The City Magazine February 2014

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CONTENTS

FEBRUARY2014 COVER IMAGE: Turin-Sport Alcoholic Beverage Poster by Mich Mixtures for Men, p. 94

12

18 25

38 100

68

features

play

12 HEAR ME ROAR

78 BMW’S SLEDGEHAMMER

CHARLES VALLANCE and DAVID HOPPER meet Robert Hiscox, the man behind the incorporated insurance provider

MATTHEW CARTER gets behind the wheel of BMW’s new X5

18 FACES OF THE CITY

Toyota impresses with a head-turning new concept, the FT-1

81 TOYOTA GETS PASSIONATE

Guildhall artist-in-residence Niki Gorick captures the faces of the Square Mile in her latest exhibition

travel

25 BUILDING A HISTORY

100 CARRIBEAN DREAMS

JACK WATKINS meets Marcus Binney, the man responsible for protecting some of our City’s most treasured buildings

IAN HENDERSON travels to the island of Antigua and finds himself sailing off into the sunset

style

106 I DREAMT I DWELT IN MARBLE HALLS...

34 LONDON CALLING

BEVERLEY BYRNE feasts her eyes on the incredible Hotel du Palais during a weekend away in Biarritz

AIMEE LATIMER gives us the runway rundown from London Collections: Men

work 63 EMERGING ECONOMIES: THE MINT SERIES Discover why Mexico is the world’s next economic superpower

68 SHARPE SHOOTER ANTHONY PEARCE meets Joff Sharpe, author of the recently published Who Dares Wins in Business

regulars 29

fashion

78

MOTORing

47

WATches + Jewellery

87

food & drink

61

work

97

travel

73

play

115 Property

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work | Opinion

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february CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Managing Editor emma johnson

Deputy Editor Richard Brown

Motoring Editor Matthew Carter

Collection Editor annabel harrison

Editorial Assistant tiffany eastland

staff Writer

Amy-Louise Roberts

Senior Designer DANIEL POOLE

Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong

General Manager

Lucie Dodds

Jack Watkins

JAMES LAWRENCE

Fashion editor and stylist, Lucie Dodds previously worked at British Vogue and Associated Newspapers, and now works on luxury publications, TV and with British and US celebrities and musicians and for many brands as stylist art director and creative consultant. She splits her time between London and Los Angeles.

Jack Watkins is a freelance journalist, writing on history and heritage. He has been published in The Independent, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, while his interviews with actors are frequently featured in Country Life.

He particularly loves soul and rockabilly, writing for music magazines like Record Collector and Vintage Rock.

A self-confessed wine obsessive, James is passionate about discovering the lesser known wines and wine regions of the world, as well as writing about beer, ale, cocktails and spirits. This month he dispels some of the most enduring – and wrong – wine myths and old wives tales.

JOsephine O’DONOGHUE

CHRIS ALLSOP

BEVERLEY BYRNE

Based in the Cotswolds, Josephine has worked as a writer and editor for six years, specialising in lifestyle, travel, culture and local features. This month, as part of a fourpart series, she looks at the new MINT countries set for major economic growth in the next decade, and considers Mexico’s part in these developments.

Chris Allsop is a Bathbased freelance journalist and photographer who mostly writes about travel, film and cheese.

His interest in UK artisan cheese deepened after returning from three years wandering the cheese wilderness known as the USA. He witters about cheese and other essentials on Twitter at @Dionisio79.

A travel writer for over 20 years, Beverley also specialises in celebrity interviews and interiors and has contributed to a variety of national titles, including Country Homes & Interiors, The Lady, The Sunday Times and The Mirror. A passionate sailor and adventurer, when not on assignment she divides her time between Devon, London and Florida.

Fiona Fenwick

Production ALEX POWELL Hugo Wheatley oscar viney

Property Director Samantha Ratcliffe

COMMUNICATIONS Loren Penney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

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8 THE CITY xxxxxxx 2013

Also published by

Dear Resident

,

I have an admission to make about a member of the Residents’ Journal team. In late January, Henry Hopwood-Phillips went Rolfing and did not come back to the office as the same man. What is more, he did it right here in Belgravia. The rather humorously named practice involves soft tissue manipulation and movement education that realigns the whole body.

Sorry, that might be a slightly less comedic eventuality than you had initially anticipated; Henry hasn’t been playing golf in a giant hamster ball (we’ll save that for next month). He has, however, been straight-backed ever since; putting the rest of us Quasimodo hunchbacks to shame. Only a select few practitioners, certified by the Rolf Institute of Structural Integration, can adopt the moniker of ‘rolfer’ so we eagerly anticipated meeting Anna Collins at the Belgravia Light Centre (p. 22)

BELGRAVIA

The Belgravia Residents’ Association has an exciting announcement to make: the winner of its A Stranger in Belgravia writing competition has been chosen. Congratulations to local Raymund Dring, who penned an excellent tale about the trials and tribulations of a maid in SW1X. We have published the short story on p. 24 and hope you enjoy the read as much as we did.

Resident’s Journal

Our Belgravian this month is hair stylist extraordinaire Stephen August (p. 18) and Briana Handte Lesesne has the pleasure of speaking to Joanna Chaker of Catherine Muller florists on Elizabeth Street as she learns the art of floral arrangement (p. 8).

Managing Editor Katie Randall Assistant Editor Lauren Romano Main Editorial Contributor Henry Hopwood-Phillips

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts

Senior Designer Sophie Blain

Client Relationship Director Felicity Morgan-Harvey

General Manager Fiona Fenwick

Communications Director Loren Penney

february 2014 • Issue 21

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason Editorial Intern Maisy Molloy

Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Above / A selection of beautiful blooms at Catherine Muller. Photography by Henry Hopwood-Phillips

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Just a couple of hours from home.

And yet a world away.

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FROM THE EDITOR It seems just a couple of years ago – though it is in actual fact 13 – that the idea of the BRIC nations was first mooted by economist Jim O’Neill. A clear sign that the axis of economic power was shifting from the more established Western world, the recognition of Brazil, Russia, India and China as countries whose economic development was rapidly advancing created a new global scale on which to trade.

Over a decade later, we find ourselves faced with a further four emerging economies, in the form of the MINT countries. Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey are now making considerable financial waves, and O’Neill feels that the next ten years will be their turn to shine. In the first of our four-part series, we look at Mexico’s transition to a world stage, and consider what effect growth in its economy and investment in its infrastructure will have on a global level (p. 63).

Back in the Square Mile and there is plenty to feel positive about too, especially if you speak to Robert Hiscox, head of the eponymous insurance firm. Hiscox’s no-nonsense attitude has garnered him quite a reputation in the industry, and his relentlessly optimistic approach to business – quite unique in the insurance world – has seen him not only survive, but thrive, in some tough economic times. Meet him on p. 12.

Elsewhere, artist-in-residence at The Guildhall, Niki Gorick, presents us with a unique photographic look at City life (p. 18); Marcus Binney, director of SAVE – the heritage conservation charity – talks about protecting our ancient buildings from the wrecking ball (p. 25) and ex-army boy turned corporate wunderkind Joff Sharpe talks about employing military warfare tactics in the boardroom (p. 68). For some lighter relief this month, why not take yourself out for a drink or two? Order a Manhattan or an Old-Fashioned and become part of a new breed of City man who, taking inspiration from the likes of The Great Gatsby and Mad Men, have returned to the cocktail as the essential genetleman’s tipple. Shake, don’t stir, on p. 94....

Emma Johnson Managing Editor

february 2014 THE CITY 11

hear me roar Robert Hiscox is the straight-talking, eponymous founder of Hiscox, an incorporated insurance underwriting empire listed on the London Stock Exchange, that provides cover for every kind of risk imaginable, from biblical-scale apocalypse to leaking-tap accidents. Here, two writers of a new book, meet him to talk about changing economic times, taking risks, the perils of too much regulation and how business is a lot like bush hunting WORDS: Charles Vallance & David Hopper

interview

ou could be forgiven for thinking that a man now entering retirement, who has given his working life over to an insurance company, would go out of his way to circumvent risk or lessen its presence. Not one bit. When we meet, he has just returned from a safari in the African Bush hunting the Cape Buffalo — and risks do not come much more striking than this. “It’s the most dangerous beast on earth and it’s big, ugly, and plentiful. I love Africa and the people and being uncomfortable and dirty in the bush; I love the way of life; the Boys’ Own stuff.”

In somewhat safer circumstances, Hiscox has asked us to join him over lunch in an upper-floor office of the City of London building that bears his name. The view is dominated by 30 St Mary Axe, otherwise known as The Gherkin—an enormous ogive structure, more or less next door, which from this angle looks less like a variety of pickled cucumber and more like a soil-planted glass rugby ball in a string-bag. The iconoclastic Lloyd’s building is on the corner, intestines and vital organs dangling all over the outside of its metal torso, with the Heron Tower having sprouted on the opposite side. Inbetween the jumble of oddly-shaped glass skyscrapers in this financial quarter, serious people hurry their takeouts back to their desks. The City is not what it used to be, and, on the streets, these buildings now cast cold shadows of austerity. For the insurance industry in particular, the past couple of years have presented a multitude of trouble, with a run of extraordinary disasters in Asia and the US, and world financial crises hitting on a weekly basis.

Yet when we meet him, Robert Hiscox is smiling.

Unlike many of its competitors, his company has managed to thrive amid trying times. He smiles when he greets us at the lift, smiles at the end of every sentence, and can be seen smiling in just about every press photograph there is of him—so it is difficult to work out whether he thinks that things are really good at the moment or if this is just his default expression. Perhaps the answer is a bit of both.

Whatever the case, not for him the steely sinister frown and focus into the Venetian blinds favoured by most company supremos for their publicity shots.

Nor the hunched weighed-down look of the suits on the street. This 69 year-old Lloyd’s grandee, of the older, impeccably turned-out and well-mannered generation, has mastered the art of being the perfect host and gentleman. “My philosophy is always to be cheerful,” he says. None of which, it is worth adding very quickly, precludes him from telling things exactly as he sees them.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 13

interview

The smile is decidedly not that of the yes-man.

Anything but. Hiscox has, for most of his professional life, and for some years before that, been ever ready to tell people just what he thinks — in the politest possible way, of course. Which is what happened during his address to the London 2012 Insurance Day Conference, when he gave Sir Mervyn King (then Governor of the Bank of England, and arguably the most powerful nonelected bureaucrat in Britain) and Hector Sants (then head of the Financial Services Authority) not so much a kicking, as a hefty punt right over the stadium roof.

Charm personified, Hiscox let rip against the impending control of the insurance industry as part of the financial regulatory system. How could this be right, he had opined, given their lack of experience? How could it be that the financial institutions that got their economic predictions so wrong – the Bank of England included – are being given a supervisory role over the one part of the very financial sector that had actually avoided much of the toxic opportunism? “Can we stop the masterservant attitude, especially as the servant is often far more qualified than the master?” he had concluded. For Hiscox may smile, and he may charm, but he does not play the quiet diplomat.

around, I won’t stand for that if I believe them to be wrong. I’ve been a company chairman, so I’ve been master of my own destiny for a long time, and for me to be told what to do by somebody who has little or no experience is quite hard.”

Hence what he dislikes about the current changes in the regulatory system. The insurance world is a tempestuous one, up one minute, down the next, where predictions need to be made about the most unpredictable of things. Hiscox explains how experienced African trackers cite the unpredictability of the bush as its greatest danger, but respond by backing their own judgement, and respecting their environment, not trying to systematise things or take instinct out of the process. In terms of impending changes in the regulatory system, he wants balance between strict regulation and flexibility, and warns of its opposite: rigidity, insensitivity, and a lack of common sense. It is a familiar pattern in the way the establishment tries to regulate the unpredictability of modern life.

“Risk has become a dirty word. All this health and safety nonsense, trying to legislate against anyone having an accident. The Financial Services Authority wants no business to be a risk. But life is about risk.”

Hiscox explains how African trackers cite the unpredictability of the bush as its greatest danger, but respond by backing their own judgement, respecting their environment and not trying to take instinct out of the process “I do understand how hard it is to get good people to regulate, because anybody good in the regulators gets pinched by private enterprise. But the result is that currently we are told what to do by inadequate people and that ought to stop. We ought to get good people seconded.”

It is easy to see the reason behind why this man has succeeded, and, as part of the same equation, easy to see how he might have been underestimated by the unwary. Hiscox neither looks nor sounds like an intimidating individual, nor someone who would upset vested interests. Yet the City’s longest-serving executive of some 48 years has developed an ill-fitting reputation as a ‘difficult character’ (his own words).

Too bad. For someone who likes nothing more than fast unruly motorbikes and large-horned bovines chasing him, the scowls of the establishment seem inconsequential.

“I found out very early in life that it was fun to break every rule in the book. At school, I wanted the freedom: the swimming at night in the lake and things like that; providing you didn’t get caught…I was, and still am, anti-establishment, anti-authority, or at least anti-mindless authority. Hence all the publicity I’ve had about being anti-FSA. Most people just give in and go with the flow. But if somebody starts to push me

In his 2012 speech, Hiscox spoke of a “very, very frightening world” where “technocrats will abound, but candidates with… common-sense, business ability, and intuition could be ruled out”. He is right to be concerned. Back in the 1990s, Hiscox played a key role in rescuing Lloyd’s of London from collapse, by using these very qualities — an ‘epic’ challenge, which he regards as his greatest achievement in a long career.

Part of the solution was to recapitalise, and establish the Equitas Group, whose job it was to reinsure the bad syndicates that Lloyd’s had accumulated; a solution that today’s regulators would not be flexible enough to allow; the implication being that, had the same thing happened today, Lloyd’s of London would be left to fail.

Fast-forward to a more recent crisis. Hiscox reckons that the disasters of 2008 were visible a mile off, and takes issue with Sir Mervyn King’s claim that no-one could possibly have seen what was about to happen.

In his conference speech, Hiscox hit back with a list of the numerous figures — Dan Healey, Jonathan Ruffer, Goldman Sachs, Warren Buffet — who had predicted the catastrophe. “It all seems trees and no wood to me,” Hiscox said in his concluding comments.

Ambition often features in Hiscox’s commentary, and there is no mistaking the philosophically conservative mood-music of self-help and self-responsibility, and

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 15

interview

a dislike of what he sees as collectivist dishonesty.

He keeps a photo of the doyenne of self-made entrepreneurialism, Margaret Thatcher, in his office, next to a picture of a Cape buffalo, and — completing this politically-incorrect triumvirate — a large dead squirrel in a glass. “I have definite heroes: Winston Churchill, because he gave England its spirit during the war, even if he was a micro-managing nightmare. And Mrs Thatcher, of course, is my goddess. I was sitting in the City of London, being taxed at 83 per cent in the pound, trying to build a business and everybody was cheating, because if tax is that high, you cheat. I had got a job offer from overseas, and was going to emigrate in 1979 if she didn’t get into power. But she did get in, and she brought a work-ethic right back into this country.”

A work-ethic that Hiscox was a keen supporter of, though he’s quick to admit that no man is an island.

“Delegation is the secret. I never understood why investment banks didn’t employ twice as many key people and pay them well, instead of half the number being paid obscenely. But then I underestimated the greed. Ambitious as I am, I don’t believe that I’m greedy. Enough is enough, and I like a life balanced between work, family, and my outside interests.”

Hiscox took over the family business as head of Roberts & Hiscox (as it was known then) in 1970 after

but I’ve never been devious. When asked about this company, I say that I hope it feels human. When I get letters from people complaining or praising, I get back to them because, if they get a reply from Mr Hiscox of Hiscox, it gives the business a human feel to it. I’ve always wanted to run a business this way.

It feels right.”

The bluntness which he mentions is something he knows has characterised his professional life. “I personally cannot be bought, and when it’s been tried on me, I’ve just felt insulted. I’ve never been bribeable, because it would be so humiliating to know that you’d done something purely because of some money.

The same principle applies with the Honours system.

I’ll never get an Honour with my inability to hold my tongue when faced with some childish politician. If you behave obsequiously to the right people and give money to the right charities, or do a bit of work for the right quango, the gong gets pinned on the chest. I am totally incapable of grafting like that.”

In 1993, when he was deputy chairman of Lloyd’s, Hiscox brought in Bronek Masojada from management consultants McKinsey to ensure succession. Now the company has well over one thousand employees, including, Hiscox claims, some of the most inspiring people in the industry. “My

“My life’s work has been to surround myself with people who are brighter than I am. If I have done one good thing, it’s employing very strong people” the death of his father, and as a young man was not unaware of the massive responsibility this entailed. “It was a huge privilege to be in charge of a business in Lloyd’s at such a young age. It was such a fun place to work, but it was bloody amateur. There were a lot of very thick people there — Hooray Henries, TimNice-But-Dims, put in by their fathers paying £13,000 to get them made a Member of Lloyd’s which gave them an income so their firms didn’t have to pay them —whereas I was an ambitious graduate, so I had the advantage. The great myth is that Lloyd’s was full of Old School types, when actually, it was the Cockney traders who were the most successful.”

As the company went from strength to strength, there soon became issues with the company name. Wanting a clearer identity, Hiscox turned to management consultants who told him to remove the ‘Roberts’ and go with ‘Hiscox’ alone. “One of my partners, who I was deeply fond of, sat there saying it’s a great mistake to put your name above the door because you are branded by that brand and it can be a curse on you. But that’s the point. You are directly responsible.

“The brand is how we behave, and I still feel personally flattered and proud when people say it’s a nice company and it behaves well. I might be blunt,

16 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

life’s work has been to surround myself with people who are brighter than I am. If I have done one good thing, it’s employing very strong people. To be able to breed the next chairman and chief executive and bring them on is, I think, the great achievement. And then, I can get out gracefully. Most people can’t do that; it’s their baby and they can’t leave it behind, so it dies with them. Better if you can breed continuity. I want this business to go on, and stay healthy. It has got my name on it and I am very proud of that. It’s my life’s work. Now, it’s time for me to leave it. I’ll be here on and off, but it’s time for me to take the hand off the tiller. It’s like a family.”

When Robert Hiscox took over as head of the partnership in 1970, and he was warned about renaming the company eponymously after himself, it was claimed it would mean too much responsibility on one person. And that, he felt, was exactly why it was the right thing to do. The Hiscox advertising strap-line is ‘As good as our word’. And as he steps towards retirement, Hiscox can make an entirely reasonable claim to have been just that.

This article first appeared in full in The Branded Gentry, How a New Era of Entrepreneurs Made Their Names, by David Hopper and Charles Vallance, Elliott & Thompson (2013)

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City deal overlooking Mansion House

feature

the face of the city As the new artist-in-residence at the Guildhall, London’s leading black & white photographer Niki Gorick’s latest exhibition at the Guildhall Library captures the unique and varying aspects of City lives and faces WORDS: TIFFANY EASTLAND

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 19

feature

Left: Waiters waiting, Leadenhall Market; Below: Tavern in the City

F

ascinated with the 380,000 workers that occupy the Square Mile each day, Niki Gorick’s photographic exhibition sheds new light on the different aspects of City life. Her latest work contradicts popular belief, demonstrating that not all of our City’s occupants spend every moment staring at a computer screen. In this memorable exhibition, Gorick’s photographs reveal the shifting pattern and unique juxtaposition of the multi-layered Square Mile.

From London’s famous landmarks to its vibrant street-life, Gorick has established a reputation for capturing the very essence of our City. As artist-inresidence at Guildhall, Gorick was commissioned to create a series of 26 print-photo sets for an exhibition entitled, City Life: The Square Mile’s Many Faces. Drawing on her early experience as a theatre photographer, Gorick’s latest work captures that one defining moment when all the elements come

together to convey the true character of our City.

For over a decade Gorick has specialised in photographing the capital, with a particular focus on, and fascination with, the Square Mile and its faces.

Gorick said: “This is an exciting challenge, allowing me to creatively showcase my extensive library of Square Mile images, as well as continuing to capture the daily life of this particularly dynamic part of London.”

Sara Pink, head of Guildhall Library, said: “Guildhall Library is excited to partner with Niki Gorick to build upon our flourishing programme of engagement with the arts. As artist-in-residence, Niki is working closely with Guildhall Library, The Library of London History, to explore, exploit and bring to life the many faces of the Square Mile through a series of photographs which tell the ongoing story of London life.”

Gorick’s exhibition will run until 11 April and can be viewed Monday-Saturday from 9.30am-5.00pm.

D Gresham Street, cityoflondon.gov.uk/guildhalllibrary

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 21

Clockwise from left: Sushi and the Broadgate Venus; City shoe-shine, Leadenhall Market; Chilled life, St Giles Terrace, Barbican; London laughter, Chelsea Pensioners & Pearlies

feature

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 23

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Old Billingsgate Market © Garry Knight

interview

As chairman of SAVE – a major conservation group which campaigns to protect threatened historic buildings – Marcus Binney CBE has been responsible for the restoration and protection of some of our most loved heritage buildings.

And his work in the City has been nothing short of inspirational WORDS: JACK WATKINS

Building a history

W

hen Marcus Binney joined Country Life in 1967, he might have seemed set to join its long line of scholarly, but non boatrocking writers on the great houses and art collections of Britain. Eton –educated, his dissertation at Cambridge University had been on a second tier Georgian architect Sir Robert Taylor, whose work at the Bank of England had subsequently been overshadowed by that of Sir John Soane and Sir Herbert Baker. But by quickly introducing a ‘Conservation in Action’ page

to the magazine, Binney took the first step in a career which has been dedicated to campaigning for endangered historic buildings, and offering economically viable alternatives to demolition.

To anyone who cares about the built heritage, Binney is something of an inspirational figure, his efforts in this area receiving official recognition in the form of an OBE in 1983, elevated to a CBE in 2006. Urbane in manner, his ready smile and humour disguise a steeliness which has made him a formidable opponent over the decades, both as a writer of numerous books, and as the driving force behind Save Britain’s Heritage (SAVE).

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 25

Old Billingsgate Market

Smithfield General Market Dome

London Fruit and Wool Exchange

Interviewing him in the organisation’s modest office in Cowcross Street, he jokingly recalls one wag’s remark that the title of his Country Life column “should really have been ‘Conservation Inaction’ in the way it highlighted things which needed to be done - but which weren’t - to buildings at risk.” In reality, though, it was one of the first regular architectural features which helped show that ‘heritage’ wasn’t just about grand houses and old manors.

“When one of my pieces was instrumental in saving a neo-classical church by Sir Robert Smirke at Rutland Water, it gave me the idea of doing more of these slightly combative articles,” Binney explains.

“Another early success was the City of London Club, which was under threat of demolition. I wrote a piece saying it was just as fine and historic as the clubs in St James and Pall Mall. And today, it’s still flourishing.”

SAVE emerged out of a landmark exhibition at the V&A in 1974, The Destruction of the Country House, which Binney co-organised with John Harris for the museum’s new director Sir Roy Strong. The reception accorded the show by the press and the public demonstrated a growing receptiveness to heritage issues, and the need for a new body to articulate it, argues Binney.

“The V&A had sent out a list of lost houses to every local newspaper in the country, and nearly all of them did a feature on their ‘own’ lost house. It showed there was an audience in the media and a public hunger for such stories, because they had an edge to them, were topical, and touched a chord.”

