that also led
Priestley to enjoy a stint in broadcasting on BBC radio. Drawing listener
ratings that competed only with Churchill’s, his 1940 Sunday
evening slots titled Postscripts addressed the war, zeitgeist and
social reform. Eventually, his left-leaning sociopolitical slant and
criticism of the Conservative government saw the popular show
cancelled. Yet he remained committed to social and political activism
which, in the next decade, led him to become a founding member
of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. Following a divorce
and marriage to his third wife, Priestley moved away from Highgate.
He died in 1984 and his plays are still regularly produced, particularly
the ever popular An Inspector Calls.
While contemplating this house with its two plaques commemorating
these two esteemed residents, I find myself joined by two
passersby. “That’s Kate Moss’s house, isn’t it?” one young man enquires.
“No,” replies the other, (I hold my breath in hopeful anticipation
of a mention of the writers), “she moved out a while ago.”•
For information on the Coleridge Trust’s fundraising, conservation and
commemoration activities, please visit: thecoleridgetrust.com .
PHOTOS COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION INC / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO.
14 15

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE SOUNDS
STRINGS FOR LITTLE FINGERS
Margie Jammie and the wonders of the ukulele.
Words by Julie Tang-Evans.
The appeal of the ukulele is obvious - it’s small, cute, easy to carry
and fairly cheap. It looks like it was designed for a child’s hands. The
soft strings are much easier on little fingers and the sound is very
upbeat - and (in my view) easier on the ears than the ubiquitous
recorder. This little Hawaiian instrument (ukulele roughly means
“jumping flea”) is used across a wide range of musical genres, including
pop, jazz and classical. An instrument like this that really
engages a child at an early age is more likely to keep them learning
music throughout their school years and beyond - and Margie
Jammie (her musician nickname) has created a unique teaching
method that taps into the natural enthusiasm and creativity of
preschool learners.
The Department of Education Music Education Hubs, established
in 2012, are committed to ensuring every child is offered
the opportunity to play an instrument and sing from age five but
children often get no say in the instruments or what kind of music
they’re offered. Margie took note of the music education provision
and her philosophy is that every child would benefit from starting
an instrument and singing much earlier and that music has, she
says: “an important part to play in early years’ learning and development,
supporting creativity, imagination and emotional resilience”.
Never more so than after the past two years of Covid and
interrupted education our children have endured. We are always
facing financial challenges in education, and music provision in
schools is often the first thing to be cut. But if children can access
music early on - playing and singing - it greatly enhances their
continued development, both educationally and socially. “As music
educators this is key if we are to help each other, our communities
and our children cope and develop emotional resilience alongside
musical preparedness,” says Margie.
With a varied background in graphic design, teaching swimming,
English and music, playing guitar and performing in an Italian punk
band as a teenager, Margie discovered the joy of the ukulele at a
tricky time in her own life and says it helped her cope. She firmly believes
that music unites people of all ages and is a panacea for the
highs and lows of life we all experience. Together with guitar teacher
Luca Comencini and multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter Alex
Gold (aka Darling Boy), she set up the North London Ukulele Club in
2013, aimed at engaging players of all ages and abilities to learn and
enjoy playing and composing songs, and performing if they wanted
to. Margie quickly realised the potential of the ukulele as an instrument
for young musicians. Parents had begun asking her to teach
their children and in 2015 she put together a unique child-centred
preschool method, calling it Ukulittle. Children are encouraged to
compose their own songs or change the words of songs to sing as
they play along - rare in a music curriculum for young learners. “It
works on the basis that all children have different learning curves,
inclinations and aptitudes regardless of age, and plays to their
strengths, building confidence and a can-do attitude.”
Margie began using her Ukulittle method to teach children at
Kidz Kabin nurseries and also ran a club at St James Primary School
with help from music teacher Awen Duggin. As with so many activities,
in 2020 she had to move to Zoom lessons though she was
pleasantly surprised by the outcome when children kept learning in
1:1 or group sessions and even self-recorded for the end-of-year
talent show. She continued teaching online even when schools reopened
and with pupils who moved out of London or abroad. She
found her method transferred exceptionally well to the Zoom interactive
shared board and the children’s engagement and focus is
even better than in physical lessons where the environment can be
distracting. While Margie hopes soon to resume in-person classes
her goal now is to take a step back from teaching and promote the
Ukulittle method to early learning school teachers and other music
teachers, encouraging use of the child-friendly teaching materials
and stories she has created. Materials include colourful bracelets
with ‘skin’ coloured plectrums attached (stops them being lost),
coloured dots for the ukulele and eco-friendly ‘rep’ sliders with felt
balls. These resources are available to buy via the Ukulittle website.
