VOLUME THREE | ISSUE T WO | FREE
The Modern Classics Edition Celebrating contemporary twists on classical forms. From modern pewtersmiting to contemporary classical music and ancient destinations and traditions finding a new way.
Contemporary jewellery & silver Part One: 22 – 27 Sept 2015 Part Two: 29 Sept – 4 Oct 2015 #GoldsmithsFair goldsmithsfair.co.uk
Goldsmiths’ Hall, Foster Lane, London EC2V 6BN
Pictured: Teapot, 8515 (£400) with Teacups (£49 per pair). Products available online and in-store at: www.royalselangor.com and 261 Kings Road, SW3.
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
McQueen-inspired Fashion Forward Afternoon Tea at The Kensington Hotel 109 -113 Queen’s Gate, South Kensington, London, SW7 5LR @hotelkensington LONDON
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Editor’s letter
PUBLISHER Talismanic Me dia FOUNDER AND M ANAGING DIREC TOR Sid Raghava NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Gre g Holmes EDITOR IN CHIEF Co co Khan EDITOR AT L ARGE Stephen Slo combe ART DIREC TOR Harriet Be dder MOTORING EDITOR Lisa Cur tiss OFFICE M ANAGER Le e Marrero CONTRIBUTORS Claire Coveney, Mark Southern, Fiona Zublin, Sarah Jackson, Tani Burns, Mar tin Walker, Tijana Tamburic, Kieran Brunt, Susan Saunders All material in Kensington and Chelsea Review is strictly copyright and all rights are reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission of the publishers. Colour transparencies and photographs submitted for publication are sent at the owners’ risk and while every care is taken, neither the publisher nor their agents accept liability for loss or damage however caused. The publishers can accept no liability whatsoeverof nature arising out of nor in connection with the contents of this publication. Opinions expressed within the articles are not necessarily those of Kensington and Chelsea Review and any issues arising therefore should be taken up directly with the contributor.
T.S Eliot once said that ‘immature ar tists imitate; mature ar tists ste al’. There’s a strange be aut y to that phrase, espe cially given that it ’s a rif f on an assume d Tennyson quote, and has fit tingly be en the source of other variations since – most re cently Steve Jobs. There’s something truly original ab out remixing and reworking, in a way that perhaps has not be en given enough cre dit. With this in mind it gives me gre at ple asure to intro duce the Mo dern Classics Edition – de dicate d to the innovative t wists on the establishe d gre ats. We fe ature Royal Selangor, a traditional pew tersmithing company from the Far East who are re generating the craf t with cut ting-e dge collab orations, and he ar from writer Mar tin Walker, the novelist who cre ates mo dern crime tales from ancient historical sites. Music to o, plays a large role in this e dition; we go in-depth into contemp orar y classical music’s love af fair with indie-ro ck, explore the be aut y of Opera outside of the concer t hall on a be ach in Mallorca, and he ad to Rabat, Moro cco to discover the new scene of hip-hop infuse d with traditional-Arabic sound. There’s of course plent y in lifest yle, from he alth and fitness to where to e at, not to mention some ver y sexy cars in our extende d motoring se ction. As usual, our do or is always open for comments, gre etings and more, so find us on Twit ter @KCReview.
EDITOR COCO KHAN
Contents 4. News News curated from the worlds of art, culture and intrigue 6.
Art
We get to know Royal Selangor, the pewtersmiths from the Far East bringing back the craft; explore contemporary classical music’s love affair with indie- rock; peek inside Number One London; meet Serena Morton, the Notting Hill curator and stalwart of the London art scene; and wander through the Dordogne with writer Martin Walker
24. Travel From Iceland’s chilly summer solstice in which the sun never goes down,
to Morocco’s steamy nights, with Malta, Miami and a little known English island in between
44. Lifestyle Where to sleep for a good night’s kip, where to eat for some fine fare, and
how to burn it off in the gym
46. Food Restaurant reviews alongside a visit to the St. Moritz Food Festival 56. Motoring Land Rover and Barbour collaborate; Ferrari at Goodwood; and testing out
the new Bentley XP.
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READ ALL ABOUT IT A rundown of news from the worlds of art, culture and the plain intriguing, all handpicked for the Royal Borough resident. WORDS: SID RAGHAVA AND STEPHEN SLOCOMBE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITEC TS CELEBRATES ‘ THE G O OD, THE BAD AND THE UNEXPEC TED ’ OF PALL ADIAN DESIGN. The Renaissance architect Andrea Palladio is the only architect who has given his name to a style; one that is still in use around the world after nearly 500 years. From the US Capitol to a 21st century Somerset cowshed Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected introduces Palladio’s design principles and explores how they have been interpreted, copied and re-imagined across time and continents from his death in 1580 right up to the present day. Focusing on his legacy, RIBA’s exhibition explores how architects such as Inigo Jones and Lord Burlington turned Palladianism into a national style. The style was adopted in the design of houses, churches and public buildings around the world from New Delhi to Leningrad. Palladianism became so widespread that it seeped into peoples’ unconscious references and desires - elements were found popping-up in American Negro Churches and terraced housing and homes in the UK. The 20th century saw a revival of traditional Palladian mansions while the 21st century has seen his design principles being utilised in a more abstract way. The exhibition asks many questions about what makes a building ‘Palladian’ –does a building have to look classical to be Palladian? Is it the design principles or the social and political connotations of tradition, power and establishment that have led to the enduring popularity of the style? The exhibition coincides with the 300th anniversary of the publication of two books key to the spread of Palladianism worldwide – Giacomo Leoni’s first full translation into English of Palladio’s I Quattro Libri dell’ Architettura and Colen Campbell’s survey of English architecture Vitruvius Britannicus, both published in 1715. These books paved the way for a flood of cheaper pattern books that enabled anyone, from Russian royalty to American carpenters, to create Palladian designs. Palladian Design: The Good, the Bad and the Unexpected: The Architecture Gallery, RIBA: 9 September 2015 – 9 January 2016 www.architecture.com
KENSINGTON CAR DEALER JOINS LOND ON DESIGN FESTIVAL London Morgan is partnering with Squint Limited, a unique, independent design company which produces premium quality, bespoke, hand-crafted exuberant furniture and home accessories. Squint and London Morgan have produced a modern take on the iconic Morgan three wheeler car, which includes original and unique design elements to bring new life to this British vehicle. The classic three wheeler frame has been made mahogany, with a beautiful fabric finish of velvet, silk and linen, emphasising and redefining the luxurious associations of London Morgan. The car’s interior is decorated in a selection of traditionally “outdoor” fabrics, which are often associated with British country pursuits, and picks FLORIS L AUNCH CHRISTM AS 2015 GIF T COLLEC TION Eight stellar gift sets with new additions including the Signature Travel Sets of fragrances for him and her as well as for the home, and a new Gentleman Floris Grooming Collection – the perfect gift for the understated and discerning man. All collections are fastened as a final flourish with the Floris seal. www.florislondon.co.uk
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
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up the sophisticated colours and patterns of the original car. Customers will have the opportunity to design their own car at Squint and London Morgan showrooms, where they can book an exclusive on-site appointment and take advantage of the 40,000 paint colours and internal wood construction that London Morgan offers. London Morgan will be installing a small workshop at the Garage, which will explore the manufacturing process, unknown to visitors and which makes the company such a popular choice for vehicles. A cutaway of a Morgan car will be on display at Squint London www.londondesignfestival.com/news/
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CABARE T VOLTAIRE TOP BILL OF 200 ARTISTS AT AVANT-GARDE INDIE CULTURE FESTIVAL For some early autumnal inspiration, head to Incubate, the annual celebration of cutting-edge culture in the south of the Netherlands. It is a festival exhibiting a diverse view on indie culture as a whole, including music, visual arts, films, contemporary dance, debates and conferences. It brings together more than 200 cutting-edge artists within an intimate environment to an increasingly international audience. Music on offer this year includes Cabaret Voltaire, The Melvins and Mercury Rev. Incubate takes place on 14 to 20 September 2015 in over 20 locations in Tilburg, Holland. www.incubate.org
NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM L AUNCH NEW KIDS RANGE New to the Natural History Museum are personalised dinosaur T-shirts and babygrows. Perfect as a gift or simply a fun and creative family activity for all to enjoy! Treat your kidosauraus and put a smile on their face today. Also from NHM, the fashionable, quirky and colourful vintage-inspired Hola Bird Purse to keep coins and cards tucked away when out-on-the-go. www.nhmshop.co.uk Prices start from £19.00
K ALE AND HEART Y inSpiral Visionary Products are launching delicious snacks such as the moreish ‘Coconut Pecks’ – coconut chips high in Vitamin C and a great way to control cholesterol; and new ‘Kale-os’, crisp air-dried organic Kale leaves in two unique flavours. Both available in shops from August. Crunchy ‘Crackits’ provide a healthier alternative to crackers for picnic outings, and the renowned Incan BBQ Kale Chips provide the perfect guilt free, summer indulgence. All products are 100% gluten free, organic, vegan, contain only unrefined low GI sugars, are totally free of MSG and prepared using completely renewable energy. www.inspiral.co
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ESCAPE FOR LESS THIS SUM MER WITH THE VIRGIN TRAINS SEAT SALE There’s still time to catch the one million discounted seats up for grabs across First and Standard Class in Virgin Train’s summer sale. With huge discounts for travel between July 18 and August 27, there’s never been a better time to take the train for a British break. Escape for less in style and comfort, whether it’s to Wales and the seaside, Penrith and the Lakes, to visit family and friends, or explore some of our great cities. www.virgintrains.co.uk
Garden of Eden erotic art, antiques and collectables
Heavenly Bodies in Chelsea
THE POSHEST PE T FO OD IN TOWN Meowing Heads produce ultra-premium, 100% natural pet food for your furry four-legged friend. Products include ‘Tiny Paws’ for the dinky breeds like Chihuahuas, ‘Big Foot’ for the giant canines like Great Danes, ‘Bad Hair Day’ for shaggy hounds and ‘Fat Boy Slim’ for chubbier dogs who have a tendency to enjoy their food too much! Whilst the Meowing Heads range for cats has a choice of dishes designed to tempt and delight even the fussiest feline, such as ‘PurrNickety’ and ‘Smitten Kitten’, perfect for kittens. www.barkingheads.co.uk
Where East meets West in the world of erotic art
“Erotica is not a dirty word”, says Olivia Eden, owner of aptly named erotica art gallery Garden of Eden based on the Kings Road in Chelsea. “Appreciating the human body is not something we should be ashamed about”, she continues, “it’s something that should be celebrated and adored, a prime reason behind my desire to open a gallery that does just that.”
THE SUM MER TRAVEL MUST-HAVE When you take the family away this summer/autumn or go away on another essential business trip, does the thought of organising your family’s passports and travel documents fill you with dread? Busy travellers can call upon the luxury travel assistant to save time and worry. The Travel Org is a highly desirable, portable filing system made with the finest quality materials. It is chic, practical and looks better than that plastic wallet you may be cramming everything into on the morning of your flight! Each Travel Org is bespoke and made with soft leathers, durable zips and custom inserts to meet your specific style and design needs www.thetravelorg.com
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LOCAL KNOWLED GE: PAUL EDMONDS SALON, KNIGHTSBRID GE Legendary London hairdresser Paul Edmonds has been carving a niche in the industry since 1973 and has one of the most accomplished portfolios in the industry having created hairstyles for top designers such as John Galliano, Jean Paul Gaultier and John Rocha. Having opened his first salon in 1984, he celebrated the 30 years milestone last year by launching his range of new luxury lifestyle products which include scented Hand Lotions, Hand Washes, Body Lotions and Body Washes. If you still haven’t chanced upon these luscious products, head to his legendary salon in Knightsbridge. www.pauledmonds.com
NEW MEMBERS CLUB L AUNCHES IN SOUTH KENSINGTON South Kensington Club, is a new private members club centered around health, wellness and adventure. Located in a historic Georgian Music Hall, SKC was once home to the original Pineapple Dance Studios and later Ronnie Wood’s notorious music venue Harrington Club. It was also the first London home and studio of the artist Francis Bacon. The heritage of these buildings has been respectfully restored and incorporated into the design aesthetic, whilst the pioneering and artistic spirit of its former residents is ubiquitous in the Club ethos. Social, fitness and wellness is at the heart of the new Members Club which provides lifestyle offerings for the body and soul centered upon ancient and modern Mediterranean traditions with an emphasis on the energy found in Sicily and the volcanic Aeolian Islands. The Bathhouse, coming soon, is based on the ancient Greek culture of a stress-relieving, community gathering place of wellness and centered around the raw elements of water, fire, wood and stone to invigorate the body and soul. It will be comprised of traditional Russian Baynas, a Turkish Hammam, and London’s first and only saltwater Watsu Pool to provide the very best of global therapies used to relax, invigorate and detoxify the body led by world authorities on the various histories and techniques of these traditional rituals. www.southkensingtonclub.com SOCKING IT RIGHT FOR SUM MER British outdoor sock and accessories specialist Bridgedale’s patented Wool Fusion and Cool Fusion technologies have provided a range of summer walking socks that ensure day long comfort and cool, dry feet in warmer climes – perfect for active holidays or long summer walks over various terrains. Multi-coloured natural fibres also insure a fashionable outdoor experience. www.bridgedale.com PAGE 7
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ADVERTORIAL
ROYALTY ARRIVES ON THE KING’S ROAD Last month, a new store opened on Chelsea’s Kings Road. A glistening haven of delicate treasures, Royal Selangor celebrated its 130th birthday this year and to celebrate it has launched its own dedicated space. COCO KHAN interviewed CEO Mr. Yoon Li about the little known, but widely influential, craft of pewter-smithing. There is something other-worldly about the products of Royal Selangor. How can something so practical–pewter, a malleable metal akin to tin—be so beautiful, so delicate, so luxurious? Perhaps it’s the narrative that each object from Royal Selangor contains, a story of one family over many generations and a tale of longevity through innovation. After all, Royal Selangor wasn’t always ‘Royal’. The title was earned when in 1992 His Royal Highness, the late Sultan of Selangor endorsed the company, then known as Selangor Pewter; and we can see why he would. It started with Yong Koon who, at the tender age of 11, became an apprentice pewtersmith at the height of Malaysia’s tin boom. To put in perspective the sheer amount of competition in the pewter industry at this time, Malaysia’s tin boom of the 19th Century was the Far East’s equivalent of the California Gold Rush. Still, there was something about Yong Koon that stood out, and it’s clear his talent was passed down; his descendants are still at the helm of the company today. Much like Fortnum’s began with candles, Royal Selangor began with candle stands, though over the years they have hugely diversified their portfolio. Although they still create the traditional Oriental melon-teapot in honour of their founder, they’ve also collaborated with Formula One and even the Lord of the Rings franchise to create special ranges in keeping with the zeitgeist. With humble beginnings, Royal Selangor has established itself as the torchbearers of modern pewtersmithing, a deeply traditional craft in Asia. Through their education programme, which furnishes young people with training to continue the heritage, and a robust business model that saw a huge international export expansion in the 1980’s, Royal Selangor have successfully kept pewtersmithing alive—not to mention propelling it to the luxury stage. Royal Selangor are what Swarovski are to crystal. KCR: 130 years, that’s amazing! How much would you say the craft has changed? RS: Oh my God! It’s changed quite a bit. The whole idea of pewtersmithing dates back to the medieval times, even before the birth of Christ. But during the medieval times it became a sought-after material to work in. Unfortunately there was a big issue about lead, but let’s forget about that. They sorted all of that back in the 1900s. Pewtersmiths had two ways of making pewter; one is a casting method in which they pour pewter into a mould and out comes a very beautiful product, and the other one is forming or spinning where they’d get sheets of pewter and fold it or shape it on a lathe or anvil. When we first started we were doing more of the latter, ie, forming pewter on anvils, spinning cutting, shaping because that was the more traditional way of making pewter in the Far East. When we learnt to use the cast method back in early 50’s, we knew we could make more intricate and solid products. This method allows you to cast huge cross-sectional areas which make the products heavier and give them a good ring [this is the echoing sound you hear when you hit the product]. We are one of the few companies that employs this cast method nowadays. KCR: Is it still possible to get hold of the older ones? RS: Oh yes, we have a museum in Kuala Lampur where we have all the older pieces, and you can see the way they are formed; they are a little bit more simple, there may be a hammer or a machine line to it. Whereas in the later products you can see more relief work.
