Chiswick & Brook Green March 2015 by Runwild Media Group

Managing Editor Francesca Lee Editorial Assistants Tom Hagues Jennifer Mason Henry Hopwood-Phillips Editorial Intern Tamir Davies Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood Managing Director Eren Ellwood General Manager Fiona Fenwick senior Designer Lisa Wade Publishing Director Giles Ellwood Executive Director Sophie Roberts

What’s inside An insight into this issue

“…The walk taking place at Chiswick House and Gardens will take the oneday-only hikers through Grade I-listed gardens, including areas not normally accessible to the public…” – What’s On

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“…the music she puts out is synthpop, as is to be expected from a German musician. It’s music that’s different but enjoyable and manages not to drift into the terrifying waters of Europop.…” – Music

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“…African cuisine is arguably less well-known as its worldly counterparts. Help is at hand in Chiswick, where authentic, wellcooked food from this sun-baked continent is readily available…” – World Cuisine

[editor’s letter and contents]

From the

editor

CONTENTS

arch has arrived and, with it, the first signs of spring. The days are getting longer and there are plenty of opportunities to make the most of this. If you’re

looking for ideas for something to do, turn to the What’s On pages, from page four, to find out about a Mother’s Day cruise and some of the area’s

funniest comedy events. There are some wonderful theatrical shows taking place this month, such as the oh-so creative Playmakers Festival; flick to page 16 for full details. For food lovers looking for inspiration, find out, from page 20, how you can enjoy the cuisines of the world without even leaving the area. The Head of the River Race takes place this month and, with this in mind, we spoke to the University of London Boat Club, which is based in Chiswick, about the lengthy preparations they have to go through,

the river race, see page 7

REGULARS 4

TOP PICKS FOR MARCH

The best events to attend this month

HP SOURCE

Chiswick and the Octopus controversy

WORD ON THE STREET

page 14. Meanwhile, on page 10, read a potted history of Hammersmith

The most pressing issues from Chiswick and Brook Green locals

Bridge and, on page 24, learn what it’s like to be a volunteer in the

FEATURES

gardens of Chiswick House. There’s so much to see and do this month,

on your marks, get set... row!

Preparing for the Head of the River Race

Bridging history

A potted history of Hammersmith Bridge

eating your way around the world

The global flavours available in west London

A DAY in the life of...

... a Chiswick House volunteer

from page seven. Discover what this season’s art scene has to offer on pages 18 and 19 and find out what’s on in the cinemas this month, from

so why not make the most of it? We hope you enjoy the issue.

Francesca Lee, Managing Editor

news, events and reviews 11

Dulcet tones

March is musical and here’s the proof

movie magic

ON THE COVER (left to right)

New releases and films to watch this month

The Octopus; Rurouni Kenshin: The Legend Ends ©Warner Bros. UK; Dior and I; Paul

take a bow

McCartney © MPL Communications; Charli XCX; Dining table at The Hampshire

Lifting the curtain on theatre events in March

Hog; Bach to Baby ©Bach to Baby/Alejandro Tamagno; Exhibitor at FutureFest

A season of art

©FutureFest; Ideal Home Show

The art events taking place throughout this spring

Top picks for

MARCH

The best events to attend this month

15 March CRUISING THROUGH THE WEEKEND

20 March until 6 April THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

22 March THE EXTRA MILE

Strap on your sea-legs to mop the decks and prepare to climb the rigging: the ship’s about to set sail. To celebrate Mothering Sunday, hop on a cruise from Chiswick Pier to Westminster and back. Afternoon tea is available when ordered with the tickets, and a selection of hot and cold drinks, including Champagne, will be brought up from the galley for any sailor who fancies it. Practise your loudest ‘man overboard’ shout before you turn up (just in case) and don’t confuse port and starboard. This event is perfect for mothers who want something a bit different.

In the past, the Ideal Home Show has been well attended. Alan Titchmarsh has been at previous events so make sure you take a camera along in case you bump into someone you’re a fan of. If the draw of a celebrity presence isn’t enough, then it’s certainly worth going to find instant inspiration for your living quarters. Get ideas for making the most out of whatever space you have and don’t leave until you have a craving for your own bi-folding doors and a craftily hidden kitchen sink.

Dust off your walking boots and pack a banana to keep you going during this three-mile walk in aid of local museums. The Art Fund has devised a programme called Art Miles, which sees local museums organise walks for people to help them get involved with raising money for institutions in need. The walk at Chiswick House and Gardens will take the one-day-only hikers through Grade I-listed gardens, including areas not normally accessible to the public. The famous features of the garden are all included in the walk, such as the Ionic Temple and Chiswick House itself.

Adults £20, free for children, 11am, meet at the Obelisk, Burlington Lane gate, W4 2QN, 020 8742 3905 (chgt.org.uk) (artfund.org)

simon amstell

chiswick house

Adults £12, concessions £10 weekdays, adults £14, concessions £12 weekends, 10am-6pm daily, Thursday late nights until 9pm (£5), Olympia Grand, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX, 0844 858 6763 (idealhomeshow.co.uk)

Adults £16, children £10, adults including tea £22, children including tea £16, departs Chiswick Pier at 3pm, The Pier House, Corney Reach Way, W4 2UG, 020 8742 2713 (chiswickpier.org.uk)

[EVENTS]

26-27 March INTERNATIONAL HUMOUR

27 March BABY’S FIRST CONCERT

27-28 March TOUR DE LAUGHS

Simon Amstell is currently on his fourth worldwide tour with his show To Be Free, and London is lucky enough to be on his to-do list. Amstell is well-known on both sides of the Atlantic for his stand-up comedy, but on these shores, most remember him for his stint as the host on the BBC’s panel show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. Amstell has previously caused controversy with comments in interviews, so expect this show to be a rollercoaster in political correctness. He’s a comedian who keeps a keen eye on modern life and draws out the truths of the world, however embarrassing that might be for the audience.

Rather than hauling your offspring to a concert with flashing lights, blaring music and drunken behaviour from other attendees, why not take them to something gentler? Hosted by Bach to Baby, a company specialising in music for little ones, this concert will provide a chance to bond with your baby and set him or her up with exquisite musical taste. Founded by concert pianist and loving mother Miaomiao Yu, who has performed all over the world, Bach to Baby exposes children to the delights of classical music from a young age.

Omid Djalili is bringing his show Iranalamadingdong to the Hammersmith Apollo this month for two nights of raucous laughter. Prepare to be in the presence of greatness with this show, since Djalili’s an award-winning stand-up comedian and a popular actor. Many will have first come across his work in the form of his appearance in the 1999 blockbuster The Mummy where his character comes to an unfortunate demise in an Egyptian tomb. His energetic performance style and various voices and caricatures will give audiences plenty to talk about afterwards.

From £20, 8pm, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8TT, 0844 477 2000 (o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk)

Adults £10, children free, tickets available on the door, 10.30am, St. Michael and All Angels Church, Bath Road, W4 1TT (bachtobaby.com)

bach to baby

From £27.25, 8pm, Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH, 0844 249 1000 (eventimapollo.com)

omid djalili

[EVENTS]

Elsewhere in London 14-15 March ENOUGH OF THE PAST AND PRESENT

Some people are obsessed with the idea of time travel and knowing what’s going to happen in a week or a decade’s time. For those curious folk, FutureFest is perfect. All bases are covered with the discussions, from the future of democracy to the use of robots in an advanced society. People who are of a nervous disposition might not like the thought of robots controlling everything, but for technology fans, it’s a fantasy that could become reality. There are also hands-on activities to look at or get involved with, so it’s not a whole day of sitting and listening. £50 day pass, £80 weekend pass, doors open 9.30am Saturday-Sunday, Vinopolis, Bank End, SE1 9BU, futurefest@nesta.org.uk ( futurefest.org)

15 March JOIN IN THE CRAIC

St Patrick’s Day is always on 17 March, but this year the preceding Sunday is when all the celebratory action takes place in London. The day will begin with a parade comprising oversized hats, shamrocks, Guinness and green clothing, and will finish in Trafalgar Square for an afternoon of music, dancing, wall-to-wall camaraderie and general merriment. There will also be an Irish food market for those in need of some sustenance while the kids will be well-served with a range of activities designed for them. The parade will begin from Green Park station and weave its way through the streets to Trafalgar Square and it’s a case of the more the merrier. Free, noon-6pm, Trafalgar Square, WC2N 5DN, 020 7983 4000 (london.gov.uk)

chiswick chatter What’s got Chiswick tongues wagging recently? @CharlottesW4 Good morning all! Freshly baked baps from @SlowBreadCo. Come get your bacon #Chiswick from 7am!

@Chiswick_House #Trehanes @tregothnan The heritage camellias have come home and are in their new home thanks to @GriffinGlasshse

@Sarah_Parfitt I had a ‘You’ve got to #LoveLondon’ moment tonight whilst doing a #marathontraining run to Strand on the Green

@hounslowculture Thanks to @MaryMacleodMP and @edvaizey for coming along to Chiswick Library on Saturday for #NationalLibrariesDay #NLD15

@LindseyCape Thank you @WykeGreenGC for donating £2,000 to local fundraising committee @LondonMacmillan in Chiswick. #notalone

@CWcharlesworth Love a #Hammersmith Bridge walk in the evening. #London

@BeerGuideLondon Beers and views of the brand-new – and rather excellent – @TheItalianJobW4 by © ttatty

@BirredelDucato in Turnham Green. the natural history museum

Throughout March EXCITING discoveries

From 13 to 22 March British Science Week is taking place over 10 days (yes, apparently science weeks are three days longer than normal ones) the national event aims to encourage people to become budding scientists. To help you, the Natural History Museum has frequent drop-in sessions for kids and families to attend and get to grips with the tools and techniques the museum’s scientists use. There’s also a chance to ask questions and learn more about the scientific goings-on behind the scenes of this world-famous institution. Free, see website for selected times on certain days, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD, 020 7942 5000 (nhm.ac.uk)

@RomanceKat Having an incredible #flatwhite in Nikki’s Bakery in Turnham Green. This place is beautiful. #westlondon

@brookgreen_mk 170 #microbreweries opened in the UK last year. We’re representing some of best #London-based ones. #RealAle

[SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES]

