The City Magazine January 2014 by Runwild Media Group

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CONTENTS

JANUARY2014

COVER IMAGE: Pierce Brosnan, shot by Terry O’Neill for Hackett London, Interview, p. 12

76 19

108 48

features

play

12 STYLE SPY

88 GOLF MAJORS ON PERFORMANCE

Pierce Brosnan turns on the charm in a unique photoshoot by Terry O’Neill for Hackett

All eyes are back on Volkswagen with the launch of their new GTI

19 DINNER WITH THE DAREDEVILS

NEIL BRISCOE gets behind the wheel of the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, an absolute legend in motor-racing

From Mayfair to the mountains, Ben Fogle talks wining, dining and living life on the edge

24 PSYCHO ON STAGE American Psycho makes its mark in London as one of the last stories you’d expect to be told by musical theatre

26 WHISPERS FROM THE PAST JACK WATKINS gets acquainted with our predecessors through a new book that delves into the world of Georgian London

style 48 BEST FASHION FORWARD JACK PHILLIPS looks at the brands using London as a platform to the international design stage

90 IF IT LOOKS LIKE A MILLION DOLLARS…

travel 108 BLUE PLANET KARI ROSENBERG escapes to the Maldives to unwind and explore the marvels of its crystal clear waters

112 FOR ALL SEASONS Indulge in a luxury alpine escape, offering skiing excellence for both families and sporting enthusiasts

regulars 31

fashion

MOTORing

work

WATches + Jewellery

food & drink

76 MAKING A COMEBACK

work

103 travel

play

117 Property

ANDY ROSENBAUM charts a positive turn of events for UK banks

work | Opinion

january

Published by

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood

Managing Editor emma johnson

Deputy Editor Richard Brown

Motoring Editor Matthew Carter

Collection Editor annabel harrison

Editorial Assistant tiffany eastland

staff Writer

Amy-Louise Roberts

Senior Designer DANIEL POOLE

Brand Consistency Laddawan Juhong

General Manager

Gavin Haines

Jack Watkins

JACK PHILLIPS

Lucie Dodds

Gavin Haines is a freelance journalist and photographer based in London. When he’s not writing for The City Magazine, he is weaving words together for the BBC, The Independent and National Geographic Traveller. He has reported on a broad range of topics, but specialises in interviews, lifestyle features and travel writing.

Jack Watkins is a freelance journalist, writing on history and heritage. He has been published in The Independent, The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, while his interviews with actors are frequently featured in Country Life. He particularly loves soul and rockabilly, writing for music magazines like Record Collector and Vintage Rock.

Jack Phillips is a writer, radio producer and multimedia contentmaker based in London. He writes for a variety of premium magazine titles with a sharp focus on arts and culture and has recently finished a feature-length radio documentary on cultural identity in Brazil for Monocle 24 Radio.

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

JOsephine O’DONOGHUE

Matthew Carter

Neil Briscoe

Andy Rosenbaum

Based in the Cotswolds, Josephine has worked as a writer and editor for six years, specialising in lifestyle, travel, culture and local features. This month, she provides an essential guide to new year health and beauty solutions.

Former editor of both Autocar and Classic and Sports Car, Matthew Carter has been a motoring journalist for longer than he cares to admit. He currently owns three cars: a city-friendly VW up! and two classic Alfas – a 1960 Giulietta Sprint Veloce and a brutal SZ. He has been motoring editor since the beginning.

Neil has been a car critic for 15 years, and still hasn’t lived down the shame of the time he was overtaken by a Daweoo Matiz while driving a new Alfa Romeo. He lives in Ireland but travels all over the world to drive new cars, and sometimes even remembers to drive on the correct side of the road. His favourite car is a Series 1 1948 Land Rover.

Andrew Rosenbaum is a financial journalist who also writes about food and wine. For the past 15 years he has lived and worked around Europe, covering international economics, banking, corporate finance, along with the best restaurants, recipes and vintages. He writes for the Wall Street Journal, the Sunday Telegraph and MSN Money.

Fiona Fenwick

Production ALEX POWELL Hugo Wheatley oscar viney

Property Director Samantha Ratcliffe

COMMUNICATIONS Loren Penney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Managing Director Eren Ellwood

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Members of the Professional Publishers Association Runwild Media Ltd. cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts and photographs. While every care is taken, prices and details are subject to change and Runwild Media Ltd. take no responsibility for omissions or errors. We reserve the right to publish and edit any letters. All rights reserved. Subscriptions: A free online subscription service is available for The City Magazine. Visit the subscriptions page on our website. www.rwmg.co.uk/subscribe

8 THE CITY xxxxxxx 2013

Also published by

Dear Resident

On behalf of the Belgravia Residents Association and the Belgravia Residents’ Journal we would like to wish you a very merry Christmas. However you choose to spend your time over the festive period, we hope family and friends will bring you abundant joy. We’ve headed to the streets this month to ask a few familiar faces which gifts they would most like to find wrapped under the tree this year, as well as the presents that they might be purchasing for lucky recipients. Our Belgravians are a most discerning lot, with impeccable taste, flick to page … for gift inspiration.

BELGRAVIA

As the party invitations start to flood through our letterboxes, we have rounded up some of our favourite events happening right on your doorstep this month on the Calendar page (p. ), as well as speaking to Sue Liberman, the busiest lady in Belgravia, who has organised the Motcomb Street Christmas Party – an event we look forward to every year. The Journal has also investigated what we can expect from the Elizabeth Street Christmas Party and eagerly anticipates both events with barely contained excitement.

Resident’s Journal

Please do not hesitate to get in contact with your news and updates, email Belgravia@residentsjournal.co.uk. We look forward to bringing you all of the latest local news and features in 2014. Until next year…

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

Editor-in-Chief Lesley Ellwood Managing Director Eren Ellwood Senior Designer JANUARY Sophie Blain

Publishing Director Giles Ellwood Associate Publisher Sophie Roberts

Above / Interior of Mosimann's private dining club (p. 7)

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Relationship Director 2 0 1 4 • Client IssU e 20 Felicity Morgan-Harvey

Editorial Assistant Jennifer Mason

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Production Hugo Wheatley, Alex Powell, Oscar Viney

Head of Finance Elton Hopkins

Member of the Professional Publishers Association / ppa.co.uk

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FROM THE EDITOR January arrives like an unwelcome visitor after the festivities of the previous month. A somewhat sharp shock following the excesses of New Year’s Eve, the return to the office can be a tough ask for even the most committed of workers, and those long dark months from January to March always feel like a bit of an ordeal. Still, onward and upward... And there will be plenty to look forward to this year – World Cup anyone? Oh, wait... I said look forward to.... Well, there will be numerous other sporting diversions to amuse and distract. Andy Murray will defend his Wimbledon title – likely to be gripping stuff – while the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will see Sir Chris Hoy attempt to compete one last time for gold on home soil before his rumoured retirement. It’s the stuff great headlines are made of. Elsewhere, in the business world, reports of an economic upturn mean good things for UK banks (p. 76) while the opening of American Psycho the musical in Islington should provide a rather humorous look at life (and death) in the rat race, (p. 24). We are honoured this month to feature Pierce Brosnan as our cover star. His exclusive shoot for Hackett with renowned photographer Terry O’Neill has produced a series of striking images, which capture not only Brosnan’s warmth and style, but his charisma and playful side too (p. 12). Our fashion shoot provides inspiration for stylish winter woollens to keep out the cold (p. 40) and Ben Fogle reminds us that, however hard that morning commute might be, it’s nothing compared to walking across cracking crevasse fields, with a mile-long drop beneath you (p. 19). Terrifying stuff. Wishing you all the best for a prosperous 2014...

Emma Johnson Managing Editor

10 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

www.bachet.fr

style spy Playing Bond means being constantly expected to ooze effortless charm and style – luckily for Pierce Brosnan, this seems to come quite naturally. Fresh from recreating classic cinematic images with renowned photographer Terry O’Neill in a unique photoshoot for British heritage brand Hackett, he talks about enduring style, finding your niche and living up to expectations WORDS: CHRIS RITCHIE

ierce Brosnan walks in, hair swept back, immaculate in a dark blue suit. It’s 12 years since Die Another Day, his last role as James Bond, but you would never know. Brosnan is 60 but doesn’t look a day over 40, still every bit the secret agent. Connery and Moore have said it’s a role that never leaves you, and they’re right. Today, all that’s missing is the martini. I try to imagine him unkempt, in a jeans and a t-shirt – but I can’t. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it. He probably does the gardening in brogues and a three-piece suit. A handy trait, then, for the debonair actor who has just finished shooting an exclusive set of images with the inimitable Terry O’Neill. Entitled The Leading Man, the images (which you see on the following pages) are part of a campaign with heritage fashion brand Hackett and see the Bond star featuring in a set of seven timeless, cinematic shots, wearing Hackett’s Mayfair collection throughout. “I loved the whole shoot with Terry O’Neill,” explain Brosnan. “He has worked with two of my favourite heroes from the world of movie making, Sean Connery and Steve McQueen, so to replicate his own work with these two great icons in the context of the shoot for Hackett, was a wonderful challenge and a memorable experience.” Not only was Brosnan the perfect English gent for the shoot, but O’Neill’s six decades of experience, shooting everybody from Frank Sinatra to David Bowie, made him an exciting and dynamic creative partner for the actor to work with. Capturing the many facets of Brosnan’s character for Hackett, the idea of The Leading Man conjures images of a charismatic, playful man, in control of his life and his work, with a cheeky smile never far from the camera. “Brosnan is in some ways typically English – he’s played Bond and he has a resonance with our customers, and he’s a bit more mature. He has an international reputation and a huge following,” says brand founder Jeremy Hackett of working with him on the shoot.

IMAGE: Terry Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill for Hackett London

interview

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 13

IMAGE: Terry Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neill for Hackett London

IMAGE: Terry O’Neill for Hackett London

IMAGE: Behind the scenes at Terry O’Neill for Hackett London

IMAGE: Terry O’Neill for Hackett London

interview

Typical, classic, smart – all words associated with Brosnan – so it should come as no surprise that as an actor, Brosnan is equally old school. He was a film fanatic who studied and modelled himself on Cary Grant for his early roles, and he still carries that debonair gentleman with him. His look is classic, ageless. The expensive overcoats and Italian leather shoes are about style, not arrogance. There’s a humility to Brosnan that complements his elegance. “Humility is essential I think because acting is such a capricious thing,” he says. “You are constantly being challenged, in that you have to show up and perform. People are going to pay you a lot of money to do the work and then other people are going to pay money to see you – so you have to be there for the people. “And for yourself as an artist to stay alive and try to get better all the time, you want to be in the game as long as you can; you want to be at the table playing.” With Brosnan you imagine this is because he never intended to become an actor, although he feels blessed for the career that has presented itself. “I came upon acting almost accidentally while working as a graphic artist in London at a small studio, although I basically cleaned the office and made tea for people. One day I was talking to a guy in the photo department about movies and he said: ‘You should come along to the Oval House Theatre, they’re doing a workshop.’ “I had no idea what a workshop was. I went there on a winter’s evening. I had to lie down on the floor, hum, get up, wander around, explore people’s faces – it was experimental theatre. And that’s how it started…

somehow that night at the Oval House turned into a great exploration of self and the excitement about the possibility of becoming an actor.” He describes Bond as a “gift that just keeps giving” – he’s still grateful for the chance, but admits that even post-Bond, acting is a tough gig. “I like to work, and I hustle. I have hustled all my life for my career. I have always just found work and sometimes it really hits the mark, and other times it just goes by the wayside, but I’ve always worked. I have brought home the bacon so to speak, and that’s still going on. “I have a company – one of the gifts from James Bond was creating Irish Dream Time and a partnership with my good friend Belle Marie St. Claire, to be able to find work that I wouldn’t normally have been given. Something like The Matador for instance, because I had painted myself into a corner with a certain performance, a look, so it’s a challenge.” It’s fair to say, that despite the considerable success Brosnan has achieved, his life has been an uncertain one. He was born in Drogheda, County Louth in southern Ireland, but lived in County Meath. His father, a carpenter, abandoned the family when Brosnan was an infant and his mother moved to London to work as a nurse when he was four. From that point he lived with his grandparents until their deaths, before being moved to more relatives and, eventually, boarding school. He was then reunited with his mother, May, in London and was educated there. He described discovering acting as “liberation” – something that he was good at, the greatest satisfaction of his life.

“You are constantly being challenged, in that you have to show up and perform. People are going to pay you a lot of money to do the work and then other people are going to pay money to see you – so you have to be there for the people”

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 15

From top to bottom: Pierce Brosnan alongside Judi Dench as M in The World Is Not Enough; shaken not stirred in Die Another Day; armed and dangerous in Die Another Day; Brosnan alongside Catherine Banning in The Thomas Crown Affair

Brosnan began getting work at York Theatre Royal, making his acting debut in Wait Until Dark, and then in Tennessee Williams’ The Red Devil Battery Sign, to considerable critical acclaim. He’d go on to make cameos in the likes of the Bob Hoskins classic The Long Good Friday and The Mirror Crack’d in 1980. It was, however, America where Brosnan first found fame with Remington Steele. It was his late wife, Cassandra Harris, who died of cancer in 1991, who had convinced him to move to America. “We went to Los Angeles on a wing and a prayer. And the first audition I went on was for Remington Steele, and I got the job. And I had no idea what to do; Bob Butler was the director, and he said: ‘It’s an old movie.’ So I looked at Cary Grant movies and tried to be Cary Grant.” He was earmarked for Bond as early as 1986 – but it wasn’t until eight years later that he was announced to play the part, going on to appear in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies and The World is Not Enough before Die Another Day. “I think doing James Bond was a baptism by fire,” he says now. “I just remember my first press conference and it was utterly terrifying. And then promoting those films was just otherworldly, in terms of meeting the world press, so I had a lot of practice at it. It doesn’t necessarily mean it gets easier, but you get wiser and you just sort of leave

yourself alone and you try to keep it as simple as possible and you listen to the questions and you try to find an honest answer within yourself. “You have done the film and hopefully the film works and you are satisfied with it, you can’t please everyone and you will get certain comments that won’t please you, and they’ll wind you up if you look for them,” he says. Not just a baptism of fire but a catalyst, Bond propelled Brosnan to one of the world’s most recognisable stars. It means that now he’s able to pick and choose his roles, moving from heavier to lighter roles, and in the past decade, he’s enjoyed something of a renaissance with the unlikely hit Mamma Mia, Matador, Love is all You Need and Love Punch. “I’ve become very comfortable with the comedy genre in recent years. I’ve done a lot of dramas, I’ve done Bond, I’ve done films like The Thomas Crown Affair which had a certain elegance to it, and comedy was something that still held a certain allure and challenge. “At this stage in my life, I want to do more lighthearted films, although I’m still going to do the odd drama or thriller like Ghost Writer (a 2010 film directed by Roman Polanski) or November Man (directed by Roger Donaldson and scheduled for release in 2014). I’m not looking to prove myself anymore.” Brosnan says that acting still takes “courage and a healthy ego” – but, throughout our interview, credits his wife, Keely Shaye-Smith, a journalist and environmentalist, as his muse and rock, helping him through various “darker times” in his life. The pair met at a Hollywood benefit in 1994, and have two sons, Dylan, 16, and Paris, 12, and divide their time between homes in Kauai, Hawaii, and Malibu, California. His adopted daughter Charlotte tragically died in June 2013 from ovarian cancer, the same illness that claimed her mother’s life. “It’s very rare to find great love twice in one’s life,” he says. “When I met Keely I thought I had a chance to experience that incredible feeling again and I was right. I never expected it to happen but when it did it restored some of my faith in life in a very fundamental and beautiful way. It’s an extraordinary thing. “It will be 20 years next April and it’s been a wonderful journey together. It’s more than just the love you feel for someone, it’s also the sense of companionship and friendship, which is what keeps you together in the long run.” Brosnan, nowadays, is part of a family – and though he admits he misses his family “terribly” when he’s

IMAGE: Terry O’Neill for Hackett London

interview

away on set, he shows no signs of slowing down. “I just turned 60 in May,” he says. “So I am freshly minted and one tries to maintain that. I’m having the time of my life and I embrace it.” He puts his fitness down to “pilates, tennis, stress and work” – and thus has no plans of retiring. “No, I never think about it myself. You’d just fall off the twig, and really, what would I do? I have been an actor for so many years and, God willing, I will continue to be an actor for years to come.”

A life in Style: Pierce Brosnan Q. What’s the best style lesson you have ever learnt? Always make sure your fly is done up before going out the door. Keep it simple. Head up, shoulders back and smile. Q. What one item in your wardrobe can you not live without? My brown Bottega Veneta slip-on shoes and their belts. And the new Nike sneakers Air Free. Q. You spend time in different parts of the world including LA, Hawaii and London; how does your style differ in each location? Hawaii is shorts and flip flops and an old short sleeved, well worn shirt. London is dark jeans, white shirts and a well-cut Hackett jacket. LA is blue jeans, sneakers and a great shirt from Armani. Q. Is there anything you wouldn’t go on holiday without? Sunglasses: many pairs. Drawing pads and good pencils....iPhone and Bose headphones. And a great bag to carry it all; I have many.

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 17

feature

Dinner with the daredevils Jellyfish don’t like beards, there is Champagne at the South Pole and the M25 is best experienced on foot. Gavin Haines learns all this and more at a dinner party with Ben Fogle

en Fogle has a lucky cigar. He rolled it himself in Cuba and since then the panatela has accompanied the TV adventurer on his most dangerous expeditions. He hopes to never smoke it, because it would be the last thing he does. “I have it for that Hamlet moment, just in case it all goes horribly wrong,” says Ben, sporting a thick beard and a tan that contrasts rather embarrassingly with my pallid winter hue. “Luckily, it has never been lit.” Ben is best known for his gruelling adventures in some of the most inhospitable parts of the world, so it seems surreal to be chatting to him in Mayfair’s sumptuous 34 restaurant. But despite his rugged reputation, he is a metropolitan man with a taste for the good life. “People are surprised, but I love London and I like my luxuries,” he says. “I like restaurants and parties and the culture London has to offer. Half my childhood was spent here; I grew up between

Portman Square and a farmhouse in Sussex.” He still lives in the capital, sharing a home near Wormwood Scrubs with his wife, Marina, and their two children. The Scrubs is a green oasis in London and gives Ben the “best of both worlds.” Although ubiquitous on our screens – Ben fronts shows for the BBC, ITV, Sky, Discovery and Channel 5 – his punishing schedule makes him a hard man to pin down. However, Johnnie Walker and Alfred Dunhill have succeeded tonight where others have failed and Ben is at 34 to host a dinner party on behalf of the luxury marques. The lavish reception is designed to promote the launch of a limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Alfred Dunhill gift pack. Ben knows the drill and explains the concept. “This dinner I’m hosting for Johnnie Walker and Alfred Dunhill is about collaboration and shared journeys,” he says, looking sharp in a navy three-piece suit. “They said I could invite whoever I like and my real passion right now is

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 19

celebrating other adventurers.” Ben certainly indulged that passion when he drew up the guest list, which includes Dee Caffari, the most accomplished yachtswoman in the world, Sean Conway, the only person to have swum from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and Alastair Humphreys, a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year. But this isn’t just about fellow trailblazers. “It’s about achievement in all areas,” says Ben. “That’s why we have people like David Gandy coming – he became the first international male supermodel and that was no easy task.” Ben has also invited his beautiful wife, Marina, and personal trainer, Bernie Shrosbree, who he describes as an unsung hero. But who would be his ultimate dinner guest? “Ernest Shackleton,” he says. “A year before Scott reached the South Pole, and perished on the way back, Shackleton got to within 100 miles. But he knew food was low, he knew that if he continued the chances of making it back were slim and that his men might perish, so he turned back. “Shackleton said it was better to be ‘a live donkey than a dead lion’. There are many people who would prefer to die a lion, but I have always been someone who likes having a go as far as it is safe.” Ben looks back with an obvious admiration for these early explorers, who ushered in a golden age of polar exploration. “When you go into Scott’s hut in Antarctica it is full of foie gras and Champagne,” says the presenter, who filmed a documentary about the polar explorer called The Secrets of Scott’s Hut. “They lived the highlife when they were out there, it wasn’t like expeditions nowadays.”

Conquering television Ben first hit our screens in 2000 appearing on the reality show, Castaway, which followed the fortunes of 36 people marooned on an island in the Outer Hebrides. It was one of television’s first social experiments and participants were challenged to create a self-sufficient community within a year. Those who stuck it out succeeded, but for Ben the real glory came afterwards when he was offered jobs in television. He has since fronted shows such as Countryfile, Wild in Africa and Swimming with Crocodiles, a programme he considered pulling out of for fear of being eaten alive. However, that wasn’t the closest he came to his ‘Hamlet moment.’ “In the South Pole we found ourselves walking over a crevasse field, which is about the most dangerous place you can be,” he says. “We could

“We could hear the ice cracking beneath us, which was terrifying because if you fall through, you can fall up to a mile below” hear the ice cracking beneath us which was terrifying because if you fall through, you can fall up to a mile below.” More recently, Ben has been filming a Channel 5 series called New Lives in the Wild, which will interest anyone who has considered quitting the rat race for a humble life in the sticks. “It is about professional people – bankers, city workers, photographers – who have woken up one day and decided they want to go off grid,” he says. “We covered the amazing story of a man called Ian Usher who eBayed his entire life – his house, his car, an interview for his job – to buy an island off the coast of Panama.” Ben has plenty more shows in the pipeline and will soon be jetting off to Russia to cover the Winter Olympics for NBC. “I will be the Clare Balding of America,” he laughs. Somehow the affable adventurer makes time to be a “hands on father”, and even harbours political ambitions. “My wife thinks it’s the most ludicrous idea, but it’s always been something that interests me,” he says. “But that’s something for the future. There is no natural home for me right now – they’re all the same.”

