uide to King’s Cross, Clerkenw ltural g ell and he cu beyo IS THE FOOD T nd What Exmouth Essential happened RAILWAY Market’s to the iconic CHILDREN latest catch MUST DO BUXOM ANY COP? + New KX This spring openings MERMAID? issue four march 2015 www.gasholder.london FREE

CANAL KNOWLEDGE Life on the urban waterfront

E LOVE the Regent’s canal here at WITH OUR fourth print issue, we meet authorities to stay put); and the hardy SO IS life on the water really as idyllic as W Gasholder. East towards Hackney, four different characters who’ve made lass who steered her vessel hundreds of we imagine? Or does switching moorings or west up to Little Venice, we’ve walked the choice to live or work on the water. miles to set up a daytrip business here every couple of weeks – not to mention it all. In fact, on every wander down There’s the craft beer merchant who in King’s Cross. Oh, and we bet you pumping out yucky bilge every evening to the towpath, it’s hard not to stare borrows his mate’s cruiser now and didn’t realise that a fl oating cocktail – become a bit of a bore? Head to p.8 for longingly at the narrow boats – and again, the bookworm who set up shop bar struts up and down this stretch on our 4-page waterfront special – and ponder a simpler life afl oat. on the water (and is currently battling a daily basis? fi nd out.

SERVING FRESH SEASONAL BRITISH FOOD, CASK ALES AND CRAFT BEERS, WITH STUNNING VIEWS OF THE CANAL.

To book contact 0207 400 6003 or visit www.thenarrowboat.com @Narrowboatpub

6374 Young's Narrow Boat Kentish Towner Ad_V2.indd 1 06/03/2015 12:48 OPENING 27TH MARCH King’s Cross Visitor Centre 11 Stable Street, N1C 4AB www.kingscross.co.uk/10k1 @kingscrossN1C #10k1 gasholder 3 MUST DO March

Editor Stephen Emms 7 1. DAILY BURGER BARGAINS? YEAH! Yeah Burger – the new kitchen pop-up at King’s Cross Co-Editor rave boozer Star of Kings – has only just launched, but Tom Kihl they’re not short of a great deal or two. On Mondays, share two burgers and fries for a fairly unbeatable £10. Designer If you work locally, there’s 20% off drinks and select Olly Skinner menu items on Worker Wednesdays. A Yeah Burger and Logo fries is only a fi ver with student ID at lunchtimes (12- Russell Loughlan 3pm). 126 York Way, N1C

Contributors 2. 800TH ANNIVERSARY OF MAGNA CARTA Dan Hall (daniel-hall.co.uk) It has inspired some of today’s fundamental liberties, Tony Diaz yet started as a practical solution to a political crisis 800 years ago. Uncover the story of how its power has been Distribution used – and abused – from its genesis through to today’s Man Friday (manfriday.london) popular culture, in the largest exhibition ever staged about this world-famous document. Opens March 13th Published by (till Sept). Euston Road NW1 London Belongs To Me Ltd 2014 3. GO HOLI AT DISHOOM www.londonbelongstome.com This year, their annual party takes over the new Cubitt Square, just off Stable Street. Holi is rooted in Hindu Send us nice things: legend, and is a joyful, messy occasion, so bring family The Old House, and friends to enjoy an afternoon of storytelling, 39-41 North Road traditional colour-play, music, snacks and drinks. A London N7 9DP mini street food market will feature Pizza Pilgrims, Rotli Crew and Horn OK Please. To join our membership March 29th, Lewis scheme and any other feedback Cubitt Square. Tickets £15 (adult) £8 (child) please email us at dishoom.com/holi [email protected] 4. STEP INSIDE A NARROWBOAT To advertise Enjoyed our cover story? At the London Canal Museum please call you can peek inside a cabin, learn about the history of 0207 607 5765 2 the canals and people who worked on the waterways. or email Housed in a former ice warehouse, it features the [email protected] history of the ice trade and ice cream, as well as the canals. 12-13 New Wharf Road, London N1 BACK ISSUES 5. HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION: shop.kentishtowner.co.uk PROPS BY PAULA REGO This new gallery is essential for art lovers: the three props currently on display were selected by Rego and made in 2014 with her model and long-time collaborator Lila Nunes. Until Mar 20th, 2 Granary Dan Hall is a Highgate-based 3 Square, King’s Cross London N1C photographer and sometime music video and corporate 6. FREE UNDERGROUND CLUBBING promo director (daniel-hall.co.uk 6 Cally Road’s creative hotspot Drink Shop Do are well- / puplimited.com). known for their quirky craft workshops, boozy cake events and popular coffee offshoot DASH, but did you know they also have a wild subterranean club venue, HIS ISSUE – our fi rst ever and step back in time with the story of the too? It’s open for dancing every Friday and Saturday standalone – is all about the buxom mermaid (see page 14). night and is always free to get in before 10pm. water, from taking a boozy 9 Caledonian Road, N1 evening voyage along the canal to DON’T forget to check out our website Tliving and working on a barge. gasholder.london for regular news on 7. A MAHOOSIVE NEW VINOTECA what’s going on in this fast-changing central Their most ambitious site yet is a mere stagger from IF that doesn’t fl oat your proverbial, then district. Till next month, both King’s Cross and St Pancras stations, with ninety get stuck straight into the food section covers, a sizeable outdoor terrace and a whopping instead, with our reviews and tips on eating 250 wines from all around the world. Food is inspired both in King’s Cross and Clerkenwell. We by British classics, the Mediterranean and beyond. also put the spotlight on an innovative club For those on a budget, try the £1 espresso at the bar, night about to hit the Big Chill House (p13), European-style. Opens March 10, daily until 11pm. One Pancras Square N1C 4 gasholder FOOD Bonnie Gull The newish Exmouth Market diner has just reinvented itself with small plates to compete with nearby Caravan and Morito

