the city m a g a z i n e
The
ICONS issue A very British Affair: Boris Johnson, Paul Smith, Bentley, Guildhall, the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race, St Paul’s, Jaguar E-Type, the Grand National & the financial times
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BRITISH ICONS APRIL 2013 COVER IMAGE: Illustrations by Mai Osawa; bespoke E-Type courtesy of Jaguar; aeroplane courtesy of British Airways.
feature
10 AN ICONIC CITY
eMMA JOHNSON charts the most iconic emblems of the City, from St Paul’s and the Gherkin to bowler hats and briefcases
22 AN ICONIC YEAR
MIKE PEAKE picks the best classically British events that define the sporting, music and motoring calendars
profile
28 BICYCLE MADE FOR ONE
Boris Johnson might be the political equivalent of Marmite, but he’s a true British icon, says RICHARD BROWN
28 TIME-HONOURED TRADITION
The 108 livery companies in the City boast of some of the most fascinating histories and headquarters, we take a look inside
sport
60 UNITED KINGDOM
Manchester United are a truly British sporting icon, whatever you might think of them, says Tom Sheen
motoring
64 SPEED KING
To call the Bentley GT Speed ‘quick’ is the understatement of the year, says Matthew Carter
FASHION
70 IT’S A LONDON THING
Savile Row suits, British designers and the best in tailoring for the City gent
TRAVEL
98 A DECADE OF SUCCESS
British Airways CityFlyer celebrates ten years at London City Airport
regulars 33 Watches + Jewellery
57 fashion
51 business
87 food & drink
57 Sport
93 travel
63 motoring
105 Property
Model shown is a Porsche Cayman S at £51,724 including 20-inch SportTechno wheels, Bi-Xenon lighting system with Dynamic Light System (PDLS), 12 months road fund licence and first registration fee.
The Power of Balance. The new Cayman models are the distillation of a Porsche bloodline 60 years in development. Illustrious forebears such as the 550 Coupé and 917 Le Mans winner harnessed the benefits of the mid-engined layout to deliver success both on and off the race track. Of course, these icons of the past also help us to engineer our future. Thanks to powerful Boxer engines and lightweight engineering, a low polar moment of inertia and a low centre of gravity, the new Cayman models deliver a masterclass in poise and precision. A masterclass that is true to Porsche’s guiding principle of intelligent performance. Discover more at www.porsche.co.uk/balance
Official fuel economy figures for the Porsche Cayman Range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 23.2-24.8 (12.2-11.4), 40.9-44.8 (6.9-6.3), Combined 32.1-34.4 (8.8-8.2), CO2 emissions: 206-192g/km.
the
w-list
AIMEE LATIMER highlights the things not to miss in April. This month our British Icons issue celebrates the best of everything quintessentially British, from buildings and bridges to people and places
RUNWILD M
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Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood
Managing Editor emma johnson
Deputy Editor Richard Brown
Motoring Editor Matthew Carter
Collection Editor annabel harrison
Property Editor Gabrielle Lane
Editorial Assistant daniel engelsman
Features Writer
Who?
aimee latimer
The Fashion Designers
Eras are defined in part by the clothes – they become a national uniform that channels the mood and frivolities of the time. Whether it be 80s punks rebelling by ripping their shirts or the roaring twenties jiving hemlines skywards, fashion designers are hugely important in capturing and immortalising popular culture. We praise the British designers who have kept heritage British tailoring alive whilst evolving with the changing times to keep London the style capital of the world.
What?
Olivier awards
The Olivier Awards with MasterCard will once again host their glamorous theatre awards in the Royal Opera House on 28 April. Sheridan Smith and Hugh Bonneville will present the coveted awards to weeping luvvies between live performances and showbiz mingling. Expect well-deserved recognition and theatrical speeches.
Senior Designer Sarah Connell
Brand Consistency
When?
Hiren Chandarana Laddawan Juhong
THE LONDON MARATHON
The 21 April sees the return of the Virgin London Marathon where runners push themselves through 26.2 gruelling miles to raise money for charity and prove their endurance. An estimated half a million spectators will cheer runners in a race that is the largest annual fundraising event in the world. It crosses Tower Bridge at mile 12 and goes through the City at miles 23 and 24.
Fiona Fenwick
Production
Hugo Wheatley ALEX POWELL
Property Director Samantha Ratcliffe
Head of Finance Elton Hopkins
Managing Director Eren Ellwood
7 Heron Quay, Canary Wharf London, E14 4JB
Where? the grand national
T: 020 7987 4320 F: 020 7005 0045
On 6 April, the annual showdown returns. Competitors will endeavour to not only win, but complete the treacherous, four-mile long steeplechase, jumping a total of 30 fences over two circuits. Pick a name from the hat and hope for the best.
www.rwmg.co.uk
Why?
Lent Is Over
The worship of chocolate runs regardless of religion. Whether you stuck through Lent or celebrate Easter or not, the flood of chocolate and sweets on the high-street is sure to bring out the sinfulness in most. Of course, if we just take one… L’orchidée Boutique Patisserie Macaroons, £25, notonthehighstreet.com WHO: Ted Baker WHEN: Michaelpuche / Shutterstock.com
General Manager
WHERE: Dennis Donohue / Shutterstock.com
Runwild Media Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Runwild Media Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: A free online subscription service is available for Canary Wharf Magazine. Visit the subscriptions page on our website. www.rwmg.co.uk/subscribe
editor’s letter
APRIL Having an annual dedicated British issue can be a challenge – we want to recognise the best of everything British, and in that respect, there is always plenty to say – but how to make it current, relevant and culturally significant when so much of what typifies being British stems from an ancient heritage, traditional ways of doing things and so much that is quintessential, old-school and classic? In many ways, though, this is exactly the point. What we do so well in Britain is to hold onto our heritage, and to keep it firmly in our sights as the world around us changes. It is a touchstone of standards and practices that have stood the test of time and remain a key part of the British identity to this day. And as we put together this issue dedicated to British icons, it is this correlation between the old and the new that inspires some of the people, places and things you’ll find on our pages. Instead of the obvious icons – Winston Churchill, cockney-rhyming slang, cups of tea, David Beckham – we wanted to look at the icons that have inspired the world we know best; icons that shape and mould our City and working lives. For that end, Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s very particular brand of charisma is profiled on p. 28; while we also feature the most iconic emblems of the City of London: a 320 year old bank, a 300 year old church, a 150 year old hat and a 120 year old newspaper, amongst others – places and things which have defined the financial capital of London for centuries and continue to feature as key focal points the world over, (p. 10). In addition, we delve into the unique and quirky history of the City’s 108 (and counting) livery companies, and enjoy a sneak peek behind the doors of some of their beautiful headquarters, (p. 16); as well as looking into the history of the British pound coin, a humble gold disc made of zinc, copper and nickel that turns 30 this year (p. 55). It’s not all work and no play though; our Iconic Year feature on p. 23 catalogues an impressive calendar of British events that seamlessly blend a desire for tradition with our seriously competitive nature; we take the new Bentley for a test drive, (p. 64), look at fashion icon Paul Smith’s illustrious career (p. 67); chart sporting icons Manchester United’s continual rise to superstardom (p. 60); consider how The Wolseley has become a classic icon of Britishness in such a short time (p. 87) and come over all patriotic in our men’s tailoring editorial, (p. 70). Have a wonderful Easter break…
Emma Johnson Editor
APRIL 2013 THE CITY 9
an iconic
St Paul’s There cannot be a more iconic emblem of the City than St Paul’s; the highest point of the Square Mile and an enduring image towering above Fleet Street, its curved dome recognisable the world over. Nestled amongst the businesses and banks of the financial industry, it stands as a testament to time and endurance. A virtual phoenix from the very real flames of the Great Fire of London, it has been rebuilt and remodelled more than four times, surviving two fires and the considerable perils of lightning strikes, wood rot, the Blitz, fire and decay, but remains at the very heart of the British identity and continues to dominate London’s beautiful skyline, as it has done for over 300 years. The St Paul’s we know and love today was built by Sir Christopher Wren after being devastated by the Great Fire of London in 1666. In 1669, Wren, along with his principal assistant Nicholas Hawksmoor, was instructed to head up the rebuilding of over 50 churches in London, including St Paul’s. His final vision for the church went through five stages of design, the first two – which took its inspiration from the
Pantheon in Rome and Greek places of worship – bear little recognition to the building that stands today. Wren’s favourite design was his third proposal, but an oak and plaster model version was rejected by the building committee. Following this, Wren refused to make any more models or publicly expose his drawings, complaining that the process meant he would, “lose time, and subject his business many times, to incompetent judges”. Wren’s fourth design took inspiration from the Gothic and the Renaissance, but it was on the fifth design that the structure and shape of the dome was fully realised, inspired by St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The building began construction in 1675 and was completed 35 years later in 1710. Today visitors marvel at its quiet majesty; the highest dome in the world, at 365 feet high, it was the tallest building in London until 1962, and is the second largest church building in the UK (behind Liverpool Cathedral). It still forms a key part of the local church calendar, is a busy working church, with hourly and daily prayer services; but it has also been used for important services throughout the years, including the funerals of Lord Nelson and Sir Winston Churchill and the wedding of Charles and Diana.
british icons / feature
city “when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” - Samuel Johnson
The Road To Nowhere… Perhaps one of the best pieces of trivia you can unleash to friends over a pint or two is the fact that there are no roads in the City of London. Cue quizzical looks and exclamations of doubt – and yet, while there are many ‘Streets’, ‘Alleys’, ‘Passages’ and ‘Walks’, there are, essentially, no ‘Roads’. The most pernickety amongst your friends might say it isn’t true now – the eastern half of Goswell Road was actually incorporated into the Square Mile and came under the jurisdiction of the City in 1994 – but it’s really only a technicality. Before then, there really were no roads in the City. And even today, it’s only half a road, right? What is irrefutable now, as it was then, is the plethora of quirkily-named streets and passages whose origins are as diverse and unique as their names. Cripplegate, for
The City of London has always been a key part of the British identity. The oldest part of London, as well as the business and financial heart of Britain, its winding streets and iconic buildings feature constantly in ‘Best of British’ round-ups. Emma Johnson looks at some of the most distinguishing and memorable icons of our historic City
instance, was one of the old City gates, so called ‘Porta Contractorurn” from the cripples who begged there; while Love Lane was so called after the ‘girls’ who once sold their ‘wares’ on it. Many places were very literally named after the locations of markets or alehouses – Bread Street was an open bakers market in 1302, Cloth Fair was originally the site of Bartholomew Market, the great Cloth Fair of the country, and Poultry was the poulterers’ market – the poulterers sent their birds to be plucked in Scalding Alley, which was situated close by. Pubs provided the inspiration for Black Raven Alley, Black Swan Alley and Bulls’ Head Passage, and even the wonderfully named Bird-in-Hand Court, (a common name for old hostelries) – which was originally called Naked Boy Alley. The origin of Threadneedle Street, now home to the Bank of England, is unknown but may have been derived from the three needles appearing in the arms of the Needlemakers’ Company. Other sources say that the name comes from the Anglo-Saxon old English ‘threadn’, meaning ‘to prosper’. The threads and needles used by the members of the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors could be another etymological source, since the livery company’s hall has been located on Threadneedle Street since 1347. Street info from City Street Names, by Louis Zettersten
april 2013 THE CITY 11
The Gherkin The only modern building to make our ‘City Icons’ list, The Gherkin – official address 30 St Mary Axe – has been a key part of the City skyline since its completion in December 2003. Conceived by Sir Norman Foster on the site of the old Baltic Exchange, severely damaged after a Provisional IRA bomb in 1992, it took two years to build, has 41 floors and is over 180 metres tall. The original plan for the site was a 386-metre tower, built in honour of the Millenium, but it was eventually dropped as it was deemed too out of scale with the rest of the City’s buildings and style, and could have caused disruption to flight paths to the City and Heathrow airports. The ‘Gherkin’ moniker was applied to the building while it was still in the design stages, and has come to stand as a common reference for the thin, oval-shaped tower. It has a private bar and restaurant for tenants on the 39th and 40th floors, and was built with a series of ingenious energy-saving features which allow it to use half the power a similar tower would consume. It has gone on to win a series of prestigious architectural awards, including the 2004 RIBA Stirling Prize, and was named the most admired new building in the world at the 2006 BD World Architecture awards. Situated at the heart of the City has meant it is often used to illustrate financial and business matters, and since 2010 Sky News has broadcast its flagship business programme, Jeff Randall Live, from a studio in the building. The Gherkin was sold in 2007 for the record price of £630 million, making it one of Britain’s most expensive office buildings.
The Bowler Hat Despite being a fashion essential for everyone from Churchill to Charlie Chaplin and Oddjob, the bowler hat has never felt more at home than in the City. During the 1950s and 60s it was a standard part of the City uniform, and has come to stand as an iconic emblem, not only for the actual financial heart of London, but its metaphorical one too. Invented in 1849 for British soldier and politician Edward Coke by hatters Thomas and William Bowlers for Lock & Co, it is identified by its low, rounded crown and its robust durability. When Edward Coke arrived to collect his hat from Lock & Co it is rumoured that he placed it on the floor and stamped on it twice to test its strength. The hat withstood this dramatic test, so Coke paid the princely sum of 12 shillings for it, and the bowler hat was born. Often referred to as a coke hat – due to Lock & Co’s practice of naming a hat after the customer who ordered it – it once defined British bankers, and Lock and Co still sells around 5,000 bowlers each year to City workers and the ex-military.
The Briefcase So named because they were often used by lawyers to carry briefs to court, the briefcase is the satchel’s less flimsy descendant and has typified City gents for centuries, not least because it was originally referred to as a ‘budget’, descendant from the Latin word ‘bulga’ which means leather bag, and was the source of the now common financial term ‘budget’. And there is no more iconic briefcase than the famous red Budget Briefcase, or Budget Box as it is actually known. Traditionally used by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to carry his Budget speech to the House of Commons, the original briefcase was first used by Gladstone in 1860 and continued in use until 1965 when a newer style of box was used. The original box wasn’t used again until 2008, when Alistair Darling brought it back into service for his March Budget. His successor, George Osborne, continued using the original box, but has since been retired from official party duty to its fragile condition. The Chancellor started using a new box, which was comissioned by The National Archives in 2011. The original is on display in the House of Commons and will be given a permenant resting place at an exhibition in the Cabinet War Rooms, which is part of the Imperial War Museum.
british icons / feature
Guildhall The original town hall, Guildhall (never The Guildhall) is a wonderful example of beauty and function going hand in hand. The building dates back to 1411, and is one of the only buildings (aside from Church properties) to survive the Great Fire of London. It is still used as a town hall today and is the ceremonial and administrative centre of the City of London and its Corporation. In previous incarnations it has been used for the trials of numerous public figures, such as Protestant martyr Anne Askew and The Gunpowder Plot conspirator Henry Garnet, as well as housing memorials to Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill and being the site of the last performance of pianist Frédéric Chopin in 1848. The outside of the building, while striking, cannot lay a candle to the interiors, which boast some of the most opulent and dramatic halls and rooms, as well as several large medieval crypts, an old library and a print room, which are all used as function spaces for major events such as
“There’s nowhere else like London. Nothing at all, anywhere.” - Vivienne Westwood the Lord Mayor’s Banquet and the famous banquet for the International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC). Guidhall’s name is thought to derive from the AngloSaxon word ‘gild’, which meant ‘payment’, the ‘guild-hall’ was the location for the people of the City of London to pay their taxes. For a more quirky bit of trivia, Guildhall has a long association with two mythical giants, known as Gog and Magog. According to legend the two giants were defeated by Brutus, believed to be the legendary first king of Britain, and chained to the gates of his palace on the site of Guildhall. Carvings of Gog and Magog are still kept in Guildhall, despite original versions being lost in the Great Fire of London and then the Blitz.
APRIL 2013 THE CITY 13
The Bank of England The wonderfully named Old Lady of Threadneedle Street sits proudly at the Bank intersection where nine roads meet, metaphorically and literally ensuring that everything in the City of London leads to and from The Bank of England. When the Bank of England was established in 1694, making it the second oldest central bank in the world, after Sweden’s Sveriges Riksbank, it formed a structure that was to become the model on which most modern central banks are based. Initially set up as the English government’s bank – after a defeat of the French left the British Navy seriously depleted and in need of funds that the government and public funds simply couldn’t raise – to this day it still acts as the banker for HM Government, and was nationalised in 1946. The Bank’s headquarters were initially located in Walbrook in the City, but it moved to its current home on Threadneedle Street in 1734, becoming the world’s first purpose-built bank. Security was paramount from the outset; and the building was built in the ‘defensive island’ style, with an outer wall, no other connecting buildings and no windows on the ground floor. Despite these precautions, the bank was raided by rioters in 1780 – which led to a detachment of soldiers patrolling the
When the Bank of England was established in 1694, it formed a structure that was to become the model on which most modern banks are based. perimeter every night until 1973 in order to guard it. Much of the Bank of England’s main storage facilities are underground, and the Bank is actually a much larger building than it appears from the outside, taking up an impressive three and a half acres of space, and storing around 400 tonnes of UK government gold. Not surprisingly, the identities of workers in the bullion vaults are fiercely protected to ensure both theirs and the bank’s safety. The Old Lady moniker is a name taken from the legend of The Black Nun, also known as Sarah Whitehead, whose ghost is said to haunt the bank’s garden. Facts and figures from Sean Coughlan, for BBC News Magazine
british icons / feature
Tower Bridge
Financial Times
A younger beast than St Paul’s but in many ways no less iconic, Tower Bridge is a classic symbol of London and recognisable the world over. In 1884, work started on building the bridge, which took eight years. It was designed to create a new river crossing downstream of London Bridge, but one that wouldn’t restrict tall-masted ships from moving further down the river. The design for the bridge was opened competitively to the public, however the final design chosen was submitted by Sir Horace Jones, a City architect and one of the competition’s judges. When it was completed, its ornate and dramatic structure and greenish-blue colour found favour with some, but there were also many critics. Professional commentators at the time referred to it as representing “the vice of tawdriness and pretentiousness”, and stated that “a more absurd structure than the Tower Bridge was never thrown across a strategic river.” In 1977 it was repainted for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, and the red, white and blue theme remains today. While it might have had its critics over 100 years ago, it has found its place in the hearts of London and tourists alike, leading architectural historian Dan Cruickshank to pick Tower Bridge as one of his four choices for the 2002 documentary, Britain’s Best Buildings.
With a daily print and online readership of 2.1 million, and a history dating back to 1888, the Financial Times is a bastion of British business, and it should come as no great surprise that it is also considered one of the most important business reads in the world. According to data from the Global Capital Markets Survey, the FT reaches a staggering 36 per cent of the universe, 11 per cent more than main rival The Wall Street Journal. Established in 1888, describing itself as the friend of ‘The Honest Financier and the Respectable Broker’, the FT initially had four major competitors, a challenge that saw its iconic and instantly recognisable salmon-pink colour launched in 1893, to ensure distinction between its peers. This distinction, and many others besides, including an unparalleled circulation, meant the FT finally endured, absorbing the last of its competitors in 1945 when the Financial Times and the Financial News merged. International expansion followed from 1970, when cross-border trade, technological developments and correspondents located in all the major business cities worldwide made it easier for the paper to have a global reach. New Year’s Day in 1979 saw the first edition of the FT for continental Europe printed outside the UK, in Frankfurt; while the US edition, printed in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando and Washington, D.C. was launched in 1997. Since then the FT has become a global newspaper, printed in 22 locations with five international editions. Despite its worldwide dominance, the newspaper continues to innovate, launching luxury lifestyle title How to Spend It in 1994, the paper’s first online presence with FT.com in 1995 and a weekly supplement for the fund management industry (FTfm) in 2002.