Also available to download for free (donations welcome) is a
fun-packed innovative eBook - each story supported by a companion
video presented by Margie’s charming and colourful alter ego,
UkuLeela. There are also individual songs and pdf printables plus
a teacher’s book in the pipeline - and Margie is confident there’s
nothing similar to Ukulittle in the early years’ music market.
It’s clear to see what a huge labour of love this project is and
continues to be. Margie has a passion for the ukulele and loves
children - and is truly committed to bringing the two together. As
we finished chatting she told me she sees teaching the ukulele as
her ‘ikigai’ - the Japanese philosophy where your passion becomes
your purpose and brings you joy and inspiration. For Margie the ukulele
means far more than a cute set of strings.
•
Margie is very happy to discuss Ukulittle and what she
offers in more detail and can be contacted via the website
or email: www.ukulittle.com / hello@ukulittle.com. To
download the free Ukulittle eBook visit: www.ukulittle.com/
freepreschoolukuleleebook. To make a donation for the free
eBook visit: www.ukulittle.com/donations. North London
Ukulele Club: www.northlondonukeleleclub.co.uk
16 17

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE PICTURES
IN A TIME OF ITS OWN
W Martyn has been trading since 1897. As its 125th
anniversary approaches, Village Raw visits the shop
with timeless appeal.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos by Zoe Norfolk.
When William Martyn was just a little boy in the 1960s, he inherited
a sack of wooden bricks that he’d use for building whatever his
child’s imagination dreamt up. Imagination is a talent he would later
use to create towering window displays at W Martyn, the Muswell
Hill shop that has been in his family since 1897.
It’s well over 100 years since his great-grandfather William
Martyn left a farming family in Devon, with his brother, to seek his
fortune in London. He settled at 135 Muswell Hill Broadway and
opened W Martyn as a greengrocer selling fresh food and essentials
to middle class families. He lived upstairs with his extended
family (and even some members of staff) until he’d saved enough
money to move out to Whetstone.
When you visit the shop today, it’s still evocative of its past.
A patinaed wooden counter runs almost the entire length of the
store where old-fashioned sweets, chocolates and cakes compete
with branded teas, dried fruit and nuts for counter space.
The unmistakable aroma of freshly roasted coffee greets anyone
who walks in. Canvas sacks of beans sit on the floor, with a
coffee roaster from the 1950s still spinning away in the window
fronting the street. Stories and memories abound. For example,
Great Aunt Freda apparently had her appendix removed on an upstairs
kitchen table sometime in the 1900s.
In a back room office, where time has moved on, William
explains that his parents met as a result of the business.
18 19

VILLAGE PICTURES
21

VILLAGE RAW
VILLAGE PICTURES
Opening pages: The W Martyn
coffee roaster - when in
operation the aroma seeps
out into the high street.
These pages: The inside
of the shop retains many
of its original features.
William’s grandmother was a regular customer and used to have
her groceries delivered. At some point his mother started dating
Mr Martyn the grocery man. “Perhaps she thought she’d get a discount,”
he laughs.
William is the fourth generation to run the family business. The
youngest Martyn, his 21-year-old son, is an electrician. With the
emergence of supermarkets and chains in the 1950s, W Martyn
couldn’t compete and started to specialise and consolidate. Three
W Martyn stores became one and the Golders Green site became a
Costa Coffee while the Finchley premises is rented out by the family
to a bookmaker.
William’s father came into the business in 1948 and worked
sporadically until his late seventies. “Father used to tell me stories
about going down to the docks in London to pick up our dried
fruit and bringing it back to the stores - and having to prepare it
because it wasn’t prepared in those days,” William says. “We still
have some of the massive sieves for washing the dried fruit before
it was put on sale.”
Customers still come for the dried fruit (a bestseller) and of
course the coffee, which is now also sold online. Some of W Martyn’s
regulars have been coming in for decades. “We have custom-
ers who come in here for a chat and we’ll sit them down and make
them a cup of coffee or tea,” says William. “We are part of the community
as well. I’ve always said it is not a job but a way of life.”
