Bermondsey Biscuit & Rotherhithe Docker - spring 2026

FLAV’R street food arrives in Borough Canada Water’s ‘cathedral of wine’

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We created the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker in 2018 with support from sponsors including Sellar, Grosvenor, British Land, and many other local businesses.

Our flagship weekly newspaper, the Southwark News launched in 1987 and is now London’s only independent, paid for newspaper.

We also publish the South Londoner each month, and the Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender and South London Weekly every week.

We are proud to be a London Living Wage employer.

We use 100% recovered paper from the Ortviken paper mill in Sweden, a green energy provider who use biofuel instead of oil and provide heat for 10,000 single family homes.

Editor Kevin Quinn

Writers Evie Flynn,Michael Holland, Debra Gosling, Matt Hasdell, Maya Sgaravato-grant

Design Dan Martin, Ann Gravesen,

Marketing Clarry Frewin, Katie Boyd

Media Partnerships Anthony Phillips

Finance Emrah Zeki

Managing Directors Chris Mullany and Kevin Quinn

EMAIL enquiry@bermondseybiscuit.co.uk

PHONE 020 7231 5258

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5-8 WHAT’S ON Fighting proud - local history society, Pancake Day in Bankside, Valentine’s portrait workshop and iconic film costumes on display

10 COMMUNITY Provision in Maltby Street

14-22 FOOD & DRINK Craft beer festival, Chatica in Bermondsey, Urban Baristas, and Oudh 1722. Sourdough Sophia comes to Spa Terminus, Canada Water’s ‘cathedral of wine’ and FLAV’R street food market at Borough

25-29 WELLNESS Milo and the Bull in Bermondsey Street and Innervisions Alchemy - a South Bermondsey sauna

34-35 MEMORY LANE Bermondsey Boys still watching the birds

37 HISTORY Mr. Pomeroy’s magnificent gift

Athank you to our sponsors

We'd like to acknowledge all our sponsors and supporters for helping us bring the Bermondsey Biscuit and Rotherhithe Docker to life.

PANCAKE DAY RACEBANKSIDE

What’s on in SE1 & SE16 this spring

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

WANGSHUI: NIGHT SIGNALWHITE CUBE BERMONDSEY

Delve into the realm of dreams at US artist Wang Shui’s WangShui first UK exhibition.

‘Night Signal’ will draw on neuroscience, Indigenous knowledge, and AI to ‘investigate the evolving relationship between consciousness and technology’.

Date: Wednesday 11 February - Sunday 29 March

Price: Free

Location: White Cube Bermondsey, 144–152 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3TQ https://tinyurl.com/248r88af

FIGHTING PROUDLOCAL HISTORY SOCIETY

In honour of LGBT history month, Southwark historian Stephen Bourne will deliver a talk illustrating some of the stories of the gay soldiers who feature in his best-selling book Fighting Proud – The Untold Story of the Gay Men Who Served in Two World Wars.

Find out more about an often overlooked part of British history.

Date: Wednesday 25 February

Time: 7.30pm – 9pm

Price: Free; booking not required

Location: Norwegian Church, 1 St. Olav’s Square, Albion Street, London SE16 7JB

https://tinyurl.com/4rdvfn5f

Relive your childhood with a pancake day race! Bring colleagues and enjoy complimentary pancakes straight from a dedicated van, while also having the chance to win a £100 lunch voucher from a local restaurant and Bonne Maman Goodie Bags. All proceeds go to Blackfriars Settlement, a charity which helps improve the quality of life of people in the local area.

Date: Tuesday 17 February

Time: 12pm-2pm

Price: £25 per team

Location: Marlborough Sports Garden, 27 Union Street, SE1 1NJ

https://tinyurl.com/bdh8hphc

VALENTINE’S PORTRAIT ART WORKSHOP - MAGAZZINO

Put your artistic skills to the test and raise money for a good cause this February with a guided portrait workshop, held by Latin Hands. No artistic prowess is necessary and the proceeds will go to support women in difficult situations.

Date: Wednesday 18 February

Time: 6-9pm

Price: £16.96

Location: Magazzino London, 78 Druid Street, London, SE1 2AN

https://tinyurl.com/4fj79bbm

TERRARIUM BUILDING WORKSHOP - CORNER CORNER

Bring a bit of nature into your home and learn a new skill while doing it. Canada Water’s vibrant cultural hub Corner Corner will be hosting Terrarium Building Workshops, where a plant expert will take you through how to make your miniature garden to take away with you.

Dates include: Tuesday 17th February, Tuesday 17th March, Tuesday 21st April

Time: 7-8:30pm

Price: £35

Location: Corner Corner, Maritime St, London SE16 7LL https://tinyurl.com/3avrt26z

See Europe through the lens of Samuel Laurence Cunnane, in the Irish artist’s London debut. Hayward Gallery will display a collection of analogue pictures taken by the photographer during his travels, which demonstrate his ‘sensitivity to subtle qualities of light and atmosphere’. Entry is free.

Dates: Saturday 7 Feb - Sunday 3 May

Time: Tuesdays - Fridays, alongside Sundays: 10am – 6pm

Saturdays: 10am - 8pm

Price: Free; no ticket required

Location: Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Rd, London SE1 8XX www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Saturday 21 February 12pm - 5pm

rmg.co.uk/fiercequeens

Costume Exhibition

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

COSTUME COUTURE FEATURES OUTFITS FROM DOWNTON ABBEY TO PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AT BERMONDSEY’S FASHION AND TEXTILE MUSEUM

An exhibition featuring never-before-seen costumes is being held at Bermondsey’s Fashion and Textile Museum until March.

‘Costume Couture: Sixty Years of Cosprop’ celebrates the work of iconic London-based costume house Cosprop over the last sixty years, highlighting the scale of the impact it has had on the film, television, and theatre industries. On display are over 80 costumes, ranging from a selection from the costumier’s first ever television commission, the 1967 series Great Expectations, to those of Josephine and Louis XVIII from the 2023 film Napoleon.

Visitors are able to admire costumes once worn by a number of celebrated actors, such as that sported by Helena Bonham Carter in A Room with a View, Meryl Streep in Out of Africa, Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey, and Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.

The exhibition also contains accessories and various sketches, which seek to elucidate the design and tailoring process from script-toscreen.

Cosprop was founded by Oscar and BAFTAwinning designer John Bright in 1965, who sought to develop a more ‘authentic’ style of costume design through the close study of historical clothing.

It has since gone on to become one of the leading theatrical costume suppliers.

The exhibition is accompanied by the release of a book entitled ‘The Costume House: The Inside Story of Cosprop’, written by former V&A curator Keith Lodwick, and featuring a foreword from Dame Judi Dench.

Dates: Until 8th March 2026

Price: £12.65 (Concessions may apply)

Sourdough Sophia is moving to Spa Terminus

Five years ago, we started Sourdough Sophia in a tiny kitchen during lockdown. This April, we’re moving into Spa Terminus!

Two railway arches. A proper production bakery. The new home for every loaf we send out across London.

We’ll be baking alongside some of the best producers in the country, and honestly, we still can’t quite believe it. On Fridays and Saturdays, the doors will be open to the public… fresh bread, incredible coffee, and a chance to see where it all happens. Come say hello!

Arches 5 and 6, Voyager Business Park (Spa Terminus), SE16 4RP w: sourdoughsophia.co.uk

Provision

By Evie Flynn

TUCKED ALONG THE ROPEWALK OF BERMONDSEY’S MALTBY STREET SITS PROVISION, A HOMEWARE HAVEN AND RECLAIMED FLOORING SPECIALIST, WHICH HAS UNVEILED A SECOND LOCATION IN WALWORTH’S RECENTLY OPENED ILIFFE YARD.

