The City Magazine December 2015 by Runwild Media Group

LO NDO LO NDO N NE N W NEYO W RYOR K MI K LAN MI LAN MU N MU I CN HI CMAN H MAN C H ECST H EEST R EGRLASG G LASG OW OW

HUGO BOSS UK LTD. Phone +44 (0)20 7554 5700 www.hugoboss.com

BOSS Stores in the city: Canary Wharf, One New Change, Eldon Street

issue no.

DECEMBER 2015

contents on the cover 16 & 59

Stocking Filler Killers Make sure your gifts aren’t condemned to the back of the drawer with our selection of socks, scents and silk boxer shorts 24 The Enduring Appeal of Mr Hanks The City Magazine meets Tom Hanks ahead of criticallyacclaimed Bridge of Spies to talk real-life heroes and an enduring relationship with Steven Spielberg 29 Live like a King Mark and Hannah Hayes-Westall visit Fabulous Noble, the company using tech to open up the previously closed world of bespoke portraiture 56 Shop like a Man Time is your most precious asset – don’t waste it shopping 60 Surviving the Party Season Invest in an arsenal of post-party pick-me-ups to hide the mid-week hangover 78 Under the Hammer George Chapman ducks under the barriers at Silverstone Auctions’ Salon Privé sale to see how things are changing in the world of the classic car auction 82 Gear of the Year The City Magazine rifles through its considerable vaults to find the best tech of 2015 93 England’s Finest Fizz James Lawrence examines the stratospheric rise of the Gusbourne Estate and English sparkling wine 100 Natural Wonders With the four corners of the world mapped, David Taylor details the travel companies answering the call of holiday thrill-seekers

COVER STORY: S a rtor i a l S p l e n d o u r

During the month of merrymaking, The City Magazine celebrates the art of gentlemanly tailoring at the sumptuous Rosewood Hotel

p46

REGULARS City Life: 16 The Edit The commodities and consumables raising our interest rates this month 18 The Social The City Magazine samples some of the square mile’s newest and brightest restaurants Collection: 33 True Romance Five of the most respected jewellery experts collaborate on a book studying the exclusive Graff Diamonds jewellery house 36 All They Make is Treasure Richard Brown talks to Greubel Forsey co-creator Stephen Forsey about the watchmaker’s incredible success story

72 42

Style: 42 Her Ditch the LBD and dare to be different with our pick of the best festive finery 54 him Enter party season with some stand-out formal wear

100 20

Out of Office: Fitness Banish the blubber of the cold winter months by making small changes to your daily regime 84 Arts & Interiors: Gianfranco Baruchello Each month, we introduce an exciting artist that should appear on your agenda 96 Travel: Upping the super chalet ante Climbing walls, Hammams and archery ranges: these aren’t your normal Alpine retreats

HOMES AND PROPERTY: 138 East Beats West We look at three new developments worth taking note of in rapidly developing east London

24 8

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

s l u x u r y l o nd o n . c o . u k s

THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT THE FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT.

The new BMW 7 Series

The Ultimate Driving Machine

THE NEW BMW 7 SERIES. DRIVING LUXURY.

After nearly a decade of development, the new BMW 7 Series ushers in entirely new levels of engineering and technology. From its revolutionary multifunction Display Key, which illustrates vital information about the car and can possess the impressive power of Remote Control Parking*, to BMW Gesture Control and Touch Command, providing control at your fingertips whether you are driving or being driven. Such pioneering innovations are set to shape BMW cars to come. To experience the most innovative car in its class, please contact your local BMW Centre to arrange an exclusive test driveâ&#x20AC; at www.bmw.co.uk/london

Official fuel economy figures for the new BMW 7 Series range: Urban 24.8-51.4mpg (11.4-5.5l/100km). Extra Urban 45.6-67.3mpg (6.2-4.2l/100km). Combined 34.9-60.1mpg (8.1-4.7l/100km). CO2 emissions 189-124g/km. Figures may vary depending on driving style and conditions.

*Available with Advanced Parking Package. â&#x20AC; Test drive subject to applicant status and availability.

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16/11/2015 16:15

issue no.

DECEMBER 2015

Contributors

E d i t o r - in-Chi ef Lesley Ellwood

E d i tor Richard Brown

D E P UT Y Editor tiffany eastland

M o t o r i n g Editor Matthew Carter

C o l l ect i on Editor Annabel Harrison

S ta f f Writer MELISSA EMERSON

E d i t o r i al int ern

Mark Westall

James Lawrence

George Chapman

Mark is editor-in-chief of online

A self-confessed wine obsessive,

Having edited multiple luxury

art and culture magazine FAD,

James is our go to grape

driving magazines, George is no

creative director of FAD Agency

connoisseur. This month, he

stranger to the high-end motor

and our regular source of

visits the Gusbourne Estate to

market. For The City Magazine,

information about interesting

examine the stratospheric rise

he goes behind the scenes at

artists. Turn to page 29 to

of English sparkling wine and

Silverstone Auction’s Salon

enter the fascinating world of

find out why our bubbly can

Privé classic car sale to see

Fabulous Noble, a company

compete with the best the

how things are changing for

opening up the exclusive world

world can offer (p. 93).

the better (p. 78).

of bespoke portraiture.

david taylor

Se n i o r Des ign er LISA WADE

B RAND C ONS ISTEN CY Laddawan Juhong

Ge ne r a l Manag er Fiona Fenwick

P r o duc tion Hugo Wheatley Oscar Viney Alice Ford Jamie Steele

P r oper t y D irec tor Samantha Ratcliffe

E x ecu t i ve D irector Sophie Roberts

M a n a g i n g D ir ector Eren Ellwood Digital Vogue portrait example, £490, Mustafa Soydan, fabulousnoble.com

Twenty Ten Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs, £36.99, Gusbourne, gusbourne.com

Handsewn cashmere lined hairsheep leather gloves, £155, Boodles x Dents, dents.co.uk

Published by

RUNWILD MEDIA GROUP

One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5AX T: 020 7987 4320 rwmg.co.uk

Jennifer Mason

Nick Savage

Phillip Waterman

Jennifer started out in luxury

Editor of specialist concierge

Phillip has 15 years’ experience

fashion marketing and has since

service Innerplace and general

shooting for big brands

worked as a writer in the UK and

man-about-town, Nick has the

and publications including The Telegraph. On page 46,

Members of the Professional Publishers Association

Dubai, specialising in motoring.

low-down when it comes to

On page 70, Jennifer waxes lyrical

London’s most luxurious haunts.

he captures the essence of

about Mercedes’s exciting S-Class

On page 23, Nick travels further

gentlemanly tailoring in the

responsibility for unsolicited

Cabriolet, the first of its kind

afield, to Heston Blumenthal’s

sumptuous surroundings of the

submissions, manuscripts and

created by the brand in 44 years.

first restaurant outside of Great

Rosewood London.

Runwild Media Ltd. cannot accept

photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to

Britain, the new Dinner by

change and Runwild Media Ltd. take no

Heston in Melbourne.

responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved. Subscriptions A free online subscription service is available for The City Magazine. Visit the subscriptions page

The Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Book, £80, teNeues, teneues.com

Citrus press, £169.99, Sage by Heston Blumenthal, johnlewis.com

Printed silk-twill pocket square, £65, Alexander McQueen, mrporter.com

on our website: rwmg.co.uk/subscribe

THEMACALLAN.COM P L E A S E S AV O U R R E S P O N S I B LY

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issue no.

DECEMBER 2015

f r o m t h e E D I TOR

hristmas in the City. What a time to be employed within the world’s greatest cluster of specialist shops, gregarious restaurants and decadent drinking dens. The time of year when real work goes out of the window and is replaced by a merry-go-round of shindigs, catch-

ups and get-togethers. Especially true if you work in insurance. Is there anything more Christmassy than the colours of Leadenhall Market,

the figure of St Paul’s Cathedral shrouded in mist, or the silhouetted spires of the Square Mile’s 50-something churches? Christmas in the City is the time of year when the burnished boutiques of Bank’s The Royal Exchange come into their own, becoming your retail saviour once you realise you’ve dedicated too much of December to drinking instead of shopping. Oh well, it won’t be the last time. December is the month of the year for re-familiarising yourself with your favourite City pub (mine’s The Magpie on New Street. What’s yours?) and the concept of the lunchtime ‘pint’. The time of year you return to work just to sober up. When you allow a tide of merriment to carry you back out into the night and onto some of the City’s most questionable institutions. Amber, Agenda, Mary Janes, anyone? OK, maybe not Mary Janes, not even at Christmas. It’s also a time of year for good manners and common courtesy. The season of self-indulgence should be navigated with sophistication and a sense of decency. It’s a time for principles and politeness, for humility and humanity, for compassion and charity. In this savoir faire spirit, we raise a glass and wish Joy to the World, and Goodwill to all Men. So this is Christmas; we hope you have fun.

Richard brown, editor

Natural WoNderS

Live like a King

hardcore holidays for adrenaline junkies

coMMission a porTraiT

Tom Hanks

Other titles within the RWMG portfolio

The enduring appeal of hollywood’s Mr nice guy

gear of

the Year

Stocking Filler

The gadgeTs and gizMos of 2015

The socks, The scenTs, & The silk boxer shorTs

Shop like a Man leT a sTylisT do iT for you

Under the hammer

Picking a winner at a classic car auction

A website. A mindset. A lif est yle.

Sartorial Splendour & The genTleManly arT of fine Tailoring

SUrviving the Party SeaSon england’S FineSt Fizz Post-Party Pick-me-uPs for hiding the hangover

the stratosPheric rise of homegrown sParkling wine

On the cover Image by Phillip Waterman, shot at the Rosewood Hotel, London.

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Boodles Boucheron Bulgari Cartier Chanel Fine Jewellery Chopard De Beers

WHAT’S THE BUZZ? THE FINE JEWELLERY ROOM

De Grisogono Fabergé G by Glenn Spiro Graff Harry Winston Mikimoto Piaget Tiffany & Co. Van Cleef & Arpels

www.harrods.com

+44 (0) 20 7730 1234

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celebrating the centenary of one of style’s greatest icons

seize The day Trip

how to get the most out of the continent this summer

Live like a King

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Picking a winner at a classic car auction

The socks, The scenTs, & The silk boxer shorTs

Frank sinaTra

seize The day Trip

celebrating the centenary of one of style’s greatest icons

how to get the most out of the continent this summer

Sartorial Splendour & The genTleManly arT of fine Tailoring

SUrviving the Party SeaSon england’S FineSt Fizz Post-Party Pick-me-uPs for hiding the hangover

the stratosPheric rise of homegrown sParkling wine

THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE CITY MAGAZINE DELIVERED TO YOUR DESK FOR FREE EMAIL YOUR NAME, ADDRESS & the company you work for to citydesk@rwmg.co.uk

City Life

| XXXXXXXXXXX |

DECEMBER 2015

DECK THE HALLS This Christmas, eat, drink and be very merry at the stunning Rosewood London When you check in to the Rosewood London on Christmas Eve, executive chef Amandine Chaignot will be busy preparing you a delicious seasonal dinner, served in the exquisite Mirror Room. On Christmas Day, you’ll awake to gift-packed stockings and your Christmas lunch taken care of. Around midday, it will be time to assemble in the Rosewood London’s brasserie with a twist, the Holborn Dining Room, for an incredible festive feast. No doubt suitably stuffed, you’ll be ready to stretch your legs late afternoon with a winter wander through Regents Park with the hotel dog, Pearl, and your very own butler who will prepare snacks and warming drinks of mulled wine and hot chocolate, just in case lunch might not be enough to fill you to the brim. Three-night stay from 24-27 December 2015, rates from £2,400 including VAT., 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

the car

rise to the top

t i d e e th

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mab onsu c d n nth es a oditi es this mo m m o The c erest rat nt our i

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A unique underground testing film released by Land Rover has confirmed rumours that the world’s first premium compact SUV convertible will go on sale in the New Year. Forty metres below the streets of London, on the 26-mile network of Crossrail tunnels, the first prototype of Land Rover’s Range Rover Evoque Convertible was put through its paces. Murray Dietsch, director of Land Rover Programmes said: “The tunnels are still under construction, so we had the unique opportunity to explore the vehicle’s allterrain ability in unchartered territory.” Pricing in the UK will start from £47,500 OTR based on a TD4 HSE Dynamic derivative. landrover.com

the wish list

Shearling Pilot hat, £250, Canada Goose, harrods.com

Spirit of St. Louis (silver black), £146, Armogan, armogan.com

the hotel HIP TO BE SQUARE Opening in 2016 is the highly anticipated Four Seasons Hotel at Ten Trinity Square, the Grade II-listed former Port of London Authority building opposite the Tower of London. Occupying the lower ground to the third level, this spectacular neo-classical gem will offer 100 guest rooms and suites, restaurants, bars, meeting salons and a spa. Light and casual fare will be served all day at the Rotunda Lounge, while its French restaurant is tipped to be a new foodie favourite with the mention of a Michelin-starred chef at the helm. Further diversifying the gastronomic offering will be an Asian restaurant specialising in carefully curated Chinese and Japanese dishes. tentrinitysquare.com/the-hotel

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

2 5 3

Canyon leather-trimmed cotton-canvas backpack, £345, RRL, mrporter.com

Wool Packer coat, £325, Filson, filson.com

Serra leather hiking boots, £595, VISVIM, mrporter.com

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| news |

the art

the stocking fillers

wall art wonders Since 2012, Lift & Bounds has been crafting prints inspired by great mountains and trail peaks. Its collection of blueprint-esque artworks capture the essence of these outdoor wonders, with Aspen, Jackson Hole and Mammoth Mountain all featuring in the series. liftsandbounds.com

£35, Sleepy Jones, stylight.co.uk

the COMPETITION

HOW BIZARRE £50, Emma Willis, emmawillis.com

The Adventure Travel Show has announced a new photography competition whereby entrants are asked to forget technique and instead make judges laugh, gasp and look twice. The winning images will feature in the Strange World Exhibition at the Adventure Travel Show, which will run at Olympia London from 23-24 January. To enter, upload your shots at adventureshow.com by 4 January 2016.

£35, Sunspel, sunspel.com

the photos

PICTURE THIS

Four Seasons has built a reputation on offering the most discerning travellers unforgettable experiences, meaning that its collection of hotels and resorts boast some of the world’s most jaw-dropping photo opportunities. To help travellers capture memories to last a lifetime, Four Seasons is sharing expert photography knowledge with the introduction of Focus on Four Seasons. Now live on Four Seasons Magazine, the initiative is inspiring travellers with spectacular images captured by top photographers and Instagrammers at its properties around the world. To join in, tag your photos with #FocusFS. fourseasons.com/focusgallery

the scents

1. Eau Savage Aftershave Lotion, £68, Dior, johnlewis.com 2. Santal 33 perfume oil, £85, Le Labo, mrporter.com 3. Colonia Club, £85 (100ml), Acqua di Parma, uk.acquadiparma.com 4. Royal Oud, £210, Creed, creedfragrances.co.uk 5. Alford & Hoff No. 2, £75, harrods.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

winter at broadgate For a glittering alfresco experience this winter, head to Broadgate Circle – a one-stop destination for ice skating, shopping and festive feasts from around the world. Transformed by a twinkling Christmas tree, Broadgate Circle’s central terrace is the perfect place to stop and refuel post-shop or skate. Wrap up in a warm blanket and admire the sparkling City skyline as you taste-test seasonal treats from one of the 11 global restaurants and enjoy a programme of live entertainment, active throughout the season. broadgate.co.uk/winter

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

A Change of Scenery In partnership with design talent Tom Dixon (who was responsible for the interiors), the multi-talented Stevie Parle – chef, presenter and author – opened Craft London on the Greenwich Peninsula. Having recently moved past its first anniversary with ventures into bee keeping – look out for its honey cocktails – and meat-curing, the restaurant is now open for lunch and its Christmas celebrations have begun in earnest. Choose between two carefully curated four and six-course menus, £35 and £65 respectively, served in the restaurant, or host a party in an area of the top floor bar with smaller snacks and canapés. The whole bar can be hired for parties of 35 and above. Both spaces are walled by glass, thanks to the building’s London Eye architects Marks Barfield, leaving enviable views of the Thames and Canary Wharf in plain sight. Peninsula Square, SE10, craft-london.co.uk

s l u x u r y l o nd o n . c o . u k s

| NEWS |

late nights

Broadgate Circle’s only late-night venue is now open five days a week with a capacity of 150, The Botanist’s Soda Room is equipped with pre-bookable booths and a dance floor – perfect for a night with friends and colleagues. At the bar you can enjoy an extensive list of international wines, premium beers, spirits and the innovative, ever-evolving cocktails that The Botanist Sloane Square has built its reputation on. Between Tuesday and Friday, expect live entertainment and DJs playing an eclectic mix of uplifting House. To enquire about exclusive hire or area bookings, please contact Eilidh, Events Co-ordinator on eilidh@etmgroup.co.uk/ 020 3058 9888 / 07738 983 239 broadgate.thebotanistlondon.com

RESTAURANT REVIEW: ZEBRANO

drink, dine, dance Words: MELISSA EMERSON

Z a meat-lover’S must

One Sixty City is the brainchild of Michelinstarred restaurateur David Moore and publican Sean Martin. The outside is unassuming and belies the interior – a wood-soaked, US-style bar with British street art adorning the walls. After opening just a few months ago, it’s still finding its feet – there was no dessert menu and the ale was running low – but the hearty, all-American smoked chow on offer is a carnivore’s dream. The pig’s cheek scrumpet starter was intriguing and the meat on the 8-hour-smoked rack of ribs fell off the bone just by looking at it, ND the slaw and sauerkraut were a refreshing accompaniment. This place knows how to cook meat, and if the helpful waitress is to be believed, its patrons have already started dancing on the tables. 9 Stoney Lane, E1, one-sixty.co.uk

s l u x u r y l o nd o n . c o . u k s

ebrano has officially made its debut in the City – following in the footsteps of sister sites Zebrano Carnaby and Zebrano Soho – but this opening close to the Gherkin comes with a twist, offering a sophisticated dining area as well as the bar and nightclub experience the group is better known for. With the venue spread over two floors and a sizeable 6,000 sq feet, the restaurant space is the smaller of the two on the top floor, but there is also an additional private dining room for up to 10 guests and a Chef ’s Table concept in collaboration with Taittinger Champagne. This extravagant experience involves up to eight guests dining on a lengthy tasting menu of seven courses – each of which is served and talked through by the chefs – while enjoying a variety of paired glasses of Taittinger bubbles. The large space downstairs feels particularly industrial with elements of concrete and stone tables – recycled materials were used in the design by Perparim Rama of 4M Group – and continues upstairs with exposed-brick and pipework-like lighting installations. In terms of drinking and dining, the downstairs focuses on serving up fresh cocktails – try the strawberry cheesecake with fresh lemon zest and vanilla pod seeds – and smaller sharing platters, with a backdrop of live acts and DJs lined up to entertain.

Up in the main restaurant, executive chef Chris MacCormick is in charge of the Asian and European fusion of flavours. My soupy, for want of a better word, starter of Jerusalem artichokes with a poached Arlington white-egg and truffle slices was comfortingly creamy with a rich aroma and set the bar that the less exciting main course of cauliflower cheese arancini with golden raisins, almonds and coriander couldn’t quite live up to. For mains, opt for something safer from the good selection of grilled meats and fish. The rump of salt-marsh lamb with anchovy tempura, aubergine and goat’s curd my friend opted for was a rich follow-up to a hefty portion of scallops – again the frontrunner of the three courses. It is worth noting the overall attention to detail, particularly in presentation, which was consistent and crying out for Instagram. 18-22 Houndsditch, EC3A, zebrano.london

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| NEWS |

Get into the Spirit

Th e rich redcurrant and black ch err y aroma of L aurent Perrier’s Rosé Champagn e makes it suitably festive and thi s limit ed Birdcage Edition (£69.95, 31dover.com) makes a great centrepiece.