On your marks,

get set… row! Tom Hagues speaks to the head coach of the University of London Boat Club in advance of the Head of the River Race this month

rian Young, the University of London Boat Club’s coach, swings open a door that reveals a long, thin piece of white plastic, its keel pointing towards the roof. It is, of course, a rowing boat and, as Brian informs me, it’s in for repair. ‘This one takes eight rowers and a cox,’ he says. ‘It weighs approximately 90kg, which is about the same as one of the rowers.’ He demonstrates its relative lightness by levering one end off the stand with only one arm. After showing me around the site and giving me a brief overview of the club’s base and how it all operates, we go and settle in a café close to the railway station. The boat club has been in Chiswick since it first began in 1864 and the original boathouse, which is now a listed building, was simply a block placed beside the water. Over the years, it has been extended until it has become the sprawling collection of

buildings it is today. The club also owns two of the neighbouring houses, where some of the rowers live. Brian admits that the boathouse could do with being modernised, and this is obvious from first glance. The listed status of it makes any work on the property difficult to obtain permission, and Brian tells me that ‘it’s listed because of the way it was built, the construction style, rather than because it’s a beautiful building.’ Harbouring a world-class rowing team, the boathouse sits on a bend in the river and while I’m there, there’s only one boat on the water and everything is still and serene. ‘Is it a good location to be in?’ I ask. ‘It seems quiet to me. Is it always like this?’ Brian laughs and looks surprised. ‘No, absolutely not,’ he replies. ‘At the weekend, when other crews are out, it’s incredibly busy. There are probably more people rowing on this stretch of river than anywhere else in the

country put together,’ he boldly claims. ‘It’s not unlikely to have thousands of people on the river on a Saturday or Sunday morning, meaning we have to be quite flexible as to when we row on the water. We usually go out very early on Saturday mornings or late Sunday afternoons.’ Brian tells me that ‘when it’s not busy, though, it’s fine, and this location is good because we have the advantage in that it never floods. Although the bad thing about that is when the rest of the country floods, they all come here to row,’ he jokes. Preparing for a race is very much a fulltime activity and every opportunity to get some preparation in is seized. Brian reels off the training regime for me. ‘Our general programme is like this at the moment: we have Mondays off, we land-train twice on Tuesday, land-train and row on Wednesday, land-train twice again on Thursday, row

Training in portugal

the 2014 womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team. Top row left to right - Freya Hoyle, Alice Sephton, Jade Wright, Isa von Loga, Natalie Long, Ally French, Hayley Comer, Emily Craig, Rosa Atkinson Bottom row left to right - Rajaei Sharma, Simone Dutreux, Lowenna Coad, Marine Schreiber, Maja Donaldson, Nora Jafaar, Jess Myott, Kirsty Main

[SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES]

Nathaniel Reilly O’Donnell and Paul Bennett winning Gold at the World Championships, 2014

THIS MONTH’S RACES Women’s Head of the River Race 12noon, 14 March Men’s Head of the River Race 12noon, 29 March Mortlake to Putney (route visible from Chiswick banks)

twice and land-train on Saturday. We take Friday off and have one session on Sunday.’ My muscles begin to ache just at the thought of this, and I think about how rigorous that sounds. Brian then continues: ‘That’s just a generic week. In the summer we pick it up a bit on the water.’ Because of the way the university is organised, the rowers all belong to different colleges and are all on different courses and timetables. Brian outlines this as a bit of a disadvantage because it means that organising a thorough and regular practice routine is difficult with so many conflicting availabilities. I ask how long it takes to whittle down a team from the hundreds of interested rowers. ‘It depends on the race. For the Head of the River in 2015 we went to Portugal to train and were constantly moving people around, trying out different combinations. We found our top men’s crew and second men’s crew doing that, and those teams will be pretty much set, aside from a few tiny changes. The majority are selected by the end of a trip like that for the Head of the River Race.’ Is it the same for the women’s team? ‘We held back a bit with the women’s crews, since we had a lot who were of a lower level and it took longer to decide who the best rowers were. We track the rowers’ progress through the winter on rowing machines in the gym, and a lot of the decision goes on the physiological capacity of the rower. It’s not all about how well they can row.’ Having to train in the winter for this particular race, I wonder if they have to spend a lot of time indoors on rowing

machines. ‘We row in the dark occasionally,’ says Brian, ‘but it’s not really beneficial to us. It’s cold and dark, so the risk of injury and illness is higher. We don’t get on the water as much as we’d like. We spent three-and-a-half weeks just before last Christmas training without going on the water at all.’ Brian oversees the management and progress of the university’s rowing teams and the boathouse is run by a trust. The trust is made up of University of London alumni and members of other rowing clubs, and it attempts to integrate the club into the community. To do this, representatives visit local schools in the area, sometimes taking groups of pupils on site to get into rowing. It also runs a Learn to Row scheme that aims to encourage interest in the sport. At this point, I realise how the club is a part of the wider community. For some, the boat club teams are just something that people see once or twice a year during the race, when people line the Thames to watch the rowers glide past, but really it’s an active part of W4. I leave Brian suitably well-informed and, in all honesty, relieved that I wasn’t asked if I would like to have a go at some rowing. The training and preparation that go into the race are an enormous task, something that requires discipline and dedication. Among all of this frenzied exercise, though, there’s a wonderful element of supporting the community, and it’s this, if any other reason was needed, is why you should cheer loudly for the University of London Boat Club as they row their way to the finishing line this year. (ulbc.co.uk)

[LOCAL HISTORY]

Bridging

History

Hammersmith Bridge has a varied past. This month, Belinda Donovan uncovers some of its secrets

ammersmith Bridge is an icon that so often represents Hammersmith and the surrounding area. Prior to the first bridge that was built in the original settlement in 1825, travellers had to use a ferry to cross the river. The present Hammersmith Bridge, a stunning spectacle now painted in its distinctive green, is in fact the second bridge to have been built. The first was sanctioned by an Act of Parliament in 1824 when the Hammersmith Bridge Company was formed. The company started building what was to be the first suspension bridge over the River Thames using William Tierney Clark’s design. Clark was born in Bristol but later moved to Hammersmith and lived at number seven Hammersmith Terrace. This first bridge was a toll with booths at both the Richmond and Hammersmith sides, which was manned by

The present Hammersmith Bridge, a stunning spectacle now painted in its distinctive green, is in fact the second bridge to have been built

liveried toll men. The bridge cost more than £80,000 to construct. By the 1870s, the flow of traffic was getting too heavy for the original bridge and there were concerns about its safety when around 11,000 people watched the boat race in 1887. It was therefore replaced that year by a new construction that looks as we know it today and was opened by the then Prince of Wales. From archive photos, it was not quite as aesthetically pleasing as the first bridge but still stunning to behold. When it was painted white, the bridge acted as a backdrop to part of the romantic comedy film, Sliding Doors. The second bridge was designed by Joseph Bazalgette, a civil engineer who also built the Thames’ embankments and London sewers. His sewer designs saved thousands of lives in the capital, by eliminating cholera and handling the capital’s frenetic growth for more than a century. It’s believed that

there’s a lamp post on the bridge which, once rowers pass it indicates who will be the winner of the Oxford-Cambridg Boat Race. In 1919, Lieutenant Charles Campbell Wood, a South African serving in the Royal Air Force, jumped into the Thames to save a woman from drowning but later died from his injuries. There is a plaque in his honour on the bridge. The Irish Republican Army tried to blow up the bridge on two occasions. One of these attempts, in 1939, was prevented by the quick thinking of Chiswick resident Maurice Childs who was awarded an MBE for throwing the bomb into the river. With so many stories attached to it, and because of its presence, I feel it is a privilege to walk across Hammersmith Bridge. I always have a compelling urge to stop for a few moments and look at the stunning river view and think how lucky we are to live near such a wonderful piece of history.

[music]

Dulcet

tones March is musical and here’s the proof eventim apollo 7 March MANGO GROOVE

Hailing from South Africa, Mango Groove isn’t just a musically talented act. Over the years, it’s raised hundreds of thousands of rands for charitable causes like literacy programmes, support for terminally ill children and nature conservation. Its sound is a mix of South African marabi, kwela and pop, combined with the voice of Claire Johnston. Mango Groove has the pleasure of being the only band in South African music history that has had an album remain in the charts for more than a year. 7pm, £39.50

Its name evokes images of an imposing noise rumbling its way across the skies in a great big booming wave, and that’s more or less what the band sounds like. It’s had 18 singles in the UK top 40 singles charts and has been playing rock music for 25 musical years. The band will be joined by Reef and rhythm and blues rockers Tax The Heat. 7pm, £34.25

17-21 March JOE BONAMASSA

14 March THUNDER

placebo

24-25 March PLACEBO

This artist started when he was a youngster by opening for B B King when he was only 12 years old. Since then, he has gone on to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in front of thousands of people and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2013. When he’s not busy being a successful musician, Bonamassa funds music teaching resources for schools in need through the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation.

If you’re looking for a dose of the Placebo effect, look no further. The band is running around the world and providing its music for anyone who wants it, so why not jump in on the action and see them live in Hammersmith? They’ve performed in an array of locations in their musical history, including in a disused mine at a UNESCO world heritage site in Germany. After an unusual location like that, the Apollo should be a walk in the park for the group’s current line-up.

8pm, from £71.40

7pm, from £38.25

26 March WARPAINT

In 2011, Warpaint was nominated for the BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll which tries to pinpoint the most promising new talents each year. The band formed on Valentine’s Day in 2004 (how lovely) and decided that the only relationship it needed was between itself and its melody. The love child of this coupling is a cute little bundle of joy that delights the ears of all who listen. 7pm, £27.75 Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, W6 9QH, 0844 249 1000 (eventimapollo.com)

O2 SHEPHERD’S BUSH EMPIRE 14 March TO KILL A KING

Rock band To Kill A King is made up of five musicians and released its first single in 2011. Its most recent release was October 2014’s single titled Exit, Pursued By Bear, and this year’s headline tour concludes with a blow-out show in London. The band recently supported Bastille on its last tour. 7pm, £13.50

It’s St Patrick’s Day and to celebrate, Dempsey, an Irish singer and songwriter, will be performing for your pleasure. What’s more, a portion of each ticket sold will go towards the Irish Centre’s charity work supporting vulnerable Irish people in London, including the elderly, the homeless and young emigrants. Expect pints of Guinness everywhere, green facepaint and matching hair dye. 7pm, £21.50

18 March ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT

17 March DAMIEN DEMPSEY

Alan Parsons

20-21 March EUROPE AND BLACK STAR RIDERS

This spring brings together two classic rock bands in one marvellous tour. Scandinavia’s biggest rock band Europe will be test-driving its new album alongside Black Star Riders for two evenings of unadulterated rock pleasure. For hardcore fans, the two bands will also be playing the songs that rocketed them to stardom in the first place. charli xcx

Hold on to your hats, there’s a lot of names to take in here. The Alan Parsons Live Project is made up of Parsons playing an acoustic guitar, keyboard and providing vocals with P.J. Olsson singing too. Manny Foccarazzo will be tinkling on his keyboard’s keys, Guy Erez slapping the bass, Alastair Greene and Dan Tracey strumming the guitar, Danny Thompson banging the drums and Todd Cooper playing his saxophone, percussion instruments and providing some vocals. It’s a lot to keep track of, we know, so no one will think less of you if you had a lie-down after.

