Katie Allen

Freelance journalist and web editor

[dulwichdiverter]

Blue sky thinking

A pop-up department store selling top quality ethical products is coming to Dulwich Village in October

By Katie Allen

Photo © Lima Charlie

Jane Langley wants to change the way you shop.

The Dulwich-based artist and teacher turned retail entrepreneur founded and runs Blue Patch, the online marketplace for British-made top quality and sustainable products. It is hosting its first ever pop-up department store on October 1.

“I wanted to do something local,” Jane tells me when we meet. “It’s really important to remind people that you can buy from independent businesses. October is a great time to start Christmas shopping too.”

The department store will pop up from 10am-6pm at St Barnabas Parish Hall in Dulwich Village. There will be 100 stalls to browse and all 250 members of the Blue Patch retailers’ collective will be showcased.

The carefully curated range of businesses will be selling everything from handmade rugs and organic beauty products to artisan chocolates, alpaca jumpers and Beepalace’s stylish homes for bees.

Everything Blue Patch endorses is the very best from British designers and manufacturers. Exclusives will include the launch of local tailor Mr Dulwich’s first range of womenswear, and new furniture from Katie Walker, who made Prince George’s high chair.

Other stalls will sell couture upcycled bags from Camberwell’s Kamera Obscura, handwoven “pear pod” hanging seats by  Ellen Mulcrone and Kreisdesign’s contemporary pegboards made from sustainable birch plywood.

The day will also feature a cookery demonstration from restaurateur Tim Sheehan of Lordship Lane restaurant Franklins, with a kitchen display unit created by local cabinetmaker and design studio Ian Dunn.

Beauty fans will be able to indulge in a little TLC with British-made products; while those interested in planet-friendly power will have the chance to chat to eco-energy companies and witness a cutting-edge Tesla renewable power wall brought along by Joju Solar.

The event will also focus on indie business. Blue Patch recently announced the winners of their first ever Blue Patch New Business Awards, and the winners will be showcased at the store.

First prize went to East London-based social enterprise The Soap Co, which makes ethical luxury products for the bathroom and employs people who are blind, disabled or disadvantaged.  

In the afternoon, local MP Helen Hayes will host a discussion about the state of the British high street, and there will be a business hub for people who want to set up a business or are already running one.

Visitors will have the chance to sit back with experts over coffee and cake (or glass of English wine) to discuss the pros and cons of running an independent business. “It’s stuff you would never see in a department store in town,” enthuses Jane.

“Everything’s unique, a great price and straight from the people who made it. These are people who really care about the supply chain, who are proud of what they do, and want you as a customer to have something you really value.”

Jane has strong roots in south-east London. “Something like 12 generations of my family have lived around here, in Peckham, Camberwell, Brixton. My grandfather was a postman on Walworth Road.”

She studied at Camberwell College of Arts and the Royal College of Art and then began “teaching, exhibiting and curating”, putting on her own shows and forming artists’ collective The Pattern Lab to break down the barriers between fine art and craft.

It was all experience that would prove invaluable for starting Blue Patch. “I learned about being an event manager, promotions, deadlines, diplomacy, pitching – it was a good learning curve.”

The seeds of the business were sown in 2009 when she attended a talk about the threat of climate change. “I had always been really interested in nature and very concerned about it – the pollution and corruption,” she says.

“By the time I came to the end of that lecture I knew I had to use my creative thinking to do something radical. Our economy is locked into what’s happening to destroy the environment. I wanted to change the business model.”

She laughs that she is “the last person to do anything like this”, but Blue Patch, which launched in 2014, is the result of years of careful research and planning with economists, environmentalists and shoppers.

“We have looked at every aspect of why people aren’t turned on by climate change,” Jane says. “People aren’t engaging, they don’t understand it. But what people do like is shopping.”

The result was Blue Patch, which she named after the moment of hope sparked by looking out the window on a grey summer’s morning and seeing a patch of blue in the sky. “It felt so deeply happy amid all the gloom, it symbolised hope. I bought the URL straight away.”

Blue Patch works as a “colourful catalogue” of British-made products and services dedicated to sustainability. The website showcases products ranging from willow garden furniture to silk underwear, directing shoppers to the businesses’ websites.

Run as a collective, it’s also a hub for member businesses to connect, share resources and collaborate. It is funded by modest annual members’ fees and profits are directed back to Blue Patch members and invested in community projects and renewable energy companies.

“We’re up against big platforms like Not On The High Street and Etsy,” Jane admits. “And we recognise that there is no way we can compete [on that level] – but the heart and soul and emotion of the consumer will win in the end. We are in a very strong position.”

Talking to her members is what inspired her to try the pop-up department store idea. “Through all our research, we know that what our shoppers want is to see, touch and feel our products. Plus we’re always talking to our members and really want to meet them.”

Jane has big dreams for the pop-up department store, and if the event is a success she would love to expand it next year so members can stay over in local homes and turn it into a weekend event.

As for Blue Patch, she wants to scale up members to 3,000 and to “go out on the road and meet businesses in their home towns”. She would also love to host a “department store of the British Isles” themed by country.

“If we can scale Blue Patch and make it big, the profit will go towards community projects and helping people,” she says. “We want to prove that you can make a business that is resilient, looking after your community and the environment.”

bluepatch.org

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Stitching a future

East Dulwich resident Lara Sengupta explains how her ethical yoga business is helping victims of sex trafficking in Kolkata

By Katie Allen

Photo by Alexander McBride Wilson

Like many people, Lara Sengupta found yoga helped her after a stressful time in her life. But in her case, her love of the practice sparked a business idea that is already changing women’s lives.

The 25-year-old entrepreneur started CorkYogis from her East Dulwich bedroom six months ago. The social enterprise sells traditional yoga bags, handmade by women in India from upcycled saris, as well as sustainably made yoga mats.

“Most yoga companies are run by men, which is odd because it’s an activity dominated by women,” says Lara. “CorkYogis is run by women for women. I want to be ethical at every stage of the business.”

The idea was sparked by a trip to India after her nan died. Lara, who is half Indian on her father’s side, had to help him work out what to do with her grandmother’s hoard of more than 1,000 saris.

“She wouldn’t buy them for herself – she would buy them to give away. She would go to India shopping once a year – once she bought me seven wedding saris and I wasn’t even getting married,” she laughs.  

“Nan moved over [to the UK] from India with granddad when they were in their late 20s. She didn’t learn to read until she was 13 but she went on to become a doctor and opened her own practice here.”

