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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014
LIFESTYLE
F e a t u r e s
A cup of coffee is pictured on a counter with original
urinals in “Attendant”.
A picture shows the interior of the “The Convenience”,
a former public toilet that has been converted into a
coffee shop and restaurant in Hackney, east London.
Pastries and cakes are displayed in “Attendant”, a former public toilet that has been converted into a coffee shop and sandwich bar in central London.—AFP photos
Days of scrubbing
Housed in a Victorian subterranean toilet block
attached to Clapham Common underground station, “WC”
has kept its original mosaic floor and tiled walls and the
woodwork has been fashioned into tables and intimate
alcoves. The old urinals are no longer in use but have
stayed on as decor in the new bathrooms. Katie Harris,
owner of “The Convenience”-a restaurant by day and bar
by night-has instead made the porcelain pots a feature,
supporting the wooden bar.
The 30-year-old explained that she did not want “deny it
was a toilet” but also was wary of making the space “too
toilety”. Yellowed urinals were taken out as they were considered “too peey” for customers, while the others were
scrubbed for days to reveal a gleaming white porcelain.
As well as the attractive rents, Harris, who is also a
designer, said that she chose the space for the professional
challenge it posed, and because of its simple 1940s architecture. “It is important to preserve these places, to make
them places for the community,” she said. Ryan De Oliveira,
who runs “The Attendant” cafe, added: “To give a new life
to something previously unused, it pushes the boundaries.”
The former financier also embraced his building’s history,
turning the 1890s toilet cisterns into flower pots and keeping the urinals in place.
“The coffee is very good, there’s a nice atmosphere and
it’s an original location,” said one client, Laurent. At “WC”,
Philip, 35, suggested that the use of original fittings “adds
to the charm of the place”. “It gives it a cosy feel and it
doesn’t smell anymore, so it’s all good. I like it,” he said.
Wine bar owner Mangion said that despite the expensive
refurbishments, there is still plenty of down-to-earth toilet
humor with customers.—AFP
Original urinals and cisterns are pictured in “Attendant”.
A picture shows the exterior of “Attendant”.
Customer messages are pictured on a wall at “Attendant”.
ith spiralling land prices turning even the darkest
corners of London into potential goldmines, the
city’s forgotten spaces, including 19th-century
public toilets, are blossoming into restaurants, cafes and
boutiques. Many Victorian urinals remained abandoned for
decades after World War II, but encouraged by local officials keen for fresh sources of income, the conversion wave
is gathering pace.
Many embrace their lavatorial heritage, like “The
Convenience”-a coffee shop that opened in the trendy district of Hackney in 2013, “WC”-a wine bar in Clapham in
south London-and “ArtsLav”-a performing arts space in
Kennington. Others have chosen less literal names like “The
Attendant” and the “Cellar Door” cabaret, both in the city
centre.
The trend has “picked up recently”, according to Rachel
Erickson, whose job organising guided tours of the city’s
working public toilets has earned her the nickname “Lady
Loo”. Jayke Mangion, 34, who opened “WC” in July,
explained that “the government has been pushing the
councils to use all empty places to generate revenues”.
Whether it be derelict toilets or abandoned underground
stations, many more unusual sites are coming on the market, offering far more affordable rents than traditional
addresses.
A picture shows the interior of the “The Convenience”.
W
Centrepoint launches
autumn-winter collection
ith temperatures set to
cool down over the next
few months, a new
wardrobe for the entire family is a
must have. With an unbelievable
range of products, Centrepoint is
the definitive destination for family fashion this season. Centrepoint
stores across the MENA region will
house a vast variety of accessories,
shoes, ready to wear, make-up
and fragrances geared towards
the cooler months ahead.
Junior’s has the perfect selection of merchandise to update
your kids’ wardrobe. Key features
from the collection include oversized jumpers, quilted jackets,
multi-colored animal print cardi-
W
A picture shows the interior of the “The Convenience”.
gans, bright washed denims and
beautiful wintery dresses. Don’t
forget to check out amazing collections featured through brands
such as Lee Cooper, Disney, Maui
& Sons, Hello Kitty and Barbie.
These special collections feature a
variety of adorable yet functional
designer jeans, winter hats and
hoodies for the boys. For the girls,
exquisite floral winter dresses and
sequined jackets are a must-have.
