FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @Insight_NR SUMMERInsight 2018 WIN! AN iPAD MINI Just the tonic First distillery delivers for Manchester IN THE SPOTLIGHT CHAIN REACTION Curtain up Bike charity on new for refugees LGBT+ theatre moves up complex a gear NR_Summer_p01.indd 1 03/07/2018 15:02 OUT& ABOUT NEWS WITH LET’S INSIGHT GET EDITOR SOCIAL CHRISTINA SALZANO Welcome to the Summer issue of Insight. This edition is packed with lots of fantastic venues that I’m sure will leave you shouting ‘encore’. Some of the many food and drinks businesses in our arches have been making hay during World Cup fever with promotions and big screen events but there TUNNEL OF LOVE are plenty of great venues that can’t be beat for entertainment all year round. A great example is Manchester, where we travelled to for the Tour this issue. From bowling alleys and a baseball bar to the chance to create your own gin – ▲ A series of colourful hearts floating in space have been Jimmy C said he was delighted that people were engaging there really is something to keep everyone amused. painted inside a Southwark railway arch in memory of with the mural, which he hoped conveyed the message, “that We chat to Jay Cahill, a para-Jiu-Jitsu gold medallist, those who died in the 2017 London Bridge terror attack. love is the force that will always come through”. co-founder of Base Mcr and owner of a martial arts Street artist Jimmy Cochran, aka Jimmy C, transformed the It’s not the first time Jimmy C has worked with Network and fitness centre. Network Rail arch in Stoney Street, painting eight hearts to Rail. Last year he created a mural of William Shakespeare in We also visited the newly opened Above The Stag represent the eight people who died in the attacks. Clink Street, just around the corner from the Globe Theatre, to Theatre and The Bike Project Jimmy said: “The terror attacks shocked everyone who loves commemorate the 400-year anniversary of the playwright’s – a charity that repairs our city. It’s a great honour to be able to create a lasting image death. CONTACT US and refurbishes bikes to the memory of those who lost their lives and to the Eddie Burton, community engagement officer, said: “We’ve for refugees and resilience and spirit of London.” worked closely with Jimmy C in the past and knew he would If you have a story to tell or a asylum seekers. Since the mural was unveiled it has become popular with create something beautiful for London on our arch. question about the magazine Follow us on visitors to the area, who enjoy having their picture taken “The murals brighten up our structures, brighten up our Drop us a line at Twitter and let with the artwork. communities and engage with the community.” [email protected] us know what Have your say using you are up to @Insight_NR or if you’d like Water fountains allowing to feature in the Call the editor rail passengers to refill next issue. NEWS their drinks bottles on 020 7922 5685 Until then, have REPEAT PERFORMANCE the go have been an ▲ a great summer… IN Southwark Playhouse is to return to instant hit. the arches at London Bridge after a BRIEF Free water five-year hiatus. fountains were installed The Playhouse, renowned for its HOW ARE WE DOING? at Liverpool Lime Street, inventive and creative productions, was Birmingham New Street, Please rate this magazine. Text ‘Rate Insight’ with a based at London Bridge from 2006 until Manchester Piccadilly and number from 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent 2013, when it had to relocate due to the London Euston stations for (e.g. Rate Insight 4) to 81888. Every response will be redevelopment of the station. entered into a free prize draw to win a £25 Amazon people to reuse water bottles. Next year it will open a new venue Southwark Playhouse – London Bridge voucher. Look out for the winner in the next issue. In just one week, an on the site of the former Southwark will be one of two new bases for the impressive 5,000 bottles were SUMMER 2018 // INSIGHT // 03 Texts to this number are charged at your standard network rate. Your information Playhouse at the corner of Tooley and theatre company. The second will be a will be treated confidentially and will not be shared with other organisations. re-filled at the fountains, helping Bermondsey streets. 