7pm, £28.50

This Canadian musician was born in Calgary and, for a while, served in the Royal Canadian Navy. Her first UK number one was her single Hideaway and she’s forever busy writing songs, promoting fashion labels and coming up with her own clothing line. Her London show will be full of cool and hip music fans, so go along to show you’re lucky enough to be ‘in the know’.

‘Seven soul singers’ could have been an entry in the Christmas carol On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me but it’s not. Instead, it’s a group of Alabama-bred musicians who formed in 2012. Paul Janeway provides the vocals while the other six play a mixture of guitars, with a trombone thrown in for good, bluesy measure. This evening will be something a bit different but fun all the same.

7pm, from £35

7pm, £16

7pm, £16.50

Harana meze bar & Restaurant 118 Uxbridge Road, W12 8AA, 020 8749 1052 (haranameze.co.uk) jasmine thai restaurant 16 Goldhawk Road, W12 8DH, 020 8743 7886 (jasminethai.co.uk)

25 March CHARLI XCX

You’ve probably already heard Boom Clap by this artist, but if not then it must be because you were stranded in a desert for a long time. This song was everywhere, and soon the physical form of Charlie XCX will be as well as she tours with her new album Sucker. Her lyrics have been described as ‘ballsy’, so don’t say we didn’t warn you. 7pm, £15

where to eat

28 March ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES

24 March KIESZA

st. paul and the broken bones

O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Shepherd’s Bush Green, W12 8TT, 0844 477 2000 (o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk)

[music]

did you know?

music that’s different but enjoyable and manages not to drift into the terrifying waters of Europop.

The music industry is full of quirks and interesting titbits, so here are a few of

7.30pm, £24

our favourites Melba toast is named after Dame Nellie

16 March JUDITH OWEN PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

Melba, the stage persona of Australian opera singer Helen Porter Mitchell. The

Not only a Welsh singer-songwriter, Owen is also the co-founder of Courgette Records. Her latest album has taken her to America (where her company would be called Zucchini Records), so she’s established herself as a true transatlantic favourite. If her tour isn’t evidence enough of this, she once appeared in an episode of The Simpsons as herself.

toast is so named because it became the staple of her diet when she fell ill and not because Dame Nellie was thin and tasted wonderful when topped with pâté.

Queen’s Brian May has a PhD in astrophysics from Imperial College. How poetic, a star studying the stars.

7.30pm, £15

Irglová lives in Reykjavik, Iceland, with her husband and daughter, but when she’s not wallowing in a natural hot spring (we may have jumped to conclusions here) she’s out and about making music with a wonderfully individual sound. You’ve not heard indie rock properly until you’ve heard one of Irglová’s tracks.

bush hall

19 March MARKÉTA IRGLOVÁ PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

sir elton john

Elton John’s birth name is Reginald Kenneth Dwight.

7.30pm, £17

Catch a falling star; oh his name is Billy Lockett! This musician is so fresh-faced to the game, he doesn’t even have a proper Wikipedia page yet and you don’t get much newer than that. He recently sold his first grand piano using Facebook, so he’s just like you and me, provided you can sing nicely and play musical instruments with a natural talent.

26 March BILLY LOCKETT

sir paul mccartney

Paul McCartney was paid the surprising © Anton Corbijn

7.30pm, £12

sum of just £1 to perform at the 2012 London Olympic opening ceremony.

CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN

12 March CLAUDIA BRÜCKEN PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

Brücken is a solo artist who’s flitted in and out of many groups and duets during the course of her career. She’s a vocalist who comes from Bavaria, Germany, so the music she puts out is synthpop, as is to be expected from a German musician. It’s

31 March MARIKA HACKMAN PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS

Hackman is only 22 yet she’s on a steady course to international fame. With her long blonde hair, she could be from Sweden but really she’s from Hampshire.

Elvis, who recorded more than 600 songs during his career, didn’t write a single one of them. Perhaps he was too busy concentrating on his latest flame.

A musical frisson is the chilling wave and

7.30pm, £12

goosebumps you sometimes get when listening to a piece of music.

Bush Hall, 310 Uxbridge Road, W12 7LJ, 020 8222 6955 (bushhallmusic.co.uk)

Movie

magic

New releases and films to watch this month

appropriate behaviour

6 March APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR

When she attempts to escape, she grabs a rifle and accidentally shoots her would-be husband. Meaza Ashenafi, an empowered and tenacious young lawyer, arrives from the city to represent her and argue that she acted in self-defence. Meaza tries her best to find justice for the young bride-to-be in this harrowing tale.

6 March HYENA (2014)

Directed by Gerard Johnson Starring Peter Ferdinando, Stephen Graham and Neil Maskell Everyone knows the format of good-cop/ bad-cop in silver screen plotlines, but this tale is about a good policeman (the nice,

Directed by Desiree Akhavan Starring Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Scott Adsit and Halley Feiffer This independent film tells the tale of bisexual Shirin who goes through life avoiding admitting to her family about her sexual orientation, and therefore never finding acceptance. Shirin’s brother becomes betrothed to a parent-approved woman and Shirin decides that this is enough to set her off on a private rebellion involving various life-changing escapades.

6 March CHAPPIE

Directed by Neill Blomkamp Starring Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver and Sharlto Copley Chappie gets kidnapped by two criminals while he’s being born (talk about impatience) and then becomes the adopted son of a bizarre, dysfunctional family. It soon comes to light that he’s incredibly gifted and on track to becoming a prodigy. That sounds like a fairly standard plot, doesn’t it? Think again, because Chappie’s a robot so it’s more unusual than you might have expected.

6 March DIFRET

Directed by Zereseneay Mehari Starring Meron Getnet and Tizita Hegere In sun-baked Ethiopia, a 14-year-old girl is taken by men riding horses on her way home from school to force her into marriage.

Tizita Hagere as Hirut in difret

6 March DREAMCATCHER (2015)

Directed by Kim Longinotto Starring Brenda Myers-Powell Dreamcatcher follows Brenda Myers-Powell, a former Chicago prostitute who now helps women and teenage girls break the cycle of sexual abuse and exploitation. During a shocking, truth-revealing hour-and-a-half, the documentary uncovers hidden violence that devastates the lives of young women, their families and the communities in which they live. Brenda is a compassionate and strong woman whose interventions help to turn around the lives of women in need of guidance and rehabilitation.

offer-you-a-cup-of-tea kind) who struggles to retain his loveliness in a world of street crime and brutality. How does a rule-following policeman survive in such a cut-throat world?

6 March RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS

A Japanese thriller that’s sure to enthral. Shishio sets sail in his ship to bring the Meiji government to its knees and send Japan into a state of chaos. Kenshin (the Far East’s answer to James Bond) trains with his old master to prepare himself to stop Shishio’s dastardly plan.

[film]

learns that making mistakes is part of being human. As their bond strengthens, they both come to learn what the term ‘home’ really means.

20 March WILD CARD

Directed by Simon West Starring Jason Statham, Michael Angarano and Dominik García-Lorido A Las Vegas bodyguard finds himself in a spot of bother with a mob thanks to his gambling problem. Using his impressively lethal skills, he battles to get himself out of harm’s way.

Tatsuya Fujiwara as Makoto Shishio in RUROUNI KENSHIN: THE LEGEND ENDS

13 March RUN ALL NIGHT

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra Starring Liam Neeson, Genesis Rodriguez and Joel Kinnaman Liam Neeson returns, but he’s not chasing after any kidnapped relatives this time. Instead, he’s an ex-hitman and up against his old boss in order to protect his family and estranged son.

20 March HOME (2015)

Directed by Tim Johnson Starring Jim Parsons, Rihanna, Steve Martin and Jennifer Lopez This animated story will delight the kids. When Oh, a misfit from another planet, lands on Earth, he meets Tip, a girl who is on a quest. They become friends, go together on a comical journey and Oh soon

It’s a loud American comedy that won’t disappoint those looking for disaster-laced humour

27 March CINDERELLA (2015)

Directed by Kenneth Branagh Starring Lily James, Helena Bonham Carter and Hayley Atwell Adapting fairy tales and Disney classics is popular at the moment. We’ve recently seen the release of Into the Woods, Maleficent and (unfortunately) the frankly awful Snow White and the Huntsman. Cinderella is the latest lady to get the Hollywood treatment, and if Helena Bonham Carter’s involved, it’s likely to be good.

action-packed

something different

20 March

side-splitter

THE GUNMAN

27 March

Directed by Pierre Morel

DIOR AND I

Starring Sean Penn, Javier Bardem, Idris Elba

Directed by Frédéric Tcheng

and Ray Winstone

Starring Raf Simons

If this all-star cast isn’t enough to tempt

Dior and I offers a rare glimpse into

you to the cinema to see this film, nothing

the world of Christian Dior and Raf

will. Penn plays a former Special Forces

Simons’ much-anticipated haute couture

soldier who wants to settle down and

collection. The film documents the

rekindle a lost love with a woman from

collection’s conception, right through to its exhibition and allows the viewer to see

6 March

his past. But if he could do that easily, the

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

film would be undeniably dull. To get the

the labour of love take shape and get to

Directed by Ken Scott

love of his life, Penn’s character must clear

know the dedicated and humorous design

Starring Vince Vaughn, Dave Franco

his name by going on an all-action escape

team that makes it all happen.

and Tom Wilkinson

from London to Barcelona.

A small business owner and his partners travel to Europe to seal the deal on a big corporate move, but catastrophe befalls them at every turn. Their very normal trip soon turns into a complete palaver, with

and enormous sex-fetish event. It’s a loud American comedy that won’t disappoint those looking for disaster-laced humour.

the trio finding themselves accidentally in the midst of a global economic summit

the gunman

dior and i

Take a

bow Lifting the curtain on theatre events this month

the tabard theatre 3-28 March TIME OF MY LIFE

No, this has nothing to do with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. It’s Alan Aykbourn’s play about Gerry Stratton, his wife Laura and two sons Glyn and Adam. They come together for a family meal in a restaurant to celebrate Laura’s birthday, but as Gerry proposes a toast to ‘happy times’, chaos begins to unfold. Glyn, the elder of the two sons, is recently back together with his wife and the younger son, Adam, has brought along his new girlfriend to meet the family for the first time. She is described as ‘an outrageous hairdresser’, so buckle up for a roller coaster of a ride. With skeletons making grand escapes from their closets and frequent jumps between the present, past and future, there won’t be a dull moment on stage. This version is directed by Law Ballard and runs for approximately two hours and 25 minutes. Adults £17, concessions £15, 7.30pm TuesdaySaturday, matinees 3.30pm Saturday

special event 30 March until 4 April playmakers festival 2015 To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Tabard Theatre, the Playmakers Festival will be showcasing six brand-new plays over the course of six nights and the performances will be judged by a panel of experts. The plays have been whittled down from almost 200 submissions and range from laugh-out-loud funny to intensely provocative.