All illustrations, Mai Osawa
april 2013 THE CITY 15
Time Honoured
Guildhall, Gresham Street, home to the City of London Corporation, whom the livery comanies still retain voting rights for
british icons / feature
Tradition Some trace their roots back to the 12th century, others are yet to celebrate their tenth birthdays; regardless of age, all continue to occupy a hallowed place within the life of the Square Mile. Richard Brown discovers the modern-day role played by the City’s 108 Livery Companies
april 2013 THE CITY 17
The Grand Staircase at Goldsmiths
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here’s something that separates the City of London from the world’s other major financial centres. A place of sinuous streets and 17th-century churches, of nooks and crannies and ancient alleyways, it’s the sense of story you get as you traverse its once-walled limits. For the part of the capital that resides in the shadow of St. Paul’s is the oldest in London. It is, in fact, the oldest continuous municipal democracy in the world. Adding their own contribution to the City’s centuries-old narrative are its Livery Companies. Juxtaposed with the sky-high, glass-worshipping towers of the 21st century, the companies’ stone-built headquarters and medieval-inspired coat of arms suggest a secretive sort of society: cults wrapped in traditions and customs performed in candlelight by men in cloaks. Unfortunately for the nostalgically-minded – save for certain ceremonies that take place throughout the year – this isn’t the case. In fact, you might be surprised to know that, as well as the Worshipful Companies of Drapers, Goldsmiths and Ironmongers, there also exists a Worshipful Company for Tax Advisors, Management Consultants and Security Professionals; for Scientific Instrument Makers, Environmental Cleaners and Information Technologists too. And none require a surreptitious initiation ceremony to join. Originally developed, in many cases, before the 16th century as guilds (the Butchers were known to have a hall as early as 975), each livery company was responsible for the regulation of their trade – tailoring, cloth-making, haberdashery etc – controlling prices and wages, working conditions and welfare, quality and workmanship. In 1515, after many years of dispute, an order of precedence, based on political and economic power, for the then 48 livery companies in
existence was settled by the Lord Mayor of London. Deemed to have the most clout was the Worshipful Company of Mercers, followed by the Grocers, Drapers and Fishmongers. Ranked sixth and seventh, the Merchant Taylors and Skinners (fur traders) have historically disputed their precedence. As a result, each year at Easter they exchange their places – hence the phrase ‘at sixes and sevens.’ The first 12 guilds in the Mayor’s list became known as the Great Twelve City Livery Companies – a title that still exists today. It’s easy to comprehend why worshipful companies of Engineers and Insurers continue to survive, what is perhaps less clear is the role played by the Worshipful Company of Bowyers (long bow makers) and Girdlers (swordbelt manufacturers). As Clerk of the Worshipful Company of Skinners and overall Chairman of the Great Twelve Clerks, Major-General Brian Plummer CBE is a good person to ask. Plummer explains that while there are those who continue to play a professional role – the Worshipful Company of Scriveners admits senior members to that profession; the Apothecaries’ company awards post-graduate qualifications; and the Goldsmiths’ Company is responsible for checking the validity of British coinage – the main role of Livery Companies today lies in philanthropy. “The phrase I like to think of is ‘Doing Good Quietly.’ It’s not an official motto but in essence that is what we do.” Now, he explains, companies exist as benevolent fellowships dedicated to serving their members, promoting their industries and devoting their resources to charity. In the Skinners’ case, that charity is education. “The Skinners have taken on three academies. One in Hackney, one in Tonbridge Wells and one in Romney Marshes. We provide the Chairman of Governors and the majority on the governing body. We take a keen interest in the whole place. We have our traditional charities, like the Almshouses that provide homes for the elderly, but equally we look for ways of supporting young people with
british icons / FEATURE feature
Livery Hall at Goldsmiths
The Great Twelve City Livery Companies – as decreed by the Lord Mayor of London in 1515
1. Mercers (EST 1394) 2. Grocers (EST 1345) 3. Drapers (EST 1438) 4. Fishmongers (EST 1537) 5. Goldsmiths (EST 1327) 6. Merchant Taylors (EST 1327 ) 7. Skinners (Fur Traders) (EST 1484) 8. Haberdashers (EST 1448) 9. Salters (EST 1559) 10. Ironmongers (EST 1463) 11. Vintners (Wine) (EST 1364) 12. Clothmakers (EST 1528)
Brodsky Quartet at Drapers Hall
© City of London Festival / Robert Piwko
april 2013 THE CITY 19
FEATURE / british icons
contemporary issues, with houses, education and employment.” You’d be forgiven for thinking that livery companies are made up of the more senior members of society, but in the Skinners case this isn’t so. “A third of our membership is made up of women and our membership in general is very young. Lots of people here are in their 20s and 30s, some are the ex-head boy or girl of their schools. These are the sort of people who sit on the governing bodies.” Apart from Plummer and the 20 or so staff based at Skinners Hall (behind Cannon Street Station), the company’s 1,400 members are all volunteers, including the master, the court, the livery and the entire freemen. Costs are kept to a minimum – there’s no chance of expensing lavish lunches here – but even still, how does the company afford to fund its work? “Largely from endowments,” says Plummer. “Tonbridge School, for instance, had its own endowment that was given to us 400 years ago. That helps with the school fees, building developments and things like that. As a company, our corporate funds come from a number of areas. When you join the livery you pay a substantial amount of money for the privilege of doing so. That money gets put into the charities. We also let out the hall so you can get married here. There are business meetings here most nights too. ” They’ve survived for centuries but what must Livery Companies do to ensure they exist in the future? “More of the same,” says Plummer. “They must stay relevant, maintain the volunteer ethos, continue to participate in charitable endeavours and support the Lord Mayor of London. They must continue to ‘Do Good Quietly.’”
Livery Companies on parade at the annual Lord Mayor show
The City’s Livery Companies:
The Need to Know
What is a livery company? Developed in the 14th and 15th century, livery companies were originally formed as guilds, each charged with the responsibility of regulating their trade – tailoring, cloth-making, haberdashery etc. What does a livery company do? While some continue to play a professional role, most now exist largely as philanthropic fellowships dedicated to promoting their industries and serving their members. Where are the companies headquartered? There are now 38 company halls in the City, varying in date from the 17th century to 2002, although nearly all have been rebuilt or altered at some time. Many were destroyed in the Great Fire of 1666 and during WWII. In some cases, the same hall is used by more than one company.
How do I join a livery company? Admission to a livery company is secured in one of three ways. Either by servitude (an apprenticeship), patrimony (if you are a child of a current liveryman) or redemption (by nomination and then payment). What are the oldest and newest livery companies? Although there is evidence of a fraternity of Bakers before, the Company with the oldest known charter is the Weavers’ Company of 1155. The most recent group to gain livery was The Worshipful Company of Security Professionals in 2008. Stained-glass window at the City’s Guildhall
20 THE CITY april 2013
Padmayogini / Shutterstock.com, tswphotography / Shutterstock.com
Where does the term ‘Livery’ come from? In the early 14th century, many liverymen assumed distinctive dress and Edward III was known to have been clothed in his livery when attending the Merchant Taylors. The term ‘livery’ was adopted from this. The wearing of uniform continues on ceremonial occasions today.
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british icons / feature
an
iconic year
The British calendar boasts some of the most exciting, iconic and quintessentially British events that see tourists and locals alike clamouring for tickets. MIKE PEAKE gets his diary out
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hanks to a calendar full to the brim with internationally-recognised events that are running over with ‘Britishness’, it doesn’t take a royal wedding or a new Bond film to make it a special year in the UK. There’s barely a month goes by without the chance to sip from a glass of Pimms as million-pound horses thunder past at the races, or wave the Union Jack to the sounds of live music – to visiting holidaymakers these are as classically British as our postboxes and village policemen. To anyone working in the City, Britain’s vibrant social calendar is the perfect excuse to get away from it all – and a chance to reconnect with this green and pleasant land. Some events you might consider more unmissable than others, but all of them come with a guarantee of good times, great fun and some lively, like-minded company...
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-15 march cheltenham gold cup
march
six nations final
This hallowed international rugby competition has roots dating back 130 years, and to visiting European teams – ie, France and Italy – it is British through and through. It started life as the Home Nations Championship in 1883 and was comprised of teams from just England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland until France was invited to cross the Channel and join in the muddy fun in 1910. Italy was added in 2000, and with such iconic match locations as Twickenham and Murrayfield at the heart of the action, the message ringing out across the rugby world every winter is that right here is where the action is at.
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march oxford/cambridge boat race
What could be more quintessentially British than two rival teams of highly-educated, superfit young athletes from two of the world’s top universities taking part in a near 200-year-old rowing competition on the country’s most historic river? No wonder Sir Steve Redgrave described our Boat Race as, “extremely important and iconic within the sport.” American spectators would no doubt be interested to learn that Hugh Laurie – their all-knowing Dr House – competed for Cambridge in 1980. They lost then, although they are currently ahead, with 81 wins to Oxford’s 76.
Neil Balderson / Shutterstock.com, pjhpix / Shutterstock.com
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A key date on every social calendar, the Cheltenham Festival is four days of national hunt racing at its very best and the biggest betting event of the year. The highlight, of course, is Gold Cup day. The first Gold Cup race was run in 1818 on a flat course around Cleeve Hill, adjacent to the current racetrack. Jumps were added in 1924, and by the 1960s the Cup had blossomed into a major sporting event thanks in no small part to the success of an unstoppable Irish gelding called Arkle, who won three years on the trot. The last time he triumphed you’d have had to put £100 on to win just £10 back.
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april grand national cup day
To many London dwellers, the north of England is just somewhere to pass through en route to a nice weekend in the Scottish Highlands, but the Merseyside town of Aintree, near Liverpool, is a notable annual exception. Few would disagree that its gruelling, four-and-a-half-mile Grand National race every April is the most-anticipated horse racing event of the year, and what it might lack in glamour it more than makes up for in excitement. Fast approaching its 200th anniversary, the Grand National seems to embody the end of winter and the start of the spring/summer season in one swoop.
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Rosli Othman / Shutterstock.com
london marathon
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Some cities’ marathons just seem to capture the world’s attention, and like New York, London is one of them. A historic and varied backdrop is surely a big help, with iconic sights at every turn, and the weather – for April – is often unusually kind. Very few route changes have been made since it began in 1981, and today the organisers seem settled on The Mall – and Buckingham Palace in the background – as the perfect finish line. This year British Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah is set to compete; if it goes well, he might add the marathon to his running repertoire at Rio in 2016.
may fa cup final
The Football Association’s nail-biting knockout tournament keeps fans of the game glued to proceedings half the year, thanks to the possibility that almost any team could sneak through, but the event they’ll all be watching is the big climax at Wembley in May. First held in 1871-72, the FA Cup has become one of the world’s most prestigious football events, and the final is invariably a riot of team colours, rowdy singing and fast food. It’s all part of the atmosphere, though a private box with silver service catering is arguably even better.
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-22 june ROyal ascoT
Founded an astonishing 302 years ago by Queen Anne, Ascot and its annual Royal Meeting offer an unmissable chance to dress up, enjoy the great outdoors and soak up some world-class equestrian sport. Her Majesty the Queen is often to be spotted up high in the Royal Enclosure, binoculars in hand, and the whole affair has a genteel, exclusive feel to it. While it’s not so much about the fortunes won and lost (it’s as much about knowing that a glass of Champagne is never very far away), few can resist a flutter on the 200-year-old Gold Cup on Ladies Day. Always a big attraction.
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glastonbury
Once the domain of the unwashed hippie, Glastonbury has become a global magnet for music lovers and anyone who can brave a pair of wellies in pursuit of a wild and wonderful weekend. Set in the rolling Somerset countryside, ‘Glasto’ has a pleasing whiff of the rural and olde-worlde about it, while at the same time bringing an ever-bigger repertoire of top-tier entertainment into the mix. After a ‘fallow’ year in 2012, organiser Michael Eavis is back this year with what’s sure to be a strong line-up. At the time of writing Radiohead and the Rolling Stones were hotly tipped.
24 june - 7 july wimbledon
If one word can evoke sun-kissed images of manicured lawns and long summer nights, it’s Wimbledon. The oldest tennis tournament in the world, Wimbledon is British through and through, and while it usually manages to intersperse the sunshine with some unsporting bursts of torrential rain, tennis fans will tell you there’s no better place to be all summer. The tournament began in 1877 and is the only one of the four Grand Slams still played on grass – something which adds to its quintessentially summer vibe. A writer for American sports website The Bleacher Report describes it as “the greatest event in tennis,” which is high praise indeed.
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- 7 july henley royal regatta
This riverside delight has roots stretching back more than 170 years and is described by Debrett’s as “a must-see in the sporting calendar”. It’s perfect for the spectator because the rowing comes thick and fast across five days, and there’s a social side to proceedings that has seen the Regatta described as the “best picnic in the world”. For serious rowing fans the event is especially interesting: pre-dating any of the national or international rowing federations, it abides by its own distinct set of rules.
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july - 14 august goodwood: Festival of speed
Goodwood’s historic hill climb that features motor racing vehicles from all epochs old and new will celebrate its 20th anniversary this July. The Festival of Speed, which is sometimes abbreviated as ‘FoS’, takes place annually in the grounds of Goodwood House in West Sussex. Visitors can expect to see cars and motorbikes and even some of the latest F1 machines race around the famous track. In addition to the motors, the festival draws memorable names from the world of motor racing, with a chance to see the renowned personalities actually driving in a wide range of cars.
-10 august cowes week
Around 1,000 craft zipping along the Solent make Cowes Week one of the world’s most outstanding sailing events – as well as being a stirring reminder of Britain’s nautical heritage. In those eight days the world’s best can be seen racing against each other – there are up to 40 different classes – as they have been since 1826, when the event first started. “Cowes Week is as famous for its frenzied social scene as its sailing,” says The Daily Telegraph, which talks of “age-old traditions, such as the yacht club balls and cocktail parties.”
September
last night of the proms Marking the end of the summer’s social season in a flurry of pomp, ceremony and energetic flag-waving, the Last Night Of The Proms has become a standard bearer for British values and our innate sense of pride, passion and fun. It concludes a programme of around 70 concerts at the Royal Albert Hall – an annual musical bonanza which began back in 1895 as a way to get people in from the parks where they were used to walking past classical performances as they ‘promenaded’. The Royal Albert Hall only came into the picture in the 1940s, but there can be no more fine a setting. Rule, Britannia!
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british icons / profile
Bicycle
Clockwise from left: Featureflash / Shutterstock.com, Natalia Mikhaylova / Shutterstock.com, Chris Harvey / Shutterstock.com
Made for One
On becoming the Mayor of London, many believed Boris was embarking on a path of political harakiri. His weaknesses were about to be exposed as his failings came to the fore. Instead, the blond bombshell has delivered a near flawless performance, solidifying himself as a credible alternative to those failing the public in Parliament, says Richard Brown
O
nce a periphery player, a stumbling soliloquist brought to the mainstream by a series of journalistic gaffes and showstopping appearances on Have I Got News For You, Boris Johnson’s election to Mayor of London and his subsequent handling of the Olympic Games introduced him – and his ways – to a global audience. Yet to someone who’d spent the last five years ogling the inside of a cave, you could explain Boris’ international appeal simply by pointing them in the direction of a meeting that took place in February. There, as the London Assembly met, and failed, to scrutinise Mr Johnson’s budget proposals, an enraged mayor described those assembled before him as only he might, denouncing his peers as “great supine protoplasmic invertebrate jellies.” It was an idiosyncratic outburst that illustrated perfectly the peculiarity that has promoted this political anomaly into a national phenomenon. In the corridors of Parliament and the recesses of City Hall, nowhere else has a political figure provoked so much curiosity while dispelling so few myths. For, after countless controversies and two successful London mayoral campaigns, Boris, the man, remains a curio: a riddle,
wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. To some: a toff, a fake, a bumbling buffoon. To others: a maverick, a mastermind, a political marvel. Solving the mystery, it seems, is all part of the appeal. As the riddle of Boris begins to unravel, however, it seems the selfparodying image of an eccentric ex-Etonian is being replaced by that of skilled and practical statesman, a staunch believer in the pound and a defender of the City at a time when it is considered career Russianroulette to be so. When, at the end of February, Brussels decided to impose the first ever legal curb on bankers’ bonuses (from January 2014, bonuses that are larger than twice the size of salaries will be banned), Boris responded in emblematic fashion: “This is possibly the most deluded measure to come from Europe since Diocletian tried to fix the price of groceries across the Roman Empire,” he said, adding that, “people will wonder why we stay in the EU if it persists in such transparently self-defeating policies.” It’s not just Boris’ propensity for verbosity, or the words that flitter seemingly unfiltered from his lips, that make American author and essayist Michael Wolff describe the Mayor of London as the most compelling and original political figure in the world today. “His time as mayor has turned Boris not just into a practised politician nor even a political star but, love him or despise him, into a new political art
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Olympic zip-wires and river stumbles aside, few will forget Boris’ headfirst spear-tackle of former German international Maurizio Gaudino during 2006’s Soccer Aid charity match (if the episode has escaped you, consult YouTube this instant); nor the time he was forced by the then-Tory leader, Michael Howard, to conduct a tour of contrition to Liverpool, tail between legs, having accused the city of ‘wallowing’ in its ‘victim status’ following the murder of Ken Bigley. Elsewhere, between accusations of extra-marital affairs and having labelled the people of Papua New Guinea ‘cannibals and chief-killers’ and the inhabitants of the Congo as ‘tribal warriors with watermelon smiles’, Boris has, at some point or other, described George W. Bush as a “cross-eyed Texan warmonger, unelected, inarticulate”; labelled the London Irish Awards Dinner as “£20,000 on a dinner at the Dorchester for Sinn Féin”; and depicted Portsmouth as “one of the most depressed towns in southern England, a place that is arguably too full of drugs, obesity, underachievement and Labour MPs.” And yet, despite such quips, Boris’ standing amongst the public has failed to wane; it seems, delivered in the style of such an orator, instances of insult are form,” wrote Wolff in the British edition of January’s GQ. perceived as playful rather than provocative, as part of the package “There is no politician in the world so at odds with the standard and par for the course. presentation and behaviour as Boris. In an age of political On becoming Mayor, many predicted Boris was about to be found out: disenchantment he is, arguably, for better or worse, the first bona fide his political shortcomings exposed, his true persona revealed. Instead, alternative.” As the antithesis of the paradigmatic, breaking the mould, he’s overseen the introduction of a bicycle scheme that’s revolutionised not toeing the line, has become Boris’s ‘thing’. While those around him the capital, made headway on crime and anti-social behaviour, stood lip-sync the lines they’re expected up for the City when others have to say, Boris’ refusal to whistle to turned coat, and spearheaded “My chances of being Prime Minister an Olympics made memorable anyone else’s tune has stood him apart, signalled him out. Then in large part through his are about as good as the chances again, doing it his way has always stewardship and speeches. of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being been the only way. Adversaries will say that Leaving Oxford in 1986, an under Boris the capital’s reincarnated as an olive.” ex-university president and emergency services have been previous member of the infamous cut, that he ducks denunciation Bullingdon Club (a dining society notorious for their grand banquets over London’s employment rate by laying the blame at David and ritual of smashing up restaurants – Cameron and Osborne Cameron’s feet, and that the program that has become his signature are ex-members too), Johnson’s first stint of employment was as a achievement (the so-called Boris Bikes) was an intuitive first dreamt management consultant for an international strategy firm. It was a up by the Livingstone administration. short-lived career: Boris resigned after a week. To do so, however, would be to ignore the fact that there are now From there he joined The Times: a traineeship that lasted less than more warranted officers on London’s streets than five years ago, a year; Boris being dismissed for falsifying a quote to sex up a story. In that crime, in total, has fallen by around seven per cent since 20071987, after a short spell at a local rag, Boris secured a job as a feature 2008, and that, in reality, the Mayor’s powers to create jobs and writer for the Daily Telegraph, impressing enough to be promoted to stabilise the wider economy are exceedingly limited. the newspaper’s Brussels correspondent and then its chief political With the establishment of a ‘forensic audit panel’, governance correspondent. Soon, Boris was penning a regular column for The under Boris has become more transparent while, transport-wise, Spectator, a weekly he became editor of in 1999. prices have increased but total journey times have been reduced Between the Telegraph, Spectator and his longstanding association and fewer journeys are now delayed – achievements that have been with the BBC’s Have I Got News For You, Boris cultivated a media routinely delivered with Boris’ unremittingly absurd style of humour. persona that made him a household name. Boosted by burgeoning “My chances of being Prime Minister,” Mr. Johnson once said, “are popularity, in 2011 he ran a successful campaign to become MP for about as good as the chances of finding Elvis on Mars, or my being Henley-on-Thames. From there, one of the most sensational and gaffereincarnated as an olive.” Based on the strength of the Boris mania ridden careers in modern politics began. we saw last summer, there are many that wouldn’t be so sure.
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Chris Harvey / Shutterstock.com
profile / british icons
www.bachet.fr
collection
REPORT
FIT FOR
A QUEEN
A caster of polymer meets a creator of clocks: Richard Brown presents the very British result of this collaboration
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ne’s a design company recognised for its groundbreaking production techniques; the other a clock maker famed for manufacturing high quality time instruments for more than 150 years. Now, Royal Warrant holders Zone Creations and Comitti of London clock specialists are uniting to produce a limited edition design piece. The two British companies have produced replicas of the architectural floor clock that they co-created in 2012 for Buckingham Palace in celebration
of the HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Launched last month, the stunning Greenwich Regulator stands at 198 centimetres tall and is limited to just 120 pieces. The movement inside the clock comprises 345 parts and comes as either rhodium or goldplated, while its Corian base and Palladian top echo the elegant architecture of the palace for which it was created. Sales of the Greenwich Regulator will benefit the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), the charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association that supports excellence in British craftsmanship and conservation.
collection
Eyes to the Skies
“Graham? In a Best of British issue?”, we hear you ask. True, it may be a company named after a British clockmaker, rather than a British brand per se, but Graham does devote its creations to the English inventor of the lever escapement mechanism. And for us, that’s reason enough to include the company here. Progressing from the pedantic, we thought we’d bring you the news that Graham has recently launched the Geo. Graham The Moon, a watch that combines a flying tourbillon with a high-precision moon-phase perpetual function, the cycle of which is calculated on the Moon’s exact synodic period for a duration of 122 years. We think this is rather cool, whether it’s British or not.
of the Best... British Watches since 2011
The Robin, £5,850, Robert Loomes, 2011 robertloomes.com
graham1695.com
watches For treasured timepieces, horological heirlooms and modern masterpieces, watch this space...
