Belgravia Residents' Journal February 2014

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BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal

Managing Editor Katie Randall

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood

Assistant Editor Lauren Romano

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts

Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips

Senior Designer Sophie Blain

Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason

General Manager Fiona Fenwick

Communications Director Loren Penney

Editorial Intern Maisy Molloy

Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

february 2014 • Issue 21

Above / Impressions of Africa Left Hand, original art work by Nelson Mandela (p. 7). Image courtesy of The Belgravia Gallery

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BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal FEBRUARY 2014 I SSU E 021

The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from The Belgravia Residents’ Association. To become a member of the BRA, visit www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk.

We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.

w w w. R e s i d e n t s J o u r n a l . c o . u k (020) 7987 4320

Dear Resident

,

I have an admission to make about a member of the Residents’ Journal team. In late January, Henry Hopwood-Phillips went Rolfing and did not come back to the office as the same man. What is more, he did it right here in Belgravia. The rather humorously named practice involves soft tissue manipulation and movement education that realigns the whole body.

Sorry, that might be a slightly less comedic eventuality than you had initially anticipated; Henry hasn’t been playing golf in a giant hamster ball (we’ll save that for next month). He has, however, been straight-backed ever since; putting the rest of us Quasimodo hunchbacks to shame. Only a select few practitioners, certified by the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, can adopt the moniker of ‘rolfer’ so we eagerly anticipated meeting Anna Collins at the Belgravia Light Centre (p. 22) The Belgravia Residents’ Association has an exciting announcement to make: the winner of its A Stranger in Belgravia writing competition has been chosen. Congratulations to local Raymund Dring, who penned an excellent tale about the trials and tribulations of a maid in SW1X. We have published the short story on p. 24 and hope you enjoy the read as much as we did.

Our Belgravian this month is hair stylist extraordinaire Stephen August (p. 18) and Briana Handte Lesesne has the pleasure of speaking to Joanna Chaker of Catherine Muller florists on Elizabeth Street as she learns the art of floral arrangement (p. 8).

Managing Editor Katie Randall

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood

Assistant Editor Lauren Romano

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts

Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips

Senior Designer Sophie Blain

Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason

General Manager Fiona Fenwick

Communications Director Loren Penney

Editorial Intern Maisy Molloy

Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Above / A selection of beautiful blooms at Catherine Muller. Photography by Henry Hopwood-Phillips

Proudly published & printed in the UK by

Member of the Professional Publishers Association / ppa.co.uk

The Notebook

Who and what have been moving and shaking in Belgravia recently? We bring you up to date

Museum of the future As the Tate Modern project (a development to the south of the existing building) rises to compete with its neighbour’s iconic chimney, cultural theorist Tom Vandeputte begins his 11 week course examining new models for the art museum. In a world that is travelling in various directions and wants to ask questions, many of the staple aspects of a ‘museum’ in the traditional sense are coming under attack. The Tate’s own future is explored and key members of staff will be giving talks throughout the series of seminars. £320, 16 January – 27 March, 1.30pm-5pm (except 20 February) Tate Modern Level 1 seminar room, Bankside, SE1 9TG (tate.org.uk)

Out of the ashes

Hotly anticipated, Beulah boutique’s S/S 2014 collection inspired by the Japanese tradition of kintsukuroi (or kintsugi) will land on shelves in the last week of January, ready for shoppers who are keen to shake off winter blues. The meaningful concept behind kintsukuroi is to fix broken pottery with a lacquer resin sprinkled with gold, creating an imperfect piece of art. The reference point: ‘more beautiful for having been broken,’ reflects Beulah’s mission to empower women, specifically those that have been trafficked, helping to provide them with an alternative sustainable livelihood. Exposed seams feature in the Beulah collection, alongside shards and fragments of colour and Japanese blossoms on the most luxuriant silks and wool crepes.

7 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PP 020 7730 0978 (beulahlondon.com)

Open meeting

The South Area Forum encourages those who live, work or learn in the Churchill, Vincent Square, Warwick, Knightsbridge and Belgravia or Tachbrook wards to participate in discussions on the local area. The next meeting takes place on 27 February at a venue to be confirmed. Ward Councillors Tony Devenish, Rachael Robathan and Philippa Roe will be representing Knightsbridge and Belgravia and Cllr Andrew Havery will chair. (westminster.gov.uk)

Perfect 10

Claire Aggarwal founded Perfect 10, one of London’s premier mobile beauty services, in 2011 and it has fast become the go-to for topto-toe beauty services and pampering. Claire and her dream team of expert therapists bring everything to your door in their signature fleet of Mini Coopers. Perfect 10 offers a full range of beauty services to enjoy in the comfort of your own home, including facials

by Elemental Herbology, aromatherapy body massage, body brushing, manicures and pedicures by Essie, hot waxing and Sienna X spray tanning.

A complete beauty menu is available to view online at perfect10mobilebeauty.co.uk

Picking winners

Prince’s Trust mentor and founder of Archie & Doris – a local accountancy firm – Marcus Warry has revealed a new project called the ‘Incubator Room’. For £60 a month, companies still in their gestation period receive office space in Belgravia, which is perfect for peer-to-peer learning, access to workshops and events in legal, finance, technology and marketing spheres, and membership to a group of similarly minded entrepreneurs.

25 Eccleston Place, SW1W 9NF 020 7193 3760 (archieanddoris.com/incubator)

Watch this space

Wedged half-way between Chelsea and Leicester Square, Belgravia has been poorly provided for by the cinema industry in the past.

Thankfully, this is a situation that doesn’t look like it will last much longer. A new five-screen cinema is being built by Curzon at 62 Buckingham Gate, the site currently being developed by Land Securities in Victoria.

62 Buckingham Gate, SW1E 6PA (curzonworld.com)

New boys on the block

The award winning interior, architectural and super yacht design company March & White has announced its relocation to Belgravia, bringing it to the heart of the area it helps design. Founded in 2008, March & White already has 25 designers on its staff. Commenting on the move, Elliot March, a founding partner said: ‘We are thrilled to be working here in Belgravia with its rich history and innate sense of style. We are planning a series of events within our Studio that might be of interest to our neighbours here.’

162 Buckingham Palace Road SW1W 9TR 020 7240 3464 (marchandwhite.com)

‘H’ marks the spot

The globally recognised and admired ‘Professeur de Parfums’ Roja Dove has turned his hand to a new and exciting project with Harrods to mark the 10th anniversary of his first collaboration with the luxury department store. The coyly named ‘H’, a globally exclusive aoud for Harrods, speaks of luxury and decadence, comprised of rare ingredients such as oils of gurjum, cypriol and valerian combined with a rich blend of patchouli and precious aoud. Jasmine De Grasse and Rose De Mai from the town of Grasse in the South of France, both more costly than gold bullion, make up the creation’s heart, held captive on a base of labdanum, birch and ultra-soft benzoin.

‘I hope my rich, sumptuous creation embraces the spirit of the store itself – the finest in the world,’ Roja explains. £395, available from March. Harrods 87-135 Brompton Road SW1X 7XL (harrods.com; rojadove.com)

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The Calendar Bringing you the lowdown on local events in February

Praising the heavens

Italian baroque music steps into the limelight this February with Belgian ensemble Vox Luminis. The group is particularly well known for its passion for early medieval music and has not been afraid to include two Lamentations in its programme, seldom heard today. The first has roots as far back as the eighth century and is sung in Old French, the second was written in 1666 by a little known composer, Allessandro della Ciaia, from Sienna. These are structured around the thème major, D. Scarlatti’s Stabat Mater (the mother was standing), one of the Italian’s most emotionally charged masterpieces, which brings the evening to a memorable end.

Artists of the world unite

You’ve heard of the Crystal Palace exhibition? This is the artist’s equivalent. Art14 London, sponsored by Citi Private Bank, returns to Olympia’s Grand Hall after its inaugural year in 2013. No doubt, it will repeat its party trick of showcasing more art than you can shake a paintbrush at. This year it welcomes more than 170 galleries from 40 countries.

Modern and contemporary European art takes centre stage but two curated sections, London First and London Emerge, complement the main offering. If interested book a place early, last year the show attracted over 25,000 visitors.

£18-£30, 7.30pm, 12 February, 5 Sloane Terrace, SW1X 9DQ 020 7730 4500 (cadoganhall.com)

£12-£25, 28 February – 2 March, VIP preview: Thursday 27 February Book your ticket online at artfairslondon.com and receive a two-forone offer on standard and double tickets. Quote ‘RUNWILD’ when prompted to redeem this offer. Olympia Grand Hall, W14 8UX 020 7886 3112 (artfairslondon.com)

Photography: Ola Renska

Photography: Jens Ziehe Art14 London. Alexander Ochs Galleries. Zhao Zhao. Waterfall, 2013

An exceptional tryst

A very old couple relive an unconventional relationship in The Mistress Contract, one in which She (her name is never given), a feminist, outlines the remarkable document that kicked off her affair with a wealthy married lover. Based on reams of tape recordings made over their 30 year relationship, the provocative play raises questions as to whether the transparency that lies at the heart of the performance belies or confirms the female protagonist’s feminist ideals. £10-£32, 30 January – 22 March, Royal Court Theatre, 50-51 Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS, 020 7565 5000 (royalcourttheatre.com) d Sandler Subway Swoon Photography: Richar

The big questions

Each year, as part of its ‘Discovering People’ series, the Royal Geographical Society invites three luminaries it believes hold interesting and original opinions on society, the environment and the world in general, and gets the stars to share them. Past guests have included Ian Hislop, Paul Theroux and Sir David Attenborough. This February is Alain de Botton’s turn. The philosopher, renowned for giving the famously idealistic discipline a pragmatic edge, will no doubt rouse a thoughtful discussion.