Monday 30 and Tuesday 31 March Fair Exchange and We’ll Laugh at Gilded Butterflies will be performed on these nights to open the festival. Fair Exchange, by Madhia Hussain, is a tale that exposes contemporary issues that British Muslim families face. The story is told from the perspective of Ayesha, a British Pakistani. We’ll Laugh at Gilded Butterflies is a play devised by three students from East 15 Acting School and portrays the life of a girl on Death Row. This performance has already received acclaim during its short run at the Brighton Fringe.

Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 April Mouth Play, by Ross Dunsmore, and Behind Us, by Breman Rajkumar, will take to the stage in the middle of the festival. Mouth Play is a short piece that depicts Hugh, a recently deceased father and husband whose ghost must come to terms with the fact he is no longer touchable. Breman Rajkumar’s Behind Us is a surreal and original play about children who are snatched from nightclubs that play music from the kids’ shows Tweenies and Bob the Builder. It might seem bizarre, but it’s well worth seeing. After all, this festival is all about discovering new writing and new talent.

Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April See the last two performances which close the festival: Love in the Past Participle, by John Hamilton May and Trevor’s House, by Bob Rogers. Love in the Past Participle is a collection of four lives becoming intertwined in a poignant examination of love. May has previously received recognition for his work at the Tricycle Theatre and the Soho Theatre. Trevor’s House is a comedy set in the house of terminally ill Welshman Trevor. This touchingly humorous story shows Trevor attempting to complete his life’s ambition of writing a song that’s worthy of singer (and well-established heart-throb) Tom Jones. £10, 7.30pm each evening The Tabard Theatre, 2 Bath Road, W4 1LW, 020 8995 6035 (tabardweb.co.uk) the tabard theatre

[THEATRE]

13 March until 18 April THE ROYALE

Jay ‘The Sport’ Jackson has dreams as big as his biceps – he wants to become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. Unfortunately for Jackson, he’s boxing in 1905 when racial segregation in sport is at its worst. His chances of becoming the best boxer in the world are practically non-existent. The Royale is set in a boxing ring over the course of six rounds and is inspired by the story of Jack Johnson, who became one of the most famous and notorious black sportsmen of the era. It’s a moving story laced with tension and

out of town raw emotion and offers a glimpse into a world that’s completely different to the one we know. The Royale is written by Marco Ramirez, an award-winning American playwright who has numerous television writing credits to his name. He has written for Da Vinci’s Demons and the incredibly popular Netflix hit show Orange is the New Black. From £15, concessions from £10, 7.30pm Monday-Saturday, matinees 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday, Bush Theatre, 7 Uxbridge Road, W12 8LJ, 020 8743 5050 (bushtheatre.co.uk)

image © Johan Persson

highly recommended

the book of mormon

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Described as ‘damnably clever’, The Book of Mormon hit the West End in 2013 and hasn’t looked back. Breaking convention from musicals that take themselves too seriously, this musical was a welcome change and instantly proved popular with audiences and critics alike. It’s brash, rude and riotously funny, but what else would you expect from the creators of the animated comedy South Park? The story follows two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda to visit a tiny, remote village where a terrifying warlord is causing chaos. The two missionaries soon find that their audience isn’t interested in their religious scripture – The Book of Mormon – and are more concerned with famine, war, poverty and AIDS. From £37.50, 7.30pm Monday-Saturday, matinees 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday, Prince of Wales Theatre, Coventry Street, W1D 6AS, 0844 482 5110 (bookofmormonlondon.com)

coming soon From 1 April DEAD SHEEP A little further out of town, a play written by Chiswick resident Jonathan Maitland is gracing the stage at the Park Theatre. Dead Sheep follows Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s political assassination by Geoffrey Howe, her one-time Foreign Secretary, who lashes out at the most powerful woman of the time. The play is a drama that includes both tragedy and comedy and its themes of political morality and Britishness are as relevant today as they were in the 1980s. Thatcher is played by Steve Nallon, a founder of the

image © Richard Davenport

satirical puppet show Spitting Image. £15 preview show (1 April), from £20 thereafter, concessions £18, 7.30pm Tuesday-Saturday, matinees 3pm Thursday and Saturday, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP, 020 7870 6876 (parktheatre.co.uk) nicholas pinnock as Jay ‘The Sport’ Jackson in the royale

A season

of art

Spring has sprung and, with it, a bouquet of exhibitions to enjoy local

centraL LONDON 20-23 May Art15

Clear your diaries for three days, because one of the biggest springtime art fair is returning to Olympia. ART15 is known as London’s global art fair and has a track record of being an impressively popular event. If you’re unconvinced as to how popular it really is, last year’s fair (called ART14, of course) attracted 31,000 attendees, including 5,500 VIP guests. And, on top of the visitors, contemporary galleries from more than 40 countries exhibited their artsy wares. Satisfied yet? Because of its size and reputation, it comes as no surprise that it’s attended by art buyers, sellers and experts from across the globe, each of them on the lookout for something different, something fantastical or simply something sellable. You may walk in empty-handed with an appreciation of good art, but be warned that you’re probably going to walk out with your appreciation intact with two or three pieces of work attached to it. It’s a purchasetempting, talent-filled day that you can’t miss, not least because of the buzz that it’ll be creating around the area.

14-20 March The gallery at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre is hosting an exhibition this month that will showcase the talent and excellent work of artists from across the globe. With it being only a stone’s throw away, it’s perfectly placed for you to squeeze in a morning of art before getting on with your usual day-to-day activities. With such a wide selection of genres, mediums and artists on display, it’s likely you’ll find something that tickles your fancy. Free entry, 11am-3pm, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan centre, 4a Castletown Road, W14

From £15 advanced booking, concessions £10, 6pm-9pm Wednesday (preview), 11am-9pm Thursday, 11am-7pm Friday and Saturday, Olympia National, Hammersmith Road, W14 8UX, 020 7886 3112 (artfairslondon.com) Last year’s event

Insieme (Together)

9HE, 020 7381 3086 (bhavan.net)

Central London is absolutely bursting at the seams with art, from the delicate finesse of Rembrandt to the modern abstract creations of Warhol. This month, why not get adventurous and discover something new and exciting, or something that you’d usually ignore and not bother going to see? Here’s a roundup of the biggest and most interesting art exhibitions taking place.

Courtesy the Artist and Victoria Miro, London © Grayson Perry

londra in arte

I am a Man, 2014

Until 15 March WHO ARE YOU?

Grayson Perry, a Turner Prize-winning artist, has currently got an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. In this collection of work, Perry turns his attention to the popular genre of portraiture and British identity, including a self-portrait and a tapestry made during his Channel 4 series Who Are You?. Perry is known for his vases and bright colours, as well as for often incorporating his female alter ego, Claire, into his work. Perry was awarded the prestigious Turner Prize in 2003 and since then has been regarded as one of the

[ARTS AND EXHIBITIONS]

White House in Washington D.C., so friends in high places and all that.

country’s greatest artists. Don’t miss out on this modern, current and trendy exhibition’s final weeks at one of the world’s most famous galleries.

£10 (without donation), 10am-6pm MondaySunday, Burlington House, Piccadilly, W1J 0BD, 020 7300 8000 (royalacademy.org.uk)

14 March until 2 August ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: SAVAGE BEAUTY

This exhibition of McQueen’s work is the first and largest retrospective to be shown in Europe. It spans from his first collection, when he was an MA student, to his unfinished work from 2010 before he passed away. As a fashion student, McQueen learned how to design clothing that was inspired by London’s history and, more specifically, its world-class museums and art scene. His work is recognisable for its reliance on various methods including cutting and construction. These adopted techniques were, and still are, regarded as being innovative and at the same time, revolutionary. A display of an artistic genius’s vision and pioneering items of fashion, the work included in this collection will appeal to anyone with a keen eye for the bizarre and thought-provoking.

Model: Shalom Harlow, Image: Catwalking

£16 (without donation), concessions from £9, 10am-5.30pm Saturday-Thursday, 10am-9.30pm Fridays, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, SW7 2RL, 020 7942 2000 (vam.ac.uk)

Richard Diebenkorn, Cityscape #1, 1963 ©2014 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation, Oil on canvas, 153 x 128.3cm, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Purchased with funds from Trustees and friends in memory of Hector Escobosa, Brayton Wilbur, and J.D. Zellerbach

14 March until 7 June Richard Diebenkorn at the Royal Academy

Beginning this month, Diebenkorn’s finest work will be on display for 16 weeks at the Royal Academy for the first time in 20 years. Described by the Washington Post as one of the USA’s ‘finest abstract painters’, Diebenkorn’s career can be separated neatly into three stages. The first begins in the 1950s, a time when abstract expressionism was the height of artistic fashion and the phases move through the decades, adapting and changing with tastes and styles. If you know nothing about art (and that’s nothing to be ashamed of) then attend this exhibition for a pretty comprehensive lesson in abstract design. His work is also in the

National Portrait Gallery, London © Marlene Dumas Photo: Peter Cox

Free entry, 10am-6pm Saturday-Wednesday, 10am-9pm Thursday-Friday, National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, WC2H 0HE, 020 7306 0055 (npg.org.uk)

Marlene Dumas, Amy - Blue 2011

It’s one of the gallery’s biggest exhibitions and is already proving to be very popular Until 10 May Marlene Dumas: The image as burden

Marlene Dumas’ exhibition The Image as Burden is at the Tate Modern throughout March and April. It’s one of the gallery’s biggest exhibitions and is already proving to be very popular with aficionados and amateur art lovers alike. Dumas moved to Amsterdam in 1976, where she currently lives and works, and enjoys exploring the relationship between image and text in collages. She often attempts to work this theme into her art by combining clipped photographs, text and gestural drawing movements. This exhibition, however, focuses mostly on psychological themes and explores sexuality, love, death and shame. It sounds dark and moody, but is it intriguing?

