BELGRAVIA
A particular take on property
2015
Resident’s Journal J U LY 201 5
I SSU E 0 3 8
Step inside your local office for a copy of magazine Market leaders in Knightsbridge and Belgravia
The Belgravia Residents’ Journal is published independently by Runwild Media Group with regular editorial contributions from Belgravian residents. We would highly value any feedback you wish to email us with: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk; or telephone us on 020 7987 4320.
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08/04/2015 10:38
Dear Resident
,
After the madness that June brings, things traditionally tend to wind down a little bit over the summer in Belgravia. Everybody feels a little more time-rich and relaxed. To accommodate the mood, the Belgravia Residents’ Journal has a particularly sybaritic issue in store. Enjoy a Belgravia breakfast fit for a king with our shortlist of best local establishments. Instead of the odd bit of dry toast or a banana, you will definitely salivate when you flick to page 13 with our shortlist of seven breakfasts. The Lanesborough has finally re-opened after a mammoth refurbishment, flick to page 10 to check in with the staff in charge of the place. Talking of hotels, find out more about The Berkeley Health Club & Spa on page 22. Elsewhere, Hannah Lemon reviews Violence and Son at the Royal Court theatre (page 27), while this arty trend continues with a much-loved and talented local, jewellery designer Tessa Packard, featuring as this month’s Belgravian (page 18). Please do not hesitate to get in contact with all your news and updates by emailing belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk. Alternatively, tweet us @thebelgravian. We hope you enjoy the issue.
Managing Editor Francesca Lee Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason Editorial Intern Elizabeth Sersta Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood
Managing Director Eren Ellwood Senior Designer Sophie Blain Production Hugo Wheatley Oscar Viney Jamie Steele Alice Ford
Publishing Director Giles Ellwood General Manager Fiona Fenwick
Above / Nyumba Salon, 1 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EE (nyumbasalon.com). Turn to page 21 for more information.
Proudly published & printed in the UK by
Executive Director Sophie Roberts RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP
Client Relationship Manager Friday Dalrymple Business Development Manager Nicola Bloomfield
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
Jive it
Salmontini is fast establishing itself as a destination for that tricky mix of both locals and visitors. Looking to cement this reputation, the restaurant is hiring some of the UK’s most syncopated young jazz artists to perform every Thursday evening. Among those scheduled to perform are 50 Second Street, Luke Higgins, The Script and Pixie Lott. 6pm-11.30pm, 30 July, Salmontini, 1 Pont Street, SW1X 9EJ, 020 7118 1999 (salmontini.co.uk)
Girl meets dress
Beulah, following its successful popup on Elizabeth Street, has announced its first stand-alone store at 145 Ebury Street. Based on British design, heritage and the empowerment of women, it has gained quite a following over the past five years as a luxury brand with a conscience because alongside its retail operation sits the Beulah Trust – a charitable foundation that supports victims of trafficking. 145 Ebury Street, SW1W 9QN, 020 7730 0775 (beulahlondon.com)
Education, education, education
During the longest days of the year we like to ape our continental cousins and, wincing occasionally, sip lots of warm vin du pays on social occasions. Some, trying to rise above the occasion, endeavour to make the experience a pleasurable one and learn about wine. Susy Atkins, wine expert for the Sunday Telegraph and Saturday Kitchen, is looking out for those people and hopes to impart some wisdom to the initiates at the Wine Rooms, on the lower ground floor of Harrods on 30th July. There there’ll be eight wines to be sampled, set to the backdrop of live music. £45 per person, 7.30-9.30pm, Harrods, SW1X 7XL, 020 7893 8777 or email wineshop@harrods.com
Leading from the front Many art galleries follow the crowd, but a few make it come to them. John Adams Fine Art Gallery surely sits in the latter category. Back in 2008, it introduced the French artist Othello Radou (1910-2006) to the UK; since then, there have been four sell-out exhibitions of his paintings. Recently the artist’s ‘Estate’ has released a small collection of preparatory oil sketches, each one a work of art in its own right, to the gallery in conjunction with its 25th anniversary. The geometric forms won’t be to everybody’s taste but his exuberant joie de vivre surely will at the Achieving Harmony exhibition.
From top: ‘L’Automne en Provence’ ‘Le Port en Printemps II’, both by Othello Radou
6-31 July, John Adams Fine Art Gallery, 200 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UN, 020 7730 8999 (johnadamsfineart.com)
Secret gardens
Everybody knows The Goring has a garden roughly the size of a tennis court and that it usually has a party playing a fairly decent game of croquet on it in the summer time. Few, however, know about The Nook and The Cranny, the two secret ‘green rooms’ – enclosed by hedges and sporting furniture and fireplaces. It’s the perfect place for up to 15 people to enjoy the produce of Bollinger, one of James Bond’s favourite Champagne houses, which incidentally, has been invited into the garden. The Goring, Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW, 020 7396 9000 (thegoring.com)
Dancing through life Space without place
July is the last month you can catch Harry Cory Wright’s exhibition, Anglia, at the Eleven Fine Art Gallery. A Norfolk lad, he’s caught some incredible shots of geography that have no specific place in Britain. The result is mystifying as the mind fails to tag the images with any obvious connotations. His own theory is that the pictures prompt us to observe the timelessness of the present. He’s helped by a fantastic printers in London by the name of Bayeux, that works closely with him to create the initial prints which start to reveal the information from the negative. The results may not be uniformly summery, nonetheless this is undoubtedly one of the season’s best offerings. Until 18 July, Eleven Fine Art Gallery, 11 Eccleston Street, SW1X 9LX, 020 7823 5540 (elevenfineart.com) Above, from top: Twilight West Territory; Deep Space North
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
Having recently been heard performing alongside the legendary Madeline Bell for Radio 2’s Billie Holiday tribute concert, Gloria Onitiri hits The St James Theatre Studio this 12 and 19 July. Her powerful, sultry voice has won critical acclaim, mainly for its moody (yet uplifting) lilt. Go and see how she does it. Tickets from £10 online, £25 on the door, St James Theatre, 12 Palace Street, SW1E 5JA, 0844 264 2140 (stjamestheatre.co.uk)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Lens in
high places Peter Dazeley has photographed some of London’s most iconic venues, the Belgravia Residents’ Journal explores further
Peter Dazeley shot by Rank in
Spiral staircase at Midland Bank
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W
hen a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,’ said Samuel Johnson, in one of the most quotable phrases about the capital to this day, summing up the true spectacle of the city in just 12 words. Whether it’s tales of Roman history in the days of Londinium encapsulated by the remains of defensive wall or enjoying the place as it stands today in its metropolitan, multicultural glory, it’s hard not to be infatuated with London, whether you’re a tourist or resident. One man who has taken his ardour for London to a whole new level is photographer Peter Dazeley, or Peter Dazeley FRPS (fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society). ‘Having left school at 15 with very little education, it was fun to be given a fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society, and to have initials after my name,’ he laughs. Camera in hand, Peter spent four years capturing the hidden nooks and crannies of the capital for his hugely successful book Unseen London, which was published at the end of 2014 by Frances Lincoln. The images he captured have since gone ‘viral’, spanning across national news websites, television programmes and social media. To add fuel to the spreading fire, Peter is now exhibiting his mesmerising photographs of the capital in the OXO Tower Restaurant on the South Bank during the summer. The show and book take the viewer through some of London’s biggest landmarks such as Big Ben and the Bank of England, but also some
perhaps previously hidden or ignored spaces such as the historic, poster-adorned Repton Boxing Club in Bethnal Green and the astonishing Byzantine-style Crossness Pumping Station in Abbey Wood. A Londoner born and bred, the inspiration for Peter’s book came from his bachelor pad on the river which overlooked Battersea Power Station, where he
Peter spent four years capturing the hidden nooks and crannies of the capital watched the gradual dilapidation of the iconic site. ‘I managed to get access for the day and had a lot of fun in a hard hat, boots and a reflective top. However, I wasn’t alone; there were thousands of foxes, rats and peregrine falcons,’ Peter recalls. This was the starting point of his four-year project. ‘A light went off in my head and I thought it would be really cool if I could blag my way into places,’ he continues. So, putting pen to paper and ear to phone, Peter began trying to gain access to remarkable buildings across London including, 10 Downing Street, The In & Out Navy and Military Club in St James’s Square [pictured], the Old Bailey,
