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LAMBETH SOUTHWARK RIVER THE A walk down an East End street BRICK LANE This years music and cultural events FESTIVAL GUIDE Home brews and microbreweries CRAFT ALES Photography and performance overlap at the Tate SELFIE CULTURE FOOD DRINK STYLE CULTURE FOR THE SOUL PROPERTY A seven year curriculum for girls and boys from year 7 to year 13 New teaching rooms and common room for sixth form students Walworth Academy Shorncliffe Road SE1 5UJ 020 7450 9570 www.walworthacaemy.org Commitment Aspiration Resilience Excellence Self-management Specialist support by Walworth has led to a significant increase instudents going to university to study medicine and bio-medicine. Principal Yvonne Powell Be the best you can be GASTRO DELI by day ITALIAN APERITIFS from 5pm to 7pm Classico Pescatore and Contadino - Buy one cocktail and get one free for Students - RESTAURANT from 7pm to 10pm ITALIAN OPERA on Friday Nights Come and join us for an intimate evening of food and wine Ciro Costagliola Head Chef and Owner For reservations call 020 7407 5454 299 Borough High Street SE1 1JG www.flavoursofnaples.com EDITORS WORDS Dear Readers Say Cheese An exhibition on the Southbank highlights just how modern technology has crept into all of our lives. Even photography the once radical threat to the art of painting has recently undergone its own transformation now that we all have high quality cameras embedded into our phones. It is now possible almost mandatory to snap moments of our mundane and private lives revealing something about the way we live today. The Selfie or more specifically how photography and performance overlap is explored in Performing for the Camera at Tate Modern until June. If you are so inclined send us your own selfies with interesting local backdrops or contexts to infotherivermagazine.co.uk and we will print any fun or especially interesting ones in our summer edition this June. With the arrival of Spring there is more reason to enjoy life outdoors so we have looked ahead at cultural festivals across the country during the coming warm months so should you wish to escape the city for a weekend you may find some ideas in this issue. We have also taken a look down Brick Lane its history food stalls vintage fashion and a mish-mash of East London culture. Read on... Yours 04 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 EDITORS WORDS WHEN YOU HAVE FINISHED WITH THIS MAGAZINE PLEASE RECYCLE IT CONTACT US Editor A Webb awebbtherivermagazine.co.uk Sub Editor Owen Rice Contributors Mel Hutton Owen Rice Alessia Tamasoski Chinenye Uzoho George Swinton Ben Garrett Mark Leonard Rachel Lewis Designers Alison Cutler Milana Veselinovic Publisher Chris Richmond Commercial Sales Lee Hayes commercialtherivermagazine.co.uk FREEPHONE 0800 021 1484 THE RIVER The RIVER Magazine is published by River Publishing House Limited. Company number 8307961. River Publishing House cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited articles and images. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters and emails. The material in The RIVER Magazine is subject to copyright. All rights reserved. The paper in this magazine originates from timber that is sourced from sustainable forests responsibly managed to strict environmental social and economic standards. The manufacturing mills have both FSC PEFC certification and also ISO9001 and ISO14001 accreditation. LAMBETH SOUTHWARK THE Follow us on twitter rivermagazine and Like us on facebook www.facebook.comTheRiverMagazine All of our content is now online at www.therivermagazine.co.uk Angela Webb Editor Performing for the Camera at Tate Modern Photo Amalia Ulman Excellences Perfections Instagram Update 8th July 2014 Third Space are Londons luxury health clubs individual in style bound by a common philosophy to provide outstanding fitness spaces that members feel are their own. Our newest club is pure double-height fitness inspiration from a sprint track that brings outdoors in to a new pool suite with juniper log hot zones bespoke training rig and dedicated hot yoga studio. Train hard live easy. This is your space BOOK A PERSONAL TOUR TODAY T 44 0 20 7940 4937 NAOMI.COMBESTHIRDSPACE.LONDON 2B MORE LONDON RIVERSIDE LONDON SE1 2AP THIRDSPACE.LONDON FOOD DRINK 11 Turkish Delights 3 12 Exclusive Vintages 13 A Crafty Beer 15 A Cut Above CULTURE 16 Profile of Tower Bridge 18 Gallery Damien Hirst 21 Summer Festivals 24 Cover Story The Selfie 25 Entertainments Listings EDUCATION 27 Weeks and Weeks of Fun 28 Space To Learn 30 Girls With Goals 32 Soup-er Success PROPERTY 36 Canada Water 38 Brick Lane 41 Selecting An Agent 15 In The River SPRING 2016 24 13 38 18 09 06 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CONTENTS 16 06 THE RIVER AUTUMN 2012 FOOD DRINK 10 London Bridge Street London Bridge Quarter SE1 9SG 020 7855 2200 www.londonbridgehotel.com Just steps from The Shard Come and Join Us for Cocktails ENJOY LIMITLESS LAMBRUSCO AND CHARCUTERIE TASTING FOR 10 PER PERSON EVENT STARTS AT 530 AND ENDS AT 730 PM TOWER BRIDGE - April 20th Limited availability book online to reserve your place today www.valentinafinefoods.comevent ONLINE BOOKINGS ONLY - NOT AVAILABLE FOR WALK-INS. CAN NOT BE USED WITH OTHER OFFERS. SEE WEBSITE FOR FULL TERMS AND CONDITIONS. OTHER RESTRICTIONS APPLY. 31 SHAD THAMES LONDON SE1 2YR 020 7036 6028 SHEEN PUTNEY SEVENOAKS NOTTING HILL ........................ April 5th ..................... April 6th ............. April 7th ...... April 12th WEYBRIDGE REIGATE CHISWICK BATTERSEA .......... April 13th ................. April 14th .............. April 19th ........... April 21st S H A D T H A M E S TOWERBRIDGE HORSELYDOWNLANE LAFONESTREET CURLEWSTREET ROAD R I V E R T H A M E S offee-making is very much a ritual and to enjoy the very finest cup a meticulous technique serious attention to detail and studied appreciation of the drink is essential. The Turkish restaurant Kilikyas in St Katharine Docks delivers its coffee according to the established traditions and serves it with a delicate piece of Turkish Delight. The coffee beans must be freshly roasted and then well ground into the finest powder possible far more finely ground than for any other kind of coffee making technique. The coffee grounds are immersed in hot but not boiling water and stay there long enough for the flavour to be released. Over-boiling or cooking the coffee will give a burnt taste. Sugar can be added and gently stirred until it dissolves but this must be done carefully so as not to disturb the foam. As the coffee comes to the boil the pot is removed from the heat but may be returned two or three times until it is poured into the cups. The real sign of the coffee makers skill is the quality and quantity of foam on the surface of the coffee once it is poured which can be maximised by the way it is poured lifting and lowering the pot as the liquid fills the cup. But coffee in Turkey is often more than just a daily drink as serious as that may be. Before a wedding the bridegrooms parents visit the brides family to ask the hand of the bride and the parents blessing. The bride must prepare the coffee and may to test the grooms character and possibly his humour serve the grooms coffee with salt instead of sugar. Both of the young couple are being