Belgravia Residents' Journal October 2013 by Runwild Media Group

Dear Resident

If you go down to The Grenadier tonight, you’re in for a big surprise. The next time you quaff a hearty pint or a deep Malbec in a shadowy alcove of this much loved local public house, keep an eye on the rafters, an ear to the ground as you might just be party to some paranormal activity. Supposedly one of London’s most haunted pubs, the Wilton Row establishment is a favourite spot in which many congregate and socialise, and it has remained so throughout its long history. According to local legend, after one too many drinks and a rowdy game of cards, a soldier was caught cheating and faced a brutal beating. He later died of his injuries prompting many a tale of sightings of his spectre. Fact or fiction? We cannot be sure. The Journal examines Belgravia's murky history in our Halloween-inspired main feature this month (p. 6).

BELGRAVIA

On an adventure of an entirely different kind, the Journal has also spoken to Belgravia’s very own action man, Paul Wood. The global traveller with an insatiable thirst for exploration shares some of his life experiences with Henry Hopwood-Phillips (p. 18).

Resident’s Journal

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

Above / Sean Connery shot by Terry O'Neill (© Terry O'Neill). View this image and more at Ransom Art's exhibition in November (markransom.co.uk)

Managing Editor Katie Randall

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood

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

Assistant Editor Lauren Romano

september 2013 • Issue 16

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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

Above / Sean Connery shot by Terry O'Neill (© Terry O'Neill). View this image and more at Ransom Art's exhibition in November (markransom.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

The Notebook

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

New restaurant in town

Belgraves, A Thompson Hotel is broadening its culinary horizons this month with the launch of Pont St., a contemporary seafood restaurant headed up by Sophie Michell (right), one of the youngest female executive chefs in the country. The menu comprises a range of dishes from crudo and small plates to seafood prepared a la plancha. Book a table and settle down in the emerald velvet banquettes to feast on interesting flavour combinations, such as sea urchin, chilli and garlic spaghetti, spiced Cornish crab with jalapeno hollandaise and sea trout with oyster mayonnaise. 20 Chesham Place, SW1X 8HQ. To make a reservation, call 020 3189 4850 (pontstreetrestaurant.com)

Long overdue

An overdue book borrowed from Westminster Music Library on Buckingham Palace Road has been returned 59 years after it was loaned. The book – the music score Tchaikovsky’s fourth symphony – was due on 14 June 1954. The library recently received the item in the post from the Royal Academy of Music, who initially received the book as an anonymous donation before spotting the library label. The returned book now sits on the library’s shelf for the first time in six decades. The tardy borrower, whoever they are, has thankfully managed to dodge library fines that could have amounted to around £5,500. Better late than never, as they say.

Open archives

The annals of local history are crammed with the births, deaths and marriages of notable figures throughout the ages. Now images of certificates documenting these momentous occasions are on display. Westminster City Council’s register office is due to relocate to new offices in central London and, while its current venue, Old Marylebone Town Hall, is refurbished, a display of documentation has been created at Westminster City Hall on Victoria Street. Amongst the paper chain, marriage certificates of Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, can be spotted, along with the death certificates of Isambard Kingdom Brunel and Florence Nightingale. The register office at Westminster City Hall will deal with enquiries and ceremony bookings for marriages, civil partnerships and citizenship ceremonies. Westminster City Hall 64 Victoria Street London SW1E 6QP

Tailor of Belgravia

Belgravia based menswear designer FER has recently unveiled a new A/W 2013 collection of bespoke jackets just in time for gentlemen to escape the clutches of the colder weather. The jackets cut a neo-classic silhouette; made from the highest quality materials, the dapper draughtexcluders exhibit the highest attention to detail. Belgravians should keep their eyes peeled for the collection, which will soon be available at the Moncho South of your Delirium in Lombo flagship store. 73 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PJ (moncholobo.com)

PLANNING APPLICATIONS

DATE RECEIVED

ADDRESS

PROPOSAL

19 August

Eaton Place

External alteration to existing terrace, new deck finish and planters

16 August

South Eaton Place

Alterations to rear, including the erection of rear extension at lower ground level

20 August

Chester Row

Obscure glazing pursuant installation

The Goring unveils christmas tree

It might seem premature to start talking mistletoe and wine in October but The Goring are getting into the festive spirit early, unveiling a 30ft. Christmas tree entitled ‘Christmas Rain’ this month. Forget balding tinsel and strings of fairy lights, this evergreen drips with a shimmering shower of mirrored raindrops interspersed with bespoke Fulton umbrellas, crystals, beading, sequins and baubles. The creation, designed by rainwear specialist, Fulton Umbrellas, will take pride of place right in the middle of The Goring’s garden for everyone to enjoy. 15 Beeston Place, SW1W 0JW (thegoring.com)

wool tweed with metallic detail, velvet and a viscose twill lining, £595

Parisian scents

There’s a fragrant aroma lingering around Elizabeth Street this month as the London outpost of Parisian florist shop Catherine Muller has moved in. The charming shop is filled to the rafters with bunches of beautifully arranged, freshly cut flowers whose buds emanate a wonderful perfume. Catherine has also set up her own flower school on the premises where students can develop the creative and technical aspects of floristry in intensive week-long courses. 53 Elizabeth Street, SW1W 9PP (catherinemuller.com)

Image courtesy of The Goring

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

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haunting

The

Here at the Belgravia Residents’ Journal we are not a fan of scary movies, but a good ghost story rooted in our area? Now that’s a different matter. This October, the Journal investigates some of the most ghoulish tales in local paranormal history…

The Grenadier, Wilton Row

ucked away down the sleepy nook of Wilton Row, once the haunt of the Duke of Wellington and King George IV, The Grenadier sits quiet and unassuming on its cobbles. But below ground, its cellar harbours tales of rogue spirits and ghostly goings on. Originally built in 1720, the pub’s upper floors once served as the officers’ mess of a nearby barracks, while downstairs, in The Grenadier’s subterranean gloom, soldiers would congregate for drinking and gambling. One September evening, the story goes, a young subaltern was caught cheating at cards and as punishment for his actions, his comrades inflicted a beating so severe that he died from his injuries. Since then, the beginning of the autumn season has long been greeted with a number of supernatural occurrences. Unseen hands rattle tables, objects disappear without a trace, footsteps pace around empty rooms and an icy chill lingers in the air for days at a time, while down in the cellar a moan of pain is just audible. The wispy outline of a young man with a handlebar moustache was even captured by the BBC camera crew when filming for the Six O’clock Show in 1982. Next time you visit, keep your wits about you; you might just get more than you bargained for.

50 Berkeley Square, Mayfair

he first reports of paranormal activity in nearby Berkeley Square came while the property was home to the British Prime Minister, George Canning, between 1770 and 1827. After living there for some time, Canning began to report strange noises and claimed to have experienced psychic phenomena. Opinion still varies as to whether or not these happenings were partly responsible for what happened to the house’s subsequent resident, the unfortunate Mr Myers, who was jilted just before his wedding day. The lonely and distraught Myers shut himself away in solitary confinement on the fourth floor. He lived in that room day after day, never making contact with another living soul and only coming out of the room at night to roam the halls illuminated by a flickering flame from a single dusty candle. Flash forward a few years, and a supposedly cocky young man was challenged to spend a night in the ‘haunted room’. Asking for a bell connected to a pull cord in the next room in case he needed help, he lay down, clutching a gun for protection. Early the next morning, the bell began to ring violently and, soon after, the group heard a gunshot. When assistance arrived, the young man was found dead, his eyes wide and his face full of fear. There was not a mark on him, and no disturbance to the room except for a bullet hole in the opposite wall. By Christmas Eve 1887 when two young sailors from Portsmouth were looking for a room, 50 Berkeley Square was deserted. Although unnerved by the unkempt appearance of the building, they proceeded to break in and sleep in the room on the top floor in an attempt to avoid detection. Sometime in the night the men were woken by the sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, along with a horrific smell. The door was flung open and there in the doorway was the spectre. One

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Image courtesy of James Stringer

of the sailors managed to escape but the other was trapped. When the sailor returned with a policeman to rescue his friend, they instead found his body, impaled on the railings outside the house, his face contorted in fear. Today, the building houses a bookshop selling rare books and manuscripts. Due to the famous occurrences over the years, in the 1950s police declared the closure of the top floor. Staff working at the shop have also been specifically instructed to never visit the fourth floor for any reason. There have been a few reports of unnerving instances since the opening of the bookshop in 1937, but nothing on the same scale as the events which occurred throughout the 1800s. Could it be that number 50 Berkeley Square is no longer haunted? Has the evil spirit that lives within its walls grown tired of haunting the house’s inhabitants? With the fourth floor now closed off to all but the most intrepid and death-defying explorers, perhaps we’ll never know.