One to Watch
Each month we select our timepiece of the moment from the watch world’s most exciting pieces
It will tell you the day, date, month, leap year and phase of the moon; the 18-karat gold, Art Deco-inspired 5940J is a modern-day classic that unites Patek’s present with its illustrious past 5940J, £61,530, Patek Philippe, patek.com
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Serpent Calendar Steel 42mm, POA Speake-Marin, 2012 speake-marin.com
Signalman DLC GMT PR £4,050 Schofield, 2011 schofieldwatchcompany.com
Swiss movement, English heart
Made in Switzerland / Worldwide limited edition of only 300 pieces / Ronda 3540.D Quartz chronograph / 1/10ths second split- timing / 316L marine-grade stainless steel case / Anti-reflective sapphire crystal / Unique serial number / “Toro Bravo� leather deployment strap
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Back to the
Future
It’s been sleeping for centuries but now, awoken by international interest and home-grown talent, the UK’s horology industry is in full-scale revival. Richard Brown meets the men putting Britain back on the watchmaking map
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t present, you can count the number of British watch companies on the digits of two hands; the companies that actually produce parts in the UK can be counted on one. Had you predicted this would have been the case ten years ago, however, few in the industry would have given you the time of day. Over the last ten years, British watchmaking has developed from a cottage industry into a serious business and, ahead of the inaugural London Watch Show in July, the only trade show dedicated to the UK watch sector, we speak to the founders of the companies fuelling the furnaces of growth. Bremont Founded: 2002 Henley-on-Thames We talk to: Bremont co-founder Nick English Describe the state of the British watchmaking industry? Without sounding over confident, I think it is in a better shape than it has been for many, many years. Companies like us are taking on local apprentice watchmakers which I don’t think has happened to the same extent for quite some time. What’s your USP? The obvious difference, compared to the multitude of Swiss brands found somewhere like Baselworld, is that we are British. There is an incredible history of British watchmaking and we are very honoured to be playing a small part in its revival. We are also different in that we are motivated by engineering rather than fashion; hopefully that comes across clearly in our design ethos. How British is your brand? We are 100 per cent British-owned and all of our design and technical
input comes from the UK and our workshop in Henley. Many of the watch parts, including movement parts and cases and even some straps and packaging, are now made in the UK. Every Bremont watch is assembled and tested in the UK at our Henley facility. What’s your favourite watch? For me, it is the stainless steel U2. I love the ruggedness and simplicity of its design. It is the perfect watch for me. If you could pick any British person to wear your watches, who would it be? This is a tough one. I think one of the Princes would be quite special wouldn’t it?!
COLLECTION Christopher Ward Launched: 2005, London We talk to: Christopher Ward co-founder Mike France Describe the state of the British watchmaking industry? Exciting, interesting and on the up. What’s fuelling its growth? British curiosity, ingenuity and taste are beginning to have a marked impact on the rather self-satisfied Swiss industry. We have a heritage in watchmaking that even the Swiss are secretly envious of. However, other than the handful of watches made by the late George Daniels and now by his one-time apprentice, Roger W. Smith, there hasn’t been a truly British-made watch worthy of the description for decades. What’s your USP? Our online business model has removed all the middlemen to create unrivalled value whilst our transparent and accessible style puts customers directly in touch with the watchmaker. The unique dialogue this engenders means we have a far deeper relationship with our customers. How British is your brand? We design everything in our Maidenhead studio and I think you can see a very English sensibility in our watches: an unfussy, understated, classic approach. As there is no watchmaking to speak of in this country at present, to achieve the exacting standards we demand, we manufacture in Switzerland. Master watchmaker, Johannes Jahnke, who works with us, is an East German anglophile with a love for Norton motorbikes and vintage Jaguar cars – so there’s even a corner of a Swiss atelier that is forever England, I suppose. What’s your favourite timepiece? At the moment I am absolutely smitten with our new Worldtimer design which won’t be on sale until November. Apart from being a beautiful looking watch, we have developed a world first in terms of a GMT complication – and it’s not every day you can say that. If you could pick any British person to wear your watches, who would it be? Bradley Wiggins. No doubt about it. He is a true one-off; a great champion, stylish and witty but very self-effacing.
Meridian Watch Company Launched: 2011, Norwich We talk to: Meridian co-founder Richard Baldwin Describe the state of the British watchmaking industry? It’s still very small, tiny in fact, but it is experiencing something of a renaissance. It’s split into two main categories; you have your British watch companies and then your British watchmakers. Not every British watch company will manufacture their watches in Britain using British parts. Both avenues will continue to grow at a rapid rate. I believe there is still a gap in the market for British-made watches with a price tag of between five and 20k. What’s your USP? We offer a very bespoke service. Everything is made, finished and polished by hand according to our customers’ individual preferences. How British is your brand? Everything about our watches, apart from the base parts within the movement, is made in the UK. Even the movement, which requires some Swiss-made pieces, is assembled and finished in Britain. We manufacture everything else, from the straps and cases to the dials and hands. What’s your favourite timepiece? Our MP05 as that was the watch that started it all for us. The rest of our models are based around that watch. Away from Meridian, I like Speake-Marin, Richard Mille and Omega, particularly the Speedmaster. Then of course you have Roger Smith. Well, to put it another way, you have Roger Smith, and then everybody else. Up close and personal, his watches are truly sensational. If you could pick any British person to wear your watches, who would it be? We don’t really do brand ambassadors. We don’t like to align our company with one specific individual; we’re for the everyday person, the person who has taken the time to get to know us and our brand.
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Schofield Launched: 2011, Sussex We talk to: Company-founder Giles Ellis Describe the state of the British watchmaking industry? It is starting from the ground up. There is no infrastructure, workforce, machinery and barely an existing knowledge base. So it is incredibly exciting being attached to an industry that isn’t fettered by those constraints.
Robert Loomes Launched: 1991, Stamford We talk to: Company-founder Robert Loomes Describe the state of the British watchmaking industry? It’s going through a period of rapid and accelerating growth. I am probably aware of more watchmaking firms who have yet to release their products than I am of firms who currently have something to sell. If the 20th century was about globalisation then, so far, the 21st century has largely been about localisation. Customers are ever keener to understand exactly how their watch was made. Blanket statements like “made in Britain” are under close scrutiny from ever more buyers. What’s your USP? We want to be known not just for the entirely British-made aspect, but also as a firm of experienced watchmakers who manufacture simple, understated and elegant wristwatches. Our Robin and Robina watches tell no more than they should: the right time. How British is your brand? What is important to us is not that we make everything under one roof – much of what we do is outsourced to specialist firms – but that each of those individual firms is based in Britain. Whilst the look may be elegant and classic, in fact many of the manufacturing procedures we have used are world-leading techniques developed in university engineering departments. We pay little or no attention to current Swiss manufacturing. What’s your favourite timepiece? There is a pocket watch made about 1660 by my antecedent, Thomas Loomes. Obviously the name appeals to me but more importantly, this is a complicated watch. It has both astrolabic and mean time displays, shows the phase of the moon and includes a perpetual calendar. Modern watchmakers like to show off with complications, but it was being done here in England 350 years ago. If you could pick any British person to wear your watches, who would it be? We have never needed to give celebrities a watch to wear but someone did once say it’s the sort of thing Bertie Wooster might wear on his wrist. He meant it as a joke. I took it as the perfect compliment.
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What’s your USP? Schofield prides itself on its attention to detail and thoroughness. On buying a watch individuals become privileged members of the Schofield club. Members receive exclusive products, invitations to private events and opportunities to hear about our new products before they are launched. We don’t advertise or use brand ambassadors. The only retail Schofield uses is from the Schofield website because demand is so high we do not need to distribute. How British is your brand? Based in rural Sussex, Schofield designs all of its watches, dry goods and accessories. Where possible, Schofield sources, manufactures and fabricates items in England. From paper and envelopes, to presentation boxes and straps made from beautiful English wools, tweeds and canvases. The Signalman GMT PR was designed here in England and our new watch the Signalman Black Lamp (to be launched at the end of the year) will have ‘England’ proudly written on the dial. What’s your favourite timepiece? The Signalman because it is the only watch in the world that was created specifically for me. Without compromise, it fulfils all the requirements that I desire in a wrist watch. Beyond Schofield, I would wear a classic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, a Jaeger-LeCoultre Memovox, a Romain Jerome Space Invaders watch or a Zenith El Primero Chronograph. If you could pick any British person to wear your watches, who would it be? My late stepfather, a quintessential English gentleman, a doctor and double professor of engineering who gave his insight and time to Schofield. In spite of my endeavour, no amount of cajoling could persuade him to give up his trusty Sekonda.
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Embrace the best British brands with patriotic panache
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1 iPad case, £169, Vivienne Westwood, harrods.com 2 Union Jack silk pocket square, £25, Gresham Blake, 143 Commercial Street 3 Cats eye round cufflinks, £95, Tateossian, 1-4 Royal Exchange 4 MP-04 watch, £4,695, Meridian, 2012, meridianwatches.com 5 Classic braces, £35, Gresham Blake, as before 6 Mayfair umbrella and hat cufflinks, £75, Hackett, 117 Bishopsgate 7 U-2 DLC watch, £3,295, Bremont, 29 South Audley Street 8 Two-tone square-frame optical glasses, £295, Cutler and Gross, mrporter.com 9 Chassis embossed-leather watch roll, £200, Alfred Dunhill, 48 Jermyn Street 10 Rotary watch case £1,995, Smythson, 7 Royal Exchange 11 Black chrome stone set spider cufflinks, £75, Paul Smith Accessories, my-wardrobe.com 12 Silver-plated bulldog handle umbrella, £185, Archer Adams, archeradams.com
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We prefer not to be measured by dimensions. Unless it’s a new dimension of accuracy.
No fewer than four exceptional mechanisms enhance the precision of the RICHARD LANGE TOURBILLON “Pour le Mérite”: the tiny fusée-and-chain transmission, the delicate tourbillon, the ultra-thin Lange balance spring, and – not least – the patented stop-seconds device for the tourbillon which makes it possible to
set the watch with one-second accuracy in the first place. Never before has an A. Lange & Söhne watch been endowed with so many complications that simultaneously enhance its rate accuracy, settability, and readability. And so, this remarkable timepiece truly deserves the honorary attribute “Pour le Mérite”.
Arije 165, Sloane Street London • George Pragnell 5 and 6, Wood Street, Stratford-upon-Avon Hamilton & Inches 87, George Street, Edinburgh • Harrods 87–135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London Watches of Switzerland 16, New Bond Street, London • Wempe 43-44, New Bond Street, London Lange Uhren GmbH • Tel. +34 91 454 89 82 • www.lange-soehne.com
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news
Rule Britannia
Having lauded the British fashion designers who did us proud at the recent A/ W13 London Fashion Week, we can now celebrate the creativity of our jewellery designers. Fortnum & Mason is currently showcasing a selection of the British Fashion Council’s Rock Vault jewellery designers, alongside established British designers, as part of a four week display in the store’s re-launched jewellery department. Established during LFW last year, the BFC Rock Vault was set up to expose and nurture the creative talent of London-based jewellers. This year, the designers participating include Fernando Jorge, Jo Hayes Ward, Melanie Georgacopoulos and Tomasz Donocik, and curator of the event is none other than British jewellery designer Stephen Webster who was recently honoured with an MBE for his services to the industry. fortnumandmason.com
jewellery Jewels, gems, pearls and diamonds; the essential components of any lady’s jewellery collection
Cutting Edge Diamond jeweller John France followed an unlikely career path, graduating from Oxford University and working for a successful law firm before deciding to develop his own jewellery line. This February marked the launch of his fine diamond collection, to be followed by a series of further launches throughout 2013.
“JF Diamonds specialises in the creation of unique pieces of artistry, handcrafted in Valenza and featuring the world’s most sought-after fine diamonds. Our service is solely by appointment and orders are tailormade for clients, ensuring each jewel is exclusively available to its owner” Anello brown ring, £98,000 and Anello blue ring, £212,000 JF Diamonds, jfdiamonds.com
42 THE CITY APRIL 2013
Struck Gold Clogau Gold creates jewellery that contains a touch of rare Welsh gold. With long-standing ties to Welsh history, jewellery collections are inspired by the Clogau St David’s gold mine’s associations with the Royal Family and the natural beauty and mythology of Wales. The British Royal Family has been using pure Welsh gold to create its wedding rings since 1923, a tradition founded by The Queen Mother, then Lady Elizabeth BowesLyon, on her marriage to the Duke of York in April 1923, and carried into its 88th year during the most recent Royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. It is a touch of this same Welsh gold that is contained within each Clogau Gold piece, making it some of the most exclusive jewellery in the world. clogau.co.uk
Cut to the Chase Alex Monroe is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a jewellery designer in a way only he knows best. Ready in time for spring, the designer has created 25 pieces for every year he has been designing and each one tells an intimate story from his life over the years. Witty and light–hearted, The Chase presents snippets from Alex’s childhood, including the moment when he first learnt to ride a bike, and culminating in a big ‘Hooray!’ at the end of the quarter century. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Monroe collection without a few woodland creatures straight out of the English countryside where he grew up. alexmonroe.com
CONTESSA To own a rare Argyle pink diamond is to own a truly magnificent heirloom. Contessa, beautifully handcrafted in Platinum and 18ct Rose Gold, features an exquisite combination of stunning craftsmanship and the rarest of Australian Argyle pink diamonds. Simply, they are the rarest diamonds in the world and are revered for their unique provenance and intrinsic beauty.
UNITED KINGDOM The Royal Arcade, Old Bond St, Mayfair London W1S 4SW AUSTRALIA Sydney Gold Coast calleija.com
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Whether flowers, feathers or wildlife, leading British jewellery designers cannot help but draw inspiration from the natural beauty of the English countryside 1 Black leather and diamond sabre cuff, £6,625, Sabre collection by Shaun Leane, shaunleane.com 2 Silver and diamond small branch pendant, £530, Cherry blossom collection by Shaun Leane, as before 3 Carved tanzanite swallow pendant, £26,000, Theo Fennell, theofennell.com 4 White diamond Serpent bracelet, £16,350, Shaun Leane, as before 5 Diamond fringe ring in 18-karat blackened white gold and diamonds, £18,500 Solange Azagury-Partridge, solange.co.uk 6 Rose Damasca black ruthenium stud earrings, £120, Alex Monroe, alexmonroe.com 7 Crow feather ring, £210, Alex Monroe, as before 8 Ruthenium triple cupped pearl and white topaz bud ring, £240, Alex Monroe, as before 9 Wild rose bangle, £95, Alexis Dove, alexisdove.com 10 Forget Me Knot blue enamel cocktail ring, POA, Stephen Webster, stephenwebster.com 11 Bluebell earrings in 18-karat blackened white gold and diamonds, POA Solange Azagury-Partridge, as before 12 Baby Astley ring, from £2,500, Astley Clarke Couture, astleyclarke.com
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Canary Wharf
bars & restaurants • fashion & style • arts & events canarywharf.com @yourcanarywharf
best in show
Canary WHARF’S Les Trois Soeurs has become one of the leading names in bridal brands, with expert staff that travel the world to hand select items for its unique collection Amanda Wakeley
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oasting a wide variety of cultural and linguistic experience, members of the Les Trois Soeurs (The Three Sisters) team are superbly qualified to assist brides from across the globe in choosing the best look for their wedding day. Everyone who comes to Les Trois Soeurs has the opportunity to work one-on-one with trained consultants, who use their specialist training to provide brides with personality specific choices appropriate to the style and location of their wedding. Les Trois Soeurs has won the esteem of such designers as Temperley, Amanda Wakeley, Caroline Castigliano, Sassi Holford and Steward Parvin. These designers and many more make up the collection in the Canary Wharf shop. Les Trois Soeurs also makes a point to support new designers and has recently garnered work by Sarah Janks, and American designers Badgley Mischka, Lazaro and Alvina Valenta. In addition to sensational gowns, Les Trois Soeurs offers brilliantly unique accessories by Jenny Packham, Vivien Sheriff, Polly Edwards, and others. Many of these pieces put the finishing touch on a ravishing gown. Nicki Macfarlane, the designer for the bridesmaids of HRH the Duchess of Cambridge, has crafted lovely flower girl and page boy outfits with outstanding class. Collaborating with acclaimed interior designers, Les Trois Soeurs has spared no expense in spoiling its customers by creating a luxurious and indulgent environment in its prestigious Canary Wharf store. Everything from the boutique’s architecture, design and loyalty to its surroundings is done with the client in mind, to ensure that every bride who visits Les Trois Soeurs knows she is in the capable hands of talented, committed fashion experts. Les Trois Soeurs, Canary Wharf, 020 7719 0868
Temperley
Les Trois Soeurs, Canada Place
SHOPPING Lunar Diamond Necklace, £11,500, David M Robinson, Jubilee Place
Poppy Edwards Headband, £180, Les Trios Souers, Canada Place
Sugared Almonds, £10.95, Charbonnel et Walker, Cabot Place Reve Opulent Eau De Parfum, £68, Space NK, Cabot Place
Melissa Sandal, £169, Reiss, Jubilee Place, Reiss Womenswear, Cabot Place
Grapevine Drops, £132.40, Carat*, Cabot Place
Luna Flower Clutch, £110, Reiss Womenswear, Jubilee Place and Cabot Place
Wedding Dress, POA, Les Trios Souers, Canada Place
white wonder From top couturiers to designer jewellers, for all things bright and wonderful make for canary wharf, where you’ll find everything your heart could desire for that special day Floating Diamond Pave Set Earrings, £2,499, Goldsmiths, Canada Place
Champagne & Truffle Society Tube, £26, Charbonnel et Walker, Cabot Place
Nicole Bridal Set, £135, Myla, Cabot Place
Shilo Patent Court Shoe, £170, L.K.Bennett, Jubilee Place
Engagement Ring, £PAO, Tiffany & Co., Cabot Place
Lucida Diamond Bracelet set in Platinum, £66,000, Tiffany & Co., Cabot Place
www.canarywharf.com
@yourcanarywharf
signs of spring in april AFTER HOURS CONCERTS, A SWING DANCE, SPORTING ENDEAVOURS TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY AND A HILARIOUS COMEDY NIGHT – SPRING HAS DEFINITELY SPRUNG IN CANARY WHARF
Vintage Dance Club: Swing Dance Take your pick from dancing the lindy hop, jive, charleston, or jitterbug plus many more swing dance favourites - all to the live music from Billy Bros Jumpin’ Orchestra. Start with a workshop to refresh your steps or learn new ones, the floor is then open to everyone from experienced dancers and beginners alike. Thursday 18 April 7.30 – 10.30pm Workshop from 6pm East Wintergarden 43 Bank Street Canary Wharf Tickets: £12 (includes complimentary glass of bubbly on arrival)
After Hours with… Nerina Pallot with special guest Tristan Mackay
Nerina Pallot is a Brit and Ivor Novello nominated and platinumselling singer-songwriter. This multi instrumentalist artist has an absorbing and unique talent for scripting exquisitely crafted and beautifully sung pop songs. After releasing four successful albums, Nerina is now concentrating on her fifth studio album due for release this year. nerinapallot.com Wednesday 17 April 7.45pm (doors 7pm) East Wintergarden 43 Bank Street Canary Wharf Tickets: £20* Visit seetickets.com or call 0871 220 0260 (booking fee applies) Tickets available on the door subject to availability Unreserved cabaret style seating. Full bar and cloakroom Only items purchased on the premises may be consumed *Maximum 6 tickets per order
Visit seetickets.com or call 0871 220 0260 (booking fee applies) Tickets available on the door subject to availability Unreserved cabaret style seating. Full bar, vintage tea and cloakroom Only items purchased on the premises may be consumed
art & events Canary Wharf Comedy Club
Featuring* Andrew Ryan, Sara Pascoe, Ian Stone, John Fothergill and Josh Widdicombe The extremely talented Andrew Ryan is MC for the night introducing witty comedian Sara Pascoe and the brilliant broadcaster Ian Stone. John Fothergill will delight us with his infectious banter and TV favourite Josh Widdicombe presents his wry comedy in its purest form. Monday 15 April 7.15pm (doors 6.30pm) East Wintergarden 43 Bank Street Canary Wharf Tickets £12
Visit seetickets.com or call 0871 220 0260 (booking fee applies) Tickets available on the door subject to availability Unreserved cabaret style seating. Full bar, food and cloakroom * all details are correct at time of publication
take part Canary Wharf Charity Abseil In aid of Scope Join over 150 other thrill seekers by taking on this fundraising challenge and revel in a once in a lifetime experience! Fearlessly descend the 230ft down 50 Bank Street while raising essential funds for Scope. No previous experience is required as training is provided by fully qualified instructors but you must be over 18. scope.org.uk Saturday 11 & Sunday 12 May 8am - 5pm 50 Bank Street, Canary Wharf
Irish artist Eilís O’Connell returns to Canary Wharf after 12 years with new sculptures not previously seen in London. Living and working in rural Ireland not far from Cork, O’Connell is surrounded by beautiful and extensive views of a countryside that yields objects, contours and atmosphere, which are reflected in her sculpture both materially and subliminally. From the curve of a hillside to a sheep’s skull found when out walking, most of O’Connell’s visual experiences and the materials that she gathers around her feed into her work. The skull, preserved forever in clear resin, joins other found or given objects that she has treated in the same way – a vulture’s feather, coral, a whale bone bleached by the sun – enabling us to scrutinise their detail, their transient beauty captured for all time. Monumental works in resin, steel or bronze, however, reveal her expansive side. In large sculptures that stem from herimagination and intuitive vision, or massive objects found in the natural world, Eilís O’Connell invites us to join in her wonder and love of our environment. In contrast to the urban landscape of Canary Wharf these sculptures will transport our imagination to the places where wild things are. Exhibition supported by Culture Ireland as part of Ireland’s EU Presidency Culture Programme 2013 Monday 8 April – Friday 24 May Lobby, One Canada Square and Jubilee Park Canary Wharf FREE
£20 registration fee £250 minimum target To register call 020 7619 7154 or email alanah.watts@scope.org.uk
Canary Wharf Jog In aid of the British Heart Foundation Need to find a less thrill seeking charity activity to take part in this summer? Then look no further! The Canary Wharf Jog is the perfect opportunity to get fit, have fun with friends or even make new ones as you jog round the circuit. Last year 1,500 people took part and raised over £35,000 for the nation’s leading heart charity! bhf.org.uk/canarywharfjog Wednesday 22 May 6 - 8.30pm Around Canary Wharf, starting from Canada Square Park
The Physicality of Seeing: Sculpture by EilÌs O’Connell
FREE Timing chip £2 (optional) To register call 0845 130 8663 or visit bhf.org.uk/canarywharfjog
For more information visit canarywharf.com
Tuesday 30 April 1.15pm FREE Curator Ann Elliott tours the exhibition with Eilís O’Connell. Contact visualart@canarywharf.com to reserve a place.