Described by founder Nick Newman as a ‘curator and purveyor of beautiful objects’, the Maltby Street store sells unique furniture and locally sourced lifestyle items.

In June 2025, Nick expanded the Provision offering to Iliffe Yard, the largest of three Victorian workshop yards on the historic Pullen’s Estate. Here, he hosts his flooring showroom, embracing sustainably sourced natural wood and rawness. They team also host pop-up supper clubs and artists residencies in their multi-functional studio space,18 Iliffe Yard.

Provision has a clear concept: to reconnect people with the environment they call home. Inspired by timber, texture and natural materials, both the Maltby Street store and Iliffe Yard reflects a stripped-back and slowed-down approach to interior design and homeware.

Inside an exposed-brick Victorian arch, the shop features a retail space downstairs and a first-floor mezzanine used for workshops above. From crockery,

books and toiletries to furniture and bespoke flooring consultations, Nick’s remit is wide-ranging.

All items on sale are carefully chosen by Nick and have sustainability and locality at their core. From sourcing South London makers to avoiding singleuse plastics, the shop has the feeling of simplicity and authenticity.

Nick says: “I want to create a Provision world and aesthetic - everything is understated, with key pieces of furniture and elements of ritual.

“I’m interested in how spaces make people feel,” he continues. “I want customers to carry that feeling with them through our products. I’m about to introduce an interior consultation element to the business, exploring how Provision pieces can be incorporated into both commercial and residential spaces.”

The Victorian-built Maltby Street arches are now occupied by popular independent food and drink spots, coming alive for the market at weekends, where the Ropewalk fills with the smells of street food.

However, amongst the edible offerings, the quaint street is also home to hidden gems like Provision, a vintage barbers and a floral design workshop. There’s even a reclaimed timber store, the last symbol of the arches’ previous purpose.

The space was previously home to architectural salvage company LASSCO, where he worked from 2011. The company specialised in rescuing items from old buildings to restore and sell, sparking his love for sustainable, earthy materials.

After LASSCO relocated their space and the new food and drink businesses cropped up, Nick couldn’t part with the space. He decided to take it over and armed with his passion for interiors and a dream to own his own business, Provision was born.

Nick explains that all the arches were once full of reclaimed timber. Provision opened in 2021, born from an idea Nick thought up during Covid as a ‘passion project’.

However, Nick’s connection to his arch in Maltby Street stretches back much further - over eleven years.

“I got to forty and thought, I’d love to start my own business,” he says. “The space was available, and on a total whim - no business plan, no real idea what to do, I just did it.”

Describing the area, Nick says he loves the ‘unpolished and authentic’ vibe of Maltby Street and how its history makes it both charming and distinctive.

The Ropewalk even takes its name from the fact that it was once used by workers to manufacture rope by laying it out along the street and twisting it.

This same charm originally drew him to his new space in Iliffe Yard, part of Pullen’s Yard. The Victorian and Edwardian workspaces are made up of three yards and feature over fifty local traders and businesses.

The yards were built between 1870 and 1901 as a live and work space for craftspeople and small traders,

with flats above and workspaces below.

Nick says he deliberately settled on these two corners of South London for Provision, drawn to their rich past in terms of industry, architecture and designers.

“I’m really interested in how people lived historically,” he says. “Life was centred on the simplicity of family and ritual - something I want to recreate at Provision.” The name Provision emerged from this vision, referring to the act of providing or supplying something for use.

“I want people to be able to purchase one thing, or a range of things, that are useful and fit naturally into their home or lifestyle,” he says.

Nick’s love for South London is evident and he cannot imagine Provision existing anywhere else. The store supports local makers and artists, with ceramics from Deptford local Lily Permain, and they recently hosted a mudlark jewellery making workshop, led by Imogen Denton from East Dulwich.

He lives in Lewisham with his wife and two children and spends his free time volunteering at the Horniman Museum and Gardens as a ‘tree guardian’.

Nick’s passion for Provision is undeniable and the future excites him. One day, his dream is to expand Provision to Portugal and split his time between London and the sun.

You can purchase items or browse flooring options on the Provision website, or pop into the store from 10am, Wednesday to Sunday.

https://www.provisionstore.co.uk/ Provision, Arch 53, Ropewalk, Maltby Street, SE1 3PA

Japanese Ramen | Fukusai | Craft Beer | Cocktails

HAKATA Ramen+Bar brings everything that ramen-ya in Japan are famous for – quality ‘comfort food’, served in a vibrant atmosphere with friendly & efficient service.

** OUR WINTER SPECIALS MENU NOW AVAILABLE **

** COCKTAIL HAPPY HOUR! **

Any* 2 cocktails for only £14.00 5:00pm – 7:00pm // Monday – Friday

*Please see our ‘Happy Hour’ Cocktail menu card for all options

Hakata Ramen+Bar, 177 Bermondsey Street, SE1 3UW

No reservations // Open 7-days // hakata.co.uk

Little gem in Bermondsey

From day one, the emphasis has been on quality and freshness and the restaurant uses only high quality fresh products sourced locally – fish and meat is delivered daily from local London markets and bread and cakes are baked in the restaurant.

All dishes are freshly prepared and cooked to order and served by friendly staff who will work hard to make your dining experience as enjoyable and memorable as possible. On a sunny day guests of Amisha can enjoy their food and drinks in the new outside terrace opened in 2023. With its simple and inspired cooking and exceptional customer service Amisha offers unique dining experience in Bermondsey area and with the highest quality fresh ingredients creates the genuine and authentic Italian ‘Mamma style’ food.

Spring at the Southbank Centre

Throughout 2026, we’re celebrating 75 years of the Southbank Centre with a vibrant, inclusive programme that looks to the future, exploring how we can make a difference to the lives of artists, audiences and communities.

Spring into our 75th celebrations with a packed programme, including plenty of free events. You’re just a short journey away from free creative sessions, all part of our Creative Encounters series Running fortnightly, get stuck into a free painting workshop (Wed 4 Feb), learn the art of letterpress and typography (Wed 4 Mar) or try a craft workshop all about condiments (Wed 18 Feb).

Shake a leg and immerse yourself in the infectious energy of reggae music. Simmer Down (Fri 6 Feb) is our free monthly meet-up and daytime dance that’s guaranteed to get all ages moving and grooving.

Discover a procession of characters in the installation Quentin Blake: The Southbank Parade (Tue 17 FebSun 8 Nov) celebrating the legends and Londoners on our stages and riverfront.

At the Hayward Gallery, experience a thrilling double bill of immersive art exhibitions At Chiharu Shiota: Th reads of Life, marvel at the artist’s immense and intricate web-like installations, while at Yin Xiuzhen: Heart to Heart, see the familiar in new ways, as overlooked objects reveal personal and collective stories (Tue 17 Feb - Sun 3 May). Make it a hattrick and duck into the Hayward Gallery’s HENI Project Space for a free photography exhibition, Samuel Laurence Cunnane: Blue Road (Tue 17 Feb – Sun 3 May).

Live music fans can catch the legendary Southbank Centre x Montreux Jazz Festival Residency (Fri 13 - Sun 15 Mar) which explores the influence, impact and sound of jazz today through artists reshaping the genre. Catch festival headliner Th eo Croker (Fri 13 Mar) celebrating 100 years of Miles Davis with a liveshow that’s packed with era-defi ning tunes and special guests.