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Nick Smith Photography

The Cadogan Hotel

he Cadogan is one of the most famous hotels in London, but not many people know that a residential building, 21 Pont Street, was absorbed into the hotel property before its opening in 1895. 21 Pont Street was the home of Lillie Langtry – West End actress and, most famously, mistress to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII). After the hotel was finished, Lillie continued to live in the room that had been her bedroom since she purchased the house in 1892. Although her affair with ‘Bertie’ ended 12 years before she bought the house, the hotel became the scene of her future rumoured relationships with the likes of the Earl of Shrewsbury, Prince Louis of Battenberg and millionaire George Alexander Baird. Lillie Langtry died in Monaco in 1929, and although she is buried in Jersey, many hotel guests and staff have seen her ghost in the restaurant area of the Cadogan Hotel – usually around Christmas, and when there are few guests in residence. Nick Smith Photography

The Embassy of Finland

riginally dating from the 1830s, the Embassy at 38 Chesham Place has been known by various names during its history, including Belgrave House and Herbert House. The building’s ghoulish rumours date back to when it was still being used as a private residence. The house has been occupied by several noteworthy residents, including Major General James Ahmuty in 1842, Lady Elizabeth Herbert, Irwin Boyle Laughlin and Gustavus William Hamilton-Russel, 9th Viscount Boyne. During World War II the house was used by the British Red Cross and the St John’s War Organisation, before becoming the Victoria League for Commonwealth Friendship and eventually the Embassy of Finland in 1975. The ghost that supposedly roams the corridors of the Embassy is a little girl who is seen on the main staircase in her nightdress. The story goes that she fell from a third-floor window when the room was being used as a nursery, and then returned to haunt the rooms where her family lived. Nobody knows which family the little girl belonged to, or even which period in history she is from, but according to folklore she remains to this day to guard the building where she died.

The Ghosts of SW1 John Baldwin Buckstone A welcome sight for nervous actors at the Haymarket Theatre Royal, Buckstone only puts in an appearance for a hit performance. Sir Patrick Stewart claims to have seen Buckstone during a performance of Waiting for Godot starring alongside Sir Ian McKellen. Queen Anne Once a year on the 1 August, the statue of Queen Anne in Westminster comes alive and stalks the neighbourhood. The murdered man Every 31 May, a small man haunts St James’ Palace, clutching his slit throat and dripping blood. It is rumoured that he was murdered by George III’s son, the Duke of Cumberland. Lady in red The Birdcage Walk and Cockpit Steps in St James’ Park are apparently haunted by the spirit of a lady in red. Spotted by two soldiers in 1802 who were then too afraid to return to duty, and a motorist in 1972 who smashed into a lamppost trying to avoid her, the lady is believed to be the murdered wife of an officer who was caught trying to dispose of her dismembered remains in the park. The leaping shadow Every New Year’s Eve on Westminster Bridge, revellers report seeing a shadowy figure throw himself into the murky Thames. Many believe this to be the ghost of notorious serial killer Jack the Ripper, reliving the moment of his suicide.

Words / Lauren Romano, Jennifer Mason and Kara Wright

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

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*. To find out more: • Call us on 0845 680 8778 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. DL0913BRJ

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03/09/2013 13:47

The Calendar Bringing you the lowdown on local events in October

Bond and beyond

It might be a month until the opening but Ransom Art’s upcoming exhibition deserves a note in the diary. An extensive collection of unseen and rare vintage photographs by Terry O’Neill showcase a catalogue of legendary figures from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Dipping into O’Neill’s extensive archive, intimate portraits plucked from the reels of film include the likes of Frank Sinatra, Muhammad Ali and Brigitte Bardot. To mark the 60th anniversary of the creation of James Bond, backstage photography of Bond himself will take centre stage, offering a behind the scenes peak at the life of the world’s most famous special agent. For further information or for a private view, please contact the gallery. 7-30 November, 105 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8LS 020 7259 0220 (markransom.co.uk)

Above from left: Dustin Hoffman; Sir Oliver Reed and Henry Cooper; Sean Connery. All copyright Terry O’Neill

Shaken not stirred

Stir up a whole lot of fun this month at Boisdale of Belgravia where Pierre Johansson is hosting a cocktail masterclass and rum tasting event for one night only (7 October). Open to members and non-members who want to test their cocktail-making abilities and rustle up mouth-watering martinis, captivating cosmopolitans and tempting tequila sunrises, the class also includes rum tasting so you can close your eyes and dream you’re on a beach in the Caribbean rather than plunging into cold autumn climes. 15 Eccleston Street, SW1W 9LX. Free for members (plus one guest) £12.50 for non members. To book, call 020 7730 6922 (boisdale.co.uk)

Photographic rebellion Chocolate tapas

As part of Chocolate Week 2013 (14-20 October), Rococo Chocolates will transform into a chocolate tapas bar on the evening of 18 October. Guests will be presented with two tapas-style courses designed to tickle chocolate enthusiasts’ tastebuds. The first introduces a selection of savoury chocolate nibbles, including chocolate olive tapenade and Spanish ham with chocolate balsamic. The second more traditional helping will dish up the award-winning Rococo ganache collection. In true tapas style, each course will be paired with a complimentary tipple.

Prepare to do a double-take when casting an eye over artist Tom Martin’s latest collection of painted works. Real Impossibilities depicts the unnerving and awe-inspiring realism of paintings as opposed to photographs. A rebellious undercurrent flows through the creations (some of which feature the nude human form) which present a new, considered version of reality. Taking the perceived reality of a photograph as his starting point, Martin’s work teaches the viewer to experience a fresh appreciation of paintings. 9 October – 2 November Plus One Gallery, 89-91 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8PH (plusonegallery.com)

Booking is essential, £25 per person 5 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU (rococochocolates.com)

The Trusler Carroll Wass Trio

Sound of music

The annual Eaton Square Concerts are always exemplary and this year’s 14th season will be no exception. The beautiful Grade II-listed St Peter’s Church will provide the auditorium for the congregation of music aficionados, who gather to hear internationally renowned musicians play alongside some of the UK’s best up-and-coming talent. The concerts are widely credited for delivering chamber music of the highest quality and this year the event continues the tradition with performances from the Vasari Singers, the Artesian Quartet, students from the Royal Academy of Music, as well as the Trusler Carroll Wass Trio, sponsored by Duncan Lawrie Private Bank. 10 October – 14 November Tickets £18, performances commence from 7.30pm (eatonsquareconcerts.org.uk)

From top: Red, acrylic on aluminium composite panel Breakfast in the 21st Century, acrylic on aluminium composite panel. Both paintings by Tom Martin

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

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

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Byron walks again Tom Hardman dips into Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure, Artemis Cooper’s biography about the notorious travel writer

think my stuff was a bit too fin de siècle for them,’ Patrick Leigh Fermor once wrote, explaining why his two poems hadn’t found their way into Personal Landscape, the most influential literary magazine to come out of the war. What is surprising is that his entire output did not share a similar fate. His travel passages oozed a sense of wonderment that hurtled down corridors of antiquity most had irreverently labelled irrelevant: ‘Plaster flaked from the columns...Benevolent or wicked voivodes gazed from the walls in half Byzantine, half Slavonic panoplies of fur hats, aigrettes, furred robes and pearls... boyar descendants with epaulettes and sabres.’ But then Patrick Leigh Fermor, or Mihali, as the Greeks knew him, was hardly your average man. A soldier, a scholar and a cad, he was born to be an adventurer just as the imperial chapter of British history came to a close. Fortunately his fervent imagination furnished him with more than enough gumption to pursue a world in which life was still dictated by the wheel of the

seasons and the feasts of the church. Cooper’s grasp of her subject is phenomenal. The book’s tone, though a bit headmistressy at the beginning, proves well-tempered when critical passages are required. And though I suspect some of her tidier, more inspired turns of phrase are lifted from Patrick’s diaries, her Peter Pan theme – Paddy the boy who never grew up – is as cogent a narrative as one could ever hope for out of such a jumbled and exciting life. Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure by Artemis Cooper £25, John Murray Publishers

Keep the

door open

Henry Hopwood-Phillips goes avant-garde for an evening of theatre at The Osborne Studio Gallery

play you’ve never heard of. A writer you’ve never read. In a venue with dimensions more suited to a scattering of paintings than theatre-lovers. Sounds like a Heston Blumenthal recipe: full of bad ideas. Thankfully the results of director Martin Parr’s efforts, like the chef’s, are impressive. His revival of Alfred de Musset’s A Door Must Be Kept Open or Shut makes for engaging viewing. I asked my Bulgarian partner what she thought the play was about, I like to pilfer her thoughts when I have my theatre critic hat on. Without hesitation she explains: ‘The Baron loved her very much and wasn’t afraid. The Marquise loved him back but wanted to make sure he was sincere about his feelings. She was testing him in her salon. That’s all; the plot was as old as the world’. She doesn’t like dicing, let alone mincing, her words. Yet some of the best in life is as old as the world. They hit upon the theme in the play. ‘Love? It cannot be old if it is immortal,’ is a line that rises above typical luvvy-duvvy sophistry. A lot of the tension that sustains the play is kept by the double-edged deployment of humour, both as a source of love and as a weapon against it. The darts of honesty perforate the Baron’s rhetoric and the widowed Marquise’s pride. ‘One dies either mad or dull – I have a terrible suspicion I will die sane,’ the

Baron admits early on. So the play was remarkable, the writer should be famous. And the venue, so beautifully intimate, especially with the afterparty drinks in the garden that it felt more like a dinner party round a friend’s house. I sincerely hope that the gallery hosts future productions within its walls. 2 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8JU (osg.uk.com)

Movers & shakers At the top of their political professional games, local resident Elizabeth Linder and her good friend Matthew Jamison, are often to be found around and about Belgravia’s boltholes. Tom Hardman dives in to learn more about these intriguing characters and their professional lives

Matthew Jamison If it was socially acceptable to scribble a CV with the same imaginative licence short stories boast of, then mine would surely resemble Matthew Jamison’s. A man who possesses an M.Phil from Peterhouse, founds The Henry Jackson Society, serves on the advisory board of YouGov, works as an adviser to foreign policy committees in parliament, co-authors books published by CUP and ends up as a Consultant Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, clearly isn’t a dolt. Our first meeting was postponed because of parliamentary obligations so I ask him what exactly he was doing there. ‘I think when it comes to the big foreign policy issues, Syria for instance, the public would be surprised at the level of knowledge displayed in parliament. It’s my job to ensure the debate is an informed one.’ And firmly embedded in the matrix of Whitehall, Matthew is just the right man to inform it. ‘A fellow,’ I pipe, ‘it’s got very academic airs about it, no?’ ‘Well it’s every professor’s dream – a university without students!’ comes Jamison’s reply. Matthew’s lucky break occurred when he was offered a seminal role in the Arab Peace Initiative. He never looked back. ‘I think it’s because we offer politicians and policy-makers a semi-official environment that we can attract some of the bigger names.’ And when it comes to wining and dining the top brass, sometimes only the best Belgravia has to offer is good enough. Indeed, it was not so long ago I saw Matthew hobnobbing at the B.R.A. summer party. Where’s next on the agenda? He humbly deflects the question. ‘It is not me but one of my best friends, Elizabeth, you need to talk to here. I reckon she’s the stuff Presidents are made of.’