7pm, 12 February, £7 members, £10 nonmembers, Royal Geographic Society 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 2AR 020 7591 3100 (rgs.org)

Alain de Botton, photography: Charlotte de Botton

HJ Lim, photography: Simon Fowler

Tinkling the ivories

Bop until you drop

The Korean pianist HJ Lim’s debut release, The Complete Beethoven Sonatas, entered the Classical and iTunes charts in America and Canada at number one. Looking to repeat her success over the pond, Lim has chosen a programme of early 20th century waltzes and sonatas

by Maurice Ravel and Alexander Scriabin for her performance at the Royal Albert Hall.

There is an Anglo-French Nu-Jazz band in town. It’s not often you get to write that. Down on the corner of Eccleston Place, Da Scalzo is hosting Wildcard, a band known for its brassy funk and latin grooves. The band has been picking up musical accolades from left, right and centre as it alternates between its two favourite cities, London and Paris.

7.30pm, 22 February, Da Scalzo, 2 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9RB (wildcardmusic.com)

7.30pm, 23 February, Royal Albert Hall Kensington Gore, SW7 2AP, 020 7589 8212 (royalalberthall.com)

Country fare

Many head down to the verdant Mozart Square each Saturday for beans and greens already. However, for those who aren’t in the know, Pimlico Farmers’ Market is one of those local gems A to Z guides don’t mention. Home to all the best local producers, one of the market’s favourites – Chegworth Valley – told the Journal all about how it was busy pruning trees, clearing beds and ordering new plants for the cold months ahead.

Here’s hoping this year’s produce is as tempting as the pumpkin chutney we picked up in December!

8, 15, 22 February, Junction where Ebury Street meets Pimlico Road, 020 7833 0338 (lfm.org.uk)

Do you have an event that you’d like us to cover? Send us an email: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk Words / Tom Hardman

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Back to

Nature

The Belgravia Residents’ Journal urges its beauty correspondent Briana Handte Lesesne to put down her make-up brushes to see if florist Joanna Chaker of Catherine Muller has flower power

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e Lesesne Joanna Chaker and Briana Handt

he Spring/Summer 2014 season saw runways from Paris to New York bursting with botanical beauty.

Designers’ collections played with ideas of bouquets, floral and country-garden arrangements; from poppy field prints to hothouse hues and appliquéd blossoms adorning dresses: nature took centre stage.

Horticultual haute couture is all the rage, in fact, from the cobbles of Motcomb Street to the living rooms of Belgrave Square. The British, with their country gardens, prickly hedgerows, thick wellies and gardening competitions, have great concern for the environment. They invest countless hours preening verdant gardens and window boxes.

It is fitting then that Parisian floral designer Catherine Muller has opened a flower school and shop on Elizabeth Street in the heart of Belgravia.

Her programme of courses appeals to a range of people, from florists, or those in training who might want to learn new creative ways of bouquet arrangement, to those who simply have a passion for flowers.

I enrol and soon learn that flower arranging is more than simply putting flora together in a vase. It is a disciplined art form that brings participants back to the core of nature. Artistry, design and texture are just as important as the flowers themselves. It’s an esoteric endeavour in which depth of field, scent and the all-important three-dimensional aesthetic are at play. It is a craft that endures because of the beauty it brings to homes and gardens internationally.

According to Catherine, floral art stems from the desire to bring nature into your home, whether this is through a single rose, or a bunch of wild flowers from the fields. ‘Mother Nature does things much better than we can,’ she tells me when we chat on the telephone. She resides in Paris and although she regularly visits the Belgravian branch

of her business, the lovely Joanna Chaker manages the shop on a day-to-day basis.

Catherine’s boutique on Elizabeth Street doubles up as a workshop. The eye is drawn to the long counters of granite with mirrored walls (to better see all sides of the arrangement), while beneath your feet on the wood paneled floor, leaves, twigs and nature’s blooms collect in fragrant heaps.

My tools consist of an apron, cutters, twine, angelhair wires, green garden tape and raffia. Joanna, my instructor, has already been to the Chelsea Flower Market earlier in the morning (not quite as early as 3am when it opens, thankfully) to select the seasonal flowers and greens we will be working with.

Before we start, I am given two pieces of advice by Joanna. Firstly, if unsure of where to place a flower within the arrangement, one should ‘ask’ the flower where it wants to sit in the arrangement and it will tell you. It is all about intuition and letting the natural beauty of flora do the work. Secondly, always ‘finish your plate’ or in layman’s terms, be sure to use all the blooms and greens given to you. We make three arrangements: a flat bouquet, a grand carré (square centerpiece) and a floral headpiece made with English ivy.

And so begins the industrious but thoroughly relaxing process. The flat bouquet consists of

I am given two pieces of advice by Joanna. Firstly, if unsure of where to place the flower... one should ask the flower where she wants to sit Quicksand roses, Amnesia roses, Memory Lane roses and Eucalyptus in shades of green with orange and purple hues, reminiscent of the floral fashions of the Victorian era.

We start by removing the thorns and leaves on the lower part of the stem with a knife and trim the stems at an angle. It is important to remove the leaves as they can become rancid in water after a few days. As I am right handed, I place the first rose in my left hand. I add a second rose with the stem at a 45 degree angle and slightly turn the bouquet with each flower or green that I add. I continue this process, creating a spiral effect around a bunch that is straight. I panic when several stems of Eucalyptus seem uneven, but I am reminded by Joanna that Catherine Muller espouses natural style such as you would find outside.

For the grand carré, Joanna has chosen a white floral theme. The shades of whites and creams on display are very chic. We will create a butterfly effect in this arrangement; imagine a delicate insect hovering and fluttering between flowers – flowers that are waking up (sitting high)

Briana gets to grips with the basics

Images by Henry Hopwood-Phillips

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and then sleeping (falling slightly lower) just as you might see in fields and forests – and you’re on the right lines. I carefully trim the stems to just below the buds and place the white Hydrangea, Ranonculus and Avalanche roses, as well as white Frizzy tulips, Anemones, Trit, and Dracaena into the Oasis foam (that has absorbed water and acts as the vase) in a strewed pattern typical of a forest floor.

The last arrangement is a floral headpiece using English ivy as the headdress.

After measuring the circumference of my head we use the angel-hair wires and the green garden tape to make a hook and clasp on either end of the stems. I select peppercorns, deep purple tulips and rosemary with tiny purple flowers to weave between the ivy.

The result: a piece fitting for a forest fairy.

Between arrangements, I chat to Catherine on the phone, who is in her Paris workshop. She tells me that her interest in floral arrangement comes from her desire to work with nature. I learn that she has a new favorite flower every day and is especially drawn to fields of wild flowers: ‘They are dynamic to witness, especially during the summertime when fields of rye and wheat rustle in the warm breeze.’ She admits to having a penchant for ‘unprententious’ forget-me-nots, which she first came across as a child near Versailles in the Vallée de Chevreuse. I ask what her ideal bouquet would look like? ‘Spontaneous!’ she enthuses, preferring

nature’s powers to those of the factory-line.

Back to Belgravia with a bump and I spy an advert for a Marie Antoinette course in flower arrangement that piques my interest. Inspired by Catherine’s trips to Parisian museums – the florist discusses being enamoured with the artist Jan Frans van Dael’s flower arrangements and floral bouquets; so lush and exquisite were his paintings that they won him the favour of Marie Antoinette and Josephine Bonaparte. Gazing around the workshop, Catherine’s new range of four scented candles also catch my eye, although I smell them before I see them. My favourite is Fougère, a discreet soft scent crafted from fern leaves, combined with moss and floral notes of amber.

As I tie up the last remaining flowers, I collect my three arrangements and realise that, along with presenting you with an opportunity to appreciate the tranquil beauty of flora, there is another reason Catherine Muller’s courses are so special. There is also the excitement of returning nature to homes from which it has been banished for far too long.

Catherine has a new favourite flower every day and is drawn to fields of wild flowers

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Weekly themed courses run from MondayFriday, from 10am-4pm. Prices from £1,700 and involve instruction in three arrangements with one hour for lunch). 53 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PP, 020 7259 0196, (catherinemuller.com)

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ELIZABETH STREET SW1

Please visit our website

www.devroomen.co.uk 59 Elizabeth Street, London SW1W 9PP, 020 7730 1901

Breaking the chain Henry Hopwood-Phillips goes to see what the Hanover Street branch of Benugo is like before the company builds a new venue in Victoria

B

enugo. It’s one of those meaningless words that branding departments dig, isn’t it. Starbucks?

That doesn’t really mean anything.

Costa – isn’t that a rib? Nero? Not a particularly nice Roman emperor.

Pret A Manger means ‘ready to eat’ but it only gets away with being coherent because it’s in French and there are more dinosaurs than polyglots in Ingerland.

Actually, Benugo is a portmanteau of owners Ben and Hugo. The company started in 1998, slowly but surely dominating the museum market where the fin de siècle haute bourgeoisie liked to crouton their carrot soup with a sense of danger in the form of exposed brickwork, stripped wood and industrial fittings. A sort of Shoreditch chic.