XMOUTH MARKET is one of the few streets in London where it’s nigh on impossible to make a bad eating choice. Morito is a Esuperior tapas bar, Medcalf serves hip modern British, Blackfoot dishes up some of the capital’s fi nest pork, and Caravan is packed, if not as dazzling as it’s big King’s Cross sibling. Even better, tired old Strada has recently morphed into cute Café Pistou. Will Caffe Nero be the next chain to buckle? Nine months ago a newcomer moved into the outlet previously occupied by the short-lived Potato Merchant, and before that, an underperforming French restaurant. It’s a notoriously tricky spot. And yet Bonnie Gull, the brainchild of Alex Hunter and Danny Clancy, should surely succeed: inspired by the “simple, unassuming restaurants of British coastal towns”, and starting out as a Hackney pop-up, it’s becoming a micro chain in its own right (the other branch is in Fitzrovia).

OPENING on Exmouth last summer, the owners recently decided to relaunch with an emphasis on sharing plates, pre-theatre options (Sadler’s Wells is round the corner) and stash of new cocktails. The feeling is that they probably hadn’t quite found their feet in such a crowded street of excellence. Still, the interior is bright and cheerful on a persistently cold winter’s day. We liked the retro gymnasium fl oor, the witty seaside photographs (a derelict promenade, hoodies, a sign saying We Sell Fags), and an ‘oyster table’ fashioned from an old barrel. There’s plenty of on-trend counter seating, and an original vintage jukebox playing that 1970s coastal staple, northern soul. The new menu sees dishes grouped in self-explained categories

top: ‘sea’, ‘shore’ and ‘land’. A ‘Smash your own’ Dorset crab looked pretty cheerful interior tempting, as did the classic beer battered haddock. left: We began by trying two smoky aperitifs: Kamm’s Rye & Dry blended counter the fashionable British spirit with aromatic Rittenhouse 100 and sweet seating at vermouth, packing a powerful midday punch (we were mighty glad it bar was a Friday). Meanwhile, a Rum Boulevardier married El Dorado with bitters, Campari and orange, a rum kind of take on a negroni.