Hungry? Our popular Southbank Centre Food Market (open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) is a must-visit, offering a huge choice of food, drink and international cuisine all-year round. For the best seat in the house, head up to our Seventy5th Balcony Bar and soak up panoramic views of the central London skyline.

Find out more at www. southbankcentre.co.uk and check out future events coming up throughout our 75th year celebrations.

Bitesize

DINNER WITH CHEF PIERRE KOFFMANN & CLAUDE LAMARCHE

Korean-inspired Michelin-star restaurant Sollip will be hosting a ‘mentorship dinner’ on Thursday 19 February.

Its in-house chefs, husband and wife duo Woongchul Park and Bomee Ki will be joined by their former mentors: the legendary chef Pierre Koffmann, whose restaurant La Tante Claire was the second in the UK to be awarded three Michelin stars, and chef Claude Lamarche, who is currently executive pastry chef at The Arts Club.

The menu will consist of six courses, snacks, and mignardises, which owners say will ‘capture the balance between classical depth and our contemporary sensibility’. At £290pp, a luxury experience can be expected.

Sollip, Unit 1, 8 Melior Street, London, SE1 3QP sollip.co.uk

LONDON CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL - 17-18 JULY

The iconic London Craft Beer Festival is set to come to Southwark Park this year.

Book your tickets in advance and join thousands of others in celebrating the enormous variety of beer brewed in the UK and beyond. With over 800 beers from 100 breweries to sample, and loads of food and music, don’t miss out.

Southwark Park, London, Gomm Rd, SE16 2TX

By Maya Sgaravato-Grant

CHATICA

Step into Chatica on Maltby Street and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d been transported to Colombia.

The Latin café opened its second outlet in Bermondsey in October, offering a variety of Central and South American drinks and snacks to savour. In the evenings it also often hosts a number of salsa and birthday parties.

38-39 Maltby St, London SE1 3PA and 37 America St, London SE1 0NJ

@chatica_uk on Instagram

THE CHOP

Looking for something healthy? A new salad bar has opened in London Bridge, offering a number of signature dishes served in bowls or as sandwiches.

Try out the ‘Thai Hard’, the ‘Caesar You Later’ or even the ‘Italian Job’. With vegetarian salads available and the option to take away, this is sure to be a hit.

40-46 Weston Street, London, United Kingdom SE1 9GP

@thechopsalad_ on Insta

URBAN BARISTAS

The iconic Aussie-style coffee chain opens on Bermondsey Street. Urban Baristas has enjoyed widespread success since it first opened in North London in 2016, and for good reason - its brews and self-professed ‘no nonsense’ approach to café culture have become a favourite for commuters and locals alike. Pop in for a treat.

135 Bermondsey St, London SE1 3UW urbanbaristas.co.uk

DISHOOM?

Dishoom may be opening a huge new café in London Bridge. In plans submitted to Southwark Council late last year, everyone’s favourite Indian chain expressed a desire to build a restaurant spanning two floors and incorporating a covered veranda. Stay tuned.

Borough, TBC

OUDH 1722

Michelin- starred chef Aktar Islam will be opening a new restaurant in Borough in spring. Oudh 1722 will specialise in Awadhi cuisine, which was developed in royal courts in the north of India, notably Lucknow. Can it join Opheem, in Birmingham, and become the next Indian restaurant in the UK to get two Michelin stars?

66 Union Street, Southwark, SE1 1TD oudh1722.com

ExtraVirginOO Tasting Menu

Saturday Seafood Roast

Sourdough Sophia

By Evie Flynn

THE POPULAR LOCKDOWN BAKERY IS EXPANDING TO BERMONDSEY

Starting in Sophia and Jesse’s dining room in 2020, Sourdough Sophia grew from a lockdown hobby into a north London staple with multiple locations. This spring, the cult bakery is heading south and bringing its central production kitchen to Spa Terminus in Bermondsey.

Founded by Sophia Handschuh and her partner Jesse Sutton Jones, Sourdough Sophia began life as a microbakery during the early months of the first lockdown.

Confined to their Crouch End flat, Sophia baked with their baby daughter balanced on her hip, whilst Jesse took to his bike, hand-delivering baked goods around their local neighbourhood.

Six years later, the pair now oversee three bakeries across north London, boast 266,000 Instagram followers and are preparing to open a 7,000 sq ft production site and wholesale hub under the railway arches in Bermondsey.

Known for their clean-ingredient sourdough loaves – made with just flour, water and salt – and favourites like Cinnamon Cruffins (a muffin meets croissant hybrid), the pair have built a loyal following for Sourdough Sophia, from the original supporters in Crouch End to newer fans.

Outgrowing the small kitchens in their existing stores, the new space marks a major milestone for the community bakery, opening up new areas of London and transforming how they bake and supply goods.

Once the team are set up in Bermondsey, there will also be a chance for local customers to buy goods directly from the arches, as many producers at Spa Terminus open their shutters to the public on Friday and Saturday.

Sophia and Jesse originally met at the University of Bristol in 2011 before moving to North London together, where they both entered full-time marketing roles.

“We were both hitting our limit in an office environment,” Jesse explains. “Both Sophia’s parents are entrepreneurs and she’s incredibly

creative – she needs to do her own thing.”

Growing up in Germany, Sophia began baking with her father, himself a baker, at the age of five and continued baking for friends and family during her adult life.

With Jesse’s support, she eventually left her marketing job to pursue her dream of running a baking business full time, writing a blog, running sourdough workshops from home and online, and selling baked goods and bakeware.

When lockdown hit, they had just welcomed their daughter, Hermione, but their business quickly ground to a halt when shipping stopped.

“We had a bread oven from the workshops that could take twelve loaves at a time,” Jesse says. “We didn’t have anything else to do, so I suggested we drop bread to people in the local community and, if they liked it, they could buy their next loaf.”

Fortunately, Jesse says the loaves went “viral” in the community and they received hundreds of WhatsApp orders. The pair hastily built an online

shop, shared their journey on social media and soon found themselves running a mini bakery from their dining room.

By the summer, socially distanced queues stretched down the street from their flat, with customers clamouring not just for sourdough, but cheesecakes, brownies and pastries too.

“Eventually we decided to take what we had learnt and open a high street bakery,” Jesse said. Although, they couldn’t get business loans, so decided to go back to the local community for help.

They launched a Kickstarter campaign and got over 600 backers, raising around £36,000.

Combined with their own savings, they opened their first bakery in Crouch End in December 2020.

“We had queues down the street for six months straight,” Jesse says. “I think people loved that we were a lockdown success story - it brought life back to a high street that had been silent for so long.”

However, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Jesse

is quick to point out that this was their first time launching a business of this scale, so mistakes were inevitable. Laughing, he recalls how they “messed everything up” on the opening day of their first bakery.

“It was a disaster,” he says. “No usable dough was made - we had to message everyone and delay the launch until the following day.”

As the team continues to grow rapidly, Sophia and Jesse now host a monthly “founder breakfast” to welcome new starters. With Sophia increasingly walking into sites and no longer knowing everyone by name, the sessions create space to talk through the brand, the story and the values with those who have joined in the past month.

Now, they’re keen to expand into new areas of London and reach more communities. Huge ovens will be installed under the Bermondsey arches, with all bread baked on site before being delivered locally to homes and to their bakeries.

Jesse describes the new site as “huge” with headroom for up to twenty sites. They will also

“We had queues down the street for six months straight. I think people loved that we were a lockdown success story - it brought life back to a high street that had been silent for so long”

have head office space there, as well as selling directly to customers on Fridays and Saturdays.