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHNNIE WALKER® BLUE LABEL™ & Alfred Dunhill ‘A Journey Shared’ Dinner

interview

Ben Fogle was in London to host the ‘A Journey Shared’ private drinks and dinner reception to launch the new limited edition Johnnie Walker® Blue Label™ & Alfred Dunhill giftpack

Ben Fogle & David Gandy

Adventurer Sean Conway

Left to right: Ben Fogle, Olivia Inge, David Gandy & Heather Kerzner

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 21

interview

It’s easy to scoff at Ben’s political aspirations (especially as he started reading politics at Birmingham University only to drop out), but you have to admire his enthusiasm for new ventures. He is clearly passionate, but not just about his own achievements; when Sean Conway arrives he seems genuinely awed.

Hairy moments Sean recently became the first person to swim from Land’s End to John O’ Groats and he is a joy to interview. His beard is quite something too, but it’s not a fashion statement. “After a week of swimming, when I had a bit of a beard, I realised that my face wasn’t getting stung quite so much by jellyfish,” he laughs. “So I just let it grow.” Getting stung was “the worst part” of his supported, four-and-a-half month swim. “It feels like your face is on fire – back on the boat it was really hard to sleep because my face was stinging so much,” he says. “The big crossings were also tough; psychologically it’s really hard when you can’t see land.” Curious sea lions and playful dolphins were a welcome distraction in the choppy waters and Sean was overwhelmed by the crowd that gathered to congratulate him at John O’ Groats. “When I got out of the water I just started crying – and I’m not a crier,” he says. However, Sean is an experienced adventurer, having cycled around the world and climbed Kilimanjaro, which he did dressed as a penguin. “I don’t like to take myself too seriously,” he says. “I wouldn’t call myself a

22 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

daredevil; I just like to do quirky things.” Sean is already planning his next adventure; a run from Land’s End to John O’ Groats. “I cycled it in 2008 and now I have swum it, so to complete my triathlon, I’m going to run it next summer,” he says. “One of the charities I support is Save the Rhinos and I’m considering running it in a rhino costume – I have put it to a vote on my website so we will see.” The modest adventurer is keen to deflect the attention from his own achievements and steers me towards Alastair Humphreys, who describes himself as being like Ben Fogle, but without the “TV shows and really hot wife.” He does himself a disservice because as well as completing epic adventures – he rowed across the Atlantic, cycled around the world and walked across India – he has carved himself a niche as a microadventurer.“Not everyone can quit their jobs and row across the Atlantic and I want to prove that you can squeeze an adventure into whatever time you have,” he says. With that in mind Alastair completed a series of micro-challenges which included, most famously, walking around the M25. “It was a physical challenge, I went to places I had never been before, I saw some beautiful stuff and I met interesting people,” he says. “Those are all things I wanted to experience cycling around the world and I got them from that short week walking around the M25. These challenges are just as valid, just as adventurous.” And apparently, beards are optional.

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16/12/2013 15:22

PSYCHO ON STAGE Islington welcomes a new musical thriller to the Almeida Theatre, with the opening of American Psycho WORDS: JOSEPHINE O’DONOGHUE

ne of the most infamous, intriguing and intense horror novels (and later films) of all time, American Psycho has made the move to theatre and arrived in London for shows throughout December and January. As journalist Edward Seckerson notes, it is a “crazy but brilliant idea” – this is, after all, the last story you might expect to be told via the medium of musical theatre – but bizarrely, it works fantastically well. Widely acknowledged as one of the most disturbing novels of the 20th century, the story of American Psycho was hugely controversial on publication, but is today considered to be a modern satirical classic. Seated deep within the narcissistic Wall Street, in psychopath Patrick Bateman, Bret Easton Ellis sired one of the most iconic characters of our time – a deep and disturbing perversion of the American dream and as Seckerson states, “a sick twist on the ‘greed is good’ culture of the 80s”. Music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik frame this now infamous tale of boom and bust as it opens on stage, wrapped up in a synthetic fog of electronic sounds and carefully penned lyrics.“There was a young guy called Jesse Singer,” explained Sheik to Seckerson in an interview for the Almeida Theatre. “He optioned the rights from Bret and had this crazy idea of turning American Psycho into a musical […] “I was a little bit loathe to jump into it at first because I had read the book in college […] I had a rough time with it, found it really off-putting […] but then when I re-read the book in 2009 I found it to be this kind of amazing text – something I could really sink my teeth into. “Once I’d read the novel and got excited about it, it was relatively easy to understand how to write from the perspective of these characters.” Adding an extra dimension of interest, Matt Smith is leading the cast as he steps into the part of Patrick Bateman, alongside actors Ben Aldridge, Charlie Anson, Jonathan Bailey, Katie Brayben, Cassandra Compton, Holly Dale Spencer, Susannah Fielding, Simon Gregory, Holly James, Lucie Jones, Tom Kay, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Eugene McCoy and Hugh Skinner. “We talked an enormous amount about precedent,” said Rupert Goold, the Almeida Theatre’s artistic director (twice the recipient of the Laurence Olivier, Critics’ Circle and Evening Standard Awards for Best Director and BAFTA nominee). Casting someone who is so famous for other iconic roles (Doctor Who, in Smith’s case – with his final TV appearance as the Doctor coming

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“Matt Smith is a wonderful stage performer and the perfect actor, to not only to lead our exceptional cast, but also for my first show as artistic director here at the Almeida.” Rupert Goold

in the middle of his theatre run, in the Christmas special) always comes with a risk, but Goold was certain it would work. “Matt Smith is a wonderful stage performer” he said to the BBC, “and the perfect actor, not only to lead our exceptional cast, but also for my first show as artistic director here at the Almeida. “There is a danger of being too sympathetic [to the character]” explained Goold in an interview with Seckerson. “That strange thing of the nature of theatre – uniquely as an art form – if you put a man or woman alone on stage your compassion just pours towards them – whatever they’re doing – and that’s very powerful”. It seems they’ve found the ideal balance in Smith, who is equally confident, telling the BBC that, “the opportunity to work with Rupert Goold, a director of great vision and flair, combined with the brilliant story and music, seemed like such a cool challenge.” Sheik’s score is a triumph – certainly not music traditional to the genre and Smith is quite right when he terms it “brilliant”. “Initially I thought this could be really interesting if the score was completely electronic” said Sheik. “Using sounds that are completely inorganic and thinking about this set of people who are only interested in the surfaces of things – how they look and what they wear; their insides are ignored or pushed down at everyone’s peril.” An extremely powerful narrative – with added poignancy for an audience slowly emerging from the current, crippling recession – the re-telling of this disturbing tale, accented with Sheik’s incredible score is like nothing seen on stage before. The speed at which tickets have sold is just one indicator of its cultural relevance to any Londoner. It is an absolute must-see.

need to know: American Psycho until 25 January An Almeida Theatre and Headlong co-production in association with David Johnson and Jesse Singer for Act 4 Entertainment by special arrangement with Edward R Pressman Almeida Theatre Almeida Street Islington, N1 1TA almeida.co.uk/americanpsycho Box office 020 7359 4404 (10am – 7.30pm) Preview prices £8 - £26, concessions available after Press Night price £10 - £45, concessions available Islington First* £20, If you live or work in Islington and are under 30 £16 for Monday performances *Conditions apply – check website for details

pre-theatre menu: The highly-recommended Almeida Restaurant & Bar is located opposite the iconic Almeida Theatre and is handsdown the best choice for a pre-theatre meal, setting you up to enjoy American Psycho in satisfied comfort. Situated in the heart of Islington, the carefully designed seasonal set-menu features culinary highlights including slow-cooked smoked ham hock (with mustard crème fraîche, pickled vegetables), braised shoulder of lamb (with caperberries, honey glazed carrot, cauliflower gratin) and pistachio crème brulee (with warm honey madeleines). For a little pre-performance cocktail, why not try an Almeida Street for local flavour (Tanqueray gin, elderflower cordial, fresh lime juice, gomme syrup, mint, tonic water) or a classic Manhattan, to fit with the American Psycho set. Two courses, £17; three courses, £20 Available for dinner Monday to Saturday 17:30-18:30 and 21:30-22:30 Almeida Restaurant & Bar 30 Almeida Street, N1 1AD 020 7354 4777

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 25

Whispers from the past The winding cobbles of the City remind us every day of a long ago time, the ancient buildings whispering secrets from their architectural heights. But what about the people who lived here? Now, a new book attempts to shed light on the intriguing world of Georgian London WORDS: JACK WATKINS

Winter Frost Fair of 1683-4 Yale Centre for British Art Paul Mellon Collection USA/Bridgeman Art Library

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here’s an appealing sentence in the opening passage of Lucy Inglis’s new book in which, explaining her motivation for writing about the capital’s 18th century inhabitants, she confesses to, “The eternal feeling that if I could just run fast enough through London’s endless archives I will catch them, grasp their coattails and make them tell me everything about being a Georgian Londoner”. The book is certainly full of fascinating, unexpected insights – as if of figures fleetingly glimpsed before hurrying round a corner – of a time which has long since passed out of focus. If the territory covered is not completely new, it’s certainly less frequently explored than that of the Victorian period, in which the London of Charles Dickens and Jack the Ripper seems a regular staple of publishing lists. Inglis is emphatic that the age of the Georgians has its own distinctive flavour. “The Georgians were the first truly modern people,” she argues. “They achieved so much in such a short space of time. They were the first to realise the potential uses of electricity and machinery, and they made significant medical advances. The rise in literacy also meant more people were writing about their lives.” And, in relation to what we know of the Square Mile, the era, along with the decades leading up to it, is particularly well-recorded because of all the insurance documents relating to the effects of the Great Fire of 1666. We talk about the Blitz as being the moment when the London community spirit was truly forged, but Inglis reckons it really goes back to the twin disasters – the fire itself, and the Plague which had swept through the capital only a year before, killing around 100,000 Londoners. “That must have been a truly horrifying time to live through, but London’s identity was surely forged then. That sense of community networking, of everyone pulling together, which we now identify as the Blitz spirit, was already present back then, and especially here in the City.” These tragedies led to the mass rebuild which shaped the City landscape of the Georgians, and Inglis’s recounting of them has real momentum. The geekishly inclined reader will love following up little details such as the fact that No. 55 Fleet Street now marks the westernmost limit of the fire. Other parts of London are allocated their separate chapters, from Mayfair to Marylebone, and on to the “northern heights” of Hampstead and Highgate. But the City, then as now, was the capital’s engine room, and it

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Clockwise from above: St Paulâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cathedral; Wapping Old Stairs; Tower of London

Clockwise from here: Thames Tunnel (London Metropolitan Achives, City of London, Bridgeman Art Library); London Bridge; Lucy Inglis

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and its “marginal” outskirts, such as Moorgate, Holborn and Lincoln’s Inn Fields, are evocatively described. Inglis says that the process of preparing her book required much re-imagining of local topography, vastly different in the 1700s from today. She lives with her husband on the north bank of the river near the Millennium Bridge, in a converted warehouse which looks across to the Globe, Southwark. The book describes Georgian London’s “myriad spires of rebuilt parish churches” rising above the tiles of new housing, a scene echoed across the Thames by “the many windmill sails rising from the mist of low-lying Southwark”– a pictorial image scarcely conceivable today. When in need of inspiration, however, she says that three or four times a year she enjoys climbing up to the Golden Gallery of St Paul’s. “Of course, the views have changed, but you still get that sense of Southwark’s lower-lying flatness.” She says she finds the Thames intriguing. “It’s a fascinating walk from the Temple towards the Embankment. The river used to come all the way in along here, which makes you realize how much we have altered the nature of the Thames. Yet it still has this great character, with its tides and strange weather.” If the Thames is forever with us, the Fleet is the City’s “lost river,” formerly rising on high ground

near Kenwood House in Hampstead, before flowing downhill through Farringdon, and joining the Thames where Blackfriars Bridge now stands. The trouble with the Fleet was that it kept silting up and the City of London periodically had to spend large sums dredging out what was a stinking ditch, “rolling a large tribute of dead dogs to the Thames.” A steep-banked, but dirty, muddy, health hazard, it was finally bricked over – and transformed into an underground sewer in the process – in 1769. And yet the river’s ravine-like ghost can still be felt in the landscape even today, near Ludgate Circus. “I like to visit the area around Holborn Viaduct to work out where it would have flowed,” explains Inglis. “Walking down the hill from Smithfield Market you can feel how steep it must have been, and gain a real sense of how horses were often crushed by their loads if they slipped or went down on their knees in bad or icy weather. The daily traumas of that kind of thing come across to you so clearly when you walk these areas.” Daily traumas indeed, and it should be added that Georgian London is as much about the people who inhabited the place at a time when the population density of London was pretty well unprecedented throughout the world. There was also a growing mania for keeping wild animals, and the Tower of London was, in effect, London’s first zoo, containing lions, elephants – whose rations included a daily gallon of wine – free-roaming kangaroos, and a zebra who enjoyed visiting the canteen for a draught of ale. In fact, the Tower of London menagerie only closed in 1835, its animals forming the basis for the collection of the new London Zoo in Regent’s Park. Inglis’s dedication to the minutiae of the Georgians seems total – she has been blogging on lesser known aspects of London during the period since 2009 (see georgianlondon.com) – but she says her next book will have a narrower focus on “three men who changed medical history.” If it’s anything like as entertaining and informative as this, her debut book, it will be worth looking out for. D Georgian London: Into the Streets by Lucy Inglis is published by Viking Press, penguin.co.uk

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STYLE

FASHION | ACCESSORIES | GROOMING | LIFESTYLE

COME FLY WITH ME Italian fashion favourite Pal Zileri has unveiled another sophisticated menswear collection for Autumn/Winter 2013-2014. Inspired by the film Easy Virtue, the collection draws on the elegance of the 1930s. This season, the brand also makes its mark in the world of travel tailoring with the launch of a capsule collection, ‘Viaggiatore’ by Pal Zileri. The brand’s team of designers and tailors have collaborated with the wool mill, Fratelli Tallia di Delfino, to create the perfect outfit for the jetsetters who cross occasions and locations. The collection uses the ‘Super 130’ fibre, a smart fabric that offers natural stretch, breathability and crease resistance. D palzileri.com

Quessant - Blanket Stripe, £720

AN UNCOMMON THREAD Make it through this winter in style with the help of QUIQUE, a boutique offering men made-to-order knitwear. Designer Mary Davis has this season unveiled a 16-piece collection that uses colour, pattern and cut to add a touch of modern style to classic knitwear design. Handmade in the United Kingdom, the quality of this collection simply can’t be matched by the mechanised automation of machine knitwear.

Racka - Random Cable, £720

Racka - Fair Isle Stripe, £720

D quique.co.uk

style:HIM

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

TRUE BLUE The colour blue featured big in Oliver Sweeney’s S/S 2014 collection, and it seems a trip to the French capital inspired this use of the season’s hottest hue. The design team has experimented with leather and denim textures to offer style that is both distinctive and unique.

BROOKS & BERETTA

D SS14 Collection, from £195, Oliver Sweeney,

D Wax Jacket, £380; Cordura Jacket, £585, Brooks Brothers & Beretta,

oliversweeney.com

brooksbrothers.com

America’s oldest clothing retailer, Brooks Brothers has teamed up with the world’s oldest industrial dynasty, Beretta. This season, the two icons combine impeccable design and unmatched quality to offer City gents the ultimate in outerwear. The wax jacket handles the worst weather, and features new technology which eliminates the oily finish and odour of other wax cottons, while the cordura jacket comes complete with washable game bag and hands-free shoulder straps.

For Him | STYLE

HOME OF HACKETT Regent Street is now home to the world’s largest Hackett London store, a three-storey boutique stretching across 830 square metres. The ground floor boasts a large open space showcasing the brand’s extensive casualwear collection, while the lower ground houses kidswear and the Aston Martin Racing range. The first floor is home to Hackett’s formalwear and Mayfair collections, but taking prime position in the new store, is the brand’s Tailoring service. Looking out over Regent Street and towards Oxford Circus, this prestigious spot is the perfect setting for men to consult on bespoke, made-to-measure and personal tailoring. The impressive new flagship has opened its doors at 193-197 Mutual House, replacing the existing Regent Street boutique. D hackett.com

LANVIN IN LEAGUE Arsenal Football Club has announced Lanvin, Paris’ oldest fashion house, as its official tailor. Lanvin Homme will be worn by members of the squad, and other key representatives, including manager Arsène Wenger. For all home matches in the Premier League and Champions League, players will arrive at Emirates Stadium in their designer apparel. The collaboration was unveiled at a match against Southampton, and will last for two seasons. D lanvin.com

BECKHAM FOR BELSTAFF Come spring, two British icons will unveil a range of menswear inspired by the revival of luxury motor classics. David Beckham and Belstaff have teamed up on the collection, which follows the brand’s announcement of Beckham as the face of its 2014 global advertising campaign. Launching exclusively online and in Belstaff stores worldwide in March, the collection will then roll out with select global distribution in June. D belstaff.com

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Brit Leather Jacket from the Rhythm capsule collection, £1,295, Burberry Brit, uk.burberry.com

Aleen Jacket, £199, Tiger of Sweden, tigerofsweden.com

Navy Colour Blocked Skinny Leather Belt, £69, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk Buck Cut-and-Sew Suede Leather Biker Jacket, £375, Reiss, reiss.com

Leather Line-up

A/W 2013 Collection, Hermès, uk.hermes.com

This season, designers are hell-bent for leather A style-staple of the past and present, leather remains firmly at the forefront this winter. Featured in the menswear collections of Louis Vuitton, Massimo Dutti, Paul Smith and Tiger of Sweden, leather outerwear received a welcome update for A/W13. Ermenegildo Zegna and Louis Vuitton offered above-the-knee leather coats, while Burberry Brit and DKNY refreshed an old classic, the biker jacket. If you don’t consider yourself particularly edgy, opt for a leather jacket with discreet hardware and little fuss. To achieve masculine and effortless weekend style, pair your jacket with jeans and a tee, but during the week try something a little more formal like a leather coat to and from work. Be it brown or black, long or short, this is an investment with returns, so expect to be wearing this wardrobe staple for many seasons to come. A/W 2013 Collection, DKNY, dkny.com

A/W 2013 Collection, Ermenegildo Zegna, zegna.com

Leader Leather Jacket, £670, Hackett London, hackett.com

Men’s Dark Brown Leather Garrett Boots, £345, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

Black Leather Business Folio, £400, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

Trends | STYLE

A/W 13 Collection, Louis Vuitton, louisvuitton.co.uk

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 35

style | Trends

36 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

A/W 13 Collection, Hackett London, hackett.com

Arctic Parka in Mustard, £550, Hackett London, hackett.com A/W 2013 Collection, Emporio Armani, armani.com A/W 2013 Collection, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

A/W 2013 Collection, Hermès, uk.hermes.com

COLONEL MUSTARD This season, pick from the palette that has everyone talking This stand-out colour trend is guaranteed to lift your spirits despite the inevitable grey season we’re currently experiencing. Emporio Armani, Hermès, Paul Smith and Hackett infused their A/W13 collections with saffron, citrine and rich shades of mustard, a welcome pop of colour amid the usually grey menswear sphere. Brighten things up with one of the mustard outerwear offerings from Hackett, or choose to subtly accent with the new hue. Be it a muted mustard knit from Reiss, or eye-catching trousers from Hackett, muster up the courage and find some way of incorporating the colour du jour into your winter wardrobe. For those looking to experiment with these mustard must-haves, try pairing them with rich chocolate, burnt orange or emerald green and you’ll be bang on-trend for A/W 2013.

A/W 2013 Collection, Edwin Europe, edwin-europe.com Stretch Twill Chino Trousers in Mustard, £120, Hackett London, hackett.com Orion Woolly Merino CrewNeck Sweater Yellow, £69, Reiss, reiss.com

Skolday Satchel, £199, Ted Baker, tedbaker.com

Khaki Deluxe Leather Belt, £99, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk

style | For Him

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU CLEANSE Face Soap with Soap Dish, £15, Clinique, clinique.co.uk MOISTURISE

EXFOLIATE

Ultimate Men’s After Shave Balm & Moisturiser, £17.50, Kiehl’s, kiehls.co.uk

Facial Exfoliator, £20, Biotherm Homme, biotherm.co.uk

MOISTURISE

SKIN DEEP Just as your liver tends to suffer from too much alcohol consumed over the festive season, so too does your largest organ, your skin. We’ve sourced some skincare essentials that will rehydrate and disguise the tell-tale signs of a heavy December.