tested in this ritual for their compatibility etiquette and suitability. Personally I would recommend avoiding the salt and sticking with the jelly sweetness of Turkish Delight lightly dusted with icing sugar they way Kilikyas do it. KILIKYAS RESTAURANT St Katharine Docks London EC1 t 020 7488 0813 w www.kilikyas.com TURKISH delights 3 Coffee The process is what makes a coffee Turkish not the source of the bean or equipment used by Owen Rice the real sign of the coffee makers skill is the quality and quantity of foam on the surface of the coffee Coffee Served at Kilikyas St Katharine Docks THE RIVER SPRING 2016 FOOD DRINK 11 The Blue Bottle Coffee House painted c1900 12 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 FOOD DRINK Award winning Champagne and interesting fine wines by Mark Leonard ocal wine importers Lant Street Wine specialise in wines from smaller producers of unique interesting vintages. This family-run and friendly company in Borough have a great deal of exclusive wines available that account for 90 of their stock including from producers Waipara West and Le Brun de Neuville with whom they have very long-standing relationships. This is a prospect made all the more mouthwatering as some of these wines are celebrated internationally. This year Le Brun de Neuville won the International Wine Spirit Competition IWSC Award for Best Champagne producer and Best Champagne 2015. Quite a feather in the cap for this small and very well-run co-operative in Szanne near Champagne. Le Brun de Neuville was founded in 1963 by just twenty producers and now has 150 members and is producing some seriously good products. The other exclusive relationship Lant Street Wines enjoy is with Waipara West a New Zealand producer established in 1989 with some 60 acres of producing vines. The company is owned by a partnership called Tutton Sienko Hill Paul Tutton of Tuttons Covent Garden fame his wife Olga Sienko his sister Vic Tutton and her husband Lindsay Hill a viticulturist who manages the vineyard. When they purchased the land they knew that although in 1989 it was an unsuccessful rabbit infested sheep farm it had a combination of factors suitable for the production of quality grapes - being further inland and higher than existing Waipara vineyards it was hotter and less frost prone due to natural air movement caused by the river and the sloping terraces. In our next edition we will be providing details of summer tastings at Lant Street and it would be wise to make sure you dont miss out. LANT STREET WINES 59-61 Lant Street SE1 1QL t 020 7357 7788 e saleslantstreetwine.com IWSC Winning Champagne 2015 from Le Brun here is a growing trend of localism over globalisation home made freshly picked hand crafted things are becoming more valuable to us than distant products from huge international brands. At Studio 6 Gabriels Wharf on the South Bank Anibal Torres has taken stocking an eclectic selection of crafted beers one step further. His passion for beers has started him home brewing and attending locally run courses with the intention of eventually creating his own signature drink. Mmmmm... sounds like a hobby with a great return In the coming editions Anibal will share some tips on how to get started but in the meantime you can always wander along to Studio 6 and try some of their great draft and bottled beers including these currently in stock Sharp Pilsner on draft A cornish beer very popular with UK drinkers who know that this part of the world is the true spiritual home of brewing. Pale straw flavours with herbal lemon aroma. Alhambra Especial on draft Poured from a beautiful towering Moorish beer pump this is a fabulously smooth crisp and refreshing beer with fruit and malty overtones. Canopy Sunray Pale Ale in bottles A seasonal ale with a changing recipe depending on hop availability. Its light and refreshing and perfect for summer days. Canopy Brockwell IPA in bottles Hoppy heady this Pale Ale is inspired by the great craft beers of the US using Cascade and Citra hops and British Maris Otter malts. HOME BREWING GETTING STARTED If you have got the beer bug and want to find out more Anibal has some tips for where you can start Good Books Designing Great Beers The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles by Ray Daniels - Formulas ingredients historical and modern day brewing practices. Courses London Beer Lab www. londonbeerlab.com - Workshop for 1 to 3 people based in Brixton. London Fields Brewery www. londonfieldsbrewery.co.uk - Home brewing classes for 1 to 4 people based in Hackney. STUDIO 6 Gabriels Wharf the Southbank 56 Upper Ground SE1 9PP t 020 7928 6243 w www.studio6restaurant.com A CRAFTY beer The gift of home brewing Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime... by Owen Rice THE RIVER SPRING 2016 FOOD DRINK 13 One step towards making your own perfect pint at the London Beer Lab CANOPY Beer Fabulously branded beers brewed in Herne Hill Every story online Quarterly Spring Summer Autumn and Winter editions Delivered to homes and businesses in North Lambeth and Southwark Established in 2012 30000 website page views per month 30000 magazine readers per edition Advertise online Leaderboard banner advert at the top of 10 selected editorial pages from 51 per month Subscribe Subscribe to the RIVER Magazine to be sure to receive every edition by post for 12 per year Visit www.therivermagazine.co.uksubscribe.html Advertise in print Quarter page adverts from 212.50 each Half page adverts from 340 each Full page adverts from 552.50 each Be seen in the only local quality magazine For more information Freephone 0800 021 1484 infotherivermagazine.co.uk www.therivermagazine.co.uk LAMBETH SOUTHWARK RIVER THE Now also delivered in Rotherhithe Surrey Quays and Wapping LAMBETH SOUTHWARK RIVER THE A walk down an East End street BRICK LANE This years music and cultural events FESTIVAL GUIDE Home brewing and favourite beers CRAFT ALES An exhibition of photography and performance SELFIE CULTURE FOOD DRINK STYLE CULTURE FOR THE SOUL PROPERTY Rotisserie chickens classic lunches and breakfasts have arrived at Mas Kitchen on The Cut by Mark Leonard pposite Southwark tube station at the end of The Cut a small eatery has been taken over and had new life breathed into it by the experienced restauranteurs Maddie Coles and Annie Diaz at Cafe Pronto on Blackfriars Road. The result is a cosy and stylish place to take a coffee enjoy a fine breakfast a range of lunches including rotisserie chickens slow roasted for 90 minutes tasteful pasta dishes ciabatta sandwiches and salads. Served in immaculate surroundings the food is very fairly priced and theres even a meeting room downstairs this new addition to The Cut takes cafe- culture up to restaurant levels and demonstrates that this family-run business really knows how to cater for the people of SE1. MAS KITCHEN ROTISSERIE 1 The Cut SE1 8JZ t 0207 620 3200 Rotisserie chickens roasted over potatoes he drawbridges bascules of Tower Bridge are raised three or four times a day to let boats that still enjoy right of way pass along the river below. Frustrating this may be if you are hurrying north or south you can rest assured that you are in good company. This persistent priority saw American President Bill Clinton separated from his motorcade in 1997 so sailing barge