It was this that led to the launching of SAVE in1975, with Simon Jenkins among its first trustees, and Binney as its chairman.

SAVE wasn’t afraid to speak up for hitherto unappreciated structures, and some of its first battles were on behalf of London’s dockland warehouses.

“This was around the time when all the great warehouses around St Katharine’s Dock were being pulled down,” Binney recalls. “People think

IMAGES: courtesy of SAVE Britains’ Heritage

St Mary Abchurch

interview

the dock has been preserved because there is still one warehouse there, but in fact there were four magnificent ones there into the late 1960s, all gone now, or rebuilt in replica.”

But he says that a key to SAVE’s approach has been the constructive pursuit of realistic alternatives to knocking a property down. “We quickly realised that if we were going to argue a lot of difficult cases, it had to be more than just a question of saying “they’ve got to be preserved,” but also of getting them out of the clutches of owners who wanted Christchurch Spitalfields to demolish them, by forming partnerships in the local community, working with potential new owners, and proposing schemes which showed these buildings had a new life ahead of them.”

Quite often this has run the gauntlet of angry developers. “Your own pictures show that these are ghastly warehouses, where only a few parts have any architectural merit,” wrote one such scornful figure in 1980 in response to the campaign to save the Georgianperiod Cutler Street warehouses of the East India Company, near Liverpool Street. “Even Sing-Sing and Alcatraz were better designed.

I think you will make yourself a laughing stock if you ask people to help you save these frightful and ugly buildings.” The warehouses in Devonshire Square have subsequently been restored as office, shopping and residential spaces.

Meanwhile, at Billingsgate, SAVE’s proposal to build on the adjacent lorry park while preserving the old market hall, raised £22 million for the City Corporation, facilitating the market’s move to the Isle of Dogs. Richard Rogers was then able to successfully renovate the old hall in a much admired scheme which breathed new life into the area.

Rogers is typical of the enlightened partners, whether architects, engineers, surveyors or property managers, which the organisation works with in its campaigns. Binney argues that the actual standard of new development in the City has greatly improved from the “glum series of concrete boxes of the 1960s and 1970s.” He cites the Lloyd’s Building as a “firstclass landmark,” and speaks approvingly of “the extraordinary aquatic look” of Milton Gate in Chiswell

Street. “It’s very encouraging that there are all these good modern recent buildings, but it’s our abiding concern that it’s not at the expense of surviving streetscapes of character.”

Right now, the big fight is to save Smithfield Market, with several of the Victorian structures at the western end of the complex under threat of being gutted to make space for a substantial new office development. The Secretary of State Eric Pickles has called the case in for a public inquiry, to begin on 11 February. The day we met, SAVE, working with market entrepreneur Eric Reynolds, had just lodged a planning application for change of use, which would mean retention of all the old buildings, re-habilitating them for use as food markets, cafes and bars.

Binney believes their case is strong. “It’s said there have got to be more offices, but there are already huge blocks of new ones going up immediately to the north and south of the market.

There’s no doubt that if, on the other hand, shop units were made available, they would be snapped up immediately, because there are currently no vacant shops available around the market. And in Eric Reynolds, we’ve got someone who has more experience of running markets than anyone else in Britain. He started off with Camden Lock, and went on to Spitalfields, Greenwich Market and Gabriel’s Wharf, so there’s a lot of experience there to make this work.”

One battle SAVE do appear to have lost is that to save the London Fruit and Wool Exchange, with only elements of the façade to be retained. It’s particularly regretted by Binney as he thinks the view down Brushfield Street, on which the building stands, to Hawksmoor’s high and mighty Christ Church, is one of the greatest views in the City. “It’s simply not ecofriendly to demolish perfectly serviceable buildings in this way,” he adds. The revival of the great Spitalfields church was, ironically, one of SAVE’s earliest successes. And there are surely more to come, alongside the setbacks. “That’s the thing - we keep on fighting, even when all hope seems gone,” Binney insists. “We never give up.”

“It’s very encouraging that there are all these good modern recent buildings, but it’s our abiding concern that it’s not at the expense of surviving streetscapes of character”

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 27

QUINTESSENTIAL BRITISH LEATHER GOODS SINCE 1934

The Pinstripe Collection www.ettinger.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)20 8877 1616

Ettinger Pinstripe Ad Canary Feb12 297x210.indd 1

19/1/12 11:18 AM

STYLE

FASHION | ACCESSORIES | GROOMING | LIFESTYLE

A CUT ABOVE Contemporary aesthetic and attention-to-detail are the cornerstones in the success story of bespoke tailor Thom Sweeney. Following its debut in 2007, the contemporary Mayfair tailor has earned a reputation based on providing forwardlooking silhouettes for the likes of David Gandy and Dermot O’Leary. This month, the dynamic design duo is set to launch their very first readyto-wear collection exclusively with Mr Porter.

Conceived from all the essential elements that make Thom Sweeney the highly-sought after tailor that it is, the collection offers two key silhouettes; one takes on a formal structure, while the other adopts a casual and softer silhouette, but both feature the sophisticated signature cut.

D mrporter.com

DOWN TO A FINE ART He’s inked the likes of Alexander McQueen, Amy Winehouse and Boy George, but now Henry Hate is leaving his mark on the legendary footwear of Oliver Sweeney. In a partnership with luxury launch website, veryfirstto.com, Oliver Sweeney is offering a select few the opportunity to own a pair of shoes with a rock ‘n’ roll edge. From boots to brogues, each pair on offer will be tattooed with a bespoke design by Hate himself and a donation of £50 from the sale of the shoe will be donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation.

D Oliver Sweeney and Henry Hate, £995, veryfirstto.com

style:HIM

The latest news, campaigns and luxury launches for the stylish man about town

STEP IN STORE British footwear manufacturer Joseph Cheaney & Sons recently opened the doors to a new store in East London’s Spitalfields. Boasting 125 years of shoemaking heritage, the opening comes just four years after the company was bought by Church family cousins, William & Jonathan. In this short time the brand has gone through an exciting growth period, with the launch of an e-commerce site in 2012 and a growing export market. The new Lamb Street store is the fourth in their expanding retail portfolio which also includes Lime Street, Bow Lane and Piccadilly Arcade.

D cheaney.co.uk

FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE If there’s anyone that knows tailor-made luxury, it’s Italian menswear label, Canali and its Spring/Summer 2014 collection was certainly proof of this. The latest collection pairs its usual offering of fine tailoring with a refreshing burst of colour and patterns – a surprisingly daring move from a brand that’s often called conservative.

D canali.com

For Him | STYLE

THE PERFECT BLEND Chivas deluxe blended Scotch whisky and Savile Row kicked off their second year of partnership with a presentation of The English Gentleman at The Cabinet War Rooms. London’s best dressed gents joined together for an exclusive event held last month on the second day of London Collections: Men. Models dressed by Savile Row’s famous tailors, and modern gentlemen, including Sir John Standing and Sir Michael Gambon, were found in every corridor, room and corner, as an international audience of celebrities, journalists and buyers sipped a selection of sartorially inspired Chivas cocktails. Throughout the course of 2014, Chivas and the Savile Row Bespoke Association will host further events and activities to inspire appreciation for the art of heritage tailoring.

D chivas.com/savilerow

WE’VE GOT IT COVERED London isn’t famous for its blue skies and fine weather; in fact it is associated with quite the contrary, so it goes without saying that in this city a decent umbrella is a firm investment. London Undercover umbrellas are handmade in London using age-old techniques, which convert this everyday item into a luxurious and desired must-have. The very highest quality craftsmanship and materials are found in each of their products, including a heavy-duty metal framework that can withstand even the most extreme weather conditions.

D London Undercover umbrellas, from £140, OPUMO, opumo.com

NEW TO NIKE Muster the motivation to go running this month with a new pair of Air Max 90s. Nike recently unveiled three new versions of its popular sneaker for Spring 2014, each offering design, performance and style.

The first of the three, the Air Max Lunar90 combines two of Nike’s most popular cushioning systems, Lunarlon and Max Air; the results are an incredibly comfortable and lightweight shoe. For spring, the Air Max 90 Jacquard adopts an age-old method of weaving, while the Air Max 90 Ice makes the invisible visible, by featuring a translucent outsole to put the whole innovative design on show.

D nike.com/sportswear

ALL TIED UP Marwood is the British-made accessories brand making quite the mark with its line of luxurious ties and bow ties. This relatively young label recently unveiled its Spring/Summer 2014 collection, which celebrates texture, lines and pattern, boasting a lovely offering of woven ties, bow ties, scarves and pocket squares. Rapidly growing, thanks to its innovative and popular art-inspired design, Marwood is now available online at Mr Porter, and in store at Liberty, Dover Street Market and Fortnum & Mason.

D marwoodlondon.co.uk

february 2014 THE CITY 31

style | For Him

THE MANE EVENT

DELIBERATELY DISHEVELLED

FRINGE IN FOCUS

SLICKED AND SLEEK

For the Burberry Prorsum look that’s all texture and angles, blow-dry using big finger movements then add these products for extra volume and hold, before sealing the deal with a spritz of spray.

For those fond of the Nick Grimshaw look, apply a styling powder to the roots to save those locks from looking lank, then use a styling clay or paste on a longer fringe to create a dry, gritty effect and defined separation.

For a classic and quintessentially British look, go for the kind of slicked down smooth styles seen complementing Jonathan Saunders’ Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

Semisumo hi-shine lo-hold pomade, £21.50, Bumble & bumble, bumbleandbumble.co.uk

Thickening Hairspray, Bumble and bumble, £21.50, bumbleandbumble.co.uk

Resurrection Style Dust, £12.25, label.m, labelm.com

Sea Salt Spray, £11.45, Fudge, fudge.com

Hold & Gloss Spray , £11.95, label.m, labelm.com

Hair Styling Paste, £16.00, Jason Shankey, jasonshankey.com

Style Setter Styling Wax, £5.99, Charles Worthington, charlesworthington.com

32 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

Homme Styling Clay, £11.95, L’Oreal Professionnel, lorealprofessionnel.co.uk

Magic Elixir Hair Conditioning Concentrate, £25.00, Kiehl’s, kiehls.co.uk

In support of

Time for life – with two limited edition timepieces in support of Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières. Each watch raises £100 for the Nobel Peace Prize winning humanitarian organization. And still these handcrafted mechanical watches with the red 12 cost the same as the classic Tangente models from NOMOS Glashütte. Help now, wear forever. £100 from every product sold is paid to Médecins Sans Frontières UK, a UK registered charity no. 1026588. NOMOS retailers helping to help include C W Sellors, Catherine Jones, Hamilton & Inches, Mappin & Webb, Orro, Perfect Timing, Russell & Case, Stewart’s Watches, Stuart Thexton, Watches of Switzerland, Wempe. Find these and other authorised NOMOS retailers at www.nomos-watches.com, or order online at www.nomos-store.com.

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25.10.13 13:14

Burberry

Burberry

London CALLING Three days, 115 designers, more than 50 runway shows, after parties-a-plenty, presentations, man bags, mankets, brown as the new black, black as the new black, feathers and firsts – it can only be the return of London Collections: Men words: aimee latimer

L

ondon Collections: Men returned to the capital for the fourth time this January, to celebrate the cultural and commercial importance of British fashion with a series of runway shows and presentations of men’s designers’ Autumn/Winter 2014 collections. Fashion powerhouses Burberry and Tom Ford joined the heritage tailors of Jerymn Street and Savile Row and a host of new talent, in an event that showcased London fashion’s typical eclectic collection of the old, the new, the good and the unexpected.

Dark colours monopolised the palette of the majority of the collections, with black being a favourite, even of those who typically experiment with colour. Tom Ford’s off-white shearling coats and black suits were notably more subdued than the pink blazers of its Spring/Summer 2014 collection.

Alexander McQueen sent its models down a derelict runway in black feathered headpieces. The focus was less on colour (which spanned greys, blacks and flashes of gold) and more on shape.

Not only of the pieces themselves, but the actual

geometric shapes that were printed onto them, so that squares covered coats in panels and thick lines outlined rectangles on suit jackets.

Graphic prints also made a strong impression at Burberry Prorsum, as did colourful silk scarves tied loosely around models’ shoulders, coined, brilliantly,

by GQ as ‘mankets’. Mankets – expansive scarf/ cape hybrids – also made an appearance at Sibling and Xander Zhou. Colourfully-printed and oversized, they draped over one shoulder creating a dramatic silhouette which was softer than Burberry’s typical neat lines and trench suits. Always experimenting with texture, Burberry mixed shearling with silk and string vests with heavy draping coats. Coats flapped open, cardigans were haphazardly buttoned and not one tie made an appearance, suggesting a much more casual, roguish approach this season from the legendary brand.

Paul Smith also was not immune to the draw of the scarf, wrapping distressed scarfs over suits in its presentation of its Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, to gently push the boundaries of formality.

Brightly coloured pens were also tucked into the

Hackett

Feature | STYLE

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 35

style | Feature

suits’ outer jackets, as another simple and relaxed way of personalising a suit.

Brown made a sophisticated appearance as both an accent colour, for accessories and bags, and also as a main look for coats and suits. Hardy Amies and Crombie particularly excelled at revving-up brown with beautifully rich, deep shades for coats. After navy suits were so prolific last year, rumour has it that brown will make its mark as the new evening- wear hue in 2014. LC:M designers collectively avoided dressing models like used-car salesmen by producing smart tailoring in dark, luxe shades or by simply using one statement brown piece per look, such as a peacoat or bomber jacket.

Hackett was typically formal, beginning its show with a bellboy pushing a trolley of luggage and following it with suit upon expertly-tailored suit.

Checks, a firm favourite of last year’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collections, were worn, as were pinstripes – the latter with slim lapels to avoid any throwbacks to their 80s past. Grey – from charcoal to mushroom – was the overall shade of collection, but pops of colour from pink velvet to rich blues made notable appearances. Furthermore, the polo neck made a revival, with Hackett and designers across LC:M championing the look, layering it simply under a blazer with no pocket Alexander McQueen square or distractions.

Overall, LC:M showcased an aesthetic of two opposites: dark brooding colours and tailored shapes, versus bold feats of individuality created by things like brightly-coloured mankets.

Fortuitously, the two opposing looks actually layer over one another perfectly, with a dark Hackett base being simple to dress-up or down with personal touches.

With individualism pushed to the forefront, this will be the season to experiment with a pocket square (never worn in a fabric or colour which matches your tie) or a patterned blazer (keep the statement pieces to one per outfit), or a polo neck in the place of a shirt and tie. However, most of all, Autumn/Winter 2014 will be a time to indulge your individual tastes and dare to wear that scarf one shade braver.

D londoncollections.co.uk

36 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

From top to bottom: YMC; Paul Smith; Burberry; Hackett; Hardy Amies; Tom Ford; Crombie

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Flying

START Long weekends away mean comfortable style with an elegant edge Fashion: lucie dodds Photography: Simon Lipman

Top, £245, leather skirt, £450 and coat, £395, all L.K. Bennett Black Ribbon (lkbennett.com); Shoes, £450, Gina, gina. com; Linea watch, £1,320, Baume & Mercier (thewatchgallery.com)

this page

Top, £245, Leather Skirt, £450 and Coat, £395, all L.K. Bennett Black Ribbon, lkbennett.com; Shoes, £450, Gina, gina.com; Linea Watch, £1,320, Baume & Mercier, baume-et-mercier.co.uk

opposite page

Bespoke Suit and Shirt, from a selection, Dunhill, as before; Silk Pocket Square, £35, Thomas Pink, thomaspink.com

this page

Cashmere Jumper, £350, Dunhill, dunhill.com; Hampton Watch, £3,250, Baume & Mercier, as before

opposite page

Shirt, £725 and Trousers, £600, Chloé, chloe.com; Shoes, £450, Gina, gina.com; Jessica bag, £475, L.K. Bennett, lkbennett.com

grooming / HAIR & MAKE-UP

Danielle Ogilvie using Chanel Le Lift S/S14 and Paul Mitchell

SPECIAL THANKS...

...to PrivateFly.com & Zenith Aviation for use of the Challenger 300 private jet.

For enquiries, contact PrivateFly, 01747 642 777, privatefly.com

STYLE | For Her

THREE OF THE BEST: RED LIPSTICKS

Semi Matte Lipstick in Jungle Red, £18.50, NARS Cosmetics, narscosmetics.co.uk Spring 2014 RTW Collection, Marchesa, marchesa.co.uk Spring 2014 RTW Collection, Oscar de la Renta, oscardelarenta.com Spring/Summer 2014 RTW Collection, Elie Saab, eliesaab.com

dresses to impress

Rouge Dior in 999, £26, Dior Makeup, dior.com

Rouge Allure Velvet in La Précieuse, £25, Chanel, chanel.com

style:HER

This season’s most wearable trends for the chicest woman about town

WIN A PAIR OF LFW LUXE TICKETS The lucky winner will attend the Friday morning/afternoon session (11am-3.30pm), where they’ll enjoy a champagne and canapé reception, access to the American Express® Invites LUXE Lounge and front row seats at the ‘OUTNET. COM Trend Catwalk Show’. They’ll also take home a limited edition Luxury Tote Bag designed by Julien Macdonald.

To enter email communications@ runwildgroup.co.uk

A VALENTINO VALENTINE Follow your animal instinct with a gorgeous piece from Valentino’s Spring 2014 accessories line.

The collection puts a new spin on classic leopard print, adding a pop of colour that will put a spring in your step following these dark winter months.

D valentino.com

FRONT ROW FASHION This month, Somerset House will play host to a four-day celebration of fashion. Vodafone London Fashion Weekend (20-23 February) is Britain’s biggest biannual consumer fashion showcase and it’s back in 2014. Presenting the public with a rare opportunity to gain exclusive access to the official British Fashion Council Show Space, the weekend will also offer first-hand insider knowledge and styling advice from some of the country’s favourite fashion brands. As a media partner, The City Magazine is offering readers a 20 per cent discount on tickets, which can be redeemed by quoting ‘RWM20’ when purchasing online.

D londonfashionweekend.co.uk

44 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

lowndes street, london, sw1, 020 3539 8738, nevena.co.uk

by appointment only

Swiss movement, English heart

C1000 TYPHOON FGR4 Made in Switzerland / Self-winding, customised ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph with hour and minute bi-compax sub-dials / 42 hour power reserve / 42mm, high-tech ceramic case with titanium sub-frame / AR08 coated, museum grade, sapphire crystal / Delta and canard wing shaped stop-second hand / Deep-etched case-back engraving / Military style, high density webbing and leather strap with Bader deployment

Showroom at No.1 Park Street, Maidenhead. To arrange a personal appointment, call +44 (0)1628 763040

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21/01/2014 08:39

COLLECTION TIMEPIECES | fine JEWELLERY | LUXURY GOODS

Huygens… Harrison…

Breguet… Hoptroff?

Since man has measured time, he’s done so using a swinging pendulum, balance spring or quartz crystal. Now, with the first watch to be regulated by an atomic clock, we can use something far smaller. Telling the time by measuring the transition frequency of moving electrons inside a tiny vial, Richard Hoptroff’s No. 10 ticks at a rate of 16 million million vibrations per hour – compared to a mechanical-watch industry standard of 28,000 – and will remain accurate to 1.5 seconds per 1,000 years. One of the most complicated watches ever conceived, the No. 10 will calculate the rotation of the earth, the phases of the moon and even, wonderfully, the height of the local tide. It will be limited to 12 pieces.

D hoptroff.com

3 2 1 4 5

Keeping it

CLASSIC For style that’s timeless, opt for racing green or tan leather with a glint of gold

12 6

11 10

8 7 9

D 1 Lord chestnut wood handle umbrella, £195, Francesco Maglia, exclusively for mrporter.com D 2 Brown leather driving gloves, £50, Dents, liberty.co.uk D 3 Gold-plated glitter dome T-bar cufflinks, £225, Maison Martin Margiela, mrporter.com D 4 Vintage 1945 watch in rose gold, £15,800, Girard Perregaux,

girard-perregaux.com D 5 Car-shaped sterling silver tie clip, £675, Foundwell, foundwell.com D 6 Leather iPad case, £149, Burberry, burberry.com D 7 Woven leather belt, £80, Anderson’s, liberty.co.uk D 8 Skull-embossed cufflinks, £105, Alexander McQueen, harveynichols.com D 9 Jaguar-inspired #20 Monza weekend holdall, £460, Caracalla 1947, caracalla1947.com D 10 Leather travel explorer holdall, £279, Barbour, johnlewis.com D 11 Phone cover with tab, £90, Mulberry, mulberry.com D 12 De Ville Chronoscope Co-Axial Chronograph, £18,370, Omega, Fraser Hart, New Change Passage, fraserhart.co.uk

COLLECTION

Crystal Clear

English Engineering Pinion has become the latest buzzword in British watchmaking. Having debuted its inaugural range at last autumn’s SalonQP watch fair, the South Oxfordshire-based company prides itself on designing, finishing, assembling and testing all of its watches on home soil. The handsome, no-nonsense Pinion Axis, which has just become available to buy online, features a self-winding automatic Swiss movement, a 42mm case and Swiss Superluminova coated indexes on its dial. The hard-wearing, highly legible pieces come in steel, bronze or DLC-coated. Prices start at an industry-reasonable £1,950.

D pinionwatches.com

watches For treasured timepieces, horological heirlooms and modern masterpieces, watch this space... by richard brown

ONE TO WATCH Each month we select our timepiece of the moment from watch world’s most exciting creations:

A sapphire disc, decorated with golden stars and two golden moons, tracks the lunar cycle on Patek Philippe’s stunning 5205R. The 18-karat rose gold annual calendar timepiece comes housed in a 40mm case, a size that will gratify any wrist

It’s a brand that borrows its name from AbrahamLouis Perrelet, the man who in the 1770s invented the first selfwinding mechanism for pocket watches. Continuing its affinity with self-winding movements, three centuries later, Perrelet presents the Turbillon, the latest addition to its esteemed Turbine collection. Using crystal sapphire for the first time, the watch unveils Perrelet’s brand-new tourbillon, which incorporates an escapement with an oxidized silicon wheel and lever. At 46 millimetres, the Turbillon isn’t what you’d call dainty. Then again, with only 60 models being produced, buy one and you’ll want it to get noticed.

D The Turbillon is available in steel or rose gold for £50,000 and £59,000 respectively. frostoflondon.co.uk

To the moon and back While we’ve seen moon phases on the dials of A. Lange & Söhne timepieces before, never has the complication been given so much prominence as on the new Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase. Connected to the watch’s hour-wheel continuum, the indication is constantly in motion, illustrating the time that elapses from new moon to new moon. Once correctly set, and assuming that the watch runs continuously, the display will only have to be corrected by one day every 122.6 years. The newest addition to Lange’s most famous timepiece family comes in either yellow gold, pink gold or platinum. Exact prices haven’t yet been released, but expect them to be around the £33,000 mark.