Some may remember the old service stations that held monopolies on restrooms, microwaved simulacra and sadness along the UK’s cement arteries. A few of you may know only of the sanitised cutlery of the slick new bistros and fresh salad though. It’s a generational thing.

And Benugo feels like the next generation of cafe.

Competitors have slightly jaunty tables? Benugo’s are positively impish, sitting at rakish angles in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Competitors have wallpaper of Buena Vista Social Club’s fun times? Benugo has lights from Japanese oil liners. Competitors have sundried tomatoes in vacuum packed ciabatta? Benugo has its bread specially made for the store the night before, no need for plastic –

they think about the environment.

When I visit, we are seated in the basement, which has the airs and graces of a frat common room.

I half expect the ubiquitous red cup to emerge with some punch in it, thrust into my hands by a Brad or Britney. There’s plenty of empty space, something that only the richest sybarites can afford in London. Impressive. I suspect Apple has advised on the layout, it’s very iPhone friendly.

I have a Muffeletta and a New Yorker. No, I don’t know what the former is either; sounds like a sort of turban. The bread tastes as though it scorns other bread for not taking its task seriously enough. The fillings (lots of meats, cheeses, salads and garnishes) wobble excitedly all over the place. The large soft triangles clearly deem balance the poor virtue of a bank account or circus performer, not a sandwich.

Mince pie slices follow, bludgeoning me to death with crumbly, sugary love: the sort of love that brings on an early, fat, painful death. Girls have a sixth sense for this kind of thing, so my female guest warily shunts the plate over to me with a smile.

I don’t look at the bill. I hope it was really expensive for everybody else’s sake though because if it’s anywhere near Starbucks prices, entrance should only be granted on evidence of gym membership.

The company started in 1998, slowly but surely dominating the museum market where the fin de siècle haute bourgeoisie liked to crouton their carrot soup with a sense of danger

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11-12 Hanover Street, W1S 1YQ. The Victoria branch of Benugo is coming to 62 Buckingham Gate (benugo.com)

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Great British Escape: On the doorstep

Don’t be unimaginative and book a city break to Paris or Prague; make 2014 the year you explore Britain. We lack an equivalent for the Russian blizhneye zarubezhye, roughly translated – the near abroad – so the Belgravia Residents’ Journal takes a leaf from Russia’s book and looks at three winter getaways that are a little closer to home Winchester Cathedral

COUNTRYSIDE: Armathwaite Hall Located near Keswick in the Lake District, what started off as one of England’s most sought after stately homes has become a large contemporary spa hotel overlooking the breathtaking Bassenthwaite Lake.

Set in 400 acres of deer park, framed by Skiddaw Mountain, woodland and the Lake District Fells, it’s hard to find a place more peaceful than Armathwaite Hall.

Bassenthwaite Lake, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4RE 01768 776551 (armathwaite-hall.com)

Armathwaite Hall

RELAXATION: Thermae Bath Spa The only place in the UK where you can bathe in natural thermal waters, used for more than 2,000 years for healing, relaxation and leisure, the Thermae Bath Spa is a sanctuary in the centre of the world heritage site of Bath.

The stand-alone 18th century Cross Bath offers stunning views of the city and is located on the site that the ancient Celts revered the goddess Sul. This is an English oasis that doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath Street, Bath, BA1 1SJ 01225 331234 (thermaebathspa.com) Thermae Bath Spa

CULTURE: Winchester Cathedral Fifteen centuries of history lie behind the massive cathedral you see today. It is the burial place of some of the earliest and most famous figures in early English history, including Alfred the Great.

Growing from the tiny Old Minister, one of the oldest churches in England, Winchester Cathedral expanded to become one of the greatest in the land by the 11th century. St Swithun’s Priory – a monastery, the great Winchester bible in the library and Cardinal Beaufort’s tomb are just a few of the highlights for those who prefer their entertainment a little more highbrow.

If you’re making a weekend of it, rest your head at the Hotel du Vin & Bistro, Southgate Street, Winchester SO23 9EF, 0844 748 9267 (hotelduvin.com)

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Winchester Cathedral

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Working with

Space

Sophie Paterson is whizzing around ensuring the innards of Belgravia and Chelsea’s finest houses reflect their magnificent faces

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f you haven’t heard of Sophie Paterson, you probably don’t have a house in Belgravia. If you do have one and still haven’t heard of her, it’s probably because your house is fully furnished. If you are living in Belgravia with an unfurnished house on your hands, you need to ask yourself whether you’re a few bags of flour short of a pancake.

Having set up her design practice in 2008, Sophie Paterson has quickly made a mark on the arena of high-end interior design. Published in interior design magazines across the world and heralded as one of the ten ‘rising stars’ of interior design in 2012 by IDFX magazine, Sophie predominantly works on high-end residential projects across the UK and Europe. Current projects include a townhouse in Chelsea, a new-build in Surrey, a villa in Spain, a home in Kent and a country house in Cambridgeshire.

So Sophie is making waves, in a good way. One of her favourite recent projects is a Belgravian penthouse she was asked to bring to life for a couple looking to return from their honeymoon in 2012, shortly before the Olympics.

Featuring a master suite and en suite bathroom, adjoining dressing area, two further bedrooms, two bathrooms, an

entrance hall and an open-plan living and dining area – it’s certainly not a cupboard. In fact, at 2,500 sq. ft., you could fit an orchard in it.

Fortunately, perhaps, Sophie left trees off the wish list. Instead, focusing the bulk of the budget on the entrance hall, lounge and master bedroom, the dividends from her intense concentration are clear. The master bedroom basks in aubergine textured silk-effect wallpaper, silk satin curtains and luxurious wall coverings. Dark and cosy, it’s the sort of place that defies alarm clocks.

Her clients regularly travel to the East, so intricately embroidered silks, table lamp tassels and carved jade decorations make their presence felt.

The honeymooners wanted a room that would work in all seasons, so the lounge mixes a playful palette of dusty purple and faded green on a base of cream neutrals. The placement of a large silk rug adds a sense of grandeur and drama to the room.

There were no structural changes to the property, but the lighting was redesigned. Wall lights throughout are Porta Romana, but other bespoke items are either designed in-house by Sophie and her team or commissioned from the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre.

The whole project took five months and, unsurprisingly, the owners were chuffed to pieces with the result. (sophiepatersoninteriors.com)

The master bedroom

Bedside table lamp with silk and jade tassel

Horse sculpture

Decorative Asian-influenced metal plate on a coffee table in the sitting room Words / Tom Hardman All images by Patrick Butler Madden B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

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The

Belgravian A CUT ABOVE THE REST

Henry Hopwood-Phillips goes down to Chester Row to see if Stephen August runs a salon that is as great or as venerable as his name

L

ooking akin to a private house, with smart manicured topiary and window boxes, distinctive green and white blinds, and a modest front door, 87 Chester Row sits just behind Sloane Square on the edge of Belgravia and Chelsea.

It is not immediately obvious to passersby what goes on in the place on the corner, but it is well worth entering, as you will find yourself made very welcome by Stephen August and his colleagues David Denning and Philip Bullen in what appears to be far from an ordinary hair salon.

Forget the bare-boned minimalism we have all grown accustomed to, Stephen’s salon is more like a sitting room than a modern art gallery. The walls are covered in William Morris willow pattern wallpaper, the ceiling has tinted mirrors pinned to it (‘it improves your complexion, Henry,’ Stephen grins) and a fine collection of pictures hang from the walls. There is a tranquil air. Classical music and the gentle tick of a 17th century grandfather clock add to the timeless feel.

Established in 1958, Stephen took over the salon in the 1970s, having apprenticed both with his father and an regiment of teddies. He endeavoured to give the place a fresh face while retaining the essential and unusual quality. ‘Look, these stone basins have been here since the beginning,’ Stephen chimes – a surprise if only because they look as if they are defying gravity. But it is true, everything looks bursting with character. There’s no sterile anonymity here.

How has this charming place survived when so many come and go? ‘Our recipe is a simple and effective one. We believe in a complete and personal service. Clients are not handed over to a junior, we do everything ourselves from shampoo to finish. We never dictate to clients how to look, preferring to discuss. You’d be surprised to know how many friends a hairdresser can gain by reassuring clients that their hair won’t be rearranged. Also, we don’t push or sell products here, instead recommending when approached,’ Stephen assures me.

Stephen, who usually shuns the publicity many in his profession like to invite, is being far too discreet to name any of his clients. Just who makes up this lucky band? ‘We have a lot of local clients from all walks of life and from further afield,’ he says emphatically. ‘What’s important is to make everybody happy and to feel at home.’ It must be hard with such diverse crowd, I ponder? ‘Yes, well many of the men will

find themselves nodding at the apocryphal tale of Enoch Powell, who when asked what sort of haircut he’d like answered, “A silent one!”’

When pushed he reluctantly admits that some of his clientele is made up of people in the entertainment business and politics. ‘I think discretion is part of what makes the place delightful. You never know who could be sitting next to you in the chair. And you get none of that cliquey-ness that could sometimes be associated with some of the more showy West End establishments.’