Gladys could pass by on her scheduled journey. In its heyday the bascules were lifted more than 50 times a day which means that every ten or fifteen minutes during daylight traffic would be stopped to allow water vehicles to go about their business on the Thames. But with the ever-pressing pedestrian and car traffic in the city it is estimated that more than forty thousand people now cross the bridge every day. Still the right of way belongs in the water but fortunately the demand of river traffic is much reduced. Tower Bridge is an iconic feature in Londons landscape and helps draw tourists to the city. There is something about it that has come to symbolise London England and Britishness. Shortly after its construction it was considered by some to be brash and pretentious but has since become imprinted on the minds of people at home and overseas as a reflection of the identity of this nation with a grand royal and powerful beauty. According to legend the bridge became an object of desire to tower bridge PORTRAIT Taking a closer look at one of Londons familiar and most-loved landmarks by Alessia Tamasoski a student at Bishop Challoner Girls School 16 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE 17 Robert P. McCulloch. In 1968 this US entrepreneur mistakenly purchased the old London Bridge thinking it was Tower Bridge only to realise when the shipment of stones were re-assembled at Lake Havasu City Arizona that he should have been more precise with the bridge name when he was on his shopping trip to London. River crossing was a problem in the late 1800s and a new bridge was called for that would not interfere with river transport below. A competition was opened for designers to submit their plans and the winning design by Horace Jones in collaboration with John Wolfe Barry was unveiled in 1884. Construction began in 1887 and seven years 31 million bricks and 2 million rivets later the bridge was officially opened by Prince of Wales and his wife Alexandra of Denmark on 30 June 1894. Tower Bridge is more than just a beautiful stately bridge it has been a dangerous roller-coaster to some people. Albert Gunton a bus driver had the scare of his life on December 30th 1952 as he was driving the 78 bus from Shoreditch to Dulwich when the north side of the bridge began to lift. Gunton took his and his passengers lives in his hands and sped up jumping the three foot gap and landing safely on the south side of the bridge. It was quite a miracle that the bus stayed upright and didnt fall into the Thames and that passengers suffered only minor injuries. For his quick thinking skilled driving and courage Albert was awarded 10 from London Transport and 35 from the City of London and the nickname from his colleagues Parachute Gunter and Waterwings seven years 31 million bricks and 2 million rivets later the bridge was officially opened by Prince of Wales and his wife Illustration by Alessia Tamasoski 18 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE Engine rooms of art and Power Stations GALLERY damien hirst n Newport Street near Lambeth Bridge Damien Hirst recently opened the door to a collection of artworks including paintings by John Hoyland that are on show until 3 April. One of Britains greatest abstract painters Hoyland 1934-2011 was born in Sheffield and exhibited his first fully abstract paintings in 1960 with the influential Situation group just months after leaving the Royal Academy. Power Stations presents 33 of Hoylands large-scale paintings dating from 1964 to 1982 and are drawn from Hirsts own collection spanning a pivotal period in the artists career. Art critic Mel Gooding identified 1964 as the moment Hoyland broke away from playfully cerebral optical ambiguities and launched his powerful assertion of the painting itself as a complex object. On view in Newport Streets lower galleries the works characteristically feature abutting quasi-geometric shapes that float freely from the canvas edge. The upper galleries chart Hoylands subsequent experimentation with paint texture and opacity freer Gallery 6 Newport Street NEWPORT STREET GALLERY Newport Street SE11 6AJ w www.newportstreetgallery.com forms brush strokes and the palette knife. The works will be displayed throughout all six of the gallerys exhibition spaces which have taken three years to construct and involved the conversion of three listed Victorian properties. The buildings which were purpose- built in 1913 to be used as scenery painting studios for the booming local and West End theatre. Two new additional buildings have been constructed at either end of the existing three creating a gallery that spans half the length of the street. Future exhibitions at Newport Street will vary between solo and group shows and Pharmacy2 the restaurant will open this year to cater for visitors during exhibition hours as well as for evening diners once the gallery closes. Advance Town 1980 John Hoyland 1971 WE KNOW LONDON BRIDGE We wont lock you in With a proven track record for success in the London Bridge area at Garrett Whitelock weve no need to lock our clients into any long-term agreements. If youre unhappy with our service at any stage youre free to go elsewhere. Not that we think youll want to... with our extensive local area knowledge years of experience in the London residential property market realistic valuations friendly disposition and a queue of buyers and tenants waiting for a property like yours we can help to sell or let your property for the optimum price in record time. In fact the only clink involved will be the clinking of glasses to celebrate a successful transaction. If youre looking to sell or let your property for the optimum price in record time call us today on 020 7407 4586 to arrange your complimentary no-obligation valuation. You wont be disappointed. Garrett Whitelock London Bridges most effective independent estate agency 164 Tower Bridge Road London SE1 3FG 020 7407 4586 infogarrettwhitelock.co.uk www.garrettwhitelock.co.uk SALES LETTINGS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT festivals ods rockers rollers hippes druids and Elvis-lovers... all share some fundamental desire to head out to a designated special place especially when the sun or moon comes out and party. Song dance and array of rituals specific to the tastes of the group are always central to the event. The practice is international its been going on for thousands of years and I can only assume it answers some primal urge to come together to commune to share our lives our common beliefs and passions with a backdrop of music. Perhaps its a natural exuberance that finds expression when a society is free at peace and spiritually open to enjoy favourite songs together. Monuments like Stonehenge stand as evidence that these gatherings were very serious business even five thousand years ago when the big blue stones were dug out of the rocks of Wales and carried to a clearing hundreds of miles away creating an arena for their festival originating from the Latin for feast. Talking of feasts this years Elvis festival will be hosted at Blackpool in July and no doubt thousands of men dressed in white with quasi- spiritual seriousness will gather and sing in low bass notes. A multitude of animals will be consumed and alcohol will flow freely just going to prove