D Grand Lange 1 Moon Phase, A. Lange & Söhne alange-soehne.com

D 5205R, £34,710, Patek Philippe, patek.com

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 49

Marshall

Arts Four months ago luxury jeweller David Marshall opened the doors of his first flagship store in the heart of Mayfair. Olivia Sharpe reports

COLLECTION

T

riumph over adversity. If I had to describe David Marshall’s rise to the top, this would be an apt choice of phrase. After 25 years in the industry, the end of last year saw the acclaimed British jeweller’s hard work pay off as he opened his first standalone store in London’s jewellery epicentre, Mayfair.

Joining an international jewellery hall of fame, the new boutique signifies one of the first from a UK jeweller since Stephen Webster in 2009. Inside, it is a true reflection of the master craftsman. Designed

by Sarah Chenevix-Trench, it includes bespoke furniture by British cabinet maker Jonathan Sainsbury alongside the brand’s coveted collections and unique pieces. A champagne bar in the corner lends itself to the bespoke experience and this continues downstairs with an intimate area for private client viewings. For David, whose business had previously been based in Hatton Garden, Mayfair was the only option. “I knew where I wanted to be and this was it. Mayfair is a very diverse area in the types of brands and luxury goods on offer.”

While David has finally landed his dream store, his rise to the top was no easy climb.

Unlike many of us, David has always been fairly certain about what he wants. At 13, he decided he was going to become a jeweller, having been inspired by his teacher who was a silversmith. “We had quite a nice set up at my school, with engineering metalwork, woodwork, pottery and the arts all on the curriculum.

At a young age I was taught art and metalwork.”

At 20, he secured an apprenticeship in London.

Working for a company which specialised in the reproduction and restoration of antiques, David was taught the “the old school way” of manufacturing.

After two years, he moved to Suffolk and benefitted from being just one of five people in a small workshop: “I was lucky in that I was able to progress very quickly into making pieces.”

However, earning a menial salary, he found it difficult to make ends meet. “I was 18 and I was probably earning about £47 a week... I could hardly live, let alone make pieces.” Moving back to London, David became self-employed and rented a bench in the basement of a

Above, from left: David Marshall; Art Deco necklace; Octopus ring with opal and diamonds from the Beach Rocks collection

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 51

Feather necklace Star fish rings with pavé diamonds in white or rose gold

Bond Street workshop. Two years later, he landed his “first big break” manufacturing for esteemed British jewellery brand David Morris, which he acknowledges was “an incredible learning curve”.

At 25, David was facing the stresses of everyday life: “I was trying to balance doing my own work and my own designs while making a living. I had two children and a mortgage so it was a massive juggling act.” If this wasn’t enough, he and the rest of the country had just gone into a recession. “It was quite tough for me that year [1989] when the recession hit. I had to do weekend work just to make some money.” Fortunately, David’s perseverance paid off and by the early 90s, business picked up. Between 1993 and 2012, he built up an impressive roster of private clients and West End retail jewellers, not to mention a reputation as one of Britain’s premier jewellery manufacturers and designers. The company upgraded its residence twice in London’s diamond jewellery district, Hatton Garden before its grand relocation to Mayfair last year.

The ‘old school’ method has stood David in good stead. His 30 craftsmen employ the traditional tools of the trade to manufacture the highest quality pieces. The jeweller is keen to pass on his skills to the next generation and so offers an informal apprenticeship scheme. However, due to the recent decline of UK apprenticeship schemes in favour of a university education, David finds it difficult to source good workers. However, he believes change is on the horizon. Over the past eight years, he has been involved with setting up the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for jewellers and predicts there shall be “a significant uptake in people drawn to the skill over the next five or ten years.”

Despite using traditional methods, this doesn’t mean to say the jeweller is set in his ways. His workshop is kitted out with the latest, state-ofthe-art technology including CAD design, a software which enables jewellers to sketch and render 3D models of pieces; RP (‘Rapid Prototyping’) machines, used to fabricate scale models; Butterfly earrings and laser beam welding, a technique which joins multiple

pieces of metal for a cleaner finish without joints.

It is this fusion of traditional craftsmanship and new age technology which he believes results in his finest work. “We take the best part of CAD design and the best part of the guys on the bench to create the best possible piece of jewellery.”

As well as creating bespoke, one-off designs, David Marshall also produces collections.

While customised pieces can afford to be more unusual, collections must in turn be “more accessible”, according to David. The first collection he launched in 2009, Diamond Feather, features an elegant and refined design inspired by Ancient Greece’s winged goddesses and the graceful curves of a swan’s wings; hand-crafted from white gold and set with fine white diamonds, the pieces are timeless and classic. As a fine jeweller, David doesn’t follow trends but admits these “naturally come into play”. The Deco collection, for instance, is influenced by the Art Deco style of the 20th century, a trend which has recently re-emerged.

The following three collections – Legacy, Butterfly and Beach Rocks – launched in 2011. Beach Rocks, in particular, highlights the designer’s more playful side. Inspired by his trips to Côte d’Azur, it includes eye-catching pieces such as an Octopus ring made from 18-carat gold and set with a stunning blue green oval opal centre stone. With prices ranging from £1,000 for classic diamond pieces up to a £1 million for elaborate custom designs, it is impossible to pinpoint the typical customer. “It’s a very broad spectrum of ages,” considers David. “I’ve got a client at the moment looking to buy something for her daughter’s 18th birthday. I can remember her coming into the workshop when she was pregnant with her. You just never know who your next client’s going to be.” Because of this, David offers the same “high level of service” to anyone who walks through his door, whether they’re looking for a bespoke piece or simply wishing to service an old piece of jewellery.

The jeweller’s biggest inspiration originates from the stone itself. “I look at a stone and think to myself,

COLLECTION

Forget Me Not flower earrings

‘what am I going to do with that?’” he explains.

“And you’re not necessarily sure so you sit with it and suddenly the answer comes to you.”

David sources his stones from well-trusted suppliers, many of whom he’s worked with since the beginning. “My guys are like stone hunters; they will go and buy a poorly-made stone in Burma or somewhere and they know they can cut it into something beautiful.” At this point, I ask David where he stands on the hot topic of ethically-sourced coloured gemstones and diamonds. “I think everyone is jumping on the ethical bandwagon. In an ideal world, it would be great to know for certain where a stone comes from but unfortunately there are no mechanisms in place which guarantee stones have been sourced ethically.” In spite of this, the jeweller refuses to work with stone dealers who are part of big corporations (and therefore more open to abusing the system) but rather with ethically-minded individuals who source stones directly from the miners.

David jokes how choosing a favourite stone would be a bit like singling out his favourite child but he does point out to me his current favourite piece: a show-stopping seed pearl and green tourmaline necklace. Made up of three detachable parts, the necklace showcases the versatility and originality of the designer’s pieces: “The idea is that if a client comes in and buys a piece I’ve made, they can then add to it.”

The designer has a new engagement ring range in the pipeline and with Valentine’s Day approaching, I grill him on what are set to be the ‘it’ rings. Noting that the most popular style continues to be “round diamonds with small stones, either set around them in a vintage style or halo”, David goes on to say that he tries to encourage his clients to go for something a bit different, including his own son. “My son wanted to get a round diamond but I told him he absolutely couldn’t do that”, he smiles. “So he bought a more modern, cushion-cut mixed with round diamonds as a compromise.”

David Marshall is a family-run business; nearly four years ago, David’s son Tom became production manager. Having always seen himself as more of a craftsman than a businessman, David welcomed this opportunity. With regards to where he sees himself in ten years, he states that he’d like to see his son, son-in-law and daughter heavily involved in “the management side of the business” so he can get

Seed pearl and green tourmaline necklace

back to “the creative and retail side”. Other family members involved in the business include David wife’s Tanya who is the company director.

As well as designing one-off pieces, developing collections and pursuing charitable endeavors (one of David’s big projects this year is working with the Goldsmiths Centre on a programme which aims to get disabled children and adults involved in the industry), this year also marks another impressive milestone for the jeweller. On 10 February, David turns 50 and, to celebrate, he and his family are going on a skiing holiday. “It’s going to be a proper family get-together,” says David. And he’s certainly earned it.

D David Marshall, 43 Davies Street, W1K 4LU davidmarshalllondon.com

Feather bracelet

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 53

COLLECTION

Think Pink

From Fabergé, With Love Fabergé’s legacy is rooted in romance. Before the Russian Revolution, founder Peter Carl Fabergé was the jeweller to the Russian Imperial Court during the reign of the last Romanov Tsar Nicholas II and he would create exquisite jewels and objects which were often given as gifts to the Tsar’s Empress, Alexandra.

More than 100 years later, the house continues to honour this legacy by adding to its much-loved Treillage collection in time for 14 February. The multicoloured precious jewels have been inspired by the Diamond Trellis Egg, which was first created in 1892 and features the signature quilting pattern. In keeping with the 2014 campaign, which pays tribute to Fabergé’s historic use of colour, the rose gold cushion-patterned jewels have been adorned in an array of kaleidoscopic coloured gemstones and diamonds, showcasing not only the house’s creativity but also its expertise in pavé-setting and enamelling.

From Cartier to Tiffany, it seems there isn’t a luxury jewellery house which hasn’t picked up on the most recent trend for rose gold. While gold and silver have traditionally been considered the more classic of metals, this particular blend of coloured gold has proven itself extremely versatile and wearable. This year, De Beers has extended its Aura collection to include pink gold pieces, including earrings, a pink gold bracelet with white diamonds, a pendant and a solitaire diamond engagement ring.

D debeers.com

D faberge.com

jewellery Jewels, gems, pearls and diamonds; the essential components of any lady’s jewellery collection by olivia sharpe

Cutting Edge To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Harry Winston has reinterpreted the token of sending love letters by presenting two unique charms:

The With Love charm has been designed to resemble an envelope, while the Pavé Diamond Heart has been moulded into a heart shape as a symbol of eternal love. Both charms (sold separately), in either yellow gold or platinum, are meticulously set with exquisite diamonds. These highlight the House’s commitment to creating timeless treasures

A Streetcar Named Desire From 7 to 9 February, Chelsea Old Town Hall will once again play host to the Desire Fair, organised by Craft in Focus. Presenting 80 exhibitors from the jewellery and silversmith industries, all of whom have been specifically chosen for their high levels of skill and craftsmanship, this is a rare opportunity to meet some of the UK’s best contemporary designers and purchase pieces directly from them.

Visitors will also be able to commission bespoke pieces at the event so those of you looking for Valentine’s Day inspiration need look no further.

D desirefair.com

D harrywinston.com

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 55

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COLLECTION

5

3 4

1

Roses

ARE RED

7 6

For the past year, rose gold has taken over the world of jewellery.

Take your pick from Tiffany, Van Cleef & Arpels or Astley Clarke

18 17

8

9 15

16 11 10

14 13 12

D 1 Mini Allegro rose gold pendant, £125, Rachel Galley, rachelgalley.com D 2 Effervescence Bubble rose gold diamond ring, £995, Links of London, 6 Royal Exchange D 3 18-karat pink gold necklace with amethysts, rubellites, peridots, and pavé diamonds, POA, Bulgari, 15 The Courtyard, Royal Exchange D 4 & 5 Enchant heart stud

earrings, £365, Atlas hinged bangle, £7,325, Tiffany & Co, 9 The Courtyard, Royal Exchange D 6 Diamond pavé skinny long ring, £205, Monica Vinader, monicavinader.com D 7 Perlée pendant in pink gold, £1,300, Van Cleef & Arpels, vancleef-arpels.com D 8 Olivia large rose gold-dipped topaz earrings, £1,580, Larkspur & Hawk, net-a-porter.com D 9 Rose gold ruby slice bracelet, £1,350, Meira T, harrods.com D 10 Pink and white diamond ring, POA, David Morris, davidmorris.com D 11 Perlée hoop earrings in pink

gold, £4,150, Van Cleef & Arpels, as before D 12-14 Morganite medium round ring, £4,500, Pretty ring, £295 (Hillier) and tiny rose gold laser-cut love disc bracelet, £330, Astley Clarke, astleyclarke.com D 15 Camelia 18-karat pink gold ring, POA, Chanel Fine Jewellery, chanel.com D 16 18-karat rose gold diamond ring, Brooke Gregson, £1,354, net-a-porter.com D 17 Enchant cuff, £2,125, Tiffany & Co, as before D 18 ‘Pour Julia’ ring in 18-karat pink gold set with rubies, POA, Adler, adler-joailliers.com

56 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

RUN WILDbracelet london_UK 13/04/12 09.37 Pagina 2

From the Honeycomb Eternelle Ring Collection

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L U X U RY S H O P P I N G & D I N I N G

IF THE SHOE FITS This month The Royal Exchange will play host to a pop-up exhibition with the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery. My Favourite Shoe will explore the use of vintage and historical shoes as a point of reference and inspiration in modern design.

Three of the Royal Exchange’s resident shoe designers have been invited to select their favourite shoe from the Northampton Museum & Art Gallery’s archive, to pair with a shoe from one of their own collection.

Representing the classic men’s footwear offering at The Royal Exchange is Crockett & Jones and Harrys of London, while Pretty Ballerinas will exhibit on behalf of the ladies footwear on offer.

Illustrating the evolution and future of shoe design, the exhibition also intends to breakdown and explain the craftsmanship and process of shoemaking.

Forming part of a larger project for Northampton Museum and Art Gallery,

Emerald City It has been thought that emeralds preserve love, and after seeing this incredible masterpiece, there’s no question as to why. Said to symbolise hope and bring wisdom to its wearers, this pair of drop earrings will also win some serious brownie points. Guaranteed to make quite the statement, each of these pieces needs

only to be paired with a simple black cocktail dress for the ultimate red carpet glamour. Both the earrings and necklace feature diamonds set in 18ct white gold, but the star is certainly the Zambian Emeralds that take centre stage.

Theo Fennell, Gemfields Zambian Emerald Earrings, £16,500, Necklace, £15,950

T H E R O YA L E X C H A N G E . C O . U K

My Favourite Shoe will continue to take shoes out of their archives and into unusual public spaces, including other retail destinations and stately homes.

The Royal Exchange is delighted to be the first London space to host the free My Favourite Shoe exhibition set to run from 3-7 February, opening to the public each day from 10am-11pm. theroyalexchange.co.uk

SIX OF THE BEST

Yours Truly 

Leather Luxury 

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This Valentine’s Day, express your love with heartfelt words inscribed into a stunning Tiffany & Co. bangle. The jeweller’s iconic blue box is often enough to excite, but enjoy the gratification when your loved one discovers the message that will give this beautiful gift a truly personal touch.

Synonymous for their dazzling diamonds, Boodles has again delivered with an engagement ring that is certainly no exception. The Double Vintage Ashoka Diamond Ring attracts its share of admirers, featuring an incredible Ashoka cut diamond, surrounded by round-brilliant cut diamonds.

Tiffany & Co., Tiffany Yours Bangles, starting

Sage Brown Fine Leather has unveiled a stunning new accordion style purse that forms part of its Signature range. Handmade using beautiful, soft leather, the Accordion Purse is available in a range of colours, finishes and textures. Featuring a highly practical design, this purse can also doubleup as an elegant clutch for evenings out.

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These romantic, mysterious and beguiling scents promise to cast a spell on your loved one this Valentine’s Day. LP No.9 for Women offers an addictive blend of sweet floral notes, spice and musk, while LP No.9 for Men boasts a rather complex heart of ylangylang, to create a truly sensual scent.

When it comes to celebrating life’s most important moments, Tiffany & Co. certainly knows how. This year, the jeweller has designed the ultimate gift of romance, a stunning bangle featuring a 74.27-carat oval morganite, the gem named after financier and Tiffany patron J.P. Morgan.

Penhaligon’s London, LP No. 9 for Men and for

Tiffany & Co., Morganite and Diamond Bangle,

Show that special someone just how much they mean to you with an elegant and refined symbol of your affections. This beautiful bracelet from Montblanc interprets the timeless spirit of romance in a stunning new style. Coeur de Pétales Entrelacés represents a special bond by intertwining two pink-gold petals to form a heart.

Women, £85 for 100ml

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Montblanc, Coeur de Pétales Entrelacés, £475

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WORK

business | finance | news | OPINION | INTERVIEWS

Lloyd’s Leading Lady As the first female boss in Lloyd’s of London’s 325year history, the appointment of new chief executive Inga Beale marks a historic move for the upper echelons of company management. Replacing predecessor Richard Ward, Beale has amassed a wealth of knowledge as CEO at Lloyds and this new appointment will see her relocated to the company’s ‘Inside Out’ headquarters in the heart of the Square Mile. With a staff of 900, Beale’s primary responsibilities will include overseeing a market of approximately 90 syndicates and companies.

D Lime Street, lloyds.com

MINT Series | work

EMERGING ECONOMIES:

THE MINT SERIES In a four part series, we examine the rise of the MINT nations, their booming economies and what’s to come in 2014

T

hirteen years ago economist Jim O’Neill introduced the business world to the term BRIC – that is, the collective nations of Brazil, Russia, India and China as the emerging economic giants of the coming decade.

Today, at the start of 2014, the economic community has taken on a new focus in the form of O’Neill’s most recent term ‘MINT’: Mexico, Indonesia, Nigeria and Turkey, as rising stars of economic development and growth.

As a general overview, these four burgeoning ‘giants’ boast fast-growing populations, with large young workforces who are keen to get involved in the predicted economic uprising. Many of the nations who have led the economic markets for the

last decade – India and China for example – will find themselves with both ageing and shrinking populations in the years to come, resulting in markedly slower growth rates.

In addition, the new MINT nations enjoy good global geography, allowing them to utilise the already successful economic markets on their borders – being neighbour to the USA, Mexico, for instance, can entice manufacturers away from the States and over the border.

Essentially, O'Neill’s premise is that if these four nations get it right, their current economic status, population demographic, geography and resources could be utilised to effect the same double-digit growth rates seen in China in the mid-noughties – and that’s exciting news for both workers and investors.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 63

MINT SERIES: PART i

MEXICO

T

hink of Mexico and a variety of images may spring to mind: breathtaking coastlines and luxury holidays, spicy cuisine, a rich history, Mayan temples, or even dramatic news reports of drug cartels.

What you probably don’t imagine is the world’s next major economic superpower – the next China, for example. But that’s exactly where you’d be wrong. “Something happened here,” wrote Thomas L. Friedman reporting for The New York Times from Mexico’s industrial centre, Monterrey, this time last year: “It’s as if Mexicans subconsciously decided that their drug-related violence is a condition to be lived with and combated, but not something to define them any longer.

“Mexico has signed 44 free-trade agreements — more than any country in the world — which, according to The Financial Times, is more than twice as many as China and four times more than Brazil.”

As the rest of the world slowly catches on, O’Neill travelled to all four nations last year, reporting for BBC Radio 4 on the economic progress of MINT. He found that Mexico’s government rule is changing fast. With the arrival of a dynamic young president, Enrique Peña Nieto and his Pacto por Mexico (a ‘Pact for Mexico’, signed by all three political parties to enable change), new laws have been made and a transformation begun. After years of corruption and

MINT Series | work

crime defining both the country and its rulers, the steady improvements and sensible forecasting since the president’s arrival in December 2012 have awoken both the Mexican workforce and foreign investors to the nation’s potential.

“All the main political forces have reached an agreement and a common agenda, for the transformation Mexico needs,” said the president, talking to O’Neill for BBC’s Radio 4 programme MINT: The Next Economic Giants.

“I’m talking about labour reform, education reform so our people can be better skilled, about economic reform, telecoms reform, fiscal and financial reform to make loans and credit less costly, and I’m also talking about energy reforms. This means the Mexican state, without losing full control over its natural resources, can also find cheaper energy prices. With cheaper energy, Mexico can face up to all of its national challenges. This is undoubtedly Mexico’s moment.

“Many countries are going through economic declines but that’s not the case here. In Mexico we are turning on the engines for sustained growth. This is a great moment for Mexico.”

Indeed, according to the Wall Street Journal, the potential can already be noted; during the last financial year (2012-13), Mexico’s stock index rose five per cent and the peso increased 3.5 per cent against the dollar, “even while Brazil’s leading stock market index fell 13 per cent and its currency sank 14 per cent.”

The attraction of Mexico for investors isn’t simply theoretical. General Motors – the largest car manufacturer in the USA – is investing over $50 million in the expansion of its Toluca plant, with

ones to watch: As part of an energy reform package, state-owned Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex) is open to private and foreign investment from 2014. Although citizens were largely negative about the move, the government maintains that the oil will remain Mexican but that partnerships will help boost the business. The bill was passed in December, and bids for partnerships are set to commence in March 2014.

Pan American Silver Corp. is expanding its Mexico-based La Colorada mine after preliminary economic assessments showed that the expansion has the potential to increase the mine’s silver production from about 4.7 million ounces per year to 7.7 million ounces per year by the end of 2017.

Mexico is the 14th largest economy in the world and 2nd in Latin America.

Goldman Sachs has tipped Mexico to become the fifth largest economy in the world, above the UK, by 2050

Mexico ranks Source: Latin American Trade & in 48th place from Investment Association, LATIA the 185 economies compared on their business environment, performing better than BRICs, Brazil, India and China Source: Doing Business 2013 from the World Bank

companies including Pirelli & C. SpA, Nissan, Audi, Honda and Mazda not far behind, all planning the launch of plants in Mexico in the next few years.

“But perhaps the biggest potential for growth lies in the aerospace sector” suggests Shelly K. Schwartz, writing for CNBC. According to the Mexican Association of the Aerospace Industry, investment in aviation and aerospace technologies has been increasing by more than 20 per cent a year since 2004.

“More than 260 aerospace companies now operate in Mexico,” she writes, “exporting $4.3 billion in aircraft and parts in 2010. That figure is projected to reach $12 billion by 2020, according to the association. Major U.S. aerospace companies with operations in Mexico include Honeywell, General Electric, Cessna Aircraft, Hawker Beechcraft and Gulfstream Aerospace. Canadian company Bombardier […] French helicopter maker Eurocopter, and Netherlands-based Fokker also produce parts below the Rio Grande.”

With the arrival of major international companies and the trickle of foreign investment quickly turning to a flood, the young population of Mexico can feel

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 65

work | MINT Series

MINT SERIES: PART i

INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORTS ECONOMY:

MEXICO’S NEW PROJECTS Red NIBA (National Grid for the Development of Broadband Infrastructure) Cost: N/A Mexico’s online presence, aiming to connect 30 million more Mexicans to broadband access.

La Paz – Los Cabos Highway Cost: £170 million Connecting the tourist resort of Cabo San Lucas with the state capital of La Paz for 10,000+ vehicles per day.

Durango – Mazatlan Highway

change happening – and they are excited. A new generation of highly educated Mexicans has just hit the working world: 115,000 engineering graduates per year, with another 745,000+ university students currently studying engineering and technology. It is both surprising and noteworthy that this is more than the rest of Latin America combined – and the USA. “Mexico has greatly increased the number of engineers and skilled labourers graduating from its schools” explains Friedman, “… together with massive cheap natural gas finds, and rising wage and transportation costs in China, and it is no surprise that Mexico is now is taking manufacturing market share back from Asia and attracting more global investment than ever in autos, aerospace and household goods.”