Will this way of life continue for another generation? William
isn’t sure, explaining that owning the building’s freehold has
helped ensure their survival until now. At 59, however, he’s thinking
about the future. It’s physical work too. As a sign of how things
have changed, the shop used to close every lunchtime between
1.00 and 2.15pm, early on Thursdays and all-day Sunday. It’s now
seven days a week.
But there is genuine love for the place - and a 125th anniversary
to celebrate in August. William says he often thinks of his
great-grandfather and what he would make of the store today.
“He’d recognise the front, I’m sure, but would he believe that the
shop would still be employing family members who make a living
from it? I find that amazing.”
•
You can find out more about W Martyn’s history and view more archive photos on their
website: www.wmartyn.co.uk
22 23

VILLAGE RAW
PARTNER CONTENT
THE ART OF
ESTATE AGENCY
How Brickworks has defined
its role in Property,
interiors and community.
Words by Caroline Watson.
Photos by Alys Tomlinson
and Anna Batchelor.
For Ellie and Rex, the driving force behind Brickworks’ business
model comes from a desire to challenge the industry status quo
- they knew there had to be a better way to buy and sell a home, believing
the process itself should be positive and not something to
be endured. From the inside out, their actions are clear: Brickworks
is different - and not just for the sake of being different.
The team is a vibrant, socially conscious crowd combining
backgrounds in everything from academia and the arts to business
and media. They believe this broad range of expertise and experience
makes the company and the service they provide more adept
and well rounded. Teamwork is at the core and no one is paid by
commission – they are rewarded by their level of customer care.
There is also no cold calling, no gazumping, no door knocking or flyering
and, importantly, no sale boards (which are typically made of
non-recyclable plastic). Just human connection and nurturing the
process from start to finish. Ellie, who trained at Central St Martins
College Art and Design, says: “Even after seven years working in
the property sector I don’t consider myself a conventional estate
agent. I feel that my role is to help people move home - but I’m not
part of the established industry.”
Of the 54,000 practising estate agencies in London, Brickworks
is the only agency to provide a scholarship fund to help young
homeless people reconnect with education and the arts. Their
charitable partnership with Accumulate, a London youth homelessness
charity run by inspirational Crouch Ender Marice Cumber,
is a creative, practical and authentic response to a very real need
for change. Rex says: “We believe in building a better society and a
shared responsibility to end homelessness. We reject the idea that
caring about these things and being business-minded are mutually
exclusive. In fact, the opposite, we think these shared aims make
us stronger. So, from day one, we pledged to give a percentage of
each and every sale fee we received to a homeless charity. It started
small but, over the years, these contributions have added up.” In
recent years, the initiative has evolved into a formal collaboration.
With Accumulate providing creative workshops for young homeless
people living in hostels or temporary accommodation in London,
the Brickworks’ sponsorship supports someone new each year -
with the first student who was sponsored four years ago about to
finish a photography degree.
Brickworks has also recently launched Studio Brickworks which
offers interior design, home staging and house doctoring services.
The way a home is presented has a considerable impact on how
much you sell for - typically about 10% - but Brickworks has seen
some sales increase by much more.
Creative studio director Tamineh Dhondy says: “Our team works
creatively to make the houses we sell reach their absolute potential.”
They adopt the same core business values as Brickworks, using
secondhand furniture wherever possible and supporting local
artists and craftspeople by buying and including their work in the
properties they stage. Tam adds: “Time and time again homes that
have previously sat on the market for months, which we have taken
on, renovated and transformed, then go under offer in a weekend.”
The costs for these services are paid from the completion funds
at the end of the sale which helps reduce associated admin and
removes the financial burden from upfront costs.
In some respects, the journey for Brickworks and Studio Brickworks
has only just begun - and they are launching a new website
including a series of videos, visual guides and kitchen table
interviews with industry experts, charitable collaborators, artists
and makers. Ellie says: “There are so many crucial conversations
to have. I will continue to bang my drum loudly for women in the
industry. I’d like to see deep dives into company culture and reformed
parental leave and pay. I’d like flexible working (for parents)
to become the norm.”•
To share in their conversations, collaborate on a topic or to simply find out more
about Brickworks and the studio, head to: www.brickworkslondon.com or follow on
Instagram: @brickworks_london
24 25

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
THE MEALS THAT KEEP GIVING
The cost-of-living crisis has pushed some people to the
edge. Two community food projects - started in lockdown -
are now a valuable lifeline run by volunteers.