CLEANSE Ultimate Cleansing Gel, £21, Lancome Men, lancome.co.uk

Super Moisture Gel, £28, ClarinsMen, clarins.co.uk

MOISTURISE EXFOLIATE Energising Skin Scrub, £26.50, Elemis, timetospa.co.uk

CLEANSE Multi-Action Face Wash, £18, Lab Series, labseries.co.uk

EXFOLIATE Outer Peace Blemish Relief Pads, £46, Aveda, aveda.co.uk

 HAIR HQ

FIT IN FERVOUR 

Charles Worthington Salons recently conducted research which found that over 80 per cent of City men now enjoy regular grooming treatments and almost half of men use a barber service. To take advantage of the growing demand, Charles Worthington’s City salon has now launched a new men’s service menu. The new barber service offers quick and effective grooming solutions for the busy City man. D Treatments from £10, The

If you’re serious about getting into shape in the New Year, you’ll need the right active apparel to do so. Fervour, a new line of luxury athletics wear, recently launched with a limited collection of shirts designed to enhance the mechanics of the body in motion. The team behind the brand spent years perfecting designs and sourcing the right materials and technicians, and the results are a level of quality and performance that you won’t find anywhere else.

Broadgate Club, 1 Exchange Place

D fervour.com

38 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

Hydrix Balm, £32.50, Lancome Men, lancome.co.uk

FIRST GLASS

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Grey Cashmere Jumper, £270, Paul Smith, paulsmith.com; Jeans, £815, Gucci, gucci.com; Transocean Day and Date Watch, £3,780, Breitling, brietling.com

Coast to Coast Brace yourself again the wilds of winter with luxury knits and soft styling Fashion editor: Lucie Dodds

Photographer: glen burrows

this page

Grey Cashmere Zip Jumper, £299, N Peal, n.peal.com; Grey Merino Wool Jumper, £130; White Button Jumper, £135, both John Smedley, johnsmedley.com

opposite page

Blue Cashmere Cardigan, £995; Shirt, £295; Tie, £225; Trousers, £495, all Burberry, uk.burberry.com

this page

Cream Textured Button Collar Cashmere Jumper, £365; Grey Cashmere Hooded Jumper, £325, both Eric Bompard, eric-bompard.com

opposite page

Brown Lightweight Knit Turtle Neck Jumper, £380; Trousers, £165, both Zegna by Ermenegildo Zegna, zegna.com; Suede Boots, £610, John Lobb, johnlobb.com; Transocean Day and Date Watch, £3780, Breitling, as before

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Textured Button Shoulder Navy Knit, £375, Paul Dunhill, dunhill.co.uk; Navy Trousers, £495, Burberry, as before; Transocean Day and Date Watch, £3780, Breitling, as before

opposite page

Jacket, £1,440; Jeans, £815; Knitted Collared Jumper, £455; Loafers, £490, all Gucci, gucci.com,

grooming

Laura Tucker using MAC Pro and Fudge

BEST FASHION FORWARD As the London customer base becomes ever more discerning in its search for great design and artisan provenance, who are the shoemakers, shirt-tailors and trendsetters that are making London their home? We find out how ‘Brand Britain’ is fast becoming a name to be reckoned with on the international stage WORDS: Jack Phillips

ondon is a constantly evolving city, a trendsetting institution that, contrary to popular belief, does actually make things. It is also a hip city as its inhabitants define what is cool and hot, as well as what is uncool and not so hot, avowing that one thing is certain - London is in demand. Whether it’s a jewellery designer in Hampstead, a cobbler in Shoreditch, a luggage maker in Richmond or a Putney tailor, London still maintains its credibility as a diverse creative hub. British designers are constantly being poached by Europe’s biggest brands; at one time or another Galliano, McQueen, McCartney and Philo have all been in charge of Dior, Chloe and Givenchy, whilst youngsters who have ventured out into their own labels are finding increasing visibility both at home and abroad.

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Trends | style Go Big Print or Go Home Colourful upstart and all round whiz kid Kit Neale worked under the tutorage of Gareth Pugh and Duckie Brown prior to setting up on his own. Known widely for his flamboyant and outlandish prints this London born designer has received acclaim for his printed jeans and reversible bomber jackets. A native of the increasingly gentrified Peckham district of south London, his eclectic surroundings have heavily impacted on his collection. His SS14 range includes a chicken shop inspired sweater, as well as a whole host of graphic inspired shirts and polos. Having spent some time as a designer at the prestigious Wonderland magazine, is seems apt that, now a menswear designer, he is a trailblazer for visually inspiring garments and an obvious favourite for boutiques such as HUH and Machine-A. D kitneale.com

Teddy Boy Inspired Lou Dalton has quickly shot up the ranks to become one of the most exciting, and with-it, in-demand designers in British menswear this year. Hailing from the rolling green hills of Shropshire, her reimagining of the ‘Teddy Boy’ style has seen her collections sway down the catwalks of Paris and Italy to much aplomb. Inspired by her father (a true Teddy Boy) her chic woollen suits and long overcoats blend the best of Italian and British design, so much so that the angular cuts and splashes of tartan saw her hailed as the star of this year’s MAN. Having worked with Hamish, Morrow and Stone Island, Dalton – under her own banner – has been snapped up by the plush department store Liberty. High praise to say the least. D loudalton.com

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Cordwainer Cool The Australian-born shoe maker Sebastian Tarek cut his teeth in some of the West End’s most reputable bespoke and couture shoe making firms. Since launching his own label in 2011 the demand for his handstitched detailing and meticulous craftsmanship has exploded. Operating from his East London studio in Arnold Circus, his relationship with the menswear boutique Hostem on Redchurch Street has given him the platform to expand his customer base. The ‘three hole Gibson’, ‘Monk’, and ‘two hole Derby’ are just a few examples of the styles in his repertoire, testament to his unfailing attention to the history of his craft. “I work exclusively as a bespoke shoe maker, so every client is measured up for their own last which defines the shoes shape and fit” says Tarek. “I am trying to create a West End service in an East End setting and allow people to enjoy the experience of having something made specifically for them.” D sebastiantarek.com

Very Niche Jewellery The history of Zoe & Morgan is derived from globetrotting parents, exotic cultures and an appreciation of old world charm, adventure and style. As a business and a family they developed their appreciation of craft and process through watching their father make jewellery in his own workshop. The culmination of this is a shop in Primrose Hill and a collection that utilises a host of materials, including diamonds, tanzanite crystal and the odd shard of meteor – yes, rock from outer space! Although the brother/sister designer duo adopt a niche aesthete in the boho, rock inspired collection, the sheer durability of the pieces mean they evoke a distinct identity. “I think men enjoy wearing jewellery and it’s a sign of a confident man who knows who he is and what he enjoys” says codesigner Morgan. “Men identify with the meanings behind the designs, and through that the jewellery has greater significance.” D zoeandmorgan.com

Trends | style

The Man & His Shirt Oliver Spencer is a man and a brand. Founded in 2002, this thoroughly modern British label bridges the gap between contemporary street wear and more traditional tailoring. With a shop on London’s Lambs Conduit Street and another on Berwick Street in Soho, Spencer’s men’s collection draws on his own ideas of independence, craftsmanship and understated style. This truly man’s man harnesses the old and the new using modern fabrics alongside traditional construction techniques to give his clients the best fit. His range has garnered acclaim across genres from city slickers, to fashionistas, chic-geeks and rock stars. Opt for an Oxford button down shirt – it’s sort of his thing. D oliverspencer.co.uk

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STYLE | For Her

In The Frame A new year calls for a new look, which includes rethinking your eyewear. Here, Alexis Amor, London designer and partner of City optician’s, Iris Optical, offers an exclusive guide to finding the perfect pair of spectacles.

1. Choose a frame shape that is contrary to your face shape. Anything too similar to your face shape will just serve to accentuate it. 2. The top rim of the frame should sit just below the eyebrows. 3. Your pupils should sit just inside an imaginary vertical line down the middle of the lens and be situated two thirds of the way up – it will look a more natural fit.

4. Don’t choose anything too contrary to your hair colour or skin tone. Black frames generally only work with either black hair or very blonde hair. Tortoise, of which there are many variations, is the best way to go if you have brown hair or a medium complexion.

5. Always choose a colour that you are comfortable with. A bold plastic frame is a trend that requires careful consideration, as this style can easily wear you. D Amor’s namesake brand is available at Iris Optical, 18 Widegate Street, E1 7HP

style:HER

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

Alpine Apparel Wrap up from the elements this winter with the latest trend to hit designer outerwear. Fashion powerhouses are bringing slopeside glamour to the capital in these colder months with retro skiwear, and luxury fashion group Escada are making their mark with a selection of trendy yet practical options. Take, for instance, this green khaki creation for a stylish statement. D Khaki Green Coat, £685, Escada, escada.com

52 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

Viva Italia Advanced tickets have now gone on sale for an exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum which will celebrate the charm and allure of Italian style. The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014 will debut at the internationally-renowned museum in April and run until July, offering style conscious Italophiles an accessible and exclusive insight into Italian fashion, charting its evolution from the Second World War through to the present day. This comprehensive overview will be provided through exploring key figures, movements and organisations that have helped to establish the Italian nation as a goliath of quality style and fashion. D The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945-2014, Tickets from £8, Victoria and Albert Museum, vam.ac.uk

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

by appointment only

In support of

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

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COLLECTION TIMEPIECES | fine JEWELLERY | LUXURY GOODS

Paying Tribute to nelson Mandela “A good pen can remind us of the happiest moments in our lives, bring noble ideas into our dens, our blood and our souls. It can turn tragedy into hope and victory,” wrote Nelson Mandela to his daughter Zindzi on 10 February 1980, ten years before he was freed from prison. Prior to his death, Montegrappa signed an agreement with the Mandela family and the Long Walk to Freedom for the rights to produce a collections of pens, watches and cufflinks using Mandela’s name. The resultant Montegrappa NeroUno Nelson Mandela Set consists of a watch, cufflinks and customised NeroUno pens – all engraved with Mandela’s signature – and is limited to 500 examples. D Available at Harrods’ Writing Room (harrods.com)

QUINTESSENTIAL BRITISH LEATHER GOODS SINCE 1934

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

Ettinger Pinstripe Ad Canary Feb12 297x210.indd 1

19/1/12 11:18 AM

COLLECTION

Watch of the Year for Girard-Perregaux After exhibitions in Beijing, Macau and Dubai, November saw the watches nominated for Geneva’s 13th annual Watchmaking Grand Prix arrive for the Oscars of the watch world. In a ceremony attended by the Who’s Who of the industry, Girard-Perregaux was awarded overall watch of the year for its Constant Escapement L.M., while Van Cleef & Arpels and Romain Gauthier walked away with best Ladies’ Complication Watch and Best Men’s Complication Watch respectively. Impressing both the judges, who awarded it the Grande Complication Prize, and the public, who voted it their watch of the year, was A. Lange & Söhne’s stunning 1815 Rattrapante Perpetuel Calendar. Incidentally, it would have won our vote too. D gphg.org

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

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

Perfectly Pitched For elegant, mechanical Swiss timepieces, Baume & Mercier has always offered good looks at value for money prices, a fact it continues to prove with the latest addition to its Clifton collection. When it arrives in stores in April, the Clifton Chronograph will provide wearers with a Swiss-made self-winding movement, a day and date display and sapphire crystal case back for a price rumoured to be the right side of three grand. Bargain. D baume-et-mercier.com

Greubel’s Third Invention Behold Greubel Forsey’s Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain. Launched a year before the brand’s 10th birthday – a decade in which it has become one of the most fêted names in haute horology – the timepiece houses the watchmaker’s third new invention, the Tourbillon 24 Secondes; a highly-efficient, fast-rotating, 24-second revolution tourbillon cage. Housed in a regal 5N red or white gold case, the invention can be seen ‘floating’ in mid-air thanks to a transparent tourbillon bridge. Limited to 33 pieces, the 24 Secondes Contemporain comes with a lofty £369,500 price tag. D Marcus Watches 170 New Bond Street

The first GMT to feature blue and black on its bezel, the Rolex GMT-Master II comes in at 40mm in size and incorporates an eye-catching blue second hour hand. A handsome addition to an iconic collection

D GMT-Master II, £5,950, Rolex, rolex.com

january 2014 THE CITY 57

COLLECTION

4 5

Alpine

ESSENTIALS

Whether you’re in Courchevel or Saint Anton, Meribel or Saint Moritz this season, après-ski in style

8 D 1 Grenoble Orohena coat, £1,180, Moncler, store.moncler.com D 2 Emergency II, £12,040, Breitling, breitling.com D 3 Chunky bobble knit scarf, £355, Lanvin,

harrods.com D 4 Lunettes Monier sunglasses, £170, Moncler, as before D 5 Lunar compact system camera, £5,300, Hasselblad, johnlewis.com D 6 Aviator coyote-trimmed trapper hat, £250, Canada Goose, canada-goose.com D 7 The Hublot sledge, POA, Hublot, hublot.com D 8 Leather hiking boots, £395, Car Shoe, mrporter.com D 9 Toffee+Vodka spirit drink, £17.85, Thunder, thundervodka.com D 10 Zai for Bentley skis, £6,645, Zai for Bentley, zaiforbentley.com

58 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

Swiss movement, English heart

C1000 TYPHOON FGR4 Made in Switzerland / Self-winding, customised ETA Valjoux 7750 chronograph with hour and minute bi-compax sub-dials / 42 hour power reserve / 42mm, high-tech ceramic case with titanium sub-frame / AR08 coated, museum grade, sapphire crystal / Delta and canard wing shaped stop-second hand / RAF low-visibility roundel at 6 Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;clock counter / Deep-etched case-back engraving / Military style, high density webbing and leather strap with Bader deployment

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

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05/12/2013 15:40

SHOOTING STAR It’s the last name in the horological alphabet but the first word in precision. As the brand freefalls its way into the public psyche, Richard Brown speaks to Zenith CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour about going supersonic

collection

Pilot Montre d’Aeronef Type 20 ‘40mm Lady’ with rose gold diamond set case, diamond set dial and white alligator leather strap, £26,600

ust 14 months ago, eight million YouTubers watched a man freefall to earth from the edge of space. Millions more watched in the days that followed. The man survived and the timepiece strapped to his wrist thrust Zenith from the shadows of obscurity into the consciousness of the watch-wearing masses. Before Mr Baumgartner’s exploits, it’s fair to say that Zenith was a brand admired by those in-theknow but relatively unknown by the man on the street. Having teamed up with the drinks giant that’s famous for giving you wings, however, ‘Zenith’ has entered the vocabulary of people to whom ‘watches’ had previously meant ‘Rolex’, ‘Omega’, ‘TAG Heuer’, ‘Breitling’ and little else. Those recently acquainted with the company will find in Zenith a pioneer of modern watchmaking and a brand peerless in the precision-based accolades it has been awarded. During its 150 year history, the company has won in excess of 2,300 prizes in the field of chronometry, or precision timing, for its pocket-watches, on-board chronometers and wristwatches – more than any other watchmaker. While its creations have always been esteemed among collectors, company CEO Jean-Frédéric Dufour admits that it took Baumgartner’s supersonic endeavours to propel the brand into the public panorama. “Our main expectation was to send a unique Swiss watch Manufacture to the edge of space,” he says. “Now, from the incredible press coverage, most of Felix’s jump spectators know that Zenith exists and that it manufactures watches. The next time they see a Zenith logo or advert, or come across one of our products in a shop window, they might stop and pay more attention to our watchmaking feats. I can confirm that since the jump there has been an increasing demand not only in the El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th [the watch worn by Baumgartner] but in the whole collection.” Now rooted to a life in Le Locle, Mr Dufour wasn’t necessarily destined for the watch world. After graduating from the University of Geneva (having read Commercial and Industrial Sciences), Dufour felt impelled to explore the world beyond the Cantons of his native Switzerland. A desire to discover the unknown took him to Hong Kong and a job in a bank. The experience taught Mr Dufour two things. Firstly, that banking wasn’t for him; secondly, that if what he’d witnessed in Asia was anything to go by, the future of watches was bright.

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 61

Musée National des Arts et Métiers, Paris, where visitors can explore the planes that inspired Zenith’s early pilot watches

“Back in Switzerland, I started as a junior seller, at the very bottom of the hierarchy,” says Dufour. “Thanks to the different people I met and the responsibilities they entrusted me with, I was able to develop my skills. I had the opportunity to begin at Chopard [as head of product development for watches and jewellery] then I worked for Ulysse Nardin and then for Swatch Group.” Dufour would become CEO of Zenith in 2009, nine years after the company had become part of the LVMH group, and two years before he’d be named Man of the Year by the international watch press. One of the first things Dufour was to do upon assuming the reins at Zenith was to restructure the company’s creations into a more focused set of collections. Looking for a way of “combining our incredible and continuous history and simultaneously maintaining a recognisable collection that is both contemporary and elegant,” the reshuffle saw the El Primero, Pilot, Captain, Heritage and Academy become the brand’s bedrock ranges. It is, of course, the movement from which the El Primero collection takes its name that has provided the brand the most kudos. Pre-1969, all chronographs (watches with a stopwatch function) required manual winding. When, in that year, Zenith presented the El Primero, it became the first manufacture to successfully integrate an automatic winding mechanism into a chronograph movement. The El Primero was also the first chronograph

Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 ‘Annual Calendar’ with titanium case / rose gold bezel and brown alligator leather strap, £12,700

to operate at a frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour, against an industry standard of 28,800. With a balance spring [the organ that dictates the accuracy of a watch] beating more times per hour than in any other timepiece, the ‘sweep’ of the El Primero’s seconds hand was created by 10 beats per second, as opposed to eight, making it accurate to 1/10th of a second and, as a result, the world’s most precise movement. (A titbit of trivia for you; until 2000, when it developed its own in-house movement, Rolex’s self-winding Daytonas were powered by a modified El Primero movement – making the Zenith-Rolex Daytonas more sought-after at auction than the later Rolex-Rolex Daytonas.) In 2010, under Dufour’s guardianship, the El Primero was the recipient of a facelift. Whereas the dial of the original El Primero featured seconds, minutes and hour sub-dials, the El Primero Striking 10th lost the hour sub-dial in favour of a centre seconds hand that rotated every ten seconds – allowing tenths of a second to be measured with greater ease. For its innovative way of making the most famous movement in watchmaking more useable, the Striking 10th was awarded international watch magazine Revolution’s Best Men’s Watch in the year of its launch. The watch currently decorating the wrist of Mr Dufour happens to be the El Primero’s most recent incarnation. “I wear an El Primero Lightweight, launched in November last year, an even more avantgardist sport version of the El Primero Striking 10th

collection

chronograph that marries lightness, performance and originality. A watch reflects who you are. I would always recommend a timepiece that you feel comfortable with.” To see the carbon-cased, titanium and silicon-comprised Lightweight for yourself, head to Harrods, where the watch is being exclusively stocked for £13,600. Next year, Zenith will celebrate its 150 birthday. Before then, renovation work continues at company HQ. The restoration of the Manufacture’s main building last year marked the first stage of a huge revamp, one designed to pay tribute to the brand’s birthplace – a UNESCO World Heritage site – by returning the original facilities to their former glory. “By 2015, the 18 other buildings comprising the Manufacture will also be fully renovated,” explains Dufour. “Rather than taking the easy route, tearing down and rebuilding the various edifices on this complex site, we have chosen to preserve the historical architecture that has contributed to the writing of our legend. We will continue to leave an indelible imprint on the town of Le Locle.” In an industry that puts patrimony on a pedestal, in which oldest somehow automatically means best, brands, and their press releases, are constantly ‘paying homage to the past’. But while the renovation at Le Locle showcases Zenith’s commitment to conservation, the Red Bull Stratos Mission proved it to be a brand very much in the 21st century. Of course, being in tune with Generation Y means internet, apps and social media. All of which Dufour knows his brand cannot ignore.

“Zenith is present on Facebook, YouTube and Weibo. We use social media as a resource and a means to build relationships. By ‘liking’ Zenith or sharing content about our products, our followers promote the brand. Social media is a valuable form of online advertising. But the internet will never replace live experiences and human relationships. It will never bring you the emotions and pleasure you feel when physically visiting the Manufacture or discovering our products with your own hands.” Last year, attendees of Baselworld had the chance to get their hands on a new collection of Pilot’s watches. Worthy heirs in style and size to the company’s original Type 20s of 1938, the six 2013 editions featured portly diameters, Superluminova Arabic numerals, large screw-lock crowns and, in the case of the Pilot Montre d’Aéronef Type 20 Tourbillon, both a tourbillon and high-frequency chronograph function. As one of a handful of brands to take serious ladies watches seriously, Zenith has also given us the noteworthy Star Open and Star Moonphase. Fitting the former with an El Primero movement and the latter with a 195-part, specially-engineered ultra-thin calibre, Zenith acknowledged the fact that women do indeed appreciate mechanical mastery, and not just quartz creations encrusted with diamonds (as some watchmakers seemingly believe). So what should we anticipate seeing at this year’s Baselworld? According to Mr Dufour, fans can expect to see “a revival of some true Zenith icons”. And for the brand’s 150th birthday in 2015? As history’s proved, for Zenith, the sky’s no limit.