Are there any particular cuts amongst those who shall forever remain anonymous that are popular? I venture. ‘Well men tend to stick with a cut for life, with women it’s a different story.’ At this point, I’m tempted to ask whether Stephen has any ‘signature’ looks but I get the feeling it’d be a red rag to a bull, akin to asking a cowboy whether he liked strawberry daiquiries. Instead, I ask what his favourite female haircut is. ‘Well, as you know, I don’t do ladies hair (David and Philip specialise in that area), nevertheless there is something splendid about the beehive isn’t there, all that hair stacked with such poise.’

Amongst all the glamour – and there is a lot of it (I think Stephen had a story for every person I mentioned that must remain forever ‘mum’) – there must be something that, especially with his refusal to employ juniors, gets his goat. ‘Yes sweeping the floor. It has never become more exciting.’

So what would you have done if you hadn’t been a hairdresser? I ask. ‘Oh I don’t know, perhaps an underground driver on the Tube,’ he sees me scribble. ‘No don’t put that,’ he exclaims and we break into laughter. ‘If we’re being serious, then a restaurant. Yes, I’d have loved to own a restaurant.’

As I get up to leave, I notice there aren’t any doors. ‘Oh I don’t believe in doors,’ Stephen announces. ‘They interfere with the most glorious alarm clock in the world, the Household Cavalry trotting by my door at 7.20 sharp each morning.’

When we reach a door he doesn’t shun, the front one, I mention the dirty word: retirement. ‘I enjoy what I’m doing and will continue to the end,’ he tells me. And on that note, as we say our good-byes, Stephen titters: ‘It’s been emotional!’

Forget the bare-boned minimalism we have all grown accustomed to, Stephen’s salon is more like a sitting room than a modern art gallery

Stephen August, 87 Chester Row, SW1W 8JL, 020 7730 7753

Words / Henry Hopwood-Phillips Illustration / Russ Tudor

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Beauty &Grooming Beauty from the outside in and TLC on our doorstep

Deep cleanse Pure envy

The perfect juxtaposition to S/S 2014’s soft and delicate garments, this February, Estée Lauder launches Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 20 bold and provocative shades.

The lipsticks aim to imbue confidence and power to the wearer, according to Tom Pecheux, creative makeup director for the brand. Housed in a chic case, which takes its inspiration from modern architecture, the collection intensifies lips and saturates them with pure colour. Complete the look with five rich nail colours from the limited edition Pure Color Envy Nail Lacquer range.

Lipsticks, £24, nail lacquers, £14.50 Available at Estée Lauder counters nationwide and esteelauder.co.uk

A foray into fine fragrance Irish fashion designer Louise Kennedy is known throughout the industry for her impeccable attention to detail. To celebrate 30 years in the business, she has turned her eye towards a new challenge, launching her first Eau de Parfum. Working closely with top perfumers in Grasse on the French Riviera to hit the right notes, the scent is romantic and floral. The 300,000 blooms of Rose de Mai that went into just one kilogram of oil for the fragrance highlight her passion for staying true to brand excellence.

Available in 30ml, £95 and 50ml, £135. Louise Kennedy Eau de Parfum is available at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, SW1X 7XL and Louise’s eponymous boutique, 9 West Halkin Street SW1X 8JL (louisekennedy.com)

After the drying effects of winter, achieving perfect skin for many of us is non-negotiable. To assist our attempts at reducing the damaging effects of city life and harsh winter weather, luxury British beauty brand Elemental Herbology launches a luxuriant cleansing oil Harmonising Cleanse.

Rich in anti-oxidants, as well as Vitamins C and E, the cleanser brightens and reveals thoroughly clean skin. £29 (100ml). Available at Space NK stores and elementalherbology.com

Shades of beige

Beige is anything but boring, as Clinique has recently proved.

Renowned for creating wearable shades of make-up, Clinique launches a limited edition collection palette of neutrals this month. 16 Shades of Beige contains nail enamels and eye shadows in neutral hues; the Journal loves the All About Shadow Neutral Territory 2 palette, which contains eight wearable and blendable shadows.

Nail Enamels, £12 and All About Shadow Neutral Territory 2, £32 Available exclusively at clinique.co.uk and at Clinique counters nationwide (clinique.co.uk)

A Lean, Mean

Fitness Machine

Briana Handte Lesesne gets fit with personal trainer Michael Garry at White Room Fitness

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he last time I had a personal trainer was in 2002 when I lived in New York. An important aspect of my job at Condé Nast was entitlement to a killer wardrobe, however, this also meant maintaining a toned and fit figure (lots of egg white omelettes at the famous Frank Gehry 4 Times Square cafeteria) and balancing my love of steak frites.

My 45 minute session of weights, jump rope, treadmill and crunches started at 5.30am at the Upper East Side Equinox.

I was on a mission to get toned. After only six weeks (that’s all I could take as I loathe working out) I had the body and biceps of Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

Fast forward a decade and I’ve gone up a dress size, I still have a weakness for fried food and I realise it is only downhill from here – unless I take control now. A friend put me in touch with Michael Garry at The White Room who she referred to as ‘brilliant’, so I decided to take the plunge.

Discreetly located on Ebury Street behind a frosted glass façade, White Room Fitness boasts one of the UK’s top personal trainers Michael Garry. What I first notice about the gym is how private it feels. Unlike most city gyms where there are rows and rows of treadmills, barbells and floor mats, I am the only client in a bright, uncluttered and sleek space. There are two workout rooms as the studio is spread across two levels.

Upon meeting Michael, I like him instantly. His friendly and professional demeanor and knowledge is valuable when it comes to something as personal as getting your body into shape.

He ushers me to my private bathroom/changing room equipped with shower, touch control CD and radio systems, as well as Hermès bath and body products for post workout use. Chilled Evian bottled mineral water ensures you are always hydrated.

The first session starts off with a check-list of questions regarding your age, weight, blood pressure, lifestyle, sleep patterns and, importantly, diet. Michael also asks what you wish to achieve from your session/regime with him. Every client is unique and each workout programme is individually tailored.

My goal was to build up muscle tone and regain my shape. Our session begins with the treadmill to check the “biomechanicals” such as heart rate, BMI and blood pressure. We also do some balancing exercises and work on my posture. Next begins stretching and flexing to get my muscles ready for the workout. Abdominal crunches and push-ups are finished off with work with a fitness ball.

When starting a new regime, consider seeking professional advice from a personal trainer. According to Michael, less is definitely more in the beginning – at least for the first two to three weeks, until the body adapts to the exercise.

Later that evening, as I eye up a pair of Nike trainers and monochrome workout gear featured in the February issue of Vogue, I look forward to spring and getting back into shape. As for giving up my steak frites, I am not quite there yet.

White Room Fitness, 54B Ebury Street, SW1W 0LU 020 7584 3881. To book an appointment with Michael Garry email mail@whiteroom.com or visit whiteroom.com

Words / Briana Handte Lesesne B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

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The physics of

posture

As massages provide only a temporary respite from the tyranny of office backache, Henry Hopwood-Phillips goes in search of a superior solution

‘S

trip to your underpants, I need to take some photos,’ says my therapist Anna Collins, gently.

Suddenly I feel an intimation of what it must be like for those beautiful and less beautiful girls ‘modelling agencies’ accost because they reckon they’ve got a certain ‘look’ about them.

I limply remove my clothing. Anna takes mug shots as I revolve 90 degrees.

But my only crime at this scene is having the posture of a panda with a stomach to match.

I ask Anna to give me a bit of detail about her background in holistic therapy, hoping to receive an explanation that, at the very least, circuitously justifies the exercise in humility. ‘I’d been trying a lot of alternative therapies for a while; it was quite by chance before departing from Thailand that I secured an appointment with a visiting consultant, Jeffrey Bomes, at Chiva-Som spa,’ she recalls.

Rolfing is not something the Bullingdon Club gets up to in crumpet-encrusted enclaves. ‘The Rolf method of structural integration is a technique developed by the biochemist Ida Rolf in the mid-20th century that involves manipulating the muscles to enhance the way they cope on

Rolfing is not something the Bullingdon Club gets up to in crumpet-encrusted enclaves a daily basis with gravity,’ she enthuses.

‘Think of the thin film that wraps muscle in the body biologists used to just think was “stuff” [she should know, she used to be a biologist]. Stuff you had to cut through to get to the “real” things like muscle,’ Anna explains. I think of the silver layers I have to jab through when I’m chopping up lamb. ‘It is far from purposeless, it is the fascia; it holds the whole body in tension. It has a memory, and it’s interconnected and interrelated,’ she adds.

Next, she pulls her t-shirt into a knot to demonstrate; ruptured lines appear all over the garment.

‘Look, when one area is affected, all areas react.’

Learning the Rolf method took her through a series of mentors, including Emmett Hutchins – one of Dr Rolf’s protégés, in places that spanned the breadth of the globe.

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From Thailand to Bali, from Colorado to Hawaii, Anna’s trips evoke scenes from Kill Bill.

On the bed, I’m given what feels like a bad massage.

My contorted body is unwound and hobbled in a series of niggley rubs and teases. When my posterior is rubbed, I feel sensation in my toe and when my arm is stimulated, I feel nerves in my back.

At certain intervals, I roll off the bed to tell Anna what I’m feeling. Conventionally, the request is a polite invitation to fib about how great the massage is so that the masseuse can get on with it. ‘Be honest,’ Anna coaxes.

I admit that although sceptical at first, the half of my body that has been manipulated feels as though I’ve stepped into a new skeleton. It feels great.

We rush to the iPad to take new photographs to see if there is any photographic evidence for what I’m feeling. ‘Look at that!’ Anna exclaims, pointing to my ears, shoulders, hips and ankles. ‘Your plumb line is so much straighter.’ And it’s true.

