JOE

28-30 Church Road has already featured twice on this blog; first as part of Bambino's, and then as Boyce de Roca, a cafe which occupied the premises for a couple of years. Then in July 2017, Joe Hirschhorn opened his eponymous bar. With its eclectic decor, it certainly doesn't feel like your average bar, and it has always been Joe's intention to do something unique, rather than following the herd with an identikit watering hole. The collection of Victorian Staffordshire figurines housed in the beautiful display cabinets, is a nod to their charismatic owner's former career as an antique dealer. Days he remembers fondly as a very creative time, when he was based at the Gasworks in Fulham. Furniture design is another of Joe's skills, with the chairs and tables having been designed by him. They're intended to be communally shared, and moved around to suit whatever's going on in the venue. The circular drum-like stools also have a removable lid for customers' coats and bags. Along another wall is a record collection and decks. There's no playlist, and customers are encouraged to choose the music, which makes it feel like you're in your own living room.
Calling this place a bar, wouldn't do it justice, it seems to offer so much more. Joe prefers drinks cafe, rather than pub or cocktail bar, but it's also an intimate little venue for a fascinating array of unusual music, cabaret, poetry, cinema, and DJs. Recent performances have included the award winning Celia Quartet, Kate Gilbert's intriguingly named Lost & Found Cabaret, Viola da Gamba player and teacher at the Royal College of Music, Reiko Ichise, and even something called Brexit - The Gameshow! 
And I haven't even mentioned the food and drink yet. The menu consists of exceptionally good tapas, but it's the drinks that have already become legendary locally, and once on the subject, Joe is clearly animated and extremely knowledgable. When opening the bar, he felt strongly that while London is incredibly innovative when it comes to food, drinks are often run of the mill standard offerings, and he was determined to do things differently. With particular focus on spirits, the drinks cafe is a place where everything except the alcohol is actually made on the premises. So a range of tonics using cinchona, are all steeped for 24 hours in fruits and spices behind the bar. And home made cola is made with coriander, star anise, ginger and orange. The very stylish drinks are served with reusable glass straws, and in winter some are even served hot, which is a revelation.
After learning much from Joe about the history of gin, we went on to local history, and how, when the Crystal Palace arrived on a rural local hillside in the 1850s, the area immediately became the centre of the universe, with the world flocking to the ground breaking building to discover all the very latest in Victorian invention and technology. He feels lucky to be living and working in an area with such a rich legacy, and is hopeful that the Phoenix suburb's time is coming again.

Gin with Andalusian Tonic steeped in hibiscus, rose, orange, apple, and elderberry, with rose petals sprinkled on top

Joe Hirschhorn

JOE

Classical Transmission at Antenna Studios

Contributing to the buzz on market day on Haynes Lane, is the ever popular Antenna Cafe, which featured on this blog quite some time ago. However, I'd never ventured up the fire escape to the studio space above, until local singer and musician, Nick Mulroy contacted me a few months ago, to invite me to a rehearsal and performance of 16th century choral music.
Antenna Studios has been running since 2002, and serves as a venue for both music recording and performance, as well as photography, filming and classes in yoga and dance.
Nick had put together a quintet for this one off performance of music by Thomas Tallis and William Byrd, as part of an occasional series of performances of music across the genres.
Listening to the rehearsal from the back of the empty studio was both a privilege and an utter surprise. This type of choral music is not something I'm terribly familiar with, and many might feel it's not their thing, but I defy anyone not to be moved by the power and emotion in these voices.
After a break for the summer, while Nick got back to his busy schedule of performances which takes him all over the world, he is now planning a series of concerts through the autumn. Currently  scheduled is a performance of The Goldberg Variations on October 30th, with Hannah Dawson on violin, Triona Milne on viola, and Sarah McMahon on cello. This is followed on November 27th with music by C F Abel performed by Reiko Ichise. Performances start at 8pm. And a third performance, yet to be confirmed will hopefully take place on December 11th.
It's great to have found this surprising little venue on our doorstep. Do go and support this  venture, it's quite an ear opener!

The Rehearsal

Nick Mulroy

The Performance

The performers, from left: Robert MacDonald - Bass, James Geidt - Baritone, Peter Harris & Nick Mulroy - Tenors, and James Hall - Countertenor

Antenna Studios

Bowyers Yard

Haynes Lane

020 8653 5200

You can find out more about Classical Transmission from their Facebook page, and you can also find them on Twitter @ClassicalSE19

Antenna - Café Thing

I learnt some Icelandic last week, well, just the one word, 'thing' which apparently means assembly. The quirkily named cafe tucked away at the bottom of Haynes Lane, has a half Icelandic owner, Jakob Kaye. He, and business partner, Darren Doherty own Antenna Studios above the cafe, and decided to turn the space downstairs into a cafe, after its previous incarnations as a guitar shop followed by a skateboard shop, hence the distinctive door handle.

Inside, I am greeted by Georgie Cook, who runs the cafe while Jakob and Darren look after their other projects. It's a bright simple space with a rustic timber counter, red banquette in the window, and red and white tables and chairs. Before the cafe opened in the summer of 2012, Georgie had been living in Paris and working as a Photographer, but had long had connections to SE19, having grown up in the area. When the cafe was first mooted, she had been full of suggestions for her friends at Antenna, so much so that they suggested she come and run the place!

You might be forgiven for not knowing of the cafe's existence. As I mentioned, it is somewhat off the beaten track, and it was only with the advent of the weekly saturday food market right outside its doors, that its profile was raised. As Georgie says, on saturdays it's heaving and effectively becomes the unofficial HQ of Crystal Palace Transition Town, the local group that set up the market. As well as excellent coffee, the cafe also serves excellent cakes made by local bakers, Brett & Bailey, who have a regular stall at the market. I can vouch for the cake, once photographed, it had to be eaten. And this small space is much more than just a cafe, it's also a venue for all sorts of happenings, including the RPM club, a monthly open decks vinyl night, Bonne Heure, an experimental music night with local group The Fireflies, and their guests.  Additionally, Almost Naked, is an acoustic folk night, and there are occasional poetry recitals.

Georgie Cook

Café Thing can also be hired for private events.

Café Thing
Bowyers Yard
Haynes Lane