News and Events

London Fashion Week begins today and many of the industry’s big names are heading down to see the new styles and trends on the catwalk. But did you know that Bethnal Green has its fair share of fashion too?

Lurem

Lurem is a Japanese/British fashion house which started in 2014. Their fashion style is orientated towards the 20-40 year old woman searching for unique pieces to add to their lifestyle. The aim is classically cool products for the urban, international female. If that sounds like you, then head to Bethnal Green Road!

138 Bethnal Green Rd, London E2 6DG

Rockafella/Blush

Rockafella and its sister store Blush are located on Roman Road. Established 15 years ago in the heart of the East End, they initially used to design their clothes in house. Nowadays they travel all over Europe, trying to find the best and coolest brands all over Europe to offer to their loyal customers.

79-81 Roman Rd, London E2 0QN

Bethnal Green Road Market/Columbia Road

Bethnal Green’s market stalls are of course a place to find a bargain or two. Columbia Road is not just a flower market – it also has a number of clothing and jewellery stores, where you can be sure to find a piece that you’ll like. Bethnal Green Market is inundated with clothes, so you won’t be able to get away!

Bethnal Green Road Market, Columbia Road Shops

Beyond Retro

Beyond Retro has its flagship store on Cheshire Street, and have been pioneers of the thriving East London vintage scene. A trawl through their store is a journey of discovery of a “pick’n’mix of 20^th century fashion”. Their passion for vintage recycling is echoed in their own label range, which they launched in 2009.

110-112 Cheshire St, London E2 6EJ

London Ethnic

London Ethnic is a fashion label located in Oxford House just off Bethnal Green Road, and their mission statement is to “provide London fashion to the world” by selecting designers who produce British fashion made in the UK. They couple this mission with a commitment to fair and sustainable production, making sure that designers and workers are given a fair share of profits.

Oxford House, Derbyshire St, London E2 6HG

London Buddhist Centre

Located on Roman Road, the London Buddhist Centre used to be a fire station when it first opened in 1888. Nowadays its Victorian red-brick building is home not to fire engines but beautiful murals and ornate shrine rooms complete with Buddha figures and paintings.

Sunday 10am – 5pm

51 Roman Road, E2 0HU, London

Oxford House

Designed by Arthur Blomfield in 1891 (who also designed the Royal College of Music among others), Oxford House was the first “University Settlement”, allowing students from the University of Oxford to interact with urban London. Nowadays Oxford House is a community and arts centre, containing a theatre and a beautiful Victorian chapel. Oxford House is also just opposite a Pocket Park which was opened in 2014.

Saturday 10am – 5pm

Derbyshire Street, E2 6HG, London

Mint Street

Located on the corner of Coventry Road and Witan Street just off Cambridge Heath Road, Mint Street is a beautiful new housing development of 67 flats. The project calls itself a 21^st-century reinterpretation of the traditional mansion block, standing tall amid the hustle and bustle of the railways next door.

Saturday 10am – 1pm

corner of Coventry Road and Witan Street, E2 6JL, London

Trevelyan House

A modern, redesigned maisonette within a concrete block of maisonettes designed in the 1950s by Sir Denys Lasdun, who also designed the Royal National Theatre on the South Bank.

Sunday 11am – 5pm

7 Trevelyan House, Morpeth Street, E2 0PY, London

Visit http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/towerhamlets  to see all the buildings in Tower Hamlets taking part in the festival, as well as opening times.

-By Abdul Huson

Read Part 1 about places to visit in Bethnal Green

Open House London, London’s biggest architecture festival allowing for free access to many of the capital’s beautiful buildings, is taking place this weekend, and there’s plenty to see in East London too. Many of Bethnal Green’s historic and fascinating buildings will open their doors for tours, walks and talks, allowing everyone to learn a bit more about architecture and urban design for free. In a two-part series, we will showcase some of the amazing architecture that you can witness here in E2.