Spa Terminus is an amalgamation of exBorough Market wholesalers who have set up permanent spaces where they can work and sell. Jesse describes the “wonderful warm welcome” from the like-minded producers there.

The pair have also signed leases in Primrose Hill and on South Molton Street, with further South London and central locations planned. Wimbledon and Richmond are high on the list. Their space in Spa Terminus will be open at the beginning of April.

Voyager Estate, Dockley Rd, London SE16 4RP https://sourdoughsophia.co.uk/

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Canada Water's 'Cathedral of wine'

London’s biggest urban winery opens in Canada Water with British winemaking on the rise

By Matt Hasdell

London’s largest urban winery has opened in Canada Water amid a boom in the popularity of British wine.

The newly renovated Dock Shed is now home to Vagabond’s “Cathedral of Wine”, which is set to make up to 100,000 bottles of wine per year.

Having opened on December 4, wine will be produced in the 6,000 square-foot winery from grapes grown at vineyards within two hours’ travel of London in areas such as Suffolk, Kent and Essex.

Visitors can drink wine just metres from where it is made by attending a guided winery tour or a winemaking workshop, or using the self-pour machines which wine educator and general manager Ben Gubbins called “a pickand-mix for grown-ups”.

Mr Gubbins said wine was introduced to the country by the Romans, particularly benefitting 600 years ago when the climate went through a warm period, but growing stopped during a subsequent cooling in the Middle Ages. He said that in recent history, the climate has been an obstacle to wine being made in the UK.

The industry was affected again before the First World War as land was repurposed to grow crops, and it was not until the 1950s that UK winemaking was reborn.

Mr Gubbins said the “sparkling wine frenzy” of the 1980s put the UK wine scene back on the map.

"Some of the sparkling wine made in England can be compared to Champagne, due to similar production, climate and the same variety of grapes," he added.

According to some of the wine experts at the opening of the new venue in Canada Water, the country's industry has flourished amid rising temperatures and quality has been more widely recognised, despite global trends of fewer people drinking wine.

A warm summer in 2025 created a bumper harvest for the country’s vineyards, and those involved are optimistic about the future.

Jose Quintana, winemaker at Vagabond, said: “This is a very new industry in the UK.

“The UK has become known for sparkling wines, but 90 per cent of the wines we make are

Photos © Vagabond

'still' wines, and I think that's where we can really push the boundaries here.”

He said he hoped the new site’s capacity would enable him to age wine for longer, and that producing more would lower the price over time, making British still wines more accessible.

Mr Quintana said he knew the new facility, along with rising temperatures, would bring more scope for the business to support the country in expanding its market offering.

“Whenever you are in a changing climate, you change the things you grow,” he said.

Managing director Christobell Giles said she was excited to be bringing winemaking to a city where it has been traded for centuries.

She said she felt the winery would cater for both seasoned experts and regular enjoyers.

“That's always been what it's been about, helping people explore wine,” she said.

“This is now our new centre of the universe when it comes to that.”

vagabondwines.co.uk

A year of community partnerships

Through the Canada Water development, British Land’s goal is to positively contribute to a community where everyone has a chance to thrive. We’re proud to be partnered with local organisations to deliver a range of impactful programmes, serving the needs of this part of London and making the most of what the area has to offer.

British Land support these partnerships with direct funding, access to space, and by co-ordinating volunteers from our supply chain who share their time and expertise with local projects. Much of our work with these groups is through Canada Water Connect, a partnership between British Land and charity ELBA that was set up to connect people to opportunities being created by the development. Here are some of the local projects we enjoyed working with in 2025:

Sports

Our partnership with Ballers Academy, a Community Interest Company, offers free-to-access football sessions for local 15-year-olds, promoting equal access to sports, teambuilding, and physical and mental health.

Roosters Boxing Club offer low-cost boxing sessions for local young people and adults. Our funding enables the club to offer subsidised boxing sessions.

At Southwark Park Cricket Club, our funding enables to club to offer summer and off-season community cricket coaching for 9 to 15-year-olds. The programme also trains local residents to become coaches.

Education and training

At Bacon’s College we partnered with London Bubble Theatre Company to offer young people a confidence-building workshop titled “Way into Work”.

Our partnership with educational charity Global Generation provides young people with a safe space and a programme to help them develop green and practical skills through nature-based learning.

are on a mission to help children understand computing, outside of the

environment.

supporting the expansion

Scratch, Roblox Coding, Python, and Lego Coding.

The Canada Water development is already creating new employment and business opportunities, and we’re committed to ensuring local people can benefit from these. Our partnership with Construction Youth Trust provides Southwark youth with insights into the construction sector and helps them access job opportunities.

We support local enterprise through Thrive, the low-cost workspace and mentoring service run by charity Tree Shepherd in a unit in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre.

Time and Talents are a lively local charity who run activities both for children and families, and for older people. British Land provide the T&T2 unit in Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, which Time & Talents use to deliver programmes for various groups in the community.

At Surrey Docks Farm, we supported a Southwark resident in an 18-month apprenticeship. The apprentice leads a number of the farm’s projects, including their youth programme, work experience opportunities and their volunteering programme, and assists in the delivery of the mobile farm.

Arts

Our partnership with popular local artist Rod Kitson enables local people to access his Art of Isolation gallery, which is open for people to stop and draw or create with equipment and materials all provided.

Local festivals we’ve sponsored in the past year include the Bermondsey Carnival, a free event for all generations, and the Rotherhithe Festival, which attracted 7,500 attendees in 2025 with rides, activities and entertainment.

FLAV’R Street Food

By Evie Flynn

BOROUGH WELCOMES NEW STREET FOOD MARKET SHOWCASING NINE INDEPENDENT VENDORS

FLAV’R Street Food has officially opened in the railway arches just off Southwark Bridge Road, brining together eight global food vendors and a bar open every seven days a week.

The space offers traders, many of whom previously operated lunchtime street food stalls elsewhere, the opportunity to run permanent kitchens and serve customers beyond the usual rush-hour crowd.

What started out as an empty arch just a few months ago has now been transformed into a vibrant food space spanning Italian, Korean, Thai, Japanese, Lebanese and Chinese cuisines, alongside a steakhouse offering.

All under one roof, the central seating area makes it an ideal spot for groups where everyone wants to try something different.

FLAV’R Street Food also caters to sports fans, with large TVs showing Sky Sports and planned events for the FIFA World Cup and Rugby World Cup this and next summer.

As the weather improves, the street outside will be pedestrianised, creating additional space for outdoor seating.

SPIZZA NAPOLETANA (PIZZA):

One of the new traders is Spizza Napoletana, an authentic Neapolitan pizza business run by husbandand-wife team Massimo and Elena.

The Italian-owned pizzeria already operates a takeaway restaurant on London Bridge Street and a popular food truck, both of which will continue alongside the new FLAV’R location.

They also offer takeaway services locally and can bring the bold flavours of Naples to events or weddings in their distinctive Spizza horsebox.

Elena said: “We are so excited about this opportunity. Before, we were trading in a small market, but now we have space for sit-down customers and the chance to build a stronger community where people can stay longer and enjoy the food.”

From 10:00 - 15:00 Spizza Napoletana offers a lunchtime deal, where you can grab a pizza and a drink for £10.99.

Outside of lunch hours, their pizzas start at £9 for a simple tomato base, £10 for a Margherita and up to £15 for their specials.

Opening times at FLAV’R: Monday - Saturday 12:0010:00, Sunday 12:00 - 20:00

London Bridge location: 4 London Bridge St, London SE1 9SG

GRAND CENTRAL BAR:

This venue also boasts a bar upstairs, run by Fahren who grew up round the corner in Waterloo.