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
KCR: Have you found that the value of them goes up as they age? RS: Well, pewter pieces are collectible. You can find them on the secondary market. Some of the great antique auctioneers would certainly have a couple of pieces. KCR: Do you know roughly how much something has been sold for? RS: Well, we do a lot of limited edition pieces especially in the Chinese Zodiac range so there are plaques and figurines. The plaques we make up to 1000 [numbered] pieces and you will find that prices will rise for the auspicious numbers. In Chinese culture there some very auspicious numbers like, 8, 18, 38, 88, 888. KCR: Have you found that pewter as a form still holds the same significance, against other forms like china or porcelain. Is it an acquired taste? A cultural characteristic? RS: I personally think pewter is a very unique metal. It’s very warm. If you look at a piece of stainless steel or aluminium it has a cold touch to it. It’s industrial; it has that brush finish and it doesn’t take much relief work. Whereas in pewter you get very intricate designs because it melts at such a low temperature. Tin soldiers are a classic example of how we can create a metallic piece in such wonderful detail. For silver, it’s harder. You have to work the metal to get the detail, you’ll have to chase it or repoussé the piece in order to get great relief work. Nowadays unfortunately with the accessibility of home decorative items, whether you walk into Crate & Barrel in the US or IKEA, it’s difficult. So what you will see is the fine china companies, the great crystal companies and the great silver and pewter companies have to make the materials more relevant to today’s lifestyle. So out goes the toast rack and charger dishes. We make flash or disc drives, to wearables like pendants and cufflinks. In the home, photo frames still sell very well for us. Some people say to us, why don’t you make digital photo frames? Now with the phone, the digital photo frame has become obsolete but many still have a beautiful photo framed. KCR: Who designs these objects? RS: We have a design studio with about 40 people designing. And they aren’t just designers, we have sculptors, model makers, and tooling experts who help in the whole design process. People say why do you have sculptors? Why don’t you do it on CAD [Computer Aided Design], or use 3D printing etc. But there is no replacement for wonderful sculpting, and if you look at our products you can see beautifully sculpted pieces. They are sculpted in clay and from which we take an impression - then we tool up from that clay. So it’s very different from printing. Some pieces, yes, can be created in CAD or virtual space and then printed. We’ve got 3D printers (they are relatively cheap now), but you still need to touch them up. So after you’ve printed it, you need to make sure the cross-sectional areas are nice and the surface is clean and that needs to be done by a human. KCR: You mentioned you collaborate with other brands to make sure your products are relevant and in style. What collaborations have you got in the pipeline? RS: Let’s start off with what collaborations we have done so far. Collaborations are great; even though I said we have a studio, 40 people strong, every once in a while collaborate with a designer. For example two wonderful British designers we’ve collaborated with recently are Nick Monro,
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been in a retail space for a long time, about 10 or 15 years, but we exited that space around 7 years ago. We decided to start again, this year in Kings Road. Do we intend have more shops like this? I don’t know, only time will tell. At the moment it’s our first time coming back to the UK with a retail space as extensive as this one. And if it does work, then yes! Retail is great! KCR: Have your online portals been a big part of your success or it a very much a traditional ‘look-touch-feel’ thing for your customers? RS: We’ve had an online portal for a long time, starting in 1998. That was the pre dot.com boom time, but it hasn’t really grown that quickly. It’s a great place for us to use to show off our pieces, especially when you’re in conversation with people, you can just say, “oh here’s our online shop.” What you said, hit the nail on the head. People still like to come to our store and touch and feel stuff. You can’t really tell the heft of pewter online and that’s the problem. KCR: In terms of pewter as a craft that needs to be kept alive, how much responsibility do you feel Royal Selangor takes for pewtersmithing as a whole? RS: We’re probably the largest manufacturer of pewter crafts in the world. So in our factory based in Kuala Lumpur we have about 500 people, either working directly or indirectly on the pieces. But if you look at the crafts people, there are about 220, who actually make the pieces. So the remaining 300 odd will be the supervisors, tool makers, managers etc. A lot of the craft there. So do we feel responsible? I think we do. If you as a tourist come to see our visitor’s centre, and we receive about 600-800 people a day, we have something called The School of Hard Knocks. Here, you as a visitor can experience pewtersmithing. We give you a hammer and a disc and you make a bowl out of it using a simple mold. It’s a good half an hour experience. But you will also find out how difficult it is to make, because although the material is very soft, you have to hammer it in a certain way so you don’t get creases or dents or dimples that are not meant to be there.
who’s based in Chester, and VWBS (Voon Wong & Benson Saw) who are a multi-disciplinary design studio based in London. Both studios have worked closely with us and have produced wonderful pieces. In addition to designers, we also collaborate with brands and institutes of excellence. For example, the V&A Museum, the Islamic Arts Museum in Malaysia, and most recently the National Palace Museum in Taipei. These guys are a wealth of inspiration. We not only go into the museum and look at the wonderful pieces, but we can access archives and speak to curators and specialists within these museums. It helps our design team understand more about cultures and arts etc. The other thing I wanted to touch on was licensing. Our most successful licensing deal was with Tolkien Enterprises and we still deal with them, on the Lord of the Rings books. We started in 1996 collaborating with Tolkien. KCR: Was that before the movies? RS: Well before the movies. We were so avant-garde, it’s unbelievable! We were collaborating with a sculptor, based in Australia. But we asked if we could design some pieces based on the LOTR book, and he said yes; it was a very successful collaboration. We work with Disney, on Winnie the Pooh. and one coming out soon is with Lucasfilm at the end of August. You heard it here first! KCR: Just to go back to some of the studios you outlined, I noticed you picked British designers. Can we expect more UK stores? RS: Our business here in the UK is predominantly a wholesale business. So we deal mainly with department stores such as John Lewis. We had
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
KCR: Do you train people? Are you keeping it alive by getting new blood in? RS: Yes. We’ve got an experiential school for our visitors. But anyone who wants take up the vocation in our factory will have to go through a training process. Recently we’ve worked with the government and secondary education. Not many people leave secondary education to go to tertiary education (university, colleges). We are a centre of excellence for smithing which is quite a niche vocation. But schools are allowed to send their kids to our apprentice school where they can get a grant from the government to keep them employed. The world doesn’t have enough blue-collared workers, that’s the biggest problem. We’re finding it very difficult to find skilled machinists such as lathe operators, lathe cutters or even milling machinists. Everyone wants to be a doctor now. So having an apprentice school onsite is an avenue for providing an alternative for kids growing up. They can try it for one or two years and if they don’t like it, they can become a lawyer but hopefully they will become a good pewtersmith. The good thing about us is that we have 3 brands. Pewter, which is Royal Selangor. Comyns, which looks after our sterling silver business and Selberan which is fine jewellery. So there are 3 different materials you can work with, pewter, sterling silver and gold (white gold, platinum too). Obviously the mass market is in pewter and the niche is fine jewellery. So as an apprentice coming into the business you can cut your teeth in pewtersmithing, then move up to silver or jewellery. It’s interesting - kids who have graduated with say, a BSc in Business and Economics, they want to go straight into jewellery making! KCR: So you feel in the past few years there’s been a great uptake in the craft? RS: Definitely! And it’s such a refreshing change. You look at these kids and they’re sitting there working with very expensive raw materials but with great care and great pride. We have an engraving department where we have 3 or 4 hand engravers and machine engravers. But hand engraving is a dying art. KCR: So as a customer of the King’s Road store you can have something hand engraved?
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‘Our most successful licensing deal was with Tolkien Enterprises and we still deal with them, on the Lord of the Rings books. We work with Disney, on Winnie the Pooh... and one coming out soon is with Lucasfilm at the end of August. You heard it here first!’
RS: Yes, you can monogram your piece. KCR: Where do you want Royal Selangor to go in the next 5 years? RS: In the next 5 years? 5 years is too short, maybe 10 or 12 years. You see we are in the art of making beautiful things that will hopefully last a lifetime. And with things like Crate & Barrel and IKEA, things change very quickly. As a consumer you don’t feel bad throwing things out because you didn’t spend a lot of money on them in the first place. For us and the other fine china, crystal objects, we take a little bit more care in making our products. Because they’re not cheap we like to think they last generations and generations. So if we look at the customer experience, 12 years from now, hopefully I’d like to see more customers owning our products and handing them on to the next generation. But that means we will have to continue to design products that are relevant not only to this generation but to the next, which is a struggle and a challenge, but a very exciting challenge at that. For the business, that also applies. I’m the fourth generation in this family business. I need to make sure the business carries on not only to the 5th but the 9th generation. So I’m not looking 12 years ahead, I’m looking 25 years. It’s a big burden but the good thing about Royal Selangor is that we exist in this very nice space of beautiful things. Beautiful things. That’s it. Nothing fancy. Nothing convoluted. Just beautiful things. Plus it’s good for the soul, that’s what I believe. You can find the new Royal Selangor flagship store at 261 King’s Road, Chelsea, London SW3 5EL 020 7474 5511 / www.royalselangor.com
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WAVES AND MOUNTAINS: THE NATIONAL MUSIC OF NORTH AMERICA Increasingly, contemporary classical music is being infiltrated by artists from rock and pop—but does this new ‘crossover’ genre work? KIERAN BRUNT visits the Barbican’s weekend festival to find out. The landscape of contemporary music in London, it seems, is being infiltrated more and more by artists from the worlds of pop and rock music. With both the Southbank Centre and Barbican regularly programming shows by ‘crossover’ – an awful term, but helpful here I think – artists, it seems that songwriters and composers are increasingly reluctant to stick to their respective genres, and eagerly look try out their talents elsewhere. One thriving community of crossover artists is that inhabited by Bryce Dessner, most famous for his work with global indie sensation The National. His festival Mountains and Waves at the Barbican last month comprised largely of works by his many friends and frequent collaborators, most of whom also straddle the classical and indie/alternative worlds. UK premieres of music by Dessner, Sufjan Stevens, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry and Nico Muhly featured heavily throughout the weekend, and I was eager to see what these performers and composers could bring from their arena-packing shows to the London’s classical scene. I must admit, I was rather sceptical about what exactly the programmers were going for with ‘North American Music’, and how viable a theme it would be. Was this supposed to be music about America, or just by American people? The promotional artwork certainly seemed to suggest the former and, as Richard Reed Parry kindly pointed out to me, “I’m Canadian and went to primary school in England. I think it’s just meant to be beautiful music by this community of musicians, most of whom are American.” This seems plausible enough to me. Just looking at the programme, however, it was clear that a lot of the music intended to address the subject of North America as cultural phenomenon, musical institution and geographical thing out of the movies with literal mountains and waves. I went along to the Barbican with my fingers and toes crossed that this wouldn’t purely involve the panoply of folk references and musical paintings of landscape that the publicity suggested. Session One kicked off in the lush new Milton Court Hall with Sufjan Stevens’ silent film ‘Round–Up’, which he impressively shot, directed
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and scored himself. An examination of ‘a deeply American tradition’, the film presented slowmoving images of a rodeo ritual in Oregon and the various festivities that occur around it. Recurring footage of hoop-girls was interspersed with scenes of nervous cowboys, flummoxing bulls’ appendages and tumbling horses, all underpinned by the majestic playing of piano and percussion group Yarn/Wire. Perhaps the least experimental music we heard all weekend, Stevens’ music here leaned more towards the indie/pop side of his oeuvre and had moments of subtle beauty. The scene where a young calf’s legs are cruelly lassoed was perhaps a little obviously scored with its twinkling, contrapuntal piano duet, but proved touching nonetheless. After the interval the sensational eighth blackbird took to the stage, playing a variety hour of pieces written for them by various American composers. Hailing from Chicago, this colourful group can really play, with virtuosic soloists and perfectly crisp ensemble. Nico Muhly’s exuberant Doublespeak started things off with a bang, leaping from idea to idea in a way that was exhilarating and never gratuitous. After Timo Andres’ quaint Crashing Through Fences, the group played their most overtly topical piece, Bryce Dessner’s Murder Ballades, which drew heavily from American folk styles and sonorities. Bouncy banjo rhythms sprung from Lisa Kaplan’s charismatic piano playing, and twisted folk dances were richly coloured with bends and slides in the strings. At just over 3 hours long and overrunning slightly, Session One set the tone for the weekend; these main shows were to be long concerts with long intervals. The breaks would have felt a little of Glyndebourne were it not for the abundance of check shirts and cans of gin and tonic in the foyer. Nevertheless, the crowds hot-footed through the Barbican’s labyrinthine passages to St Giles Cripplegate Church, where the next show had been kindly delayed. The only solo recital of the weekend, Session Two saw multi-talented organist James McVinnie present a selection of minimalist - or, at least, minimalist-flavoured - works by American composers to a sell-out audience. PAGE 12
‘I’m Canadian and went to primary school in England. I think it’s just meant to be beautiful music by this community of musicians, most of whom are American.’ – Richard Reed Parry, Arcade Fire
Commencing at the church’s smaller organ with Philip Glass’s Music in Similar Motion, he went on to the piano to play a selection of shorter works. The most memorable of these for me was Cage’s In a Landscape, a nod to the festival’s theme, where McVinnie’s remarkable sensitivity provided the delicacy of touch needed to delineate the music’s lilting contours. Back at the organ, Muhly’s Rev’d Mustard prelude – now something of a banger in the organ world – shone brightly, as did my highlight of the set: Glass’s seminal Mad Rush. Trading the intimacy of the piano version for the grandeur of this organ, this music was exciting and heart-breaking in its seamless moves from madness to melancholy. The evening’s main event, Session Three saw the performers take to the main hall for two large-scale works, Dessner and Reed Parry’s collaborative Black Mountain Songs and Terry Riley’s famous minimalist In C. The former, a piece for youth choir and chamber band, was a charming choreographed piece of musical theatre about the hallowed Black Mountain College, NC and demonstrated every choral texture you’ve ever heard, and then some. The Brooklyn Youth Chorus were impeccably drilled and sang seriously well - hats off to them and their director. You’d be very hard-pushed to find a choir in England that could perform such a gigantic piece so well and from memory, which brings me onto my only criticism: at over 90 minutes, this piece was really very long. Without an obvious narrative, and drawing mostly from the same harmonic well throughout, I felt my attention slightly waned towards the hour-mark. Had Reed Parry’s rock-out at the end come a little sooner, I reckon I would have left for the interval with nothing but praise for this fresh and vibrant collection of music and words. The second half reminded us of how diverse a community of artists Dessner’s clique are, with virtually every performer in the festival taking to the stage to pick up a guitar or glockenspiel and clang their way through In C. Session Four in Milton Court was a crowd pleaser, with Dessner’s epic Music for Wood and Strings providing the weekend’s most direct sonic portal to The National’s music. The crowd for this show were noticeably different
than the others – far more beards, piercings and a much busier smoking area. So Percussion were enthralling here, playing four ‘amplified hammer, dulcimer-like chord sticks’ with all manners of implements. I’m not quite sure the snares and bass drums were needed - there seemed to be more than enough timbres on offer from the invented instruments, and the added percussion’s weight didn’t seem wholly necessary. The second half, I hate to say, was my only real disappointment for the weekend. I feel I can say this guilt-free as it was not at all the fault of performer Tim Hecker, whose invigorating music was rendered inaudible in Milton Court, where the sound mix was all wrong. The size and shape of the room seemingly inappropriate for his loud, electronic music, and unintentional resonances scratched together in an unpleasant way, making it very difficult to hear any of the gorgeous detail in his layered textures. Fortunately what followed in Session Five was balm for the ears, as Caroline Shaw’s delicate songs for voice and strings swirled gently around St Giles’ Church. The Pulitzer Prize winner’s playing and singing were as impressive as her compositions, many of which drew from folk tunes and styles. The hour before the final concert gave us the chance to reflect on the weekend as a whole. These festivals in EC2Y, which may at times seem like daunting marathons for devotees, are really enjoyable and worth committing to the whole slog if you can. Amidst the plethora of concerts, the Barbican’s concrete utopia becomes a great playground full of concert-goers and familiar faces alike, and the mad rush between shows is all part of the fun. The final Session Six in the Barbican’s main hall was better attended than the previous night, and deservedly so. The first half’s Wave Moments, a collaborative orchestral piece by Dessner and Reed Parry, accompanied a slow video projection of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s seascape photography. I don’t quite know how two composers go about writing a work like this together (does one go first?) but here that mattered not- the shimmering, silvery tones of the Britten Sinfonia were stunningly immersive as they washed over the audience over the course of an hour. Maddy Prior’s veteran folk-
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“Perhaps it was the two martinis I quaffed during the interval, but the final section’s xylophone moment was so intense that I didn’t know whether to applaud or weep.” KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
soprano brought a touch of fragility to the final sea shanty chorus, a melting moment akin to Mahler 4’s finale where all previous musical thoughts are summarised by a simple song. The festival’s explosion of timbre, texture and harmony concluded with a reminder of how twentieth-century American composers recalibrated our understanding of rhythm and gesture. Steve Reich’s Drumming is a rich tapestry of rhythmic cells that phase in and out slowly and hypnotically over the course of an hour and a half (or perhaps a bit less, I lost track of time). As much of a human feat as a musical masterpiece, this performance by the rock-solid kernel of So Percussion and friends was a mesmerising accomplishment, and proved that live minimalism is such a rare thing of beauty. This music is as much about the hidden sounds as it is those that we can see being made; the room’s resonating chamber allows overtones to rub up against one another, creating throbbing pulses that exist in a meter outside of the written music. Fading in almost out of nowhere, their submusic is like a whole other narrative, created by chance, and you can only truly experience this through live performance. Perhaps it was the two martinis I quaffed during the interval, but the final section’s xylophone moment was so intense that I didn’t know whether to applaud or weep. I think it ended up being a bit of both. What I enjoyed so much about this weekend of all new music was the thrill that came with the constant absence of aural expectation. On the countless times I’ve sat in the Barbican’s Hall to listen to the LSO play Mozart or Beethoven, I’ve known roughly what to expect in terms of sonority and structure etc. Yet here one really needed to approach every piece with a fresh pair of ears, almost devoid of anticipation. I was pleased that it wasn’t overly pictorial; I don’t know if I could have sat through 14 (yes that’s right, fourteen) hours of music about mountains and trees. These moments did happen, but arrived as welcome – and often beautiful – markers of location and tradition. It felt overall, however, that the main focus of the programme was directed at the achievements of twentieth-century American composers and their enduring legacies. And rightly so.