The Red Bull Stratos Mission proved Zenith to be a brand very much in the 21st century

El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th with steel case and rubber strap, £6,300

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 63

CONTESSA To own a rare Argyle pink diamond is to own a truly magnificent heirloom. Contessa, beautifully handcrafted in Platinum and 18ct Rose Gold, features an exquisite combination of stunning craftsmanship and the rarest of Australian Argyle pink diamonds. Simply, they are the rarest diamonds in the world and are revered for their unique provenance and intrinsic beauty.

UNITED KINGDOM The Royal Arcade, Old Bond St, Mayfair London W1S 4SW AUSTRALIA Sydney Gold Coast calleija.com

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COLLECTION

Come to a Head It seems diamond tiaras are no longer restricted to princesses; Graff Diamonds’ company figures from the last five years reveal a marked increase in the demand for precious head adornments. Therefore, following on from the Hair & Jewels campaign released last year, the luxury jeweller continues to make the most of this popular trend with the launch of a new collection of bejewelled Alice bands featuring floral, leaf and butterfly motifs. The company has also developed a unique setting for its brooches which can now be worn in the hair. With each piece showcasing Graff’s flawlessly cut diamonds, meticulously set, they’re certain to turn a head or two. D graffdiamonds.com

History in the Making The unmissable exhibition now showing at the Grand Palais in Paris sees more than 600 pieces taken from Maison de Cartier’s rich archive on display. Comprising watches, jewellery and objet d’art, each piece conveys the history and evolving style of the house since its foundation in 1847. The majority of the exhibition comes from the Cartier Collection, which includes 1,457 pieces amassed over the past 25 years, while others have been loaned from public institutions. Highlights include the suite of jewels from 1860 and the famous Panther brooch, created in 1949 and bought by the Duchess of Windsor. The exhibition will also highlight Cartier’s longtime involvement with the film industry, with jewellery featured in films such as The Great Gatsby, Some Like it Hot and A Perfect Murder also being showcased. D Cartier: Style and History, until 16 February

jewellery Jewels, gems, pearls and diamonds; the essential components of any lady’s jewellery collection Cutting Edge Three years ago, co-President of Chopard Caroline Scheufele launched the Animal World collection in celebration of the House’s 150th anniversary. Now, for the first time, the bestiary of animals has made its way to London and is currently on display in Harrods until February

The 150-piece Haute Joaillerie collection of animal-themed gems was inspired by Scheufele’s favourite childhood stuffed toys. Taking more than a year for her team of craftsmen to turn this dream into a reality, the results were truly enchanting, each piece reflecting Chopard’s colourful, whimsical and imaginative nature D Above and right / White diamond seal and south sea pearl necklace and polar bear ring in white gold, featuring diamonds, both POA and part of the Animal World collection, Chopard Pop-up boutique in Harrods until February (harrods.com)

2014, cartier.com

Off the Record Setting the new world record for a diamond or jewel, the Pink Star diamond was sold at Sotheby’s Geneva on 13 November for an incredible $83,187,381 (£52,024,735), far surpassing the £38 million estimate. After a nailbitingly tense five minute bidding war between four prospective buyers, it was eventually sold to well-known diamond cutter Isaac Wolf, who has since renamed it ‘Pink Dream’. Mined by De Beers in Africa in 1999, the flawless fancy pink vivid diamond has been described by chairman of Sotheby’s jewellery division in Europe, the Middle East and Switzerland, David Bennett as “a true masterpiece of nature”. D sothebys.com

D ethandiamonds.com

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 65

COLLECTION

4 1 6 14 15

Lucky

STAR

As Emily Dickinson said, “fortune’s expensive smile is earned”; so invest in lucky charms this New Year and may you not be fortune’s fool

9 13

D 1 Moonlight pink opal necklace, £429, Assya, assyalondon.com D 2 Cancer ring, Zodiac Collection, POA, Solange Azagury-Partridge, solange.co.uk D 3 In The Stars phoenix

pendant, £216, Assya, as before D 4 18-karat gold diamond necklace, £2,775, Inez and Vinoodh, net-a-porter.com D 5 Star 18-karat gold bracelet, £5,000, Solange AzaguryPartridge, net-a-porter.com D 6 Zodiac set Leo clip, POA, Van Cleef & Arpels, vancleefarpels.com D 7 18-karat gold horsebit bracelet, £4,950, Gucci, gucci.com D 8 Sun brooch, Fairy Tale Collection, £21,000, Jewellery Theatre, jewellerytheatre.com D 9 Zodiac set Aries clip, POA, Van Cleef & Arpels, as before D 10 Rainbow moonstone ring, £5,394, Farfetch, farfetch.com D 11 Sun and moon amulet pendants, £1,145, Marianne Dulong, farfetch.com D 12 Gold-plated cubic zirconia earrings, £330, Eddie Borgo, net-a-porter.com D 13 Moonlight gold and pink topaz ring, £230, Assya, as before D 14 Crystal Haze drop earrings, POA, Stephen Webster, stephenwebster.com D 15 Caftan moon gold-plated and acetate collar necklace, £980, Aurélie Bidermann, aureliebidermann.com

66 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

RUN WILDbracelet london_UK 13/04/12 09.37 Pagina 2

From the Honeycomb Eternelle Ring Collection

33 Albemarle Street - Mayfair, London WIS 4BP - Tel. 020 7629 5616 MILANO, VENEZIA, FIRENZE, CALA DI VOLPE, CAPRI, PARIS, MONTE CARLO, LONDON, MOSCOW, NEW YORK, CHICAGO,ASPEN, BEVERLY HILLS, TOKYO, OSAKA, HONG KONG, SIDNEY WWW.BUCCELLATI.COM

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

SCENTIMENTAL Since 1994, Jo Malone London has been delighting our senses and celebrating British style with stunning fragrances and the elegant art of gift-giving. Constantly expanding their home, body and fragrance collections, Jo Malone London recently launched a beautiful new Home Candle and Moisturising Dry Body Oil in Oud & Bergamot and Dark Amber & Ginger Lily. The new additions form part of the Cologne Intense collection, which takes a completely different approach to fragrance.

Rich in precious ingredients, the collection consists of seven deeply sensual scents, each with a delicious and dangerous edge. Oud & Bergamot is a mysterious scent, which boasts the smoky character of this revered wood, central to Middle-Eastern fragrance tradition. The clarity of the crisp bergamot and orange granite accord allow the scent to radiate in both the home environment and on the skin. The Dark Amber & Ginger Lily offers a rich scent of

Love Letters It has been said that actions speak louder than words, however it would seem that Tiffany & Co. believe the two go hand-in-hand. The brand’s iconic blue boxes are usually enough to set hearts racing, but now sentimental and romantic messages adorn their sought-after creations. Flowing cursive, reminiscent

of handwritten love letters is inscribed into the stunning designs that have been crafted using 18k gold and sterling silver. ‘I love you’ is spelt out on rings, charms and necklaces, while the Tiffany & Co. New York address adds intricate detailing to pendants, cuffs and earrings. Tiffany & Co., Tiffany Notes, from £65

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

amber and black orchid, illuminated by the clean sensuality of black cardamom, ginger and water lily. Since its inception, Jo Malone London has been synonymous with creating decadent scents that are revolutionary in their discerning simplicity; their newest additions are certainly no exception. Jo Malone London, Home Candle and Dry Body Oil, £48 each

SIX OF THE BEST

Frost for the Fingers 

Case In Point 

Writing History 

Theo Fennell has unveiled a stunning creation reminiscent of winter. This beautiful statement ring has been crafted using 18k white gold and showcases an icy blue 7.33ct aquamarine surrounded by diamonds. However, only on close observation can one truly appreciate its beauty and the intricate detailing.

Protect your iPhone from a cracked screen or an accidental scratch, but do so without spoiling its sleek aesthetic. These luxurious ultra-slim cases are available in a range of colours, and are lined using contrasting suede. Sage Brown Fine Leather also offers a customisation service, making it a great business gift idea.

Montblanc has honoured the extraordinary inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, with the release of its Great Characters Limited Edition Leonardo, a writing instrument, inspired by the artist and his fascination with the idea of human flight. This incredible design features a cap and barrel crafted from anodised aluminium.

Theo Fennell, The Winter Ring, £POA

Sage Brown Fine Leather, iPhone 3/4 Cover, £35

Montblanc, Leonardo Limited Edition, from £2,100

Date for the Diary 

Happy Feet 

Ahead of the Curve 

For more than 125 years Smythson has kept our lives in order with a stunning selection of luxurious diaries. The brand has again this year unveiled a beautiful collection for 2014, introducing rich, autumnal tones. Each diary features the brand’s signature watermarked, pale blue featherweight or white woven paper and is elegantly trimmed with gilt edges.

As soon as you slip your feet into a pair of Church’s, it’s quite evident the brand lives up to its reputation of producing some of the UK’s finest footwear. Once a little family business, Church’s has had an illustrious history and, despite having grown into a successful corporation, the brand remains true to its founding values, even today.

Gucci’s signature curved cane handle, has made its way onto a Gucci shopper, introducing a new style for one of the brand’s most iconic symbols. The Bamboo Shopper which forms part of the A/W 2013-2014 collection is a practical design that comes with a detachable shoulder strap to reinforce the handbag’s ultra-comfortable function.

Smythson, Soho Diary, from £155

Church’s, Burghley, £695

Gucci, Bamboo Shopper, £1,370

AGENT PROVOCATEUR • ARTISAN FINE ART GALLERY • BOODLES • Bremont • BVLGARI • CHURCH’S • CROCKETT & JONES • GRAND CAFÉ • GUCCI • HARRYS OF LONDON HERMÈS • IMPERIAL CITY • JO MALONE LONDON • JONES LANG LASALLE• KIEHL’S SINCE 1851 • KOJIS • LINKS OF LONDON • LORO PIANA • L’OCCITANE • LULU GUINNESS MEZZANINE LOUNGE • MOLTON BROWN • MONTBLANC • OMEGA • PAUL A. YOUNG FINE CHOCOLATES • PAUL SMITH • PENHALIGON’S • PRETTY BALLERINAS ROYAL EXCHANGE JEWELLERS • SAGE BROWN FINE LEATHER • SAUTERELLE RESTAURANT • SEARLE & CO JEWELLERS • SMOKER’S PARADISE SMYTHSON • TATEOSSIAN • THEO FENNELL • TIFFANY & CO. • WATCHES OF SWITZERLAND • WATCHFINDER & CO.

THE ROYAL EXCHANGE, BANK, CITY OF LONDON, EC3V 3LR. STORE TRADING HOURS 10AM - 6PM. RESTAURANTS & BARS 8AM - 11PM

Canary Wharf: A Mecca for

menswear

Boasting brands like Orlebar Brown, Emmett London, ALFRED Dunhill, cHURCH’S eNGLISH SHOES, gant, HUGO BOSS and Hackett, Canary Wharf has become a onestop-shop for premium menswear

Orlebar Brown

In 2007, photographer Mr Adam Brown launched Orlebar Brown to provide an unprecedented, more tailored approach to beach shorts and swimwear. Film fanatics will know that when Daniel Craig emerged from the waters in his James Bond debut, it was in a pair of Orlebar Brown’s that he did so. Now, having diversified to deliver a stylish range of resort wear, the brand has opened in Jubilee Place. With an aesthetic that nods to a bygone era, and inspired by vintage images of the sixties, the brand aims to remind their clients of the dapper sophistication and seamless charm that once came with holidaying. Made to be robust and comfortable, Orlebar Brown’s provide a smart and practical choice as much for dinner as by the pool.

SHOPPING

Emmett London

Mixing a unique design aesthetic with sartorial tradition, Emmett London is located on the lower floor of Canary Wharf’s Jubilee Place. The company has been carving a reputation as one of the country’s most prestigious shirt-makers ever since it was founded by tailor Robert Emmett in 1992. All of its shirts are made from the finest fabrics, typically woven in Italy, and many exist in a limited edition of only 25. Add meticulously tailoring and innovative designs, and you can see how the brand upholds the traditions of Jermyn Street while offering a unique blend of Britishness, humour and quality.

Tiger of Sweden

The key to what makes Scandinavian style so enviably, effortlessly cool is its dedication to clean simplicity. Founded in 1903 by two Swedish tailors, it has a heritage of immaculate craftsmanship which is still prevalent in its menswear lines today. Think razor-sharp suiting, premium outerwear and a crisp, refined approach to everything else. Aiming to take the suit out of the bank and into the street, Tiger of Sweden offers 24/7 fashion for 24/7 people.

Alfred Dunhill

Born in 1893 under the slogan ‘Everything for the car but the motor’, Alfred Dunhill is now a global brand with over 180 stores around the world, one of which resides in Canary Wharf’s Cabot Place. A quintessentially British luxury brand, Alfred Dunhill’s menswear collection is characterised by understated elegance, representing modern updates on the brand’s heritage. The Canary Wharf store also showcases a range of leather goods and accessories, as well as a selection of gifts and games.

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

SHOPPING Hackett

Hackett has become the first word in City fashion, with a reputation as a premium clothiers immersed in traditional British style. Creating professional wear for men, the brand centres around made-to-fit suits, shirts and ties as well as an fun and quirky section of accessories, including Hackett umbrella cufflinks and the brand’s own cologne.

Church’s English Shoes

As the first company to create the ‘left’ and ‘right’ shoe in the 17th century, rather than the ‘straight’ shoe, Church’s English Shoes revolutionised footwear with its groundbreaking creations. Today, all of Church’s shoes are still handcrafted in Northampton, the birthplace of the company, using the same materials and manufacturing process that the brand has relied upon for more than 140 years. Visit the Canary Wharf store to see the latest men’s and ladies collections, as well as a range of fine leather goods, accessories and ready-to-wear items.

Hugo Boss

Offering a versatile range of products in all areas of menswear, Cabot Place’s Hugo Boss specialises in quality, modern classics for business, leisure and formalwear. Its Men’s BOSS black line presents the most premium segment of the label. Enjoy a unique shopping experience with the BOSS personal shopping service allowing you to browse with an expert.

Aquascutum

Aquascutum’s trademark lies in providing stylish yet practical protection from the unpredictable UK weather. Playing an essential role in the history of the trench coat, and with a well-established reputation for dressing the top sects of society in finest in British outerwear, Aquascutum draws on its heritage and rich history while providing clean and new aesthetics. Its collections are always a luxurious and chic take on quintessentially English style. If that’s not enough, Canary Wharf also offers menswear from the likes of Gant, Jaeger, Massimo Dutti, Reiss and many more.

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

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22/11/2013 10:00

WORK

business | finance | news | OPINION | INTERVIEWS

METRO IN THE MILE Metro Bank has this winter bought its customerfocused financial approach to the City of London, opening a new branch on Cheapside in the veritable heart of the Square Mile. This new opening is the 22nd institution opened by the UK company as part of their expansion plan since initiation in 2010, and will also continue its reputation for superlative customer service for private and business banking needs, opening 362 days a year, early and late for ease of access. The bankâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansion also boasts the recruitment of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1000th member of staff, equating to a 100 per cent growth rate for the relatively new company in 2013 alone, a fact apparently supported by an increased number of customers and plans for further branches in Milton Keynes and Brighton in 2014. D metrobankonline.co.uk

making a comeback The biggest banking names in the City and Canary Wharf are starting to profit from Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recovery WORDS: ANDY ROSENBAUM

Feature | work

or the first time in a long time, you don’t have to be an optimist to see the glass as half full,” insisted BOE governor Mark Carney recently. The central banker was talking about the British economy, which is on the upswing again, but the same could be said about the outlook for the biggest British banks, especially the likes of HSBC, Barclays and the Lloyds Group. At least, that is the view institutional investors are taking. In November, the big US funds starting moving their money back into the biggest European banks, and that included all three of the above. “The context for European banks is improving, but their stocks were still undervalued,” says Jason White, portfolio specialist at T. Rowe Price. RBS is leading the comeback of the biggest banks. Its new chief executive Ross McEwan has succeeded in splitting-off bad loans into an internal ‘bad bank’ with £38 billion of problem assets. McEwan is changing the culture at RBS, where, he says, loans were made too easily available until the financial crisis turned off the tap. McEwan is teaching his staff to concentrate on customer service, and the results are becoming apparent. Old Mutual analyst Rob James points out that RBS is speeding up the process of getting into the black. “With the ‘bad bank’, losses can be crystallised quicker, and the management team can now concentrate on growing the business.” This process has permitted the RBS share price to rise, James points out. “The key positive for RBS is that it is a cyclical stock. Its biggest unit is the corporate bank, which can be expected to pick up as the economy recovers.” James thinks that RBS’s share price will take off around February, as management concentrates on the healthy part of the bank and McEwan’s new policies take hold. Another important bank, Barclays, is also seeing brighter days, although there is a bit of gloom still mixed into the picture. Barclays has been dogged by scandal; Libor, Forex, among others, but analysts don’t see these old issues as keeping the bank down. Motley Fool analyst Harvey Jones puts it in a nutshell: “There is plenty to dislike about Barclays, but don’t let that put you off. The share price is still up 50 per cent in the past two years, against 21 per cent growth on the FTSE 100, and that’s what really

counts to investors. It is never going to win ethical investment of the year, but this is a key player in the UK economy, a UK-listed bank with global clout, and it is simply too big to ignore... It’s time you fell for the bad boy.” That all sounds good, and while the picture is not entirely rosy at Barclays – two of its top managers resigned in November, and the bank has been closing branches across the UK and Europe – all of this, may be seen as part of the bank’s major restructuring effort as it works its way back to regular profitability. New CEO Anthony Jenkins is bringing in high technology to cut costs – the bank’s operating expenses are currently higher than those of its competitors. Lloyds, on the other hand, has reported the strongest most recent results, with an underlying profit of £1.5 billion, up 83 percent on the same period the year before, reflecting an improved interest margin and lower costs. Unfortunately, the group has been hit with an exceptional charge of £750 million in the last quarter to cover charges from the PPI scandal – banks allegedly mis-sold loan insurance and have settled. Lloyds is now the fourth largest bank in Europe, and a definite target for that American fund investment. The group is in talks with Britain’s financial regulator about the possibility of restarting dividend payments next year and will set out its dividend policy alongside its 2013 results next February. “The bank is back to profitability. We are back to being a normal company. We are going to be a high dividend paying stock in the future,” says Lloyds Banking Group chief executive Antonio HortaOsorio. The government plans to sell off its shares in the bank as it has seen share price gains of nearly 60 per cent since the beginning of the year. The real challenge for the UK banks will not be from their own strategic choices, but rather from the volatility of the British economy. The glass may be half full, but the whole cocktail can go right down the drain, as the recent OECD report on the UK warns, if unemployment jumps up again, or if the Eurozone economy hares off into another euro-crisis. There are also some structural worries: the UK still doesn’t export much to the emerging markets where all the growth is. Still, the UK banks are getting the best of the cocktail while it’s ready to be served. Must be a Pimms.

McEwan is teaching his staff to concentrate on customer service, and the results are becoming apparent

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 77

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IN MY OPINION…

It’s time for change in financial services communication WORDS: Justin Urquhart Stewart

‘‘

ome, let us go down and confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech” was a quote from God apparently when addressing the issues around the building of the Tower of Babel in The Bible. Obviously I can’t be certain whether it is a direct quote, but exactly the same sentiment can be applied to the financial services industry. Practitioners in financial services, be they in banking, broking or fund management, have developed an astonishing ability to communicate in technical terms that only they really understand. What’s more they seem to purposely seek to confound clients and customers with meaningless phrases both written and spoken. It worries me greatly that the industry I have been a part of for many years has chosen to hide behind the defences of technical and specific descriptions and then lays a cloak of compliance on top just to add further to the confusion. For industry practitioners the demand to be precise and exact, driven by a fear of regulatory punishment has become an excuse for an inability to make, or worse, an indifference towards, meaningful communication. Evidence of failure is everywhere. The global financial crisis stemmed in large part from consumers and investors buying products they didn’t understand, while umpteen mis-selling scandals might otherwise have been averted had the industry chosen its words with more care. As a result, trust in the industry has never been lower. If the industry is to win back the trust and support of clients and consumers and to re-engage them in the business of their money, then it needs to fundamentally rethink how it communicates. Effective communication is not just what we write and say, it is as much about what our clients hear, read and see. One without the other is merely a voice without an ear. Time, then, for the industry to wake up and communicate with clients as they do with each other and on their terms. The revolution in tablet computing and smart phone

technology should be a gift to us. It presents exciting new possibilities to communicate through channels with which clients have become familiar. People are using technology to communicate socially and increasingly in a professional capacity. It is intuitive, engaging and just as important, fun. But that is of little help unless we understand how to harness its potential. To date, much of the technology adopted by the industry is little more than an extension of a spreadsheet, designed by software engineers with little creative thinking. How many, I wonder, considered the experience of the end-user in their design processes? There are, however, industries for which the experience of the end-user is a primary concern. Computer games designers, for instance, speak to more users than, I suspect, most financial services companies do. Those responsible for enduring games like Donkey Kong really understand how to engage their audience, to hold its attention and to keep them coming back for more. So why not combine the skill and imagination of the games developers with financial services? Our industry has to pass on an awful lot of complex information to clients but I would argue that 80 per cent of it never gets read. Smartly-designed applications harnessing the power of consumer technology could mean those tired old graphs, charts and tedious apologies for poor investment performance can be binned for vibrant moving forms that show what ‘we do’ far better than we have ever done in the past. The financial service industry has been around in some shape or form since biblical times, during which it has developed an exclusive language unto itself. The problem is that people have stopped listening. Perhaps it is time for the men in grey suits, building their towers in the City, to stop and imagine how an industry that has been around for just a few years can tell them a thing or two about listening to, and engaging with, their customers?