Words by Carla Parks. Photos by Dan Bridge.
When Marcus Rashford launched himself into the pandemic debate
over free school meals, it wasn’t just the Twittersphere that
took notice. Giuseppe Sollo, who was then working as a chef at the
Houses of Parliament, was struck by the level of need in a place as
ostensibly wealthy as England. He wrote a Facebook post from his
private account asking how many people in the Finchley community
needed a free meal. He was inundated.
While many people might feel paralysed or daunted by the scope
of such an undertaking, Giuseppe didn’t hesitate. People needed
meals, he reasoned, and he was prepared to roll up his sleeves and
cook. He started from a friend’s kitchen about a year and a half ago,
cooking nearly all day as the space was too small to produce food in
large quantities. Today, this hard work has evolved into the N2 Food
Project, serving people in the community who can’t afford to buy or
cook nutritious meals themselves.
Initially conceived as a lockdown project that would eventually
wind down, the need hasn’t tailed off. Project manager Fiona Doyle
is one of those who volunteered to help. “We initially thought the
‘end’ of the coronavirus pandemic would see a drop in need,” she
tells Village Raw. Instead, a combination of soaring bills, a hike in
National Insurance contributions and a freeze in wages has meant
the opposite. “The project is still very much an important part of
people’s lives,” she adds.
Recently I met Giuseppe in the kitchen of Martin Primary School
in East Finchley, where his team of volunteers cook roughly 200
meals every Sunday. As a result of a new partnership that number
will roughly double. Some of these meals are distributed at the
Phoenix Cinema, while some get delivered to homes. Today’s meal
is chana masala, a dish that originally comes from the Punjab region
of India. The chefs make meals from different cultures as a
way of being inclusive.
Originally from Napoli, Giuseppe insists that nothing on this
scale would have been possible without his loyal volunteers. “My
kitchen is always open for those who want to come and cook with
us,” he adds. Some volunteers have even launched new careers
as a result of the experience. Two plumbers, for example, are now
working as chefs after spending six months in the kitchen.
From the start Giuseppe’s vision has been to use fresh, quality
ingredients to make the dishes, almost all of which are vegetarian.
It’s something on which he hasn’t compromised. It’s a lean team
working in the kitchen this Sunday, led by Vincenzo Napoletano,
who stirs a large pot of curry. A close friend of Giuseppe’s, he’s
credited as the “mastermind” behind all the meals. Some in the
team chop vegetables while others delicately fill pastry for the apple
turnovers that are this week’s pudding. This is not just cooking,
Giuseppe tells me, it’s about giving.
He vows to keep going “until no one is hungry” - but it’s hard
to see how that persistent social issue will ever be resolved. On
the surface, East Finchley is a leafy, middle-class suburb, but its
appearance hides pockets of severe deprivation. “It’s in a borough
not considered to be deprived and so it doesn’t have the
support you would get in other places,” says Julia Hines, who lives
in the area and helped the team at N2 with some logistics and
practicalities.
An estimated 14% of children are living in poverty in Barnet, according
to the Department for Work and Pensions. Astonishingly,
81% of these children come from working households. These are
the worst figures since records began in 2014-15. Food banks are
increasingly in demand too. The number of people using a food
bank in Barnet soared during the pandemic. Two years ago 21,000
people per week were visiting a food bank in the borough. The number
in 2021 went up as high as 107,000.
26 27

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
Previous page: The N2 Food Project outside East Finchley’s Phoenix Cinema. Opposite page and above:
The Food for All project in Wolves Lane, N22.
“I expect there to be a lot more calls for what Giuseppe does,”
Julia tells me. Despite being deeply impressed with his resolve, she
feels saddened that such a service is needed locally.
Similar schemes have cropped up elsewhere. Wolves Lane - a
former garden centre and nursery which has become a community
food hub - has been growing and cooking food to support the
Haringey community through Food for All, a project that started in
lockdown in 2020.
A small team makes about 250 meals weekly, using some of
the vegetables grown on site and with food donated by The Felix
Project. These are distributed to the Selby Food Hub, sheltered
housing and Homes for Haringey. Shira Bernstein is one of the
chefs who leads the volunteers, supported by Ella, the project’s
vegetable grower. “It’s really hard work,” Shira admits, “but we
have a great crew and it’s therapy as well.” Like the N2 Food Project
they have found the need still exists despite the easing of
Covid-19 restrictions.