While in India, Lara investigated various charities she thought might want the saris, and was put in touch with the Destiny Foundation by an old friend of her grandmother’s in her hometown of Kolkata.

Founded in 2007, Destiny rescues girls and women from prostitution and sex slavery. It offers them food, accommodation, counselling and other healing services, and teaches them skills to help them find alternative employment.

“After arms and drugs trafficking the third most profitable [crime] in the world is human trafficking,” says Lara. “Traffickers target poor areas where people are more likely to sell their daughters. They naively believe that their daughters are going to work.”

The women at Destiny are mostly aged between 14 and 20, although some are in their 30s. “They are often trapped in prostitution, with no skills – no one will employ them,” Lara says. “But Destiny becomes like their family.”

When Lara visited the charity, she saw the women were making and selling traditional yoga bags from donated saris. They were grateful for Lara’s grandmother’s saris, but she wanted to do more.

When they mentioned they were looking for a partner to help them sell more bags, Lara had a lightbulb moment. “I’ve always thought about starting my own business and I love yoga, I love the charity, and I love social enterprise,” she says. “It all came together.”

The women at Destiny are employed by CorkYogis to make the yoga bags and raise funds for the charity. The sale of one yoga bag pays a woman’s wages for a week; while for every yoga mat sold, one woman learns a skill such as literacy, numeracy or sewing.  

It is of course essential that the business is strong financially, so Lara also sells her own-design extra-grip yoga mats made from sustainable cork. “I wanted a product that was something to do with yoga. The environmental angle was also important to me,” she says.

She lived in Canada for two years after graduating and was inspired by surfers there who use cork on their paddleboards for extra grip. She tried various places until she found sustainable suppliers in Portugal and Spain, while the mats are made in an ethical factory in Hong Kong.

Now her plan is to find a factory that employs vulnerable women. “CorkYogis and Destiny can provide jobs and courses,” she says. “I want to provide a network of hope. I want to set up a programme where experts – counsellors, healers – volunteer at Destiny once a year.”

Despite claiming not to be a “business person” (“I only joined Twitter eight months ago”), Lara built CorkYogis up herself with the help of a Virgin start-up business loan and mentor.

She currently works for an environmental charity based on Old Street and moved to East Dulwich 18 months ago. “I live on a lovely estate in a flat with my friend. My parents met in East Dulwich, they love this area. They lived here when it was really rough.”  

She has big dreams for CorkYogis. “I want to spread through London and north America and India,” she says. “I’d love to help more women’s charities. My core values are to connect people and to change lives through yoga.”

…………………

corkyogis.com

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Read all about it

Alastair Kenward tells us about the colourful career path that led him to open his buzzing bookshop Rye Books on Upland Road

By Katie Allen; Photos by Lima Charlie

A charming photobook of cheerful women perching on branches would make an unlikely Amazon bestseller – which might be why Women in Trees, edited by German photography collector Jochen Raiss, has been one of Rye Books’ recent, heartwarming hits.

“It is a great thing to be able to introduce people to books they might not think of. You’re not getting fed an algorithm, it’s a random choice,” says owner Alastair Kenward, who cites Alistair Gibbs’ photos of esoteric Peckham signage as another popular buy.

Bitten by Witch Fever, about  the Victorians’ toxic love of arsenic-dyed wallpaper – as well as the spoof Ladybird books which you probably received in your Christmas stocking – have also been sought-after by customers.

“Rye Books doesn’t have a top 50,” says Alastair. “We’re probably very different to the rest of the country. We stock a little bit of everything. It’s the more unique books that we tend to gravitate towards. We try to be very diverse.”

Based on Upland Road and perfectly placed for wanderers from Peckham Rye Park to East Dulwich – as well as bibliophiles venturing up from North Cross Road market – Rye Books recently celebrated its fifth birthday as one of the area’s best-loved bookshops. They marked the occasion with a party that included mulled cider and performances from local folkies The Relatives and the Nunhead Folk Circle.

Alastair opened the shop in 2011 just in time for Christmas. He and his wife Hatty had moved to Nunhead in 2009 and immediately began looking for a good site for the shop. He remembers: “Of all the empty shops, this one had the most soul. Even the mice had soul.”

The site was formerly a run-down old junk shop, where previous star stock included a rather covetable-sounding mint-green 1960s Pakistani washing machine. But it was situated on a street that had once been lively with shops including a haberdashery, a toy shop and a baker.

“We were like, ‘Let’s save this one,’” Alastair says. He admits that the route between Nunhead and East Dulwich was “a risk in terms of footfall, but we thought, ‘Let’s take that risk,’ and luckily it worked out.”

Alastair has worked in bookselling for 12 years, which has included stints as a partner at Clapham Books and Herne Hill Books. But running a bookshop is the culmination of a colourful career path that has seen him work – in no particular order – as a teacher, in a pub, in a tropical fish warehouse and briefly at Sainsbury’s.

He also worked for the RSPCA, where he remembers helping a cormorant escape from the toilets of a primary school and rescuing a family from a monitor lizard which had grown too big and was dominating their bedroom. “They were opening the door and throwing food in – they were terrified of it!”

He also spent three years as a gravedigger at Morden Cemetery. “All those jobs – they help to push you towards a passion,” he says. “You tend to gravitate towards what thrills you.”

Alastair’s love of books comes across strongly the moment you step through the door of Rye Books, which is cosy yet packed with shelves and tables displaying the sort of intriguingly chosen titles that ask to be picked up for a gander.

The tempting selection of stock almost guarantees that anyone dashing in for a birthday card or a gift will probably leave with something for themselves too.

Their most recent catalogue handpicked a variety of titles, including Artemis Cooper’s biography of Elizabeth Jane Howard, Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke’s poetry collection The Map and the Clock and the rather less highbrow Pornburger, for lovers of the ultimate fast food.

A recent unusual favourite has been London in Fragments: A Mudlark’s Treasures by Ted Sandling. London and locally themed titles always do well, Alastair reveals, but this book particularly excited him because of its sideways look at the city.

Sandling recently came in to host a popular event at the shop, revealing secrets about the items he had found while digging around in the mud of the Thames. They included an original RAF button, which contained a compass in case a marooned pilot needed to find his way back home.

Why did Alastair want to open a bookshop? “We wanted to raise books up, to make them something special again,” he says. “The internet has devalued many things, like vinyl, journalism and books. It has changed them for everyone, it devalues things for everyone.

“The internet can be a hollow experience: you order something online and you get it. There is a general trend towards wanting experience – a chance to meet authors, a nice place to buy a book. We want to inspire thinking and creativity and books are a perfect way to do that.”