Spray painted dress, Alexander McQueen, No 13, S/S 1999

£14.50 (without donation), £12.70 (concessions without donation), 10am-6pm SundayThursday, 10am-10pm Friday-Saturday, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG, 020 7887 8888 (tate.org.uk)

Eating your way around

the world

Our hot-list of the global flavours that can be found in west London

hen Jules Verne wrote Around the World in 80 Days, he probably didn’t realise that he’d inspire a culinary crusade around west London. But, he has, and here it is. Chiswick, Shepherd’s Bush and Hammersmith are all rife with foodie hotspots to tempt taste buds and offer cuisine to local residents from far-flung

places around the world. At a time when chain restaurants can dominate edible landscapes, why not take a break from the monotony of it all and go on an around-theworld jaunt without having to leave the city? Whether it’s Middle Eastern spice, European sophistication or the boldness of African flavours you’re after, the local area doesn’t disappoint at all.

europe Our journey begins in Europe, where we’re not short of inspiration. This continent’s cuisine ranges from the simplicity of Scandinavian cooking to health-improving Mediterranean dishes, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a restaurant worth raving about. As it happens, there are quite a few.

[world cuisine]

france

poland

and why not top it all off with an apple and blueberry crumble (£6)?

Let’s hop across the Channel to France, famed for its fine dining and rigorous standards when it comes to the business of eating.

Polish fare can often be overlooked

11.30am-11pm Monday-Friday, 10am-11pm Saturday, 10am-10pm Sunday, 227 King Street, W6 9JT, 020 8748 3391 (thehampshirehog.com)

because of the stiff competition coming out of rival kitchens in other European nations, but that doesn’t mean it should be ignored.

Le Vacherin

Patio Restaurant

This one is no exception to French high standards, as is clear from the choices on the à la carte menu. Twice-baked gruyère soufflé escarole and radish (£9.50) will lead any diner nicely into a main course of grilled lemon sole, tartar sauce and frites (£24.50). If there’s any room left after those two plates, fill the gap with the crème brûlée and orange madeleine dessert (£7). With an extensive and not over-priced wine list (bottles start at £17.95), a short but sweet cocktail menu and an impressive dessert wine selection, Le Vacherin has almost everything you could hope for from a French eatery. Evening service 6pm-10.30pm MondaySaturday, 6pm-9pm Sunday, 76-77 South Parade, W4 5LF, 020 8742 2121 (levacherin.com)

This restaurant has been reviewed and enjoyed by the national press and it’s right on your doorstep. It boasts the traditional Polish cuisine that you’d expect – for example, herring in soured cream (£4.50) is on the à la carte menu, along with stuffed pancakes with mushroom sauce (£5). Main courses include pork chops in breadcrumbs (£8.90) and grilled trout with shrimps or almonds (£9). Come here for simple, hearty food, with flavours you might not normally consider. the hampshire hog

Evening service 6pm-11pm Monday-Friday, 6pm-11.30pm Saturday and Sunday, 5 Goldhawk Road, W12 8QQ, 020 8743 5194 (patiolondon.com)

spain italy

Are you thinking of terracotta pots and plates adorned with little nibbly titbits of

Spain’s best flavour combinations? Cast

Pizza Express, Carluccio’s, Strada, Prezzo

aside lofty ideas of enjoying that beside a

and Ask are just a few of the many,

shimmering blue sea, because you can’t

many Italian restaurant chains in the

get that without having to go to Spain.

country that Italian cooking. Local

Will the Thames do?

restaurants offer something a bit different, though.

le vacherin

Los Molinos

the united kingdom Here we’ll probably need to turn to pubgrub, but it’s hardly as though we’re short of options on that front.

The Hampshire Hog

At the Hog, you can sample a lot of treats from around the world, but we want to focus on some of the offerings from our own shores. To start, the beetroot and goats’ cheese Wellington with a Pinot Noir and mushroom sauce (£7) is tempting enough to have as a stand-alone lunch dish. For something with a fishy, boozy kick, the cod, squid and Pernod fish stew with fennel, Jersey royals and cherry tomatoes (£14) should be just the ticket,

There’s a lot of information to take in here, so grab a glass of Rioja and pay attention. Los Molinos’ menu is separated into seafood, meat and vegetable tapas and there’s a section for cold tapas, soups and cheese as well. The baby Galician peppers sautéed in olive oil (£5.95) and the white asparagus with olive oil and sherry vinegar (£4.90) stand out from the cold tapas section, while from the meat options, the chicken croquettes with basil mayonnaise (£4.90) and the grilled lamb with spicy chilindron sauce (£6.20) make mouths water and stomachs grumble. Try not to go overboard when ordering, as easy as it might be, because you might need a second table to accommodate it all. Evening service 6pm-11pm Monday-Saturday, 127 Shepherd’s Bush Road, W6 7LP, 020 7603 2229 (losmolinosuk.com)

La Tarantella

Eyes are immediately drawn to La Tarantella’s option of slow-cooked wild boar in tomato sauce served with a Puglian white broad bean mash (£16) for good reason. Tender, succulent meat in a typically Italian tomato sauce – what’s not to love? Of course, there are plenty of pizzas to choose from, too, and prices for these start at £6.95 (yep, you guessed it, that one’s a margherita). Evening service 6pm-10.30pm MondaySunday, 4 Elliott Road, W4 1PE, 020 8987 8877 (latarantella.co.uk)

asia On the other side of the planet, Asian kitchens serve up plenty of feel-good nourishment in the form of fresh vegetables and virtuous fish dishes.

[world cuisine]

japan Ever popular for a quick lunch or dinner, sushi is one of the most well-known dishes to come out of Japan. With so many varieties available and sold at almost every turn, choosing which one to have can be tricky.

Kisaku

As is to be expected at a sushi restaurant, this menu is huge, but it’s not all sushi. There are other categories, each with their own pantry of delights. It’s tricky to single out one or two dishes, but we’ve tried our best. From the hosomaki menu (traditional sushi roll, nori on the outside, rice on the inside), try the Kisaku special roll (£11.50). It’s made with avocado and fresh crabmeat, braised eel and a special sauce. Delicious, we know. From the sizzling dishes menu, try the pork tobanyaki (£11) with vegetables, all coated in a chilli sauce. Evening service 6pm-11pm Monday-Saturday, 470 Chiswick High Road, W4 5TT, 020 8987 8874 (kisaku.co.uk)

ngon

nuoc mam ( fish sauce) that come with the dish make sure of that. From the rice noodle soup section of the menu, the Ngon Special consists of sliced beef, meatballs, flank and brisket and is a steal at £7.50. Salads, rice dishes and rolls are all available, and nothing’s more than £10 so it would be rude not to order a few plates.

Evening service 6pm-11pm Monday-Saturday, 6pm-10pm Sunday, 375 King Street, W6 9NJ, 020 8563 7266 (azou.co.uk)

11.30am-8pm Monday-Saturday, 11.30am5pm Sunday, 195 Chiswick High Road, W4 2DR, 020 8994 9630 (ngondeli.com)

africa Tagines, exotic fruits, rices and sundried meats, African cuisine is arguably less wellknown than its other worldly counterparts. Help is at hand in Chiswick, where authentic, well-cooked food from this sunbaked continent is readily available.

kisaku

north africa vietnam

azou

australia australia It’s difficult to say exactly what Australian cuisine really is, but it’s fair to just say it’s a collection of feel-good foods that

Hop off the southernmost extremity of

everyone’s familiar with.

Spanish soil and find yourself in a world Vietnamese cuisine is trendy

that revolves around the humble tagine.

Antipode

because of its simple cooking style but complex flavours.

Azou

Ngon

Meaning ‘delicious’, this restaurant needs to live up to its name or it’ll be devoured by the competition, and it really does deliver. Not in a literal sense, alas, but they do offer a takeaway menu as well as wonderful dine-in facilities. The food is inspired by home cooking and family dinners, and the prices are unbelievably reasonable. The fried tofu and mushroom vermicelli bowl (£6.95) is cheap and filling – the rice noodles, lettuce, herbs, beansprouts, peanuts and

Food originating from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia is the kind of African cuisine that this restaurant serves. Tajine el ain (£16.20) is a dish comprising tender lamb shank, prunes, apricots and almonds, garnished with sesame seeds and nestled in a delicious sauce that will fill you up and leave you satisfied for hours. The restaurant also offers a spiced fillet of sea bass (£17) that has been sautéed in olive oil, lemon and garlic. The mechoui dish (£15) offers a more complex experience with its slow-cooked lamb shank flavoured with chermoula (a North African marinade).

This coffee shop-cum-bar provides locals with real Australian beers, like James Boag’s from Tasmania (£5), Little Creatures from Perth (£5.50) and Coopers from Adelaide (£4.80). It also sells Aussie banana bread and a breakfast burger with avocado, egg, bacon and onion jam. It’s a compact place to while away an hour or two and is a firm favourite with locals. 7am-8pm Monday-Wednesday, 7am-10pm Thursday, 7am-11.30pm Friday, 8am-11.30pm Saturday, 9am-10pm Sunday, 28 Fulham Palace Road, W6 9PH, visit its Twitter page @AntipodeLondon

[POLITICS]

hp source:

henry hopwood-phillips reports on local issues

SQUIDS IN Henry Hopwood-Phillips takes a look at the latest planning battle on the Golden Mile

he story of the London Octopus, a 50m-high hotel-cum-office block that was to sit on Chiswick roundabout – that most locals had thought shelved indefinitely after slow progress through planning – took a turn recently when LOM Architecture & Design told the Architects’ Journal that it would submit an application early this year. On paper the Octopus looked promising. Its original launch statement proclaimed the building’s crumpled origami-esque sides would create ‘the effect of an iridescent rainbow of colours as the weather and sky changes during the day’, a surreal experience augmented by the addition of a roof garden. Not just that, but it would also make a lot of money, playing host to a 2,650-square metre LED shroud, a device that could supply ‘the largest digital advertising screen in Europe’, being seen by an estimated 300,000 vehicles a day. The reality was always a little more tawdry. ‘The Octopus’ may have been an inspired coinage but locals commented that ‘deflated’ was a worthy adjective. Others noted that it looked like it had been designed by a toddler with poor tessellation skills or it resembled a ‘giant unfinished ice sculpture’. The more upbeat may have highlighted the fact that

a representation of the proposed golden mile

Chiswick roundabout was already a bit of an eyesore, but outrage grew after Hounslow Council granted planning permission in December 2012. The fact that Middle Eastern royals were set to go head-to-head in a £120million bidding war may have hit the national headlines but impressed few locals who saw it as yet another bit of real estate sacrificed in a fit of myopia. Worse still, the plans

‘The Octopus’ may have been an inspired coinage but locals commented that ‘deflated’ was a worthy adjective looked like they were in favour of turning a residential zone, close to Wellesley Road conservation area, into a Piccadilly Circus, a Las Vegas or a Times Square: seen for miles but essentially a site of light pollution. Now, the feedback has amounted to pushback and the developers behind the scheme, Galliard Group and London & Bath Estates, seems to have have ditched MAKE Architects’

the octopus building

‘Octopus’ designs in favour of a 42-storey tower block called the Gateway Tower. The design is almost three times as high (at 140 metres) but involves none of the controversial billboard elements that plagued the Octopus. This may come as news to the council, which in October unveiled a Golden Mile regeneration scheme that included the Octopus. It’s all much of a muchness to your wretched correspondent of course. Whichever project gains a foothold, Oswald Spengler’s warning that certain cities would decline under the weight of their own growth seems pertinent. Those that seem to be the most productive aspects of our civilisation are really the most destructive: machines and money. Here in London, we seem to be advocating the rise of a megalopolis, which ‘at first defies the land, [then] contradicts Nature in the lines of its silhouette, [then] denies all Nature.’ This attitude has taken on a life of its own; money has begun to value things with only itself as a reference point. In this alternative universe we seem to have been mentally co-opted into creating, we are all superfluous, we all lack justification. (thelondonoctopus.com)

[Chiswick and Brook Green] 23

[out and about]

A day

in the life of...