Indeed, so positive is the outlook for Peña Nieto’s new Mexico, that net migration into the USA has dropped from nearly half a million each year (before the recession) to almost zero. There is a great optimism amongst the people, fuelling a powerful and newly educated work ethic pushing Mexico to greater economic success.

The outlook was succinctly summed up by Sergio Martin (chief economist on Mexico for HSBC in his 2012 report) when he wrote that “With manufacturing exports growing at current rates, we expect Mexico to displace China as the top U.S. trading partner by 2018” – and when it’s put as simply as that, it’s not hard to see where the world’s trade and industry will be heading next.

D Pick up the March issue of The City Magazine to read Part II of The MINT Series, featuring Indonesia

66 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

Cost: £1 billion+ Linking the port of Mazatlan with the interior of the country and on to the US border and the Atlantic Coast.

La Yesca Dam Cost: £500 million The largest hydroelectric power plant in Mexico and one of the five tallest dams in the world, providing 50 years of renewable energy.

Brownsville – Matamoros International Bridge Cost: £8 million The first new rail bridge built between the USA and Mexico in more than a century, connecting the border towns of Brownsville, Texas with Matamoros, Tamaulipas.

Saltillo – Monterrey Highway Cost: £173 million Connecting the two northern cities of Monterrey and Saltillo, forming part of the Mazatlan to Matamoros route connecting the two coasts.

Metro Line 12 Cost: £1 billion+ Mexico City’s extensive metro system’s new line, running 25 km with 20 stations across the south of Mexico City.

Cancun Airport Cost: £44 million The second runway allowed the airport to double its capacity to 28 million passengers a year and included the inauguration of Latin America’s highest control tower.

Arco Norte Cost: £340 million The ‘Arco Norte’ or Northern Arch project links the cities of Atlacomulco in the State of Mexico with San Martin Texmelucan in Puebla State as a bypass to cut congestion in Mexico City.

Source: The Report Company via The Guardian

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Interview | work

Sharpe SHOOTER Author of the recently published Who Dares Wins in Business – an Andy McNabmeets-Alan Sugar business tome — ex-SAS soldier Joff Sharpe is now director of HR at British Land and a firm fixture in the corporate world, a far cry from the relentless challenge of military life, and yet, at the same time, strangely familiar WORDS: ANTHONY PEARCE

W

hen I’m introduced to Joff Sharpe, he’s in a car outside a branch of Wells Fargo Bank in Washington DC, planning how to rob it at gunpoint. Well, theoretically anyway. Fresh out of the SAS (having spent ten years serving in the armed forces since school-leaving age), Sharpe is working for a company in Washington that specialises in conducting surveillance on armoured cars and banks. “The idea was to provide risk profiling for insurance companies,” he begins. “The company was run by another former SAS man and it made sense: plenty of ex-servicemen go in for these sorts of jobs – security, policing and strategy. It was an easy and natural thing for me to get involved in.”

But it’s not always been such a stylish, daring existence. Sharpe has waited tables in Pizza Hut and packed boxes on night shifts; and now, some 23 years later, he’s an established businessman, HR director at British Land, and has succeeded at Mars and Pepsi, liaising with Piers Morgan and Rupert Murdoch en route.

Perversely, Sharpe’s first steps in the business world came when he switched from his DC-based security company to (the less glamorous) Basingstoke, where he became personnel manager for a vending machine company. “It’s about life experiences; trying new things out and seeing what flicks the switch inside,” he offers, with the confidence of a man who now boasts considerable experience of the commercial world.

From SAS to author is a path well-trodden, but becoming a business leader along the way is somewhat more unusual. After all, how many corporate manuals spill the secrets of the trade while ensuring they don’t breach national security along

the way? Sharpe admits there were things that didn’t make it into the final edit of Who Dares Wins (or rather, did make it in before being removed by the MOD.) “They wanted to make sure there was nothing in there that, let’s say, annoyed them,” he smiles. “It would be fair to say we lost a bit of word length, but overall I’m happy with what has remained. There are some interesting comparisons between business and warfare. A lot of the characters are similar – they’re ruthless, focused, utterly dedicated.”

Sharpe had been considering putting pen to paper for some time. At first he toyed with the idea of fiction, but eventually scrapped that and came up with the idea of a business book. Where Sharpe’s Who Dares Wins differs from other motivational books is in its range: Sharpe was able to draw on huge, wideranging experience to make meaningful analogies and tell entertaining stories.

He teamed up with the journalist Teena Lyons who, he says, helped keep the book concise and enjoyable. “It’s written to be accessible, and is aimed at anybody in commerce or industry, with an interest in innovations. I’ve accumulated good organisational experience, starting at big blue chip companies such as Mars and Pepsi,” he says. “And I’ve been all around the world – I’ve lived in Europe, Asia, the States and so on – and I’ve acquired quite a lot of learning about what makes leaders and organisations tick,” he adds.

He’s initially reticent about his time in the SAS, although eventually opens up. And he doesn’t see himself as a personality as such: he wants the book to speak for itself. It does, but purely because of the strong analogies he’s able to draw and the experience he is able to call on. “What is genuinely different about this book is the analogies in it – their base is interesting

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 69

work | Interview

but far removed from conventional business wisdom. Three hours in and there’s no mention of a budget review meeting – this is real life,” he says.

“The analogy often doesn’t go further than ‘leadership equals leadership, teamwork equals teamwork’. So what I’ve done is to go into much more detail, with practical real life examples from my own experience. At the end of the day, it’s very easy to say ‘be courageous in business’ – you know, being courageous against a bullying competitor, or making an audacious merger attempt. But I go into it on a more practical level.”

How does he think it will be received? “Well,

my superiors if they could imagine me as one of the regiment. And they said: ‘We can imagine you as much as anybody’, which is an interesting comment – it says more than it sounds. It’s a very ‘business’ comment. A lot of it has to with attitude and the desire to do that kind of work,” he says.

“Anyway, I got through and did a couple of years, but this was the end of the 1980s and before the first Gulf War, so it was a relatively benign time. I don’t want to exaggerate my military prowess. I don’t want to compare it to the young men and women who have spent a decade or more in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was a relatively quiet period, but enough to give me

“...we’re constantly witnessing the passion, drive and ambition of individuals and companies. It’s all about looking for the next idea. If you can find it, you can drive it.” business people will look at the analogy and go, ‘Oh come on, SAS and business – it sounds a bit risible.

But once they delve deeper and see the content and see how actionable it is, I think they’ll be pleasantly surprised; they’ll realise the gap between their own business and the SAS is bridgeable.”

Sharpe’s business process certainly sways between the hard-line and the humorous. From time to time, he gets a bit bloody in his delivery – it adds something and feels real, particularly in a business world that can come across as turgid. At British Land, one of Europe’s largest real estate investment trusts with a portfolio of commercial property that tops £17.1 billion, his task is to motivate people; to ensure development and performance work in tandem with job satisfaction for the company’s employees.

“What excites me about British Land is the continued potential for development. Economically, these are tough times, yet through our properties we’re constantly witnessing the passion, drive and ambition of individuals and companies. It’s all about looking for the next idea. If you can find it, you can drive it.”

Speaking of ideas, the author admits he still struggles to understand how he’s moved so seamlessly from one world of structure and process to the other. “I guess the morals are the same between the two,” he admits. “I was restless for a long time after leaving the services though… for years. I left school with good A-levels, had an adventure around Africa for about a year and came back to join the military. At that point, I was just swept along by the momentum, whether that was in Northern Ireland or with the Special Forces when I found myself asking

70 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

an idea of how it ticks, and that’s what informs my business mind.”

He says he enjoyed the forces but doesn’t miss that world – there’s no sentiment and very much a feeling of ‘that was then and this is now’. Interviewing Sharpe is an intense experience – he loves process and structure, and speaks with control, sincerity and passion, but you sense there is restlessness too.

Perhaps his forces experience has created a mindset that he always needs to be on the go and achieving.

“That is the very epitome of business,” he smiles.

“When you’re in that world you want to stay in that world and you want to do more. I’m happy doing what I’m doing, but I think what you can reasonably say is that I’m a restless spirit. And around the city, that’s no bad thing, surely?!”

D Who Dares Wins in Business by Joff Sharpe is published

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MOTORING | GADGETS | sports

TRACK TRIUMPH After 50 years as one of the most successful names in global motorsport, McLaren enters a new chapter, following its launch of the most technically-advanced car ever produced in the UK. The McLaren P1 recently achieved its final performance target and joined the exclusive subseven minute club at the NĂźrburgring circuit. In order to achieve the top honour, an average speed in excess of 178 km/h had to be reached, at what is considered the toughest test track in terms of measuring the all-round performance of any car.

Launched during the 2013 Geneva Motor show, the McLaren P1 is priced at ÂŁ866,000, with just 375 cars built by hand in Woking.

D cars.mclaren.com

BRITAIN’S BESPOKE Range Rover, Land Rover, Jaguar and Aston Martin are among the first to receive the mark of new bespoke design and engineering business, Alcraft Motor Company.

Committed to reinterpreting vehicles using British design values, Alcraft is working closely with students at the world’s leading vehicle design school at London’s Royal College

of Art. With input from students, Alcraft is committed to personalising cars in a way which respects both the brands’ heritage and British style. The company recently reinterpreted the flagship Range Rover, simplifying lines to achieve a more elegant and timeless design.

D alcraftmotor.com

in the know Be well-informed and well-equipped with our event and gadget guide

Nike FuelBand SE Nike’s FuelBand has received a little bit of a facelift, and now comes complete with some new and improved activity-tracking features.

At first glance, the design is familiar, however, users are now able to record activities completed separately. There is also the option to edit a particular activity according to levels of intensity, meaning that for the likes of yoga or cycling enthusiasts – whose points were previously unlikely to rack-up based on wrist movement alone – their efforts will no longer go to waste.

D Silver Nike+ FuelBand SE, £139, Nike, nike.com

Misfit Wearables Shine With its stylish curved design, the Misfit Shine is certainly one of the slickest looking fitness trackers out there, but does it have the performance credentials to match?

Boasting complete waterproof protection of up to 50 metres, it certainly has the edge over other trackers where swimming is concerned, while the white LED lights alert you when a goal is completed.

D Misfit Shine, £99.95, Misfit Wearables, misfitwearables.com

Jawbone UP

More than just a fitness-tracker, this slim computer wristband connects to your smartphone and its complementary app to provide an in-depth analysis of your movements, 24 hours a day.

The optimum 10,000 steps a day Wear your hard work target is an excellent incentive for the stationary office worker, while the on your sleeve food log option, complete with a handy barcode scanner, allows you to keep track of your calorie intake. The Jawbone UP can also offer a rare and interesting insight into the quality of your sleep. Motion sensors record your level of consciousness throughout the night, and together with the data it stores throughout the day, can help to determine the factors that contribute to a good night’s kip.

KEEP ON TRACK

D Up, £99.99, Jawbone, jawbone.com

News | play

TECHNO SUPREMOS Once again the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas provided a platform for the revolutionary tech of today, and a glimpse at the products of tomorrow. Here are the highlights and CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award honourees:

Philips Fidelio E5 Speakers

iNPOFi Foldable Mobile Wireless Charger

The E5 Fidelio offers a hassle-free cinema experience. This slick new surround system offers optimum sounds thanks to wireless detachable rear speakers and subwoofer.

D Fidelio E5 Wireless Speakers, £600, Philips,

This year’s CES showcased progress in the realm of portable power, with a prototype of the world’s only foldable, wireless mobile charger, from iNPOFi, the particular highlight.

Philips-shop.co.uk

D iNPOFI, POA, kirkhj.com

BackBeat GO® 2 + Charging Case

Sony VAIO fit multi-flip PC This innovative laptop-meets-tablet is a multi-functional device, complete with a clever hinged design, sleek aluminium shell and ultra-responsive touch screen.

BackBeat’s lightweight wireless headphones provide excellent sound quality and an exercise-friendly sweat proof design, that will never tangle.

D BackBeat GO® 2 + Charging Case, £89.99, Plantronics, plantronics.com/uk

D VAIO fit multi-flip PC, £709, Sony, sony.co.uk

Arkami myIDkey Shield Thanks to voice-activated search technology and biometric fingerprint identification, the myIDkey offers the ultimate password security solution.

D myIDKey Shield, £POA, Arkami, myidkey.com

WHAT’S ON

SUPER SOCHI

ENGLAND VS IRELAND

TRIATHLON TRYOUT

While 2012’s Super Saturday might feel like a lifetime ago, the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi are set to deliver some memorable, if a little cooler, sporting moments. Whether in speed skating, freestyle skiing or the cool running bobsleigh, sporting hopefuls will be competing for medal glory throughout February.

For some sporting action that’s a little closer to home, head to Twickenham on 22 February where England are scheduled to take on Ireland in their bid for Six Nations success. A match not to be missed, as England vies for a chance to redeem themselves after a stinging final weekend defeat against Wales during last year’s tournament.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or taking your first tentative steps towards a Triathlon challenge, the Triathlon Plus Show at London’s ExCel Centre promises to provide you with all the information you’ll need to get you on your way – be this in the saddle, on the road or in the water. Visitors can expect one-on-one assessment sessions and talks from experts.

D olympic.org/sochi-2014-winter-olympics

D Tickets, from £40, rfu.com/tickets

D Tickets, from £13, triathlonplusshow.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 75

PLAY | Sport

RACING HOME to cheltenham The Cheltenham Gold Cup is arguably the climax of the entire jump racing season, and this year is set to be no different. 14 March will see last year’s winner, the small but fierce Bobs Worth, under Irish jockey Barry Geraghty, among the 36 entries for the race, but will he be able to retain his crown?

Bobs Worth was defeated on his seasonal appearance in the Betfair Chase at Haydock, but claimed back a victory in the Lexus Chase at Leopardstown in December. He is currently the bookmakers’ favourite to win with odds at 9-4. Long Run, his stablemate and the 2011 winner of the race, has also been entered, recording the fastest Gold Cup time of six minutes 29.7 seconds. Race fans might also be excited to see that Last Instalment is competing, after Philip Fenton’s stable star was side-lined with a tendon injury after landing the Grade 1 Dr P J Moriarty Chase at Leopardstown last February. Ireland’s 11 entries are headed by several Grade 1 winners, including First Lieutenant, who trained at the Gold Cup winning stable of Irish horse trainer Mouse Morris. As with every year, it’s set to be an exciting event.

D cheltenham.co.uk

RACING HOME The world of horse racing is gearing up for some of the most renowned highlights of the equine calendar

THREE OF A KIND

5 April The Grand National

17 – 21 June Royal Ascot

29 August – 2 September Glorious Goodwood

The betting equivalent of the World Cup, where amateurs and experts alike compete for both an opinion and an epic win, there is no better single day in racing for drama and controversy.

Much like Cheltenham, but with added sunshine, this five-day event is as renowned for its hospitality as much as its racing, and remains a key part of any socialite’s summer calendar.

The perfect event to celebrate the last days of summer, Glorious Goodwood plays out on a striking racecourse, and this quintessentially English event is the epitome of the British social scene.

D thecrabbiesgrandnational.co.uk

D ascot.co.uk

D goodwood.co.uk

76 THE CITY FEBRUARY 2014

THE GRAND NATIONAL © The Grand National 2013 / ROYAL ASCOT © Featureflash

Key racing dates for 2014

Captivate Your Senses The first internationally-acclaimed Chuan Spa in Europe is now open at The Langham, London.

Rediscover your source with luxurious treatments inspired by the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The Langham, London 1c Port land Place, Regent Street, London W1B 1JA T 44 (0) 20 7973 7550

tllon.info@chuanspa.com

www.chuanspa.co.uk

AUCKLAND • BOSTON • HONG KONG • LONDON • LOS ANGELES • MELBOURNE • SHANGHAI

ChuanSpa ExclusiveMag.indd 1

15/3/11 13:35:46

BMW’S SLEDGEHAMMER Powerful and commanding the road spectacularly, you’d be well-advised to keep the new X5 away from the school run WORDS: Matthew Carter

T

hink sports car and you’ll probably conjure up an image of something low slung, Italian and with a high-revving V12 nestling in the rear. Or you might envisage an open two-seater with a rorty V8 under the bonnet.

Either way, the last thing that’s likely to come to mind is a vast 4x4 powered by a diesel engine. But if BMW gets its way, that could change.

With its top speed limited to 155 mph and needing just 5.3 seconds to sprint to 62 mph from rest, the latest model to wear BMW’s ‘M’ for Motorsport badge certainly has sports car performance.

But the X5 M50d is an aerodynamically challenged, 2.4-tonne, 4x4 – what BMW calls a ‘Sports Activity Vehicle’ – that’s powered by a six cylinder 3.0-litre diesel (the days when ‘50’ in a BMW’s nomenclature signified a 5.0-litre V8 are long gone).

It gets its performance thanks to the addition of not one, not two, but three turbochargers. It’s some engine. BMW is a past master at producing sporting diesels, but this new unit – which will find its way into other BMWs in due course – takes things to another level. The use of three turbos is designed to ensure consistent levels of power and torque right across the rev range, with turbo lag virtually eliminated.

It works. The straight six unit is superbly responsive and revs freely, yet produces 177 g/ km of CO2 emissions and returns a claimed 42 mpg (though you’ll struggle to get anywhere near that if you use the performance available). It is also perfectly matched to BMW’s now familiar eightspeed automatic gearbox, which ensures that acceleration is both rapid and seamless.

This new drivetrain is just one aspect of the new, third generation, X5. It has new looks, a more rigid body structure, new equipment and a new four-wheel drive system. And it’s been on a diet: extensive use of

high strength steels in the structure adds rigidity while plastic front wings, an aluminium bonnet and lighter components – the xDrive four-wheel drive system has lost 1.4 kgs for example – bring down the avoirdupois.

Although xDrive incorporates much of the technical know-how BMW picked up when it owned Land Rover – Hill Descent Control for example – this latest generation X5 is unlikely to get its wheels muddy going off-road. Rather, the four-wheel drive system is designed to tackle weather extremes (snow and ice in the Alps for example) than for heading offroad, Land Rover Defender style.

Not a skier or an off-road aficionado? Just for you there’s even a new entry-level rear-wheel drive-only version, badged sDrive rather than xDrive.

Most of the changes are for the better, though the evolutionary styling changes centre around a less than subtle rendition of the famous BMW kidney grille. The X5 is not a small car and the new grille, frankly, makes it look even bigger.

There are plenty of neat touches, though, such as the Range Rover-style split rear tailgate. The top portion of the rear hatch covers 3/4 of the opening and is opened automatically by the remote.

Shopping and luggage can be loaded into the boot by being lifted over the bottom portion, or this can be lowered manually to make loading long bulky items that much easier.

The interior is an object lesson in how things should be done. There’s plenty of room inside, including space for an optional third row of seats. But it’s really the cockpit that sets the X5, and BMWs in general, apart from the rest. The layout is neat, logical and supremely functional, though, despite the continued presence of BMW’s iDrive rotary touch controller, there are more buttons than ever before. iDrive was meant to take the place of most of the controls.

Test cars tend to get borrowed for a week, which is usually ample time to get to know the machine,

The interior is an object lesson in how things should be done

Motoring | play

discover its foibles and its good points. With the X5 you’ll need a month minimum to discover all the features… longer if you attack the options list with gusto. The most significant extra on the test car was the £2,500 adaptive dynamic suspension, which adds Sport and Sport+ to the standard settings.

Sport stiffens the suspension and sharpens steering and throttle responses, but in an entirely artificial manner to the point where spirited driving becomes more of a chore than a pleasure. Frankly, given the deterioration of ride quality in either Sport setting, it’s money best saved for something else, such as the Head-Up display.

A £1,000 extra, and worth every penny, this projects vital speed and navigation information onto the windscreen, meaning the driver doesn’t have to keep looking down to check by how much the speed limit is being exceeded. It’s a potential licence saver.

But you do need to be careful when spec’ing an X5.

The test car had an on-the-road price of almost £64k, but it was then lumbered with a further £13,000 worth of options taking it to nearly £77,000.

It’s a lot of money then, but the M50d does exactly what its maker intended. It is indeed a sports car that just happens to have four-wheel drive, enough seats

for seven and the muscles of a nightclub bouncer.

But do we really need such a thing? Are these levels of power and performance really necessary on the school run, which is where virtually every Londonbased X5 seems to be at 8.15 in the morning?

Of course we don’t. But so long as AMG produces hotted up versions of the Mercedes M-class, Land Rover offers the Range Rover Sport and Porsche has an ‘S’ model in the Cayenne Diesel range, then BMW will be obliged to follow suit.

The M50d is a sledgehammer built to crack nuts – the X5 30d is probably the most sensible version in the model line-up, not least because it comes in at under £50k – but there’s still something wondrously compelling about the range-topping diesel.

It might not be as elegant as the Range Rover Sport, or as overtly sporting as the Porsche Cayenne S Diesel, but as an all-rounder there’s not much else to touch it. The forthcoming Jaguar 4x4 needs to be very good indeed.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 79

MAKE Dreams A REALITY WITH GINETTA

From as little as ÂŁ27,250+VAT The Ginetta Racing Drivers Club gets you out of the business suit and into a race suit with a brand new, fully road legal Ginetta G40 Club car, which arrives ready for the race track.

Once a Ginetta Racing Drivers Club member, you will be supported through getting your race licence before you embark on an action packed year of track days, four race weekends and Ginetta lifestyle events, including a road trip to the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Interested? Experience for yourself the adrenaline-fuelled lifestyle Ginetta can offer by visiting our web site or calling our team on 0113 385 3850 to book your test day now. Book before 10th March and we’ll give you 15% off our Ginetta Lifestyle range of luxury clothing to make sure you look the part.*

CALL 0113 385 3850 | EMAIL sales@ginetta.com | WEB ginetta.com/runwild ginettacars

ginettacars

Photography by Chris Wallbank *Online purchases only.

Motoring | play

TOYOTA GETS PASSIONATE The car in front will stay there if this concept has its way words: mATTHEW CARTER

I

t’s neither a Ferrari nor the latest McLaren.

Nor is it an outrageous supercar from an oddball specialist, such as Pagini or Koenigsegg.

In fact, this purposeful concept coupé comes from humble Toyota, thus proving that it is possible to produce a real head-turner at the same time as churning out countless bread and butter family hatchbacks.

Shown at January’s Detroit Motor Show, the FT-1 was a real show-stopper. Created by Toyota’s California-based Calty Design Studio, the design brief was to create the ultimate sports car. And the subtext to this is that Toyota wants all its cars to have more passion and excitement in their make up.

The FT-1 (Future Toyota 1) is certainly exciting to look at. But being a concept there’s precious little in the way of concrete facts about its make up. What is known is that it is designed to have its engine at the front driving the front wheels, with a compact two-seat cockpit set well back in traditional sports car fashion.

According to Toyota: “The exterior captures the look of a racecar with a curvilinear form, pronounced front wings and sharply defined contrasts that express powerful performance. The FT-1’s optimum aerodynamic qualities are communicated by its large air intakes, exhaust ports and retractable rear wing.”