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Goldsmiths’ Fair, the UK’s premier showcase of fine contemporary jewellery and silver, returns this autumn (22 Sept – 4 Oct) with a stellar line-up of exhibitors, special exhibitions and exciting events. Held in the sumptuous interiors of Goldsmiths’ Hall in the City of London, the Fair unveils the latest collections from 168 leading UK-based designermakers working in gold or silver. Among them are 25 first-time exhibitors and numerous rising stars from the British jewellery and silversmithing world.
The Fair’s main focus is original design and exceptional quality. As such, participants push boundaries to create modern masterpieces. With a wide range of influences, the jewellery combines both traditional and cutting-edge techniques. The Fair is also proof of the UK’s global lead in contemporary silversmithing, fostering domestic talent and attracting the best international young makers. From beautiful bracelets in the region of £150 to spectacular gem-set necklaces costing upwards of £50,000, Goldsmiths’ Fair offers something for everybody and is ideally timed for early Christmas shopping! A host of renowned jewellery names with links to high fashion showcase their stunning creations, including Tom Rucker and Ornella Ianuzzi. Spectacular stone-encrusted and modernist jewellery by Ingo Henn is bound to cause a stir, while jewellery collections from Fei Liu, Hannah Martin and Beth Gilmour are a celebration of hi-tech and traditional craftsmanship. Interior design lovers are treated to spectacular contemporary silver luxuries. Of note are textured vessels, exquisitely layered boxes, chic tableware and stunning vases and bowls. The ancient Mokume Gane technique executed by Alistair McCallum is also exquisite! A place for talent spotting, the Fair’s Graduate Scheme provides a launchpad to 10 rising stars via a bursary and mentoring programme managed by the Goldsmiths’ Centre. Ones to watch include Kyosun Jung, Lindsay Hill and Joseph Jackson. This year one of the most influential women in the UK art world, Julia Peyton-Jones, Director of the Serpentine Galleries, is to guest curate Julia Peyton-Jones Selects, a showcase of her 23 favourite pieces from this year’s Goldsmiths’ Fair. “Colour, form, texture and the making process play key roles in both the contemporary jewellery and silversmithing world as in much of contemporary art. Like the world’s most exciting artists today, the skilled designer-makers at Goldsmiths’ Fair are constantly pushing boundaries to bring exquisite new works to the discerning public,” says Peyton-Jones. John Donald: Precious Statements, the Fair’s other special exhibition, features select pieces from Donald’s pioneering career. The pioneering British jeweller, designer and goldsmith is one of the most innovative makers of the twentieth century. A radical designer and craftsman, his practice captures the late twentieth century ideals of glamour and modernity. Part of a select group that revolutionised jewellery design in the 60s and 70s, Donald went on to establish successful businesses in London and Geneva as well as an international reputation. His critically acclaimed work attracted patronage of HRH The Princess Margaret, Countess Snowdon and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Exciting Breakfast Talks are taking place, hosted by jewellery editor of British Vogue Carol Woolton; BBC Antiques Road Show jewellery specialist Joanna Hardy; Director of GIA London Edward Johnson; Senior Curator of the Museum of London Hazel Forsyth; and Fabergé expert Geoffrey Munn. John Donald will also be in conversation with art-jewellery expert Louisa Guinness. Goldsmiths’ Fair is the ultimate destination for the best craftsmanship and design in silver and gold. Expect to be dazzled!
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Dream Goblet, plique-à-jour, gold and silver base with blue topaz, Alexandra Raphael. Earrings GEO.AURIGA laser welded structure in platinum & gold, yellow diamonds, turquoise, Tom Rucker Mystery Landscape necklace, Melissa Rigby
Q&A WITH ALEXANDRA RAPHAEL Kensington-based American silversmith and jeweller Alexandra Raphael has worked for over 30 years perfecting her cloisonné enamel and Plique-à-jour techniques. She has exhibited widely in the UK, and around the world. You are known for perfecting cloisonné enamel and Plique-à-jour techniques. How do they differ? Enamel is glass - using transparent glass is almost like ‘watercolour’ as the colours wash over the silver or gold revealing the precious metal beneath. Cloisonné is an enamelling technique where I shape the gold and silver wires (cloisonné or ‘cells’) to create the design on silver or gold. Plique-à-jour is very similar. I use gold wires to create the design but I remove the metal background and the result is like a miniature stained glass window as the whole piece is completely see-through. And what draws you to these techniques? The fine lines of wire are very delicate - especially in the plique-à -jour bowls I create. Thre is an element of magic when one produces such an ethereal piece. You have exhibited at Goldsmiths’ Fair several times before. What keeps you coming back? What better venue to showcase your work? It also gives me the opportunity to meet potential clients and of course previous customers. My pieces are very personal and by discussing the possibilities for a commission enables me to create something truly unique for them. What exciting new work can we expect from you at this year’s Fair? I have been working with some beautiful stones recently. I've created tiny cloisonné images, setting the stones on top. The wearer must look through the stone to see the picture - from some angles the facets of the stones alter the shape and give movement.
For more information visit www.goldsmithsfair.co.uk PAGE 15
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ADVERTORIAL
BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS SUSAN SAUNDERS visits Apsley House, also known as the famous ‘Number 1 London’. If, like me, you’ve always glimpsed Apsley House out of the corner of your eye as you swing round Hyde Park Corner on a 52 bus, make this the year you finally find out what lies behind the imposing neo-classical façade, and you will not be disappointed. Number One London, as this unique location was known when the first Duke of Wellington purchased it with the money granted to him by a grateful nation, has been a shrine to that man and his part in the epic Battle of Waterloo since he first moved there in 1817, two years after he masterminded the allied victory over the French Emperor, Napoleon. Now, to mark the bicentenary of this bloody conflict, as vital in its day to the safety of Europe as the overcoming of Hitler and his forces in more recent times, the House has been re-opened to the public after meticulous and spectacular refurbishment, and a season of fascinating events will bring these rooms and their history alive again for new generations. Imagine my excitement when, on behalf of this illustrious periodical, I was ushered into the hallowed portals one April morning for a special guided tour, but firstly plied with coffee and enough croissants and pain-au chocolat to have sustained the 123,000 men from l’Armee du Nord who were mustered to march on Belgium shortly after Napoleon’s surprise escape from exile on the Isle of Elba. He managed to surprise me personally when I wandered off alone and encountered his colossal naked marble likeness towering above me and taking up most of the curving stairwell… the necessity of grovelling by his giant shins in an attempt to fit in all of his splendour into the viewfinder of my
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disposable camera resulted in predictable embarrassment as one of several guides coughed behind me to announce his presence. We mulled over the many ironies inherent in the notion of a short, war-mongering man commissioning a massive image of himself depicted in God-like, antique style from Europe’s leading sculptor of the day, Antonio Canova, portrayed as ‘Mars the Peacemaker’, only to have it end up as the centerpiece in the show-home of the very man who trounced you after you pushed your luck by being too bellicose by far. But whatever your thoughts on its subject, the statue itself, carved from a single block of marble apart from the left arm, is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary works of art in Britain today. With only the unobtrusive presence of my amiable guide, I was able to explore the beautiful upstairs rooms, and gaze out at the peaceful green garden with its simple wooden children’s playthings. One of the many unusual features of Apsley is that it is the only remaining aristocratic house open to the public in London with the family still in residence - they discreetly occupy about half of the house, which was originally designed by the genius architect Robert Adams in1771, and completed in’78. Commissioned by Henry Bathurst, Baron Apsley, at a cost of 10,000 pounds, it was later bought in 1807 by a certain Richard Wellesley, who spent further vast sums embellishing it, only to separate from his wife and be brought to the brink of bankruptcy in the process. He was in a bit of a fix with a fancy house but no funds, but he was helped out of this tight spot by an anonymous offer from his younger brother – the one who their mother had
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called her ‘ugly boy Arthur’, believing him to be good for nothing but cannonfodder, or ‘fit food for powder’ as she put it. This unpromising Dublin-born chap was now the Iron Duke, a national hero and Apsley house suited his new status perfectly. By sending the child she thought so little of to a military academy in France, she unwittingly did him a huge favour, for it was here that he gained his life-long fluency in French, and became a keen Francophile in many of his tastes, as well as discovering where his true talents lay. When he had the house extended and re-modelled by Benjamin Dean Wright, the first phase of building was quite sober and masculine, but by the time the Waterloo gallery was created to give a fitting home to the annual commemorative dinners that were by now a fixed tradition, the style had gone totally tous-les-louis, with all the full-on glitz of Versailles incorporating lots of gold and mirrors. It was to this sumptuous interior we were now being summoned, for an audience with the present-day Duke himself. So I bid a fond farewell to the dashing Striped Drawing Room, and the sweet Yellow Drawing Room, with the oldest piano in Britain, made by Americus. After a last glance at myself from every possible angle in the magical, mirrored space known as the Octagon Passage, musing on the many finer faces and fancier costumes it had once reflected, I scampered off to join the eager throng. The Duke himself, totally charming and rather shy, was standing in front of the famous painting by Salter of the Waterloo Banquet of 1836, which gave us a preview of the glories we were about to behold. In one picture you may observe that the ladies of the company appear only in the doorway, as the feast itself was just for military heroes, but it is worth noting that the first Duke adored female society, and had something of a reputation for being a ladies’ man, a fact well-documented by several rather suggestive newspaper cartoons of the time. He was known to have ‘escorted’ two exes of Napoleon, Giuseppina Grassini and the actress Mlle George, who is reputed to have said that ‘The Duke was by far the more vigorous’. He married his patient wife Catherine
Pakenham after a long engagement during which he was away in India, having not seen her since she was a pretty nineteen-year old, and is said to have remarked on his wedding day, ”By God, she has grown ugly!” A man of honour, he married her anyway, but she had none of the requisite skills of a society hostess, and preferred to raise their two sons quietly in the country. If you are an art-lover, a visit to the house is a must on those grounds alone. Napoleon’s brother, who happened to have made himself King of Spain, attempted to make off with hundreds of that nation’s most portable art works, and a raid on his baggage train resulted in the embarrassment of riches that cover these dining –room walls. Goya, Correggio, Velasquez are all represented in a breathtaking collection of the finest quality possible. This year there will be a grand banquet held here once again to mark the bicentenary of the battle, and in the following weeks all manner of activities have been dreamt up, including dressing-up and dancing lessons, to take us back in time to that elegant period. Candlelit tours in the October twilight sound especially atmospheric and enchanting. But to get a real idea of the dreadful conflict that lies behind all this, it is necessary to leave the house and cross over to the Wellington Arch, which has been made into a stunning little museum (with terrific views from its parapets). Here you can see heartbreaking pictures of veterans from either side of this terrible battle, where 55,000 men lost their lives in one afternoon. A brisk business grew up in the area making false teeth out of the remains of the fallen. Looking out of the windows at the dozens of chestnut rumps of the horses of the cavalry going to exercise in the nearby park, as they still do every morning, I could only hope that no such sacrifice need ever be made again. For more information on Apsley House visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/ apsley-house
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LOCAL TALENT: SERENA MORTON Of all the boroughs, truly Kensington and Chelsea has the greatest number of mavericks, stars and influencers. CLAIRE COVENEY meets one of the sort, Serena Morton, critically acclaimed Notting-Hill curator and businesswoman Serena Morton, one of the most exciting and long-standing members of the London art scene. Critically acclaimed Notting-Hill curator and businesswoman, Serena Morton, has become one of the most exciting and long-standing members of the London art scene. Born and bred in London, Serena spent the first ten years of her career working in fashion and media before making the logical step into the art world. Spending half a decade at Christie’s Auction House inspired her to curate and produce contemporary art exhibitions, and she was amongst the first of the London curators to embrace pop-up exhibitions. She launched and directed three West End art galleries in Bruton Street, Berners Street and Dover Street, which also included her launching, directing and curating Ronnie Wood’s ‘Scream’ Gallery. Morton went on to start her own gallery business, teaming up with Metropolis Music and Amy Winehouse Manager, Raye Cosbert, in 2010 to open the concept gallery Morton Metropolis. These successes lead to the creation of her own gallery, Agent Morton on Dover Street, and then the launch of two self-owned galleries in the heart of Notting-Hill’s up-and-coming scene. On 30th September 2015 Serena will launch Serena Morton II, a new gallery space in West London dedicated to showcasing the best 20th Century and contemporary photography from around the world. In early September, Serena will exhibit a solo exhibition for the painter Jim Threapleton, next door at her 343 Ladbroke Grove Gallery.
that body of work. The most important part of my job is caring for and managing my artist and their estate. Looking after collectors is also key.
The term ‘Curator’ was once solely employed to describe a person who curated exhibitions within galleries and museums, but now gets liberally used to describe anyone from celebrity DJ’s to Hackney-dwelling hipsters with an iTunes account. What does being a curator mean to you, and what would you say is the most important part of your job? For me, curation is working with the artist to select which works would be exhibited, (discussion, encouragement, editing works out for final selection, cataloging). Also when the works are installed, placing and making sense of their order. There is no ego involved, just a desire to do my best for the works and the artist intention with
Finally, you were born and raised in London and have spent much of your professional life here. How much in your opinion has the art scene changed here in that time, and do you still find the city exciting, professionally and personally? The art scene has changed enormously. Many more contemporary galleries and the introduction of Frieze Art Fair of course! The outlook is international and despite the economic setbacks the art market is performing well, with London the second greatest art market in the world right now. Yes, I love London, for me it is the best city in the world.
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The contemporary art scene can be a competitive and cut-throat area to work in, yet you have carved out a successful and sustainable career; what do you put this down to, and are you just as ambitious now as you have ever been? You have to just follow your heart, your instinct and believe in your artists. Ambition should be secondary or things will not go well. You have a track record of identifying emerging artists. What advice would you offer artists who are just starting out who want to get themselves and their work noticed? Again, believe in yourself and never give up. Host your own exhibitions via pop-ups, get out and about and keep looking and learning. It will take years to succeed. You’ve got a very busy few months ahead of you, what with the launch of your new gallery space in West London, Serena Morton II, and an exhibition of the painter Jim Threapleton at 343 Ladbroke Grove, both opening in September. How are you feeling? Indeed, no quiet August for me! It is busier than ever but I am excited and feel very lucky to have this opportunity.
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‘There is no ego involved, just a desire to do my best for the works and the artist intention with that body of work. The most important part of my job is caring for and managing my artist and their estate.’
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LONDON PARENTS: WHY THE HYSTERIA? As competition for places at independent London secondary schools places unbearable pressure on prep school children and their parents, Mayfield Head, ANTONIA BEARY, says: Don’t panic! There is another way, and it doesn’t mean compromising your children’s education. It is easy to see how parents get caught in the frantic race for places at the top London schools, which do indeed offer an outstanding academic provision, but we must remember that the mental and emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their academic performance, and can profoundly influence these results. I worry that the burden of exam pressures shouldered from such a young age is damaging our children; storing problems for individuals and society as a whole. Of course, the pressure just to get into these schools is only the beginning. The stress children feel and the pressure to achieve the best results is unlikely to let up throughout their careers in such a school environment. While some children thrive on pressure, most don’t. Is such a choice really the best thing for your child? A good education is not about teaching children tactics to pass exams. The best schools will teach pupils to think independently and creatively, to make mistakes and learn from them, emerging at the end of their school career with the confidence to be the best that they can be, and to accept others for what they are. Excellent academic results will come as a happy consequence. Choosing a secondary school is one of the most important decisions that you will make for your children. While the quality of teaching, ethos, facilities and activities on offer, and pastoral care, are undoubtedly the factors which determine the suitability of a school for each child, location is often the limiting factor. Take away the bounds of a daily commute, and the pool of prospective schools will increase exponentially. I cannot impress on you enough that choosing a school outside of London should not and does not mean compromising on results. There are a great number of schools outside the capital who sit consistently at the top of the league tables, and the majority of these are boarding schools. Mayfield is among them. We are a highly academic school, but this doesn’t stop us placing as much emphasis on challenging each pupil
outside the classroom as within it. We treat our pupils as individuals and as such, furnish them with the skills they will need to go on and be successful in life. They often exceed expectations, including their own. The modern myth of the ‘heartless’ parents who send their child to board is being turned on its head. If you as parents find yourself needing to work late, then you probably rely on childcare more than you would like. When you finally get home, is your time spent as an on call taxi service, then nagging tired children to finish their homework? Are you confident that you know where your offspring are, with whom, or what they are accessing on the internet? In the light of your answers, think again: might boarding actually be better for them, and you? Quite apart from the convenience, boarding can enrich pupils’ school experiences, helping them to develop confidence and independence within a secure and mentored environment. Boarding houses these days offer plenty of home comforts, and what better for teenagers than to have friends on call from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to sleep? Modern boarding can be a flexible option, with many schools offering weekly, termly and flexi options. It can allow parents more freedom within increasingly busy schedules, while removing the sometimes substantial travelling time from a child’s day can enable him or her to participate in more sport, extra-curricular activities and allow them extra study time. Many schools – Mayfield included - are within easy reach of London, and offer transport to and from central London. Set amongst the rolling hills and wooded valleys of East Sussex, Mayfield offers not only the most glorious views but also the luxury of space: we have extensive grounds, and our pupils benefit from a range of sports and outdoor activities in school and the surrounding countryside. For example, Mayfield has its own equestrian centre on site, enabling pupils to ride at lunchtimes and after school; a luxury enjoyed by very few London school children. Working hard and playing hard is easy! The over-subscribed hothouse mentality, PAGE 21
Antonia Beary, Headmistress
Student, Mayfield House
obsessed with league table ranking, is putting our children’s mental health at risk. There is so much more to life –an education for life - than jumping through hoops, whether it is during their time at school, or in order to get into the school in the first place. If you want your children to be defined by more than just their exam results, it may be time to take a step back and consider the alternatives. Miss Antonia Beary is Headmistress of Mayfield, a Catholic independent school in East Sussex for girls aged 11-18.
