Belgravia Residents' Journal October 2013 by Runwild Media Group

Dear Resident

BELGRAVIA

I had the pleasure of meeting Jo Malone of Jo Loves, a woman with an exceptional nose for scent and an unbreakable spirit. Read about her fascinating life journey on page 21 and pop down to her new ‘fragrance brasserie’ on 42 Elizabeth Street. The Journal also speaks to Matthew Parden, the managing director of Duncan Lawrie Private Bank (p. 14) and to local resident and international plastic surgeon Cap Lesesne (p. 18).

Resident’s Journal

Please do not hesitate to get in contact, email belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk.

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

SeniorNDesigner OVEMber Sophie Blain

Above / Interior of Mosimann's private dining club (p. 7)

Proudly published & printed in the UK by

2 0 1 3 Client • I s sRelationship u e 1 8 Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason

General Manager Fiona Fenwick

Communications Director Loren Penney

Editorial Intern Kara Wright

Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell, Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

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

BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal NOVEMB E R 2013

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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

‘There is no sincerer love than the love of food.’ – George Bernard Shaw Food, glorious food occupies our attention this month as we celebrate a few of the most excellent chefs in Belgravia; people who whet our appetite with their innovative concoctions, before satisfying our hunger with delectable offerings. Henry Hopwood-Phillips steps into the kitchen to meet Anton Mosimann of Mosimann’s, Sophie Michell of Pont Street and Sergio Sanz Blanco of Ametsa with Arzak Instruction at The Halkin by COMO. They discuss the importance of having good food, as well as fire, in your belly and Belgravian cuisine (p. 6). I had the pleasure of meeting Jo Malone of Jo Loves, a woman with an exceptional nose for scent and an unbreakable spirit. Read about her fascinating life journey on page 21 and pop down to her new ‘fragrance brasserie’ on 42 Elizabeth Street. The Journal also speaks to Matthew Parden, the managing director of Duncan Lawrie Private Bank (p. 14) and to local resident and international plastic surgeon Cap Lesesne (p. 18). Please do not hesitate to get in contact, email belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk.

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 Kara Wright

Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell, Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Above / Interior of Mosimann's private dining club (p. 7)

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

A musical interlude

This November, in their 20th Anniversary year, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra returns to Cadogan Hall with soloist Chloë Hanslip. On the programme for the evening are Strauss’ Die Fledermaus Overture, Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 9. 25 November, 7.30pm, tickets from £18. Cadogan Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace SW1X 9DQ (cadoganhall.com)

A panther in London

Stark designer Petra Stunt carefully selects the most luxurious exotic skins and the finest leathers for her exquisitely crafted handbags and clutch purses, which are now available in Harrods and Selfridges (the Resort 14 collection arrives for the first time in the UK). Instantly recognisable due to the designer’s signature panther-head clasp, those with a penchant for craftsmanship of the highest standards and for beautiful materials will be excited to learn that the ‘Fierce’, ‘Tamara’, ‘PS’, ‘Put a Ring on it’ and ‘Seductress’ clutches will neatly line the shelves of Harrods and Selfridges, as well as the Serena mini and midi in cobalt lizard and the Crosby day bag.

Photography: Clive Nichols

Deck the halls

With Christmas on the horizon, the Judith Blacklock Flower School is preparing to scent our homes with beautifully perfumed wreaths and floral arrangements, from fresh pine and spruce to spicy cinnamon and cloves. The floral experts will impart their knowledge of winter anemones and amaryllis to a lucky few during a series of Christmas Wreath masterclasses on 23 November and 11 December, and will also host a Traditional Christmas masterclass on 13 December. From November onwards, Judith will be running classes and day courses designed to teach newcomers and those with more experience about the art of creating long-lasting stylish creations for the home. 4/5 Kinnerton Place South, SW1X 8EH (judithblacklock.com)

(starkltd.co.uk)

Photography: Clive Nichols

All hail the haggis

This year’s St. Andrew’s Day dinner will be held in the Members’ Dining Room at The Caledonian Club and will see guest speaker David McAllister (recent past Prime Minister of Lower Saxony and potential future Chancellor) debate A German Perspective on Scotland. 28 November, 7.15pm-11pm, £65 Highland evening dress or black tie The Caledonian Club 9 Halkin Street, SW1X 7DR 020 7235 5162 (caledonianclub.com)

Yesterday’s prophets

Adam Dix’s breakthrough solo exhibition continues at the Eleven gallery this month, exploring our associations between communication technology and our absorption with it. Yesterday’s Prophets explores the idea of community, custom and ritual as mediated by instruments of communication.

Welcome to Belgravia

Until 23 November, Eleven Fine Art Gallery, 11 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX, 020 7823 5540 (elevenfineart.com) Parade the Pilgrim (study)

Homemade

The butterfly effect is occurring all around us in Belgravia this autumn, as fashion brand with heart Beulah London opens its flagship store on Elizabeth Street. The boutique will stock the brand’s full A/W collection, proudly showcasing the elegant designs, which all feature an embroidered Beulah butterfly stitched into the inside of the garment. Beulah was launched in 2011 by Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan and seeks to provide a sustainable livelihood for those that have escaped the sex trafficking trade. The brand was launched after the founders worked together in Delhi slums with women and girls who had been forced into prostitution. With each garment purchased, a beautiful change is happening somewhere else in the world: known as the Beulah butterfly effect.

Blessings All images / Adam Dix

57 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PP (beulahlondon.com)

A toast to Tim Gosling

Luxury, bespoke furniture designer Tim Gosling was recently commissioned by a Belgravia family to craft a drinks cabinet and the result, we can all agree, is stunning. Made using straw marquetry, the raw materials were grown in a specific region in the South of France, where the straw grows straight and tall. The piece is truly unique, as each batch of straw dyes differently, meaning that colour matching is only possible with the specific annual harvest. The interior designer Jean-Michel Frank (1895-1941) was one of the first people to use straw in a contemporary design and much of the straw marquetry you see today, including this piece by Tim Gosling, is inspired by his designs. (tgosling.com)

Do you have an event that you’d like us to cover? Send us an email: belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk Words / Louise Hart and Kate Jennion

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Food

Focus

Henry Hopwood-Phillips meets some of the chefs in Belgravia who ensure our stomachs and taste buds remain satisfied

Pont St Protege Sophie Michell tells Henry Hopwood-Phillips what life’s been like under the toque blanche…

tell Sophie Michell I’ve just come from chef Anton Mosimann’s private dining club. ‘Ah, you know I trained for a bit there. We got sent off to assist him for days at a time as part of Butler’s Wharf Chef School.’ It suddenly dawned on me what an incestuously small world top-level cooking is. Everybody has trained under everybody in the sense that the same chefs and restaurants pop up on the best chefs’ CVs. Not that Sophie (in spite of her paternal greatgrandfather being Admiral John Godfrey, ‘M’ in the Bond books and originator of the phrase ‘shaken, not stirred…’) was born with some sort of silver ladle in her pot. ‘I didn’t go to school.’ ‘Is that even allowed?’ I reply a tad naively. ‘I’m sure you have to go to school.’ ‘Well I started pot-washing at 14 then packed myself off to Dublin for a few years. When I returned, my mother must have decided I was actually being serious about it all and decided to pack me off to cooking school in London,’ Sophie explains. It was in London that she accrued work experience at The Lanesborough, Le Gavroche and The Greenhouse, eventually managing to get herself nominated as Britain’s best female chef. All the attention soon landed her a job as Claudia Schiffer’s private chef. ‘She was pregnant with her first child,’ Sophie explains. ‘Did you make it a time of experimentation or consolidation?’ I ask; mountains of lobsters with fireworks

and sparklers as elevenses floating through my head. ‘Well, you tend to want rather simple dishes at home. Home cooking tends to be just that.’ I nod soberly, maintaining the sort of look that says I’d never countenance forcing my own private chef to cook mountains of exploding seafood. ‘Beirut followed.’ Not a sentence you hear often. ‘Originally I’d gone over there to teach Italian cooking to a client, but somehow it ended up with me entering a consultancy and learning all about the economy of a restaurant.’ Many of us forget that restaurants exist as businesses in their own right and that concepts such as wastage are just as important as our palates. ‘Do you have a signature dish?’ I ask tentatively, quite aware some chefs think that it’s a lazy way of thinking about cooking. ‘Not really,’ she replies. ‘Anglosphere dishes certainly dominate but I like to make sure there are plenty of other influences there.’ Not that Britain’s youngest female executive chef lets too many influences corrupt her own favourite dish as the nights draw in. ‘Henry, we must get you back in for a roast asap,’ she smiles as I leave. I couldn’t agree more. London Belgraves Hotel, 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ 020 7858 0100 (thompsonhotels.com)

Sheffin About Anton Mosimann is a star in the culinary firmament; Henry Hopwood-Phillips gets his telescope out

here are chefs who have served handfuls of C-list celebrities and call themselves chefs to the stars. There are chefs with a couple of certificates who label themselves award-winning chefs. There are even chefs who have been on TV and identify themselves as ‘personalities’. Hot-air balloons have nothing on food PR. But Anton Mosimann is the real deal. The chef lacks wall space for all his celebrity encounters. And his giant church complete with trees does not lack wall. He collects medals like a haberdasher might buttons. And his first TV appearance surfaced when neither myself nor reality TV had been conceived (1984). So powerful is his reputation, in fact, that he was able to ditch his two Michelin stars a few decades ago (unheard of at the time) and start a private dining club (Michelin doesn’t operate in private clubs) that has become the culinary centre of gravity in Belgravia, his namesake: Mosimann’s. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary I only just miss Boris Johnson when I arrive. Not that he is big fry by Mosimann standards. The gastronomical genius’s anecdotes skate seamlessly over the late Queen Mother’s requests for recipes at The Dorchester to past Presidents and their staff

I decided I wanted to be the best at all of it soliciting doggy bags in Washington DC. I ask whether he’s got a signature dish. ‘Risotto is certainly my most popular dish, perhaps followed by the bread and butter pudding.’ Ugh. I hate bread and butter pudding. It’s what happens to bread when it loses the will to live. Therefore I’m a bit dubious when the Swiss master enthusiastically dashes out to fetch me some fresh out of the oven. As I stab at the pudding I quickly realise it’s a crème brûlée topped with a mild marmalade-esque jelly posing as a casual splodge of BBP. But it is not. It refuses to admit the ruse though. Anton chuckles ‘Yes, I did all sorts of things to it. It’s all the same ingredients as a BBP, just in different proportions, executed in different ways.’ He has the ability to do all sorts of things because unlike some chefs he didn’t scoot up the culinary ladder seeking promotions and money. ‘I could tell at some points that I was being promoted too early,’ he admits. ‘Many chefs prefer to become masters in one or two fields and collect titles and pay-packets.’ Anton eschewed that path when he came under the wing of a particularly demanding