One Tuesday in early spring, I went along to the Phoenix Cinema
to meet the volunteers who distribute the food prepared on
Sundays for the N2 Food Project. There’s a slow trickle of people
who have come to rely on the service. Anyone can turn up
and take food but those who can pay are asked to make a small
donation to fund those who can’t. On good days they might make
about £90 - but it’s not enough.
The food that isn’t given away or sold goes to various local
charities and to PINT, a London project that helps the homeless
and those in need. Cee, its charismatic founder, picks up what he
can carry from the cinema, distributes it to a few people he knows
nearby and then takes the rest to other areas. He calls their collaboration
with the N2 Food Project “an instant success”.
A natural storyteller, Cee tells me about the many people he’s
met on the streets, from builders to former doctors. “With the current
state of the economy and energy prices going through the
roof,” he explains, “we have seen more and more people forced into
poverty and homelessness weekly.” Cee asks if I’ve tried the food
and I shake my head. He tells me I must try it, as he starts packing
up to head out on the road.
•
The N2 Food Project is part of East Finchley Neighbourhood Support, a Community
Interest Company. Check: @N2FoodProject, or email: efnsfoodproject@gmail.com
to volunteer. You can also drop non-perishable food at the Phoenix Cinema between
10.30am-12.30pm on Tuesdays. To find out more about PINT (People in Need Today)
check: @pintgiving on Insta, Twitter and Facebook. To find out about Food for All check:
@wolveslane_n22 and if you’re interested in volunteering complete an application at:
wolveslane.org.
28 29

VILLAGE RAW
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
THE BIG PLASTIC COUNT
Village Raw caught up with naturalist Chris Packham to
discuss The Big Plastic Count – the UK’s largest-ever
investigation into household plastic waste.
Words by David Reeve. Photos by Isabelle Rose Povey.
Chris Packham has been a huge part of my life - from The Really Wild
Show in the 80s and beyond - so I was looking forward to our conversation.
When Chris’s image appeared on the Zoom link at 11am
he mentioned he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet (“mossy teeth”)
having just arrived home at 4.30am from a late-night presentation.
I was slightly relieved that it wasn’t our zoom call that woke him up
though – it was his poodles that jumped on him.
The launch of The Big Plastic Count comes as new polling from
YouGov, commissioned by Greenpeace UK, shows how more than
four in five people (81%) want the UK government to introduce targets
to reduce plastic waste. The Big Plastic Count – a collaboration
between Greenpeace UK and non-profit organisation Everyday
Plastic – encourages individuals, households, schools, community
groups and businesses across the UK to count their plastic packaging
waste between 16-22 May, record the different types they
throw away and enter their results onto the campaign website.
“It’s ridiculous that we’re still swamped with plastic waste when
it makes so many of us furious. The natural world can’t cope,” says
Chris. “We talk about the existential problems of climate change, biodiversity
loss and they appear to people, unfortunately, as things
that are over there and out of their control. We’re shown images
or told stories about levels of destruction and waste which are far
greater than our own as individuals. I think it’s all about awareness.
It’s getting people to connect with how they are playing a part in
our problem but, at the same time, it’s critical to empower them so
that they’re also part of a solution. If they are significant enough
to be collectively contributing to create a problem, they are also
significant enough to be empowered to be part of a collective solution.”
The data each participant of the plastic count generates will
contribute to an overall national picture, filling a crucial evidence
gap on exactly how much plastic packaging waste is leaving UK
homes. The results will demonstrate the scale of the plastic waste
problem and pressure the government and supermarkets to tackle
the root cause of the plastic crisis.
“The waste issue is very interesting in that it’s something which
we’ve come to tolerate,” says Chris. “We accept wastage in our
lives and we think nothing of it.” According to a recent report, the
UK produces more plastic waste per person than almost any other
country in the world, second only to the USA - that’s nearly 99kg
per UK citizen. The unique methodology of The Big Plastic Count
will provide participants with their plastic footprint - an in-depth
account of what they’re throwing away and what happens to it -
and will tell them how much of their plastic waste will be recycled,
landfilled, incinerated or exported. “Campaigns like this offer us
the opportunity to empower ourselves as individuals to make a difference,”
continues Chris. “And certainly when that empowerment
spreads to a community, a home, a workplace, a school, whatever
that community is, then it becomes more meaningful.”