The shop is known for working with community groups and schools as well as running a packed series of events. In the past year they’ve had Bridget Hargreave discussing her book about postnatal depression Fine (Not Fine) with Dr Helena Belgrave.

They’ve also welcomed Hester Vaizey, author of Born in the GDR, and Jon Magidsohn discussing his memoir Immortal Highway, about going on the road with his baby son after the death of his wife.

There’s also a programme of one-off events and regular classes for children, such as author readings, story time and baby bop. Local parents will know the diverse spread of children’s books too, from classics to contemporary favourites like Jon Klassen to more unusual picture and pop-up books. “There’s so much out there that lies undiscovered and that should be celebrated. We want to showcase books that don’t normally get seen,” says Alastair.

He cites bookshop favourite Coralie Bickford-Smith, whose award-winning illustrated book The Fox and the Star took over the bookshop window as a beautiful paper forest.

Of course few modern bookshops exist without selling an array of other products. Rye Books stocks wrapping paper and cards, some illustrated by local talent, book-related knick-knacks and tea, coffee from local social enterprise Old Spike Roastery, and cakes.

“Another passion of mine is eating,” admits Alastair, who for the past two years has also been selling colourful little Prakti stoves from the shop. Designed to help women in the developing world – because they funnel smoke out of a dwelling – and to run economically, they are ideal for campers and those who like to feast outdoors. “I love being outside and cooking – it’s a marriage of that.”

Speaking of keeping cosy, one of Alastair’s plans for 2017 is to install a wood burner in the shop. His second plan will please dog lovers, especially those who were fond of Kenward family dog Bert, who has sadly passed away.

The family recently acquired George, a six-week-old Lab-cross puppy. “If he’s anything like Bert, he’ll enjoy chewing all the stock,” Alastair laughs. “I’ve missed having a bookshop dog.”

He’s planning to continue hosting events for his customers, although nothing is in the diary as yet. “At the beginning of the year I have no idea what we are going to have,” he says. “The thrill of it is that people organically come along. It always amazes me – we get to the end of the year and somehow we’ve done it.”

He is positive about the future of the bookselling industry, which has been rocked by the closures of bookshops large and small due to the threat of Amazon and online shopping as well as rising rents and the lure of e-books.

“More bookshops have opened than in previous years, that’s an encouraging sign,” he says. “People have seen a balance in favour of printed books and sales are coming back. People don’t want to look at screens all the time, and books are a comfort.”

He points to the popularity of titles such as Elena Ferrante’s blockbuster Neapolitan series, which is essentially about the friendship between two women over the years. “There is a trend towards escapist books because of the horrible place we’re in [politically].

“A book is a place for people to lose themselves – they will serve an even greater role in helping people get though the times we are living in. That’s what I have always loved about books – they can transport you and enrich your life.

“There’s nothing wrong with books that give you a hug – you don’t always have to read literary books. Whatever you are feeling, there will be a book to fit it. In the shop, we’ve listened as hard as we can to the people coming in here. They have shaped how it looks and what we sell.”

He discusses Rye Books’ mixed clientele, which includes parents and children in particular during the week and “everyone else” at the weekend. Then there are the customers who buy from the bookshop’s striped van, which turns up everywhere from North Cross Road market on Saturdays to book fairs across London.  

With almost stage-managed timing, while we are chatting a woman passing knocks on the door and pokes her head in to thank Alastair for a recent event she enjoyed. Other passersby wave and smile.

“The best thing about running the shop is the friends we have made,” Alastair says. “The community, the sense of trust. I’m pleased we’ve managed to do five years – we couldn’t have done it without all the people who live around here and for that we’re grateful.

“No day is ever the same, and that’s down to the people really. That’s why we keep on doing it – every day is different because of the customers. We’ve had a good year and we hope to have another one.”

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Spreading hope

Dulwich mum Imogen Paton explains how her “charity art car” is helping victims of domestic abuse  

By Katie Allen; Photo by Lima Charlie

Imogen Paton’s 1968 Chevrolet Impala is no ordinary set of wheels. Covered in drawings, doodles and hand-painted messages of hope and strength, it has intrigued crowds from farmers’ markets to festivals across the UK. 

But the other unique thing about this car is that it still bears the crumpled fender and dented doors from the time Imogen’s abusive ex-partner crashed it. And now she is using it as the UK’s first “charity art car” to raise money and awareness for Solace Women’s Aid.

“The fact that it’s smashed, it’s a wonderful analogy for how life can be when things get really bad,” she explains. “The idea is to collectively take something broken and battered and make it beautiful again, making it a visual symbol of hope, that there is life after abuse.

Imogen was a single mother of two when she first met her ex-partner. She was an artist with a university degree, but she was depressed and didn’t know how to get back into work. Then she met her ex-partner and “he offered to help me”, she remembers.

“Nobody is stupid enough to shack up with someone who beats them up and treats them badly – it wasn’t like that to begin with. It was gradual, it was very manipulative, planned out.”

She describes the abuse as mental and financial as well as physical. He persuaded her to sell her flat, and to invest in businesses, including classic American muscle cars, which they planned to rent out.

Then she became pregnant, and he became increasingly violent. One day – unknown to her – he took the car, crashed it and left it by the side of the road. Things came to a head when he hit her while she was holding their newborn baby – she said she was going to leave and he threatened to kill her.

That’s when Imogen finally texted someone for help, and eventually escaped. She ran away – her other two children were fortunately being looked after by her mother – and went to the police.

“They didn’t not believe me… [but] they seemed a little mocking, they didn’t really take it that seriously,” she says. The case took 18 months to get to court, and her ex eventually received a suspended sentence for threats to kill.

“The project has served to louden my voice and that of other victims,” Imogen says. “It offers me protection. If he were to do anything to me [now] it would be all over the news, people would talk about me… my life wouldn’t be a statistic as it is for the two other women who die every week [at the hands of a partner or ex-partner]. That was nearly me, I was nearly just another number.”

Imogen is passionate about helping Solace, the charity for women and children affected by domestic and sexual violence, which also helped her. As well as providing refuges, Solace offers survivors practical support – such as changing locks – as well as comfort, counselling and advice. They also train social workers, police officers and other professionals.

“Without Solace, I would probably be in a very, very different place,” Imogen says. “They provided me with understanding in a way that friends and family who want to understand but can’t always do so could not. It made me realise that what I went through was normal and happens to so many women.”

The Bad Karma Impala project emerged from Imogen’s artistic background – she first raised money for the charity by hosting art auctions. The first showcased her own art – produced before, during and after the relationship, to show how her ex-partner “infiltrated” her art, even drawing on her work although he had no artistic training himself. The second sold donated artworks by other artists. But she wanted an even bigger audience.