3 hours free parking
at weekends and bank holidays when you spend £10 at Canary wharf*
Canary Wharf
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business
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in for a
penny
For 30 years we have handled and exchanged them daily, but we rarely spare a moment to consider how the pound coin came about, says DANIEL ENGELSMAN
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irst introduced on 21 April 1983, a brass-coloured, neat little coin replaced the Bank of England’s wilted £1 note. Soon after, the note was removed from circulation, although it is still issued in Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, and by the Royal Bank of Scotland. As of December last year there are approximately 1.5 billion £1 coins in circulation, of which an estimated 2.86 per cent are counterfeit. Genuine coins are minted from a nickel-brass alloy of approximately 70 per cent copper, 24.5 per cent zinc and 5.5 per cent nickel; the real
value of the composition metal amounts to approximately 4.18 pence. The imprint of Queen Elizabeth II has gone through many updates since its release, with this responsibility so far shared by three successive designers. When Her Majesty is succeeded, the direction in which the effigy faces will swap and change to face left, as it does with each new monarch, following a tradition that began with the Stuarts. To commemorate the pound coin’s anniversary, The Royal Mint is issuing two new £1 coins for 2013, both by designer Timothy Noad, which feature an oak branch and Tudor-style rose, and, to celebrate St. David’s Day, a leek and a daffodil motif (above) .
a Future The British Craft Council has recently undertaken its first design fair in the Middle East, demonstrating that there is now a global focus on British design and innovation. Richard Brown and Emma Johnson talk to Rosy Greenlees, executive director of the British Craft Council, about forging British design links overseas
How does the general state of the British craft industry compare on an international stage? We have over 23,000 people working within the craft industry, contributing over £400 million to the economy – which is comparable to, for example, West End theatre or music downloads, so it’s a significant sector. Obviously, we are operating within a recession but I think the important thing to point out is that makes them [design companies] very flexible and resilient and they can adapt to difficult circumstances. Has the recession had a very noticeable impact on the industry? I don’t think it has in a massive way. We did some research about a year ago and people were saying that they were quietly optimistic about the future, so I think, while obviously it is more challenging, there are interesting changes going on. For example, more usage of digital technology in the international market. I think also, the way in which makers are increasingly looking at innovation and the relationship with science and technology as well as how they can use their skills and material skills within that context. What role can craft and innovation play in getting us out of recession? It is about the kind of enterprising innovation that is really important for the future. I think also that there is something about British creative industries and designer craft which is very particular to Britain, and we can export that. Where in the world are important emerging markets for the British craft industry? Dubai is one. The other we are looking at is the Far East, places
like Hong Kong and China. People there are becoming more confident about their buying and are looking to make more individual purchases rather than perhaps always going for the ‘big brand’. If you buy a big brand object then everyone clearly knows that’s okay, but I think people are beginning to get much more interested in more individual things and that’s beginning to show. Hong Kong, for example, is starting to invest much more in the creative industries. They concede that it has value and recognise the need to grow their own markets so there are opportunities there too. Who are the key players pushing the craft industry forward? There are people like Simon Hasan, who came to Design Days in Dubai with us. He works particularly with boiled leather, which is of course a very traditional way of working, doing really exciting and interesting things in terms of developing new ways of using it and he has recently done some work with Fendi, for example. That’s somebody who is taking those very traditional skills and innovating. He’s a great example of that. How is British craft seen by other countries? People look to us for leadership and are very envious, I think, of what we have. We have a very strong tradition but we’re also very much ahead of the game because we’re thinking about how you take these skills and use them in other contexts. It is absolutely about producing objects that people can acquire – whether that’s everyday things or more luxury things.
interview
Opposite: After Euclid, by Michael Rowe Top Left: Leaded Light, Henry Krokatsis Bottom Left: Rosy Greenless Right: Shimmer Vases, Heather Gillespie Below: The Nest Chandelier, Diane De Polignac
Is there a big luxury aspect to British craft and design? There is and continues to be an interest in luxury – and when I say luxury, I’m talking not simply ostentatious and unnecessary things but the value and integrity of long-lasting objects. I think that’s something people are becoming much more interested in now and a lot of bigger brands are promoting themselves in that way, and craft absolutely sits within that context as well. What are the defining aspects of the British craft industry? I think it’s about skill, use of materials, how people are taking those traditional processes and materials and starting to do really interesting, new and exciting things with them. They are starting to work with and use new technologies, such as digital technology, for example. Somebody like Michael Eden, for instance, has created the most fantastic ceramic pieces using digital technology, and yet he’s completely grounded in having a background as a very traditional, conventional potter. I think that’s what’s very exciting about what is happening at the moment.
Design Days Design Days Dubai is the first design fair in the Middle East, which took place 18 – 21 March. The fair was run alongside Art Dubai and offered a new feature in the city’s cultural landscape. This year, Crafts Council UK participated in the fair, showcasing some of Britain’s most acclaimed designers, working to promote the work of high-quality British contemporary craft nationally and internationally. “Doing showcases in places like Dubai means we can start to build potential markets there, but also encourage those markets back to England to invest in the country. It becomes a virtual circle,” explains Rosy Greenlees.
craftscouncil.org.uk
april 2013 THE CITY 53
HURLINGHAM 8TH/9TH/10TH JUNE 2012
A WONDERFUL FAMILY DAY OUT AND GREAT VALUE HURLINGHAM 7th, 8th & 9th June 2013 tickets on sale through ticketmaster速 now www.mintpolointhepark.com
Ken&Chelsea_MINT_PITP_A4+bleed_advert_April.indd 1
HURLINGHAM 8TH/9TH/10TH JUNE 2012
08/03/2013 12:42:38
opinion
Two worlds collide The juxtaposition of St Paul’s with the world on its doorstep is one that has interested me ever since first stepping into life in the City, says The Anonymous Banker
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n the heart of the London’s Square Mile stands one of Britain’s most iconic buildings, St Paul’s Cathedral. It was built to the English Baroque design of Sir Christopher Wren who, supposedly, watched the construction from an inn at a site currently occupied by the ‘Ye Olde Watling’ pub on Bow Lane. To me, the building represents peace, tranquillity, reflection and humility. Stepping inside, time seems to instantly slow down. The cathedral survived despite being targeted during the Blitz, almost as if it had an invisible shield surrounding it. In fact it did, a bomb disposal detachment of the Royal Engineers. This iconic structure hosts memorials to countless other British icons in the form of plaques, carvings, statues and tombs, from Sir Winston Churchill to T.E. Lawrence. Yet the contrast between St Paul’s Cathedral and the world that has grown around it fascinates me. No matter how slowly time passes within its doors, it is speeding by outside. The peaceful feeling emanating from St Paul’s can easily be lost as we rush between meetings or grab a quick lunch. There is an irony that, amidst a changing and uncertain financial landscape, stands a building that has dominated the skyline for more than 300 years. Amidst what can often be chaos in the world around us, stands a building so beautiful, it has the capacity to take your breath away for a split second each time you gaze upon it. Will it still be standing in 300 years time? Probably. Will the world around it look the same? Probably not. I can’t set eyes on St Paul’s without marvelling at its beauty and everything it stands for. It reminds me of what is important, what lasts forever and the beauty of the world beyond my computer screen.
man of the moment:
Sir Philip Green, British retail mogul
Mark Bonington presents a series looking at business people at the top of their industry
W
hen you think of the best of British, it can only be so long before your mind turns to the great British high street. It’s one of the sole uniting factors across all British cities; a socioeconomic forum which mixes class, gender, taste and budget. And at its centre, is its undisputed king: entrepreneur Sir Philip Green. Like many who later went on to make a killing in business, Green was not traditionally academically successful – pulling out of boarding school at just 15. His first business venture, which he set up at 23 on a £20, 000 loan, involved importing jeans from the Far East to sell to retailers in London. Between criticism of tax avoidance and extravagant starstudded parties, Green’s sheer business sense alone makes him an inspiring figure, and his lifestyle is the Holy Grail for any aspiring entrepreneur. A prime example of marrying a creative mind with savvy commercial flair is his 2000 takeover of UK chain British Home Stores. At the time the high-street chain was dismissed by most industry insiders as an ‘unfixable’ brand which bled money. After investing £50 million of his own money, Green re-branded the store BHS. With a clear-cut vision of where the market was going he has now tripled company profits to more than £600 million per year. Along with his wife Tina, Green owns The Arcadia Group,
a collection of high-street brands including Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Wallis and Topshop/Topman. Combined, Arcadia has pre-tax profits of around £380 million per annum. While other household brands now face administration and liquidation, Green’s shrewd business acumen has kept his high-street empire above water, despite a reported fall in annual profits. Part of what makes Green a refreshing figure in the business world is his enjoyment of his success. He regularly throws extravagant parties aboard his Lionheart yacht, and in the past has invited A-list names of the pop world to perform at family events, including Beyoncé and Rod Stewart; one of the perks of having a personal fortune of between £3 and £4 billion. He was also the BBC’s first choice to front TV series The Apprentice, but could not take part at the time due to his attempted takeover of Marks & Spencer. Despite taking a hit in the global economic downturn, Green is now looking to the future, with plans to expand his dominion overseas. By selling a portion of Topshop to a US private equity group, he can now boast of owning a business which is entirely debt-free. Certainly not something every high-street chain can say. And while he may not be everyone’s cup of English tea, there can be no doubt that Green is a global powerhouse when it comes to good British business.
april 2013 THE CITY 55
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THE WINNING
FORMULA
Silverstone plays host to many events, exhibitions and driving days throughout the year and warrants our salute as the home of British motorsport, says DANIEL ENGELSMAN
W
hen Silverstone first opened in 1943, it was as a World War II airfield. Once the chaos of the war dissipated in 1945, Britain converted the redundant airfield into what the nation was previously lacking — a major race track. Three years later, Silverstone hosted its first event; the RAC Grand Prix, which pulled enormous audiences, and for which it would later be globally famed. The champion of the inaugural race at the circuit was Luigi Villoresi, who recorded an average speed
of 72mph in his Maserati to claim the first prize of ÂŁ500. Since then, the numbers have come a considerable way and the Grand Prix has been held there every year since 1987. Over the decades, the track has undergone major redesigns and modifications to reduce driver speed and increase safety, the major catalyst for this being the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994. Major events this year include the Formula 1 Grand Prix, Moto GP and the British Touring Cars Championship. In 2009, Silverstone was awarded the rights to host the British Grand Prix for the next 17 years, promising a bright future that mirrors its decorated past.
KUNG-FU HUSTLE ‘Sutra’ returns to Sadler’s Wells in Clerkenwell after five years of touring the world and performing to sell-out audiences. The critically hailed collaboration between choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Turner Prize-winning sculptor Antony Gormley and 17 Buddhist monks from the Shaolin Temple in China is an exhilarating display of strength and litheness, delving into the philosophy and tradition of their relationship with kung-fu in the modern world. The multi-sensory layered performance is enormously sophisticated and an unmatched, astounding work of art. It runs from 3-6 April. sadlerswells.com
IN THE KNOW Be well-informed on the course, the track, the pitch and the street, with our essential guide
David Bailey
BENEFICENT BUZZ UK Coffee Week is the nation’s biggest celebration of coffee and serves as a very valid excuse to be completely wired. It provides an opportunity for the coffee and food service industry to unite while raising money for Project Waterfall, the charitable initiative delivering clean-water projects in African coffee-growing countries. Contributions will go to the Allegra Foundation, which makes lifealtering transformations in Tanzanian coffee-growing communities. UK Coffee Week 2013 will take place from 22-28 April 2013 and will incorporate in-store product offerings and activities, charitable donations and public events. ukcoffeeweek.com
Sandy Nairne, director of the National Portrait Gallery, introduces photographer David Bailey’s unseen ‘East End Faces’ at the William Morris Gallery until 26 May. The photos chronicle life in the East End, the borough of Bailey’s birth, during the 1960s and offer a rare insight into the faces and characters that epitomise the decade that gave the world the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The exhibition will feature a combination of streetscapes, characters and scenes of east London life, providing an unusual opportunity to view the neighbourhood through the lens of a local icon. wmgallery.org.uk
news
BUILT FOR THE CITY
POWER PADDLERS
Inspired by the old Eastway Circuit in East London where they both once used to ride, Matthew Pryke and Stephen Britz set out to create a brand for people who regard their bike as more than just a mode of transport. Their new 13-strong Eastway range is specifically designed for the urban commuter and the sport cyclist. Built to be strong and durable but light and efficient, the models can take the tough ride and rapid pace of the City. The sizeable collection has options to suit all varieties of city ride, from road to single speed and from hybrid to cyclo-cross.
Though you may not realise it, ‘The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon’ is one of the most demanding, open-to-all endurance events on Earth. The non-stop, 125-mile journey by kayak or canoe from Devizes takes rowers along the Kennet & Avon Canal and will last an exhausting 24 hours. The race concludes in the River Thames, with the end-point at Westminster in the heart of London. It must not be forgotten that the victors, along with everyone else, will have trained through heavy snow, frozen canals and icy winds. The participants will approach the finish line on 1 April, during Easter Weekend.
eastwaybikes.com
dwrace.org.uk
ATTRACTION IS NOT A CHOICE Since writer Neil Strauss first exposed a previously unknown subculture of pick-up artistry in 2005, hushed chatter and mixed opinions have followed. The years in between have led to refinement and innovation in ‘the industry’ and The London School of Attraction is the classy response to the ill-informed seedy reputation, teaching people how to attract rather than seduce. The LSA propels fearful men to approach women whom they desire and coaches them to interact without the paralysing fear of social and sexual inadequacy that so often cripples them in conversation. London is undoubtedly one of the hardest places in the world to meet that perfect stranger, and the LSA promises to help single men and women in overcoming the artificial barrier of their social stigma. lsattraction.com
NOTHING PERSONAL A fluctuating economy and the pursuit of wealth will always lead to a struggle for power in the City. Office Politics is what it says on the cover – how to survive and, more importantly, prosper in an office environment. Oliver James flashes a revealing look at the behavioural patterns and psychology of psychopathic, Machiavellian and narcissistic colleagues who are out to one-up you on a daily basis. The most startling, yet somewhat obvious insight when you really think about it, is that certain industries actually value these antisocial, selfish skillsets. It’s not too challenging to guess which ones. Waterstones 2-3 Whittington Avenue, EC3V
april 2013 THE CITY 59
kingdom
Tom Sheen traces the awesome power of Manchester United – love them or hate them, their global fame and incredible history ensures their place among the greatest British sporting icons
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orty major trophies, valued at more than $3 billion, ten per cent of the entire world’s population taking an active interest. And though the last statistic is perhaps a little bit skewed, the undeniable fact is that football behemoths Manchester United, bar a handful of teams, operate on a different planet to every other sports club in the world.
Even those without the faintest interest in the beautiful game living on the other side of the world will have some knowledge of United, whose success is largely down to two Scots, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson. According to leading market researcher Kantar, in 2012 United boasted 659 million ‘followers’ worldwide; the company questioned 54,000 people in 39 countries (although individuals were allowed to name more than one team as their favourite) and extrapolated its results to cover the world’s population. Of course that is a very inaccurate science, but the reality is that the club has commercial partners in 72 countries, operates at a huge profit and enjoys twice the reach of any other club in the crucial foreign markets. Though the numbers may be wrong, it becomes hard to argue against the case for the club being the world’s most popular, after Forbes revealed that United became the first
sports team to be worth more than $3 billion ($3.3bn) earlier this year dwarfing its nearest rivals, the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, who are worth a mere $2.1bn. They are a well-oiled machine and ticket prices, merchandising, pre-season tours, success on the pitch, sponsorship deals and an increase in price on the Stock Exchange all helped in reaching this figure. Success is probably the most important factor in their wealth and though football has been the world’s most popular sport for decades, it is only in the last couple of decades that the game has become truly globalised, thanks to the internet and satellite television. United’s dominance coincided with the birth of the Premier League and true globalisation of football. The popularity and marketing of the League, along with the benefit of it being presented in English, has really seen United’s popularity increase worldwide. Football supporters tend to pick a team
Jaggat2 / Shutterstock.com, Sportsphotographer.eu / Shutterstock.com, Jaggat2 / Shutterstock.com, melis / Shutterstock.com, Teerinvata / Shutterstock.com
united
british icons / sport
and stay with them for life, and many will pick the team at the top. United were that team when football became global, and though there have been some lean periods under Sir Alex Ferguson, for the most part United have been at the top for 20 years. They built on this worldwide exposure
Giggs, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, have only helped boost the team’s worldwide appeal. If you were still in doubt, another inexact science, average shirt sales, again puts United at the very top of the football world – they are equal with Real Madrid over the last five
United’s dominance coincided with the birth of the Premier League and true globalisation of football through different means – undertaking preseason exhibition tours to the far corners of the Earth as well as controversially dropping out of the FA Cup in 2000 so they could play in the Club World Cup in Brazil. Their success and riches also helped them to turn Old Trafford into the largest club stadium in Britain, with a capacity of more than 75,000; match days at Old Trafford generated almost £20 million in 2012. The club took advantage of the markets and became one of the first football teams to float on the Stock Exchange, and a number of highly marketable players, such as Ryan
seasons, selling an average of 1.4 million shirts each year globally, on a sponsorship deal that is worth £25 million a year. Born as Newton Heath LYR FC in 1878, the club changed its name in 1902, winning their first First Division title in 1907/08, a first FA Cup in 1908/09 and a second league title in 1910/11. During the inter-war period, the team became a yo-yo team, moving between the first and second ties without much success, but it was the arrival of Matt Busby in 1945 that changed the fortunes of the club, perhaps forever. After consecutive second-place finishes in
1947, 1948 and 1949, as well as an FA Cup win in 1948, Busby led the team to its first league title for the first time in 41 years. With an average age of just 22 years, the 1952 team were affectionately known in the media as the Busby Babes. The Babes became the first English team to compete in the European Cup in 1957, eventually reaching the semi-final, where they lost to Real Madrid; but it was just a year later when tragedy struck. Travelling home from a European match with Red Star Belgrade, 23 lives, including eight of the Babes, were lost after their plane crashed on the runway in Munich. Busby rebuilt the team after the Munich Air Disaster however; and with the emergence of iconic players such as George Best, Bobby Charlton and Denis Law, United became one of the most popular teams in the country in the 1960s, winning two more league titles, an FA Cup, and becoming the first English team to lift the prestigious European Cup in 1968. But with Busby and Charlton both beginning to show their age, Best’s off-thefield problems and Law moving on to local rivals Manchester City, after a period of unrivalled success, Manchester United entered the darkest period of their existence. Between 1969 and 1986 there was no league or European glory, with just three FA Cups their meagre haul. The club spent periods out of the top flight and though Ron Atkinson went close to winning a league title in 1986, he was sacked just three months into the next season. Enter Alex Ferguson. Though it is easy now to look back on Sir Alex’s career and say he has been an unbridled success at Old Trafford, the reality is quite different. His first four seasons brought mixed success and he was reportedly on the brink of the sack before victory in the 1990 FA Cup saved his career; since then of course he has staged an almost relentless and unstoppable assault on English and European football. He finally overcame Liverpool’s English record of 19 league titles in 2011, they were on just seven when he arrived, and looks set to add a 20th this year.
april 2013 THE CITY 61
James Purdey & Sons Ltd. 57 - 58 South Audley Street, London W1K 2ED +44 (0)20 7499 1801 www.purdey.com
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motoring
icon
e is for
exceptional
Multi-generational coveting has immortalised the Jaguar E-Type as the most beautiful British car of all time, says DANIEL ENGELSMAN
W
hen the Jaguar E-Type made its debut in 1961 at the Geneva Auto Salon, it caused a sensation. The failed development of the XKSS sports car had seen Jaguar temporarily suspend production of a new XK car for four years, and the longawaited launch of the E-type made it a valiant contender, with the Mini, for the title of automotive icon of the decade. During its 13-year production stint, it went through three different incarnations, until it ceased production in 1974. During this
reign it came to epitomise all that was both good and bad about the British motoring industry at the time. A substantial top speed lent it a brief spot in racing history, with its engineering borrowed from earlier Le Mans-winning D-types. Above all, it looked remarkable, was comparatively inexpensive and its performance and tuning made it something of a forerunner to the modern-day supercar, which began to emerge at the end of the 60s. Flawless versions nowadays fetch colossal sums of money as collector’s pieces for adoring buyers. Aficionados are spread throughout the globe and there even exists a dedicated fan club which boasts members in over 50 countries.