The bar serves draught beers, cocktails, wines and spirits, and will host regular DJ nights. Bermondsey local DJ Noel is set to perform a Valentine’s Day set.

A weekday happy hour runs from 2pm to 5pm, offering pints of draught beer for £5.

Although Fahren has always worked in street food, this is his first time running a bar. He says he’s excited for the new challenge.

Opening times at FLAV’R: Monday - Sunday 11:30 - 23:00

WELL DONE (STEAKS AND BURGERS):

Adam’s venture, Well Done, aims to bring a “steakhouse experience to street food,” offering premium cuts including ribeye, sirloin and fillet rather than the more common rump.

Well Done already operates a stall in Waterloo’s Millennium Green Park near Lower Marsh.

A steak and chips is priced at £13, while a burger and chips costs £8. One of the stall’s most popular additions

is a house butter made with lemon and garlic, finished with a spicy kick. All food served at Well Done halal.

Adam said: “Due to high demand, I wanted to spread out my offering so even more people can enjoy it,” Adam explans. “I want to bring that premium experience to street food and serve customers outside of lunch hours.”

This is only Adam’s first year as a street food vendor, but he shares that the feedback from customers so far has been “excellent”.

Opening times at FLAV’R: Monday - Sunday 11:00 - 22:00

Waterloo location: Millennium, Green, Baylis Rd, London SE1 7AA

OTSUMAMI (JAPANESE):

Otsumami, owned by Artur, also started as a street food stall in Waterloo, bringing flavours of Japan to SE1 since 2017.

The menu includes Chicken Katsu Curry, KatsuDon, and Gyu-Don - a beef cutlet cooked with onion in a sweet and savoury sauce. Vegetarian options include Nasu Don, featuring aubergine tempura served over rice with a sweet sauce or curry.

Artur said: “Our move to FLAV’R is a step forward in the business, allowing us to move indoors into a community of vendors.”

A convenient lunchtime deal offers smaller portions of main dishes for £8, or £8.50 with miso soup or a drink.

Opening times at FLAV’R: Monday - Sunday 11:30 - 22:30

Waterloo location: 73 Waterloo Rd, South Bank, London SE1 8TY

LUNA (CAFE):

Michele brings Italian street food to SE1 with fresh coffee and piadine, a flatbread with cheese and meat.

The cafe also serves have hot chocolate and a breakfast deal, where you can grab a coffee and croissant for just £4.50 – perfect for commuters.

Although Michele has always worked in hospitality, this is the first stand he has owned.

“The location is amazing,” he said. “It’s right by my house, which is convenient, but I also love the environment and being around the other vendors.”

Opening times at FLAV’R: 9:00 - 15:00

CHINA SHACK (CHINESE):

Sharif and Monzurul’s Chinese food stall lets customers build their perfect plate.

Choose a base of noodles or rice, topped with chicken in flavours such as sweet chilli, salt and pepper, teriyaki, sweet and sour, or Kung Pao.

Vegetable spring rolls are available on the side.

Opening times at FLAV’R: Monday - Sunday 11:30 - 22:30

Milo Reformer on Bermondsey Street opened last February to cater for gym-goers curious about Pilates, new mums and those recovering from injury.

While Milo and the Bull has been a fixture on the street since opening in 2023, the studio added another layer to its hybrid offering with the launch of reformer Pilates classes at a dedicated studio opposite.

The 12-bed reformer Pilates studio sits alongside the brand’s strength-led training concept, allowing members to mix reformer Pilates with Milo and the Bull’s signature hybrid sessions. An introductory offer gives newcomers the chance to try two reformer classes for £25.

Known for its varied programming – from HYROX circuits to rowing classes – Milo and the Bull expanded its offering last year with the introduction of Milo Reformer Bermondsey, creating a space focused purely on reformer Pilates while maintaining the same performance-

driven ethos.

Milo and the Bull, Bermondsey

By Evie Flynn

Located on Bermondsey Street, opposite their Milo and the Bull gym, the reformer studio offers a calm, considered contrast to the intensity of hybrid training, while still delivering a full-body workout rooted in strength, control and mobility.

Unlike mat Pilates, reformer is performed on a machine – called a reformer – which uses spring-based resistance to create a fuller range of movement and scalable difficulty.

While it’s often perceived as the more intimidating cousin of traditional Pilates, the adjustable springs can both challenge and support the body, making it suitable for everything from strength-building to rehabilitation and injury prevention.

According to Alex, head of reformer at Milo and the Bull, the ethos remains consistent across both Milo Reformer and Milo Training.

“We’re all about balance, consistency and enjoyment,” she explains. “We see Milo Reformer

as a great complement to Milo Training – it can help boost performance and build strength holistically, but it’s also great as its own full-body workout.”

Crucially, reformer isn’t reserved for the ultraflexible or already fit. Alex adds that reformer is designed to be accessible to everyone, whether it’s your first time or you’re already familiar with working out.

Comfortable socks and activewear are all that’s needed, with instructors guiding participants through layered exercises and modifications so everyone can work at a level that feels right for their body.

From the end of January, Milo Reformer Bermondsey offers a weekly Strong Mum Reformer class, designed for pre- and post-natal participants. Held every Friday at 10:30am, the class allows mums to focus on rebuilding strength without worrying about childcare.

The team also plans to introduce athletic

reformer classes later this year, featuring more dynamic sequences, cardio elements, and higher stability demands.

Pricing:

Milo and the Bull’s pricing reflects its split offering. Unlimited access to Milo Training classes is priced at £180 per month, while those looking for more flexibility can opt for class packs, with four classes a month for £60 or eight for £100.

Reformer sessions are priced separately, with memberships costing £200 per month for 12 classes or £150 for eight classes. For those keen to mix both styles, the studio also offers a combined membership at £220 per month, which includes eight reformer classes alongside eight Milo Training sessions.

Location: Milo Reformer, 168-170 Bermondsey St, London SE1 https://www.miloandthebull.com/ booklondonbridge

YOUR NEW STEAKHOUSE

07570 117654

Opening Hours

Monday 5pm - 10:00p

Tuesday Closed

Wed-Thu 5pm - 10:00pm Friday 5pm - 11:30pm Saturday 12pm - 11:00pm Sunday 12pm - 10pm

51 Blue Anchor Lane, SE16 3UL

Family fun this half-term

Imagine festival is back this halfterm at the Southbank Centre!

Running from Wed 11 – Sat 21 Feb catch thrilling theatre and dance, music, comedy, talks and activities for those aged 0 – 11 and their grown ups!

Don’t miss The Princess and the Pea (Sat 14 – Fri 20 Feb) as it takes centre stage remixing the classic fairytale with acrobatics and clowning. A funny and tender dance performance The Show for Young Men (Fri 13 – Sun 15 Feb) considers how ideas of masculinity affect both boys and men. Plus Quentin Blake’s Mrs Armitage on Wheels (Wed 18 – Sat 21 Feb) sees puppets and live music celebrate the power of imagination and the importance of community.

In the mood for music? Join the CBeebies Wildlife Jamboree (Fri 20 Feb) to spot creatures with Bluey and earn Wildlife badges with Duggee. Catch your favourite songs and actors from the BAFTA Award-winning CBBC TV series live (and dead!) on stage in Horrible Histories: The Concert (Tue 17 Feb). Rock out with Andy and The Odd Socks

(Sun 15 Feb) for mayhem and bags of fun.