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chef in Switzerland. ‘I decided I wanted to be the best at all of it.’ Unusually for a chef, he has become multidisciplined; as comfortable with pastry as food from Lagos. The path has taken him all over the world. ‘You know the Japanese chefs compete at everything? Even cutting the parsley becomes a work of art,’ he notes. But I’m distracted by the snow-white moustache that sits on his words. The cooking style he’s become famous for – cuisine naturelle – certainly bears a Japanese stamp. ‘Its clean. There’s no alcohol. No butter and oil. We try to limit salt and sugar. When we do use sugar, it’s always juices or equivalents.’ It’s a form of cooking that saw him become head chef at The Dorchester at the not-so-ripe age of 28. Before I go, I try to get him to remember his first menu at Mosimann’s. ‘In one of the dishes I’d twinned a beautiful Krug with some oyster sausage.’ Oyster sausage?! Of course it was. Something that doesn’t make much sense in my imagination even now had been on Mosimanns’ dinner plates quarter of a century ago. 11B West Halkin Street, SW1X 8JL, 020 7235 9625 (mosimann.com)

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Sun, Sangria and Sergio Forgot El Cid, forget Don Quixote, forget Franco. Henry Hopwood-Phillips talks to Spain’s best export, Sergio Sanz Blanco

‘I

did a degree in telecommunications,’ Sergio announces. His eyes dart from side to side but his body language is not in the slightest sense twitchy. Not the answer I’d anticipated when I asked him whether he’d always wanted to cook. The man who’s just earned Ametsa, the Halkin hotel’s Basque offering, a Michelin star had parents who ‘didn’t think the kitchen was suitable for me.’ Not that he let a degree get in the way of what he loved. Earning his stripes all over Spain, in Barcelona, Seville and Madrid, the bearded Spaniard possesses an incredible work ethic. The sort of work ethic that means ‘when I take holidays, I go to restaurants. I go to learn new things, improve my craft.’ At least that’s what I thought he said. If the French drawl their words, the Spanish let their words ride on the waves of their exhalations. That, coupled with the restive eyes, give Sergio the mannerisms of an evil genius. Thankfully the only genius he displays for now is of the culinary variety. ‘It was on one of those holidays that I met the Arzak family in San Sebastian. We got talking and they mentioned a new London venture.’ ‘What, and you just signed up there and then?’ I asked him, a little incredulously. ‘Yes!’ ‘Your cuisine must be top-notch for three-star chefs to be signing you up on the spot, but how’s Basque

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cooking different from the rest of Spain?’ My schmoozing tone falls flat on its bottom. ‘No, no, no. There is no real “Spanish’ cuisine”,’ he exclaims. ‘The whole country is a series of autonomous regions. It’s mostly affected by the environment, what food that particular environment produces.’ ‘Fine, so what’s typical Basque food then?’ I reply, trying to recover some self-respect. ‘Fish. And we are very comfortable cooking that here.’ They’re probably comfortable cooking most things, to be fair. Sergio runs a shipshape kitchen. ‘I don’t care what the kitchen politics are; I want every chef to specialise in everything. I run a close-knit team.’ I cheekily go on the offensive ‘I bet you’ve had a few defections then?’ ‘No,’ he replies with a smile. ‘I’ve still got the same team I started with.’ Before I leave I try to clear something up that’s been bugging me for a while. ‘Sergio, if restaurants acquire Michelin stars and the chefs who earn them for them move on, do the restaurants still retain them?’ ‘As long as the style of cooking does not change dramatically, in general, yes,’ he replies. And though Sergio has no plans to move on, he certainly looks set to add more arrows to his quiver in the future. 5-6 Halkin Street, SW1X 7DJ, 020 7333 1234 (comohotels.com)

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I am

Game

Because when you have lived and worked in London long enough... You just want to shoot things.

ports do appear to have unspoken genders. Bien pensants deny this but we all know it’s true, don’t we? Horseriding? Female. Rugby? That’s male. Ballet? Definitely female. Shooting? Male. But more than shooting being just male, it’s for men not boys. I know because we had quite a few shoots where I grew up. The square outside the stables would fill with wet dogs, men with craggy faces and Landrovers that looked as if they’d seen too much. But the only dog we had at the time, Gracie, a black labrador, was so poorly trained that we could barely keep her off brides at weddings, let alone train her to go beating with me. This traumatic annual ritual ensured that the most serious I’d ever gotten with a shotgun in my youth was a 12 bore a friend’s grandfather had pilfered from a dead Nazi. A gun we imaginatively called ‘the Nazi shotgun’. Anyway, the upshot was that in spite of moping about shooting with Royal Ag (Royal Agricultural University) friends destined to become gamekeepers stalking deer in the highlands, I would never describe myself as ‘a good shot’. So when I signed up for a shoot with the London Shooting Club, I wondered firstly, what sort of horrible hole they’d send us to, secondly, whether I’d be wasting half a day on a train and thirdly, whether I’d embarrass myself. It came as a great surprise therefore when half an hour on the underground from Notting Hill to South Ruislip and a five minute car journey later, I found myself in the middle of nowhere. And not the sort of ‘middle of nowhere’ paintball centres often boast of, but a nice countryside spot. Hardly chocolate-box Dorset but at the very least Richmond Park quality.

We were at the West London Shooting School, just one of the venues of the London Shooting Club. The Club opened this summer but has already been in charge of marshalling the Made in Chelsea crew. The building reminds me of grammar schools built at the turn of the century. The red brick nicely matches the hall, which itself is full of wood and men in clothes the colour of earth. After coffee, Mark Swiers, a man with 15 years instructing experience under his belt, a salt-of-the-earth type with a beautiful lilting accent I couldn’t quite place, took me to a room I’d not like to insure and thrust a 20 bore in my hands. I hit the first clay spot on. Very lucky. I was shooting with Holly, a PR executive who works with the brand. She’s very good. She says she’s going to make sure women feel more comfortable in the sport. I nod uncomfortably. Mark is excellent and didn’t make me cry like I thought he might. When I wasn’t hitting, he gave me tips such as ‘make sure your left arm carries on when you want to pull the trigger’ and ‘don’t lock on your target, keep it fluid.’ After a day spent with Holly and Mark at the London Shooting Club, my gender assertions were shot to pieces. I thought half a day would be too long. But I regret not doing longer. I think I’ll be back with friends before winter’s out to do a day’s shooting. No more moping. Might even bring a few ladies... once Holly’s liberated them of course. Competent annual membership £335, beginner annual membership £195 (londonshootingclub.com)

Words / Tom Hardman

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Unwrap the secrets of personal banking Duncan Lawrie is a small private bank based in Hobart Place, and we currently have capacity to take on new clients. We have been here for over 30 years and offer all the services you’d expect, including counter service, a cheque book, a Visa card, online banking, flexible loans, and first-class service from a personal Bank Manager. In a recent survey, 65% of our banking clients gave their Bank Manager 10/10, and our Relationship Managers scored 81% for client satisfaction – 20% higher than our peer group*. Join us by 31 December 2013 and we’ll waive our monthly fee for a year To find out more: • Call us on 0207 201 3010 Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm. Outside these hours you can contact John Hilson on 07590 452440. • Email jhilson@duncanlawrie.com • Visit www.duncanlawrie.com/Belgravia

*Survey by Ledbury Research of 252 Duncan Lawrie clients. Duncan Lawrie Private Banking is a trading name of Duncan Lawrie Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries, represented in the UK by Duncan Lawrie Limited, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority and Duncan Lawrie Asset Management Limited, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Their registered ofﬁce is 1 Hobart Place, London SW1W 0HU. Registered in England under numbers 998511 and 1160766 respectively. DL1013BRJ

DL1013BRJ_aw.indd 1

04/10/2013 09:37

Magpie

Heaven

Shiny rocks, big frocks and beautiful people. Henry Hopwood-Phillips takes stock of Bulgari’s new Diva Collection

orporate events often have all the personality of a librarian union’s weekend away. Usually empty and when they are not it’s people ‘networking’ (an awful practice that has irrevocably removed the pleasant notion that people might actually talk to others for pleasure) or slowly torturing small talk up against a wall. Turning up early in the rain did little to dispel these nasty little thoughts that often pepper my large, even nastier head. Thankfully, I was, as usual, utterly wrong. My prejudices were initially curbed and trammelled by Bulgari’s PR. Instead of an adamantine gaze unsullied by cogitation, the delightful brunette’s thoughtful commentary on both Bulgari’s backstory (set up by a Greek, Sotirios Voulgaris, in Rome towards the end of the 19th century) and the new Diva Collection, was utterly fascinating. Not that she had a hard task. What a collection! I am a man. I am heterosexual. I do not set great bones by style (that’s a lie). The jewellery should not appeal to me. But it did. It would be easy to blame the Bellinis but it wasn’t those. Inspired by the film stars of the 1950s and 1960s who had Bulgari stones dripping from them at every opportunity: Ava Gardner, Elizabeth Taylor (think Cleopatra), and my crush from The Fall of the Roman Empire: Sophia Loren. A fan shape and a playful Egyptian

What a collection!... The jewellery shouldn’t appeal to me. But it did rhythm vie with floral motifs in combinations that look as wearable as they are striking. Showcasing the jewels was the resplendent Amanda Bond Elliot, chair of the Belgrave Square committee. Whilst delivering a sparkling speech to hushed locals (I espied cigar expert Edward Sahakian, Daniel Galvin jnr. amongst others in the crowd) I couldn’t help notice a coruscative light flickering out, a brilliant contrast to the black number she wore. After a generous raffle and goodie-bags my thoughts turned to the fact that people seemed to be leaving. There are few corporate events that are so enjoyable that they require an after-party. Perhaps the best endorsement I can give is that this one did. 176-177 Sloane Street, SW1X 9QL 020 7838 8815 (bulgari.com)

From top: Victoria Bond Elliott and Stephen Sobey Mr Robert Kennedy and Mrs Olga Kennedy Dr Amir Ali Farman Farma and Alexandra Bond Elliott

Jonny Hyam and Ilana Henderson Loredana Edwards

Rafael Utiyama and Alexandra Bond Elliott Amanda Bond Elliott

Robert Kennedy

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Alexandra Bond Elliott and Loredana Edwards