Will it ever make it to production? It’s possible… but until it does, gamers can try the car for themselves ahead of the rest: FT-1 was added to Gran Turismo 6 the day after its unveiling in Detroit.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 81

RESTAURANT

A TABLE for TWO

L

The latest star on London’s food scene, One Canada Square is the perfect spot for a romantic meal this Valentine’s Day

ondon’s love of destination dining has a new location to shout about - a modern European restaurant in the heart of Canary Wharf’s tallest, most iconic building. Sharing a name with the grand structure in which it is housed, One Canada Square has taken the city by storm since it opened.

Boasting not only a head chef coming straight from The Ivy, the talented Jamie Dobbin, One Canada Square Restaurant & Bar has also been decked out by eminent architects David Collins Studio, who have worked with everyone from Alexander McQueen to Bergdorf Goodman.

“We wanted the venue to sit harmoniously within the grand marble-clad lobby of the building it is housed in,” says Simon Rawlings, creative director at David Collins. Timeless yet modern, it is replete with marble and Art Deco chandeliers, and is centred

round a 30-seat, polished pewter bar, filled with the finest liqueurs and wines from around the world.

Ultimately, it is a dedication to brilliant food that really puts a restaurant on the map. Something which Dobbin passionately wants to keep at its forefront: “We want to offer a really high end restaurant that is welcoming to all,” he told us. “It is relaxed as well as elegant – we have a fantastic bar menu as well as a sit-down offering and you can have access to both across the whole venue.”

This Valentine’s Day, treat yourself and someone special to plates such as roast shoulder of wild turbot with buttered seakale and truffle pesto, or beef wellington with scorched onions, heritage carrots and madeira jus.

D One Canada Square Restaurant & Bar Lobby of One Canada Square, Canary Wharf 020 7559 5199

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

From New York City to

Canary wharf

He’s the world-renowned, award-winning designer that’s dressed the likes of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez and First Lady Michelle Obama. Now, having last year been named one of the most 100 influential people in the world by Time magazine, Michael Kors arrives in Jubilee Place, Canary Wharf

I

t would be a mistake to assume that the seemingly casual aesthetic Michael Kors prefers in his personal style – a uniform of jeans, a black tee, jacket and distressed leather bag – reflects the attitude he has toward his business.

With a sharp focus on providing his customers with accessories and clothes that are consistently polished and simultaneously relaxed and glamorous, Michael Kors has created a luxury lifestyle empire with a distinctive point of view and global reach.

Originally a producer of ready-to-wear womenswear, Michael Kors is now as famous for its handbags, footwear, watches and jewellery, as it is for its jeans and dresses.

With over 400 stores in 89 countries, and with flagships in cities that include New York, London, Paris, Singapore, Dubai and Istanbul, it’s not hard to see why the man behind the brand is considered one of the most influential people in the world.

Raised in Merrick, Long Island, a suburban town 23 miles from New York City, Kors first revealed his eye for design at the age of five, when he advised his mother Joan on her wedding dress. Kors went on to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, where he studied fashion design, before leaving school to start his own label in 1981. The first Michael Kors Collection runway show was held just three years later.

It was, however, during his time at French luxury brand Céline that Kors became a household name. Similar to the way in which Tom Ford reversed the fortunes of Gucci in the years before, Kors tenure as Céline’s creative director between 1998 and 2004 saw him restore the ailing brand to its former glory, launching a critically acclaimed ready-to-wear line and re-establishing Céline as one of the Europe’s major fashion houses.

Fourteen years before Michael Kors arrived in Canary Wharf, the company’s first standalone store opened. In the same year that the New York City premises welcomed the public, Kors launched his signature women’s fragrance in collaboration with LVMH. His first menswear collection came in 2002, followed by the now iconic Michael Kors watch collection two years later.

Opening its doors in Jubilee Place last month, the Canary Wharf store carries a mix of accessories from the Michael Kors Collection and MICHAEL Michael Kors labels, as well as watches, jewelry, footwear and eyewear. The store also carries a selection of the brand’s fragrances.

“London has such a great shopping scene and I’m thrilled to open our newest store in Canary Wharf,” says Michael Kors. “The women in London have a fabulously eclectic style. I think they’ll love mixing up their wardrobes with what they find in our store.”

“London has such a great shopping scene and I’m thrilled to open our newest store in Canary Wharf”

D Michael Kors, Jubilee Place

SHOPPING

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

food&drink WINE | DINe | NEWS | REVIEWS

horses for courses Racing and fine-dining go hand-in-hand, and this March, the renowned Cheltenham Festival – the highlight of the racing calendar – will welcome distinguished chefs Albert and Michel Roux Jnr to the iconic racecourse, with their fine-dining space, Fairlawne. The father and son team, who are behind several Michelin-starred restaurants including Le Gavroche, will be serving canapés, an exclusively created four-course menu and afternoon tea throughout the day, all to be enjoyed from a prime position with a sought-after outlook over the racecourse. “I have always loved The Cheltenham Festival, it sums up everything England and Ireland has to offer. I am greatly looking forward to it this year as I will be lucky enough to spend all four days there,” said Albert Roux.

D Fairlawne Package, from £595 per person cheltenham.co.uk

THE PERFECT PAIR When settling down to tackle a steak, traditional ale is often the perfect alternative accompaniment to red wine, capable of enhancing the rich and varied flavours of different cuts. Yet which one to select? Pooling their expertise at a Steak and Ale evening organised by Quality Standard Beef and Lamb, ale expert Richard Fox and steak aficionado Hugh Judd have married a variety of tasty steaks to their perfect complementary pint:

Flat iron steak and American amber lager The sweetness and malty taste to this beer match well with the flat iron’s full flavour, refreshing the palate for the next meaty mouthful.

Fillet steak and Czech Pilsner As a light beer with a refreshing, hoppy tang, the Czech Pilsner is the perfect counterpart to this lean and tender fillet cut.

Rib-eye steak and classic bottle – conditioned British IPA This tender but well-fatted steak has a fullness of flavour and an effervescence, complemented well by the fruity, caramel tones of this beer.

Hanger steak and Trappist Dubbel Best cooked rare to medium, the hanger steak boasts a strong, beefy flavour best matched with a full-bodied Trappist Dubbel, a smooth ale with accents of chocolate.

D simplybeefandlamb.co.uk

food&drink The best that fine-dining has to offer, right on your doorstep

1. Galvin Café a Vin

BON APPÉTIT While the French are famed for being denizens of the romantic world, the City has somewhat less of an amorous reputation. Yet from the simple and classic to the opulent and extravagant, it actually plays host to some of the finest French dining experiences:

1

Situated next door to the Galvin Brothers’ resplendent La Chapelle, think of the Galvin Café as its charming younger sister. What it lacks in size it more than makes up for in quality, serving up staples of classic French cuisine in an intimate setting, reminiscent of a Parisian bistro.

D Spital Square, galvinrestaurants.com

2. Les Trois Garçons This Victorian pub turned opulent den of modern French Cuisine will leave quite the impression. The interior itself boasts an eccentric mix of chandeliers, dark wood panelling and a menagerie of stuffed animals.

D Club Row, lestroisgarcons.com

3. Club Gascon

2

3

For a flavour of South West France, head to this Michelin starred home of haute-cuisine. Diners can sample the five course seasonal tasting menu in a relaxed and elegant setting.

D W Smithfield, clubgascon.com

News | Food&Drink

LEATHER, OAK, COGNAC AND SMOKE

new openings

My glance wanders from the Cohiba 2002 cigars resting in their £1.5 million humidor breathing operating-theatre pure air, back to the Louis XIII cognac squatting in its 11 lb crystal jeroboam.

These inanimate objects, like modern day reliquaries and relics, are housed better than some of the sentient. Thankfully I am not here just to look at them. Louise XIII, made from cognac stretching back to 1913, tastes initially as a particularly delicate mince pie might, but when paired with the Cohiba, takes on far smokier, textured flavours. The cigar, which flares up in a fanfare of vanilla, takes on a leathery chocolate guise as Giuseppe Ruo, who sits in the world’s premier league of cigar connoisseurship, regales us all on the cigar terrace with stories of Cuba and its best export. By Henry Hopwood-Phillips D thewellesley.co.uk

review

A TASTE FOR the SOUTHBANK Characteristic Skylon is definitely deserving of a trip south of the river, writes Richard Brown

S

ocialise in the City and you’ll probably have done so within a D&D venue. As well as Square Mile stalwarts Coq d’Argent and The Royal Exchange’s Sauterelle, the group operates New Street Grill, Paternoster Chop House, Fish Market and South Place Hotel’s Angler.

Away from ECs 2, 3 and 4, the group is behind Tower Bridge’s Le Pont de la Tour, Bluebird in the west and the cavernous Skylon in the south. It is in the latter that the company has secured Adam Gray – Gary Rhodes’ former sidekick and a man who has maintained a Michelin star for more than a decade – as executive head chef. The menu consists of quirky takes on British classics. A visit to the restaurant, though, is as much about the views as it is the food.

While it may not compete within the dining-among-the-clouds category created by more recently-opened restaurants, its location on the first floor of the Royal Festival Hall, coupled with colossal windows and a lofty ceiling, provides striking views of the Thames and the permanentlyperky Southbank below.

Inside, Skylon is vast. Fortunately,

a stylish bar rises in the centre to split the 1950s modernist interior into two – a grill on one side and a more upmarket restaurant on the other – while large elliptical chandeliers break up the space overhead. Imposing columns create grandeur, while vibrant flowers add intimacy. At night, Skylon feels both Oriental and New York-esque.

With more than 50 whiskys and some truly punchy cocktails, its bar justifies a visit in its own right (although avoid the absinthe-infused ‘Transformer’ if you’re visiting pre-show).

From the restaurant’s à la carte menu, the roast squab pigeon with apple and celeriac salad is a delightful fusion of rustic flavours, while the hearty mutton and crushed swede shepherd’s pie proves that the meat’s reputation as leathery and cheap is prejudice and unjust.

Amidst the rattle of cocktailshakers and chatter of pre-concertgoers, Skylon is a fun and unique place to visit. Do so in the evening and be rewarded with an uplifting ambience and twinkling views.

D Skylon, Royal Festival Hall, SE1

Blackfoot Taking its name from the famous Spanish ‘pata negra’ ham, Blackfoot is home to all things pork. The brainchild of ex-Leon team Tom Ward and TV chef Allegra McEvedy, the pair have joined forces with head chef James Knight, formerly of Copita, to create an eclectic porcine-based menu. Based in the foodyhaven of Exmouth Market, Blackfoot faces tough competition, yet tempting charcuterie delights including the likes of crispy and aromatic ribs, Vietnamese belly salad and pulled pork tacos ensure it stands out from the crowd.

D blackfootrestaurant.co.uk

On the Bab With the doors of On the Bab now open at Old Street, London’s Korean food craze has finally spread eastwards. The latest offering from the owners of acclaimed Fitzrovia based Korean eateries Koba and Nizuni, On the Bab specialises in the anju form of Korean street food, a social phenomenon in the shape of ‘party’ style cuisine, specially designed to be accompanied with alcohol. The perfect recipe for sharing, anju staples such as sweet spicy Yangyum chicken and spring onion Korean pancakes with seafood are served up with On the Bab’s delicious secret sauce.

D onthebab.com

The Fable Drake and Morgan, the group behind successful City ventures including The Folly and The Anthologist, are set to open a restaurant out of the ordinary later this month. Taking inspiration from the world of fairy tales, The Fable in Farringdon will be offering up a true slice of magic. Set in a former dwelling house dating back to the 15th century, the bathtubs of flowers, sparkling crystal and twisted candelabra that make up the interior will complement a deli stocked with Borough Market delights, a menu of hearty mains, and an enchanting-looking cocktail collection.

D thefablebar.co.uk

skylon-restaurant.co.uk

february 2014 THE CITY 89

GB Cheese Selection

Dorstone

Tunworth

Cheese | food&drink

Chairman of the cheeseboard If cheese is milk’s leap towards immortality, then the cheeseboard is the launching platform WORDS: Chris Allsop

I

t’s NOT difficult to deliver a subpar cheese course. Only a mind raised by wolves has the inability to throw together Stilton, Cheddar, brie, some crackers and a scattering of grapes, to successfully round-off a good dinner party.

As this illustrates, a little bit of cheese knowledge goes a long way. Therefore, it’s important to understand that, as far as domestic cheese goes, the UK is enjoying something of a renaissance.

Over 900 varieties are now produced on our shores, with many claiming major awards at international competitions. It’s an exciting time to be British and lactose-tolerant.

In order to help me eschew the tired cheeseboard formulas of yesteryear and to capitalise on of this new era in UK cheese, I asked cheesemonger Matthew Feroze to assist me in creating the cheeseboard par excellence. The appropriated French is suitable here, as Feroze is the modern day Henry V of English cheese; he made headlines last year after beating the French in their own cheese cave by taking first prize in France’s national cheesemonger trials: the Concours National De Fromagers.

Feroze believes that a cheese course should be a statement—a talking point—but nothing too intimidating. “The ‘core essential’ is sharing cheese with your guests,” he explains. “You can make this more of an event and celebrate the cheese through presentation and explanation, but basically, if you’re eating cheese, that’s the main thing.”

According to Feroze, the traditional choice between serving on slate or wood is entirely a matter of personal preference; notonthehighstreet. com stocks two sizes of a handmade burr elm board while the Just Slate Company should be able to meet your slate requirements. As for cheese knives, go for French brand Laguiole: these elegant instruments add a panache conspicuously lacking from the dinky chisel sets often found on sale in department stores.

While presentation is important, Feroze emphasises that it’s the quality of the cheeses that should be the

star attraction. So how many cheeses should one cheeseboard support?

“It’s subjective, but I prefer three or four,” says Feroze. “People tend to get the most out of a tasting if there are fewer cheeses; it helps to focus on what makes each of them special.”

For a cheeseboard themed around domestic artisan cheeses, Feroze put together Stichelton, an unpasteurised Stilton; organic Hafod Cheddar; Dorstone, a soft goat’s cheese; and camembertstyle Tunworth. To accompany the Cheddar and the Tunworth, Feroze opts for simplicity and recommends apple slices, while honey plays off nicely against the lemony notes of the Dorstone. He adds that the Stichelton is fine as it stands, and that “putting out some good unsalted butter to cut the Stichelton with will help those who find the blue too strong”.

Finally, Feroze recommends crackers that are high in texture but low in flavour such as water biscuits and charcoal biscuits. “Bread is too filling if this is arriving at the end of a meal,” he says.

But don’t be afraid to experiment; try pairing the cheese with unusual alcohols such as gin or whisky.

For Feroze, there is only one hard and fast rule for the cheeseboard: “The key thing is to not let the other bits steal focus from the cheese.”

D Matthew Feroze’s memoir: “The Cheese and I: An Englishman's Voyage Through the Land of Fromage” is available from bookstores

Cheeseboard selections

by Matthew Feroze International Award Winners: Manchego DO Gran Reserva (Spain) Winnimere (USA) Agour Ossau Iraty (France) Colston Bassett Stilton (UK) Serious French (traditional, characterful and pricey): Beaufort d’Alpage Salers Tradition Roquefort Perail

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 91

LET THE SUN SHINE

The new terrace at The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant in Knightsbridge is the ideal destination for summer. A secluded and sophisticated venue for morning coffee or light meals, the terrace becomes a cigarist’s paradise in the evening with an extensive choice of whisky, cocktails and wine complementing a new cigar menu.

For more information visit theribroom.co.uk or call 020 7858 7250 Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 9PY

12-06-15, City magazine - RR bar ad v3.indd 1

18/06/2012 17:04:52

Wine | food&drink

Old Wine Tales James Lawrence debunks some of the

more ridiculous wine myths, meaning savvy wine buyers can purchase with confidence

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ine is a wonderful, complex and rewarding subject which, like all cultural phenomena, has its fair share of old wives' tales. Some of the myths attached to wine enjoyment are harmless; others, if taken seriously, can really diminish the impact of a fine bottle.

One of the most commonly encountered and abiding bits of nonsense is the mantra of “always serve reds at room temperature and whites cold.”

Believe me, it is far more complex than that.

The temperature at which a wine is served is probably the single most important factor in determining your drinking pleasure, and it is certainly true that warm white wine tastes insipid. But finer wines, white Burgundy for example, benefit from being served slightly warmer, as refrigerator temperatures of around 6-9°C will mute the aromas and flavours. This applies to all wine, which will always deliver stronger aromas at warmer temperatures. Serve wines like Meursault or Montrachet at about 11-14°C for perfection. And yes, it is perfectly fine to use your freezer to chill wine.

Similarly, although serious reds like a Cru Classé Medoc are at their best at about 18-19°C, a slightly chilled red wine can be very pleasant, especially in the summer months. Pinot Noir and Gamay, for example, are two grapes that can benefit from being chilled to about 12-14°C. Another pernicious myth is the idea that old wine is automatically more desirable than young wine. In fact, most wines aren't designed to age and the majority should be enjoyed within a year or two of being made.

Of course, select wines from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and Piedmont, to cite some examples, can benefit from bottle age – a few wines like the Bordeaux First Growths often do need at least seven to ten years

to soften the tannins before you approach them. But the idea that certain, often Bordeaux wines, can live for many decades is simply unfounded. At wine auctions, sellers peddle “the older is automatically better” myth as a way of achieving high prices for their ancient bottles. Often buyers at auction think that the older a Bordeaux wine, the better. Recently a friend of mine bought several bottles of Burgundy and Bordeaux from the early 1970s at auction. All but one of the Burgundies were faulty and oxidised, the reds were stale and undrinkable.

Linked to this misconception is the idea that fine wines have a clear drinking peak. They don't.

Anyone who claims they can precisely predict when a wine should be drunk is lying through their teeth. This especially applies to fine Bordeaux wines, where buyers will be told to drink a particular wine in, say, exactly ten year’s time for perfection.

The truth is that it's almost impossible to say exactly when a wine will reach its peak drinking age. Some fine wines are adolescent longer than others. The best decision, if you have purchased a case of wine from the same vintage, is to experiment every few years and see how your palate responds.

In addition, please don't fall foul of the nonsense that Old World (France, Italy, etc) equals fine wine and New World (Chile, South Africa, Argentina) equals value and easy-drinking. Countries like Chile and South Africa are now producing plenty of expensive, high-end fine wines that can easily rival the best of Bordeaux and other great European wine regions.

Finally, whoever advanced the notion that a teaspoon suspended in a bottle of partly-consumed Champagne will help it keep its fizz needs their head examining. Unfortunately its effect will be purely oddly decorative - only a Champagne stopper slows down the release of gas in sparkling wine. Nothing else.

Anyone who claims they can precisely predict when a wine should be drunk is lying through their teeth

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 93

Mixtures FOR MEN Cocktails have come a long way from paper parasols and sparklers, as have the discerning drinkers who enjoy them. With London enjoying a vintage revival within the hospitality sector, hard liquor and classic concoctions are hitting the cocktail lists, and men are reaching for their tumblers WORDS: BETHAN REES

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ames Bond sitting at a dimly lit bar sipping a ‘Vesper Martini’ (shaken not stirred), or Mad Men’s Don Draper reclining in a plush velvet armchair enjoying an ‘Old Fashioned’ – in many ways, the epitome of the cocktaildrinking man. However, men and their enjoyment of cocktails are not solely the work of vintage stylised fiction, nor is it limited to relishing the occasional ‘Mojito’ on a sunbed in Saint Tropez.

Thanks to Hollywood movies and numerous TV shows, drinking cocktails is often viewed as a pastime only ladies can enjoy together, where they gossip about the men (or lack of) in their lives, in a packed, trendy bar. It’s misleading in many ways, and thankfully in recent years this image is starting to shift.

Men are embracing the cocktail scene, but they’re not reaching for the ‘Cosmopolitans’ just yet.

Refined Guy, an online men’s lifestyle magazine, posted an article in June 2012 entitled “15 Classic Cocktails You Can Order In A Bar Without Embarrassing Yourself”. The piece gives criteria for such drinks: “In short, a good cocktail needs to taste like booze – not sugar, not soda, not fruit juice. Juice is for boys; gin is for men.” The list of

acceptable ‘man cocktails’ includes a ‘Sidecar’ and a ‘Manhattan’. Another article rounding-up ‘manly drinks’ published by online men’s magazine, AskMen, echoes this sentiment and claims: “Real manly drinks have real liquor in them. Get a grip and show some sophistication.” But what is it about the hard liquor that is so macho? Max Riesebieter from Hawksmoor Guildhall believes this is down to the image portrayed on our screens. “James Bond doesn't walk into a bar and order something pink and frothy or a blended strawberry Daiquiri. When Don Draper's just won a big account he celebrates with an Old Fashioned.

Half the time, it’s about the look.”

With the opening of bygone-era inspired venues such as Steam & Rye on Leadenhall Street, which celebrates the world of 1920s Americana, hard liquor cocktails appear to be back. Andy Mil, bar manager of this new watering-hole in the Square Mile, attributes men drinking harder cocktails to popular culture. He suggests that TV programmes like Mad Men, paired with a massive influx of prohibition era movies, such as The Great Gatsby, Gangster Squad and Lawless, has influenced this libation trend. “In these films there are countless scenes of dapper, confident men ordering classic drinks from the era, ‘Manhattans’, ‘Old Fashioneds’, and all number of other hard liquor drinks” Mil says. Even animated spy-comedy series Archer has played a part in the choices men make at the bar. According to Ernest Reid, bar supervisor at Boisdale restaurants, the title character Sterling Archer, who is dubbed as ‘the world’s deadliest spy’, has prompted a rise in men ordering his customary antifogmatic, the ‘Bloody Mary’.

Cocktails | FOOD&DRINK

From top to bottom: Hawksmoor Guildhall; Cocktails in the City; Zetter Townhouse; Steam & Rye; Zetter Townhouse; Steam & Rye

When it comes to men’s cocktail choices, clearly they are going for the strong and dry variety.

Wayne Chapman, manager of UnderDog, BrewDog Shoreditch’s underground beer-cocktail bar, harmonises with this idea, and says when men order cocktails at his bar; they tend to “go for what they perceive to be the strongest”. Steve Pennack, head bartender at the Zetter Townhouse, has seen a real increase in the number of classic cocktails being ordered, such as ‘Negroni’s’. He adds: “Men tend to order drinks with less fruit and sweet components, and often favour darker coloured, stronger drinks which are often slightly bitter or sour.”

Whether it’s a coupette, hi-ball, poussé-cafe, or hurricane, according to Mil, it’s the glass that corresponds to which cocktails men stay away from, rather than the flavours. He says men steer clear of drinks in martini glasses, but to demonstrate his theory, he’s taken action. “Countless times I have taken a recipe for a fruity ‘girly’ drink and put it in

“Real manly drinks have real liquor in them. Get a grip and show some sophistication” a ‘man’ glass, and they love it.” Gareth Evans, GB World Class Winner bar manager at Jason Atherton’s latest opening, the Blind Pig, blames Sex and the City for the male complex around delicate glasses, despite the fact that the trendy pre-Prohibition style drinks which they’re drinking, would have been served in such glasses. “People forget that prior to Prohibition, women in general weren’t allowed in bars, so the concept of a girly drink in a martini glass didn’t really exists”, he argues.