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INSPIRING BRUNO MARTIN WALKER is a prize-winning journalist and author. His crime series is set in the beautiful Dordogne area of France where he is known to spend his summers. The novels are centred on the character of Bruno, Chief of Police and filled with the aromas and smells of France. Here, in his own words, he shares the beauty of the region that inspired him. When I stroll down to my village market on the banks of the river Vézère, I cross a bridge built in Napoleon’s day, on the site of an old Roman bridge and just upstream from the ford where the Arab invaders crossed on their way from Spain to their doom at the battle of Tours in 732AD. If Charles Martel had not beaten them, Europe might have been Muslim ever since. Coming off the bridge to the café that serves the best croissants in the region, I pass the remnant of an old nunnery, raped and pillaged in the 16th century wars of religion and finally destroyed in the wake of the French Revolution of 1789. If I look up, I can see the cliffside that hides the entrance to the cave of Bara-Bahau where the French Resistance hid the guns dropped to them by the RAF in World War Two, not knowing that the walls and roof around them were filled with engravings of prehistoric beasts etched into the stone some 40,000 years ago. There is almost more history in this part of the Perigord than any region can handle – unless you are a novelist, and then the ideas come thick and fast. Watching some local archaeologists gently brushing the soil from Neanderthal bones, I suddenly wondered what might happen if they came across a modern skeleton in an ancient tomb, and began to write ‘The Crowded Grave.’ Then a neighbour who makes his own wine invited me to take off my shoes and trousers and join his family in treading the grapes. It was great fun, except for the stiff breeze from the electric fan he’d placed beside the great vat. I asked why, to be told that the carbon monoxide from the fermenting grapes could suffocate us all – and I had part of the plot for ‘Dark Vineyard.’ At a garden party I was introduced to a very grand old lady, a descendant of Louis XIV’s mistress and learned of the heresy trial that had the lady in question, Madame de Montespan, accused of staging a black mass on her naked body, while a witch and a defrocked priest concocted the love potion that would win the royal heart. It was a very successful potion She went on to give the King five children, and the plot for ‘The Devil’s Cave’ began to
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take shape in my head. Before I came to the Perigord nearly twenty years ago, after a career as a foreign correspondent for The Guardian and then running a Washington think-tank on global economics, my books had been mainly non-fiction: on Gorbachev and Perestroika; a study of Bill Clinton; a history of the Cold War. But the Perigord gave me the inspiration to try something new, and my fascination with the prehistoric cave paintings of the region triggered the novel, ‘The Caves of Perigord,’ about the kind of society that might have produced the masterpiece of the Lascaux cave. And what would happen if another Lascaux were found today. It’s what the French call an embarras de richesses – an embarrassment of riches. There is almost too much inspiration for any writer to handle. And it is not just the history; the Perigord is the gastronomic heartland of France, home to the famous black truffles and finest foie gras. My favourite French King, Henri IV, who famously said that his ambition was for every French family to have poule au pot, a chicken in the pot every Sunday, also declared ‘Great food, splendid wines – the Perigord is paradise on earth.’ It was while chatting to Edouard, a friend who keeps a truffle plantation, that I heard about the efforts of the Chinese mafia to take over the truffle trade and adulterate our magnificent local fungi with the much cheaper Chinese version, which Chinese peasants sensibly consider fit only for their pigs. And along with an article in Paris Match about the gang wars between the Corsican, Chinese and Vietnamese mafias for the narcotics trade, I had the theme for ‘Black Diamond.’ The best inspiration of all came from my local tennis club, where I became friendly with Pierrot, my local village policeman. Hired by our elected mayor, Pierrot is neutral in the French ‘war of the cops’ between the gendarmes, who are traditionally part of the Ministry of War and the Police National, who in that uniquely complex French way answer both to the Ministry of Justice and to the Ministry of the Interior. Pierrot never arrests anyone, tries
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never to carry a gun, spends half his time teaching local schoolkids to play rugby and tennis. He hunts whenever he can and cooks like a dream. After he treated me to a dégustation of Bergerac wines and I countered with a tasting of my favourite malt scotches, we became firm friends. He’s also now my tennis partner. And as one of those rare cops who understands the difference between law and justice, he became the first model for my fictional hero, Bruno. The first mystery, ‘Bruno, Chief of Police,’ came from a visit to the Centre Jean Moulin, the splendid Resistance archive in Bordeaux, where I learned how the Vichy authorities and the Gestapo decided that the only way to defeat the Resistance was to terrorize the farmers who were feeding and sheltering the Reistance fighters. They persuaded a French soccer star, Alexandre Villaplane, who had captained the French team in the 1930 World Cup and had then launched a soccer league for North African kids in Marseilles, to recruit some of his young Arabs for a special mission. A Nazi sympathizer who held officer rank in the SS, Villaplane offered them black uniforms and loot if they joined his Brigade Nord-Africaine. They also got 5000 francs a month, about four times the standard wage for a farm worker. Their job was to burn, rape, kill and loot the families of farmers suspected of helping the Resistance, and they were also used to man the Nazi firing squads. The impact on race relations of using Arabs for such acts of official terrorism can be imagined. And now for the next tales, I’m researching a ruined chateau called Commarque, handed over to the Templars in the 12th Century when the feudal lord went on crusade. And I’m tracing down the history of a unique and beautiful Bugatti, Type 57 Atlantic. Only four were built, and one disappeared around here during World War Two. Since another model was just bought by a California museum for $38 million, you can see why Bruno just had to get involved.
‘It’s what the French call an embarras de richesse – an embarrassment of riches. There is almost too much inspiration for any writer to handle.’
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THE MARVELS OF MALTA From the rich baroque and medieval heritage of Mdina (aka King’s Landing in Game Of Thrones) to the shimmering clarity of the blue lagoon, SARAH JACKSON falls for the charms of this much-historied Mediterranean archipelago. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I stepped off the plane at Malta International Airport. I’d never been to Malta, and most of the stuff I knew had been gleaned from my Dad (an ex-history teacher) who’d given me a brief but insightful lesson on the way to the airport. So, armed with my trusty red suitcase and a dodgily applied fake tan, I struck out for my latest adventure. The first thing to note about Malta, if you’re a bit of a geek like myself, is how fascinating it is from a historical perspective. It’s been ruled by an incredible 14 countries and the Maltese culture reflects this in every respect, especially in its language, which is proto-Arabic, branching out into Italian with a bit of French and Latin thrown in (“Hello” is “Bonġu”, which is very similar to the French “bonjour”, whilst “thank you very much” is “grazzi hafna”, which demonstrates the distinctive Italian and Arabic elements.) The landscape is quintessentially Mediterranean with huge swaths of sandy soil, leading to magnificent terracotta inclines, splotched with bottle green vegetation. The plants which (ahem) cropped up all over were the prickly pear, lining the roads like spiky sentinels, and an abundance of Mediterranean thyme, which flooded the terrain with a mélange of purple and green. I took to fancifully referring to this as “Maltese heather”. The sea is something else entirely. Ranging from the deepest navy, to ebullient turquoise, it surrounds the island with a crystalline beauty that is breathtaking to behold. But let’s get to the real stuff. Where should you go, what should you do? Where should you stay and what should you eat? I’ll give you a rundown of the must dos (and a few must not dos!) of Malta. Mdina I’ll just start by saying that Kings Landing in Game of Throne was filmed in Mdina. If that isn’t enough
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to make you want to go there, then here are a few more facts. Mdina was Malta’s first capital city and still retains the hallmarks of its medieval and baroque heritage. It’s nicknamed “the silent city” as it only has 230 residents and it is quite simply enchanting, with its ancient architecture, narrow streets and horse and carriages clopping along the cobbles. You will feel as though you’ve momentarily gone back in time, and there’s a good chance you won’t want to return. The Blue Lagoon This spectacular bay boasts some of the most gorgeous waters I’ve ever had the pleasure of dipping my toes into. The lagoon is located off the island of Comino, the smallest island on the archipelago, with only 8 residents living there, and this particular spot is a haven for swimming, snorkelling or any other water sports. Ta Mena Estate Owned by Joseph Spiteri (recognise the name? Spiteri is a common Maltese name, so Sharleen of Texas fame must have some Maltese relatives somewhere along the line!), Ta Mena produces typical Maltese fare, such as Chardonnay and Vermentino wines, olive oil and the makings for the traditional Maltese dish, hobz biz-zejt (sundried tomato paste, spread onto Maltese bread, then drizzled with olive oil, capers, olives and salt and pepper). Joseph is a man who really knows his stuff; I defy you to go there without buying up half the shop after you’ve had a tasting session. Ta Mena is a joyous reminder that artisans can deliver a quality which the mass market cannot possibly hope to capture.
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‘The sea is something else entirely. Ranging from the deepest navy, to ebullient turquoise, it surrounds the island with a crystalline beauty.’
DESERT ISLAND DISCS It’s not quite a distant tropical island, but a visit to Northern Mallorca, accompanied by live opera, makes FIONA ZUBLIN feel a million miles from home, somewhere nothing short of paradise. The danger of a five star hotel — aside from the ever-present threat that you will be drawn into some sort of fabulous mystery involving some missing jewels and eventually a fist fight on top of a moving train — is that they all start to look the same. The beds are all massive and drowned in pillows, the closets deep, the television remotes incomprehensible. You could be in Dubai or New York or Helsinki, as long as you keep your curtains closed, and everywhere you’re alone and wearing the same fluffy white robe. Barcelo Formentor, in Northern Mallorca, is a five star hotel, and the fluffy white robe is a constant. But Mallorca is not Helsinki and it is not New York: A tropical island is an unstoppable force in all sorts of ways, and I’m reminded of that when I meet my roommate, a very small, brighteyed gecko who sits companionably on the wall near me while I frantically google “How to make friends with a small gecko.” “Spray him with cold water,” said the internet, but that seems unneighborly — and while the hotel provides a kettle, there was no spray bottle in sight. I leave the gecko to his own devices. Mallorca’s beaches, at least those adjacent to Barcelo Formator, are as pristine as the photos would lead you to believe. But the island’s essential wildness announces itself, as it should, reminding visitors that when you come to paradise, you have to coexist with the critters whose home you’re a guest in. Diving into the bay off a yacht, the water is so clear you can see every tiny fish swimming up to investigate your feet before you clamber out to sun on the boat while sipping Mallorcan wine. An occasional dainty cat wanders through the hotel’s winding flower gardens and patios, a jellyfish comes a little too close while you’re splashing in the surf, goats stare balefully at you from the side of the long twisting highway that leads to the hotel where Winston Churchill and Audrey Hepburn stayed. But nobody’s here in Mallorca for the gecko encounters — they’re here for the music. The Barcelo Formentor hosts a yearly Sunset Classics concert on a stage constructed at the edge of the Bay de Pollença, the trees splashed Yves Klein blue with floodlights and the crowd in evening gowns sipping champagne. This year the star of the show is Dame Kiri te Kanawa, New Zealand’s most famous opera diva, whose public outings are fewer these days (though she assures reporters she’s nowhere near
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retiring). Dame Kiri, as everyone here calls her, is 70 years old, but her voice is still stunning, tackling Spanish folk songs, opera favorites and Gershwin for an audience of hotel guests and outsiders who, in some cases, traveled to the island just for the chance to hear Dame Kiri sing. The sun is setting orange and pink behind the concert stage and a bat has fallen in love with Kiri te Kanawa. She’s singing “Un bel di, vedremo,” the one aria from “Madame Butterfly” that everyone has heard, and the bat is zooming over the stage in wide, happy circles, a bat who has discovered classical music. This is how opera should be heard — of course, the opulence of opera houses is traditional and the Met’s sputnik-shaped chandeliers are beautiful, but to hear those soaring high notes out in nature, trees and sky and ocean, makes the music feel less manufactured, like a natural phenomenon itself. When you watch a video clip with the sound off while playing unrelated music, the video seems to conform itself to that music. When you watch a bat zoom around while listening to Puccini, it looks like the bat is dancing. Or maybe the bat really is in love with Kiri te Kanawa. God knows everyone else listening to her is. When we’re not enjoying opera and champagne — Formentor also hosts master classes before its concerts so attendees will understand a bit of the history and theory behind the music — we’re deciding between swimming in the pool and swimming in the ocean, getting massages or eating seafood paella at the beachside Platja Mar restaurant (one of five at the hotel), and whether it’s really a good idea to strap on a jetpack in the ocean (while it’s an option at Formentor, we end up sticking to the yacht). Despite its occasional animal presence, Formentor is not a wilderness safari, unless wilderness safaris have a lot more massages and buffets than I’ve been led to believe. You can wander off hiking and horse riding, or you can confine yourself to civilization on the golf course or at the piano bar. Just remember to be kind to any geckos you find in your suite. Five-star Barceló Formentor, Mallorca from £1,037 per person based on two adults sharing a twin inland room for seven nights, on a bed and breakfast basis. Including private transfers and return flights from London. Classic Collection Holidays 0800 294 9315 www.classic-collection.co.uk
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THE CRADLE OF CIVILISATION STEPHEN SLOCOMBE heads to Jerusalem to discover the majesty of beginnings. It’s hard to think of a country more evocative than Israel; a country whose traditions and history often seem at the heart of everything the world knows and holds dear. I’d always felt every person should visit at least once, and as we touched down on Ben Guirdon airport on the southern fringes of Tel Aviv I experienced a hitherto unexpected emotion: trepidation. Trepidation that my expectations of the country would be overblown, or that my placing of it near the top of my internal ‘bucket list’ was somehow ill-advised. Fortunately I needn’t have worried: from start to finish my trip was more than joy. Our first stop was the 5* Daniel Dead Sea Hotel in the heart of Ein Bokek’s hotel area. With its own private beach on the Dead Sea, and location nearly equidistant from Tel Aviv and and Jerusalem, it felt like we wouldn’t have to travel far to experience the best of Israel. This swiftly proved itself true, and after a mud and seaweed treatment blew the cobwebs off the previous day’s travel, we padded into the ocean for our first floating experience. If you haven’t experienced the almost disarming sense of weightlessness that comes from resting in one of the world’s most saline waters, it’s an otherworldly trip. The cosmic sense is enhanced by the surroundingsperfectly flat, glimmering, mineral-packed waters, and dusty reddish-brown mountains that might been flown in from Mars. The rest of the hotel is luxurious without being ostentatious, and wellappointed for families with bowling alleys and games room packed with full sized snooker tables. After all this hyper relaxation, however, such exertions felt a little too intense; especially with the prospect of a trip to the ancient Masada the next morning. It may have only been 20 minutes from our hotel, but the UNESCO World Heritage Site could not have been further removed in time. At the
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rhomboid shaped peak it is some 1800ft high with views of the Judean Desert sprawling on every side of this giant, barren, rock behemoth. Although the summit is accessible by two separate paths - and for many a sunrise walk to the peak is considered an intrinsic part of the Masada experience - we took the lazy route in the cable car. Thankfully this conserved our energy for the top, and winding through the ancient buildings - allegedly the site was originally built in the first century BC - it’s impossible to not be awed at their ability to build habitations with neither drill nor truck on their side. The site is best known for its siege in 74 BC, when, with 960 Jewish settlers on top, it was attacked by the Roman army. Rather than fall prey to their attackers, they took the quite staggering decision to conduct a mass suicide, leaving just a handful of women and children to face the soldiers. Although there is some questions around the reliability of the story’s facts - it is based entirely on the account of one historian, Josephus - this doesn’t detract from Masada’s power to move and contextualize one’s own position. That afternoon saw us alight back in the gilded world or rest and relaxation, with a trip to the Synergia Spa in Kibbutz Ein Gudi . Idyllically situated between desert and Dead Sea, it was the perfect setting to forget any thoughts of home, and we did so majestically with the frankincense and myrrh peeling wrap. They might once have been Christmas gifts fit for a deity, and lying back in our spa centre I certainly wondered whether I was experiencing an earthly representation of heaven. There are a wealth of treatments for those unafraid to pamper, and they utilize the natural world around the centre- from apple and lemon, to persimmon and aloe vera. Our journey to the apex of relaxation continued with a visit to the Zman Midbar centre. Situated in the desert outside of Arad, it labels itself as an ‘eco-spirit lodge’, and with its isolated locale (it’s literally in
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the middle of nowhere) , you will be well placed to undertake its bevy of spirit-enhancing courses and workshops. We did the yoga, and though I cannot profess to be an expert, I left there with as one a mind as I’ve ever had. From there it was to Jerusalem; for me the portion of the trip that will most endure down the years. Whatever religion you believe, whatever race you are, it is surely impossible to not be moved by the the Wailing Wall. Situated in the Old Town, the holiest site in the Jewish faith is a bustle of quiet reverence as prayers are whispered and written onto slips of paper that are quietly pushed into the walls. We also took time to walk the Via Delorosa (‘Way of Sorrows’) that follows the route Jesus took with the cross, from the Antonia Fortress to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It’s a small, uneven pathway lasting only 600 metres, but slowly traversing its grey stones with Christian pilgrims was a privilege. Even after haggling for some Za’atar herbs in the bustling Arab Souk I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been witness to some truly grand antiquity that day. That night we took in a meal at Chakra, that served a mean combination of traditional Israeli and modern cuisine, and I felt I’d earned my night’s rest in the boutique Mount Zion Hotel, set in traditional stone outbuildings on the fringes of the Old Town. When it came to flying out the next day I felt that familiar feeling of trepidation again, but this time I was concerned I hadn’t seen everything the country has to offer. I’ll certainly be putting that right by visiting again. For more information and to book visit www.goisrael.com/
‘The cosmic sense is enhanced by the surroundings- perfectly flat, glimmering, mineral-packed waters, and dusty reddishbrown mountains that might been flown in from Mars.’