PHOTOGRAPHY
Freemasons’ Hall, Harrow School, Abbey Road Studios and Whitechapel Bell Foundry. ‘It was a fantastic experience to discover places I didn’t know about previously,’ he adds. Having built up great connections with friends, clients and associates over the past 40-odd years, he was able to reach out when he was having difficulty with accessing certain places. After a long time (and eight legal documents) Peter was given permission to photograph inside the Bank of England, the imperial, neo-classical structure that looms over the Square Mile. ‘That was a real scream to get inside,’ he tells me. ‘But they wouldn’t let me anywhere near the vaults,’ he says with disappointment. Obviously, gaining access to these incredible buildings is a tough process, which sometimes ends in rejection. For Peter, his biggest disappointment was not being given access to the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. The process of creating his book was a learning curve for Peter. ‘I didn’t know London anywhere near as well as I thought I did. This series of images only just touches the surface, there’s so much other stuff, it could have gone on forever,’ he explains. ‘It’s nice to be able to share my city with other Londoners and people around the world. We live in a wonderful city that’s been here a long time,’ he adds. The dazzling collection of photographs is universally appealing; whether you’re a tourist, a lifelong Londoner, an architect enthusiast, or a history buff, don’t miss your chance to view or buy his precious images. His work becomes more important when you appreciate that some of these buildings might not be here in the future. These aren’t just images, they’re also a slice of London’s history. See the Unseen London exhibition at the OXO Tower Restaurant now. For more information on Peter Dazeley, visit peterdazeley.com
All photographs on this page: The In & Out Navy & Military Club
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Une nouvelle
mise en scène
The Lanesborough will represent the most anticipated hotel re-opening of the year. Having closed its doors on the 20th December 2013, the entire hotel will unveil new designs imagined by world renowned interior designer, Alberto Pinto. The Belgravia Residents’ Journal talks to the key players about how they feel as it re-opens
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
The executive chef:
florian favario ‘Eric Frechon (the chef patron) and I have forged an impeccable working relationship. We are excited to bring French savoir-faire to one of London’s most celebrated addresses. The Lanesborough is a leader on the international hotel scene; it recently joined the prestigious Oetker Collection. It’s really up there with Le Bristol. It’s my first involvement working with a hotel outside of France, so I’m working hard to forge new relationships with British suppliers – only the best local ingredients will be used. The cuisine will be French, modern, imaginative and tinged with international influences. In addition to lunches and dinners at our signature restaurant, we’ll put emphasis on private and ‘in-room’ dining, breakfast and afternoon tea services, as the quality of our culinary expertise must be reflected across the entire hotel.’
The head butler:
Daniel Jordaan ‘I am extremely excited to be welcoming guests back in to The Lanesborough after such a long break. As soon as the doors are opened, I’ll be ready to continue creating a completely personalised experience for each and every customer. Since the hotel has been closed, the team and I have been training to become experts in the new state-of-the-art technology, which will be available in each room, and have been further developing our expertise in preempting guests’ needs.’
The head doorman:
Dominic Mullen ‘I’m immensely proud to have first opened The Lanesborough in 1991 and am just as pleased to be reopening the doors to unveil the newly renovated hotel in all its splendour. I consider it my home, and I can’t wait to be back. From day one of the hotel opening, Mr Gelardi (the managing director) instilled a sense of family in us, so some of my colleagues on the door are like brothers to me. I look forward to being reunited! Come rain or shine, I’ll be welcoming guests old and new. I wonder what people’s first impressions of the transformation will be as I take them over the threshold. I will never tire of my job – I love getting to see the world go by in the heart of London – I’ll go on as long as my legs will!’ (lanesborough.com)
Illustrations: Studio Alberto Pinto 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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FOOD AND DRINK
Breakfast in
Belgravia
The Lord washed his hands of The Creation in seven days; less impressively Henry Hopwood-Phillips manages to graze his way through Belgravia’s finest breakfasts in the same amount of time…
DAY
1
Daylesford is perfect. It’s organickitsch perfect. The sort of perfect which makes you want to smear the entrails of Cotswold wildlife over its pale, sanded surfaces. This would be less a lesson in butchery, than a need to ruin perfection; like smashing up your sister’s dolls house because, well, she’s assembled it too well. Here, the nuisances that texture life are banished. It’s like home without any of the bad bits. Top dishes are the kipper (a dish that usually, flavour-wise, tends to bring a machine gun to a knife fight) which, here, comes slathered in tomatoes and lemon – there’s a touch of the Mediterranean about it. And the English breakfast, which comes with crispy pancetta. Not to mention the list of juices which come out absurdly fresh because they’re made on site. 44B Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LP, 020 7881 8060 (daylesford.com)
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DAY
2
Tomtom Coffee House has become a bit of a local institution since opening in 2008. Always full, it’s one of the few places where you can get both a cigar and a brandy before it’s considered socially acceptable in the morning. Take a table in the sunshine and you get the chance to admire both the order of the pedestrians and the disorder of the crossroads unfold. The Welsh rarebit is good and has some rocket to offset the ‘stodge-factor’, but the real star of the show is the coffee – which Giles Dick-Read roasts down in Dorset – and the eggs Royale. Two orange yolks explode like lazy grenades over the glossy, glistening fish flesh, soaking the plate of muffin beneath. It’s not a hard sell, especially when washed down with Meantime Pale Ale; I leave smiling (or leering?), with a lot of work to do. 114 Ebury Street, SW1W 9QD, 020 7730 1771 (tomtom.co.uk)
DAY
3
The Coffee House’s younger brother, Tomtom Mess Hall, is meant to add a foodie string to founder Tom Assheton’s bow. Inside, things are as gritty as they get in Belgravia. We are talking bare wood, moderately exposed tiles and scandalously placed lights: almost everything is naked but the people. Bloody Marys and iced double espressos flow – and gush they do; the service, especially Alice, is excellent, frictionless, here – before reaching what should have been an anticlimax: a ham and cheese omelette. Omelettes, like people, like, well, stuff in general to be honest, are all about proportion; this one is particularly fat and gooey in the middle. But, hopefully, this approach will be carried over to what word on the street says will be a summer move into the burgeoning burger sector. 14 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LT, 020 7730 1845 (tomtom.co.uk)
L’Eto is a bit of a dark horse on West Halkin Street. Normally written off as a Dubai-esque buffet machine, if you focus on some of its upholstery (such as the white leather seats that wrestle eternally with Gaucho’s bovine chairs in the stratosphere of bad taste), some of that judgment is surely justified. The cuisine, however, is a different story. I may get food in one of those silly black iron trays that scream authenticity in the same way that ‘wooden’ fascias in cars remind me of wood, but the fare inside, a take on eggs Florentine that involves spinach, feta, cumin and chilli flakes, is original and, at under £10, a real bargain. Sitting here in a suntrap with cigars, bubbles and grapefruit lemonade at my disposal, I really can’t complain. 10 West Halkin Street, SW1X 8JL, 020 7235 6415 (letocaffe.co.uk)
DAY
4
FOOD AND DRINK
DAY
6
DAY
5
Pont Street at Belgraves Thompson is going from strength to strength under the stewardship of chef Sophie Michell. Its latest wheeze is a popular Sunday brunch, but I’m here to go off-track a bit with the ‘Arabic-inspired’ breakfast, which, when it arrives, seems code for Levantine. The spotlight is on the ful medames: fava beans lolling about in olive oil, cumin, parsley, garlic, lemon juice and chilli pepper – a dish typically associated with Egypt. This one has sticks of cucumber, black olives, akawi cheese with zatar and flatbreads each sunbathing around the ceramic pond like onomatopoeic cartoon characters called ‘crunch’, ‘chomp’, ‘snap’ and all the rest of it. Talking of which, if you want something to wash it down with, ‘the popeye’ juice may contain the sailor’s favourite vegetable, but it’s certainly not reducible to it.