Aurora vodka, £38, Cîroc, waitrose.com

Rosé premiere cuveé, £54.99, Bruno Paillard, selfridges.com

A CELL OUT Thi s Chri stmas, h elp a friend build a b espoke win e collection by vi siting per fectcellar.com , w hich of fers award-winning, exclusive win es curat ed and delivered to y our door. Subscriptions start from £39 a month or £389 a year.

The Devil’s Cask III, £190, Bowmore, whiskyshop.com

The Belle Époque 2007, £130, Perrier-Jouët, fortnumandmason.com

Blanco tequila, £62.99, Casamigos, selfridges.com

12 days of christmas Uniting two British brands – Hackett and Beefeater – this limited-edition cocktail hamper is the party piece to invest in. All the essentials are covered with four high ball glasses, a Hackett rug, a container for the essential ice and lemon slices and a bottle of Beefeater 24 gin. The brands have also collaborated on a series of social guides for men centred on 12 occasions and 12 cocktails. £300, Hackett, Regent Street

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

XO cognac, £130, Courvoisier, harrods.com

bottle art Swiss winemaker Cave Fin Bec has developed myFINBEC, a project where it commissions artists to create original works of art directly on the wooden cases of its grand cru organic natural wines. Changing monthly, each artist is filmed in situ and has their work transferred onto the bottles’ labels. from $420 (approximately £276), myfinbec.com

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| LIFESTYLE |

BON VIVEUR

Our man-about-town, Innerplace’s Nick Savage, gives you the insider lowdown on THE WORLD’S most hedonistic haunts

Dinner by Heston, Down Under

eston Blumenthal took Ashley Palmer-Watts underneath his wing in 1999, in the Innerplace early days of The Fat Duck, is London’s personal way before molecular lifestyle concierge. Membership gastronomy was a provides complimentary access descriptor utilised in to the finest nightclubs, the best restaurants and top private members’ supermarket branding clubs. Innerplace also offers priority and bandied about on bookings, VIP invitations and television, and only just insider updates on the after Heston won his initial latest openings. Michelin star. Those were the innerplace.co.uk heady days when triple-cooked chips were a phenomenon that incurred wonder and disbelief. Fast forward 16 years and Heston and Ashley have put in countless hours in kitchens, libraries and laboratories, pushing back culinary boundaries, pioneering new methods and techniques and reaping a life’s worth of accolades along the way. Triplecooked chips are now de rigueur on any steakhouse or gastropub menu – a testament to Blumenthal’s far-reaching influence. For nine months this year, Blumenthal transposed the entire Fat Duck dining experience (down to the crockery, cutlery and equipment) to the other side of the planet for a residency at the Crowne Melbourne Resort in Australia. Upon his return, The Fat Duck has received an extensive £2.5 million refurbishment. Now, at the ripe age of 21, the restaurant has been outfitted with a raft of new accoutrements, including a £150,000 sweets trolley in the form of a doll’s house which puffs smoke rings. In The Fat Duck Melbourne’s wake, they’ve launched the second Dinner by Heston, and Blumenthal’s first restaurant outside of Great Britain, in the same 120-seat dining room at the Crowne, overlooking the Yarra River. The menu features the same TOP recipes engineered by Blumenthal and Heston Blumenthal with Ashley Palmer-Watts Palmer-Watts, their culinary crate digging

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into the annals of history reaching as far back as 1390, as well as a drinks list by cocktail wunderkind Tony Conigliaro, who is arguably the bartending analogue to Heston. I first visited Dinner a few months after it opened in 2011 and a few months before Palmer-Watts was awarded its first Michelin star. In 2014, the second Dinner followed. It currently occupies the 9th spot on San Pellegrino’s World’s 50 Best list, so I was curious to go back and investigate. I wasn’t disappointed. The starters and desserts in particular had bravura showings. We opted to split the infamous Meat Fruit as an amuse bouche. Too much ink has been spilled on the chicken-liver parfait with its dimpled mandarin jelly casing so I’ll bow out, and I was perhaps a bit more smitten with the Rice & Flesh. It was essentially a traditional risotto Milanese on steroids, finished off with mascarpone, Parmesan and acidulated butter. I’d never experienced rice so rich, studded with five flavour grenades of sous vide calf ’s tail brought to temperature in a red wine sauce and garnished with amaranth. The Tipsy Cake lags only slightly behind Meat Fruit as an icon. It consists of a brioche immersed in brandy and cream, served alongside a sticky, caramelised cut of pineapple spit-roasted on a £700,000 series of cogs visible from the dining room. However, I was again won over by the less ostentatious charms of the Chocolate Bar, a recipe that has its origins in 1730 and was piped through with passion-fruit jam and served alongside an ovoid of ginger ice cream. The lead singles at Dinner By Heston will always remain a big pull for the restaurant, but the deep cuts on the menu are equally compelling and worth spending some time with. Blumenthal and Palmer-Watts make a powerful team and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more from them in the near future. dinnerbyheston.com.au

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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| INTERVIEW |

THE ENDURING APPEAL OF

MR HANKS The ultimate Hollywood dream team is back with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg joining forces on the critically acclaimed Bridge of Spies. Hanks talks about his enduring friendship with the awardwinning director, playing ‘good guys’ and how one of the greatest films of the last two decades almost didn’t get made… Words: Karen Anne Overton

Angels & Demons, © Sony Pictures 2009

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Hanks’ rise through the ranks was steady and deliberate, even though he insists he “doesn’t know how to plan” his career

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

“I

don’t know if it’s my destiny, but I’d rather play a good man than a villain. There are lots of great stories out there about lawyers, doctors, teachers and other people who simply do their job, have no desire to become celebrities and would rather be home with their wife and kids. James Donovan was that kind of man, a guy who did what he needed to do,” says superstar Tom Hanks. Donovan is the man he plays in Bridge of Spies, a Cold War thriller based on real events, and Hanks’ fourth film with Steven Spielberg. In Bridge of Spies, Hanks’ character is an insurance lawyer who finds himself in the eye of a Cold War storm when American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is captured by the Soviet Union and the only bargaining chip is Rudolf Abel, a KGB spy. Abel (played by renowned British theatre actor Mark Rylance) had been captured in Brooklyn in 1957 by the FBI and only spared the death penalty because of Donovan’s skilful defence. “He [Donovan] went before the U.S. Supreme Court to defend Abel and argued that you couldn’t accuse him of treason because he was doing a job for his country in the same way that we have guys over there doing the same kind of job (espionage),” the actor explains. “Donovan is a very principled man and I have a lot of respect for him,” says Hanks of his onscreen alter ego, who was originally tasked with defending the red menace in a bid to ensure Abel had a fair trial, therefore minimising the likelihood of the Soviets using Abel as valuable propaganda. Time magazine recently published an interview with the real James Donovan’s daughter, Mary Ellen Fuller, who described what it was like having a father who so believed in fairness and compassion that he defended Abel in the face of cries from his countrymen calling him unpatriotic – a deeply ironic insult to a man who loved his country vehemently. Fuller describes walking to school and being goaded by shouts of ‘commie lover!’ but says she has nothing but respect and pride for the man who taught her ‘to fight the good fight, whatever the outcome’. This real-life back

story, coupled with Spielberg’s resistance to give in to the usual ‘Team America’ propaganda, makes Bridge of Spies compelling cinema. The movie, written by Joel and Ethan Coen and Matt Charman, has received rave reviews and is already picking up pace on the Academy Awards rumour mill. For Hanks, it’s all in a day’s work. This is a man unmoved by the Hollywood hyperbole – perhaps that’s why he is so good at playing men who are thrust into extraordinary situations, because he is also an ‘ordinary’ man, albeit one who became the king of A-list cinema. Hanks’ career began, as a love for the theatre and though he studied at Chabot College, Hayward, in his native California, he has said in the past that drama class felt like a good place “to make a lot of noise and be rather flamboyant” and that he would spend a lot of time going to the theatre on his own, immersing himself in playwrights like Bertolt Brecht, Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller. Plays that all told the story of ordinary men, like Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman or Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, instilling in Hanks that the plight of the ordinary man was a very valuable one. From his kooky comedy days in films like Splash! and Big, to his Oscar-winning performance in HIV drama Philadelphia, Hanks’ rise through the ranks was steady and deliberate, even though he insists he “doesn’t know how to plan” his career. Perhaps a lot of his success has been down to luck, especially when he admits that his highest-grossing film and the one for which he won his second Oscar (becoming the first actor ever to win consecutive Academy Awards) almost didn’t get made. “Forrest Gump was almost called off...The studio was one day away from pulling the plug and the director (Robert Zemeckis) came out to my house and said, ‘Look, this is going to fall apart because they won’t give us the budget for shooting this one sequence, and we’ve got to have this sequence.’” The sequence in question was the one of Forrest running across America, a scene that would go on to give

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| INTERVIEW |

The most interesting and enduring relationship of Hanks’ career has to be the one with Spielberg

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Tom Hanks at the Bridge of Spies world premiere in New York, © Alex J. Berliner/ABImages; Tom Hanks as James Donovan and Amy Ryan as his wife Mary in Bridge of Spies, © DreamWorks Pictures/ Fox 2000 Pictures; Tom Hanks as James Donovan and Mark Rylance as Rudolf Abel in Bridge of Spies, © DreamWorks Pictures/Fox 2000 Pictures; Tom Hanks as James Donovan in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies, © DreamWorks Pictures/ Fox 2000 Pictures

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us one of the greatest catchphrases of modern cinema. Hanks agreed to share the cost of the scene with Zemeckis, saving the film and propelling his career into the stratosphere in the process. “We were 48 hours away from it being shut down. So I’m glad that worked out,” says the actor in his typically humble fashion. The most interesting and enduring relationship of Hanks’ career has to be the one with Spielberg, who he first worked with on Saving Private Ryan. “We were friends socially before we started working together,” Hanks reveals. “Then we did Saving Private Ryan – and that was a tough film to shoot. But he allowed me to become the team leader in the same way that I was leading the platoon, and that’s the way Steven empowers his actors. (He) gave us the credibility to be the unit.” The film was undeniably compelling, winning Spielberg a Best Director Academy Award and Hanks yet another Best Actor nomination, but the intense process impacted their social relationship, with Hanks going on to say “(Steven) had said to me, ‘Look, we’re friends, but our friendship might not survive the making of this movie.’ And that was true. But I said, ‘Well, let’s just agree that you’ll say whatever you want and I’ll say whatever I want and we’ll see how it goes.” Regardless of the state of their personal bond, there is no denying that the work they make together is exceptional; Catch Me if You Can and The Terminal were both box-office

hits, but neither has inspired critical acclaim like their collaborative debut – until Bridge of Spies. “I don’t view this as a bookend to anything, because every movie starts fresh and has to exist on its auspices,” says Hanks. “Like Steven, I was fuelled by absolutely no preconceived knowledge of James Donovan... but when you’re coming across a guy who is a good insurance lawyer, and then ends up being part of such a momentous six days in history... I’ll lunge at the opportunity, regardless of anything else I’ve done prior.” The problem with trying to define who Tom Hanks is as an actor is that his career has been so long, with so many cinematic gems, it’s easy to end up generalising and seeing him simply as the man who plays ‘good guys.’ True, his choices have never been particularly edgy – although his recent appearance in Carly Rae Jepsen’s I Really Like You music video was surprising and, in many ways, fantastic – but by playing such normal men he has managed to represent Joe Public, capturing the average man’s strengths as well as his weaknesses and flaws. Maybe that’s what makes us feel close to this particular Hollywood superstar, because with each of his characters he proves that as well as being ‘Tom Hanks: leading man’ he never strays from being ‘Tom Hanks: the good guy.’ Bridge of Spies is in cinemas now

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Pugs & Kisses

1 LITRE BATH FOAM FROM THE BATH & BODY COLLECTION

www.lilouetloic.com

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06/11/2015 13:25

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PICTURE PERFECT Meet Fabulous Noble, the company using tech to open up the closed world of bespoke portraiture Words: Mark & Hannah Hayes-Westall

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Historically, portraiture’s spread is connected to money, social changes and technology

opening page, clockwise from top left ©Mustafa Soydan; ©Mustafa Soydan ©Mustafa Soydan; ©Martin Sati this page clockwise from left ©Sam Gilbey; ©Mustafa Soydan; ©Mustafa Soydan

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

s the Kardashian phenomenon so ably demonstrates, control of the representation of oneself is a very powerful tool, and in the days before photography it was a tool that could only be created by highly skilled artists. The scarcity of talented artists and the power of their work meant that portraiture was reserved for the controlling elite. Historically, portraiture’s spread is connected to money, social changes and technology; when the merchant classes prospered, portraiture prospered with it. There are ancient portraits of prosperous Roman-Egyptians but the technological vacuum of the Dark Ages halted the art form’s growth and it took the wealthy merchants of the Renaissance to really popularise the art form. Everyone’s favorite enigmatic lady, the Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda, was famously the wife of a successful silk merchant and it’s in her portrait, reputedly Leonardo da Vinci’s most treasured painting, that we see the impact of technology. First developed in northern Europe, oil paints suddenly opened up a new level of detail and a new ability to convey texture – Italy’s painters embraced it, along with Europe’s art world. For the first time, detailed, accurate representations of sitters were made possible. This accuracy occasionally proved problematic, of course

– Hans Holbein’s betrothal pictures of the Tudors quite literally changed history when his perhaps too flattering portrait of Anne of Cleves led to Henry VIII’s famous dismissal of Anne as ‘the Mare of Flanders’ after their first face-to-face meeting, a meeting that triggered the rapid annulment of their marriage. With the refinement of technique afforded by oils, the skill level needed to create portraits that captured what Aristotle referred to as the ‘‘inner significance of things...the reality” was raised. With few painters of the talent of Rubens or Rembrandt around in the 17th century, commissioning portraits was hugely expensive, a luxury pursuit that signified class, status, wealth and power. By the 18th century, painters like Gainsborough were labouring this point by showing their sitters literally surrounded by their land and property, and by the early 19th century, painters like Fragonard were shamelessly cramming their canvases with exquisitely rendered worldly goods. Technology disrupts, of course, and photography changed everything. Suddenly a level of representational accuracy, previously undreamt of, was available to the masses. Roving portrait photographers would travel from village to village with a store of backdrops – mountains, rolling

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woodlands, classical scenes – in front of which the populace would pose. The potency and power of an accurate image of oneself was lost overnight and it might have looked as if the era of portrait painting was at an end. But portraiture was never solely about rendering an accurate visual report of the sitter, instead it frequently aimed to capture the elusive, true character of its subject, and by the early 20th century, artists had embraced the challenge with Picasso, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse, Whistler and others inventing new ways to bring forth Aristotle’s ‘inner significance’. The rarity and skill required of these artists positioned portraiture once more as an elite concern, which changed little even with Warhol’s development of screenprinting, when mass reproduction widened access to owning, but not commissioning, portraiture. As the century progressed, the knowledge, money and time needed to commission a portrait made their production rarer, and a greater mark of worldly achievement.

Fabulous Noble provides Democratic Access to Portraiture in A Digital World

from top ©Mustafa Soydan; Two boys by Elodie, FabulousNoble.com; ©Robert Tirado

A traditional commissioned portrait might cost anywhere between £3,000 to £30,000. Fabulous Noble offers bespoke portraiture from £450 to £3,500 s l u x u r y l o nd o n . c o . u k s

Fast forward to the digital era and technological change is once more disrupting things, with the once confusingly opaque, problematically snobby world of portraitcommissioning opening up thanks to a young, London-based business, Fabulous Noble. The company, which takes its name from a racehorse, is the brainchild of creative director Pierre-André Ben Lassin and takes the difficulty and fear out of commissioning portraiture by curating an online stable of the world’s best illustrators and making pricing options completely transparent. It’s a revolutionary move and, unexpectedly, has also found favour among the kind of people who might be expected to commission a portrait in the more traditional way. “We have had all types of customers, from art lovers to entrepreneurs and financial executives, including an order from a socialmedia executive who was listed by Wired magazine as one of the top most influential people in the tech industry,” says Ben Lassin. Some of the service’s popularity might be down to price – a traditional commissioned portrait might cost anywhere between £3,000 to £30,000 – more if you persuade a very famous artist to take your commission, while Fabulous Noble offers bespoke portraiture from £450 to £3,500, but it might also have something to do with the transparency and amount of time that the works take to complete. While the negotiations

surrounding the commissioning of a traditional portrait can be a delicate dance, Fabulous Noble has made everything, from the choice of illustrator to the material on which the portrait is produced, completely visible. And where a traditional portrait may take months to complete, Fabulous Noble’s illustrators, who are used to working for everyone from Vogue to Nike, are also used to working quickly. A typical turnaround time is three to four weeks, including a review session early on where the client sees a preliminary sketch and can give feedback. The final portraits are printed, making revisions possible until the client is happy. It’s an innovative look at a previously closed world, and the inspiration came from Ben Lassin’s background. “I’d always worked in creative industries, as a product designer and art director in Paris and then in London where I founded my own business, and I knew that wonderfully talented illustrators loved this kind of work but didn’t often get it. It’s one of the reasons I’ve been able to attract the world’s leading illustrators to work with us – they really enjoy it.” If attracting talent was straightforward, then building a system that both replicates the benefits of the artist-patron relationship and makes costs absolutely transparent was less so. The step-by-step process gives clients the choice of a wide selection of artists, print sizes and print-media options, but this means hundreds of different price combination are possible on the site and Ben Lassin says it was a challenge to make this clean and easy for clients to use. “I call it the art of simplexity – knowing how to build complicated things and make them look simple. It took a lot of design thinking to achieve this easy and comprehensive process and we still work on a daily basis to improve user experience as new technology is constantly developed.” It no doubt helped considerably that Ben Lassin’s partner Olivier Beau de Loménie who leads the tech side of the business, previously led the team that built the Ocado website. With a business model that makes bespoke portraits ideal gifts, it’s no surprise that Fabulous Noble is working up to a bumper Christmas season. The two founders have funded the business themselves thus far, but success is giving them new ideas and they’re about to begin fundraising to support them. Pierre-André Ben Lassin enthuses: “Next we’re planning to launch pet portraits and landscape commissions. The ultimate aim is to create an e-commerce platform whereby you will be able to commission any type of subject – for example, transforming a photograph of someone scuba diving in Bali into a beautiful artwork.” fabulousnoble.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

M ESUR E ET D ÉMESUR E *

TONDA 1950 TOURBILLON

World’s thinnest (3,4 mm) automatic ﬂying tourbillon Platinum micro-rotor World’s lightest titanium cage (0,255 g) Hand ﬁnished movement, case and dial Hermès alligator strap 100% engineered and made by Parmigiani Manufacture Switzerland www.parmigiani.ch

ATELIER PARMIGIANI 97 MOUNT STREET, MAYFAIR, LONDON W1K 2TD, TEL. 020 7495 5172 LEICESTER

LUMBERS | LONDON SELFRIDGES, THE WONDER ROOM ARIJE | HARRODS, MONTREUX JAZZ CAFE WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND | FROST OF LONDON | BEAU GEMS SCOTLAND AND NEWCASTLE ROX DIAMONDS AND THRILLS WINDSOR ROBERT GATWARD JEWELLERS

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WATCHES & JEWELLERY Celebrating the delightful and the divine from the world of fine jewellery and haute horology

true romance Five of the most respected jewellery experts – namely, Maria Doulton, Nina Hald, Vivienne Becker, Joanna Hardy and Suzy Menkes – have collaborated on a book exploring the history of one of the most exclusive British jewellery houses: Graff Diamonds. Founded by Laurence Graff OBE in 1960, the heavyweight jeweller is by no means one of the oldest in the business but it has still managed to knock out much of its competition due to its impressive number of precious gems of unprecedented size and brilliance that have been released over the past six decades. These include the 118-carat Delaire Sunrise, the Graff Constellation (the largest D Flawless round diamond in the world) and the Lesotho Promise, to name but a few. All of these have been pictured alongside words by the founder himself within the tome. Graff, by Maria Doulton, Nina Hald, Vivienne Becker, Joanna Hardy and Suzy Menkes, £65, Rizzoli New York, rizzoliusa.com

image Adam Whitehead

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

WAtches

Words: Richard Brown

Hublot doubles production space H

ublot’s rumbustious Jean-Claude Biver – chairman, cheese maker and the most famous man in watchmaking – was in characteristic form at the opening of the company’s second manufacturing facility recently. Innovation, he roared, must be everywhere at Hublot HQ: “The cook must be innovative, the receptionist must be innovative, the driver must be innovative, I must be innovative.” Biver has certainly been that, transforming Hublot in the space of a decade from a company teetering towards obscurity into the global money maker it is

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today. “Ten years ago we didn’t exist,” the industry veteran told The City Magazine. “Ten years ago we were in an apartment.” His company now operates 73 stores around the world and counts among its

Ten years ago we didn’t exist. Ten years ago we were in an apartment ambassadors José Mourinho, Kobe Bryant and Usain Bolt. Model Bar Refaeli, Fiat group heir Lapo Elkann and Pele attended the inauguration of Hublot’s new manufacture, which doubles the surface area of the company’s production facilities in Nyon. The extension comes in the year that Hublot celebrates the 10th anniversary of its hero collection, the Big Bang, and represents a huge return on investment for the brand that has become the undisputed king of celebrity endorsement. hublot.com

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Racing Stripes ONE to WATCH

Edd Insley, store manager at Fraser Hart in Westfield Stratford, selects his watch of the month:

When it comes to Swiss-made, self-winding chronographs that come in around the £3,000 mark, few come better looking than Baume & Mercier’s collection of Capeland watches. Best of the lot might just be this, the Capeland Shelby Cobra. It’s a shame, then, that they’re only producing one, which will be auctioned off in New York on 9 December. Proceeds will go to the Carroll Shelby Foundation, which helps families and children affected by heart disease. Thankfully, you can bid online at antiquorum.com. Find the rest of the Capeland collection at Selfridges. Capeland collection, from £3,000, Baume & Mercier, baume-et-mercier.co.uk

panerai’s first ladies watch?