Ilana Henderson, Rafael Utiyama, Stephen Sobey

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Duncan Lawrie’s front door, Hobart Place, Belgravia

SafeHouses as With trust levels in banks at new lows, the Belgravia Residents’ Journal meets the managing director of Duncan Lawrie Private Bank, Matthew Parden, to ask why the bank seems to be bucking the trend

History

The bank can trace its origins to two Scottish businessmen, Alexander Lawrie and Walter Duncan, both merchants in 19th century India. Now part of a holding company, Camellia PLC, itself an amalgam of companies that fell out of the East India Company’s orbit after the Government of India Act (1833), the group is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and employs 73,000 people worldwide. So what makes Duncan Matthew Parden of Duncan Lawrie Lawrie different then, from other establishments? ‘With Basel out of the news but not out of minds, the bank’s core tier one ratio is around three times higher than the average of most UK High Street banks,’ comes his response. ‘We will only lend the equivalent of its issued share capital and reserves (i.e. its own money). This means, unlike most other banks, we do not lend your money back to other clients. Instead, we place your bank account deposits with central banks, a select group of major banks and in government investments. Even though these are very secure, we monitor them closely.’ He is also keen to explain that the bank prides itself on its lack of complicated financial assets on its balance sheet. ‘Duncan Lawrie Private Bank does not manufacture its own products or investment funds and the company possesses an in-house research team with specific expertise in India,’ he finishes, before we move onto the nitty gritty... What is the bank’s philosophy? The bank’s philosophy has always been conservative, prudent and

Wrotham Garden Party, Kent

responsible. Long-term prosperity is more important to us than short-term gain. How does that work out in reality? We refuse to invest in anything we do not understand. That might sound obvious but this can be quite rare in the industry. Once we do understand something, we think it’s best to remove the jargon and simplify things so that clients know what is going on. Also, we always undertake due diligence before considering new investment products. How would you describe your typical customer? A person with between £500k-£5 million looking to invest in 10year cycles. What experience does a Duncan Lawrie bank manager have? We focus on long-term relationships. On average our bank managers have been with us for 10 years. We like the fact our clients don’t have to keep meeting new people and repeating themselves. Who are your biggest competitors? C Hoare & Co, Arbuthnot Latham and Kleinwort Benson. Can you explain how a private bank is different from those on the High Street? Most people’s experience of private banks is probably confined to that of Mr Banks at the Dawes Tomes Mousley Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank in Mary Poppins. Private banks were originally created to meet the needs of individuals or families with complex ‘private’ or personal financial situations, who needed specific expertise and flexible solutions. The

A Duncan Lawrie Priva te Bank tea and champagne even t

reality is very different today, however. Now they are for anybody whose financial affairs require a higher degree of attention. Private banks can manage all or any of your financial affairs. Can normal banks do a similar thing if you pay them enough? Private banks tend to be smaller organisations with shorter chains of command and personalised relationships that don’t involve byzantine regulations and automated authorisation. They also don’t tend to trade on their own account. Both reasons are often cited as causes for the banking instability that precipitated the recent crisis. How much does it cost? We charge a £25 monthly fee for a personal private bank account. This fee is waived if you invest £250,000 or more with us. Do you feel part of the community in Belgravia? Absolutely, we sponsor the Belgravia Residents’ Association summer party and pride ourselves on our regular involvement in the local community. This spirit is vital and everyone, including the local businesses, need to support one another. We also sponsor the Eaton Square Concerts that are coming up just round the corner this winter. Excellent. So you have summer and winter covered? Well, we are doing lots this winter. We are also teaming up with William & Son on Mount Street in Mayfair to host some events. Whisky & Watches in late October will be followed by Diamonds & Champagne in December. We have lots of clients in Belgravia and love to meet them all. We are going to be sponsoring the Belgrave Square Christmas event for local residents on 12 December this year as well. 1 Hobart Place, SW1W 0HU, 020 7245 1234 (duncanlawrie.com)

Who: We chatted to Matthew Parden, who originally trained as a chartered accountant. This thoughtful, meticulous individual joined the bank in 1997, serving as its finance director until 2010 when he became the bank’s managing director. Where: Hobart Place (head office). Duncan Lawrie has other offices in Wrotham (Kent), Bristol, the Isle of Man and Calcutta. When: Founded in 1971 Employees: 125

Elizabeth Street Party, 2013

Wrotham Garden Party, Kent

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Crossing the bridge The London Belgraves Hotel has reinvented itself, our Eminence Rouge goes to see if the new clothes fit…

am always slightly anticipatory when it comes to reviewing a new restaurant. It is quite different from visiting an old established restaurant for the first time. In the case of the former, one holds a certain obligation to be the first to either promote or finish it off with a flurry of your pen, whereas in the latter you enter into an ongoing conversation. Therefore, after my first visit to Pont St, the reinvented ground-floor space in The London Belgraves Hotel area (this is a good word for it, as it is just and only that – an ‘area’ lacking gravitas, cosiness or focus) I was eager to enter into the debate. The restaurant is now overseen by talented young chef Sophie Michell, having taken over from Mark Hix (big shoes to fill). On arrival my host and I were given a pretty window-bench table, which was a relief as the only other alternative seemed to be a table for two-cheek-by-jowl. We were brought a glass of Champagne. I must admit, I find the assumption that all customers are thrilled and honoured to receive such an offering a trifle irritating. I passed mine over to my guest and was subsequently offered a superb glass of Bordeaux, much more like it. They certainly adapt quickly. My guest chose pork belly nuggets, while I opted for a hot crab bake. I was told the pork belly was excellent; the presentation certainly appeared so. The textures the chef teased from the squares of meat were impressive. Crispness snapped

over gooey ponds of fat that sat on slabs of pork like wobbly tectonic plates. Whilst there was nothing massively wrong with the crab; blindfolded, I would not have known what it was. Also, the béchamel-style sauce on top had congealed and when prodded with a fork it fought back with a slightly spongy resistance. Miso lamb cutlets and halibut were ordered next, the former being a great success while the latter was like its crabby predecessor, dry and in a bowl for no obvious reason. During our meal, the staff kept their distance, which was appreciated, although they were definitely friendly and helpful. We opted for chocolate treats for dessert. And listened to music wafting in the background that was neither classical, elevator music nor pleasant. At least it became a talking point. I visited this ‘area’ several times when it was under the Hix umbrella and many of the same issues were apparent. This is a great pity as Belgravia is calling out for a very good, sensibly priced luncheon restaurant. Still, under chef Sophie Michell, the culinary world’s new bright young thing, I hope these little issues can be developed and tweaked with locals in mind. I have faith that an identity will emerge and costs may become a little more sensible.

The textures the chef teased from the squares of meat were impressive

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Pont St, London Belgraves Hotel, 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ 020 7858 0100 (thompsonhotels.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

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Stranger to Belgraviaâ&#x20AC;? Annual Writing Competition Submit your story by 30th November 2013

Visit website for full entry details www.belgraviaresidents.org.uk Get social on twitter, facebook, pinterest Also check out www.perfectlybelgravia.co.uk

The

Belgravian FOREVER YOUNG

One of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best plastic surgeons is opening up shop in Belgravia so Henry Hopwood-Phillips went down to see if he talks as good as he walks

t’s still dark outside as I enter the hotel. There’s early and then there is five double espressos early. Mine and international cosmetic and plastic surgeon Cap Lesesne’s meeting rocked in at about three on the espresso scale. We are meeting at 7.30am. ‘Cap, what a great name,’ I start, half just to reassure myself I at least had the right name. Both Cap and his beautiful wife Briana (oh yes, Briana of Residents’ Journal fame, she currently writes our health and beauty pages and the Belgravian Moments column, p. 24 and p. 27 in this issue) hail from naval traditions. He explains that his name simply truncates ‘captain’, his grandfather’s nickname. I’ve gotten Cap at the perfect time. He may already be a local (his children attend Eaton Square School and Francis Holland School), but now one of the most senior, experienced names in plastic surgery is looking to set up a new surgery in Belgravia in the next few months. ‘I’ve been to Harley Street, and it’s got nothing on what Belgravia could be,’ Cap reckons aloud. And when he talks, most doctors listen. Currently ensconced on a part of Park Avenue known as the ‘gold coast’, Cap’s CV makes Dr House look like the village idiot: Princeton, Duke’s, Stanford and Cornell stand out. ‘I did the accelerated programme at Duke’s. I didn’t have a holiday, I didn’t have a weekend. Even now most people ask me what my hobby is.’ The best he can do is that he is looking to develop new laser technologies and products for Bliss, in Soho. With more than 5,000 operations and a book Confessions of a Park Avenue Plastic Surgeon (sold 900,000 in six languages) to his name, I ask if he’s ever had any problems. ‘Well, a common issue for all plastic surgeons is that expectations maybe unrealsitic or never fully expressed. Post-op satisfaction is an issue for all of us. Sometimes that expectation is over the top, but some episodes are extreme – I had a repeat customer’s bodyguard pack heat a few times.’ I nodded, letting images of hot water bottles and ice-packs briefly float through my mind before remembering my Americanisms. ‘He carried a gun?!’ ‘Indeed,’ says Cap. ‘Whilst claiming diplomatic immunity.’ I don’t know why they thought it necessary. If there’s anyone who I’d trust with a scalpel near my face (and the list currently stands at about one: God), it’d be Cap. He has the softly-spoken, reassuring voice of a pilot, the face of a Swiss skier who models on the side, and it all sits on a body that belies the claim he spends all his time in a surgery or on a plane. I ask why he’s decided to set up a surgery in Belgravia. ‘I am deeply respectful of my British colleagues who have been very open and welcoming and I think that Belgravia is a unique spot with an excellent mix of people from all over the world (it definitely helps

that my wife speaks fluent Russian and lived in Moscow for 10 years though). I foresee a significant investment for a Belgravian practice in collaboration with Bliss and have already passed UK regulations and have done a stint in the NHS. I’m also one of the few plastic surgeons in the world to be professionally qualified on both sides of the Atlantic.’ Trying to imagine if I was wanting to give my (very limited) custom to Mr Lesesne I try to argue that whilst he might execute the operation perfectly on me, the muscles underneath might eventually give way, making me look like those terrible celebrities with trout pouts or foreheads like cliffs. ‘Firstly, a lot of the celebrities you’ve referred to I expect go for a slightly outrageous, more attention-seeking surgery. Secondly, I try to second-guess the aging process by getting photographs of a patient when they were younger. This also allows me to pinpoint where and how a particular patient’s beauty works.’ ‘There’s still quite a lot of negative publicity about plastic surgery, though, isn’t there,’ I protest. ‘Yes I guess it’s a question of expectations,’ he answers. ‘Look, if you’re sitting in front of the mirror staring at your face for half a day before you request plastic surgery, you’re more than likely to go for it.’ Still, it’s not really stopped plastic surgery sitting in the limelight over the past decade. TV shows such as Nip & Tuck make the procedures sound pedestrian and the effects glamorous. ‘I think there’s certainly a globalisation factor at play. A few years ago, Vietnamese workers would not have saved for years to get a flight to Seoul for an operation – now they will. Also. I think male beauty has received more attention. Revelations such as the fact that John Wayne had surgery have shattered quite a few shibboleths,’ Cap tells me. ‘Still, you can only work with what you’ve got, no? I’m not playdoh,’ I declare. I scan his face. It had my ‘packing heat’ expression. ‘I’m not putty,’ I explain. ‘Well, material really isn’t the issue,’ Cap clarifies. ‘If you have enough time, money and are willing to shoulder the risks I can do almost anything with you. A patient I had still looks like Elvis Presley.’ My mind flickers indecisively between utter admiration and a primitive urge to accuse the doctor of witchcraft. I can’t detain Cap indefinitely. He’s off to a meeting with the vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons. Whether an angel, a modern-day Faust or simply a very good doctor, in an age in which we all feel like our looks leave us before our faculties, I believe it would be wise to be very, very nice to him. It’s certainly a less difficult task than locating Juventas’ ambrosia.