No.11 Pimlico Road is both an address and a name. It’s also a restaurant in smart-casual garb. Some locals think of it as a boozer but it’s only so in the same way that when I wear my girlfriend’s underwear I am a Victoria’s Secret model. It’s more of a bistro; a bistro that wins design awards – which, actually, it does. I go for the pumpkin and smoked bacon hash, which comes with a poached egg, tomato, borlotti beans and basil. It’s a great mix of the vinegary Med and good old morning stodge – and, more importantly, it’s delicious. My only complaint is that it has the consistency of baby food and is only saved from this fate by the three fat flame-grilled sausages I choose as a side order. 11 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8NA, 020 7730 6784 (no11pimlicoroad.co.uk)
20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ, 020 3189 4850 (pontst.com)
DAY
7
Hotel breakfast buffets may typically be considered the ageless nemesis of good food – ageless mainly in the sense that the eggs are made of nuclear-proof dried powder – but here at the Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel the axioms are turned all topsy turvy. I beam the image of eggs Benedict to everybody on social media and quickly the comments (‘godly’, ‘I need that in my life now’ etc.) avalanche. It tastes as good as it looks, too, with a butter-yoke cloak yielding charred bacon on a soft-crisp muffin base. Usually the calories aren’t worth the achingly ordinary taste in a dish like this, but here, the formula reverses itself and only begrudgingly do I consent not to order seconds.
BRUNCH WITH A PUNCH Salmontini is launching a new ‘bottomless brunch’. Having installed a lounge where dining tables used to stand, a suave line-up of DJs has been booked (with sets including Julz Dime, Simone and Emma Jensen), brunch menus specialising in sushi have been dusted off and the Champagne quota has been set to ‘unlimited’ between 12-4pm at a cost of £70. 1 Pont Street, SW1X 9EJ, 020 7118 1999 (salmontini.co.uk)
21 Lowndes Street, SW1X 9ES, 020 7823 1234 (lowndesdining.com)
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DRINKING & DINING
From Warsaw with vodka Henry Hopwood-Phillips eats at Ognisko, one of the few local Polish restaurants with a garden terrace
P
oland. It evokes the names of great men: the Boleslaws and Sobieskis; winged hussars on speedy steeds; grand centres of learning such as Krakow; some of the biggest battles on European soil (Grunwald and Vienna); the country’s union with Lithuania and also its later abolition. Unlike Britain, it has suffered every mood-swing of the continent it sits on. Yet one thing this eccentric Catholic outpost of mitteleuropa shares with Britain is an unenviable reputation for food. We are talking the pale, limp stuff that plagues the span of the Danube: dumplings (pierogi), potatoes, cheese; slightly pinker meats (that are often more fat, plastic and smoke than flesh), and are frequently smothered with damp and flavourless crumbs. Where vegetable side dishes range from soggy, bland cabbage to pickled gherkins you can get for less than a quid at an underwhelming convenience store near you. And all of it mingled with a lightness of touch that recalls the union of hammers and nails. This is a far cry from what appears to be Ryvita, dressed to the nines, that appears in front of me at Ognisko. It is surely the fanciest Ryvita to have ever been placed on a pale china dancefloor. Perhaps the chef has copied it from a ‘serving suggestion’ photo. Its brown, brittle carriage balances a weight of salad olivier and chunks of smoky eel covered in a spicy horseradish dressing upon its back, and comes with an unpretentious Light Brigade of pumpernickel and sourdough bread that disappears into my canon-mouth quicker than you can say ‘Theirs not to reason why...’ Thankfully these are far more salubrious surroundings than the Crimea. The room is nice enough, in spite of it
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being on the tourist high road that connects Hyde Park to South Kensington, with a height that used to be normal before a mix of overpopulation, debt and overpriced property made properly proportioned space some sort of fairy-tale fantasy. More impressive, however, is the terrace, which backs out on to littleknown Princes Gardens. As dusk approaches and potato-distillations are downed, the volume rises. I join in the fun and plump for a vodka martini, which is one for the brave-hearted. Swigging, I adopt a James Bond grimace and pretend I’m used to what is ultimately straight vodka. ‘Do you want some of this?’ my friend ventures. She has a disgracefully girly drink, with half a garden in it, complete with blackberries and syrup – you know, the sort of stuff that detracts from real, manly alcohol. I love it. ‘Yes, that’s nice,’ I wince, trying my best to look uninspired. Back on the food, the lemon sole is fine. There’s nothing wrong with it, in fact it’s cooked well. It’s just not got much of a circus accompanying it. Overall, however, the place is impressive – and not just because the owner, Jan Woroniecki has moved us on to the infusion vodkas – but because it’s effortlessly blending a faded gentleman’s club grandeur with a go-easy smart-casual, ‘we-won’t-tell-you-you’ve-drunk-too-much’ rustic vibe. This is truly unusual. But it needs to be. It’s not like Ognisko doesn’t have competition. Daquise is a firm favourite with Belgravians, whilst many in Kensington prefer Patio in Shepherd’s Bush. (ogniskorestaurant.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
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The
Belgravian A rough diamond
Tessa Packard always wanted to be a cowgirl in Wyoming, but now she’s a Belgravian jeweller. Henry Hopwood-Phillips takes a look at what went wrong
PROFILE
T
essa’s claiming she’s a geek. But I reckon she knows she’s a different breed, a cooler variety. Let’s call it geek chic: it’s all straight edges from fringe to clothes, with a personality that’s anything but. ‘Well it was never going to be a smooth road, mixing the eccentric English and the frankly mad Latin peoples together, was it?’ Tessa shrugs. She’s referring to her parents, who met on a blind date in Brazil. She loves oddballs herself – ‘not that I’d want to marry them, of course, but I’d definitely want to hang out with them.’ That said, Tessa would be the first to admit that she has had a traditional upbringing. Until 15, she was at Francis Holland School, which she left because she wanted ‘more independence, more boys, more green space; I wanted alcohol and freedom.’ The next two years – ‘the happiest of my life’ – were spent immersed in the Arts (Fine Art, History of Art and English Literature), before she took the conventional gap year and then left for Edinburgh to study History of Art. There’s a refreshing lack of shame here, real or imagined, about a stereotype being played out. In fact, Tessa relays a story about how, at a Scottish comedy gig, the comedian spotted the public school girls in the first row (popped collars, horrific life jacket gilets and all the rest of it) and decided to ‘invent’ one of them to star as the butt of his joke. ‘To my horror, his invention was called Tessa who was studying History of Art at Edinburgh and had a house an hour outside the city which she took all her friends to at the weekend, pretending they were countryside girls.’ Of course, she turned puce red on that occasion ‘but I’ve never moved to Dalston to pretend to be edgy, I am who I am.’ I’ve never had anybody quote Exodus 3:14 in an interview before, but I like it. University was swiftly followed by a job at the Dickinson gallery on Jermyn Street, thanks to a few summers as one of its interns. ‘You know the one,’ Tessa beckons. ‘It’s next to Wiltons, where every gent likes to be nannied by the ladies in mint.’ She seems to have done well there, becoming a major player in setting up a Latin America desk, organising exhibitions in New York and achieving the perfect work-life balance. I wonder aloud why she’d leave just as she’d started to make a real impact on the market. ‘I wasn’t unhappy,’ she notes emphatically, ‘I guess I wanted to draw again, I’d
