MARCH 2015
Bring the outside in Conservatories and orangeries
FIT FOR A KING
The City’s millionaire buyers
SOCIAL MEDIA Necessity or Nuisance?
GET COLOURING
With Farrow & Ball
The BIG interview KEVIN McCLOUD
&
Design Build NEW HOMES SPECIAL
The region’s largest property publication
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A new concept in bedroom storage
Our brand new collection of stylish sliding wardrobes and room dividers made to measure
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www.gapsolutions.co.uk | info@gapsolutions.co.uk Unit 5B Enterprise Business Park, Crowhurst Road, Brighton BN1 8AF Call now to book a free design and quotation
01273 550050
INSIDE 11
Property News
16
Up My Street : Claire Rogers, The Treatment Rooms
18
Calendar : Out and about in March
24
Spring collection : Our favourite conservatories
27
Legal advice : Sensitive separation
30
Social Media : Nuisance or Necessity?
35 39 47 50 63 96 48 53
Cover Story : The London effect Cover Story : New Homes special Liam Russell Architect : Sustainable Homes The Shore Group success story Farrow & Ball : Local colour consultants Interiors : Conservatories & orangeries The City : Business news and views INTERVIEWS * MOTORING * GOLF * DINING * CAREER LADDER
Kevin McCloud Star interview : The Grand Designer
For advertising and general enquiries contact Lynne Edwards: 07931 537588 lynne@portfoliopublications.co.uk
www.portfoliopublications.co.uk Cover: Image courtesy of Benjamin Moore & Co www.benjaminmoore.com
See PORTFOLIO ONLINE AT www.portfoliopublications.co.uk UARY
2015
20 UARY FEBR
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spacious Victorian school house conversion in Kemptown. This Brighton’s converted traditiona brick Victorian l Sussex flint and red school over four parts: one part floors is a house contemporary of three home, one part offices and one annexe with part income home from its stylish renovated over basement flat. the last four Skilfully years, its sum and welcomin total is a unique, g family home. spacious Double-fronted windows and with gothic style doorway fronted arch by black wrought stands out on iron railings, a road with a it mix of Victorian housing. Potential and Georgian remains to re-work terraced annexe and the and further develop top floor to compleme the rear and family demands. nt your own particular lifestyle
4
24 PORTFOL IO
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PORTFOLIO Packed each month with interesting articles and features about homes and business
I LIZZ
X PO tion + ALE publica erty E t prop FRE larges gion’s The re
Fine & Country 52 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex Tel: 01273 739911 BN3 2FN www.fineandcou ntry.com
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UE 9
Appear
The Old Scho ol House 39 Chesham Road Brighton BN2 1NB Price: £1,495,0 00 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Extras: Suntrap courtyard garden; room; Self-con Formal dining tained flat Best Bits: Double height lounge Close to sea; with Mezzani Chain free ne;
Luxuriou s lets
For rich re nters
IN NEXT MONTH’S PORTFOLIO Find out how by calling Lynne Edwards
It’s good to
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BIG INTER VIEW ALAN TIT CHMARS Green finge H red Ch elsea flowe r
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to PORTFOLIO newsletter and join a cast of thousands The PORTFOLIO team Managing Director: Lynne Edwards 07931 537 588 • lynne@portfoliopublications.co.uk
Business Editor: Maarten Hoffmann 07966 244 046 • portfoliocityeditor@gmail.com
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Published by: All rights reserved. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions relating to advertising or editorial. The publisher reserves the right to change or amend any competitions or prizes offered. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written consent from the publisher. No responsibility is taken for unsolicited materials or the return of these materials whilst in transit.
H ighd o w n H o use
BRIGH TON ROAD | H A SSOC KS Computer generated images are for illustrative purposes only.
STUNNING NEW HOME WITH TRIPLE GARAGE & ANNEXE/OFFICE SPACE IMMACULATE CONTEMPORARY FINISH INSIDE & OUT •
• •
• • •
Individual detached house with 3,689 sq ft of living space set in a secluded location unseen from the road
•
Five bedrooms, three with en-suite bathrooms and a further generous family bathroom all fitted with Villeroy & Boch sanitaryware
•
Detached triple garage with additional 411sq ft home office or extra living space above
Master Bedroom suite with dressing room and thoughtfully designed en-suite Bespoke made-to-order German Kitchen fitted with integrated Miele appliances
Open plan Kitchen/Family Room with folding doors onto generous garden with secluded sunken Sun Terrace
•
•
Built-in outdoor Kitchen by Fire Magic surrounded by a spacious patio area for easy outdoor entertaining 7 minute walk to Hassocks Town Centre and mainline station 41 minutes to London Victoria by rail
Close to both superb state and private educational facilities including the prestigious Hurstpierpoint College and Burgess Hill School for Girls and a little further afield, Brighton College, all offering excellent bus links.
Offers in the region of £1,475,000
For more information, please contact Mansell McTaggart:
01273 843377
www.mansellmctaggart.co.uk
T: 01403 214900 www.green-plan.co.uk
Helping you find your perfect Hove property Mishon Welton, 94 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2EB
GRAND AVENUE, HOVE - £1,195,000 A truly remarkable, ground floor mansion apartment of immense character, with its own private lawned rear garden, providing beautifully light and substantial living space, which occupies the entire ground floor of this fine “William Willett” built residence. The property is tucked away at the top of Grand Avenue in a small enclave, within immediate proximity of all amenities in Church Road and Hove seafront. As you approach this handsome red brick residence, the overwhelming impression is that you are approaching a building of significant quality. Entry to the property, is by its own front door, recessed by an impressive, deep, arched brick entrance porch. The front door opens into an inner hall and subsequently into the vast reception hallway. High ceilings, panel walls and oak floors set the tone for the sheer scale of the internal living accommodation. The magnificent living room is likely to take your breath away with a wealth of fine original features. There are four bedrooms, including two vast double rooms with scope to use one of the rooms as a dressing room, library or a further reception room. The kitchen/breakfast room is hand built and well fitted with a range of integrated appliances.
01273 778877 • mishonwelton.com
HILL DRIVE, HOVE - GUIDE PRICE ÂŁ950,000 An impressive modern 5 bedroom detached house, providing light and generously proportioned living space, with a lovely mature rear garden and occupying a favoured residential location. As you approach this fine house, the initial impression is that this is an imposing family house, with impressive double fronted brick faced elevations. Internally the house certainly does not disappoint, offering particularly generously sized living accommodation, which is both light and beautifully presented. There are two good sized and very usable reception rooms at the front and rear of the house, separated by a spacious reception hallway and high ceiling. In addition there is a large, family sized kitchen/breakfast room, which is bespoke and superbly fitted with an excellent range of handmade solid oak cabinets, with a range of integrated appliances. A turned staircase leads to the first floor, where there are 5 double bedrooms, with the main room having an en-suite dressing room and shower/sauna room, as well as a separate large family bath/shower room. The gardens are a delight, being well established and enjoying a sunny aspect.
Helping you find your perfect Hove property Mishon Welton, 94 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2EB
LONGHILL ROAD, BRIGHTON - £795,000 A truly stunning, brand new, detached family home, beautifully presented and appointed, with an emphasis on contemporary styling and enjoying far reaching views across open countryside to the sea, within a small residential cul-de-sac. The house itself, has an impressive looking, modern, contemporary styled brick facade, with wide, glass and steel balconies at ground and first floor levels and a sun terrace on the ground floor, all enjoying a fabulous, sunny south westerly aspect. On entering the property, the impression of light and space, combined with the quality and luxury of the fittings is all encompassing. The lovely living room, opens out onto one of the wide balconies and takes in the fine views. The kitchen is beautifully fitted with stylish high gloss units with black granite work surfaces and integrated appliances. A wide internal staircase leads to a “garden level” floor, offering additional living accommodation, including two bedrooms, a modern bathroom and a utility room which could deputise as a small kitchen if need be. On the first floor, there is an impressive master suite, with magnificent views towards the sea and a sumptuous master bath/shower room.
01273 778877 • mishonwelton.com
HILL DRIVE, HOVE - ÂŁ650,000 A quite beautifully presented four bedroom semi-detached family home, which offers considerable potential for enlargement (STP) and standing in lovely, large mature gardens in this favoured Hove Park setting. As you walk through the door of this modern Hove Park home, the immediate impression is that of light and beautiful decor which creates a warm, restful and comfortable environment. The bright and airy living/dining room, enjoys a pleasant, elevated aspect at the front across the surrounding area and leads into a good sized conservatory at the rear, which is a wonderful place to relax while enjoying quite lovely views over the stunning gardens. It is also a great place to ponder on the undoubted potential this property offers, for expansion of the living accommodation. Obviously, planning consent will be necessary, however, a good architect, should be able to advise on the possibilities the property offers. The rear gardens are truly a delight, being attractively stocked and lovingly landscaped by the present owners to create a beautiful retreat from the pressures of modern life.
ALPINE APPEAL Just come back from your skiing holiday and can’t wait to go again? Buying your own Alpine properties can be an excellent investment, as Savills explain
M
ore alpine sales are taking place at lower
AUSTRIA
price points as the resilience of the ultra-
Austria’s
prime markets starts to ripple down
seasonality, diverse culture and attractive rental
the market ladder, says Savills World Research
returns make it the country of choice for those
At the top end of the market, Courchevel 1850
and Alpine Homes in the Alpine Property Market
chasing bang for their buck. Indeed, rental returns
continues to dominate. Prices here can reach
Spotlight, launched today.
of ski property in Austria are roughly double those
€34,200 per sqm. However, buyers looking for
SWITZERLAND
of either France or Switzerland, at circa 5%-7%
value should consider St Gervais, which is seen as
Switzerland’s position outside the EU cements
gross.
an affordable alternative to better-known Megeve,
the global stage. Stability is beginning to return to comparative
affordability,
dual
the French alpine market and there are still good opportunities for buyers.
its appeal as a safe haven for wealth, and resorts
Kitzbühel is the only Austrian resort included in
therefore carry a price premium. In the case of
the Savills Top 10 Ultra Prime Resorts Index where
All eyes will be on Meribel next year as it takes
Verbier, values can reach €22,400 per sqm, or
prices range from €8,000 per sqm to €15,000
the global stage and plays host to the World Ski
80% more than the average.
with property values under €4,000 per sqm.
per sqm. For buyers seeking value, Bad Gastein
Cup finals. Prices here range from €8,000 per sqm
It is therefore no surprise that five Swiss
and Zell am See offer lower priced property and
to €19,000 per sqm, and there is room for growth
resorts, Gstaad, St Moritz, Zermatt, Verbier and
average ski conditions, although the latter boasts
as its profile increases.
Crans Montana, appear in the Savills Top 10 Ultra-
a particularly strong summer season. For more information contact Savills Alpine
Prime Resorts Index. The family-friendly resort
The resort of Ischgl, the Ibiza of the alps, is
of Saas Fee stands out as offering a long season
highlighted as one to watch. Prices here are under
Homes on +44 (0) 20 7016 3740
with good quality snow but with comparatively
€4,000 per sqm.
or Savills World Research on
lower priced property averaging between €4,000
FRANCE
+44 (0) 20 7016 3883
and €8,000 per sqm.
All eyes will be on Meribel this year as it takes
www.savills.com
NEWS SHOP GIRL On April 1st City Books present an evening at The Ropetackle, Shoreham with Mary Portas, ‘Queen Of Shops’, talking about her new book, Shop Girl: A Memoir. Mary Portas is one of the UK’s foremost authorities on retail and brand communication and is credited with turning Harvey Nichols from a staid department store into a modern fashion powerhouse. She regularly travels around the world advising on retail strategy and frequently lectures on the theme of brands and retail. The book plots how young Mary dreams of RADA, but family circumstances lead her to sign up for a local college course in visual merchandising in the hope that it leads to a job in graphics. But things play out unexpectedly; after vowing never to work in a shop for the rest of her life, Mary takes to the camp and glamour of dressing displays in Harvey Nichols and Harrods like a duck to water, and Mary, Queen Of Shops, is born. Mary’s continued advocacy of our High Streets led to her receiving a commission from the British Government to lead an independent review. She delivered her report on the future of our High Streets to the Prime Minister in December, 2011. This special evening will feature a book reading, Q&A session, booking signing, plus first edition copies of Shop Girl: A Memoir at a discount. In 2012, London Road, Brighton became one of 27 areas to succeed in being granted Portas Pilot status by the Department for Communities and Local Government, receiving £83,485 to deliver projects aimed at rejuvenating the London Road retail area. The council also secured £10,000 in Arts Council funding to support the project.
NEWS
SEARCHES UK REVEALS LENDER PANEL ISSUES Searches UK understand the importance of finding Solicitors and Conveyancers that are approved by lenders in order to avoid timely delays or costly property failures for home buyers. A recent survey conducted by Searches UK revealed that over 40% of Solicitors or Conveyancers experienced problems with joining or staying on a Lender Panel. Lender Panel, an intelligent online software application, has been designed to offer assistance to professionals in the industry and the general public in locating and recognising solicitor firms who act for lenders both locally and nationally. Lisa Summerton, Sales & Marketing Director at Searches UK, said: “We’re happy to be able to offer our clients access to Lender Panel. The site is a reliable source for finding firms which can act on behalf of lenders. Market insights can also be gained, and we’re optimistic about there being an increase to conveyancing volumes for Solicitors and Conveyancers.“ www.searchesuk.co.uk
BONNETS CELEBRATE 25 YEARS! Paul and Dee Bonett and the Bonett’s crew held a private party at their Kemp Town office last month to celebrate 25 years in business in St George’s Road. A whole host of family, friends, customers old and new, colleagues in the industry and more, turned up to say well done! Before the celebration started, some of the Bonett’s team raised a glass to the future! www.bonetts.co.uk
PORTFOLIO COMMENT PORTFOLIO is delighted to support the recently launched national homes portal OnTheMarket.com, where hits to the site have recently been reported to have topped 1m. Finally having a property website owned by estate agents, and for estate agents, is surely a great first step towards companies taking control of their data and keeping their spiralling online costs in check. With the growing support from the region’s estate agents for PORTFOLIO magazine, we look forward to further opportunities to provide advertising and editorial features to OnTheMarket.com on behalf of its member agents.
PORTFOLIO 11
maslen.co.uk
Hollingbury Road, Brighton
GUIDE PRICE
ÂŁ550,000
FREEHOLD
A delightful three bedroom bay fronted period family home The house is situated in an extremely popular residential area, just a few minutes’ walk from Fiveways and has recently undergone complete refurbishment. It benefits from many features including a large double garage, newly fitted kitchen and bathroom and land or building plot subject to planning permission. Viewing is highly recommended. Energy Rating E46.
Maslen Estate Agents 290 Ditchling Road, Brighton BN1 6JF t:01273 566777 e:fiveways@maslen.co.uk
LEWES ROAD
.
WOODINGDEAN
.
HOVE
.
FIVEWAYS
NEWS
NEWS
THE SELL: THE SECRETS OF SELLING ANYTHING TO ANYONE Ten years ago, Fredrik Eklund moved to New York City from his native Sweden with nothing but a wornout pair of sneakers and a dream: to make it big in the city that never sleeps. Despite having no experience in real estate and no contacts, Fredrik transformed himself into the best seller in the most competitive real estate market on the planet, brokering multimillion-dollar deals for celebrities, selling out properties all over the city and charming TV audiences as one of the stars of Million Dollar Listing New York. In The Sell, Fredrik shares his secrets. According to Fredrik, even if you don’t consider yourself a salesperson, you’ve been in sales your whole life because every day you are selling your most important asset: yourself. And if you know how to sell right, you can live your dream. Featuring everything from the importance of intangible factors like personality and charm, to tips and tricks for preparing, persuading and negotiating, The Sell is for anyone who wants to have an impact in their personal and professional life. Publication: 14th April 2015
WE LOVE:
THE MINI BOOMBOX The Mini Boombox boosts your mobile’s volume with perfect results despite its mini size. The portable speaker has a 3W output, and its inbuilt rechargeable lithium battery lasts 4-5 hours per charge. Compatible with leading smartphones, it proves you should never judge a speaker by its size! This Mini Touch Boombox is miniature, but its sound is anything but! With its sleek exterior and lightweight feel, this wireless portable speaker is easy to use. Simply place your Mp3 or smartphone device into the Mini Boombox pocket and hear your favourite music, films and videos amplified instantly. The Mini Boombox Touch Speaker costs £21.95 www.geniegadgets.com
H NT O M HE T OF Y T ER P O PR
Price: £1500pcm Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2 Extras: Roof terrace, allocated parking, An exceptional two-bedroom flat within a beautiful red brick property overlooking Preston fully furnished Park. The entire property has been refurbished to a high standard giving a contemporary Best Bits: Large lounge with wooden feel throughout. There is the added luxury of two en-suite shower rooms, wooden flooring, flooring, two ensuites, balcony
Flat 3, 36 Preston Park Avenue, Brighton, BN1 6HG
a decked roof terrace and further balcony, which has great views of the park. Other benefits, the property is fully furnished, has allocated parking and a recently refitted kitchen with Property Moves integrated appliances. The property would be ideal for commuters as train stations and the 01273 321333 A23 are easily accessible. www.propertymoves.co.uk
PORTFOLIO 13
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Steyning Road, Rottingdean £1,250,000 Stunning newly built four bedroom contemporary styled detached house set in landscaped surroundings in the beautiful village of Rottingdean. The property offers a long private driveway with parking and double garage. EPC B
Mallory Road, Hove £1,450,000 A contemporary styled five bedroom detached family home situated over four floors, with three reception rooms and three bathrooms benefitting from a large south west facing rear garden, garage and off road parking. EPC C
Westbrooke, Worthing £840,000 Deceptively spacious five bedroom detached house with four reception rooms and open plan kitchen/breakfast room with part glass roof. The property benefits from wrap around garden and private parking, offered for sale with no onward chain. EPC D
Deanway, Hove £825,000 Detached family home located in a highly sought after residential location with stunning views across Hove from the living room and master bedroom, benefitting from off road parking and large garage. EPC E
Hamptons International Estate Agents Hove Sales. 01273 796 061 | Lettings. 01273 796 063
BEAUTIFUL homes
SPACIOUS HOME
T
his fantastic detached five-bedroom family home offers extremely spacious accommodation arranged over four floors with an emphasis on contemporary design throughout. Features include a stunning reception room with glass and chrome internal balcony, spiral staircase leading to an approximately 30ft kitchen/dining room and a fabulous en-suite wet room to the master bedroom. The property boasts a cinema room with surround sound and far reaching sea views from the rear of the property with approximately 100ft of rear garden with a southwesterly aspect.
Mallory Road, Hove, BN3 6TD Price: ÂŁ1,450,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Extras: Stunning open plan rooms including kitchen/ breakfast room Best Bits: Cinema: Playroom; Generous southwest facing garden Hamptons International 82 Church Road Hove BN3 2EB 01273 230 230 www.hamptons.co.uk
PORTFOLIO  15
UP MY STREET...