Inspired by runway trends from
across the world, Splash’s AutumnWinter collection has an exciting
selection of ready-to- wear for
both men and women. Women’s
wear is inspired by Dark Florals
this season. This range features
maxi dresses, flowy pants, trench
coats and soft tailored jackets.
Another edgy trend is the rockerinspired Punk look. Key pieces
from these collections include
boxy coats, twisted tops, tailored
jackets and draped dresses. Men
can go for a formal, casual or
sporty looks this season with
Splash. Formals incorporate elements of classic British heritage
such as blazer waistcoat sets, sartorial puffers and aviator jackets.
Sportswear includes long t-shirts,
sweatshirts, joggers and neoprene
jackets.
Shoemart offers a wide variety
of shoes and accessories for kids,
men, and women this season. Kids
can be treated to functional yet
classy collections from Ben10,
Mickey Mouse, Spiderman and
Lightning McQueen. Women are
in for a delight with an exquisite
collection of shoes that incorporate flashes of metal, multi-faceted
trends and color bursts. Shoemart
has a variety of modern and elegant boots, stilettos, power flats
and peep-toed shoes. Shoemart’s
collection for men incorporates
traditional styles with quirky patterns, details and durable materials. Men can opt for signature
highlander boots, casual sneakers,
formal footwear, moccasins or
classic sandals.
Lifestyle houses an amazing
range of mascaras, eye shadows,
lipsticks and lip balms for women
this season from the professional
makeup line NYX and Misslyn.
Being bold and beautiful is easier
than ever with NYX’s Color
Mascara, Lush Lashes Mascara and
Hot singles eye shadow. Enhance
your locks and stand out from the
crowd with Hair Lights and Hair
Mascara by Misslyn.
With such a diverse offering of
products, Centrepoint is the perfect destination for the entire family’s fashion needs this AutumnWinter season. So stop by at any
of the stores located at
Centrepoint - Al Rai, Hawally,
Salmiya, Kuwait City, Fahaheel,
Jahra, Fintas, Sulaibikhat and The
Avenues for a wonderful shopping
experience.
‘7th Heaven’ actor accused
of child molestation
wo cable television networks said
Tuesday they would not broadcast
scheduled re-runs of veteran TV actor
Stephen Collins’ beloved family series “7th
Heaven.” The networks, UP TV and TV
Guide, announced the cancellations after
details of molestation allegations against
Collins were reported by celebrity website
TMZ. New York police confirmed Tuesday
they have an open investigation into allegations the actor molested a teenage girl in
the early 1970s.
New York Police Department
spokesman Stephen David said the complaint was filed in 2012 accusing Collins of
forcing a then-14-year-old girl to commit a
lewd act in the actor’s Manhattan apartment in 1972. David says the case remains
open and is being handled by Special
Victims Division detectives, but no charges
have been filed. Prosecutors will make a
determination about whether any charges
should be pursued.
Collins’ lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, and
talent agent, Mark Teitelbaum, did not
return messages seeking comment
Tuesday. Hollywood trade publications
reported Tuesday that Collins lost a role in
the film “Ted 2” and resigned his position
from the acting guild SAG-AFTRA. Pamela
Greenwalt, a spokeswoman for SAG-AFTRA,
declined comment on Collins’ departure
from its national board. The actor’s name
had been removed from lists of current
board membership by Tuesday afternoon.
The actor’s estranged wife, Faye Grant,
wrote in a sworn court declaration in Los
Angeles last year that her husband had
disclosed he molested at least three
young girls. Grant wrote in the November
2012 declaration in the couple’s divorce
case that she reported abuse to Los
Angeles police, who said they are not
actively investigating the actor, but could
not offer details on any previous investigations. The Los Angeles County District
Attorney’s Office said it did not have
T
In this June 17, 2013 file photo,
Stephen Collins attends the premiere
party for “Devious Maids” at the Bel-Air
Bay Club in Los Angeles.—AP
records of a case being presented to prosecutors.
Court filings
“Stephen admitted that he has engaged
in a long-term pattern of sexually abusing
minor children, including sexually molesting three young girls over a decade ago,”
Grant wrote in the sworn declaration,
which was filed in Los Angeles County
Superior Court in November. In March,
Kaplan declined to discuss specifics about
the claims, saying his response was included in court filings that described the accusations as an effort to obtain a more favorable settlement of the couple’s divorce. The
filings do not include a denial of the
molestation allegations, but attack Grant’s
use of them as “an attempt to extort concessions in settlement” from Collins.—AP