In the first lot of photos, I look like a puppet missing strings, now, however, it appears as if someone has replaced my spine with a poniard.

Frankly surprised that the whole thing hadn’t been mumbo-jumbo, I begin machine-gunning questions. ‘How should I sit, stand, walk, perform all of life’s bodily functions?’

But, I’ve already taken up an hour-and-a-half of Anna’s time.

‘Sit as though you’re a pianist pushing your tail feathers back. Your bottom in a seated position is essentially a tripod, just feel your centre of gravity and keep it,’ she smiles.

With the exception of watering-holes, there are few places in London that can claim to change your centre of gravity and the Belgravia Light Centre doesn’t boast in vain.

9-11 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX, 020 7881 0728 (lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk; thepolishedonion.com)

B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

Rolex watch was £2,900 now £2,500 | 14k Bangle was £350 now £245

Winter Sale Up to 30% Off

We buy, sell and lend exquisite fine jewellery 57 elizabeth street, london, sw1w 9pp www.lulusestatejewellery.co.uk @lulusjewellery

Residents’ Culture Exploring the minutiae of residents’ concerns and encounters

The Residents’ Association’s

February round-up Fine penmanship

I

am pleased to report that the winner of the Belgravia Residents’ Association’s Stranger to Belgravia writing competition has been announced. After pouring over the varied and compelling tales, the judges, local author Harry Ball-Weber and Jimena Connolly, marketing manager at Belgravia Books, agreed that Raymond Dring’s story of maid in Belgravia was a deserving winner. ‘A charming story, it grabs the reader from the very first word. The writer knows his craft, and you can hear the woman’s thoughts, even though the writer is a man. The story begins mid-action (always a must with short stories) and the ending gives us something to think about ... I loved it,’ says BallWeber. Also worth note, the runner-up, writing an excellent story based on a dentist in the local area, was Joanna Pegum. So congratulations to both authors and without further ado, we have the pleasure introducing the long awaited A Stranger to Belgravia by Raymund Dring.

Until next month...

belgraviaresidents.org.uk

by Sara Oliver

A Stranger to Belgravia

by Raymund Dring

“I

live in a council flat in Pimlico, and Granny told me that this bit of Westminster was badly bombed in the Blitz when they were really trying to hit Battersea Power Station just across the river.

After the war, they bulldozed what was left of the old Victorian terraces near The Thames and then built Churchill Gardens, a dozen huge great slabs of council flats. All the blocks are named after famous people, and ours was the bloke who designed Buckingham Palace, so gawd knows what he’d think of the sign stuck on the end of our yellow brick wall, saying ‘Nash House’. The next block’s called ‘De Quincey House’ but some boys once filled in the first gap with spray paint to make it read ‘DelinQuincey House’, which just about sums them up!

Believe it or not, I actually work in Belgravia, which couldn’t be more different from Churchill Gardens; all white stucco and glossy black railings. That’s where I do housework for Mrs Heathcote-James every weekday morning. I suppose you’ve got to be hyphenated with a tall Victorian house spread over five floors. At my interview, the first thing she asks is ‘How old are you, Mary?’

When I tell her I’m 19, she looks at me very suspiciouslike, as if I’m far too young to be let loose in a place filled with bleeding precious antiques.

Afterwards, I wondered what Mrs H-J would’ve thought if I’d asked how old she was. Still, that might’ve been the end of the job so perhaps it’s as well I kept me trap shut. I suppose she could be 50, but it’s hard to tell ’cause she wears loads of make-up, done lovely, of course.

Everything’s lovely there: the high ceilings with pretty plasterwork, thick Chinese rugs spread over the parquet floors, shiny brass door knobs you can see your face in – thanks to yours truly – and so many oil paintings, it’s a wonder there’re any left for the Tate Britain Gallery just up the road!

The kitchen’s state of the art; all stainless steel and polished granite, but though it’s so super-duper, they never seem to use it for any cooking. Still, that saves me having to tidy it up.

The three bathrooms have all got power showers which spray simply everywhere if I’m not careful rinsing away the Jif, so it’s a good job the walls are all marble. In the main one, there’s usually an electric razor left plugged in the socket above the right-hand basin. They’ve got ‘his’ and ‘her’ washbasins, of course. Even though I always have to flush away Mr HeathcoteJames’s dusty shavings, I’ve only ever caught the odd glimpse of him hurrying off late for work as I arrive.

Mr H-J owns a publishing company in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, but he must be printing bleeding fivers to afford all this! He still looks quite dishy though he’s got dark rings under his eyes and his hair’s gone grey.

Shame he’s away all day when he’s got such a nice place.

I must see far more of it than he does.

I’ve often heard Mrs H-J talking to him on the phone but she always calls him ‘JHJ’, and never his first name, Jeremy, as you’d expect.

Mike and I are much more pally. He’s a painter by trade, and was tarting up the Heathcote-James’s front railings when Mrs H-J asks if he knows ‘a good woman’. Funny enough, he did, and that’s how I got the cleaning job. She often asks after him, or about our marriage plans. I think she’s worried that once I start having kids, she’ll lose her home help. I suppose she’s right.

Anyhow, every time I take me break, she insists on making us both a cappuccino in one of those silver Italian contraptions that always sounds as if it’s just about to blow up, and I’ve never had the heart to tell her I like plain old instant Nescaff made with boiled milk. At least the friendly whiff of real coffee takes away the smell of furniture polish and bleach for a bit, which always makes me feel as if I’m in a bleeding clinic. Then Mrs H-J starts asking me lots of questions about ‘Michael’ though everybody else calls him Mike. She loves all the local gossip but the dreadful stabbing of that poor boy in Lupus Street didn’t go down too well.

Of course, I never ever pry into the world of the Heathcote-Jameses, so I don’t know much about them except that his nibs is out all the time in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, printing money for them to spend.

And another thing, she always follows me around, not trying to find fault, mind, but just to chat. Maybe she’s a little bit lonely left on her own all day with nothing much to do in that tall terraced house since I do all the cleaning. Yet their roof garden’s so high in the sky, you’d think she could almost climb over the trellis straight onto cloud nine.

They’ve everything they could possibly want, even their own separate walk-in wardrobes, and hers is simply groaning with expensive designer labels. Mrs H-J often hands me down dresses she’s fed up with, but doesn’t realise that she’s several sizes bigger than me so they’re not much use.

I sometimes give them to my mum but she never looks quite right in the things.

B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

When Mrs H-J’s going out somewhere really swish, she’ll put on a little fashion display, disappearing into her bedroom to try on the next outfit, and then gliding around the landing to show me all the ‘possibles’. I have to say which one I think’s best, and she never disagrees.

My reward is the offer of a cocktail with her afterwards, even if it’s more like the time for elevenses. I always say no, but she still goes and shakes up something exotic, which often turns out a horrid fizzy blue. And though there’s always enough for two, she still manages to mop up the lot.

One day, while she was hovering at the foot of the stairs with this blue gunk swilling around in her tall tumbler, Mrs H-J just wouldn’t leave me alone. I tried to take no notice of her as I polished the banister rail on my way up, but she kept rabbiting on and on.

‘You’re not listening to me, are you Mary?’ she says as I trot towards the beautiful first-floor drawing room.

‘Well, Mrs H-J, I must try to finish all my work,’ I mumbled as she follows me inside. ‘And I don’t want to suddenly lose my concentration and break any of these nice things,’ I say, now flicking my feather duster around some china figures waltzing around the top of the marble fireplace.

‘They’re not important, dear,’ she says. ‘Material possessions ultimately don’t matter very much, you know,’ she says, jabbing her frothy tumbler at a bust of some Roman geezer on a tall plinth.

‘It’s people… real people who are much more important.’

I nod but say nothing.

‘Will you be seeing your Michael again this evening?’ she asks.

I nod again, wondering why she was so bleeding interested.

‘You’re both such beautiful young people,’ she goes on.

‘Your cheeks positively glow with the bloom of youth. God! When it’s gone, you have to work so hard to look anything at all, and even then, it’s just… art and artifice,’ she says, patting her tightly-permed hairdo, and studying herself in the huge, gold-framed mirror hanging heavily over the fireplace. ‘And when JHJ comes back late in the evening, complaining that he’s completely exhausted, you start imagining Lincoln’s Inn Fields full of pretty, gambolling young lambs, every one more freshly-minted than oneself…’

‘Well, I’ve hardly ever met Mr Heathcote-James,’ I says, fearing she might be accusing me next.

‘Oh, I know that, dear!’ she exclaims. ‘What with your dependable, fresh-faced Michael, you’d be mad to even look at anyone else!’

I nodded, but then there was an awful pause.

‘I hardly ever see my other half, dear,’ she admits, plonking herself down on a chintzy armchair. ‘Even these weeping figs look more like widow’s weeds,’ she adds, now pointing her tumbler at a couple of pot-bound plants.

‘I think they’re very nice,’ I say, trying to cheer her up as I bend down to brush up a few fallen leaves into my dustpan.

Then she sucks her tumbler so dry, its ice and wedge of lemon slide down and bump against her nose with a little puff of powder.

Banging the glass down on a gilded table with an awful crash, she gets up and runs her glittering fingers over a large bronze sculpture, which I’ve never worked out what it is.