I’m also one of the few plastic surgeons in the world to be professionally qualified on both sides of the Atlantic

(caplesesne.com)

Words / Henry Hopwood-Phillips Illustration / Russ Tudor

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The business that Jo built

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines; Jo Loves has arrived. Only this perfume store will be like nothing you have ever experienced before. Katie Randall walks down memory lane with Jo Malone

‘T

his is the second time I’ve done this,’ enthuses a bespectacled Jo Malone, leaning forward ever so slightly to impart a piquant-juicy tidbit as though I am one of her oldest girlfriends. Perched on a red leather sofa in front of me, relaxed and at peace with the world is the face, or woman I should say, who launched a thousand beautiful scents under her namesake fragrance, bath and body brand in 1994. Two years later, she had sold the brand to Estée Lauder but stayed on in the role of creative director until she

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was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. After a difficult period, during which she had to step away from her brand, undergo chemotherapy and maintain an enforced five-year absence from the perfume industry, Jo is back. Channeling her creative talents in late 2011, she has painstakingly created a glossy new brand. Enter Jo Loves. ‘When you feel that ignition moment: the moment when your feet leave the ground, it’s magic. In the last three months I would say this [sensation] has started to happen; we can feel

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ourselves going vroom,’ Jo explains. The seasoned entrepreneur and scent guru is, of course, discussing her recent introduction to Belgravian society; coming full circle, Jo has opened her brand’s first boutique where she once worked as a wide-eyed teen. Throwing previous notions of ‘boutiques’ out of the window, Jo has rid retail of dull fragrance cards [that you scent and sniff to test a fragrance] and neat, straightforward presentation of product: the Jo Loves perfume shop, the owner proudly proclaims, is a ‘fragrance brasserie.’ ‘I think retail has become a bit staid,’ she continues. ‘As retailers we think it’s all about the product, but it’s not. Retail has always been about the excitement, the education and the entertainment. Somewhere along the line we lost that thread and we stopped being creative.’ And how do we reclaim the passion and thrill, I cry? Thankfully, Jo has the answer. ‘If you look at all of the admirable places around the world, creativity rules and this is key. When you truly engage with a brand and its message you feel like you’ve been kissed for the very first time.’ I am feeling giddy at the mere thought of a delicately scented Jo Loves peck on the cheek, so I push the creator for further details of this innovative new concept. ‘When you walk past a brasserie you instantly want to sit outside, read a paper and have a think about life. That’s how I want this shop to feel.’ Visitors will cross the threshold and will be greeted by a tasteful ode to white, with beech floors and red accents. Jo tells me that the shop is identical to her own home, largely due to the fact that it has been designed by the very same interior designer, Martin Steel. ‘I have been involved in every single detail as I want it to feel as though you’ve come to my house for dinner. If you were visiting my home, I’d naturally look after you.’ So what else does hospitality à la Malone involve, I wonder? ‘The bar is so stunningly beautiful,’

Jo chuckles. Wait just a second, the bar? I begin to realise that this perfume retailer really has thought out of the box. ‘I’ve got a huge bar in the shape of the letter J and it curves round and is covered in beautiful silver and pewter glass. The wonderful Jeremy King, who created Café Colbert, helped me with the design of our brasserie bar, because I couldn’t get it right,’ the mogul explains. ‘It kept turning into a counter, so I asked him to help and he did all these wonderful little drawings – and suddenly there was the answer right before me.’ This is by no means where the intrigue ends; Jo is indelibly excited to serve up cologne in beautiful white tagines at her bar under the ambient lighting of drop lanterns, as well as beauty lotions on pristine white spoons and shower gels in cocktail shakers. ‘It’s just the start of a creative new journey,’ Jo says, leaning in again. ‘I’ve created some new concepts which I am so proud of. Lotions will be painted onto you, either over the rocks and ice-cold in summer, or warmed in a cappuccino machine in winter.’ She also divulges details of a new ancillary product known as bath cologne, which she hopes Belgravians will love. ‘It’s like sitting in a huge vat of warm cologne; it’s gorgeous,’ she smiles. Changing the landscape of retail is at the heart of Jo’s 42 Elizabeth Street store, where people will experience the products rather than perusing the shelves. A concept this ‘new’ does bring with it its own problems. Jo’s perfumes smell notoriously good enough to eat, so what happens if some poor fellow ingests a spoonful of scented bath oil while settled at this tailor-made bar? ‘I’ve thought of that,’ comes the response. ‘I am already making big “do not eat me” signs,’ she exclaims. This particular location holds resonance for the self-taught perfumer; she and Elizabeth Street go way back. ‘I had my first wonderful job at the age of 16 in the flower shop that used to stand at 44 Elizabeth Street,’ Jo proclaims with mirth, before conspiratorially adding that she was actually fired from that business for misbehaving. I love Jo’s honesty; she talks to you as though you are a trusted friend and communicates with a certain gravitas. It is not the kind of solemnity that makes you feel apprehensive, rather she has you on the edge of your seat; at any moment she might reveal some excellent advice or an insightful life truth. Continuing her story, she adds: ‘I remember

I had my first wonderful job at the age of 16 in the flower shop that used to stand at 44 Elizabeth Street

coming in from the market to the store and you would be hit with a beautiful smell. It was as if the flowers were all sitting upright and shouting good morning. The smell of green leaves, the flora and the twigs has inspired my latest fragrance, 42 Elizabeth Street, which has just launched to celebrate the opening of the store,’ Jo tells me. She has also extended her ‘shot of concept’ in which the main fragrance of a new collection is accompanied by two variation scents developing the main theme. Keep an eye out for A Shot of Fresh Sweet Peas and A Shot of Muguet & Cedar. ‘Belgravia is my old stomping ground; I feel very comfortable here. It also continues to provide inspiration,’ my interviewee explains, before she reels off her little black book of friends in the area: ‘From days gone by I remember Adrian the vegetable man and Roy the butcher, and I now love the way all of the artisans work in their shops selling their products: from Donna Ida and her jeans, Philip Treacy and his hats to the team at Jeroboams wine shop, Mrs Patel in the pharmacy and the married couple who own Thomas Cubitt. At the end of the day, I am a shopkeeper at heart and love nothing more than putting on my pinny and talking to people about fragrance.’ For Jo, a self-confessed ‘gut reaction’ kind of person, this location has always felt right. ‘It’s like coming home,’ she says. ‘Obviously, I’ve got shops all over the world with my name attached to them, but which I am no longer a part of. I am 20 years older, and this time I didn’t have to come back and prove anything to anyone.’ After leaving Jo Malone, the entrepreneur was unable to work within the fragrance industry in any way. ‘Those five years were probably the worst five years of my life,’ she concedes. Although she admits that this was fair: ‘rightly so because I sold my business for a lot of money, but every day I got up and thought about fragrance.’ The facialist from Bexleyheath has come a long way from gifting her clients with homemade bath oils, and I am certainly excited to see

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her conducting her fragrance orchestra and experimenting with different notes on local turf. Inspiration comes from all corners, whether it be her childhood puppies’ paws (‘they smelt of digestive biscuits’), freshly-poured red wine, her father’s shirts delicately scented with Christian

I remember coming in from the market to the store and you would be hit with a beautiful smell. It was as if the flowers were all sitting upright and shouting good morning Dior Eau Sauvage, roast chicken, or horse riding on a mountain top in Montana in the early morning; life inspires Jo Malone. And we cannot wait to see what she comes up with next. ‘There are thousands of smells and memory-evoking notes that tell stories in my head,’ she says. ‘The shop feels as though you’ve walked into my head and into my memories. When we created an installation at a famous department store in Oxford Street, I knew it was wrong. It was one of the most awkward moments of my life. When I walk into 42 Elizabeth Street, I breathe a huge sigh of relief. It couldn’t be more right.’ The new Jo Loves store is located at 42 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9NZ, 020 7259 1430 (joloves.com)

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Beauty &Grooming Outside-in beauty and TLC on our doorstep, for him and for her

Review:

PEDI:MANI:CURE Studio by Bastien Gonzalez Briana Handte Lesesne experiences a little luxury at the hands of the pedicure master

astien Gonzalez is a podiatrist by training with a signature pedicure sought-after in the most upmarket hotels and spas in London, Moscow, Monaco, Delhi, Singapore and Dubai. For him, luxury is very simple and straightforward: quality and service. First, Bastien’s mantra is to treat the feet and cure the nails – it’s not about shades of bubble gum pink, cherry red or vampedup burgundy-polished toes. He begins by gently cleaning the nails with an application of polishing paste made with mother-of-pearl extract, then uses tiny cleaning drills that glide smoothly over the nail removing dust and dirt, while simultaneously trimming the cuticles. A natural horn buffer leaves your nails shiny without using nail polish (a technique passed down by his grandmother), before he gently and accurately removes calluses with a blade – as a trained

podiatrist, Gonzalez knows the layers of the skin and cellular turnover. He finishes the pedicure with a gentle yet effective massage to the calf and lower leg, lifting and rolling the skin for optimal restoration of the fat cushions on the soles of the feet, followed by the application of Silky Talcum Powder Cool Veil, from his product line. Enriched with kaolin, which creates a second skin for protection, it has a calming effect to soothe my overstressed feet. PEDI:MANI:CURE Studio by Bastien Gonzalez pedicure £125, at The Cadogan Hotel, 75 Sloane Street, SW1X 9SG For more information or to book an appointment, email Isabelle Vrillac on contact@bastiengonzalez.com (bastiengonzalez.com)

