Friday 24 July 2015

Calvert Calm



In this second blog piece about iconic Shoreditch streets, we have turned our attention to the delightful Calvert Ave. If Redchurch Street represents the young, cool, if ever-so-slightly brash kid on the block, then Calvert Ave is its older, wiser, yet still fashionable older sibling.



Paragon Gym is not technically on Calvert Avenue, but is still an excellent place to start. Stuart Lawson, who set the gym up with his two brothers 18 years ago, is a martial arts expert with a world championship title under his kickboxing belt. Paragon is not a traditional gym and there is not a running machine or weights bench in sight - just mats, punch bags and a boxing ring.



Paragon keeps people fit in mind and body by specialising in kickboxing and boxing. What makes this gym really special is its ethos - it is welcoming, inclusive and everyone is respectful of each other, regardless of their  experience. Beefy black belts get no more special treatment than scrawny novices on their first 6 week course. Stuart is a humble yet inspiring teacher and, as a space to get fit in, the gym feels both refreshing and reinvigorating.  


It helps that clientele is varied – from proper Eastenders, to city workers, Shoreditch hipsters and artists. Whilst most people are in their 20s, Stuart still trains his oldest client, who is 58, twice a week. He has seen a lot of change in his years here, ‘It used to be an impoverished area where you couldn’t get a cup of decent coffee, now there’s one on every corner, but it’s gone too far and they are all so expensive, you need to go to Dalston for a reasonably priced cup!’ @paragongym




We suspect Stuart has forgotten that right at the other end of Calvert Avenue, on the corner of Shoreditch High Street is Syd’s - the capital’s oldest coffee stall. The stall itself was constructed in 1920 after Syd returned from the war. Originally made from the finest mahogany, very early on it was the first stall of its kind to have electricity and mains water. Having survived a bomb blast in the Second World War, Syd’s is still being run by its original descendants (info from a longer article from Spitalfields Life http://spitalfieldslife.com/2010/05/12/syds-coffee-stall-shoreditch-high-st/). If you are lucky when you visit, Syd’s granddaughter Jane Tothill might be serving, so you could get a slice of history to go with that coffee. 



Close to Syd’s is another interesting coffee shop. Paper and Cup has featured in 99Shoreditch’s blog before. It is excellent in its own right, but more importantly a not-for-profit social enterprise created by the Spitalfields Crypt Trust. It supports people recovering from addiction and homelessness by providing the opportunity to learn new skills - easing people back into work and life. Paper and Cup, SCT’s charity shops and The Restoration Station on Shoreditch High Street are all staffed by people on their programme. It means that whilst you are tucking into one of its delicious pastries, you are also putting something positive back into the local community. @PaperAndCup @recoverypathway @RestorationStn




Opposite Paper and Cup you can’t miss St Leonard’s church. Dedicated to St Leonard, the patron saint of prisoners and those who are mentally ill. The church was designed by George Dance the Elder - a favourite pupil of Christopher Wren, and it opened in 1740. Tours of the Church, Crypt and Tower are available upon request, but it is the outside areas that we are particularly partial to. This year has seen the launch of a Shakespeare-themed garden, created by the gardening students of the nearby New Hanbury Project (another offshoot of the brilliant Spitalfields Crypt Trust). It is a lovely space to stop and contemplate life, before diving back headlong into the chaos and vibrancy of Shoreditch. shoreditchchurch.org.uk


 


Further down Calvert Avenue, you get to the Boundary Estate. This was one of the first social housing schemes built by a local government authority in 1890 and therefore arguably contains England’s first council houses. Before construction the area was a run-down slum, full of crime, extreme poverty, disease and dreadful infant mortality rates. One child in four died before his or her first birthday. Demolition rubble from the slum was used to build a mound in the middle of Arnold Circus at the centre of the development, with a bandstand that still stands today.



Just before the bandstand there is a run of amazing independent shops and boutiques.