always wanted my own business, and I was impatient to curate hangs.’ That brings us to 2012, when, after three weeks of freedom, Tessa was ‘both a bit bored and anxious to fulfil my promises to others that I was to become a jewellery designer.’ It’s exhilarating to hear that she was as clueless as I might have been had I started up an angling firm. She details days spent studying shops and their products and nights occupied with scouring search engines. Experts were helpful on everything, with one exception: workshops. ‘To be fair, I know why, now,’ she excuses them. ‘Even when I get people asking me for advice today, I tell them everything but I never give away my workshop.’ This is because there is a finite number around servicing a theoretically huge quantity of potential clients, and the more customers they have the further your work gets pushed down the food chain. Despite the challenges, Tessa managed to get the whole thing launched within nine months. ‘There have been times that I’ve wanted to pull my hair out, but then, that’s what entrepreneurship is all about, especially in a saturated space.’ She is blunt that it’s a tough market out there, sandwiched between girls who are just starting up with all kinds of eclectic jewellery and the big Bond Street names that have centuries of heritage to their brand. Tessa wants to convince the more traditional buyers, who typically hit Bond Street for conservative pieces, to go for her jewellery instead. ‘I’m all about the narrative, the works that tell a story,’ she explains. Tessa is proud of not just putting stones here, there and everywhere, simply to add value. Instead, she puts the thought, the design, first. She flashes the black sapphires in her own ring as an example: ‘These aren’t typically sought after, but they were what was needed.’ Not that Tessa’s skipped her way to success. ‘I’ve done so much wrong!’ She whinnies, striking a funny note of glee. She did, after all, cost herself too low to begin with, print her prices instead of providing inserts, and fail to calibrate her laptop colours to her photographer’s (resulting in a website that was lime green), but now her troubles seem of a different magnitude. ‘I guess the brand has grown quicker than I thought it would. Now I’ve got to start living up to that image.’
Tessa is the first to admit that she’s had a traditional upbringing
(tessapackard.com)
Illustration / Russ Tudor
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It’s never too late...
LUXURY BODY BUTTER IN WHITE CASHMERE FROM THE BATH & BODY COLLECTION
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BEAUTY
Unlock your
locks
The Prettly girls talk to Michael Charalambous and his African-inspired beauty sanctuary, Nyumba, in the middle of Sloane Square
S
ometimes looking effortlessly beautiful is as simple as having a killer haircut. We don’t have to look too far to pin down the ultimate haircut guru, Michael Charalambous. With a long list of famous clients from Olivia Palermo to Kristin Scott Thomas, Claudia Winkleman to Jade Jagger, we want to see what he has that others don’t. What inspired you to start this business? My perfectionism. I have a love and a crazy passion for hair and strongly felt that there was a gap in the market for high quality hair cutting and styling. Don’t get me wrong, there are lots of places out there that offer a great cut or blowout, but we go a step further. We put a lot of thought into the particular needs of each client to create bespoke cuts that really work for their individual routines. Tell us a bit more about Nyumba. Nyumba means ‘home’ in Swahili and, for me, the salon is my African-inspired home. It is a place where I am able to immerse my clients in a bespoke and highly hospitable endto-end experience of beauty services. I was born and raised in Africa, which is evident as soon as you walk in; the salon is filled with ornaments and artefacts from my childhood memories that match our ethos as a beauty salon. It feels like you have walked into a home, a home where you can get the most amazing haircuts.
B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L
What are some of the best services you offer? First off, the speciality haircut by me – that’s one of the things that Nyumba is best known for. However, we offer a range of other amazing beauty services. My top few would include hair colouring by my incredible Italian wife, Giulia Zuccaroli; bespoke facials by the unbeatable Nel Eksteen; eyebrow threading with Deepa Vakharia; manicures and pedicures by Sanita Martinkena and killer blow-dries by Adnan Al and Younes Ellouah. What is it about London women in particular that make you believe that they will love your haircuts? Precision! Precisely understanding the needs of each client and being able to tailor the haircut accordingly. It’s all about tactic and keeping it fresh and wearable. Once you have one, it’s indispensable really. Our haircuts take all the hard work away from you. What beauty products do you love? I like anything by Matis and Leonor Greyl. I use their products at home and also offer them to our clients at the salon. What’s the best part about living in London and Belgravia? It’s such a beautiful centrepoint – I love everything about it! If you ask my five year old son, Cristiano, it’s the third floor at Peter Jones and the sausages and chips at the Jumeirah. If you ask me, it’s Moyses’ flowers just off of Sloane Square, the Botanist – whose menu we also serve at the salon – Basia Zarzycka and Partridges. 1 Sloane Square, SW1W 8EE (nyumbasalon.com)
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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Pummelled
like putty
Henry Hopwood-Phillips visits The Berkeley Health Club & Spa to investigate the benefits of membership
W
ith posture like a question mark thanks to a music education spent perched at forty five degrees on a stool, and having last had a massage that involved contorting my body (that has all the flexibility of an antique plank baked under the Aegean sun) into positions that would make plasticine blush, I typically look forward to a trip to the spa as much as one might a dash to the dentists. Fortunately my fears are entirely misguided. On the seventh floor of The Berkeley Health Club & Spa I’m enveloped by jasmine oils that contain apricot kernels, orange blossom and cedarwood. My spirits rise as my nose rejoices. My beak isn’t the only thing celebrating; the oil is part of Lady Bamford’s range and guarantees that organic ingredients will constitute at least 87 per cent of the bottle, leaving my skin feeling how babies look on television adverts. Muscles are manipulated one by one. My masseuse’s touch is indistinguishable from the rhythm of the waves at the shoreline; undulating waves that usher me to sleep (an end I rebuff several times, if only to prevent myself from dribbling). What is it having your body being caressed, folded and cajoled that makes it tell your consciousness to get the next bus home? It’s very selfish. I want in. I see glimpses of the world as one does reality in a dream: it dips in and out, half-understood. Emerging from the dark cocoon, the light of the rooftop pool rapidly narrows my pupils. So this is where the Mediterranean hides from the rest of us. A busy murmur rises from a group of impossibly beautiful people, ‘like frogs round a pond’, as a famous Greek once said. Sipping my iced hibiscus tea, I survey a grassy kingdom