Rolex Submariner in green, £6,050, Fraser Hart, Westfield Stratford, 020 8555 3568 @fraserhartuk

“No one can deny that the Rolex Submariner is instantly recognisable. The green variant gives a different look to this classic piece, and if you want one this Christmas, pick it up quickly as they are becoming increasingly rare.”

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Panerai might just have released its first ladies watch. While the company falls short of branding it as such, the size of the Radiomir 1940 3 Days Acciaio – at 42mm, it’s part of the smallest collection offered by the brand – and its lime-green strap, suggest that this watch is destined for female wrists. Where it will look positively spectacular. Perhaps Panerai has grown privy to the popularity of its pieces among fashion circles. Best looking women’s UK fastest watch of 2015? Gotta be. Even if it’s not. growing watch market Radiomir 1940 3 Days Acciaio, £5,700, Panerai, The UK imported £540 panerai.com million worth of Swiss watches between January and September 2015, an increase of 20 per cent on the same period last year. It means sport star the UK is the fastest growing A month after Zenith major market of Swiss watch became the first Swiss companies, and the 8th watch manufacturer to largest overall. be stocked at online style bible MrPorter.com, the company’s El Primero Sport watches arrive in UK stores. Unveiled at Baselworld earlier in the year, the timepieces will tickle the fancy of anyone with a taste for heavily-detailed, boldly-dimensioned ‘action’ watches – the Sport is 45 mm in diameter and almost 1.5 cm thick. It is water resistance to 200 metres and houses the fabled automatic El Primero movement – the world’s most precise seriesproduced chronograph calibre. El Primero Sport 45mm, from £7,400, Zenith, zenith-watches.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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ALL THEY MAKE

is TREASURE

Within a decade of launch, Greubel Forsey was producing what many believed to be the world’s best watches. It was a reputation that became fact in 2011. Richard Brown discusses the remarkable achievement with self-effacing company co-creator, Stephen Forsey

The judges deemed the Double Tourbillon 30° Technique to be the most precise mechanical timetelling device ever created

LEFT Titanium Black dial Single edition

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hen a watch wins the coveted Aiguille d’Or award at the annual Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève – meaning that the most important judging panel in watchmaking has deemed it to be the best overall creation of the previous year – it enters the history books as one of the greatest watches of its time. When that watch comes courtesy of a company that, back then, had yet to celebrate its sixth birthday, the achievement is something quite spectacular indeed. In 2010, the prize for the finest watch from all categories – a name added to a list that already included Vacheron Constantin’s Tour de l’Île and Patek Philippe’s 5102 Ciel Lune – was Greubel Forsey with its Double Tourbillon 30° Edition Historique. The watch was made to both conclude and commemorate the line of timepieces with which English exwatch-restorer Stephen Forsey and French calibre-creator Robert Greubel launched their eponymous company in 2004. The following year, the duo submitted the Double Tourbillon 30° Technique – a precursor to the Edition Historique – to the International Chronometry Competition, the most rigorous independent testing board on the planet. After 45 days of subjecting the Technique to shocks, extreme temperatures and shifting magnetic fields, the judges deemed it to be the most precise mechanical time-telling device ever created. It remains so to this day. For a seven-year-old brand, operating out of a tiny workshop in La Chaux-deFonds, to go up against the industry’s most illustrious heavyweights and triumph, was, to use Forsey’s words, “like

building a car in your garage, taking it to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and winning.” A decade after the company’s inception and Greubel Forsey exists as one of the most esteemed names in haute horology. The 100 or so watches it produces each year are sold through 35 of the world’s most prestigious watch shops. Prices start at £370,000 and exceed £1 million. How, you might ask, are such sums possible? In the arena of precision timekeeping, it’s all to do with the way Greubel Forsey treats its weapon of choice: namely, the hallowed tourbillon. Bequeathed to the world in 1801 by Abraham Louis Breguet – to watchmaking what Picasso was to painting – a tourbillon is a movement that aims to improve the timekeeping capability of a watch by negating the disruptive effects of gravity. It does so by placing the regulating organs of a timepiece – the balance, hairspring and escapement – in a continually rotating cage – meaning that the forces of gravity imposed on a watch are effected at a nearer continual rate, rather than changing as the position of a watch changes. So difficult was a tourbillion to create, that for 200 years, fewer than 1,000 were ever produced. By the 1990s, million-dollar investment in micro-engineering techniques meant that most major watch marques were able to offer at least one tourbillon somewhere in their collections. But, as Forsey explains, “these wrist-watch tourbillons were still traditional, miniaturised versions of pocket-watch tourbillions. From a performance point of view, the movement wasn’t really adding much from what it did 200 years ago.”

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Stephen and Robert wanted to reinstate the status of the tourbillon. Having met during their time at high-performance calibre creators Renaud and Papi – now known as Audemars Piguet Renaud and Papi – they combined in 2001 to form CompliTime, a purveyor of complicated movements for some of Switzerland’s most prestigious brands. They established Greubel Forsey three years later with the aim of improving the most revered movement in watches under their own name. “We wanted to look at the subject from a fresh angle,” Stephen explains. “To see if there was a way of bringing back the tourbillon to the summit of watch-making.” The duo’s first invention inclined one tourbillon mechanism inside another, something that had never been done before. Slanted at a 30° angle, the first tourbillon rotated every 60 seconds inside the other, which rotated every four minutes. The effect was to average out the disruptive forces of gravity to an extent previously unseen. The Double Tourbillon 30° wowed the industry, with the Edition Historique winning the Aiguille d’Or, and the Technique version being named the most precise mechanical watch ever created. But Stephen and Robert didn’t stop there. Their second invention was the Quadruple Tourbillon – a world first for incorporating four tourbillons within one watch – while its third was the Tourbillon 24 Seconds, the first timepiece to rotate its tourbillon at the speedy rate of once every 24 seconds, another successful attempt at negating the effects of gravity. “We set out to produce the most flawless tourbillons there had ever been,” Stephen says. “And we achieved that.” Since 2006, Richemont Group – parent company to Panerai, IWC, Vacheron Constantin and Jaeger-LeCoultre, amongst others – has owned a minority stake in Greubel Forsey. Yet the brand has refused to relinquish control of the business it has built. “We have a story that we want to tell and as a creator you need freedom in order to do something different. If you have to explain your ideas to someone, it can neutralise the originality of that idea.” For Stephen, who takes inspiration from 17th-century grandfather clocks and the genius of late British horological legend George Daniels, Greubel Forsey will always be about original creation. “We create things that will last for decades, for generations, for hundreds of years. This is our mission.” It is, perhaps, the commitment with which Greubel Forsey takes to this mission – a completely uncompromised and artisan approach to the marriage of modern technology and centuries-old

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

mechanics – that has won it the most admirers. As well as its success at perfecting function – it makes the world’s best tourbillions, fact – the level of attention with which the brand approaches form is similarly almost peerless. Bridges are frosted with specially made compounds, casebands feature micro-engraved inscriptions and plates are painstakingly bevelled and polished by hand. Just one of the company’s Quadruple Tourbillons – of which only five or six are produced annually – requires nearly a year’s worth of man hours to make. “We spent our first years focused on the tourbillon because there was so much to do,” says Stephen. “It was such an undeveloped and unexplored story. But there are other things to explore.” So, what of the future? Stephen won’t be drawn into specifics. “Our motivation,” he insists, “will always be original creation. Our motivation is adventure.” Greubel Forsey watches are stocked exclusively in the UK at Marcus, 170 New Bond Street, W1, marcuswatches.com

“As well as its success at perfecting function , the level of attention with which the brand approaches form is similarly almost peerless”

LEFT, CENTRE DT30° Vision in 5n red gold LEFT, BOTTOM Quadruple Tourbillon Secret in Platinum RIGHT The Tourbillon 24 Seconds Asymmetrical in red gold

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| collection |

jewellery

Words: olivia sharpe

Bright Star

Image Courtesy of Mikimoto

Cut to Ribbons Mikimoto has released its ad campaign for 2015-16 (shot by David Bellemere in New York), which stars not only model Esther Heesch but also the equally beautiful Ribbon necklace. Highlighting why the brand has become renowned for being the world’s foremost purveyor of the finest cultured pearls, the piece features lustrous white South Sea cultured pearls that have been seamlessly embedded within a stream of 18-carat white gold and diamonds. It comes accompanied by a pair of matching earrings but with only one of four of the sets being made for the European market, we suggest you do not hesitate in snapping them up. Ribbon necklace, POA Mikimoto, 179 New Bond Street, W1S; mikimoto.co.uk

cutting edge The turning on of the Christmas lights on Bond Street is one of the most anticipated events in the capital’s festive calendar. Mayfair jeweller Hirsh London has chosen to highlight this occasion by designing a Peacock necklace inspired by the dazzling lights. Jason Hirsh comments:

We created the Peacock necklace in partnership with the Bond Street Association to celebrate the beauty of London at Christmas time. It is completely handmade in platinum with diamonds, opals and a rare Brazilian Paraiba tourmaline Peacock necklace, £50,000, available at Hirsh London, 13 Grafton Street, W1S, hirshlondon.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Italian jewellery brand Damiani’s latest collection pays tribute to one of its country’s most legendary muses; actress Sophia Loren. Capturing her unique beauty and grace, pieces include the Acqua diamond necklace with matching earrings, featuring a soft and feminine circular design. The standout piece from the collection is undoubtedly the stunning Masterpiece necklace in white gold; with 1,350 diamonds (totalling 81 carats), this one-of-a-kind creation is an apt tribute to one of Italy’s brightest stars. Sophia Loren collection, POA, damiani.com

Green Sleeves Continuing their joint mission to champion sustainable luxury, Chopard and Livia Firth (who is the creative director of Eco-Age) have once again collaborated, on this occasion launching a diffusion range created solely from 18-carat Fairmined gold. Named after the Palme d’Or award given at Cannes Film Festival, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, Palme Verte is made up of four pieces, starting from an affordable £1,550 (ring) up to £7,000 (bracelet) – thereby dispelling the myth that ethical jewellery can only be expensive. chopard.co.uk

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Embellished python sandal, £925, Dolce & Gabbana, net-a-porter.com

Sculptural heel sandal, £1,395, Salvatore Ferragamo, ferragamo.com Wild Side sandal, £585, Aquazzura, net-a-porter.com

STYLE Her

The leading ladies and latest looks guiding style this season

LUCK BE A LADY

Image courtesy of Dior

The new Lady Dior bag has been unveiled in a stunning ad campaign shot by dynamic duo Mert & Marcus. Oscar-winning actress and the Dior house muse since 2008, Marion Cotillard is captured in an intimate setting for a series of photos and a behind-the-scenes video. The star of the show, the emblematic House accessory, is available in crimson red and a newera metallic cannage. Lady Dior bag in gold microcannage, metallized calfskin, £2,600, Dior, dior.com

“DEEP IN every

Cropped embellished wool jacket, £2,110, Lanvin, net-a-porter.com

Khloe gold-tone hair slide, £245, Maison Michel, net-a-porter.com

Saya minaudière, £1,299.77, Oscar de la Renta, oscardelarenta.com

heart slumbers a

dream,

Cronado Mulberry silk gown, £1,195, Amanda Wakeley, amandawakeley.com

and the

couturier knows it:

every woman

Zephyra non-wired bra, £130, boyshorts, £106, both La Perla, laperla.com

is a princess” christian dior

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Pleated leather skirt, £4,295, Alexander McQueen, alexandermcqueen.com

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| fashion | Elie Saab Haute Couture

Brunswick velvet mini skirt by Unique, £495, Topshop, topshop.com

Silvastone peplum top, £675, Mary Katrantzou, net-a-porter.com

tinseltown Christian Dior Haute Couture

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‘ Tis the season for your festive finest. Ladies, this year The City Magazine challenges you, no we dare you, to be different. The invite to the work Christmas party has arrived in your inbox – your first thought is, what to wear? Before you reach for that far too sensible LBD, consider dropping the cocktail uniform for something a little more, well festive. Don’t be afraid to opt for all the trimmings, such as opulent accessories, intricate embroidery and statement embellishments. If you can’t see yourself in something quite as plunging as Atelier Versace’s jaw-dropping frocks, keep it simple yet different with some colour for a change. We can’t get enough of Elie Saab’s pretty pastel pinks and pistachios, but equally the deep blue of the stunning Amanda Wakeley.

Giambattista Valli Haute Couture

Atelier Versace Haute Couture

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| beauty |

seasonal shades Subtle touches of shimmer and sparkle to complement your festive finery

L’Or primer, £44.50, Guerlain, selfridges.com

This snowy-white Météorites SkinPerfecting Matte Powder from Guerlain (£110, harrods. com) is as covetable for its limited-edition silver compact as for its ef fect on skin. Use the soft, delicate powder to set foundation or blur small imperfections.

Bamboo Eau de Parfum, from £68 for 50ml, Gucci, harrods.com

eye definer Chanel’s Holiday 2015 beauty collection celebrates the 20th anniversary of Le Vernis Rouge Noir, with a festive twist. Gold flecks glitter in a nail top coat and lip gloss, while Le Crayon Yeux in Or Safran (£17, chanel.com) brightens up a dark eye.

With a S candinavian sensibility imbu ed by its Swedi sh and Icelandic founders, Lilou et Loïc’s minimali st candle design (£35, lilou etloic.com) di sgui ses a lavi sh sweet orange and cedar w ood scent.

Burberry Kisses Gloss in Festive Gold, £21, Burberry, uk.burberry.com

Lèvres Scintillantes in Étincelle, £22, Chanel, chanel.com

N°5 Eau de Parfum 35ml travel edition, £49, Chanel, chanel.com

Mono eyeshadow in Extreme Black, £25, Dolce & Gabbana, harrods.com

Metallic nail lacquer, £20.50, Giorgio Armani Beauty, harrods.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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Sartorial Splendour

During December, where better to celebrate the art of gentlemanly tailoring than amid the sumptuous surroundings of the Rosewood Hotel photography: Phillip Waterman styling: Deborah Latouche

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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| art & interiors | Suit, £650, and tie, £85 both Hardy Amies, hardyamies.com; Shirt, £175, Turnbull & Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk; Pocket square, £65, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

THIS PAGE: Robe, £1,750, shirt, £175, and tie, £115, all Turnbull & Asser, as before OPPOSITE: Suit, £1,795, Turnbull & Asser, as before; Tie, £85, Hardy Amies, as before; Shirt, £185, cufflinks, £90, and pocket square, £60, all Paul Smith, as before

| FASHION |

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| FASHION |

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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THIS PAGE: Suit, £1,827, and shirt, £561, both Versace, uk.versace.com; Pocket square, £65, Paul Smith, as before OPPOSITE: Suit, £1,827, shirt, £561, and coat, £2,901, all Versace, as before; Shoes, £488, Pal Zileri, palzileri.com

| FASHION |

THIS PAGE: Suit, £2,500, Kilgour, kilgour.com; Shirt, £175, Turnbull & Asser, as before; Cravat, £235, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk OPPOSITE: Jacket, £450, shirt, £180, tie £85, and trousers, £250 , all Richard James, as before Pocket square, £55, Turnbull & Asser, as before; Shoes, £579, Ludwig Reiter, ludwig-reiter.com GROOMING: Neusa Neves at Terri Manduca PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: Kevin Baker STYLING ASSISTANT: Julie Lee MODEL: Rob Knighton at Next Models Shot on location at Scarfes Bar at the Rosewood Hotel London, rosewoodhotels.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Textured metal cufflinks, £135, Mulberry, mulberry.com

cherry on top It’s the one thing you really mustn’t forget, and if you can resist the urge to go for a clip-on bow tie, this classic doubleended version (£65, turnbullandasser.co.uk) in rich red velvet proves the devil is in the detail.