Jamison with the 14th Dalai Lama

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Elizabeth Linder ‘So what exactly is Elizabeth’s role?’ a colleague enquires when I mention meeting the effervescent Elizabeth Linder at a Belgravia summer party. ‘I guess I’d describe her as the closest thing Facebook has to a government envoy,’ I try to explain. ‘Ha! What’s her next step? Establishing non-member observer state status at the UN?!’ The joke is on us, of course. In a world in which the lines between virtual and real are becoming ever more blurred, heads of state and politicos in general want advice on how they should use the internet. Is a PR attitude too formal and distant? Is an honest, candid approach too outré? Elizabeth bridges this gap, stepping in to lend government officials a hand so that they can utilise Facebook in an effective and transparent manner, reaching out to the people. Elizabeth enters in a trench coat wrap; her hair beautifully coiffed. I feel I’m less greeting an American Belgravian than a belle of the French Resistance. With a degree in Italian and French from Princeton University, Elizabeth found herself a victim of Google’s billiard ball business model: ‘they took people from all sorts of disciplines: science, philosophy, religion, engineering, information technology and just threw them all together. I was so out of my comfort-zone.’ But the Californian has clearly thrived. She spends her time jetting around the world meeting up with heads of state, ambassadors and embassy representatives, Members of Parliament, royal households, academics, city mayors, national police forces, civil society leaders and e-governance units. Just as we are getting into full conversational flow there’s a phone call. She briefly takes it. ‘German elections,’ she excuses herself, ‘I think [Angela] Merkel has posted a photo of Elton John.’ In comparison, my day begins to feel banal. On her return, I go for the jugular and ask whether Facebook felt embarrassed after the Arab Spring debacle during which politicians co-opted social media firms into a brand of neo-conservatism. ‘Yes, I think even Mark did a speech on that. We are a global company. We do not have “a side”,’ she says. She’s off to see Instagram’s co-founder Kevin Systrom next. As you do. Just before she goes, I ask what most of her advice to the top brass entails. ‘Be useful!’ she exclaims. ‘Social media allows democracy to feel far more raw and direct. If the people deem the middle political layers superfluous then everybody loses.’ How true.

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Munch brunch Neither breakfast nor lunch, the Tom Hardman heads down to The Pantechnicon to see if the portmanteau is worth the fuss...

here is something inherently annoying about places to eat that cannot decide whether they are restaurants or pubs. They fall face first on clumsy formulations such as ‘eatery’ or ‘bistro’ and tend to resemble All Bar Ones with extra trimmings. The schizophrenia rubs off on the crowd. The logic is that the atmosphere of the pub and the quality food of the restaurant combine. The reality, however, is that the food comes overpriced and the atmosphere remains about as colourful as the new Farrow & Ball paint job. So the summons to taste the brunch menu (brunch, the feast invented by parents whose novel interpretation of the Sabbath was to subtract a mealtime) at one of the doyens of culinary identity disorders, came about as welcome as an invitation to the nightclub Boujis. Fortunately, judging the firstborn of the gastropubs by the standards of their lesser offspring is about as fair as judging Elvis by the quality of his impersonators. As summer tickled the room through wide open windows, and relaxing Sunday tunes coaxed my partner and I into life, a Stolly Screwdriver made from oranges that could have fallen from Valencian trees moments before lulled us into believing that we were nearer to Barcelona than Victoria. No brunch would be complete without a Bloody Mary with an arm-thick tree of celery in it. And in spite of the fact the tomatoes had been bludgeoned to death by a close relative of BBQ sauce, it worked. The menu is helpfully split into a lighter ‘earlier’ section and a heavier ‘later’ section. My dining partner, with all the imagination of

an accountant, plumped for fresh fruit and honey. We can testify to the fact the fruit was fresh and honey did make an appearance. I was naughtier, and my cheek paid off. The softest chocolate waffle, crispy at the edges, yielded its shape to a deep, richly spiced cherry compote that fought what looked like a chess game out on the waffle squares with the whipped vanilla mascarpone. My guest demanded I swap before I could swallow my third mouthful. The service of the chap in charge – Rob Jones – was exemplary. The 2012 Chapeltown, a Kentish wine he recommended, is a bacchus, a grape famous for its ability to ripen in cool temperatures. Light bodied, melon-noted with a jazz-hand finish, it was the perfect accompaniment to my caramelised shallot and fig tart. The fig tart itself played second fiddle to the goat’s cheese and baby beetroot that crowned it. Not because it was unpleasant but because there was just too much of it. It bossed everything around the plate, chasing every mouthful like a schoolboy attacking pigeons. Not that it mattered. The icy flecks of citrus granite – the mango sorbet, with a texture so smooth it was hard to believe it was not simply puree that had been rendered immobile – soon ensured that the fig was humbled. My senses reassembled at the behest of a caffeine injection and I rose for the door…

It [the fig tart] bossed everything around the plate, chasing every mouthful like a schoolboy attacking pigeons

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The Pantechnicon Public House & Dining Room, 10 Motcomb Street, SW1X 8LA, 020 7730 6074 (thepantechnicon.com)

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Great British Escape: To the manor

Henry Hopwood-Phillips and Miss Daynes play Lord and Lady of Lucknam Park for a weekend

estled away in the Wiltshire countryside near Bath, just one-and-a-half hour’s drive down the M4, is one of only 92 five star AA listed hotels in England. The journey may take a little longer if, like my partner Miss Daynes, you decide to take shortcuts via lampposts and drystone walls; nevertheless you shall have the added advantage of improving the odds on your arrival in one piece. Once a humble farmhouse, the 17th century saw a series of colourful dynasties build what has become a Palladian mansion boasting a pillared portico, bowed wings and iron gates in a sea of 500 acres: a country house grand enough to count Queen Mary amongst its visitors. Diving straight into our suite and the box of truffles resting on top of an Alice and Wonderland note welcoming us, our first experiment with a very efficient room service involved a bottle of Henriot. Before long we found ourselves drifting from the oak-panelled library to the very Georgian drawing room and a terrific view of the sunset. Our arrival at the Michelin starred Park restaurant was heralded by a toasty-noted bottle of Billecart-Salmon Sous Bois, which sat ready to pop as our bottoms dropped. We plumped, in the end, for the gourmet menu. Not that there had been much understanding why on my part. There seems to be an inverse relationship between the price of items on menus and your ability to understand them. Perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding and customers actually pay for French words (velouté, confit, gribiche and the like) rather than the definite act

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of degustation. Linguistic quibbles aside, the assiette left one slavering for the bona fide courses. Themselves a game of two halves, the duck foie gras with poached pear and chamomile jelly was exceptional. The grilled mullet and tiger prawn, well balanced. However, the lamb was slightly overcooked and lacked any powerful accompaniment. And though our wonderful sommelier Damien, and a course of cheese, were on hand to rescue affairs, the lemon pre-dessert jarred. Although nice, it was a squib compared to the dramatic cadence begged for by the earlier dishes. A lack of cigars after dinner was also surprising. I like the air of pomposity they bestow and I suspect other guests do too. Nevertheless, we found an outhouse out on the grounds where punctual and polite staff brought out another bottle of bubbly which we used to debate theological matters last disputed with such vehemence in the late fifth century. A body clock with a sense of humour ensured that I repaired across the courtyard to an English breakfast at an ungodly hour. And despite a failed booking on the spa’s system (the hotel and spa are separate entities); I was impressed by the staff’s ability to fit us in at a moment’s notice. The slightly deferred physical respite eased a hangover that suggested the proper unit of champagne is glasses, not bottles. Room prices range from £275-£935 Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire, SN14 8AZ 01225 742 777 (lucknampark.co.uk)

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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 A CONSERVATIVE IN THE REFORM CLUB