Speed KING
To call the Bentley GT Speed ‘quick’ is the understatement of the year, says Mat thew Carter
T
wo hundred and five miles an hour. That, in anybody’s language, is fast. A jumbo jet, for example, lifts off when it hits 180mph, while Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari managed ‘only’ 187mph before he had to brake at the end of the Hangar Straight at Silverstone on his way to taking pole position at last year’s British Grand Prix. What about a Porsche 911 Turbo, you ask, one of the fastest sports cars around. Sorry, that has a top speed of just 194mph. Yes, 205mph is exceedingly rapid, but to be able to do it sitting in gentleman’s club luxury is little short of surreal. Yet that’s just what
this Bentley is capable of… not for nothing is it called GT Speed. Not that I did top the double ton, of course. Do that on public roads and you’ll be inside quicker than you could say Chris Huhne, while I’m not sure that any private test track in the UK has a straight long enough to wind the old girl up to its heady maximum. So why has Bentley produced the Speed – its fastest road car ever – if that performance can never be used? Two reasons. First, if you live in Germany or the Middle East, you can legally drive at those speeds on certain public roads. And second, because it’s automotive oneupmanship at its most basic. Drive a GT Speed and you’re guaranteed bragging rights at the golf club, the private gym… or the players’ car
british icons / motoring
park at every Premiership football ground in the country. Essentially, mine’s bigger than yours. The Continental GT is the best-selling model in Bentley’s history. More than 50,000 examples have been sold since the shape first appeared ten years ago and it’s quicker to name those top footballers who haven’t owned one than go through the list of those who have. The current Conti GT was introduced a couple of years back with some styling changes (though you’d need old and new side-by-side to spot them all). More significantly it went on a diet at the same time as a new, less thirsty, 4.0 litre V8 version was introduced alongside a mildly tweaked version of the mighty W12 unit. The Speed, though, is something else again. There are some external changes such as the darkened grille, vast 21-inch wheels and ‘rifled’ exhausts, while the interior has quilted leather seats and more bright metal detailing. But it’s what happens under the skin that’s most important, with significant changes to the engine and chassis. Power from the twin turbocharged six-litre engine is up by almost 50 horses to 616bhp while the unit’s torque, its pulling power, is up by 100Nm to 800Nm. In practice, that means a tidal wave of thrust every time you press the throttle. Licence preservation means you’ll probably never get to see that top speed on the clock, but the Speed’s in-gear acceleration – aided by a smooth and rapidly-shifting eight-speed automatic – is a readily accessible substitute. The transmission incorporates the wonderfully named ‘Block Shifting Technology’ which essentially means that it will change directly from, say, eighth gear to fourth for instant response. The only downside is that the gearbox can be a little over-eager to change down on even the slightest throttle opening. That said, overtaking has never been so easy, and is accompanied by a glorious bass bellow from the free-flowing exhaust. There is a price for all this performance, of course. Despite proud boasts from Bentley that a new engine management system with energy recuperation means a 12 per cent improvement in fuel economy, you’ll be lucky to see much more than 10mpg around town and perhaps 16mpg overall. To cope with this power, there have been changes to the Speed’s chassis with a ride height lowered by around 10mm and bigger wheels fitted as standard. The standard air suspension has been stiffened, as have the suspension bushes and dampers while the anti-roll bars have been uprated.
Yes, it does affect the ride which is noticeably firmer than the ‘ordinary’ Conti at lower speeds. But these things are relative: this is still a Bentley, after all, and comfort remains a priority. Despite its bulk, the GT Speed is as quick as any purpose-designed sports car but has the bonus of the interior space and comfort of a limousine. It is,
It is one of the few cars that can justify its Gran Turismo badge. I can think of no better car in which to cross Europe perhaps, one of the few cars on the market that can justify its GT – or Gran Turismo – badge. I can think of no better car in which to cross Europe. There’s another weapon in the GT Speed’s armoury, of course: permanent four-wheel drive. This is not an off-road vehicle but more in line with the Audi Quattro philosophy, giving added grip on tarmac. To prove the system works, we are at Thruxton race circuit in Hampshire, but high-speed laps are out of the question. The circuit is covered in sheet ice with a layer of snow on top. Grip is of the level afforded Bambi on that frozen lake. And yet, while maximum speeds are comparatively modest, it’s possible to drive this 2.7-tonne leviathan around the track far quicker than I’d thought possible. The levels of grip are extraordinary – even a full-blooded standing start on the ice brings no wheel spin as the car hurtles into the distance. Common sense, of course, says that the V8 Continental does damn near everything the GT Speed does but with a substantial saving on price and at the pumps. But sometimes common sense is for dullards…the GT Speed is an extraordinary feat of engineering. It’s just a shame you’d have to move to Germany to enjoy it to the full.
Car: Bentley Continental GT Speed Price: £151,000 Engine: 5,998cc, twin turbo W12-cylinder Power: 616 hp Performance: 205mph max, 0-60mph in 4.0secs Drive: Four-wheel drive, eight-speed automatic
april 2013 THE CITY 65
FASHION
icon
GO FuRTHER
STRIPES
A global brand that hasn’t forgotten its roots, Paul Smith is far more than rainbow stripes, says DANIEL ENGELSMAN
H
aving left school at the age of 15, Paul Smith aspired to be a racing cyclist but ended up as an errand boy at a clothing warehouse in his home town of Nottingham. At the age of 17, a terrible cycling accident left him immobilised for six months. While in hospital, re-evaluating his life, he realised his desire to be involved in the colourful world of fashion and, when discharged, he enrolled in tailoring classes. With some savings and the help of RCA fashion graduate Pauline Denyer, whom he later married, he dared to open his first shop in
Nottingham in 1970. Six years later, Paul’s first menswear collection was showcased in Paris and was the first fashion brand to open on Floral Street in London’s Covent Garden in 1979. Britain’s own London Fashion Week has featured his women’s collection ever year since the collection’s debut in 1998. Designed solely in either Nottingham or London, the collections are primarily produced in England and Italy. The enormous brand currently comprises 15 different collections and Paul Smith continues to have heavy involvement in every aspect of the business, allowing for a personal touch to be retained; something so often lost in companies of equivalent magnitude.
EASTERN PROMISES Intensive labour and perseverance all finally paid off for Bosideng director Gao Dekang, as the brand now sells countless millions of units year upon year. Bosideng set up shop last year in a scaleddown version of New York’s Gridiron building, costing £35 million. British designers Nick Holland and Ash Gangotra are behind the new spring/summer collection, which showcases a fusion of Chinese heritage and European style. The focus is on premium fabrics, manufacture, cut and detail. A colourful palette of fuchsia pink, royal blue, amber and saffron punctuates the core line of neutral tones. bosidenglondon.com
style: hIM This season’s most wearable trends for the stylish man about town
HAPPY FEET British sock company Pantherella has just celebrated its 75th anniversary, and its new spring collection is more varied and lively than ever. The introduction of lightweight luxurious yarns and weaves in harmonising colours welcomes balmier temperatures with a shift away from the heavier winter textures. For the first time, Pantherella has incorporated strong block colour pastels and puts any glumness away with wonderful summery colours such as Blue Zone, Bright Sunny Yellows, Whites and the new vibrant Redcurrant, which adds a pulsating hue to the collection. The traditional iconic design, met with contemporary styling, works to help you stand out from the crowd. pantherella.com
DIAMOND GEEZERS Not unlike many other British brands, Financial Style takes its inspiration from nostalgia. The ties, which are handmade in Italy and designed in London, look to traditional craftsmanship and timeless versatility to set the tone. Only the softest cashmere, silk and wool are used and the excellence is apparent. The sober palette and refined width of the ties render them traditional and classic, but with a modern age. Available in a variety of hues, shapes and weaves, they are a true glimpse of the opulence of the past. financialstyle.com
THE SMELL OF SUCCESS Globally renowned British motoring brand Bentley truly does have a reputation of prestige that precedes itself. Masters of automobile aesthetics and performance, they are, for the first time, presenting a premium fragrance line. Bentley For Men Intense is a potion that is sure to cause a sensation. Its top notes offer a cocktail of spicy and aromatic essences, concocted especially for cosmopolitan, confident, individualistic, and highly success– oriented men who attain satisfaction only from what they deem to be the very best. A glorious ‘Flying B’ signet is eminently embossed on the bottle’s shoulder. bentleymotors.com
NEWS
A BRIEF INTERVAL
MILITARY GRADE
Hamilton & Hare’s ‘underwear to be seen’ is tailored, making it quite literally a cut above the rest. Designed in London, the boxers combine a unique tailored cut, sized by trouser waist size and fashioned from fine materials for the most flattering and comfortable fit. A talented menswear designer from the Raf Simons team works in conjunction with an experienced Savile Row tailor to promise a flattering pair of boxers that sit perfectly under a sharp outfit but look similarly dashing in their own right.
These unusual belts are made from cotton parachute webbing made on shuttle looms to military specifications. Chapman Bags Parachute Webbing Belt, £59, chapmanbags.com
hamiltonandhare.com
SMOOTH MOVES The Real Shaving Company has been keeping men smooth, groomed and irresistible for 60 years. A three-step process that consists of pre-shave, shaving and post-shaving is properly cared for by products at each interval. All the products are comprised solely of natural and organic ingredients and this quality earned the brand the winning spot at the Men’s Health Grooming Awards in 2010. The Ultimate Shave Kit provides a full shaving experience that guarantees that you’re left with skin feeling soft, refreshed and conditioned. realshaving.com
A LOVE FOR TRADITION Founded in 1805, Crombie has really stood the test of time, dressing everyone from Winston Churchill to The Beatles. For its new spring/summer collection, Crombie is reflecting on the 50s and 60s. The focus is upon the burgeoning international jet setter, which emerged when the luxury class took off for the resorts of Lake Como, Nice and Monaco when the long hot summer beckoned. Double-breasted linen and cotton jackets, bright and light trousers, basketweave knits and printed Pima cotton shirts are teamed with featherweight silk scarves. The subtly complex range acknowledges that there is great elegance in clean lines and exceptional quality. crombie.co.uk
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Navy Jacket, £495, Waistcoat, £150, Trousers, £200, White Shirt, £125, Gieves & Hawkes, No. 1 Saville Row, gievesandhawkes.com; Tie, £65, and Pocket Square, £45, both Ede & Ravenscroft, edeandravenscroft.com; Bowler, £285, Lock & Co, lockhatters.co.uk
It’s a
LONDON thing
Photography Simon Lipman Fashion Editor Lucie Dodds
lifestyle / feature
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Jacket, £495, Waistcoat, £150, and Shirt, all Thomas Pink, thomaspink.com; Pocket Square, £25, Anderson & Sheppard, anderson-sheppard.co.uk; Tie, £65, Ede & Ravenscroft, edeandravenscroft. com; iPad folder, £300, Smythson; smythson.com OPPOSITE: Navy Jacket, £320, Waistcoat, £120, Trousers, £160, Blue Shirt, £85, all Jaeger, jaeger.co.uk; Blue Silk Tie, £95, Dunhill, dunhill.com; Umbrella, £225, Anderson & Sheppard, as before; Navy Leather Oxford Brogues, Grenson, grenson.co.uk; Umbrella, £225, Anderson & Sheppard, anderson-sheppard.co.uk
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Grey Three-piece Suit, £825, Blue and White Collared Shirt, £120, Spot Tie, £75, all Hackett, hackett.com; Black City III Brogues, £695, John Lobb, 88 Jermyn Street, SW1; Umbrella, £225, Anderson & Sheppard, as before OPPOSITE: Navy Peaked Lapel Single breasted Suit, £695, White Shirt, £95, Silk Tie, £75, Cotton Print Pocket Square, £45, all Chester Barrie, 020 7439 6079, chesterbarrie. com; Silver Knotted Cufflinks Thomas Pink, as before
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Grey Jacket, £350, Trousers, £150, Pink Shirt, £79, Pale Blue Silk Tie, £65, Pale Blue Braces, £59, all Ede & Ravenscroft, edeandravenscroft.com; Black Saint Crepin boots £1,100, John Lobb, as before OPPOSITE: Grey Prince of Wales Check Double-Breasted Suit, £700, Blue and White Collared Shirt, £120, Stripe Tie, £75, Print Cotton Pocket Square, £26, all Hackett, as before. Camera, Leica M3 and Elmar 5cm f/3.4 (1954), Leica Store Mayfair, leica-storemayfair.co.uk Grooming: Katie Pettigrew at Tiger Creative using Mac and Paul Mitchell
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D SI DE SIGN GNER GN ER WED EDDI DING DI NG DRE R SS S ES S MAD ADE E TO MEA E SU SUR RE R E IN ITTAL ALY Y 81 1 E bu b ry S tr t reee e e t Lo Lon n d on S W nd W1 1 0 20 2 0 7 90 901 1 90 0 20 lee sp p o sed ed d ig i io o .cc om om
news
REMOTE CONTROL Digitally cataloguing your entire wardrobe has not likely crossed your mind. It did, however, for Mounissa Chodieva, who realised in 2010 that there was no service to provide her with precise assistance for wardrobe management. Vault Couture is an innovative and personal membership service crafted specifically for resolving occasional ‘panic dressing’ and wardrobe conundrums. Ideal for shopaholics and travellers, a state-of-the-art storage facility in London houses garments when space is tight. The clothing items are photographed in the studio and uploaded to a digital catalogue. The remote archive is accessible on PCs, tablets and smartphones, and daily emails of clothing suggestions tailored to you help keep you looking your best. vaultcouture.com
style: her This season’s most wearable trends for the chicest woman about town
Three of the best... belts
HIGH SOCIETY Crystal and Bead-embellished Suede Waist Belt, £275, Matthew Williamson Net-a-porter.com
STRESS-FREE FASHION Richelle Stud Jeans Belt, £35, Whistles, Whistles.co.uk
Textured Snake Suede Belt, £45, Karen Millen, Karenmillen.com
Soon celebrating its second year in e-tail, Lucza is fast becoming the standout brand for effortless dressing. Founder Karen Scofield launched the company when she saw a gap in the market for high quality, understated yet elegant clothing. Lucza offers effortless online shopping of modern, easy-towear clothing, which streamlines the lives of today’s busy women.
Atelier-To-Go is a brand-new e-commerce platform that showcases a prudently curated edit of current labels, offered up in a glamorous but approachable package. A roster of experienced fashion insiders each add their own insights and style to AtelierTo-Go. The brands presented this season include Halston Heritage, Lara Bohinc, L’Agence and Rebecca Minkoff with a focus on Paper London. atelier-to-go.com
lucza.com
april 2013 THE CITY 79
STATUS
sYMBOL
Beloved by boutique hotels and interior designers everywhere, free-standing Edwardian roll-top baths are British vintage at its best
THE CHESTERFIELD...
The roll-top bath The on-going trend for old-fashioned British style continues with the Edwardian roll-top bath firmly established as a key piece for designer bathrooms everywhere. The grandiose style, with heavy clawed feet or coloured casings and elegant, ornate taps and fittings are both decadent and classic, at once an emblem of time-gone-by and a mark of the most modern and on-trend design. Perfectly suited to larger bathrooms, the generosity of space needed to house a bath such as this speaks to the trend for statement pieces throughout the home and is synonymous with romance and grandeur. Camelot cast-iron bathtub, with exterior in lead, ÂŁPOA Devon&Devon, devon-devon.com
interiors Heritage Boy, Tile Lamp Large, £1,950
Crystal bulb, £189 for bulb and fitting
the designer:
lee broom
Having launched his company only five years ago, relative newcomer Lee Broom shot to serious stardom in a short time, says EMMA JOHNSON, and is now one of the UK’s leading designers
L
ee Broom was awarded Designer of the Year at the British Design Awards 2011, has launched five furniture and lighting collections and designed more than 40 retail, restaurant and bar interiors. A huge supporter of British manufacturing techniques, Broom designs, makes and retails his own collections, while collaborating with leading brands such as Heal’s, Deadgood, Ballantines and Philips. He started out in theatre school, before winning a fashion design competition at 17, which saw him working with Vivienne Westwood and studying for a degree in fashion design at Central St Martins. While the fashion influence has never left him – in 2011, The Guardian commented, “Lee
Broom is to furniture what Marc Jacobs or Tom Ford are to fashion,” – he has spent the last five years working on a series of furniture collections which sell in London, Paris, New York, Hong Kong and the Middle East. His Heritage Boy collection launched in 2009 uses carpet, parquet and tiles to create striking modern pieces with British technique and design at its heart. In 2011, at the London Design Festival, Lee launched the glitzy Salon Collection, inspired by the curvaceous lines of 1930s upholstery, while his beautiful Crystal Bulb series, launched in Milan, was then sold in a studio he transformed into a striking shop for the 2012 London Design Festival. leebroom.com
Heritage Boy, Carpetry Sideboard, £8,650
The Salon Collection Armchair, £3,500 Footstool, £1,850
april 2013 THE CITY 81
interiors
Sinous Console table, £5,160, Charles Burnand, charlesburnand.com
Chester Chair, £1,100, Habitat, habitat.co.uk
Le Grand Oasis Bed, £5,760, Christopher Guy, christopherguy.com
the big 5:
british designers Find inspiration closer to home with leading British interior designers who blend traditional crafts, with classic and contemporary styles in a unique fusion of past and present
Hanging Ashwell Lantern, from £3,000, Charles Edwards, charlesedwards.com
Bensington ThreeSeater, Vintage Union Jack, £3,545, Timothy Oulton, timothyoulton.com
82 THE CITY april 2013
www.vgnewtrend.it
ph. Andrea Pancino C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
MY
K
VG Studio at
inspirations vision
style
design
www.idesign-int.com info@inspirationsoftickhill.co.uk Tel: 01302 760040
the big day made easy If you’re planning a wedding, take a stroll into The Royal Exchange to peruse the rings on offer at bespoke jewellers such as Bulgari, Tiffany and Theo Fennell. And while you’re there, take a moment to consider the venue itself as somewhere to host your big day. It’s impossible to not be struck by the building’s architectural grandeur – from its stunning entrance, the perfect setting for photographs, to the mezzanine lounge for stylish welcome drinks, and the central courtyard for a grand reception. The Royal Exchange not only boasts a unique backdrop to any celebration, but also offers an impressive package to cater for the needs of the most discerning bride and groom. The package includes Champagne on arrival and for the toast, canapés, seasonal threecourse wedding breakfast created by head chef Robin Tarver, wine, coffee, petits fours and wedding cake. There’s even a dedicated on-site bridal suite for any last minute touch-ups. Grand Café Wedding Package, from £165pp
Do the write thing ↑ With its pedigree deeply rooted in writing, Montblanc has always been committed to the support of education and literacy. The new ‘Signature for Good’ collection is a special selection of writing instruments, jewellery items (including cufflinks) and leather accessories that will help to aid UNICEF’s education programmes. A portion of the profits of each item sold during March will go direct to the programmes, with the hope of
raising $1.5m before the start of April. The money will help fund projects that support underprivileged children in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The ‘Signature for Good’ collection will feature the classic Meisterstück pen in the Fountain, Rollerball and Ballpoint models, however the design has been tweaked. These black resin writing instruments each have a symbolic rectangular brick pattern – as a reference to the building and running of schools projects – as well as a blue sapphire
www.theroyalexchange.uk.com
CITY MAG APR 13.indd 1-2
set into the cap-top ring, which is inspired by UNICEF’s brand colour. Each piece in the collection carries an individual serial number associated with a brick. Speaking about the ‘Signature for Good’ project, the CEO of Montblanc International Lutz Bethge said: ‘Our aim was to create a collection that not only appeals through its design, style and fine craftsmanship, but that has a greater purpose by enabling real change.’ Montblanc Meisterstück ‘Signature For Good’ pens, from £305 to £540
promotion
Please bee mine ↑
The perfect setting ↑
Promised hand ↑
The range of engagement and wedding rings at Theo Fennell is as intriguing as it is expansive. True to form, all of the pieces are unique and incredibly intricate and created in a workshop that’s just down the road from The Royal Exchange. For example this 4.10ct Asschercut cushion ring is crafted from 18ct white gold and adorned with the motif of a cute honeybee. Theo Fennell Amethyst Bee & Blossom Ring, £4,500
Created over a century ago, the Tiffany Setting has come to be the world’s favourite engagement ring mount, and it’s very easy to see why. Described as the ‘ring of rings’, the Tiffany Setting is delightfully simple, creating the perfect stage for the diamond’s various virtues. If you’re nervous about popping the question, this sparkling ring will certainly provide a sizeable dose of courage. The Tiffany Setting, from £7,500
Bulgari’s new Eternal Promise collection features a number of dazzling pieces, including the Corona and Griffe diamond rings and matching wedding bands. The Corona (above) is a contemporary interpretation of a classic diamond setting, with its mounting inspired by the classic, and rather romantic, symbol of the crown. The Griffe, by contrast, is refined, elegant and enhanced by a more traditional setting. POA, from Bulgari
Bit of a classic ↓ Gucci’s legendary horsebit loafer has been a fashion icon for decades – six of them to be precise. It has been a mainstay for fashion-conscious folk the world over, adorning the feet of thousands over the years. Now, to celebrate the shoe’s 60th birthday, the fashion house has created the 1953 collection for men and women. The new loafers, available in a wide range of colours and materials, are light, pliable and, above all, immensely comfortable. Gucci 1953 Loafers, from £340
Think inside the box ↑ This Deluxe Accessory Box by Sage Brown is the perfect way to safely store and organise all your valuables – including that special ring. Beautifully crafted from wood and fine calf leather, the box has a lift-out tray as well as one full-length compartment, both lined with rich suede. Perhaps the best thing about this jewellery box is its secret chamber, located… well, we shan’t tell... Sage Brown Deluxe Accessory Box, £54
Agent ProvocAteur • ArtisAn Fine Art gAllery • BAchet • Boodles • BvlgAri • church’s • crockett & Jones • grAnd cAFÉ • gucci • hArrys oF london • hermÈs imPeriAl city • Jo mAlone london • Jones lAng lAsAlle • kiehl’s since 1851 • koJis • loewe • loro PiAnA • lulu guinness • l’occitAne • mezzAnine lounge molton Brown • montBlAnc • omegA • PAul A. young Fine chocolAtes • PAul smith • PAvArotti’s • PenhAligon’s • Pretty BAllerinAs • royAl exchAnge Jewellers sAge Brown Fine leAther • seArle & co Jewellers • sAuterelle restAurAnt • smoker’s PArAdise • smythson • tAteossiAn • theo Fennell • tiFFAny & co. vileBrequin • wAtches oF switzerlAnd • wAtchFinder & co.