If the industry is to win back the trust and support of clients and consumers and to re-engage them in the business of their money, then it needs to fundamentally rethink how it communicates

D Justin Urquhart Stewart is co-founder of Seven Investment Management & 7Imagine

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 79

It Never Rains... As deadlines before Christmas or lost time afterwards add to your stress levels, the last thing you need is an unforeseen problem throwing a further spanner in the works. But it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to spell catastrophe. There are simple solutions for navigating through those really stressful, busy times WORDS: kate cook

Feature | work

Don’t catastrophise Dorothy Parker, on hearing a telephone ring, apparently drawled: ‘What fresh hell is this?’ We’ve all been there. On really busy days with multiple deadlines, I’ve got to the stage where I’m scared to answer the phone in case it’s someone demanding something else of me. Then I made a conscious decision to stop being such a victim. My attitude became: ‘Why fear the worst until it happens?’ Every time a negative thought crosses your brain, cancel it out with a positive one. This takes practice. An easy way to do it is to develop a mantra to suit whatever crisis you’re in today and say that to yourself mindlessly every time your mind goes into tailspin. Right now, I have four weeks to my deadline for this book and I have done approximately half the number of words I promised myself I’d write today. My mantra is: ‘I am serenely gliding towards my deadline and everything will get done’ and every time panic hits, I say this to myself and feel much better.

Master the only question that matters The ‘best use’ question was taught to me by my first boss and it is invaluable in negotiating your way through any day with dozens of calls on your time. It helps you to prioritise ‘on the run’, sometimes quite ruthlessly. On the morning of manic days decide what you’ve got to achieve that day and if anything interrupts, ask yourself: “Is this the best use of my time, right now?” If the answer’s no, take a raincheck and come back to it later. So if a friend calls at work, nine times out of ten, you won’t chat then, you’ll call them back at a more convenient time – unless, of course, they are very upset about something, then talking to them is the best use of your time. Nothing else is more important. By doing this, I don’t let colleagues side-track me with complaints about their lack of stationery, unless of course it’s the best use of my time. (No, you’re right, so far stationery has never been the best use of my time, but you get the idea.)

Always under-promise A lot of stress is of our own making. Thomas Leonard, who founded Coach University, the first professional training centre for life-coaches says: “One of the biggest mistakes is to tell people what they want to hear, give them what they think they want, without thinking if it’s feasible for you. You overpromise results you can’t deliver without a lot of stress. And of

course, if you don’t deliver, not only are you stressed, they are, too.” Leonard’s advice is to underpromise rather than overpromise. That way your friends are delighted when you turn up at the party you said you couldn’t make and your boss thinks you’re wonderful when you get the report finished a day early rather than a week late. Make it your rule from now on to be absolutely realistic about how long it’s going to take you to get things done. And until you become an expert at this, work out the time you reckon it will take you to complete any task and multiply it by 1.5. Keep a time log of your working week so you finally get a realistic idea of how long it takes you to complete all your usual activities. This means you stop kidding yourself about how quickly you will perform tasks in an imperfect world – where you’re interrupted frequently – and you’ll reduce your stress levels hugely.

Life events versus daily hassles It may be that the nature and scale of the situation we are facing is truly threatening, e.g. loss of a loved one, loss of a job, in which case anyone’s ability to cope will be severely challenged. These significant life events demand significant efforts to cope with. Psychiatrists, Holmes and Rahe, developed a ‘ladder’ of life events from the least to the most demanding; the higher up the steps an event is perceived to be, the greater the coping effort required. The impact of these events is cumulative; the more we have to deal with, the more our coping skills are tested. Sometimes we may not realise the magnitude of the challenge we face, until it becomes obvious our attempts to cope are not up to the challenge. Then we need to get help, as the saying goes ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, whether that be through social or professional contacts. Rather than life events, we more often find ourselves dealing with a series of minor issues, which gradually gang-up on us and grind us down over a period of time. We tend to forget about these daily hassles, but they too are cumulative and the more we have to deal with, the more our coping skills are tested. Life can keep piling on life events, daily personal and work hassles, so it is not surprising that occasionally our coping skills are overwhelmed – the balance tips and we feel we are no longer coping. Time to get some assistance and engage our coping skills before our sense of wellbeing is undermined and damaged! D This article originally appeared in The Corporate Wellness Bible and is published by Infinite Ideas, infideas.com

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 81

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MOTORING | GADGETS | sports

Flying High German-based aviation company E-Volo recently unveiled a prototype of an innovative and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional helicopter travel. The Volocopter is a pioneering, emission-free invention that, amongst new state of the art technologies, eschews the classic combustion engine in favour of eighteen electronically-driven rotors which propel it to action. Maiden and initial test flights took place in November, after elaborate simulations in Stuttgart assured the development team of the ease at which this creation could be flown. Series production is planned for the upcoming years, moving us one step closer to our futuristic vision of flying electronic vehicles. D e-volo.com

Vintage Volume The retro-style of the Marantz Consolette music system is designed to combine a 50’s aesthetic with state-of-the-art technology. This is a sophisticated dock designed to make your mobile device sound even better. D Marantz Consolette, £500, marantz.co.uk

Weighty Achievement This winter, technological leaders Sony have continued their innovative reputation with the release of the a7R, the world’s smallest and lightest interchangeable lens camera. This eagerly-anticipated creation uses up-to-theminute technology to elevate the field of digital photography, including a 40k photo output, and new Bionx Z area noisereducing technology for improved image quality.

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D a7R, £1,699, Sony,

Unleash your inner Torvill and Dean at Broadgate Ice Rink this winter. Open daily until 27 February, there’s still plenty of time to perfect your ice skating skills and master (or at least attempt) an axel jump with lessons from one of their qualified skate instructors. Or, why not try your hand at Broomball? This fast and furious sport from Canada, which resembles ice hockey, is great fun – battle it out with your mates or compete with your work colleagues. See the website for details.

sony.co.uk

D Book tickets online at broadgate.co.uk/ice or by calling 0845 653 1424

in the know

Be well-informed and well-equipped with our ultimate event and gadget guide

Final design fi-ba-ss, SNUGS Listening is made even more enjoyable with Snugs. Their customised ear-docks are made from impressions of the wearer’s ear and can be purchased separately or as part of an earphone package. D Final Design FI-BA-SS, £1,277, SNUGS, snugsearphones.co.uk

Crystal Clear Enjoy high-definition sound this year with a pair of market-leading headphones

Humlan, Urbanears Urbanears continue their innovation in listening technology, with the field’s first ever pair of machinewashable headphones. D Humlan, £39, Urbanears, urbanears.com

Crusher, Skullcandy Complete with two internal drivers to maximise its bass potential, the Skullycandy Crushers are headphones designed to produce a sound that resonates with the listener’s body. D Crusher, £89.99, Skullcandy, skullcandy.com

News | play

NEW YEAR fitness Whether you’re recovering from a Christmas carb-overload, or just looking to get in shape this New Year, the City has a workout suitable for all shapes, sizes and needs

Tabata  Fitness First gyms around the capital are playing host to a 20-minute training workout that’s clinically proven to burn more calories than an hour of jogging or Zumba, or two hours of walking or yoga. D tabatatraining.org

Shockwave  For those brave enough, this high-intensity rowing-based circuit training has been hailed by the US media as the most efficient total-body workout in the world, whether you choose a four station 30-minute workout or an eight station 45-minute one. D shockwaveworkout.com

To The Beat  Cyclebeat is an indoor cycling studio located in the heart of the City in Lombard Court. Not content with providing one of London’s only indoor workspaces, complete with killer classes and experienced professionals designed to push participants to their limits and increase overall fitness, this unique class also held the first ever City Bike Battle, raising £1,800 for the HOPEHIV charity last year. D cyclebeat.co.uk

TenPilates  Offering a dynamic Pilates workout based around a reformer bed, the team at TenPilates promise you’ll feel the effects quicker than any other class in London. With a new City branch now open, and classes from 7am-7pm, you can now fit in a workout before or after work. D tenpilates.com

Running Commentary  At the end of this month, TV presenter Charlie Webster will be combining two of her favourite pastimes in order to raise money for an extremely worthy cause, Women’s Aid. Starting on 26 January, Charlie will run a dizzying and hugely impressive 250 miles in just seven days, jogging to and from 40 different football clubs, with various activities in each, in an effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end abuse against women and children. D justgiving.com/charliesbigchallenge

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 85

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Motoring | PLAY

porsche puts a tiger in the range The best-selling Cayenne SUV gets a baby brother WORDS: MATTHEW CARTER

fter the runaway success of the Cayenne – now the biggest selling Porsche in the range – it was only a matter of time before the company developed a compact SUV, a baby version if you will. And so it has come to pass. Launched at the recent Los Angeles motor show, the all-wheel drive Macan will be a key player in Porsche’s plans to pass 200,000 sales a year. It’s about the same size as the Audi Q5, which is hardly surprising as that’s precisely what lies under the skin. In the same way that the Cayenne was based on another VW Group product (the Volkswagen Touareg), Macan’s development has been sped up by using existing hardware. But this is no rebadged Audi. Porsche engineers

have spent their time modifying the chassis with wider tracks and unique components to ensure the car has ‘the most agile handling in its class’ says the company. Due in showrooms next April – the order book is open already – there will initially be three Macan models in the range with more to follow. All three will be powered by turbocharged V6 engines, two petrol and one diesel, with prices ranging from £43,300 to almost £60,000. Top model will be the Macan Turbo, powered by a Porsche-developed 3.6 litre V6 with damn near 400 hp on offer, while the most popular will be the Audi-engined 3.0 litre V6 diesel turbo. All three will have Porsche’s seven-speed dual clutch manual/ automatic PDK gearbox as standard. And the name? It’s derived from the Indonesian word for tiger apparently.

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 87

golf majors on performance With the launch of Volkswagen’s latest GTI, the original hot hatch is back on top WORDS: Matthew Carter

n the beginning – well, back in 1976 – Volkswagen stuck a GTI badge on the back of its humble family runabout and the hot hatch was born. And that means the Golf GTI isn’t so much the daddy but the granddaddy of the breed. And, frankly, that has been obvious to anyone who has driven a recent example. While there was still some evidence of the spark that drove the original young tearaway, successive GTI generations got not only older, but crustier too. That state of affairs has been exacerbated by rival hot hatchbacks, which have been getting progressively more outrageous with each new iteration – Mégane Renaultsport 265 Cup anyone? – leaving the venerable VW wheezing in their wake. Clearly, it’s time the GTI got rid of the cardi, pipe and slippers and started to work out a little. And that’s just what’s happened, though glance at the latest seventh generation Golf GTI and you’d be excused for thinking it’s ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss.’ For there’s nothing flamboyant about the car that might lead you to believe this is something special: a little red strip across the front, GTI badges… and that’s about it. That’s no bad thing. The seventh generation Golf, though clearly an evolution rather than a revolution in styling terms, is far sharper, leaner and more purposeful than previous generations. Mind you, if

you’re tempted to use the performance on offer maybe it’s better to be a little discreet… It’s under the skin that the real changes have been made. The car benefits from all the upgrades that have restored the ‘ordinary’ Golf to its place at the top of the pack and then added more, much more. For the first time in GTI history, there’s a choice of two power levels available ex-factory. Both are powered by a turbocharged 2.0 litre direct injection engine. The unit develops 220PS in the plain GTI and 230PS in the ‘Performance’ version. An extra 10 bhp might not sound a great deal – and the figures are very similar (6.5 secs to 62 mph and 152 mph max plays 6.4 secs and 155 mph) – but there is a world of difference between the two cars. The base GTI is pleasant – and is probably quick enough for most needs – but the Performance version adds a serious kick for just £980 more. As well as the power hike, the performance versions get bigger brake discs complete with red calipers, and a front limitedslip differential. What this means in practice is that it not only goes better, it stops better too (albeit a little snatchily if you’re unsubtle with the middle pedal). More impressive, though, is the LSD, which endows the car with much better front-end grip, and, therefore, higher cornering power.

Motoring | PLAY

VEHICLE SPECS Car: Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance 5-dr Price: £27,480 Engine: Front-mounted, 1,984cc, 4-cylinder petrol, turbocharged Power: 230 hp Performance: 155 mph max, 0-62 mph in 6.4 secs Drive: Front-wheel drive, six-speed manual

Just as well, as the extra torque developed by the latest engine – at 350 Nm, up a substantial 70 Nm – means there’s a great deal more potential for unruly torque steer through the driven wheels. The result is a car that feels absolutely planted no matter how demanding the road is. Put simply, with the extra power and chassis tweaks, the GTI Performance model is as far ahead of the pack as the original GTI was all those years ago. There’s good news as far as the rest of the car is concerned, too. Despite its performance potential, sports suspension and low profile tyres, which in other cars would mean a rock hard ride, the GTI rides exceptionally well. It’s a comfortable place to be, too. The cabin is typical VW – efficient, classy and beautifully screwed together. But while the interior of a standard Golf might be a little soulless, there are a few neat touches that lift the GTI. There are one or two nods to the past – such as the tartan fabric coverings for the sports seats and the golf ball shaped gear knob – and one or two more that are positively racy for a VW. At night, for example, there’s a gently-diffused red LED strip running across the inside of the doors, matched by a similar strip in the sills, illuminated when the doors are opened. Mix-in discreet red stitching on the leather covered steering wheel, clever use of chrome highlights and an easy-to-use touch screen infotainment system (complete with DAB radio as standard) and this really is a great place to be for a long journey. Safe, too. A plethora of electronic safety aids are standard, and include City Braking which uses information from radar sensors to jam on the brakes if the car senses a potential collision and reckons you’re window shopping when you should be looking ahead. Radar also regulates the cruise control to match the

speed of the car ahead. If it slows down so will the Golf until you pull out to overtake. And it’s something of a bargain. Despite being substantially quicker than the old one, not to mention being better looking, more comfortable and boasting more standard equipment, the new car is just £195 more expensive than the generation it replaces. Not that that means it’s cheap. The £25,845 entry ticket for the 3-dr 220PS version is, er, robust when compared to Renault and Ford rivals but I’d argue you’re getting more car for the money. And, unusually for a German machine, the standard GTI Performance has virtually everything you need as standard, bar £1,725 worth of navigation. Oh, and it’s more fuel efficient and cheaper to insure than before, too. All good? Almost. Old habits die hard and the GTI hasn’t quite been able to dump its sensible side completely by kicking off its comfortable brogues for a pair of Nike Air Max trainers. Progress is accompanied by an irritating display that advises way too early when you should change gear to help save fuel. Even worse are the ‘Eco Tips’ that pop-up on the dash when it thinks you could be doing more to help save the world. But that really is about the only note of criticism that can be levelled at the latest GTI. As a rapid, and highly desirable, all-rounder there’s nothing to touch it.

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 89

if it looks like a million dollars... ...it’s probably worth a million dollars. We, nervously, test-drive Mercedes’ legendary 300SL Gullwing WORDS: Neil Briscoe

entatively, I approach the smiling man in the logoed Mercedes t-shirt. He’s standing behind a small counter, laden down with keys. All around us are a mixture of Mercedes SL models, varying from museumspec classics to the brand new R231 model. Various cars are heading out of the gate on test drives, but I am somewhat astonished to note that the most desirable car in the car park is untouched, unmolested, apparently unloved. Summoning up my courage, I point at the object of my affections and in a voice that suddenly takes on the timbre of a nervous teenager, ask: “Can I drive that one?” ‘That one’ is a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. It is one of the most iconic shapes in all of motoring, from that rounded tail to the famous upand-over doors, made necessary because the car’s massive racing-derived chassis rails cut across the

space where a conventional door would be. In fact, everything about the car is racing-spec. Given the manufacturing code W198, it’s essentially a road-going version of the 1954 W194, the original Gullwing which scored overall wins in both the gruelling Le Mans 24hrs and the certifiably insane Carrera Panamericana road race in Mexico. Rudolf Ulenhaut, the legendary race car designer who created racing machines for both Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss was called upon to turn his track car into a road car and the 300SL, the first car to bear the Sport Leicht badge, was born. It’s an astonishing mix of the mundane and the cutting-edge. That strong-but-light tubular steel chassis hides nothing more exotic than the 3.0 litre straight-six engine from a four-door 300S saloon. The difference here is that it’s canted-over at a 45-degree angle to make the whole car lower and more slippery through the air, and the Bosch mechanical fuel

Motoring | play

injection means it has almost double the saloon’s grunt; 215 hp. That was enough to push the Gullwing up to a top speed of 160 mph – faster than the current SL’s electronics will allow it to go. It really was the first true supercar, whatever Ferrari and Lamborghini might care to argue. Or course, being a Mercedes, this was an exotic wunder wagen that you could reasonably expect to be able to use every day. Even so, it had its foibles. That fuel injection system could be problematic, the massive oil cooler actually proved too efficient, never allowing the engine to warm up properly, and the swing-arm rear suspension could be properly lethal in unsuspecting hands. Now, 300SLs are staggeringly valuable. When they were built, between 1955 and 1957 (a somewhat more tame roadster version took over in ’57) you could, at a massive extra cost, order yours with an all-aluminium body, saving 80 kg of weight. Those ultra-rare alloybody cars (only 29 were made) can now fetch more than $4 million at auction. Even a relatively run-ofthe-mill steel bodied car can fetch north of $500,000 and the car I was pointing at has never left Mercedes’

ownership since it was made in 1957. It must surely be worth well into seven figures by now. So my nervousness is understandable, as is my disbelief when the smiling man with the keys answers: “Certainly, do you need any help starting it?” Um, yes, yes I reckon I might. Another smiling man, let’s call him Horst, wanders over and shows me how to fold the big, white, Bakelite steering wheel flat. That done I sit on the broad, high door sill, swivel, slide and drop into the tiny tartan-covered seat. The steering wheel snaps back, upright and Horst, instead of climbing aboard to act as chaperone, as I had been expecting, simply slams down the door, gives me a thumbs up and wanders off. Leaving me in charge of a million-dollar car with a reputation for both stunning performance and evil handling. I turn the tiny key in the ignition barrel and, without a moment’s hesitation, the big straight-six rumbles into life. Crikey, it’s rough at low rpm, sounding as much like a diesel as a thoroughbred sporting power unit. The big gear lever, topped with a white knob that matches the steering wheel, easily finds first and I nudge my wheeled Lottery-win out of the gate. Straight into afternoon traffic in Malaga (where Mercedes is hosting the event). Uncaring tourists in rented Dacias whip past the priceless Merc’s nose, while equally insouciant locals in battered Seats weave in-between them. My nervousness has gone, replaced by now raw, naked fear. What if I damage this car? A simple paint scratch or panel ding could cost more than the value of my house. Ah well, nothing ventured… Of course, this being a Mercedes, it’s almost comically easy to drive. That big wheel makes you think that the SL will be like a truck to drive, but the steering is light, full of feel and wonderfully direct. The four-speed gearbox has a long, wide throw but it’s easy enough to find the right cog and with the engine still sounding appallingly rough, off we flow with the traffic; the million-dollar Merc and me. A few things become swiftly apparent. One, it’s hot in here. The late afternoon Spanish sun is turning the tiny, turret-like cockpit into a meat broiler and I’m sweating at least as much from that as from the

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 91

play | Motoring

a modern legend

sheer scariness of piloting a vehicle this valuable. Secondly, this car is still quick. For a few moments, the traffic clears a little and, with a quick check for Guardia Civil over my shoulder, I give the big Merc full beans in second. The mechanical injection system takes a tiny second to cough, clear its throat and then, with an almighty shove from behind, fires me up the road at what feels like a colossal rate. Better by far than the acceleration is the noise. Gone now is the rough, tappety tick over, replaced now by a multi-layered roar, edging into a baritone bellow. This is what Fangio and Moss would have heard, accelerating hard out of Tetre Rouge and facing down the endless Mulsanne Straight. It is intoxicating, it is life-affirming, it is wonderful. It is also cut short by a blundering tourist, weaving their heedless way across two lanes of traffic to make the turnoff for Puerto Banus. The big drum brakes haul me up smoothly, and sanity and legality return to the Merc’s speedometer. My heart is pounding in my ears now, which I think makes this a good time to turn for home. I pull back into the hotel car park, switch off and sit for a moment, door up and cockpit cooling. The other cars are back too now and are being silently lined up and cleaned by Mercedes people. I almost don’t see them, my mind lost in a fog of relief and elation. For a brief moment, I consider firing back up, peeling away and seeing how far I can get before they realise I’m not coming back. Putting such foolishness away, I click down the steering wheel, haul myself out and walk away. A million dollars? Worth every cent…

92 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

Mercedes has, somewhat sadly, now ceased production of the 300SL’s true spiritual successor, the AMG-engined SLS coupe and roadster. It was a bit of a pastiche (the coupé didn’t need those gulling doors, they were there just to show off) but that roaring bellowing 6.3 litre V8 engine made it an intoxicating drive. A smaller, lighter, more affordable successor is planned for next year, giving Mercedes its first true rival to the Porsche 911. In the meantime, you could do a lot worse than console yourself with the new SL. The latest generation of Mercedes’ two-seat, folding hard-top roadster is an astonishingly capable car, equally good at weaving up mountain passes as it is at cruising along a smooth autobahn. There is, of course, an AMG version with a monstrously powerful 5.5 litre twin-turbo V8 engine, but frankly, you don’t need to upgrade beyond the brilliant SL500 with its 4.7 litre turbo V8. Of course, the big news for Mercedes this year is the launch of the all new S-Class. It is traditional in motoring circles to regard the biggest Benz as, essentially, the best single car in the world and this new one is really pushing the boundaries. It can be fitted with everything from cameras that scan the road surface ahead to alert the suspension to upcoming bumps to semi-active steering and brakes which can more or less do the work of driving for you. Available with everything from a humble diesel engine (currently a 3.0 litre V6 but there will be a 2.1 litre S250 CDI eventually) to a roaring 5.5 litre AMG version to, next year, a plug-in hybrid S500h which will be able to roll silently along on electric power in town.