Hagen leather strap watch, £175, Skagen, skagen.com

STYLE HIM Look the part, feel the part, from Breakfast to boardroom to bar

mirror shine Give your shoes a new lease of life with The Connaught’s John Lobb shoeshine service. A new gift card entitles the bearer to six 30-minute sessions. The Connaught butlers, trained in the art at the John Lobb factory, will also provide a newspaper or magazines and a choice of drink – martinis included – while a valet simultaneously steampresses your coat. £150, The Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K, the-connaught.co.uk

Th e e veningwear in th e John L ewi s AW/15 collection will bring a little extravagance to any Chri stmas party, and thi s p eak lap el velvet jacket in burgundy (£175, johnlewi s.com) i s top of our wi sh li st.

spy wear

Coat, £435, Ami Alexandre Mattiussi, thecorner.com

Royal warrant shirt-maker and tailor extraordinaire Turnbull & Asser was inspired by the secretive world of spy and iconic films such as The Ipcress File with Michael Caine for its A/W15 collection. As well as its Formalist and Informalist lines (for weekdays and the weekend) 2015 sees the addition of eveningwear dubbed The Nocturnalist, which features bold patterns, silk smoking jackets and robes and sharp white dress shirts. turnbullandasser.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Wells evening shoes, £860, John Lobb, johnlobb.com

Silver cufflinks, £270, Salvatore Ferragamo, ferragamo.com

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| fashion | Image: Clement Jolin for MRPORTER.COM

round three Long sleeve shirt, £425, Dolce & Gabbana, thecorner.com

The first collection for Mr Porter’s British-made brand Kingsman united a number of heritage manufacturers, who designed exclusive pieces directly inspired by the costumes worn in hit spy film Kingsman : The Secret Service, starring Colin Firth. The popularity of the collection’s high-quality British tailoring, with a focus on slim silhouettes, has seen the line grow beyond its initial lifespan, and its third season has just launched. Seasonal additions such as Drake’s pocket squares and cashmere scarves, Deakin & Francis cuff links and George Cleverley footwear are the perfect accompaniments to sharp suiting for the festive season’s roster of formal events. mrporter.com

Slim fit wool mohair tailored jacket, £995, Burberry Prorsum, uk.burberry.com

Pleated cotton dress shirt, £175, Drake’s, drakes.com

Cashmere scarf, £110, J.Crew, mrporter.com

Formal trousers, £459, Valentino, thecorner.com

Dior Homme A/W15

Printed silk-twill pocket square, £75, Etro, etro.com

Simply Sartorial socks, £12, London Sock Co., londonsockcompany.com

Hardy Amies A/W15

Gieves & Hawkes A/W15

Geometric pocket square, £65, Turnbull & Asser, turnbullandasser.co.uk

Genova shoes, £1,980, Salvatore Ferragamo, ferragamo.com

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Striped silk pocket square, £50, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| style |

Shop like a Man Time is your most precious asset, don’t WASTE it shopping – let Dappad do it for you

ast month, Balmain launched a capsule collection with H&M. People, many of them grown-ups, formed queues outside stores that had to be policed by bouncers. Videos of the pandemonium that played out once the shops opened illustrate why you should never, under any circumstances, go clothes shopping. The whole ritualised rigmarole of spending your scarce and precious free time in a swarm of sweaty, social-mediacrazed cretins under spotlights that are hotter than the sun makes about as much sense as trying to find meaning in a Jackson Pollock painting. Hell is other people; no, actually, hell is Westfield Stratford on a Saturday afternoon. Dappad, a new and online personal tailor, agrees. Or at least it says eight out of 10 of its target audience do – its core

CEO Erika Nilsson-Humphrey, creative manager Tine Green and head stylist Ewa Andriesz

Hell is other people; no, actually, hell is Westfield Stratford on a Saturday afternoon

Give the Gift of Style

This Christmas, Dappad is offering vouchers worth £250, £500, £750 and £1,000 - ensuring that the man in your life can shop from the comfort of his pants – we recommend a satin-silk pair from Derek Rose.

clients being style-conscious 25-45-yearold men who believe that there are better ways of spending your spare time than losing your soul down Oxford Street – like recounting your Matchbox car collection, for instance. Set up by Scandinavian duo Erika Nilsson – a former investment banker – and Anja Stavnsbjerg – previously of Burberry, Levi’s and COS – Dappad’s solution is to take your measurements and style preferences online, follow up with a phone call from leading stylist Ewa Andriesz, before sending you a box of clothes specifically curated to your taste. Typically, each box contains three full looks plus a couple of accessories. Average boxes cost £1,000 and clients can choose to keep or return as many items as they like. The service is free and you’ll only be charged the RRP of each product. Dappad offered to dress The City Magazine and did so, we will happily confess, better than we could have ever managed ourselves. It picked brands, we’re not too proud to admit, that we’d never heard of and suggested staple pieces that completely transformed our wardrobe. Our Matchbox car collection, should you be wondering, stands at 173 models, including the lesser-spotted 1960s Jaguar E-Type. We’ve just learnt that it could be worth more than £100. Result. RB

hello.dappad.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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NORTHAMPTON ENGLAND MAKERS OF FINE SHOES SINCE 1879

STYLE: CAMBERLEY

LONDON

BIRMINGHAM

NEW YORK

BRUSSELS

PARIS

JERMYN STREET

BURLINGTON ARCADE, NEW ST

7 WEST 56TH STREET

RUE DE NAMUR

CHAUVEAU LAGARDE

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BOULEVARD RASPAIL

KNIGHTSBRIDGE ROYAL EXCHANGE CANARY WHARF

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

shi 2014/2:Udeshi 2014 9/18/14 9:52 AM Page 1

| style |

Sock it to ’em This Christmas, stimulate someone’s sock drawer with an inspired choice of festive footwear

4 2

3 5

6 7

 

 1. Blue graphic people knit-wool blend, £20, Folk, folkclothing.com 2. Ecru graphic people knit-wool blend, £19, Folk, liberty.co.uk 3. Patterned cotton blend, £15, Corgi, mrporter.com 4. ‘Et’, £17.76, Henrik Vibskov, farfetch.com 5. Striped stretch-cotton blend, £19, Paul Smith, mrporter.com 6. Woven grid, £47.15, Issey Miyake Men, farfetch.com 7. Striped cotton blend, £15, Corgi, mrporter.com 8. Petrol double stripe Merino wool blend, £17, Richard James, richardjames.co.uk 9. Gingham, £16, Thomas Pink, thomaspink.com 10. Fair Isle wool and cotton blend, £18, Corgi, nuji.com 11. Hexham, £16, Thomas Pink, thomaspink.com 12. Short skull, £50, Alexander McQueen, selfridges.com 13. Colour block cotton blend, £22, Anonymous Ism, mrporter.com

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

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

| GROOMING |

Surviving the Party Season

Use in the morning after shaving to calm nicks, and at night after one too many eggnogs. Clarins Men Super Moisture Balm 50ml, £29, Clarins, clarins.co.uk

Hair of the dog for the 21st century: a menu of 10 bespoke IV therapies from Drip & Chill, from £125, EF Medispa, efmedispa.com

save face

iv league

a l Aw ge e ich n av oe-r ski Sh is al your n for Th ves hio h, . el, gi cus oot ave e G for .uk a m sh av ue co a s ose Sh iniq ue. cl oe Cl niq Al 15, , cli £ en M

P id la ut o nig fo st n h im r vi thin you t m pr sib g a r fa M M or ov le t n ce ir ac Co idn nin em skin igh t £3 nc ig g. ent le sb ki 6, en ht eh Ki tr Re yt ls. eh at c he co l’s e, ov .uk , er y

When December becomes a daisy-chain of merrymaking, hide the hangover with these pre- and post-party pick-me-ups

Qu off cou er rte Sm ic in sy g f o ell k S Be ro f t ci p rg h am A m s is trus rit C c c £6 E ott qua ent alab fres z 1, au o d d ex ri h, ha Acq De i C i Pa per an rv ua T ala rm ts ey d oi b a. ni i P le ria ch a tt ol rm e, s.c a om ,

This no-shine balm leaves your lips soft and ready for your fifth coffee of the morning. Lip Balm 76, £11, V76 by Vaughn, spacenk.com

Nipped in the Bud

Anti-hangover has its new saviour. Ohayo has a 100 per cent pre-launch success rate – we’ll drink to that. OHAYO 3x150ml, £14, OHAYO, ohayotomorrow.com

ea tly Cl igh ast y- nd l ay l ent. , ak g a aw em Gel m ue shin ash judg er s.co Sq efre to w s of Show rrod R ed or t a t rr ei , h en e h or sc ht’s ren , Di g h 0 ni Fa 7.5 £2

Get Lippy

And if all else fails… Get yourself back in the game with cups of premium coffee courtesy of KRUPS. EA801040 Espresseria Stainless Steel Bean-to-Cup Coffee Machine, £349.95, KRUPS, johnlewis.com 60

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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A Raft of Opportunities Klarälven – the Clear River – springs from Lake Rogen in the heart of Sweden and flows southwards almost 300 miles through valleys and forests, taking in swathes of Norway before ending its journey at Lake Värna. You can join the journey for part of the way, building your very own timber raft to fight against the deceptive ebbs and flows. This is just one of many new adventure holidays across the world, organised by travel companies dedicated to offering something different for the beleaguered jetsetter. Turn to page 100 for more ideas, from salt-flat treks to a trip to outer space. Klarälven Timber Rafting, naturetravels.co.uk

Hipfel Starck Nature Travels

Try something out of the ordinary the next time you fancy an adventure

The War on Wobble This year, do winter a little differently and look more triathlete than turkey words: david taylor

t’s the same every year. The nights grow longer, the wind whips up, hail starts to intermittently assault commuters to and from work. Any intent to go to the gym every morning when the sun still hasn’t dragged itself over the horizon vanishes within the first hard week of December. Fresh smoothies somehow turn themselves into hastily brewed coffee. That leafy salad you said you were going to rustle up at the start of the week and have for lunch every day? It’s at the back of the fridge, behind

“To offset a heavy meal but still get to enjoy something warming and hearty at night, opt for a soup” the stacks of comfort food helping you construct the usual layer of winter fat. You go to bed too full and, with each passing day, getting out of that same bed becomes

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

just a bit more of a physical trial. The days from the 1st to the 24th whizz by in a blur of Secret Santas and office parties, until you find your stomach on Christmas Day jingling all the way to the dinner table. By this point it’s too late to stem the tide, so you embrace the feast and vow to start afresh on New Year’s Day. We all know how that goes. You’re not alone. The University of Colorado conducted a study of 18 people, and found that their production of ATLPL (a fat-storage chemical) doubled during winter. Levels of mood-lifting serotonin in the brain drop dramatically during periods of limited sunlight, and carbohydrates are unfortunately a good remedy. Not only do we eat fattier food to feel better, but when we do, the fat sticks around. It’s all a bit too much and there’s no easy fix. However, this year, approach the colder months from a different angle. Jess Schuring, celebrity trainer and founder of Heartcore Fitness, says little things can make a big difference: “To offset a heavy meal but still get to enjoy something

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

SWITCH IT UP From the quick to the slick, variety is the spice of life

warming and hearty at night, opt for a soup instead. It’s easily digested and will let you sleep better. “Pumpkin is my winter superfood winner. Low in calories, this orange super ball is packed with nutrients and minerals, and its high tryptophan levels (in commercially produced pumpkin seeds) help your body make serotonin, the Sunshine Hormone. “Take up Dynamic Pilates, yoga and/ or barre. All these workouts help to create more flexibility in your body, strengthen

British Military Fitness

Heartcore Workout

britmilfit.com, various

heartcore.co.uk, EC2

“Take up Dynamic Pilates, yoga and/or barre” your core muscles and, improve your posture while giving you amazing visible results at the same time. “Maintaining good flexibility in your body helps create proper circulation, detoxifying your body, cell regeneration, delivering nutrients and minerals to your cells, improving your skin tone, reducing the risk of injury and much more.” For better or for worse, we are still genetically linked to our Neolithic ancestors (some, admittedly, more than others). The extra pounds that are now a nuisance were originally there to save you from a long winter on the vast glacial tundra. In a way, your body is still caring for you. Care for it too. Think of it as an early Christmas present to yourself. Or at least some food for thought.

Attention, maggots! The military are here, and they’re ready to whip you into shape. British Military Fitness specialise in workouts inspired by military exercises. All of their instructors have a military background and use this to good effect, creating and running challenging but fun workouts all over the UK. No need to be marine material either: they cater for everyone, regardless of level. The results are good, too: up to 800 calories burned each session means BMF could be your secret winter weapon.

Strongman Bootcamp

Five-a-side football

strongmanbootcamp.com, e1

gomammoth.co.uk, various

Channel your inner Scandinavian by taking part in a Strongman Bootcamp, a functional strength training workout for both athletes and members of the public of all abilities. The workouts are designed to increase strength and cardiovascular performance. They include the usual strongman exercise like tyre flipping, sled drags, and the farmers carry, but are done in a modern, gritty environment and observed by professional hardnuts. If you don’t have a beard beforehand, you will by the end.

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Heartcore Studio, located five minutes from Bank station, has recently launched a series of 45-minute classes for the early morning and lunchtime. The core45 workout is based on Pilates, but there’s no relaxation here, as rest periods are minimised to intensify the toning effect. The short and sweet classes can be done during your lunch hour and will have you pumped for the rest of the day. Like in many walks of life, it’s the quality that really matters, not the length of your workout.

A go-to for men’s fitness for years (with a steady rise in women’s participation), five-a-side footy is a full body workout, the demand of permanent movement similar to basketball – provided you don’t volunteer to be goalie. There are plenty of leagues around the City that run every night, and you can join either as a team or an individual. Go mammoth is the fastest-growing football league in London and its state-of-the-art astro turf and 3G pitches are some of the best in the capital.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

Canary Wharf Ice Rink

31st October - 27th February Canada Square park, Canary Wharf

booK TICKeTS TodAy SponSored by

icerinkcanarywharf.co.uk offICIAl bAr & KITChen provIder

| OUT OF OFFICE |

As the oldest continually operating saddle company in the world, Brooks England has been making saddles since before the bicycle even existed. Tiffany Eastland puts down the pen and picks up the tools on a tour of its Smethwick-based workshop

BACK IN THE

SADDLE s luxurylo nd o n.c o.uk s

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

acked by countless examples throughout history, the proverb ‘necessity is the mother of invention’ could not have played a greater role in Brooks England’s history. As we weave our way through the heavy machinery (all of which is original, I’m told) at Brooks England’s Smethwick manufacturing works, I can appreciate that this company and its craftsmen have truly earned a reputation for fine craftsmanship, not to mention its position among the best of British manufacturing. And while Brooks England became the largest saddle manufacturer in the world as far back as the 1950s, it’s evident that the company has stayed true to its roots and rather modest beginnings. In 1865, John Boultbee Brooks left his hometown of Hinckley in Leicestershire with just £20 to his name and very little reason to believe he’d some day be filing a bicycle saddle patent. Brooks headed for Birmingham, where, in 1866, he established JB Brooks & Co Ltd., a business producing horse harnesses and general leather goods. His original premises were just a few miles from its current Smethwick works. The direction of Brooks’ business took a sharp turn in 1878, due to the rather unfortunate passing of his beloved horse. Unable to afford another, Brooks borrowed a bicycle for the commute to work. While he came to enjoy this new

Much to Brooks’ delight, his invention was a roaring success means of transportation, he found the seat uncomfortable and vowed to do something about it. So, on 28 October 1882 he filed his first leather bicycle saddle patent. Much to Brooks’ delight, his invention was a roaring success and, by the late 1890s, he was producing a full range of saddles and bags for bicycles and motorcycles. The business continued to grow and, by the mid1900s, his product line had grown to include a host of accessories: motorcycle leggings, a bicycle-mounted cigar tray and holsters for swords and rifles. After more than nine decades of success, in 1958 the Brooks family decided to step out of the business, and in 1962 Brooks England became part of the Raleigh group. The business’s luggage division had grown so large that a new company was established under the name Antler Ltd, while in a similar vein, the furniture line was sold under the name Evertaut Ltd., both of which survive independently to this day. In 2002, the company again came under new ownership and Brooks England Ltd. revived its original ‘Saddles, Bags, Etc’

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT Brooks England flagship store, B1866 in Seven Dials, Covent Garden; B1866; Brooks England campaign imagery; B1866; Brooks England campaign imagery shot on Dartmoor

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

new metropolitan line

For th e first tim e, Brooks England present ed at Pitti Uomo, Florence, unveiling th e Metropolitan Lin e and its ever increasing range of bags. Mott weekender, £260 (m edium) and £275 ( large)

slogan, reintroducing cycle bags and other accessories. The new line includes reissues of original models and new designs inspired by early patents. However, saddles remain the core business, which makes Brooks England the oldest continually operating saddle company in the world. And, as I’m taken from one work station to the next, it becomes apparent the attention to detail at each step involved in manufacturing a single saddle. In fact, I’m told a single saddle will pass through the hands of at

I’m told a single saddle will pass through the hands of at least 20 individuals least 20 individuals before it’s packaged up and sent to one of the 30-plus countries to which Brooks England distributes. Chances are that the shipment I see being prepared will be off to Germany, Japan, the USA, the B1866 saddle store in Covent Garden or elsewhere in the UK – the four largest markets. Each day, approximately 1,000 saddles are produced in its Smethwick works by skilled craftsmen who make each stage in the process seem simple – I’m assured it’s not. In fact, some of the skill has only come about with more than 30 years in the Brooks England factory. The longest-standing employee is a lady who has been working at Brooks England for 43 years, closely followed by another two employees who have worked there for 37 and 38 years apiece. It seems while Brooks England may no longer be a family-run affair, the Smethwick works is home to a family of its own. brooksengland.com

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Made from organic cotton , fini sh ed to b e wat er resi stant with vulcani zed rubber detail s, thi s n ew lin e represents th e strong design and functional ideas of Brooks’ iconic saddles. Crosby shoulder bag, £220

A di stinctive mark of th e n ew Metropolitan Lin e i s th e striking yellow int ernal lining of each model , w hich bright ens th e bag ’s int erior and of fers b ett er vi sibility of its cont ents. L exington briefcase, £220

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sky’s the limit Enjoy life in the open air with the new Mercedes S-Class cabriolet – the first of its kind to be created by the brand in 44 years WORDS: Jennifer Mason Mercedes has a long history with cabriolets. Even back in the 1920s, its customers were able to combine the comfort and safety of the brand’s engineering with the freedom of open-top motoring – and during post-war production, all the top Mercedes-Benz models (including the 170 S in 1949, the 220 in 1951 and the 300 S in 1952) were available in cabriolet form (though this was an extremely exclusive variant). The real advocate of the ‘Benz cabriolet form was the 220 SE (of the model series W 111) which was launched in 1961 – the design of which is still considered timeless. So it comes as welcome news that the brand is paying homage to the coveted dream car of the ‘60s by launching a new S-Class Cabriolet, which follows in the tradition of the open-top models that proved so popular between 1961 and 1971 – and until today, in fact, with a 280 SE 3.5 from 1971 selling at auction last year for US $429,000. It’s been 44 years since Mercedes launched an open-top four-seater and the new S-Class cabriolet certainly promises to deliver. I, for one, can’t wait for a chance to get behind the wheel of this modern reincarnation.

get closure The fabric roof can be opened or closed in just 20 seconds at speeds of up to 37mph. Its acoustically-optimised, threelayer lining makes it one of the quietest and most insulated soft-tops ever.

www.mercedes-benz.co.uk

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silent strength An innovative aluminium bulkhead behind the rear seats reinforces the cabriolet’s structure and supports the automatically extending roll bars. The aluminium rear floor also increases the car’s torsional strength.

climate control The cockpit uses sensors to automatically maintain temperature levels. The AIRSCARF neck-level heating system helps to prevent those chilly gusts while the AIRCAP turbulence-reducing system offers protection from the elements.

all that glitters Those who like to add a bit of bling to their ride can order their LED headlights encrusted with Swarovski crystals for the indicators and daytime running lights.

Power Up When it arrives in 2016, the cabriolet will come with both S550 and S63 AMG 4Matic iterations – powered by the 4.7-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 (449bhp) or the 5.5-litre AMG engine, which produces 577bhp and does 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds.

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Champion of Champions The Race of Champions rocked the Olympic Park this month, as motorsport superstars faced off against one another. David Taylor was amongst the action

Vettel, ROC founder Fredrik Johnsson and Lorenzo (2012)

t’s a motorsport event like no other. The whittled down to eight through one-on-one elite of world racing coming together on round robin races. The format then changes an even playing field to determine who to a knockout tournament until one driver is has the skill, guile and bravery to crowned the Champion of Champions. be named the best of the best. Since 1999, pairs of drivers Started in 1988 by also compete in the ROC former rally driver Nations Cup, with countries Michèle Mouton and around the world vying for International Media international dominance. Ariel Atom Cup Productions president Competitors race Euro NASCAR Fredrik Johnsson, each other in a series of KTM X-BOW the competition was identical vehicles, giving Mercedes-AMG GT S originally limited to the crowd undeniable proof Radical SR3 RSX the rally elite, but is of who really is the best ROC Car now a multi-discipline driver. The lure of bragging tournament involving rights over fellow professionals the entire motoring world – is more than enough for most motorcycle champions included. top drivers to accept the challenge. The Sixteen drivers start the ROC, the field event is invite only, with an exclusive and

Vehicles driven at this year’s ROC:

prestigious membership, including seventime F1 champion Michael Schumacher, Touring Car master Mattias Ekström and Rally champion Didier Auriol. The class of 2015 was chock-full of household names, too: Sebastian Vettel (who won the ROC Nations Cup with Schumacher for six years running), Daniel Ricciardo, Felipe Massa and David Coulthard, to name just a few. Team England 1’s Andy Priaulx and Jason Plato won the Nations Cup on home soil, while Sebastian Vettel was crowned Champion of Champions for the first time after beating ‘Mr Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen. Sir Chris Hoy won the Celebrity Skills Challenge presented by TAG Heuer. TAG Heuer is an official sponsor of Race of Champions, tagheuer.co.uk

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Daniel Ricciardo

Terry Grant Stunt driver and 21-time world record breaker Terry Grant is a long-time supporter of the ROC, and his stunts are an integral part of the two day event each year

ROC must mean a lot to you given you are competing in it the weekend before the final F1 Grand Prix? It’s something I’ve always said I’d love to do. It worked out well this year because I’m in England on the Monday. I’ll come here a few days earlier and do the event, so it’s perfect. You’re the fastest F1 driver round the Top Gear track. Does that inspire confidence? It’s cool knowing we’re in the same equipment, so you can get bragging rights at the end of the night. But you don’t always get to just hang out with the other guys on a race weekend. It’ll be nice to mingle in a less tense atmosphere.