For some, the idea of mixing beer, spirits, and other liquids is enough to make their stomach turn.

However, beer cocktails have seen a revival in London recently, with luxury venues such as Hawksmoor serving up their own version of a beer cocktail called ‘Shaky Pete’s Ginger Brew’, a combination of London Pride, gin, ginger syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice. But the concept is nothing new, Mil says: “Beer cocktails are probably the oldest cocktails around.”

Chapman believes the idea of a beer cocktail was “an attempt to masculinise and re-align the idea of a cocktail as being un-feminine. So, ever so slightly gimmicky”. Perhaps these hoppy beverages can pave the way between the virile beer drinkers, and the refined cocktail sippers.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 95

TRAVEL

LUXURY ESCAPES | NEWS | REVIEWS | HOTELS

CASTAWAY At this time of year, it’s likely that a dose of vitamin D is just what you need, and this month, The Residence Maldives is the choice defrosting destination. The luxury resort is welcoming guests to take part in its exclusive Castaway Island experience. Couples will be able to enjoy absolute privacy and seclusion when they’re whisked off to Koduhutta Island, a deserted islet which can only be accessed by dinghy or kayak. Spend the day sunbathing and exploring the underwater world, while The Residence’s expert butlers arrange a romantic candlelit dinner on the pristine beach.

D Dinner, from £300 per person, theresidence.com/maldives

TOUCH OF BUBBLY This month Andaz Liverpool Street will unveil a unique installation which invites guests to dive into a glass of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, or at least experience the sensation of doing so. Cutting-edge designers Harvey & John are behind the project that will see giant, glowing spheres move up and down in the hotel’s lobby, as though they were bubbles in a glass of Champagne. Much more than an object of observation, this multisensory light installation is responsive, inviting guests to engage with it and observe the spheres becoming brighter with touch. Set to premiere on 10 February, guests and the public will be able to enjoy the quirky installation until early April.

FIVE STAR 3G The Ritz London has set yet another benchmark following the completion of an intensive 12-week network upgrade. Guests will now have access to complimentary wi-fi at speeds that have never before been achieved in a London hotel. The upgrade involved the installation of a designated guest internet line capable of delivering an internet feed of 400mb and 173 new wireless access points to ensure strong signals at all times.

Guests will also be able to connect up to ten independent devices, all benefitting from download speeds of up to 50mbps.

D theritzlondon.com

D Liverpool Street, london.liverpoolstreet.andaz.hyatt.com

TRAVEL NEWS From long-haul retreats and weekend escapes to chic city stopovers and tropical hideaways, explore the best the world has to offer

Villa d’Este: Lake Como, Italy For years Hollywood A-listers have flocked to the shores of Lake Como, many making Villa d’Este their home-awayfrom-home. Praised for its beautiful gardens, exquisite cuisine and stunning furnishings, Villa d’Este also features an award-winning beauty centre, floating pool and some of the most incredible views. It’s therefore no surprise that Villa d’Este is hailed as one of the best hotels in the world.

Taj Lake Palace: Lake Pichola, India

Nestled on the shores of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Alps, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace boasts more than just a privileged location. Built in 1906, during the Belle Epoque era, the property itself is an absolute jewel of the region. Each room has been designed to meet five-star standards, luxuriously furnished and equipped with all the latest state of the art technology.

When you encounter this opulent marble palace floating on Lake Pichola, you’ll understand why this Leading Small Hotel is considered one of the most romantic spots in the world.

Forming one of just four islands on the lake, Taj Lake Palace gained global recognition after it was used by the James Bond franchise as a film location in Octopussy.

Offering guests stunning views, rich history, intricate decor and a range of unique experiences, Taj Lake Palace will leave guests enveloped in a truly regal and memorable experience.

D fairmont.com/montreux

D tajhotels.com

D villadeste.com

three OF THE BEST: LAKESIDE HOLIDAYS Fairmont Le Montreux Palace: Lake Geneva, Switzerland

News | travel

NEW OPENINGS SHANGRI-LA AT THE SHARD Renzo Piano’s The Shard is set to house the Shangri-La’s first UK property.

Guests will soon be able to take in the best views of London from the comfort of an elegantly appointed room or suite.

Catering to the business traveller, the hotel is conveniently situated just across the river from the City of London, and a scenic 15-minute river taxi ride from Canary Wharf. It doesn’t have to be all business and no pleasure though – guests can enjoy a stroll through the popular Borough Market, or unwind in the stylish GONG bar on level 52.

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ALILA JABAL AKHDAR Come April, Alila Jabal Akhdar will invite guests to experience one of Oman’s most spectacular areas, the Al Hajar mountain range. Set 2000 metres above sea level, this spectacular new resort will offer luxury accommodation set in an incredible untouched landscape. The resort consists of 78 suites, six loft suites and two Jabal villas, each furnished with décor reflecting the rich culture of the region. For the adventurous types looking to experience the area, the Alila Leisure Concierge team offers a vast range of activities tailored to the individual. Equally, for those looking for some good old-fashioned rest and relaxation, there’s an indoor and an outdoor pool, restaurant, lounge and spa, so it’s possible you’ll find little reason to leave the resort.

D alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar

ROYAL PALM MARRAKECH Beachcomber Hotels have added another stunning addition to their ever-expanding portfolio of luxury hotels, this time venturing beyond the parameters of the Indian Ocean.

The Royal Palm Marrakech is set to open this spring, and follows the success of their flagship hotel, Royal Palm Mauritius.

Inspired by Berber culture, the new five-star luxury accommodation is situated on a 231-hectare estate amongst age-old olive trees, offering a tranquil and serene holiday destination for guests. Consisting of 135 lavish suites and villas, each furnished to the highest standards, the Royal Palm Marrakech caters for couples, families and groups.

D beachcomber-hotels.com/hotel/royal-palmmarrakech

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 99

Caribbean

dreams How easy is it to swap fibreoptics for rope and a trading screen for ocean spray? The answer is not that hard, even if you’ve never been on a sailing boat in your life. And if you have, you probably already know that the island of Antigua, once a British colony, is one of the best places in the world to make it happen WORDS: Ian Henderson

Antigua | TRAVEL

PHOTOGRAPHY: © Nick Smith

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here are several good reasons why Antigua is home to some of the world’s most exciting sailing, whether you’re a novice or Ben Ainslie. Its 90-mile coastline sits out in the steady trade winds, offering hundreds of anchorages and inlets from the deep-water harbours that drew Nelson’s navy, through wide white-sand beaches (famously, one for every day of the year) to tiny hidden inlets you can discover all for yourself.

There are reefs and desert islands to explore, rainforest-covered mountains to glide by and plenty of celebrity-spotting, if you’re that way inclined.

Thanks to a new venture between leading sail training operation OnDeck and Carlisle Bay – possibly the perfect hideaway hotel – you can learn to sail (or get your Yachtmaster, or anything in between) and experience everything else Antigua has to offer in one. Arriving at Carlisle Bay is an experience in itself – cool open verandahs with glimpses of impossibly blue sea, palm trees bending to the breeze, glorious gardens filled with birds and bougainvillea. Rooms are spacious and open onto the beach, where hammocks and sunbeds tended by discreetly attentive staff invite a day spent with a book and a cooling drink or two. If you’re feeling more active there’s a fine spa, worldclass tennis courts, dinghies and windsurfers. Even deep-sea fishing – an experience that has to be tried at least once – is available. (Find Captain Frank at English Harbour, aboard Overdraft).

But let’s not get seduced by all this. We are here to sail – and at anchor in the bay awaits our gleaming 40 ft yacht. We march past the sunbathers, kitbags in hand, onto the tastefully grey-painted jetty and into the Carlisle’s speedboat. At the stern of the yacht strong hands reach down to help us aboard,

and we are sitting in the cockpit with our instructors.

Taff Pearce is a sparkling-eyed ex-army Welshman in a loose white shirt and canvas trousers, his white hair contrasting with a face tanned chestnut brown. He introduces Marley Simon, his protégé, a 24-year-old who delivers the safety briefing in his easy Antiguan drawl. He makes information that could save your life memorable – like “look out for the boom (the heavy spar along the bottom of the sail) – it’s called that because if it hits you that’s the last thing you’ll hear till you wake up in hospital.” Or, more cheerfully, on the basics of sail trimming; “A flappy sail is an unhappy sail.”

With little fuss, the anchor is weighed (see how quickly you sound like a professional?) and the sails are hoisted, Carlisle Bay slips away behind the transom (the blunt end of the boat). We sort halyards from sheets, port tack from starboard and set a course for the next headland – the navigation point being Eric Clapton’s house. He’s not alone in making a home here; other well-known landmarks belong to Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Giorgio Armani and, er, Silvio Berlusconi. Beneath the rock god’s well-camouflaged residence we find a quiet creek

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 101

NEED TO KNOW: Ian Henderson’s trip with OnDeck and Carlisle Bay was organised by Elegant Resorts elegantresorts.co.uk and included flights with British Airways from Gatwick to St John’s. More information on Antigua can be found at visitantiguabarbuda.com

Antigua | TRAVEL

to anchor for lunch, thoughtfully provided by the Carlisle’s excellent kitchens. After a cooling dip, we turn back for English Harbour – with the wind behind us, it’s time to have a nap, read up on sailing terminology or indulge in the faffing with equipment for which sailing beats all other sports. (I was particularly pleased to learn a new Taff-approved stopper-knot.)

English Harbour is where OnDeck, along with much of Antigua’s sailing, is based. The stone and wood buildings put up by Nelson are still in use, though now surrounded by pleasure yachts rather than warships – live-aboard sea gypsies with spare gear hung on every guard rail rub up against the sparkling Wally yachts of billionaires. There are bars where young crew and older owners drink and dance like the Mad Mongoose, a bakery (where Nelson

PHOTOGRAPHY: © Nick Smith

Arriving at Carlisle Bay is an experience in itself – cool, open verandahs with glimpses of impossibly blue sea, palm trees bending to the breeze, glorious gardens filled with birds and bougainvillea would have got his daily bread) and restaurants like Hamilton’s, serving delicious local-caught specialities like lobster and wahoo. Shirley Heights above the harbour has a fabulous view over what is a spectacular natural harbour, and a famous Sunday night barbeque with steel bands, if that’s your thing.

From Christmas till around Easter, English Harbour is home to some of the world’s best sailors and most spectacular sailing machines – Classic Week sees beautiful (and in some cases, priceless) boats racing offshore; there’s the Race Week itself where competitors range from the professionals to the partygoers; and a host of other events like the RORC 600 and races round the island. If you do a training course or cruising charter from companies like OnDeck you’ll probably start from here and either head round the bays and islands of Antigua or, for the more ambitious, set out on the deep swell for Guadeloupe, Dominica or Antigua’s sister island, Barbuda. You’ll see turtles, flying fish, maybe dolphins. Frigate birds and boobies will follow your wake. Fix your eyes on the cloudless horizon and life in the City will seem oceans away.

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 103

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Destination | TRAVEL

[Destination]

Quimper AIMEE LATIMER visits Quimper in France, an old-world town that celebrates its history WHERE TO STAY: Manoir Des Indes The Manoir Des Indes hotel’s spacious rooms and suites are decorated in soft, natural tones and guests sleep in wooden beds underneath exposed ceiling beams. Be sure to take a dip in the swimming pool – located in a vaulted cellar, its ceiling’s stone arches and the pool’s warm water is reminiscent of Turkish baths.

D manoir-hoteldesindes.com

WHERE TO EAT: Café crepes or gourmet menus Quimper loves its crepes, and creperies are scattered all over its winding streets. Be sure to try a variation on the sweet pancake, the galette – a savoury buckwheat-flour pancake associated with the region of Brittany. Enjoy crepes in traditional surroundings with a visit to Creperie du Frugy on Rue Sainte-Thérèse. The creperie’s open fireplaces and stone walls capture the charm of the old French town and it is a firm local favourite for its non-pretentious, good food. For evening dining, Restaurant Ti-Coz’s menu revolves around tasting menus. It’s an excellent way to justify helping yourself to a few more courses and lets you sample a host of local ingredients and locallyinspired food – ideal if you’re only in town for the weekend.

D restaurantticoz.com

WHAT TO DO: Take in the history Quimper is an old city built from an architectural patchwork of traditions. The ancient capital of La Cornouaille (Brittany’s most traditional region), Quimper has a distinctive Breton character and shops and flags which celebrate the region’s Celtic heritage can be spotted throughout the city. Strolling around the city will also lead you to discover other historical influences from Romanesque structures to Gothic churches.

From top to bottom: Quimper promenade; galettes; Quimper city street; Musee des Beaux Arts façade; Musee des Beaux Arts gallery tour

D quimper-tourisme.com

DON’T MISS: Musee des Beaux Arts The Musee des Beaux Arts showcases fine art, from intimate portraits to atmospheric landscapes. Previous exhibitions have included a collection of illustrations by Henri Matisse and ‘Les Ombres’, a collection of work by French sculptor Rodin. The museum closes for two hours at midday so take a tour in the morning followed by an afternoon in a càfe-bar enjoying the region’s passion for cider – you are on holiday after all.

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British Airways flies to Quimper (Brittany) from London City Airport up to three times per week from May – September. Book at ba.com

february 2014 THE CITY 105

I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls...

A long weekend at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz not only equates to a much-needed break for body, mind and soul, but is also a feast for the eyes WORDS: BEVERLEY BYRNE

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holiday at the Hotel du Palais in Biarritz is like staying in a Faberge Egg. From the moment I’m royally welcomed into this gem of a hotel and take in the ornate chandeliers, the gilt period furniture, the sweeping staircases and the decorative gold leaf embellishing the walls, I’m in Belle Epoque bling heaven.

Originally built in 1855 as a summer palace for Napoleon III and his Spanish wife, Princess Eugenie, this elaborate bauble of a building has been romantically described as the French Taj Mahal. On a cliff overlooking the Grande Plage, the tempestuous Atlantic Ocean and the Biarritz light house, it commands an iconic panorama – little wonder the Imperial couple chose this as the location for the summer love nest known then as the Villa Eugenie.

Of course, the original owners had oodles of fun playing host to European royalty; I can almost hear the rustle of crinolines and the orchestra playing in the ballroom. But since being reincarnated as a grand palace hotel offering 153 sumptuous rooms and suites – many featuring original furniture lovingly restored by a team of permanent in-house specialists – this tradition has endured.

Over the decades, monarchs, political leaders, artists, authors and film stars (their names emblazoned on the door of every room) have chosen the Hotel du Palais for its exquisite interior, exemplary Michelin-starred cuisine and courteous staff, who aspire to make every guest feel like royalty.

But the hotel’s reputation for luxury and lavish living is not the only reason for visiting Biarritz.

Once a whaling settlement on the Bay of Biscay, the mild climate and natural beauty of the Basque region now attracts visitors all year round. And from the mid-18th century, when doctors claimed that the ocean at Biarritz possessed particularly therapeutic qualities, the resort gained a reputation

for thalassotherapy, health and well-being which the Hotel du Palais continues to reinforce.

For those, like me, less willing to brave the Grande Plage breakers, the hotel’s salt water ‘Californian’ pool, is a perfect alternative. Giving the illusion of extending naturally from the Atlantic, this is a perfect solarium, where I relax in one of the private cabanas and enjoy a light lunch at the Hippocampe restaurant.

Should the Atlantic weather prove too bracing, the vast indoor freshwater pool, surrounded by classical colonnades and overlooking the sea, is something I’m sure Princess Eugenie would have approved of.

The pool, hammams, saunas and Jacuzzi, forming part of the extensive Imperial Spa Guerlain (Princess Eugenie’s chosen beauty brand), were established in 2006. And what wannabe princess wouldn’t want to take advantage of the exclusive menu of pampering and rejuvenating treatments on offer? Aiming for an evanescent regal look, I opt for the Guerlain Imperial Masssage, with body polish. By the end of this relaxing treatment, my skin has taken on a glossy patina to rival that of the furnishings in my palatial room.

To complete my majestic transformation, I take up the offer of a complimentary consultation at the Leonor Greyl Hair Institute. A beautifully-coiffed therapist examines my hair using a hi-tech microscope. The results are magnified on a computer screen where I see a forest of follicles sprouting from a somewhat patchy moonscape scalp. While the condition of my hair is declared to be ‘assez bonnes’ my scalp is ‘très sensible’ (sensitive).

However, the ensuing bespoke treatments concocted with natural products remedy this problem and I leave with gleaming tresses to match my newly-buffed body.

The Hotel du Palais is the corner stone upon which Biarritz has secured its status as a ritzy resort. But despite the old school grandeur, both hotel and resort have evolved with the changing times. Described by Victor Hugo as ‘Queen of Beaches, beach for Kings’,

Biarritz has everything from golf and horse-riding to rugby and tennis to entertain sporting aficionados

Weekend Break | travel

Biarritz is now a Mecca for sport and fitness fans.

Promenading a pooch beside the blonde beaches, the old port and tiny harbour is de rigueur in Biarritz and just my style. But lycra-clad joggers, whippet lean cyclists and fit surfers are constant reminders of the town’s modern alter-ego.

Biarritz became Europe’s surfing capital after 1956 when Peter Viertel, actress Deborah Kerr’s husband, was so impressed by the waves at Biarritz that he sent for a surfboard from California. Since then it’s been attracting surfers from all around the world and is home to some major surfing competitions.

As a spectator sport it’s captivating, and from dawn until dusk I watch people of all ages pitting their wits, strength and balance against the wild and unpredictable Atlantic.

Biarritz has everything from golf and horse riding to rugby and tennis to entertain sporting aficionados. But any native Basque will confirm that food, as well as sport, is imprinted on their DNA. Two brothers who own the popular Los Dos Hermanos restaurant in Biarritz tell me that Basque people work-out to work-off the vast amount of food they consume. With a menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients including fresh sea food and charcuterie (and a couple of televisions showing rugby games) this rustically atmospheric restaurant is just one of many in and around Biarritz proud to serve their unique Basque cuisine.

From the charm of nearby Saint-Jean-de-Luz to the elegant city of Saint Sebastian in Spain – famous for its tapas restaurants and a mere half-hour drive from Biarritz – this ravishing region is one of the most sought after destinations in Europe. As a jewel in the Basque Country crown, Biarritz exudes a distinctive personality forged over the centuries. And, thanks to Napoleon and Eugenie, the glamour and sophistication they brought to Biarritz lives on in the incomparable Hotel du Palais.

D The Hotel du Palais is an Orient-Express Associate Hotel, +33 (0)5 59 41 64 00, hotel-du-palais.com / orient-express.com

february 2014 THE CITY 107

easyJet passengers arriving

1935 Restaurant bar

First Class Lounge

Passengers leaving terminal building

Aerial View of London Southend Airport

promotion

the top Flight

A recent survey named London Southend Airport the Best Airport in Britain, not surprising after its recent, and successful, renaissance

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hen the Stobart Group acquired London Southend Airport (LSA) in 2008, it could see that this was an airport with potential. The group immediately began working towards a vision that would transform LSA into the fully-functioning, modern and efficient, regional airport that it is today. A crucial component in unlocking this potential involved Stobart turning their attention to creating an attractive destination for private jet clients.

Under Stobart’s stewardship, half a million pounds was invested in a facelift that transformed the former terminal building into a state-of-the-art Stobart Executive Handling facility. The dedicated area offers the growing VIP clientele access to a range of amenities, enhancing the overall flying experience for passengers and their staff. Among the facilities on offer is a meeting room equipped with full video conferencing technology, a pilot’s rest zone and amenities for drivers to utilise while they wait for their passengers to arrive.

The facility also features an executive lounge where passengers can relax and enjoy refreshments while they wait for their aircrafts to be prepared. Equipped with cutting-edge security screening equipment, the lounge offers those high profile clients discreet and direct access either by foot or by car to an exclusive parking area.

Stobart’s investment focus hasn’t solely been in the realm of private jet clients, in fact LSA have made two commitments to all of their commercial customers, one being that they will wait a maximum of four minutes before being processed for security and the second being that those who arrive with hand-luggage only, can expect to travel from plane to train in just 15 minutes of the aircraft doors opening.

This was made possible after a railway station was constructed to transport passengers between Southend and the London Liverpool Street line. Up to eight trains travel to London each hour with a journey time of 53 minutes to Liverpool Street.

Crucial to LSA’s redevelopment was securing the permission to extend the runway by 300 metres; this was granted in 2010 and become operational in

March 2012. The extension has given LSA capacity to receive high-efficiency jets, including the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. In preparation, a new air traffic control facility became operational in July 2011, and to maintain flight safety, an ATCR-33SE from Selex, the most advanced radar of its type in the UK was installed. LSA was the first airport to adopt this stateof-the-art technology.

Furthermore, to cater for LSA’s increasing number of visitors, a new four star hotel within a five-minute walk of the new terminal formed part of Stobart’s redevelopment. The five-storey Holiday Inn opened its doors just 12 months ago, offering 129 bedrooms and a restaurant and bar that boasts spectacular panoramic views of the airport and its surrounds.

The Stobart Group isn’t stopping there; to maintain its customer service standards amidst growing airport traffic, LSA is extending the terminal building by 90 metres. This will allow for an increased number of check-in desks, baggage dropoff points and more space in general for passengers as they pass through security. The Departure Lounge will also grow to enhance the experience for air-side passengers, while a larger arrivals area will improve the process of reclaiming baggage. This development is expected to create 300 new jobs, including additional operational and service roles.

The £10 million extension to the terminal is due for completion in the coming months, so passengers can expect an even more enjoyable experience, as early as their next visit.

D southendairport.com Executive Handling

FEBRUARY 2014 THE CITY 109

art WINDOW GALLERIES

VISUAL ARTS

jubilee walk

The Art & Design window galleries in Canada Place Mall at Canary Wharf are free, open daily and showcase up-andcoming artists, designers and craftspeople.

In February the galleries exhibit:

Raji Ashwin

Combining her design skills and love of jewellery, Raji created AmiAnna, a series of four collections in sterling silver with gold or rose gold vermeil; RAVISH, delicate design using hand assembled wire and gemstones like garnet, iolite, moonstone, black spinel, citrine; ENTWINED, pendants with an alternative to the traditional heart; MY STORY IS: bracelets with a connection to our lives and MY LETTER IS: individual alphabet letters on a bracelet.

D AmiAnnaJewellery.co.uk

Kate Malone: A Celebration of Clay

Until 14 March Lobby, One Canada square, canary wharf Kate Malone’s work is distinctive, decorative and highly complex. It reflects her generosity of spirit, with all manner of natural phenomena informing her exuberant pieces – fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds and nuts. This exhibition features ceramics influenced by themes that recur time and again in her repertoire: pumpkins, fennels, gourds and atomics. Malone found her metier in creating vases of the most exotic kind, which are redolent of Art Nouveau, Victorian Majolica, Minton and Palissy. Nowadays, her work encompasses studio pieces, short-run editions and large-scale public art works often made in collaboration with architects and designers.

D FREE / katemaloneceramics.com

canada walk

Tuesday 4 February 6.30–7.15pm FREE Curator Ann Elliott tours the exhibition with the artist.

Contact visualart@canarywharf.com to reserve a place.