Emerging from the same generation of Cantab grads as the Footlights, Paul Wood, with his list of gentlemen’s clubs and exotic destinations, is the nearest thing the Belgravia Residents’ Journal can find to Indiana Jones

ntering the Reform Club, I head straight for the library. Sink into a house of lords cherry red chair, place a watermarked sheet in front of me, pick up a nib pen, dip it in the Mont Blanc ink and begin to write a letter to a lady who had once been the subject of all my affections but has since fallen from grace. The room is saturated in silence. The books sit high and solemn, as serious and sober as the newspapers, lying ironed on the table, looking as though they refuse to indulge passers by the indignity of being picked up and read. Old words, hoary thoughts, sit on the silence as fat sultans once sat on plush cushions. ‘Ah, Henry, writing to tell me you can’t find me, are you?’ Paul Wood’s voice rings out in the sort of timbre one would imagine oak had. Not wanting to disclose the contents of the letter, I mumble something we both politely agree to pretend is a greeting. As we stand over a coffee machine whose only company is an honesty box, Paul, the owner of Apple Search, a recruitment company, begins to joke about how everything has gone topsyturvy in the gentlemen’s clubs. ‘Back in the 1980s you could smoke anywhere and homosexuals were silent,’ breaking his sentence with a chuckle that sounds like it has bred with a wheeze, ‘but these days you can’t smoke anywhere and the homosexuals are very loud!’ I grin nervously, admiring his refusal to selfcensor, the scourge of the modern age. A lady nearby clearly agrees and titters. But Paul is concerned. ‘You look so young, Henry. I think I’m coming to the age when people don’t take what I say very seriously any more, as if I’m some sort of relic!’ Paul does not seem like a relic to me. However, sporting a bit of a paunch, his insouciant gaze, digressive mind, irrepressible laugh, broken loafers and linen trousers bestow a Chestertonian air upon him. His restless train of thought soon has him pointing out, as we pass an antechamber, that ‘coming here for the first time [the free market radical] John Bright is supposed to have muttered to Richard Cobdon, “We must not be corrupted.” Or was it the other way around?’ He didn’t know. Neither did I but we both knew what Bright must have meant. Charles Barry’s masterpiece, modelled on Michelangelo’s Palazzo Farnese, is a renaissance temple. The light that cascades down the ionic pillars harks back to the hovering dome of Hagia Sophia. It reminds me of George Gilbert Scott’s Italianate foreign office down the road. I’m frank with Paul though as we settle upstairs. ‘Don’t you think these clubs are becoming museums?’ He

disagrees. ‘They said the same sort of thing about religion but in reality things just change, usually not for the better of course, but they rarely just disappear outright. Though I’m conservative about most changes, it’s only in a very cheeky sense. Jung used the Latin phrase Puer Aeternus [eternal boy] to describe it.’ Jung had described the eternal boy as representing the totality of man; a sense that encompassed youth and eternity. Horace preferred vultu mutabilis albus et ater [of changing countenance, both black and white]. ‘How so?’ I enquire. ‘Well it’s a lot simpler than it sounds,’ Paul giggles again. ‘I just want everybody else to be conservative, conventional, proper, decent, structured, so I can do what I want! So I can be the rebel!’ I see what he means. You need a status quo to have a rebellion. Rebellion is not a word that makes much sense in chaos. ‘But it’s hard to be a rebel these days of compulsory sham rebellion, when everybody has skinny jeans and listens to boring rock music. The real revolt is conservatism and absurdity. It’s why I am mostly based in Bucharest. Who else would be silly enough to live on a grotty backstreet in Bucharest?’ Paul’s playful conversation darts erratically from Belloc to Thackeray, from Waugh to Heffer. I ask him what he wanted to be when he was younger. ‘I always wanted to be a Conservative Member of Parliament!’ I tell him he seems more a political commentatorcum-philosopher. ‘Ha, a fool’s game. I remember trying to get into The Spectator; it’s always been about who you know, and even with Peter Oborne’s help, ‘twas impossible.’ To anybody acquainted with Paul’s writing, this is quite dispiriting stuff. Paul’s travel blog whilst unsurprisingly not lacking width (he has been to more countries and continents than most airlines) is quite extraordinary in its depth. He is just as comfortable quoting odd, unknown figures – Vicomte de Bonald for instance – as the conventional. He is utterly unafraid to be aphoristic. Words last heard in the salons of Paris such as ‘cocotte’ flow seamlessly from his pen. And he rarely deteriorates into pedantry. Trying to explain himself, he quotes Paul Johnson’s parentheses to the philosopher Isaiah Berlin’s coy remark that ‘I never read a book’ – ‘but he was a skimmer of genius’. A dilettante to the bone, I wish Paul would stay in Belgravia just a little longer than the fortnight a year he tends to, if only to impart a little more of his idiosyncratic wisdom.

I just want everybody else to be conservative, conventional, proper, decent, structured, so I can do what I want! So I can be the rebel!

(pvewood.blogspot.co.uk)

Words / Henry Hopwood-Phillips Illustration / Russ Tudor

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In Logue Tom Hardman puts down the books and talks to a person who likes clothes

n my sordid opinion there are three types of fashion designer. There’s the boring ones, the stupid ones and the ones that are both. Thankfully, I am, as on many things, utterly wrong. And it’s Emma Logue who has the privilege of punching me out of this particularly pleasant set of prejudices. She does have an American smile though, you know the sort. The little pearls that pretend they’ve never touched anything quite so squalid as a crumb. Not like honest British ones. I open the conversation with reference to us both hobnobbing at the British Polo Day together a few months back and quickly get on to the most important person in the Bulgari hotel lobby: me. ‘Ah, so not just a pretty face, then?’ she soothes. I know what she is doing though. She is buttering me up. I pretend it’s not working. ‘When was the last time you peoplewatched?’ I change the subject; realising far too late it was nothing to do with fashion. ‘Last night I googled you!’ She has completely misunderstood the question. I laugh, not because it was funny, but because she had misunderstood the question. ‘Do you know what I like about your dresses?’ I say, mustering the entire authority two month’s worth of fashion experience I possess and throwing it into the tone. Of course it’s a rhetorical question so I heroically continue the conversation myself. ‘I love how it mixes the sexiness of the post-coital chemise (and none of the tristesse) and the older feminine cut of the 1950s nurse.’ Thankfully she agrees; we both nod solemnly at how Lagerfeld has nothing on me. A new interaction on twitter. A PR company has tweeted ‘@byzantinepower Pippa seen in @ LogueLondon today.’ That’s Aunty Pippa to Prince George. Things weren’t always so dandy though for ‘project Logue’ – as she never calls it. ‘Yes, so originally I just customised dresses. Pretty soon afterwards, I found myself giving five designs to a seamstress who made them. People then started asking me for the garments.’ Emma, a master of dissimulation, at this point pretends it had nothing to do with her. ‘Why were you doing all this stuff to your dresses

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All pieces from the A/W 2013 collection

though?’ I pull the sort of face most do when confronted by advanced algebra. ‘I worked for Morgan Stanley in Canary Wharf for a number of years and all the women there seemed trapped between looking like businessmen and waitresses.’ I open a catalogue for the A/W 2013 season. The shirt-dresses are gorgeous. She is right. They blend a lot of different angles in fashion and the workplace perfectly. Night-courses at the London College of Fashion ensued, reducing her hours of sleep to that of a giraffe. But success has most certainly followed. Initially eschewing whole sale, she oversaw everything, even the five English factories that make all of her designs. But it seems to have paid off. Her look: classic chic, timeless glamour, effortless – you get the idea, perfectly nails the effervescent female mood right now. But it’s not a mood that looks set to revolve with the rest of the fashion seasons, not least because the materials she uses are quality throughout, there’s no profitmargin sniffing. ‘If it’s cashmere on the outside, it’ll be cashmere on the inside,’ Emma reminds me. I’ve always thought fashion designers were great. 14 Lower Ground Neville Street, SW7 3AS (loguelondon.com)

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

Eau de Monsieur

Paying homage to male charm, the new addition to Annick Goutal’s The Masculine Collection, Eau de Monsieur, launched last month. Created by Camille Goutal and perfumer Isabelle Doyen, Eau de Monsieur pays tribute to one of Annick Goutal’s first creations. It is being touted as an ode to masculine elegance and described as befitting a modern man with classic style. The fragrance is seductive yet charming, with fresh notes of mandarin, bergamot and mint. The flair comes from Egyptian geranium, which offsets the delicate notes of spice cypress, sandalwood and Java patchouli. The square bottle is simple and chic, presented with a label inspired by cigar bands in a warm beige palette. As the air turns chilly and autumn demands more layers, this beautiful scent will make a statement to a gentleman’s new season autumnal wardrobe. Available as an Eau de Toilette in 100ml at £80 20 Motcomb Street, 020 7823 2676 (annickgoutal.com)

Bewitching beauty

The Chanel Autumn/Winter 2013 beauty collection Superstition reinterprets its namesake with a playful and surrealist spirit, mixing sumptuous tones of bronze, taupe and khaki with the magic of golden beige, intense pink or burgundy. The spellbinding collection, reflective of Coco Chanel’s deeply superstitious influences, has colours for the cheeks, eyes and lips. For the cheeks, Le Blush Crème de Chanel in Inspiration (£27) creates a soft, creamy flush in a bluish pink for a feminine touch. For eyes that transfix, Les 4 Ombres (£38) in Mystère contains four shades with colours in a duo of matte khaki and intense golden khaki that are contrasted by magnetic shadows of silvery taupe and golden ivory. For enchanting lips that intensify your allure, opt for Rouge Coco (£24), a hydrating creme lip colour in a shade aptly named Mystique – a soft, natural apricot that accentuates lips’ fullness. Chanel’s COLLECTION SUPERSTITION is available at Chanel beauty counters nationwide and on chanel.com

Autumnal hydration

Skin transformers, Crème de la Mer, will launch a new treatment lotion this November. Referred to as ‘liquid energy’, the new Crème de la Mer Treatment Lotion helps ‘jumpstart’ skin’s natural renewal capabilities. The unique feature of this product is its ability to immerse the skin in the legendary Miracle Broth™, a nutrient-rich formula that contains sea algae, kelp and protective antioxidants that renew and soften the skin. The Treatment Lotion improves the tone and texture of the skin, thereby recharging and priming it to receive the full benefits of the Crème de la Mer regimen that follows. Skin revitalising ingredients include 73 sea minerals that replicate the rejuvenating properties naturally found in seawater, helping to optimise the skin’s natural functions. Softening ingredients give the formula a luxurious, rich texture that conditions the skin, enveloping it in a cocoon of softness. Crème de la Mer The Treatment Lotion, £80 Available from October 2013 at Harrods Selfridges, Liberty and cremedelamer.co.uk