SIX PLATES are about enough to graze on some interesting corners of the menu, and they varied from decent to excellent, with no duds. Most average, in fact, was salt and pepper squid, pimped up by hot jalapeno mayonnaise, a rather anonymous take on a dish that rarely shines. Much better was the scallop ceviche, made using the medium-sized Manx queens, whose easygoing sweetness was admirably countered by punchy grapefruit and shallot. A vibrant sea bass dish dazzled the eyes more than the tongue; and yet its bright green broccoli puree, romanesco and slices of citrus fruit offered a juxtaposition of textures, completed by the crunchy brassica. We selected one offering from ‘land’: roasted celeriac, its accompanying hazelnuts, crispy capers and beurre noisette adding a salty nuttiness to the reliable winter vegetable. Why not sit at the Best of all? Perhaps surprisingly for a seafood bar, the steak tartare, presented beautifully with each ingredient separate: gherkin, capers, window counter red onion, ketchup – and a wobbling, creamy yolk perched on top. A delight, in fact, to scoop up with the sourdough Melba toast. If, after all that, you’ve still room, the desserts are fairly tempting: a stools, schlurp dark chocolate brownie – rich, moist and dense - with salted caramel cream performed a swift disappearing act, aided by a sharp espresso. Next time you’re in Exmouth Market, don’t bother queuing at the an oyster and more over-subscribed no-bookings places. Instead, why not sit at a counter stool, schlurp an oyster and watch the street’s always colourful parade? watch the street’s Stephen Emms Bonnie Gull, 57-79 Exmouth Market EC1. Sharing plates and bar snacks colourful parade? £2.50-£10. gasholder 5

NOTES Low-key bean and grape specialist du jour

OTES OPENED last month and joins a growing list of artisan bean merchants in the area, including DASH, NNoble Espresso, Sourced and, of course, Caravan. Their schtick is two-fold: premium coffee – heck, they’ve even invested in their own roastery – and a curated wine list. But food isn’t an afterthought, either – it never is round these parts. So they dish up everything from organic porridge to commuters, fresh handmade salads, quiches and sandwiches to the lunchtime crowd, and light plates to sybarites all evening. Not to mention oodles of the aforementioned fi ne coffee to fuel passers-by throughout the working day. As well as an espresso-based menu, there’s a dedicated brew bar with rotating menu of fi lter coffees: every morning baristas “dial in” each coffee, which means adjusting the grinder settings and coffee- to-water ratios in search of the best possible fl avour. We’ve been frequent visitors for an americano or two since opening – and we’re as pleased by how chilled the vibe is as the coffee. With an 11pm license, it’s worth mentioning that Notes will be open as late as most places in and around Granary Square, so handy for a quick glug – or bottle of wine – before home. And even better, the excellent Vinoteca (see p.3) is about to open right next door, making the block even more of a destination for oenophiles. Stephen Emms Notes King Cross is at Unit 2, 1 St Pancras, N1C 4AG Follow @NotesLondon for updates

MUST DO: THREE FISHY DISHES IN KING’S CROSS

1.GREEK LARDER (above) Order the simple and unlikely casserole of meltingly tender cuttlefi sh and artichokes, bursting with fragrant dill: it really is a dish to high-fi ve about. 1 York Way N1C 4AS

2.GRAIN STORE We love their fl aked salt cod with sautéed padron peppers, and the sweetness of toasted almonds Granary Square N1C

3. CARAVAN Try the meaty mackerel fi llet balanced by seaweed, miso and cucumber, or delicious smoked trout with salsify and curry mayo. Granary Square N1C 6 gasholder

CANAL KNOWLEDGE Or rather: what’s it really like to take to the water? words and interviews: Stephen Emms

“ This is a city you can lose yourself in if you don’t keep your wits about you”