700-seat theatre in Elephant and Castle. Don’t forget to follow to reduce plastic waste. The venue will occupy five arches and Artistic Director Chris Smyrnios said: us @Insight_NR for all Insight is written, designed and produced for Network The initiative is in line with have two flexible performance spaces “It means we can continue our good the latest from Insight Rail by AB Publishing, Unit B Gemini House, 180-182 Network Rail’s commitment to magazine, small business Bermondsey Street, London SE13TQ with 200 and 150 seats, and rehearsal work but also significantly increase WATER reduce our energy consumption tips and Network Rail Insight is printed on revive 50:50 Silk – a recycled paper containing 50 per rooms. It will be used to nurture and the opportunities we can offer to local cent recycled waste and 50 per cent virgin fibre and manufactured at a mill by 18% and carbon emissions community highlights certified with ISO 14001 environmental management standard. GREAT IDEA promote work by emerging playwrights. Southwark residents and new artists.” by 25% over the next five years. 02 // INSIGHT // SUMMER 2018 NR_summer_p2-3.indd 2 03/07/2018 10:46 NR_summer_p2-3.indd 3 03/07/2018 10:46 INSIGHT TOUR Insight TOUR Bowl with it MANCHESTER THREE RIVERS GIN BASE MCR New BeGINnings Founded by former university lecturer Dave Rigby, the tasty DOG BOWL tipple turned out by Three Rivers is the only gin to be blended using oats. And the business is Manchester’s first ever distillery. Located near COVERED: 1.3 MILES the banks of the River Irk, its name General harks back to the city’s historic Manager Adopted in the 19th Century, waterways and started life in Grace Evans the Manchester Bee symbolises August 2015. the city’s industrious nature and its Dave, who runs the business with people. The insect can be found on friends Mike Hughes, Louise Rivers- street furniture and on the mosaic Hull, and Greg Hull, came across the floor of the town hall premises by chance. Since 2012, visitors have Manchester University He said: “It’s very difficult to professors developed the been striking it lucky at find property in Manchester. I had first computer to have a stored Dog Bowl – a ten-pin one fall through and I lost a bit of bowling alley, restaurant programme and memory in 1948. It was nicknamed Baby heart.” and bar nestled among the arches When he got off a train in in Manchester’s Whitworth Street Manchester after visiting Greg in West. It’s the latest venue to join the London, he noticed the arch. “I Black Dog Ballroom group of bars, owned was so tired of messing around I by Ross Mackenzie and business partner thought, I want that arch.” Jobe Ferguson. Insight caught up with Ross to 1960 A few months later, Manchester Stay dry! the year Coronation Street was dip into life at Dog Bowl. Three Rivers launched. The specially MY first screened. The world’s (Victorian crafted gin, flavoured with cinnamon INSIGHT longest running TV soap opera How did you come across the archway? arches can be and Madagascan vanilla, is distilled is filmed in the city As well as being food and drink spaces, our bars on the ground floor in Dave’s susceptible are activity spaces. Our first two are pool-based, to damp) custom-made copper pot called and we were looking into bowling. The arch was ‘Angel’. While the mezzanine level is close to one of our bars, which is opposite the home to the gin experience, where railway arches. It previously traded as an Italian visitors learn about distilling, taste- restaurant and I’d visited a few times, so I knew test a range of cocktails and get to of it and it just seemed a good fit. make their own tipple. Having been rated the number Does the space lend itself to a bowling alley? one ‘Manchester experience’ on Trip With it being underneath Oxford Road station Advisor, Dave and the team are now MY Our there’s a lot of train tracks above so there’s lots expanding this side of the business SUCCESS honesty of length for us to do the bar and restaurant at into a neighbouring arch. the front, and bowling alley at the back. It’s quite “It’s the perfect space for us and so and narrow so it is limited in the number of bowling many similar businesses have set integrity lanes we have. It would’ve been lovely if we could up around us, it’s almost like a and refusal to have knocked through to the arch next door. creative community.” compromise SUMMER 2018 // INSIGHT // 05 NR_SUMMER_p4-7_Tour pages.indd 4 03/07/2018 10:53 NR_SUMMER_p4-7_Tour pages.indd 5 03/07/2018 10:54 INSIGHT TOUR COMMUNITY MY Enjoy SUCCESS yourself. There’s no point in having all the stress and hard work of running a business if it isn’t fun UPWARDLY Smash hit At Base Mcr Si is a former baseballer to accommodate the in the up-and- with experience in the events batting cages.