...WE SPEAK TO CLARE ROGERS ABOUT WHERE SHE LIVES AND WHY SHE LOVES IT CLARE ROGERS IS THE OWNER OF AWARD-WINNING BEAUTY SALON, THE TREATMENT ROOMS WHERE DO YOU LIVE? I live in Albourne, West Sussex. It is chocolate box picturesque. No light pollution, so amazing stars at night. No litter! So quiet and rural. You really notice the seasons as you see the farmland and vineyards change. Lots of fields and bridal paths to walk my dogs. Plus an easy train link to Brighton and London from Hassocks. HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN SUSSEX? I was born in Brighton, in 1963 and always lived there until I moved out 2013. I went to local schools: Moulsecoomb and Falmer and then to Brighton College of Technology (now City College). DESCRIBE YOUR HOUSE BRIEFLY I live in a 16th century converted barn. My dream home! I’m claustrophobic so love the space of the 30’ ceilings. WHERE DO YOU SHOP IN YOUR LOCALE? My favourite stops for tea/coffee have to be dog friendly. In Brighton it’s Small Batch Coffee on Jubilee Street, Bagelman on Bond Street and Stanmer House. My foodie favourite to shop is the farm shop at Rushfields Plant Centre in Poynings. WHAT PARKS / OPEN SPACES ARE THERE IN YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD? There are lots of off lead spaces to walk my dogs but am mindful of the sheep and cows and keep them on lead if we cut through a field they are in. I love going up to Devil’s Dyke too. A National Trust favorite of mine. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF ANY LEISURE OR FITNESS CLUBS? I’m a member at Wickwoods Country Club, mainly for the yoga, which I do 3 times a week. YOUR AWARD-WINNING SPA, THE TREATMENT ROOMS, IS THE PLACE TO RELAX FOR THE REST OF US. BUT HOW DO YOU RELAX? My dog walks and yoga keep me sane. I love big open spaces and nature. I love food & wine too. My holidays are either skiing or trekking. I’m doing the Inca trail this year
and some other treks in Peru & Uruguay. I also love an aromatherapy bath with candles to wind down at the end of the day. Obviously, I love having beauty treatments and spa visits on my travels to find new ones. DO YOU HAVE A GARDEN? My garden is tiny but I have one! There was just a lawn when I moved in so I had some borders dug in. I’ve enjoyed planting bulbs and seeing what survives. I’m keeping to a lilac and white theme against the green of huge yew hedges. WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE OF THE COUNCIL? I left Brighton as a home as I was tired of the crime and litter. It is still an issue for me, with having a business in Brighton. I think the spending structure of the council is ridiculous. We are a tourist destination with great independent businesses getting great reviews for the city and visitors comment on the litter. DO YOU PREFER TO ENTERTAIN AT HOME, OR DO YOU LIKE EATING OUT LOCALLY? I’m known to always have an empty fridge! My local to home favorite is The Ginger Fox in Albourne and, in Brighton, Hotel du Vin and The Chilli Pickle. I’m hearing good things about 64 Degrees but haven’t been yet. WHERE DO YOU ALWAYS TAKE VISITORS? Always the theatre. Our beautiful Theatre Royal and Dome. May is the month to come to Brighton for the festivals. Hurstpierpoint has a festival too. IF YOU ARE HEADING OUT OF TOWN WHERE DO YOU GO? London for food and theatre. So easy to get to. We are lucky having such good rail links. I recently went to The Witterings for a sandy beach walk. Beautiful. DO YOU EVER HANKER TO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD? Never!
The Treatment Rooms, 21 New Road, Brighton BN1 1UF 01273 818444. www.thetreatmentrooms.co.uk
PORTFOLIO 16
solicitors Incorporating Johnson McCabe
local & independent
We are local, independent solicitors providing an expert legal service with a personal approach Property
Civil Litigation
• Buying and Selling Property • Re-Mortgages • Freehold Enfranchisement • Lease Extensions • Buying and Selling Investment Properties
• Employment • Debt Recovery • Property • Contentious Probate • Insurance Claims • Fraud Claims to include Defending SOCA Claims • Consumer Law • Neighbour disputes • Dispute Resolution/ Mediation of Claims
Business • Landlord and Tenant and Commercial Property • Buying and Selling Businesses and Shares • Employment Law • Licensing
Commercial Litigation
• Wills • Probate and Administration of Estates • Inheritance Tax Planning and Trusts • Lasting Powers of Attorney and Court of Protection • Elderly Client Care
• Commercial contract/ Consumer Disputes • Director/Shareholders/ Partnership Disputes • Insurance Claims • Construction and Engineering • Commercial Property Disputes • Professional Negligence Claims • Intellectual Property Disputes
Vallance Hall, Hove Street, Hove, East Sussex BN3 2DE
Life and Family
Personal Injury
info@engleharts.co.uk • 01273 204411
• Family and Matrimonial • Co Habitation Agreements/Disputes • Civil Partnerships • Pre-nuptial Agreements • Divorce
• Road Traffic Accidents • Medical Negligence • Accident at Work and on Construction Site • Fatal Accidents • Structured Settlements
Wills and Trusts
For more information please contact us at Engleharts Solicitors:
www.engleharts.co.uk
CALENDAR of events
MARCH Our pick of March events includes theatre, comedy, music and a Festival preview
3 - 7 March Saturday Night Fever This spectacular new staging of Saturday Night Fever is packed with legendary hits from the Bee Gees, including the classics Stayin’ Alive, Night Fever, Jive Talking, How Deep is Your Love? and You Should Be Dancing. The date is 1976, the place, New York; Tony Manero, a young man from a tough Brooklyn neighbourhood with a dead-end job and an extraordinary ability to dance, has only one ambition - to become the disco king. The smash hit 1977 film of Saturday Night Fever starring Oscar-nominee John Travolta inspired the definitive soundtrack by the Bee Gees and popularised disco around the world. The multi-Grammy Award-winning music behind the film, combined with its gripping storyline, captured the imagination of millions. Theatre Royal, Brighton. For times and prices visit www.atgtickets.com/brighton
12 March
3 March
Paloma Faith
The Stranglers
The incredible Paloma Faith’s third album, A Perfect Contradiction, was released in 2014 and has become her most successful album to date, recently being certified platinum. The album includes the top ten singles “Can’t Rely on You” and “Only Love Can Hurt Like This”. The latter became Faith’s highest-charting single in the UK. She has received three BRIT Award nominations, including British Female Solo Artist and Best British Album. Brighton Centre, 6.30pm, www.brightoncentre.co.uk
One of the great stories from the punk generation, with their own highly original sound that combined a brilliant melodic touch with a genuine dark aggression and an effortless cool. The Stranglers are a pivotal band from those inspirational times and have been acknowledged with a BBC Proms appearance at the Royal Albert Hall. Their continued run of album success has marked a long, controversial and pioneering career. Dome Concert Hall, Brighton, 7pm. www.brightondome.org
3 - 7 March | Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense Robert Webb re-joins the Olivier award-winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense at Chichester, following his previous West End run in this production along with Jason Thorpe as Jeeves and Christopher Ryan as Seppings. Winning Best New Comedy at the 2014 Olivier Awards, the charmingly incompetent Bertie Wooster and his unflappable valet Jeeves are brought to life in this highly acclaimed comedy by brothers Robert and David Goodale. Based on and adapted from the established literary works of P.G. Wodehouse, Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense has already enjoyed a successful West End run and UK tour. Chichester Festival Theatre. For times and prices visit www.cft.org.uk
18 PORTFOLIO
CALENDAR of events
14 March
13 March
Rick Wakeman: A Night Of Music and Anecdotal Wit
Cheese and Wine Evening
Classically trained pianist Rick found fame as a member of first Strawbs and then Yes. As a solo artist and with Yes, he has sold more than 50,000,000 albums, has written a number of film scores and regularly takes part in The News Quiz, Just A Minute and It’s Your Round on BBC Radio 4. He has also carved out a TV career, featuring in every single episode in the Grumpy Old Men series. In 2014, he toured the UK with his multi-million selling work, Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, which included two sell-out performances at London’s Royal Albert Hall and was voted Best Live Event at the Progressive Music Awards 2014. De la Warr Pavilion. Bexhill-on-Sea, 8pm. www.dlwp.com
Cheese lovers are in for a treat when luxury Sussex hotel Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club hosts a special Cheese and Wine Evening showcasing the very best in British cheeses. William Stevens from H T White & Co, specialist wine merchants based in East Sussex, along with Will Cohen from the Cheese Cellar, will be providing guests with an insight into the traditional culinary combination. Guests will enjoy a selection of carefully chosen British cheeses including Vulscombe Herb, a goat’s milk soft cheese from Devon, and Stilton Best Blue, a fine blue cheese produced in a specific area around Melton Mowbray in the Vale of Belvoir. Cost: £20 per person. Ashdown Park Hotel & Country Club, 7pm. www.ashdownpark.com
31 March John Bishop Following last year’s hugely successful sell-out UK arena tour, John Bishop is back, performing his critically acclaimed ‘Supersonic’ show, for one night only at The Brighton Centre. This show will be one of the last times John will perform Supersonic, and a chance to see one of the country’s finest comedians in full flow. After the show in Brighton, John will perform Supersonic one last time at London’s Royal Albert Hall on 2 April, when the show will be filmed for a DVD release later this year. ‘Unimprovable…comedy superstar, *****’ Daily Telegraph. Brighton Centre, 6.30pm, www.brightoncentre.co.uk
COMING UP Brighton Festival Brighton Festival have launched their May 2015 programme with Guest Director Ali Smith. The packed programme includes Laurie Anderson, Margaret Atwood, National Theatre of Scotland, Globe Theatre and many other highlights Pick up a brochure or visit www.brightonfestival.org
10 - 14 | March A Mad World My Masters English Touring Theatre presents the Royal Shakespeare Company production of this clever play. London, Soho… 1956. Where glamour rubs up against filth, and likes it; where the posh mix with musicians, whores and racketeers and where a dashingly impecunious bachelor in need of quick cash and a good time has to live on his wits. Turning con-man to fool his rich uncle, he variously becomes a lord, a high class call girl, and a poor actor. But someone else is also on the scam: a dubious debutante in need of an eligible bachelor... Theatre Royal, Brighton. For times and prices visit www.atgtickets.com/brighton
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52 Church Road Hove, BN3 2FN • Tel 01273 778844 113 St. Georges Road, Brighton BN2 1EA • Tel 01273 685111 10 Station Road, Portslade BN41 1GA • Tel 01273 383830
Donnington Road, Woodingdean - Offers in the region of £350,000
Brighton Office 01273 685111
On a gentle incline in the popular residential suburb of Woodingdean, this stylish, 3-bedroom family home definitely can boast a room with a view. This bright semi-detached house is a great example of well-designed living with options for extending or restyling if required. Located in a vibrant area with dynamic community spirit and set amidst some outstanding countryside, there are noteworthy local schools, fantastic country walks, sports and leisure facilities and many clubs and organisations. EPC rating C
Southview Court, Southwick - £169,950
Portslade Office 01273 383830
On the ground floor of this red brick block of flats in a small close, flat 9 faces south with an open aspect over gardens opposite. Recently modernised and refurbished, it exudes a fresh and contemporary feel with white painted walls, ceiling spotlights and neutral flooring. With a long lease, this is a smart home with well proportioned rooms thats sure to attract a lot of attention. EPC rating C
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www.sawyerandco.co.uk
Selborne Road, Hove - £495,000
Hove Office 01273 778844
Selborne Road is quiet, tree-lined and just off the main thoroughfare. Alongside other grand semi-detached four storey villas dating from the late 19th century, the property forms part of Hove’s Willett Estate conservation area. A spacious garden apartment on the lower ground floor, this home spreads over the full footprint of the property having its own street entrance. With modern styling in muted tones throughout this is a roomy and inviting home in the middle of town with its own secluded garden. EPC rating D
Your Local Multi-Award Winning Estate Agent Bronze Sawyer & Co South East Agency of the Year
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ESTATE AGENT in Brighton And Hove
2014
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Winner 2015 GOLD WINNER SOUTH REGION
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Brighton office now open
SOCIAL event
Fine & Country New Office Opening Having been established within the successful Sawyer’s office, Fine & Country has now moved to its own distinctive Hove office in a prime location in Church Road. Associate Director Dominique Scott and her team, including Director Adam Farrell, are delighted to showcase some of the City’s most prestigious properties, and offer their clients the benefit of their expertise as well as links to their London Fine & Country offices and those throughout the UK. Fine & Country Brighton and Hove 46 Church Road, Hove, East Sussex, BN3 2FN Tel: 01273 739911 www.fineandcountry.com /uk/Brighton-and-Hove
photos: James Bolton www.fineandcountry.com 22 PORTFOLIO
in association with Sawyer & Co
Fine & Country 52 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FN
Orpen Road, Hove
EPC: D
Facing south-west, this welcoming family home sits at the top of Orpen Road, high above Hove alongside other individually designed properties. Extensions have augmented the basic structure to create a sizeable and comfortable home over three levels. Light-filled from both its lofty Hove Park position and its dual aspect core, this mainly neutrally styled home also has some classic detailing.The location is ideal for a growing family being very close to some private schools, local 6th form college and with a new Waitrose store just minutes away. The quality of light in the house is exceptional and there’s a lovely, quiet village feel which makes the area rather special. Though all the bustle and attractions of Brighton & Hove are just minutes away down the hill, up here there’s a rarefied feel to the neighbourhood bringing a sense of retreat and refuge to living here.
Tel: 01273 739911
Adelaide Cres, Hove
OIRO £1,100,000
EPC: Exempt
Located on the Crescent’s eastern south-facing arm before it starts its sweeping curve, this gorgeous apartment is part of the Brunswick Town Conservation Area. Built just after the Regency era, its Neo-Renaissance attributes of lofty ceilings, tall windows, ornate coving and cornices fuse with contemporary styling. Updated over the past five years with meticulous attention to detail, this home centres on its open-plan living space. With subtly discrete areas for lounge, dining room and kitchen it floods with light from its enviable seafront location. Mixed grey hues and soft whites from Farrow & Ball are complemented by an occasional bold flourish of wallpaper for a modern take on interior decor that works beautifully with the building’s mid 19th century heritage.
Tel: 01273 739911
£750,000
Tel: +44 (0)1273 739911
THE collection
THE MARCH COLLECTION There is nothing quite like a conservatory for bringing space and light into a property. Here are some of the most stylish we have found...
Penthouse panorama King’s Gardens, Hove A unique four-bedroom penthouse with a stunning outlook on Hove seafront. Leaded stained glass window panels, high coved ceilings, skylights and parquet flooring confirm this home’s rich heritage. Converted and extended around 1920, the penthouse spreads out over the entire top floor. From the entrance hall, the antique wood panelled lift opens up straight into the penthouse hallway with its original parquet flooring. The conservatory, which leads off the expansive main lounge and dining area, is finished in Nina Campbell wallpaper, and connects back to the snug/fourth bedroom.
Price: £875,000 Fine & Country 01273 739911 www.fineandcountry.com 24 PORTFOLIO
THE collection
Sea views Ranelagh Villas, Hove This delightful Victorian bay-fronted four-bedroom house is in a highly desirable location close to Hove station. Spacious accommodation, charming period detailing, and ideal for family living, this home also has a good-sized rear garden and its location would easily suit a London commuter. The spacious entrance hallway has double doors connecting to the open-aspect living/dining room and the hallway connects to the kitchen/ breakfast/family room, which has been extended to the side with a glazed ceiling. Double doors lead to the rear garden with lawn, paved terrace and secluded seating area, ideal for alfresco dining.
Price: £900,000 Hamptons International 01273 230230 www.hamptons.co.uk
Conservatory time Falmer Road, Rottingdean This lovely detached house is versatile and sociable. The entrance hall leads to a lounge with double doors leading into a dining room; a further set of double doors leads on to the conservatory. The kitchen/breakfast room has a separate utility room with a cloakroom. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a fully boarded loft. A westerly roof terrace with views over the South Downs, and a large rear garden with a good-sized patio make this home perfect for entertaining. There is also a garage & parking for three vehicles.
Price: £599,950 Oakley Residential 01273 688881 www.oakleyresidential.com
Summer house Tongdean Avenue, Brighton This 1930s ‘Arts & Crafts’ house is in a prime residential location with the most stunning south-facing garden. The house itself is packed with charm and character, with its period windows, stylish fireplaces and wooden floors. It has generous reception areas on the ground floor combined with the lovely conservatory to the rear. Upstairs you find four bedrooms, a lovely light and airy bathroom with roll-top bath and a shower room. The well-stocked, mature, south-facing garden also features a lovely summer house.
Price: OIEO £1,295,000 Winkworth 01273 772 175 www.winkworth.co.uk PORTFOLIO 25
Bognor Brighton Chichester Crawley Crawley Down Eastbourne Felpham Goring
01243 624726 01273 287210 01243 624725 01293 762326 01342 349709 01323 458167 01243 624727 01903 641736
Horsham Country Homes Hove Kemp Town Lancing Littlehampton Midhurst North Bersted
01403 342210 01403 342211 01273 287211 01273 287212 01903 649091 01903 649093 01730 402032 01243 624728
Preston Park Rottingdean Steyning Storrington Worthing Western Road Newhaven Newhaven Lettings
01273 287213 01273 287214 01903 641734 01903 641735 01903 649092 01273 649092 01273 803207 01273 803254
Saltdean 01273 803221 Saltdean Lettings 01273 803275 Peacehaven 01273 803236 Peacehaven Lettings 01273 803307
EPC D
EPC D
EPC D
Hove
Brighton
Hove
£875,000 - £900,000 | 01273 287211
£600,000 - £625,000 | 01273 287213
£575,000 - £600,000 | 01273 287211
This stunning six bedroom link detached family property includes three reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room with electric Aga and a conservatory.
Four Bedroom Victorian home featuring an extended kitchen/breakfast room situated within walking distance of Preston Park train station.
A superb four bedroom family property located in Goldstone Valley only moments from Hove Park including a large south west facing rear garden.
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STUNNING FAMILY HOME WITH PICTURESQUE VIEWS A beautiful three double bedroom detached house, situated on the corner of Northfield Rise and Gorham Avenue, in the picturesque village of Rottingdean. The property is in excellent decorative order and well laid-out throughout, with a 22’ open plan modern fitted kitchen (with central island unit), a 20’ open plan dining area, sun room/conservatory, and a separate lounge. The two double bedrooms EPC C EPC D EPC C on the first floor both have luxury en-suite shower rooms (with the master bedroom also having an open plan dressing area, and central Saltdean Cliffs roll top period bath). An additional ground floorBrighton third bedroom has a further en-suite bathroom.Telscombe Outside to the front is a formal lawned A well proportioned three This well presented home A delightfully spacious front garden areabungalow with pathway through the centre, a raised terrace seating and side bungalow access. Tooccupying the rearan of the property is a 45’9 bedroom detached in theleading centre of to a popular situated in an enviable, eclectic community is light, enviable corner position x 45’ garden, with terrace/patio area plus large lawn, greenhouse, and storage shed. The property also has a garage and a drive suitable elevated position with bright and colourful, with with a sunny wrap around stunning spaces which can be adapted landscaped garden and for two views cars. out to sea. for flexible living.
£425,000 - £440,000 | 01273 306661
ample off road parking.
£350,000 | 01273 287210
£325,000 - £325,000 |
GUIDE PRICE: £700,000-£750,000 ST
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EPC C
Rottingdean
Brighton
A two bedroom ground floor apartment situated in a private gated development with a communal swimming pool, tennis court, driving range, gym and sauna.
Very spacious two bedroom second floor apartment in the very sought after Marina Village just a short distance from Brighton’s seafront and beautiful marina.
Newhaven
Modern detached family home comprising lounge, through kitchen/dining room, three bedrooms, en-suite shower room and attached garage.