You raced in the US before stunt driving. What was the most memorable race? I actually got run out of Charlotte, North Carolina, at gunpoint. I won the World Finals and did donuts with an eight ft Union Jack out the side of the car. In Charlotte – redneck country – you don’t do that. They took me to the state line at gunpoint and kicked me out.

Who stands out as the most impressive driver you’ve seen?

Champion of Champions winners Victories Driver 4 Didier Auriol (France) Mattias Ekström (Sweden) 3 Sébastien Loeb (France) 3 Stig Blomqvist (Sweden) 2 Juha Kankkunen (Finland) 2 Andrea Aghini (Italy) 1 Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal) 1 1 David Coulthard (UK) François Delecour (France) 1 Marcus Grönholm (Finland) 1 Romain Grosjean (France) 1 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) 1 Tommi Mäkinen (Finland) 1 Colin McRae (UK) 1 Sébastien Ogier (France) 1 Harri Rovanperä (Finland) 1 Carlos Sainz (Spain) 1 1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany)

Which drivers do you think are the most suited to getting into any car? Probably rally drivers because it’s the only sport that goes on different terrain. I’ve always rated rally drivers highly; I think they’ll adapt the best. Which is the most memorable race of your career? I think Melbourne last year. Mark [Webber] had gone, so I was the sole Australian. When I had pole for about ten seconds in the qualifying, I can’t remember a crowd cheering as loud for anyone.

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What’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever driven? I partnered with Robbie Gordon in his Super Trucks, jumping them off a ramp on a bridge, 35 ft in the air, covering the best part of 200 ft and landing on the tarmac side by side. That was the most exciting thing I’ve ever driven.

Have you ever been tempted to compete in the ROC? Maybe a bit, but my buzz is doing shows. That’s what gets me going. If I had to beat all my mates in a race – because I would beat them obviously – that’s not cool. They probably wouldn’t buy me a shandy at the end of it!

Which car are you looking forward to driving the most? The rally car will be fun. I hope there’s a jump on the track. They normally put in a little bridge jump, so whatever it is I’m excited for that.

What’s the most fun car you’ve ever driven? I was a passenger, and for me to say that was the most fun car says a lot. It was an old 1930s Alfa. My dad’s friend let us have it for a day. I was a kid, so I didn’t appreciate old cars at all, but I remember that this car was ridiculous.

Our good friend Michael [Schumacher] was amazing. He used to get in any car and be quick. He just had that little extra special bit. He really embraced Race of Champions. Not just racing: dinner, drinks, his whole family embraced it. They were amazing ambassadors.

Nations’ Cup Winners

ABOVE David Coulthard celebrates winning a previous ROC

Country/Team Victories Germany 6 Finland 2 England 1 France 1 Nordic 1 Scandinavia 1 Spain 1 United States 1 THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

The Future’s

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And in Mercedesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; case, it comes in the shape of the AMG GT S Words: Chris Hall

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ith this kind of car review, it is customary to set off at once for the remotest corners of this island – far better to stretch out hundreds of horsepower in peace (not quiet, though) and avoid traffic jams, speed cameras, motorways and other such automotive drudgery. At the weekend I picked up the Mercedes AMG GT S in central London, but we were hamstrung by various family and work commitments which meant absconding too far would be impossible. So my mission became thus: find bucolic calm within touching distance of our congested capital. First stop was the Chilterns. After beetling down the M4 to Reading, we headed for Goring and Streatley. Over a superb lunch at the Miller of Mansfield, we reflected on first impressions. It’s a head-turner. Descended from the SLS, it actually has a shorter bonnet than its predecessor, but that’s like saying Gérard Depardieu has a slightly smaller nose than Barry Manilow. From the sunken driving position, it can feel like manoeuvring a

From the sunken driving position, it can feel like manoeuvring a small boat at low speed small boat at low speed. The tapered rear end isn’t unanimously loved, but I think it’s striking, and that front grille has real menace. It may not be as beautiful as the Jaguar F-Type overall, but it definitely rivals it for presence. After lunch we headed for our first night’s stay, Hartwell House, on the outskirts of Aylesbury. Dating back to the 11th century, and the former site of the 19th century French monarchy in exile, it rests in 90 acres of rolling grounds with stately grandeur. The GT isn’t a shy beast, but it’s also not so shouty that when you arrive at such a genteel residence, everyone stares. The

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V8 is capable of gorgeous noises, but it doesn’t bark into life like some I’ve known, and can negotiate speed humps and tight corners without drawing a crowd. We took gin and tonics on the patio in the evening sun, before enjoying a dinner notable for its slow-cooked lamb shoulder, seared tuna loin and generous cheese trolley. There’s something about charging around in a twin-turbo GT that really engenders big appetites. And what charging about. This is a louche, lairy car that absolutely loves being pushed. In everyday driving conditions (aka Comfort mode), it’s too stiff a ride for British roads – a wearyingly common complaint, not at all limited to Mercedes – but in Sport Plus mode with the right amount of driver confidence (i.e. far too much), it completely tears up the tarmac. Scarily so. There’s no occasion for Race mode, and, in all honesty, having Sport and Sport Plus is a level of choice too far, but you do need to play with the settings to get to the savage heart of this car. After a sports massage in the morning to realign my knitted, knotted shoulders, I set out to do it all again. Destination number two was the other side of London: Maison Talbooth on the Suffolk/Essex border. This meant either M40-M25-A12, or threading a zigzag path across counties, through Bucks, Beds, Herts and Essex. Guess which we did? The Merc’s sensible sat nav hated it but the variety of driving enabled us to conclude that the GT really thrives on A- rather than B-roads, that the ride isn’t so bad, really – or you get used to it – and that on all the practical metrics like interior quality, luggage space and ‘infotainment’, the AMG GT S scores well, given the kind of car it is. Two tall people with two bags each: no problem. Maison Talbooth is perched deep within Dedham Vale – the area bordering the River Stour that John Constable immortalised in his most famous works. If you’re looking for quintessential English countryside within an hour of London, you could hardly want for a more perfect answer. The Maison itself is a young hotel, with modern rooms and a large pool complex

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that is straight out of the Med. Luckily, the day we arrived, so was the weather. The hotel takes its name from an ancient toll house on the Stour between county borders, on which site now sits Le Talbooth, the restaurant linked to the hotel. In summer, the sunset-facing riverside seating makes it hugely popular, whether for Sunday night’s regular barbecues or a more formal lunch – both of which were delicious. In our quest, then, we had succeeded – with minimal effort – in finding countryside to rival any in

Anyone considering six figures of fun absolutely must consider this car the UK at a doable distance from our home in the city. But has Mercedes succeeded quite as ably with the AMG GT S? In coming down from SLS prices, the GT must go toe-to-toe with Porsche, Audi, Jaguar, Aston Martin and others. Without an in-depth comparison, I’ll just say this: anyone considering six figures of fun absolutely must consider this car. We knew Mercs

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Mercedes AMG GT S THE VITALS Weight 1,645kg Engine M178 4-litre twin turbo petrol V8 Power 510 horsepower Acceleration 0-60 in 3.8 seconds Top Speed 193mph Price From £110,500

could be capable; this proves they can be full of character, too. The car the GT S takes the biggest chunks out of, actually, is Merc’s own SL65 AMG (or indeed, all of the SL family). Who in their right mind would pay upwards of £60k more for a car that’s slower to 60mph, slower overall, less fuel efficient and not as good-looking? You might claim the SL’s smoother ride and greater luggage capacity give it the edge as a tourer, but in that case, you should buy the S63 coupé, which is more comfortable and laden with more bells and whistles than a Morris dance troupe. Indeed, the only things I found myself missing on the GT S were some of Merc’s top-end tricks. In particular, the heads-up display from the S63 would be most welcome when punting the GT S through corners – and the car’s sense of theatre would be enhanced by some of the dynamic interior lighting packages. But I suppose some things must remain exclusive to the luxury flagship. In any case, it is obvious that the GT represents Merc’s future – stylistically, as shown by the recent GLC coupé – and hopefully philosophically, too. This is the most fun Mercedes has been in years. mercedes-benz.co.uk; Maison Talbooth, prideofbritainhotels.com; Hartwell House & Spa, hartwell-house.com

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under the hammer Buying top-quality classic cars at auction need no longer involve a visit to a daunting and very public live sale. George Chapman ducks under the barriers at Silverstone Auctionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Salon PrivĂŠ sale to see how things are changing

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osted at the magnificent Blenheim Palace for the first time and celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2015, the Salon Privé Concours d’Elégance remains true to its billing as the UK’s most prestigious automotive event. Every year visitors are met by a dazzling selection of the world’s finest automobiles; from priceless classics to jaw-dropping supercars. For enthusiasts looking to buy or sell, Silverstone Auctions’ annual, blueribbon Salon Privé sale provides an equally magnetic and arguably more dramatic appeal. Live classic car auctions of this ilk are glitzy, fast-paced affairs, the auctioneer’s role often split between actually selling the lots and putting on a great show for the audience. Individually selected for quality and suitability, the list of classics due under the hammer at 2015’s event was the result of months of vetting, research and preparation by Silverstone Auctions’ consignment team. Managing director and company founder Nick Whale told The City Magazine: “Once a car has been successfully consigned, our panel of experts draw on countless years of experience in the industry to agree a valuation or pre-auction estimate with the seller. We aim to make these as accurate as possible, according to the current market.” The hard work before the auction seemed to have paid off; of the 62 lots listed, a selection of the highlights included an original 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante, a 1973 Porsche 911 2.7 RS Touring and a 1954 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback – truly top-class classics. Potential buyers are encouraged to make themselves and their interests known to the auctioneer’s specialists as early as possible. That way, buyers receive all the background information that has been collected in the build-up to the auction. But what if interested parties are unable to attend? “It very rarely proves a barrier,” insisted Silverstone Auctions’ classic car specialist Johnny Shears. “It’s our job to communicate with buyers by their preferred means, whether they are well-known to us or first-time bidders. The auctioneer will accept bids from three different sources: in the room, online and via the phones. Incidentally, we often go to great lengths over the phone beforehand to ensure remote buyers are fully confident about the car’s condition, provenance and of course, history.” It is worth noting that committing to buy a car ‘blind’ is seen as one of the big no-nos in the classic car world, unless of course, you have the expertise of Silverstone Auctions’ consignment specialists to hand.

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“Honesty is absolutely paramount when describing the car to buyers over the phone or via email,” added Shears. “By selecting only the finest examples in the first place, our job is made easier. Ultimately, the buyer benefits.” Keen to put theory into practice and taking on the role of interested buyer, a low-mileage, largely unrestored 1974 Jaguar E-Type Series III V12 Roadster caught my eye. Shears spent the next half an hour guiding us through the finer points of the car’s many strengths and (admittedly) few weaknesses – someone had clearly done their homework. Having also inspected the car’s painstakingly catalogued history file, our next introduction was to Dana Kaufman of Proxibid, an online software provider that allows you to bid on Silverstone Auctions’ sales remotely, from virtually anywhere in the world. “Remote bidders are able to watch the auction via a live feed and can see and hear every bid made. When an online bid is made, we immediately relay the bid to the auctioneer in real time. It’s a tried and tested system,” said Kaufman. Once the hammer drops and the transaction (including fees) is complete, Silverstone Auctions can even arrange delivery of a vehicle, at a cost, to your chosen location. If a buyer is UK-based

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and the transaction smooth, delivery can take place the very next day. As you would expect from an auctioneer that dresses all its stewards in immaculate white overalls, cars are delivered in enclosed transporters and handled only by highly experienced members of staff. The rise in global popularity of classic car ownership is a trend that shows very few signs of slowing. In the Salon Privé buoyant UK market, enthusiasts 2016 takes place and investors are well aware of 1-3 September the financial rewards of classic car ownership, even for cars at the very highest price point. The highest price paid at the Salon Privé sale was the aforementioned 1968 Aston Martin DB6 Vantage Volante, reaching a cool £900,000, plus buyer’s premium (pictured at the top of the previous page). If you’re looking to become a classic car owner, buying at a live auction isn’t for everyone. Indeed some of the most prolific buyers are either hugely busy or simply perhaps too shy and retiring. However, the team at Silverstone Auctions will do everything in their power to ensure that if you prefer to bid from the comfort of your own home as opposed to Blenheim Palace’s immaculate front lawn, there really is no barrier. All images courtesy of Salon Privé, salonpriveconcours.com; silverstoneauctions.com

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WIRELESS SPEAKERS THAT MAKE A STATEMENT

› AeroBull › Aeroskull HD+

HP Sprout April’s Sprout continues to lead the immersive computing experience. The first product available under the Blended Reality ecosystem, it lets you scan physical items into the digital world, make alterations on screen, and print a new version through a 3D printer. It’s simple to use, as shown by the amount of children using it successfully on the HP website, but the potential worth of the system is huge. This is high-end concept technology come to life. Sprout, from £1,699, HP, sprout.hp.com

On your bike From our January issue, this Ukrainian boy’s toy is made by Vector and prioritises a good ride over trivial things like fitness. The pedal assist system on the Typhoon helps tired legs and boosts top speed to 50mph. Typhoon 7kW Electric Bike, £3,500, Vector, vectorebike.com

TECH TALK

GEAR OF THE YEAR From Polaroid to pianos, these are the gadgets and gizmos topping our tech wish list of 2015 Words: David Taylor

Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1

High Gust-ronomy When we first included the Otto Fan by Stadler Form back in May, we predicted a summer of sticky nights. That didn’t turn out exactly to plan. For next year, though, this handsome wind maker has a threespeed controller, ranging from light breeze to end-of-days hurricane, and is encased in ecologically-sustainable bamboo with height-adjustable feet. Otto Fan, £130, Stadler Form, stadlerform.com

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May’s Artiphon INSTRUMENT 1 is a onestop shop for the modern musician. It uses a series of pads and buttons to allow you to play a wide range of instruments on one device, from piano to drums to violin. An Artiphon app complements the instrument, helping you get the most out of your kit, but INSTRUMENT 1 is also iOS and MIDIcompatible, meaning it works with hundreds of apps like GarageBand and SampleTank, and can be connected to a Mac or PC via USB. Ergonomically and aesthetically sound, it’s as close as you can get to complete musical capability in one instrument. INSTRUMENT 1, from £250, Artiphon, artiphon.com

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Snappy Snapper

Perfect pitch February’s highlight was the Whaletone Royal Digital piano. Whaletone say the instrument is for ‘connoisseurs of taste’ who value form equal to function. As much at home in an intimate venue as a 10,000-seater stadium due to its digital capabilities, its versatility is second to none. The tech involved is overwhelming: an internal, 1,300W Hypex-based threechannel amplifier; over 500 in-built high-quality sounds; and a PHA III Ivory Feel keyboard to imitate the hammering effect of a classical grand piano. Beautiful aesthetics, top-end acoustics. Whaletone Royal Digital Piano, from £69,000, Whaletone, whaletone.com

The renaissance of Polaroid has been phenomenal thanks to the popularity of all things retro and image-based. In March, we presented Polaroid’s Socialmatic, which lets you print, post and share photos instantly, with Zero Ink technology meaning printed images won’t smudge in your over-enthusiastic hands. “Polaroid was the original social network; allowing people to instantly share life’s moments in a way that had never been possible before,” said Scott Hardy, Polaroid president and CEO. Polaroid Socialmatic, £249.99, Polaroid, polaroid.com

Turning the Tables August’s offering is a novel take on a classic piece. Gramovox has turned vinyl on its side – literally – with the Floating Record. It plays your records vertically through built-in, full-range stereo speakers. All components used are super high grade, guaranteeing high quality results. A great way of showcasing your vinyl without detracting from the sound. Floating Record, £250, Gramovox, gramovox.com

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Huawei Watch Modelled on Swiss classicism, the round watch face of the Huawei smartwatch is coated in scratch-proof sapphire crystal. The difference here is that the face has a 1.4-inch touch-sensitive AMOLED display, and also boasts 400x400 pixels, making it the most vibrant and colourful Android Wear smartwatch to date. There are also 40 bespoke watch faces to choose from, focussing on a union of fashion and technology. Android and iOS compatible, there are even fitness options for the health conscious, with heart monitor, gyroscope and accelerometer. Overall, a gorgeous new step for the smartwatch. Huawei Watch, from £289, Huawei, consumer.huawei.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

way ahead of you Mark and Hannah Hayes-Westall have been working in, and writing about, contemporary art for almost 20 years. Each month they introduce an artist who should appear on your agenda

This month: Gianfranco Baruchello What’s so interesting? Google ‘storytelling’ and you’ll get an unexpected insight into contemporary society. In the top 10 results, right alongside the Wikipedia and dictionary offerings, are a couple of buzzword-happy marketing agencies and a raft of businesses offering to connect people through storytelling events, showing there’s clearly a business in storytelling. The linguistic and biological mechanics that drive narrative, comprehension and emotion clearly deserve looking into, so it’s interesting to learn that 92-year-old Italian artist Gianfranco Baruchello has been doing just that since the early-1960s. We often think of our own era as defined by the changes wrought by technology and, as regular readers will know, some of today’s young contemporary artists are embracing the challenges that this presents through their art. However, the 1950s and ’60s were transformative for the same reasons of technological innovation and societal change. Baruchello, who on graduation from college founded and ran his own bio-chemical research company, had a cockpit view of the changes brought

CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT BAG-224, Gianfranco Baruchello Vecchio Simurg, 1976, Ex. unico, Photographer Ellen Page Wilson; BAG-514, Gianfranco Baruchello, Connect/ Disconnect. Language, 2015; BAG-223, Gianfranco Baruchello Chi mi ama..., 1975, Ex. unico, Photographer: Alessandro Zambianchi

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about by the start of the information age. On embracing his artistic career at the close of the 1950s, his work began to examine the processing of this new flood of information and how narrative conventions were changing in response. Coinciding with the rise of the Italian Arte Povera movement, and its British and American precursor, pop art, Baruchello’s entry into the art scene was marked with a notably optimistic, apolitical approach that focused on the intellectual and theoretical issues of the new era. A typical piece saw him covering consumer goods in white glue to memorialise contemporary culture and information, and he also began to work frequently with white paint, signifying his aim to create, a new space on which to draw and write new narratives, often written using an ‘alphabet’ of cartoonish characters and symbols of his own creation. In other works, he drew his characters across different Perspex sheets, stacking them in an attempt to convey the depth and richness of history in a way that felt more accurate than the constraints of historical narrative conventions allowed. Living in New York and making friends with counter-culture icons like John

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Cage, the mischievous side of Baruchello’s creativity at this time is visible in a film work created with his close friend, the conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp in which they spliced together offcuts of Hollywood films, creating absurd stories to highlight the inanity of outdated conventional storytelling and the rushed pace set by modern filmmakers. The evolving alphabet of drawings and symbols that Baruchello first developed in the 1950s has remained a constant, allowing the artist to create new ways of communicating concepts that have ranged from consumerism to pornography. Partstory, part-map, these works bring together the fragmentary nature of comprehension and emotion in a way the artist describes as “interpreting the process of thought, the space of the mind, the myriad correlations

“Part-story, partmap, these works bring together the fragmentary nature of comprehension” between the figures”. Fascinatingly, this is very close to the concepts developed by contemporary media theorists like Douglas Rushkoff, more so when Baruchello describes his works saying “… each painting is a potential map of the brain”. After the student revolts of 1968, during which Baruchello was present in Paris, the artist underwent a political awakening, with the unlikely seeming result that he became a farmer, albeit one that he defined, in the evocative language of the time as a “pseudo-political happening”. Agricola Cordelia, the farm, became his base for almost 20 years and from here he continued producing a range of work, from paintings and films to the creation of ‘actions’ and the building of cabinets. His work during this time was shown at prestigious art festivals, including the 1976 Venice Biennale and 1977 Documenta. The ’80s and ’90s were a quieter time with the artist focused on crop rotations, experimental planting and the rural lifestyle. Fast forward to more recent years and this deep-thinking artist’s work has again been feted by the art world, with a presentation at 2013’s Venice Biennale, and at 2012’s Documenta. His art continues to explore complex ideas using his unique thought-mapping approach, with his most recent show at London’s Massimo De Carlo Gallery structured as a journey that unveils the different stages of unravelling the relationship between the body and the brain, the exterior and the interior.