that although the songs have changed and even the chief priests essentially the human need has not. More than one-hundred and fifty thousand people 150000 attended the Glastonbury festival last year and all time ticket sales have exceeded 325 million - considering ticket prices were just SUMMER THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE 21 The long tradition almost ritual of heading to festivals needs some forward planning so here is a quick heads up of some of the music pilgrimages to consider this year by Rachel Lewis Street scene at Upton Blues Festivals Upton upon Severn T in the Park at Strathallan Castle Scotland 1 in the first year its easy to see how far the business has come. The perimeter fence is now 8.5 miles long and to get in costs a minimum of 225. But perhaps there was always a charge to get into these things even back then when it all kicked off in Stonehenge at Solstice time. Fortunately the choice these days of well-organised and quality events is pretty big so there is no need to fight your way into Glastonbury which has become so large the hippy love vibe is distant and a regulated markeplace has stepped in. Micro events resembling the humble beginnings of these feasts have popped up nationwide and there is something for everyones taste. Whatever your plans are for the summer we thought it would be nice to list some standard some bizarre some off-the-wall cultural gatherings that are taking place around the country. 22 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE FESTIVALS TO LOOK FORWARD TO THIS YEAR BESTIVAL Newport Isle of Wight 8-11 Sep 2016 Headliners in 2015 The Chemical Brothers Underworld Tame Impala Award-winning boutique festival with 1000 performers. Pianos in the woods lit-up lakesides fancy dress poetry theatre and comedy. BOARDMASTERS Fistral Beach Watergate Bay Newquay 10-14 Aug 2016 Headliners in 2015 Faithless Rudimental Bastille Surfers skaters and BMX kings and music from dance dons folk stars and pop favourites. BOOMTOWN FAIR Winchester 11-14 Aug 2016 Headliners this year Madness Damian Marley Fat Freddys Drop Diverse and non-commercial mix with folk drum bass and everything in between. CAMP BESTIVAL Lulworth Castle Dorset 28-31 Jul 2016 Headliners this year Fatboy Slim Jess Glynne Tears For Fears Smaller version of Bestival Camp Bestival offers similar fancy dress and late night frolics but is family friendly. Set in a beautiful English castle it has medieval jousting to face painting with music comedy and poets. DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Donington Park Derby 10-12 Jun 2016 Headliners this year Rammstein Black Sabbath Iron Maiden Hard rock and heavy metal at Derbys Donington Park. Three days of the biggest names in heavy rock from the 70s right up to now. GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL Pilton Somerset 22-26 Jun 2016 Headliners in 2015 Florence and the Machine Kanye West The Who Massive artists music circus and theatre shows at this legendary event. THE GREAT ESCAPE Brighton Sussex 19-21 May 2016 Headliners this year Oh Wonder Shura Mura Masa Seaside sounds with 400 bands in 35 venues and one wristband that gets you into every one. GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Brecon Beacons Wales 18-21 Aug 2016 Headliners in 2015 St. Vincent Super Furry Animals Hot Chip Incredible landscape of the Brecon Beacons Black Mountains in Wales and a folk-led line-up. 1500 performers in comedy theatre and literary worlds plus local ales and ciders on offer on tap. ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL Newport Isle of Wight 9-12 Jun 2016 Headliners this year Queen Adam Lambert Faithless Stereophonics Reincarnation of one of the UKs first-ever festivals pulls in the worlds biggest talent. This year headliners include Fleetwood Mac The Prodigy The Black Keys and Pharrell Williams. Panoramic of Glastonbury Festival its perimeter fence now standing at 8.5 miles long Broadmasters music and skateboarding in Newquay Isle of Wight Festival 1970 LATITUDE FESTIVAL Henham Park Southwold 14-17 Jul 2016 Headliners in 2015 alt-J Portishead Manic Street Preachers Much more than just a music festival. DJs hidden in the woods colourful sheep roaming the tufty fields opera on the lake film in its onsite cinema clowns theatre and local ales and a huge childrens area. LOVEBOX Victoria Park East London 15-17 Jul 2016 Headliners in 2015 Snoop Dogg Rudimental Hot Chip Londons annual party created by Groove Armada. A mix of dance dons rock gods vintage markets bespoke bars and fairground rides. NASS FESTIVAL Bath and West Showground Somerset 8-10 Jul 2016 Headliners in 2015 Enter Shikari Rebel Sound Public Enemy Extreme sports competitions and cutting-edge music NASS is a wild weekend of BMXing skateboarding and inline-skating with music until dawn. READING LEEDS Little Johns Farm Bramham Park 26-28 Aug 2016 Headliners this year Red Hot Chili Peppers more TBA Reading provides a platform for rising and established indie acts metal dance hip hop and pop. THE SECRET GARDEN PARTY Mill Hill Field Cambridgeshire 21-24 Jul 2016 Headliners this year Primal Scream Lissie Maribou State A landscaped garden by a river and lake is absolutely bursting with fun. SHAMBALA Secret Country Estate Northamptonshire 25-28 Aug 2016 Headliners this year Skrillex Bonobo Claude Vonstroke Four days of circus acts comedy debates and interactive theatre. SKAMOUTH Vauxhall Hoiliday Park Great Yarmouth Norfolk April 22th 25th 2016 Top ska reggae mod RB and Northern Soul. Deluxe accommodation holiday homes and first class facilities of bars restaurantcarvery coffee shop arcade food and shop outlets. SOUTH WEST FOUR Clapham Common South West London 27-28 Aug 2016 Headliners in 2015 Basement Jaxx Faithless Fatboy Slim Open-air London party of music. Four stages of house techno minimal trance and electronica. T IN THE PARK Strathallan Castle Perthshire Scotland 8-10 Jul 2016 Headliners this year Kasabian Avicii Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds Rock pop and dance as a rite of passage for young Scots and a ritual for older ones. UPTON BLUES FESTIVAL Pubs and Streets of Upton upon Severn Worcestershire 15 -17 July 2016 Set in the beautiful Worcestershire riverside town of Upton upon Severn Upton Blues Festival has grown from a small event in a couple of pubs into a festival that swamps the town with many thousands of music fans two main stages an acoustic stage and ten pub venues creating over 120 performances in three days. WILDERNESS FESTIVAL Cornbury Park Oxfordshire 4-7 Aug 2016 Headliners in 2015 Bjrk Ben Howard George Clinton One of the more elegant gatherings Oxfordshires Wilderness Festival is a banquet feast a science lecture a soak in a hot tub with Shakespeare to boot. WIRELESS FESTIVAL Finsbury Park London 8-10 Jul 2016 Headliners in 2015 Drake Avicii David Guetta Rap hip hop and RB with fairground rides chill out areas bars and artists singing booths. WE ARE FSTVL Airfield Of Dreams Essex 28-29 May 2016 Headliners this year Fatboy Slim Steve Angello Jamie Jones 16 stages 200 DJs and VIP arena with bubbling hot tubs spa treatments gourmet food and champagne bars. THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE 23 Babyshambles at The Great Escape in 2009 imon Baker Curator of Photography at Tate