the royAl exchAnge, BAnk, city oF london, ec3v 3lr. store trAding hours 10Am – 6Pm. restAurAnts & BArs 8Am – 11Pm
13/03/2013 17:46
BREWING COMPANY
food & drink
icon
a very british
I
breakfast
Although it is still the new kid on the block in relative terms, The Wolseley feels as though it has been around for decades, posits DANIEL ENGELSMAN
n 1921, an architect named William Curtis Green designed an illustrious car showroom in Piccadilly for Wolseley Motors. The building opened in November 1921 and was lavishly adorned with Venetian and Florentine detailing, including towering marble pillars, arches and stairways. It was a great testament to the ambitions of the company, although sadly the cars did not sell well, and five years later the company went bankrupt. In July 2003, Chris Corbin and Jeremy King, the men behind the renewed fame and success of Le Caprice and The Ivy, set a plan into
action to restore the locale and renovate it as a restaurant. The Wolseley opened in November 2003; the listed interiors thrilling visitors with a synthesis of the old and the new. Eclectic lunch and dinner menus incorporate European classics, but it is breakfast for which the restaurant is perhaps most renowned, so much so that A.A Gill penned an entire book on how to enjoy a morning meal, Wolseley-style. To this day, the buzz of the high-calibre clientele – a favourite in the world of media – doing business over a power breakfast of coffee, kippers and Eggs Benedict never fails to impress and inspire.
FOOD
DRINK
The best fine dining has to offer, right on your doorstep
FROM PARIS WITH LOVE After Versailles and New York, the most highly esteemed stars of the culinary world; the Grands Chefs Relais & Châteaux take to London on 22 April for the third annual Dîner des Grands Chefs. The charity dinner will celebrate the best of British produce, with proceeds going to humanitarian aid organisation Action Against Hunger. In the heart of the City at Old Billingsgate Market, the event will provide a lucky 600 guests with the privilege of a once-in-a-lifetime gastronomic journey. The Grands Chefs will pool their virtuosity in dream teams of three, with each team formulating a uniquely crafted menu for the gala dinner, to be washed down with vintage Pommery Champagne. dinerdesgrandschefs.com
dinner divine
Gordon Ramsay’s latest outpost, Bread Street Kitchen, just might be his best, says emma johnson It’s only a Tuesday night but Bread Street Kitchen is buzzing – everyone is here, from City boys and their clients to girls and their veritable harem of gal pals. The atmosphere is bold and loud, the open-style kitchen hisses with steam and chefs’ calls pepper the bustling hum across the rest of the restaurant. We’re generously seated in a corner booth, looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the poor soul still
crunching the numbers in the office block across the street. I feel terrible for him, but I have to admit this is instantly forgotten as the jovial sommelier swings past with a glass of Champagne for us, a joke or two and some warm, freshly baked bread. Divine. We greedily kickstart our dinner with three starters, influences filter in from across the globe - with the sushi inspired Raw Bar offering saltwater prawns on toast with brown crab mayonnaise - they are light, refreshing and moreish; we also enjoy scallops with treacle bacon, an absolute revelation, and sweet and naughty tamarind spiced chicken wings. Main courses take the form of rib eye steak, cooked just long enough to allow the rich fat to melt into the meat, and the accompanying bearnaise and macaroni cheese are some of the best I’ve had. The other half’s seared tuna is a recommendation from our wonderful and informative waiter, and is great - seared expertly and served with parnsip mash, a sweet, nutty accompaniment that suits the tuna perfectly. We match this with a wonderful Haut-Medoc from the impressively international wine list. Later, a saunter past majestic St Paul’s just around the corner finishes off a wonderful night. What a fab addition to the City. 10 Bread St , EC4M, gordonramsay.com/bread-street
FOOD&DRINK
FOOD ON THE MOVE The contemporary ‘kaiten’ (conveyor belt) restaurant K10 has been serving the City with quality sushi for more than a decade and has just opened a second restaurant on Appold Street. Star dishes include seared sesame tuna served with a miso and mustard vinaigrette, a variety of katsu curries, chicken and salmon teriyaki served three ways, gyoza, and their renowned chilli baby squid. K10, 3 Appold Street, EC2A
THE SAUCIER’S APPRENTICE Located in London Bridge, Brigade restaurant serves up a medley of intricate yet accessible dishes, inspired by chef and founder Simon Boyle’s culinary travels and appreciation of seasonal gastronomy. Recognising the need for quality as well as patriotism, the restaurant has a meticulous sourcing policy and strong links with British farmers and markets. The restaurant is also part of a social initiative in conjunction with PwC that supports the Beyond Food Foundation. Understanding that food is an opportunity to really bring people together, their Cook School offers a fresh start to 250 vulnerable people each year. Recent patrons include Prince Andrew, Boris Johnson and David Cameron. Brigade, 139 Tooley St, SE1
THE SPICE OF LIFE On Thursday 18 April, the sixth annual Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch will be held at London’s Guildhall to raise funds for ABF, The Soldiers’ Charity. Roger Gifford, the 685th Lord Mayor of The City of London, will host this year’s lunch, which over the last five years has raised £870,000. In attendance, there will be senior officers of the British Army, members of the Houses of Parliament, the Ministry of Defence ministerial team, recently-returned soldiers, City professionals and business leaders. The £95 ticket is now available and includes fabulous curries, as well as beer and wine. bigcurry.org
Steak Street richard brown takes a tour of the meatcentric menu at The New Street Grill It’s located in an area of the City where you’ll pay five quid for a pint and two-and-half mill’ for a two bedroom flat. Unfortunately, for anyone not on a corporate, all-expense-paid-for-jolly, it’s a fact that The New Street Grill feel they can reflect in their prices. A threescallop starter will set you back £13. The cheapest steak will separate you from £23.50 (without sides) and if you fancy an Irish coffee then kiss goodbye to a tenner. No denying it’s a little pricey then, but is it worth the money? In the case of the scallops, yes. These Scottish pearls were caramelised, warm in the middle, and far more succulent than the bouncy, tough balls served elsewhere. An equally commendable steak tartare came hand-chopped and pleasingly coarse in texture. Beef provided the largest part of the menu: rib-eye steaks, fillet, sirloin, rump – even the menu was made from cowhide. My guest’s New York Strip came thick, bravely seared and heavily seasoned. A fine cut oozing with taste but perhaps not quite worth the £32 asking price. Having opted for the tartare to start, I decided on the turbot for mains. The fish was very well-cooked and plump enough to fall apart in the mouth. Of our side dishes, the mash potato was most noteworthy, as silky as the textiles once stored in this former East India Company warehouse. The New Street Grill is undoubtedly a nice place to be. It suffers from none of the atmospheric issues that plague other recently opened restaurants, proving to be impressively busy even on a Tuesday. The chairs are comfy, the lighting low, the wood panelling dark. Perhaps inconsistent with the restaurant’s claim to be modernly British, it transports you to a place more reminiscient of a New York speakeasy than anything in the UK. The adjoining Old Bengal Bar serves fantastic cocktails and is a great place to begin or conclude an evening around dinner. Wine connoisseurs can take advantage of an associated wine shop, which offers twicemonthly tastings with a distinguished sommelier. There’s also a large, well-appointed terrace that will no doubt do well in the summer. Dessert was fine and reasonably priced. A custard tart with cinnamon ice cream, and a Bramley apple and raisin pie, impressed with their level of presentation. Both, I’m sure, will be heavily Instagrammed by those who do that sort of thing. 16A New Street, newstreetgrill.co.uk
april 2013 THE CITY 89
drink
British Tipple Phil Crozier goes on a whistlestop tour of British wine-growing, and recommends some of his all time favourites
E
nglish wine is enjoying a big resurgence these days. Its origins are almost certainly the work of the Romans when they visited these shores. By the time of the Domesday Book (in 1086), there were 46 vineyards in England and Wales, and by the time of Henry VIII, in the 16th century, there were 136, of which 11 were owned by the Crown, 67 by noblemen and 52 by the Church. There are now more than 400 vineyards, producing two million bottles per annum. To put this into context, that is the same number of bottles that a small to medium-sized winery in Spain would produce. The biggest producer is Denbies in Dorking, Surrey, at 250 acres. The majority of the grapes are white and of Germanic origin, since we just don’t get enough sun to produce good reds. With global warming, perhaps that might change. I look forward to trying a Scottish Pinot from the Highlands in 2050…but somehow I doubt it will happen. I really like the Bacchus grape, a German hybrid specifically developed for the edgy British climate. Our greatest success has been with sparkling wine. Some areas of southern England share the same chalk line with Champagne, a factor that many new to the industry are keen to exploit. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are naturally high in acid, which is maintained in cool climates. Recent examples, when tasted blind against their French counterparts, have come out on top, most notably the Nyetimber, chalking up an impressive 65 awards, including Best
90 THE CITY APRIL 2013
Worldwide Sparkling Wine three times! Available in Waitrose, and of course many top restaurants in London and beyond. Vineyards can be found in Wales and most of southern England, but its main concentration is Sussex, where the soils and south-facing vines tend to get better sun exposure. For more inspiration, London has its own champion of English wine, based in Borough Market, winepantry.co.uk. Phil Crozier is director of wine at Cavas de Gaucho in Piccadilly, Winner ‘Specialist Merchant of the Year’ Argentina International Wine Challenge 2007
Wines to try Look for a winery name on the label, which should mean that it is produced and bottled by British producers, from British grapes. Phil Recommends: Nyetimber Cuvée Classic Made from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with notes of brioche and red fruits, white flowers and grilled almonds; a match for any of the great Champagnes. £29.95, Berry Brothers Ridgeview Marksman Sparkling 2009 Red apple, brioche and exotic spice. 100 per cent Chardonnay. £132 (case of six), Marks & Spencer. Camel Valley Bacchus 2011 One of England’s finest still wines from the wonderful Bacchus grape, it originates from Cornwall. Somewhere between a Mosel Riesling and a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, with added nettles. £14.95, Berry Bros
P L E A S E E N J OY O U R C H A M PA G N E R E S P O N S I B LY DRINKAWARE .CO.UK
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FROZEN PLANET
Abercrombie & Kent’s Antarctica Voyage promises a true adventure where no two days are the same. The isolation of the ‘White Continent’ and the fact that it is virtually untouched by humans mean that the sprawling array of wildlife is observable in their protected natural habitat. A&K exclusively charters the vessel Le Boreal, which is equipped with state-of-the-art maritime technology which enables it to cross narrow fjords. Twice-daily wildlife excursions led by several of the world’s most esteemed Antarctica explorers and naturalists, as well as a visit to a research station, give you a glorious and comprehensive glance into this once-in-a-lifetime destination. abercrombiekent.co.uk
TRAVEL
SHEIKH IT UP Fifty years ago, Abu Dhabi was a simple fishing village but it is now entirely unrecognisable. The luxurious and dynamic destination attracts more than two million visitors each year. The Ritz-Carlton’s new Grand Canal hotel and luxury resort has 532 rooms, is the first Ritz-Carlton in Abu Dhabi and the ninth property in the Middle East. Inspired by Renaissance architecture and the city of Venice, the hotel is located on the waterfront and is comprised of ten majestic buildings organised in a crescent formation, with a striking backdrop of the imposing Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. ritzcarlton.com
Travel Pillow in Mono Spot, £75, Otis Batterbee, Otisbatterbee.com
From long-haul retreats to weekend escapes, chic city stopovers to tropical hideaways, these are some of the world’s top haunts
A STORY TO TELL
Known in the wedding industry as one of the UK’s top ten venues, the simply stunning Chaucer Barn can’t help but spill romance into its luxury breaks. Nestled in the heart of north Norfolk, relax and recuperate in complete tranquility. Nine double bedrooms keeps numbers intimate, while a host of facilities from the modern addition of Sky and Sports packages in every room, to the old world charm of wood and kindling laid ready in the open fires, caters for every concern so you can forget about yours. chaucerbarn.com
OFF THE WALL The Surrey of New York, which occupies top billing on the Upper East Side’s 76th and Madison, has announced its partnership as the exclusive Upper East Side hotel partner for the contemporary art fair, Frieze New York. The hotel is offering special rates for guests who wish to stay between 1 and 15 May. Frieze New York is an annual event and showcases in excess of 180 of the most forward-thinking galleries from around the planet. The event is located a short 15-minute taxi ride from the hotel on Randall’s Island, where guests can view and purchase pieces from more than a thousand of the world’s leading contemporary artists. thesurrey.com
april 2013 THE CITY 93
A little piece of
paradise
Emma Johnson visits Angsana Balaclava in Mauritius and finds a tasteful, romantic hideaway offering all the luxury of a resort with the exclusivity of a boutique hotel
travel
M
auritius has long been one of the most desirable locations for honeymoons, luxurious breaks and decadent getaways. With more than 30 years’ experience in catering to the exacting standards of worldwide travellers, this stunning island remains amongst the top luxury escapes in the world; not least because of its many sprawling resorts, boasting numerous restaurants, golf courses, private beaches, extensive spas and a host of activities.
While many of these resorts are among the best in the world, for those who just want to completely escape from the world, they can feel less like luxury resorts and more like busy holiday camps. As we become more discerning, craving more space and fewer people, privacy and solitude have become our paramount concern. New opening from the Banyan Tree group, Angsana Balaclava is Mauritius’ first, and only, boutique hotel, boasting huge suites, days and days of peace and quiet and the kind of exclusivity you just can’t get at a larger venue. We arrive after the 12-hour non-stop flight from Gatwick and are quickly
ushered into the amazing YU Lounge at Mauritius Airport, set in its own private terminal, where cooling towels, Champagne, delicious canapés and air-conditioning leave us feeling instantly rejuvenated. Reclining on sofas and marvelling at the mountains and endless blue skies while the team at YU not only find and bring our luggage for us, but also check us through security, feels like the height of luxury travel. And we haven’t even left the airport yet. Amazing. While I catch up on a few emails via the free Wi-Fi, my husband is given a private guided tour of their dedicated duty-free shop, and then it’s time to head to the hotel.
APRIL 2013 THE CITY 95
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The huge stone bath looks out to the horizon, making it the perfect place to enjoy an evening sundowner We are collected by a driver from Mautourco, the premier chauffeur and events company on the island, and the 45-minute drive flies past as he gives us a comprehensive rundown of Mauritius’ history. Later on, he will take us back to the airport, taking the road that loops around the opposite side of the island, ensuring we have a fully-rounded idea of the place he calls home. He is obviously proud of Mauritius’ past and present, and it’s easy to see why. Smiling faces and helpful hands greet us as we arrive at Angsana Balaclava. As we step into an airy lounge, open on all sides to the fresh air and cool breeze blowing in from the ocean, it’s now that we really realise (with delight) how far away we are from the cold and the rain. Our personal butler leads us to our ‘room’ – which is definitely more of a luxury suite situated right on the sand. There are around ten Beach Bungalows at Angsana, dotted along the white sand, in amongst drunkenly-leaning palm trees, all boasting wonderful views of the sunset. The huge
96 THE CITY april 2013
bedroom opens onto a wide terrace, with an L-shaped plunge pool running around one side. The pool can be accessed directly from the terrace or from the bath/shower room which runs down one side of our suite and opens fully into the pool. The huge stone bath looks out to the horizon, making it the perfect place to enjoy an evening sundowner and enjoy the view. From the terrace, a little path leads down to a private space on the beach, complete with sunbeds and sunshades; further on, wooden tables attached to the trunks of trees provide another cosy spot to sit and watch the world go by. We have arrived mid-afternoon and take advantage of the final few hours of sunshine on our private sunbeds, before changing for drinks and dinner and heading to the bar. Cocktails feel like the right thing to do, and we pull up a stool at the attractive Sylea bar, housed in a huge stone structure, open to the air on all sides. Dinner follows at the hotel’s main restaurant, Oryza, with plenty of fish, local specialities and seasonal dishes on offer.
The menu changes every day, ensuring something different each evening, while dining options on the beach and in your room means variety is guaranteed. The next morning we wake to perfect weather and head to the hotel’s pool for a morning of sun worshipping. The sandy poolside space has a few other guests, but it’s not busy and the mood is peaceful and calm. At lunch we swim across the pool to the Passion Grill bar and restaurant and enjoy a cooling glass of Mauritian beer while sitting submerged in the pool (I’m not sure the novelty of pool bars ever loses its sparkle), followed by a light lunch of Mauritian specials at the casual daytime restaurant. The afternoon sees an indulgent few hours in the amazing spa, followed by a special dinner at a private table overlooking the pool and the ocean beyond. Throughout our stay we certainly see other guests, and there’s a gentle, friendly atmosphere in the bar and restaurant each evening, but overall it feels secluded and exclusive; our wonderful beach-front suite providing all the privacy we could want. Boutique hotels might not be a common thing on luxury tropical islands, but I am pretty sure they’ll soon catch on – because who doesn’t want to travel that far and feel they’ve left the rest of the world behind? angsana.com/en/balaclava
more information Select Collection (0207 491 7171 selectcollection.com or visit their boutique in Mayfair) offers seven nights for the price of five, at Angsana Balaclava from £3,990 per person in a Garden Suite, based on two people sharing on a half board basis. Save an additional £350pp for all bookings confirmed more than 45 days before departure. The price includes: BA Business Class flights from London, use of BA lounge at London Gatwick, VIP arrival & departure from Mauritius through YU Lounge and private platinum transfers with Mautourco airport-hotel (Mercedes or BMW7). Offer valid 6 April – 30 September 2013.