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FIND the WORK Gianfranco Baruchello is represented in London by the Massimo De Carlo Gallery, W1K massimodecarlo.com

Visitors to the Mayfair gallery were met with an initial piece introducing the symbols used within his works, and functioning as a lexicon of terms for the other works, a series of white cases filled with intricately drawn thought-maps encompassing everything from Chinese characters to cartoon figures connected by representations of nerve clusters and connections – the biological means by which different neurological structures in the body are linked. The artist’s depth of thought and almost uncanny prescience and feeling for the preoccupations of our time has seen Baruchello’s work find homes in a number of prominent collections of contemporary art. These include: The Museum of Modern Art, New York; The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York; the Centre Pompidou in Paris; the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome; the MADRE Museum in Naples; the Deichtorhallen in Hamburg, and the ZKM in Karlsruhe.

Images from Massimo De Carlo Milan- London

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

CARRERA FLOOR LAMP Taking the silhouette of an old surveying tripod, this floor lamp is an example of Eichholtz’s ability to execute bold design concepts with absolute precision. For a lamp inspired by the industrial, the Carrera is a stunning addition to any chic interior, especially with fewer hours of daylight. £1,545, luxdeco.com whisky connoisseur set Enjoy your tipple in sophisticated style with the Whisky Islay Connoisseur Set and Walnut Tray from LSA International. Featuring two tumblers, two nosing glasses with covers, a decanter, and a jug, this set is perfect for your friend that treats his whisky as though it were his first born. £296, amara.com

Christmas

TREE!

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, or better yet, cosy up with a cashmere throw among the finest festive furnishings in your very own winter wonderland words: tiffany eastland

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

NORDMANN FIR TREE If you found yourself picking up an awful lot of ferns last Christmas, perhaps it’s time to fake it. The thought of going artificial may seem sacrilege to some, but surely you can’t deny the practicality of owning a Christmas tree that looks this gorgeous – and realistic – year after year. £949 (74”), balsamhill.co.uk

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| out of office | ARAN ISLES CHAIR & OTTOMAN You tackled the shops, fought the throngs of tourists on Oxford Street and made it through Christmas dinner with the family, now it’s time to put your feet up and take a well-earned break with the Aran Isles chair and ottoman by Ralph Lauren Home. £5,750 and £2,500, ralphlaurenhome.com

CHECK CASHMERE BLANKET Cosy up with a soft festive throw from Burberry. Made at Johnstons of Elgin, a distinguished mill in Scotland, using specialised craftsmanship techniques, this gorgeous red check blanket will be sure to keep you warm throughout the winter. £895, uk.burberry.com

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PINECONE FROSTED WREATH Set the festive tone at your front door with this stylish brown and grey wreath inspired by Nordic winter landscapes. Skilfully crafted with the utmost care from an array of beautiful natural pine cones, you’ll be the envy of the street. £35, houseology.com

TABLE BOUQUET VASE This handmade, mouthblown vase is a classic table centrepiece that will get year-round use. Come Christmas time, fill it with your favourite festive florals for a simple elegant addition to the often OTT Christmas decoration offering. £20, lsa-international.com

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

CHILDREN’S FESTIVE ACTIVITIES 28-29 NOVEMBER 5-6, 12-13, 19-24 DECEMBER 11AM – 5PM SANTA’S GROTTO* FREE ART + CRAFT WORKSHOPS FREE FACE PAINTING *ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO RICHARD HOUSE CHILDREN’S HOSPICE.

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

Hit the

slopes From chalet to everyday, Snow+Rock leads the way in winter wear

top tip

Don’t forget to stock-up on safety gear in store. If you plan on pushing it offpiste then helmets, avalanche transceivers, après/liner gloves and ankle supports are essential. hose who like to work hard and ski harder are in for a treat as the new Snow+Rock store has opened its doors in Crossrail Place. It’s not just a shop; it’s an outdoor

sports destination where expert advisors are on hand give guidance on what kit you need for staying cool and comfortable in the snow. Established in 1982 by a small but dedicated team of adventure enthusiasts, Snow+Rock made its name by challenging convention. The founders shaped the landscape of the industry by introducing innovative brands, new technology, and daring design. From thermal socks to avalanche airbags the impressive Crossrail Place store will feature products from the most progressive companies. The winter sports range includes collections from KJUS and Toni Sailer, brands that are exclusive to Snow+Rock. Big name labels in-store include Arc’teryx, Peak Performance, Salomon, The North Face, Atomic, Head and Volk. Whether you’re gearing-up for adventures abroad or simply want to stay warm over the winter, Canary Wharf’s latest offering has got you covered. Snow+Rock, Crossrail Place, www.snowandrock.com

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

Family week end Glide into the festive season with an array of seasonal offerings and events in Canary Wharf that are perfect for the whole family

grotto Opening times 28-29 November 5-6, 12-13, 19-24 December 11am-5pm

Santa’s Grotto Jubilee Place The whimsical Santa’s Grotto returns on the last weekend of November, sprinkling Canary Wharf with Christmas cheer. An entertainment programme packed with festive fun will keep the whole family excited while you wait to see Santa. Visitors can also use the opportunity to make a £2 donation to charity. The grotto will be open at Jubilee Place from 28 & 29 November.

santa’s Magical toy Factory East Wintergarden A fabulous show awaits you all this December at the mesmerising East Wintergarden. Enjoy a magical night under the stars with the entire family as you are transported to Santa’s toy factory in the North Pole and join the elves, ready for an adventure. All proceeds from the show will be donated to Tommy’s. The event is free for children under 2, £2 for children and concessions and £4 for adults. 5 and 6 December, East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street Tickets are available at canarywharf.com.

canary wharf ice rink Canada Square Park Skate amongst the twinkling trees of Canada Square Park and experience London’s only skate-path in the capital’s largest ice rink this festive season. Until 27 February, Canada Square Park.

carols & candles East Wintergarden Enjoy the festive and community spirit at a special evening service of carols and candles with the Canary Wharf

Enjoy children’s festive activities throughout the weekends in the lead up to Christmas!

Community Choir. All proceeds from the event will go towards supporting a local charity called Streets of Growth, a youth intervention charity and international charity Article 25, a leading architectural aid charity. 15 December, 5.30pm & 7.30pm, East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street. Free entry but booking required at canarywharf.com.

children’s festive activities Throughout Canary Wharf Shopping Malls Combine creativity and fun this month as the kids pick out personalised designs for face-painting around Canary Wharf shopping malls. They can also showcase their talent at craft workshops in Cabot Place and Canada Place where they can make head boppers and design their own cupcake, courtesy of Lola’s Cupcakes. Visit the Christmas Photo Peep Through installation in Jubilee Place, lower level, and take pictures of the whole family on your fun day out. 28-29 November; 5-6, 12-13 & 19-24 December, 11am to 5pm. Find out more information on canarywharf.com.

kids festive extras! tom’s kitchen Westferry Circus Join Tom’s Kitchen every weekend with the family where kids under 12 get to eat brunch for free. The restaurant boasts a playroom to keep the little ones busy while you sit back,

Big Easy

relax and enjoy the weekend.

Crossrail Place Kids eat free this month at the popular BBQ & Lobstershack Big Easy when accompanied by an adult and ordering from the weekend brunch menu or a starter and main!

The parlour The Park Pavilion Make a day of it when you book skating at Canary Wharf’s Ice Rink this December as kids under 10 get to dine for free at The Parlour on the weekends after a day full of gliding and sliding. Terms & Conditions apply.

canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

Comes thoughtfully pre-wrapped. Enjoy responsibly.

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

Ben Walgate, CEO, Gusbourne

Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

finest fizz? James Lawrence examines the stratospheric rise of the Gusbourne Estate and English sparkling wine

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

he pace at which the English wine industry has established itself as one of the world’s leading sources of sparkling wine is nothing short of remarkable. What started as a brave venture by Felsted and Philton Manor in 1976 has morphed into a vibrant, growing industry, with approximately 2,000 hectares of vineyards planted and a rash of new investment. A far cry from the general consensus of 25 years ago, when homegrown bubbly was derided as ‘tasting of rain.’ Indeed, few believed that English fizz would ever take off in a climate as marginal and inclement as the one we enjoy on this island. Moreover, the naysayers insisted that wine drinkers would never trade across from such an established brand as Champagne. They were wrong. In recent years, the leading brands have been showered with awards – including the Decanter Best Sparkling Wine award in 2010 – and spoken of in the same breath as grande marque Champagnes. Most top London restaurants now list at least one label of English fizz, including Hakkasan, Chiltern Firehouse, Royal Hospital Road and Maze. This brings me nicely on to Gusbourne. A superb outfit, situated in an idyllic corner of the Kent countryside, Gusbourne has done a remarkable job of proving to the world that English bubbly can compete with the best Champagnes. Yet, they are a relatively new face in the English wine scene: the Gusbourne Estate in Appeldore, near Ashford, was founded by a South African, Andrew Weeber, who purchased the 200-hectare estate in 2003. Weeber, a retired orthopaedic surgeon, planted his first vines in 2004. Today, the project is still very much in its infancy; only 24 hectares of vineyards are currently in use, while the remaining 70 hectares have yet to reach maturity. The output is therefore similarly bijou – sales hover around 35,000 bottles each year, which is tiny by the standards of the major Champagne houses. Until 2013, the wines were made at the neighbouring estate of Ridgeview; however, a large cash injection from Lord Ashcroft (of Pig-gate fame) ensured that Gusbourne could build a small winery of its own. But what Gusbourne lacks in size, it more than makes up for with superlative quality. Like all serious English wine producers, only the classic Champagne varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are planted. Moreover, the land on which they are grown, or terroir as winemakers like to say, offers superior conditions for ripening grapes used for sparkling wine, as CEO Ben Walgate explains. “Basically, much is made of the fact that the soil on the English south

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

“Gusbourne has done a remarkable job of proving to the world that English bubbly can compete with the best Champagnes” coast contains the same mix of chalk and limestone as in Champagne, which is undeniably an important quality factor,” he says. “But far more important is altitude, our vineyards are some of the closest to sea level in England, which creates a unique micro-climate that ripens our grapes faster than competitors in, say, Sussex and Hampshire.” Mirroring Champagne, Gusbourne’s bubbly is produced using the traditional method, or methode champenoise. And without wishing to descend into dull technicalities, the traditional method involves adding yeast and sugar to fermented wine stored in a bottle, the subsequent secondary fermentation produces CO2 as a by-product, which makes the wine sparkle. Rather sensibly, Gusbourne prices its wines at the Champagne equivalent, around £29.99 for the Brut Reserve. “We’re not competing with everyday Prosecco, but rather the top sparkling wines of the world,” insists Walgate. His boasting could be considered arrogant for such a young outfit, until you taste the range of wines. Three labels are currently on release: the Brut Reserve, Blanc de Blancs (100 per cent Chardonnay) and Rosé. The superstar, at least in my view, is the Blanc de Blancs which offers a refined, toasty elegance, a soft, supple mousse and real depth and class. It’s simply an outstanding sparkling wine and more than the equal of Champagnes at twice the price. Looking to the future, Gusbourne is now focused on expanding its range and presence in several export markets. “One of the next steps is to introduce a ‘Dom Perignon’ equivalent from Gusbourne, a luxury English fizz that has been aged for over seven years,” says Walgate. Which is, in itself, a dramatic statement – 20 years ago the idea that an English ‘Dom Perignon’ would be suitable for any glamorous special occasion would have been laughable. Having tasted the Gusbourne range, I can assure you it now seems entirely plausible. gusbourne.com

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

FIVE ENGLISH SPARKLERS FOR CHRISTMAS This festive season, rather than sticking to tradition, consider giving Champagne a well-deserved night off. Instead, fly the flag and drink local:

2010 Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs, £37.95, bbr.com

2010 Nyetimber Classic Cuvée, £35.99, majestic.co.uk

NV Exton Park Blanc de Noirs, £27.95, from butlers-winecellar.co.uk

NV Hambledon Classic Cuvée, £29.95 from bbr.com

NV Coates & Seely Blanc de Blancs, £32 from bbr.com

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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10/11/2015 14:31

| OUT OF OFFICE |

Upping the

Super Chalet Ante Richard Brown takes a tour of the luxury new-builds transforming the chalet experience in Val d’Isère. And discovers you can live like the other half do for a lot less than you think

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

range, wine cellar and waterfall? In Val d’Isère, home of Chalet Husky, the invention of the ‘affordable’ super chalet can be attributed almost entirely to two men, father-and-son team Michel and Jean-Charles Covarel. Both born and raised in what’s now Britain’s favourite ski resort, architect and property developers, the Covarels have been instrumental in transforming Val from a concreteclad, charm-lacking town, to the sort of chocolate-box-pretty fairyland village that winter resorts should be. Having built the home of Jean-Claude Killy, the triple Olympic champion to CHALET husky who the Espace Killy ski region owes The most remarkable part of visiting Chalet its name, Covarel senior and son have Husky wasn’t ascending its climbing wall, spent decades moulding modernsplashing around in its infinity swimming day Val into their own vision. Rather pool or even shooting arrows on its archery than constructing to commissions, range. No, the most remarkable thing the Covarels pre-finance projects about visiting Chalet Husky was finding personally, letting their own tastes dictate out the price for which you can do so. specifications, before finding a buyer – a The amount, sure to surprise anyone self-assured strategy that’s testament to who’s ever been charged with the the calibre of their creations. task of organising a group ski trip Covarel chalets are a mix of – à la moi – was from £1,275 per traditional Alpine architecture –stone Fresh for this season, person per week. That’s £1,275 for a walls, wood panelling and lauze roofs Scott Dunn has announced a culinary partnership with 2014 spectacular new-build that boasts – and high-spec, internal facilities MasterChef champion Ping a Jacuzzi, a sauna, massage rooms, – where swimming pools, spas and Coombes, who will be introducing a huge bar and a games room. The surround-sound entrainment systems her modern pan-Asian price includes flights, transfers and come as standard. Malaysian cuisine to chalet dining. a four-course dinner prepared by a Chalet Husky, one of 11 Covarel private chef six nights of the week. properties now operated by bespoke holiday Unlike tendering a super yacht, which planner Scott Dunn, is part of the ‘Le Petit still requires a telephone number salary Alaska’ project, eight proprieties designed to to do so, you can, it seems, luxuriate in a cater for a very 21st-century-type of luxury super chalet for a price that won’t induce living. Ever wanted to live as the other half involuntary chest pains. Granted, it’s far do? Now you can. Prices quoted are for low season and are harder for a chalet to hoist anchor and subject to change. For more information, visit follow the sun around the Côte d’Azur, but scottdunn.com how many yachts do you know with a rifle

Mountain MasterChef

CHALET SHAr PEI SLEEPS: 8+2 Price: From £1,525 pp for seven nights, based on a full chalet in low season

This year, Scott Dunn has expanded its Val d’Isère portfolio with the addition of the 300 sq m Chalet Shar Pei. With four en-suite bedroooms, it is ideal for small groups of friends or larger families. The new-build boasts an indoor swimming pool, hammam steam room and a huge, top floor terrace perfect for aprèsski. The chalet comes with a private chef, an in-resort driver and multiple childcare options. It’s also close to the Bellevarde express chairlift, which provides access to some of the world’s most renowned ski runs.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

Chalet PAPILLON SLEEPS: 8+2 Price: From £1,560 pp for seven nights, based on a full chalet in low season

The closest chalet to the slopes out of all of Scott Dunn’s offerings, Chalet Papillon is perfectly situated for the keenest skiers in Val d’Isère. Papillon has all the mod-cons of Shar Pei, so opt for a post-slope dip in your

private swimming pool if après-ski crowds aren’t your style. The living area is on the top floor, so you won’t be able to avoid the stunning view up the legendary famous La Face ski run. Internal finishes are cutting-edge with dark and light timbers combining with exposed girders to give a clean, contemporary ambience. The open fire and exposed stonework add a more traditional feel. For anyone keen to be in the centre of the action, this is the chalet for you.

CHALET Amourette

SLEEPS: 6+3 Price: From £1,410 pp for seven nights, based on a full chalet in low season This free-standing chalet is found in the exclusive Le Petit Alaska, a residence of only eight chalets in prime central Val. Inspired by conventional Alpine architecture, it perfectly blends into the old village quarter and

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has been carefully designed to make the most of the pristine views it boasts from the top of the estate. The four en-suite bedrooms share the ground floor with a Turkish bath and fitness room. Sit back as the sun sets in the open-plan kitchen, dining and living room, and a small mezzanine above adding extra comfort. Either dry your damp socks by the cosy fireplace, or open the French doors to the terrace, where you can drink in top-rate views from the outdoor hot tub.

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

THE WORLD

IS NOT ENOUGH

The four corners of the globe are mapped; you can fly anywhere in the world whenever you want; and the black runs at St. Moritz no longer raise the heart rate. For adventure seekers, more is necessary. Thankfully, there are travel companies answering the call Words: David Taylor

Natural Wonders, Iceland LOCATION: Iceland average Price: From approx. £2,200 per couple excluding flights

hotelranga.is Lowdown

Iceland’s Hotel Ranga is launching the ‘Natural Wonders’ package for the 2016 spring season. The trip sees you staying for three nights in the luxury surroundings of the hotel, but taken out each day by an expert guide for a tailor-made tour of Iceland’s most dramatic scenery. Details

During the stay, you can drive a 4x4 to hidden waterfalls, canyons and lava meadows, spend a day getting to know semi-wild Icelandic horses and ride them through the more rugged terrain, and trek through the open countryside to discover the natural beauty Iceland has to offer. The jewel in the crown is a visit to the Golden Circle exploring geothermal geysers and national parks. Wilderness during the day; luxury at night.

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

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Yukon Dog Sledding, Canada LOCATION: Canada average Price: 10 day trip: approx. £2,000 per person excluding flights. January - mid April dog sledding weekend in a cabin: approx. £530

cathersadventures.com

days), you spend the first few days learning how to drive the sled, and how to care for the dogs. After that, you trek into the Canadian wilderness to a traditional wall tent that becomes the base from which you trek along both the old and new Yukon Quest trails. Details

Lowdown

Get a chance to experience the traditional way of travelling the Yukon by being driven along the Yukon Quest by huskies. On the longest trip (ten

Accompanied by expert sledders, the journey requires a symbiosis between human and dog. You might think you’re in control, but without the huskies, you’re going nowhere.

“4,000 square miles

of salt

stretches out like glass, home to Martian-esque flora, inquisitive alpacas and flocks of pink flamingos”

Image © gimas

Motorcycle Route 66 LOCATION: USA average Price: From £2,699 for a bike and accommodation, based on two people sharing a bike

completenorthamerica.com Lowdown

It might be somewhat clichéd, but for good reason: The Mother Road is too iconic to be ignored. Start from either Chicago in the east, or Los Angeles in the west, and rip through eight states as you snake your way through the south for 2,448 miles. The road was officially

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decertified as a national route in 1985, replaced by bigger motorways, but it remains one of the most travelled roads in the United States. Details

Drive as much or as little as you like, but bragging rights come to those who stay the distance. The best way of travelling is like any good American Route 66 movie: by hog. There are plenty of bike rental companies both sides of the route, and also tour companies that can help you plan your itinerary, including stops in Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon and Oklahoma City. Hit the road, Jack.