20 Winkley Street

From the outside, 20 Winkley Street looks like a traditional brick house, located just off the old Bethnal Green Road. But enter and you are greeted with a contemporary three storey open plan house so well hidden from public view. The lack of doors and walls, as well as the vast glazing means that the assuming little building contains a vast amount of space, scale and light.

Saturday 10am – 1pm

20 Winkley Street, E2 6PY, London

Boundary

Located just off Boundary Estate, Britain’s first ever council housing, the Boundary building is home to a number of restaurants, bedrooms and a bakery. The original building was converted in 2008 from its origins as a Victorian warehouse, yet preserved many of its attractive industrial features – from the double height basement to the sash windows that flood the bedrooms with light.

Saturday&Sunday 10am – 5pm

2-4 Boundary Street, E2 7DD, London

Four Corners

Four Corners is a unique arts organisation located on Roman Road. Its website boasts that it is “where filmmakers, photographers, artists, trainees and local people work together”. The building itself was renovated in 2007, so it now includes darkrooms, galleries, a garden and a beautiful environmentally friendly roof.

Saturday 10am – 5pm

121 Roman Road, E2 0QN, London

Lawdale Primary School Community House

Completed just recently, Lawdale Primary School’s Community House received an extension by Tower Hamlets Council. The patterned design and details make direct reference to the local area. The architect will be present to share their vision of the space, which is used by a number of schools nearby.

Saturday 10am – 1pm

Mansford Street, E2 6LS, London

Visit http://www.openhouselondon.org.uk/towerhamlets  to see all the buildings in Tower Hamlets taking part in the festival, as well as opening times.

-By Abdul Huson

Read Part 2 about places to visit in Bethnal Green

Sarah Beydoun is a full time volunteer and the secretary of Teesdale & Hollybush Tenants and Residents Association, a TRA that has transformed parts of the estate that were once the focal points for anti-social behaviour into award-wining community gardens.

Sarah’s involvement began with a sense that something needed to change. Led by Chairperson Margaret Cox, they decided to tackle the issue by bringing life back to neglected parts of the estate.

Starting with the community centre in 2008, they have renovated 13 disused sites with the help of corporate and local volunteers, creating a ‘mini Eden’ where local nature can thrive. The eve-catching sites include a children’s playground, a number of allotments and Tower Hamlet’s first orchard, Strawberry Fields. Creative in their use of resources, they keep sustainability at the heart of what they do – even some of the plants have been recycled from local park rangers or house clearances.

One of the year-on-year awards winning sites, Rocky Park, provides free plots to residents to encourage them to grow their own healthy produce. The original allotments were so popular they quickly had to expand to allow for more grow beds.

Sarah has seen the gardens have a big impact on her local community, proving not only a great opportunity to get to know the neighbours, but also stimulating a sense of ownership and pride in residents for their estate. The gardens have been recognised far and wide, with visits from the Prince of Wales and East End ‘royal’, Barbara Windsor.

This article can be found in the East2 Insider’s Guide to Bethnal Green Magazine 2015. – See more at: http://issuu.com/walkeast/docs/east_2_2015_issuu_2 

-By Helen Barstow

With a new school year just around the corner, we’re bringing you Bethnal Green’s very own back-to-school action plan on essential must-haves with the perfect go-to stores. Whether you need long-lasting, custom uniforms from Khalsa Schoolwear, a pair of sturdy, hardwearing shoes from Marc Jason’s Shoeworld, or a huge selection of colourful stationeries for those boring college notes from Newmans Stationery (who, as it so happens, have a great offer going; spend over £20 on stationery and you’ll get a free 4GB USB stick), you’ll find it all right here!

With all that we have to offer in Bethnal Green, rest assured school-goers will look adorably smart and be super organised for the school year to come!

Khalsa Schoolwear is on 388-390 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AH

Marc Jason’s Shoeworld is on 356-358 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AH

Newmans Stationery is on 324 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0AG

– By Khaleda Khatun