For all the movers out there, Imagine is full of events to get your wiggles out! Twirl, whirl and play at evim [my home] (Tue 17 - Thu 19 Feb) as the performers take you on a spellbinding journey to find a place called home. Join us to get down and dance at interactive performance and guided dance Mini SPIN (Fri 13 - Sun 15 Feb). Leap, climb and vault your way into a world of movement at Pop-up Parkour with Ascension (Tue 17 - Thu 19 Feb). Learn new moves and watch amazing performances at ZooNation’s Hip-Hop Half Term (Fri 20 Feb).

Be part of the fun as your favourite writers share insight into their series’. Spend An Evening with Jacqueline Wilson (Sun 15 Feb) and take part in a live draw-along. Explore the coolest corners of our building after dark in our brand new festival experience, The Sleepover Club (Sun 15 Feb) and uncover new stories before camping out in the Royal Festival Hall overnight.

Buckle up for George Webster: A Magical Celebration of Difference (Wed 18 Feb), a book event packed with fun, adventure and dragon-fuelled mayhem. Hot Poets & Tongue Fu for Kids: WonderPoems (Sat 21 Feb) is

an adventure in poetry, science and music celebrating protectors of our planet.

Catch all the free events at Imagine with creative workshops, performances, live music and much more. ‘Pick up a piece of chalk and get drawing at Giant Chalkboard (Fri 13 – Sat 21 Feb), get ready to dance at Bollyqueer’s Big Boogie (Sun 15 Feb), have a giggle at Big Laughs for Little Bellies (Wed 18 Feb) and have an otter-ly amazing time with a fantastic day of facts, games and fashion at A Day at the Zoo (Wed 18 Feb).’

The very popular REPLAY: A Limitless Recycled Playground (Wed 14 Jan – Sun 12 Apr) is also back, perfect for little ones and their grown-ups to enter an endless world of play and invention.

Imagine is a Relaxed festival, meaning that all performances have a relaxed approach to noise and movement in the space.

Barbora Patková has transformed what she described as a “dirty old yard” in South Bermondsey into a wellness haven, complete with saunas, cold plunge baths and a workshop space hosting yoga, sound baths and meditation.

Just a short walk from South Bermondsey station, Innervisions Alchemy appears from the outside to be a fenced-off, nondescript piece of land. Step inside, however, and it feels as though you’ve been transported straight to Finland.

The space features three large wooden saunas and three icy water baths - a wellness practice known as contrast therapy, which involves rapidly alternating between extreme heat and extreme cold.

With community at its centre, the sauna and cold plunge launched in November last year, offering accessible prices of just £9.50 for a 90-minute session during off-peak hours and £15 at peak times.

They also offer 60-minute off-peak sessions for £8, with discounted rates of £5 for students, Blue Light card holders, people with disabilities, those over 66, or anyone on a low income.

“Once you come through the gates, you could be anywhere,” explained Barbora, the founder of Innervisions Alchemy. “Having a sauna in the middle of London is so unusual, we had a full moon the other day and it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.”

Each 90-minute session includes access to all three saunas, which vary in size and temperature, as well as hot tea, showers, changing rooms and three icy plunges. Two of the cold baths are kept between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, while the coldest sits at just 1 degree.

The saunas themselves are wood-fired and tended by a member of staff throughout the day. One is designated as a quiet sauna, offering an uninterrupted escape from the outside world.

“People are really needing something like this,” Barbora says. “We’ve lost touch with being outside and being in the elements. There’s a real fire, fed by a person, with the intention to keep it going under the open sky, in fresh air and water.

“It taps into something we’re deeply seeking, even if we’re not always aware of it. It’s social, it’s different, and it brings people back into their bodies.”

Alongside the sauna space, Barbora built a two-storey workshop area and wellness lounge inside the main building. Open since 2024, it hosts massage, yoga, breathwork, sound healing and meditation sessions.

The spacious studio space is available to book for individuals or organisations and the treatment rooms are home to a trusted group of practitioners specialising in a range of holistic therapies.

Originating from Finland, contrast therapy offers numerous physiological and mental benefits. With a degree in Natural Sciences from the University of Cambridge, Barbora is particularly interested in how the psyche and physical body are connected.

“It decreases your risk of heart disease, reduces mortality, detoxifies the skin, improves circulation and relaxes the nervous system,” she explains.

Beyond the physical effects, Barbora highlights the mental health benefits as well. “It’s been shown to reduce anxiety, depression and addiction. It has a real capacity to break you out of bad habits. We live in such a busy world, and it’s often hard for us to process emotions - our bodies are constantly in fight-or-flight mode.

“I think contrast therapy has an invincible element to it,” she continues. “When you do something challenging in extreme conditions, you build not only physiological but also mental resilience.

“A morning session sets you up for the day,

Innervisions Alchemy

By Evie Flynn

INSIDE THE HIDDEN SOUTH BERMONDSEY SAUNA SANCTUARY - WITH COLD PLUNGES FOR UNDER £10

‘Having a sauna in the middle of London is so unusual, we had a full moon the other day and it felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.’

invigorating you by lowering cortisol levels. At night, contrast therapy can support sleep, and when you immerse yourself up to your neck in the cold water, it activates your vagus nerve, which helps calm the nervous system.”

Contrast therapy can seem daunting if you’ve never plunged before. However, Innervisions Alchemy is welcoming to all - Barbora insists that once people try it, they usually want to keep doing it.

Barbora has had a successful career as a musician and also runs a music studio business just down the road from the sauna. For the past ten years, she has been working with breath, sound, and meditation alongside her music, hosting workshops from her home. She wanted, however, to take her practice to the next level.

Looking ahead, Barbora hopes to introduce half-day music and wellness retreats, welcoming like-minded people to experience saunas, massages, and sound and breathwork sessions. Music from across the world would be streamed across the entire site, including inside the saunas, creating a fully immersive experience.

She also plans to host outdoor film nights as the weather warms up. “I can imagine people lounging around after a sauna and cold plunge on Moroccan furnishings, showing films that not only entertain but also educate,” she says.

Ultimately, Barbora wants to link her two passions, music and wellness, more closely. She is exploring ways to connect her music studios with the sauna site, developing high-end production opportunities for bands, and applying for funding to run the first accredited course in south-east London focused on music and wellness. Her goal is to make it accessible to women, queer people, and a diverse range of participants.

Location: Unit 1, Ilderton Wharf, Rollins St, London SE15 1EP

Prices: 90 minutes peak: £15

90 minutes off-peak: £9.50

60 minute off-peak: £8 (£5 concessions) https://www.innervisionsalchemy.co.uk

Come and enjoy traditional Finnish Easter treats and delicious food and pastries from our Cafe and Shop. Outside BBQ area offers a wide selection of drinks and food, inside we also have a wide range of Finnish gift items for yourself or a loved one.

Fri 20th March 12:00 -20:00 Sat 21st March 12:00 -18:00 Sun 22nd March 12:00 -17:00 WWW.BRITANNIA.MERIMIESKIRKKO.FI

Ben Hopkinson, founder of Druid Street’s Hop Kingdom, has created something rare in London: a place where you can sip a pint, step on a skateboard, and feel welcome - even if you’ve never skated before.

Hop Kingdom opened in 2018 and was built on a simple idea: to make skateboarding more accessible and social by combining it with something most people already love, beer

The space has been running for the benefit of the community ever since and in September 2025, it gained Community Interest Company (CIC) status.

Set on the east side of the Low Line, a popular walking route from Southwark to Bermondsey, the bar is under a ten-minute stroll from London Bridge station. For Ben, the project began as a ‘passion project’ after he started to crave the community and connection he would get from skateboarding spaces as a boy.