COMMUNITY WINDOW GALLERY Canada Walk, Until 12 March

Jonathan Speed

A self-taught landscape painter, Jonathan is inspired by the diversity of the natural environment, often travelling to remote locations to photograph unspoilt lands and dramatic sunsets. His paintings are essentially an extension of his passion and capture the atmosphere and energy of each scene. Working in oils, he combines subtle tonal blending with expressionistic bursts of colour and texture.

D jonathanspeed.co.uk

Learn Some Teach Some at Cubitt Town Infant & Junior Schools Learn Some Teach Some is an innovative project designed by the Infant & Junior Schools and Murude Mehmet from the Parental Engagement Team, which encourages parents to contribute to the schools’ International Primary Curriculum through creative workshops.

D cubitttowninf.co.uk / cubitttown-jun.towerhamlets.sch.uk

Sign up to join the free Canary Wharf Arts & Events monthly newsletter by sending your details to arts&events@canarywharf.com

events

Time to have

AFTER HOURS WITH… ALICE RUSSELL

some fun Shake ofF those winter blues with a month of dance, laughter, skating and song, with something for everyone and every age in Canary Wharf this february

Canary Wharf welcomes the fabulous vocal talent of Alice Russell live to start its spring ‘After Hours with…’ music series. Alice possesses pure natural talent and her voice is a force of nature having made some of the most arresting blues soul since the glory days of Aretha Franklin. Whether on a big stage with her16-piece band or rocking out an intimate club set with a stripped down six-piece band, she’s a singer who demands attention.

D alicerussell.com Friday 21 February 2014 7.45pm (doors 7pm) East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, E14 TICKETS: £20* Booking: visit seetickets.co.uk** or call 0871 220 0260**

ICE RINK CANARY WHARF

The final few days of the Ice Rink Canary Wharf at Canada Square Park are upon us, so if you haven’t been skating this year, get those skates on and take a spin on the ice and around London’s only skate path. There’s a classic American-style diner, Boisdale’s Jukebox Bar with a vintage ‘50s jukebox, drinks and hot food, a large outdoor terrace plus a comfy spectator’s area – a perfect winter haven after your skate.

For opening times, please visit: Why not go the extra mile and book lessons to icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk impress your family and friends with newfound Tickets: Rink side Box Office / skills! If live entertainment is what you fancy icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk* / 020 7536 8400* after skating then visit the Boisdale Jukebox Bar on Tuesday evenings for some blues and soul Party & Group bookings: events@icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk / 020 7536 8400 or Battle of the Bands every Saturday night. It’s open every day until 16 February 2014, so get *Booking fee applies your skates on and book your sessions now.

VIVA LA 80s at Canary Wharf

Dance the evening away at Viva la 80s to some all-time classics. Back-comb your hair and roll up your jacket sleeves for an evening of big energy, big earrings and bigger hair. The fabulous Sway Allstars Orchestra with its top session musicians will be performing as you reminisce and boogie on down to Chaka Khan, Prince and much more. An 80s quiz will be on the big screen when you need that all important break from grooving like Madonna and performing to Fame. Extra brownie points will be given to those who bravely turn up in fabulous 80s costumes. So dust off your neon oversized top with shoulder pads and do your hair big with make up like Nick Rhodes – obviously costumes are not essential, but they are highly encouraged.

Thursday 20 February 2014 7.30pm (doors 6.45pm) East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, E14 TICKETS: £15 Booking: visit seetickets.co.uk* 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. *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. Details correct at time of publication. *maximum 6 tickets per order **Booking fee applies

CANARY WHARF COMEDY CLUB Do you want a hilarious night out? Canary Wharf Comedy Club is back with another line-up* of funny people with performances from the brilliant Zoe Lyons, Carl Donnelly, Nathan Caton and Joel Dommett. Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Wagamama and Wildwood will be there taking orders for your interval food.

Tuesday 18 February 2014 7.15pm (doors 6.30pm) East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, Canary Wharf, E14 TICKETS: £12 Booking: visit seetickets.co.uk** or call 0871 220 0260** Tickets available on the door, subject to availability. Unreserved cabaret style seating. Full bar, food and cloakroom. Only items purchased on the premises may be consumed. *The line-up is correct at time of press but may be subject to change **Booking fee applies

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

THE Directory Whether you want to dine or drink, to purchase gorgeous gifts and stylish outfits, to keep fit or to be pampered, the City is home to a wealth of amenities

Collection Bachet 12 The Courtyard 020 3405 1437 bachet.fr Boodles 2 & 3 The Courtyard Royal Exchange 020 7283 7284 boodles.com Bulgari 15 The Courtyard Royal Exchange 020 7283 4580 bulgari.com

Health & Grooming Ajala Spa 10 Godliman Street 020 7074 1010 www.ajalaspa.com Barber Express Ltd 14 Devonshire Row 020 7377 5485 barberexpress.co.uk Chequers Beauty Salon 53-54 Leadenhall Market 020 7283 3047 chequersbeauty.co.uk

Ernest Jones Unit 3, Plantation Place 020 7929 4491 ernestjones.co.uk

City Health & Fitness Club London Grange City Hotel, 8-10 Cooper’s Row cityhealthclub.co.uk

Goldsmiths 186-190 Bishopsgate 020 7283 6622 goldsmiths.co.uk

Elysium Spa 21 Old Broad Street 020 7256 8624 elysiumfortytwo.co.uk

Gucci 9 Royal Exchange 020 7623 3626 gucci.com

Essential Therapy 39 Whitefriars Street 020 7353 1895 essential-therapie.co.uk

HermÈs 12-13 Royal Exchange 020 7626 7794 hermes.com

Fetter Barbers Ltd 144 Fetter Lane 020 7702 3553 fetterbarbers.com

Links of London 27 Broadgate Circle 020 7628 9668 linksoflondon.com Montblanc 10-11 Royal Exchange 020 7929 4200 montblanc.com

HOME & BEAUTY Nicholson & Griffin 74 Cannon Street, 020 7489 8551 nicholsonandgriffin.com

Artisan Fine Art 35 Royal Exchange 020 7929 5656 artisangalleries.com

Optix 175 Bishopsgate 020 7628 0330 optixuk.com

dermalogica One New Change 013 7222 5537 dermalogica.com

Smilepod bank studio Leadenhall Market off Fenchurch Street 18-20 Cullum Street 020 7836 6866 smilepod.co.uk

Jo Malone 24 Royal Exchange 08701 925131 jomalone.co.uk

Ted’s Grooming Room 120 Cheapside 020 7367 9932 tedsgroomingroom.com The Harley Medical Group Marc House Great Street 0800 022 3385 harleymedical.co.uk

Kiehls Unit 14/15, Royal Exchange 020 7283 6661 kiehls.co.uk Ligne rosset 7-39 Commercial Road 020 7426 9670 ligne-roset-city.co.uk Molton Brown 27 Royal Exchange 020 7621 0021 moltonbrown.com

The Private Clinic 107 Cheapside 0800 599 9911 theprivateclinic.co.uk

OLIVER BONAS One New Change 020 7248 3152 oliverbonas.com

F Flittner 86 Moorgate 020 7606 4750 fflittner.com

Tower Bridge Health & Fitness Club 47 Prescot Street 020 7959 5050 grangehealthclubs.com

Paul A Young Fine Chocolates 20 Royal Exchange 020 7929 7007 paulayoung.co.uk

London City Runner 10 Ludgate Broadway 020 7329 1955 londoncityrunner.com

Virgin Active 5 Old Broad Street, 0845 270 4080 virginactive.co.uk

Penhaligon’s 4 Royal Exchange 020 7623 3131 penhaligons.com

1 Lombard Street

Hawksmoor Guildhall

Fashion

Bars & restaurants

Agent Provocateur 5 Royal Exchange 020 7623 0229 agentprovocateur.com Church’s 28 Royal Exchange 020 7929 7015 church-footwear.com Crockett & Jones 25 Royal Exchange 0207 929 2111 crockettandjones.com Harrys of London 18 Royal Exchange 020 7283 4643 harrysoflondon.com Hugo Boss One New Change 020 7332 0573 hugoboss.com Karen Millen One New Change 020 7236 3635 1-2 Royal Exchange Buildings 020 7626 2782 karenmillen.com

1 Lombard Street 1 Lombard Street 020 7929 6611 1lombardstreet.com 1901 at andaz hotel 40 Liverpool Street 020 7618 7000 andazdining.com Anise Bar 9 Devonshire Square 020 3642 8679 cinnamon-kitchen.com Anohka Indian Restaurant St. Pauls 4 Burgon Street 020 7236 3999 anokha-indian.com Anthologist 58 Gresham Street 0845 468 0101 theanthologistbar.co.uk Balls Brothers 11 Blomfield Street 020 7588 4643 ballsbrothers.co.uk

L.K. Bennett One New Change 020 7236 4711 lkbennett.com

Bar Battu 48 Gresham Street 020 7036 6100 barbattu.com

Loro Piana 2-3 Royal Exchange 020 7398 0000 loropiana.com

Brasserie Blanc 60 Threadneedle Street 020 7710 9440 brasserieblanc.com

Paul Smith Unit 7, The Courtyard Royal Exchange 020 7626 4778 paulsmith.co.uk

Caffé Concerto One New Change 020 7494 6857 caffeconcerto.co.uk

Copa de Cava

Sushisamba

Camino San Pablo 33 Blackfriars Lane 020 7125 0930 camino.uk.com

High Timber Restaurant 8 High Timber Street 020 7248 1777 hightimber.com

Chez Gerard 14 Trinity Square 020 7213 0540 chezgerard.co.uk

Madison Restaurant 2 New Change 020 8305 3088 madisonlondon.net

Cinnamon Kitchen 9 Devonshire Square 020 7626 5000 cinnamon-kitchen.com

Mint Leaf Lounge 12 Angel Court 020 7600 0992 mintleaflounge.com

Copa de Cava 33 Blackfriars Lane 020 7125 0930 cava.co.uk

Piccolino Restaurant 11 Exchange Square 020 7375 2568

Fora Restaurant 34-36 Houndsditch 020 7626 2222 forarestaurants.co.uk

Prism 147 Leadenhall Street 020 7256 3888

Grand Café The Courtyard, Royal Exchange 020 7618 2480 royalexchange-grandcafe.co.uk Grappolo 1 Plough Place 020 7842 0510 grappololondon.com Hawksmoor Guildhall 10-12 Basinghall Street 020 7397 8120 thehawksmoor.com Haz Restaurant Plantation Place 6 Mincing Lane 020 7929 3173 hazrestaurant.co.uk

individualrestaurantcompanyplc.co.uk

Restaurant Sauterelle The Courtyard, Royal Exchange 020 7618 2483 sauterelle-restaurant.co.uk Searcys Champagne Bar One New Change 020 7871 1213 searcyschampagnebars.co.uk Sushisamba Floors 38 and 39 Heron Tower 020 3640 7330 sushisamba.com Vertigo 42 Tower 42, Old Broad Street 020 7877 7842 vertigo42.co.uk

february 2014 THE CITY 113

We believe that every building is one-of-akind. Every design is created to a unique, specific and personal vision. And every project requires individual understanding, research and planning.

Blending architectural flair with building surveying professionalism. Collaborating with clients, suppliers, engineers and builders.

Together we create original and beautiful bespoke houses. We are experienced and pragmatic, fresh thinking and innovative; we are Pennington Phillips.

Pennington Phillips 16 Spectrum House 32–34 Gordon House Road London NW5 1LP t: 020 7267 1414 f: 020 7267 7878 design@penningtonphillips.co.uk

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

Change of Scenery Experts put a spotlight on riverside living as the market gains momentum

Trellis tiles by Fired Earth, firedearth.com

GARRETT STREET CLERKENWELL EC1Y

A stunning collection of apartments, townhouses and live/work units, set within a secure courtyard in the heart of fashionable Clerkenwell and on the doorstep of the City.

Prices from £460,000 - £1,150,000

Knight Frank Islington 020 3551 2470 KnightFrank.co.uk/Islington

308761_City_KF_Jan14.indd 1

22/01/2014 18:02

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18:02

KnightFrank.co.uk

Waterman Building, Westferry Road E14 Penthouse apartment with river views

A stunning three bedroom duplex apartment with spectacular views of the River Thames. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 reception rooms, open plan kitchen, roof terrace, concierge, leisure facilities, parking. EPC rating D. Approximately 207 sq m ﴾2,228 sq ft﴿

KnightFrank.co.uk/canarywharf cwharf@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6112

Leasehold: approximately 982 years Guide price: £1,995,000

﴾CWQ130218﴿

CW mag sales feb2014-Waterman - 09 January 2014 - 46342

09/01/2014 12:38:42

KnightFrank.co.uk Mews Street, St Katharine Docks E1W Views of the dock

A charming mews house facing directly onto the marina, comprising 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, reception room, a hand built Smallbone kitchen, a conservatory overlooking the dock and a garage. EPC rating D. Approximately 72 sq m ﴾783 sq ft﴿ Available furnished Guide price: £690 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ158273﴿

The Heron, City EC2Y

Luxury studio apartment Brand new 30th floor studio apartment comprising separate bedroom area, bathroom suite, spacious reception and kitchen area, and a balcony with exceptional views. The development boasts a private club, cinema room, gym and 24 hour concierge. EPC rating C. Approximately 38 sq m ﴾408 sq ft﴿

Available furnished Guide price: £550 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ190683﴿

City mag feb mews heron - 16 January 2014 - 46568

23/01/2014 17:56:28

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KnightFrank.co.uk The Sanctuary, Wapping E1W South facing

Spacious third floor apartment in a warehouse conversion on Wapping High Street.

Accommodation comprises 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, dual aspect reception room, fitted kitchen with a separate dining room, river views across the park, beautiful wooden flooring and exposed brick work. EPC rating C.

Available furnished Guide price: £550 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ112301﴿

Dundee Court, Wapping E1W

Warehouse conversion Flat to rent on the fourth floor of a warehouse conversion on Wapping High Street.

Accommodation comprises 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, reception room and separate kitchen with wooden floors throughout, underground parking space and porter. EPC rating D. Approximately 58 sq m ﴾626 sq ft﴿

Available furnished Guide price: £395 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ111752﴿

City Mag Feb 14 Altitude Dundee - 16 January 2014 - 46563

23/01/2014 13:15:41

KnightFrank.co.uk

Capital Wharf, Wapping E1W

Trafalgar Court, Wapping E1W

Attractive flat with a large terrace and river views from all the principal rooms. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, entrance hall, reception room, separate kitchen and parking space. EPC rating C. Approximately 93 sq m ﴾1001 sq ft﴿

Spacious one bedroom flat on the first floor of a popular development set around attractive communal gardens with a balcony and river and lock views, parking space and 24 hour porterage. EPC rating C. Approximately 57 sq m ﴾614 sq ft﴿

Share of freehold

Leasehold

Asking price: £995,000

Asking price: £450,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping 020 8166 5371 wapping@knightfrank.com

KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping

Tower Bridge Wharf, Wapping E1W

The Heron, City EC2Y

Extensively renovated duplex apartment close to Tower Bridge. Two bedrooms facing onto the river, two bathrooms, reception room opening onto a balcony on the river, separate kitchen, 24 hour porterage and a parking space in the garage. EPC rating C. Approximately 93 sq m ﴾1001 sq ft﴿

Share of freehold

Brand new 25th floor apartment with a large balcony and fabulous west facing views of London. 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, open plan kitchen and reception room. Private club, gym, concierge, cinema room and communal garden.

EPC rating C. Approximately 53 sq m ﴾571 sq ft﴿

Leasehold

Asking price: £1,395,000 KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping

Asking price: £970,000 KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping

020 8166 5371 wapping@knightfrank.com

City Mag SALES Feb 14 - 23 January 2014 - 46899

020 8166 5371 wapping@knightfrank.com

020 8166 5371 wapping@knightfrank.com

24/01/2014 10:56:42

homes & property

expert comment LETTINGS:

SALES:

Prime rental decline slows as banks enter hiring mode

Picking up the pace

VANESSA EVETT-BEESLEY, PARTNER, HEAD OF

KIRAN SANDHU, SENIOR NEGOTIATOR AT KNIGHT

DEPARTMENT AND OFFICE HEAD AT KNIGHT FRANK IN

FRANK CANARY WHARF, COMMENTS ON THE TRENDS IN

CANARY WHARF, COMMENTS ON THE TRENDS IN THE

THE RESIDENTIAL SALES MARKET

RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS MARKET

Prime central London rents fell 0.4 per cent in December, taking the annual decline to 2.3 per cent. The fall was greater in 2012, when rents fell 3.2 per cent and there are some grounds for confidence in a market that we expect to return to growth next year. Though luxury rents have been falling or flat for 20 months, the annual decline was the lowest since September 2012 after shrinking steadily over the course of the year.

The health of the prime central London rental market is tied to the financial services sector and while 2011 and 2012 were marked by deep job cuts, many banks began to hire again last year, partly in response to greater regulation. The result was increased activity among bankers in the rental market and one encouraging sign was that corporate relocation agents were a more common sight than 12 months ago.

Another positive indicator was a noticeable pick-up in the number of bankers active in the Canary Wharf market versus 2012 at all levels of seniority. According to the Markit Economics Report on Jobs, the number of staff placed in permanent positions by London-based recruitment consultancies rose for a sixth straight month in November. That said there appears to be no recruitment explosion on the horizon, as there often is when financial markets enter full-blown recovery mode. n

With the new year in full swing the market is starting to gather pace, as is the norm leading towards spring, traditionally one of the busiest periods in the housing market.

The market is still performing extremely well with demand outstripping supply.

However, whilst we do not expect to see a softening in prices, in order to achieve the best price for a property, a realistic guide must be set at the first instance. The best developments situated close to the Canary Wharf estate continue to out-perform all other property with sales being agreed inside a working week. Properties above ÂŁ800,000 have also seen a dramatic upturn in activity with more deals in this sector being agreed.

Whilst all properties are seeing high levels of demand at the moment, anything which sits flush to the River, particularly those with a westerly City skyline view are in most instances seeing competitive bidding from multiple applicants due to their desirability. There is a huge appetite from owner occupiers and landlords alike so competition is fierce. Therefore, applicants who are in the best possible position financially with deposits ready and agreements from lenders in hand will ultimately have the greatest success. n

Knight Frank Canary Wharf 020 7512 9966 knightfrank.co.uk/canary-wharf

Knight Frank Canary Wharf 020 7512 9966 knightfrank.co.uk/canary-wharf

121

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savills.co.uk

CINNABAR WHARF, e1w

MARCONI HOUSE, wc2r

Reception room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms (2 en suite) ø 24hr concierge ø terrace ø 153 sq m (1,651 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø 24hr concierge ø 103 sq m (1,110 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Offers in excess of £2 million Leasehold

Guide £1.99 million Leasehold

3 4

Savills Docklands mmacfarlane@savills.com 0207 456 6800

Savills Docklands nefthymiou@savills.com 020 7456 6800

THE JAM FACTORY, se1

SCOTTS SUFFERANCE, se1

Reception room ø open plan kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø terrace ø concierge ø parking ø 146 sq m (1,578 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Reception room ø kitchen ø 2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø garage ø balcony ø porter ø 95 sq m (1,026 sq ft) ø EPC=F

Guide £1.31 million Leasehold

Guide £815,000 Share of Freehold

Savills Docklands mmacfarlane@savills.com 0207 456 6800

Savills Docklands fmoynihan@savills.com 020 8877 4823

“

In the last 12 months, property prices have increased by 8.5%. How do I find out how much mine is worth?

�

meet Lauren

Having been selling and letting property in Wapping for over 30 years, Savills can give you local knowledge and advice backed up with a global network of over 500 offices and associates across the Capital.

Call Lauren on 020 7456 6800 or email her on lireland@savills.com

savills.co.uk

1 LATE VICTORIAN FAMILY HOUSE CLOSE TO HIGHBURY FIELDS battledean road, n5 First floor reception room ø further reception room ø kitchen/breakfast room ø 4 bedrooms ø bathroom ø shower room ø cellar ø garden ø 156 sq m (1,686 sq ft) ø EPC=E

Savills Islington Jo-Anne Neighbour jneighbour@savills.com

020 7226 1313 Guide £1.65 million Freehold

savills.co.uk

1 BREATHTAKING APARTMENT WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS ACROSS LONDON gainsborough studios west, n1 Open plan living/kitchen/dining room ø 2 double bedrooms suites ø utility room ø guest cloakroom ø 6 terraces in excess of 1,500 sq ft ø 2 underground parking spaces ø 197 sq m (2,127 sq ft) ø EPC=D Guide £2.5 million Leasehold, approximately 987 years remaining

Savills Islington Adam Smith arsmith@savills.com

020 7226 1313

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savills.co.uk

DOLPHIN HOUSE, sw6

LATTIMER PLACE, w4

Reception/dining room ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø 2 balconies ø underground parking space ø 24hr security and concierge ø residents' gym ø 174 sq m (1,873 sq ft) ø EPC=B

2 reception rooms ø kitchen/dining room ø 4 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø garden ø off-street parking ø integrated garage ø 182 sq m (1,955 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £2.95 million Leasehold

Guide £1.795 million Freehold

3 4

Savills Fulham fmoynihan@savills.com 020 8877 4823

Savills Chiswick sgretton@savills.com 020 8877 4823

NEW ATLAS WHARF, e14

BASIN APPROACH, e14

2 reception rooms ø kitchen ø 3 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø guest cloakroom ø terrace ø 2 parking spaces ø 179 sq m (1,924 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Reception room ø kitchen ø 4 bedrooms ø 3 bathrooms ø roof terrace ø 2 parking spaces ø 204 sq m (2,198 sq ft) ø EPC=C

Guide £1.1 million Leasehold

Guide £1.95 million Leasehold

Savills Canary Wharf sgretton@savills.com 020 8877 4823

Savills Canary Wharf fmoynihan@savills.com 020 8877 4823

L L O

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savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

HALCYON WHARF, e1w

OSPREY COURT, e1w

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø further bathroom ø reception room ø wrap around terrace with river views ø allocated parking ø 24hr porterage ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=D

2 bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø reception room ø balcony with marina views ø allocated parking ø 24hr porterage ø Council Tax=H ø EPC=C

Unfurnished £950 per week

Part Furnished £775 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Docklands ostaylor@savills.com 020 7456 6810

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Docklands brodgers@savills.com 020 7456 6800

BELGRAVE COURT, e14

NEW PROVIDENCE WHARF, e14

2 double bedrooms ø 2 bathrooms ø private balcony with river views ø 24hr porterage ø communal gardens ø allocated parking ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=C

2 bedrooms (1 en suite) ø futher bathroom ø reception room ø private balcony ø valet parking ø 24hr porterage ø gym facilities ø Council Tax=F ø EPC=C

Furnished £650 per week

Furnished £500 per week

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Canary Wharf ibates@savills.com 020 7531 2522

+ £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* Savills Canary Wharf lbrunning@savills.com 0207 531 2523

3 4

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

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Heneage Street, E1 £2,300,000 Freehold A stunning 4 bed double-fronted west-facing Spitalfields house, Dating back to the 1800’s. EPC: E

St. Mark Street, E1 £1,175,000 Share of Freehold A superb 2 bedroom top floor duplex in Aldgate with parking. EPC: C

Cromwell Tower, EC2Y £1,400,000 Leasehold A 4 bedroom upper Barbican Tower flat offering West-facing views. EPC: D

Topham Street, EC1R Leasehold £799,950 A beautifully presented two bedroom flat with west-facing terrace. EPC: C

Globe View, EC4V £1,000,000 Leasehold A spacious 2 bedroom City penthouse with 2 terraces and parking. EPC: D

Lexington Apartments, EC1Y £950,000 Leasehold A stunning 2 bedroom City flat with roof terrace and parking. EPC: C

Hamptons City Office Sales. 020 7717 5435 | Lettings. 020 7717 5437

Tempus Wharf, SE1 £925,000 Leasehold A two bedroom warehouse apartment in a riverside development, with views of the river and communal gardens. EPC: E

New Concordia Wharf, SE1 £1,595,000 Share of Freehold A refurbished and interior designed three double bedroom warehouse conversion, benefiting from a 13’ by 10’ terrace. EPC: C

Spice Quay Heights, SE1 £1,595,000 Leasehold A stunning two bedroom apartment with two terraces benefiting from uninterrupted views of Tower Bridge, the City and Canary Wharf. EPC: B

Broadwall, SE1 £800,000 Share of Freehold A fourth and fifth floor split level two bedroom, two bathroom apartment located close to Waterloo Station and Blackfriars. EPC: D

Admirals Court, SE1 £749,950 Leasehold A two bedroom, two bathroom duplex apartment in this central Shad Thames development. EPC: E

Cayenne Court, SE1 £625,000 Leasehold A one bedroom apartment with two bathrooms on the second floor in a fully portered, central Shad Thames development. EPC: B

Hamptons Tower Bridge Office Sales. 020 7717 5489 | Lettings. 020 7717 5491

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Creechurch Lane, EC3 £440 per week (charges apply*) A stylish one bedroom apartment situated on the top floor of this period building. EPC: C

Wormwood Street, EC2 £595 per week (charges apply*) A bright two double bedroom apartment on the 3rd floor of this centrally located block. EPC: C

Leman Street, E1 £795 per week (charges apply*) Two bedroom duplex penthouse apartment in this fantastic development.