‘Maybe,’ she says eventually, ‘but our place seems crammed with expensive emptiness… like the holes in this Henry Moore.’

I hadn’t a clue what she meant, mind you, I’m a bit of stranger in Belgravia…”

025

Residents’ Culture Exploring the minutiae of residents’ concerns and encounters

Wise

Owl

Belgravian

Moments

Wise Owl is not best pleased by plans to cut benefits for ‘better off pensioners’

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Briana Handte-Lesesne has active aspirations and sport on the mind

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he Russian city of Sochi on the Black Sea near the Caucasus Mountains will host the 22nd Winter Olympic Games this month, from 7-23 February.

More than 6,000 athletes from 85 countries will compete in 15 sports; 89 events will take place, from alpine and cross-country skiing to speed and figure skating, with more than three billion viewers expected to tune in.

In Belgravia, you won’t find any Olympic athletes in training. However, you will find an array of sports and activities to get you in shape for spring.

In Belgrave Square Garden, Eaton Square Garden and Cadogan Gardens, I have never seen so many residents playing tennis in the dead of winter. In fact, I have witnessed more tennis players on the courts in the height of February’s frigid temperatures than in the summertime. In Belgrave Square, there are future plans for an outdoor gym in the garden that will also

offer residents the opportunity for training lessons and sessions.

Not far from Victoria Station, the Queen Mother Sports Centre offers an indoor pool, gym and racket sports. The Peak Health Club at the Jumeriah Carlton Tower on Sloane Street boasts an indoor golf-simulator, in addition to a pool and personal trainers to put you through your paces. Conveniently, the restaurant on the ninth floor overlooking Cadogan Gardens, offers a healthy buffet for a pre/ post workout lunch. Grace Belgravia, the members club for women only, has a varied menu of yoga, pilates and spin classes to get you resort ready in February too.

And for the little people, a quick game of football or sprints and laps around the private gardens (mind you obey the rules!) could turn anyone of them into a future Olympian.

Best of luck to all the athletes during the Winter 2014 Olympic Games.

here is currently a dispute between senior ministers whether or not to scrap fuel benefit and free bus passes for so called ‘better off pensioners.’

This would surely cost a lot in terms of administration and would probably bring very little financial benefit to the exchequer. It would, however, annoy a number of key Conservative voters, who might then defect to UKIP. Most of these people have worked hard all of their lives and paid a lot of tax and do not deserve to be kicked in the teeth by the Chancellor.

The Treasury must work out real savings that could be achieved, before considering this disastrous course of action.

The views expressed on this page are not held by the Residents’ Journal. The page offers a platform for the voices of our local residents to discuss topics they feel relevant and important.

Planning &Development Keeping you in the know about important street plans affecting Belgravia

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

DATE RECEIVED

ADDRESS

PROPOSAL

2 December

Grosvenor Crescent Mews

Demolition of the existing building to provide single family dwelling

2 December

Eaton Square

Internal alterations to entrance hall

4 December

St Barnabas Street

Installation of photovoltaic panels on roof

9 December

Lower Belgrave Street

Removal of concrete plinth above light well

9 December

Ebury Mews

Excavation to form new basement level

12 December

Eaton Terrace

Construction of replacement extension at lower-ground floor

Plans for 100 new homes Designs for new, bigger homes, green spaces and community facilities at Ebury Bridge in Westminster have been drawn up in partnership with residents who also voted to make the project happen.

In total, eight blocks will be redeveloped creating between 90-100 new homes, including affordable properties, and work will take place to improve five existing blocks in the neighbourhood.

The development is located opposite the former Chelsea Barracks site, which has also been earmarked for substantial redevelopment, beginning in 2014.

For more information, view eburybridge.co.uk

planned road works

STREET

PLANNED WORK

DATES

WORKS OWNER

Lyall Street

New electricity supply to BT cabinet

1-4 February

UKPN (0800 028 4587)

Eaton Square

Modernisation of traffic signal equipment (requires off peak road closure)

1-28 February

TFL (0845 305 1234)

Wilton Road

Modernisation of TFL traffic signal equipment

1-28 February

TFL

Hobart Place

Modernisation of TFL traffic signal equipment

1-28 February

TFL

Buckingham Palace Road

Laying ducts and HV cables

3-28 February

UKPN

Elizabeth Street

Installation of 7m of polyduct into footway

19-28 February

BT (0800 800 150)

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The Belgravia

Directory

A compendium of the area’s key establishments

Estate Agents Andrew Reeves 77-79 Ebury Street 020 7881 1366

Douglas Lyons & Lyons 33 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 7933

Knight Frank 82-83 Chester Square 020 7881 7722

Ayrton Wylie 16 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 4628

Harrods Estates 82 Brompton Road 020 7225 6506

Savills 139 Sloane Street 020 7730 0822

Best Gapp & Cassells 81 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 9253

Henry & James 1 Motcomb Street 020 7235 8861

Strutt & Parker 66 Sloane Street 020 7235 9959

Cluttons 84 Bourne Street 020 7730 0303

John D Wood 48 Elizabeth Street 020 7824 7900

W A Ellis 174 Brompton Road 020 7306 1600

Wellbelove Quested 160 Ebury Street 020 7881 0880

Food & Drink BARS Amaya Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street 020 7823 1166 The Garden Room (cigar) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599 The Library Bar (wine) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599 Tiles Restaurant and Wine Bar 36 Buckingham Palace Road 020 7834 7761

CAFÉS Bella Maria 4 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7976 6280 Caffe Reale 23 Grosvenor Gardens 020 7592 9322

The Green Café 16 Eccleston Street 020 7730 5304 ll Corriere 6 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 2087 The Old English Coffee House 1 Montrose Place 020 7235 3643 Patisserie Valerie 17 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6161 Tomtom Coffee House 114 Ebury Street 020 7730 1771 Valerie Victoria 38 Buckingham Palace Road 020 7630 9781

PUBLIC HOUSES/ DINING ROOMS The Antelope 22-24 Eaton Terrace 020 7824 8512

The Orange 37 Pimlico Road 020 7881 9844 theorange.co.uk

The Pantechnicon 10 Motcomb Street 020 7730 6074 thepantechnicon.com

The Thomas Cubitt 44 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 6060 thethomascubitt.co.uk

RESTAURANTS Como Lario 18-22 Holbein Place 020 7730 9046 Il Convivio 143 Ebury Street 020 7730 4099

Olivo (Italian & Sardinian) 21 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2505 Zafferano (Italian) 15 Lowndes Street 020 7235 5800

Motcombs 26 Motcomb Street 020 7235 6382 motcombs.co.uk

Mango Tree 46 Grosvenor Place 020 7823 1888 Pétrus 1 Kinnerton Street 020 7592 1609

Health & Beauty BARBER

DOCTORS

Giuseppe D’Amico 20 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2968

The Belgrave Medical Centre 13 Pimlico Road 020 7730 5171

DENTISTS

The Belgravia Surgery 26 Eccleston Street 020 7590 8000

The Beresford Clinic 2 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7821 9411 Motcomb Street Dentist 3 Motcomb Street 020 7235 6531 The Wilton Place Practice 31 Wilton Place 020 7235 3824

Michael Garry Personal Training 54b Ebury Street 020 7730 6255

Motcomb Green 61 Ebury Street 020 7235 2228

Yogoji (Yoga) 54a Ebury Street 020 7730 7473

Stephen Casali 161 Ebury Street 020 7730 2196

HAIR SALONS

MEDISPA

Colin & Karen Hair Design 39 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 7440

Bijoux Medi-Spa 149 Ebury Street 020 7730 0765

The Light Centre Belgravia 9 Eccleston Street 020 7881 0728

The Daniel Galvin Jr. Salon 4a West Halkin Street 020 3416 3116

earthspa 4 Eccleston Street 020 7823 6226

FINISHING TOUCHES

Humphrey -Carrasco 43 Pimlico Road 020 7730 9911

Westenholz 80-82 Pimlico Road 020 7824 8090

Jamb 107a Pimlico Road 020 7730 2122

88 Gallery 86-88 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2728

Lamberty 46 Pimlico Road 020 7823 5115

Ahuan Gallery 17 Eccleston Street 020 7730 9382

Linley 60 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7300

Gallery 25 26 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516

Mark Wilkinson Kitchens 10 West Halkin Street 020 7235 1845

Gauntlett Gallery 90-92 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516

Dr Kalina 109 Ebury Street 020 7730 4805

GYM/ FITNESS

SPA

Home ANTIQUES Bennison 16 Holbein Place 020 7730 8076 Turkmen Gallery 8 Eccleston Street 020 7730 8848 Patrick Jefferson 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6161

ARCHITECTS/ DESIGN Marston & Langinger 194 Ebury Street 020 7881 5700 Paul Davis + Partners 178 Ebury Street 020 7730 1178

ARTEFACTS Odyssey Fine Arts 24 Holbein Place 020 7730 9942

CLEANING Kudu Services Discreet, confidential cleaning services for offices and homes of distinction 27 Mortimer Street 020 8704 5988 kuduservices.co.uk

B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

Paint Services Company 19 Eccleston Street 020 7730 6408 Rachel Vosper (candles) 69 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 9666 Ramsay (prints) 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6776 Sebastian D’Orsai (framer) 77 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 8366 Zuber 42 Pimlico Road 020 7824 8265

FURNITURE Ciancimino 85 Pimlico Place 020 7730 9959

Ossowski 83 Pimlico Road 020 7730 3256 Promemoria UK 99 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2514