Beauty sleep

La Prairie introduces two new additions to its Skin Caviar collection. Renowned for its indulgent concentration of caviar beads that contain firming, lifting and smoothing properties, the collection added the following age-defying treatments this month. La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask is applied just before bedtime to work its magic overnight. A blissful union of a moisture firming mask and a transformative night cream, the secret ingredient lies in the caviar extracts which are rich in amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Drench your body with a silky veil of luxury-laden moisture with La Prairie’s Skin Caviar Luxe Soufflé Body Cream. The formula transforms your skin with firming caviar extracts designed to reinforce the skin’s natural ‘barrier’ function and regulate moisture. Gentle exfoliation is achieved with willow bark extract while algae extracts and caffeine help improve stimulation. A must have beauty cabinet essential to ensure your body stays supple and smooth as we move into autumn. Skin Caviar Luxe Sleep Mask, £204; Skin Caviar Luxe Souffle Body Cream, £204 (laprairie.com)

Review: Beauty at 25A Briana Handte Lesesne squeezes in a reviving facial between the school run

y editor tasked me with reviewing the services of one of the area’s top aestheticians, Fernanda Goncalves at Beauty at 25A right in the heart of Belgravia. The recommendation for this particular clinic is courtesy of Elaine Lassman of Nota Bene (featured in our September issue). A Belgravian with an undeniable talent for sourcing the very best craftsman and services, I was excited to try out her tip-off. The request couldn’t have come at a better time. Having just returned to London after a six week vacation poolside and beachside, I am still recovering from jetlag and adjusting to London’s overcast grey skies and rain (which I actually quite like, however my skin certainly doesn’t). Pair this with early morning school runs and I am in desperate need of a great facial. I enjoy a full two hours of pampered bliss that wipes away summer’s moderate sun and sea damage and restore my skin to its former glory. Mrs Goncalves has more than 25 years experience as an aesthetician and has been with Beauty at 25a for nearly 17 years. The staff at the clinic couldn’t be more welcoming and gracious. The building itself is fantastically located a few steps from Motcomb Street and offers a full menu of services from facials, and body treatments to makeup consulations, waxing, massages, and light injectibles. Mrs Goncalves specialises in bespoke facials after an assesment of her clients’ skin care needs based upon skin type and tone, diet and lifestyle. She then creates an individualised treatment. First, she begins with a good extraction and cleansing of the skin to prep it to absorb a multitiude of products. Next a pre-peeling helps to remove dead skin and pollutants on the top layer. As I have a fear of loud sounding machines anywhere near my face, needles, and lasers, Fernanda is gracious and suggests a classic Environ facial using a selection of products from the line (no whirring machines necessary!) She uses her fingers to gently yet firmly remove dead skin cells prior to applying a milk based peel. She selects the Environ Hydrating Exfoliant Masque that contains intense hydrating ingredients incorporating the finest

clay. This formula absorbs excess oils and micro-exfoliates the skin, leaving it feeling smoother and appearing more radiant. It tingled, yet I am distracted from the sensation as she performed a wonderfully therapeutic deep tissue massage to my neck, upper back and shoulders. She is a true professional and notes the dryness in certain areas, especially around the middle of my face and finishes off my treatment with a Environ Hydrating Masque that calms the skin while repairing cells for a glowing finish. Unlike many clinics that I have visited for a facial, Fernanda does not push products which can often be off putting after a wonderful session. She makes valuable suggestions regarding a skin care regime for me without making me feel obliged to buy hundreds of pounds worth of beauty booty. It is no wonder then that she counts three generations of clients’ within her portfolio, daughters, mothers, and grandmothers and clients who come to her from as far away as the Middle East. After my facial I dress quickly, ready for the afternoon school run. Needless to say, I could have stayed all afternoon, but as I thank the team and head for the door, Fernanda makes me consider having one of her more ‘machine driven’ facials. After this experience, I would gladly book again with her. 25a Lowndes Street, SW1X 9JF, 020 7235 3154. Bespoke treatments and facials range from £128 to £400 (plus any additionals). For pricing please contact the clinic directly Words / Briana Handte Lesesne

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A changedirection of Annabel Harrison embarks on a fascinating journey of self-discovery, testing out Alexander Technique tuition from the experts at the Pimlico Centre

had always been intrigued by the Alexander Technique. I’d read bits and pieces over the years and had vague notions related to posture, tension and mindfulness but had never quite ascertained how it could help me. It turned out to be far more relaxing than I expected and my self-awareness about how I move increased a great deal. The lingo takes a little getting used to but I’d wager that after an initial session, you’ll be intrigued and ready to go back again. The Pimlico Centre’s website tells me that the Alexander Technique can help me to become more mobile, coordinated and aware of my movements; in an age where we spend hours immobile at a desk and lugging weighty handbags around, this sounds like a good outcome to me. Firstly, the practicalities: come dressed in whatever you’re wearing, you don’t need to be fit and you’re never too old to start; the ages of pupils at the Pimlico Centre range from five to 98. This is a good start; no barriers to entry. The ultimate aim of lessons, however many you choose to have (the ideal is 25 to 30, although I do an introductory six), is to learn how to be as free as possible from habits that limit you, both mentally and physically, by studying everyday activities such as walking, sitting, standing, reaching out, picking things up, talking and typing; in doing so, you can learn how to prevent bad habits and restore coordination and ease of movement. My first session at the Pimlico Centre is with Susanna who, I learn, worked in media for years until she discovered the Alexander Technique when suffering from neck and shoulder pain; she graduated as a teacher in 2007 and has been practicing the technique ever since. My 45-minute initial assessment is, surprisingly, very relaxing. Much of it is spent lying on a bed (semi-supine is the correct term), head on a couple of paperbacks, as Susanna very gently lifts and releases my arms and legs, asking me to let them relax completely. This ‘table work’ is harder than you’d think as your body wants to help, the first of what I sense will be many instances of where your body reacts because of years of habit. In between lessons, a point that stays with me is one Susanna makes as I step out the door: don’t automatically raise your shoulder which is bearing the weight of your handbag as it will hold the load equally well when relaxed. This proves to be true. Susanna explains that Alexander himself surmised that his technique wasn’t a case of ‘right positions’; it’s all about the ‘right direction’ and this is of the direction-instruction type you give to your body, not which way to face. For example, in the ‘chair work’ we do, I discover I can settle into the most comfortable, natural position by letting my weight be evenly distributed onto my sitting bones. Bizarrely, even though I feel like I’m leaning forward, the mirror shows that I’m not, and my shoulders aren’t rounded. I can see how

this exercise would have helped a client Susanna mentions; she is working with a teenager with hunched shoulders because of being more than six foot tall by the time he was 12 and he started stooping to be able to converse with his peers. I have revelations about weight distribution too – thinking about the heel and ball taking the weight of my body shifted me forward into what Susanna praises as giving my body the right ‘direction’ – and how stressful circumstances can have a direct impact on the body; following a car breakdown and terrible journey before a lesson, my neck seized up. Perhaps it was a coincidence but I do believe my body reacted to the tension I was creating. As with teachers of any skill, each prefers to work in different ways and James focuses on more chair work with me than Susanna did. He reinforces what I learnt with Susanna, although as with any practitioners there is a variation in terminology. James explains to me that Alexander was an orator who developed voice loss during performances and how he observed himself carefully in multiple mirrors to modify his body’s habits. I feel frustrated and rewarded by my progress at the same time; the latter because I am starting to understand what is being asked of me, and appreciate how it could help, but the former because I consider myself a long way from reaching the level of my teachers. They both seem to have an internal calmness and carry themselves in such an envy-inducingly relaxed state, achieving what appears to be optimum bodily ‘direction’. However, I believe I can improve further. There is considerable and growing evidence that this technique helps to address the underlying causes of functional problems such as back pain, neck pain and discomfort caused by tension, and I leave every lesson with a sense of lightness of movement, more conscious about my breathing and determined to resist habitual, tensioncreating movements. It’s time for our bodies to take a break. Pimlico Centre, 45 Moreton Street SW1V 2NY 020 7821 0007 (alexandertechniqueinlondon.com)

Education From the classroom Headmistresses Lucy Watts and Lucy Elphinstone of Eaton House and Francis Holland School speak to Belgravia Residents’ Journal

Eaton House

Francis Holland School

3-5 Eaton Gate SW1W 9BA Founded 1897 Head: Lucy Watts

Ethos: We have the values of a traditional boys pre-prep. The boys still take their caps off and shake my hand at the start of the school day. Our motto is ‘win with grace, lose with dignity’. Size: Just shy of 250 boys. Denomination: We are non-denominational. The school began when Harold MacMillan’s mother encouraged his tutor, Mr J Morton, to spread his exceptional teaching abilities. Which schools do your pupils move on to? Mainly London Day Schools such as Westminster Under, Sussex House, Colet Court, Sunningdale and Ludgrove. Tell us a bit about yourself I’ve been here for 23 years and head for 15. What has changed most during your tenure? Preparatory boarding numbers have dropped significantly. Why do you think that is? Both parents work and see little of their children. In harder times parents are saving for senior boarding but also we are seeing more of an international client base who do not have a culture of boarding from such a young age. What are some of the challenges? Many of our pupils have carers that are not English and this can affect their language skills. What are you most proud of? In a nutshell: we don’t test on entry but turn out very good results. We are very sporty and believe that the boys should be allowed to be boys and to play and explore. By the time our pupils leave Eaton House, they will have played around eight sports, including a form of gymnastics known as jedi training. We also have such a strong identity. There are few places you can refer to as an adjective but almost everybody involved with the school would know what you meant if you said ‘that’s so Eaton House’.