Just Peachy

The Mitchell family has cultivated everything from strawberries and apples to hops and cobnuts, as well as fine lavender fields; and the quality of the essences distilled from their plantations inspired Jod Mitchell, founder of Mitchell & Peach, to create a bath and body range of uncompromising quality. All of the ingredients in the brand’s products come straight from their farm in Kent, including matured essential oils and honey collected from hives on the estate. Unwavering attention to detail goes into everything that the Mitchell family does; and Jod stands by his belief in the utmost quality and ‘service’ of what’s inside the bottle. My personal favourite is the Kentish Cobnut Scrub (£36) – the secret ingredient is ground shells from the Mitchells’ cobnut ‘plats’ grown on their farm, combined with honey. This luxurious product gently exfoliates and whisks you away to sunnier climes. You will soon hear about Mitchell & Peach everywhere; The Surrey New York Hotel recently launched a partnership with the brand for an in-room amenity collection for guests. Mitchell and Peach products are available at Harvey Nichols and online at mitchellandpeach.com Words / Briana Handte Lesesne

Miss Motivator Henry Hopwood-Phillips, ever a glutton for punishment, dashes off to Hyde Park to see if Victoria Bond Elliott can put the wind back in his sails

‘O

h, she’ll kill you,’ Victoria’s sister Alexandra announces as I pop round for a coffee with Tomasz Starzewski, the designer with which Alexandra works. ‘I only had to deal with her when she was training to be a trainer and those sessions tested the limits of sisterhood,’ she laughs. Even without the awkward prologue, it was not the ideal morning for a personal training session for many reasons. Victoria had just shot over on the Eurostar hours before having attended a Ralph Lauren fashion show in Paris and in her words ‘enjoyed lots of symposiums,’ (a big word guilty continentals use to pretend their inebriety has an intellectual goal) all night. Meanwhile, I’d given my flu the finger, going for a knees-up at Grace Belgravia’s supperclub the night before, and the malady had clearly taken umbrage. Excuses aside, we meet beneath the statue of

breathing, stretching, she asks me what I think my greatest strength is. ‘Well, I guess my mental strength. I’m not the strongest or the fastest but I can continue when all others fall out,’ I say. To Victoria’s great credit, she replies honestly. ‘Yes, I might not recommend a regular trainer for the likes of you.’ But as she brings me out of my shell, we establish I do have weaknesses to work on. In some areas I am as flexible as an antique plank under the Aegean sun. With each small complaint, however, she is instantly able to recommend a stretch. And while we crawl into positions that would make plasticine blush, I emerge feeling, in the parlance of the Royal Marines, absolutely hoofing. For more information or to book a training session with Victoria Bond Elliott, email victoria@bondelliott.co.uk

I quickly learn to my detriment that the bottom is, in fact, a giant muscle Achilles in Hyde Park, a sight with the ability to both inspire and deflate the spirits. And Victoria soon has me at ease with tales of people, journeys and clothes. Not for long though. The pace soon quickens into fartlekking (a mixture of jogging and sprinting), nothing I couldn’t handle of course. Lunges, however, are a completely different matter. I quickly learn to my detriment that the bottom is, in fact, a giant muscle. And my evil blonde overlord has a good laugh as my disorientated muscles wobble like a penguin with rickets into a sprint. I take secret solace from the fact her injured knee might possibly be attributable to her overenthusiastic lunges. Amidst all the kicking, lifting, dipping, heaving,

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

Secret

Squirrel

No Big Brother-style parking cameras in Westminster, says Secret Squirrel

Old

Sloper

t is a great victory for common sense that after more than a year of lobbying our MP and local councillors, mobile cameras in the Borough of Westminster will be used only for crime enforcement and not for parking enforcement. There is, however, still the on-going problem of unnecessary double yellow lines, particularly in Mayfair in the Park Street and Curzon Street areas, as well as in in St James’s, Pall Mall, St James’s Street and Bennett Street. We have to give some of the credit for getting rid of mobile cameras to the lobbying done by the B.R.A., which has worked to make its voice heard for the past 18 months.

Old Sloper discusses George Osborne “the Railway King”

here are some similarities between George Hudson, the Railway King, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. Hudson was MP for Sunderland and inherited a fortune of £30,000 in 1827 (at least £3 million in today’s money), but probably double or treble that in property inflation terms. He added to his wealth by controlling a number of railway companies. In 1849, however, Hudson lost his money in the railway crash. The main difference is that Osborne, the son of a multi-millionaire Anglo-Irish baronet, Sir Peter Osborne, who co-founded Osborne & Little, the wallpaper manufacturers, is not risking his own fortune but an estimated £60/80 billion of taxpayers’ money on the HS2 high-speed rail network scheme, which in my opinion is very ill considered. If they are going to build a new railway, it should be built beside existing road and rail networks and certainly not cutting through swathes of beautiful English countryside, decimating the value of properties close to the proposed route and putting wildlife at risk. I strongly believe that all MPs on the proposed route, including Osborne, should be targeted and threatened with deselection unless they vote against it. Anyone living in George Osborne’s Tatton constituency should either field a candidate to stand against him at the next General Election or better still join the local Conservative Party association and try to have him deselected unless he comes to his senses and changes the route as I have outlined, or scraps it altogether.

Wise

Owl

Wise Owl laments the current student loans news

t has been recently reported that overseas students owe the Student Loans Co (i.e. the taxpayer, i.e. us) at least £100 million. This is a disgrace and the respective embassies should underwrite these loans because it is virtually impossible to recover them once a student has left the UK.

The views expressed on this page are not held by the Residents’ Journal but offer a platform for the voices of our local residents to discuss topics they feel relevant and important All illustrations / Mai Osawa

Belgravian

Moments

ith bountiful grains gathered from the harvest, November is the time of year to move indoors and prepare for winter. The progression of the autumn season from the maturation of crops, harvesting of grains and the last days of the season as winter approaches, November is the time when friends gather round the hearth and mingle with new acquaintances at intimate dinner parties prior to the onset of the festive season. November weekends in Belgravia are a good time to visit the local farmers’ markets such as Pimlico Road Farmer’s market on Mozart Square. With the arrival of autumn’s bounty of breads and cakes, fall fruits of apples, plums and pears, and root vegetables such as turnips, beetroot, kale and butternut squash, recipes take on a comforting feel. You can also choose from a bountiful selection of farm-fresh organic food at Daylesford Farmshop and Café on Pimlico Road. The autumn menu features marinated courgettes and corned beef hash to slow-roasted and pressed shoulder of lamb, smashed beans, peas and mint. I love to cook. I am by no means a good cook, in fact I have set off the fire alarm in our kitchen many times, but I do enjoy it immensely. First, I prepare my shopping list and set off to my local Waitrose on Motcomb Street. A true staple for any autumn meal are mushrooms, and in November, Waitrose is all about exotic mushrooms, from oyster to shiitake, Waitrose Exotic Mushroom Mix features other varieties including the mild eryngii (king trumpet), the buttery tasting shiro-shimeji and buna-simeji, as well as enoki and golden enoki. Delicious! For a homemade dinner à la Creuset hotpot, I stop by Jeroboams on Pont Street whose wine connoisseur manager, hailing from New Zealand, recommends a lovely,

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Briana Handte-Lesesne is inspired by the winter produce in our local shops

spicy, savoury red from the 2010 vintage of Chateauneuf du Pape, a French classic that goes great with winter dishes. For those who love reds, the Beaujolais Nouveau is always released the third Thursday of November. November’s Guy Fawkes Night originates from the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605 and in January 1606 Parliament passed the Observance of 5 November Act 1605 or the ‘Thanksgiving Act’ as those in Parliament deemed King James I’s apparent deliverance by divine

For a homemade dinner à la Creuset hotpot, I stop by Jeroboams intervention was deserving of some measure of official recognition, and thus they kept the 5 November free as a day of thanksgiving. Today, bonfires are lit and fireworks light up the night sky as friends gather round drinking mulled cider and hot toddies. For those who celebrate American Thanksgiving, this year on 28 November, The Palm Restaurant on Pont Street has an excellent take on this American tradition. With a centrepiece of juicy turkey and trimmings of sweet mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, brussels sprouts, green beans and plenty of turkey gravy, your taste buds will melt over the choice of pecan, pumpkin and apple pies served with crème fraîche for dessert. With many of us in Belgravia having much to be thankful for this November, lest we not forget Remembrance Day on the 10th – so please wear a red remembrance poppy as November is the month for thanksgiving and remembrance.

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

The Residents’ Association’s

November round-up N

ovember days are here and we are all in a state of anticipation for Christmas as the days become shorter. Belgravia’s Christmas lights are set to sparkle this month and and we are all looking forward to the Motcomb Street Christmas Street Party with the Holland Park Singers and Father Christmas. A new treasure hunt for families has been planned, so arrive early to enjoy dropping into participating shops and hunting for clues for a chance to win a Christmas stocking filled with goodies. There will be one or two other exciting surprises, so come along and find out… For further details, contact sue@sueliberman.com.

Centrepieces The date of Centrepieces, an event tailored for lovers of art, has been changed to 20 November. This exciting event invites participating galleries on Pimlico Road to show off a centrepiece with a story to tell. The accompanying Heritage Trail around the galleries will focus on objects of beauty and be brought to life by expert curator Debra McQuin. Join Debra from 6.30pm; light refreshments will be served at intervals and the trail is free to B.R.A. members. Invitations will be sent out shortly to members and their guests (£15 for non-members).

Photography We are looking for someone to visit Eaton Square to take some great photographs of the birds living there, as well as some woodland shots with the help of the Grosvenor Estate landscape gardening team. This task will suit a student or anyone interested in biodiversity and what is happening with the urban ecosystem. These photographs will feature in the next edition of the Black Book, the B.R.A’s magazine, out in early 2014. Thank you to all who entered our Voyage To Belgravia 2013 photography competition. We shall announce the winners next month, so watch this space…

Marketing Opportunity There are still places available for young people to assist us in the diverse role of communications, marketing, social media and events. Please contact the communications team for further details – email

by Sara Oliver

sara.oliver@belgraviaresidents.org.uk.