She realised that the smashed-up car, which she had exhibited during the first auction, was “what draws the attention”. Her original plan was to draw on the car’s notoriety – it had become the subject of a worldwide media mystery when police found the abandoned car and were not able to trace the owner from its American number plates. But she eventually realised that it was her own story that was important.

In summer 2016 she turned the Impala into the UK’s “first charity art car” – taking it on a trailer (as it is no longer driveable) to events. Imogen and her volunteers chat to curious visitors, who are able to make a donation and draw or write on the vehicle.

Messages vary from “Thanks for helping make sure this doesn’t happen to others. You’re very brave”, to “Rob Titchener sucks”, in reference to the abusive husband character in BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers.

She is adamant that domestic abuse affects everyone – all ages, genders, races, sexes, classes and communities – and that the project works as outreach for those affected directly or indirectly, many of whom are not able to speak out, not aware of abuse going on or not aware of the support available.

“When I was in an abusive situation, I showed the world that I had never been happier – all the people we see who seem so happy on the outside, who knows what they are going through. The great thing about this car is that it gets to those people as well.

“If I was standing there with a banner saying: ‘I’m taking about domestic abuse’, nobody would come and talk to me. But with the car people are intrigued. That’s the beauty of it – it allows me to tap into a whole audience of people who I would never normally be able to reach.”

Her original plan was to raise money, through events and crowdfunding, to renovate the car and then rent it out for weddings, premieres, filming and other events as a long-term source of funding for Solace.

She has since realised that it would be far too expensive to renovate, and is keeping it as an interactive art project. She has instead bought another car from an owner in the US, and will rent that one out instead. It is already functional, so she is looking for donations, business sponsorship and local artists and artisans to help her turn it into an even more unique, luxury vehicle.

On the day we speak, MPs are voting to back a bill to improve domestic violence support services and provision in the UK – despite the best efforts of anti-feminist filibustering MP Philip Davies.

Imogen has a message for politicians: “Domestic abuse is the crime with the highest rate of repeat. It affects everybody, indirectly if not directly. Surely it shouldn’t be at the top of the list of things to cut.”

She cites the effect the current government cuts have had, with refuges closing and Solace – which is mostly government-funded – seeing its own work limited. “At the same time, I always try to look at the positive – as much as they are making a lot of cuts, the law is slowly changing to recognise domestic abuse.

“If I had gone to court several years ago, I probably would not have got the outcome I got. That is a huge factor, because domestic abuse is built on fear. If you have a fear, on top of all your other fears, that when you do go to the police you are going to be mocked, or if you do go to court, he’s going to be let off and he’s going to come and get you again, nobody is going to do anything. I think the law taking it seriously is the number one thing. Because then at least you have somewhere to go, you have some form of protection; even if you haven’t got a refuge, you’ve got rights.”

Imogen has big plans for the future. She is in the process of setting up as a community interest company, and intends to continue taking the Impala to ever more events and festivals, including schools.

She is trying to get funding to host workshops about domestic abuse in Camberwell and Dulwich Village. She is also planning a range of posters featuring celebrities posing with the car and already has one big name lined up – with dreams of attracting singer Grace Jones to take part.

“It has flabbergasted me how kind people are and how willing they are to get involved,” she says. “I feel very lucky, very privileged to be doing this. As well as healing other people, I’ve gained so much from this project. I’m so lucky to be alive, so lucky to be happier than I was before. It makes me feel that what I went through was worthwhile, it wasn’t a waste.”

…………………………..

To find out more and donate go to badkarmaimplala.com or gofundme.com/badkarmaimpala

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People power

A local timebank encourages locals to swap skills with each other, from learning a language to gardening. We find out more

Words: Katie Allen; Photo © Lima Charlie 

It’s accepted wisdom that volunteering is a good thing – not only for the organisation or charity, but for the person giving up their time, whether they find friendships, new skills or just a warm and fuzzy feeling.

One Dulwich-based charity called Paxton Green Time Bank (PGTB) has taken that idea and run with it. Volunteers give an hour of their time and expertise in anything from language skills to painting a kitchen, and receive an hour back in anything they need or want to learn.

Unlike a traditional bank, instead of withdrawing and depositing piles of cash, it is help and skills that are of value. One hour equals one time credit, and everyone’s time is valued equally.

PGTB is based on the Kingswood Estate and began in 2008 with some funding from the NHS. It started as part of the health centre, when two GPs realised that many of their patients were visiting as much for the social interaction as for medicine.  

They were also aware of many other local people who might benefit from the scheme, such as newcomers to the area who felt socially isolated, or retired folk with skills to share and time on their hands.

PGTB trustee Joseph Boateng has lived on the estate for 34 years. He joined KETRA (Kingswood Estate Tenants and Residents’ Association) when he was 18 and has been involved in the timebank since the beginning.

A passionate believer in empowering communities by bringing people together, the new dad says: “Before I was feeling like a father of the estate, because I’ve been doing a lot of projects for the community.

“There’s about 22 different organisations on the estate and they weren’t communicating. I set up the Kingswood Network so everyone could introduce themselves and swap numbers and email addresses.

“The timebank is about helping each other, building confidence and growing friendships. People walk past each other on the street and they don’t even smile, and before the timebank there were loads of neighbours who didn’t know each other.

“The timebank gives people a chance to share with others and try new things. It’s also about making life easier for everyone. For example I could do my next door neighbour’s garden and they could babysit.”

PGTB is open to anyone who lives or works in Southwark and Lambeth. A trained “broker” works out what new members’ skills are but also what they need, from learning a language to help with an unruly garden. A database of members then helps the team match people up.

“Sometimes it takes a while to get people to think in an asset-based way,” says PGTB development manager Alison Paule. “They say, ‘I can’t do anything, I haven’t got any skills.’ That can be a challenge. However, once they do take the leap, the impact can be astonishing.”

Alison tells the story of one new member, an elderly lady, who came along to a drop-in session held at the GP surgery. She had cooking and gardening skills to offer, and in return hoped to have her living room painted.

At the same session, a young man heard her story and offered to paint her room for her. She was nervous about allowing a complete stranger into her home, but a PGTB broker offered to accompany him and a neighbour said they would pop in too.

In the end, the member cooked for the young man and the neighbour, and another member helped her in the garden in return for learning how to plant vegetables. Now the lady gets out of the house more, knows her neighbours better and feels valued as a member of the scheme.