EPC: C

Spital Square, E1 £775 per week (charges apply*) A spacious three double bedroom apartment located close to Spitalfields market. EPC: C

West Smithfield, EC1 £420 per week (charges apply*) An excellent one bedroom apartment in the heart of historic Smithfield.

Commercial Street, E1 £595 per week (charges apply*) A two bedroom apartment superbly located in the heart of Spitalfields.

EPC: E

EPC: B

Hamptons City Office Lettings. 020 7717 5437 | Sales. 020 7717 5435

*Tenant Charges Tenants should note that as well as rent, an administration charge of £216 (Inc. VAT) per property and a referencing charge of £54 (Inc. VAT) per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit www.hamptons.co.uk/rent/tenant-charges

New Concordia Wharf, SE1 £1,050 per week (charges apply*) Superb two bed Duplex Penthouse warehouse conversion with river views, exposed brickwork, day porter and use of communal swimming pool. EPC: E

Bermondsey Central, SE1 £390 per week (charges apply*) Modern one bedroom apartment is situated within a fantastic new development in one of London’s most vibrant areas. EPC: B

Trinity Church Terrace, SE1 £425 per week (charges apply*) Stunning one bedroom apartment situated within a brand new development, just off of Trinity Church Square. EPC: B

Minerva House, SE1 £535 per week (charges apply*) Modern one bedroom apartment which looks onto Southwark Cathedral and is within close proximity of Borough Market. EPC: D

Butlers & Colonial, SE1 £670 per week (charges apply*) Fabulous two bedroom warehouse conversion in sought after courtyard development with exposed brick work and day porter. EPC: D

Bermondsey Spa, SE16 £395 per week (charges apply*) Fabulous brand new one bedroom apartment in sought after development with open plan kitchen, wood flooring and balcony. EPC: B

Hamptons Tower Bridge Office Lettings. 020 7717 5491 | Sales. 020 7717 5489

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Rydon Street, N1 ÂŁ1,295,000 Freehold A beautiful Georgian house with three bedrooms over four stories located in the ever popular Arlington conservation area. On the lower ground floor is a bright and modern open-plan kitchen-diner with French doors leading out on to an attractive south facing garden. EPC: E

De Beauvoir Square, N1 ÂŁ1,550,000 A rarely available, uniquely attractive, neo Jacobean semi-detached villa with ornate Flemish gables set within a delightful and tranquil garden square.

There are architects drawings and existing planning permission to make alterations to the property. EPC: E

Hamptons Islington Office Sales. 020 7717 5453 | Lettings. 020 7717 5335

Willow Bridge Road, N1 £2,950,000 Freehold A grand and beautifully restored 2900 sq ft, five bedroom family home within the Canonbury conservation area. This superb property retains many period features and has gardens surrounding the house including off street parking for one car. EPC: D

Wilmington Square, WC1 £2,350,000 A beautiful Grade II listed Georgian family home overlooking one of the area’s prettiest garden squares. This period house retains much of its period charm and offers flexible living accommodation due to the lower ground floor being currently configured as a self contained flat. Grade II Listed

Sales

Sterling Mansions, E1 - ÂŁ695,000 Leasehold A spacious 1 bedroom apartment in the brand new Edwardian restoration at 75 Leman Street. Offering approximately 685 sq ft of living space, this luxury apartment boasts a spacious double bedroom with large fitted wardrobes, modern bathroom, reception area and contemporary open plan kitchen with Siemens appliances and solid wooden flooring, with high ceilings throughout. With 24 hour concierge, this new development has an abundance of character and is located a short walk away from Aldgate, Zone 1.

16-17 Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LL

royalsales@eu.jll.com

Lettings

020 7337 4000 joneslanglasalle.co.uk

Tenant agency fees: £240 inc VAT administration fee per property, £48 inc VAT referencing fee per Tenant/Guarantor

Altitude, E1 - £525 Per Week

The Heron, EC2 - From £450 Per Week

A brand new 1 bedroom apartment situated on the 10th floor of the brand new Altitude development. The apartment is offered fully furnished and boasts a large double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes, contemporary kitchen with Siemems appliances and views of the City. Fully furnished and benefits include 24 hour concierge.

A selection of suites, 1, 2 & 3 bedroomed apartments in this sought after development, in the heart of The City. The Heron boasts an outstanding specification complete with smart home technology, comfort cooling, on-site gym, concierge and exclusive resident’s club. Fully furnished and available immediately.

Avant-Garde, E1 - £680 Per Week

Great Sutton Street, EC1V - £595 Per Week

A brand new 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of Shoreditch. The apartment offers a spacious reception and dining area with access to a private terrace with stunning views of Canary Wharf, fitted kitchen with Siemens appliances and two contemporary bathrooms. Other benefits include comfort cooling, 24 hour concierge and leisure facilities.

A spacious 2 bedroom apartment offering approximately 1,000 sq. ft of living space. This recently refurbished apartment boasts 2 double bedrooms, 2 contemporary bathrooms, large reception / dining area with access to 2 balconies and modern fitted kitchen. Offered fully furnished and available immediately.

royallettings@eu.jll.com

homes & property

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE FEBRUARY 2014 Richard Pine-Coffin, DIRECTOR OF RESIDENTIAL AT JONES LANG LASALLE, SHARES HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET

Are you predicting any trends in the real estate market in 2014?

The market for the very early part of 2014 appears to have returned with the similar vigour of the previous year.

Confidence of developers, vendors and purchasers alike continues to increase and this is apparent with the significant increase of new unit sales demonstrated within the past six months and the associated increase in new build startups within the same period.

Riverside properties continue to command the attention of the market and interest is expected to remain strong within this segment. The off-plan sales market is essential in providing developers with necessary security and funding to enable future construction projects to take place. Historically, much of this is sourced from overseas, however, a renewed level of UK and

Richard Pine-Coffin Jones Lang LaSalle 020 7337 4002 residential.joneslanglasalle.co.uk

136

European activity is evident and expected to continue into 2014 for both completed stock opportunities and those off plan.

Research by Jones Lang LaSalle into Central London’s office space letting activity saw the market growing by more than 50 per cent in 2013, with investment volumes reaching £17.9 billion – the highest level since 2007. How is this growth impacting the residential market?

The commercial and residential property sectors are to some extent intertwined and an increase in office letting activity is anticipated to impact on the residential market both in the sales and letting sector. The renewed activity in office letting demonstrates a continued optimism within the UK economy and critically the generation of employment and wealth. Whilst different employment sectors create differing residential demand there is little doubt the increase in employment opportunities generated by the increased office demand will provide a positive effect to the micro and wider economy. n

Inc

UNIQUE HOMES, UNIQUE SERVICE, UNIQUE PEOPLE A tailored service from Langford Russell, John Payne & Acorn for distinctive and exclusive homes

By Langford Russell

hill BrOW, BiCkley Br1

£1,595,000 F/h

Stunning six bedroom detached house in an exclusive private road within walking distance of Elmstead Woods and Bickley stations offering direct links into central London. Arranged over three floors, accommodation comprises three reception rooms, kitchen/breakfast room, six bedrooms and five bathrooms. Further benefits include rear garden and integral garage. Energy Efficiency Rating C. Please contact our Bromley office for more information: Tel: 020 8315 5544 Email: bromley@langfordrussell.co.uk

BRABouRnE RiSE, BECkEnHAm BR3

£850,000 F/H

ideally situated in Park Langley is this fantastic family home in the catchment area for sought after Langley Park Schools. The accommodation comprises four bedrooms, the master with en-suite and separate family bathroom. Downstairs you’ll find two large reception rooms, modern kitchen, utility room and integral garage. Externally there is a mature garden and off street parking. internal viewing is recommended. Energy Efficiency Rating E. Please contact our Beckenham office for more information: Tel: 020 8663 4433 Email: beckenham@langfordrussell.co.uk

Offices Across South East London & Kent www.uniquepropertiesuk.com www.langfordrussell.co.uk

www.acorn.ltd.uk www.johnpayne.com

UNIQUE is a Specialist Division of Langford Russell, John Payne & Acorn

Millenium Drive, Docklands E14

£440,000

Cinnabar Wharf Central, Wapping E1W

£685,000

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 2nd and 3rd floor 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom duplex apartment within this secure gated development. The apartment benefits from Juliet balconies, separate kitchen and 2 secure under cover parking spaces. Located in this river side development and close to local bus routes and the Canary Wharf district.

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 2 bedroom apartment set on the 4th floor of this prestigious riverside development. The apartment benefits from an open plan kitchen and lounge. Climate control heating. Laminate wood floors.

Secure Underground parking space. 24 Hour porterage/security. Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill Stations.

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

Towerside, Wapping E1W

City Reach, Orton Street, West Wapping E1W

Spice court, West Wapping E1W

Rental Price: £290 Per Week

Rental Price: £335 Per Week

Rental Price: £380 Per Week

Pierhead Wharf, West Wapping E1W

Hermitage Waterside, West Wapping E1W

Spirit Quay, Wapping E1W

Rental Price: £460 Per Week

Rental Price: £475 Per Week

Rental Price: £485 Per Week

Merchant Court, London E1W

Hermitage Court, West Wapping E1W

Gullivers Wharf, Wapping E1W

Rental Price: £500 Per Week

Rental Price: £560 Per Week

Rental Price: £575 PW

1 Double bedroom modern built apartment. Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill Stations.

Modern Built 3rd Floor studio apartment set within this riverside development. Close to Wapping Station and local bus routes.

2 Bedroom, 2 bathroom Modern built 2nd floor apartment.

Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill stations.

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom warehouse conversion set within this river side development. Close to Wapping station and local bus routes.

2 bedroom, 2 bathroom modern built apartment. Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill Stations.

2 double bedroom 3rd floor modern built apartment .

Close to Tower Hill Stations and St Katharine’s Dock.

1 Bedroom modern built ground floor apartment. Located ideally for the City within easy reach of St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill Stations.

3 bedroom modern house situated within the sought after West Wapping location. Close to the City and Tower Hill.

2 Bedroom 2nd floor characterful warehouse conversion.

Close to Wapping station and local bus routes.

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

seventy-four offices worldwide 28

26

20

Curtain Road Shoreditch EC2A

£1,150 per week

Exceptional loft style apartment refurbished to a high standard & located in the heart of Shoreditch & trendy Hoxton. Located on the 2nd floor of this handsome building with secure lift access direct to the apartment. The 1,575 sq ft apartment boasts solid oak flooring, limestone flooring, exposed brick work & double height ceilings which flood the property with natural light. The reception room is a vast open space leading to a stunning kitchen with Neff appliances, 3 double bedrooms with en-suites & utility room. A private communal roof terrace is also provided. Moments from Old Street underground station.

EPC rating C

chestertonhumberts.com

LETTINGS

020 7226 4221

lettings.islington@chestertonhumberts.com Additional charges apply. Administration: £222 (VAT included).

References per tenant: £42 (VAT included)

m

Leonard Street Shoreditch EC2A

A bright & beautifully presented 2 to 3 double bedroom loft apartment set on the 4th floor of this elegant converted warehouse, situated right in the very heart of trendy Shoreditch, moments from ‘Silicon Roundabout’ & within the Bunhill Fields & Finsbury Square conservation area. Set on the corner of 2 highly sought after streets, Tabernacle & Leonard, the apartment is ideally suited for London’s culture, shops & nightlife as well as pursuing business in the city.

EPC rating C

£1,250,000 guide price

leasehold

SALES

020 7359 9777

sales.islington@chestertonhumberts.com

chestertonhumberts.com

homes & property

PROPERTY SHOWCASE Lord of the Manor

T

he Manor House is a 10,000 sq ft Georgian manor with views over its own land and river frontage – all within 18 miles of Canary Wharf. The property includes a Grade II listed Coach House, which has been converted into three cottages featuring exposed brickwork, woodburning stoves and stone floors. Scenic and practical, these cottages can be let as a source of income or can be used as accommodation for staff or relatives. This unique and beautiful home is located in an 18th century picturesque village and located less than two miles from a train station and strong road links. Recently restored – without the loss of its original charm – the master bedroom has been converted into an apartment-style space with a dressing area, sitting room and balcony, and the home’s former stables have been transformed into a gym. The property offers an escape into the country without losing proximity to the city, and creates a perfect harmony between luxury modern living and heritage architecture. n

The Manor House, Farningham Strutt & Parker LLP struttandparker.com

020 7629 7282 142

WE HAVE THE

EXPERIENCE, DETERMINATION & KNOWLEDGE TO JOIN THE DOTS... connecting the right buyer or tenant to your property

Our ‘LONDON PRIME MARKET MONITOR‘ tracks sales values and evaluates ‘supply and demand’ statistics during the quarter

Local know-how. Better results.

Our 184 negotiators have perfected the right balance in their approach, so you enjoy the experience and get the results you want.

LANDLORDS IN LONDON CHOOSE TO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES WITH US

‘PROFESSIONAL’ was the word most frequently used to describe our service in recent feedback. ‘Friendly’, ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘helpful’ were other words that came up time and time again

£2,995,000 Freehold £615,000 Leasehold Britton Street, EC1M

Mildmay Road, N1

Bedrooms •• Three Garden maisonette • Two reception rooms

• Two double bedrooms • Terrace

•• Two Eat inbathrooms kitchen/diner • EPC D

£2,500,000 Freehold £699,999 Leasehold Mylne Street, EC1R

Westbourne Road, N7 • Four Bedrooms

• 2 bedroom period flat • Three Reception Rooms

•• Patio Master bedroom with en-suite Garden •• Close Opentoplan reception room Myddelton Square • EPC C

020 7253 2533 clerkenwell@currell.com www.currell.com

Connaught Place, Marble Arch W2 • 2 Double bedrooms • 2 Bathrooms (en suite) • Guest cloakroom • Reception room • Dining room / study • Kitchen / dining room • Balcony • Approx. 2,436 sq ft (226 sq m)

£2,750 per week Furnished / Unfurnished

Lucy Morton 020 7306 1630 lmorton@waellis.com

W.A.Ellis will make an initial one-off tenancy agreement charge of £240 per tenancy plus £60 referencing charge per tenant. A minimum of six weeks’ rent will be required for all proper ties. For fur ther details of our services and charges please visit waellis.com.

West Eaton Place Belgravia SW1 • 3 Bedrooms • 3 Bathrooms (2 en suite) • Drawing room • Dining room • Kitchen • Garage • Patio / terrace • Approx. 2,736 sq ft (254 sq m) • EPC rating: current (C) potential (C)

£6,750,000 Leasehold with 97 years remaining

Simon Godson 020 7306 1610 sgodson@waellis.com

2263

The forecasted GDP of China in 2050

A year full of Eastern promise 新年快乐

W.A.Ellis is delighted to welcome the year of the horse, foretelling of good fortune.

Investing time and knowledge in the growing Eastern market enhances our strong global presence and extensive overseas relationships. Read our research into China’s growth in 2014 at waellis.com/research

W.A.Ellis – where East meets West

@waellis | 020 7306 1600 Selling, Letting, Property management, Refurbishment, Surveying and Valuation *UK independent schools. Source: W.A.Ellis – Far East investors in London

2263_WAEllis_BR130107_K&Cad_A4.indd 1

20/01/2014 11:54

homes & property

PROPERTY SHOWCASE A Rare Find

A

partments in the City’s esteemed Norfolk House rarely go up for sale. However, excitingly a three/four bedroom duplex penthouse with views of the Shard and Globe Theatre has become available for the first time since being purchased by the original owner. A two-storey reception encompasses incredible potential for hanging large works of art. The reception further benefits from tremendous panoramic views, generous natural south-facing light, direct terrace access, a private balcony and an original marble fireplace. An elegant oak staircase leads upstairs to spacious ensuite double bedrooms, all with beautifully fitted wardrobes. The master suite has an iconic London view, the second bedroom is currently set up as a gym and treatment room, while the third benefits from access to another private river facing terrace. The property has two allocated underground parking spaces and a further free visitor parking at ground level. It is conveniently located by both Mansion House and St Paul’s Underground stations. 

Norfolk House, EC4 From £3,400,000 LEASEHOLD Jones Lang LaSalle blackheath.sales@eu.jll.com

020 7337 4002 150

Galliard_TheCity_FPC_29.1.14 23/01/2014 16:14 Page 1

WORLD EXCLUSIVE RELEASE

AHEAD OF ASIA

THE GALLIARD GATEWAY TO GROWTH IN THE ROYAL DOCKS £3.7 BILLION

REGENERATION ZONE! 0 0 0 , 0 5 2 £ M O R F T S E INV T ITH £2000 INITIAL DEPOSI W Y DA E TH ON GE AN CH PLUS EX • An all private development of studios, apartments and duplex penthouses.

• Many with panoramic views across the Royal Docks and Canary Wharf.

• 3 minutes via DLR to Custom House Crossrail interchange.

• Potential for outperforming property values from Crossrail proximity.

• Within 5 minutes walk of Jubilee line and DLR - Canary Wharf 5 mins - City Airport 6 mins • Strategically placed to maximise on the largest new regeneration masterplan creating London’s third business district and Asian business port.

• Completions from Q3 2016.

Royal Gateway

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

LONDON E16

RELEASING 14TH - 16TH FEB

FRI 5PM - 9PM SAT 10.30AM - 5PM SUN 2PM - 5PM

CROWNE PLAZA - ROYAL VICTORIA DOCK WESTERN GATEWAY LONDON E16 1AL

PRIORITY DETAILS ON

020 7620 1500 sales@galliardhomes.com

galliardhomes.com

P R I M E TIME

M OV E I N E ARLY SPRING FINAL LAUNCH

Computer generated images

STUNNING NEW APARTMENTS IN ROYAL GREENWICH EXCEPTIONAL SPACE & SPECIFICATION 2 BED FROM £495,000 3 BED FROM £605,000 PRIVATE GYM, SWIMMING POOL, RESTAURANTS, RETAIL & CRÈCHE

CALL

020 3747 6111

OR VISIT

therivergardens.com

Situated minutes from the City of London, contemporary 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses with breathtaking views of the City or towards Canary Wharf.

• Walking distance to the City of London • Excellent transport links • Leisure facilities to include a swimming pool, gym, spa and private cinema

• Luxurious specification • Comfort cooling to selected apartments • Set within 7 acres of stunning mixed use development

• 112,000 sq ft retail and leisure complex that includes shops, bars and restaurants including 2 acres of public realm

A selection of 3 bedroom apartments and penthouses available from £1,560,000 In the last ten years, the Berkeley Group has created 436 acres of public open space.

Call 020 3581 3503 Email: goodmans@berkeleygroup.co.uk www.goodmansfields.co.uk

At Goodman’s Fields there will be 2 acres of public realm.

Our Vision. Your Future.

Proud to be a member of the Berkeley Group of companies

Sales & Marketing Suite Open 7 days a week 10am - 6pm (Open until 8pm on Wednesdays and 4pm on Sundays) Leman Street, London, E1 8EY

Prices and details correct at time of going to press. Computer Generated Image depicts a 3 bedroom apartment at Goodmans Fields.

Redefining City living at Goodman’s Fields

homes & property

DEVELOPMENT SHOWCASE Fair & Square

T

he Royal Borough of Greenwich is going through one of the most ambitious and exciting regeneration programmes in Europe, completely transforming the borough through redevelopment. With so much regeneration taking place, it is a prime time for investors and occupiers alike to put down roots in the area.

Greenwich Square is Hadley Mace’s £225 million regeneration scheme in East Greenwich. This gorgeous new development is offering 645 modern homes, while delivering much needed communal facilities for existing and new residents.

This month Greenwich Square will launch 29 new maisonettes that offer buyers a great alternative to apartment living, without the price tag of traditional homes. Spread over two floors, each consists of three bedrooms and a private garden or upper level terrace. The maisonettes also boast timber floors, Italian kitchens, a choice of two stylish colour palettes and bright, open plan living spaces designed

by Interior Architecture UK. The layout of Greenwich Square itself has been designed with the community in mind, creating a hub that provides residents with easy access to a gymnasium, swimming pools, a library and a medical practice, within the new Greenwich Centre. n

GREENWICH SQUARE, SE10 PRICES START AT £545,000 Greenwich Square greenwichsquare-london.com

0800 077 8177 154

limited edition maisonettes

coming soon – register now Greenwich Square is an exciting new residential address, now offering a limited number of stunning maisonettes. The vision will bring to life a vibrant public square including leisure facilities and a range of retail amenities.

• Rare opportunity of 3 bedroom maisonettes.

• All maisonettes provide gardens or terraces.

• High specification & bespoke interior design.

• On-site cafés, restaurants, retail and a new leisure centre.

• New

store on site.

• Short walk to Maze Hill station with direct trains to London Bridge in 11 minutes.

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 maisonettes within the first release have a predicted Energy Efficiency Rating ranging between 83-88 (B) on the Predicted Energy Assessments (PEAs).