Greenpeace UK and Everyday Plastic will use the results of The
Big Plastic Count to push the UK government to introduce stricter
policies to reduce plastic waste. These include setting a target to
halve the UK’s single-use plastic by 2025, banning all plastic waste
exports and implementing an all-in Deposit Return Scheme (DRS)
for recycling and reuse. “Ultimately what we need is the entire
planet community to wake up to this - and then demand change
from ourselves and from those that govern us.” As we come to say
our goodbyes I tell Chris I hope he will find a moment to brush his
teeth before the next interview begins. That makes me wonder and
after a quick search I find that toothbrushes can’t be recycled in
general waste - the nearest toothbrush recycling point to us is the
New North London Synagogue in N3 - and we have to email in advance
to tell them we’re coming.•
You can join The Big Plastic Count at: thebigplasticcount.com
PHOTOS © ISABELLE ROSE POVEY/GREENPEACE.
30 31

VILLAGE RAW
SUSTAINABLE VILLAGE
ON THE B-LINE
Local initiatives to help our pollinators.
Words by Hannah Duncan. Photos by David Reeve and Annie Spratt.
Kate Brown is one of many deeply concerned about the rapid decline
of pollinators and she helps run East Finchley Community
Trust’s Pollinator Project. Pollinators are creatures that fertilise
plants by moving from one to another, and this is how we get a lot
of our food. Kate explains: “Without pollinators there would be no
wheat for bread - or fruit to eat. Astonishingly, one in every three
bites is thanks to the humble pollinator.”
Paul Hetherington corroborates: “We would lose eight out of
ten of every wildflower, as well as most of our fruit and vegetables”.
Paul works for Buglife, an organisation dedicated to preserving
Britain’s insects. Emblazoned across its website is a hard-hitting
warning from Sir David Attenborough: “If we and the rest of the
back-boned animals were to disappear overnight, the rest of the
world would get on pretty well. But if the invertebrates were to disappear,
the world’s ecosystems would collapse.”
Worryingly, they are disappearing. According to European Union
research, around a third of our bees and butterflies are in decline.
Our pesticide-intensive farming and sprawling urbanisation
has forced pollinators out of their homes. “Over the last 50 years,
we’ve lost an area the size of Wales in wildflower meadows,” elaborates
Kate.
In our neighbourhood we’re in a truly unique position to help. A
major B-Line passes through much of the area covered by Village
Raw, encompassing Highgate, East Finchley, Muswell Hill, Hornsey,
Wood Green and a part of Crouch End. A Buglife initiative, the
B-lines are a network of insect pathways that weave their way
across the British landscape, providing a highway for bees and
bugs to connect and migrate. If we offer open flowers and places
for them to rest, we can help preserve the delicate ecosystem
everyone relies on.
“If you create the habitat, the pollinators will come,” Kate
smiles. To get the ball rolling she’s hosting free classes and providing
materials to help you build your very own bug hotel in Cherry
Tree Wood. Everyone is welcome to join the classes which promise
to be a lot of fun - especially for kids.
If a bug hotel doesn’t sound up your street, you could create
a “nectar cafe” - which simply means planting flowers. Across
East Finchley, the community has been getting involved. A particularly
striking example can be seen at the underground station
where a drab grassy patch was transformed into a festival
of colourful flowers.
Some locals have even been scattering seeds - delighting
neighbours with surprise flowers as well as helping pollinators.
One of the younger activists is Magnus Hetzscholdt. As a 15-
year old guerrilla gardener, he plants sunflowers in memory of his
grandfather who started the tradition in his home town of Nijmegen
in the Netherlands. A seasoned secret gardener, Magnus recommends
others to: “Avoid places where there’s shade or people
cut the grass.”
Kate, Magnus and his mum Ezra van Wilgenburg are part of a
wider community enriching the neighbourhood with bug hotels and
nectar cafes. The Archer Academy garden is the latest location to
enjoy a new colourful burst of wildlife. But you can spot tiny nectar
cafes dotted around everywhere. Anyone can get involved by
planting flowers and providing sanctuaries for pollinators.•
If you’d like to find out about events, organise a free talk or see what’s going on, email
The Pollinator Project at: efpollinators@gmail.com
For more info about Buglife and to view the B-Line map check: www. buglife.org.uk
32 33

VILLAGE RECIPE
SINGAPORE-STYLE
CHILLI TOFU
Recipe by Dominique Woolf.