Timebanking is “different to normal, traditional volunteering”, says Alison. “It’s not that regular, it can be a one-off, although most people stay and we have core members. It’s more ad hoc – it depends on what’s happening in people’s lives, they can dip in and out.

“Timebanking engages people who don’t normally volunteer. I think it’s the reciprocal nature of it and also the equality thing – it’s an hour of everybody’s time, regardless of where they come from or what skills or background they have.”

This friendliness and positivity is important at a time when the news often seems to focus on the disintegration of society. “It’s not a direct impact, but in a climate of cuts and Brexit, anxiety levels generally are higher,” says Alison.

“People feel what’s going on in wider society, but volunteering [with the timebank] creates a safe space – you’re not worrying about the wider world. Instead it allows you to focus on what you can do.”

PGTB, now an independent charity, relies on some funding from Southwark Council and grant-giving bodies, as well as fundraising for particular projects. Sometimes they link up with other organisations on a co-production principle.

The team have big dreams. “We hope we’re still here in another 10 years!” laughs Alison. “We want to continue growing across Southwark and Lambeth, to create more hubs and to work with like-minded organisations and people.”

Locally, they are hoping to run more member-led activities. For example, one member started a peace garden in Crystal Palace Park known as the Anerley Community Heritage Education Garden, and the team are hoping to find more funding and volunteers for the project.

There are now several hundred members on the books, and they are always looking for more people to get involved. “The other good thing about timebanking is that you don’t have to pay a penny,” says Joseph. “It’s not about money, it’s about love.”

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Find out more at pgtimebank.org

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Grounds for success

A new company that turns coffee grounds into ethical exfoliating products has launched in Dulwich. We find out more

Words by Katie Allen; Photo by Lima Charlie 

Many of us require a coffee or two to kickstart us in the mornings, but one local brand is helping energise early risers (and hungover laggards) from the moment they step in the shower.

Optiat – which stands for One Person’s Trash Is Another’s Treasure – is a new beauty business based in Dulwich. It’s inspired by a rather invigorating ingredient: all of its scrubs are made using the leftover coffee grounds from London cafés.

The business was set up by local boy William Brightman, a coffee fiend who began to wonder what was happening to all the freshly brewed coffee grounds he threw away each day. He did a little research and discovered some dismaying facts.

Contrary to popular perception, coffee doesn’t simply biodegrade. In fact, coffee grounds are highly polluting – they decompose to produce methane, a gas with more than 20 times the global warming capacity of carbon dioxide.

With the UK alone currently knocking back more than 55 million cups of coffee every single day – that’s 500,000 tonnes of coffee grounds heading to landfill every year – it’s a big problem.

William, who was then working in finance, began investigating what could be done with all these leftover grounds. He eventually came up with the idea of exfoliators, experimenting with coffee grounds, essential oils and other ingredients to perfect his scrubs.

William’s younger sister Anna, who joined the business in September last year, says: “Coffee is a very natural exfoliator. It has a really nice grit level – it’s really thorough, you can use it all over your body and it will really buff away dead skin.

“It’s high in antioxidants, even more so once it’s been brewed beforehand, and it’s got really good pH levels, which makes it a really good anti-aging product.

“Also the caffeine will absorb locally into your skin so it will stimulate your blood flow. That makes it great for circulation but also makes it one of the best natural treatments for cellulite.”

The scrubs also work their magic on black circles, blackheads and acne, so are ideal for polishing faces too, as well as tackling eczema and stretch marks.

Anna adds: “We try to pair it with other ingredients that complement it. A lot of exfoliators will get rid of dead skin so it will feel smooth, but it then feels tight and dry.

“To  combat that we’ve added in shea butter and almond oil with the essential oils, so it acts as a moisturiser at the same time. There’s salt in there too, which is a natural antiseptic. We try to keep ingredients very simple, very natural.”

The duo source their grounds from small chains or independents, which means the coffee used is from the very best Arabica beans. Unlike the cheaper Robusta bean, which is used to make instant coffee, Arabica is the tastier, pricier version used for lattes and flat whites.

There are currently four scrubs in the range for different occasions: The “Pick Me Up” Lemongrass Lifter, the “Feel Great” Mouthwatering Mandarin, the “Hungover” Potent Peppermint and the “Hit the Sheets” Vanilla Velvet.

Each one is handmade in a factory in Dorset. The duo collect all the leftover coffee grounds from around 40 to 50 cafes based across north London, then drive them down to the factory themselves.

The siblings grew up in south London, with Anna going to James Allen’s Girls’ School and William to Dulwich College Preparatory School. William is even getting married at Dulwich Picture Gallery this summer.

Anna was previously an area manager for a supermarket chain, while William worked in the City. “We were both doing fairly intense jobs but not feeling like we had enough creativity or freedom,” she says. “He was the first one to be bold and quit and then I followed.

“We have very different strengths. He’s the keeper of the books, the finance guy. He has more of a business background, whereas I’m the more creative one. I did history of art at university and have always been more visually inclined.”

She says her parents are supportive of their plunge into the start-up world. “I think it can be quite a scary thing for a parent, having two out of three of your children leave secure jobs to do something quite risky. But they’re proud I think and incredibly supportive.”

Anna is an avid user of the scrubs but she admits a secret: “I drink so much tea – I actually hate drinking coffee,” she laughs. “People find that pretty hilarious, especially since I work with it 24/7. I’ve grown to love the smell.”

The duo are also planning to launch a face mask soon, continuing with their ethos of using discarded products. This time it’s made with hemp husks, a byproduct of the hemp oil industry.

“As for the future, we’re just looking to get the word out there, to get into more shops,” says Anna. “I want to go from being in a start-up with my brother to being a really recognisable brand – people recognising what we stand for and the quality of our products.”

She is positive about consumers’ interest in sustainable and eco-friendly products. “[There’s a trend for] health and wellness in general, choosing ethical skincare, yoga and a healthy lifestyle. People care more about provenance, process and what it is they are consuming.”

Optiat’s current stockists include Urban Outfitters and Planet Organic, as well as numerous independent shops. They plan to launch the line in Whole Foods and Topshop too.

Anna is also in talks with several local businesses who she hopes will stock the scrubs. “We’ve been in Dulwich forever,” she says. ”It’s hard, we’re just a brother and sister act, fighting against the big [businesses]. But it’s definitely promising that it’s going well so far.”

