Issue 8

WELCOME TO ISSUE 8

We are officially two years old! As you know, our focus is always on creativity and community, and last month we started a new tradition… We brought a few of the illustrated characters from our Adam Dant maps to life. A priest, a street performer, and a harlequin were ferried over from Covent Garden to Mayfair in three Continental Bentleys (one with very special personalised number plates) from Jack Barclay in Mayfair to Rules restaurant, Covent Garden for a ‘Meet the Neighbours’ soirée. Bringing together Characters from our two communities was part of what inspired our summer issues themed The Elements…

The other inspiration was Jill and John Berelowitz.

After just one cup of coffee with sculptor Jill Berelowitz, hearing about her incredible work – countless sculptures for the Chelsea Barracks, her bronze Dorchester Sphere, and most recently a 12ft dachshund face decorating the walls of newly renovated George in Mayfair – and her husband John who owns The Morris Singer Foundry, the oldest in the world, I knew I had my summer muses. And their work with the Elements sealed it.

I jumped at the chance to visit The Morris Singer Foundry, excited to see how each piece came to life. I could not believe my luck when John and Jill agreed to recreate the two nineteenth century Covent Garden Market tokens known as tallies, which I borrowed from master mudlarker Jason Sandy (who found them on the banks of the Thames).

John generously suggested The Foundry would make exact replicas for us to give away to our readers for the Treasure Trail we are running over summer. We have ten for The Mayfarer, each one worth £250, and another ten for The Covent Gardener. There’ll be rebuses to solve, which will reveal the name of a hidden element, plus we have three more coins to give away on Midsummer’s Day, one being hidden on someone in Mayfair… (all the details p21).

Good luck!