goes into a massive tank underneath. I’ll check that I’ve more cagey if they’ve been living on the canals for a lot got plenty of diesel to keep going, and ensure the rudder longer than myself. They might see me as encroaching CRAIG WILMOTT is nice and clear, as rubbish gets stuck on it. We use on their life, since more and more people are afl oat with HONEST BREW smoke-less coal in the burner, and so really it’s a case of fewer mooring spaces. The Canal and River Trust are just having to organize yourself – there are barges that go putting pressure on continuous cruisers like myself to up and down, for example, selling gas and coal. A more keep moving longer distances, and stay less time in certain gruesome detail is that you have to empty out the toilet places. How did you come to live on a boat? Five years ago I every now and then when it gets quite full – that’s another moved here from Australia. I’ve been on this canal boat, little trial that people don’t think about when they look at How hard is it to fi nd a permanent mooring? Very. And belonging to a friend of mine, for about six months. the idyllic life of a canal boat. it’s expensive. If you’re renting a mooring it can be well While he’s away, I look after it for him, and as I work at over £1K a month in Little Venice or King’s Cross. In fact, independent craft beer delivery specialists Honest Brew, How many does your boat sleep? This is a standard a home mooring almost triples the price of a boat. it suits me. length which fi ts snugly into the locks. There’s just one bedroom, with a little space you can fold out, like a sofa Finally, what do you like most about canal life? Seeing Where do you like to moor up? Mostly over in Hackney bed, so four can sleep here with a squeeze. London from a different perspective that you wouldn’t get Wick, but sometimes in King’s Cross, if there’s space. if you didn’t live on a boat. Cruising down the water and Is there a genuine community on the water? enjoying a slower sort of pace: this is a city you can lose Talk us through a typical day. If I’m on the move, I’ll get Some people I see regularly, like those on the coal barges yourself in if you don’t keep wits about you. It’s really a up pretty early, and make sure I’ve enough water, which who are always good for a laugh and a chat; others are way to calm things down a bit. honestbrew.co.uk gasholder COVER FEATURE 7

it’s really diverse, but still friendlier than the same kind of JONATHAN PRIVETT diversity on land would be. FOUNDER, WORD ON THE WATER BOOKSHOP Is there animosity between continuous cruisers (who have to move every two weeks) and those with permanent moorings? Full timers sometimes resent how much money When did you start living on the water? Back in 2002, they’re paying a month – a grand, maybe more, and the I was evicted from my squat in Hackney, which was waiting list is long – when cruisers don’t bother. A boat auctioned and the buyer had to pay us to leave. I used my on a mooring in London will sell for 100K more than it’s share to buy a boat; I was homeless if I didn’t. It was an worth, just so someone can they pay the infl ated rent on old 1950s Norfolk Broads cruiser, half-sunk, which took a a mooring. Then there aren’t enough moorings, of course. lot of looking after and then literally fell apart one night. And, if you get one, it sort of defeats the object: you have all It actually split in two. So I bought an ex-police boat by the disadvantages of living in a fl at combined with all the borrowing some money off my mum, a lovely little boat disadvantages of living on a boat. it was, that I kept for seven years, during which time I acquired this one. I planned the What happened to the shop’s Word on the Water business with proposed permanent mooring in my friend Paddy: seeing this boat Paddington? for sale, but not able to afford it, The British Land Corporation we asked the seller if we could – which own Bluewater and rent it, showed him our business “I love the way Westfi eld – have taken the plan, and then he turned around mooring we wanted: they’re and said he’d sell us the boat for a it rocks at the world’s largest property share. So we own a third each. developers. So we’ve been here night. I like the at King’s Cross since Xmas. We What’s your daily routine? started out moving every couple I live full time on the boat, so am of weeks, but it’s impractical to do always busy, especially as it’s a community with it with a boat which is a hundred secondhand bookshop as well. In years old, and takes three people the winter, keeping it warm and other boaters, two days to get ready. The Canal cleaning up after the coal fi re is & River Trust keep writing to ask very time-consuming. and there’s a sort us to leave, and we keep ignoring them. We’ve even given them a What do you enjoy most? So of romance to it petition of 5000 names – and yet many things. I love the way they still don’t acknowledge us. it rocks at night, I like the community with other boaters, as well.” So how do you like King’s Cross? there’s a sort of romance to it as A fantastic place to live, like you’re well. And I love being on a boat actually in the very middle of the full of books: you can’t be bored. world. It’s so easy to fi nd a nice It’s also a great life for our dog, Star. place to get a takeaway, and so easy to get to or from here too. I remember when I used to come here and rave in Where do you fi nd your books to sell? All over, although Bagley’s – it’s changed so much now, and initially I expected left to right: most come from the Cerebral Palsy charity shop on Fortess Craig Willmott, not to like it, as I’ve got this anti-corporate aesthetic, but Jonathan Road, Kentish Town. somehow there’s something very good about Granary Privett, interior Square particularly. I don’t know if it’s UAL or the House and exterior Describe some of the communities on the water. It’s of Illustration, but they’ve made it arts and culture-based. detail of Word shockingly expensive to live on a boat in London but still a Sure, it’s big and corporate, but it’s a human environment on the Water fraction of what it costs to live in a house. You get wealthy that has a lot to offer people; everything is being upcycled. (Photos: Dan people who own houses and boats, and people who want It’s really innovative, with no expense spared – they even Hall) a boat so badly they’d do without a house to have one. And clean it with toothbrushes every night. then there are those who just need somewhere to live. So Follow the bookshop on @wordonthewater 8 gasholder

“Your life has got to be adapted to fi t on a boat, you can’t do it the other way round.”