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

Jungle Combat, Guyana LOCATION: Guyana average Price: 3-16 April 2016 £1,500 per person excluding flights

bushmasters.co.uk Lowdown

This isn’t some Rambo rehash: this is the real deal. You’re dumped in the rainforest of Guyana for a two week course of UK Special Forces training. You live in the forest and use military simulator paintball guns, used by the actual army for realistic simulation. You have to master not only the guns, but also magazine changes, use of optics/lasers and specialist weapons including sharpshooter rifles and a squad automatic weapon, all in time for a final assault. Details

You’re guided by Guyana militia-trained Amerindian hunters, who also coach international Special Forces. After a week living in the jungle, learning all the skills needed for Special Forces, you put it all into practice against the very same guides. Observe the target using advanced technology, then strike. The enemy is real, and they are jungle experts. Extra combat options are available, including using a helicopter as a sniper platform during the final assault, Tropic Thunder style.

Salar de Uyuni salt flat LOCATION: Bolivia/Chile average Price: From approx. £5,200 single, approx. £3,700 per person per couple

explora.com Lowdown

It has to be seen to be believed. Salar de Uyuni, nestled in the Bolivian Andes, is the world’s largest salt flat: 4,000 square miles of salt stretches out like glass, home to Martian-esque flora, inquisitive alpacas and flocks of pink flamingos. Explora has led South American excursions for more than 20 years, including ‘travesías’ – nomadic-style drives and treks cross-country. Details

Eight or ten-day Uyuni travesías begin in either Bolivia or Chile, with stops in modified shepherd huts and luxury hotels at both ends for nights under the expansive sky. Not only do you trek part of the salt flat, but you spend two days in the Atacama, the world’s driest desert. You drive through the Licancabur Volcano mountain range, and climb its neighbour, Tunupa, taking you 5,432 metres above sea level. You might have a car, but it’s a brave man who isn’t intimidated by the isolation of thousands of square miles of desert and volcanoes.

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SÁmi reindeer migration expedition LOCATION: Norway average Price: 18-25 April, 25-2 May 2016 £3,800 per person excluding flights

turgleder.com Lowdown

This trip herding reindeer across the Arctic tundra is super exclusive – only 12 people are allowed to do it each year. For eight days, you are welcomed into the fold of the venerable Sámi people, a 4,000-year-old Arctic tribe, during their annual reindeer migration. This is a deeply immersive experience, gaining an insight into one of the oldest living tribes on the planet. Details

It’s not all new-world experiences, though. You’ll be herding unpredictable, 400lb hunks of meat through some of the toughest conditions imaginable. Most of the time you’ll be at their mercy, eating whenever you can and living rough as you enter the ‘Land of Nothing’, where land and sky merge into one white wall. All you’ll have with you are your wits, your ski-doo and a sledge. Pioneer Expeditions says that “a good sense of humour is a prerequisite for anyone wishing to take part in this journey.”

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Go to Space LOCATION: Space, sometime before 2020 average Price: approx. £50,000, World View, worldviewexperience.com; approx. £43,000, SHIPinSPACE, shipinspace.com; approx. £164,000, Virgin Galactic

virgingalactic.com Lowdown

Yes, you read that right. Space is the next frontier of the holiday, and is close to becoming a reality. The wheels (or wings) were put in motion by Sir Richard Branson with Virgin Galactic, but now other companies have joined Sir Richard in the new Space Race. Details

Images Hipfel Starck Nature Travels

Timber Rafting the Klarälven LOCATION: Sweden average Price: 12 June-28 August 2016 From £240 adult, £120 child, excluding flights

naturetravels.co.uk Lowdown

This is a real Boy’s Own adventure. Channel Huckleberry Finn to build your own raft out of Swedish timber and paddle down the river Klarälven for a week. The trip starts with you building the raft from scratch out of three-metre-long logs and rope, with help from wilderness experts.

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Virgin Galactic aims to carry six passengers and two crew members for a 2,600mph, 30-minute flight. Some of the first ticket-holders include Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. SHIPinSPACE is planning a 48-passenger trip into the thermosphere, more than 150km above the official edge of space, with freefloating, four-man pods that detach from the ship if there’s an explosion, and a twoyear pre-flight training package. A slightly more leisurely trip to near-space will be possible with World View’s five-hour flight via high-altitude balloon, a snip at the earlybird price of £44,000. All three are set to launch before the end of the decade.

Details

The next seven days are spent floating and paddling down the river, camping in the wild as you meander your way through unspoilt nature on the border of Norway. You’re encouraged to sleep on your raft – if you’re confident enough in your construction skills. A canoe or kayak is included with each timber raft for extra manoeuvrability on the water, and makes landing the raft easier, as one person can paddle ashore with a line. The experience can be deeply relaxing, but watch out for changing backwaters, sandbanks and currents in the river, otherwise that raft might not last long.

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| OUT OF OFFICE |

“SHIPinSPACE is planning a 48-passenger trip to the edge of the stratosphere,

with free-floating,

four-man pods that detach from the ship”

Worldwide sailing trips LOCATION: Worldwide average Price: £99 - £6,500

classic-sailing.co.uk Lowdown

Ever fancied leaving the land behind? Classic Sailing offers hundreds of excursions across the world for all abilities, beginner to sea-dog. The trips vary in length, from a weekend off the British coast, to months travelling around Cape Horn or the Caribbean. You can circumnavigate the globe, if you pick the right journeys. Details

The fleet of boats, many of which are Tall Ships, are all made from wood, creating that organic man-and-boat feeling. The boats are always full, so going solo isn’t a problem as you’ll soon get shipmates – you’ll have to, as the boats can go for weeks without seeing dry land. You can learn both modern navigation methods and the way the ancient Polynesians did it. Trips contribute towards sea-miles for marine qualifications.

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CAPE COD The new bathroom series by Philippe Starck. info@uk.duravit.com www.duravit.co.uk

LONDON HOMES &

PROPERTY Covering THE CITY, Wapping, Shad Thames, Shoreditch & Islington

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Oregon Large Sofa in Apache Burnt Arabic Leather, £2,039; Alpine Chair in Romo Linara Moroccan Blue, £969 Image courtesy of Multiyork, multiyork.co.uk

PROPERTY NEWS

Keep tabs on the market, whether you are living or investing in the capital

SALES TOM YEOMANSON, associate at Knight Frank Tower Bridge, comments on the trends in the residential sales market As we enter the final weeks of 2015, it is worth reflecting on some of the highlights and challenges experienced in the sales market over the last 12 months. There have certainly been some significant factors that have influenced the market this year. The New Year and spring markets felt more restrained than usual, probably thanks to the looming general election. More recently, concerns surrounding global economic events such as the China slowdown have influenced purchasers too. All of this, against the backdrop of an increased stamp duty rate, is putting extra pressure on pricing in the prime and super prime markets. However, in a year that has experienced significant external pressures, the market remains underpinned by some crucial fundamentals: our region in particular is an established financial centre where companies want to be located, we also suffer from the wider supply and demand issues within London, and both of these are underpinned by low interest rates and falling unemployment. The headline figures across the City and fringe region all make good reading for property owners. Knight Frank research has recorded price increases of around six per cent through 2015 in our area. Indeed, the growth in the furthest east of our patch, Canary Wharf, is recording the highest yearly change of around ten per cent. The even better news for both vendors and landlords is that the research highlights that the City region has outperformed Prime Central London (PCL) this year in capital growth and continues to outperform PCL in terms of gross rental yields. All in all, it has been a good year; it has not been the best year I have ever experienced in my 13 years in London, but it is a long way off being the worst. Moreover, the near future has a lot to offer, with some world class new residential developments completing and also the excitement surrounding the most significant transport improvement to London in the modern era: Crossrail, which I would expect to change the landscape of the market in our region. It will certainly be another interesting year, and, hopefully, a happy and healthy 12 months for all, and the market. Here’s to a great 2016.

winter warmer As the winter months roll in with intent, give yourself a cosy early Christmas present with a stunning Arteplano Radiator from Bisque. The heating tubes are concealed behind a gorgeous metal face plate, and the models are individually etched, which means each unit is a true original in brass or copper. Arteplano Radiator, from £1484, Bisque, bisque.co.uk

Wood is Good Thanks to new manufacturing techniques and ecological benefits, wood has seen a huge resurgence in contemporary construction. To celebrate this natural renaissance, Taschen presents a double-volume survey on 100 of the best contemporary wooden buildings in the world. True to all of Taschen’s architecture collections, the book pays tribute both to exciting emerging talents and renowned figures such as Tadao Ando and Renzo Piano. Beautiful images are accompanied by expert author Philip Jodidio’s reflections on the buildings and wood’s enduring appeal to our senses. 100 Contemporary Wood Buildings by Philip Jodidio, £34.99, taschen.com

Knight Frank Tower Bridge 020 3837 1520 knightfrank.co.uk/towerbridge

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

s luxurylo nd o n.c o.uk s

| PROPERTY |

Sales of affordable homes in London more than halved in the first eight months of 2015 compared to the same period last year, according to analysis from Cushman & Wakefield. The lowest value segment of the market – homes under £250,000 – has witnessed a 51 per cent decline in sales, the steepest of any price point across London.

Monopoly Makeover London estate agency, Hanover, has updated the traditional Monopoly board to reflect today’s average property prices, with some surprising changes in fortunes in the 80 years since the classic board game was first introduced. Areas are situated according to their average property value: Mayfair stays top and Old Kent Road bottom, with averages of £3,521,800 and £261,499 respectively. However, Richard Douglas, director of Hanover West End, said there was eye opening movement in between: “Fleet Street, which has always been a prominent central location in London, has dropped down to the blue area of the board with an average value of £611,000. The way London has evolved and grown has had a significant impact on which areas have flourished. We are certain London will continue to change over the next 80 years”. hanover-residential.co.uk

s l u x u r y l o nd o n . c o . u k s

LETTINGS THOM ATKINS, associate at Knight Frank Aldgate, comments on the trends in the residential lettings market As the winter market nears its traditional lull we look back over an incredibly busy summer and look forward to what January has to bring. This year has seen us achieving higher than expected rental yields on some of the City’s newest buildings, which continues to show the prominence of new build properties on the market and the desirability of quality, well thought out properties that are furnished and finished to a high standard. As we head into the New Year, the continuing resurgence of the financial sector as tenant providers means that the corporate market is once again looking strong and premium lifestyle-led developments continue to remain the preference of London’s busy city workers; this is, of course, of particular interest to those due to complete on properties in early 2016 as completions continue on some already spectacularly popular developments, including the Berkeley Homes developed Goodman’s Fields, which has already experienced some great success stories, consistently achieving some of E1’s highest rents. Away from the square mile, East London’s ever changing property market remains buzzing with applicants and tenancies up on last year as the over flow from some of London’s slightly more central locations looks to the larger and often better value for money locations such as Bethnal Green, Whitechapel and Hackney. The New Year also brings big changes for landlords across the country as ‘Right to Rent’ checks will come into force throughout England from 1 February 2016; meaning that landlords could face stiff penalties should they or their agents not comply with the procedures. This includes checking certain identity documents for all tenants and occupants, taking copies of these documents and conducting any necessary follow up checks. This, of course, means that selecting an agency that is comfortable with these changes is even more important. In conclusion, as we say goodbye to 2015 and look at the year ahead, the ever-changing City rental market is continuing to go from strength to strength. However, it cannot be stressed enough that in a highly competitive marketplace, selecting the correct agency to market your property for you really can make a huge difference in the success of any rental investment, thinking about the type of tenant you wish to generate is massively important in this thought process and using agencies with larger corporate rental departments such as Knight Frank can only be viewed as a plus in today’s professional driven marketplace. Knight Frank Aldgate 020 3823 9930 knightfrank.co.uk/aldgate

THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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The Switch House, Isle Of Dogs E14 Two bedroom apartment A stunning apartment for sale located on the fifth floor of this portered block near to East India DLR. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, balcony, secure parking space. EPC: C. Approximately 75.81 sq m (816 sq ft). Leasehold: approximately 142 years remaining

Guide price: £485,000

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

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/CNW150181

The City-December 2015-crop

13/11/2015 15:45:21

3318

Seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greetings Helping you move in 2016.

To discuss your property requirements please contact one of our local offices.

Wapping Lettings and Sales 020 8166 5366 Canary Wharf Lettings and Sales 020 8022 4381 Tower Bridge Lettings and Sales 020 8022 4382

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20/11/2015 17:44

YOUR NEW HOME AWAITS Over the festive break, hundreds of people will be contemplating their next move. Contact us today for a fee market appraisal to make sure your property is waiting for them in the New Year. KnightFrank.co.uk/wandsworth wandsworth@knightfrank.com 020 8682 7777 Guide price: £6,750,000

Clapham Common West Side, Wandsworth SW4 A visually striking contemporary house with off street parking for several cars. 7 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms (5 en suite), kitchen/breakfast/family room, 2nd kitchen, 4 reception rooms, study, indoor swimming pool, garage, garden. wandsworth@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8682 7777

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £4,250,000

Lyford Road, Wandsworth SW18 A beautifully presented house of substantial proportions. 5/6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (3 en suite), 2 reception rooms, kitchen/dining room, playroom, study, utility room, wine store, cellar, 85ft west facing garden, off street parking for several cars. wandsworth@knightfrank.com Office: 020 8682 7777

297h 210w Mayfair Mag

20/11/2015 15:05:03

CHRISTMAS IS A TIME FOR PLANNING Over the festive break, hundreds of people will be contemplating their next move. Contact us today for a free market appraisal to make sure your property is waiting for them in the New Year. KnightFrank.co.uk/riverside riverside@knightfrank.com 020 3597 7670 Guide price: £2,850,000

The Tower, St George Wharf, Nine Elms SW8 A three bedroom, north-facing apartment with westerly views from the reception room and easterly views from the bedrooms. 3 bedrooms (1 en suite), bathroom, kitchen/dining/reception room, sky garden. EPC: B. Approximately 131 sq m (1,418 sq ft). Leasehold: approximately 983 years remaining. riverside@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3597 7670

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £3,950,000

NEO Bankside, Southbank SE1 A magnificent three bedroom riverside apartment in NEO Bankside. 3 bedrooms (2 en suite), shower room, kitchen/dining/reception room, winter garden. EPC: C. Approximately 197 sq m (2,121 sq ft). Leasehold: approximately 991 years remaining. riverside@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3597 7670

Resident's Journal Dec 15 Page 1 USE C1601 85 Tower

18/11/2015 13:45:02

  To find out how we can help you or to arrange your no obligation market appraisal please contact us: KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com   



   

>

Stylish and light flat with lovely river views. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), reception/dining room, kitchen, balcony and parking space. EPC: D. Approximately 82 sq m (884 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 

All potential tenants should be advised that, as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

 



    Contemporary flat with water views from all sides. 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (1 en suite), reception/dining room, kitchen, private balcony and conceirge.EPC: F. Approximately 106 sq m (1,138 sq ft). Available furnished. wappinglettings@knightfrank.com Office: 

Cormorant Lodge, St Katharine Docks E1W A stunning penthouse with panoramic dock views Modern and slick apartment in the heart of St Katharine Docks with great variety of mod cons. 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (2 en suite), WC, reception room/dining room, sitting room, 2 large balconies, the property comes with a parking space and 24 hour conceirge. EPC: D. Approximately 263 sq m (2,832 sq ft).

KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5375

Available furnished

Guide price: £2,500 per week

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

KnightFrank.co.uk/WAQ157229

Kensington & Chelsea Magazine

20/11/2015 11:20:25

LOOKING TO LET? The nights are drawing in, but with the lettings market in full flow, now is the time to maximise your rental income. To find out how we can help you please contact 020 3823 9930 or KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings

Guide price: £850 per week

Cashmere House, Aldgate E1

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A brand new two bedroom, two bathroom apartment with stunning City views to rent in the Goosmans Fields development. This apartment comes with access to the onsite gymnasium, swimming pool and spa, private cinema, and onsite 24 hour concierge. Available furnished. aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3823 9930

All potential tenants should be advised that as well as rent, an administration fee of £276 and referencing fees of £48 per person will apply when renting a property. Please ask us for more information about other fees that may apply or visit KnightFrank.co.uk/tenantcharges

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £460 per week

Nexus House, Whitechapel E1 Large one bedroom apartment located in this converted building moments away from Whitechapel Station. The property has a large reception room with exposed brick work and lots of character. Available furnished. aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3823 9930

City Magazine 11th November

18/11/2015 17:07:59

Cit

WHAT'S YOUR NEXT MOVE? The nights are drawing in, but with the lettings market in full flow, now is the time to maximise your rental income. To find out how we can help you please contact 020 3823 9930 or KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings

Guide price: £795 per week

Gaumont Tower, Dalston E8

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Modern three bedroom apartment to rent in this luxury development. This stylish flat has been furnished to a high standard throughout with a modern open plan kitchen. Available furnished. aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3823 9930

@KnightFrank KnightFrank.co.uk

Guide price: £750 per week

Eaststone Apartments, Shoreditch E1 Knight Frank are proud to present this beautiful apartment to rent on the City fringe in Shoreditch. Based on the fifth floor penthouse comprises two double bedroom, two bathrooms (one with en suite). Available furnished. aldgatelettings@knightfrank.com Office: 020 3823 9930

City Magazine 11th November

18/11/2015 17:07:59

122 Newgate Street London EC1A 7AA

T: 020 7600 0026 W: www.scottcity.co.uk e: property@scottcity.co.uk

City View, Farringdon EC1 £599,500 leasehold City View Apartments are ideally located, close to Farringdon and Chancery Lane tube stations, with easy access into the City and West End. This ONE BEDROOM apartment benefits from a high standard of fixtures and fittings, under floor heating, walnut veneer doors, oak wood flooring, granite worktops and natural stone bathrooms. Comprising ONE double bedrooms with built in wardrobes and modern bathroom, bright open plan kitchen/diner with fully fitted kitchen and all appliances, a lounge with access out to a private west facing BALCONY with views over LONDON. The property further benefits from video entry system and lift access

Andrewes House, Barbican EC2 £910,000 leasehold Situated in ANDREWES HOUSE in the BARBICAN on the first floor is this two bedroom (type 21) flat having a south facing balcony to the front and to the rear a north aspect overlooking the Barbican gardens and lake. The property offers the original kitchen, reception room with south facing balcony, original bathroom and cloakroom and two bedrooms to the rear overlooking the gardens. Andrewes House is situated close to MOORGATE (Northern Line), St PAUL’S (Central Line) Mansion House and the new Crossrail Station at Moorgate(under construction, due 2018). Within walking distance are Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and Tesco. Also within easy reach are St. Pauls’ Cathedral.

St Pauls, EC4 £405 Per Week

Barbican, EC2 £350 Per Week

AVAILABLE NOW - This fantastic ONE BEDROOM apartment benefits from not just high ceilings but also tall windows. The property is offered fully furnished and has wooden flooring throughout. Other key features include a security entry system and that also is close to Blackfriars overland train line and both Blackfriars & St Paul’s underground stations.

AVAILABLE NOW - Situated on the SECOND FLOOR is this ONE BEDROOM APARTMENT with SOUTH FACING BALCONY and views over the podium. The flat offers entrance hall, open plan ORIGINAL BARBICAN KITCHEN and reception room, original bathroom, bedroom and BALCONY and is offered FURNISHED.