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(real plants, trees etc.) closer to the clouds than the ground. The menu allows one to eat like a king too – though advisedly only after using the gym (which must have the best view of Hyde Park possible). I plump for a charcuterie. Out comes a huge chopping board burdened with flesh from four corners of the world, with capers, olives, and garnish – an embellishment that saves me from the inevitable guilt trip that will follow for not picking the salad options. Skipping the gym and shortcutting to the sweat, I head towards the sauna. The heat sharpens my concentration: I transcend emails, noise and people, emerging on a higher, albeit sweatier, plane. Here, there are no hulks, secretly seeing if they can pin their consciousness down for longer than me – in fact, I share my nirvana with only one other, who seems to be engrossed in War and Peace, a book that handily doubles as a weapon such is its size. It’s conventional in a review of this sort to end with a pompous quotation (mens sana in corpore sano, for example) – often pinched from someone talking about something else entirely, or perhaps an Oriental epigram which, weirdly enough, never seems quite as profound in the translation. So, all I’ll say as I emerge from the health club and spa, is that I feel as a plant in Arizona might, having been paid a visit by a solitary watering can. Wilton Place, SW1X 7RL 020 7201 1699 (the-berkeley.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
“the fitness guru viewed by the entertainment industry as the 4th emergency service” The S und ay Tim e s , St y le M a g a zin e
“ When I n e e d e d to get in sh a p e f o r a f ilm, h e t o o k me s a f e ly d o wn f ro m a s i z e 1 2 to size 8 in just six weeks.. . Da v id ’s p ro g ra mme h a s ma d e me a ma z in g l y f i t a n d mu c h s ma lle r. ” Rach e l We isz, Actre ss
“The rewa rds are h u g e , y o u will d ro p t h re e d re s s s iz e s . ” H e llo Mag azin e
“H i s ro u ti n e s a re fun, I never get bored and they w ork. H e ’s al w ays the person I turn to.” L ily Alle n , Re cord in g Ar tist
“ Lose we ight and g a in f it n e s s in re c o rd t ime - wit h t h e B o d y d o c t o r ’s work o u t , a n y t h in g is p o s s ib le . ” The S u n d ay Time s, Sty le Mag azin e
T he be st t r ai n i ng i n t h e wo r l d - a n d i t ’ s o n yo u r do o r st e p
b e s p o k e p e r s o n a l t r a i n i n g • p i l at e s • n u t rit io n c lin ic • h o lis t ic t h e rap ie s • inj ury r e h a b i l i tat i o n • p ow e r p l at e • s mall gro u p t rain in g • c o rp o rat e f it n e s s p rogra mmes
Residents’ Culture Exploring the minutiae of residents’ concerns and encounters
Dear
Auntie
Dear Auntie, I’ve recently got engaged and have picked two close friends to be bridesmaids. The problem is that I have another good friend and although we’re close, we don’t see each other that often (two to three times a year). I happened to mention my ‘bridesmaids’ the other day at our yearly catch up and she seemed quite offended that I haven’t asked her. I’m now regretting my decision not to ask her. What should I do, dearest Auntie?
Thanks, Julia Dear Julia, Thank you for your letter and firstly may I congratulate you on your engagement. Having thought about this dilemma, my instinct is to advise you to stick to your original plan. Your two close friends were the first in your mind and now you are merely suffering from guilt. You can, of course, have as many bridesmaids as you wish, but not knowing the personality of the third lady involved, she or you may think it inappropriate to ask her at this late stage. Perhaps now it will cause a bigger problem to ask her as she will consider it an afterthought. Maybe give her a another job to do – a reading perhaps – and make sure she catches the bouquet.
Yours sincerely, Auntie
Issues ranging from etiquette to depression afflict every area of the world, but not all places have a person as sage as our agony aunt to solve them… If you’d like any of your problems answered, email belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk and we’ll forward on your concerns to Auntie.
Dear Auntie I was seeing an older man who has been in the process of a divorce. We had an affair for nine months that he’s just broken off, citing the fact that he wouldn’t be able to give me kids as a reason. I’m unsure whether he is right (as perhaps I would eventually want kids) or whether he is wrong (and my love trumps the vanities). Please can you give advice? My head is spinning.
All the best, Georgina Dear Georgina, Thank you for writing to me with this difficult dilemma. I think this is pretty straightforward in that if you have to think if you want to marry someone or not, you don’t. The issue with wanting children is personal to you both – it could be a question of qui s’excuse s’accuse and he may be having second thoughts himself. As tomorrow is promised to no-one, if you love him now and wish to marry now I would do so, and take the future as it comes. I wish you much happiness.
Yours sincerely, Auntie
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.
July roundup by Sue Liberman
J
uly will see the commencement of the redevelopment works for The Pantechnicon Building. As yet, Grosvenor still has not said who the new tenant will be for the building. An announcement from Grosvenor is imminent and I would hope to be able to give a full update next month. This redevelopment means that in June we said goodbye to all of the existing tenants in that building. Those tenants being: Starbucks, Cosmetics à La Carte, Thorpe Design & Show Studio. Cosmetics à La Carte will relocate to Pavilion Road. Food Filosophy has now opened at 9 Kinnerton Street (next door to Blakes of Belgravia) so for those of you who may be wondering where to get your take-away coffee from now that Starbucks has gone, please give Food Filosophy a visit as it has a great reputation.
Trading news…. Hawksmoor Knightsbridge Feeling hungry and in need of a great meal? Hawksmoor Knightsbridge, situated in Yeoman’s Row has recently launched The Tomahawk on their menu. These enormous steaks (based on a prime rib) not only won over sizeobsessed steak fans when they popped up at The South Beach Wine & Food Festivals in Miami, they also convinced Hawksmoor that sometimes big can indeed be beautiful. The restaurant thought it would go against its initial instincts and go large in London too. The Tomahawks are about 15 inches and weigh around 1.6kg each! For those of you who prefer something lighter there’s a wide selection of fish options on their menu, too. Additionally Hawksmoor has set menu options (two courses for £24 and three for £27).
Visit thehawksmoor.com or call 020 7590 9290. The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant at Jumeirah Carlton Tower This almighty institution at Jumeirah Carlton Tower, in the heart of London’s Knightsbridge, has unveiled Blooming Brilliance, its first pop-up seasonal bar, offering an enchanting escape from the heat of summer in the city with a series of innovative botanical cocktails and exclusive tasting evenings. Creating a direct connection with the manicured splendour of Cadogan Place Gardens, guests will experience a floral journey from the moment they arrive outside the hotel, through the lobby into the restaurant and bar itself. The decoration reflects a summer theme with imaginative planting of botanical herbs, vibrant flowers and citrus shrubs that add an intoxicating fragrance. Enjoy sipping al fresco in The Rib Room’s outdoor terrace. As part of this seasonal spectacle, Saverio Vicari, the Rib Room’s Head Mixologist, has devised a specially crafted menu offering 17 cocktails with a botanical twist. The menu will incorporate classic English favourites, plus some contemporary concoctions featuring summer staples of Bombay Sapphire gin and Grey Goose vodka, with some refreshing non-alcoholic choices as an option. For foodies, Blooming Brilliance will host a summer botanical food demonstration for £30 per person on the 2nd July. Blooming Brilliance at The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant opens daily from 4pm until 2 August. Visit theribroom.co.uk or call 020 7858 7250.