Tom Hagues spends the afternoon finding out what it’s like to be a Chiswick House volunteer

The Conservatory

‘W

hat you’ll find, Tom, is that no day is ever the same when you’re doing this,’ garden estate manager says Geraldine King as we trundle along in a buggy. ‘The days are very varied and you always get side-tracked by something else.’ As if by cue, we’re flagged down by two elderly ladies who are perched on a bench outside the conservatory. They’ve travelled from a land far and distant (which turned out to be Brentford) to witness the camellias in all of their splendour, but they are, as Geraldine informs them, a week too early. They appear disheartened by this fact, so Geraldine offers them a quick five-minute chat about the plants, a proposition that the two visitors accept with fierce enthusiasm. While Geraldine speaks to one of them, the other turns to me and asks, ‘Have you come to see the plants as well?’ ‘No,’ I reply, ‘I’m here pretending to know what I’m doing.’ My afternoon’s task is relatively simple. With the camellia show fast approaching,

me, left, troublesome material, right

I’ve got to help Geraldine unload a delivery of the famous flowers. Some of them are for sale and are incredibly delicate, a fact I was pleased to be informed of before I began thrashing them around in the back of the buggy. After their short and careful journey to the conservatory, we unload them and put them just inside the entrance. To protect the old, beautiful stone floor of the building, Geraldine puts down a protective blue covering. One side of this material is dangerously sticky and, unfortunately, for my dignity, this is the side that faces up. I immediately discover that walking on it is a desperately bad decision and I have to spend a few frenzied moments attempting to wrestle myself from its grasp without Geraldine noticing. After feeling like a fly in a spider’s web, I begin ticking off the delivery, ensuring all the plants are accounted for and the pot sizes correspond with what we’ve taken delivery of. This is when I become fluent in the language of the camellia. Ticking off names like Tom Thumb, Bob Hope and Dr Burnside, I have to make

the conservatory’s dome

sure I’m not reading a list of characters from turn-of-the-century novels. Luckily, I’m not, and after a while I begin recognising the different types of plants without having to look at their labels. I start calling out things like ‘Could you pass me those Red Hots? Shall I put these Holly Brights next to the Lady Vansittarts?’ I become, briefly, a younger, slimmer, blonder Alan Titchmarsh, a secondary personality I’d never before discovered within myself. Once all the plants have been organised for the opening day of the festival, and I had ditched my adopted persona and recovered my usual one of gardening incompetence, we hop onto the buggy and head back to the yard. It would appear that the volunteers, who look after the gardens and assist with the festivals and events going on at Chiswick House, often have full-on days, and as Geraldine had warned me, no two days are ever the same. The afternoon’s unexpected twists made for a wonderful way to while away the hours. (chgt.org.uk)

[LETTERS]

Word on

THE STREET The most pressing issues from Chiswick and Brook Green locals

I think a lot of people in the area feel the same as I do about this, but I was very saddened to hear about the death of Miss Naysmith. She was well-known in the area and everyone had heard her sad story. I wonder whether we could petition for some sort of memorial for her? After all, she was a famed concert pianist and it would be a lovely mark of respect to commemorate a woman who became so well known. - Mrs Galloway

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE IT

it’ll be a long-term solution that’s better than frequently patching up the current fly-over. Time will tell! - Mrs van der Vaund

I know books on websites like Amazon are usually cheaper than in bookshops, but when postage and packaging come into it, you might as well just pop down to a local store and buy it there and then. I’ve always tried to avoid buying books online because we have perfectly good shops within a stone’s throw from our homes. On the odd occasion when I can’t find the book in a local or chain bookshop, I have turned to online shopping and the parcel has either been late, not been able to fit through the letterbox or out of stock! It’s frustrating and a waste of time in my eyes – I applaud local bookshops for their simplicity. - Mr Gambino

TREAT YOUR MUM

MIXED FEELINGS

MIXED FEELINGS I can’t make up my mind about the Hammersmith fly-under project. Boris Johnson was in the USA last month inspecting a boring tool (some say that’s Boris himself !) that the Americans used to dig under Boston but I’ve heard that it wasn’t particularly successful. I think that if we’re going to suffer traffic delays and lots of mess and noise while the fly-under is being completed, we ought to know that it’s going to work properly. Will the work even benefit the area? I suppose

I wanted to write in for this issue with a bit of advice. I popped out the other morning to get something for my mum for Mothering Sunday and couldn’t believe how easy it was to avoid all the cliché gifts, thanks to the local boutique shops. It’s easy to fall into the trap of a bunch of daffodils and a box of chocolates or something similar, but there are so many nice gifts on the High Road. Lovely notebooks, picture albums and ideas like that (these are the things my mother likes) are all available. Just walking down the road windowshopping for half an hour gave me so much inspiration. - Ms Peretti, via email

image © Jarrod Boord

TREAT YOUR MUM

FUNDRAISING

FUNDRAISING I’m hoping to get involved with some fundraising this year, but not sure where to begin. I’m very busy, so unfortunately wouldn’t be able to commit to many hours, but I’m keen

to do something during the weekends and on bank holidays. Has anyone got any good recommendations for charities that are in desperate need of part-time fundraisers? I’d especially like to work for something local, but anything I can help with would be great. - Mr Kirsz © Pavel L Photo and Video

IN MEMORY OF

round of applause

ROUND OF APPLAUSE I have been so impressed with the quality of theatre events that have been taking place in the area recently. Not only have we had a good selection of plays performed that have been written by local writers, we’ve also been lucky enough to have some comedians of national fame visit Chiswick to try out new material. We’re very lucky to live where we do and have a great network of theatrical events and performances. - Mr Leslie

PANCAKE SUCCESS Thanks to the wonderful double page spread of pancake hotspots and pancake activities, my Shrove Tuesday was fabulous! - Mrs Demir via email

If you have anything you’d like to share, ask or say, email us at chiswick.bg@residentsjournal.co.uk, write to us at Chiswick & Brook Green, Runwild Media Group, 6th Floor, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AX or tweet us @Chiswick_BG

KnightFrank.co.uk

Barrowgate Road, Chiswick W4

An exquisite seven bedroom detached family house This impressive three storey, seven double bedroom Edwardian home offers approximately 5,400 sq ft of lateral living space. Located on a highly desirable and sought after residential road with gated off street parking for at least four cars. Freehold. EPC Rating C

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

Guide Price: £4,950,000. ﴾CWK140019﴿

C&BG Barrowgate Ammended

24/02/2015 10:17:59

:59

KnightFrank.co.uk

Emlyn Road, Chiswick W4

An immaculate four bedroom, semi detached house This beautifully presented four bedroom property boasts approx. 2,012 sq ft of family living space and further benefits from a 102 ft west facing garden and delightful south facing summer house. Approx 2,012 sq ft. Freehold. EPC Rating E.

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

Guide Price: £1,850,000. ﴾CWK150020﴿

C&BG EMLYN 63

20/02/2015 12:52:49

KnightFrank.co.uk

Chiswick Lodge, Chiswick W4

A superb, four double bedroom semi detached house Situated just behind the much sought after Chiswick Mall and within walking distance to the river, this contemporary three storey, four bedroom town house has been built to the highest specification and standards throughout. The property benefits from a 40ft south facing landscape garden and two allocated parking spaces. Approx 1,603 sq ft. Freehold. EPC Rating B

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

Guide Price: £1,495,000. ﴾CWK150019﴿

C&BG CHISWICK LODGE

20/02/2015 12:51:44

:44

KnightFrank.co.uk

Bromyard Avenue, London W3

A spectacular 4 bedroom, new build townhouse Situated within W3's most exclusive development, this stunning four double bedroom, new build townhouse, boasts c. 2,150 sq ft of luxury living space. Includes private garden, roof terrace, balcony, integral garage, plus one further external parking space. EPC rating B. Leasehold. Guide Price: £1,325,000.

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

﴾CWK150005﴿

CBG BROMYARD

20/02/2015 12:59:06

KnightFrank.co.uk

Bath Road, Chiswick W4

A two bedroom, ground floor flat in Bedford Park This Victorian conversion has been subject to significant improvement and occupies over 890 sqft of contemporary living space whilst maintaining many of its original period features. The property comprises two double bedrooms, large reception room, bathroom, modern kitchen/diner and private garden. Approx 890 sq ft. Share of Freehold. EPC Rating D

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

Guide Price: £875,000 ﴾CWK150010﴿

C&BG BATH

20/02/2015 12:50:16

:16

KnightFrank.co.uk

Airedale Road, Chiswick W4 An exceptional five bedroom family house A bright first floor maisonette flat is situated in the desirable area of Bedford Park. It comprises 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large reception with a open plan kitchen and a private garden. Available to rent end of February. Furnished. EPC rating D. Price: £1,850 per week

KnightFrank.co.uk/Chiswick Chiswick@knightfrank.com 020 3757 6230

C&BG Airedale

20/02/2015 16:17:37

Property

Chart by Lonres

news

May Day: prime London market to stay ‘muted and subdued’ until after the election

The prime London market remains muted and is set to stay subdued until the election result is confirmed, says leading property data resource Lonres. 2014 was a year of two very distinct halves: confidence was high for the first six months, with average prices per square foot rising by 8.8 per cent and transaction levels on a par with 2013. The back-end of the year was a little bit different, as political uncertainty dampened demand and restricted stock levels started to ease; average prices per sq ft increased by just 2.4 per cent in the second six months and transactions plummeted by 28 per cent on 2013’s level. The Lonres Winter 2014 survey of London estate agents revealed ‘fairly muted conditions’ in the market over the final quarter of the year. Applicant levels, from both home and overseas, dropped further, while supply levels continued to rise. As a result, agents reported an increase in the time taken to sell properties, with both withdrawals and price reductions becoming more prevalent. However, agents report that vendors are starting to accept market conditions. In the winter survey, 21 per cent of agents reported vendors being realistic

about asking prices, up from eight per cent just three months ago. Only 22 per cent of estate agents believe that prime London property prices will rise over the coming year, although most think that things will pick up once the election is settled.