What inspired you to operate trips on the canal? I’ve lived on a boat for about seven years, ever since I moved to London from Edinburgh to teach swimming. Someone I was training with said I could rent her boat, I really liked it, so sold my fl at and bought a boat instead. DENISE WALKER I’m an artist, and it’s always diffi cult as a creative person HIDDEN DEPTHS CANAL CRUISES to get work. So I’ve always done other things, too: I’ve had millions of careers, from a lecturer to working as crew on waterbuses in Paddington. I did my training to get a passenger license so I could steer a commercial boat, then thought I wanted to run one myself, as I knew there were things that I could improve.

How did you come across Lapwing? A couple of years back I saw a fi fty-year-old boat on eBay in a fi eld between Wigan and Liverpool, and paid £5K for it. It was a wreck, knee-deep in mud, but I knew it would fl oat as it was full of water. Once the engine had been put back together, I navigated down to London, which took about six weeks, mainly because there was little daylight at that time of year.

What was the journey like? One of most diffi cult things I’ve ever done: physically demanding because I was on my own for three hundred miles, and three hundred locks. Not to mention two of Britain’s longest tunnels. The route down was very rural for most of the journey: Wigan, Manchester, Midlands, Watford, London. But it was absolutely freezing, with no heating and rainwater coming

left to right: Denise Walker, a party on Lapwing, the gasworks WILL BORRELL at Kensal Rise, Stephen VESTAL VOYAGES Emms, gra ti near King’s Cross (Dan Hall), Will Borrell and Disco Where did you fi nd your boat, Disco Volante Volante? She was built in the ship yards of Gdansk, Poland. I originally bought the boat to live aboard, and did so for seven years. It was the most incredible experience I have had in London, with an amazing community of boaters. Contrary to what most people think, the boat was incredibly warm, maybe even more so than my current fl at due to a Scandinavian solid rule stove and eight radiators.

When did you turn it into a party boat? After the birth of my fi rst son, we decided to move to dry land. I didn’t want to lose the incredible mooring in King’s Cross and the boat itself so, in connection with my family brand Vestal Vodka, I created the world’s fi rst fl oating distillery and cocktail bar.

So what can readers expect on a cocktail trip? You can snuggle up in the comfort of our coal-fi red cabin if the weather is miserable; otherwise, head up onto the roof or the deck and enjoy the sunshine. And you can order any cocktail you want, all created by our talented on-board mixologists.

Cruises start at Granary Square, journey time is approx one and a half hours, cost is £30 with two free cocktails per person. More details vestalvoyages.co gasholder COVER FEATURE 9

in through a leaky roof. I met some lovely people, however, who were always ready to make me a hot drink. Sometimes the canal was frozen, but I had to keep going as the boat was so vulnerable: I had a tarpaulin cover thrown over the top, the cabin didn’t lock, there was no security, and I wanted to make sure it was safe. And I couldn’t sleep on it either: I’d lie down fully clothed on a fold-up bed next to the boat to sleep, then awake about 5am, and start moving at dawn.

Cripes. And all to start these boat trips? Yes. It was worth it as I knew from my previous experience that people like to be out in the sunshine, so, once I was back here I customised the boat to allow the covers to come completely off; I call it London’s only soft top. It now accommodates twelve and we take them wherever they want to go, mainly Camden, King’s Cross and Islington. People just book and bring booze, food and music.