Until next month... If there’s anything you would like me to know about, I can be contacted on 07957 420 911 or on sue@sueliberman.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
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Planning &Development Keeping you in the know about important street plans affecting Belgravia
Time to improvise
PrimeQResi Journal of Prime Property
I
t seems a different sort of housing crisis is going on at the top of the market. And by ‘at the top’, we mean above ultra-prime. It’s unlikely to trigger any form of celebrity telethon appeal, but agents are reporting a dearth of 30,000 square foot plus options for London’s billionaires, which means they are having to convert unloved former Embassies and offices instead. Research has identified 142 billionaires with first or second homes in the UK capital, but only around 20 properties across prime central London which could be classed as ‘private palaces’. These residences are collectively worth £427.05million – an average of £20.3m each – according to findings. But on top of this lot, there are eight 30,000+ sq ft. epic residences under construction in central London, with another eight going through planning. Price-wise, we’re talking £50m-£100m+ a pop. Of the eight under construction, we’re told five are end-user projects for private clients, while the remaining three are “speculative projects”, being teed up for a sale on completion. They’re all massive, unmodernised Victorian or Edwardian behemoths, employed as either offices or Embassies since WWII, which UHNW buyers have decided to take on because there’s nothing else out there that will do the job. (primeresi.com)
road works
PLANNING APPLICATIONS
STREET
PLANNED WORK
DATES
WORKS OWNER
DATE RECEIVED
ADDRESS
PROPOSAL
Elizabeth Street
Lay new gas supply
1-3 July
Fulcrum Pipelines (0845 641 3010)
1 June
Grosvenor Place
Alteration to entrances and associated landscaping
Disconnect steel service from main
Chester Square
1-7 July
National Grid Gas (0845 605 6677)
1 June
Cadogan Square
Excavation of basement to incorporate swimming pool
Paving works
1-8 July
Kensington & Chelsea (020 7361 3000)
28 May
Milner Street
Lower Belgrave Street
Installation of energy efficient improvements
27 May Scaffolding and hoarding
1-31 July
Transport for London (0845 305 1234)
Eaton Square
Wilton Road
Replacement of rear windows and Juliet balcony doors
THEATRE REVIEW David Moorst playing Liam
Dazed &
Confused
Hannah Lemon finds the latest offering at the Royal Court Theatre, Violence and Son, prompts more questions than it answers...
U
nlike the fantasy of Doctor Who, the real world doesn’t make it so easy to identify good and evil. This is what Liam finds out in Gary Owen’s intimate new play Violence and Son, which follows his new life in the Welsh Valleys with a father he has never met before. After the death of his mother, the only person Liam is left to turn to is the alcoholic and abusive Rick (Jason Hughes) and his girlfriend Suze (Siwan Morris). The only light at the end of the Dalek-shaped tunnel is his love for Doctor Who and a blossoming romance with his friend from college, Jen (Morfydd Clark). We warm to Rick at first, played by the at once frightening and then completely broken Hughes, who, although a little rough around the edges, has his heart in the right place. Rick has a cheeky charm, a way with the ladies but is entirely unsure of his new role as father and the only way he knows how to maintain order is through Liam’s face, as we soon find out after a fight. The two couldn’t be more different; Rick’s wife-beater vest and gristle is a stark contrast to Liam’s Doctor Who bow tie, Fez, braces and baby face. David Moorst meticulously highlights Liam’s vulnerability through a stopped posture
The boundary between consent and accountability is explored and hand ticks but retains a certain strength in his character through subtle, sharply delivered lines from Owen’s witty script. But this is no match for Rick, who uses psychological and mental bullying against his own son. Soon the abused becomes the abuser and once again Owen darkens the comedy with a sudden menace as the ethical boundary between consent and accountability is explored. After a night spent together with Jen, now Liam seems to be trying on his father’s shoes for size. Although the play is performed in the round, the audience are still kept at a distant by the barrier of the living room’s stained wallpaper, which forces us to act as judges on the situation. It’s almost archaic; thumbs up or down, who should live or die? From £10, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS, 020 7565 5000 (royalcourttheatre.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
With Jason Hughes (Rick aka Violence) Do you tend to be cast as the angry workingclass drunk? No, my last role was opposite as you could get! I was a middle class downtrodden, frightened, bullied guy, overrun by his boss, with no wherewithal about him and who wanted the quiet life. So who is “Violence” then? He’s a welder. The play doesn’t take place on a council estate though. It’s not an uneducated, poor, forgotten backwater. Violence has a brain. He’s good at most things he turns his hands to. He has money. What is “Violence” about then? Well, you know how in small towns up and down the country, you get that mentality with it? Here you’re called by what you do. Rick’s always fighting and he’s good at it. And he has a son… Yes, you see a boy completely different from his dad. He’s a geek, he likes wearing bow ties and fezzes. He loves Dr Who. By the end of the play you see this boy negotiating whether he’s turning into his dad, his reactions to this, what the alternatives are; there’s a tension there, it’s ambiguous.
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Palaces in the sky A Belgravian, Tatiana Tektova of Open Aero, gives the Belgravia Residents’ Journal a peek into the private jet industry and its clientele
T
here are two types of people in Belgravia: those who think private jets are vehicles built exclusively for rappers on music channels and those who actually use them. The former is, unsurprisingly perhaps, the larger camp and Tatiana believes that they ‘think using the planes entails spending “silly money”’. She admits the jets can cost quite a bit but also insists that ‘private jets can be affordable or at least an efficient way of getting around.’ This can sound a little ridiculous. It’s the sort of talk that gets the luxury industry into trouble, because it looks like it’s disappearing into its own posterior. Tatiana is adamant, however, that her clients aren’t just kleptocrats sitting on resource-money, but real people doing all sorts of things around the world, many of them in Belgravia itself. This is the sort of claim that cannot be made without scrutiny, so I ask for examples and for her to keep them local. ‘OK, so eight business executives needed to fly to three cities in 24 hours,’ she recalls. ‘We had a case of this recently.’ Tatiana lists the problems of normal flights, from timings to the bureaucracy, ‘not to mention the fact that a private jet probably costs only a little bit more than four business-class seats on three flights.’ On another occasion she went with four of her friends on a private jet to Ibiza – again, at only a marginally greater cost than the total of business-class tickets. Tatiana reckons the split between business and leisure for Open Aero is about 65/35. Here, our chat is broken up by a call from a client. ‘Sometimes people just want to splash it all on Las Vegas tomorrow and I have to facilitate that,’ she explains. In fact, a good chunk of the private jet business comes from those who need to get from A to B to C in times a commercial carrier might blush at. ‘There was a DJ, not