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WHITE LIGHTS, BRIGHT CITY TIJUANA TAMBURIC heads to Iceland to sample 72 hours of daylight delights at the second coming of Reykjavik’s Summer Solstice Festival. Summer solstice weekend is the 19th to the 21st of June in Iceland and last year they started a music festival called Secret Solstice that was also named the ‘midnight sun music festival’, so I grabbed my tent, coat, eye mask and a friend and headed out to Iceland to see what all the fuss was about. We landed into Keflavik airport at midnight on Friday and got the bus into Reykjavik because the taxis were up there with Switzerland expensive. Don’t be fooled by the extremely lowcost flights you can book to Iceland, once you get here everything is relatively expensive. I would recommend renting a car and exploring on your own terms, or if you are cost-conscious, getting buses and coaches. The bus took us right to the campsite, which is when it really hit me that this was only the second year the festival had been running: there were only about 50 tents in total. Having nightmarish memories of wading through miles and miles of tents at Glasto or Reading and forgetting which was mine, this was actually a pleasant surprise. It meant that there was still ample space to pitch up – and on soft high grass at that. Also, there was a ‘rent-a-tent’ system going where you could just rent a pre-pitched tent, or even a teepee, so you could travel a lot lighter than we did. I had started freaking out on the plane about us having to pitch the tent at 2am in total darkness. Look – I know it is ‘summer solstice’ but I’ve been to St Petersburg for ‘white nights’ and that just meant the sun set around 11pm but it still SET! This was beyond anything I could have expected. We pitched our tent under a bright white sky, as if huge searchlights were being projected against a piece of white paper that was
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then evenly dispersing their brightness. It made it impossible to tell the time; was it dusk, dawn or the middle of the day? We sat feeling accomplished by our tentmaking skills and were overcome by the feeling of being totally awake. There is definitely a correlation between the darkness of nighttime and feeling sleepy. By this time people were coming back from their first night at the festival (Kelis has been the headliner) and because the campsite was so small we met the people around us and chatted until we could finally sleep. After sleeping for a maximum of four hours we were up again at 9am and on a coach to the Blue Lagoon by 10am. You have to prebook for any trip and any coach; you can’t just get on one that is waiting. I know, I know, but Icelandic organisation is crazy so don’t ask any logical questions and just pre-book! I would also recommend stocking up on snacks or breakfast materials from home because the festival doesn’t open until midday and you have to get a bus into town if you want to eat anything. There was a guy selling coffee and croissants on the campsite but plain carbs were starting to make me feel sick after how many I had. The coach drove for about forty minutes through Game of Thrones terrain – miles and miles of black lava fields covered in green moss – until suddenly everyone on it gasped so intensely I thought all the air on the coach had been sucked out. Winding through the black jagged rocks was a perfect, milky blue stream of liquid. It looked like it belonged on Mars and seemed as edible as it did corrosive. A moment later and we were at the car park, out of the coach and quite literally PAGE 30
running for the stone entrance, transfixed by what we had seen and desperate for more. Don’t worry if you forgot to bring a towel because you can rent them and robes upon arrival and you can pay for practically everything by credit or debit card in Iceland. They seem to have an aversion to cash, even the coffee and croissant man at the campsite accepted card. You are then given a wristband that lets you purchase food, drinks and massages while in the Lagoon that you pay for on departure. We left our things in the high-tech lockers, that took me about fifteen minutes to figure out how to close, and went outside and straight into the magical milky blue water. The experience was something I will never forget. Submerged in hot water (averages between 37-39 degrees celsius) so full of salt it had a distinctive smell of sulphur, the people around suddenly disappeared in the steam and I had an almost tangible feeling of peace. Once I returned to reality, we sat by a lifeguard who told us a bit about the Blue Lagoon. I was surprised to learn that it was man-made, a by-product of the nearby geothermal power plant and the 6 million gallons of water are renewed every 40 hours. It was initially believed to be poisonous until a worker with psoriasis started swimming in it daily and was seeing positive effects. A doctor discovered it was the minerals, such as silica and sulphur, in the water that were healing him and opened the lagoon to the public in 1992 (and I’m guessing has made a killing ever since). We stayed until our fingers and toes had turned to prunes and we had explored (and taken pictures of) every corner of the lagoon. I wasn’t sure what expectations I had of the
festival, but the campsite had already given me reason to think it would not be the biggest one I have ever been to and it wasn’t. Despite boasting six stages they were all right next to each other in an area that covered around three football pitches, one of them literally being an ice hockey stadium. Its size suited me – I’m not a huge festival kind of person. I hate when I’m in the middle of a crowd and I need to pee but I know it will take me half an hour just to go through the crowd, find the toilets, queue and find my place again. I don’t enjoy being crushed into someone’s armpit during a headliner’s performance either. So if you’re with me then you’ll love Secret Solstice. It’s intimate whilst still maintaining the buzz and energy of a great music festival. That night, not sure if you can call it ‘night’ seeing as I had to wear sunglasses and a hat to shield myself from the sun, there was a ‘Secret Headliner’. We thought it might be an Icelandic indie band or maybe some Norwegian singer but we were totally taken aback when Busta Rhymes walked on stage with a bottle of champagne that he then sprayed over the crowd while rapping at 100mph. Secret Solstice, at least in the two years it has been running is a very Hip-Hop oriented festival with many of the headliners being massive names in hip-hop history – Wu Tang Clan perhaps being the best example. So if you like old school and new school hip-hop without having to mosh through the crowds to be up close and personal with them then this is the festival for you! After the main headliner finishes around midnight the last big DJ is on in the ice hockey stadium, curiously named ‘HEL’, in an attempt to artificially create a sense of nighttime for
the raving masses. But walking out into broad daylight at 3am leaves you feeling bewildered and confused. Eye masks are KEY if you intend on getting any sleep at all if you are camping. We were up early again on the Sunday and ready to explore Reykjavik. We got to the Hallgrimskirkja, their architecturally stunning and iconic Lutheran church, just in time for the international organ summer festival 2015, lucky us! The view from the bell tower is a must see. I would then recommend making it all the way down to the harbour before picking a spot for lunch as there are three great fish places right next to each other along the harbour, we went to one called Hofnin and I had the best skyr desert I think I’ve ever had. It’s about £30 a head for main and desert, which is cheap for Iceland. There are a number of ‘knitting associations’ to explore that sell everything from reindeer hide rugs to socks knitted by an ’80-year-old ex-sailor’. All the little handmade trinkets and winter accessories make great gifts. We then got a bus back to the festival just in time to catch The Wailers (Bob Marley’s band) and rushed through the festival to the sound of Could You Be Loved. Today was the last day and had the biggest headliners so it was much busier, there was a queue to get into the festival (avoided by paying a little extra for a VIP ticket or for us with press and media wristbands) and a queue for every food truck (everything from vegan Icelandic soup to lobster rolls and sushi to pressed juices is on offer). After The Wailers did Buffalo Soldier we explored the other stages and found some great DJs, like Artwork on at the Ragnarok stage, with PAGE 31
only a couple dozen people dancing around. Many of these people we recognized from yesterday and they recognized us so came over to say hi! I love the communal vibe of a small festival – you can actually make friends and we didn’t need to exchange numbers because it was so easy to find each other. Worst-case scenario we would see them in HEL at midnight! Because of Iceland’s geographical location the crowd was a big mix of ethnicities. Yes there were lots of Icelandic people, the men noticeable from miles away as they actually looked like Vikings, but they all speak perfect English and are so friendly and hospitable. There were also many Americans and Canadians, Norwegians and Scandinavians and of course English people, who are never far from a good music festival. There were people from even further afar who had come to Iceland on a once-in-a-lifetime natural phenomenon pilgrimage and were pleasantly surprised to be there in time for the festival. People were coming just to experience summer solstice, which is quite something, but why not party in the midnight sun while you’re at it? While on a Viking’s broad shoulders throwing my ‘wings up’ screaming ‘Wu Tang Clan ain’t nothin to F**K wid’ with no inhibitions, my watch saying midnight, Sunday June 21st, but the sky above me saying ‘who cares?’ and blinding me with light, I decided I’m not going to a music festival again unless it is combined with a spectacular natural phenomenon. My standards have been set, and they are high. Useful links to help plan your trip:
www.secretsolstice.is www.visiticeland.com www.wowair.co.uk
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BARCELONA BY RAIL DARYOUSH HAJ-NAJAFI enjoys a brief sojourn in the Catalan capital, and discovers half the fun is getting there. High quality, high speed rail options have grown considerably over the last 20 years, in part because there is often little that feels luxurious or premium about the continual interruptions that taking a plane often involves: the cab ride to an out-of-the-way airport, the necessity of arriving at least 40 minutes prior to departure time, the public partial undressing and unpacking that is security, and relatively claustrophobic surrounds of even the most luxurious of 1st class seats, followed by another hour long slog to your destination when you land. Especially if you live in a major metropolis, rail travel is again becoming the easiest, and often most elegant point-topoint means of making it from one city centre to another. My intended journey, from London to Barcelona and back by Eurostar – with a brief sojourn in the Catalan capital – being a case in point. We set out from London’s St Pancras which, it is probably fair to say, must be one of Europe’s most splendid-looking and magical railway terminals. Thanks to the recent re-engineering of not just the station but the whole surrounding area, it is also one of the most efficient and easy-to-use – again, sometimes under-emphasised qualities without which a delightful travel experience can be nigh-on impossible. Those travelling Business Premier need check in only 10 minutes prior to departure. Should you miss your pre-booked departure, Eurostar guarantees to find a seat on a train on your day of travel. The Business Premier Lounge is a quiet retreat pre-journey, complete with fresh food, drinks, newspapers, wi-fi and a digital library. Travelling by rail also means a much greater baggage allowance and no timeconsuming check-in and pick-up process. We arrived in Paris within 2.5 hours and after a hearty breakfast onboard. An easy taxi journey across town brought us to the Gare d’Austerlitz and an ongoing train, set to depart for the heart of Barcelona only an hour after we’d arrived in Paris. Of course some determined gourmands and shoppers might wish to arrive earlier to take advantage of the city of light’s stellar shopping and eating opportunities. Indeed taking the train option means it’s perfectly possible to breakfast in London, lunch in Paris and dine in Barcelona. Paris-Barcelona means taking the double decker TGV duplex that at points reaches speeds of 200mph. Make sure to book seats on the upper deck so as to make the most of the views of hilltop villages, castles, cathedrals, vineyards and mountains. As the train tracks the Mediterranean, the journey becomes a veritable widescreen mise-en-scène – a whizzing-by of fish restaurants, beaches, and the delightful and surprising sight of flocks of flamingos arranged across the étangs. We eventually arrive at the skyscraper Hotel des Arts where I am staying, just in time
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for a typically late Catalan dinner slot. The hotel’s locale is fantastic – built beside a marina and the beach, close to the city centre and historic-cumcontemporary-cultural-hotspot neighbourhoods like the Born, but also a stroll from the city’s more spacious beaches to the east. We eat dinner in the hotel’s Club Lounge on the 24th floor, an exclusive space designed for residents of the upper floors only, it allows guests to dine, drink, or work at any time of day at no additional charge. The Club rooms and suites also benefit from a personal concierge service, although service throughout the hotel is exemplary anyway, it must be said. Even the standard rooms here are huge, while the suites range right up to duplex penthouses. Hints were subtly dropped about royalty of the Middle Eastern and Hollywood varieties as well as superstar musicians having stayed in the marble clad, glass walled penthouses previously. For me, a great view through plate glass is something of a modern luxury, connecting the thrills of skyscraper living and man’s technological prowess with a primal desire to be above it all, and a deep animal instinct to enjoy life above the ground and above the throng. My room has sweeping views of the city, the coastline and the hills behind, all through 14’ wide, floor to ceiling windows. It’s the kind of ultimate view one imagines all skyscrapers offer but so few do. Thanks to its vibrant street life, Barcelona is often associated with youthful revelling or young love, but the Catalan capital is a city worthy of more mature consideration. Barcelona is a must visit for students of architecture and urban planning, for example. The city really is an urban symphony of history, great urban design and luxury shopping, with districts ranging from bookish, through arty, to imperial set pieces, and lesser but well used public spaces threaded throughout to stumble across when you least expect to. Barcelona has the scale of a major city, but the tightly woven urban mix means walking between vastly different barrios is surprisingly easy, and there’s always a bar or backstreet eaterie untouched for decades to ease your passage. Running in parallel with the coast a string of gentrifying port-side neighborhoods thrive with thrilling edge, Pakistani and African businesses, boho chic gentrifiers, and warehouses full of artists, design studios and nightclubs all somehow capturing that fine balance between the chaotic and romantic. To visit Barcelona is to really live. Back at the Hotel Arts, on the second night of our trip we dined at Enoteca, a two Michelin starred establishment. Furnished in white on white with a terrace overlooking the marina, the restaurant feels expensively casual rather than try-hard. The amuse bouche tickled the palate with delicate flavours that mixed savoury and sweet in new ways, including the mind-warping PAGE 32
savoury cronut. The risotto was perhaps the best I have ever eaten (a conclusion also drawn by all present), a perfect combination of creamy texture, the strident impact of the truffle, and the wonder of the sea urchin. After dinner a few of our party walk across a grand postmodern lobby to the hotel’s terrace right behind Frank Gehry’s famous fish sculpture. It’s the sort of place high powered movers and shakers from across the globe convene for late night drinks after a long day shaking and moving. And so it came to pass that after dinner I found myself engaged in stimulating/challenging discussions about power politics with a member of Hillary Clinton’s office – it’s that kind of place, really. The next morning we did that which must be done in Barcelona and went on a Gaudi pilgrimage. If you have time, a walk around Barcelona’s quietly prosperous, elegant and mid-rise, turn-of-the 20th century-built Eixample, observing Gaudi gem after gem, is to be highly recommended. If time is limited and you want a quick Gaudi fix nonetheless, simply make your way to the Sagrada Familia, the legendary architect’s famously unfinished cathedral. For an additional dose, you could also try a visit to the exceptional Gaudi-designed Bellasguard house, in the grounds of Martin of Aragon’s summer residence, set in the foothills of the Collserola mountains and offering stunning views. In the afternoon, after a meal enjoyed beside the hotel’s sizeable outdoor pool, we were whisked to the 40th floor to enjoy an hour long massage within the two story Spa complex. The facilities include a highly unusual glass-walled sauna, allowing you to enjoy the experience of seemingly floating above the ground as your bones enjoy the dry heat and the sea glitters far below. Our final night was brought to a close with a trip to El Nacional, a brand new multi-restaurantcum-bar space positively thronging with diners. It’s akin to a macro-brasserie in a hangar, furnished with a comfortable mix of vintage and contemporary flair. The food and drink options were suitably premium and epicurean, and included a fine Oyster Bar. We decided on La Llotja, a distinctive fish restaurant where you can choose at the counter and purchase by weight. The fish can be prepared using five different cooking methods: in the oven, charcoal-grilled, steamed, fried or on the griddle. The next day as we departed I was surprised to realise that while normally a return journey home feels less than exciting, the prospect of another exhilarating journey through the French countryside filled the heart not with sadness but joy.