[peckhampeculiar]

She’s the greatest dancer

Every Monday a group of women gather at a Nunhead pub for a clubbing session with a catch: there’s no boys, no booze and no judgment. Our writer, a regular at the nights, explains how to stop feeling self-conscious and shake your groove thing   

Words: Katie Allen Photo: Lorna Allan  

Music is blasting out, the disco lights are flashing and people are dancing… but it’s 6.30pm on a Monday and everyone’s swigging water. 

Welcome to Dance Dance Party Party, the “freestyle dance session” that began in New York and has now arrived in Nunhead.  

Just like other exercise events such as No Lights No Lycra, or pre-work club session Morning Gloryville, which helps you “rave your way into the day”, the emphasis is on experience, community and letting go rather than doggedly burning calories.  

However Dance Dance Party Party has a twist – it’s for women only. Simply put, a bunch of girls get together, plug in some disco lights and dance like mad, on their own, to a booming soundtrack that can vary from Mel & Kim to Destiny’s Child and Fatboy Slim.  

It’s like a club, but there’s no booze, or any other kind of stimulant. It also resembles a fitness class – everyone gets hot and sweaty – but there’s no routines or shouty instructor. And there are no men. 

“If boys came it would change the feel,” says organiser Laura Brannagan, 31, from Brockley. “I would feel more self-conscious if the opposite sex were there – but that’s me talking as a straight woman.  

“There’s an ‘all girls together at the school dance’ feel that I like as well,” she adds. “It does feel weird to have no boys, but maybe you’re more likely to let go.” 

Regular attendee Sophie, 23, from Nunhead, agrees: “I thought the idea of dancing in a women-only, alcohol-free environment sounded really fun. My sister and I have now been to about four sessions and we love it.  

“It feels very liberating as all the women are different ages and dance in different ways, which makes me feel less self-conscious than I would in a club. It’s also great because you exercise without realising it and have fun at the same time, and I normally find exercise really boring.” 

Dance Dance Party Party was founded in 2006 by New Yorkers Glennis McMurray and Marcy Girt with the catchphrase “No boys. No booze. No judgment”.  

The idea was to replicate that feeling of dancing with your mates at the disco but without getting chatted up or the next-day hangover. Music of all genres is chosen by guest DJs, with requests taken from attendees. It now has chapters all over the world. 

Laura first attended the Vauxhall and Dalston DDPPs. “I always wanted to go to an exercise class with good music,” she explains. She first held her own DDPP night in an unused club space, and then in a New Cross community hall. 

However, the yoga class next door objected to “Lionel Richie blaring out” and they also set off the fire alarm after “making the room too hot”. Now they are based in a room above The Old Nun’s Head and no one complains about the music anymore. 

The organisers take requests via the Facebook page – and they will play anything you want, from 1940s swing to 90s hip hop. Laura says she tries to “build the pace” towards three good dance songs at the end of the session “so you feel sweaty and joyous”.  

She also tries to inject a little quirkiness into the mix – music can range from Tom Jones to Iron Maiden and even Benny Hill. At my first-ever session, the soundtrack included Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins. The result was a roomful of women doing their best Dick Van Dyck impressions with huge smiles on their faces.  

On other occasions, they have played feminist anthems such as We Are Family by Sister Sledge and Taylor Swift’s Shake It Off. “We try to use tracks with ‘empowering’ lyrics,” Laura says. The result is a communal endorphin rush you might not get while jogging round the Rye with your headphones on. 

A self-described “music snob”, Laura admits: “I didn’t expect I would dance to Abba in a room because I’m an indie kid, I never used to like pop music. But you lose your inhibitions, you realise how fun it is to dance to the Spice Girls.” 

And it is fun; more fun than you might think when faced with the initial terror of dancing in front of people. Without booze. Where they can see you. Admittedly, at my first DDPP I did feel like a massive, well, berk. It’s hard to shed that stiff upper lip when your dancing limbs are normally only loosened up by half a bottle of white.  

I found myself running out of ideas and falling back on half-remembered aerobics moves or Do the Loco-Motion-style arm gestures not seen since school discos circa 1997. But then, slowly, I stopped self-consciously shuffling and started experimenting a bit more.  

Before long, I was pogoing to Blue Monday and I didn’t care who saw me. There might have even been some “pushing the ceiling” and singing along to S Club 7’s Reach for the Stars.  

For someone who loves to dance but feels too old and/or lazy to go to actual clubs with the young people it was fun, liberating, and an effective way to forget about daily worries. I’ve been back nearly every week since. 

Gemma, 30, who travels from Clapham each week, says: “The whole experience is amazing. The group of women who come to DDPP are really friendly. No boys, no booze and most importantly no judgment is what’s it’s all about.  

“I love being able to dance however I want, whatever mood I’m in and come away from the class feeling brilliant – if a little hot and sweaty.” 

So what’s the best way to tackle the self-consciousness? Laura suggests:  “First, prepare to be really hot. Bring water. Wear any old rubbish, it doesn’t matter what you look like. Second, see how other people are cutting loose. 

“If you feel really shy, turn to the wall or look at the floor. Or come with a friend and suggest songs you both like via the Facebook page. Just remember, anything goes: don’t be afraid!” 

Radhika, who comes to DDPP from Bethnal Green every week, agrees: “Everyone feels like they’re being watched, but it’s not true. I think it helps if you’ve requested a song because then there’s something else to focus on, and you really do feel great when it’s playing.” 

Each class costs £5, with all profits going towards a fundraising cycling trip Laura is making for three charities: Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Breast Cancer Care and Ovarian Cancer Action. Dancing, music and it’s all for a good cause. What’s not to like?  

Dance Dance Party Party takes place every Monday from 6.30-7.30pm at the Old Nun’s Head, 15 Nunhead Green. Info: tiny.cc/ddppnunhead

[peckhampeculiar]

Dressed to thrill

New Cross costume shop Prangsta is stuffed full of show-stopping outfits, ranging from catsuits to carnival attire. Founder Melanie Wilson, whose client list includes Shakespeare’s Globe, Katy Perry and Prince Harry, says she’s passionate about helping young people break into the industry 

Words: Katie Allen 

Halfway down the traffic-choked thoroughfare that is New Cross Road, there’s a door to a hidden world. 

Step through the rather forbidding, dimly-lit Victorian façade of Prangsta Costumiers and you are immediately whisked into a lavish fantasy.   

Chandeliers and a circus trapeze dangle from the ceiling. The walls are hung with mirrors, masks, helmets, wigs and glittering showgirl outfits. Wooden dressers and old sofas overflow with tutus, top hats, costume jewellery and pieces of armour.  

It’s like the court of Henry VIII meets Chicago speakeasy, with the ballroom scene from Labyrinth thrown in too. Through gaps in the floorboards I glimpse yet more piles of satin in the workshops below. 