Belgravian admittedly, but still in the royal borough, who missed a last flight from a party in Berlin to another in the countryside of Romania.’ Tatiana managed to get him on one of her planes within two hours of the phone call. Tatiana looks like she’s been on one too many private jets herself, with a tanned face offsetting her glow-in-the-dark blue eyes. She chastises me quickly, however, informing me that her dusty shade is due to a camping trip in the Altai Mountains, where China, Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan collide in a region that makes the Highlands look like a toy-set. ‘There are different attitudes to private jets around the world,’ she informs me. Apparently, the Americans see them as taxis; all they care about is speed and privacy. The Saudis and Russians? They are more about the status and the baubles. ‘The Europeans care more about efficiency and comfort,’ she adds. I had presumed that the Chinese were the big players, but no; ‘the anti-corruption initiative killed growth in that market.’ This, incidentally, has resulted in a glut of inexpensive private aircraft being sold in the US. How you book the aircraft is the same all around the world, however. It’s always all pre-paid before you embark. Several Belgravians even keep deposits constantly on the ready (in their accounts) so they can book flights instantly, rather than set up an account for each trip. The longer she goes on, the more I’m convinced by her initially ludicrous claim that you can buy a plane, for less than a house. Only yesterday, a businessman needed to get a flight from London to Paris in less than two hours – foregoing catering, using tiny amounts of fuel and travelling with several others, his bill made more business sense than the alternatives. (open.aero)
PRIVATE JETS
Tatiana Tektova
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 Belgravia
Directory
A compendium of the area’s key establishments
Estate Agents Ayrton Wylie 16 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 4628
Douglas Lyons & Lyons 33 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 7933
Knight Frank Lettings 82-83 Chester Square 020 7881 7730
Savills 139 Sloane Street 020 7730 0822
Best Gapp & Cassells 81 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 9253
Harrods Estates 82 Brompton Road 020 7225 6506
Knight Frank Sales 47 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7881 7722
Strutt & Parker 66 Sloane Street 020 7235 9959
Chesterton Belgravia 31 Lowndes Street 020 7235 3530
Henry & James 1 Motcomb Street 020 7235 8861
Marler & Marler 6 Sloane Street 020 7235 9641
Food & Drink BARS
CAFÉS
Amaya Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street 020 7823 1166
Tomtom Coffee House 114 Ebury Street 020 7730 1771
The Garden Room (cigar) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599
PUBLIC HOUSES/ DINING ROOMS
RESTAURANTS The Pantechnicon 10 Motcomb Street 020 7730 6074 thepantechnicon.com
Motcombs 26 Motcomb Street 020 7235 6382 motcombs.co.uk
The Orange 37 Pimlico Road 020 7881 9844 theorange.co.uk
The Thomas Cubitt 44 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 6060 thethomascubitt.co.uk
Uni 18a Ebury Street 020 7730 9267 restaurantuni.com
DENTIST
DOCTOR
HAIR SALONS
WELLBEING CLUB
The Beresford Clinic 2 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7821 9411
The Belgrave Medical Centre 13 Pimlico Road 020 7730 5171
The Daniel Galvin Jr. Salon 4a West Halkin Street 020 7245 1050
ARCHITECTS/ DESIGN
CLEANING
GALLERIES
Kudu Services
88 Gallery 86-88 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2728
The Library Bar (wine) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599
Health & Wellbeing
Grace Belgravia 11c West Halkin Street 020 7235 8900 gracebelgravia.com
Home ANTIQUES Bennison 16 Holbein Place 020 7730 8076 Patrick Jefferson 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6161
Weldon Walshe 20 Grosvenor Place 020 7235 4100
Discreet, confidential cleaning services for offices and homes of distinction
27 Mortimer Street 020 8704 5988 kuduservices.co.uk
Gallery 25 26 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516
Fashion BOUTIQUES Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992
Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590
Christian Louboutin 23 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6510
EXCLUSIVE
IT SUPPORT
Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)
Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk
Services BANKS Duncan Lawrie Private Banking 1 Hobart Place 020 7245 1234 duncanlawrie.com
The Caledonian Club 9 Halkin Street 020 7235 5162 caledonianclub.com
SOLICITORS
Dashwood Solutions Contact Jonny Hyam for all your IT needs 07787 507 407
POST OFFICE Post Office 6 Eccleston Street 0845 722 3344
Child & Child 14 Grosvenor Crescent 020 7235 8000 childandchild.co.uk
Psychotherapy Suzanne Thomas DHC MRes, Hypnotherapist / Psychotherapist 07770 378791 suzannethomas@ suzannethomas.co.uk suzannethomas.co.uk
TRAVEL Passepartout Homes Ltd 020 7513 2876 passepartout-homes.com info@passepartout-homes.com
Speciality Shops CIGAR SPECIALIST Tomtom Cigars 63 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1790
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
DELI
VICKISARGE 38 Elizabeth Street 020 7259 0202
Elizabeth Gage 5 West Halkin Street 020 7823 0100 eg@elizabeth-gage.com elizabeth-gage.com
PERFUMERIES Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com
NEWSAGENT
Mayhew Newsagents 15 Motcomb Street 020 7235 5770 Mayhew Newsagents is a local Belgravian institution. As well as supplying the area with national and international newspapers and magazines, it provides an extensive range of stationery, computer supplies and postal services. Opening times: Monday to Friday 7am-6pm, Saturday 8am-2pm, Sunday 8am-1pm
Local delivery service available
La Bottega 25 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2730
JEWELLERS De Vroomen 59 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1901
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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savills.co.uk
1 BEAUTIFULLY APPOINTED PENTHOUSE eaton square, sw1 Reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø 2 bedroom suites ø further bedroom ø guest cloakroom ø terrace ø lift ø air conditioning ø Crestron audio visual and lighting system ø 151 sq m (1,622 sq ft) ø Grade II* listed Guide £7.5 million Leasehold, approximately 149 years remaining
Savills Sloane Street Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com
020 7730 0822
savills.co.uk
1 NEWLY BUILT AIR CONDITIONED HOUSE LOCATED OFF EATON SQUARE belgravia, sw1 Drawing room ø dining room ø cinema/media room ø study ø 3/4 bedroom suites ø kitchen ø gymnasium with en suite steam shower ø wine room ø cloakroom/w.c. and utility room ø integral garage and additional parking ø lift ø roof garden ø 454 sq m (4,885 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £15.5 million Freehold
Savills Sloane Street Noel De Keyzer ndekeyzer@savills.com
020 7730 0822
savills.co.uk
1 NEWLY REFURBISHED MEWS HOUSE IN RENOWNED LOCATION cadogan lane, sw1 Reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø 3 bedroom suites ø cinema ø gym ø paved garden ø garage ø 269 sq m (2,895 sq ft) ø EPC=C Guide £6.45 million Freehold
Savills Mews
Savills Knightsbridge
Duncan Petrie dpetrie@savills.com
Toby Anderdon tanderdon@savills.com
020 7877 4640
020 7581 5234
savills.co.uk
LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY
1
FAMILY HOME SITUATED IN BELGRAVIA lower belgrave road, sw1 5 bedrooms ø 3 reception rooms ø kitchen ø 4 bathrooms ø terrace ø 266 sq m (2,867 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E
Savills Sloane Street Verity Comber vcomber@savills.com
020 7824 9005 Unfurnished £2,800 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.
Eaton Square, Belgravia SW1 Immaculate two bedroom apartment with balcony A recently refurbished two bedroom apartment located on the fourth floor in this traditional white stucco fronted building on this prestigious garden square. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a further double bedroom with en suite bathroom, reception room, kitchen, guest cloakroom, balcony, lift, porter, communal gardens. EPC: E. Approximately 87 sq m (938 sq ft). Available furnished
KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings belgravialettings@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6005
Guide price: £1,550 per week KnightFrank.co.uk/BEQ185924
@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk
All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges
Belgravia Residents Journal July (2)
16/06/2015 15:39:43
43
UNRIVALLED SPACE IN SECLUDED SETTING SMITH SQUARE, WESTMINSTER SW1
A landmark building, occupying a prime corner position, situated in a distinguished location in central London. Built by the renowned architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1911, the property has undergone a programme of refurbishment by the current owners. With seven bedroom suites plus staff accommodation and unparalleled entertaining space on the impressive first floor, this is one of the largest properties to come to the market in Westminster.
Drawing room • Library • Dining room • Kitchen with dining and seating areas • Study • Snug • Meeting room • Master bedroom with en suite bathroom and dressing room • 6 further bedroom suites • Staff accommodation • Gym with Jacuzzi • Lift
To arrange a viewing, please contact the Joint Sole Agents.