So you like the new King’s Cross? It’s fantastic, I can’t wait to see it fi nished. I like Caravan, and Grain Store, where I do my emails, and we moor just by the steps to pick up customers. It used to be derelict wasteland fi ve years ago; you’d stop at Camden and then go straight through to Islington. What are the worst aspects of boat life? SO WHAT’S IT REALLY LIKE TO HIRE A Everything takes so much time: even to get the boat to Camden Lock from King’s Cross takes two hours. You have NARROW BOAT FOR A WEEKEND? to be organised, make sure you have everything you need, and ensure the toilet’s empty, and you have enough fuel. WE ONLY HAD two days. So we didn’t want to waste our limited Your life has got to be adapted to fi t on a boat, you can’t do it time queuing for locks (each of which is a strenuous 15-30 mins the other way round. You can’t suddenly get a job in a bank, e
ort), and devised a little-known route that would cleverly avoid and expect your clothes to be ironed – because it’s not going every single one. Just under 25 miles in length, it stretches from to happen. Cowley Peachey Marina in Middlesex all the way back to Camden Lock. And fi nally, the best thing? If you don’t like your neighbours you can move! Plus I get to travel all over On a rainy Friday lunchtime, we cast o
at Willow Tree Marina London: I’m in Little Venice now, and before that it was in Yeading, Middlesex, the sole place in the capital where it’s still Watford and Cowley. Every time I move to a different area possible to hire a self-drive narrow boat. I feel Iike I’m on holiday, even though I’ve done it for seven years: there are new restaurants and places to see, and I love Our barge was vast: two double bedrooms, a spacious kitchen-diner- it for that. I wouldn’t want to live in a fl at again. living room (all kitted out in 1980s executive decor) and, of course, two decks. We were warned by the operators of a host of chores to Hidden Depths hire Lapwing for charities, pirates, hen parties, tick o
at the start and end of the day: these included tightening birthday parties, Mother’s Day groups, Easter activities, the stern greaser, refi lling water, and pumping bilge. Not to mention and any event. It costs £99/hour for 12 people. More info: the small problem of the weed hatch, and danger of things getting hiddendepthscanalcruises.co.uk caught in the propeller. Additional concerns? How and when to use the headlight, the horn and the toilet (with strict instructions only to fl ush down what you have “eaten”). Yikes.

Once afl oat, we realised maybe it wasn’t so hard after all. That didn’t stop a couple of early dramas involving the tiller, which you have to reverse steer – right means left, and vice versa.

We quickly learnt some tips. Going slower meant more control, allowing us to see nature close up. Herons perched on tyres and swans, coots and mallards swished fearlessly past with tiny babies. We passed rusty barges with romantic names like Silver Lining, Serenity, Bojangles.

As the fi rst evening bore in, the Westway loomed overhead and we stopped near Little Venice, where the Regent’s and Grand Union canals meet, in the Paddington Basin. The next day we navigated a tight stretch of water lined by pretty boats, and the prehistoric quarter-mile Maida Hill tunnel, as the sunshine bounced o
the water.

On the fi nal morning we woke near Camden Lock by Regency houses, jetties and private moorings, to the shriek of gulls. Cruising back to the marina, we realised, for us newbies, it was preferable to travel the quieter suburban and semi-rural sections; the inner city canal is harder to navigate, and quite intense in its concentration.

Never hired a boat before? Our top tips: 1. You lose control if you turn up speed too quickly 2. Plan in advance where there are visitor moorings 3. Plan water stops 4. Some long stretches without food/drink stores so buy supplies 5. Bridges and urban areas require more concentration The trip was provided by Black Prince Holidays. To book please see black-prince.com gasholder ARTS 11 Review THE RAILWAY CHILDREN KING’S CROSS THEATRE

:the HILE GOOGLE dawdle over plans for their right locomotive arrives futuristic £650m London HQ, they’ve allowed below right: Wa touch of bygone-era magic to be evoked daily Louise Calf, Jack on their site, nestled alongside King’s Cross station. Hardwick and And for a gloriously indulgent journey into steam- Serena Manteghi powered nostalgia, via E Nesbit’s children’s classic, there as the Waterbury couldn’t be a more appropriate and more romantic spot. family Against the sweeping, twisting iron lattice of modern- day King’s Cross, and in the shadow of the restored Granary Building, audiences are invited to step inside a thoroughly Edwardian waiting room. It’s all wood panels, grand travel posters and atmospheric shunting soundtrack. The kids are enthralled. Shortly after, we make our way past stacks of leather suitcases into the purpose-built auditorium – a mercifully temperate tent – where much of the stage is swept in and out of view on a central set of rail tracks.