39 Graham Terrace SW1W 8JF Founded 1881 Head: Lucy Elphinstone

Ethos: The school motto is from Psalm 144: ‘That our daughters may be as the carved cornerstones of the temple.’ We like to reflect that Francis Holland girls understand that we have to be shaped and moulded by the difficult events in life to be strong and useful. Each girl is a vital stone in our community and service is central to our ethos. Size: 480 girls. Denomination: Church of England. The school was founded by Canon Francis James Holland in 1881 and clergy and speakers of all denominations come in each week to take assembly. Christian values lie at the heart of our pastoral care. Tell us a bit about yourself I was a Cambridge English graduate. I started teaching in my late 30s after careers in publishing, writing and property. I came from Downe House, where I was head of Sixth Form last year, so this is the start of my second academic year at the school. What are some of the challenges? Girls tend to outperform boys academically but may be less well equipped emotionally. Some, out of fear of failing, prefer not to try. Much of our role revolves around instilling courage, resilience and a sense of competition in the girls. Failure and learning how to deal with it is a vital part of being successful. What are you most proud of? We are not an academic machine churning out identikit pupils. We believe there are many ways to be clever and talented, and highlight the need for creativity, flexibility, lateral thinking and social skills. Pupils here aren’t valued by their achievements and we celebrate the individuality of every child. We are preparing young people for a rapidly changing world and character and courtesy matter in the work place. It used to be said that Francis Holland wasn’t a ‘sporty’ school. We now have a brilliant head of PE who has turned things around dramatically and we’re winning the big games. I played in the staff vs First VII netball team. The whole school watched and great bonds were formed. Sadly, we lost; even the Headmistress fails!

As told to Henry Hopwood-Phillips B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S ’ J O U R N A L

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

Belgravian

Moments

utumn is my favourite time of year. Cooler weather, grey skies that quickly darken; leaves of golden amber, crimson red and burnt orange signal an end to harvest time. Soups and stews, pumpkins and squash, chestnuts and hazelnuts, sticky toffee apples and apple cider are abundant. One of my favorite days is 31 October, Halloween. The term All Hallow’s Eve was first used in the 16th century and the festival is also known as the feast of All Hallows (All Saints) honouring the saints and praying for the recently departed. Halloween starts around 5pm for us. I take my two small

Can you bank

Briana Handte-Lesesne is seeing pumpkins, sticky toffee apples and children’s costumes children over to St. Michael’s Church on Chester Square. The church holds The Light Party that offers an alternative to trick or treating and welcomes everyone to join in with the festivities. We love Halloween. After my first in the country, I would occasionally overhear statements such as ‘an American family who lives on such and such street really know how to do Halloween, go to their party next year!’ Praise indeed! Summer time ends on 27 October, the clocks are turned back an hour. One more hour of sleep, dark skies before 4pm, a heralding of old-man winter to come. But for the moment, there is so much to be thankful for in autumn in Belgravia.

on the banks?

he UK listed banks have been through a torrid time in the last six years. The crisis, which began with queues forming outside branches of Northern Rock, led to considerable government support for the sector and large stakes in Lloyds Bank and Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS). Since then, most banks have gone through a period of internal restructuring and regulation has become tighter thanks to various initiatives. It is only a matter of time before the government begins to sell down its stake in Lloyds Banking Group. Is the rehabilitation of the sector finally complete and is it worth considering for investors? One reason to think so is that the banks themselves are in far better shape. This may be hard to believe but all the UK banks now have much stronger balance sheets than before the crisis. Business models have been simplified and underperforming businesses or assets have been sold or wound down. The other reason to be more confident about UK banking is the gradual improvement in the UK economy. With an election now two years away, George Osborne has turned to the tried and tested method of getting the UK economy moving: namely, stimulating the housing market. Hopefully the economic growth that follows will assist, rather than delay, the economic reforms that the UK

James Humphreys explains why using cash as a security blanket is inadvisable as a long-term investment

desperately needs to compete on the global stage long-term. In the meantime, a buoyant housing market and improving consumer confidence will be fillips for the recovering banking sector. However, before becoming too optimistic, it is prudent to consider what might go wrong – while the economy is improving, it is still far from strong: we still consume more than we produce, our population is ageing fast and our education system is falling behind our international peers. The government’s measures to stimulate housing demand have not been met by increased supply, so a housing bubble could inflate. The UK could be affected by the considerable international risks to the global economy and any sudden economic shocks would hit the banking sector hard. In terms of the banks themselves, it is too early to say that they are fully transformed – there is still plenty of work to do, particularly for RBS, but also for the likes of Barclays and some of the building societies. Most are still in the process of ridding themselves of poor quality assets and reducing leverage. However, they are in a much better position to deal with these threats than in 2007 and enough has been done for us to be more optimistic about the sector than at any time in the last five years. (duncanlawrie.com)

The Residents’ Association’s

October round-up A

s we shift seasons, we are beginning to look forward to autumn and the variety of activities and local events we have planned. You won’t have to venture far for an interesting evening out this winter. For budding writers, we have a writing competition; for those of you interested in decorating your homes, we have the heritage trail, and for those who enjoy a little of what they fancy, how about tea at The Halkin? Following on from [our intern] Isobel King’s success, we are searching for responsible young people to assist us in diverse roles, including communications, marketing, social media and events. The B.R.A. is working with a number of sponsors to help promote this programme as a community initiative giving the younger generation an introduction into community work and enterprise. Please contact communications for further details (communications@ belgraviaresidents.org.uk).

Masterclass – Belgravia books An evening masterclass on creative writing will be held on the 3 October at Belgravia Books in Ebury Street from 6.30pm until 7.30pm, hosted by local author Harry Ball-Weber (Wheels and The Timely Twins). The focus will be the writing of short stories, setting the scene and building characters. Afterwards, when the creative juices are flowing, why not enter the Stranger to Belgravia Competition, which will see the winning entry published locally. Places are limited, so please book with Jimena Gorraez-Connolly, by emailing events@belgraviabooks.com.

Centrepieces Save 10 October in your diaries for an exciting event where participating galleries on Pimlico Road will show off a centrepiece with a story to tell. The Heritage Trail around these galleries focuses on objects of beauty brought to life by expert curator Debra McQuin and starts at 6.30pm, with light refreshments served at intervals. The event is free to B.R.A. members and costs £15 for non-members.

Autumn tea at The Halkin We are delighted to welcome The Halkin as a new Corporate Member and to bring your attention to their decadent afternoon tea. Served in the comfortable surroundings of The Halkin Bar, you can expect to find delicious sandwiches followed by bites of pistachio brownie, raspberry and passion fruit macaroon, all served alongside a selection of freshly made scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam. Why not pair it with our Heritage Trail and stop by afterwards on the 10 October? Visit the hotel’s website for further details and a complete menu: comohotels.com.

Going places… We attended a marvellous party at Motcomb Townhouse hosted by the charming Phillip Lawless and his superbly organised public relations adviser Sue Liberman. The event revealed the final sum raised at this year’s ever successful Motcomb Street Party. Together, the pair are a force to be reckoned with and raised the princely sum of £51,750 for the Household Cavalry Foundation, Intermission Youth Theatre and Chelsea Hospital Schools. Sue is currently in the process of organising

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

by Sara Oliver

the fabulous Motcomb Street Christmas Party, complete with Father Christmas and the return of the Holland Park Opera singers.

Black Book 2014 As autumn sets in, we are compiling the third Black Book 2014. If you would like to contribute, please do get in touch. Now running for a third year, we are exceedingly grateful to all our advertisers and contributors who support us year on year to help fill the pages with interesting features from cover to cover.

Planning – mews survey We would like to thank all who took part in the Views from the Mews survey. There is no guarantee that Westminster and Grosvenor will implement suggestions as planning is subject to agreement. However, it is a great opportunity to have your voices heard. Results will be published soon and future surveys are lined up to gauge resident’s views on other areas of Belgravia.

Ebury square update Façade works were continued last month using Portland stone and brickwork. Internally, both blocks saw the installation of passenger and car lifts. We have been informed that labour levels will increase as façade and fit out works continue, with daily hoarding inspections and road cleaning of the surrounding roads. Planned project completion remains unchanged as second quarter of 2014.

Eaton square concerts (October/November) Eaton Square Concerts 14th season continues the tradition of presenting internationally renowned professionals alongside some of the UK’s up-and-coming artists. Events this season include Tom Poster on the piano supported by Grosvenor and the Trusler Carroll Wass Trio, supported by Duncan Lawrie Private Bank. Matthew Parden, Managing Director at Duncan Lawrie Private Bank told us that it is great to see talent coming to perform in Belgravia, ‘even more so when you consider that the music being played will be so closely associated with the area. The Eaton Square concerts are always a memorable event for the community and we are glad to be part of it.’ Visit our website for further details and a link to discounted tickets: perfectlybelgravia.co.uk/index.php/eaton-square-concertsautumn-2/.

And finally… James Wright the Chairman has temporarily taken on the mantle of Head of Traffic until a successor is appointed. The B.R.A. will continue to monitor the development of the Victoria Interchange and other issues. Anyone interested in taking on a position dealing with traffic, or helping with voluntary work carried out by the committee, please get in touch. We would be delighted to hear from you. By joining the B.R.A. you will be part of an influential lobbying group working for Belgravia.