INSIDE TRACK The Street Westfield Stratford City E20 1EJ 0208 534 3446 info@insidetrackshop.com @InsideTrackShop

MCLAREN & ASTON MARTIN COLLECTIONS AT WESTFIELD STRATFORD VIP SHOPPING EVENINGS

LET THE SUN SHINE

The new terrace at The Rib Room Bar & Restaurant in Knightsbridge is the ideal destination for summer. A secluded and sophisticated venue for morning coffee or light meals, the terrace becomes a cigaristâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paradise in the evening with an extensive choice of whisky, cocktails and wine complementing a new cigar menu. For more information visit theribroom.co.uk or call 020 7858 7250 Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Cadogan Place, Knightsbridge, London SW1X 9PY

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

18/06/2012 17:04:52

food&drink WINE | DINe | NEWS | REVIEWS

oh christmas tree... This December, Aqua Shard showcases a designer Christmas tree par excellence, with its Matthew Williamson-curated festive fir. Adorned with baubles designed by a host of creative luminaries, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Rankin, Sienna Miller, Tom Dixon, Mary J Blige and Swarovski, each bauble will be auctioned off throughout December in aid of children’s charity Kids Company, through an online auction (ending New Year’s Eve). The resplendent tree with its unique ornaments will be showcased in the triple-height atrium bar of Aqua Shard, and can even be enjoyed over a delicious five-course Christmas Day meal, (£195pp). D aquashard.co.uk

THE BUZZ OF BANK Exclusive Bank watering hole, Eight Members Club is hosting speakeasy evenings in the Eight Bank Bar, dubbed ‘Blind Bee’. Members are invited to step back in time and cause some nighttime mischief, mid-week and away from prying eyes. Featuring live cabaret, Balearic music and jazz from skilled London musicians, not to mention a new cocktail menu, Eight Members Club is causing quite the buzz. D eightclub.co.uk

HOST TO HERO Entertain in your own home without the stress of measuring up to a Michelin menu. Simplee Host allows you to treat friends and family to the ultimate fine-dining experience in the comfort of your own home. The best part? You don’t have to lift a finger. Simplee Host allows you to browse and choose from a selection of talented chefs in your area, and book the perfect menu for the perfect party. D simpleehost.com

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

MIX AND MATCH Chivas Regal is giving London’s whisky drinkers the opportunity to join a select few who understand what it takes to blend a great Scotch whisky. Its ‘Art of Blending’ events are hosted by whisky expert and brand ambassador Phil Huckle and teach the method of marrying together single malts and lighter grain whiskies. Working with five whiskies from various parts of Scotland, Huckle’s students are given the opportunity to sample and then create their own unique whisky to take home. Throughout January, a number of masterclasses will be held in and around the City – head online to find out more. D chivas.com

RAIN, HAIL OR SHINE The Boundary Hotel has opened its new weatherproof pergola, allowing guests to enjoy the unrivalled views of its Rooftop Bar & Grill all year round. This stunning rooftop space boasts a few new garden designs, including a canopy of grape-producing vines, a working kitchen garden and a few other horticultural enhancements. Beyond the spectacular views of Shoreditch and the City, the Rooftop Bar & Grill offers a delicious Mediterranean-influenced menu and a selection of hot cocktails to warm things up during the chilly winter months. D theboundary.co.uk/rooftop

News | Food&Drink

WATCH THIS SPACE

HOLBORN DINING ROOM

new openings

The eagerly-awaited arrival of the Holborn Dining Room & Delicatessen is expected to shakeup the London dining scene in late February. Renowned restaurateur Des McDonald is behind the new brasserie and delicatessen, which will take up residence at the new Rosewood London hotel in the old East Banking Hall of Pearl Assurance. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, foodies can expect to be impressed, not only by the delicious offering of classic British cuisine, but also its refined and historic setting.

ANDINA

D rosewoodhotels.com/london

EST. INDIA

review

The restaurateur behind Ceviche in Soho, Martin Morales, has brought Peruvianinspired dishes to lively Shoreditch. Andina introduces the concept of a picanteria – a traditional, family-run, community restaurant serving locals throughout the day. Head chef Tomasz Baranski takes Peruvian ingredients and pairs them with local and seasonal British produce, creating guilt-free dishes based around Andean tradition. D andinarestaurant.com

CABIN FEVER A cosy winter cabin nestled amongst skyscrapers, TIFFANY EASTLAND experiences BAR BBQ ON ICE

s an Aussie, I fancy myself a bit of a BBQ-aficionado; after all, I’ve grown-up ‘throwing another shrimp on the barbie’. I’m happy to admit though, the concept of a BBQ on ice was completely foreign. I had my reservations at first, having come from the land of poolside BBQs, but, I’ll concede, I was quick to come around. BAR BBQ ON ICE has taken up residence next to the Broadgate Ice Rink throughout winter in the form of a log cabin. Sounds cosy? You’re right, partially because it’s absolutely buzzing with City workers mid-week there to enjoy a drink, live music and great food, which can also be ordered ahead of time and taken away. When we enter, we’re warmly welcomed by the friendly staff, not to mention the rustic décor. The staff are quick to ensure

we have a glass in hand, and while the drinks offering is extensive, I’m tempted by the novelty of drinking mulled wine at my first icy barbeque. To start, we snack on spiced popcorn, which, as our waiter rightly points out, is very moreish. And then came our main… the hugest rack of ribs I’ve ever seen (and I thought I was being conservative, opting for just half a rack). Served with a side of coleslaw, I really didn’t need the added side of baked beans and burnt ends, but I’m glad I did. It may then surprise you that after all that food, I still manage to tackle dessert. How could I not when chocolate brownie is on the menu? And I’m proud of my efforts. I’ve absolutely demolished the four not-so-bitesized pieces and I’m still able to start planning my next trip back.

Authentic Indian streetfood meets fine-dining in the modern urban setting of the newly opened Est. India. Executive chef Singh has used his 42 years of experience to devise a menu that puts a twist on staple curries and those favourites we love and know. Traditional dosas, malai jhingha, kasundi fish tikka, and traditional Indian carrot cake and kheer are just some of the highlights on offer. Located on Union Street, Est. India fills Flat Iron Square with an irresistible aroma that attracts the lunchtime crowd, couples in the evening and larger parties, with a private dining area that seats up to 22 guests. This is a musttry in London’s latest food mecca. D estindia.co.uk

EMBER YARD The renowned Salt Yard Group has opened its fourth London establishment in Berwick Street and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Ember Yard is the latest addition from Simon Mullins and Ben Tish who have earned a reputation for never disappointing even the most discerning diners. Taking inspiration from Spanish and Italian methods of cooking over charcoal, Tish has devised an exciting menu around this concept. Under the direction of their head chef Jacques Fourie, the talented team hot and coldsmoke ingredients on-site using various woods to add incredible flavour. D saltyard.co.uk

D BAR BBQ ON ICE, barbbqonice.com

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 97

food&drink | Wine

Flavour of the Future Key wine predictions for 2014 mean it’s time to re-evaluate traditional investment buys from areas such as Bordeaux and Tuscany WORDS: NICK MARTIN

Bordeaux re-evaluated Bordeaux’s steady decline from its broad-based peak in the summer of 2011 has led investors to reappraise the role of red Bordeaux, and especially the First Growths within their portfolio. Whereas before 2008 top red Bordeaux might have accounted for 90/95 per cent plus of all wine investments, these days diversification is seen by many as much more important as a hedge against volatility. Others see many buying opportunities on the back of two year lows and expect the Bordeaux market to move up in the next year or so. Whether we’ll see a recovery start in 2014 or 2015 plus remains to be seen.

so when selecting small boutique producers, careful evaluation is needed to be sure you’re buying low production wines that are likely to be in demand when it comes time to sell. Small production and weak demand is not a good combination. Of course, where tiny production meets insatiable demand from the world’s wealthy, excellent returns can be achieved. Giacomo Conterno Monfortino 2004 is the perfect example. A tiny production, not made every year, Monfortino is a selection of the best grapes from the Cascina Francia vineyard in Barolo. On average, Monfortino also remains an additional three years longer in large oak casks (botti). While 1,800 cases of the Cascia Francia Barolo are made, less than 600 cases of Monfortino are produced.

Has top Burgundy reached a Zenith? Extreme scarcity and overwhelming global demand for wines by Domaine de La Romanee Conti, Rousseau, Roumier, de Vogue, to name a small number of highly-rated estates, have made top Burgundy a consistently good bet, but, whether those wines will continue to appreciate remains to be seen. While most investors continue to believe in their longterm prospects, in the medium term, performance graphs suggest careful selection is required. Further down the pecking order, a new generation of young, gifted winemakers who are taking over family domaines and transforming quality are akin to ‘emerging markets’ opportunities as well as being beautiful, affordable wines to consume.

No futures market One thing is for sure; the new Bordeaux release of the 2013 vintage next spring will be a damp squib. No one needs to buy a very poor vintage as a future, which this unequivocally is. Looking back, demand and prices tend to recover on the back of good to excellent vintages.

Searching for value The subdued state of the left bank Bordeaux market offers some strong buying opportunities, such as First Growths from 1996 – a superb vintage that is coming into an early stage of maturity. As such demand ought to pick up, and look like fair value following declines of 35 per cent. Back vintages of right bank Bordeaux have picked up, with the very top of the market leading the way. This may have a positive effect on the peer group of right bank, merlot-dominated top wines. Typically production volumes are much lower than the big Medoc (left bank) estates, and scarcity exerts a greater influence on market pricing of older vintages.

Italy’s run Italy is likely to continue its recent run of form, since substantial gains at the very top of the market have not yet translated into broad-based growth across prime regions such as Piedmont and Tuscany. Bigger estates tend to offer better market liquidity,

98 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

Fizzing out?

Nick Martin is the CEO of Wine Owners, which provides a complete solution for managing, analysing and valuing fine wine collections. It also allows participants to buy or sell between each other via a peer-to-peer fine wine exchange. D wineowners.com

Much has been said of Champagne as an investment during the course of 2013. In sharp contrast to other fine wine regions, production quantities tend to be vast, but so is consumption. Analysing the performance of the Champagne market shows that appreciation is entirely driven by the very top vintages. Following the release of the good 2004 vintage by many houses, the next top vintage might not be before the 2008 releases. If that proves to be the case the vintage Champagne market may drift over the next three to four years, though top backvintages may well benefit as supply dries up.

The macro view While wine is considered a relatively high risk category, due to lack of regulation and pockets of volatility, longterm returns can be very good. Indeed it’s difficult to make an argument against wine in favour of equities based on volatility alone.

CMY

art WINDOW GALLERIES

VISUAL ARTS

jubilee walk

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

Kuntee Sirikrai: Hidden Moments

Kuntee’s jewellery reflects her interest in the mysterious way in which the brain can record the scene of an unexpected circumstance, when time appears to stand still and each detail is etched on the memory. Having studied and filmed hidden movements such as when fingers are constantly moved in daily life, she has used cutting edge technology called Selective Laser Sintering to print threedimensional pieces in nylon and silver. D kunteesirikrai.com

Kate Malone: A CELEBRATION OF CLAY

Kate Malone’s work is distinctive, decorative and highly complex. It reflects her generosity of spirit, with all manner of natural phenomena informing her exuberant pieces – fruits, vegetables, leaves, seeds and nuts. This exhibition will feature pairs of ceramics influenced by themes that recur time and again in her repertoire: pumpkins, fennels, gourds and atomics. Malone found her metier in creating vases of the most exotic kind, which are redolent of Art Nouveau, Victorian majolica, Minton and Palissy. Nowadays, her work encompasses studio pieces, short-run editions and large-scale public art works often made in collaboration with architects and designers. D 20 January – 14 March Lobby, One Canada Square Canary Wharf, E14 FREE

canada walk

katemaloneceramics.com

Tuesday 4 February 6.30-7.15pm FREE Curator Ann Elliott tours the exhibition with the artist. Contact visualart@canarywharf.com to reserve a place.

WINTER LIGHTS fLUMENS: Illuminating the Wind

Saulius Ginetas

Saulius’s vigorous drawing style is used to great effect in these drawings inspired by the frenetic rhythms he has observed at Canary Wharf. He sees a place where people’s movement – rushing and passing through the space – manifests power and an expression of their desire for a brighter future, constantly moving towards success. The movement of his hand over paper is equally free and fast – no rules, no limits, just expression. D art-sg.blogspot.com

D Until 25 January Middle Dock Canary Wharf, E14 FREE

– AN

events

New Year,

New experiences This January, start 2014 with a dose of art, culture and some friendly competition

LONDON ICE SCULPTING FESTIVAL

WATCH OUT FOR THE NEW CANARY WHARF ARTS & EVENTS BROCHURE – SHOWCASING ALL THE ARTS AND EVENTS IN CANARY WHARF FROM FEBRUARY TO APRIL Sign up to join our free mailing list by sending your details to arts&events@canarywharf.com

Friday 10 – Sunday 12 January 2014 Friday 12–8pm Saturday 10am–7pm Sunday 12–6pm Throughout Canary Wharf & Wood Wharf Free

ICE RINK CANARY WHARF

The sparkling Ice Rink Canary Wharf is in full swing and is bigger and better than ever before. Boasting London’s only skate path, which leads you in between Canada Square Park’s twinkling festive trees, around Ron Arad’s Big Blue unique sculpture and within Canary Wharf’s striking backdrop – this ice rink is sure to make your skating experience a truly magical one. This year the ice rink hosts a classic American-style diner, Boisdale’s Jukebox Bar, with a vintage 50s jukebox, drinks and hot food and a

Enjoy an unforgettable weekend of competitive high drama at Canary Wharf as more than ten international teams of ice professionals work against the clock to perfect their magnificent ice creations. The UK’s biggest international ice sculpting competition provides a fun and exciting start to the New Year, celebrating Fabulous Fashion on to 2m-high glimmering ice blocks in the Big Block category at Wood Wharf. For a change of pace, the speedy Freestyle and Singles River Life competitions will not disappoint nor will the wonderful Wood Wharf Winter Food Market with its vast variety of hot and cold food and drink on offer. You can take part too – vote for your favourite sculpture in the popular Public Choice award or get artistic in the free masterclasses* at Wood Wharf and in Jubilee Place shopping mall on Saturday and Sunday. For more information visit: londonicesculptingfestival.co.uk or canarywharf.com *Visitors must sign up on arrival for masterclasses. Children must be 12+ and accompanied by an adult. Sessions on the hour, 20 minutes and 40 minutes past.

CANARY WHARF QUIZ

Teams will compete in rounds of tough questioning covering trivia, music and current affairs in the aim of securing an array of Canary Wharf gift cheques prizes and the accompanying bragging rights. The cost of entry is £15 per team (each team has a maximum of six members) and all proceeds will be donated to East End Community Foundation. Teams must register in advance via email to arts&events@canarywharf.com. A full bar and mid-quiz snacks will be available from doors opening so join in on all the fun and release your competitive spirit. Monday 27 January 2014 6.30pm (doors 6pm) East Wintergarden, 43 Bank Street, E14 £15 donation per table to East End Community Foundation

large outdoor terrace plus a comfy spectators’ area – a perfect winter haven after your skate. Why not go the extra mile and book lessons to impress your family and friends with your new skills. If live entertainment is what you fancy after skating then visit the Boisdale Jukebox Bar on Tuesday evenings for some blues and soul or battle of the bands every Saturday night. The ice rink is open every day except Christmas Day until 16 February 2014, so book now and get your skates on.

www.canarywharf.com

@yourcanarywharf

TRAVEL

LUXURY ESCAPES | NEWS | REVIEWS | HOTELS

FIT FOR TRAVEL Thanks to Scott Williams, it’s now possible to travel for fitness and pleasure. The New Year is sadly a time we associate with detoxes, diets, counting calories and cardio but more often than not, mid-month we’re back to our old ways. This January, reward and motivate your new lifestyle with an island escape at Williams’ newest addition, Villa Ostria on Paxos. Sleeping up to ten adults, the stunning villa features its own private basketball court, gym and infinity pool and boasts the most enthralling views of the Ionian Sea, making exercise, shockingly, enjoyable. D scottwilliams.co.uk

Image courtesy of Amanresorts

Picture Perfect Luxury hotel group Aman Resorts is offering aspiring photographers and seasoned travellers, a rarefied opportunity in the form of a photography expedition in Bhutan with Basil Pao. Taking place in February, the trip will see adventurers accompany the premier travel photographer on a trip through four valleys, staying in Amankoraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lodges in Paro, Thimphu, Punakha and Gangtey. Participants will be taken to phenomenal locations and be offered informal photographic excursions and workshops taken by Pao himself, all designed to recreate the experience of being on a professional assignment. Pao has worked with some of the most significant explorers on incredible assignments, including BBC documentaries with Michael Palin. D Photo Journey with Basil Pao, ÂŁ5,773pp, Aman Resorts, amanresorts.com

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

World Cup Class This winter St Moritz will play host to some of the most respected events in the world of horseracing, and the Carlton Hotel is an ideal location to enjoy them, offering a variety of suitable packages for those looking to spectate in style. The polo world cup, from 30 January to 4 February, and the White Turf, a 105 year old horse race which takes place on a frozen lake on the 9, 16 and 23 February will both grace this snowy destination in these colder months. D carlton-stmoritz.ch

News | travel

NEW city OPENINGS for 2014 2014 is sure to see an abundance of hotels and venues opening around the globe. Here is our pick of the most exciting...

Seasonal Style

Astoria Chic

Set to open opposite Red Square in Moscow mid-year, the Four Seasons will be a major development for the city. Situated in the landmark location with breathtaking views of the Saint Basil’s Cathedral domes and spires, the new addition is a contemporary incarnation of the Hotel Moskva, which closed in 2002 in anticipation of reconstruction. While the exterior of the new property remains unchanged as per government specifications, the inside offers a stylish nod to the building’s history.

This spring, the Waldorf Astoria will be bringing its own inimitable take on luxurious hospitality to the city of Amsterdam. Consisting of 93 rooms, the hotel spans two 17th and 18th century townhouses, which complement the group’s signature art-deco design. Situated centrally, alongside the capital city’s best-known canal Herengracht, visitors will have great access to some of Amsterdam’s most popular tourist sites, shops and cafes.

D fourseasons.com

D waldorfastoria.com

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK Personalised luxury will be on offer midyear when the Park Hyatt opens a New York property in the heart of midtown. Just a block from Central Park, the new hotel will make up part of a 90 storey mixed-use tower that will also feature 94 luxury condominiums. The hotel will consist of 210 guest rooms, 62 of which will be suites. Pritzker prize-winning architect Christian de Portzamparc and interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg are the creative minds behind this exciting project. D newyork.park.hyatt.com

venetian wonder Hotelier Adrian Zecha’s new Venetian venture Aman Canal Grande sees him pit his pared-back style against the grand surroundings of a 16th-century Venetian palazzo. Modern B&B Italia furniture is found against gilded cherubs and ornate wallpapers, while guests can lie in bed and gaze up to original 18th-century frescoed ceilings painted by master artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo. Full of delicious surprises, such as secret gardens and a unique Thai-Italian menu in the upper salon restaurant, this gives an unexpected and delightful perspective on Venice. D amanresorts.com

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 105

TRAVEL | Destination

[Destination]

Isle of Man AIMEE LATIMER gets away from it all on the Isle of Man WHERE TO STAY: A renovated barn Known as simply ‘The Barn’, this small plot of farmhouses has recently been converted into two-bedroom luxury homes. Inside, open-plan living rooms with exposed wooden beams have comfortable sofas to curl up on after long days stomping the countryside. The luxury housing allows you to escape to the country without the loss of any modern conveniences; The Barn has a dishwasher, oven, fridge freezer, television and a washer dryer. Picturesque and located on a farm, young lambs wobble around outside in spring and scenic walking trails, which branch off from the main estate, are there to be explored. D glenmaye.com

WHERE TO EAT: 14North 14North is a former 19th Century timber merchant’s house located on Douglas’ North Quay. Now a family-owned restaurant, it complements its rustic interior with simple, thoughtful food. 14North is committed to supporting local farmers, fishermen and artisans. The lunch menu differs from the evenings with hearty sandwiches on homemade focaccia being replaced by larger dishes of seafood and Manx beef. Be sure to try its homemade flatbreads, piled high with smoked cheddar, local mushrooms and pulled pork.