Prangsta was founded by Melanie Wilson, who meets me for a cup of tea with events and showroom manager Amaya Dent. With its crew of costume designers, makers, apprentices and assistants, Prangsta turns out some of the most in-demand costumes in the business to hire or buy.  

The company has provided bespoke, handmade and made-to-measure costumes for events ranging from festivals and fetish nights to immersive theatre event Alice’s Adventures Underground at the Vaults under Waterloo Station. They also work with Shakespeare’s Globe on Bankside.   

They have attracted celebrities including Florence + the Machine, The White Stripes, Suki Waterhouse, Katy Perry, Daisy Lowe and the Branson offspring. Even Prince Harry has been dressed by Melanie and her team. 

Melanie recalls how when the young royal turned up at the shop with his bodyguards, he narrowly avoided disaster when rubble from building works above fell onto the pavement outside. “He was very nice,” she says. “He told me not to kneel down to do up his shoes. I do up everyone’s shoes!” 

A former trapeze artist, Melanie took over the shop 17 years ago, at first effectively squatting in the rundown building. A graduate of Central St Martins, where she studied fine tailoring, she came out of university disillusioned with the wastefulness of the industry. 

She’d already accumulated a vintage fashion collection and began making garments out of surplus fabrics and rags, market finds and gifted clothing – “crafting beautiful things out of scraps”, as Amaya puts it.  

Spotting a “gap in the market” for unique costumes, she began selling vintage clothes and costumes out of the shop. “It was just this shop, then two, then Deptford [a large studio where many of Prangsta’s creations are made]. Now people come from all over the world to work here,” she says.

Prangsta’s costumes are unique in that they are all handmade, created from restored, reused and recycled vintage clothes and fabrics. “We pride ourselves on our craftsmanship,” Melanie says.  

Clients can be styled in Prangsta’s huge collection of costumes or have something specially made for them. Melanie’s own favourite styles include the 1920s (which enjoyed a huge revival following the 2013 Great Gatsby film) and the “elaborate and ornate” costumes of the 18th century.  

She shows off a beautiful silk catsuit complete with a bejewelled corset, and pulls out a fabulous hand-beaded harlequin outfit with a horned headpiece. Designed for performance artist Le Pustra, it took “five or six people weeks to make”. 

Other popular costumes include the Midsummer Night’s Dream collection of forest fairies and animals; the Mexican Day of the Dead; Alice in Wonderland and, of course, Gatsby. For men, 18th-century frock coats, pirates and matadors are always sought after styles.   

Melanie, who wants to make more bespoke outfits for clients and has recently been working on a 1920s wedding dress, says she is “proud that our stuff is made by hand in England”. Prangsta is also dedicated to helping young people break into what can be an exclusive industry.  

“We’re creating a space for young people wanting to work in costume. We have an apprenticeship scheme, and we don’t demand [that applicants have] degrees, so we get a wide variety of makers,” Melanie says. “If you only have rich kids [in fashion] it’s less interesting.”  

The Prangsta team currently have four apprentices and also run 10-week affordable fashion courses in their Deptford workshops. They are considering trying to get Arts Council funding: “We do a lot that opens the doors for the local community.”  

Melanie is also interested in setting up a social enterprise, inspired by the beneficial, meditative effects of sewing and “creating things, especially from something that’s been discarded”. 

There are further big plans for the future, she tells me. Prangsta has begun diversifying into different business ventures – boosting revenue outside of the boom periods such as Valentine’s Day, Christmas, festival season and Halloween (“when you can’t move in the shop”).  

They are taking their Travelling Boudoir to Oxfordshire’s Wilderness Festival this August to provide revellers with “a dash of wildness and a slug of opulent charm”. As well as festivals, they often provide costumes for events such as celebrity birthday parties and masked balls.  

They also use their own fantastical space to host life-drawing classes with the Bohemian Artists’ Studio, extraordinary music events and decadent hen parties. The space is always in demand for photo shoots, filming and pop-ups, and was recently used as the set of an adult film. “[The actors] had a lot to take off”, says Amaya dryly. 

The duo are at pains to add that “whoever they are we can dress them. We do high end events with celebrities but on World Book Day we get all the Lewisham kids in too. We have a very broad range of customers and that’s important.” 

While Prangsta offer complete styling and bespoke costumes for events, there is no need to feel shy if a full showgirl or Prince Charming outfit aren’t quite for you.  

“If you’re timid you can just wear a hat,” Amaya says, although she thinks that dressing up can be addictive. “Once people come here, they come again,” she explains. “Everyone needs an excuse to dress up.”

[peckhampeculiar]

Secret studios

Tucked away beneath the railway arches in Blenheim Court are the Arches Studios, which house a cluster of creatives from sculptors to screen printers. We meet some of the artists from this unique community as they celebrate 25 years in Peckham

Words: Katie Allen

Photos: Lima Charlie

Walk down Blenheim Grove and underneath the railway arch that sits between Beta Autos and Blenheim Motors, and you will discover a creative community known as the Arches Studios.

The small yard, called Blenheim Court, is framed by arches that are each home to different artistic endeavours. There are ceramicists, painters, sculptors, cabinet makers, metalworkers, screen printers, an etcher and a knife maker.  

On a wet October Wednesday, with all the grills shut, it’s hard to see what’s going on behind – but a glimpse through the studio doors reveals shelves of creations, artisans hard at work and even a snoozing dog or two.

Radios are burbling, and from the forge at the end of the yard comes a loud banging and crashing. Every now and then artists emerge, some clad in overalls splattered with paint or grease.

Twice a year this special community opens its doors to the public. It’s a chance for local residents and others from further afield to meet the makers over some tasty food and drink. Last summer the bladesmiths from Blenheim Forge spit-roasted a whole pig in the yard.

“At the Christmas weekend we have mulled wine and it’s a lovely atmosphere,” says ceramicist Loraine Rutt. Carolyn Tripp, who also makes ceramics, adds: “Increasingly the local community knows we’re here. People like finding out how things are made.”

This year, to coincide with the studios’ “silver anniversary”, the artists are planning to hold a special raffle. There will be 25 prizes to celebrate each year they’ve been based in Blenheim Court.

It’s been a long and creative journey since 1990, when “six girls from Central St Martins and six boys doing metalwork at Camberwell” simultaneously set up their studios in the arches. Loraine jokes: “It was like Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”

Unlike the plot of the classic film, the artists didn’t all pair up, but gradually founded a creative community that ebbed and flowed as more traditional businesses tried to open in the arches, found the “lack of access” a difficulty and closed again.