RARELY AVAILABLE. PICTURESQUE VIEWS. VIEWING HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
£300,000 - £330,000 | 01273 287214
£250,000- £275,000 | 01273 287212
£250,000 - £260,000 |
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LEGAL matters
“Being amicable allows respect and dignity to be maintained”
MOVING ON
Howlett Clarke on the importance of separating sensitively
I
’ve no doubt that the majority of Portfolio readers will have marked the recent Valentine’s Day celebrations by enjoying a romantic meal out or staying in snuggled up together with a bottle of bubbly! However, for those who are newly separated, especially those with children, any date that prompts reflection and past memories, can be very difficult for all concerned. For some the knowledge that their ex-partner or spouse has someone new in their life is most painful of all. If you are experiencing difficulties in a relationship, it is really important that the best interests of the children remain at the forefront of any decision making. I know this is often easier said than done. I am often asked when children should be introduced to a new partner. Every situation is different, although I’m sure most people would agree the right time is definitely not after the first or second date! If a relationship is irreconcilable, facing up to divorce can provoke a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts and emotions. I have set out below some practical advice that will help:
Put a support network in place Your family and friends can really help when you need a little support, maybe some additional childcare or a day to yourself without the children. Support comes in many different forms and if you think a counsellor could help I can put you in touch with a suitable person. Be Amicable There are times when there is no alternative to going to court. However, remaining civil to each other does have many benefits. Being amicable can lead to reduced costs and can hasten the speed of any settlement. It is not a sign of weakness. It allows respect and dignity to be maintained enabling a speedier recovery for both yourself and your children. Get Expert Advice I truly believe that advice taken early on helps everyone involved. I can answer those niggling questions you may have or reassure you that you may not need to go to court at all. Your situation is individual to you, so get advice tailored to your personal circumstances; a
Google search for accurate answers isn’t recommended! You Deserve Value for Money If you are going to see a solicitor, prepare in advance. Check the cost of the appointment and what you will receive. Write down a list of questions so you don’t forget to ask them. It is important that you consider what you want to achieve so that your solicitor can advise you fully. Legal advice is not cheap, but you should be able to have a clear and open discussion about costs, and you should not be charged for it.
Fiona Connah is an Associate Solicitor with QualitySolicitors Howlett Clarke 8-9 Ship Street, Brighton BN1 1AZ. 01273 327 272. www.qualitysolicitors.com/howlettclarke See more from Howlett Clarke at www.portfoliopublications.co.uk PORTFOLIO 27
Superb contemporary, high-specification homes, featuring open plan living, southerly facing gardens with terraces, patios and far reaching views. Each of these stunning homes has 4 bedrooms, sumptuous family bathrooms, including en-suite to the master.
National LABC awards finalist * Code Level 4 in sustainability
WITHDEAN
Select development of three contemporary 4-bedroom homes in a stunning residential location
OPEN DAY 7th March 2015 Hillbrow View, Hillbrow Road, Withdean Prices from £800,000 - £850,000 By prior appointment only
Call 01273 565566 now for your reserved personal show home tour 108 Old London Road, Brighton BN1 8YA www.spencerandleigh.co.uk
MAKING IT WORK FOR YOU In the first of a regular Social Media column, Craig Vile from Angels Media poses the question: Social media - Necessity or Nuisance?…
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he question of using social media for your business has become unavoidable in recent years. Most people have come to terms with the fact that they need to get their business on the biggest social media sites, but some are still not entirely sure why or how. Of course, estate agents will want to know what the return on investment will be when it comes to social media. When managed correctly, the benefits should be numerous and varied. As an agent you will always be on the lookout for new landlords and vendors and many of them will be on the lookout for you, too. Experienced landlords and vendors may well start their research for a new agent online, including on social media channels. And even if they don’t specifically search for an agent on social media, their accounts will still come up on Google searches (more on that another time). With all this in mind, it is important to control what people are going to find out about your company. Social media sites provide a fantastic means of giving an overall feeling of your business, and it is imperative that you use this opportunity to create a positive image of a successful and dynamic agency.
30 PORTFOLIO
Prospective clients, when looking at your profiles, are going to be interested in the content and frequency of your posts. Does your agency come across like it will go the extra mile for its clients? If a company neglects its social media presence, a potential client may feel like they are going to be neglected as well. So what do you need to do? For a start you need to be posting interesting content on a daily basis. Think about how to humanise your agency. Do you have an employee of the week or month, for example? Professionally managed social media accounts will allow you to position your business as interesting and easy to deal with. There are some more ‘serious’ benefits to maintaining your social media channels professionally and regularly. These platforms give consumers the opportunity to raise any issues they have with customer service, and they will use this opportunity. How you deal with this is how your company will be defined on the ‘social web’. If you have accounts that are not updated or monitored, anything negative will be there for all to see, which could be damaging. Albeit rare for most businesses, if there is something negative posted, this needs to be managed properly. Here is your opportunity
to turn a possible negative into a definite positive. For example, someone says they are unhappy with the service they have received. Respond instantly with a message from a senior member of staff and try to take the conversation offline. Once dealt with, go back to the person and confirm they are satisfied. They are then more likely to respond with a positive message because their issue has been dealt with efficiently , personally and professionally. Another benefit to taking social media seriously, which is perhaps more measurable, is using your presence to increase traffic to your website and ultimately generate more leads. This can be done by utilising a call to action like an instant online valuation, running a Facebook ad campaign and engaging local landlords and vendors with uniquely written content, without overtly selling your services. When thinking about whether social media is a necessity or nuisance, you can be sure that it is most certainly a necessity, and, if not managed or maintained properly, it will soon become a nuisance to your business. Next month we will be talking in more detail about calls to action, lead generation and web tools. www.angelsmedia.co.uk
SOCIAL media BRIGHTON ESTATE AGENTS COMMENT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Danny Ross, Senior Manager & Valuer, Baron Estates: “We use social media to show a different side of what we do and to integrate our business into the community. As well as gathering a following by offering our take on interesting property stories, we use our social media channels to pre-release properties and engage directly with prospective and existing clients. Social media platforms are a fantastic means of getting local messages out there. Among other things, we promote our own charity appeals and local independent companies through Facebook and Twitter. Above all else, we have found that using social media has allowed us to engage with people on a different level and offer a light-hearted perspective on all manner of topics.” Jason Brand, Director, Brand Vaughan: “Social media is at the heart of the Brand Vaughan public relationship ethos and marketing plan due to one simple fact: you need to be where your customers are. Take Facebook, for example: in just one of our local target demographics there are over 200,000 people who will hear our message. That’s 200,000 potential property buyers and sellers. Aside from being a powerful marketing tool, we also look at it from a PR perspective. It gives our clients, past, present and future, a chance to connect with Brand Vaughan instantly and for us to publically demonstrate great customer service in return. Whether you are a long-established company or a small start-up, social media is a powerful, engaging tool that can and will benefit any company that makes the most of it. “ Marc Cox, Director, Mishon Mackay: “In recent years social media platforms have helped us to build our brand awareness throughout the Brighton and Hove areas. Engaging with our followers, predominantly on Twitter and Facebook, has allowed us to show a human side to our business and get Mishon Mackay in front of an untapped audience of social media users with which we would otherwise have been unable to interact. Using social media effectively can be very powerful and your activity can and will be seen as a reflection and extension of your brand. By being active, attentive and engaging across various platforms, we can show potential and existing clients how we work and how important our work is to us. “Since our social media presence has been professionally managed, we have seen our Facebook following increase by 31% and our number of followers on Twitter increase by 11% in just two months. That is not to mention all the additional traffic our social media channels have started to drive to our website.”
SOCIAL MEDIA: SOME DOS AND DON’TS Do 1.
2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
8.
Appear on as many different platforms as possible. This expands your reach and is good for Search Engine Optimisation. Brand your social media accounts to make your business look as professional as possible and more easily recognisable. Stay active. Post regular, helpful and relevant content to your followers. Always send traffic to your website. This will ultimately increase your lead generation. Talk to people. Don’t forget that social media is primarily about interaction and communication. Have a strategy. Who is your target audience, what are you trying to achieve? Always check before posting. Let’s be honest, spelling and grammar mistakes are embarrassing. Have one voice. Put the company’s preferred tone of voice across on all platforms.
9.
Have a personality. This will help you to increase your following and number of interactions. 10. Integrate social media marketing into your overall marketing strategy. Don’t 1. Censor your page. If someone has something negative to say, it’s usually best to confront the issue and try to resolve the situation. Your other followers will be impressed by your excellent customer service. 2. Create multiple business pages on the same platform. Not only does this make your business harder to find, but it may also mean that the wrong business shows up on Google Maps or in the Google Search. 3. Lose your login details. You’d be surprised just how many people have their social media accounts set up without making a note of the passwords and usernames. 4. Bombard your target market with spam. This can lead to your accounts being suspended, not to mention making a bad name for your business. 5. Forget to network. It’s easy to get caught up in posting and neglect the all-important task of building your following. 6. Overdo it on hashtags. Make sure the ones you do use are relevant and used sparingly. 7. Get lazy. If your effort and enthusiasm decreases, so will your following. 8. Forget to engage. Keep conversations going and remember to respond to people promptly when they engage with you. 9. Automate everything. Automatic posts can be a help but using too many will definitely be a hindrance. 10. Blur the lines between personal and business. Keep these separate to get the best results.
9 Offices Covering Brighton & Hove 27 Offices in Sussex 37 Offices in London JANES LANE, BURGESS HILL This unique and very well presented four bedroom detached chalet style family residence is situated in the extremely well regarded thoroughfare of Janes Lane has been extended and modernised by the current owners and is located under half a mile from Wivelsfield Station. EPC E.
PRICE £650,000
Peter Bushell, Burgess Hill Office: 01444 232849
CROWN STREET, BRIGHTON Viewings come highly recommended to appreciate this attractive styled cottage, located in a small cul-de-sac just off of Western Road. The property offers an open lounge diner, galley kitchen, conservatory with door to small rear patio, study room with small larder whilst upstairs you will find two main bedrooms, bathroom & a loft hatch leading to a useful loft room currently used as bedroom three.The property is situated within a short walking distance of all local shopping amenities, bus transport, bars, restaurants & Churchhill Square can be found within a 5 minute walk. EPC exempt.
PRICE: £400,000
Jonathan Lloyd, Brighton Office: 01273 777000
COOKSBRIDGE, NR LEWES Fox & Sons are delighted to offer this beautifully presented detached family home in the popular village of Cooksbridge, conveniently located just over two miles away from the popular county town of Lewes. Cooksbridge also boasts its own trainline giving access into London in just over an hour, making it a perfect location for commuters. The property itself benefits from spacious open plan kitchen/dining area and a fantastic sunny garden room. EPC E.
PRICE: £699,950
James Brown, Lewes Office: 01273 476378
ANSTY, HAYWARDS HEATH Beautiful detached extended Victorian family home set in mature, well stocked gardens backing onto woodland. The property dates back to 1894 and has been extended by its current owners and benefits from detached double garage as well as a double car port, fire place in the lounge, aga in the kitchen and gorgeous summer house in the garden. EPC D.
PRICE: GUIDE PRICE £725,000
Samuel Quick, Haywards Heath Office: 01444 450105
www.rightmove.co.uk www.primelocation.co.uk www.fox-and-sons.co.uk
CEDARS GARDENS, BRIGHTON Fabulous detached six bedroom family house with feature contemporary kitchen, three reception rooms, two bathrooms, conservatory, Garage and gardens. Situated in this exclusive residential close within reach of Preston Park station, schools and local shops in Preston village. Viewing is essential. EPC TBC.
Price ÂŁ950,000 Robert Harding, Preston Park Office 01273 508761
2 Church Road, Hove BN3 2FL hove@elliottsestateagents.co.uk 01273 773399 2 Queens Parade, Hangleton BN3 8JG hangleton@elliottsestateagents.co.uk 01273 322766 www.elliottsestateagents.co.uk • • • • • • • •
Amesbury Crescent, Hove Fabulous double-fronted detached residence, spacious accommodation over three floors, ideal as a large family home or with versatility. £999,950
• • • • • • • •
Six bedrooms Three bathrooms (1 en-suite) Three separate ground floor reception rooms Large rear double glazed conservatory Big kitchen/family room plus separate utility room Level rear garden backing immediately on to Davis Park Off-road parking Many original features
Spacious 1930s family house Set well back from the road Plenty of off-road parking Fabulous west aspect rear garden Four bedrooms Large main bathroom plus en-suite shower room Two sizeable separate reception rooms Big eat-in size kitchen/family room
Shirley Drive, Hove Imposing 1930s detached family house, set well back from road, fabulous 70’ plus rear garden enjoying a favoured southwesterly aspect. £925,000
THE LONDON EFFECT
Multi-million pound properties in Brighton & Hove. Danny Lenovo investigates
A
nyone who has recently cast even a cool, diffident eye over property adverts in local publications or online cannot have failed to notice the sharp increase in properties being offered for prices in excess of £1mill in Brighton & Hove. Tongdean Avenue has been one of Hove’s most desirable locations since the advent of money, private property and aspirational living, and 44 Tongdean Avenue was perhaps one of the first to break the £1m ceiling when it was put on the market for that amount in mid-2002. The same property was sold last year for an eye-watering £3.4 million, and if that is not sufficient to get you choking on your Costa coffee and recovering your cool, have a look at 26 Lewes Crescent, the six-bedroom Regency mansion featured in the January 29th edition of The Argus and currently being offered by a local Brighton estate agent for... uhm...£4.5million. That is, of course, a new record, and possibly the latest evidence of The London Effect.
PROPERTY BEAUTIFUL homes That London has had an incalculable – and mainly positive – impact on the local economy of Brighton & Hove is not exactly arcane knowledge. Starting in the 1780s with The Prince Regent, later to become George IV, our city has enjoyed the patronage and friendship of a considerable number of celebrities and HNWIs (High Net Worth Individuals). When The Prince Regent built and ensconced himself in the Royal Pavilion, waves of wealthy Londoners followed in his wake. The population of Brighton & Hove increased more than ten-fold in just 45 years. When George’s Royal Pavilion eventually passed to his niece, Queen Victoria, she made a listless and brief attempt to live there, but ultimately disapproved so strongly of her uncle’s debauched and spendthrift ways that she, in 1850, sold the Pavilion for the princely
sum of £50,000 to...well, to us, the town (now city) of Brighton. One of several available online relative wealth calculators estimates that £50K in 1850 would equate to at least £60,560,000 in today’s money. This raises the interesting possibility that the very first buyers of a multimillion-pound property in Brighton were the citizens of Brighton town! Since George IV, arguably the very first royal/celeb to make Brighton his home, scores of celebrities, royals and high-achieving businesspeople have graced our southern shores. Some have come to us from elsewhere: Sir Lawrence Olivier and his third wife, Joan Plowright, famously lived in Royal Crescent from 1961 until Sir Larry’s death; Zoe Ball and her husband, Norman“Fatboy Slim” Cook have long lived in Millionaires’ Row in Hove,
and Adele-cum-husband, Simon Konecki, have recently become their neighbours, joining what Fatboy Slim recently described as a friendly, mutually supportive celebrity community in Hove; Steve Coogan has recently settled down in Ovingdean, while well-known columnist and novelist, Julie Burchill, has lived in Brighton & Hove since 1995 and has been a frequent contributor to London-based media. Others fledged in Brighton & Hove and flew the nest: Katie Glass, now a Sunday Times feature writer and recently nominated by British Press Awards for “Feature Writer of the Year, currently flaunts her skills in London. Reverse London Effect? For all we know, she may be the eventual buyer of 26 Lewes Crescent, which would be Reverse-Reverse-London Effect... or what?
“Scores of celebrities, royals and high-achieving business people have graced our southern shores”
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PROPERTY
Ovingdean Road on the market for £1,350,000 with Hamptons International
Carlisle Road on the market for £1.25m. sold by Mishon Welton
Hassocks, on the market for £3,950,000 with Fine & Country
There is little doubt that Brighton’s celebrity “pull factor” in London and elsewhere has driven property prices to levels well above the national norm. To find out more about who is buying the many multi-million-pound houses on offer these days, we have spoken to some of our local Brighton and Hove estate agents. “We see great interest in these types of properties from London buyers particularly seeking good local schools. Brighton College and Brighton & Hove High School in particular have a great reputation, and their taster days attract families looking for a good education for their children, but also a quieter lifestyle than they experience in London. Of course by comparison, Brighton & Hove also offers great value for money. Hamptons International are fortunate that we get clients selling through our London offices and then using us again to find a property locally, but many are chain free. Beautiful period homes are popular and New Church Road in particular is a hot spot for many seeking the coast, convenience for shops and dining and with easy access to the railway station” Paul Taggart, Hamptons International. 01273 796061
“60% of our buyers are from the London area and form an integral part of our property sales. Reasons are varied, and schools are a factor, but we see our state schools are also attractive, particularly among the local successful entrepreneurs who themselves chose this type of education. A high percentage of local buyers are ‘upscaling’ to larger properties in the area, having perhaps themselves sold their properties to London buyers. Approximately 10% of our buyers are from overseas – for example, China and Russia. Demand for period homes in the central area is particularly strong, due to the intoxicating mix of homes by the sea together with the bar and café culture that exists. 1930s detached homes in Hove park are particularly appealing right now” Mark Welton, Mishon Welton. 01273 778877
“We see over 50% of buyers register with Fine & Country from London, particularly as our International presence and new Hove office help attract quality applicants and vendors. However, many of our wealthy buyers commute from the City, utilising the good rail and road links to London. Many buyers are attracted to the Victorian and Regency architecture that Brighton & Hove offers, but we have also dealt with some stunning contemporary designed properties in Roedean and Dyke Road area of late. No one wants to spend too much on an asset, and buyers, especially at the top level, are very discerning, wanting unique features and qualities such as room proportions, character and location. As confidence has returned to the lower end of the market, we have seen a substantial rise in transactions at this higher end” Dominique Scott, Fine & Country. 01273 739911
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Residential Estate & Letting Agents • Land & New Homes Brighton & Hove City Office Residential Sales & Lettings 3-6 North Road, Brighton East Sussex BN1 1YA Sales 01273 688881 Lettings 01273 688884 E brighton@oakleyproperty.com
Lewes Town & Country Residential Sales & Lettings 14a High Street Lewes East Sussex BN7 2LN T 01273 487444 E lewes@oakleyproperty.com
London Office 40 St James’s Place London SW1A 1NS T 020 78390888 E enquiries@tlo.co.uk
Central Brighton £285,000
Clifton Hill £950,000
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Brighton £599,950
Woodingdean £599,950
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NEW homes
ON PLAN With several developments on the go, we caught up with Oakley New Homes to find out what they are currently launching in the new homes sector locally
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akley New Homes operates from both their Brighton & Hove City Office and their Lewes Town & Country Homes Office. Recently both New Homes teams have launched a number of exciting new development projects into the market, and we caught up with them to find out the details. Director James Epps runs the Brighton & Hove New Homes team. James commented: ‘We have been delighted with the positive start to the new year. Whilst the market showed some signs of cooling in the last quarter of 2014, we have started the new year very positively. Enquiries for our many schemes are high and we have experienced a good level of interest and sales coming forward since the start of the year The encouraging recent news in the mortgage market in relation to competitive mortgage rates certainly seems to be fuelling interest in new homes that offer the peace of mind of building warranties for investors and home owners.’ James described some of the company’s new homes projects, which include One Hove Park. ‘This is one of the largest new homes projects in the area, and we are delighted to be offering the units on behalf of award-winning developers Hyde New Homes. It comprises a striking collection of 71, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in this highly sought after residential area, fronting directly over 40 acres of green space in Hove Park.’ James confirmed that prices start from £299,950 and include one car parking space per apartment. Prince Regents Place, developed by Allum Group, has also been a very successful scheme
for Oakley. This new contemporary development of nine houses, situated close to Kemp Town Village, is ideally positioned for the seafront. Each house offers inside/outside living, by virtue of full height bi-fold doors. James added “There are only three houses remaining, with an estimated completion date of summer, 2015. Prices start from £500,000 and we are taking off-plan reservations now.”