Modern has put together a highly engaging exhibition that shows the work of over 50 photographers and explores the relationship between photography and performance. It is packed with humour irony and vulnerability. In the light of this exhibition the fascination we have today with the Selfie is not perhaps as shallow as it might first seem they can reveal more about us our world and our actions than we think. A photo of the London Eye is enhanced for us when we are captured in it perhaps even more so when we take it ourselves. At this point we no longer just have a picture of a something memorable or evidence we were there too but that we performed there and enjoyed it - extended our arm or selfie-stick smiled and snapped In the 1960s artists Yves Klein and Yayoi Kusama initially began taking photographs of their art performances documenting their work before realising that in fact the photography was becoming an integral facet of it. Through the work of Lee Friedlander we can see how the photographer appears to gradually notice himself as a shadow on the pavement or a reflection in a window in his images. Over the years that follow this self-inclusion becomes as important if not more important than the world he initially set out to capture. Performing for the Camera Runs until 12 June 2016 TATE MODERN Bankside SE1 9TG t 020 7887 8888 w www.tate.org.uk culture SELFIE An exploration of how photography or taking pictures of performance and art overlapped revealing new dimensions in the images created by Rachel Lewis 24 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE Masahisa Fukase From Window 1974Boris Mikhailov Crimean Snobbism 1982 NATIONAL THEATRE SOUTHBANK SE1 9PX 020 7452 3000 Evening at the Talk House to 30 March A reunion at the almost legendary club The Talk House. The world premiere of a new play by Wallace Shawn. Les Blancs 22 March to 4 May An unknown masterpiece of the American stage and a highly theatrical search for the soul of post-colonial Africa by Lorraine Hansberry A Raisin in the Sun. Ma Raineys Black Bottom to 18 May Inspired by the real-life Blues legend and infused with her music August Wilsons play speaks powerfully of a struggle for self-determination against overwhelming odds. The Flick 13 April to 14 May Annie Bakers extraordinary play arrives at the National Theatre direct from New York where it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Suicide 6 April to 21 May Suhayla El-Bushra takes the satiric masterpiece by Nikolai Erdman and smashes it into contemporary urban Britain. wonder.land to 30 April A new musical inspired by Lewis Carrolls iconic Alice in Wonderland that explores the boundaries between our on and offline lives. Score by Damon Albarn. SHAKESPEARES GLOBE 56 PARK STREET SE1 9AR 020 7261 9565 Pericles to 21 April Imbued with music miracle and the constant presence of the sea the spirit of fairy tale is never far from the surface of Pericles the first of Shakespeares late romances Cymbeline to 21 April Strange erotic moving and politically charged Cymbeline is perhaps the most psychologically acute of Shakespeares great late romantic quartet The Winters Tale to 22 April Keeping the human and divine in exquisite balance The Winters Tale combines the exotic and magical with the realistic psychology of the tragedies The Tempest to 22 April Brilliantly conjuring up a magic and supernatural worldThe Tempest is Shakespeares late masterpiece of forgiveness generosity and enlightenment. THE OLD VIC 103 THE CUT SE1 8NB 020 7928 2651 The Master Builder to 19 March A master architects life is turned upside down when a radiant country girl enters his life. A searing exploration of power control death and life in Henrik Ibsens late masterpiece. The Caretaker 26 March to 14 May Timothy Spall Daniel Mays and George MacKay star in Harold Pinters groundbreaking classic from 1960. Jekyll Hyde 20 May to 28 May A new dance thriller devised directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie. Inspired by Robert Louis Stevensons The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Evening at the Talk House Young Vic Jane Horrocks rehearsing If You Kiss Me Kiss Me Young Vic THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE 25 26 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 CULTURE THE YOUNG VIC 66 THE CUT SE1 8LZ 020 7922 2922 If You Kiss Me Kiss Me 10 March to 16 April Jane Horrocks performs her own gritty and soulful versions of the new wave hits she grew up with. Featuring gorgeously evocative choreography by director Aletta Collins. Blue Orange 12 May to 18 June Race ethics sanity and prejudice collide in Joe Penhalls exquisitely sharp state of the nation classic. Matthew Xia directs this timely Olivier Award-winning play. THE ROYAL COURT THEATRE SLOANE SQUARE SW1W 8AS 020 7565 5000 X 30 March to 7 May Billions of miles from home the lone research base on Pluto has lost contact with Earth. Unable to leave or send for help the skeleton crew sit waiting. Cyprus Avenue 5 April to 7 May Eric Miller is a Belfast Loyalist. He believes his five-week old granddaughter is Gerry Adams. MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY 53 SOUTHWARK STREET SE1 1RU 020 7378 1713 The Truth 10 March to 7 May Two couples. Friendship suspicion deceit... and the truth. UNICORN THEATRE 147 TOOLEY STREET SE1 2HZ 020 7645 0560 Minotaur to 2 April No one ever returns form the labyrinth. This playful clever retelling of the well known Greek myth promises to be an action- packed treat ages 8 My Father Odysseus 13 March to 10 April A brand new reinvention of the timeless Greek myth by extraordinary playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker. Teacher resources CPD workshops available. For year 7 WHITE CUBE 144 152 BERMONDSEY STREET SE1 3TQ 020 7930 5373 Sergej Jensen Moneybags to 17 April An exhibition of new work by New York based artist Sergej Jensen. DESIGN MUSEUM 28 SHAD THAMES SE1 2YD 020 7403 6933 Cycle Revolution to 30 June Cycle Revolution celebrates the diversity of cycling in Britain from every day commuting to Olympic competition and looks at where innovation may take riders of the future TATE MODERN BANKSIDE SE1 9TG 020 7887 8888 Performing for the Camera to 12 June 2016 The Eyal Ofer Galleries Level 3 Examining the relationship between photography and performance from the invention of photography in the 19th century to the selfie culture of today. Bringing together over 500 images spanning 150 years the exhibition engages with the serious business of art and performance as well as the humour and improvisation of posing for the camera. Alexander Calder Performing Sculpture to 3 April This exhibition will reveal how motion performance and theatricality underpinned the artists practice. TATE BRITAIN MILLBANK SW1P 4RG BP Walk through British Art The BP Walk through British Art unlocks 500 years of art by allowing you to wander through a chronological display of Britains greatest artists. Excellences Perfections 2015 by Amalia Ulman Performing for the Camera at the Tate Modern Maquette for Figure on Steps by Henry Moore BP Walk through British Art at Tate Britain Carnation Lily Lily Rose by John Singer Sargent BP Walk through British Art at Tate Britain Passports to educational success for the children at Southwark Free School outhwark Primary