This recipe was inspired by the stunning dish Singapore-style
chilli prawns, which is itself a version of the famous
Singapore chilli crab. Tofu can sometimes get a bad
rap but it makes a fantastic alternative to prawns, especially
midweek. It has a relatively long shelf life so is great
to have on hand in the fridge. Frying it until crispy gives it
great texture and it absorbs all the flavours of the sauce.
This dish is all about the sauce. It even converted my tofu-fearing
husband.
Note: The egg thickens the sauce and adds a lovely richness and flavour but
can easily be omitted for a vegan version.
INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)
40g cashew nuts
Neutral oil, for frying
200g firm tofu, dried with kitchen paper
and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger (approx. 3cm)
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 red chillies, finely chopped (use fewer chillies
or deseed if you prefer a milder heat)
1 medium tomato, diced
200ml hot veg or chicken stock, or boiling water
1 small egg, lightly beaten
For the sauce:
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil, preferably toasted
METHOD
1. Toast the cashews in a large non-stick frying pan over
a medium heat until golden. Remove from the pan and
set aside.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and when hot, add the
tofu and fry for 5–10 minutes - until all sides are golden.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, mix the sauce ingredients together in a
small bowl and place near the stove.
4. Wipe any excess tofu crumbs from the pan, then add
another tablespoon of oil. Reduce the heat to medium-low
and add the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies
along with a pinch of salt. Cook for 7–10 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until softened. Add another drizzle of
oil, if necessary.
5. Add the tomatoes along with the sauce and simmer for
3–5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have reduced down.
Stir frequently to prevent it sticking to the pan, adding a
splash of water, if needed.
6. Pour in the hot stock or water, turn the heat to medium
and bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli and coat in the
sauce. Cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in the
egg and stir to mix.
7. Return the tofu to the pan and cook for a further minute
until heated through and the broccoli is just cooked.
Loosen the sauce with a little water if needed, then
taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
8. Just before serving, stir through the toasted cashews.
Serve with rice.•
Recipe extracted from Dominique’s Kitchen,
published by Penguin Michael Joseph,
out on 9th June and available to pre-order
now from Amazon. Follow Dominique on
Instagram @dominiquewoolf
The Big
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DISCOVER
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BUSINESSES,
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PRODUCTS AND
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VILLAGE RAW
WELLNESS
ASK OLA
Ola Nwakodo is a medical herbalist and writer who helps and supports
people in applying a holistic,integrative and empowering approach
to taking care of illness and health. Ola advocates knowledge as power.
Send your questions to hello@villageraw.com
Words by Ola Nwakodo. Photo by Bundo Kim.
READER QUESTION: “Do you have suggestions for women who
are perimenopausal on how to improve disrupted sleep and
relieve musculoskeletal pain?”
A time of transition, perimenopause is typically a phase when
hormones are in flux. Female hormones, especially oestrogen,
surge and fall in what seems like an erratic fashion. For some
these swings result in myriad symptoms.
Oestrogen receptors are located in cells all over the body
and are involved in the regulation of many complex physiological
processes in women. They can be found in the ovaries,
breasts and uterus as well as the brain, kidneys, liver, lungs,
heart, bones, endothelial cells, intestinal mucosa, adipose tissue,
immune system and central nervous system.
Research shows that symptoms, such as sleep disruption,
anxiety and depressed mood during the menopausal transition,
are also linked to pain symptoms, particularly musculoskeletal
pain which is highly prevalent in perimenopausal
women. Females who experience sleep disruption also seem
to have increased pain severity.
Oestrogen which is known to be an anti-inflammatory is in
decline so things start to hurt more. Hormonal changes also
make the body more inclined to dehydration, which can cause
joint swelling as a result of uric acid build-up. These changes
could also bring on osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
You don’t mention any other symptoms that you may be
experiencing. I wondered if your sleep was disrupted solely by
musculoskeletal pain or whether it is also affected by swings in
body temperature - “hot flushes” - which can also be linked to
stress. Understanding the different types of musculoskeletal
pain can help you to develop a pain management strategy. I
would recommend an integrative approach.
black cohosh, fennel and motherwort. If there’s nervous tension,
irritability, anxiety or exhaustion, skullcap can be a welcome
addition.