Until next month... belgraviaresidents.org.uk 027

Planning &Development Development expert Steve Aldridge reveals his greatest project to date

A sound

investment

Now that the beautiful Chesham Lodge nestled in the heart of SW1 has been completed, the Belgravia Residentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Journal speaks with its developer Steve Aldridge, the founder of CityScope Developments, about the buildingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conception and financial investments in London What were your initial thoughts on seeing the land upon which you have built Chesham Lodge? Sourcing good properties in central London is always the most difficult task and you need vision and good comparables to support any purchase. On seeing Chesham Mews, I knew this was a special and unique opportunity because of its location and the space it potentially provided. Furthermore, it was a new build, which is rare for mews houses. I had to act quickly as these properties hardly ever come to the open market but I am proud of what we have achieved and hope this home will make the future buyer very happy. Once the land was acquired and the property rebuilt, how much time was spent on the little details? It has been a very detailed and exhaustive process. The attention to detail has been phenomenal. I have worked in close collaboration with all of the project team and, unusually, with the investors as well. We looked at trends, technology, furnishing and bathroom details, which we believed were suited to this project. Our vision was to have an exceptional finished product that would be desirable to a wide range of buyers looking for a Belgravia home at this price point. In terms of acting as a financial investment, how will this property work for the eventual buyer? I think you only have to study the media to realise that property in London, especially in a prime central location, continues to be a leading financial investment. What do you have to take into consideration when planning a property from the ground up? You need the best project management team in the business and we

certainly had this at Chesham Lodge. It still comes with challenges, such as planning, logistics, care and consideration for the local community and environment. As a goodwill gesture to one of the neighbours, we painted the front of their property during the development of Chesham Lodge. When looking to invest in London property, what should buyers be looking for? Location, quality and desirability. For further enquiries about Chesham Lodge, please contact Stuart Bailey at Knight Frank on 020 7881 7720 Knight Frank, 82/83 Chester Square, SW1W 9HJ (knightfrank.com; cityscopedevelopments.com) As told to Katie Randall

Chesham Lodge in all its glory. Photographs courtesy of Knight Frank B E L G R AV I A R E S I D E N T S â&#x20AC;&#x2122; J O U R N A L

029

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

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

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

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

Valerie Victoria 38 Buckingham Palace Road 020 7630 9781

RESTAURANTS

PUBLIC HOUSES/ DINING ROOMS

Como Lario (Italian) 18-22 Holbein Place 020 7730 9046

The Antelope (classic) 22-24 Eaton Terrace 020 7824 8512

Il Convivio (Italian) 143 Ebury Street 020 7730 4099

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

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

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

Health & Beauty BARBER

DOCTORS

Giuseppe D’Amico 20 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2968

The Belgrave Medical Centre 13 Pimlico Road 020 7730 5171

DENTISTS

The Belgravia Surgery 26 Eccleston Street 020 7590 8000

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

Michael Garry Personal Training 54b Ebury Street 020 7730 6255

Motcomb Green 61 Ebury Street 020 7235 2228

Yogoji (Yoga) 54a Ebury Street 020 7730 7473

Stephen Casali 161 Ebury Street 020 7730 2196

HAIR SALONS

MEDISPA

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

Bijoux Medi-Spa 149 Ebury Street 020 7730 0765

The Light Centre Belgravia 9 Eccleston Street 020 7881 0728

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

earthspa 4 Eccleston Street 020 7823 6226

FINISHING TOUCHES

Humphrey -Carrasco 43 Pimlico Road 020 7730 9911

Westenholz 80-82 Pimlico Road 020 7824 8090

Jamb 107a Pimlico Road 020 7730 2122

88 Gallery 86-88 Pimlico Road 020 7730 2728

Lamberty 46 Pimlico Road 020 7823 5115

Ahuan Gallery 17 Eccleston Street 020 7730 9382

Linley 60 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7300

Gallery 25 26 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516

Mark Wilkinson Kitchens 10 West Halkin Street 020 7235 1845

Gauntlett Gallery 90-92 Pimlico Road 020 7730 7516

Dr Kalina 109 Ebury Street 020 7730 4805

GYM/ FITNESS

SPA

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

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

ARTEFACTS Odyssey Fine Arts 24 Holbein Place 020 7730 9942

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

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

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

FURNITURE Ciancimino 85 Pimlico Place 020 7730 9959

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

The Dining Chair Company 4 St Barnabas Street 020 7259 0422

Soane 50-52 Pimlico Road 020 7730 6400

Hemisphere 97 Lower Sloane Street 020 7730 9810

Talisman 190-192 Ebury Street 020 7730 7800

GALLERIES

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

INTERIOR DESIGN Chester Designs 9 Chester Square Mews 020 7730 4333

031

The Belgravia

Directory 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

Patricia Roberts 60 Kinnerton Street 020 7235 474

Herve Leger 29 Lowndes Street 020 7201 2590

Philip Treacy 69 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3992

Lynton Hotel 113 Ebury Street 020 7730 4032

The Belgravia Mews Hotel 50 Ebury Street 020 7730 5434

The Sloane Club Lower Sloane Street 020 7730 9131

Morgan Guest House 120 Ebury Street 020 7730 2384

The Diplomat Hotel 2 Chesham Street 020 7235 1544

Tophams Hotel 24-32 Ebury Street 020 7730 3313

Westminster House Hotel 96 Ebury Street 020 7730 4302

Lime Tree Hotel 135-137 Ebury Street 020 7730 8191

LUXURY

BOUTIQUE Astors Hotel 110-112 Ebury Street 020 7730 0158

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

BOOKMAKERS

SOLICITORS

Nevena Couture (clients by appointment only)

Lowndes Street 020 3539 8738 nevena.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

CHARITIES British Red Cross 85 Ebury Street 020 7730 2235

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

EDUCATION

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

Cameron House School 4 The Vale 020 7352 4040

Garden House School Turks Row 020 7730 1652

Eaton House School 3-5 Eaton Gate 020 7924 6000

GEMS Hampshire School 15 Manresa Road 020 7352 7077

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

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

Hill House International Junior School Hans Place 020 7584 1331

Sussex House School 68 Cadogan Square 020 7584 1741

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

Thomas’s Kindergarten 14 Ranelagh Grove 020 7730 3596

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

FLORISTS

POST OFFICE

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

Post Office 6 Eccleston Street 0845 722 3344

Neill Strain Floral Couture 11 West Halkin Street 020 7235 6469

PRINTING & COPYING Printus 115a Ebury Street 020 7730 7799

LIBRARY

TRAVEL

Victoria Library 160 Buckingham Palace Road 020 7641 1300

Bravo Travel 6 Lower Grosvenor Place 0870 121 3411

MOTORING Belgravia Garage 1 Eaton Mews West 020 7235 9900

Speciality Shops BAKERIES

DELI

Polisher

Baker & Spice 54-56 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 3033

La Bottega 25 Eccleston Street 020 7730 2730

F Bennett and Son 9 Chester Square Mews 020 7730 6546

Ottolenghi 13 Motcomb Street 020 7823 2707

GREENGROCERS

NEWSAGENT

Charles of Belgravia 27 Lower Belgrave Street 020 7730 5210

Mayhew Newsagents 15 Motcomb Street 020 7235 5770

CIGAR SPECIALIST Tomtom Cigars 63 Elizabeth Street 020 7730 1790

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Floris 147 Ebury Street 020 7730 0304 florislondon.com

Pet accessories Mungo & Maud 79 Elizabeth Street 020 7022 1207

033

savills.co.uk

1 A SPECTACULAR NEWLY REFURBISHED PENTHOUSE eaton place, sw1 Reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø 2 bedroom suites ø further bedroom/study ø shower room ø guest cloakroom ø direct lift access ø roof terrace ø 191 sq m (2,057 sq ft)

Ayrton Wylie

Savills Sloane Street

Simon Ayrton sayrton@ayrtonwylie.com

Richard Dalton rdalton@savills.com

020 7730 4628

020 7730 0822

Guide £6.25 million Leasehold, approximately 997 years remaining plus Share of Freehold

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 A SECOND FLOOR APARTMENT IN THIS BELGRAVIA MEWS chester square mews, sw1 Bedroom ø bathroom ø reception room ø kitchen ø 55 sq m (587 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=E

Savills Sloane Street Murdi Van Hien mvanhien@savills.com

020 7730 0822 £575 per week Furnished

savills.co.uk

1 A SPACIOUS MAISONETTE SITUATED IN THIS PRIME BELGRAVIA STREET eaton place, sw1 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø roof terrace ø direct lift access ø 213 sq m (2,294 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E

£2,500 per week Furnished

Savills Sloane Street Stevie Walmesley swalmesley@savills.com

020 7584 8585

savills.co.uk

FOURTH FLOOR APARTMENT WITH WESTERLY VIEWS eaton square, sw1 2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø 2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø garden ø concierge ø 109 sq m (1,175 sq ft) ø adminstration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E £1,850 per week Furnished

Savills Sloane Street

Adam Simmonds asimmonds@savills.com

020 7824 9005

CHARMING AND RARE TO THE MARKET HOUSE eaton terrace, sw1 2 bedroom suites ø 3 reception rooms ø eat-in kitchen ø storage vaults ø parking ø 153 sq m (1,654 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D £1,700 per week Unfurnished

Savills Sloane Street Guy Bradshaw gbradshaw@savills.com

020 7578 5101

savills.co.uk

NEWLY REFURBISHED MEWS HOUSE wilton row, sw1 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø 4 reception rooms ø kitchen ø balcony ø roof terrace ø garage ø 261 sq m (2,810 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=B £3,650 per week Unfurnished

Savills Sloane Street

Murdi Van Hien mvanhien@savills.com

020 7730 0822

GROUND AND LOWER GROUND MAISONETTE SITUATED ON THIS PRIME BELGRAVIA STREET eaton place, sw1 3 double bedroom suites ø reception room ø kitchen ø patio garden ø 122 sq m (1,319 sq ft) ø administration charges apply ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=D £2,250 per week Furnished

Savills Sloane Street Sophia Moss sdmoss@savills.com

020 7824 9005

BELGRAVE PLACE, LONDON. SW1X ONE BEDROOM LEASEHOLD 113 YEARS REMAINING GROSS INTERNAL AREA 850 SQ FT/ 79 SQ M

ÂŁ1,850,000 Entrance hall, Large L-shaped reception room, Kitchen, Big double bedroom, Bathroom This unusually large and elegant one bedroom flat laid out over the second floor of a grand period building has double aspect windows facing both south and west and is therefore exceptionally light. The accommodation includes a separate entrance hall, stately reception room with a generous dining area, kitchen, large bedroom and bathroom.