D 14north.im

WHAT TO DO: Explore nature In the village of Glen Maye on the west coast of the island there is a beautiful waterfall cascading into a clear pool framed by sloping rocks speckled in green moss. Follow the stream through a gorge to arrive at a nearby sand and pebble beach – it’s easy to see where the Isle of Man’s rich history of folklore and tales of fairies stemmed from when exploring the beach’s hidden caves and rock pools.

From top to bottom: Milner’s Tower on Bradda Head near Port Erin; dishes served at 14North; Glen Maye Waterfall; clay pigeon shooting

D glenmaye.com

DON’T MISS: Clay pigeon shooting In 2012, the club’s grounds of the The Isle of Man Clay Pigeon Shooting Club were subject to major modifications to improve the facilities to members and visitors. Competitions in a range of disciplines run frequently and non-club members are invited to compete. If you’re a bad shot, the ranch-style clubhouse can be discreetly retreated to. D iomclays.com

106 THE CITY JANUARY 2014

British Airways flies daily from London City Airport to the Isle of Man from £59. Flights can be booked at ba.com.

Just a couple of hours from home. And yet a world away.

w w w. a u s t r i a . i n f o

Yo u r p e r s o n a l H o l i d a y I n f o r m a t i o n L i n e : 0845 101 1818 (calls charged at local rates)

Blue planet It’s more than just a honeymooners’ paradise. Prepare for an otherworldly underwater encounter in the Maldives WORDS: Kari Rosenberg

hincodon typus. The biggest fish in the sea. Whatever you want to call it, nothing will prepare you, should you be lucky enough, for your first encounter with a whale shark. Having qualified and obtained my PADI scuba diving-licence more than a decade ago, I’ve witnessed my fair share of underwater wonders; hovering nose-to-nose with a school of fully-grown bull sharks (who, unlike the whale shark, prefer the taste of Brit flesh to plankton); pitch-black, winding stalactite covered Cenotes; deep-sea shipwrecks and sleeping clown fish on a late night excursion. But still unticked on my must-see list (until now) was the whale shark. And it’s an encounter I’ll remember for the rest of my life. Most will think the Maldives a honeymooners’ paradise, and of course, it is. Few places are as tranquil, romantic or beautiful, so much so that it’s almost impossible to describe without pulling out the obligatory clichés, so I’ll get it over with quickly; the sand could not be whiter, or softer, so you can leave your shoes at home; the sea is crystal clear, a blue so striking and inviting that you’ll want to spend your entire trip fully-immersed, marvelling that yes, you can see the bottom no matter how deep it gets. As you take off on the sea-plane from Malé to the paradise island that awaits, you’ll spend the half hour journey taking postcard perfect aerial shots, as you can’t quite believe that such a place of wonder actually exists, and that you’re there to witness it. I stayed at the Conrad, which lies in the South Ari Atoll, three degrees north of the equator and split between Rangalifinolhu and Rangali Island. Linked by a floodlit bridge, frolicking manta rays liked to gather there for a communal night-time roley-poley and to collect the plankton accumulating at the light source. When I first read how big the hotel was, I wondered if it may feel a little too large for a ‘paradise island’, but it just isn’t so. If anything, the vast size adds to the deserted island feel. And with one island dedicated to families and the other to

Feature | travel

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 109

adults holidaying alone, you can choose between two types of holiday, both equally luxurious. Staying on the ‘adult’ island in a beautiful water villa, I’d finish each day perched on the verandah, feet in the Jacuzzi, gazing out to sea and listening to the soft clinking of the waves against the steps. The other advantage of the Conrad’s size is its choice of restaurants, because there’s no ‘off island’ meal-plan option, unless you want to catch a plane or boat. With seven eateries, four bars and around 14,000 bottles of wine, you won’t go hungry, or thirsty, and you certainly won’t get bored. Having visited the Maldives previously, splitting my time between the Four Seasons and the One & Only, the extensive culinary choice certainly set the hotel apart, in that respect, from its multiple ‘six-star’ competitors. Ithaa – the world’s first all-glass underwater restaurant – serves French food with an Asian twist, and will be a hit with kids of all ages (including the middle-aged) with fish peering in as you consume tuna tataki and spring rolls (slightly unsettling if you’ve gone for a gilled option). Fun as it was, it’s by no means the most chic or impressive watering hole on the island. Food-centered entertainment is big at the Conrad; wine tasting is hosted in the wine cellar by the resort’s sommelier where the floor is covered in cool black sand, in keeping with the barefoot luxury ethos of the island (even the staff go barefoot). There is also a cheese and wine bar, home to 101 types of cheeses,

need to know: Daily rates at Conrad Maldives Rangali Island start from $625 (approx £388) plus taxes, based on two adults sharing a Beach Villa. To make a reservation or for more information, visit conradmaldives.com or call 009 60-668-0629 Return fares from London Heathrow to Malé from £623 for economy class or £1,968 for business class, including taxes and charges. For more information, visit turkishairlines.com or call 0844 800 6666

where pairing can fill a whole evening or just an hour, depending on how fromage-friendly you’re feeling. By far the best place to wine and dine was the Koko Grill, a small open-air restaurant offering an eight-course Japanese-inspired tasting menu, while ten or so diners sat in a row facing the horizon as the chef prepared the feast right there. Nothing could be more romantic. The Vilu restaurant offered à la carte Mediterranean fine dining; Sunset Grill a beach-side lobster BBQ; and Mandhoo, organic and bio-dynamic cuisine for the health conscious. Between the other eateries, no request was too large, or craving too obscure: you want it, you’ll get it, and quite possibly, it’ll be the best you ever had. All in all, the food is fantastic across the board, and in the week I stayed I almost longed for the feeling of a hungry rumble if only to justify one more meal or at least justify the gluttony. As well as two adult spas; (one over-water offering fantastic holistic treatments, with the other specialising in luxe colour – and chakra – therapy rituals, complete with a serenity spa deck and open-air Jacuzzi) there is one for children, too. The Ice Cream Spa, so it is named, offers the works; massages and facials as well as temporary tattoos and face painting, all using supersweet inspired (and smelling) products. Aside from exquisite food, outstanding service, myraid spa treatments and the opulence of a water villa (so awe-worthy it required a video tour via FaceTime to the jealous boyfriend at home), the water

Feature | TRAVEL

activities on offer is where, for me, the real excitement began. Whale shark and dolphin snorkelling; turtle conservation trips; manta ray spotting; deserted island hopping; submarine hire; private yacht excursions and big-game fishing, were just a few options available. And while marine life isn’t unique to Conrad, (there’s no turtle-barring gate at the doors of the ShangriLa), barely a moment went by without there being a creature of some kind in sight. Most looking forward to the whale shark excursion, the group set out – a little nervous, extremely excited, and unsure exactly what to expect – on-board the dive boat. Snorkel in hand and ready to jump in on cue, the first was spotted within minutes, as the boat crew stamped their feet on the top deck to signal for us to get in. Having tried and failed a number of times to swim

with the beautiful beasts before, I could hardly believe my luck so soon. We saw a total of three altogether, swimming so close you could reach out and touch them, although it isn’t advisable, for their safety more than yours. They are gentle natured and extremely docile, and have no taste for human flesh, so the trip is totally safe for youngsters, and no previous experience is required. An other-worldly experience, we swam alongside the third and largest (which was around 26 ft) for at least 15 minutes, uninterrupted. Home to the whale shark conservation charity, the staff were incredibly knowledgeable about their subject, their excitement still evident despite doing this day in, day out. After days of languishing on the sand, enjoying fresh fruit cocktails, wine, fine food and a taste of decadence almost unimaginable, it was time to return home. Having flown business class with Turkish Airlines, I knew the opulence would last a little longer, or at least until touchdown at Heathrow. With a short stopover in Istanbul, we planned, and succeeded, in making full use of the airport lounge’s incredible facilities. It’s a destination worth seeing in itself with its numerous food stalls, cinema, play areas, and the décor and service of a five- star hotel. We were already planning which pastries to select for the pit stop (the vanilla custard-filled filo was a hit on the way out). With a slightly longer transit slot going home, we fitted in a short city tour of Istanbul, a wonderful bonus to finish off what was already the trip of a lifetime. So accustomed was I to the Conrad way, that come Monday morning (and the chores of shoes and Oyster cards) that a return to office life was almost unbearable. No cocktails on command? No tea-time turtle spotting? No pool-aide on hand to brush off my lounger? Like a fish out of crystal clear water.

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 111

for all seasons

Located at a crossroads, the Swiss resort of Andermatt is a gateway to the north, south, east and west, connecting three separate Alpine passes and providing a wealth of seasonal luxury and skiing excellence for families and sporting enthusiasts WORDS: Eliza Bainbridge

estled amid the crisp peaks of the Swiss Alps, Andermatt is fastbecoming one of the most soughtafter alpine destinations in the world. The Andermatt Swiss Alps resort, both a luxurious ski escape and an exclusive year-round destination, has the feel of a high-end designer hotel, coupled with the exclusivity of a sumptuous private residence. There are three stunning passes, all easily accessible virtually from your front door, which offer excellent skiing – the Oberalp Pass to the east, the St Gotthard Pass to the south and the Furka Pass to the west, not to mention the Valley of Göschen to the north. Previously occupied and utilised as a training base for the Swiss army, development in the area had been limited; however since the army scaled back their operations in 2009, Andermatt has grown into an increasingly popular tourist destination, appealing to ski enthusiasts during winter and walkers or bikers in summer, all who revel in its unspoiled landscape. The village at Andermatt has retained much of its charming Swiss character but now offers hotels, chalets and some exemplary real estate. The inaugural hotel, The Chedi Andermatt, opened this December and is so luxurious it was hard to leave to set-off on the slopes; it effortlessly combines alpine living with modern luxury, with wood detailing throughout and awe-inspiring views of the mountains beyond, framed in the clever wood-panelled windows. All the rooms are furnished with huge baths (perfect for soaking tired muscles), king-size beds and cosy seating areas, while log fires, and vast leather sofas dotted throughout the hotel create intimate spots for a

warming drink and reflection on the day’s skiing. While one could easily spend all day appreciating the view from the comfort of the stunning hotel, we decided we’d be crazy not to venture out onto the slopes. You can’t fault the location; in the heart of the alps, Andermatt is very well-positioned and benefits from excellent snowfall. Crisp, white powder and some challenging and beautiful skiing trails made for a great day and its variation and size of slopes offer something for every level. Plans for the future involve upgrading and expanding the two ski regions Andermatt and Sedrun to deliver over 120 kilometres of pistes. After a few falls, several stops to admire the view and lunch at the charming après–ski bar, we decided to retire to The Chedi Spa which offers year-round pampering and relaxation. For those less-inclined towards massages but still looking to unwind, the stylish wine and cigar room or cheese cave, showcasing a delicious array of local artisanal cheeses made for a great way to while away a couple of hours. If all the charm of Andermatt becomes so intoxicating you fancy yourself as a more permanent resident, there are a number of real estate investment opportunities too, with 490 apartments and 25 chalets, ranging from a modest 95m2 to an impressive 621m2. With the addition of more hotels in the future, and an 18-hole golf course, there are clearly big things on the horizon for Andermatt, but it’s encouraging that, even with the already extensive scale of development, the rustic feel has been retained and the air of privacy preserved. Equally encouragingly, while it is evident everywhere that luxury has clearly been made a high priority, it hasn’t been at the cost of the environment. Sustainable,

Andermatt has grown into an increasingly popular tourist destination, appealing to ski enthusiasts during winter and walkers or bikers in summer

Weekend Break | travel NEED TO KNOW: Getting there To Zurich: EasyJet, British Airways, SwissAir and KLM fly direct from London To Milan: EasyJet and Alitalia fly direct from London There is also access to an airfield for private aircraft in Buochs (airportbuochs.ch), which is only 45 minutes from Andermatt. In the area Lucerne is located on the way to Andermatt from Zurich, just 45 minutes from the city and within easy reach of the alpine village. It is the perfect place to stop en-route to Andermatt Swiss Alps or to visit for a day trip.

completely car-free and constructed in the most environmentally-conscientious manner, green clearly also made the brief. Property owners will have access to the hotels, restaurants, lounges, bars and wellness centres, and most enticingly of all, Andermatt Swiss Alps is the only resort in Switzerland with exemption from the Swiss federal law â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Lex Kollerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. This means that nonSwiss buyers do not face the usual legal restrictions when purchasing or selling real estate. Just one more reason to make Andermatt your permanent alpine retreat. D thechedi-andermatt.com

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 113

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gucci 9 Royal Exchange 020 7623 3626 gucci.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Optix 175 Bishopsgate 020 7628 0330 optixuk.com

dermalogica One New Change 013 7222 5537 dermalogica.com

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

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

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

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

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

OLIVER BONAS One New Change 020 7248 3152 oliverbonas.com

F Flittner 86 Moorgate 020 7606 4750 fflittner.com

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

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

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

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

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

1 Lombard Street

Hawksmoor Guildhall

Fashion

Bars & restaurants

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

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

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

Bar Battu 48 Gresham Street 020 7036 6100 barbattu.com

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

Brasserie Blanc 60 Threadneedle Street 020 7710 9440 brasserieblanc.com

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

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

Copa de Cava

Sushisamba

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

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

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

Madison Restaurant 2 New Change 020 8305 3088 madisonlondon.net

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

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

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

Piccolino Restaurant 11 Exchange Square 020 7375 2568

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

Prism 147 Leadenhall Street 020 7256 3888

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

individualrestaurantcompanyplc.co.uk

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

JANUARY 2014 THE CITY 115

LONDON Homes&

PROPERTY Showcasing the finest homes in your area

C o v e r i n g Wa p p i n g , S h a d T h a m e s , S h o r e d i t c h , Is l i n g t o n & T h e C i t y

New Year, New Tactics

With house prices continuing to rise, the experts say where and when to invest

Bathtubs by Catchpole & Rye catchpoleandrye.com

KnightFrank.co.uk The Heron, City EC2Y

Brand new apartment Brand new studio apartment to rent in the City. Accommodation comprises separate bedroom area, bathroom suite, spacious reception and kitchen area, and a balcony with superb views. EPC rating B. Approximately 38 sq m ﴾408 sq ft﴿ Available furnished Guide price: £590 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ189121﴿

Bezier Apartments, City EC1Y Outstanding views

Amazing tenth floor apartment located in this popular 24 hour portered development. Accommodation comprises one bedroom, one bathroom suite, an open plan kitchen and reception room, porcelain flooring with under floor heating, comfort cooling, private balcony and good storage. EPC rating B. Approximately 63 sq m ﴾678 sq ft﴿ Available furnished Guide price: £625 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ134788﴿

City Magazine Jan 14 Heron Sugar - 10 December 2013 - 45733

10/12/2013 15:09:25

KnightFrank.co.uk Woodseer Street, Shoreditch E1 Immaculately presented

Modern first floor apartment to rent in this great location in Shoreditch, moments from Brick Lane, comprising two bedrooms, one bathroom, a fully fitted open plan kitchen and reception room, wooden floors and good storage. EPC rating B. Approximately 55 sq m ﴾593 sq ft﴿ Available furnished Guide price: £475 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ189493﴿

New Crane Wharf, Wapping E1W Charming warehouse conversion

Enormous third floor apartment to rent in central Wapping. Accommodation comprises two bedrooms, two en suite bathrooms and guest WC, reception room with dining area, kitchen and balcony with spectacular river views. EPC rating C. Approximately 186 sq m ﴾2007 sq ft﴿ Available part furnished Guide price: £850 per week

Wapping Lettings KnightFrank.co.uk/lettings wappinglettings@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5366 ﴾WAQ186149﴿

City Mag RHP Jan 14 Woodseer Cinnabar - 10 December 2013 - 45736

10/12/2013 15:06:36

KnightFrank.co.uk Royal Tower Lodge, Tower Hill E1 Penthouse Collection

Nine brand new two and three bedroom penthouses and sub penthouses atop an existing building. All apartments have terraces. Sizes range from 805 sq ft to 1141 sq ft ﴾all sizes approximate.﴿ Anticipated rental yield of approximately 4.5% Limited parking spaces available to buy separately. Completion expected Q4 2014 Leasehold Prices range from £645,000 to £850,000, subject to contract

KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5371 ﴾WAP130126﴿

China Court, Wapping E1W Top floor duplex flat

A super flat on the top two floors of a purpose built block, part of the popular Quay 430 development in west Wapping, boasting two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a reception room with access to terrace, separate kitchen, guest cloakroom, garage and a hard standing parking space. EPC rating D. Approximately 97 sq m ﴾1048 sq ft﴿ Leasehold Asking price: £630,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/Wapping wapping@knightfrank.com 020 8166 5371 ﴾WAP130195﴿

City Mag Jan 14 Sales RTL China - 10 December 2013 - 45740

11/12/2013 10:25:29

Cit

KnightFrank.co.uk Chart House, Isle of Dogs E14 Two bedroom apartment

A sub penthouse apartment located on the seventh floor in the sought after riverside development of Burrells Wharf. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, reception room, kitchen, terrace, parking, concierge. EPC rating C. Approximately 76 sq m ﴾818 sq ft﴿ Leasehold Guide price: £575,000

Canary Wharf Sales KnightFrank.co.uk/canarywharf cwharf@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6112 ﴾CNW130188﴿

Ontario Tower, Fairmont Ave E14 One bedroom apartment

A large one bedroom apartment located on the 24th floor of a popular portered development. Bedroom, bathroom, reception room, kitchen, concierge, leisure facilities, parking. EPC rating D. Approximately 91 sq m ﴾979 sq ft﴿ Leasehold Guide price: £625,000

Canary Wharf Sales KnightFrank.co.uk/canarywharf cwharf@knightfrank.com 020 3641 6112 ﴾CNW130174﴿

The City mag sales Jan 2014 - 03 December 2013 - 45491

03/12/2013 16:56:08

KnightFrank.co.uk

York Mansions, Battersea SW11 Four bedroom park facing apartment

Located on the 1st floor, it is one of the largest park facing units on Prince of Wales Drive and offers excellent lateral living space. 4 bedrooms, 1 to 2 reception rooms, kitchen, 2 refurbished bathrooms, balcony. EPC rating D. Approximately 183 sq m (1,970 sq ft) Share of freehold Guide price: ÂŁ2,750,000 (RVR130114)

KnightFrank.co.uk/battersea battersea@knightfrank.com 020 3597 7670

KnightFrank.co.uk Clapham Common Northside, SW4 Beautiful green views

An impressive Victorian house beautifully presented situated in a highly sought after residential area facing Clapham Common. 5/6 double bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, double reception room, upstairs living room/ bedroom 6, kitchen/dining room, cinema room, wine store, utility room, garden. EPC rating D. Approximately 280 sq m (3,014 sq ft) Freehold Asking price: ÂŁ2,250,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/wandsworth wandsworth@knightfrank.com 020 7768 0993 (WND130320)

Dorlcote Road, Wandsworth SW18 Wonderful views

Light and spacious semi-detached house offering good family accommodation throughout with uninterrupted views over Wandsworth Common. 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms (1 en suite), kitchen/breakfast/ family room, reception/media area, cloakroom, storage, 75ft south facing garden. EPC rating D. Approximately 226 sq m (2,439 sq ft) Freehold Guide price: ÂŁ2,400,000

KnightFrank.co.uk/wandsworth wandsworth@knightfrank.com 020 7768 0993 (WND090019)

We are kn ght frank Residential Sales and Lettings.

Visit our office at 353 Upper Street to find out more, or call 020 3641 6138.