A mixture of essential oils including lavender, basil, juniper
and sweet marjoram is shown to reduce sleep disturbance and
improve overall well-being. I particularly like blending lavender
and marjoram essential oils in a bath, diffuser, as drops on a
pillowcase or massaged on the chest. They both have an extremely
calming effect and strong sedative qualities.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
I regularly rely on the combination of devil’s claw and meadowsweet
herbal tinctures to tackle and alleviate pain and inflammation.
Meadowsweet is really useful as an analgesic and
anti-inflammatory that also promotes wound healing and can
stimulate the creation of new cells. Devil’s claw is known for
the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions of the class of
compounds it contains known as iridoid glycosides. Research
states that it is found to have a similar action as steroids with
none of the side effects.
Women suffering from musculoskeletal pain may see some
benefit and safe relief from chronic pain by using frequent
contrast showers - this is the alternation of hot and cold water
on the body, ending the cycle with cold water. It’s a centuries
old rehabilitation tool to support whole body healing. It is used
to relieve chronic pain, stiffness, inflammation and soreness
as well as to revive circulation and encourage elimination. Caution
is advised where cardiovascular issues or any open injury
exist. Also likely to improve sleep quality is a warm shower an
hour or two before bedtime.
FEED THE HORMONAL SYSTEM WITH PLANT SOURCES
Infusions of nettle can nourish the body with plant hormones,
numerous vitamins and minerals, and vitex can support the pituitary
gland which helps regulate oestrogen and progesterone.
A well-balanced diet - one that includes rich sources of
phytoestrogens such as seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame),
alfalfa, hummus and soya - may help in regulating hormonal
fluctuations and support metabolism of oestrogen. You
may want to look into seed cycling. Any foods, vitamins and
minerals that reduce inflammation are also a must.
PROMOTE REHYDRATION
Hormonal changes can cause dehydration and a build-up of
uric acid resulting in joint swelling.
MEDITATION – BODY SCAN
When sleep is disrupted body scan meditation whilst lying
still in bed, with eyes closed, can be an effective way to reconnect
with it. Starting from the top downwards seems to
do the trick for many!
•
SLEEP
To improve sleep, especially when disturbed by stress and/
or night sweats and palpitations, support sleep quality with
a combination of tinctures of hops, sage, zizyphus, clover,
For consultations, enquiries, requests contact: www.saintandsmith.com /
07971193396
36 37

VILLAGE GREEN
Local Nature
Nurturing character
through nature
OmVed Gardens’ new initiative - Local Nature -
was inspired by our community conversations
about how the experience of lockdowns
has shaped our relationship with ourselves,
others and the planet. We have taken
these conversations forward to create
the Local Nature project.
Each month, we pose a question for reflection
and invite our community to share in-person
at our monthly meetups at OmVed, or virtually
via our website. Come, listen, share, commune.
Details to get involved can be
found at www.local-nature.com
www.omvedgardens.com
Nurturing Day
Giggy & Bab
retro step stools
Beautifully British
Vintage design
reincarnated
10 frame colours
3 wood finishes
Highgate
Art School
A full-day retreat programme
available for small groups of 10-12 people to engage
with our garden, kitchen and creative activities exclusively.
Born out of an interest to share our work and restoring
philosophy in a holistic way and with a range of communities
after the stresses of the covid pandemic, the day provides
a much-needed break and pause from everyday routine
and an opportunity to reflect and connect to the environmen
oneself and each other at a slow pace.
THE SPECKLED WOOD
Words and photo by David Reeve.
Speckled Woods enjoy dappled woodland which is where
we chanced upon this specimen. They mostly feed on
honeydew sap in the treetops and otherwise can be
found basking in the sun, defending their patch from intruders.
The Speckled Wood is the only brown butterfly
with three eyespots on the hindwings and one on each
forewing. While three quarters of UK species are in decline
- with 2021 being a particularly bad year for butterflies
- the Speckled Wood has bucked the trend and enjoyed
an 84% increase in numbers over the last 40 years.
Why not join the Big Butterfly Count which runs from 15
July to 7 August. You can download a butterfly ID chart
and a free app to get started. For further information
check: bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org
www.giggyandbab.co.uk
Giggy & Bab
MADE IN ENGLAND
More information and bookings:
Join us for adult and children’s www.omvedgardens.com/nurturing-day
art classes in
painting, drawing, ceramics and sol@omvedgardens.com
mixed media collage.
Daytime, evening and afterschool.
For more information and to book visit
www.highgateartschool.com or email art@highgateartschool.com