Free School is blossoming and with it so are the children. Opened in 2012 its already getting good Ofsted reports and in some areas the school is noted as outstanding. The excellent work continues and Southwark Primary is hosting a series of events to engage children and their families with activities at the school. Environment Week This annual event is geared to help children learn how to take care of the world in which they live. This year Key Stage 1 focuses on the Three Rs Reduce Reuse and Recycle while Key Stage 2 pupils explore effects of climate change. All children complete a recycling diary with their family and competitions are held for creating posters to place around the school. FamilyInternational Week Each class has a chosen country to study exploring family and school life there. Children have their own passports and spend a day visiting one anothers countries Theres lots of fun and even some lessons in African drumming. The week culminates in a family lunch afternoon where parents bring in food from their own culture and share with the whole school. Sports Week A week of taster sessions for new sports and exercise activities including Yoga and tag rugby finishing with a Sports morning where the children compete against each others houses to win the cup Medals are awarded to all for determination persistence and active participation. SOUTHWARK PRIMARY FREE SCHOOL Ledbury Hall Pencraig Way SE15 1SH t 0207 635 4256 w www.southwarkfreeschool.com Pupils enjoying International Week and weeks of fun he students at Walworth are expected to turn up to the academy as though they were attending a full time job between 825am and 435pm dressed professionally in suits but this extra call to adulthood is rewarded with intelligent engaging spaces and exciting prospects for their future. The drive and ambition for the Walworth Sixth Form achievement is unrelenting and each student is extremely ambitious to gain entry to the best university possible. With the focus on hard work and high expectations students also needed a space to have quiet social time. Walworth Academy recently opened its doors in February to a new cafe-style common room with comfortable relaxed seating areas and break out spaces. This trust and freedom invested in the students is supported by high quality teaching and support. There is never a free period and they are never without something to study. The new social space is a reward for the students Tracy Taylor Head of Sixth Form and Assistant Principal said We all saw the designs and were very excited about them but never totally believed to learnSPACE Getting the environment right for optimal learning at the Walworth Academy in south London 28 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 EDUCATION The original design plans successfully delivered Cafe-style break out spaces that the reality would be as the plans. Now the work is done and the facilities are fantastic. Ofsted are already impressed by the rapid progress the academy and students are making commenting in the most recent report on how confident and prepared the students are when they are heading to interviews. This small Sixth Form Ofsted says cares very deeply about all students and their personal needs which genuinely changes life their chances. Its no surprise then that Walworth Academy is in the top 22 in the country for value added A to B results meaning that when taking into account students GCSE performance they are making huge steps in their A and AS level results. But Walworth is not only making significant progress in the academic performance of their pupils but also in getting students ready for top universities. As well as A levels students are excelling in subjects like Engineering and IT apprenticeships. As part of the Professional Pathway co-ordinated through the Ark Group of schools Walworth have the resources and professional links to offer students fantastic work placements. Twelve students have been given the opportunity to attend an immersion study trip to Japan for ten days. The trip includes home stays visiting schools old people homes and factories. Another opportunity abroad is a chance for students to visit the USA joining up with a political party during this election year. Needless to say that the chance of securing these kinds of experiences keeps all of the students focussed and keen. Tracy Taylor added The Sixth Form philosophy is that we are what we repeatedly do not just once but over and over. As Aristotle said Excellence is habit not an act. It is clear that Walworths educational team practices what it preaches - and as a result the students are on a very successful path. WALWORTH ACADEMY Shorncliffe Road SE1 5UJ t 020 7450 9570 w www.walworthacademy.org Proud Sixth Formers and staff in the new Common Room THE RIVER SPRING 2016 EDUCATION 29 Head of 6th Form Tracy Taylor Personal study booths for every Sixth Former his year Bishop Challoner Girls School launched a campaign to provide the opportunity for girls to realise their potential by recognising their unique gifts and talents through a combination of mentoring and extra-curricular activities. The theme of the first event which is now planned to be an annual event each January was What is your dream explored aspirations through poetry dance art and song. There were also keynote speeches in the areas of law engineering IT and media from these guest speakers Dr Sue Black OBE - Founder Techmums Elisha Sempa - Employment and Skills Manager Balfour Beatty Jessica Elliot - Founder Js Dance Factory and Presenter for The Independent Newspaper Maameyaa Kwfo-Akoto - Associate Allen and Overy Law Firm GIRLSWITHGOALS Getting the best out of young people by encouraging them to dream big 30 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 EDUCATION THE KEY AIMS OF GIRLSWITHGOALS ARE adopt a healthy academic and body self-esteem have a vision for the future develop a positive mindset towards their academic studies Head of Bishop Challoner Girls School Chantelle Easmon-Johnson described the initiative Our campaign exists to remind girls of how incredibly unique they are and encourages them to identify and celebrate their individual gifts and talents. We insist that all of our girls dream big and believe that they have the ability to achieve their dreams whatever they are. We will be there to encourage support and cheer them on along the way The Bishop Challoner Catholic Federation of Schools has a long history of childrens education in Tower Hamlets stretching back to 1859. With small class sizes high standards in academic pursuit positive behaviour and good citizenship as well as strong links to the best universities and global business its no wonder that this school continues to deliver great academic results and exceptionally talented young people into the community every year. BISHOP CHALLONER GIRLS SCHOOL 352 Commercial Rd E1 0LB t 0207 791 9500 e infobishop.towerhamlets. sch.uk w. www.bishop-learningvillage. towerhamlets.sch.uk THE RIVER SPRING 2016 EDUCATION 31 Chantelle Easmon- Johnson Head of Bishop Challoner Girls School launches the first annual event girlswithgoals Dr Sue Black OBE signs copies of her book Saving Bletchley Park Year 9 at St. Saviours and St. Olaves raise 138 for Fareshare tudents of St. Saviours and St. Olaves school