KnightFrank.co.uk/islington

3246_Islington_Ad A4.indd 1

06/12/2013 12:41

homes & property

expert comment LETTINGS:

SALES:

Off to a flying start

No time like the present

GARY HALL, REGIONAL PARTNER AT KNIGHT FRANK

JOANNA HEATON, ASSOCIATE AT KNIGHT FRANK

IN WAPPING, COMMENTS ON THE TRENDS IN THE

RESIDENTIAL LETTINGS MARKET

RESIDENTIAL SALES MARKET

After a slower than normal start to the winter months, the rental market has picked up pace with some momentum. The rush to find a rental property before Christmas was no different in 2013, with applicants leaving it until the last minute before deciding to move. As with previous years, we fully expect the first quarter of the new year to be full of activity. The luxury lifestyle development market continues to grow, with The Heron apartments (just moments from Moorgate) completed at the end of 2013. Towering at 38 storeys, The Heron apartments offer not only extremely high specification units with all the latest gadgets, but the development also benefits from a well-equipped gym, a very smart private residents’ bar/restaurant, excellent 24 hour concierge and a communal roof terrace. It’s an ideal home for a corporate tenant. Over the past few years, the majority of investment properties in new build schemes in central London have sold to rental investors from South East Asia where the appetite for property has been extremely strong. This has continued but we’ve also observed that an increased number of The Heron’s new landlords, are from the UK and other parts of the world. This is a positive sign for the investment market in London. Additionally, the number of corporate tenants renting through the Wapping & City office via relocation agents has increased significantly over the past six months, showing there is renewed confidence in the City job market. Although RPI reduced again at the end of 2013, activity levels continue to increase. If these conditions remain, we should start to see rental prices rise in line with the increased demand as we move through 2014. n

2013 saw prices soar and demand far outweigh supply. It was an exciting year for property owners watching their assets grow and culminated in many people staying for another Christmas in their homes. This was frustrating for buyers as they were forced to stay put too. Throughout the year, many buyers remained hopeful that the high prices being achieved would translate in to growing stock levels, but this didn’t happen and as a result many now have their hopes pinned on the fruits of spring 2014. With the new year comes fresh momentum to the market around the City, Wapping and Docklands, a momentum that will open doors to people wanting to trade up or away, and first time buyers will be able to make their first step on to the ladder. Lenders are keen and the demand for properties in East London is at an all-time high. Government intervention schemes have helped build confidence, and first time buyers are registering with record high budgets and never have we seen so many families wishing to buy long term homes in and around the City. Our message to property owners considering a sale is this - the time is now! The international spotlight is on residential property in this part of London and the eastern City fringe is seeing an enormous amount of new development. The international acclaim is drawing people from across the Globe to parts of London they had not previously been aware of. Knight Frank Residential Research explores the “ripple effect” of price growth out of prime central London in its autumn 2013 ‘London Review’, available at knightfrank.co.uk. Knight Frank Wapping and Canary Wharf wish The City Magazine readership and all of our neighbours and clients a very happy and prosperous New Year. Please do call us if you would like a free market appraisal or any advice regarding the sale or purchase of property in this area. n

Knight Frank Wapping 020 7480 6848 knightfrank.co.uk/wapping

125

savills.co.uk

LETTINGS LAYOUT ONLY

A TRULY OUTSTANDING HOUSE IN IMMACULATE CONDITION st. paul street, n1 2 bedrooms ø double reception room ø 2 bathrooms ø landscaped garden ø 124 sq m (1,336 sq ft) ø Council Tax=G ø EPC=D

Savills Islington Libbi Hattersley lhattersley@savills.com

020 7354 6701 Unfurnished £695 per week + £276 inc VAT one-off admin fee and other charges may apply* *£36 inc VAT for each additional tenant/occupant/guarantor reference where required. Inventory check out fee – charged at the end of or early termination of the tenancy and the amount is dependent on the property size and whether furnished/unfurnished. For more details, visit www.savills.co.uk/fees.

One New Year resolution we can help you keep: Move. The New Year market is here. Opportunities are out there. So, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re considering a move, Savills can provide a powerful mix of local knowledge, national relevance and global scale. Buying, selling, renting or letting, talk to Savills now.

Savills Canary Wharf 4 Westferry Circus E14 4HD 020 7531 2500

Savills Islington 94 - 96 Upper Street N1 0NP 020 7226 1313

Savills Wapping Unit 1 Execution Dock House E1W 2NE 020 7456 6800

savills.co.uk

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17/12/2013 12:34

sOld

ebuRy Mews, n5 guide £1.55 Million

ARdilAun RoAd, n5 guide £1.5 Million

AllinghAM RoAd, n1 guide £1.2 Million

sOld

AbeRdeen PARk, n5 guide £1.15 Million

RiPPlevAle gRove, n1 guide £1.15 Million

bARnsbuRy stReet, n1 guide £1.1 Million

sOld

gibson squARe, n1 guide £1.1 Million

highbuRy CResCent, n5 guide £999,999

de beAuvoiR RoAd, n1 guide £825,000

sOld

Roseleigh Avenue, n5 guide £750,000

eAst stAnd, n5 guide £430,000

ellington stReet, n7 guide £395,000

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SA7

12:35

sOld

toweR wAlk, e1w guide £3.5 Million

sAndeRling lodge, e1w guide £2.68 Million

PieR heAd, e1w guide £2.25 Million

sOld

CinnAbAR whARf eAst, e1w guide £1.5 Million

PAn PeninsulA west, e14 guide £1.45 Million

disCoveRy doCk west, e14 guide £1.2 Million

sOld

globe whARf, e14 guide £1.15 Million

MillhARbouR, e14 guide £1.1 Million

RivieRA CouRt, e1w guide £825,000

sOld

wAteRMAn wAy, e1w guide £775,000

belgRAve CouRt, e14 guide £699,000

PoRt eAst, e14 guide £540,000

savills.co.uk

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let

ivoRy house, e1w guide £2,350 PeR week

siR John lyon house, eC4v guide £2,250 PeR week

PAn PeninsulA, e14 guide £1,700 PeR week

let

exeCution dok house, e1w guide £1,250 PeR week

Ability PlACe, e14 guide £1,195 PeR week

AnChoRAge Point, e14 guide £925 PeR week

let

steRling MAnsions, e1 guide £795 PeR week

CAnARy RiveRside, e14 guide £590 PeR week

gulliveRs whARf, e1w guide £525 PeR week

let

PieRPoint building, e14 guide £450 PeR week

gun whARf, e1w guide £425 PeR week

ontARio toweR, e14 guide £425 PeR week

let us be the big difference to your property success in 2014.

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17/12/2013 12:35

homes & property

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

What advice would you give to people considering subletting their London properties? There are a number of important factors to consider when seeking to let out a property and a competent agent will be able to offer a potential landlord personal advice as every case is different. However, there are a number of base considerations to be addressed. A landlord has an obligation to ensure the safety of their tenant, which is to include supplying regular upto-date gas and electrical safety checks and to ensure all furniture conforms to the required fire safety standards. In addition, any legal obligations of the owners must be given all due consideration especially in respect to freeholder or third party interests in the property, including insurers and mortgage providers. It is now a requirement to provide an energy performance certificate (EPC) to tenants. Once a tenancy is agreed the utilities within the property will need to be transferred into the name of the tenant and this will include the council tax. Check this matter with your agent who may well organise this on your behalf. Whilst much is dependent on the landlord’s residency and status, professional independent tax advice should be sought in order to provide a full understanding of the landlord’s tax liabilities. This

is especially important for overseas landlords as their agent will be responsible to retain a proportion of the rental income for tax purposes unless provided with a Non-Resident Landlord Exemption certificate. Not all landlords wish to be involved in the day-to-day business of running an investment property and it is worth discussing a full management service with an agent. This may include advice on furnishing and preparing the property for the market, which is expected to assist in the long-term occupation of the investment. You must ensure the agent is a member of the Association Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) or similar accredited body in order to ensure a professional and qualified approach to your investment. What are, if any, the positives to renting over home ownership in London’s current property market? Property ownership does not suit everyone, which is clearly evident in the demand that remains in the rental market for property of all sizes and types. A short term six or 12-month lease provides flexibility to the occupier and is particularly attractive to corporates seeking accommodation for staffing purposes. The tenant is not responsible for the maintenance of the property and is therefore provided with piece of mind and a relatively-fixed monthly budget. Not everyone has access to or wishes to commit the large capital sums associated with ownership or the associated responsibility of such. n

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

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Sales

The Heron, EC2 - From ÂŁ3,600,000 Rising above the square mile, the Panoramic Collection are residences without compromise. Created with a singular intention; to be the finest residences in the City of London, each property is an example of the finest in luxury living. The large, open living areas of each residence are equally suited to relaxing or entertaining guests, spectacular dual aspect views are offered by the floor to ceiling windows. Kitchens are equipped to the highest standard and private balconies provide a natural extension to the living space. The Panoramic Collection features exceptional amenities, including a concierge service, a private club, a landscaped garden terrace and state of the art gym.

16-17 Royal Exchange, London, EC3V 3LL

royalsales@eu.jll.com

Lettings

020 7337 4000 joneslanglasalle.co.uk

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

Altitude, E1 - £500pw

The Heron, EC2 - From £450pw

A brand new 1 bedroom apartment situated on the 13th floor of the brand new Altitude development. The apartment is offered fully furnished and boasts double bedroom with fitted wardrobes, fitted kitchen with Siemens appliances, reception and South/East facing balcony.

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

Britton Apartments, EC1 - £625pw

Avant-Garde, E1 - From £365pw

A contemporary styled 2 bedroom apartment in a modern boutique development. This luxury apartment is offer fully furnished with 2 double bedrooms and two bathrooms. Situated on a quiet street located within the heart of The City, benefiting from nearby Zone 1 transport links.

A stunning selection of brand new studio, 1, 2 and 3 bedroomed apartment in the heart of Shoreditch. The apartments are offered fully furnished and boast wood flooring, fitted kitchens with Siemens appliances and contemporary bathrooms. Benefits include 24 hour concierge and on-site gymnasium.

royallettings@eu.jll.com

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Merino Court, EC1V Leasehold £625,000 A contemporary one bedroom house with balcony and parking.

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

The Heron, EC2Y Leasehold £629,000 A stunning west-facing Galley Suite with a balcony in The Heron. EPC: C

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

Exchange Building, E1 Leasehold £975,000 A superb 2 bedroom duplex penthouse with terrace and parking. EPC: C

Gough House, EC4A Leasehold £1,695,000 A spectacular 3 bedroom City apartment in a listed building. EPC: D

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

Neckinger Mills, SE1 £1,795,000 Leasehold A three bedroom warehouse apartment, situated on the second floor within a gated character filled development. EPC: C

Empire Square East, SE1 £1,250,000 Leasehold A fabulous penthouse apartment with a terrace benefiting from sweeping skyline views of London’s most prominent landmarks. EPC: D

Eagle Wharf, SE1 £925,000 Leasehold A two double bedroom, two bathroom warehouse apartment in the heart of Shad Thames. EPC: B

South Bank, SE1 £10,500,000 Leasehold A stunning, four bedroom penthouse apartment in arguably the most desirable block on the South bank. EPC: C

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

Wapping, E1W £2,000,000 A 1,597 sq ft three bedroom, three bathroom apartment in this popular river fronting developmente. EPC: B

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

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Mitre Street, EC3 £548 per week (charges apply*) Two double bedroom apartment in this superbly located period block conversion in the heart of the City of London. EPC: D

Barbican, EC2 £340 per week (charges apply*) First floor studio apartment located in a popular block within the Barbican.

West Smithfield, EC1 £445 per week (charges apply*) An excellent one bedroom apartment in the heart of historic Smithfield.

Portsoken Street, E1 £495 per week (charges apply*) A well presented two bedroom apartment in this small, well kept City Development, moments from Tower Hill. EPC: C

EPC: E

Lamb Street, E1 £450 per week (charges apply*) A newly refurbished two bedroom apartment in the heart of Spitalfields. EPC: C

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

EPC: D

High Timer Street, EC4 £795 per week (charges apply*) Spacious two bedroom top floor apartment in this popular riverside development in the heart of the City. EPC: C

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

New Concordia Wharf, SE1 £1,200 per week (charges apply*) Two bedroom Duplex Penthouse with open plan kitchen to reception room with terrace and river views. EPC: E

New Concordia Wharf, SE1 £825 per week (charges apply*) Superb warehouse conversion with refurbished kitchen and bathrooms, exposed brick, beams, wood flooring and balcony with river views. EPC: C

Sandpiper Court, E1W £750 per week (charges apply*) Fantastic two double bedroom apartment with wood floors, balcony overlooking the beautiful St Katharines Dock. EPC: B

Gallery Lofts, SE1 £625 per week (charges apply*) Superb two bedroom apartment with additional mezzanine sleeping area, open plan recessed kitchen and views towards the River Thames. EPC: C

Admirals Court, SE1 £550 per week (charges apply*) Two bedroom duplex apartment located in the heart of Shad Thames. Benefiting from two balconies and separate kitchen. EPC: E

Butlers Wharf, SE1, £325 per week (charges apply*) Stylish studio apartment situated in a prestigious development in Shad Thames boasting wood floors and exposed brickwork. EPC: B

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

Beyond your expectations www.hamptons.co.uk

Paget Street, EC1 A fabulous 4 storey flat fronted, three bedroom period terrace house in a residential road in central Islington just off St. John Street in EC1. This family house has a subtle blend of contemporary finishes with period detailing. On the raised ground floor there is a double reception room featuring period fireplaces. To the rear there is a south-west facing patio garden. EPC: D

£1,295,000 Freehold • • • • • •

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

Period house Reception room Open plan kitchen/dining Three bedrooms Two bathrooms South west facing garden

Rocliffe Street, N1 An attractive Victorian house over four floors on a no through road in Angel. This period property has been tastefully renovated throughout and has retained much of its period charm. The living space comprises a very comfortable double reception room on the first floor with three bedrooms and two contemporary family bathrooms on the upper two floors. On the lower ground floor is a beautiful open plan kitchen diner with French doors leading into the garden. EPC: D

£1,595,000 Freehold • • • • • •

Victorian house Reception room Open-plan kitchen-diner Three bedrooms Two family bathrooms Rear arden

Capital Wharf, West Wapping E1W

ea2 are pleased to be able to offer this top floor 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment. The apartment benefits from having a balcony and Juliet style balcony from the reception. The master bedroom incorporates a balcony and a four piece en-suite bathroom. Separate integrated kitchen with granite work surfaces. guest shower room. The development has a residents gymnasium, 24 hour porterage / security and a secure underground parking. Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill Stations.with en-suite bathroom. Further family bathroom. Garden. Garage. Close to St Katharine’s Dock and Tower Hill stations.

£815,000

Tequila Wharf, Limehouse E14

ea2 are pleased to offer for sale this modern built 1 Bedroom 3rd Floor apartment. Open plan lounge and kitchen. Balcony with west facing views towards London and over canal. Porter. Close to Limehouse Stations and local Bus Routes.

ÂŁ370,000 Leasehold

Providence Tower £3.45 million Leasehold One of the finest properties in the Shad Thames area. A 2,500 sq ft duplex penthouse featuring magnificent views from two private terraces. EPC C

Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, SE1 £899,950 Leasehold

Recently refurbished to an exacting standard, a beautifully presented one bedroom apartment with views over the Thames and Tower Bridge.

Spice Quay £1.75 million Leasehold

Norfolk House, EC4V £2,400,000 S/F

A two bedroom apartment offering a luxurious and ultra-modern spaceapartments in Shad Thames’ One of living the finest in thesmartest City of building. EPC B London.

Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, SE1 £899,950 Leasehold

Recently refurbished to an exacting standard, a beautifully presented one bedroom apartment with views over the Thames and Tower Bridge.

Proud Winners at the

A of

Estate Agency of the Year 2013

Curlew Street,SE16 Shad Thames, SE1 £2,200,000 Leeside Court, Norfolk House, EC4VFreehold £2,400,000 S/F

superb freehold property of greatOne quality which combines the edgy, style two bedroom apartment of the finest apartments in theurban City of ameasuring warehouse conversion with the practicality of a five bedroom house. 785 sq ft, London.

CITY MAGAZINE DPS JAN 14_Layout 1 16/12/2013 15:00 Page 1

Altitude Point E1

Pear Tree Street EC1

£380 and £750 per week

£675 per week

Superb I One and three bedroom apartments I Balconies 13th and 14th floors I City Views Furnished

Newly built I Interior designed I Two bedroom apartment Two balconies I Concierge Furnished I EPC B

Avant Garde Place E1

Vine Hill EC1

from £395 per week

£1,250 per week

Selection of studios I One and two bedroom apartment 24 hour conciere I Gym I Wi-Fi lounge Furnished

Unique duplex penthouse I Three double bedrooms Two terraces Furnished I EPC C

Sales 020 7250 1012

Lettings 020 490 1122

HURFORD

SALVI

CARR

Furnival Street EC4

Kingsway Place EC1

£625,000

£890,000

Outstanding I One bedroom apartment I Newly refurbished Moments from Chancery Lane 512sqft/48m2 I EPC C

Former school conversion I Two bedroom apartment Day porter I Parking I Duplex 920sqft/85m2 I EPC D

Dallington Street EC1

Brewery Square EC1

£895,000

£1,520,000

Two double bedroom apartment I 2nd floor Sought after Clerkenwell location 948sqft/88m2 I EPC B

Stylish I Three bedroom house I Kitchen/breakfast room Double reception room I Secure parking I 24hr Porter 1,353sqft/126m2 I EPC D

hurford-salvi-carr.co.uk

WE HAVE THE

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

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

Local know-how. Better results.

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

LANDLORDS IN LONDON CHOOSE TO RENT THEIR PROPERTIES WITH US

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

Inc

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

By Langford Russell

Hill Brow, Bickley, kent Br1

£1,595,000 F/H

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

£950,000 F/H

CoPErs CoPE road, BECkEnham, kEnT Br3

Langford Russell are delighted to offer to the market this fantastic detached residence located on one of Beckenham’s most popular roads. Downstairs the property comprises grand entrance hallway, modern kitchen with utility area, lounge with parquet flooring, dining room, conservatory and mature landscaped gardens. Upstairs benefits a galleried landing, five bedrooms and a family bathroom. Energy Efficiency Rating E. Please contact our Beckenham office for more information: Tel: 020 8663 4433 Email: beckenham@langfordrussell.co.uk

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

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

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

space

Lincoln 3 Bedroom PL AZA

HIGH LEVEL

LIVING

APARTMENTS FROM £625,000 A stunning collection of exclusive 3 bed apartments averaging 920 sqft 5 minutes from the heart of Canary Wharf • Rising 31 levels, majority with balcony or winter garden. • Many with panoramic views • Exclusive lifestyle facilities including health spa, gym and private cinema. • Secure underground † parking. • Fabulous 4 storey communal winter garden and roof terrace.

Authentic apartment view.

NEW SALES & MARKETING SUITE NOW OPEN

020 8418 3637

LincolnPlaza@galliardhomes.com galliardhomes.com † Parking at additional cost.

Spectacular apartments in a stunning location with panoramic views over Canary Wharf. A cosmopolitan new village on Greenwich riverside with on-site Waitrose, restaurants, shops & bars. Exclusive new apartments and penthouses. 2 bedroom prices from £450,000 with 5% deposit scheme available.

Sales Office & Marketing Suite Open 7 Days

020 7620 1500 sales@galliardhomes.com galliardhomes.com

Ready now. It doesn’t get any better.

A brand new range of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom contemporary apartments offering the qualities of village life in the heart of Greenwich.

Village life in the City Just minutes From canary WharF and the city

www.gmv.gb.com 020 8305 2712

• Innovative and striking architecture • Superb specification throughout • Eco-friendly credentials • Acres of parkland including the fabulous Peninsula Ecology Park • Great transport connections, only 1 stop from Canary Wharf First homes will be ready for occupation from Winter 2014

For the latest availability and prices, contact us noW!

Marketing Suite open every day 10am-5pm

Greenwich Millennium Village is a joint venture between Countryside Properties and Taylor Wimpey in association with the Mayor of London.

5447 CPL GMV ad 297x210.indd 1

12/12/2013 14:23

homes & property

PROPERTY NEWS LANDSLIDE VICTORY Hamptons International’s Islington Office takes home three awards at the Estate Agency of the Year Awards

amptons International’s Islington Office is celebrating following their success at the recent Estate Agency of the Year Awards, where they gained three highly prestigious industry accolades. The company took home the Best Large Agency award for the second year running, while its Islington Office also scooped the Gold prizes for the newly launched categories of Best Negotiator and Best Valuer. As one of the most prestigious events in the industry calendar, the Estate Agency of the Year Awards attracts agents from more than 5,000 offices across the country, making this a huge achievement for Hamptons International and its Islington Office. Grant Bates, Negotiator at Hamptons Islington was named Best Negotiator in the UK after he impressed judges with a written entry and phone interview. Bates was recognised for providing a proactive end-to-end service, whereby the sale is the final piece of the puzzle. Daniel O’Brien, another member of the talented team at Hamptons Islington, was recognised as the Best Valuer. Judges were impressed with O’Brien’s commitment to the business and the results he’s achieving for his clients. Specifically O’Brien was

Hamptons Islington Office 020 7717 5303 hampton.co.uk

154

recognised for having built a collaborative environment with a culture of sharing ideas, which leaves buyers and vendors rest assured that they are in safe hands and he does so in an extremely competitive patch. Andy Gillon, director at Hamptons International Islington said: “Grant and Dan are extremely motivated and hardworking individuals. The results that they both produce are nothing short of outstanding. While this industry recognition is an amazing achievement, it is also 100 percent deserved. We are extremely proud of them.” With over 140 years of experience, Hamptons International maintains a strong commitment to industry innovation and delivering exceptional customer service. This recent industry recognition reaffirms their position as a leading residential estate agent and property service organisation. Hamptons International’s headquarters are in London’s Mayfair; however the company has an international network of more than 85 offices, which offer a wealth of knowledge and a vast range of services including UK and International Sales, Lettings, Property Management, Corporate Services, Residential Development, Development Land, Valuation and Property Finance. n

Red Lion Lane | Woolwich Common | London | SE18 4AS

Style. Elegance. History

JUST RELEASED Montague Mews is the next exciting new release at The Academy. This collection of just 14 newbuild homes and apartments nestles within the heart of this magniﬁcent development. With a high specification and the finest contemporary design throughout, this really is the perfect address for combining modern living in an unrivalled historical setting.

• 2 bedroom from £315,000

• 3 bedroom from £430,000

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS EXCITING NEW PHASE, CONTACT US TODAY! Marketing Suite and Showhomes open Friday - Monday 11.00am - 5.00pm (Sunday 4.00pm) Christmas Opening Hours: Closed from 23rd December, reopens 3rd January Visit our website to keep up to date with new releases:

www.theacademywoolwich.co.uk

or call:

020 3689 7868