Luna and Curious describes itself as ‘a miniature department store, offering a wonderful mix of womenswear, childrenswear, beauty, stationery, homeware, jewellery and accessories’. Like many other passionate independents Luna and Curious believes in British-made products. It has its their own ceramics label and this year sees the launch of knitwear, homeware and accessories lines. @lunaandcurious



Adjoining Luna and Curious is O’Dells, an exclusively male preserve. Proof that men’s fashion, grooming and accessories do not have to be wholly utilitarian, O’Dells stock is just as smart as its female couterparts. With items that range from beard oil to handwoven rugs, each item has an interesting story and clear provenance. Calm and happy, it is a space perfectly designed for its Shoreditch clientele. @beardwithboy




Leila’s is a Calvert Ave stalwart. There is a café known for its amazing eggy breakfasts and a grocer / deli next door. Both of these places are all about proper food. Leila spends huge time and effort to source and supply the best - everything is fresh and delicious. This great article in The Gentlewoman describes her passion and purpose http://thegentlewoman.co.uk/#/library/leila-mcalister. @Leilas_Shop




Charlene Mullen is a British success story, originally working in fashion she turned her talents to homeware and is now a successful brand that is stocked in high-end shops around the world. She has designed crockery for Royal Doulton, but is best known for her embroidered textiles, which have a contemporary, witty British feel. The great thing about her shop on Calvert Ave is that her design studio takes up the back half of the shop. It is so refreshing to see that instead of hiding away all that creativity, it is on show if you take the time to peek behind the curtain. @Charlene_Mullen



And finally if all that shopping has tired you out and you need something amazing to eat, then Rochelle Canteen is conveniently situated on Arnold Circus. Hidden behind an unassuming doorway its quintessentially English menu has garnered respect and rave reviews from foodies and critics alike. Situated in a former bike shed, the folding doors open onto a lovely garden where some of the salad and herbs for the menu are grown. Items on the seasonal and ever-changing menu include Salt Hake Fritters & Tartare Sauce and Ox Tongue, Lentils & Chard. They have a close relationship with Leila’s who can supply you with the wine for your meal, as the restaurant is not licensed. @Rochellecanteen


 

The residents and shopkeepers here exude an understated authenticity and quiet confidence. So if you are after something a little more reserved, contemplative and grown up, then it is the place to come.




All photos by @foxyfoxlet










Sunday 19 July 2015

Redchurch Review


The next few blogs are about a couple of key streets in Shoreditch. They have a rich history, but are also symbolic of the rapid change that has happened in the area. What is important about them both is that, despite the change they have not yet become identikit high streets. They retain the essence of Shoreditch and are alive with creativity and independent thinking. 
 

Historically, Redchurch Street was in one of the poorest areas of London and a slum since the 18th Century. Artists were in residence because of the large warehouse spaces and cheap rents, but commercially it was pretty much ignored until the late 90s, when Les Trois Garçons renovated a huge old pub. Part restaurant, part museum, part vintage emporium, but all cool - it became a destination location. Cutting-edge fashionable folk would taxi in and out of the venue… if they could get a cabbie to take them there in the first place. (Street art by Shepard Fairey).

Soon after, the openings of Shoreditch House members’ club and Conran’s Boundary ‘restaurants, rooms and rooftop’ cemented the area as a credible destination. Advertising agencies, galleries and young early adopters moved in. Sam Taylor-Wood shot the REM video for ÜBerlin in 2011 on Redchurch St featuring her then fiancé Aaron Johnson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZITh-XIikgI.

Not all of the area’s artists have vacated their studios in search of something more spacious, cheap and hip. Tim Noble and Sue Webster were part of the post-YBA artists whose work was recognised and bought by collectors all over the world, most notably Charles Saatchi. The money enabled her to buy a warehouse off Redchurch Street where she still lives and works. She features in the brilliant BBC series ‘What do artists do all day?’ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b05z5hc4 which has a lot of information about this amazing location.In terms of commercial offerings, Redchurch Street is now very well established and houses a mix of independent labels and global brands. You do get the feeling that these brands are respectful of its gritty, cool credentials and do not want to ruin the very reason they chose the location in the first place by being too homogenised or sanitised.















Sunspel is a luxury British clothes brand established in 1860 whose ‘revolutionary idea’ was ‘to make simple, everyday clothing from beautiful fabrics’. Thomas Hill was the first person to introduce the boxer short to the UK in 1947, after a trip to the States. Nick Kamen even wore a pair in that advert for Levis in 1985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q56M5OZS1A8. They now have a full range of men’s and women’s clothes and occupy a prime spot at the beginning of Redchurch St. @Sunspel

 
Just round the corner from Sunspel is 7 Upholstery, an ‘independent, friendly and professional upholsterers’  who specialise in bringing much loved but tired pieces of furniture back to life. 
@7upholstery