“If a developer gets their product right for the market, people will jump at the benefits of buying off plan”
Oakley’s Lewes New Homes Office has also been very busy, having virtually completed their Clayhills development of 31 apartments and nine houses by Blue Sonic, with almost 100% of the scheme having been sold off plan. Director Helen Oakley runs the Lewes New Homes team and commented, “Lewes is very sought after, and Clayhills has demonstrated that if a developer gets their product right for the market, people will be prepared to jump at
the benefits of buying off plan.” Oakley New Homes Lewes launched Tide Mills in Denton this month and reserved all four of the first phase release houses within the first two hours of the launch weekend. Helen added, “We were really pleased that our marketing strategy, combined with Rego’s (developers) attention to detail in completing these houses, ensured these great entry level houses literally flew off the shelf. We are now preparing for the second phase release at Tide Mills, comprising a further 14 three- and four-bed houses, from £299,950.” The Land & New Homes service at Oakley is overseen by Chris Oakley, who has many years’ experience in the development sector. Chris commented: ‘We are delighted that the levels of service and experience our new homes teams offer set us apart in this competitive sector’. Chris added, ‘We are proud to have recently won a number of major new homes projects from a variety of developer clients. Our client base comprises all types of developers from small bespoke house builders to major national players. We are excited that we will this year be launching some really exciting projects across the area, to include around 100 new units in the Preston Park area of Brighton, a range of stunning ‘wharf’ style houses on the river at Lewes, contemporary houses in Upper Beeding and town houses in Royal Tunbridge Wells. If you are looking to buy a new home, launch a development or buy development land. Contact Oakley 01273 688881 (Brighton & Hove) 01273 487444 (Lewes & Surrounding) www.oakleyproperty.com PORTFOLIO 39
TALK money
PENSION POWER Claire Cook from Independent Financial Advisors Talk Money looks at how pension income drawdown is changing
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n the 2014 Budget it was announced by the Chancellor that there would be sweeping reforms to how people may receive their pensions in retirement. The new pension rules will mean that rather than having to opt for an annuity or a restricted drawdown pension, people will be able to take unlimited income directly from their pension plans. However, there may be tax implications. All of these changes come into effect in April 2015. In fact, the option of taking income from your pension fund has been in place for some time in the form of drawdown pensions. The idea is that people take 25% of their pension fund initially as taxfree cash, with the remaining fund being invested and income being taken directly from the fund. These payments of income are normally limited as the funds would be invested in “Capped Drawdown”. Income is limited to around 150% of the income an annuity would provide in each policy year. These types of drawdown plans are still available until April 2015. Some people have already been able to access another version: “Flexible Drawdown”. To be eligible a person would 40 PORTFOLIO
have to be in receipt of guaranteed pension income from other sources, currently £12,000 per annum or more. People invested in these types of plans already have no limit on withdrawals. What happens in April? From April, the above types of plans are no longer available. A new version comes into effect: “Flexible Access Drawdown”. These plans work in a similar way; however, for all investors there will be no cap on the income which can be taken. Take caution, however, as after the 25% tax-free cash has been taken, any further withdrawals are taxed as income at the marginal rate. This could mean that people could pay up to 45% tax or more and lose the entitlement to a personal allowance if they totally withdraw their pension in one tax year. This is, of course, dependent on the value of their pension fund, and their income situation. Why would I invest in drawdown? Rather than taking an annuity, which cannot be altered once taken, you may prefer to have a more flexible arrangement. You may wish to take your tax-free cash, but
don’t want to take income initially, leaving your remaining fund to continue to grow. You may like the fact that you can leave the remaining fund to your family. From April, if you die before age 75, the total fund can be left tax-free to any beneficiary of your choosing. Another benefit, drawdown funds are not subject to inheritance tax. So, although the pensions world is becoming more flexible, some people actually take drawdown to leave their funds in place. There are so many options available, it is essential to take independent advice. By doing so you can make sure your retirement arrangements are set up to work specifically for you. If you need any advice on your pension planning, please call me, Claire Cook, on 01273 224667. I would be happy to assist. www.talkmoney.co.uk
Talk Money is a trading style of Aspect 8 Ltd, which is an appointed representative of Best Practice IFA Group Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount invested.
AZURE ON SHOW Breathtaking sea views and high-quality specifications make Rottingdean development Azure a winner
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ocated in an unrivalled coastal position, Azure is a collection of nine exclusive apartments from Generator Developments set in the picturesque village of Rottingdean. The properties combine stylish design, high-spec interiors and large private balconies to offer luxury living in an unbeatable location with views across the South Coast. Generator Developments, the company behind the scheme, is a niche property company specialising in creating residential and mixeduse schemes that focus on quality. Azure takes inspiration from the elegant, simple lines of Art Deco design, reworked in a sophisticated, contemporary style. The high-quality interior specification includes
an exacting level of detail, with underfloor heating, video door entry systems, engineered wood flooring and broadband connectivity all included as standard. Each home benefits from secure underground car parking with allocated spaces and lift access to each floor. Interiors make the most of natural light, with sliding glazed doors from the living areas leading onto the stunning private balconies, the perfect vantage point for taking in the fantastic sea views. Contemporary designer kitchens feature high-gloss handle-free units and stone worktops, complete with the full range of integrated appliances. Bathrooms have contemporary bathroom suites, centrefill baths and separate showers, while master
bedrooms include walk-in wardrobes. Not only is Azure next to the sea, it enjoys the perfect combination of a friendly village setting just three miles from Brighton yet on the edge of the green, open spaces of the South Downs. With very few true seafront properties on the market, Azure has proved highly successful, and more than half of the properties are already reserved. A fabulous new show home is now open by appointment. For further information visit: www.azurerottingdean.com or contact agents Mishon Mackay New Homes on 01273 829 300 or David Webb Residential on 01273 300525.
THE PENTHOUSES
1, 2 & 3 BEDROOM PENTHOUSES AT SUPER B PRICES FROM £499,950*
A development by:
PENTHOUSE SHOWHOME OPENING MARCH 7TH 10AM TO 4PM CALL TO ARRANGE A VIEWING ON 01273 964 604 OR REGISTER AT SUPERBRIGHTON.CO.UK
Joint selling agents:
Actual photography of SuperB
SuperB New England Square, Brighton, BN1
*Price correct at time of going to press
NEW homes
SuperB Be perfectly connected with a penthouse at SuperB in Brighton
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ifteen striking penthouses, spanning two buildings, are launching on March 7th at SuperB, Brighton’s hottest and best connected new development which doorsteps Brighton railway station. With average starting prices for London penthouses now averaging between £1000-1800 per square foot (CBRE Penthouse London report, May 2013), buyers can purchase one of the crowning jewels at SuperB for as little as £500 per square foot half the price of those in London, and still be within an hour’s reach of the capital The spacious two- and three-bedroom penthouses, which start from £499,950, sit at the top of the collection of 147 stylish new homes in this scheme, 90% of which are already spoken for. The penthouses all enjoy secure parking, larger floor plans and spacious roof terraces with views across the Brighton skyline and beyond to the seafront. The penthouses at SuperB reflect Brighton’s own creative persona, combining sleek interior finishes with bold accents to stunning effect. The living areas are laid with White Ash Amtico flooring, while the kitchen is fitted with contemporary hi-gloss kitchen units with softclose doors and quality integrated appliances. Large format ceramic tiles in the bathroom
and underfloor heating throughout add a touch of luxury and set SuperB at the forefront of contemporary styling. A fully-fitted, interiordesigned showhome apartment is available for viewing on site.
“The penthouses at Super B reflect Brighton’s own creative persona, combining sleek interior finishes with bold accents to stunning effect” Created by award-winning developer Hyde New Homes, SuperB is the group’s latest development in the city, right at the heart of the regenerated New England Quarter, one of the city’s most vibrant new districts. The development, which meets Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4, is spread over two buildings separated by a striking public plaza, which will house a new hotel, restaurants and a collection of shops and cafes. Debbie Small, Director of Hyde New
Homes said: “The new penthouses at SuperB represent outstanding comparative value for money, giving buyers the chance to own some of the largest apartments at the development for a fraction of the cost of London prices. Thanks to SuperB’s location, buyers can enjoy a relaxed lifestyle by the seaside yet still be back in the capital in just over an hour.” SuperB is perfectly placed to enjoy all that Brighton has to offer. The highly popular North Laines, lined with independent boutiques and artisan cafes, is a short walk away, while the historic Royal Pavilion and Brighton Pier landmarks are also close by. From striking art deco buildings on the seafront to the quaint city village of Kemptown, Brighton offers a rich and diverse atmosphere, all within easy reach. Transport connections are outstanding, with Brighton to Victoria taking just 53 minutes. The penthouses at SuperB launch on Saturday 7th March, with prices starting at £499,950 for a two-bedroom unit with secure parking. To register your interest, please visit www.superbrighton.co.uk or call joint agents Currell New Homes and Oakley Residential on 01273 964604
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A BEAUTIFULLY BESPOKE FEATURE HOUSE IN THE HEART OF HOVE
Nestled on a leafy avenue in picturesque Hove, The House at Verano is the secret gem at the heart of this bespoke boutique development. Truly one-of-a-kind, the three bedroom, single storey house has been carefully designed around a majestic Copper Beech tree. Generous open-plan interiors with an unsurpassed luxurious specification, fully landscaped gardens and decked terraces complete this exceptional offering.
PRICE ON APPLICATION
01273 829300 VERANOHOVE.COM Developer:
Interior photography of The House at Verano.
Sales agent:
NEW homes
The House at
VERANO The House at Verano is lateral living at its finest
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he House at Verano is a unique detached single-storey home offering unparalleled lateral living. It features impressive open plan space, ideal for entertaining, with three double bedrooms and distinct, interconnecting outside spaces. It is a statement property of over 2000 sq ft, with highly advanced renewable technologies, a cool designer ambiance and plenty of architectural interest. The House forms part of the luxury Verano development with security and privacy therefore assured, as is the peaceful garden setting, despite it’s proximity to the city centre. The entrance hall is striking, with floor to ceiling windows overlooking the tranquil enclosed inner garden area. The space flows naturally, through a glazed door to a light infused living area, a generous designer kitchen with a breakfast bar, and a dining area which can easily accommodate a table for
twelve. The high ceilings create a wonderful feeling of space, light and air.
“It is a statement property of over 2000 sq ft, with highly advanced renewable technologies, a cool designer ambiance and plenty of architectural interest” The master bedroom suite has a walk-in dressing room, in addition to full height Italian wardrobes, and the sumptuous bathroom has a built-in bath and separate walk-in shower. The second and third bedrooms are also generous doubles, but could easily be used as a cinema
or media room or home office, if required. The bathrooms are beautifully designed, with bespoke walnut joinery cabinets and shelves, offset by elegant Italian porcelain tiles and the highest quality contemporary fittings. The specification throughout has been chosen by an award-winning interior design agency, and delivers clean sleek lines and a contemporary colour scheme of neutral tones. The central Hove location in Palmeira Avenue is highly regarded. The wide, peaceful tree-lined avenue is close to Sussex County Cricket Ground and is just a few minutes’ walk from Hove’s promenade, with the shopping and dining of central Hove close by. The guide price is £995,000, and this luxurious property is ready now. For more information or to book an appointment to view call Mishon Mackay New Homes on 01273 829300.
PORTFOLIO 45
INTERIORS
INTO THE GARDEN March means that Spring is now starting to take hold and we can look forward to some colour outside. Portfolio Interiors Editor, Tara de la Motte, gets into the garden
Things to do in the garden this month n Regularly deadhead flowers to keep your garden looking its best. n Repot plants with fresh compost and give them a top dressing of horticultural grit - to improve appearance and keep the moisture in. n Cut back any ornamental grasses and they will quickly regrow. n Protect new shoots from slugs, especially herbaceous plants and clematis. n To get summer bedding started, sow seeds in trays indoors or under glass. n Keep mowing and edging regularly and apply feed and weed. n Tidy paths, patios and decking and clear away any debris. Enjoy the spring garden as it unfolds with colour bursting through as the garden awakens.
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pring is now starting to take hold, with colour bursting through our gardens. As the weather improves, the garden awakens and carpets of golden daffodils begin to appear everywhere. Daffodils, once planted, will appear annually and will increase steadily over the years, but to fully enjoy the daffodils now, they must be planted in the autumn. Plant about ten to twelve bulbs close together for an abundant display. March can be very unpredictable, with frosts and cold winds, so keep an eye on planting.
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Don’t be too eager to plant anything that is too delicate outside just yet. But there will be plenty to see in our gardens already, like the wonderful primroses, scented hyacinths, miniature narcissi and grape hyacinths, which are all in full bloom now. This is a good time to gather some spring blooms and bring indoors for a beautiful spring display. For many, March is the start of the gardening year, time to dig over the plot and prepare the ground for planting. Sprinkling of fish, blood and bone meal will greatly improve the soil,
whilst promoting growth. Now is a good time for mulching, especially in dry areas. Old compost can be good for this job. March is the time for planting peas, beans onion varieties, garlic and early potatoes. Potatoes will, of course, need protecting from frost. At this time, dig up any congested snowdrops and other perennials after flowering, but while still in leaf. Carefully tease the clumps apart and replant to give you an even bigger display next year. See more ideas at www.portfoliopublications.co.uk
ARCHITECT
SUSTAINABLE HOMES Liam Russell from Liam Russell Architects gives tips on measuring and improving your home’s eco-performance
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he basic requirement of a building is to provide shelter and safety. Your home does this, but does it do it well? Measuring your home’s performance is not straightforward, but optimising its performance not only equals money savings; it helps the environment. As a practice we had the privilege of being the lead architects on Chandlers Mews, Eastbourne’s first fully sustainable Ecodevelopment and a seminal project shortlisted for a RIBA Award. From a sustainability perspective, there are simple and complicated ‘measurements’ for new home performance, but not everyone is lucky enough to have the budget to start from scratch. We have helped many clients with various sized budgets to look at the ways they can incorporate any sustainable features into new building work. Here are some simple tips to help you gear up for the coming years and perhaps save some money: WEAR A JUMPER… The simplest thing to do is to put on more clothes in the winter and take them off in the summer. Use less lighting, heating and turn off those gadgets. Granted this is not very architectural (although we could design you a jumper), but it is in fact the simplest way to regulate one’s surroundings…
TALK TO YOUR ARCHITECT ABOUT: Your building’s likely insulation levels. The loft space should have a minimum of 200mm of mineral wool insulation. There may be other ways to increase your insulation, although avoid cavity filling solutions unless you are certain that it will not result in damp. As a Practice we aim to ‘super-insulate’ and achieve maximum air-tightness with our designs. The structure can also provide gains, and timber framing is a simple and cost-effective way of achieving incredible results…. Your windows and doors. They should be a minimum of double-glazed and ideally tripleglazed. Heated glass makes a great deal of sense as it also removes the requirement for other heating sources… Your lighting. Managing this better is a starting point, and changing to low-energy bulbs will have a dramatic effect… Your heating and hot water. As with all ‘controllable’ features, start with the management and then consider the age/ performance of the components such as your boiler and cylinders and so on. A boiler’s performance can have a significant impact on your energy use… Your water use. Consider low-flow taps and smaller cisterns, and also consider a rainwater butt for the garden. There are many ways of
achieving savings without compromising on comfort and practicality… OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER: Fit a *Sedum Quilt to your existing flat roof to provide a ‘green roof’: this contributes to rainwater attenuation and provides a microhabitat for insects. Add Bee- and insect-attracting plants to your garden or any window-boxes and balcony planting. This, in turn, contributes to the welfare of animals up the food-chain such as birds and small mammals. Liam Russell Architects would be pleased to talk through any of the points above and provide free initial advice to this magazine’s readers. Any changes to your property may require Planning and/or Listed Building Consent: call 0845 180 3676 for more information. *A Sedum Roof is a plastic mesh interwoven with living plants, and Liam Russell Architects has completed many examples – see www.bauder. co.uk/green-roofs/extensive-sedum-blanket. Liam Russell Architects is based in Sussex and works throughout the UK and Internationally. Projects span a range of industry sectors, and Liam is also Chairman of the Planning Agents Forum for Brighton & Hove City Council. Liam Russell Architects. 0845 180 3676. www.liamrussellarchitects.com PORTFOLIO 47
PROPERTY
SHORE THING Shore Estates continue their expansion with a new office in Hove
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hore Estates have a mission: to combine cutting-edge technology and a secure process with a friendly, informed approach. This is a company where people matter, where you will always receive a warm welcome and benefit from the experience of highly-trained professionals. Shore Estates also take pride in supporting the local community. The unveiling of a new office this January at 19 Boundary Road, Hove marks the continued success and growth of Shore Estates, following on from the successful launch of their office in Shoreham last July. Since then they have opened up another office in Walberton, near Arundel. With three new offices in just over 6
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months they are making a real statement… The new offices will continue to strengthen and expand Shore Estates’ strong presence in Sussex, particularly in Brighton & Hove. Shore Estates also have an associated office in London to offer clients a direct link to the London and international markets. They believe that they should not only meet their promises but exceed them, which is why Shore are willing to ‘put their money where their mouth is’ and offer all clients a 50% reduction on their agency fee if they are unable to find a buyer within the first 8 weeks. A major focus will be on constant feedback and communication with vendors, who will always be able to get hold of a manager.
To mark the opening of the new branch, Shore Estates will be offering 50% off the standard fee for the first 10 properties taken on in Brighton & Hove. Shore Estates are delighted to offer an independent company for Mortgage advice to make sure that clients get the best possible service, and have chosen to work with TSG Financial, who will offer impartial financial and personal insurance advice for local residents and homebuyers. The team is led by Financial Advisor James Mortimer, who said, “We help many people every month save money on their mortgage by finding them a great deal and not charging a fee for our advice. We operate a No Sale No, Fee policy.”
PROPERTY
PROFESSIONAL STAFF FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY “15,000 Vacancies filled in 2014”
SHORE ESTATES PROMISES: • • • • • • • • • •
A friendly, professional and honest team, all from the local area The latest cutting-edge technology and a secure process Powerful and innovative advertising to sell or let properties quickly Taking pride in supporting our local community to effect real change FREE market appraisals FREE advice on selling, buying, letting, mortgages and finance FREE professional photography Bespoke marketing brochures Commitment to exceeding clients’ expectations Fully comprehensive pro-active marketing campaign
Shore Estates Brighton & Hove Office, 19 Boundary Road, Hove. 01273 830555 Shore Estates Shoreham Office, Shore House, 1-2 Middle Street, Shoreham-by-Sea www.shoreestates.co.uk
Sussex-based company, The Shore Group, based in Hove, has over 24 years’ experience providing professional staff for the Construction Industry. In the past 12 months, they have filled over 15,000 temporary vacancies in the UK. They source and supply staff within the construction and property sectors across the UK and understand the challenges that many companies face with recruiting staff, whether for a particular project at short notice or strengthening their professional team. This is another amazing success story for this Sussex company, who have grown from a £2 M to a £65 M turnover in 5 years and now boast a staff of 50 at their Boundary Road offices. The Shore Group, established by James Hobden, Frank Ashbee & Lewis Yorke-Johnson, has firmly become a powerhouse within the construction recruitment sector. The Directors of The Shore Group established the company after working for some of the UK’s largest construction recruitment organisations. They have extensive experience of working within the industry and have built up a broad range of contacts and relationships. They understand the importance of providing quality staff to clients, and pride themselves on a stringent and thorough screening process for candidates. This allows them to guarantee the quality of staff supplied to clients, and provide referenced and qualified operatives whenever clients’ requirements arise. The Directors have a strong belief that clients should be able to liaise with them personally in order to resolve any queries effectively and quickly, regardless of size.
Currently, the Shore Group is looking for six new apprentices to join their team. Contact office@theshoregroup.co.uk for more information. www.theshoregroup.co.uk
Shore Estates is an independent Estate Agency, which is a division of The Shore Group.