West Smithfield, EC1 £335 Per Week

St Pauls, EC4 £595 Per Week

AVAILABLE NOW - This brilliantly located 405 sq. ft. large style studio apartment is offered fully fitted furnished, and is finished with very high quality fixtures. The property also benefits from a limestone wet-room and includes 24 hour concierge and the short walk to either Barbican or St Paul’s tube stations

Very close to St Paul’s Cathedral - is this good size THIRD FLOOR, TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT. Enhanced by the HIGH CEILINGS and FULLY FITTED KITCHEN, This property is FULLY FURNISHED throughout in a contemporary style and has smart WOODEN FLOORING. The property has recently been repainted throughout

We helped many people’s wishes come true this year… Reasons why people moved this year: 48% Moved to a bigger home 17% Moved to a new area 11% Invested or redeveloped a property 10% Moved to a smaller home

SALE AGREED

8% Bought a second home

HAGGERSTON

Guide £1,399,950

3% Moved to the UK for a new job 3% Other wishes

SOLD

WAPPING

Guide £1.5 million

HAGGERSTON RD E8

1,878 sq ft

EPC=D

SALE AGREED

WAPPING

Guide £3.25 million

SHOREDITCH

Guide £1.15 million

IVORY HOUSE E1W

950 sq ft

WAPPING LANE E1W

2,657 sq ft

PRINCELET STREET E1

1,054 sq ft

EPC=C

EPC=B

EPC=C

SOLD

WAPPING

Guide £4.6 million

SALE AGREED

WAPPING

Guide £490,000

SHOREDITCH

Guide £550,000

TOWER WALK E1W

4,025 sq ft

WAPPING HIGH ST E1W

515 sq ft

LUKE STREET EC2A

462 sq ft

EPC=C

EPC=D

EPC=C

6326 City Magazine 'Christmas' DPS Advert ART.indd 1

17/11/2015 16:10

6326

LET

CANARY WHARF

Guide £2,077 pw

LET

SHOREDITCH

Guide £820 pw

CANARY WHARF

Guide £505 pw

NEW PROVIDENCE WF E14 3,779 sq ft

EAGLE POINT EC1V

872 sq ft

HERTSMERE ROAD E14

1,004 sq ft

EPC=B

EPC=D

LET

SHOREDITCH

Guide £665 pw

LET

WAPPING

Guide £825 pw

CLERKENWELL

Guide £995 pw

QUILTER STREET E2

991 sq ft

STAR PLACE E1W

1,100 sq ft

SEKFORDE ST EC1R

1,313 sq ft

EPC=E

EPC=B

EPC=F

…Here’s to doing the same in 2016. LET TOWER BRIDGE

16:10

Guide £900 pw

DUCHESS WALK SE1

1,044 sq ft

EPC=B

6326 City Magazine 'Christmas' DPS Advert ART.indd 2

Call us 7 days a week on 020 7877 4640

savills.co.uk

17/11/2015 16:11

ONE OSNABURGH STREET, REGENT'S PARK NW1 ● ● ● ●

Studio 1 Bathroom Approx. 559 sq ft (51.9 sq m) Bespoke contemporary kitchen

● ● ● ●

On site concierge Underfloor heating Regent's Park Station EPC: B

Guide price £695,000 Leasehold For more information, call Bernard Cully 020 3813 5836 or email bernard.cully@eu.jll.com

16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL

jll.co.uk/residential

SOUTHBANK TOWER, SOUTHBANK SE1 ● ● ● ●

1 Bedroom 1 Bathroom Approx. 630 sq ft (58.5 sq m) Fully fitted kitchen

● ● ● ●

Residents' gym 24 Hour concierge Waterloo East station EPC: B

£650 per week Furnished For more information, call Neil Short 020 3813 5949 or email neil.short@eu.jll.com

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

16-17 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LL

jll.co.uk/residential

WARWICK GARDENS, KENSINGTON W14 ● ● ● ●

5 Bedrooms 2 Bathrooms Reception room Dining room

● ● ● ●

Kitchen / breakfast room South facing garden Off street parking Approx. 2,748 sq ft (255 sq m)

POA Freehold For more information, call Robert Lewis 020 3811 2679 or email rlewis@waellis.com

174 Brompton Road London SW3 1HP

waellis.com

JLL&

T I M E

From local to global, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to come together and celebrate. Seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Greetings and happy New Year from us all. jll.co.uk/residential

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TO G E T H E R W E C A N D O M O R E

17/11/2015 18:00:40

CITY MAG ALDGATE OPENING AD 2nd installment Oct 2015.qxp_Layout 1 19/10/2015 11:12 Page 1

Whitechapel Gallery Aldgate East COMMERCIAL

Aldgate

61 AL

MA N ST ET

EET LL STR

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Lloyds Building

LIE

Tower Gateway

Tower Hill ill

020 7680 1888

ROAD

SALES

LETTINGS

STRYPE STREET, E1 Two bed, balcony, 616 sq ft / 57m2

£799,000 epc D

ALIE STREET, E1 Two beds, two baths, 17th floor

£695 pw epc B

NEW HOMES

COMMERCIAL

THE JUNCTION, E1 FROM £540,000 2-3 bed apartments near Wapping epc B

PRIME NEW A1 RETAIL UNITS TO LET Altitude Tower, Aldgate E1. Provisional epcs B-C

CityLiving

@ Aldgate

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NOBLE HOUSE PROPERTIES

YOUR NEW HOME AWAITS

ONLY 2 REMAINING UNITS AVAILABLE. PRICES FROM £675,000

STABLE PLACE, N4 www.stableplace.co.uk

Noble House Proper ties are proud to present their latest offering ‘Stable Place’. A boutique mews development, comprising just nine contemporary homes, all with outside space and set in a private gated mews with landscaped gardens. Featuring both houses and apar tments, Stable Place will appeal to both families and professionals.

NOBLE HOUSE PROPERTIES

ABOUT Less than five minutes’ walk away is Finsbury Park itself, with boating lake, children’s play areas, exhibition space and a café. Finsbury Park and Stroud Green have an eclectic mix of boutique shops, cafes and restaurants amongst the quiet streets of Victorian houses as well as cultural amenities such as the newly formed Park Theatre. The area is home to one of London’s largest regeneration projects which began in 2012 and is due to be completed in 2017. The neighbourhood is rapidly transforming itself into a vibrant ‘go to’ destination whilst maintaining the diversity and ‘buzz’ of the area.

T R AV E L The Victoria and Piccadilly lines are just a five minute walk away; commuters can be in The City or West End in twenty minutes or jump on British Rail to travel out to Her tfordshire and beyond. If you work from home, Finsbury Park has so much to offer and is well wor th a look!

A NEW DEVELOPMENT FROM

020 7858 1090 - enquries@nhplondon.co.uk - www.stableplace.co.uk

Hermitage Court, West Wapping E1W ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 2nd floor 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment within this popular secure West Wapping development.The apartment benefits from open plan lounge and fully fitted kitchen. West facing balcony. Laminate wood floors. Secure underground parking space. Residents Courtyard. Day time porterage. Wellington Terrace, Wapping E1W £695,000 to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill stations. 2Close double bedroom, 2 storey house set within this gated CCTV development. The property has been fully modernised to include double glazing, replacement ceilings, wood floors, , alarm, central heating system operated via remote control, smart phone or internet. Lounge. Fully fitted kitchen. Double bedrooms with fitted wardrobes. Garden. Secure Underground parking space. Potential to extend into the loft subject to planning permission. Close to Wapping station and local amenities.

£820,000

Campania Building, Wapping E1W ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built recently re-furbished 2nd floor 2 bedroom apartment within this riverside development. the apartment benefits from lounge, fitted kitchen, 3 piece bathrooms suite, laminate wood floors and balcony with views of the River Thames. Share of the freehold , secure underground parking space. On-site Tudor House, Tower Bridge, £1,595,000 caretaker. Close to Limehouse stations and local SE1 bus routes.

6th floor luxury 2 Double Bedrooms, 2 Bathrooms, Open Plan Reception Room, large balcony. Master bedroom with en-suite and walk in wardrobe. Modern Integrated Kitchen, Balcony, 24 Hour Porter by Harrods Estates, Residents Gymnasium, Swimming Pool, Lifts to all floors. Close to Local Shopping Facilities, Walking Distance to London Bridge.

£695,000

Ontario Tower E14

Freetrade Wharf, Wapping E1W

Overground and£320 close to Waitrose. Rental Price: Per Week

Rental Price: £395 Per Week

Spice Court, West Wapping E1W

Hermitage Court, West Wapping E1W

ea2 are pleased to offer to rent this larger than average spacious one bedroom apartment ea2 are pleased to offer to rent this executive suite on the 6th floor of this modern built within this popular riverside development.This apartment benefits from a separate fully landmark riverside development.The apartment benefits from an open plan layout and fully Roding Wapping £1,300 per and week fitted kitchen, lounge, bedroom and 3 piece bathroom suite. Residents gymnasium fitted kitchen. Mews, Use of residents gymnasium E1W and conceirge. Close to Canary Wharf district ea2Blackwall are pleased to beAvailable able to23/11/15. show you this 6 bedroom 4 bathroom house for rental gardens. with a 24 garden. This property a only a short distance from both communal Hour concierge / security. is Located and DLR station. thepeople. City and Close Canary Wharf. CloseHill to Limehouse station and local bus routes. very unique property and has views over the canal. Would suit 6 professional to Tower and Wapping

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 2nd floor 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom ea2 are pleased to offer to let this modern built ground and first floor 3 bedroom, apartment within this popular secure West Wapping development.The apartment benefits 2 bathroom duplex apartment within this secure popular west Wapping location.The from open plan lounge and fully fitted kitchen.West facing balcony. £500 Laminate per wood floors. apartment benefits from spacious lounge and fully fitted kitchen, laminate wood floors, Cascades Tower, Docklands E14 week Secure underground parking space. Residents Courtyard. Day time porterage. Close to garden, garage and allocated parking space. On-site caretaker. Located close to St 2 double bedroom, 2 bathroom 11th floor apartment within this secure modern development. Comprising a reception St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill stations. Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill station.

room with water/ City views, fitted kitchen, master bedroom with walk-in wardrobe & en suite bathroom, additional Rental Price: £650 Swimming Per Week Rental Price: £500 Per Week shower room. Balcony. pool, Gymnasium & Tennis court. Concierge.

To celebrate our 10th anniversary, we will be offering new clients a

discount on our award winning sales,

lettings and management services

off our award winning sales, lettings and management services. This truly is a unique opportunity to receive the very best service in the property industry at a discounted rate.

City Office

Tel: 020 7538 9250

Tel: 020 7377 5788

docklands@lourdes-estates.com

Recent Awards

city@lourdes-estates.com

Accreditations Lourdes Estate Agents is one of the few agencies who are fully accredited by:

Sales Agency

Winner

Female Estate Agent

Winner

• The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) • National Association of Estate Agents (NAEA) • Safe Agent • London Rental Standard (LRS)

Newcomer

Winner

Lettings Agency

Winner

• National Approved Lettings Scheme (NALS) • The Property Ombudsman (TPO)

www.lourdes-estates.com

City office 020 7377 5788 city@lourdes-estates.com

The Listed Building, The Highway E1W This stunning four bedroom apartment is located in the Grade II The Listed Building situated in the Wapping Wall conservation area. Such apartments with a wealth of space are rarely available on the open market. This apartment has breath-taking views across the river Thames and towards the iconic Canary Wharf skyline.

ÂŁ2,100,000

Naylor Building East, 15 Adler Street, E1 Spacious three bedroom duplex apartment with park views in the popular Aldgate Triangle, E1. This contemporary property offers a large lounge and dining area with direct access to a private patio, a separate modern fitted kitchen with integrated appliances, a bright master bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the park, two further bedrooms, a family bathroom suite and en-suite shower room to the master.

ÂŁ765 Per week

City office: 20 White Church Lane, Aldgate, London, E1 7QR city@lourdes-estates.com I 020 7377 5788

ELEPHANT & CASTLE

SHOW HOME OPEN SATURDAYS 11AM - 4PM An architectural gem in the heart of Elephant and Castle, exceptional in both quality and design. ‘Randall Court’ showcases contemporary London living. Seven boutique style 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments located in Zone 1 just south of the River Thames. Elephant & Castle station offers services into Waterloo and London Bridge in just 4 minutes, the City in 6 minutes and Victoria and Canary Wharf in under 16 minutes.

12 Steedman Street, Elephant & Castle SE17 3AF

FOR SAlE Prices From: £495,000

For more information please contact:

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PROPERTY SHOWCASE

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boutique development, exceptional in both quality and design, is setting new standards for sustainable, practical and contemporary London living. Randall Court is an exclusive development showcasing spectacular one and two bedroom apartments with balconies and views of the Shard. The bespoke crafted kitchens are fully equipped with integrated appliances by Siemens, while the luxurious bathrooms and en-suites are finished with a range of Duravit sanitary ware, Hansgrohe taps, as well as heated cabinet mirrors and ample vanity storage. Randall Court is located in Elephant & Castle positioned in Zone 1, just south of the River Thames. Elephant & Castle station offers services into Waterloo and London Bridge in just four minutes, the City in six minutes and Victoria and Canary Wharf in under 16 minutes.

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Randall Court is an exclusive development showcasing spectacular one and two bedroom apartments

pRICEs from ÂŁ495,000

Randall Court, SE17 020 7089 6566 acornnewhomes.co.uk

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INVESTMENT PORTFOLIO East beats west The sight of cranes is becoming ever more familiar in east London as developers continue to focus heavily on the area to meet demand from investors, conscious of the facts and figures indicating that during 2015 it was often the east’s boroughs leading house price growth. Here, we round up three brand new developments worth taking note of.

Aldgate Place It lies on the border of the City’s financial district and the creative industries clustered around Shoreditch and Spitalfields, and, being close to Whitechapel, the investment potential for Aldgate Place is also linked closely to the arrival of a Crossrail station in 2018. Designed by architects Allies and Morrison, the substantial development spans three residential towers, with 465 properties including one, two and three bedroom apartments and three and four bedroom duplexes. Landscape architects Townshend have ensured that despite the busy, highly central location, outdoor space is well considered. Residents can enjoy open areas and communal gardens as well

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as generous balconies and private winter gardens with selected apartments. Gary Patrick, Regional Sales Director of Barratt London, gives an insight into the attention it has garnered so far. “We are receiving considerable interest from owner occupiers, who wish to live close to their work as well as the local entertainment cores of east London, and investors that are drawn to the area due to the capital growth Aldgate is expected to achieve.” from £709,000 for a one bedroom apartment Aldgate Place, E1 0844 225 0032 barratthomes.co.uk

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St Paul’s Square With previous experience in the area, property developer Countryside has referenced Land Registry data on the 17 per cent increase in E3 postcode homes this year up to June 2015 as evidence for its renewed presence in the Bow area. Its latest development, St Paul’s Square, offers one, two, three and four bedroom apartments, which have now been made available to purchase off-plan, and have varied layouts in order to suit a range of potential buyers. Enclosed by a landscaped square, the properties are also close to Mile End Park and Regent’s Canal and are a short walking distance from both Mile End station and the DLR at Devons Road. from £339,950 for a one bedroom apartment St Paul’s Square, E3 07900 769 752 stpauls-square-bow.co.uk

Royal Quay The growth of east London has seen an increasing number of buildings with industrial pasts come onto the market and London developer Regal Homes has developed a warehouse with an attractive waterside location. Located by Limehouse Cut, London’s oldest canal, Royal Quay offers 96 properties with a mix of studios, one and two bedroom apartments. Retaining some of its historical character with the original façade, high ceilings and exposed brickwork in place, the interiors take a more contemporary stance with white high gloss cabinets in the kitchen and hotel style bathrooms with porcelain tiles and chrome fittings. The DLR stations at Westferry and Limehouse, which also offers National Rail services, are close by for those considering a new commute. from £420,000 for a one bedroom apartment Royal Quay, E14 020 7328 7171 regal-homes.co.uk

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THE CITY MAGAZINE | December 2015

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Insider Knowledge

JLLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ANNUAL RESIDENTIAL FORECASTS Diana Alam, Head of Residential Development Sales, JLL

1. JLLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual residential forecasts have just been released, what are you predicting for house price growth in 2016? We are expecting a period of sustained growth and stability in the UK housing market in 2016 as activity levels respond to supporting factors such as real wage growth and record low mortgage rates. Sound fundamentals are driving a confidence in the market not seen since 2007 and whilst Government initiatives aimed at boosting supply are all very evident, the push for homeownership may exacerbate a housing divide between those who can afford to buy a home through Help to Buy or Starter Homes, and those who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Looking at our national house price forecasts, whilst the overall market will move steadily forward, there will be regional variations that will see London and the South East as the strongest performing markets for price growth. In contrast, Prime London will demonstrate weaker price growth as the effects of a rise in Stamp Duty continue to dominate. The table (right) details our forecasts for house price growth and rental growth, together with activity and development in terms of housing transactions and completions from 2016-2020.

Demand for rental accommodation has accelerated quickly over the past decade 2. How is the rental market performing in comparison? Demand for rental accommodation has accelerated quickly over the past decade and there is little to suggest this trend will run out of steam anytime soon. With supply constraints possible in the medium-term, we believe there will be additional upward pressures on rents over the next five years. Significantly, the number of rented households has escalated from just 2.3 million, or 11 per cent of all households, ten years ago, to 4.4 million, or 19.4 per cent of all households today. Current trends also suggest that the number and proportion of private renters are set to rise further in the medium-term, driven largely by housing unaffordability and onerous deposits. Government initiatives such as 20 per cent discounted starter homes offer some hope for would-be young homebuyers, but this is unlikely to reverse, or even notably alter, the strong upward march of the private rented sector, which is already the most active part of the domestic housing market.

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LIVE IN AMAZING KING’S CROSS The Regent’s Canal with Granary Square and the University of the Arts beyond.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE PLACE You have restaurants, cafes, parks and fountains; you have shops, squares and the joys of a canal; you have the best national and international rail connections in London and an extraordinary choice of some of the Capital’s most extraordinary homes. Move in now and experience living at King’s Cross.

You have 6 tube lines, 3 mainline stations and a Eurostar. Live just 5 minutes from Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus and Covent Garden and a mere 8 minutes from Victoria.

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DEVELOPMENT SHOWCASE

Computer generated image of Hungate, York

Show apartment at Hungate, York

York Minster

Riverside Retreat Major residential development in historic City of York offers yields of up to 5.5 per cent for investors

he City of York is undergoing a major transformation with nearly 200 new homes currently being built in the heart of the city, with more planned for the coming years. Hungate is an exciting new £150 million mixed-use development. Located within the historic city walls the current phase sees a mix of one, two and three bedroom apartments due to complete in autumn 2016. The development, which is owned by Hungate York Regeneration Ltd, a joint venture between Lendlease, the integrated property and infrastructure group, and Evans Property Group, includes 195 homes, with a starting price of £166,500 for a one bedroom that has the potential

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to deliver up to an impressive 5.5 per cent rental yield. The riverside scheme is located a two minute walk from the heart of York and is the only new-build residential development currently underway inside the city’s historic walls. Residents will enjoy impressive views of the River Foss and the picturesque university city of York and will benefit from a range of sustainable building practices and innovations. Richard Cook, Lendlease’s head of residential, said: “The central location of these homes will see residents enjoy fantastic views of the river and of the historic city. The homes have been designed to be sympathetic to the surrounding city, with high quality finishes and manicured landscapes for potential home-buyers.” The City of York offers a fantastic opportunity for investors, with a

growing population, coupled with a top 20-ranked university, generating strong tenant demand. Hungate’s immediate surroundings are also benefiting from a major commercial development from insurance firm Hiscox, as well as plans for a new hotel. The homes at Hungate have been designed in keeping with the historic architecture, whilst still featuring a modern design. The development is centrally located near a range of shops and restaurants, and York’s main attractions. A range of cycle routes nearby and storage for bicycles within the residential complex will also contribute to the ease of travel within York.

Prices from £166,500

Hungate, Y01 0190 4676 797 homesbylendlease.co.uk/hungate

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