were given the fantastic opportunity to work with School Food Matters on a project to raise money for the charity Fareshare a food poverty organization which diverts good food destined for the bin to worthy causes. Students took part in master classes in bread and soup making at Borough Market and were also taught how to transform food waste into valuable ingredients. The students were amazed to see how they could transform vegetable peelings and leftover bits of vegetables into a delicious stock. Chef Nicole Pisani took the students on a tour of Borough Market to look at the array of different vegetables herbs and spices which gave them lots of ideas for soup recipes and decided upon a tasty spicy roasted vegetable soup recipe so good it passed the Borough Market Food Quality Panel Sales of the soup raised a whopping 138 for Fareshare equivalent to 800 meals Perhaps a recipe for success in life can be drawn from a comment made by one of the students on the day From our soup training we learned that every little ingredient adds more flavour ST. SAVIOURS ST OLAVES New Kent Rd SE1 4AN t 020 7407 1843 w www.ssso.southwark.sch.uk Mayor of Southwark Councillor Dora Dixon-Fyle commented on how delicious the soup tasted enjoying the little kick of spice at the end For free advice and ideas call 020 7403 8105 or visit www.onclouds.com oncloudsOnclouds Limited is an Digital Solutions Agency serving the business community of south London since 2009. Monthly packages are available with any combination of our services listed and include a single set up fee plus monthly payments. You can change provider at any time as long as the balance for the 12 month period is paid in full. Onclouds Limited is a registered company in England and Wales 06748127. We also provide secure ecommerce domain name registration website hosting logo design website design from 1500 local to SE1 free consultation make IT flexible winkworth.co.uk on the go... No matter where you are our properties are only a tap away. OFFICES IN LONDON THE COUNTRY AND OVERSEAS. SEE THINGS DIFFERENTLYwinkworth.co.uksurrey-quays SURREY QUAYS 020 7237 9119 surreyquayswinkworth.co.uk A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON BUYING RENTING AND SELLING HOMES. ENTERPRIZE WAY SE8 - 775000 SHARE OF FREEHOLD Winkworth are pleased to offer this exceptionally spacious thoughtfully designed terraced townhouse with living quarters on the top floor in this well kept development. Enterprize Way is situated adjacent to the River Thames less than five minutes walk to river boat services from Greenland Pier to Canary Wharf the City and the West End. Transport and shopping facilities at Canada Water and Surrey Quays Jubilee and East London lines are reached via a pleasant dockside walk or a very short bus journey. Hallway Three double bedrooms Spacious reception - dining room - quality fitted kitchen Two shower rooms En-suite marble tiled bathroom Two balconies River Thames view GCH Wooden flooring Fitted carpets Two off-street parking spaces DOCKMASTERS QUAY ROPE ST SE16 - 625 PW FURNISHED A spacious four storey terraced townhouse situated in this exclusive development adjacent to the River Thames. Dockmasters Quay is positioned next to the Docklands Shuttle Boat service providing pleasant river transport to Canary Wharf and BlackfiriarsCharing Cross and is approximately fifteen minutes walk from Surrey Quays Shopping Centre overground station and Canada Water Jubilee line station giving easy access to both Canary Wharf and the West End. Three large double bedrooms l Receptiondining Room l Fitted kitchen l Two bathrooms one ensuite l Large terrace l Balcony l Entry phone l Dock views Fitted carpets l Laminate wood flooring l GCH BRUNSWICK QUAY SE16 - 750000 FREEHOLD A terraced four storey town house adjacent to Greenland Dock in this sought after location. Brunswick Quay is situated within short walking distance of Surrey Quays shopping centre overground station and Canada Water Jubilee line station leading from Stratford to Green Park Bond Street giving easy access to both Canary Wharf and the West End. It is also close to the leisure complex. The property would benefit from general modernisation and upgrading. Lobby FourFive Double Bedrooms Reception KitchenBreakfast Room Guest Cloakroom Main Shower Room GCH Paved Rear Garden Space to Drive. HARWOOD POINT ROTHERHITHE ST SE16 - 1850 PCM FURNISHED An excellent opportunity to rent this light spacious second floor apartment finished to a high specification in this impressive waterside development with stunning views of the Thames. Situated close to the Docklands Shuttle Boat service providing river transport to Canary Wharf and BlackfriarsCharing Cross and is fifteen minutes walk to Canada Water Jubilee line station leading from Stratford to Green ParkBond Street giving easy access to Canary Wharf and the West End. Hallway Two double bedrooms master with en-suite shower Large reception with stunning Thames view to Greenwich Quality fitted kitchen Luxury main bathroom suite Covered balcony Laminate wood flooring GCH Access to River Thames walkway Secure underground parking here are very few places in London that you can enjoy the peace and tranquility of sitting beside a canal with a background of green open spaces while still being minutes away from the City. Probably one of the last quarters of London to offer this combination of nature proximity to business districts culture and homes at realistic prices is Canada Water just south of Rotherhithe. South Dock Marina and Greenland Dock were established in 1698 as a re-fitting base for ships but now the docks have been creatively converted into leisure centres shopping arcades restaurants and the area is definitely on the rise. Winkworth Canada Water opened in 1994 and has been bringing vendors buyers landlords and tenants together since then. The office is located in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre equidistant from Canada Water Jubilee line station and Surrey Quays East London line station. There is the feel of a prosperous suburb with its quiet cul-de-sacs modern semis luxury apartment blocks and old Rotherhithe property made up of ex-miners cottages and ex-British Gas Mansion style blocks. A far cry from its humble beginnings in the 18th century as the hub of the timber trade. WINKWORTH First Floor Surrey Quays Shopping Centre Redriff Road SE16 7LL t 020 7237 9119 e surreyquayswinkworth. co.uk w www.winkworth.co.uk estate-agentssurrey-quays a prosperous suburb with its quiet cul-de-sacs modern semis luxury apartment blocks and old Rotherhithe property 36 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 PROPERTY Canal boats and the city water CANADA The continued gentrification of London districts heads south- eastwards by George Swinton The Mayflower the oldest pub on the ThamesCanals of Rotherhithe Garrett Whitelock London Bridges most effective independent estate agency 164 Tower Bridge Road London SE1 3FG 020 7407 4586 infogarrettwhitelock.co.uk www.garrettwhitelock.co.uk Market Mews SE1 950000 Leasehold An exquisite two double bedroom two bathroom penthouse with roof terrace on Bermondsey Street. Bermondsey Street SE1 600 per week fees Split level period two bedroom two bathroom conversion available to rent immediately on Bermondsey