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15/3/11 13:35:46
TRAVEL
A DECADE At London City
A
s British Airways marks its tenth anniversary at the Docklands airport it is firmly established as the largest airline in terms of both passenger numbers and routes. The first aircraft with a British Airways tail, an Avro RJ100, took off from London City on 30 March 2003, operating to Paris and Frankfurt. Now, ten years on, the airline flies to 23 destinations in the UK, Europe and USA on one of the youngest aircraft fleets in the business. Originally London City was perceived as a business airport, serving the thriving office communities of Canary Wharf and East London. The British Airways route network reflected that, with Glasgow, Edinburgh and Geneva added to the schedule in the first year of operation. The business route network continued to grow with extra frequency added on existing routes that were proving very popular with customers. Although some of the existing routes, such as Nice, served as both business and holiday destinations, it was in 2010 that British Airways launched its first leisure-only flights to Majorca and Ibiza. With a growing residential population in East London there was huge demand from travellers wanting short weekend breaks or longer holidays in the sun. Frequency was doubled on both routes in the first 12 months and from last winter they both became yearround destinations. British Airways added the third Balearic Island of Menorca to its leisure portfolio last year, along with flights to Malaga, Venice, Quimper and Angers. In 2009 there was a significant first for London City Airport when British Airways launched the airport’s first ever long haul route, with double daily all business class flights to New York. British Airways has a fleet of 14 new Embraer 170 and 190 aircraft, a leased Saab 2000 plus two long haul Airbus A318 aircraft, based at London City Airport, and the airline carries over 1.2 million passengers every year. The tenth anniversary celebrations begin on 27 March with a birthday party at the Museum of London Docklands, hosted by football legend Gary Lineker and Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group (IAG), parent company of British Airways. The evening will be attended by over 200 guests who have each
played a part in the airline’s ten years of success at London City. Celebrity guests will provide the entertainment and money raised on the night will go to Flying Start, British Airways’ global charity partnership with Comic Relief. Luke Hayhoe, British Airways general manager commercial at London City says: “We saw the potential in London City Airport because of its unique geographic position and the excellent ground transport links that feed into it. Ten years ago there were 55,000 office workers in Canary Wharf, today that number has more than doubled and we’re delighted that many of them now choose to fly direct from the Docklands with British Airways for both business and leisure travel. We are looking forward to a year-long celebration to mark our growth and we want our customers and staff to be involved in that. They are the people who have helped us reach our top position at London City.” Matthew Hall, chief commercial officer at London City Airport says: “London City Airport would not be the success it is today without British Airways as a key partner. LCY is the only airport actually in London and with the dramatic transformation that has taken place in east London and Docklands, we are the local airport for the business community in the City and for the booming residential population in the surrounding areas. We wish British Airways a very happy anniversary and look forward to the next ten years.
more information British Airways currently operates from London City to four UK destinations, 18 destinations in Europe and twice daily flights to New York. In addition, franchise partner Sun Air flies twice daily flights to Billund in Denmark in British Airways colours. All British Airways fares include a generous free 23kg luggage allowance, free on-line check-in and seat selection 24 hours before departure, complimentary food and drink on board and no charge for debit card payments. Further details and fares available at www.ba.com/londoncity
APRIL 2013 THE CITY 99
travel
Destination...
venice AIMEE LATIMER wanders off Venice’s typical tourist path to experience the Venetians’ city Where to stay… Palazzina G The Palazzina G hotel is nestled behind a 16th-century façade facing the Grand Canal. Not immune to the romance of Venice, it boasts a softly lit Champagne bar and suites dotted with high terraces. Through the front doors you tumble down the rabbit hole into a spectre of layered glass, brightly coloured walls, sheep stools and sultry bars that combine 15th-century infrastructure with state-of-the-art appliances for a hedonistically luxurious stay. No wonder Johnny Depp’s a fan. palazzinag.com
Where to eat… Caffé Florian The restaurants in the tourist districts of the city vary greatly in quality. However, the streets are teeming with gorgeous coffee shops scattered alongside the canal and boutique cafés scooping out servings of Venice’s famous gelato. For a memorable experience visit Caffè Florian in Piazza San Marco. Opened in 1720 it stands as Italy’s oldest café. Steeped in rich history, its patrons have included great Italian playwrights and Britain’s Charles Dickens and Lord Byron. An art hub, the walls are covered in the works of sculptors, artists and cartoonists, with many pieces from the Florian’s private collection loaned to art museums around the world. Enjoy one of the Florian’s trademarked coffees, teas and chocolates while sat inside the café’s frescoed rooms or outside in the Piazza, listening to the orchestra play long into the night.
What to do… Tour the Venice Lagoon
From top to bottom: A classic Venice scene; Palazzina G; Venice Island; Lido di Venezia; Balcony at Palazzina G.
Take a private tour of Murano, Burano and Torcello – the famous islands of the Venice Lagoon. Private tours from guides who are experts in English encourage you away from the typical tourist routes to view the hidden gems Venice has to offer. The islands showcase the country’s rich culture without the throngs of visitors bustling for space: shop for lace in Burano, visit Venice’s first ever church in the peaceful streets of Torcello and watch the world-famous glass-blowing at Murano.
i
British Airways offers daily flights between London City airport and Venice (except Saturdays). Customers benefit from a quick and easy service at London City Airport, with transfer from kerbside to airside just 15 minutes. Book with ba.com.
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For the final stop to conclude your trip, take a short boat-ride from St Mark’s to Lido di Venezia, a 11km long sandbar along the Adriatic Sea. The island’s Palazzo del Cinema, the site of the world-renowned Venice Film Festival, will feature in the festival’s 80th anniversary this September. Why not rent a bike, available for as little as half an hour, and ride along the beach to catch a glimpse of the Grand Hotel des Bains hotel, the famous setting of Thomas Mann’s classic novel Death in Venice?
Florian: pio3 / Shutterstock.com
Don’t Miss… Lido di Venezia
THE Directory Whether you want to dine or to drink, to purchase gorgeous gifts and stylish outfits, to keep fit or to be pampered, the City is home to a wealth of services and amenities
Collection
Health & Beauty
Bachet
Ajala Spa
12 The Courtyard
10 Godliman Street
020 3405 1437
020 7074 1010
bachet.fr
www.ajalaspa.com
Virgin Active 5 Old Broad Street, 0845 270 4080 virginactive.co.uk Barber Express Ltd
artisangalleries.com
14 Devonshire Row Chequers Beauty
2 & 3 The Courtyard
020 7377 5485
Salon
Royal Exchange
barberexpress.co.uk
53-54 Leadenhall Market
020 7283 7284
020 7283 3047
City Health & Fitness
boodles.com
chequersbeauty.co.uk
Club London
Bulgari Royal Exchange 020 7283 4580 bulgari.com Ernest Jones Unit 3, Plantation Place 020 7929 4491 ernestjones.co.uk Goldsmiths 186-190 Bishopsgate 020 7283 6622 goldsmiths.co.uk
Grange City Hotel, Elysium Spa
8-10 Cooper’s Row
21 Old Broad Street
cityhealthclub.co.uk
020 7256 8624 elysiumfortytwo.co.uk
Kiehls Unit 14/15, Royal Exchange 020 7283 6661 kiehls.co.uk Jo Malone 24 Royal Exchange 08701 925131 jomalone.co.uk L’Occitane
144 Fetter Lane Essential Therapy
29 Royal Exchange
020 7702 3553
39 Whitefriars Street
020 7929 7722
fetterbarbers.com
loccitane.co.uk
F Flit tner
Paul A Young Fine
020 7353 1895 essential-therapie.co.uk
86 Moorgate
Chocolates
Optix
020 7606 4750
20 Royal Exchange
175 Bishopsgate
fflittner.com
020 7929 7007
020 7628 0330 optixuk.com
paulayoung.co.uk London City Runner 10 Ludgate Broadway
Smilepod bank studio
9 Royal Exchange
Leadenhall Market
020 7623 3626
off Fenchurch Street
gucci.com
18-20 Cullum Street
Nicholson & Griffin
020 7836 6866
74 Cannon Street, EC4N 6AE
smilepod.co.uk
020 7489 8551
Hermes
020 7929 5656
Fet ter Barbers Ltd
Gucci
12-13 Royal Exchange
Artisan Fine Art 35 Royal Exchange
Boodles
15 The Courtyard
Retail
020 7329 1955 londoncityrunner.com
nicholsonandgriffin.com
Penhaligon’s 4 Royal Exchange 020 7623 3131 penhaligons.com Smoker’s Paradise 33 Royal Exchange 020 7626 6078 smokersparadise.8m.com
020 7626 7794
The Harley
hermes.com
Medical Group
Ted’s Grooming Room
Links of London
Marc House
120 Cheapside
27 Royal Exchange
Great Street
020 7367 9932
020 7621 0021
0800 022 3385
tedsgroomingroom.com
moltonbrown.com
27 Broadgate Circle 020 7628 9668
Molton Brown
linksoflondon.com
harleymedical.co.uk
Tower Bridge Health &
Paul Smith
Montblanc
The Private Clinic
Fitness Club
Unit 7, The Courtyard
10-11 Royal Exchange
107 Cheapside
47 Prescot Street
Royal Exchange
020 7929 4200
0800 599 9911
020 7959 5050
020 7626 4778
montblanc.com
theprivateclinic.co.uk
grangehealthclubs.com
paulsmith.co.uk
Boodles
SushiSamba
High Timber Restaurant
Madison Restaurant
Fashion
Bars and Pubs
Restaurants
Agent Provocateur
1 Lombard Street
1901 at andaz hotel
5 Royal Exchange
1 Lombard Street
40 Liverpool Street
020 7623 0229
020 7929 6611
020 7618 7000
agentprovocateur.com
1lombardstreet.com
andazdining.com
Grand Café
Grappolo 1 Plough Place 020 7842 0510 grappololondon.com
Bulgari
Anise Bar
Anohka Indian
The Courtyard, Royal Exchange
15 The Courtyard, Royal Exchange
9 Devonshire Square
Restaurant St. Pauls
020 7618 2480
020 7283 4580
020 3642 8679
4 Burgon Street
royalexchange-grandcafe.co.uk
bulgari.com
Anthologist
020 7236 3999 anokha-indian.com
Haz Restaurant Plantation Place
Church’s
58 Gresham Street
28 Royal Exchange
0845 468 0101
Brasserie Blanc
6 Mincing Lane
020 7929 7015
theanthologistbar.co.uk
60 Threadneedle Street
020 7929 3173
020 7710 9440
hazrestaurant.co.uk
church-footwear.com
Balls Brothers
Crockett & Jones
11 Blomfield Street
25 Royal Exchange
020 7588 4643
0207 929 2111 crockettandjones.com Harrys of London 18 Royal Exchange 020 7283 4643
brasserieblanc.com
High Timber Restaurant
Caffé Concerto
8 High Timber Street
One New Change
020 7248 1777
Bar Bat tu
020 7494 6857
hightimber.com
48 Gresham Street
caffeconcerto.co.uk
020 7036 6100 barbattu.com
Madison Restaurant
Chamberlain’s
2 New Change
Restaurants
020 8305 3088
Prism
23-25 Leadenhall Market
madisonlondon.net
147 Leadenhall Street
020 7648 8690
020 7256 3888
chamberlains.org
Vertigo 42
Chez Gerard
020 7600 0992
Tower 42, Old Broad Street
14 Trinity Square
mintleaflounge.com
Hugo Boss
020 7877 7842
020 7213 0540
One New Change
vertigo42.co.uk
chezgerard.co.uk
020 7332 0573
Hawksmoor Guildhall
Cinnamon Kitchen
020 7375 2568
10-12 Basinghall Street
9 Devonshire Square
individualrestaurantcompanyplc.co.uk
020 7397 8120
020 7626 5000
thehawksmoor.com
cinnamon-kitchen.com
020 7236 3635
Counting House
Fora Restaurant
Royal Exchange
1-2 Royal Exchange Buildings
50 Cornhill
34-36 Houndsditch
020 7618 2483
020 7626 2782
020 7283 7123
020 7626 2222
sauterelle-restaurant.co.uk
karenmillen.com
fullers.co.uk
forarestaurants.co.uk
harrysoflondon.com Loro Piana 2-3 Royal Exchange 020 7398 0000 loropiana.com
hugoboss.com Karen Millen One New Change
Mint Leaf Lounge 12 Angel Court
Piccolino Restaurant 11 Exchange Square
Restaurant Sauterelle The Courtyard
Sushisamba
L.K. Bennett
Searcys Champagne Bar
Gat tis Restaurant
Floors 38 and 39
One New Change
One New Change
1 Finsbury Avenue
Heron Tower
020 7236 4711
020 7871 1213
020 7247 1051
020 3640 7330
searcyschampagnebars.co.uk
gattisrestaurant.co.uk
sushisamba.com
lkbennett.com
april 2013 THE CITY 103
New Zinc showroom now open 1 Chelsea Wharf, 15 Lots Road, London SW10 0QJ
0679_Zinc Kensington & Chelsea Ad_Apr12_AW.indd 1
09/03/2012 16:51
LONDON Homes&
PROPERTY Showcasing the finest homes in your area
C o v e r i n g Wa p p i n g , S h a d T h a m e s , S h o r e d i t c h , Is l i n g t o n & T h e C i t y
Something
for Spring
find a home for all seasons Mrs Peel wallpaper in Summer ÂŁ55 per ten metre roll, Fired Earth 0845 366 0400, www.firedearth.com
KnightFrank.co.uk
Nile Street, Old Street N1
Top floor flat in a Manhattan loft conversion A fantastic authentic loft conversation arranged over the top floor within this Manhattan style building which was named after Andy Warhol’s infamous loft in New York. It has a spectacular feeling of light and space, with an amazing private roof terrace. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, roof garden. EPC rating E. Approximately 216.37 sq m (2,326 sq ft) Share of Freehold Guide price: £1,999,950
KnightFrank.co.uk/islington islington@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6138
KnightFrank.co.uk
Shepherdess Walk, Shoreditch N1
Newly refurbished loft conversion within former Victorian warehouse An amazing apartment offering 2,700 sq ft of loft style living. The apartment which was redesigned by architect Manuel Irsara of SIRS retains many of its original features which are elegantly combined with its contemporary finish. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, utility room, guest WC. EPC rating C. Approximately 250.8 sq m (2,700 sq ft) Share of Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ1,995,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/islington islington@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6138
KnightFrank.co.uk
Shearwater Court, St Katharine Docks E1W
Spectacular duplex penthouse
Newly refurbished throughout, a stunning apartment occupying the top two floors of Shearwater Court in the sought after City Quay development. This spectacular apartment comprises 4 en suite bedrooms with terraces, two of which also have a dressing room, reception room, kitchen, media room, guest cloakroom, utility room, multiple terraces and balconies, parking and porterage. EPC rating C. Approximately 351 sq m (3,778 sq ft) Available furnished Guide price: ÂŁ3,500 per week (ASP176268)
KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5372
KnightFrank.co.uk St Thomas Wharf, Wapping E1W Attractive development
A beautifully presented two bedroom apartment in this sought after development on Wapping High Street. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room with double doors leading onto a private balcony, semi open-plan fully fitted kitchen, wooden floors throughout and lovely river views. EPC rating B. Available furnished Guide price: ÂŁ695 per week
KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 (ASP160702)
NEO Bankside, Southbank SE1 Brand new apartment
A luxury apartment to rent in the award winning NEO Bankside development in SE1. 1 bedroom, contemporary bathroom suite, reception room, open plan kitchen, excellent storage, interior designed furnishings, comfort cooling and 24 hour concierge. EPC rating C. Available furnished Guide price: ÂŁ625 per week
KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 (ASP173443)
KnightFrank.co.uk Capital Wharf, Wapping E1W Light and bright
With all the principal rooms facing onto the river a lovely sixth floor apartment with wonderful views across the Thames. Master bedroom with en suite bathroom with a shower, second bedroom/dining room, shower room, reception room , kitchen, balcony, lift, 24 hour porterage and parking. EPC rating C. Approximately 93 sq m (1,001 sq ft) Leasehold Guide price: £885,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5372 (WAP130021)
Norfolk House, City EC4V Spacious penthouse
On the north bank of the river, just by the Millennium Bridge, a bright and spacious duplex that commands a prime position on the river with breath-taking views of some of London’s most iconic sites. 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 en suite), reception room, dining room, kitchen, multiple terraces, porterage, lift and 2 private parking spaces. EPC rating C. Approximately 251 sq m (2,702 sq ft) Leasehold Guide price: £3,550,000
KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5372 (WAO130020)
KnightFrank.co.uk
Mountague Place, Poplar E14
Grade II listed Georgian terraced house
This striking townhouse is within close proximity of Canary Wharf and has views over the garden square to All Saints Church. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, reception room, dining room, conservatory, garden, outbuildings. Approximately 231 sq m (2,486 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ958,000 (CNW130022)
KnightFrank.co.uk/Canary-Wharf cwharf@knightfrank.com 020 7512 9966
❖ Savills Fact No.7
On average we have achieved 99% of our stated guide price.*
Knowing Islington. Knowing George from Victoria is just part of what it takes to truly know Islington. After all, it’s why clients entrust us to handle their properties around the beloved Highbury Fields. Our vast experience of Georgian and Victorian properties is what keeps our clients flocking to us.
For a deeper local knowledge contact Jo-Anne Neighbour, Sales Associate Director, on 020 7354 6701. *Properties above £1.2 million. Savills Islington
Savills Islington 94-96 Upper Street London N1 0NP
savills.co.uk
Jo-Anne Neighbour Sales jneighbour@savills.com
savills.co.uk
1 VICTORIAN FAMILY HOUSE DECORATED TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD elwood street, n5 2 reception rooms ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 4 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø rear garden ø 162 sq m (1,746 sq ft) ø EPC = C
Savills Islington Abbie Greisman agreisman@savills.com
020 7226 1313 Guide £1.375 million Freehold
1 2
savills.co.uk
TOWER WALK, e1w
SANDERLING LODGE, e1w
3 reception rooms ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 5 bedrooms ø 4 bathrooms ø balcony ø patio ø 359 sq m (3,874 sq ft) ø EPC = C
Reception room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø protected parking ø marina views ø 165 sq m (1,771 sq ft) ø EPC = D
Guide £3.5 million Leasehold
Guide £2.68 million Share of Freehold
3 4
Savills Docklands nefthymiou@savills.com 020 7456 6800
Savills Docklands zjames@savills.com 020 7456 6800
NEO BANKSIDE, se1
FREE TRADE WHARF, e1w
Reception room ø dining room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø parking space ø gym ø spa ø concierge ø 185 sq m (1,995 sq ft) ø EPC = B
Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 double bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø private terrace ø underground parking ø concierge ø 106 sq m (1,145 sq ft) ø EPC = D
Guide £2.45 million Leasehold
Guide £599,000 Leasehold
Savills Docklands nefthymiou@savills.com 020 7456 6800
Savills Docklands zjames@savills.com 020 7456 6800
1 2
savills.co.uk
PAN PENINSULA, e14
BELGRAVE COURT, e14
3 double bedrooms ø 2 en suite bathrooms ø balcony ø allocated parking ø communal gym and spa facilities ø EPC = C
3 bedrooms ø 3 en suite bathrooms ø porterage ø allocated parking ø communal gardens ø EPC = C
£1,750 per week Furnished
£1,350 per week Unfurnished
3 4
Savills Canary Wharf ssaul@savills.com 020 7531 2500
Savills Canary Wharf ssaul@savills.com 020 7531 2500
NEO BANKSIDE, se1
HERMITAGE WATERSIDE,
3 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø balcony with river views ø 24hr porterage ø residents leisure facilities ø EPC = C
2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø balcony ø allocated parking ø EPC = C
£1,325 per week Furnished
£475 per week Furnished
Savills Docklands brodgers@savills.com 020 7456 6800
Savills Docklands brodgers@savills.com 020 7456 6800
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Mears Close, E1 £640,000 Freehold Set over 3 floors, this beautifully presented 2 bedroom house with a private gated development - has a garden and roof terrace. EPC: D
Lexington Apartments, EC1Y £875,000 Leasehold This stunning duplex apartment in the sought-after Lexington Apartments on City Road has vaulted ceilings, a spacious terrace and parking. EPC: D
Globe View, EC4V £1,350,000 Share of Freehold This beautifully presented two bedroom flat in Globe View has direct river views and parking. EPC: D
The Heron, EC2Y £685,000 Leasehold Hamptons are delighted to offer what will be a stunning 24th floor westfacing Galley Suite apartment with a private balcony in The Heron EC2.
Chandlery House, E1 £549,950 Leasehold This stunning 2 bedroom flat in Gowers Walk offers a wealth of warehouse features including exposed brickwork and has a parking space. EPC: D
Bishopsgate, EC2M £499,950 Leasehold This well-presented 1 bedroom flat is set on the 4th floor of an extremely popular lift-serviced building opposite Liverpool Street. EPC: D
Hamptons City Office Sales. 020 7717 5435 | city@hamptons-int.com
St Johns Wharf, E1W £2,850,000 Share of Freehold A unique riverside duplex penthouse apartment spread over the 5th and 6th floors of this warehouse conversion. EPC: C
Tea Trade Wharf, SE1 £1,300,000 Leasehold An extremely rare opportunity to acquire a duplex penthouse apartment in Tea Trade Wharf with two terraces, two bedrooms and river views. EPC: B
Butlers Wharf Building, SE1 £635,000 Leasehold A superb one bedroom warehouse apartment overlooking the historic cobbled street of Shad Thames. EPC: C
Neo Bankside, SE1 £2,450,000 Leasehold A three bedroom 2007 sq ft apartment in Neo Bankside (Block B) overlooking the gardens the rare addition of a parking space. EPC: B
Dockhead Wharf, SE1 £750,000 Leasehold An extensively refurbished and remodelled dock facing, 897 sq ft one bedroom apartment which was previously a two bed. EPC: D
Trinity Street, SE1 £2,500,000 Freehold A fantastic opportunity to purchase the former 3401 sq ft Surrey Dispensary on Trinity Street with a roof terrace. EPC: E
Hamptons Tower Bridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5489 | towerbridge@hamptons-int.com
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Marconi House, WC2R £1,800 per week Stunning three bedroom apartment in the newly converted Marconi House development. Featuring smart technology and 24 hour concierge. EPC: C
Lambert House, EC4M £1,200 per week Immaculately presented penthouse apartment located just moments from St Paul’s. Boasting bright living room and rooftop views. EPC: D
Defoe House, EC2Y £695 per week Recently refurbished duplex apartment in the Barbican complex benefitting from quiet location, 24 hours security and garden views. EPC: G
Victoria House, EC4Y £695 per week Newly refurbished two bedroom apartment in prestigious Grade II listed building benefiting from dual aspect reception. EPC: G
St Clements House, E1 £460 per week Superbly presented one bedroom apartment in this popular Spitalfields development. South facing and City Views. EPC: B
The Creechurch, EC3A £450 per week Smart one bedroom flat situated on top floor of period building presented in excellent condition. EPC: C
Hamptons City Office Lettings. 020 7717 5437 | citylettings@hamptons-int.com
Neo Bankside, SE1 £950 per week Fantastic two bedroom apartment in brand new Neo Bankside development on the Southbank with concierge. EPC: B
Butlers Wharf, SE1 £795 per week Fabulous one bedroom warehouse conversion with dressing room and wood flooring in the prestigious Butlers Wharf Building. EPC: C
Orion Point, E14 £700 per week Fabulous riverside two bedroom penthouse apartment with open plan kitchen and mezzanine living room. EPC: G
St Andrews Wharf, SE1 £575 per week Well presented two bedroom apartment in popular development overlooking St Saviours Dock with balcony and parking. EPC: C
Butlers and Colonial, SE1 £575 per week Two double bed apartment in sought after gated development in Shad Thames with balcony overlooking courtyard. EPC: D
Millennium Square, SE1 £525 per week Lovely two bedroom apartment with open plan contemporary kitchen to reception room and communal garden. EPC: D
Hamptons Tower Bridge Office Lettings. 020 7717 5491 | towerbridgelettings@hamptons-int.com
Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk
Cloudesley Square, N1 A beautifully presented four storey, end of terrace Grade II listed Georgian town house on this extremely sought after square in the Barnsbury Conservation area. This attractive period property still retains many of its original features and benefits from a gorgeous roof terrace which overlooks Cloudesley Square. There are excellent local amenities on Upper Street with transport links to the City and West End at Angel. Additionally, European services are nearby at Kings Cross St Pancras. Grade II listed
Hamptons Islington Office Sales. 020 7226 4688 | Islington@hamptons-int.com
£1,695,000 Freehold • • • • • •
End of Terrace House Central Location 2 Double Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Study and Store Rooms Roof Terrace
Ebury Mews, N5
£1,650,000 Freehold
Two new build innovative contemporary homes arranged over three floors. With bespoke design features such as the stunning all glass walls and the glorious open space of the lounge/kitchen/dining room, these properties afford truly wonderful family homes. New
•
Build
•
• •
• •
Mews Development New Build Contemporary Design Architect Design Family Home Five Double Bedrooms
Sales
The Heron Panoramic Collection, EC2 - From ÂŁ3,600,000 Located above the 30th floor of The Heron and offering unparalleled views, The Panoramic Collection will be the finest residences in the City of London with first class amenities. A selection of two and three bedroom apartments, finished to an exceptional specification including bespoke herringbone parquet flooring, Gaggenau appliances and custom fitted joinery throughout, this is a collection for the most discerning. Completion Summer 2013.