Belgravia
Grade II listed
020 7881 7722
Gross Internal Area 11,720 sq ft/1,088 sq m
KnightFrank.co.uk
Freehold Guide price £25,000,000
Susannah Odgers so@hathaways.co.uk
Stuart Bailey stuart.bailey@knightfrank.com
D
WEST HALKIN STREET,BELGRAVIA, BELGRAVIA,SW1X SW1X WILTON CRESCENT,
£4,250 PER WEEK £4,750,000 LEASEHOLD
(Approx 118 years remaining)
• FOUR BEDROOMS • THREE EN-SUITE BATHROOMS • SEPARATE KITCHEN • • ENTRANCE HALL • MASTER SUITEWINDOWS WITH DRESSING AREA EN-SUITE SHOWER •ROOM LOUNGE WITH FLOOR TO CEILING • DIRECT LIFT&ACCESS • BALCONY EPC E •• • SECOND DOUBLE BEDROOM • BATHROOM • OPEN PLAN RECEPTION ROOM AND KITCHEN • LIFT • EPC D PLUS £240 ADMINISTRATION FEE AND £60 REFERENCING FEE PER PERSON
BELGRAVIA BELGRAVIA OFFICE OFFICE 11 Motcomb Street, London London SW1X SW1X 8JX 8JX Motcomb Street, +44 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk +44(0)20 (0)207235 72358861 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk henryandjames.co.uk
•
WEST HALKIN STREET, BELGRAVIA, SW1X
£4,750,000 LEASEHOLD
(Approx 118 years remaining) • ENTRANCE HALL • MASTER SUITE WITH DRESSING AREA & EN-SUITE SHOWER ROOM • • SECOND DOUBLE BEDROOM • BATHROOM • OPEN PLAN RECEPTION ROOM AND KITCHEN • LIFT • EPC D
BELGRAVIA OFFICE 1 Motcomb Street, London SW1X 8JX +44 (0)20 7235 8861 belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk
henryandjames.co.uk
Lyall Mews West,
Belgravia SW1
Cubitt Lodge, a stunning property of great historical importance, has been fully restored to extremely high standards, offering impressive living over 3 floors. Formally the workshop of Sir Thomas Cubitt, the leading master builder, responsible for the contraction of vast parts of Belgravia, the property comprises a large reception room, master bedroom suite, guest bedroom suite, kitchen/dining room, study, sitting room/3rd bedroom & a steam room. EPC rating E
chestertons.com
ÂŁ6,495,000 long leasehold
Knightsbridge & Belgravia
020 7235 8090
sales.knightsbridge@chestertons.com
Ennismore Gardens
Knightsbridge SW7
ÂŁ2,950,000 share of freehold
A stylish & contemporary apartment situated within this premier address in the heart of Knightsbridge. The spacious interior comprises 2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, cloakroom, a large reception room, separate kitchen & a private patio garden. Ennismore Gardens is located close to Hyde Park, with convenient transport links within easy reach. EPC rating D
Knightsbridge & Belgravia
020 7235 8090
sales.knightsbridge@chestertons.com
You can now collect thousands of with Chestertons Contact your local branch or visit chestertons.com/avios to find out more. Terms and Conditions apply see chestertons.com/avios for details
Chesham Place, Belgravia SW1X This immaculate freehold house which has been refurbished to the highest standard, is located in the heart of Belgravia. The house comprises of five large bedrooms, five bathrooms, a lift, high ceilings, a large dining room, study, a grand reception room with an adjoining terrace and a large kitchen and media /TV room. The house is fitted with an integrated music and lighting system and is fully equipped with the latest modern appliances. The house boasts grand proportions throughout whilst encompassing modern interiors combined with traditional features. Chesham Place is located in the heart of Belgravia moments from the boutiques, cafes, shops and restaurants of Sloane Street and Knightsbridge. The house is also near Hyde Park and Belgrave Square. The local amenities and shops on Motcomb street and West Halkin street are very nearby.
020 7580 2030 WWW.ROKSTONE.COM 5 Dorset Street, London, W1U 6QJ enquiries@rokstone.com
£14,500,000 »»Freehold house »»Located in the heart of Belgravia »»With Lift »»Five bedroom suites »»Immaculately refurbished »»High ceilings »»Private terrace »»Crestron air conditioning »»Crestron lighting system »»4,932 sq ft
33 Kinnerton Street, London, SW1X 8ED
Bolebec House
£3,200,000 Share of freehold A superb opportunity to acquire this 2 bedroom lateral apartment in this excellent location, moments away from Belgrave Square Gardens, Motcomb Street, Sloane Street and Brompton Road. The apartment, in need of modernisation throughout, enjoys excellent natural light from the west into the reception room, both bedrooms are of ample size and there is also the benefit of 24 hour porterage. 2 Double bedrooms - Bathroom - Double reception room - Kitchen - Hallway - Private balcony - Lift - 24 hour porter
Chantrey House
£1,650,000 A splendid one bedroom apartment, newly refurbished to an excellent modern standard throughout and in an enviable location. Chantrey House, a Grade II listed Edwardian building, has recently undergone extensive refurbishment. This fantastic apartment, an ideal pied-a-terre, is within close proximity to Victoria Station, Coach Station and the Gatwick Express. Bedroom - Bathroom - Reception room - Kitchen - Hallway - Lift - 24 hour porter *We will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £250 inc Vat per tenancy plus £35 inc Vat reference charger per tenant. Inventory check out fee charged dependant on size of the property.
Tel 020 7235 7933 Email enquiries@dll.uk.com Web www.dll.uk.com
BASiL STREET SW3 Wimmaculately ilbr a h athree m bedroom P l ac S W 1maintained mansion building in the heart of Knightsbridge. An presented flat in e this, beautifully The ideally located on forthe Harrods and(with thelift) shops restaurants of mansion the area, and moments from Square. Knightsbridge A wellbuilding arrangedisfamily apartment third floor of thisand wonderful portered building close to Sloane The flat underground station. benefits from good ceiling heights throughout, many period features and a fabulous south facing double reception room. ■
Three Bedrooms
• Three Bedrooms Two Bathrooms • En Suite Bathroom
■
• Bathroom • Kitchen
Reception Room Kitchen/Breakfast Room £4,450,000
■
■
■
■
■
£3,300,000 Subject to Contract
Entrance Hall/Dining Area
• Reception Room with ■ Loft Storage Area inter-connecting door
Porter Lift
to Dining Room • Large Entrance Hall
■
1397 sq ft rating E
• Lift ■ EE • Porter
• 1671 sq ft
Share of Freehold
Ebury Street, SW1 A second floor lateral apartment that is presented in fine condition with rooms that are light and spacious with good ceiling heights.
Share of Freehold
ÂŁ2,875,000
* Reception Room * Eat in Kitchen * Two Bedroom Suites * Utility Room * Guest WC
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Bloomfield Terrace, Belgravia SW1W
Close to Sloane Square this fantastic five storey Belgravia townhouse is now in need of modernisation.
2,491 sq ft (231 sq m) Double reception room | Dining room | Kitchen | Study | Master bedroom suite | Three further bedrooms | Bathroom | Dressing room | Utility room | Garden | Roof terrace | Vaults
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 bertie.hare@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ3,950,000 Freehold
Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1X
An immaculately presented one bedroom flat on the first floor of a white stucco fronted building in a premier Belgravia address.
838 sq ft (78 sq m) Reception room | Kitchen/ breakfast room | Master bedroom suite | Lift | EPC E
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 bertie.hare@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ1,950,000 Leasehold
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Clabon Mews, Knightsbridge SW1X
An exceptional newly refurbished Mews house that has been completely re-designed and substantially re-built to exacting modern standards.
3,220 sqft ( 300 sq m) Entrance hall | Drawing room | Kitchen/ dining room | Media room | Master bedroom suite with terrace room | Two guest bedroom suites | Bedroom 4/study | Guest shower room | Gym with changing and shower room | Wine store | Utility room | Garage | EPC E
Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959
james.gilbert-green@struttandparker.com
ÂŁ8,950,000 Freehold
BELGRAVIA
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JULY 2015 • Issue 38