PORTFOLIO 49
DISCOVER COLOUR WITH FARROW & BALL’S IN-HOME COLOUR CONSULTANCY SERVICE
Walls: Green Blue™ Estate Emulsion Ceiling: Wimborne White® Estate Emulsion 50 PORTFOLIO
Walls: White Tie® Modern Emulsion Bath: Pelt® Estate Eggshell Floor: Cornforth White® Floor Paint
INTERIORS
Walls: Dix Blue™ Estate Emulsion
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t’s no secret that choosing a colour scheme for your home can be challenging. With a myriad of paint colours and wallpaper designs to choose from, not to mention the stream of beautiful homes in newspapers, magazines and online, it can be difficult to pick the perfect scheme for your home. But fear not! Whether you’re turning your home into a minimalist oasis of calm, or refreshing a busy family home, craftsmen in paint and paper, Farrow & Ball can help. Farrow & Ball offers an in-home Colour Consultancy service designed to give you all of the inspiration
and advice you need to create the unique Farrow & Ball look - all in the comfort of your own home. During the consultation the Colour Consultant will spend time with you establishing the final look you are trying to achieve while taking into account the light and architectural features in the space. Local Colour Consultant Sam Reece explains, “Many of my clients know what they are aiming for, but just need some help and advice on how to get there. By spending time in their home, and listening to their ideas, I can help build a cohesive scheme with our paints and wallpapers that works in their space.”
Walls: Strong White™ Modern Emulsion
Walls: Feuille BP 4904
In-home Colour Consultations are priced £175 per hour, during which time Sam will consult on three to four rooms. Following the consultation you will receive a personal colour and pattern specification, as well as a Farrow & Ball colour fan and wallpaper samples. The colour consultancy service is offered by expert colour consultants based in all of Farrow & Ball’s showrooms, including Hove. Visit the team at 31B Western Road or give Sam a call on 01273 774640 to book your appointment. You can also find out more at www.farrow-ball.com.
Walls: Pavilion Gray® Estate Emulsion Woodwork: Strong White™ Estate Eggshell PORTFOLIO 51
SHOPPING
MELLOW YELLOW There is something about yellow that just feels like Spring, and right now we want it in our home!
SUNSHINE DINNERTIME Update your dining room with this Ayres dining table and chairs. Ayres dining table £300.00, chairs £120.00 All items Habitat www.habitat.co.uk or visit the all-new mini-Habitat at Homebase in Old Shoreham Road. A store within a store staffed with knowledgeable Habitat staff , and the largest mini-Habitat outside London.
WEIGH IT Add sunshine to your baking with this House by John Lewis Orb Mechanical Scale in bright yellow John Lewis. . www.johnlewis.com.
PICTURE THIS This Bright Vintage Frame in yellow from John Lewis will ensure your photos make you smile. www.johnlewis.com.
FRUIT FLAVOUR Keep your fruit fresh and your kitchen bright with this M&S Wire Metal Fruit Bowl, £15.00. Marks & Spencer. www.marksandspencer.com
FUNKY FABRIC
RETRO CLASSIC Designed in 1971 by Verner Panton,the Flowerpot pendant lamp is a colourful and playful classic. Just one of the fantastic selection of designer lighting available at Heals. www.heals.co.uk
Marble cushion from Habitat is stylish and on trend – and bright and bubbly! £25.00 www.habitat.co.uk
SAFFRON TONES Gorgeous and soft, the Chapman throw from Habitat will look great, and feel fab, on a sofa or in the bedroom. £80.00 www.habitat.co.uk
SNUGGLE UP LEMON ZEST Botanical Colanders in bold yellow will cheer up the most mundane kitchen task! £15.00 Marks & Spencer. www.marksandspencer.com 52 PORTFOLIO
And brighten up your mood, with this gorgeously soft and luxe Herringbone Yellow Merino Throw (190 x 130cm) from Heals. £130. www.heals.co.uk
INTERIORS
Kitchens have never been more sophisticated, practical or innovative. Portfolio Interiors Editor, Tara de la Motte, looks at the current trends
UNDER GLASS Conservatories and Garden Rooms provide a unique extension of your home. Portfolio Interiors Editor, Tara de la Motte, looks at the options
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onservatories were first introduced in the 16th century when travellers were bringing back tropical plants from abroad, including citrus plants. Wealthy people started building ‘orangeries’ in order to grow these plants. Orangeries and conservatories are much the same today, but in the past an orangery would have had a solid roof and not a glass one. Today, conservatories provide a unique extension of the home, a light-filled room that you can live in all year round. The all glazed conservatory is traditionally separated from the house by either a double-glazed door, a bi-fold door or a sliding door. If an all glass structure is not to your taste, then the more formal orangery, with its traditional mix of
solid and glazed walls, including an overhead lantern, is designed to bridge the gap between conservatory and extension. STYLE, SIZE AND POSITION The latest trend is the curved frontage conservatory or garden room; this design is highly contemporary. These are very bespoke and built using both timber and brick. The aluminium frames are powder-coated in one of eight colours, including green, brown, cream and slate grey. This style also has climate control double glazing with folding-sliding doors fitted on all sides. The size of the conservatory depends on its function, but the scale should complement the home’s architecture. It is important to find
some existing detail on a house and mimic this within the conservatory so that this new addition blends in with what is already there. The flow from the conservatory to the adjoining area should be seamless and not the least bit awkward. Keeping both floors on the same level and using the same decor and detailing throughout makes for a unified environment. A conservatory is usually placed at the rear of a property, but anywhere else may require planning permission.What you intend to use your conservatory for will dictate where the conservatory will be positioned on the house. Bespoke companies will advise on all planning, design and build issues. A good designer will listen carefully so he understands both your needs, likes and dislikes. PORTFOLIO 53
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54 PORTFOLIO
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PRACTICALITIES With so many technical advances, today’s conservatory allows you to determine the levels of internal climate control. TIn addition to climate control, these conservatories have doubleglazed doors and windows that are highly energy efficient. There is even self-cleaning, solar control glazing available for your conservatory. For a contemporary twist, opt for an all glazed solar roof with glass rafters rather than timber or aluminium. Other features to consider are ventilation for roof and side windows with manual or motorised operation and insect screening. Large entrances, complete with sliding or folding doors, along with side-opening windows will ensure continuous airflow. There is a growing demand for bi-fold or tri-folding doors that create a full opening along the entire wall. These take up minimum space and offer uninterrupted views of your garden, as after all, the garden is the conservatory’s biggest asset. Bi-fold or tri-folding doors will add a modern look for newer homes but can easily blend well with a period home. For smaller conservatories, these space-saving doors are a great solution. Blinds are a multifunctional necessity, both for aesthetics and to keep out glare on sunny days. There are heat-reflective blinds that reflect up to 86 percent of the sun’s rays in summer, but retain much needed heat in winter. The conservatory should maintain a comfortable temperature throughout the year. Glass is one of the most important factors to consider, choosing energy-efficient glass will help reflect heat in summer and retain warmth in winter. Heating, lighting and power need to be planned during the initial design stage, so wiring or pipework can be laid under
INTERIORS
“Today, conservatories provide a unique extension of the home, a lightfilled room that you can live in all year round”
floors or boxed within the framework. Underfloor heating is a good option for conservatories. Flooring needs to be practical, and stone, tiles or some woods perform well under temperature change and are all compatible with underfloor heating. FURNISHING YOUR CONSERVATORY Furnishing a conservatory or garden room gives you the chance to use new ideas and styles of furniture that are quite different to anywhere else in the home. The conservatory environment will be different from the other rooms in your house: the humidity levels will be higher, as will the levels of natural light, and it will experience periods of intense heat and rapidly changing temperature. This is, of course, a good environment for growing tropical plants. Originally, the conservatory was built for that very purpose. The most practical and traditional choices of furniture, for conservatories and garden rooms are rattan, willow or Lloyd loom. Metal and glass furniture along with stone and marble top tables, are an elegant choice for today’s conservatories. If the garden room has a solid roof there is the additional option of having casual upholstered pieces of furniture as the solid roof reduces the levels of light, thus preventing sun damage to the furniture. The conservatory is a valuable living space, and having a well-built structure will add value to your property. See more interiors ideas at: www.portfoliopublications.co.uk
PORTFOLIO 55
INTERIORS
SUSSEX BLINDS Conservatory Blinds and Shutters Whether you are looking for simple roller blinds for your windows or heat reflective motorised blinds for your roof, or even contemporary shutters, Sussex Blinds can offer an array of solutions and choice for your Conservatory. They specialise in all types of conservatory blinds and shutters, including shaped roof blinds and fixed window blinds. Motorised solutions are available for almost any type of blind, utilising Somfy systems. Recognised as one of the leading names in home automation, Somfy motors are quiet, reliable and affordable. Your blind can operate from a wall switch, remote control or home intelligent system.
• • • • • • •
What Sussex Blinds can offer you: Duette or Plisse pleated blinds for maximum heat control Conventional Roller, Vertical or Venetian blinds Specialist blinds such as ‘Intu’ or ‘Perfect fit’ Specialist fabrics such as reflective and insulating Co-ordinating fabrics for different styles of roof & window blinds Manual or motorised control options Shutters will add a sleek, modern and contemporary finish to your conservatory
Sussex Blinds is a family run business with over 20 years’ experience in designing, producing and fitting blinds of all shapes and sizes. They can advise you on the ideal solutions that offer you the privacy, shading and finished window dressings to suit your lifestyle and budget.
Sussex Blinds, 36-38 Warren Road, Woodingdean, Brighton, BN2 6BA 01273 684848 | www.sussexblindsandshutters.com
COOL CONSERVATORIES STYLISHLY HOT BLINDS To see these contemporary shades visit our showroom at 36-38 Warren Road Woodingdean Brighton BN2 6BA
or call
01273 684848 to arrange a home visit
www.sussexblindsandshutters.com info@sussexblindsltd.co.uk All shutters, blinds and awnings are made-to-measure & expertly fitted
SUSSEX BLINDS
Benchmark Windows Showroom: Unit 4 and 5, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF. Call 01903 756699 to arrange an appointment. www.benchmarkwindows.co.uk
INTERIORS
ADD LIGHT AND SPACE Providing space and light and being usable all year-round, conservatories and orangeries are a great choice for homeowners
W
ith spring on its way, now is a great time to consider making improvements to your property. As well as replacing your existing doors and windows you may be considering an addition to your property that will not only provide you with more space but will add value to your home. Providing space and light and being usable all year-round, conservatories and orangeries are a hugely popular choice for homeowners, and with the contemporary designs now available you can match your own style seamlessly. The benefits of adding an extra room are endless: from a place for the children to play, to a dining room, conservatories can function in many ways. With options galore, like folding, sliding doors and lantern roofs, you can bring the outside in, merging your garden with your home. Benchmark Windows can design and install a range of conservatories and orangeries in time for summer. From traditional Victorian
and Edwardian designs to more contemporary orangeries and bi-folding doors, Benchmark have something to suit all tastes and styles. They supply market-leading products, including uPVC, aluminium and engineered timber and offer the latest innovative technology, including heat reflective glass, lift-and-glide doors and integrated electric blinds. Benchmark can provide a range of conservatory solutions for even the smallest or most unusual spaces. Confused by all the choice? At the Benchmark Windows showroom you will find lots of ideas and opportunities to make the most of their free, expert advice. A local family-run business with over 50 years combined experience, Benchmark Windows are setting the standard for glazing in Sussex. With a wide range of products available to view at their Lancing showroom, including many unique items, Benchmark is the smart choice for local consumers.
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Making Moving A Pleasure If you are buying or selling your property, Healys offers an unrivalled legal service. In order that your matter proceeds smoothly we offer the following as standard to our clients: • • •
Direct dial to your solicitor No hidden charges Competitive fees
All aspects of Residential Services including: • • • • • •
Purchases and Sales of Leasehold and Freehold Properties Remortgages Lease Extensions Transfers of Equity Shared Ownership Help to Buy
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Freehold Sales and Purchases Leases Development Landlord and Tenant Property Investment Options and Overage Property Finance and Mortgages Licensing
We would be delighted to provide you with a free personal quotation. Please contact one of our team on: 01273 669139 or email: property@healys.com or visit www.healys.com and complete our online quotation form.
We provide a dedicated team of experienced staff, there to take the strain out of moving.
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...AND
THE CITY
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Warren Buffett : The Sage of Omaha
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Business news from around our city
74
Top national news stories
76
Secret Sussex : The world of drones
78 84
Style : Ladies Day Business Lunch : At The Beach
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i360 : Reaches for the Sky
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Motoring : Mercedes Smart Car
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Career Ladder : Alan Margetts of The Kitchen Store
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Golf Guy : The driver is driving him mad
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Kevin McCloud : The Grand Designer
Business Editor Maarten Hoffmann maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com 07966 244 046
WARREN BUFFETT The Sage of Omaha Business magnate, philanthropist and investor Warren Buffett has the ear of Presidents and CEOs Worldwide. Maarten Hoffmann finds out more about the man
“Rule #1: Never lose money. Rule #2: Never forget rule #1�
BUSINESS interview
W
arren Buffett carries many a title around with him - The Wizard of Omaha, the Oracle and the Sage of Omaha, to name just a few - and one wonders if this is great PR or adulatory terms laid at his door by his peers. As he is one of the richest men on the planet, we have to incline towards the latter, and it is therefore not surprising that he has the ear of Presidents, world leaders and blue-chip CEO’s from every corner of the globe. The surprising thing is that, even with the ever-changing market conditions, the march of technology and the incredible pace of world change, Warren Buffett at 84 is no less respected, admired and sought after than when he started.
being more than most of us mere mortals will ever see in a lifetime. Born in 1930 to US Congressman Howard Buffett, it was remarked at a very young age that Warren seemed adept and unusually interested in money. His 1947 yearbook entry noted that he “likes math; a future stockbroker”. Like so many self-made men of his generation, he demonstrated remarkable savvy at a young age. At school, he sold chewing gum at a 15% markup; he went door to door selling magazines, purchased a £25 pinball machine which he then rented to a diner, and within a few months he had eight of them at various locations around the town
and always seek a margin of safety‘ became Warren’s life-long mantra. The Berkshire Hathaway name was originally that of a textile firm Buffett took over in 1962, which he claimed had been his worstever deal. For anyone else to name a company after one they thought so little of would be anarchic, but to Buffett it represented one of his very few bad deals and was therefore to be marked out as special. Once he had sold off all the parts of the whole, he retained the name and trades with it to this day. A partial list of his many notable holdings would include stock in the Washington Post, ABC, General Re, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, IBM and Proctor & Gamble. In 1988 he
Buffett is a business magnate, philanthropist and the most successful (serial) investor of the 20th century. He is the Chairman and majority shareholder of Berkshire Hathaway and is currently ranked as the third wealthiest person in the world. Yet, despite his vast wealth, he lives a remarkably frugal life and has vowed to give away 99% of his wealth to philanthropic causes before he shuffles off this mortal coil. He has joined with Bill Gates and many others to donate their cash to the Gates Foundation in his will, and one can only imagine what his children think of this, despite the remaining 1%
paying him rent. He also showed a great deal of honesty and adherence to the rules: on his first income tax return in 1944, for instance, he took a $35 deduction for the use of his bicycle on his paper round. I would think that Harvard Business School might be kicking themselves for having rejected him, as he subsequently attended Columbia Business School, his second choice and the alma mater of his personal hero, Benjamin Graham, a British investor whose remark ‘Look at stocks as business, use the market fluctuations to your advantage
started buying up Coca-Cola stock, eventually owning 7% of the company, at a cost of $1bn, and this was to prove one of Berkshire’s most lucrative investments. So what marks out this man as so different to 99.99% of the human population? A sound education at the knee of his stockbroker-and-politician father, of course, but many an heir to a successful father ended up as a wastrel and spendthrift. The key is to be located in his lifestyle: he still lives in the very average house in Omaha he purchased in 1958 for $31,000, does not carry a mobile
PORTFOLIO 65
BUSINESS interview
phone, does not have a computer at his desk, has sent one email in his entire life, and drives a 20-year-old Cadillac. The key is that he didn’t aspire to the lifestyle of the rich and famous, nor did he desire power or influence. Rather, he did it because he loved it, was exceptionally intuitive and held a deep-rooted passion for the subject. Surely, the mark of all long-term success is passion. Warren’s intuition and passion were to be tested in the 2009 crash as Berkshire suffered a 77% drop in earnings, but with such a strong and robust balance sheet, this was also the year that saw him become the richest person on the planet, with a personal wealth of $62 billion, despite having declared a loss of £25 billion due to the financial crash, taking over from Bill Gates, who had held the post for 13 years. In 2009, Buffett divested his failed investment in ConocoPhillips, the world’s largest oil exploration and drilling company, saying to his Berkshire investors: “I bought a large amount of ConocoPhillips stock when oil and gas prices were near their peak. I in no way anticipated the dramatic fall in energy prices that occurred in the last half of the year. I still believe the odds are good that oil sells far higher in the future than the current $40–$50
price. But so far I have been dead wrong. Even if prices should rise, moreover, the terrible timing of my purchase has cost Berkshire several billion dollars. Very, very few people could appreciate the bubble. That’s the nature of bubbles – they’re mass delusions”.