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MY OWN PRIVATE TRESCO KCReview Editor COCO KHAN visits Tresco, the exclusive private island off the coast of Cornwall. If you look for Tresco on Google Maps, you might think where the arrow lands is a mistake. This tiny island takes a lot of zooming in to find amongst the blue that surrounds it. Offline, it’s a similar story too. Not many have heard of Tresco and less would be able to find it on a map. Seeing pictures of it online, with its tall palm trees and azure blue coastline, you’d half expect for it to be some far flung Caribbean island. Yet, this tiny-but-mighty unsung hero of a destination is actually part of the UK, and part of the Scilly Isles off the coast of Cornwall. The first thing to mention about the Scilly Isles is that each one has its own identity and so it’s easily possible to stay for a week, even two, visiting all the various islands with never a dull moment. You’ll need to take a boat between all the islands but there are plenty scheduled throughout the day. The largest of the islands, St. Mary’s is still a wee thing, with a population of only 1800 but it’s where you’ll arrive when visiting Tresco (or any of the Scilly Isles) as you’ll need to get a connecting boat from here. Incidentally, St. Mary’s is really where you want to be for any wet days as Hugh Town in particular has most of the shops and restaurants. To get to St. Mary’s, and subsequently Tresco, you can take a boat, plane or helicopter. We took the tiny ‘Twin Otter’ Skybus plane (seating 19, the even smaller ‘Islander’ seats 9) which you can pick up from either Exeter (60 min flight), Newquay (30 mins), or Land’s End (a short hop at 15mins). We departed from Newquay and I really cannot recommend this journey enough; you travel down the coastline, relatively closely, and the views are absolutely fantastic. You see the country in all its coastal definition—it’s almost like looking at a map of the area but in real-time. The sharp point of Land’s End and the shimmering beaches of St.Ives from a bird’s eye view still stick in my mind today. Tresco is the second largest island, and by all reports is the luxury destination of all the Scillys. There’s an air of exclusivity about the place, perhaps because Tresco is essentially a private island. Tresco is owned by the Dorrien-Smith family who lease the isle from the Duchy of Cornwall. This means that all business and properties on the island are managed by the same estate which also means that everything, absolutely everything,
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runs in-sync and like clockwork. So, for example – we missed our transfer to the boat on the way back. Had this been anywhere else one would expect large fees for missed connections and surly staff who are adamant there’s nothing they can do; but as this is Tresco and all the businesses work together under one harmonious direction, we were on our way without any arguments or sudden costs, in no time at all. Most people who visit Tresco will stay in a private cottage. Some of these, such as the Sea Garden Cottages are exquisite, huge and modern buildings with high ceilings, glass walls and sea views, not to mention exclusive use of the tennis courts. Others are authentic to the quaint coastal country cottage tradition or are part of the island’s resident boat club (The Flying Boat Club), all of which include wi-fi and access to the swimming pools—which is good because 90% of the year the seawater really is too cold to swim in. We stayed at the island’s B&B, The New Inn; a traditional pub inn with all the local traits you desire – friendly staff who know your name, swift service, a bustling pub yet peace and quiet after hours—alongside the upmarket flourishes that set this B&B above the rest: gourmet cuisine and a poolside view in our case. While we were staying at The New Inn it was hosting the annual Cider festival. The Scilly Isles are home to some of the best British produce available and Tresco in particular is unashamedly committed to food culture. The Ales of Scilly are the somewhat delicious tipple of the isles, and the grass-fed beef herd is sold for top prices at auction. That’s even before the abundance of fresh fish, oysters, shrimp and lobster. The annual Tresco and Bryher food festival takes place on both islands across 13th-14th September with a range of foodie activities and, if the tide is low you can actually walk in between the two islands which frankly is nothing short of spectacular. You can tell a lot about the clientele of a place by its supermarket, and Tresco’s supermarket (there’s only one for the island) is essentially a smaller version of the Whole Foods you’d find on High Street Ken – fresh and organic produce, local cheeses, and a wonderful artisanal delicatessen perfect for picnicking. The same can be said about its restaurants. The Ruin Beach
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Café, on the other side of the island from The New Inn serves outstanding modern European cuisine that even Ottolenghi himself would doff his cap to, and it comes with sea views and a great wine selection. The Flying Boat Club has a wonderful mix of formal to comfy seating, serving all day, and in the evening boasts a seafood focused menu (think lobster caught a few miles away on the same day). Tresco isn’t cheap to stay on, and attracts visitors who demand the finer things in life. While it certainly doesn’t need any more restaurants, it does only have three and so the standards it sets for itself are extremely high. But of course, you don’t come this far just for the food. Being an island, Tresco is perfect for fishing, watersports and even has some beaches that can work for surf. Wide open spaces are perfect for the sporty (or for those who’d rather not, there’s also a spa). The expense of getting vehicles to the island means there are hardly any cars and so cycling or walking through the roads means you can easily get around the whole island in a day. It also has its own semi-subtropical microclimate. It sits in a delicate position on the seas, benefiting from the warm tropical streams that have made their way to this little island alongside also the windy chill of British weather we are all familiar with. This means that it can grow plants that the UK wouldn’t normally be able to—which might the palm trees. The Dorrien-Smith family still live in the grounds of the Abbey itself, but the spectacular Abbey Gardens are open for visitors and I’d highly recommend a stroll around among the red-breasted robins and the red squirrels which occupy the space. The gardens are a tour-de-force of nature, housing thousands of plants many of which would not survive just thirty miles away in Cornwall: plants from the plains of Australia or the humid climes of South America. Despite being just over a square mile in size, Tresco is not something you’ll forget easily. With its cheery visitors, many of whom are regulars to the place, fine fare, blue sea and tropical landscape it’s hard to believe that this place is still home. Well, Dorothy was right, there really is no place like home. For more information and to book visit http://www.tresco.co.uk/
‘The Ales of Scilly are the somewhat delicious tipple of the isles, and the grass-fed beef herd is sold for top prices at auction. That’s even before the abundance of fresh fish, oysters, shrimp and lobster.’
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FROM MOROCCO WITH LOVE KEIRAN YATES heads to Rabat for the city’s Mawazine festival, a joyous happening – and city – where Morocco’s cultural past and present happily collide It’s midnight in Rabat, and thousands of people are languidly starting to make their way away from the stages of the Mawazine festival, and into the night. Gnawa (a hybrid of jazz, blues and traditional Arabic ‘Shaabi’ music that originates from slavers brought over from sub Saharan Africa) is being sung by a group of locals in the street, sitting beside a prayer mat. The music is the soundtrack to the outpouring of people, chatter and roadside card playing. Across the road, teenagers are holding Alicia Keys signs and chanting her name while they blow flashing whistles and hail taxis. A man selling wooden bracelets next to me is shouting, “Rabat will make you fall in love!” This juxtaposition of Morocco’s changing identity has become increasingly familiar to locals. Taking place in Rabat, the Mawazine festival is in its 13th year, boasts over two million visitors, and has put Rabat firmly on the map. It’s testament to the power of the youth voice that line-ups geared to teen fans can garner such huge numbers. This year, Ricky Martin is headlining, and there are swarms of teen girls holding ‘I love RM’ posters. On an African stage by the sea, a mixture of Burundi drummers and singers from Africa are performing, while people dance by the stage, soft drinks in hand. Rich and eclectic, the festival is
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a showcase of what is thrilling about Morocco’s shifting social landscape. In its relatively short lifetime, Mawazine has been responsible for allowing the capital city of Rabat to challenge Marrakech as the most desirable Moroccan destination for tourists (tourism has increased in the area by 22% since the festival’s inception). The festival is the biggest in the country, and has boasted talent from J-Lo, Usher and Alicia Keys, to name a few. Driving through Rabat, and witnessing its untainted cultural experience, you get a sense of why that is. During a hot day, I escape the 27 degree heat in favour of an air conditioned taxi, where we drive on a coastal road between Rabat and the river Sale. The radio plays tracks on Rabatbased Hit Radio, the largest station in Morocco, boasting over 200,000 fans. We’re listening to the request shows, with excited fans jamming phone lines in a clamour to hear the best tracks from Moroccan and Western culture. Today, there’s a lot of requests for festival headliner Alicia Keys. As we drive, we pass countless old buildings being rebuilt as part of a growing regeneration happening in the area. It appears that local homes are being pushed back to make room for hotels like Sofitel, thanks to the success of a PAGE 36
recently built Carlton hotel. The guide explains that some of the old buildings, like the military hospital, are now being used, and for many, it is a welcome use of long abandoned spaces. (While more European sensibilities might balk at the idea of hotel building on archaic architecture, in fact, many of the locals see the refurbishments as a largely positive thing for the area). We stop and walk along the Kasbah of the Udayas, the famous kasbah – or medina – at the mouth of the Bou Regreg river, opposite Sale. The gloriously mighty walls are painted blue to emulate waves, and the views are exquisite. The kasbah overlooks a cliff face, where people are swimming below and roasting sweetcorn by the Atlantic Ocean. The kasbah was allegedly built to keep pirates out and has a proud history in the area. Now, it’s taken on new life and has become one of the most desirable (and pricey) properties in the area. According to our local guide, “everyone wants a house in the kasbah” and walking amongst the palm trees and ancient stone, it’s easy to see why. Rabat also boasts the iconic half-built Mohammed 6 mosque, an unfinished piece of architecture from the 1100s, which represents an old world dream of being the largest mosque
(and minaret) in the world. Unfortunately, In 1199, Sultan Yaqub al-Mansur, responsible for the construction, died. Opposite the mosque is the Hassan tower, a minaret standing at 140 ft, which sits disconnected from the unfinished mosque, and now the site acts as a reminder of the unrealised dream. The dream that Rabat would finally expose its beauty to the world is taking shape however, and its pockets of decadence are evidence of why the area is giving Marrakech a run for its money. The impressive Sofitel Rabat Jardin Des Roses is located near to the Royal Palace, and as the name suggests, is famous for its garden of roses. For the more ostentatious festival-goers, it serves as the luxurious Mawazine after-party spot (in fact, the beds are so good that you can buy the mattress and send it home if you’re keen to relive the experience). It is rumoured that this is the hotel of choice for many of the stars performing at the festival. The food here is incredible too. We eat lamb and chicken tagine, with fresh vegetables, and a local delicacy – sheep’s brain (for alleged dancing energy). After, I use the dancing energy on shopping in a local medina. The sensory overload is palpable. Eyes are drawn to busy women in fake Burberry-print hijabs scuttling across the
market as they stock up on spices (turmeric, chilli, fennel), as the small number of tourists look fascinated by the live turtles available for sale. The market is awash with the scent of leather from bags and shoes, and swathes of fake Chanel, Prada and rails of brightly coloured sportswear are doing a brisk trade. It’s this juxtaposition of cultures that makes Rabat so thrilling, and the teenagers pushing past older women laden with spices is another reminder of the shift that the area is experiencing. Later, as the sun sets and Mawazine continues to dominate the city (thanks to its eight stages being located at various locations throughout the capital) a new life is breathed into it. While the electric euphoria from teen girls, excitable tourists and proud locals hangs in the warm, popcorn-scented air, it feels like the new and old world of Morocco are in harmony. Unlike Marrakech, Rabat has planned its development with its new visitors at its heart. The city is embracing its new attention and is a city that is successfully displaying the delicate balance of the old and new. For me, sharing the city’s most exciting weekend, alongside its history, culture, and pockets of real like, has made one thing clear – Rabat will make you fall in love. PAGE 37
‘The Mawazine festival is in its 13th year, boasts over two million visitors and has put Rabat firmly on the map.’ KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
MYSTICAL, MAGICAL, MOORISH KEIRAN YATES heads to Rabat for the city’s Mawazine festival, a joyous happening – and city – where Morocco’s cultural past and present happily collide For as long as I can remember Marrakech has been top of my bucket list of places to experience – certainly ever since my best friend from school handed me a very well-loved copy of Esther Freud’s autobiographical novel, Hideous Kinky. The daughter of artist Lucien Freud and great-grand daughter of Sigmund Freud, Esther’s story leads us on a journey through her unconventional childhood in Morocco in the 1960s. Freud’s Mother, disillusioned by the dreary conventions promised by a life in England, sweeps up her two daughters and begins her quest for spiritual fulfillment. Having been fortunate enough to spend some time in Marrakech, I can completely understand the author’s decision to write entirely through the lens of a child – after-all, this is a city that evokes such a sense of curiosity, of child-like enquiry and exploration. Meandering through the maze of bustling souks and Medina, the walled medieval city dating back to the Berber empire, is a feast for your senses. The heady aroma of the spice markets, the brightest coloured freshly-dyed wool hung out to dry in the sunlight before being woven into magical carpets. Searching for treasure amongst the handcrafted silver, some antique, some a good impersonator, mine came in the form of a traditional Moroccan teapot – transporting me back to sunnier climes with a smile every time I use it. As the sun sets over the city, head to the Djemaa el-Fna, the main square, awash with storytellers, musicians, snake-charmers, acrobats and food vendors, and perhaps learn a Berber dance move or two! After a full day of absorbing all the riches this colourful Red city has to offer, retire to the sanctuary and serenity of your Riad. We chose the Angsana Riad Collection, a group of six traditional Riads, (Moroccan houses) built into the walls of the Medina, each centred around their own spectacular interior garden or mosaic courtyard, where breakfast may be served to you in the glistening sunshine each morning. And we were so happy with our choice as, hidden behind a heavy oak door, we found a little haven of peace and tranquility. The quiet and stillness of this oasis is almost tangible and there are plenty of inviting shady day-beds to enjoy a
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break from the midday sun, play some backgammon or simply curl up with a book. Alternatively, plunge into one of the many refreshing pools and top up your tan reclining on a sun lounger. Equally, romantic moonlit evenings on the terrace with spectacular views over the Atlas Mountains are not to be missed. Enjoy an aperitif before being shown to your candlelit table in the courtyard, a perfect spot for star-gazers, for a delicious aromatic Moroccan tagine. A truly authentic experience, the Riads have been sympathetically restored to preserve most of their original features. The Angsana Heritage suite is a favourite and has numerous beautifully classic Moroccan features, from the four-poster canopied bed, to the touches of Moroccan artistry and artwork. The staff at Angsana are incredibly kind and accommodating and will bend over backwards to make sure your needs are catered for. The experience of staying there is almost that of staying with an old friend as well as a luxury boutique hotel. They even provide a mobile phone to make local calls in case you need any assistance whilst you are out exploring the city. For those feeling in need of a true detox, this writer would highly recommend shedding your inhibitions and your skin in the Riad’s very own hammam – steamed, scrubbed and moisturised, you will emerge feeling cleaner than you knew possible! Beautifully designed for comfort and relaxation, the scent of Otto rose oil floating in the air, the Angsana Spa in all its splendour is the perfect place to explore Morocco’s traditional cleansing and pampering treatments, as you sooth tired legs and unwind. It’s always the first thing I do when I arrive in Morocco, setting me up perfectly for the fun and adventures which inevitably follow. For those seeking an intimate hideaway for romantic long weekends it’s a perfect private place, whilst being a great spot to book the whole Riad for a small group of friends or family to enjoy an experience unlike any other you’ll encounter. Go on, wake up your inner child… explore the colours of the Red City.
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VEGAS 2.0 STEPHEN SLOCOMBE visits the neon icon in the desert to discover it’s hidden talents as a centre of arts and culture. Las Vegas’ legend well precedes it. It is a Vegas of Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. Of poker, slots, shows; of misdemeanors and nocturnal carry-ons. You don’t earn a nickname like Sin City for no reason, and for some Vegas will always be a place to chase sunrise. Scratch below the cliche, though, and there increasingly exists a Vegas of burgeoning art and culture. 41 million people visited last year, and my trip to this city of neon lights was focused around visiting the city’s artistic landmarks. Throughout my stay, I was at The Palazzo, somewhere around the centre of the city’s much fabled ‘strip’. It was a poker chip’s toss away from Vegas hotel titans like The Venetian and Flamingo, and across the way from The Cosmopolitan. Opened in 2010 for a reported cost of $3.9 billion, in Vegas terms The Cosmopolitan is something of a toddler. Its newer s t a t u s p e r h a p s e x p l a i n s w h y i t ’s t h i n k i n g f u r t h e r a h e a d when it comes to its cultural output, and it gained headlines worldwide last year for its Tracey Emin-curated project, I Promise To Love You. For a month, every LED in the hotel - including the 65 foot marquee on its Boulevard Pool deck- flashed one of six romantic maxims devised by Emin. It was the kind of bombastic, big name, big message brand of contemporary art that seems so suited to a city not known for its shyness. The Cosmopolitan also has a commitment to interactive art. The P3 Studio is a shop unit in the hotel’s shopping mall, and it plays home to an ever changing role call of artists in residence. At the time of writing, Las Vegas native Brent Sommerhauser is introducing holidaymakers to the many splendors of kiln shaped glass, and inviting them to sketch their own designs over glass tiles that Sommerhauser fires himself. These are then all put on display in P3, amongst Sommerhauser’s own works, as the whole becomes a growing, gleaming, new Vegas piece. A short cab ride up The Strip is The Venetian. It too has invested heavily in its artistic development, to sit alongside its full indoor recreation of Venice. We visited the Knuttel Gallery, conceived to demonstrate the work of Irish figurative artist Graham Knuttel. The gaudy oranges and yellows of the characters in his paintings somehow seen perfectly suited to a city so fond of neon. The quite outrageously opulent Bellagio has perhaps upped the ante further: until January 2016, its in-house exhibition at its Museum Of Fine Art will be Picasso: Creatures And Creativity. This 43 piece show has grabbed its own share of headlines by including a picture never seen before - Profile of a Woman with Blue Hair, November 1, 1938. In the world where oneupmanship is king, an unseen piece by a master is up there with the best. Although much of this drive to promote art is being led by the hotels, take a trip out to the 18B Arts District and you can see the genesis of a creative hub that is all Vegas. Situated between the blitz of The Strip and the faded, knockabout grandeur of downtown Las Vegas, is an area you might compare to a not-quite-as-gentrified Shoreditch. My time amongst these 18 blocks is an oasis of relative calm, and I couldn’t help but wonder what would would be the landscape of the place in 10 years. At the moment, there are plenty of parking lots and the odd bail bonds office amongst the galleries, vintage stores and popups. They help bestow the place a degree of real world charm; no mean feat in a town that, by most definitions of the term, is anything but real. Whether or not these will eventually die out will be fascinating to observe, but with over 50 galleries currently open, and the Downtown Container Park - a Boxparkesque set-up with shops, restaurants and small creative businesses huddled together in an enclave of container units - fully leased out, the signs are that the area is applying itself as a viable, ‘alternative Vegas’. Taking its place next to 18B on any cultural tour of the city, is the Neon Museum. A shining, winking graveyard to neon signs of Vegas past, it serves as both museum and mausoleum. The old Stardust and Sahara signs are surely historical artefacts- instantly recognisable harbingers of Vegas in another life. The signs sit on the hot sand, but it’s the sort of place that comes to life - quite literally - at night. Try and come when the sun’s a little lower to get the full neon experience. And don’t forget your camera of course.