Chiswick High Road ‘transformation’ given the go-ahead

A plan to regenerate ‘a substantial section of Chiswick High Road and underutilised sites along Essex Place’ with a snazzylooking residential and mixed scheme development has been given the green light by Hounslow’s planners. Developer Lend Lease and Assael Architects will now create 137 new one, two and three-bedroom homes, along with 8,783 square feet of retail space across three linked sites, and promises ‘significant enhancements to the public realm along Essex Place.’ The project includes a thorough refurbishment of Empire House, which the architect describes as ‘incongruous’, to deliver something more befitting the Turnham Green Conservation Area. New buildings will use natural stone and London stock brick to blend in with the surroundings, taking a cue from the Grade-II listed Old Pack

Horse Pub next door to the site. ‘We are delighted that consent has been granted to transform this derelict office building and inactive stretch of Chiswick High Road into a dynamic destination,’ said Assael Architectur’s Pete Ladhams. ‘Not only will it deliver high-quality homes, including affordable and family housing, but also a new public realm that creates a sense of place, improves the character of the Conservation Area and harnesses local heritage assets.’ Work is due to start on-site later this year.

Omni and Prime to transform Chiswick office block

Christian Candy’s real-estate lending operation Omni Capital and developer Prime City have paired up to transform an old office building in Chiswick into 19 luxury apartments. Omni has provided funds to the tune of £8.9million (with a Day One draw of £5.6million) for the acquisition of Hogarth Views on Hogarth Lane in W4, where Prime City has plans to create 19 highend residential units, complete with ‘an innovative winter garden feature.’ The lender, which has a shareholders’ agreement with the developer for this one, says that it has a ‘sharp appetite’ for this

[PROPERTY]

the view from savills HEad of West London residential Christopher Bramwell discusses the company’s house price forecast Savills’ research department has calculated that prime London house prices rose by an average of 2.6 per cent last year. The figure does not reflect the fact that prices rose 4.9 per cent in the first half but fell by a net figure of 2.2 per cent in the second, however. Stamp duty, announced in the 2014 Autumn Statement, was undoubtedly the cause of this drop. That said, there’s still an active market

properties below the £2million mark. The markets of up to £1million and also those

cgi of omni office block

in the £1-2million range were the real drivers

transport links). Craig anticipates that these development joint ventures will play a significant role in hitting TfL’s £3.4billion commercial revenue target over the approaching decade. Francis Selway, the former chief exec of Land Securities, has been recruited to head up a new non-executive property advisory group to guide the plan. Sites are likely to be turned in to an array of different uses, from visitor attractions and retail to residential schemes. It’s not all new news, mind: development or planning of some TfL sites – including the organisation’s St James’s HQ, 55 Broadway, and South Kensington tube station – are already in hand. It’s not quite clear yet whether these sites are included in the 50 that are going up for tender later on this month.

kind of development project outside the traditional prime central London environs. Prime City has good form in the fringes, having already delivered a gated development of three townhouses in SE11, a 36-unit scheme in Grays, Essex, and a 19-unit development at Alpha House in Dalston, east London. A gross development value of £13.5million is predicted. Permitted development was granted on the site last February by Hounslow’s planners. Completion of Hogarth Views is due at the end of this year, with sales believed to kick off in early spring.

TfL on the hunt for development partners to turn it into one of London’s great estates

Rather than just selling them off, Transport for London has come up with a 10-year plan to redevelop 50 sites covering something close to 10 million square feet across London – mostly central and fringe – and has launched a year-long tender process to find ‘a small number’ of suitable development partners. TfL’s head of commercial development Graeme Craig is taking the credit for the plan, which looks to have been inspired by TfL’s partnership with CapCo in Earls Court, and would turn the publicly-owned organisation into one of the capital’s great estates, alongside the lines of Grosvenor and Great Portland. TfL owns more than 5,700 acres across London (two-thirds of which lands within zones one and two), including some choice waterside and central sites (with terrific

of growth in 2014. The first saw annual price growth of 7.9 per cent, with the second 3.3 per cent, signalling perhaps their resilience to stamp duty changes and position outside the scope of a possible mansion tax. Annual growth rates in the prime markets of west and south-west London were more depressed last year. With 1.6 per cent growth in 2014 (including falls of 2.8 per cent in the last quarter) it is lower than the prime London average of 2.6 per cent. It is also much lower than the previous year, 2013, when the area hit an annual growth rate of 14 per cent – one of the highest-performing sectors. As things stand it looks like prices will remain flat across the whole of the prime London market in 2015, assuming there are no further tax changes. Overall, that means committed sellers must be realistic when it comes to prices. On a more positive note there is now a buying opportunity for those who are prepared to take a long-term view. Over five years (to 2019), we are forecasting growth of 23 per cent, assuming no mansion tax is introduced.

020 8987 5550 (savills.co.uk)

for appropriately priced stock – though at present this is only really the case for

cgi of the high road

Christopher bramwell

savills.co.uk

FIVE BEDROOM FAMILY HOUSE WITH OPEN PLAN LIVING SPACE fairlawn grove, w4 Double reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 5 bedrooms (3 en suite) ø family bathroom ø 2 cloakrooms ø garden ø 227 sq m (2,440 sq ft) ø EPC=E

Guide £1.7 million Freehold

Savills Chiswick Christopher Bramwell cbramwell@savills.com

020 8987 5550

SUPERBLY PROPORTIONED APARTMENT WITH LIFT ACCESS AND SECURE OFFSTREET PARKING parr place, w4 Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø bathroom ø lift access ø off-street gated parking ø 109 sq m (1,172 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £795,000 Leasehold

Savills Chiswick Emma Sims esims@savills.com

020 8987 5550

savills.co.uk

FABULOUS GRADE II LISTED BEDFORD PARK HOUSE WITH WEST-FACING GARDEN woodstock road, w4 Grade II listed ø double reception room ø conservatory ø kitchen ø 6 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø 2 shower rooms ø 2 cloakrooms ø west-facing garden ø roof terrace ø 290 sq m (3,122 sq ft)

Guide £3.75 million Freehold

Savills Chiswick Christopher Bramwell cbramwell@savills.com

020 8987 5550

EXCEPTIONAL THREE BEDROOM LATERAL APARTMENT WITH STUNNING VIEWS OF THE RIVER kew bridge road, tw8 Reception room/kitchen ø 3 bedrooms suites ø 3 balconies ø secure underground parking ø lift access ø residents gym ø 24 hour concierge ø 161 sq m (1,733 sq ft) ø EPC=B

Guide £1.5 million Leasehold

Savills Chiswick Emma Sims esims@savills.com

020 8987 5550

savills.co.uk

SUBSTANTIAL THREE BEDROOM MAISONETTE cathnor road, w12 Reception room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø bathroom ø cloakroom ø garden ø 107 sq m (1,152 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Guide £685,000 Leasehold

Savills Brook Green Camilla Harris charris@savills.com

020 3618 3777

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO REFURBISH THIS SPACIOUS MAISONETTE arminger road, w12 Reception room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø bathroom ø cloakroom ø 110 sq m (1,184 sq ft) ø EPC=D

Guide £875,000 Leasehold

Savills Brook Green Dean Moriarty dmoriarty@savills.com

020 3618 3777

L L O

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

A WELL PROPORTIONED FAMILY HOME hammersmith grove, w6 5 bedrooms ø double reception room ø dining room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø study ø 3 bathrooms ø roof garden ø 275 sq m (2,960 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=F

Unfurnished £2,200 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Brook Green Ben Charlsey bcharlsley@savills.com

020 3618 3785

A BEAUTIFULLY PRESENTED FAMILY HOME SITUATED ON THE WATERFRONT upper mall, w6 5 bedrooms ø double reception room ø open plan kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 bathrooms ø patio garden with outbuilding ø river views ø off-street parking ø 254.5 sq m (2,739 sq ft) ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=E

Unfurnished £1,600 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Brook Green Ben Charlsey bcharlsley@savills.com

020 3618 3785 *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/ guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

STUNNING REFURBISHMENT OF THIS ATTRACTIVE FAMILY HOUSE coombe road, w4 3 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø double reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø bathroom ø shower room ø garden ø 152.56 sq m (1,642 sq ft) ø Council Tax=E ø EPC=D

Flexible furnishings £1,000 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Chiswick Joanna Read jgread@savills.com

020 8987 5550

ARCHITECTURALLY DESIGNED BOUTIQUE STYLE DUPLEX APARTMENT ennismore avenue, w4 2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø open plan reception room/kitchen ø shower room ø 93 sq m (1,003 sq ft) ø Council Tax=D ø EPC=D

Flexible furnishings £575 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Chiswick Joanna Read jgread@savills.com

020 8987 5550 *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/ guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

L L O

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

FABULOUS TOWNHOUSE WITH EXCEPTIONAL VIEWS chiswick wharf, w4 4 bedrooms ø bedroom 5/study ø reception room ø kitchen/dining room ø 2 bath/shower rooms ø 2 cloakrooms ø garage ø off-street parking ø 175 sq m (1,884 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Unfurnished £900 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Chiswick Joanna Read jgread@savills.com

020 8987 5550

STYLISH FOUR BEDROOM HOUSE LOCATED IN THE HEART OF BEDFORD PARK marlborough crescent, w4 4 bedrooms ø reception room ø open plan kitchen/breakfast room ø 2 bathrooms ø decked garden ø 152 sq m (1,640 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Unfurnished £1,075 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply*

Savills Chiswick Joanna Read jgread@savills.com

Redmore Road W6 £1,100,000 Freehold Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Sales 020 8563 7100 | hammsales@dng.co.uk

North North

Chelsea Chelsea

Fulham Fulham

Covering 962 sq.ft. this wonderful cottage, with a south-facing garden, is based in the heart of the Brackenbury Village. The house offers plenty of natural light throughout.

Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush Hammersmith & Shepherd’s Bush

Kensington Kensington

Kensington Gate Kensington Gate

2 double bedrooms, Bathroom, Reception room, Kitchen, Garden, EPC: C.