“The choreographed route to our seats is a vanilla immersive theatre experience, with a touch of Disney”

THIS choreographed route to our seats is a vanilla night at the London theatre - and still be home in a bed on immersive theatre experience, with a touch of Disney, the moors at a decent hour. sprinkled with the fondly remembered clenched emotions of period English storytelling. The cast of the play greet IN FACT, modern day King’s Cross station is so nearby, their audience, ten rows of a hundred people lined either the occasional faint platform announcement drifts side of the tracks, and remind us to wave at the train. And incongruously into one or two of the Edwardian vignettes. with a jolly atmosphere duly created among the families, But that’s OK: with a stripped back stage for the non- let alone the large contingent of adult groups too, we’re off. railway scenes, we quickly become used to using our The play rattles along at a decent pace, coping – as is often imaginations for various cottages and townhouses, and the case with adaptations of beloved novels – with having even for the earlier instances of trains, where dry ice to rip through lashings of mild peril and emotional turmoil ‘steam’ shoots along the auditorium for the children in a short couple of hours. frantically to wave their hankies towards. Early scenes handle the dated absurdity of a life growing But there’s no need for brain-power once the star of up with legions of butlers, gently sending the whole thing the show does thunder into view. The full-size steam all up. Unlike the famous black and white weepy movie, train elicits euphoric cheers from the adults, plus exciting however, here the three children of the family are played by wriggling and flag-waving from the younger ones. grown-ups via the device of reminiscence. Later on, my daughters enjoy the dank, atmospheric But it’s easy enough to be convinced by their child-like tunnel scene for its slightly scary edge, and I struggle with enthusiasms and quarrels. And there are plenty of real kids a lump in the throat at Bobbie reuniting with her father, the on stage too, sourced from local Camden schools (in fact, famous platform exclamation “Daddy, my daddy!” tugging they’re looking for more young cast members on the 14th of the heartstrings by slathering on the sentimentality. March, if your littluns dream of being in the spotlight). Both my children were excited to see that the run has As the children’s father is wrongly imprisoned and been extended to September. So I think we’ll be the making they’re forced to downsize to Yorkshire, the charm of the return journey back, full steam ahead. the theatre’s pop-up location really comes into its own. Tom Kihl Judging by the accents, a fair chunk of the audience seem The Railway Children, King’s Cross Theatre (corner of to have travelled from up that way (the original production King’s Boulevard and Good’s Way) N1C. Tickets from £25. debut in York, before popular stints at Waterloo and in railwaychildrenlondon.com Toronto) just to see just the play return. And why not? It couldn’t be easier to arrive here by train, step straight into a gasholder MUSIC 13

OUND EFFECTS – the warping, distorting, twisting Welcome to the manipulation of recorded audio – sit right at the Sheart of modern music. Of course, clever computer plugins now handle much of the legwork, but in the early days, effects such as reverb were often created architecturally. And it’s this relationship between music and BOOM environment that has spawned a series of forthcoming events known as the Boom Room project, popping up everywhere from the Big Chill House on Pentonville Road to a disused nuclear airforce base over the coming weeks. ROOM THE project is the brainchild of Norwegian techno trailblazer Mental Overdrive (aka Per Martinsen) and DJ Ben Osborne, who celebrates a decade of cross-platform events, Noise of Art, in 2015 too. Party here in King’s Cross with live reverb “We’re inspired by the role sound manipulation has played in electronic music,” says Ben. “Just as early from far-fl ung locations across the UK recording studios were actually built to have reverb, words: Tom Kihl we’re creating effects chambers in unusual architectural locations, such as the gin distillery at Adnam’s brewery in