“I was 25 at the time. I used to skate when I was younger, and I loved it,” he says. “But as a 25-year-old guy, I was never going to go to a skate park or the South Bank and drop in – that’s intimidating.”

Hop Kingdom was born from a crowdfunding campaign and despite its popularity, Ben says he hasn’t paid himself since Covid, living out of a van to keep the business running.

The new CIC status opens up new funding opportunities for the space and from the local council, which will help the business cope with high London rent and soaring bills.

Affordability is central to the venue’s ethos. A skate session costs £6.50 and includes a drink, while daily happy hour from 5pm to 7pm keeps pints at £3.69. Plenty of visitors come just for the atmosphere.

“We have regular drinkers who enjoy watching the

skating without taking part themselves,” Ben says.

Every Monday from 4pm to 10pm, Hop Kingdom hosts a drop-in adult beginners’ night. Anyone interested in skating is welcome to drop in.

You can also opt for a private lesson to start with if the Monday beginners’ night is still a little daunting.

All coaching is delivered by a team of highly experienced skaters, who are all Skateboard GBaccredited and one of the coaches is the recent Welsh Open champion.

“We have all sorts of abilities,” Ben explains. “Some people skated years ago and don’t skate now, but they still want to support the community and be around the people.”

The age range is just as broad. Children, parents, mums and even grandads share the space.

“We have grandads who were part of the original

skateboarding scene in the 1970s,” he says. “That’s what Hop Kingdom is all about – offering a space for everyone with a shared interest.”

Having fun while skating is one of the most important things, says Ben, who adds that he’s learned it’s vital in order to enjoy it.

Ben adds: “With skateboarding, you can very quickly get in your head and start thinking, ‘I’m rubbish. I can’t do it.’ You’ve got to enjoy the process. You’re going to fall over, it’s going to hurt, and you’ve got to be happy with that. You’re also more likely to land your trick in a positive state of mind.”

Set beneath two interconnected railway arches, Hop Kingdom’s first arch houses the bar and a mini ramp, while the second features a street-style skating section. Alongside draught beers, wine and spirits, the bar regularly hosts DJ nights.

“Seven and a half years later, it’s turned into the community hub that the area needs,” he explains.

Speaking about Druid Street, Ben says: “I absolutely love the little spot we are in opposite the little park at St John’s Churchyard.

“It’s next to all the tourist attractions but manages to keep a local vibe where everyone knows each other.”

Looking ahead, Ben hopes to expand what the space can offer. “Our focus is community,” he says. “We want as many people using the space as possible.” Plans include applying for grants to improve music equipment, add a stage, and collaborate with like-minded brands and skaters to host events and skate jams.

Price: £6.50 per skate (includes a drink)

Website: https://hopking.org/

Location: 16 Druid Street, London, SE1 2EY

Smart Storage for Modern London Living

Living and working in London often means making the most of limited space. Whether you’re renovating, downsizing, moving home or simply reclaiming some breathing room, Pocket Storage Bermondsey offers a secure, flexible and stress-free storage solution right in the heart of SE1.

Conveniently located for residents and businesses across Bermondsey, London Bridge and the surrounding areas, Pocket Storage is designed with modern urban lifestyles in mind. From safeguarding personal belongings to important business stock, customers benefit from a clean, professional and highly secure environment.

Pocket Storage also caters to local businesses, offering a practical alternative to expensive commercial space. Tradespeople, retailers, creatives and entrepreneurs can store tools, stock or archives securely, helping them stay organised and efficient without the overheads of larger premises.

With 24/7 access, moving items in and out is quick and hassle-free, whenever it suits you. Whether you’re decluttering your home, managing a life transition or growing a business, Pocket Storage provides a reliable solution that adapts to your needs.

What sets Pocket Storage apart is its simple, transparent approach. With flexible contracts and a wide range of unit sizes available, customers only pay for the space they need, for exactly as long as they need it. There are no long-term commitments, making it ideal for both short-term projects and longer-term storage requirements.

Security is a top priority at the Bermondsey facility. The site features 24/7 CCTV monitoring and controlled access, providing complete peace of mind. The building is well-lit, easy to navigate and thoughtfully designed to make every visit straightforward and stress-free.

Pocket Storage Bermondsey is storage made simple, secure, flexible and right where you need it.

www.pocket.storage/self-storage-london

Bermondsey Boy Still Watching the Birds

JBy Michael Holland

ohn Ruler was born in Guy’s Hospital before mum and dad took him home to Monnow Road. He already had a big sister, Susan, then younger brother Alan arrived to complete the happy family.

When John was four the Rulers moved to a flat on Longfield Estate, where they stayed for another four years until a new house became available in Esmeralda Road, just across from their original home. Mum, Irene, wanted a house to bring up her three children and had recruited local Labour MP Bob Mellish to make sure she got one.

Dad, John, was a dockworker until they closed, when he joined BT and trained as an engineer. Irene came from generations of river workers and boat operators. Irene took local jobs that fitted in with being a mother of three: Shuttleworth’s Chocolate Factory, Dinner Lady at Credon School and shifts in Peek Frean’s: ‘She used to come home loaded up with the broken biscuits for us and all the neighbours,’ John laughs. He also holds a memory of the biscuits being fresh from the production line and tasting so much better than shop-bought ones.

Young John’s education began in Kintore Way nursery before moving next door to Boutcher School, but when the family moved to their new home John transferred to Alma School, which he loved because all the kids there were the ones he played with round the flats: ‘Yer mates in the streets were yer mates in school,’ he explains. And it was in the streets that John and his gang played the usual games from that era - Runouts and Tin Tan

Tommy. He described an elaborate version of Knock Down Ginger that involved using a lot of Mum’s reels of cotton, much to her annoyance - and to those tricked into continually opening the door! Like most post-war kids they enjoyed going to the bomb sites to build camps. Later, when Surrey Docks closed down, the wasteland it left was, John claims, ‘great for fishing and bird-egging.’

John’s father had bought him The Observers’ Book of Birds, which he would study and tick off each bird he’d seen, as dad instructed, and he grew into the habit of always having binoculars with him. He still has that book today.

John enjoyed primary school and when he went to South East London Secondary School he relished the different lessons that were designed to teach you a trade. John took the Electrical Engineering & Mechanical course.

Family holidays would be the usual places, but The Rulers mixed theirs up a little according to where a local racecourse had a meeting. That’s because John’s dad liked a day at the races. He was not a heavy gambler but he enjoyed a little bet, so if there was a meeting at Folkestone they would book a caravan in Dymchurch; Bognor Regis when Glorious Goodwood was on, and a holiday in Broadstairs if there was dog racing at nearby Dumpton Park.

John joined the Cubs - The 27th Bermondsey - and attended London City Mission where they took kids on camping trips. ‘I really enjoyed those,’ he declares. Extra

pocket money was accumulated with Saturday jobs.

A teacher at Alma School, Mr Creffield, would occasionally bring in an odd antique purchased in Bermondsey Market, hold it up to the 10-year-olds and ask what it was. ‘I loved that lesson. Especially when I knew what the item was!’ In the school holidays John would go to the market himself to look around and talk to the traders.

The Electrical Engineering work John did in school whetted his appetite to continue. That meant his initial plan to follow the family tradition of becoming a lighterman was put to one side when he began an electrician apprenticeship instead. He does, though, have great memories of working on the family’s pleasure boats during school holidays. He learnt a lot about London’s rich history by listening to the pilot’s commentary.