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Now, it might seem that we did nothing but breath in the cultural air, but I did get to indulge in some of Vegas’s more fabled glories. The fountains at The Bellagio were particularly spellbinding, as the water jets rose and fell in time with a pulsating music soundtrack. There was also a divine meal or three - not least at La Cave Wine & Food Hideaway. A ride on the High Roller, 550ft high, London Eye-esque, observation wheel was then the perfect way to consider the city the world sees on TV. Whether you like it or not, Vegas is a city that has everything- a true neon playground that’s increasingly looking to appeal to all comers. So it makes sense for their to be a tangible, quality, artistic and cultural scene, to sit alongside the pleasure seeking and risk taking. I’ll be back to see it all again. • • •
Suites at The Palazzo start from $199 British Airways flies direct to Las Vegas daily from Heathrow and three times a week from Gatwick. Flights start at £665, including all taxes, fees and charges For further information about Las Vegas, please visit http://www.visitlasvegas.co.uk/
‘For a month, every LED in the hotel - including the 65 foot marquee on its Boulevard Pool deck - flashed one of six romantic maxims devised by Emin. It was the kind of bombastic, big name, big message brand of contemporary art that seems so suited to a city not known for its shyness.’
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LANCASTER LONDON Variety is the spice on offer according to SID RAGHAVA Whilst driving down the majestic Bayswater Road and admiring the wonderfully bountiful charms of Hyde Park, you may have glanced upon a rather tall building behind Lancaster Gate tube station. It is the towering Lancaster London, a hotel most west Londoners would be familiar with. The priceless views from its high perches offer a unique perspective of Hyde Park. You may, of course, know it from its top class restaurants as well. Regulars and former guests will often tell you of the rather convenient location with its the proximity to Marble Arch and Oxford Circus. One thing for sure is that the hotel has a something-for-every-one/occasion/need versatility that makes it an icon in this part of London. Guests can of course shop till they drop on Bond Street and Regent Street, a mere walk away and culture vultures can stomp across the Royal Park to the museums of neighbouring South Kensington. Business guests will find that their sojourn in such a central location affords them a fifteen minute journey to the heart of the City or Canary Wharf. The neighbouring Bayswater and Queensway areas offer some choice shopping alternatives as well. The hotel has excellent facilities for business with Conference and Meeting Rooms that can accommodate anything from eight people to banquets and events of up to 3000. It is one of Europe’s foremost and most flexible venues complemented ably by the professionalism and efficiency of their meetings and events team. The 416 elegant guestrooms, situated across 18 floors, offer sophisticated luxury and premium views of London.
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For a premium experience, go for one of the Embassy Suites: Hyde Park Suite, the Radnor Suite, the Connaught Suite, the Fountain Suite and the Presidential Suite are all beautifully designed and provide the best views from the upper floors of the hotel. There are also twelve other Luxury Royal Suites which boast stunning views across Hyde Park from the distinct lounge and dining spaces, perfect for entertaining privately. The Superior and Deluxe rooms offer king-size or twin beds, stylish seating areas, and plush bathrooms. All rooms are fully equipped with modern facilities such as air-conditioning, satellite television, mini bars, en-suite bathrooms and power showers. For epicurean matters, look no further than authentic Thai food, certified so by the Siamese government’s ‘Thai Select’ award at Nipa Thai. The Khantok menu available between 5pm and 7pm is particularly handy for an early dinner and a hearty start to the evening. Or perhaps try Modern British at Island Grill? The restaurant has an award-winning 2 AA Rosette Star menu and an array of drinks and wines on offer. Business or pleasure, shopping or sightseeing – all purposes for visiting the Lancaster London are catered for to the fullest. It truly is a versatile hotel which shines bright outside the vast expanse of Hyde Park. www.lancasterlondon.com Address: Lancaster Terrace, London W2 2TY, United Kingdom Tel: +44 20 7551 6000
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ADVERTORIAL
KIRSTIE ALLSOP RETURNS WITH THE HANDMADE FAIR FOR 2015 The Queen of Handmade, Kirstie Allsopp returns to host The Handmade Fair at Hampton Court Palace from 18th20th of September. The craft fair, which is sponsored by Hobbycraft and in association with Mollie Makes, saw its inaugural launch in 2014 and was the first craft fair of its kind; mixing shopping with hands on crafting to deliver an unforgettable experience for thousands of keen crafters. The event brings together Britain’s best producers of crafting supplies, handmade items and artisan foods, and invites craft enthusiasts and lovers of all things homemade to come and join in the action. Throughout the event different, craft exhibitors, Kirstie and other household names such as Annie Sloane and Fiona Cairns, will host craft workshops that last between 30 minutes and one hour, including jewellery and accessory making, paper crafting, sewing, knitting, upcycling and even how to craft the perfect handmade wedding. Tickets are on sale, full experience tickets include one Super Theatre session with Kirstie, one workshop, and one Grand Make – all chosen by you. Kirstie Allsopp comments; ‘2014 was incredible as we created an event which saw craft lovers of all ages and abilities, join together to share, buy and make. I’m thrilled to be heading back to Hampton Court Palace again this September to create an even better experience. Watch this space for information about a Christmas craft event as well…!’ In addition to returning to Hampton Court in September, Kirstie will also be taking her fair up north! The Handmade Christmas Fair will be held in Manchester Central 20th – 22nd November 2015 and will showcase a selection of Christmas crafts for all to get involved with. For more information visit http://www.thehandmadefair.com/
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WHETHER YOU WANT TO POLISH YOUR SKILLS OR TRY SOMETHING NEW, THERE’S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE AT THE HANDMADE FAIR. QUOTE KCR20 FOR £20 FULL EXPERIENCE TICKETS – SAVING £9!
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The Handmade KENSINGTON & CHELSEAFair REVIEW
RESTAURANT REVIEWS MASALA GRILL
535 King’s Rd, SW10 0SZ www.masalagrill.co WORDS: COCO KHAN The first thing to say about Masala Grill is that it is not Chutney Mary, at all. Although the recently launched restaurant stands were the localfavourite Chutney Mary used to be, and also serves modern Indian food, it is in no way trying to fit its shoes. Masala Grill has arrived in Fulham courtesy of Masala Zone, the well-known (and wellloved) London chain. Broadly speaking it can be perceived as the more upmarket version of Masala Zone but really should not be mistaken for a high-end or luxury eatery. This is a casual, traditional curry house tailored to the well-heeled, tasteful crowd of Fulham who demand a little bit better than most other neighbourhoods. And it really works. The venue is huge so you never have to worry about booking, and is really quite beautiful. Kitted out in reds and ambers, gilt tapestries reminiscent of the Raj and even, in the light and airy conservatory a wonderful real life ficus tree standing tall; it feels worlds apart from the starkly lit, high-street curry house.
WELCOME TO
B O R N I N T H E E A S T. RAISED IN THE EAST END.
Yet, it offers all the simple pleasures of the beloved local curry joint. Diners can treat themselves to a Sunday lunch buffet (£26) because yes, sometimes even the most refined of diners want to eat in an unlimited capacity, as well as enjoying a Chelsea match-day deal of two courses and a pint (£28.50). We’d recommend sampling the delicious pani puri to start. This street food classic is essentially a crisp pastry (think of the pastry on a spring roll) filled with spicy potato and chickpea and deep-fried. For the meat lovers, the spicy chunks of chicken in the cricket inspired ‘Chicken Sixer’ has a great bite, and will really get your appetite going. Wash it down with the Nimboo Pani Martini, a refreshing lime and mint based cocktail, or the sweet and exotic Wild Hibiscus Bellini. For mains, the Sea Bass Fillet with its rich coconut sauce will transport you to the beaches of Goa while the fiery charcoal flavours of the melt-in-your-mouth Sheek Kebab will set those tastebuds a-tingling. For those who do not eat meat, the Ve g e t a r i a n t h a l i demonstrates why Indian cooking continues to be the best cuisine for the vegetarians: spicy chickpeas, aromatic daal and more. The prices might be a little bit d e a r e r b u t th a t’s because the food is decidedly better and for what you get we really cannot fault it for value for money. It really is a wonderful addition for Fulham.
Serving punchy Thai food with authentic ingredients sourced as locally as possible. From mighty venison to soft-shell crab; seasonal curries and stir-fries. Asian-inspired cocktails with exotic fruit and spiced blends including Thai rum martinis and boozy iced teas. Open seven-days a week, lunch and dinner. Online ordering and takeaway. Rosa’s - celebrating both homeland and home. R O SA’ S C H E L S E A 246 Fulham Road, London SW10 9NA www.rosasthaicafe.com/chelsea /rosaschelsea 020 3773 8384 @rosasthaicafe @rosasthaicafe
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THE LUCKY PIG - FULHAM 374 North End Rd, SW6 1LY www.theluckypig.co.uk WORDS: SARAH JACKSON
A swish amalgamation of art deco and modern glamour, The Lucky Pig in Fulham is the debonair elder brother of the Fitzrovian branch. As you might expect with a bar that serves copious amounts of alchohol, The Lucky Pig’s name was inspired by the prohibition era, taking one half of its name from infamous gangster Lucky Luciano, and the other from blind pigs (the name of any establishment that served alcohol during prohibition). Their cocktail menu is inspired by the 1920s, with two favourites being the Ritzy Ethel (tarragon infused Tanqueray gin, mixed with mango and elderflower) and the Fortunate Oink (freshly muddled watermelon, mint and a little bit of elderflower with Ketel One Vodka; a deliciously long and refreshing summer drink) – both for £9. Apparently an “ethel” in the 20s, meant an effeminate male, and the reason the drink is so named is because it’s a take on the classic caparinihia, using gin instead of cachaça, and then infused with “girliness” in the shape of the elderflower and mango. Cocktails range in price from £9-£19 (the £19 cocktail is “The Avenue”, a divine creation made from Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Calvados, passion fruit, pomegranate syrup and orange water), and they all have names relating to the twenties, with such beauties as a Bonnie and Clyde’s ride (Bulleit bourbon, basil, apple, honey and bitters) and a Flapper’s Favourite (yellow chartreuse, raspberry, honey & fizz). It’s worth bearing in mind that on Tuesday to Friday between five thirty-seven thirty it’s two for one on cocktails, so definitely worth a visit then, if you can sneak out of work early. What makes the Fulham venue so much more sophis than its centrally located brother, is the menu. It’s undeniably interesting and off the wall, with specialities like steamed oyster plant, Morecambe Bay shrimp and sauce choron (£7.50) and chargrilled barracuda, French bean, tomato and olive salad, with charred onion and new potatoes (£15.50), which aren’t dishes you’d expect to find on many menus. In fact most people don’t even know what an oyster plant is. Let me enlighten you. It’s a white root vegetable that tastes slightly of oysters (hence the name) and it actually has quite a few titles; for example, if I said “salsify” you might recognise it, as it’s more commonly called that. However, if I said “lungwort”, you would most likely say “yikes, I’m not eating that”, which is presumably why no sensible chef refers to it as such on their menu. Other delights on this kooky bill of fare are the crispy courgette flower, filled with salted ricotta & roast butternut squash with a lemon verbena, pine nut & golden sultana vinaigrette (£8.50) and the slightly more standard pave of rump steak and triple cooked chips, with the interesting twist of adding bone marrow to their garlic butter (£18.50 and spectacular). They also have a set lunch menu between 1200-1500 which is very reasonable with two courses setting you back on £10.95 and three only £13.95.
And last but not least, the wine selection is more than respectable. To name but a few, there’s the staple Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (a personal favourite), which in their case is a Clarence River 2014 (£27.50) (sold by the glass and the perfect combination of gooseberry and cut grass) and a cheeky little pouilly-fuissé in the form of a Vieilles Vignes, Domaine De La Chapelle 2012, which has just the right mix of minerality and acerbity. Top picks from the reds are the Smoking Loon Old Vine zinfandel 2012 (£29), which is deliciously rich and oaky, and the Villa Ste Croix Pinot Noir 201 (£25.50); with its much subtler flavour of red fruit and delicate finish, this works well with both the barracuda and the steak.
HUNTER 486 AT THE ARCH LONDON
bracket to find one you might call a ‘destination diner’. The Arch London is a family run business, spanning seven Georgian townhouses and two mews homes, knocked together to create – despite its ‘boutique’ label – a hotel boasting 82 bedrooms (all with bathroom TVs). Hunter 486, its in-house brasserie, takes its name from the 1950’s district dialling code for Marylebone, and in much of its design is an accurate nod to that era of classic glamour. Circular booths are secluded by their surrounding curtains – I imagine a Pan Am pilot and his bevvy of stewardesses would not feel out of place. The menu, similarly nostalgic, consists largely of traditional British Fare (potted shrimp, mackerel and ell as part of the Fish Board; Game Pie; Roast Norfolk Black free range chicken) peppered with the odd hint towards the continental or exotic: marinated vegetables with burrata; pan fried scallops with chilli jam & mango salsa. To start, then, Steak Tartare with sourdough toast and pan-fried scallops. The steak tartare, slightly more capery than most, did well with a dash of tabasco but was seasoned effortlessly, avoiding some of those newfangled culinary clichés which so often threaten the borders of such classic dishes as this. Some things ought to remain humble – no blobs of balsamic reduction or wisps of dried horseradish needed – and Hunter 486 must be applauded for remembering this. The scallops, not disappointing in size or flavour, played a different game adding elements of fusion in the just-spicy-enough chilli jam and elegant flecks of sprouts and herbs. From the list of traditional mains, a roast whole seabass and a Hunter fish stew with saffron aioli and sourdough toast. It’s unusual to have a signature dish be so low-key, especially in this Pan Am hangout. That’s where the saffron aioli comes in. Still, the fish was plentiful and the bass, again, as simple and respectful to the ingredients as it should be. Now for dessert! As for previous courses, the menu here is limited, which can only be a help in my eyes. A chocolate fondant, an apple and rhubarb crumble, a sticky toffee pudding, homemade ice creams, sorbets and a traditional cheeseboard. But a spot of genius has to be the intriguing ‘Blood oranges, pomegranate & toasted almonds with mascarpone sorbet’. Over recent months, sorbets have seemed to be enjoying a renaissance period on the London menu boards. This one is something special – the mascarpone sorbet! While not being a dessert fiend in any way at all, I would happily make the journey for this alone, shared (or not) with a girlfriend on a Saturday afternoon. If the sunshine sticks around and the sorbet stays in vogue for a while longer, I’d hasten to say we’ll all be very happy diners to end on such a note.
50 Great Cumberland Place, W1H 7FD www.thearchlondon.com/hunter-486brasserie WORDS: TANI BURNS Restaurants in hotels can be a hit-or-miss affair, and it’s a rare thing outside of the super-luxury PAGE 47
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Gavin Scott, Partner
ADVERTORIAL
STOWE FAMILY LAW There are a number of different approaches that can be taken in relation to dividing the finances upon separation and divorce. Each case is different and not all options will be appropriate in all cases. Expert GAVIN SCOTT, Partner at Stowe Family Law, tells us how to reach financial agreement when you split up or divorce. Since 22 April 2014, it is a requirement that a separating couple attends a MIAM (Mediation Information Assessment Meeting) with a mediator before issuing proceedings at court, to determine whether the case is suitable for mediation. The government hopes that compulsory MIAMs will prove to be an effective cost cutting measure for the court system. It is important to understand, while in most cases attending MIAM is compulsory, the mediation itself is not. Negotiations between the parties directly – if the parties are able to reach an agreement between themselves, a Consent Order can be prepared and filed at Court, recording the agreement and the court would be asked to approve the order. This is to prevent either party attempting to go back on the terms of the order at some point in the future. It is very difficult to challenge the terms of an approved order in the future, unless there are exceptional circumstances. This option is only possible if both parties have a clear picture of the matrimonial finances and it is advisable in every case to have a full and frank exchange of financial disclosure before entering in to any agreement. Negotiations between solicitors – parties exchange disclosure on a voluntary basis, i.e. without the Court ordering it, with a view to
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negotiating an early settlement, outside of the court arena. This option is suitable when both parties are open to reaching a fair settlement and are prepared to make reasonable concessions. If one party is unwilling to negotiate or provide financial disclosure, this is usually apparent from an early stage and financial remedy proceedings can be issued. Litigation – the financial remedy procedure is a three stage Court process: First Appointment - This is a short attendance required at Court to decide how the case should proceed and on what timetable. Directions are given about the valuations of assets, where necessary, and when questionnaires should be answered and any further directions required to help further the proceedings before the Financial Dispute Resolution hearing. Financial Dispute Resolution (FDR) - This is held at Court on a without prejudice basis, to try negotiate settlement. The Judge listens to both parties’ point of view as to how the case should be settled and will then give his/her own view on how a settlement should be reached before encouraging the parties to settle. The majority of cases settle at this point. PAGE 48
Final Hearing - If the parties cannot reach an agreement at the FDR or thereafter, the case proceeds to a Final Hearing. Both parties will be cross examined and the Judge will then decide what order they think is appropriate and the parties will have that order imposed upon them. Very few cases reach this stage of the proceedings. It is very important, at every stage of dealing with a divorce that consideration is given to seeing whether the finances can be settled by agreement without incurring significant legal fees. Early advice is essential.
Gavin Scott is a Partner (and mediator) at Stowe Family Law, 8 Fulwood Place, Gray’s Inn, London WC1V 6HG. If you have questions regarding Divorce, or any aspect of Family Law, please email gavin.scott@ stowefamilylaw.co.uk. All enquiries will be treated as strictly private and confidential. Further information and articles on various aspects of Family Law and the Firm can also be found on our Blog at www.marilynstowe.co.uk. We hold a free legal advice clinic (30 minute appointments) on a daily basis between 12pm and 2pm and on a Monday evening between 5pm and 7pm. Please call to make an appointment on 020 7421 3300.