16-17 Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LL
royalsales@eu.jll.com
Lettings
020 7087 5412 joneslanglasalle.co.uk
Neo Bankside, SE1 - ÂŁ525 Per Week A stunning studio apartment in the brand new Neo Bankside development, well located for the City of London. The apartment offered is fully furnished, on the fifth floor & offers a good sized living & sleeping area, high specification with wood flooring throughout, luxury shower room & contemporary fitted kitchen. Other benefits include leisure facilities & 24 hour concierge.
The Heron, EC2 - Coming Soon Coming soon to the market are a selection of stunning suites, 1, 2 & 3 bedroomed apartments. With an outstanding specification & sensational views over London, this landmark tower offers a unique opportunity to rent in what is arguably one of the most exclusive residential addresses in in the City of London. Register your interest now.
royallettings@eu.jll.com
AGENT SPEAK THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY Richard Pine-Coffin, director of residential at Jones Lang LaSalle, comments on the state of the residential property market
London has witnessed a phenomenal start to the year and the Jones Lang LaSalle residential team transacted ÂŁ1bn worth of sales in the first quarter. Whilst the significant demand is partly driven by the overseas investor market, we have also witnessed an increase in domestic purchasers both for owner occupation and investment. Fundamentally London has an undersupply of housing, an expanding population, the fastest growing economy in the UK and worldwide appeal. Although housing delivery in London is on the rise and the recent budget seeks to address the market disparities, it is considered insufficient; we expect demand and supply pressures to continue to build over the coming years, leading to price increases across the region. The City has in particular, has become a vibrant destination of choice for mixed use urban-living for both financial professionals
Jones Lang LaSalle 020 7087 5282 www.joneslanglasalle.co.uk
124
and creatives alike. The area has witnessed heightened development activity which is energising the residential market, but compared to other London areas, the City market can be viewed as immature. There have been a comparatively limited number of residential schemes developed over the past ten years. Unsurprisingly, international purchasers have been active with the higher-end developments in this area, but domestic demand is also prevalent. Mid-level city employees like the convenience of City living, especially in fringe-city locations where pricing is more affordable. These characteristics have also enticed investors, especially given the escalating rental demand driving prices typically now in the region to ÂŁ1,000 per sqft. Moreover, a number of notable exceptions generate considerably in excess of this figure. Residential planning applications within the City have increased recently however the potential pipeline does not appear large. The City Corporation is likely to be given exemption from the recently announced relaxation of planning rules so is unlikely to be bolstered by office-to-residential conversions. The City pipeline consequently looks set to remain constrained against an ever increasing demand. n
At home in the heart of London A development by
Sales representation by
Apartments from £900,000 to £15,000,000. Located just 5 minutes’ walk from Oxford Circus.* 020 7323 1077
www.fitzroyplace.com
*Prices correct at time of going to press. Distances sourced by walkit.com.
FP_ads_City_magazine_210x297_portrait_AW1_v01.indd 1
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CITY Mag:
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clerkenWell.lettings@fjlord.co.uk | shad.thames.lettings@fjlord.co.uk | islington.lettings@fjlord.co.uk clerkenWell.@fjlord.co.uk | shad.thames.@fjlord.co.uk | islington.@fjlord.co.uk
CITY Mag-210 x 297.indd 2
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shepherdess Walk, n1
£910,000
bermondsey square, se1
£549,950
A stunning authentic loft of around 1350 sqft set on the 1st floor of one of Central London’s most sought after industrial conversions, the Factory. Currently laid out as a one bedroom apartment with lots of character including timber floors, exposed brickwork and high ceilings, minutes from old Street.m Large balcony and secure underground parking.
this wonderfully spacious apartment extends to over 700 sq ft and is found within this desirable building just moments from fashionable Bermondsey Street. Briefly comprising luxury kitchen, wood flooring and 19’ terrace. Viewing highly recommended.
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Ref: FJL027400765 | EPC –D
clerkenWell.@fjlord.co.uk | shad.thames.@fjlord.co.uk | islington.@fjlord.co.uk
CITY Mag-210 x 297.indd 2
19/03/2013 15:40
UNIQUE HOMES, UNIQUE SERVICE, UNIQUE PEOPLE A tailored service from Langford Russell for distinctive and exclusive homes
DENBRIDGE HOUSE, WELLS ROAD, BICKLEY BR1 Located in the prestigious Bickley Park area, close to Chislehurst Station, Denbridge House is a fascinating fusion of architectural designs. Built in 1908 by renowned architect Charles Quennell, the external façade remains as do many of the beautiful features. In perfect contrast, the house has been reinvented with an avant-garde vibrancy, colour and specification. Over 7500 sq ft, featuring six bedrooms and five bathrooms, with a grand hall, cinema room, gym and sauna creating an oasis for leisure and entertaining at home. Energy Efficiency Rating D.
£3,250,000 F/H Please contact our Chislehurst office for more information: Tel: 020 8295 4900 Email: chislehurst@langfordrussell.co.uk
Internal images from a previous development
RINGfIELD COttAGE, mAIN ROAD, KNOCKHOLt tN14 A brand new five bedroom detached home set behind a walled entrance with automated gates. Over 4855 sq ft of accommodation designed to maximize light and space and featuring a glass atrium over a galleried landing. Well balanced, versatile and perfectly suited for family life and entertaining. Three spacious reception rooms and a beautifully appointed kitchen/breakfast room with orangery. Five bedrooms/five bathrooms, including a luxurious master suite with walk in dressing room.
£1,750,000 F/H Please contact our Locksbottom office for more information: Tel: 01689 882 988 Email: locksbottom@langfordrussell.co.uk
Offices Across South East London & Kent www.uniquepropertiesuk.com
www.langfordrussell.co.uk
UNIQUE is a Specialist Division of Langford Russell
BELLA HOUSE MEADOW WAY, FARNBOROUGH PARK
Bella House is a five bedroom, five bathroom, contemporary home which has been completely remodelled to provide exceptional accommodation, designed around family living and entertaining. Located on Meadow Way on the private Farnborough Park Estate, Bella House occupies an extensive, South Easterly facing plot approaching a third of an acre with a 35 ft heated swimming pool and self contained pool house.
Full details available on request. Available to buy now ÂŁ1,895,000 To book an appointment to view contact bellahouse@uniquepropertiesuk.com www.langfordrussell.co.uk
01689 882 988
Incorporating
www.uniquepropertiesuk.com
Sanderling Lodge, Wapping E1W
Swedenborg Gardens, London E1
Price: £1,495,000 Leasehold
£449,995 Freehold
Woodbridge Road, Barking 1G11
Hermitage Court, London E1W
Price: £425,000
Rental Price: £450 PW
Codling Close, London E1W
Portland Place, London W1B
Rental Price: £230 PW
Rental Price: £895 PW
Wapping’s most prestigious St Katharine’s Dock location. 2 double bedroom apartment offers fantastic water views from this 4th floor luxurious modern development boasting a south facing balcony.
4 Bedroom House plus study, Fitted kitchen. Garden. Garage. Must be viewed.
Studio modern apartment within this sought after West Wapping location. Kitchen. Bathroom. Situated close to the City. Liverpool Street is approx 15. Mins away via the 100 bus. ‘Waitrose’ is nearby.
Fantastic opportunity to purchase this 4 bedroom house. Offering a fitted kitchen, reception with patio doors leading to a south/ west facing lawn garden, ground floor cloakroom and first floor bathroom.
Spacious 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment situated within this secure, porterage development. Offers a fitted kitchen, reception room and it’s own terrace overlooking a communal courtyard.
Sizeable (1022sq ft/95m2) west facing two bed flat with double reception room/dining room, large master bedroom (& second double bedroom) in a wonderful position just south of Regent’s Park.
ea2 Estate Agency Heritage Court | 8-10 Sampson Street | Wapping | London E1W 1NA t: 020 7702 3456 | f: 020 7702 9168 www.ea2.co.uk | property@ea2group.com
Cinnabar Wharf Central , LONDON E1W Close to the historic St Katharine’s Docks is this fabulous riverside 3 double bedroom apartment, situated within one of Wapping’s most prestigious and sought after luxury developments. Offering an open plan kitchen, reception, 2 bathrooms, secure underground parking and a terrace overlooking the River Thames. 24 hour concierge and within easy access to the City and Canary Wharf. ‘Waitrose’ supermarket is nearby. A prompt viewing is recommended to avoid disappointment.
£1,349,000 Leasehold
ea2 Estate Agency Heritage Court | 8-10 Sampson Street | Wapping | London E1W 1NA t: 020 7702 3456 | f: 020 7702 9168 www.ea2.co.uk | property@ea2group.com
Oxford Drive, SE1 £575 pw A beautifully furnished 2nd floor, 2 bedroom apartment within close proximity of London Bridge station and Bermondsey Street.
Butlers Cold Harbour, Wharf, E14 SE1£350 £2,500,000 per weekshare of freehold Butlers Wharf, SE1 £550 pw
lovely modern apartment locatedofjust bedroom apartment in one of theand most AAluxurious 3 bedroom apartment justa stroll under 2,000 sq One ft with direct views of Tower Bridge theprestigious Thames. from Canary Wharf. blocks in Shad Thames offering a great view of Tower Bridge.
In the 21st century customers should no longer have to choose between good service or a good result, they deserve both. We passionately believe in this philosophy and have made a short video with the help of some of our many happy customers to prove that Anderson Rose does deliver both. If you are considering selling or renting your home why not try the award winning Anderson Rose experience and become one of our next happy customers.
They make you feel as if you’re the only customer… You can see our video by searching ‘Anderson Rose Estate Agents’ on YouTube or by scanning the QR code
Hays Galleria Apartments Battlebridge Lane London SE1 A rare opportunity to live in one of London’s most historic addresses. Located adjacent to London Bridge Station and on the banks of the River Thames, Hays Galleria is one of London’s most impressive and vibrant mixed use developments. The apartments benefit from a host of retail outlets, restaurants and café’s on their doorstep. The development, along with 24 hour security and a Day Concierge service, has easy access to The City, Canary Wharf, The West End as well as the restaurants, bars, café’s and shops of London Bridge, Bermondsey Street, Borough High Street and Shad Thames. Available now on a furnished basis.
1 bedroom apartments from £450 per week 2 bedroom apartments & 2 bedroom duplexes from £715 per week
112 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3TX Tel 020 7378 0644 info@madleyproperty.com www.madleyproperty.com
P R O P E R TY S E R V I C E S
We give the same energy and passion to selling or letting property regardless of value and never forget that houses and flats are homes first and foremost. WE KNOW WHO’S BUYING, WHO’S SELLING AND WHO’S MOVING IN YOUR AREA. It is this intimate market knowledge and knowing how to use it that gives our clients the advantage.
99% OF OUR LANDLORDS WOULD USE US AGAIN TO RE-LET THEIR PROPERTY
99
%
We believe people will forget what you say, they may forget what you do, but they will never forget
how you make them feel
of our clients would recommend us... ...28% ALREADY HAD
We asked our clients to rate our levels of communication:
98% SAID WE WERE GOOD, VERY GOOD OR EXCELLENT
CurrellResidential
£2,650,000 Freehold Lonsdale Square, N1 • Grade II* listed family home • 2500 sq.ft. set over five storeys • Westerly facing garden • Iconic and sought after Gothic square
020 7226 4200
islington@currell.com
www.currell.com
Now open in Battersea.
020 3668 1000
battersea@currell.com
Your reward for all the late nights in the office.
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Property Showcase Luxury with a Twist
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fabulous period house arranged over five floors has undergone a transformation to create an extraordinary internal floor space. There is a ‘jawdropping’ reception area exposing the raw elements of the building. The chimney breast has been removed, revealing the side wall of the house for all to see and there is also a large picture window to the front of the property. To the rear of the property is a wall of glass opening onto a patio and there is also an elevated study above a ground floor utility room. The upper part of the house conforms to Victorian standards, having been significantly upgraded and modernised with extremely attractive decorative touches. There is a grand reception room on the first floor and a bedroom behind this. On the second floor the master bedroom en-suite offers an abundance of space with built-in wardrobes and a magnificent bathroom/shower room. There are lovely views across the roof tops of Canonbury as you proceed higher through the building and on the very top floors there is a further bedroom/study with a shower room. There is also a terrace with wonderful views. n
Canonbury Street, N1 £2.050M Freehold Knight Frank Islington www.knightfrank.co.uk/islington
020 3657 7340 142
Directly on the riverfront in the heart of the new Nine Elms on the South Bank district Within walking distance from Vauxhall Underground Station, Zone 1 and well connected to the West End and City Designed by world renowned architects Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners An exclusive collection of suites, 1, 2 & 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses Private residents' club featuring a lounge, library, gym, indoor pool, spa, cinema and virtual golf centre
In the last 10 years, the Berkeley Group has created 436 acres of public space.
Including a forthcoming 3 acres here at Riverlight. Our Vision. Your Future.
Call to book an appointment 020 7870 9620
www.riverlightlondon.co.uk
Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies
In line with our policy of continuous improvement we reserve the right to alter the layout, building style, landscaping and specification at any time without notice. Computer-generated images are indicative only, subject to planning
WELCOME TO THE FUTURE OF LONDON RIVERFRONT LIVING
homes & property
DEVELOPMENT LATEST Seek, and Ye Shall Find
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edchurch Lofts, by Neptune Group, is an exclusive development in the heart of vibrant Shoreditch. Located opposite Shoreditch House and comprising of just nine loft apartments, this development offers luxury living within London’s most fashionable and fascinating locale. Located just to the north of the City of London, Farringdon, Clerkenwell and Shoreditch once used to be exclusively commercial areas packed with industrial units and warehouses. Today an influx of creatives, media professionals and web technologists has transformed the city fringes into the capital’s most upwardly mobile addresses, increasingly populated by wealthy young professionals. The apartments are designed to the highest specification with bespoke kitchens, oak floors and sleek bathroom suites, as well as balconies and added features such as walk-in wardrobes. Examples of this can be seen in the show apartment which will be available soon. Construction is well underway and completion is scheduled for May 2013. n
REDCHURCH STREET, E2 1 bedroom loft apartments from
£799,995 LEASEHOLD 2 bedroom loft apartments from
£899,950 LEASEHOLD Alan Selby & Partners www.alanselby.co.uk / www.redchurchlofts.com
020 7519 5900 144
the lifestyle quarter Launching Thursday 18th April, register now for more information Greenwich Square is an exciting high quality new residential address created around a landscaped public square and convenience facilities. • High specification one, two and three bedroom apartments available. • Balconies with views towards Canary Wharf and the O2 or across the new public square. • On-site cafés, restaurants, retail and a new leisure centre. • Short walk to Maze Hill station with direct trains to London Bridge in 11 minutes. Prices from £260,000 Greenwich Square Marketing Suite 100 Vanbrugh Hill, London SE10 9FT
Call 0800 077 8177 greenwichsquare-london.com Prices are correct at the time of going to press. Computer generated images/photography is for illustrative purposes only. Travel time source: www.tfl.gov.uk All apartments within the first release have a predicted Energy Efficiency Rating ranging between 83-88 (B) on the Predicted Energy Assessments (PEAs).
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homes & property
DEVELOPMENT FOCUS Top of the Blocks
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t Greenwich Creekside owners can enjoy living in one of London’s most historic locations, with all the comfort and convenience of a contemporary home. Situated within walking distance of Cutty Sark and Greenwich DLR stations, these stylish apartments are less than nine minutes from one of the capital’s key financial districts, Canary Wharf, and have proved extremely popular with professionals based there. Over 90 per cent of apartments at Greenwich Creekside have already been sold so prospective buyers will have to move quickly to secure one of the 14 three-bedroom apartments that remain for sale. Those who do reserve one of the properties now will gain an additional parking space free and a years’ complimentary membership to the on-site Meridian Fitness Gymnasium. Designed by internationally respected architects Squire and Partners, the homes at Greenwich Creekside combine stylish and modern architecture with well-appointed interiors. Each home comes fully fitted with the highest quality fixtures and fittings, from Smeg appliances and Urban Myth kitchens to Roca bathrooms. Residents also have the benefit of a 24-hr concierge service, secured basement car parking, bicycle storage and superior security systems along with an on-site nursery located in the ground floor of the development. With rental yields of up to 6.6 per cent, the homes at Greenwich Creekside are proving popular with investors as well as owner/occupiers. n
1 LITTLE THAMES WALK, SE8 FROM £429,995 LEASEHOLD Telford Homes www.greenwichcreekside.com
0800 883 8713 146
avant-garde SHOREDITCH E1
E 1 EGANT C ONTEMPOR ARY LIVING IN THE HEART OF SHOREDITCH
90% NOW SOLD N EW R E L E AS E NOW AVAILABLE - Prices from £ 395,00 0* LUXURY HOTEL STYLE RECEPTION WITH 24HR CONCIERGE • SUPERB SPECIFICATION INCLUDING COMFORT COOLING PRIVATE GYMNASIUM • PRIVATE ROOF TERRACE • GREAT AMENITIES TO INCLUDE SAINSBURY’S LOCAL & NAAMYAA RESTAURANT
Exquisite and well placed one, two and three bedroom apartments & penthouses set in the heart of Shoreditch, London’s coolest cultural and vibrant hotspot. Set just two minutes from Shoreditch High Street station, making the whole of London accessible. Just a short walk from Bishopsgate and The City of London. Liverpool Street 10mins
Shoreditch High Street 2mins
West End 11mins
Canary Wharf 15mins
Sales & Marketing Suite open daily.
0203 538 7263
avantgardetower.com
Computer generated images of development. Times are approximate and courtesy of tfl.gov.uk. *Prices correct at time of going to press.
Selling Agents:
020 7087 5412
TO BREAK THE RULES, YOU MUST FIRST MASTER THEM.
THE GRANDE COMPLICATION IS THE ULTIMATE EXPRESSION OF THE WATCHMAKER’S ART. NOW AUDEMARS PIGUET PLACES THIS SUPREME HOROLOGICAL COMPLICATION IN THE SCULPTURAL ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE. ONE WATCHMAKER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EACH WATCH IN ITS ENTIRETY - THE 648 INDIVIDUAL PARTS, THE DETAILED ASSEMBLY, THE FINE DECORATION. TO ACHIEVE THIS, THEY HAVE MASTERED THE UNIVERSE OF THEIR CRAFT. FINALLY, THEY MUST TUNE THE CONCENTRIC CHIMES OF THE MINUTE REPEATER TO AN INTERVAL OF A PERFECT MINOR THIRD. TECHNICAL MASTERY AND THE EAR OF SOLO SO LOIST. THE VIR TUOSO HERITAGE H E RITAGE OF F A CONCER T SOLOIST. S. LE BRASSUS.
ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE OFFSH OF FSHORE ORE MPLICA MPL ICATIO T N GRANDE COMPLICATION IN TITANIUM AND D CERAMIC. C CERA MIC.
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Audemars Piguet UK Ltd Tel: + 44 207 659 7300 www.audemarspiguet.com
06.03.13 14:47