John remembers his apprenticeship as a slow but steady process where they taught you all you needed to know. He was apprenticed to a man who was a real stickler for doing the job right: ‘Charlie Bodley, bless him; he’d start the job at ten to eight instead of eight o’clock,’ remembers John. ‘He was proper old school, a joy to work with.’

John loved his time as an electrician. He enjoyed working in many of the great buildings around the

capital, like the Houses of Parliament. His claim to fame, that he tells everyone at every opportunity, is, ‘I ran a conduit around the top of the White Tower in the Tower of London.’

After becoming a qualified electrician the apprentice wage of £11 went up, so with money in his pocket, John would be out and about in the local pubs and beyond.

The Fort, The Foresters, The Lilliput, The Greg, plus West End hot spots like Crackers, The Lyceum and Global Village would all be visited.

But John wanted to spread his wings further, so he and two mates flew off to the United States, travelling by car and Greyhound bus across that vast continent from California, where they visited friends and relatives in L.A. and San Francisco, and touring the Southern States before ending up in Florida Keys. John recalls those three months as being ‘a memorable time that stood me in good stead for future travelling’.

On his return John went back to being an electrician but also moonlighted as a minicab driver: ‘It was a good earner at the time, you could take hundred quid on a good night, which was big money in them days.’ He liked the camaraderie there as well as the easy money: ‘Some of us drivers would go for a drink after work, sometimes to a casino and play Blackjack, or to a card school to play

“I ran a conduit round the White Tower in the Tower of London”

Kalooki... There were a lot of clandestine activities,’ he tells me with an enigmatic smile.

These days, John has moved into the buying, selling and restoration of antiques and fireplaces, originally motivated, of course, by that Alma school teacher who sparked something in John who never lost his interest in old, interesting objects.

He started with a friend in shared premises in the Old Kent Road when doing up old Victorian houses instead of knocking them down was trendy - and when John could get the original fixtures and fittings. With the business going well, and his personal life on the up, he moved to a house in Blackheath.

He tells the tale of many years later whilst browsing in Camden Market, he heard a voice behind him that he instantly recognised as Mr Creffield. ‘I told him, “I’m here because of you”, and explained what I did as a living and how it was because of his improvised lessons on antiques. He was quite chuffed about it.’

John currently resides in New Romney where he is taking life a lot slower. No more grafting seven days a week. Now, most of John’s business is done online but he does run a stall at the occasional antique fair, and is regularly seen at Faversham’s monthly market. He has built up a following on Instagram (@ oldebonyschoolantiques), where the internet has made dealing a lot easier by sending photos and details anywhere in the world and doing a deal in minutes. Film prop buyers have John on speed dial for when they need specific objects for period dramas. He often spots pieces he’s sold to them - ‘I saw my old chimney pots in Peaky Blinders’ - but gets the hump if he notices they have been used anachronistically. It seems that John can also be a stickler like his old electrician boss...

The best deal he recollects was a hoard of William De Morgan tiles bought from a builder renovating an old house, and sold on to a De Morgan collector. He refused to say how much profit was made but adds, ‘I wish I still had ‘em now...’

Other deals have brought him into contact with the famous: Jeremy Irons bought cast iron urns for his garden, two old pub tables went to former newsreader Peter Sissons, and Jools Holland has been a regular customer. John always has his eye on the auctions and boot fairs, but his big tip is getting to a market early so you have first pickings.

He has a bit of land now where sheep graze, chickens range free, fruit trees and vegetables grow, and he spends many hours out with his binoculars at the local RSPB reserve at Dungeness, still ticking off birds in the book his father bought him.

John regularly comes back to his hometown to walk round the old manor, have pie-mash in Manze’s and, sadly, more often than not, attend a funeral of an old friend.

He has many fond memories of growing up in Bermondsey and says that he wouldn’t change it for the world.

Mr Pomeroy’s Magnificent Gift

By Debra Gosling

This is a very rare photo of Long Lane Recreation Ground after its completion in 1896.

Before I elaborate, look closely at the figures to the left of that magnificent drinking fountain. They all look pretty desolate and miserable - but this was in a time when Long Lane was a poverty-stricken area of Bermondsey. Look closer and be shocked by what you see. The boy in the wheelbarrow cart is disabled - he has a malformed bare foot.

And notice the man and the other boys are wrapped up with hats, scarves, socks and coats, yet the disabled boy is dressed in merely a shirt. Look closer still and you can see snow on the brickwork and ice on the manhole cover. What is this poor boy doing out in the cold dressed so inappropriately?! He looks so sad. At best this must be child neglect in a harsh world that didn’t care. Families looked on in despair at a child that could not go out to work and earn his keep. What an unhappy life he must have had, when only the workhouse or a special school were his options.

Back to the fountain. This park was laid out on top of the old Quaker Friends burial ground as a recreation space for children. The Friends had owned this piece of land since the seventeenth century, when they were persecuted and driven out of many places. The Quakers of Horselydown were particularly persecuted for their beliefs and banned from local churches and buildings, so they established their own burial ground here for their brethren to lie in peace. It was eventually sold off to Bermondsey Borough Council who made it into a park. It opened on the Thursday afternoon of 14th May 1896 to much fanfare and celebration. All the great and the good of Bermondsey were there, including Colonel

Bourne Bevington (whose father is buried here), Augustus Shand and Ambrose Pomeroy, along with the clergy and local businessmen. Representatives from the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association were also there, after they had stumped up £150 towards the purchase of the graveyard as well as throwing in some benches for free. This was late Victorian times when all around was industry and pollution, where many kids died in infancy from all sorts of diseases, with TB and diphtheria being rife. To have a space created especially for them with trees and play equipment was divine.

Ambrose Pomeroy (18511926), was a local draper who had travelled up from Cornwall to set up business in Bermondsey New Road (around the corner from the park). He and his brother Edwin went on to successfully open branches in The Blue and Peckham. He was a very sympathetic and caring man who used his hard-earned wealth to the benefit of his disadvantaged neighbours. During his career he was asked to sit on the board of the Bermondsey vestry and was looked upon as an upstanding member of his community. He was a churchwarden and president of both the Temperance Council. and LCC Parks Committee. He got involved with improvements in Southwark Park, including the cricket and bowls clubs.

He was an honest trader; his price tickets were clearly marked and he traded with the best materials. He campaigned for half-day closing down The Blue and was one of the first to do so on a Thursday afternoon. In short he was a good man!

But back to the park - Mr Pomeroy gifted the wondrous drinking fountain so that little children could get some refreshing and clean drinking water. It was huge! Yet it has disappeared. The Quaker’s burial ground was always a bit creepy to me when I was young. It was a pretty dark and lonely place. I cannot recall the fountain being there and as it wasn’t bombed I can’t think why it was removed.

To continue on the dark theme, on 14th August 1908 a very unsavoury case was put before the Tower Bridge Magistrates’ Court. James Bowne, a furniture remover, was charged with improper behaviour and outraging public decency in the recreation ground. If he thought he could get away with it he was wrong! From her home at 260 Long Lane, Mrs Rose Warley spotted Bowne out of the window. He was too involved in his own private party to notice this irate woman had descended upon him and was now raining blows down on him! He tried to run away but she ran after him. A Miss Wright had joined the chase and managed to smack him in the face before other ladies joined and put the boot in. He was rescued by a policeman who duly arrested him. Bowne received three months hard labour and the women were

commended for their actions. Yuk. Today the park is a bright open space, with play equipment and happy children - but I do wonder what happened to that poor, freezing little boy from over a hundred years ago...

p The fountain inscription © Southwark Archives z Ambrose Pomeroy © Lewisham Libraries