The Dining Chair Company 4 St Barnabas Street 020 7259 0422

Soane 50-52 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6400

Hemisphere 97 Lower Sloane Street 020 7730 9810

Talisman 190-192 Ebury Street 020 7730 7800

GALLERIES

Gordon Watson 28 Pimlico Road 020 7259 0555 John Adams Fine Art 200 Ebury Street 020 7730 8999 The Osborne Studio Gallery 2 Motcomb Street 020 7235 9667

INTERIOR DESIGN Chester Designs 9 Chester Square Mews 020 7730 4333

029

The Belgravia

Directory Fashion BOUTIQUES Le Spose Di Giò (wedding dresses) 81 Ebury Street 020 7901 9020 le-spose-di-gio.it

Christian Louboutin 23 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6510

Patricia Roberts 60 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 474

Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590

Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992

Lynton Hotel 113 Ebury Street 020 7730 4032

The Belgravia Mews Hotel 50 Ebury Street 020 7730 5434

The Sloane Club 52 Lower Sloane Street 020 7730 9131

Morgan Guest House 120 Ebury Street 020 7730 2384

The Diplomat Hotel 2 Chesham Street 020 7235 1544

Tophams Hotel 24-32 Ebury Street 020 7730 3313

Westminster House Hotel 96 Ebury Street 020 7730 4302

Lime Tree Hotel 135-137 Ebury Street 020 7730 8191

LUXURY

BOUTIQUE Astors Hotel 110-112 Ebury Street 020 7730 0158

The Rubens at the Palace 39 Buckingham Palace Road 020 7834 6600

BOOKMAKERS

SOLICITORS

Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)

Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk

Hotels B&Bs B+B Belgravia & Studios@82 64-66 Ebury Street 020 7259 8570 Belgravia Hotel 118 Ebury Street 020 7259 0050 Cartref House 129 Ebury Street 020 7730 6176 Lord Milner Hotel 111 Ebury Street 020 7881 9880

The Berkeley Wilton Place 020 7235 6000 The Goring 15 Beeston Place 020 7396 9000

Services BANKS Duncan Lawrie Private Banking 1 Hobart Place 020 7245 1234 duncanlawrie.com

C Hoare & Co 32 Lowndes Street 020 7245 6033 Royal Bank of Scotland 24 Grosvenor Place 020 7235 1882

Coral Racing 67 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6516 William Hill 12 Buckingham Palace Road 08705 181 715

Child & Child 14 Grosvenor Crescent 020 7235 8000 childandchild.co.uk

Eaton Square School 79 Eccleston Square 020 7931 9469 Francis Holland School 39 Graham Terrace 020 7730 2971

CHARITIES

EDUCATION

British Red Cross 85 Ebury Street 020 7730 2235

Cameron House School 4 The Vale 020 7352 4040

Garden House School Turks Row 020 7730 1652

Eaton House School 3-5 Eaton Gate 020 7924 6000

GEMS Hampshire School 15 Manresa Road 020 7352 7077

Glendower Preparatory School 86-87 Queen’s Gate 020 7370 1927

Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate 020 7589 3587

Hill House International Junior School Hans Place 020 7584 1331

Sussex House School 68 Cadogan Square 020 7584 1741

Knightsbridge School 67 Pont Street 020 7590 9000 Miss Daisy’s Nursery Ebury Square 020 7730 5797 More House School 22-24 Pont Street 020 7235 2855

Thomas’s Kindergarten 14 Ranelagh Grove 020 7730 3596

EXCLUSIVE The Caledonian Club 9 Halkin Street 020 7235 5162 caledonianclub.com

FLORISTS Catherine Muller 53 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0196 catherinemuller.com

IT SUPPORT Dashwood Solutions Contact Jonny Hyam for all your IT needs 07787 507 407

Neill Strain Floral Couture 11 West Halkin Street 020 7235 6469

POST OFFICE

Judith Blacklock Flower School 4-5 Kinnerton Place South 020 7235 6235

TRAVEL

Post Office 6 Eccleston Street 0845 722 3344

Passepartout Homes Ltd 020 7513 2876 passepartout-homes.com info@passepartout-homes.com

Speciality Shops BAKERIES

DELI

Polisher

Baker & Spice 54-56 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3033

La Bottega 25 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2730

F Bennett and Son 9 Chester Square Mews 020 7730 6546

Ottolenghi 13 Motcomb Street 020 7823 2707

GREENGROCERS

NEWSAGENT

Charles of Belgravia 27 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 5210

Mayhew Newsagents 15 Motcomb Street 020 7235 5770

CIGAR SPECIALIST Tomtom Cigars 63 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1790

BOOKS Belgravia Books 59 Ebury Street 020 7259 9336 belgraviabooks.com

CONFECTIONERS Peggy Porschen 116 Ebury Street 020 7730 1316 Pierre Hermé Paris 13 Lowndes Street 020 7245 0317 Rococo Chocolates 5 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0993

B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

JEWELLERS Carolina Bucci 4 Motcomb Street 020 7838 9977 David Thomas Master Goldsmith 65 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7710 De Vroomen 59 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1901 Erickson Beamon 38 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0202

Elizabeth Gage 5 West Halkin Street 020 7823 0100 eg@elizabeth-gage.com elizabeth-gage.com

PERFUMERIES Annick Goutal 20 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0248 Les Senteurs 71 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 2322

Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com

Pet accessories Mungo & Maud 79 Elizabeth Street 020 7022 1207

031

savills.co.uk

1 DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY buckingham place, sw1 Double fronted period building ø arranged over 5 floors ø lift ø patio garden ø planning permission granted for conversion to a single family house ø 661 sq m (7,115 sq ft) ø EPC=E Guide £6 million Freehold

Savills Sloane Street Noel De Keyzer ndekeyzer@savills.com

020 7730 0822

savills.co.uk

1 IMMACULATE PENTHOUSE WITH SPECTACULAR ROOF TERRACE eaton square, sw1 Reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø 3 bedroom suites ø roof terrace ø roof storage ø Grade II listed ø 239 sq m (2,575 sq ft) Guide £15 million Leasehold, approximately 122 years remaining

Savills Knightsbridge

Savills Sloane Street

Alex Christian achristian@savills.com

Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com

020 7581 5234

020 7730 0822

savills.co.uk

1 A SPACIOUS LATE VICTORIAN BELGRAVIA HOUSE ranelagh grove, sw1 2 reception rooms ø study ø kitchen ø master bedroom suite ø 2 further bedrooms ø further bathroom ø utility room ø garden ø 237 sq m (2,557 sq ft) ø EPC=E Guide £3.95 million Freehold

Savills Knightsbridge

Savills Sloane Street

Matthew Morton-Smith mmsmith@savills.com

Charles Holbrook cholbrook@savills.com

020 7581 5234

020 7730 0822

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

1

A BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED FAMILY HOME IN A CHARACTERFUL STREET ranelagh grove, sw1 3 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø garden ø 145 sq m (1,565 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=C

Savills Sloane Street Murdi Van Hien mvanhien@savills.com

020 7824 9005 Unfurnished £1,500 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

FROM BELGRAVE SQUARE TO EBURY SQUARE

KNIGHT FRANK KNOWS BELGRAVIA BELGRAVIA’S ADDRESSES ARE AS WELCOMING Tom Smith, head of our Belgravia lettings office and his team are renowned for their years of experience and their property expertise. They specialise in renting a range of properties from mews and town houses, to pied-à-terres and penthouse apartments.

The team’s in depth knowledge of the local market, combined with an extensive network of offices in the UK and around the world, means that it is possible to match properties to the best tenant.

To find out more about how Knight Frank can help with your property requirements, call Knight Frank Belgravia.

020 3641 6006 KnightFrank.co.uk/belgravia

AS THE LOCAL KNIGHT FRANK TEAM

KnightFrank.co.uk

K

Grosvenor Crescent Mews, Belgravia SW1 Mews house with rare private garden

A particularly wide double fronted house in a secure gated mews a short walk from Hyde Park and Knightsbridge. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 2 further bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, drawing room, dining room, kitchen/breakfast room, sitting room, guest cloakroom, garden, garage. EPC rating D. Approximately 190 sq m (2,052 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ4,850,000 (BGV130172)

KnightFrank.co.uk/belgravia belgravia@knighfrank.com 020 3641 5910

A P ro p e rt y B e yo n d Wo r d s.

An incredible stucco-fronted five bedroom house located in the heart of Belgravia. The property features 4 reception rooms, 5 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, cloakroom, garden atrium and a stunning terrace. EPC rating D. Price on application.

KnightFrank.co.uk

Freehold. To arrange a viewing call

020 7881 7722

EBURY STREET

WARWICK SQUARE, SW1 An exceptionally well presented lateral apartment arranged across the 3rd floor of two handsome Grade II Listed period buildings, with direct views over the garden square.

4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, lift, communal gardens.