Opposite is The Albion, part of the Boundary building www.theboundary.co.uk, Conran’s early foray into the area. It is a café and small shop, with an in-house bakery and cake counter, where the vast majority of the food and drink products are British. Its baskets of seasonal veg outside are a colourful addition to the street, as are its four-legged clientele.
@AlbionLdn


Huntergather is ‘a new concept in fashion retailing. Based around a creative community assembled by David Bradshaw, it is a collective, a repository of ideas, a gathering of minds and a fashion label.’ It’s also a café with very friendly staff and a damn fine cake. More four-legged customers too, this street is a mecca for down-with-it dogs.
@Hunter_Gather


Nudie Jeans is a new kid on the Redchurch block, a Swedish denim label that does things differently. Its recommendations at first seem to go against the grain - don’t wash your new jeans for at least six months? When they break, come in for a free repair? When you understand their ethos is about social responsibility and taking care of nature it all begins to make sense. “It's about how long you can make a single pair of jeans last. People sometimes say that we'd earn so much more if we didn't have this service … yes we could, but that's not the point. We think long term.” CEO Palle Stenberg. Quote from an article in The Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nudie-swedish-denim-label-jeans.
@nudiejeans

 


The Owl And The Pussycat is a lovely boozer. Despite a complete revamp and gentrification into a ‘gastro pub’ in 2012, it has managed to do what so many pubs fail to do - to keep the soul of its previous incarnation. It might have the current trend for artfully mismatched furniture and lighting, but it is still very much a proper pub which is now well worn, lived in and friendly. It can get very busy, with people spilling onto Redchurch Street (where cars are still eyed with disdain), but also has a sweet little terrace at the back for some non-pavement fresh air. And they clearly have a way with words, as the sign says it all.
@34Redchurch


Mast Brothers is chocolate heaven. Rick and Michael Mast are well known in the US as master chocolate crafters, but Redchurch St is their first UK store.“It’s a full-on chocolate factory. We’re making chocolate from bean to bar onsite. You can see it all happening when you go in” says Rick in an article for The Observer Food Monthly that featured the 50 hottest places, people and trends in food this year http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/15/ofm-50-hottest-trends-people-places-in-food-for-2015. The packaging itself is to die for, as is the hot chocolate served on tap. Large windows do allow you to see the chocolate being made, but real chocoholics can book a tour.
@mastbrothers


T2 is proof that not all of Redchurch St is about soya lattes. T2 is Australia’s leading tea retailer “and now sells enough tea per month to make 9 million cups!”. T2 is a big, colourful store packed full of more types of tea than we ever thought existed. There is a tea bar, plenty of samples to taste, as well as a charming range of tea cups, pots and flasks. A free jug is usually in place outside so you can have a try of something new and exotic that you definitely will not have experienced before.
@T2TeaOfficial



At Italian-owned Burro e Salvia they make pasta. By hand, in front of you, the old fashioned way, Their creations are like mini works of art, many of them look too good to eat. But eat you must - either a take away to enjoy at home, or in their little café  washed down with great Italian wine. Like so many shops on this street, they are demonstrating an artisan skill as well as giving us a peek into a more traditional way of life. They also run pasta workshops from this bijou space that seems to have imported a little of the Italian sunshine.
@BurroSalvia




Barbour and Parlour occupies the whole of what looks like a run down office towards the end of the street. It is an extension of the Soho House brand, bringing a non-exclusive and more affordable offering to this end of Redchurch Street. The building could be a metaphor for the street itself, since behind the graffiti and urban grit lies a whole lot of creative stuff. Cheeky Parlour is a huge, unpretentious beauty space, Cheeky Hair is the famous hair colourist Josh Wood’s team of colourists and stylists and Neville Barber ensures that the ‘the capital’s most distinguished men are always looking on top of their game’ . You could spend all day here as Barber & Parlour Kitchen serves great food in a large spacious café and you can finish off with a trip to the Electric Cinema in the basement. The final bonus is it still feels a little bit out of the way and a tiny bit unknown, so whilst it’s busy enough to have a great atmosphere, it’s not bursting at the seams.
@BarberParlour




Of course, the reality is there is a commercial aspect to all of this change. The arrival of these high-end lifestyle brands have pushed up rents and forced some tenants out of the area. But so far, the street has retained much of its colourful and creative character. Let’s hope it stays that way. Next blog on the commerce, creativity and cardio fitness in and around Calvert Ave.