“I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute” Pleased as he was with his purchase of Goldman Sachs, they were given Federal Reserve permission to buy their stock back. He was reluctant to let it go as it produced dividends of $1.4m per day, and his response was typically bullish: “I’m going to be the Osama bin Laden of capitalism. I’m on my way to an unknown destination in Asia where
I’m going to look for a cave. If the U.S. Armed forces couldn’t find Osama bin Laden in 10 years, let Goldman Sachs try to find me” Buffett is a great story-teller, as borne out by his personally written annual report to shareholders. Buffett’s speeches are known for mixing business discussions with attempts at humour. Each year, Buffett presides over Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in the Qwest Centre in Omaha, Nebraska, an event drawing over 20,000 visitors from the US and abroad, giving it the nickname ‘Woodstock of Capitalism’. Berkshire’s annual reports and letters to shareholders frequently receive coverage by the financial media, and Buffett’s writings are known for containing quotations from sources as varied as the Bible and Mae West, as well as for advice in a folksy Midwestern style and countless jokes. Asked about his vast wealth and the good he could do with it whilst still alive, he stated: “We have learned to turn out lots of goods and services, but we haven’t learned as well how to have everybody share in the bounty. The obligation of a society as prosperous as ours is to figure out how nobody gets left too far behind. The arithmetic makes it plain that inflation is a far more devastating tax
PORTFOLIO 67
than anything that has been enacted by our legislatures. The inflation tax has a fantastic ability to simply consume capital. It makes no difference to a widow with her savings in a 5% passbook account whether she pays 100% income tax on her interest income during a period of zero inflation, or pays no income taxes during years of 5 percent inflation. I don’t have a problem with guilt about money. The way I see it is that my money represents an enormous number of claim checks on society. It’s like I have these little pieces of paper that I can turn into consumption. If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GDP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing. I don’t do that though. I don’t use very many of those claim checks. There’s nothing material I want very much. And I’m going to give virtually all of those claim checks to charity when my wife and I die”. “I don’t believe in dynastic wealth”, he said, calling those who grow up in wealthy circumstances “members of the lucky sperm club”. Buffett has written several times of his belief that, in a market economy, the rich earn outsized rewards for their talents. “A market economy creates some lopsided
payoffs to participants. The right endowment of vocal chords, anatomical structure, physical strength, or mental powers can produce enormous piles of claim checks (stocks, bonds, and other forms of capital) on future national output. Proper selection of ancestors similarly can result in lifetime supplies of such tickets upon birth. If zero real investment returns diverted a bit greater portion of the national output from such stockholders to equally worthy and hardworking citizens lacking jackpot-producing talents, it would seem unlikely to pose such an insult to an equitable world as to risk Divine Intervention” His children will not inherit a significant proportion of his wealth. This is consistent with statements he has made in the past indicating his opposition to the transfer of great fortunes from one generation to the next. Buffett once commented, “I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing”. In June 2006, he announced a plan to give away his fortune to charity, with 83% of it going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He pledged about the equivalent of 10 million Berkshire Class B shares to the Foundation (worth approximately US$30.7 billion), making it the largest charitable donation in history. The foundation will receive 5% of the total each
July, beginning in 2006. However, the pledge is conditional upon the foundation giving away each year an amount that is at least equal to the value of the entire previous year’s gift from Buffett, in addition to 5% of the foundation’s net assets. On December 9, 2010, Buffett, Bill Gates and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg signed a promise they called the “Gates-Buffett Giving Pledge”, in which they promised to donate to charity at least half of their wealth over time and invited others among the wealthy to follow suit. This is a significant shift from Buffett’s previous statements to the effect that most of his fortune would pass to his Buffett Foundation. He also pledged $50million to the Nuclear Threat Initiative in Washington, where he began serving as an adviser in 2002. He is a great advocate for fiscal responsibility, believing that it should be taught to children as young as five years old. Asked about his 2014 Fast Company article, he replied: “People should first create a list of the top 25 accomplishments that they would like to complete over the next few years of their life, and to then pick the five most-important list items. You need to ‘avoid at all cost’ the initial, longer list, as it would hinder the achievement of the top five.” In a letter to Fortune Magazine in 2010 Buffett remarked: “My luck was accentuated
BUSINESS interview
“I’m going to be the Osama bin Laden of capitalism. I’m on my way to an unknown destination in Asia where I’m going to look for a cave. If the U.S. Armed forces couldn’t find Osama bin Laden in 10 years, let Goldman Sachs try to find me”
BUSINESS interview
“I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing”
by my living in a market system that sometimes produces distorted results, though overall it serves our country well. I’ve worked in an economy that rewards someone who saves the lives of others on a battlefield with a medal, rewards a great teacher with thank-you notes from parents, but rewards those who can detect the mispricing of securities with sums reaching into the billions. In short, fate’s distribution of long straws is wildly capricious”. Buffett has some interesting views on many subjects, and, when asked about the hated inheritance tax, he stated: “I favour inheritance tax, as repealing it would be like choosing the 2020 Olympic team by picking the eldest sons of the gold-medal winners in the 2000 Olympics”. In 2007, Buffett testified before the Senate and urged them to preserve the estate tax so as to avoid a plutocracy. Some critics argued that Buffett (through Berkshire Hathaway) has a personal interest in the continuation of the estate tax, since Berkshire Hathaway benefited from this same tax in past business dealings, and had developed and marketed insurance policies to protect policy holders against future estate tax payments. He also believes government should not be in the business of gambling, or legalizing casinos, calling it a tax on ignorance. What does the Sage of Omaha do to relax, given his statements about his disregard for material things? “I play bridge. I am addicted to bridge, as is Bill (Gates), and l probably play 12 hours a week. Bridge is such a sensational game that I wouldn’t mind being in jail if I had three cellmates who were decent players and who were willing to keep the game going twenty-four hours a day”. He also plays on-line under the name ‘T-Bone’, whilst Gates plays as ‘Chalengr’. In 2006, he sponsored a bridge match for the Buffett Cup. Modelled on the Ryder Cup in golf, the match is held immediately before it in the same city. The teams are chosen by invitation, with a female team and five male teams provided by each country. It is indeed a trick of fate that certain individuals are gifted such talents, but a credit to the man who uses them wisely, responsibly and with such verve. It is easy to say he will gift his money to charity when he dies, but he also recognises the responsibility to do something with it whilst still alive and kicking. In 2006, he auctioned his 2001 Lincoln Town Car on eBay to raise money for Girls, Inc. In 2007, he auctioned a luncheon with himself that raised a final bid of $650,100 for the Glide Foundation. Later auctions raised over $6 million. The winners traditionally dine with Buffett at New York’s Smith and Wollensky steakhouse. The restaurant donates at least $10,000 to Glide each year to host the meal. I must admit that Buffett is a quite remarkable man, and there are few horror stories to be found, few people with an axe to grind over their treatment, and very few investors who don’t adore him and hang on his every word. Why he has not been made Chairman of the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the World Bank is beyond me. And if you play on-line bridge and a player called T-Bone or Chalengr comes on-line, you might want to sit that one out and make the tea. PORTFOLIO 71
CITY news
CITY NEWS Please note these are the personal views of our City Editor, Maarten Hoffmann
OU MBA The Open University is among the top 1% of business schools in the world to achieve triple accredited status from AMBA (UK), EQUIS (Europe) and AACSB (US). So their MBA will be recognised anywhere in the world. The Open University MBA has been designed to integrate with the demands of a career and is backed by their cutting edge online teaching technology, so students are able to study in their own time, wherever they are. Their unique method of work-based action learning brings the MBA immediately to life in the workplace: what students learn today, they apply tomorrow. Unlike many traditional MBAs, the OU MBA module fees are only paid at the time of study. The module fees include all the costs of tuition and assessment, residential schools and most of the study materials. 40% of their MBA students are sponsored by their organisation and 80% of FTSE 100 companies have sponsored students on OU programmes. Self-funding students can spread the cost of study.
COLLEGE IN TROUBLE Students have been left high and dry because a college has no money to pay for their exams. Bosses at City College Brighton revealed they have been struggling to pay the bodies responsible for awarding its students qualifications. The latest revelation comes as the Government’s Further Education Commissioner is set to visit the college this week to monitor their financial recovery plan. A student at the college said: “The college has become a farce over the past 18 months. Exams are postponed because the college hasn’t the money to pay the exam board. My lecturer went to the shops to buy paper to be used for an assignment out of his own pocket because they had run out.” Commenting on the exam cancellations, a spokesman for City College said: “Among several thousand students who sit exams at City College each year, unfortunately, in some instances, exams have been delayed while payment issues were being resolved with awarding bodies. The college can give absolute assurance that no exam has been cancelled without a replacement date being scheduled” The news comes a day after Principal and Chief Executive Lynn Thackway stepped down because of a family illness.
2015 SEAHAVEN BUSINESS AWARDS Nominations are now open for the 2015 Seahaven Business Awards. Categories include Business of the Year, Business Person of the Year, Best Environmental Business of the Year, Best Customer Service, Best Retailer and the President’s Award, which this year will be for the Best New Business (under 2 years old). The Seahaven Business Awards recognise businesses which have shown tremendous commitment, innovation, success, commitment to staff, businesses which take pride in being part of the community and which drive to succeed in the current economic climate. Newhaven Chamber President Annie Lorys said, ‘After the success of last year’s event, we are delighted to announce that we have six fabulous new trophies, designed and made by goldsmith and Newhaven Chamber member, Mike Shorer. There are six awards for companies and individuals who either work in or are based around the BN9, BN25, or BN10 postcode areas. Businesses can even nominate themselves in one or more of the categories or nominate any other business. Companies and individuals can be entered into more than one category and entry is free. Closing date for nominations is Friday, 10th April, 2015, and the winners will be announced at the Chamber President’s Gala Dinner on Friday, 8th May, 2015.
THE LIDO LIVES At last there is good news for the rapidly deteriorating Saltdean Lido. Following a lengthy campaign fought by the Lido Community Interest Company (CIC) and MP for the area, Simon Kirby, the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has awarded £2.3 million on top of the previous grant of £439,800 for the refurbishment of the site. The CIC is made up of local residents who want this local asset back to its former glory and in full use for all the residents of Brighton.
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CITY news
“Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and it annoys the pig”
THE FIGHT IS ON Come May 7th, the political landscape will change, and there is not a soul that can predict the outcome. The South East will be a major battleground, with many existing MPs facing a determined fight for their jobs. Crawley is a constituency that will be hotly contested. It’s a key Labour target seat, but the Conservative MP Henry Smith will be very keen to hold on to it. At the local and European elections Crawley was targeted by big hitters, including Labour’s Ed Miliband and Ed Balls, and the then Conservative foreign secretary William Hague. Hastings and Rye is held by the energy minister and Tory MP Amber Rudd, with a majority of less than 2,000. She faces a tough challenge from the Labour candidate Sarah Owen. The Brighton Kemptown seat held by the Conservative Simon Kirby also looks vulnerable - he has a majority of just 1,328. Brighton Pavilion is also held with a slim majority of just 1,252 by the UK’s only Green MP Caroline Lucas. She now faces a determined challenge from Tory Clarence Mitchell, who recently hosted Michael Gove to the City. The Hove and Portslade MP Mike Weatherley, who also has a majority of under 2,000, has announced that he will be standing down at the next election. Norman Baker knows he’ll have to fight to keep his Lewes seat for the Lib Dems as it is a prime target for the Conservatives, and as for the Liberal Democrats, many are predicting an election wipe-out. They currently have two seats in the South East. In Eastbourne, Stephen Lloyd beat the incumbent Tory candidate Nigel Waterson to take the seat with a majority of 3,435. He knows he will have a battle on his hands to retain the seat. No sooner had Eastbourne Pier been burnt down than the Prime Minister, David Cameron, and Chancellor George Osborne made a joint visit to the town pledging financial support. Given how tight this election promises to be, I think that this time every vote will matter.
START-UP TALENT WINNER This year the Brighton Racecourse played host to the 10th Young Startup Talent (YST) showcase, revealing the Brighton and Hove 2015 winner, Jodie Deakin, with her luxury leather pet accessory company, ‘Hounds and Hides.’ When asked how she felt about her recent victory, a tonguetied Jodie simply said “I just didn’t expect it at all. I’m so shocked!” Dan Simpson of Hartley Fowler commented that “Jodie is absolutely a worthy winner. She has drive, she knew what she wanted to do and I think she’s going to be a very successful businesswoman.” He later went on to describe the evening as “very inspiring.” Jodie has walked away with £50,000 worth of business products and services donated by local sponsors to support the start-up of a successful business. One of their sponsors, Abby Moreton, from Brighton Chambers of Commerce, reflected on the initiative, saying “It has direction, it has talent for sure, and it encourages creativity, entrepreneurship, forward thinking and a sense of responsibility, which is important.” After another successful Young Start-up Talent Showcase ,we can’t wait to see how rapidly these new businesses can grow. To find out more about Young Start-up Talent visit: www.youngstartuptalent.co.uk.
NEW SITE FOR UNIVERSITY A University of Brighton higher education campus could be created at Novartis’ former Horsham site as part of exciting new plans recently announced. The pharmaceutical company is currently negotiating the sale of the site with the Sussex-based university after its operations ceased in the town last year. If agreed, a high-quality centre for higher education could create an estimated 2,250 new jobs, bring £1.7bn of investment into the region over 10 years, and provide around 3,500 places for students. Initial proposals would see the retention of many buildings on-site, including the Art Deco structure, office space, and the laboratories, alongside a new student village in the south east corner of the site to accommodate up to 2,000 students. Julian Crampton, vice-chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: “We are pleased to confirm that we have entered into negotiations to acquire the former Novartis site in Horsham. “These discussions are at an early stage, but if the sale goes ahead, we plan to open an innovative, high-quality centre for higher education that will give a major boost to jobs, skills and business opportunities in the Gatwick Diamond area. “We will be working closely with Horsham District Council and the Coast to Capital Local Economic Partnership, as well as local business, schools and colleges, to ensure our plans develop in a way that benefits the local economy and the local community.”
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NATIONAL news
NATIONAL NEWS Please note these are the personal views of our City Editor, Maarten Hoffmann
KEEP OUT OF POLITICS Chuka Umunna, the Shadow Business Secretary, has told business leaders to keep their noses out of politics following the critical comments made recently by several prominent business leaders. Companies across the country will be furious to be told to voice no comment on issues that deeply affect our everyday lives, our families, our staff and our future prosperity. Labour denies it is anti-business and then comes out with insulting claptrap like this. Business runs this country, employs millions and provides a huge percentage of overall tax receipts, and the sooner all politicians realise they are there to ‘serve’ business and not ‘dictate’ to business, the better off we will all be.
BUSINESS CLASS ON THE CHEAP New French airline La Compagnie has launched a business class flight from Luton to New York at half the price of its competitors. From April 24th, they will fly business class passengers to NY for £649 if booked before June, rising to £1,549 thereafter. With the major airlines charging north of £2,500, this is quite some discount. The service will offer six flights a week with 74 flat beds, wireless 12” tablets and inflight catering provided by top French Chef Christophe Lengree. The airline’s CEO, Frantz Yvelin, said “The other airlines’ charges are the price of a car. It’s insane. Come on, wake up”. His point is well taken, although l am not sure what sort of car you could buy for that price.
THE BUSINESS SECRET WEAPON WhatsApp, the social messaging service acquired by Facebook for $19bn last year, is arguably the world’s fastest-growing communication app. It has more than 700m monthly active users and carries 30bn messages per day, double Facebook’s daily message traffic. The question company bosses are now asking is: how can I use the channel for business? As a communication tool, WhatsApp has all the bells and whistles. It allows users to chat in real-time, supports multimedia, including video and voice messages, and can transmit to groups of up to 50 people. Unlike the social platform Twitter, it allows for messages longer than 140 characters. Direct advertising and soliciting business via WhatsApp is a violation of its terms of service but sharing images, blog posts, and engaging with customers (without going for the hard sell) is deemed above board. Nickolay Piriankov, 27, co-founder of bespoke diamond ring maker Rare Pink, uses the app to build rapport with his customers. “WhatsApp wasn’t something we planned to use,” he says. “Customers asked for it. Now every design consultant has WhatsApp on their work phone.” Rare Pink offers online consultations to customers who are looking for unique rings. “Every customer has a personal consultant, which helps us to de-commoditise our offering,” says Piriankov. “We make sure they can reach their consultant, 24 hours a day, through any medium they choose.” The start-up, which launched in October 2013, also offers “live chat” through its website for more old-fashioned clients. “But that’s so ‘90s,” says Piriankov.
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NATIONAL news
“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. Then quit. There’s no point in being a damn fool about it” ESSENTIAL SUPPLIES GUARANTEED
FREQUENT FLYER APPS
Business Minister Jo Swinson has announced that the Government is proceeding with plans to secure continuation of essential IT and utility supplies to failing but viable businesses while they are being rescued, following consultation. Under proposals put to Parliament recently, essential suppliers of IT, water, gas, electricity and communications services will be prevented from cutting off supply or charging premium rates while insolvency practitioners seek a viable solution to rescue a business. Suppliers will be guaranteed payment ahead of others owed money for services supplied during the rescue period and can ask for guarantees of payment from the insolvency practitioner. Business Minister Jo Swinson said: “Rescuing struggling but viable businesses out of insolvency helps save jobs and improves the likelihood of payment to those owed money. Continued IT and energy supplies are needed for businesses to continue trading while options are sought about their future. “These changes will help struggling businesses during rescue while providing confidence for the suppliers that they will be paid for the essential services they provide. The changes will be subject to Parliamentary scrutiny before coming into force in October 2015
Here are the must have apps for frequent flyers: Gateguru – This app guides you through any airport, from gate numbers, info desks and can even estimate waiting times at the gate. Maplets – When you lose your data connection in a strange city, this app comes in handy as it contains 10,000 worldwide maps of subways, airports and city streets. mileBlaster – The trouble with flyer mile schemes is keeping track of them. This app calculates multiple accounts and gives you a warning when they are about to expire. JetRadar – When flying on a budget, the best price is the key. This clever little app will search 700 airlines and always gives you the best available price - and it’s commission free. Seat Alerts – If you are fussy about where you sit in the plane, this is a must have. It will search the seat allocation for your next flight and let you know the best seat available.
HOW THE MIGHTY HAVE FALLEN The grocery industry watchdog (GCA) has launched an investigation into Tesco amid allegations that it delayed payments to suppliers and demanded payments for prime shelf space in its stores. This comes hard on the heels of Tesco’s debacle over their first half profit statement, which was overstated by a mere £263 million. The GCA could impose a fine of 1% of Tesco’s annual turnover, which would amount to £400 million. Terry Leahy must be beside himself with fury over what they have done to ‘his’ company.
NEW WASTE APP A new web app promises to make recycling more financially rewarding for businesses, according to its developers, Element Green Recycling. The innovative new Green Alchemist provides the latest material prices enabling businesses to find out how much their sorted recycling is worth on the waste stock market for as little as £9.99 a month. Businesses can input their postcode and the weight of their recyclable materials to find out how much they are worth and either auction this material to waste couriers nearby or receive quotes for it to be collected. In turn, waste couriers can access the app for free for the first year to find businesses with sorted recyclable waste in their area and bid to buy or collect this material. The app’s auction facility can also be used to sell office furniture and electronic goods as well as recyclable materials. Element Green Recycling’s CEO Ayo Isinkaye said: “Due to the high demand for uncontaminated recyclables from the reprocessing industry we have identified a market opportunity for businesses to make money from their sorted recyclable waste. We are confident the app will empower businesses to ensure they realise the best possible value for their waste.” www.greenalchemist.co.uk
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BUSINESS profile
THE WORLD OF DRONES Surface 2 Air Media have taken Drone technology and put it to use to create stunning aerial photography
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BUSINESS profile
“It’s quite mesmerising and is becoming de rigueur for homes north of £2 million”
D
rone technology, or unmanned flight, has been around in one form or another since 1849, when the Austrians attacked Venice with unmanned balloons packed with high explosives. Again, just after WW1, pilotless aircraft using gyroscopes were pressed into service against Zeppelins. The word drone derived from the first radiocontrolled Tiger Moth biplane, which was nicknamed the Queen Bee, leading to the use of the word drone. Drones really got into their stride with the US military over Afghanistan in 2001 as they removed the fear of losing pilots over hostile territory, and the terrifying Predator was born.
Drones are now used by the military the world over and have finally seeped down to full commercial use with border protection, drugs searches, surveying and for just plain fun. One company stretching the technology as far as it will go is Surface 2 Air Media in Sussex, who specialise in aerial filming and photography and have a very impressive client list, as diverse as golf clubs, festival organisers, estate agents and the National Trust. They have some impressive kit, with the Freefly Tero Car that performs camera tracking shots at ground level utilizing a unique gimbal that allows for tracking shots at up to 40mph. Think of belting around a track in a supercar with the Tero rocketing alongside, whilst filming calmly through the window! Then there’s the James Bond-sounding Octocopter, a heavy lift drone that will carry 7kg, which is a good sized HD video camera, that produces incredible shots as it zooms over buildings from eye level to 400ft in a jiffy, and, with the gimbal attached, the footage is totally stable. With their CAA licence, they can fly over congested areas such as towns, cities or outdoor events. The film and television world have embraced this technology with great fervour; aerial shots from a helicopter have been prohibitively expensive and associated with a nightmare of paperwork and restrictions. The drone comprises two operators on the ground, one flight control and one cameraman, and it can go places and get shots that have been hitherto
impossible. Watch the trailer on their website, as the shots of the guy parasailing and the sweeping aerials of the castle are beautiful. Turn the volume up to max. The company’s primary tasks to date have been television programmes, festivals and events, aerial surveys, construction sites and commercial and residential property. This last is particularly relevant with high-value homes, for example: a video of the home and grounds from the air, with sweeping shots of the estate, outbuildings and pool that, within a continuous shot, can then zoom in through the patio doors and continue with the interior. It’s quite mesmerising and is becoming de rigueur for homes north of £2 million. When viewing properties from afar, a home with an aerial video will surely sell ten times faster than one without. Just to round off the service, Surface 2 Air have post-production facilities and edit and colour grade all their own material, thus holding the costs down and keeping it all inhouse. Drones will very soon become a way of life for us all. Whether we watch their output on TV, spot them overhead or use them to track fraudulent benefit claimants, they are here to stay, and, used responsibly, they can be a great boon to society. www.surface2airmedia.co.uk
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STYLE
LADIES DAY Create the perfect capsule wardrobe to take you from office to drinks party. Samantha Wilding from Style & Grace shows how to achieve a consistently stylish look with ease
TAKE A ‘STRATEGIC’ APPROACH Building a coherent-yet-versatile working wardrobe requires taking a ‘strategic’ approach. By this I mean gathering the key pieces that suit you and building on them to create your personal ‘uniform’. Words such as ’strategic’ and ‘uniform’ may sound scary, but trust me: taking this approach will pay off. It will alleviate weekday morning stress and prevent impulse buying. Firstly, understand your existing clothing and identify the pieces that you repeatedly turn to. Are these suits, trousers, skirts or dresses? Do they have a dominant colour and shape? Identifying these key pieces will give you a foundation to build on. What basics (shirts, jumpers, blouses) can you add to create full outfits? Once you’ve got some outfits pulled together, you can add accessories to inject colour, texture and character. As you do this, you will find yourself creating a ’uniform’ that works for you. Stella Gibson in ‘The Fall’, played by Gillian Anderson, is a great example of a uniform in action. Stella always wore beautiful silk blouses in pale colours with neutral skirts or trousers, heels and very little jewellery - a look that was instantly recognisable as ‘hers’. Remember to consider your body shape, your commute and your working environment in this process. And if you have to dress conservatively for the office, use accessories to add your own personality to your look.