Freehold Share Guide Price £2,895,000

SOLD

Eaton Place, SW1

SOLD

Guide £4,850,000 Bourne Street, SW1

SOLD

Guide £7,750,000 Eaton Square, SW1

BELGRAVIA 020 7824 7900 belgravia@johndwood.co.uk

Belgravia Residents Journal Feb14.indd 1

SOLD

Guide £1,650,000 Lowndes Place, SW1

Guide £1,895,000

johndwood.co.uk

14/01/2014 10:04

KINNERTON STREET, LONDON, SW1X TWO BEDROOMS FREEHOLD GROSS INTERNAL AREA 1114 SQ FT/103SQ M

£2,750,000 Reception Room, Kitchen, Conservatory, Two Double En-suite Bedrooms, Patio A charming and beautifully presented freehold house in one of London’s prettiest and most sought after streets. This is a particularly well laid out home, which includes a deceptively large amount of entertaining space, a kitchen/dining room and an impressive double height conservatory that leads to a west facing patio. The sitting room features a victorian wrought

iron fireplace and a delightful juliet balcony overlooking the conservatory. On the upper floors are two double bedrooms both with en suite bathrooms. The house is situated on the Western side of the road and has all the local shops and restaurants of Motcomb Street within a minutes walk. EPC E.

BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

CARYSFORT HOUSE, WEST HALKIN STREET, LONDON, SW1X LEASEHOLD THREE BEDROOMS GROSS INTERNAL AREA: 1,348 SQ FT/ 125 SQ M

ÂŁ3,650,000 stc Reception room with study area, Kitchen, Two double bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, Terrace.

An exceptional two double bedroom apartment with terrace situated on the raised ground floor of this impressive period building. Presented to a very high standard and thoughtfully decorated, the property offers well planned accommodation including a spacious entrance hall, large reception room with study area, guest cloakroom, well appointed kitchen and

large utility room with storage above. Also generous master bedroom quietly situated to the rear of the building with en suite bathroom and double doors leading to the demised terrace, second double bedroom and en suite bathroom.

Features in the reception room include good ceiling heights, cornicing, south facing windows and marble fireplace. EPC C.

BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

LOWNDES SQUARE, LONDON, SW1X ONE BEDROOM FURNISHED

£995

PER WEEK stc Double bedroom, Bathroom, Open-plan reception room, Kitchen, Guest cloakroom/utility room, Lift, Communal gardens, Wood floors An exceptional one bedroom apartment on the second floor of this perfectly positioned building in Lowndes Square.

Accommodation comprises a lovely west-facing open plan reception room/dining room/kitchen with bright views directly over the communal gardens, a large double bedroom with ample storage space located to the rear of the building, en-suite

bathroom and a separate utility room/guest cloakroom. The property benefits from high ceilings and hard wood flooring throughout as well as access to the communal gardens. We will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. For further details of our services and charges please call our office. EPC C.

BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

RUTLAND COURT, LONDON, SW7 THREE BEDROOMS UNFURNISHED/FURNISHED

£1,950

PER WEEK stc Three en suite bedrooms, 24/7 porter, CCTV, Parking, Communal gym and personal trainer, Central heating and hot water included This newly refurbished flat has been finished to an exceptional standard with solid wood flooring in the principal rooms, home cinema system, plasma 3D TVs and surround sound fitted throughout. Accommodation comprises reception room, separate kitchen with integrated appliances, utility room, master bedroom with dressing area and en-suite bathroom,

two further double bedrooms with built-in wardrobes and ensuite showers. Inclusive within the rent is the central heating and hot water, communal gym and personal trainer service. We will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. For further details of our services and charges please call our office. EPC D.

BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1 • 3 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms (en suite) • Guest cloakroom • 2 Reception rooms • Fully fitted kitchen • 4 Balconies • Porter • Approx. 2,037 sq ft (189 sq m) • EPC rating: current (D) potential (D)

£4,750 per week Furnished

Charlie Woods 020 7306 1630 cwoods@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. A minimum of six weeks’ rent will be required for all proper ties. For fur ther details of our services and charges please visit waellis.com.

Grosvenor Crescent Mews, Belgravia SW1 • 2/3 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms (en suite) • Drawing room • Dining room • Kitchen • Integral garage • Estate manager • Approx. 1,702 sq ft (158 sq m) • EPC rating: current (C) potential (B)

£3,750,000 Leasehold with 116 years remaining

Richard Barber 020 7306 1620 rbarber@waellis.com

2263

The forecasted GDP of China in 2050

A year full of Eastern promise 新年快乐

W.A.Ellis is delighted to welcome the year of the horse, foretelling of good fortune.

Investing time and knowledge in the growing Eastern market enhances our strong global presence and extensive overseas relationships. Read our research into China’s growth in 2014 at waellis.com/research

W.A.Ellis – where East meets West

@waellis | 020 7306 1600 Selling, Letting, Property management, Refurbishment, Surveying and Valuation *UK independent schools. Source: W.A.Ellis – Far East investors in London

2263_WAEllis_BR130107_K&Cad_A4.indd 1

20/01/2014 11:54

77-79 Ebury Street, Belgravia, SW1W 0NZ www.andrewreeves.co.uk

Eaton Terrace, Belgravia SW1 £1,200 per week Unfurnished An attractive three bedroom town house situated in the heart of Belgravia, which has been newly refurbished to a very high standard. The property comprises an impressive kitchen/breakfast room, ground floor reception room, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a private terrace and a patio garden. The property is close to shops and restaurants, convenient for both Victoria and Sloane Square Stations.

• Three bedroom house • Newly refurbished • Reception Room • Kitchen/breakfast room • Two bathrooms • Separate WC • Private terrace & patio garden • 1,419 Sq.Ft / 132 Sq.M.

Evelyn Mansions, Westminster SW1 £795 per week Furnished A very spacious two bedroom ground floor mansion apartment. The property retains many original features and benefits from high ceilings and wood flooring throughout. A large reception room, master bedroom with ensuite, a second bedroom and bathroom. The property is convenient for shopping in Victoria Street and the transport connections of Victoria Station.

• Large reception room • Fully fitted kitchen • Two bedrooms • Two bathrooms • High ceilings • 1,270 Sq.Ft / 118 Sq.M.

Lettings Office: lettings@andrewreeves.co.uk +44 (0)20 7881 1366

Sales Office: sales@andrewreeves.co.uk +44 (0)20 7881 1333

THE CLOCK IS TICKING!

The shorter your lease, the more it will cost to extend.

We offer expert advice and knowledge in dealing with leasehold enfranchisement and negotiating on your behalf with freeholders.

ESTATE AGENTS, SURVEYORS AND PROPERTY CONSULTANTS 81 Elizabeth Street, Eaton Square, London SW1W 9PG Tel: 020 7730 9253 Fax: 020 7730 8212 Email: reception@bestgapp.co.uk

www.bestgapp.co.uk

Over 100 years experience in Belgravia

We believe that every building is one-of-akind. Every design is created to a unique, specific and personal vision. And every project requires individual understanding, research and planning.

Blending architectural flair with building surveying professionalism. Collaborating with clients, suppliers, engineers and builders.

Together we create original and beautiful bespoke houses. We are experienced and pragmatic, fresh thinking and innovative; we are Pennington Phillips.

Pennington Phillips 16 Spectrum House 32–34 Gordon House Road London NW5 1LP t: 020 7267 1414 f: 020 7267 7878 design@penningtonphillips.co.uk

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge SW1

A dramatic triplex apartment with private original front door to the “key house” of this white stucco fronted terrace overlooking communal gardens.

£12,500,000 Share of Freehold

4,016 sq ft (373.1 sq m) EPC Rating D Own front door | Entrance hall | Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen/breakfast room | Master bedroom suite | Two further en suite bedrooms | Study/bedroom four | Shower room | Guest WC/Utility room | Roof terrace | Patio

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 charlie.willis@struttandparker.com

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Wilton Street, Belgravia SW1

A bright, end of terrace, interior designed and architecturally sensational, fully modernised period house with up to six bedrooms, located close to Belgrave Square and Hyde Park.

4,267 sq ft (396 sq m) EPC Rating D Entrance hall | Kitchen/breakfast room | Dining room | Drawing room | Studio/Sitting room | Library | Galleried library | Cloakroom | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room | Four further bedrooms | Study/bedroom six | Six further bathrooms | Laundry room | Safe | Terrace

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 charlie.willis@struttandparker.com JSA Russell Simpson 020 7225 0277

£11,000,000 Freehold

St Michael’s Mews, Belgravia SW1

Superbly located within the prestigious Belgravia Place development, this immaculately presented four bedroom townhouse offers light, spacious and flexible accommodation.

ÂŁ5,500,000 Share of Freehold

2,700 sq ft (250.8 sq m) EPC Rating C Entrance hall | Reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Utility room | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms | Two bathrooms | Cloakroom | Patio garden | Roof terrace | Double garage | Caretaker

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959

james.gilbert-green@struttandparker.com JSA W.A Ellis 020 7306 1620

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

One Hyde Park, Knightsbridge SW1

A spacious two bedroom apartment situated in this iconic new development on the first and ground floor with views of Hyde Park.

1,686 sq ft (157 sq m) EPC Rating C Entrance hall | Reception/dining room | Kitchen | Master bedroom with en suite bathroom | Guest bedroom with en suite bathroom | Cloakroom | Terrace | Private wine store | Concierge | Cinema | Pool | Gym | Spa | Parking space

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 james.forbes@struttandparker.com

£9,500,000 Leasehold

BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal O C T O B E R 201 3

I S S U E 01 7

The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from The Belgravia Residents’ Association. To become a member of the BRA, visit www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk.

We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.

w w w. R e s i d e n t s J o u r n a l . c o . u k (020) 7987 4320

Residents

JOURNAL www. Re si dentsJ ouRnal . co. uk 020 7987 4320