Meanwhile artists, many from the local colleges, recommended the empty spaces to each other and kept taking them over. Today there are 25 artists and makers filling nine arches, most of whom are making a full-time living from their work.

Carolyn and Loraine, who have been friends since college, were two of the original artists to set up their studios here. Their conversation often weaves faster than I can write.

When they first arrived in Blenheim Court they found it neglected and largely abandoned. “It was full of junk, damp and mould, but we’ve sorted out the problems and we’ve maintained it,” Carolyn says.  

Loraine adds: “One arch got squatted and there was a burnt-out car.” She recalls how there were a couple of doctors living in one of the arches, who rebuilt an old army tank.

Jane Muir, who went to Central St Martins with Loraine and also studied at the Royal College of Art, says: “A civil servant lived in my studio [previously]. He used to put on his suit to go to work but he lived in this hovel! There’s quite a bohemian lot here.”

Jane joined Blenheim Court in 1997 (“I was the seventh bride!”) and eventually took over an entire arch herself, which is arranged with her idiosyncratic, hand-painted clay figures and architectural designs.

She painted the walls of the arch herself and put in a window. “Being in an arch helps the creative process, and the space is beautiful,” she says. “Although, with this amount of room, there is always pressure to make and sell to pay for it.”

Carolyn has seen Peckham change a lot over last 25 years. “It has become a destination, audiences will travel here now.” She says that back in the 1990s, the area was “very mixed”.

“When we moved in there were artisans everywhere and pockets of people making things, not just artists. There were engineering workshops in Choumert Mews. I really liked that.”

The artists all love the Peckham area, with Loraine talking about the arches’ “proximity to Rye Lane, where you can buy anything you need”. “Except clay!” they all chime in unison.

Looking back over the years, Loraine and Carolyn speak of two-and-a-half decades of hard work and fun, including parties, impromptu games of football and dancing to the radio “to warm up” when it’s cold.

Even on a mild autumn day, there’s a noticeable chill from the concrete floor and all the artists are wearing thick shoes or boots. Every few moments comes the dinosaur-like rumble of a train running overhead.

“It is noisy,” Carolyn admits. “Work falls off the shelves.” Loraine recalls the time she was standing in Blenheim Court and the Orient Express came through: “All the people on the train were waving. It was like The Railway Children.”

Over the years the artists have formed a close-knit community. When Loraine married her husband Steve Tomkinson (who runs joinery One Tree Cabinets from the yard) in 2001, the wedding reception was held in artist Mark Folds’ studio.

Mark, who founded the I Love Peckham art project in 1996, also met his wife, ceramicist Justine, at the Arches Studios before they moved to Wales with their daughter.

There’s a warm, welcoming atmosphere about the arches and everyone knows each other. Carolyn confirms: “There are lots of studio kids, lots of studio dogs and we’re all friends as well.

The result is what artist Geoff Lang, who studied at Camberwell and four years ago returned from a decade living in Australia to work in the studios, describes as “a supportive environment”.

“It’s hard to work by yourself, you need that feedback to keep going,” he says. “Plus there’s the pleasure of talking to people, who pick you up when it all goes wrong, and who you can borrow tools and equipment from.”

The arches’ unique atmosphere is one of the reasons why the artists fear losing this special environment. When Network Rail started eying the site in 2012, all of a sudden “there were people in fluorescent jackets and hard hats” measuring up the arches.

The artists received a letter informing them that there were plans to include the arches in the redevelopment of Peckham Rye Station. It was a “difficult time” for the community, says Geoff.

Nevertheless, the artists fought back, enlisted the support of local campaign group Peckham Vision and urged local people to write to Southwark Council explaining why the studios should be saved.

An inspector came round and wrote a report that stated: “[At Blenheim Court] there is a marked degree of interdependency and cooperation which… has fostered the development of a thriving and coherent creative community.”

The plan was later scrapped, but with so much development happening in Peckham the future is never certain. Carolyn says: “It’s really important that we hold onto the heritage. People won’t want to live here if it’s all Starbucks and Costas.”

Geoff adds: “It’s a huge issue – studios are being lost all over London”; while Loraine says: “Rents are going up and up, it would be hard to find somewhere else. How long are we safe?”

The artists tell me they sign only three-month leases for their studios. Loraine says: “Because I’m more established now, my sales go up, but then the cost of rent and materials goes up too. So you’re always not quite making enough.

“I am conscious that [Network Rail] may have an agenda that’s beyond the control of Southwark Council. But there was so much support for us. Thanks to Peckham Vision, we do feel more confident about our future here.”

They all admit to getting better at marketing their work, with Open Studios becoming more and more popular since the first event in 1990, which was covered by American magazine Ceramics Monthly.  

The artists’ work spreads into Peckham in different ways, from the chimney pots and railings they’ve designed to the eye-catching Bellenden Map terrace for Petitou café that was made by Loraine.

She also created the café’s tile sign and planters in collaboration with Andrew Grant of Creative Metalwork. Andrew moved out of Blenheim Court when redevelopment of the arches was originally threatened.  

Loraine used to be a cartographer and still uses maps in her work, including her ceramic Peckham postcards that grew out of a project to trace the course of the lost River Peck.

She remembers the time a councillor came to Blenheim Court to inspect her studio during the Network Rail negotiations, while she was teaching ceramics to a class of children.

She beams when she recalls the moment he spoke to 10-year-old Ellie, who gave him short shrift. “Ellie said, right off the bat, ‘There are lots of places to shop in London, but there are not enough places to make things.’ And I was like, ‘YES! Thank you!’”

………….

Follow the Arches Studios on Twitter @arches_studios. www.the-arches-studios.com

[katiealleneditor-blog]

I was commissioned to write a blog for Simply Sewing magazine all about colour - the history and meanings of each hue, how people have worn them over the centuries - and ways to wear them today.

Red Hot

Orange is the New Black

Mellow Yellow

Blue Crush

Purple Reigns

White Hot

Back to Black

[katiealleneditor-blog]

I was commissioned to write a blog series about the history of British fashion, going backwards in time from the on-trend 90s back to the 19th century. Each decade included tips on ways to make and wear the fashions today.

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

[katiealleneditor-blog]

[katiealleneditor-blog]

[katiealleneditor-blog]

[katiealleneditor-blog]

[katiealleneditor-blog]

Social media magazine from Immediate Media; commissioned to write features on using different social media platforms to boost your business.

[katiealleneditor-blog]

A modern embroidery magazine which I edited, published by Future