It’s an ambitious, appropriately loopy endeavour, and one that’s perfectly placed for inclusion in this year’s Convergence Festival

top: Ben Osborne, KEY EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR: Mental Overdrive, Southwold, and an aircraft hanger at an old US forces base. White Noise Sound Friday 13th March: Noise of Art & Heavenly “Then, these giant effects units will be linked over middle and Social present White Noise (Live) broadband connections for us to use in manipulating the bottom: Big Chill ravers Noise of Art enters its tenth year with a rare sound live at our party venues.” performance by ground-breaking 1960s It’s an ambitious, appropriately loopy endeavour, and electronic act White Noise, who play material one that’s perfectly placed for inclusion in this year’s from their new, unfi nished LP, live for the fi rst Convergence Festival, which showcases visual art and time, plus DJs Heavenly Jukebox, Ben Osborne, music pioneers known for deploying technology in the David Agrella The Social, 5 Little Portland St, W1W most innovative ways. 7pm-2am. Tickets £6.50 Per and Ben launch the Boom Room at Convergence on Monday 16 March at Village Underground, where they’re Saturday 14th March: Mental Overdrive b2b Ben joined by tirelessly creative electronic music don Andrew Osborne + guests Weatherall, plus White Noise Sound and Eat Lights The creative partnership behind the Boom Room Become Lights, both from Rocket Girl Records, based up project warm-up for the launch of their echo the road in Kentish Town. chamber escapades with a back to back session at this venerable King’s Cross party destination. WHAT will it all sound like? Who knows, but it’s sure to Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Rd, N1 Free resonate, loop and reverb its way up and down the country Entry 8pm-3am once those vast effects chambers are brought into the mix.

Monday 16th March: Boom Room Find out more about Convergence, which also includes at Convergence workshops, discussions and artist talks with Matthew Herbert Andrew Weatherall, Eat Lights Become Lights, and George Clinton as part of FutureFest at: convergence- White Noise Sound, Mental Overdrive, DJ Ben london.com More on the Boom Room project and associated Osborne, Saycet LP Launch, Clara Brea events here: noiseofart.org Convergence Festival, Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, EC2A 7pm-midnight £10 Advance 14 gasholder

Real life I BUILT THE BUXOM MERMAID OF KING’S CROSS

Once upon a time – well the 90s, to be precise – a near mythical ship’s figurehead looked out high above the road north from King’s Cross. It was the work of Tony Diaz, the artist behind the giant Dr. Marten’s boots, dragons and scorpions synonymous with Camden Town. Here he tells us his story

MADE THE buxom lady for one Martin Silver, a wealthy semi-retired gentleman who had done well I in the rag trade. Martin approached me in the early 90s after seeing our various sculpted signs in Camden High Street, and asked if I could make him a ship’s figurehead of a mermaid for his railway arch in King’s Cross, which he called Silver’s Boatyard. The only boat in it was his rather grand cruiser which he was in the process of restoring. Martin’s passion was working with wood, and he and his colleague John designed and constructed all types of wonderful timber children’s toys and furniture there. The brief he gave was to build a large authentic mermaid figurehead and he was most emphathic that she had to have (his words) “perfect tits”. Apparently his whole reputation depended on it. So, off I went to my small workshop and, with my limited carving skills, crafted my interpretation of a traditional figurehead, a buxom lady in garish colours with very large nipples.

FINALLY the figure was ready, some twelve feet long, but the challenge now was to deliver it to the railway arch. So, I strapped it on the roof of my van and drove, if rather cautiously and quite conspicuously, through the streets to King’s Cross. On arriving, I parked opposite the railway arch and invited Martin out to inspect his new wares. Martin stood aghast and stuttered “th- th- that’s amazing, but…” “Is there a problem, Martin?” I enquired. “Well,” he replied, very apologetically, “I’m sorry but the breasts are all wrong. Any chance you can change them?” I agreed to carry out an enhancement. We then hoisted the lady up from the ceiling in the railway arch, where All pictures I cut off the offending boobs and replaced them with from Tony delicate ski sloped ones with cherries on the end. Martin Diaz’ archive painted them in a delicate light porcelain tone and stood back, a very happy man.

THE STORY does not end there, however. One weekend there was a massive gale which dislodged the blocks and brought the mermaid down. Some local guys retrieved the pieces and stowed them behind a car for safe keeping. The next day, Martin began to rebuild her, only to find that the breasts were missing. I imagine they’re in someone’s rockery somewhere. I was then commissioned to build mermaid mark II. When the arches were finally demolished in the early noughties, we removed and relocated her above a railway arch off Holloway Road. And the final twist in the, er, tail? Sadly, she was nicked the year before last. But like the mythical creature herself, this iconic figurehead is still out there, somewhere.

N1CE TO MEET YOU

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