Patchworks needs your help
Pictured above, this excellent and capacious Leyton warehouse cafe, pizza joint, bar, gallery and live venue (short-lived home to the riotous Studio Paradiso) opened last autumn to maximum local love. But with no public funding, it’s “hit a wall, facing an immense struggle to keep it going”, say the owners. With that in mind they’ve launched a crowdfunder to ask “our community, friends and family for exciting partnerships, innovative investors and playful pioneers who can help us keep the Patchworks train on track. We want to get the space insulated, soundproofed, waterproofed, warm and safe for everyone.” Join in here. And give them a follow @patchworks.xyz, open daily at 258 Church Road E10.
Wild Goose’s pocket park is a delight
A pleasant outside space is undeniably overdue for Wild Goose’s flagship E11 café, its rear seating area always a little oversubscribed to say the least. And the new leafy pocket park is spacious enough to be in with a chance of bagging a sunny spot at one of its many tables, even at the weekend. And of course it looks out over the historic (and underrated) St John’s Church, where you can stroll off your sugar-hit afterwards. @thewildgoosebakery, 654 High Road Leytonstone E11
Record store heaven at Dreamhouse
Every Saturday should actually be a Record Store Day in our opinion, especially with the prominent location of Francis Road’s excellent Dreamhouse (we dashed in there only last weekend to bag our copy of the fabulous Self Esteem’s album on gold vinyl no less). There’s also coffee, and usually a vintage pop-up too at the weekend. While on Francis, check out smart new jewellery store Karina Banks, just opened next to Phlox.
Hackney Bridge needs local creatives
Teetering on the edge of the Olympic Park, Hackney Bridge has just launched an open brief to local “artists, makers and creators” to create vast canal-facing front murals across its exterior, pictured above. So, if graffiti, illustrations, photography, vinyl installation and designs are your thing read the brief here. They’ve also added a new “supported space” offering one creative young person a prime unit to use as their very own creative maker studio and retail space – free of charge for a whole year starting from early May. More here. Find out more @hackney_bridge. And don’t forget there are loads of streetfood stalls too.
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Leyton’s suntrap terraces are too much fun
Finally, back in E10, it turns out we can’t stay away from a) the olive trees in Yardarm’s holiday-vibes Tuscan beer garden b) Marmelo’s boozily brilliant sun-trap pavement terrace (with house rosé a tenner a bottle) and c) the sunny tables at west-facing Figo, Mediterranean-hot with its doors wide open on a blue-sky day. In fact, last bank holiday we pretty much spent two days flitting between all three. Discover more top outside spaces in the wider neighbourhood in our guide here.
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