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“With more options than ever before, dressing for work can strike panic into the heart of even the most organised woman” THE KEY PIECES The following are essential items in any stylish woman’s working wardrobe. Embrace (or disregard) them, depending on your own circumstances, to create your own ‘uniform’: A SUIT: the definition of a ‘suit’ has changed dramatically, and can be worn classically or as separates to create multiple outfits. The suit doesn’t have to mean conservative and dull; this spring there are some colourful options emerging, with slim neat jackets and cigarette trousers; A WHITE SHIRT: the quintessential classic. If white is too severe for you, or you don’t like
shirts, choose softer fluid blouses in cream or pale colours; DRESSES (SHIFT, SHEATH OR SHIRT): the ultimate easy option - one piece and you’re done! The shift can be layered with a shirt, blouse, or fine polo neck. Dresses can be worn with heels, boots or flats, making them endlessly versatile; A PENCIL SKIRT: another classic that emerges each season in different textures (leather was a big trend this winter). It can be part of a ‘suit’ if worn with a jacket or cardigan, and is best worn with heels; TROUSERS: choose carefully, as trousers date quickly. Stick to slim cuts and neutral tones. Avoid wide, cuffed or cropped trousers above the ankle as they make everyone (except Audrey Hepburn) look shorter and wider; A GOOD TAILORED JACKET: preferably in navy, black or grey (depending on your palette) that goes with the pieces listed above. This can be part of your suit, of course; FINE KNIT OR CASHMERE JUMPERS OR CARDIGANS: choose colours that complement your key pieces and shapes that suit you. Again, keep your knits fine so that they don’t add bulk when layered with your dresses or jacket; A STRUCTURED LEATHER BAG: for hauling all your essentials while still looking tidy. Buy the best you can afford. A bright colour is a fantastic way to add interest to a conservative working look.
STYLE
Oh, and one more thing. For the tricky transition into spring, your best investment is a smart trench coat in a colour that complements your existing wardrobe (whether that’s classic beige or bright red) and that will see you through March and beyond. TIPS TO MINIMISE OUTFIT STRESS Here are my three top tips to help you avoid weekday morning outfit stress: •
•
•
PREPARE, PREPARE, PREPARE: lay out your entire outfit, including jewellery, tights and shoes the night before. This is particularly vital if you have an important meeting or interview; you do not want to start the day in a panic. THINK FIT, NOT SIZE: please ignore the number on the label! If it fits you, and you feel great in it, wear it. Avoid anything too tight or too baggy. BE OFFICE APPROPRIATE: check your hemlines, as a few inches above the knee is the shortest you should go. And don’t reveal too much skin - you want to be taken seriously.
Wardrobe success means looking smart, feeling confident and being true to your individual style. Know what you like, what to avoid and don’t be distracted by passing trends. As I said to the men in last month’s column, building a polished working wardrobe takes time and investment - it won’t happen overnight. Take pleasure in the process and the results will be sensational. Samantha Wilding Tel: 07833 084864 Email: Samantha@styleandgrace.eu Website: www.styleandgrace.eu Twitter: @alwayschicUK
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The widest-read business publication in the South East
ISSUE 9 . 2015
ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE
PLATINUM The radical change to the way we work
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BUSINESS
WISE WORDS Ryan Heal, CEO of Rockinghorse Children’s Charity shares some quotes that inspire him “IF YOU ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS DID, YOU’LL ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU ALWAYS GOT!” I first started using this mantra when advising businesses to perhaps re-consider their £30,000 annual spend in directories such as Yellow Pages after stating their reason for doing so as….”Well, that’s just what we’ve always done for the past 20 years!” Just because your business has always adopted a certain approach, especially a marketing strategy, it is no reason at all to continue with the same approach year after year. This quote taught me to constantly change, review, tweak and question your business strategy and never be afraid to challenge it and change it. It will keep your business fresh, innovative and always looking forward. “CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLE” Too often, too many people believe they have every answer to every question all of the time. As we are well aware, this is just not the day-to-day reality of everyday life, and it’s unlikely that I’m going to find the cure for Ebola and wipe out ISIS by Easter! I think it’s very important that, both in our professional and personal worlds, we control what is controllable and not look to take on too many battles over which we have zero control. It helps focus the mind on what is achievable and not what is impossible.
“TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE” This is a daily mantra that works for me! I’m sure it annoys some of our staff when I’m constantly repeating it to them on a daily basis! In life, as in business, you can’t change the past. That one piece of business that was lost yesterday, forget it, it’s all about the next
“Just because your business has always adopted a certain approach, especially a marketing strategy, it is no reason at all to continue with the same approach year after year” deal and don’t waste valuable time reflecting on any misfortune of the past. Everyday sets new challenges and offers new opportunities. It’s not solely about reflecting on bad news either; reflecting on past glories for too long
and living off the past can cause complacency to set in and your eye can easily be taken off the ball. Some of the most successful sports teams of all time enjoy and celebrate their victories heavily, but quickly, and then they move on to the next challenge and don’t dwell on the past. In business terms, you’re only as good as your last month; never think, “we’ve cracked it.” That’s when complacency can sink in and the market tends to bite you back. “TIME YOU ENJOYED WASTING WAS NOT WASTED.” JOHN LENNON My previous quotes have been very businesscentric; this one from the great John Lennon reminds us that relaxing, unwinding and enjoying ourselves is allowed and provides a welcome break from the commercial world. Yes, of course, the timing of your downtime is crucial, and you’re never going to miss critical dates within your professional responsibilities. BUT, when you’re off on holiday or out for the day, you should be genuinely off! I never would class myself as a workaholic; I don’t think that’s particularly healthy, but I would say that I work very, very hard to enable myself to have a proper break when it comes around so that I’m not checking work emails when on holiday with my family. Especially with young children, that time is so special. I didn’t want to say, “work hard, play hard” but I guess I am! www.rockinghorse.org.uk
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BEAUTIFUL homes
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We believe that effective networking is all about relationship building in a relaxed and informal environment and The Platinum Club provides the ideal platform for companies both large and small, to come together for an enjoyable evening in luxurious surroundings.
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Don’t just take our word for it, here is what some of our members have to say
Let me tell you that the Platinum Club “ is no ordinary networking club. For anyone The Platinum Club is all that networking should be, but so “ rarely is. If you attend only one networking event, make sure it’s the Platinum Club!” Sophia Lee-Spencer, CEO, Callisto Associates The platinum club has proved an excellent forum to network “ with good calibre business contacts. It’s always an enjoyable and high quality event which is down to the rigour with which it is managed, run and hosted. It’s one of the highlights of my business calendar Amanda Menahem - Hastings Direct
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I would highly recommend The Platinum Club if you are “ looking to meet countless new businesses, in a relaxed and friendly environment.” Becky Sharp – Harvey John Recruitment
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who is tired of run-of-the-mill networking events I would suggest you try the Platinum Club. John Healy – Healy’s LLP
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I would recommend the Platinum Club “ as a fantastic way to meet new contacts in a relaxed evening of networking. Good spread of Companies and they make you feel at Tony Rice – Coulsdon Audi home!
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THE P L AT I N U M CLUB GATWICK
AN EXCITING PLATINUM CLUB ANNOUNCEMENT The Platinum Club is the foremost networking group in Sussex, and with the original Brighton location at the Grand Hotel now into its fifth year, and somewhat oversubscribed, we are delighted to announce the launch of a new Platinum Club location within the Gatwick Diamond. The Platinum Club (Gatwick) will launch in April 2015 at the splendid Gatwick Hilton Hotel right in the heart of the airport and membership applications are now open. We can only accept four members per business sector to ensure
that we are never top heavy with any one particular industry and meet monthly for a fully hosted Champagne and Canapé networking event. We believe that effective networking is all about building long-term relationships in a relaxed and enjoyable environment, and this is the platform that Platinum provides. We host every event to help take the ‘work’ out of networking and ensure that, whilst members sip fine champagnes, we facilitate relevant introductions throughout the evening.
Platinum events are effectively social cocktail parties where every person in the room just happens to be a local business leader - from multi-national PLCs to SMEs with a niche product or service. It is a fascinating, eclectic group of individuals who rapidly become friends as well as potential trading partners. There are limited memberships available, so for an application form, please e-mail: maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com or call 07966 244046
Call: 07966 244046 • e-mail: maarten@platinumbusinessmagazine.com • web: www.theplatinumclubbrighton.co.uk
BEACH HOUSE SHOREHAM-BY-SEA City Editor, Maarten Hoffmann, loves the vibe at Beach House Restaurant in Shoreham-by-Sea
I
must admit that I rarely venture to Shoreham. Not for any negative reason, but, apart from the annual air show, I find myself only passing through en route to Worthing or other points west. I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised to come across a lovely little establishment called Beach House in the pedestrianised East Street, just off the main drag: small and cute from the outside but really spacious and well laid out on the inside, with a very nice vibe. I am into my vibes. I cannot explain them, nor do I attempt to, but certain places feel right, and with restaurants there are certain seats I feel more comfortable in than others, so imagine
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my delight when I spotted exactly the seat that I would prefer, only to be shown to that exact seat without my requesting. This is a good start. One look at the menu and I can see that the Beach House loves its fish and gourmet burgers, and considering its short distance from The Briney, the fish is not too surprising. Now, gourmet burgers are all the rage in London, but it’s a title that must be regarded with suspicion as I have found many confuse using the word with using the ingredients. There are two menus available at lunchtime – the compact lunch menu and the full a la carte, which gives plenty of choice and whilst
Lynne decided to munch her way through the entire contents of the English Channel. I took on the gourmet burger. Lynne’s Springs Smoked Salmon (£5.95) really did look artfully arranged on the plate and tasted as good as it looked; it helps to know that all their fish, meat and cheese is supplied from traders within a 10-miles radius of Shoreham, therefore suffering extremely low food miles. My starter was the Sussex Game Terrine (£5.95), which was brilliantly presented on a long board with fabulous chunky, crisp bread, scattered with sea salt, at one end and the artfully cut and displayed Terrine at the other, separated by a smear of
BUSINESS lunch
“Whilst Lynne decided to munch her way through the entire contents of the English Channel, I took on the gourmet burger”
beetroot powder; and it really did taste as good as it looked. Lynne plumped for the chorizo and white crab cakes with roasted lobster, oil dressing and house salad (I did mention that she was decimating the entire UK maritime stock) and I was served another board for a plate, supporting the huge kitchen burger with 100% Sussex beef, topped with crispy bacon, Mayfield cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo and red onion marmalade. My joy was compounded when I was delivered a portion of of skinny fries. The trend now is for big, fat chips, but if I wanted a chunck of potato with a crispy shell, I would ask for it. I like my chips as I like my
women – skinny, crispy and slathered with salt. “oh, that sounds just plain wrong!” Lynne’s crab cakes looked superb and, like her, were perfectly formed, with a large lobster claw on the side that looked like Edward Scissorhands had been to work in the kitchen. the crab cakes were light and bursting with flavour, and as for my burger, it really was gourmet. The meat was succulent, the bacon perfectly crispy, the seasoning terrific, and I inhaled the entire thing whilst Lynne was babbling on about something – I was too busy to talk. For an evening soiree, I would suggest the last Thursday of each month when the Beach
House presents Gourmet Nights – a fourcourse gourmet meal with matching wines that I would suggest is rather worth the trip. Between March 24th & 29th, they also host a Beer & Mussel Festival with specially selected Sussex real ales which, we should all know by now, are world beaters. The Beach House is a great tucked-away delight with a good menu range, excellent friendly service and divine ingredients, and if you can squeeze in a pudding, then take a look at the multi-coloured display of meringues – yummy.
Beach House Restaurant 16/18 East Street Shoreham-by-Sea BN43 5ZE 01273 440902 www.beachhouseshoreham.co.uk PORTFOLIO 85
BUSINESS interview
REACH FOR THE SKY Eleanor Harris, Chief Executive of Brighton i360, talks to Ian Trevett about financing the project that is changing the seafront skyline
T
he proposal to build the i360 tower has not been without controversy. It came in for a fair bit of local criticism, with many fearing it would be a white elephant, wasting hardearned public money. Not only was the soaring viewing platform placed on the site of the muchloved West Pier, it was also regarded as a folly of the Council, who showed little regard for the burden placed on the city’s council tax payers. During this time, the team behind i360 kept a low profile, verging on silence, which gave rise to many people jumping to false conclusions. How could an ascending viewing platform possibly raise enough money to repay the immense building costs? The answer was that it was never expected to. The business plan was to generate the income from a wide variety of sources, not just the viewing platform. These included the brasserie, hospitality rooms, exhibition space, gift shop and bars, as well as the actual rides on the tower. And no council money was being spent. So why was there such controversy surrounding a development which will become an icon for an ambitious global destination? “We had to go through a democratic process with the councillors and give them time to understand the business plan without being influenced by the media,” explains Eleanor. “We had to go through the legal due diligence, and during that phase, we were asked not to go out making public statements. “We wanted the councillors to hear from the horse’s mouth, look at all of it, not have their
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information filtered through the media. And I think that’s the right thing. It’s a very serious, big decision to make. They had to have time to look through it. And in fairness to the Greens and the Conservatives, who voted in favour, they spent an inordinate amount of time scrutinising the
“We’ve always had a really good relationship with the Metropole, The Grand and Brighton Centre. We’re talking about going to trade shows together, presenting Brighton together as a great place to come and do business” documents, having follow-up meetings, going through all the detail, and they really took their time to make the right decision. “In a way it helped us because we were so
busy trying to get to the finances closed. A hundred different contracts had to be signed, and I’m not sure that we really, honestly had the capacity to be going out doing PR.” Of course, the downside was that a lot of negativity wasn’t being challenged. “That’s true, but the more we get out and talk to people, the more we are finding a complete, total change in the tide of opinion. I’ve done loads of presentations, met lots of people in the community and we now have a lot of support locally. I think the critics are dying down. We monitor social media and there’s barely a negative tweet on the i360. There hasn’t been, now, for months. So I think we just needed to engage in the conversation, which, since we’ve had our funding, we’ve been able to do.” One of the big criticisms has been the Council’s involvement in the funding. Can you clarify how the funding works? “The Council is effectively a middleman. They borrowed money from the Public Works Loans Board at a very, very low rate, and then they lent it to the project at a commercial rate, so we don’t get any special treatment in terms of the rates we pay. The Council has generated £36 million pounds of funding through this arrangement. “If we achieve our business plan, their margin should be £1 million a year. If we don’t meet our business plan, obviously that would eat into their margin. The point at which the public would need to dip into their pockets is if our business plan fails by nearly 60 percent. There’s a really big buffer in there.
“There is a level of risk. But I think, having looked through the numbers, the councillors felt reassured that the level of risk was outweighed by the level of benefit the project could bring. “We originally got all of the funding through traditional channels. We had a private equity firm on board and we also had a bank on board; in fact, we had two banks. One was going to be the lead and the other would provide mezzanine finance. Then the financial crash happened. The particular bank we were working with was one of the many banks that went under, so we obviously lost the funding there, even though we were incredibly well-progressed with that particular fund. “We lost approximately £20 million of our funding. The bank that was prepared to do the junior debt wasn’t prepared to take the lead as they didn’t do projects of that scale. So we had to go back to the drawing board. “The first thing we did as we went back out to market was to speak to the banks again. But we were then faced with a completely different landscape and a completely different perception of risk. The feedback we had was that if the development was for mixed use, with some flats, then we could have been funded. But pure leisure was seen as high risk, although we were very experienced and literally brought together the entire team that did the London Eye, from engineers to architects. “The world had changed form a funding point of view, so we began talking to the Council, and their view has always been incredibly supportive. For them, tourism is one of the biggest employers in the city – not just people in direct employment in tourism, but also all the businesses which will benefit from the tourist being in town. So for them it’s massively important that Brighton can remain competitive and keep bringing in the tourists. Also, we had an
independent economic impact study done, which showed the level of job creation the project could bring. So they’ve always felt that, strategically, for the future economic success of the city, the i360 is a really vital ingredient. “I think there was generally a feeling that Brighton couldn’t rest on its laurels. I think Brighton is quite ambitious. It doesn’t want to be one of the many failing seaside cities in this country. There have been so many towns that have had their heyday and have spiralled down. I think Brighton has always been different because of its proximity to London, because of the digital economy. It has found new ways to grow and be a very dynamic city. But you have to keep moving yourself forward. The Council see their competitors in cities like Barcelona rather than run-down seaside towns. But to do that and to win that business, we have to keep moving things forward. “I think there’s a lot going on in the city at the moment, and there’s definitely more of a feeling of people wanting to invest in Brighton. You see Circus Street, Preston Barracks… I do think success breeds success. There’s an upbeat positivity in Brighton at the moment which I don’t think was necessarily here three or four years ago. “I think we all just need to pull together now to make this a success. Ultimately, I’m now really working for the city. I will work tirelessly to make sure that we hit all of our targets and create an amazing business. And the way I see it, we need to make every aspect of the business really successful, from the dining to the attraction to the play, the conferencing, and, hopefully, Brightonians will get behind that, because ultimately any money they spend in there essentially flows back to the city for the next 20 years.” “I believe really strongly in paying decently
BUSINESS interview and getting good staff, so we’re doing living wage, no zero hours. We’re having lots of parttimers and have already had some really talented part-time mums join the team. I’ve been really impressed with the calibre of applicants for all the jobs we’ve advertised. We will also have a large influx of seasonal staff. There’s a natural work force here in Brighton, people who are looking for summer work, and they want the jobs exactly when we need them. If it wasn’t a university town, I think we would really struggle.” On the actual construction, will the local economy benefit? “It is difficult as it is very bespoke, very specialist. It’s about managing risk. We’re doing something that is quite complex in terms of engineering. For the pod and the drive mechanism we’re using a specialist cable car manufacturer, Poma, who also did the London Eye. It’s not a core expertise in the UK. We don’t build cable cars, we don’t have snow, we don’t have the Alps. There are very few companies in the world that could actually have done that. And we have a huge amount of confidence in the one we’re working with because we’ve done another project with them before. There probably would have been a handful of two or three others in the world that we could have gone to.” When all the misinformed flak was flying around, Eleanor remained admirably calm, and a read through her CV gives an indication as to how she was able to maintain her focus. “My background is tourism and visitor attractions. My career started at British Airways as a management trainee in 1994. It was a really exciting time at BA, a time of great innovation. We launched the first flat beds into First Class, then into Club World and launched the World Traveller
British Airways had basically sponsored it, and they put in most of the funding. So they had a very strong vested interest to protect their reputation and ensure that the customer service was outstanding.