There is an abundance of features throughout including good ceiling height, cornicing, three south facing picture windows, fireplace with book shelving to either side and a striking hardwood parquet floor in the reception room. The bedroom also has views towards the famous Belgrave Square and a good amount of storage. EPC D.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

WILLIAM MEWS, LONDON. SW1X THREE BEDROOMS FREEHOLD GROSS INTERNAL AREA 2,149 SQ FT/ 200 SQ M

ÂŁ3,750,000 Reception room, Kitchen/dining room, Three bedrooms, Two bathrooms & cloakroom, Roof terrace A unique three bedroom mews house situated in an extremely quiet position behind Lowndes Square in Knightsbridge. Immaculately presented and offering flexible accommodation the property includes three double bedrooms, a wealth of entertaining space and a beautiful roof terrace. Architecturally designed the property was

subject to an exacting and complete refurbishment a few years ago, with the intention of maximising light and space. The first floor is currently arranged as two inter connecting bedrooms.Thesecondfloorwouldmakeanidealmasterorsecond bedroom as it has an en suite shower room and spiral staircase to a glass summer room opening onto the roof terrace. EPC D.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

HANS PLACE LONDON. SW1X TWO BEDROOMS FURNISHED

ÂŁ895

PER WEEK stc Two double bedrooms, Two bathrooms, Top floor flat with lift, Views over communal gardens, Newly refurbished A light and bright top floor flat in a prime Knightsbridge location that has exceptional views over the Hans Place gardens. This superb top floor flat (with lift) has just been the subject of an extensive new refurbishment throughout to an excellent standard. Accommodation comprises of two double bedrooms, two bathrooms (master en suite),

a reception room with open-plan kitchen, and an external lockable storage unit on the same floor. The flat is flooded with natural light due to the south facing views enjoyed over the beautiful communal gardens of Hans Place, is neutrally decorated throughout, and also benefits from being the only flat on the top floor of the building. EPC E

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

KINNERTON STREET, LONDON. SW1X TWO BEDROOMS UNFURNISHED

ÂŁ1,000

PER WEEK stc Reception room, Eat-in kitchen, Two double bedrooms, Bathroom, Private patio A simply charming two bedroom house located in Belgravia within this quiet private enclave off Kinnerton Street. This discreetly located house truly is a rare gem to find to rent in Belgravia. Decorated in neutral tones throughout, the house has a lovely eat-in kitchen with breakfast island and integrated appliances, spacious and bright reception

room with a skylight and direct access out onto the private patio. Upstairs there are two double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes and one bathroom. Annâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Close is a very quiet and secluded address and yet is less than five minutes walk to Knightsbridge tube station, Hyde Park and all the shops of Sloane Street and Motcomb Street. EPC D.

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

belgraviaoffice@henryandjames.co.uk

henryandjames.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk

Grosvenor Crescent Mews, Belgravia SW1X

Newly refurbished three bedroom Belgravia mews house

The property is located in a secure gated mews and has been interior designed and decorated to the highest specification. Master bedroom with en suite and dressing room, 2 bedrooms, bathroom, reception room, kitchen, dining room, cloakroom, parking. EPC rating C. Approximately 146 sq m (1,571 sq ft) Available furnished or unfurnished Guide price: ÂŁ2,600 per week (BEQ159844)

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

KnightFrank.co.uk

Westmoreland Place, Pimlico SW1 Five bedroom freehold house

An extremely well proportioned and attractive double fronted house. Master bedroom with dressing room and en suite bathroom, 4 further bedrooms, 2 further bath/shower rooms (1 en suite), reception room, kitchen/sitting room, dining room, sun room, study/bedroom 6, guest cloakroom. EPC rating D. Approximately 296 sq m (3,188 sq ft) including vaults. Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ3,100,000 BGV130005)

KnightFrank.co.uk/belgravia belgravia@knightfrank.com 020 641 5910

Eaton Place, Belgravia SW1 • 3 Double bedrooms

• Fully fitted kitchen

• 3 Bathrooms (en suite)

• Roof terrace

• Guest cloakroom

• Approx. 1,923 sq ft (178 sq m)

• 2 Reception rooms

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

“ An immaculate penthouse apartment in the heart of Belgravia”

£5,500 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

Potential tenants are advised that administration fees may be payable when renting a property. Please ask for details of our charges.

Eaton Mews South, Belgravia SW1 • 3 Bedrooms

• Kitchen

• 2 Bathrooms (en suite)

• Study

• Shower room (en suite)

• Private parking

• Reception room

• Approx. 2,109 sq ft (196 sq m)

• Media room

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

“ A recently refurbished mews house with a good balance of living and entertaining space in the heart of Belgravia”

Guide price £4,150,000 Freehold

For more information call Giles Cook on 020 7306 1620 or email gcook@waellis.com

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

waellis.com

Mews in Belgravia Grosvenorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offering of newly redeveloped contemporary mews houses to rent in Belgravia is unparalleled. Charming exteriors are complimented by creative interior design and architecture to create surprisingly light and open living spaces. Complimented by high quality fittings this approach creates a home environment that is as relaxing as it is impressive.

For more information on our upcoming pipeline of mews houses, contact us on 0207 312 6449 or residential.lettings@grosvenor.com

Montrose House, Belgravia SW1X A stunning, recently refurbished lateral apartment in this new development in central Belgravia, with direct lift access, air conditioning, underground parking and 24 hour concierge. Accommodation of approximately 2,170 sq foot / 201 sq m comprises reception room with open plan kitchen and dining room with access to terrace, master bedroom suite with en suite bathroom and dressing room, second double bedroom with en suite bathroom, third double bedroom with en suite shower room, utility room and guest cloakroom. The development is quietly located in this Belgravia street yet is moments from the amenities of Sloane Street and Knightsbridge. The apartment is available immediately for long term rent on a furnished basis. EPC rating B.

Price: ÂŁ3,950 per week 020 7226 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

Hans Crescent, Knightsbridge SW3 A newly refurbished three bedroom apartment (2,239sq ft/ 208 sq m) on the sixth floor of this iconic building in the heart of Knightsbridge. Refurbished to a high specification, the furnished apartment comprises three bedrooms and three bathrooms, reception room, separate dining room and a large kitchen. This landmark building benefits from 24 hour porterage and security and is ideally located opposite Harrods and moments from Hyde Park and Sloane Street and perfect for all the world class amenities that Knightsbridge has to offer. EPS rating E.

Guide Price: ÂŁ7,250,000 Share of freehold 020 7225 6508 Shaun.drummond@harrodsestates.com

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

Ebury Street, Belgravia SW1

£1,200,000

Leasehold: approx. 91 years remaining A well-proportioned one bedroom apartment located on the first floor of this prestigious Belgravia development in a sought-after location. Comprising a large reception room, a separate kitchen, double bedroom and bathroom. Ideally situated for the transport connections at Victoria Station, and the shops, wine bars and restaurants of Elizabeth Street & Lower Belgrave Street.

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

624 sq ft / 58 sq m Approx internal area • • • • • •

21 sq. metre Living Room Modern, fully fitted Kitchen Double Bedroom with fitted wardrobes Modern Bathroom 24 hour Concierge and Communal Garden Underground Parking

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

BOURNE STREET, SW1 A charming period house updated and reconfigured to create a superb home. Energy Rating: F. 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 ÂŁ2,795,000

GRAHAM TERRACE, SW1 A most attractively presented property arranged over 3 floors with its own street entrance. Energy Rating: C. 2/3 bedrooms, bathroom, shower room, study/bedroom 3, reception room, kitchen/dining room. Lease to 2184 Guide Price ÂŁ1,695,000

BELGRAVIA 020 7824 7900 belgravia@johndwood.co.uk

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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

THE CLOCK IS TICKING The longer your propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lease runs down, the more it will cost to renew! We offer expert advice and knowledge in dealing with leasehold enfranchisement and negotiating on your behalf with freeholders.

EST

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

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Belgravia, SW1

A sensational recently rebuilt and fully modernised house over nearly 4,000 sq ft, offering up to five bedrooms and extensive parking.

ÂŁ8,500,000 Freehold

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959

james.gilbert-green@struttandparker.com

Belgrave Mews North, SW1

A newly developed freehold mews house with private off-street parking and roof terrace, in the heart of Belgravia.

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 james.forbes@struttandparker.com

ÂŁ7,500,000 Freehold

facebook.com/struttandparker twitter.com/struttandparker

struttandparker.com

Knightsbridge, SW7

An elegant duplex penthouse in a prestigious period building with amazing views over Hyde Park, providing modernised and flexible accommodation.

Price on Application Share of Freehold

Knightsbridge 020 7235 9959 charlie.willis@struttandparker.com JSA: Savills 020 7581 5234

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

OCTOBER 2013 • Issue 17