Street. Providence Square SE1 1200000 Leasehold 1000 sq ft two double bedroom two bathroom river view apartment located in fashionable Shad Thames. The Pumphouse SE16 600 per week fees An exemplary two double bedroom split level warehouse conversion located a stones throw from Canada Water. Great Suffolk Street SE1 349995 Leasehold A superb studio apartment centrally located and moments from South Bank. Ideal buy to let investment. The Exchange SE16 900 per week fees Five double bedroom multi storey house with garden benefitting from a very high specification throughout. Hazel Way SE1 625000 Freehold Fantastic opportunity to purchase a three bedroom freehold house with garden in the heart of Bermondsey. Bermondsey Square SE1 650 per week fees A beautiful two bedroom two bathroom balcony apartment with stunning westerly views over London. Bermondsey Street SE1 1050000 Leasehold A high specification three bedroom penthouse apartment located in an extremely sought after development. Lumia Lofts SE1 395 per week fees A stunning one double bedroom warehouse apartment with copious amounts of original features. Export House SE1 714995 Leasehold Chain free centrally located three double bedroom two bathroom apartment situated on Tower Bridge Road. Empire Square SE1 630 per week fees Exclusive two double bedroom apartment located in a central development with 24 hour concierge. Sales Lettings 2 3 1 2 3 3 2 1 5 2 2 2 38 THE RIVER SPRING 2016 PROPERTY A walk along an historic and diverse thoroughfare in East London by Chinenye Uzoho a student at Bishop Challoner Girls School THE RIVER SPRING 2016 PROPERTY 39 rick Lane has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. My dad used to take me to there every Saturday where he would catch up with his friends who owned clothes shops and food stalls. Standing beside him trying to pay as much attention as I could the scent from food stalls would drift into my nostrils forcing me to tug on my dads leg and lean towards the direction of the smell. In the heart of the East End Brick Lane is easy to get to from central London. The nearest tube is Aldgate East on the Hammersmith and City line. Liverpool Street station is the nearest train station with National Rail services and Shoreditch High Street Overground station is also just a short walk away. Brick Lane runs for about mile from Bethnal Green through Spitalfields and down towards Whitechapel and you get the full experience when both feet are on the street and walking the steps of thousands. One of the most famous tourist attractions in the East of London Brick Lane is bursting with culture food fashion and art. People flood the busy street looking for great food clothing and to see the spectacular graffiti work on the street walls. The street was originally called Whitechapel Lane and is thought to be have been renamed after the bricks and tiles made from the local earth by manufacturers who set up shop in the street back in the 15th century. Two hundred years later as if anticipating the bars and clubs that would follow in the future brewing came to Brick Lane notably the Black Eagle Brewery founded by the Truman family in 1666. However aside from the drink the 17th century brought with it a farmers market which continues to this day and successive waves of immigrants. The Brick Lane Market first emerged in the 17th century for the sale of fruit and vegetables just outside the City and at much the same time the French Huguenots escaping the Revolution arrived with a sizeable population in Whitechapel and nearby Spitalfields. The East End has always been a haven for immigrants looking for a better life and as London neared the 20th century Jewish and Irish settlers moved in. One of the oldest shops in Brick Lane is PRK Blackmans Boots and Shoes. Started in 1935 by a Jewish man called Phil Blackman they became the first shop in London to sell Dr Martins Boots and it is said that they decided to start a shoe shop in Brick Lane simply because of the growing popularity of the street and a lot of people means a lot of feet Today Brick Lane has a diverse Sunday market and in 2012 was named Curry Capital with over 50 curry restaurants becoming known by many as Banglatown because of the number of Bangladeshi restaurants. One of the best vintage places in Brick Lane is the Vintage Market shop just after the walk through the curry houses. The underground vintage store has everything from cropped jersey tops to fleeced denim jackets. Shopping in the Lane with its variety and range of vintage stores and market stalls ensures that you can create your own style at the best prices and at the same time experience something of the old East End and its market traders. Every time I visit I see or hear something new which I suppose is why I just keep going back whether its for the shopping the food or watch a film at the indie movie theatre Electric Cinema or just to hang out at the bowling alley. Its an extraordinary enriching place. Every side-street contains something of interest but make sure you have good walking shoes on as youre likely to really use them. THE RIVER SPRING 2016 PROPERTY 41 Selling a home is probably one of the most significant transactions youll ever undertake and letting your property can be equally stressful so how do you go about picking an estate agent you can trust by Ben Garrett Historically estate agents havent enjoyed the finest of reputations but in recent years thanks to codes of practice introduced by industry bodies such as the NAEA and ARLA for their members along with increased competition and online reviews agents have been forced to up their game. Visiting the NAEA or ARLA websites and checking out review websites are therefore both good places to start looking for an agent in your area. Personal recommendations are also invaluable. Ask around locally among people who have sold or rented recently to find out how a particular agent has performed. If you dont know anyone to ask once youve shortlisted a few agents approach them for references. A good agent should have a long list of satisfied customers only too happy to vouch for them. Choosing a local agent is crucial as theyre likely to have a list of waiting buyers and tenants along with in-depth knowledge of the area and the prices that are achievable in the current market. Dont forget to check out their track record to ensure they have achieved lots of recent sales and rentals. These days most people start their property searches online so its also vital to choose an agent that utilises all the main property portals and boosts their online presence by taking premium property listings and extra advertising. Also look out for agents that use a professional photographer which is essential for showing off your property in the best possible light. Finally nothing beats meeting an estate agent face-to- face. You will instantly know if you can trust them and most importantly dont fall into the trap of being wooed by the agent offering you the highest valuation. Instead look for concrete evidence to prove they can achieve their valuation. Remember an agent without good local area knowledge and concrete comparables is likely to be chancing their arm. GARRETT WHITELOCK 164 Tower Bridge Road SE1 3FG t 020 7407 4586 e infogarrettwhitelock.co.uk w www.garrettwhitelock.co.uk