FINDING THE BALANCE ‘Nordic Balance’ is a team of health and fitness professionals in SW1. Set within an impressive 330 year old building that used to be home to the Earl of Kent (including the oldest squash court in balance), the exclusive health club has just 12 trainers, all of whom are experts in their field. We spoke to Alessandro Alviani, a trainer at Nordic Balance, to find out his top tips for achieving optimum results from your fitness regime.
TIP #1: Make sure your Vitamin D levels are adequate Vitamin D has several important functions, among which keeping bones and teeth health and regulating processes linked to the lost or gain of body fat mass. A recent study(1) found that raising vitamin D levels to the adequate range led to significantly fat loss: women who took D3 supplement tablets of 25 μg/d of vitamin D for 12 weeks lost 2.7 kg of fat compared to a placebo group that lost nothing, and none of the groups modified diet or include training—the only thing different between the groups was only the vitamin D supplementation. Vitamin D supplements are easily found in most pharmacies and supermarkets. Make sure you don’t exceed the dose of 25 μg/d. (1) Salehpour, A., et al. A 12-Week Double-Blind Randomized Clinical trial of Vitamin D3 Supplementation on Body Fat Mass in Healthy Overweight and Obese Women. Nutrition Journal. 2012. 11, 78
TIP #2: Eat probiotic foods Recent research(2)(3) suggests the microflora (or bacteria living in our guts) affect how much fat we store, how we balance levels of glucose in the blood, and how we respond to hormones that make us feel hungry or full. To ensure a good gut profile eat plenty of probiotic foods. Probiotic foods are those that have been fermented, such as high-quality yogurt (look for one that carries the “Live & Active Cultures” seal), sauerkraut, Korean kim chi, kefir, miso, kombucha tea, and pickled vegetables. If you don’t normally eat any of those foods, consider taking a probiotic supplement. In a recent study(3) over a 12-week weight-loss period, the women who took probiotic pills lost 9.7 pounds, on average, while the women who took placebos only lost 5.7 pounds. And then, after the 12-week maintenance period, the women who took the placebo pills maintained a stable weight whereas the probiotics group continued to slim down, losing 1.8 more pounds, on average. There’s no doubt that a good gut profile will allow you to significantly lose belly fat, feel better and sharper.
By the way, avoid all drugs that aren’t medically necessary since antibiotics and use of other prescription drugs and NSAIDs kill your beneficial bacteria. (2) Kadooka, Y., Sato, M., et al. Regulation of Abdominal Adiposity by Probiotics (Lactobacillus Gasseri SBT2055) in Adults with Obese Tendencies in a Randomized Controlled Trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010. 64, 636-643. (3) Marina Sanchez, Christian Darimont, et al. Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women. British Journal of Nutrition / Volume 111 / Issue 08 / April 2014, pp 1507-1519
TIP #3: Snack these 3 superfoods #1: Yogurt Yogurt was recently identified as a top weight-loss-promoting food by Harvard University. In their report(4) yogurt was the food most strongly related to weight loss, followed by nuts and fruits. In one study, overweight adults who assumed about 1/2 cup of probiotic-enriched yogurt per day for six weeks, lost 3 to 4 percent of their body fat, compared to just 1 percent body fat lost in the other group who just assumed “normal” yogurt. Stick to plain, low-fat or nonfat yogurt at high probiotic content for a healthy snack, without extra sugar or saturated fat. To make sure your yogurt delivers a good amount of probiotics, look for one that carries the “Live & Active Cultures” seal. The probiotics in yogurt keep your gut working at its best, helping you burn fat and get rid of heaviness and bloating caused by a poor digestion. (4) New England School of Medicine. The Washington Post. Published on June 22, 2011
#2: Nuts Nuts, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, peanuts and walnuts, have shown over the years to be one of the best foods to snack on.
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Research is strong - a report published in The New England Journal of Medicine (2013), comes from the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, which together have followed nearly 119,000 women and men over a period of three decades. The more regularly nuts were consumed the less likely participants were to die of cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease. Interesting enough, although nuts are notoriously high in calories, the more often people ate nuts, the leaner they tended to be. Nuts are easy to carry and fast to eat, which is a further pro of this amazing food. The best moment to eat those would seem to be in between lunch and dinner, a handful – it will help you keep your hunger quiet and reduce the calorie intake at dinner. #3: Avocado Called an “anti-obesity” food by scientists, the avocado is packed with nutrients and antioxidants, and although it is rich in monounsaturated fats, studies suggest eating avocado regularly will keep you away from getting fat. In fact monounsaturated fats content in avocados actually help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol, as well as prevent the blood sugar spikes that lead your body to store excess calories as fat. Analysis of the diets of 17,567 Americans showed that those who ate more avocados had significantly lower body weight and waist circumference and a 50 percent lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Moreover, an avocado contains about twice the quantity of potassium present in a cup of milk, making this fruit be particularly good to your bones health, and to prevent cramps. TIP #4 Shop Along the Perimeter of the Grocery Store As healthy grocery shopping is key to a healthy eating, it’s important for you to understand how to do it, and since the way the grocery store is set up is very specific, as is where products are placed, the following technique will work great for you in most of the cases. Concentrate most of your shopping time along the outer aisles of
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
the grocery store, where the fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and other fresh, healthy items are found, and avoid the tempting processed foods on the inner aisles”. If you don’t buy tempting foods, they are a lot easier to say “no” to than if they are ready to be picked from your sideboard. Alcohol is usually found at the end of the perimeter of the store, ss well, on the end caps and at the check out counters, you will get lots of highcarb or junk food because these are easy “impulse buy” zones. So, in these “watch out” perimeter areas, try and avoid buying. TIP #5 Brush Your Tongue Brushing your tongue between meals, a part from being good for your mouth hygiene, can help curb your snacking habit. Taste buds cover the tongue, with each taste bud made up of taste cells. At the tip of every taste cell is a receptor. When the receptor is coated with debris, it is hampered in doing its job, and it’s difficult for flavors to trigger the taste cell receptors. Increased difficulty in tasting can lead to increased intake of sugar, salt and fat - if your tongue cannot taste something and register its consumption, your brain is more likely to crave it. The brushing can help improve your taste sensations, which means you’ll be more sensitive to flavors and more satisfied with natural foods such as fruits and vegetables instead of strong flavors of processed foods such as biscuits and chips. Researchers found that subjects who brushed their tongues lowered their taste for salty foods. So if you keep your tongue clean, it will be easier for you to cut off junk food and pick the right one - this will definitely help you lose weight.
For more information on Nordic Balance, visit http://www.nordicbalance.co.uk/
PAGE 50 44
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FREE Organic Night Time Tea with every purchase in-store* your perfect combination for a beautiful night
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*FREE box of 18 teabags (worth £2.99) with every product purchase, excluding Gift Vouchers, Therapies & Courses, from the three stores listed above only. Simply quote FREETEA14 at the till. Offer from 26th September 2014, for a limited time only, while stocks last. One box of tea per customer. No cash or other alternatives available. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
s nt ve .e SE U O H w. ww
THE NEW H O USE EVENT FO R INSPIRIN G INTERI O RS , D ESI G N AND D ECO R ATI O N
FURNITURE | BATHROOMS | FLOOR & WALL COVERINGS | LIGHTING | KITCHENS | WINDOW DRESSING OBJÉTS | INTERIOR & GARDEN DESIGN | LARGE GARDEN PIECES
YOUR TICKET ALSO INCLUDES ENTRY TO SPIRIT OF SUMMER FAIR & OLYMPIA INTERNATIONAL ART & ANTIQUES FAIR
BOOK NOW
OLYMPIA-ART-ANTIQUES.COM BUY TICKETS: + 44 (0)115 896 0269
SPECIAL READER OFFER OLYMPIA LONDON W14 8UX
15% OFF /OlympiaArtandAntiques
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To book tickets call 0844 412 4623* or visit www.HOUSE.events. Quote KCRE to receive your discount. /OlympiaAntiques
KENSINGTON &minute CHELSEA REVIEW *Calls cost 6 pence per plus network extras. Booking fee applies. Standard PAGE adult tickets 46 £16 (£13.60 with discount). Box office closes 16 June 2015.
Your ticket will be valid for return entry to Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair until June 28, 2015.
HOUSE AT OLYMPIA LONDON Introducing HOUSE The Event for Inspiring Interiors, Design & Decoration The HOUSE event at London Olympia, from 17-20 June, promises a curated collection of prestigious, leading and emerging house brands and specialists in a showcase of style, design and decoration dedicated to providing inspiration and ideas for every room. Visitors can source a wide range of interiors, furniture and key furnishings for every room to enhance or create a sophisticated living space with a focus on heritage and craftsmanship whilst featuring classic examples of British design. The HOUSE Theatre will feature best in industry, expert-led presentations with a focus on current trends in interior design and decoration. Farrow & Ball, John Sims-Hilditch of Neptune and the British Institute of Interior Design are just a few examples of the leading experts who will be hosting talks. Visitors can engage in one-to-one design consultations with exhibiting companies at the event to discuss any specific design needs. The event is the perfect opportunity to source the latest trend ideas and integral pieces for your home with brands including; Pret-a-
Vivre, Marston and Langinger, David Harber and Katherine Pooley Ltd. There will also be ample of inspiration including the creation of ‘The HOUSE designed by April Russell’, a spectacular showpiece house feature, presenting a collection of designed living spaces, both inside and out, curated and presented by April Russell, a leading interior design studio based in London and New York. Focusing on ‘The Art of Interiors’ visitors will gain invaluable inspiration and design ideas through the use of art pieces alongside key interiors from HOUSE. Expect the stunning use of art and objéts as an integral element of a beautifully dressed house and garden space. HOUSE will be co-located with the Spirit of Summer Fair, where visitors can shop for those all-important accessories for their home as well as updating their summer wardrobe, find perfect summer gifts and enjoy delicious food and drink including artisans from The Great Taste Awards. For more information visit www.HOUSE.events HOUSE @ London Olympia, 17-20th June, 2015 PAGE 53
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‘Masterpiece’s star is rising. The event is fast becoming the most imaginative and glamorous art and antiques fair in the world.’ SUSAN MOORE, THE FINANCIAL TIMES
25 JUNE – 1 JULY PREVIEW 24 JUNE
INFORMATION & TICKETS contact@masterpiecefair.com masterpiecefair.com FAIR LOCATION SOUTH GROUNDS THE ROYAL HOSPITAL CHELSEA CHELSEA EMBANKMENT LONDON SW3 4LW
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
Left: Property of Antichitá Valerio Turchi; Top right: Bridget Riley, Study for ‘Gaillard’, 1989 (detail). Image courtesy of Offer Waterman; Bottom right: Jeroen Verhoeven, ‘Lectori Salutem’, 2010 polished stainless steel 77 x 242.4 x 110.7 cm. Edition of 20 plus 1 AP. Image courtesy of the Artist and Blain|Southern. Photographer: Peter Mallet ® Masterpiece is a registered trademark of Masterpiece London Limited. ® RBC is a registered trademark of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under license.
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ADVERTORIAL
MASTERPIECE LONDON, IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, ANNOUNCES EXHIBITORS FOR THE 2015 FAIR Exceptional New and Returning Exhibitors for the 2015 Edition Masterpiece London 2015, taking place at the Royal Hospital Chelsea from 25 June – 1 July (Preview on 24 June), is delighted to announce significant additions to this year’s Fair; London’s renowned fine art gallery Richard Green (UK), David Gill Galleries (UK), Parisian decorative arts dealer, Kraemer Gallery (France), Van Cleef & Arpels (France), Jacques de la Béraudière (Switzerland), Nilufar (Italy), will all join the Fair for the first time. In good company, they will be presented alongside returning exhibitors including Ariadne Galleries (USA/UK), Adrian Sassoon (UK), Blain | Southern (UK), Dickinson (UK/USA), S.J. Phillips (UK), Hemmerle (German), Offer Waterman and Co (UK), Sam Fogg (UK), Thomas Gibson Fine Art Ltd. (UK), and Tomasso Brothers Fine Art (UK), bringing together a selection of the world’s leading art, antiques and design galleries. The Fair offers unrivalled opportunities for collectors and enthusiasts to meet international specialists from a diverse range of disciplines and to purchase some of the finest and rarest works available in the current market. “We are very pleased to be exhibiting at Masterpiece this year. We have been watching this fair since it began, taking over the helm from the premier Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, after it closed, and have been impressed with the way it has brought many of the characteristics of successful international art, antiques and luxury fairs together under one roof. A first class fair in London at the height of the summer season is just what the market needs.” Says Jonathan Green, CEO of Richard Green Of the Kraemer Gallery, who are exhibiting in London for the first time in their 140 year history, Karl Lagerfeld says, “For high quality 18th century
[furniture and objets d’art], the Kraemer Gallery is my favourite.” The Fair occupies a unique position at the heart of the summer season in London, drawing both international and UK based visitors to the capital annually to peruse over 4,000 years of history and creativity through some of the most exceptional objects exhibited for sale Last year’s fair was robust, with over £100 million worth of art sold and over 35,000 visitors attending during the eight day Fair, which sets the stage for the 2015 edition. The commercial success of the 2014 Fair can be attributed to the increased number of private sales and the groundswell of interest and purchases from world-renowned institutions including the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Rijksmuseum, MoMA, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, The Getty and Tate. The Fair will once again bring to London a wealth of exceptional UK and international names, please see our website for more details. Nazy Vassegh, CEO of Masterpiece London sums it up ‘Looking at the evolution of the fair from the grass roots stage in 2010 to generating over £100m worth of sales in 2014, I feel our identity as an internationally important cross-collecting fair has been proven and that we are a commercial and cultural success. 2015 will be a seminal year for us and with the continued support of our Principal Sponsor, Royal Bank of Canada, Masterpiece will go from strength to strength’. General admission tickets cost £25 each and can be purchased from the Masterpiece London website www.masterpiecefair.com
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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
MOTORING with Lisa Curtiss
LAND ROVER AND BARBOUR COLLECTION The quintessentially British icons’ collection is inspired by Land Rover’s contemporary design and refined luxury, and is a modern interpretation of the two brands’ traditions. Perfect for this changeable weather we’ve been experiencing so far, there are lightweight jackets, gilets, shirts, summer knitwear and graphic tees. For men, the waterproof breathable Burnside jacket is a stand out piece, light and easy to wear and designed with the unpredictable British weather in mind, the Burnside is ideal to carry in the car in case the weather changes. The distinctive Barbour Chesterdon shirt has been produced in the exclusive Barbour for Land Rover tartan and selection of tees are bold. The Otterstone Tee proudly takes a heritage image from the Land Rover archives. For women, the versatile and stylish Redburn is a longer length, belted trench coat which is 100% waterproof. Using the Land Rover Grill as inspiration the luxurious leather Harwood jacket is a signature piece that is highly covetable. Knitwear in soft summer colours also carries detailing inspired by the grill feature and the silk Harwood shirt and soft jersey Millburn Tee are beautifully cut to complement the outerwear. www.shop.landrover.co.uk/barbour
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
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MOTORING
GREATEST EVER DISPLAY OF FERRARIS AT THE GOODWOOD FESTIVAL OF SPEED Prancing Horse aficionados will have enjoyed a visit out of London down to Sussex to this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speedin particular. The 488 GTB made its UK debut participating in the Michelin Supercar Run, and raced up the hallowed 1.6 mile Goodwood Hill joined by the California T, F12berlinetta, LaFerrari and F12 TRS, at what was surely the greatest-ever display of Ferraris at the event. The 488 GTB, Ferrari’s first mid-engined twin-turbo V8 since the iconic 288 GTO and F40, were also joined by the awe-inspiring, track-only, V12, FXX-K - the “K” being for the “KERS” kinetic energy recovery system it adopts in maximising its racing performance. Ferrari’s Corse Clienti division, which provides cars and support services for clients racing in the Challenge or international GT series, also brought the 599 XX from the laboratory XX programme. And, a Ferrari 458 Challenge took part in the Hill Climb for GT race cars. The Scuderia Ferrari team will also be on hand to field a 2010 Ferrari F10 Formula 1 car driven by ex-F1 driver, Marc Gené. And finally, to complete the epic line-up, the Prancing Horse was represented by an outstanding entry of private client cars from several decades of Ferrari’s racing history, from 1953 250MM classic endurance racers to the 641s of the 1990s. www.ferrari.com www.grrc.goodwood.com
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KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
MOTORING
SUPERSTAR SUPER CAR: BENTLEY EXP 10
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
www.bentleymotors.com
Recently unveiled at Auto Shanghai, the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept reveals Bentley’s progressive ideology in the use of ultra-modern automotive design, exquisite handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology. A stunning two-seater sportscar, the model takes inspiration from the racing success of the company’s early years together with its international motorsport success of today. Iconic Bentley design cues have been fused with progressive craftsmanship techniques and state-of-the-art innovation. Aerodynamically sleek yet muscular and bold, there’s no mistaking its promised serious sporting prowess. Slip inside to experience the company’s most performance-oriented luxury cabin to date, with quilted sports seats, two-metal 3D texturing and a deftly intuitive 12” touchscreen. Eye-catching copper details are artfully employed inside and out, as accents to highlight the hybrid potential of this concept’s advanced new powertrain. As Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, says: “This is not just a sports car concept, this is a Bentley sports car concept – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future.” PAGE 60
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