Going Places…

The opening of Vicki Sarge, formally known as Erickson Beamon, was a bright and buzzy affair where the glitterati gathered together to help launch the unique jewellery boutique, and singer/songwriter Paloma Faith snipped the ribbon. The boutique has been in Elizabeth Street for 20 years, and when I asked about re-opening at the same address, Vicki commented that she loved the area for its community spirit, beautiful shops and atmosphere. The 50th anniversary of the Caroline Charles boutique in Beauchamp Place, just next door to Belgravia, was a fabulous evening, where the Veuve Clicquot flowed and the gorgeous models sashayed down the catwalk in Caroline Charles’ stunning and timeless classics. Sponsored by the directors of Duncan Lawrie Private Banking, the evening was a tremendous success. Here’s to another wonderful 50 years, Caroline! The recent evening masterclass on creative writing, held at Belgravia Books and conducted by local author Harry Ball-Weber, was a great success and the short stories created were most entertaining. Now all that remains is for talented writers to enter the B.R.A’s Stranger to Belgravia competition. The winning entry will be published locally. I want to extend my thanks to Harry Ball-Weber, who also amused us with his own short story. Thanks also to Belgravia Books for hosting the event (belgraviabooks.com).

Black Book 2014 The third Black Book 2014 is being compiled and there are lots of thought-provoking stories planned. Please contact communications@belgraviaresidents.org.uk for further information.

And Finally… We would be delighted to hear from you. By joining the B.R.A. you will be part of an influential local group contributing to the life and community spirit of Belgravia.

Until next month...

belgraviaresidents.org.uk

Education

The Belgravia Residents’ Journal heads to Pont Street to see if Knightsbridge School’s star is still rising seven years on

e’s late. Only Magoo Giles isn’t a tardy character, he’s late because he’s crammed so much into his day. One might argue that the man who sounds as though he belongs in a Kipling yarn has packed too much into his life as well. Beating out a path from Eton to the Cold Stream Guards, from the Queen’s personal querry to Headmaster of Garden House School down the road, many would at that point rest easy on Magoo Giles their laurels. Not so Mr Giles. Bounding out of his office after interviewing a child and her parents, the wellbuilt wonder has a face reminiscent of our current Prime Minister’s and the eyes of a toddler on its sixth bottle of pop. Anticipating a manly clutch, I over-egg my own handshake. In 2006, Magoo decided to start up Knightsbridge School from scratch. I go for the jugular and ask whether the school suffers a heritage problem. ‘Well we’re certainly a young school, that’s undeniable, but I think many of the older schools are locked into an identity that ignores progress when it beckons. Meanwhile younger schools often refuse to draw on what’s great from tradition and the past. We try and blend the best of both worlds.’ Sport looms large on the curriculum. ‘It’s in sport that we find our place in the world, we gauge our character, we calculate our individuality, our vulnerabilities and our strengths. A healthy mind must have a healthy body.’ ‘Juvenal!’ I pipe back at him before remembering I’m not in the classroom any more. I don’t need to impress. Magoo also expects parents to be a little more athletic in getting their children to school too. ‘We are a local school. 70 per cent of parents are local. Too many at the moment are trying

to drop their kids off in the big 4x4s. Look at all those scooters, row upon row, we have outside! Kids love walking to school and it fosters a great sense of community.’ Magoo is still standing up. Seven years on and he’s still so excited about his school he can’t sit down. He thrusts a leaflet at me. ‘Bill Gates wrote that. It’s all about life not being fair. All very tongue-in-cheek of course – advice such as “be nice to the geek because one day you’ll be working for him/her five days a week”

It’s in sport that we find our place in the world, we gauge our character, we calculate our individuality, our vulnerabilities and our strengths but kids need to know the world doesn’t owe them anything. They tend to pick that up pretty quickly, but if parents are saccharine over the smallest achievements, our lessons can end up compromised. We need to calibrate parents to the school’s needs.’ So what does the future hold for Belgravia’s latest school? ‘Storm, norm and perform is the formula we run this place by. I don’t pretend the people or practices required at one stage are perfect for the other. So we’re constantly evolving and getting acknowledgement for that,’ he proudly proclaims. ‘Like the Methuselah of red you’ve got there?’ I titter. ‘Hah!’ Magoo’s laugh cuts me short. ‘That’s from the parents.’ And as I scuttle down the stairway, past honours boards and kids in singlefile, I decide, upon reflection, he deserves it. 67 Pont Street, SW1X 0BD (knightsbridgeschool.com) Words / Tom Hardman

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

029

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

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

DATE RECEIVED

ADDRESS

PROPOSAL

11 September

Pimlico Road

Internal alterations at ground floor level

23 September

Wilton Street

Rebuilding of papapet wall on the front façade

3 October

Ann’s Close

Installation of replacement windows and solar panels at roof level

7 October

Eaton Terrace

Excavation of new basement storey

9 October

Eccleston Street

Excavation and extension at lower ground floor level into rear garden. Extension of rear roof to include new terrace at fourth floor

9 October

Chester Row

Construction of ground floor rear extensions and terrace

planned road works

STREET

PLANNED WORK

DATES

WORKS OWNER

Eaton Square

New water connection in carriageway

1 November

Thames Water (0845 920 0800)

Lower Belgrave Street

Installation of chamber on existing water main

1 November

Thames Water

Wilton Road

Scaffolding

1-7 November

TFL (0845 305 1234)

Ebury Bridge Road

Partial closure of footway around bus stop 4,390

1-16 November

City of Westminster (020 7641 2000)

Grosvenor Place

Gantry for external repair and decoration

1-17 November

TFL

Buckingham Palace Road

Laying pipes

19-20 November

City of Westminster

The Belgravia

Directory

A compendium of the area’s key establishments

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

Harrods Estates 82 Brompton Road 020 7225 6506

Savills 139 Sloane Street 020 7730 0822

Ayrton Wylie 16 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 4628

Henry & James 1 Motcomb Street 020 7235 8861

Strutt & Parker 66 Sloane Street 020 7235 9959

Best Gapp & Cassells 81 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 9253

John D Wood 48 Elizabeth Street 020 7824 7900

W A Ellis 174 Brompton Road 020 7306 1600

Cluttons 84 Bourne Street 030 3773 0020

Knight Frank 82-83 Chester Square 020 7881 7722

Wellbelove Quested 160 Ebury Street 020 7881 0880

Food & Drink BARS

CAFÉS

Amaya Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street 020 7823 1166

Bella Maria 4 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7976 6280

The Garden Room (cigar) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599

Caffe Reale 23 Grosvenor Gardens 020 7592 9322

The Library Bar (wine) The Lanesborough Hyde Park Corner 020 7259 5599

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

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

Mango Tree 46 Grosvenor Place 020 7823 1888

Health & Beauty BARBER

DOCTORS

GYM/ FITNESS

Giuseppe D’Amico 20 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2968

The Belgrave Medical Centre 13 Pimlico Road 020 7730 5171

The Light Centre Belgravia 9 Eccleston Street 020 7881 0728

The Belgravia Surgery 26 Eccleston Street 020 7590 8000

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

DENTIST The Beresford Clinic 2 Lower Grosvenor Place 020 7821 9411

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

HAIR SALONS

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

MEDISPA

Bijoux Medi-Spa 149 Ebury Street 020 7730 0765

031

Home ANTIQUES Bennison 16 Holbein Place 020 7730 8076 Turkmen Gallery 8 Eccleston Street 020 7730 8848

BUILDER Capital Projects Ltd Gillingham Street (off Ecceleston Square) 07793 777 043 capitalprojectslondon.co.uk

Patrick Jefferson 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6161

FINISHING TOUCHES

ARCHITECTS/ DESIGN

Paint Services Company 19 Eccleston Street 020 7730 6408

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

Rachel Vosper (candles) 69 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 9666 Ramsay (prints) 69 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6776

FURNITURE Ciancimino 85 Pimlico Place 020 7730 9959 Humphrey-Carrasco 43 Pimlico Road 020 7730 9911

Soane 50-52 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6400 Westenholz 80-82 Pimlico Road 020 7824 8090

GALLERIES

Jamb 107a Pimlico Road 020 7730 2122

88 Gallery 86-88 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2728

Lamberty 46 Pimlico Road 020 7823 5115

Gauntlett Gallery 90-92 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516

Linley 60 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7300

The Osborne Studio Gallery 2 Motcomb Street 020 7235 9667

Ossowski 83 Pimlico Road 020 7730 3256

INTERIOR DESIGN

Zuber 42 Pimlico Road 020 7824 8265

Chester Designs 9 Chester Square Mews 020 7730 4333

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

Christian Louboutin 23 Motcomb Street 020 7245 6510

Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992

Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)

Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk

Patricia Roberts 60 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 474

Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590

Lord Milner Hotel 111 Ebury Street 020 7881 9880

Westminster House Hotel 96 Ebury Street 020 7730 4302

The Diplomat Hotel 2 Chesham Street 020 7235 1544

Lynton Hotel 113 Ebury Street 020 7730 4032

BOUTIQUE

Lime Tree Hotel 135-137 Ebury Street 020 7730 8191

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

Morgan Guest House 120 Ebury Street 020 7730 2384

Astors Hotel 110-112 Ebury Street 020 7730 0158 The Belgravia Mews Hotel 50 Ebury Street 020 7730 5434

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

Services BANKS Duncan Lawrie Private Banking 1 Hobart Place 020 7245 1234 duncanlawrie.com Royal Bank of Scotland 24 Grosvenor Place 020 7235 1882

BOOKMAKERS Coral Racing 67 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6516

EDUCATION Cameron House School 4 The Vale 020 7352 4040 Eaton House School 3-5 Eaton Gate 020 7924 6000 Francis Holland School 39 Graham Terrace 020 7730 2971 Garden House School Turks Row 020 7730 1652

William Hill 12 Buckingham Palace Road 08705 181 715

GEMS Hampshire School 15 Manresa Road 020 7352 7077

CHARITIES

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

British Red Cross 85 Ebury Street 020 7730 2235

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

Hill House International Junior School Hans Place 020 7584 1331 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 Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate 020 7589 3587 Sussex House School 68 Cadogan Square 020 7584 1741 Thomas’s Kindergarten 14 Ranelagh Grove 020 7730 3596

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

FLORISTS

Neill Strain Floral Couture 11 West Halkin Street 020 7235 6469

IT SUPPORT Dashwood Solutions Contact Jonny Hyam for all your IT needs 07818 592 880