“The biggest issue was dealing with the sheer volume of people arriving on site. The London Eye was a great success from the beginning, but success brought its own challenges. The business plan anticipated a maximum of two million visitors. In fact, the London Eye has always got around four million, and that volume of people wasn’t planned for. “We were working with an amazing team. I think we all fell in love with the London Eye, so people just really worked their socks off. You just had to prioritise, deal with the really big issues first, get them out of the way, then deal with
responsible for making sure that we had our business plan, making sure we achieved our revenue targets. London Eye at that time turned over about £40 million as a business. We had the visitor volumes, so it was more about making sure that we had a range of experiences for people of different price points. “We introduced fast-track tickets, champagne flights, weddings... I even set up a river cruise from our pier, and it all added to the income we earned. We were able to increase our yield by one third, yet keep the bottom ticket price at a reasonable level. It was our saving grace in 2005 when the bombs exploded in London. It happened at the worst possible time, just before the peak summer season. It was the busiest month for school visits, and they all cancelled overnight. We saw a drop in visitor numbers, but we were able to prop our business up. “British Airways sold their share in 2006, and at that point I obviously had a decision to make about what I wanted to do. I decided to set up a visitor attraction consulting business, I-Xperience. The first project I worked on was the Brighton i360 with the London Eye architects (and directors), David Marks and Julia Barfield. I knew them very well, and we sat down and had one those conversations that changed the rest of my life. “They had already come up with the basic design and vision for the i360. They had already found a site in Brighton, so when I started working with them, we set about doing the planning application. I came in at a fairly evolved stage, and my role was to develop the whole visitor offering. “Brighton is incredibly seasonal. On the one hand, you get really good visitor numbers every
Plus premium economy brand.” “I did a stint over in LA as the Airport Operations Manager, dealing with everything thrown at me, from diverted flights to technical problems and highly-strung celebrities. It was very unionised, so there were people-management challenges. I was there for 18 months. It was a great baptism of fire into front-line operations. “Since then, when I’ve had anything operational, or anything that requires planning or dealing with challenging customers, I’m pretty fearless. “I went on secondment to the London Eye, which had opened only about two weeks before, and we had quite a few operational challenges.
the smaller ones. I think my experience at BA gave me good training for the early days when we’d have wheel stoppages. You can imagine, you’d have another 800 people arriving on the site every half hour. You had to have amazing operational procedures to deal with disruption, whether due to bad weather or technical problems. Half of it is communication, because people want know where they stand, what they can do, how they get their refund, how they rebook, when to come back. You’re just dealing with masses of people, and you have to get that communication message out to them. And back then we didn’t use the internet or smart phones. “My role changed to Commercial Director,
weekend, year-round, although the volume of visitors in the winter is lower. At mid-week there is a significant drop. “What we saw was the opportunity: the location is fantastic, it’s right next to the conference venues. So the question was, ‘How can we have a fantastic offering that appeals to corporate as well as tourist visitors?’ “One of the first things I did was to sit down with the Hilton, the Grand and the Brighton Centre and have a really good conversations with them. I asked, What do you need for your visitors? What sort of volumes do you get? Would it be helpful for us to be there? How could we work together? The universal answer was
“The Council see their competitors in cities like Barcelona rather than run-down seaside towns. But to do that and to win that business, we have to keep moving things forward”
BUSINESS interview that they were all working really hard to bring conference business in and they were competing with other cities. Having a fantastic place to go in the evening would really help them sell their space as a conference facility. “They’ve been some of our biggest allies throughout the process. We’ve always had a really good relationship. We’re talking about going to trade shows together, presenting Brighton together as a great place to come and do business. We just see so many close synergies. “I’ve always seen our main USP to be around receptions. I think it’s an exciting and unique venue for a party, so a great place to start your conference and come for breakfast, or a great place to finish the day. You’re on the beach, you’ve got all the lovely views, it’s really different and unique to go up on the i360. There are lots of
“The brasserie can seat approximately 225 people inside, and then we have a sitting-out area for about another 300. We have an exhibition space here, which is 100 square metres. We will have a children’s soft-play area so when the pod comes down, you see the children playing and the children will see the pod coming down, which I think is really fun. What you need on a wet day is somewhere to take the children to let off steam whilst their parents can watch them whilst enjoying a good cup of coffee. It’s about bringing the building alive. “On the Kings Road we will have the two beautiful 1866 toll booths from the West Pier. One will be an original restored booth, the other a complete replica. One will be our ticket office and we plan for the other one to be our tea rooms. The tea rooms will be open to the public, so you don’t have to be a ticketed visitor in order
transformed into the Sky Bar, an opportunity to enjoy a drink with the best view in the UK. We’ll raise a glass to that.
high-quality meeting rooms in the city. We don’t necessarily need or want to compete directly with that; we want to be the add-on with a working partnership.” The ground-level venue is the key to the success. How will it look? “It’s a beach building with a private deck space. There will be wonderful windows looking out onto the beach, the sea, the West Pier. There’s nothing comparable on Brighton beach. We’re trying to create something quite aspirational, quite high-end, somewhere you’d actually like to go for an event. It’s 1500 square metres, so it’s absolutely huge. I think this is an aspect that people haven’t quite got their heads around in terms of what we’re building.
to experience a slice of the West Pier with its own sitting-out area overlooking the beach, which should be lovely. “We’ll get our beach rooms and the pod itself licensed for weddings. My feeling is that we’ll probably start doing weddings from 2017 - in the building and in the pod.” Having shed some light on a number of the controversies, we can now look forward to the most dramatic tourist attraction since the piers of Victorian times. On a clear day, people will be able to see over 26 miles from Bexhill-on-Sea in the East to Chichester in the West, taking in views of the South Downs National Park and the chalk cliffs, of the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. In the evenings, the Brighton i360 will be
I360 IN NUMBERS
www.brightoni360.co.uk
BREAKING NEWS
Eleanor has bravely agreed to perform a live dance at the Rockinghorse midSummer Ball, on June 20th at the Brighton Hilton, in aid of a great cause. We will have photographers there in force! Tables are still available for the highlight of the summer balls. www.rockinghorse.org.uk
• The pod can hold 200 people • The area of ground level venue is 1500 square metres • Ascent and descent time - 2030 minutes • The height is 162 metres - the highest moving observation tower in the world. • Opening in 2016
SMART FORFOUR
SMART MOVE Business Editor, Maarten Hoffmann, is impressed by the funky Smart Car
W
e all know the original Smart car, if not for the scenes of it zipping around town, then for the fact that it is the only car that can be parked boot-in to any parking space. If there was a drawback, it was the fact that it was a strict two-seater, but no more. The Smart ForFour has been re-launched after an eight-year absence to take, as the name might suggest, four people and somehow, through wizardry and cunning design, its length is still only 3.4 metres, which is less than a VW Up! How on earth they have done this is beyond imagination. The original ForTwo is available in its new guise and is selling like hotcakes, and at only 2.6 metres, that’s a miracle of design too. The Smart audio system and climate control are both standard, and it comes in funky colour variants, a cool interior, and with its 67.3mpg, it’ll be a rare sight at petrol stations. The engine of the ForFour sits beneath the boot floor and drives the rear wheels. This rear engine set-up makes it highly manoeuvrable as it darts around town like a scalded cat with a turning circle that rivals a black cab. They also managed to squeeze a 185 litre boot in there somehow, which expands to 975 with the rear seats flat.
90 PORTFOLIO
This is a new generation of City car that totally changes the game, and with an electric version and a performance Brabus model coming soon, the range will be complete. Mercedes-Benz own the company, which bodes well for reliability and build quality, and the whole is pinned on the Renault Twingo running gear, which is a very good platform. Engine options are a 1.0 litre with 71bhp or a 0.9 litre turbo with 90 bhp, aligned to either a 5-speed manual or a twin clutch automatic transmission. Performance will see 67.3mpg and 15.9 seconds 0-60mph, which is none too shabby. In a car this size, safety will always be paramount, and with the Smart ‘tridion cell’, comprising ultra-high-strength hot-formed steel, they seem to have cracked it. Certainly, when they did front collision tests with large Mercedes C-Class and S-Class models, it performed remarkably well and better than most in its sector. The Smart is still the funky choice and a way to stand out from the run-of-the-mill euro boxes that overpopulate our roads. A job well done.
“This is a new generation of City car that totally changes the game”
Mercedes-Benz of Gatwick
Mercedes-Benz of Eastbourne
Mercedes-Benz of Brighton
Mercedes-Benz of Tonbridge
Mercedes-Benz of Ashford
Mercedes-Benz of Maidstone
CONTACT: MERCEDES-BENZ OF GATWICK, EASTBOURNE, BRIGHTON, TONBRIDGE, ASHFORD AND MAIDSTONE ON 0844 659 7503
CAREER LADDER This month we speak to Alan Margetts about his career journey
Alan Margetts is Managing Director at The Kitchen Store HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN THE KITCHENS BUSINESS? Frighteningly, it’s approaching 20 years! It’s a demanding industry with a complicated supply chain and, like many markets, it felt the brunt of the downturn. However, with The Kitchen Store, we’ve carved out a niche selling locally-built kitchens from unique showrooms, with a focus on great people and service, and we’ve always managed to buck the trend. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST-EVER JOB? The first I can recall was selling earrings in return for stickers, aged 6. This was a thriving business for a few weeks until one of my customer’s parents gave the earrings back to my mum in the playground. Proper paid work started at 16 when I joined a construction company and trained to be a Quantity Surveyor. I learned a lot in those early days and we’re now trying to offer the same opportunities to our own generation of apprentices at The Kitchen Store. DID YOU TAKE A TRADITIONAL ROUTE INTO YOUR CAREER? Not really, but then again I’m not sure there is one! My construction background led me to a role in the contracts team at kitchen manufacturer Manhattan Furniture in the mid-1990s. From there I became a Director and shareholder before establishing The Kitchen Store in 2004. Manhattan is a great Sussex product; sold nationwide yet built on our doorstep in Lancing, and we’re proud to continue the link selling it through our stores. DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY AT WORK FOR YOU? There is no typical day! Our two stores are run by great people, so I’m less heavily involved in the
day-to-day trading, but I keep a very close eye on all aspects of the business and am always troubleshooting a hotspot. Aside from that, my time is taken up managing the projects of the moment. Right now we’re negotiating on new property to house an additional store and fitting out a small store to trial a new kitchen appliance clearance concept. The Kitchen Store also has a parts and accessories business and we’re investing heavily in new systems and online presence, which will go live in the spring. WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR JOB? I love seeing the business grow; looking back at what we’ve done and planning what’s next. We’ve grown on average 20 per cent per year over the last six years, so it’s a permanent white-knuckle ride. Mostly, though, my enjoyment comes from the people. We’ve gathered a wonderful team and we’re now of a size that a new generation is coming through, and that is extremely exciting to see unfold. HOW IMPORTANT IS NETWORKING FOR YOU? Since day one we’ve always aimed to work with local suppliers and advisors and we have a strong network of Brighton- and Sussex-based businesses supporting us. But there are a lot of networks out there, and it’s important to give up time to the right thing. So the key for us is to be in groups only when we can learn something new and relevant. HAS SOCIAL MEDIA HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR PROFESSION AT ALL? #ihateit. I know it’s not the done thing, but I’m a cynic. Social media has its place in the mix for sure and it’s part of what we do. But for me there are more effective uses of our time to promote
the business and increase our bottom line. We recently had a customer who Tweeted a picture of his door handle and asked us to reply with what other handles could fit the hole drillings. We were very happy to help, but try answering that in 140 characters or less. A fashionable medium, yes, but not necessarily always the best. I’m looking forward to the revival of talking. Maybe I should start a Facebook group… YOU ARE AN AWARD-WINNING SUSSEXBASED COMPANY. WHAT IS YOUR PROUDEST ACHIEVEMENT? Yes, we’ve received a lot of recognition over the last two years from industry bodies and in both the Sussex & Brighton and Hove Business Awards, and we’re very proud of that. These have had a galvanising effect on our team, who are very motivated and committed to the company’s success – that makes me proudest. IF YOU WEREN’T IN THE KITCHEN BUSINESS WHAT DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING? I’d love to be a politician. We can all do a better job, right? IN THREE WORDS DESCRIBE THE QUALITIES THAT YOU THINK ARE MOST REQUIRED IN YOUR JOB Eye for detail. Resilience. Sedulousness (I looked that one up). The Kitchen Store, Hove 130 Old Shoreham Road, Hove, BN3 7BD. Tel: 01273 957778 The Kitchen Store, Lancing Blenheim Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, BN15 8UH. Tel: 01903 524343 www.thekitchenstore.co.uk
PORTFOLIO 93
GOLFGUY...
EFFORTLESS POWER OR POWERLESS EFFORT? Continuing in our series of golf tips…This month: It’s all about stance and angle of attack
GolfGuy writes: Of all the clubs in my spanking new bag, the driver is by far the most fickle. Playing our usual weekly round with the gang a few weeks ago, I managed to win a fiver for longest drive on a designated par five hole, despite having hit a weak, shanky shot that barely went 200 yards – downhill. The better drivers simply missed the fairway, giving me a default win. Other moments of driver ‘brilliance’ on that day included three sky balls that went straight, but also straight up and about 150
yds forward. I tried positioning the ball slightly further forward in my stance with the result that I often caught it off the toe of the driver, sending it left, low and pitifully short. There were a few solid drives as well, but they were too few. It is so difficult to know what I need to do to hit consistently solid, powerful driver shots. Although some of the most powerful pros (Rory and Bubba, for instance) appear to take
a very wide stance, I tend to use the same shoulder-width stance that works well for all my other clubs. With the driver, however, I play the ball well forward, off my left big toe, to get behind the ball. What am I doing wrong? The only other feast-or-famine club in my bag is my putter. More on that next month! Between my driver and putter I probably drop five to six shots per round. Help!
GolfGuy
GOLF The Golf Pro replies: Balance is crucial when you have the longest and least controllable club in your hand. Adopt a stance in which your feet are 4 to 5 inches further apart than they are in your iron set up, with the ball positioned forwards in the stance but inside/ parallel to your left heel (Pic 1).
Correct set up driver
1.
Correct tee height
2.
The tee height needs to be consistent, with half the ball on the club face and half above the clubface (Pic 2). Now the only possible way to sky this would be to take a divot – not advised! The average player tends to attack the ball rather than swing the club to a full finish, which leads to ‘casting’ from the top with the hands rather than driving with the lower body (Pic 3). Work on the angle of attack at impact becoming flatter, with your head behind the ball so you can hit on the upstroke. (Pic 4). If you are attacking the ball with the shaft underneath your right shoulder at half way down (pic 5), you are able to use your right knee, hip and shoulder like a tennis player (pic 6).
A poor angle of attack
3.
Correct downswing path
4.
Points to remember: • Stance just greater than a shoulder’s width apart • Ball position opposite the heel of your front foot • The downswing to start with the lower half, keeping your head behind the ball • Have the feeling you are hitting on the upswing and hold a full balanced finish. Let me know how it goes. Whatever the result, my number is: 01273 846567
Correct impact position
5.
Tennis forearm
6.
With thanks to our golfing expert, Lee Andrews, PGA Golf Professional, Mid Sussex Golf Club www.midsussexgolfclub.co.uk
SPECIAL OFFER FOR PORTFOLIO READERS Are your clubs right for you? Have a one hour custom fit session on flightscope with one of our six PGA professionals for just £50! *£50 custom fitting fee between now and the end of March will be fully refunded against any purchase of woods or irons.
PORTFOLIO 95
CELEBRITY interview
BUILDING BRITAIN The owner of a 15th century property himself, Kevin McCloud has resisted blindly following trends in modern housing. His emphasis is on sustainable building, as he reveals to Portfolio
I
f over 100 episodes of Grand Designs have taught us anything, it’s that the people of Britain are eclectic, pedantic and altogether dynamic in their housing design choices. Presenter Kevin McLoud celebrates the importance of people and community in ensuring quality and sustainable house design… Kevin McCloud insists, “I wouldn’t know a trend if it hit me in the face”. The TV architect is effortlessly open-minded, verging on slick, with regard to any aspect of design, yet despite his protestations, the long-time presenter is certainly savvy enough to identify a pattern when it comes to our relationship with design. “At the beginning of every century in design and architecture, people stop and look back at the last century and say, ‘Oh my God, we didn’t get any of that, quick, let’s have some,’ and you get this rush of building and design and furniture which is kind of retro; you see it right now with a complete craze for anything vintage from 1930-90s. And that’s the way it works – it’s a fascinating renewal and reinvention, but as human beings we thrive on that kind of thing.” We might be buying up decades-old design, but at the same time we’re looking to the future – does he agree? “Oh yes, we’re forward-thinking as well. What is coming to design in the next 20-30 years? Well, I can
see a return to very natural, sustainable materials… basic stuff.” “I also think that - because of changes in technology and the way that we design, survey and model things really cheaply within 10 or 15 years we are going to see all kinds of home products and personal stuff like shoes, made, not in some factory in Germany, China or Portugal, but in a shop ‘round the corner, using really sophisticated 3D printing techniques.”
“I can see a return to very natural, sustainable materials… basic stuff” McCloud’s vision of the future then, is one that allows us all to become designers and makers, and he looks back to Britain’s longstanding reputation for industry for emphasis. “It’s rather cool to think that right
now in Britain, because we still make stuff, we still have the techniques and innovation and design techniques as well, and we’ve got these great resources.” With Britain feeding into a new kind of making, an optimistic McCloud says that today’s Britain, combined with aerospace technologies and new growth in rapid prototyping and 3D printers, makes for a fascinating time to be alive. So is it all about innovation, or are we still looking back to the traditional building of ages gone by? After all, for every ultramodern new build, there’s the derelict cottage restored brick by brick. “Right now there’s a whole band of architects who are really trying to evolve a style of architecture which does both,” McCloud continues. “This architecture incorporates natural materials alongside contemporary and provides you with an airtight insulated building.” The builds McCloud presides over on Grand Designs fluctuate from retro eco simplicity, to state-of-the-art chrome numbers. “The very extreme eco wooden grass-roofed claywalled approach to building still represents the minority of buildings constructed, but let’s not consider it irrelevant. “In fact, low impact building remains an important approach - many architects are designing buildings for second and third world countries, where actually that’s where PORTFOLIO 97
CELEBRITY interview
we’re going to see the most amazing amount of population growth, and it’s important that we develop technologies for building that allow communities to empower themselves and to use available materials. Absolutely, rely on earth and stone and available timbers rather than importing concrete and glass.” Another issue facing Britain’s housing industry, of course, is the lack of actual houses. Land and house prices are constantly on the rise, shutting people out of the market. McCloud has previously noted that we haven’t produced enough housing since the Second World War, and when it comes to communal building projects closer to home, the presenter believes we need to look to people for the solutions, examining how to revitalise our cities on the terms of the residents, not necessarily the architects. McCloud wants these stakeholders to have their say before plans hit the drawing board. “I think the strategies that local authorities put together are quite generalist - they’re
saying, ‘well this is going to be a work area, here’s the bus route and the houses go here’. And that’s about as detailed as it gets, really. Then they sit and wait for people to put in their planning applications.” “Remember, regeneration almost never happens top down - it starts with a few people making a claim, saying ‘I believe in this place’.” One of McCloud’s own projects, Happiness, Architecture, Beauty (HAB), is a sustainable housing development business with five goals around sustainability, context, architectural value, the social nature of good architecture and profitability. HAB uses materials with low environmental impact, where water management and durability are paramount. It’s a project where clear design, communication and integrity are of utmost importance; it’s Kevin McCloud all over. “It may be me all over, but it’s also going to become the norm – it has to if we are to keep building fantastic homes whilst looking after the very land it’s built on.”
“his architecture incorporates natural materials alongside contemporary and provides you with an airtight insulated building”
MARINE DRIVE ~ ROTTINGDEAN
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2 & 3 BEDROOM SEAFRONT APARTMENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL SEA VIEWS AND SECURE UNDERGROUND PARKING
• SHOW HOME NOW OPEN • ONLY 4 APARTMENTS REMAINING
www.azurerottingdean.co.uk
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