South Kensington South Kensington

Notting Hill Notting Hill

Pimlico & Westminster Pimlico & Westminster

douglasandgordon.com

Adelaide Grove W12 ÂŁ450 per week Fees apply Unfurnished Hammersmith & Shepherds Bush Lettings

A stunning two bedroom, ground floor, flat with a private patio garden located a short walk from the Westfield shopping centre and local transport links.

2 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en-suite), Open plan kitchen/ reception room, Patio garden, EPC: C.

020 8563 4422 | hammlets@dng.co.uk

South

Balham

Battersea

Battersea Park

Clapham

East Putney

Southfields & Earlsfield

West Putney

St Albans Avenue, W4 £1,795,000 Freehold St Albans Avenue, W4 £1,795,000 Freehold Park Road,W4 W4 £1,250,000Freehold Freehold StGrove Albans Avenue, £1,795,000 Stsuperbly Albans presented Avenue, W4 A and recently renovated four bedroom two bathroom home in this sought after£1,795,000 location only Freehold a short A superbly presented and recently fourHigh bedroom two bathroom home in this sought after location only a short walk from Turnham Green tube andrenovated the Chiswick Road. A superbly presented and recently four bedroom twohouse bathroom home in this sought afterPark location a short An opportunity to acquire this unmodernised semi-detached situated in the heart of Grove onlyonly a short walk walk from Turnham Green tube andrenovated the Chiswick High Road. A superbly presented andstation recently renovated four bedroom home in thisHouse soughtand after location only a short from Chiswick Mainline (Waterloo) and close toRoad. the two openbathroom spaces of Chiswick grounds. walk from Turnham Green tube and the Chiswick High walk from Turnham Green tube and the Chiswick High Road. • Sought after location • 25’ Double reception room • Two bathrooms • Sought after location • 25’ Double reception room • Two bathrooms • Walking distance of the high road • Large kitchen/dining room • Landscaped garden Unmodernised • Three bedrooms • Garage •• • Sought after location •• 25’ Double receptionroom room •• Two bathrooms Walking distance of the high road Large kitchen/dining Landscaped garden • Contemporary style • Four doublereception bedrooms • EPC =D Sought after location 25’ Double room bathrooms Semi detached • Close mainline station • Off=street parking •• • Walking distance of the high road •• Large kitchen/dining room •• Two Landscaped garden Contemporary style Fourtodouble bedrooms EPC D •• • Walking distance of the high road •• Large kitchen/dining room •• Landscaped Three reception rooms • South garden • EPC Contemporary style Fourfacing double bedrooms EPC = D= D garden • Contemporary style • Four double bedrooms • EPC = D

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Dukes Avenue, W4St Albans Avenue, W4 £2,500,000 Freehold £1,795,000 Dukes Avenue, W4 £2,500,000 Freehold Ravenscourt Gardens, £650 PWFreehold To Let Dukes Avenue, W4 W6 £2,500,000 Dukes Avenue, W4 to acquire this family house in Dukes Avenue with a west facing rear garden £2,500,000 A wonderful opportunity enjoying Freehold

A superbly presented and recently renovated fourwith bedroom two bathroom homeenjoying in this sought after location only A wonderful opportunity to acquire this family house inLocated Dukes Avenue a west rear garden uninterrupted aspectswalk over gardens towards the west. in this sought after facing road running off Chiswick High Road. from Turnham Green tube the Chiswick High Abrand wonderful opportunity tofloor acquire this family house inand Dukes Avenue with a Road. west rear garden enjoying Auninterrupted new lower ground two bedroom two bathroom property. apartment comprises large open plan aspects over gardens towards the west. Located in this This sought after facing road running off Chiswick Highliving Road. A wonderful opportunity to acquire this family house in Dukes Avenue with a west facing rear garden enjoying room with double doorsover on togardens a private patio area uninterrupted aspects towards the west. Located in this sought after road running off Chiswick High Road. uninterrupted aspects over gardens towards the west. Located in this sought after road running off Chiswick High Road. • Prime central location bedrooms • Off street parking • Two bathrooms • Sought after location •• Six • 25’ Double reception room • Prime central location Six bedrooms • Off street parking • Semi-detached family house distance of the • high Two reception rooms • Freehold • Walking road • Large kitchen/dining room • • New • Private patio Available Prime central location •• Six bedrooms ••• Off street immediately parking • Landscaped garden •Brand Semi-detached family house Two reception rooms Freehold • Wonderful west facing garden • Vaulted kitchen • EPC = E parking • EPC = D Prime central location Six bedrooms Off street • Contemporary style • Four double bedrooms • • double bedrooms • Allocated parking Close=to Semi-detached •• Two reception ••• Freehold •Two Wonderful west family facing house garden Vaulted kitchenrooms EPC E Stamford Brook tube Semi-detached •• Two reception ••• Freehold • • bathrooms • Unfurnished C •Two Wonderful west family facing house garden Vaulted kitchenrooms EPC = E • Wonderful west facing garden • Vaulted kitchen • EPC = E

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[PROPERTY]

Glamorous

living

A new west London apartment that will leave the neighbours green with envy

f you’re looking to swap your slippers for a pair of dancing shoes, a property in Linden Homes’ Ashlar Court development in Hammersmith might be just the answer. Set in a former 1930s ballroom, the magnificent apartment is one of the last properties from the development to arrive on the market, proving that the best things come to those who wait. For buyers who want to keep the property’s origins alive, there’s nearly 1,500 sq ft of space to utilise for foxtrot or tango practice. The £1,395,000 property has two bedrooms and was once known as the Elford Room, a place where nurses who lived at the building would practise their dance steps. The property’s building is Grade II-listed and maintains a sense of style and glamour. The attractive Modernist design is highlighted by original features that have been retained, including the grand travertine, bronze fireplace and atmospheric porthole window. The preservation of these beautiful original features has been balanced delicately and thoughtfully with elements of modern life, with an emphasis on up-to-date living. For instance, the modern kitchen has integrated appliances, while the built-in wardrobe and large ensuite bathroom in

Ashlar Court entrance

Matthew Watts

the master bedroom ensure comforts of the modern day are subtly hidden among the period façade. With only two luxury properties left on the market (the Ballroom Apartment being one of them) prospective buyers should move quickly to snap up this ideal home.

The Ballroom Apartment is truly a one-off opportunity The popularity of the development is down to its combination of a well-designed refurbishment and quiet, leafy surroundings tucked inside the buzzing, trendy neighbourhood of Hammersmith, which

the ballroom apartment Living room

is full of shops, bars and restaurants. The managing director of Linden Homes South East, Darren Maddox, says: ‘The Ballroom Apartment is truly a one-off opportunity’. The building is already regarded as a landmark in the local area and has recently been commended in The Sunday Times British Home Awards 2014 and What House? Awards 2014. Transport options are abundant, with Stamford Brook station a mere two-minute walk away. The property, nestled in zone two, is only a 20-minute trip on the District Line into central London. Roads leading in and out of the area include the A4, A40 and M4, and Heathrow can be reached by car in around 35 minutes. The apartment comes with designated parking spaces and is looked after by a concierge service which offers added security. It also comes with a 10-year National House Building Council warranty, and the purchaser will enjoy a two-year customer care warranty as standard. Matthew Watts, a previous buyer of a three-bedroom duplex apartment from the development, enjoys the quiet surroundings that the property offers. Watts says that his apartment has ‘a luxury hotel feel’ and that he ‘likes the Art Deco features’. With so much on offer in such a good location, it won’t be long before this property is snapped up. For those looking for modern, glamorous living in west London, there’s no need to look further. 0844 644 1582 (lindenhomes.co.uk)

Final chance – Final chance Final chance – – exquisite exquisite London living in the heart of W6 exquisite London London living living in in the the heart heart of of W6 W6

HAMMERSMITH HAMMERSMITH Ravenscourt Gardens HAMMERSMITH HAMMERSMITH

Ravenscourt Gardens W6 0TU Ravenscourt Gardens Ravenscourt Gardens W6 0TU apartment 2 bedroom W6 0TU W6 0TU 2 bedroom apartment £1,395,000 2 2 bedroom bedroom apartment apartmenthome £1,395,000 2 bedroom detached £1,395,000 £1,395,000 2 bedroom detached home £1,395,000 2 bedroom 2 bedroom detached detached home home £1,395,000 £1,395,000 £1,395,000

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Viewings by appointment only Viewings by Viewings by appointment appointment only only Viewings Viewings by by appointment appointment only only

0844 644 1576 0844 644 lindenhomes.co.uk/ashlarcourt 0844 644 1576 0844 644 1576 1576 lindenhomes.co.uk/ashlarcourt lindenhomes.co.uk/ashlarcourt lindenhomes.co.uk/ashlarcourt lindenhomes.co.uk/ashlarcourt

Photographs shows typical Linden homes. Interior may include optional upgrades or extras available at additional cost. Details and price correct at time of going to press. Photographs Photographs shows shows typical typical Linden Linden homes. homes. Interior Interior may may include include optional optional upgrades upgrades or or extras extras available available at at additional additional cost. cost. Details Details and and price price correct correct at at time time of of going going to to press. press. Photographs Photographs shows shows typical typical Linden Linden homes. homes. Interior Interior may may include include optional optional upgrades upgrades or or extras extras available available at at additional additional cost. cost. Details Details and and price price correct correct at at time time of of going going to to press. press.

ProPerty. It’s not just what we do, It’s who we are.

London’s most prestigious riverside location featuring 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses incorporating an exclusive health and fitness club. Prices from £809,950 to £5,499,900* Fulham Reach Riverside Show Apartments and Marketing Suite, Distillery Road, London W6 9RU 020 8003 6700 | enquiries@fulhamreach.co.uk | www.fulhamreach.co.uk

Computer generated image is indicative only. *Prices correct at time of going to press.

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20/02/2015 14:37

Blythe Road W14 £2,395,000 Located in the heart of Brook Green, this beautiful and recently refurbished ﬁve-bedroom, ﬁve bathroom house offers superb attention to detail and well-proportioned living space. Freehold. EPC=D

Brook Green: 020 7605 7760 sales.bkg@marshandparsons.co.uk

Starfield Road W12 £1,435,000 Having undergone exceptional refurbishment, this beautifully designed five-bedroom Victorian terraced house boasts generous living space, a bespoke fitted kitchen/dining area and a garden. Freehold.

Askew Road: 020 8102 0123 sales.ask@marshandparsons.co.uk

Sinclair Road W14 ÂŁ675 per week This spacious three-bedroom apartment arranged over two floors of a beautiful period building offers wooden flooring, neutral decor and an incredible roof terrace with a hot tub. EPC=C

Brook Green : 020 7605 7760 lets.bkg@marshandparsons.co.uk

Immaculate plot with south-facing patio Matching people and property in London for 150 years.

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