MOTORING Belgravia Garage 1 Eaton Mews West 020 7235 9900

PRINTING & COPYING Printus 115a Ebury Street 020 7730 7799

TRAVEL Bravo Travel 6 Lower Grosvenor Place 0870 121 3411

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

Speciality Shops BAKERIES

CONFECTIONERS

Baker & Spice 54-56 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3033

Peggy Porschen 116 Ebury Street 020 7730 1316

Ottolenghi 13 Motcomb Street 020 7823 2707

Rococo Chocolates 5 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0993

CIGAR SPECIALIST

DELI

Tomtom Cigars 63 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1790

BOOKS Belgravia Books 59 Ebury Street 020 7259 9336 belgraviabooks.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

La Bottega 25 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2730

GREENGROCERS Charles of Belgravia 27 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 5210 The Market Quarter 36 Elizabeth Street 020 7824 8470

JEWELLERS Elizabeth Gage 5 West Halkin Street 020 7823 0100 eg@elizabeth-gage.com elizabeth-gage.com David Thomas Master Goldsmith 65 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7710 De Vroomen 59 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1901

NEWSAGENT Mayhew Newsagents 15 Motcomb Street 020 7235 5770

PERFUMERIES Annick Goutal 20 Motcomb Street 020 7245 0248

Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com

Pet accessories Mungo & Maud 79 Elizabeth Street 020 7022 1207

PharmacY A. Moore Chemist & Belgravia Health Foods 25e Lowndes Street 020 7235 5887

033

KnightFrank.co.uk

Eaton Square, Belgravia SW1W Exceptional penthouse with stunning views

A luxury three bedroom apartment to rent in Belgravia with balcony leading off reception with stunning garden views. 3 double bedrooms (2 with en suites), family bathroom, reception room, dining room, kitchen, balcony, air conditioning, lift, porter, access to Eaton Square communal gardens. EPC rating D. Approximately 172 sq m (1,850 sq ft)

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings belgravia@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6006

Available furnished Guide price: ÂŁ3,750 per week (BEQ147250)

(All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, administration fees will apply when renting a property. Please ask for details of our charges.)

KnightFrank.co.uk

Grosvenor Gardens Mews North, Belgravia SW1 Four bedroom mews house with terrace and parking

A delightful house in a discreet Belgravia mews which has recently undergone complete refurbishment. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom, 3 further bedrooms with 3 additional bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, dining room, media room, gym, study, utility room, wine cellar, roof terrace, garage. Approximately 258 sq m (2,778 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ3,995,000 (BGV120061)

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

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

ÂŁ2,750,000 Reception Room, Kitchen, Conservatory, Two Double En-suite Bedrooms, Patio A charming and beautifully presented freehold house in one of Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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

WILTON ROW, LONDON. SW1X THREE BEDROOMS FREEHOLD GROSS INTERNAL AREA 1550 SQ FT/144 SQ M

ÂŁ4,250,000 Sitting room, Kitchen, Dining room, 3 En-suite Bedrooms, Guest Cloakroom, Air-conditioning, Parking. IGCH Tucked away in one of Belgraviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most sought after mews, this beautiful freehold house is particularly charming. South facing, it offers delightful homely entertaining space, three en suite bedrooms with air conditioning, and parking to the front.Well maintained to a very high standard and presented in excellent condition, the property has been used as a pied a

terre by the current owners and is laid out over three floors. Features in the one-step sunken reception room include two windows looking down the picturesque mews towards the famous Grenadier Pub, cornicing, a central working fireplace, air-conditioning and built in bookcases and cupboards. EPC E.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

CHESHAM MEWS, LONDON, SW3 FOUR BEDROOMS UNFURNISHED ÂŁ2,350 PER WEEK stc Four double bedrooms, Four en-suite bathrooms, Two reception rooms, Garage, Lift, Air-conditioning, Private patio garden A four bedroom house located within this secure private mews right in the heart of Belgravia. This spacious mews house with solid hard wood flooring throughout is presented in excellent order having just been fully re-decorated. Accommodation comprises a master bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom, two further double bedrooms

with en-suites, fourth en-suite bedroom/study/dressing room, reception room with gas fireplace, large open-plan kitchen/ dining/living area with breakfast island, two guest cloakrooms, utility room, west-facing private patio garden and an integral garage. Administration fees may apply. EPC D.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

LINCOLN HOUSE, LONDON. SW3 FOUR BEDROOMS FURNISHED ÂŁ2,650 PER WEEK stc Two reception rooms, Three double bedrooms, Fourth bedroom/study, Porter, Direct access to garden patio A substantial lateral apartment of approx. 2,010 ft sq within this much sought-after portered building in Knightsbridge. Presented in immaculate order throughout, this spacious apartment is ideal for entertaining with a formal reception room and dining room in addition to an informal reception room at the rear of the building that opens out directly onto

an extremely pretty patio garden. Accommodation comprises of two double bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms and built-in wardrobe storage, further double bedroom, bathroom, fourth double bedroom or study and two fully fitted kitchens at either end of the apartment. Administration fees may apply. EPC C.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

savills.co.uk

1 A RARE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A MAGNIFICENT HOUSE belgrave square, sw1 Grade I listed building ø in need of refurbishment ø accommodation arranged over 6 floors ø served by lift ø terrace ø current planning as B1 use ø potential to convert to a single family dwelling ø 1,360 sq m (14,636 sq ft)

Savills Knightsbridge

Savills Sloane Street

Barbara Allen baallen@savills.com

Noel De Keyzer ndekeyzer@savills.com

020 7581 5234

020 7730 0822

Guide £30 million Leasehold, a new FRI Grosvenor lease of 128 years (unenfranchiseable)

Prime Central London IN NUMBERS

Find out about the Prime Central London residential property market. In detail. In focus. In numbers. Visit savills.co.uk/in-numbers Savills Sloane Street 139 Sloane Street SW1X 9AY 020 7730 0822 sloanestreet@savills.com

Savills Knightsbridge 188 Brompton Road SW3 1HQ 020 7581 5234 knightsbridge@savills.com

savills.co.uk

1 WELL PROPORTIONED LATERAL PENTHOUSE ON THE NORTHERN TERRACE eaton square, sw1 Reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø 4 bedrooms (2 en suite) ø further bathroom ø guest cloakroom ø porter ø lift ø 255 sq m (2,746 sq ft) ø EPC=E

Savills Knightsbridge

Savills Sloane Street

Alex Christian achristian@savills.com

Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com

020 7581 5234

020 7730 0822

Guide £11.5 million Leasehold, approximately 69 and a half years remaining

savills.co.uk

1 LATERAL HOUSE WITH 46' ROOF TERRACE AND PARKING eaton row, sw1 Drawing room ø dining room ø sitting room ø kitchen ø 4 bedrooms (2 en suite) ø 2 further bedrooms ø utility room ø 3 parking spaces ø roof terrace ø 235 sq m (2,539 sq ft) ø EPC=D Price on application Freehold

Savills Knightsbridge

Savills Sloane Street

William Duckworth-Chad wdchad@savills.com

Charles Holbrook cholbrook@savills.com

020 7581 5234

020 7730 0822

savills.co.uk

1 A BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED FAMILY 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

FIRST FLOOR LATERAL APARTMENT OFFERING AMPLE ENTERTAINING SPACE eaton place, sw1 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø lift ø balcony ø 143 sq m (1,541 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D £2,450 per week Furnished

Savills Sloane Street

Adam Simmonds asimmonds@savills.com

020 7824 9005

DUPLEX APARTMENT SITUATED IN THIS WELL MAINTAINED PORTERED BUILDING IN BELGRAVIA chesham street, sw1 2 double bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø private garden ø 140 sq m (1,507 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D £1,650 per week Unfurnished

Savills Sloane Street Murdi Van Hien mvanhien@savills.com

020 7730 0822

Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1 • 2 Double bedrooms

• Fully fitted kitchen

• 1 Bathroom (en suite)

• Terrace

• 1 Shower room

• Approx. 956 sq ft (88 sq m)

• Reception room

• EPC rating: current (D) potential (D)

“ A stunning first floor apartment in this beautiful period building in the heart of Belgravia”

£1,650 per week Furnished

For more information call Lucy Morton on 020 7306 1630 or email lmorton@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

W.A.Ellis 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 visit waellis.com.

Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1 • 3 Bedrooms

• Kitchen

• 2 Bathrooms (en suite)

• Direct lift access

• Shower room (en suite)

• Double roof terrace

• Drawing room

• Approx. 1,923 sq ft (178.8 sq m)

• Dining room

• EPC rating: current (C) potential (C)

“ An exceptional third and fourth floor maisonette in stunning condition ready for immediate occupation”

Guide price £6,950,000 Leasehold with 125 years remaining

For more information call Simon Godson on 020 7306 1610 or email sgodson@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis LLP 174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

Lyall Street, Belgravia SW1X A stunning, newly refurnished apartment over the lower and raised ground floors of this beautiful period building in central Belgravia, conveniently located between Knightsbridge and Sloane Square. Finished and furnished by Harrods to an exceptionally high standard, the apartment of approximately 1,259 square feet comprises reception room with excellent natural light and high ceilings, master bedroom suite with dressing room and hammam style bathroom, second double bedroom, shower room, and kitchen, and decked terrace area. Available immediately for long lets on a furnished basis. EPC rating D.

Price: ÂŁ1,995 per week 020 7225 6602 karen.boland@harrodsestates.com

KNIGHTSBRIDGE OFFICE: 82 BROMPTON ROAD LONDON SW3 1ER T: +44 020 7225 6506 MAYFAIR OFFICE: 61 PARK LANE LONDON W1K 1QF T: +44 020 7409 9001 CHELSEA OFFICE: 58 FULHAM ROAD LONDON SW3 6HH T: +44 (0) 20 7225 6700 HARRODSESTATES.COM

Eaton Place, Belgravia, SW1X The perfect one bedroom flat ideally located in Belgravia, offering excellent storage and finished to a very high condition. Accommodation of approximately 800 square feet comprises reception room, double bedroom, large shower room, and kitchen. The apartment is available immediately for long let. EPC rating C.

Price: ÂŁ925 per week 020 7225 6759 katarina.rhodes@harrodsestates.com

A23540-AYR-BEL-DPS-LHP.indd 1

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efficient - higher running costs

555 8 55

This magnificentContact south facing, double fronted apartment, interior designed by Candy & Candy, Contact Richard Dalton presents a rare opportunity to own one of Eaton lbelove Richard Dalton Email: rdalton@savills.com ellbelove Square’s grandestEmail properties. Arranged laterally s@wellbelove-quested.com rdalton@savills.com Direct Line:and +44 (0)its7824 9021 across 76 & 77 Eaton Square own 9021 es@wellbelove-quested.com +44 (0)20 7881 0880 Direct Line +44 with (0)20 7824 Mobile: +44 (0)garage, 7968 private entrance large e 020 7881 0880 Mobileand +44 (0)7968 553553 300 300 this isNot a true family home. energy efficient - higher running costs www.savills.co.uk

A CPC Group development www.savills.co.uk

71 58

Not -- higher running costs Not energy energy efficient efficient higher running costs Not environmentally friendly - higher CO2 emissions Not environmentally friendly - higher CO2 emissions

One of the finest lateral apartments on Eaton Square, boasting spectacular 4m high ceilings, a 47ft reception and views over the private gardens.

lbelove-quested.com belove-quested.com

71 69 69

Not Not environmentally environmentally friendly friendly -- higher higher CO2 CO2 emis emis

69 55

A development www.candyandcandy.com A CPC CPC Group Group development A CPC Group development

Not environmentally friendly - higher CO2 emissions

Richard Dalton Contact

EmailGrant rdalton@savills.com NOTICE: The property details and other information contained in this brochure have been prepared in good faith bycontained Candy & inCandy butbrochure are not intended to,prepared and indogood notgood constitute, IMPORTANT NOTICE: The property property details andother other information contained in in faith by Candy & Candy Wellbelove IMPORTANT NOTICE: The details and information thisthis brochure havehave beenbeen prepared faith by Candy & Candy but arebut nota ntract or create any contractual relationship. No description information of anyany kind provided relationship. byNo Candy & No Candy, whether written or kind oral,of contained inprovided this brochure or elsewhere an offer, a or contract create contractual description or information any kind by Candy & Candy, whether written or or +44 (0)20 7824or 9021 a contract or create any contractual relationship. description or information of any provided by Candy & Candy, whether written or oral, contained in ned in this brochure have been preparedTelephone in good faith by Candy & Candy but are not intended to, and do not constitute, an offer, a contract or create Email sales@wellbelove-quested.com ”) may be relied upon as a statement of representation, warranty or may fact. be Neither Candy as & Candy or its of agents make any representation or warranty as to the completeness (“Information”) a statement representation, & accuracy Candy ororits make of anyor representation orthe warr Mobile +44 (0)7968 553 may be relied as300 arelied statement of representation, warranty or relied fact.warranty Neither Candy &Neither Candy or its agents make anyagents representation warranty as to a rovided by Candy & Candy, whether written or oral, contained in upon this brochure orupon elsewhere (“Information”) may be upon asor a fact. statement of Candy 7881 0880 on and accordingly all Information is given entirelyTelephone without liability020 onand the part of Candy & Candy andis its agents to any prospective tenant or part theirofadvisers, agents andand representatives. the Information accordingly Information given entirely without liability on the Candy agents to Any any prospective tenant oragen th www.savills.co.uk andcompleteness accordingly all Information isallgiven entirely without liability on the part of Candy & liability Candy Candy and its &agents to anyits prospective tenant or their advisers, e any representation or warranty as to the accuracy or of the Information and accordingly all Information is given entirely without os shown are indicative and cannot be guaranteedwww.wellbelove-quested.com toplans represent the complete interiors/exteriors of thebe property. Any to areas, measurements or distances given are approximate only. It Any is notareas, measurements orww orare photos shown are indicative and cannot guaranteed represent the complete interiors/exteriors of Any the property. di Acomplete CPC Group development shown indicative cannot be cannot guaranteed to represent the complete interiors/exteriors of the property. areas, measurements or distances given r their advisers, agents and representatives. Any plans or photos shown areand indicative and be guaranteed to represent the interiors/ ale from any drawings. Any reference to alterations topossible or use oftoany part of the property isAny not reference a statement any necessary planning, building regulations or other aconsent has beenany obtained. scale from any drawings. tothat alterations to or any use ofnot anyof the property statement necessary planning, building reg fromAny anyreference drawings. reference to use alterations to of orthe use of part the ofproperty statement thatthat any necessary planning, building regul approximate only. It is not possible to scale from any scale drawings. toAny alterations to or of any part property is apart statement that is notis anot s must be independently verified by prospective tenants and their advisers, agents and representatives. All prospective tenants must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the matters must independently verified tenants their These matters tenants must be beand independently verified by prospective tenants and their advisers, advisers, agents and representatives. representatives. All All prospective prospective tenants tenants must must satisfy satisfy them them ained.These matters must be independently verified These by prospective their advisers, agentsby andprospective representatives. All and prospective tenantsagents must and nd validity of any Information given. Nothing in this brochure is intended and of norany shall it be construed as an attempt bybrochure Candy & is Candy or itsand agents to exclude or limit their an liability for any and validity Information Nothing in intended correctness andnor validity ofbe any Information given. Nothing in this this brochure intended and nor nororshall shall it it be be construed construed as as an attempt attempt by by Candy Candy & & Candy Candy or or its its ag ag dity of any Information given. Nothing in this brochurecorrectness is intended and shall it construed as angiven. attempt by Candy & Candy or itsisagents to exclude cannot be excluded or limited under applicable laws,liability including liability for be fraudulent misrepresentation or for deathlaws, or personal injury caused by negligence. © 2013 All rights are reserved. or under liability for fraudulent liability which which cannot cannot be excluded excluded or limited limited under applicable applicable laws,©including including liabilityare forreserved. fraudulent misrepresentation misrepresentation or or for for death death or or personal personal injury injury caused caused bb er applicable laws, including liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury caused by negligence. 2013 All rights

Grant Wellbelove IMPORTANT NOTICE: The property details and other information contained in this brochure have been prepared in good faith by Candy & Candy but are not in Email grant@wellbelove-quested.com an offer, or create Telephone +44a contract (0)20 7881 0880any contractual relationship. No description or information of any kind provided by Candy & Candy, whether written or oral, contain (“Information”) may116 be relied Mobile +44 (0)7595 210 upon as a statement of representation, warranty or fact. Neither Candy & Candy or its agents make any representation or warranty as to the Information and accordingly all Information is given entirely without liability on the part of Candy & Candy and its agents to any prospective tenant or their advise www.wellbelove-quested.com

plans or photos shown are indicative and cannot be guaranteed to represent the complete interiors/exteriors of the property. Any areas, measurements or distances gi possible to scale from any drawings. Any reference to alterations to or use of any part of the property is not a statement that any necessary planning, building regulations o These matters must be independently verified by prospective tenants and their advisers, agents and representatives. All prospective tenants must satisfy themselves by correctness and validity of any Information given. Nothing in this brochure is intended and nor shall it be construed as an attempt by Candy & Candy or its agents to ex A DEVELOPMENT BYliability which cannot be excluded or limited under applicable laws, including liability for fraudulent misrepresentation or for death or personal injury caused by negligen

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& Candy not intended do not constitute, ndy but arebut notare intended to, and to, do and not constitute, an offer, written or oral, contained this brochure(“Information”) or elsewhere al, contained in this brochureinor elsewhere ntation orthe warranty as to accuracy orofcompleteness of nty as to accuracy or the completeness the Information ve tenant oragents their and advisers, agents and Any representatives. Any r advisers, representatives. plans or photos urements orwww.candyandcandy.com distances given are approximate It is not distances given are approximate only. It is notonly. possible to ng, building regulationsororother otherconsent consenthas has been been obtained. building regulations obtained. st st satisfy satisfy themselves themselves by by inspection inspection or or otherwise otherwise as as to to the the Candy Candy or or its its agents agents to to exclude exclude or or limit limit their their liability liability for for any any njury njury caused caused by by negligence. negligence. © © 2013 2013 All All rights rights are are reserved. reserved.

but are not intended to, and do not constitute, or oral, contained in this brochure or elsewhere warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of or their advisers, agents and representatives. Any or distances given are approximate only. It is not ng regulations or other consent has been obtained. themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the ts agents to exclude or limit their liability for any sed by negligence. © 2013 All rights are reserved.

The spoils of the hardy workplace warrior.

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02/07/2013 12:24

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

Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1

£4,250 per week Fully Furnished A stunning four bedroom apartment in the heart of Belgravia with lift access on the 5th and 6th floors of this prestigious building. A period conversion property which has recently been refurbished to the highest standard. To let fully furnished with modern contemporary furnishings throughout. Private access to Belgrave Square gardens included.

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

1,561 sq ft / 145 sq m Approx Internal Area • • • • • •

Light and spacious living room Modern, fully fitted kitchen Dining room Master bedroom with ensuite bathroom Three further double bedrooms Three bathrooms

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

BURTON MEWS, SW1 A superbly presented Belgravia mews house equipped to a high specification. Energy Rating: E. 4 bedrooms, en suite bathroom, 2 shower rooms (1 en suite), reception room, kitchen/breakfast room, cloakroom/WC, patio, garage. Freehold Guide Price £4,495,000

Principal bedroom suite with bathroom and dressing room, second bedroom with en suite shower, reception room, study/bedroom 3, kitchen/dining room, garden. Freehold Guide Price £2,795,000

BELGRAVIA 020 7824 7900 belgravia@johndwood.co.uk

Belgravia Residents Journal Nov13.indd 1

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IONS AT R

A charming period house updated and reconfigured to create a superb home. Energy Rating: F.

TRUSTE

BOURNE STREET, SW1

141 Years of Property

72 - 2013

johndwood.co.uk

14/10/2013 10:51

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 32â&#x20AC;&#x201C;34 Gordon House Road London NW5 1LP t: 020 7267 1414 f: 020 7267 7878 design@penningtonphillips.co.uk

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

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struttandparker.com

Wilton Place, SW1

A stunning town house designed for formal entertaining and family life, with a large west-facing roof terrace.

ÂŁ7,950,000 Freehold

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959

james.gilbert-green@struttandparker.com

Pont Street, SW1

A stunning newly refurbished, south-facing apartment with direct lift access, high ceilings and three double bedrooms.

ÂŁ5,950,000 Share of Freehold

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 james.forbes@struttandparker.com JSA WAEllis 020 7306 1610

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Rutland Gate, SW7

A superb newly refurbished third floor lateral apartment, finished to exacting standards with views of Hyde Park.

ÂŁ6,950,000 Share of Freehold

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 james.forbes@struttandparker.com JSA Knight Frank 020 7591 8600

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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

BELGRAVIA Resident’s Journal 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